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Enriched mid‐ocean ridge basalts (E‐MORB) commonly erupt at mid‐ocean ridges (MOR) and seamounts, but their relationship to "depleted" MORB (D‐MORB) and the processes controlling their magmatic evolution at MORs are not fully understood, hence raising more general questions about magma generation in the mantle. We here explore this conundrum through an investigation of the Masirah ophiolite (southeast Oman), a near‐unique "true" MOR ophiolite. Unlike most (e.g., Tethyan) ophiolites, it was not affected by subduction and is therefore potentially able to provide valuable geological insights into the magmatic evolution of a full section of oceanic crust. Previous work has shown that the igneous crust at Masirah was thin (1.5–2.0 km) and constructed from both D‐ and E‐MORB magmas, concluding that it formed at a slow‐spreading ridge at ∼150 Ma followed by an episode of "Nb‐enriched" magmatism with trace‐element enrichments exceeding E‐MORB during intraplate rifting ∼20 Ma later. We reinvestigate the geology of Masirah and present new field observations, geochemical data and high‐precision U‐Pb ages to constrain the magmatic history of seafloor spreading and off‐axis magmatism. We found that D‐MORB and E‐MORB magmatism at Masirah was synchronous and overlapped in both composition and time with the Nb‐enriched magmatism (no older than 135 Ma). Both types of magmatism were therefore integral in the formation of the Masirah ocean crust. The relationship between D‐MORB and E‐MORB magmatism described here may be applicable to modern MORs more broadly, but is especially prominent at Masirah due to reduced magmatism and hence a weaker crustal filter. Plain Language Summary: The oceanic crust forms approximately two‐thirds of the Earth's surface and is continuously being formed at mid‐ocean ridges. Due to the difficulties involved in accessing oceanic crust directly, especially the deeper stratigraphic levels, the magmatic processes involved in forming the oceanic crust remain poorly understood. Ophiolites, fragments of oceanic lithosphere that were emplaced onto the continent, can offer valuable insights to geologists, but since most ophiolites are thought to have originated in marginal oceanic basins or at the initiation of subduction, a direct comparison remains problematic. In this study, we circumvent this problem by investigating the Masirah Ophiolite, a rare example of a "true" mid‐ocean ridge ophiolite. By combining field observations, geochemistry and geochronology at a level of detail not possible for present‐day oceanic crust, we reconstruct the magmatic evolution of the Masirah paleoridge. We present a more accurate formation age for Masirah and find that magmatism was compositionally variable throughout crustal accretion, with later off‐axis melts becoming more enriched in incompatible trace elements. We propose that the large geochemical variations observed at Masirah may be commonplace at modern mid‐ocean ridges, but that these are often masked due to the typically higher volumes of magmatism that enhance mixing and homogenization. Key Points: Two ophiolite nappes exposed on Masirah were formed by ocean crustal accretion at 135 and 131 Ma respectivelyOn‐axis magmatism shows varying degrees of trace element enrichment and depletion, and is followed by Nb‐enriched "near‐axis" magmatismSimilar processes may be common along modern mid‐ocean ridges but masked by the homogenizing effect of an enhanced "crustal filter" [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Enriched mid‐ocean ridge basalts (E‐MORB) commonly erupt at mid‐ocean ridges (MOR) and seamounts, but their relationship to “depleted” MORB (D‐MORB) and the processes controlling their magmatic evolution at MORs are not fully understood, hence raising more general questions about magma generation in the mantle. We here explore this conundrum through an investigation of the Masirah ophiolite (southeast Oman), a near‐unique “true” MOR ophiolite. Unlike most (e.g., Tethyan) ophiolites, it was not affected by subduction and is therefore potentially able to provide valuable geological insights into the magmatic evolution of a full section of oceanic crust. Previous work has shown that the igneous crust at Masirah was thin (1.5–2.0 km) and constructed from both D‐ and E‐MORB magmas, concluding that it formed at a slow‐spreading ridge at ∼150 Ma followed by an episode of “Nb‐enriched” magmatism with trace‐element enrichments exceeding E‐MORB during intraplate rifting ∼20 Ma later. We reinvestigate the geology of Masirah and present new field observations, geochemical data and high‐precision U‐Pb ages to constrain the magmatic history of seafloor spreading and off‐axis magmatism. We found that D‐MORB and E‐MORB magmatism at Masirah was synchronous and overlapped in both composition and time with the Nb‐enriched magmatism (no older than 135 Ma). Both types of magmatism were therefore integral in the formation of the Masirah ocean crust. The relationship between D‐MORB and E‐MORB magmatism described here may be applicable to modern MORs more broadly, but is especially prominent at Masirah due to reduced magmatism and hence a weaker crustal filter.

Mid‐ocean ridge basalts (MORB) from the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) between 12° and 17°S show a wide range of geochemical and isotopic variations. Particularly, MORB from a segment between 14° and 15°S are more enriched in incompatible trace elements with more radiogenic Sr and Pb isotope and unradiogenic Nd isotope values than the lavas between 15° and 16°S with geochemical features of normal MORB. However, the causes for the enrichment between 14° and 15°S are poorly constrained. In this study, we re‐examined the CIR MORB from 12° to 17°S with new geochemical data obtained based on high spatial resolution sampling to better understand the nature of the enriched mantle source. Our new geochemical data show that the MORB between 14° and 15°S, with maximum values for (La/Sm)N = 1.95, 87Sr/86Sr = 0.703526 and 206Pb/204Pb = 18.7558, are more enriched than those from the southern segments (16° to 20°S) known to be influenced by the Réunion mantle component. The new trace element and isotopic compositions of MORB suggest that three mantle end‐members are required to explain the geochemical variations shown between 14° and 16°S: the depleted Indian‐type MORB mantle, Réunion Plume (RP), and Seychelles/Madagascar‐like continental crust components. Moreover, our mixing model suggests that the differences in enriched MORB signature from 14° to 20°S are due to variable proportions of continental material previously mixed with the RP. Our study implies that a continental component interacted with the plume into the asthenosphere, possibly beneath Madagascar or below Mauritius Island and the Mascarene plateau. Plain Language Summary: The basaltic lavas erupting on the mid‐ocean ridges are considered a window to understand the geochemical features of the upper mantle because they are produced by partial melting of the underlying mantle. The mid‐ocean ridge basalts (MORB) from the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) between 12° and 17°S show a wide range of geochemical and isotopic variations. Particularly, the MORB from the segment between 14° and 15°S have higher trace element contents with more radiogenic Sr and Pb isotopes and unradiogenic Nd isotopes than those from the neighboring ridges. We investigated the mantle source of the E‐MORB using our new geochemical data of basaltic lava samples collected with high spatial resolution along the ridge between 12° and 