Spectral transformation of ASTER and Landsat TM bands for lithological mapping of Soghan ophiolite complex, south Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pournamdari, Mohsen; Hashim, Mazlan; Pour, Amin Beiranvand

2014-08-01

Spectral transformation methods, including correlation coefficient (CC) and Optimum Index Factor (OIF), band ratio (BR) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to ASTER and Landsat TM bands for lithological mapping of Soghan ophiolitic complex in south of Iran. The results indicated that the methods used evidently showed superior outputs for detecting lithological units in ophiolitic complexes. CC and OIF methods were used to establish enhanced Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color combination bands for discriminating lithological units. A specialized band ratio (4/1, 4/5, 4/7 in RGB) was developed using ASTER bands to differentiate lithological units in ophiolitic complexes. The band ratio effectively detected serpentinite dunite as host rock of chromite ore deposits from surrounding lithological units in the study area. Principal component images derived from first three bands of ASTER and Landsat TM produced well results for lithological mapping applications. ASTER bands contain improved spectral characteristics and higher spatial resolution for detecting serpentinite dunite in ophiolitic complexes. The developed approach used in this study offers great potential for lithological mapping using ASTER and Landsat TM bands, which contributes in economic geology for prospecting chromite ore deposits associated with ophiolitic complexes.

Formation and tectonic evolution of the Cretaceous Jurassic Muslim Bagh ophiolitic complex, Pakistan: Implications for the composite tectonic setting of ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Mehrab; Kerr, Andrew C.; Mahmood, Khalid

2007-10-01

The Muslim Bagh ophiolitic complex Balochistan, Pakistan is comprised of an upper and lower nappe and represents one of a number of ophiolites in this region which mark the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates. These ophiolites were obducted onto the Indian continental margin around the Late Cretaceous, prior to the main collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. The upper nappe contains mantle sequence rocks with numerous isolated gabbro plutons which we show are fed by dolerite dykes. Each pluton has a transitional dunite-rich zone at its base, and new geochemical data suggest a similar mantle source region for both the plutons and dykes. In contrast, the lower nappe consists of pillow basalts, deep-marine sediments and a mélange of ophiolitic rocks. The rocks of the upper nappe have a geochemical signature consistent with formation in an island arc environment whereas the basalts of the lower nappe contain no subduction component and are most likely to have formed at a mid-ocean ridge. The basalts and sediments of the lower nappe have been intruded by oceanic alkaline igneous rocks during the northward drift of the Indian plate. The two nappes of the Muslim Bagh ophiolitic complex are thus distinctively different in terms of their age, lithology and tectonic setting. The recognition of composite ophiolites such as this has an important bearing on the identification and interpretation of ophiolites where the plate tectonic setting is less well resolved.

Peridote-water interaction generating migration pathways of H2-rich fluids in subduction context: Common processes in the ophiolites of Oman, New-Caledonia, Philippines and Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deville, E. P.; Prinzhofer, A.; Pillot, D.; Vacquand, C.; Sissmann, O.

2010-12-01

The occurrence of H2 flows which were punctually known notably in the ophiolites of Oman, Zambales (Philippines) and Antalya (Turkey) appears to be a widespread phenomenon in these major peridotite massifs associated with ancient or active subduction processes. Similar H2-rich gas flows have been discovered also in the peridotite of New-Caledonia. H2 concentrations are locally high (commonly 60 to90% in Oman). H2 is frequently degassing in hyperalkaline springs but the highest flows were found directly expelled from fractures in the peridotites. Obviously, within the fracture systems, gas and associated hyperalkaline water separate at shallow depth close to the top of the upper aquifer level. Locally high flows of gas migrate vertically in the fractures, whereas water with degassing H2 tends to migrate laterally in the fracture network toward the creeks where most of the hyperalkaline springs are found. The genesis of natural H2 is interpreted as the result of the interaction, at depth, between ultrabasic mantle rocks in the upper plate and water expelled by the subducted sediments by oxidation of metals (Fe2+, Mn2+) and reduction of water during serpentinisation. CH4 is commonly associated to the H2-rich fluids and it is interpreted as the result of the reduction of available CO2 at depth. N2 is also commonly associated to the H2-rich fluids in the ophiolites, whereas N2 flows (within H2) were found in the subducted sediments (below the sole décollement of the peridotite) where it can be observed (Oman and New-Caledonia). Within the peridotites, the hyperalkaline water is rich in ions OH- and Ca2+ and characterized by high pH (between 11 and 12). Most alkaline springs are found in the vicinity of major faults and/or lithological discontinuities like the basal décollement of the ophiolites and the peridotite-gabbro contact (Moho). This hyperalkaline water migration induces a chain of diagenetic reactions starting at depth within the fracture systems by the precipitation of Mg-carbonates (dolomite, magnesite) and continuing up to the surface where it leads mostly to the precipitation of Ca-carbonates (calcite, aragonite), and brucite. This chain of diagenetic reactions is associated with the capture and sequestration of the atmospheric CO2 during the precipitation of the carbonates.

Compositional Heterogeneity and Spatial Segmentation of Suprasubduction (ssz-type) Ophiolites: Evidence From The Kamchatka Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osipenko, A.; Krylov, K.

In ophiolite complexes from the Eastern Asian accretion belts the spatial heterogeneity of geochemical parameters for different components of an ophiolite sequence is estab- lished: restite mantle-derived peridotites, cumulative layered complex and volcanics. This heterogeneity is displayed as at a regional level (tens - hundred km), and at a level of local structures (hundred i - first tens km). As a rule, distinction is observed on a complex of geochemical parameters (concentration and form of REE spectra, EPG distribution, isotope characteristics, Cr-spinel and pyroxene composition etc.). Revealed at once in several suprasubduction-type ophiolite belts (Kamuikotan, Philip- pines New Guinea etc.), the spatial variations of geochemical parameters have not gradual, and discrete character. For an explanation of the reasons of ophiolite com- positional heterogeneity several mechanisms are offered: (1) tectonical overlapping of various fragments of lithosphere; (2) different specify of deep processes, resulting to compositional heterogeneity of rocks from the same lithosphere level; 3) hetero- geneity of the upper mantle and/or mantle metasomatism; 4) evolution of ophiolites (Shervais, 2001) and/or center of magma generation (mixture of continuous series of melt portions, separated during different stages of progressive mantle source melting (Bazylev et al., 2001)); 5) preservations of relict blocks of low lithosphere and upper mantle from the previous stage in suprasubduction conditions. The authors consider regional geochemical heterogeneity and segmentation of suprasubduction ophiolites (SSZ-type) on an example of peridotites from the Eastern Kamchatka ophiolite belt (EKOB), where sublongitude zones, crossed the basic geological structures of a penin- sula (including EROB) were allocated earlier. For each of zones the complex of geo- chemical attributes, steady is established within the limits of a zone, but distinct from of the characteristics of other zones. Among the factors causing an unequal degree of partial melting of peridotites, a main role play a geothermal regime and composition of fluid phase (first of all, the role of water fluid is great). These parameters, in turn, are supervised by a geodynamic regime of magma generation (such characteristics as speed of subduction and geometry of a subducted plate) and finally determine speed of uplift from the diapir in mantle, depth of the termination of partial melting, amount of 1 extracted melt, form and capacity of the magma chamber etc. The local heterogeneity in SSZ-ophiolites is considered on an example of a complex of the Kamchatka Cape Peninsula - the largest ophiolite complex in EKOB. Isotope, geochemical and miner- alogical study have shown, that a part, prevailing on volume, of this complex consist suprasubduction-type magmatic rocks (restite high-depleted harzburgites and related layered cumulative complex), whereas peridotites of harzburgite-lherzolite series and high-grade metabasites (retrograde eclogites and garnet amphibolites) composition- ally correspond to series of N-MORB and Ò-MORB-type. The presence in ophiolite of the Kamchatka Cape Peninsula alongside with high-depleted harzburgites as well moderately- and low-depleted peridotites of harzburgite-lherzolite series allows to as- sume, that Late Mesozoic suprasubduction ophiolites were formed on peridotitic basis of abyssal type. Thus the transformation of "oceanic" substrate was not complete, that has allowed to be kept relict peridotites of lherzolitic type and high-pressure metamor- phics. Probably it reflects pulsing character of geodynamics of suprasubduction-type ophiolite formation, it is possible is connected with "jumping" of spreading axes in suprasubduction conditions. During followed multistage napping in a northeast direc- tion in the Upper Cretaceous time disintegrated fragments of both mantle complexes were tectonically concurrent. In the report the alternative versions of tectonic models of development are also discussed for the Eastern Kamchatka ophiolites. 2

A mid-Archaean ophiolite complex, Barberton Mountain land

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewit, M. J.; Hart, R.; Hart, R.

1986-01-01

New field observations and structurally restored geologic sections through the southern part of 3.5-3.6 Ga Barberton greenstone belt show that its mafic to ultramafic rocks form a pseudostratigraphy comparable to that of Phanerozoic ophiolites; this ancient ophiolite is referred to as the Jamestown ophiolite complex. It consists of an intrusive-extrusive mafic-ultramafic section, underlain by a high-temperature tectono-metamorphic residual peridotitic base, and is capped by a chert-shale sequence which it locally intrudes. Geochemical data support an ophiolitic comparison. Fraction of high temperature melting PGE's 2500 C in the residual rocks suggest a lower mantle origin for the precursors of this crust. An oceanic rather than arc-related crustal section can be inferred from the absence of contemporaneous andesites. The entire simatic section has also been chemically altered during its formation by hyrothermal interaction with the Archean hydrosphere. The most primitive parent liquids, from which the extrusive sequence evolved, may have been picritic in character. Rocks with a komatiitic chemistry may have been derived during crystal accumulation from picrite-crystal mushes (predominantly olivine-clinopyroxene) and/or by metasomatism during one or more subsequent episodes of hydration-dehydration. The Jamestown ophiolite complex provides the oldest record with evidence for the formation of oceanic lithosphere at constructive tectonic boundaries.

Uplifted ophiolitic rocks on Isla Gordon, southernmost Chile: implications for the closure history of the Rocas Verdes marginal basin and the tectonic evolution of the Beagle Channel region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, W. D.

1994-04-01

A succession of mafic rocks that includes gabbro, sheeted dikes and deformed pillow basalts has been mapped in detail on Isla Gordon, southernmost Chile and is identified as an upper ophiolitic complex representing the uplifted floor of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Rocas Verdes marginal basin. The complex was uplifted, deformed, and regionally metamorphosed prior to the intrusion of an undeformed 90 Ma granodiorite that cuts the complex. The complex appears para-autochthonous, is gently tilted to the northeast and is internally sheared by near-vertical foliation zones. No evidence for obduction was observed although the base of the complex is not exposed. The ophiolitic rocks have been regionally metamorphosed to mid-upper greenschist levels. Isla Gordon is bounded by the northwest and southwest arms of the Beagle Channel, two important structural boundaries in the southernmost Andes that are interpreted to have accommodated north-side-up and left-lateral displacements. Directly north of Isla Gordon is the Cordillera Darwin metamorphic complex that exposes the highest grade metamorphic rocks in the Andes south of Peru. On the north coast of Isla Gordon a volcaniclastic turbidite sequence that is interpreted to have been deposited above the mafic floor is metamorphosed to lower greenschist levels in strong metamorphic contrast to amphibolite-grade othogneisses exposed in Cordillera Darwin only 2 km away across the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel. The profound metamorphic break across the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel and the regional northeast tilt of the ophiolitic complex are consistent with the previously proposed hypothesis that Isla Gordon represents the upper plate to an extensional fault that accommodated tectonic unroofing of Cordillera Darwin. However, limited structural evidence for extension was identified in this study to support the model and further work is needed to determine the relative importance of contractional, extensional and strike-slip displacements during the closure of the Rocas Verdes marginal basin and uplift of Cordillera Darwin. The Isla Gordon ophiolitic complex is correlative with other regional occurrences of ophiolitic rocks including the previously studied Tortuga, Sarmiento and Larsen Harbour complexes. The existence of the Isla Gordon ophiolitic complex helps link the known occurrences of the marginal basin floor into a semi-continuous belt that sheds light on the original continuity of the basin.

Cambrian ophiolite complexes in the Beishan area, China, southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yuruo; Zhang, Wei; Kröner, Alfred; Li, Linlin; Jian, Ping

2018-03-01

We present zircon ages and geochemical data for Cambrian ophiolite complexes exposed in the Beishan area at the southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The complexes consist of the Xichangjing-Xiaohuangshan and Hongliuhe-Yushishan ophiolites, which both exhibit complete ophiolite stratigraphy: chert, basalt, sheeted dikes, gabbro, mafic and ultramafic cumulates and serpentinized mantle peridotites. Zircon grains of gabbro samples yielded 206Pb/238U ages of 516 ± 8, 521 ± 4, 528 ± 3 and 535 ± 6 Ma that reflect the timing of gabbro emplacement. The geochemical data of the basaltic rocks show enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements and depletion in the high field strength elements relative to normal mid-oceanic ridge basalt (NMORB) in response to aqueous fluids or melts expelled from the subducting slab. The gabbro samples have higher whole-rock initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios and lower positive εNd(t) values than NMORB. These geochemical signatures resulted from processes or conditions that are unique to subduction zones, and the ophiolites are therefore likely to have formed within a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) environment. We suggest that the Cambrian ophiolite complexes in the Beishan area formed within a SSZ setting, reflecting an early Paleozoic subduction of components of the Paleo-Central Asian Ocean and recording an early Paleozoic southward subduction event in the southern CAOB along the northern margin of the Tarim and North China Cratons.

Ages and Nd, Sr isotopic systematics in the Sierran foothills ophiolite belt, CA: the Smartville and Feather River complexes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaw, H.F.; Niemeyer, S.

1985-01-01

Sm-Nd dating has shown the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite to be approx. 480 My old. Its Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopic compositions require an unusually old depleted mantle source. Samples from the Smartville and Feather River complexes have been analyzed in a search for similar highly depleted, early Paleozoic ophiolites in the northern foothills ophiolite belt. Six whole rocks from Smartville, encompassing representative lithologies, plus plagioclase and pyroxene mineral separates define a 183 +/- 22 My Sm-Nd isochron. This age, interpreted as the igneous age, is older than, but within error of, approx. 160 My U-Pb ages previously obtained from plagiogranite zirconmore » analyses. One diabase with unusually high Rb/Sr yields a depleted mantle Sr model age of 200 +/- 25 My, consistent with the Sm-ND age. These compositions are clearly oceanic in character but do not discriminate among possible tectonic settings for the formation of the Smartville complex. Sm-Nd data for flaser gabbros and related rocks from Feather River scatter about an approx. 230 My errorchron with element of/sub Nd/(T) = +6.3 to +8.7. Initial /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr ranges from 0.7028 to 0.7031. These results indicate a complex history with initial isotopic heterogeneities and/or disturbances of the isotopic systems. If primary, the element of/sub Nd/ (T) values are somewhat low, suggesting a possible arc origin for these rocks. Neither the Smartville nor Feather R. complexes appear to be related to the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite which, so far, is unique among foothill ophiolites in having an early Paleozoic age and a clear MORB, as opposed to arc or marginal basin, isotopic signature.« less

Using MicroFTIR to Map Mineral Distributions in Serpentinizing Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, A.; Kubo, M. D.; Cardace, D.

2016-12-01

Serpentinization, the water-rock reaction forming serpentine mineral assemblages from ultramafic precursors, can co-occur with the production of hydrogen, methane, and diverse organic compounds (McCollom and Seewald, 2013), evolving water appropriate for carbonate precipitation, including in ophiolite groundwater flow systems and travertine-producing seeps/springs. Serpentinization is regarded as a geologic process important to the sustainability of the deep biosphere (Schrenk et al., 2013) and the origin of life (Schulte et al., 2006). In this study, we manually polished wafers of ultramafic rocks/associated minerals (serpentinite, peridotite, pyroxenite, dunite; olivine, diopside, serpentine, magnetite), and travertine/constituent minerals (carbonate crusts; calcite, dolomite), and observed mineral boundaries and interfaces using µFTIR analysis in reflection mode. We used a Thermo Nicolet iS50 FTIR spectrometer coupled with a Continuum IR microscope to map minerals/boundaries. We identify, confirm, and document FTIR wavenumber regions linked to serpentinite- and travertine-associated minerals by referencing IR spectra (RRUFF) and aligning with x-ray diffraction. The ultramafic and carbonate samples are from the following field localities: McLaughlin Natural Reserve - a UC research reserve, Lower Lake, CA; Zambales, PH; Ontario, CA; Yellow Dog, MI; Taskesti, TK; Twin Sisters Range, WA; Sharon, MA; Klamath Mountains, CA; Dun Mountain, NZ; and Sussex County, NJ. Our goals are to provide comprehensive µFTIR characterization of mineral profiles important in serpentinites and related rocks, and evaluate the resolving power of µFTIR for the detection of mineral-encapsulated, residual organic compounds from biological activity. We report on µFTIR data for naturally occurring ultramafics and travertines and also estimate the limit of detection for cell membrane components in mineral matrices, impregnating increasing mass proportions of xanthan gum in a peridotite sand derived from drilling at the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO, Cardace et al., 2013). Preservation and well resolved description of organic compounds in secondary minerals in ultramafic rocks may allow assessment of changing habitability of past microenvironments fueled by serpentinization.

The Ophiolite Problem, Is It Really a Problem?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casey, J. F.; Dewey, J. F.

2009-12-01

Ophiolites and ophiolite complexes have been recognized as having an oceanic affinity or origin since the classic work of Ian Gass in the 1950’s on the Troodos Complex. A problem has been that the term ophiolite has included a very diverse range of meanings from obscure slivers of mafic and ultramafic rocks of doubtful origin in orogenic belts to large obducted slabs with the full range (Coleman, 1972), from base to top, of lherzolite/ariegite, harzburgite, dunite, gabbro, sheeted dyke complex, pillow basalts, and sediments, commonly with a two-pyroxene mafic granulite as a thin aureole attached to the base of the complex. Large obducted ophiolite slabs are mainly early Ordovician and mid-Cretaceous. The principal enigma of these obducted slabs is that they clearly must have been generated by some form of organized sea-floor spreading/plate-accretion, such as may be envisioned for the oceanic ridges, yet the volcanics commonly have arc affinity (Miyashiro) with boninites (high-temperature/low-pressure, high Mg and Si andesites), which suggest a forearc origin. Our model hinges on the PT conditions under which boninites form. Many ophiolites have complexly-deformed associated assemblages that suggest fracture zone/transform geology, which in turn has led to models involving the nucleation of subduction zones on fracture zones/transforms. Hitherto, arc-related sea-floor-spreading has been considered to be either pre-arc (fore-arc boninites) or post-arc (classic Karig-style back arc basins that split arcs). We propose a new model with syn-arc boninites that involves a stable ridge/trench/trench triple junction, the ridge being between the two upper plates. The direction of subduction must be oblique with a different sense in the two subduction zones and the oblique subduction cannot be partitioned into trench orthogonal and parallel strike-slip components. As the ridge spreads, new oceanic lithosphere is created within the forearc, the arc and fore-arc lengthen significantly, and a syn-arc ophiolite complex is generated that ages along arc-strike; a distinctive diachronous boninite/arc volcanic stratigraphy develops. Dikes in the ophiolite are oblique to the trench as are magnetic anomalies in the “back-arc” basin. Boninites and high-mg andesites are generated in the fore-arc under the aqueous, low pressure/high temperature, regime at the ridge above the dehydrating slab or where a ridge subducts beneath the forearc. The mafic protolith, garnet/two pyroxene, aureole is generated in and sliced from the subducting slab and attached to the base of the overriding lithosphere at about 1000°C, ten to twelve million years from the ridge axis, where the SSZ ophiolite is about ten to twelve kilometers thick, at which thickness of the ophiolite is buffered by the subducting slab. Obduction of the SSZ ophiolite with its subjacent aureole occurs whenever the oceanic arc attempts subduction of a stable continental margin.

Geodynamic evolution of the Taiwan-Luzon-Mindoro belt since the late eocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephan, Jean François; Blanchet, René; Rangin, Claude; Pelletier, Bernard; Letouzey, Jean; Muller, Carla

1986-05-01

The structural framework of the Taiwan-Luzon-Mindoro belt (or festoon) is described, following three major transects: the Luzon transect with active subduction and active island arc; the Taiwan transect with active collision; the Mindoro transect with active subduction and inactive collision. Based on this geological study and on available geophysical data, a model for the geodynamic evolution of this portion of the Philippine Sea and Eurasia Plates boundary is proposed in a succession of reconstructions between the Late Eocene and the Present. The major geodynamic events are: (1) beginning of the opening of the South China Sea (S.C.S.) in Lower Oligocene times, contemporaneous with obduction of the Zambales and Angat ophiolites on Luzon. (2) subduction of a Mesozoic (?) oceanic basin along the proto-Manila trench from the Upper Oligocene to the Lower Miocene. (3) obduction of the South China Sea oceanic crust onto the Chinese and Reed Bank—Calamian passive margins in Middle Miocene time (14-15 Ma) related to a major kinematic reorganization (end of opening of the S.C.S.). (4) beginning of collision between the Luzon microblock and the two margins of the S.C.S. in the Upper Miocene (~ 7 Ma); collision is still active in Taiwan whereas it stopped in Mindoro during the Pliocene.

The Khoy ophiolite: new field observations, geochemistry and geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechmann, Anna; Burg, Jean-Pierre; Mohammadi, Ali; Faridi, Mohammad

2017-04-01

The tectonic assemblage at the junction of the Bitlis-Zagros and Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zones is exposed in the region of the Khoy Ophiolitic Complex, in the Azerbaijan Province of NW Iran. We present new petrography, major and trace element analyses, LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data of mantle and crustal suites together with field observations and stratigraphic ages obtained from foraminifera-bearing sediments. Ultramafic rocks crop out as mappable (km-scale) continuous units with fault bounded contacts to neighbouring lithologies and as blocks (m-scale) within an olistostrome. They vary from fresh lherzolite, harzburgite and dunite tectonites with primary mantle structures to completely serpentinized and metasomatized (with metamorphic olivine) samples. Rodingite dikes with MORB-REE signatures are common. Gabbros, also with MORB signature, occur only in small volumes. Pillow basalts have either a MORB or a calc-alkaline signature depending on sample location. First results show that the Khoy Ophiolitic Complex formed during the Jurassic (152-159 Ma) and came in a supra-subduction position, with calc-alkaline magmatism showing negative Nb-Ta and Ti anomalies, in Albian (105-109 Ma) times. Heavy minerals including Cr-spinel and serpentine within the turbidites of the region indicate that the ophiolites were being eroded as early as the Late Cretaceous. An Early Miocene olistostrome, containing blocks of the ophiolitic sequences unconformably covers the ophiolitic complex and the Late-Cretaceous to Eocene turbiditic sequences. A tuff layer dated at 43 Ma within a fine-grained and thin-bedded sandstone block within the olistostrome witnesses continuing volcanic activity in Eocene times. The Khoy Ophiolite compares well with the Inner Zagros and North Makran ophiolites, recording Jurassic extension in the Iranian continental margin followed by Late Cretaceous subduction. This work is supported by SNF Research Grant (project 200021_153124/1).

Paleo- and Neo-Tethyan ophiolites of Iran: a progress report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghazi, M.; Hassanipak, A.; Babaie, H.

2003-04-01

The Bitlis-Zagros and Alborz stuture zones of Iran mark two collisional plate boundaries in the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt. The ophiolites of these zones together with the ophiolites of Makran accretionary prism and Central Iran form discontinuous linear belts of Tethyan oceanic fragments, which form a bridge between the Mediterranean and Himalayan ophiolites. Based on age alone these ophiolites have been divided into less abundant Paleozoic and much more abundant Mesozoic ophiolites. The Paleozoic ophiolites are located along the Alborz orogenic belt [i.e., Rasht and Mashhad ophiolites (297 Ma and 268 Ma)] and near Anarak in Central Iran. which are the remnants of the Paleo-Tethys ocean crust emplaced as result of closure of the Paleo-Tethys between the Turan and the Central Iranian Microplates (CIM). The Mesezoic ophiolites of Iran are more abundant and include the Zagros ophiolites (i.e., Neyriz and the Kermanshah ophiolites which appear to be coeval with the Oman ophiolite obducted onto the Arabian plate (˜96-92 Ma). The Khoy ophiolite in NW Iran which has formation age of Middle to Late Jurrasic (˜159-155 Ma), and emplacement age Albian ages (˜ 109-104 Ma) has a different tectonics than other Zagros ophiolites. Unfragmented ophiolites of the Makran accretionary prism which are located to the south of the Sanandaj-Sirjan microcontinental block, including complexes such as Band-e-Zeyarat/Dar Anar, Ganj and Remeshk/Mokhtarabad (˜140-98 Ma) are similar in age to the Masirah ophiolite (i.e., ˜150-120 Ma). The ophiolites of the Central Iran include those inside of the Sanandaj-Sirjan microcontinental block, such as Shahr-e-Babak (120 Ma), Naien (100 Ma), Baft, Sabzevar in north central Iran (98-70 Ma) and Tchehel Kureh on the eastern boundary of CIM.Geochemically, these ophiolites are quite diverse and show a significant variations in rock composition, representing a wide range of tectonic environment of formation. In terms of radiogenic isotopic data, basalt and gabbros from Neyriz (Zagros), Khoy (NW Zagros ?), and Band-e-Zeyarat (Makran) have Indian Ocean MORB signature.

Lithological discrimination of accretionary complex (Sivas, northern Turkey) using novel hybrid color composites and field data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özkan, Mutlu; Çelik, Ömer Faruk; Özyavaş, Aziz

2018-02-01

One of the most appropriate approaches to better understand and interpret geologic evolution of an accretionary complex is to make a detailed geologic map. The fact that ophiolite sequences consist of various rock types may require a unique image processing method to map each ophiolite body. The accretionary complex in the study area is composed mainly of ophiolitic and metamorphic rocks along with epi-ophiolitic sedimentary rocks. This paper attempts to map the Late Cretaceous accretionary complex in detail in northern Sivas (within İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone in Turkey) by the analysis of all of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) bands and field study. The new two hybrid color composite images yield satisfactory results in delineating peridotite, gabbro, basalt, and epi-ophiolitic sedimentary rocks of the accretionary complex in the study area. While the first hybrid color composite image consists of one principle component (PC) and two band ratios (PC1, 3/4, 4/6 in the RGB), the PC5, the original ASTER band 4 and the 3/4 band ratio images were assigned to the RGB colors to generate the second hybrid color composite image. In addition to that, the spectral indices derived from the ASTER thermal infrared (TIR) bands discriminate clearly ultramafic, siliceous, and carbonate rocks from adjacent lithologies at a regional scale. Peridotites with varying degrees of serpentinization illustrated as a single color were best identified in the spectral indices map. Furthermore, the boundaries of ophiolitic rocks based on fieldwork were outlined in detail in some parts of the study area by superimposing the resultant maps of ASTER maps on Google Earth images of finer spatial resolution. Eventually, the encouraging geologic map generated by the image analysis of ASTER data strongly correlates with lithological boundaries from a field survey.

Mineral chemistry and petrology of highly magnesian ultramafic cumulates from the Sarve-Abad (Sawlava) ophiolites (Kurdistan, NW Iran): New evidence for boninitic magmatism in intra-oceanic fore-arc setting in the Neo-Tethys between Arabia and Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allahyari, Khalil; Saccani, Emilio; Rahimzadeh, Bahman; Zeda, Ottavia

2014-01-01

The Sarve-Abad (Sawlava) ophiolitic complex consists of several tectonically dismembered ophiolitic sequences. They are located along the Main Zagros Thrust Zone, which marks the ophiolitic suture between the Arabian and Sanandaj-Sirjan continental blocks. They represent a portion of the southern Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere, which originally existed between the Arabian (to the south) and Eurasian (to the north) continental margins. The Sarve-Abad ophiolites include cumulitic lherzolites bearing minor dunite and chromitite lenses in places. The main rock-forming minerals in ultramafic cumulates are cumulus olivine and inter-cumulus clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene. Minor (<5%) chromian spinel occurs as both cumulus and inter-cumulus phases.

Geochronology and geochemistry of basaltic rocks from the Sartuohai ophiolitic mélange, NW China: Implications for a Devonian mantle plume within the Junggar Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Gaoxue; Li, Yongjun; Santosh, M.; Yang, Baokai; Yan, Jing; Zhang, Bing; Tong, Lili

2012-10-01

The West Junggar domain in NW China is a distinct tectonic unit of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). It is composed of Paleozoic ophiolitic mélanges, arcs and accretionary complexes. The Sartuohai ophiolitic mélange in the eastern West Junggar forms the northeastern part of the Darbut ophiolitic mélange, which contains serpentinized harzburgite, pyroxenite, dunite, cumulate, pillow lava, abyssal radiolarian chert and podiform chromite, overlain by the Early Carboniferous volcano-sedimentary rocks. In this paper we report new geochronological and geochemical data from basaltic and gabbroic blocks embedded within the Sartuohai ophiolitic mélange, to assess the possible presence of a Devonian mantle plume in the West Junggar, and evaluate the petrogenesis and implications for understanding of the Paleozoic continental accretion of CAOB. Zircon U-Pb analyses from the alkali basalt and gabbro by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry yielded weighted mean ages of 375 ± 2 Ma and 368 ± 11 Ma. Geochemically, the Sartuohai ophiolitic mélange includes at least two distinct magmatic units: (1) a Late Devonian fragmented ophiolite, which were produced by ca. 2-10% spinel lherzolite partial melting in arc-related setting, and (2) contemporary alkali lavas, which were derived from 5% to 10% garnet + minor spinel lherzolite partial melting in an oceanic plateau or a seamount. Based on detailed zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical data for basalts and gabbros from the Sartuohai ophiolitic mélange, in combination with previous work, indicate a complex evolution by subduction-accretion processes from the Devonian to the Carboniferous. Furthermore, the alkali basalts from the Sartuohai ophiolitic mélange might be correlated to a Devonian mantle plume-related magmatism within the Junggar Ocean. If the plume model as proposed here is correct, it would suggest that mantle plume activity significantly contributed to the crustal growth in the CAOB.

Half a Century of Oman Ophiolite Studies: SSZ or MOR, the Arc Disposal Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregory, R. T.; Gray, D.

2014-12-01

The Samail Ophiolite, one of the largest and best exposed ophiolite complexes, is a Tethyan ophiolite obducted in the Late Cretaceous onto the formerly passive Arabian platform as Arabia began its most recent >1000 km northward migration towards a Miocene collision with Eurasia. The Oman Mountains, northeastern Arabian Peninsula have yet to collide with Eurasia; present uplift and form of the mountains also date to the Miocene. In addition to the scientific scrutiny of the ophiolite complex, the geologic constraints on the timing and emplacement of the ophiolite are abundant with no consensus on the obduction mechanism or its original tectonic setting. The crustal thickness of the ophiolite is comparable to thicknesses observed for "normal" mid-ocean ridges. Largely on the basis of structural and paleomagnetic arguments, some workers have attributed its origin to Pacific-type fast spreading ridges and complex micro plate geometries. Indeed the lower pillow lava sequences and much of the gabbroic crust have isotope and geochemical signatures consistent with a MORB source. However, because of the geochemistry of the upper pillow lavas, the ophiolite is most often characterized as a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolite, i.e. it sits in the hanging wall of some large tectonic structure for part of its history. In the absence of a preserved arc, the SSZ designation has little explanatory power only being a declaration of allochthony or about chemical properties of the mantle source. That associated continental shelf and oceanic crustal sections have suffered either clockwise or counterclockwise PT time trajectories requires some type of nascent subduction and hanging wall thrust transport of the young ridge crest. The widespread Late Cretaceous obduction of Tethyan oceanic crust and mantle over thousands of kilometers strike length is a problem for SSZ models (arc, forearc, back arc etc.) because arc initiation results in thick crust on short time scales, none of which is preserved. Similarly, fast spreading models require the subduction of >106 km2 without the initiation and preservation of a magmatic arc. Some Late Cretaceous major plate boundary reorganization that resulted in the current plate motion regime with NNE convergence between Afro-Arabia and Eurasia will be part of any final solution to the Oman problem.

The Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Steven W.; Miller, M.L.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Nelson, Steven W.; Hamilton, Thomas D.

1989-01-01

The Resurrection Peninsula forms the east side of Resurrection Bay (fig. 3). Relief ranges from 437 m (1,434 ft) at the southern end of the peninsula to more than 1,463 m (4,800 ft) opposite the head of the bay. All rock units composing the informally named Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite of Nelson and others (1987) are visible or accessible by boat."Ophiolite" has been a geologic term since 1827 (Coleman, 1977). The term "ophiolite" initially referred to the rock serpentinite; the Greek root "ophi" (meaning snake or serpent) alluded to the greenish, mottled, and shiny appearance of serpentinites. In 1927, Steinmann described a rock association in the Alps, sometimes known as the "Steinmann Trinity', consisting of serpentine, diabase and spilitic lavas, and chert. Recognition of this suite led to the idea that ophiolites represent submarine magmatism that took place early in the development of a eugeosyncline. In the early 1970s the Steinmann Trinity was reconsidered in light of the plate tectonic theory, new petrologic studies, and the recognition of abducted oceanic lithosphere in orogenic belts of the world. In 1972 at a Geological Society of America Penrose Conference (Anonymous, 1972) the term "ophiolite" was defined as a distinctive assemblage of mafic to ultramafic rocks, with no emphasis on their origin. A complete ophiolite should contain, from bottom to top:1) Tectonized ultramafic rocks (more or less serpentinized)2) Gabbro complex containing cumulus textures and commonly cumulus peridotites3) Mafic sheeted-dike complex, grading upward into;4) Submarine pillow lavas of basaltic composition. Common associated rock types include plagiogranite (Na-rich) and an overlying sedimentary section typically dominated by chert.

Structural anatomy of a dismembered ophiolite suite from Gondwana: The Manamedu complex, Cauvery suture zone, southern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chetty, T. R. K.; Yellappa, T.; Nagesh, P.; Mohanty, D. P.; Venkatasivappa, V.; Santosh, M.; Tsunogae, T.

2011-08-01

Detailed geological and structural mapping of the Manamedu ophiolite complex (MOC), from the south-eastern part of the Cauvery suture zone (CSZ) within the Gondwana collisional suture in southern India reveals the anatomy of a dismembered ophiolite succession comprising pyroxenite actinolite-hornblendite, hornblendite, gabbro-norite, gabbro, anorthosite, amphibolite, plagiogranite, mafic dykes, and associated pelagic sediments such as chert-magnetite bands and carbonate horizons. The magmatic foliation trajectory map shows inward dipping foliations and a variety of fold structures. Structural cross-sections of the MOC reveal gentle inward dips with repetition and omission of different lithologies often marked by curvilinear hinge lines. The succession displays imbricate thrust sheets and slices of dismembered ophiolite suites distributed along several localities within the CSZ. The MOC can be interpreted as a deformed large duplex structure associated with south-verging back thrust system, consistent with crustal-scale 'flower structure'. The nature and distribution of ophiolitic rocks in the CSZ suggest supra-subduction zone setting associated with the lithospheric subduction of the Neoproterozoic Mozambique Ocean, followed by collision and obduction during the final stage of amalgamation of the Gondwana supercontinent in the end Precambrian.

The Ankara Mélange: an indicator of Tethyan evolution of Anatolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Çakir, Üner; Üner, Tijen

2016-08-01

The Ankara Mélange is a complex formed by imbricated slices of limestone block mélanges (Karakaya and Hisarlıkaya Formations), Neotethyan ophiolites (Eldivan, Ahlat and Edige ophiolites), post-ophiolitic cover units (Mart and Kavak formations) and Tectonic Mélange Unit (Hisarköy Formation or Dereköy Mélange). The Karakaya and Hisarlıkaya formations are roughly similar and consist mainly of limestone block mélange. Nevertheless, they represent some important geological differences indicating different geological evolution. Consequently, the Karakaya and Hisarlıkaya formations are interpreted as Eurasian and Gondwanian marginal units formed by fragmentation of the Gondwanian carbonate platform during the continental rifting of the Neotethys in the Middle Triassic time. During the latest Triassic, Neotethyan lithosphere began to subduct beneath the Eurasian continent and caused intense deformation of the marginal units. The Eldivan, Ahlat and Edige ophiolites represent different fragments of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere emplaced onto the Gondwanian margin during the Albian-Aptian, middle Turonian and middle Campanian, respectively. The Eldivan Ophiolite is a NE-SW trending and a nearly complete assemblage composed, from bottom to top, of a volcanic-sedimentary unit, a metamorphic unit, peridotite tectonites, cumulates and sheeted dykes. The Eldivan Ophiolite is unconformably covered by Cenomanian-Lower Turonian sedimentary unit. The Eldivan Ophiolite is overthrust by the Ahlat Ophiolite in the north and Edige Ophiolite in the west. The Ahlat ophiolite is an east-west oriented assemblage comprised of volcanic-sedimentary unit, metamorphic unit, peridotite tectonites and cumulates. The Edige Ophiolite consists of a volcanic-sedimentary unit, peridotite tectonites, dunite, wherlite, pyroxenite and gabbro cumulates. The Tectonic Mélange Unit is a chaotic formation of various blocks derived from ophiolites, from the Karakaya and Hisarlıkaya formations and from post-ophiolitic sedimentary units. It was formed during the collision between Anatolian Promontory and Eurasian Continent in the middle Campanian time.

Tectonic evolution of the Troodos Ophiolite within the Tethyan Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilek, Yildirim; Thy, Peter; Moores, Eldridge M.; Ramsden, Todd W.

1990-08-01

A new tectonic model reconciles conflicting structural and geochemical evidence for the origin of the Troodos ophiolite, a well-preserved remnant of Neotethyan oceanic crust. Grabens and normal faults within the sheeted dike complex and the extrusive sequence of the Troodos ophiolite resemble those of oceanic spreading centers. Diverse intrusive and tectonic contact relationships between the sheeted dike complex and the underlying plutonic sequence indicate multiple and episodic intrusion of magma and along- and across-strike variation in volcanic and tectonic activity during development of oceanic crust. Coupled with the existence of the Arakapas transform fault to the south, these structural and intrusive relationships suggest origin at an intersection between a spreading center and a transform fault. The arclike chemistry of sheeted dikes and related extrusive rocks and the inferred highly depleted and hydrous nature of the mantle source of the late stage intrusive and extrusive rocks argue, however, for generation of part of the ophiolite within a subduction zone environment. Regional reconstructions suggest that the Mesozoic Neotethys may have evolved as a marginal basin both to the Afro-Arabian continent and the Paleotethyan ocean over an active or recently active south dipping subduction zone. The Troodos ophiolite and other eastern Mediterranean ophiolites, whose magma compositions were affected by the subducted Paleotethyan slab, may have formed along east-west trending spreading centers separated by north-south trending transform faults within this marginal basin. A rapid change in relative plate motion in late Cretaceous time between Eurasia and Afro-Arabia created a regional compressive regime that may have resulted in plate boundary reorganizations within the Neotethyan realm and in initiation of north dipping subduction zone(s) beneath the Troodos and other ophiolites in the region. The apparent forearc setting of the Troodos ophiolite is a consequence of this intraoceanic displacement after its formation and thus is unrelated to its generation.

Ophiolite Perspectives on Oceanic Mantle Heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, R. J.; O'Driscoll, B.; Day, J. M.; Ash, R. D.; Daly, J. S.

2014-12-01

The mantle sections of ophiolites offer a useful approach to studying compositional heterogeneities in the oceanic mantle. A potential caveat is that the tectonic provenance of ophiolites is often not easy to decipher, although many have undergone at least supra-subduction zone (SSZ) processing. Significant outstanding questions include the degree to which ophiolite peridotites preserve evidence of pre-SSZ events and the way that SSZ melt extraction modifies the character of these peridotites. A suite of Caledonian ophiolites associated with the closure of the Iapetus Ocean offers an opportunity to shed light on these issues, in particular to assess the degree to which long (regional) wavelength compositional heterogeneities survive SSZ melting. Observations on the combined highly-siderophile element (HSE) and 187Os/188Os systematics of the broadly coetaneous (490-500 Ma) Shetland Ophiolite Complex (Scotland) and Leka Ophiolite Complex (LOC; Norway) are presented here. Generally, the lithological composition of each locality is harzburgitic, and hosts lenses and layers of dunite, chromitite and pyroxenite that are interpreted as representing SSZ-related (channelised) melt migration and melt-rock interaction. Although the bulk of the harzburgitic rocks have approximately chondritic initial 187Os/188Os and HSE abundances, ancient (Proterozoic) melt depletion (TRD =1.4 to 1 Ga) is recorded in ~10% of samples from each locality. This is also commonly observed in abyssal peridotites. One important implication of the data is that SSZ melt generation/migration has had no discernible impact on the bulk Os isotopic composition of the Iapetus oceanic mantle. By contrast, non-harzburgitic lithologies consistently exhibit more radiogenic initial 187Os/188Os and more variable HSE abundances. The dunites, chromitites and pyroxenites of the LOC can be separated into two groups on the basis of isochrons that they define; yielding ages of 481±22 Ma and 589±15 Ma, respectively. The former age corresponds, within error, to the accepted age of the ophiolite (497 ± 2 Ma). The meaning of the latter age is uncertain, but may correspond to the early stages of Iapetus opening. The data imply that the oceanic mantle represented by both ophiolites resembles a 'patchwork' of peridotites of different ages and compositions.

Reduced gas seepages in ophiolitic complexes: Evidences for multiple origins of the H2-CH4-N2 gas mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vacquand, Christèle; Deville, Eric; Beaumont, Valérie; Guyot, François; Sissmann, Olivier; Pillot, Daniel; Arcilla, Carlo; Prinzhofer, Alain

2018-02-01

This paper proposes a comparative study of reduced gas seepages occurring in ultrabasic to basic rocks outcropping in ophiolitic complexes based on the study of seepages from Oman, the Philippines, Turkey and New Caledonia. This study is based on analyses of the gas chemical composition, noble gases contents, stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. These seepages are mostly made of mixtures of three main components which are H2, CH4 and N2 in various proportions. The relative contents of the three main gas components show 4 distinct types of gas mixtures (H2-rich, N2-rich, N2-H2-CH4 and H2-CH4). These types are interpreted as reflecting different zones of gas generation within or below the ophiolitic complexes. In the H2-rich type, associated noble gases display signatures close to the value of air. In addition to the atmospheric component, mantle and crustal contributions are present in the N2-rich, N2-H2-CH4 and H2-CH4 types. H2-bearing gases are either associated with ultra-basic (pH 10-12) spring waters or they seep directly in fracture systems from the ophiolitic rocks. In ophiolitic contexts, ultrabasic rocks provide an adequate environment with available Fe2+ and alkaline conditions that favor H2 production. CH4 is produced either directly by reaction of dissolved CO2 with basic-ultrabasic rocks during the serpentinization process or in a second step by H2-CO2 interaction. H2 is present in the gas when no more carbon is available in the system to generate CH4. The N2-rich type is notably associated with relatively high contents of crustal 4He and in this gas type N2 is interpreted as issued mainly from sediments located below the ophiolitic units.

The tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Sivas ophiolite: Implications for pre to post-obduction processes in Anatolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legeay, Etienne; Mohn, Geoffroy; Callot, Jean-Paul; Ringenbach, Jean-Claude; Müntener, Othmar; Kavak, Kaan

2016-04-01

The Eastern Mediterranean in general and Turkey in particular preserve the remnants of several Neo-Tethysian oceanic basins consumed by north-dipping subductions during the Late Cretaceous prior to collision in the Paleogene. The Sivas basin, belonging to the Late Mesozoic to Cenozoic Central Anatolian basins, is located in a key position at the junction between 1) To the North, the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone (IAESZ), 2) To the West, the Kırsehir block, 3) To the South, the Inner-Tauride suture zone (ITSZ). The obduction of ophiolite thrust sheets occurred during Campanian along the IAESZ, and ITSZ. We focus our study on the southern boundary of the Sivas basin, where an ophiolite sequence is capped by Late Cretaceous to Paleocene post-obduction sediments. We present new field observations, new U-Pb zircon dating on magmatic rocks and geochemistry analyses to unravel the pre-obduction nature and origin of the ophiolitic basement and to describe the post-obduction tectono-sedimentary evolution. The pre-obduction evolution show that: (i) the Southern Sivas ophiolite is characterized by highly serpentinized peridotites, with minor magmatic intrusions, (ii) the top of the ophiolite is marked by detachment faulting with ophicalcites, (iii) the U-Pb zircon ages of the magmatic intrusions are constrained at ˜90 Ma, (iv) geochemical data suggest a 'subduction signature' for the magmatic rocks. The, post-obduction evolution is characterized by the emplacement of Maastrichtian and Paleocene sediments carbonate platforms located on ophiolitic highs, associated to volcanoclastics turbidites in the trench northward in the Sivas Basin. These results show that the southern Sivas ophiolite represents magma starved system sharing similarities with present-day (ultra-)slow-spreading systems. This ophiolite belongs to the ITSZ, in contrast to ophiolites located 40km northward from the IAESZ. To resolve the complex paleogeographic framework of East-Anatolia during the Cenozoic, we integrated information from ophiolite related sedimentary data and propose a new interpretation of the Eastern Anatolian paleogeography based on forearc basin geometry, consistent with the development of adjacent supra-ophiolitic basins (Ulukisla, Darende and Hekimhan).

Paleomagnetic Investigations on the Tectonic Evolution of the Southeastern Anatolian Ophiolites in Late Cretaceous

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cengiz Cinku, M.; Karabulut, S.; Parlak, O.; Cabuk, B. S.; Ustaömer, T.; Hisarli, M. Z.

2016-12-01

Two E-W trending ophiolite belts crop out in SE Turkey, The southerly located ophiolites (Hatay, Koçali) were emplaced onto the Arabian Platform in Late Cretaceous whereas the northerly located ophiolites (Göksun, İspendere, Kömürhan, Guleman) were underthrust the S Tauride margin (i.e. Malatya-Keban Platform) in Late Cretaceous. Here we report our first paleomagnetic results from 155 different sites which was was focused on to the sheeted dyke complex, cumulate gabbros and extrusive sequences of each ophiolite from the N and S belts, while the cover units where sampled to distinguish emplacement related tectonic rotations from post-emplacement tectonic rotations. Rock magnetic experiments showed evidence of magnetite/titanomagnetite as the main magnetic carriers at the majority of sites. Progressive thermal and alternating demagnetization revealed that the characteristic remanent component is removed between 500 and 580 °C or 30-100 mT, respectively. Our new paleomagnetic results from the ophiolitic rocks emplaced in Arabian platform and the SE Anatolia show important implications to the spreading centre of the former ocean (s). Large counterclockwise rotations up to 100° are obtained from the sheeded dykes of the Hatay ophiolite in the Arabian plate with a paleolatitude of 16°, in contrast to the sheeded dykes of the Göksun ophiolite emplaced in the SE Anatolian with clockwise rotation of 90° and a paleolatitude of 22°. The relative movement of the ophiolitic series show their emplacement in the different zones. This study was financially supported by the project of the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with Project number 114R024.

The application of remote sensing techniques to the study of ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Shuhab D.; Mahmood, Khalid

2008-08-01

Satellite remote sensing methods are a powerful tool for detailed geologic analysis, especially in inaccessible regions of the earth's surface. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands are shown to provide spectral information bearing on the lithologic, structural, and geochemical character of rock bodies such as ophiolites, allowing for a more comprehensive assessment of the lithologies present, their stratigraphic relationships, and geochemical character. Most remote sensing data are widely available for little or no cost, along with user-friendly software for non-specialists. In this paper we review common remote sensing systems and methods that allow for the discrimination of solid rock (lithologic) components of ophiolite complexes and their structural relationships. Ophiolites are enigmatic rock bodies which associated with most, if not all, plate collision sutures. Ophiolites are ideal for remote sensing given their widely recognized diversity of lithologic types and structural relationships. Accordingly, as a basis for demonstrating the utility of remote sensing techniques, we briefly review typical ophiolites in the Tethyan tectonic belt. As a case study, we apply integrated remote sensing studies of a well-studied example, the Muslim Bagh ophiolite, located in Balochistan, western Pakistan. On this basis, we attempt to demonstrate how remote sensing data can validate and reconcile existing information obtained from field studies. The lithologic and geochemical diversity of Muslim Bagh are representative of Tethyan ophiolites. Despite it's remote location it has been extensively mapped and characterized by structural and geochemical studies, and is virtually free of vegetative cover. Moreover, integrating the remote sensing data with 'ground truth' information thus offers the potential of an improved template for interpreting remote sensing data sets of other ophiolites for which little or no field information is available.

New Radiolarian Age Constraints on the Emplacement History of the Manipur Ophiolitic Complex, India: the Timing of 'soft Collision'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachovich, S.; Aitchison, J. C.; Lokho, K.; Stojanovic, D.

2016-12-01

The Manipur Ophiolite complex in the Indo-Burman ranges is characterised by a north-south trending belt of ophiolitic and related oceanic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The ophiolite is considered to have formed in Jurassic time as part of an intra-oceanic subduction zone. It was subsequently emplaced onto the continental margin of India. Although the ophiolite is extensively disrupted, well-exposed outcrops exist in new road cuttings. We present new results from investigations of associated oceanic pelagic sequences amongst which radiolarian microfossils help to constrain the timing for the emplacement event. Pelagic sediments assigned to the Disang Formation that crop out near Khamasom village, west of Ukhrul city are characterised by extensive fault-bounded packages of reddish-coloured, radiolarian-bearing mudstones. They yield abundant well-preserved, late Palaeocene to early Eocene radiolarians. As the ophiolitic rocks are thrust over these radiolarian-bearing sediments, they provide a precise biostratigraphic maximum age with which to constrain any ophiolite emplacement event. Elsewhere along the length of the Indus-Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone from NW India (Spongtang, Ladakh) in the west as well as at Zhongba, Sangdanlin and Gyantse across Tibet, correlative radiolarian faunas provide similar age constraints suggesting that this event was broadly coeval. Collision of an intra-oceanic island arc system with northern margin of the Indian continent over such an extensive strike length must be of regional significance. Moreover, given that this was an intra-Tethyan system it's collision (the `soft-collision' postulated by Curray et al. 1982) must pre-date later (hard) continent-continent collision. Reference: Curray, J.R., Emmel, F.J., Moore, D.G., Raitt, R.W., 1982. Structure, tectonics, and geological history of the northeastern Indian Ocean. In; Nairn, A.E.M. The Ocean Basins and Margins vol. 6: 399-450, Plenum Press.

The oldest island arc and ophiolite complexes of the Russian Arctic (Taimyr Peninsula)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernikovskaya, Antonina E.; Vernikovsky, Valery A.; Metelkin, Dmitriy V.; Matushkin, Nikolay Y.; Romanova, Irina V.

2015-04-01

Knowing the age of indicator complexes such as island arc, ophiolite, collisional, subductional etc. is extremely important for paleogeodynamic reconstructions. The age along with other geological and geophysical data enables the reestablishing of the positions of terranes of various origins in relation to continental margins and to each other. When studying the issues concerning the ancient Arctida paleocontinent, the nature of terranes and continental plates that compose the present day arctic shelf and submerged ridges it is important to determine the main stages of tectonic events. At the same time it is particularly important to establish the earliest stages of tectonic transformations. The Taimyr-Severnaya Zemlya orogenic belt is one of the large accretionary-collisional key structures in the Arctic. The Central Taimyr accretionary belt includes two granite-metamorphic terranes: Faddey and Mamont-Shrenk that include the oldest igneous formations of Taimyr. Those are granitoids with U/Pb zircons age of 850-830 Ma (Faddey) and 940-885 Ma (Mamont-Shrenk). Presently we have determined fragments of paleo-island arcs and ophiolites in the framing of these terranes. Moreover, in addition to already identified Neoproterozoic (755-730 Ma) ophiolites and island arc rocks (plagiogranites, gabbro, volcanics) we found more ancient rock complexes in the framings of both terranes closer in age to the Meso-Neoproterozoic boundary. In the region of the Tree Sisters Lake a paleo-island arc complex was found including plagiogranites and plagiorhyodacites with U-Pb isotopic zircon age of 969-961 Ma. Sm-Nd isotopic data for these rocks showed a Mesoproterozoic model age: TNd(DM) varies from 1170 to 1219 Ma. These data as well as Rb-Sr isotopic investigations indicate a predominance of a mantle component in the magmatic sources of these rocks: ɛNd (967-961) = 5.1-5.2 and (87Sr/86Sr)0 =0.70258-0.70391. In the framing of the Mamont-Shrenk terrane we determined ophiolite fragments in the mouths of Krasnaya River and Kabachkovaya Hill. The Kabachkovaya ophiolites form near E-W elongated narrow zones of ultramafic rocks and small plutons of fine and medium grained gabbros and diabases among flows of tholeitic basalts forming pillow lavas and tuffs. Ar/Ar dating of amphiboles from metagabbros in the Krasnaya R. mouth yielded an age of 1029 Ma. In conclusion, these data indicate the existence of Meso-Neoproterozoic ophiolites and island arcs in the Russian Arctic, which, with available paleomagnetic data, allows composing more correct plate tectonic reconstructions for the early stages of the evolution of this region.

Mantle Recycling of Crustal Materials through Study of Ultrahigh-Pressure Minerals in Collisional Orogens, Ophiolites, and Xenoliths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, J. G.; Tsujimori, T.; Yang, J.; Zhang, R. Y.; Ernst, W. G.

2014-12-01

Newly recognized ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) mineral occurrences including diamonds in ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) felsic granulites of orogenic belts, in chromitites associated with ophiolitic complexes, and in mafic/ultramafic xenoliths suggest the recycling of crustal materials through profound subduction, mantle upwelling, and return to the Earth's surface. Recycling is supported by unambiguously crust-derived mineral inclusions in deep-seated zircons, chromites, and diamonds from collision-type orogens, from eclogitic xenoliths, and from ultramafic bodies of several Alpine-Himalayan and Polar Ural ophiolites; some such phases contain low-atomic number elements typified by crustal isotopic signatures. Ophiolite-type diamonds in placer deposits and as inclusions in chromitites together with numerous highly reduced minerals and alloys appear to have formed near the mantle transition zone. In addition to ringwoodite and stishovite, a wide variety of nanometric minerals have been identified as inclusions employing state-of-the-art analysis. Reconstitution of now-exsolved precursor UHP phases and recognition of subtle decompression microstructures produced during exhumation reflect earlier UHP conditions. Some podiform chromitites and associated peridotites contain rare minerals of undoubted crustal origin, including Zrn, corundum, Fls, Grt, Ky, Sil, Qtz, and Rtl; the zircons possess much older U-Pb ages than the formation age of the host ophiolites. These UHP mineral-bearing chromitites had a deep-seated evolution prior to extensional mantle upwelling and its partial melting at shallow depths to form the overlying ophiolite complexes. These new findings plus stable isotopic and inclusion characteristics of diamonds provide compelling evidence for profound underflow of both oceanic and continental lithosphere, recycling of biogenic carbon into the lower mantle, and ascent to the Earth's surface through deep mantle ascent.

Eclogite nappe-stack in the Grivola-Urtier Ophiolites (Southern Aosta Valley, Western Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tartarotti, Paola

2013-04-01

In the Western Alpine chain, ophiolites represent a section of the Mesozoic Tethys oceanic lithosphere, involved in subduction during the convergence between the paleo-Africa and paelo-Europe continents during the Cretaceous - Eocene. The Western Alpine ophiolites consist of several tectonic units, the most famous being the Zermatt-Saas and Combin nappes, and other major ophiolite bodies as the Voltri, Monviso, and Rocciavrè that show different rock assemblages and contrasting metamorphic imprints. The Grivola-Urtier (GU) unit is exposed in the southern Aosta Valley, covering an area of about 100 km2; it is tectonically sandwiched between the continentally-derived Pennidic Gran Paradiso Nappe below, and the Austroalpine Mount Emilius klippe above. This unit has been so far considered as part of the Zermatt-Saas nappe extending from the Saas-Fee area (Switzerland) to the Aosta Valley (Italy). The GU unit consists of serpentinized peridotites that include pods and boudinaged layers of eclogitic Fe-metagabbro and trondhjemite, rodingites and chloriteschists transposed in the main foliation together with calcschists and micaschists. All rocks preserve particularly fresh eclogitic mineral assemblages. The contact between the serpentinites and calcshists is marked by a tectonic mélange consisting of mylonitic marble and calcschist with stretched and boudinaged serpentinite blocks. Continentally-derived allochthonous blocks ranging in size from100 meters to meters are also included within the ophiolites. New field, petrographic and geochemical data reveal the complex nature of the fossil Tethyan oceanic lithosphere exposed in the southern Aosta Valley, as well as the extent and size of the continental-oceanic tectonic mélange. The geological setting of the GU unit is here inferred as a key tool for understanding the complex architecture of the ophiolites in the Western Alps.

The internal structure of eclogite-facies ophiolite complexes: Implications from the Austroalpine outliers within the Zermatt-Saas Zone, Western Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Sebastian; Martinez, Raul

2016-04-01

The Western Alpine Penninic domain is a classical accretionary prism that formed after the closure of the Penninic oceans in the Paleogene. Continental and oceanic nappes were telescoped into the Western Alpine stack associated with continent-continent collision. Within the Western Alpine geologic framework, the ophiolite nappes of the Zermatt-Saas Zone and the Tsate Unit are the remnants of the southern branch of the Piemonte-Liguria ocean basin. In addition, a series of continental basement slices reported as lower Austroalpine outliers have preserved an eclogitic high-pressure imprint, and are tectonically sandwiched between these oceanic nappes. Since the outliers occur at an unusual intra-ophiolitic setting and show a polymetamorphic character, this group of continental slices is of special importance for understanding the tectono-metamorphic evolution of Western Alps. Recently, more geochronological data from the Austroalpine outliers have become available that make it possible to establish a more complete picture of their complex geological history. The Lu-Hf garnet-whole rock ages for prograde growth of garnet fall into the time interval of 52 to 62 Ma (Weber et al., 2015, Fassmer et al. 2015), but are consistently higher than the Lu-Hf garnet-whole rock ages from several other locations throughout the Zermatt-Saas zone that range from 52 to 38 Ma (Skora et al., 2015). This discrepancy suggests that the Austroalpine outliers may have been subducted earlier than the ophiolites of the Zermatt-Saas Zone and therefore have been tectonically emplaced into their present intra-ophiolite position. This points to the possibility that the Zermatt-Saas Zone consists of tectonic subunits, which reached their respective pressure peaks over a prolonged time period, approximately 10-20 Ma. The pressure-temperature estimates from several members of the Austroalpine outliers indicate a complex distribution of metamorphic peak conditions, without ultrahigh-pressure indications. By contrast, the peak conditions derived from the ophiolites of the Zermatt-Saas Zone are uniform, and close to or inside the coesite stability field. These results further underline that the oceanic lithosphere, which experienced its geodynamic evolution as a relatively coherent unit, may contain slices of continental rocks, which in turn show differences in the metamorphic evolution compared to the surrounding ophiolites. Faßmer, K., Obermüller, G., Nagel, T.J., Kirst, F., Froitzheim, N., Sandmann, S., Miladinova, I., Fonseca, R.O.C., Münker, C. (2015): Coherent vs. non-coherent subduction of ophiolite complexes - new insights from the Zermatt-Saas Zone in the Western Alps. GeoBerlin 2015, Berlin, Germany. Skora, S., Mahlen, N. J., Johnson, C. M., Baumgartner, L. P., Lapen, T. J., Beard, B. L., Szilvagyi, E. T., 2015. Evidence for protracted prograde metamorphism followed by rapid exhumation of the Zermatt-Saas Fee ophiolite. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 33, 711-734. Weber, S., Sandmann, S., Fonseca, R. O. C., Froitzheim, N., Mu¨ nker, C., Bucher, K., 2015. Dating the beginning of Piemonte-Liguria Ocean subduction: Lu-Hf garnet chronometry of eclogites from the Theodul Glacier Unit (Zermatt-Saas Zone, Switzerland). Swiss Journal of Geosciences, 108, 183-199.

Vestiges of Submarine Serpentinization Recorded in the Microbiology of Continental Ophiolite Complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrenk, M. O.; Sabuda, M.; Brazelton, W. J.; Twing, K. I.

2017-12-01

The study of serpentinization-influenced microbial ecosystems at and below the seafloor has accelerated in recent years with multidisciplinary drilling expeditions to the Atlantis Massif (X357), Southwest Indian Ridge (X360) and Mariana Forearc (X366). In parallel, a number of studies have surveyed serpentinizing systems in ophiolite complexes which host a range of geologic histories, geochemical characteristics, fluid pathways, and consequently microbiology. As ophiolite complexes originate as seafloor materials, it is likely that a microbiological record of seafloor serpentinization processes is maintained through the emplacement and weathering of continental serpentinites. This hypothesis was evaluated through a global comparison of continental serpentinite springs and groundwater, ranging from highly brackish (saline) to freshwater. One of the most saline sites, known as the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO), was used as a point-of-comparison to marine serpentinizing systems, such as the Lost City Hydrothermal Field. Although there was little taxonomic overlap between microbial populations in marine and terrestrial systems, both communities harbored an abundance of genes involved in sulfur metabolism, including sulfide oxidation, thiosulfate disproportionation, and sulfate reduction. The phylogeny of key genes involved in these metabolic processes was evaluated relative to published studies and compared between sites. Together, these data provide insights into both the functioning of microbial communities in modern-day serpentinizing systems, and the transport processes that disperse microorganisms between marine and terrestrial serpentinites.

Mineral chemistry of isotropic gabbros from the Manamedu Ophiolite Complex, Cauvery Suture Zone, southern India: Evidence for neoproterozoic suprasubduction zone tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yellappa, T.; Tsunogae, T.; Chetty, T. R. K.; Santosh, M.

2016-11-01

The dismembered units of the Neoproterozoic Manamedu Ophiolite Complex (MOC) in the Cauvery Suture Zone, southern India comprises a well preserved ophiolitic sequence of ultramafic cumulates of altered dunites, pyroxenites, mafic cumulates of gabbros, gabbro-norites and anorthosites in association with plagiogranites, isotropic gabbros, metadolerites, metabasalts/amphibolites and thin layers of ferruginous chert bands. The isotropic gabbros occur as intrusions in association with gabbroic anorthosites, plagiogranite and metabasalts/amphibolites. The gabbros are medium to fine grained with euhedral to subhedral orthopyroxenes, clinopyroxenes and subhedral plagioclase, together with rare amphiboles. Mineral chemistry of isotropic gabbros reveal that the clinopyroxenes are diopsidic to augitic in composition within the compositional ranges of En(42-59), Fs(5-12), Wo(31-50). They are Ca-rich and Na poor (Na2O < 0.77 wt%) characterized by high-Mg (Mg# 79-86) and low-Ti (TiO2 < 0.35 wt%) contents. The tectonic discrimination plots of clinopyroxene data indicate island arc signature of the source magma. Our study further confirms the suprasubduction zone origin of the Manamedu ophiolitic suite, associated with the subduction-collision history of the Neoproterozoic Mozambique ocean during the assembly of Gondwana supercontinent.

Characterization of the Sukinda and Nausahi ultramafic complexes, Orissa, India by platinum-group element geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, N.J.; Banerji, P.K.; Haffty, J.

1985-01-01

Samples of 20 chromitite, 14 ultramafic and mafic rock, and 9 laterite and soil samples from the Precambrian Sukinda and Nausahi ultramafic complexes, Orissa, India were analyzed for platinum-group elements (PGE). The maximum concentrations are: palladium, 13 parts per billion (ppb); platinum, 120 ppb; rhodium, 21 ppb; iridium, 210 ppb; and ruthenium, 630 ppb. Comparison of chondrite-normalized ratios of PGE for the chromitite samples of lower Proterozoic to Archean age with similar data from Paleozoic and Mesozoic ophiolite complexes strongly implies that these complexes represent Precambrian analogs of ophiolite complexes. This finding is consistent with the geology and petrology of the Indian complexes and suggests that plate-tectonic and ocean basin developement models probably apply to some parts of Precambrian shield areas. ?? 1985.

Geochronological and geochemical constraints on the origin of the Yunzhug ophiolite in the Shiquanhe-Yunzhug-Namu Tso ophiolite belt, Lhasa Terrane, Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Yun-Chuan; Xu, Ji-Feng; Chen, Jian-Lin; Wang, Bao-Di; Kang, Zhi-Qiang; Huang, Feng

2018-02-01

The formation of the Shiquanhe-Yunzhug-Namu Tso ophiolite mélange zone (SNMZ) within the Lhasa Terrane, Tibetan Plateau, is key to understanding the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of this terrane, which remains controversial. We show that the Yunzhug ophiolite in the central segment of the SNMZ formed at 150 Ma, based on U-Pb dating of zircons from a gabbroic sample in a well-developed sheeted dike complex. Geochemically, these mafic rocks are dominated by E-MORB-type compositions, along with minor amounts of rocks with P-MORB-type compositions. The samples also exhibit high εNd(t) values and lack negative Nb and Ta anomalies. Data for all the samples plot within the MORB array on a Th/Yb-Nb/Yb diagram. Therefore, these mafic rocks most likely formed in either a slow spreading oceanic setting or an embryonic ocean, and not in a back-arc basin as has been previously assumed. Taking into account the regional geology, we propose that the Yunzhug ophiolite is part of a distinct ophiolitic belt and represents material formed in an embryonic ocean within the Lhasa Terrane, which provides new insights into the Jurassic tectonic evolution of the Lhasa Terrane.

Extensional tectonics during the igneous emplacement of the mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Barberton greenstone belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewit, M. J.

1986-01-01

The simatic rocks (Onverwacht Group) of the Barberton greenstone belt are part of the Jamestown ophiolite complex. This ophiolite, together with its thick sedimentary cover occupies a complex thrust belt. Field studies have identified two types of early faults which are entirely confined to the simatic rocks and are deformed by the later thrusts and associated folds. The first type of fault (F1a) is regional and always occurs in the simatic rocks along and parallel to the lower contacts of the ophiolite-related cherts (Middle Marker and equivalent layers). These fault zones have previously been referred to both as flaser-banded gneisses and as weathering horizons. In general the zones range between 1-30m in thickness. Displacements along these zones are difficult to estimate, but may be in the order of 1-100 km. The structures indicate that the faults formed close to horizontal, during extensional shear and were therefore low angle normal faults. F1a zones overlap in age with the formation of the ophiolite complex. The second type of faults (F1b) are vertical brittle-ductile shear zones, which crosscut the complex at variable angles and cannot always be traced from plutonic to overlying extrusive (pillowed) simatic rocks. F1b zones are also apparently of penecontemporaneous origin with the intrusive-extrusive igneous processs. F1b zones may either represent transform fault-type activity or represent root zones (steepened extensions) of F1a zones. Both fault types indicate extensive deformation in the rocks of the greenstone belt prior to compressional overthrust tectonics.

Middle to Late Jurassic Tectonic Evolution of the Klamath Mountains, California-Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, Gregory D.; Wright, James E.

1984-12-01

The geochronology, stratigraphy, and spatial relationships of Middle and Late Jurassic terranes of the Klamath Mountains strongly suggest that they were formed in a single west-facing magmatic arc built upon older accreted terranes. A Middle Jurassic arc complex is represented by the volcanic rocks of the western Hayfork terrane and consanguineous dioritic to peridotitic plutons. New U/Pb zircon dates indicate that the Middle Jurassic plutonic belt was active from 159 to 174 Ma and is much more extensive than previously thought. This plutonic belt became inactive just as the 157 Ma Josephine ophiolite, which lies west and structurally below the Middle Jurassic arc, was generated. Late Jurassic volcanic and plutonic arc rocks (Rogue Formation and Chetco intrusive complex) lie outboard and structurally beneath the Josephine ophiolite; U/Pb and K/Ar age data indicate that this arc complex is coeval with the Josephine ophiolite. Both the Late Jurassic arc complex and the Josephine ophiolite are overlain by the "Galice Formation," a Late Jurassic flysch sequence, and are intruded by 150 Ma dikes and sills. The following tectonic model is presented that accounts for the age and distribution of these terranes: a Middle Jurassic arc built on older accreted terranes undergoes rifting at 160 Ma, resulting in formation of a remnant arc/back-arc basin/island arc triad. This system collapsed during the Late Jurassic Nevadan Orogeny (150 Ma) and was strongly deformed and stacked into a series of east-dipping thrust sheets. Arc magmatism was active both before and after the Nevadan Orogeny, but virtually ceased at 140 Ma.

Origin of ophiolite complexes related to intra-oceanic subduction initiation: implications of IODP Expedition 352 (Izu-Bonin fore arc)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Alastair; Avery, Aaron; Carvallo, Claire; Christeson, Gail; Ferré, Eric; Kurz, Walter; Kutterolf, Steffen; Morgan, Sally; Pearce, Julian; Reagan, Mark; Sager, William; Shervais, John; Whattam, Scott; International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 352 (Izu-Bonin-Mariana Fore Arc), the Scientific Party of

2015-04-01

Ophiolites, representing oceanic crust exposed on land (by whatever means), are central to the interpretation of many orogenic belts (e.g. E Mediterranean). Based mostly on geochemical evidence, ophiolites are widely interpreted, in many but by no means all cases, as having formed within intra-oceanic settings above subduction zones (e.g. Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus). Following land geological, dredging and submersible studies, fore arcs of the SW Pacific region became recognised as likely settings of supra-subduction zone ophiolite genesis. This hypothesis was tested by recent drilling of the Izu-Bonin fore arc. Four sites were drilled, two on the outer fore arc and two on the upper trench slope. Site survey seismic data, combined with borehole data, indicate that three of the sites are located in fault-controlled sediment ponds that formed in response to dominantly down-to the-west extensional faulting (with hints of preceding top-to-the-east compressional thrusting). The sediments overlying the igneous basement, of maximum Late Eocene to Recent age, document ash and aeolian input, together with mass wasting of the fault-bounded sediment ponds. At the two more trenchward sites (U1440 and U1441), mostly tholeiitic basalts were drilled, including massive and pillowed lavas and hyaloclastite. Geochemically, these extrusives are of near mid-oceanic ridge basalt composition (fore arc basalts). Subtle chemical deviation from normal MORB can be explained by weakly fluid-influenced melting during decompression melting in the earliest stages of supra-subduction zone spreading (not as 'trapped' older MORB). The remaining two sites, c. 6 km to the west (U1439 and U1442), penetrated dominantly high-magnesian andesites, known as boninites, largely as fragmental material. Their formation implies the extraction of highly depleted magmas from previously depleted, refractory upper mantle in a supra-subduction zone setting. Following supra-subduction zone spreading, the active modern arc formed c. 200 km westwards of the trench. The new drilling evidence proves that both fore arc-type basalt and boninite formed in a fore arc setting soon after subduction initiation (c.52 Ma). Comparisons with ophiolites reveal many similarities, especially the presence of fore arc-type basalts and low calcium boninites. The relative positions of the fore arc basalts, boninites and arc basalts in the Izu Bonin and Mariana forearc (based on previous studies) can be compared with the positions of comparable units in a range of ophiolite complexes in orogenic belts including the Troodos, Oman, Greek (e.g. Vourinos), Albanian (Mirdita), Coast Range (California) and Bay of Islands (Newfoundland) ophiolites. The comparisons support the interpretation that all of the ophiolites formed during intra-oceanic subduction initiation. There are also some specific differences between the individual ophiolites suggesting that ophiolites should be interpreted individually in their regional tectonic settings.

Geochemistry and geodynamics of the Mawat mafic complex in the Zagros Suture zone, northeast Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizi, Hossein; Hadi, Ayten; Asahara, Yoshihiro; Mohammad, Youssef Osman

2013-12-01

The Iraqi Zagros Orogenic Belt includes two separate ophiolite belts, which extend along a northwest-southeast trend near the Iranian border. The outer belt shows ophiolite sequences and originated in the oceanic ridge or supra-subduction zone. The inner belt includes the Mawat complex, which is parallel to the outer belt and is separated by the Biston Avoraman block. The Mawat complex with zoning structures includes sedimentary rocks with mafic interbedded lava and tuff, and thick mafic and ultramafic rocks. This complex does not show a typical ophiolite sequences such as those in Penjween and Bulfat. The Mawat complex shows evidence of dynamic deformation during the Late Cretaceous. Geochemical data suggest that basic rocks have high MgO and are significantly depleted in LREE relative to HREE. In addition they show positive ɛ Nd values (+5 to+8) and low 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The occurrence of some OIB type rocks, high Mg basaltic rocks and some intermediate compositions between these two indicate the evolution of the Mawat complex from primary and depleted source mantle. The absence of a typical ophiolite sequence and the presence of good compatibility of the source magma with magma extracted from the mantle plume suggests that a mantle plume from the D″ layer is more consistent as the source of this complex than the oceanic ridge or supra-subduction zone settings. Based on our proposed model the Mawat basin represents an extensional basin formed during the Late Paleozoic to younger along the Arabian passive margin oriented parallel to the Neo-Tethys oceanic ridge or spreading center. The Mawat extensional basin formed without creation of new oceanic basement. During the extension, huge volumes of mafic lava were intruded into this basin. This basin was squeezed between the Arabian Plate and Biston Avoraman block during the Late Cretaceous.

Multi-scale Onland-Offshore Investigations of the New Caledonia Ophiolite, SW Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clerc, C. N.; Collot, J.; Sevin, B.; Patriat, M.; Etienne, S.; Iseppi, M.; Lesimple, S.; Jeanpert, J.; Mortimer, N. N.; Poli, S.; Pattier, F.; Juan, C.; Robineau, B.; Godard, M.; Cluzel, D.

2017-12-01

The Peridotite Nappe of New Caledonia is one of the largest ultramafic ophiolite in the World: it represents about one quarter of the 500 x 80 km island of Grande Terre. This extensive upper mantle unit was tectonically emplaced during the Eocene onto the northeastern edge of Zealandia continent. It is weakly deformed because it was not involved in a collision belt after obduction. A dome-shaped Eocene HP/LT metamorphic complex was exhumed across the fore-arc mantle lithosphere in the northern tip of the island. Post-obduction Miocene to Present coral reefs developed in shallow waters around Grande Terre and surrounding islands. In the perspective of a possible onshore/offshore drilling project (IODP/ICDP), we present recent advances in our understanding of offshore extensions of this ophiolite. To the south of New Caledonia, the offshore continuation of the ultramafic allochthon has been identified by dredges and by its geophysical signature as a continuous linear body that extends over a distance of more than 400 km at about 2000m bsl. Such water depths allow an unprecedented seismic reflection imaging of a drowned and well-preserved ophiolite. Seismic profiles show that the nappe has a flat-top, and is capped by carbonate reefs and dissected by several major normal faults. To the east of this presumed ultramafic body, Felicité Ridge is a 30 km wide, 350 km long, dome-shaped ridge, which may be interpreted as the possible southern extension of the HP/LT metamorphic complex observed onshore. Onshore, several 150 to 200 m long cores were drilled in the ophiolite and airborne electromagnetic allowed high-resolution imaging down to 400 m depth. These recent results allow identification of internal thrusts within the peridotite body and more superficial landslides. The analysis of polyphase fracturation and associated serpentinization brings new constraints on the tectonic evolution of the ophiolite and its subsequent weathering pattern. We integrate these data and discuss the chronology of pre-, syn-, and post-obduction tectonic events. But our limited access to the deep parts of the ophiolite calls for the necessity of planning an onshore/offshore deep drilling project.

Application of imaging spectrometer data to the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite melange

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mustard, John F.; Pieters, Carle M.

1988-01-01

The Kings-Kaweah ophiolite melange in east-central California is thought to be an obducted oceanic fracture zone and provides the rare opportunity to examine in detail the complex nature of this type of terrain. It is anticipated that the distribution and abundance of components in the melange can be used to determine the relative importance of geologic processes responsible for the formation of fracture zone crust. Laboratory reflectance spectra of field samples indicate that the melange components have distinct, diagnostic absorptions at visible to near-infrared wavelengths. The spatial and spectral resolution of AVIRIS is ideally suited for addressing important scientific questions concerning the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite melange and fracture zones in general.

Reduced gas seepages in serpentinized peridotite complexes: Evidences for multiple origins of the H2-CH4-N2 gas mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deville, E.; Vacquand, C.; Beaumont, V.; Francois, G.; Sissmann, O.; Pillot, D.; Arcilla, C. A.; Prinzhofer, A.

2017-12-01

A comparative study of reduced gas seepages associated to serpentinized ultrabasic rocks was conducted in the ophiolitic complexes of Oman, the Philippines, Turkey and New Caledonia. This study is based on analyzes of the gas chemical composition, noble gases contents, and stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. These gas seepages are mostly made of mixtures of three main components which are H2, CH4 and N2 in various proportions. The relative contents of the three main gas components show 4 distinct families of gas mixtures (H2-rich, N2-rich, N2-H2-CH4 and H2-CH4). These families are interpreted as reflecting different zones of gas generation within or below the ophiolitic complexes. In the H2-rich family associated noble gases display signatures close to the value of air. In addition to the atmospheric component, mantle and crustal contributions are present in the N2-rich, N2-H2-CH4 and H2-CH4 families. H2-bearing gases are either associated to ultra-basic (pH 10-12) spring waters or they seep directly in fracture systems from the ophiolitic rocks. In ophiolitic contexts, ultrabasic rocks provide an adequate environment with available Fe2+ and high pH conditions that favor H2 production. CH4 is produced either directly by reaction of dissolved CO2 with basic-ultrabasic rocks during the serpentinization process or in a second step by H2-CO2 interaction. H2 is present in the gas when no more carbon is available in the system to generate CH4 (conditions of strong carbon restriction). The N2-rich family is associated with relatively high contents of crustal 4He. In this family N2 is interpreted as issued mainly from sediments located below the ophiolitic units.

Exploring the Deep Biosphere in Ophiolite-hosted Systems: What Can Metabolic Processes in Surface Seeps Tell Us About Subsurface Ecosystems in Serpentinizing Fluids?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer-Dombard, D. R.; Cardace, D.; Woycheese, K. M.; Vallalar, B.; Casar, C.; Simon, A.; Arcilla, C. A.

2016-12-01

Serpentinization in the subsurface produces highly reduced, high pH fluids that provide microbial habitats. It is assumed that these deep subsurface fluids contain copious H2 and CH4 gas, little/no inorganic carbon, and limited electron acceptors. As serpentinized fluids reach the oxygenated surface environment, microbial biomes shift and organisms capable of metabolizing O2 thrive (Woycheese et al., 2015). However, the relationship of microbial communities found in surface expressions of serpentinizing fluids to the subsurface biosphere is still a target of exploration. Our work in the Zambales ophiolite (Philippines) defines surface microbial habitats with geochemistry, targeted culturing efforts, and community analysis (Cardace et al., 2015; Woycheese et al., 2015). Springs range from pH 9-11.5, and contain 0.06-2 ppm DO, 0-3.7 ppm sulfide, 30-800 ppm silica. Gases include H2 and CH4 > 10uM, CO2 > 1 mM, and trace amounts of CO. These surface data allow prediction of the subsurface metabolic landscape. For example, Cardace et al., (2015) predicted that metabolism of iron is important in both biospheres. Growth media were designed to target iron reduction yielding heterotrophic and autotrophic iron reducers at high pH. Reduced iron minerals were produced in several cultures (Casar et al., sub.), and isolation efforts are underway. Shotgun metagenomic analysis shows the metabolic capacity for methanogenesis, suggesting microbial origins for some CH4 present. The enzymes methyl coenzyme M reductase, and formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase were detected, and relative abundance increased near the near-anoxic spring source. The metagenomes indicate carbon cycling at these sites is reliant on methanogenesis, acetogenesis, sulfate reduction, and H2 and CH4 oxidation. In this tropical climate, cellulose is also a likely carbon source; cellulose degrading isolates have been obtained. These results indicate a metabolically flexible community at the surface where serpentinizing fluids are expressed. The next step is to understand what these surface systems might tell us about the subsurface biosphere. References: Cardace et al., 2015 Frontiers in Extreme Microbiology 6: doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00010 Woycheese et al., 2015 Frontiers in Extreme Microbiology 6: doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00044

The Campanian-Maastrichtian foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the basement sediments from the southern Pannonian Basin (Vojvodina, northern Serbia): implications for the continuation of the Eastern Vardar and Sava zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunčić, Milena; Dulić, Ivan; Popov, Olivera; Bogićević, Goran; Vranjković, Alan

2017-04-01

Micropalaeontological and biostratigraphical studies included Campanian-Maastrichtian complexes from five oil exploration wells drilled in northern Serbia (Vojvodina): the first is a carbonate-clastic complex and second is a complex containing ophiolites intercalated with hemipelagic and pelagic sediments. Within the studied complexes, rich associations of planktonic and benthic foraminifera, calcareous nannoplankton, palynomorphs, as well as shallow and deep-water fossil detritus were determined. The presence of relatively rich associations of planktonic foraminifera allowed recognition of two biozones: the Globotruncana ventricosa Zone, observed in the sediments of the carbonate-clastic complex and the Gansserina gansseri Zone, observed in both complexes. Except biozones, based on documented index species, for some units in both complexes, larger benthic foraminifera species had special biostratigraphical value, and in some of them, the calcareous nannoplankton zones were recognized. The studied complexes represent deep-water formations, generated in oceanic island arc and trough zones. The presence of limestones, which originate from destroyed rudist reefs, is explained by transfer by means of gravitational transport mechanisms of shallow-water sediments to deep-water depositional environments. In this paper, the results of more detailed biostratigraphical and palaeo-ecological studies of foraminifera associations in Campanian-Maastrichtian complexes in Vojvodina are presented. Combined with lithological studies, seven units were determined within the complexes. The obtained results are important as a part of multidisciplinary, regional exploration of both complexes, generated in specific geological conditions, that today constitute a part of the pre-Neogene basement complex in the southeastern part of the Pannonian Basin. The Campanian- Maastrichtian carbonate-clastic complex represents sedimentary cover of the Eastern Vardar Ophiolitic Unit, while the ophiolites intercalated with hemipelagic and pelagic limestones belongs to the Sava Zone.

Podiform chromite deposits--database and grade and tonnage models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mosier, Dan L.; Singer, Donald A.; Moring, Barry C.; Galloway, John P.

2012-01-01

Chromite ((Mg, Fe++)(Cr, Al, Fe+++)2O4) is the only source for the metallic element chromium, which is used in the metallurgical, chemical, and refractory industries. Podiform chromite deposits are small magmatic chromite bodies formed in the ultramafic section of an ophiolite complex in the oceanic crust. These deposits have been found in midoceanic ridge, off-ridge, and suprasubduction tectonic settings. Most podiform chromite deposits are found in dunite or peridotite near the contact of the cumulate and tectonite zones in ophiolites. We have identified 1,124 individual podiform chromite deposits, based on a 100-meter spatial rule, and have compiled them in a database. Of these, 619 deposits have been used to create three new grade and tonnage models for podiform chromite deposits. The major podiform chromite model has a median tonnage of 11,000 metric tons and a mean grade of 45 percent Cr2O3. The minor podiform chromite model has a median tonnage of 100 metric tons and a mean grade of 43 percent Cr2O3. The banded podiform chromite model has a median tonnage of 650 metric tons and a mean grade of 42 percent Cr2O3. Observed frequency distributions are also given for grades of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, palladium, and platinum. In resource assessment applications, both major and minor podiform chromite models may be used for any ophiolite complex regardless of its tectonic setting or ophiolite zone. Expected sizes of undiscovered podiform chromite deposits, with respect to degree of deformation or ore-forming process, may determine which model is appropriate. The banded podiform chromite model may be applicable for ophiolites in both suprasubduction and midoceanic ridge settings.

Plutonic rocks in the Mineoka-Setogawa ophiolitic mélange, central Japan: Fragments of middle to lower crust of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichiyama, Yuji; Ito, Hisatoshi; Hokanishi, Natsumi; Tamura, Akihiro; Arai, Shoji

2017-06-01

A Paleogene accretionary complex, the Mineoka-Setogawa Belt, is distributed around the Izu Collision Zone, central Japan. Plutonic rocks of gabbro, diorite and tonalite compositions are included as fragments and dykes in an ophiolitic mélange in this belt. Zircon U-Pb dating of the plutonic rocks indicates that they were formed at ca. 35 Ma simultaneously. These ages are consistent with Eocene-Oligocene tholeiite and calc-alkaline arc magmatism in the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) Arc and exclude several previous models for the origin of the Mineoka-Setogawa ophiolitic rocks. The geochemical characteristics of these plutonic rocks are similar to those of the Eocene-Oligocene IBM tholeiite and calc-alkaline volcanic rocks as well as to the accreted middle crust of the IBM Arc, the Tanzawa Plutonic Complex. Moreover, their lithology is consistent with those of the middle and lower crust of the IBM Arc estimated from the seismic velocity structure. These lines of evidence strongly indicate that the plutonic rocks in the Mineoka-Setogawa ophiolitic mélange are fragments of the middle to lower crust of the IBM Arc. Additionally, the presence of the Mineoka-Setogawa intermediate to felsic plutonic rocks supports the hypothesis that intermediate magma can form continental crust in intra-oceanic arcs.

Mantle melting and melt extraction processes in the upper part of the ophiolitic mantle section of the Caledonian Feragen-Raudhammeren ophiolite complex, Central Norway.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pryadunenko, A.; Nilsson, L. P.; Larsen, R. B.

2016-12-01

The border area between Norway and Sweden is known for exposures of dismembered ophiolitic fragments that presumably were formed during Cambrian and emplaced during the Caledonian orogenesis on a passive margin of Baltica. Mid-ocean ridge tectonic settings were inferred for these ophiolites in contrast to Caledonian subduction related ophiolites outcropping along the coast of Norway. At the Feragen - Raudhammeren area to the east-southeast of the historic mining town of Røros mantle tectonites consist of peridotite (cpx-bearing harzburgite to cpx-poor lherzolite) with an equal amount of dunite. Within the northwestern quarter of the 16 km2 Feragen body, resembling the mantle - crust boundary, the amount of dunite exceeds that of mantle peridotite. Dunites occur as layers as well as bodies discordant to banding in the harzburgite. Dunites have contacts to harzburgites from sharp in dyke-like bodies, to transitional with oPx fading out on a scale of 1 cm to several meters. Layers of Cr-spinel are common. Peridotites, dunites and dunite-peridotite transition zones were sampled at Feragen-Raudhammeren area. Gradual increase in MgO content of the rocks is observed from 39,5 wt % in peridotites to > 41 wt % within the transition zones. Dunites show > 43 wt % of MgO. Similar trends occur for nickel, with peridotites and transition zones always showing Ni < 2000 ppm and dunites containing > 2000 ppm of Ni. SiO2 contents shows inverse correlation with MgO content of the rocks being as low as 34,5 wt % in dunites and increasing gradually through the transition zones up to > 38 wt % in peridotites. Pt is the only element of the PGE group showing relative enrichment up to 36 ppb. Other PGE group elements are depleted in the rock with contents often being below detection limits. Patches of harzburgite are observed within the dunite pods. These patches preserve the same banding as the host harzburgite suggesting that these relicts have not been rotated from their original position and that the formation of dunites took place as a volume replacement of the harzburgite. Dunite bodies within the mantle section of ophiolite complexes are considered to represent sites of melt extraction and migration and essentially controls the composition, physical properties and ore-forming potential of melts emplaced up section in the ophiolite stratigraphy.

Recycling of crustal materials through study of ultrahigh-pressure minerals in collisional orogens, ophiolites, and mantle xenoliths: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, Juhn G.; Tsujimori, Tatsuki; Yang, Jingsui; Zhang, R. Y.; Ernst, W. G.

2014-12-01

Newly recognized occurrences of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) minerals including diamonds in ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) felsic granulites of orogenic belts, in chromitites associated with ophiolitic complexes, and in mantle xenoliths suggest the recycling of crustal materials through deep subduction, mantle upwelling, and return to the Earth's surface. This circulation process is supported by crust-derived mineral inclusions in deep-seated zircons, chromites, and diamonds from collision-type orogens, from eclogitic xenoliths in kimberlites, and from chromitities of several Alpine-Himalayan and Polar Ural ophiolites; some of these minerals contain low-atomic number elements typified by crustal isotopic signatures. Ophiolite-type diamonds in placer deposits and as inclusions in chromitites together with numerous highly reduced minerals and alloys appear to have formed near the mantle transition zone. In addition to ringwoodite and inferred stishovite, a number of nanometric minerals have been identified as inclusions employing state-of-the-art analytical tools. Reconstitution of now-exsolved precursor UHP phases and recognition of subtle decompression microstructures produced during exhumation reflect earlier UHP conditions. For example, Tibetan chromites containing exsolution lamellae of coesite + diopside suggest that the original chromitites formed at P > 9-10 GPa at depths of >250-300 km. The precursor phase most likely had a Ca-ferrite or a Ca-titanite structure; both are polymorphs of chromite and (at 2000 °C) would have formed at minimum pressures of P > 12.5 or 20 GPa respectively. Some podiform chromitites and host peridotites contain rare minerals of undoubted crustal origin, including zircon, feldspars, garnet, kyanite, andalusite, quartz, and rutile; the zircons possess much older U-Pb ages than the time of ophiolite formation. These UHP mineral-bearing chromitite hosts evidently had a deep-seated evolution prior to extensional mantle upwelling and partial melting at shallow depths to form the overlying ophiolite complexes. These new findings together with stable isotopic and inclusion characteristics of diamonds provide compelling evidence for profound underflow of both oceanic and continental lithosphere, recycling of surface 'organic' carbon into the lower mantle, and ascent to the Earth's surface through mantle upwelling. Intensified study of UHP granulite-facies lower crustal basement and ophiolitic chromitites should allow a better understanding of the geodynamics of subduction and crustal cycling.

Albanian ophiolites as probes of a mantle heterogeneity study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisel, Thomas; Ginley, Stephen; Koller, Friedrich; Walker, Richard J.

2013-04-01

Most ophiolites are believed to be tectonically obducted slivers of oceanic lithosphere. As such they can provide information not only about the history of crust formation, but also about the composition of the chemical composition of the recent and ancient mantle composition. The occurrence of the well preserved Albanian Ophiolite Complex covers the length of Albania (ca. 150 km) is an ideal object not only for the study of the history of Jurassic tectonic event, but also for the study of the heterogeneity of the upper oceanic mantle from a millimeter to a 100 km scale. The occurrence of two almost parallel ophiolite chains, which have been described to be of different petrography presenting different parts of the upper mantle (MOR vs. SSZ type), allows the investigation of additional aspects of mantle heterogeneity. In this study we want to take advantage of the geochemical characteristics of platinum group elements (PGE) and of lithophile elements to estimate the extant of mantle melting, metasomatic and mixing events of a large portion of mantle obducted contemporaneously. In a first step only peridotites from the mantle sections of the ophiolite complexes are studied for the PGE content and the osmium isotopic composition. Together with major and trace element compositional data, following tasks will be addressed: development of a strategy for field and lab sampling, identification of processes that happened before and after obduction such as melt depletion, metasomatism, serpentinisation etc. and the determination of the size of modified and "pristine" domains. Samples from the western Albanian Ophiolite belt have been studied so far. Although the locations spread over the entire belt a remarkable similarity of PGE abundances is observed. In detail deviations from a correlation of Lu and TiO2 concentration data are also reflected in aberrant mantle normalized PGE patterns. Interestingly enough, this behavior is not manifested in a trend in the 187Os/188Os distribution. As a result the Os isotopic compositions of the entire belt represent the range to be expected from a post Archean upper mantle. The observed heterogeneous distribution of osmium isotopic compositions is most likely an image of the long depletion and incomplete remixing history of the upper Earth's mantle which was not significantly modified through event leading to the formation of ophiolite belts.

The Jocotán Ophiolite: A new ophiolite along the Jocotán fault, eastern Guatemala

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlow, G. E.; Flores-Reyes, K.; Sisson, V. B.; Nelson, C.; Cacao, A.

2011-12-01

The North American - Caribbean plate boundary traverses central Guatemala and northern Honduras, dispersed along three left lateral faults systems, which from north to south are the Chixoy-Polochic, the Motagua, and the Jocotán-Camelecón faults, with the Motagua as the present active strand. The Motagua Suture Zone (MSZ), which encompasses this area, consists of multiple paleo-convergent boundaries. It includes slices of ultramafic-mafic complexes including both antigorite (Atg) serpentinite mélanges containing high-pressure / low-temperature (HP/LT) blocks, and lizardite-chrysotile (Lzd-Ctl) serpentinites with associated pillow lavas, radiolarian chert, and marine sediments, typically labeled as ophiolites. Guatemala Suture Zone would be a preferable term to MSZ because the area extends over all three faults, not just the Motagua. The MSZ includes the Sierra de Santa Cruz ophiolite north of the east end of the Polochic fault, the Baja Verapaz ultramafic complex (considered an ophiolite in most of the literature) lies just south of the western portion of the Polochic fault and a series of Atg-serpentinite-dominant mélanges (with HP/LT blocks) that decorate both sides of the Motagua fault. In addition, there is the El Tambor Formation, south of the Motagua fault (but west of the known limit of the Jocotán fault), which contains mafic & sedimentary units and has been called an ophiolite. However, no mafic-ultramafic bodies appear on maps that cover the Jocotán fault in eastern Guatemala. Geologic mapping by one of the co-authors located a small suite of ultramafic rocks sandwiched between the Jocotán and Camotán faults in eastern Guatemala, a short distance from the town of Camotán. Outcrops exposed for 3 km along a road and in a small river consist of sheared Lzd-Ctl serpentinite, metagabbro, overturned altered pillow lavas, listwaenite and rodingite dikes, cherts and pelagic metasediments. These units represent fault slivers subparallel to the steeply dipping local faults sandwiched between mostly phyllites, schists, limestones and metabasites. The latter are similar to the Las Ovejas Complex and/or the San Diego Phyllite which bound the El Tambor Formation and mélanges further west. The newly observed lithologic package, although small in areal extent, has clear affinities with an ophiolite. No HP/LT metamorphic blocks, or even true amphibolites were observed, so consistent with the presence of Lzd-Ctl in the serpentinite, the unit is not a subduction related mélange. The potential relationship with the El Tambor Formation to the west requires further analysis and comparison.

PALLADIUM, PLATINUM, RHODIUM, RUTHENIUM AND IRIDIUM IN PERIDOTITES AND CHROMITITES FROM OPHIOLITE COMPLEXES IN NEWFOUNDLAND.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, Norman J; Talkington, Raymond W.

1984-01-01

Samples of spinel lherzolite, harzburgite, dunite, and chromitite from the Bay of Islands, Lewis Hills, Table Mountain, Advocate, North Arm Mountain, White Hills Periodite Point Rousse, Great Bend and Betts Cove ophiolite complexes in Newfoundland were analyzed for the platinum-group elements (PGE) Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru and Ir. The ranges of concentration (in ppb) observed for all rocks are: less than 0. 5 to 77 (Pd), less than 1 to 120 (Pt), less than 0. 5 to 20 (Rh), less than 100 to 250 (Ru) and less than 20 to 83 (Ir). Chondrite-normalized PGE ratios suggest differences between rock types and between complexes. Samples of chromitite and dunite show relative enrichment in Ru and Ir and relative depletion in Pt and Pd.

40Ar/ 39Ar dating of the emplacement of the Muslim Bagh ophiolite, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmood, Khalid; Boudier, Françoise; Gnos, Edwin; Monié, Patrick; Nicolas, Adolphe

1995-11-01

The obduction-related basal part of the Muslim Bagh ophiolite (Baluchistan, Pakistan) and the underlying metamorphic sequence were studied structurally which demonstrated a WSW-ENE-trending thrusting sequence for the initial obduction. 40Ar/ 39Ar measurements on amphiboles and plagioclase from the subophiolitic metamorphic rocks, and on plastically deformed and recrystallized dolerite samples from the base of the sheeted dyke complex give apparent ages between 70.7 ± 5.0 and 65.1 ± 4.1 Ma interpreted as cooling ages dating approximately the formation of the plastic deformation and obduction. The results indicate that the Muslim Bagh ophiolite represents a segment of ocean floor from the small and slow-spreading ocean branch of the Neo-Tethys located between the Indo-Pakistani and the Afro-Arabian plates. The WSW-ENE-oriented obduction of the Muslim Bagh ophiolite onto the Indo-Pakistani continental margin occurred with the convergence of the Neo-Tethys branch during the Late Cretaceous and before the Tertiary collision of the Indo-Pakistani plate with the Eurasian plate.

Kinematics of Late Cretaceous subduction initiation in the Neo-Tethys Ocean reconstructed from ophiolites of Turkey, Cyprus, and Syria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maffione, Marco; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; de Gelder, Giovanni I. N. O.; van der Goes, Freek C.; Morris, Antony

2017-05-01

Formation of new subduction zones represents one of the cornerstones of plate tectonics, yet both the kinematics and geodynamics governing this process remain enigmatic. A major subduction initiation event occurred in the Late Cretaceous, within the Neo-Tethys Ocean between Gondwana and Eurasia. Suprasubduction zone ophiolites (i.e., emerged fragments of ancient oceanic lithosphere formed at suprasubduction spreading centers) were generated during this subduction event and are today distributed in the eastern Mediterranean region along three E-W trending ophiolitic belts. Several models have been proposed to explain the formation of these ophiolites and the evolution of the associated intra-Neo-Tethyan subduction zone. Here we present new paleospreading directions from six Upper Cretaceous ophiolites of Turkey, Cyprus, and Syria, calculated by using new and published paleomagnetic data from sheeted dyke complexes. Our results show that NNE-SSW subduction zones were formed within the Neo-Tethys during the Late Cretaceous, which we propose were part of a major step-shaped subduction system composed of NNE-SSW and WNW-ESE segments. We infer that this subduction system developed within old (Triassic?) lithosphere, along fracture zones and perpendicular weakness zones, since the Neo-Tethyan spreading ridge formed during Gondwana fragmentation would have already been subducted at the Pontides subduction zone by the Late Cretaceous. Our new results provide an alternative kinematic model of Cretaceous Neo-Tethyan subduction initiation and call for future research on the mechanisms of subduction inception within old (and cold) lithosphere and the formation of metamorphic soles below suprasubduction zone ophiolites in the absence of nearby spreading ridges.

Submarine hydrothermal metamorphism of the Del Puerto ophiolite, California.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evarts, R.C.; Schiffman, P.

1983-01-01

Metamorphic zonation overprinted on the volcanic member and overlying volcanogenic sediments of the ophiolite complex increases downward in grade and is characterized by the sequential appearance with depth of zeolites, ferric pumpellyite and pistacitic epidote. Metamorphic assemblages of the plutonic member of the complex are characterized by the presence of calcic amphibole. The overprinting represents the effects of hydrothermal metamorphism resulting from the massive interaction between hot igneous rocks and convecting sea-water in a submarine environment. A thermal gradient of 100oC/km is postulated to account for the zonal recrystallization effects in the volcanic member. The diversity and sporadic distribution of mineral assemblages in the amphibole zone are considered due to the limited availability of H2O in the deeper part of the complex. Details of the zonation and representative microprobe analyses are tabulated.-M.S.

Ophiolites of Iran: Keys to understanding the tectonic evolution of SW Asia: (II) Mesozoic ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghadam, Hadi Shafaii; Stern, Robert J.

2015-03-01

Iran is a mosaic of continental terranes of Cadomian (520-600 Ma) age, stitched together along sutures decorated by Paleozoic and Mesozoic ophiolites. Here we present the current understanding of the Mesozoic (and rare Cenozoic) ophiolites of Iran for the international geoscientific audience. We summarize field, chemical and geochronological data from the literature and our own unpublished data. Mesozoic ophiolites of Iran are mostly Cretaceous in age and are related to the Neotethys and associated backarc basins on the S flank of Eurasia. These ophiolites can be subdivided into five belts: 1. Late Cretaceous Zagros outer belt ophiolites (ZOB) along the Main Zagros Thrust including Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene Maku-Khoy-Salmas ophiolites in NW Iran as well as Kermanshah-Kurdistan, Neyriz and Esfandagheh (Haji Abad) ophiolites, also Late Cretaceous-Eocene ophiolites along the Iraq-Iran border; 2. Late Cretaceous Zagros inner belt ophiolites (ZIB) including Nain, Dehshir, Shahr-e-Babak and Balvard-Baft ophiolites along the southern periphery of the Central Iranian block and bending north into it; 3. Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene Sabzevar-Torbat-e-Heydarieh ophiolites of NE Iran; 4. Early to Late Cretaceous Birjand-Nehbandan-Tchehel-Kureh ophiolites in eastern Iran between the Lut and Afghan blocks; and 5. Late Jurassic-Cretaceous Makran ophiolites of SE Iran including Kahnuj ophiolites. Most Mesozoic ophiolites of Iran show supra-subduction zone (SSZ) geochemical signatures, indicating that SW Asia was a site of plate convergence during Late Mesozoic time, but also include a significant proportion showing ocean-island basalt affinities, perhaps indicating the involvement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle.

Sedimentology and tectonics of the collision complex in the east arm of Sulawesi Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simandjuntak, Tohap Oculair

An imbricated Mesozoic to Palaeogene continental margin sequence is juxtaposed with ophiolitic rocks in the East Arm of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The two tectonic terranes are bounded by the Batui Thrust and Balantak Fault System, which are considered to be the surface expression of the collision zone between the Banggai-Sula Platform and the Eastern Sulawesi Ophiolite Belt. The collision complex contains three distinctive sedimentary sequences : 1) Triassic-Palaeogene continental margin sediments, ii) Cretaceous pelagic sediments and iii) Neogene coarse clastic sediments and volcanogenic turbidites. (i) Late Triassic Lemo Beds consisting largely of carbonate-slope deposits and subsidiary clastics including quartz-rich lithic sandstones and lensoidal pebbly mudstone and conglomeratic breccia. The hemipelagic limestones are rich in micro-fossils. Some beds of the limestone contain bivalves and ammonites, including Misolia, which typifies the Triassic-Jurassic sequence of eastern Indonesia. The Jurassic Kapali Beds are dominated by quartzose arenites containing significant amounts of plant remains and lumps of coal. The Late Jurassic sediments consist of neritic carbonate deposits (Nambo Beds and Sinsidik Beds) containing ammonites and belemnites, including Belemnopsis uhligi Stevens, of Late Jurassic age. The Jurassic sediments are overlain unconformably by Late Cretaceous Luok Beds which are predominantly calcilutite with chert nodules rich in microfossils. The Luok Beds are unconformably overlain by the Palaeogene Salodik Limestones which consist of carbonate platform sediments rich in both benthic and planktonic foraminifera of Eocene to Early Miocene age. These sediments were deposited on the continental margin of the Banggai-Sula Platform. (ii) Deep-sea sediments (Boba Beds) consist largely of chert and subsidiary calcilutite rich in radiolaria of Cretaceous age. These rocks are part of an ophiolite suite. (iii) Coarse clastic sediments (Kolo Beds and Biak Conglomerates) are typical post-orogenic clastic rocks deposited on top of the collision complex. They are composed of material derived from both the continental margin sequence and ophiolite suite. Volcanogenic Lonsuit Turbidites occur in the northern part of the East Arm in Poh Head and unconformably overlie the ophiolite suite. Late Miocene to Pliocene planktonic foraminifera occur in the intercalated marlstone and marly sandstone beds within these rocks. The collision zone is marked by the occurrence of Kolokolo Melange, which contain exotic fragments detached from both the ophiolite suite and the continental margin sequence and a matrix of calcareous mudstone and marlstone rich in planktonic foraminifera of late Middle Miocene to Pliocene age. The melange is believed to have been formed during and after the collision of the Banggai-Sula Platform with the Eastern Sulawesi Ophiolite Belt. Hence, the collision event took place in Middle Miocene time. The occurrence of at least three terraces of Quaternary coraline reefs on the south coast of the East Arm of Sulawesi testifies to the rapid uplift of the region. Seismic data suggest that the collision might still be in progress at the present time.

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Triassic mafic complexes with MORB/OIB affinities from the western Garzê-Litang ophiolitic mélange, central Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bin; Ma, Chang-Qian; Guo, Yu-Heng; Xiong, Fu-Hao; Guo, Pan; Zhang, Xin

2016-09-01

Although numerous Paleo-Tethyan ophiolites with mid-oceanic ridge basalts (MORB) and/or oceanic-island basalt (OIB) affinities have been reported in the central Tibetan Plateau (CTP), the origin and tectonic nature of these ophiolites are not well understood. The petrogenesis, mantle sources and geodynamic setting of the mafic rocks from these ophiolites are unclear, which is the main reason for this uncertainty. In this paper, we present new geochronological, mineralogical and Sr-Nd isotopic data for the Chayong and Xiewu mafic complexes in the western Garzê-Litang suture zone (GLS), a typical Paleo-Tethyan suture crossing the CTP. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb ages of 234 ± 3 Ma and 236 ± 2 Ma can be interpreted as formation times of the Chayong and Xiewu mafic complexes, respectively. The basalts and gabbros of the Chayong complex exhibit enriched MORB (E-MORB) compositional affinities except for a weak depletion of Nb, Ta and Ti relative to the primitive mantle, whereas the basalts and gabbros of the Xiewu complex display distinct E-MORB and OIB affinities. The geochemical features suggest a probable fractionation of olivine ± clinopyroxene ± plagioclase as well as insignificant crustal contamination. The geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic data reveal that the Chayong mafic rocks may have been derived from depleted MORB-type mantle metasomatized by crustal components and Xiewu mafic rocks from enriched lithospheric mantle metasomatized by OIB-like components. The ratios of Zn/Fet, La/Yb and Sm/Yb indicate that these mafic melts were produced by the partial melting of garnet + minor spinel-bearing peridotite or spinel ± minor garnet-bearing peridotite. We propose that back-arc basin spreading associated with OIB/seamount recycling had occurred in the western GLS at least since the Middle Triassic times, and the decompression melting of the depleted MORB-type asthenosphere mantle and partial melting of sub-continental lithosphere were metasomatized by plume-related melts, such as OIB s, which led to the generation of the Chayong and Xiewu mafic melts.

Tectonic overprint on magnetic fabric of the Ordovician Thetford Mines Ophiolite (Canada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Chiara, Anita; Morris, Antony; Anderson, Mark W.; Menegon, Luca

2017-04-01

Studies in modern oceanic settings suggest locally along low-spreading ridges both lower crust and upper mantle peridotites may be exhumed to the seafloor in features known as oceanic core complexes (OCC). Examples of OCC on geological record can be preserved in ophiolites, relict of oceanic crust obducted onto continental margins, as for example the Jurassic Mirdita Ophiolite (Albania), suggesting that this spreading mode was active in the past. In order to understand such dynamics further, we investigated the OCC preserved in the Thetford Mines Ophiolite (TMO). TMO is part of the Southern Quebec ophiolites in the Canadian Appalachians (Quebec region), divided into three lithotectonic assemblages: The Humber Zone, a remnant of the Laurentian continental margin; The Cambrian-Ordovician Dunnage Zone, a remnant of the Iapetus Ocean and including the TMO and other ophiolites; and Silurian-Devonian Gaspé Belt, the sedimentary cover sequence. These were subjected to polyphase deformation, experiencing two Paleozoic orogenies: The Ordovician Taconian Orogeny (the Humber and Dunnage zones were amalgamated) and the Devonian Acadian orogeny which deformed and metamorphosed both the Dunnage Zone and the overlying Gaspe Belt. Here we present results from 12 paleomagnetic sites sampled on Humber zone on pillow lavas, dykes, layered gabbros and serpentinized dunites. Our results from AMS experiments show that these rocks, formed by fundamentally different magmatic processes, share a common magnetic fabric, with a kmin axis NW-SE orientated and the kmax steeply plunging to the NE. Additional processing of acquired BSE images and chemical mapping analyses at the SEM show that the kmax of the magnetic fabric is parallel to the elongation of magnetic particles (Iron rich minerals). This remarkably consistent fabric has a tectonic origin and is consistent with shortening perpendicular to the regional trend of fold axes.

Out of the dark: transitional subsurface-to-surface microbial diversity in a terrestrial serpentinizing seep (Manleluag, Pangasinan, the Philippines)

PubMed Central

Woycheese, Kristin M.; Meyer-Dombard, D'Arcy R.; Cardace, Dawn; Argayosa, Anacleto M.; Arcilla, Carlo A.

2015-01-01

In the Zambales ophiolite range, terrestrial serpentinizing fluid seeps host diverse microbial assemblages. The fluids fall within the profile of Ca2+-OH−-type waters, indicative of active serpentinization, and are low in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) (<0.5 ppm). Influx of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) affects the solubility of calcium carbonate as distance from the source increases, triggering the formation of meter-scale travertine terraces. Samples were collected at the source and along the outflow channel to determine subsurface microbial community response to surface exposure. DNA was extracted and submitted for high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Taxonomic assignment of the sequence data indicates that 8.1% of the total sequence reads at the source of the seep affiliate with the genus Methanobacterium. Other major classes detected at the source include anaerobic taxa such as Bacteroidetes (40.7% of total sequence reads) and Firmicutes (19.1% of total reads). Hydrogenophaga spp. increase in relative abundance as redox potential increases. At the carbonate terrace, 45% of sequence reads affiliate with Meiothermus spp. Taxonomic observations and geochemical data suggest that several putative metabolisms may be favorable, including hydrogen oxidation, H2-associated sulfur cycling, methanogenesis, methanotrophy, nitrogen fixation, ammonia oxidation, denitrification, nitrate respiration, methylotrophy, carbon monoxide respiration, and ferrous iron oxidation, based on capabilities of nearest known neighbors. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy suggest that microbial activity produces chemical and physical traces in the precipitated carbonates forming downstream of the seep's source. These data provide context for future serpentinizing seep ecosystem studies, particularly with regards to tropical biomes. PMID:25745416

Out of the dark: transitional subsurface-to-surface microbial diversity in a terrestrial serpentinizing seep (Manleluag, Pangasinan, the Philippines).

PubMed

Woycheese, Kristin M; Meyer-Dombard, D'Arcy R; Cardace, Dawn; Argayosa, Anacleto M; Arcilla, Carlo A

2015-01-01

In the Zambales ophiolite range, terrestrial serpentinizing fluid seeps host diverse microbial assemblages. The fluids fall within the profile of Ca(2+)-OH(-)-type waters, indicative of active serpentinization, and are low in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) (<0.5 ppm). Influx of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) affects the solubility of calcium carbonate as distance from the source increases, triggering the formation of meter-scale travertine terraces. Samples were collected at the source and along the outflow channel to determine subsurface microbial community response to surface exposure. DNA was extracted and submitted for high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Taxonomic assignment of the sequence data indicates that 8.1% of the total sequence reads at the source of the seep affiliate with the genus Methanobacterium. Other major classes detected at the source include anaerobic taxa such as Bacteroidetes (40.7% of total sequence reads) and Firmicutes (19.1% of total reads). Hydrogenophaga spp. increase in relative abundance as redox potential increases. At the carbonate terrace, 45% of sequence reads affiliate with Meiothermus spp. Taxonomic observations and geochemical data suggest that several putative metabolisms may be favorable, including hydrogen oxidation, H2-associated sulfur cycling, methanogenesis, methanotrophy, nitrogen fixation, ammonia oxidation, denitrification, nitrate respiration, methylotrophy, carbon monoxide respiration, and ferrous iron oxidation, based on capabilities of nearest known neighbors. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy suggest that microbial activity produces chemical and physical traces in the precipitated carbonates forming downstream of the seep's source. These data provide context for future serpentinizing seep ecosystem studies, particularly with regards to tropical biomes.

The Relationships of Upper Plate Ridge-Trench-Trench and Ridge-Trench-Transform Triple Junction Evolution to Arc Lengthening, Subduction Zone initiation and Ophiolitic Forearc Obduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casey, J.; Dewey, J. F.

2013-12-01

The principal enigma of large obducted ophiolite slabs is that they clearly must have been generated by some form of organized sea-floor spreading/plate-accretion, such as may be envisioned for the oceanic ridges, yet the volcanics commonly have arc affinity (Miyashiro) with boninites (high-temperature/low-pressure, high Mg and Si andesites), which are suggestive of a forearc origin. PT conditions under which boninites and metamorphic soles form and observations of modern forearc systems lead us to the conclusion that ophiolite formation is associated with overriding plate spreading centers that intersect the trench to form ridge-trench-trench of ridge-trench-tranform triple junctions. The spreading centers extend and lengthen the forearc parallel to the trench and by definition are in supra-subduction zone (SSZ) settings. Many ophiolites likewise have complexly-deformed associated mafic-ultramafic assemblages that suggest fracture zone/transform along their frontal edges, which in turn has led to models involving the nucleation of subduction zones on fracture zones or transpressional transforms. Hitherto, arc-related sea-floor-spreading has been considered to be either pre-arc (fore-arc boninites) or post-arc (classic Karig-style back arc basins that trench-parallel split arcs). Syn-arc boninites and forearc oceanic spreading centers that involve a stable ridge/trench/trench triple or a ridge-trench-transform triple junction, the ridge being between the two upper plates, are consistent with large slab ophiolite formation in an obduction-ready settting. The direction of subduction must be oblique with a different sense in the two subduction zones and the oblique subduction cannot be partitioned into trench orthogonal and parallel strike-slip components. As the ridge spreads, new oceanic lithosphere is created within the forearc, the arc and fore-arc lengthen significantly, and a syn-arc ophiolite forearc complex is generated by this mechanism. The ophiolite ages along arc-strike; a distinctive diachronous MORB-like to boninitic to arc volcanic stratigraphy develops vertically in the forearc and eruption centers progressively migrate from the forearc back to the main arc massif with time. Dikes in the ophiolite are commonly highly oblique to the trench (as are back-arc magnetic anomalies in modern environments). Boninites and high-mg andesites are generated in the fore-arc under the aqueous, low pressure/high temperature, regime at the ridge above the instantaneously developed subducting and dehydrating slab. We review both modern subduction environments and ancient obducted ophiolite analogues that illustrate this tectonic model for subduction initiation and the creation and rapid divergent-convergent plate tectonic transitions to ophiolitic forearcs.

Concordant paleolatitudes for Neoproterozoic ophiolitic rocks of the Trinity Complex, Klamath Mountains, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mankinen, E.A.; Lindsley-Griffin, N.; Griffin, J.R.

2002-01-01

New paleomagnetic results from the eastern Klamath Mountains of northern California show that Neoproterozoic rocks of the Trinity ophiolitic complex and overlying Middle Devonian volcanic rocks are latitudinally concordant with cratonal North America. Combining paleomagnetic data with regional geologic and faunal evidence suggests that the Trinity Complex and related terranes of the eastern Klamath plate were linked in some fashion to the North American craton throughout that time, but that distance between them may have varied considerably. A possible model that is consistent with our paleomagnetic results and the geologic evidence is that the Trinity Complex formed and migrated parallel to paleolatitude in the basin between Laurasia and Australia-East Antarctica as the Rodinian supercontinent began to break up. It then continued to move parallel to paleolatitude at least through Middle Devonian time. Although the eastern Klamath plate served as a nucleus against which more western components of the Klamath Mountains province amalgamated, the Klamath superterrane was not accreted to North America until Early Cretaceous time.

