B. A. Bazylev

High-pressure ultramafics in the lower crustal rocks of the Pekul’ney complex, central Chukchi Peninsula. 1. Petrography and mineralogy

Dunites, peridotites, olivine and spinel pyroxenites, and metagabbroids have been described in the tectonic blocks of the Pekul’ney complex of the central Chukchi Peninsula together with garnet-hornblende-clinopyroxene and zoisite (clinozoisite)-garnet-hornblende rocks, which are indicative of high-pressure complexes. However, the interpretations of previous researchers on the composition, structure, setting, and processes of formation of this rock association are highly controversial. The petrographic and mineralogical results reported in this paper indicate that the blocks of the complex host bodies of cumulate ultramafics among metamorphic rocks. These relationships were supported by the finding of xenoliths and xenocrysts of metamorphic rocks in the ultramafics. The metamorphic country rocks are lower crustal amphibolites and schists with peak metamorphic parameters corresponding to the high-pressure portion of the epidoteamphibolite facies (610–680°C and 9–14 kbar). All the varieties of ultramafic rocks studied in the blocks of the complex are assigned to a single cumulate series (from dunite to clinozoisite-garnet hornblendite), and the compositions of their primary minerals show regular correlations similar to crystallization differentiation trends. Specific features of the ultramafics of the Pekul’ney complex are the early crystallization of hornblende (which is present already in peridotites), wide range of garnet crystallization (associating with clinopyroxene, ceylonite, and hornblende), presence of magmatic clinozoisite in the most evolved assemblages (with garnet, hornblende, and clinopyroxene), and absence of evidence for plagioclase crystallization. Clinopyroxene from the most evolved ultramafic rocks contains more than 15 wt % Al2O3. The classification of the rocks of the complex provides a basis for the interpretation of geological relations between them and the elucidation of the characteristics of the internal structure of the blocks of the complex and bodies of cumulate ultramafic rocks in them.

U-Pb zircon age of gabbroids of the Ust’-Belaya mafic-ultramafic massif (Chukotka) and its interpretation

The Ust’-Belaya mafic-ultramafic massif is assigned to the Western Koryak fold belt and largely composed of residual spinel peridotites, layered spinel and plagioclase peridotites, and gabbros. These rocks are crosscut by occasional plagiogranite and diorite veins and exhibit locally a close spatial association with basalts and carbonate-sedimentary deposits of Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous age. Based on this evidence, the massif was ascribed to the pre-Late Devonian ophiolite association. Our study presents new U-Pb SHPIMP II zircon ages and petrographic and mineralogical data on samples of the layered amphibole gabbro and vein diorite from the Ust’-Belaya massif. The approximate concordant U-Pb age corresponding to a timing of of amphibole gabbro crystallization is 799 ± 15 Ma, and the concordant U-Pb age reflecting a timing of of vein diorite crystallization is 575 ± 10 Ma. These ages coupled with geological studies of the massif, petrological and mineralogical investigations of the dated samples, as well as literature data on the petrology of peridotites and the age of formed plagiogranites suggest that the peridotites and layered gabbros of the Ust’-Belaya massif were formed by the Late Riphean, whereas the vein diorite and plagiogranite were resulted from a later (Vendian-Cambrian) magmatic stage. The peridotites and gabbros of the massif display no genetic relationship with spatially associated basalts and sedimentary rocks and, thus, they cannot be considered as members the pre-Late Devonian ophiolitic association. The results of this study will inevitably lead to a significant revision of geological and geodynamic interpretations of the Ust’-Belaya mafic-ultramafic massif. However, uneven study of the Precambrian complexes of the Koryak and Chukchi areas, their evolution in different structures of the region cannot yet be described by a single geodynamic scenario.

