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The Sonkul and adjacent Kokturpak multiphase plutons are situated along the 'Major Structural Line of Tien Shan' (known also as the 'Nikolaev Line') that extends for over 500 km and divides the terranes of the Middle and Northern Tien Shan. The plutons comprise a broad variety of high-potassic igneous rocks including the early olivine gabbro, intermediate monzonite to quartz monzonite, and later granodiorite, monzogranite, and leucogranite-alaskite, in turn followed by the late mafic dikes. U-Pb dating of zircon grains yields ages of 299 ± 2 Ma (olivine gabbro), 300 ± 3 Ma to 298 ± 3 Ma (monzonite to quartz monzonite), 299 ± 3 Ma to 298 ± 4 Ma to 297 ± 4 Ma (granodiorite), and 289 ± 4 Ma to 285 ± 2 Ma (monzogranite). These consecutive intrusive phases appear to have been produced by partial re-melting of a partially crystallized (mush) magma batch at deeper levels, which is evident by the presence of zircon antecrysts dated at some 306–311 Ma (up to 323 Ma?). Geochemical signatures of the igneous rocks correspond to high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic series intrusions emplaced in a transitional subduction-related to post-collisional setting. A low-degree partial melting of the metasomatically enriched upper mantle can be envisioned as the leading process of shoshonitic magma generation; this was followed by amphibole fractionation in a deep (lower crustal ?) magma chamber and possibly a mantle-induced generation of granitic magmas in the crustal protolith. Further mixing/mingling of the mafic magma and crustal granitic magma was followed by the magma fractionation and emplacement at shallow crustal levels. Assimilation of the old continental crust is consistent with the presence of ancient xenocrystic zircons (dated at ca. 1.5 to 2.5 Ga) in the studied rocks. The Late Carboniferous to Early Permian age and high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic composition are similar to those of highly mineralized intrusions of the other segments of the Middle Tien Shan. In this regard, several magmatic pulses of high-potassic intrusions and corresponding metallogenic pulses can be suggested in this region. Whereas the early (ca. 337 to 315 Ma) igneous suites accompanied by dominantly porphyry Cu-Au-Mo mineralization, the later (ca. 305 to 285 Ma) suites including the Sonkul and Kokturpak plutons are accompanied by W- and/or Au-dominant mineralization. This mineralization appears to pre-date more substantial intrusion-related to orogenic-type Au mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific gabbro with the main rock-forming mineral of fassaite—alumina-rich (up to 12 wt % Al2O3) calcium pyroxene, typical of high-temperature metasomatic rocks, are characterized. In terms of the geochemical characteristics, the fassaite gabbros are close to the subalkaline monzogabbros of the Ust'-Krestovsky complex, which are widely distributed within the Krestovsky subterrane of the Olkhon terrane (Western Baikal region). At the same time, they differ sharply from the latter in having a higher content of CaO and MgO and a lower content of SiO2 and Al2O3. Fassaite gabbro composes several small bodies framed the Ust'-Krestovsky monzogabbro massif, without contacting the latter. A model of the formation of fassaite gabbro due to the assimilation of carbonate (crustal carbonate melts) by subalkaline mafic magma is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Dachaidan ophiolites outcrop within an ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt along the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin. However, their age, source, and tectonic setting remain still in debate. Method: In this study, we investigated the geochemistry and geochronology of the Dachaidan ophiolitic gabbros. Results and Discussion: Zircon U-Pb dating yielded a crystallization age of 510.0 ± 2.8 Ma and 510.0 ± 2.9 Ma for the gabbro. The gabbros have low SiO2 contents (47.15-50.10 wt.%) and high MgO contents (6.35-9.04 wt.%) and Mg# values (55-74). The total rare earth element (∑REE) contents are 8.35-28.07 ppm, lower than those of normal-type mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs), and the gabbros exhibit light REE depletion or flat REE patterns, with small positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 1.06-1.40). Trace element patterns are depleted to enriched in Nb and Ta, similar to island arc rocks and MORB. Clinopyroxene thermobarometry indicates the parental magma of the gabbros formed by high-temperature (1,318°C-1,363°C) and medium-pressure (1.27-1.64 GPa) partial melting in a mantle wedge. The gabbros have depleted Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions, with (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.704586-0.707441, εNd(t) = 4.7-6.6, and zircon εHf(t) = 7.6-11.4. The age-corrected Pb isotope ratios of these volcanic rocks are variable, with 206Pb/204Pb(t) = 18.085-18.253, 207Pb/204Pb(t) = 15.595-15.614, and 208Pb/204Pb(t) = 37.880-38.148, which are similar to the isotopic compositions of typical Indian MORBs. The source of the Dachaidan ophiolite is inferred to have been depleted mantle. The Dachaidan ophiolite likely formed in a forearc oceanic setting along the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, during the initial subduction of an oceanic plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Luojiashan gabbro is a newly discovered mafic pluton emplaced in the Neoproterozoic Yingyangguan Formation in Yingyangguan region of northeastern Guangxi, South China. Comprehensive whole-rock geochemical and zircon geochronological and Hf isotopic analyses are performed on the gabbro and comparisons are made with the coeval mafic-ultramafic sills and dikes located in Longsheng region of northern Guangxi in order to understand the magmatic origin, evolution, and tectonic setting of the Luojiashan gabbro and to address the location of the suture zone of the Southwestern Jiangnan Orogen (SJO). LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages obtained from the Luojiashan gabbro show that it was emplaced at ∼770 Ma. The gabbro contains abundant inherited zircons aged at 0.9–1.3 Ga, consistent with age spectrum of the Cathaysia Block. Chondrite-normalized REE pattern, primitive mantle-normalized trace element spider diagram, incompatible element ratios of Nb/Ta, Zr/Hf, La/Nb, Ba/Th, Th/La, and Ba/La, and Th/Yb-Ta/Yb discrimination diagram of the gabbro are indicative of OIB-like geochemical characteristics and of derivation from partially melted garnet peridotite of the asthenospheric mantle. Tectonic discrimination based on the trace and rare earth elements also indicate that the Luojiashan gabbro was emplaced in a within-plate extensional rift setting, probably as a result of Rodinia supercontinent dismantling, lithospheric thinning, and underplating and upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle. Based on zircon age, Hf isotopic data and comparison between northern and northeastern Guangxi, it is suggested that the Yingyangguan region was tectonically situated in a different tectonic locale from the Longsheng region of northern Guangxi at about 770 Ma during the post-orogenic mafic-ultramafic magmatic event, with the former within the Cathaysia Block and the latter along the southeast margin of Yangtze Block. The suture between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks must be located between Yingyangguan of northeastern Guangxi and Longsheng of northern Guangxi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated Early Paleozoic magmatic rocks of the Manlai Formation exposed along the eastern margin of the Lancang terrane to better understand the tectonic history of the Proto-Tethys. We present petrological, geochemical and whole-rock Sr-Nd and zircon Hf isotopic data for basalts and gabbros sampled from the Qianmai mélange. Zircon grains from six basaltic and gabbroic samples yielded U-Pb ages of 495–482 Ma. These rocks are characterized by tholeiitic and Nb-enriched compositions, with Nb/La ratios in the range of 0.38–1.38, similar to the typical Nb-enriched basalts. All the mafic rocks show slightly negative to positive εNd(t) (−1.67 to + 4.32) and zircon εHf(t) values (−7.3 to +3.8). Elemental and isotopic data suggest that the Qianmai Nb-enriched mafic rocks were mainly derived from the mixing of an OIB-like source with a subduction-modified mantle wedge source. Together with magmatic and sedimentary records of similar ages in the Lancang terrane and the Baoshan Block, our results reveal Early Paleozoic magmatic and sedimentary sequences along an active margin of the Proto-Tethys. Taking into account the recently identified Early Paleozoic ophiolitic mélange in the Yunxian-Menghai belt, we consider the Qianmai magmatic rocks to represent the products of early-stage subduction-related magmatism within a primitive island arc or fore-arc setting associated with the southward subduction of the Proto-Tethys. We infer that prolonged south-dipping subduction on the northern margin of Gondwana persisted from the Cambrian to the Late Ordovician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mamonia Mélange in the Ayia Varvara area (southwestern Cyprus) is characterized by a matrix supported mélange which is composed of tectonized siltstones and mudstones with numerous blocks that were derived from the Mamonia Allochthonous Complex (Petra tou Romiou Formation reefal limestones, Phasoula Formation volcanics, Kholetria Member pelagic limestones, Akamas Member sandstone, Parekklisha Member sandstone, Ayia Varvara Formation metamorphics and Episkopi Formation radiolarian cherts). Subordinate blocks were derived from the Troodos Ophiolite Complex: serpentinites, gabbro, pillow lavas and cherty umbers (Perapedhi Formation). Radiolarian assemblages from chert blocks display a broad spectrum in age, ranging from the Late Triassic (latest Carnian–early Norian) to the youngest Cenomanian. The composition of the mélange in the Ayia Varvara area differs from the one described in the Petra tou Romiou area (SW Cyprus), as various lithologies were recorded (like Akamas Member sandstone and Parekklisha Member sandstone) which were not detected previously. The Mamonia Mélange was formed during the Late Cretaceous, most probably after the end of deposition of the Perapedhi Formation (late Santonian–early Campanian). