Geochronological and geochemical constraints on the petrogenesis and geodynamic process of Hemler,Vlinder,and Il'ichev seamount lavas in NW Pacific

Oceanic intraplate volcanoes with linear age progressions are usually accepted to be derived from melting of an upwelling mantle plume.Several seamount groups in NW Pacific,however,show complex age-distance relationships that are difficult to explain using the classic“mantle plume hypothesis”,and thus their origins are controversial.In this study,we present ^(40)Ar-^(39)Ar age,geochemical,and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic data of lavas from Hemler,Vlinder,and Il’ichev seamounts in NW Pacific,to elucidate their petrogenesis and geodynamic process.The lavas from Hemler,Vlinder,and Il’ichev seamounts are classified as alkali basalt,basanite/nephelinite,and trachyte.Lavas with Mg O>8 wt.%exhibit high contents of CaO,FeO^(T),and TiO_(2),similar to the composition of melts formed from reaction between carbonated eclogite-derived melts and fertile peridotite.These lavas have elevated Zr/Hf ratios(40.6-45.2)and negative Zr and Hf anomalies,indicating the presence of a carbonate component in the mantle source.They are enriched in incompatible trace elements and have enriched mantle 1(EM1)-like SrNd-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions.The isotopic compositions of Vlinder,Il’ichev basanite,and Hemler lavas in this study are similar to the Rarotonga hotspot.Although occurring at the same seamount,the Il’ichev alkali basalts display more depleted SrNd-Hf isotopic compositions compared to Il’ichev basanite.According to plate tectonic reconstruction results,the ages of Hemler(100.1 Ma),Vlinder pre-(100.2 Ma)and post-shield(87.5 Ma),and Il’ichev(56.4 Ma)lavas clearly deviate from the Macdonald,Arago,Rarotonga,and Samoa hotspot tracks,indicating that they cannot directly originate from mantle plumes.We propose that in the mid-Cretaceous,when the Pacific plate passed over Rarotonga hotspot,melting of Rarotonga plume formed the Vlinder(main-shield stage),Pako,and Ioah seamounts.The Rarotonga(and possibly Samoa)plume materials would have been dispersed into the surrounding asthenosphere by mantle convection.These diffuse plume materials would undergo decompression melting beneath lithosphere fractures that are widely distributed in the Magellan area,generating non-hotspot related Hemler and pre-and post-shield Vlinder lavas.The Il’ichev alkali basalts and basanite probably result from lithospheric fracture-induced melting of heterogeneous enriched components randomly distributed in the asthenosphere.

Carbonate metasomatism in the lithospheric mantle: Implications for cratonic destruction in North China

The activity of melts and fluids may have played a key role in inducing the destruction of the eastern North China Craton in the early Cretaceous. Carbonate melts are important agents in mantle metasomatism and can significantly modify the physical and chemical properties of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Carbonate metasomatism can be identified by specific geochemical indices in clinopyroxene, such as high Ca/Al and low Ti/Eu ratios. This study presents the spatial and temporal variations of carbonate metasomatism in the lithospheric mantle beneath the eastern North China Craton. Three types of carbonate metasomatism are classified based on the geochemical compositions of clinopyroxene in mantle peridotites. Clinopyroxene formed by Type 1 carbonate metasomatism is characterized by very high Ca/Al ratios(15–70) and^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios(0.706–0.713). Clinopyroxene derived from Type 2 carbonate metasomatism shows relatively high Ca/Al ratios(5–18) and^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios(0.703–0.706). However, clinopyroxene resulting from Type 3 carbonate metasomatism has low Ca/Al ratios(5–9) and^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios(0.702–0.704). Deep(garnet-bearing) and shallow(spinel-bearing) lithospheric mantle beneath the Sulu orogen and surrounding areas in the eastern North China Craton were affected by intense Type 1 carbonate metasomatism before the late Triassic. The deep subduction of the South China Block with its accompanying carbonate sediments was the trigger for Type 1 carbonate metasomatism, which reduced strength of the lithospheric mantle and provided a prerequisite for the destruction of the eastern North China Craton in the early Cretaceous. After the destruction of the eastern North China Craton, the ancient relict lithospheric mantle, represented by spinel harzburgite xenoliths hosted in the late Cretaceous to Cenozoic basalts,only recorded Type 2 carbonate metasomatism. This implies that the lithospheric mantle experienced the intense Type 1 carbonate metasomatism was completely destroyed and not preserved during decratonization. Spinel lherzolite xenoliths hosted in the late Cretaceous to Cenozoic basalts represent the young, fertile lithospheric mantle formed after the cratonic destruction and only a few samples record Type 2 and 3 carbonate metasomatisms. We suggest that carbonate melts derived from the subduction-modified asthenospheric mantle with variable proportions of recycled crustal material was responsible for the Type 2 and 3 carbonate metasomatisms. The carbonate metasomatism of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Jiaodong Peninsula and surrounding areas is very pervasive and is spatially consistent with the remarkable thinning of lithospheric mantle and giant gold deposits in this region. Therefore, we conclude that carbonate metasomatism in the lithospheric mantle played a crucial part in the modification, destruction and gold deposits in the eastern North China Craton.