Search Results (16)

Olivine in deep-seated ultramafic xenoliths beneath the North China Block serves as a crucial proxy for decoding the compositions, properties, and evolution of the lithospheric mantle. Here, we conduct an investigation on olivine (including gem-grade) hosted in ultramafic xenoliths from Damaping basalt in the northern part of the North China Block. This contribution presents the results from petrographic, Raman spectroscopic, and major and trace elemental studies of olivine, with the aim of characterising the formation environment and genetic type of the olivine. The analysed olivine samples are characterised by high Mg# values (close to 91%) possessing refractory to fertile features and doublet bands with unit Raman spectra beams of 822 and 853 cm⁻¹, which are indicative of a forsterite signature. Major and trace geochemistry of olivine indicates the presence of mantle xenolith olivine. All the analytical olivine assays ≤0.1 wt % CaO, ~40 wt % SiO₂, and ≤0.05 wt % Al₂O₃. Furthermore, olivine displays significantly different concentrations of Ti, Y, Sc, V, Co, and Ni. The Ni/Co values in olivine range from 21.21 to 22.98, indicating that the crystallisation differentiation of basic magma relates to oceanic crust recycling. The V/Sc values in mantle/xenolith olivine vary from 0.54 to 2.64, indicating a more oxidised state of the mantle. Rare earth element (REE) patterns show that the LREEs and HREEs of olivine host obviously differentiated characteristics. The HREE enrichments of olivine and the LREE depletion of clinopyroxene further assert that the mantle in the Damaping area underwent partial melting. The wide variations of Mg# values in olivine and the Cr# values in clinopyroxene, along with major element geochemistry indicate transitional characteristics of different peridotite xenoliths. This is possibly indicative of a newly accreted lithospheric mantle interaction with an old lithospheric mantle at the time of the basaltic eruption during the Paleozoic to Cenozoic. Full article

The main goal of this paper is to determine the order of the paragenetic sequence and phase transitions of the Ni–Fe sulfide association hosted in listvenites. Listvenites are hydrothermally altered mafic and ultramafic rocks that are often associated with active tectonic settings, such as transform faults, suture zones, and regional extensional faults, usually in contact with volcanic or carbonate rocks. Listvenitization is displayed by a carbonation process when the original olivine, pyroxene, and serpentine group minerals are altered to Mg–Fe–Ca carbonates (magnesite, calcite, dolomite, and siderite), talc, quartz, and accessory Cr spinel, fuchsite, and Ni–Fe sulfides. The formed rocks are highly reactive; therefore, very often, younger hydrothermal processes are observed, overprinting the mineralogy and geochemistry of the original listvenitization products, including accessory Ni–Fe sulfide paragenesis. The studied samples of listvenites were collected from two locations in Kosovo (Vardar Zone): Janjevo and Melenica. The Ni–Fe sulfide textures and relationships with the surrounding listvenite-hosted minerals were obtained using reflected and transmitted light microscopy, while their chemical composition was determined using an electron microprobe. They form accessory mono-or polymetallic aggregates that usually do not exceed 100 μm in size disseminated in the studied listvenites. Generally, the paragenetic sequence of Ni–Fe sulfides is divided into three stages. The first pre-listvenite magmatic phase is represented by pentlandite and millerite. The second listvenite stage consists of Ni–Co bearing pyrite I (Ni content up to 11.57 wt.% [0.24 apfu], and Co content up to 6.54 wt.% [0.14 apfu]) and differentiated thiospinels (violarite + siegenite ± polydymite). The last, late listvenite stage is represented by younger gersdorffite−ullmannite and base metal mineralization: pyrite + marcasite + sphalerite + galena ± chalcopyrite ± sulfosalts. The findings obtained should help in the interpretation of many disseminated accessory Ni–Fe–Co mineralizations associated with mafic and ultramafic rocks worldwide. Full article

