Geochemistry and trace elements at DSDP Hole 78-543A

The upper part of the basaltic substratum of the Atlantic abyssal plain, approaching subduction beneath the Barbados Ridge and thus presumably beneath the Lesser Antilles island arc, is made of typical LREE-depleted oceanic tholeiites. Mineralogical (microprobe) and geochemical (X-ray fluorescence, neutron activation analyses) data are given for 12 samples from the bottom of Hole 543A, which is 3.5 km seaward of the deformation front of the Barbados Ridge complex. These basalts are overlain by a Quaternary to Maestrichtian-Campanian sedimentary sequence. Most of the basalts are relatively fresh (in spite of the alteration of olivine and development of some celadonite, clays, and chlorite in their groundmass), and their mineralogical and geochemical compositions are similar to those of LREE-depleted recent basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The most altered samples occur at the top of the basaltic sequence, and show trends of enrichment in alkali metals typical of altered oceanic tholeiites.

Chemistry of minerals of ODP Hole 103-637A peridotites

The Galicia margin lies northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and is a passive ocean margin with thin sedimentary cover. Altered peridotite was recovered from ODP Site 637, on the north-trending ridge at the western edge of the margin, near the oceanic/continental crust boundary. The altered ultramafics were originally clinopyroxene-rich upper mantle harzburgites and are now extensively serpentinized (>85%) and cut by very late-stage carbonate veins. Despite pervasive late, low-temperature alteration, evidence of early, high-temperature alteration remains. Alteration is apparent as (1) amphibole rims on clinopyroxene (>800°C), (2) hornblende + tremolite (450° to 800°C), (3) breakdown of hornblende to form tremolite + chlorite (<450°C), (4) zoned Cr-spinels, (5) hydration of orthopyroxene and olivine to serpentine, (6) serpentine veins, (7) replacement of pyroxene and olivine by calcite, and (8) calcite veins and vugs. Both the relict igneous and the high-temperature alteration minerals (amphiboles) show evidence of brittle deformation. Subsequent low-temperature alteration veins and minerals are deformed only in faulted and brecciated zones. This textural evidence suggests that the low-temperature alteration occurred after emplacement of the ultramafics at the surface. Serpentine fills tension fractures in orthopyroxene, and both serpentine and calcite fill tension cracks in olivine. The high-temperature alterations in these samples are similar to those found in oceanic fracture zone and ophiolite ultramafics. This widespread occurrence of high-temperature alteration suggests that hot fluids were pervasive in these ultramafic blocks. Localization of high-temperature alteration close to large carbonate veins suggests channelization of the late, low-temperature fluids. Earlier hydrations (e.g., high-temperature alterations and serpentinization) were pervasive.

Geochemistry at DSDP Hole 57-439

Dating of a hornblende concentrate by the 40Ar/39Ar method gives an age of 23.4±5.5 m.y. for a dacite boulder from conglomerate in Deep Sea Drilling Project Hole 439. The conglomerate clasts range up to 1 meter in diameter and are nearly monolithologic, suggesting that a nearby former volcano erupted the dacite. The dacite is only 90 km landward from the Japan Trench, whereas modern trench-related volcanoes lie at least 120 km from their trenches. The dacite locality is on strike with and is probably an extension of a magmatic arc on the island of Hokkaido that crosses the Kuril arc at an angle of 65° and which was active 16 to 36 m.y. ago. The part of the former arc landward from the Kuril arc argues against an origin from a leaking subduction zone or from subduction of an active spreading ridge. The part seaward both from the Kuril and Japan arcs weakens an explanation based on migration of a trench-trenchtrench triple junction. The magmatic rocks probably formed along a middle-Tertiary plate boundary that had stepped seaward from a more-landward Cretaceous position. Later, the boundary stepped farther seaward at the Kuril arc and landward again at the Japan arc. If so, the present Japan subduction zone must have consumed most of the strata that had accumulated between it and the earlier trench.

Geochemistry at DSDP Hole 57-439

Acidic to intermediate volcanic rocks were obtained as boulders, pebbles, and clasts with intercalated matrix sediments near the Japan Trench. A 47.5-meter conglomerate bed unconformably overlies acoustic basement consisting of Upper Cretaceous siltstone and is overlain in turn by massive coarse-sandstone and siltstone beds with many fossil mollusks. The volcanic cobbles and boulders in the conglomerate show pronounced porphyritic texture. Their phenocrysts are plagioclase, hornblende, and biotite; the groundmass consists of plagioclase, K-feldspar, quartz, iron oxide, and altered interstitial glass. The Plagioclase content of these volcanic rocks is very high, whereas iron oxide minerals are rare. The chemical composition of these volcanic rocks was analyzed to determine the rock series. Matrix sediments were also analyzed chemically, and their chemical composition was found to be similar to that of volcanic rocks, except for a lower CaO content. SiO2 content of the volcanic rocks ranges from 60.23 to 73.90, corresponding to that of andesite to rhyolite. All the samples show extremely high Al2O3 content, which reflects the high amounts of modal plagioclase. These volcanic rocks belong to both the calc-alkalic and tholeiitic rock series, and the differentiation trend is controlled by fractional crystallization, mainly of plagioclase, K-feldspar, and hornblende. The assemblage of calc-alkalic and tholeiitic rock series is frequently observed in island arcs and active continental margins. These volcanic rocks are derived from the Oyashio ancient landmass, which is a slightly matured island arc.

