A geochemical perspective on the genesis of Cenozoic basic volcanism in northeastern Turkey:an overview of metasomatism and heterogeneity of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle in a post-collisional setting

The post-collisional Cenozoic basic volcanic rocks in NE Turkey show temporal variations in whole-rock lithophile element and highly siderophile element(HSE)systematics that are mainly associated with the nature of sub-continental lithospheric mantle(SCLM)sources and parental melt generation.So far,the traditional whole-rock lithophile geochemical data of these basic volcanic rocks have provided important constraints on the nature of SCLM sources.Integrated lithophile element and HSE geochemical data of these basic volcanic rocks also reveal the heterogeneity of the SCLM source,which is principally related to variable metasomatism resulting from previous subduction(s)and post-collisional mantle-crust interactions in an extensional setting.Lithophile element geochemical features suggest that the parental magmas have derived from metasomatized spinel-to garnet-bearing SCLM sources for Eocene and Miocene basic volcanic rocks with subduction signatures whereas originated from spinel-to garnet-bearing SCLM sources for Mio-Pliocene and Plio-Quaternary basaltic volcanic rocks without the subduction signature.Lithophile element and HSE geo-chemistry also reveal that Eocene and Miocene basic vol-canic rocks were affected by more pronounced crustal contamination than the basaltic volcanic rocks of Mio-Pliocene and Quaternary.Furthermore,the integrated lithophile element and HSE compositions of these basic volcanic rocks,together with the regional asymmetric lithospheric delamination model,reveal that the compositional variation(especially due to metasomatism)was significant temporally in the heterogeneity of the SCLM sources from which parental magmas formed during the Cenozoic era.

Early Cretaceous Metasomatized Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Central Jiangnan Orogen in South China:Geochemical and Sr-Nd Isotope Evidence from the Tuanshanbei Dolerite

It is well established that Cretaceous magmatism in the South China Block(SCB)is related to the Paleo-Pacific subduction.However,the starting time and the associated deep crust-mantle processes are still debatable.Mafic dike swarms carry important information on the deep earth(including mantle)geodynamics and geochemical evolution.In the Jiangnan Orogen(South China).there is no information on whether the Mesozoic magmatic activities in this region are also directly related to the Pacific subduction or not.In this study,we present detailed zircon U-Pb geochronological,wholerock element and Sr-Nd isotope data for Early Cretaceous Tuanshanbei dolerite dikes,and provide new constraints on the condition of the lithospheric mantle and mantle dynamics of the SCB during that time.LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating suggests that this dolerite erupted in the Early Cretaceous(~145 Ma).All samples have alkaline geochemical affinities with K_(2)O+Na_(2)O=3.11-4.04 wt%,K_(2)O/Na_(2)O=0.50-0.72,and Mg^(#)=62.24-65.13.They are enriched in LILE but depleted in HFSE with higher initial^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratio(0.706896-0.714743)and lower ε_(Nd)(t)(-2.61 to-1.67).They have high Nb/U,Nb/La,La/Sm and Rb/Sr,and low La/Nb,La/Ta,Ce/Pb,Ba/Rb,Tb/Yb and Gd/Yb ratios.Such geochemical signatures suggest that the fractional crystallization is obvious but crustal contamination play a negligible role during magmatic evolution.Tuanshanbei dolerite were most likely derived from low-degree(2%-5%)partial melting of a phlogopite-bearing mantle material consisted of~85% spinel peridotite and~15% garnet peridotite previously metasomatized by asthenospherederived fluids/melts with minor subduction-derived fluids/melts.Slab-rollback generally lead to the upwelling of the hot asthenosphere.The upwelling of asthenosphere consuming the lithospheric mantle by thermo-mechanical-chemical erosion.The lithospheric mantle may have partially melted due to the heating by the upwelling asthenosphere and lithospheric extension.It is inferred that the Tuanshanbei dolerite might be associated with the initial slab rollback and corresponding lithospheric extension occurred potentially at ca.145 Ma.