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensively distributed Early Permian mafic rocks in the Qiangtang Terrane of the central Tibetan Plateau are the magmatic records of separation of this terrane from the Gondwana. Nevertheless, the origins and mantle source characteristics of these rocks continue to be subjects of debate. This study reports zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic and whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data on gabbros exposed in the Zougou Region, western Qiangtang Terrane. Our zircon U-Pb isotope age suggests that the Zougou gabbros (ZGs) were formed at ca. 290 Ma, representing newly discovered Early Permian mafic rocks within the Qiangtang Terrane. The ZGs display geochemical affinities with within-plate-basalts given that they are tholeiitic and have high Zr/Y and Ti/V ratios. Compared to previously examined Early Permian mafic rocks in the western Qiangtang Terrane, the ZGs are characterized by their distinct, nonradiogenic Nd (εNd(t) = -0.54 to −2.18) isotopic signatures, which cannot be attributed to crustal contamination or assimilation. This assertion is supported by their uniform whole-rock εNd(t), εHf(t), and zircon εHf(t) values, as well as by magma mixing modelling. In conjunction with regional geology, we propose that the ZGs were derived from an isotopically enriched lithospheric mantle metasomatized by previous subduction events. Furthermore, the positive decoupling of Hf-Nd isotopes (ΔεHf(t) =  +2.21 to + 2.72), negative Nb-Ta anomalies, and variable Ba/Th ratios within the ZGs indicate that the metasomatic agents were fluids released from oceanic sediments. Our study provides insights into the compositions of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Qiangtang Terrane during the Permian, which is pivotal to discriminating the role of asthenospheric and lithospheric components in the formation of the contemporaneous mafic rocks in response to Gondwana break-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central lapetus Magmatic Province (CIMP) is a large igneous province (LIP) emplaced in the Baltican and Laurentian paleocontinents that marks the onset of the Caledonian Wilson Cycle. Paleozoic magmatism of the CIMP is preserved in both northeastern America and northern Europe. This study investigates rocks belonging to the hyper-extended margin of Baltica currently found in the Seve Nappe Complex of the Scandinavian Caledonides. Specifically, U-Pb zircon geochronology and whole-rock geochemistry are applied to a migmatitic variety of the Vierrucohkka amphibolite of the Marma Terrane, to the Aurek gabbro, and amphibolite of the Aurek Assemblage exposed in the Seve Nappe Complex in the Kebnekaise region, northern Swedish Caledonides. U-Pb zircon geochronology yields crystallization ages of 626 ±7 Ma for the protolith of the Vierrucohkka amphibolite, and 614 ±2 Ma and 609 ±1 Ma for the emplacement of the Aurek gabbro and amphibolite protolith, respectively. A younger age of 599 ±3 Ma is recorded in the Vierrucohkka amphibolite and is interpreted as the age of partial melting and migmatization. The geochemical signatures of the rocks demonstrate crustal assimilation during the emplacement of their protoliths and modification due to prograde metamorphic processes during Caledonian subduction. The Vierrucohkka amphibolite and the Aurek Assemblage samples display upper and lower crustal assimilation, respectively. Trace elements (Dy, Sm, Lu, and Y) record the growth of metamorphic garnet, while elevated TiO2contents record the crystallization of metamorphic rutile. Nevertheless, high field strength elements (HSFE) and ANb suggesta depleted mantle source forthe magmas of the protoliths of the investigated rocks. Altogether, geochemical data indicate that the igneous activity recorded in the Vierrucohkka amphibolite and the Aurek Assemblage between c. 626-609 Ma is related to continental rifting processes associated with the opening of the lapetus Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En-echelon joints are common in rocky slopes and faults, and their instability seriously threatens the safety of geotechnical engineering. Filling and reinforcing en-echelon joints in slopes is highly important for maintaining the safety of engineering and human beings. In view of this, this study aims to investigate the fracture behavior of en-echelon joints after filling and reinforcing to provide a reference for the filling and reinforcing work of slopes In this study, en-echelon gabbro samples with different crack angles were filled with cement slurry, a compression test was subsequently conducted, and the loading process was monitored via acoustic emission technology. The results showed that the compressive strength of the specimens after cementing the joints is increased by more than 30%, the compressive strength of the specimens with a β of 15°increased by up to 59%, and the stability of the specimens significantly improved. The shear failure of the filled and unfilled samples was the main failure at the peak load. There were two failure modes for the samples with different crack angles. The small dip angle samples were lightly broken, and the main cracks were distributed at the corner points of the samples. The large dip angle samples were broken considerably, and multiple fracture zones were present. Under pressure, the filled cement slurry weakened the stress concentration, and bore the compressive stress and shear stress, and the interface friction with the sample prevented the cracking and expansion of the crack, which resulted in a reinforcement effect on the sample. Our findings might act as a reference for the filling engineering of rock slopes with en-echelon joints. Highlights: Studying the effect of grouting reinforcement on the mechanical strength of rocks and fracture behavior is of great significance in engineering applications. The findings of this study might contribute to the field of filling defects and provide information that may help engineers with the filling and strengthening of rock slopes. In this study, the effects of filling cement on fracture behavior and strength of gabbro at different prefabricated joint angles were studied through compression tests, and the fracture mechanism of samples during loading was analyzed based on acoustic emission technology. Finally, the action mechanism of filling cement is explained. The filling cement slurry has remarkable reinforcement effect. Under the action of pressure, the filling cement slurry weakens the stress concentration, withstands the compressive stress and shear stress, and the interface friction with the sample prevents the crack cracking and expansion, which has a strengthening effect on the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East Kunlun Orogenic Belt, an important part of the Central Orogenic Belt in China, preserved wealthy geological information for the tectonic evolution of the Proto- and Paleo-Tethys Ocean. Several Permian mafic-ultramafic rocks were identified in the Qimantagh area, EKOB, and zircon U-Pb dating, zircon Hf isotope, geochemistry and whole-rock Sr-Nd isotopes were studied in this paper. The results suggest that the formation age of the Xiyingzhaogou intrusion is 280 ± 4 Ma. The rocks show the characteristics of continental-arc calc-alkaline basalt. The whole-rock εNd(t) value of gabbro in Xiyingzhaogou intrusion is −4.2~-2.6 and the εHf(t) value of zircon is 2.77 ~ 5.82, indicating the characteristics of enriched or weakly depleted mantle; The formation age of Yingzhaogou intrusion is 263 ± 4 Ma. The geochemical characteristics of the Yinzhaogou rocks are consistent with those of continental-arc tholeiite. The whole-rock εNd(t) value of gabbro in Yingzhaogou intrusion is 0.73 ~ 0.92, and the εHf(t) value of zircon is 8.33 ~ 13.50, indicating the characteristics of depleted mantle. We believe that the Xiyingzhaogou intrusion was formed in the Early Permian and originated from the mantle wedge metasomatized by subduction fluid. The Yingzhaogou intrusion was formed in an extensional continental-arc environment caused by the retreat of the subduction plate. Asthenospheric mantle and fluid metasomatic lithospheric mantle were jointly involved in the mantle source. This study confirmed that the subduction of the Paleo-Tethys oceanic slab should had started before the Early Permian and a wide magma arc formed due to flat subduction. The retreat of the subduction plate led to the extension of the East Kunlun region, resulting in the significant enhancement of magmatism in the Middle Permian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lunar basaltic meteorite Asuka‐881757 (A‐881757), a member of the source crater paired YAMM meteorites (Yamato‐793169, A‐881757, Miller Range 05035 and Meteorite Hills 01210), provides information on potassium‐rare earth element‐phosphorous (KREEP)‐free magmatic sources within the Moon. Asuka‐881757 is an unbrecciated and Fe‐rich (Mg# 36) gabbro with coarse pyroxene (2–8 mm) and plagioclase (1–3 mm). The coarse pyroxene preserves mm‐scale, near‐complete hour‐glass sector zoning with strong Ca and Fe partitioning, similar to some Fe‐rich Apollo basalts. In contrast to the most Mg‐rich Apollo basalts, A‐881757 contains various types of symplectites (~8 vol%) formed by the breakdown of pyroxferroite due to slow cooling, resembling a few extreme Fe‐rich (Mg# ≤$$ \le $$40) Apollo basalts. Petrographic observations and thermodynamic modeling suggest crystallizing in the order: Fe‐poor pyroxenes (Mg# 58–55) → co‐crystallized plagioclase and Fe‐rich pyroxenes (Mg# 49–20) → late‐stage assemblage including Fe‐augite, Fayalite, and Fe‐Ti oxides. Combining phase stability at variable P–T with petrographic observations, the minimum depth of formation of the A‐881757 parent magma can be constrained to between 60 and 100 km. KREEP‐free basalts (such as A‐881757 and the YAMM meteorites) originated from a relatively shallow mantle source and later underwent polybaric crystallization that occurred prior to eruption at the lunar surface. In contrast, the Apollo mare basalts mostly crystallized within lava flows from relatively deeper‐seated mantle sources. The crystallization of A‐881757 and other YAMM meteorites is unlike most Apollo basalts from the Procellarum KREEP terrane, and likely represent hidden cryptomare basalts close to lunar surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lesser Xing'an—Zhangguangcai Range of northeast China is located in the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), which records intense magmatism during the Mesozoic. The petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of the Early Jurassic intrusive rocks in this region are unclear. In this paper, we present new zircon U–Pb age and whole-rock geochemical data for these intrusive rocks to investigate their origins and tectonic setting. Zircon U–Pb dating suggests these intrusive rocks were emplaced during the Early Jurassic (197–187 Ma). The granites are enriched in silica and alkali, and depleted in MgO and CaO. They are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, and have high A/CNK values and low zircon saturation temperatures (TZr ~ 779°C), suggesting they are highly fractionated I-type granites derived by partial melting of lower crustal materials. The granites exhibit negative Nb, Ta, P, Eu, and Ti anomalies due to fractional crystallization. The diorites and gabbros have low SiO2 contents and high Mg# values, and are enriched in light rare earth and large-ion lithophile (Ba, K, and Sr) elements, and depleted in heavy rare earth and high field strength (Nb, Ta, and Ti) elements. The geochemical characteristics show that the mafic magmas were derived by partial melting of mantle that had been metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. Based on the geochemical characteristics of coeval intrusive rocks and the regional geological setting, we suggest the Early Jurassic intrusive rocks in the Lesser Xing'an—Zhangguangcai Range were formed along an active continental margin, possibly as a result of bidirectional subduction of the Mudanjiang Oceanic plate between the Jiamusi and Songnen—Zhangguangcai Range massifs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical and isotopic characteristics of a solidified pluton represent the integration of magmatic and sub-solidus processes operating across a range of spatial and temporal scales during pluton construction, crystallization, and cooling. Disentangling these processes and understanding where chemical and isotopic signatures were acquired requires the combination of multiple tools tracing processes at different time and length scales. We combine whole-rock oxygen and Sr-Nd isotopes, zircon oxygen isotopes and trace elements, and mineral compositions with published high-precision U-Pb zircon geochronology to evaluate differentiation within the bimodal Guadalupe Igneous Complex, Sierra Nevada, California (USA). The complex was constructed in ~300 k.y. between 149 and 150 Ma. Felsic magmas crystallized as centimeter- to meter-sized segregations in gabbros in the lower part of the complex and as granites and granophyres structurally above the gabbros. A central mingling zone separates the mafic and felsic units. Pluton-wide δ18O(whole-rock), δ18O(zircon), and Sr-Nd isotopic ranges are too large to be explained by in situ, closed-system differentiation, instead requiring open-system behavior at all scales. Low δ18O(whole-rock) and δ18O(zircon) values indicate assimilation of hydrothermally altered marine host rocks during ascent and/or emplacement. In situ differentiation processes operated on a smaller scale (meters to tens of meters) for at least ~200 k.y. via (1) percolation and segregation of chemically and isotopically diverse silicic interstitial melt from a heterogeneous gabbro mush; (2) crystal accumulation; and (3) sub-solidus, high-temperature, hydrothermal alteration at the shallow roof of the complex to modify the chemical and isotopic characteristics. Whole-rock and