17°S and showed that the enriched lavas between 14° and 15°S are not only linked to the Réunion mantle plume, but also to a continental crust component that contaminated the Réunion mantle plume. Moreover, our new results enlarge the isotopic range of the Réunion mantle plume and show the complexity and heterogeneity of the upper mantle underlying the CIR. Key Points: Source of enriched MORB (E‐MORB) from the Central Indian Ridge (12°–17°S) is constrained by Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotope and trace element geochemistryThe E‐MORB source between 14° and 16°S is related to three components: a depleted mantle, Réunion Plume (RP), and continental componentsVariable proportions of continental components mixed with the RP may account for the MORB geochemistry between 14° and 20°S [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Precordillera mafic–ultramafic belt (PMUB), located in central-western Argentina, comprises mafic and ultramafic bodies interlayered and/or in tectonic contact with marine siliciclastic units. Whole-rock, mineral geochemistry and Nd–Sr isotope analyses performed in magmatic rocks suggest a relatively different spatial and temporal evolution along the belt. The southern PMUB (south of 32° S) evolved as an intra-continental rifted margin with an enriched mid-ocean-ridge basalt (E-MORB) tholeiitic to alkaline magmatism, to a proto-ocean basin (the Cuyano proto-ocean) with tholeiitic normal-MORB geochemical signature. Based on neodymium model ages (TDM), the magmatic activity started during the late Neoproterozoic Era and continued into the early Palaeozoic Era. Instead, the northern PMUB (28–32° S) evolved as an intra-continental rifted margin with dominant tholeiitic E-MORB to continental flood basalt (CFB) magmatism during the early Palaeozoic Era. ϵNd values (+3.4 to +8.4), rare earth element trends and high-field-strength element systematics, together with an estimated potential mantle temperature of c. 50–100°C above ambient mantle, suggest the PMUB magmatism derived from an enriched mantle source related to the effect of a rising plume linked to the Iapetus Ocean opening. In particular, TDM estimations of 600–550 Ma agree with reported magmatism in central to southern Appalachians. The magmatism in the PMUB, and those registered in the Neoproterozoic Catoctin Formation and in the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen in the conjugated Laurentian margin, seem to be contemporaneous, sharing a similar plume-enriched mantle source. In this context, the E-MORB signature identified along the PMUB can be described as a plume-distal ridge tectonic setting over an extended margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Proterozoic Chotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex (CGGC) at the northern boundary of the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) of the eastern Indian shield preserves relics of fossilized oceanic back-arc crust. We describe the field, petrographical and geochemical characteristics of the mafic rocks comprising pillow basalts and dolerites from the Bathani area of the northern fringe of the CGGC, eastern India. The basalts consist of plagioclase feldspar, hornblende, opaque minerals (Fe–Ti oxide) and chlorite, and the dolerite consists of plagioclase, hornblende and opaque minerals. Our data indicate that the Bathani mafic rocks have tholeiitic to transitional composition and are overprinted by greenschist facies metamorphic conditions; however, REE and fluid immobile elements preserve their primary geochemical signatures. The (La/Sm)N ratios (1.38–2.15) and chondrite-normalized REE patterns point to an enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB) mantle source. Geochemical characteristics indicate a mixed signature of MORB and arc tholeiite with enrichment of Ba, Th, Eu and Sr, similar to that of back-arc supra-subduction zone ophiolites. These mafic rocks are the product of MORB-like magma derived from a depleted mantle corresponding to < 2% partial melting of spinel lherzolite, enriched by subduction-induced slab metasomatism and melting. The Bathani mafic rocks are representative of the upper part of a supra-subduction zone columnar ophiolite section, which was emplaced onto the present-day northern margin of the CGGC during suturing of the northern and southern Indian block at c. 1.9 Ga during the Nuna amalgamation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nanpu Sag (NPS), located in northwestern Bohai Bay Basin (BBB), East China, has significant oil discoveries in recent years. The effect of intense faulting and downwraping which generated the intense subsidence of NPS in the Dongying Formation (Fm.) (Ed) (28.5–23.8 Ma) of the Late Oligocene is presented in this paper. We analyzed the geochemical characteristics of the widespread Cenozoic basalts in NPS from drill core samples. Our results show that the magma experienced negligible crustal contamination and slight fractional crystallization, and the features of remarkable positive U, Pb, Sr and Ti anomaly, low Rb/Ba and Rb/Sr values of the NPS basalts were inherited from the source region. The NPS basalts in Ed have distinctive characteristics as sub-alkaline basalts with rare earth elements (REE) patterns parallel to enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORB), and were generated from a mixture origin of garnet-lherzolite zone with relatively high degree of partial melting (30%–50%) and garnet + spinel-lherzolite transition zone with partial melting degree ranging from 3% to 15%. In contrast, NPS basalts of other Cenozoic periods or Ed basalts of other areas in eastern China are alkaline with light REE enrichment and oceanic island basalts (OIB)-like-pattern, their magmas originated from garnet + spinel-lherzolite transition zone with partial melting degree lower than 5%. Combined with previous studies of the mantle wedge in the mantle transition zone (MTZ) beneath northeastern Asia, forming around 30 Ma, we infer that the stagnating of the Pacific slab triggered the asthenosphere upwelling and increased the degree of partial melting in mantle source, and relatively weak areas of the North China Craton (NCC) like the Tanlu Fault (TLF) where NPS located on were reactivate and susceptible to be modified. Therefore, the intense faulting and downwarping of NPS in Ed, along with the igneous activities, was a response to the Cenozoic stagnant Pacific slab more than the result of tectonic effects from the Pacific subduction like other areas in northeastern China in Paleogene. • Cenozoic Stagnant Pacific Slab generated mantle wedge beneath Nanpu Sag. • Mantle wedge caused intense fault activities and E-MORB-like basalts in Nanpu Sag. • Heat attenuation triggered intense downwarping after basalts eruption. • Intense faulting and downwarping generate intense subsidence in Nanpu Sag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new data on chemical composition of basalt glasses collected within the geochemical anomaly of the Mid-Atlantic ridge at 13°25′–13°40′N, where fresh quenched lavas occur dominantly in asymmetric off-axial structures. The collected samples indicate wide compositional ranges from strongly depleted D-MORB with 0.04 wt% K 2 O, K 2 O/TiO 2 = 0.08 and (La/Sm) N = 0.69 to the most enriched E -MORB with 0.92 wt% K 2 O, K 2 O/TiO 2 = 0.42 and (La/Sm) N = 2.45. Clear correlations are traced between incompatible element ratios (K 2 O/TiO 2 , La/Sm, Nb/Zr), concentrations of MgO, K 2 O, H 2 O, and 87Sr/86Sr ratio, suggesting variable contribution to the compositional diversity of the glasses from two distinct source