Experimental study on reactions between alkaline basaltic melt and orthopyroxenes: constraints on the evolution of lithospheric mantle in the North China Craton

The experimental results of the reactions between an alkaline basaltic melt and mantle orthopyroxenes under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions of 1300–1400℃ and 2.0–3.0 GPa using a six-anvil apparatus are reported in this paper.The reactions are proposed to simulate the interactions between melts from the asthenospheric mantle and the lithospheric mantle.The starting melt in the experiments was made from the alkaline basalt occurring in Fuxin,Liaoning Province,and the orthopyroxenes were separated from the mantle xenoliths in Damaping,Hebei Province.The results show that clinopyroxenes were formed in all the reactions between the alkaline basaltic melt and orthopyroxenes under the studied P–T conditions.The formation of clinopyroxene in the reaction zone is mainly controlled by dissolution–crystallization,and the chemical compositions of the reacted melt are primarily infl uenced by the diff usion eff ect.Temperature is the most important parameter controlling the reactions between the melt and orthopyroxenes,which has a direct impact on the melting of orthopyroxenes and the diff usion of chemical components in the melt.Temperature also directly controls the chemical compositions of the newly formed clinopyroxenes in the reaction zone and the reacted melt.The formation of clinopyroxenes from the reactions between the alkaline basaltic melt and orthopyroxenes can result in an increase of CaO and Al_(2)O_(3) contents in the rocks containing this mineral.Therefore,the reactions between the alkaline basaltic melt from the asthenospheric mantle and orthopyroxenes from the lithospheric mantle can lead to the evolution of lithospheric mantle in the North China Craton from refractory to fertile with relatively high CaO and Al 2 O 3 contents.In addition,the reacted melts in some runs were transformed from the starting alkaline basaltic into tholeiitic after reactions,indicating that tholeiitic magma could be generated from alkaline basaltic one via reactions between the latter and orthopyroxene.

Petrogenesis of the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene Yao'an Shoshonitic Complex,Southeastern Tibet:Partial Melting of an Ancient Continental Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Yangtze Block

Cenozoic potassic-ultrapotassic igneous rocks are widespread in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.Their petrogenesis and magmatic processes remain subject to debate in spite of numerous publications.Almost all of the Cenozoic extrusive and intrusive rocks in the Yao’an area,western Yunnan Province,SW China,are geochemically shoshonitic,collectively termed here the Yao’an Shoshonitic Complex(YSC).The YSC is located in the(south)easternmost part of the ENE-WSW-trending,~550 km-long and~250 km-wide Cenozoic magmatic zone;the latter separates the orthogonal and oblique collision belts of the India-Eurasia collision orogen.Previously published geochronological and thermochronological data revealed that the rocks of the YSC were emplaced over a short timespan of 34-32 Ma.This and our new data suggest that the primary magma of the YSC likely was formed by partial melting of ancient continental lithospheric mantle beneath the Yangtze Block.This part of the continental lithospheric mantle had likely not been modified by any oceanic subduction.Fractionation crystallization of an Mg-and Ca-bearing mineral and TiFe oxides during the magmatic evolution probably account for the variable lithologies of the YSC.

Carbon Enrichment in the Lithospheric Mantle:Evidence from the Melt Inclusions in Mantle Xenoliths from the Hainan Basalts