mineral chemistry in combination with geochronology allows deciphering open-system differentiation processes at the outcrop to pluton scale from magmatic to sub-solidus temperatures over time scales of hundreds of thousands to millions of years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subduction initiation is recorded by upper plate magmatism and lower plate metamorphism, that is, supra‐subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolite–metamorphic sole pair. Here, we report geochemical and geochronological data as well as P–T calculations of amphibolites (metamorphic sole) and hornblende gabbros (SSZ ophiolite) from the Saga ophiolitic mélange in Tibetan Plateau. Amphibolites show trace element contents compatible with normal‐mid‐ocean ridge basalt (N‐MORB), indicating that the protolith of amphibolite formed in a MOR setting. Instead, hornblende gabbros show significant high field strength elements (HFSEs) negative anomalies, enriched large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and high zircon εHf(t) values, suggesting they formed by fluid‐induced partial melting of a depleted mantle. Thermobarometry and phase equilibrium modelling suggest two stages of metamorphism for garnet–clinopyroxene amphibolites: (I) a peak metamorphic stage (~1.9 GPa and 1000°C) and (II) a retrograde metamorphic stage (1.1–1.6 GPa and 800–1000°C). Zircon U–Pb ages of amphibolite and hornblende gabbro are 128.8 ± 5.1 Ma and 128.1 ± 1.5 Ma, respectively, suggesting subduction initiation within the eastern Neo‐Tethys occurred no later than 128 Ma and SSZ ophiolite formed at ~128 Ma. Apatite U–Pb ages of amphibolite and hornblende gabbro are 121.8 ± 2.1 Ma and 117.5 ± 4.5 Ma, respectively. Titanite U–Pb age of amphibolite is 122.2 ± 1.5 Ma. Overall, our data suggest that the metamorphic sole and SSZ ophiolite were exhumed since 128–118 Ma, and finally exhumed into the ophiolitic mélange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of the lithosphere and the associated magmatic systems found in different locations along slow‐spreading ridges can vary dramatically, from melt‐starved to magmatically robust segments. A growing number of studies suggest that the evolution of the magmatic crust being governed solely by fractional crystallization is too simplistic. Reactions between migrating melts and their surroundings play a key role during accretion, yet the full extent of their impact is still to be resolved. We present here the results of a petrological, microstructural, and in situ geochemical study of two drilled sequences from the Kane Megamullion and Atlantis Massif oceanic core complexes. We show that melt‐mush reactions generate locally strong textural and/or geochemical heterogeneity at the cm‐scale, but their impact can also be identified at the 100 m‐scale. We found evidence for assimilation at various degrees of primitive lithologies of potential mantle origin within the gabbroic sequence at both locations, in addition to typical melt‐mush reactions previously described in other slow‐spread magmatic systems. Observations and numerical modeling confirm the similarity of the reactions impacting both sequences. However, the regime of the reactions (ranges of assimilation to crystallization ratios) seems to vary between Kane Megamullion and Atlantis Massif, variations which likely result from differences in melt fractions present during melt‐mush reactions. We infer relying on our observations and previous studies that the regime of the reactions is most likely controlled by the melt flux during the formation of the two sections. Key Points: Kane Megamullion and Atlantis Massif oceanic core complexes record widespread melt‐mush reactions at different scalesIn addition to typical melt‐mush reactions, assimilation of primitive (mantle?) lithologies is observed within gabbro sequencesDiscrepancies in the melt‐mush reaction signatures of the two sequences reveal variable melt dynamics during accretion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Poroshiri ophiolite (Hidaka metamorphic belt, Japan) occurs within a crustal‐scale network of high‐temperature, dextral shear zones that accommodated hundreds of kilometres of displacement due to the opening of the Japan Sea in the Neogene. The opholitic rocks comprise ultramafic, mafic and sedimentary protoliths that have been variably hydrated and metamorphosed. This work investigates the mechanisms and timing of fluid influx relative to viscous deformation in metagabbros and amphibolites deformed during exhumation from granulite‐ to amphibolite‐facies conditions. We consider a range of microstructures, from low strain domains and 1–2 mm thick shear bands to mylonites with a thickness of a few meters. Low strain domains of metagabbros exhibit corona textures with symplectites consisting of pargasitic amphibole (Ed0.7) ‐ anorthitic plagioclase (An80–92) ± orthopyroxene ± clinopyroxene forming around olivine and igneous pyroxene and with similar plagioclase–amphibole‐orthopyroxene ± clinopyroxene granoblastic aggregates in micrometric‐thick fractures. These textures result from hydration under low fluid‐rock ratio, with elevated H2O content only occurring locally (H2O > 1–1.2 wt%). Igneous mineral replacement leads to grain size reduction from 1 mm to ~10 μm. Amphibole exhibits a strong core‐rim zonation primarily controlled by the high diffusivity of Fe, Mg and OH and the low diffusivity of Al. Mineral compositional equilibrium is achieved at the scale of 100–200 μm. In mm‐thick localized shear bands and in metric‐scale mylonitic amphibolites, the heterogeneous mineral composition of amphibole (Ed0.2–0.5) and plagioclase (An40−An80) indicates only partial re‐equilibration (at the scale of 200–500 μm) despite higher fluid‐rock ratios and more pervasive fluid percolation than in metagabbros. Plagioclase–amphibole thermometry and equilibrium phase diagrams indicate that the initial fluid infiltration and corona formation occurred at 800–850°C by fracturing and percolation along grain boundaries. This was followed by the main fluid percolation and mylonitization event, which occurred during exhumation and cooling at conditions of 720–580°C, ~4 kbar. Continuous hydration during retrogression was achieved by the influx of dominantly seawater‐derived fluid, as attested by the high chlorine (Cl) contents (>300–400 ppm) of amphiboles in fractures. The heterogeneous distribution of fractures controls the distribution of fluid from the earliest stages of hydration, creating positive feedback where the growth of hydrous minerals as amphibole (up to +300 vol% of amphibole in high strain areas relative to the low‐strain ones) and the formation of fine‐grained mixed domains that led to further localization of viscous strain and mass transfer (variations of ± 30–40% in major elements). The Poroshiri ophiolite therefore represents a good fossil example of a former transpressional plate boundary where coupled metamorphic and deformation processes were triggered by seawater‐derived fluid that percolated to depths of ~15 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eocene (?) aged magmatic rocks cropping out around Gülümuşağı in Malatya province in the Southeastern Anatolian Orogenic Belt (SAOB) are in the composition of gabbro and diorite and petrographically consist of plagioclase, pyroxene and amphibole minerals. The gabbros and diorites under investigation have low-medium K character, negative trends in Rb, P, Nb and Ti elements, and positive trends in Sr and Ba values in the trace element diagram normalized according to the Primary Mantle. It shows an almost horizontal trend in the trace element variation diagram normalized according to chondrite. The LaN/LuN ratios between light rare earth elements (LREE) and heavy rare earth elements (HREE) in the gabbros and diorites under investigation vary between 1.31 and 1.53 (AS17=0.53, AS20=5.35) and show weak-medium levels of fractionation. Gabbro and diorite-type rocks show positive Eu anomalies, and EuN/Eu* values vary between (1.01-1.46). Gabbro and diorites have relatively low La/Yb (0.63-6.31) and Nb/La (0.42-0.75) ratios, indicating lithospheric mantle/lithospheric-asthenospheric mantle origin. Low Zr/Hf (12.6-39.3) and Nb/Yb (0.31-3.26) ratios suggest that these rocks are formed from a depleted mantle source. The role of fractional crystallization is greater than assimilation in developing the main magma that forms the gabbros and diorites under investigation. In light of all the data, it is thought that the main magma of Eocene (?) aged gabbros and diorites was derived from a source containing spinel representing shallow depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xiaonanshan–Tunaobao Cu-Ni-PGE deposit is located in the northern margin of the North China Craton (N-NCC) in central Inner Mongolia. However, the age, magma source, petrogenesis, and sulfide mineralization mechanism of the ore-related Xiaonanshan-Tunaobao pluton remain unclear. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates the Tunaobao pluton formed at 275.9 ± 2.8 Ma (Early Permian), similar to the Xiaonanshan pluton (272.7 ± 2.9 Ma). The ore-related gabbro is enriched in LREE and LILE (e.g., Rb) and depleted in HREE and HFSE (e.g., Nb and Ti). It likely originated from enriched mantle metasomatized by subduction fluids, supported by enriched Hf-Nd isotopes (–34.34 to –6.16 for zircon εHf(t) and –7.24 to –5.92 for whole-rock εNd(t) values) and high Ba/La but low Rb/Y ratios. The δ34S values of the Xiaonanshan sulfides range from 4.5‰ to 11.4‰, indicating a mantle origin with contribution from surrounding rocks. Combining previous recognition with this study, we propose that the Xiaonanshan–Tunaobao pluton formed in a post-collision extensional setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrological, geochronological, and geochemical analyses of mafic rocks in northern Liaoning were conducted to constrain the formation age of the Proterozoic strata, and to further study the source characteristics, genesis, and tectonic setting. The mafic rocks in northern Liaoning primarily consist of basalt, diabase, gabbro, and amphibolite. Results of zircon U-Pb chronology reveal four stages of mafic magma activities in northern Liaoning: the first stage of basalt (2209 ± 12 Ma), the second stage of diabase (2154 ± 15 Ma), the third stage of gabbro (2063 ± 7 Ma), and the fourth stage of magmatic protolith of amphibolite (2018 ± 13 Ma). Combined with the unconformity overlying Neoproterozoic granite, the formation age of the Proterozoic strata in northern Liaoning was found to be Paleoproterozoic rather than Middle Neoproterozoic by the geochronology of these mafic rocks. A chronological framework of mafic magmatic activities in the eastern segment of the North China Craton (NCC) is proposed. The mafic rocks in northern Liaoning exhibit compositional ranges of 46.39–50.33 wt% for SiO2, 2.95–5.08 wt% for total alkalis (K2O + Na2O), 6.17–7.50 wt% for MgO, and 43.32–52.02 for the Mg number. TiO2 contents lie between 1.61 and 2.39 wt%, and those of MnO between 0.17 and 0.21 wt%. The first basalt and the fourth amphibolite show low total rare earth element contents. Normalized against primitive mantle, they are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (Rb, Ba, K), depleted in high field strength elements (Th, U, Nb, Ta, Zr, Ti), and exhibit negative anomalies in Sr and P, as well as slight positive anomalies in Zr and Hf. The second diabase and the third gabbro have similar average total rare earth element contents. The diabase shows slight negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.72–0.88), enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (Ba), depletion in Rb, and slight positive anomalies in high field strength elements (Th, U, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti), with negative anomalies in K, Sr, and P. The gabbro is enriched in large ion lithophile elements (Rb, Ba, K), depleted in high field strength elements (Th, U, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf), and exhibits positive anomalies in Eu (Eu/Eu* = 1.31–1.37). The contents of Cr, Co, and Ni of these four stages of mafic rocks are higher than those of N-MORB. The