The Juchatengo complex: an upper-level ophiolite assemblage of late Paleozoic age in Oaxaca, southern Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grajales-Nishimura, José Manuel; Ramos-Arias, Mario Alfredo; Solari, Luigi; Murillo-Muñetón, Gustavo; Centeno-García, Elena; Schaaf, Peter; Torres-Vargas, Ricardo

2018-04-01

The Juchatengo complex (JC) suite is located between the Proterozoic Oaxacan complex to the north and the Xolapa complex to the south, and was amalgamated by late Paleozoic magmatism. It consists of mafic and sedimentary rocks that have oceanic affinities, with internal pseudostratigraphic, structural and metamorphic characteristics, which resemble a typical upper-level ophiolite assemblage. New U-Pb zircon and previous hornblende K-Ar analyses yield ages of ca. 291-313 Ma (U-Pb) for plagiogranites and ca. 282-277 Ma for tonalites intruding the entire sequence, including pelagic sediments at the top, with a maximum deposition age of ca. 278 Ma and noteworthy local provenance. These data constrain the age of the JC to the Late Pennsylvanian-Early Permian period. Hf isotopic analyses obtained from zircons in the JC plagiogranite and tonalite show that they come from a similar primitive mantle source (176Hf/177Hf: 0.282539-0.283091; ƐHf(t): + 3.2 to + 15.0). ƐHf(t) values from near 0 to - 2.8 in the tonalites indicate a contribution from the continental crust. Trace elements and REE patterns in whole rock and zircons point to a primitive mantle source for differentiated mafic, plagiogranite dykes and tonalitic plutons. Geochronological and geochemical data address the generation of new oceanic crust above the subduction zone, probably in a backarc setting. In this tectonic scenario, the JC ophiolite originated due to the convergence of the paleo-Pacific plate below the already integrated Oaxacan and Acatlán complexes in western Pangea. The dextral displacement places the deformation in a transtensional regime during the late Paleozoic age.

Mineralogy, composition and PGM of chromitites from Pefki, Pindos ophiolite complex (NW Greece): evidence for progressively elevated fAs conditions in the upper mantle sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapsiotis, Argirios; Grammatikopoulos, Tassos A.; Tsikouras, Basilios; Hatzipanagiotou, Konstantin; Zaccarini, Federica; Garuti, Giorgio

2011-01-01

The Pindos ophiolite complex, located in the northwestern part of continental Greece, hosts various chromite deposits of both metallurgical (high-Cr) and refractory (high-Al) type. The Pefki chromitites are banded and sub-concordant to the surrounding serpentinized dunites. The Cr# [Cr/(Cr + Al)] of magnesiochromite varies between 0.75 and 0.79. The total PGE grade ranges from 105.9 up to 300.0 ppb. IPGE are higher than PPGE, typical of mantle hosted ophiolitic chromitites. The PGM assemblage in chromitites comprises anduoite, ruarsite, laurite, irarsite, sperrylite, hollingworthite, Os-Ru-Ir alloys including osmium and rutheniridosmine, Ru-bearing oxides, braggite, paolovite, platarsite, cooperite, vysotskite, and palladodymite. Iridarsenite and omeiite were also observed as exsolutions in other PGM. Rare electrum and native Ag are recovered in concentrates. This PGM assemblage is of great petrogenetic importance because it is significantly different from that commonly observed in podiform mantle-hosted and banded crustal-hosted ophiolitic chromitites. PGE chalcogenides of As and S are primary, and possibly crystallized directly from a progressively enriched in As boninitic melt before or during magnesiochromite precipitation. The presence of Ru-bearing oxides implies simultaneous desulfurization and dearsenication processes. Chemically zoned laurite and composite paolovite-electrum intergrowths are indicative of the relatively high mobility of certain PGE at low temperatures under locally oxidizing conditions. The PGM assemblage and chemistry, in conjunction with geological and petrologic data of the studied chromitites, indicate that it is characteristic of chromitites found within or close to the petrologic Moho. Furthermore, the strikingly different PGM assemblages between the high-Cr chromitites within the Pindos massif is suggestive of non-homogeneous group of ores.

Meter Scale Heterogeneities in the Oceanic Mantle Revealed in Ophiolites Peridotites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haller, M. B.; Walker, R. J.; Day, J. M.; O'Driscoll, B.; Daly, J. S.

2016-12-01

Mid-ocean ridge basalts and other oceanic mantle-derived rocks do not capture the depleted endmember isotopic compositions present in oceanic peridotites. Ophiolites are especially useful in interrogating this issue as field-based observations can be paired with geochemical investigations over a wide range of geologic time. Grid sampling methods (3m x 3m) at the 497 Ma Leka Ophiolite Complex (LOC), Norway, and the 1.95 Ga Jormua Ophiolite Complex (JOC), Finland, offer an opportunity to study mantle domains at the meter and kilometer scale, and over a one billion year timespan. The lithology of each locality predominately comprises harzburgite, hosting layers and lenses of dunite and pyroxenite. Here, we combine highly siderophile elements (HSE) and Re-Os isotopic analysis of these rocks with major and trace element measurements. Harzburgites at individual LOC grid sites show variations in γOs(497 Ma) (-2.1 to +2.2) at the meter scale. Analyses of adjacent, more radiogenic dunites within the same LOC grid, reveal that dunites may either have similar γOs to their host harzburgite, or different, implying interactions between spatially associated rock types may differ at the meter scale. Averaged γOs values between the mantle sections of two LOC grid sites (+1.3 and -0.4) separated by 5 km indicate km-scale heterogeneity in the convecting upper mantle. Pd/Ir and Ru/Ir ratios are scattered and do not obviously correlate with γOs values. Analyses of pyroxenites within LOC grid sections, thin section observations of relict olivine grains, and whole rock major and trace element data are also examined to shed light on the causes of the isotopic heterogeneities in the LOC. Data from JOC grid sampling will be presented as well.

Jurassic subduction initiation in the western and central Neo-Tethys and the origin of the Balkan ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.; Maffione, M.

2017-12-01

Jurassic subduction initiation in the Neo-Tethys Ocean was the first, critical step of a long tectonic process that eventually led to the collision of the Adria-Africa and Eurasia plates and the formation of a 6000 km long Alpine orogenic belt spanning from the Balkan Peninsula to Iran. Investigating the process of subduction initiation in the Neo-Tethys during the Jurassic is crucial to (i) reconstruct the complex geological evolution of this orogen from its initial stages, and (ii) shed new lights over the enigmatic kinematics and driving mechanisms of subduction initiation. Records of the initial closure of the Neo-Tethys are today preserved in a fragmented belt of Middle Jurassic ophiolites (170-160 Ma) distributed above the Alpine orogen. In particular, the well-preserved and extensively studied ophiolites of the Balkan Peninsula offer a unique chance to study the mechanisms leading to the closure of the western domain of the Neo-Tethys. Here we provide the first quantitative constraints on the geometry of the Jurassic Neo-Tethyan subduction system using a net tectonic rotation analysis based on paleomagnetic and structural geological data from the sheeted dyke complexes of various ophiolites of Serbia (Maljen, Ibar) and Greece (Othris, Pindos, Vourinos, Guevgueli). Our results show that closure of the western Neo-Tethys was accommodated by two subduction zones, one intra-oceanic, formed at the N-S trending Neo-Tethyan ridge, the other initiated at the European passive margin and curving southward from a N-S to a NW-SE direction following the shape of the passive margin. We propose that these two subduction zones formed upon propagation of subduction(s) initiated in the central Neo-Tethys (modern Turkey) in the late Early Jurassic ( 185-180 Ma).

Detrital zircon geochronology overlying the Naga Hills ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roeder, T.; Aitchison, J.; Stojanovic, D.; Agarwal, A.; Ao, A.; Bhowmik, S.

2013-12-01

The Nagaland ophiolite in NE India represents the easternmost section of the ophiolitic belt running along the India-Asia suture. Outcrops near the border between Nagaland and Myanmar include not only a full suite of ophiolitic rocks but also high P/T blueschist rocks within a serpentinite-matrix mélange. Although Upper Jurassic radiolarians have been reported from the ophiolite itself (Baxter et al., 2011), few constraints have been placed on the timing of its emplacement onto India. Terrestrial sediments of the Phokphur Formation unconformably overlie the ophiolite. Similar to other sediments from along the ophiolite belt such as the Luiqu conglomerates in Tibet (Davis et al., 2002), they contain detritus derived from both the ophiolite and the continental margin onto which the ophiolite was emplaced. The clastic sediments of the Phokphur Formation potentially record not only the timing of ophiolite generation but also the ages of source terranes and can be used to place a minimum age constraint on the timing of ophiolite emplacement. As a contribution towards extending knowledge of the ophiolite belt and the India/Asia collision, we report preliminary results of an investigation into the sedimentology and detrital zircon geochronology of the Phokphur Formation in areas near Salumi and Zephu. Baxter, A.T., Aitchison, J.C., Zyabrev, S.V., Ali, J.R., 2011. Upper Jurassic radiolarians from the Naga Ophiolite, Nagaland, northeast India. Gondwana Research 20, 638-644. Davis, A.M., Aitchison, J.C., Badengzhu, Luo, H., Zyabrev, S., 2002. Paleogene island arc collision-related conglomerates, Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet. Sedimentary Geology 150, 247-273.

First description of a metamorphic sole related to ophiolite obduction in the northern Caribbean: Geochemistry and petrology of the Güira de Jauco Amphibolite complex (eastern Cuba) and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lázaro, C.; Blanco-Quintero, I. F.; Rojas-Agramonte, Y.; Proenza, J. A.; Núñez-Cambra, K.; García-Casco, A.

2013-10-01

The Güira de Jauco Amphibolite Complex underlies the Mayarí-Baracoa Ophiolitic Belt (eastern Cuba) and is composed of highly foliated amphibolite, locally with blocks of sheared serpentinitie that enclose concordant layers of amphibolite. These amphibolites are interpreted as remnants of a sub-ophiolitic metamorphic sole likely formed during late Cretaceous times before the initiation of the collision between the Caribbean and the North American plates. The complex includes common amphibolites (Hbl + Pl ± Ep ± Ttn ± Rt ± Qtz ± Ap), garnet amphibolites (Hbl + Grt + Pl + Ep ± Ttn ± Qtz ± Ap) and clinopyroxene amphibolites (Hbl + Pl + Cpx ± Ep ± Ttn ± Qtz ± Ap). Geochemical data indicates that the protoliths are igneous mafic rocks of basaltic composition that likely formed part of the upper and lower(?)crust of an oceanic lithosphere. Rare Earth element contents suggest a Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) origin. However, the enrichment in Large-Ion Lithophile elements and the depletion in NbTaTi as compared to Normal-MORB, suggests a suprasubduction scenario, either a back-arc or a fore-arc setting. The pressure-temperature estimates of metamorphism indicate that the entire amphibolite body underwent similar peak metamorphic conditions at 650-665 °C and 8.5-8.7 kbar (ca. 30 km depth), corresponding to a relatively high apparent geothermal gradient of 23 °C/km.

Ages and origin of felsic rocks from the Eastern Erenhot ophiolitic complex, southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt, Inner Mongolia China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jinfu; Zhang, Zhicheng; Chen, Yan; Yu, Haifei; Qian, Xiaoyan

2017-08-01

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is known for its massive Phanerozoic generation of juvenile crust. The tectonic evolution of the CAOB during the late Paleozoic era is still debated. The Eastern Erenhot ophiolite complex (EOC) has been recognized as one of the numerous late Paleozoic ophiolitic blocks in the southeastern part of the CAOB. Zircon U-Pb dating on rhyolite and plagiogranite from the EOC yielded a tight range of ages from 360 to 348 Ma, indicating that the complex formed in the early Carboniferous. The primitive mantle-normalized spider diagram of rhyolites (εNd(t) values of +6.8 and +7) and basalts almost overlaps. Such rhyolites may have been derived from partial melting of juvenile basaltic rocks during the initial opening of the Erenhot-Hegenshan oceanic basin. All of the plagiogranites exhibit similar trace element behaviours of High Field-Strength Elements, such as U, Zr and Hf, and Large Ion Lithophile Elements, such as Ba and Rb, to these of gabbros. These plagiogranites were considered products of episodes of partial melting of hydrous gabbros during ocean floor spreading. We conclude that the northern subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean stopped before 360 Ma and the southeastern CAOB experienced extension during the late Paleozoic era. The Erenhot-Hegenshan Ocean, which is comparable to the present Red Sea, originated from syn-collisional crustal thickening, subsequent lithosphere extension, and upwelling of the asthenosphere during orogenic quiescence with an age of 20 Ma.

Geological history of the Cretaceous ophiolitic complexes of northwestern South America (Colombian Andes)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourgois, Jacques; Toussaint, Jean-François; Gonzalez, Humberto; Azema, Jacques; Calle, Bernardo; Desmet, Alain; Murcia, Luis A.; Acevedo, Alvaro P.; Parra, Eduardo; Tournon, Jean

1987-12-01

The Western Cordillera of Colombia was formed by intense alpine-type nappe-forming folding and thrusting. The Cretaceous (80-120 Ma B.P.) tholeiitic material of the Western Cordilleran nappes has been obducted onto the Paleozoic and Precambrian polymetamorphic micaschists and gneiss of the Central Cordillera. Near Yarumal, the Antioquia batholith (60-80 Ma B.P.) intrudes both obducted Cretaceous oceanic material and the polymetamorphic basement rock of the Central Cordillera. Therefore, nappe emplacement and obduction onto the Central Cordillera occurred during Late Senonian to Early Paleocene. The nappes travelled from northwest to southeast so that the highest unit, the Rio Calima nappe therefore has the most northwestern source, whereas the lowest units originated from a more southeastward direction. Sedimentological analysis of the volcanoclastic and sandy turbidite material from each unit suggests a marginal marine environment. During Cretaceous times the opening of this marginal sea, from now on called the "Colombia marginal basin", probably originated by detachment of a block from the South American continent related to the Farallon-South America plate convergence. In the Popayan area (southern Colombia), the Central Cordilleran basement exhibits glaucophane schist facies metamorphism. This high pressure low temperature metamorphism is of Early Cretaceous (125 Ma B.P.) age and is related to an undated metaophiolitic complex. The ophiolitic material originating from the Western Cordilleran is thrust over both the blueschist belt and the metaophiolitic complex. These data suggest that the "Occidente Colombiano" suffered at least two phases of ophiolitic obduction during Mesozoic time.

Geochemistry of the Bela Ophiolite, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M.; Nicholson, K. N.; Mahmood, K.

2008-12-01

The Bela ophiolite complex of Balochistan, Pakistan has been the subject of several geochemical and tectonic studies in the past. However until now there has never been a combined structural, geochemical and tectonic assimilation study which adequately explains the observed geochemistry and structural geology in a global tectonic framework. Here we present the geochemical findings of our work. The Bela ophiolite complex consists of two major units: the basal section or Lower Unit, and the Upper Unit, between the two is a mélange zone. The Lower Unit is relatively homogeneous and consists almost entirely of flow basalts and pillow basalts. The base of the Upper Unit is the metamorphic sole which is overlain by a sequence of massive basalts flows and intrusions of gabbro and granites. The entire Upper Unit is cut by doleritic dykes and sills. Geochemically the Lower Unit is comprised of basaltic lavas with E-MORB affinities. These lavas are tholeiitic, low-K series lavas with trace element signatures of E-type MORB. For example ratios such as V/Ti, Zr/Y, Nb/Th, Th/La and Nb/U all suggest these lavas are E-MORB. Previous workers have suggested these lavas are back-arc basin (BAB) however the samples lack the characteristic signatures of subduction modified MORB. This conclusion is supported by chondrite and N-MORB normalized spider diagrams where the Lower Unit lavas are enriched in the LILE with respect to the HFSE. The Upper Unit of the Bela Ophiolite sequence has a slightly more complex history. The older lavas sequences, the massive basalt flows, gabbros and granites, all formed in an oceanic arc environment. These lavas exhibit classic arc signatures such as a negative Nb and Ti anomalies, are enriched in LILE and LREE relative to HSFE, and plot in the volcanic arc and island arc fields in classic ternary plots such as 2Nb- Zr/4-Y and Y/15-La/10-Nb/8. The younger sequence of intrusions found in the Bela ophiolite appear to have BAB signatures. These lavas have relatively flat MORB normalized plots, are slightly depleted in the LILE relative the HFSE, and have a very small negative Nb anomaly. Source characteristics for both units have been determined using trace element data. This work suggests that the E-MORB lavas are derived from partial melting of enriched mantle. The lavas found in the Upper Unit have all been sourced from depleted or N-MORB mantle which has been modified by subducting fluids. It is possible that the younger BAB samples have a slightly more enriched source than the corresponding arc lavas which might indicate movement of the subduction zone allowing the influx of new mantle material below the wedge. In conclusion, our new geochemical work shows that the Bela ophiolite contains three distinct magmatic sequences: a lower E-MORB sequence over lain by a series of volcanic arc lavas which are cut by BAB-type sills and dykes.

Tectonics of the ophiolite belt from Naga Hills and Andaman Islands, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acharyya, S. K.; Ray, K. K.; Sengupta, S.

1990-06-01

The ophiolitic rocks of Naga Hills-Andaman belt occur as rootless slices, gently dipping over the Paleogene flyschoid sediments, the presence of blue-schists in ophiolite melange indicates an involvement of the subduction process. Subduction was initiated prior to mid-Eocene as proved by the contemporaneous lower age limit of ophiolite-derived cover sediment as against the accreted ophiolites and olistostromal trench sediment. During the late Oligocene terminal collision between the Indian and Sino-Burmese blocks, basement slivers from the Sino-Burmese block, accreted ophiolites and trench sediments from the subduction zone were thrust westward as nappe and emplaced over the down-going Indian plate. The geometry of the ophiolites and the presence of a narrow negative gravity anomaly flanking their map extent, run counter to the conventional view that the Naga-Andaman belt marks the location of the suture. The root-zone of the ophiolite nappe representing the suture is marked by a partially-exposed eastern ophiolite belt of the same age and gravity-high zone, passing through central Burma-Sumatra-Java. The ophiolites of the Andaman and Naga Hills are also conventionally linked with the subduction activity, west of Andaman islands. This activity began only in late Miocene, much later than onland emplacement of the ophiolites; it further developed west of the suture in its southern part. Post-collisional northward movement of the Indian plate subparallel to the suture, also developed leaky dextral transcurrent faults close to the suture and caused Neogene-Quatemary volcanism in central Burma and elsewhere.

Geochemistry of pillow lavas and sheeted dikes from Nain and Ashin ophiolites (Central Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saccani, Emilio; Pirnia Naeini, Tahmineh; Torabi, Ghodrat

2017-04-01

An extensive, worldwide database on the geochemistry of basalts from well-known tectonic settings is available. Knowing the chemistry of basalts on one hand, and the tectonic setting of their origin on the other hand, resulted in the development of tectonic discrimination diagrams. Recently developed discrimination diagrams allow us to determine the tectonic setting of volcanics with almost neglectable probability of misclassification (<1%). One major application of these diagrams lies in discriminating the tectonic setting of formation of ophiolites, particularly in poorly-known areas. A good example is the Inner ophiolite belt of Iran, located in Central Iran. The geodynamic significance of the inner ophiolites is still poorly known. From the Inner ophiolites, either no volcanic section is reported, or, the data are highly limited and poorly-reliable due the high degree of alteration of the studied samples. We have been able to overcome this problem by spotting relatively well-preserved outcrops of pillow lavas and sheeted dikes from two ophiolite mélanges of Central Iran, Nain and Ashin ophiolites. The two mélanges are located in the west of Central-East Iranian microplate. In total, 28 samples have been collected from the pillow lavas and sheeted dikes outcrops. The studied volcanic rocks consist mainly of basalts and minor ferrobasalts and basaltic andesites, all showing a clear subalkaline nature (e.g., Nb/Y = 0.03-0.21). Two samples from the Nain ophiolite are characterized by N-MORB normalized incompatible element patterns showing marked Th positive anomalies and Ta, Nb, Ti negative anomalies. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns show LREE/HREE (light REE/heavy REE) enrichment, with LaN/YbN=3.2-4.3. These rocks are chemically similar to the calc-alkaline basalts (CAB), as also highlighted by many discrimination diagrams. These rocks are interpreted to have generated in a cordilleran-type volcanic arc setting. All other samples from both the Nain and Ashin ophiolites display a wide range of chemical composition. However, the relatively less fractionated basalts are characterized by low TiO2 (0.60-1 wt%), P2O5 (0.03-0.08 wt%), Zr (23-75 ppm) and Y (9-27) contents. Cr (38-619 ppm) and Ni (22-220 ppm) contents show a wide range of variation. N-MORB normalized incompatible element patterns show rather flat trends and a general depletion (from 0.4 to 0.8 times N-MORB composition) coupled with a slight Th enrichment (1-3 times N-MORB). Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are generally flat and are characterized by either a slight depletion or a slight enrichment in LREE compared to HREE (LaN/YbN=0.7-1.2). These overall chemical features resemble those of island arc tholeiites from many ophiolitic complexes. The depletion in incompatible elements compared to N-MORB suggest that these rocks were derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle source. Th enrichment with respect to Nb (ThN/NbN = 2.6-12.4) suggests that mantle sources underwent enrichment in subduction-derived chemical components prior melting. Our data suggest that the Nain and Ashin ophiolites were formed in a subduction-related tectonic setting during the Late Cretaceous. The chemistry of the studied rocks is compatible with transition zone either from forearc to arc or from arc to backarc.

Temperatures and cooling rates recorded in REE in coexisting pyroxenes in ophiolitic and abyssal peridotites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dygert, Nick; Liang, Yan

2015-06-01

Mantle peridotites from ophiolites are commonly interpreted as having mid-ocean ridge (MOR) or supra-subduction zone (SSZ) affinity. Recently, an REE-in-two-pyroxene thermometer was developed (Liang et al., 2013) that has higher closure temperatures (designated as TREE) than major element based two-pyroxene thermometers for mafic and ultramafic rocks that experienced cooling. The REE-in-two-pyroxene thermometer has the potential to extract meaningful cooling rates from ophiolitic peridotites and thus shed new light on the thermal history of the different tectonic regimes. We calculated TREE for available literature data from abyssal peridotites, subcontinental (SC) peridotites, and ophiolites around the world (Alps, Coast Range, Corsica, New Caledonia, Oman, Othris, Puerto Rico, Russia, and Turkey), and augmented the data with new measurements for peridotites from the Trinity and Josephine ophiolites and the Mariana trench. TREE are compared to major element based thermometers, including the two-pyroxene thermometer of Brey and Köhler (1990) (TBKN). Samples with SC affinity have TREE and TBKN in good agreement. Samples with MOR and SSZ affinity have near-solidus TREE but TBKN hundreds of degrees lower. Closure temperatures for REE and Fe-Mg in pyroxenes were calculated to compare cooling rates among abyssal peridotites, MOR ophiolites, and SSZ ophiolites. Abyssal peridotites appear to cool more rapidly than peridotites from most ophiolites. On average, SSZ ophiolites have lower closure temperatures than abyssal peridotites and many ophiolites with MOR affinity. We propose that these lower temperatures can be attributed to the residence time in the cooling oceanic lithosphere prior to obduction. MOR ophiolites define a continuum spanning cooling rates from SSZ ophiolites to abyssal peridotites. Consistent high closure temperatures for abyssal peridotites and the Oman and Corsica ophiolites suggests hydrothermal circulation and/or rapid cooling events (e.g., normal faulting, unroofing) control the late thermal histories of peridotites from transform faults and slow and fast spreading centers with or without a crustal section.

Evidence for spreading in the lower Kam Group of the Yellowknife greenstone belt: Implications for Archaean basin evolution in the Slave Province

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helmstaedt, H.; Padgham, W. A.

1986-01-01

The Yellowknife greenstone belt is the western margin of an Archean turbidite-filled basin bordered on the east by the Cameron River and Beaulieu River volcanic belts (Henderson, 1981; Lambert, 1982). This model implies that rifting was entirely ensialic and did not proceed beyond the graben stage. Volcanism is assumed to have been restricted to the boundary faults, and the basin was floored by a downfaulted granitic basement. On the other hand, the enormous thickness of submarine volcanic rocks and the presence of a spreading complex at the base of the Kam Group suggest that volcanic rocks were much more widespread than indicated by their present distribution. Rather than resembling volcanic sequences in intracratonic graben structures, the Kam Group and its tectonic setting within the Yellowknife greenstone belt have greater affinities to the Rocas Verdes of southern Chile, Mesozoic ophiolites, that were formed in an arc-related marginal basin setting. The similarities of these ophiolites with some Archean volcanic sequences was previously recognized, and served as basis for their marginal-basin model of greenstone belts. The discovery of a multiple and sheeted dike complex in the Kam Group confirms that features typical of Phanerozoic ophiolites are indeed preserved in some greenstone belts and provides further field evidence in support of such a model.

Origin of primary PGM assemblage in сhromitite from a mantle tectonite at Harold's Grave (Shetland Ophiolite Complex, Scotland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badanina, Inna Yu.; Malitch, Kreshimir N.; Lord, Richard A.; Meisel, Thomas C.

2013-12-01

In this paper we present textural and mineral chemistry data for a PGM inclusion assemblage and whole-rock platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations of chromitite from Harold's Grave, which occurrs in a dunite pod in a mantle tectonite at Unst in the Shetland Ophiolite Complex (SOC), Scotland. The study utilized a number of analytical techniques, including acid digestion and isotope dilution (ID) ICP-MS, hydroseparation and electron microprobe analysis. The chromitite contains a pronounced enrichment of refractory PGE (IPGE: Os, Ir and Ru) over less refractory PGE (PPGE: Rh, Pt and Pd), typical of mantle hosted `ophiolitic' chromitites. A `primary' magmatic PGM assemblage is represented by euhedrally shaped (up to 60 μm in size) single and composite inclusions in chromite. Polyphase PGM grains are dominated by laurite and osmian iridium, with subordinate laurite + osmian iridium + iridian osmium and rare laurite + Ir-Rh alloy + Rh-rich sulphide (possibly prassoite). The compositional variability of associated laurite and Os-rich alloys at Harold's Grave fit the predicted compositions of experiment W-1200-0.37 of Andrews and Brenan (Can Mineral 40: 1705-1716, 2002) providing unequivocal information on conditions of their genesis, with the upper thermal stability of laurite in equilibrium with Os-rich alloys estimated at 1200-1250 °C and f(S2) of 10-0.39-10-0.07.

Metabolic and Physiological Characteristics of Novel Cultivars from Serpentinite Seep Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, B.; Chowdhury, S.; Brazelton, W. J.; Schrenk, M. O.

2011-12-01

Subsurface waters associated with the alteration of ultramafic rocks become highly reducing and alkaline through a process known as serpentinization. As habitat, these fluids are in many ways metabolically constraining but can provide sufficient energy for chemolithotrophy. As part of an ongoing effort to characterize these communities, heterotrophic enrichment cultures and anaerobic microcosms were initiated with alkaline waters found at three geographically and geochemically distinct sites of active serpentinization. These include the Northern Apennine ophiolite in the Ligurian region of Italy, the Tablelands ophiolite at Gros Morne National Park, Canada and the Coast Range ophiolite at McLaughlin Natural Reserve, California. Enrichment cultures at pH 11 yielded numerous isolates related to Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, some of which are closely related to other cultivars from high pH and subsurface environments. Anaerobic water samples were amended with combinations of electron donors (hydrogen, complex organics, acetate) and acceptors (ferric iron, sulfate) in a block design. After several weeks of incubation, DNA was extracted from cell concentrations and community differences were compared by TRFLP. Of particular interest is the isolation of a putative iron reducing Firmicute from samples enriched with complex organic compounds and ferric citrate. Ongoing studies are aimed at characterizing the physiology of these isolates. These data provide important insights into the metabolic potential of serpentinite subsurface ecosystems, and are a complement to culture-independent genomic analyses.

The Poetic Conventions of Tina Sambal. Special Monograph Issue, Number 27.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goschnick, Hella Eleonore

this study, an analysis of poetry in Tina Sambal, a Philippine language spoken by about 70,000 persons in northern Zambales province, looks at the characteristics of the different poetic genres and poetic conventions followed in writing songs and poems. Primary emphasis is on phonological restrictions, grammatical liberties, and semantic…

Compositionally heterogeneous podiform chromitite in the Shetland Ophiolite Complex (Scotland): Implications for chromitite petrogenesis and late-stage alteration in the upper mantle portion of a supra-subduction zone ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derbyshire, E. J.; O'Driscoll, B.; Lenaz, D.; Gertisser, R.; Kronz, A.

2013-03-01

The mantle sequence of the ~ 492 Ma Shetland Ophiolite Complex (SOC; Scotland) contains abundant compositionally heterogeneous podiform chromitite bodies enclosed in elongate dunite lenses in the vicinity of the petrological Moho. Chromitite petrogenesis and late-stage alteration events recorded in these seams are examined here using petrography, mineral chemistry and crystal structural data. The resistant nature of Cr-spinel to serpentinisation and other late-stage alteration means that primary igneous compositions are preserved in unaltered crystal cores. Chromitite mineralogy and texture from five sampled localities at The Viels, Hagdale, Harold's Grave, Nikka Vord and Cliff reveal significant inter-pod chemical heterogeneity. The Cr-spinel mineral chemistry is consistent with supra-subduction zone melt extraction from the SOC peridotites. The occurrence of chromitite seams in the centres of the dunite lenses combined with variable Cr-spinel compositions at different chromitite seam localities supports a model of chromitite formation from spatially (and temporally?) fluctuating amounts of melt-rock interaction through channelised and/or porous melt flow. Pervasive serpentinisation of the SOC has led to the almost complete replacement of the primary (mantle) silicate mineral assemblages with serpentine (lizardite with minor chrysotile and antigorite). Magmatic sulphide (e.g., pentlandite) in dunite and chromitite is locally converted to reduced Ni-sulphide varieties (e.g., heazlewoodite and millerite). A post-serpentinisation (prograde) oxidisation event is recorded in the extensively altered Cliff chromitite seams in the west of the studied area, where chromitite Cr-spinel is extensively altered to ferritchromit. The ferritchromit may comprise > 50% of the volume of the Cliff Cr-spinels and contain appreciable quantities of 1-2 μm inclusions of sperrylite (PtAs2) and Ni-arsenide, signifying the coeval formation of these minerals with ferritchromit at temperatures of up to ~ 500 °C. The SOC chromitite Cr-spinels thus not only preserve key insights into the complex melting processes occurring in the upper mantle wedge but can also be utilised to construct a comprehensive alteration history of the lower mantle portions of such supra-subduction zone ophiolites.

Basement diapirism associated with the emplacement of major ophiolite nappes: Some constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews-Speed, C. P.; Johns, C. C.

1985-09-01

The association of basement uplifts with major ophiolite nappes in some Phanerozoic orogenic belts suggests that gravitational instability results in the local diapiric uplift of the basement following ophiolite emplacement. In previous analyses of diapirism in crustal silicate rocks, viscous behaviour of rocks has been assumed. It is argued that this assumption is not valid. An alternative analysis is offered to determine whether or not the stress would be sufficient for diapirism to occur. The negative buoyancy stress resulting from the emplacement of an ophiolite nappe 5-15 km thick onto continental basement may be in the range 10-50 MPa. If the horizontal deviatoric stress is zero, this will be the maximum principal compressive stress. After ophiolite emplacement the thermal profile through the ophiolite and the basement will relax from a saw-tooth form to an equilibrium profile. If the ophiolite is young and thick there will be a zone of ductile strain in the lower part of the ophiolite and in the upper part of the continental basement. Results from steady-state creep experiments suggest that temperatures in this zone may be high enough for a short time after ophiolite emplacement (3 Ma or more) for the rocks in this zone to deform at geologically significant strain rates (10 -14 or greater) in response to the negative buoyancy stress. A thin ophiolite or rapid erosion will result in this ductile zone being absent or too short-lived for significant strain. Aquaeous fluids may reduce the strength of brittle rocks by decreasing the effective normal stress or by encouraging pressure solution creep. Evidence suggests that the deviatoric stress across presently active faults may be as low at 10 MPa. Thus diapirism in response to ophiolite emplacement may occur through brittle strain. Gravity spreading within the ophiolite is an alternative mechanism for accommodating the gravitational instability. The critical evidence lies in the field.

Beginning the Modern Regime of Subduction Tectonics in Neoproterozoic time: Inferences from Ophiolites of the Arabian-Nubian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, R.

2003-04-01

It is now clear that the motive force for plate tectonics is provided by the sinking of dense lithosphere in subduction zones. Correspondingly, the modern tectonic regime is more aptly called ``subduction tectonics" than plate tectonics, which only describes the way Earth's thermal boundary layer adjusts to subduction. The absence of subduction tectonics on Mars and Venus implies that special circumstances are required for subduction to occur on a silicate planet. This begs the question: When did Earth's oceanic lithosphere cool sufficiently for subduction to began? This must be inferred from indirect lines of evidence; the focus here is on the temporal distribution of ophiolites. Well-preserved ophiolites with ``supra-subduction zone" (SSZ) affinities are increasingly regarded as forming when subduction initiates as a result of lithospheric collapse (± a nudge to get it started), and the formation of ophiolitic lithosphere in evolving forearcs favors their emplacement and preservation. The question now is what percentage of ophiolites with ``supra-subduction zone" (SSZ) chemical signatures formed in forearcs during subduction initiation events? Most of the large, well-preserved ophiolites (e.g., Oman, Cyprus, California, Newfoundland) may have this origin. If so, the distribution in space and time of such ophiolites can be used to identify ``subduction initiation" events, which are important events in the evolution of plate tectonics. Such events first occurred at the end of the Archean (˜2.5Ga) and again in the Paleoproterozoic (˜1.8 Ga), but ophiolites become uncommon after this. Well-preserved ophiolites become abundant in Neoproterozoic time, at about 800±50 Ma. Ophiolites of this age are common and well-preserved in the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS) of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Saudi Arabia. ANS ophiolites mostly contain spinels with high Cr#, indicating SSZ affinities. Limited trace element data on pillowed lavas supports this interpretation. Boninites are unusual melts of harzburgite that result from asthenospheric upwelling interactng with slab-derived water. This environment is only common during subduction initiation events. Boninites associated with ophiolites have been reported from Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea, but most of the geochemical studies of ANS ophiolitic basalts are based on studies that are a decade or more old. The abundance of ANS ophiolites implies an episode of subduction initiation occurred in Neoproterozoic time.

Crustal Accretion at Subduction Initiation Along Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc and the Link to SSZ Ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishizuka, O.; Tani, K.; Reagan, M. K.; Kanayama, K.; Umino, S.; Harigane, Y.; Sakamoto, I.

2014-12-01

The Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) forearc preserves the earliest arc magmatic history from subduction initiation to the establishment of the arc. Recent investigations have established a bottom to top igneous stratigraphy of: 1) mantle peridotite, 2) gabbroic rocks, 3) a sheeted dyke complex, 4) basaltic pillow lavas (forearc basalts: FAB), 5) boninites and magnesian andesites, 6) tholeiites and calcalkaline arc lavas. This stratigraphy has many similarities to supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites. One of the most important common characteristics between the SSZ ophiolites and the forearc crust is the occurrence of MORB-like basaltic lavas underlying or accompanying boninites and early arc volcanic suites. A key observation from the IBM forearc is that FAB differs from nearby back-arc lavas in chemical characteristics, including a depletion in moderately incompatible elements. This indicates that FAB is not a pre-existing oceanic basement of the arc, but the first magmatic product after subduction initiation. Sheeted dikes of FAB composition imply that this magmatism was associated with seafloor spreading, possibly triggered by onset of slab sinking. Recognition of lavas with transitional geochemical characteristics between the FAB and the boninites strongly implies genetic linkage between these two magma types. The close similarity of the igneous stratigraphy of SSZ ophiolites to the IBM forearc section strongly implies a common magmatic evolutionary path, i.e., decompressional melting of a depleted MORB-type mantle is followed by melting of an even more depleted mantle with the addition of slab-derived fluid/melt to produce boninite magma. Similarity of magmatic process between IBM forearc and Tethyan ophiolites appears to be reflected on common characteristics of upper mantle section. Peridotite from both sections show more depleted characteristics compared to upper mantle rocks from mid-ocean ridges. Age determinations reveal that first magmatism at the IBM arc occurred at c. 52 Ma, and transition from forearc basalt to normal arc magmatism took 7-8 million years. Combined with the age information from SSZ-ophiolites, significant constraints on time scale of subduction initiation and associated crustal accretion might be obtained.

Slab and Sediment Melting during Subduction Initiation: Mantle Plagiogranites from the Oman Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rollinson, H. R.

2014-12-01

Granitoid dykes up to several hundred metres wide and 2 km long are found in depleted harzburgites in the mantle section of the Oman ophiolite. They vary in composition from tonalite to potassic granite and are generally more potassic than the crustal plagiogranites found within the sheeted dyke complex higher up within the ophiolite stratigraphy. Some granites are strongly peraluminous and contain garnet and andalusite. They are geochemically variable, some with REE that are relatively unfractionated ((La/Yb)n= 3.5-6.0, flat middle to heavy REE, steep light REE) to those which are highly fractionated ((La/Yb)n= 28-220). On primitive-mantle normalised plots some have very high concentrations of fluid-mobile elements - Cs, Rb, Th, U and Pb. Few have significant Ta-Nb anomalies. On the Ca-Fe-Mg-Ti discrimination diagram of Patino Douce (J. Petrol., 1999) whole-rock compositions define a spectrum between felsic-pelite derived melts and amphibolite-derived melts. There is a chemical similarity between the least REE fractionated plagiogranites (generally tonalites and granodiorites) and melts of an amphibolitic parent. This is supported by the occurrence of mafic xenoliths in some dykes, the presence of hornblende and highly calcic cores (up to An85) in some plagioclase grains. Trace element modelling using Oman Geotimes lavas as the starting composition indicates that melting took place in the garnet stability field, although enrichment in the melt in Cs, Rb, Ba and Pb suggests that there was another component present in addition to the mafic parent. Other plagiogranites (trondhjemites and granites) have a strongly peraluminous chemistry and mineralogy and geochemical similarities with the Himalayan leucogranites implying that they were derived from a sedimentary protolith. These mantle plagiogranites are more prevalent in the northern outcrops of the ophiolite. The volume of granitoid melt and the depth of melting preclude their derivation from the sole of the ophiolite, rather they were derived during subduction by the partial melting of the slab and associated sediment and emplaced into the overlying mantle wedge. Current subduction-initiation models for supra-subduction ophiolites should integrate this process into their thinking.

Equivalent radiolarian ages from ophiolitic terranes of Cyprus and Oman

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blome, Charles D.; Irwin, William P.

1985-01-01

Radiolarian biostratigraphy shows that umberiferous strata overlying the Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus are Turonian in age and are thus essentially contemporaneous with similar strata that overlie the Samail ophiolite in Oman. However, this radiolarian age is markedly older than Campanian isotopic ages measured on the underlying rocks of the Troodos ophiolite. The revised age for the umbers indicates that the Troodos lavas were formed no later than Turonian time. The presence of overlying autochthonous Maastrichtian chalks restricts the emplacement of the Troodos ophiolite to the Late Cretaceous (Santonian to early Maastrichtian).

Length-scales of chemical and isotopic heterogeneity in the mantle section of the Shetland Ophiolite Complex, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Driscoll, B.; Walker, R. J.; Clay, P. L.; Day, J. M. D.; Ash, R. D.; Daly, J. S.

2018-04-01

Kilometre to sub-metre scale heterogeneities have been inferred in the oceanic mantle based on sampling of both ophiolites and abyssal peridotites. The ∼492 Ma Shetland Ophiolite Complex (SOC) contains a well-preserved mantle section that is dominated by harzburgite (∼70 vol.%) previously reported to have variable major and trace element compositions, yet dominantly chondritic initial 187Os/188Os compositions. To assess the preservation of compositional heterogeneities at sub-metre length-scales in the oceanic mantle, a ∼45 m2 area of the SOC mantle section was mapped and sampled in detail. Harzburgites, dunites and a pyroxenite from this area were analysed for lithophile and highly-siderophile element (HSE) abundances, as well as for 187Os/188Os ratios. Lithophile element data for most rocks are characteristic of supra-subduction zone (SSZ) metasomatic processes. Two dunites have moderately fractionated HSE patterns and suprachondritic γOs(492 Ma) values (+5.1 and +7.5) that are also typical of ophiolitic dunites generated by SSZ melt-rock interactions. By contrast, six harzburgites and four dunites have approximately chondritic-relative abundances of Os, Ir and Ru, and γOs(492 Ma) values ranging only from -0.6 to +2.7; characteristics that imply no significant influence during SSZ processes. Two harzburgites are also characterised by significantly less radiogenic γOs(492 Ma) values (-3.5 and -4), and yield Mesoproterozoic time of Re depletion (TRD) model ages. The range of Os isotope compositions in the studied area is comparable to the range reported for a suite of samples representative of the entire SOC mantle section, and approaches the total isotopic variation of the oceanic mantle, as observed in abyssal peridotites. Mechanisms by which this heterogeneity can be formed and preserved involve inefficient and temporally distinct melt extraction events and strong localised channelling of these melts.

Radiolarian biostratigraphic data from the Casiguran Ophiolite, Northern Sierra Madre, Luzon, Philippines: Stratigraphic and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Queano, Karlo L.; Marquez, Edanjarlo J.; Aitchison, Jonathan C.; Ali, Jason R.

2013-03-01

Results from the first detailed radiolarian biostratigraphic study conducted in Luzon are reported. The data were obtained from cherts associated with the Casiguran Ophiolite, a dismembered ophiolite mass consisting of serpentinized peridotites, gabbros, dolerite dikes and pillow basalts exposed along the eastern coast of the Northern Sierra Madre, Luzon, Philippines. Cherts and limestone interbeds conformably overlie the ophiolite. The radiolarian assemblages from the cherts constrain the stratigraphic range of the cherts to the Lower Cretaceous (upper Barremian-lower Aptian to Albian). This new biostratigraphic result is in contrast with the Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic range previously reported in the region. Radiolarian biostratigraphic results from the Casiguran Ophiolite provide additional evidence for the existence of Mesozoic oceanic substratum upon which Luzon and neighboring regions within the Philippine archipelago were likely built. Interestingly, the result closely resembles those reported for the ophiolite in southeastern Luzon as well as the oceanic crust of the Huatung Basin situated east of Taiwan and the ophiolites in eastern Indonesia. In light of this, along with previously gathered geochemical data from the ophiolites, a common provenance is being looked into for these crust-upper mantle sequences in the western Pacific region.

Modélisation magnétique de la suture ophiolitique de Bou Azzer El Graara (Anti-Atlas central, Maroc). Implications sur la reconstitution géodynamique panafricaine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soulaimani, Abderrahmane; Jaffal, Mohammed; Maacha, Lhou; Kchikach, Azzouz; Najine, Abdessamad; Saidi, Abdellatif

2006-02-01

Aeromagnetic data of the Anti-Atlas Mountains show an important magnetic anomaly along the 'Major Anti-Atlas Fault', produced by different mafic and ultramafic rocks of a Neoproterozoic ophiolite complex. The magnetic modelling of Bou Azzer-El Graara ophiolitic suture shows a deep-seated anomaly through the upper continental crust corresponding to a north-dipping subduction. The polarity of the Pan-African subduction in the Anti-Atlas is therefore compatible with the contemporaneous Pan-African orogenic belts, where polarity of subduction dipped away from the West African Craton during the amalgamation of Western Gondwana. To cite this article: A. Soulaimani et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).

Mineral compositions of plutonic rocks from the Lewis Hills massif, Bay of Islands ophiolite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Susan E.; Elthon, Don

1988-01-01

Mineral compositions of residual and cumulate rocks from the Lewis Hills massif of the Bay of Islands ophiolite complex are reported and interpreted in the context of magnetic processes involved in the geochemical evolution of spatially associated diabase dikes. The mineral compositions reflect greater degrees of partial melting than most abyssal peridotites do and appear to represent the most depleted end of abyssal peridotite compositions. Subsolidus equilibration between Cr-Al spinal and olivine generally has occurred at temperatures of 700 to 900 C. The spinel variations agree with the overall fractionation of basaltic magmas producing spinels with progressively lower Cr numbers. The compositions of clinopyroxenes suggest that the fractionation of two different magma series produced the various cumulate rocks.

Synchronous formation of the metamorphic sole and igneous crust of the Semail ophiolite: New constraints on the tectonic evolution during ophiolite formation from high-precision U-Pb zircon geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rioux, Matthew; Garber, Joshua; Bauer, Ann; Bowring, Samuel; Searle, Michael; Kelemen, Peter; Hacker, Bradley

2016-10-01

The Semail (Oman-United Arab Emirates) and other Tethyan-type ophiolites are underlain by a sole consisting of greenschist- to granulite-facies metamorphic rocks. As preserved remnants of the underthrust plate, sole exposures can be used to better understand the formation and obduction of ophiolites. Early models envisioned that the metamorphic sole of the Semail ophiolite formed as a result of thrusting of the hot ophiolite lithosphere over adjacent oceanic crust during initial emplacement; however, calculated pressures from granulite-facies mineral assemblages in the sole suggest the metamorphic rocks formed at >35 km depth, and are too high to be explained by the currently preserved thickness of ophiolite crust and mantle (up to 15-20 km). We have used high-precision U-Pb zircon dating to study the formation and evolution of the metamorphic sole at two well-studied localities. Our previous research and new results show that the ophiolite crust formed from 96.12-95.50 Ma. Our new dates from the Sumeini and Wadi Tayin sole localities indicate peak metamorphism at 96.16 and 94.82 Ma (±0.022 to 0.035 Ma), respectively. The dates from the Sumeini sole locality show for the first time that the metamorphic rocks formed either prior to or during formation of the ophiolite crust, and were later juxtaposed with the base of the ophiolite. These data, combined with existing geochemical constraints, are best explained by formation of the ophiolite in a supra-subduction zone setting, with metamorphism of the sole rocks occurring in a subducted slab. The 1.3 Ma difference between the Wadi Tayin and Sumeini dates indicates that, in contrast to current models, the highest-grade rocks at different sole localities underwent metamorphism, and may have returned up the subduction channel, at different times.

Arc/Forearc Lengthening at Plate Triple Junctions and the Formation of Ophiolitic Soles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casey, John; Dewey, John

2013-04-01

The principal enigma of large obducted ophiolite slabs is that they clearly must have been generated by some form of organized sea-floor spreading/plate-accretion, such as may be envisioned for the oceanic ridges, yet the volcanics commonly have arc affinity (Miyashiro) with boninites (high-temperature/low-pressure, high Mg and Si andesites), which are suggestive of a forearc origin. PT conditions under which boninites and metamorphic soles form and observations of modern forearc systems lead us to the conclusion that ophiolite formation is associated with overidding plate spreading centers that intersect the trench to form ridge-trench-trench of ridge-trench-tranform triple junctions. The spreading centers extend and lengthen the forearc parallel to the trench and by definition are in supra-subduction zone (SSZ) settings. Many ophiolites likewise have complexly-deformed associated mafic-ultramafic assemblages that suggest fracture zone/transform t along their frontal edges, which in turn has led to models involving the nucleation of subduction zones on fracture zones or transpressional transforms. Hitherto, arc-related sea-floor-spreading has been considered to be either pre-arc (fore-arc boninites) or post-arc (classic Karig-style back arc basins that trench-parallell split arcs). Syn-arc boninites and forearc oceanic spreading centers that involve a stable ridge/trench/trench triple or a ridge-trench-transform triple junction, the ridge being between the two upper plates, are consistent with large slab ophiolite formation in a readied obduction settting. The direction of subduction must be oblique with a different sense in the two subduction zones and the oblique subduction cannot be partitioned into trench orthogonal and parallel strike-slip components. As the ridge spreads, new oceanic lithosphere is created within the forearc, the arc and fore-arc lengthen significantly, and a syn-arc ophiolite forearc complex is generated by this mechanism. The ophiolite ages along arc-strike; a distinctive diachronous MORB-like to boninitic to arc volcanic stratigraphy develops vertically in the forearc and eruption centers progressively migrate from the forearc back to the main arc massif with time. Dikes in the ophiolite are highly oblique to the trench (as are back-arc magnetic anomalies. Boninites and high-mg andesites are generated in the fore-arc under the aqueous, low pressure/high temperature, regime at the ridge above the instantaneously developed subducting and dehydrating slab. Subducted slab refrigeration of the hanging wall ensues and accretion of MORB metabasites to the hanging wall of the subduction channel initiates. Mafic protolith garnet/two pyroxene granulites to greenschists accrete and form the inverted P and T metamorphic sole prior to obduction. Sole accretion of lithosphere begins at about 1000°C and the full retrogressive sole may be fully formed within ten to fifteen million years of accretion, at which time low grade subduction melanges accrete. Obduction of the SSZ forearc ophiolite with its subjacent metamorphic sole occurs whenever the oceanic arc attempts subduction of a stable buoyant continental or back arc margin.

Tracking Ophiolite Gabbro from Origin To Dispersal: A Record of Tectonic and Surface Processes in Central Anatolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitney, D.; Radwany, M.; Brocard, G. Y.; Umhoefer, P. J.

2016-12-01

Anatolia is festooned with ophiolitic rocks derived from Tethyan seaways; they mark sutures between Eurasia, Gondwana/Arabia, and continental ribbons and island arcs. Ophiolites are also dispersed between sutures, indicating tectonic transport of possibly 100s of kms. In Central Anatolia, isolated fragments of a Late-K ophiolite (Central Anatolian Ophiolite, CAO) have been assigned to northern (Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan) or southern (Inner-Tauride) sutures, with implications for the magnitude and direction of transport and relation of ophiolite obduction to regional metamorphism. Ophiolitic clasts (primarily gabbro) are widespread in sedimentary basins and alluvial terraces, suggesting that one or several erosional events almost completely removed a formerly extensive ophiolitic nappe. We have obtained petrologic and geochemical data from gabbro outcrops, gabbro clasts in conglomerates and gabbro cobbles on alluvial terraces near the Niĝde metamorphic dome to locate the paleosources and reconstruct ophiolite emplacement, erosion, and dispersal. Our new data show that gabbro currently cropping out at the northern margin of the Niĝde dome is geochemically similar to the CAO: Niĝde and CAO gabbro both have Ti/V <10 and depleted HFSE, typical of boninitic (forearc) magma, although Niĝde gabbro was metamorphosed at mid/upper amphibolite facies and the rest of the CAO at (sub)greenschist facies conditions. Whole-rock trace element data for gabbro clasts indicate that early-middle Miocene sediments were at least partly derived from Tauride ophiolites, whereas later Mio/Pliocene sediments - even those south of the topographic high of the Niĝde dome - were sourced entirely from the CAO to the north. These results show that the Miocene rise of the Central Anatolian plateau drove reorganization of sediment dispersal and topographic disconnection of Miocene depocenters from their CAO sources.

Making a report of a short trip in an ophiolitic complex with Google Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubret, Marianne

2017-04-01

Plate tectonics is taught in French secondary school (lower and upper-sixth). According to the curriculum, the comprehension of plate-tectonic processes and concepts should be based on field data. For example, the Alpine's ocean history is studied to understand how mountain ranges are formed. In this context, Corsica is a great open-air laboratory, but unfortunately, the traffic conditions are very difficult in the island and despite the short distances, it's almost impossible for teachers to take their students to the remarkable geologic spots. The «défilé de l'Inzecca» is one of them: there you can see a part of the alpine's ophiolitic complex. The aim of this activity is to elaborate a « KMZ folder » in Google Earth as a report of a short trip thanks to the students' data field; it is also the occasion to enrich the Google Earth KMZ folder already available for our teaching.

Indo-Burma Range: a belt of accreted microcontinents, ophiolites and Mesozoic-Paleogene flyschoid sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acharyya, S. K.

2015-07-01

This study provides an insight into the lithotectonic evolution of the N-S trending Indo-Burma Range (IBR), constituting the southern flank of the Himalayan syntaxis. Paleogene flyschoid sediments (Disang-Barail) that represent a shallow marine to deltaic environment mainly comprise the west-central sector of IBR, possibly resting upon a continental base. On the east, these sequences are tectonically flanked by the Eocene olistostromal facies of the Disang, which developed through accretion of trench sediments during the subduction. The shelf and trench facies sequences of the Disang underwent overthrusting from the east, giving rise to two ophiolite suites ( Naga Hills Lower Ophiolite ( NHLO) and Victoria Hills Upper Ophiolite ( VHUO), but with different accretion history. The ophiolite and ophiolite cover rock package were subsequently overthrusted by the Proterozoic metamorphic sequence, originated from the Burmese continent. The NHLO suite of Late Jurassic to Early Eocene age is unconformably overlain by mid-Eocene shallow marine ophiolite-derived clastics. On the south, the VHUO of Mesozoic age is structurally underlain by continental metamorphic rocks. The entire package in Victoria Hills is unconformably overlain by shallow marine Late Albian sediments. Both the ophiolite suites and the sandwiched continental metamorphic rocks are thrust westward over the Paleogene shelf sediments. These dismembered ophiolites and continental metamorphic rocks suggest thin-skinned tectonic detachment processes in IBR, as reflected from the presence of klippe of continental metamorphic rocks over the NHLO and the flyschoid Disang floor sediments and half windows exposing the Disang beneath the NHLO.

Diversity of ophiolites and obduction processes: examples from Eastern Tethyan regions and New Caledonia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitechurch, Hubert; Agard, Philippe; Ulrich, Marc

2015-04-01

Diversity of ophiolites and obduction processes: examples from Eastern Tethyan regions and New Caledonia. Whitechurch H.(1) Agard P.(2), Ulrich M.(1) (1) EOST - University of Strasbourg (France) (2) ISTeP - University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris (France) Ophiolites are considered as pieces of oceanic lithosphere that escaped subduction to be obducted on continental margins. After the Penrose Conference in 1972, they have all been regarded as issued from mid-ocean ridges of large oceans. Subsequently, most of ophiolites have been considered as generated in supra-subduction zone (SSZ) environment, mainly on the basis of geochemical arguments. However, this characterization encompasses very different geological situations, somewhat in contradiction with a univocal geochemical interpretation, both in terms of where ophiolite formed (i.e., ocean-continent transition zones, ocean ridges, marginal basins) and were obducted (contrasting nature of the margins). Examples from eastern Mesozoic Tethyan ophiolites (Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Oman) and tertiary New Caledonia ophiolites all show this diversity, both in their internal structures and geological setting of obduction. Several questions will be addressed in this debate: the relationships and paradoxes between the nature of ophiolites, their geodynamic environment of formation, their geochemistry, their modality of obduction and ultimately the mountain range style where they are found.

Thematic mapper study of Alaskan ophiolites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bird, John M.

1988-01-01

The two principle objectives of the project Thematic Mapper Study of Alaskan Ophiolites were to further develop techniques for producing geologic maps, and to study the tectonics of the ophiolite terrains of the Brooks Range and Ruby Geanticline of northern Alaska. Ophiolites, sections of oceanic lithosphere emplaced along island arcs and continental margins, are important to the understanding of mountain belt evolution. Ophiolites also provide an opportunity to study the structural, lithologic, and geochemical characteristics of ocean lithosphere, yielding a better understanding of the processes forming lithosphere. The first part of the report is a description of the methods and results of the TM mapping and gravity modeling. The second part includes papers being prepared for publication. These papers are the following: (1) an analysis of basalt spectral variations; (2) a study of basalt geochemical variations; (3) an examination of the cooling history of the ophiolites using radiometric data; (4) an analysis of shortening produced by thrusting during the Brooks Range orogeny; and (5) a study of an ophiolite using digital aeromagnetic and topographic data. Additional papers are in preparation.

40Ar 39Ar Ages and tectonic setting of ophiolite from the Neyriz area, southeast Zagros Range, Iran

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanphere, M.A.; Pamic, J.

1983-01-01

An ophiolite, considered to be an allochthonous fragment of Tethyan oceanic crust and mantle, crops out near Neyriz in the Zagros Range, Iran. 40Ar 39Ar ages ranging from 76.8 ?? 23.8 Ma to 105 ?? 23.3 Ma were measured on hornblende from five samples of plagiogranite and diabase from the ophiolite. The most precise ages are 85.9 ?? 3.8 Ma for a diabase and 83.6 ?? 8.4 Ma for a plagiogranite. The weighted mean age of hornblende from the five samples is 87.5 ?? 7.2 Ma which indicates that the igneous part of the Neyriz ophiolite formed during the early part of the Late Cretaceous. Pargasite from amphibolite below peridotite of the Neyriz ophiolite has a 40Ar 39Ar age of 94.9 ?? 7.6 Ma. The pargasite age agrees within analytical uncertainty with the ages measured on diabase and plagiogranite. Comparable ages have been measured on igneous rocks from the Samail ophiolite of Oman and on amphibolite below peridotite of the Samail ophiolite. ?? 1983.

Early Archean serpentine mud volcanoes at Isua, Greenland, as a niche for early life.

PubMed

Pons, Marie-Laure; Quitté, Ghylaine; Fujii, Toshiyuki; Rosing, Minik T; Reynard, Bruno; Moynier, Frederic; Douchet, Chantal; Albarède, Francis

2011-10-25

The Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland, of Early Archean age (3.81-3.70 Ga) represents the oldest crustal segment on Earth. Its complex lithology comprises an ophiolite-like unit and volcanic rocks reminiscent of boninites, which tie Isua supracrustals to an island arc environment. We here present zinc (Zn) isotope compositions measured on serpentinites and other rocks from the Isua supracrustal sequence and on serpentinites from modern ophiolites, midocean ridges, and the Mariana forearc. In stark contrast to modern midocean ridge and ophiolite serpentinites, Zn in Isua and Mariana serpentinites is markedly depleted in heavy isotopes with respect to the igneous average. Based on recent results of Zn isotope fractionation between coexisting species in solution, the Isua serpentinites were permeated by carbonate-rich, high-pH hydrothermal solutions at medium temperature (100-300 °C). Zinc isotopes therefore stand out as a pH meter for fossil hydrothermal solutions. The geochemical features of the Isua fluids resemble the interstitial fluids sampled in the mud volcano serpentinites of the Mariana forearc. The reduced character and the high pH inferred for these fluids make Archean serpentine mud volcanoes a particularly favorable setting for the early stabilization of amino acids.

Major chemical characteristics of Mesozoic Coast Range ophiolite in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, E.H.; Blake, Jr., M.C.

1974-01-01

Sixty-four major element analyses of rocks representative of the Coast Range ophiolite in California were compared with analyses of other onland ophiolite sequences and those of rocks from oceanic ridges. The rocks can be classed in five groups harzburgite-dunite, clinopyroxenite-wehrlite, gabbro, basalt-spilite, and keratophyre-quartz keratophyre which on various diagrams occupy nonoverlapping fields. The harzburgite-dunite from onland ophiolite and ocean ridges are comparable and very low in alkalies. Possible differentiation trends defined on AFM diagrams by other rocks from onland ophiolites and ocean ridges suggest two lines of descent: (1) A trend much like the calc-alkalic trend, though shifted somewhat toward higher iron, and (2) an iron-enrichment trend defined chiefly by the more iron-rich gabbros and amphibolite. MgO-variation diagrams for rocks from the Coast Range ophiolite further distinguish the iron-rich gabbros and amphibolite from the other rock groups and indicate that the iron enrichment, unlike that of the Skaergaard trend, is related to the formation of amphibole. Ophiolite sequences that include the most silicic rock types, such as quartz keratophyre, also exhibit the most pronounced dual lines of descent, suggesting that the silicic rocks and the amphibole-rich gabbros are somehow related. Although the major element chemistry of the Coast Range ophiolite is clearly like that of rocks dredged from oceanic ridges, it is not sufficiently diagnostic to discriminate among the choices of a spreading ridge, an interarc basin, or perhaps even the root zone of an island arc as the site of ophiolite formation.

Precambrian ophiolites of Arabia; a summary of geologic settings, U-Pb geochronology, lead isotope characteristics, and implications for microplate accretion, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pallister, John S.; Stacey, J.S.; Fischer, L.B.; Premo, W.R.

1988-01-01

Feldspar lead-isotope data are of three types: 1) lead from the ophiolitic rocks and arc tonalites of the northwestern Arabian Shield and ophiolitic rocks of the Nabitah suture zone is similar to lead in present midocean ridge basalt, 2) anomalous radiogenic data from the Thurwah ophiolite are from rocks that contain zircons from pre-late Proterozoic continental crust, and 3) feldspar from the Urd ophiolite shows retarded uranogenic lead growth and is related either to an anomalous oceanic mantle source, or in an unknown manner to ancient continental mantle or lower crust of the eastern Arabian Shield.

Abyssal and hydrated mantle wedge serpentinised peridotites: a comparison of the 15°20'N fracture zone and New Caledonia serpentinites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mothersole, Fiona Elizabeth; Evans, Katy; Frost, B. Ronald

2017-08-01

Subduction of serpentinised mantle transfers oxidised and hydrated mantle lithosphere into the Earth, with consequences for the oxidation state of sub-arc mantle and the genesis of arc-related ore deposits. The role of subducted serpentinised mantle lithosphere in earth system processes is uncertain because subduction fluxes are poorly constrained. Most subducted serpentinised mantle is serpentinised on the ocean floor settings. Yet this material is poorly represented in the literature because it is difficult to access. Large volumes of accessible serpentinite are available in ophiolite complexes, and most interpretations of subduction fluxes associated with ultramafic rocks are based on ophiolite studies. Seafloor and ophiolite serpentinisation can occur under different conditions, so it is necessary to assess if ophiolite serpentinites are a good proxy for seafloor serpentinites. Serpentinites sampled during ODP cruise 209 were compared with serpentinites from New Caledonia. The ODP209 serpentinites were serpentinised by modified seawater in a shallow hydrothermal seafloor setting. The New Caledonia serpentinites were serpentinised in a mantle wedge setting by slab-derived fluids, with possible contributions from oceanic serpentinisation and post-obduction serpentinisation. Petrological, whole rock and mineralogical analyses were combined to compare the two sample sets. Petrologically, the evolution of serpentinisation was close to identical in the two environments. However, more oxidised iron, Cl, S and C is present in serpentine from the ODP209 serpentinites relative to the New Caledonia serpentinites. Given these observations, the use of serpentinites from different geodynamic settings as a proxy for abyssal serpentinites from spreading settings must be undertaken with caution.

Ophiolitic basement to the Great Valley forearc basin, California, from seismic and gravity data: Implications for crustal growth at the North American continental margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Godfrey, N.J.; Beaudoin, B.C.; Klemperer, S.L.; Levander, A.; Luetgert, J.; Meltzer, A.; Mooney, W.; Tréhu, A.

1997-01-01

The nature of the Great Valley basement, whether oceanic or continental, has long been a source of controversy. A velocity model (derived from a 200-km-long east-west reflection-refraction profile collected south of the Mendocino triple junction, northern California, in 1993), further constrained by density and magnetic models, reveals an ophiolite underlying the Great Valley (Great Valley ophiolite), which in turn is underlain by a westward extension of lower-density continental crust (Sierran affinity material). We used an integrated modeling philosophy, first modeling the seismic-refraction data to obtain a final velocity model, and then modeling the long-wavelength features of the gravity data to obtain a final density model that is constrained in the upper crust by our velocity model. The crustal section of Great Valley ophiolite is 7-8 km thick, and the Great Valley ophiolite relict oceanic Moho is at 11-16 km depth. The Great Valley ophiolite does not extend west beneath the Coast Ranges, but only as far as the western margin of the Great Valley, where the 5-7-km-thick Great Valley ophiolite mantle section dips west into the present-day mantle. There are 16-18 km of lower-density Sierran affinity material beneath the Great Valley ophiolite mantle section, such that a second, deeper, "present-day" continental Moho is at about 34 km depth. At mid-crustal depths, the boundary between the eastern extent of the Great Valley ophiolite and the western extent of Sierran affinity material is a near-vertical velocity and density discontinuity about 80 km east of the western margin of the Great Valley. Our model has important implications for crustal growth at the North American continental margin. We suggest that a thick ophiolite sequence was obducted onto continental material, probably during the Jurassic Nevadan orogeny, so that the Great Valley basement is oceanic crust above oceanic mantle vertically stacked above continental crust and continental mantle.

Using Zircon Geochronology to Unravel the History of the Naga Hills Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roeder, T.; Aitchison, J. C.; Clarke, G. L.; Ireland, T. R.; Ao, A.; Bhowmik, S. K.

2014-12-01

Outcrops of the Naga Hills Ophiolite (NHO), a possible eastern extension of the ophiolitic belt running along the India-Asia suture, in Northeast India include a full suite of ophiolitic rocks. The ophiolite has been dated Upper Jurassic based on radiolarian studies of the unit (Baxter et al., 2011) but details of its emplacement onto the Indian margin have not been the subject of detailed investigation. Conglomerates of the Phokphur Formation unconformably overlie an eroded surface on top of dismembered ophiolite fragments and include sediments sourced from both the ophiolite and the margin of the Indian subcontinent. Notably no Asian margin-derived detritus is recognised (similar to the Liuqu conglomerates of Tibet (Davis et al., 2002)). Thus, a detailed study of the Phokphur sediments can produce valuable details of the NHO history, including constraining the timing of ophiolite emplacement. Studies of detrital sandstone petrography confirm a recycled orogen provenance for the Phokphur Formation and thus serve as validation of the methods of Dickinson and Suczek (1979) and Garzanti et al. (2007). Detrital zircon data provides further insight as to the age of source rocks of Phokphur sediments and help to further constrain the timing of ophiolite emplacement. We present results of sedimentary and detrital zircon geochronology analyses of Phokphur sediments from outcrops near the villages of Salumi and Wazeho as a contribution to furthering research on aspects of the India-Asia collision. Baxter, A.T., et al. 2011. Upper Jurassic radiolarians from the Naga Ophiolite, Nagaland, northeast India. Gondwana Research, 20: 638-644. Davis, A.M., et al. 2002. Paleogene island arc collision-related conglomerates, Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet. Sedimentary Geology, 150: 247-273. Dickinson, W.R. and Suczek, C.A., 1979. Plate tectonics and sandstone compositions. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull., 63, 2164-2182, (1979). Garzanti, E., et al., 2007. Orogenic belts and orogenic sediment provenance. The Journal of Geology, 115: 315-334.

Hydrogen generation during serpentinisation in ophiolite complexes: A comparison of H2-rich gases from Oman, Philippines and Turkey.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaumont, Valérie; Vacquand, Christèle; Deville, Eric; Prinzhofer, Alain

2013-04-01

H2-rich gas seepages in ultrabasic to basic contexts both in marine and continental environment are by-products of serpentinisation. Hydrothermal systems at MOR expose ultrabasic rocks to thermodynamic conditions favouring oxidation of FeII bearing minerals and water reduction. In continental context such thermodynamic conditions do not exist although active serpentinisation occurs in all known ophiolitic complexes (Barnes et al., 1978; Bruni et al., 2002; Cipolli et al., 2004; Boschetti and Toscani, 2008; Marques et al., 2008). Hyperalkaline springs are reported in these contexts as evidence of this active serpentinisation (Barnes et al., 1967) and are often associated with seepages of reduced gases (Neal and Stanger, 1983; Sano et al., 1993). Dry gas seepages are also observed (Abrajano et al., 1988, 1990; Hosgörmez, 2007; Etiope et al., 2011) Such H2-rich gases from ophiolite complexes were sampled in the Sultanate of Oman, the Philippines and Turkey and were analysed for chemical composition, noble gases contents, stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. The conditions for present-day serpentinisation in ophiolites were recognised as low temperature processes in Oman with high rock/water ratios (Neal and Stanger, 1985), while the origin of gases is not as univocal for Philippines and Turkey gas seepages. Although, H2 generation is directly linked with FeII oxidation, different reactions can occur during peridotite hydration (McCollom and Bach, 2009; Marcaillou et al., 2011) and serpentine weathering. Produced H2 can react with carbonate species to produce methane via processes that could be biological or abiotic, while carbon availability depends on water recharge chemistry. In the present study, the geochemical properties of gases sampled from three different ophiolite complexes are compared and provide evidence that weathering reactions producing H2 depend on structural, geological, geomorphologic and hydrological local features. REFERENCES Abrajano, T. A., et al. (1988). Chemical Geology, 71(1-3), 211-222. Abrajano, T. A, et al. (1990). Applied Geochemistry, 5(5-6), 625-630. Barnes, I., et al. (1967). Science (New York, N.Y.), 156(3776), 830-2. Barnes, I., et al. (1978). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 42(1), 144-145. Boschetti, T., & Toscani, L. (2008). Chemical Geology, 257(1-2), 76-91. Bruni, J., et al. (2002). Applied Geochemistry, 17, 455-474. Cipolli, F., et al. (2004). Applied Geochemistry, 19(5), 787-802. Etiope, G., et al. (2011). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 310(1-2), 96-104. Hosgörmez, H. (2007). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 30(1), 131-141. Marcaillou, C., et al. (2011). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 303(3-4), 281-290. Marques, J. M., et al. (2008). Applied Geochemistry, 23(12), 3278-3289. McCollom, T. M. & Bach, W. (2009). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73(3), 856-875. Neal, C. & Stanger, G. (1983). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 66(66), 315-320. Neal, C. & Stanger, G. (1985). In J. I. Dever (Ed.), The Chemistry of Weathering (pp. 249-275). D. Reidel Publishing Company. Sano, Y., et al. (1993). Applied Geochemistry, 8(1), 1-8.

A middle Permian ophiolite fragment in Late Triassic greenschist- to blueschist-facies rocks in NW Turkey: An earlier pulse of suprasubduction-zone ophiolite formation in the Tethyan belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topuz, Gültekin; Okay, Aral I.; Schwarz, Winfried H.; Sunal, Gürsel; Altherr, Rainer; Kylander-Clark, Andrew R. C.

2018-02-01

The Eastern Mediterranean region within the Tethyan belt is characterised by two main pulses of suprasubduction-zone ophiolite formation during the Early-Middle Jurassic and Late Cretaceous. Despite vast exposures of the Permo-Triassic accretionary complexes, related suprasubduction-zone ophiolites and the timing of subduction initiation leading to the formation of Permo-Triassic accretionary complexes are unknown so far. Here we report on a 40 km long and 0.3 to 1.8 km wide metaophiolite fragment within transitional greenschist- to blueschist-facies oceanic rocks from NW Turkey. The metaophiolite fragment is made up mainly of serpentinite and minor dykes or stocks of strongly sheared metagabbro with mineral assemblages involving actinolite/winchite, chlorite, epidote, albite, titanite and phengite. The metagabbro displays (i) variable CaO and MgO contents, (ii) anomalously high Mg# (= 100 ∗ molar MgO/(MgO + FeOtot)) of 75-88, and (iii) positive Eu anomalies, together with low contents of incompatible elements such as Ti, P and Zr, suggesting derivation from former plagioclase cumulates. The serpentinites comprise serpentine, ± chlorite, ± talc, ± calcite and relict Cr-Al spinel surrounded by ferrichromite to magnetite. Relict Cr-Al spinels are characterised by (i) Cr/(Cr + Al) ratios of 0.45-0.56 and Mg/(Mg + Fe2 +) ratio of 0.76-0.22, (ii) variable contents of ZnO and MnO, and (iii) extremely low TiO2 contents. Zn and Mn contents are probably introduced into Cr-Al spinels during greenschist- to blueschist metamorphism. Compositional features of the serpentinite such as (i) Ca- and Al-depleted bulk compositions, (ii) concave U-shaped, chondrite-normalised rare earth element patterns (REE) with enrichment of light and heavy REEs, imply that serpentinites were probably derived from depleted peridotites which were refertilised by light rare earth element enriched melts in a suprasubduction-zone mantle wedge. U-Pb dating on igneous zircons from three metagabbro samples indicates igneous crystallisation at 262 Ma (middle Permian). Timing of the metamorphism is constrained by incremental 40Ar/39Ar dating on phengitic white mica at 201 Ma (latest Triassic). We conclude that the metaophiolite represents a fragment of middle Permian suprasubduction-zone oceanic lithosphere, involved in a latest Triassic subduction zone. These data, together with several reports in literature, indicate that the middle Permian was a time of suprasubduction-zone ophiolite formation in the Tethyan belt.

Comment on "Timing and nature of the Xinlin-Xiguitu Ocean: constraints from ophiolitic gabbros in the northern Great Xing'an Range, eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt" by Feng et al. (2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Dong-Hong

2017-09-01

We disagree the transitional supra-subduction zone model of Feng et al. (Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 105:491-505, 2016) for the tectonic setting of Jifeng ophiolite suite in NE China. Existence of the komatiite in the Jifeng ophiolite indicates an oceanic plateau environment for this ophiolite suite within the so-called Xinlin-Xiguitu ocean.

Carboniferous and Permian evolutionary records for the Paleo-Tethys Ocean constrained by newly discovered Xiangtaohu ophiolites from central Qiangtang, central Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiu-Zheng; Dong, Yong-Sheng; Wang, Qiang; Dan, Wei; Zhang, Chunfu; Deng, Ming-Rong; Xu, Wang; Xia, Xiao-Ping; Zeng, Ji-Peng; Liang, He

2016-07-01

Reconstructing the evolutionary history of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean remains at the center of debates over the linkage between Gondwana dispersion and Asian accretion. Identifying the remnants of oceanic lithosphere (ophiolites) has very important implications for identifying suture zones, unveiling the evolutionary history of fossil oceans, and reconstructing the amalgamation history between different blocks. Here we report newly documented ophiolite suites from the Longmu Co-Shuanghu Suture zone (LSSZ) in the Xiangtaohu area, central Qiangtang block, Tibet. Detailed geological investigations and zircon U-Pb dating reveal that the Xiangtaohu ophiolites are composed of a suite of Permian (281-275 Ma) ophiolites with a nearly complete Penrose sequence and a suite of Early Carboniferous (circa 350 Ma) ophiolite remnants containing only part of the lower oceanic crust. Geochemical and Sr-Nd-O isotopic data show that the Permian and Carboniferous ophiolites in this study were derived from an N-mid-ocean ridge basalts-like mantle source with varied suprasubduction-zone (SSZ) signatures and were characterized by crystallization sequences from wet magmas, suggesting typical SSZ-affinity ophiolites. Permian and Carboniferous SSZ ophiolites in the central Qiangtang provide robust evidence for the existence and evolution of an ancient ocean basin. Combining with previous studies on high-pressure metamorphic rocks and pelagic radiolarian cherts, and with tectonostratigraphic and paleontological data, we support the LSSZ as representing the main suture of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean which probably existed and evolved from Devonian to Triassic. The opening and demise of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean dominated the formation of the major framework for the East and/or Southeast Asia.

Large scale obduction of preserved oceanic crust: linking the Lesser Caucasus and NE Anatolian ophiolites and implications for the formation of the Lesser Caucasus-Pontides Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassig, Marc; Rolland, Yann; Sosson, Marc; Galoyan, Ghazar; Sahakyan, Lilit; Topuz, Gultelin; Farouk Çelik, Omer; Avagyan, Ara; Muller, Carla

2014-05-01

During the Mesozoic, the Southern margin of the Eurasian continent was involved in the closure of the Paleotethys and opening Neotethys Ocean. Later, from the Jurassic to the Eocene, subductions, obductions, micro-plate accretions, and finally continent-continent collision occurred between Eurasia and Arabia, and resulted in the closure of Neotethys. In the Lesser Caucasus and NE Anatolia three main domains are distinguished from South to North: (1) the South Armenian Block (SAB) and the Tauride-Anatolide Platform (TAP), Gondwanian-derived continental terranes; (2) scattered outcrops of ophiolite bodies, coming up against the Sevan-Akera and Ankara-Erzincan suture zones; and (3) the Eurasian plate, represented by the Eastern Pontides margin and the Somkheto-Karabagh Arc. The slivers of ophiolites are preserved non-metamorphic relics of the now disappeared Northern Neotethys oceanic domain overthrusting onto the continental South Armenian Block (SAB) as well as on the Tauride-Anatolide plateform from the north to the south. It is important to point out that the major part of this oceanic lithosphere disappeared by subduction under the Eurasian Margin to the north. In the Lesser Caucasus, works using geochemical whole-rock analyses, 40Ar/39Ar dating of basalts and gabbro amphiboles and paleontological dating have shown that the obducted oceanic domain originates from a back-arc setting formed throughout Middle Jurassic times. The comprehension of the geodynamic evolution of the Lesser Caucasus supports the presence of two north dipping subduction zones: (1) a subduction under the Eurasian margin and to the south by (2) an intra-oceanic subduction allowing the continental domain to subduct under the oceanic lithosphere, thus leading to ophiolite emplacement. To the West, the NE Anatolian ophiolites have been intensely studied with the aim to characterize the type of oceanic crust which they originated from. Geochemical analyses have shown similar rock types as in Armenia, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) to volcanic arc rocks and Intra-Plate Basalts (IPB). Lithostratigraphic comparisons have shown that the relations between the three units, well identified in the Lesser Caucasus, are similar to those found in NE Anatolia, including the emplacement of stratigraphically conform and discordant deposits. New field data has also shed light on an outcrop of low-grade metamorphic rocks of volcanic origin overthrusted by the ophiolites towards the south on the northern side of the Erzincan basin, along the North Anatolian Fault (NAF). We extend our model for the Lesser Caucasus to NE Anatolia and infer that the missing of the volcanic arc formed above the intra-plate subduction may be explained by its dragging under the obducting ophiolite with scaling by faulting and tectonic erosion. In this large scale model the blueschists of Stepanavan, the garnet amphibolites of Amasia and the metamorphic arc complex of Erzincan correspond to this missing volcanic arc. We propose that the ophiolites of these two zones originate from the same oceanic domain and were emplaced during the same obduction event. This reconstructed ophiolitic nappe represents a preserved non-metamorphic oceanic domain over-thrusting up to 200km of continental domain along more than 500km. Distal outcrops of this exceptional object were preserved from latter collision which was concentrated along the suture zones.

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of serpentinite from the Ingalls ophiolite complex, central Cascades, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, J. H., Jr.; Milliken, S. H.; Zalud, K. M.

2017-12-01

The Jurassic Ingalls ophiolite complex is located in the central Cascades, Washington State. This ophiolite predominantly consists of three variably serpentinized mantle units. Serpentinite occurs as massive replacing peridotite, or as highly sheared fault zones cutting other rocks. Mylonitic serpentinite forms a large-scale mélange in the middle of the ophiolite, and is interpreted as a fracture zone. Whole-rock and mineral geochemistry of the massive serpentinite was done to understand the metasomatic process and identify the possible protoliths of these rocks. Whole-rock major and trace elements of the massive serpentinite are similar to modern peridotites. The majority of samples analyzed are strongly serpentinized, while a few were moderately to weakly altered. Ca, Mg, and Al suggest these rocks formed from serpentinized harzburgite and dunite with minor lherzolite. All samples have positive Eu/Eu*. Serpentinites plot in fields defined by modern abyssal and forearc peridotites. Trace elements suggests the protoliths underwent variable amounts of mantel depletion (5-20%). Serpentine and relic igneous minerals were analyzed by EPMA at the Florida Center for Analytical Electron Microscopy. The serpentine dose not chemically display brucite mixing, has minor substitution of Fe, Ni, and Cr for Mg, and minor Al substitution for Si. Bastites have higher Ni than replaced olivine. Mineral chemistry, high LOI, and X-ray diffraction suggest lizardite is the primary serpentine polymorph, with minor chrysotile also occurring. Relic Al-chromite and Cr-spinel commonly have Cr-magnetite rims. These relic cores have little SiO2 and Fe3+, suggesting the spinels are well preserved. Most spinels plot in overlap fields defined by abyssal and arc peridotite, while two samples plot entirely in arc fields. Relic olivine have Fo90 to Fo92 and plot along the mantle array. Relic pyroxene are primarily enstatite, with lesser high-Ca varieties. Relic minerals plot near fields defined by harzburgite, dunite, and lherzolite from unaltered Ingalls peridotite. The massive serpentinite likely formed by low T (< 300°C), and possibly low pressure, hydrothermal alteration of harzburgite, dunite and lherzolite. The protoliths were variably depleted mantle residues from a possible supra-subduction zone setting.

Probing the Cypriot Lithosphere: Insights from Broadband Seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogden, C. S.; Bastow, I. D.; Pilidou, S.; Dimitriadis, I.; Iosif, P.; Constantinou, C.; Kounoudis, R.

2017-12-01

Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, is an ideal study locale for understanding both the final stages of subduction, and the internal structure of so-called `ophiolites' - rare, on-land exposures of oceanic crust. The Troodos ophiolite offers an excellent opportunity to interrogate a complete ophiolite sequence from mantle rocks to pillow lavas. However, determining its internal architecture, and that of the subducting African plate deep below it, cannot be easily achieved using traditional field geology. To address this issue, we have built a new network of five broadband seismograph stations across the island. These, along with existing permanent stations, record both local and teleseismic earthquakes that we are now using to image Cyprus' crust and mantle seismic structure. Receiver functions are time series, computed from three-component seismograms, which contain information about lithospheric seismic discontinuities. When a P-wave strikes a velocity discontinuity such as the Moho, energy is converted to S-waves (direct Ps phase). The widely-used H-K Stacking technique utilises this arrival, and subsequent crustal reverberations (PpPs and PsPs+PpSs), to calculate crustal thickness (H) and bulk-crustal Vp/Vs ratio (K). Central to the method is the assumption that the Moho produces the largest amplitude conversions, after the direct P-arrival, which is valid where the Moho is sharp. Where the Moho is gradational or upper crustal discontinuities are present, the Moho signals are weakened and masked by shallow crustal conversions, potentially rendering the H-K stacking method unreliable. Using a combination of synthetic and observed seismograms, we explore Cyprus' crustal structure and, specifically, the reliability of the H-K method in constraining it. Data quality is excellent across the island, but the receiver function Ps phase amplitude is low, and crustal reverberations are almost non-existent. Therefore, a simple, abrupt wavespeed jump at the Moho is lacking (perhaps due to the subducting African plate), and/or evidence for it is obscured by complex structure associated with the Troodos ophiolite. On-going analyses also include joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave data, which together, are capable of resolving complex lithospheric seismic structure.

Dismembered Archaean ophiolite in the southeastern Wind River Mountains, Wyoming: Remains of Archaean oceanic crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harper, G. D.

1986-01-01

Archean mafic and ultramafic rocks occur in the southeastern Wind River Mountains near Atlantic City, Wyoming and are interpreted to represent a dismembered ophiolite suite. The ophiolitic rocks occur in a thin belt intruded by the 2.6 Ga Louis Lake Batholith on the northwest. On the southeast they are in fault contact with the Miners Delight Formation comprised primarily of metagraywackes with minor calc-alkaline volcanics. The ophiolitic and associated metasedimentry rocks (Goldman Meadows Formation) have been multiply deformed and metamorphosed. The most prominant structures are a pronounced steeply plunging stretching lineation and steeply dipping foliation. These structural data indicate that the ophiolitic and associated metasedimentary rocks have been deformed by simple shear. The ophiolitic rocks are interpreted as the remains of Archean oceanic crust, probably formed at either a mid-ocean ridge or back-arc basin. All the units of a complete ophiolite are present except for upper mantle periodotities. The absence of upper mantle rocks may be the result of detactment within the crust, rather than within the upper mantle, during emplacement. This could have been the result of a steeper geothermal gradient in the Archean oceanic lithosphere, or may have resulted from a thicker oceanic crust in the Archean.

Tectonics of formation, translation, and dispersal of the Coast Range ophiolite of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLaughlin, R.J.; Blake, M.C.; Griscom, A.; Blome, C.D.; Murchey, B.

1988-01-01

Data from the Coast Range ophiolite and its tectonic outliers in the northern California Coast Ranges suggest that the lower part of the ophiolite formed 169 to 163 Ma in a forearc or back arc setting at equatorial latitudes. Beginning about 156 Ma and continuing until 145 Ma, arc magmatism was superimposed on the ophiolite, and concurrently, a transform developed along the arc axis or in the back arc area. Rapid northward translation of this rifted active magmatic arc to middle latitudes culminated in its accretion to the California margin of North America at about 145 Ma. This Late Jurassic episode of translation, arc magmatism, and accretion coincided with the Nevadan orogeny and a proposed major plate reorganization in the eastern Pacific basin. Displacement occurred between about 60 and 52 Ma. Ophiolitic rocks in the Decatur terrane of western Washington that have recently been correlated with the Coast Range ophiolite and the Great Valley sequence of California were apparently displaced at least 950 to 1200 km from the west side of the Great Valley between early Tertiary and Early Cretaceous time. Derived rates of northward translation for the ophiolite outliers in California are in the range of 1 to 4 cm/yr. -from Authors

Ophiolitic detritus in Kimmeridgian resedimented limestones and its provenance from an eroded obducted ophiolitic nappe stack south of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawlick, Hans-Jürgen; Aubrecht, Roman; Schlagintweit, Felix; Missoni, Sigrid; Plašienka, Dušan

2015-12-01

The causes for the Middle to Late Jurassic tectonic processes in the Northern Calcareous Alps are still controversially discussed. There are several contrasting models for these processes, formerly designated "Jurassic gravitational tectonics". Whereas in the Dinarides or the Western Carpathians Jurassic ophiolite obduction and a Jurassic mountain building process with nappe thrusting is widely accepted, equivalent processes are still questioned for the Eastern Alps. For the Northern Calcareous Alps, an Early Cretaceous nappe thrusting process is widely favoured instead of a Jurassic one, obviously all other Jurassic features are nearly identical in the Northern Calcareous Alps, the Western Carpathians and the Dinarides. In contrast, the Jurassic basin evolutionary processes, as best documented in the Northern Calcareous Alps, were in recent times adopted to explain the Jurassic tectonic processes in the Carpathians and Dinarides. Whereas in the Western Carpathians Neotethys oceanic material is incorporated in the mélanges and in the Dinarides huge ophiolite nappes are preserved above the Jurassic basin fills and mélanges, Jurassic ophiolites or ophiolitic remains are not clearly documented in the Northern Calcareous Alps. Here we present chrome spinel analyses of ophiolitic detritic material from Kimmeridgian allodapic limestones in the central Northern Calcareous Alps. The Kimmeridgian age is proven by the occurrence of the benthic foraminifera Protopeneroplis striata and Labyrinthina mirabilis, the dasycladalean algae Salpingoporella pygmea, and the alga incertae sedis Pseudolithocodium carpathicum. From the geochemical composition the analysed spinels are pleonastes and show a dominance of Al-chromites (Fe3+-Cr3+-Al3+ diagram). In the Mg/(Mg+ Fe2+) vs. Cr/(Cr+ Al) diagram they can be classified as type II ophiolites and in the TiO2 vs. Al2O3 diagram they plot into the SSZ peridotite field. All together this points to a harzburgite provenance of the analysed spinels as known from the Jurassic suprasubduction ophiolites well preserved in the Dinarides/Albanides. These data clearly indicate Late Jurassic erosion of obducted ophiolites before their final sealing by the Late Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous carbonate platform pattern.

Paleomagnetic Constraints on the Tectonic History of the Mesozoic Ophiolite and Arc Terranes of Western Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boschman, L.; Van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.; Langereis, C. G.; Molina-Garza, R. S.; Kimbrough, D. L.

2017-12-01

The North American Cordillera has been shaped by a long history of accretion of arcs and other buoyant crustal fragments to the western margin of the North American Plate since the Early Mesozoic. Accretion of these terranes resulted from a complex tectonic history interpreted to include episodes of both intra-oceanic subduction within the Panthalassa/Pacific Ocean, as well as continental margin subduction along the western margin of North America. Western Mexico, at the southern end of the Cordillera, contains a Late Cretaceous-present day long-lived continental margin arc, as well as Mesozoic arc and SSZ ophiolite assemblages of which the origin is under debate. Interpretations of the origin of these subduction-related rock assemblages vary from far-travelled exotic intra-oceanic island arc character to autochthonous or parautochthonous extended continental margin origin. We present new paleomagnetic data from four localities: (1) the Norian SSZ Vizcaíno peninsula Ophiolite; (2) its Lower Jurassic sedimentary cover; and (3) Barremian and (4) Aptian sediments derived from the Guerrero arc. The data show that the Mexican ophiolite and arc terranes have a paleolatitudinal plate motion history that is equal to that of the North American continent. This suggests that these rock assemblages were part of the overriding plate and were perhaps only separated from the North American continent by temporal fore- or back-arc spreading. These spreading phases resulted in the temporal existence of tectonic plates between the North American and Farallon Plates, and upon closure of the basins, in the growth of the North American continent without addition of any far-travelled exotic terranes.

Early Archean serpentine mud volcanoes at Isua, Greenland, as a niche for early life

PubMed Central

Pons, Marie-Laure; Quitté, Ghylaine; Fujii, Toshiyuki; Rosing, Minik T.; Reynard, Bruno; Moynier, Frederic; Douchet, Chantal; Albarède, Francis

2011-01-01

The Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland, of Early Archean age (3.81–3.70 Ga) represents the oldest crustal segment on Earth. Its complex lithology comprises an ophiolite-like unit and volcanic rocks reminiscent of boninites, which tie Isua supracrustals to an island arc environment. We here present zinc (Zn) isotope compositions measured on serpentinites and other rocks from the Isua supracrustal sequence and on serpentinites from modern ophiolites, midocean ridges, and the Mariana forearc. In stark contrast to modern midocean ridge and ophiolite serpentinites, Zn in Isua and Mariana serpentinites is markedly depleted in heavy isotopes with respect to the igneous average. Based on recent results of Zn isotope fractionation between coexisting species in solution, the Isua serpentinites were permeated by carbonate-rich, high-pH hydrothermal solutions at medium temperature (100–300 °C). Zinc isotopes therefore stand out as a pH meter for fossil hydrothermal solutions. The geochemical features of the Isua fluids resemble the interstitial fluids sampled in the mud volcano serpentinites of the Mariana forearc. The reduced character and the high pH inferred for these fluids make Archean serpentine mud volcanoes a particularly favorable setting for the early stabilization of amino acids. PMID:22006301

Late Cretaceous infant intra-oceanic arc volcanism, the Central Pontides, Turkey: Petrogenetic and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aygül, Mesut; Okay, Aral I.; Oberhänsli, Roland; Schmidt, Alexander; Sudo, Masafumi

2015-11-01

A tectonic slice of an arc sequence consisting of low-grade metavolcanic rocks and overlying metasedimentary succession is exposed in the Central Pontides north of the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture separating Laurasia from Gondwana-derived terranes. The metavolcanic rocks mainly consist of basaltic andesite/andesite and mafic cognate xenolith-bearing rhyolite with their pyroclastic equivalents, which are interbedded with recrystallized pelagic limestone and chert. The metasedimentary succession comprises recrystallized micritic limestone with rare volcanogenic metaclastic rocks and stratigraphically overlies the metavolcanic rocks. The geochemistry of the metavolcanic rocks indicates an arc setting evidenced by depletion of HFSE (Ti, P and Nb) and enrichment of fluid mobile LILE. Identical trace and rare earth elements compositions of basaltic andesites/andesites and rhyolites suggest that they are cogenetic and derived from a common parental magma. The arc sequence crops out between an Albian-Turonian subduction-accretionary complex representing the Laurasian active margin and an ophiolitic mélange. Absence of continent derived detritus in the arc sequence and its tectonic setting in a wide Cretaceous accretionary complex suggest that the Kösdağ Arc was intra-oceanic. Zircons from two metarhyolite samples give Late Cretaceous (93.8 ± 1.9 and 94.4 ± 1.9 Ma) U/Pb ages. These ages are the same as the age of the supra-subduction ophiolites in western Turkey, which implies that that the Kösdağ Arc may represent part of the incipient arc formed during the generation of the supra-subduction ophiolites. The low-grade regional metamorphism in the Kösdağ Arc is constrained to 69.9 ± 0.4 Ma by 40Ar/39Ar muscovite dating indicating that the arc sequence became part of a wide Tethyan Cretaceous accretionary complex by the latest Cretaceous. Non-collisional cessation of the arc volcanism is possibly associated with southward migration of the magmatism as in the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc system.

Post-magmatic structural evolution of the Troodos Ophiolite Pillow Lavas revealed by microthermometry within vein precipitates, with application to Alpine-Mediterranean supra-subduction zone settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klöcking, M.; White, N. J.; Maclennan, J.; Fitton, J. G.

2016-12-01

The Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus, is one of the best preserved ophiolites. Based on geochemical data a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) setting was proposed. Microtextures and fluid inclusions of veins and vesicles within the Pillow Lavas record the post-magmatic structural and geochemical evolution of this SSZ beginning at 75 Ma. Three different vein types from the Upper and Lower Pillow Lavas are distinguished and imply vein precipitation under a dominant extensional regime: (1) syntaxial calcite-, quartz- and zeolite-bearing veins are interpreted as mineralized extension fractures that were pervaded by seawater. This advective fluid flow in an open system changed later into a closed system characterized by geochemical self-organization. (2) Blocky and (3) antitaxial fibrous calcite veins are associated with brecciation due to hydrofracturing and diffusion-crystallization processes, respectively. Based on aqueous fluid inclusion chemistry with seawater salinities in all studied vein types, representative fluid inclusion isochores crossed with calculated litho- and hydrostatic pressure conditions yield mineral precipitation temperatures between 180 and 210 °C, for veins and vesicles hosted in the Upper and Lower Pillow Lavas. This points to a heat source for the circulating seawater and implies that vein and vesicle minerals precipitated shortly after pillow lava crystallization under dominant isobaric cooling conditions. Compared to previous suggestions derived from secondary mineralization a less steep geothermal gradient of 200 °C from the Sheeted Dyke Complex to the Pillow Lavas of the Troodos SSZ is proposed. Further fossil and recent SSZ like the Mirdita ophiolite, Albania, the South-Anatolian ophiolites, Turkey, and the Izu-Bonin fore arc, respectively, reveal similar volcanic sequences. Vein samples recovered during International Ocean Discovery Program expedition 351 and 352 in the Izu-Bonin back and fore arc, respectively, indicate also seawater infiltration into fractures but low-temperature (<150 °C) mineral precipitation. This comparison of spatially and temporally unrelated vein systems contributes to the understanding of post-magmatic structural and geochemical processes in SSZ. This study was granted by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF-P 27982-N29).

Post-magmatic structural evolution of the Troodos Ophiolite Pillow Lavas revealed by microthermometry within vein precipitates, with application to Alpine-Mediterranean supra-subduction zone settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurz, W.; Quandt, D.; Micheuz, P.; Krenn, K.

2017-12-01

The Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus, is one of the best preserved ophiolites. Based on geochemical data a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) setting was proposed. Microtextures and fluid inclusions of veins and vesicles within the Pillow Lavas record the post-magmatic structural and geochemical evolution of this SSZ beginning at 75 Ma. Three different vein types from the Upper and Lower Pillow Lavas are distinguished and imply vein precipitation under a dominant extensional regime: (1) syntaxial calcite-, quartz- and zeolite-bearing veins are interpreted as mineralized extension fractures that were pervaded by seawater. This advective fluid flow in an open system changed later into a closed system characterized by geochemical self-organization. (2) Blocky and (3) antitaxial fibrous calcite veins are associated with brecciation due to hydrofracturing and diffusion-crystallization processes, respectively. Based on aqueous fluid inclusion chemistry with seawater salinities in all studied vein types, representative fluid inclusion isochores crossed with calculated litho- and hydrostatic pressure conditions yield mineral precipitation temperatures between 180 and 210 °C, for veins and vesicles hosted in the Upper and Lower Pillow Lavas. This points to a heat source for the circulating seawater and implies that vein and vesicle minerals precipitated shortly after pillow lava crystallization under dominant isobaric cooling conditions. Compared to previous suggestions derived from secondary mineralization a less steep geothermal gradient of 200 °C from the Sheeted Dyke Complex to the Pillow Lavas of the Troodos SSZ is proposed. Further fossil and recent SSZ like the Mirdita ophiolite, Albania, the South-Anatolian ophiolites, Turkey, and the Izu-Bonin fore arc, respectively, reveal similar volcanic sequences. Vein samples recovered during International Ocean Discovery Program expedition 351 and 352 in the Izu-Bonin back and fore arc, respectively, indicate also seawater infiltration into fractures but low-temperature (<150 °C) mineral precipitation. This comparison of spatially and temporally unrelated vein systems contributes to the understanding of post-magmatic structural and geochemical processes in SSZ. This study was granted by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF-P 27982-N29).

Structure and evolution of the northern Oman margin: gravity and seismic constraints over the Zagros-Makran-Oman collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravaut, P.; Bayer, R.; Hassani, R.; Rousset, D.; Yahya'ey, A. Al

1997-09-01

The obduction process in Oman during Late Cretaceous time, and continental-to-oceanic subduction along the Zagros-Makran region during the Tertiary are consequences of the Arabian-Eurasian collision, resulting in construction of complex structures composed of the Oman ophiolite belt, the Zagros continental mountain belt and the Makran subduction zone with its associated accretionary wedge. In this paper, we jointly interpret Bouguer anomaly and available petroleum seismic profiles in terms of crustal structures. We show that the gravity anomaly in northern Oman is characterized by a high-amplitude negative-positive couple. The negative anomaly is coincident with Late Cretaceous (Fiqa) and Tertiary (Pabdeh) foreland basins and with the Zagros-Oman mountain belts, whereas the positive anomaly is correlated to the ophiolite massifs. The Bouguer anomaly map indicates the presence of a post-Late Cretaceous sedimentary basin, the Sohar basin, centred north of the Batinah plain. We interpret the negative/positive couple in terms of loading of the elastic Arabian lithosphere. We estimate the different Cretaceous-to-Recent loads, including topography, ophiolite nappes, sedimentary fill and the accretionary prism of the Makran trench. A new method, using Mindlin's elastic plate theory, is proposed to model the 2D deflection of the heterogeneous elastic Arabian plate, taking into account boundary conditions at the ends of the subducted plate. We show that remnant ophiolites are isolated from Tethyan oceanic lithosphere in the Gulf of Oman by a continental basement ridge, a NW prolongation of the Saih-Hatat window. Loading the northward-limited ophiolite blocks explains the deflection of the Fiqa foredeep basin. West of the Musandam Peninsula, the Tertiary Pabdeh foredeep is probably related to the emplacement of a 8-km-thick tectonic prism located on the Musandam Peninsula and in the Strait of Hormuz. Final 2D density models along profiles through the Oman mountain belt and the Gulf of Oman are discussed in the framework of Late Cretaceous obduction of the Tethys and synchronous subduction and exhumation of the Oman margin.

P-T paths of ophiolite-related metamorphic rocks from the Dinaride ophiolite zone in Bosnia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balen, Dražen; Massonne, Hans-Joachim; Koller, Friedrich; Theye, Thomas; Opitz, Joachim; Hrvatović, Hazim; Premužak, Lucija

2017-04-01

The Dinarides, an Alpine mountain chain in south-eastern Europe, is characterized by complex fold, thrust, and imbricate structures. Partially dismembered ophiolites, a regular part of the Inner Dinarides, are considered as separate ultramafic massifs. The large Krivaja-Konjuh ultramafic massif (KKUM) within the Dinaride Ophiolite Zone (DOZ), composed of tectonic spinel lherzolite, occurs as NE-dipping thrust sheet underlain by gradually decreasing, up to 1200 m thick, high- to medium-grade metamorphic rocks. The metamorphic rocks geochemically resemble MORB-like rocks with tholeiitic signature. Such metamorphic rocks, which originated from cumulate gabbro and/or troctolite, are mainly represented by granulite and amphibolite varieties (subordinate eclogite and epidote-amphibolite facies metamafic rocks are also present) with various proportions of amphibole, plagioclase, pyroxenes (diopside and hypersthene), garnet, corundum, sapphirine, spinel and quartz. These rocks vary in textures (granoblastic, porphyroblastic and nematoblastic) and grain size (coarse- to fine-grain varieties). Conventional thermobarometry of garnet- and clinopyroxene-bearing amphibolites directly beneath the contact to the overlying peridotite resulted in peak pressure (P) - temperature (T) conditions of 10-12 kbar (depth of ca. 35-40 km) and 745-830°C. Those amphibolites without clinopyroxene but with garnet experienced peak conditions of 7 kbar and 630°C. Amphibole + plagioclase amphibolite gave temperatures of 670-730 °C and lowermost-grade amphibolites yielded peak temperatures of 550°C. These estimates are thought to reflect the metamorphic conditions during the Late Jurassic obduction of the hot upper mantle part of the KKUM onto the ophiolite mélange. The hot obducted ultramafic fragments acted as a heat source for metamorphism that transformed cumulate gabbroic protolith into high- to medium-grade amphibolites and granulites. P-T pseudosections constructed for various metamorphic rock types in the MnNCFMASHTO system, contoured by mineral isopleths and modes, combined with chemical zonation of garnet (elucidated by X-ray mapping), succession of accessory Ti-minerals (ilmenite -> rutile -> titanite) and textural features (particularly occurrence of complex kelyphite textures around garnet and clinopyroxene) gave us important clues for P-T paths (re)constructions. The petrographic details and mineral chemistry point to composite clockwise P-T paths characterized by high-temperature high-pressure conditions (ca. 20 kbar, 700 °C for garnet- and amphibole-bearing metaperidotite), followed by significant pressure decrease to medium-pressure values accompanied by temperature increase to > 830 °C. Such a composite P-T path can be interpreted in the frame of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous regional geodynamic processes that involve collision at the edge of the Adriatic microplate, intra-oceanic NE-dipping subduction and underplating of mafic cumulate rocks under the hot upper mantle part of the KKUM and subsequent erosional events. Processes of the final emplacement of the KKUM metamorphic rocks must have been terminated in Early Cretaceous times as indicated by amphibolite fragments in the adjacent Pogari Formation overlying the ophiolite mélange. Support by the Croatian Science Foundation (IP-2014-09-9541) is acknowledged.

Structural evolution of the Semail Ophiolite metamorphic sole, Wadi Hawasina and Northern Jebel Nakhl Culmination, Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurtado, C.; Bailey, C.; Visokay, L.; Scharf, A.

2017-12-01

The Semail ophiolite is the world's largest and best-exposed ophiolite sequence, however the processes associated with both oceanic detachment and later emplacement onto the Arabian continental margin remain enigmatic. This study examines the upper mantle section of the ophiolite, its associated metamorphic sole, and the autochthonous strata beneath the ophiolite at two locations in northern Oman. Our purpose is to understand the structural history of ophiolite emplacement and evaluate the deformation kinematics of faulted and sheared rocks in the metamorphic sole. At Wadi Hawasina, the base of the ophiolite is defined by a 5- to 15-m thick zone of penetratively-serpentinized mylonitic peridotite. Kinematic indicators record top-to-the SW (reverse) sense-of-shear with a triclinic deformation asymmetry. An inverted metamorphic grade is preserved in the 300- to 500-m thick metamorphic sole that is thrust over deep-water sedimentary rocks of the Hawasina Group. The study site near Buwah, in the northern Jebel Nakhl culmination, contains a N-to-S progression of mantle peridotite, metamorphic sole, and underlying Jurassic carbonates. Liswanite crops out in NW-SE trending linear ridges in the peridotite. The metamorphic sole includes well-foliated quartzite, metachert, and amphibolite. Kinematic evidence indicates that the liswanite and a serpentinized mélange experienced top to-the north (normal) sense-of-shear. Two generations of E-W striking, N-dipping normal faults separate the autochthonous sequence from the metamorphic sole, and also cut out significant sections of the metamorphic sole. Fabric analysis reveals that the metamorphic sole experienced flattening strain (K<0.2) that accumulated during pure shear-dominated general shear (Wk<0.4). Normal faulting and extension at the Buwah site indicates that post-ophiolite deformation is significant in the Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Nakhl culminations.

Thermo-mechanical models of obduction applied to the Oman ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thibault, Duretz; Philippe, Agard; Philippe, Yamato; Céline, Ducassou; Taras, Gerya; Evguenii, Burov

2015-04-01

During obduction regional-scale fragments of oceanic lithosphere (ophiolites) are emplaced somewhat enigmatically on top of lighter continental lithosphere. We herein use two-dimensional thermo-mechanical models to investigate the feasibility and controlling parameters of obduction. The models are designed using available geological data from the Oman (Semail) ophiolite. Initial and boundary conditions are constrained by plate kinematic and geochronological data and modeling results are validated against petrological and structural observations. The reference model consists of three distinct stages: (1) initiation of oceanic subduction initiation away from Arabian margin, (2) emplacement of the Oman Ophiolite atop the Arabian margin, (2) dome-like exhumation of the subducted Arabian margin beneath the overlying ophiolite. A parametric study suggests that 350-400 km of shortening allows to best fit both the peak P-T conditions of the subducted margin (1.5-2.5 GPa / 450-600°C) and the dimensions of the ophiolite (~170 km width), in agreement with previous estimations. Our results further confirm that the locus of obduction initiation is close to the eastern edge of the Arabian margin (~100 km) and indicate that obduction is facilitated by a strong continental basement rheology.

Plume-induced subduction initiation at the Cretaceous India-Arabia transform plate boundary: paleomagnetic constraints from the Semail ophiolite, Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.; Maffione, M.; Koornneef, L.; Guilmette, C.

2016-12-01

The Neotethyan realm hosts a prominent belt of Cretaceous supra-subduction zone ophiolites from Turkey and Cyprus in the west, to Oman in the east. Associated crustal and metamorphic sole ages tightly cluster at 95-90 Ma, interpreted to shortly post-date subduction initiation in an intra-oceanic setting along transform faults or ridge segments (or ridge-parallel oceanic detachments). This subduction episode ended when the Arabian-African continental lithosphere arrived in the trench in the late Cretaceous and the leading edge of the overriding oceanic lithosphere obducted as ophiolites, including the famous Semail ophiolite of Oman. This catastrophic subduction initiation phase is assumed to be as response to some far-field trigger. Here, we analyzed whether the Semail ophiolite was generated at an E-W trending Neotethyan ridge or at a N-S trending transform. Therefore we paleomagnetically analyzed 10 localities in sheeted dyke sections of the Semail ophiolite that trend parallel to the obduction front of the ophiolite taken to reflect the paleo-trench. We demonstrate that the sheeted dyke sections, and thus also the trench, had an initial N-S strike, indicating that subduction below the Semail ophiolite probably initiated along a N-S striking transform plate boundary between the Indian and Arabian plate rather than at a Neotethyan mid-ocean ridge. Sometime before 83 Ma, India broke away from Madagascar, and underwent a counterclockwise rotation relative to Africa/Arabia around an Euler pole just north of Madagascar, likely triggered by the arrival of the Morondova mantle plume, the associated large igneous province formed since at least 91 Ma. Numerical models have shown that plume push was a likely driver for the inception of India-Madagascar spreading and associated Indian rotation. North of the associated Euler pole, E-W convergence India-Arabia must have occurred during India-Madagascar break-up. This has already been related to 96-90 Ma subduction initiation below the Waziristan ophiolite of Pakistan. Our new results suggest that subduction initiation below the Semail ophiolite is directly related to this plume-triggered break-up. We speculate that also the synchronous subduction initiation farther west in the Neotethys, towards Cyprus and Turkey, may have been triggered by this mechanism.

Remagnetization of the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain, California, during accretion near 10°N paleolatitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagstrum, Jonathan T.

1992-06-01

Paleomagnetic data are presented for a 50-m-thick sequence of Oxfordian to Tithonian sedimentary rocks conformably overlying Upper Jurassic pillow basalt within the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain, California. These new data are similar in direction and polarity to previously published paleomagnetic data for the pillow basalt. The Jurassic sedimentary rocks were deposited during a mixed-polarity interval of the geomagnetic field, and uniformity of the remanent magnetization within the entire section of pillow basalt and sedimentary rocks indicates later remagnetization. Remagnetization of the Coast Range ophiolite is interpreted to have occurred during accretion to the continental margin, possibly by burial and low-temperature alteration related to this event. Similar paleolatitudes calculated for the ophiolite (11° ±3°) and for mid-Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Stanley Mountain terrane at Figueroa Mountain (6° ±5°) are consistent with remagnetization of the ophiolite at low paleo-latitudes. Uniform-polarity directions for other remnants of ophiolite in southern California and elsewhere along the Pacific coast imply that these rocks were also overprinted, and their magnetic inclinations suggest remagnetization at low paleolatitudes as well. The Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain is thus inferred to have been remagnetized along the North American margin near 10°N paleolatitude between earliest and mid-Cretaceous time and subsequently transported northward by strike-slip faulting related to relative motions between the Farallon, Kula, Pacific, and North American plates.

Remagnetization of the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain, California, during accretion near 10°N paleolatitude

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hagstrum, Jonathan T.

1992-01-01

Paleomagnetic data are presented for a 50-m-thick sequence of Oxfordian to Tithonian sedimentary rocks conformably overlying Upper Jurassic pillow basalt within the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain, California. These new data are similar in direction and polarity to previously published paleomagnetic data for the pillow basalt. The Jurassic sedimentary rocks were deposited during a mixed-polarity interval of the geomagnetic field, and uniformity of the remanent magnetization within the entire section of pillow basalt and sedimentary rocks indicates later remagnetization. Remagnetization of the Coast Range ophiolite is interpreted to have occurred during accretion to the continental margin, possibly by burial and low-temperature alteration related to this event. Similar paleolatitudes calculated for the ophiolite (11° ±3°) and for mid-Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Stanley Mountain terrane at Figueroa Mountain (6° ±5°) are consistent with remagnetization of the ophiolite at low paleo-latitudes. Uniform-polarity directions for other remnants of ophiolite in southern California and elsewhere along the Pacific coast imply that these rocks were also overprinted, and their magnetic inclinations suggest remagnetization at low paleolatitudes as well. The Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain is thus inferred to have been remagnetized along the North American margin near 10°N paleolatitude between earliest and mid-Cretaceous time and subsequently transported northward by strike-slip faulting related to relative motions between the Farallon, Kula, Pacific, and North American plates.

Link between SSZ ophiolite formation, emplacement and arc inception, Northland, New Zealand: U Pb SHRIMP constraints; Cenozoic SW Pacific tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whattam, Scott A.; Malpas, John; Smith, Ian E. M.; Ali, Jason R.

2006-10-01

New U-Pb age-data from zircons separated from a Northland ophiolite gabbro yield a mean 206Pb/ 238U age of 31.6 ± 0.2 Ma, providing support for a recently determined 28.3 ± 0.2 Ma SHRIMP age of an associated plagiogranite and ˜ 29-26 Ma 40Ar/ 39Ar ages ( n = 9) of basalts of the ophiolite. Elsewhere, Miocene arc-related calc-alkaline andesite dikes which intrude the ophiolitic rocks contain zircons which yield mean 206Pb/ 238U ages of 20.1 ± 0.2 and 19.8 ± 0.2 Ma. The ophiolite gabbro and the andesites both contain rare inherited zircons ranging from 122-104 Ma. The Early Cretaceous zircons in the arc andesites are interpreted as xenocrysts from the Mt. Camel basement terrane through which magmas of the Northland Miocene arc lavas erupted. The inherited zircons in the ophiolite gabbros suggest that a small fraction of this basement was introduced into the suboceanic mantle by subduction and mixed with mantle melts during ophiolite formation. We postulate that the tholeiitic suite of the ophiolite represents the crustal segment of SSZ lithosphere (SSZL) generated in the southern South Fiji Basin (SFB) at a northeast-dipping subduction zone that was initiated at about 35 Ma. The subduction zone nucleated along a pre-existing transform boundary separating circa 45-20 Ma oceanic lithosphere to the north and west of the Northland Peninsula from nascent back arc basin lithosphere of the SFB. Construction of the SSZL propagated southward along the transform boundary as the SFB continued to unzip to the southeast. After subduction of a large portion of oceanic lithosphere by about 26 Ma and collision of the SSZL with New Zealand, compression between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate was taken up along a new southwest-dipping subduction zone behind the SSZL. Renewed volcanism began in the oceanic forearc at 25 Ma producing boninitic-like, SSZ and within-plate alkalic and calc-alkaline rocks. Rocks of these types temporally overlap ophiolite emplacement and subsequent Miocene continental arc construction.

Major Element Geochemistry of Peridotites from Santa Elena Ophiolite Complex, NW Costa Rica and Their Tectonic Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, S.; Snow, J. E.; Gazel, E.; Sisson, V.

2010-12-01

The Santa Elena Ophiolite Complex (SEOC) is located on the west coast of Northern Costa Rica, near the Nicaraguan border. It consists primarily of preserved oceanic crustal rocks and underlying upper mantle thrust onto an accretionary complex. The petrogenesis and tectonic origin of this complex have widely been interpreted to be either a preserved mantle portion of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP) as it drifted between North and South America from the Galapagos hotpot into the present day Caribbean Ocean around 80 Ma or as the mantle section to the nearby Nicoya complex. Previous structural work suggests that SEOC is a supra-subduction complex, not related to the CLIP or Nicoya. Our preliminary results agree. Mantle peridotites collected from the Santa Elena Ophiolite Complex consist primarily of spinel lherzolite (61 %) with minor amounts of harzburgite and dunite (22 % and 16 % respectively). Spinel Cr# [molar Cr / (Cr+Al)*100] is widely accepted to constrain mantle partial melting and lithospheric melt stagnation. Cr# of spinels within Santa Elena lherzolites fall between 12 and 35, suggesting an extent of 3 % to 13 % partial melting. Cr# of harzburgites range from 35 to 39, suggesting 13 % to 14 % partial melting. This range of partial melting suggests only modest depletion of this exposed portion of the ancient uppermost mantle. TiO2 concentrations of the lherzolite and harzburgite range from 0.004% to 0.128%, with the exception of one sample, SE10 - 17 (0.258%), and fall within the normal melting trend for mantle peridotites. The presence of dunite indicates that melt flow and associated melt - rock reaction with the surrounding peridotite took place within this portion of the mantle. A Cr# of 84.5 from one of these dunite samples indicate that significant melt rock reaction with refractory melts took place. Such results are rarely found in mid-ocean ridge abyssal peridotite settings, and are currently found primarily in forearc tectonic settings. However, due to the overall "normal" TiO2 concentrations in all but one spinel peridotite requires that if melt flow did occur, that the melt be nearly depleted in titanium. The relatively low Cr#'s and TiO2 concentrations of spinel in these peridotites that suggest low degrees of partial melting along with the paleo presence of melt flow and melt-rock reaction by low titanium melts, such as boninites, point toward a young fore-arc model for the tectonic origin of this ophiolite body rather than a preserved mantle portion of the CLIP. Additionally, two lines of evidence suggest SEOC was emplaced prior to the collision of the CLIP with North and South America. The SEOC is 1) capped by a Campanian (83.5 - 70.6 Ma) rudist limestone and 2) lies uncomformably atop Cenomanian (93.6 - 99.6 Ma) radiolarite beds. This suggests that the mantle portion of the SEOC was emplaced and exposed at the Caribbean ocean floor prior to the Late Cretaceous (Campanian), but no earlier than the Cenomanian. This combined tectonic and geochemical evidence suggests SEOC may be a portion of the proto-arc that existed between the Americas in the Cretaceous prior to assault by the CLIP.

Characterizing and quantifying superparamagnetic magnetite particles in serpentinized mantle peridotite observed in continental ophiolite complexes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, E.; Vento, N. F. R.; Tominaga, M.; Beinlich, A.; Einsle, J. F.; Buisman, I.; Ringe, E.; Schrenk, M. O.; Cardace, D.

2017-12-01

Serpentinization of mantle peridotite has been recognized as one of the most important energy factories for the deep biosphere. To better evaluate the habitability of the deep biosphere, it is crucial to understand the link between in situ peridotite serpentinization processes and associated magnetite and hydrogen production. Previous efforts in correlating magnetite and hydrogen production during serpentinization processes are based primarily on laboratory experiments and numerical modeling, being challenged to include the contribution of superparamagnetic-sized magnetites (i.e., extremely fine-grained magnetite, petrographically observed as a "pepper flake" like texture in many natural serpentinized rock samples). To better estimate the abundance of superparamagnetic grains, we conducted frequency-dependent susceptibility magnetic measurements at the Institute of Rock Magnetism on naturally serpentinized rock samples from the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO) in California, USA and the Atlin Ophiolite (British Columbia). In addition, we conducted multiscale EDS phase mapping, BackScattered Electron (BSE) scanning, FIB-nanotomography and STEM-EELS to identify and quantify the superparamagnetic minerals that contribute to the measured magnetic susceptibility signals in our rock samples. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to improve the estimation of hydrogen production based on the abundance of magnetite, that includes the contribution of superparamagnetic particle size magnetite, to ultimately provide a more accurate estimation of bulk deep-biomass hosted by in situ serpentinization processes.