It is generally believed that the lithospheric mantle and the mantle transition zone are important carbon reservoirs.However,the location of carbon storage in Earth's interior and the reasons for carbon enrichment remain unclear.In this study,we report CO_(2)-rich olivine-hosted melt inclusions in the mantle xenoliths of late Cenozoic basalts from the Penglai area,Hainan Province,which may shed some light on the carbon enrichment process in the lithospheric mantle.We also present a detailed petrological and geochemical investigation of the late Cenozoic basalts and mantle xenoliths from northern Hainan Island.The collected samples of late Cenozoic Hainan Island basalts belong to both alkaline and subalkaline series,showing fractionated REE patterns with high(La/Yb)_(N)values of 3.52–11.77,which are typical for OIB.Based on Al-in-olivine thermometry,the temperatures estimated for the mantle xenoliths can be divided into two groups.One group has temperatures of less than 1050℃,and the other group has temperature ranging from 1050℃to 1282℃.Clinopyroxene(La/Yb)_(N)–Ti/Eu and clinopyroxene Ca/Al–Mg^(#)diagrams indicate that the mantle peridotite experienced metasomatism from both silicate and carbonate melts.Melt inclusions in the olivine of mantle xenoliths include(1)CO_(2)bubble–rich melt inclusions;(2)multiphase melt inclusions(glass+CO_(2)bubble+daughter minerals);(3)pure glass melt inclusions.Magnesite is a daughter mineral in the olivine-hosted melt inclusions,which could be interpreted as a secondary mineral formed by the interactions of CO_(2)-rich fluids with an olivine host,due to post-entrapment effects.The glasses in olivine-hosted melt inclusions have high SiO_(2)contents(60.21–77.72 wt%).Our results suggest that a considerable amount of CO_(2)-rich melt inclusions are captured in the lithospheric mantle during metasomatism.The lithospheric mantle can therefore act as is a‘carbon trap',with much CO_(2)being absorbed by the lithospheric mantle in this way.

Discovery of Early Tonian Calc-alkaline and Shoshonitic Metamafic Rocks from the North Purulia Shear Zone,Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex,Eastern India:Implications of Proterozoic Sub-continental Lithospheric Mantle

Reports of shoshonitic rocks in Precambrian terrains are relatively rare.Pl-Grt amphibolites and Hbl-Bt mafic granulites occurring in the migmatitic gneisses of the Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex(CGC)show calc-alkaline and shoshonitic characteristics.Relict porphyritic,sub-ophitic and poikilitic textures are noted in these rocks.Their parent magma was emplaced during the waning phase of the regional metamorphism.Geochemically,these metamafics are similar to the GroupⅢpotassic and ultrapotassic rocks of Foley et al.(1987).The magma was derived from the metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle(SCLM).Subduction-related sediment melts metasomatized the SCLM.Compositionally,the SCLM is a metasomatized phlogopite-amphibole-spinel-bearing harzburgite.1%–5%batch melting of the SCLM could produce the parental magma of the mafic granulites.Pressures and temperatures of metamorphic equilibration were carried out by pseudosection modeling.Peak metamorphic assemblage(M_(1):Grt-Cpx-Pl-Qz)in garnetiferous amphibolite equilibrated at 740℃and 8.7 kbar.The Cpx-Pl corona appeared around the garnet during decompression(M_(2):655℃,6 kbar).The Hbl-Pl symplectites around garnet formed during isobaric cooling(M_(3):580℃and 5.9 kbar).The emplacement of shoshonitic magma and subsequent decompression happened at the slab break-off stage of continental collision(~990 Ma).

Behavior of Siderophile and Chalcophile Elements in the Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Changbaishan Volcano,NE China

The mantle xenoliths in the Quaternary ChangbaishanVolcano in southern Jilin Province contain spinel-facies lherzolites. The equilibration temperatures for these samples range from 902℃ to 1064℃ based on the two-pyroxene thermometer of Brey and Kohler （1990）, and using the oxybarometry of Nell and Wood （1991）, the oxidation state was estimated from FMQ-1.32 to -0.38 with an average value of FMQ-0.81 （n = 8）, which is comparable to that of abyssal peridotites and the asthenospheric mantle. ThefO2 values of peridotites, together with their bulk rock compositions （e.g., Mg#, Al2O3, CaO, Ni, Co, Cr） and mineral compositions （e.g., Mg# of olivine and pyroxene, Cr# [=Cr/ [Cr＋Al]] and Mg# [=Mg/[Mg＋Fe2~] of spinel）, suggest that the present-day subcontinental lithospheric mantle （SCLM） beneath the Changbaishan Volcano most likely formed from an upwelling asthenosphere at some time after the late Mesozoic and has undergone a low degree of partial melting. The studied lherzolite xenoliths show low concentrations of S, Cu, and platinum group elements （PGE）, which plot a flat pattern on primitive-mantle normalized diagram. Very low concentrations in our samples suggest that PGEs occur as alloys or hosted by silicate and oxide minerals. The compositions of the studied samples are similar to those of peridotite xenoliths in the Longgang volcanic field （LVF） in their mineralogy and bulk rock compositions including the abundance of chalcophile and siderophile elements. However, they are distinctly different from those of peridotite xenoliths in other areas of the North China Craton （NCC） in terms of Cu, S and PGE. Our data suggest that the SCLM underlying the northeastern part of the NCC may represent a distinct unit of the newly formed lithospberic mantle.