characteristics of trace element ratios indicate that the mafic rocks belong to the calc-alkaline series and originate from the transitional mantle. During the process of magma ascent and emplacement, it is contaminated by continental crustal materials. There are residual hornblende and spinel in the magma source of the first basalt. The other three magma sources contain residual garnet and spinel. The third gabbro was formed in an island arc environment, and the other three stages of mafic rocks originated from the Dupal OIB and were formed in an oceanic island environment. The discovery of mafic rocks in northern Liaoning suggests that the Longgang Block underwent oceanic subduction and extinction in both the north and south in the Paleoproterozoic, indicating the possibility of being in two different tectonic domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological evidence has demonstrated the presence of an intra-Neo-Tethyan subduction system during the Cretaceous. However, when and how this intra-oceanic subduction was initiated, especially for the eastern Neo-Tethys, are still not well constrained. Here we present geochemical and geochronological analyses of the Indawgyi mafic rocks from the Central Ophiolite Belt in the West Burma Block (Myanmar), which record early forearc spreading during the intra-Neo-Tethyan subduction initiation. Zircon U-Pb ages of gabbros indicate the ophiolitic crust formation at ca. 120 Ma. Gabbros show mid-oceanic-ridge basalt-like rare earth element patterns and depleted Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions with negative anomalies of high field strength elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf), similar to forearc basalt characteristics. Basalts show more slab-derived component signatures than the gabbros and represent mantle wedge magmas most likely formed between forearc spreading and arc maturation. These data, together with regional geological records and geophysical observations, suggest that the Indawgyi gabbros were derived from an intra-Neo-Tethyan forearc setting during the early stage of subduction initiation. Considering the timing of supra-subduction zone ophiolites and metamorphic sole in the Indo-Burma Range, we propose that spontaneous subduction initiation and sinking of the eastern Neo-Tethyan lithosphere during the Early Cretaceous (ca. 120 Ma) led to formation of the Indawgyi forearc crust, whereas subsequent mature subduction resulted in the Middle Cretaceous (ca. 108-90 Ma) arc magmatism in the West Burma Block. These findings confirm the double-subduction model of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and shed new light on the intra-Neo-Tethyan subduction initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the isotopic compositions of the intermediate rocks from Middle-Late Jurassic Chortiatis arc (160-173 Ma) and Kassandra-Sithonia backarc ophiolites of Late Jurassic age (150-160 Ma), both exposed in the eastern Vardar Zone-western Circum-Rhodope belt transect of northeastern Greece. The Kassandra-Sithonia ophiolites consist of dunites, gabbros, basalts, and rhyolites, whose Nd-Sr-Pb isotopes are compatible with a dominant mantle-derived MORB component mixed with a detectable amount of crustal material and/or sediment entrained in their mantle source in a subduction zone. Their isotopic features are consistent with the origin of the studied rocks within the coupled Chortiatis arc/Kassandra-Sithonia back-arc system outboard the Eurasian continental margin (Serbo-Macedonian Massif). In both elements of the above-mentioned system, the documented Nd-Sr-Pb isotopes are comparable to those from the Middle Jurassic arc-related Evros ophiolites (164-176 Ma) in the eastern Circum-Rhodope belt of Bulgaria and Greece. This implies the presence of regionwide Vardarian Jurassic arc/back-arc systems connected with both western and the eastern Circum-Rhodope belts. A rhyolite dated at 149 Ma that intrudes the Sithonia ophiolite displays distinct Nd-Sr-Pb isotopic features suggesting an origin connected to a Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous north-directed flat subduction zone within the Kassandra-Sithonia back-arc region, beneath the Eurasian continental margin. This subduction zone explains the granitoid magmatism (138-155 Ma) recorded along that margin to the north. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Allalin gabbro of the Zermatt-Saas meta-ophiolite consists of variably metamorphosed Mg- to Fe-Ti-gabbros, troctolites, and anorthosites, which are crosscut by basaltic dykes. Field relationships of the various rock types and petrographic studies together with bulk rock and mineral chemical composition data allow the reconstruction of the complete geological history of the Allalin gabbro. With increasing magmatic differentiation, the incompatible element content in clinopyroxene increases (e.g., REEs and Zr by a factor of 5), whereas the Mg# decreases (from 86.4 to 74.6) as do the compatible element contents (e.g., Cr and Ni by factors of 3.5 and 5, respectively). Exhumation to shallower depths led to subsolidus ductile deformation and cooling of the gabbro followed by the intrusion of fine-grained basaltic dykes, which display chilled margins. Bulk rock data of these dykes reveal strong similarities in fluid-immobile trace element patterns to tholeiitic pillow basalts of the Zermatt-Saas and nearby meta-ophiolites. The recalculated REE patterns of the melt in equilibrium with igneous clinopyroxene is very similar to the REE patterns of the mafic dykes, indicating a cogenetic origin of pillow basalts, dykes, and gabbros. Together with the previously determined Jurassic intrusion age of the gabbro, our observations demonstrate that the Allalin gabbro intruded as a tholeiitic magma in a slow spreading MOR environment of the Piemonte-Ligurian ocean of the Alpine Tethys. Subduction of the Allalin gabbro resulted in different eclogitization extents of the Mg-gabbros as a function of variable hydration degrees. Metagabbros with low extents of hydration record incomplete eclogitization; the magmatic mineralogy (olivine + clinopyroxene + plagioclase) is preserved together with disequilibrium textures in the form of reaction coronae surrounding mineral boundaries. Metagabbros with high extents of hydration are completely eclogitized and display pseudomorphic replacement textures of magmatic minerals by eclogite-facies mineral assemblages, which required significant major to trace element transport across mineral domains. The locally variable extents of hydration took place near the sea floor, as recorded by the presence of Cl-apatite (6.28 wt% Cl), and an increase in B concentrations of minerals pseudomorphically replacing olivine (e.g., chlorite with 0.20–0.31 µg/g B and omphacite with 0.22–0.25 µg/g B) compared to magmatic olivine (0.12–0.16 µg/g B). Moreover, the chemical zonation pattern of metamorphic garnet coronae is different in completely eclogitized gabbros and gabbros with relic igneous minerals, in agreement with a main hydration event prior to subduction. The Allalin gabbro therefore represents a classical example of an oceanic gabbro formed in a slow spreading setting in the mid Jurassic that experienced heterogeneous hydration near the sea floor. Paleogene subduction of the gabbro to 70–80 km depth produced variably equilibrated gabbroic eclogites. In eclogite-facies Mg-gabbros, the water-rich minerals chlorite, talc, and chloritoid pseudomorphing magmatic olivine remained stable to these depths, revealing the potential relevance of hydrated Mg-gabbros as a fluid source at subarc depths in subduction zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various crustal processes shape both the lower oceanic crust and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs). To better understand how these crustal processes influence MORB compositions, we conducted comprehensive petrographic and geochemical investigations on gabbroic rocks and erupted lavas dredged from a segment of the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) spanning from 7°50′S to 8°30′S. The petrographic and geochemical analyses of the gabbroic rocks revealed evidence of melt-rock reaction through reactive porous flow in olivine gabbro and gabbro. This process resulted in distinctive features in clinopyroxene, including disequilibrium textures with a troctolite/anorthosite matrix, complex variations in Mg#-Cr-Ti [Mg# = molar Mg/(Mg + Fe2+)] relationships, and considerable enrichment and fractionation of incompatible trace elements. A significant finding of our study is the close resemblance of trace element ratios in MORB and olivine-hosted melt inclusions to those of melts in equilibrium with clinopyroxene from olivine gabbro and gabbro with Sr anomaly (Sr/Sr* = SrN/sqrt[PrN*NdN]; N refers to chondrite-normalized values) greater than ~0.7. This observation strongly indicates that the composition of MORB is influenced by the melt-rock reaction taking place in the lower oceanic crust. Furthermore, our findings suggest that evolved melts in equilibrium with clinopyroxene having Sr/Sr* values lower than ~0.7 are less likely to erupt onto the seafloor and are instead trapped within the lower oceanic crust. Oxide gabbronorite is characterized by coarse-granular, pegmatitic textures and exhibits mineralogically and chemically more evolved characteristics compared to olivine gabbro and gabbro. It is inferred that the oxide gabbronorite formed through the in situ freezing of highly evolved melts within a melt-rich layer. Finally, we present a comprehensive model for melt evolution in the lower oceanic crust at the 7°50′S–8°30′S CIR by integrating all petrological and geochemical data obtained from gabbroic rocks, MORB, and olivine-hosted melt inclusions. This holistic model contributes to a better understanding of the intricate processes governing MORB composition in the context of the lower oceanic crust dynamics at slow-spreading ridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early Triassic (~250 Ma) hornblende gabbro from the Tengxian area of Yunkai Massif, South China, contains a mineral assemblage of clinopyroxene, hornblende, biotite, plagioclase, K-feldspar and quartz and accessory apatite, and zircon and ilmenite. Based on mineral association and crystallization sequence, two generations of the mineral assemblage have been identified: clinopyroxene + plagioclase + apatite (zircon) in Generation I and ilmenite + hornblende + biotite + K-feldspar + quartz in Generation II. The high crystallization temperature (T = 999–1069 °C) of clinopyroxene and its coexistence with labradorite (An = 52–58) indicate that Generation I crystallized in a basaltic magma, while the hornblende's relatively low crystallization temperature (T = 780–820 °C) and coexistence with K-feldspar and quartz suggest that Generation II formed in an evolved alkaline melt. The mineralogical records are likely attributed to pulsed intrusion of the late-stage evolved magma into a crystal mush, like in Generation I. The bulk-rock geochemical data include a sub-alkaline affinity, arc-type trace element features, and highly enriched Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions, consistent with the isotopic records from the accessory minerals, e.g., the very high δ18O values in both zircon and apatite and significantly negative εHf(t) in zircon. The combined mineral and bulk-rock geochemical data suggest that the primary magma for the Tengxian hornblende gabbro was derived from a mantle wedge that had been metasomatized by voluminous subducted terrigenous sediment-derived melts in response to subduction of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe Dachaidan ophiolites outcrop within an ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt along the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin. However, their age, source, and tectonic setting remain still in debate.MethodIn this study, we investigated the geochemistry and geochronology of the Dachaidan ophiolitic gabbros.Results and DiscussionZircon U–Pb dating yielded a crystallization age of 510.0 ± 2.8 Ma and 510.0 ± 2.9 Ma for the gabbro. The gabbros have low SiO2 contents (47.15–50.10 wt.%) and high MgO contents (6.35–9.04 wt.%) and Mg# values (55–74). The total rare earth element (∑REE) contents are 8.35–28.07 ppm, lower than those of normal-type mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs), and the gabbros exhibit light REE depletion or flat REE patterns, with small positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 1.06–1.40). Trace element patterns are depleted to enriched in Nb and Ta, similar to island arc rocks and MORB. Clinopyroxene thermobarometry indicates the parental magma of the gabbros formed by high-temperature (1,318°C–1,363°C) and medium-pressure (1.27–1.64 GPa) partial melting in a mantle wedge. The gabbros have depleted Sr–Nd–Pb-Hf isotopic compositions, with (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.704586–0.707441, εNd(t) = 4.7–6.6, and zircon εHf(t) = 7.6–11.4. The age-corrected Pb isotope ratios of these volcanic rocks are variable, with 206Pb/204Pb(t) = 18.085–18.253, 207Pb/204Pb(t) = 15.595–15.614, and 208Pb/204Pb(t) = 37.880–38.148, which are similar to the isotopic compositions of typical Indian MORBs. The source of the Dachaidan ophiolite is inferred to have been depleted mantle. The Dachaidan ophiolite likely formed in a forearc oceanic setting along the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, during the initial subduction of an oceanic plate.