Geochemistry and Ar-Ar muscovite ages of the Daraban Leucogranite, Mawat Ophiolite, northeastern Iraq: Implications for Arabia-Eurasia continental collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammad, Yousif O.; Cornell, David H.; Qaradaghi, Jabbar H.; Mohammad, Fahmy O.

2014-06-01

Daraban Leucogranite dykes intruded discordantly into the basal serpentinized harzburgite of the Mawat Ophiolite, Kurdistan region, NE Iraq. These coarse grained muscovite-tourmaline leucogranites are the first leucogranite dykes identified within the Mawat Ophiolite. They are mainly composed of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, tourmaline, muscovite, and secondary phologopite, while zircon, xenotime, corundum, mangano-ilemnite and cassiterite occur as accessories.

Age of amphibolites associated with alpine peridotites in the Dinaride ophiolite zone, Yugoslavia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanphere, M.A.; Coleman, R.G.; Karamata, S.; Pamic, J.

1975-01-01

Amphibolites associated with alpine peridotites in the Central Ophiolite zone in Yugoslavia have K-Ar ages of 160-170 m.y. These amphibolites and associated peridotites underwent deep-seated metamorphism prior to tectonic emplacement into the sedimentary-volcanic assemblage of the Dinarides. The alpine peridotites and associated local rocks of the ophiolite suite are interpreted as Jurassic oceanic crust and upper mantle. ?? 1975.

Collisional emplacement history of the Naga-Andaman ophiolites and the position of the eastern Indian suture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acharyya, S. K.

2007-02-01

Dismembered late Mesozoic ophiolites occur in two parallel belts along the eastern margin of the Indian Plate. The Eastern Belt, closely following the magmatic arc of the Central Burma Basin, coincides with a zone of high gravity. It is considered to mark a zone of steeply dipping mafic-ultramafic rocks and continental metamorphic rocks, which are the locus of two closely juxtaposed sutures. In contrast, the Western Belt, which follows the eastern margin of the Indo-Burma Range and the Andaman outer-island-arc, broadly follows a zone of negative gravity anomalies. Here the ophiolites occur mainly as rootless subhorizontal bodies overlying Eocene-Oligocene flyschoid sediments. Two sets of ophiolites that were accreted during the Early Cretaceous and mid-Eocene are juxtaposed in this belt. These are inferred to be westward propagated nappes from the Eastern Belt, emplaced during the late Oligocene collision between the Burmese and Indo-Burma-Andaman microcontinents. Ophiolite occurrences in the Andaman Islands belong to the Western Belt and are generally interpreted as upthrust oceanic crust, accreted due to prolonged subduction activity to the west of the island arc. This phase of subduction began only in the late Miocene and thus could not have produced the ophiolitic rocks, which were accreted in the late Early Eocene.

Oxygen isotope evidence for submarine hydrothermal alteration of the Del Puerto ophiolite, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schiffman, P.; Williams, A.E.; Evarts, R.C.

1984-01-01

The oxygen isotope compositions and metamorphic mineral assemblages of hydrothermally altered rocks from the Del Puerto ophiolite and overlying volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks at the base of the Great Valley sequence indicate that their alteration occurred in a submarine hydrothermal system. Whole rock ??18O compositions decrease progressively down section (with increasing metamorphic grade): +22.4??? (SMOW) to +13.8 for zeolite-bearing volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks overlying the ophiolite; +19.6 to +11.6 for pumpellyite-bearing metavolcanic rocks in the upper part of the ophiolite's volcanic member; +12.3 to +8.1 for epidote-bearing metavolcanic rocks in the lower part of the volcanic member; +8.5 to +5.7 for greenschist facies rocks from the ophiolite's plutonic member; +7.6 to +5.8 for amphibolite facies or unmetamorphosed rocks from the plutonic member. Modelling of fluid-rock interaction in the Del Puerto ophiolite indicates that the observed pattern of upward enrichment in whole rock ??18O can be best explained by isotopic exchange with discharging 18O-shifted seawater at fluid/rock mass ratios near 2 and temperatures below 500??C. 18O-depleted plutonic rocks necessarily produced during hydrothermal circulation were later removed as a result of tectonism. Submarine weathering and later burial metamorphism at the base of the Great Valley sequence cannot by itself have produced the zonation of hydrothermal minerals and the corresponding variations in oxygen isotope compositions. The pervasive zeolite and prehnite-pumpellyite facies mineral assemblages found in the Del Puerto ophiolite may reflect its origin near an island arc rather than deep ocean spreading center. ?? 1984.

Types and Mechanisms of Alterations on the Mesozoic Ophiolites (Lake Van Region-Turkey): Petrographical and Geochemical Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazıcı, Ömer; Üner, Tijen; Mutlu, Sacit; Depçi, Tolga

2017-04-01

Mesozoic ophiolites are widely located in the eastern part of Lake Van Basin. The ophiolitic rocks deformed during the rifting and/or closure period of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean are observed as tectonic slices in the region. These ophiolites are represented by volcano-sedimentary units, isolated dikes, and mafic-ultramafic rocks. The formation, emplacement and post-emplacement processes of these ophiolitic rocks can be understood owing to alterations as rodingitization, serpentinization, and listwaenitization. Three stages of sequent mineralization are detected in the ophiolitic rocks. First stage is pyrometasomatization, represented by metamorphic minerals (garnet, chlorite etc.), observed in intruded dikes. Second stage is hydrothermal alteration of mafic-ultramafic rocks namely serpentinization. Listwaenite alteration is the last stage of mineralization. According to petrographical investigations, garnet+chlorite+diopsite minerals are detected in rodengites. The conversion of the plagioclase minerals to the calcsilicatic minerals in rodengites suggests that these rocks are metasomatic rocks produced by Ca-rich fluids derived from serpentinization of the ultramafic rocks. The serpentine minerals (chrysotile-lizardite) can be distinguished from each other by their morphology as being platy or fibrous. Listwaenite alteration is followed by the formation of carbonate, silica, oxides and hydroxides. Chemical analysis of these rocks show that the listwaenites have an enrichment in Ni and Co contents while the rodingites have low SiO2 and high CaO and MgO values (SiO2 28,50 - 36,67%, CaO 11,99 - 20,88%, and MgO 7,99 - 17,73%). Alteration types observed on the ophiolitic rocks demonstrate that these rocks are metamorphised by low pressure and low to middle temperature conditions (greenshist facies). Serpentinization is pointing out an alteration which occurred during the emplacement of the ophiolites or the latter period. This study has been supported by Project number 2013-FBE-YL072 of the Department of Scientific Research Projects of Yüzüncü Yıl University.

Forecasters Handbook for the Philippine Islands and Surrounding Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

northern Luzon, with the Cordillera Central Range (the longest on the figure) lying between the Sierra Madre Range and the Ilocos Range. The Zambales...temporary shelters . Over 37,000 houses were destroyed, and at least $14 million damage recorded. More than 57 water craft, mostly in the port of Cebu...Naval Research Laboratory 0ontemy, CA 93943-5502 NRUIPU/7541-92-O01 AD-A277 993 Forecasters Handbook for the Philippine Islands and Surrounding

Resolving the deep electrical resistivity structure at Central Pontides, Northern Turkey by three-dimensional magnetotelluric modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özaydın, Sinan; Bülent Tank, Sabri; Karaş, Mustafa; Sandvol, Eric

2017-04-01

Wide-band magnetotelluric (MT) (360 Hz - 1860 sec) data were acquired at 25 sites along a north - south aligned profile cutting across the Central Pontides, which are made up of highly metamorphosed formations and their tectonic boundaries including: a Lower Cretaceous-aged turbidite sequence, Central Pontides Metamorphic Supercomplex (CPMS), North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) and Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone (IAESZ). Dimensionality analyses over all observation points demonstrated high electrical anisotropy, which indicates complex geological and tectonic structures. This dimensional complexity and presence of the electrically conductive Black Sea augmented the requirement for a three-dimensional analysis. Inverse modeling routines, ModEM (Egbert and Kelbert, 2012) and WSINV3DMT (Siripunvaraporn et al., 2005) were utilized to reveal the geo-electrical implications over this unusually complicated region. Interpretations of the resultant models are summarized as follows: (i) Çangaldaǧ and Domuzdaǧ complexes appear as highly resistive bodies bounded by north dipping faults. (ii) Highly conductive Tosya Basin sediments overlain the ophiolitic materials as a thin cover located at the south of the NAFZ. (iii) North Anatolian Fault and some auxiliary faults within the system exhibit conductive-resistive interfaces that reach to lower crustal levels. (iv) IAESZ is a clear feature marked by the resistivity contrast between NAFZ-related sedimentary basins and Neo-Tethyan ophiolites.

The Naga Hills and Andaman ophiolite belt, their setting, nature and collisional emplacement history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acharyya, S. K.; Ray, K. K.; Sengupta, Subhasis

The Indo-Burmese Range and the Andaman-Nicobar Island Arc, form a continuous arcuate trend along which several ophiolite occurrences have been reported. In Naga Hills (NHO) and Andaman (ANO), these ophiolites are represented by dismembered mafic and ultramafic rocks with closely associated oceanic pelagic sediments. They occur as folded thrust slices occupying the highest tectonic levels and are brought to lie over distal shelf sediments of Eocene to Oligocene age. Ophiolites are unconformably overlain by ophiolite-derived clastics of Middle to Late Eocene age. The ophiolites preserved along this belt are remnants of a continuous, narrow, one or several intra-continental ocean basin(s) of broadly comparable age, created during the Late Mesozoic rifting of the Greater India Gondwana continent. Rifting and creation of oceanic crust date between Cretaceous and Early Eocene. In the initial stages, the ocean floor had been deeper than Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD). Subsequently it had become uneven, when oceanic crust was being added through several seamounts or seamount chains and on top of which calcareous pelagic sediments were deposited. Both tholeiitic and alkaline volcanic rocks are present in these ophiolites. In NHO, the two groups of lavas have generated from different sources in different tectonic settings. The alkalic and some tholeiitic lavas in NHO are similar to off-axis seamount basalts. Tholeiitic lavas from ANO and some NHO resemble MORB or backarc basin basalts and on the basis of certain chemical characters these are suggested to have generated in marginal basin setting. Significant volume of acid differentiates are associated in ANO which also support the marginal basin character of the basalts. The suite of rocks in ANO indicates fractionation in a shallow level magma chamber. Closure of the small ocean basin(s) and emplacement of ophiolites took place in two stages. In the initial stage, the seamount chain brought to the subduction zone collided with the Burmese block prior to Middle Eocene. Part of the ophiolites represent clipped seamounts which got accreted to the leading edge of the eastern continental block. With continued closure, this eastern block with accreted ophiolite slices was brought in juxtaposition with distal shelf sediments of the western block marking the terminal continent-continent collision. The thrust front of ophiolitic rocks apparently advanced further westward in Andaman to the south compared to the northern sector, and thus an imbricated zone and melange involving the Eocene floor sediments (Lipa Fm) has been created, whereas in the Naga Hills the floor sediments (Disang Fm) remained virtually passive. The time of terminal continental collision is represented as the regional Late Oligocene unconformity. The entire thrust stack got deformed and folded into upright geometry after being blocked. The present subduction of oceanic crust beneath the Andaman island arc appears to be a westward jump of subduction zone due to sustained post-collisional NE drive of the Indian plate.

From an ocean floor wrench zone origin to transpressional tectonic emplacement of the Sithonia ophiolite, eastern Vardar Suture Zone, northern Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonev, Nikolay; Filipov, Petyo

2017-12-01

In the Hellenides of northern Greece, the Sithonia back-arc ophiolite constitute an element of the Vardar suture zone against the Chortiatis island arc magmatic suite, the Melissochori Formation and the Serbo-Macedonian Massif further north at the Mesozoic continental margin of Eurasia. A granodiorite from the Chortiatis island arc magmatic suite crystallized at 160 Ma as derived from new U-Pb zircon geochronology and confirms the end of arc magmatic activity that started at around 173 Ma. Located southerly of the Chortiatis island arc magmatic suite, the Sithonia ophiolite had igneous life from 159 to 149 Ma, and the ophiolite interfinger with clastic-carbonate Kimmeridgian sediments. Magmatic structures (i.e., sheeted dykes) in the ophiolite witness for NE-trending rift axis, while the transform faults and fracture zones sketch NW-SE transcurrent transtension-like propagation of the rift-spreading center at Sithonia that is consistent with a dextral wrench corridor already proposed for the ophiolite origin in the eastern Vardar zone. The tectonic emplacement of the Sithonia ophiolite involved dextral ENE to SE strike-slip sense of shear and SW and NE reverse thrust sense of shear on mostly steep foliation S1, subhorizontal lineation L1 and associated variably inclined F1 fold axes. This structural grain and kinematics are shared by adjacent Chortiatis island arc magmatic suite and the Melissochori Formation. The coexistence of strike-parallel and thrust components of displacement along discrete dextral strike-slip shear zones and internal deformation of the mentioned units is interpreted to result from a bulk dextral transpressive deformation regime developed in greenschist-facies metamorphic conditions. The back-arc ocean floor previous structural architecture with faults and fracture zones where Kimmeridgian sediments deposited in troughs was used by discrete strike-slip shear zones in which these sediments involved, and the shear zones become the sites for strain partitioning of transpressional deformation. Available biostratigraphic and radiometric age constraints define latest Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous (Tithonian-Berriasian to early Valanginian) time frame for the Sithonia ophiolite northeastward tectonic emplacement accomodated by dextral transpression that led to the ophiolite accretion to the Chortiatis island arc magmatic suite and its trench-fill exposed in the Melissochori Formation and further north toward the Serbo-Macedonian margin of Eurasia.

Sabzevar Ophiolite, NE Iran: Progress from embryonic oceanic lithosphere into magmatic arc constrained by new isotopic and geochemical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghadam, Hadi Shafaii; Corfu, Fernando; Chiaradia, Massimo; Stern, Robert J.; Ghorbani, Ghasem

2014-12-01

The poorly known Sabzevar-Torbat-e-Heydarieh ophiolite belt (STOB) covers a large region in NE Iran, over 400 km E-W and almost 200 km N-S. The Sabzevar mantle sequence includes harzburgite, lherzolite, dunite and chromitite. Spinel Cr# (100Cr/(Cr + Al)) in harzburgites and lherzolites ranges from 44 to 47 and 24 to 26 respectively. The crustal sequence of the Sabzevar ophiolite is dominated by supra-subduction zone (SSZ)-type volcanic as well as plutonic rocks with minor Oceanic Island Basalt (OIB)-like pillowed and massive lavas. The ophiolite is covered by Late Campanian to Early Maastrichtian (~ 75-68 Ma) pelagic sediments and four plagiogranites yield zircon U-Pb ages of 99.9, 98.4, 90.2 and 77.8 Ma, indicating that the sequence evolved over a considerable period of time. Most Sabzevar ophiolitic magmatic rocks are enriched in Large Ion Lithophile Elements (LILEs) and depleted in High Field Strength Elements (HFSEs), similar to SSZ-type magmatic rocks. They (except OIB-type lavas) have higher Th/Yb and plot far away from mantle array and are similar to arc-related rocks. Subordinate OIB-type lavas show Nb-Ta enrichment with high Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE)/Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) ratio, suggesting a plume or subcontinental lithosphere signature in their source. The ophiolitic rocks have positive εNd (t) values (+ 5.4 to + 8.3) and most have high 207Pb/204Pb, indicating a significant contribution of subducted sediments to their mantle source. The geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope characteristics suggest that the Sabzevar magmatic rocks originated from a Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB)-type mantle source metasomatized by fluids or melts from subducted sediments, implying an SSZ environment. We suggest that the Sabzevar ophiolites formed in an embryonic oceanic arc basin between the Lut Block to the south and east and the Binalud mountains (Turan block) to the north, and that this small oceanic arc basin existed from at least mid-Cretaceous times. Intraoceanic subduction began before the Albian (100-113 Ma) and was responsible for generating Sabzevar SSZ-related magmas, ultimately forming a magmatic arc between the Sabzevar ophiolites to the north and the Cheshmeshir and Torbat-e-Heydarieh ophiolites to the south-southeast.

A Review on Forearc Ophiolite Obduction, Adakite-Like Generation, and Slab Window Development at the Chile Triple Junction Area: Uniformitarian Framework for Spreading-Ridge Subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourgois, Jacques; Lagabrielle, Yves; Martin, Hervé; Dyment, Jérôme; Frutos, Jose; Cisternas, Maria Eugenia

2016-10-01

This paper aggregates the main basic data acquired along the Chile Triple Junction (CTJ) area (45°-48°S), where an active spreading center is presently subducting beneath the Andean continental margin. Updated sea-floor kinematics associated with a comprehensive review of geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data provide new constraints on the geodynamics of this puzzling area. We discuss: (1) the emplacement mode for the Pleistocene Taitao Ridge and the Pliocene Taitao Peninsula ophiolite bodies. (2) The occurrence of these ophiolitic complexes in association with five adakite-like plutonic and volcanic centers of similar ages at the same restricted locations. (3) The inferences from the co-occurrence of these sub-coeval rocks originating from the same subducting oceanic lithosphere evolving through drastically different temperature-pressure ( P- T) path: low-grade greenschist facies overprint and amphibolite-eclogite transition, respectively. (4) The evidences that document ridge-jump events and associated microplate individualization during subduction of the SCR1 and SCR-1 segments: the Chonos and Cabo Elena microplates, respectively. The ridge-jump process associated with the occurrence of several closely spaced transform faults entering subduction is controlling slab fragmentation, ophiolite emplacement, and adakite-like production and location in the CTJ area. Kinematic inconsistencies in the development of the Patagonia slab window document an 11- km westward jump for the SCR-1 spreading segment at ~6.5-to-6.8 Ma. The SCR-1 spreading center is relocated beneath the North Patagonia Icefield (NPI). We argue that the deep-seated difference in the dynamically sustained origin of the high reliefs of the North and South Patagonia Icefield (NPI and SPI) is asthenospheric convection and slab melting, respectively. The Chile Triple Junction area provides the basic constraints to define the basic signatures for spreading-ridge subduction beneath an Andean-type margin.

Paleaostress/strain study and its implications for the geodynamic history of the Jabal Akhdar Dome (Oman)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scharf, Andreas; Amrouch, Khalid; Mattern, Frank

2016-04-01

Field observations, including oolite-, styolite, fracture analyses combined with laboratory measurements using calcite twin analysis show a ductile-to-brittle multiple-phase deformation history of the Arabian carbonate platform, ranging from Late Cretaceous to Neogene times. The Arabian carbonate platform, belonging to a passive continental margin since the Late Permian, was the site of the obduction of Tethyan oceanic lithosphere (Semail Ophiolite) during the Late Cretaceous, caused by the northward drift of Africa (Hanna, 1995). After or during the obduction, large parts of the entire nape pile composed of the Arabian platform and the Hawasina/Semail nappes, where folded and exhumed. This led to the exhumation of the Jabal Akhdar Dome. Our oolite samples from the Jabal Akhdar Dome and from below the ophiolite thrust reveal the strain ellipsoid related to the obduction. This strain ellipsoid shows components of pure and simple shear. In the latter case the longest axes of the strain ellipsoid are parallelly oriented to the direction of obduction (NE to SW), which is in good agreement with the direction of obduction as depicted by Hacker et al. (1996) for the study area. The pure-shear component (flattening) is interpreted to be a result of the overburden of the up to 7 km thick oceanic lithosphere. The oolites that are located approximately 200 m below the ophiolite thrust contact provide evidence for ductile deformation during the Late Cretaceous. These results are compared with strain and stress tensors obtained from styolites, calcite twins and fracture analyses, derived from the uppermost part of the Arabian platform of the Jabal Akhdar Dome. Our results show a complex and detailed structural deformation of the post-obduction history of the Jabal Akhdar Dome, including its folding and exhumation. Hanna, S. (1995) Field guide to the Geology of Oman. Ruwi (Historical Association of Oman. 178 pp. Hacker, B.R., Mosenfelder, J.L. & Gnos, E. (1996) Rapid emplacement of the Oman ophiolite: Thermal and geochronological constraints. Tectonics, 15(6), 1230-1247.

Mineral potential for nickel, copper, platinum group elements(PGE), and chromium deposits hosted in ultramafic rocks in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverable 67): Chapter G in Second projet de renforcement institutionnel du secteur minier de la République Islamique de Mauritanie (PRISM-II)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Cliff D.; Marsh, Erin; Anderson, Eric D.

2015-01-01

PRISM-I summary documents mention the presence of mafic-ultramafic igneous intrusive rocks in several areas of Mauritania and a number of chromium (Cr) and copper-nickel (Cu-Ni (±Co, Au)) occurrences associated with them. Permissive geologic settings generally include greenstone belts of any age, layered mafic-ultramafic and unlayered gabbro-anorthosite intrusive complexes in cratonic settings, ophiolite complexes, flood basalt provinces, and fluid-rich shear zones cutting accumulations of mafic-ultramafic rocks. Regions of Mauritania having these characteristics that are discussed in PRISM-I texts include the Mesoarchean greenstone belts of the TasiastTijirit terrane in the southwestern Rgueïbat Shield, two separate layered ultramafic complexes in the Amsaga Complex west of Atar, serpentinized metadunites in Mesoarchean rocks of the Rgueïbat Shield in the Zednes map sheet, several lateritized annular mafic-ultramafic complexes in the Paleoproterozoic northwestern portion of the Rgueïbat Shield, and the serpentinized ophiolitic segments of the Gorgol Noir Complex in the axial portion of the southern Mauritanides. Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) work in the “Extreme Sud” zone also suggests that small copper occurrences associated with the extensive Jurassic microgabbroic intrusive rocks in the Taoudeni Basin of southeastern Mauritania could have potential for magmatic Cu-Ni (PGE, Co, Au) sulfide mineralization. Similarly, Jurassic mafic intrusive rocks in the northeastern Taoudeni Basin may be permissive. Known magmatic Cu-Ni deposits of these types in Mauritania are few in number and some uncertainty exists as to the nature of several of the more important ones.

The Vardar zone as a suture for the Mirdita ophiolites, Albania: Constraints from the structural analysis of the Korabi-Pelagonia zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblay, Alain; Meshi, Avni; Deschamps, Thomas; Goulet, François; Goulet, Normand

2015-02-01

The Dinarides-Hellenides result from underthrusting of the Adriatic margin during Africa-Europe convergence. In Albania, they consist of (1) a western zone of nappes derived from Adria; (2) a central belt made up of the Mirdita ophiolites; and (3) an eastern zone, the Korabi-Pelagonia zone, of Variscan basement overlain by Permian to Mesozoic rift deposits and carbonates. Some authors interpret the Korabi-Pelagonia zone as a microcontinent between the Mirdita-Pindos oceanic basin to the west and the eastern Vardar oceanic basin to the east; other regard the Korabi-Pelagonia zone as a tectonic window below a single ophiolitic nappe. This contribution argues for a far-traveled thrust sheet. The Mirdita ophiolites are 165-160 Ma. The metamorphic sole yielded 40Ar/39Ar ages of 171 to 162 Ma. The Korabi-Pelagonia zone is subdivided into the Korabi and Gjegjan subzones. The structural analysis of these rocks supports the rooting of the Mirdita ophiolites in the Western Vardar zone. The post-Variscan cover sequence of the Korabi subzone records two phases of deformation: D1 is associated with a SE dipping to flat-lying schistosity axial planar to NW verging folds and thrust faults, related to ophiolite obduction; D2 is a postobduction NNE trending crenulation cleavage. Published zircon fission track analyses yielded 150-125 Ma, suggesting that regional metamorphism is Early Cretaceous or older. K-Ar mica ages from correlative rocks of Macedonia cluster between 148 and 130 Ma, indicating that D1 is Late Jurassic. A west directed obduction is favored, as is a rooting east of the Mirdita ophiolites because of the top-to-the-west structural polarity of obduction-related deformation.

The Cimmerian accretionary wedge of Anarak, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanchi, Andrea; Malaspina, Nadia; Zanchetta, Stefano; Berra, Fabrizio; Benciolini, Luca; Bergomi, Maria; Cavallo, Alessandro; Javadi, Hamid Reza; Kouhpeyma, Meyssam

2015-04-01

The occurrence in Iran of several ophiolite belts dating between Late Palaeozoic to Triassic poses several questions on the possible existence of various sutures marking the closure of the Palaeotethys ocean between Eurasia and this Gondwana-derived microplate. In this scenario, the Anarak region in Central Iran still represents a conundrum. Contrasting geochronological, paleontological, paleomagnetic data and reported field evidence suggest different origins for the Anarak Metamorphic Complex (AMC). The AMC is either interpreted, as: (1) relict of an accretionary wedge developed at the Eurasia margin during the Palaeotethys subduction as part of the Cimmerian suture zone of NE Iran, displaced to Central Iran by a large counter-clockwise rotation of the central Iranian blocks; (2) autochthonous unit forming a secondary branch of the main suture zone. Our structural, petrographic and geochemical data indicate that the AMC consists of several metamorphic units also including dismembered "ophiolites" which display different tectono-metamorphic evolutions. Three main ductile deformational events can be distinguished in the AMC. The Morghab and Chah Gorbeh complexes preserve a different M1 metamorphism, characterized by blueschist relics in the S1 foliation of the former unit, and greenschist assemblages in the latter. They share a subsequent similar D2 deformational and M2 metamorphic history, showing a prograde metamorphism with syn- to post-deformation growth of blueschist facies mineral assemblages on pre-existing greenschist facies associations. High pressure, low temperature (HP/LT) metamorphism responsible for the growth of sodic amphibole has been recognized also within marble lenses at the contact between the Chah Gorbeh Complex and serpentinites. Evidence of HP/LT metamorphism also occurs in glaucophane-bearing meta-pillow lavas and serpentinites, which contain antigorite and form most of the "ophiolites" within the AMC. Structural relationships show that the Chah Gorbeh and Morghab units and the "ophiolites" were tectonically coupled within an accretionary wedge before the D2 folding stage. The other units of the AMC lack evidence of HP metamorphism in the area around Anarak, especially the Lakh Marble, a large thrust sheet that occupies the uppermost structural position in the AMC. Available radiometric ages of trondhjemite dikes and stocks that intruded the accretionary wedge, as well as our new data, constrain the subduction event at the end of the Carboniferous, before 290 Ma. These data suggest that the AMC is part of an allochthonous crustal fragment belonging to the Variscan belt developed along the southern Eurasian margin before the Cimmerian collision of Iran. Subsequent deformational events that occurred during the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic, up to the Miocene and possibly later, resulted in folding, thrusting and faulting that dismembered the original structure of the wedge accompanying its displacement to the present day position.

The 190Pt-186Os Decay System Applied to Dating Platinum-Group Element Mineralization in Layered Intrusions, Ophiolites and Detrital Deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coggon, J. A.; Nowell, G.; Pearson, G.; Oberthür, T.; Lorand, J.; Melcher, F.; Parman, S. W.

2010-12-01

Discrete platinum-group minerals (PGM) occur as accessory phases in mafic-ultamafic intrusions and ophiolitic chromitites, as well as numerous detrital deposits globally. The 190Pt-186Os decay system, measured by laser ablation MC-ICPMS (LA-MC-ICPMS) provides a useful geochronometric tool for direct dating of PGM. Here we present two examples that verify the accuracy of the technique in geologically well constrained situations and demonstrate the potential for using the 190Pt-186Os PGM method to accurately date layered mafic intrusions, ophiolitic chromitites and detrital PGM deposits. Fifty PGM grains from three different horizons within the Bushveld complex yield a Pt-Os isochron age of 2012 ± 47 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 1.19, 186Os/188Osi = 0.119818 ± 0.000006). This is consistent with the published U-Pb zircon age of 2054 Ma (Scoates and Friedman, 2008). The younger PGM isochron age is not likely to be a function of difference in blocking temperatures in the different systems. Pt-Os model ages are possible in high pt grains because initial 186Os/188Os can be well constrained. Using this approach we obtained Pt-Os model ages of 2113 ± 106 Ma and 2042 ± 102 Ma for a Bushveld Pt-Fe alloy and sperrylite respectively. Detrital PGM derived from the Meratus ophiolite, southeast Borneo yield a 190Pt-186Os isochron age of 202.5 Ma ± 8.3 Ma (2σ, n = 260, MSWD = 0.90, 186Os/188Osi = 0.119830 ± 0.000003), consistent with radiometric and biostratigraphic age constraints (Wakita et al., 1998). We interpret this as the age of formation of the PGM grains in during chromitite genesis in the lower oceanic lithosphere. Our combined data demonstrate the utility of the LA-MC-ICPMS method as a tool for accurate Pt-Os dating of detrital PGM as well as their igneous parent bodies. We can constrain Pt/Os fractionation at the ablation site as being < 2.5%, while within-grain heterogeneity is ultimately one of the strongest controls on isochron and single-grain ages given the partial sampling represented by laser ablation. Scoates, J.S. and Friedman, R.M. 2008. Precise age of the platiniferous Merensky reef, Bushveld Complex, South Africa, by the U-Pb zircon chemical abrasion ID-TIMS technique; Economic Geology 103, p. 465-471. Wakita, K., Miyazaki, K., Zulkarnain, I., Sopaheluwakan, J. and Sanyoto, P. 1998. Tectonic implications of new age data for the Meratus complex of south Kalimantan, Indonesia; Island Arc 7, p. 202-222.

Geodynamic models of the deep structure of the natural disaster regions of the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodnikov, A. G.; Sergeyeva, N. A.; Zabarinskaya, L. P.

2012-04-01

Investigation of the deep structure and creation of geodynamic models of natural disaster regions are important for understanding of the nature of such phenomena as earthquakes, eruptions of volcanoes, tsunami and others. Carrying out of such researches is necessary for definition of areas of potential risk, forecasting and the prevention of negative consequences of acts of nature. Research region is active continental margins of the Sea of Okhotsk, and especially the area of Neftegorsk earthquake which has occurred on May, 28th 1995 in the North Sakhalin and caused many victims and destructions. The geodynamic model of the lithosphere in the region of Neftegorsk earthquake has been constructed along the profile crossing the North Sakhalin Basin, Deryugin Basin and ophiolite complex between them. The Deryugin Basin was formed at the site of an ancient deep trench after the subduction of the Okhotsk Sea Plate under Sakhalin. The basin is located above a hot plume in the mantle at a depth of 25 km. The ophiolite belt of ultramafic magmatic rocks is an ancient (K2-Pg) paleosubduction zone separating the Deryugin basin from the North Sakhalin Basin. The thickness of the ancient seismic focal zone is 80 km. It is probably that the structures of the North Sakhalin have been formed in the following way. In the Late Cretaceous the oceanic Okhotsk Sea Plate subducted under Sakhalin, the eastern part of which was an andesite island arc. Approximately in Miocene the subduction of the plate apparently ceased. In that time the Tatar Rift Strait was formed. Ophiolite rocks of the subduction zones as a result of compression have been squeezed out on a surface. The ophiolite complex combined by the ultrabasic rocks, fixes position of ancient subduction zone. It is probable that the manifestation of the Neftegorsk earthquake was a result of activization of this ancient subduction zone. On a surface the subduction zone manifests itself as deep faults running along Sakhalin. The center of the Neftegorsk earthquake was directly formed by burst of activity of this ancient subduction zone. From a position of the ancient subduction zone under Sakhalin, which is a cause of strong earthquakes here, it follows that the region is one of seismic dangerous in Russia. Constructed on the basis of complex interpretation of the geologic-geophysical data the geodynamic models of natural disaster regions give the chance: to study a deep structure under seismic dangerous zones; to investigate a role of deep processes in the upper mantle in formation of structures of earth crust; to relate the geological features, tectonomagmatic, hydrothermal activity with the processes in the upper mantle; to plot maps in detail with zones of increasing risks to prevent active building or other economic activities in such dangerous regions.

Kinematics and Ophiolite obduction in the Gerania and Helicon Mountains, central Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplanis, A.; Koukouvelas, I.; Xypolias, P.; Kokkalas, S.

2013-06-01

New structural, petrofabric and palaeostress data from the Beotia area (central Greece) were used to investigate the tectonic evolution of the suture zone between the External (Parnassus microplate) and Internal Hellenides (Pelagonian microplate). Petrofabric studies of ultramafic rocks were done using conventional U-stage analysis and the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Detailed structural analysis enabled us to distinguish three main deformation phases that took place from the Triassic to the Eocene. Triassic-Jurassic deformation is related to continental rifting and the progressive formation of an ocean basin. Ophiolites formed above a westward-dipping supra-subduction zone (SSZ) in the Early-Late Jurassic. Trench-margin collision resulted in the southeastward emplacement of the ophiolite nappe over the Pelagonian margin. There is also evidence for a north-westward thrusting of ophiolitic rocks over the Gerania and Helicon units during Berriasian time. This latter tectonic process is closely related to the deposition of "Beotian flysch" into a foreland basin. An extensional phase of deformation accompanied by shallow-water carbonate sedimentation is documented in the Upper Cretaceous. Later, during Paleocene the area was subjected to a compressional deformation phase characterised by SW-directed thrusting and folding, as well as NE-verging backthrusts and backfolds. Our proposed geotectonic model suggests the consumption of the ocean between the Parnassus and Pelagonian microplates. This model includes Late Jurassic eastward ophiolite obduction followed by Early Cretaceous west directed ophiolite thrusting.

The Armenian and NW Anatolian ophiolites: new insights for the closure of the Tethys domain and obduction onto the South Armenian Block and Anatolian-Tauride Platform before collision through dynamic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hässig, Marc; Rolland, Yann; Sosson, Marc; Hassani, Riad; Topuz, Gultekin; Faruk Çelik, Ömer; Gerbault, Muriel; Galoyan, Ghazar; Müller, Carla; Sahakyan, Lilit; Avagyan, Ara

2013-04-01

In the Lesser Caucasus three main domains are distinguished from SW to NE: (1) the South Armenian Block (SAB), a Gondwanian-derived continental terrane; (2) scattered outcrops of ophiolites coming up against the Sevan-Akera suture zone; and (3) the Eurasian plate. The Armenian ophiolites represent remnants of an oceanic domain which disappeared during Eurasia-Arabia convergence. Previous works using geochemical whole-rock analyses, 40Ar/39Ar and paleontological dating have shown that the ophiolite outcrops throughout this area were emplaced during the Late Cretaceous as one non-metamorphic preserved ophiolitic nappe of back-arc origin that formed during Middle to Late Jurassic. From these works, tectonic reconstructions include two clearly identified subductions, one related to the Neotethys subduction beneath the Eurasian margin and another to intra-oceanic subduction responsible for the opening of the back-arc basin corresponding to the ophiolites of the Lesser Caucasus. The analysis of the two stages of metamorphism of the garnet amphibolites of the ophiolite obduction sole at Amasia (M1: HT-LP peak of P = 6-7 kbar and T > 630°C; M2; MP-MT peak at P = 8-10 kbar and T = 600°C) has allowed us to deduce the onset of subduction of the SAB at 90 Ma for this locality, which age coincides with other paleontological ages at the obduction front. A preliminary paleomagnetic survey has also brought quantification to the amount of oceanic domain which disappeared by subduction between the SAB and Eurasia before collision. We propose a dynamic finite element model using ADELI to test the incidence of parameters such as the density of the different domains (or the interval between the densities), closing speed (or speeds if sporadic), the importance and interactions of mantle discontinuities with the subducting lithosphere and set a lithospheric model. Our field observations and analyses are used to validate combinations of factors. The aim is to better qualify the predominant factors and quantify the conditions leading to the onset of obduction, the paradox of dense oceanic lithosphere emplaced on top of a continental domain, after subduction and prior to collision. The results of this modeling are also compared to new observations of the assumed eastward extension of this ophiolitic nappe in NW Anatolia. Analyses of the Refahiye ophiolites show similar geochemical signatures as the Armenian ophiolites, due to a similar setting of formation (back-arc). The impact of the obduction of such a vast oceanic domain is not to be taken for granted when considering the following collision stage.

Petrology, geochemistry and Sm-Nd analyses on the Balkan-Carpathian Ophiolite (BCO - Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria): Remnants of a Devonian back-arc basin in the easternmost part of the Variscan domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plissart, Gaëlle; Monnier, Christophe; Diot, Hervé; Mărunţiu, Marcel; Berger, Julien; Triantafyllou, Antoine

2017-04-01

The pre-Alpine basement of the Southern Carpathians/Western Balkans contains four ophiolitic massifs dismembered by Alpine tectonics, which define the ;Balkan-Carpathian Ophiolite; (BCO) for which the tectonic setting and age of formation are still debated (Precambrian or Early Devonian). In this contribution, we demonstrate that, in light of a Pre-Alpine restoration, the four massifs belonged to a unique slice of very complete, obducted oceanic lithosphere and we re-evaluate its tectonic setting. Large chromitite volumes with Al-rich spinel compositions (Cr# = 0.39-0.48), as well as major and trace geochemical results on basalts (slightly enriched N-MORBs with low negative Nb anomaly associated with calk-alkaline BABBs), point to a formation in a back-arc basin. Mantle spinel composition (Cr# = 0.49-0.51) and melting modeling indicate mean melting extents of 8.5-11% favouring intermediate spreading rate. New Sm-Nd dating on lower gabbroic rocks give a whole rock isochron, interpreted as the age of formation of the BCO crust at 409 ± 38 Ma, thus confirming an Early Devonian oceanic crust. The previous ∼563 Ma U-Pb zircon age can be interpreted as casual inheritance indicating the proximity of an old continental lithosphere. Taking into account the lithological evidences and paleocontinental affinities of the two recognized terranes separated by the BC oceanic basin (Balkans and Sredna Gora) and by analogy with other Variscan ophiolites in Western/Central Europe, we suggest that the BC ophiolite belong to the ∼400 Ma ophiolites group obducted between West and East Galatia and belonging to the southern Variscan suture. However, the BC ophiolite is the only one of this group obducted to the north and not involved in the Lower Allochthon/ophiolite/Upper Allochthon thrust pile, likely explaining its exceptional preservation. Finally, we tentatively propose a new unifying tectonic model where different terrane drift rates and highly oblique displacements create two Rheic branches, the ;Rheic; and the ;Galicia-Brittany-Massif Central;.

The Cotoncello Shear Zone (Elba Island, Italy): The deep root of a fossil oceanic detachment fault in the Ligurian ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frassi, Chiara; Musumeci, Giovanni; Zucali, Michele; Mazzarini, Francesco; Rebay, Gisella; Langone, Antonio

2017-05-01

The ophiolite sequences in the western Elba Island are classically interpreted as a well-exposed ocean-floor section emplaced during the Apennines orogeny at the top of the tectonic nappe-stack. Stratigraphic, petrological and geochemical features indicate that these ophiolite sequences are remnants of slow-ultraslow spreading oceanic lithosphere analogous to the present-day Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Southwest Indian Ridge. Within the oceanward section of Tethyan lithosphere exposed in the Elba Island, we investigated for the first time a ​10s of meters-thick structure, the Cotoncello Shear Zone (CSZ), that records high-temperature ductile deformation. We used a multidisciplinary approach to document the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the shear zone and its role during spreading of the western Tethys. In addition, we used zircon U-Pb ages to date formation of the gabbroic lower crust in this sector of the Apennines. Our results indicate that the CSZ rooted below the brittle-ductile transition at temperature above 800 °C. A high-temperature ductile fabric was overprinted by fabrics recorded during progressive exhumation up to shallower levers under temperature < 500 °C. We suggest that the CSZ may represent the deep root of a detachment fault that accomplished exhumation of an ancient oceanic core complex (OCC) in between two stages of magmatic accretion. We suggest that the CSZ represents an excellent on-land example enabling to assess relationships between magmatism and deformation when extensional oceanic detachments are at work.

Sculpting the Philippine archipelago since the Cretaceous through rifting, oceanic spreading, subduction, obduction, collision and strike-slip faulting: Contribution to IGMA5000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aurelio, Mario A.; Peña, Rolando E.; Taguibao, Kristine Joy L.

2013-08-01

The Philippine archipelago resulted from a complex series of geologic events that involved continental rifting, oceanic spreading, subduction, ophiolite obduction, arc-continent collision, intra-arc basin formation and strike-slip faulting. It can be divided into two tectono-stratigraphic blocks, namely; the Palawan-Mindoro Continental Block (PCB) and the Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB). The PCB was originally a part of the Asian mainland that was rifted away during the Mesozoic and drifted in the course of the opening of the South China Sea (SCS) during Late Paleogene. On the other hand, the PMB developed mainly from island arcs and ophiolite terranes that started to form during the Cretaceous. At present, the PMB collides with the PCB in the Visayas in the central-western Philippines. This paper discusses recent updates on Philippine geology and tectonics as contribution to the establishment of the International Geologic Map of Asia at 1:5 M scale (IGMA5000).

Geochemical consequences of flow differentiation in a multiple injection dike (Trinity ophiolite, N. California)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brouxel, M.

1991-01-01

A clinopyroxene-rich dike of the Trinity ophiolite sheeted-dike complex shows three different magmatic pulses, probably injected in a short period of time (no well developed chilled margin) and important variations of the clinopyroxene and plagioclase percentages between its core (highly porphyritic) and margins (aphyric). This variation, interpreted as related to a flow differentiation phenomenon (mechanical phenocryst redistribution), has important geochemical consequences. It produces increases in the FeO, MgO, CaO, Cr and Ni contents from the margin to the core, together with increases in the clinopyroxene percentage, and decreases in the SiO2, Zr, Y, Nb and REE contents together with a decrease in the percentage of the fine-grained groundmass toward the core of the dike. This mineralogical redistribution, which also affects the incompatible trace element ratios because of the difference in plagioclase and clinopyroxene mineral/liquid partition coefficients, illustrate the importance of fractionation processes outside of a magma chamber. ?? 1991.

Si-Metasomatism During Serpentinization of Jurassic Ultramafic Sea-floor: a Comparative Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogel, M.; Frueh-Green, G. L.; Boschi, C.; Schwarzenbach, E. M.

2014-12-01

The Bracco-Levanto ophiolitic complex (northwestern Italy) represents one of the largest and better-exposed ophiolitic successions in the Northern Apennines. It is considered to be a fragment of heterogeneous Jurassic lithosphere that records tectono-magmatic and alteration histories similar to those documented along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), such as at the 15°20'N area and the Atlantis Massif at 30°N. Structural and petrological studies on these rocks provide constraints on metamorphic/deformation processes during formation and hydrothermal alteration of the Jurassic oceanic lithosphere. We present a petrological and geochemical study of serpentinization processes and fluid-rock interaction in the Bracco-Levanto ophiolitic complex and compare these to published data from modern oceanic hydrothermal systems, such as the Lost City hydrothermal field hosted in serpentinites on the Atlantis Massif. Major element and mineral compositional data allow us to distinguish a multiphase history of alteration characterized by: (1) widespread Si-metasomatism during progressive serpentinization, and (2) multiple phases of veining and carbonate precipitation associated with circulation of seawater in the shallow ultramafic-dominated portions of the Jurassic seafloor, resulting in the formation of ophicalcites. In detail, regional variations in Si, Mg and Al content are observed in zones of ophicalcite formation, indicating metasomatic reactions and Si-Al transport during long-lived fluid-rock interaction and channelling of hydrothermal fluids. Rare earth element and isotopic analysis indicate that the Si-rich fluids are derived from alteration of pyroxenes to talc and tremolite in ultramafic rocks at depth. Comparison with serpentinites from the Atlantis Massif and 15°20'N indicates a similar degree of Si-enrichment in the modern seafloor and suggests that Si-metasomatism may be a fundamental process associated with serpentinization at slow-spreading ridge environments. However, in contrast to metasomatic processes at the MAR, we find no geochemical evidence for a gabbroic source of the fluids, and thus, processes leading to Si-rich fluids can be variable in these environments.

Tectonic setting for ophiolite obduction in Oman.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coleman, R.G.

1981-01-01

The Samail ophiolite is part of an elongate belt in the Middle East that forms an integral part of the Alpine mountain chains that make up the N boundary of the Arabian-African plate. The Samail ophiolite represents a portion of the Tethyan ocean crust formed at a spreading center of Middle Cretaceous age (Cenomanian). During the Cretaceous spreading of the Tethyan Sea, Gondwana Land continued its dispersal, and the Arabian-African plate drifted northward about 10o. These events, combined with the opposite rotation of Eurasia and Africa, initiated the closing of the Tethyan during the Late Cretaceous. At the early stages of closure, downwarping of the Arabian continental margin, combined with the compressional forces of closure from the Eurasian plate, initiated obduction of the Tethyan oceanic crust along preexisting transform faults and still-hot oceanic crust was detached along oblique NE dipping thrust faults. Plate configurations combined with palinspastic reconstructions show that subduction and attendant large-scale island arc volcanism did not commence until after the Tethyan sea began to close and the Samail ophiolite was emplaced southward across the Arabian continental margin. The Samail ophiolite nappe now rests upon a melange consisting mainly of pelagic sediments, volcanics and detached fragments of the basal amphibolites, which in turn rest on autochthonous shelf carbonates of the Arabian platform. Following emplacement (Eocene) of the Samail ophiolite, the Tethyan oceanic crust began northward subduction, and active arc volcanism started just N of the present Jaz Murian depression in Iran.-Author

Structural styles and zircon ages of the South Tianshan accretionary complex, Atbashi Ridge, Kyrgyzstan: Insights for the anatomy of ocean plate stratigraphy and accretionary processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, Miao; Xiao, Wenjiao; Orozbaev, Rustam; Bakirov, Apas; Sakiev, Kadyrbek; Pak, Nikolay; Ivleva, Elena; Zhou, Kefa; Ao, Songjian; Qiao, Qingqing; Zhang, Zhixin

2018-03-01

The anatomy of an ancient accretionary complex has a significance for a better understanding of the tectonic processes of accretionary orogens and complex because of its complicated compositions and strong deformation. With a thorough structural and geochronological study of a fossil accretionary complex in the Atbashi Ridge, South Tianshan (Kyrgyzstan), we analyze the structure and architecture of ocean plate stratigraphy in the western Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The architecture of the Atbashi accretionary complex is subdivisible into four lithotectonic assemblages, some of which are mélanges with "block-in-matrix" structure: (1) North Ophiolitic Mélange; (2) High-pressure (HP)/Ultra-high-pressure (UHP) Metamorphic Assemblage; (3) Coherent & Mélange Assemblage; and (4) South Ophiolitic Mélange. Relationships between main units are tectonic contacts presented by faults. The major structures and lithostratigraphy of these units are thrust-fold nappes, thrusted duplexes, and imbricated ocean plate stratigraphy. All these rock units are complicatedly stacked in 3-D with the HP/UHP rocks being obliquely southwestward extruded. Detrital zircon ages of meta-sediments provide robust constraints on their provenance from the Ili-Central Tianshan Arc. The isotopic ages of the youngest components of the four units are Late Permian, Early-Middle Triassic, Early Carboniferous, and Early Triassic, respectively. We present a new tectonic model of the South Tianshan; a general northward subduction polarity led to final closure of the South Tianshan Ocean in the End-Permian to Late Triassic. These results help to resolve the long-standing controversy regarding the subduction polarity and the timing of the final closure of the South Tianshan Ocean. Finally, our work sheds lights on the use of ocean plate stratigraphy in the analysis of the tectonic evolution of accretionary orogens.

Subduction processes related to the Sea of Okhotsk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zabarinskaya, Ludmila P.; Sergeyeva, Nataliya

2017-04-01

It is obviously important to study a role of subduction processes in tectonic activity within the continental margins. They are marked by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami and other natural disasters hazardous to the people,plants and animals that inhabit such regions. The northwest part of the Sea of Okhotsk including the northern part of Sakhalin Island and the Deryugin Basin is the area of the recent intensive tectonic movements. The geological and geophysical data have made it possible to construct the geodynamic model of a deep structure of a lithosphere for this region. This geodynamic model has confirmed the existence of the ophiolite complex in the region under consideration. It located between the North Sakhalin sedimentary basin and the Deryugin basin. The Deryugin basin was formed on the side of an ancient deep trench after subducting the Okhotsk Sea Plate under Sakhalin in the Late Cretaceous-Paleogene. The North Sakhalin Basin with oil and gas resources was formed on the side of back-arc basin at that time. Approximately in the Miocene period the subduction process, apparently, has stopped. The remains of the subduction zone in the form of ophiolite complex have been identified according to geological and geophysical data. On a surface the subduction zone is shown as deep faults stretched along Sakhalin.

Plume type ophiolites in Japan, East Russia and Mongolia: Peculiarity of the Late Jurassic examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishiwatari, Akira; Ichiyama, Yuji; Ganbat, Erdenesaikhan

2013-04-01

Dilek and Furnes (2011; GSAB) provided a new comprehensive classification of ophiolites. In addition to the mid-ocean ridge (MOR) and supra-subduction zone (SSZ) types that are known for decades, they introduced rift-zone (passive margin) type, volcanic arc (active margin) type, and plume type. The last type is thought to be originated in oceanic large igneous provinces (LIPs; oceanic plateaus), and is preserved in the subduction-accretion complexes in the Pacific margins. The LIP-origin greenstones occur in the Middle Paleozoic (Devonian) accretionary complex (AC) in central Mongolia (Ganbat et al. 2012; AGU abst.). The Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic plume-type ophiolites are abundant in Japan. They are Carboniferous greenstones covered by thick limestone in the Akiyoshi belt (Permian AC, SW Japan; Tatsumi et al., 2000; Geology), Permian greenstones in the Mino-Tamba belt (Jurassic AC, SW Japan; Ichiyama et al. 2008; Lithos), and Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous greenstone in the Sorachi (Hokkaido; Ichiyama et al, 2012; Geology) and Mikabu (SW Japan; this study) belts. The LIP origin of these greenstones is indicated by abundance of picrite (partly komatiite and meimechite), geochemical features resembling HIMU basalts (e.g. high Nb/Y and Zr/Y) and Mg-rich (up to Fo93) picritic olivines following the "mantle array", suggesting very high (>1600oC) temperature of the source mantle plume. The Sorachi-Mikabu greenstones are characterized by the shorter time interval between magmatism and accretion than the previous ones, and are coeval with the meimechite lavas and Alaskan-type ultramafic intrusions in the Jurassic AC in Sikhote-Alin Mountains of Primorye (E. Russia), that suggest a superplume activity in the subduction zone (Ishiwatari and Ichiyama, 2004; IGR). The Mikabu greenstones extend for 800 km along the Pacific coast of SW Japan, and are characterized by the fragmented "olistostrome" occurrence of the basalts, gabbros and ultramafic cumulate rocks (but no mantle peridotite), suggesting tectonism in a sediment-starved subduction zone or a transform fault zone that transected the thick oceanic LIP crust. The Sorachi greenstones are associated with depleted mantle peridotite, and are covered by the thick Cretaceous turbidite formation (Yezo Group), and Takashima et al. (2002; JAES) concluded the marginal basin origin for the "Sorachi ophiolite". We know that some oceanic LIPs were developed into marginal basins (e.g. Caribbean basin). The Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous greenstone belts of Japan and eastern Russia may represent relics of a 2000 km-size superplume activity that hit the subduction zone and the adjacent ocean floor in NW Pacific.

Serpentinization and fluid-rock interaction in Jurassic mafic and ultramafic sea-floor: constraints from Ligurian ophiolite sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogel, Monica; Früh-Green, Gretchen L.; Boschi, Chiara; Schwarzenbach, Esther M.

2014-05-01

The Bracco-Levanto ophiolitic complex (Eastern Liguria) represents one of the largest and better-exposed ophiolitic successions in the Northern Apennines. It is considered to be a fragment of heterogeneous Jurassic lithosphere that records tectono-magmatic and alteration histories similar to those documented along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, such as at the 15°20'N area and the Atlantis Massif at 30°N. Structural and petrological studies on these rocks provide constraints on metamorphic/deformation processes during formation and hydrothermal alteration of the Jurassic oceanic lithosphere. We present a petrological and geochemical study of deformation processes and fluid-rock interaction in the Bracco-Levanto ophiolitic complex and compare these to modern oceanic hydrothermal systems, such as the Lost City Hydrothermal Field hosted in ultramafic rocks on the Atlantis Massif. A focus is on investigating mass transfer and fluid flow paths during high and low temperature hydrothermal activity, and on processes leading to hydrothermal carbonate precipitation and the formation of ophicalcites, which are characteristic of the Bracco-Levanto sequences. Major element and mineral compositional data allow us to distinguish a multiphase history of alteration characterized by: (1) widespread SiO2 metasomatism during progressive serpentinization, and (2) multiple phases of veining and carbonate precipitation associated with circulation of seawater and high fluid-rock ratios in the shallow ultramafic-dominated portions of the Jurassic seafloor. We observe regional variations in MgO, SiO2 and Al2O3, suggesting Si-flux towards stratigraphically higher units. In general, the ophicalcites have higher Si, Al and Fe concentrations and lower Mg than the serpentinite basement rocks or serpentinites with minimal carbonate veins. Bulk rock trace element data and Sr isotope ratios indicate seawater reacting with rocks of more mafic composition, then channeled towards stratigraphically higher units, leading to Si metasomatism in the serpentinites and ophicalcites. Channelling of Si-rich fluids is also indicated by amphibole and talc growth in shear zones and wall rock around the ophicalcites. δ18O-values of the carbonate veins indicate temperatures up to 150°C and document a decrease in temperature with ongoing serpentinization. Comparison with serpentinites from the Atlantis Massif and 15°20'N indicates a similar degree of Si enrichment in the modern seafloor and suggests that Si-metasomatism may be a fundamental process associated with serpentinization at slow-spreading ridge environments.

Incipient boninitic arc crust built on denudated mantle: the Khantaishir ophiolite (western Mongolia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gianola, Omar; Schmidt, Max W.; Jagoutz, Oliver; Sambuu, Oyungerel

2017-12-01

The 570 Ma old Khantaishir ophiolite is built by up to 4 km harzburgitic mantle with abundant pyroxenites and dunites followed by 2 km of hornblende-gabbros and gabbronorites and by a 2.5 km thick volcanic unit composed of a dyke + sill complex capped by pillow lavas and some volcanoclastics. The volcanics are mainly basaltic andesites and andesites (or boninites) with an average of 58.2 ± 1.0 wt% SiO2, X Mg = 0.61 ± 0.03 ( X Mg = molar MgO/(MgO + FeOtot), TiO2 = 0.4 ± 0.1 wt% and CaO = 7.5 ± 0.6 wt% (errors as 2 σ). Normalized trace element patterns show positive anomalies for Pb and Sr, a negative Nb-anomaly, large ion lithophile elements (LILE) concentrations between N- and E-MORB and distinctly depleted HREE. These characteristics indicate that the Khantaishir volcanics were derived from a refractory mantle source modified by a moderate slab-component, similar to boninites erupted along the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction system and to the Troodos and Betts Cove ophiolites. Most strikingly and despite almost complete outcrops over 260 km2, there is no remnant of any pre-existing MORB crust, suggesting that the magmatic suite of this ophiolite formed on completely denudated mantle, most likely upon subduction initiation. The architecture of this 4-5 km thick early arc crust resembles oceanic crust formed at mid ocean ridges, but lacks a sheeted dyke complex; volcanic edifices are not observed. Nevertheless, low melting pressures combined with moderate H2O-contents resulted in high-Si primitive melts, in abundant hornblende-gabbros and in a fast enrichment in bulk SiO2. Fractional crystallization modeling starting from the observed primitive melts (56.6 wt% SiO2) suggests that 25 wt% pyroxene + plagioclase fractionation is sufficient to form the average Khantaishir volcanic crust. Most of the fractionation happened in the mantle, the observed pyroxenite lenses and layers in and at the top of the harzburgites account for the required cumulate volumes. Finally, the multiply documented occurrence of highly depleted boninites during subduction initiation suggests a causal relationship of subduction initiation and highly depleted mantle. Possibly, a discontinuity between dense fertile and buoyant depleted mantle contributes to the sinking of the future dense subducting plate, while the buoyant depleted mantle of the future overriding plate forms the infant mantle wedge.

Strongly foliated garnetiferous amphibolite clasts in ophiolitic melanges, Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone, Tibet; Early Cretaceous disruption of a back-arc basin?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guilmette, C.; Hebert, R.; Wang, C.; Indares, A. D.; Ullrich, T. D.; Dostal, J.; Bedard, E.

2007-12-01

Metre to decameter-size clasts of amphibolite are found embedded in ophiolitic melanges underlying the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone Ophiolites, South Tibet, China. These ophiolites and melanges occur at the limit between Indian and Tibetan-derived rocks and represent remnants of an Early Cretaceous intraoceanic supra-subduction zone domain, the Neo-Tethys. In the Saga-Dazuka segment (500 km along-strike), we discovered new occurrences of strongly foliated amphibolites found as clasts in the ophiolitic melange. In garnet-free samples, hornblende is green-blue magnesio-hornblende and cpx is low-Al diopside. In garnet- bearing samples, garnet is almandine with a strong pyrope component (up to 30 mol%) whereas coexisting hornblende is brown Ti-rich tschermakite and clinopyroxene is Al-diopside. Plagioclase composition was ubiquitously shifted to albite during a late metasomatic event. Geochemistry of these rocks indicates that their igneous protoliths crystallized from a slightly differentiated tholeiitic basaltic liquid that did not undergo major fractionation. Trace element patterns reveal geochemical characteristics identical to those of the overlying ophiolitic crust. These are 1) trace element abundances similar to that of N-MORBs or BABBs, 2) a slight depletion of LREE and 3) a moderate to strong Ta-Nb negative anomaly and a slight Ti anomaly. Such characteristics suggest genesis over a spreading center close to a subduction zone, possibly a back-arc basin. Step-heating Ar/Ar plateau ages were obtained from hornblende separates. All ages fall in the range of 123-128 Ma, overlapping the crystallization ages from the overlying ophiolite (126-131 Ma). Pseudosections were built with the THERMOCALC software in the system NCFMASH. Results indicate that the observed assemblage Hb+Pl+Gt+Cpx is stable over a wide range of P-T conditions, between 10-18 kbars and at more than 800°C. Measured mineral modes and solid solution compositions were successfully modeled, indicating equilibrium between 11-13 kbars and 825-850°C, corresponding to high-P granulite facies conditions. In a general way, the geochemistry of the strongly foliated amphibolite clasts suggests that their igneous protolith probably crystallized within the same supra-subduction zone as the crustal rocks from the overlying ophiolite. Then some of these rocks were entrained to mantle depth and were rapidly exhumed, most likely along a lithospheric scale thrust fault underneath the ophiolite. This event corresponds with the end of magmatic activity within the ophiolitic crust and mantle and could be regarded as the inception of a subduction plane at the spreading ridge of a back-arc basin. The whole package was later on obducted over the Indian passive margin, at about 70 Ma. Such a model suggests that closure of the oceanic domain separating India from Eurasia implied disruption of at least one arc-back-arc system, thus requiring at least one early intraoceanic collision or major plate movement reorganization prior to the Late Cretaceous obduction.

Mechanisms of formation of mantle section pyroxenites of Voykar Ophiolite, Polar Urals, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belousov, Ivan; Batanova, Valentina; Sobolev, Alexander; Savelieva, Galina

2010-05-01

Ural Mountains mark a major mid Paleozoic collision event, which resulted in the closure of an ocean basin separating the Siberian and European plates. Voykar Ophiolite is located in the Northern part of Uralian Ophiolite Belt. Ophiolitic sequence rocks of Polar Urals are usually considered as giant fragments of mantle and MORB-type crust formed in back-arc settings (e.g. Savelieva et al., 1987). Mantle section of Voykar Ophiolite comprises most of the ophiolitic sequence. It is up to 8 km thick and consists mostly of spinel harzburgites with multiple dunitic bodies and pyroxenitic veins representing pathways for different melts/fluids. While it is generally accepted that dunites in mantle sections are formed by melt-rock reaction and mark melt pathways (e.g. Kelemen et al., 1995), formation of pyroxenites is a subject of debate. Often pyroxenites from mantle sections of ophiolites (Varfalvy et al., 1997), as well as pyroxenites from mantle wedge xenoliths (Arai et al., 2006, Bali et al., 2007, Gregoire et al., 2008) are interpreted as interaction products between high-SiO2 melts and mantle peridotites. Such melts are believed to be widespread in SSZ mantle: boninites, high-MgO andesites and adakites. However, some researchers (e.g. Berly et al., 2006, Halama et al., 2009) propose pyroxenite formation in metasomatic reaction with fluid from subducting plate. Moreover, some pyroxenites could be formed by the melt crystallization in hydrous conditions (Muntener et al., 2001). We present comprehensive study of mineral major and trace element compositions from the mantle section rocks of Voykar Ophiolite in order to determine mechanism of formation of pyroxenites in ophiolitic mantle sections. Compositions of clinopyroxene and olivine from pyroxenites were compared to their compositions in harzburgites and dunites. Furthermore, compositions of clinopyroxene and magmatic amphibole from mantle section pyroxenites were used to calculate equilibrium melts. Geochemical data (enrichment of clinopyroxenes and amphiboles in LREE and LILE (Rb, Ba, Sr) relative to HFSE (Nb, Zr)) together with structural data suggests that pyroxenites display clear suprasubduction signatures and refer to the last stage of Voykar Ophiolite mantle section formation. All minerals from pyroxenites tend to have lower Mg-numbers and, therefore, high-Si meltsfluids have played major role in their formation. Depletion of clinopyroxenes in HREE and enrichment in Sr and LREE across the harzburgite-pyroxenite contacts suggests that this high-Si melts most probably refer to depleted SSZ melts, such as boninites. One group of magmatic amphibole in pyroxenites refers to such melts. However, another group of magmatic amphiboles probably refers to high-Si fluid depleted in REE and enriched in LILE (Rb, Ba, Sr) and Pb. Therefore, the variety of pyroxenite segregations, veins, and dikes reflects progressive stages of melt/fluid migration through harzburgite and dunite at various P-T conditions. For some pyroxenites (such as zoned websterite dikes) formation by fractional crystallization of hydrous magmas couldn't be excluded.

High-silica Rocks from Oceans, Arcs and Ophiolites: What Can They Tell Us About Ophiolite Origins?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perfit, M. R.; Lundstrom, C.; Wanless, V. D.

2015-12-01

Although the volumes of high-silica rocks in submarine oceanic and supra-subduction zone environments are not well constrained, their common occurrence, field relations and compositions have led to various hypotheses suggesting that silicic intrusions (plagiogranites) in ophiolites formed by similar processes to high-silica volcanic rocks at mid-ocean ridge (MOR) or island arc environments. Geochemical attributes of andesite-rhyolite suites from MOR (East Pacific Rise, Juan de Fuca Ridge, Galapagos Spreading Center, Pacific-Antarctic Rise) and back-arc basins (Manus Basin, Lau Basin, East Scotia Ridge) show both similarities and differences to plagiogranitic suites (qtz. diorite-tonalite-trondhjemite) from ophiolites (Troodos and Semail). Both suites are commonly attributed to: extreme (>90%) fractional crystallization of basaltic melts; fractional crystallization coupled with assimilation of hydrated oceanic crust (AFC); or partial melting of preexisting crust. Normalized incompatible trace element patterns show either highly elevated, relatively flat patterns with negative Eu and Sr anomalies similar to high silica volcanics or have complimentary patterns with low abundance, more depleted patterns with positive Eu and Sr anomalies. None of the mechanisms, however, provide a consistent explanation for the compositional and isotopic variations that are observed among plagiogranites. In fact, ophiolitic plagiogranites can have at least two petrogenetic signatures - one indicative of a MORB parent and another that has been related to later, off-axis formation associated with supra-subduction zone magmatism. Based on thermal gradient experiments, the systematic changes in Fe and Si stable isotope ratios with differentiation observed in ophiolite and MOR high-silica suites may result from melt-mineral reactions within a temperature gradient near the boundaries of MOR magma lenses. Comparative major element, trace element and isotopic data will be presented from MOR, BAB and ophiolites to address questions of their origins. Although the mechanism(s) by which plagiogranite bodies form and their relationship to andesitic to rhyolitic lavas still remains enigmatic geochemical comparisons between them provide important clues toward understanding their petrotectonic origins.

Obduction of old oceanic lithosphere due to reheating and plate reorganization: Insights from numerical modelling and the NE Anatolia - Lesser Caucasus case example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hässig, Marc; Duretz, Thibault; Rolland, Yann; Sosson, Marc

2016-05-01

The ophiolites of NE Anatolia and of the Lesser Caucasus (NALC) evidence an obduction over ∼200 km of oceanic lithosphere of Middle Jurassic age (c. 175-165 Ma) along an entire tectonic boundary (>1000 km) at around 90 Ma. The obduction process is characterized by four first order geological constraints: Ophiolites represent remnants of a single ophiolite nappe currently of only a few kilometres thick and 200 km long. The oceanic crust was old (∼80 Ma) at the time of its obduction. The presence of OIB-type magmatism emplaced up to 10 Ma prior to obduction preserved on top of the ophiolites is indicative of mantle upwelling processes (hotspot). The leading edge of the Taurides-Anatolides, represented by the South Armenian Block, did not experience pressures exceeding 0.8 GPa nor temperatures greater than ∼300 °C during underthrusting below the obducting oceanic lithosphere. An oceanic domain of a maximum 1000 km (from north to south) remained between Taurides-Anatolides and Pontides-Southern Eurasian Margin after the obduction. We employ two-dimensional thermo-mechanical numerical modelling in order to investigate obduction dynamics of a re-heated oceanic lithosphere. Our results suggest that thermal rejuvenation (i.e. reheating) of the oceanic domain, tectonic compression, and the structure of the passive margin are essential ingredients for enabling obduction. Afterwards, extension induced by far-field plate kinematics (subduction below Southern Eurasian Margin), facilitates the thinning of the ophiolite, the transport of the ophiolite on the continental domain, and the exhumation of continental basement through the ophiolite. The combined action of thermal rejuvenation and compression are ascribed to a major change in tectonic motions occurring at 110-90 Ma, which led to simultaneous obductions in the Oman (Arabia) and NALC regions.

Magmatic Diversity of the Wehrlitic Intrusions in the Oceanic Lower Crust of the Northern Oman Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, R.; Adachi, Y.; Miyashita, S.

2014-12-01

The Oman ophiolite extends along the east coast of Oman, and is the world's largest and best-preserved slice of obducted oceanic lithosphere. The magmatic history of this ophiolite is complex and is generally regarded as having occurred in three stages (MOR magmatism, subduction magmatism and intraplate magmatism). Wehrlitic intrusions constitute an important element of oceanic lower crust of the ophiolite, and numerous intrusions cut gabbro units in the northern Salahi block of this ophiolite. In this study area, we identified two different types of wehrlitic intrusions. One type of the intrusions mainly consists of dunite, plagioclase (Pl) wehrlite and mela-olivine (Ol) gabbro, in which the crystallization sequence is Ol followed by the contemporaneous crystallization of Pl and clinopyroxene (Cpx). This type is called "ordinary" wehrlitic intrusions and has similar mineral compositions to host gabbros (Adachi and Miyashita 2003; Kaneko et al. 2014). Another type of the intrusions is a single intrusion that crops out in an area 250 m × 150 m along Wadi Salahi. This intrusion consists of Pl-free "true" wehrlite, in which the crystallization sequence is Ol and then Cpx. The forsterite contents (Fo%) of Ol from the "ordinary" wehrlitic intrusions and "true" wehrlitic intrusions have ranges of 90.8-87.0 (NiO = 0.36-0.13 wt%) and 84.7 (NiO = 0.31 wt%), respectively. Cr numbers (Cr#) of Cr-spinel from the "true" wehrlitic intrusions show higher Cr# value of 0.85 than those of the "ordinary" wehrlitic intrusions (0.48-0.64). But the former is characterized by very high Fe3+ values (YFe3+ = 0.49-0.68). Kaneko et al. (2014) showed that the "ordinary" ubiquitous type has similar features to MOR magmatism and the depleted type in the Fizh block (Adachi and Miyashita 2003) links to subduction magmatism. These types are distinguished by their mineral chemistries (TiO2 and Na2O contents of Cpx). The TiO2 and Na2O contents of Cpx from the "true" wehrlitic intrusions have 0.38 wt% and 0.26 wt%, respectively, and plot on the field of MOR magmatism. The most-evolved Ol (Fo% = 84.7) from the wehrlitic intrusions has high NiO (0.31 wt%) and plots on the olivine mantle array (Takahashi 1986). It is suggested that heterogeneity of source mantle influences the magmatic diversity of the wehrlitic intrusions.

The ophiolitic North Fork terrane in the Salmon River region, central Klamath Mountains, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ando, C.J.; Irwin, W.P.; Jones, D.L.; Saleeby, J.B.

1983-01-01

The North Fork terrane is an assemblage of ophiolitic and other oceanic volcanic and sedimentary rocks that has been internally imbricated and folded. The ophiolitic rocks form a north-trending belt through the central part of the region and consist of a disrupted sequence of homogeneous gabbro, diabase, massive to pillowed basalt, and interleaved tectonitic harzburgite. U-Pb zircon age data on a plagiogranite pod from the gabbroic unit indicate that at least this part of the igneous sequence is late Paleozoic in age.The ophiolitic belt is flanked on either side by mafic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, limestone, bedded chert, and argillite. Most of the chert is Triassic, including much of Late Triassic age, but chert with uncertain stratigraphic relations at one locality is Permian. The strata flanking the east side of the ophiolitic belt face eastward, and depositional contacts between units are for the most part preserved. The strata on the west side of the ophiolitic belt are more highly disrupted than those on the east side, contain chert-argillite melange, and have unproven stratigraphic relation to either the ophiolitic rocks or the eastern strata.Rocks of the North Fork terrane do not show widespread evidence of penetrative deformation at elevated temperatures, except an early tectonitic fabric in the harzburgite. Slip-fiber foliation in serpentinite, phacoidal foliation in chert and mafic rocks, scaly foliation in argillite, and mesoscopic folds in bedded chert are consistent with an interpretation of large-scale anti-formal folding of the terrane about a north-south hinge found along the ophiolitic belt, but other structural interpretations are tenable. The age of folding of North Fork rocks is constrained by the involvement of Triassic and younger cherts and crosscutting Late Jurassic plutons. Deformation in the North Fork terrane must have spanned a short period of time because the terrane is bounded structurally above and below by Middle or Late Jurassic thrust faults.The North Fork terrane appears to contain no arc volcanic rocks or arc-derived detritus, suggesting that it neither constituted the base for an arc nor was in a basinal setting adjacent to an arc sediment source. Details of the progressive accretion and evolutionary relationship of the North Fork to other terranes of the Klamath Mountains are not yet clear.

Age and microfacies of oceanic Upper Triassic radiolarite components from the Middle Jurassic ophiolitic mélange in the Zlatibor Mountains (Inner Dinarides, Serbia) and their provenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawlick, Hans-Jürgen; Djerić, Nevenka; Missoni, Sigrid; Bragin, Nikita Yu.; Lein, Richard; Sudar, Milan; Jovanović, Divna

2017-08-01

Oceanic radiolarite components from the Middle Jurassic ophiolitic mélange between Trnava and Rožanstvo in the Zlatibor Mountains (Dinaridic Ophiolite Belt) west of the Drina-Ivanjica unit yield Late Triassic radiolarian ages. The microfacies characteristics of the radiolarites show pure ribbon radiolarites without crinoids or thin-shelled bivalves. Beside their age and the preservation of the radiolarians this points to a deposition of the radiolarites on top of the oceanic crust of the Neo-Tethys, which started to open in the Late Anisian. South of the study area the ophiolitic mélange (Gostilje-Ljubiš-Visoka-Radoševo mélange) contains a mixture of blocks of 1) oceanic crust, 2) Middle and Upper Triassic ribbon radiolarites, and 3) open marine limestones from the continental slope. On the basis of this composition we can conclude that the Upper Triassic radiolarite clasts derive either from 1) the younger parts of the sedimentary succession above the oceanic crust near the continental slope or, more convincingly 2) the sedimentary cover of ophiolites in a higher nappe position, because Upper Triassic ribbon radiolarites are only expected in more distal oceanic areas. The ophiolitic mélange in the study area overlies different carbonate blocks of an underlying carbonate-clastic mélange (Sirogojno mélange). We date and describe three localities with different Upper Triassic radiolarite clasts in a mélange, which occurs A) on top of Upper Triassic fore-reef to reefal limestones (Dachstein reef), B) between an Upper Triassic reefal limestone block and a Lower Carnian reef limestone (Wetterstein reef), and C) in fissures of an Upper Triassic lagoonal to back-reef limestone (Dachstein lagoon). The sedimentary features point to a sedimentary and not to a tectonic emplacement of the ophiolitic mélange (= sedimentary mélange) filling the rough topography of the topmost carbonate-clastic mélange below. The block spectrum of the underlying and slightly older carbonate-clastic mélange points to a deposition of the sedimentary ophiolitic mélange east of or on top of the Drina-Ivanjica unit.

Origin of multiple serpentinization events in New Caledonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, M.; Guillot, S.; Muñoz, M.; Picard, C.

2011-12-01

Studies on serpentinites around the world have shown that various polymorphs can coexist depending on the temperature, pressure and chemistry of the formation environment. Identifying serpentine polymorphs can thus provide significant constrains on the geodynamic environment at the time of formation. The New Caledonia ophiolite (Southwest Pacific) is one of the world's largest (500 km long, 50 km wide and 2 km thick). Emplaced during Eocene, it is thrust upon the continental Norfolk ridge, which derived from the splitting of the East Gondwana margin during Lower Late Cretaceous. The ophiolite consists of a large continuous massif occurring in the south of the island and some smaller isolated klippes located along the West coast. The peridotites are mostly harzburgite, related to a supra-subduction zone environment. The northernmost massifs are also composed of lherzolites, inherited from the opening of the South Loyalty Basin where the ophiolite was formed. Serpentinization is ubiquitous (usually >50%) independently from the nature of the peridotite. However, numerous studies have focused on the ophiolite but very few on the serpentinite. In this study, we use the Raman spectroscopy to identify serpentine polymorph in each part of the ophiolite. In situ trace element measurements were performed to constrain the behavior of fluid mobile element (FME: As, Sb, B, Li, Cs, Pb, U, Ba, Sr), and we are currently analyzing stable isotopic ratios to investigate the origin of fluids. Our results show that lizardite represents ~90% of the serpentine in the New Caledonia ophiolite. Only the serpentine sole has recorded multiple serpentinization events. In this horizon, the lizardite is crosscut by millimeter to centimeter antigorite veins. Chrysotile is the last polymorph to crystallize in millimeter crackseals. If the formation of the lizardite can be easily related to abyssal history of the ophiolite for the lherzolite and its supra-subduction history for the harzburgite, the origin of the antigorite veins is more questionable. P-T conditions required to form this polymorph together with FME enrichments indicate that the antigorite veins could derive from the circulation of metasomatic fluids related to the isothermal exhumation of HP rocks (i.e. the Diahot terrane) responsible for the heat advection beneath the ophiolite. Oxygen isotopes indicate that chrysotile was formed later (likely during the obduction) by the circulation of meteoric fluids.

Deciphering the tectonometamorphis history of the Anarak Metamorphic Complex, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanchetta, Stefano; Malaspina, Nadia; Zanchi, Andrea; Martin, Silvana; Benciolini, Luca; Berra, Fabrizio; Javadi, Hamid Reza; Koohpeyma, Meysam; Ghasemi, Mohammad R.; Sheikholeslami, Mohammad Reza

2014-05-01

The Cimmerian orogeny shaped the southern margin of Eurasia during the Late Permian and the Triassic. Several microplates, detached from Gondwana in the Early Permian, migrated northward to be accreted to the Eurasia margin. In the reconstruction of such orogenic event Iran is a key area. The occurrence of several "ophiolites" belt of various age, from Paleozoic to Cretaceous, poses several questions on the possibility that a single rather than multiple Paleotethys sutures occur between Eurasia and Iran. In this scenario the Anarak region in Central Iran still represents a conundrum. Contrasting geochronological, paleontological, paleomagnetic data and reported field evidence suggest different origins for the Anarak Metamorphic Complex (AMC). The AMC is either interpreted to be part of microplate of Gondwanan affinity, a relic of an accretionary wedge developed at the Eurasia margin during the Paleothetys subduction or part of the Cimmerian suture zone, occurring in NE Iran, displaced to central Iran by counterclockwise rotation of the central Iranian blocks from the Triassic. Our field structural data, petrographic and geochemical data, carried out in the frame of the DARIUS PROGRAMME, indicate that the AMC is not a single coherent block, but it consists of several units (Morghab, Chah Gorbeh, Patyar, Palhavand Gneiss, Lakh Marble, Doshak and dismembered "ophiolites") which display different tectonometamorphic evolutions. The Morghab and Chah Gorbeh units share a common history and they preserve, as a peculiar feature within metabasites, a prograde metamorphism with sin- to post-deformation growth of blueschists facies assemblages on pre-existing greenschist facies mineralogical associations. LT-HP metamorphism responsible for the growth of sodic amphibole has been recognized also within marble lenses at the southern limit of the Chah Gorbeh unit. Finally, evidence of LT-HP metamorphism also occur in the metabasites and possibly also in the serpentinites that form most of the "ophiolites" within the AMC. Structural analyses show that the Chah Gorbeh, Morghab units and the "ophiolites" have been tectonically coupled during at least two deformational phases that occurred at greenschist facies conditions and predate the LT-HP metamorphic overprint. Available geochronological data loosely constraints the subduction event in the Late Permian - Early Triassic times. Subsequent deformation events that occurred during the whole Mesozoic and the Cenozoic up to the Miocene and possibly later, resulted in folding, thrusting and faulting that dismembered the original tectonic contacts. Therefore, the correlations among deformation structures and metamorphic events in the different units are not straightforward. The other units of the AMC lack evidence of HP metamorphism, especially the Lakh Marble a large thrust sheet that occupies the uppermost structural position in the AMC. The contact with the underlying units is invariably tectonic, thus no original relationships have been preserved. So, if structural and petrographic data point out an accretionary wedge setting for the evolution of the Chah Gorbeh, Morghab and the "ophiolites", geodynamic significance and paleogeographic attribution of other units still remain controversial. In progress U-Pb dating of undeformed intrusive bodies and metamorphic minerals in the LT-HP rocks will soon help to better constrain the evolution of the ACM.

An oceanic core complex (OCC) in the Albanian Dinarides? Preliminary paleomagnetic and structural results from the Mirdita Ophiolite (northern Albania)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maffione, M.; Morris, A.; Anderson, M.

2010-12-01

Oceanic core complexes (OCCs) are dome-shaped massifs commonly associated with the inside corners of the intersection of transform faults and slow (and ultra-slow) spreading centres. They represent the uplifted footwalls of large-slip oceanic detachment faults (e.g. Cann et al., 1997; Blackman et al., 1998) and are composed of mantle and lower crustal rocks exhumed during fault displacement (Smith et al., 2006, 2008). Recent paleomagnetic studies of core samples from OCCs in the Atlantic Ocean (Morris et al., 2009; MacLeod et al., in prep) have confirmed that footwall sections undergo substantial rotation around (sub-) horizontal axes. These studies, therefore, support “rolling hinge” models for the evolution of OCCs, whereby oceanic detachment faults initiate at a steep angle at depth and then “roll-over” to their present day low angle orientations during unroofing (Buck, 1988; Wernicke & Axen, 1988; Lavier et al., 1999). However, a fully integrated paleomagnetic and structural analysis of this process is hampered by the one-dimensional sampling provided by ocean drilling of OCC footwalls. Therefore, ancient analogues for OCCs in ophiolites are of great interest, as these potentially provide 3-D exposures of these important structures and hence a more complete understanding of footwall strain and kinematics (providing that emplacement-related phases of deformation can be accounted for). Recently, the relationship between outcropping crustal and upper mantle rocks led Tremblay et al. (2009) to propose that an OCC is preserved within the Mirdita ophiolite of the Albanian Dinarides (northern Albania). This is a slice of Jurassic oceanic lithosphere exposed along a N-S corridor which escaped the main late Cenozoic Alpine deformation (Robertson, 2002, 2004; Dilek et al., 2007). Though in the eastern portion of the Mirdita ophiolite a Penrose-type sequence is present, in the western portion mantle rocks are in tectonic contact with upper crustal lithologies. This main fault has been interpreted by Tremblay et al. (2009) as originally an oceanic detachment fault that exhumed mantle rocks and put them in contact with upper crustal basalts according to the “rolling-hinge” model. In order to test this model and document the kinematics of the proposed detachment fault, we carried out a preliminary paleomagnetic and structural sampling campaign in July 2010. The principal aims were: (i) to determine whether paleomagnetic remanences provide evidence for early relative rotation of footwall and hanging wall sequences either side of the proposed detachment that may be consistent with rolling-hinge models for OCCs; & (ii) to provide insights into the broader tectonic evolution of the Mirdita units. We collected c. 200 oriented samples at 32 localities distributed within a 30 km x 15 km area located between the Puka and Krabbi massifs, near the villages of Puka and Reps. Here we present the preliminary results of this study and discuss their geological implications for the history of the Mirdita ophiolite, including the interpretation of the Puka and Krabbi massifs as a fossil OCC and the primary orientation of the Mirdita spreading axis.

Rodingitization and hydration of the oceanic lithosphere as developed in the Leka ophiolite, north central Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austrheim, H.; Prestvik, T.

2008-08-01

Ophiolite complexes in mountain chains may give supplementary information on the hydration of the oceanic lithosphere to that obtained from dredged and drilled samples from the ocean floor. The ultramafic (mantle) and the layered ultramafic to anorthositic (crustal) sequences of the Cambrian (497 Ma) Leka ophiolite are variably serpentinized and chloritized. Grossular-rodingite (rodingite s.s.) has been found over a c.500 m long and tens of meters wide zone in the layered, crustal section of the complex and is developed in both pyroxenites and gabbro/anorthosite layers. Shear zones and meter wide fracture zones, where the rock has developed a fracture cleavage, are oriented at high angel to the layering and these zones were the main conduits for transport of fluid and solute between the various lithologies. Some 5-15 cm thick layers of anorthosite (or leucogabbro) have been rodingitized around such a fractures zone, with the development of three distinct metasomatic zones along the plagioclase layer. A central grossular-dominated zone with clinopyroxene, clinozoisite, prehnite, chlorite and minor titanite (rodingite zone) extends for up to 3 m along strike and gives way to a clinozoisite-dominated zone (typically 0.5 m wide) with additional grossular, clinopyroxene and chlorite which is followed outward by a LILE-enriched zone (LILE-zone) with clinozoisite, phlogopite, K-feldspar, plagioclase and preiswerkite. The LILE-zone extends more than 3 m out from the clinozoisite-dominated zone (Clz-zone). Assuming constant volume, the rodingite formed from the plagioclase layer by addition of 20 g of CaO per 100 g of rock. All Na 2O (c. 2 g) was removed from both rodingite- and Clz-zones. Ti and V increase almost 10× in the rodingite compared to its protolith. K, Ba, Rb and Cs are strongly enriched in the LILE-zone compared to the protolith and suggest interaction with sea water. The lithologies alternating with the plagioclase layers (clinopyroxenite, wehrlite, websterite and dunite) display textures indicating a number of Ca-releasing (Cpx → Chl, Cpx → Srp, Cpx → Amph) and Ca-consuming (Opx → Cpx2, Ol → Cpx2, Cpx1 → Cpx2) reactions. The replacement textures are distributed around fracture and shear zones, with the Ca -releasing reactions in the core and the Ca -consuming reactions in distal parts, forming a metasomatic column out from the fluid pathways. Serpentinization and chloritization of clinopyroxene was the main Ca-source for the rodingitization process. This first description of rodingite in a layered sequence of an ophiolite complex indicates that the hydration of the oceanic lithosphere occurred at various structural levels and was associated with Ca-metasomatism also in places where rodingite s.s. is lacking. The different lithologies exchanged elements through transport on shear and fracture zones.

Tectonochemistry of the Brooks Range Ophiolite, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biasi, J.; Asimow, P. D.; Harris, R. A.

2017-12-01

The Brooks Range Ophiolite (BRO), recently estimated to be 1800km2 in area, is the largest ophiolite in the Western Hemisphere. However, due to its remote location, it remains one of the least studied. Mineral exploration and reconnaissance-level mapping of the ophiolite were done in the 1970s and 1980s. Some chemical analyses were also performed, but since that time the BRO has received little attention. Over the subsequent 25+ years, the study of ophiolites has advanced greatly. These early studies found that the BRO lies in the structurally highest position in the Brooks Range, and its obduction probably coincided with the collision between the Koyukuk Arc and the Arctic-Alaska continental margin. It is therefore important to determine the tectonic setting in which the BRO formed if one wants to understand the tectonic history of the Northern Cordillera during the Jurassic/Cretaceous. Here we present new tectonochemistry data from the BRO. This includes whole-rock data (via XRF), trace element data (via XRF and ICP-MS), and mineral chemistries (via Electron Microprobe). Using immobile element fingerprinting, we constrain the tectonic setting in which the BRO formed and how this information ties in with other events in the Northern Cordillera's history. The fingerprinting results are supplemented by Cr-in-spinel data and Al-in-olivine thermometry.

Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous radiolarian age constraints from the sedimentary cover of the Amasia ophiolite (NW Armenia), at the junction between the Izmir-Ankara-Erzinçan and Sevan-Hakari suture zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danelian, T.; Asatryan, G.; Galoyan, Gh.; Sahakyan, L.; Stepanyan, J.

2016-01-01

The Amasia ophiolite, situated at the northernmost corner of Armenia, is part of the Sevan-Hakari suture zone which links with the Izmir-Ankara-Erzinçan suture zone in northern Turkey. Three new radiolarian assemblages have been extracted from siliceous sedimentary rocks that accumulated on the Amasia ophiolite in an oceanic setting. Two of these assemblages were extracted from red-brownish bedded cherts overlying basaltic lavas; one of these is likely to be middle Oxfordian to early Kimmeridgian in age, while the second correlates with the Berriasian. Similar time-equivalent lava-chert sequences have been dated recently using radiolarians from the Stepanavan, Vedi and Sevan ophiolite units, where they are considered to relate to submarine volcanic activity in the back-arc marginal basin in which the Armenian ophiolites were formed. The third radiolarian assemblage, of late Barremian age, was extracted from a more than 15-m-thick volcaniclastic-chert sequence. The related volcanic activity is likely to have been subaerial and probably relates to the formation of an oceanic volcanic plateau; no Cretaceous subaerial volcanism has been previously recorded in the Lesser Caucasus area.

Enriched and depleted characters of the Amnay Ophiolite upper crustal section and the regionally heterogeneous nature of the South China Sea mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Americus d. C.; Faustino-Eslava, Decibel V.; Yumul, Graciano P.; Dimalanta, Carla B.; Tamayo, Rodolfo A.; Yang, Tsanyao Frank; Zhou, Mei-Fu

2013-03-01

The volcanic section of the Middle Oligocene Amnay Ophiolite in Mindoro, Philippines has previously been shown to be of normalmid-oceanic ridge basalt (NMORB) composition. Here we report for the first time an enriched mantle component that is additionally recorded in this crustal section. New whole rock major and trace element data are presented for nine mafic volcanic rocks from a section of the ophiolite that has not been previously examined. These moderately evolved tholeiitic basalts were found to have resulted from the bulk mixing of ˜10% ocean island basalt components with depleted mantle. Drawing together various geochemical characteristics reported for different rock suites taken as representatives of the South China Sea crust, including the enriched MORB (EMORB) and NMORB of the East Taiwan Ophiolite, the NMORB from previous studies of the Amnay Ophiolite and the younger ocean floor eruptives of the Scarborough Seamount-Reed Bank region, a veined mantle model is proposed for the South China Sea mantle. The NMORB magmatic products are suggested to have been derived from the more depleted portions of the mantle whereas the ocean island basalt (OIB) and EMORB-type materials from the mixing of depleted and veined/enriched mantle regions.

The effect of carbon-rich fluid alteration on the mechanical and physical properties of ultramafic rocks from Linnejavrre, Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisabeth, H. P.; Zhu, W.

2016-12-01

Carbon dioxide interacts with mafic and ultramafic rocks on the ocean floor at fracture zones and detachment faults, and within ophiolite complexes. Steatized olivine-pyroxene or serpentinite rocks become talc-carbonate rocks, i.e., soapstones. If the fluids are extremely carbon-rich, the process can continue to completion, binding all the magnesium from olivine and pyroxene in magnesium carbonate, resulting in magnesite-quartz rocks known as listvenites. The structural, mechanical and mineralogical characteristics of these rocks can be long-lived and affect later tectonic deformation over the course of the supercontinent cycle, influencing the obduction of ophiolites and possibly the initiation of subduction. To ascertain the changes in physical and geomechanical characteristics of these rocks as they undergo carbonic alteration, we measure ultrasonic velocity, electrical resistivity and shear strength in a series of laboratory tests on samples collected from northern Norway, where the Linnajavrre Ophiolite contains representative samples of serpentinite, soapstone and listvenite. We discover that the rocks tend to become denser, more porous, weaker, and more electrically and acoustically impeditive as carbonation proceeds. Samples fail by highly localized brittle faulting with little dilatancy. Shear strength appears to correlate with talc abundance, with a steep drop-off from 5 to 20% talc. Deformed samples are examined under petrographic microscope to explore deformation micromechanisms. Our data suggest that the weakening observed in soapstones and listvenites compared to serpentinites is attributed to interconnected talc grains. Such carbonic alteration of oceanic serpentinites may help facilitate oceanic spreading, particularly along slow and ultraslow segments of mid-ocean ridges.

Kinematics of Late Cretaceous subduction initiation in the Neo-Tethys Ocean reconstructed from ophiolites of Turkey, Cyprus, and Syria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maffione, Marco; van Hinsbergen, Douwe; de Gelder, Giovanni; van der Goes, Freek; Morris, Antony

2017-04-01

Formation of new subduction zones represents one of the cornerstones of plate tectonics, yet both the kinematics and geodynamics governing this process remain enigmatic. A major subduction initiation event occurred in the Late Cretaceous, within the Neo-Tethys Ocean between Gondwana and Eurasia. Supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites (i.e., emerged fragments of ancient oceanic lithosphere accreted at supra-subduction spreading centers) were generated during this subduction event, and are today distributed in the eastern Mediterranean region along three E-W trending ophiolitic belts. Current models associate these ophiolite belts to simultaneous initiation of multiple, E-W trending subduction zones at 95 Ma. Here we report paleospreading direction data obtained from paleomagnetic analysis of sheeted dyke sections from seven Neo-Tethyan ophiolites of Turkey, Cyprus, and Syria, demonstrating that these ophiolites formed at NNE-SSW striking ridges parallel to the newly formed subduction zones. This subduction system was step-shaped and composed of NNE-SSW and ESE-WNW segments. The eastern subduction segment invaded the SW Mediterranean, leading to a radial obduction pattern similar to the Banda arc. Emplacement age constraints indicate that this subduction system formed close to the Triassic passive and paleo-transform margins of the Anatolide-Tauride continental block. Because the original Triassic-Jurassic Neo-Tethyan spreading ridge must have already subducted below the Pontides before the Late Cretaceous, we infer that the Late Cretaceous Neo-Tethyan subduction system started within ancient lithosphere, along NNE-SSW oriented fracture zones and faults parallel to the E-W trending passive margins. This challenges current concepts suggesting that subduction initiation occurs along active intra-oceanic plate boundaries.

Tectonic interactions between India and Arabia since the Jurassic reconstructed from marine geophysics, ophiolite geology, and seismic tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaina, Carmen; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Spakman, Wim

2015-05-01

Gondwana breakup since the Jurassic and the northward motion of India toward Eurasia were associated with formation of ocean basins and ophiolite obduction between and onto the Indian and Arabian margins. Here we reconcile marine geophysical data from preserved oceanic basins with the age and location of ophiolites in NW India and SE Arabia and seismic tomography of the mantle below the NW Indian Ocean. The North Somali and proto-Owen basins formed due to 160-133 Ma N-S extension between India and Somalia. Subsequent convergence destroyed part of this crust, simultaneous with the uplift of the Masirah ophiolites. Most of the preserved crust in the Owen Basin may have formed between 84 and 74 Ma, whereas the Mascarene and the Amirante basins accommodated motion between India and Madagascar/East Africa between 85 and circa 60 Ma and 75 and circa 66 Ma, respectively. Between circa 84 and 45 Ma, oblique Arabia-India convergence culminated in ophiolite obduction onto SE Arabia and NW India and formed the Carlsberg slab in the lower mantle below the NW Indian Ocean. The NNE-SSW oriented slab may explain the anomalous bathymetry in the NW Indian Ocean and may be considered a paleolongitudinal constraint for absolute plate motion. NW India-Asia collision occurred at circa 20 Ma deforming the Sulaiman ranges or at 30 Ma if the Hindu Kush slab north of the Afghan block reflects intra-Asian subduction. Our study highlights that the NW India ophiolites have no relationship with India-Asia motion or collision but result from relative India-Africa/Arabia motions instead.

New paleomagnetic data from the Wadi Abyad crustal section and their implications for the rotation history of the Oman ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Matthew; Morris, Antony; Anderson, Mark; MacLeod, Chris

2015-04-01

The Oman ophiolite is an important natural laboratory for understanding the construction of oceanic crust at fast spreading axes and its subsequent tectonic evolution. Previous paleomagnetic research in lavas of the northern ophiolitic blocks (Perrin et al., 2000) has demonstrated substantial clockwise intraoceanic tectonic rotations. Paleomagnetic data from lower crustal sequences in the southern blocks, however, have been more equivocal due to complications arising from remagnetization, and have been used to infer that clockwise rotations seen in the north are internal to the ophiolite rather than regionally significant (Weiler, 2000). Here we demonstrate the importance and advantages of sampling crustal transects in the ophiolite in order to understand the nature and variability in magnetization directions. By systematically sampling the lower crustal sequence exposed in Wadi Abyad (Rustaq block) we resolve for the first time in a single section a pattern of remagnetized lowermost gabbros and retention of earlier magnetizations by uppermost gabbros and the overlying dyke-rooting zone. Results are supported by a positive fold test that shows that remagnetization of lower gabbros occurred prior to the Campanian structural disruption of the Moho. NW-directed remagnetized remanences in the lower units are consistent with those used by Weiler (2000) to infer lack of significant rotation of the southern blocks and to argue, therefore, that rotation of the northern blocks was internal to the ophiolite. In contrast, E/ENE-directed remanences in the uppermost levels of Wadi Abyad imply large, clockwise rotation of the Rustaq block, of a sense and magnitude consistent with intraoceanic rotations inferred from extrusive sections in the northern blocks. We conclude that without the control provided by systematic crustal sampling, the potential for different remanence directions being acquired at different times may lead to erroneous tectonic interpretation.

The Bashgumbaz "ophiolites" of SE Pamir (Tajikistan): time constraints for the South Pamir accretion to Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanchetta, Stefano; Worthington, James; Angiolini, Lucia; Zanchi, Andrea

2017-04-01

The Pamir belts, located NW of the Himalaya, formed in response to the Cenozoic collision and indentation of India with Eurasia. Several crustal blocks separated by complex and scarcely studied suture zones form the present day tectonic architecture of the Pamirs. The extreme crustal shortening resulted in strong deformation and bending of pre-existing Paleozoic to Mesozoic orogens. Such deformation hinders straightforward correlations between tectonic terranes of the Himalaya-Tibetan area with their potential continuations through the Pamirs into Afghanistan and Iran. Central and SE Pamir, together with Karakoram and Qiangtang blocks separated from the Gondwana margin in the Early Permian, drifted northward, following the closure of the Paleotethys and other minor oceanic branches, and diachronously collided with Northern Pamir and Tian Shan. The Central and South Pamir are now separated by the poorly known Rushan-Pshart Suture Zone. South Pamir is separated into two units: SE Pamir consists of a Permian to Cenozoic sedimentary succession; SW Pamir is instead made of gigantic basement domes that are in contact with the SE block along crustal scale detachments. In SE Pamir, intensively folded and faulted Permian and Triassic units are unconformably covered by lowermost Jurassic terrigeneous deposits, testifying for Middle to Lower Triassic tectonics related to the Cimmerian orogenic events. Along the contact between the SE and SW Pamir, a small (a few tens of km2 wide) magmatic-metasedimetary unit occurs, reported in literature as the Bashgumbaz ophiolites. They consist of a low-grade metamorphic association of serpentinized harzburgites and gabbros, minor bodies of diorite and plagiogranite, basalts and intermediate volcanic rocks, metasediments, and a flyschoid unit containing olistolithic blocks with Triassic faunas attributed to Central Pamir block. Petrographic and geochemical data suggest a supra-subduction zone affinity for the gabbroic complex. U-Th-Pb dating of zircons from a diorite provides a Carnian crystallization age. Deformation and metamorphism (up to greenschist facies) that affected the Bashgumbaz complex should therefore been placed in the Late Triassic. We suggest that the Bashgumbaz unit formed in a supra-subduction setting and was later underthrusted and then obducted onto the southern margin of the closing Rushan-Pshart ocean. The obduction of the Bashgumbaz ophiolites could be considered as a time-marker for the accretion of the South Pamir terrane to the Eurasian margin.

Subduction zone decoupling/retreat modeling explains south Tibet (Xigaze) and other supra-subduction zone ophiolites and their UHP mineral phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Jared P.; Beaumont, Christopher

2017-04-01

The plate tectonic setting in which proto-ophiolite 'oceanic' lithosphere is created remains controversial with a number of environments suggested. Recent opinions tend to coalesce around supra-subduction zone (SSZ) forearc extension, with a popular conceptual model in which the proto-ophiolite forms during foundering of oceanic lithosphere at the time of spontaneous or induced onset of subduction. This mechanism is favored in intra-oceanic settings where the subducting lithosphere is old and the upper plate is young and thin. We investigate an alternative mechanism; namely, decoupling of the subducting oceanic lithosphere in the forearc of an active continental margin, followed by subduction zone (trench) retreat and creation of a forearc oceanic rift basin, containing proto-ophiolite lithosphere, between the continental margin and the retreating subduction zone. A template of 2D numerical model experiments examines the trade-off between strength of viscous coupling in the lithospheric subduction channel and net slab pull of the subducting lithosphere. Three tectonic styles are observed: 1) C, continuous subduction without forearc decoupling; 2) R, forearc decoupling followed by rapid subduction zone retreat; 3) B, breakoff of subducting lithosphere followed by re-initiation of subduction and in some cases, forearc decoupling (B-R). In one case (BA-B-R; where BA denotes backarc) subduction zone retreat follows backarc rifting. Subduction zone decoupling is analyzed using frictional-plastic yield theory and the Stefan solution for the separation of plates containing a viscous fluid. The numerical model results are used to explain the formation of Xigaze group ophiolites, southern Tibet, which formed in the Lhasa terrane forearc, likely following earlier subduction and not necessarily during subduction initiation. Either there was normal coupled subduction before subduction zone decoupling, or precursor slab breakoff, subduction re-initiation and then decoupling. Rapid deep upper-mantle circulation in the models during subduction zone retreat can exhume and emplace material in the forearc proto-ophiolite from as deep as the mantle transition zone, thereby explaining diamonds and other 10-15 GPa UHP phases in Tibetan ophiolites.

Armorican provenance for the mélange deposits below the Lizard ophiolite (Cornwall, UK): evidence for Devonian obduction of Cadomian and Lower Palaeozoic crust onto the southern margin of Avalonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strachan, Rob A.; Linnemann, Ulf; Jeffries, Teresa; Drost, Kerstin; Ulrich, Jens

2014-07-01

Devonian sedimentary rocks of the Meneage Formation within the footwall of the Lizard ophiolite complex in SW England are thought to have been derived from erosion of the over-riding Armorican microplate during collision with Avalonia and the closure of the Rheic Ocean. We further test this hypothesis by comparison of their detrital zircon suites with those of autochthonous Armorican strata. Five samples analysed from SW England (Avalonia) and NW France (Armorica) have a bimodal U-Pb zircon age distribution dominated by late Neoproterozoic to middle Cambrian (c. 710-518 Ma) and Palaeoproterozoic (c. 1,800-2,200 Ma) groupings. Both can be linked with lithologies exposed within the Cadomian belt as well as the West African craton, which is characterized by major tectonothermal events at 2.0-2.4 Ga. The detrital zircon signature of Avalonia is distinct from that of Armorica in that there is a much larger proportion of Mesoproterozoic detritus. The common provenance of the samples is therefore consistent with: (a) derivation of the Meneage Formation mélange deposits from the Armorican plate during Rheic Ocean closure and obduction of the Lizard Complex and (b) previous correlation of quartzite blocks within the Meneage Formation with the Ordovician Grès Armoricain Formation of NW France.

The East Falcon Basin: Its Caribbean roots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bartok, P.; Boesi, T.

1996-08-01

The East Falcon Basin has been described persistently in the context of the Maracaibo Basin tectonic framework. It is the objective of the present study to demonstrate that the Falcon Basin is, in effect, a Caribbean basin juxtaposed on South America and affected by Caribbean tectonics. The oldest rocks outcropping in the region are Late Paleozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks rafted from northcentral Colombia, Middle Jurassic ophiolite complexes, sediments and metasediments and Cretaceous ophiolites transported by a melange of late Cretaceous to early Tertiary sediments. The south vergence of the Caribbean Nappe province has been documented and extends to themore » present limit of the Andean uplift and to the southern limit of the Coastal Range. The migrating foredeep that developed during the Paleocene-Eocene deposited dominantly basinal shales and thin sandstones. During the Oligocene the Caribbean faults of the Oca system and conjugates began with a dominantly transtensional regime becoming progressively transpressional by Miocene time. The facies development of the Oligocene-Miocene documents the tectonic history. Unique blocks remained as resistant blocks creating ramparts and modifying the basin configuration. During transpression northward-verging thrusting progressively migrated towards the present coastline. The most evident structures of the region are Caribbean in affinity and combined with the sedimentary history of the region can serve to unravel the complex Caribbean-South American plate interaction.« less

Age, temperature and pressure of metamorphism in the Tasriwine Ophiolite Complex, Sirwa, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samson, S. D.; Inglis, J.; Hefferan, K. P.; Admou, H.; Saquaque, A.

2013-12-01

Sm-Nd garnet-whole rock geochronology and phase equilbria modeling have been used to determine the age and conditions of regional metamorphism within the Tasriwine ophiolite complex,Sirwa, Morocco. Pressure and temperature estimates obtained using a NaCaKFMASHT phase diagram (pseudosection) and garnet core and rim compositions predict that garnet growth began at ~0.72GPa and ~615°C and ended at ~0.8GPa and ~640°C. A bulk garnet Sm-Nd age of 645.6 × 1.6 Ma, calculated from a four point isochron that combines whole rock, garnet full dissolution and two successively more aggressive partial dissolutions, provides a precise date for garnet formation and regional metamorphism. The age is nearly 20 million years younger than a previous age estimate of regional metamorphism of 663 × 14 Ma based upon a SHRIMP U-Pb date from rims on zircon from the Irri migmatite. The new data provide further constraints on the age and nature of regional metamorphism in the Anti-Atlas mountains and emphasizes that garnet growth during regional metamorphism may not necessarily coincide with magmatism/anatexis which predominate the signature witnessed by previous U-Pb studies. The ability to couple PT estimates for garnet formation with high precision Sm- Nd geochronology highlights the utility of garnet studies for uncovering the detailed metamorphic history of the Anti-Atlas mountain belt.

Early Paleozoic magmatic events in the eastern Klamath Mountains, northern California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wallin, E.T.; Mattinson, J.M.; Potter, A.W.

1988-02-01

New U-Pb zircon ages for nine samples of tonalite and pegmatitic trondhjemite from the Trinity ophiolite and associated melange reveal a complex history of magmatic activity extending back into the earliest Cambrian, much older than previously believed. Earlier investigations, based on limited data, recognized lower Paleozoic crustal elements in the eastern Klamath terrane (EKT) ranging in age from Middle Ordovician to Early to Middle Devonian. The new work in the Yreka-Callahan area of the EKT confirms the Ordovician (440-475 Ma) and younger ages, but reveals for the first time the presence of tonalitic rocks that crystallized during a narrow timemore » interval at about 565-570 Ma. The authors also recognize younger, Late Silurian magmatism at 412 Ma. In the context of available mapping, these ages indicate that the Trinity ophiolite is broadly polygenetic because parts of it yield crystallization ages that span approximately 150 m.y. Superjacent dismembered units of probable early Paleozoic age may be tectonostratigraphically equivalent to the Sierra City melange in the northern Sierra Nevada.« less

Hot spot abundance, ridge subduction and the evolution of greenstone belts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, D.; Hoffman, S.

1986-01-01

A number of plate tectonic hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of Archaean and Phanerozoic greenstone/ophiolite terranes. In these models, ophiolites or greenstone belts represent the remnants of one or more of the following: island arcs, rifted continental margins, oceanic crustal sections, and hot spot volcanic products. If plate tectonics has been active since the creation of the Earth, it is logical to suppose that the same types of tectonic processes which form present day ophiolites also formed Archaean greenstone belts. However, the relative importance of the various tectonic processes may well have been different and are discussed.

Mapping the Oman Ophiolite using TM data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abrams, Michael

1987-01-01

Ophiolite terrains, considered to be the onland occurrences of oceanic crust, host a number of types of mineral deposits: volcanogenic massive sulfides, podiform chromite, and asbestos. Thematic Mapper data for the Semail Ophiolite in Oman were used to separate and map ultramafic lithologies hosting these deposits, including identification of the components of the extrusive volcanic sequence, mapping of serpentinization due to various tectonic processes, and direct identification of gossans. Thematic Mapper data were found to be extremely effective for mapping in this terrain due to the excellent spatial resolution and the presence of spectral bands which allow separation of the pertinent mineralogically caused spectral features associated with the rock types of interest.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hagstrum, J.T.

Paleomagnetic data are presented for a 50-m-thick sequence of Oxfordian to Tithonian sedimentary rocks conformably overlying Upper Jurassic pillow basalt within the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain, California. These new data are similar in direction and polarity to previously published paleomagnetic data for the pillow basalt. The Jurassic sedimentary rocks were deposited during a mixed-polarity interval of the geomagnetic field, and uniformity of the remanent magnetization within the entire section of pillow basalt and sedimentary rocks indicates later remagnetization. Remagnetization of the Coast Range ophiolite is interpreted to have occurred during accretion to the continental margin, possibly by burialmore » and low-temperature alteration related to this event. Similar paleolatitudes calculated for the ophiolite (11{degree} {plus minus} 3{degree}) and for mid-Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Stanley Mountain terrane at Figueroa Mountain (6{degree} {plus minus} 5{degree}) are consistent with remagnetization of the ophiolite in southern California and elsewhere along the Pacific coast imply that these rocks were also overprinted, and their magnetic inclinations suggest remagnetization at low paleolatitudes as well. The Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain is thus inferred to have been remagnetized along the North American margin near 10{degree}N paleolatitude between earliest and mid-Cretaceous time and subsequently transported northward by strike-slip faulting related to relative motions between the Farallon, Kula, Pacific, and North American plates.« less

Contrasting thermal and melting histories for segments of mantle lithosphere in the Nahlin ophiolite, British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGoldrick, Siobhan; Canil, Dante; Zagorevski, Alex

2018-03-01

The Permo-Triassic Nahlin ophiolite is the largest and best-preserved ophiolite in the Canadian Cordillera of British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. The ophiolite is well-exposed along its 150 km length with mantle segments divisible into the Hardluck and Menatatuline massifs. Both massifs comprise mostly depleted spinel harzburgite (< 2 wt% Al2O3 and 45 wt% MgO). Chondrite normalized REE abundances in clinopyroxene vary in (Gd/Yb)N from 0.2 to 1.1. Inversion modelling of clinopyroxene REE abundances requires 10-16% and 16-20% partial melting in the Hardluck and Menatatuline massifs, respectively. The two-pyroxene and Fe-Mg exchange temperatures in the mantle of the ophiolite also change systematically along strike with the degree of partial melt depletion. The temperatures recorded by REE and Ca-Mg exchange between coexisting pyroxenes require markedly higher peak temperatures and cooling rates for the Menatatuline massif (1250 °C, 0.1-0.01 °C/year) compared to the Hardluck massif (< 1100 °C, 10- 4 °C/year). The differences between these two contiguous massifs can be reconciled by their evolution as two separate segments along a ridge system having varying melt depletion, with contrasting cooling rates controlled by presence or absence of a crustal section above the mantle lithosphere, or by rapid exhumation along a detachment.

First-order similarities and differences between Alps, Dinarides, Hellenides and Anatolides-Taurides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, Stefan M.; Bernoulli, Daniel; Fügenschuh, Bernhard; Matenco, Liviu; Schefer, Senecio; Oberhänsli, Roland; van Hinsbergen, Douwe; Ustaszewski, Kamil

2013-04-01

We correlated tectonic units across several circum-Mediterranean orogen strands between the Alps, Carpathians, the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean and Western Turkey. Our compilation allows discussing fundamental along-strike similarities and differences. One first-order difference is that Dinarides-Hellenides, Anatolides and Taurides represent orogens of opposite subduction polarity and age with respect to the Alps and Carpathians. The internal Dinarides are linked to the Alps and Western Carpathians along the Mid-Hungarian fault zone, a suspected former trench-trench transform fault; its lithospheric root was obliterated during Neogene back-arc extension that formed the Pannonian Basin. Dinarides and Hellenides alike consist of far-travelled nappes detached from the Adriatic continental margin along décollement horizons in Paleozoic or younger stratigraphic levels during Cretaceous and Cenozoic orogeny. The more internal nappes (i.e. Jadar-Kopaonik, Drina-Ivanjica, East Bosnian-Durmitor and their Pelagonian and Almopias equivalents in the Hellenides) are composite nappes whereby the allochthonous Adriatic margin sequences passively carry ophiolites (Western Vardar Ophiolitic Unit) obducted during the latest Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous. These obducted ophiolitic units, as well as ophiolites obducted onto Europe-derived units presently found in the East Carpathians (Eastern Vardar Ophiolitic Unit obducted onto the Dacia continental block), root in one single Neotethys ocean that started closing with the initiation of obduction in the latest Jurassic; final suturing occurred during Cretaceous times, terminating with the formation of the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture in the latest Cretaceous. Ophiolitic "massifs" found outside the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture zone do not mark oceanic sutures, nor do the Drina-Ivanjica and Pelagonian "massifs" represent independent continental fragments (terranes). The same logic applies to Western Turkey with the difference that the ophiolites were obducted in Late Cretaceous rather than Late Jurassic times. Also, the Sakarya zone and Cretaceous ophiolites of Turkey cannot be traced far into the Aegean region. The widespread existence of obducted ophiolites in the East Carpathians, Dinarides-Hellenides and Western Turkey thus represents a first-order difference to the Alps and Western Carpathians, where oceanic units derived from the Alpine Tethys occur invariably within accretionary prisms. Important lateral changes are also observed when comparing the present-day lithospheric configuration of the Dinarides with that of the Hellenides. In the Dinarides the Adriatic lithospheric slab can only be traced down to a depth of c. 200 km. In the Hellenides an over 2100 km long slab is still preserved below the Aegean part of the Hellenides, indicating long-lasting subduction of a coherent lithospheric slab that initiated during the onset of closure of Neotethys in Late Jurassic times. Some 1500 km of this total slab length became subducted after the closure of Neotethys and formation of the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture zone. Out of this total some 800 km result from plate convergence while some 700 km are a consequence of massive back-arc extension and rollback.

Crustal Zircons from the Podiform Chromitites in Luobusa Ophiolite, Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, S.; Komiya, T.; Maruyama, S.

2004-12-01

For the past decade, diamonds and unusual mineral asemblages were reported in podiform chromitites of the Luobusa ophiolite, southern Tibet, China (Bai 1993, Bai 2000, Yan 2001) by heavy mineral separation. These include (1) native elements, (2) alloys, (3) carbide, (4) platinium group elements (PGE) and arsenides, (5) silicates (6) oxide, (7) carbonates, (8) minerals with unusual compositons. Despite many questions as to these minerals above still remain open, these mineral inclusions would provide us the important infomation on the formation of the podiform chromitites. In this study, over 100 zircons were discovered by heavy mineral separation of podiform chromitite in Luobusa ophiolite. The discovery of accessory zircons in chromitites allowed us to date the formation of the chromitite and history of tectonic evolutions. Here we report the U-Pb age and mineral inclusions of zircons and discuss with unusually old age zircons. 20 zircon grains in chromitites from No. 1 site were analyzed. Zircons from the chromitites in Luobusa ophiolite are usually euhedral-subhedral and some are rounded. Cathodoluminescence images of these zircons indicate that some zircons have clear oscillatory zoning, whereas other zircons show apparent homogeneous overgrowth. U-Pb dating of these zircons by LA-ICP-MS yielded two different ages. One group has relatively younger age, 107-534Ma, which plots nearly on a concordia line. Another group has older age 1460-1822Ma, which plots off the concordia line. There is insignificant difference of apparent ages within a single zircon grain. For example, a zircon has 1650 Ma in the core, whereas does 1654 Ma in the rim. We identified several mineral inclusions, quartz, feldspar, mica, apatite, within both yonger and older zircons using laser-Raman spectrometry and EPMA. No high-pressure minerals or mantle minerals were identified. This means that these unusually old zircons were formed in low-pressure crustal emvironment. Where did the zircons in chromitites come from? It has been recognized that this ophiolite was formed at 110-120 Ma based on radiolaria in cherts overlying the pillow lavas (ALLEGRE et al., 1984; ZIABREV et al., 2003). In this study, the minimum age of 107 Ma, which we obtained from zircon in chromitites, is consistent to the age of the ophiolite. But, all other ages of zircons are much older than that of ophiolite. Yang et al. (2001) also reported U-Pb zircon ages of 450-910 Ma and Re-Os iridosmine age of 400 Ma from chromitites in Luobusa ophiolite. Mineral inclusions within zircons are crustal materials, which means that these zircons were crystallized in the low pressure crustal condition. Thus these zircons within chromitites are interpreted as xenocrysts from old crustal materials. Recently, old-age zircons (330 to 1600 Ma) were also reported from the Mid Atlantic Ridge MORBs (PILOT et al., 1998). They suggest one possibility that these old-age zircons may have derived from old continental crustal material, which have assimilated with the MORB magma during ascent. Moreover, Archean zircons were reported from pyroxenite dikes in Jormua ophiolite (PETRI et al., 2003). YU et al. (2001) reported that zircons from chromitites in Luobusa ophiolite have shorter inter-atomic distances of Zr-O and Si-O bonds. As a result, they concluded that Tibetan-zircons were derived from the high-pressure mantle environment. Judging from the line of evidence mentioned above, it is highly possible that these zircons captured by chromitites were originated from recycled crustal materials, convecting through upper mantle.