Archean-Paleoproterozoic Lithospheric Mantle at the Northern Margin of the North China Craton Represented by Tectonically Exhumed Peridotites

Tectonically emplaced peridotites from North Hebei Province, North China Craton, have retained an original harzburgite mineral assemblage of olivine （54%-58%） ＋ orthopyroxene （40%-46%） ＋minor clinopyroxene （〈1%）＋spinel. Samples with honinite-like chemical compositions also coexist with these peridotites. The spinels within the peridotites have high-A1 end-members with A1203 content of 30 wt%-50 wt%, typical of mantle spinels. When compared with experimentally determined melt extraction trajectories, the harzburgites display a high degree of melting and enrichment of SiO2, which is typical of cratonic mantle peridotites. The peridotites display variably enriched light rare earth elements （REEs）, relatively depleted middle REEs and weakly fractionated heavy REEs, which suggest a melt extraction of over 25% in the spinel stability field. The occurrence of are- and SSZ-type chromian spinels in the peridotites suggests that melt extraction and metasomatism occurred mostly in a subduction-related setting. This is also supported by the geochemical data of the coexisting boninite-like samples. The peridotites have lS7Os/lSSOs ratios ranging from 0.113-0.122, which is typical of cratonic iithospheric mantle. These lSTOs/ISSOs ratios yield model melt extraction ages （TRD） ranging from 981 Ma to 2054 Ma, which may represent the minimum estimation of the melt extraction age. The Ai203- lSTOs/lSSOs-proxy isochron ages of 2.4 Ga-2.7 Ga suggest a mantle melt depletion age between the Late Achaean and Early Paleoproterozoic. Both the peridotites and boninite-like rocks are therefore interpreted as tectonically exhumed continental lithospheric mantle of the North China Craton, which has experienced mantle melt depletion and subduction-related mantle metasomatism during the Neoarchean- Paleoproterozoic.

Petrography and Geochemistry of Peridotite Xenoliths from Hannuoba and Significance for Lithospheric Mantle Evolution

The compositions of the whole rocks and trace elements of minerals in peridotites can reflect the characteristics of the lithospheric mantle. The nature and evolution of the Cenozoic lithospheric mantle beneath Hannuoba （汉诺坝）, located on the north edge of the intra-North China orogenic belt, are discussed based on the in-situ LAM-ICPMS detected trace element compositions of clinopyroxenes in the Hannuoba peridotitic xenoliths combined with detailed petrography and geochemistry studies. The Hannuoba lithospheric mantle was formed by different partial meltings of the primitive mantle. Most of the samples reflect the partial melting degree of lower than 5% with a few samples of 15%-20%. Major element compositions of the whole rocks and geochemical compositions of clinopyroxenes reveal the coexistence of both fertile and depleted mantle underneath the Hannuoba region during the Cenozoic. This was probably caused by the asthenospheric mantle replacing the aged craton mantle through erosion, intermingling and modification. Our conclusion is further supported by the existence of both carbonatitic magmatic material and silicate melt/ fluid metasomatism as magnified by the trace elements of the clinopyroxencs from the Hannuoba lithospherJc mantle.

