scholarly journals Distinguishing Plume and Metasomatized Lithospheric Mantle Contributions to Post-Flood Basalt Volcanism on the Southeastern Ethiopian Plateau

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 1063-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy R Nelson ◽  
Barry B Hanan ◽  
David W Graham ◽  
Steven B Shirey ◽  
Gezahegn Yirgu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Mantle Plume ◽  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Lithospheric Mantle ◽  
Incompatible Trace Element ◽  
Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Main Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Element Ratios ◽  
Ethiopian Plateau ◽  
Mafic Lavas

Abstract Magmatism in the East African Rift System (EARS) contains a spatial and temporal record of changing contributions from the Afar mantle plume, anciently metasomatized lithosphere, the upper mantle and the continental crust. A full understanding of this record requires characterizing volcanic products both within the rift valley and on its flanks. In this study, three suites of mafic, transitional to alkaline lavas, were collected over a northeast-southwest distance of ∼150 km along the southeastern Ethiopian Plateau, adjacent to the Main Ethiopian Rift. Specifically, late Oligocene to Quaternary mafic lavas were collected from Chiro, Debre Sahil and the Bale Mountains. New major element, trace element, 40Ar/39Ar ages and isotopic results (Sr, Nd, Pb, Hf, Os, He) show spatial and temporal variation in the lavas caused by dynamical changes in the source of volcanism during the evolution of the EARS. The trace element compositions of Oligocene and Miocene Chiro lavas indicate derivation from mildly depleted and nominally anhydrous lithospheric mantle, with variable inputs from the crust. Further south, Miocene Debre Sahil and alkaline Bale Mountains lavas have enriched incompatible trace element ratios (e.g. Ba/Nb = 12–43, La/SmN = 3·1–4·9, Tb/YbN = 1·6–2·4). Additionally, their 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf and 206Pb/204Pb values trend toward a radiogenic Pb (HIMU) component. Radiogenic 187Os/188Os in these lavas correlates positively with 206Pb/204Pb and trace element indicators consistent with ancient metasomatic enrichment of their mantle source. In contrast, transitional Miocene Bale Mountains lavas have lower incompatible trace element abundances, less enriched trace element ratios (Ba/Nb ∼7, La/SmN = 2·3–2·5) and less radiogenic isotopic signatures that originate from melting garnet-bearing, anhydrous lithospheric mantle (Tb/YbN = 2·5–2·9). Pliocene and Quaternary Bale Mountains basaltic lavas are chemically and isotopically similar to Main Ethiopian Rift lavas. Trace element and isotopic indicators in both of these suites denote an amphibole-bearing source distinct from that sampled by the older Bale Mountains lavas. Isotopically, Pliocene and Quaternary Bale lavas have notably less radiogenic Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotopic ratios. Quaternary Bale Mountains lavas have the strongest mantle plume contribution (3He/4He = 12·1–12·5 RA), while other Bale Mountains, Debre Sahil and Chiro lavas were derived dominantly by melting of lithospheric or upper mantle sources (3He/4He = 5·1–9·1 RA). A multi-stage, regional-scale model of metasomatism and partial melting accounts for the spatial and temporal variations on the southeastern Ethiopian Plateau. Early Debre Sahil and alkaline Bale Mountains mafic lavas are melts derived from Pan-African lithosphere containing amphibole-bearing metasomes, while later transitional Bale basalts are melts of lithosphere containing anhydrous, clinopyroxene-rich veins. These ancient metasomatized domains were eventually removed through preferential melting, potentially during thermal erosion of the lithosphere or lithospheric foundering. Pliocene and Quaternary Bale Mountains lavas erupted after tectonic extension progressed throughout Ethiopia and was accompanied by increased plume influence on the volcanic products.

Ultramafic mantle xenoliths in the Late Cenozoic Volcanic rocks of the Antarctic Peninsula and Jones Mountains, West Antarctica

2021 ◽  
pp. M56-2019-44
Author(s):  
Philip T. Leat ◽  
Aidan J. Ross ◽  
Sally A. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Lithospheric Mantle ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Oceanic Lithosphere ◽  
Incompatible Trace Element ◽  
Mantle Xenoliths ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Gondwana Margin

AbstractAbundant mantle-derived ultramafic xenoliths occur in Cenozoic (7.7-1.5 Ma) mafic alkaline volcanic rocks along the former active margin of West Antarctica, that extends from the northern Antarctic Peninsula to Jones Mountains. The xenoliths are restricted to post-subduction volcanic rocks that were emplaced in fore-arc or back-arc positions relative to the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Antarctic Peninsula volcanic arc. The xenoliths are spinel-bearing, include harzburgites, lherzolites, wehrlites and pyroxenites, and provide the only direct evidence of the composition of the lithospheric mantle underlying most of the margin. The harzburgites may be residues of melt extraction from the upper mantle (in a mid-ocean ridge type setting), that accreted to form oceanic lithosphere, which was then subsequently tectonically emplaced along the active Gondwana margin. An exposed highly-depleted dunite-serpentinite upper mantle complex on Gibbs Island, South Shetland Islands, supports this interpretation. In contrast, pyroxenites, wehrlites and lherzolites reflect percolation of mafic alkaline melts through the lithospheric mantle. Volatile and incompatible trace element compositions imply that these interacting melts were related to the post-subduction magmatism which hosts the xenoliths. The scattered distribution of such magmatism and the history of accretion suggest that the dominant composition of sub-Antarctic Peninsula lithospheric mantle is likely to be harzburgitic.