Proterozoic Eastern Sayan ophiolites (Central Asian Orogenic Belt) record subduction initiation in vicinity of continental block

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyaev, Vasilii; Gornova, Marina; Medvedev, Alexander; Dril, Sergey; Karimov, Anas

2017-04-01

Geochemical study of cumulate and volcanic rocks from ˜ 1020 Ma Eastern Sayan ophiolites1 (Siberia, Russia) is used to provide a correlation between two ophiolitic belts and link them to subduction initiation setting. Studied areas include Ospin and Ilchir massifs to the East and Dunzhugur to the West of Early Precambrian Gargan block. Ophiolitic cumulates represent peridotite-pyroxenite-gabbro-norite suite with crystallization orders of Cr-Sp - Ol - Cpx - Opx - Plag, and Cr-Sp - Ol - Opx - Amph - (Cpx) - Plag. Clinopyroxene is augite-diopside with Mg# 85-95, low Al2O3 (1-2.5%) and TiO2 (0.05-0.2%). Amph is Mg-hornblende to edenite (Mg# 84-86, 5-8% Al2O3, 0.3-0.6% TiO2). Cr-Sp has Cr# 65-83 and 0.05-0.3% TiO2 in cumulates with high Opx proportion, while in Cpx-dominating pyroxenites chemistry of Cr-Sp is variable (Cr# 40-75, 0.05-0.5% TiO2). Due to alteration, Ol and Opx chemistry is available only for some samples (Ol: Mg# 88, 0.2-0.3% NiO; Opx: Mg# 89, 1.6% Al2O3). Whole-rock MgO ranges 9 to 38%. Amph-free pyroxenites and gabbro-norites show flat to slightly depleted REE pattern with negative HFSE anomalies. Amph-pyroxenites have fractionated trace-element pattern with LREE enrichment, Nb-Ti minima at slightly higher HFSE abundances. In-situ LA-ICP-MS analysis of Cpx in Amph-free pyroxenites and gabbro-norites revealed moderately depleted to flat REE and Nb-Zr-Hf-Ti depletion, with low trace element abundances (La/SmPM = 0.14-0.9, Zr 0.6-2.3, Nd = 0.2-1.1, Yb = 0.2-0.7 ppm). Melts calculated to be in equilibrium with Cpx using distribution coefficients2 are REE-flat to slightly LREE-enriched (La/SmPM = 1-4) at low HREE abundances (0.5-1.5 ppm Yb). Overall, crystallization orders, mineral and whole-rock chemistry suggest origin of ophiolitic cumulates from low-Ca boninites or primitive andesites (higher Opx or Amph proportion) to high-Ca boninites or primitive island arc tholeiites (Cpx-dominating, Amph-free associations with subordinate Opx). Ophiolitic volcanics and dikes are low-Ca and intermediate-Ca boninites, andesite-basalts, andesites, dacites of calc-alkaline (CA) affinity with rare evolved island-arc tholeiitic (IAT) andesite-basalts. They resemble appropriate rocks of intraoceanic island arcs, forearcs, and ophiolites. Boninites and CA-andesites are LREE-enriched (La/SmPM 1.2-3.8) at low HREE (0.5-1.6 ppm Yb) contents while evolved IAT show flat REE (La/SmPM = 1.1) and higher abundances (2.4-2.8 ppm Yb), and both have negative Nb anomalies. Nd-isotopic data expressed as epsilon Nd(1020Ma) values are -2.3 to +4.1 in cumulates, -2.8 to +0.4 in boninites and andesites, and +2.3 to +2.7 in IAT (compared to epsilon Nd(1020Ma) +7.8 in depleted mantle). The ophiolites obducted on the Gargan continental block, which contains Archean gneisses with epsilon Nd(1020) = -20 to -281. Subduction and recycling of sediments derived from these gneisses could explain enriched Nd isotopic characteristics of the studied ophiolitic rocks. The boninite-andesite-IAT association is usually found in subduction initiation settings recorded by modern forearc regions and forearc ophiolites. The difference of the Eastern Sayan ophiolites is their supposed formation close to ancient continental block which supplied recycled material into newly formed subduction zone. 1. Sklyarov et al (2016) Russ Geol Geophys 57, 127-140 2. Sobolev et al (1996) Petrology 3, 326-336.

Manganese and ferromanganese ores from different tectonic settings in the NW Himalayas, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahir Shah, Mohammad; Moon, Charles J.

2007-02-01

In Pakistan manganese and ferromanganese ores have been reported from the Hazara area of North West Frontier Province, Waziristan agencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the Lasbela-Khuzdar regions of Baluchistan. This study is focused on comparison of mineralogy and geochemistry of the continental ferromanganese ores of Hazara and the ophiolitic manganese ores of the Waziristan area of Pakistan. In the Hazara area, ferromanganese ores occur at Kakul, Galdanian and Chura Gali, near Abbottabad, within the Hazira Formation of the Kalachitta-Margala thrust belt of the NW Himalayas of the Indo-Pakistan Plate. The Cambrian Hazira Formation is composed of reddish-brown ferruginous siltstone, with variable amounts of clay, shale, ferromanganese ores, phosphorite and barite. In Waziristan, manganese ores occur at Shuidar, Mohammad Khel and Saidgi, within the Waziristan ophiolite complex, on the western margin of the Indo-Pakistan Plate in NW Pakistan. These banded and massive ores are hosted by metachert and overlie metavolcanics. The ferromanganese ores of the Hazara area contain variable amount of bixbyite, partridgeite, hollandite, pyrolusite and braunite. Bixbyite and partridgeite are the dominant Mn-bearing phases. Hematite dominates in Fe-rich ores. Gangue minerals are iron-rich clay, alumino-phosphate minerals, apatite, barite and glauconite are present in variable amounts, in both Fe-rich and Mn-rich varieties. The texture of the ore phases indicates greenschist facies metamorphism. The Waziristan ores are composed of braunite, with minor pyrolusite and hollandite. Hematite occurs as an additional minor phase in the Fe-rich ores of the Shuidar area. The only silicate phase in these ores is cryptocrystalline quartz. The chemical composition of the ferromanganese ores in Hazara suggests that the Mn-Fe was contributed by both hydrogenous and hydrothermal sources, while the manganese ores of Waziristan originated only from a hydrothermal source. It is suggested that the Fe-Mn ores of the Hazara area originated from a mixed hydrothermal-hydrogenetic source in shallow water in a ontinental shelf environment due to the transgression and regression of the sea, while the Mn ores of Waziristan were formed at sea-floor spreading centers within the Neo-Tethys Ocean, and were later obducted as part of the Waziristan ophiolite complex.

Forearc Basin Location Originating From Tectonic Inversion Along an old Ophiolite Suture : the Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes Basin (Ecuador-Peru Border)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourgois, J.; Witt, C.

2008-12-01

The Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes basin (GGTB) located along the Andean forearc (Ecuador-Peru border) developed in the tectonic wake of the coastwise, northward migrating North Andean block (NAB). The Industrial multichannel seismic and well data (Witt and Bourgois, in press) document that E-W trending low- angle (10-20°) detachment normal faults accommodated the main basin subsidence steps during the Late Pliocene-Quaternary times (1.8-1.6 Ma to Present). It includes the Posorja Jambeli and the northward dipping Tumbes Zorritos detachment systems (PJDS and TZDS) located respectively along the northern and southern edge of the basin. A major transfer system, the N-S trending Inner Domito Banco Peru fault system bounds the detachment systems to the West. The right lateral transcontinental strike-slip system of the Dolores Guayaquil Megashear bounds the basin to the East. Since the PJDS and TZDS extend 80 to 120 km at seafloor they must penetrate the brittle continental crust, far below the 6-8 km thick sediment accumulation at basin depocenters. We assume that detachments extend deep into the 8-10 km thick brittle crust down to the Nazca-South America plate interface at less than ~20 km beneath sea bottom at site. The active TZDS, which connects landward with the continental structures assumed to be part of the eastern frontier of the NAB is the master detachment fault system controlling the basin evolution through time. Gravimetric and geologic data show that depocenters are located along the 80-60 Ma obduction bounding at depth the Cretaceous ophiolite of northern Andes from the westward underthrusted South America continental basement (Bourgois et al., 1987). Because inference suggests the obduction megathrust to branch upward to the TZDS, we hypothesized that tectonic inversion occurred along the ophiolite suture during the GGTB evolution, at least for the past 1.8-1.6 Myr. The 80-60 Ma ophiolite suture is an old zone of weakness, which reactivation from the NAB northward drift controlled the GGTB location. Bourgois, J., Toussaint, J-F, Gonzales, H., Azema, J., Calle, B., Desmet, A., Murcia L.A., Acevedo, A.P., Parra, E., and Tournon, J., 1987, Geological history of the Cretaceous ophiolitic complexes of Northwestern South America (Colombia Andes): Tectonophysics, v. 143, p. 307-327. Witt, C. and Bourgois, J., Forearc basin formation in the tectonic wake of a collision-driven, coastwise migrating crustal block: the example of the North Andean block and the extensional Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes basin (Ecuador-Peru border area): Geological Society of America Bulletin, in press.

Coping strategies in an ethnic minority group: the Aeta of Mount Pinatubo.

PubMed

Seitz, S

1998-03-01

The particular problems arising in the aftermath of natural disasters in indigenous societies in the Third World, especially in ethnic or cultural minorities, have until now received only little attention in social scientific research. The potential of such indigenous groups to use their traditional knowledge and behaviour patterns in coping with natural disasters has been badly neglected. The example of the Aeta in Zambales, Philippines, a marginal group who were hit directly by the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in 1991, shows how traditional economic and social behaviour can in some measure determine their various survival strategies.

IODP Expedition 352 (Bonin Forearc): First Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearce, J. A.; Reagan, M. K.; Stern, R. J.; Petronotis, K. E.

2014-12-01

IODP Expedition #352 (Testing Subduction Initiation and Ophiolite Models by Drilling the Outer Izu-Bonin-Mariana Forearc: July 30-Sept. 29, 2014) is just underway at the time of writing. It is testing the Stern-Bloomer hypothesis that subduction initiation (SI) was followed by a strongly extensional period of slab sinking and trench roll-back and then by a transitional period leading to the establishment of significant slab-parallel plate motion and hence normal subduction. The Expedition aims to carry out offset drilling at two sites near 28°30'N in the Bonin forearc. Ideally, these together will give the vertical volcanic stratigraphy needed to trace the geodynamic and petrogenetic processes associated with SI, and provide the complete reference section required for comparison with volcanic sequences of possible SI origin found on land in ophiolite complexes and elsewhere. We predict, but need to confirm, a c. 1.0-1.5km sequence with basal, MORB-like forearc basalts (known as FAB) marking the initial period of extension, boninites characterizing the transitional period, and tholeiitic and calc-alkaline lavas marking the establishment of normal arc volcanism. Study of such a sequence will enable us to understand the chemical gradients within and across these volcanic units, to reconstruct mantle flow and melting processes during the course of SI, and to test the hypothesis that fore-arc lithosphere created during SI is the birthplace of most supra-subduction zone ophiolites. Here, we present the first Expedition results, including (a) the volcanic stratigraphic record and subdivision into lava units, (b) the classifications and interpretations made possible by shipboard (portable XRF and ICP) analyses and down-hole measurements, and (c) the biostratigraphic, magnetic, mineralogical, sedimentary and structural constraints on the geological history of the SI section and the interactions between magmatic, hydrothermal and tectonic activity during its evolution.

Tectonic evolution of the Yarlung suture zone, Lopu Range region, southern Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laskowski, Andrew K.; Kapp, Paul; Ding, Lin; Campbell, Clay; Liu, XiaoHui

2017-01-01

The Lopu Range, located 600 km west of Lhasa, exposes a continental high-pressure metamorphic complex beneath India-Asia (Yarlung) suture zone assemblages. Geologic mapping, 14 detrital U-Pb zircon (n = 1895 ages), 11 igneous U-Pb zircon, and nine zircon (U-Th)/He samples reveal the structure, age, provenance, and time-temperature histories of Lopu Range rocks. A hornblende-plagioclase-epidote paragneiss block in ophiolitic mélange, deposited during Middle Jurassic time, records Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous subduction initiation followed by Early Cretaceous fore-arc extension. A depositional contact between fore-arc strata (maximum depositional age 97 ± 1 Ma) and ophiolitic mélange indicates that the ophiolites were in a suprasubduction zone position prior to Late Cretaceous time. Five Gangdese arc granitoids that intrude subduction-accretion mélange yield U-Pb ages between 49 and 37 Ma, recording Eocene southward trench migration after collision initiation. The south dipping Great Counter Thrust system cuts older suture zone structures, placing fore-arc strata on the Kailas Formation, and sedimentary-matrix mélange on fore-arc strata during early Miocene time. The north-south, range-bounding Lopukangri and Rujiao faults comprise a horst that cuts the Great Counter Thrust system, recording the early Miocene ( 16 Ma) transition from north-south contraction to orogen-parallel (E-W) extension. Five early Miocene (17-15 Ma) U-Pb ages from leucogranite dikes and plutons record crustal melting during extension onset. Seven zircon (U-Th)/He ages from the horst block record 12-6 Ma tectonic exhumation. Jurassic—Eocene Yarlung suture zone tectonics, characterized by alternating episodes of contraction and extension, can be explained by cycles of slab rollback, breakoff, and shallow underthrusting—suggesting that subduction dynamics controlled deformation.

Physical properties and seismic structure of Izu-Bonin-Mariana fore-arc crust: Results from IODP Expedition 352 and comparison with oceanic crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christeson, G. L.; Morgan, S.; Kodaira, S.; Yamashita, M.; Almeev, R. R.; Michibayashi, K.; Sakuyama, T.; Ferré, E. C.; Kurz, W.

2016-12-01

Most of the well-preserved ophiolite complexes are believed to form in suprasubduction zone (SSZ) settings. We compare physical properties and seismic structure of SSZ crust at the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) fore arc with oceanic crust drilled at Holes 504B and 1256D to evaluate the similarities of SSZ and oceanic crust. Expedition 352 basement consists of fore-arc basalt (FAB) and boninite lavas and dikes. P-wave sonic log velocities are substantially lower for the IBM fore arc (mean values 3.1-3.4 km/s) compared to Holes 504B and 1256D (mean values 5.0-5.2 km/s) at depths of 0-300 m below the sediment-basement interface. For similar porosities, lower P-wave sonic log velocities are observed at the IBM fore arc than at Holes 504B and 1256D. We use a theoretical asperity compression model to calculate the fractional area of asperity contact Af across cracks. Af values are 0.021-0.025 at the IBM fore arc and 0.074-0.080 at Holes 504B and 1256D for similar depth intervals (0-300 m within basement). The Af values indicate more open (but not necessarily wider) cracks in the IBM fore arc than for the oceanic crust at Holes 504B and 1256D, which is consistent with observations of fracturing and alteration at the Expedition 352 sites. Seismic refraction data constrain a crustal thickness of 10-15 km along the IBM fore arc. Implications and inferences are that crust-composing ophiolites formed at SSZ settings could be thick and modified after accretion, and these processes should be considered when using ophiolites as an analog for oceanic crust.

Accretion of the Archean Slave Province

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kusky, Timothy

1988-01-01

Detailed field studies of selected areas in the greenstone belts of the Slave Province of Canada were presented. This area was long cited as a type area by supporters of the (now generally abandoned) rift model of greenstone belts. It was shown that a plate tectonic interpretation accounted more successfully for the regional geology and identified four terranes that had experienced complex divergent and convergent histories between 2.7 and 3.4 Ga. A dismembered ophiolite was identified and a late episode of widespread granitic intrusion was recognized.

Tectonics of some Amazonian greenstone belts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibbs, A. K.

1986-01-01

Greenstone belts exposed amid gneisses, granitoid rocks, and less abundant granulites along the northern and eastern margins of the Amazonian Craton yield Trans-Amazonican metamorphic ages of 2.0-2.1 Ga. Early proterozoic belts in the northern region probably originated as ensimatic island arc complexes. The Archean Carajas belt in the southeastern craton probably formed in an extensional basin on older continental basement. That basement contains older Archean belts with pillow basalts and komatiites. Belts of ultramafic rocks warrant investigatijon as possible ophiolites. A discussion follows.

New structural and stratigraphic insights for northwestern Pakistan from field and Landsat Thematic Mapper data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, J.; Beck, R.; Gnos, E.; Vincent, R.K.

2000-01-01

The remote Waziristan region of northwestern Pakistan includes outcrops of the India-Asia suture zone. The excellent exposure of the Waziristan ophiolite and associated sedimentary lithosomes and their inaccessibility made the use of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data desirable in this study. Landsat TM data were used to create a spectral ratio image of bands 3/4, 5/4, and 7/5, displayed as red, green, and blue, respectively, and a principal component analysis image of bands 4, 5, and 7 (RGB). These images were interpreted in the context of available geologic maps, limited field work, and biostratigraphic, lithostratigraphic, and radiometric data. They were used to create a coherent geologic map of Waziristan and cross section of the area that document five tectonic units in the region and provide a new and more detailed tectonic history for the region. The lowest unit is comprised of Indian shelf sediments that were thrust under the Waziristan ophiolite. The ophiolite has been tectonically shuffled and consists of two separate tectonic units. The top thrust sheet is a nappe comprised of distal Triassic to Lower Cretaceous Neotethyan sediments that were underthrust during the Late Cretaceous by the ophiolite riding on Indian shelf strata. The uppermost unit contains unconformable Tertiary and younger strata. The thrust sheets show that the Waziristan ophiolite was obducted during Late Cretaceous time and imply that the Paleocene and Eocene deformation represents collision of India with the Kabul block and/or Asia.

Carbonate-orthopyroxenite lenses from the Neoproterozoic Gerf ophiolite, South Eastern Desert, Egypt: The first record in the Arabian Nubian Shield ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gahlan, Hisham A.; Arai, Shoji

2009-01-01

Carbonate-orthopyroxenites (classic sagvandites) are reported in the Gerf ophiolite, South Eastern Desert, Egypt: the first finding from the Arabian Nubian Shield (ANS) ophiolites. They form massive lenses at the southern tip of the Gerf ophiolite, along the contact between the Shinai granite and Gerf serpentinized peridotites. The lenses show structural concordance with the neighboring country rocks and the granite contact. They consist mainly of metamorphic orthopyroxene + magnesite, among other metamorphic, relict primary and retrograde secondary minerals. Based only on chemistry, two types of carbonate-orthopyroxenites can be recognized, Types I (higher-Mg) and II (lower-Mg and higher-Fe). Field constraints, petrography and mineral chemistry indicate a metamorphic origin for the Gerf carbonate-orthopyroxenites. The euhedral form of relict primary chromian spinels combined with their high Cr#/low-TiO 2 character, and absence of clinopyroxene suggest that the protolith for the Gerf carbonate-orthopyroxenites is a highly depleted mantle peridotite derived from a sub-arc setting. Contact metamorphism accompanied by CO 2-metasomatism resulted in formation of the Gerf carbonate-orthopyroxenites during intrusion of the Shinai granite. The source of CO 2-rich fluids is most likely the neighboring impure carbonate layers. Correlation of the carbonate-orthopyroxenite mineral assemblages with experimental data for the system MgO-SiO 2-H 2O-CO 2 suggests metamorphic/metasomatic conditions of 520-560 °C, Pfluid = 2 kbar and extremely high X values (0.87-1).

Petrogenesis of the Majiari ophiolite (western Tibet, China): Implications for intra-oceanic subduction in the Bangong-Nujiang Tethys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Qiang-tai; Liu, Wei-liang; Xia, Bin; Cai, Zhou-rong; Chen, Wei-yan; Li, Jian-feng; Yin, Zheng-xin

2017-09-01

The Majiari ophiolite lies in the western Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone, which separates the Qiangtang and Lhasa blocks in central Tibet. The ophiolite consists of peridotite, gabbro/diabase and basalt. Zircon U-Pb dating yielded an age of 170.5 ± 1.7 Ma for the gabbro, whereas 40Ar/39Ar dating of plagioclase from the same gabbro yielded ages of 108.4 ± 2.6 Ma (plateau age) and 112 ± 2 Ma (isochron age), indicating that the ophiolite was formed during the Middle Jurassic and was probably emplaced during the Early Cretaceous. Zircons from the gabbro have εHf(t) values ranging from +6.9 to +10.6 and f(Lu/Hf) values ranging from -0.92 to -0.98. Mafic lavas plot in the tholeiitic basalt field but are depleted in Nb, Ta and Ti and enriched in Rb, Ba and Th in the N-MORB-normalized trace element spider diagram. These lavas have whole-rock εNd(t) values of +5.9 to +6.6, suggesting that they were derived from a depleted mantle source, which was probably modified by subducted materials. The Majiari ophiolite probably formed in a typical back-arc basin above a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) mantle wedge. Intra-oceanic subduction occurred during the Middle Jurassic and collision of the Lhasa and South Qiangtang terranes likely occurred in the Early Cretaceous. Thus, closure of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethys Ocean likely occurred before the Early Cretaceous.

Mantle Wedge formation during Subduction Initiation: evidence from the refertilized base of the Oman ophiolitic mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prigent, C.; Guillot, S.; Agard, P.; Godard, M.; Lemarchand, D.; Ulrich, M.

2015-12-01

Although the Oman ophiolite is classically regarded as being the direct analog of oceanic lithosphere created at fast spreading ridges, the geodynamic context of its formation is still highly debated. The other alternative end-member model suggests that this ophiolite entirely formed in a supra-subduction zone setting. The latter one is supported by studies on volcanic sequences whereas studies dealing on the mantle section do not involve a significant influence of subduction processes on its structure and composition. We herein focus on basal peridotites from all along the ophiolite strike in order to decipher and characterize potential fluid/melt transfers relate to subduction processes. Samples were taken across the basal banded unit directly overlying the amphibolitic/granulitic metamorphic sole which represents an accreted part of the lower plate. We carried out a petrological, structural and geochemical study on these rocks and their constitutive minerals. Our results show that basal peridotites range from lherzolites to highly depleted harzburgites in composition. Clinopyroxenes (cpx) display melt impregnation textures and co-crystallized with HT/HP amphiboles (amph), spinels and sulfurs. Major and trace elements of the constitutive minerals indicate that these minerals represent trapped incremental partial melt after hydrous melting. Different cpx-bearing lithologies then result from varying degrees of partial melting and melt extraction. Combined with Boron isotopic data, we demonstrate that fluids responsible for hydrous melting of these ophiolitic basal peridotites are subduction-related, most likely derived from dehydration of the metamorphic sole during its formation in subduction initiation. From these observations and thermal constraints, we interpret the occurrence of these basal lherzolites as representing a freezing front developed by thermal re-equilibration (cooling) during subduction processes: subduction-related hydrous partial melts were extracted at different degrees until getting ultimately trapped, and crystallized cpx, amph and other associated minerals. If our interpretation is correct, the base of the Oman ophiolite could provide the best proxy for the composition of a frozen-in, incipiently forming mantle wedge.

Tracing alteration of mantle peridotite in the Samail ophiolite using Mg isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Obeso, J. C.; Kelemen, P. B.; Higgins, J. A.

2017-12-01

Magnesium is one of the main constituents of mantle peridotite ( 22.8 wt%), which has a homogeneous Mg isotopic composition (d26Mg = -0.25 ± 0.04 ‰ (2 sd) DSM3, Teng et al 2010 GCA). Mg isotopes are used as tracers of continental and oceanic weathering as they exhibit variable degrees of fractionation during alteration depending on the lithology. Here we report some of the first Mg isotopic compositions of the mantle section of the Samail ophiolite in Oman and its alteration products. The mantle section of the ophiolite is composed mainly of depleted harzburgites and dunites with mantle-like d26Mg (-0.25, -0.21 ‰). Mantle peridotite is far from equilibrium in near surface conditions leading to rapid, extensive serpentinization, carbonation and oxidation, as well as other geochemical changes. Our analyzed samples encompass most of the alteration of peridotite products observed in Oman including listvenites (completely carbonated peridotite) near the basal thrust of the ophiolite, massive magnesite veins within peridotite outcrops, and heavily altered harzburgites. Magnesite listvenites have d26Mg slightly below mantle values (-0.33, -0.33‰) while dolomite listvenites are significantly lighter (-1.46, -0.89‰). This suggests that heavy Mg isotopes were removed from the listvenites during ophiolite emplacement. Heavily altered peridotite from Wadi Fins exhibit alteration halos with drastic changes in composition. The most oxidized areas are enriched in Fe and depleted in Mg compared to the cores of the samples. These variations in Mg concentrations are complemented by a shift to heavy Mg isotopic compositions (0.74, 0.86‰), among the heaviest d26Mg values that have been reported in altered peridotite. Potential sinks for light isotopes removed from such alteration zones are massive magnesite veins with very light compositions (-3.39, -3.14‰). The fractionation of Mg isotopes observed in the mantle section of the ophiolite spans more than 50% of the known terrestrial fractionation.

Chemistry of chromites from Arroio Grande Ophiolite (Dom Feliciano Belt, Brazil) and their possible connection with the Nama Group (Namibia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Rodrigo Chaves; Koester, Edinei; Porcher, Carla Cristine

2017-12-01

The present paper shows a mineral chemistry study in chromites found in serpentine-talc schists of the Arroio Grande Ophiolite, located in the southeastern Dom Feliciano Belt, near the Brazil/Uruguay border. Using electron microscope scanning and electron microprobe techniques, this study found a supra-subduction zone signature in the chromites, together with evidence of metasomatism. It corroborates previous hypothesis that suggested a supra-subduction zone origin for the protoliths of the Arroio Grande meta-igneous rocks and a metasomatic origin for the chromite-bearing magnesian schists. The studied chromites present high Cr# (0.65-0.77) and Fe2+# (0.88-0.95), low MgO (0.85-2.47 wt%) and TiO2 (0.01-0.19 wt%) and anomalous high concentration of ZnO (up to 1.97 wt%). The results were compared with chemical data from detrital chromites from the Schwarzrand and Fish River Subgroups of the Nama Group (Namibia), demonstrating that they are compositionally similar with those found in the latter. These chromites, in turn, are believed to have been derived from the oceanic Marmora Terrane (Gariep Belt) in the west (present-day coordinates). Taking into consideration that oceanic metamafites from both the latter and the Arroio Grande Ophiolite share common bulk-rock geochemical features (in this paper interpreted as fragments of the same paleo-ocean floor - the Marmora back-arc basin), it is possible to raise the hypothesis that detrital material derived from the studied ophiolite might also be found in Nama Group. It is reinforced by the fact that sediments (related to the Pelotas-Aiguá Batholith granitoids) derived from the easternmost Dom Feliciano Belt, i.e. the region where Arroio Grande Ophiolite is located, is found in both Schwarzrand and Fish River Subgroups. Thus, we suggest that Arroio Grande Ophiolite detrital sediments might also have contributed to the Nama Basin infilling during Late Ediacaran-Lower Cambrian.

New Paleomagnetic Data from the Wadi Abyad Crustal Section and their Implications for the Rotation History of the Oman Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, M.; Morris, A.; Anderson, M.; MacLeod, C. J.

2014-12-01

The Oman ophiolite is an important natural laboratory for understanding the construction of oceanic crust at fast spreading axes and its subsequent tectonic evolution. Previous paleomagnetic research in lavas of the northern ophiolitic blocks (Perrin et al., 2000, Mar. Geophys. Res.) has demonstrated substantial clockwise intraoceanic tectonic rotations. Paleomagnetic data from lower crustal sequences in the southern blocks, however, have been more equivocal due to complications arising from remagnetization, and have been used to infer that clockwise rotations seen in the north are internal to the ophiolite rather than regionally significant (Weiler, 2000, Mar. Geophys. Res.). Here we demonstrate the importance and advantages of sampling crustal transects in the ophiolite in order to understand the nature and variability in magnetization directions. By systematically sampling the lower crustal sequence exposed in Wadi Abyad (Rustaq block) we resolve for the first time in a single section a pattern of remagnetized lowermost gabbros and retention of earlier magnetizations by uppermost gabbros and the overlying dyke-rooting zone. Results are supported by a positive fold test that shows that remagnetization of lower gabbros occurred prior to the Campanian structural disruption of the Moho. NW-directed remagnetized remanences in the lower units are consistent with those used by Weiler (2000, Mar. Geophys. Res.) to infer lack of significant rotation of the southern blocks and to argue, therefore, that rotation of the northern blocks was internal to the ophiolite. In contrast, E/ENE-directed remanences in the uppermost levels of Wadi Abyad imply a large, clockwise rotation of the Rustaq block, of a sense and magnitude consistent with intraoceanic rotations inferred from extrusive sections in the northern blocks. We conclude that without the control provided by systematic crustal sampling, the potential for different remanence directions being acquired at different times may lead to erroneous tectonic interpretation.

Geochemical evidence for Late Cretaceous marginal arc-to-backarc transition in the Sabzevar ophiolitic extrusive sequence, northeast Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalatbari Jafari, Morteza; Babaie, Hassan A.; Gani, Moslem

2013-07-01

The ophiolitic extrusive sequence, exposed in an area north of Sabzevar, has three major parts: a lower part, with abundant breccia, hyaloclastic tuff, and sheet flow, a middle part with vesicular, aphyric pillow lava, and an upper part with a sequence of lava and volcanic-sedimentary rocks. Pelagic limestone interlayers contain Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian-Late Maastrichtian) microfauna. The supra-ophiolitic series includes a sequence of turbidititic and volcanic-sedimentary rocks with lava flow, aphyric and phyric lava, and interlayers of pelagic limestone and radiolarian chert. Paleontological investigation of the pelagic limestone and radiolarite interlayers in this series gives a Late Cretaceous age, supporting the idea that the supra-ophiolitic series formed in a trough, synchronous with the Sabzevar oceanic crust during the Late Cretaceous. Geochemical data indicate a relationship between lava in the upper part of the extrusive sequence and lava in the supra-ophiolitic series. These lavas have a calc-alkaline to almost alkaline characteristic, and show a clear depletion in Nb and definite depletions in Zr and Ti in spider diagrams. Data from these rocks plot in the subduction zone field in tectonomagmatic diagrams. The concentration and position of the heavy rare earth elements in the spider diagrams, and their slight variation, can be attributed to partial melting of the depleted mantle wedge above the subducted slab, and enrichment in the LILE can be attributed to subduction components (fluid, melt) released from the subducting slab. In comparison, the sheet flow and pillow lava of the lower and middle parts of the extrusive sequence show OIB characteristics and high potassium magmatic and shoshonitic trends, and their spider diagram patterns show Nb, Zr, and Ti depletions. The enrichment in the LILE in the spider diagram patterns suggest a low rate of partial melting of an enriched, garnet-bearing mantle. It seems that the marginal arc basin, in which the Sabzevar ophiolite was forming, experienced lithospheric extension in response to slab rollback. This process, which formed a backarc basin, may have aborted the embryonic arc, stopped arc magmatism, and led to the rise of mantle diapirs. The extrusive ophiolite sequence, north of Sabzevar probably formed during the transition from a marginal arc basin to a backarc basin during the Late Cretaceous.

Ultramafic lavas and high-Mg basaltic dykes from the Othris ophiolite complex, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baziotis, Ioannis; Economou-Eliopoulos, Maria; Asimow, Paul D.

2017-09-01

We evaluate the petrography and geochemistry of an unusual suite of subduction-related Phanerozoic high-MgO rocks from the Othris ophiolite complex in Greece, some of which have previously been described as komatiitic lavas. In particular, we study ultramafic, olivine-phyric lavas from the Agrilia area and high-Mg basaltic dykes from the Pournari area. We seek to define primary magmatic MgO contents and initial liquidus temperatures as well as the differentiation sequence and cooling rates experienced by the lavas and dykes. One of our goals is to relate the Othris case to known komatiite and boninite occurrences and to address whether Othris documents an important new constraint on the temporal evolution of ambient mantle temperature, plume-related magmatism, and subduction of oceanic lithosphere. We conclude that, despite whole-rock MgO contents of 31-33 wt%, the olivine-phyric lavas at Agrilia had an upper limit liquid MgO content of 17 wt% and are therefore picrites, not komatiites. The Agrilia lavas contain the unusual Ti-rich pyroxenoid rhönite; we discuss the significance of this occurrence. In the case of the Pournari high-Mg dykes, the distinctive dendritic or plumose clinopyroxene texture, though it resembles in some ways the classic spinifex texture of komatiites, is simply evidence of rapid cooling at the dyke margin and not evidence of extraordinarily high liquidus temperatures. We correlate the dendritic texture with disequilibrium mineral chemistry in clinopyroxene to constrain the cooling rate of the dyke margins.

Basin formation and Neogene sedimentation in a backarc setting, Halmahera, eastern Indonesia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hall, R.; Nichols, G.J.

1991-03-01

It has been proposed that basins in backarc setting form in association with subduction by thinning of continental crust, backarc spreading in oceanic crust, compression, or trapping of pieces of oceanic plate behind an arc. The Halmahera basin in eastern Indonesia developed in a backarc setting but does not fall into these categories; it formed by subsidence of thickened crust made up of imbricated Mesozoic-Paleogene arc and ophiolite rocks. Halmahera lies at the western edge of the Philippine Sea Plate in a complex zone of convergence between the Eurasian margin, the oceanic plates of the West Pacific, and the Australian/Indianmore » Plate to the south. The basement is an imbricated complex of Mesozoic to Paleogene ophiolite, arc, and arc-related rocks. During the Miocene this basement complex formed an area of thickened crust upon which carbonate reef and reef-associated sediments were deposited. The authors interpret this shallow marine region to be similar to many of the oceanic plateaus and ridges found within the Philippine Sea Plate today. In the Late Miocene, convergence between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian margin resulted in the formation of the Halmahera Trench to the west of this region of thickened crust. Subduction of the Molucca Sea Plate caused the development of a volcanic island arc. Subsidence in the backarc area produced a broad sedimentary basin filled by clastics eroded from the arc and from uplifted basement and cover rocks. The basin was asymmetric with the thickest sedimentary fill on the western side, against the volcanic arc. The Halmahera basin was modified in the Plio-Pleistocene by east-west compression as the Molucca Sea Plate was eliminated by subduction.« less

The Galicia-Ossa-Morena Zone: Proposal for a new zone of the Iberian Massif. Variscan implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arenas, Ricardo; Díez Fernández, Rubén; Rubio Pascual, Francisco J.; Sánchez Martínez, Sonia; Martín Parra, Luis Miguel; Matas, Jerónimo; González del Tánago, José; Jiménez-Díaz, Alberto; Fuenlabrada, Jose M.; Andonaegui, Pilar; Garcia-Casco, Antonio

2016-06-01

Correlation of a group of allochthonous terranes (referred to as basal, ophiolitic and upper units) exposed in the NW and SW of the Iberian Massif, is used to propose a new geotectonic zone in the southern branch of the Variscan Orogen: the Galicia-Ossa-Morena Zone. Recent advances in SW Iberia identify most of the former Ossa-Morena Zone as another allochthonous complex of the Iberian Massif, the Ossa-Morena Complex, equivalent to the Cabo Ortegal, Órdenes, Malpica-Tui, Bragança and Morais complexes described in NW Iberia. The new geotectonic zone and its counterparts along the rest of the Variscan Orogen constitute an Internal Variscan Zone with ophiolites and units affected by high-P metamorphism. The Galicia-Ossa-Morena Zone includes a Variscan suture and pieces of continental crust bearing the imprint of Ediacaran-Cambrian events related to the activity of peri-Gondwanan magmatic arcs (Cadomian orogenesis). In the Iberian Massif, the general structure of this geotectonic zone represents a duplication of the Gondwanan platform, the outboard sections being juxtaposed on top of domains located closer to the mainland before amalgamation. This interpretation offers an explanation that overcomes some issues regarding the differences between the stratigraphic and paleontological record of the central and southern sections of the Iberian Massif. Also, equivalent structural relationships between other major geotectonic domains of the rest of the Variscan Orogen are consistent with our interpretation and allow suspecting similar configurations along strike of the orogen. A number of issues may be put forward in this respect that potentially open new lines of thinking about the architecture of the Variscan Orogen.

Characterizing the nature of melt-rock reaction in peridotites from the Santa Elena Ophiolite, NW Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, D.; Loocke, M. P.; Snow, J. E.; Gazel, E.

2017-12-01

The Santa Elena Ophiolite (SEO), located on the northwestern coast of Costa Rica, consists primarily of preserved oceanic mantle and crustal rocks thrust above an accretionary complex. The SEO is predominantly characterized by mantle peridotites (i.e., primarily spinel lherzolite with minor amounts of harzburgite and dunite) cut and intruded by minor pegmatitic gabbros, layered gabbros, plagiogranites, and doleritic and basaltic dykes. Previous studies have concluded that the complex formed in a suprasubduction zone (SSZ) setting based on the geochemical nature of the layered gabbros and plagiogranites (i.e., depleted LREE and HFSE and enriched LILE and Pb), as well, as the peridotites (i.e., low-TiO2, Zr, and V, and high MgO, Cr, and Ni)(Denyer and Gazel, 2009). Eighteen ultramafic samples collected during the winter 2010/2011 field season (SECR11) exhibit abundant evidence for melt-rock reaction (e.g., disseminated plagioclase and plagioclase-spinel, clinopyroxene-spinel, and plagioclase-clinopyroxene symplectites) and provide a unique opportunity to characterize the textural and chemical nature of melt-rock reaction in the SEO. We present the results of a petrologic investigation (i.e., petrography and electron probe microanalysis) of 28 thin sections (19 spinel lherzolites, of which 14 are plagioclase-bearing, 4 pyroxenite veins, and 5 harzburgites) derived from the SECR11 sample set. The results of this investigation have the potential to better our understanding of the nature of melt generation and migration and melt-rock interaction in the SEO mantle section and shed further light on the complex petrogenetic history of the SEO. Denyer, P., Gazel, E., 2009, Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 28:429-442.

Genesis and transport of hexavalent chromium in the system ophiolitic rocks - groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shchegolikhina, Anastasia; Guadagnini, Laura; Guadagnini, Alberto

2015-04-01

Our study aims at contributing to the quantification and characterization of chromium transport processes from host rocks and soil matrices to groundwater. We focus on dissolved hexavalent chromium detected in groundwaters of geological regions with ophiolitic rocks (ophiolites and serpentinites) inclusions due to its critical ecological impact. (Oze et al., 2004). Despite the large number of analyses on the occurrence of high concentrations of hazardous hexavalent chromium ions in natural waters, only few studies were performed with the objective of identifying and investigating the geochemical reactions which could occur in the natural system rock - groundwater - dissolved chromium (Fantoni et al., 2002, Stephen and James, 2004, Lelli et al., 2013). In this context, there is a need for integration of results obtained from diverse studies in various regions and settings to improve our knowledge repository. Our theoretical analyses are grounded and driven by practical scenarios detected in subsurface reservoirs exploited for civil and industrial use located in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy). Available experimental datasets are complemented with data from other international regional-scale settings (Altay mountains region, Russia). Modeling of chromium transformation and migration particularly includes characterization of the multispecies geochemical system. A key aspect of our study is the analysis of the complex competitive sorption processes governing heavy metal evolution in groundwater. The results of the research allow assessing the critical qualitative features of the mechanisms of hexavalent chromium ion mobilization from host rocks and soils and the ensuing transformation and migration to groundwater under the influence of diverse environmental factors. The study is then complemented by the quantification of the main sources of uncertainty associated with prediction of heavy metal contamination levels in the groundwater system explored. Fantoni, D., Brozzo, G., Canepa, M., Cipolli, F., Marini, L., Ottonello, G., Zuccolini, M., 2002. Natural hexavalent chromium in groundwaters interacting with ophiolitic rocks. Environmental Geology 42, 871-882. Lelli, M., Grassi, S., Amadori, M., Franceschini, F., 2013. Natural Cr(VI) contamination of groundwater in the Cecina coastal area and its inner sectors (Tuscany, Italy). Environmental Earth Sciences 71, 3907-3919. Oze, C., Fendorf, S., Bird, D.K., Coleman, R.G., 2004. Chromium geochemistry of serpentine soils. International Geology Review 46, 97-126. Stephen, M.T., James, A.J., 2004. Overview of chromium (VI) in the environment. Chromium (VI) Handbook. CRC Press, pp. 21.

The Generation of Oceanic Lithosphere in an Embryonic Oceanic Crust : the Example of the Chenaillet Ophiolite in the Western Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masini, E.; Manatschal, G.; Muntener, O.

2007-12-01

The Chenaillet Ophiolite exposed in the Franco-Italian Alps represents a well-preserved ocean-floor sequence that was only weakly affected by later Alpine convergence. Based on the similarity between rock types and structures reported from ultraslow spreading ridges and those observed in the Chenaillet Ophiolite, it may represent a field analogue for slow to ultraslow spreading ridges such as the Gakkel Ridge or the Southwest Indian Ridge. Mapping of the Chenaillet Ophiolite enabled to identify an oceanic detachment fault that extends over a surface of about 16 km2 capping exhumed mantle and gabbros onto which clastic sediments have been deposited. The footwall of the detachment is formed by mafic and ultramafic rocks. The mantle rocks are strongly serpentinized lherzolites and subordinate harzburgites and dunites. Microstructures reminiscent of impregnation, and cpx major and trace element chemistry indicate that spinel peridotite is (locally) replaced by plagioclase-bearing assemblages. Pyroxene thermometry on primary minerals indicates high temperatures of equilibration ( max 1200°C) for the mantle rocks. Gabbros range from troctolite and olivine-gabbros to Fe-Ti gabbros and show clear evidence of syn-magmatic deformation, partially obliterated by retrograde amphibolite and low-grade metamorphic conditions. In sections perpendicular to the detachment within the footwall, syn-tectonic gabbros and serpentinized peridotites grade over some tens of meters into cataclasites that are capped by fault gouges. Petro-structural investigations of the fault rocks reveal a syn-tectonic retrograde metamorphic evolution. Clasts of dolerite within the fault zone suggest that detachment faulting was accompanied by magmatic activity. Hydrothermal alteration is indicated by strong mineralogical and chemical modifications. Gabbro and serpentinized peridotite, together with serpentinite cataclasites occur as clasts in tectono-sedimentary breccias overlying directly the detachment fault. Across the whole Chenaillet Ophiolite, volcanic rocks directly overlie either the detachment fault or the sediments. In several places, N-S trending high-angle normal faults have been mapped. These faults truncate and displace the detachment fault leading to small domino-like structures. The basins, limited by these high-angle faults, are some hundreds to a few kilometres wide and few tens to some hundreds of meters deep. Because these high- angle faults are sealed locally by basalts and obliterated by volcanic structures, we interpret them as oceanic structures being active during the emplacement of the basalts. The alignment of porphyritic basaltic dykes parallel to, and their increasing abundance towards the high-angle faults suggest that they may have served as feeder channels for the overlying volcanic rocks. The complex poly-phase tectonic and magmatic processes observed in the Chenaillet Ophiolite are reminiscent of those reported from slow to ultraslow spreading ridges. The key result from our study is that mantle exhumation along detachment faults is followed by syn-magmatic normal faulting resulting in the emplacement of laterally variable, up to 300 meters thick massive lavas and pillow basalts covering the exhumed detachment fault. This implies that off-axis processes are more important as previously assumed and that large-scale detachment faults may be buried under massive volcanic sequences suggesting that detachment faulting is presumably more common than suggested by dredging or morpho-structural investigations of ultra- to slow- spreading oceanic crust.

Physical Properties and Seismic Structure of Izu-Bonin-Mariana Fore Arc crust: Results From IODP Expedition 352 and Comparison with Oceanic Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christeson, G. L.; Morgan, S.; Kodaira, S.; Yamashita, M.

2015-12-01

Most of the well-preserved ophiolite complexes are believed to form in supra-subduction zone settings. One of the goals of IODP Expedition 352 was to test the supra-subduction zone ophiolite model by drilling forearc crust at the northern Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) system. IBM forearc drilling successfully cored 1.22 km of volcanic lavas and underlying dikes at four sites. A surprising observation is that basement compressional velocities measured from downhole logging average ~3.0 km/s, compared to values of 5 km/s at similar basement depths at oceanic crust sites 504B and 1256D. Typically there is an inverse relationship in extrusive lavas between velocity and porosity, but downhole logging shows similar porosities for the IBM and oceanic crust sites, despite the large difference in measured compressional velocities. These observations can be explained by a difference in crack morphologies between IBM forearc and oceanic crust, with a smaller fractional area of asperity contact across cracks at EXP 352 sites than at sites 504B and 1256D. Seismic profiles at the IBM forearc image many faults, which may be related to the crack population.

Interpretation of recent gravity profiles over the ophiolite belt, Northern Oman Mountains, United Arab Emirates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khattab, M. M.

1993-04-01

The compiled Bouguer gravity anomaly map over parts of the ophiolite rocks of the Northern Oman Mountains suggests the existence of three partially serpentinized nappes: two along the Gulf of Oman coast with axes near Dadnah, near Fujira and the third 17 km SSE of Masafi. Modeling of the subsurface geology, beneath two gravity profiles (Diba-Kalba and Masafi-Fujira), is based on the occurrence (field evidence) of multiphase low-angle thrusting of the members of the Tethyan lithosphere in northern and Oman Mountains. An assumed crustal model at the Arabian continental margin, beneath the Masafi-Fujira profile, is made to explain an intense gravity gradient. Gravity interpretation is not inconsistent with a gliding mechanism for obduction of the ophiolite on this part of the Arabian continental margin.

Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes of the intrusive rocks in the Cretaceous Xigaze ophiolite, southern Tibet: Constraints on its formation setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liang-Liang; Liu, Chuan-Zhou; Wu, Fu-Yuan; Zhang, Chang; Ji, Wei-Qiang; Wang, Jian-Gang

2016-08-01

The Cretaceous Xigaze ophiolite is best exposed at the central part of the Yarlung-Zangbo Suture Zone, Tibet Plateau. It consists of a thick section of mantle peridotites, but a relatively thin mafic sequence. This study presents geochronological and geochemical data for intrusive dykes (both mafic and felsic) and basalts to revisit the formation setting of the Xigaze ophiolite. The rodingites are characterized by high CaO and low Na2O contents relative to mafic dykes and show big variations in trace element compositions. Both gabbros and diabases have similar geochemical compositions, with MgO contents of 6.42-11.48 wt% and Mg# of 0.56-0.71. They display REE patterns similar to N-MORB and are variably enriched in large ion lithophile elements. Basalts have fractionated compositions and display LREE-depleted patterns very similar to N-MORB. They do not show obvious enrichment in LILE and depletion in high-field-strength elements, but a negative Nb anomaly is present. The studied plagiogranites have compositions of trondhjemite to tonalite, with high Na2O and low K2O contents. They have low TiO2 contents less than 1 wt%, consistent with melts formed by anatexis of gabbros rather than by differentiation of basalts. Zircons from seven samples, including three rodingites, three plagiogranites, and one gabbro, have been dated and yielded U-Pb ages of 124.6 130.5 Ma, indicating the Xigaze ophiolite was formed during the Early Cretaceous. They have mantle-like δ18O values of + 4.92 + 5.26‰ and very positive εHf(t) values of + 16 + 13.3. Ages of the rodingites and less altered gabbros indicate that serpentinization was occurred at 125 Ma. Occurrence of both gabbroic and diabase dykes within the serpentinites suggests that the mantle lithosphere of the Xigaze ophiolite was rapidly exhumed. Both mafic and felsic dykes have slightly more radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr ratios relative to MORB, but depleted Hf-Nd isotpe compositions. They have a limited range of εNd(t) values of + 7.9 + 8.9 but variable εHf(t) values ranging from + 9.9 to + 16.7, which are similar to the global MORB. This indicates that the intrusive dykes within the Xigaze ophiolite were derived from a depleted mantle source, which has not been obviously affected by recycling of subducted materials. The MOR-type basalts in this study, combined with the basalts with SSZ signatures previous reported in the literature indicate the diversity of basalts in the Xigaze ophiolite. We apply the forearc hyperextension model to reconcile the occurrence of both MOR- and SSZ-type basalts in the Xigaze ophiolite. In this model, the SSZ-type basalts were produced by melting of the metasomatized mantle wedge during exhumation, whereas the MOR-type basalts were derived from the upwelling asthenosphere triggered by forearc hyperextension.

New Data on the Composition of Ophiolite Complexes on Karaginskii Island (Eastern Kamchatka)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skolotnev, S. G.; Tsukanov, N. V.; Sidorov, E. G.

2018-03-01

The geochemistry and composition of peridotite rock-forming minerals from blocks in the serpentinite mélange of Karaginskii Island have been studied. The composition features of the rock-forming minerals are indicative of the fact that they represent abyssal peridotites of the mid-oceanic ridges that did not undergo remelting under suprasubduction conditions. According to the geochemical data, these rocks were subject to metasomatic alterations under mantle conditions in the suprasubduction setting, which were caused by metasomatizing melts and/or fluids generated in the subduction zone.

New SW Pacific tectonic model: Cyclical intraoceanic magmatic arc construction and near-coeval emplacement along the Australia-Pacific margin in the Cenozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whattam, Scott A.; Malpas, John; Ali, Jason R.; Smith, Ian E. M.

2008-03-01

Various reconstructions of the SW Pacific for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic suggest that northeast dipping subduction began in the South Loyalty Basin (SLB) at 55-50 Ma and that subsequent closure of the SLB resulted in the diachronous emplacement of Cretaceous-Paleocene ophiolitic nappes onto the Norfolk Ridge in New Caledonia at 40-34 Ma and in Northland, New Zealand, around 24-21 Ma. A fundamental problem with these models is that they do not account for the fact that NE dipping subduction had already been established offshore Papua New Guinea by at least 65-60 Ma which resulted in the emplacement of the Papuan Ultramafic Belt (PUB) ophiolite at 59-58 Ma. A second issue is that the reconstructions are based largely upon unfounded assumptions as to the age and nature of the basement beneath the Loyalty arc and Three Kings Ridge. Finally, reconstructions of the Northland region are based upon the erroneous assumption that the age of the majority of the igneous component comprising the Northland allochthon is Late Cretaceous-Paleocene, when in fact it is Oligocene. A new model is presented whereby the PUB, New Caledonia, and Northland ophiolites formed and were emplaced in a cyclical fashion above an extensive NE dipping Cenozoic intraoceanic arc system which diachronously propagated (N-S) along the entire eastern margin of the Australian Plate. These "infant arc" ophiolites represent fragments of suprasubduction zone lithosphere (SSZL) generated in the earliest stages of magmatic arc formation that were emplaced shortly after (<20 m.y.) as a result of forearc-Australian Plate collision. Subduction inception was the result of subsidence of older MORB-like lithosphere generated within an extensive "back arc basin" to the east of the Norfolk Ridge during the earliest stages of SLB formation above a southwest dipping Pacific Plate. During emplacement of each ophiolite, a crustal fragment of the older lithosphere was scraped off the NE dipping slab and subsequently back-thrust beneath each ophiolite during its emplacement.

Controls on rheology of peridotite at a palaeosubduction interface: a transect across the base of the Oman-UAE ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrose, T. K.; Wallis, D.; Hansen, L. N.; Waters, D. J.; Searle, M. P.

2017-12-01

Studies of experimentally deformed rocks and small-scale natural shear zones have demonstrated that volumetrically minor phases can control strain localisation by limiting grain growth and promoting grain-size sensitive deformation mechanisms. Such studies are often used to infer a critical role for minor phases in the development of plate boundaries. However, the role of of minor phases in strain localisation at plate boundaries remains to be tested by direct observation. To test the hypothesis that minor phases control strain localisation at plate boundaries, we conducted microstructural analyses of peridotite samples collected across the base of the Oman-UAE ophiolite. The base of the ophiolite is marked by the Semail thrust, which represents the now exhumed contact between subducted oceanic crust and the overlying mantle wedge. As such, the base of the ophiolite provides the opportunity to directly examine a former plate boundary. Our results demonstrate that the mean olivine grain size is inversely proportional to the abundance of minor phases (primarily pyroxene), consistent with suppression of grain growth by grain-boundary pinning. Our results also reveal that mean olivine grain size is proportional to CPO strength, suggesting that the fraction of strain accommodated by different deformation mechanisms varied spatially. Experimentally-derived flow laws indicate that under the inferred deformation conditions the viscosity of olivine was grain-size sensitive. As such, grain size, and thereby the abundance of minor phases, influenced viscosity during subduction-related deformation along the base of the mantle wedge. We calculate that viscosity and strain rate respectively decrease and increase by approximately an order of magnitude towards the base of the ophiolite. Our data indicate that this rheological weakening was primarily the result of more abundant secondary phases near the base of the ophiolite. Our interpretations are consistent with those of previous studies on experimentally deformed rocks and smaller-scale natural shear zones that indicate minor phases can strongly influence strain localisation. However, our study demonstrates for the first time that minor phases can control strain localisation at the scale of a major plate boundary.

A perspective multidisciplinary geological approach for mitigation of effects due to the asbestos hazard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vignaroli, Gianluca; Rossetti, Federico; Belardi, Girolamo; Billi, Andrea

2010-05-01

Asbestos-bearing rock sequences constitute a remarkable natural hazard that poses important threat to human health and may be at the origin of diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer). Presently, asbestos is classified as Category 1 carcinogen by world health authorities. Although regulatory agencies in many countries prohibit or restrict the use of asbestos, and discipline the environmental asbestos exposure, the impact of asbestos on human life still constitutes a major problem. Naturally occurring asbestos includes serpentine and amphibole minerals characterised by fibrous morphology and it is a constituent of mineralogical associations typical of mafic and ultramafic rocks within the ophiolitic sequences. Release of fibres can occur both through natural processes (erosion) and through human activities requiring fragmentation of ophiolite rocks (quarrying, tunnelling, railways construction, etc.). As a consequence, vulnerability is increasing in sites where workers and living people are involved by dispersion of fibres during mining and milling of ophiolitic rocks. By analysing in the field different exposures of ophiolitic sequences from the Italian peninsula and after an extensive review of the existing literature, we remark the importance of the geological context (origin, tectonic and deformation history) of ophiolites as a first-order parameter in evaluating the asbestos hazard. Integrated structural, textural, mineralogical and petrological studies significantly improve our understanding of the mechanisms governing the nucleation/growth of fibrous minerals in deformation structures (both ductile and brittle) within the ophiolitic rocks. A primary role is recognised in the structural processes favouring the fibrous mineralization, with correlation existing between the fibrous parameters (such as mineralogical composition, texture, mechanics characteristics) and the particles released in the air (such as shape, size, and amount liberated during rock fragmentation). Accordingly, we are confident that definition of an analytical protocol based on the geological attributes of the asbestos-bearing rocks may constitute a propaedeutical tool to evaluate the asbestos hazard in natural environments. This approach may have important implications for mitigation effects of the asbestos hazard from the medical field to the engineering operations.

The basal part of the Oman ophiolitic mantle: a fossil Mantle Wedge?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prigent, Cécile; Guillot, Stéphane; Agard, Philippe; Godard, Marguerite; Chauvet, Alain; Dubacq, Benoit; Monié, Patrick; Yamato, Philippe

2014-05-01

Although the Oman ophiolite is classically regarded as being the direct analog of oceanic lithosphere created at fast spreading ridges, the geodynamic context of its formation is still highly debated. The other alternative end-member model suggests that this ophiolite entirely formed in a supra-subduction zone setting. Fluids involved in the hydration of the oceanic lithosphere and in the presence of a secondary boninitic and andesitic volcanism may provide a way to discriminate between these two interpretations: are they descending near-axis hydrothermal fluxes (first model) or ascending from a subducting slab (second model)? We herein focus on the base of the ophiolitic mantle in order to characterize the origin of fluids and decipher hydration processes. Samples were taken along hecto- to kilometre-long sections across the basal banded unit directly overlying the amphibolitic/granulitic metamorphic sole. We carried out a petrological, structural and geochemical study on these rocks and their constitutive minerals. Our results show that, unlike the generally refractory character of Oman harzburgites, all the basal mantle rocks display secondary crystallization of clinopyroxene and amphibole through metasomatic processes. The microstructures and the chronology of these secondary mineralizations (clinopyroxene, pargasitic amphibole, antigorite and then lizardite/chrysotile) suggest that these basal rocks have been affected by cooling from mantle temperatures (<1200°C) to low-T serpentinisation (<300°C). Furthermore, major elements required to crystallize these minerals and the observed fluid-mobile elements (FMEs) enrichments in the clinopyroxenes and in the amphiboles (B, Pb, Sr), as well as in the serpentines (B, Sr, Rb, Ba, As), are consistent with amphibolite-derived fluids (Ishikawa et al., 2005) and cannot be easily explained by other sources. Based on these observations, we propose a geodynamic model in which intense and continuous metasomatism of the cooling base of the ophiolitic mantle is due to the release of fluids coming from the progressive dehydration of underlying amphibolitic rocks. This process is compatible with the progressive subduction of the Arabian margin during the Upper Cretaceous (e.g., HP-LT units history, and tectonic structures observed on top of it). The basal part of the Oman ophiolite would thus represent a fossil incipient mantle wedge.

Magnetic properties of serpentinized peridotites from the Zedong ophiolite, Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone, SE Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Zheng, J.; Moskowitz, B. M.; Xiong, Q.; Liu, Q.

2017-12-01

Serpentinized mantle peridotites are widely supposed to be significant sources of the magnetic, gravity and seismic anomalies in mid-oceanic ridges, forearcs and suture zones. However, the relationship between the magnetic properties of variably serpentinized peridotites and the serpentinization process is still under debate. Ophiolite outcrops commonly comprise peridotites in different stages of serpentinization and these ophiolitic peridotites are ideal to investigate the magnetic signatures of suture zones. The Zedong ophiolite locates in the eastern part of the Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone, SE Tibet (China), and the peridotite massif represents the remnants of the Neo-Tethyan lithospheric mantle. The harzburgite and lherzolite samples show densities between 3.316 and 2.593 g cm-3, and vary from the freshest to >90% serpentinized peridotites. The magnetic susceptibility curves from room temperature to 700ºC mainly show the Curie temperatures of 585ºC for pure magnetite. The low-temperature (20-300 K) demagnetization curves show the Verwey transitions at 115-125 K, suggesting that magnetite is also the dominant remanence-carrying phase. The hysteresis data of the peridotites fall in the region of pseudo-single-domain (PSD) and follow the theoretical trends for mixtures of single domain (SD) and multidomain (MD) magnetite. The first-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams suggest that the magnetite is dominantly interacting SD + PSD particles for S < 40%, and SD + PSD + MD particles for the S > 40% serpentinized samples. The susceptibility and saturation magnetization of the Zedong peridotites range from 0.9 to 30.8 × 10‒3 (SI) and 14.1 to 1318 × 10‒3 Am2 kg‒1, respectively, and both show consistent trends with increasing degrees of serpentinization. The S < 40% samples are weakly to moderately magnetic with susceptibilities increasing from 0.001 to 0.02 (SI) and follow the low-temperature serpentinization of ophiolitic peridotites, whereas the S > 40% peridotites have higher susceptibilities of 0.02-0.03 (SI) and fall in the region of abyssal peridotites. Our results suggest that the Zedong ophiolitic peridotites probably experienced a rapid production of magnetite with little or no Fe-rich brucite during the serpentinization process.

Ordovician volcanic and plutonic complexes of the Sakmara allochthon in the southern Urals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryazantsev, A. V.; Tolmacheva, T. Yu.

2016-11-01

The Ordovician terrigenous, volcanic-sedimentary and volcanic sequences that formed in rifts of the active continental margin and igneous complexes of intraoceanic suprasubduction settings structurally related to ophiolites are closely spaced in allochthons of the Sakmara Zone in the southern Urals. The stratigraphic relationships of the Ordovician sequences have been established. Their age and facies features have been specified on the basis of biostratigraphic and geochronological data. The gabbro-tonalite-trondhjemite complex and the basalt-andesite-rhyolite sequence with massive sulfide mineralization make up a volcanic-plutonic association. These rock complexes vary in age from Late Ordovician to Early Silurian in certain structural units of the Sakmara Allochthon and to the east in the southern Urals. The proposed geodynamic model for the Ordovician in Paleozoides of the southern Urals reconstructs the active continental margin, whose complexes formed under extension settings, and the intraoceanic suprasubduction structures. The intraoceanic complexes display the evolution of a volcanic arc, back-, or interarc trough.

Distribution and PGE mineralization in the formation of chromitite in ophiolite complexes (Ospina-Kitoi Kharanur and ultrabasic massifs of Eastern Sayan, Sousern Siberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiseleva, Olga; Zhmodik, Sergei

2015-04-01

New study of PGE in restitic ultrabasic (Kharanur and Ospin-Kitoi) massifs from North and South branches (Dobretsov et al., 1985) of the ophiolite complexes in south-eastern part of the Eastern Sayan show their presence in chromitites of both branches belonging to the different geodynamic settings. Modern concepts model includes several mechanisms of podiform chromitite origin reflected in the chemistry of Cr-spinels (Arai, Yurimoto, 1994; Ballhaus, 1998; Uysal et al., 2009 et al.): 1) partial melting of upper mantle rocks, 2) mixing of primitive melts with melts enriched in SiO2, 3) melt-rock interaction. We estimated the types of interaction of mafic melts with mantle peridotites, with the formation of chromite bodies. For ore chrome spinelides from northern branch (Al2O3) melt = 8 - 14 wt%, (TiO2) melt = 0 - 0,4 wt%, (Fe/Mg) melt = 0,5 - 2,4; Southern branch (Al2O3) melt = 10 - 13 wt%, (TiO2) melt = 0,1 wt%, (Fe/Mg) melt = 0,3 - 1 (Kiseleva, 2014). There are two types of PGE distribution Os-Ir-Ru (I) and Pt-Pd (II). Type I chromitites (mid-Al#Cr-spinels) revealed only Os-Ir-Ru distributions; type II (low-Al#Cr spinelides) show both Os-Ir-Ru and (Pt-Pd) distributions (Kiseleva et al., 2012, 2014). PGE distribution in ultramafic peridotites and chromitites reflects PGE fractionation during partial melting (Barnes et al., 1985; Rehkämper et al., 1997). Processes bringing to extreme fractionation of PGE, may be associated with fluid-saturated supra subduction environment where melting degree near 20% and above is sufficient for the release of PGE from the mantle source (Dick, Bullen, 1984; Naldrett, 2010). Enrichment in PPGE together with a high content of IPGE in same chromite bodies is attributed to the second step of melting, and formation of S-enriched and saturated in PGE melts (Hamlyn, Keays, 1986; Prichard et al., 1996). For type I chromitites platinum group minerals (PGM) are presented by Os-Ir-Ru system. In type II chromitites PGM are represented by Os-Ir-Ru-Rh-Pt system. Solid solutions Os-Ir-Ru and formed in the upper mantle RuS2 conditions together with chromite. The (Os-Ir-Ru)AsS minerals are forming on postmagmatic stage under the influence of S, As-containing fluids Under the influence of mantle reduced fluids the remobilization of PGE during desulfurization and deserpentinization early of "primary" PGM takes place. Changes of the redox environment from reducing to oxidizing condition is followed by creation of PGE together with As, Sb, Sn, and nickel arsenides, ferrichromie, chrommagnetite. The latter association reflects the redistribution of chromite and platinum group metals and formation of new mineral associations within the ultramafic substrate in crustal conditions (Kiseleva, 2014). Kiseleva O.N. Chromitite and PGE mineralization in ophiolites south-eastern part of the East Sayan (Ospina-Kitoi and Kharanur massifs), Thesis of PHD dissertation, Novosibirsk, 2014 IPGG SB RAS, 15p. Kiseleva O.N., Zhmodik SM, Damdinov BB, Agafonov LV, Belyanin D.K. 2014 The composition and evolution of platinum group mineralization in chromite ores Ilchir ophiolite complex (Ospin-Kitoi and Kharanur massifs, Eastern Sayan). Geology and Geophysics 55, 333 - 349.

Reconstructing Plate Boundaries in the Jurassic Neo-Tethys From the East and West Vardar Ophiolites (Greece and Serbia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maffione, Marco; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.

2018-03-01

Jurassic subduction initiation in the Neo-Tethys Ocean eventually led to the collision of the Adria-Africa and Eurasia continents and the formation of an 6,000 km long Alpine orogen spanning from Iberia to Iran. Reconstructing the location and geometry of the plate boundaries of the now disappeared Neo-Tethys during the initial moments of its closure is instrumental to perform more realistic plate reconstructions of this region, of ancient ocean basins in general, and on the process of subduction initiation. Neo-Tethyan relics are preserved in an ophiolite belt distributed above the Dinaric-Hellenic fold-thrust belt. Here we provide the first quantitative constraints on the geometry of the spreading ridges and trenches active in the Jurassic Neo-Tethys using a paleomagnetically based net tectonic rotation analysis of sheeted dykes and dykes from the West and East Vardar Ophiolites of Serbia (Maljen and Ibar) and Greece (Othris, Pindos, Vourinos, and Guevgueli). Based on our results and existing geological evidence, we show that initial Middle Jurassic ( 175 Ma) closure of the western Neo-Tethys was accommodated at a N-S trending, west dipping subduction zone initiated near and parallel to the spreading ridge. The West Vardar Ophiolites formed in the forearc parallel to this new trench. Simultaneously, the East Vardar Ophiolites formed above a second N-S to NW-SE trending subduction zone located close to the European passive margin. We tentatively propose that this second subduction zone had been active since at least the Middle Triassic, simultaneously accommodating the closure of the Paleo-Tethys and the back-arc opening of Neo-Tethys.

Constraints on the magmatic evolution of the oceanic crust from plagiogranite intrusions in the Oman ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, Karsten M.; Freund, Sarah; Beier, Christoph; Koepke, Jürgen; Erdmann, Martin; Hauff, Folkmar

2016-05-01

We present major and trace element as well as Sr, Nd, and Hf isotope data on a suite of 87 plutonic rock samples from 27 felsic crustal intrusions in seven blocks of the Oman ophiolite. The rock compositions of the sample suite including associated more mafic rocks range from 48 to 79 wt% SiO2, i.e. from gabbros to tonalites. The samples are grouped into a Ti-rich and relatively light rare earth element (LREE)-enriched P1 group [(Ce/Yb) N > 0.7] resembling the early V1 lavas, and a Ti-poor and LREE-depleted P2 group [(Ce/Yb) N < 0.7] resembling the late-stage V2 lavas. Based on the geochemical differences and in agreement with previous structural and petrographic models, we define phase 1 (P1) and phase 2 (P2) plutonic rocks. Felsic magmas in both groups formed by extensive fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, apatite, and Ti-magnetite from mafic melts. The incompatible element compositions of P1 rocks overlap with those from mid-ocean ridges but have higher Ba/Nb and Th/Nb trending towards the P2 rock compositions and indicating an influence of a subducting slab. The P2 rocks formed from a more depleted mantle source but show a more pronounced slab signature. These rocks also occur in the southern blocks (with the exception of the Tayin block) of the Oman ophiolite implying that the entire ophiolite formed above a subducting slab. Initial Nd and Hf isotope compositions suggest an Indian-MORB-type mantle source for the Oman ophiolite magmas. Isotope compositions and high Th/Nb in some P2 rocks indicate mixing of a melt from subducted sediment into this mantle.

The Wenquan ultramafic rocks in the Central East Kunlun Fault zone, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—crustal relics of the Paleo-Tethys ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Lihui; Meng, Fancong; Feng, Huibin

2018-06-01

The Wenquan ultramafic rocks, located in the East Kunlun Orogenic belt in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, consist of dunite, wehrlite, olivine-clinopyroxenite and clinopyroxenite, and exhibit cumulate textures. Olivine from dunite has high Fo (forsterite, 90.0-91.8 wt%) and NiO content (0.15-0.42 wt%). Cr-spinels from all of the rocks in this suite are characterized by high Cr# (100×[Cr/(Cr + Al)], 67-91), low Mg# (100×[Mg/(Mg + Fe2+)], 17-35) and low TiO2 contents (mostly < 0.5 wt%). Clinopyroxene displays high Mg# (92-98) and low TiO2 content (0.002-0.099 wt%), similar to those in ophiolitic cumulates. Geochemically, the Wenquan ultramafic rocks show enrichment of LILE, Sr, and Ba, and depletion of Nb and Th. High-Mg# (mostly > 80) and low-CaO (< 0.08 wt%) olivine, high-Cr# (up to 91) spinel, and low Ti contents of clinopyroxene and Cr-spinel indicate that the Wenquan cumulates were generated by high-degree partial melting of a depleted oceanic lithosphere mantle. The ultramafic intrusion most likely evolved from high-Mg basaltic magmas (Mg# = 77.5) that underwent fractional crystallization and crustal contamination. Zircon grains from clinopyroxenites yield a U-Pb weighted mean age of 331 ± 2 Ma, which is nearly coeval with the formation age of the A'nyemaqen ophiolites. The Wenquan Carboniferous ophiolites are confirmed to exist in the Central East Kunlun Fault zone, whereas previous studies have considered them to be the Proterozoic ophiolites. The Wenquan ophiolite might be a relict of the Paleotethyan ocean, indicating that there were two cycles of oceanic-continental evolution along the Central East Kunlun Fault zone.

Petrology and Rock Magnetism of the peridotites of Pindos Ophiolite (Greece), insights into the serpentinization process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnemains, D.; Carlut, J. H.; Mevel, C.; Andreani, M.; Escartin, J.; Debret, B.

2015-12-01

We present a petrological and magnetic study of a suite of serpentinized peridotites from the Pindos ophiolite spanning a wide range in the degree of serpentinization (from ~10 to 100%). The Pindos ophiolite, in Northern Greece, is a portion of Late Triassic oceanic lithosphere obducted during the convergence of the Apulian and Pelagonian micro-continents. This ophiolite is interpreted mainly as the result of a supra-subduction zone spreading process but its complete history remains largely unknown. Therefore, it is not clear when the ultramafic section was exposed to fluid circulation that resulted in its serpentinization. Element partitioning during serpentinization reactions is dependent on parameters such as temperature and water-rock ratio. In particular, they affect the behavior of the iron released by olivine, which can be taken up either by magnetite, serpentine and/or brucite. Analyses of the reaction products are therefore a key to constrain the conditions during the main stage of the alteration. Our study was designed to gain insight on the conditions prevailing during hydration. Our results indicate that even fully serpentinized samples have a very low magnetization and magnetite content. Moreover, microprobe and μXanes results show that serpentine is the main host of iron in the divalent but also trivalent form. These results are compared with a set of data from serpentinized ultramafics sampled from the ocean floors, as well as from various other ophiolites. We suggest that serpentinization at Pindos occurred at relatively low-temperature (less than 200 °C), therefore not at a ridge environment. In addition, we stress that the presence of trivalent iron in serpentine indicates that serpentinization may remain a producer of hydrogen even when very little magnetite is formed.

Lithological, Chemical and Chronological Constraints on Melt Extraction from the Mantle Section of the ~492 Ma Shetland Ophiolite Complex, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Driscoll, B.; Walker, R. J.; Clay, P. L.; Day, J. M.; Ash, R. D.; Daly, J. S.

2015-12-01

The mantle sections of ophiolites offer a means of studying the composition and structure of the oceanic mantle. In particular, the relations between different lithologies can be established in the field, permitting an assessment of the relative timing of processes such as melt extraction and melt-rock reaction. The Shetland Ophiolite Complex (SOC) contains a well-preserved mantle section that is dominated by harzburgite (≥70 vol.%), with dominantly chondritic present-day 187Os/188Os compositions1. Melt extraction and melt-rock reaction is evident in the form of dunite and chromitite layers and lenses, with thicknesses ranging from millimetres-to-metres. These lithologies are characteristic of supra-subduction zone processing and are considered to relate to closure of the Iapetus Ocean at ~492 Ma1. However, evidence of much earlier melt extraction has been suggested for some SOC harzburgites, which have relatively unradiogenic 187Os/188Os compositions that yield TRD model ages as old as ~1.4 Ga1. In order to assess the scales at which such compositional heterogeneities are preserved in the mantle, a small (45 m2) area of the SOC mantle section was selected for detailed lithological mapping and sampling. A selection of harzburgites (n=8), dunites (n=6) and pyroxenites (n=2) from this area has been analysed for their Os isotope and highly-siderophile element (HSE) compositions. Six of the harzburgites and four of the dunites have relative HSE abundances and gOs values that are approximately chondritic, with gOs ranging only from -0.6 to +2.7 (n=10). Two dunites have more radiogenic gOs (up to +7.5), that is correlated with enhanced concentrations of accessory base-metal sulphides, suggesting formation via melt percolation and melt-rock reaction. The two remaining harzburgites have less radiogenic gOs (-3.5 and -4), yielding Mesoproterozoic TRD ages. The new data indicate that a comparable range of Os isotope compositions to that previously measured across the entire SOC mantle section is present in the mapped area, i.e., at the m2 scale, revealing the modest scale of isotopic and chemical heterogeneity in the oceanic mantle. 1O'Driscoll B, Day JMD, Walker RJ, Daly JS, McDonough WF, Piccoli PM (2012). Earth and Planetary Science Letters 333-334: 226-237.

The Taitao Granites: I-type granites formed by subduction of the Chile Ridge and its implication in growth of continental crusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anma, Ryo

2016-04-01

Late Miocene to Early Pliocene granite plutons are exposed at the tip of the Taitao peninsula, the westernmost promontory of the Chilean coast, together with a contemporaneous ophiolite with a Penrose-type stratigraphy. Namely, the Taitao granites and the Taitao ohiolite, respectively, are located at ~30 km southeast of the Chile triple junction, where a spreading center of the Chile ridge system is subducting underneath the South America plate. This unique tectonic setting provides an excellent opportunity to study the generation processes of granitic magmas at a ridge subduction environment, and the complex magmatic interactions between the subducting ridge, overlying crust and sediments, and mantle. This paper reviews previous studies on the Taitao ophiolite/granite complex and use geochemical data and U-Pb age distributions of zircons separated from igneous and sedimentary rocks from the area to discuss the mechanism that formed juvenile magma of calc-alkaline I-type granites during ridge subduction. Our model implies that the magmas of the Taitao granites formed mainly due to partial melting of hot oceanic crust adjacent to the subducting mid-oceanic ridge that has been under influence of deep crustal contamination and/or metasomatized sub-arc mantle through slab window. The partial melting took place under garnet-free-amphibolite conditions. The juvenile magmas then incorporated a different amount of subducted sediments to form the I-type granites with various compositions. The Taitao granites provide an ideal case study field that shows the processes to develop continental crusts out of oceanic crusts through ridge subduction.

Tectonic Evolution of Jabal Tays Ophiolite Complex, Eastern Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AlHumidan, Saad; Kassem, Osama; Almutairi, Majed; Al-Faifi, Hussain; Kahal, Ali

2017-04-01

Microstructural analysis is important for investigation of tectonic evaluation of Jable Tays area. Furthermore, the Jable Tays ophiolite complex is effected by Al Amar -Idsas fault. The nature of the Al Amar-Idsas fault is a part of the Eastern Arabian Shield, which was subjected to multiple interpretations. Through fieldwork investigation, microscopic examination, and microstructural analysis, we aim to understand the evolution and tectonic setting of the Jable Tays area. Finite-strain data displays that the Abt schist, the metavolcanics and the metagranites are highly to moderately deformed. The axial ratios in the XZ section range from 1.40 to 2.20. The long axes of the finite-strain ellipsoids trend NW- SE and W-E in the Jable Tays area while, their short axes are subvertical to subhorizontal foliations. The strain magnitude does not increase towards the tectonic contacts between the Abt schist and metavolcano-sedimentary. While majority of the obtained data indicate a dominant oblate with minor prolate strain symmetries in the Abt schist, metavolcano-sedimentary and metagranites. The strain data also indicate flattening with some constriction. We assume that the Abt schist and the metavolcano-sedimentry rocks have similar deformation behavior. The finite strain in the studied rocks accumulated during the metamorphism that effected by thrusting activity. Based on these results, we finally concluded that the contact between Abt schist and metavolcano-sedimentary rocks were formed during the progressive thrusting under brittle to semi-ductile deformation conditions by simple shear that also involved a component of vertical shortening, causing subhorizontal foliation in Jable Tays area.

The behavior of iron and zinc stable isotopes accompanying the subduction of mafic oceanic crust: A case study from Western Alpine ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inglis, Edward C.; Debret, Baptiste; Burton, Kevin W.; Millet, Marc-Alban; Pons, Marie-Laure; Dale, Christopher W.; Bouilhol, Pierre; Cooper, Matthew; Nowell, Geoff M.; McCoy-West, Alex J.; Williams, Helen M.

2017-07-01

Arc lavas display elevated Fe3+/ΣFe ratios relative to MORB. One mechanism to explain this is the mobilization and transfer of oxidized or oxidizing components from the subducting slab to the mantle wedge. Here we use iron and zinc isotopes, which are fractionated upon complexation by sulfide, chloride, and carbonate ligands, to remark on the chemistry and oxidation state of fluids released during prograde metamorphism of subducted oceanic crust. We present data for metagabbros and metabasalts from the Chenaillet massif, Queyras complex, and the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite (Western European Alps), which have been metamorphosed at typical subduction zone P-T conditions and preserve their prograde metamorphic history. There is no systematic, detectable fractionation of either Fe or Zn isotopes across metamorphic facies, rather the isotope composition of the eclogites overlaps with published data for MORB. The lack of resolvable Fe isotope fractionation with increasing prograde metamorphism likely reflects the mass balance of the system, and in this scenario Fe mobility is not traceable with Fe isotopes. Given that Zn isotopes are fractionated by S-bearing and C-bearing fluids, this suggests that relatively small amounts of Zn are mobilized from the mafic lithologies in within these types of dehydration fluids. Conversely, metagabbros from the Queyras that are in proximity to metasediments display a significant Fe isotope fractionation. The covariation of δ56Fe of these samples with selected fluid mobile elements suggests the infiltration of sediment derived fluids with an isotopically light signature during subduction.

Lithological architecture and petrography of the Mako Birimian greenstone belt, Kédougou-Kéniéba Inlier, eastern Senegal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabo, Moussa; Aïfa, Tahar; Gning, Ibrahima; Faye, Malick; Ba, Mamadou Fallou; Ngom, Papa Malick

2017-07-01

The new lithological and petrographic data obtained in the Mako sector are analyzed in the light of the geochemical data available in the literature. It consists of ultramaic, mafic rocks of tholeiitic affinities associated with intermediate and felsic rocks of calc-alkaline affinities and with intercalations of sedimentary rocks. The whole unit is intruded by Eburnean granitoids and affected by a greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphism related to a high grade hydrothermalism. It consists of: (i) ultramafic rocks composed of a fractional crystallization succession of lherzolites, wehrlites and pyroxenites with mafic rock inclusions; (ii) layered, isotropic and pegmatitic metagabbros which gradually pass to metabasalts occur at the top; (iii) massive and in pillow metabasalts with locally tapered vesicles, completely or partially filled with quartzo-feldspathic minerals; (iv) quarzites locally overlying the mafic rocks and thus forming the top of the lower unit. This ultramafic-mafic lower unit presents a tholeiitic affinity near to the OIB or N-MORB. It represents the Mako Ophiolitic Complex (MOC), a lithospheric fragment of Birimian lithospheric crust. The upper unit is a mixed volcanic complex arranged in the tectonic corridors. From bottom to top it comprises the following: (i) andesitic, and (ii) rhyodacitic and rhyolitic lava flows and tuffs, respectively. They present a calc-alkaline affinity of the active margins. Three generations of Eburnean granitoids are recognized: (i) early (2215-2160 Ma); (ii) syn-tectonics (2150-2100 Ma) and post-tectonics (2090-2040 Ma). The lithological succession, geochemical and metamorphic characteristics of these units point to an ophiolitic supra-subduction zone.

Microbial life associated with low-temperature alteration of ultramafic rocks in the Leka ophiolite complex.

PubMed

Daae, F L; Økland, I; Dahle, H; Jørgensen, S L; Thorseth, I H; Pedersen, R B

2013-07-01

Water-rock interactions in ultramafic lithosphere generate reduced chemical species such as hydrogen that can fuel subsurface microbial communities. Sampling of this environment is expensive and technically demanding. However, highly accessible, uplifted oceanic lithospheres emplaced onto continental margins (ophiolites) are potential model systems for studies of the subsurface biosphere in ultramafic rocks. Here, we describe a microbiological investigation of partially serpentinized dunite from the Leka ophiolite (Norway). We analysed samples of mineral coatings on subsurface fracture surfaces from different depths (10-160 cm) and groundwater from a 50-m-deep borehole that penetrates several major fracture zones in the rock. The samples are suggested to represent subsurface habitats ranging from highly anaerobic to aerobic conditions. Water from a surface pond was analysed for comparison. To explore the microbial diversity and to make assessments about potential metabolisms, the samples were analysed by microscopy, construction of small subunit ribosomal RNA gene clone libraries, culturing and quantitative-PCR. Different microbial communities were observed in the groundwater, the fracture-coating material and the surface water, indicating that distinct microbial ecosystems exist in the rock. Close relatives of hydrogen-oxidizing Hydrogenophaga dominated (30% of the bacterial clones) in the oxic groundwater, indicating that microbial communities in ultramafic rocks at Leka could partially be driven by H2 produced by low-temperature water-rock reactions. Heterotrophic organisms, including close relatives of hydrocarbon degraders possibly feeding on products from Fischer-Tropsch-type reactions, dominated in the fracture-coating material. Putative hydrogen-, ammonia-, manganese- and iron-oxidizers were also detected in fracture coatings and the groundwater. The microbial communities reflect the existence of different subsurface redox conditions generated by differences in fracture size and distribution, and mixing of fluids. The particularly dense microbial communities in the shallow fracture coatings seem to be fuelled by both photosynthesis and oxidation of reduced chemical species produced by water-rock reactions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The tectonometamorphic evolution of the Apuseni Mountains (Romania): Geodynamic constraints for the evolution of the Alps-Carpathians-Dinaride system of orogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiser, Martin; Schuster, Ralf; Fügenschuh, Bernhard

2015-04-01

New structural, thermobarometric and geochronological data allow integrating kinematics, timing and intensity of tectonic phases into a geodynamic model of the Apuseni Mountain, which provides new constraints for the evolution of the Alps-Carpathians-Dinaride system of orogens. Strong differences in terms of deformation directions between Early and Late Cretaceous events provide new constraints on the regional geodynamic evolution during the Cretaceous. Geochronological and structural data evidence a Late Jurassic emplacement of the South Apuseni Ophiolites on top of the Biharia Nappe System (Dacia Mega-Unit), situated in an external position at the European margin. Following the emplacement of the ophiolites, three compressive deformation phases affected the Apuseni Mountains during Alpine orogeny: a) NE-directed in-sequence nappe stacking and regional metamorphic overprinting under amphibolite-facies conditions during the Early Cretaceous ("Austrian Phase"), b) NW-directed thrusting and folding, associated with greenschist-facies overprinting, during the early Late Cretaceous ("Turonian Phase") and c) E-W internal folding together with brittle thrusting during the latest Cretaceous ("Laramian Phase"). Major tectonic unroofing and exhumation at the transition from Early to Late Cretaceous times is documented through new Sm-Nd Grt, Ar-Ar Ms and Rb-Sr Bt ages from the study area and resulted in a complex thermal structure with strong lateral and vertical thermal gradients. Nappe stacking and medium-grade metamorphic overprinting during the Early Cretaceous exhibits striking parallels between the evolution of the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Units and the Austroalpine Nappes (ALCAPA Mega-Unit) and evidences a close connection. However, Late Cretaceous tectonic events in the study area exhibit strong similarities with the Dinarides. Thus, the Apuseni Mountains represent the "missing link" between the Early Cretaceous Meliata subduction (associated with obduction of ophiolites) and the Neotethys subduction during Late Cretaceous times.

Petrology and geochemistry of mafic magmatic rocks from the Sarve-Abad ophiolites (Kurdistan region, Iran): Evidence for interaction between MORB-type asthenosphere and OIB-type components in the southern Neo-Tethys Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saccani, Emilio; Allahyari, Khalil; Rahimzadeh, Bahman

2014-05-01

The Sarve-Abad (Sawlava) ophiolites crop out in the Main Zagros Thrust Zone and represent remnants of the Mesozoic southern Neo-Tethys Ocean that was located between the Arabian shield and Sanandaj-Sirjan continental block. They consist of several incomplete ophiolitic sequences including gabbroic bodies, a dyke complex, and pillow lava sequences. These rocks generally range from sub-alkaline to transitional character. Mineral chemistry and whole-rock geochemistry indicate that they have compositions akin to enriched-type mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORB) and plume-type MORB (P-MORB). Nonetheless, the different depletion degrees in heavy rare earth elements (HREE), which can be observed in both E-MORB like and P-MORB like rocks enable two main basic chemical types of rocks to be distinguished as Type-I and Type-II. Type-I rocks are strongly depleted in HREE (YbN < ~ 6), whereas Type-II rocks are moderately depleted in HREE (YbN > 9.0). Petrogenetic modeling shows that Type-I rocks originated from 7 to 16% polybaric partial melting of a MORB-type mantle source, which was significantly enriched by plume-type components. These rocks resulted from the mixing of variable fractions of melts generated in garnet-facies and the spinel-facies mantle. In contrast, Type-II rocks originated from 5 to 8% partial melting in the spinel-facies of a MORB-type source, which was moderately enriched by plume-type components. A possible tectono-magmatic model for the generation of the southern Neo-Tethys oceanic crust implies that the continental rift and subsequent oceanic spreading were associated with uprising of MORB-type asthenospheric mantle featuring plume-type component influences decreasing from deep to shallow mantle levels. These deep plume-type components were most likely inherited from Carboniferous mantle plume activity that was associated with the opening of Paleo-Tethys in the same area.

Asbestiform minerals in ophiolitic rocks of Calabria (southern Italy).

PubMed

Campopiano, Antonella; Olori, Angelo; Spadafora, Alessandra; Rosaria Bruno, Maria; Angelosanto, Federica; Iannò, Antonino; Casciardi, Stefano; Giardino, Renato; Conte, Maurizio; Oranges, Teresa; Iavicoli, Sergio

2018-03-22

Ophiolitic rocks cropping on Calabria territory, southern Italy, can hold asbestiform minerals potentially harmful for human health. The aim of this work was to detect the fibrous phases of ophiolites along the Coastal Chain of northern Calabria and southern part of the Sila massif. Above 220 massive samples were collected in the study areas and analyzed using optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Fourier transform infra-red spectrometry. The main fibrous constituent belonged to tremolite-actinolite series followed by fibrous antigorite that becomes more abundant in the samples collected in Reventino Mount surroundings. Results highlighted that serpentinites samples mainly consisted of antigorite and minor chrysotile. Samples collected along the coastal chain of northern Calabria did not hold fibrous materials. The results will be useful for Italian natural occurrences of asbestos (NOA) mapping in order to avoid an unintentional exposition by human activity or weathering processes.

Environmental exposure to asbestos: from geology to mesothelioma.

PubMed

Bayram, Mehmet; Bakan, Nur Dilek

2014-05-01

This article aims to review the geological background of environmental asbestos exposure and the distribution of asbestos-related disease (ARD) in association with naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), and discusses the potential health risks associated with exposure to non-occupational asbestos. With the motion of continental and oceanic plates, in some parts of the world serpentinites in the lower layer of the oceanic plate move into the continental plate and form the so-called ophiolites. Ophiolites consist of soil and rocks containing serpentine-type asbestos. There is an increase in ARDs in regions close to ophiolites. Indoor exposure and outdoor exposure to NOA, outdoor exposure to industrial asbestos and mines, urbanization and construction works in NOA regions are the known sources and types of environmental asbestos exposure. Although there is an expectance of decline in ARDs caused by industrial exposure to asbestos, the environmental exposure to asbestos is still a challenge waiting to be overcome.

Possible polyphase metamorphic evolution of high grade metabasic rocks from the Songshugou ophiolite, Qinling orogen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belic, Maximilian; Hauzenberger, Christoph; Dong, Yunpeng; Chen, Danling

2014-05-01

The Proterozoic Songshugou ophiolite consists of a series of ultrabasic and tholeitic metabasic rocks. They were emplaced as a lense shaped body into the southern margin of the Qinling Group. Isotope composition and trace element geochemistry display an E-MORB and T-MORB signature for the mafic rocks (Dong et al., 2008). Within the ophiolite sequence some rudimental fresh peridotites (dunites and harzburgites) within serpentines display low CaO (<0.39 wt.%) and Al2O3 (<0.51 wt.%) as well as high MgO (41-48 wt.%) contents, which can be classified as depleted non-fertile mantle rocks. The metabasic rocks comprise the mineral assemblage garnet, amphibole, symplectitic pyroxenes, ilmenite, apatite, ±zoisite, ±sphene and show a strong retrograde metamorphic overprint. Garnet typically contains many inclusions within the core but are nearly inclusion free at the rim. The cores have sometimes snowball textures indicating initially syndeformative growth. Albite and prehnite were found in central parts of garnet. In the outer portions, pargasitic amphibole, rutile and a bluish amphibole, probably glaukophane were found. Garnet zoning pattern clearly show a discontinous growth seen in an sudden increase in grossular and decrease in almandine components. The symplectitic pyroxenes are of diopsidic composition which enclose typically prehnite and not albite, as common in retrograde eclogitic rocks. Different stages of garnet breakdown to plagioclase and amphibole, from thin plagioclase rims surrounding the garnets to plagioclase rich pseudomorphs, can be observed in different samples. Based on symplectitic pyroxenes a high pressure metamorphic event can be concluded (Zhang, 1999). The garnet breakdown to plagioclase and the symplectites clearly indicate a rapid exhumation phase. The age of the metamorphic event is probably related to the closure of the Shangdan ocean during the early Paleozoic. It is unclear if the garnet rims grew during a later stage of the metamorphic cycle or developed during a separate event. The financial support by Eurasia-Pacific Uninet is gratefully acknowledged. Dong, Y.P., Zhou, M.F., Zhang, G.W., Zhou, D.W., Liu, L., Zhang, Q., 2008. The Grenvillian Songshugou ophiolite in the Qinling Mountains, Central China: implications for the tectonic evolution of the Qinling orogenic belt. Journal of Asian Earth Science 32 (5-6), 325-335. Zhang, Z.J., 1999. Metamorphic evolution of garnet-clinopyroxene-amphibole rocks from the Proterozoic Songshugou mafic-ultramafic complex, Qinling Mountains, central China. The Island Arc, 8, 259-280.

Paragenesis of multiple platinum-group mineral populations in Shetland ophiolite chromitite: 3D X-ray tomography and in situ Os isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prichard, H. M.; Barnes, Stephen J.; Dale, C. W.; Godel, B.; Fisher, P. C.; Nowell, G. M.

2017-11-01

Chromitite from the Harold's Grave locality in the mantle section of the Shetland ophiolite complex is extremely enriched in Ru, Os and Ir, at μg/g concentrations. High-resolution X-ray computed tomography on micro-cores from these chromitites was used to determine the location, size, distribution and morphology of the platinum-group minerals (PGM). There are five generations of PGM in these chromitites. Small (average 5 μm in equivalent sphere diameter, ESD) euhedral laurites, often with Os-Ir alloys, are totally enclosed in the chromite and are likely to have formed first by direct crystallisation from the magma as the chromite crystallised. Also within the chromitite there are clusters of larger (50 μm ESD) aligned elongate crystals of Pt-, Rh-, Ir-, Os- and Ru-bearing PGM that have different orientations in different chromite crystals. These may have formed either by exsolution, or by preferential nucleation of PGMs in boundary layers around particular growing chromite grains. Thirdly there is a generation of large (100 μm ESD) composite Os-Ir-Ru-rich PGM that are all interstitial to the chromite grains and sometimes form in clusters. It is proposed that Os, Ir and Ru in this generation were concentrated in base metal sulfide droplets that were then re-dissolved into a later sulfide-undersaturated magma, leaving PGM interstitial to the chromite grains. Fourthly there is a group of almost spherical large (80 μm ESD) laurites, hosting minor Os-Ir-Ru-rich PGM that form on the edge or enclosed in chromite grains occurring in a sheet crosscutting a chromitite layer. These may be hosted in an annealed late syn- or post magmatic fracture. Finally a few of the PGM have been deformed in localised shear zones through the chromitites. The vast majority of the PGM - including small PGM enclosed within chromite, larger interstitial PGM and elongate aligned PGM - have Os isotope compositions that give Re-depletion model ages approximately equal to the age of the ophiolite at ∼492 Ma. A number of other PGM - not confined to a single textural group - fall to more or less radiogenic values, with four PGM giving anomalously unradiogenic Os corresponding to an older age of ∼1050 Ma. The 187Os/188Os isotopic ratios for PGM from Cliff and Quoys, from the same ophiolite section, are somewhat more radiogenic than those at Harold's Grave. This may be due to a distinct mantle source history or possibly the assimilation of radiogenic crustal Os.

Differences in composition of shallow-water marine benthic communities associated with two ophiolitic rock substrata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bavestrello, Giorgio; Bo, Marzia; Betti, Federico; Canessa, Martina; Gaggero, Laura; Rindi, Fabio; Cattaneo-Vietti, Riccardo

2018-01-01

On marine rocky shores, several physical, chemical and biological processes operate to maintain the benthic assemblages' heterogeneity, but among the abiotic factors, the composition and texture of the rocky substrata have been only sporadically considered. However, biomineralogical studies have demonstrated an unsuspected ability of the benthic organisms to interact at different levels with rocky substrata. Therefore, the mineralogy of the substratum can affect the structure of benthic communities. To evaluate this hypothesis, the macrobenthic assemblages developed on two different ophiolitic rocks (serpentinites and metagabbros) in contact at a restricted stretch of the western Ligurian Riviera (western Mediterranean Sea), with identical environmental and climatic conditions, were analysed. Samplings were carried out at four bathymetric levels (+1m, 0m, -1m, and -3m respect to the mean sea level) and the analysis of the data evidenced differences in terms of species distribution and percent coverage. Algal communities growing on metagabbros were poorer in species richness and showed a much simpler structure when compared to the assemblages occurring on the serpentinites. The most widely distributed animal organism, the barnacle Chthamalus stellatus, was dominant on serpentinites, and virtually absent on metagabbros. Our results suggest a complex pattern of interactions between lithology and benthic organisms operating through processes of inhibition/facilitation related to the mineral properties of the substratum.

Tectonic Evolution of the Careón Ophiolite (Northwest Spain): A Remnant of Oceanic Lithosphere in the Variscan Belt.

PubMed

Díaz García F; Arenas; Martínez Catalán JR; González del Tánago J; Dunning

1999-09-01

Analysis of the Careón Unit in the Ordenes Complex (northwest Iberian Massif) has supplied relevant data concerning the existence of a Paleozoic oceanic lithosphere, probably related to the Rheic realm, and the early subduction-related events that were obscured along much of the Variscan belt by subsequent collision tectonics. The ophiolite consists of serpentinized harzburgite and dunite in the lower section and a crustal section made up of coarse-grained and pegmatitic gabbros. An Early Devonian zircon age (395+/-2 Ma, U-Pb) was obtained in a leucocratic gabbro. The whole section was intruded by numerous diabasic gabbro dikes. Convergence processes took place shortly afterward, giving rise to a mantle-rooted synthetic thrust system, with some coeval igneous activity. Garnet amphibolite, developed in metamorphic soles, was found discontinuously attached to the thrust fault. The soles graded downward to epidote-amphibolite facies metabasite and were partially retrogressed to greenschist facies conditions. Thermobarometric estimations carried out at a metamorphic sole (T approximately 650 degrees C; P approximately 11.5 kbar) suggested that imbrications developed in a subduction setting, and regional geology places this subduction in the context of an early Variscan accretionary wedge. Subduction and imbrication of oceanic lithosphere was followed by underthrusting of the Gondwana continental margin.

Biogeography of serpentinite-hosted microbial ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brazelton, W.; Cardace, D.; Fruh-Green, G.; Lang, S. Q.; Lilley, M. D.; Morrill, P. L.; Szponar, N.; Twing, K. I.; Schrenk, M. O.

2012-12-01

Ultramafic rocks in the Earth's mantle represent a tremendous reservoir of carbon and reducing power. Upon tectonic uplift and exposure to fluid flow, serpentinization of these materials generates copious energy, sustains abiogenic synthesis of organic molecules, and releases hydrogen gas (H2). To date, however, the "serpentinite microbiome" is poorly constrained- almost nothing is known about the microbial diversity endemic to rocks actively undergoing serpentinization. Through the Census of Deep Life, we have obtained 16S rRNA gene pyrotag sequences from fluids and rocks from serpentinizing ophiolites in California, Canada, and Italy. The samples include high pH serpentinite springs, presumably representative of deeper environments within the ophiolite complex, wells which directly access subsurface aquifers, and rocks obtained from drill cores into serpentinites. These data represent a unique opportunity to examine biogeographic patterns among a restricted set of microbial taxa that are adapted to similar environmental conditions and are inhabiting sites with related geological histories. In general, our results point to potentially H2-utilizing Betaproteobacteria thriving in shallow, oxic-anoxic transition zones and anaerobic Clostridia thriving in anoxic, deep subsurface habitats. These general taxonomic and biogeochemical trends were also observed in seafloor Lost City hydrothermal chimneys, indicating that we are beginning to identify a core serpentinite microbial community that spans marine and continental settings.

Revised version of the Cenozoic Collision along the Zagros Orogen, Insights from Cr-spinel and Sandstone Modal Analyses.

PubMed

Gholami Zadeh, Parisa; Adabi, Mohammad Hossein; Hisada, Ken-Ichiro; Hosseini-Barzi, Mahboubeh; Sadeghi, Abbas; Ghassemi, Mohammad Reza

2017-09-07

Geoscientists have always considered the Neyriz region, located along the Zagros Suture Zone, an important area of interest because of the outcrops of Neotethys ophiolitic rocks. We carried out a modal analysis of the Cenozoic sandstones and geochemistry of the detrital Cr-spinels at Neyriz region in order to determine their provenance and tectonic evolution in the proximal part of Zagros Basin. Our data shows a clear change in provenance from the Late Cretaceous onwards. As from the Late Cretaceous to Eocene, lithic grains are mostly chert and serpentinite; and higher Cr# values of the detrital Cr-spinel compositions indicate that they originate from the fore-arc peridotites and deposited in an accretionary prism setting during this period. From the Late Oligocene to the Miocene periods, volcaniclastic and carbonate lithic grains show an increasing trend, and in the Miocene, metasedimentary lithic grains appear in the sediments. Ophiolite obduction caused a narrow trough sub-basin to be formed parallel to the general trend of the Zagros Orogeny between the Arabian and Iranian plates in Oligocene. From the Miocene onwards, the axial metamorphic complex belt was uplifted in the upper plate. Therefore, the collision along the Zagros Suture Zone must have occurred in the Late Oligocene.

Controls on the rheological properties of peridotite at a palaeosubduction interface: A transect across the base of the Oman-UAE ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrose, Tyler K.; Wallis, David; Hansen, Lars N.; Waters, Dave J.; Searle, Michael P.

2018-06-01

Studies of experimentally deformed rocks and small-scale natural shear zones have demonstrated that volumetrically minor phases can control strain localisation by limiting grain growth and promoting grain-size sensitive deformation mechanisms. These small-scale studies are often used to infer a critical role for minor phases in the development of plate boundaries. However, the role of minor phases in strain localisation at an actual plate boundary remains to be tested by direct observation. In order to test the hypothesis that minor phases control strain localisation at plate boundaries, we conducted microstructural analyses of peridotite samples collected along a ∼1 km transect across the base of the Oman-United Arab Emirates (UAE) ophiolite. The base of the ophiolite is marked by the Semail thrust, which represents the now exhumed contact between subducted oceanic crust and the overlying mantle wedge. As such, the base of the ophiolite provides the opportunity to directly examine a former plate boundary. Our results demonstrate that the mean olivine grain size is inversely proportional to the abundance of minor phases (primarily orthopyroxene, as well as clinopyroxene, hornblende, and spinel), consistent with suppression of grain growth by grain-boundary pinning. Our results also reveal that mean olivine grain size is proportional to CPO strength (both of which generally decrease towards the metamorphic sole), suggesting that the fraction of strain produced by different deformation mechanisms varied spatially. Experimentally-derived flow laws indicate that under the inferred deformation conditions, the viscosity of olivine was grain-size sensitive. As such, grain size, and thereby the abundance of minor phases, influenced viscosity during subduction-related deformation along the base of the mantle wedge. We calculate an order of magnitude decrease in the viscosity of olivine towards the base of the ophiolite, which suggests strain was localised near the subduction interface. Our data indicate that this rheological weakening was primarily the result of more abundant minor phases near the base of the ophiolite. Our interpretations are consistent with those of previous studies on experimentally deformed rocks and smaller-scale natural shear zones that indicate minor phases can exert the primary control on strain localisation. However, our study demonstrates for the first time that minor phases can control strain localisation at the scales relevant to a major plate boundary.

Timing of tectonic evolution of the East Kunlun Orogen, Northern Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yunpeng

2017-04-01

The East Kunlun Orogen, located at the northern Tibet Plateau, represents the western segment of the Central China Orogenic Belt which was formed by amalgamation of the North China blocks and South China blocks. It is a key to understanding the formation of Eastern Asian continent as well as the evolution of the Pangea supercontinent. Based on detailed geological mapping, geochemical and geochronological investigations, the orogen is divided into three main tectonic belts, from north to south, including the Northern Qimantagh, Central Kunlun and Southern Kunlun Belts by the Qimantagh suture, Central Kunlun suture and South Kunlun fault. The Qimantagh suture is marked by the Early Paleozoic ophiolites outcropped in the Yangziquan, Wutumeiren, and Tatuo areas, which consist mainly of peridotites, gabbros, diabases and basalts. Besides, the ophiolite in the Wutumeiren is characterized by occurring anorthosite while the ophiolite in the Tatuo occurring chert. The basalts and diabases from both Yaziquan and Tatuo areas display depletion of Nb, Ta, P and Ti, and enrichment of LILE, suggesting a subduction related tectonic setting. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of 421 Ma for the diabase represents the formation age of the Yaziquan ophiolite, while the U-Pb ages of 490 Ma and 505 Ma for gabbro and anorthosite, respectively, constrain the formation age of the Tatuo ophiolite. The basaltic rocks in the Wutumeiren area display flat distribution of HFSEs (such as Nb, Ta, K, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Zr, Sm, Eu, Ti, Dy, Y, Yb and Lu) and slightly enrichment in LREEs, while the peridotites showing depletion in MREEs. The LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of 431 Ma for the gabbro represents the formation age of the Wutumeiren ophiolite. Together with regional geology, we suggest herewith a back-arc basin tectonic setting during ca. 505-421 Ma at least for the Qimantagh suture. The Central Kunlun suture is represented by the ophiolite in the Wutuo area, which is characterized by depletion of Nb, Ta, P and Ti, and enrichment of LILEs, LREEs, K, Pb, Sr and Nd, accounting for a subduction relation setting. The gabbro yields a LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of 243 Ma, representing the formation age of the ophiolite. Taking into account of evidence from the Early Paleozoic ophiolites in the Buqinshan ( Bian Qiantao et al., 2001, 2007; Li Zuochen et al., 2013; Li Ruibao et al., 2014; Liu Zhanqing et al., 2011) and the Derni areas (Chen Liang et al., 2001, 2003), the Central Kunlun ocean might be existed from Early Paleozoic to Middle Triassic time. The Northern Qimantagh tectonic belt, to the north of the Qimantagh suture, exposes a large volume of Early Paleozoic granitic plutons and volcanic rocks. Geochemistry of the granites suggests an arc setting. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages ranging from ca. 440 to 402 Ma constrain the time of the subduction and arc setting. The Central Kunlun tectonic belt is characterized by occurring of Paleo-Proterozoic basement which was intruded by large amounts of Triassic granitoids. The basement represented by the Jinshuikou Group including gneisses, amphibolites and marbles, yields a protolith formation age of 2.2 Ga which was overprinted by Neoproterozoic tectono-thermal event. The plutonic intrusions display LA-ICP-MS zircon ages mainly of 260-200 Ma with minor ages of 470-400 Ma, revealing a long-lived subduction from Early Paleozoic to Late Triassic. Taken into together all above evidence, trench-arc-back arc basin tectonics were suggested here accounting for the tectonic evolution of the East Kunlun Orogeny during Early Paleozoic to Triassic time.

Genetic legacy of the deep subsurface recorded in the outflow channel of a terrestrial serpentinizing seep (Luzon, the Philippines)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woycheese, K. M.; Meyer-Dombard, D. R.; Cardace, D.; Arcilla, C. A.

2014-12-01

The deep subsurface microbial community represents the largest biome on Earth, yet accessing this deep biosphere is challenging. Fluids seep along fractures from aquifers that may support diverse microbial communities, living off hydrogen gas generated by radiolysis, serpentinization, or thermogenic reactions. A serpentinizing seep, emanating fluids as high as pH 11.27, was found to accrete meters-long carbonate terraces in the Zambales ophiolite range (Luzon, the Philippines). Samples were collected at several locations along the Poon Bato (PB) River, focusing primarily on the pools and terraces formed by carbonate rimstone (Figure 1). As serpentinizing fluids are exposed to the atmosphere, dynamic niches are established in surface sediments. We propose that the high pH, reducing, high Ca+2 fluid pool terraces reflect remnants of deep subsurface microbial communities, based on high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing data. In total, eight samples were collected for environmental DNA analysis. Post-sequence analysis revealed a total of 927126 counts, with an average of 115890.75 counts per sample. Many taxa aligned with cultured representatives of serpentinizing seep-associated taxa, including Bacteroidetes, Clostrida, Chloroflexi, Methylococcales, and Xanthomonadales. Geochemical data indicates an average fluid temperature of 28.9°C, and pH that varies from 9.22-11.27. Total carbon wt.% of solids was highest in a shallow pool shaped by boulders, where calcite precipitation occurred over nearly every surface. Dissolved oxygen (DO%) was highest at PB1 main pool (60%), although a calcite skin had formed along the air-water interface. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) at PB1 main pool was 1.3 ppm, while at PB2 main pool, the DIC was higher (6.0 ppm). The lack of calcite skin may allow more direct access to atmospheric carbon dioxide at PB2. The isotopic value of carbon-13 was depleted at PB1 relative to PB2 (δ13C VPDB -25.4 ‰ versus δ13C VPDB ‰ -17.5, respectively). The DOC concentration at PB1 main pool was 0.3 ppm and 1.15 ppm at PB2. Given the low DIC concentrations at PB1, it is suggested that heterotrophy may dominate over autotrophy in the system. This suggests that the highly reducing, high pH fluids emanating from fluid seeps at Poon Bato influence surface communities via inundation with serpentinizing fluid.

Lithospheric Structure of the Arabian Shield from the Joint Inversion of Receiver Function and Surface-Wave Dispersion Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-01

These microplates are separated by four ophiolite-bearing suture zones of two types: the Bir Umq and Yanbu sutures, formed by island-arc-island...Am., 82, 1453- 1474,1992. (UNCLASSIFIED) Coleman, R. G., Ophiolites. Ancient Oceanic Lithosphere ?, 229 pp., Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1977...African microplate accretion of the Arabian shield, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 96, 817-826, 1985. (UNCLASSIFIED) Su, W., R. L. Woodward, and A. M

Can the composition and structure of the lower ocean crust and upper mantle be known without deep ocean drilling?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, H.; Natland, J.

2003-04-01

No. With few exceptions, lower ocean crust sampled by dredge or submersible in tectonic windows such as Atlantis Bank in the Indian Ocean or the MARK area on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are not representative of the ocean crust. They represent tectonic mixing of rocks from the mantle and crust on large faults that also localize late magmatic intrusion. Where this can be sorted out, the in-situ crustal sections may generally represent a sub-horizontal cross-section through the lower crust and mantle and not a vertical one. The gabbroic rocks exposed represent largely high-level intrusions, highly hybridized by late melt flow along deep faults, or highly evolved gabbro at the distal ends of larger intrusions emplaced into the mantle near transforms. Oceanic gabbros have average compositions that lie outside the range of primary MORB compositions, and rarely are equivalent to spatially associated MORB either as a parent to, or as a residue of their crystallization. Oceanic gabbros sampled from these complexes generally are very coarse-grained, and are unlike those seen in nearly all ophiolites and layered intrusions. In addition, there are few exposures of gabbro and lower ocean crust and mantle in Pacific tectonic windows, though there the possibility of more representative sections is greater due to their exposure in propagating rifts. Limited samples of the mantle from near the midpoints of ocean ridge segments at slow-spreading rifts are from anomalous crustal environments such as ultra-slow spreading ridges or failed rifts. These include abundant dunites, as opposed to samples from fracture zones, which contain only about 1% dunite. While this indicates focused mantle flow towards the midpoint of a ridge, it also shows that fracture zone peridotites are not fully representative of the oceanic upper mantle. Major classes of rocks common in ophiolites, such as fine to medium grained layered primitive olivine gabbros, troctolites, wherlites and dunites, sheeted dikes, and epidosites are rarely or even not exposed. Models of lower ocean crust stratigraphy drawn from deep sea sampling, certainly from slow spreading ridges, do not match those for major intact ophiolites. Thus the ophiolite hypothesis remains unconfirmed for the lower ocean crust and shallow mantle, and it is nearly impossible to accurately identify the ocean ridge environment of any one ophiolite. The one deep drill hole that exists in lower ocean crust, 1.5 km Hole 735B, has a bulk composition too fractionated to mass balance MORB back to a primary mantle melt composition. Thus, a large mass of primitive cumulates is missing and could be situated in the crust below the base of the hole or in the underlying mantle. This is an unresolved question that is critical to understanding the evolution of the most common magma on earth: MORB. Since lower ocean crust and mantle represent a major portion of the crust and the exchange of mass, heat and volatiles from the earth's interior to its exterior this leaves a major hole in our understanding of the global geochemical and tectonic cycle which can only be filled by deep drilling.

Orogenesis of the Oman Mountains - a new geodynamic model based on structural geology, plate reconstructions and thermochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobe, Arne; Virgo, Simon; von Hagke, Christoph; Ralf, Littke; Urai, Janos L.

2017-04-01

Ophiolite obduction is an integral part of mountain building in many orogens. However, because the obduction stage is usually overprinted by later tectonic events, obduction geodynamics and its influence on orogenesis are often elusive. The best-preserved ophiolite on Earth is the Semail Ophiolite, Oman Mountains. 350 km of ophiolite and the entire overthrusted margin sequence are exposed perpendicular to the direction of obduction along the northeastern coast of the Sultanate of Oman. Despite excellent exposure, it has been debated whether early stages of obduction included formation of a micro-plate, or if the Oman Mountains result from collision of two macro-plates (e.g. Breton et al., 2004). Furthermore, different tectonic models for the Oman Mountains exist, and it is unclear how structural and tectonic phases relate to geodynamic context. Here we present a multidisciplinary approach to constrain orogenesis of the Oman Mountains. To this end, we first restore the structural evolution of the carbonate platform in the footwall of the Semail ophiolite. Relative ages of nine structural generations can be distinguished, based on more than 1,500 vein and fault overprintings. Top-to-S overthrusting of the Semail ophiolite is witnessed by three different generations of bedding confined veins in an anticlockwise rotating stress field. Rapid burial induced the formation of overpressure cells, and generation and migration of hydrocarbons (Fink et al., 2015; Grobe et al., 2016). Subsequent tectonic thinning of the ophiolite took place above a top-to-NNE crustal scale, ductile shear zone, deforming existing veins and forming a cleavage in clay-rich layers. Ongoing extension formed normal- to oblique-slip faults and horst-graben structures. This was followed by NE-SW oriented ductile shortening, the formation of the Jebel Akhdar anticline, potentially controlled by the positions of the horst-graben structures. Exhumation in the Cenozoic was associated with low angle normal faults on the northern flank of the anticline. We link these results with the geodynamic framework of the area, constrained by plate tectonic reconstructions. Furthermore, we constrain the exhumation history of the mountain belt using zircon (U-Th-Sm)/He dating. Geodynamic and exhumation events can be linked to structural generations. This results in a new tectonic model of the Oman Mountains. We find a remarkable along-strike consistency of mountain building phases and argue involvement of a micro-plate is not required. Breton, J.P., Béchennec, F., Le Métour, J., Moen-Maurel, L., Razin, P., 2004. Eoalpine (Cretaceous) evolution of the Oman Tethyan continental margin: Insights from a structural field study in Jabal Akhdar (Oman Mountains). GeoArabia 9, 41-58. Fink, R., Virgo, S., Arndt, M., Visser, W., Littke, R., Urai, J.L.L., 2015. Solid bitumen in calcite veins from the Natih Formation in the Oman Mountains: Multiple phases of petroleum migration in a changing stress field. Int. J. Coal Geol. 157, 39-51. doi:10.1016/j.coal.2015.07.012 Grobe, A., Urai, J.L.L., Littke, R., Lünsdorf, N.K.K., 2016. Hydrocarbon generation and migration under a large overthrust: The carbonate platform under the Semail Ophiolite, Jebel Akhdar, Oman. Int. J. Coal Geol. 1-17. doi:10.1016/j.coal.2016.02.007

Circum-Pacific accretion of oceanic terranes to continental blocks: accretion of the Early Permian Dun Mountain ophiolite to the E Gondwana continental margin, South Island, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Alastair

2016-04-01

Accretionary orogens, in part, grow as a result of the accretion of oceanic terranes to pre-existing continental blocks, as in the circum-Pacific and central Asian regions. However, the accretionary processes involved remain poorly understood. Here, we consider settings in which oceanic crust formed in a supra-subduction zone setting and later accreted to continental terranes (some, themselves of accretionary origin). Good examples include some Late Cretaceous ophiolites in SE Turkey, the Jurassic Coast Range ophiolite, W USA and the Early Permian Dun Mountain ophiolite of South Island, New Zealand. In the last two cases, the ophiolites are depositionally overlain by coarse clastic sedimentary rocks (e.g. Permian Upukerora Formation of South Island, NZ) that then pass upwards into very thick continental margin fore-arc basin sequences (Great Valley sequence, California; Matai sequence, South Island, NZ). Field observations, together with petrographical and geochemical studies in South Island, NZ, summarised here, provide evidence of terrane accretion processes. In a proposed tectonic model, the Early Permian Dun Mountain ophiolite was created by supra-subduction zone spreading above a W-dipping subduction zone (comparable to the present-day Izu-Bonin arc and fore arc, W Pacific). The SSZ oceanic crust in the New Zealand example is inferred to have included an intra-oceanic magmatic arc, which is no longer exposed (other than within a melange unit in Southland), but which is documented by petrographic and geochemical evidence. An additional subduction zone is likely to have dipped westwards beneath the E Gondwana margin during the Permian. As a result, relatively buoyant Early Permian supra-subduction zone oceanic crust was able to dock with the E Gondwana continental margin, terminating intra-oceanic subduction (although the exact timing is debatable). The amalgamation ('soft collision') was accompanied by crustal extension of the newly accreted oceanic slab, and also resulted in the formation of the overlying Maitai continental margin fore-arc basin (possibly related to rollback or a decrease in dip of the remaining subduction zone).Very coarse clastic material (up to ca. 700 m thick) including detached blocks of basaltic and gabbroic rocks, up to tens or metres in size (or more), was shed down fault scarps from relatively shallow water into a deeper water setting by gravity flow processes, ranging from rock fall, to debris flow, to turbidity currents. In addition, relatively fine-grained volcaniclastic-terrigenous sediment was input from an E Gondwana continental margin arc in the form of distal gravity flows, as indicated by geochemical data (e.g. Rare Earth Element analysis of sandstones and shales). The lowest part of the overlying Maitai fore-arc sequence in some areas is represented by hundreds of metres-thick sequences of mixed carbonate-volcaniclastic-terrigenous gravity flows (Wooded Peak Fm.), which are interpreted to have been derived from the E Gondwana continental margin and which finally accumulated in fault-controlled depocentres. Input of shallow-water carbonate material later waned and the Late Permian-Triassic Maitai fore-arc basin was dominated by gravity flows that were largely derived from a contemporaneous continental margin arc (partially preserved in present SE Australia). Subsequent tectonic deformation included on-going subduction, strike-slip and terrane accretion. The sedimentary covers of comparable accreted ophiolites elsewhere (e.g. Coast Range ophiolite, California) may reveal complementary evidence of fundamental terrane accretion processes. Acknowledgements: Hamish Campbell, Dave Craw, Mike Johnson, Chuck Landis, Nick Mortimer, Dhana Pillai and other members of the South Island geological research community

Oman metamorphic sole formation reveals early subduction dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soret, Mathieu; Agard, Philippe; Dubacq, Benoît; Plunder, Alexis; Ildefonse, Benoît; Yamato, Philippe; Prigent, Cécile

2016-04-01

Metamorphic soles correspond to m to ~500m thick tectonic slices welded beneath most of the large-scale ophiolites. They typically show a steep inverted metamorphic structure where the pressure and temperature conditions of crystallization increase upward (from 500±100°C at 0.5±0.2 GPa to 800±100°C at 1.0±0.2 GPa), with isograds subparallel to the contact with the overlying ophiolitic peridotite. The proportion of mafic rocks in metamorphic soles also increases from the bottom (meta-sediments rich) to the top (approaching the ophiolite peridotites). These soles are interpreted as the result of heat transfer from the incipient mantle wedge toward the nascent slab (associated with large-scale fluid transfer and possible shear heating) during the first My of intra-oceanic subduction (as indicated by radiometric ages). Metamorphic soles provide therefore major constraints on early subduction dynamics (i.e., thermal structure, fluid migration and rheology along the nascent slab interface). We present a detailed structural and petrological study of the metamorphic sole from 4 major cross-sections along the Oman ophiolite. We show precise pressure-temperature estimates obtained by pseudosection modelling and EBSD measurements performed on both the garnet-bearing and garnet-free high-grade sole. Results allow quantification of the micro-scale deformation and highlight differences in pressure-temperature-deformation conditions between the 4 different locations, showing that the inverted metamorphic gradient through the sole is not continuous in all locations. Based on these new constraints, we suggest a new tectonic-petrological model for the formation of metamorphic soles below ophiolites. This model involves the stacking of several homogeneous slivers of oceanic crust leading to the present-day structure of the sole. In this view, these thrusts are the result of rheological contrasts between the sole and the peridotite as the plate interface progressively cools down. These slivers later underwent several stages of retrogression (partly mediated by ascending fluids from the slab) from amphibolite- to prehnite/pumpellite-facies conditions.

