1. Lithospheric mantle evolution monitored by overlapping large igneous provinces: Case study in southern Africa
- Author
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Gilbert Féraud, Fred Jourdan, Michael K. Watkeys, B. Le Gall, H. Bertrand, Western Australian Argon Isotope Facility (WAAIF), The Institute for Geoscience Research [Perth] (TIGeR), School of Earth and Planetary Science [Perth - Curtin university], Curtin University [Perth], Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC)-Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC)-Curtin University [Perth], Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC)-Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC)-School of Earth and Planetary Science [Perth - Curtin university], Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC)-Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC), Laboratoire de Sciences de la Terre (LST), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Géoazur (GEOAZUR 6526), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Domaines Océaniques (LDO), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers-Institut d'écologie et environnement-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), School of Geological and Computer sciences, University of Natal, École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), and COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Basalt ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Proterozoic ,Large igneous province ,Geochemistry ,Geology ,010502 geochemistry & geophysics ,01 natural sciences ,Mantle (geology) ,Mantle plume ,Igneous rock ,Precambrian ,Sill ,13. Climate action ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
Most of the studies on the large igneous provinces (LIPs) focus on Phanerozoic times, and in particular, those related to the disruption of Pangea (e.g. CAMP, Karoo, Parana–Etendeka) while Precambrian LIPs (e.g. Ventersdorpf, Fortescue) remain less studied. Although the investigation of Precambrian LIPs is difficult because they are relatively poorly preserved, assessment of their geochemical characteristics in parallel with younger overlapping LIP is fundamental for monitoring the evolution of the mantle composition through time. Recent 40Ar/39Ar dating of the Okavango giant dyke swarm (and related sills) in southern Africa showed that ~ 90% of the dykes were emplaced at 179 ± 1 Ma and belong to the Karoo large igneous province whereas ~ 10% of dykes yielded Proterozoic ages (~ 1–1.1 Ga). Here, we provide new major, trace and rare earth elements analyses of the low-Ti Proterozoic Okavango dyke swarm (PODS) that suggest, combined with age data, a cognate origin with the 1.1 Ga Umkondo large igneous province (UIP), southern Africa. The geochemical characteristics of the PODS and UIP basalts are comparable to those of overlapping low-Ti Karoo basalts, and suggest that both LIPs were derived from similar enriched mantle sources. A mantle plume origin for these LIPs is not easily reconciled with the geochemical dataset and the coincidence of two compositionally similar mantle plumes acting 900 Myr apart is unlikely. Instead, we propose that the Umkondo and Karoo large igneous provinces monitored the slight evolution of a shallow enriched lithospheric mantle from Proterozoic to Jurassic.
- Published
- 2009