Qun-Ke Xia

Recycled oceanic crust and marine sediment in the source of alkali basalts in Shandong, eastern China: Evidence from magma water content and oxygen isotopes

The magma water contents and cpx δ18O values in alkali basalts from the Fuyanyshan (FYS) volcano in Shandong, eastern China, were investigated by an inverse calculation based on the water content of clinopyroxene (cpx) phenocrysts, the ivAlcpx-dependent water partitioning coefficient Dwatercpx/melt, and secondary ion mass spectrometer, respectively. The calculated water content (H2O wt.) of magma ranges from 0.58% to 3.89%. It positively correlates with heavy rare earth element concentrations and bulk rock 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and it negatively correlates with Nb/U ratios. However, it is not correlated with bulk Mg# (Mg#u2009=u2009100u2009×u2009Mgu2009/u2009(Mgu2009+u2009Fe)) and (La/Yb)n (n represents primitive mantle normalization). Combined with the rather homogenous distribution of water content within cpx grains, these correlations indicate that the water variations among different samples represent the original magma signature, rather than results of a shallow process, such as degassing and diffusion. The δ18O of cpx phenocrysts varies from 3.6‰ to 6.3‰ (±0.5‰, 2SD), which may be best explained by the involvement of components from the lower and upper oceanic crust with marine sediments within the mantle source. The H2O/Ce ratios of the calculated melts range from 113 to 696 and form a positive trend with bulk rock 87Sr/86Sr, which cannot be explained by the recycled Sulu eclogite or by the metasomatized lithospheric mantle. Our modeling calculation shows that the decoupling of eHf and eNd could be caused by the involvement of marine sediments. Combing the high Ba/Th ratios, positive Sr spikes, and low Ce/Pb ratios for the Fuyanshan basalts, we suggest that the hydrous nature of the FYS basalts was derived from the hydrous mantle transition zone with ancient sediments.

Regional heterogeneity in the water content of the Cenozoic lithospheric mantle of Eastern China

The major and trace elements and H2O contents of minerals in peridotite xenoliths hosted by the Cenozoic basalts in Northeast China (NEC) were evaluated using electron microprobe, laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Although a potential loss of H during the xenoliths ascent cannot be excluded for olivine, orthopyroxene (opx) and clinopyroxene (cpx) largely preserved the H2O contents of their mantle source in all of the samples, as inferred from (1) the homogenous H2O contents within single pyroxene grains and (2) the equilibrium H2O partitioning between cpx and opx. No OH was detected for pyroxenes of peridotite xenoliths from the north part of NEC (NNEC). Combined with previously published data from the North China Craton (NCC) and the South China Block (SCB), the regional heterogeneity in the water contents in the Cenozoic lithospheric mantle beneath the whole Eastern China has been revealed. The lithospheric mantle beneath the NNEC is completely dry. The “bulk” water contents of the lithospheric mantle of the south part of NEC and the NCC have similar ranges and average values, whereas those of the SCB are much higher (12–195u2009ppm, average 90u2009±u200945u2009ppm for whole rock). The regional variations in the H2O content of the Cenozoic lithospheric mantle of Eastern China cannot be caused by partial melting, mantle metasomatism, or variations in redox state. We propose that the lithospheric mantle beneath the different regions of Eastern China may have distinct origins and may have undergone distinct geodynamic processes.

Water concentration profiles in natural mantle orthopyroxenes: A geochronometer for long annealing of xenoliths within magma

Both mantle-derived clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene are generally homogeneous in water concentration, while water content in the coexisting olivine is affected by partial or complete loss during the ascent of the hosting magma. Here, we report the first record of water content profiles (higher water in the cores than in the rims) in natural orthopyroxene grains in peridotite xenoliths hosted by Cenozoic alkali basalts in Tianchang volcano, eastern China. The water contents of the coexisting clinopyroxene grains are homogeneous and are twice that measured in the cores of orthopyroxene grains, confirming previous chemical equilibrium between the two pyroxenes. The olivines (ol) are nearly dry (~0 ppm). These observations demonstrate that H diffusion in mantle orthopyroxene (opx) is faster than in clinopyroxene (cpx), and the relative mobility of H in each mineral phase could be quantified as: Dol > 10Dopx > 1000Dcpx (where D is the chemical diffusion coefficient of hydrogen). Combining this with experimental diffusion coefficients from the literature, we infer that (1) the xenoliths remained in contact with the magma below 900 °C for several months, and (2) clinopyroxene remains the more reliable recorder of water from depth, and orthopyroxene should be used more cautiously but can be considered with olivine for tracing slow transport and cooling of magma.