Timing of pyroxenite formation in supra-subduction Josephine Ophiolite, Oregon.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hough, T.; Le Roux, V.; Kurz, M. D.

2017-12-01

The Josephine ophiolite is a partly dismembered ophiolite located in southern Oregon and northwestern California (USA). It displays a large ( 640 km2) mantle section that is mostly composed of depleted spinel harzburgite and lherzolite re-equilibrated at temperatures of 900 °C. In addition, the peridotite section of the ophiolite contains minor dunites and pyroxenite veins ranging from orthopyroxenites to clinopyroxenites. Using field, petrological and geochemical data, previous studies have shown that the peridotite experienced 10-20% of hydrous flux melting. In addition, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in harzburgites show variable degrees of light rare-earth element (LREE) enrichment, which suggests percolation and re-equilibration with small fractions of boninite melt. Overall, the trace element concentrations of pyroxenes indicate that the harzburgites experienced particularly high degrees of melting in the mantle wedge. We collected a number of orthopyroxenite and clinopyroxenite veins in the mantle section of the Josephine Ophiolite. Here we present the major and rare-earth element (REE) contents of pyroxene in 4 orthopyroxenites and 2 clinopyroxenites and calculate the major element and REE closure temperatures for individual veins. We show that individual pyroxenites record drastic variations in their degree of REE depletion, indicating that multiple generations of melts percolated the peridotite. The pyroxenite veins also record higher REE closure temperatures (>1200 ºC) compared to the surrounding peridotite, potentially indicating rapid cooling after emplacement. REE closure temperatures are also higher than major element closure temperatures. In parallel, we analyzed Sr isotopes by MC-ICPMS in pyroxene separates from 4 veins. Results indicate that the maximum age of emplacement of orthopyroxenite veins corresponds to the age of exhumation. Some clinopyroxenites may have formed during earlier melt percolation events. This study supports the idea that the composition of melts that percolate the mantle wedge can be highly variable and that orthopyroxenites may be the last type of veins to form in those environments.

Metamorphic sole genesis at the base of ophiolite nappes: Insights from numerical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamato, Philippe; Agard, Philippe; Duretz, Thibault

2015-04-01

Obduction emplaces oceanic lithosphere on top of continental lithosphere. Although a number of studies have focused on this enigmatic process, the initial stages of obduction remain poorly understood. Field, petrological, and geochronological data reveal that during the first stages of the obduction (i.e., during the first 1-2 Myrs) a HT-LP metamorphic sole (~700-800 ° C and ~1 GPa) is systematically welded at the base of ophiolite nappes. However, the reason why such welding of the ophiolite soles occurs at these particular P-T conditions, and only at the onset of obduction, is still an open issue. The aim of this study is to explore the conditions required to explain the genesis of metamorphic soles. For this, we employ two-dimensional numerical modelling, constrained by the wealth of available data from the Oman ophiolite. We first present a thermo-kinematic model in which the velocity field is prescribed in order to simulate obduction initiation. The heat advection-diffusion equation is solved at each time step. The model is intentionally kept simple in order to control each parameter (e.g., convergence rate, dip angle, thermal age) and to test its influence on the resulting P-T conditions obtained through time along the obduction interface. Results show that the key factor allowing the formation of metamorphic soles is the age of the oceanic lithosphere involved. Moreover, we speculate that the reason why metamorphic soles are always welded at the same P-T conditions is due to the fact that, at these particular conditions, strength jumps occur within the oceanic lithosphere. These jumps lead to changes in strain localisation and allow the spalling of oceanic crust and its juxtaposition to the ophiolite nappe. This hypothesis is further tested using thermo-mechanical models in which the obduction initiates dynamically (only initial and boundary conditions are prescribed). The interplay between the temperature evolution and the mechanical behaviour is then discussed.

Role of melting process and melt-rock reaction in the formation of Jurassic MORB-type basalts (Alpine ophiolites)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renna, Maria Rosaria; Tribuzio, Riccardo; Sanfilippo, Alessio; Thirlwall, Matthew

2018-04-01

This study reports a geochemical investigation of two thick basalt sequences, exposed in the Bracco-Levanto ophiolite (northern Apennine, Italy) and in the Balagne ophiolite (central-northern Corsica, France). These ophiolites are considered to represent an oceanward and a continent-near paleogeographic domain of the Jurassic Liguria-Piedmont basin. Trace elements and Nd isotopic compositions were examined to obtain information about: (1) mantle source and melting process and (2) melt-rock reactions during basalt ascent. Whole-rock analyses revealed that the Balagne basalts are slightly enriched in LREE, Nb, and Ta with respect to the Bracco-Levanto counterparts. These variations are paralleled by clinopyroxene chemistry. In particular, clinopyroxene from the Balagne basalts has higher CeN/SmN (0.4-0.3 vs. 0.2) and ZrN/YN (0.9-0.6 vs. 0.4-0.3) than that from the Bracco-Levanto basalts. The basalts from the two ophiolites have homogeneous initial Nd isotopic compositions (initial ɛ Nd from + 8.8 to + 8.6), within typical depleted mantle values, thereby excluding an origin from a lithospheric mantle source. These data also reject the involvement of contaminant crustal material, as associated continent-derived clastic sediments and radiolarian cherts have a highly radiogenic Nd isotopic fingerprint ( ɛ Nd at the time of basalt formation = - 5.5 and - 5.2, respectively). We propose that the Bracco-Levanto and the Balagne basalts formed by partial melts of a depleted mantle source, most likely containing a garnet-bearing enriched component. The decoupling between incompatible elements and Nd isotopic signature can be explained either by different degrees of partial melting of a similar asthenospheric source or by reaction of the ascending melts with a lower crustal crystal mush. Both hypotheses are reconcilable with the formation of these two basalt sequences in different domains of a nascent oceanic basin.

Implications of Late Cretaceous U-Pb zircon ages of granitic intrusions cutting ophiolitic and volcanogenic rocks for the assembly of the Tauride allochthon in SE Anatolia (Helete area, Kahramanmaraş Region, SE Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurlu, Nusret; Parlak, Osman; Robertson, Alastair; von Quadt, Albrecht

2016-01-01

An assemblage of NE-SW-trending, imbricate thrust slices (c. 26 km E-W long × 6.3 km N-S) of granitic rocks, basic-felsic volcanogenic rocks (Helete volcanics), ophiolitic rocks (Meydan ophiolite) and melange (Meydan melange) is exposed near the Tauride thrust front in SE Anatolia. The volcanogenic rocks were previously assumed to be Eocene because of associated Nummulitic limestones. However, ion probe U-Pb dating of zircons extracted from the intrusive granitic rocks yielded ages of 92.9 ± 2.2-83.1 ± 1.5 Ma (Cenomanian-Campanian). The Helete volcanic unit and the overlying Meydan ophiolitic rocks both are intruded by granitic rocks of similar age and composition. Structurally underlying ophiolite-related melange includes similar-aged, but fragmented granitic intrusions. Major, trace element and rare earth element analyses coupled with electron microprobe analysis of the granitic rocks show that they are metaluminus to peraluminus and calc-alkaline in composition. A magmatic arc setting is inferred from a combination of tectonomagmatic discrimination, ocean ridge granite-normalized multi-element patterns and biotite geochemistry. Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data further suggest that the granitoid rocks were derived from variably mixed mantle and crustal sources. Granitic rocks cutting the intrusive rocks are inferred to have crystallized at ~5-16 km depth. The volcanogenic rocks and granitic rocks originated in a supra-subduction zone setting that was widely developed throughout SE Anatolia. Initial tectonic assembly took place during the Late Cretaceous probably related to northward subduction and accretion beneath the Tauride continent (Keban and Malatya platforms). Initial tectonic assembly was followed by exhumation and then transgression by shelf-depth Nummulitic limestones during Mid-Eocene, as documented in several key outcrops. Final emplacement onto the Arabian continental margin took place during the Early Miocene.

Slope Stability Analysis for Shallow Landslides using TRIGRS: A Case Study for Sta. Cruz, Zambales, Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, J. P. A.

2016-12-01

The Philippines, being located in the circum-Pacific, bounded by multiple subduction zones, open seas and ocean, is one of the most hazard-prone countries in the world (Benson, 1997). This widespread recurrence of natural hazards in the country requires much attention for disaster management (Aurelio, 2006). On the average, 21 typhoons enter the Philippine area of responsibility annually with 6-9 making a landfall. Several rainfall-induced landslide events are reported annually particularly during and after the inundation of major typhoons which imposes hazards to communities and causes destruction of properties due to the moving mass and possible flash floods it may induce. Shallow landslides are the most commonly observed failure involving soil-mantled slopes and are considered major geohazards, often causing property damage and other economic loss. Hence numerous studies on landslide susceptibility including numerical models based on infinite slope equation are used in order to identify slopes prone to occurrences of shallow landslides. The study aims to determine the relationships between the slope and elevation to the factor of safety for laterite-mantled topography by incorporating precipitation values in the determination of landslide susceptibility. Using a DEM, flow direction map and slope map of the Sta Cruz (Zambales, Philippines), the FORTRAN based program TRIGRS, was used to generate the values for the factors of safety in the study area. Overlays with a generated slope map and elevation map were used to determine relationships of the mentioned factors and the factors of safety. A slope in a topography mantled with lateritic soil will fail at a slope angle higher than 20 degrees. Generally, the factor of safety decreases as the slope angle increases; this increases the probability and risk of slope failure. Elevation has no bearing on the computation for the factor of safety. The factor of safety is heavily dependent on the slope angle. The value of generated factor of safety coincides with the published geohazard map from Mines and Geosciences Bureau(MGB).

Remote Sensing Application of the Geophysical Changes in the Coastlines and Rivers of Zambales, Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paz-Alberto, Annie Melinda; Sison, Melissa Joy M.; Bulaong, Edmark Pablo; Pakaigue, Marietta A.

2016-06-01

Geophysical changes in river outlet, river upstream and coastlines near the rivers of Bucao and Santo Tomas in Zambales, Philippines were analyzed using the Google Earth's historical satellite imageries from 2004 to 2013. Data in 2015 were gathered from in situ field measurements ground validation. The study aimed to measure and determine changes in the width of river outlet, width of river bank upstream and shifting of coastline. Results revealed that there was a decrease and increase in the width size of the Bucao and Santo Tomas river outlets, respectively during the study period. Geophysical changes occurred in the two rivers due to the continuous supply of lahar as an after effect of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991. Coastline positions near the two rivers also changed. The highest rate of erosion along the coastal area was prevalently observed near the river outlet of both rivers. Moreover, accretion was observed in the coastline of Santo Tomas and erosion phenomenon was observed in the North and South coastlines of Bucao River. The shifting was caused by natural processes such as erosion, sedimentation and natural calamities as well as anthropogenic processes such as reclamation/quarrying. Occurrence of erosion and sedimentation played active roles in the changes of coastlines during the study period. Furthermore, the upstream of the Bucao river changed physically due to deposits of lahar present in the upstream which are being discharged directly and continuously going down to the river. Generally, the width of the Bucao River upstream decreased its size because of the accumulated sediment in the riverbank. On the other hand, the observed erosion is caused by high velocity of river during heavy rains and typhoons. The width of the Santo Tomas river bank upstream did not change due to the construction of concrete dikes which prevent the lahar-filled river from breaching the embankment and flooding the agricultural, residential and commercial areas near the river.

Retrodeforming the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone : Age of collision and magnitude of continental subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McQuarrie, N.; van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.

2012-04-01

When did continents collide, and how is convergence partitioned after collision are first order questions that seem to defy consensus along the Alpine-Himalyan orogen. Estimates on the age of collision for Arabia and Eurasia range from late Cretaceous to Pliocene, based on a wide variety of presumed geologic responses. Both lower Miocene synorgenic strata with growth structures adjacent to the main Zagros fault and upper Oligocene to lower Miocene overlap strata over post-collisional thrusts are derived from Eurasia and require that collision was underway at least by ~25-24 Ma. However, upper plate deformation, exhumation and sedimentation are used to argue for an older, 35 Ma collision age. Africa-North America-Eurasia plate circuit rotations, combined with Red Sea rotations provides precise estimates of the relative positions between the northern Arabian margin and the southern Eurasia margin. Plate circuits indicate, from NW to SE along the collision zone 490-650 km of post-25 Ma Arabia-Eurasia convergence and 810-1070 km since 35 Ma. To assess the consequences of these collision ages for the amount of Arabian continental subduction, we compile all documented shortening within the orogen. The Zagros fold-thrust belt consists of thrusted upper crust that was offscraped from subducted Arabian continental lithosphere. Balanced cross-sections give 105-180 km of Zagros shortening (including estimates from the Zagros proper, 45-90 km, and the Zagros "crush" zone, 60-90 km). Shortening within Eurasia is estimated to be 53-75 km through the Kopet Dagh and Alborz Mountains, plus 38 km across Central Iran. These estimates suggest that the orogen has shortened 200 to 300 km since the early Miocene. Both a 25 and a 35 Ma collision estimate thus requires that a considerable portion of the Arabian plate subducted without recognized accretion of its upper crust. To balance plate circuits and documented shortening requires whole-sale subduction of ~500-800 km of continental crust since 35 Ma; for a 25 Ma collision this would be between 190-450 km. The ophiolitic fragments preserved along the suture zone allow us to test the magnitude of possible continental subduction. The Oman Ophiolite preserves the geometry and distance over which ophiolites obduced over the northern margin of Arabia in the late Cretaceous. The distance from the southwestern edge of the ophiolite to the northeastern edge of the continent is 180 km, suggesting that the Arabian continental margin plus overlying ophiolites may have extended ~200 km beyond the Main Zagros fault. Assuming that 200 km of Arabian continental margin and overlying ophiolites subducted entirely, except the few remnant ophiolite slivers remaining in the suture zone, would reconstruct ~ 400-500 km of post-collisional Arabia-Eurasia convergence, consistent with a ~25 Ma collision age. As much as 500-800 km of continental subduction required by an earlier (~35 Ma) collision age seems unlikely.

Causes and extent of subduction-related highly siderophile element processing in oceanic mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O Driscoll, B.; Walker, R. J.; Day, J. M.; Daly, J. S.; Ash, R. D.

2013-12-01

Oceanic mantle samples that are accessible for study (e.g., abyssal and ophiolite peridotites) are commonly viewed as having undergone melt extraction at mid-ocean ridges (MOR). However, many ophiolite peridotites have been subjected to comparatively higher degrees of partial melting in supra-subduction zone (SSZ) environments too[1]. The ~497 Ma Leka Ophiolite, Norway, offers an ideal location for assessing the extent to which SSZ melting processes overprint the residual signatures of prior melt extraction. It comprises ~15 km[2] of well-exposed mantle and lower crustal peridotites that exhibit relatively limited serpentinisation. Extensive lithological heterogeneity is evident within the harzburgitic host rock, in the form of lenses and sheets of dunite, pyroxenite and chromitite. These have been interpreted as representing successive generations of SSZ-related channelised upper mantle melt migration and melt-rock interaction[2]. The integrated application of highly siderophile element (HSE: Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, Re) abundances and 187Os/188Os measurements of oceanic mantle peridotite has proved valuable in assessing the timing of mantle melting processes occurring within the upper mantle, as well as the scales of upper mantle heterogeneity[3,4]. At 497 Ma, the Os isotopic compositions of Leka harzburgites averaged ~2% more radiogenic than the projected average for abyssal peridotites[4] at that time. Several of the harzburgites are characterised by low initial 187Os/188Os (as low as 0.1202), interpreted as reflecting Proterozoic melt depletion, a common characteristic of melt-depleted peridotites comprising most ophiolites. Dunites, pyroxenites and chromitites show considerably more variable initial 187Os/188Os and HSE abundances; some pyroxenites have extreme Pt abundances (to 1-2 ppm), supra-chondritic Pt/Os and 187Os/188Os, yet some of the dunites are also characterised by 187Os/188Os well within the range of the harzburgites. A number of dunites have relatively radiogenic initial 187Os/188Os (up to 0.1385), suggesting that they either formed from selectively more radiogenic melt or that their development predates that of the ophiolite by ~500 Ma. Assuming that the significant lithological heterogeneity observed in the Leka upper mantle section was generated during SSZ melting, it appears that consequent modification of the HSE compositions and 187Os/188Os was restricted to pyroxenites and some, but perhaps not all, of the dunites. Mineral scale observations, coupled with a comparison of the Leka data and those from the ~492 Ma Shetland Ophiolite (Scotland)[3], suggest that sulphide/arsenide mobilisation during channelised melt-rock interactions is the trigger for fractionation of the HSE and modification of 187Os/188Os in ophiolite dunites. [1] Dilek and Furnes (2011) GSA Bulletin 123(3/4), 387-411 [2] Maaløe (2005) Mineralogy and Petrology 85, 163-204 [3] O'Driscoll et al. (2012) EPSL 333-334, 226-237 [4] Liu et al. (2009) EPSL 283, 122-132

Radiolarian biochronology of upper Anisian to upper Ladinian (Middle Triassic) blocks and tectonic slices of volcano-sedimentary successions in the Mersin Mélange, southern Turkey: New insights for the evolution of Neotethys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tekin, U. Kagan; Bedi, Yavuz; Okuyucu, Cengiz; Göncüoglu, M. Cemal; Sayit, Kaan

2016-12-01

The Mersin Ophiolitic Complex located in southern Turkey comprises two main structural units; the Mersin Mélange, and a well-developed ophiolite succession with its metamorphic sole. The Mersin Mélange is a sedimentary complex including blocks and tectonic slices of oceanic litosphere and continental crust in different sizes. Based on different fossil groups (Radiolaria, Conodonta, Foraminifera and Ammonoidea), the age of these blocks ranges from Early Carboniferous to early Late Cretaceous. Detailed fieldwork in the central part of the Mersin Mélange resulted in identification of a number of peculiar blocks of thick basaltic pillow-and massive lava sequences alternating with pelagic-clastic sediments and radiolarian cherts. The oldest ages obtained from the radiolarian assemblages from the pelagic sediments transitional to the volcano-sedimentary succession in some blocks are middle to late Late Anisian. These pelagic sediments are overlain by thick sandstones of latest Anisian to middle Early Ladinian age. In some blocks, sandstones are overlain by clastic and pelagic sediments with lower Upper to middle Upper Ladinian radiolarian fauna. Considering the litho- and biostratigraphical data from Middle Triassic successions in several blocks in the Mersin Mélange, it is concluded that they correspond mainly to the blocks/slices of the Beysehir-Hoyran Nappes, which were originated from the southern margin of the Neotethyan Izmir-Ankara Ocean. As the pre-Upper Anisian basic volcanics are geochemically evaluated as back-arc basalts, this new age finding suggest that a segment of the Izmir-Ankara branch of the Neotethys was already open prior to Middle Triassic and was the site of intraoceanic subduction.

Synthesis of inverse ringwoodite sheds light on the subduction history of Tibetan ophiolites.

PubMed

Bindi, Luca; Griffin, William L; Panero, Wendy R; Sirotkina, Ekaterina; Bobrov, Andrey; Irifune, Tetsuo

2018-04-03

Tibetan ophiolites are shallow mantle material and crustal slabs that were subducted as deep as the mantle transition zone, a conclusion supported by the discovery of high-pressure phases like inverse ringwoodite in these sequences. Ringwoodite, Mg 2 SiO 4 , exhibits the normal spinel structure, with Mg in the octahedral A site and Si in the tetrahedral B site. Through A and B site-disorder, the inverse spinel has four-coordinated A cations and the six-coordinated site hosts a mixture of A and B cations. This process affects the density and impedance contrasts across the boundaries in the transition zone and seismic-wave velocities in this portion of the Earth. We report the first synthesis at high pressure (20 GPa) and high temperature (1600 °C) of a Cr-bearing ringwoodite with a completely inverse-spinel structure. Chemical, structural, and computational analysis confirm the stability of inverse ringwoodite and add further constraints to the subduction history of the Luobusa peridotite of the Tibetan ophiolites.

Chromian spinels in highly altered ultramafic rocks from the Sartohay ophiolitic mélange, Xinjiang, NW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Tian; Zhu, Yongfeng

2018-06-01

The Sartohay ophiolitic mélange is located in western Junggar (Xinjiang province, NW China), which is a major component of the core part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Chromian spinels in serpentinite, talc schist, carbonate-talc schist and listwaenite in Sartohay ophiolitic mélange retain primary compositions with Cr# of 0.39-0.65, Mg# = 0.48-0.67, and Fe3+# < 0.08. Chromian spinels in deformed listwaenite were initially transformed into Fe2+-rich chromite during shearing deformation followed by Fe3+-rich chromite at shallow levels. The Cr# and Fe3+# of Fe2+-rich chromite (Cr# = 0.59-0.86, Fe3+# = 0.01-0.12, Mg# = 0.35-0.61) and Fe3+-rich chromite (Cr# = 0.85-1.00, Fe3+# = 0.17-0.38, Mg# < 0.29) increase with decrease of Mg#. We propose a model to illustrate the evolution of chromian spinels in highly altered ultramafic rocks from the Sartohay ophiolitic mélange. Chromian spinels in serpentinite and talc schist were rimmed by Cr-magnetite, which was dissolved completely during transformation from serpentinite/talc schist to listwaenite. Chromian spinels were then transformed into Fe2+-rich chromite in shear zones, which characterized by high fluid/rock ratios. This Fe2+-rich chromite and/or chromian spinels could then be transformed into Fe3+-rich chromite in oxidizing conditions at shallow levels.

Diamond and moissanite in ophiolitic mantle rocks and podiform chromitites: A deep carbon source?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Xu, X.; Wiedenbeck, M.; Trumbull, R. B.; Robinson, P. T.

2010-12-01

Diamonds are known from a variety of occurreces, mainly from mantle-derived kimberlites, meteorite impact craters, and continental deep subduction and collision zones. Recently, an unusual mineral group was discovered in the Luobusa ophiolitic chromitites from the Yarlung Zangbu suture, Tibet, which probably originated from a depth of over 300 km in the mantle. Minerals of deep origin include coesite apparently pseudomorphing stishovite, and diamond as individual grains or inclusions in OsIr alloy. To determine if such UHP and unusual minerals occur elsewhere, we collected about 1.5 t of chromitite from two orebodies in an ultramafic body in the Polar Urals. Thus far, more than 60 different mineral species have been separated from these ores. The most exciting discovery is the common occurrence of diamond, a typical UHP mineral in the Luobusa chromitites. These minerals are very similar in composition and structure to those reported from the Luobusa chromitites. So far diamond and/or moissanite have been discovered from many different ophiolitic ultramafic rocks, including in-situ grains in polished chromitite fragments. These discoveries demonstrate that the Luobusa ophiolite is not a unique diamond-bearing massif. Secondary ion mass spectrometric (SIMS) analysis shows that the ophiolite-hosted diamond has a distinctive 13C-depleted isotopic composition (δ13C from -18 to -28‰, n=70), compatible to the ophiolite-hosted moissanite (δ13C from -18 to -35‰, n=36), both are much lighter than the main carbon reservoir in the upper mantle (δ13C near -5‰). The compiled data from moissanite from kimberlites and other mantle settings share the characteristic of strongly 13C-depleted isotopic composition. This suggests that diamond and moissanite originates from a separate carbon reservoir in the mantle or that its formation involved strong isotopic fractionation. Subduction of biogenic carbonaceous material could potentially satisfy both the unusual isotopic and redox constraints on diamond and moissanite formation, but this material would need to stay chemically isolated from the upper mantle until it reached the high-T stability field of diamond and moissanite. The origin of diamond and moissanite in the mantle is still unsolved, but all evidence from the upper mantle indicates that they cannot have formed there, except under special and local redox conditions. We suggest, alternatively, that diamond and moissanite may have formed in the lower mantle, where the existence of 13C-depleted carbon is strongly suspected.

Clinopyroxenite dykes within a banded unit in the basal mantle section of the northern part of the Oman ophiolite: A record of the latest deep-seated magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishimaru, Satoko; Arai, Shoji; Tamura, Akihiro

2017-11-01

We found clinopyroxenite dykes in a banded harzburgite block within the Sumeini area in the uppermost part of the metamorphic sole of the northern part of the Oman ophiolite. The dykes clearly cut the deformational structure of the harzburgite and contain its fragments, indicating dyke formation during obduction of the ophiolite. The Mg# [= Mg / (Mg + total Fe)] of clinopyroxenes in the dykes ranges from 0.81 to 0.91, and increases up to 0.93 proximal to harzburgite fragments. Mantle minerals in the harzburgite fragments were modified chemically through interaction with the magma that formed the dyke, yielding lower clinopyroxene and spinel Mg#, and spinels with higher TiO2 contents than those in the unaltered harzburgite. These geochemical features indicate that the clinopyroxenite dykes are cumulates derived from a relatively deep-seated primitive magma enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) with an ocean island basalt (OIB)-like affinity, geochemically similar to the V3 lavas of an off-ridge origin. Combining these data with geological observations suggests that the clinopyroxenite dykes represent root system of the V3 lavas. Our analyses of the clinopyroxenite dykes testify to the external nature of the V3 magmas, which was added to the sliced oceanic lithosphere from the outside. It is likely that the V3 magma underwent deep-seated crystallization of clinopyroxene and had limited interaction with mantle peridotite en route to the surface. The mode of occurrence of the Sumeini clinopyroxenites (i.e., emplaced into a banded harzburgite block surrounded by garnet amphibolite) is consistent with the generation of OIB-like magmas (V3 lava) beneath the Oman ophiolite resulting from the break-off of the "subducting slab" and subsequent infiltration of hot asthenospheric mantle. This view is consistent with the limited distribution of V3-related rocks in the Oman ophiolite. The production of such OIB-like magmas during ophiolite obduction is not a rare event, especially during the subduction of young and hot oceanic lithosphere. Footnote: Mg#, Mg/(Mg + Fe total) atomic ratio; Cr#, Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratio; YAl, Al/(Al + Cr + Fe3 +) atomic ratio; YCr, Al/(Al + Cr + Fe3 +) atomic ratio; YFe, Al/(Al + Cr + Fe3 +) atomic ratio. RSD: relative standard deviation. Ref. values: Reference values of JEOL_Kfs from a JEOL database.

Earth observations taken from Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-80 mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-11-24

STS080-706-044 (19 Nov.-7 Dec. 1996) --- This view shows Mount Pinatubo, an active volcano in the Zambales Mountains range of western Luzon, the main island of the Philippines. Mud flows radiate out from the active volcano, which has erupted in recent years, coming down the mountain. After the eruption a lot of the vegetation was removed, causing the mountain to erode at a more rapid pace than an older mountain that has its vegetation in place. In two cases the flows reach the South China Sea, and flow down three valleys to the east. The now abandoned Clark Air Force Base is to the upper left corner. Pinatubo is about 80 miles northwest of Manila.

The metamorphic sole of New Caledonia ophiolite: 40Ar/39Ar, U-Pb, and geochemical evidence for subduction inception at a spreading ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cluzel, Dominique; Jourdan, Fred; Meffre, SéBastien; Maurizot, Pierre; Lesimple, StéPhane

2012-06-01

Amphibolite lenses that locally crop out below the serpentinite sole at the base of the ophiolite of New Caledonia (termed Peridotite Nappe) recrystallized in the high-temperature amphibolite facies and thus sharply contrast with blueschists and eclogites of the Eocene metamorphic complex. Amphibolites mostly display the geochemical features of MORB with a slight Nb depletion and thus are similar to the youngest (Late Paleocene-Eocene) BABB components of the allochthonous Poya Terrane. Thermochronological data from hornblende (40Ar/39Ar), zircon, and sphene (U-Pb) suggest that these mafic rocks recrystallized at ˜56 Ma. Using various geothermobarometers provides a rough estimate of peak recrystallization conditions of ˜0.5 GPa at ˜800-950°C. The thermal gradient inferred from the metamorphic assemblage (˜60°C km-1), geometrical relationships, and geochemical similarity suggest that these mafic rocks belong to the oceanic crust of the lower plate of the subduction/obduction system and recrystallized when they subducted below young and hot oceanic lithosphere. They were detached from the down-going plate and finally thrust onto unmetamorphosed Poya Terrane basalts. This and the occurrence of slab melts at ˜53 Ma suggest that subduction inception occurred at or near to the spreading ridge of the South Loyalty Basin at ˜56 Ma.

Late Pleistocene and Holocene uplift history of Cyprus: implications for active tectonics along the southern margin of the Anatolian microplate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harrison, R.W.; Tsiolakis, E.; Stone, B.D.; Lord, A.; McGeehin, J.P.; Mahan, S.A.; Chirico, P.

2013-01-01

The nature of the southern margin of the Anatolian microplate during the Neogene is complex, controversial and fundamental in understanding active plate-margin tectonics and natural hazards in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Our investigation provides new insights into the Late Pleistocene uplift history of Cyprus and the Troodos Ophiolite. We provide isotopic (14C) and radiogenic (luminescence) dates of outcropping marine sediments in eastern Cyprus that identify periods of deposition during marine isotope stages (MIS) 3, 4, 5 and 6. Past sea-levels indicated by these deposits are c. 95±25 m higher in elevation than estimates of worldwide eustatic sea-level. An uplift rate of c. 1.8 mm/year and possibly as much as c. 4.1 mm/year in the past c. 26–40 ka is indicated. Holocene marine deposits also occur at elevations higher than those expected for past SL and suggest uplift rates of c. 1.2–2.1 mm/year. MIS-3 marine deposits that crop out in southern and western Cyprus indicate uniform island-wide uplift. We propose a model of tectonic wedging at a plate-bounding restraining bend as a mechanism for Late Pleistocene to Holocene uplift of Cyprus; uplift is accommodated by deformation and seismicity along the margins of the Troodos Ophiolite and re-activation of its low-angle, basal shear zone.

A mechanism for decoupling within the oceanic lithosphere revealed in the Troodos ophiolite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Agar, Susan M.; Klitgord, Kim D.

1995-01-01

Contrasting kinematic histories recorded in the sheeted dykes and underlying plutonic rocks of the Troodos ophiolite provide a new perspective on the mechanical evolution of oceanic spreading centres. The kinematic framework of the decoupling zone that partitions deformation between the sheeted dykes and plutonics contrasts with low-angle detachment models for slow-spreading ridges based on continental-rift analogues. A model for the generation of multiple, horizontal decoupling horizons, linked by planar normal faults, demonstrates new possibilities for the kinematic and rheological significance of seismic reflectors in oceanic lithosphere.

Fossils of hydrothermal vent worms from Cretaceous sulfide ores of the Samail ophiolite, Oman

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haymon, R.M.; Koski, R.A.; Sinclair, C.

1984-01-01

Fossil worm tubes of Cretaceous age preserved in the Bayda massive sulfide deposit of the Samail ophiolite, Oman, are apparently the first documented examples of fossils embedded in massive sulfide deposits from the geologic record. The geologic setting of the Bayda deposit and the distinctive mineralogic and textural features of the fossiliferous samples suggest that the Bayda sulfide deposit and fossil fauna are remnants of a Cretaceous sea-floor hydrothermal vent similar to modern hot springs on the East Pacific Rise and the Juan de Fuca Ridge.

Oceanic Remnants In The Caribbean Plate: Origin And Loss Of Related LIPs.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giunta, G.

2005-12-01

The modern Caribbean Plate is an independent lithospheric entity, occupying more than 4 Mkm2 and consisting of the remnants of little deformed Cretaceous oceanic plateau of the Colombia and Venezuela Basins (almost 1 Mkm2) and the Palaeozoic-Mesozoic Chortis continental block (about 700,000 km2), both bounded by deformed marginal belts. The northern (Guatemala and Greater Antilles) and the southern (northern Venezuela) plate margins are marked by collisional zones, whereas the western (Central America Isthmus) and the eastern (Lesser Antilles) margins are represented by convergent boundaries and their magmatic arcs, all involving ophiolitic terranes. The evolutionary history of the Caribbean Plate since the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous encompasses plume, accretionary, and collisional tectonics, the evidence of which has been recorded in the oceanic remnants of lost LIPs, as revealed in: i) the MORB to OIB thickened crust of the oceanic plateau, including its un-deformed or little deformed main portion, and scattered deformed tectonic units; ii) ophiolitic tectonic units of MORB affinity and the rock blocks in ophiolitic melanges; iii) intra-oceanic, supra subduction magmatic sequences with IAT and CA affinities. The Mesozoic oceanic LIPs, from which the remnants of the Caribbean Plate have been derived, have been poorly preserved during various episodes of the intra-oceanic convergence, either those related to the original proto-Caribbean oceanic realm or those connected with two eo-Caribbean stages of subduction. The trapped oceanic plateau of the Colombia and Venezuela Basins is likely to be an unknown portion of a bigger crustal element of a LIP, similar to the Ontong-Java plateau. The Jurassic-Early Cretaceous proto-Caribbean oceanic domain consists of oceanic crust generated at multiple spreading centres; during the Cretaceous, part of this crust was thickened to form an oceanic plateau with MORB and OIB affinities. At the same time, both South and North American continental margins, inferred to be close to the oceanic realm, were affected by rifting and within-plate tholeiitic magmatism (WPT); this interpretation supports a near mid-America original location of the "proto-Caribbean" LIP. The MORB magmatic sections and rock blocks in the ophiolitic melanges are interpreted as exhumed tectonic sheets of the normal proto-Caribbean oceanic lithosphere, or part of a back-arc crust, both deformed in the eo-Caribbean stages. The SSZ complexes, considered as Cordilleran-type deformed ophiolites, were derived from a LIP that experienced two superimposed eo-Caribbean stages of intra-oceanic subduction. The older (Mid-Cretaceous) stage involved the eastward subduction of the un-thickened proto-Caribbean lithosphere, resulting in IAT and CA magmatism accompanied by HP-LT metamorphism and melange formation. The second, Late Cretaceous stage involved a westward dipping intra-oceanic subduction, which generated tonalitic arc magmatism. The eastward wedging of the Caribbean Plateau between the North and South American plates progressively trapped remnants of the Colombia and Venezuela Basins between the Atlantic and Pacific subduction zones and their new volcanic arcs (Aves-Lesser Antilles and Central American Isthmus). Unlike the proto-Caribbean, it appears that this LIP did not involve the main continental margins, even though the northern and southern Caribbean borders experienced different evolutionary paths. It was largely lost by superimposed accretionary and collisional events producing the marginal belts of the Caribbean Plate; its evolution has been dominated by a strongly oblique tectonic regime, constraining seafloor spreading, subduction, crustal exhumation, emplacement, and dismembering processes.

Ultramafic lavas and pyroxene-spinifex high-Mg basaltic dykes from the Othris ophiolite complex, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baziotis, Ioannis; Economou-Eliopoulos, Maria; Asimow, Paul

2017-04-01

This study aims to constrain the physico-chemical conditions and processes associated with the origin of ultramafic lavas of the Agrilia formation and high-Mg basaltic dykes in the Pournari area within the Othris ophiolite complex, a supra-subduction zone ophiolite of Mesozoic age (Paraskevopoulos & Economou, 1986; Barth et al., 2008). Hand-sample-scale spinifex texture is lacking from the ultramafic lavas and, despite whole-rock MgO contents greater than 31 wt.%, we infer an upper bound of 17 wt.% MgO for the erupted liquid, and thus identify these lavas as picrites containing accumulated olivine. We use textural and compositional criteria to divide the crystals within the Agrilia lavas between pre-eruptive and post-eruptive growth phases. The high-Mg basaltic dyke margins display a distinctive thin-section-scale micro-spinifex texture of skeletal and plumose Al- and Fe-rich clinopyroxene surrounded by large crystals of orthopyroxene. Normally zoned clinopyroxene in the Agrilia lavas and clinopyroxene of various textures (skeletal, needle- and dendritic-like) and sizes in the Pournari dykes display anomalous enrichment in Al2O3 and FeO* with decreasing MgO that require rapid, disequilibrium growth. Quantitative characteristics of the micro-spinifex pyroxene textures (<10 μm in width and 50-100 μm in length) imply a cooling rate for the marginal parts of the Pournari dykes of at least 25 °K/hr and more likely 45-55 °K/hr (Faure et al., 2004) and rapid growth of clinopyroxene crystals at a linear rate of about 10-6 m/s (Welsch et al., 2016). MELTS models of the crystallization sequence of the Pournari dykes indicate that progressive low-pressure (500 bar) fractional crystallization of the ultramafic dyke liquid occurred under oxidized (QFM+2.0) and hydrous (at least 0.5 wt.% H2O) conditions. A hydrous magmatic parent for the Othris ophiolite as a whole is further supported by preliminary investigation of melt inclusions (5-20 μm in diameter) in fresh chromite from Agrilia samples that reveals the presence of Na, K, S, Cl, and F in microcrystalline aggregates of rhönite, clinopyroxene, amphibole, apatite, serpentine and chlorite. Ratios of Platinum Group Elements and related metals are Pd/Ir=11.5-13.0, Cu/Pd=6000-7210, Ti/Pd=22.78-31.97×103 for Agrilia lavas and Pd/Ir=4.5-14.0, Cu/Pd=3140-5550, Ti/Pd=4.66-17.32×103 for Pournari dykes; all are very close to those reported for typical komatiites (Barnes et al., 1988). Despite the absence of true komatiite lavas, a number of geochemical features of the Othris suite, including the PGE contents and ratios and the micro-spinifex, disequilibrium cpx growth, are similar to Mesozoic and Archaean komatiites. References Barnes et al., 1988. Journal of Petrology 29, 305-331. Barth et al., 2008. Lithos, 100(1), 234-254. Faure et al., 2006. Journal of Petrology 47, 1591- 1610. Paraskevopoulos, G., Economou, M., 1986. Ofioliti 11 (3), 293 - 304. Roeder et al., 2001. The Canadian Mineralogist, 39(2), 397-416. Welsch et al., 2016. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 171(1), 1-19.

Nature of the basement of the East Anatolian plateau: Implications for the lithospheric foundering processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topuz, G.; Candan, O.; Zack, T.; Yılmaz, A.

2017-12-01

The East Anatolian Plateau (Turkey) is characterized by (1) an extensive volcanic-sedimentary cover of Neogene to Quaternary age, (2) crustal thicknesses of 42-50 km, and (3) an extremely thinned lithospheric mantle. Its basement beneath the young cover is thought to consist of oceanic accretionary complexes of Late Cretaceous to Oligocene age. The attenuated state of the lithospheric mantle and the causes of the young volcanism are accounted for by slab steepening and subsequent break-off. We present field geological, petrological and geochronological data on three basement inliers (Taşlıçay, Akdağ and Ilıca) in the region. These areas are made up of amphibolite- to granulite-facies rocks, comprising marble, amphibolite, metapelite, quartzite and metagranite. The granulite-facies domain is equilibrated at 0.7 GPa and 800 ˚C at 83 ± 2 Ma (2σ). The metamorphic rocks are intruded by subduction-related coeval gabbroic, quartz monzonitic to tonalitic rocks. Both the metamorphic rocks and the intrusions are tectonically overlain by ophiolitic rocks. All these crystalline rocks are unconformably overlain by lower Maastrichtien clastic rocks and reefal limestone, suggesting that the exhumation at the earth's surface and juxtaposition with ophiolitic rocks occurred by early Maastrichtien. U-Pb dating on igneous zircon from metagranite yielded a protolith age of 445 ± 10 Ma (2σ). The detrital zircons from a metaquartzite point to Neoproterozoic to Early Paleozoic provenance. All these data favor a more or less continuous continental substrate to the allochthonous ophiolitic rocks beneath the young volcanic-sedimentary cover. The metamorphism and coeval magmatism can be regarded as the middle- to lower-crustal root of the Late Cretaceous magmatic arc that developed due to northward subduction along the Bitlis-Zagros suture. The presence of a continental basement beneath the young cover requires that the loss of the lithospheric mantle from beneath the East Anatolian plateau have resulted from other processes of lithospheric foundering, rather than just slab steepening and break-off. This research is funded by a research grant (#114Y228) from TÜBİTAK.

Spinel and plagioclase peridotites of the Nain ophiolite (Central Iran): Evidence for the incipient stage of oceanic basin formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirnia, Tahmineh; Saccani, Emilio; Arai, Shoji

2018-06-01

The Nain ophiolites crop out along the western border of the central East Iran Microcontinent (CEIM) and consist of an ophiolitic mélange in which pargasite-bearing spinel and plagioclase mantle lherzolites are largely represented. Whole-rock and mineral chemistry data suggest that these rocks record the complex history of the asthenospheric and lithospheric mantle evolution. The spinel lherzolites have experienced low-degree ( 5%) partial melting and contain clinopyroxenes with positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 1.10-1.48) suggesting that the partial melting occurred under oxidized conditions (fayalite-magnetite-quartz -0.8 to +1.3). The pargasite and coexisting clinopyroxene in these rocks are depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE) (mean chondrite-normalized CeN/SmN = 0.045). The depleted chemistry of this amphibole reflects metasomatism during interaction with H2O-rich subalkaline mafic melts, most likely concurrently with or after the partial melting of the spinel lherzolites. The plagioclase lherzolites were subsequently formed by the subsolidus recrystallization of spinel lherzolites under plagioclase facies conditions as a result of mantle uprising, as evidenced by: (1) the development of plagioclase rims around the spinels; (2) plagioclase + orthopyroxene exsolution textures within some clinopyroxene grains; (3) an increase in plagioclase modal content coupled with an increase in modal olivine and a decrease in modal pyroxene and pargasite; (4) coincident decreases in Al, Mg, and Ni, and increases in Cr, Ti, and Fe in spinel, as well as decreases in Al and Ca, and increases in Cr and Ti in pyroxene and pargasite; and (5) the identical whole rock compositions of the spinel and plagioclase lherzolites, which rules out a magmatic origin for the plagioclase in these units. The Nain lherzolites have similar whole-rock and mineral geochemical compositions to subcontinental peridotites that are typically representative of Iberia-type rifted continental margins and ocean-continent transition zones (OCTZ), suggesting that they formed during the early stages of the evolution of the Nain oceanic basin. This means that the Nain lherzolites represent the Triassic-Jurassic western border of the CEIM or alternatively an associated OCTZ.

Geological and Geochemical Controls on Subsurface Microbial Life in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman.

PubMed

Rempfert, Kaitlin R; Miller, Hannah M; Bompard, Nicolas; Nothaft, Daniel; Matter, Juerg M; Kelemen, Peter; Fierer, Noah; Templeton, Alexis S

2017-01-01

Microbial abundance and diversity in deep subsurface environments is dependent upon the availability of energy and carbon. However, supplies of oxidants and reductants capable of sustaining life within mafic and ultramafic continental aquifers undergoing low-temperature water-rock reaction are relatively unknown. We conducted an extensive analysis of the geochemistry and microbial communities recovered from fluids sampled from boreholes hosted in peridotite and gabbro in the Tayin block of the Samail Ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman. The geochemical compositions of subsurface fluids in the ophiolite are highly variable, reflecting differences in host rock composition and the extent of fluid-rock interaction. Principal component analysis of fluid geochemistry and geologic context indicate the presence of at least four fluid types in the Samail Ophiolite ("gabbro," "alkaline peridotite," "hyperalkaline peridotite," and "gabbro/peridotite contact") that vary strongly in pH and the concentrations of H 2 , CH 4 , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], trace metals, and DIC. Geochemistry of fluids is strongly correlated with microbial community composition; similar microbial assemblages group according to fluid type. Hyperalkaline fluids exhibit low diversity and are dominated by taxa related to the Deinococcus-Thermus genus Meiothermus , candidate phyla OP1, and the family Thermodesulfovibrionaceae. Gabbro- and alkaline peridotite- aquifers harbor more diverse communities and contain abundant microbial taxa affiliated with Nitrospira , Nitrosospharaceae, OP3, Parvarcheota, and OP1 order Acetothermales. Wells that sit at the contact between gabbro and peridotite host microbial communities distinct from all other fluid types, with an enrichment in betaproteobacterial taxa. Together the taxonomic information and geochemical data suggest that several metabolisms may be operative in subsurface fluids, including methanogenesis, acetogenesis, and fermentation, as well as the oxidation of methane, hydrogen and small molecular weight organic acids utilizing nitrate and sulfate as electron acceptors. Dynamic nitrogen cycling may be especially prevalent in gabbro and alkaline peridotite fluids. These data suggest water-rock reaction, as controlled by lithology and hydrogeology, constrains the distribution of life in terrestrial ophiolites.

Geological and geochemical controls on subsurface microbial life in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rempfert, Kaitlin R.; Miller, Hannah M.; Bompard, Nicolas

Microbial abundance and diversity in deep subsurface environments is dependent upon the availability of energy and carbon. However, supplies of oxidants and reductants capable of sustaining life within mafic and ultramafic continental aquifers undergoing low-temperature water-rock reaction are relatively unknown. We conducted an extensive analysis of the geochemistry and microbial communities recovered from fluids sampled from boreholes hosted in peridotite and gabbro in the Tayin block of the Samail Ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman. The geochemical compositions of subsurface fluids in the ophiolite are highly variable, reflecting differences in host rock composition and the extent of fluid-rock interaction. Principal component analysis of fluid geochemistry and geologic context indicate the presence of at least four fluid types in the Samail Ophiolite (“gabbro,” “alkaline peridotite,” “hyperalkaline peridotite,” and “gabbro/peridotite contact”) that vary strongly in pH and the concentrations of H 2, CH 4, Ca 2+, Mg 2+, NO 3 more » $-$, SO$$2-\\atop{4}$$, trace metals, and DIC. Geochemistry of fluids is strongly correlated with microbial community composition; similar microbial assemblages group according to fluid type. Hyperalkaline fluids exhibit low diversity and are dominated by taxa related to the Deinococcus-Thermus genus Meiothermus, candidate phyla OP1, and the family Thermodesulfovibrionaceae. Gabbro- and alkaline peridotite- aquifers harbor more diverse communities and contain abundant microbial taxa affiliated with Nitrospira, Nitrosospharaceae, OP3, Parvarcheota, and OP1 order Acetothermales. Wells that sit at the contact between gabbro and peridotite host microbial communities distinct from all other fluid types, with an enrichment in betaproteobacterial taxa. Together the taxonomic information and geochemical data suggest that several metabolisms may be operative in subsurface fluids, including methanogenesis, acetogenesis, and fermentation, as well as the oxidation of methane, hydrogen and small molecular weight organic acids utilizing nitrate and sulfate as electron acceptors. Dynamic nitrogen cycling may be especially prevalent in gabbro and alkaline peridotite fluids. As a result, these data suggest water-rock reaction, as controlled by lithology and hydrogeology, constrains the distribution of life in terrestrial ophiolites.« less

Geological and Geochemical Controls on Subsurface Microbial Life in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman

PubMed Central

Rempfert, Kaitlin R.; Miller, Hannah M.; Bompard, Nicolas; Nothaft, Daniel; Matter, Juerg M.; Kelemen, Peter; Fierer, Noah; Templeton, Alexis S.

2017-01-01

Microbial abundance and diversity in deep subsurface environments is dependent upon the availability of energy and carbon. However, supplies of oxidants and reductants capable of sustaining life within mafic and ultramafic continental aquifers undergoing low-temperature water-rock reaction are relatively unknown. We conducted an extensive analysis of the geochemistry and microbial communities recovered from fluids sampled from boreholes hosted in peridotite and gabbro in the Tayin block of the Samail Ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman. The geochemical compositions of subsurface fluids in the ophiolite are highly variable, reflecting differences in host rock composition and the extent of fluid-rock interaction. Principal component analysis of fluid geochemistry and geologic context indicate the presence of at least four fluid types in the Samail Ophiolite (“gabbro,” “alkaline peridotite,” “hyperalkaline peridotite,” and “gabbro/peridotite contact”) that vary strongly in pH and the concentrations of H2, CH4, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3-, SO42-, trace metals, and DIC. Geochemistry of fluids is strongly correlated with microbial community composition; similar microbial assemblages group according to fluid type. Hyperalkaline fluids exhibit low diversity and are dominated by taxa related to the Deinococcus-Thermus genus Meiothermus, candidate phyla OP1, and the family Thermodesulfovibrionaceae. Gabbro- and alkaline peridotite- aquifers harbor more diverse communities and contain abundant microbial taxa affiliated with Nitrospira, Nitrosospharaceae, OP3, Parvarcheota, and OP1 order Acetothermales. Wells that sit at the contact between gabbro and peridotite host microbial communities distinct from all other fluid types, with an enrichment in betaproteobacterial taxa. Together the taxonomic information and geochemical data suggest that several metabolisms may be operative in subsurface fluids, including methanogenesis, acetogenesis, and fermentation, as well as the oxidation of methane, hydrogen and small molecular weight organic acids utilizing nitrate and sulfate as electron acceptors. Dynamic nitrogen cycling may be especially prevalent in gabbro and alkaline peridotite fluids. These data suggest water-rock reaction, as controlled by lithology and hydrogeology, constrains the distribution of life in terrestrial ophiolites. PMID:28223966

Subduction starts by stripping slabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soret, Mathieu; Agard, Philippe; Dubacq, Benoît; Prigent, Cécile; Plunder, Alexis; Yamato, Philippe; Guillot, Stéphane

2017-04-01

Metamorphic soles correspond to tectonic slices welded beneath most large-scale ophiolites. These slivers of oceanic crust metamorphosed up to granulite facies conditions are interpreted as having formed during the first My of intra-oceanic subduction from heat transfer from the incipient mantle wedge towards the top of the subducting plate. Our study reappraises the formation of metamorphic sole through detailed field and petrological work on three classical key sections across the Semail ophiolite (Oman and United Arab Emirates). Geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling show that metamorphic soles do not record a continuous temperature gradient, as expected from simple heating by the upper plate or by shear heating and proposed by previous studies. The upper, high-temperature metamorphic sole is subdivided in at least two units, testifying to the stepwise formation, detachment and accretion of successive slices from the downgoing slab to the mylonitic base of the ophiolite. Estimated peak pressure-temperature conditions through the metamorphic sole are, from top to bottom, 850˚C - 1GPa, 725°C - 0.8 GPa and 530°C - 0.5 GPa. These estimates appear constant within each unit but separated by a gap of 100 to 200˚C and 0.2 GPa. Despite being separated by hundreds of kilometres below the Semail ophiolite and having contrasting locations with respect to the ophiolite ridge axis, metamorphic soles show no evidence for significant petrological variations along strike. These constraints allow to refine the tectonic-petrological model for the genesis of metamorphic soles, formed through the stepwise stacking of several homogeneous slivers of oceanic crust and its sedimentary cover. Metamorphic soles do not so much result from downward heat transfer (ironing effect) but rather from progressive metamorphism during strain localization and cooling of the plate interface. The successive thrusts are the result of rheological contrasts between the sole (initially at the subducting slab) and the peridotite above as the plate interface progressively cools down. These findings have implications for the thickness, the scale and the coupling state at the plate interface during the early history of subduction/obduction systems.

Geological and geochemical controls on subsurface microbial life in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman

DOE PAGES

Rempfert, Kaitlin R.; Miller, Hannah M.; Bompard, Nicolas; ...

2017-02-07

Microbial abundance and diversity in deep subsurface environments is dependent upon the availability of energy and carbon. However, supplies of oxidants and reductants capable of sustaining life within mafic and ultramafic continental aquifers undergoing low-temperature water-rock reaction are relatively unknown. We conducted an extensive analysis of the geochemistry and microbial communities recovered from fluids sampled from boreholes hosted in peridotite and gabbro in the Tayin block of the Samail Ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman. The geochemical compositions of subsurface fluids in the ophiolite are highly variable, reflecting differences in host rock composition and the extent of fluid-rock interaction. Principal component analysis of fluid geochemistry and geologic context indicate the presence of at least four fluid types in the Samail Ophiolite (“gabbro,” “alkaline peridotite,” “hyperalkaline peridotite,” and “gabbro/peridotite contact”) that vary strongly in pH and the concentrations of H 2, CH 4, Ca 2+, Mg 2+, NO 3 more » $-$, SO$$2-\\atop{4}$$, trace metals, and DIC. Geochemistry of fluids is strongly correlated with microbial community composition; similar microbial assemblages group according to fluid type. Hyperalkaline fluids exhibit low diversity and are dominated by taxa related to the Deinococcus-Thermus genus Meiothermus, candidate phyla OP1, and the family Thermodesulfovibrionaceae. Gabbro- and alkaline peridotite- aquifers harbor more diverse communities and contain abundant microbial taxa affiliated with Nitrospira, Nitrosospharaceae, OP3, Parvarcheota, and OP1 order Acetothermales. Wells that sit at the contact between gabbro and peridotite host microbial communities distinct from all other fluid types, with an enrichment in betaproteobacterial taxa. Together the taxonomic information and geochemical data suggest that several metabolisms may be operative in subsurface fluids, including methanogenesis, acetogenesis, and fermentation, as well as the oxidation of methane, hydrogen and small molecular weight organic acids utilizing nitrate and sulfate as electron acceptors. Dynamic nitrogen cycling may be especially prevalent in gabbro and alkaline peridotite fluids. As a result, these data suggest water-rock reaction, as controlled by lithology and hydrogeology, constrains the distribution of life in terrestrial ophiolites.« less

Basement rocks of Halmahera, eastern Indonesia: Implications for the early history of the Philippine Sea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hall, R.G.N.; Ballantyne, P.

1990-06-01

The oldest rocks known on Halmahera, eastern Indonesia, are petrologically and chemically similar to supra-subduction ophiolites and include boninitic volcanics resembling those dredged from the Marianas forearc. The age of the ophiolitic rocks is unknown; in east Halmahera they are overlain by Late Cretaceous and Eocene volcanics and associated sediments. Similar volcanics form the basement of western Halmahera. Plutonic rocks intruding the ophiolite and associated metamorphic rocks also yield Late Cretaceous to Eocene radiometric ages. The petrology and chemistry of the igneous rocks indicate an island arc origin. These rocks are locally overlain by shallow-water Eocene limestones and all aremore » overlain unconformably by Neogene sediments. The Halmahera basement rocks have many structural, petrological, and stratigraphic similarities to submarine plateaus of the southern and northern Philippine Sea and basement terranes of the eastern Philippines. The authors suggest that these similarities indicate the existence of an extensive region of Late Cretaceous and Eocene volcanism built upon probable Mesozoic ophiolitic basement. The resultant thickened crust was later fragmented by spreading in the West Philippine Sea Central Basin and backarc spreading in the Eastern Philippine Sea. It is difficult to reconcile the present distribution of these crustal fragments with a linear arc, but equally difficult to propose a simple alternative. A proto-Philippine archipelago, with short-lived arcs separated by small oceanic basins, may be the closest modern analog. The development of younger subduction zones has been influenced by the distribution of thickened crustal fragments as they have re-amalgamated since the Miocene.« less

Orogenic, Ophiolitic, and Abyssal Peridotites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodinier, J.-L.; Godard, M.

2003-12-01

"Tectonically emplaced" mantle rocks include subcontinental, suboceanic, and subarc mantle rocks that were tectonically exhumed from the upper mantle and occur:(i) as dispersed ultramafic bodies, a few meters to kilometers in size, in suture zones and mountain belts (i.e., the "alpine," or "orogenic" peridotite massifs - De Roever (1957), Thayer (1960), Den Tex (1969));(ii) as the lower ultramafic section of large (tens of kilometers) ophiolite or island arc complexes, obducted on continental margins (e.g., the Oman Ophiolite and the Kohistan Arc Complex - Coleman (1971), Boudier and Coleman (1981), Burg et al. (1998));(iii) exhumed above the sea level in ocean basins (e.g., Zabargad Island in the Red Sea, St. Paul's islets in the Atlantic and Macquarie Island in the southwestern Pacific - Tilley (1947), Melson et al. (1967), Varne and Rubenach (1972), Bonatti et al. (1981)).The "abyssal peridotites" are samples from the oceanic mantle that were dredged on the ocean floor, or recovered from drill cores (e.g., Bonatti et al., 1974; Prinz et al., 1976; Hamlyn and Bonatti, 1980).Altogether, tectonically emplaced and abyssal mantle rocks provide insights into upper mantle compositions and processes that are complementary to the information conveyed by mantle xenoliths (See Chapter 2.05). They provide coverage to vast regions of the Earth's upper mantle that are sparsely sampled by mantle xenoliths, particularly in the ocean basins and beneath passive continental margins, back-arc basins, and oceanic island arcs.Compared with mantle xenoliths, a disadvantage of some tectonically emplaced mantle rocks for representing mantle compositions is that their original geodynamic setting is not exactly known and their significance is sometimes a subject of speculation. For instance, the provenance of orogenic lherzolite massifs (subcontinental lithosphere versus upwelling asthenosphere) is still debated (Menzies and Dupuy, 1991, and references herein), as is the original setting of ophiolites (mid-ocean ridges versus supra-subduction settings - e.g., Nicolas, 1989). In addition, the mantle structures and mineralogical compositions of tectonically emplaced mantle rocks may be obscured by deformation and metamorphic recrystallization during shallow upwelling, exhumation, and tectonic emplacement. Metamorphic processes range from high-temperature recrystallization in the stability field of plagioclase peridotites ( Rampone et al., 1993) to complete serpentinization (e.g., Burkhard and O'Neill, 1988). Some garnet peridotites record even more complex evolutions. They were first buried to, at least, the stability field of garnet peridotites, and, in some cases to greater than 150 km depths ( Dobrzhinetskaya et al., 1996; Green et al., 1997; Liou, 1999). Then, they were exhumed to the surface, dragged by buoyant crustal rocks ( Brueckner and Medaris, 2000).Alternatively, several peridotite massifs are sufficiently well preserved to allow the observation of structural relationships between mantle lithologies that are larger than the sampling scale of mantle xenoliths. It is possible in these massifs to evaluate the scale of mantle heterogeneities and the relative timing of mantle processes such as vein injection, melt-rock reaction, deformation, etc… Detailed studies of orogenic and ophiolitic peridotites on centimeter- to kilometer-scale provide invaluable insights into melt transfer mechanisms, such as melt flow in lithospheric vein conduits and wall-rock reactions (Bodinier et al., 1990), melt extraction from mantle sources via channeled porous flow ( Kelemen et al., 1995) or propagation of kilometer-scale melting fronts associated with thermalerosion of lithospheric mantle ( Lenoir et al., 2001). In contrast, mantle xenoliths may be used to infer either much smaller- or much larger-scale mantle heterogeneities, such as micro-inclusions in minerals ( Schiano and Clocchiatti, 1994) or lateral variations between lithospheric provinces ( O'Reilly et al., 2001).The abyssal peridotites are generally strongly affected by oceanic hydrothermal alteration. Most often, their whole-rock compositions are strongly modified and cannot be used straightforwardly to assess mantle compositions (e.g., Baker and Beckett, 1999). However, even in the worst cases the samples generally contain fresh, relic minerals (mainly clinopyroxene) that represent the only available direct information on the oceanic upper mantle in large ocean basins, away from hot-spot volcanic centers. In situ trace-element data on clinopyroxenes from abyssal peridotites provide constraints on melting processes at mid-ocean ridges (Johnson et al., 1990).In this chapter, we review the main inferences on upper mantle composition and heterogeneity that may be drawn from geochemical analyses of the major elements, lithophile trace elements, and Nd-Sr isotopes in tectonically emplaced and abyssal mantle rocks. In addition we emphasize important insights into the mechanisms of melt/fluid transfer that can be deduced from detailed studies of these mantle materials.

Na-rich character of metasomatic/metamorphic fluids inferred from preiswerkite in chromitite pods of the Khoy ophiolite in Iran: Role of chromitites as capsules of trapped fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaeimnia, Fatemeh; Arai, Shoji; Mirmohammadi, Mirsaleh

2017-01-01

We report a new occurrence of preiswerkite, a rare Na- and Al-rich trioctahedral mica (Na-analog of eastonite), from a high-Al (Cr# of chromite 0.4) chromitite pod of the Khoy meta-ophiolite in northwestern Iran. The preiswerkite is euhedral and associated with Ca-Cr-Al-garnet, clinochlore, titanite, and calcite. Preiswerkite and associated minerals fill cavities in the chromitite pod and are absent in the surrounding peridotites. The preiswerkite-rich aggregate is possibly representative of aqueous fluid supplied to the mantle section of the Khoy ophiolite. Peraluminous conditions, which are indispensable for preiswerkite formation, were established only in the pool of fluid trapped by the high-Al chromitite. The fluid and preiswerkite precipitates were isolated from the peridotite by the chromitite capsule. The Na-rich fluid was a precursor of the serpentinization fluid. The fluid is an analog of the fluid released from the subducting slab, which can precipitate jadeite under high-pressure conditions.

Crustal architecture and tectonic evolution of the Cauvery Suture Zone, southern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chetty, T. R. K.; Yellappa, T.; Santosh, M.

2016-11-01

The Cauvery suture zone (CSZ) in southern India has witnessed multiple deformations associated with multiple subduction-collision history, with incorporation of the related accretionary belts sequentially into the southern continental margin of the Archaean Dharwar craton since Neoarchean to Neoproterozoic. The accreted tectonic elements include suprasubduction complexes of arc magmatic sequences, high-grade supracrustals, thrust duplexes, ophiolites, and younger intrusions that are dispersed along the suture. The intra-oceanic Neoarchean-Neoproterozoic arc assemblages are well exposed in the form of tectonic mélanges dominantly towards the eastern sector of the CSZ and are typically subjected to complex and multiple deformation events. Multi-scale analysis of structural elements with detailed geological mapping of the sub-regions and their structural cross sections, geochemical and geochronological data and integrated geophysical observations suggest that the CSZ is an important zone that preserves the imprints of multiple cycles of Precambrian plate tectonic regimes.

Petrogenetic implications from ultramafic rocks and pyroxenites in ophiolitic occurrences of East Othris, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koutsovitis, P.; Magganas, A.

2012-04-01

Ultramafic rocks and pyroxenites in east Othris are included within ophiolitic units near the villages of Vrinena, Karavomilos, Pelasgia, Eretria, Agios Georgios, Aerino and Velestino. The first five ophiolitic occurrences are estimated to have been emplaced between the Oxfordian and Tithonian-Berriasian[1,2,3], while the latter two have been emplaced during the Eocene[4]. Ultramafic rocks include variably serpentinized harzburgites and lherzolites. Pyroxenites are usually found in the form of crosscutting veins within the harzburgites. Ultramafic rocks include depleted lherzolites, with Al2O3 ranging from 1.12 to 1.80 wt% and Cr from 3250 to 3290 ppm, as well as moderate to highly depleted serpentinized harzburgites, with Al2O3 ranging from 0.69 to 1.98 wt% and Cr from 2663 to 5582 ppm. Pyroxenites have generally higher Al2O3 ranging from 1.91 to 3.08 wt% and variable Cr ranging from 1798 to 3611 ppm. Lherzolites mostly include olivines (Fo=87.07-89.23) and clinopyroxenes (Mg#=85.71-90.12). Spinels from Eretria lherzolite (TiO2=0.02-0.08 wt%, Al2O3=36.06-42.45 wt%, Cr#=31.67-36.33) are compositionally similar with those of MORB peridotites[5], while those from Vrinena lherzolite (TiO2=0.16-0.43 wt%, Al2O3=6.90-22.12 wt%, Cr#=57.69-76.88) are similar to SSZ peridotites[5]. Serpentinized harzburgites include few olivines (Fo=90.51-91.15), enstatite porphyroclasts (Mg#=87.42-88.91), as well as fine grained enstatites of similar composition. Harzburgites from Pelasgia, Eretria and Agios Georgios include spinels (TiO2=0.03-0.08 wt%, Al2O3=23.21-31.58 wt%, Cr#=45.21-56.85) which do not clearly show if they are related with MORB or SSZ peridotites[5]. Spinels from Karavomilos harzburgite (TiO2=0.02-0.05 wt%, Al2O3=45.71-50.85 wt%, Cr#=16.84-22.32) are compositionally similar with MORB peridotites[5], whereas spinels from Vrinena harzburgite (TiO2=0.15-0.19 wt%, Al2O3=1.42-1.86 wt% Cr#=91.64-93.47) with SSZ peridotites[5]. Pyroxenites include clinopyroxenes (Mg#=84.25-91.78) but also enstatites (Mg#=88.37-91.47). Spinels have been analysed in pyroxenites from Aerino and Velestino (TiO2=0.79-1.07 wt%, Al2O3=10.88-18.46 wt% Cr#=60.74-70.78), indicating SSZ settings. Application of the olivine-spinel[6], olivine-augite[7], Cpx-Opx[8,9] geothermometers, yield equilibration temperatures of 961-1075 oC for lherzolites, 895-1084 oC for harzburgites and 990-1011 oC for pyroxenites. Our data indicate that the ophiolitic occurrences of Vrinena, Aerino and Velestino include ultramafic rocks and pyroxenites related to SSZ processes, while the other ophiolitic occurrences embrace ultramafic rocks which originated from a MORB-like setting, similar to west Othris ophiolites. It should be noted that even lherzolites have Cr and Y values similar to those of a highly depleted mantle source. A supra-subduction zone origin of the east Othris ophiolites, possibly with a slab rollback in the Pindos oceanic basin, may explain the different geotectonic environment affinities of the studied rocks.

Geodynamic evolution of the Sabzevar zone, northern central Iranian micro-continent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omrani, Hadi; Moazzen, Mohssen; Oberhänsli, Roland

2018-02-01

The Northern Central Iranian Micro-continent (CIM) represents Neotethys-related oceanic crust remnants, emplaced due to convergence between CIM and Eurasia plates during Eocene. Mafic and ultramafic units are exposed along the northern part of the CIM in the Sabzevar area. The geology and field relation of Sabzevar ophiolite indicate northward subduction of the Sabzevar basin. The average whole rock chemistry of mafic (gabbros) and ultramafic samples (lherzolite, harzburgite and dunite) is characterized by a range of MgO of 11.16-31.88, CaO 5.22-11.53 and Al2O3 2.77-14.57, respectively. Low LREE/HREE ratio of ultramafic samples is accompanied by enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE) such as Sr, Pb and K. Mafic samples show two distinct groups with low and high LREE/HREE ratios. The spider diagram of mafic samples indicates enrichment in Sr, Pb and K and depletion in REE. Petrological and geochemical evidence and field relations show that the mafic rocks formed in a supra-subduction zone setting. Petrological studies reveal the role of fractional crystallization and assimilation effect by released fluids during subduction related generation of the Sabzevar mafic rocks. We suggest that the studied mafic rocks likely represent the basement of an initial island arc, which was generated in a supra-subduction zone setting within the Neotethys branch of the Sabzevar Ocean at the north of CIM. Copper, gold and chromite mineralizations are studied in relation to island arc setting and supra-subduction environment. Similarities in lithology, ophiolite age and mineralization between Sabzevar ophiolite and Bardaskan-Torbat Heydariyeh ophiolites testify for their separation due to rotation (or faulting) of the Central Iranian Micro-continent.

Structures, microfabrics and textures of the Cordilleran-type Rechnitz metamorphic core complex, Eastern Alps☆

PubMed Central

Cao, Shuyun; Neubauer, Franz; Bernroider, Manfred; Liu, Junlai; Genser, Johann

2013-01-01

Rechnitz window group represents a Cordilleran-style metamorphic core complex, which is almost entirely located within nearly contemporaneous Neogene sediments at the transition zone between the Eastern Alps and the Neogene Pannonian basin. Two tectonic units are distinguished within the Rechnitz metamorphic core complex (RMCC): (1) a lower unit mainly composed of Mesozoic metasediments, and (2) an upper unit mainly composed of ophiolite remnants. Both units are metamorphosed within greenschist facies conditions during earliest Miocene followed by exhumation and cooling. The internal structure of the RMCC is characterized by the following succession of structure-forming events: (1) blueschist relics of Paleocene/Eocene age formed as a result of subduction (D1), (2) ductile nappe stacking (D2) of an ophiolite nappe over a distant passive margin succession (ca. E–W to WNW–ESE oriented stretching lineation), (3) greenschist facies-grade metamorphism annealing dominant in the lower unit, and (4) ductile low-angle normal faulting (D3) (with mainly NE–SW oriented stretching lineation), and (5) ca. E to NE-vergent folding (D4). The microfabrics are related to mostly ductile nappe stacking to ductile low-angle normal faulting. Paleopiezometry in conjunction with P–T estimates yield high strain rates of 10− 11 to 10− 13 s− 1, depending on the temperature (400–350 °C) and choice of piezometer and flow law calibration. Progressive microstructures and texture analysis indicate an overprint of the high-temperature fabrics (D2) by the low-temperature deformation (D3). Phengitic mica from the Paleocene/Eocene high-pressure metamorphism remained stable during D2 ductile deformation as well as preserved within late stages of final sub-greenschist facies shearing. Chlorite geothermometry yields two temperature groups, 376–328 °C, and 306–132 °C. Chlorite is seemingly accessible to late-stage resetting. The RMCC underwent an earlier large-scale coaxial deformation accommodated by a late non-coaxial shear with ductile low-angle normal faulting, resulting in subvertical thinning in the extensional deformation regime. The RMCC was rapidly exhumed during ca. 23–18 Ma. PMID:27065502

Metsovo lung outside Metsovo. Endemic pleural calcifications in the ophiolite belts of Greece

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Constantopoulos, S.H.; Theodoracopoulos, P.; Dascalopoulos, G.

1991-05-01

Endemic PCs and high incidence of malignant mesothelioma from household use of asbestos have been reported in Metsovo in northwestern Greece ('Metsovo lung'). In the present study, we present similar findings in six more areas of Greece. Like Metsovo, all these areas are located within ophiolite belts. Like Metsovo, material similar to 'Metsovo whitewash' has been used for various domestic uses. Asbestos fibers (chrysotile, antigorite and tremolite) were found in three of the six areas. Also, in two, MPM has been diagnosed. These findings suggest that 'Metsovo lung' occurs in several areas of Greece and has similar etiology and epidemiology.

Cretaceous radiolarians from Baliojong ophiolite sequence, Sabah, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasin, Basir; Tongkul, Felix

2013-10-01

The Baliojong ophiolite sequence exposed along the Baliojong River in Northern Sabah consists of volcanic rocks, mostly basalts, overlain by sedimentary layers consisting of well-bedded cherts, mudstones and sandstones. The ophiolite sequence occurs as steeply-dipping overturned thrust slices oriented approximately north-south. A total of 42 chert samples were collected from the sedimentary layers. However, most of the samples contain poorly preserved radiolarians. Only nine samples yielded moderately well-preserved radiolarians from three selected thrust slices. A total of 32 taxa were identified. Based on the stratigraphic distribution of selected taxa, the radiolarians can be divided into two assemblage zones. The first assemblage zone is Dictyomitra communis Zone characterized by the occurrence of Dictyomitra communis, Archaeodictyomitra (?) lacrimula, Sethocapsa (?) orca, Dictyomitra pseudoscalaris, and Pantanellium squinaboli. The assemblage indicates Barremian to Aptian in age. The second assemblage zone Pseudodictyomitra pseudomacrocephala Zone contains Pseudodictyomitra pseudomacrocephala, Dictyomitra gracilis, Dictyomitra montesserei, Xitus mclaughlini, and Dictyomitra obesa. This assemblage indicates an age of Albian and the presence of Pseudodictyomitra tiara suggests the age may extend up to Cenomanian. Each thrust slice yielded more or less similar radiolarian assemblages indicating that they all came from the same sedimentary layers.

Mineralization, alteration, and hydrothermal metamorphism of the ophiolite-hosted Turner-Albright sulfide deposit, southwestern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zierenberg, R.A.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Seyfried, W.E.; Koski, R.A.; Strickler, M.D.

1988-01-01

The Turner-Albright sulfide deposit, part of the Josephine ophiolite, formed on and below the seafloor during Late Jurassic volcanism at a back arc spreading center. Ore fluids were probably localized by faults which were active on the seafloor at the time of sulfide deposition. The uppermost massive sulfide formed on the seafloor at hydrothermal vents. The bulk of the sulfide mineralization formed below the seafloor within olivine basalt hyaloclastite erupted near the time of mineralization. Infiltration of hydrothermal fluid into the hyaloclastite altered the rock. The fluid responsible for the hydrothermal alteration was evolved seawater with low pH and Mg and high Fe. The average value of sulfide and the difference between sulfide and contemporaneous seawater sulfate values are similar to ophiolite-hosted sulfide deposits in Cyprus. Mudstone and clinopyroxene basalt above the sulfide horizons were not altered by the ore-transporting hydrothermal fluid, but these rocks were hydrothermally metamorphosed by altered seawater heated by deep circulation into hot oceanic crust. This subseafloor metamorphism produced a mineral assemblage typical of prehnite-pumpellyite facies metamorphism. Exchange with altered seawater increased the whole-rock ??18O of the basalts to values of 9.4-11.2%. -from Authors

Microbial Community Structure in a Serpentine-Hosted Abiotic Gas Seepage at the Chimaera Ophiolite, Turkey

PubMed Central

Sun, Li; Müller, Bettina; Ivarsson, Magnus; Hosgörmez, Hakan; Özcan, Dogacan; Broman, Curt; Schnürer, Anna

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The surface waters at the ultramafic ophiolitic outcrop in Chimaera, Turkey, are characterized by high pH values and high metal levels due to the percolation of fluids through areas of active serpentinization. We describe the influence of the liquid chemistry, mineralogy, and H2 and CH4 levels on the bacterial community structure in a semidry, exposed, ultramafic environment. The bacterial and archaeal community structures were monitored using Illumina sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA gene. At all sampling points, four phyla, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria, accounted for the majority of taxa. Members of the Chloroflexi phylum dominated low-diversity sites, whereas Proteobacteria dominated high-diversity sites. Methane, nitrogen, iron, and hydrogen oxidizers were detected as well as archaea and metal-resistant bacteria. IMPORTANCE Our study is a comprehensive microbial investigation of the Chimaera ophiolite. DNA has been extracted from 16 sites in the area and has been studied from microbial and geochemical points of view. We describe a microbial community structure that is dependent on terrestrial, serpentinization-driven abiotic H2, which is poorly studied due to the rarity of these environments on Earth. PMID:28389534

Microbial Community Structure in a Serpentine-Hosted Abiotic Gas Seepage at the Chimaera Ophiolite, Turkey.

PubMed

Neubeck, Anna; Sun, Li; Müller, Bettina; Ivarsson, Magnus; Hosgörmez, Hakan; Özcan, Dogacan; Broman, Curt; Schnürer, Anna

2017-06-15

The surface waters at the ultramafic ophiolitic outcrop in Chimaera, Turkey, are characterized by high pH values and high metal levels due to the percolation of fluids through areas of active serpentinization. We describe the influence of the liquid chemistry, mineralogy, and H 2 and CH 4 levels on the bacterial community structure in a semidry, exposed, ultramafic environment. The bacterial and archaeal community structures were monitored using Illumina sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA gene. At all sampling points, four phyla, Proteobacteria , Actinobacteria , Chloroflexi , and Acidobacteria , accounted for the majority of taxa. Members of the Chloroflexi phylum dominated low-diversity sites, whereas Proteobacteria dominated high-diversity sites. Methane, nitrogen, iron, and hydrogen oxidizers were detected as well as archaea and metal-resistant bacteria. IMPORTANCE Our study is a comprehensive microbial investigation of the Chimaera ophiolite. DNA has been extracted from 16 sites in the area and has been studied from microbial and geochemical points of view. We describe a microbial community structure that is dependent on terrestrial, serpentinization-driven abiotic H 2 , which is poorly studied due to the rarity of these environments on Earth. Copyright © 2017 Neubeck et al.

Excavatability and the effect of weathering degree on the excavatability of rock masses: An example from Eastern Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurocak, Zulfu; Yalcin, Erkut

2016-06-01

In this study, the effect of the weathering degree on the excavatability of rock masses was investigated. The ophiolitic rock mass along the route of Komurhan Tunnel was chosen as the case study. Both laboratory and field studies were carried out for this purpose. In the first stage, the ophiolitic rock mass along the tunnel route was classified into three subzones according to the weathering degree and the ophiolitic rock masses of the each subzones were classified using the empirical excavatability classifications proposed by the different researchers. Furthermore, in-situ excavatability classes of rock masses in each zone were determined and the results were compared. The in-situ excavatability class of fresh (Zone-I) and slightly weathered (Zone-II) rock masses was determined as Blasting and that of moderately weathered (Zone-III) rock mass was determined as Very Hard/Very Difficult. As the obtained results were compared, it was found that the weathering degree has a significant effect on the excavatability and that it is more appropriate to prefer empirical classifications in the empirical determination of excavatability classes of rock masses having the same lithology by taking the weathering degree into account.

Geochemistry and geochronology of the Mesozoic Lanong ophiolitic mélange, northern Tibet: Implications for petrogenesis and tectonic evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Yun; Liu, Wei-Liang; Xia, Bin; Liu, Jing-Nan; Guan, Yao; Yin, Zhen-Xing; Huang, Qiang-Tai

2017-11-01

The Lanong ophiolitic mélange is a typical ophiolitic mélange in the middle section of the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone in northern Tibet. It mainly consists of ultramafic and mafic rocks, and its tectonic setting and formation age remain poorly constrained. In this paper, new geochemical and LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer) zircon U-Pb age data obtained from gabbro, gabbro-dolerite, dolerite and basalt of the Lanong ophiolitic mélange are provided. The pillow basalts exhibit N-MORB (normal mid-ocean ridge basalt)-like geochemical features with a zircon U-Pb age of 147.6 ± 2.3 Ma. They were generated by 20-30% partial melting of a depleted mantle source composed of spinel lherzolite. The gabbro, massive basalt and gabbro-dolerite samples are characterised by more depleted and "V"-shaped REE (rare earth element) patterns, and they exhibit variable degrees of boninite-like geochemical characteristics, with a zircon U-Pb age of 149.1 ± 1.2 Ma (gabbro-dolerite). They were derived from the remelting of a significantly refractory mantle source following one or more episodes of previous basaltic melt extraction. Geochemical data of these mafic rocks indicate that they were developed in a continental fore-arc setting, and magmas were derived from depleted mantle sources modified by subducted slab-derived fluids and melts with minor crustal contamination. On the other hand, the dolerites show distinct OIB (oceanic island basalt)-like geochemical features, with a zircon U-Pb age of 244.1 ± 3.0 Ma. They were formed in a rift setting on a continental shelf-slope and originated from a low degree of partial melting of a depleted asthenospheric magma source mixed with some ancient sub-continental lithospheric mantle materials. The signatures presented here, combined with the results of previous studies, suggest that the Lanong ophiolitic mélange probably developed in a convergent plate margin under the southward subduction of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethys Ocean beneath the Lhasa terrane during the Middle Triassic-Early Cretaceous. Namely, the OIB-like dolerites likely reflect an extensional rift setting featuring thin continental crust in the Middle Triassic, and the gabbros, gabbro-dolerites and basalts represent a later stage of a fore-arc basin during the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous.

Late Cretaceous-Early Eocene Climate Change Linked to Tectonic Eevolution of Neo-Tethyan Subduction Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagoutz, O. E.; Royden, L.; Macdonald, F. A.

2015-12-01

In this presentation we demonstrate that the two tectonic events in the late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary triggered the two distinct cooling events that followed the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum (CTM). During much of the Cretaceous time, the northern Neo Tethyan ocean was dominated by two east-west striking subduction system. Subduction underneath Eurasia formed a continental arc on the southern margin of Eurasia and intra oceanic subduction in the equatorial region of the Neo Tethys formed and intra oceanic arc. Beginning at ~85-90 Ma the western part of the TTSS collided southward with the Afro-Arabian continental margin, terminating subduction. This resulted in southward obduction of the peri-Arabian ophiolite belt, which extends for ~4000 km along strike and includes the Cypus, Semail and Zagros ophiolites. At the same time also the eastern part of the TTS collided northwards wit Eurasia. After this collisional event, only the central part of the subduction system remained active until it collided with the northern margin of the Indian continent at ~50-55 Ma. The collision of the arc with the Indian margin, over a length of ~3000 km, also resulted in the obduction of arc material and ophiolitic rocks. Remnants of these rocks are preserved today as the Kohistan-Ladakh arc and ophiolites of the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone of the Himalayas. Both of these collision events occurred in the equatorial region, near or within the ITCZ, where chemical weathering rates are high and are contemporaneous with the onset of the global cooling events that mark the end of the CTM and the EECO. The tectonic collision events resulted in a shut down of subduction zone magmatism, a major CO2 source and emplacement of highly weatherable basaltic rocks within the ITCZ (CO2 sink). In order to explore the effect of the events in the TTSS on atmospheric CO2, we model the potential contribution of subduction zone volcanism (source) and ophiolite obduction (sink) to the global atmospheric CO2 budget. Our results show that the global ocean bottom water temperature are highly correlated with CO2 variation modeled due to the arc-continent collisions along the TTSS. Our results show that global climate in the Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene have likely been strongly changed due to the tectonic evolution of the Neo-Tethys.

Thermal Evolution of Juvenile Subduction Zones ' New Constraints from Lu-Hf Geochronology on HP oceanic rocks (Halilbaǧi, Central Anatolia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourteau, Amaury; Scherer, Erik; Schmidt, Alexander; Bast, Rebecca

2015-04-01

The thermal structure of subduction zones plays a key role on mechanical and chemical processes taking place along the slab-mantle interface. Until now, changes through time of this thermal structure have been explored mostly by the means of numerical simulations. However, both "warm" (i.e., epidote-bearing), and "cold" (i.e., lawsonite-bearing) HP oceanic rocks have been reported in some fossil subduction complexes exposed at the Earth's surface (e.g., Franciscan Complex, California; Rio San Juan Complex, Hispañola; Halilbağı Unit, Central Anatolia). These a-priori "incompatible" rocks witness different thermal stages of ancient subduction zones and their study might provide complementary constraints to numerical models. To decipher the meaning of these contrasting metamorphic rocks in the Halilbağı Unit, we are carrying out Lu-Hf geochronology on garnet (grt) and lws from a variety of HP oceanic rocks, as well as the metamorphic sole of the overlying ophiolite. We selected five samples that are representative of the variety of metamorphic evolutions (i.e. peak conditions and P-T paths) encountered in this area. Preliminary analyses yielded 110 Ma (grt-hbl isochron) for a sub-ophiolitic grt amphibolite; 92 Ma (grt-omp) for an eclogite with prograde and retrograde ep; 90 Ma (grt-omp) for an eclogitic metabasite with prograde ep and retrograde ep+lws; 87 Ma (grt-gln) for a lws eclogite with prograde ep; and 86 Ma (grt-gln) for a blueschist with prograde and retrograde lws. These ages are mainly two-point isochrons. Further-refined data will be presented at the EGU General Assembly 2015, in Vienna. The consistent younging trend from "warm" to "cold" metamorphic rocks revealed by these first-order results points to metamorphic-sole formation during the initiation of intra-oceanic subduction at ~110 Ma, and subsequent cooling of the slab-mantle interface between 92 and 86 Ma. Therefore, the contrasting metamorphic evolutions encountered in the Halilbağı Unit record the progressive thermal maturation of the juvenile Neotethyan subduction zone. This period of ~23 myr between subduction initiation and thermal "steady state" is significantly shorter than that obtained for the Rio San Juan Complex (~60 myr; Krebs et al. 2008, Lithos, 103, 106-137), but compares well with that for the Franciscan Complex (~22 myr; Anczkiewicz et al. 2004, EPSL, 225, 147-161) and falls in the range predicted in numerical simulations (e.g., Gerya et al. 2002, Tectonics, 21/6, 1056).

Did the Kyrenia Range of northern Cyprus rotate with the Troodos-Hatay microplate during the tectonic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Antony; Robertson, Alastair H. F.; Anderson, Mark W.; Hodgson, Emma

2016-01-01

Previous palaeomagnetic studies have allowed the recognition of a distinctive area of Neotethyan oceanic rocks, including the Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus and the Hatay ophiolite to the east in southern Turkey, that underwent 90° of anticlockwise rotation between Late Cretaceous (Campanian) and Early Eocene time. The southern and western boundaries of this rotated Troodos-Hatay microplate have been inferred to lie within, or adjacent to, zones of deformed oceanic and continental margin rocks that are now exposed in southern and western Cyprus; however, the northern boundary of the microplate remains undefined. Relevant to this problem, palaeomagnetic data are presented here from basaltic lavas exposed along the Kyrenia Range, mostly from Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) sites and one Eocene site. A positive inclination-only fold test demonstrates that remanences are pre-deformational in age, and positive conglomerate tests show that magnetic remanences were acquired before Late Eocene-Early Oligocene time, together suggesting that primary magnetizations are preserved. Data from the eastern Kyrenia Range and the Karpas Peninsula (the easternmost extension of the Kyrenia Range) document significant relative tectonic rotation between these localities, with no rotation in the eastern range versus 30° of anticlockwise rotation of the Karpas Peninsula. Unfortunately, palaeomagnetic sites from the western Kyrenia Range did not yield tectonically interpretable magnetization directions, probably due to complex poly-phase thrusting and folding, and the central range also yielded no interpretable data. However, the available palaeomagnetic data are sufficient to demonstrate that the Kyrenia terrane underwent a separate rotation history to the Troodos-Hatay microplate and also implies that the northern boundary of the Troodos-Hatay microplate was located between the Troodos ophiolite and the Kyrenia Range. The former microplate margin has since been overridden and concealed by two phases of southwards thrusting and folding of the Kyrenia Range units (Mid-Eocene; latest Miocene-earliest Pliocene). The likely cause of the anticlockwise rotation affecting the Karpas Peninsula, and by implication the curvature of the Kyrenia Range as a whole, relates to regional late-stage subduction and diachronous continental collision. The Southern Neotethys sutured in SE Turkey during the Early Miocene, whereas a relict ocean basin remained further west in the easternmost Mediterranean, allowing a remnant N-dipping subduction zone to retreat southwards and so induce the present-day arcuate shape of the Kyrenia Range.

Mapping Microbial Populations Relative to Sites of Ongoing Serpentinization: Results from the Tablelands Ophiolite Complex, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrenk, M. O.; Brazelton, W. J.; Woodruff, Q.; Szponar, N.; Morrill, P. L.

2010-12-01

The aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks (serpentinization) has been suggested to be a favorable process for the habitability of astrobodies in our solar system including subsurface environments of Mars and Europa. Serpentinization produces copious quantities of hydrogen and small organic molecules, and leads to highly reducing, highly alkaline conditions (up to pH 12) and a lack of dissolved inorganic carbon, which both stimulates and challenges microbial activities. Several environments on Earth provide insight into the relationships between serpentinization and microbial life including slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, and ophiolite materials emplaced along continental margins. The Tablelands, an ophiolite in western Newfoundland, Canada provides an opportunity to carefully document and map the relationships between geochemical energy, microbial growth, and physiology. Alkaline fluids at the Tablelands originate from 500-million year old oceanic crust and accumulate in shallow pools or seep from beneath serpentinized talus. Fluids, rocks, and gases were collected from the Tablelands during a series of field excursions in 2009 and 2010, and geochemical, microscopic, molecular, and cultivation-based approaches were used to study the serpentinite microbial ecosystem. These samples provide an opportunity to generate a comprehensive map of microbial communities and their activities in space and time. Data indicate that a low but detectable stock of microorganisms inhabit high pH pools associated with end-member serpentinite fluids. Enrichment cultures yielded brightly pigmented colonies related to Alphaproteobacteria, presumably carrying out anoxygenic photosynthesis, and Firmicutes, presumably catalyzing the fermentation of organic matter. Culture-independent analyses of SSU rRNA using T-RFLP indicated low diversity communities of Firmicutes and Archaea in standing alkaline pools, communities of Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria at high pH seeps, and assemblages consisting of diverse taxa at neutral pH background sites. Terrestrial serpentinite-hosted microbial ecosystems with their accessibility, their low phylogenetic diversity, and limited range of energetic resources provide an excellent opportunity to explore the interplay between geochemical energy and life and to elucidate the native serpentinite subsurface biosphere. From the perspective of Mars exploration, studies of serpentinite ecosystems provide the opportunity to pinpoint the organisms and physiological adaptations specifically associated with serpentinization and to directly measure their geochemical impacts. Both of these results will inform modeling and life detection efforts of the Martian subsurface environment.

Chemical environments of submarine hydrothermal systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shock, Everett L.

1992-01-01

Perhaps because black-smoker chimneys make tremendous subjects for magazine covers, the proposal that submarine hydrothermal systems were involved in the origin of life has caused many investigators to focus on the eye-catching hydrothermal vents. In much the same way that tourists rush to watch the spectacular eruptions of Old Faithful geyser with little regard for the hydrology of the Yellowstone basin, attention is focused on the spectacular, high-temperature hydrothermal vents to the near exclusion of the enormous underlying hydrothermal systems. Nevertheless, the magnitude and complexity of geologic structures, heat flow, and hydrologic parameters which characterize the geyser basins at Yellowstone also characterize submarine hydrothermal systems. However, in the submarine systems the scale can be considerably more vast. Like Old Faithful, submarine hydrothermal vents have a spectacular quality, but they are only one fascinating aspect of enormous geologic systems operating at seafloor spreading centers throughout all of the ocean basins. A critical study of the possible role of hydrothermal processes in the origin of life should include the full spectrum of probable environments. The goals of this chapter are to synthesize diverse information about the inorganic geochemistry of submarine hydrothermal systems, assemble a description of the fundamental physical and chemical attributes of these systems, and consider the implications of high-temperature, fluid-driven processes for organic synthesis. Information about submarine hydrothermal systems comes from many directions. Measurements made directly on venting fluids provide useful, but remarkably limited, clues about processes operating at depth. The oceanic crust has been drilled to approximately 2.0 km depth providing many other pieces of information, but drilling technology has not allowed the bore holes and core samples to reach the maximum depths to which aqueous fluids circulate in oceanic crust. Such determinations rely on studies of pieces of deep oceanic crust uplifted by tectonic forces such as along the Southwest Indian Ridge, or more complete sections of oceanic crust called ophiolite sequences which are presently exposed on continents owing to tectonic emplacement. Much of what is thought to happen in submarine hydrothermal systems is inferred from studies of ophiolite sequences, and especially from the better-exposed ophiolites in Oman, Cyprus and North America. The focus of much that follows is on a few general features: pressure, temperature, oxidation states, fluid composition and mineral alteration, because these features will control whether organic synthesis can occur in hydrothermal systems.

History of India-Asia Suturing in Tibet: Constraints and Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapp, P. A.; Ding, L.

2011-12-01

The India-Asia collision zone is widely pointed to as the type Cenozoic example of continental suturing and collision, yet there remains considerable controversy about its geological and geodynamical evolution. This in part may reflect the richness and complexity of the geological records exposed across the collision zone and how much remains to be extracted from them. Separating the formerly Andean-style continental margin of southern Asia (Gangdese arc and forearc of the Lhasa terrane) in the north, from Indian-affinity strata deformed in the Tethyan Himalayan thrust belt to the south, is the Indus-Yarlung suture zone (IYSZ). In Tibet, ophiolitic rocks along the IYSZ crystallized and were obducted in a suprasubduction zone setting during Early Cretaceous time. The ophiolitic rocks are of the appropriate age to have formed the basement upon which Gangdese forearc strata accumulated. Alternatively, they may represent remnants of an intra-oceanic subduction system that persisted in the Tethys, far from Asia, until Greater India collided with it during the latest Cretaceous to Paleocene. There has been no documentation, however, of ophiolitic or arc fragments younger than Early Cretaceous within the IYSZ. Distinguishing between these two end-member scenarios is important for interpreting detrital records of orogenesis and seismic tomographic images of the mantle. A preponderance of evidence suggests that collision between the Tethyan Himalaya and Asia initiated by 52 Ma. Initial collision led abruptly to profound and far-field changes in paleogeography and tectonism such that by 45 Ma, major shortening and potassic volcanism was ongoing in northern Tibet, plateau-like conditions were established in central Tibet, Tethyan Himalayan crust was undergoing anatexis, and Eo-Himalayan prograde metamorphism was underway. Additional constraints on the shortening history of the Tethyan Himalayan thrust belt will be key to assessing when and how much Greater Indian lithosphere was subducted northward beneath Asia during the Paleogene. Large-scale northward underthrusting of Greater Indian lithosphere (>600 km between 45 and 30 Ma), its subsequent rapid rollback to the south of the IYSZ (30 - 20 Ma), and renewed northward underthrusting (15 Ma to Recent), is inferred from north-south temporal sweeps in Cenozoic magmatism in Tibet. This history of Greater Indian lithosphere subduction may help explain major transitions in the kinematic evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen and can account for more than half of the total convergence between India and Asia since 50 Ma.

An eclogite-bearing continental tectonic slice in the Zermatt-Saas high-pressure ophiolites at Trockener Steg (Zermatt, Swiss Western Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Sebastian; Bucher, Kurt

2015-09-01

The Theodul Glacier Unit (TGU) at "Trockener Steg" represents a continental slice, embedded within the ophiolitic Zermatt-Saas Zone. The Zermatt-Saas Zone is the remnant of the Piemonte-Liguria oceanic lithosphere, formed in the middle Jurassic and subducted up to eclogite facies conditions in the Early Tertiary. The close spatial association of the TGU to the Zermatt-Saas Zone permits a comparison of the metamorphic evolution of the units by detailed field mapping and a petrological investigation of eclogites. The eclogites from both tectono-metamorphic units can be clearly distinguished by their textures, mineral assemblages and by mineral and bulk-rock composition. Geothermobarometry and computed assemblage stability diagrams for the TGU eclogites indicate P-T conditions of 2.2 ± 0.1 GPa and 580 ± 50 °C. These derived P-T conditions must be considered as minimum peak metamorphic conditions the rocks achieved during subduction. The P-T data are different from those derived for eclogites of Zermatt-Saas Zone adjacent to the Theodul Glacier Unit, that reached maximal burial depths at 2.3-2.4 GPa and 500 ± 50 °C. While the estimates of the eclogites of Zermatt-Saas Zone are in good agreement with some of the previous studies, the contrasting P-T estimates for the TGU eclogites suggest that the Zermatt-Saas complex must be subdivided into several tectonic subunits. The non-uniform peak conditions over the "Trockener Steg" area and the maximum pressures conditions reported from ultra-high pressure localities within Zermatt-Saas Zone suggest, that individual tectonic slices have been assembled after detachment from the slab at the return-point, i.e. along the exhumation path. Detached packages of rocks may range from small tectonic slices up to several kilometer-sized fragments. The TGU is separated from the surrounding rocks of the ophiolite unit by two major tectonic contacts. In addition, the formation of biotite-rich crusts along the basal contact of the TGU is evidence of prolonged fluid channeling along the basal thrust. The presence of hydrous decompression assemblages replacing earlier formed high-pressure mineral assemblages within the studied eclogite suggests that fluids were present throughout most of the TGU exhumation history.

Paleoproterozoic high-pressure metamorphism in the northern North China Craton and implications for the Nuna supercontinent

PubMed Central

Wan, Bo; Windley, Brian F.; Xiao, Wenjiao; Feng, Jianyun; Zhang, Ji'en

2015-01-01

The connection between the North China Craton (NCC) and contiguous cratons is important for the configuration of the Nuna supercontinent. Here we document a new Paleoproterozoic high-pressure (HP) complex dominated by garnet websterite on the northern margin of the NCC. The peak metamorphism of the garnet websterite was after ∼1.90 Ga when it was subducted to eclogite facies at ∼2.4 GPa, then exhumed back to granulite facies at ∼0.9 GPa before ∼1.82 Ga. The rock associations with their structural relationships and geochemical affinities are comparable to those of supra-subduction zone ophiolites, and supported by subduction-related signatures of gabbros and basalts. We propose that a ∼1.90 Ga oceanic fragment was subducted and exhumed into an accretionary complex along the northern margin of the NCC. Presence of the coeval Sharyzhalgai complex with comparable HP garnet websterites in the southern Siberian active margin favours juxtaposition against the NCC in the Paleoproterozoic. PMID:26388458

Early Paleozoic development of the Maine-Quebec boundary Mountains region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gerbi, C.C.; Johnson, S.E.; Aleinikoff, J.N.; Bedard, J.H.; Dunning, G.R.; Fanning, C.M.

2006-01-01

Pre-Silurian bedrock units played key roles in the early Paleozoic history of the Maine-Quebec Appalachians. These units represent peri-Laurentian material whose collision with the craton deformed the Neoproteozoic passive margin and initiated the Appalachian mountain-building cycle. We present new field, petrological, geochronological, and geochemical data to support the following interpretations related to these units. (1) The Boil Mountain Complex and Jim Pond Formation do not represent part of a coherent ophiolite. (2) Gabbro and tonalite of the Boil Mountain Complex intruded the Chain Lakes massif at ca. 477 Ma. (3) The Skinner pluton, an arc-related granodiorite, intruded the Chain Lakes massif at ca. 472 Ma. (4) The Attean pluton, with a reconfirmed age of ca. 443 Ma, is unrelated to Early Ordovician orogenesis. (5) The most likely timing for the juxtaposition of the Jim Pond Formation and the Boil Mountain Complex was during regional Devonian deformation. These interpretations suggest that the Boundary Mountains were once part of a series of arcs extending at least from central New England through Newfoundland. ?? 2006 NRC Canada.

Geological remote sensing in Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabins, Floyd F., Jr.; Bailey, G. Bryan; Abrams, Michael J.

1987-01-01

Programs using remote sensing to obtain geologic information in Africa are reviewed. Studies include the use of Landsat MSS data to evaluate petroleum resources in sedimentary rock terrains in Kenya and Sudan and the use of Landsat TM 30-m resolution data to search for mineral deposits in an ophiolite complex in Oman. Digitally enhanced multispectral SPOT data at a scale of 1:62,000 were used to map folds, faults, diapirs, bedding attitudes, and stratigraphic units in the Atlas Mountains in northern Algeria. In another study, SIR-A data over a vegetated and faulted area of Sierra Leone were compared with data collected by the Landsat MSS and TM systems. It was found that the lineaments on the SIR-A data were more easily detected.

Integration of 3 Consecutive Years of Aqueous Geochemistry Monitoring Serpentinization at the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO), Northern California, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardace, D.; Hoehler, T. M.; McCollom, T. M.; Schrenk, M. O.; Kubo, M. D.

2014-12-01

In August 2011, a set of 8 groundwater monitoring wells were established in actively serpentinizing ultramafic rocks of the Coast Range Ophiolite near Lower Lake, CA, as a NASA Astrobiology Institute project (Cardace et al., 2013). These wells have enabled repeated sampling and analysis of aqueous geochemistry, which we now present in an integrated model of the progress of serpentinization at this locality. The Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO) plumbs groundwaters percolating through a tectonic mélange of Jurassic-aged oceanic crust, with blocks of metabasalt and metagabbro, variably serpentinized ultramafics, Great Valley Sequence sedimentary rocks including the Jurassic Knoxville formation and the Cretaceous Crack Canyon formation, as well as rocks resulting from silica-carbonate alteration of serpentinites (marginal listvenites). All of these rock units are accessible in the McLaughlin Natural Reserve (administered by the University of California-Davis). In this work, we report on persistent geochemical trends in CROMO waters, which are gas-rich, high pH (11+), Ca2+-OH- type waters, contrast their characteristics with other continental sites of serpentinization and deep sea serpentinizing vent systems, and place the evolution of these waters in a water-rock reaction context based on geochemical modeling.

Serpentinization and its implications for life on the early Earth and Mars.

PubMed

Schulte, Mitch; Blake, David; Hoehler, Tori; McCollom, Thomas

2006-04-01

Ophiolites, sections of ocean crust tectonically displaced onto land, offer significant potential to support chemolithoautotrophic life through the provision of energy and reducing power during aqueous alteration of their highly reduced mineralogies. There is substantial chemical disequilibrium between the primary olivine and pyroxene mineralogy of these ophiolites and the fluids circulating through them. This disequilibrium represents a potential source of chemical energy that could sustain life. Moreover, E (h)-pH conditions resulting from rock- water interactions in ultrabasic rocks are conducive to important abiotic processes antecedent to the origin of life. Serpentinization--the reaction of olivine- and pyroxene-rich rocks with water--produces magnetite, hydroxide, and serpentine minerals, and liberates molecular hydrogen, a source of energy and electrons that can be readily utilized by a broad array of chemosynthetic organisms. These systems are viewed as important analogs for potential early ecosystems on both Earth and Mars, where highly reducing mineralogy was likely widespread in an undifferentiated crust. Secondary phases precipitated during serpentinization have the capability to preserve organic or mineral biosignatures. We describe the petrology and mineral chemistry of an ophiolite-hosted cold spring in northern California and propose criteria to aid in the identification of serpentinizing terranes on Mars that have the potential to harbor chemosynthetic life.

Serpentinization and Its Implications for Life on the Early Earth and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, Mitch; Blake, David; Hoehler, Tori; McCollom, Thomas

2006-04-01

Ophiolites, sections of ocean crust tectonically displaced onto land, offer significant potential to support chemolithoautotrophic life through the provision of energy and reducing power during aqueous alteration of their highly reduced mineralogies. There is substantial chemical disequilibrium between the primary olivine and pyroxene mineralogy of these ophiolites and the fluids circulating through them. This disequilibrium represents a potential source of chemical energy that could sustain life. Moreover, E h-pH conditions resulting from rock- water interactions in ultrabasic rocks are conducive to important abiotic processes antecedent to the origin of life. Serpentinization-the reaction of olivine- and pyroxene-rich rocks with water-produces magnetite, hydroxide, and serpentine minerals, and liberates molecular hydrogen, a source of energy and electrons that can be readily utilized by a broad array of chemosynthetic organisms. These systems are viewed as important analogs for potential early ecosystems on both Earth and Mars, where highly reducing mineralogy was likely widespread in an undifferentiated crust. Secondary phases precipitated during serpentinization have the capability to preserve organic or mineral biosignatures. We describe the petrology and mineral chemistry of an ophiolite-hosted cold spring in northern California and propose criteria to aid in the identification of serpentinizing terranes on Mars that have the potential to harbor chemosynthetic life.

Anomalously low strength of serpentinite sheared against granite and implications for creep on the Hayward and Calaveras Faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Diane E.; Lockner, David A.; Ponce, David A.

2010-01-01

Serpentinized ophiolitic rocks are juxtaposed against quartzofeldspathic rocks at depth across considerable portions of the Hayward and Calaveras Faults. The marked compositional contrast between these rock types may contribute to fault creep that has been observed along these faults. To investigate this possibility, we are conducting hydrothermal shearing experiments to look for changes in frictional properties resulting from the shear of ultramafic rock juxtaposed against quartzose rock units. In this paper we report the first results in this effort: shear of bare-rock surfaces of serpentinite and granite, and shear of antigorite-serpentinite gouge between forcing blocks of granitic rock. All experiments were conducted at 250°C. Serpentinite sheared against granite at 50 MPa pore-fluid pressure is weaker than either rock type separately, and the weakening is significantly more pronounced at lower shearing rates. In contrast, serpentinite gouge sheared dry between granite blocks is as strong as the bare granite surface. We propose that the weakening is the result of a solution-transfer process involving the dissolution of serpentine minerals at grain-to-grain contacts. Dissolution of serpentine is enhanced by modifications to pore-fluid chemistry caused by interaction of the fluid with the quartz-bearing rocks. The compositional differences between serpentinized ultramafic rocks of the Coast Range Ophiolite and quartzofeldspathic rock units such as those of the Franciscan Complex may provide the mechanism for aseismic slip (creep) in the shallow crust along the Hayward, Calaveras, and other creeping faults in central and northern California.

Petrography and geochemistry of Cenozoic sedimentary sequences of the southern Samar Island, Philippines: Clues to the unroofing history of an ancient subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacle, Nichole Anthony D.; Dimalanta, Carla B.; Ramos, Noelynna T.; Payot, Betchaida D.; Faustino-Eslava, Decibel V.; Queaño, Karlo L.; Yumul, Graciano P.

2017-07-01

The Cenozoic sedimentary sequences of southern Samar Island in eastern Philippines were examined to understand the unroofing history of an ancient arc terrane. Petrographic and geochemical data revealed varying degrees of inputs from the ophiolite basement and differences in modal compositions. The sedimentary units are mostly made up of lithic fragments. The Late Oligocene to Early Miocene Daram Formation contains more chert and volcanic fragments whereas the late Middle Miocene to Early Pliocene Catbalogan Formation is dominantly composed of ultramafic components. These variances are correspondingly reflected in the geochemical signatures of these two sedimentary formations. The Catbalogan Formation clastic rocks have higher volatile-free MgO and Fe2O3 values (average: 8.4% for both oxides) compared to the Daram Formation samples (average: 5.1 and 6.3%, respectively). Geochemical variations are also reflected in the Co, Cr and Ni values: the Catbalogan Formation samples reflect higher concentrations (Co: 15-57 ppm; Cr: 231-1094 ppm; Ni: 84-484 ppm) compared to the Daram Formation samples (Co: 24-32 ppm; Cr: 234-418 ppm; Ni: 212-323 ppm). These observations suggest that the Daram Formation eroded and transported more of the crustal portions of the ophiolite, while the younger Catbalogan Formation represents a later exhumation and subsequent erosion of the ultramafic section. An oceanic island arc (OIA) setting is proposed for the two formations based on several tectonic discrimination diagrams (e.g., Th-La-Sc, La vs. Th). The OIA signature is further supported by their smooth chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns with no obvious Eu anomaly as well as LREE enrichment which are typical of sediments deposited in OIA setting. Based on the dominantly ophiolitic provenance of the Daram and Catbalogan formations, the post-emplacement history of the nearby Samar Ophiolite is constrained during the Late Oligocene to Early Pliocene period.

Multiple melting stages and refertilization as indicators for ridge to subduction formation: The New Caledonia ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, Marc; Picard, Christian; Guillot, Stéphane; Chauvel, Catherine; Cluzel, Dominique; Meffre, Sébastien

2010-03-01

The origin of the New Caledonia ophiolite (South West Pacific), one of the largest in the world, is controversial. This nappe of ultramafic rocks (300 km long, 50 km wide and 2 km thick) is thrust upon a smaller nappe (Poya terrane) composed of basalts from mid-ocean ridges (MORB), back arc basins (BABB) and ocean islands (OIB). This nappe was tectonically accreted from the subducting plate prior and during the obduction of the ultramafic nappe. The bulk of the ophiolite is composed of highly depleted harzburgites (± dunites) with characteristic U-shaped bulk-rock rare-earth element (REE) patterns that are attributed to their formation in a forearc environment. In contrast, the origin of spoon-shaped REE patterns of lherzolites in the northernmost klippes was unclear. Our new major element and REE data on whole rocks, spinel and clinopyroxene establish the abyssal affinity of these lherzolites. Significant LREE enrichment in the lherzolites is best explained by partial melting in a spreading ridge, followed by near in-situ refertilization from deeper mantle melts. Using equilibrium melting equations, we show that melts extracted from these lherzolites are compositionally similar to the MORB of the Poya terrane. This is used to infer that the ultramafic nappe and the mafic Poya terrane represent oceanic lithosphere of a single marginal basin that formed during the late Cretaceous. In contrast, our spinel data highlights the strong forearc affinities of the most depleted harzburgites whose compositions are best modeled by hydrous melting of a source that had previously experienced depletion in a spreading ridge. The New Caledonian boninites probably formed during this second stage of partial melting. The two melting events in the New Caledonia ophiolite record the rapid transition from oceanic accretion to convergence in the South Loyalty Basin during the Late Paleocene, with initiation of a new subduction zone at or near the ridge axis.

Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic subduction-collision history of the Southern Neotethys: new evidence from the Çağlayancerit area, SE Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akıncı, Ahmet Can; Robertson, Alastair H. F.; Ünlügenç, Ulvi Can

2016-01-01

Evidence of the subduction-collision history of the S Neotethys is well exposed in the frontal part of the SE Anatolian thrust belt and the adjacent Arabian continental margin. The foreland succession in the study area begins with Eocene shelf carbonates, ranging from shallow marine to deeper marine, without sedimentary input from the Tauride continent to the north. After a regional hiatus (Oligocene), sedimentation resumed during the Early Miocene with terrigenous gravity-flow deposition in the north (Lice Formation) and shallow-marine carbonates further south. Clastic detritus was derived from the Tauride continent and oceanic accretionary material. The base of the overriding Tauride allochthon comprises ophiolite-derived debris flows, ophiolite-related mélange and dismembered ophiolitic rocks. Above this, the regional-scale Bulgurkaya sedimentary mélange (an olistostrome) includes blocks and dismembered thrust sheets of metamorphic rocks, limestone and sandstone, which include Late Cretaceous and Eocene foraminifera. The matrix is mainly strongly deformed Eocene-Oligocene mudrocks, hemipelagic marl and sandstone turbidites. The thrust stack is topped by a regionally extensive thrust sheet (Malatya metamorphic unit), which includes greenschist facies marble, calcschist, schist and phyllite, representing Tauride continental crust. Beginning during the Late Mesozoic, the S Neotethys subducted northwards beneath a backstop represented by the Tauride microcontinent (Malatya metamorphic unit). Ophiolites formed within the S Neotethys and accreted to the Tauride active margin. Large-scale sedimentary mélange developed along the Tauride active margin during Eocene-Oligocene. On the Arabian margin, a sedimentary hiatus and tilting (Oligocene) is interpreted to record initial continental collision. The Early Miocene terrigenous gravity flows represent a collision-related flexural foreland basin. Southward overthrusting of the Tauride allochthon took place during Early-Middle Miocene. Associated regional uplift triggered large-scale alluvial deposition. The foreland folded and faulted in response to suture zone tightening (Late Miocene). Left-lateral strike slip characterised the Plio-Pleistocene.

Petrology and geochemistry of the high-Cr podiform chromitites of the Köycegiz ophiolite, southwest Turkey: implications for the multi-stage evolution of the oceanic upper mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Fahui; Yang, Jingsui; Dilek, Yildirim; Wang, ChunLian; Hao, Xiaolin; Xu, Xiangzhen; Lian, Dongyang

2018-03-01

Ophiolites exposed across the western Tauride belt in Turkey represent tectonically emplaced fragments of oceanic lithosphere obducted onto the continental margin following the closure of the Neotethys Ocean during the Late Cretaceous. The ultramafic massif of Köycegiz, which is located in the ophiolitic belt of southwestern Turkey, is a major source of metallurgical chromitite ore. The massif comprises a base of tectonized harzburgite with minor dunite overlain by a magmatic sequence of wehrlite, pyroxenite, troctolite and gabbro. Only sparse refractory chromitites occur within the harzburgites; in contrast, the upper and middle sections of the peridotite sequence contain abundant metallurgical chromitites. The peridotites record abundant evidence of mantle metasomatism on various scales, as the Fo values of olivine in harzburgite are 90.1-95.4, whereas those in dunite are 90.1-91.8. The compositions of the melts passing through the peridotites changed gradually from arc tholeiite to boninite due to melt-rock reactions, thus producing more Cr-rich chromitites in the upper part of the body. Most of the chromitites have high Cr numbers (77-78), although systematic changes in the compositions of the olivine and chromian spinel occur from the harzburgites to the dunite envelopes to the chromitites, reflecting melt-rock reactions. The calculated ΔlogfO2 (FMQ) values range from - 2.77 to + 1.03 in the chromitites, - 2.73 to -0.01 in the harzburgites, and - 1.65 to + 0.45 in the dunites. All of the available evidence suggests that the Köycegiz ophiolite formed in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) mantle wedge. These models indicate that the harzburgites represent the products of first-stage melting and low degrees of melt-rock interaction that occurred in a mid-ocean ridge (MOR) environment. In contrast, the chromitites and dunites represent the products of second-stage melting and related refertilization, which occurred in an SSZ environment.

Hydrogen Gas from Serpentinite, Ophiolites and the Modern Ocean Floor as a Source of Green Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coveney, R. M.

2008-12-01

Hydrogen gas is emitted by springs associated with serpentinites and extensive carbonate deposits in Oman, The Philippines, the USA and other continental locations. The hydrogen springs contain unusually alkaline fluids with pH values between 11 and 12.5. Other workers have described off-ridge submarine springs with comparably alkaline fluid compositions, serpentinite, abundant free hydrogen gas, and associated carbonate edifices such as Lost City on the Atlantis Massif 15 km west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (D.S. Kelley and associates, Science 2005). The association of hydrogen gas with ultramafites is a consistent one that has been attributed to a redox couple involving oxidation of divalent iron to the trivalent state during serpentinization, although other possibilities exist. Some of the hydrogen springs on land are widespread. For example in Oman dozens of alkaline springs (Neal and Stanger, EPSL 1983) can be found over thousands of sq km of outcropping ophiolite. While the deposits in Oman and the Philippines are well-known to much of the geochemical community, little interest seems to have been displayed toward either the ophiolitic occurrences or the submarine deposits for energy production. This may be a mistake as the showings because they could lead to an important source of green energy. Widespread skepticism currently exists about hydrogen as a primary energy source. It is commonly said that free hydrogen does not occur on earth and that it is therefore necessary to use other sources of energy to produce hydrogen, obviating the general environmental benefit. However the existence of numerous occurrences of hydrogen gas associated with ophiolites and submarine occurrences of hydrogen suggests the likelihood that natural hydrogen gas may be an important source of clean energy for modern society remaining to be tapped. Calculations in progress should establish whether or not this is likely to be the case.

Digital geologic map and Landsat image map of parts of Loralai, Sibi, Quetta, and Khuzar Divisions, Balochistan Province, west-central Pakistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maldonado, Florian; Menga, Jan Mohammad; Khan, Shabid Hasan; Thomas, Jean-Claude

2011-01-01

This generalized digital geologic map of west-central Pakistan is a product of the Balochistan Coal-Basin Synthesis Study, which was part of a cooperative program of the Geological Survey of Pakistan and the United States Geological Survey. The original nondigital map was published by Maldonado and others (1998). Funding was provided by the Government of Pakistan and the United States Agency for International Development. The sources of geologic map data are primarily 1:253,440-scale geologic maps obtained from Hunting Survey Corporation (1961) and the geologic map of the Muslim Bagh Ophiolite Complex and Bagh Complex area. The geology was modified based on reconnaissance field work and photo interpretation of 1:250,000-scale Landsat Thematic Mapper photo image. The descriptions and thicknesses of map units were based on published and unpublished reports and converted to U.S. Geological Survey format. In the nomenclature of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, there is both an Urak Group and an Urak Formation.

