A. G. Tindle

Textural, chemical and isotopic insights into the nature and behaviour of metamorphic monazite

Monazite is a mineral of choice for dating metamorphism in amphibolite- and granulite-grade metapelites. However, there exist a number of difficulties that complicate the interpretation of monazite geochronological data and prevent its application to many geological problems. The two main obstacles addressed in this contribution are firstly, the minor but significant (e.g. 1–30 Ma) dispersal in duplicate isotope dilution thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) U–Pb age data commonly recorded from a single rock, and secondly, the difficulty of attaching monazite age data to pressure and temperature information. Through a multidisciplinary approach utilising TIMS and laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICPMS) isotope data, quantitative and qualitative EMP chemical analyses of monazite, and textural studies, we assess the significance of Pb loss, older components, and continuous and episodic monazite growth in the generation of dispersed age data. Three samples from the Canadian Cordillera and one sample from the Himalaya of Pakistan are examined. Each sample exhibits an age dispersion of between 1 and 12 Ma for single crystal and multi-grain TIMS U–Pb monazite age determinations. Consideration of the closure temperature for Pb diffusion in monazite and the metamorphic temperatures experienced by these samples suggests diffusive Pb loss did not play a significant part in generating this age dispersal. The LA-MC-ICPMS study indicates that an older component (<100 Ma older than the TIMS ages) contributed to the age dispersal in three of the four samples. In all the samples however, chemical analyses identified that the majority of monazites examined exhibited significant intra-crystalline zoning in Y content. The LA-MC-ICPMS analysis of one sample that was constrained to zones of distinct Y content indicates that these zones are of distinct age. We suggest that monazite grown before the appearance of garnet and during garnet breakdown is relatively rich in Y, whereas monazite grown after garnet is relatively poor in Y. A combination of these chemical data with textural observations suggests that once monazite had entered the mineral assemblage it grew or recrystallised episodically throughout the prograde and retrograde paths of the metamorphic event. This behaviour contributes to, and in one of the samples controls, the observed age dispersal. This recognition allows the generation of pressure–temperature–time points by combining textural and chemical information of monazite with in situ age determinations, and pressure–temperature information from garnet. Thus, the episodic growth of compositionally distinct monazite throughout a metamorphic event provides the geochronologist with a very valuable chronological tool.

PROBE-AMPH—a spreadsheet program to classify microprobe-derived amphibole analyses

Abstract A Microsoft Excel™ spreadsheet program has been developed to calculate structural formulae of microprobe-derived amphibole analyses and determine classification parameters according to the International Mineralogical Association scheme for amphibole nomenclature. The program has been tested in the determination of formulae and classification of 138 amphibole analyses from the literature. Of these, the small percentage (14%) of discrepancies were determined mainly to be the result of (i) differences between measured (wet chemical) and estimated values for FeO and Fe2O3 and (ii) differences inherent in summing structural formula of microprobe data to 23 oxygens and wet chemical data to 24 oxygens. The program has been developed for the Apple Macintosh but a PC version also is available. Spreadsheet implementations of four published geobarometers based on the total aluminium content of certain calcic amphiboles also are presented. These geobarometers are applicable to metaluminous plutonic (and associated volcanic) rocks containing the assemblage amphibole-biotite-quartz-plagioclase-(orthoclase)-sphene-FeTi oxides and apply to a pressure range of 2.5–13 kbar.

Petrogenesis of plutonic rocks in a Proterozoic granulite-facies terrane — the Bunger Hills, East Antarctica

Abstract Several compositionally varied suites of plutonic rocks (gabbro-quartz monzogabbro, granite, quartz monzodiorite) in the Bunger Hills were emplaced at depths of ∼ 20 km over a relatively short time interval (1170-1150 Ma) during the waning stages of granulite-facies metamorphism, the peak of which occurred ∼ 1190 Ma ago. Alkaline (syenite to granite) rocks were emplaced west of the Denman Glacier at David Island ∼ 515 Ma ago. Most of these rocks crystallised from magmas derived by melting of heterogeneous mantle comprising at least two components — Nb-poor, long-term enriched lithosphere, and a Nb-rich OIB (ocean island basalt) -type within-plate component. Metasomatic enrichment of the source of the plutonic rocks, as well as that of 500-Ma alkaline dykes, may have been contemporaneous with continental crust formation in the area during the late Archaean or Early Proterozoic. Much of the chemical variation of the different suites can be explained by fractional crystallisation, but other processes, particularly variations in the extent and/or P–T conditions of melting were also important. Crustal contamination does not appear to have been a major factor in the petrogenesis of the Bunger Hills magmas, but cannot be entirely discounted, particularly for some of the granitic rocks; the more evolved David Island syenitic intrusives may have been derived by melting of lower-crustal rocks.