Early Devonian Ultrapotassic Magmatism in the North China Craton: Geochemical and Isotopic Evidence for Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle Metasomatism by Subducted Sediment–Derived Fluid

The North China Craton(NCC) represents one of the oldest and largest cratons in the earth with a nearly complete record of Precambrian history. In the northern part of the NCC, the earliest phase of alkaline magmatism occurred in discrete pulses in the Early and Middle Devonian;whereas the next episode of alkaline magmatism took place in the early Mesozoic. The Gucheng pluton is exposed in the northern part of the NCC and forms a composite intrusion, consisting of K-feldspar–bearing clinopyroxenite, clinopyroxene–bearing syenite and alkali-feldspar syenite. Mineral phases in these lithologies include clinopyroxene(Wo43-48En19-35Fs18-38), sanidine(An0 Ab3-11Or89-97), and subordinate titanite, andradite and Na-feldspar. These rocks show homogeneous Sr but variable Nd isotopic compositions, and have relatively high zircon in-situ oxygen isotopes(δ18O=5.2–6.7). The Gucheng plutonic rocks formed through fractional crystallization and accumulation from ultrapotassic magmas, which were originated from partial melting of metasomatic vein systems in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle of the NCC. These vein networks developed as a result of the reactions of fluids derived from subducted pelitic sediments on the downgoing Palaeo-Asian ocean floor with the enriched, subcontinental lithospheric mantle peridotites. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating has revealed a crystallization age of 415 Ma for the timing of the emplacement of the Gucheng pluton that marks the early stages of alkaline magmatism associated with the Andean-type continental margin evolution along the northern edge of the NCC facing the Palaeo-Asian Ocean.

Redox Evolution of the Lithospheric Mantle beneath the North China Craton

Objective The North China Craton （NCC） is a large Archean craton with a long geological history, yet very few studies have been carried out on the evolution of the redox conditions of its underlying mantle. Oxidation state of the mantle is critical in controlling the formation of metallic mineral deposits because metals can be readily released from the mantle to partial melt under oxidized conditions. In contrast, highly reduced and stable conditions are essential for the crystallization of diamond. The subcontinental lithospheric mantle （SCLM） beneath major cratons in the world has been stable since their formation and highly reduced in its oxidation state, but the SCLM below the NCC is different.

Dunite Xenoliths and Olivine Xenocrysts in Gabbro from Taihang Mountains: Characteristics of Mesozoic Lithospheric Mantle in Central China

This article reports the petrography and mineral chemistry of dunite xenoliths and olivine xenocrysts entrained by the Early Cretaceous Xi＇anli （西安里） hornblende （Hb）-gahbros from the southern Taihang （太行） Mountains, with the aim of constraining the nature of the Mesozoic lithospheric mantle in Central China. Rounded dunite xenoliths are 1-3 cm3 in size and display porphyroelastic, tabular, and protogranular textures. Chromite with Cr#=60-89 is common in the xenoliths. Oilvine xenocrysts of 4-6 mm in size are also found in the Hb-gabbros. Orthopyroxene reaction rims are commonly observed around olivine xenocrysts or between dunite xenoliths and host rocks. The porphyroclastic olivines within dunite xenoliths and olivine xenoerysts have kink bands and Mg#=83-94. The Mg# of olivine cores and rims are 89-94 （average, 90） and 83-86 （average, 84.4）, respectively. The CaO contents of all olivines from the xenoliths and xenocrysts are less than 0.1 wt.%, suggesting a Hthospheric mantle origin. The Ca content （214 ppm-818 ppm） and Ti content （15 ppm-137 ppm） in the xenoliths and xenocrysts are similar to those of olivines from the dunite xenoliths, but are much higher than those of olivines from harzburgite and lherzolite xenoliths in the Fushan （符山） intrusion. This finding implies that the xenoliths and xenocrysts may have originated from harzburgites or lherzolites that were intensively modified by silica-rich melts. This result, combined with high Mg# （92-94） of olivine cores from the dunite xenoliths and xenocrysts, indicates that these ofivine xenocrysts and dunite xenoliths could represent the residue of ancient （Archean or Paleopro. terozoic） lithospheric mantle and might have experienced the same intensive modification by silica-rich melts as the host magma, resulting in enrichment in MgO and SiO2.