The composition of the sub-arc mantle and the mode and nature of geodynamic processes during the India-Asia collision that controlled the melt evolution beneath the Gangdese belt (southern Tibet) are still unclear. Here, we present new U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes of zircon, and whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data of the Paleocene-Eocene Najinla gabbros from the East Gangdese magmatic belt, aiming to track the transitioning magmatism formed from oceanic subduction to continental collision in the region. Zircon U-Pb analyses of these mafic rocks yield emplacement ages of 54 ± 1 Ma and 63 ± 1 Ma. The gabbros are characterized by variable SiO2 (45.87-55.44 wt%), MgO (1.03-8.18 wt%), FeOT (3.74-12.33 wt%), and Al2O3 (13.45-25.45 wt%) contents. Most samples exhibit high Al2O3 (17.15-25.45 wt%) and relatively low MgO (1.03-6.11 wt%), similar to typical high-alumina basalts and high-alumina basaltic andesites. The Najinla gabbros show characteristic subduction-related signatures with enriched large-ion lithophile elements and depleted high field strength elements. They have depleted Sr-Nd isotopic compositions with low and relatively homogeneous initial 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7045-0.7049 and positive εNd(t) ratios of +2.2 to +3.2. The Najinla gabbroic rocks also have positive zircon εHf(t) values, ranging from +5.6 to +10.9. These results collectively suggest that magmas of the gabbros formed by partial melting of the asthenosphere with negligible crustal contamination during their emplacement. We propose that the mantle source of the Najinla gabbros was strongly influenced and metasomatized by subducted Neotethyan oceanic crust-derived fluids in the mantle wedge. Rollback of the subducted Neotethyan slab in the early Eocene led to partial melting of the subduction-modified mantle and the formation of these gabbros. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics and magma transport at the boundary between the upper and lower oceanic crusts (i.e., the dike–gabbro transition) are crucial for understanding the crustal accretion beneath mid-ocean ridges, which however have been studied at quite a few sites such as the East Pacific Rise and ophiolites like Troodos and Oman. Here we present detailed geological, petrological, and geochemical data for the dike–gabbro transition and associated basalts in the Yunzhug ophiolite, central Tibet, to constrain the complex magmatic processes in this specific horizon. The Yunzhug ophiolite contains a large (~ 20 km2) well-exposed sheeted dike complex, which is rooted in a dike–gabbro transition that consists of diverse lithologies, including diabase, gabbro, and minor porphyritic diabase. Petrographically, the Yunzhug gabbros could be grouped into the dominant Plg (plagioclase)-euhedral gabbros (euhedral–subhedral plagioclases enclosed in clinopyroxene oikocrysts) and a small amount of Cpx (clinopyroxene)-euhedral gabbros (with abundant euhedral clinopyroxenes). Plagioclases and their equilibrated melts of the two types of gabbros are similar, whereas clinopyroxenes and their equilibrated melts of the Cpx-euhedral gabbros are more primary and depleted than those of the Plg-euhedral gabbros. These petrographic and geochemical features suggest an earlier crystallization of clinopyroxene for the Cpx-euhedral gabbros, which is best explained by occasional water input in the magmatic system. Nevertheless, the modeled equilibrated melts of the two types of gabbros have compositions indistinguishable from the whole rock compositions of diabases and basalts, indicating a direct genetic linkage between these rocks. The unusual porphyritic diabases, on the other hand, provide evidence supporting for plagioclase accumulation and aggregation during magma upward migration, thus may have served as a unique way for magma to transport from the lower to upper crust. Studies of the Yunzhug ophiolite thus provide some key constraints on the complex magmatic processes in the oceanic dike–gabbro transition, regarding its dynamic accretion and magmatic plumbing mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brittle‐ductile rheological behavior in subduction zones is commonly proposed to explain deep transient slips. Generally observed at large scales in tectonic "mélanges", here we show that it is also observed at the grain scale in exhumed blueschist metagabbros. In these rocks, petrologic and microstructural observations show a bi‐phase material constituted by strong microfractured magmatic pyroxene clasts located in a weak and ductile lawsonite‐rich metamorphic matrix. To constrain the mechanical conditions allowing the brittle deformation of a clast in a ductile matrix, we used two‐dimensional simple shear numerical experiments. Results show four behaviors: (a) entirely brittle; (b) brittle‐ductile with clast fracturing in a ductile matrix; (c) ductile‐dominant with limited plastic deformation at clast edges; and (d) entirely ductile. We propose that the conditions of the brittle‐ductile behavior, commonly associated with deep transient slips, are controlled by the strength ratio between the strong brittle phase and the weak ductile phase. Plain Language Summary: In subduction zones, brittle‐ductile behavior is commonly proposed to explain deep transient slips at the subduction interface. This particular behavior is generally characterized by the fracturing of strong pods located in a weak fluid‐like material. In this study, we observe this mixed rheological behavior at the mineral‐scale in oceanic rocks under deep transient slip conditions. We carry out petrological and microstructural observations that show micro‐fracturing of strong magmatic clasts and ductile deformation of a weak metamorphic hydrated matrix. Numerical experiments, inspired by these observations, are used to constrain the physical conditions for this brittle‐ductile behavior. Numerical results show four types of behavior: (a) both matrix and clast are brittle and fractured; (b) the clast is brittle and fractured and the matrix is ductilely deformed; (c) only the clast is brittle and fractures are localized at clast edges; and (d) both matrix and clast are ductile. This study demonstrates that the behavior of this bi‐phase material is controlled by the strength ratio between the brittle strong clast and the ductile weak matrix. These physical conditions significantly differ from the theoretical rheological prediction and may be the key to a better understanding of the mechanics of deep transient slips. Key Points: The modeled brittle‐ductile rheological behavior occurs in a more limited temperature range than theoretically predictedThe strength ratio between the brittle yield stress and the dislocation creep stress predicts conditions for the brittle‐ductile behaviorThe temperature, pressure and pore‐fluid pressure conditions for the brittle‐ductile behavior are those of the deep transient slips [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-organisation in plutonic igneous rocks has been suggested to form by a variety of mechanisms including oscillatory nucleation and growth, competitive particle growth (CPG), and preferential dissolution and reprecipitation during fluid infiltration enhanced by compaction, with driving forces including reduction of the interfacial energy budget by either Ostwald ripening or because the energy of boundaries between two grains of the same mineral is less than that between two grains of different minerals. An investigation of the Stillwater inch-scale layering shows that the CPG patterning mechanism leaves a characteristic microstructural signature preserving evidence for a highly interconnected melt in textural equilibrium and slow super- and sub-solidus cooling; such a signature is also preserved in chromite-bearing fine-scale layers in the Bushveld intrusion. The cm-scale (centimetre-scale) micro-rhythmic layering of the Skaergaard intrusion, superimposed on single modally graded layers, does not have these microstructural features. Furthermore, the energy of all relevant interphase grain boundaries in the Skaergaard gabbros is less than that of grain boundaries involving only one mineral, viscous compaction was not a significant process in the Skaergaard intrusion, and patterning by oscillatory nucleation and growth is precluded by the fact that the micro-rhythmic layering is superimposed on modally graded layers formed by sedimentation. A new patterning mechanism is proposed, operational only in intrusions in which the interstitial liquid of the crystal mush intersects a binode and splits into two immiscible conjugates. Cm-scale separation of the immiscible conjugate liquids in a compositionally graded mush, due to both gravity and capillary forces, leads to layering due to differences in their wetting properties. The positive feedback required for pattern formation is due to the two immiscible conjugates predominantly crystallising the minerals which they preferentially wet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultraslow‐spreading Mohns Ridge is a key supersegment of the Arctic Mid‐Ocean system, where it represents a boundary between the Jan Mayen hotspot in the south and the highly anomalous Knipovich Ridge to the north. Understanding the timing and mode of Plio‐Pleistocene seafloor spreading along this ridge segment is critical for establishing the recent geodynamic evolution of the Norwegian‐Greenland Sea. To investigate magmatic accretion at this ultraslow spreading ridge, we collected samples from the Schulz Massif, which is located off‐axis at 73.4°N and exposes gabbroic intrusives and mantle peridotite. The petrology and petrography of these samples indicate that the exposed crustal section underwent multiple episodes of magmatism, which are characterized by distinct crystal sizes and geochemistry. To calibrate the age of the seafloor, we combined high‐resolution and high‐precision single zircon U‐Pb geochronology. Our data suggest that seafloor spreading has been nearly symmetrical for the last ∼4.6 Myr with a time‐averaged half‐spreading rate of ∼7.4 mm yr−1. Crystal size analysis of olivine in porphyric intrusions suggests that the crustal section was fed crystal‐laden melts with recurrence rates predicted to stabilize fault‐dominated seafloor spreading. Our combined geochronological and crystal size approach gives a critical perspective on the mode of seafloor spreading in the Mohns Ridge and allows insights into accretionary mechanisms and crustal structures during symmetric seafloor spreading. Key Points: We investigated a unique suite of lower crustal rocks recovered from a tectonic window off‐axis of the ultraslow‐spreading Mohns RidgeZircon U‐Pb geochronology suggests 4.6 Myr of nearly symmetrical seafloor spreading at a time‐averaged half‐spreading rate of ∼7.4 mm yr−1Small‐scale magmatic injections were important