Fluid inclusions in upper mantle xenoliths from Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Evidence for an upper mantle diapir

1997 ◽  
Vol 60 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 145-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Varela ◽  
E. A. Bjerg ◽  
R. Clocchiatti ◽  
C. H. Labudia ◽  
G. Kurat
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Sandoval Velasquez ◽  
Andrea Luca Rizzo ◽  
Alessandro Aiuppa ◽  
Maria Luce Frezzotti ◽  
Samantha Remigi ◽  
...  

<p>Studying the isotopic composition of fluids trapped in mantle xenoliths opens avenues to understanding the origin and cycling of volatiles in the Earth’s upper mantle. Here, we present the first isotopic results for noble gases and CO<sub>2</sub> in fluid inclusions (FI) trapped in mantle xenoliths from El Hierro the youngest island of the Canarian archipelago. Our results are based on 6 mantle xenolith samples (3 Spinel-lherzolites and 3 Spinel-harzburgites) collected from the El Julan cliff valley (Oglialoro et al., 2017), from which we hand-picked crystals of Ol, Opx, and Cpx. Isotopic determinations were performed at the INGV (Sezione di Palermo) noble gas and stable isotopes laboratories, following the preparation methods and analytical procedures described in Rizzo et al. (2018 and references therein).</p><p>The Ne-Ar isotopic compositions reveal the presence of an atmospheric component in the FI. Most of the samples exhibit <sup>4</sup>He/<sup>20</sup>Ne ratios > 60, <sup>20</sup>Ne/<sup>22</sup>Ne ratios between 9.84 and 10.49, <sup>21</sup>Ne/<sup>22</sup>Ne ratios from 0.0295 to 0.0330, and <sup>40</sup>Ar/<sup>36</sup>Ar > 800, suggesting mixing between MORB-like mantle fluids and an air-derived component. We argue this latter may (at least in part) derive from upper mantle recycling of atmospheric fluids via paleo-subduction event(s). Excluding samples possibly affected by diffusive fractionation processes, the average Rc/Ra ratio (<sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He ratio corrected for atmospheric contamination) measured in El Hierro xenoliths is ~7.45 + 0.26 Ra, within the MORB range (8 + 1 Ra; Graham, 2002). The He homogeneous signature of these xenoliths agrees well with the <sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He compositions previously reported in lava phenocrysts and cumulates (Day and Hilton, 2011) and is slightly below the maximum ratios measured in groundwater samples during the 2012 volcanic unrest (~8.2 Ra; Padron et al., 2013). All these pieces of evidence argue against a primordial source involved in the local lithospheric mantle. Putting these data in the context of previous literature results for FI and surface gases in the Canary Islands (La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote), we identify an eastward <sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He decreasing trend that parallels a corresponding increase of the oceanic crust thickness. In addition to the mantle heterogeneity, we propose that part of the <sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He east-to-west variation along the archipelago is caused by the variable thickness of the oceanic crust (and hence, different interactions with <sup>4</sup>He-rich crustal fluids during emplacement).</p><p>The FI δ<sup>13</sup>C(CO<sub>2</sub>) isotopic composition ranges from -2.38 to -1.23‰ in pyroxenes and -0.2 to +2.0‰ in olivine. These unusually positive δ<sup>13</sup>C compositions support the existence of a recycled crustal carbon component in the local source mantle, likely pointing to mantle metasomatism (Oglialoro et al., 2017) from fluids carrying carbon from subducted sediments and/or altered oceanic crust (AOC).</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Pieter Lange ◽  
Zsófia Pálos ◽  
Levente Patkó ◽  
Márta Berkesi ◽  
Nóra Liptai ◽  
...  

