Vyacheslav V. Akinin

Evolution of calc-alkaline magmas of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt

Petrological, geochemical, and isotope geochronological aspects of the evolution of calc-alkaline magmatism were investigated in the Western Okhotsk flank zone, the Okhotsk segment, and the Eastern Chukchi flank zone of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt (OCVB). The OCVB is a tectonotype of continental margin volcanic belts comprising much greater volumes of felsic ignimbritic volcanics compared with mature island arcs (MIA, Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian) and the Andean continental margin. The volcanic rocks of continental margin volcanic belts (OCVB and Andean belt) are enriched in K, Ti, and P compared with the rocks of MIA and show a trend toward the field of high-potassium calc-alkaline series. Primitive andesite varieties (Mg# > 0.6) were not yet found in the OCVB, but there are relatively calcic varieties unknown in Andean-type structures and a significant fraction of moderately alkaline rocks, which are not typical of MIA. Variations in trace and major element characteristics in the basalts and andesites of the OCVB were interpreted as reflecting the competing processes of assimilation/mixing and fractional crystallization during the evolution of the parental basaltic magma. Significant lateral variations were established in the composition of the mantle sources of calc-alkaline magmas along the OCVB over more than 2500 km. The initial isotopic ratios of Sr, Nd, and Pb in the volcanics of the Okhotsk segment are relatively depleted and fall near the mixing line between PREMA and BSE. The magma source of the Western Okhotsk flank zone is most enriched and approaches EMI, whereas that of the central and eastern Chukchi zones contains an admixture of the EMII component. The geochronological characteristics of all the main stages of OCVB magmatism were comprehensively studied by U-Pb SHRIMP and ID-TIMS zircon dating (86 samples) and 40Ar/39Ar analysis (73 samples). In general, a discontinuous character was established for the OCVB magmatism from the middle Albian to the early Campanian (106–77 Ma). The volcanism is laterally asynchronous. There are several peaks of volcanism with modes at approximately 105, 100, 96, 92.5, 87, 82, and 77 Ma. The Coniacian-Santonian peaks correspond to the most extensive stages of the middle and late cycles of felsic volcanism. A decreases and a hiatus in magmatic activity were reconstructed for the end of the Cenomanian and the beginning of the Turonian. The volcanism was terminated by plateau basalts with ages of 76–78 Ma, which mark a change in the geodynamic setting from frontal subduction to the regime of a transform margin with local extension in zones normal to the slip direction. A catastrophic character of eruptions with rather narrow ranges of volcanism (<2 Myr) were established taking into account new reliable age estimates for some individual large calderas. The accumulation rate of volcanic materials in such structures was up to 0.15–0.36 km3/yr and even higher.

Tectonic and chronostratigraphic implications of new 40Ar/39Ar geochronology and geochemistry of the Arman and Maltan-Ola volcanic fields, Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt, northeastern Russia

The Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt is part of an extensive late Early to Late Cretaceous Andean-style magmatic arc that spans the entire eastern margin of the Asian continent. The belt itself stretches 3000 km from the Chukotka Peninsula to the Uda River and comprises ∼1.2 x 10 6 km 3 of volcanic rock over a 500,000 km 2 area. Despite its size and regional tectonic significance, the time span of magmatic activity is poorly constrained and the subject of significant debate, mostly in the Russian literature. In this paper, we provide new geochronologic control on the timing of inception and cessation of magmatism for the Arman and Maltan-Ola volcanic fields. These field localities were chosen because they are well studied, relatively accessible, and contain floral assemblages that have been used to correlate volcanic sequences at the regional scale. The majority of the volcanic sequence was emplaced between 85.5 ′ 1.3 Ma and 74.0 ′ 1.2 Ma, as shown by 17 new 4 0 Ar/ 3 9 Ar ages. The Coniacian-Santonian to Campanian age range indicated is 15 m.y. younger than the Albian to early Cenomanian age range given by a synthesis of floral stratigraphic, K-Ar, and Rb-Sr geochronologic data. The calc-alkaline part of the volcanic section spans an apparent age range of 85.5 ′ 1.3 Ma to 80.7 ′ 0.8 Ma. Capping basalts were emplaced between 77.5 ′ 1.1 Ma and 74.0 ′ 1.2 Ma and exhibit a within-plate geochemical signature, which we attribute to a temporally and geochemically distinct, possibly extension-related, phase of magmatism. The apparent northwestward migration of the arc front from the interior (seaward) zone (Taigonos Peninsula, Magadan batholith) in Albian-Cenomanian time to the Arman and Maltan-Ola volcanic fields in Coniacian-Santonian to Campanian time may be explained by shallowing of the subducting paleo-Pacific (Kula?) oceanic plate. The flat-lying nature of these volcanic rocks and the within-plate geochemical affinity of the capping basalt unit are inconsistent with prevailing tectonic models for the cessation of arc magmatism and formation of the Sea of Okhotsk which require the collision of a microcontinental block or oceanic plateau with the northeast Asian margin in the Late Cretaceous.