materials, one of which is depleted mantle. Testing the hypothesis of pyroxenite-derived melts as an enriched end-member failed to reproduce the observed REE patterns, (Sr/Zr) N , and (Ba/Nb) N ratios, and the K 2 O–K 2 O/TiO 2 relations. Two alternative hypotheses – melts derived from melting remnants of continental crust (1) or oceanic core complex (OCC) gabbro (2) – are suggested based on the complementary character of the REE patterns of the basalt glasses and partial melts compositions calculated at 1000 °C/50 MPa from either bulk continental crust as estimated by Taylor and McLennan (1995) (1) or OCC gabbro sampled in the study area (2). Complementarity of the two sources with the D-MORB holds also for the other geochemical parameters: (Sr/Zr) N vs (Ba/Nb) N , (La/Sm) N vs (Rb/Nb) N , and for the K 2 O–K 2 O/TiO 2 relations. The first hypothesis calls upon partial melting of continental crustal material preserved in the vicinity of ridge-transform fault system, while the second suggests melt-rock interaction within the off-axial structures of the pre-existed gabbro assemblages, with concurrent melting of the wall-rock material and dissolution of the resulting melt in the intruded magma. Both scenarios, operating either separately or jointly, might contribute to the MORB geochemical variability documented in the present study. • Basalt glasses vary from strongly depleted D-MORB to the most enriched E -MORB. • Incompatible element ratios, MgO, K 2 O, H 2 O, and 87Sr/86Sr strongly correlate. • Hypothesis of pyroxenite as a source for enriched melts failed. • Melting remnants of continental crust or oceanic core complex gabbro are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme gradients in topography related to variations in magma supply are observed on the Southern Explorer Ridge (SER), part of the northern Juan de Fuca ridge system. We report radiogenic isotope (Pb, Sr, Nd, Hf) and geochemical data for twenty-four basalt whole-rock and glass samples collected from the length of the SER and from Explorer Deep, a rift to the north of the SER. Lavas from the SER form a north-south geochemical gradient, dominated by E-MORB at the northern axial high, and range from T-MORB to N-MORB towards the southern deepest part of the ridge. Linear relationships between incompatible element ratios and isotopic ratios in MORB along the ridge are consistent with mixing of magmas beneath the ridge to generate the geographic gradient from E- to N-MORB. The E-MORB have high Sr and Pb, and low Nd and Hf isotopic ratios, typical of enriched mantle that includes a FOZO or HIMU isotopic component. The West Valley and Endeavour segments of the northern Juan de Fuca ridge also include this isotopic component, but the proportion of the FOZO or HIMU component is more extreme in the SER basalts. The FOZO or HIMU component may be garnet-bearing peridotite, or a garnet pyroxenite embedded in peridotite. Recycled garnet pyroxenite better explains the very shallow SER axial high, high Nb/La and La/Sm, and the “enriched” isotopic compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous 5 to 20 m-wide dolerite dykes crosscut vertically to sub-vertically basement granitoids around and within the Cretaceous Léré basin, SW Chad (Central Africa). They extend along strike on several hundred meters length. Léré dolerites exhibit various textures, from classical doleritic texture to sub-ophitic via ophitic and intersertal textures. They are composed of euhedral and subhedral crystals of andesine and labradorite, anorthoclase, augite, olivine, ilmenite and Ti-magnetite. Calcite and amphibole are present. Estimated crystallization temperatures are between 1050 and 1105 ± 50 °C. Occurrence of dyke swarms in Léré basin is controlled by Pan-African strike-slip faults created during an extensional tectonic phase during Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic. These lavas, analyzed with ICP-MS and ICP-AES, are basalt, trachybasalt and basaltic trachyandesite with some continental tholeiite affinity. Dolerites of Léré basin have evolved by limited fractional crystallization differentiation, accompanying by minor assimilation process. Three groups of rocks are identified (according to Y/Nb ratios), linked to different mantle sources which have intermediate compositions between E-MORB and OIB. [Display omitted] • Rather giants doleritic dykes outcrop in Cretaceous Lere basin, Chad. • Occurrence of dyke swarms is controlled by Pan-African strike-slip faults. • Basalts, trachybasalts and basaltic trachyandesites display some continental tholeiite affinity. • Estimated crystallization temperatures are between 1050 and 1105 °C. • Three groups of rocks are identified, linked to different mantle sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Deccan basalts of Anantagiri hills near Vikarabad are characterized by the occurrence of a complete and continuous sequence of colonnade structures below the laterites. These structures have enabled division of flow units 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 from the bottom upwards, into three well defined zones - Lower Colonnade Zone (LCZ); Middle Entablature Zone (MEZ) and Upper Colonnade Zone (UCZ) underlying a 5-10 m thick laterite cover. These fine to medium grained basalts composed of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, ± olivine, Ti-magnetite, ilmenite, glass, cholorophaeite and zeolites commonly show intersertal, glomeroporphyritic and rare sub-ophitic and porphyritic textures. On the A-F-M ternary plot these basalts plot in the iron rich tholeiitic field. REE plots of these rocks define patterns with mild LREE enrichment and negative Eu anomaly. Their primitive mantle normalized multi-element patterns show mild positive LREE coupled with slight LILE depletion, positive Ba, Ta and Pb peaks. The TiO/Yb vs Nb/Yb ratios in these tholeiites suggest a slightly enriched source with an MORB affinity. The major and trace element signatures of these tholeiitic basalts occurring at Anantagiri hills and the adjacent low lying areas in south-eastern Deccan Volcanic Province, have broad affinities with the basalts of Ambenali Formation with an overlap on basalts of Poladpur Formation, though with minor variations suggesting geochemical similarity with these two type area basalt formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Guomangco ophiolitic mélange is situated in the middle part of the Shiquanhe-Yongzhu-Jiali ophiolitic mélange belt (SYJMB) and possesses all the subunits of a typical Penrose-type ophiolite pseudostratigraphy. The study of the Guomangco ophiolitic mélange is very important for investigating the tectonic evolution of the SYJMB. The mafic rocks of this ophiolitic mélange mainly include diabases, sillite dikes, and basalts. Geochemical analysis shows that these dikes mostly have E-MORB major and trace element signatures; this is the first time that this has been observed in the SYJMB. The basalts have N-MORB and IAB affinities, and the mineral chemistry of harzburgites shows a composition similar to that of SSZ peridotites, indicating that the Guomangco ophiolitic mélange probably originated in a back-arc basin. The Guomangco back-arc basin opened in the Middle Jurassic, which was caused by southward subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean in central Tibet. The main spreading of this back-arc basin occurred during the Late Jurassic, and the basalts were formed during this time. With the development of the back-arc basin, the subducted slab gradually retreated, and new mantle convection occurred in the mantle wedge. The recycling may have caused the