Trace element composition of peridotites from the southern Mariana forearc:Insights into the geochemical effects of serpentinization and/or seafloor weathering

Peridotites from the southern Mariana forearc were sampled on the landward trench slope of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) subduction zone by dredging.These mantle wedge peridotites underwent hydration by fluid derived from a dehydrated descending slab,and later interacted with seawater after emplacement at or near the seafloor.This study investigates how these two different rock-fluid interaction processes influenced trace element distribution in the southern Mariana forearc peridotites.We measured trace element concentrations of peridotites from the southern Mariana forearc.The southern Mariana forearc peridotites are characterized by a distinct seawater-like REE pattern with an obvious negative Ce anomaly,and La shows good correlation with other REEs (except Ce).In addition,there is a great enrichment of U,Pb,Sr and Li elements,which show a distinct positive anomaly relative to adjacent elements in the multi-element diagram.For the seawater-like REE pattern,we infer that REEs are mainly influenced by seawater during peridotite-seawater interactions after their emplacement at or near the seafloor,by serpentinization or by marine weathering.Furthermore,the anomalous behavior of Ce,compared with other rare earth elements in these samples,may indicate that they have undergone reactions involving Ce (IV) when the peridotites interacted with seawater.Positive U,Pb,Sr and Li anomalies are inferred to be related to seawater and/or fluids released during dehydration of the subducting slab.

Petrologic and REE Geochemical Characters of Burnt Rocks

The study of burnt rocks is beneficial to the discussion on the tectonic movement, paleoclimate and paleogeography that coal seams are subjected to after they were formed. In order to obtain the basic data on the features of the burnt rocks, a systematic study of petrology and REE geochemistry on burnt rocks in Shenmu, Northern Shaanxi Province has been done, using the methods of SEM, EDS, susceptibility measurements and ICP-MS. The burnt rocks are divided into two series in the section： the melted rocks and the baked rocks. SEM and EDS analyses reveal that all the minerals show burnt and melted traces, and there are no clay minerals except illite found in the burnt rocks. Susceptibility measurements reveal that the burnt rocks have abnormally high susceptibility values, whereas a geochemical analysis shows that the REE distribution pattern of burnt rocks is similar to that of sedimentary rocks （initial rocks）. In the longitudinal section, with increasing degree of burning （from baked rocks to melted rocks）, the ∑REE gradually decreases, and the total REE of melted rocks is obviously lower than that of baked rocks. Besides, the melted rocks show apparent negative Ce anomalies, while the baked rocks show no anomaly of Ce, and sometimes even show positive anomalies.

Decoupled Ce-Nd Isotopic Systematics of the Neoproterozoic Huangling Intrusive Complex and Its Geological Significance, Eastern Three Gorges, South China

Cerium is one of multivalent rear earth elements, which can transfer from trivalence to tretavalence at oxidizing environment. This process may cause variable degrees of fractionation of Ce from other trivalent rear earth elements, and thus may provide specific insight into the geological processes associated with marked redoxomorphism. Multiple geochemical tracing of Sr-Nd-Ce isotopes are performed on the felsic and mafic intrusives of the Neoproterozoic（~800 Ma） Huangling complex located at the eastern Three Gorges, South China. The intrusive rocks exclusively show various extents of negative Ce anomalies. On the εCe-εNd plot, most samples from the mafic intrusions scatter within the second quadrant, whereas those from the felsic intrusions within the fourth Quadrant. Both of the two groups exhibit relatively large range of ？Ce（t） variation but limited ？Nd（t） range, which cause a deviation from the ＂crustal array＂ and reveal a decoupled Nd-Ce isotope correlation. The intermediate-felsic suite have varied Ce/Ce＊ ratios but broadly proximate εCe（t） values, indicating that their negative Ce anomalies were generated during the magmatism; on the contrary, a positive correlation between εCe（t） and Ce/Ce＊ is observed for the intermediate-mafic suite, an indication of an origin of post-magmatic alteration or metamorphism for their Ce anomalies. Calculation of model age, the occurrence age of negative Ce anomalies（TCe） for the intermediate-mafic samples infers that the alteration events took place 〉350 Ma. Data showed that negative Ce anomalies of the felsic intrusions may reflect an increase of oxygen fugacity during magma ascending, rather than an inheritance from their source rocks. This explanation implies that the Neoproterozoic magmatism occurred at the continental nucleus of the Yangtze block were developing at a geodynamic context of rapidly regional uplifting.