for crustal construction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence and types of ophiolites in the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes have not been identified in terms of their tectonic settings and geochemical features. Therefore, the study of the tectonic setting and subduction zones in the ophiolites' magmatic evolution becomes a significant issue. The Ginebra Ophiolitic Complex (GOC) is located on the western flank of the Central Cordillera in the Valle del Cauca Department, southwest of Colombia, assigned to the Lower Cretaceous period, as indicated by the contact of the GOC with the Buga Batholith. The GOC is formed by three main lithologies: amphibolite, gabbro, and ultramafic rocks (pyroxenite and peridotite), according to Ossa (2007). The rocks in the Puente Piedra section, located in the northeast of Ginebra municipality, are part of the gabbroic cumulates within the ophiolitic sequence. This sequence comprises interspersed layers of gabbroic cumulates, gabbrodiorites, and diorites; interpreted as a result of crystal accumulation and fractional crystallization processes. The mafic rocks of the GOC are sub-alkaline and correspond to the low potassium (K2O wt% 0.03-0.06) tholeiitic series. Geochemically, they have SiO2 wt% ranging from 49 to 61 and an aluminum oxide saturation index of approximately -0.4 and -0.8, indicating a metaluminous type. The geochemistry of the studied rocks from Puente Piedra section indicates that the GOC formed through fractional crystallization and accumulation processes from a single magma source. Cluster analysis, used to compare the geochemistry of GOC rocks and the Amaime Complex basalts, suggests a similar magma source, possibly linked to multiple recharge events that underwent fractional crystallization, melt extraction, and accumulation processes. The geochemical parameters are indicative of a suprasubduction zone ophiolite, characterized by a low potassium tholeiitic series affinity, TiO2 values typically <1.2 wt%, Th enrichment typical of subduction zones, high Pb content, and low values of Ti, Y, Yb, Ta, Nb, Zr, and Hf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Messejana–Plasencia great dyke (MPGD) is a Late Triassic tholeiitic gabbro intrusion related to the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province. Its large outcrop extent (~530 km), combined with its prolongation below the Duero basin (additional 100 km), makes it one of the world's largest dykes known. We have studied felsic granophyric bodies appearing in its northernmost segment at different scales, from mm-sized (interstitial micrographic pockets) to felsic dykes of up to 10 m thick and 1.5 km long, intruding within the gabbros. Significant differences exist in the mineral and whole-rock composition of gabbros and granophyres, including the Sr–Nd isotopic ratios. The chemical variation in the gabbros is coherent with fractionation of olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase at depth. However, the presence of a compositional gap between gabbros and granophyres (absence of intermediate compositions) and the formation of these late-stage intergranular felsic melts within the gabbro mesostasis suggest that they could be derived by liquid immiscibility. The Sr–Nd isotopic heterogeneity in the MPGD gabbros and the presence of zircons with Variscan ages (~286 Ma), inherited from granulitic rocks, indicate that the mafic magmas experienced some degree of lower crust assimilation during fractionation close to the Moho depth. On the contrary, the scarce xenocrystic Variscan zircon crystals found in a granophyric dyke within the MPGD gabbro display similar textures and ages (~299 Ma) to those of the country rock granites and point to contamination at a different crustal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sanjiang Tethyan Orogen plays a pivotal role in elucidating the geodynamic processes related to the evolution of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. Research on the Gicha Complex within this orogen is imperative for comprehending the intricate evolution of the region. This study presents new findings from zircon U‒Pb dating, Hf isotope analysis, and whole-rock elemental analyses of gabbro, olivine gabbro, and the recently discovered mylonitic rhyolite and diabase in the Gicha Complex. The zircon U‒Pb dating yields ages of 703 ± 3 Ma for the diabase, 296 ± 2 Ma for the gabbro, and 231 ± 1 and 228 ± 2 Ma for the mylonitic rhyolite, demonstrating that these rocks record the extended evolution from the breakup of Rodinia to the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. The Neoproterozoic diabase samples exhibit shoshonitic and arc-like geochemical properties, with positive zircon εHf(t) values ranging from 1.1 to 3.7 and high Th/Yb values ranging from 1.34 to 3.07, suggesting that they were generated by partial melting of enriched subduction-modified lithospheric mantle in an active continental margin. The early Permian gabbro samples are part of the tholeiitic series and exhibit low SiO2 and K2O contents; depletions in Nb, Ta and Ti; and enrichment in Pb, indicating derivation from a combination of depleted mantle peridotite and subduction-related components. The whole-rock geochemical features suggest that these rocks formed in a back-arc setting featuring a small, mature ocean basin. The mylonitic rhyolite samples exhibit weakly peraluminous characteristics (A/CNK = 0.98–1.12) with high-K calc-alkaline geochemical features. The samples are depleted in Ba, Nb, Ta, and Ti and enriched in Th, U, Pb, and LREEs and exhibit negative to positive zircon εHf(t) values ranging from − 0.5 to + 5.9, indicating that they originated from partial melting of Meso-Neoproterozoic juvenile lower crust. Geochronological, petrological, and geochemical analyses indicate that the subduction of oceanic crust occurred along the western margin of the Yangtze Block until the late Neoproterozoic (~ 703 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating the petrological and geochemical characteristics of continental arc crustal fragments can provide unique insights into the magmatic evolutional path and physicochemical conditions (e.g., P-T-H2O) of continental magmatic arcs. This contribution provides a comprehensive set of petrological, mineralogical, geochronological, and geochemical data for the Neoproterozoic Nanba intrusive complex of the western Yangtze Block, South China, which features wellexposed middle-upper crustal sections of the Neoproterozoic continental magmatic arc, to evaluate their magmatic source and fractionation process. The Neoproterozoic Nanba intrusive complex, composed of cumulate gabbros, hornblende gabbros, gabbro-diorites, diorites, granodiorites, K-feldspar granites, and monzogranites, was emplaced at ca. 796-790 Ma. The different lithologies of the Nanba intrusive complex display relatively homogeneous Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes, which indicates a cogenetic evolutional process. The predominantly depleted isotopic characteristics, together with high values of Ba, Rb/Y, and Ba/La, demonstrate that these rocks mainly originated from a subduction fluid-metasomatized mantle source. Petrological and geochemical characteristics, as well as hornblende thermobarometric data, collectively support that the ca. 796-790 Ma Nanba intrusive complex, following the calc-alkaline trend, was dominated by the wet cogenetic fractionation of hornblende accompanied by plagioclase and accessory minerals beneath the middle-upper crustal levels (2.4-4.7 kbar). The cumulate gabbros represent the residue of accumulated hornblende + plagioclase + Fe-Ti oxides from fractionated basaltic melts. The high-SiO2 Kfeldspar granites and monzogranites display complementary trace elements, which represent residual silicic cumulates and extracted interstitial liquids in the shallower crystal mush reservoir, respectively. In combination with previous studies, we propose that the middle-upper crustal sections of the Neoproterozoic continental arc of the western Yangtze Block underwent hornblende-dominated fractionation that was followed by significant crystal-liquid separation, which led to the genesis of high-SiO2 melts at the shallower crustal level. The cogenetic evolution played a significant role in molding the petrological and geochemical diversity of Neoproterozoic igneous rocks and the differentiation process of continental arc crust in the western Yangtze Block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Neoproterozoic mafic-ultramafic rocks exposed in the Gabal Um Selim–Zeiatit area, northernmost Arabian-Nubian Shield include an old ophiolite sequence and a young mafic-ultramafic intrusion. The ophiolite sequence is represented by serpentinized peridotite and metagabbro, which are highly deformed, metamorphosed, and tectonically thrust over island arc metavolcanics. The mafic-ultramafic intrusion, known as the Um Selim–Zeiatit mafic-ultramafic intrusion (SZMUI), shows no evidence of deformation or metamorphism. The SZMUI consists of cumulate layered rocks and is composed of an upper suite of mafic rocks and a basal suite of ultramafic rocks. The upper suite consists of olivine gabbro, gabbronorite, and normal gabbro, while the basal suite includes lherzolite and olivine websterite. The SZMUI forms a lopolith-like intrusion and displays modal layering at outcrop scale as well as cryptic layering due to the variations in mineral compositions. The lherzolite contains green spinel (pleonaste) characteristic of layered intrusions. The spinel and olivine compositions of the ophiolitic serpentinites are consistent with residual mantle rocks that experienced high degrees of partial melt extraction typical for suprasubduction-zone forearc ophiolites, whereas those in the SZMUI ultramafic layers are typical of stratiform complexes and clearly different from those found in ophiolitic and Alaskan-type complexes. The differences in whole-rock Mg# between the ultramafic samples are consistent with a distinction based on mineral chemistry, with higher values in the ophiolitic peridotite than in the SZMUI peridotite. The mafic and ultramafic units of the SZMUI are clearly related and derived from a common parent magma, but they were not emplaced coevally and represent different pulses of magma. The ultramafic units of the SZMUI are cumulates and are derived from a high-Mg tholeiitic parent magma. Geochemical characteristics of the SZMUI confirm that it is not an Alaskan-type body but is more akin to a layered mafic-ultramafic intrusion. It was emplaced at a late stage of orogeny, during a transition from a subduction to an intraplate setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zhuqing vanadium–titanium magnetite is a large deposit recently discovered in the western margin of the Yangtze Block, where the Zhuqing gabbroic intrusion and associated Fe–Ti–V oxide deposits are fund and dated at 1647 ± 39 Ma (MSWD = 0.79) through U–Pb dating of gabbro zircons. The εHf(t) values of zircons are all positive, with an average of 10.7. The average age of the one-stage model age (TDM) is 1661 Ma, which is very close to the diagenetic and metallogenic age 1647 ± 39 Ma (MSWD = 0.79). These new results indicate that the magma source come directly from the mantle. The contents of Al2O3, CaO, and (Na2O + K2O) increases with the increase of SiO2 contents, while, the contents of MgO, TiO2, and Fe2O3 decreases with the increase of SiO2 contents. Mg# is relatively stable with the increase of SiO2 contents. In the primitive mantle-normalized trace element spider diagrams and chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns, the characteristics of all samples are similar to that of ocean island basalts (OIBs), showing a right inclination curve. Meanwhile the western margin of the Yangtze Block as an essential part of the supercontinent of Colombia, began to extend at 1.7 Ga, lasted to ca. 1.4 Ga, and finally split. These suggest that the Zhuqing gabbroic intrusion and associated Fe–Ti–V oxide deposits with OIB characteristics formed in the Late Paleoproterozoic, which is a response to the breakup of the Colombian supercontinent in the western margin of the Yangtze Block.