metasomatized mantle to undergo a high degree of partial melting and to generate E-MORBs in the Early Cretaceous. E-MORB-type dikes probably crystallized from melts produced by about 20% 30% partial melting of a spinel mantle source, which was metasomatized by melts from low-degree partial melting of the subducted slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sheds new light on the origin and evolution of the north Kozara ophiolite, a part of the Sava-Vardar Zone. The Sava-Vardar Zone is regarded as a relict of the youngest Tethyan realm in the present-day Balkan Peninsula. The north Kozara ophiolite consists of a bimodal igneous association comprising isotropic to layered gabbros, diabase dykes and basaltic pillow lavas (basic suite), as well as relicts of predominantly rhyodacite lava flows and analogous shallow intrusions (acid suite). The rocks of the basic suite show relatively flat to moderately light-REE enriched patterns with no or weak negative Eu-anomaly, whereas those of the acid suite exhibit steeper patterns and have distinctively more pronounced Eu- and Sr- negative anomalies. Compared to the known intra-ophiolitic granitoids from the Eastern Vardar Zone, the acid suite rocks are most similar to those considered to be oceanic plagiogranites. The new geochemical data suggest that the basic suite rocks are similar to enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts. The geochemical characteristics of the acid suite rocks indicate that their primary magmas most probably originated via partial melting of gabbros from the lower oceanic crust. Our study confirms the oceanic nature of the north Kozara Mts rock assemblage, and suggests that it may have formed within an anomalous ridge setting similar to present-day Iceland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Pakong Complex formed at ∼ 100–78 Ma, more widely than expected. • The Pakong Complex comprises N-MORB- and E-MORB-type mafic rocks with arc-like imprints. • Fore-arc spreading resulted in the generation of the Pakong Complex. • The Cretaceous tectonic evolution of West Borneo was related to the paleo-Pacific subduction. The tectonic evolution of West Borneo and its paleogeographic correlation with other blocks/terranes in Southeast Asia during the Mesozoic remain unclear. Here we present newly obtained zircon U–Pb ages and whole-rock elemental and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the Pakong mafic rocks along the Lupar Line in the northern Kuching Zone of West Borneo. The zircon U–Pb dating results show that the Pakong gabbros were formed at 82.0 ± 1.9 Ma, while the diabases were emplaced at 78.5 ± 0.9 Ma. Geochemically, all the Pakong mafic rocks can be divided into two groups. The Group 1 samples show an affinity to N–MORB with negative anomalies in Nb, Ta and Ti, while Group 2 is characterized by E–MORB–like REE pattern with slight enrichment in LREE but similar depletion in Nb, Ta and Ti to Group 1. Isotopically, the former (ε Nd (t) = 6.23–9.87) has more depleted Nd isotopic compositions than the latter (ε Nd (t) = 4.25–5.71). The combined signatures indicate that the N–MORB–like mafic rocks (Group 1) were derived from 10 to 30% partial melting of a depleted lherzolite mantle modified by subduction–related fluids and that the E–MORB–like mafic rocks (Group 2) were the results of mixing between the Group 1 magmas and the OIB-type melts. Integrating with regional data, we propose the Late Cretaceous fore–arc spreading development along the Lupar Line in the northern Kuching Zone of West Borneo, which was induced by the rollback of the subducting Paleo–Pacific plate rather than the Proto–South China Sea slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Antarctic–Phoenix Ridge (APR) is a fossil spreading center in the Drake Passage, Antarctic Ocean. Spreading ceased in chron C2A (ca. 3.3Ma). Although the APR is a normal ridge that is not influenced by a hotspot, enriched (E-type) mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) coexists with normal (N-type) MORB in the ridge''s axial region. The E-type APR basalt is relatively young (<3.1Ma) compared to the N-type basalt (>3.5Ma). The E-type basalt is characterized by elevated K2O/TiO2 (=0.4–0.8) and (La/Sm)N (=2.2–3.4) ratios, relative to the N-type basalt (K2O/TiO2 =0.1–0.3; (La/Sm)N =0.7–0.8). To better understand the compositional variation in the APR basalts and their mantle source regions through time, silicate melt inclusions in primitive olivine (Fo87–89) and plagioclase (An85–89) phenocrysts from the N-type APR basalt were studied. Rehomogenized melt inclusions were analyzed by electron microprobe and LA-ICPMS for major and trace elements. The melt inclusions are more primitive than the host basalt, with Mg#s from 67.5 to 74.1. All inclusions exhibit patterns that are depleted in the light rare earth elements. The inclusions have K2O/TiO2 from 0.1 to 0.3 and (La/Sm)N ratios from 0.4 to 0.9; these values overlap with those of the N-type APR basalt. Furthermore, the melt inclusions have elevated (Lu/Hf)N and (Sm/Nd)N ratios compared to the E-type basalts. The N-type APR basalts do not contain any melt inclusions that are enriched in incompatible elements. The E-type basalt was generated by a low degree of partial melting of a relatively incompatible-element-enriched mantle source. In contrast, chemistries of melt inclusions and N-type basalts are compatible with high degrees of partial melting of an increasingly depleted mantle source. Assuming a veined or otherwise heterogeneous mantle, the absence of E-type inclusions from the N-type host has implications for cyclic magmatic activity beneath the APR. Multi-stage mantle melting and melt extraction from a composite source with sequential extraction of melt fluids might give rise to the primary melt diversity documented in the APR axis. The mantle source of the N-type melts may have been the residue from an earlier phase of melting that removed the easily melted, enriched components. The N-type APR basalt studied represents melt at the end of single cycle, whereas the E-type basalt may represent the early stage of a new pulse that was dominated by highly enriched components. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Triassic igneous rocks of Othris, Greece, exhibit unusual and extreme compositional variations. Abundant E-MORB and rare OIB alkaline basalts appear to be linked to NW Gondwana (Apulia) margin rifting, Pelagonian microcontinent detachment and opening of the Pindos oceanic strand at Western Tethys. They are spatially associated with wehrlites, ultramafic lavas, picrites, transitional boninites, tholeiitic basaltic andesites and calc-alkaline andesitic to rhyodacitic rocks, whose new geochemical and petrological data suggest that they were formed in a short-lived subduction system, developed shortly after rifting/opening within the Pindos ocean. OIB alkaline basalts seem to have been formed from an enriched, possibly garnet bearing mantle source, while formation of E-MORB basalts may represent partial melts (~20%) of an enriched mantle source. The liquidus temperature for the primary rift-related magma is estimated at ~1330°C, while mantle potential temperature reached ~1435°C, with ~14wt.% MgO. Subduction-related rocks were produced after differentiation of primary picritic magma, generated after ~32% partial melting of a fertile mantle source within the newly formed mantle wedge. Temperature conditions were similar to those calculated for the rift-related primary magma, but with higher MgO contents (~16wt.