Large volumes of Early Mesozoic intermediate to basic igneous rocks related to the evolution of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean are exposed in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB). The petrography, geochemistry, and results of zircon U-Pb dating of Defusheng intermediate to basic rocks from the eastern segment of the EKOB are presented in this report. Zircon U–Pb dating of the intermediate to basic rocks yields ages of 239–245 Ma (Middle Triassic). Defusheng intermediate to basic rocks have low TiO₂ contents (0.80–1.47 wt.%) and widely varying MgO (3.14–6.08 wt.%), and are enriched in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements, having a geochemical composition similar to that of island arc basalts. The variation diagrams of major elements indicate that the Defusheng intermediate to basic rocks underwent fractional clinopyroxene and olivine crystallization. Depletion of the high-field-strength elements Nb, Ta, and Ti may have been caused by the mantle wedge having been infiltrated by fluids derived from the subducted slab. The Defusheng intermediate to basic rocks represent magmatic records of the Early Mesozoic oceanic crust subduction in Eastern Kunlun. This indicates that the final closure of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean and the beginning of collisional orogeny occurred after the Middle Triassic. Full article

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals, and an excess of or deficiency in Se is harmful to health. Research on the selenium enrichment zone began in the late 1970s in Shuang’an, Ziyang, southern Shaanxi Province. Naore village is only one selenosis area in Shuang’an, Ziyang, China. Different scholars have conducted systematic studies on the occurrence of selenium, its organic geochemistry and biomarkers, and its content and enrichment patterns in this area. This study applied the TIMA (TESCAN integrated mineral analyzer) for the first time to conduct detailed mineralogical work. The minerals included quartz, carbonate minerals (calcite and dolomite), feldspar (plagioclase, albite, and orthoclase), biotite and muscovite, clay minerals (chlorite and kaolinite), hematite, pyrite, and accessory minerals (almandine, olivine, zircon, and apatite) in Naore village, Ziyang, Shaanxi Province. The ATi index (100 × apatite/(apatite + tourmaline)) is used to determine the source of heavy minerals and the degree of heavy minerals’ weathering. The content POS (100 × (pyroxene + olivine + spinel)/transparent heavy mineral) of olivine, pyroxene, and spinel in heavy minerals can reflect the contribution of basic and ultrabasic rocks in the source area. The ATi and POS indexes for the heavy minerals in the research area were 91.83~99.96 and 0.01~18.75, respectively, reflecting the abundance of volcanic rock material in their source. In addition, the migration, transformation, bioavailability, and toxicity of selenium in the environment are closely related to its species. The species of selenium in various selenium-rich areas (Naore, Wamiao, and Guanquan) mainly include unusable residues and organic forms, followed by humic-acid-bound selenium. The proportions of water-soluble, exchangeable, and carbonate-bound selenium are relatively small, and the proportion of Fe-Mn oxide-bound selenium is the lowest. Full article