The Skaergaard intrusion is a layered, ferrobasaltic intrusion emplaced during the Early Eocene into the rifting volcanic margin of East Greenland. The magma chamber crystallised in response to cooling from the roof and margins upwards and inward, forming upper, marginal and bottom series, the latter referred to as the Layered Series. The phase layering in the bottom series suggests an evolved, olivine-normative tholeiitic melt saturated in plagioclase and olivine, followed by augite, and then simultaneously by ilmenite and magnetite forming primocrysts. Pigeonite appears in the lower parts and continues until the centre of the series. Apatite appears in the upper part concurrently with liquid immiscibility. Cryptic variations of the individual primocrysts record a systematic upward increase in iron and decrease in magnesium for the mafic minerals and a systematic increase in sodium and decrease in calcium for plagioclase. The appearance of pigeonite is caused by reactions and crystallisation in the trapped melt and by subsolidus adjustments without this phase reaching liquidus saturation. The high mode of olivine at the base of the upper part with the appearance of apatite is interpreted to mark the onset of liquid immiscibility. This may have led to the separation of conjugate melts with granophyre migrating upward and the basic component largely staying stationary or sinking. Petrologic and geochemical observations indicate differentiation in the lower part of the intrusion, principally controlled by crystal fractionation with the efficiency of fractionation controlled by the evolution and escape of liquid from the solidifying mush. During the final stages of solidification, the onset of liquid immiscibility and termination of melt convection impeded differentiation. Modelling by perfect Rayleigh fractionation shows that major and included trace elements conform reasonably to observations, while excluded elements deviate from model predictions. This decoupling is caused by the mobility of a granophyre component formed in the trapped melt and in the main residual magma chamber. Consequently, the sampled gabbros may not be representative of the final solid-melt mush. By restoring the gabbros to their original mush compositions, it is possible to constrain granophyre migration pathways. We suggest that the granophyre formed in the trapped melt in the lower part of the intrusion mostly migrated laterally through pressure release pathways to form lenses and pockets with only limited upward migration into the main magma reservoir. Near the end stage of differentiation, the residual magma exsolved and formed complex mixtures of ferrobasaltic and granophyric melts. Estimates predict that a substantial amount of the granophyric melt penetrated as sills into the downward crystallising, upper part of the body as well as into the host rocks. The redistribution of granophyric melts within the solidifying crystal mush complicates predictions of trapped-melt content and mass-balance calculations but helps to explain apparent decoupling of included and excluded trace elements, especially towards the end stages of evolution. Final crystallisation was controlled mostly by in situ crystallisation leaving complex mixtures of ferrodiorite and granophyre components.

Central peaks of Copernican period complex craters of the Moon, provides the best examples to study impact melts morphologies alongwith the exposed subsurface, as they are better preserved and less affected by the space weathering. Crater Tycho, present towards nearside (SW) of the Moon, is one such example of young and fresh complex crater. Present study is high-resolution compositional investigation involving spectroscopic analysis coupled with morphological study of central peaks and floor of crater Tycho. Alongwith the other contemporary craters the study is intended to understand the nature of occurrence and distribution of compositionally distinct lithologies identified near their central peaks and crater floor that differ in colour and specific appearance. A detailed high-resolution analysis suggests that the clastic exposures associated with the melts have a mafic composition that have been observed at similar other contemporary craters. They represent the fragmental polymictic breccia clasts whose mineralogy and stratigraphic relation with the melts suggests them to be representative of subsurface anorthositic gabbro/noritic body. Their association with structural features, such as cooling cracks/fractures and breccias dikes indicate their formation at different stages of cratering and associated crustal modification. The formation mechanism of the polymictic breccia clasts causing lithological variability has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the south Eastern Desert of Egypt, two contrasting types of magmatism (mafic and felsic) are recorded in the Wadi Kalalat area, and form the Gabal El Motaghiarat and Gabal Batuga intrusions, respectively. The two intrusions post-dates ophiolitic and arc associations represented by serpentinite and metagabbro-diorite, respectively. The mafic intrusion has a basal ultramafic member represented by fresh peridotite, which is followed upward by olivine gabbro and anorthositic or leucogabbro. This mafic intrusion pertains to the Alaskan-type mafic–ultramafic intrusions in the Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS) being of tholeiitic nature and emplaced in a typical arc setting. On the other hand, the Gabal Batuga intrusion comprises three varieties of fresh A-type granites of high K-calc alkaline nature, which is peraluminous and garnet-bearing in parts. A narrow thermal aureole in the olivine gabbro of the mafic intrusion was developed due to the intrusion of the Batuga granites. This results in the development of a hornfelsic melagabbro variety in which the composition changed from tholeiitic to a calc-alkaline composition due to the addition of SiO2, Al2O3, alkalis, lithosphile elements (LILEs) such as Rb (70 ppm) and Y (28 ppm) from the felsic intrusion. Outside the thermal aureole, Rb amounts 2–8 ppm and Y lies in the range < 2–6 ppm. It is believed that the Gabal Batuga felsic intrusion started to emplace during the waning stage of an arc system, with transition from the pre-collisional (i.e., arc setting) to post-collisional and within plate settings. Magma from which the Gabal Batuga granites were fractionated is high-K calc-alkaline giving rise to a typical post-collisional A-type granite (A2-subtype) indicating an origin from an underplating crustal source. Accordingly, it is stressed here that the younger granites in the ANS are not exclusively post-collisional and within-plate but most likely they started to develop before closure of the arc system. The possible source(s) of mafic magmas that resulted in the formation of the two intrusions are discussed. Mineralogical and geochemical data of the post-intrusion dykes (mafic and felsic) suggest typical active continental rift/within-plate settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scattered outcrops of various lithologies such as limestone, chert, sandstone, mudstone or shale, and microgabbro have been recently exposed in the Hariphunchai Education Center of Chiang Mai University (HECCMU), the northern Lamphun area of the northern Thailand. The outcrops are located in the Inthanon Zone where Palaeo-Tethyan ocean plate stratigraphy is well known. Field and microfacies analysis of limestone blocks recognizes four microfacies interpreted as low-energy lagoon or platform interior and reef flank or shoal of fore-reef. Foraminiferas from the limestone are the Sakmarian (lower Cisuralian) to Kungurian (upper Cisuralian) of the early Permian in age. Field and petrographic analysis of co-occurring radiolarian chert, microgabbro, pelagic mudstone, and turbidites suggest that the limestone blocks were mid-oceanic carbonate build-ups on seamount which were chaotically mixed with oceanic rocks such as chert and gabbro and then embedded in shale matrix. It is concluded that the outcrops are part of mélange formed during the Palaeo-Tethys closure and are significant in representing the Cisuralian (lower Permian) carbonate remnant in the mélange of the Inthanon Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesozoic gabbro from the Stanovoy convergent margin and adakitic dacite lava from the Pliocene–Quaternary Bakening volcano in Kamchatka contain iron–titanium oxide–apatite–sulfide–sulfate (ITOASS) microinclusions along with abundant isolated iron–titanium minerals, sulfides and halides of base and precious metals. Iron–titanium minerals include magnetite, ilmenite and rutile; sulfides include chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite; sulfates are represented by barite; and halides are predominantly composed of copper and silver chlorides. Apatite in both gabbro and adakitic dacite frequently contains elevated chlorine concentrations (up to 1.7 wt.%). Mineral thermobarometry suggests that the ITOASS microinclusions and associated Fe-Ti minerals and sulfides crystallized from subduction-related metal-rich melts in mid-crustal magmatic conduits at depths of 10 to 20 km below the surface under almost neutral redox conditions (from the unit below to the unit above the QFM buffer). The ITOASS microinclusions in gabbro and adakite from the Russian Far East provide possible magmatic links to iron oxide–apatite (IOA) and iron oxide–copper–gold (IOCG) deposits and offer valuable insights into the early magmatic (pre-metasomatic) evolution of the IOA and ICOG mineralized systems in paleo-subduction- and collision-related geodynamic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document explores the geological features of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), specifically focusing on the Beishan orogenic assemblage in northwest China. The discovery of a Silurian gabbro in the Hongbaoshan area is discussed, which extends the Silurian SSZ-type ophiolite belt and has potential for VHMS deposits. The gabbro is primarily composed of plagioclase and pyroxene, with minor hornblende and quartz. Dating methods indicate an age of 423.6 ± 1.7 Ma, consistent with the Hongliuhe ophiolite. The gabbro samples also show enrichment in iron, gold, zinc, and copper, suggesting the presence of VHMS mineralization in a supra-subduction tectonic environment. [Extracted from the article]