<p>Amphibole is one of the most abundant ’water’-bearing minerals in the Earth’s upper mantle. Amphiboles occur as interstitial grains, lamellae within pyroxenes or as daughter minerals within fluid inclusions.  Most commonly amphibole formation is related to mantle metasomatism, where the agent has a subducted slab (e.g. Manning 2004) or an asthenospheric origin (e.g. Berkesi et al. 2019).  After the formation of fluid inclusions, a subsolidus interaction can take place where the H<sub>2</sub>O content of fluid inclusions may crystallize pargasite (e.g. Plank et al. 2016).</p><p>Here we present amphibole lamellae formation in mantle xenoliths from the Persani Mountains Volcanic Field that is interrelated to a reaction between fluid inclusions and host clinopyroxene.  Newly formed amphibole lamellae occur only in the surroundings of the fluid inclusions and grow within the host clinopyroxene in a preferred crystallographic direction.  Studied lamellae do not reach the rim of the host mineral implying that components needed for formation of amphibole lamellae in clinopyroxene could have only originated from the fluid inclusion itself.  We measured the major element composition of amphibole lamellae and host clinopyroxene (1) and used Raman spectroscopy and FIB-SEM on fluid inclusion study situated next to the lamellae (2).  Results support the hypothesis that chemical components (dominantly H<sup>+</sup>) migrated sub-solidus from the fluid inclusion into the host mineral after fluid entrapment via subsolidus interaction.  Beyond the clinopyroxene-hosted fluid inclusions, fluid inclusions in orthopyroxenes were also studied as a reference.  Our study shows that post-entrapment diffusion from a fluid inclusion into the host mineral changes the solid/fluid ratio of the mantle  which could modify the rheology of the lithospheric mantle.</p><p>Berkesi, M. et al. 2019. Chemical Geology, 508, 182-196.</p><p>Kovács et al. (2017) Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica, 52(2), 183-204.</p><p>Manning C. E. 2004. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 223, 1-16.</p><p>Plank, T. A. et al. 2016. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Costanza Bonadiman ◽  
Valentina Brombin ◽  
Giovanni B. Andreozzi ◽  
Piera Benna ◽  
Massimo Coltorti ◽  
...  

AbstractThe occurrence of phlogopite and amphibole in mantle ultramafic rocks is widely accepted as the modal effect of metasomatism in the upper mantle. However, their simultaneous formation during metasomatic events and the related sub-solidus equilibrium with the peridotite has not been extensively studied. In this work, we discuss the geochemical conditions at which the pargasite-phlogopite assemblage becomes stable, through the investigation of two mantle xenoliths from Mount Leura (Victoria State, Australia) that bear phlogopite and the phlogopite + amphibole (pargasite) pair disseminated in a harzburgite matrix. Combining a mineralogical study and thermodynamic modelling, we predict that the P–T locus of the equilibrium reaction pargasite + forsterite = Na-phlogopite + 2 diopside + spinel, over the range 1.3–3.0 GPa/540–1500 K, yields a negative Clapeyron slope of -0.003 GPa K–1 (on average). The intersection of the P–T locus of supposed equilibrium with the new mantle geotherm calculated in this work allowed us to state that the Mount Leura xenoliths achieved equilibrium at 2.3 GPa /1190 K, that represents a plausible depth of ~ 70 km. Metasomatic K-Na-OH rich fluids stabilize hydrous phases. This has been modelled by the following equilibrium equation: 2 (K,Na)-phlogopite + forsterite = 7/2 enstatite + spinel + fluid (components: Na2O,K2O,H2O). Using quantum-mechanics, semi-empirical potentials, lattice dynamics and observed thermo-elastic data, we concluded that K-Na-OH rich fluids are not effective metasomatic agents to convey alkali species across the upper mantle, as the fluids are highly reactive with the ultramafic system and favour the rapid formation of phlogopite and amphibole. In addition, oxygen fugacity estimates of the Mount Leura mantle xenoliths [Δ(FMQ) = –1.97 ± 0.35; –1.83 ± 0.36] indicate a more reducing mantle environment than what is expected from the occurrence of phlogopite and amphibole in spinel-bearing peridotites. This is accounted for by our model of full molecular dissociation of the fluid and incorporation of the O-H-K-Na species into (OH)-K-Na-bearing mineral phases (phlogopite and amphibole), that leads to a peridotite metasomatized ambient characterized by reduced oxygen fugacity.


1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1679-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dante Canil ◽  
Mark Brearley ◽  
Christopher M. Scarfe

One hundred mantle xenoliths were collected from a hawaiite flow of Miocene–Pliocene age near Rayfield River, south-central British Columbia. The massive host hawaiite contains subrounded xenoliths that range in size from 1 to 10 cm and show protogranular textures. Both Cr-diopside-bearing and Al-augite-bearing xenoliths are represented. The Cr-diopside-bearing xenolith suite consists of spinel lherzolite (64%), dunite (12%), websterite (12%), harzburgite (9%), and olivine websterite (3%). Banding and veining on a centimetre scale are present in four xenoliths. Partial melting at the grain boundaries of clinopyroxene is common and may be due to natural partial melting in the upper mantle, heating by the host magma during transport, or decompression during ascent.Microprobe analyses of the constituent minerals show that most of the xenoliths are well equilibrated. Olivine is Fo89 to Fo92, orthopyroxene is En90, and Cr diopside is Wo47En48Fs5. More Fe-rich pyroxene compositions are present in some of the websterite xenoliths. The Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) and Cr/(Cr + Al + Fe3+) ratios in spinel are uniform in individual xenoliths, but they vary from xenolith to xenolith. Equilibration temperatures for the xenoliths are 860–980 °C using the Wells geothermometer. The depth of equilibration estimated for the xenoliths using geophysical and phase equilibrium constraints is 30–40 km.


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