Ages, rare-earth element enrichment, and petrogenesis of tholeiitic and alkalic basalts from Kahoolawe Island, Hawaii

The mid-Paleozoic volcanics of northern Sierra Nevada consist of the Sierra Buttes rhyolites, the Taylor basalts and andesites, and the Keddie Ridge basalt–latite–rhyolite suite. The Sierra Buttes calc-alkaline rhyolites display strong light rare-earth element enrichment and negative εNd values. The Taylor basalts and andesites in the northern Hough and Genesee blocks exhibit calc-alkaline affinities (REE rare-earth element patterns highly enriched in LREE), whereas in the southern Hough block they are tholeiitic (flat rare-earth element patterns). The abundance of silicic lavas, the low εNd values of both the Sierra Buttes and Taylor volcanics and the δ18O values of the Sierra Buttes rhyolite and Bowman Lake trondjhemite provide evidence that the northern Sierra Nevada island arc was continent based. The Keddie Ridge differentiated volcanics, characterized by high Zr, Y, Nb, K, and light rare-earth elements, are geochemically similar to a shoshonite suite. Their eruption at the end of the mid-Paleozoic volcanic episode suggests a reversal of subduction, uplift, and block faulting in the island arc.The mid-Paleozoic volcanics of the northern Sierra Nevada are thought to represent the remnant of a mature island arc because calc-alkaline rocks predominate over tholeiitic ones, the lavas display a K enrichment with time, and the volcanics are evolved in their isotopes, compared with rocks erupted in young or primitive island arcs.

Download Full-text

Geochemistry and tectonic significance of alkalic mafic magmatism in the Yukon-Tanana terrane, Finlayson Lake region, Yukon

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ◽

10.1139/e02-090 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 39 (12) ◽

pp. 1729-1744 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Stephen J Piercey ◽

James K Mortensen ◽

Donald C Murphy ◽

Suzanne Paradis ◽

Robert A Creaser

Keyword(s):

Rare Earth ◽

Rare Earth Element ◽

Earth Element ◽

Light Rare Earth ◽

Mafic Rocks ◽

Metasedimentary Rocks ◽

Lake Region ◽

Back Arc ◽

Finlayson Lake ◽

Alkalic Basalts

This paper provides an integrated field and geochemical study of weakly alkalic, ~360 Ma mafic rocks from the YukonTanana terrane in the Finlayson Lake region, southeastern Yukon. These mafic rocks occur as dykes and sills that crosscut older felsic metavolcanic rocks and metasedimentary rocks (Kudz Ze Kayah unit) or as flows interlayered with carbonaceous metasedimentary rocks. The mafic rocks have signatures similar to those of ocean-island basalts, moderate TiO2 and P2O5 contents, elevated high field strength element and light rare earth element contents, and εNd350 = +1.1. A subset of the dykes (group 4b) has similar geochemical characteristics but with higher Th/Nb and lower Nb/U ratios, higher Zr and light rare earth element contents, and εNd350 = 2.8. The geochemical and isotopic attributes of these rocks are consistent with formation from either lithospheric or asthenospheric sources during decompression melting of the mantle, with some rocks exhibiting evidence for crustal contamination (group 4b). The alkalic basalts are interpreted to represent ~360 Ma ensialic back-arc rifting and basin generation. It is envisioned that east-dipping subduction, represented by slightly older magmatic suites (Fire Lake unit), was disrupted by subduction hinge roll-back, westward migration of arc magmatism, and the onset of back-arc extension. Decompression melting of the mantle associated with back-arc generation resulted in mantle melting and the formation of the alkalic basalts. The spatial association of this mafic magmatism with crustally derived felsic volcanic rocks and contained volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization suggests that the associated deposits (Kudz Ze Kayah, GP4F) formed within an ensialic back-arc environment.

Download Full-text