High water content in primitive continental flood basalts

As the main constituent of large igneous provinces, the generation of continental flood basalts (CFB) that are characterized by huge eruption volume (>105u2009km3) within short time span (<1–3u2009Ma) is in principle caused by an abnormally high temperature, extended decompression, a certain amount of mafic source rocks (e.g., pyroxenite), or an elevated H2O content in the mantle source. These four factors are not mutually exclusive. There are growing evidences for high temperature, decompression and mafic source rocks, albeit with hot debate. However, there is currently no convincing evidence of high water content in the source of CFB. We retrieved the initial H2O content of the primitive CFB in the early Permian Tarim large igneous province (NW China), using the H2O content of ten early-formed clinopyroxene (cpx) crystals that recorded the composition of the primitive Tarim basaltic melts and the partition coefficient of H2O between cpx and basaltic melt. The arc-like H2O content (4.82u2009±u20091.00u2009wt.%) provides the first clear evidence that H2O plays an important role in the generation of CFB.

Continuous supply of recycled Pacific oceanic materials in the source of Cenozoic basalts in SE China: the Zhejiang case

Various enriched recycled oceanic components in the source of Cenozoic intra-plate alkaline basalts from eastern China were identified by previous studies. Due to the existence of a stagnant subducted Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone beneath eastern China, it is logical to connect the stagnant slab to the recycled oceanic materials. However, the recycled oceanic materials could also result from ancient subduction events (e.g., Paleo-Tethyan, Paleo-Asian or Izanagi plate subduction) because enriched geochemical signatures of a recycled slab can be preserved in the mantle for longer than 1xa0Gyr. Investigating the temporal variations of the recycled oceanic materials in the mantle source is a useful way to trace the origin of the basalts. In this article, we have conducted a detailed geochemical study, including major and trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes, on two alkaline basalt groups from Zhejiang, SE China, which erupted 26–17xa0Ma and after 11xa0Ma, respectively. In particular, we recovered the H2O content of the initial magmas based on the H2O content of the clinopyroxene (cpx) phenocrysts and the partition coefficients of H2O between cpx and basaltic melts. The H2O contents of the Zhejiang basalts range from 1.3 to 2.6 (wt.%), which fall within the range of back-arc basin or island arc basalts. The older basalts are more alkaline and have lower Si and Al contents; higher trace element concentrations; higher La/Yb, Ce/Pb and Nb/La ratios; lower H2O/Ce and Ba/Th ratios; and stronger negative K, Pb, Hf and Ti anomalies than the younger ones. The co-relationships between Ba/La, H2O/Ce, Nb/La, Ce/Pb and Ba/Th in the two groups of the Zhejiang basalts indicate that a recycled dehydrated oceanic alkaline basalt component is needed in the source of the older rocks, along with a depleted mantle component. Meanwhile, an additional recycled dehydrated sediment component was required in the source of the younger rocks. The temporal change in the recycled oceanic materials in the mantle sources of Zhejiang Cenozoic basalts demonstrates that the recycled components can only originate in the stagnant Pacific slab that is the only plate subducted since 100xa0Ma in this area.

Dynamic contribution of recycled components from the subducted Pacific slab: oxygen isotopic composition of the basalts from 106 Ma to 60 Ma in North China Craton

How the materials derived from the stagnant Pacific slab contributed to the mantle sources of the mafic rocks in east China is still in hot debate. In this work, δ18O (V-SMOW) values of clinopyroxene phenocrysts in the OIB type mafic rocks from 106u2009Ma to 60u2009Ma in the east North China Craton (NCC) were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Our data show that for all of the samples, the δ18Ocpx are dominantly higher than that of the cpx from N-MORB (5.4u2009~u20095.8‰), which confirms the role of recycled oceanic crust (ROC) in their mantle sources. Combining the δ18O data of basalts and the lithospheric mantle in the literature, we found that in the southeast NCC, upper and lower ROC components alternately appeared in the mantle sources of basalts, but these ROC components are consistently different from that in the lithospheric mantle, while in the northern NCC, the recycled components in the sources seem to be persistently from upper ROC. These observations suggest that 1) these mafic OIB-type rocks are most likely derived from the convective asthenosphere and 2) the contribution of components from the Pacific oceanic slab into the NCC upper mantle was dynamic, without a simple temporal trend. This new knowledge calls for the reconsideration of the existing models of the thinning process of the NCC lithospheric mantle, and it warns against simply using the chemical composition of basalts to infer the evolution of lithosphere.