Tectonic evolution of the Mesozoic South Anyui suture zone, eastern Russia: A critical component of paleogeographic reconstructions of the Arctic region

The South Anyui suture zone consists of late Paleozoic–Jurassic ultramafic rocks and Jurassic–Cretaceous pre-, syn-, and postcollisional sedimentary rocks. It represents the closure of a Mesozoic ocean basin that separated two microcontinents in northeastern Russia, the Kolyma-Omolon block and the Chukotka block. In order to understand the geologic history and improve our understanding of Mesozoic paleogeography of the Arctic region, we obtained U-Pb ages on pre- and postcollisional igneous rocks and detrital zircons from sandstone in the suture zone. We identified four groups of sedimentary rocks: (1) Triassic sandstone deposited on the southern margin of Chukotka; (2) Middle Jurassic volcanogenic sandstone that was derived from the Oloy arc, a continental margin arc, along the Kolyma-Omolon block, south of the Anyui Ocean, a sample of which yielded no pre-Jurassic zircons and a single peak at 164 Ma; (3) suture zone sandstone that yielded Late Jurassic maximum depositional ages and likely predated the collision; and (4) a Mid-Cretaceous syncollisional sandstone that had a maximum depositional age of 125 Ma. These rocks were intruded by postkinematic plutons and dikes with ages of 109 Ma and 101 Ma that postdate the collision. We present a seismic-reflection line through the South Anyui suture zone that indicates south-vergence of thrusting of the Chukotka block over the Kolyma-Omolon block, opposite of most existing models and opposite of the vergence in the Angayucham suture zone, the postulated along-strike equivalent in Alaska. This suggests that Chukotka and Arctic Alaska may have different pre-Cretaceous histories, which could solve space problems with existing reconstructions of the Arctic region. We combine our detrital zircon data and interpretations of the seismic line to construct a new GPlates model for the Mesozoic evolution of the region that decouples Chukotka and Arctic Alaska to solve space problems with previous Arctic reconstructions.

U-Pb SHRIMP Ages of Granitoides from the Main Batholith Belt (North East Asia)*

U-Pb SHRIMP-dating of zircons from twenty five intrusions representative of the Main granitoid batholith belt and associated dike swarms (Yano-Kolyma gold bearing province, North East of Asia) are mostly ∼150 ± 3 Ma (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian). Two less widespread impulses of magmatism dated at 160–155 Ma and 146–143 Ma representing the full range of ages present in the Main belt. Paleoproterozoic (∼1.8 Ga) inherited zircons were found in three intrusions from the south-western part of the belt where Precambrian crust of the North-Asia craton is inferred to underlie it.

Cretaceous lower crust of the continental margins of the northern pacific: Petrological and geochronological data on lower to middle crustal xenoliths