Oceanic intraplate volcanoes sometimes experience late-stage eruptive activity known as rejuvenated volcanism, and contrasting interpretations for its petrogenesis depend on the compositional characteristics. In the Juan Fernández Ridge (JFR), a volcanic chain approximately 800 km in length emplaced on the Nazca Plate, some subaerial occurrences of rejuvenated volcanism have been recognized on the Robinson Crusoe and Santa Clara Islands, both part of the same deeply eroded shield volcano complex. This study aims to understand the origin and magmatic evolution of rejuvenated volcanism on Santa Clara Island, emplaced after ~2.15 Ma of quiescence above the shield sequence, mainly via the analysis of unpublished geochemical and isotopic data. Field reconnaissance identified two nearly coeval rejuvenated sequences on Santa Clara Island: Bahía W (BW) and Morro Spartan (MS), both formed by basanitic and picro-basaltic lava flows with brecciated levels and local intercalations of sedimentary and pyroclastic deposits. In comparison to the chemical signature of the preceding shield-building stage (comprised mainly of basalts and picrites), the two rejuvenated sequences exhibit a notable enrichment in incompatible elements, but the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes are very similar to the FOZO mantle endmember, with an apparent additional contribution of HIMU and EM1 components. The geochemistry of lavas revealed the involvement of various processes, including contamination by ultramafic xenoliths, high-pressure fractional crystallization of olivine and clinopyroxene, and potential partial assimilation of oceanic lithospheric components. While the oceanic lithosphere has been considered as a potential source, the isotopic data from Santa Clara lies outside of the mixing curve between depleted mantle (DM, here represented by the North Chile Rise and the East Pacific Rise) and the previous shield stage, suggesting that a lithospheric mantle is not the primary source for the rejuvenated stage volcanism. Therefore, we favor an origin of the rejuvenated volcanism from the mantle plume forming the JFR, supported by similarities in isotopic signatures with the shield stage and high values of ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (only comparable to San Félix—San Ambrosio in the vicinity of JFR), implying the presence of a regional source with radiogenic ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb isotope ratios. In addition, isotopic variations are subparallel to the mixing line between HIMU and EM1 components, whose participation in different proportions might explain the observed trends. In conclusion, we propose that the source of the rejuvenated volcanism on Santa Clara Island is a heterogeneous mantle plume, the same one that fed the shield stage. The rejuvenated volcanism is derived from a secondary melting zone away from the main axis of the plume. Full article

The Yamaat Uul mafic complex with Cu-Ni mineralization is located in the Khangai Mountains of Western Mongolia. We have received new unique data for mafic rocks of the complex: U-Pb dating (SHRIMP II), mineralogy (WDS) and geochemistry (XRF, ICP-MS), Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotope data and sulphur isotopes. The Yamaat Uul mafic complex consists of two intrusions: Intrusion 1 is represented by rocks of plagioclase cumulates and olivine–pyroxene cumulates; Intrusion 2 consists of monzogabbro. Intrusions 1 and 2 are different in composition of minerals such as olivine, plagioclase and biotite. The monzogabbro has higher contents of incompatible elements (REE, K, Ti, P) than rocks of Intrusion 1. Zircon U-Pb dating of the anorthosite and Bt-Am-Ol gabbronorite shows a Late Permian age (255.8 ± 2.9 Ma and 262.6 ± 3.1 Ma, respectively) for the Yamaat Uul mafic complex. All of the rocks of the complex are derived from a unified parental melt due to different amounts of trapped melts in plagioclase and olivine–pyroxene cumulates and without crustal contamination. The Cu-Ni mineralization of the complex has a low degree of evolution of the sulphide melt, similar to PGE-Cu-Ni mafic–ultramafic intrusions of the Khangai Mountains (Nomgon and Oortsog Uul). The Yamaat Uul mafic complex together with other mafic–ultramafic intrusions of the Khangai Mountains is related to the Khangai LIP and can be considered as potential for the PGE-Cu-Ni. The new geological, petrological, geochemical and isotope–geochronological data can later be used to reconstruct the geotectonics of the Khangai Mountains and the Central Asian orogenic belt as a whole. Full article

Upwelling mantle plumes often instigate extensional stress within the continental crust of Earth. When stress exceeds crustal strength, extensional structures develop, reducing the effective stress and trigger magmatic processes at the crust–mantle boundary. However, such processes and their relationship to the formation of many surface structures remain poorly characterized on Mars. We identified a series of extensional structures in the southern highlands of Mars which collectively resemble continental rift zones on Earth. We further characterized these extensional structures and their surrounding region (area of ~1.8 M km²) by determining the surface mineralogy and bulk regional geochemistry of the terrain. In turn, this constrains their formation and yields a framework for their comparison with extensional structures on Earth. These terrains are notable for olivine and high-Ca pyroxene with a high abundance of potassium and calcium akin to alkali basalts. In the case of Mars, this Earth-like proto-plate tectonic scenario may be related to the plume-induced crustal stretching and considering their distribution and temporal relationship with the Hellas basin, we conclude that the plume is impact-induced. Overall, the findings of this work support the presence of mantle plume activity in the Noachian, as suggested by thermal evolution models of Mars. Full article