Geodynamic setting of the high-grade amphibolites and associated igneous rocks from the accretionary complex of Povorotny Cape, Taiganos Peninsula, northeastern Russia

Abstract The petrology and geochemistry of high-grade amphibolites and associated gabbro, volcanic rocks and peridotites from Povorotny Cape (northeastern Russia) are considered with the aim to examine the geodynamic setting of different rock complexes related with the accretionary structure of this area. Geochemical and petrological evidence indicates that the following two predominant groups of igneous rocks were involved in the construction of the Povorotny Cape accretionary structure: (1) MORB and within-plate members (protolith of high-grade amphibolites, gabbro, dolerites, volcanic rocks and spinel lherzolites; (2) different products of suprasubduction magmatism, including boninites (gabbro and ultramafic cumulates, dolerites, volcanic rocks and spinel harzburgites). The P–T metamorphic conditions of the rock assemblages indicate that the Povorotny Cape rock complexes were affected by two main metamorphic events. The first corresponded to high-pressure–medium-temperature conditions and was unique to the high-grade amphibolite, and the second occurred in the form of low-temperature recrystallization under greenschist-facies conditions and manifested itself in virtually all igneous rocks of Povorotny Cape and in part of the high-grade amphibolites. The igneous and metamorphic rock complexes of Povorotny Cape were formed during the following main tectonic episodes: (1) generation of MORB and within-plate magmatic rock assemblages (gabbros, dolerites and volcanic rocks), including residual peridotites in an oceanic basin; (2) subduction of part of these rocks to a relatively shallow position within a warm subduction zone, while the remaining oceanic lithosphere was detached and tectonically incorporated into a suprasubduction complex; (3) formation of a suprasubduction magmatic complex that included a boninite series; (4) exhumation of the high-grade amphibolites and spinel lherzolites and their tectonic mixing with the oceanic and suprasubduction igneous complexes.

High-pressure ultramafics in the lower crustal rocks of the Pekul’ney complex, central Chukchi Peninsula. 2. Internal structure of blocks and ultramafic bodies, geologic and geodynamic setting of rock formation

The detailed mapping of the blocks of the Pekul’ney complex revealed that cumulate ultramafics occur as separate tabular bodies among metamorphic rocks and are only fragmentarily observed in some of the blocks. Within these bodies, different types of ultramafics are regularly and multiply intercalated, forming banded structures, which supports their assignment to a single cumulate series. The tabular ultramafic bodies investigated in different blocks of the Pekul’ney complex are from 350 to 1100 m thick, and their internal structure is made up of intercalated regular rhythms of dunites-peridotites and olivine pyroxenites-olivine-free ultramafics (garnet, ceylonite, and clinozoisite clinopyroxenites, websterites, and hornblendites) and units of irregularly interlayered dunites, peridotites, and olivine pyroxenites. The thickness of individual regular rhythms ranges from 50 to 410 m. The cumulate ultramafics of the Pekul’ney complex were derived from a water-rich highly magnesian primary melt, which was equilibrated with mantle harzburgites, within a wide temperature range at pressures of 11–13 kbar in the geodynamic setting of the base of an ensialic arc. The Pekul’ney complex can be considered as a reference object for the petrological and geochemical investigation of the evolution of suprasubduction mantle melts during their high-pressure fractionation.

Geochemical and isotopic signatures of magmatic products in the MAR rift valley at 12°49′–17°23′ N and 29°59′–33°41′ N: Evidence of Two contrasting sources of the parental melts

Data presented in the paper suggest significant differences between the thermodynamic conditions under which magmatic complexes were formed in MAR at 29°–34° N and 12°–18° N. The melts occurring at 29°–34° N were derived by the melting of a mantle source with a homogeneous distribution of volatile components and arrived at the surface without significant fractionation, likely, due to their rapid ascent. The MAR segments between 12° and 18° N combine contrasting geodynamic environments of magmatism, which predetermined the development of a large plume region with the widespread mixing of the melting products of geochemically distinct mantle sources. At the same time, this region is characterized by conditions favorable for the origin of localized zones of anomalous plume magmatism. These sporadic magmatic sources were spatially restricted to MAR fragments with the Hess crust, whose compositional and mechanical properties were, perhaps, favorable for the focusing and localization of plume magmatism. The plume source between 12° and 18°N beneath MAR may be geochemically heterogeneous.

