Oceanic Island Basalts within the West Junggar Ophiolitic Mélanges: Petrogenetic and Tectonic Implications

Recently, we focused on the Darbut and Karamay ophiolitic m41anges in West Junggar of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt （CAOB, SengOr et al., 1993; Windley et al., 2007; Xiao and Santosh, 2014）, and made much progress. This study was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China （No. 41303027） and Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges Project （No. 2014G1271058）. The achievements are illustrated as follows.

Reaction between basaltic melt and orthopyroxene at 3.0–4.5 GPa:Implications for the evolution of ocean island basalts in the mantle

Interactions between basaltic melt and orthopyroxenite(Opx)were investigated to gain a better understanding of the consequences of the residence and transport of ocean island basalts(OIBs)within the mantle.The experiments were conducted using a DS-3600 six-anvil apparatus at 3.0–4.5 GPa and 1300–1450℃.The basaltic melt and Opx coexisted at local equilibrium at these pressures and temperatures;the initial melts dissolved Opx,which modified their chemical composition,and clinopyroxene(Cpx)precipitated with or without garnet(Grt).The trace-element contents of Grt,Cpx,and melt were measured and the mineral–melt distribution coefficients(D)of Cpx–melt and Grt–melt were calculated,which can be used to assess the distribution of trace elements between basalt and minerals in the mantle.Two types of reaction rim were found in the experimental products,Cpx,and Cpx+Grt;this result indicates that residual rocks within the mantle should be pyroxenite or garnet pyroxenite.Both rock types are found in mantle xenoliths from Hawaii,and the rare-earth-element(REE)pattern of Cpx in these mantle pyroxenites matches those of Cpx in the experimental reaction rims.Furthermore,residual melts in the experimental products plot in similar positions to Hawaiian high-SiO_(2)OIBs on major-element Harker diagrams,and their trace-element patterns show the signature of residual Grt,particularly in runs at1350℃ and 4.0–4.5 GPa.Trace-element concentrations of the experimental residual melts plot in similar positions to the Hawaiian OIBs on commonly used discrimination diagrams(Ti vs.Zr,Cr vs.Y,Cr vs.V,Zr/Y vs.Zr,and Ti/Y vs.Nb/Y).These results indicate that reaction between basaltic melt and pyroxenite might contribute to the generation of Hawaiian high-SiO2 OIBs and account for their chemical variability.

Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications of Middle Ordovician Ocean Island Basalts from the Chagantaolegai Ophiolitic Mélange in Junggar,NW China

Seamount accretion is one of the most significant accretionary orogenic processes in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt,but there are few paleo-seamounts reported from and debate on the tectonic evolution of the Junggar Ocean still exists.In this study,we present geochronological,mineralogical,geochemical and isotopic data for basalts from the Chagantaolegai ophiolitic mélanges in Junggar.Zircon U-Pb dating on one basalt yielded a weighted mean^(206)Pb/^(238)U age of 469±7 Ma,which suggests that it formed in the Middle Ordovician.All rock samples belong to alkaline basalt and show similar geochemical characteristics,displaying high TiO_(2)(~3 wt%),(La/Yb)N(17.6–19.0),ΣREE(232–289 ppm)and enrichment in Nb and Ta,which implies an ocean island basalt(OIB)affinity.Based upon positiveεN d(t)(+4.16 to+4.23),ΔNb(0.20–0.22)and low initial^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr(0.70425 to 0.70452)and Zr/Nb(3.35–3.57),we suggest that the Chagantaolegai OIB samples were likely derived from a fertile mantle source related to plume.The OIB rock assemblage,chert and marble in the southern part of the Chagantaolegai ophiolitic mélange indicates that a Middle Ordovician seamount was accreted to the Boshchekul-Chingiz arc due to the northward subduction of the Junggar-Balkhash Ocean.

Source and magmatic evolution of ocean island basalts from the Pohnpei Island,Northwest Pacific Ocean:Insights from olivine geochemistry