Metamorphic rocks of the 1985 Tibet Geotraverse, Lhasa to Golmud

Two examples of uplifted basement have been studied in the Lhasa Terrane of the Tibetan Plateau. The Nyainqentanglha orthogneisses are bounded by staurolite-garnet schists to the north which record prograde metamorphism at 5 .0 ± 1.3 kbar, 610 ± 70 °C. Garnet sillimanite xenoliths within the orthogneiss suggest that peak temperatures reached at least 700 ± 70 °C at 5.1 ± 2 .5 kbar. These P / T fields reflect high T/low P metamorphism during Eocene subduction, and indicate that the syntectonic Nyainqentanglha orthogneiss was emplaced at depths greater than 10 km. Sillimanite-bearing assemblages from the Amdo gneisses in the northern Lhasa Terrane provide evidence of crustal anatexis at temperatures > 680 °C. This event is poorly constrained in time but is probably Cambrian or earlier. Within the Kunlun Terrane, biotite and garnet isograds north of the Xidatan Fault indicate an increase in metamorphic grade from north to south, reaching peak metamorphism at 470 ± 30 °C, 4 .3 ± 1.5 kbar synchronous with the emplacement of the Triassic batholith. Regional metamorphism was followed by uplift of at least 2 km before emplacement of post-tectonic, early Jurassic granites.

Assimilation and partial melting of continental crust: evidence from the mineralogy and geochemistry of autoliths and xenoliths

This paper presents a model for the partial melting of quartz diorite and greywacke in the upper crust based on the mineralogy and geochemistry of enclaves within the Loch Doon granitic intrusion of southern Scotland. The melting of quartz diorite was modelled using autoliths, which represent fragments of cogenetic igneous rocks that became incorporated in the fractionating magma. Compared to their quartz diorite parents, the autoliths are enriched to varying degrees in some elements (notably Rb, Nb, Ta, Sm, Y, Yb) and depleted in others (Sr, and Ba); Eu and P are also depleted in the more assimitated autoliths. The compositions of melts that could be derived from assimilation of the autoliths have also been calculated: their REE patterns reveal a light REE enrichment, low concentrations of heavy REEs (1–3 x chondrite) and a positive Eu anomaly. The calculated degrees of melting vary from 35% in the least assimilated to 84% in the most assimilated autolith (assuming a bulk distribution coefficient of 10 for the most compatible element). Results from modelling of xenolith compositions (derived from metasediments) are also reported, but because of uncertainties in the composition of the parental sediment, these data are subject to larger errors. They do, however, indicate that resultant partial melts are distinctly different from those derived by partial melting of autoliths. In particular, the REE pattern of a greywacke-derived melt shows a slight enrichment in light REEs, greater concentrations of heavy REEs (10 x chondrite) and a small negative Eu anomaly. The calculated degrees of melting of the xenoliths fall in the range of 66–88% (assuming a bulk distribution coefficient of 10 for the most compatible element). The results have direct implications for assimilation and melting of the upper crust. By taking into account how the nature of residual phases is likely to change with depth, it can be demonstrated that some Archaean tonalite gneisses could represent liquids derived by partial melting of igneous material.

A Cryptoendolithic Community in Volcanic Glass

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and 16S rDNA analysis were used to characterize the endolithic colonization of silica-rich rhyolitic glass (obsidian) in a barren terrestrial volcanic environment in Iceland. The rocks were inhabited by a diverse eubacterial assemblage. In the interior of the rock, we identified cyanobacterial and algal 16S (plastid) sequences and visualized phototrophs by FISH, which demonstrates that molecular methods can be used to characterize phototrophs at the limits of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Temperatures on the surface of the dark rocks can exceed 40 degrees C but are below freezing for much of the winter. The rocks effectively shield the organisms within from ultraviolet radiation. Although PAR sufficient for photosynthesis cannot penetrate more than approximately 250 mum into the solid rock, the phototrophs inhabit cavities; and we hypothesize that by weathering the rock they may contribute to the formation of cavities in a feedback process, which allows them to acquire sufficient PAR at greater depths. These observations show how pioneer phototrophs can colonize the interior of volcanic glasses and rocks, despite the opaque nature of these materials. The data show that protected microhabitats in volcanic rocky environments would have been available for phototrophs on early Earth.

Heterogeneity in southern Central Indian Ridge MORB: Implications for ridge–hot spot interaction

Between the Rodrigues Triple Junction and the Marie Celeste fracture zone, basalts from the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) exhibit an enrichment in incompatible elements that increases in intensity northward. In addition, H2O/TiO2, Al[8], and Dy/Yb ratios increase, while Na[8] remains unchanged and Fe[8] decreases. Evolution of the enriched magma appears to be affected by elevated water contents, which lower the mantle solidus, thereby increasing the initial depth of melting, as well as delaying plagioclase crystallization. However, the enrichment affecting the northern samples is not a just function of hydrous mantle melting and crystallization. Instead of trending toward a small melt fraction from the mantle, as predicted by hydrous melting models, the CIR samples lie on a mixing line between N-MORB and a source component that closely resembles present-day Reunion hot spot lavas. Thus it appears that while hydrous melting and crystallization affect the CIR, the enriched and wet mantle originates from the Reunion hot spot, where it migrates eastward toward the CIR, against the direction of motion of the lithosphere.