Lava samples from the Christmas Island Seamount Province (CHRISP) record an extreme range in enriched mantle (EM) type Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope signatures. Here we report osmium isotope data obtained on four samples from the youngest, Pliocene petit-spot phase (Upper Volcanic Series, UVS; ~4.4 Ma), and four samples from the earlier, Eocene (Lower Volcanic Series, LVS; ~40 Ma) shield building phase of Christmas Island. Osmium concentrations are low (5–82 ppt) with initial Os isotopic values (¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os_i) ranging from (0.1230–0.1679). Along with additional new geochemical data (major and trace elements, Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes, olivine δ¹⁸O values), we demonstrate the following: (1) The UVS is consistent with melting of shallow Indian mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle enriched with both lower continental crust (LCC) and subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) components; and (2) The LVS is consistent with recycling of SCLM components related to Gondwana break-up. The SCLM component has FOZO or HIMU like characteristics. One of the LVS samples has less radiogenic Os (γOs –3.4) and provides evidence for the presence of ancient SCLM in the source. The geochemistry of the Christmas Island lava series supports the idea that continental breakup causes shallow recycling of lithospheric and lower crustal components into the ambient MORB mantle. Full article

The tectonic inversion of the Songliao Basin during the Cenozoic may have played an important role in controlling the development of sandstone-type uranium deposits. The widely distributed mafic intrusions in the host sandstones of the Qianjiadian U ore deposits provided new insights to constrain the regional tectonic evolution and the genesis of the U mineralization. In this study, zircon U-Pb dating, whole-rock geochemistry, Sr-Nd-Pb isotope analysis, and mineral chemical compositions were presented for the mafic rocks from the Qianjiadian area. The mafic rocks display low SiO₂ (44.91–52.05 wt.%), high ^TFe₂O₃ contents (9.97–16.46 wt.%), variable MgO (4.59–15.87 wt.%), and moderate K₂O + Na₂O (3.19–6.52 wt.%), and can be subdivided into AB group (including basanites and alkali olivine basaltic rocks) and TB group (mainly tholeiitic basaltic rocks). They are characterized by homogenous isotopic compositions (ε_Nd (t) = 3.47–5.89 and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7032–0.7042) and relatively high radiogenic ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (18.13–18.34) and Nb/U ratios (23.0–45.6), similar to the nearby Shuangliao basalts, suggesting a common asthenospheric origin enriched with slab-derived components prior to melting. Zircon U-Pb and previous Ar-Ar dating show that the AB group formed earlier (51–47 Ma) than the TB group (42–40 Ma). Compared to the TB group, the AB group has higher TiO₂, Na₂O, K₂O, P₂O₅, Ce, and HREE contents and Ta/Yb and Sr/Yb ratios, which may have resulted from variable depth of partial melting in association with lithospheric thinning. Combined with previous research, the Songliao Basin experienced: (1) Eocene (~50–40 Ma) lithospheric thinning and crustal extension during which mafic rocks intruded into the host sandstones of the Qianjiadian deposit, (2) a tectonic inversion from extension to tectonic uplift attributed to the subduction of the Pacific Plate occurring at ~40 Ma, and (3) Oligo–Miocene (~40–10 Ma) tectonic uplift, which is temporally associated with U mineralization. Finally, the close spatial relation between mafic intrusions and the U mineralization, dike-related secondary reduction, and secondary oxidation of the mafic rocks in the Qianjiadian area suggest that Eocene mafic rocks and their alteration halo in the Songliao Basin may have played a role as a reducing barrier for the U mineralization. Full article