Early-middle Triassic basic magmatism and metamorphism of ultramafic-mafic complexes of the Ust’-Belaya terrane (central Chukotka, NE Russia): 40Ar/39Ar ages, petrological and geochemical data, geodynamic interpretations

ABSTRACT The Ust’-Belaya terrane (Chukotka, NE Russia), belonging to the West Koryak fold belt, is made of mantle and crustal ultramafic-mafic complexes which originated during several discrete episodes of magmatic activity in the Neoproterozoic, the late Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and the early-middle Triassic and accreted to the Asian continental margin in the early Cretaceous. This paper focuses on the latest magmatic episode expressed in intrusion of microgabbro dikes and nearly coeval metamorphism superimposed on both ancient complexes and the dikes. We present original 40Ar/39Ar ages, mineral and bulk-rock chemistry of the microgabbro dikes, metamorphosed dike and vein cutting ultramafic-mafic complexes. Dike microgabbros resemble differentiated arc-tholeiitic magmas originated in a subduction setting. Differentiated magmas intruded into much older spinel peridotites and dunites located at mid-crustal levels. Intrusion and crystallization of these magmas was followed by down-going movement of spinel peridotites and rocks of the mantle-crust transition zone towards a mantle wedge where they were metamorphosed at high-P conditions. This metamorphism resulted in transformation of microgabbro to garnet amphibolite, diorite to albite-zoisite-paragonite-pargasite rock and spinel peridotites to metaperidotites. P-T parameters of this metamorphism reconstructed based on mineral assemblage of garnet amphibolite correspond to those of epidote amphibolite – amphibolite – amphibole eclogite facies transition. The peculiar zoisite (clinozoisite)-paragonite mineral assemblage typical of metamorphosed vein rock indicates high-P metamorphic conditions of epidote-amphibolite facies.

Ophiolitic Complex of the Matachingai River on Eastern Chukotka: Fragment of Lithosphere in Mesozoic Back-Arc Basin

The Matachingai River basin is known among the few ophiolitic complexes on eastern Chukotka as the southern boundary of the Chukotka Fold System (in terms of tectonics, the Chukotka microcontinent or a fragment of the Arctic Alaska–Chukotka microplate). This complex comprises tectonic blocks of residual spinel harzburgite with dunite bodies and pyroxenite, olivine gabbro, and leucogabbro veins; blocks of hornblende gabbro, diorite, and plagiogranite; and Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous basaltic–cherty and cherty–carbonate rocks. The geological relationships of rocks within tectonic blocks, the compositions of primary minerals, the bulk geochemistry of rocks, as well as the strontium, neodymium, and lead isotopic compositions, make it possible to consider individual tectonic blocks of the complex as fragments of a disintegrated oceanic-type lithosphere that formed in a back-arc spreading center. The melts, crystallization products of which are represented by hornblende gabbro of blocks, olivine gabbro of veins, and basalts, separated from geochemically and isotopically heterogeneous mantle. Blocks composed of rocks with various modal composition are likely relicts of an oceanic lithosphere of different segments of a back-arc basin. The studied complex may be a lithosphere of one of the Middle–Late Jurassic back-arc basins. Fragments of these basins are retained in ophiolitic complexes on Great Lyakhovsky Island of the New Siberian Islands Archipelago, western Chukotka, and the Brooks Range in Alaska.

Pyroxenite veins in spinel peridotites of the Unnavayam sheet, Kuyul ophiolite terrane (Koryak Upland): Origin and setting of formation

Pyroxenite veins in mantle peridotites of the Unnavayam sheet of the Kuyul ophiolite terrane (Koryak—Kamchatka folded area) are composed of clinopyroxenite and websterite crystallized from a boninite-like melt. The host clinopyroxene-bearing spinel harzburgites are moderately depleted residues, whose mineral compositions and conditions of formation correspond to those of peridotites from mid-oceanic and back-arc spreading centers. Mantle peridotites of the Unnavayam sheet may have formed a part of the mantle wedge above a subduction zone and have been intruded by boninitic melts at a certain stage of their evolution.