The longevity of subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath Jiangsu-Anhui Region——The Os isotope model age of mantle-derived peridotite xenoliths

The basalt-borne peridotite xenoliths from Jiangsu-Anhui provinces were analyzed for whole rock Os isotopic compositions in two laboratories of USTC, China and CRPG, France, respectively. The ^(187)Os/^(188)Os ratio of the sample set ranges from 0.119 to 0.129 (25 samples, USTC) and from 0.117 to 0.131 (17 samples, CRPG). The Os isotopic compositions of most samples are less than 0.129 and depleted relatively to the primitive mantle, showing a good correlation with the major element compositions. With the ^(187)Os/^(188)Os-AI2O3 alumichron, the samples yield a model age of 2.5±0.1 Ga (data of USTC) and 1.9±0.1 Ga (data of CRPG), late Archean to early Pro-terozoic. The two samples with the lowest ^(187)Os/^(188)Os ratio (0.119 and 0.117) have the T_(RD) (Re depleted age) of 1.1 Ga (USTC) and 1.4 Ga (CRPG), mid-Proterozoic. The Os isotope model age shows that the peridotite xenoliths from Cenozoic alkali basalt in Jiangsu-Anhui provinces have an old formation age (early- to mid- Proterozoic). They are not newly produced mantle after the Phanerozoic replacement of the lithosphere mantle, but residual fractions of Proterozoic mantle.

Nature and secular evolution of the lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton

The Archean mantle lithosphere beneath the North China Craton(NCC)was transformed in the Mesozoic,leading to the craton destruction.Despite the significant breakthroughs in the craton studies,lithospheric transformation mechanisms are yet to be fully understood.Compositional variations of mantle-derived rocks and xenoliths provide insights into the nature of the mantle lithosphere before and after the craton destruction.The Paleozoic lithosphere of the NCC is~200 km thick.It has a refractory mantle with an evolved isotopic signature.The Mesozoic mantle lithosphere was relatively fertile and highly heterogeneous.In the Cenozoic,the lithosphere in the eastern NCC is about 60–80 km thick.It has an oceanic-type mantle that is fertile in composition and depleted in the Sr-Nd isotopic signature.The Central Zone lithosphere is>100 km thick and has a double-layer mantle with an old upper layer and a new lower layer.The Western Block has a lithosphere of~200 km thick.The lithospheric mantle beneath the southern and northern margins and eastern part of the NCC has been transformed significantly by peridotite-melt reactions due to the multiple subductions of adjacent plates since the Paleozoic.Paleo-Pacific subduction and the associated dynamic processes significantly alter the lithosphere based on the distribution of craton destruction.The involved mechanisms include mechanical intrusion of subduction plates,melt/fluid erosion,and local delamination.The lithospheric thinning of~120 km is relevant to the continental extension caused by subduction plate rollback and trench retreat.

Experimental studies of melt-peridotite reactions at 1–2 GPa and 1250–1400°C and their implications for transforming the nature of lithospheric mantle and for high-Mg signatures in adakitic rocks

