Geochemistry of the lava and its implications in Musicians Seamounts

Chemical and isotopic data of the lava samples dredged in the southern Bach Ridge and the northern Italian Ridge of the Musicians Seamounts province, northeast of Hawaii. Although most of the samples analyzed are generally altered, a few are fresh. The latter exhibits similar geochemical and isotopic characteristics to normal MORB (Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts). There are systematic geochemical trends from hotspot to mid-ocean ridge in the province. Incompatible element and isotopic variations suggest that the flow field had at least two distinct parental magmas, one with higher and one with lower MgO concentrations. The two parental magmas could be related by a magma mixing model. The major and trace element modeling shows that the two parental magmas could not have been produced by different degrees of melting of a homogeneous mantle source, but they are consistent with melting of a generally depleted mantle containing variable volumes of embedded enriched heterogeneity enriched interbeds.

Serpentinization of peridotites from the southern Mariana forearc

A detailed petrologic and mineralogic study was carried out on serpentinized peridotites dredged from the southern landward slopes of the Mariana Trench, in order to reveal the serpentinization process of these unusual rocks and to identify the sole presence of the mineral lizardite. The constituent minerals of these southern Mariana forearc peridotites are olivine, amphibole and spinel, as well as serpentine, chlorite and talc. Compared with serpentinite seamounts, the serpentinized peridotites from the southern Mariana forearc are characterized by the absence of magnetite and brucite, and the common presence of talc; besides, the serpentine mineral variety is simplex, only lizardite. Combining mineral chemistry and mineral phase relationships, we conclude that (1) the absence of magnetite in the serpentinized peridotites is due to incomplete serpentinization, other than magnetite, the iron end-member in olivine forms Fe-rich brucite and Fe-rich serpentine; (2) brucite is not stable with high silica activity, reacting with later SiO2-rich fluid and then forming lizardite, leading to a lack of brucite in these serpentinized peridotites; (3) the occurrence of talc is the result of later SiO2-rich fluid reactions with lizardite; and (4) the reason for the sole occurrence of lizardite is that the temperature condition of our study area was not high enough for the formation of antigorite (which is stable at > 500 degrees C). Despite the broad overlap of lizardite and chrysotile in growth temperature, differences in the modes of occurrence of lizardite and chrysotile, such as the scarcity of H2O, low porosity and permeability, as well as the actual situation of initial serpentinization in the study area, result in the absolute prevalence of lizardite over chrysotile in the area. (C) 2009 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.

He, Ne and Ar isotopic composition of Fe-Mn crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean and implications for their genesis