High-temperature phase transition and local structure of a hydrous anorthoclase

AbstractnThe in situ Raman spectra of a hydrous anorthoclase at temperatures of 20–800xa0°C have been measured using a LABRAM-HR spectrometer and Linkam TS 1500 heating stage. The frequencies of modes at 54, 99, 130 and 162xa0cm−1 related to M–O vibrations decrease sharply and then increase drastically or keep steady at temperatures above 200xa0°C. A knee point can be clearly seen at about 200xa0°C for those modes. The frequency of the mode at 282xa0cm−1 shows little temperature dependence. However, for the two strongest modes at 471 and 512xa0cm−1, the frequencies decrease linearly with increasing temperature. From evolution of the frequencies of modes at 54, 99, 130 and 162xa0cm−1 with temperature, the following conclusions can be drawn: (1) The distance of the local M–O bond shortens rather than lengthens at temperatures above 200xa0°C; (2) The abrupt changes of the local structure of M site induce a collapse of the framework structure and displacive phase transition at 200xa0°C; and (3) The H atoms incorporated in anorthoclase are located at the M site. These results are indicative for the structure and properties of anorthoclase at deep earth conditions.

Temperature dependences of hydrous species in feldspars

Feldspars are abundant in the crust of the Earth. Multiple hydrogen species such as OH, H2O and NH4+ can occur in the structure of feldspars. Hydrogen species play a critical role in influencing some properties of the host feldspars and the crust, including mechanical strength, electrical property of the crust, and evolution of the crustal fluids. Knowledge of hydrous species in feldspars to date has been mostly derived from spectroscopic studies at ambient temperature. However, the speciation and sites of hydrous species at high temperatures may not be quenchable. Here, we investigated the temperature dependences of several typical hydrous components (e.g., type IIa OH, type IIb OH and type I H2O) in feldspars by measuring the in situ FTIR spectra at elevated temperatures up to 800xa0°C. We found that the hydrous species demonstrated different behaviors at elevated temperatures. With increasing temperature, type IIa OH redistributes on the various sites in the anorthoclase structure. Additionally, O–H vibration frequencies increase for types IIa and IIb OH, and they decrease for type I H2O with increasing temperature. In contrast to type I H2O which drastically dehydrates during the heating process, types IIa and IIb OH show negligible loss; however, the bulk integral absorption coefficients drastically decrease with increasing temperature. These results may have implications in understanding the properties of hydrous species and feldspars at non-ambient temperatures, not only under geologic conditions but also at cold planetary surface conditions.

Typical Oxygen Isotope Profile of Altered Oceanic Crust Recorded in Continental Intraplate Basalts

Recycled oceanic crust (ROC) has long been suggested to be a candidate introducing enriched geochemical signatures into the mantle source of intraplate basalts. The different parts of oceanic crust are characterized by variable oxygen isotope compositions (δ18O=3.7‰ to 13.6‰). To trace the signatures of ROC in the mantle source of intraplate basalts, we measured the δ18O values of clinopyroxene (cpx) phenocrysts in the Cenozoic basalts from the Shuangliao volcanic field, NE China using secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS). The δ18O values of the Shuangliao cpx phenocrysts in four basalts ranging from 4.10‰ to 6.73‰ (with average values 5.93‰±0.36‰, 5.95‰±0.30‰, 5.58‰±0.66‰, and 4.55‰± 0.38‰, respectively) apparently exceed those of normal mantle-derived cpx (5.6‰±0.2‰) and fall in the typical oxygen isotope range of altered oceanic crust. The δ18O values display the negative correlations with the Eu, Sr anomalies of whole rocks and erupted ages, demonstrating that (1) the ROC is the main enriched component in the mantle source of the Shuangliao basalts and (2) the contributions of ROC varied with time. The basalt with the lowest δ18O value is characterized by a significant K positive anomaly, highest H2O/Ce and Ba/Th ratios, suggesting that the mantle source of basalts with low δ18O can also include a water-rich sediment component that may be the trigger for partial melting. Considering the continuous subduction of the Pacific slab, the temporal heterogeneity of the source components is likely to be caused by the Pacific slab subduction.