Despite the exposures of Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks and the accretionary tectonic history of the northern Pacific (northeastern Asia, Alaska, and Kamchatka), it is likely that a considerable portion of the lower crust of the continental margins is much younger and was generated by Cretaceous postaccretion magmatic events. Data on xenoliths suggest that Late Cretaceous and Paleocene mafic intrusions and cumulates of calc-alkaline magmas may become more important with increasing depth. This conclusion is based on the petrological and geochronological investigation of lower-middle crustal xenoliths borne by mantlederived alkali basalt lavas and U-Pb dating of zircon cores from the igneous rocks of the region. We studied deep mafic xenoliths of granulites and gabbroids (accounting for <2% of the general xenolith population) from the Late Neogene alkali basalt lavas of the Enmelen and Viliga volcanic fields (Russia) and the Imuruk volcanic field in the Seward Peninsula, St. Lawrence Island, and Nunivak Island (Alaska). Depleted MORB-like varieties and relatively enriched in radiogenic isotopes and LREE rocks were distinguished among plagioclase-bearing xenoliths. The most representative collection of Enmelen xenoliths was subdivided into three groups: LREE enriched charnockitoids and mafic melts, pyroxene-plagioclase cumulates with a positive Eu anomaly, and LREE depleted garnet gabbroids. Mineral thermobarometry and calculated seismic velocities (P = 5–12 kbar, T = 740–1100°C, and Vp = 7.1 ± 0.3 km/s) suggest that the xenoliths were transported from the lower and middle crust, and the rocks show evidence for their formation through the magmatic fractionation of calc-alkaline magmas and subsequent granulite-facies metamorphism. The U-Pb age of zircon from the xenoliths ranges from the Cretaceous to Paleocene, clustering mainly within 107–56 Ma (147 crystals from 17 samples were dated). The zircon dates were interpreted as reflecting the magmatic and metamorphic stages of the growth and modification of the regional crust. The distribution of the obtained age estimates corresponds to the main magmatic pulses in two largest magmatic belts of the region, Okhotsk-Chukchi and Anadyr-Bristol. The absence of older inherited domains in zircons from both the xenoliths and igneous rocks of the regions is a strong argument in favor of the idea on the injection of juvenile material and underplating of calc-alkaline magmas in the lower crust during that time interval. This conclusion is supported by isotope geochemical data: the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope ratios of the rocks and xenolith minerals show mantle signatures (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7040–0.70463, 143Nd/144Nd = 0.51252–0.51289, 206Pb/204Pb = 18.32–18.69) corresponding to an OIB source and are in general similar to those of the Cretaceous calc-alkaline basalts and andesites from continental-margin suprasubduction volcanoplutonic belts. Xenoliths from Nunivak Island and Cape Navarin show more depleted (MORB-like) geochemical and isotopic characteristics, which indicates variations in the composition of the lower crust near the southern boundary of the Bering Sea shelf.

Constraints on the age of formation of seismically reflective middle and lower crust beneath the Bering Shelf: SHRIMP zircon dating of xenoliths from Saint Lawrence Island

Seismic re×ection and/or refraction studies reveal re×ective middle and lower crust and a sharp Moho (∼32 km depth) beneath a broad region of the Bering Shelf between Alaska and northeast Russia. Basalt ×ows on Saint Lawrence Island of the late Cenozoic Bering Sea basalt province contain upper mantle and crustal xenoliths that include maµc cumulate rocks and lesser pyroxene-bearing gneisses that equilibrated at ∼4–6 kbar. The gneissic xenoliths are interpreted as intrusive rocks that acquired deformation and/or recrystallization fabrics during granulite facies metamorphism. Three gneissic xenoliths from two sites yielded zircons that were dated by the UPb method with the SHRIMP II (sensitive high resolution ion microprobe). Zoned prismatic zircons of magmatic origin yield ages mostly ca. 85–90 Ma. Rounded, nonzoned zircons from other samples are likely metamorphic in origin and yield mostly ∼64 Ma ages. No older ages were obtained. More abundant gabbroic xenoliths are interpreted to represent maµc magmas emplaced into the middle to lower crust during this same approximate time span. The oldest surface rocks on Saint Lawrence Island include Paleozoic-Mesozoic shelfal units of the Brooks Range (once deposited on Precambrian basement) but xenolith age data suggest that such older rocks, if ever volumetrically important in the deeper crust, could have been reconstituted and remobilized during younger thermal and/or magmatic events. Conversely, Late Cretaceous to Paleocene magmatic rocks are likely increasingly important with depth in the crust. A similarly young age is inferred for the development of seismically imaged re×ective crust and (by inference) the Moho beneath the Bering Shelf.

Metavolcanics of Western Kamchatka: First data on the SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age

951 Geochronological investigation of metamorphic rocks constituting the basement of young island arcs and marginal volcanic belts in the northern Pacific region is important for understanding the evolution of these structures and the genesis of the protolith of these rocks, as well as for constructing regional geody namic models. In this communication, we present the first geochronological data on zircons from metavol canics of the Pensantain Sequence of western Kam chatka, which indicate a Late Cretaceous age of its protolith.

Asthenospheric signature in fertile spinel lherzolites from the Viliga Volcanic Field in NE Russia