The noble gas nuclide abundances and isotopic ratios of the upmost layer of Fe-Mn crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean have been determined. The results indicate that the He and Ar nuclide abundances and isotopic ratios can be classified into two types: low He-3/He-4 type and high He-3/He-4 type. The low He-3/He-4 type is characterized by high He-4 abundances of 191x10(-9) cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1) on average, with variable He-4, Ne-20 and Ar-40 abundances in the range (42.8-421)x10(-9) cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1), (5.40-141)x10(-9)cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1), and (773-10976)x10(-9) cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1), respectively. The high He-3/He-4 samples are characterized by low He-4 abundances of 11.7x10(-9) cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1) on average, with He-4, Ne-20 and Ar-40 abundances in the range of (7.57-17.4)x10(-9) cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1), (110.4-25.5)x10(-9) cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1) and (5354-9050)x10(-9) cm(3.)STP(.)g(-1), respectively. The low He-3/He-4 samples have He-3/He-4 ratios (with RIRA ratios of 2.04-2.92) which are lower than those of MORB (R/R-A=8 +/- 1) and Ar-40/Ar-36 ratios (447-543) which are higher than those of air (295.5). The high He-3/He-4 samples have He-3/He-4 ratios (with R/R-A ratios of 10.4-12.0) slightly higher than those of MORB (R/R-A=8 +/- 1) and Ar-40/Ar-36 ratios (293-299) very similar to those of air (295.5). The Ne isotopic ratios (Ne-20/Ne-22 and Ne-21/Ne-22 ratios of 10.3-10.9 and 0.02774-0.03039, respectively) and the Ar-38/Ar-36 ratios (0.1886-0.1963) have narrow ranges which are very similar to those of air (the Ne-20/Ne-22, Ne-21/Ne-22, Ar-38/Ar-36 ratios of 9.80, 0.029 and 0.187, respectively), and cannot be differentiated into different groups. The noble gas nuclide abundances and isotopic ratios, together with their regional variability, suggest that the noble gases in the Fe-Mn crusts originate primarily from the lower mantle. The low He-3/He-4 type and high He-3/He-4 type samples have noble gas characteristics similar to those of HIMU (High U/Pb Mantle)- and EM (Enriched Mantle)-type mantle material, respectively. The low He-3/He-4 type samples with HIMU-type noble gas isotopic ratios occur in the Magellan Seamounts, Marcus-Wake Seamounts, Marshall Island Chain and the Mid-Pacific Seamounts whereas the high He-3/He-4 type samples with EM-type noble gas isotopic ratios occur in the Line Island Chain. This difference in noble gas characteristics of these crust types implies that the Magellan Seamounts, Marcus-Wake Seamounts, Marshall Island Chain, and the Mid-Pacific Seamounts originated from HIMU-type lower mantle material whereas the Line Island Chain originated from EM-type lower mantle material. This finding is consistent with variations in the Pb-isotope and trace element signatures in the seamount lavas. Differences in the mantle surce may therefore be responsible for variations in the noble gas abundances and isotopic ratios in the Fe-Mn crusts. Mantle degassing appears to be the principal factor controlling noble gas isotopic abundances in Fe-Mn crusts. Decay of radioactive isotopes has a negligible influence on the nuclide abundances and isotopic ratios of noble gases in these crusts on the timescale of their formation.

Mineral provinces and matter provenance of the surficial sediments in the western Philippine Sea: implication for modern sedimentation in West Pacific marginal basin

The characteristics and distribution patterns of detrital minerals (0.063 similar to 0.125 mm) in marine sediments provide a significant indicator for the identification of the origin of sediment. The detrital mineral composition of 219 surface sediment samples was analysed to identify the distribution of sediments within the western Philippine Sea. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces: ( 1) province east of the Philippine Trench, the detrital minerals in this province are mainly composed of calcareous or siliceous organisms, with the addition of volcanogenic minerals from an adjacent island arc; (II) middle mineral province, clastic minerals including feldspar, quartz and colorless volcanic glass, sourced from seamounts with intermediate-acid volcanic rock, or erupting intermediate-acid volcano; (III) province west of the Palau-Kyushii Ridge, the matter provenance within this province is complex; the small quantity of feldspar and quartz may be sourced from seamounts or erupting volcano with intermediate - acid composition, with a component of volcanic scoria sourced from a volcano erupting on the Palau-Kyushu Ridge. it is suggested that, ( I) Biogenic debris of the study area is closely related to water depth, with the amount of biogenic debris controlled by carbonate lysocline. (2) Volcaniclastic matter derived from the adjacent island are can be entrained by oceanic currents and transported towards the abyssal basin over a short distance. The weathering products of volcanic rocks of the submarine plateau ( e. g. I Benham Plateau) and adjacent ridges provide an important source of detrital sedimentation, and the influence scope of them is constrained by the intensity of submarine weathering. (3) Terrigenous sediments from the continent of Asia and the adjacent Philippine island arc have little influence on the sedimentation of this study area, and the felsic mineral component is probably sourced from volcanic seamounts of intermediate-acid composition.