The Paleotethys suture in Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagheri, S.; Stampfli, G. M.

2003-04-01

The Triassic rocks of the Nakhlak area have been used to justify the hypothesis of the rotation of the Central-East Iranian microplate, mainly based on paleomagnetic data. Davoudzadeh and his coworkers (1981) pointed out the existing contrast between the Nakhlakh succession and the time-equivalent lithostratigraphic units exposed in the surrounding regions and compared them with the Triassic rocks of the Aghdarband area on the southern edge of the Turan plate. We recently gathered evidences that this part of central Iran effectively belongs to the Northern Iranian Paleo-Tethys suture zone and related Variscan terrains of the Turan plate. This is the case for the northwestern part of central Iran, where the Anarak-Khur belt (Anarak schists and their thick Cretaceous-Paleocene sedimentary cover) presents all the elements of an orogenic zone such as dismembered ophiolites and silisiclastics, calcareous and volcanic cover which has been deformed and metamorphosed. This belt is separated to the northwest from the Alborz microcontinent by the Great Kavir fault and Cretaceous ophiolite mélanges. To the southeast it is bounded by the Biabanak fault and serpentinites and the Biabanak block, part of the central-east Iranian plate. The later zone is formed by Proterozoic metamorphic basement and marine sedimentary cover, nearly continuous from the Ordovician to the Triassic, at the uppermost part upper Triassic-lower Jurassic bauxites and silisiclastics are observed. Excepted the Ordovician angular unconformities and the boundary between lower Jurassic and younger layers, this sequence displays no significant main unconformities and can be attributed to the Cimmerian super-terrain. Thus, this sequences represents the classical evolution of the southern Paleo-Tethys passive margin, as found in the Alborz microcontinent or the Band-e Bayan zone of Afghanistan and is the witness of large scale duplication of the Paleo-Tethys suture zone through major Alpine strike-slip faults. Within the Anarak-Khur belt limit and to the northeast of the Nakhlak succession, the area of Godar-e Siah of Jandaq, remnants of the Eurasian active margin are found, represented by: 1- A lower Paleozoic to upper Devonian unit consisting mainly of metamorphosed rocks including ophiolitic rocks, pelagic sediments, flysch-like deposits and shallow-water limestones of Devonian age belonging to the Anarak and Kabudan areas. Folding and thrusting was pre-Carboniferous and all geochronological dating based on K/Ar for the Anarak and Kaboudan schists placed this metamorphic event between middle Devonian and Visean. 2- the main part of the lower Carboniferous unit consists of a volcano-sedimentary complex with intercalations of limestone containing Coral, Brachiopod and Foraminiferas. Pyroclastic deposits are followed by continental red beds containing a great variety of grain types, such as hypabyssal to several types of granitoid rock fragments derived from the arc, accompanied by pebbles of chert, fossiliferous carbonate and serpentinite recycled from the accretionary complex, pointing to a fore-arc environment of deposition. 3- The middle Carboniferous to Permian unit consists of coarse littoral conglomerate and sandstones derived from ophiolitic to felsic material with some platform limestones. They represent the final infill of the fore-arc basin and rest unconformably on both the metamorphites and Lower Carboniferous units. These tectono-stratigraphic units are similar to the western Hindu Kush sequences of Afghanistan and Tuarkyr in Turkmenistan and belong to the northern active margin of Paleo-Tethys. Therefore, the Anarak-Khur belt was part of the Variscan terranes located along this margin. Volcano-sedimentary strata with Conodont-bearing limestones of Permian to Triassic age have been found in direct contact with the Biabanak fault which, therefore, is most likely following and reactivating the Paleo-Tethys suture zone.

Geochemical bioenergetics during low-temperature serpentinization: An example from the Samail ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canovas, Peter A.; Hoehler, Tori; Shock, Everett L.

2017-07-01

Various classes of microbial and biomolecular evidence from global studies in marine and continental settings are used to identify a set of reactions that appear to support microbial metabolism during serpentinization of ultramafic rocks. Geochemical data from serpentinizing ecosystems in the Samail ophiolite of Oman are used to evaluate the extent of disequilibria that can support this set of microbial metabolisms and to provide a ranking of potential metabolic energy sources in hyperalkaline fluids that are direct products of serpentinization. Results are used to construct hypotheses for how microbial metabolism may be supported in the subsurface for two cases: ecosystems hosted in rocks that have already undergone significant serpentinization and those hosted by deeper, active serpentinization processes.

Variations in the degree of crustal extension during formation of a back-arc basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Wit, Maarten J.; Stern, Charles R.

1981-02-01

Ophiolite complexes in southern Chile represent the remnants of the mafic portion of the floor of a Cretaceous back-arc basin which widened markedly from north to south over a length of 600 km. Detailed field and geochemical studies of ophiolites in the northern (Sarmiento complex) and southern (Tortuga complex) extremities of the originally wedge-shaped back-arc basin floor, indicate significant north—south differences in the mode of emplacement of basaltic magmas into the pre-existing continental crust, during the formation of the basin. In the northern narrow extremity of the original basin, mafic melts intruded into the continental crust over a diffuse zone causing extensive remobilization and reconstitution of the sialic continental crust. In the southern wider part of the original basin, mafic magmas appear to have been emplaced at a localized oceanic-type spreading centre. The observed north—south variations resulted in formation of back-arc floor with crustal characteristics ranging from intermediate between continental and oceanic to typically oceanic. These variations are interpreted as representing different stages of evolution of a back-arc basin which formed due to a subtle interplay between subduction induced back-arc mantle convection and the release of stress across the convergent plate boundary, possibly related to ridge subduction. Prior to the release of stress, heat transferred from mantle diapirs to the base of crust caused widespread silicic volcanism in South America. With the release of stress, mantle derived melts erupted to the surface along structural pathways resulting in extensive basaltic volcanism in a linear belt behind the island arc and the cessation of silicic volcanism. Initially, basaltic magmas intruded the continental crust over a diffuse region causing reconstitution of sialic crustal rocks. Progressive localization of the zone of intrusion of mafic magmas from the mantle eventually resulted in the development of an oceanic-type spreading centre. Observations in southern Chile and elsewhere suggest that variability in horizontal stress across a convergent plate boundary may be the overriding factor in determining the regional response of continental crust to subduction induced back-arc convection, and hence the mechanism of emplacement into the crust of mafic mantle melts. The various lithologies observed in southern Chile could also be expected to form during the opening phase of major ocean basins and to currently underlie Atlantic-type continental margins.

New geological data of New Siberian Archipelago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobolev, Nikolay; Petrov, Evgeniy

2014-05-01

The area of New Siberian Archipelago (NSA) encompasses different tectonic blocks is a clue for reconstruction of geological structure and geodynamic evolution of East Arctic. According to palaeomagnetic study two parts of the archipelago - Bennett and Anjou Islands formed a single continental block at least from the Early Palaeozoic. Isotope dating of De Long Islands igneous and sedimentary rocks suggests Neoproterozoic (Baikalian) age of its basement. The De Long platform sedimentary cover may be subdivided into two complexes: (1) intermediate of PZ-J variously deformed and metamorphosed rocks and (2) K-KZ of weakly lithified sediments. The former complex comprises the Cambrian riftogenic volcanic-clastic member which overlain by Cambrian-Ordovician turbiditic sequence, deposited on a continental margin. This Lower Palaeozoic complex is unconformably overlain by Early Cretaceous (K-Ar age of c.120 Ma) basalts with HALIP petrochemical affinities. In Anjou Islands the intermediate sedimentary complex encompasses the lower Ordovician -Lower Carboniferous sequence of shallow-marine limestone and subordinate dolomite, mudstone and sandstone that bear fossils characteristic of the Siberian biogeographic province. The upper Mid Carboniferous - Jurassic part is dominated by shallow-marine clastic sediments, mainly clays. The K-KZ complex rests upon the lower one with angular unconformity and consists mainly of coal-bearing clastic sediments with rhyolite lavas and tuffs in the bottom (117-110 Ma by K-Ar) while the complexe's upper part contains intraplate alkalic basalt and Neogene-Quaternary limburgite. The De-Long-Anjou block's features of geology and evolution resemble those of Wrangel Island located some 1000 km eastward. The Laptev Sea shelf outcrops in intrashelf rises (Belkovsky and Stolbovoy Islands) where its geology and structure may be observed directly. On Belkovsky Island non-dislocated Oligocene-Miocene sedimentary cover of littoral-marine coal-bearing unconformably overlies folded basement. The latter encompasses two sedimentary units: the Middle Devonian shallow-marine carbonate and Late-Devonian-Permian olistostrome - flysch deposited in transitional environment from carbonate platform to passive margin. Dating of detrital zircons suggests the Siberian Platform and Taimyr-Severnaya Zemlya areas as the most possible provenance. The magmatic activity on Belkovsky Island resulted in formation of Early Triassic gabbro-dolerite similar to the Siberian Platform traps. Proximity of Belkovsky Island to the north of Verkhoyansk foldbelt allows continuation of the latter into the Laptev Sea shelf. The geology of Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island is discrepant from the rest of the NSA. In the south of Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island the ophiolite crops complex out: it is composed of tectonic melange of serpentinized peridotite, bandedf gabbro, pillow-basalt, and pelagic sediments (black shales and cherts). All the rocks underwent epidot - amphibolite, glaucophane and greenschist facies metamorphism. The ophiolite is intruded by various in composition igneous massifs - from gabbro-diorite to leuco-granite, which occurred at 110-120 Ma. The Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island structure is thought to be a westerly continuation of the South Anui suture of Chukchi.

Physicochemical conditions and timing of rodingite formation: evidence from rodingite-hosted fluid inclusions in the JM Asbestos mine, Asbestos, Québec

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Fluid inclusions and geological relationships indicate that rodingite formation in the Asbestos ophiolite, Québec, occurred in two, or possibly three, separate episodes during thrusting of the ophiolite onto the Laurentian margin, and that it involved three fluids. The first episode of rodingitization, which affected diorite, occurred at temperatures of between 290 and 360°C and pressures of 2.5 to 4.5 kbar, and the second episode, which affected granite and slate, occurred at temperatures of between 325 and 400°C and pressures less than 3 kbar. The fluids responsible for these episodes of alteration were moderately to strongly saline (~1.5 to 6.3 m eq. NaCl), rich in divalent cations and contained appreciable methane. A possible third episode of alteration is suggested by primary fluid inclusions in vesuvianite-rich bodies and secondary inclusions in other types of rodingite, with significantly lower trapping temperatures, salinity and methane content. The association of the aqueous fluids with hydrocarbon-rich fluids containing CH4 and higher order alkanes, but no CO2, suggests strongly that the former originated from the serpentinites. The similarities in the composition of the fluids in all rock types indicate that the ophiolite had already been thrust onto the slates when rodingitization occurred. PMID:17961257

Southernmost Andes and South Georgia Island, North Scotia Ridge: Zircon U-Pb and muscovite {40Ar }/{39Ar } age constraints on tectonic evolution of Southwestern Gondwanaland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukasa, Samuel B.; Dalziel, Ian W. D.

1996-11-01

Zircon U-Pb and muscovite {40Ar }/{39Ar } isotopic ages have been determined on rocks from the southernmost Andes and South Georgia Island, North Scotia Ridge, to provide absolute time constraints on the kinematic evolution of southwestern Gondwanaland, until now known mainly from stratigraphic relations. The U-Pb systematics of four zircon fractions from one sample show that proto-marginal basin magmatism in the northern Scotia arc, creating the peraluminous Darwin granite suite and submarine rhyolite sequences of the Tobifera Formation, had begun by the Middle Jurassic (164.1 ± 1.7 Ma). Seven zircon fractions from two other Darwin granites are discordant with non-linear patterns, suggesting a complex history of inheritances and Pb loss. Reference lines drawn through these points on concordia diagrams give upper intercept ages of ca. 1500 Ma, interpreted as a minimum age for the inherited zircon component. This component is believed to have been derived from sedimentary rocks in the Gondwanaland margin accretionary wedge that forms the basement of the region, or else directly from the cratonic "back stop" of that wedge. Ophiolitic remnants of the Rocas Verdes marginal basin preserved in the Larsen Harbour complex on South Georgia yield the first clear evidence that Gondwanaland fragmentation had resulted in the formation of oceanic crust in the Weddell Sea region by the Late Jurassic (150 ± 1 Ma). The geographic pattern in the observed age range of 8 to 13 million years in these ophiolitic materials, while not definitive, is in keeping with propagation of the marginal basin floor northwestward from South Georgia Island to the Sarmiento Complex in southern Chile. Rocks of the Beagle granite suite, emplaced post-tectonically within the uplifted marginal basin floor, have complex zircon U-Pb systematics with gross discordances dominated by inheritances in some samples and Pb loss in others. Of eleven samples processed, only two had sufficient amounts of zircon for multiple fractions, and only one yielded colinear points. These points lie close to the lower concordia intercept for which the age is 68.9 ± 1.0 Ma, but their upper intercept is not well known. Inasmuch as this age is similar to the {40Ar }/{39Ar } age of secondary muscovite growing in extensional fractures of pulled-apart feldspar phenocrysts in a Beagle suite granitic pluton (plateau age is 68.1 ± 0.4 Ma), we interpret the two dates as good time constraints for cooling following a period of extensional deformation probably related to the tectonic denudation of the highgrade metamorphic complex of Cordillera Darwin in Tierra del Fuego.

Deformation of the Songshugou ophiolite in the Qinling orogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Shengsi; Dong, Yunpeng

2017-04-01

The Qinling orogen, middle part of the China Central Orogenic Belt, is well documented that was constructed by multiple convergences and subsequent collisions between the North China and South China Blocks mainly based on geochemistry and geochronology of ophiolites, magmatic rocks as well as sedimentary reconstruction. However, this model is lack of constraints from deformation of subduction/collision. The Songshugou ophiolite outcropped to the north of the Shangdan suture zone represents fragments of oceanic crust and upper mantle. Previous works have revealed that the ophiolite was formed at an ocean ridge and then emplaced in the northern Qinling belt. Hence, deformation of the ophiolite would provide constraints for the rifting and subduction processes. The ophiolite consists chiefly of metamorphosed mafic and ultramafic rocks. The ultramafic rocks contain coarse dunite, dunitic mylonite and harzburgite, with minor diopsidite veins. The mafic rocks are mainly amphibolite, garnet amphibolite and amphibole schist, which are considered to be eclogite facies and retrograde metamorphosed oceanic crust. Amphibole grains in the mafic rocks exhibit a strong shape-preferred orientation parallel to the foliation, which is also parallel to the lithologic contacts between mafic and ultramafic rocks. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analyses show strong olivine crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO) in dunite including A-, B-, and C-types formed by (010)[100], (010)[001] and (100)[001] dislocation slip systems, respectively. A-type CPO suggests high temperature plastic deformation in the upper mantle. In comparison, B-type may be restricted to regions with significantly high water content and high differential stress, and C-type may also be formed in wet condition with lower differential stress. Additionally, the dunite evolved into amphibolite facies metamorphism with mineral assemblages of olivine + talc + anthophyllite. Assuming a pressure of 1.5 GPa, which corresponds to equilibration in the spinel stability field, application of the olivine-spinel thermometer (Ballhaus et al., 1991) suggests temperature of 622 ± 22 °C. Amphibole schists display well-developed amphibole CPO with [100], [010] and [001] axes concentrate parallel to Z-, Y- and X-directions, respectively. The strong CPO of amphiboles could be interpreted as anisotropic growth and passive rigid-body rotation under various different stresses rather than results of dislocation creep. The Hbl + Pl thermometer (Holland and Blundy, 1994) constrains the equilibrium temperature to be 640 ± 34 °C for the amphibolite facies metamorphism. Zircons in light-color from the amphibolite with Th/U<0.1 and depletion of HREE yield a U-Pb age of 504 ± 10 Ma, representing the metamorphic age of eclogite. In comparison, the zircons in dark-color from amphibolite showing flat HREE patterns and negative abnormal of Eu give a U-Pb age of 489 ± 5.2 Ma, constraining the time of retrograde metamorphism of eclogite. Together with field investigation and regional geology, our new data propose that the A-type olivine CPO was formed in oceanic upper mantle with the spreading of Shangdan ocean before ca. 514 Ma. At ca. 504 Ma, the deep subduction of oceanic lithosphere endured eclogite facies metamorphism and induced B-type olivine CPO. Up to ca. 489 Ma, obduction of the fragments of metamorphosed oceanic lithosphere resulted in the C-type olivine CPO in dunite and amphibole CPO in the retrograded metamorphic eclogite.

Interesting Inclusions From Podiform Chromitites in Luobusa Ophiolite, Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, S.; Komiya, T.; Hirose, K.; Maruyama, S.

2003-12-01

For the past decade, diamonds and unusual mineral asemblages were reported in podiform chromitites of the Luobusa ophiolite, southern Tibet, China (Bai 1993, Bai 2000, Yan 2001). These minerals were found from heavy mineral separation of chromitites. These minerals include (1) native elements, (2) alloys, (3) carbide (SiC, CrC), (4) platinium group elements (PGE) and arsenides, (5) silicates (Ol, Opx, Cpx, Amp, Srp, Chl, Uv, Prp, Alm, Wo, Zrn, Ap, Bt, Spn, Rt, Pl, Kfs, Phl, Sil, Qz and octahedral serpentine (possible pseduomorph after ringwoodite?), (5) oxide (corundum and chromite), (6) carbonates. Despite many questions as to these minerals above still remain open, these mineral inclusions would provide us the important infomation on the formation of the podiform chromitites. In this study, octahedral serpentine was discovered both on a thin section and from the heavy mineral separation. These octahedral inclusions exist within chromites, forming a line. These minerals are approximately 5-15μ m in diameter and have well octahedral morphology. EPMA, laser raman spectrometer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to determine the structure and chemical composition of this crystal. For the present, there are several interpretations of this octahedral silicate. One possibility is that if the octahedral structuer is euhedral so this octahedral serpentine may be pseudomorph after ringwoodite because of its chemical composition and octahedral crystal shape. Another is that ocahedral minerals are melt inclusions. Linear occurrence of octahedral minerals is similar to that of fuluid inclusions. If the octahedral structuer is negative crystal shape reflecting octahedral crystal of cromian spinel, then octahedral inclusions may be melt inclusions judging from linear occurrence. At the same time, zircons were obtained from the mineral separation from chromitites. U-Pb dating of these zircons by LA-ICP-MS yielded two different ages. One group has relatively younger age 107-534 Ma, which nearly plots on a concordia line. Another group has older age 1460-1822 Ma, which plots off the concordia line. Cathode luminescence images of these zircons indicate that some zircons have clear oscillatory zoning whereas other zircons show apparent homogeneous overgrowth. But any correlation between CL image and the U-Pb age was not identified in particular. Luobusa ophiolite has been recognized as fragment of Tethys oceanic crust formed in Cretaceous at 100-120 Ma (Allegre et al. 1984). The minimum age 107 Ma corresponds to the age of the formation of Luobusa ophiolite and all other age of zircons in chromitites is much older than that of ophiolite. In addition, the inclusions in the zircons were analyzed by EPMA and laser raman spectrometer. Several zircons contain some inclusions, which are quartz, feldsper, mica, apatite, titanite and others. These inclusions are the minerals composed of crustal material, which means that these zircons were crystalized in the low pressuer crustal condition. On the other hand, Yu et al. (2001) reported that zircons from chromitites in Luobusa ophiolite have shorter inter-atomic distances for Zr-O and Si-O bonds. They concluded that Tibetan-zircons were derived from the high-pressure mantle environment. Judging from the line of evidence mentioned avobe, it is highly possible that these zircons captured by chromitites were originated from recycled crustal materials convecting through upper mantle.

Neogene shortening and exhumation of the Zagros fold-thrust belt and foreland basin in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshnaw, Renas I.; Horton, Brian K.; Stockli, Daniel F.; Barber, Douglas E.; Tamar-Agha, Mazin Y.; Kendall, Jerome J.

2017-01-01

The Zagros fold-thrust belt in the Kurdistan region of Iraq encroached southward toward a rapidly subsiding Neogene foreland basin and was later partitioned by out-of-sequence shortening focused along the Mountain Front Flexure (MFF), as defined by new low-temperature thermochronologic, stratigraphic, and provenance results. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages document rapid deformation advance from the Main Zagros Fault to southern frontal structures (Kirkuk, Shakal, and Qamar thrusts) at 10-8 Ma, followed by potential basement-involved out-of-sequence development of the MFF (Qaradagh anticline) by 5 Ma. Distinct shifts in detrital zircon U-Pb provenance signatures for Neogene foreland basin fill provide evidence for drainage reorganization during fold-thrust belt advance. U-Pb age spectra and petrologic data from the Injana (Upper Fars) Formation indicate derivation from a variety of Eurasian, Pan-African, ophiolitic and Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic terranes, whereas the Mukdadiya (Lower Bakhtiari) and Bai-Hasan (Upper Bakhtiari) Formations show nearly exclusive derivation from the Paleogene Walash-Naopurdan volcanic complex near the Iraq-Iran border. Such a sharp cutoff in Eurasian, Pan-African, and ophiolitic sources is likely associated with drainage reorganization and tectonic development of the geomorphic barrier formed by the MFF. As a result of Zagros crustal shortening, thickening and loading, the Neogene foreland basin developed and accommodated an abrupt influx of fluvial clastic sediment that contains growth stratal evidence of synkinematic accumulation. The apparent out-of-sequence pattern of upper crustal shortening in the hinterland to foreland zone of Iraqi Kurdistan suggests that structural inheritance and the effects of synorogenic erosion and accumulation are important factors influencing the irregular and episodic nature of orogenic growth in the Zagros.

Submarine hydrothermal processes, mirroring the geotectonic evolution of the NE Hungarian Jurassic Szarvaskő Unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiss, Gabriella B.; Zagyva, Tamás; Pásztor, Domokos; Zaccarini, Federica

2018-05-01

The Jurassic pillow basalt of the NE Hungarian Szarvaskő Unit is part of an incomplete ophiolitic sequence, formed in a back-arc- or marginal basin of Neotethyan origin. Different, often superimposing hydrothermal processes were studied aiming to characterise them and to discover their relationship with the geotectonic evolution of the region. Closely packed pillow, pillow-fragmented hyaloclastite breccia and transition to peperitic facies of a submarine lava flow were observed. The rocks underwent primary and cooling-related local submarine hydrothermal processes immediately after eruption at ridge setting. Physico-chemical data of this process and volcanic facies analyses revealed distal formation in the submarine lava flow. A superimposing, more extensive fluid circulation system resulted in intense alteration of basalt and in the formation of mostly sulphide-filled cavities. This lower temperature, but larger-scale process was similar to VMS systems and was related to ridge setting. As a peculiarity of the Szarvaskő Unit, locally basalt may be completely altered to a grossular-bearing mineral assemblage formed by rodingitisation s.l. This unique process observed in basalt happened in ridge setting/during spreading, in the absence of known large ultramafic blocks. Epigenetic veins formed also during Alpine regional metamorphism, related to subduction/obduction. The observed hydrothermal minerals represent different steps of the geotectonic evolution of the Szarvaskő Unit, from the ridge setting and spreading till the subduction/obduction. Hence, studying the superimposing alteration mineral assemblages can be a useful tool for reconstructing the tectonic history of an ophiolitic complex. Though the found mineral parageneses are often similar, careful study can help in distinguishing the processes and characterising their P, T, and X conditions.

Modelling of Surface Fault Structures Based on Ground Magnetic Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michels, A.; McEnroe, S. A.

2017-12-01

The island of Leka confines the exposure of the Leka Ophiolite Complex (LOC) which contains mantle and crustal rocks and provides a rare opportunity to study the magnetic properties and response of these formations. The LOC is comprised of five rock units: (1) harzburgite that is strongly deformed, shifting into an increasingly olivine-rich dunite (2) ultramafic cumulates with layers of olivine, chromite, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene. These cumulates are overlain by (3) metagabbros, which are cut by (4) metabasaltic dykes and (5) pillow lavas (Furnes et al. 1988). Over the course of three field seasons a detailed ground-magnetic survey was made over the island covering all units of the LOC and collecting samples from 109 sites for magnetic measurements. NRM, susceptibility, density and hysteresis properties were measured. In total 66% of samples with a Q value > 1, suggests that the magnetic anomalies should include both induced and remanent components in the model.This Ophiolite originated from a suprasubduction zone near the coast of Laurentia (497±2 Ma), was obducted onto Laurentia (≈460 Ma) and then transferred to Baltica during the Caledonide Orogeny (≈430 Ma). The LOC was faulted, deformed and serpentinized during these events. The gabbro and ultramafic rocks are separated by a normal fault. The dominant magnetic anomaly that crosses the island correlates with this normal fault. There are a series of smaller scale faults that are parallel to this and some correspond to local highs that can be highlighted by a tilt derivative of the magnetic data. These fault boundaries which are well delineated by the distinct magnetic anomalies in both ground and aeromagnetic survey data are likely caused by increased amount of serpentinization of the ultramafic rocks in the fault areas.

Structural, metamorphic and geochronological insights on the Variscan evolution of the Alpine basement in the Belledonne Massif (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fréville, Kévin; Trap, Pierre; Faure, Michel; Melleton, Jérémie; Li, Xian-Hua; Lin, Wei; Blein, Olivier; Bruguier, Olivier; Poujol, Marc

2018-02-01

A structural and petrochronological study was carried out in the southern part of the Belledonne crystalline massif. A first tectonometamorphic event, Dx, corresponds to the eastward thrusting of the Chamrousse ophiolitic complex characterized by a low-temperature-moderate-pressure metamorphism reaching 0.535 ± 0.045 GPa and 427.5 ± 17.5 °C. A subsequent D1 deformation is defined by a penetrative S1 foliation that mostly dips toward the west and displays an E-W- to NE-SW-trending mineral and stretching lineation L1. D1 is associated with a top-to-the east shearing and is responsible for the crustal thickening accommodated by the eastward nappe stacking and the emplacement of the Chamrousse ophiolitic complex upon the Rioupéroux-Livet unit. This event is characterized by an amphibolite facies metamorphism (0.58 GPa ± 0.06; 608 ± 14 °C) that attains partial melting at the base of the nappe pile (0.78 ± 0.07 GPa; 680.5 ± 11.5 °C). LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of monazite grains from the mica schists of the Rioupéroux-Livet unit constrain the age of D1 to 337 ± 7 Ma. The D2 tectono-metamorphic event is characterized by NE-SW trending, upright to NE-verging synfolial folding. Folding associated with D2 is pervasively developed in all lithotectonic units with the development of a steeply-dipping S2 foliation. In particular, D2 involves the uppermost weakly metamorphosed Taillefer unit. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating performed on detrital zircon grains shows that the Taillefer conglomerates was deposited during the Visean. A zircon SIMS U-Pb age of 352 ± 1 Ma from a plagioglase-rich leucocratic sill of the Rioupéroux-Livet unit is interpreted as the age of magmatic emplacement. Our results suggest that the D2 event took place between 330 Ma and 310 Ma. We propose a new interpretation of the tectonometamorphic evolution of the southern part of the Belledonne massif, focusing on the Middle Carboniferous stages of the Variscan orogeny.

The subduction-accretion history of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean: Constraints from provenance and geochronology of the Mesozoic strata near Gaize, central Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shun; Ding, Lin; Guilmette, Carl; Fu, Jiajun; Xu, Qiang; Yue, Yahui; Henrique-Pinto, Renato

2017-04-01

The Mesozoic strata, within the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone in central Tibet, recorded critical information about the subduction-accretion processes of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean prior to the Lhasa-Qiangtang collision. This paper reports detailed field observations, petrographic descriptions, sandstone detrital zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic analyses from an accretionary complex (preserved as Mugagangri Group) and the unconformably overlying Shamuluo Formation near Gaize. The youngest detrital zircon ages, together with other age constraints from literature, suggest that the Mugagangri Group was deposited during late Triassic-early Jurassic, while the Shamuluo Formation was deposited during late Jurassic-early Cretaceous. Based on the differences in lithology, age and provenance, the Mugagangri Group is subdivided into the upper, middle and lower subunits. These units are younging structurally downward/southward, consistent with models of progressive off-scrapping and accretion in a southward-facing subduction complex. The upper subunit, comprising mainly quartz-sandstone and siliceous mud/shale, was deposited in abyssal plain environment close to the Qiangtang passive margin during late Triassic, with sediments derived from the southern Qiangtang block. The middle and lower subunits comprise mainly lithic-quartz-sandstone and mud/shale, containing abundant ultramafic/ophiolitic fragments. The middle subunit, of late Triassic-early Jurassic age, records a transition in tectono-depositional setting from abyssal plain to trench-wedge basin, with sudden influx of sediments sourced from the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt and northern Qiangtang magmatic belt. The appearance of ultramafic/ophiolitic fragments in the middle subunit reflects the subduction initiation. The lower subunit was deposited in a trench-wedge basin during early Jurassic, with influx of Jurassic-aged zircons originating from the newly active southern Qiangtang magmatic arc. The lower subunit records the onset of arc magmatism related to the northward subduction of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean. The Shamuluo Formation, comprising mainly lithic-feldspar-sandstone with limestone interlayers, was deposited in a post-collisional residual-sea or pre-collisional trench-slope basin, with sediments derived entirely from the Qiangtang block.

Probing the transition between seismically coupled and decoupled segments along an ancient subduction interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angiboust, Samuel; Kirsch, Josephine; Oncken, Onno; Glodny, Johannes; Monié, Patrick; Rybacki, Erik

2015-04-01

Although of paramount importance for understanding the nature of mechanical coupling in subduction zones, the portions downdip of the locked segments of subduction interfaces remain poorly understood. These deep transition zones often are sites of megathrust earthquake nucleation and concentrated postseismic afterslip, as well as the focus sites of episodic tremor and slip features, recently discovered at several plate boundaries. The extensive, exhumed remnants of the former Alpine subduction zone found in the Swiss Alps allow analyzing fluid and deformation processes at the original depths of 30-40 km, typical for the depth range of such transition zones. We identify the shear zone at the base of the Dent Blanche complex (Dent Blanche Thrust, DBT) as a lower blueschist-facies, fossilized subduction interface where granitic mylonites overlie a metamorphosed ophiolite. We report field observations from the DBT region where a complex, discontinuous network of meter- to tens of meters-thick foliated cataclasites is interlayered with the basal DBT mylonites. Petrological results indicate that cataclasis took place at near peak metamorphic conditions (450-500°C, c. 1.2 GPa) during subduction of the Tethyan seafloor in Eocene times (42-48 Ma). Despite some tectonic reactivation during exhumation, these networks exhibit mutual cross-cutting relationships between mylonites, foliated cataclasites and vein systems indicating multiple switching between brittle deformation and ductile creep. Whole-rock chemical compositions, in situ 40Ar-39Ar age data of newly formed phengite, and strontium isotopic signatures reveal that these rocks also underwent multiple hydrofracturing events via infiltration of fluids mainly derived from the ophiolitic metasediments underneath the DBT. From the rock fabrics we infer strain rate fluctuations of several orders of magnitude beyond subduction strain rates (c. 10-12s-1) accompanied by fluctuation of near-lithostatic fluid pressures (1>λ>0.95). We interpret the triggering of brittle deformation within DBT mylonites to reflect downwards propagation of megathrust events into the transition zone. Alternatively, these foliated cataclasites could also record the deformation associated with slow transients and other episodic slip events, reported by geophysical studies for several subduction zones worldwide for this transition zone.

Diamonds in ophiolitic mantle rocks and podiform chromitites: An unsolved mystery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Zhang, Z.; Xu, X.; Ba, D.; Bai, W.; Fabg, Q.; Meng, F.; Chen, S.; Robinson, P. T.; Dobrzhinetskaya, L.

2009-05-01

In recent years ultrahigh pressure minerals, such as diamond and coesite, and other unusual minerals were discovered in chromitites of the Luobusa ophiolite in Tibet, and 4 new minerals have been approved by the CNMMN. These results have raised many questionsWhat are the occurrences of the diamonds, what is the source of their carbon and how were they formed? What is the origin of the chromites hosting the diamonds and at what depth did they form? What is the genetic relationship between the diamonds and the host chromitites? In what geological, geophysical and geochemical environments can the diamonds be formed and how are they preserved? The UHP minerals from Luobusa are controversial because they have not been found in situ and because ophiolites are currently believed to form at shallow levels above oceanic spreading centers in suprasubduction zone environments. More detailed study and experimental work are needed to understand the origin and significance of these unusual minerals and investigations of other ophiolites are needed to determine if such minerals occur elsewhere To approach these problems, we have collected two one-ton samples of harzburgite hosting chromitite orebodies in the Luobusa ophiolite in Tibet. The harzburgite samples were taken close to chromitite orebody 31, from which the diamonds, coesite and other unusual minerals were recovered. We processed these two samples in the same manner as the chromitites and discovered numerous diamonds and more than 50 other mineral species. These preliminary results show that the minerals in the harzburgites are similar to those in the chromitites, suggesting a genetic relationship between them. To determine if such UHP and unusual minerals occur elsewhere, we collected about 1.5 t of chromitite from two orebodies in an ultramafic body in the Polar Urals. Thus far, more than 60 different mineral species have been separated from these ores. The most exciting discovery is the common occurrence of diamond, a typical UHP mineral in the Luobusa chromitites. Other minerals include: (1) native elements: Cr, W, Ni, Co, Si, Al and Ta; (2) carbides: SiC and WC; (3) alloys: Cr-Fe, Si-Al-Fe, Ni-Cu, Ag-Au, Ag-Sn, Fe-Si, Fe-P, and Ag-Zn-Sn; (4) oxides: NiCrFe, PbSn, REE, rutile and Si-bearing rutile, ilmenite, corundum, chromite, MgO, and SnO2; (5) silicates: kyanite, pseudomorphs of octahedral olivine, zircon, garnet, feldspar, and quartz,; (6) sulfides of Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Pb, Ab, AsFe, FeNi, CuZn, and CoFeNi; and (7) iron groups: native Fe, FeO, and Fe2O3. These minerals are very similar in composition and structure to those reported from the Luobusa chromitites.

Tectono-metamorphic evolution of meta-ophiolitic units along Susa Valley (Italian Western Alps): new suggestions for the exhumation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghignone, Stefano; Borghi, Alessandro; Balestro, Gianni; Gattiglio, Marco

2017-04-01

In the inner Western Alps, meta-ophiolite units (i.e., the Piemonte Zone) show different stages of the tectono-metamorphic evolution, since the early phases of subduction to the latest exhumation steps. Tectono-metamorphic data collected through the meta-ophiolite units of the Piemonte Zone along the middle Susa Valley allowed to infer new ideas about the exhumation processes that developed in the (U)HP units. In this area, Zermatt-Saas-like meta-ophiolite unit (i.e., the eclogite-facies Internal Piemonte Zone, IPZ) are tectonically overlain by Combin-like ones (i.e., the blueschist-facies External Piemonte Zone, EPZ), through a thick shear zone (i.e., the Susa Shear Zone, SSZ). Metamorphic history was achieved by analyzing basic rocks (metabasalt and Fe-Ti metagabbro) and sedimentary rocks derived from reworking basic rocks in oceanic environment (basic sandstones and conglomerates, and ophiolitic breccia). Different P-T paths were inferred for IPZ and EPZ, according with mineral assemblages and realizations of pseudosections. In the IPZ, four tectono-metamorphic events, developed under variables metamorphic conditions, were recognized. The first (peak-P) event shows (U)HP conditions, defined by the occurrence of relic mineral assemblage (Grt I+ Omp I + Rt). The paragenesis is completed by Zo + Pg pseudomorphs, implying that Lws-eclogite facies were reached. The discovery in Grt (and Rt) relics inclusions of black euhedral pseudomorphs of disordered graphite, suggesting to be derived from original microdiamonds, agree with other petrologic constrains. The second event, marked by the Grt II + Omp II + Ph + Gln + Zo assemblage, developed under epidote-eclogite facies conditions. Following a retrograde and decompressional trajectory, the IPZ was then re-equilibrated under greenschist-facies conditions and a new assemblage (Ab + Chl + Mu + Czo + Ttn + Act) overprinted HP paragenesis. The last event is marked by a weak heating, with crystallization of Bt + Ep + Olig + Hbl (Prg) + Ms. The EPZ shows a different metamorphic evolution, where only two events were recognized. The first event developed under blueschist-facies conditions, with relics of mineral assemblages consisting of Gln + Rt + Ph. Then, a retrograde trajectory re-equilibrated EPZ under greenschist-facies conditions and a new stable mineral assemblage (Ab + Chl + Mu + Ttn + Act + Czo) grew. The inferred P-T path suggests, for the IPZ, a first isothermal exhumation stage, likely driven by buoyancy forces from the base of the orogenic wedge. In the EPZ, HP peak occurs at the same gradient of the second event in the IPZ, suggesting that, during exhumation of the IPZ, the EPZ was still subducted. The strong re-equilibration under greenschist-facies conditions suggests a stage of slow exhumation rate, which can be related to the coupling between IPZ and EPZ.

Boron Isotopes as Tracers of the Tectonic Origin and Geological History of Serpentinites in Subduction and Suture Zones.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, C.; Harlow, G. E.; Flores, K. E.; Angiboust, S.

2017-12-01

Serpentinites are known to play a key role in subduction, because they contain significant water content and can be enriched in elements such as As, B, Li, Sb, and U. They originate by hydration of peridotite by two different processes: (i) by a seawater source reacting with peridotite beneath the ocean crust and (ii) by reaction of peridotite at the base of the mantle-wedge with fluids released from the slab during subduction. In suture zones, it is relatively common to find serpentinite from both exhumed subduction channel mélange (from the mantle wedge) and ophiolite (from the oceanic crust), but recognizing them and their tectonic origin can be difficult. A recent study based on samples from the Guatemala Suture Zone demonstrated that boron (B) isotopes can be used as a probe of the fluid from which serpentinites form. Serpentinites from an ophiolite complex have positive δ11B, as expected for peridotites hydrated by seawater-derived fluid, whereas serpentinite samples from the matrix of the mélange (coming from the roof of the subducting channel) have negative δ11B, in agreement with hydration of mantellic peridotites by fluids released at 30-70 km depth from metamorphic rocks. Serpentinites from tectonically well-constrained locations were selected to extend our knowledge of metasomatism in subduction-related areas. The trace-element contents and B isotopes were measured in situ, respectively by LA-ICP-MS and LA-MC-ICP-MS on samples from the oceanic crust (ophiolite = Guatemala, Iran, Cuba), the subduction forearc (Nicaragua), and the mantle wedge (Guatemala, Iran, Japan, Myanmar). The spider diagrams and REE patterns, as well as a B/La vs. As/La diagram do not show any reliable difference to distinguish the tectonic origin of the serpentinite. However, in a δ11B vs. B content diagram, the serpentinites seem to plot in a triangle with fluid endmembers representing (i) seawater (δ11B = 40‰, [B] = 5ppm), (ii) metabasite-issued metamorphic fluids, and (iii) metasediments-issued metamorphic fluids (δ11B varies with temperature from +19 to - 15‰, [B] badly constrained but likely varies with depth (i.e., T) from hundreds (in metasediments) to few (in metabasites) ppm). Thus, the tectonic origin of serpentinites encountered in suture areas as well as the fluid(s) responsible of it might be defined in a δ11B vs. B diagram.

Dynamics of the Axial Melt Lens/Dike transition at fast spreading ridges: assimilation and hydrous partial melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, L.; Ildefonse, B.; Koepke, J.

2009-04-01

Recent detailed field studies performed in the Oman ophiolite on the gabbro/sheeted dike transition, compared to corresponding rocks from the EPR drilled by IODP (Site 1256), constrain a general model for the dynamics of the axial melt lens (AML) present at fast spreading ridges (France et al., 2008). This model implies that the AML/dike transition is a dynamic interface migrating up- and downward, and that the isotropic gabbro horizon on top of the igneous section represents its fossilization. It is also proposed that upward migrations are associated to reheating of the base of the sheeted dike complex and to assimilation processes. Plagiogranitic lithologies are observed close to the truncated base of the dikes and are interpreted to represent frozen melts generated by partial melting of previously hydrothermalized sheeted dikes. Relicts of previously hydrothermalized lithologies are also observed in the fossil melt lens, and are associated to lithologies that have crystallized under high water activities, with clinopyroxene crystallizing before plagioclase, and An-rich plagioclase. To better understand our field data, we performed hydrous partial melting experiments at shallow pressures (0.1 GPa) under slightly oxidizing conditions (NNO oxygen buffer) and water saturated conditions on hydrothermalized sheeted dike sample from the Oman ophiolite. These experiments have been performed between 850°C and 1030°C; two additional experiments in the subsolidus regime were also conducted (750°C and 800°C). Clinopyroxenes formed during incongruent melting at low temperature (<910°C) have compositions that match those from the corresponding natural rocks (reheated base of the sheeted dike and relicts of assimilated lithologies). In particular, the characteristic low TiO2 and Al2O3 contents are reproduced. The experimental melts produced at low temperatures correspond to compositions of typical natural plagiogranites. In natural settings, these silicic liquids would be mixed with the basaltic melt of the AML, resulting in intermediate compositions that can be observed in the isotropic gabbro horizon. Our study suggests that assimilation of previously hydrothermalized lithologies in the melt lens is a common process at fast spreading ridges. This process should consequently be carefully considered in geochemical studies that deal with the origin of MORB. France L., Ildefonse B., Koepke J., (2008) The fossilisation of a dynamic melt lens at fast spreading centers: insights from the Oman ophiolite. Eos Trans. AGU, 89(53), Fall Meet. Suppl. Abstract V51F-2111

Biomarker insights into microbial activity in the serpentinite-hosted ecosystem of the Semail Ophiolite, Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, S. A.; Lincoln, S. A.; Shock, E.; Kelemen, P. B.; Summons, R. E.

2012-12-01

Serpentinization is a process in which ultramafic and mafic rocks undergo exothermic reactions when exposed to water. The products of these reactions, including methane, hydrogen, and hydrogen sulfide, can sustain microbially dominated ecosystems [1,2,3]. Here, we report the lipid biomarker record of microbial activity in carbonate veins of the Semail Ophiolite, a site currently undergoing serpentinization [4]. The ophiolite, located in the Oman Mountains in the Sultanate of Oman, was obducted onto the Arabian continental margin during the closure of the southern Tethys Ocean (~70 Ma) [5]. We detected bacterial and archaeal glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids in Semail carbonates. In addition to archaeal isoprenoidal GDGTs with 0-3 cyclopentane moieties, we detected crenarchaeol, an iGDGT containing 4 cyclopentane and 1 cyclohexane moiety. Crenarchaeol biosynthesis is currently understood to be limited to thaumarchaea, representatives of which have been found to fix inorganic carbon in culture. We also analyzed isoprenoidal diether lipids, potentially derived from methanogenic euryarchaea, as well as non-isoprenoidal diether and monoether lipids that may be indicative of methane cycling bacteria. The stable carbon isotopic composition of these compounds is potentially useful in determining both their origin and the origin of methane detected in ophiolite fluids. We compare our results to those found at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, a similar microbially-dominated ecosystem fueled by serpentinization processes [3]. Modern serpentinite-hosted ecosystems such as this can serve as analogs for environments in which ultramafic and mafic rocks were prevalent (e.g. early Earth and other early terrestrial planets). Additionally, an analysis of modern serpentinite systems can help assess conditions promoting active carbon sequestration in ultramafic rocks [6]. References [1] Russell et al. (2010). Geobiology 8: 355-371. [2] Kelley et al. (2005). Science 307: 1428-1434. [3] Bradley et al. (2009). Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta 73 (1): 102-118. [4] Barnes et al. (1978). Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta 42: 144-145. [5] Nasir et al. (2007). Chemie Der Erde-Geochemistry 67(3): 213-228. [6] Kelemen et al. (2008). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 45: 17295-17300.

Subcontinental rift initiation and ocean-continent transitional setting of the Dinarides and Vardar zone: Evidence from the Krivaja-Konjuh Massif, Bosnia and Herzegovina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faul, Ulrich H.; Garapić, Gordana; Lugović, Boško

2014-08-01

The Dinaride and Vardar zone ophiolite belts extend from the south-eastern margins of the Alps to the Albanian and Greek ophiolites. Detailed sampling of the Krivaja-Konjuh massif, one of the largest massifs in the Dinaride belt, reveals fertile compositions and an extensive record of deformation at spinel peridotite facies conditions. High Na2O clinopyroxene and spinel-orthopyroxene symplectites after garnet indicate a relatively high pressure, subcontinental origin of the southern and western part of Krivaja, similar to orogenic massifs such as Lherz, Ronda and the Eastern Central Alpine peridotites. Clinopyroxene and spinel compositions from Konjuh show similarities with fertile abyssal peridotite. In the central parts of the massif the spinel lherzolites contain locally abundant patches of plagioclase, indicating impregnation by melt. The migrating melt was orthopyroxene undersaturated, locally converting the peridotites to massive olivine-rich troctolites. Massive gabbros and more evolved gabbro veins cross-cutting peridotites indicate continued melt production at depth. Overall we infer that the massif represents the onset of rifting and early stages of formation of a new ocean basin. In the south of Krivaja very localized chromitite occurrences indicate that much more depleted melts with supra-subduction affinity traversed the massif that have no genetic relationship with the peridotites. This indicates that volcanics with supra-subduction affinity at the margins of the Krivaja-Konjuh massif record separate processes during closure of the ocean basin. Comparison with published compositional data from other Balkan massifs shows that the range of compositions within the Krivaja-Konjuh massif is similar to the compositional range of the western massifs of the Dinarides. The compositions of the Balkan massifs show a west to east gradient, ranging from subcontinental on the western side of the Dinarides to depleted mid-ocean ridge/arc compositions in the Vardar zone in the east. This is consistent with the hypothesis that both ophiolite belts originate in a single ocean, rather than from two separate basins. A distinct decrease in fertility occurs in the south of the Dinarides towards the Albanian ophiolites with supra-subduction affinity.

Book Review: Book review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Wenjiao

2016-06-01

This monograph book represents an important volume summarizing the present geological knowledge and understanding of the geodynamic evolution of large parts of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) or Altaids, which is one of the largest orogenic collages on Earth. The CAOB, like other major accretionary orogens, is a complex assembly of ancient microcontinents, arc terranes, accretionary wedges, fragments of oceanic volcanic islands (sea-mounts), oceanic plateaus, ophiolites, and shelf sediments from passive continental margins. The CAOB has caused much international attention due to its complicated architecture and considerably continental growth. However, after many years of investigations, some fundamental problems still remain controversial, such as the rate and volume of crustal growth, the origin of continental fragments, the detailed mechanism of accretion and collision, the role of terrane rotations during the orogeny, and the age and composition of the lower crust in Central Asia.

Exhumation of high-pressure rocks beneath the Solund Basin, Western Gneiss Region of Norway

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hacker, B.R.; Andersen, T.B.; Root, D.B.; Mehl, L.; Mattinson, J.M.; Wooden, J.L.

2003-01-01

The Solund-Hyllestad-Lavik area affords an excellent opportunity to understand the ultrahigh-pressure Scandian orogeny because it contains a near-complete record of ophiolite emplacement, high-pressure metamorphism and large-scale extension. In this area, the Upper Allochthon was intruded by the c. 434 Ma Sogneskollen granodiorite and thrust eastward over the Middle/Lower Allochthon, probably in the Wenlockian. The Middle/Lower Allochthon was subducted to c. 50 km depth and the structurally lower Western Gneiss Complex was subducted to eclogite facies conditions at c. 80 km depth by c. 410-400 Ma. Within 100. Exhumation to upper crustal levels was complete by c. 403 Ma. The Solund fault produced the last few km of tectonic exhumation, bringing the near-ultrahigh-pressure rocks to within c. 3 km vertical distance from the low-grade Solund Conglomerate.

The Anarak, Jandaq and Posht-e-Badam metamorphic complexes in central Iran: New geological data, relationships and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagheri, Sasan; Stampfli, Gérard M.

2008-04-01

The Anarak, Jandaq and Posht-e-Badam metamorphic complexes occupy the NW part of the Central-East Iranian Microcontinent and are juxtaposed with the Great Kavir block and Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Our recent findings redefine the origin of these complexes, so far attributed to the Precambrian-Early Paleozoic orogenic episodes, and now directly related to the tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. This tectonic evolution was initiated by Late Ordovician-Early Devonian rifting events and terminated in the Triassic by the Eocimmerian collision event due to the docking of the Cimmerian blocks with the Asiatic Turan block. The "Variscan accretionary complex" is a new name we proposed for the most widely distributed metamorphic rocks connected to the Anarak and Jandaq complexes. This accretionary complex exposed from SW of Jandaq to the Anarak and Kabudan areas is a thick and fine grain siliciclastic sequence accompanied by marginal-sea ophiolitic remnants, including gabbro-basalts with a supra-subduction-geochemical signature. New 40Ar/ 39Ar ages are obtained as 333-320 Ma for the metamorphism of this sequence under greenschist to amphibolite facies. Moreover, the limy intercalations in the volcano-sedimentary part of this complex in Godar-e-Siah yielded Upper Devonian-Tournaisian conodonts. The northeastern part of this complex in the Jandaq area was intruded by 215 ± 15 Ma arc to collisional granite and pegmatites dated by ID-TIMS and its metamorphic rocks are characterized by some 40Ar/ 39Ar radiometric ages of 163-156 Ma. The "Variscan" accretionary complex was northwardly accreted to the Airekan granitic terrane dated at 549 ± 15 Ma. Later, from the Late Carboniferous to Triassic, huge amounts of oceanic material were accreted to its southern side and penetrated by several seamounts such as the Anarak and Kabudan. This new period of accretion is supported by the 280-230 Ma 40Ar/ 39Ar ages for the Anarak mild high-pressure metamorphic rocks and a 262 Ma U-Pb age for the trondhjemite-rhyolite association of that area. The Triassic Bayazeh flysch filled the foreland basin during the final closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean and was partly deposited and/or thrusted onto the Cimmerian Yazd block. The Paleo-Tethys magmatic arc products have been well-preserved in the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Godar-e-Siah intra-arc deposits and the Triassic Nakhlak fore-arc succession. On the passive margin of the Cimmerian block, in the Yazd region, the nearly continuous Upper Paleozoic platform-type deposition was totally interrupted during the Middle to Late Triassic. Local erosion, down to Lower Paleozoic levels, may be related to flexural bulge erosion. The platform was finally unconformably covered by Liassic continental molassic deposits of the Shemshak. One of the extensional periods related to Neo-Tethyan back-arc rifting in Late Cretaceous time finally separated parts of the Eocimmerian collisional domain from the Eurasian Turan domain. The opening and closing of this new ocean, characterized by the Nain and Sabzevar ophiolitic mélanges, finally transported the Anarak-Jandaq composite terrane to Central Iran, accompanied by large scale rotation of the Central-East Iranian Microcontinent (CEIM). Due to many similarities between the Posht-e-Badam metamorphic complex and the Anarak-Jandaq composite terrane, the former could be part of the latter, if it was transported further south during Tertiary time.

Cretaceous evolution of the Indian Plate and consequences for the formation, deformation and obduction of adjacent oceanic crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaina, C.; Van Hinsbergen, D. J.; Spakman, W.

2012-12-01

As part of the gradual Gondwana dispersion that started in the Jurassic, the Indian tectonic block was rifted away from the Antarctica-Australian margins, probably in the Early-Mid Cretaceous and started its long journey to the north until it collided with Eurasia in the Tertiary. In this contribution first we will revise geophysical and geological evidences for the formation of oceanic crust between India and Antarctica, India and Madagascar, and India and Somali/Arabian margins. This information and possible oceanic basin age interpretation are placed into regional kinematic models. Three important compressional events NW and W of the Indian plate are the result of the opening of the Enderby Basin from 132 to 124 Ma, the first phase of seafloor spreading in the Mascarene basin approximately from 84 to 80 Ma, and the incipient opening of the Arabian Sea and the Seychelles microplate formation around 65 to 60 Ma. Based on retrodeformation of the Afghan-Pakistan part of the India-Asia collision zone and the eastern Oman margin, the ages of regional ophiolite emplacement and crystallization of its oceanic crust, as well as the plate tectonic setting of these ophiolites inferred from its geochemistry, we evaluate possible scenarios for the formation of intra-oceanic subduction zones and their evolution until ophiolite emplacement time. Our kinematic scenarios are constructed for several regional models and are discussed in the light of global tomographic models that may image some of the subducted Cretaceous oceanic lithosphere.

Mineralogical assemblages forming at hyperalkaline warm springs hosted on ultramafic rocks: A case study of Oman and Ligurian ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavagnac, Valérie; Ceuleneer, Georges; Monnin, Christophe; Lansac, Benjamin; Hoareau, Guilhem; Boulart, Cédric

2013-07-01

We report on the mineralogical assemblages found in the hyperalkaline springs hosted on Liguria and Oman ophiolites based on exhaustive X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microprobe analyses. In Liguria, hyperalkaline springs produce a thin brownish calcite precipitate that covers the bedrock due to the concomitant atmospheric CO2 uptake and neutralization of the hyperalkaline waters. No brucite and portlandite minerals are observed. The discharge of alkaline waters in Oman ophiolite forms white-orange precipitates. Calcium carbonate minerals (calcite and/or aragonite) are the most abundant and ubiquitous precipitates and are produced by the same mechanism as in Liguria. This process is observed as a thin surface crust made of rhombohedral calcite. Morphological features of aragonite vary from needle-, bouquet-, dumbbell-, spheroidal-like habitus according to the origin of carbon, temperature, and ionic composition of the hyperalkaline springs, and the biochemical and organic compounds. Brucite is observed both at hyperalkaline springs located at the thrust plane and at the paleo-Moho. The varying mixing proportions between the surface runoff waters and the hyperalkaline ones control brucite precipitation. The layered double hydroxide minerals occur solely in the vicinity of hyperalkaline springs emerging within the bedded gabbros. Finally, the dominant mineralogical associations we found in Oman (Ca-bearing carbonates and brucite) in a serpentinizing environment driven by the meteoric waters are surprisingly the same as those observed at the Lost City hydrothermal site in a totally marine environment.

Extreme extension across Seram and Ambon, eastern Indonesia: Evidence for Banda slab rollback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pownall, J. M.; Hall, R.; Watkinson, I. M.

2013-04-01

The island of Seram, which lies in the northern part of the 180°-curved Banda Arc, has previously been interpreted as a fold-and-thrust belt formed during arc-continent collision, which incorporates ophiolites intruded by granites thought to have been produced by anatexis within a metamorphic "sole". However, new geological mapping and a re-examination of the field relations cause us to question this model. We instead propose that there is evidence for recent N-S extension that has caused the high-temperature exhumation of hot mantle peridotites, granites, and granulites (the "Kobipoto Complex") beneath low-angle lithospheric detachment faults. Greenschist- to lower-amphibolite facies metapelites and amphibolites of the Tehoru Formation, which comprise the hanging wall above the detachment faults, were overprinted by sillimanite-grade metamorphism, migmatisation and limited localised diatexis to form the Taunusa Complex. Highly aluminous metapelitic garnet + cordierite + sillimanite + spinel + corundum + quartz granulites exposed in the Kobipoto Mountains (central Seram) are intimately associated with the peridotites. Spinel + quartz inclusions in garnet, which indicate that peak metamorphic temperatures for the granulites likely approached 900 °C, confirm that peridotite was juxtaposed against the crust at typical lithospheric mantle temperatures and could not have been part of a cooled ophiolite. Some granulites experienced slight metatexis, but the majority underwent more advanced in situ anatexis to produce widespread granitic diatexites characterised by abundant cordierite and garnet xenocrysts and numerous restitic sillimanite + spinel "clots". These Mio-Pliocene "cordierite granites", which are present throughout Ambon, western Seram, and the Kobipoto Mountains in direct association with peridotites, demonstrate that the extreme extension required to have driven Kobipoto Complex exhumation must have occurred along much of the northern Banda Arc. In central Seram, smeared lenses of peridotites are incorporated with a major left-lateral strike-slip shear zone (the "Kawa Shear Zone"), demonstrating that strike-slip motions likely initiated shortly after the mantle had been partly exhumed by detachment faulting and that the main strike-slip faults may themselves be reactivated and steepened low-angle detachments. The Kobipoto Mountains represent a left-lateral pop-up structure that has facilitated the final stages of exhumation of the high-grade Kobipoto Complex through overlying Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. On Ambon, Quaternary "ambonites" (cordierite + garnet dacites) are evidently the volcanic equivalent of the cordierite granites as they also contain granulite-inherited xenoliths and xenocrysts. The geodynamic driver for mantle exhumation along the detachment faults and strike-slip faulting in central Seram is very likely the same - we interpret the extreme extension to be the result of eastward slab rollback into the Banda Embayment as outlined by the latest plate reconstructions for Banda Arc evolution.

In search of transient subduction interfaces in the Dent Blanche-Sesia Tectonic System (W. Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angiboust, Samuel; Glodny, Johannes; Oncken, Onno; Chopin, Christian

2014-09-01

In this paper we study the Alpine metamorphic history of a major tectonic zone which formed during Alpine orogeny, the Dent Blanche Thrust (DBT). This contact, located in the Northern Western Alps, juxtaposes some ophiolitic metasediment-rich remnants of the Liguro-Piemontese ocean (Tsaté Complex) with a composite continental, km-sized complex (Dent Blanche Tectonic System, DBTS) of Adriatic affinity thrusted over the ophiolite. In order to better understand the geodynamic meaning of the DBT region and adjacent units, we have reconstructed the pressure-temperature-time-deformation (P-T-t-d) history of these two units using modern thermobarometric tools, Rb/Sr geochronology, and field relationships. We show that the Tsaté Complex is formed by a stack of km-thick calcschists-bearing tectonic slices having experienced variable maximum burial temperatures between 360 °C and 490 °C at depths of ca. 25-40 km. Associated deformation ages span a range between 37 Ma and 41 Ma. The Arolla gneissic mylonites at the base of the DBTS experienced high-pressure (12-14 kbar), top-to-NW deformation at ca. 450 °C between 43 and 48 Ma. A first age of ca. 58 Ma has been obtained for high-pressure ductile deformation in the Valpelline shear zone, atop Arolla gneisses. Some of the primary, peak metamorphic fabrics have been reworked and later backfolded during exhumation and collisional overprint (ca. 20 km depth, 37-40 Ma) leading to the regional greenschist-facies retrogression which is particularly prominent within Tsaté metasediments. We interpret the Dent Blanche Thrust, at the base of the Arolla unit, as a fossilized subduction interface active between 43 and 48 Ma. Our geochronological results on the shear zone lining the top of the Arolla unit, together with previous P-T-t estimates on equivalent blueschist-facies shear zones cutting the Sesia unit, indicate an older tectonic activity between 58 and 65 Ma. We demonstrate here that observed younger ages towards lowermost structural levels are witness of the transient, downwards migration of the Alpine early Cenozoic blueschist-facies subduction interface. This down-stepping is interpreted to reflect the progressive underplating acting between 30 and 40 km depth in the Alpine subduction zone between late Cretaceous and late Eocene. Underplating involved first continental material derived from the stretched Adriatic margin followed by underplating of ocean-derived rocks in the Eocene. These results shed light on subduction-zone accretion processes and therefore provide a new perspective for the understanding of geophysical results imaging the plate-interface region in active subduction zones.

What can blueschists tell about the Deep? High Pressure in the Anatolide - Taurid Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberhaensli, R.

2011-12-01

High-pressure metamorphic terranes in the Anatolide - Taurid belt document the complex distribution of paleo-sutures in the Tethyan realm. Field based petrologic studies of metapelites in the Anatolide-Taurid realm allow to trace HP-LT metamorphism not only in the well known ophiolitic Tavsanli Zone (2.4 GPa/500 °C) but also in the Afyon Zone (0.9 GPa/350 °C), the Menderes Massif (1.2 Gpa/500 °C;) and in the Lycian Nappes (1.0 Gpa/400 °C) - all situated north of the so called Taurid Platform. While the HP metamorphism is dated to 90-80 Ma (Rb/Sr; Ar/Ar) in the Tavsanli Zone, it ranges from 60-70 Ma (Ar/Ar) in the Afyon Zone and its tectonic equivalent, the Lycian Nappes. The Afyon Zone s.l. is closely related to the glaucophane- lawsonite-bearing rocks of the Tavsanli Zone and its eastward extension. Blueschist-facies metamorphism is documented by Fe,Mg-carpholite in regionally distributed metapelites and glaucophane in sparse mafic rocks (Afyon, Menderes, Lycia). Since observations of HP are based on Fe,Mg-carpholite bearing metasediments and not on mafic blueschists new thermodynamic data and petrologic modelling was elaborated to match P-T data and field-based observations. Moreover, newly formed phengitic mica allows precise dating. Both, Tavsanli and Afyon Zones can be followed along strike over more than 600 km and around the southern edge of the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex. The two zones are situated north of the Taurid Platform and correlate with the Amasia Zone in Armenia. To the extreme East the Bitlis Complex underwent a LT - HP metamorphic blueschist evolution (1,1 GPa/ 350 °C; glaucophane, Fe,Mg-carpholite) in its sedimentary cover while the basement is eclogitic. Depending on the structural position and mineral association of phengitic mica metamorphic ages of the Bitlis blueschists scatter around 70-80 Ma. Eclogites from the basement are slightly older. These LT-HP units cannot be correlated with the Tavsanli - Afyon blueschist belts since they occur south of the Taurid Platform. Thus the Bitlis Complex represents a terrane detached from the Arabian Platform that subsequently collided with the Taurus Platform during closure of the Neo-Tethys. In SW Anatolia, south of the Taurus Platform, the Alanya Zone documents a Late Cretaceous HP evolution with blueschists and eclogites. Together with the Bitlis Complex the two Late Cretaceous HP-LT regions represent a suture south of the Taurid Platform but still north of the Hatay - Güleyman - Zagros ophiolites separating the Arabian Platform from the Anatolide-Taurid realm. The dissection of the Anatolide-Taurid realm into several paleo-subduction zones of Late Cretaceous age impacts on the lithospheric structure and has consequences for the Tertiary plateau formation in Central and Eastern Anatolia. Geophysical data and observations from the East Anatolian Plateau can be explained with petrologic modelling when hydration of the lithospheric lids above subduction zones is considered.

The geochemistry and petrogenesis of an ophiolitic sequence from Pindos, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capedri, S.; Venturelli, G.; Bocchi, G.; Dostal, J.; Garuti, G.; Rossi, A.

1980-06-01

The ophiolites of Northern Pindos have been studied in a section close to the village of Perivoli (Grevena District). The section comprises cumulus rocks ranging from ultramafics to gabbros, overlain by dolerites (non-cumulus microgabbro) capped by thick frequently pillowed lava flows. The sequence is cut by basaltic dykes. While the cumulus rocks and the dolerites are mostly fresh, the lavas and dykes are strongly transformed. Major and trace element (Ni, Cr, Sc, Y, Zr, Nb, Sr, Ba, Zn, Cu, V, Li) data are presented for selected samples from the sequence. For some elements, the volcanic/subvolcanic rocks (flows, dykes, dolerites) exhibit wide chemical characteristics which are considered to mainly reflect variations within the parent magmas. Some lavas appear to be closely comparable with the present-day ocean-floor basalts, while other flows and most of the dykes are strongly depleted in some “incompatible” elements and are similar to some rocks from immature island arcs. The dolerites have transitional chemical features. The Pindos lavas differ from Western Mediterranean ophiolites in that the former have lower Ti,P,Zr,Y, higher Fe tot. and normally higher Ti/Zr ratio. The volcanic/subvolcanic rocks from Pindos have been derived from separate magmas. Some lavas were possibly produced by variable partial melting of an already depleted mantle source, while the lavas exhibiting ocean-floor affinity were probably generated by partial melting of a less depleted source. The wide chemical variations of the Pindos lavas cannot be easily explained by an ocean-ridge system. An “island arc-marginal basin system” could better account for the observed chemical features.

A technique for extracting Radiolaria from radiolarian cherts.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pessagno, E. A., Jr.; Newport, R. L.

1972-01-01

Differential solution of Mesozoic radiolarian cherts with hydrofluoric acid has yielded well-preserved, matrix-free Radiolaria. This technique allows the full utilization of Radiolaria in interpreting the stratigraphy of ophiolite sequences and of other successions where cherts are prevalent.

Mineralogy of Surface Serpentinite Outcrops in the Coast Range Ophiolite: Implications for the Deep Biosphere and Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mccann, A. R.; Cardace, D.; Carnevale, D.; Ehlmann, B. L.

2011-12-01

California contains a number of ultramafic (Fe- and Mg rich) rock bodies, including the Coast Range Ophiolite, a block of oceanic crust and upper mantle tectonically emplaced onto land. These ultramafic rocks are primarily composed of olivine and pyroxene, both of which are stable at the high temperatures and pressures in the deep subsurface where they crystallize but become unstable at low temperature and low pressure conditions near the surface. They are highly reduced rocks, creating chemical disequilibria, which can theoretically provide energy to chemoautotrophic organisms. Serpentinization (serpentine-forming) reactions between the rocks and water produce hydrogen molecules, which can be metabolized by diverse organisms. Earth and Mars have shown evidence of similar early geologic histories, possibly with widespread reducing habitable environments (Schulte et al., 2006). Recent data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) have shown serpentine-bearing outcrops near Nili Fossae (21 N, 282 W) and elsewhere in Mars' cratered highlands. Serpentine-bearing outcrops are rare, but their presence confirms that such systems involving the aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks were active in the past (specifically during the Noachian epoch (older than ~3.7 billion years), possibly producing aqueous habitats suitable for chemoautotrophic life (Ehlmann et al., 2010). Remotely sensed data cannot confirm whether there is active serpentinization on Mars, however exposed, presently serpentinizing ultramafics in terrestrial ophiolites such as those of the California Coast Range provide points of comparison for similar Martian rocks. Volume expansion during serpentinization fractures the host rock, exposing new reaction surfaces, allowing further serpentinization. If subsurface liquid water is present on Mars, serpentinization may still be occurring. We will provide x-ray diffraction and petrographic data for surface serpentinites from the Coast Range Ophiolite, along with aerial-view maps, which will be compared with imagery and data for recently confirmed serpentinite exposures in the Nili Fossae region of the Martian surface. A summary table of terrestrial microbes (and their metabolisms) detected in serpentinite groundwaters will be provided, to add specificity to candidate subterranean life forms on Mars, be they active presently or in the planet's history. Ehlmann et al. 2010. GRL 37:1-5 Schulte et al. 2006. Astrobiology 6(2):364-376

Geochemistry of the New Caledonia Serpentinites: Evidences for Multiple Serpentinization Events at Various Depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, M.; Munoz, M.; Boulvais, P.; Cathelineau, M.; Guillot, S.; Picard, C.; Putlitz, B.

2016-12-01

Studies of serpentine minerals around the world have shown that different varieties can coexist depending on external conditions such as temperature, pressure and chemical exchanges. Identifying serpentine variety can thus provide significant constraints on the geodynamic environment at the time of formation. In the New Caledonia (NC) ophiolite, serpentinization is ubiquitous (>50%). The base of the ophiolite is made of a thick serpentinite sole that recorded multiple serpentinization events. This study aims at deciphering the nature and the origin of fluids involved in serpentinization processes from the characterization of primary minerals and serpentine geochemistry, including: in situ major and trace elements and stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. Our results show that lizardite is the main mineral species ( 80% of the serpentine). In the serpentinite sole, lizardite is crosscut by multiple serpentine veins ordered as follow: lizardite 1→lizardite 2→antigorite→chrysotile→polygonal serpentine. From the trace elements analysis, we demonstrate that the transition from primary minerals to lizardite 1 occurs almost isochemically. However, serpentine composition in the sole strongly differs from lizardite 1 and show a great enrichment in fluid-mobile elements and an increase of Fe3+/FeT ratio. Stable isotopes show that serpentines display a wide range in δ18O (1.9-14‰) and a narrow range in δD (88-106‰). These results were then modeled based on Monte-Carlo simulations. Fluids in equilibrium with NC serpentines define a linear trend that extends from the meteoric water line to an area defined between 3‰ and 8‰ in δ18O and -80‰ and -60‰ in δD. These compositions are consistent with fluids derived from the dehydration of the altered oceanic crust during the subduction in the South Loyalty Basin at temperatures between 250°C and 400°C. No evidence of sedimentary contribution was observed, suggesting that the serpentinization of the NC ophiolite was complete within few million years after the initiation of the subduction. Low δ18O values indicate that the latest generation of serpentine may derive from the circulation of meteoric fluids at low temperature (<150°C), suggesting that the latest steps of serpentinization started from the beginning of the ophiolite obduction.

Genesis of Diamond-bearing and Diamond-free Podiform Chromitites in the Luobusa Ophiolite, Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Xiong, F.; Xu, X.; Robinson, P. T.; Dilek, Y.; Griffin, W. L.

2014-12-01

Micro-diamonds, moissanite and many highly reduced minerals, such as native Fe, Cr, Ni, Si, Al, and metallic alloys, have been reported previously from podiform chromitites and peridotites of the Luobusa ophiolite in the eastern segment of the Yarlung-Zangbo suture of southern Tibet.. Similar mineral associations have now been confirmed in mantle peridotites or chromitites of 11 other ophiolites in 5 orogenic belts, in Tibet, Myanmar, North China and the Polar Urals. However, detailed studies of the Luobusa ophiolite show that not all chromitites contain these UHP and highly reduced minerals. Diamond-bearing chromitites are chiefly massive bodies composed of over 95 modal% magnesiochromite with Cr#s [100Cr/(Cr+Al)] of 77-83 and Mg#s [100Mg/(Mg+Fe)] of 71-82. Most of these bodies have sharp contacts with the host harzburgites and are only rarely enclosed in dunite envelopes. Many magnesiochromite grains in the massive chromitites contain inclusions of forsterite and pyroxene. Forsterite inclusions have Fo numbers of 97-99 and NiO contents of 1.11-1.29 wt%. Mg#s of clinopyroxene inclusions are 96-98 and those of orthopyroxene are 96-97. X-ray studies show that the olivine inclusions have very small unit cells and short cation-oxygen bond distances, suggesting crystallization at high pressure. In contrast, diamond-free chromitites typically occur as layers within thick dunite sequences or as irregular patches surrounded by dunite envelopes. They consist of variable proportions of magnesiochromite (Cr# = 76-78; Mg# = 58-61) and olivine, and have banded, nodular and disseminated textures. The dunite envelopes consist chiefly of granular olivine with a few relatively large, amoeboidal grains of magnesiochromite, and typically grade into the host peridotites with increasing pyroxene. Unlike those in the massive ores, magnesiochromite grains in nodular and disseminated chromitites lack pyroxene inclusions, and their olivine inclusions have relatively low Fo (94-96) and NiO (0.35-0.58 wt%). We propose that the diamond-bearing chromitite ores formed within the deeper parts of the upper mantle and were emplaced at an oceanic spreading ridge, whereas the diamond-free chromitites formed at shallow levels by melt/rock reaction, most likely in a SSZ environment.

Crystallization Temperatures of Lower Crustal Gabbros from the Oman Ophiolite and the Persistence of the 'Mush Zone' at Intermediate/Fast Spreading Ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

VanTongeren, J. A.

2017-12-01

Oceanic crust is formed when mantle-derived magmas are emplaced at the ridge axis, a zone of intense rifting and extension. Magmas begin to cool and crystallize on-axis, forming what is termed the "Mush Zone", a region of partially molten rocks. Several attempts have been made to understand the nature of the Mush Zone at fast spreading mid-ocean ridges, specifically how much partial melt exists and how far off-axis the Mush Zone extends. Geophysical estimates of P-wave velocity perturbations at the East Pacific Rise show a region of low velocity approximately 1.5-2.5 km off-axis, which can be interpreted to be the result of higher temperature [e.g. Dunn et al., 2000, JGR] or the existence of partial melt. New petrological and geochemical data and methods allow for the calculation of the lateral extent of the Mush Zone in the lower oceanic crust on exposed sections collected from the Oman ophiolite, a paleo-fast/intermediate spreading center. I will present new data quantifying the crystallization temperatures of gabbros from the Wadi Khafifah section of lower oceanic gabbros from the Oman ophiolite. Crystallization temperatures are calculated with the newly developed plagioclase-pyroxene REE thermometer of Sun and Liang [2017, Contrib. Min. Pet.]. There does not appear to be any systematic change in the crystallization temperature of lower crustal gabbros with depth in the crust. In order to quantify the duration of crystallization and the lateral extent of the Mush Zone of the lower crust, crystallization temperatures are paired with estimates of the solidus temperature and cooling rate determined from the same sample, previously constrained by the Ca diffusion in olivine geothermometer/ geospeedometer [e.g. VanTongeren et al., 2008 EPSL]. There is no systematic variation in the closure temperature of Ca in olivine, or the cooling rate to the 800°C isotherm. These results show that gabbros throughout the lower crust of the Oman ophiolite remain in a partially molten state for an average of 10,000 years. Assuming a paleo-spreading rate similar to that of the East Pacific Rise, this translates to a "Mush Zone" of partially molten rock up to 1 km off-axis, slightly less than the low velocity zone observed geophysically on the East Pacific Rise.

A deep hydrothermal fault zone in the lower oceanic crust, Samail ophiolite Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zihlmann, B.; Mueller, S.; Koepke, J.; Teagle, D. A. H.

2017-12-01

Hydrothermal circulation is a key process for the exchange of chemical elements between the oceans and the solid Earth and for the extraction of heat from newly accreted crust at mid-ocean ridges. However, due to a dearth of samples from intact oceanic crust, or continuous samples from ophiolites, there remain major short comings in our understanding of hydrothermal circulation in the oceanic crust, especially in the deeper parts. In particular, it is unknown whether fluid recharge and discharge occurs pervasively or if it is mainly channeled within discrete zones such as faults. Here, we present a description of a hydrothermal fault zone that crops out in Wadi Gideah in the layered gabbro section of the Samail ophiolite of Oman. Field observations reveal a one meter thick chlorite-epidote normal fault with disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite and heavily altered gabbro clasts at its core. In both, the hanging and the footwall the gabbro is altered and abundantly veined with amphibole, epidote, prehnite and zeolite. Whole rock mass balance calculations show enrichments in Fe, Mn, Sc, V, Co, Cu, Rb, Zr, Nb, Th and U and depletions of Si, Ca, Na, Cr, Zn, Sr, Ba and Pb concentrations in the fault rock compared to fresh layered gabbros. Gabbro clasts within the fault zone as well as altered rock from the hanging wall show enrichments in Na, Sc, V, Co, Rb, Zr, Nb and depletion of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr and Pb. Strontium isotope whole rock data of the fault rock yield 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7046, which is considerably more radiogenic than fresh layered gabbro from this locality (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7030 - 0.7034), and similar to black smoker hydrothermal signatures based on epidote, measured elsewhere in the ophiolite. Altered gabbro clasts within the fault zone show similar values with 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7045 - 0.7050, whereas hanging wall and foot wall display values only slightly more radiogenic than fresh layered gabbro.The secondary mineral assemblages and strontium isotope compositions of the fault rock, clasts and hanging wall indicate interaction with a seawater-derived hydrothermal fluid during oceanic spreading at an ancient mid-ocean ridge. The considerable elemental mass changes in the fault rocks and surrounds compared to the primary layered gabbros suggests extensive hydrothermal fluid flow and exchange deep within the ocean crust.

Petrology of metabasic and peridotitic rocks of the Songshugou ophiolite, Qinling orogen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belic, Maximilian; Hauzenberger, Christoph; Dong, Yunpeng

2013-04-01

The Proterozoic Songshugou ophiolite outcrops as a rootless nappe which was emplaced into the southern margin of the Qinling Group. It consists mainly of amphibolite facies metamafic and -ultramafic rocks. Trace element geochemistry and isotope composition show that the mafic rocks are mainly E-MORB and T-MORB metabasalts (Dong et al., 2008b). Within the ophiolite sequence, ultramafic rocks consist mainly of peridotites and serpentinites. Particularly, extremely fresh dunites and harzburgites, are found which do not display a conspicuous metamorphic overprint. The low CaO (<0.39 wt.%) and Al2O3 (<0.51 wt.%) as well as high MgO (41-48 wt.%) contents classify them as depleted non-fertile mantle rocks. Chromite is found as disseminated phase but can sometimes form massive chromite bands. The platinumgroup mineral Laurite (RuS2) could be identified as inclusion in chromites. Usually part of Ru is substituted by Os and Ir. The metamafic rocks consist of garnet, amphibole, symplectitic pyroxenes, ilmenite, apatite, ±zoisite, ±sphene and show a strong metamorphic overprint. Garnet contains numerous inclusions in the core but are nearly inclusion free at the rim. The cores have sometimes snowball textures indicating initially syndeformative growth. Pure albite and prehnite were found in the central parts of the garnets. In the outer portions, pargasitic amphibole, rutile and rarely glaukophane were found. The symplectitic pyroxenes are of diopsidic composition which enclose prehnite and not albite, as common in retrograde eclogitic rocks. Different stages of garnet breakdown to plagioclase and amphibole, from thin plagioclase rims surrounding the garnets to plagioclase rich pseudomorphs, can be observed in different samples. Based on the glaukophane inclusions and symplectitic pyroxenes a high pressure metamorphic event can be concluded. The garnet breakdown to plagioclase and the symplectites clearly indicate a rapid exhumation phase. The age of the metamorphic event is unclear but probably related to the closure of the Shangdan ocean during the early Paleozoic. The financial support by Eurasia-Pacific Uninet is gratefully acknowledged. Dong, Y.P., Zhou, M.F., Zhang, G.W., Zhou, D.W., Liu, L., Zhang, Q., 2008. The Grenvillian Songshugou ophiolite in the Qinling Mountains, Central China: implications for the tectonic evolution of the Qinling orogenic belt. Journal of Asian Earth Science 32 (5-6), 325-335.

Sandstone provenance and tectonic evolution of the Xiukang Mélange from Neotethyan subduction to India-Asia collision (Yarlung-Zangbo suture, south Tibet)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Wei; Hu, Xiumian; Garzanti, Eduardo

2016-04-01

The Xiukang Mélange of the Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone in south Tibet documents low efficiency of accretion along the southern active margin of Asia during Cretaceous Neotethyan subduction, followed by final development during the early Paleogene stages of the India-Asia collision. Here we investigate four transverses in the Xigaze area (Jiding, Cuola Pass, Riwuqi and Saga), inquiry the composition in each transverse, and present integrated petrologic, U-Pb detrital-zircon geochronology and Hf isotope data on sandstone blocks. In fault contact with the Yarlung-Zangbo Ophiolite to the north and the Tethyan Himalaya to the south, the Xiukang mélange can be divided into three types: serpentinite-matrix mélange composed by broken Yarlung-Zangbo Ophiolite, thrust-sheets consisting mainly chert, quartzose or limestone sheets(>100m) with little intervening marix, and mudstone-matrix mélange displaying typical blocks-in-matrix texture. While serpentinite-matrix mélange is exposed adjacent to the ophiolite, distributions of thrust-sheets and blocks in mudstone-matrix mélange show along-strike diversities. For example, Jiding transverse is dominant by chert sheets and basalt blocks with scarcely sandstone blocks, while Cuola Pass and Saga transverses expose large amounts of limestone/quartzarenite sheets in the north and volcaniclastic blocks in the south. However, turbidite sheets and volcaniclastic blocks are outcropped in the north Riwuqi transverse with quartzarenite blocks preserved in the south. Three groups of sandstone blocks/sheets with different provenance and depositional setting are distinguished by their petrographic, geochronological and isotopic fingerprints. Sheets of turbiditic quartzarenite originally sourced from the Indian continent were deposited in pre-Cretaceous time on the northernmost edge of the Indian passive margin and eventually involved into the mélange at the early stage of the India-Asia collision. Two distinct groups of volcaniclastic-sandstone blocks were derived from the central Lhasa block and Gangdese magmatic arc. One group was deposited in the trench and/or on the trench slope of the Asian margin during the early Late Cretaceous, and the other group in a syn-collisional basin just after the onset of the India-Asia collision in the Early Eocene. The largely erosional character of the Asian active margin in the Late Cretaceous is indicated by the scarcity of off-scraped trench-fill deposits and the relatively small subduction complex developed during limited episodes of accretion. The Xiukang Mélange was finally structured in the Late Paleocene/Eocene, when sandstone of both Indian and Asian origin were progressively incorporated tectonically in the suture zone of the nascent Himalayan Orogen.

Pétrologie d'un complexe gabbroïque différencié dans le sillon du Boussouma (Burkina-Faso-Craton Ouest Africain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenmega, U.; Tempier, P.

Boussouma birimian gabbroic complex is a genetic association of early ultramafic cumulates (retromorphic cortlandite and clinopyroxenite) overlain by tholeiitic rocks formed by massive or layered metagabbros and basic metavolcanites and pillow lavas. Intrusive later in birimian pyroclastic and schistosed volcanodetrictic rocks, this non deformed gabbroic complex, shows multiphased metamorphism surimposition, varying from amphibolite facies of low temperature to epizonal facies. The cristallogenetic sequence composed in cortlandite cumulates by spinel-olivine-orthopyroxene-clinopyroxene-brown hornblende ± plagioclase, joined to temperature (1300° C to 1100° C at 10 kb) furnished by geothermometer couple (orthopyroxene-augite), give a mantellic character to magma and indicate some high thermodynamic condition for cristallization of early cortlandite cumulate. The differenciation is accomplished by satured water and silica magma, in a magmatic chamber toward a slow sedimentation of early ferromagnesia cumulus (olivine-orthopyroxene) in cortlandite. The consequence of this fractionation, is the enrichment of clinopyroxene, brown hornblende, plagioclase, particularly in clinopyroxenites and gabbros facies. Comparatively to classic ophiolitic associations this complex is distinguishable from them by his intrusif character, later in birimian rocks series, by the absence of mantellic sequence (tectonites of harzburgite, lherzolite), by the absence of structural charriage characters in this complex, one criterion generally associated with subduction history of oceanic crust. About geotectonic context of this complex, his cristallogenetic, thermodynamic, geochemical characteristics could evoke one section of fringing basin crust, corresponding to ocean-continent transition zones, or one section of rift valley crust with immature evolution.

Boninites: Characteristics and tectonic constraints, northeastern Appalachians

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kim, J.; Jacobi, R.D.

2002-01-01

Boninites are high Mg andesites that are thought to form in suprasubduction zone tectonic environments as primary melts from refractory mantle. Boninites provide a potential constraint on tectonic models for ancient terranes that contain boninites because the only unequivocal tectonic setting in which "modern" boninites have been recognized is a fore-arc setting. Tectonic models for "modern" boninite genesis include subduction initiation ("infant arc"), fore-arc spreading, and the forearc side of intra-arc rifting (spreading). These models can be differentiated by the relative age of the boninites and to a lesser degree, geochemistry. The distinctive geochemistry of boninites promotes their recognition in ancient terranes. As detailed in this report, several mafic terranes in the northeastern Appalachians contain boninites; these terranes were situated on both sides of Iapetus. The characteristics of these boninites can be used to constrain tectonic models of the evolution of the northeastern Appalachians. On the Laurentian side of Iapetus, "infant arc" boninites were not produced ubiquitously during the Cambrian subduction initiation, unless sampling problems or minimum age dates obscure a more widespread boninite "infant arc". The Cambrian subduction initiation on the Laurentian side was probably characterized by both "infant arc" boninitic arc construction (perhaps the >496 Ma Hawley Formation and the >488 Ma Betts Cove Ophiolite) and "normal" arc construction (Mt. Orford). This duality is consistent with the suggestion that the pre-collisional geometry of the Laurentian margin was complex. The Bay of Islands Complex and Thetford Mines ophiolite boninites are likely associated with forearc/intra-arc spreading during the protracted evolution of the Cambrian arc system. The relatively young boninites in the Bronson Hill Arc suggest that the Taconic continuous eastward subduction tectonic model is less tenable than other models. On the Gondwana side of Iapetus, the Tea Arm boninites of the Exploits Group stratigraphically rest on arc and MORB volcanics. This stratigraphy, and the relatively young age of the boninites (486 Ma), compared to assumed subduction initiation age (>513 Ma), suggest that the boninites may be more consistent with fore-arc spreading/intra-arc spreading. However, an "infant arc" model cannot be dismissed, and is commonly proposed for the nearby boninites in the Wild Bight Group. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Petrology and metamorphic evolution of ultramafic rocks and dolerite dykes of the Betic Ophiolitic Association (Mulhacén Complex, SE Spain): evidence of eo-Alpine subduction following an ocean-floor metasomatic process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puga, E.; Nieto, J. M.; Díaz de Federico, A.; Bodinier, J. L.; Morten, L.

1999-10-01

The Betic Ophiolitic Association, cropping out within the Mulhacén Complex (Betic Cordilleras), is made up of numerous metre- to kilometre-sized lenses of mafic and/or ultramafic and meta-sedimentary rocks. Pre-Alpine oceanic metasomatism and metamorphism caused the first stage of serpentinization in the ultramafic sequence of this association, which is characterized by local clinopyroxene (Cpx) breakdown and Ca-depletion, and complementary rodingitization of the basic dykes intruded in them. Subsequent eo-Alpine orogenic metamorphism developed eclogite facies assemblages in ultramafic and basic lithotypes, which were partly retrograded in Ab-Ep-amphibolite facies conditions during a meso-Alpine event. The heterogeneous development of the oceanic metasomatism in the ultramafic rock-types led to the patchy development of highly serpentinized Ca-depleted domains, without gradual transition to the host, and less serpentinized, Cpx-bearing ultramafites, mainly lherzolitic in composition. The high-pressure eo-Alpine recrystallization of these ultramafites in subduction conditions originated secondary harzburgites in the Ca-depleted domains, consisting of a spinifex-like textured olivine+orthopyroxene paragenesis, and a diopside+Ti-clinohumite paragenesis in the enclosing lherzolitic rocks. During the meso-Alpine event, secondary harzburgites were partly transformed into talc+antigorite serpentinites, whereas the diopside and clinohumite-bearing residual meta-lherzolites were mainly transformed into Cpx-bearing serpentinites. Relics of mantle-derived colourless olivine may be present in the more or less serpentinized secondary harzburgites. These relics are overgrown by the eo-Alpine brown pseudo-spinifex olivine, which contains submicroscopic inclusions of chromite, ilmenite and occasional halite and sylvite, inherited from its parental oceanic serpentine. The same type of mantle-derived olivine relics is also preserved within the Cpx-bearing serpentinites, although it has been partly replaced by the eo-Alpine Ti-clinohumite. The dolerite dykes included in the ultramafites were partly rodingitized in an oceanic environment. They were then transformed during the eo-Alpine event into meta-rodingites in their border zones and into eclogites towards the innermost, less-rodingitized portions. Estimated P- T conditions for the high-pressure assemblages in ultramafic and basic lithotypes range from 650 to 750°C and 16-25 kb.

Jurassic-Paleogene intra-oceanic magmatic evolution of the Ankara Mélange, North-Central Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarifakioglu, E.; Dilek, Y.; Sevin, M.

2013-11-01

Oceanic rocks in the Ankara Mélange along the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone (IAESZ) in North-Central Anatolia include locally coherent ophiolite complexes (~179 Ma and ~80 Ma), seamount or oceanic plateau volcanic units with pelagic and reefal limestones (96.6 ± 1.8 Ma), metamorphic rocks with ages of 187.4 ± 3.7 Ma, 158.4 ± 4.2 Ma, and 83.5 ± 1.2 Ma, and subalkaline to alkaline volcanic and plutonic rocks of an island arc origin (~67-63 Ma). All but the arc rocks occur in a shaly-graywacke and/or serpentinite matrix, and are deformed by south-vergent thrust faults and folds that developed in the Middle to Late Eocene due to continental collisions in the region. Ophiolitic volcanic rocks have mid-ocean ridge (MORB) and island arc tholeiite (IAT) affinities showing moderate to significant LILE enrichment and depletion in Nb, Hf, Ti, Y and Yb, which indicate the influence of subduction-derived fluids in their melt evolution. Seamount/oceanic plateau basalts show ocean island basalt (OIB) affinities. The arc-related volcanic rocks, lamprophyric dikes and syeno-dioritic plutons exhibit high-K shoshonitic to medium-to high-K calc-alkaline compositions with strong enrichment in LILE, REE and Pb, and initial ϵNd values between +1.3 and +1.7. Subalkaline arc volcanic units occur in the northern part of the mélange, whereas the younger alkaline volcanic rocks and intrusions (lamprophyre dikes and syeno-dioritic plutons) in the southern part. The Early to Late Jurassic and Late Cretaceous epidote-actinolite, epidote-chlorite and epidote-glaucophane schists represent the metamorphic units formed in a subduction channel in the Northern Neotethys. The Middle to Upper Triassic neritic limestones spatially associated with the seamount volcanic rocks indicate that the Northern Neotethys was an open ocean with its MORB-type oceanic lithosphere by the Early Triassic. The Latest Cretaceous-Early Paleocene island arc volcanic, dike and plutonic rocks with subalkaline to alkaline geochemical affinities represent intraoceanic magmatism that developed on and across the subduction-accretion complex above a N-dipping, southward-rolling subducted lithospheric slab within the Northern Neotethys. The Ankara Mélange thus exhibits the record of ~120-130 million years of oceanic magmatism in geological history of the Northern Neotethys.

Geologic Map of the Weaverville 15' Quadrangle, Trinity County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irwin, William P.

2009-01-01

The Weaverville 15' quadrangle spans parts of five generally north-northwest-trending accreted terranes. From east to west, these are the Eastern Klamath, Central Metamorphic, North Fork, Eastern Hayfork, and Western Hayfork terranes. The Eastern Klamath terrane was thrust westward over the Central Metamorphic terrane during early Paleozoic (Devonian?) time and, in Early Cretaceous time (approx. 136 Ma), was intruded along its length by the massive Shasta Bally batholith. Remnants of overlap assemblages of the Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian) Great Valley sequence and the Tertiary Weaverville Formation cover nearly 10 percent of the quadrangle. The base of the Eastern Klamath terrane in the Weaverville quadrangle is a peridotite-gabbro complex that probably is correlative to the Trinity ophiolite (Ordovician), which is widely exposed farther north beyond the quadrangle. In the northeast part of the Weaverville quadrangle, the peridotite-gabbro complex is overlain by the Devonian Copley Greenstone and the Mississippian Bragdon Formation. Where these formations were intruded by the Shasta Bally batholith, they formed an aureole of gneissic and other metamorphic rocks around the batholith. Westward thrusting of the Eastern Klamath terrane over an adjacent body of mafic volcanic and overlying quartzose sedimentary rocks during Devonian time formed the Salmon Hornblende Schist and the Abrams Mica Schist of the Central Metamorphic terrane. Substantial beds of limestone in the quartzose sedimentary unit, generally found near the underlying volcanic rock, are too metamorphosed for fossils to have survived. Rb-Sr analysis of the Abrams Mica Schist indicates a metamorphic age of approx. 380 Ma. West of Weavervillle, the Oregon Mountain outlier of the Eastern Klamath terrane consists mainly of Bragdon Formation(?) and is largely separated from the underlying Central Metamorphic terrane by serpentinized peridotite that may be a remnant of the Trinity ophiolite. The North Fork terrane is faulted against the west edge of the Central Metamorphic terrane, and its northerly trend is disrupted by major left-lateral offsets along generally west-northwest-trending faults. The serpentinized peridotite-gabbro complex that forms the western base of the terrane is the Permian North Fork ophiolite, which to the east is overlain by broken formation of mafic-volcanic rocks, red chert, siliceous tuff, argillite, minor limestone, and clastic sedimentary rocks. The chert and siliceous tuff contain radiolarians of Permian and Mesozoic ages, and some are as young as Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian). Similar Pliensbachian radiolarians are found in Franciscan rocks of the Coast Ranges. The Eastern Hayfork terrane is broken formation and melange of mainly chert, sandstone, argillite, and various exotic blocks. The cherts yield radiolarians of Permian and Triassic ages but none of clearly Jurassic age. Limestone bodies of the Eastern Hayfork terrane contain Permian microfaunas of Tethyan affinity. The Western Hayfork terrane, exposed only in a small area in the southwestern part of the quadrangle, consists dominantly of mafic tuff and dark slaty argillite. Sparse paleontologic data indicate a Mesozoic age for the strata. The terrane includes small bodies of diorite that are related to the nearby Wildwood pluton of Middle Jurassic age and probably are related genetically to the stratified rocks. The terrane is interpreted to be the accreted remnants of a Middle Jurassic volcanic arc. Shortly after intrusion by Shasta Bally batholith (approx. 136 Ma), much of the southern half of the Weaverville quadrangle was overlapped by Lower Cretaceous, dominantly Hauterivian, marine strata of the Great Valley sequence, and to a lesser extent later during Oligocene and (or) Miocene time by fluvial and lacustrine deposits of the Weaverville Formation. This map of the Weaverville Quadrangle is a digital rendition of U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field

Subduction initiation, recycling of Alboran lower crust, and intracrustal emplacement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle in the Westernmost Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varas-Reus, María Isabel; Garrido, Carlos J.; Bosch, Delphine; Marchesi, Claudio; Hidas, Károly; Booth-Rea, Guillermo; Acosta-Vigil, Antonio

2015-04-01

Unraveling the tectonic settings and processes involved in the annihilation of subcontinental mantle lithosphere is of paramount importance for our understanding of the endurance of continents through Earth history. Unlike ophiolites -- their oceanic mantle lithosphere counterparts -- the mechanisms of emplacement of the subcontinental mantle lithosphere in orogens is still poorly known. The emplacement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle peridotites is often attributed to extension in rifted passive margins or continental backarc basins, accretionary processes in subduction zones, or some combination of these processes. One of the most prominent features of the westernmost Mediterranean Alpine orogenic arcs is the presence of the largest outcrops worldwide of diamond facies, subcontinental mantle peridotite massifs; unveiling the mechanisms of emplacement of these massifs may provide important clues on processes involved in the destruction of continents. The western Mediterranean underwent a complex Alpine evolution of subduction initiation, slab fragmentation, and rollback within a context of slow convergence of Africa and Europe In the westernmost Mediterranean, the alpine orogeny ends in the Gibraltar tight arc, which is bounded by the Betic, Rif and Tell belts that surround the Alboran and Algero-Balearic basins. The internal units of these belts are mostly constituted of an allochthonous lithospheric domain that collided and overthrusted Mesozoic and Tertiary sedimentary rocks of the Mesozoic-Paleogene, South Iberian and Maghrebian rifted continental paleomargins. Subcontinental lithospheric peridotite massifs are intercalated between polymetamorphic internal units of the Betic (Ronda, Ojen and Carratraca massifs), Rif (Beni Bousera), and Tell belts. In the Betic chain, the internal zones of the allochthonous Alboran domain include, from bottom to top, polymetamorphic rock of the Alpujarride and Malaguide complexes. The Ronda peridotite massif -- the largest outcrop (> 300 km2) of subcontinental lithospheric mantle peridotite in westernmost Mediterranean -- occurs at the basal units of the western Alpujarride. Late, intrusive mantle, high-Mg pyroxenite dykes in the Ronda peridotite (Betic Cordillera, S. Spain) show geochemical signature akin to high-pressure (> 1 GPa) segregates of high-Mg andesite and boninite found in island arc terrains and ophiolite, where they usually witness nascent subduction and/or oceanic accretion in a forearc setting. These pyroxenites point to a suprasubduction environment prior to the intracrustal emplacement of subcontinental peridotites drawing some parallels between the crustal emplacement environment of some ophiolites and that of sublithospheric mantle in the westernmost Mediterranean. Here, we present new Sr-Nd-Pb-isotopic data from a variety of crustal rocks that might account for the crustal components seen in high-Mg Ronda pyroxenites. This data allows the origin of this crustal component to be unveiled, providing fundamentally constraints on the processes involved in the emplacement of large massifs of subcontinental mantle lithosphere in the westernmost Mediterranean. In order to test the hypothesis that the crustal component in Ronda high-Mg pyroxenites was acquired during the Alpine evolution of the Betic-Rif orogen, we selected samples from crustal sections that might have been underthrusted beneath the Alboran lithospheric mantle before the putative Miocene intra-crustal emplacement of peridotites. Samples are from the western Betics and comprise sediments from the Gibraltar Arc Flysch Trough units, which forms a fold-and-thrust belt between the Iberian paleomargin and the allochthonous Alboran domain, and metasedimentary rocks from the Jubrique and Blanca units of the Alpujarride complex, which underlie and overlie the Ronda peridotite and constitute the crustal section of the Alboran lithosphere domain to which the Ronda peridotite pertains. Sr-Nd-Pb systematic of sediments strongly support Alboran geodynamic models that envisage slab roll-back as the tectonic mechanism responsible for Miocene lithospheric thinning, and consistent with a scenario where back-arc inversion leading to subduction initiation of crustal units at the front of the Alboran wedge

Styles of Deformation on Either Side of a Ridge-Transform Intersection, Troodos Ophiolite, Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titus, S.; Wagner, C.; Alexander, S. O.; Scott, C. P.; Davis, J. R.

2015-12-01

The Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus includes two orthogonal structures - the NS-striking Solea graben and the EW-striking Arakapas fault - that form a ridge-transform intersection. Sheeted dikes and gabbros are preserved on both the inside and outside corners providing a view of mid-crustal deformation in the system. We examine and model these patterns of deformation using existing map and paleomagnetic data combined with new rock magnetic data. The inside corner of the system has been well studied. The most notable feature is the changing orientation of sheeted dikes, which shift from NW- to NE- to E-striking with increasing proximity to the Arakapas fault. Paleomagnetic data from many studies, including our own, show declination anomalies that vary with distance from the ridge and the transform. The three principal axes from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) ellipsoids in the gabbros seem to be correlated with local sheeted dike orientations. The outside corner of the system has been less well studied. Sheeted dike orientations change more subtly; many are NS-striking and dip towards the Solea Graben, but near the inferred ridge-transform intersection, they are NNE-striking. Our new paleomagnetic data from 26 sites record declination and inclination anomalies that vary spatially within the outside corner. AMS data from the gabbros and sheeted dikes again seem loosely linked to sheeted dike orientations. To summarize, the structural and rock magnetic results on either side of the Solea Graben are distinct, confirming the idea that these rocks formed on different sides of a ridge-transform system. The paleomagnetic data yield insights about the styles of deformation following crystallization. The AMS data may yield insights about magmatic plumbing systems when combined systematically with paleomagnetic results. Our results from the outside corner show that patterns of deformation can be complex even on the non-plate boundary side of a ridge-transform system.

Iron and Sulfur Geochemistry in Serpentinizing Groundwaters: Relationships to Microbiological Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabuda, M.; Kubo, M. D.; Cardace, D.; Hoehler, T. M.; McCollom, T. M.; Schrenk, M. O.

2016-12-01

Serpentinization of ultramafic rock in ophiolite complexes along continental margins leads to the mobilization of volatiles and reduced carbon compounds that can be used as sources of nutrients and energy by subsurface microbial communities. Simultaneously, the highly reducing character of serpentinite-associated fluids can lead to limitations in the availability of oxidants to support growth. The extent to which iron and sulfur compounds can serve as alternative electron acceptors in serpentinizing systems remains to be elucidated. Heterogeneous mineralogy, meteoric and groundwater source mixing, ancient marine sediment influence, and microbial metabolic activities likely contribute to variability in the identity and abundance of Fe and S compounds in serpentinite groundwater. At the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO) in northern California, the aqueous geochemistry of sulfur and iron in the alkaline groundwater was investigated at multiple time points taken from 12 wells located in two clusters, Core Shed and Quarry Valley, with individual boreholes sampling different depths. Colorimetric methods (HS-, ferrous and total iron), ion chromatography (SO42-), and ICP-MS (total Fe and S) were utilized and on average, both sulfate and sulfide are highest in the CSW wells (300 μM and 15 μM respectively), and lowest in the N08 wells (95 μM, 1.2 μM) within the Quarry Valley area. Ferrous iron measured <0.7 μM in all boreholes, likely due to the poor solubility of dissolved iron at high pH. Bioenergetic calculations were generated using CROMO geochemical data to investigate the favorability of various Fe and S red-ox reactions. Additionally, the presence of key genes in sulfur and iron metabolic pathways was examined in metagenomic assemblies from CROMO. Combined, these data reinforce the critical role that sulfur-associated metabolisms, in particular, play in serpentinite groundwater. Consequently, the sulfur biogeochemistry of such systems may influence geochemical cycles and ultimately be preserved in the rock record.

Pressure-temperature estimates of the lizardite/antigorite transition and FME behaviours in high pressure alpine serpentinites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, S.; Lafay, R.; Guillot, S.; Reynard, B.; Nicollet, C.

2012-12-01

Serpentine minerals in natural samples are chrysotile, lizardite and antigorite. Despite numerous petrological experimental work, stability field of these species remains poorly constrained. In order to understand their stability fields, we investigate natural serpentinites from the Alpine orogenic wedge representing a paleo-subduction zone deformed and exhumed during collision. The serpentinites are derived from similar protoliths, but they experienced different metamorphic conditions related to three different structural levels of the paleo-subduction zone (obducted: Chenaillet ophiolite, accretionary wedge: Queyras Schistes lustrés complex and serpentinite channel: Monviso ophiolite). Metamorphic conditions recorded by these three units are well defined, increasing eastward from sub-greenschist (P <4 kbar, T~200-300°C) to eclogitic facies conditions (P >20 kbar, T >480°C). The petrological observations coupled with the Raman spectroscopy show that below 300°C, the serpentinization is characterized by the development of mesh texture after olivine according to the reaction olivine + water = lizardite (mesh) + magnetite. Locally, the mesh is crosscut by secondary chrysotile veins. The relationship between mesh textures and chrysotile veins are typically observed during oceanic sea-floor serpentinization. Between 300 and 360°C antigorite appears and crystallizes at the lizardite grain boundaries by mineral replacement coupled with dissolution-precipitation. Between 360 and 390°C antigorite overprinted statically lizardite in the core of the mesh texture. The Raman spectra obtained in this thermal range indicate a fine mixture between lizardite and antigorite corresponding to a solid-state transition. Above 390°C, under high-grade blueschist to eclogites facies conditions, antigorite is the solely stable serpentine mineral. Additionnaly, geochemical bulk rocks and in situ (LA-HR-ICP-MS) analysis on serpentinites were realized. These data reveal different behaviours for the fluid-mobile elements (FME: As, B, Li, Sb) during increasing of metamorphic conditions. We propose that serpentinites act as a trap and-release system for FME in a subduction context.

Metasomatic hydration of the Oeyama forearc peridotites: Tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nozaka, Toshio

2014-01-01

In contrast to the widely recognized aspects of serpentinization, initial stages of hydration and tectonic processes of unserpentinized peridotites are still unclear, but have important implications for understanding the lithospheric architecture of supra-subduction zones. This study provides petrological evidence from the Oeyama ophiolite, SW Japan, of the effects of high-temperature metasomatic hydration immediately before the cooling and ductile deformation of forearc peridotites. Key findings in this study are: 1) complex association of high-temperature metasomatic minerals: tremolitic amphibole, cummingtonite, phlogopite, chlorite, olivine and orthopyroxene in veins and in mylonites; 2) the systematic variation in Si and Na + K contents of the tremolitic amphibole, corresponding to its mode of occurrence and mineral association; and 3) the presence of thin (< 0.7 mm) veins of fine-grained olivine accompanied by a narrow diffusion zone of the host primary olivine. On the basis of petrography and mineral chemistry, the temporal sequence of hydration and deformation of the Oeyama ophiolite is considered as follows: 1) infiltration of slab-derived fluids, causing decomposition of primary pyroxene and chemical modification of primary olivine, 2) metasomatic formation of variable modal amounts of amphibole, phlogopite, chlorite, vein-forming olivine and secondary orthopyroxene at 650-750 °C; 3) early-stage mylonitization of the hydrous peridotites in localized shear zones; and 4) syntectonic serpentinization at 400-600 °C to form serpentinite mylonites. Paragenesis and amphibole compositions suggest comparable temperature conditions for metasomatism and early-stage mylonitization. Mylonitization occurred exclusively in hydrous peridotites, and the peridotite mylonites were preferentially overprinted by syntectonic serpentinization. Diffusion profiles of olivine cut by a vein suggest rapid cooling immediately after the metasomatic fluid infiltration. From these observations and calculations, it is concluded that the exhumation of the forearc peridotites was closely related to the infiltration of high-temperature metasomatic fluids and hydration occurred under a wide range of temperature conditions.

A P-T path for amphibolites from the metamorphic sole of the Dinaride ophiolite zone in Bosnia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balen, D.; Massonne, H. J.

2016-12-01

The Dinarides, an Alpine-cycle mountain chain in SE Europe, originated along the margin of the Adriatic microplate. It is characterized by complex fold, thrust, and imbricate structures and partially dismembered ophiolites forming significant parts of the Dinarides. In the Krivaja-Konjuh ultramafic massif (KKUM; Bosnia) tectonic peridotite (spinel lherzolite) occurs as NE deeping thrust sheets underlain by gradually decreasing high- to low-grade metamorphic sole rocks (up to 1200 m thick). The sole rocks originated from cumulus gabbro and peridotites and are mainly composed of granulite and amphibolite varieties with various proportions of amphibole, plagioclase, pyroxenes, garnet, and quartz. These rocks vary in textures (granoblastic, porphyroblastic and nematoblastic) and grain size. Conventional thermobarometry of garnet- and clinopyroxene-bearing amphibolites directly beneath the contact to the overlying peridotite resulted in peak pressure (P) - temperature (T) conditions of 11-12 kbar (depth of 35-40 km) and 745-830°C. Those amphibolites without clinopyroxene experienced peak conditions of 7 kbar and 630°C, whereas the lowermost-grade amphibolites yielded peak temperatures of 550°C only. The obtained values can be related to a geothermal gradient of 21-25 °C/km. P-T pseudosections, contoured by mineral isopleths, combined with chemical zonation of garnet, elucidated by X-ray mapping, and the study of the succession of accessory Ti-minerals (Ilmenite->Rutile->Titanite) suggest a composite P-T path characterized by pressure decrease accompanied by temperature increase. This path can be interpreted in the frame of late Jurassic to early Cretaceous regional geodynamic processes that involve collision at the edge of the Adriatic microplate, subduction and underplating of mafic cumulus rocks under the hot upper mantle part of the KKUM and finally subsequent erosional events. Support by the Croatian Science Foundation (IP-2014-09-9541) is acknowledged.

Microbiology of Ultrabasic Groundwaters of the Coast Range Ophiolite, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrenk, M. O.; Brazelton, W. J.; Twing, K. I.; Kubo, M.; Cardace, D.; Hoehler, T. M.; McCollom, T. M.

2013-12-01

Upon exposure to water, ultramafic rocks characteristic of the Earth's mantle undergo a process known as serpentinization. These water-rock reactions lead to highly reducing conditions and some of the highest pH values reported in nature. In contrast to alkaline soda lakes, actively serpentinizing environments exposed on land are commonly associated with low salinity freshwaters, imparting unique challenges upon their resident microbial communities. These environments are especially prevalent along continental margins, and cover extensive portions of the west coast of North America. Most studies of serpentinizing environments have focused upon springs that emanate from fractures in the subsurface. Here, we present microbiological data from a series of groundwater wells associated with active serpentinization in the California Coast Range, an ophiolite complex near Lower Lake, California. Waters from ultrabasic wells had lower microbial cell concentrations and diversity than were found in moderate pH wells in the same area. Bacteria consistently made up a higher proportion of the microbial communities compared to Archaea as determined by qPCR. High pH wells were dominated by taxa within the Betaproteobacteria and Clostridia, whereas moderate pH wells predominantly contained common soil taxa related to Gammaproteobacteria and Bacilli. Multivariate statistical analyses incorporating key environmental parameters supported these observations and also highlighted correlations between the high-pH taxa and the abundance of hydrogen and methane gas. Similarly, colony forming units of alkaliphilic microorganisms were consistently 1-2 orders of magnitude higher in the ultrabasic wells and were taxonomically distinct from the moderate pH groundwaters. Together, these results show that distinct populations inhabit subsurface environments associated with active serpentinization, consistent with previous observations, and suggest that Betaproteobacteria and Clostridia probably play significant roles in the microbiology of these ecosystems. The low diversity microbial communities of serpentinizing subsurface habitats are likely sustained by the high hydrogen and methane fluxes that emanate from such systems and further investigations will directly test their roles in mediating biogeochemical cycles in these environments.

Compositional diversity in peridotites as result of a multi-process history: The Pacific-derived Santa Elena ophiolite, northwest Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escuder-Viruete, Javier; Baumgartner, Peter O.; Castillo-Carrión, Mercedes

2015-08-01

The Santa Elena ophiolite (SEO) is an ultramafic nappe of more than 270 km2 overlying a tectonic serpentinite-matrix mélange in northwest Costa Rica. It is mainly composed of Cpx-rich and Cpx-poor harzburgites (~ 2.5 km-thick), with minor lherzolite, dunite and chromitite, as well as intrusive mafic sills and subvertical dikes, which coalesce into an upper Isla Negritos gabbroic sill complex. Minerals and whole-rock features of the Cpx-rich and Cpx-poor harzburgites share features of the abyssal and supra-subduction zone (SSZ) peridotites, respectively. To explain these characteristics two-stages of melting and refertilization processes are required. By means of trace element modeling, the composition of Cpx-rich harzburgites may be reproduced by up to ~ 5-10% melting of a primitive mantle source, and the composition of Cpx-poor harzburgites and dunites by ~ 15-18% melting of an already depleted mantle. Therefore, the Cpx-rich harzburgites can be interpreted as product of first-stage melting and low-degrees of melt-rock interaction in a mid-ocean ridge environment, and the Cpx-poor harzburgites and dunites as the product of second-stage melting and refertilization in a SSZ setting. The mafic sills and the Isla Negrito gabbros are genetically related and can be explained as crystallization from the liquids that were extracted from the lower SSZ mantle levels and emplaced at shallow conditions. The Murciélagos Island basalts are not directly related to the ultramafic and mafic rocks of the SEO. Their E-MORB-like composition is similar to most of the CLIP mafic lavas and suggests a common Caribbean plume-related source. The SEO represents a fragment of Pacific-derived, SSZ oceanic lithosphere emplaced onto the southern North America margin during the late Cretaceous. Because of the predominance of rollback-induced extension during its history, only a limited amount of crustal rocks were formed and preserved in the SEO.

Accreted seamounts in North Tianshan, NW China: Implications for the evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Gaoxue; Li, Yongjun; Kerr, Andrew C.; Tong, Lili

2018-03-01

The Carboniferous Bayingou ophiolitic mélange is exposed in the North Tianshan accretionary complex in the southwestern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The mélange is mainly composed of serpentinised ultramafic rocks (including harzburgite, lherzolite, pyroxenite, dunite and peridotite), pillowed and massive basalts, layered gabbros, radiolarian cherts, pelagic limestones, breccias and tuffs, and displays block-in-matrix structures. The blocks of ultramafic rocks, gabbros, basalts, cherts, and limestones are set in a matrix of serpentinised ultramafic rocks, massive basalts and tuffs. The basaltic rocks in the mélange show significant geochemical heterogeneity, and two compositional groups, one ocean island basalt-like, and the other mid-ocean ridge-like, can be distinguished on the basis of their isotopic compositions and immobile trace element contents (such as light rare earth element enrichment in the former, but depletion in the latter). The more-enriched basaltic rocks are interpreted as remnants/fragments of seamounts, derived from a deep mantle reservoir with low degrees (2-3%) of garnet lherzolite mantle melting. The depleted basalts most likely formed by melting of a shallower spinel lherzolite mantle source with ∼15% partial melting. It is probable that both groups owe their origin to melting of a mixture between plume and depleted MORB mantle. The results from this study, when integrated with previous work, indicate that the Junggar Ocean crust (comprising a significant number of seamounts) was likely to have been subducted southward beneath the Yili-Central Tianshan block in the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous. The seamounts were scraped-off and accreted along with the oceanic crust in an accretionary wedge to form the Bayingou ophiolitic mélange. We present a model for the tectonomagmatic evolution of this portion of the CAOB involving prolonged intra-oceanic subduction with seamount accretion.

Life detection at a Mars analogue site of present-day serpentinization in the Tablelands Ophiolite of Newfoundland (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrill, P. L.; Szponar, N.; Brazelton, W. J.; Woodruff, Q.; Schrenk, M. O.; Bower, D. M.; Steele, A.

2010-12-01

The Tableland Ophiolite was created during the collision of Laurentia and Gondwana continents ca. 470 million years ago. Ultramafic mantle rocks, from the ancient sea bed that once separated these continents, were thrusted westward onto the old continental margin, which is now Western Newfoundland. Weathering due to recent glaciations has left large areas of ultramafic rock at the surface and created fissures for fluid flow. As a result serpentinization is occurring as fresh water penetrates the unaltered ultramafic rock. Serpentinization is of particular interest because, through hydration of ultramafic rock, this reaction produces H2 and the reducing conditions necessary for abiogenic hydrocarbon synthesis, while also producing conditions amenable for chemolithotrophic life. Therefore sites of active serpentinization can be the source of either abiogenic or biogenic organics, or both. Serpentinization is a suspected (past or present) source of (detected or putative) hydrocarbons on Mars, Titan and Europa, hence these astrobodies may be potentially habitable or once habitable environments. The Tablelands Ophiolite is an analogue site that is ideal for testing methods of life detection in an extreme environment of high pH and low microbial biomass characteristic of sites of serpentinization. Multiple ultrabasic reducing springs characteristic of present-day serpentinization have been identified and characterized based on their geochemistry and microbiology. Field-based instruments were deployed for the detection of microbial activity (ATP), microbial cell wall material, and mineralogy, in yet untested high pH and low biomass environment. In this talk I will give an overview of the in situ measurements of life detection and put these measurements in context of geochemistry, microbiology, carbon source and reaction pathways, and I will discuss what we have learned that will help us plan for future mission measurements.

Oxygen Fugacity Variation From Mantle Transition Zone To Ocean Ridges Recorded By In Situ Diamond-Bearing Peridotite Of Indus Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S.; Basu, A. R.

2017-12-01

Our recently discovered transition zone ( 410 - 660 Km) -derived peridotites in the Indus Ophiolite, Ladakh Himalaya [1] provide a unique opportunity to study changes in oxygen fugacity from shallow mantle beneath ocean ridges to mantle transition zone. We found in situ diamond, graphite pseudomorphs after diamond crystals, hydrocarbon (C - H) and hydrogen (H2) fluid inclusions in ultra-high pressure (UHP) peridotites that occur in the mantle - section of the Indus ophiolite and sourced from the mantle transition zone [2]. Diamond occurs as octahedral inclusion in orthoenstatite of one of these peridotites. The graphite pseudomorphs after diamond crystals and primary hydrocarbon (C-H), and hydrogen (H2) fluids are included in olivine of this rock. Hydrocarbon fluids are also present as inclusions in high pressure clinoenstatite (> 8 GPa). The association of primary hydrocarbon and hydrogen fluid inclusions in the UHP peridotites suggest that their source-environment was highly reduced at the base of the upper mantle. We suggest that during mantle upwelling beneath Neo Tethyan spreading center, the hydrocarbon fluid was oxidized and precipitated diamond. The smaller diamonds converted to graphite at shallower depth due to size, high temperature and elevated oxygen fugacity. This process explains how deep mantle upwelling can oxidize reduced fluid carried from the transition zone to produce H2O - CO2. The H2O - CO2 fluids induce deep melting in the source of the mid oceanic ridge basalts (MORB) that create the oceanic crust. References: [1] Das S, Mukherjee B K, Basu A R, Sen K, Geol Soc London, Sp 412, 271 - 286; 2015. [2] Das S, Basu A R, Mukherjee B K, Geology 45 (8), 755 - 758; 2017.