%). Olivine and clinopyroxene accumulation of a batch of the subduction-related primary magma led to the formation of ultramafic magma under hydrous conditions. Wehrlites represent ultramafic magma stacked at the bottom of a magma chamber. Ultramafic lavas were formed when ultramafic magma was brought to the surface, most likely with the aid of an upwelling asthenospheric E-MORB flow passing through a slab break-off or by the bottom edge of the infant slab. The remainder of the primary picritic magma underwent variable degrees of fractional crystallization forming transitional boninites and tholeiitic basaltic andesites in a front-arc setting and calc-alkaline intermediate and felsic rocks in places closer to the passive margin of the Pelagonian microcontinent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Macquarie Ridge Complex (MRC) coincides with the Australia–Pacific plate boundary south of New Zealand and is characterised by a rugged bathymetry that comprises numerous seamounts along its length. Tectonic plate reconstructions show that the Australia–Pacific plate boundary evolved from a spreading centre to a transpressional boundary from ca. 40 to 6Ma. However, limited sampling and high-resolution mapping of the region have meant that the composition and morphology of the MRC remain relatively unknown. Here we present results from multibeam mapping, photographic investigation and petrologic and geochemical analyses from 10 seamounts along the MRC. Dredge samples collected from the seamounts are alkaline to sub-alkaline basalts, containing 45.1–50.8wt.% SiO2, 3.5–12.0wt.% MgO and 1.9–4.9wt.% total alkalis. All samples are enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts that have K/Ti>0.15, which originated as low degree partial melts during the late stages of mid-ocean ridge volcanism. This oceanic crust has been sheared and accreted along the plate boundary since ca. 6Ma by cumulative transpressional relative plate motion, such that lavas from distinct magma chambers have been juxtaposed at individual seamounts along the ridge. MRC seamounts have formed as discrete elevations as a result of dip-slip and strike-slip faulting of the ridge axis. Three guyot-type seamounts have flat-top summit plateaux that were presumably formed by wave erosion via relative sea-level lowering due to uplift of the ridge. These seamounts have since subsided due to extension associated with the step-over fault geometry of the transform plate boundary along the McDougall and Macquarie ridge segments. While the seamounts are of volcanic origin, they are manifestations of tectonic and geomorphic processes. Seamounts distal from the ridge axis, however, are not subjected to plate boundary deformation and instead have morphologies formed through volcanic processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The discovery of chemically and isotopically enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORB) has offered substantial insight into the origin, time scales, and length scales of mantle heterogeneity. However, the exact processes involved in producing this E-MORB enrichment are vigorously debated. Additionally, because the ages of E-MORB are not well constrained, the petrogenetic, temporal, and geological relationships between E-MORB and normal (N)-MORB are not known. To investigate these relationships and to explore how melting and melt transport processes contribute to or modify enriched mantle source compositions and generate E-MORB melts beneath mid-ocean ridges, we measured major and trace elements, and Sr, Nd, Hf, Pb, and U–Th–Ra isotopes for a suite of lavas that were collected off-axis, including several E-MORB, at 9–10°N along the East Pacific Rise (EPR). These data show coherent mixing trends among long-lived radiogenic isotopes, U-series nuclides, and incompatible trace elements, implying that mixing of melts from different sources occurs at different depths. Our results are consistent with previous studies that show that melting occurs in a two-porosity melting regime, with high-porosity channels forming deeply in the presence of garnet and transporting enriched melts with large 230Th excesses to the crust, whereas low-porosity channels transport melts more slowly, allowing them to equilibrate at shallow depths and develop large 226Ra excesses at the expense of diminished 230Th excesses. Forward modeling of the trace element data also is consistent with mixing of melts in a two-porosity melting regime. U-series age constraints suggest that E-MORB neither erupt at systematically different times from N-MORB, nor necessarily through different pathways. Previous studies of E-MORB at 9–10°N have suggested that E-MORB compositions could be explained by off-axis eruption. However, when considered in light of previously published magnetic paleointensity and U-series age constraints, recent geological studies, and the most widely accepted contemporary understanding of volcanic construction at 9–10°N EPR, the asymmetric, off-axis distribution of E-MORB at 9–10°N EPR is consistent with, and more simply explained by, a model in which E-MORB erupted within the axial summit trough (AST) and flowed down the ridge flanks (∼0–3 km). These E-MORB subsequently spread away from the AST, and, finally, were preserved on the seafloor through asymmetric construction of the extrusive layer. Taken together, the range of ages of E-MORB at 9–10°N EPR and the geochemical and isotopic mixing trends suggest that enriched melts are continuously supplied to the ridge axis, but because of their small proportions relative to the volumetrically and volcanically dominant N-MORB, E-MORB preservation and exposure is comparatively scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Subduction/accretion complexes provide unique insight into the tectonic assembly of continental margins and oceanic basins, as they record the tectonic stacking and juxtaposition of materials derived from distinct tectonic environments. The Karakaya Complex, exposed throughout northern Turkey, is a good example of an ancient subduction/accretion complex that includes a number of pre-Liassic units that characterize the closure of Palaeotethys. Defining the components of this complex is of crucial importance to understanding the geodynamic evolution of Palaeotethys in the Eastern Mediterranean region. In this study, we explore the geochemistry of metabasic rocks within the Karakaya Complex, redefining and evaluating one of its main constituents, known as “the Nilüfer Unit”. New geochemical results combined with previously published data suggest that the Nilüfer Unit is dominated by oceanic-island basalt (OIB)- and enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB)-type metabasic rocks which are variably enriched in the most highly incompatible elements relative to normal MORB (N-MORB). Associated alkaline OIB-type basalts are characterized by highly fractionated and variable rare earth element (REE) patterns ([La/Yb] N =4.8–16.2), suggesting melting across the garnet–spinel transition, derivation from a heterogeneous mantle source, and/or dynamic melting of a homogeneous source. Similar Nb/Y–Zr/Y systematics of spatially associated OIB- and E-MORB-type samples may indicate involvement of a shared enriched mantle source(s). Combining both geological and geochemical evidence, we suggest that the OIB- and E-MORB-type assemblages defining the Nilüfer Unit represent seamounts and oceanic islands formed on Palaeotethyan oceanic crust, which was finally incorporated into a forearc accretionary prism during latest Triassic and became a component of the Karakaya Complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The remnants of the Neotethyan Izmir–Ankara Ocean, the