This paper summarizes available original data and material from the literature concerning our geological and geophysical knowledge of the Esmeralda submarine volcano situated at the Mariana island arc. An advanced study of the rocks dredged during the 4th and 5th cruises of the Vulkanolog research vessel yielded new information on silicate and trace element compositions of the rocks that compose the volcano. It was found that the volcanic edifice under study is composed of five rock types: basalts, basaltic andesites, dacites, gabbro, and basanites. For the first time we recovered samples of dacite and basanite that provide evidence of a broader petrochemical diversity of the Esmeralda submarine volcano compared to what has been thought previously. All dredged rocks show slightly higher concentrations of incoherent elements LILE and HFSE. Our studies enable us to classify the bulk of the dredged rocks as belonging to the association of arc ferrous tholeiites (IAB, IAT), with the composition of a single sample of alkaline basalt (basanite) plotting in the field of alkaline oceanic island basalts (OIB, OIA). The higher concentration of iron in plagioclase phenocrysts confirms the fact that the rocks are part of the high-iron tholeiitic association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cenozoic Sierra de San Carlos-Cruillas (SSCC) magmatic complex belongs to the Eastern Mexican Alkaline Province (EMAP). The SSCC mainly consists of plutonic and subvolcanic bodies displaying diverse lithological compositions. These rocks exhibit both OIB- and arc-like geochemical characteristics. In this contribution, we present new petrographic, geochemical, isotopic, and geochronological data of the Rincón Murillo Gabbro (RMG), situated in the southern part of the SSCC. The RMG is nepheline normative and displays an OIB-like intraplate character. Laser ablation ICP-MS U-Pb analyses on titanites yielded Oligocene (Rupelian) crystallization ages of 31.8 ± 1.8 and 31.0 ± 1.7 Ma. The 87Sr/86Sr(i) (0.703400–0.704159) and 143Nd/144Nd(i) (0.512732–0.512815) ratios indicate a mantle origin. Trace element data indicate the participation of different enriched mantle components in the source. One component is related to previous subduction processes, generating the HFSE-depleted arc-like magmas of San José Gabbro in the northern part of SSCC. The second component is related to deep mantle melts with a slightly carbonatitic signal and HFSE-enriched fluids derived from the subducted Hess conjugate plateau generating different enriched sources in the upper mantle under the SSCC. The passage, eclogitization, detachment and foundering of the Hess plateau gave rise to an asthenospheric upwelling that triggered the low to moderate partial melting degrees (3–15%) of an amphibole-bearing garnet peridotite, generating the OIB-like parental magmas of RMG, located in the southern part of SSCC. Two-component mixing, and AFC models indicate that variable degrees of crystal fractionation and minor crustal assimilation are involved in the evolution of Rincón Murillo Gabbro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atuba Complex occurs in the eastern region of Paraná State, located in the Southern Ribeira Belt. It is comprised of the Curitiba Terrane, northward of the Luís Alves Terrane, and southward of the Apiaí Terrane. This research was carried out by means of detailed petrography, microtectonics, and brittle and ductile structural analysis. The Atuba Complex is composed of migmatites, felsic granulites, granitoids, quartzites, phyllonites, schists, amphibolites, and cataclasites. The lithotypes are cut by diabase or gabbro dikes, lamprophyre dikes, pseudotachylites, and quartz, epidote, carbonate, or chlorite veins. The migmatites are characterized by two migmatization phases, the first composed of tonalitic leucosomes and the second formed by granitic leucosomes. The stromatic and mylonitized migmatites suggest dislocation creep mechanisms and dynamic recrystallization processes, mainly in quartz and feldspars. During the initial phase, melting reactions took place through dehydration, while in the subsequent phase, melting was facilitated by the presence of water-fluxed. The Atuba Complex comprises two foliations, Sn-1 (Dn-1 phase) and Sn (Dn phase). The Sn-1 surface (compositional banding) presents a ductile and anastomosed aspect with an N45W/55NE attitude, whereas the Sn mylonitic foliation is defined by the presence of mineral flattening or stretching and by the orientation of amphibole and biotite shapes, with a maximum plane of N45E/85NW. The observed faults and fractures strike in the NE-SW and NW-SE main directions. The paleostress study provided the recognition of a NE-SW sigma 1 associated with a NW-SE-striking sigma 3 for the left-lateral strike-slip faults and an E-W compressive SHMAX and an N-S distensive SHMIN for the right-lateral strike-slip faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first data on the composition of rocks and precious metals in the Vasilinovskoe copper–gold–platinoid ore occurrence, new in the Polar Urals, localized in metagabbro and metapyroxenite of the Late Ordovician Kershor Complex, are presented. Rocks containing a productive gold–platinoid mineralization are confined to hydrothermal alteration zones and are mainly represented by apogabbro and apopyroxenite propylites. The propylite formation temperature obtained with the help of pyrite–pyrrhotite and chlorite geothermometers corresponds to albite–calcite–chlorite and epidote–chlorite facies and varies within 200–310°C. The ore groundmass is composed of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and magnetite. Pyrrhotite, sphalerite, cobaltite, zinc greenockite, galena, ilmenite, titanite, rutile, cinnabar, native tin, molybdenite, coloradoite, supergene minerals such as bornite and covellite, chalcocite–spionkopite minerals, malachite, azurite, and iron hydroxides are minor. The precious metal mineralization is represented by Hg-bearing gold (including Hg-electrum and Hg-küstelite), gold and silver sulfides and tellurides (sylvanite (AuAgTe4), petzite (Ag3AuTe2), acanthite (Ag2S), hessite (Ag2Te), temagamite (Pd3HgTe3), and isomorphic series minerals such as merenskyite–moncheite (PdTe2-Pt,Pd)(Te,Bi)2), stibiopalladinite (Pd5Sb2), kotulskite (PdTe), sperrylite (PtAs2), and sopcheite (Ag4Pd3Te4), intergrowths of platinoids and an unknown mineral with an idealized formula Pd(Sb,Te), and possibly a Te-rich variety of sudburyite (PdSb). According to the mineralogical data, precious metals are released after a sample is crushed to a dimension of –0.25 mm. Relatively large (<0.15 mm) gold grains are separated first, then, during the crushing of sulfides, smaller gold flakes and precious metal grains are separated. The Vasilinovskoe ore occurrence is promising in terms of gold and platinoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary successions of the Permian-Triassic rifting related to the Alpine Tethys in the easternmost Lower Alpujarride units (Internal Betic Zone, south Spain) host shallow-intrusive basic bodies of Mesozoic age. These gabbroic bodies experienced low-grade Alpine metamorphic overprint, singularly recorded in three outcrops nearby Alicante city in southeast Spain: Callosa and Orihuela Ranges and Nueva Tabarca Island. Overall, the metabasic bodies still preserve magmatic ophitic/subophitic texture and relicts of magmatic augite and ferropargasite-ferroedenite-edenite and kaersutite. In contrast, metamorphic minerals include magnesioriebeckite, actinolite, albite, stilpnomelane, phengite, and chlorite. Major and trace element geochemical data suggest crystallization of the igneous protoliths from subalkaline (tholeiitic) to alkaline within-plate (continental) basaltic magmas slightly enriched in incompatible elements. These magmas with E-MORB geochemical affinity very likely intruded at shallow crustal levels in an extensional-synrift-geodynamic setting related to the breakoff of Pangea in the region. Pressure-Temperature (P-T) conditions estimated by average P-T method and pseudosection calculations suggest metamorphic peak at ca. 6 kbar at 340°C consistent with burial metamorphism down to ca. 18 km depth with intermediate thermal gradients of ca. 18°C/km. These conditions are different to the typical subduction-related blueschist facies conditions of the Lower Alpujarride units and suggest, instead, a collisional (Barrovian) event. This can be explained by a late-stage accretion of the studied units after the main subduction-related event, pointing to the dispersion of the corresponding Lower Alpujarride sections along the margin in different palaeogeographic positions before deformation and movement to their actual structural position. The metamorphic correlation of the studied units with the accreted passive margin of South Iberia (Subbetic zone) is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New geochemical data and radiometric ages of the protoliths of variably reworked metamafic (granulites and gabbros) and felsic rocks (orthogneisses) from the Cabo Ortegal allochthonous Complex are presented. Their igneous precursors were emplaced in ensialic environments and exhibit geochemical signatures transitional to tholeiitic character, probably originating in arc settings (with continental and oceanic components and minor crustal recycling). The new geochronological results (encompassing the Miaolingian and Furongian epochs of the Cambrian) link the aforementioned scenarios to a Cadomian magmatic arc. The 505Ma protoliths of calc-alkaline orthogneisses and mafic granulites would be the oldest in the sequence of intrusion events. The latter and the 498–486Ma protoliths of gabbros (emplaced in sedimentary host sequences later transformed into Variscan high-pressure and intermediate-pressure gneisses) can be considered as snapshots of the ongoing continental arc evolution. The 498–486Ma gabbro intrusives of these gneisses, together with the 505–503Ma orthogneisses, are ascribable to palaeo-geographically separate scenarios before the Variscan amalgamation of their country rocks. They would expand the initiation of rifting of the Gondwana continental margin to the Miaolingian Cambrian epoch. It is inferred that the Cadomian continental-arc (active at least since 750Ma) experienced in the 510–460Ma interval the consequences of a vanishing active subduction. Certain domains flanking the arc underwent forearc sedimentation and deformation, whereas others were affected by an increasing extension (rifting) and/or back-arc basin formation. The latter marked the initiation of the beginning of a Wilson Cycle, which ended in the late Palaeozoicwith the formation of the Variscan interior orogenic belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]