Clinopyroxene composition of volcanics from the Manipur Ophiolite, Northeastern India: implications to geodynamic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovung, Thungyani N.; Ray, Jyotisankar; Ghosh, Biswajit; Koeberl, Christian; Topa, Dan; Paul, Madhuparna

2017-08-01

The volcanic section of the Manipur Ophiolite (MO), representing the crustal portion of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere occurs as basalt, basaltic trachyandesite, and dacite in the Gamnom-Phangrei sector, Manipur, at 25°01'N-25°09'N and 94°24'E-94°27'E. They associate with cherts and ultramafics. The clinopyroxene compositions of basalt and basaltic trachyandesite, obtained through electron microprobe analyzer, were used as a petrogenetic indicator to identify the parent magma-types and their tectonic settings. Based on the variable content of major oxides, they are classified as high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes. High Ti and Al contents with relatively lower silica saturation are observed in the former group and vice versa in the latter. The TiDCpx/rock values in low- and high-Ti clinopyroxene are comparable with island-arc basaltic andesite and MORB, respectively, which confirms that the clinopyroxene composition is primarily related to the host magma-type and its tectonic setting. Clinopyroxene thermometry (ranging 1150-605 °C) suggests progressive differentiation of the parent magmas. Several bivariate and tectonic discrimination diagrams depict MORB (non-orogenic setting) and island-arc boninitic magma affinities (orogenic setting) for the high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes, respectively. The coexistence of both MORB and island-arc boninitic magma-types in the volcanic section of Manipur Ophiolite as characterized by their varying Ti, Al, and Si contents may indicate either juxtaposition of rocks formed in diverse tectonic settings (i.e., due to transformation of tectonic setting from mid-ocean ridge to supra-subduction zone) or, a change in magma composition in a subduction zone setting. However, field relationships coupled with the mineral-chemical signatures implies a supra-subduction zone setting for the evolution of the crustal section of MO.

High- and low-Cr chromitite and dunite in a Tibetan ophiolite: evolution from mature subduction system to incipient forearc in the Neo-Tethyan Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Qing; Henry, Hadrien; Griffin, William L.; Zheng, Jian-Ping; Satsukawa, Takako; Pearson, Norman J.; O'Reilly, Suzanne Y.

2017-06-01

The microstructures, major- and trace-element compositions of minerals and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) maps of high- and low-Cr# [spinel Cr# = Cr3+/(Cr3+ + Al3+)] chromitites and dunites from the Zedang ophiolite in the Yarlung Zangbo Suture (South Tibet) have been used to reveal their genesis and the related geodynamic processes in the Neo-Tethyan Ocean. The high-Cr# (0.77-0.80) chromitites (with or without diopside exsolution) have chromite compositions consistent with initial crystallization by interaction between boninitic magmas, harzburgite and reaction-produced magmas in a shallow, mature mantle wedge. Some high-Cr# chromitites show crystal-plastic deformation and grain growth on previous chromite relics that have exsolved needles of diopside. These features are similar to those of the Luobusa high-Cr# chromitites, possibly recycled from the deep upper mantle in a mature subduction system. In contrast, mineralogical, chemical and EBSD features of the Zedang low-Cr# (0.49-0.67) chromitites and dunites and the silicate inclusions in chromite indicate that they formed by rapid interaction between forearc basaltic magmas (MORB-like but with rare subduction input) and the Zedang harzburgites in a dynamically extended, incipient forearc lithosphere. The evidence implies that the high-Cr# chromitites were produced or emplaced in an earlier mature arc (possibly Jurassic), while the low-Cr# associations formed in an incipient forearc during the initiation of a new episode of Neo-Tethyan subduction at 130-120 Ma. This two-episode subduction model can provide a new explanation for the coexistence of high- and low-Cr# chromitites in the same volume of ophiolitic mantle.

Clinopyroxene composition of volcanics from the Manipur Ophiolite, Northeastern India: implications to geodynamic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovung, Thungyani N.; Ray, Jyotisankar; Ghosh, Biswajit; Koeberl, Christian; Topa, Dan; Paul, Madhuparna

2018-06-01

The volcanic section of the Manipur Ophiolite (MO), representing the crustal portion of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere occurs as basalt, basaltic trachyandesite, and dacite in the Gamnom-Phangrei sector, Manipur, at 25°01'N-25°09'N and 94°24'E-94°27'E. They associate with cherts and ultramafics. The clinopyroxene compositions of basalt and basaltic trachyandesite, obtained through electron microprobe analyzer, were used as a petrogenetic indicator to identify the parent magma-types and their tectonic settings. Based on the variable content of major oxides, they are classified as high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes. High Ti and Al contents with relatively lower silica saturation are observed in the former group and vice versa in the latter. The TiDCpx/rock values in low- and high-Ti clinopyroxene are comparable with island-arc basaltic andesite and MORB, respectively, which confirms that the clinopyroxene composition is primarily related to the host magma-type and its tectonic setting. Clinopyroxene thermometry (ranging 1150-605 °C) suggests progressive differentiation of the parent magmas. Several bivariate and tectonic discrimination diagrams depict MORB (non-orogenic setting) and island-arc boninitic magma affinities (orogenic setting) for the high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes, respectively. The coexistence of both MORB and island-arc boninitic magma-types in the volcanic section of Manipur Ophiolite as characterized by their varying Ti, Al, and Si contents may indicate either juxtaposition of rocks formed in diverse tectonic settings (i.e., due to transformation of tectonic setting from mid-ocean ridge to supra-subduction zone) or, a change in magma composition in a subduction zone setting. However, field relationships coupled with the mineral-chemical signatures implies a supra-subduction zone setting for the evolution of the crustal section of MO.

Paleomagnetism of Jurassic radiolarian chert above the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain, California, and implications for its paleogeographic origins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hagstrum, J.T.; Murchey, B.L.

1996-01-01

Upper Jurassic red tuffaceous chert above the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain, California (lat 35??N, long 240??E), contains three components of remanent magnetization. The first component (A; removed by ???100-???200 ??C) has a direction near the present-day field for southern California and is probably a recently acquired thermoviscous magnetization. A second component (B; removed between ???100 and ???600 ??C) is identical to that observed by previous workers in samples of underlying pillow basalt and overlying terrigenous sedimentary rocks. This component has constant normal polarity and direction throughout the entire section, although these rocks were deposited during a mixed polarity interval of the geomagnetic field. The B magnetization, therefore, is inferred to be a secondary magnetization acquired during accretion, uplift, or Miocene volcanism prior to regional clockwise rotation. The highest temperature component (C; removed between ???480 and 680 ??C) is of dual polarity and is tentatively interpreted as a primary magnetization, although it fails a reversal test possibly due to contamination by B. Separation of the B and C components is best shown by samples with negative-inclination C directions, and a corrected mean direction using only these samples indicates an initial paleolatitude of 32??N ?? 8??. Paleobiogeographic models relating radiolarian faunal distribution patterns to paleolatitude have apparently been incorrectly calibrated using the overprint B component. Few other paleomagnetic data have been incorporated in these models, and faunal distribution patterns are poorly known and mostly unqualified. The available data, therefore, do not support formation of the Coast Range ophiolite at Stanley Mountain near the paleoequator or accretion at ???10??N paleolatitude, as has been previously suggested based on paleomagnetic data, but indicate deposition near expected paleolatitudes for North America (35??N ?? 4??) during Late Jurassic time.

Multiphase Structural Evolution of a Continental Margin During Obduction Orogeny: Insights From the Jebel Akhdar Dome, Oman Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobe, A.; Virgo, S.; von Hagke, C.; Urai, J. L.; Littke, R.

2018-03-01

The structural evolution of the carbonate platform in the footwall of the Semail ophiolite emplaced onto the passive continental margin of Arabia helps to better understand the early stages of obduction-related orogens. These early stages are rarely observable in other orogens as they are mostly overprinted by later mountain building phases. We present an extensive structural analysis of the Jebel Akhdar anticline, the largest tectonic window of the Oman Mountains, and integrate it on different scales. Outcrop observations can be linked to plate motion data, providing an absolute timeframe for structural generations consistent with radiometric dating of veins. Top-to-S overthrusting of the Semail ophiolite and Hawasina nappes onto the carbonate platform during high plate convergence rates between Arabia and Eurasia caused rapid burial and overpressure, generation and migration of hydrocarbons, and bedding-confined veins, but no major deformation in the carbonate platform. At reduced convergence rates, subsequent tectonic thinning of the ophiolite took place above a top-to-NNE, crustal-scale ductile shear zone, deforming existing veins and forming a cleavage in clay-rich layers in early Campanian times. Ongoing extension occurred along normal- to oblique-slip faults, forming horst-graben structures and a precursor of the Jebel Akhdar dome (Campanian to Maastrichtian). This was followed by NE-SW oriented ductile shortening and the formation of the Jebel Akhdar dome, deforming the earlier structures. Thereafter, exhumation was associated with low-angle normal faults on the northern flank of the anticline. We correlate the top-to-NNE crustal-scale shear zone with a similar structure in the Saih Hatat window to develop a unified model of the tectonic evolution of the Oman Mountains.

The Behaviour of Fe Stable Isotopes Accompanying Fluid Migration in Subducted Serpentinite from the Zermatt-Saas Ophiolite of the Swiss Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inglis, E.; Bouilhol, P.; Burton, K. W.; Debret, B.; Millet, M. A.; Williams, H. M.

2016-12-01

During subduction the destabilisation of hydrous serpentine group phases can generate significant fluid fluxes between the subducting slab and the overlying mantle wedge. Despite our knowledge of this, the exact process and nature of the fluids released during serpentinite devolatilisation remain poorly understood. This study presents new field observations alongside petrographic and geochemical data for metamorphic veins and host serpentinite from the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite from the Swiss Alps, which underwent high-pressure metamorphism during the Alpine orogeny. Samples were collected from the serpentinised ultramafic section of the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite, which is mainly comprised of variably foliated and sheared antigorite serpentine. High-pressure metamorphic veins hosted within the antigorite serpentinite, are observed within the least deformed part of the massif, occurring as cm scale laterally continuous channels or mm scale interconnected anastomosing networks. Preliminary high-precision Fe isotope data for the host antigorite serpentine yield a mean δ56Fe value of -0.09‰ ± 0.04‰ (n=3), notably lighter than previously measured Alpine and abyssal serpentinites (Debret et al., 2016). In contrast, samples of cm scale olivine-bearing veins display a mean δ56Fe value of 0.07 ± 0.05‰ (n=3), resolvably heavier than that of the host serpentinite. These preliminary results suggest preferential mobility of isotopically heavy Fe within the vein forming fluids, but at this stage it is unclear if this fluid is related to local devolatilisation of the host serpentinite or input from an external source. Debret et al., 2016. Isotopic evidence for iron mobility during subduction. Geology, v. 44, no. 3, pp. 215 -218.

The structure of and origin of nodular chromite from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus, revealed using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography and electron backscatter diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prichard, H. M.; Barnes, S. J.; Godel, B.; Reddy, S. M.; Vukmanovic, Z.; Halfpenny, A.; Neary, C. R.; Fisher, P. C.

2015-03-01

Nodular chromite is a characteristic feature of ophiolitic podiform chromitite and there has been much debate about how it forms. Nodular chromite from the Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus is unusual in that it contains skeletal crystals enclosed within the centres of the nodules and interstitial to them. 3D imaging and electron backscatter diffraction have shown that the skeletal crystals within the nodules are single crystals that are surrounded by a rim of polycrystalline chromite. 3D analysis reveals that the skeletal crystals are partially or completely formed cage or hopper structures elongated along the < 111 > axis. The rim is composed of a patchwork of chromite grains that are truncated on the outer edge of the rim. The skeletal crystals formed first from a magma supersaturated in chromite and silicate minerals crystallised from melt trapped between the chromite skeletal crystal blades as they grew. The formation of skeletal crystals was followed by a crystallisation event which formed a silicate-poor rim of chromite grains around the skeletal crystals. These crystals show a weak preferred orientation related to the orientation of the core skeletal crystal implying that they formed by nucleation and growth on this core, and did not form by random mechanical aggregation. Patches of equilibrium adcumulate textures within the rim attest to in situ development of such textures. The nodules were subsequently exposed to chromite undersaturated magma resulting in dissolution, recorded by truncated grain boundaries in the rim and a smooth outer surface to the nodule. None of these stages of formation require a turbulent magma. Lastly the nodules impinged on each other causing local deformation at points of contact.

Ephemeral magma chambers in the Trinity peridotite, northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannat, Mathilde; Lécuyer, Christophe

1991-02-01

The Trinity Massif comprises the major lithologies of an ophiolite, as defined at the 1972 Penrose conference. Previous studies have shown, however, that it differs from the Semail (Oman) or Table Mountain (Newfoundland) ophiolitic massifs, particularly because its crustal section is thin, and because its mantle section has vertical plastic flow planes. These features have led to an interpretation of the Trinity Massif as a fragment of slow-spreading oceanic lithosphere (Le Sueur et al., 1984; Boudier and Nicolas, 1985). In this paper, we show that the Trinity gabbros occur in discontinuous, kilometre-sized pockets, intrusive into the mantle peridotites. The internal stratigraphy and the petrological characteristics of these gabbros suggest that they formed in short-lived magma chambers. These ephemeral magma chambers developed after the end of the plastic deformation in the surrounding mantle, when it had cooled down to lithospheric temperatures. We discuss the possibility that these small and ephemeral magma chambers formed at a slow-spreading oceanic ridge.

Volcanism in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisk, M. R.

Back-arc and marginal basins make up a significant portion of the earth's crust and they can represent the transition from continental to oceanic crust. The Bransfield Strait is a young marginal basin of the arc-trench system that lies off the northwestern edge of the Antarctic Peninsula. The strait is about 65 km wide and has a maximum water depth of 2000 m. "Active" volcanoes in the Bransfield Strait include two seamounts, which are south of the eastern end of King George Island, and three island volcanoes — Penguin, Deception, and Bridgeman Islands. Alkaline and calc-alkaline suites occur on these islands, and the seamounts are composed of tholeiites and basaltic andesites. This diversity is similar to that found in some back-arc basins, but the Bransfield Strait basalts as a group cannot be classified as back-arc basin or island-arc basalts. The diverse rock types and the chemical similarity of some of the Bransfield Strait basalts to ophiolite basalts suggests that some ophiolites were generated in back-arc basins.

Methane origin in the Samail ophiolite: Comment on "Modern water/rock reactions in Oman hyperalkaline peridotite aquifers and implications for microbial habitability" [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 179 (2016) 217-241

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etiope, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Miller et al. (2016) report a new study of fluids in the peridotites of the Samail ophiolite in Oman related to modern serpentinization (olivine hydration), a process that can provide energy and raw materials for chemosynthetic microbial life. The authors, in particular, report an isotopic composition for methane (CH4) in groundwater near Ibra (up to 1.4 mM) that is unusually 13C-enriched (δ13CCH4 ∼ +2.4 and +3‰ VPDB), and consider the gas origin to be uncertain, i.e., abiotic or microbial, and to be modulated by significant fractionation due to oxidation or diffusion. The purpose of this comment is to clarify and correct a few points concerning the possible origin of the δ13CCH4 values, with the intention to promote a fruitful and constructive debate, considering the interest that there is for serpentinization and the associated formation of various gases.

Widespread abiotic methane in chromitites.

PubMed

Etiope, G; Ifandi, E; Nazzari, M; Procesi, M; Tsikouras, B; Ventura, G; Steele, A; Tardini, R; Szatmari, P

2018-06-07

Recurring discoveries of abiotic methane in gas seeps and springs in ophiolites and peridotite massifs worldwide raised the question of where, in which rocks, methane was generated. Answers will impact the theories on life origin related to serpentinization of ultramafic rocks, and the origin of methane on rocky planets. Here we document, through molecular and isotopic analyses of gas liberated by rock crushing, that among the several mafic and ultramafic rocks composing classic ophiolites in Greece, i.e., serpentinite, peridotite, chromitite, gabbro, rodingite and basalt, only chromitites, characterized by high concentrations of chromium and ruthenium, host considerable amounts of 13 C-enriched methane, hydrogen and heavier hydrocarbons with inverse isotopic trend, which is typical of abiotic gas origin. Raman analyses are consistent with methane being occluded in widespread microfractures and porous serpentine- or chlorite-filled veins. Chromium and ruthenium may be key metal catalysts for methane production via Sabatier reaction. Chromitites may represent source rocks of abiotic methane on Earth and, potentially, on Mars.

Geology of the Bir Nifazi Quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quick, James E.; Bosch, Paul S.

1990-01-01

A north-trending, 10-km-long belt of gossans crops out within the ophiolite beneath the upper-basalt sequence at Jabal Mardah. Reconnaissance drilling indicates that one of the larger gossans is underlain by a steeply dipping, 15-m-thick, sulfide-rich volcanic wacke that averages 1 percent nickel locally. The ore is composed of pyrite, millerite, polydymite, and minor sphalerite that fill interstices between clasts of the wacke and are intimately intergrown with quartz and nickel-rich epidote and chlorite. These textures and assemblages suggest that the sulfides crystallized in situ from infiltrating hydrothermal fluids. Tuffs and basalt flows appear to have acted as impermeable barriers that channeled the hydrothermal fluids through the more permeable wacke where sulfides were deposited. Carbonate-replaced serpentinized peridotite at the base of the ophiolite is considered a potential source for the nickel. In contrast to most nickel deposits, the mineralized rocks at Jabal Mardah have extremely high Ni/Cu (130 to 260) and negligible concentrations (< 5 ppb) of platinum-group elements.

Aqueous Geochemical Dynamics at the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory and The Case for Subsurface Mixing of Regional Groundwaters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardace, D.; Schrenk, M. O.; McCollom, T. M.; Hoehler, T. M.

2017-12-01

Serpentinization is the aqueous alteration (or hydration) of olivine and pyroxene minerals in ultramafic rocks, occurring in the seabed and ultramafic units on continents, such as at the Coast Range Ophiolite (CRO) in northern California, USA. Mineral products of serpentinization include serpentine, magnetite, brucite, talc, oxyhydroxides, carbonates, and diverse clay minerals. Such mineral transformations generate extremely high pH solutions with characteristic cation and dissolved metal loads, transmitting CH4, H2, and CO gas mixtures from depth; deep life in ultramafic terrains is thought to be fueled by chemical energy derived from these geochemical reactions. The installation of 8 groundwater monitoring wells in the CRO has allowed frequent monitoring since 2011. Influx of deeply sourced, serpentinization-influenced waters is evidenced by related geochemical shifts (e.g., pH, oxidation-reduction potential), but is apparently mixing with other, regionally important groundwater types. Evaluation salinity loads in concert with other parameters, we model the mixing scenario of this site of ongoing scientific study and experimentation.

Petrogenesis of Franciscan Complex and Coast Range Ophiolite Serpentinites in northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eldam, R.; Barnes, J.; Lee, C.; Errico, J. C.; Loewy, S. L.; Cisneros, M.

2012-12-01

Franciscan Complex serpentinites have been interpreted as eroded pieces of the overriding Coast Range Ophiolite (CRO), off-scraped pieces of the subducting oceanic plate, and as sedimentary serpentinites (e.g., Wakabayashi, 2004); however, most of these interpretations are based on tectonic models and field relationships. Here we present bulk rock major and trace element geochemistry, pyroxene and spinel geochemistry, and stable isotope data (O, H, Cl) for serpentinite samples with the goal of determining protolith origin and subsequent serpentinizing fluid sources of several metasomatized Franciscan and CRO ultramafic rocks in order to decipher the tectonic setting of serpentinization. We focused on serpentinite bodies found in the Franciscan Complex (west of Cuesta Ridge; south of San Francisco; Tiburon Peninsula; Healdsburg) (n = 12). Three samples from Cuesta Ridge (CRO) were also analyzed for comparison. All samples are >~95% serpentinized and consist of lizardite +/- chrysotile. Relict grains are rarely preserved. Franciscan serpentinites (Tiburon Peninsula, west of Cuesta Ridge) show positive-sloped REE patterns. This depletion in LREE is typical of abyssal peridotites. Relict clinopyroxenes from Tiburon Peninsula have high HREE concentrations, also supporting an abyssal origin. 2 of the 3 samples from the Cuesta Ridge show flat REE patterns; whereas, one is U-shaped. This enrichment in LREE is similar to forearc peridotites. Spinels from Cuesta Ridge have Cr# > 0.60 also implying a forearc setting; whereas, Franciscan localities have typically have lower Cr# (0.21 to 0.51). All samples show remarkable positive Ce and Y anomalies. We speculate that these anomalies may be due to interaction with ferromanganese nodules and crusts (also high in Ce and Y) on the seafloor prior to subduction. Cuesta Ridge samples have δ18O values between +6.0 to +6.6‰. Franciscan serpentinites (except those south of San Francisco) have δ18O values of +5.4 to +7.9‰. These δ18O values are similar to typical oceanic serpentinites and likely represent low-T seawater hydration on the seafloor. δD values of all samples are extremely low (-107 to -90‰) and likely result from post-serpentinization, post-emplacement interaction with meteoric water at low temperature. Samples south of San Francisco lie on the San Andreas fault and have high δ18O values (+7.2 to +9.5‰) and low δD values (-107 to -104‰) likely due to low-T interaction with meteoric water at high fluid-rock ratios. Most of the serpentinites (12 of the 15) have δ37Cl values between +0.2 and +0.9‰, typical values for serpentinites formed by interaction with seawater. Based on bulk rock geochemistry and pyroxene and spinel compositions, serpentinites located within the Franciscan Complex have geochemical characteristics of abyssal peridotites; whereas, those from Cuesta Ridge are more chemically heterogeneous with most having affinity to forearc peridotites. All stable isotope geochemistry indicates seafloor serpentinization by seawater. Wakabayashi, J., 2004, International Geology Review, 46, 1103-1118.

Recycling of ancient subduction-modified mantle domains in the Purang ophiolite (southwestern Tibet)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Xiao-Han; Shi, Ren-Deng; Griffin, W. L.; Huang, Qi-Shuai; Xiong, Qing; Chen, Sheng-Sheng; Zhang, Ming; O'Reilly, Suzanne Y.

2016-10-01

Ophiolites in the Indus-Yarlung Zangbo (IYZ) suture (southern Tibet) have been interpreted as remnants of the Neo-Tethyan lithosphere. However, the discovery of diamonds and super-reducing, ultra-high pressure (SuR-UHP) mineral assemblages (e.g., coesite after stishovite, olivine after wadsleyite, native metals, alloys, and moissanite) in some of these massifs and associated chromitites requires a re-evaluation of their origin and evolution. A new petrological and geochemical study of the Purang ophiolite in the western IYZ suture sheds new lights on these issues. The depleted harzburgites of the Purang massif have low modal contents of clinopyroxene (< 2%), and high Cr# [100*Cr3 +/(Cr3 + + Al3 +)] in spinel (> 40 70) and pyroxenes (> 16 in orthopyroxene, and > 20 in clinopyroxene), suggesting high degrees of melt extraction (> 20%). These features are not consistent with formation in a (ultra-) slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge. These peridotites have high modal contents of orthopyroxene; this, and the extremely high Cr# of spinels in these peridotites, suggests modification in a subduction zone. The clinopyroxene-rich harzburgites and lherzolites contain rare spinel-pyroxene symplectites after garnet. Their clinopyroxenes have low MREE-to-HREE ratios ((Sm/Yb)N < 0.1) at relatively high HREE concentrations, and are Na-rich but Nd-poor. The relatively enrichment of Na but depletion of Nd in clinopyroxene cannot be explained by refertilization with MORB melts but are consistent with an origin from Na-rich subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). All lines of evidence suggest that these peridotites underwent initial melting in the stability field of garnet-facies peridotites, followed by additional melting in the spinel-facies mantle. Whole-rock Os isotopic compositions of the Purang peridotites give ancient TRD model ages (up to 1.3 Ga), indicating that the formation of these ancient depletion residues predated the opening of Neo-Tethyan Ocean. These observations, together with recent studies on other IYZ peridotites, suggest that the Purang peridotites are genetically unrelated to the associated mafic crust. Instead, they represent ancient SCLM domains, initially formed beneath a continental margin, and then modified by subduction, before they were incorporated into the Neo-Tethyan ocean basin. This model is consistent with the deep-mantle-recycling model for the presence of SuR-UHP phases in the IYZ ophiolites. The infiltration of MORB melts through these ancient depleted peridotites during their final exhumation in a (ultra-) slow-spreading center may have refertilized them to produce the clinopyroxene-rich peridotites.

Petro-structural, geochemical and carbon and oxygen isotopic study on carbonates crosscuting the Oman Ophiolite peridotites: evidence of polygenic CO2 trapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noël, J.; Godard, M.; Martinez, I.; Oliot, E.; Williams, M. J.; Rodriguez, O.; Chaduteau, C.; Gouze, P.

2017-12-01

Carbon trapping in ophiolitic peridotites contributes to the global carbon cycle between solid Earth and its outer envelopes (through subduction and/or modern alteration). To investigate this process, we performed petro-structural (microtomography, EBSD, EPMA) and geochemical studies (LA-ICP-MS, carbon and oxygen isotopes on bulk and minerals using SHRIMP) of harzburgites cored in the Oman Ophiolite. Studied harzburgites are highly serpentinized (> 90 %) and crosscut by 3 generations of carbonates (> 20 Vol%) with compositions from calcite to dolomite (Mg/Ca = 0-0.85). Type 1 carbonates are fine penetrative veinlets and mesh core after olivine. They have low REE (e.g., Yb = 0.08-0.23 x CI-chondrite) and negative Ce anomalies. They have δ13CPDB = -15.2 to 1.10‰ and δ18OSMOW = 17.5 to 33.7‰, suggesting precipitation temperatures up to 110°C. Type 2 carbonates are pluri-mm veins bounded by cm-thick serpentinized vein selvages, oriented dominantly parallel to mantle foliation. Dynamic recrystallization is observed, indicating polygenetic formation: well crystallized calcite with REE abundances similar to Type 1 carbonates are locally replaced by small dolomite and calcite grains with higher REE (e.g., Yb = 0.35-1.0 x CI-chondrite) and positive Gd anomaly. Type 2 carbonates have δ13CPDB = -12.6 to -4.1‰ and δ18OSMOW = 25.0 to 32.7‰, suggesting precipitation temperatures from 10 to 60°C. Type 3 carbonates are late pluri-mm to cm veins reactivating Type 2 veins. They consist of small grains of dolomite and calcite with REE abundances similar to recrystallized Type 2 carbonates. Type 3 carbonates have δ13CPDB = -8.3 to -5.8‰ and δ18OSMOW = 28.8 to 32.7‰, suggesting precipitation temperatures <35°C. δ13C data indicate an evolution of fluid composition precipitating carbonates from seawater- and sediment-derived fluids to meteoric water. Carbonate formation starts during oceanic lithospheric cooling and occurs as a penetrative process at the expense of olivine (Type 1, at T > 100°C). Formation of carbonate veins (Type 2) indicates localization of fluid flux, while serpentinization remains the dominant alteration process. Low T carbonate veins (Type 3) remain the main flow path through ophiolitic peridotites. Our study suggests that their orientation is controlled by the later stages of oceanic mantle deformation.

Fragments of deeper parts of the hanging wall mantle preserved as orogenic peridotites in the central belt of the Seve Nappe Complex, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clos, Frediano; Gilio, Mattia; van Roermund, Herman L. M.

2014-04-01

Formation conditions of olivine microstructures are investigated in the Kittelfjäll spinel peridotite (KSP), a fragment of lithospheric mantle which occurs as an isolated body within high grade metamorphic crustal rocks of the Seve Nappe Complex (SNC), southern Västerbotten, central Sweden. The KSP is an orogenic peridotite containing a well developed penetrative compositional layering, defined by highly depleted dunite with olivine Mg# (100 × Mg/Mg + Fe) of 92.0-93.5 and harzburgite with lower Mg# (91.0-92.5). Dunite is characterized by three contrasting olivine microstructures formed in response to different tectonometamorphic events: Coarse-grained, highly strained olivine porphyroclasts (M1) up to 20 cm long are surrounded by dynamically recrystallized olivine grains (M2) defining a characteristic olivine "foam" microstructure (grain size: 200-2000 μm). An olivine "mortar" (M3) microstructure (10-50 μm) forms a penetrative fabric element only in strongly localized, cm-to-m sized shear zones that crosscut earlier structures/foliations. Olivine fabric analysis in synergy, with mineralogical and chemical analyses, reveals that the KSP body represents old, possibly Archean, sub-continental lithospheric mantle that was crustally emplaced into the Caledonian tectonic edifice from the hanging wall mantle during exhumation of the subducted Seve Nappe Complex (Jämtlandian orogeny ~ 454 Ma). Olivine porphyroclasts (M1) grew at high temperature during dominant isobaric cooling after extensive polybaric melt extraction (> 40%) and subsequent refertilization. The onset of the early Caledonian deformation is interpreted to be related to the crustal emplacement of the KSP during eduction of the SNC. This phase is characterized by the development of the olivine M2 foam microstructure, formed at 650-830 °C/1-2 GPa by dislocation creep processes producing an E-type CPO's by the operation of the [100](001) and subordinate [001](100) slip systems with operating flow stress levels around 8-48 MPa. In contrast the M3 olivine "mortar" microstructure formed at 550-600 °C/0.45-0.6 GPa and represents deformation after the subducted slab had returned to shallow crustal levels. It is proposed here that the presence of a penetrative olivine M2 "foam" microstructure can be used as an easy tool in the field to discriminate between mantle wedge (i.e. sub-continental affinity), ophiolite (i.e. sub-oceanic affinity), and/or hyper-extensional peridotite in the Scandinavian Caledonides. The latter two peridotite subtypes may have similar M2 microstructures, but exclusively restricted to the structural base of the bodies. Alternatively in basal parts of ophiolites, M3 microstructures directly overprint coarser grained proto-granular olivine microstructures.

The pre-Mesozoic tectonic unit division of the Xing-Meng orogenic belt (XMOB)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Bei; Zhao, Pan

2014-05-01

According to the viewpoint that the paleo-Asian ocean closed by the end of early Paleozoic and extended during the late Paleozoic, a pre-Mesozoic tectonic unit division has been suggested. Five blocks and four sutures have been recognized in the pre-Devonia stage, the five blocks are called Erguna (EB), Xing'an (XB), Airgin Sum-Xilinhot (AXB), Songliao-Hunshandak (SHB) and Jiamusi (JB) blocks and four sutures, Xinlin-Xiguitu (XXS), Airgin Sum-Xilinhot-Heihe (AXHS), Ondor Sum-Jizhong-Yanji (OJYS) and Mudanjiang (MS) sutures. The EB contains the Precambrian base with the ages of 720-850Ma and ɛHf(T)=+2.5to +8.1. The XB is characterized by the Paleoproterozoic granitic gneiss with ɛHf(T)=-3.9 to -8.9. Several ages from 1150 to 1500 Ma bave been acquired in the AXB, proving presence of old block that links with Hutag Uul block in Mongolia to the west. The Paleoproterozoic (1.8-1.9Ga) and Neoproterozoic (750-850Ma) ages have been reported from southern and eastern parts of the SHB, respectively. As a small block in east margin of the XMOB, the JB outcrops magmatite and granitic gneiss bases with ages of 800-1000Ma. The XXS is marked by blueschists with zircon ages of 490-500Ma in Toudaoqiao village, ophiolites in Xiguitu County and granite with ages of about 500Ma along the northern segment of XXS. The AXHS is characterized by the early Paleozoic arc magmatic rocks with ages from 430Ma to 490Ma, mélange and the late Devonia molass basins, which indicates a northward subduction of the SHB beneath the AXB during the early-middle Paleozoic. The OJYS is composed of the early Paleozoic volcanic rocks, diorites and granites with ages of 425-475Ma, blueschists, ophiolitic mélange, the late Silurian flysch and Early-Middle Devonian molasses in western segment, granites (420-450Ma) in middle segment, and plagiogranites (443Ma) and the late Silurian molasses in eastern segment. This suture was caused by a southward subduction of the SHB beneath the North China block. The MS is between the SHB and JB, marked by the three phase granites of 485, 450 and 425Ma in the SHB. Tectonic units of the middle Devonian-Carboniferous tectonic stage include the middle-late Devonian continental basin, Carboniferious continental and epeiric sea basin, intrusive and irruptive igneous rock belt with ages from 300Ma to 330Ma containing granites, diorites, gabbros and biomodal volcanic rocks, and early Carboniferious ophiolites of 330-350Ma in Hegenshan and Erenhot. The Permian tectonic units can be divided into continental rift belt, ophiolite belt, alkaline rock belt and "red sea"-like ocean basin, which indicates an continuous extension environment during the Permian. The continental rift belt is composed of thick continental sedimentary rocks containing plant fossils, biomodal volcanic rocks (270-290Ma). The alkaline rocks can be divided into north and south belts by their distribution. The Solonker ophiolite is a thrust sheet that is inserted in a thrust stack containing the Upper Carboniferious epeiric sea clastic rocks and carbornates. The "red sea"-like ocean basin is characterized by basalt sequences with ages of 246-260Ma, which shows an affinity to E-MORB and a tendency towards OIB.

P-T evolution of slivers of garnet-bearing micaschist in the sole of the Western Vardar Ophiolite Unit at Brezovica, Kosovo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massonne, Hans-Joachim; Koller, Friedrich; Onuzi, Kujtim

2016-04-01

Rocks of the metamorphic sole of ophiolite complexes are regarded as an important factor to understand the process of obduction of former oceanic lithosphere on top of continental crust. The metamorphic evolution of these rocks can give, for instance, hints at the thickness of the obducted oceanic lithosphere. We have started to study the sole of the Western Vardar Ophiolitic Unit at the municipality of Bresovica, Kosovo. This unit is regarded as part of the former Vardar Ocean, a branch of the Neotethys, which was obducted onto the margin of the Adriatic microplate in Jurassic times. The sole in our study area, below strongly serpentinized ultramafic rocks, is characterized by a melange of various rock types, which are of medium metamorphic grade only in the vicinity of the ultramafic rocks. Our field work resulted in the recognition of several slivers of garnet-bearing micaschist among these medium-grade rocks which are dominated by amphibolite. In such a medium-grade rock from Bresovica the mineral assemblage talc + phengite was reported (Abraham and Schreyer, 1976, J. Petrol. 17, 421-439), which turned out by experiments in a piston-cylinder apparatus to be a high-pressure (HP: > 10 kbar) assemblage (Massonne and Schreyer, 1989, Eur. J. Mineral. 1, 391-410). We studied a garnet-bearing micaschist in detail. Elemental mapping and spot analyses of garnet obtained with an electron microprobe yielded core compositions of Alm0.695Gross(+Andr)0.11Pyr0.185Spes0.01. The composition of the garnet rim is Alm0.71Gross(+Andr)0.065Pyr0.21Spes0.015. On the basis of the bulk-rock composition of the micaschist, a P-T pseudosection was constructed with PERPLEX in the system K-Na-Ca-Mg-Mn-Fe-Al-Si-Ti-O-H. This pseudosection was contoured by isopleths for various parameters among them were the molar fractions of garnet components. According to such isopleths and the compositional variation of garnet, a more or less isobaric heating is likely. This heating to 650 °C has occurred at a pressure of 11.5 kbar, which is compatible with the aforementioned talc + phengite assemblage. We think that the recognized HP metamorphism of the studied micaschist was caused by the load of the obducting oceanic lithosphere, which must have been as thick as 35 km. Heating of the overridden rocks during this obduction process resulted in the release of H2O, which hydrated the mantle rocks at the base of the obducting oceanic lithosphere. An alternative model, which assigned the location of the hydration to the mantle wedge overlying a subduction zone, was abandoned also because of the existence of higher levels of oceanic crust, such as pillow lavas, in the preserved oceanic lithosphere close to the Brezovica region.

Marine magnetic survey and onshore gravity and magnetic survey, San Pablo Bay, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.; Denton, Kevin M.; Watt, Janet T.

2016-09-12

IntroductionFrom November 2011 to August 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected more than 1,000 line-kilometers (length of lines surveyed in kilometers) of marine magnetic data on San Pablo Bay, 98 onshore gravity stations, and over 27 line-kilometers of ground magnetic data in northern California. Combined magnetic and gravity investigations were undertaken to study subsurface geologic structures as an aid in understanding the geologic framework and earthquake hazard potential in the San Francisco Bay Area. Furthermore, marine magnetic data illuminate local subsurface geologic features in the shallow crust beneath San Pablo Bay where geologic exposure is absent.Magnetic and gravity methods, which reflect contrasting physical properties of the subsurface, are ideal for studying San Pablo Bay. Exposed rock units surrounding San Pablo Bay consist mainly of Jurassic Coast Range ophiolite, Great Valley sequence, Franciscan Complex rocks, Miocene sedimentary rocks, and unconsolidated alluvium (Graymer and others, 2006). The contrasting magnetic and density properties of these rocks enable us to map their subsurface extent.

Offshore S. Cuba -- Quaternary lobsters and Eocene reefs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rebora, M.

When Cuba is mentioned, the first image that comes to an explorationist's mind is one of complex imbricated thrust sheets, fractured carbonate reservoirs, volcanics and ophiolitic, and heavy and high sulfur oil. It is now known that this stimulating'' scenario does not apply to the whole of Cuba but only to the northern and central part where plate collisions and robust wrench tectonics exacted their toll on sediments and hydrocarbons alike. Seismic data recently acquired by Taurus Petroleum off the southern coast of Cuba reveal a rather different scenario: Mesozoic sediments several thousands of meters thick, deformed by moderate wrenchmore » tectonics into low-relief flower structures, and overlain by a variety of Paleogene shelf edge reefs, atolls, and banks that look as if reproduced from the pages of AAPG's Memoir 57. The whole is topped by Oligocene and Miocene evaporites, shales, and carbonates. The paper describes the southern shelf area, exploration in Cuba, reefs, oil and gas shows, source rocks, reservoir rocks, seals, and potential reserves.« less

Plate-boundary kinematics in the Alps: Motion in the Arosa suture zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ring, Uwe; Ratschbacher, Lothar; Frisch, Wolfgang

1988-08-01

The Arosa zone forms a melange complex along the Penninic/Austroalpine boundary and belongs to the main Alpine suture zone. Accretion and plate collision occurred during Cretaceous and lower Tertiary time. A mixture of ophiolitic rocks and pelagic sediments is imbricated with flysch and blocks of Austroalpine (continental) derivation. We present a description of deformation structures, an analysis of strain, and a kinematic interpretation based on structural work. Deformation histories of imbricates show a translation path that was west-directed between ca. 110 and 50 Ma and north-directed thereafter. The kinematics of the Arosa zone agrees with the recently deduced displacement history of the Austroalpine units in the Eastern Alps during the Cretaceous orogeny. This calls for a predominantly top-to-the-west imbrication of Austroalpine and Penninic units and is in contradiction to what is inferred in most models of the Eastern Alps. A direct relation between the deformation along the Austroalpine margin and relative plate motion existed.

Late Palaeozoic-Cenozoic assembly of the Tethyan orogen in the light of evidence from Greece and Albania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, A. H. F.

2012-04-01

The objective here is to use the geology and tectonics of a critical part of the Tethyan orogen, represented by Greece and Albania, to shed light on the tectonic development of Tethys on a regional, to global scale, particularly the history of convergence during Late Palaeozoic to Cenozoic time. For Carboniferous time much evidence suggests that the Korabi-Pelagonian crustal unit as exposed in Albania and Greece formed above a northward-dipping subduction zone along the Eurasia continental margin, with Palaeotethys to the south. However, there is also some evidence of southward subduction beneath Gondwana especially from southern Greece and central southern Turkey. Palaeotethys is inferred to have closed in Europe as far to the east as the longitude of Libya, while remaining open beyond this. There is still uncertainty about the Pangea A-type reconstruction that would restore all of the present units in the area to within the E Mediterranean region, versus the Pangea B-type reconstruction that would require right-lateral displacement of exotic terranes, by up to 3,500 km eastwards. In either reconstruction, fragments of the Variscan collisional orogen are likely to have been displaced eastwards (variable distances) in the Balkan region prior to Late Permian-Early Triassic time. From ~Late Permian, the Greece-Albania crustal units were located in their present relative position within Tethys as a whole. From the mid-Permian, onwards the northern margin of Gondwana was affected by crustal extension. A Mesozoic ocean (Pindos-Mirdita ocean) then rifted during Early-Middle Triassic time, culminating in final continental break-up and seafloor spreading during the Late Triassic (Carnian-Norian). Subduction-influenced volcanics of mainly Early-Middle Triassic age probably reflect the extraction of magma from sub-continental lithosphere that was enriched in subduction-related fluids and volatiles during an earlier, ?Variscan subduction event. The existence of Upper Triassic mid-ocean ridge-type igneous rocks, known locally in Albania and Greece, points to rifting of a Red Sea-type oceanic basin rather than a back-arc basin related to contemporaneous subduction. After initial, inferred slow spreading at an Upper Triassic, rifted ocean ridge and spreading during the Early Jurassic, the ocean basin underwent regional convergence. Subduction was initiated at, or near, a spreading axis perhaps adjacent to an oceanic fracture zone. The Jurassic supra-subduction zone-type ophiolites of both Greece and Albania largely relate to melting of rising asthenosphere in the presence of volatiles (water) that originated from subducting oceanic lithosphere. High-magnesian boninite-type magmas that are present in both the Albanian and Greece ophiolites and some underlying melanges reflect remelting of previously depleted oceanic upper mantle. Localised MOR-type ophiolites of Late Middle Jurassic age, mainly exposed in NE Albania, were created at a rifted spreading axis. The amphibolite-facies metamorphic sole of the ophiolites was mainly derived from oceanic crust (including within-plate type seamounts), whereas the underlying lower-grade, greenschist facies sole was mainly sourced from the rifted continental margin. The melange, dismembered thrust sheets and polymict debris flows ("olistostromes") beneath the ophiolites formed by accretion and gravity reworking of continental margin units. The in situ radiolarian chert cover of the ophiolites in northern Albania is overlain by polymict debris flows ("olistostromes"). Pelagic carbonate deposition followed during Tithonian-Berriasian time and then restoration of a regional carbonate platform during the Cretaceous. Exhumation of deeply buried parts of the over-ridden continental margin probably took place during the Early Cretaceous. Structural evidence, mainly from northern Greece (Vourinos, Pindos and Othris areas), indicates that the ophiolites, the metamorphic sole, the accretionary melange, and the underlying continental margin units were all deformed by top-to-the-northeast thrusting during Late Middle-Early Late Jurassic time. However, such kinematic evidence is not obviously replicated in Albania, where there are reports of ~southwest-directed (or variable) emplacement. Remaining Pindos-Mirdita oceanic crust subducted ~southwestwards during Late Cretaceous-Eocene time, while oceanic crust continued to form in the south-Aegean region at least locally during Late Cretaceous time. During Early Cenozoic time the Pindos-Mirdita ocean closed progressively southwards, triggering mainly southward progradation of turbidites derived from the over-riding Korabi-Pelagonian microcontinent. Smaller volumes of sediment were also derived from the Apulia (Adria) continent. The Mesohellenic Trough of Greece and its counterpart in Albania evolved from an Eocene fore-arc-type basin above subducting oceanic lithosphere to a thrust-top basin as continental crust continued to underthrust during the Oligocene after final closure of the Pindos-Mirdita ocean. Miocene and Plio-Quaternary successor flexural foredeeps developed in response to continuing regional plate convergence. The preferred tectonic alternatives are assembled into a new overall tectonic model, which in turn needs to be tested and developed in the light of future studies. Reference: Robertson, A.H.F. Tectonic development of Greece and Albania in the context of alternative reconstructions of Tethys in the Eastern Mediterranean region during Late Palaeozoic-Cenozoic time. International Geological Review, in press.

The role of ophiolite in metallogeny of the Sikhote-Alin region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazachenko, V. T.; Perevoznikova, E. V.; Lavrik, S. N.; Skosareva, N. V.

2012-06-01

Metalliferous sediments of the Triassic siliceous formation of the Sikhote-Alin (manganese-silicate rocks and cherts with dispersed rhodochrosite, silicate-magnetite ores, and jasper) and skarns of the Dalnegorsk and Olginsk ore districts were initially the wash away products (Late Anisian-end of the Triassic) of the lateritic weathering crust on ophiolite in the islands. Manganese, iron, and other metals were deposited in the sediments of both lagoons (present-day, skarns) and island water areas (manganese-silicate and siliceousrhodochrosite rocks, silicate-magnetite ores, and jasper). Skarns contain boric and polymetallic ores thus indicating the occurrence of both shallow (periodically drying up) and quite deep (with hydrogen sulfide contamination zones) lagoons. Lead was deposited in protoliths of the skarn deposits in lagoons from the beginning of the Carboniferous to the beginning of the Late Anisian (initial island submergence). Tin, tin-leadzinc (with Ag), and silver-lead-zinc (with Sn and Au) vein deposits (Late Cretaceous-Paleogene) of the Taukha and Zhuravlevka Terrains contain lead deposited in the sediments flanking the islands of water areas with the hydrogen sulfide contamination zones, in the Carboniferous-Permian and Triassic metalliferous sediments.

Oman Ophiolite Structural Constraints Complement Models of Crustal Accretion at the EAST Pacific RISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolas, A. A.; Jousselin, D.; Boudier, F. I.

2014-12-01

This review documents significant similarities between East Pacific Rise (EPR), especially EPR at 9°-10°N and the Oman ophiolites. Both share comparable fast spreading rates, size and their dominant source of information that is mainly geophysical in EPR and structural in Oman. In these respects, they are remarkably complementary. Mantle upwelling zones at the EPR and mantle diapirs in Oman have a similar size and spacing. They punctually introduce basaltic melt and heat in the accreting crust, thus controlling elementary segments structure and activity. A tent-shaped magma chamber fits onto the diapir head, the top of which is a Mantle Transition Zone (MTZ) that stores, modifies, and injects the modified melt into the upper Axial Melt Lens (AML) beneath the lid. This MTZ-AML connection is central in crustal accretion, as documented in Oman. Heat from the diapir is captured above the Moho by the magma chamber and escapes through its walls, into a thin thermal boundary layer that bounds the chamber. Beyond, seawater at lower temperatures feeds smokers on the seafloor.

Geology and origin of the late Proterozoic Darb Zubaydah ophiolite, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quick, J.E.

1990-01-01

The Darb Zubaydah ophiolite, north-central Arabian Shield, preserves a largely intact section consisting of ultramafic rocks, gabbro, diabase, granodiorite, and interbedded volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Formation of these rocks within or near an island arc is indicated by the absence of pelagic sediments and the abundance of pillow basalt, turbiditic sediments, lahar deposits, and basaltic to rhyolitic tuff. The oldest extrusive rocks formed in a young, relatively unevolved island arc or in a back-arc basin sufficiently close to an arc to receive calc-alkaline lava flows and coarse-grained, arc-derived detritus. Overlying turbidites and lahar deposits of the Kaffan sandstone point to the initiation of a rifting event. High-Ti basalts, which erupted above the Kaffan sandstone, and related diabase are interpreted to be magmatic products of incipient intra-arc rifting. Renewed arc volcanism produced calc-alkaline volcanic rocks that interfingered with the high-Ti basalt and later dominated the section as the volcanic apron of the arc prograded basinward. Extrusion of voluminous calc-alkaline tuff may have been contemporaneous with intrusion of granodiorite and gravity-driven landsliding. -from Author

Aeromagnetic and aeromagnetic-based geologic maps of the Coastal Belt, Franciscan Complex, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Jachens, R.C.; McLaughlin, R.J.

2011-01-01

The Coastal belt of the Franciscan Complex represents a Late Cretaceous to Miocene accretionary prism and overlying slope deposits. Its equivalents may extend from the offshore outer borderland of southern California to north of the Mendocino Triple Junction under the Eel River Basin and in the offshore of Cascadia. The Coastal belt is exposed on land in northern California, yet its structure and stratigraphy are incompletely known because of discontinuous exposure, structural disruption, and lithologically non-distinctive clastic rocks. The intent of this report is to make available, in map form, aeromagnetic data covering the Coastal belt that provide a new dataset to aid in mapping, understanding, and interpreting the incompletely understood geology and structure in northern California.The newly merged aeromagnetic data over the Coastal belt of the Franciscan Complex reveal long, linear anomalies that indicate remarkably coherent structure within a terrane where mapping at the surface indicates complex deformation and that has been described as "broken formation" and, even locally as "mélange". The anomalies in the Coastal belt are primarily sourced by volcanic-rich graywackes and exotic blocks of basalt. Some anomalies along the contact of the Coastal belt with the Central belt are likely caused by local interleaving of components of the Coast Ranges ophiolite. These data can be used to map additional exotic blocks within the Coastal belt and to distinguish lithologically indistinct graywackes within the Coastal terrane. Using anomaly asymmetry allows projection of these "layers" into the subsurface. This analysis indicates predominant northeast dips consistent with tectonic interleaving of blocks within a subduction zone.

A New Model of the Early Paleozoic Tectonics and Evolutionary History in the Northern Qinling, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yunpeng; Zhang, Guowei; Yang, Zhao; Qu, Hongjun; Liu, Xiaoming

2010-05-01

The Qinling Orogenic Belt extends from the Qinling Mountains in the west to the Dabie Mountains in the east. It lies between the North China and South China Blocks, and is bounded on the north by the Lushan fault and on the south by the Mianlue-Bashan-Xiangguang fault (Zhang et al., 2000). The Qinling Orogenic Belt itself is divided into the North and South Qinling Terranes by the Shangdan suture zone. Although the Shangdan zone is thought to represent the major suture separating the two blocks, there still exists debate about the timing and mechanism of convergence between these two blocks. For instance, some authors suggested an Early Paleozoic collision between the North China Block and South China Block (Ren et al., 1991; Kroner et al., 1993; Zhai et al., 1998). Others postulated left-lateral strike-slip faulting along the Shangdan suture at ca. 315 Ma and inferred a pre-Devonian collision between the two blocks (Mattauer et al., 1985; Xu et al., 1988). Geochemistry of fine-grained sediments in the Qinling Mountains was used to argue for a Silurian-Devonian collision (Gao et al., 1995). A Late Triassic collision has also been proposed (Sengor, 1985; Hsu et al., 1987; Wang et al., 1989), based on the formation of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks in the easternmost part of the Qinling Orogenic Belt at ~230 Ma (e.g., Li et al., 1993; Ames et al., 1996). Paleomagnetic data favor a Late Triassic-Middle Jurassic amalgamation of the North China and South China Blocks (Zhao and Coe, 1987; Enkin et al., 1992). It is clear that most authors thought that the Qinling Mountains are a collisional orogen, even they have different methods about the timing of the orogeny. Based on new detailed investigations, we propose a new model of the Early Paleozoic Tectonics and Evolutionary History between the North China and South China Blocks along the Shangdan Suture. The Shangdan suture is marked by a great number of ophiolites, island-arc volcanic rocks and other related rock assemblages. Our new geological and geochemical data revealed a lot of ophiolitic mélanges along the Shangdan suture, such as the Guojiagou, Ziyu, Xiaowangjian, Yanwan, Tangzang, Guanzizhen and Wushan areas from east to west. The ophiolite assemblage in Guojiagou, Ziyu area consists mainly of some blocks of E-MORB type and IAB-type basalts, while the pillow lavas from Xiaowangjian are IAB-type basalts. The basalts from the ophiolite assemblages in Yanwan, Tangzang and Wushan areas possess E-MORB geochemical compositions. The zircons of gabbro from Yanwan ophiolite mélange yield an U-Pb age of 516±3.8 Ma, which represents the formation age of the Yanwan ophiolite. Meanwhile, the basalts in the Guanzizhen ophiolite mélange show N-MORB type geochemical signature, and the zircons from gabbro yield a U-Pb age of 471±1.4 Ma, which constraints the formation age of the mature oceanic crust. Additionally, there also exists a U-Pb age of 523±26 Ma (Lu et al.,2003) and Cambrian-Ordovician radiolarites from the interlayed silicarites within the volcanic rock in the Guojiagou ophiolite mélange (Cui et al., 1995). All these geochemical and geochronological evidences indicate that there existed an oceanic basin and its subduction, which separated the Northern China Block from the Southern China Block during 523 -471 Ma. Accordant with this ocean and its subduction, there had been existed an active continental margin, island-arc setting on the north side of the Shangdan ophiolite mélange which were marked by a series of moderate-basic intrude igneous mass along the Sifangtai-Lajimiao area (Li et al., 1993) and the Fushui area (Dong et al., 1997). In addition to, there also exist a great number of subduction-collisional granites intruding into island-arc basement along the active continental margin. Zircons from the Fushui intrusion yield a U-Pb age of 514±1.3 Ma (Chen et al., 2004), which constraints the time of the subduction. Above all, more and more data suggest that there exists a back-arc basin on the northern side of the island-arc terrain. To the east, it is presented by the Erlangping group in Xixia area, which consists mainly of clastic sediments, carbonatites and basic volcanic rocks. The geochemistry of the basalts show that they were formed in a back-arc basin setting (Sun et al.,1996), and the radiolarites from the interlayed silicalites show the Orovician-Silurian age (Wang et al., 1995). Our new investigation reveals some new tectonic assemblages exposed in the Yinggerzui area, Qinghusi area to the west. The detailed geochemical studies indicate that they were formed in a back-arc basin. All above evidences suggest that there had existed an Early Paleozoic subduction system, which consists of a subduction trench, island-Arc and back-arc basin along the northern Qinling zone. It is also indicated that the Paleo-ocean had been evolved into a complete evolutionary process including initial spreading (E-MORB ophiolite), maturated extension (N-MORB ophiolite) and subduction (Island-arc volcanic rocks). However, it is notable that there are large scale of Devonian clastic sediments distributing on the south of the Shangdan suture, and the pre-Mesozoic rocks in the South Qinling without any metamorphism or just underwent the low-greenschist facies metamorphism in some places, which are very different from the North Qinling Terrane consisting mainly of Precambrian rocks and evolving into an amphibolite facies metamorphism at ~1.0 Ga and greenschist facies metamorphism at ~400 Ma (Liu et al., 1993; Zhang et al., 1994). Accordingly, it is prefer that there only occurred a subduction of the Shangdan oceanic crust from south to north along the Shangdan suture on the south of the Northern Qinling Terrane. However, the Piaochi and the Anjiping granites possessing the sym-collisional type granite geochemistry and formation age of 450-486 (Chen et al., 1991; zhang et al., 1996) indicate that there occurred a collisional event between the North Qinling Island-arc Terrane and the Northern China Block caused by closing of the Early Paleozoic back-arc basin. Additionally, the studies of the metamorphism show that there are two zones of high / ultra-high pressure metamorphic rocks outcropping along the both side of the Northern Qingling island-arc terrane. On the north, it is characterized by eclogite and coesite outcropping in the Guanpo area, and the metamorphic zircon U-Pb age of 507±38 Ma and 509±12 Ma by means of SHRIM (Yang et al., 2002). Meanwhile, there also exist some high pressure basic granulite (Liu et al., 1995) and felsic granulite (Liu et al., 1996) distributing in the Xigou fault on the south margin of the Northern Qingling island-arc terrane. Zircon U-Pb ages of 485±3.3 Ma by means of LA－ICP－MS method (Chen et al., 2004) and 518±12 Ma by means of SHRIM (Liu et al., 2003) constrain the time of the metamorphism. All these metamorphic data suggest the Northern Qingling island-arc terrane had been evolved into a deep subduction event during 485-518 Ma. Based on all above evidences, we infer a new model about the tectonics and evolutionary history of the Norhtern Qinling Terrane. It is emphasized that the Early Paleozoic tectonics between the North China and Southern China Blocks had existed an ocean, island-arc and back-arc basin, and evolved into four stages of evolutionary stages: 1) initial spreading along the Shangdan zone during 516-523 Ma; 2) maturated ocean along the Shangdan zone during 516-471 Ma; 3) subduction along the south side of the Northern Qinling Terrane and formation of the Back-arc basin along the north side of the Northern Qinling Terrane during518-514; 4) closing of the back-arc basin, collision between the Northern Qingling island-arc terrane and the Northern China Block, and deep subduction of the Northern Qingling island-arc terrane during 518-485Ma. This work was supported by NSFC (40772140 & 40972140)

Do supercontinents introvert or extrovert?: Sm-Nd isotope evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brendan Murphy, J.; Damian Nance, R.

2003-10-01

In recent years, two end-member models for the formation of supercontinents have emerged. In the classical Wilson cycle, oceanic crust generated during supercontinent breakup (the interior ocean) is consumed during subsequent amalgamation so that the supercontinent turns “inside in” (introversion). Alternatively, following supercontinent breakup, the exterior margins of the dispersing continental fragments collide during reassembly so that the supercontinent turns “outside in” (extroversion). These end-member models can be distinguished by comparing the Sm-Nd crust-formation ages of accreted mafic complexes (e.g., ophiolites) in the collisional orogens formed during supercontinent assembly with the breakup age of the previous supercontinent. For supercontinents generated by introversion, these crust-formation ages postdate rifting of the previous supercontinent. For supercontinents generated by extroversion, the oceanic lithosphere consumed during reassembly predates breakup of the previous supercontinent, so that crust-formation ages of accreted mafic complexes are older than the age of rifting. In the Paleozoic Appalachian-Caledonide-Variscan orogen, a key collisional orogen in the assembly of Pangea, crust-formation ages of accretionary mafic complexes postdate the formation of the Iapetus Ocean (i.e., are younger than ca. 0.6 Ga), suggesting supercontinent reassembly by introversion. By contrast, the Neoproterozoic East African and Brasiliano orogens, which formed during the amalgamation of Gondwana, are characterized by mafic complexes with crust-formation ages (ca. 0.75 1.2 Ga) that predate the ca. 750 Ma breakup of Rodinia. Hence, these complexes must have formed from lithosphere in the exterior ocean that surrounded Rodinia, implying that this ocean was consumed during the amalgamation of Gondwana. These data indicate that Pangea and Gondwana were formed by introversion and extroversion, respectively, implying that supercontinents can be assembled by fundamentally distinct geodynamic processes.

Origin of peralkaline granites of Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radain, A. A. M.; Fyfe, W. S.; Kerrich, R.

1982-01-01

Small volumes of peralkaline granites were generated as the final phase of a Pan African calc-alkaline igneous event which built the Arabian Peninsula. The peralkaline granites are closely associated with trends or sutures related to ophiolites. Peralkaline rocks are chemically heterogeneous, with anomalous abundances of Zr (average 2,150 ppm±2,600 1σ), Y (200±190), and Nb (105±100), representing up to ten-fold enrichments of these elements relative to abundances in calc alkaline granite counterparts. Large enrichments of some rare earth elements and fluorine are also present. The peralkaline granites have scattered whole rock 18O values, averaging 8.7±0.6% in the Hadb Aldyaheen Complex and 10.7±1% in the Jabal Sayid Complex. Quartz-albite fractionations of 0.5 to 1.5% signify that the heavier whole rock δ-values probably represent the oxygen isotope composition of the peralkaline magma. Small variable enrichments of 18O, in conjunction with slightly elevated 87Sr/86Sr initial ratios relative to broadly contemporaneous calc alkaline granites, are both suggestive of a small degree of involvement of crustal, or crustal derived material in the peralkaline magmas. It is proposed that the peculiar magma genesis is associated with a relaxation event which followed continental collision and underthrusting of salt rich sediments.

Jurassic-Paleogene intraoceanic magmatic evolution of the Ankara Mélange, north-central Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarifakioglu, E.; Dilek, Y.; Sevin, M.

2014-02-01

Oceanic rocks in the Ankara Mélange along the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone (IAESZ) in north-central Anatolia include locally coherent ophiolite complexes (∼ 179 Ma and ∼ 80 Ma), seamount or oceanic plateau volcanic units with pelagic and reefal limestones (96.6 ± 1.8 Ma), metamorphic rocks with ages of 256.9 ± 8.0 Ma, 187.4 ± 3.7 Ma, 158.4 ± 4.2 Ma, and 83.5 ± 1.2 Ma indicating northern Tethys during the late Paleozoic through Cretaceous, and subalkaline to alkaline volcanic and plutonic rocks of an island arc origin (∼ 67-63 Ma). All but the arc rocks occur in a shale-graywacke and/or serpentinite matrix, and are deformed by south-vergent thrust faults and folds that developed in the middle to late Eocene due to continental collisions in the region. Ophiolitic volcanic rocks have mid-ocean ridge (MORB) and island arc tholeiite (IAT) affinities showing moderate to significant large ion lithophile elements (LILE) enrichment and depletion in Nb, Hf, Ti, Y and Yb, which indicate the influence of subduction-derived fluids in their melt evolution. Seamount/oceanic plateau basalts show ocean island basalt (OIB) affinities. The arc-related volcanic rocks, lamprophyric dikes and syenodioritic plutons exhibit high-K shoshonitic to medium- to high-K calc-alkaline compositions with strong enrichment in LILE, rare earth elements (REE) and Pb, and initial ɛNd values between +1.3 and +1.7. Subalkaline arc volcanic units occur in the northern part of the mélange, whereas the younger alkaline volcanic rocks and intrusions (lamprophyre dikes and syenodioritic plutons) in the southern part. The late Permian, Early to Late Jurassic, and Late Cretaceous amphibole-epidote schist, epidote-actinolite, epidote-chlorite and epidote-glaucophane schists represent the metamorphic units formed in a subduction channel in the northern Neotethys. The Middle to Upper Triassic neritic limestones spatially associated with the seamount volcanic rocks indicate that the northern Neotethys was an open ocean with its MORB-type oceanic lithosphere by the early Triassic (or earlier). The latest Cretaceous-early Paleocene island arc volcanic, dike and plutonic rocks with subalkaline to alkaline geochemical affinities represent intraoceanic magmatism that developed on and across the subduction-accretion complex above a N-dipping, southward-rolling subducted lithospheric slab within the northern Neotethys. The Ankara Mélange thus exhibits the record of ∼ 120-130 million years of oceanic magmatism in geological history of the northern Neotethys.

Miocene transgression in the central and eastern parts of the Sivas Basin (Central Anatolia, Turkey) and the Cenozoic palaeogeographical evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poisson, André; Vrielynck, Bruno; Wernli, Roland; Negri, Alessandra; Bassetti, Maria-Angela; Büyükmeriç, Yesim; Özer, Sacit; Guillou, Hervé; Kavak, Kaan S.; Temiz, Haluk; Orszag-Sperber, Fabienne

2016-01-01

We present here a reappraisal of the tectonic setting, stratigraphy and palaeogeography of the central part of the Sivas Basin from Palaeocene to late Miocene. The Sivas Basin is located in the collision zone between the Pontides (southern Eurasia) and Anatolia (a continental block rifted from Gondwana). The basin overlies ophiolites that were obducted onto Anatolia from Tethys to the north. The Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC) experienced similar ophiolite obduction during Campanian time, followed by exhumation and thrusting onto previously emplaced units during Maastrichtian time. To the east, crustal extension related to exhumation of the CACC created grabens during the early Tertiary, including the Sivas Basin. The Sivas Basin underwent several tectonic events during Paleogene-Neogene. The basin fill varies, with several sub-basins, each being characterised by a distinctive sequence, especially during Oligocene and Miocene. Evaporite deposition in the central part of the basin during early Oligocene was followed by mid-late Oligocene fluvio-lacustrine deposition. The weight of overlying fluvial sediments triggered salt tectonics and salt diapir formation. Lacustrine layers that are interbedded within the fluviatile sediments have locally yielded charophytes of late Oligocene age. Emergent areas including the pre-existing Sivas Basin and neighbouring areas were then flooded from the east by a shallow sea, giving rise to a range of open-marine sub-basins, coralgal reef barriers and subsiding, restricted-marine sub-basins. Utilising new data from foraminifera, molluscs, corals and nannoplankton, the age of the marine transgression is reassessed as Aquitanian. Specifically, age-diagnostic nannoplankton assemblages of classical type occur at the base of the transgressive sequence. However, classical stratigraphic markers have not been found within the planktic foraminiferal assemblages, even in the open-marine settings. In the restricted-marine sediments, there are rich planktic foraminiferal assemblages of classical type but these are of little use in stratigraphy. In contrast, the gastropod fauna indicate a Burdigalian age. Sediment reworking in the restricted-marine environments precludes stratigraphic determination. In such environments, micro- and nano-organisms experienced atypical developmental conditions. The small benthic foraminifera and associated ostracod assemblages are good indicators of salinity which varied considerably within the restricted-marine sub-basins. Some of the corals within the coralgal reefs barriers are also dated as Aquitanian. A combination of the salt tectonics and the late Miocene north-westward-verging thrusting created the present basin complexity.

Volatile (Li, B, F and Cl) mobility during amphibole breakdown in subduction zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debret, Baptiste; Koga, Kenneth T.; Cattani, Fanny; Nicollet, Christian; Van den Bleeken, Greg; Schwartz, Stephane

2016-02-01

Amphiboles are ubiquitous minerals in the altered oceanic crust. During subduction, their breakdown is governed by continuous reactions up to eclogitic facies conditions. Amphiboles thus contribute to slab-derived fluid throughout prograde metamorphism and continuously record information about volatile exchanges occurring between the slab and the mantle wedge. However, the fate of volatile elements and especially halogens, such as F and Cl, in amphibole during subduction is poorly constrained. We studied metagabbros from three different localities in the Western Alps: the Chenaillet ophiolite, the Queyras Schistes Lustrés and the Monviso meta-ophiolitic complexes. These samples record different metamorphic conditions, from greenschist to eclogite facies, and have interacted with different lithologies (e.g. sedimentary rocks, serpentinites) from their formation at mid-oceanic ridge, up to their devolatilization during subduction. In the oceanic crust, the initial halogen budget is mostly stored in magmatic amphibole (F = 300-7000 ppm; Cl = 20-1200 ppm) or in amphibole corona (F = 100-7000 ppm; Cl = 80-2000 ppm) and titanite (F = 200-1500 ppm; Cl < 200 ppm) formed during hydrothermal seafloor alteration. It is thus the fate of these phases that govern the halogen fluxes between the crust and the overlying mantle and/or the plate interface in subduction zones. Li and B are poorly stored in the oceanic crust (< 5 ppm). In subduction zones, prograde metamorphism of metagabbros is first marked by the crystallization of glaucophane at the expense of magmatic and amphibole coronas. This episode is accompanied with a decrease of halogen concentrations in amphiboles (< 200 ppm of F and Cl) suggesting that these elements can be transferred to the mantle wedge by fluids. In the Queyras Schistes Lustrés complex, the intense deformation and the abundant devolatilization of metasedimentary rocks produce large fluid flows that promote rock chemical hybridization (metasomatic mixing with hybrid composition between metasedimentary rock and metagabbro) at the metasedimentary rock/metagabbro contacts. Such fluid/rock interactions result in a strong addition of Li in glaucophane (up to 600 ppm) whereas halogen concentrations are unaffected. At eclogite facies conditions, metagabbros display low halogens concentrations (< 20 ppm of F and < 100 ppm of Cl) relative to altered oceanic crust (F = 40-650 ppm; Cl = 40-1400 ppm) suggesting that these elements are continuously released by fluids during the first 30-80 km of subduction whatever the tectonic environment (e.g. slab, plate interface) and the considered fluid/rock interactions.

Metabolic Potential and Activity in Fluids of the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory, California, USA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoehler, T.; Som, S.; Schrenk, M.; McCollom, T.; Cardace, D.

2016-01-01

Metabolic potential and activity associated with hydrogen and carbon monoxide were characterized in fluids sampled from the the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO). CROMO consists of two clusters of science-dedicated wells drilled to varying depths up to 35m in the actively serpentinizing, Jurassic-age Coast Range Ophiolite of Northern California, along with a suite of pre-existing monitoring wells at the same site. Consistent with the fluid chemistry observed in other serpentinizing systems, CROMO fluids are highly alkaline, with pH up to 12.5, high in methane, with concentrations up 1600 micromolar, and low in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), with concentrations of 10's to 100's of micromolar. CROMO is conspicuous for fluid H2 concentrations that are consistently sub-micromolar, orders of magnitude lower than is typical of other systems. However, higher H2 concentrations (10's -100's of micromolar) at an earlier stage of fluid chemical evolution are predicted by, or consistent with: thermodynamic models for fluid chemistry based on parent rock composition equivalent to local peridotite and with water:rock ratio constrained by observed pH; the presence of magnetite at several wt% in CROMO drill cores; and concentrations of formate and carbon monoxide that would require elevated H2 if formed in equilibrium with H2 and DIC. Calculated Gibbs energy changes for reaction of H2 and CO in each of several metabolisms, across the range of fluid composition encompassed by the CROMO wells, range from bioenergetically feasible (capable of driving ATP synthesis) to thermodynamically unfavorable. Active consumption relative to killed controls was observed for both CO and H2 during incubation of fluids from the pre-existing monitoring wells; in incubations of freshly cored solids, consumption was only observed in one sample set (corresponding to the lowest pH) out of three. The specific metabolisms by which H2 and CO are consumed remain to be determined.

Impacts and Ophiolites: A Way to Recognize Large Terrestrial Impact Basins?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olds, E. P.

2015-12-01

That Chicxulub Crater is located on ~35 km thick continental crust is apparently inconsistent with oceanic crustal/upper mantle geochemical signatures detected globally in the KT boundary impact layer [1-5 and unpublished Cr isotope data from the Yin lab at UC Davis] since introduction of the Alvarez hypothesis [6]. Apparent excavation and ejection of mafic/ultramafic target rock by the KT boundary impact might imply an additional KT impact site involving oceanic lithosphere. We speculate: 1) The Greater Antilles island chain ophiolite belt marks the rim of a ~700 km diameter impact basin, deformed and dismembered from an originally circular form by at least 50 million years of left lateral shear on the North American-Caribbean transform plate boundary; 2) Other ophiolite segments may similarly mark rims of large impact basins deformed to greater or lesser extent by, and serving as strain markers for, relative plate motions over geologic time; 3) The Greater Antilles/Chicxulub and Sulu Sea Basin/Spratly Island cases may constitute doublet craters of similar size ratio and separation distance; 4) Plate boundaries may be formed or modified by such impacts. Problems include: 1) The KT fireball layer should be tens of cm thick rather than a few mm thick [8-9]; 2) Impact basins of this size/scale are not expected in the Phanerozoic/Proterozoic [10]; References: [1] DePaolo D. J. et al. 1983. EPSL 64:356-373. [2] Hildebrand A. R. and Boynton W. V. 1988, LPI Contributions 673:78-79. [3] Hildebrand A. R. and Boynton W. V.. 1990. Science 248:843-847. [4] Montanari A. et al. 1983. Geology 11:668. [5] Bohor B. F. et al. 1989. Meteoritics 24:253. [6] Alvarez L. W. et al. 1980 Science 208:1095-1108. [7][8] Grieve R.A.F. and Cintala M.J. 1992 Meteoritics 27: 526-538. [9] Pierazzo E. et al. 1997 Icarus 127/2:408-423. [10] Ivanov B.A. et al. 2002 Asteroids III 89-101

Petrogenesis of ultramafic rocks and olivine-rich troctolites from the East Taiwan Ophiolite in the Lichi mélange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morishita, Tomoaki; Ghosh, Biswajit; Soda, Yusuke; Mizukami, Tomoyuki; Tani, Ken-ichiro; Ishizuka, Osamu; Tamura, Akihiro; Komaru, Chihiro; Aari, Shoji; Yang, Hsiao-Chin; Chen, Wen-Shan

2017-12-01

We examine ultramafic and olivine-rich troctolite blocks of the East Taiwan Ophiolite (ETO) in the Lichi Mélange. Although ultramafic rocks are extensively serpentinized, the primary minerals, such as olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, spinel and plagioclase can be identified. The ultramafic rocks are classified into harzburgite (± clinopyroxene), dunite, and olivine websterite. Major and trace element compositions of the primary minerals in harzburgites, such as the Cr# [= Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratio] of chromian spinel (0.3-0.58) and incompatible elements-depleted trace element patterns of clinopyroxenes, indicate their residue origin after partial melting with less flux components. These compositions are similar to those from mid-ocean ridge peridotites as well as back-arc peridotites from the Philippine Sea Plate. The olivine websterite contains discrete as well as occasional locally concentrated plagioclase grains. Petrological characteristics coupled with similarity in trace element patterns of clinopyroxenes in the harzburgite and olivine websterite samples indicate that the olivine websterite is likely formed by clinopyroxene addition to a lherzolitic/harzburgitic peridotite from a pyroxene-saturated mafic melt. Dunite with medium Cr# spinels indicates cumulus or replacement by melt-peridotite reaction origins. Mineral composition of olivine-rich troctolite cannot be explained by simple crystallization from basaltic magmas, but shows a chemical trend expected for products after melt-peridotite interactions. Mineral compositions of the dunite and olivine-rich troctolite are also within chemical ranges of mid-ocean ridge samples, and are slightly different from back-arc samples from the Philippine Sea Plate. We conclude that peridotites in the ETO are not derived from the northern extension of the Luzon volcanic arc mantle. Further geochronological study is, however, required to constrain the origin of the ETO ophiolite, because peridotites are probably indistinguishable in petrology and mineralogy between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea/Eurasian Plates.

Ca-Mg Carbonate Cements in Ophiolite-Hosted Creek Waters of the Del Puerto Ophiolite, CA, and their Potential Significance as a Planetary Biosignature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blank, J. G.

2015-12-01

Serpentinization, the reaction at moderate pressure and temperature of water with olivine and pyroxene that are common in basalts and ultramafic rocks, results in the formation of alkaline fluids and the precipitation of a variety of secondary minerals. Terrestrial localities where active serpentinization is occurring are ideal Mars analogs for examining the characteristics of an environment that possesses two of the key features that we assume necessary to host life: water and an internally generated energy source. This study focuses on a related but different feature present where active serpentinization is occurring - namely, carbonate cements forming under plain air in the vicinity of Adobe Springs, CA. This site is located in the Del Puerto ophiolite about 150 km ESE of San Francisco, in the Coast Range of California. Two alkaline spring water compositions have been described at the site, a Ca-OH water (which is not currently being emitted by the active springs), and a Mg-CO3 water. Abundant dolomitic and calcitic carbonate cements are found in the creek drainages near the springs, associated with a diverse microbial community. We conducted a systematic study of the carbonate cements using SEM, EMP, XRD, TEM, and SIMS, focusing on sub-mm variations in texture, mineral chemistry and stable isotope (COH) composition. We compared our measurements with thermodynamic modeling results constrained by chemical analysis of water chemistry from the site and known partition coefficients and stable isotope fractionation factors. The wide range of carbonate compositions and textures observed at the Adobe Springs site suggests that more than one process is involved in their precipitation, including the possibility of microbially mediated dolomite mineralization. These carbonate cements could be a mineralogic biomarker of serpentinization and microbiological processes on Mars and other rocky planets and, therefore, prime targets for future astrobiological investigations.

Garnet clinopyroxenite layers from the mantle sequences of the Northern Apennine ophiolites (Italy): Evidence for recycling of crustal material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montanini, A.; Tribuzio, R.; Thirlwall, M.

2012-10-01

This study aims to define the origin of garnet clinopyroxenite layers from the mantle sequences of the External Ligurian ophiolites. These mantle sequences retain a subcontinental origin and were exposed at a Jurassic ocean-continent transition. The garnet clinopyroxenites are mafic rocks with Mg# values of 66-71. Their chondrite-normalised REE patterns are characterised by severe LREE depletion (CeN/SmN=0.1-0.2) and nearly flat (Type-A pyroxenites) to moderately enriched HREE (Type-B pyroxenites). In addition, Type-A pyroxenites display a small positive Eu anomaly. The whole-rock REE variations are paralleled by the garnet REE compositions. We attribute the major and trace element characteristics of the garnet clinopyroxenites to recycling of gabbroic protoliths that underwent partial melting under eclogite facies conditions. The garnet clinopyroxenites may represent variably evolved garnet+clinopyroxene cumulates formed by eclogite-derived melts. In an alternative hypothesis, Type-A and -B pyroxenites are residual rocks after eclogite melting and cumulates derived from the eclogite melts, respectively. The high pressure fractionation event that gave rise to the garnet clinopyroxenites is considered of Triassic age on the basis of Sm-Nd and Lu-Hf isotope correlations. The Nd-Hf isotopic compositions of the garnet clinopyroxenites in the Triassic (ɛNd=+4.7 to +7.6, ɛHf=+4.4 to +12.8) lie below the mantle array, in agreement with recycled ancient MOR-type material. The oxygen isotopic composition of garnet and clinopyroxene from the garnet clinopyroxenites (δ18O=+4.9‰ to +5.2‰) may be reconciled with subduction-related recycling of the lowermost oceanic crust, or delamination and foundering of underplated gabbros from the continental lithosphere. The potential involvement of the garnet clinopyroxenites in the melting processes that gave rise to the MOR-type oceanic crust in the Jurassic would account for the moderate Nd isotope variability and the garnet geochemical signature of the ophiolitic basalts.

U enrichment and Th/U fractionation in Archean boninites: Implications for paleo-ocean oxygenation and U cycling at juvenile subduction zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manikyamba, C.; Said, Nuru; Santosh, M.; Saha, Abhishek; Ganguly, Sohini; Subramanyam, K. S. V.

2018-05-01

Phanerozoic boninites record enrichments of U over Th, giving Th/U: 0.5-1.6, relative to intraoceanic island arc tholeiites (IAT) where Th/U averages 2.6. Uranium enrichment is attributed to incorporation of shallow, oxidized fluids, U-rich but Th-poor, from the slab into the melt column of boninites which form in near-trench to forearc settings of suprasubduction zone ophiolites. Well preserved Archean komatiite-tholeiite, plume-derived, oceanic volcanic sequences have primary magmatic Th/U ratios of 4.4-3.6, and Archean convergent margin IAT volcanic sequences, having REE and HFSE compositions similar to Phanerozoic IAT equivalents, preserve primary Th/U of 4-3.6. The best preserved Archean boninites of the 3.0 Ga Olondo and 2.7 Ga Gadwal greenstone belts, hosted in convergent margin ophiolite sequences, also show relative enrichments of U over Th, with low average Th/U ∼3 relative to coeval IAT, and Phanerozoic counterparts which are devoid of crustal contamination and therefore erupted in an intraoceanic setting, with minimal contemporaneous submarine hydrothermal alteration. Later enrichment of U is unlikely as Th-U-Nb-LREE patterns are coherent in these boninites whereas secondary effects induce dispersion of Th/U ratios. The variation in Th/U ratios from Archean to Phanerozoic boninites of greenstone belts to ophiolitic sequences reflect on genesis of boninitic lavas at different tectono-thermal regimes. Consequently, if the explanation for U enrichment in Phanerozoic boninites also applies to Archean examples, the implication is that U was soluble in oxygenated Archean marine water up to 600 Ma before the proposed great oxygenation event (GOE) at ∼2.4 Ga. This interpretation is consistent with large Ce anomalies in some hydrothermally altered Archean volcanic sequences aged 3.0-2.7 Ga.

Listwaenite in the Sartohay ophiolitic mélange (Xinjiang, China): A genetic model based on petrology, U-Pb chronology and trace element geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Tian; Zhu, Yongfeng

2018-03-01

Listwaenite lenses in the Sartohay ophiolitic mélange (Xinjiang, China) were formed via reactions between serpentinite and metasomatic fluids. First, serpentinite changed into talc schist via the reaction of serpentine + CO2 → talc + magnesite + H2O. Second, talc schist changed into listwaenite via the reaction of talc + CO2 → magnesite + quartz + H2O. Magnetite was progressively destroyed during transformation from serpentinite to talc schist, and completely consumed in listwaenite. Zircon crystals 30-100 μm long, disseminating in talc schist, undeformed listwaenite and mylonitized listwaenite, coexist with talc, quartz and magnesite, while micron-sized zircon grains (<5 μm in length) occur along the shearing foliation in the weakly deformed listwaenite and mylonitized listwaenite. We postulate that these micron-sized zircon crystals may have grown in-situ from medium-temperature hydrothermal fluids. Concentrations of most trace elements including high field strength elements (HFSE) increase from the undeformed, through the weakly deformed, to the mylonitized listwaenite, showing a positive correlation with the degrees of deformation and proportions of micron-size zircon, apatite, rutile and monazite. The large zircon crystals recovered from talc schist, undeformed listwaenite and mylonitized listwaenite yield similar weighted mean U-Pb ages (302.9 ± 6.8 Ma, 299.7 ± 5.5 Ma and 296.5 ± 3.5 Ma), and are thought to represent the age of formation of the talc schist and listwaenite. These ages are indistinguishable within errors and suggest a rapid transformation from talc schist to listwaenite. Some zircon rims in samples of the undeformed listwaenite and mylonitized listwaenite give much younger apparent U-Pb ages (280-277 Ma), which could be interpreted as a recrystallization age reflecting late-stage shearing in the Sartohay ophiolitic mélange.

Trace element composition of rutile and Zr-in-rutile thermometry in meta-ophiolitic rocks from the Kazdağ Massif, NW Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şengün, Fırat; Zack, Thomas

2016-08-01

In northwest Turkey, ophiolitic meta-gabbros are exposed on the Kazdağ Massif located in the southern part of the Biga Peninsula. Trace element composition of rutile and Zr-in-rutile temperatures were determined for meta-gabbros from the Kazdağ Massif. The Zr content of all rutiles range from 176 to 428 ppm and rutile grains usually have a homogeneous Zr distribution. The rutile grains from studied samples in the Kazdağ Massif are dominated by subchondritic Nb/Ta (11-19) and Zr/Hf ratios (20-33). Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf show positive correlation, which is probably produced by silicate fractionation. The Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf ratios increase with a decrease in Ta and Hf contents. The core of rutile grains are generally characterized by low Nb/Ta ratios of 17-18 whereas the rims exhibit relatively high Nb/Ta ratios of 19-23. Trace element analyses in rutile suggest that these rutile grains were grown from metamorphic fluids. The P-T conditions of meta-gabbros were estimated by both Fe-Mg exchange and Zr-in-rutile thermometers, as well as by the Grt-Hb-Plg-Q geothermobarometer. The temperature range of 639 to 662 °C calculated at 9 kbar using the Zr-in-rutile thermometer is comparable with temperature estimates of the Fe-Mg exchange thermometer, which records amphibolite-facies metamorphism of intermediate P-T conditions. The P-T conditions of meta-ophiolitic rocks suggest that they occur as a different separate higher-pressure tectonic slice in the Kazdağ metamorphic sequence. Amphibolite-facies metamorphism resulted from northward subduction of the İzmir-Ankara branch of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean under the Sakarya Zone. Metamorphism was followed by internal imbrication of the Kazdağ metamorphic sequence resulting from southerly directed compression during the collision.

Petrogenesis and geodynamics of plagiogranites from Central Turkey (Ekecikdağ/Aksaray): new geochemical and isotopic data for generation in an arc basin system within the northern branch of Neotethys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köksal, Serhat; Toksoy-Köksal, Fatma; Göncüoglu, M. Cemal

2017-06-01

In the Late Cretaceous, throughout the closure of the Neotethys Ocean, ophiolitic rocks from the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan ocean branch were overthrusted the northern margin of the Tauride-Anatolide Platform. The ophiolitic rocks in the Ekecikdağ (Aksaray/Central Turkey) region typify the oceanic crust of the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan branch of Neotethys. The gabbros in the area are cut by copious plagiogranite dykes, and both rock units are intruded by mafic dykes. The plagiogranites are leucocratic, fine- to medium-grained calc-alkaline rocks characterized mainly by plagioclase and quartz, with minor amounts of biotite, hornblende and clinopyroxene, and accessory phases of zircon, titanite, apatite and opaque minerals. They are tonalite and trondhjemite in composition with high SiO2 (69.9-75.9 wt%) and exceptionally low K2O (<0.5 wt%) contents. The plagiogranites in common with gabbros and mafic dykes show high large-ion lithophile elements/high-field strength element ratios with depletion in Nb, Ti and light rare-earth elements with respect to N-MORB. The plagiogranites together with gabbros and mafic dykes show low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70419-0.70647), high ƐNd( T) (6.0-7.5) values with 206Pb/204Pb (18.199-18.581), 207Pb/204Pb (15.571-15.639) and 208Pb/204Pb (38.292-38.605) ratios indicating a depleted mantle source modified with a subduction component. They show similar isotopic characteristics to the other supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites in the Eastern Mediterranean to East Anatolian-Lesser Caucasus and Iran regions. It is suggested that the Ekecikdağ plagiogranite was generated in a short time interval from a depleted mantle source in a SSZ/fore-arc basin setting, and its nature was further modified by a subduction component during intra-oceanic subduction.

Seep carbonates and chemosynthetic coral communities in the Early Paleocene alpine accretionary wedge: evidences from the Bocco Shale (Internal Liguride ophiolitic sequence, Northern Apennine, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandolfi, Luca; Boschi, Chiara; Luvisi, Edoardo; Alessandro, Ellero; Marroni, Michele; Meneghini, Francesca

2014-05-01

In Northern Apennines, the Internal Liguride units are characterized by an ophiolite sequence that represents the stratigraphic base of a Late Jurassic-Early Paleocene sedimentary cover. The Bocco Shale represents the youngest deposit recognized in the sedimentary cover of the ophiolite sequence, sedimented just before the inception of subduction-related deformation history. The Bocco Shale has been interpreted as a fossil example of deposits related to the frontal tectonic erosion of the alpine accretionary wedge slope. The frontal tectonic erosion resulted in a large removal of material from the accretionary wedge front reworked as debris flows and slide deposits sedimented on the lower plate above the trench deposits. These trench-slope deposits may have been successively deformed and metamorphosed during the following accretion processes. The frontal tectonic erosion can be envisaged as a common process during the convergence-related evolution of the Ligure-Piemontese oceanic basin in the Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary time span. In the uppermost Internal Liguride tectonic unit (Portello Unit of Pandolfi and Marroni. 1997), that crops-out in Trebbia Valley, several isolated blocks of authigenic carbonates, unidentificated corals and intrabasinal carbonatic arenites have been recognized inside the fine-grained sediments that dominate the Early Paleocene Lavagnola Fm. (cfr. Bocco Shale Auctt.). The preliminary data on stable isotopes from blocks of authigenic carbonates (up to 1 m thick and 3 m across) and associated corals archive a methane signatures in their depleted carbon isotope pattern (up to δ13C -30‰ PDB) and suggest the presence of chemosynthetic paleocommunities. The seep-carbonates recognized at the top of Internal Liguride succession (cfr. Bocco Shale Auctt.) occur predominantly as blocks in very thick mudstone-dominated deposits and probably developed in an environment dominated by the expulsion of large volume of cold methane-bearing fluids focused in the frontal part of the Early Paleocene alpine accretionary wedge.

Transfer of subduction fluids into the deforming mantle wedge during nascent subduction: Evidence from trace elements and boron isotopes (Semail ophiolite, Oman)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prigent, C.; Guillot, S.; Agard, P.; Lemarchand, D.; Soret, M.; Ulrich, M.

2018-02-01

The basal part of the Semail ophiolitic mantle was (de)formed at relatively low temperature (LT) directly above the plate interface during "nascent subduction" (the prelude to ophiolite obduction). This subduction-related LT deformation was associated with progressive strain localization and cooling, resulting in the formation of porphyroclastic to ultramylonitic shear zones prior to serpentinization. Using petrological and geochemical analyses (trace elements and B isotopes), we show that these basal peridotites interacted with hydrous fluids percolating by porous flow during mylonitic deformation (from ∼850 down to 650 °C). This process resulted in 1) high-T amphibole crystallization, 2) striking enrichments of minerals in fluid mobile elements (FME; particularly B, Li and Cs with concentrations up to 400 times those of the depleted mantle) and 3) peridotites with an elevated δ11B of up to +25‰. These features indicate that the metasomatic hydrous fluids are most likely derived from the dehydration of subducting crustal amphibolitic materials (i.e., the present-day high-T sole). The rapid decrease in metasomatized peridotite δ11B with increasing distance to the contact with the HT sole (to depleted mantle isotopic values in <1 km) suggests an intense interaction between peridotites and rapid migrating fluids (∼1-25 m.y-1), erasing the initial high-δ11B subduction fluid signature within a short distance. The increase of peridotite δ11B with increasing deformation furthermore indicates that the flow of subduction fluids was progressively channelized in actively deforming shear zones parallel to the contact. Taken together, these results also suggest that the migration of subduction fluids/melts by porous flow through the subsolidus mantle wedge (i.e., above the plate interface at sub-arc depths) is unlikely to be an effective mechanism to transport slab-derived elements to the locus of partial melting in subduction zones.

Unraveling P-T-t-D Evolution of Zermatt-Saas Ophiolites from Valtournanche: from Ocean Opening to Mountain Building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebay, G.; Tiepolo, M.; Zanoni, D.; Langone, A.; Spalla, M. I.

2015-12-01

The Zermatt-Saas (ZS) Zone, formerly part of Tethyan oceanic crust and variously affected by oceanic metamorphism, is now part of the orogenic suture that developed in the Western European Alps during the Alpine subduction and collision. The ZS rocks preserve a dominant HP to UHP metamorphic imprint overprinted by greenschist facies metamorphism. The age of the oceanic protoliths is considered to be middle to upper Jurassic whereas the HP metamorphism is mostly considered to be Eocene. In upper Valtournanche ZS ophiolites, the dominant regional S2 foliation is mapped with spatial continuity in serpentinite, metarodingite and eclogite and is defined by HP/UHP parageneses in all lithotypes. It developed at 2.5 ± 0.3 GPa and 600 ± 20°C during Alpine subduction. S2 foliation of serpentinites wraps rare clinopyroxene and zircon relics. Trace element composition of clinopyroxene suggests that they crystallised from a melt in equilibrium with plagioclase: they most likely represent relicts of gabbroic assemblages. The clinopyroxene porphyroclasts have rims indented within S2 and compositions similar to fine-grained clinopyroxeneII defining S2, suggesting that they recrystallised during Alpine subduction. Zircon cores show, under CL, sector zoning typical of magmatic growth. U-Pb dates suggest their crystallisation during Middle Jurassic. Magmatic cores have thin fringe overgrowths parallel to the S2 foliation. U-Pb concordant analyses on these domains reveal an Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene crystallization most likely representing the HP to UHP Alpine re-equilibration. This suggests that some sections of the ZS have experienced HP to UHP metamorphism earlier than previously thought, opening new interpretative geodynamic scenarios. Remarkably, these new dates are similar to those recorded for the HP re-equilibration in the continental crust of the adjacent Austroalpine units (upper plate of the Alpine subduction system) and to those recorded for prograde metamorphism in other parts of the ZS ophiolites.

From ocean depths to mountain tops: uplift of the Troodos Massif (Cyprus) constrained by (U-Th)/He thermochronology and geomorphic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morag, N.; Haviv, I.; Katzir, Y.

2013-12-01

The Troodos Massif of Cyprus, rising to nearly 2000 meters above sea level, encompasses one of the world's classic ophiolites. Following its formation at a seafloor spreading center in Late Cretaceous times, this slice of the NeoTethyan oceanic lithosphere was uplifted and eventually exposed on mountain tops during the Neogene. The final uplift and exhumation of the Troodos was previously assigned to Pleistocene age by observations in the circum-Troodos sedimentary strata. However, quantitative thermochronological and geomorphological data from the Massif itself were not available. Here we use apatite (U-Th)/He low-temperature thermochronology complemented by zircon (U-Th)/He and apatite fission track data, and combined with geomorphic analysis to constrain the exhumation and uplift history of the Troodos ophiolite. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages vary with depth from ~ 22 Ma at the top of the Gabbro sequence to ~ 6 Ma at the bottom of the sequence. The deepest sample from a Gabbro pegmatitic dyke intruding the ultramafic sequence yielded an age of ~ 3 Ma. Thermal modeling of apatite (U-Th)/He and fission track data delineates Plio - Pleistocene initiation of rapid uplift and exhumation of the Troodos ophiolite. The estimated cumulative exhumation since its initiation is 2-3 km. No evidence was found for significant uplift of the central Troodos area prior to that time. The geomorphic analysis delineates a bull's-eye zone at the center of the Troodos Massif, where local relief and channel steepness index are highest. The boundaries of this zone roughly correspond with the Mt. Olympus mantle outcrop and suggest recent, differential uplift of this zone relative to its surroundings. The most likely mechanism, which could drive such a focused bull's-eye uplift pattern is hydration of ultramafic rocks (serpentinization) leading to a decrease in rock density and subsequent diapiric uplift of the serpentinized lithospheric mantle.

Field, petrologic and detrital zircon study of the Kings sequence and Calaveras complex, Southern Lake Kaweah Roof Pendant, Tulare County, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchen, Christopher T.

U-Pb dating of detrital zircon grains separated from elastic sedimentary rocks is combined with field, petrographic and geochemical data to reconstruct the geologic history of Mesozoic rocks exposed at the southern end of the Lake Kaweah metamorphic pendant, western Sierra Nevada. Identification of rocks exposed at Limekiln Hill, Kern County, CA, as belonging to the Calaveras complex and Kings sequence was confirmed. Detrital zircon populations from two Calaveras complex samples provide Permo-Triassic maximum depositional ages (MDA) and reveal a Laurentian provenance indicating that continental accretion of the northwest-trending Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt was in process prior to the Jurassic Period. Rock types including radiolarian metachert, metachert-argillite, and calc-silicate rocks with marble lenses are interpreted as formed in a hemipelagic environment of siliceous radiolarian deposition, punctuated by extended episodes of lime-mud gravity flows mixing with siliceous ooze forming cafe-silicate protoliths and limestone olistoliths forming marble lenses. Two samples of the overlying Kings sequence turbidites yield detrital zircons with an MDA of 181.4 +/-3.0 Ma and an interpreted provenance similar to other Jurassic metasediments found in the Yokohl Valley, Sequoia and Boyden Cave roof pendants. Age peaks indicative of Jurassic erg heritage are also present. In contrast, detrital zircon samples from the Sequoia and Slate Mountain roof pendants bear age-probability distributions interpreted as characteristic of the Snow Lake block, a tectonic sliver offset from the Paleozoic miogeocline.

Development of the Philippine Mobile Belt in northern Luzon from Eocene to Pliocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Shigeyuki; Peña, Rolando E.; Tam, Tomas A.; Yumul, Graciano P.; Dimalanta, Carla B.; Usui, Mayumi; Ishida, Keisuke

2017-07-01

The origin of the Philippine Archipelago is characterized by the combination of the oceanic Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) and the Palawan Continental Block (PCB). This paper is focused on the geologic evolution of the PMB in northern Luzon from Eocene to Pliocene. The study areas (northern Luzon) are situated in the central part of the PMB which is occupied by its typical components made up of a pre-Paleocene ophiolitic complex, Eocene successions, Eocene to Oligocene igneous complex and late Oligocene to Pliocene successions. Facies analysis of the middle Eocene and late Oligocene to early Pliocene successions was carried out to understand the depositional environment of their basins. Modal sandstone compositions, which reflect the basement geology of the source area, were analyzed. Major element geochemistry of sediments was considered to reconstruct the tectonic settings. The following brief history of the PMB is deduced. During the middle Eocene, the PMB was covered by mafic volcanic rocks and was a primitive island arc. In late Eocene to late Oligocene time, the intermediate igneous complex was added to the mafic PMB crust. By late Oligocene to early Miocene time, the PMB had evolved into a volcanic island arc setting. Contributions from alkalic rocks are detected from the rock fragments in the sandstones and chemical composition of the Zigzag Formation. During the middle Miocene to Pliocene, the tectonic setting of the PMB remained as a mafic volcanic island arc.

Workshop on the Tectonic Evolution of Greenstone Belts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The Workshop on the Tectonic Evolution of Greenstone Belts, which is part of the Universities Space Research Association, Lunar and Planetary Institute, of Houston, Texas, met there on Jan. 16-18, 1986. A number of plate tectonic hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of Archean and Phanerozoic greenstone/ophiolite terranes. These hypotheses are explored in the abstracts.

Crustal structure and tectonics of the Hidaka Collision Zone, Hokkaido (Japan), revealed by vibroseis seismic reflection and gravity surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arita, Kazunori; Ikawa, Takashi; Ito, Tanio; Yamamoto, Akihiko; Saito, Matsuhiko; Nishida, Yasunori; Satoh, Hideyuki; Kimura, Gaku; Watanabe, Teruo; Ikawa, Takeshi; Kuroda, Toru

1998-05-01

This study is the first integrated geological and geophysical investigation of the Hidaka Collision Zone in southern Central Hokkaido, Japan, which shows complex collision tectonics with a westward vergence. The Hidaka Collision Zone consists of the Idon'nappu Belt (IB), the Poroshiri Ophiolite Belt (POB) and the Hidaka Metamorphic Belt (HMB) with the Hidaka Belt from west to east. The POB (metamorphosed ophiolites) is overthrust by the HMB (steeply eastward-dipping palaeo-arc crust) along the Hidaka Main Thrust (HMT), and in turn, thrusts over the Idon'nappu Belt (melanges) along the Hidaka Western Thrust (HWT). Seismic reflection and gravity surveys along a 20-km-long traverse across the southern Hidaka Mountains revealed hitherto unknown crustal structures of the collision zone such as listric thrusts, back thrusts, frontal thrust-and-fold structures, and duplex structures. The main findings are as follows. (1) The HMT, which dips steeply at the surface, is a listric fault dipping gently at a depth of ˜7 km beneath the eastern end of the HMB, and cutting across the lithological boundaries and schistosity of the Hidaka metamorphic rocks. (2) A second reflector is detected 1 km below the HMT reflector. The intervening part between these two reflectors is inferred to be the POB, which is only little exposed at the surface. This inference is supported by the high positive Bouguer anomalies along the Hidaka Mountains. (3) The shallow portion of the IB at the front of the collision zone has a number of NNE-dipping reflectors, indicative of imbricated fold-and-thrust structures. (4) Subhorizontal reflectors at a depth of 14 km are recognized intermittently at both sides of the seismic profile. These reflectors may correspond to the velocity boundary (5.9-6.6 km/s) previously obtained from seismic refraction profiling in the northern Hidaka Mountains. (5) These crustal structures as well as the back thrust found in the eastern end of the traverse represent characteristics of collisional tectonics resulting from the two collisional events since the Early Tertiary.

New Paleomagnetic Data From Upper Gabbros Supports Limited Rotation of Central Semail Massif in Oman Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, A. J.; Sarah, T.; Hartley, E.; Martin, J.

2017-12-01

Paleomagnetic data from northern massifs of the Oman ophiolite demonstrate substantial clockwise rotations prior to or during obduction, yet data from southern massifs are recently suggested to be remagnetized during obduction and show subsequent smaller counterclockwise rotations. To better understand paleomagnetic data from the southern massifs, we conducted a detailed paleomagnetic and rock magnetic study of 21 sites in upper gabbros and 5 sites in lower crustal gabbros within the central Semail massif. Samples treated with progressive thermal demagnetization yield interpretable magnetizations with dominant unblocking between 500-580°C that implies characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) components carried by low-titanium magnetite and nearly pure magnetite. Rock magnetic and scanning electron microscopy data provide additional support of the carriers of magnetization. ChRMs from sites with samples containing partially-serpentinized olivine are similar to sites with samples lacking olivine, where the carriers appear to be fine magnetite intergrowths in pyroxene. The overall in situ and tilt-corrected mean directions from upper gabbros are distinct from the lower gabbros, from previous data within the massif, and also directions from similar crustal units in adjacent Rustaq and Wadi Tayin massifs. After tilt correction for 10-15° SE dip of the crust-mantle boundary, the mean direction from upper gabbros is nearly coincident with in situ lower gabbros. The tilt-corrected direction from upper gabbros is also consistent with an expected direction from the Late Cretaceous apparent polar wander path for Arabia at the age of crustal accretion ( 95Ma). These results suggest the upper crustal section in Semail has likely only experienced minor tilting since formation and acquisition of magnetization. Due to slow cooling of middle to lower gabbros in fast-spread crust, the lower gabbro sites likely cooled later or after obduction, and thus yield a distinct direction from upper gabbros. We place these new results in the context of geologic and geochronologic evidence for a younger spreading segment that propagated into older oceanic lithosphere followed by rapid obduction. Overall, these data imply a more complex resolution of simple rotation and emplacement of southern massifs as a single unit.

Tectonics of the Qinling (Central China): Tectonostratigraphy, geochronology, and deformation history

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ratschbacher, L.; Hacker, B.R.; Calvert, A.; Webb, L.E.; Grimmer, J.C.; McWilliams, M.O.; Ireland, T.; Dong, S.; Hu, Jiawen

2003-01-01

The Qinling orogen preserves a record of late mid-Proterozoic to Cenozoic tectonism in central China. High-pressure metamorphism and ophiolite emplacement (Songshugou ophiolite) assembled the Yangtze craton, including the lower Qinling unit, into Rodinia during the ~1.0 Ga Grenvillian orogeny. The lower Qinling unit then rifted from the Yangtze craton at ~0.7 Ga. Subsequent intra-oceanic arc formation at ~470-490 Ma was followed by accretion of the lower Qinling unit first to the intra-oceanic arc and then to the Sino-Korea craton. Subduction then imprinted a ~400 Ma Andean-type magmatic arc onto all units north of the northern Liuling unit. Oblique subduction created Silurian-Devonian WNW-trending, sinistral transpressive wrench zones (e.g., Lo-Nan, Shang-Dan), and Late Permian-Early Triassic subduction reactivated them in dextral transpression (Lo-Nan, Shang-Xiang, Shang-Dan) and subducted the northern edge of the Yangtze craton. Exhumation of the cratonal edge formed the Wudang metamorphic core complex during dominantly pure shear crustal extension at ~230-235 Ma. Post-collisional south-directed shortening continued through the Early Jurassic. Cretaceous reactivation of the Qinling orogen started with NW-SE sinistral transtension, coeval with large-scale Early Cretaceous crustal extension and sinistral transtension in the northern Dabie Shan; it presumably resulted from the combined effects of the Siberia-Mongolia-Sino-Korean and Lhasa-West Burma-Qiangtang-Indochina collisions and Pacific subduction. Regional dextral wrenching was active within a NE-SW extensional regime between ~60 and 100 Ma. An Early Cretaceous Andean-type continental magmatic arc, with widespread Early Cretaceous magmatism and back-arc extension, was overprinted by shortening related to the collision of Yangtze-Indochina Block with the West Philippines Block. Strike-slip and normal faults associated with Eocene half-graben basins record Paleogene NNE-SSW contraction and WNW-ESE extension. The Neogene(?) is characterized by normal faults and NNE-trending sub-horizontal extension. Pleistocene(?)-Quaternary NW-SE extension and NE-SW contraction comprises sinistral strike-slip faults and is part of the NW-SE extension imposed across eastern Asia by the India-Asia collision. 

Distribution of lithium in the Cordilleran Mantle wedge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shervais, J. W.; Jean, M. M.; Seitz, H. M.

2015-12-01

Enriched fluid-mobile element (i.e., B, Li, Be) concentrations in peridotites from the Coast Range ophiolite are compelling evidence that this ophiolite originated in a subduction environment. A new method presented in Shervais and Jean (2012) for modeling the fluid enrichment process, represents the total addition of material to the mantle wedge source region and can be applied to any refractory mantle peridotite that has been modified by melt extraction and/or metasomatism. Although the end-result is attributed to an added flux of aqueous fluid or fluid-rich melt phase derived from the subducting slab, in the range of tens of parts per million - the nature and composition of this fluid could not be constrained. To address fluid(s) origins, we have analyzed Li isotopes in bulk rock peridotite and eclogite, and garnet separates, to identify possible sources, and fluid flow mechanisms and pathways. Bulk rock Li abundances of CRO peridotites (δ7Li = -14.3 to 5.5‰; 1.9-7.5 ppm) are indicative of Li addition and δ7Li-values are lighter than normal upper mantle values. However, Li abundances of clino- and orthopyroxene appear to record different processes operating during the CRO-mantle evolution. Low Li abundances in orthopyroxene (<1 ppm) suggest depletion via partial melting, whereas high concentrations in clinopyroxenes (>2 ppm) record subsequent interaction with Li-enriched fluids (or melts). The preferential partitioning of lithium in clinopyroxene could be indicative of a particular metasomatic agent, e.g., fluids from a dehydrating slab. Future in-situ peridotite isotope studies via laser ablation will further elucidate the fractionation of lithium between orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and serpentine. To obtain a more complete picture of the slab to arc transfer processes, we also measured eclogites and garnet separates to δ7Li= -18 to 3.5‰ (11.5-32.5 ppm) and δ7Li= 1.9 to 11.7‰ (0.7-3.9 ppm), respectively. In connection with previous studies focused on high-grade metamorphic assemblages within the Franciscan complex, an overall framework exists to reconstruct the Li architecture of the Middle Jurassic-Cordilleran subduction zone.

Paleomagnetism of the Oman Ophiolite: New Results from Oman Drilling Project Cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, A. J.; Till, J. L.; Koornneef, L.; Usui, Y.; Kim, H.; Morris, A.

2017-12-01

The Oman Drilling Project drilled holes at four sites in a transect through the southern massifs of the Samail ophiolite, and recovered 1500 m of igneous and metamorphic rocks. We focus on three sites from the oceanic crustal section including lower layered gabbros (GT1A), the mid-crustal layered to foliated gabbro transition (GT2A), and the shallower transition from sheeted dikes to varitextured gabbros (GT3A). Detailed core descriptions, analyses, and paleomagnetic measurements, were made on D/V Chikyu from July to September 2017 to utilize the core laboratory facilities similar to IODP expeditions. Shipboard measurements included anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and alternating field and thermal demagnetization of 597 discrete samples. Sample demagnetization behavior is varied from each of the cores, with some revealing multiple components of magnetization, and others yielding nearly univectorial data. The interpretation of results from the lower crustal cores is complicated by the pervasive presence of secondary magnetite. In almost all samples, a stable component was resolved (interpreted as a characteristic remanent magnetization) after removal of a lower-coercivity or lower unblocking-temperature component. The inclinations of the stable components in the core reference frame are very consistent in Hole GT1A. However, a transition from negative to positive inclinations in GT2A suggests some structural complexity, possibly as a result of intense late faulting activity. Both abrupt and gradual transitions between multiple zones of negative and positive inclinations occur in Hole GT3A. Interpretation and direct comparison of remanence between drill sites is difficult as recovered core pieces currently remain azimuthally unoriented, and GT2A was drilled at a plunge of 60°, whereas GT1A and GT3A were both drilled vertically. Work is ongoing to use borehole imagery to reorient the core pieces and paleomagnetic data into a geographic in situ reference frame. We will present an overview of preliminary AMS and remanence data that will be used in the future to 1) document deformational histories, 2) characterize magmatic flow directions at different structural levels, and 3) identify the magnetic mineralogy of remanence carriers throughout the oceanic crustal section.

Late Cretaceous extensional denudation along a marble detachment fault zone in the Kırşehir massif near Kaman, central Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefebvre, Côme; Barnhoorn, Auke; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Kaymakci, Nuretdin; Vissers, Reinoud L. M.

2011-08-01

In the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC), 100 km scale metamorphic domains were exhumed in a context of north-south plate convergence during late Cretaceous to Cenozoic times. The timing, kinematics and mechanisms of exhumation have been the focus of previous studies in the southern Niğde Massif. In this study, we investigate the unexplored northern area regarding the tectonic features preserved on the edges of the Kırşehir Massif, based on detailed field-mapping in the Kaman area where high-grade metasediments, non-metamorphic ophiolites and monzonitic plutons are locally exposed together. Close to the contact with the ophiolites, west-dipping foliated marble-rich rocks display mylonites and discrete protomylonites with normal shear senses indicating a general top-to-the W-NW direction. Both of these structures have been brittlely overprinted into cataclastic corridors parallel to the main foliation. The mylonite series and superimposed brittle structures together define the Kaman fault zone. The study of the evolution of calcite deformation fabrics along an EW section supported by Electron Back Scattered Diffraction measurements (EBSD) on representative fabrics indicates that the Kaman fault zone represents an extensional detachment. In Ömerhacılı, in the vicinity of the Baranadağ quartz-monzonite, the metamorphic sequence shows static annealing of the calcite mylonitic fabrics. This evidence suggests that intrusion took place at shallow depth (˜10 km) into an already exhuming metamorphic sequence. As a consequence for the Kaman area, buried metasediments have been rapidly exhumed between 84 and 74 Ma (˜1 km/Ma) where exhumation along a detachment zone, displaying a top-to-the W-NW shear motion, took place in the mid to upper crust prior to magmatic intrusion in the late Campanian. As the intrusion cut through the detachment fault, the main shearing deformation ceased. Brittle tectonics coupled with erosion likely took over during the final unroofing stages at a slower rate (<0.2 km/Ma), until the pertinent rocks reached the Earth's surface in the late Paleocene.

Evidence of recent plutonic magmatism beneath Northeast Peloponnesus (Greece) and its relationship to regional tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzanis, A.; Efstathiou, A.; Chailas, S.; Stamatakis, M.

2018-03-01

This work reports evidence of recent tectonically controlled plutonic magmatism related to Neogene volcanism in a broad area of Northeast Peloponnesus (Greece) that is straddled by the Hellenic Volcanic Arc and comprises the Argolid, the Argolic and Saronic gulfs and eastern Corinthia including the province of Crommyonia at the western half of Megaris peninsula (western Attica). We assess the contemporary stress field based on formal inversion of well-constrained crustal earthquake focal mechanisms and determine that it is principally extensional and NE-SW oriented, with σ1 strike and plunge being N64° and 77°, respectively and σ3 strikes and plunge N210° and 10°. This generates WNW-ESE and NW-SE faults, the former being dominant in the Saronic Gulf and the latter in the Argolic. In addition, the analysis predicts E-W and N330° faults with non-trivial right- and left-lateral heave, respectively, which are consistent with the R and R΄ directions of Riedel shear theory and explain a number of observed earthquake focal mechanisms and earthquake epicentre alignments. We also present a semi-quantitative analysis of observed aeromagnetic anomalies by performing numerical modelling of the radially averaged power spectrum with an efficient anomaly separation scheme based on a new type of 2-D Fourier domain filter introduced herein, the Radial Extended Meyer Window. This analysis identifies an extensive complex of magnetized rock formations buried at depths greater than 3 km which, given the geology and geotectonic setting of the area, can hardly be explained with anything other than calc-alkaline intrusions (plutons). At northeastern Corinthia and Crommyonia, this type of intrusive activity is unexceptional, mainly concentrated in the Gulf of Megara-Sousaki areas and consistent with the low-intensity, small-scale Pliocene dacitic volcanism observed therein. Conversely, large-scale elongate anomalies of E-W and N330° orientation have been identified in the Argolid, generally collocated with and delimited by extensional tectonic structures (grabens and major faults) of analogous orientation. These are interpreted to comprise calc-alkaline plutons whose placement has been controlled by the regional tectonic activity (syn-rift magmatism); their nature and origin is demonstrated with convergent evidence from deep magnetotelluric, seismological, seismic tomography and other investigations. A large number of shallow and superficial (less than 2 km) magnetic sources have also been identified; these are generated by a complex of distributed near-surface formations consisting of subvertically developing buried or extrusive volcanics and outcropping or shallow-buried ophiolitic formations (thin nappes of tectonic mélange and dismembered ophiolitic complexes). The joint analysis of the data facilitates the formulation of a tentative geotectonic model for Argolis peninsula, according to which the strain differential caused by the disparate extensional trends of the Argolic and Saronic gulfs is accommodated by right-lateral block motion associated with igneous intrusive activity at major block boundaries.

Preliminary Studies of the Structural Characteristics of the Lubao Fault using 2D High Resolution Shallow Seismic Reflection Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonus, A. A. B.; Lagmay, A. M. A.; Rodolfo, K. S.

2016-12-01

The Lubao fault, located in the province of Pampanga, Philippines, is part of the Bataan Volcanic Arc Complex (BVAC). Active faults within and around the BVAC include the East Zambales and Iba faults; according to the official active faults map of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) there are no other existing active faults in the area. The Lubao Fault distinctly separates wetlands to the northeast and dry alluvial plains to the northwest of Manila Bay. Long term subsidence and high sedimentation rates were observed in the fault and over the past 1.5 thousand years, the northeastern block has dropped 3.5 meters. Along the southwest flank of Mount Natib, tectonic structures were identified using surface mapping and remote sensing. The Persistent Scattering Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PSInSAR) data results of Eco et al. in 2015 shows uplifts and subsidence in the BVAC area delineating the Lubao Fault. A 480-meter seismic reflection line was laid down perpendicular to the fault with a recording system consisting of 48 channels of Geometrics geophones spaced 10 meters apart. Acquired data were processed using the standard seismic reflection processing sequence by Yilmaz 2001. This preliminary study produced a high resolution subsurface profile of the Lubao fault in the village of San Rafael, Lubao where it is well manifested. The velocity model integrated by stratigraphic data of drilled core shows subsurface lithology. The depth converted profile reveals clear structures and dipping segments which indicates a history of movement along the Lubao fault. Discontinuity of reflectors, either offsets or breaks, are considered structures along the subsurface of the study area. Additional structural mapping and seismic lines along the projected fault are planned in the future to further detail the characteristics of the Lubao Fault. The surface observations made by other researchers coupled with the subsurface seismic profile mapping of this study hopes to clearly delineate and characterize the Lubao Fault.

Sulphide mineralization and wall-rock alteration in ophiolites and modern oceanic spreading centres

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koski, R.A.

1983-01-01

Massive and stockwork Fe-Cu-Zn (Cyprus type) sulphide deposits in the upper parts of ophiolite complexes represent hydrothermal mineralization at ancient accretionary plate boundaries. These deposits are probable metallogenic analogues of the polymetallic sulphide deposits recently discovered along modern oceanic spreading centres. Genetic models for these deposits suggest that mineralization results from large-scale circulation of sea-water through basaltic basement along the tectonically active axis of spreading, a zone of high heat flow. The high geothermal gradient above 1 to 2 km deep magma chambers emplaced below the ridge axis drives the convective circulation cell. Cold oxidizing sea-water penetrating the crust on the ridge flanks becomes heated and evolves into a highly reduced somewhat acidic hydrothermal solvent during interaction with basaltic wall-rock. Depending on the temperature and water/rock ratio, this fluid is capable of leaching and transporting iron, manganese, and base metals; dissolved sea-water sulphate is reduced to sulphide. At the ridge axis, the buoyant hydrothermal fluid rises through permeable wall-rocks, and fluid flow may be focussed along deep-seated fractures related to extensional tectonic processes. Metal sulphides are precipitated along channelways as the ascending fluid undergoes adiabatic expansion and then further cooling during mixing with ambient sub-sea-floor water. Vigorous fluid flow results in venting of reduced fluid at the sea-floor/sea-water interface and deposition of massive sulphide. A comparison of sulphide mineralization and wall-rock alteration in ancient and modern spreading centre environments supports this genetic concept. Massive sulphide deposits in ophiolites generally occur in clusters of closely spaced (< 1-5 km) deposits. Individual deposits are a composite of syngenetic massive sulphide and underlying epigenetic stockwork-vein mineralization. The massive sulphide occurs as concordant tabular, lenticular, or saucer-shaped bodies in pillow lavas and pillow-lava breccia; massive lava flows, hyalcoclastite, tuff, and bedded radolarian chert are less commonly associated rock types. These massive sulphide zones are as much as 700 m long, 200 m wide, and 50 m thick. The pipe-, funnel-, or keel-shaped stockwork zone may extend to a dehpth of 1 km in the sheeted-dike complex. Several deposits in Cyprus are confined to grabens or the hanging wall of premineralization normal faults. Polymetallic massive sulphide deposits and active hydrothermal vents at medium- to fast-rate spreading centres (the East Pacific Rise at lat. 21??N, the Galapagos Spreading Centre at long. 86??W, the Juan de Fuca Ridge at lat. 45??N., and the Southern Trough of Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California) have interdeposit spacings on a scale of tens or hundreds of metres, and are spatially associated with structural ridges or grabens within the narrow (< 5 km) axial valleys of the rift zones. Although the most common substrate for massive sulphide accumulations is stacked sequences of pillow basalt and sheet flows, the sea-floor underlying numerous deposits in Guaymas Basin consists of diatomaceous ooze and terrigenous clastic sediment that is intruded by diabase sills. Mound-like massive sulphide deposits, as much as 30 m wide and 5m high, occur over actively discharging vents on the East Pacific Rise, and many of these deposits serve as the base for narrow chimneys and spires of equal or greater height. Sulphides on the Juan de Fuca Ridge appear to form more widespread blanket deposits in the shallow axial-valley depression. The largest deposit found to date, along the axial ridge of the Galapagos Spreading Centre, has a tabular form and a length of 1000 m, a width of 200 m, and a height of 30 m. The sulphide assemblage in both massive and vein mineralization in Cyprus type deposits is characteristically simple: abundant pyrite or, less commonly, pyrrhotite accompanied by minor marcasite, chalcopyrite

Thematic mapper study of Alaskan ophiolites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bird, J. M.