main branch of Neotethys in the eastern Mediterranean are represented by the Dagküplü Melange Complex in Central Sakarya, NW Turkey. It comprises several blocks or tectonic slices of pillow lavas, some of which include mudstones and radiolarian cherts as intra-pillow-fillings or interlayers. In the Igdecik area, a huge basaltic block has been studied in detail. Geochemical data reveal three distinct basalt types separated by sheared contacts. The first of these groups is an enriched mid-oceanic ridge basalt (E-MORB) type which is enriched in the most incompatible trace elements relative to normal MORB (N-NORB) in addition to having heavy rare earth elements (HREE) depletion, suggesting the influence of residual garnet in their mantle source region. The second is back-arc basin basalt (BABB) type with relatively depleted trace element compositions with respect to N-MORB together with a negative Nb anomaly, suggesting generation above an intra-oceanic subduction zone where partial melts are derived from a depleted (MORB-like) mantle. The final group is island-arc tholeiite (IAT) type, displaying the most depleted trace element abundances among the studied groups in addition to marked Nb depletion, reflecting intra-oceanic supra-subduction zone (SSZ) signatures similar to the BABB-type but requiring a depleted mantle source which has experienced a previous melt extraction. Combined with a previously ascribed Late Triassic age of (221Ma, Late Carnian; based on the radiolarian fauna found in a chert layer alternating with mudstones), the associated basalts with E-MORB-type geochemical signatures, suggest formation of oceanic crust as early as Late Carnian. This age is the oldest thus far obtained from the basalts of the Izmir–Ankara Ocean. This new data provides constraints on tectonic models for the opening the Izmir–Ankara Ocean and its relationship to other branches of the Neotethyan ocean in the Eastern Mediterranean area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The mafic-ultramafic assemblages, which thrustthrust into the Wushan-Tangzang boundary fault as some blocks and outcropped in the Yuanyangzhen, Lijiahe, Lubangou and Gaojiahe area, consist mainly of meta-peridotites, gabbros and basalts. The meta-peridotites are characterized by high SiO2 and MgO contents, low ΣREE, as well as their chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns show some similarities to that of middle oceanic meta-peridotite. The basalts from the Yuanyangzhen, Lijiahe and Lubangou area are characterized by relatively high TiO2 content, low Al2O3 content and Na2O>>K2O. Above all, it is the slight enrichment or flat REE distribution patterns and the unfractionated in HFS elements in the primitive-normalized trace elements distribution patterns that indicate these basalts are similar to that of the typical E-MORB. In comparison, the basalts from the Gaojiahe section are featured by depletion in Nb and Ta contents and enrichment in Th content which show that these were derived from an island-arc setting. From studies of the regional geology, petrology, geochemistry, geo-chronology and all above evidence, it can be suggested that the mafic-ultramafic rocks from the Wushan area are mainly dismembered E-MORB type ophiolite, which represent the fragments of the lithosphere of the Early-Paleozoic Qinling ocean. It is preferred that these rocks were formed in an initial mid-ocean ridge setting during the beginning stage of the oceanic basin spreading. This ophiolite together with the Gaojiahe island-arc basalts shows that there exists an ophiolitic mélange along the Wushan-Tangzang boundary fault, and marks the suture zone after the closure of the Qinling ocean in early Paleozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossilized Antarctic-Phoenix Ridge (APR) with three segments (P1, P2, and P3), Drake Passage, is distant from the known hotspots, and consists of older N-MORB formed prior to the extinction of spreading and younger E-MORB after extinction. The older N-MORB (3.5–6.4 Ma) occur in the southeastern flank of the P3 segment (PR3) and the younger E-MORB (1.4–3.1 Ma) comprise a huge seamount at the former ridge axis of the P3 segment (SPR) and a big volcanic edifice at the northwestern flank of the P2 segment (PR2). The PR3 basalts have higher Mg#, K/Ba, and CaO/Al2O3 and lower Zr/Y, Sr, and Na80 (fractionation-corrected Na2O to 8.0% MgO) with slight enrichment in incompatible elements and almost flat REE patterns. The SPR and PR2 basalts are highly enriched in incompatible elements and LREE. The extinction of spreading at 3.3 Ma seems to have led to a temporary magma oversupply with E-MORB signatures. Geochemical signatures such as Ba/TiO2, Ba/La, and Sm/La suggest the heterogeneity of upper mantle and formation of E-MORB by higher contribution of enriched materials (e.g., metasomatized veins) to mantle melting than the N-MORB environment. E-MORB magmas beneath the APR seen to have been produced by low-degree melting at deeper regime, where enriched materials have preferentially participated in the melting. The occurrence of E-MORB at the APR is a good example to better understand what kinds of magmatism would occur in association with extinction of the ridge spreading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Central Indian Ridge (CIR), between 18° and 20°S, shows topographic and chemical characteristics, which suggest interaction of the ridge with a mantle plume. In order to investigate the previously postulated input from the Réunion plume (presently located ∼1000 km off-axis to the west) on the CIR, we present chemical and isotopic compositions of basalts, collected on and off the CIR axis between 18° and 20°S. We distinguish two geographical groups of samples, called On-Axis and Gasitao, respectively. The On-Axis group is characterized by unradiogenic Sr and Pb isotope ratios and high ε Nd values. Gasitao group basalts have lower SiO2, are more depleted in incompatible elements and have more radiogenic Sr–Pb isotope ratios and lower ε Nd values than the On-Axis group. The two groups form two distinct, subparallel linear arrays in 207Pb/204Pb–206Pb/204Pb space. While the Gasitao array trends towards Réunion plume compositions, and therefore appears to contain some Réunion-type plume material, this is not the case for the On-Axis array. Along the ridge axis, Pb isotopes become more radiogenic from south to north, and incompatible trace elements become more enriched, but the compositional field of Réunion lavas is not a suitable end member for the Pb isotope and highly incompatible element trends (e.g. Ba/Nb). This indicates that the geochemical enrichment seen in the On-Axis region is not related to Réunion-type plume material. Basalts from both groups show both positive and negative Eu anomalies, which are strongly correlated with Sr/Nd ratios, thus indicating both gains and losses of feldspar phenocrysts. However, this has little effect on ratios of other trace elements. The trace element enrichment patterns are strongly correlated with Pb isotope ratios, with the most E-MORB-like samples having the most radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions. Using the trace element (TE)/Pb ratios versus 206Pb/204Pb correlations, and by extrapolating these linear correlations to TE/Pb=0, we constrain possible 206Pb/204Pb ratios of the enriched and depleted endmembers. These lie at 18.3≤ 206Pb/204Pb≤18.8 for the depleted and enriched components, respectively, and not very far outside the range of the actual data. We infer that the CIR MORB, between 18° and 20°S are generated by partial melting of a heterogeneous source consisting of an enriched component and a normal, depleted upper-mantle peridotite. The nature of the enriched component is a matter of speculation. As noted, its composition is different from known Réunion plume compositions. Instead, it may represent recycled (oceanic) crustal material, perhaps derived from a subducted oceanic island. It could also be formed by a “metasomatic” enrichment process similar to that modeled by Donnelly et al. [K.E. Donnelly, S.L. Goldstein, C.H. Langmuir, M. Spiegelman. Origin of enriched ocean ridge basalts and implications for mantle dynamics. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 226 (2004) 347–366] to explain “E-type” MORB compositions. In either case, the location of the enriched anomaly on the CIR near the intersection with the Gasitao Ridge appears to be coincidental, because the Gasitao enrichment can be traced to the Réunion plume, whereas the On-Axis group enrichment cannot. We speculate that the Réunion plume flow might be deflected towards the South by the hot upwelling E-MORB mantle, because the southernmost On-Ridge sample does fall on the Gasitao-Réunion trend. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: New trace element and Hf, Nd, and Pb isotope data are reported for 22 basalts collected between 22°N and 35°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. (La/Sm)N ratios identify the presence of enriched (E)-MORB in the northernmost part of this area and normal (N)-MORB elsewhere. A negative correlation is observed when 143Nd/ 144Nd is plotted against 206Pb/ 204Pb, 207Pb/ 204Pb, and 208Pb/ 204Pb, whereas 176Hf/ 177Hf appears not to correlate with any of the other isotopic ratios. The E-MORB samples are characterized by high 206Pb/ 204Pb, 207Pb/ 204Pb, 208Pb/ 204Pb, and low 143Nd/ 144Nd. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of Pb isotopes alone identifies three, and only three, significant geochemical end-members (‘components’). Including Nd and Hf isotopic data in the PCA produces spurious components, partly because of curved mixing relationships, and partly because of fractionation during melting. Our preferred interpretation of why 176Hf/ 177Hf is decoupled from the other isotopic ratios is, as inferred from recent experimental data, that the Hf isotopic compositions of the melt and the residue fail to equilibrate during melting. A strong correlation between (Sr/Nd)N and (Eu/Eu*)N indicates that plagioclase is a residual phase of N-MORB, but not of E-MORB melting. The three end-members identified in this study are the depleted mantle, a common-type component, and an enriched plume-type end-member. The common, or ‘C’-type, end-member is characteristic of E-MORB and may itself be a mixture containing recycled oceanic crust (the MORB suite, terrigenous sediments, and/or oceanic plateaus). The plume-type end-member is likely to represent the lower mantle and may involve some primordial material. It is shown that mantle isochrons in general and the Pb–Pb isochron in particular do not characterize a specific geodynamic process acting to create mantle heterogeneities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) south of the Kane Fracture Zone at ∼23°N (the MARK area) is distant from hot spots and a type area for “normal” mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-MORB) depleted in highly incompatible elements. High-density sampling reveals that a small proportion of basalt are enriched in incompatible elements (enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts, E-MORB) from the MARK area. It is apparent that enriched magma sources, not associated with hot spots, are widespread in the upper mantle and are a common occurrence on both fast- and slow-spreading ridges.Evaluation of the trace-element systematics shows that E-MORB generation requires two stages. Low-degree melts metasomatise the upper mantle to create an enriched source, which later undergoes large extents of melting. A significant time lapse between the two events is required by differences in radiogenic isotope ratios. Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian ocean ridges that are far from hot spots show “mantle isochron” ages of ∼300 Ma for the Sm–Nd, Rb–Sr, and 238U–206Pb systems after corrections for melting, but these ages need not be indicative of a specific event. Instead, they can result from continuous processes of formation and destruction of enriched mantle sources by melting and convective mixing. A two-box model describing these processes illuminates relationships between mantle isochron ages and upper mantle dynamics. If formation–destruction of enriched mantle is at steady state, constant “mantle isochron” ages are maintained and depend on the residence time of enriched mantle sources, the half-life of the radioactive system, and the daughter element behavior during mantle melting. The common ages of the Sr, Nd, and Pb systems reflects their long half-lives and similar melting behavior. In contrast, 207Pb/204Pb–206Pb/204Pb ages are approximately twice as old due to the short half-life of 235U relative to the age of the Earth. For the long-lived systems, the mantle isochron ages approximate the residence time of the enriched reservoir, if its mass is a few percent of the system.We propose that the first stage of melting occurs at depth in subduction zones where the mantle wedge is enriched by the addition of low-degree melts of subducted crust. The second stage of greater extents of melting occurs beneath ocean ridges. The model results suggest that the mantle is currently in quasi-steady state and that the size of the system (N-MORB plus E-MORB sources) is similar to the upper mantle. The time scale of ∼300 Ma for survival of E-MORB sources indicates rapid convective stirring and efficient reprocessing of the upper mantle by plate tectonics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present new data on crystallized micro-inclusions in zircon from clinopyroxene-bearing felsic stringers within gabbronorite of gabbro-peridotite oceanic core complex at Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 13°34′ N. A relatively large (about 49 × 22 μm) crystallized inclusion exposed in situ in thin section consists of the muscovite + biotite + plagioclase + K-feldspar + quartz assemblage. Smaller inclusions (≤20 μm) found in zircon separates consist of silicate minerals, interstitial water solution, and gas bubbles. At temperature close to 800 °C and estimated pressure about 1.5 kbar the inclusions completely homogenize into a K 2 O-rich (3.9 ± 0.1 wt%), H 2 O-bearing (about 4 wt%) granite (SiO 2 70 ± 2 wt%) melt. Calculations employed DOMINO software show that complete closed-system crystallization of the analyzed melt exactly reproduces mineral assemblage of the large crystallized inclusion (+H 2 O) at about 1.5 kbar below 600 °C. Granitoid mineralogy of felsic stringers hosting zircon does not correspond to that of the crystallized melt inclusions, with a significantly lower K 2 O in the former. The K 2 O loss might result from interaction of the melt with pyroxenes of the host gabbro. This implies that considering felsic granitoid veins, often present in the oceanic lower crustal sections, as simply "frozen melt" is not always justified. Compositional variations of basalt lava glasses from the 13°25′–14° portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge show continuous geochemical trends from D -MORB to E -MORB with K 2 O enrichment up to 0.9 wt%, suggesting mixing from two sources. The most K 2 O-enriched E -MORB composition (K 2 O = 0.9 wt%, H 2 O = 0.7 wt%, K 2 O/TiO 2 = 0.42, (La/Sm) N = 2.45) was assumed as a