Mantle flow and orography: the effect of basal lithospheric shearing and lateral erosion gradients on continental rifting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Sternai
Keyword(s):  
Mantle Plume ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Windward Side ◽  
Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Mantle Flow ◽  
Stream Power ◽  
Main Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Extensional Tectonic ◽  
Continental Rifts ◽  
Lateral Erosion

<p><span>Mantle plume-lithosphere interactions modulated by surface processes across extensional tectonic settings give rise to outstanding topographies and sedimentary basins. However, the nature of these interactions and the mechanisms through which they control the evolution of continental rifts are still elusive. Basal lithospheric shearing due to plume-related mantle flow leads to extensional lithospheric rupturing and associated magmatism, rock exhumation, and topographic uplift away from the plume axis by a distance inversely proportional to the lithospheric elastic thickness. When moisturized air encounters a topographic barrier, it rises, decompresses, and saturates, leading to enhanced erosion on the windward side of the uplifted terrain. Orographic precipitation and asymmetric erosional unloading facilitate strain localization and lithospheric rupturing on the wetter and more eroded side of an extensional system. This simple model is validated against petro-thermo-mechanical numerical experiments where a rheologically stratified lithosphere above a mantle plume is subject to fluvial erosion proportional to stream power during extension. These findings are consistent with Eocene mantle upwelling and flood basalts in Ethiopia synchronous with distal initiation of lithospheric stretching in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as well as asymmetric topography and slip along extensional structures where orography sets an erosional gradient in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER). I conclude that, although inherently related to the lithosphere rheology, the evolution of continental rifts is even more seriously conditioned by the mantle and surface dynamics than previously thoughts.</span></p>

Kimberlites as Geochemical Probes of Earth’s Mantle

Elements ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 387-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Graham Pearson ◽  
Jon Woodhead ◽  
Philip E. Janney
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Transition Zone ◽  
Lithospheric Mantle ◽  
Crustal Contamination ◽  
Incompatible Trace Element ◽  
Magma Source ◽  
Core Mantle Boundary ◽  
The Core ◽  
Earth’S Mantle ◽  
Source Regions

Kimberlites are ultrabasic, Si-undersaturated, low Al, low Na rocks rich in CO2 and H2O. The distinctive geochemical character of kimberlite is strongly influenced by the nature of the local underlying lithospheric mantle. Despite this, incompatible trace element ratios and radiogenic isotope characteristics of kimberlites, filtered for the effects of crustal contamination and alteration, closely resemble rocks derived from the deeper, more primitive, convecting mantle. This suggests that the ultimate magma source is sub-lithospheric. Although the composition of primitive kimberlite melt remains unresolved, kimberlites are likely derived from the convecting mantle, with possible source regions ranging from just below the lithosphere, through the transition zone, to the core–mantle boundary.

scholarly journals Mixing and Crystal Scavenging in the Main Ethiopian Rift Revealed by Trace Element Systematics in Feldspars and Glasses

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Iddon ◽  
Charlotte Jackson ◽  
William Hutchison ◽  
Karen Fontijn ◽  
David M. Pyle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Main Ethiopian Rift

Subduction-related subcontinental lithospheric mantle metasomatism and crustal thickening: origin for superchondritic Nb/Ta in mafic dykes

2020 ◽  
Vol 178 (1) ◽  
pp. jgs2020-120
Author(s):  
Xiang Cui ◽  
Wenbin Zhu ◽  
F. Jourdan
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
South China ◽  
Lithospheric Mantle ◽  
Incompatible Trace Element ◽  
Mantle Metasomatism ◽  
Crustal Thickening ◽  
Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mafic Dykes ◽  
Supplementary Material