The early Paleozoic is a crucial period in the formation and evolution of the Eastern Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB), and is of great significance for understanding the evolutionary history of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean. This paper presents new petrography, geochemistry, zircon U–Pb dating, and Lu–Hf isotopic research on the Yuejingshan gabbro from the eastern segment of the EKOB. Zircon U–Pb data suggests that the gabbro formed in the Early Silurian (435 ± 2 Ma). All samples have relatively low TiO₂ contents (0.45–2.97%), widely varying MgO (6.58–8.41%) and Mg^# (58–65) contents, and are rich in large ion lithophile elements (LILE such as Rb, Ba, Th, and U) and light rare earth elements (LREE). This indicates that it has a similar geochemical composition to island arc basalt. The major element features indicate that the formation of this gabbro underwent fractional crystallization of clinopyroxene, olivine, and plagioclase. The depletion of high field strength elements (HFSE, such as Nb, Ta, and Ti), and a slightly positive Hf isotope (with εHf_(t) ranging from 1.13 to 2.45) may be related to the partial melting of spinel-bearing peridotite, led by slab fluid metasomatism. The gabbro likely represents magmatic records of the latest period of the early Paleozoic oceanic crust subduction in the Eastern Kunlun. Therefore, the final closure of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean and the beginning of collisional orogeny occurred before the Early Silurian. Full article

This study presented whole-rock elemental and Sr-Nd isotope geochemistry data with the purpose to decipher the origin and evolution of the Miocene Elmadağ Volcanic Complex, Central Anatolia (Ankara, Turkey). Volcanic products spanned in composition from mildly alkaline basaltic (47–52 wt% SiO₂) and medium- to high-K calc-alkaline intermediate (54–62 wt% SiO₂; andesite to trachyandesite) to felsic (64–74 wt% SiO₂; dacite to rhyolite) units. Despite a homogeneous major element composition, basaltic rocks were characterized by two distinct trace element and isotopic signatures, which have been correlated with different mantle sources. The first group of basaltic rocks was similar to those of oceanic island basalts (OIB) and was derived from asthenospheric mantle source. The second group had geochemical characteristics of orogenic basalts derived from subduction-modified lithospheric mantle source and represented parental magma of the intermediate to felsic rocks. By coupling geochemical and textural analyses of the rocks from the Elmadağ Volcanic Complex, I suggest that crystallization of olivine + clinopyroxene + apatite played an important role in the evolution of basaltic rocks, while plagioclase + amphibole + apatite + Fe-Ti oxides ± zircon crystallization was major process involved in the evolution of intermediate to felsic rocks. The EVC basaltic rocks were associated with the post-collisional extensional tectonic regime in the Central Anatolia, but the coexistence of the OIB-like volcanism implies variations in the extension dynamics during Miocene. Full article

Cenozoic alkali basalts in Southeast (SE) China generally are genetically related to intracontinental rifting. Hence, they can be used to probe the nature of their underlying mantle sources and aid studies of the tectonic background in this region. This paper focuses on the Shanhoujian alkali basalts located in Bailing County, northeastern Fujian, SE China. We herein report their petrology, whole-rock major, and trace element geochemistry, and Sr-Nd isotopic composition and provide a new zircon U-Pb age for the basalts (~40 Ma, Eocene). These data help to constrain the petrogenesis of alkali basalts, their mantle source, and tectonic settings. The basalts are characterized by high Mg^# (58.21–63.52) with Na₂O/K₂O > 1. MgO content is weakly correlated with CaO and Cr content but shows no correlation with Ni and Fe₂O₃ (total). Such features suggest that fractionation of clinopyroxene rather than olivine was important. In terms of trace elements, the alkali basalts display: (1) enrichment in La, Ce, Rb, Ba, Nb, and Ta and depletion in K, Pb, Zr, Hf, and Ti and (2) notable fractionation of light rare earth elements from heavy rare earth elements. Determined (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i is in the range of 0.7041–0.7040 and ε_Nd (t) is between +3.2 and +3.3. The Shanhoujian alkali basalts show a notable affinity to oceanic island basalts (OIBs) with little assimilation of crustal materials. They were derived from a pyroxenite and carbonated peridotite mantle source metasomatized by sediments carried by the subduction plate at different depths. The primary magmas of these basalts were derived from partial melting of this metasomatized mantle source during upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle as an intracontinental rift formed through extension in this part of SE China. Full article