The compositional variability of ocean island basalts(OIBs)is thought to reflect partial melting of a lithologicallyheterogeneous mantle source dominated by either pyroxenite or peridotite.The Pohnpei Island in Micronesia,which is associated with the Caroline hotspot,is suggested to have been generated from partial melting of a pyroxenite-rich mantle.To examine this hypothesis,we present new major-and trace-element compositions of olivine phenocrysts in basalts from the island.The olivines exhibit large systematic inter-and intra-crystalline compositional variability.In Sample DS1,olivines record compositional zonation,in which cores have relatively high Fo(77–85),Ni(550×10^(-6 )–2392×10^(-6 )),and Fe/Mn ratios(66–82),whereas rims have lower Fo(71–78),Ni(526×10^(-6 )–1537×10^(-6 )),and Fe/Mn ratios(51–62).By contrast,olivines within other samples preserve no clear compositional zonation,exhibiting similar or slightly lower Fo values(66–78),Ni contents(401×10^(-6 )–1268×10^(-6 )),and Fe/Mn ratios(53–69)as the rims of zoned crystals.The distinct chemical contrast between the two different types of olivine suggests they formed in magma chambers at different depths.Analysis using forward petrological modeling and multi-element indicators(Fe/Mn,Zn/Fe,FC3MS(FeO^(T)/CaO-(3×MgO/SiO^(2))),Mn/Zn,and Ni/(Mg/Fe))of whole-rock samples and high-Fo olivines is inconsistent with a pyroxenite-rich mantle source.We suggest these inconsistencies reflect an influence on the partition coefficients of Ni and Mn between olivine and liquid during melting at variable pressures and temperatures.In addition,magma recharge and mixing within the magmatic plumbing system can change the composition of olivine.We suggest that identification of the mantle source of OIBs in volcanic islands such as the Pohnpei Island using olivine geochemistry should be treated with caution.

Geochemical constraints on CO2-rich mantle source for the Kocebu Seamount,Magellan Seamount chain in the western Pacific

The alkaline oceanic island basalts(OIBs)with under-saturated SiO2 and high contents of CaO and alkaline are usually attributed to mantle sources different from typical tholeiitic OIBs.Based on the results of high pressure and temperature experiment study,the genesis of silica under-saturated alkaline basaltic melts could be explained by the role of CO2,thus,the genetic relationship of alkaline basalts with CO2 has become a topic of relevance because it is closely related to the deep carbon cycle.The Magellan Seamount chain in the West Pacific Seamount Province has wide distribution of alkali basalts.For the first time,we collected alkaline basalt samples from the Kocebu Seamount of the Magellan Seamount chain and found that magmatic apatites widely occur in the less evolved volcanic rock samples,and the high contents of phosphorus should be a feature of the alkaline OIBs of the Magellan Seamounts.Compared with typical OIBs,these alkaline volcanic rocks have higher CaO and P2O5,lower SiO2 content,negative anomaly of high field strength elements(HFSEs),more distinctly negative anomaly of potassium(K)and the ubiquity of titanaugite,indicating a CO2-rich mantle source.Based on the relatively high K2O and TiO2 contents and La/Yb ratio and low MgO content of these alkaline rocks,we suggest that the volcanic rocks of the Magellan Seamounts are originated from carbonated eclogites derived possibly from ancient subducted altered oceanic crust.

Fingerprints of the Kerguelen Mantle Plume in Southern Tibet: Evidence from Early Cretaceous Magmatism in the Tethyan Himalaya

Early Cretaceous magmatism suggested to be related with the Kerguelen mantle plume has been reported in both the eastern and western Tethyan Himalayan terrane.Coeval magmatism(133-138 Ma)recorded by hypabyssal intrusive rocks have been recently discovered in the central Tethyan Himalaya(TH).The hypabyssal intrusions are dominated by OIB-like basaltic rocks intruded by later porphyritic/ophitic intermediate rocks and are characterized by strongly light rare earth element enrichment and prominent Na-Ta depletion and Pb enrichment.The basaltic rocks have low 143Nd/144Nd ratios ranging from 0.512365 to 0.512476 but relatively high 87Sr/86Sr ratios ranging from 0.708185 to 0.708966.TheεNd(t)ratios of the basaltic rocks are between-4.33 and-2.20 and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios are 0.707807 to 0.708557.Geochemical data demonstrate that these rocks have experienced combined crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization processes.Magmatic zircons from the hypabyssal rocks exclusively have negativeεHf(t)values ranging from-0.7 to-12.7,suggestive of assimilation of crustal material.Zircons from these hypabyssal rocks have UPb ages ranging from 130 to 147 Ma.Inherited zircons have UPb ages from 397 to 2495 Ma.All the zircons are characterized by negativeεHf(t)values.The Jiding ocean island basalt(OIB)-like magmatism is geochemically and geochronologically comparable with that in the western and eastern Tethyan Himalaya,indicating widespread OIB-like magmatism in the northern margin of Greater India during the Cretaceous.Collectively,these rocks can be correlated with other early Cretaceous magmatism in western Australia and northern Antarctica.Considering the similarities,we suggest that the Jiding hypabyssal rocks are also genetically related to Kerguelen plume.Within the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone(YZSZ),there are also numerous occurrences of OIB-like rocks derived from mantle sources different from those of N-MORB-like magmas.The OIB-like magmatism in the YZSZ is nearly coeval with that in the TH,and the two are geochemically similar.We suggest that the OIB-like magmatism in the Neo-Tethyan ocean and the northern margin of Greater India may represent the dispersed fingerprints of the Kerguelen plume preserved in southern Tibet,China.