Abstract Mantle xenolith bearing olivine melanephelinites from the Okhotsk sector of the Okhotsk–Chukotka Volcanic Belt (OCVB), northeastern Russia, occur as small isolated volcanoes emplaced within massive late Early to Late Cretaceous subduction-related calc-alkaline rocks. The xenoliths are typical medium- to fine‐grained anhydrous mainly spinel lherzolites that are strongly to weakly foliated with intensive to minor recrystallization to equigranular texture. The primitive mantle normalized whole-rock REE have flat patterns or patterns with slightly elevated light REE (LREE) ((La/Yb)N=0.48–1.38). The REE in clinopyroxenes have systematically decreasing normalized abundances from Sm to La, implying that the LREE enrichments in the whole‐rock REE patterns are attributed to circulation of minor intergranular fluids or melts. Equilibration temperatures and pressures calculated for the Viliga samples are in the range of 1050–1160 °C and 15–21 kbar, respectively. Ca diffusion rates in olivine reveal a rapid transport to the surface (2–6 days) of these peridotites. Model calculations have shown that the fertile lherzolites can be produced by 2–9% batch melting, whereas the depleted peridotites require 15% batch melting of a primitive source. The cessation of the interaction between the palaeo-Pacific plate and the NE Russian margin at c. 87 Ma apparently caused a ‘piecemeal’ collapse of the former followed by intrusion and ascent of olivine melanephelinitic magma, which entrained xenoliths from the asthenospheric mantle of the subducted plate during the Pliocene through the generated window(s). Moreover, clinopyroxenes that have low 87Sr/86Sr and high 143Nd/144Nd and plot in and above the mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) field are consistent with an upwelling asthenospheric mantle through the window(s) created by the ‘piecemeal’ collapse of the palaeo-Pacific plate.

Neoproterozoic basement history of Wrangel Island and Arctic Chukotka: integrated insights from zircon U–Pb, O and Hf isotopic studies

Abstract The pre-Cenozoic kinematic and tectonic history of the Arctic Alaska Chukotka (AAC) terrane is not well known. The difficulties in assessing the history of the AAC terrane are predominantly due to a lack of comprehensive knowledge about the composition and age of its basement. During the Mesozoic, the AAC terrane was involved in crustal shortening, followed by magmatism and extension with localized high-grade metamorphism and partial melting, all of which obscured its pre-orogenic geological relationships. New zircon geochronology and isotope geochemistry results from Wrangel Island and western Chukotka basement rocks establish and strengthen intra- and inter-terrane lithological and tectonic correlations of the AAC terrane. Zircon U–Pb ages of five granitic and one volcanic sample from greenschist facies rocks on Wrangel Island range between 620±6 and 711±4 Ma, whereas two samples from the migmatitic basement of the Velitkenay massif near the Arctic coast of Chukotka yield 612±7 and 661±11 Ma ages. The age spectrum (0.95–2.0 Ga with a peak at 1.1 Ga and minor 2.5–2.7 Ga) and trace element geochemistry of inherited detrital zircons in a 703±5 Ma granodiorite on Wrangel Island suggests a Grenville–Sveconorwegian provenance for metasedimentary strata in the Wrangel Complex basement and correlates with the detrital zircon spectra of strata from Arctic Alaska and Pearya. Temporal patterns of zircon inheritance and O–Hf isotopes are consistent with Cryogenian–Ediacaran AAC magmatism in a peripheral/external orogenic setting (i.e. a fringing arc on rifted continental margin crust).

Deformational history and thermochronology of Wrangel Island, East Siberian Shelf and coastal Chukotka, Arctic Russia

Abstract In Arctic Russia, south of Wrangel Island, Jura–Cretaceous fold belt structures are cut by c. 108–100 Ma plutonic rocks and a c. 103 Ma migmatitic complex (U–Pb, zircon) that cooled by c. 96 Ma (40Ar/39Ar biotite); the structures are unconformably overlain by c. 88 Ma and younger (U–Pb, zircon) volcanic rocks. Wrangel Island, with a similar stratigraphy and added exposure of Neoproterozoic basement rocks, was thought to represent the westwards continuation of the Jura–Cretaceous Brookian thrust belt of Alaska. A penetrative, high-strain, S-dipping foliation formed during north–south stretching in Triassic and older rocks, with stretched pebble aspect ratios of c. 2:1:0.5 to 10:1:0.1. Deformation was at greenschist facies (chlorite+white mica; biotite at depth; temperature c. 300–450°C). Microstructures suggest deformation mostly by pure shear and north–south stretching; the quartz textures and lattice preferred orientations suggest temperatures of c. 300–450°C. 40Ar/39Ar K-feldspar spectra (n=1) and muscovite (n=3) (total gas ages c. 611–514 Ma) in Neoproterozoic basement rocks are consistent with a short thermal pulse during deformation at 105–100 Ma. Apatite fission track ages (n=7) indicate cooling to near-surface conditions at c. 95 Ma. The shared thermal histories of Wrangel Island and Chukotka suggest that Wrangel deformation is related to post-shortening, north–south extension, not to fold–thrust belt deformation. Seismic data (line AR-5) indicate a sharp Moho and strong sub-horizontal reflectivity in the lower and middle crust beneath the region. Wrangel Island probably represents a crustal-scale extensional boudin between the North Chukchi and Longa basins.