Experiments of the melt-peridotite reaction at pressures of 1 and 2 GPa and temperatures of 1250–1400°C have been carried out to understand the nature of the peridotite xenoliths in the Mesozoic high-Mg diorites and basalts of the North China Craton,and further to elucidate the processes in which the Mesozoic lithospheric mantle in this region was transformed.We used Fuxin alkali basalt,Feixian alkali basalt,and Xu-Huai hornblende-garnet pyroxenite as starting materials for the reacting melts,and lherzolite xenoliths and synthesized harzburgite as starting materials for the lithospheric mantle.The experimental results indicate that:(1)the reactions between basaltic melts and lherzolite and harzburgite at 1–2 GPa and 1300–1400°C tended to dissolve pyroxene and precipitate low-Mg#olivine(Mg#=83.6–89.3),forming sequences of dunite-lherzolite(D-L)and duniteharzburgite(D-H),respectively;(2)reactions between hornblende-garnet pyroxenite and lherzolite at 1 GPa and 1250°C formed a D-H sequence,whereas reactions at 2 GPa and 1350°C formed orthopyroxenite layers and lherzolite;and(3)the reaction between a partial melt of hornblende-garnet pyroxenite and harzburgite resulted in a layer of orthopyroxenite at the boundary of the pyroxenite and harzburgite.The reacted melts have higher MgO abundances than the starting melts,demonstrating that the melt-peridotite reactions are responsible for the high-Mg#signatures of andesites or adakitic rocks.Our experimental results support the proposition that the abundant peridotite and pyroxenite xenoliths in western Shandong and the southern Taihang Mountains might have experienced multiple modifications in reaction to a variety of melts.We suggest that melt-peridotite reactions played important roles in transforming the nature of the Mesozoic lithospheric mantle in the region of the North China Craton.

Layering of subcontinental lithospheric mantle

Recent seismic studies reveal a sharp velocity drop mostly at^70–100 km depth within the thick mantle keel beneath cratons, termed the mid-lithosphere discontinuity(MLD). The common presence of the MLD in cratonic regions indicates structural and property layering of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle(SCLM). The nature and origin of the MLD, and many issues associated with the layering of the SCLM are essential to understand the formation and evolution of continents, and have become frontier subjects in the Earth sciences.

Cenozoic potassic volcanic rocks from the Keluo and Wudalianchi volcanic districts,northeast China:origin from the new sub-continental lithospheric mantle(SCLM)metasomatized by potassium-rich fluids from delaminated lower crust

A series of Cenozoic potassium-rich volcanic rocks developed in the Xiaoguli-Keluo-Wudalianchi-Erkeshan districts,northeast China.The source region and potassium-rich mechanism of the potassic rocks remain highly disputed.In this paper,the major elements,trace elements,and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes of the volcanic rocks in Keluo(KL)and Wudalianchi(WDLC)volcanic districts were analyzed systematically.The results show that the volcanic rocks are characterized by high K2O(4.36wt.%-6.13wt.%),remarkable enrichment in LREEs and LILEs,as well as the strong fractionation of HREEs.The isotopic characteristics with high 87Sr/86Sr(0.704990-0.705272),low 143Nd/144Nd(0.512306-0.512417),low 206Pb/204Pb(16.546-17.135)and 207Pb/204Pb(15.002-15.783)of the volcanic rocks suggest the involvement of EM-I-type mantle.On the basis of the geochemical characteristics,the potassium-rich volcanic magma originated from the new SCLM forming after delamination of the ancient SCLM,with metasomatism of the potassium-rich fluids released from the ancient lower crust during the Late Mesozoic.The proposed genetic model assumes the source which represented by a phlogopite-bearing garnet peridotite(with modal garnet in the range of 2%-10%)experienced very low degrees(i.e.,~0.5)of partial melting.During Cenozoic,the lithosphere in northeast China was affected by the extension and decompression of continental rift,and the metasomatized SCLM underwent low degree partial melting,resulting in the formation of potassium-rich primitive basaltic magma.

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.

Modification of the lithospheric mantle by melt derived from recycled continental crust evidenced by wehrlite xenoliths in Early Cretaceous high-Mg diorites from western Shandong, China