Timing and mechanism of opening the Neo-Tethys Ocean:Constraints from mélanges in the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone

The evolution and final closure of the Neo-Tethys Ocean are one of the most important geological events that have occurred on Earth since the Mesozoic.However,the evolution of the Neo-Tethys is not well constrained,in particular whether its opening occurred in the Permian or the Triassic and whether a plume was involved with its opening or not.In this study,we present geochronological and geochemical data for mafic igneous rocks in mélanges along the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone(YZSZ)in southern Tibet to constrain the timing and mechanism of opening the Neo-Tethys Ocean.Based on field observations,the YZSZ mélanges can be divided into three segments.The western(west of Zhongba)and eastern(Sangsang-Renbu)segments are composed of ocean plate stratigraphy representing accretionary complexes that formed during subduction of Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere beneath the southern margin of the Asian continent.Mélanges in the central segment(Zhongba-eastern Saga)typically have a siliciclastic matrix,and represent Tethyan Himalayan strata that were structurally mixed with the southern margin of the Asian continent.Based on our and previously published geochemical data,the mafic rocks in the YZSZ mélanges are ocean island basalt(OIB)-like,with ages in the Late Permian-Middle Triassic,the Middle-Late Jurassic,and the Early Cretaceous,respectively.An OIB-like block with an age of ca.253 Ma is identified from the Zhongba mélanges in the western segment,and it is the oldest OIB lithology yet identified in the YZSZ mélanges related to the evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean.Geochemical features indicate that this OIB-like block is distinct from typical OIBs and would be formed during continental rifting to incipient seafloor spreading.In the framework of plate divergent-convergent coupling systems and based on literature data for early Middle Triassic seamounts,radiolarian cherts,and normal mid-ocean ridge basalt-like oceanic crust,we conclude that opening of the Yarlung Zangbo Neo-Tethys Ocean would mainly occur at~250–243 Ma in the Early Triassic,not later than the early phase of Middle Triassic.In addition,a mantle plume was not involved in opening the Yarlung Zangbo Neo-Tethys Ocean.On the other hand,we have also identified a suite of ca.160 Ma OIB-like basaltic sills from the Bainang mélanges in the eastern segment,which is the same age as the OIB lithologies previously reported in the Zhongba mélanges.Based on the sill-like occurrence and absence of plume-related rock associations in this region,the Bainang OIB-like rocks might result from Middle-Late Jurassic continental rifting in northern Gondwana.Magmatism related to this tectonic event is preserved in both the YZSZ mélanges and Himalayan strata,but its tectonic significance requires further investigation.Based on this study of the YZSZ mélanges and the previous studies of YZSZ ophiolites,Gangdese belt igneous rocks,and sedimentary rocks,we have reconstructed the entire Wilson Cycle of the Yarlung Zangbo Neo-Tethys Ocean,mainly involving continental rifting and ocean opening,subduction initiation,ultraslow-spreading ridge-trench conversion,subduction re-initiation,and oceanic closure and initial India-Asia collision for the tectonic emplacement of ophiolites.These processes were associated not only with magmatic flare-ups and lulls in the Gangdese belt but also with two stages of ophiolite obduction.Our data therefore provide new insights into the evolution of the Yarlung Zangbo Neo-Tethys Ocean and related Tethyan geodynamics.

The formation mechanism of accretionary wedge at Karamay in West Junggar,NW China

Accretionary wedge is the typical product of subduction-zone processes at shallow depths. Determining the location, composition and mechanism of accretionary wedge has important implications for understanding the tectonism of plate subduction. The Central Asian Orogenic Belt （CAOB） is one of the world＇s largest accretionary orogenic belts, and records the bulk evolution of Paleo-Asian Ocean from opening to closure, with multi-stages and multi-types of crust-mantle interaction in the Paleozoic. West Junggar （western part of Junggar Basin）, located in the core area of CAOB, is characterized by a multiple intra-oceanic subduction system during the Paleozoic. In its eastem part crop out Devonian-Carboniferous marine sedimentary rocks, Darbut and Karamay ophiolitic m61anges, alkali oceanic island basalts, island arc volcanic rocks and thrusted nappe structure. Such lithotectonic associations indicate the occurrence of accretionary wedge at Karamay. In order to decipher its formation mechanism, this paper presents a synthesis of petrography, structural geology and geochemistry of volcanic rocks. In combination with oceanic subduction channel processes, it is suggested that the accretionary wedge is a composite melange with multiple stages of formation. The application of oceanic subduction channel model to the Karamay accretionary wedge provides new insights into the accretion and orogenesis of CAOB.