Superchondritic Nb/Ta is rarely reported in terrestrial reservoirs and is usually attributed to carbonatite metasomatism or accessory rutile in the residue phase. Previously documented high Nb/Ta in rocks derived from subcontinental lithospheric mantle indicated a predominance of carbonatite metasomatism. This study evaluates Nb/Ta in conjunction with other trace elements of Neoproterozoic mafic dykes exposed in the eastern segment of the Jiangnan Orogen, where early subduction existed before the amalgamation of South China. These mafic dykes show mostly superchondritic Nb/Ta ratios from 19.6 to 24.5. Partial melting modelling suggested low-degree melting of rutile-bearing subcontinental lithospheric mantle for these mafic dykes. A literature review of Neoproterozoic mafic–intermediate rocks throughout the Jiangnan Orogen shows sporadically but coincidently superchondritic Nb/Ta near or beneath the Shuangxiwu arc, indicating rutile stability in the relict sub-arc mantle. Rutile in the lherzolite was formed sometime after Neoproterozoic subduction initiation in South China but contemporaneous with crustal thickening at c. 860 Ma. This study brings direct evidence to bear on the mechanism of rutile formation in the mantle wedge, as well as the link between crustal thickening and superchondritic Nb/Ta of mafic products derived from the metasomatized mantle.Supplementary material: Major and trace element compositions, photomicrographs of samples, and figures illustrating geochemistry, REE and incompatible trace element patterns and loss on ignition versus Nb/Ta and La/Yb are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5093535

scholarly journals Transition from Plume-driven to Plate-driven Magmatism in the Evolution of the Main Ethiopian Rift

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 1681-1715
Author(s):  
Dejene Hailemariam Feyissa ◽  
Hiroshi Kitagawa ◽  
Tesfaye Demissie Bizuneh ◽  
Ryoji Tanaka ◽  
Kurkura Kabeto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Temperature ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Flood Basalt ◽  
Geochemical Data ◽  
Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Main Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Afar Depression ◽  
Secular Variations ◽  
Mafic Lavas ◽  
Mantle Potential Temperature

Abstract New K–Ar ages, major and trace element concentrations, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data are presented for Oligocene to recent mafic volcanic rocks from the Ethiopian Plateau, the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER), and the Afar depression. Chronological and geochemical data from this study are combined with previously published datasets to reveal secular variations in magmatism throughout the entire Ethiopian volcanic region. The mafic lavas in these regions show variability in terms of silica-saturation (i.e. alkaline and sub-alkaline series) and extent of differentiation (mafic through intermediate to felsic). The P–T conditions of melting, estimated using the least differentiated basalts, reveal a secular decrease in the mantle potential temperature, from when the flood basalt magmas erupted (up to 1600 °C) to the time of the rift-related magmatism (<1500°C). Variations in the Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions of the mafic lavas can account for the involvement of multiple end-member components. The relative contributions of these end-member components vary in space and time owing to changes in the thermal condition of the asthenosphere and the thickness of the lithosphere. The evolution of the Ethiopian rift is caused by a transition from plume-driven to plate-driven mantle upwelling, although the present-day mantle beneath the MER and the Afar depression is still warmer than normal asthenosphere.

Trace element constraints on mantle sources during mid-Proterozoic magmatism: evidence for a link between the Gardar (South Greenland) and Abitibi (Canadian Shield) mafic rocks

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Halama ◽  
Jean-Louis Joron ◽  
Benoît Villemant ◽  
Gregor Markl ◽  
Michel Treuil
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Mantle Plume ◽  
Mantle Source ◽  
Incompatible Trace Element ◽  
Mid Ocean Ridge ◽  
Mantle Sources ◽  
Magma Sources ◽  
Ocean Ridge ◽  
Distinct Features ◽  
Island Basalt

Trace and major element compositions of mid-Proterozoic (1.20–1.16 Ga) basaltic lava flows and dikes from the Gardar Province (South Greenland) provide evidence for two geochemically distinct magma sources. Based on distinct features of incompatible trace element ratios, such as Th/Ta, Th/Tb, or Th/Hf, they differ by the composition of their mantle source and by their partial melting trends. One mantle source is compositionally transitional between mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-type and ocean-island basalt (OIB)-type sources with relatively low Ta/Hf ratios (~0.2), moderate enrichment in light rare-earth elements (LREE), and slightly positive initial εNd values (+2). It can be attributed to either a lithospheric mantle source or a depleted astenospheric mantle plume component that has been enriched shortly prior to eruption. The other mantle source is characterized by high Ta/Hf ratios (~0.6), a more pronounced LREE enrichment, and initial εNd values around 0. Elevated CeN/YbN (7.0–9.8) and TbN/YbN ratios (1.6–1.8) of the rocks derived from this source indicate the presence of garnet during melting, suggesting melt generation at depths > 70 km. This mantle source has the geochemical characteristics of an OIB-type source and is interpreted as originating from a mantle plume. Samples from the slightly younger (1.14 Ga) Abitibi dike swarm (Superior Province, Canada), spatially connected to the Gardar Province, show very similar trace element characteristics and the same two distinct magma sources can be identified. The geochemical similarities between the magma sources in South Greenland and Canada support the idea of a genetic link between the two magmatic provinces. This link strengthens the idea that the system was a long-lived major intracontinental rift zone.

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