This paper reports petrographic, mineral chemical, olivine oxygen isotopic, and whole-rock geochemical data for wehrlite xenoliths from the Early Cretaceous Tietonggou high-Mg diorites in western Shandong Province, in the eastern part of the North China Craton (NCC), and describes the origin of these wehrlites and the processes that affected the deep lithospheric mantle in this area.Wehrlite xenoliths are rounded and vary in size between 3 cm × 4 cm 5 cm and 3 cm 2 cm 1 cm.Olivine within these xenoliths occurs as an isolated residual phase within clinopyroxene, has Fo contents between 89 and 91, and contains between 1414 and 3629 ppm Ni, similar to the values of olivine from peridotite xenoliths in the Cenozoic basalts of eastern China, but lower than the values of olivine from harzburgite xenoliths in the Early Cretaceous high-Mg diorites in western Shandong.In situ oxygen isotope analysis yielded 18 O values of olivine from (6.03±0.33)‰ to (6.82±0.35)‰, averaging (6.5±0.4)‰; this is higher than typical mantle-derived olivine ((5.2±0.3)‰).Compared with clinopyroxenes from peridotite xenoliths in the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic basalts, clinopyroxenes in the wehrlites contain relatively low concentrations of Na 2 O, TiO 2 , and Al 2 O 3 , high concentrations of CaO, and higher Mg # (91.2-94.1) and Ti/Eu ratios (2082-2845), being similar in composition to clinopyroxenes within harzburgite xenoliths in the Early Cretaceous high-Mg diorites.Clinopyroxenes from wehrlite xenoliths are characterized by low total REE abundance, enrichment in light REEs, and depletion in high field strength elements such as Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf.Moreover, the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd, and 187 Os/ 188 Os (125 Ma) ratios of these wehrlites vary from 0.70596 to 0.70737, 0.512181 to 0.512416, and 0.12661 to 0.57650, respectively.These data suggest that these wehrlite xenoliths were formed by modification of the lithospheric mantle by melts derived from recycled continental crust.

The water content and hydrogen isotope composition of continental lithospheric mantle and mantle-derived mafic igneous rocks in eastern China

The water contents of minerals and whole-rock in mantle-derived xenoliths from eastern China exhibit large variations and are generally lower than those from other on- and off-craton lithotectonic units. Nevertheless, the water contents of mineral and whole-rock in Junan peridotite xenoliths, which sourced from the juvenile lithospheric mantle, are generally higher than those elsewhere in eastern China. This suggests that the initial water content of juvenile lithospheric mantle is not low. There is no obvious correlation between the water contents and Mg~# values of minerals in the mantle xenoliths and no occurrence of diffusion profile in pyroxene, suggesting no relationship between the low water content of mantle xenolith and the diffusion loss of water during xenolith ascent with host basaltic magmas. If the subcontinental lithospheric mantle（SCLM） base is heated by the asthenospheric mantle, the diffusion loss of water is expected to occur. On the other hand, extraction of basaltic melts from the SCLM is a more efficient mechanism to reduce the water content of xenoliths. The primary melts of Mesozoic and Cenozoic basalts in eastern China have water contents, as calculated from the water contents of phenocrysts, higher than those of normal mid-ocean ridge basalts（MORB）. The Mesozoic basalts exhibit similar water contents to those of island arc basalts, whereas the Cenozoic basalts exhibit comparable water contents to oceanic island basalts and backarc basin basalts with some of them resembling island arc basalts. These observations suggest the water enrichment in the mantle source of continental basalts due to metasomatism by aqueous fluids and hydrous melts derived from dehydration and melting of deeply subducted crust. Mantle-derived megacrysts, minerals in xenoliths and phenocrysts in basalts from eastern China also exhibit largely variable hydrogen isotope compositions, indicating a large isotopic heterogeneity for the Cenozoic SCLM in eastern China. The water content that is higher than that of depleted MORB mantle and the hydrogen isotope composition that is deviated from that of depleted MORB mantle suggest that the Cenozoic continental lithospheric mantle suffered the metasomatism by hydrous melts derived from partial melting of the subducted Pacific slab below eastern China continent. The metasomatism would lead to the increase of water content in the SCLM base and then to the decrease of its viscosity. As a consequence, the SCLM base would be weakened and thus susceptible to tectonic erosion and delamination. As such, the crust-mantle interaction in oceanic subduction channel is the major cause for thinning of the craton lithosphere in North China.