Mineral provinces and material provenance of the surficial sediments near the Zhongsha Islands in the South China Sea

Characteristics and distribution patterns of elastic minerals (0.063 similar to 0.125 mm) in bottom sediments represent a significant indicator for the identification of the origin of sediment. One hundred and fourteen surface sediment samples, which were collected from the area near the Zhongsha Islands in the South China Sea, were analysed to identify the mineral suites and their distributions in the study area. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces: ( I) a province of biogenic minerals, which mainly originate from the Zhongsha Atoll; ( H) a province of volcanogenic minerals, which are mainly derived from local basaltic seamounts and small-scale volcanoes that are probably erupting, with some influences from the island-are volcanic region around the South China Sea; and (II) a mixed mineral province whose material source includes biogenic minerals, volcanogenic minerals and terrigenous minerals; the last province can be subdivided into a mixed mineral sub-province of the northeastern part of the study area, in which terrigenous minerals are mainly derived from China's Mainland and do not exceed 17 degrees N, and a mixed mineral sub-province of the southeastern part of the study area, in which terrigenous minerals are derived from Kalimantan and Indochina Peninsula and might be further transported into the deep sea basin through submarine canyons.

阿尔金蛇绿混杂带构造岩石组合及其大地构造意义

The Alytn fault is a huge left-slip fault zone within the Asian continent, and locates such zone that is linked to main tectonic units in the western China, which makes it is very important to the tectonic framework and ore distribution in the western China. Selecting two ophiolite zones (namely Hongliugou-Lapeiquan ophiolite zone and Sulamutage ophiolite zone) respectively located within the southern and northern part of the Altyn fault and based on analysis of field geology characteristics and geochemistry, this paper recognized the rock types (mainly mafic and ultramafic rocks) within the melanges and subdivided each lithological unit based on tectonic environment. At last, this paper rebuilt the paleo-tectonic framework in the Alytn region by the method of tectonic facies and discussed its tectonic evolution with the theory of collision orogens. Combining former results with hard field observation and geochemical analysis, this paper acquired such recognitions to two ophiolte zones within the Altyn fault zone as follows: To the typical regions (Hongliugou, Lapeiquan, Mangya and Sulamutage) within the two ophiolte zones in the Altyn fault zone, this paper offered the field geology profiles. Field geology characteristics show that they are composed of melange bases (mainly abyssal flysch and carbonate rocks) and melange blocks from various tectonic environments, often with fault contact among each lithological units, belonging to typical ophiolitic melange zone. The ultramafic rocks outcropped at the Altyn region are all harzburgites. Remant grains of primary minerals have melted residual texture and elastic deformation texture under high temperature and pressure. The whole-rock analyses show their low TiO_2 contents (0.01～0.04%), low Al, Ca and high MgO contents and wide Mg~# range (89.35～95.57). Rare earth patterns have two types, namely tabacco pipe-shped and LREE-shaped, of which the former is often seen. The chondrite-nomalized Yb values of these analyses are all lower than 1. The spinels have low Ti and high Cr content and most spinels have Cr# higher than 60. All of the above characteristics show that the ultramafic rocks in the Altyn fault zone are components of metmorphic peridotites of ophiolite from depleted mantle source and most ophiolites from this zone belong to supra-subduction zone (SSZ) type ophiolite with a few mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) type. Geochemical analyses show that the melange blocks within the Altyn ophiolitic melange zone have different characteristics from various tectonic environments. This paper recognized such tectonic-lithological assemblages as mid-ocean basalts, oceanic island basalts, oceanic island arc tholeiites, island arc calalkaline basalts and island arc granites and inferred that these tectonic-lithological units respectively belongs to such tectonic units as ophiolites, oceanic islands and/or oceanic seamounts, oceanic island arc and a~creting arcs, which show these blocks from oceanic crust and subduction zone for the most part. For the Altyn ophiolites, the chronological data show they become new from the north to the south. Combined with the study on late slip of Altyn fault and North Qilianshan orogeny, the author inferred that the Altyn region had belonged to one part of the North Qilianshan accreting wedge-arc orogeny at paleozoic, and later huge left-slip made it locate modem site.