source of the granitoid inclusions. Computer simulation of equilibrium crystallization of this E -MORB composition returned a granite residual melt closely matching the average composition of the zircon-hosted melt inclusions at 820 °C, 1.5 kbar and melt fraction 5.2 vol%. The result suggests a direct link between the E -MORB magma occurring in the studied area, and the origin of the K-rich granite melt in zircon-hosted inclusions. • Abundant zircon with crystallized melt inclusions from felsic stringers in gabbro. • Zircon-hosted inclusions homogenize into K 2 O-rich (4 wt%) granite melt. • Two-component basalt magma mixing with E-MORB end-member enriched in K 2 O (0.9 wt%). • E-MORB end-member produces K 2 O-rich granite melt at 95% equilibrium crystallization. • Genetic relations between E -MORB and high-K granite melt in the modern oceanic crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• E-MORB and OIB basalts in southeast Brasília Belt show different tectonic settings. • Southeast Brasília Belt mafic magmatism imprints geotectonic events at 980–630 Ma. • Integrated mafic and sedimentary data might be a key to distinguish ancient basins. Metamorphic rocks derived from mafic rocks can be found in metamorphic belts, and their geochemical and isotopic characteristics may be valuable sources of information for interpretation of ancient geologic magmatic scenarios. The southern Brasília Belt, between the Amazonian and São Francisco cratons in Central Brazil exhibits different amphibolite rocks that were emplaced into Veríssimo Sequence and Araxá Group metasedimentary sequences, during the Neoproterozoic. The obtained results indicate that the studied amphibolite rocks from Pires do Rio-Catalão area represent three magmatic events associated with three magmatic environments: 1) a passive margin development at 979 Ma, a forearc/back-arc basin at ∼819 Ma, and a continental collision at ∼651 Ma. The first magmatic event, related to continental extension and passive margin development is represented by the emplacement at 979 ± 17 Ma of E-MORB low-K tholeiitic basalts with positive ε Nd(t) values between +4.4 and −2 and T DM between 1.26 and 1.82 Ga, related with the Veríssimo metavolcanosedimentary Sequence. The zircon populations include a high amount of metamorphic, inherited grains. The second magmatic event, related with an forearc/back-arc extension is represented by E-MORB basalts with negative Nb-Ta anomalies and slightly positive ε Nd(t) values of +0.78 to +2.71, cogenetic with the Araxá Group. An OIB-like basalt sample is also related to this stage and has a U-Pb age of 819.7 ± 6.3 Ma. ε Nd(t) values of +1.82 to +2.57, ε Hf(t) in zircon around-zero and T DM ages from 1.03 to 1.18 Ga. The third event is represented by syn- to late-tectonic OIB-like basaltic/gabbroic magmatism at 651 ± 6 Ma, with positive ε Nd(t) value of +2.57 and younger T DM age at 1.18 Ga, that can be associated to regional continental collision and closure of the Neoproterozoic ocean. Also, provenance studies into metasedimentary rocks support that passive and active margins could be successively superposed during the main thrusting tectonic event in the Brasiliano orogeny, but slices of different stratigraphic units preserve their depositional isotopic signature. These findings suggest that the occurrence of main mafic magmatic events over a timespan as long as the entire evolution of the Brasília Belt (1.0–0.6 Ma) might be a key to individualize superposed tectonic basins in Central Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORBs) near hotspots are commonly ascribed to be products of mantle plume-ridge interaction, but the genesis of E-MORBs far from hotspots remains controversial. Here we report new major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data for lavas from Holes 559 and 561 of Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 82 that are located west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) midway between the Oceanographer and Hayes fracture zones (33–35°N). Our data reveal that E-MORBs from Hole 559 have high (87Sr/86Sr) i (0.70292–0.70294) and (206Pb/204Pb) i (19.504–19.692) and low (143Nd/144Nd) i (0.51297–0.51299) values, similar to the mantle focal zone (FOZO) component, that could be partly coming from the New England mantle plume. We propose that the FOZO component could be widely distributed beneath the northern portion of MAR at ~35 Ma. Hole 561 lavas contain both depleted (D-) and E-MORB. The D-MORBs have depleted Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions and were derived from the depleted asthenospheric mantle. Hole 561 E-MORBs have radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr) i (0.70337–0.70341), (143Nd/144Nd) i (0.51296–0.51297) and (206Pb/204Pb) i (19.463–19.525) values that are similar to the proposed common component in the mantle plume sources of lavas in all the Azores islands except for the eastern part of São Miguel. In addition, Hole 561 E-MORBs also display higher Th/La and Nb/La ratios than the most plume-influenced E-MORBs near the Azores hotspot and even the Azores lavas. These suggest that Hole 561 E-MORBs were derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle metasomatized by deep, low-degree melts of the common Azores plume component. We propose that variable amounts of such metasomatized mantle are widely distributed in the asthenospheric mantle beneath the MAR 33–35°N ridge segment since ~19 Ma and their partial melting is also probably responsible for the generation of the modern MAR 33–35°N E-MORBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triassic rift-related volcanic rocks outcrop over all mainland Greece, comprising of trachybasalts and basaltic trachyandesites. Relatively immobile to the effects of alteration processes major and trace element abundances classify the volcanics into OIB and E -MORB lavas. They have mainly been distinguished based upon their: i) LREE contents, ii) silica-saturation index (S·I.), iii) Zr/Nb and Nb/Y ratio values; iv) Th, U, and Ta contents v) geotectonic discrimination diagrams. Their geochemistry indicates that most rocks were affected by moderate to extensive differentiation processes, mostly expressed by clinopyroxene fractionation. Some of the OIB and E -MORB volcanics are considered as primitive undersaturated, displaying (low SiO 2 , Zr/Nb and S.I. values, enhanced CaO/Al 2 O 3 ratios). Calculated average mantle potential temperatures are comparable (1410 °C OIB; 1370 °C E -MORB), with melt fractions estimated at 3–5% for primary OIB magmas and 6–8% for primary E -MORB magmas. An asthenospheric origin is inferred for the OIB lavas, with melting in the garnet stability field (75–95 km; 2.5–3.0 GPa), whereas E-MORB parent magmas were formed with melting in the garnet/spinel (transitional) stability field (55–70 km; 1.8–2.2 GPa). The Hellenic Triassic rift-related lavas were most likely generated and erupted after lithospheric attenuation and extension, followed by subsequent asthenospheric upwelling of the mantle. The high calculated partial melting degrees and the observed thick and voluminous lava formations account for fast-spreading of the Tethys ridge during the Triassic. Temperature results suggest that the Hellenic Triassic rift-related magmas were generated from mantle at ambient temperature, render a mantle plume-based scenario improbable. • Mantle potential temperatures are estimated at 1370–1410 °C with 3–8% melt fractions. • OIB lavas were generated at 75–95 km and E-MORB at 55–70 km depth. • A mantle plume-based scenario is not favoured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]