Bacterial Colonization and Weathering of Terrestrial Obsidian in Iceland

Through weathering processes, volcanic rocks contribute both to nutrient flux into the biosphere and atmospheric CO 2 drawdown. As rhyolitic rocks are of higher silica content and have lower concentrations of biologically-important elements than basalts they might be expected to be less easily weathered by a biota. Investigations on the microbial diversity and weathering of silica-rich rhyolitic glass (obsidian) from a lava flow in Iceland are reported. 16S rDNA analysis of rock whole genome DNA shows that the rock hosts remarkable eubacterial diversity. Irregular pitted weathering textures correspond to regions of eubacterial colonization as shown by FISH. Weathering processes proceed at alteration fronts, with a preference for potentially nutrient-rich regions containing plagioclase and pyroxene crystals, although these features are less well defined than those previously reported from basaltic glass, consistent with the lower rates of chemical weathering previously reported for rhyolites compared to basalts. In–vitro weathering of the rock was tested by culturing in the laboratory resulting in a biofilm examined by FIB-SEM. This biofilm contained a population consisting of one dominant organism that did not correspond to any sequence in the environmental 16S rDNA analysis, showing that laboratory weathering experiments are unrepresentative of the potential complexity of prokaryotic weathering in nature.

Volcano-ice interactions at Prestahnukur, Iceland: rhyolite eruption during the last interglacial-glacial transition

Abstract Prestahnúkur is a 570m high rhyolite glaciovolcanic edifice in Iceland’s Western Rift Zone with a volume of 0.6 km3. Uniform whole rock, mineral and glass compositions suggest that Prestahnúkur was constructed during the eruption of one magma batch. Ar-Ar dating gives an age of 89± 24 ka, which implies eruption during the transition (Oxygen Isotope substages 5d to 5a) between the Eemian interglacial and the Weichselian glacial period. Prestahnu´kur is unique among published accounts of rhyolite tuyas because a base of magmatically-fragmented tephra appears to be absent. Instead, basal exposures consist of glassy lava lobes and coarse hyaloclastite, above which are single and multiple lava sheets with matrix-supported basal breccias and hyaloclastite upper carapaces. Steepening ramp structures at sheet termini are interpreted as ice-contact features. Interactions between erupting magma and water/ice have affected all lithologies. A preliminary model for the construction of Prestahnúkur involves an effusive subglacial eruption between 2–19 years duration which never became emergent, into an ice sheet over 700m thick. If 700m of ice had built up during this interglacial–glacial transition, this would corroborate models arguing for the swift accumulation of land-based ice in rapid response to global cooling.

Petrological notes on the 1983 lavas at Mount Etna, Sicily, with reference to their REE and Sr Nd isotope composition*

The 1983 hawaiite of Mount Etna was sampled and analyzed for groundmass and mineral compositions, rare-earth-element concentrations and Sr-Nd isotope ratios.Microprobe data for coexisting mineral phases and glass show crystallization temperatures of around 1100° C from a rather differentiated hawaiite magma at rather highfO2 (10−8 at 1100° C), well above the QFM buffer.The hawaiites are characterized by a marked enrichment in the light REE similar to other alkaline magmas: the (Ce)N/(Yb)N is greater than 10, a feature these hawaiites have in common with alkaline magmas erupted earlier on Mount Etna. Since the Ce/Yb ratio cannot be affected by fractionation of clinopyroxene and plagioclase, it is taken as an accurate reflection of the LREE-enriched nature of the hawaiites. From this point of view, the Etnean hawaiites are identical to within-plate alkaline magmas erupted on the Hawaiian islands.This similarity extends to the Nd-Sr isotope features. Two hawaiites have87Sr/86Sr=0.70346 and 0.70352 and143Nd/144Nd=0.51286 and 0.51284. These data indicate a source similar to oceanic-island basalts, a source depleted in Rb/Sr and Nd/Sm for some period of time. The Sr isotope data are identical to that previously reported for Mount Etna.Extraction of hawaiites from depleted source regions requires either recent enrichment events, mixing of asthenospheric and lithospheric melts, or variable degrees of melting. At present, the data do not allow a clear decision.The peculiar tectonic setting of Mount Etna, between the relatively undeformed African foreland and the active Aeolian volcanic islands, may suggest contributions to the source region from subduction and within-plate processes. Etnean lavas have a geochemical imprint of subduction-related enrichment processes, and they also share petrological and chemical features identical to oceanic-island basalts whose source region has been affected by within-palte enrichment processes.