1986-01-01

The combinations of Thematic Mapper (TM) bands that best distinguish basalts of the Brooks Range ophiolites were determined. Geochemical analyses, including major, trace, and rare earth elements (REE), are being done in order to study the significance of TM spectral variations that were observed within some of the sampled rock units. An image of the topography of the western Brooks Range and Colville Basin was constructed. Elevation data for the rest of Northern Alaska are being acquired to expand the area covered by the topography image. Two balanced cross sections (one along the eastern margin, the other along the western margin of the Brooks Range) are being constructed, using the techniques of fault-bend and fault-propagation folding. These are being used to obtain regional shortening estimates for the Brooks Range in an attempt to constrain tectonic models for the evolution of Northern Alaska. The TM data are being used to confirm reconnaissance maps and to obtain structural data where no maps exist. Along with the TM data, digital topography, seismic reflection profiles, and magnetic and gravity surveys are examined to better understand the evolution of the Colville Basin, north of the Brooks Range.

Formation of anorthosite-Gabbro rhythmic phase layering: an example at North Arm Mountain, Bay of Isands ophiolite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Komor, S.C.; Elthon, D.

1990-01-01

Rhythmically layered anorthosite and gabbro are exposed in a 4-10-m thick interval at the base of the layered gabbro unit on North Arm Mountain, one of four massifs that compose the Bay of Islands ophiolite, Newfoundland. The rhythmically layered interval is sandwiched between thick layers of adcumulate to orthocumulate uniform gabbro. Calculated fractional crystallization paths and correlated cryptic variation patterns suggest that uniform and rhythmically layered gabbros represent 20-30% in situ crystallization of two distinct magma batches, one more evolved and the other more primitive. When the more primitive magma entered the crystallization site of the NA300-301 gabbros, it is estimated to have been ~40??C hotter than the resident evolved magma, and may have been chilled by contact with a magma chamber margin composed of uniform gabbro. In this model, chilling caused the liquid to become supercooled with respect to plagioclase nucleation temperatures, resulting in crystallization of gabbro deficient in plagioclase relative to equilibrium cotectic proportions. Subtraction of a plagioclase-poor melagabbro enriched the liquid in normative plagioclase, which in turn led to crystallization of an anorthosite layer. -from Authors

Hydrous partial melting in the sheeted dike complex at fast spreading ridges: experimental and natural observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, Lydéric; Koepke, Juergen; Ildefonse, Benoit; Cichy, Sarah B.; Deschamps, Fabien

2010-11-01

In ophiolites and in present-day oceanic crust formed at fast spreading ridges, oceanic plagiogranites are commonly observed at, or close to the base of the sheeted dike complex. They can be produced either by differentiation of mafic melts, or by hydrous partial melting of the hydrothermally altered sheeted dikes. In addition, the hydrothermally altered base of the sheeted dike complex, which is often infiltrated by plagiogranitic veins, is usually recrystallized into granoblastic dikes that are commonly interpreted as a result of prograde granulitic metamorphism. To test the anatectic origin of oceanic plagiogranites, we performed melting experiments on a natural hydrothermally altered dike, under conditions that match those prevailing at the base of the sheeted dike complex. All generated melts are water saturated, transitional between tholeiitic and calc-alkaline, and match the compositions of oceanic plagiogranites observed close to the base of the sheeted dike complex. Newly crystallized clinopyroxene and plagioclase have compositions that are characteristic of the same minerals in granoblastic dikes. Published silicic melt compositions obtained in classical MORB fractionation experiments also broadly match the compositions of oceanic plagiogranites; however, the compositions of the coexisting experimental minerals significantly deviate from those of the granoblastic dikes. Our results demonstrate that hydrous partial melting is a likely common process in the root zone of the sheeted dike complex, starting at temperatures exceeding 850°C. The newly formed melt can either crystallize to form oceanic plagiogranites or may be recycled within the melt lens resulting in hybridized and contaminated MORB melts. It represents the main MORB crustal contamination process. The residue after the partial melting event is represented by the granoblastic dikes. Our results support a model with a dynamic melt lens that has the potential to trigger hydrous partial melting reactions in the previously hydrothermally altered sheeted dikes. A new thermometer using the Al content of clinopyroxene is also elaborated.

Geochemical mapping of polluted soils and environmental risk assessment associated to mining activities: a comparison case study in El Campillo (Huelva, Spain) and the Zambales (Luzon Island,The Philippines)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuluaga, Maria Clara; Albanese, Stefano; de Vivo, Benedetto; Nieto, Jose Miguel; David, Carlos Primo C.; Norini, Gianluca

2014-05-01

The soil is one of the environmental systems which could be most affected by the dispersion of pollutant, also because of the close relationship with the atmosphere and meteoric waters. The distribution and type of contamination depends closely on the climate, precipitations, drainage, vegetation, lithology and human activities. As a matter of fact, soil contamination due to heavy metals and metalloids, such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, represents the source of a severe potential hazard for the ecosystem equilibrium and the health of living beings. This study is carried out in two abandoned mining zones near to populated areas, which underwent similar mining history, but in very different climatic and environmental conditions. The aim of the research is to analyze the influence of precipitation amounts, soil thickness, drainage density and vegetation cover on pollutant distribution. The first zone is in El Campillo, a town at the Rio Tinto mining district and belongs to the Iberic Pyritic Belt of the southwest Iberian peninsula. This mining site is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with low precipitation (700 mm/year), low vegetation cover and poor soil development. The second case study is the Zambales Mountain Range, a mining district in the Luzon Island of the Philippines dominated by a tropical weather, forests, intense rainfalls (2350 mm/year) and good soil development. The wide spectrum of climatic variables in the case studies requires to develop a single flexible methodology for the mapping and monitoring of the environmental degradation in both semi-arid and tropical environments, allowing comparative studies. The methodological approach comprises remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), spatial statistical analysis, field sampling, ICP analysis and isotopic geochemical analysis. The presentation illustrates the first stage of the project. The processing of multispectral (Aster) and hyperspectral (Hyperion) images, in comparison with available geological and geochemical data, is used to search for spectral indicators of specific pollutant or anomalies in the vegetation cover related to soil contamination. Then, digital elevation models (DEMs) are used to delineate the drainage and superficial flow and to find potential correlations with the remobilization and dispersion of the pollutant in the soils, sediments and water bodies. These results allow a first comparison between the case studies, and delineate the different behavior of pollutants dispersion in the two climatic end-members. Also the remote sensing and GIS analysis form the basis to plan the future soil and sediment sampling campaign, according to the specific characteristics of the areas. The field, remote sensing and ICP data will be integrated in a GIS database for spatial geostatistical analysis. Those analysis will be complemented with the lead isotopic analysis of soil samples and human hair samples collected from the people who lives close to the mining zones, in order to determine the origin of the lead from the isotopic composition.

Autotrophic Ecosystems on the Early Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schulte, M.

2003-01-01

Ophiolite sequences, sections of lower oceanic crust and upper mantle that have been thrust onto continental craton, are located in northern and central California and provide easily accessible areas that serve as good analogs for similar, more extensive areas of the early Earth. We have begun investigating and characterizing these sites in order to understand better the processes that may be responsible for the water chemistry, mineralogy and biology of similar environments on the early Earth. The geophysical and geochemical processes in these terranes provide niches for unique communities of extremeophiles and likely provide a good analog to the location that first gave rise to life on Earth. The ophiolites found in northern and central California include the Trinity, Josephine, Coast Range and Point Sal, all of which are approximately 160 million years old. Fluids from serpentinizing springs are generally alkaline with high pH and H2 contents, indicating that the mafic rock compositions control the fluid composition through water-rock reactions during relatively low-grade hydrothermal processes. There are significant amounts of primary mineralogy remaining in the rocks, meaning that substantial alteration processes are still occurring in these terranes. The general reaction for serpentinization of olivine is given by one of the authors. olivine + H2O = serpentine + brucite + magnetite + H2. We have analyzed the mineralogical composition of several rock samples collected from the Coast Range Ophiolite near Clear Lake, CA by electron microprobe. The remnant primary mineralogy is fairly urnform in composition, with an olivine composition of Fo(sub 90), and with pyroxene compositions of En(sub 90) for orthopyroxene and En(sub 49)Wo(sub 48)Fs(sub 03) for the clinopyroxene. Other primary phases observed include chromites and other spinels. Examination of petrographic thin sections reveals that serpentinization reactions have occurred in these locations. The serpentine resulting from aqueous alteration of olivine resides in veins that are see to cross cut the primary mineral grains. There are several generations of alteration products, comprised mostly of serpentines that are magnesium rich, with magnetite, brucite and carbonates observed as accessory minerals. The formation of carbonates can be taken to indicate the presence of CO2 in the altering fluids. We collected samples from a spring in the Coast Range Ophiolite in order to determine whether the geochemical environment serves as a habitat for chemotrophic microorganisms. DNA was extracted from the sediment samples and the 16s rRNA gene was PCR amplified using universal Archaeal primers. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to determine the community of Archaea thriving in these samples. Our results indicate that there were 8 different genera of Archaea from a single sample. A sequence was obtained from one of these eight. The sequence is of an organism similar to Halorubrum tibetense, and alkalophilic Archaeon. This result suggests that these environments are likely hosts for communities of organisms that are adapted for the unique chemistry provided by the alkaline spring.

Progressive magmatism and evolution of the Variscan suture in southern Iberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braid, James A.; Murphy, J. Brendan; Quesada, Cecilio; Gladney, Evan R.; Dupuis, Nicolle

2018-04-01

Magmatic activity is an integral component of orogenic processes, from arc magmatism during convergence to post-collisional crustal melting. Southern Iberia exposes a Late Paleozoic suture zone within Pangea and where a crustal fragment of Laurussia (South Portuguese Zone) is juxtaposed with parautochthonous Gondwana (Ossa Morena Zone). Fault-bounded oceanic metasedimentary rocks, mélanges and ophiolite complexes characterize the suture zone and are intruded by plutonic rocks and mafic dykes. The generation and emplacement of these intrusive rocks and their relationship to development of the suture zone and the orogen are undetermined. Field evidence combined with U/Pb (zircon) geochronology reveals three main phases of plutonism, a pre-collisional unfoliated gabbroic phase emplaced at ca 354 Ma, crosscut by a syn-tectonic ca 345 Ma foliated granodiorite phase followed by a ca 335 Ma granitic phase. Geochemical analyses (major, trace, rare earth elements) indicate that the gabbro exhibits a calc-alkaline arc signature whereas the granodiorite and granite are typical of post-collisional slab break-off. Taken together, these data demonstrate a protracted development of the orogen and support a complex late stage evolution broadly similar to the tectonics of the modern eastern Mediterranean. In this scenario, the highly oblique closure of a small tract of oceanic lithosphere postdates the main collision event resulting in escape of parautochthonous and allochthonous terranes toward the re-entrant.

The Maliac Ocean: the origin of the Tethyan Hellenic ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferriere, Jacky; Baumgartner, Peter O.; Chanier, Frank

2016-10-01

The Hellenides, part of the Alpine orogeny in Greece, are rich in ophiolitic units. These ophiolites and associated units emplaced during Jurassic obduction, testify for the existence of one, or several, Tethyan oceanic realms. The paleogeography of these oceanic areas has not been precisely described. However, all the authors now agree on the presence of a main Triassic-Jurassic ocean on the eastern side of the Pelagonian zone (Vardar Domain). We consider that this Maliac Ocean is the most important ocean in Greece and Albania. Here, we limit the detailed description of the Maliac Ocean to the pre-convergence period of approximately 70 Ma between the Middle Triassic rifting to the Middle Jurassic convergence period. A quick overview on the destiny of the different parts of the Maliac Ocean during the convergence period is also proposed. The studied exposures allow to reconstruct: (1) the Middle to Late Triassic Maliac oceanic lithosphere, corresponding to the early spreading activity at a Mid-Oceanic Ridge; (2) the Western Maliac Margin, widely exposed in the Othris and Argolis areas; (3) the Eastern-Maliac Margin in the eastern Vardar domain (Peonias and Paikon zones). We established the following main characteristics of the Maliac Ocean: (1) the Middle Triassic rifting marked by a rapid subsidence and volcanism seems to be short-lived (few My); (2) the Maliac Lithosphere is only represented by Middle to Late Triassic units, especially the Fourka unit, composed of WPB-OIB and MORB pillow-lavas, locally covered by a pelagic Middle Triassic to Middle Jurassic sedimentary cover; (3) the Western Margin is the most complete and our data allow to distinguish a proximal and a deeper distal margin; (4) the evolution of the Eastern Margin (Peonias and Paikon series) is similar to that of the W-Margin, except for its Jurassic terrigenous sediments, while the proximal W-Margin was dominated by calcarenites; (5) we show that the W- and E-margins are not Volcanic Passive Margins; and (6) during the Middle Jurassic convergence period, the Eastern Margin became an active margin and both margins were affected by obduction processes.

Tectonics and geology of spreading ridge subduction at the Chile Triple Junction: a synthesis of results from Leg 141 of the Ocean Drilling Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Behrmann, J.H.; Lewis, S.D.; Cande, S.C.

1994-01-01

An active oceanic spreading ridge is being subducted beneath the South American continent at the Chile Triple Junction. This process has played a major part in the evolution of most of the continental margins that border the Pacific Ocean basin. A combination of high resolution swath bathymetric maps, seismic reflection profiles and drillhole and core data from five sites drilled during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 141 provide important data that define the tectonic, structural and stratigraphic effects of this modern example of spreading ridge subduction. A change from subduction accretion to subduction erosion occurs along-strike of the South American forearc. This change is prominently expressed by normal faulting, forearc subsidence, oversteepening of topographic slopes and intensive sedimentary mass wasting, overprinted on older signatures of sediment accretion, overthrusting and uplift processes in the forearc. Data from drill sites north of the triple junction (Sites 859-861) show that after an important phase of forearc building in the early to late Pliocene, subduction accretion had ceased in the late Pliocene. Since that time sediment on the downgoing oceanic Nazca plate has been subducted. Site 863 was drilled into the forearc in the immediate vicinity of the triple junction above the subducted spreading ridge axis. Here, thick and intensely folded and faulted trench slope sediments of Pleistocene age are currently involved in the frontal deformation of the forearc. Early faults with thrust and reverse kinematics are overprinted by later normal faults. The Chile Triple Junction is also the site of apparent ophiolite emplacement into the South American forearc. Drilling at Site 862 on the Taitao Ridge revealed an offshore volcanic sequence of Plio-Pleistocene age associated with the Taitao Fracture Zone, adjacent to exposures of the Pliocene-aged Taitao ophiolite onshore. Despite the large-scale loss of material from the forearc at the triple junction, ophiolite emplacement produces a large topographic promontory in the forearc immediately after ridge subduction, and represents the first stage of forearc rebuilding. ?? 1994 Springer-Verlag.

A wide-angle seismic survey of the Hecataeus Ridge, south of Cyprus: a microcontinental block from the African plate docked in a subduction zone?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimi, Ayda; Welford, Kim; Hall, Jeremy; Hübscher, Christian; Louden, Keith; Ehrhardt, Axel

2013-04-01

Cyprus lies at the southern edge of the Aegean-Anatolian microplate, caught in the convergence of Africa and Eurasia. Subduction of the African plate below Cyprus has probably ceased and this has been attributed to the docking in the subduction zone of the Eratosthenes Seamount microcontinental fragment on the northern edge of the African plate. In early 2010, on R.V. Maria S. Merian, we conducted a wide-angle seismic survey to test the hypothesis that the Hecataeus Ridge, another possible microcontinental block lying immediately offshore SE Cyprus, might be related to an earlier docking event. The upper crust of southern Cyprus is dominated by ophiolites, with seismic velocities of up to 7 km s-1. A wide angle seismic profile along Hecataeus Ridge was populated with 15 Canadian and German ocean-bottom seismographs at 5 km intervals and these recorded shots from a 6000 cu. in. air gun array, fired approximately every 100 m. Rough topography of the seabed has made picking of phases and their modelling a demanding task. Bandpass and coherency filtering have enabled us to pick phases out to around 80 km. Tomographic inversion of short-range first arrivals provided an initial model of the shallow sub-seabed structure. Forward modelling by ray-tracing, using the code of Zelt and Smith, was then used to model crustal structure down to depths of around 20 km, with occasional evidence of reflections from deeper boundaries (Moho?). Modelling results provide good control on P-wave velocities in the top 20 km and some indications of deeper events. There is no evidence of true velocities approaching 7 km/s in the top 20 km below the Ridge that might indicate the presence of ophiolitic rocks. Regional gravity and magnetic field data tend to support this proposition. We thus conclude that Hecataeus Ridge is not composed of characteristically ophiolitic, Cyprus (upper plate) crust, and it might well be derived from the African (lower) plate.

Alteration and mineralization of an oceanic forearc and the ophiolite-ocean crust analogy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alt, J.C.; Teagle, D.A.H.; Brewer, T.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Halliday, A.

1998-01-01

Mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic (O, C, S, and Sr) analyses were performed on minerals and bulk rocks from a forearc basement section to understand alteration processes and compare with mid-ocean ridges (MOR) and ophiolites. Ocean Drilling Program Hole 786B in the Izu-Bonin forearc penetrates 103 m of sediment and 725 m into volcanic flows, breccias, and basal dikes. The rocks comprise boninites and andesites to rhyolites. Most of the section was affected by low-temperature (<100??C) seawater alteration, with temperatures increasing downward. The rocks are partly (5-25%) altered to smectite, Fe-oxyhydroxide, calcite, and phillipsite, and exhibit gains of K, Rb, and P, loss of Ca, variable changes in Si, Na, Mg, Fe, Sr, and Y, and elevated ??18O and 87Sr/86Sr. Higher temperatures (???150??C) in the basal dikes below 750 m led to more intense alteration and formation of chlorite-smectite, corrensite, albite, K-feldspar, and quartz (??chlorite). A 5 m thick hydrothermally altered and pyritized zone at 815 m in the basal dikes reacted with mixtures of seawater and hydrothermal fluids to Mg-chlorite, albite, and pyrite, and gained Mg and S and lost Si and Ca. Focused flow of hydrothermal fluids produced sericitization halos (Na-K sericite, quartz, pyrophyllite, K-feldspar, and pyrite) along quartz veins at temperatures of 200??-250??C. High 87Sr/86Sr ratios of chloritized (???0.7055) and sericitized (???0.7065) rocks indicate involvement of seawater via mixing with hydrothermal fluids. Low ??34S of sulfide (???2 to -5.5???) and sulfate (12.5???) are consistent with input of magmatic SO2 into hydrothermal fluids and disproportionation to sulfide and sulfate. Alteration processes were generally similar to those at MORs, but the arc section is more intensively altered, in part because of the presence of abundant glassy rocks and mafic phases. The increase in alteration grade below 750 m and the mineralization in the basal dikes are analogous to changes that occur near the base of the volcanic section in MOR and the Troodos ophiolite.

Behavior of MORB magmas at uppermost mantle beneath a fast-spreading axis: an example from Wadi Fizh of the northern Oman ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akizawa, Norikatsu; Arai, Shoji; Tamura, Akihiro

2012-10-01

Relationships of lithologies in uppermost mantle section of Oman ophiolite are highly complicated, harzburgites especially being closely associated with dunites, wehrlites, and gabbros. The petrology and geochemistry of the uppermost mantle section provide constrains on how MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalt) magmas migrate from the mantle to crust. We conducted detailed sampling at the uppermost mantle section of the northern Oman ophiolite (along Wadi Fizh), and it provides us with centimeter-scale lithological and mineral chemical heterogeneity. In particular, we found peculiar plagioclase-free harzburgites that have not been recorded from the current ocean floor, which contain high-Mg# [Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) atomic ratio] clinopyroxenes that are almost in equilibrium (saturated) with MORB in terms of REE concentrations. They are from the uppermost mantle section underlying the wehrlite-dunite layer (=Moho transition zone; MTZ) just beneath the layered gabbro. MORBs cannot be in equilibrium with harzburgites; however, we call the peculiar harzburgites as "MORB-saturated harzburgite" for simplicity in this paper. The MORB-saturated harzburgites exhibit slightly enriched mineralogy (e.g., spinels with higher Ti and ferric iron, and clinopyroxenes with higher Ti and Na) and contain slightly but clearly more abundant modal clinopyroxene (up to 3.5 vol.%) than ordinary Oman depleted harzburgites (less than 1 vol.% clinopyroxene), which are similar to abyssal harzburgites. Gabbro-clinopyroxenite bands, which were melt lenses beneath the ridge axis, are dominant around the MTZ. Detailed sampling around the gabbro-clinopyroxenite bands revealed that the MORB-saturated harzburgites appear around the bands. The interaction between a melt that was MORB-like and an ordinary harzburgite induced incongruent melting of orthopyroxenes in harzburgites, and the melt chromatographically intruded into the wall harzburgite and was modified to coexist with olivine and two pyroxenes at low melt/harzburgite ratios. The modified melt left clinopyroxene (not clinopyroxene + plagioclase as in plagioclase-impregnated abyssal harzburgite) to form the MORB-saturated harzburgites in the vicinity (harzburgite) of the fracture, which are left as gabbro-clinopyroxenite bands. This local modification mimics the whole lithological and chemical variation of the MTZ and makes chemical variation of MORB suite at fast-spreading ridge.

Informing geobiology through GIS site suitability analysis: locating springs in mantle units of ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, A.; Cardace, D.; August, P.

2012-12-01

Springs sourced in the mantle units of ophiolites serve as windows to the deep biosphere, and thus hold promise in elucidating survival strategies of extremophiles, and may also inform discourse on the origin of life on Earth. Understanding how organisms can survive in extreme environments provides clues to how microbial life responds to gradients in pH, temperature, and oxidation-reduction potential. Spring locations associated with serpentinites have traditionally been located using a variety of field techniques. The aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks to serpentinites is accompanied by the production of very unusual formation fluids, accessed by drilling into subsurface flow regimes or by sampling at related surface springs. The chemical properties of these springs are unique to water associated with actively serpentinizing rocks; they reflect a reducing subsurface environment reacting at low temperatures producing high pH, Ca-rich formation fluids with high dissolved hydrogen and methane. This study applies GIS site suitability analysis to locate high pH springs upwelling from Coast Range Ophiolite serpentinites in Northern California. We used available geospatial data (e.g., geologic maps, topography, fault locations, known spring locations, etc.) and ArcGIS software to predict new spring localities. Important variables in the suitability model were: (a) bedrock geology (i.e., unit boundaries and contacts for peridotite, serpentinite, possibly pyroxenite, or chromite), (b) fault locations, (c) regional data for groundwater characteristics such as pH, Ca2+, and Mg2+, and (d) slope-aspect ratio. The GIS model derived from these geological and environmental data sets predicts the latitude/longitude points for novel and known high pH springs sourced in serpentinite outcrops in California. Field work confirms the success of the model, and map output can be merged with published environmental microbiology data (e.g., occurrence of hydrogen-oxidizers) to showcase patterns in microbial community structure. Discrepancies between predicted and actual spring locations are then used to tune GIS suitability analysis, re-running the model with corrected geo-referenced data. This presentation highlights a powerful GIS-based technique for accelerating field exploration in this area of ongoing research.

Petrology of forearc basalt-related isotropic gabbros from the Bonin Ridge, Izu-Bonin forearc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, S. E.; Loocke, M. P.; Snow, J. E.

2017-12-01

The early arc volcanic rocks exposed on the Bonin Ridge (BR), a large forearc massif in the Izu-Bonin arc, have provided us with a natural laboratory for the study of subduction initiation and early arc development. The BR has been the subject of focused sampling by way of dredging, diving, and drilling (IODP EXP352) expeditions which have revealed a composite stratigraphy consisting, from bottom to top, of intercalated peridotites and gabbros, isotropic gabbros, sheeted dykes, and a lava sequence which transitions from forearc basalt (FAB) to more arc-like volcanics up section. Although little has been published regarding the moho-transition zone rocks of the BR in comparison to the volcanic rocks, even less work has been published regarding the isotropic gabbros recovered in close association with FABs. Ishizuka et al. (2011) determined that the isotropic gabbros are compositionally and temporally related to the FABs. We provide the first petrologic characterization, including petrography and electron probe microanalysis, of a suite of FAB-related gabbros recovered by dredge D42 of the 2007 R/V Hakuho Maru KH07-02 dredging cruise. Preliminary petrographic observations of the fourteen thin sections reveal that all of the samples contain variable amounts of relict orthopyroxene and consist of five disseminated oxide gabbros, 5 oxide gabbros, and 2 gabbros. We note that all of the D42 gabbros exhibit strong textural variability akin to the varitextured gabbros described in the dyke-gabbro transition of ophiolites (e.g., MacLeod and Yaouancq, 2000). Geochemical data from this critically understudied horizon have the potential to inform regarding the nature of crustal accretion during subduction initiation and the formation, migration, and evolution of FABs. Further, with many authors comparing the volcanic record and crustal stratigraphy of the BR to ophiolites (e.g., Ishizuka et al., 2014), these data would provide another in situ analogue for comparison with the gabbroic sections of ophiolites. MacLeod, C.J., Yaouancq, G., 2000, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 176:357-373. Ishizuka, O., et al., 2011, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 306: 229-240. Ishizuka, O., Tani, K., Reagan, M.K., 2014, Elements, 10:115-120.

Metaultramafic schists and dismembered ophiolites of the Ashe Metamorphic Suite of northwestern North Carolina, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raymond, Loren A.; Merschat, Arthur J.; Vance, R. Kelly

2016-01-01

Metaultramafic rocks (MUR) in the Ashe Metamorphic Suite (AMS) of northwestern North Carolina include quartz ± feldspar-bearing QF-amphibolites and quartz-deficient, locally talc-, chlorite-, and/or Mg-amphibole-bearing TC-amphibolites. Some workers divide TC-amphibolites into Todd and Edmonds types, based on mineral and geochemical differences, and we provisionally add a third type – olivine ± pyroxene-rich, Rich Mountain-type rocks. Regionally, MUR bodies range from equant, Rich Mountain- to highly elongate, Todd-TC-amphibolite-type bodies. The MURs exhibit three to five mineral associations containing assemblages with olivine, anthophyllitic amphibole, Mg-hornblende, Mg-actinolite, cummingtonite, and serpentine representing decreasing eclogite to greenschist facies grades of metamorphism over time. MUR protoliths are difficult to determine. Southwestern MUR bodies have remnant olivine ± pyroxene-rich assemblages representing ultrabasic-basic, dunite-peridotite-pyroxenite protoliths. Northeastern TC-amphibolite MURs contain hornblende and actinolitic amphiboles plus chlorites – aluminous and calcic assemblages suggesting to some that metasomatism of basic, QF-amphibolites yields all TC-amphibolites. Yet MgO-CaO-Al2O3 and trace element chemistries of many TC-amphibolites resemble compositions of plagioclase peridotites. We show that a few AMS TC-amphibolites had basaltic/gabbroic protoliths, while presenting arguments opposing application of the metasomatic hypothesis to all TC-amphibolites. We establish that MUR bodies are petrologically heterolithic and that TC-amphibolites are in contact with many rock types; that those with high Cr, Ni, and Mg have olivine- or pyroxene-dominated protoliths; that most exhibit three or more metamorphic mineral associations; and that contacts thought to be metasomatic are structural. Clearly, different MUR bodies have different chemistries representing various protoliths, and have different mineral assemblages, reflecting both chemical composition and metamorphic history. Spot sampling of heterolithic MUR bodies does not reveal MUR body character or history or allow ‘type’ designations. We recommend that the subdivision of MUR bodies into ‘types’ be abandoned and that the metasomatic hypothesis be carefully applied. AMS MURs and associated metamafic rocks likely represent fragments of dismembered ophiolites from various ophiolite types.

Lower crustal section of the Oman Ophiolite drilled in Hole GT1A, ICDP Oman Drilling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umino, S.; Kelemen, P. B.; Matter, J. M.; Coggon, J. A.; Takazawa, E.; Michibayashi, K.; Teagle, D. A. H.

2017-12-01

Hole GT1A (22° 53.535'N, 58° 30.904'E) was drilled by the Oman Drilling Project (OmDP) into GT1A of the Samail ophiolite, Oman. OmDP is an international collaboration supported by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program, the Deep Carbon Observatory, NSF, IODP, JAMSTEC, and the European, Japanese, German and Swiss Science Foundations, with in-kind support in Oman from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, Public Authority of Mining, Sultan Qaboos University, and the German University of Technology. Hole GT1A was diamond cored in 22 Jan to 08 Feb 2017 to a total depth of 403.05 m. The outer surfaces of the cores were imaged and described on site before being curated, boxed and shipped to the IODP drill ship Chikyu, where they underwent comprehensive visual and instrumental analysis. Hole GT1A drilled the lower crustal section in the southern Oman Ophiolite and recovered 401.52 m of total cores (99.6% recovery). The main lithology is dominated by olivine gabbro (65.9%), followed in abundance by olivine-bearing gabbro (21.5%) and olivine melagabbro (3.9%). Minor rock types are orthopyroxene-bearing olivine gabbro (2.4%), oxide-bearing olivine gabbro (1.5%), gabbro (1.1%), anorthositic gabbro (1%), troctolitic gabbro (0.8%); orthopyroxene-bearing gabbro (0.5%), gabbronorite (0.3%); and dunite (0.3%). These rocks are divided into Lithologic Unit I to VII at 26.62 m, 88.16 m, 104.72 m, 154.04 m, 215.22 m, 306.94 m in Chikyu Curated Depth in descending order; Unit I and II consist of medium-grained olivine gabbro with lower olivine abundance in Unit II. Unit III is medium-grained olivine melagabbros, marked by an increase in olivine. Unit IV is relatively homogenous medium-grained olivine gabbros with granular textures. Unit V is identified by the appearance of fine-grained gabbros, but the major rocktypes are medium grained olivine gabbros. Unit VI is medium-grained olivine gabbro, marked by appearance of orthopyroxene. Unit VII is of fine- to medium-grained olivine gabbros with less olivine.

Constraints on the evolution of the Naga Hills: from disparate origins to tectonic amalgamation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aitchison, J. C.; Clarke, G. L.; Ireland, T. R.; Ao, A.; Bhowmik, S. K.; Kapesa, L.; Roeder, T.; Stojanovic, D.; Kachovich, S.

2016-12-01

Recent field expeditions supported by the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF07021) have allowed a collaborative team of Australian and Indian geologists to examine, in detail, regions along the border between Nagaland and Manipur in India and Myanmar. This area has previously been little explored and we present new field and laboratory observations. The Myanmar microplate has been dextrally translated over 480 km northwards along Sagaing Fault system during the Miocene. Clearly it did not originate where it presently lies but how far it has travelled remains uncertain. The Indo-Myanmar ranges include the Naga Hills that are dominated by Cenozoic sediments, which have been thrust westwards (in present-day coordinates). They structurally overlie an Indian passive-margin sequence that includes the Gondwana break-up rift-drift counterpart to parts of the NW Shelf of Australia. Near the Indo-Myanmar border this giant imbricate thrust stack also contains sheets of ophiolitic mélange. The ophiolite is heavily disrupted and subsequent to this dismemberment it has been overlain by a succession of Eocene shallow marine shelf sediments; the Phokphur Formation. Further east a succession of high-grade metamorphic units is also thrust westwards over the ophiolite. Well-preserved radiolarian microfossils and U/PB SHRIMP data provide important new age constraints. While superficially it appears that rocks in this area can be correlated with units known from the Himalaya in fact this is problematic. As oceans to the north and west of Australia have opened, grown and been recycled through subduction various continental fragments that originated as part of Gondwana have departed and, with time, transferred to Asia. They have not necessarily all followed the same tectonic pathways. The area lies to the east of the Namche Barwa syntaxis and tectonic reconstructions indicate it has not directly participated in continent-continent collision. Indeed, stratigraphic and structural architecture differ markedly from that seen in classic Himalayan transects. New detrital zircon U/Pb studies reveal a fascinating history that suggests derivation of some units from Sibumasu rather than the Lhasa or Qiangtang terranes. Detailed study of this area sheds important light on the tectonic evolution of the SE Asia region.

Rodingite in Layered Gabbro of the Leka Ophiolite Complex, North-Central Caledonides of Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prestvik, T.; Austrheim, H.

2006-12-01

Both the ultramafic (mantle) and the layered ultramafic to gabbroic (crustal) sequences of the Cambrian (497 Ma) Leka ophiolite are characterized by extensive serpentinization. Rodingite, containing grossular garnet, clinopyroxene, clinozoisite, prehnite, chlorite and preiswerkite, which has been found in the lowermost plagioclase-rich layers of the gabbro sequence seems to represent an unusual (new?) mode of rodingite occurrence compared to the more common rodingitized basaltic dikes described from many ultramafic complexes worldwide. The 5 to 15 cm wide rodingitized plagioclase layers, that alternate with less altered layers of wehrlite, clinopyroxenite, and websterite, are located c. 10 m away from a 10 m wide layer of serpentinized dunite. The whole sequence is cut by numerous fractures oriented almost perpendicular to the layering, and rodingite occurs where the fractures transect the plagioclase layers. In the adjacent lithologies, the fractures can be followed as thin veins filled with grossular, clinopyroxene, amphibole, epidote, and chlorite. These fractures were most likely channelways for the rodingite-forming fluids. Gresen analysis, assuming constant volume, shows that the rodingite formed from the plagioclase-rich layers by addition of c. 22 g of CaO, 6 g of FeO and SiO2 and removal of 10 g of Al2O3 and all (2 g) of Na2O per 100 g of protolith. Microtextures show chlorite and serpentine pseudomorphs after primary clinopyroxene, demonstrating that the alteration took place at constant volume. This reaction is the most likely Ca source for the rodingitization, possibly in addition to the serpentinization of olivine in the dunite layers. Furthermore, Ca-enriched and Al2O3- depleted clinopyroxene of the rodingite - compared to the primary clinopyroxene of the layered sequence - attest to the mobil nature of these elements. While both the protolith and the rodingite are almost K2O-free, one of the plagioclase-rich layers has K2O in the 1.1 to 1.4% range for several meters along strike and has abundant secondary phlogopite. The source for K is not easily accounted for and may suggest large scale transport. LA-ICP-MS analysis of trace elements in grossular garnet shows a strongly LREE depleted pattern with a considerable (10x) positive Eu anomaly. We interpret this as evidence for reduced conditions during formation of the rodingite (or that the garnet inherited the Eu anomaly from primary plagioclase). This first description of rodingite at Leka indicates that serpentinization and rodingitization were related and most likely took place as part of a large scale Cambrian hydrothermal system associated with an oceanic rift. It further implies that the hydrothermal alteration affected rocks at sub-Moho level.

Mesozoic units in SE Rhodope (Bulgaria): new structural and petrologic data and geodynamic implications for the Early Jurassic to Mid-Cretaceous evolution of the Vardar ocean basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonev, N.; Stampfli, G.

2003-04-01

In the southeastern Rhodope, both in southern Bulgaria and northern Greece, Mesozoic low-grade to non-metamorphic units, together with similar units in the eastern Vardar zone, were designated as the Circum-Rhodope Belt (CRB) that fringes the Rhodope high-grade metamorphic complex. In the Bulgarian southeastern Rhodope, Mesozoic units show a complicated tectono-stratigraphy underlaid by amphibolite-facies basement units. The basement sequence includes a lower orthogneiss unit with eclogite and meta-ophiolite lenses overlain by an upper marble-schist unit, presumably along a SSW-directed detachment fault as indicated by shear sense indicators. The Mesozoic sequence starts with greenschist units at the base, overlaying the basement along the tectonic contact. Mineral assemblages such as actinolite-chlorite-white mica ± garnet in schists and phyllites indicate medium greenschist facies metamorphism. Kinematic indicators in the same unit demonstrate a top-to-the NNW and NNE shear deformation coeval with metamorphism, subparallel to NW-SE to NE-SW trending mineral elongation lineation and axis of NW vergent small-scale folds. The greenschist unit is overlain by tectonic or depositional contact of melange-like unit that consists of diabases with Lower Jurassic radiolarian chert interlayers, Upper Permian siliciclastics and Middle-Upper Triassic limestones found as blocks in olistostromic member, embedded in Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous turbiditic matrix. The uppermost sedimentary-volcanogenic unit is represented by andesito-basalt lavas and gabbro-diorites, interbedded with terrigeneous-marl and tufaceous sediments that yield Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) fossils, related to the Late Cretaceous back-arc magmatic activity to the north in Sredna Gora zone. Petrologic and geochemical data indicates sub-alkaline and tholeiitic character of the greenschists and ophiolitic basaltic lavas, and the latter are classified as low-K and very low-Ti basalts with some boninitic affinity. Immobile trace element discrimination of both rock types constrains the volcanic (oceanic)-arc origin. They generally show low total REE concentrations (LREE>HREE) with enrichment of LIL elements relative to the HFS elements, and also very low Nb and relatively high Ce content consistent with an island-arc tectonic setting. We consider that the Meliata-Maliac ocean northern passive margin could be the source provenance for the Upper Permian clastics and Middle-Upper Triassic limestone blocks within the olistostromic melange-like unit, whereas turbidites and magmatic blocks may originate in an island arc-accretionary complex that relates to the southward subduction of the Maliac ocean under the supra-subduction back-arc Vardar ocean/island arc system. These new structural and petrologic data allow to precise the tectonic setting of the Mesozoic units and their geodynamic context in the frame of the Early Jurassic to Late Cretaceous evolution of the Vardar ocean.

Nano-inclusions in diamond: Evidence of diamond genesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirth, R.

2015-12-01

The use of Focused Ion Beam technology (FIB) for TEM sample preparation introduced approximately 15 years ago revolutionized the application of TEM in Geosciences. For the first time, FIB enabled cutting samples for TEM use from exactly the location we are interested in. Applied to diamond investigation, this technique revealed the presence of nanometre-sized inclusions in diamond that have been simply unknown before. Nanoinclusions in diamond from different location and origin such as diamonds from the Lower and Upper Mantle, metamorphic diamonds (Kazakhstan, Erzgebirge, Bohemia), diamonds from ophiolites (Tibet, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Ural Mountains), diamonds from igneous rocks (Hawaii, Kamchatka) and impact diamonds (Popigai Crater, Siberia) have been investigated during the last 15 years. The major conclusion of all these TEM studies is, that the nanoinclusions, their phases and phase composition together with the micro- and nanostructure evidence the origin of diamond and genesis of diamond. We can discriminate Five different mechanisms of diamond genesis in nature are observed: Diamond crystallized from a high-density fluid (Upper mantle and metamorphic diamond). Diamond crystallized from carbonatitic melt (Lower mantle diamond). Diamond precipitates from a metal alloy melt (Diamond from ophiolites). Diamond crystallized by gas phase condensation or chemical vapour condensation (CVD) (Lavas from Kamchatka, xenoliths in Hawaiian lavas). Direct transformation of graphite into diamond.

Beneath the scaly clay and clay breccia of Karangsambung area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arisbaya, Ilham; Handayani, Lina

2018-02-01

Karangsambung area, Central Java-Indonesia, records tectonic evolution of the western part of Sundaland margin. The area is thought to have undergone a long tectonic evolution from palaeosubduction, collision with the continental fragments of Gondwana, to the formation of the recent subduction zone. An interesting phenomenon in this area is the presence of the Late Cretaceous ophiolitic blocks with an east northeast (ENE) trending-direction surrounded by the east trend of Eocene - Oligocene sedimentary melange formation. There was also an ENE trending Dakah volcanic rocks unit found in this area, with approximately equivalent age with the sedimentary mélange formation. There are two main interpretations regarding this volcanic unit, as an olistostrome and as an insitu shallow subduction magmatic product. Detailed mechanism of the emplacement of the Late Cretaceous ophiolite and the genesis of the volcanic rocks unit and their implications to the regional tectonic model is still open for discussion. Geophysical research in this key area may help to reveal the geometry, relationship among rocks units, and tectonic evolution. Unfortunately, geophysical studies in this area are still lacking. Previous geophysical work in Karangsambung still leaves uncertainty, especially in depth control and spatial resolution issue. Here we describe the results of previous works in Karangsambung as basic knowledge for the upcoming geophysical study.

Mesozoic and Cenozoic structural evolution of North Oman: New insights from high-quality 3D seismic from the Lekhwair area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bazalgette, Loïc; Salem, Hisham

2018-06-01

This paper highlights the role of Triassic-Jurassic extension and late Cretaceous compression in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic (Alpine) structuring of North Oman. The syn/post-Mesozoic regional structural evolution is usually documented as a succession of two stages of deformation. The Alpine 1 phase, late Cretaceous in age, occurred in association with two ophiolite obduction stages (Semail and Masirah ophiolites). It was characterised by strike slip to extensional deformation in the North Oman foreland basin sub-surface. The Alpine 2 phase, Miocene in age, was related to the continental collision responsible for both the Zagros orogen and the uplift of the Oman Mountains. The Alpine 2 deformation was transpressional to compressional. Observation and interpretation of good quality 3D seismic in the Lekhwair High area enabled the distinction of two earlier phases. Early Mesozoic extension occurred concomitantly with the regional Triassic to Jurassic rifting, developing Jurassic-age normal faults. Late Cretaceous compression occurred prior to the main Alpine 1 phase and triggered the inversion of Jurassic-seated normal faults as well as the initiation of compressional folds in the Cretaceous overburden. These early phases have been ignored or overlooked as part of the North Oman history although they are at the origin of structures hosting major local and regional hydrocarbon accumulations.

Eolian transport of geogenic hexavalent chromium to ground water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, W.W.; Clark, D.; Imes, J.L.; Councell, T.B.

2010-01-01

A conceptual model of eolian transport is proposed to address the widely distributed, high concentrations of hexavalent chromium (Cr+6) observed in ground water in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Concentrations (30 to more than 1000 μg/L Cr+6) extend over thousands of square kilometers of ground water systems. It is hypothesized that the Cr is derived from weathering of chromium-rich pyroxenes and olivines present in ophiolite sequence of the adjacent Oman (Hajar) Mountains. Cr+3 in the minerals is oxidized to Cr+6 by reduction of manganese and is subsequently sorbed on iron and manganese oxide coatings of particles. When the surfaces of these particles are abraded in this arid environment, they release fine, micrometer-sized, coated particles that are easily transported over large distances by wind and subsequently deposited on the surface. During ground water recharge events, the readily soluble Cr+6 is mobilized by rain water and transported by advective flow into the underlying aquifer. Chromium analyses of ground water, rain, dust, and surface (soil) deposits are consistent with this model, as are electron probe analyses of clasts derived from the eroding Oman ophiolite sequence. Ground water recharge flux is proposed to exercise some control over Cr+6 concentration in the aquifer.

Sr isotopic tracer study of the Samail ophiolite, Oman.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanphere, M.A.; Coleman, R.G.; Hopson, C.A.

1981-01-01

Rb and Sr concentrations and Sr-isotopic compositions were measured in 41 whole-rock samples and 12 mineral separates from units of the Samail ophiolite, including peridotite, gabbro, plagiogranite, diabase dykes, and gabbro and websterite dykes within the metamorphic peridotite. Ten samples of cumulate gabbro from the Wadir Kadir section and nine samples from the Wadi Khafifah section have 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70314 + or - 0.00030 and 0.70306 + or - 0.00034, respectively. The dispersion in Sr- isotopic composition may reflect real heterogeneities in the magma source region. The average Sr-isotopic composition of cumulate gabbro falls in the range of isotopic compositions of modern MORB. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of noncumulate gabbro, plagiogranite, and diabase dykes range 0.7034-0.7047, 0.7038-0.7046 and 0.7037- 0.7061, respectively. These higher 87Sr/86Sr ratios are due to alteration of initial magmatic compositions by hydrothermal exchange with sea-water. Mineral separates from dykes that cut harzburgite tectonite have Sr-isotopic compositions which agree with that of cumulate gabbro. These data indicate that the cumulate gabbro and the different dykes were derived from partial melting of source regions that had similar long-term histories and chemical compositions.-T.R.

Geochemical, Metamorphic and Geodynamic Evolution implications from subduction-related serpentinites and metarodingites at East Thessaly (Central Greece)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koutsovitis, Petros

2017-04-01

In Central Greece, the East Thessaly region encompasses ophiolitic and metaophiolitic formations emplaced onto Mesozoic platform series rocks. Metaophiolitic thrust sheets are characterized either by the predominance of serpentinites or metabasites. Serpentinites have been distinguished into three groups, representing distinct metamorphic degrees. Group-1 serpentinites (East Othris region) are characterized by the progressive transformation of lizardite to antigorite, estimated to have been formed under greenschist facies conditions (˜320-340 ˚ C, P≈6-8 kbar) [1]. Group-2 serpentinites (NE Othris and Agia-Agiokampos region) are marked by the further prevalence of antigorite over lizardite, suggesting upper-greenschist to low-blueschist facies metamorphism (˜340-370 ˚ C, P≈9-11 kbar) [1]. Group-3 serpentinites (Agia-Agiokampos region) are characterized by the predominance of antigorite and Cr-magnetite, as well as by their relatively low LOI (10.9-12.6 wt.%), corresponding to blueschist facies metamorphism (˜360-400 ˚ C, P≈12 kbar) [1]. These metamorphic conditions are highly comparable with the P-T estimates from the Easternmost Thessaly metabasic rocks, strongly indicating that the entire metaophiolitic formation (excluding East Othris) underwent blueschist facies metamorphism. Serpentinites from East Thessaly were formed from serpentinization of highly depleted harzburgitic protoliths under extensive partial melting processes (>15%), pointing to a hydrous subduction-related environment. Group-1 serpentinites exhibit higher Mg/Si ratio values and LOI compared to serpentinite Groups-2 and -3. Differences in the trace element behavior amongst the three serpentinite groups are also consistent with increasing metamorphic conditions (e.g. Pb, La enrichments, Ti, Y, Yb depletions) [1]. The East Thessaly serpentinites reflect highly oxidizing conditions (-0.4< FMQ<1.2) [1]. These serpentinites appear to have also been subjected to deserpentinization retrograde metamorphic processes (P<8 kbar and T<350 ˚ C) [1]. Retrograde metamorphism also resulted in the occurrence of late-stage rodingitization and derodingitization processes upon the rodingite intrusions hosted within the serpentinites. Late-stage derodingitization processes (T=250-300 oC) account for the formation of metarodingites (vesuvianite and/or chlorite bearing). Chlorite-serpentinite schists represent a reaction zone between the serpentinites and the hosted metarodingites [1]. Exhumation of the high-pressure serpentinite- and metabasic-bearing metaophiolitic occurrences may have occurred from either one or even from both of the bilateral oceanic basins (Pindos and Vardar) that coexisted besides the elongated Pelagonian zone. The Middle-Late Jurassic Pindos oceanic SSZ model appears to successfully interpret not only the geochemical and structural data recorded in the western Hellenic-Dinaric ophiolitic complexes, but additionally seems to explain the formation and emplacement for many of the East Thessaly metaophiolite occurrences. In this context, the exhumed metaophiolites represent parts either of a serpentinized subduction channel or of the serpentinized wedge, located on the hanging wall side close to the slab in the forearc system of the Pindos Ocean. The Hellenic-Dinaric ophiolitic units, as well as the metaophiolitic occurrences, were likely remobilized during thrusting of the flyschic nappe at the main Alpine orogenetic phase of the Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene period. References. [1] Koutsovitis 2016: Lithos, Special Issue, in Press. DOI: 10.1016/j.lithos.2016.11.008

From the Belly of the Beast: Biogeochemistry and geomicrobiology of a fluid seep at Chimaera [Yanartas], Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woycheese, K. M.; Yargicoglu, E. N.; Cardace, D.; Meyer-Dombard, D. R.

2012-12-01

Serpentinization is proposed to support chemolithotrophic growth of microorganisms in surface and subsurface environments1. Abiotic CH4 production associated with terrestrial ophiolitic outcrops has been reported in southeastern Turkey2. The Yanartas (Chimaera) seep, located within the Tekirova ophiolite in Çirali, Antalya, Turkey, is one of the largest onshore CH4 seeps documented2-5. The seep consists of dozens of flames erupting from fractures within the ophiolite outcrop that burn continuously on CH4 (80-90% of gas composition2) produced by subsurface serpentinization reactions. Previous studies have focused on gas geochemistry from these seeps2, 4, 5. While past reports have not found active fluid seeps at Yanartas2, in February 2012, a fluid seep (possibly ephemeral) originating from a fracture was identified, which supported microbial mats over an outflow channel several m in length. This is the first investigation of the biogeochemical and geomicrobiological properties of this newly-discovered fluid seep. The fluid seep emits from a fracture that is actively burning, and travels down slope along the ophiolite outcrop for ~10 m. Sediment temperatures under the vent source were 50-60°C, while fluid emitting from the fracture was 18.5°C. The pH of the fluid at the vent source was 11.9, indicative of subterranean serpentinization. Approximately 7.3 m downstream, the pH dropped to 9.4, potentially due to meteoric water mixing. Fluid samples were collected along the outflow channel for major ion analysis, trace element analysis, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Biofilm and biomineralized microbial mats were collected for bulk C and N composition, 13C and 15N isotopes, and microscopy. Weight % total C (CT) in solids generally increases with distance from the source, while weight % organic C (Corg) decreases, reflective of a higher degree of carbonate biomineralization downstream. δ13C of solids indicates a general trend of increased 13C enrichment with distance from the source in both Corg and CT. δ15N becomes more positive with distance from the source, and does not suggest active nitrogen fixation along the outflow channel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms that the biomineralized microbial mats are primarily composed of carbonates. Microbial samples were collected for cultivation, phylogenetic and function-based DNA analysis. Samples will be screened for methanotrophy, C fixation, and N cycling. Successful cultures have been obtained from Yanartas samples, demonstrating growth on a wide variety of carbon substrates (e.g. organic acids, yeast extract, peptone, and sugars). This is the first report of biofilms and surface fluids associated with serpentinization at the Yanartas seep. 1. McCollom, T.M. & W. Bach (2009) GCA. 73(3): 856-875 2. Etiope, G.; Schoell, M. & H. Hosgörmez (2011) EPSL. 310: 96-104 3. de Boer, J.Z.; Chanton, J. & M. Zeitlhöfler (2007) Geowissenshaftliche. 158(4): 997-1003 4. Hosgörmez, H. (2007) J Asian Earth Sci. 30: 131-141

New Isotopic Constraints on the Sources of Methane at Sites of Active Continental Serpentinization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, D. T.; Gruen, D.; Morrill, P. L.; Rietze, A.; Nealson, K. H.; Kubo, M. D.; Cardace, D.; Schrenk, M. O.; Hoehler, T. M.; McCollom, T. M.; Etiope, G.; Hosgormez, H.; Schoell, M.; Ono, S.

2014-12-01

At continental sites of serpentinization, high concentrations of reduced gases (e.g., H2, CH4) are frequently found in association with highly-alkaline groundwater. Identification of the process(es) responsible for the generation of methane—as well as the source(s) of C & H—in these environments has been challenging. The difficulty is due to both the wide range of processes (microbial, thermal, abiotic) that could be involved, and the limited number of parameters that are accessible to currently-available analytical technologies (e.g., δ13C, δD). The recent development of a new technique based on tunable infrared laser spectroscopy [1] has enabled the fully-resolved quantification of four isotopologues of methane: 12CH4, 13CH4, 12CH3D, and 13CH3D, a doubly-substituted ("clumped") isotopologue. We used this technique to measure 13CH3D in gases sampled from continental sites of serpentinization, in order to provide independent constraints on C-H bond-forming processes involved in the generation of the methane found in these systems. Our study sites are hosted in ultramafic units that are presently undergoing serpentinization. These include The Cedars peridotite body (Calif., USA) [2], the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (Calif., USA) [3], and the Chimaera seep (Tekirova Ophiolite, Turkey) [4]. Preliminary measurements indicate that Δ13CH3D (the deviation of the abundance of 13CH3D from the stochastic distribution) in methane sampled from these sites spans nearly the entire range of thermodynamically-predicted values, from >+5‰ (13CH3D-based apparent equilibrium temperature < 45 °C) to ~0‰ (Tapparent → ∞). The new 13CH3D data is complemented by conventional geochemical analyses (e.g., dissolved ions/organics, δ13C, δD) on samples collected during the same field campaigns. Our study demonstrates that the measurement of 13CH3D provides a new dimension of isotopic constraints for unraveling the complex processes controlling the distribution of methane, and the flow of energy and carbon, in areas of active continental serpentinization. [1] Ono et al. (2014) Anal. Chem. 86, 6487. [2] Morrill et al. (2013) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 109, 222. [3] Cardace et al. (2013) Sci. Dril. 16, 45. [4] Etiope et al. (2011) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 310, 96.

Diamonds in ophiolites: Contamination or a new diamond growth environment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, D.; Griffin, W. L.; Yang, J.; Gain, S.; Stern, R. A.; Huang, J.-X.; Jacob, D. E.; Xu, X.; Stokes, A. J.; O'Reilly, S. Y.; Pearson, N. J.

2015-11-01

For more than 20 years, the reported occurrence of diamonds in the chromites and peridotites of the Luobusa massif in Tibet (a complex described as an ophiolite) has been widely ignored by the diamond research community. This skepticism has persisted because the diamonds are similar in many respects to high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) synthetic/industrial diamonds (grown from metal solvents), and the finding previously has not been independently replicated. We present a detailed examination of the Luobusa diamonds (recovered from both peridotites and chromitites), including morphology, size, color, impurity characteristics (by infrared spectroscopy), internal growth structures, trace-element patterns, and C and N isotopes. A detailed comparison with synthetic industrial diamonds shows many similarities. Cubo-octahedral morphology, yellow color due to unaggregated nitrogen (C centres only, Type Ib), metal-alloy inclusions and highly negative δ13C values are present in both sets of diamonds. The Tibetan diamonds (n = 3) show an exceptionally large range in δ15N (-5.6 to + 28.7 ‰) within individual crystals, and inconsistent fractionation between {111} and {100} growth sectors. This in contrast to large synthetic HPHT diamonds grown by the temperature gradient method, which have with δ15N = 0 ‰ in {111} sectors and + 30 ‰ in {100} sectors, as reported in the literature. This comparison is limited by the small sample set combined with the fact the diamonds probably grew by different processes. However, the Tibetan diamonds do have generally higher concentrations and different ratios of trace elements; most inclusions are a NiMnCo alloy, but there are also some small REE-rich phases never seen in HPHT synthetics. These characteristics indicate that the Tibetan diamonds grew in contact with a C-saturated Ni-Mn-Co-rich melt in a highly reduced environment. The stable isotopes indicate a major subduction-related contribution to the chemical environment. The unaggregated nitrogen, combined with the lack of evidence for resorption or plastic deformation, suggests a short (geologically speaking) residence in the mantle. Previously published models to explain the occurrence of the diamonds, and other phases indicative of highly reduced conditions and very high pressures, have failed to take into account the characteristics of the diamonds and the implications for their formation. For these diamonds to be seriously considered as the result of a natural growth environment requires a new understanding of mantle conditions that could produce them.

Anatomy of a frozen axial melt lens from a fast-spreading paleo-ridge (Wadi Gideah, Oman ophiolite)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, T.; Koepke, J.; Garbe-Schönberg, C.-D.; Dietrich, M.; Bauer, U.; Wolff, P. E.

2017-02-01

At fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges, axial melt lenses (AMLs) sandwiched between the sheeted dyke section and the uppermost gabbros are assumed to be the major magma source of crust formation. Here, we present our results from a field study based on a single outcrop of a frozen AML in the Samail ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman which presents a whole suite of different lithologies and complex cutting relationships: varitextured gabbro with relics of primitive poikilitic clinopyroxene is intruded by massive quartz diorites and tonalites bearing relics of assimilated sheeted dykes, which in turn are cut by trondhjemite dykes. The whole is cut by basaltic dykes with chilled margins. The geochemical evolutionary trend of the varitextured gabbros, including some of the quartz diorites and tonalites, can be best modelled by fractional crystallisation of an experimental MORB parental melt composition containing 0.4 to 0.8 wt.% H2O. Patchy varitextured gabbros containing domains of primitive poikilitic clinopyroxene and evolved granular networks represent the record of in situ crystallisation. Some quartz diorites, often with xenoliths of sheeted dykes and exceptionally high Al2O3 contents, show a bulk trace element pattern more in accord with melts generated by experimental partial melting of dyke material. Highly evolved, crosscutting trondhjemite dykes show characteristic trace element patterns implying a formation by partial melting of sheeted dykes under lower water activity which is indicated by relatively low Al2O3 contents. The late basaltic dykes with chilled margins crosscutting all other lithologies show a relatively depleted geochemical character with pronounced negative Nb-Ta anomalies implying a genetic relationship to the second phase of magmatic Oman paleo-ridge activity (V2). The field relationships in combination with the petrological/geochemical trends reveal multiple sequences of MORB-type magma cooling (resulting in fractional crystallisation) and re-heating (producing partial melting) during the formation of this special horizon; these are best explained by alternating cycles of vertical AML migration. Since the investigated outcrop shows many characteristic lithological and petrographic features that are well-known from the uppermost gabbros drilled at Site 1256 by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) in the equatorial Eastern Pacific, our results based on 3-D observation in the field help to elucidate the geological observations obtained from the 1-D drill core.

An evolved axial melt lens in the Northern Ibra Valley, Southern Oman Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loocke, M. P.; Lissenberg, C. J.; MacLeod, C. J.

2014-12-01

The axial melt lens (AML) is a common feature lying at the base of the upper crust at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges. It is thought to play a major role in the evolution of MORB and, potentially, accretion of the plutonic lower crust. In order to better understand the petrological processes that operate in AMLs we have examined the nature and variability of the horizon equivalent to the AML preserved in the Oman ophiolite. We present the results of a detailed investigation of a section east of Fahrah in the Ibra Valley. Here, a suite of 'varitextured' gabbros separates the sheeted dykes above from foliated gabbros below. It comprises 3 distinct units: an ophitic gabbro with pegmatitic patches (patchy gabbro; 70 m thick), overlain by a spotty gabbro (50 m), capped by a quartz-diorite (120 m). The sheeted dykes are observed to root in the quartz-diorite. Contacts between the plutonic units are gradational and subhorizontal. All of the units are isotropic. A total of 110 samples were collected for detailed petrographic and chemical analysis. With the exception of a small number of the diorites, all of the samples have a 'cumulate' component. Primary igneous amphibole is ubiquitous, present even as a minor phase in the foliated gabbros beneath, and indicating extensive differentiation and/or the presence of water in the primary liquid. France et al. (2014, Lithos) report patches of granoblastic material from this horizon in the Fahrah area, and suggest they represent the restites of partially melted pieces of the sheeted dykes. We did not, however, find any such granoblastic material, nor can the quartz-diorites represent partial melt; instead, preliminary geochemical modeling suggests that all of the units can be related by simple progressive fractional crystallization of an Oman axial ('V1' or 'Geotimes') melt. Along with the field relationships, as well as the basaltic andesite to dacite composition of the overlying sheeted dykes, this suggests that the AML was the locus of formation of the highly evolved melts. This contrasts with the more primitive AML and sheeted dyke complex documented in Wadi Abyad. From this we conclude that there is significant lateral variability in AML compositions along the Oman ridge axis.

Composite Sunrise Butte pluton: Insights into Jurassic–Cretaceous collisional tectonics and magmatism in the Blue Mountains Province, northeastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Kenneth H.; Schwartz, J.J.; Žák, Jiří; Verner, Krystof; Barnes, Calvin G.; Walton, Clay; Wooden, Joseph L.; Wright, James E.; Kistler, Ronald W.

2015-01-01

The composite Sunrise Butte pluton, in the central part of the Blue Mountains Province, northeastern Oregon, preserves a record of subduction-related magmatism, arc-arc collision, crustal thickening, and deep-crustal anatexis. The earliest phase of the pluton (Desolation Creek unit) was generated in a subduction zone environment, as the oceanic lithosphere between the Wallowa and Olds Ferry island arcs was consumed. Zircons from this unit yielded a 206Pb/238U age of 160.2 ± 2.1 Ma. A magmatic lull ensued during arc-arc collision, after which partial melting at the base of the thickened Wallowa arc crust produced siliceous magma that was emplaced into metasedimentary rocks and serpentinite of the overthrust forearc complex. This magma crystallized to form the bulk of the Sunrise Butte composite pluton (the Sunrise Butte unit; 145.8 ± 2.2 Ma). The heat necessary for crustal anatexis was supplied by coeval mantle-derived magma (the Onion Gulch unit; 147.9 ± 1.8 Ma).The lull in magmatic activity between 160 and 148 Ma encompasses the timing of arc-arc collision (159–154 Ma), and it is similar to those lulls observed in adjacent areas of the Blue Mountains Province related to the same shortening event. Previous researchers have proposed a tectonic link between the Blue Mountains Province and the Klamath Mountains and northern Sierra Nevada Provinces farther to the south; however, timing of Late Jurassic deformation in the Blue Mountains Province predates the timing of the so-called Nevadan orogeny in the Klamath Mountains. In both the Blue Mountains Province and Klamath Mountains, the onset of deep-crustal partial melting initiated at ca. 148 Ma, suggesting a possible geodynamic link. One possibility is that the Late Jurassic shortening event recorded in the Blue Mountains Province may be a northerly extension of the Nevadan orogeny. Differences in the timing of these events in the Blue Mountains Province and the Klamath–Sierra Nevada Provinces suggest that shortening and deformation were diachronous, progressing from north to south. We envision that Late Jurassic deformation may have collapsed a Gulf of California–style oceanic extensional basin that extended from the Klamath Mountains (e.g., Josephine ophiolite) to the central Blue Mountains Province, and possibly as far north as the North Cascades (i.e., the coeval Ingalls ophiolite).

An IODP proposal to drill the Godzilla Megamullion as a step to Mohole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohara, Y.; Michibayashi, K.; Dick, H. J. B.; Snow, J. E.; Ono, S.

2017-12-01

The year 2017 represents the 60th anniversary of the "original" project Mohole, which was coined by Walter Munk in 1957. Although the project Mohole has not yet been realized, the hard-rock community is now striving hard to understand the upper mantle in a variety of ways. Firstly, the present-day project Mohole, M2M (Moho-to-Mantle) project, will move forward in this September, conducting multi-channel seismic profiling off Hawaii as a site survey. Oman Drilling Project has started last December, and the drilled cores are being described aboard D/V Chikyu from July, this year. Furthermore, the forearc M2M proposal to drill the Bonin Trench forearc mantle was submitted to IODP in April 2016. Being a part of these efforts, we are preparing an IODP proposal to drill the Godzilla Megamullion, the largest known oceanic core complex on the Earth, located in the Parece Vela Basin in the Philippine Sea. A significant fraction of the ocean floor is created in backarc basins, while there have been no single long core of backarc basin lower ocean crust, from which to understand the likely differences in magmatic evolution and crustal structure in this key setting. The opportunity to explore the formation of the backarc basin lower crust and upper mantle is, therefore, an important contribution to understanding the ocean basins. At the same time, a better understanding of the architecture of backarc basin lower crust and upper mantle will greatly aid in the interpretation of the results of ophiolite study, since much of our understanding of the architecture of oceanic lower crust and upper mantle comes from ophiolites, most of which are thought to have at least some arc and/or backarc component. The Godzilla Megamullion is unique in its huge size as well as its development in a backarc basin, a rare tectonic window to study backarc basin lithosphere. The Godzilla Megamullion is prepared for full drilling proposal, with complete bathymetric data, multiple bottom samplings, and multi-channel seismic profilings as well as P-wave velocity structures. We will propose substantial riserless drilling at Godzilla Megamullion that will provide an excellent opportunity to understand backarc basin lower crust and upper mantle. In this contribution, we will make use of this opportunity to share the general scheme of the proposal with the community.

Oman Drilling Project GT3 site survey: dynamics at the roof of an oceanic magma chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, L.; Nicollet, C.; Debret, B.; Lombard, M.; Berthod, C.; Ildefonse, B.; Koepke, J.

2017-12-01

Oman Drilling Project (OmanDP) aims at bringing new constraints on oceanic crust accretion and evolution by drilling Holes in the whole ophiolite section (mantle and crust). Among those, operations at GT3 in the Sumail massif drilled 400 m to sample the dike - gabbro transition that corresponds to the top (gabbros) and roof (dikes) of the axial magma chamber, an interface where hydrothermal and magmatic system interacts. Previous studies based on oceanic crust formed at present day fast-spreading ridges and preserved in ophiolites have highlighted that this interface is a dynamic horizon where the axial melt lens that top the main magma chamber can intrude, reheat, and partially assimilate previously hydrothermally altered roof rocks. Here we present the preliminary results obtained in GT3 area that have allowed the community to choose the drilling site. We provide a geological and structural map of the area, together with new petrographic and chemical constraints on the dynamics of the dike - gabbro transition. Our new results allow us to quantify the dynamic processes, and to propose that 1/ the intrusive contact of the varitextured gabbro within the dikes highlights the intrusion of the melt lens top in the dike rooting zone, 2/ both dikes and previously crystallized gabbros are reheated, and recrystallized by underlying melt lens dynamics (up to 1050°C, largely above the hydrous solidus temperature of altered dikes and gabbros), 3/ the reheating range can be > 200°C, 4/ the melt lens depth variations for a given ridge position is > 200m, 5/ the reheating stage and associated recrystallization within the dikes occurred under hydrous conditions, 6/ the reheating stage is recorded at the root zone of the sheeted dike complex by one of the highest stable conductive thermal gradient ever recorded on Earth ( 3°C/m), 7/ local chemical variations in recrystallized dikes and gabbros are highlighted and used to quantify crystallization and anatectic processes, and the presence of trapped melt, 8/ melt lens cannibalism is attested by numerous assimilation figures close its roof. Besides providing a general context for future studies at OmanDP GT3 site, those new results allow us to quantify the dynamic processes that govern the layer 2 - layer 3 transition in ocean lithosphere.

Effect of Hydrochemistry on Mineral Precipitation and Textural Diversity in Serpentinization-driven Alkaline Environments; Insights from Thermal Springs in the Oman Ophiolite.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bach, W.; Giampouras, M.; Garcia-Ruiz, J. M.; Garrido, C. J.; Los, C.; Fussmann, D.; Monien, P.

2017-12-01

Interactions between meteoric water and ultramafic rocks within Oman ophiolite give rise to the formation of thermal spring waters of variable composition and temperature. Discharge of two different types of water forms complex hydrological networks of streams and ponds, in which the waters mix, undergo evaporation, and take up atmospheric CO2. We conducted a pond-by-pond sampling of waters and precipitates in two spring sites within the Wadi Tayin massif, Nasif and Khafifah, and examined how hydrochemistry and associated mineral saturation states affect the variations in mineral phases and textures. Three distinctive types of waters were identified in the system: a) Mg-type (7.9 < pH < 9.5); Mg-HCO3-rich waters, b) Ca-type (pH > 11.6); Ca-OH-rich waters, and c) Mix-type (9.6 < pH < 11.5); waters arising upon mixing of Mg-type and Ca-type. PHREEQC was used to evaluate the role of mixing in aqueous speciation and the evolution of the saturation index value of different mineral phases. Mineral and textural characterization by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were combined with these hydrogeochemical constraints to determine the factors controlling mineralogical and textural diversity in the system. In Ca-type waters, uptake of CO2 during the exposure of the fluids to the atmosphere is the predominant precipitation mechanism of CaCO3. High Mg:Ca ratios and high supersaturation rate of CaCO3 favor the growth of aragonite over calcite in mixed fluids. Changes in morphology and texture of aragonite crystals and crystal aggregates indicate the variations in the values of supersaturation and supersaturation rate of CaCO3 in the different water types. Brucite precipitation is common and driven by fluid mixing, while interaction with air-derived CO2 causes its alteration to hydromagnesite. The proximity of gabbroic lithologies appears to affect the presence of Al-bearing layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Furthermore, transformation of nesquehonite to dypingite in Mg-type waters record a shift towards more alkaline conditions due to occasional mixing. This study demonstrates that water mixing, atmospheric CO2 up-take, and evaporation are the main drivers of precipitation and textural differentiation of minerals occurring in serpentinization-driven alkaline environments.

Miocene mass-transport sediments, Troodos Massif, Cyprus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lord, A.R.; Harrison, R.W.; BouDagher-Fadel, M.; Stone, B.D.; Varol, O.

2009-01-01

Sediment mass-transport layers of submarine origin on the northern and southern flanks of the Troodos ophiolitic massif are dated biostratigraphically as early Miocene and late Miocene, respectively and therefore represent different seismogenic events in the uplift and erosional history of the Troodos terrane. Analysis of such events has potential for documenting Miocene seismic and uplift events regionally in the context of changing stress field directions and plate vectors through time. ?? 2009 The Geologists' Association.

Geologic evolution of the Kastel trough and its implications on the Adiyaman oil fields, SE Turkey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coskun, Bu.

1990-05-01

Oil field developments of the Adiyaman area one of the main oil producing zones in southeast Turkey, have been highly influenced by geologic evolution of the Kastel trough which is situated in front of the suture zone between the Arabian and Anatolian plates. The Upper Cretaceous movements created many paleostructural trends in the Kastel trough where important dolomitic and porous reservoirs exist. The most important tectonic event, which appeared during the Upper Cretaceous movements, is the accumulation of the Kocali-Karadut ophiolitic complex, advancing from the north to the south in the Kastel trough, where heavy materials caused formation of amore » structural model favoring generation and migration and entrapment of oil in the reservoir rocks. Due to the presence of the Kocali-Karadut complex in the Kastel trough the following zones have been distinguished. (1) North Uplift Area. Situated under the allochthonous units, many thrust and reverse faults characterize this zone. The presence of paleohighs, where primary dolomites develop, allows the appearance of some oil fields in the region. This is the main future exploration zone in southeast Turkey. (2) Accumulation Area. Advancing from the north to the south, the allochthonous Kocali-Karadut complex filled the Kastel trough creating a deep graben whose flanks present generally normal faults. (3) Structural Belt. Important paleohighs constitute an exploration trend in this zone where dolomitic and porous carbonates contain actual oil fields. (4) South Accumulation Area. Distant from the Arabian-Anatolian suture zone, regional tectonics and sedimentology show this zone remained deeply buried during geologic time; good source rocks were deposited during the Cretaceous. (5) South Uplift Area. This area corresponds to the northern flank of the huge regional Mardin high in southeast Turkey where new oil fields have been discovered.« less

Transition from slab to slabless: Results from the 1993 Mendocino triple junction seismic experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beaudoin, B.C.; Godfrey, N.J.; Klemperer, S.L.; Lendl, C.; Trehu, A.M.; Henstock, T.J.; Levander, A.; Holl, J.E.; Meltzer, A.S.; Luetgert, J.H.; Mooney, W.D.

1996-01-01

Three seismic refraction-reflection profiles, part of the Mendocino triple junction seismic experiment, allow us to compare and contrast crust and upper mantle of the North American margin before and after it is modified by passage of the Mendocino triple junction. Upper crustal velocity models reveal an asymmetric Great Valley basin overlying Sierran or ophiolitic rocks at the latitude of Fort Bragg, California, and overlying Sierran or Klamath rocks near Redding, California. In addition, the upper crustal velocity structure indicates that Franciscan rocks underlie the Klamath terrane east of Eureka, California. The Franciscan complex is, on average, laterally homogeneous and is thickest in the triple junction region. North of the triple junction, the Gorda slab can be traced 150 km inboard from the Cascadia subduction zone. South of the triple junction, strong precritical reflections indicate partial melt and/or metamorphic fluids at the base of the crust or in the upper mantle. Breaks in these reflections are correlated with the Maacama and Bartlett Springs faults, suggesting that these faults extend at least to the mantle. We interpret our data to indicate tectonic thickening of the Franciscan complex in response to passage of the Mendocino triple junction and an associated thinning of these rocks south of the triple junction due to assimilation into melt triggered by upwelling asthenosphere. The region of thickened Franciscan complex overlies a zone of increased scattering, intrinsic attenuation, or both, resulting from mechanical mixing of lithologies and/or partial melt beneath the onshore projection of the Mendocino fracture zone. Our data reveal that we have crossed the southern edge of the Gorda slab and that this edge and/or the overlying North American crust may have fragmented because of the change in stress presented by the edge.

Liberty Complex: polygenetic melange in the central Maryland Piedmont

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muller, P.D.; Candela, P.A.; Wylie, A.G.

1985-01-01

A polydeformed, medium-grade assemblage of pelitic to psammitic flyschoid rocks with intercalated mafic and ultramafic ophiolitic rocks forms a major tectonic unit, the Liberty Complex (LC), within the central Maryland Piedmont. The LC outcrops in a NE-NNE-trending synformal belt bordered on the west by phyllonitic rocks of the Pleasant Grove zone, a regional tectonic boundary between eastern and western Piedmont terranes, and on the east by structurally lower basement-cored nappes of the lower Glenarm Supergroup. The LC is composed of two basic units, the Morgan Run melange (MRm) and the Skyesville Formation (SFm). The MRm is composed of metagreywacke andmore » micaschist with decimeter to tens of meter-thick lensoidal blocks of quartzite and amphibolite and a variety of ultramafic material ranging from thin sedimentary ultramafite lenses to kilometer-sized serpentine bodies. The SFm is schistose to massive metadiamictite containing granule to boulder-sized detritus of the same lithologies as comprise the MRm. Metamorphic foliation within many clasts is discordant to the matrix foliation. The LC is interpreted as a polygenetic melange which originated in a Cambro-Ordovician accretionary wedge and continued to develop during emplacement onto the continental margin of eastern North America. The MRm may represent underplated material deformed and metamorphosed in a subduction zone. Rapid uplift and erosion of the MRm during obduction supplied debris to the olistostromal SFm. Both units were complexly folded and cleaved, metamorphosed, and intruded by granitoids during medial (.) Ordovician suturing of an island arc to the continent.« less

Chromite alteration processes within Vourinos ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieco, Giovanni; Merlini, Anna

2012-09-01

The renewed interest in chromite ore deposits is directly related to the increase in Cr price ruled by international market trends. Chromite, an accessory mineral in peridotites, is considered to be a petrogenetic indicator because its composition reflects the degree of partial melting that the mantle experienced while producing the chromium spinel-bearing rock (Burkhard in Geochim Cosmochim Acta 57:1297-1306, 1993). However, the understanding of chromite alteration and metamorphic modification is still controversial (e.g. Evans and Frost in Geochim Cosmochim Acta 39:959-972, 1975; Burkhard in Geochim Cosmochim Acta 57:1297-1306, 1993; Oze et al. in Am J Sci 304:67-101, 2004). Metamorphic alteration leads to major changes in chromite chemistry and to the growth of secondary phases such as ferritchromite and chlorite. In this study, we investigate the Vourinos complex chromitites (from the mines of Rizo, Aetoraches, Xerolivado and Potamia) with respect to textural and chemical analyses in order to highlight the most important trend of alteration related to chromite transformation. The present study has been partially funded by the Aliakmon project in collaboration between the Public Power Corporation of Greece and Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration of Kozani.

Deformational history of part of the Acatlán Complex: Late Ordovician Early Silurian and Early Permian orogenesis in southern Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malone, J. R.; Nance, R. D.; Keppie, J. D.; Dostal, J.

2002-10-01

The Paleozoic Acatlán Complex of southern Mexico comprises polydeformed metasedimentary, granitoid, and mafic-ultramafic rocks variously interpreted as recording the closure of the Iapetus, Rheic, and Ouachitan Oceans. The complex is tectonically juxtaposed on its eastern margin against Grenville-age gneisses (Oaxacan Complex) that are unconformably overlain by Lower Paleozoic strata containing fossils of Gondwanan affinity. A thick siliciclastic unit (Chazumba and Cosoltepec Formations) at the base of the complex is considered part of a Lower Paleozoic accretionary prism with a provenance that isotopically resembles the Oaxacan Complex. This unit is tectonically overridden by a locally eclogitic mafic-ultramafic unit interpreted as a westward-obducted ophiolite, the emplacement of which was synchronous with mylonitic granitoid intrusion at ca. 440 Ma. Both units are unconformably overlain by a deformed volcano-sedimentary sequence (Tecomate Formation) attributed to a volcanic arc of presumed Devonian age. Deformed granitoids in contact with this sequence have been dated at ca. 371 (La Noria granite) and 287 Ma (Totoltepec pluton). Three phases of penetrative deformation (D 1-3) affect the Cosoltepec Formation; the last two correlate with two penetrative deformational phases that affect the Tecomate Formation. D 1 is of unknown kinematics but predates deposition of the Tecomate Formation and likely records obduction at ca. 440 Ma (Acatecan orogeny). A folded foliation in the Totoltepec pluton appears to record both deformational phases in the Tecomate Formation, bracketing D 2 and D 3 between 287 Ma and the deposition of the nonconformably overlying Leonardian Matzitzi Formation. D 2 records north-south dextral transpression and south-vergent thrusting and is attributed to the collision of Gondwana and southern Laurentia (Ouachitan orogeny) at ca. 290 Ma, the kinematics being consistent with the northward motion of Mexico that is required by most continental reconstructions for the final assembly of Pangea. D 3, which produced broadly north-south, upright folds, is also attributed to this collision and likely followed D 2 closely in the latest Paleozoic.

Diamond and Unusual Minerals Discovered from the Chromitite in Polar Ural: A First Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Bai, W.; Fang, Q.; Meng, F.; Chen, S.; Zhang, Z.

2007-12-01

Ultrahigh pressure (UHP) minerals, such as diamond, coesite, and pseudomorphs of octahedral olivine, and as well as about 80 other mineral species have been recovered from podiform chromitites of the Luobusa ophiolite, southern Tibet, and a new mineral, Luobusaite (Fe0.82Si2), has been approved recently by CNMMN. The UHP minerals from Luobusa are controversial because they have not found in situ and because ophiolites are currently believed to form at shallow levels above oceanic spreading centers. More detailed study and experimental work are needed to understand the origin and significance of these unusual minerals and investigations of other ophiolites are needed to determine if such minerals occur elsewhere. For this purpose, we collected about 1500 kg of chromitite from two orebodies in an ultramafic body in the Polar Urals. Thus far, more than 60 different mineral species have been separated from these ores. The most exciting discovery is the common occurrence of diamond, a typical UHP mineral in the Luobusa chromitites. Diamonds from Ural chromitite are clear, colorless, well-developed crystals with octahedral morphology, generally 0.2-0.3 mm in size. Attached with the diamonds and perhaps also occurring as inclusions within them are many minerals as chromite, MnNiCrFe alloy, native Si and Ta, corundum, zircon, feldspar, garnet, moissanite, confirming their natural origin and suggesting a long residence time in the mantle. Other mineral group include: (1) native elements: Cr, W, Ni, Co, Si, Al and Ta; (2) carbides: SiC and WC; (3) alloys: Cr-Fe, Si-Al-Fe, Ni-Cu, Ag-Au, Ag-Sn, Fe-Si, Fe-P, and Ag-Zn-Sn; (4) oxides: NiCrFe, PbSn, REE, rutile and Si- bearing rutile, ilmenite, corundum, chromite, MgO, and SnO2; (5) silicates: kyanite, pseudomorphs of octahedral olivine, zircon, garnet, feldspar, and quartz,; (6) sulfides of Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Pb, Ab, AsFe, FeNi, CuZn, and CoFeNi; and (7) iron groups: native Fe, FeO, and Fe2O3. These minerals are very similar in composition and structure to those reported from the Luobusa chromitites. For examples, some spherules of native iron contain spherical inclusions of FeO, exactly like comparable grains in the Luobusa sample.

The recycling of chromitites in ophiolites from southwestern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Jiménez, José M.; Camprubí, Antoni; Colás, Vanessa; Griffin, William L.; Proenza, Joaquín A.; O'Reilly, Suzanne Y.; Centeno-García, Elena; García-Casco, Antonio; Belousova, Elena; Talavera, Cristina; Farré-de-Pablo, Júlia; Satsukawa, Takako

2017-12-01

Podiform chromitites occur in mantle peridotites of the Late Triassic Puerto Nuevo Ophiolite, Baja California Sur State, Mexico. These are high-Cr chromitites [Cr# (Cr/Cr + Al atomic ratio = 0.61-0.69)] that contain a range of minor- and trace-elements and show whole-rock enrichment in IPGE (Os, Ir, Ru). That are similar to those of high-Cr ophiolitic chromitites crystallised from melts similar to high-Mg island-arc tholeiites (IAT) and boninites in supra-subduction-zone mantle wedges. Crystallisation of these chromitites from S-undersaturated melts is consistent with the presence of abundant inclusions of platinum-group minerals (PGM) such as laurite (RuS2)-erlichmanite (OsS2), osmium and irarsite (IrAsS) in chromite, that yield TMA ≈ TRD model ages peaking at 325 Ma. Thirty-three xenocrystic zircons recovered from mineral concentrates of these chromitites yield ages (2263 ± 44 Ma to 278 ± 4 Ma) and Hf-O compositions [ɛHf(t) = - 18.7 to + 9.1 and 18O values < 12.4‰] that broadly match those of zircons reported in nearby exposed crustal blocks of southwestern North America. We interpret these chromitite zircons as remnants of partly digested continental crust or continent-derived sediments on oceanic crust delivered into the mantle via subduction. They were captured by the parental melts of the chromitites when the latter formed in a supra-subduction zone mantle wedge polluted with crustal material. In addition, the Puerto Nuevo chromites have clinopyroxene lamellae with preferred crystallographic orientation, which we interpret as evidence that chromitites have experienced high-temperature and ultra high-pressure conditions (< 12 GPa and 1600 °C). We propose a tectonic scenario that involves the formation of chromitite in the supra-subduction zone mantle wedge underlying the Vizcaino intra-oceanic arc ca. 250 Ma ago, deep-mantle recycling, and subsequent diapiric exhumation in the intra-oceanic basin (the San Hipólito marginal sea) generated during an extensional stage of the Vizcaino intra-oceanic arc ca. 221 Ma ago. The TRD ages at 325 Ma record a partial melting event in the mantle prior to the construction of the Vizcaino intra-oceanic arc, which is probably related to the Permian continental subduction, dated at 311 Ma.

Source and tectonic implications of tonalite-trondhjemite magmatism in the Klamath Mountains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnes, C.G.; Petersen, S.W.; Kistler, R.W.; Murray, R.; Kays, M.A.

1996-01-01

In the Klamath Mountains, voluminous tonalite-trondhjemite magmatism was characteristic of a short period of time from about 144 to 136 Ma (Early Cretaceous). It occurred about 5 to l0 m.y. after the ??? 165 to 159 Ma Josephine ophiolite was thrust beneath older parts of the province during the Nevadan orogeny (thrusting from ??? 155 to 148 Ma). The magmatism also corresponds to a period of slow or no subduction. Most of the plutons crop out in the south-central Klamath Mountains in California, but one occurs in Oregon at the northern end of the province. Compositionally extended members of the suite consist of precursor gabbroic to dioritic rocks followed by later, more voluminous tonalitic and trondhjemitic intrusions. Most plutons consist almost entirely of tonalite and trondhjemite. Poorlydefined concentric zoning is common. Tonalitic rocks are typically of the Iow-Al type but trondhjemites are generally of the high-Al type, even those that occur in the same pluton as low-Al tonalite??. The suite is characterized by low abundances of K2O, Rb, Zr, and heavy rare earth elements. Sr contents are generally moderate ( ???450 ppm) by comparison with Sr-rich arc lavas interpreted to be slab melts (up to 2000 ppm). Initial 87Sr/ 86Sr, ??18O, and ??Nd are typical of mantle-derived magmas or of crustally-derived magmas with a metabasic source. Compositional variation within plutons can be modeled by variable degrees of partial melting of a heterogeneous metabasaltic source (transitional mid-ocean ridge to island arc basalt), but not by fractional crystallyzation of a basaltic parent. Melting models require a residual assemblage of clinopyroxene+garnet??plagioclase??amphibole; residual plagioclase suggests a deep crustal origin rather than melting of a subducted slab. Such models are consistent with the metabasic part of the Josephine ophiolite as the source. Because the Josephine ophiolite was at low T during Nevadan thrusting, an external heat source was probably necessary to achieve significant degrees of melting; heat was probably extracted from mantle-derived basaltic melts, which were parental to the mafic precursors of the tonalite-trondhjemite suite. Thus, under appropriate tectonic and thermal conditions, heterogeneous mafic crustal rocks can melt to form both low- and high-Al tonalitic and trondhjemitic magmas; slab melting is not necessary.

Potassium Isotopes as a New Tracer of Seafloor Hydrothermal Alteration: The Bay of Islands Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parendo, C. A.; Jacobsen, S. B.; Wang, K.

2016-12-01

Hydrothermal circulation at and around oceanic spreading ridges results in elemental exchange between seawater and oceanic crust, with profound implications for both the ionic composition of seawater and the elemental composition of various solid-Earth reservoirs over geological time. Potassium is among the elements known to be mobile during hydrothermal alteration. Here we investigate the isotopic character of this K exchange by obtaining high-precision 41K/39K data for 6 samples from the Bay of Islands Ophiolite, Newfoundland, Canada—a piece of ca. 485 Ma oceanic crust that was affected by seafloor hydrothermal alteration prior to being obducted. Our 41K/39K analyses are generated using an Isoprobe-P MC-ICPMS equipped with a hexapole collision and reaction cell, which essentially eliminates interferences from the K-isotope mass spectrum. The analyses have an external reproducibility of about 0.07‰ (2SD). We find that the 41K/39K ratios of the ophiolite rocks span a range of approximately 0.70‰ and covary with previously determined 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The stratigraphically deepest, least-altered sample (an olivine gabbro) has a 41K/39K ratio within error of that typically observed in common igneous rocks. The stratigraphically higher, more-altered samples (which include hornblende gabbro, plagiogranite, diabase, and basalt) have 41K/39K ratios that are markedly heavier. This variability in 41K/39K ratios is interpreted to reflect variable addition of seawater K to the rocks. A simple open-system water-rock interaction calculation shows that the covariation between 41K/39K and 87Sr/86Sr can be plausibly explained as the result of hydrothermal alteration. The simplest scenario assumes that the 41K/39K ratio of seawater at the time of interest was similar to its present-day value, in which case the calculation suggests that isotopically heavy seawater K is added to oceanic crust with little fractionation—i.e., an effective fractionation factor near 0.0‰. The findings of this study indicate that 41K/39K ratios will be useful in future efforts to constrain the hydrothermal flux of the marine K cycle, to identify ancient fragments of oceanic crust, and to track oceanic crust as it is subducted, incorporated into the mantle, and sampled by arc, ocean island, and mid-ocean ridge volcanism.

Late tectonic uplift of an inverted oceanic basin in South East Asia: the case of Palawan Island (western Philippines)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meresse, F.; Savva, D.; Pubellier, M.; Steuer, S.; Franke, D.; Cordey, F.; Muller, C.; Sapin, F.; Mouly, B.; Auxiètre, J.-L.

2012-04-01

The elongated island of Palawan, bounded by two marginal basins, the South China Sea to the North and the Sulu Sea to the South is composed of remnants of an inverted basin (Proto-South China Sea) thrusted onto the margin of a continental terrane which rifted away from the Chinese-Vietnamese margin. Based on field observations coupled with seismic and drill-holes data, our study focuses on the structural architecture of the island in order to decipher the geodynamic evolution of the southern margin of the South China Sea. Structurally, the Palawan Island consists of: (i) the Palawan wedge, which extends towards the South China Sea is composed of deformed slope to deep ocean deposits of Cretaceous (north Palawan) to Tertiary (central and south Palawan) ages. This accretionnary wedge is characterized by small wavelength folds of mainly NE-SW trend. Offshore, the unconformable Middle-Late Miocene Tabon limestones unit postdates the last stages of the Palawan wedge growth/setting; (ii) On top of this wedge lie thrust slices of ophiolite bodies comprising ribbon cherts of Albian age as indicated by radiolarians.; these bodies are likely to be relicts of the now-subducted Proto South China Sea; (iii) The central and southern parts of the Palawan island are characterized by a large wavelength antiform of NE-SW trend. This structure is sealed by the slightly tilted Early Pliocene marls unit; (iv) The island also presents necking zones bordered by N-S trending transform faults. This area witnessed the geodynamic evolution of the South East Asia which consists of a succession of opening/closure of oceanic basins and block accretions. The Palawan Island therefore results of the closing of the Proto-South China Sea which once formed both the Palawan accretionary wedge and the overlying ophiolite tectonic slices. During a later compressive event, the rifted continental margin which composes the basement of the Island was inverted, inducing the uplift and the large scale folding of the Palawan Island. In a final stage, the strain relaxing results in the formation of the necking zones, probably reactivating the inherited transform faults of the Proto-South China Sea. Keywords: Palawan Island; South China Sea; oceanic basin; inverted margin; Ophiolite.

Iron transformations during low temperature alteration of variably serpentinized rocks from the Samail ophiolite, Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayhew, Lisa E.; Ellison, Eric T.; Miller, Hannah M.; Kelemen, Peter B.; Templeton, Alexis S.

2018-02-01

Partially serpentinized peridotites in the Samail ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman currently undergo low temperature alteration and hydration both at shallow levels, with water recently in contact with the atmosphere, and at depth, with anoxic, reducing fluids. However, it is unclear how changes in the distribution and oxidation state of Fe are driving the production of energy-rich gases such as hydrogen and methane detected in peridotite catchments. We track the Fe transformations in a suite of outcrop samples representing a subset of the spectrum of least to most altered end-members of the Oman peridotites. We use microscale mineralogical and geochemical analyses including QEMSCAN, Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping, and electron microprobe wavelength dispersive spectroscopy. The less-altered peridotites possess a diversity of Fe-bearing phases including relict primary minerals (e.g. olivine, pyroxene, chromite) and secondary phases (e.g. serpentine and brucite). Raman spectroscopy and electron microprobe data (Si/(Mg + Fe)) indicate that much of the serpentine is significantly intergrown with brucite on the sub-micron scale. These data also indicate that the Fe content of the brucite ranges from 10 to 20 wt% FeO. The mineral assemblage of the highly reacted rocks is less diverse, dominated by serpentine and carbonate while olivine and brucite are absent. Magnetite is relatively rare and mainly associated with chromite. Goethite and hematite, both Fe(III)-hydroxides, were also identified in the highly altered rocks. Whole rock chemical analyses reflect these mineralogical differences and show that Fe in the partially serpentinized samples is on average more reduced (∼0.40-0.55 Fe3+/FeTotal) than Fe in the highly reacted rocks (∼0.85-0.90 Fe3+/FeTotal). We propose that olivine, brucite, chromite and, perhaps, serpentine in the less-altered peridotites act as reactive phases during low temperature alteration of the Oman peridotite. The pervasive oxidation of Fe(II) in the less-altered peridotites to Fe(III) in the most-altered peridotites during water-rock reaction in the subsurface of the Samail ophiolite may produce H2 which will influence the development of microbial energy sources and habitats, and carbon cycling and sequestration within the (ultra)mafic ocean crust.

Carbonation of mantle peridotites: implications for permanent geological CO2 capture and storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paukert, A. N.; Matter, J. M.; Kelemen, P. B.; Marsala, P.; Shock, E.

2012-12-01

In situ carbonation of mantle peridotites serves as a natural analog to engineered mineral carbonation for geological CO2 capture and storage. For example, mantle peridotite in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman naturally captures and stores about 5x104 tons of atmospheric CO2 per year as carbonate minerals, and has been doing so for the past 50,000 years [Kelemen et al., 2011]. Our reaction path modeling of this system shows that the natural process is limited by subsurface availability of dissolved inorganic carbon, and that the rate of CO2 mineralization could be enhanced by a factor of 16,000 by injecting CO2 into the peridotite aquifer at 2 km depth and a fugacity of 100 bars. Injecting CO2 into mafic or ultramafic rock formations has been presumed difficult, as fractured crystalline rocks typically have low porosity and permeability; however these factors have yet to be comprehensively studied. To determine the actual value of these hydrogeological factors, this winter we carried out a multifaceted study of deep boreholes (up to 350m) in the mantle peridotite and the Moho transition zone of the Samail Ophiolite. A suite of physical and chemical parameters were collected, including slug tests for hydraulic conductivity, geophysical well logs for porosity and hydraulic conductivity, drill chips for extent and composition of secondary mineralization, and water and dissolved gas samples for chemical composition. All of these factors combine to provide a comprehensive look at the chemical and physical processes underlying natural mineral carbonation in mantle peridotites. Understanding the natural process is critical, as mineral carbonation in ultramafic rocks is being explored as a permanent and relatively safe option for geologic carbon sequestration. While injectivity in these ultramafic formations was believed to be low, our slug test and geophysical well log data suggest that the hydraulic conductivity of fractured peridotites can actually be fairly high - up to meters/day, on par with fine to medium grained sandstones - so these formations may be more suitable than previously thought. Using the Samail Ophiolite as a natural analog for in situ mineral carbonation in ultramafic rocks should help predict and optimize the efficacy and security of engineered CO2 storage projects.

Structural Characterization of the Foliated-Layered Gabbro Transition in Wadi Tayin of the Samail Ophiolite, Oman; Oman Drilling Project Holes GT1A and GT2A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deans, J. R.; Crispini, L.; Cheadle, M. J.; Harris, M.; Kelemen, P. B.; Teagle, D. A. H.; Matter, J. M.; Takazawa, E.; Coggon, J. A.

2017-12-01

Oman Drilling Project Holes GT1A and GT2A were drilled into the Wadi Tayin massif, Samail ophiolite and both recovered ca. 400 m of continuous core through a section of the layered gabbros and the foliated-layered gabbro transition. Hole GT1A is cut by a discrete fault system including localized thin ultracataclastic fault zones. Hole GT2A is cut by a wider zone of brittle deformation and incipient brecciation. Here we report the structural history of the gabbros reflecting formation at the ridge to later obduction. Magmatic and high temperature history- 1) Both cores exhibit a pervasive, commonly well-defined magmatic foliation delineated by plagioclase, olivine and in places clinopyroxene. Minor magmatic deformation is present. 2) The dip of the magmatic foliation varies cyclically, gradually changing dip by 30o from gentle to moderate over a 50 m wavelength. 3) Layering is present throughout both cores, is defined by changes in mode and grain size ranging in thickness from 2 cm to 3 m and is commonly sub-parallel to the foliation. 4) There are no high temperature crystal-plastic shear zones in the core. Key observations include: no simple, systematic shallowing of dip with depth across the foliated-layered gabbro transition and layering is continuous across this transition. Cyclic variation of magmatic foliation dip most likely reflects the process of plate separation at the ridge axis. Near-axis faulting- i) On or near-axis structures consist of epidote-amphibole bearing hydraulic breccias and some zones of intense cataclasis with intensely deformed epidote and seams of clay and chlorite accompanied by syntectonic alteration of the wall rock. Early veins are filled with amphibole, chlorite, epidote, and anhydrite. ii) The deformation ranges from brittle-ductile, causing local deflection of the magmatic foliation, to brittle offset of the foliation and core and mantle structures in anhydrite veins. iii) The prevalent sense of shear is normal and slickenfibers indicate oblique offset. Obduction related faulting- i) Low temperature brittle faults and veins with laumontite, clay, and gypsum crosscut all structures. ii) Faults show a reverse sense of shear and crosscut, possibly reactivate, normal faults. Our observations suggest formation of reverse faults and late veins during obduction of the ophiolite.

Tethyan Anhydrite Preserved in the Lower Ocean Crust of the Samail Ophiolite? Evidence from Oman Drilling Project Holes GT1A and 2A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teagle, D. A. H.; Harris, M.; Crispini, L.; Deans, J. R.; Cooper, M. J.; Kelemen, P. B.; Alt, J.; Banerjee, N.; Shanks, W. C., III

2017-12-01

Anhydrite is important in mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems because of the high concentrations of calcium and sulfate in modern seawater and anhydrite's retrograde solubility. Because anhydrite hosts many powerful tracers of fluid-rock interactions (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ34S, trace elements, fluid inclusions) it is useful for tracing the chemical evolution of hydrothermal recharge fluids and estimating time-integrated fluid fluxes. Anhydrite can form from heated seawater (>100°C), through water-rock reaction, or by mixing of seawater and hydrothermal fluids. Although abundant in active hydrothermal mounds, and predicted to form from downwelling, warming fluids during convection, anhydrite is rare in drill core from seafloor lavas, sheeted dikes and upper gabbros, with only minor amounts in ODP Holes 504B and 1256D. Because anhydrite can dissolve during weathering, its occurrence in ophiolites is unexpected. Instead, gypsum is present in Macquarie Island lavas and Miocene gypsum fills cavities within the Cretaceous Troodos ore deposits. Thus, the occurrence of numerous anhydrite veins in cores from the gabbroic lower crust of the Samail ophiolite in Oman was unanticipated. To our knowledge, anhydrite in Oman gabbros has not been previously reported. Oman Drilling Project Holes GT1A and GT2A were drilled into the Wadi Gideah section of the Wadi Tayin massif. Both recovered 400 m of continuous core from sections of layered gabbros (GT1) and the foliated-layered gabbro transition (GT2). Anhydrite is present throughout both holes, some in vein networks but more commonly as isolated 1-110 mm veins (>60 mm ave). Anhydrite is mostly the sole vein filling but can occur with greenschist minerals such as epidote, quartz, chlorite and prehnite. Anhydrite commonly exhibits prismatic and bladed textures but can also be capriciously microcrystalline. Though definitive cross cutting relationships are elusive, anhydrite veins cut across some greenschist veins. Anhydrite is deformed in faults with asymmetries consistent with normal senses of shear, suggestive of formation near the ridge, or at least before obduction. Gypsum is also present in both holes, but is clearly late stage and cuts across all earlier vein sets and deformation features. Notably, anhydrite was not observed in core from Hole GT3, in the dike-gabbro transition.

Origin, transport, and emplacement of an exotic island-arc terrane exposed in eastern Kamchatka, Russia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geist, Eric L.; Vallier, Tracy L.; Scholl, David W.

1994-01-01

The regional stratigraphy of eastern Kamchatka includes an exotic, Early-Late Cretaceous ophiolite and Late Cretaceous island-arc volcanic sequence. Integrating the existing geologic and geophysical data, we examine the origin, transport, emplacement, and postemplacement deformation of the island-arc terrane, which is named the Olyutorsky island arc. Results from several paleomagnetic studies consistently indicate that the island-arc terrane originated >1000 km to the south of where it is presently exposed. Although the formative paleolatitudes of the island-arc rocks approximately correspond to the location of the Izanagi-Farallon subduction zone, the age of the volcanic rocks postdates the cessation of Izanagi-Farallon convergence, thus indicating that an unnamed plate or back-arc basin existed in the northwest Pacific during Late Cretaceous time. We examine two possible models for northward transport of the island-arc terrane to Kamchatka: (1) infra-oceanic transport with the Pacific or Kula plates and (2) coastwise translation of the island-arc terrane after accretion to the Eurasian margin far to the south of Kamchatka. For both models, the dominant Eocene and Miocene deformation ages observed in eastern Kamchatka are used as two possible age limits for the cessation of northward transport. Although the observed paleolatitudes from paleomagnetic data correspond best with the infra-oceanic transport model, the provenance of the Paleogene "transport" stratigraphy indicates a near-shore sediment supply. Our preferred interpretation is that the island-arc terrane (1) accreted onto the Eurasian margin concurrent with cessation of island-arc volcanism (Maastrichtian-Danian) and (2) underwent northward coastwise translation along a major strike-slip fault zone ending by middle-late Eocene time (43-50 Ma). It is unclear whether the ophiolite was exposed during arc-continent collision or whether the ophiolite was obducted onto the island arc prior to collision. A consequence of either infra-oceanic transport or coastwise translation is that an open corridor between the western terminus of the Aleutian Arc and Kamchatka must have existed until middle to late Eocene time. Spreading within the Komandorsky Basin, subduction of sea-mounts, and collision of the Aleutian Arc with Kamchatka are proposed to have instigated the second Miocene phase of deformation, which uplifted and reexposed the island-arc terrane.

The Cedars ultramafic mass, Sonoma County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blake, M. Clark; Bailey, Edgar H.; Wentworth, Carl M.

2012-01-01

The Cedars ultramafic mass is a mantle fragment that consists of partially serpentinized spinel harzburgite and dunite. Compositional layering and a chromite lineation define a penetrative metamorphic foliation that almost certainly formed in the upper mantle. Although detailed petrofabric and mineral chemistry are presently lacking, it seems reasonable that the Cedars peridotite represents a slice of mantle tectonite that once formed the base of the Coast Range ophiolite, and not an abyssal peridotite tectonically emplaced within the Franciscan accretionary prism.

Parkerite and bismutohauchecornite in chromitites of the Urals: Example of the Uralian Emerald Mines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koroteev, V. A.; Popov, M. P.; Erokhin, Yu. V.; Khiller, V. V.

2017-04-01

An unusual ore mineralization represented by parkerite, millerite, bismutohauchecornite, bismuthinite, and nickeline was registered in altered chromitite from the Mariinsk emerald-beryllium deposit. Such mineralization is typical of Cu-Ni sulfide ores and hydrothermal veins from the five-element formation. This mineral assemblage was not registered in ophiolitic ultrabasic rocks and related chromitites. The find of bismutohauchecornite is the first in the Urals; the find of parkerite is the third.

a Possible Ancient Core Complex in the Northern Cache Creek Terrane, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagorevski, A.

2013-12-01

The Cache Creek terrane (CCT) in Canadian Cordillera comprises a belt of Mississippian to Jurassic oceanic rocks that include Tethyan carbonates and alkaline basalts that are demonstrably exotic to Laurentia. The exotic Tethyan faunas in the CCT, combined with its inboard position with respect to Stikinia and Yukon-Tanana terranes has led to a variety of tectonic hypotheses including oroclinal enclosure of CCT by Stikinia, Yukon-Tanana and Quesnellia during the Jurassic. Detailed studies have demonstrated that the northern CCT is in fact a composite terrane that includes ophiolitic rocks of both ocean island and island arc origins. The western margin of the CCT is characterized by imbricated harzburgite, island arc tholeiite, sedimentary rocks and locally significant felsic volcanic rocks of the Kutcho arc. Gabbro is volumetrically minor and sheeted dyke complexes are either very rare or not developed. The felsic arc volcanic rocks and the pyroxenite bodies that cut the harzburgite have been previously isotopically dated as Middle Triassic (ca. 245 Ma) suggesting that melt percolation through the mantle was coeval with Kutcho arc magmatism and coincided with a magmatic gap in Stikinia. In general the contact between the mantle and supracrustal rocks is faulted making it difficult to determine the original relationships between the mantle and island arc tholeiites. Locally, the contact appears to be intact and is characterized by mantle tectonites with pyroxenite veins overlain by cumulate plagioclase-orthopyroxene gabbro and fine grained diabase. Elsewhere, volcanic and sedimentary rocks sit in fault contact structurally above the mantle. The absence of voluminous gabbro and sheeted dyke complexes, presence of coeval magmas in the crust and mantle, and low angle extensional faulting in some areas suggests that the western part of the CCT may preserve an ocean core complex similar to the Godzilla Megamullion in the Parece-Vela Basin. Such a hypothesis suggests that the western CCT, including the associated large slabs of mantle, is tectonically related to the Stikinia-Quesnellia rather than to the exotic Tethyan seamount(s).

Tracing fluid transfer across subduction zones using iron and zinc stable isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, H. M.; Debret, B.; Pons, M. L.; Bouilhol, P.

2016-12-01

In subduction zones, serpentinite devolatilization within the downgoing slab and the fluids released play a fundamental role in volatile transfer as well as the redox evolution of the sub-arc mantle. Constraining subduction-related serpentinite devolatilisation is essential in order to better understand of the nature and composition of slab-derived fluids and fluid/rock interactions. Fe and Zn stable isotopes can trace fluid composition and speciation as isotope partitioning is driven by changes in oxidation state, coordination, and bonding environment. In the case of serpentinite devolatilisation, Fe isotope fractionation should reflect changes in Fe redox state and the formation of Fe-Cl- and SO42- complexes (Hill et al., GCA 2010); Zn isotope fractionation should be sensitive to complexation with CO32-, HS- and SO42- anions (Fujii et al., GCA 2011). We targeted samples from Western Alps ophiolite complexes, interpreted as remnants of serpentinized oceanic lithosphere metamorphosed and devolatilized during subduction (Hattori and Guillot, G3 2007; Debret et al., Chem. Geol. 2013). A striking negative correlation is present between bulk serpentinite Fe isotope composition and Fe3+/Fetot, with the highest grade samples displaying the heaviest Fe isotope compositions and lowest Fe3+/Fetot (Debret et al., Geology, 2016). The same samples also display a corresponding variation in Zn isotopes, with the highest grade samples displaying isotopically light compositions (Pons et al., in revision). The negative correlation between Fe and Zn isotopes and decrease in Fe3+/Fetot can explained by serpentinite sulfide breakdown and the release of fluids enriched in isotopically light Fe and heavy Zn sulphate complexes. The migration of these SOX-bearing fluids from the slab to the slab-mantle interface or mantle wedge has important implications for the redox evolution of the sub-arc mantle and the transport of metals from the subducting slab.

Low-latitude arc–continent collision as a driver for global cooling

PubMed Central

Jagoutz, Oliver; Macdonald, Francis A.; Royden, Leigh

2016-01-01

New constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean indicate that at ∼90–70 Ma and at ∼50–40 Ma, vast quantities of mafic and ultramafic rocks were emplaced at low latitude onto continental crust within the tropical humid belt. These emplacement events correspond temporally with, and are potential agents for, the global climatic cooling events that terminated the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum and the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. We model the temporal effects of CO2 drawdown from the atmosphere due to chemical weathering of these obducted ophiolites, and of CO2 addition to the atmosphere from arc volcanism in the Neo-Tethys, between 100 and 40 Ma. Modeled variations in net CO2-drawdown rates are in excellent agreement with contemporaneous variation of ocean bottom water temperatures over this time interval, indicating that ophiolite emplacement may have played a major role in changing global climate. We demonstrate that both the lithology of the obducted rocks (mafic/ultramafic) and a tropical humid climate with high precipitation rate are needed to produce significant consumption of CO2. Based on these results, we suggest that the low-latitude closure of ocean basins along east–west trending plate boundaries may also have initiated other long-term global cooling events, such as Middle to Late Ordovician cooling and glaciation associated with the closure of the Iapetus Ocean. PMID:27091966

Mineral chemistry and geochemistry of ophiolitic metaultramafics from Um Halham and Fawakhir, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Karim, Abdel-Aal M.; Ali, Shehata; El-Shafei, Shaimaa A.

2018-03-01

This study is focused on ophiolitic metaultramafics from Um Halham and Fawakhir, Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The rocks include serpentinized peridotites, serpentinites together with talc- and quartz-carbonates. The primary spinel relict is Al-chromite [Cr# > 60], which is replaced by Cr-magnetite during metamorphism. The high Cr# of Al-chromites resembles supra-subduction zone (SSZ) peridotites and suggests derivation from the deeper portion of the mantle section with boninitic affinity. These mantle rocks equilibrated with boninitic melt have been generated by high melting degrees. The estimated melting degrees ( 19-24%) lie within the range of SSZ peridotites. The high Cr# of spinel and Fo content of olivine together with the narrow compositional range suggest a mantle residual origin. Serpentinized peridotite and serpentinites have low Al2O3/SiO2 ratios (mostly < 0.03) like fore-arc mantle wedge serpentinites and further indicate that their mantle protolith had experienced partial melting before serpentinization process. Moreover, they have very low Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf concentrations along with sub-chondritic Nb/Ta (0.3-16) and Zr/Hf (mostly 1-20) ratios further confirming that their mantle source was depleted by earlier melting extraction event. The high chondrite normalized (La/Sm)N ratios (average 10) reflect input of subduction-related slab melts/fluids into their mantle source.

Geology of the Ulugh Muztagh area, northern Tibet

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burchfiel, B.C.; Molnar, P.; Zhao, Ziyun; Liang, K'uangyi; Wang, Shuji; Huang, Minmin; Sutter, J.

1989-01-01

Within the Ulugh Muztagh area, north central Tibet, an east-west-trending ophiolitic melange marks a suture that apparently was formed during a late Triassic or slightly younger collision between a continental fragment to the south and the rest of Asia. The southern continental fragment carries a thick sequence of upper Triassic sandstone, but the contact between the sandstone and the ophiolitic melange is covered by a younger redbed sequence of unknown age. A suite of 2-mica, tourmaline-bearing leucogranite plutons and dikes intruded the Triassic sandstone at shallow crustal levels 10.5 to 8.4 Ma. These rocks range from granite to tonalite in composition, are geochemically very similar to slightly older High Himalayan leucogranite and are interpreted to have been derived by the partial melting of crustal material. We interpret this to mean that crustal thickening began in this part of the Tibetan plateau at least by 10.5 Ma. Welded rhyolitic tuff rests on a conglomerate that consists of abundant debris from the Ulugh Muztagh intrusive rocks and has yielded Ar Ar ages of about 4 Ma. The tuffs are geochemically identical to the intrusive rocks suggesting that crustal thickening may have continued to 4 Ma. Crustal thickening probably occurred by distributed crustal shortening similar to shortening now occurring north of Ulugh Muztagh along the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. ?? 1989.

Low-latitude arc-continent collision as a driver for global cooling.

PubMed

Jagoutz, Oliver; Macdonald, Francis A; Royden, Leigh

2016-05-03

New constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean indicate that at ∼90-70 Ma and at ∼50-40 Ma, vast quantities of mafic and ultramafic rocks were emplaced at low latitude onto continental crust within the tropical humid belt. These emplacement events correspond temporally with, and are potential agents for, the global climatic cooling events that terminated the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum and the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. We model the temporal effects of CO2 drawdown from the atmosphere due to chemical weathering of these obducted ophiolites, and of CO2 addition to the atmosphere from arc volcanism in the Neo-Tethys, between 100 and 40 Ma. Modeled variations in net CO2-drawdown rates are in excellent agreement with contemporaneous variation of ocean bottom water temperatures over this time interval, indicating that ophiolite emplacement may have played a major role in changing global climate. We demonstrate that both the lithology of the obducted rocks (mafic/ultramafic) and a tropical humid climate with high precipitation rate are needed to produce significant consumption of CO2 Based on these results, we suggest that the low-latitude closure of ocean basins along east-west trending plate boundaries may also have initiated other long-term global cooling events, such as Middle to Late Ordovician cooling and glaciation associated with the closure of the Iapetus Ocean.

K isotopes as a tracer of seafloor hydrothermal alteration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parendo, Christopher A.; Jacobsen, Stein B.; Wang, Kun

2017-02-01

At ocean spreading ridges, circulation of seawater through rock at elevated temperatures alters the chemical and isotopic composition of oceanic crust. Samples obtained from drilling into ocean floor and from ophiolites have demonstrated that certain isotope systems, such as 18O/16O and 87Sr/86Sr, are systematically modified in hydrothermally altered oceanic crust. Although K is known to be mobile during hydrothermal alteration, there have not yet been any K-isotope analyses of altered oceanic crustal materials. Moreover, the 41K/39K of seawater was recently found to be significantly higher than that of igneous rocks, so the addition of seawater K to oceanic crust would be expected to generate 41K/39K variations in affected rocks. Here, we report high-precision 41K/39K measurements for samples from the Bay of Islands ophiolite, and we document large variations in 41K/39K, covarying with previous determinations of 87Sr/86Sr. Our data indicate that analytically resolvable 41K/39K effects arise in oceanic crust as a result of hydrothermal alteration. This finding raises the possibility that 41K/39K can be used as an effective tracer of oceanic crust recycled into the mantle, as a diagnostic criterion by which to identify ancient fragments of oceanic crust, and as a constraint on the flux of K between oceanic crust and seawater.

Petrology of blueschist from the Western Himalaya (Ladakh, NW India): Exploring the complex behavior of a lawsonite-bearing system in a paleo-accretionary setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groppo, Chiara; Rolfo, Franco; Sachan, Himanshu K.; Rai, Santosh K.

2016-05-01

Although the Himalaya is the archetype of collisional orogens, formed as a consequence of the closure of the Neo-Tethyan ocean separating India from Asia, high-pressure metamorphic rocks are rare. Beside few eclogites, corresponding to the metamorphosed continental Indian crust dragged below Asia or underthrusted beneath southern Tibet, blueschists occur seldom along the Yarlung-Tsangpo Suture zone, i.e. the suture marking the India-Asia collision. These blueschists, mostly interpreted as related to paleo-accretionary prisms formed in response to the subduction of the Neo-Tethyan ocean below the Asian plate, are crucial for constraining the evolution of the India-Asia convergence zone during the closure of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean. In the Western Himalaya, the best occurrence of blueschist is that of the Sapi-Shergol Ophiolitic Mélange in Ladakh. This unit is dominated by volcanoclastic sequences rich in mafic material with subordinate interbedding of metasediments, characterized by very fresh lawsonite blueschist-facies assemblages. In this paper, the lawsonite blueschist-facies metasediments have been petrologically investigated with the aims of (i) constraining the P-T evolution of the Sapi-Shergol Ophiolitic Mélange, (ii) evaluating the influence of Fe2O3 and of H2O on the stability of the high-pressure mineral assemblages, (iii) understanding the processes controlling lawsonite formation and preservation, and (iv) interpreting the P-T evolution of the Sapi-Shergol blueschists in the framework of India-Asia collision. Our results indicate that (i) the Sapi-Shergol blueschists experienced a cold subduction history along a low thermal gradient, up to peak conditions of ca. 470 °C, 19 kbar; furthermore, in order to preserve lawsonite in the studied lithologies, exhumation must have been coupled with significant cooling, i.e. the resulting P-T path is characterized by a clockwise hairpin loop along low thermal gradients (< 8-9 °C/km); (ii) the presence of ferric iron in the investigated system has a non-negligible (lowering) effect on pressure estimates, whereas temperatures estimates are not influenced by the oxidation state of the system; (iii) the observed sequence of mineral growth (i.e. simultaneous growth of lawsonite and garnet) suggests that (a) the system was initially H2O-undersaturated and lawsonite growth was triggered by a protracted H2O influx at high pressure (equilibrium approach), or (b) the system was H2O-saturated since the beginning, but lawsonite growth was delayed due to the predominance of kinetic factors over equilibrium dynamics (nonequilibrium approach); (iv) the inferred P-T evolution is consistent with a cold subduction zone system in an intra-oceanic subduction setting. Moreover, the estimated peak P-T conditions roughly coincide with the maximum P-T estimates predicted by thermo-mechanical models for the metasediments exhumed in accretionary wedges, and with the maximum P-T conditions recorded by natural occurrences of blueschist accretionary complexes worldwide.