The first detailed mineralogy, geochemistry and origin of heavy minerals in marine sediments along the Jayapura Regency coast on the Indonesian part of New Guinea Island are reported as part of a larger set of investigations conducted since 2009. In these sediments, the following heavy minerals were identified: high-Al and high-Cr spinels, chromian andradite, Mg-olivine, magnetite, mixture of iron (III) oxyhydroxides (limonite) and minerals from serpentine-group minerals (lizardite, antigorite). The heavy mineral fraction of marine sediments contains increased concentrations of metals, including W (up to 257.72 ppm) and Ag (up to 1330.29 ppb) as well as minor amounts of Ni (7.1–3560.9 ppm) and Cr (68.0–5816.0 ppm). The present state of geological knowledge suggests that there are no known prospects for rich Ti, Ni, Co, Cr, Au deposits along the examined part of the Jayapura coast. However, the average content of Ag and W is high enough to provide an impulse for suggested further deposit research. The source of marine sediments is Cyclops ophiolite, which contains a typical ophiolite sequence. Cyclops Mountain rocks have undergone intense chemical weathering processes and the resulting eroded material has been deposited on the narrow continental shelf. The chemical composition of chromian spinels indicates that their source is depleted peridotites from the SSZ (supra-subduction zone) environment of the Cyclops ophiolite. A detailed geochemical examination indicates that the evolution of parental melt of these rocks evolved towards magma with geochemical parameters similar to mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). Full article

Olivine forsterite contents [Fo = 100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe) in mol%] and minor–trace element concentrations can aid our understanding of the Earth’s mantle. Traditionally, these data are obtained by electron probe microanalysis for Fo contents and minor elements, and then by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) for trace elements. In this study, we demonstrate that LA–ICP–MS, with a simplified 100% quantification approach, allows the calculation of Fo contents simultaneously with minor–trace elements. The approach proceeds as follows: (1) calculation of Fo contents from measured Fe/Mg ratios; (2) according to the olivine stoichiometric formula [(Mg, Fe)₂SiO₄] and known Fo contents, contents of Mg, Fe and Si can be computed, which are used as internal standards for minor–trace element quantification. The Fo content of the MongOLSh 11-2 olivine reference material is 89.55 ± 0.15 (2 s; N = 120), which agrees with the recommended values of 89.53 ± 0.05 (2 s). For minor–trace elements, the results matched well with the recommended values, apart from P and Zn data. This technique was applied to olivine phenocrysts in the Lijiang picrites from the Emeishan large igneous province. The olivine compositions suggest that the Lijiang picrites have a peridotitic mantle source. Full article

There are two genetic types of spinel (magmatic spinel crystallizing directly from kimberlite magma and xenocrystic spinel derived from mantle xenoliths) in the No.30 kimberlite pipe (Liaoning Province, North China Craton). Their geochemistry is investigated to reveal processes of diamond capture and resorption during kimberlite magmatism to constrain the diamond potential. Magmatic spinels are mostly euhedral to subhedral, 20 to 60 µm in size, and have compositional zones: the cores are classified as chromite with high Cr and Mg contents, and the rims are classified as magnetite with low Cr and high ferric Fe. The compositional trends suggest that magmatic spinel and olivine phenocrysts are crystallized contemporaneously during the early stages of kimberlite crystallization. During this period, temperature (T) and oxygen fugacity (fO₂) values calculated at an assumed pressure of 1 GPa are in the range of 994–1274 °C and 1.6–2.4 log fO₂ units below the nickel-nickel oxide (NNO) buffer, respectively. The high values of fO₂ suggest heavy diamond resorption during kimberlite magmatism. Estimated temperatures of xenocrystic spinel range from 828 to 1394 °C, and their distributions indicate that only a small proportion of xenocrystic spinels are derived from the diamond stabilization field, which suggests a low potential of diamond capture. The low diamond capture and heavy diamond resorption during kimberlite magmatism contributed to the low diamond grade of the No.30 kimberlite. Full article