Coats Land dolerites and the generation of Antarctic continental flood basalts

On the basis of geochemical signatures, Mesozoic magmatism in Antarctica is divided into the Ferrar Magmatic Province and the Dronning Maud Land Province. The tholeiitic magmatism of the Ferrar Magmatic Province is distinguished by such features as low Ti/Y ( 0.709). All of these geochemical features indicate a major contribution from the continental mantle lithosphere in the generation of these magmas. In contrast, the Dronning Maud Land magmatism has elevated trace element ratios and εNd values (Ti/Y 250–600; Zr/Y 3.0–9.0; εNd −2 to +3) and lower initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (< 0.707) relative to the Ferrar Magmatic Province. The trace element and isotopic correlations suggest that these magmas were derived by the mixing of an OIB like asthenospheric component with a continental lithosphere component. The transition between these two geochemical provinces is located in Coats Land. In Coats Land, the Mesozoic tholeiitic magmatism is represented by doleritic sills and minor dykes which intrude Permo-Triassic sedimentary rocks. The dolerites can be subdivided into two series based on their TiO2 contents. Series 1 dolerites (TiO2 < 1.5%) can be further subdivided into three groups, which give Ar/Ar ages of 171±6 Ma (Group 1) and 193±7 Ma (Groups 2 and 3). It is only Group 2 magmas which have trace element and isotopic signatures akin to the Ferrar Magmatic Province. Group 1 dolerites have geochemical signatures which are transitional between the Ferrar Magmatic Province and Dronning Maud Land magma types. The Ferrar Magmatic Province signature in Coats Land is confined to the early magmatic episode (193±7 Ma) and this appears to mark the initiation of rift related magmatism in this region. It is argued that extension was limited and that most of the melt was derived from the continental mantle lithosphere. In contrast, the younger rocks (176±5 Ma) have relatively lower initial 87Sr/86Sr and higher trace element ratios relative to the Ferrar Magmatic Province, and this appears to be associated with the later stages of rifting and relatively enhanced crustal extension which allowed for the encorporation of a small asthenosphere component

The case for crust-mantle interaction during silicic magma genesis: the zircon testimony

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Backarc rifting, constructional volcanism and nascent disorganised spreading in the southern Havre Trough backarc rifts (SW Pacific)

High resolution multibeam (EM300 and SEABEAM) data of the Southern Havre Trough (SHT), combined with observations and sample collections from the submersible Shinkai6500 and deep-tow camera, are used to develop a model for the evolution and magmatism of this backarc system. The Havre Trough and the associated Kermadec Arc are the product of westward subduction at the Pacific–Australian plate boundary. Detailed studies focus on newly discovered features including a seamount (Saito Seamount) and a deep graben (Ngatoroirangi Rift, &gt; 4000 m water depth floored with a constructional axial volcanic ridge &gt; 5 km in length and in excess of 200 m high), both of which are characterised by pillow and lobate flows estimated at &lt; 20,000 years old based on sediment cover, high reflectivity and thin Mn crusts on recovered glassy olivine basalts and basaltic andesites.Elongate volcanic ridges at 35°15?S and 34°30?S, and backarc seamounts (35°30?S, 178°30?E) occur at the eastern margin of the SHT. Similar seafloor morphology is observed in the central and western portions of the basin, suggesting that recent volcanism may be broadly distributed across the backarc. Mass balance modelling indicates a maximum crustal thickness of ~ 11 km to &lt; 6 km, similar to estimates of crustal thickness in the Lau Basin to the north. Given such high crustal attenuation and extensive backarc mafic magmatism within deep SHT rifts, we propose that the SHT is in an incipient phase of distributed and “disorganised” oceanic crustal accretion in multiple, ephemeral, and short but deep (&gt; 4000 m) spreading systems. These discontinuous spreading systems are characterised by failed rifts, rift segmentation, and propagation. Successive episodes of magmatic intrusion into thinned faulted arc basement results in defocused asymmetrical accretion. Cross-arc volcanic chains, isolated volcanoes and underlying basement plateaus are interpreted to represent a “cap” of recent extrusives. However, they may also be composed entirely of newly accreted crust and the spatially extensive basement fabric of elongated volcanic ridges may be the surface expression of pervasive dike intrusion that has thoroughly penetrated and essentially replaced the original arc crust with newly accreted intrusives.<br/

Magmatic and Crustal Differentiation History of Granitic Rocks from Hf-O Isotopes in Zircon

Granitic plutonism is the principal agent of crustal differentiation, but linking granite emplacement to crust formation requires knowledge of the magmatic evolution, which is notoriously difficult to reconstruct from bulk rock compositions. We unlocked the plutonic archive through hafnium (Hf)and oxygen (O) isotope analysis of zoned zircon crystals from the classic hornblende-bearing (I-type) granites of eastern Australia. This granite type forms by the reworking of sedimentary materials by mantle-like magmas instead of by remelting ancient metamorphosed igneous rocks as widely believed. I-type magmatism thus drives the coupled growth and differentiation of continental crust