Chemistry of altered basalts from ODP Hole 123-765D

Volcanic basement recovered at Hole 765D is characterized by nonpervasive, oxidative alteration, typical of seafloor weathering. Chilled margins and the mesostasis of the lavas are variably altered to assemblages of celadonite, Fe-oxyhydroxides, zeolites, and calcite with trace saponite. Plagioclase is partially altered to Ca-Na zeolites and/or albite. Well-developed alteration halos parallel fracture surfaces and extend several centimeters into the surrounding rock. These clay-rich halos are enriched in K2O and Fe2O3 relative to the adjacent clay-poor rock. The halos and adjacent rock are characterized by d18O values 2 per mil-3 per mil higher than those of fresh MORB. The "freshness" of the samples and the scarcity of saponite suggest that the duration of seawater circulation was short-lived. Albitization of plagioclase indicates that the volcanic rocks were altered initially at low temperatures and were subsequently reheated off-axis in a closed environment. Reheating did not result in significant modification of the bulk composition of the crust.

Minerals and geochemistry of DSDP Hole 81-552A

The acid insoluble coarse fractions of the glacial-interglacial sequence of Hole 552A in the NE Atlantic are made up of varying amounts of terrigenous detritus, biogenic silica, and pyroclastic material, principally volcanic glass. Volcanic ash content varies significantly over the entire interval, and the three North Atlantic ash horizons of Ruddiman and Glover (1972) can be recognized satisfactorily. The terrigenous detritus is of mixed metamorphic-basaltic type and probably originated on the Greenland landmass

Sulphur geochemistry of whole-rock samples from ODP Hole 176-735B

Sulfide petrography plus whole rock contents and isotope ratios of sulfur were measured in a 1.5 km section of oceanic gabbros in order to understand the geochemistry of sulfur cycling during low-temperature seawater alteration of the lower oceanic crust, and to test whether microbial effects may be present. Most samples have low SO4/Sum S values (<= 0.15), have retained igneous globules of pyrrhotite ± chalcopyrite ± pentlandite, and host secondary aggregates of pyrrhotite and pyrite laths in smectite ± iron-oxyhydroxide ± magnetite ± calcite pseudomorphs of olivine and clinopyroxene. Compared to fresh gabbro containing 100-1800 ppm sulfur our data indicate an overall addition of sulfide to the lower crust. Selection of samples altered only at temperatures <= 110 °C constrains microbial sulfate reduction as the only viable mechanism for the observed sulfide addition, which may have been enabled by the production of H2 from oxidation of associated olivine and pyroxene. The wide range in d34Ssulfide values (-1.5 to + 16.3 per mil) and variable additions of sulfide are explained by variable epsilon sulfate-sulfide under open system pathways, with a possible progression into closed system pathways. Some samples underwent oxidation related to seawater penetration along permeable fault horizons and have lost sulfur, have high SO4/Sum S (>= 0.46) and variable d34Ssulfide (0.7 to 16.9 per mil). Negative d34Ssulfate-d34Ssulfide values for the majority of samples indicate kinetic isotope fractionation during oxidation of sulfide minerals. Depth trends in sulfide-sulfur contents and sulfide mineral assemblages indicate a late-stage downward penetration of seawater into the lower 1 km of Hole 735B. Our results show that under appropriate temperature conditions, a subsurface biosphere can persist in the lower oceanic crust and alter its geochemistry.

Mineralogy and geochemistry of sulfide minerals and bulk rocks from ODP Hole 176-735B

Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 176 built upon the work of ODP Leg 118 wherein the 500-m section that was sampled represented the most complete recovery of an intact portion of lower oceanic crust ever described. During Leg 176, we deepened Hole 735B to >1500 m below seafloor in an environment where gabbroic rocks have been tectonically exposed at the Southwest Indian Ridge. This new expedition extended the remarkable recovery (>85%) that allowed unprecedented investigations into the nature of the lower oceanic crust as a result of Leg 118. Sulfide mineral and bulk rock compositions were determined from samples in the 1000-m section of oceanic gabbros recovered during Leg 176. The sulfide assemblage of pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pentlandite, and troilite is present throughout this section, as it is throughout the 500-m gabbroic section above that was sampled during Leg 118. Troilite is commonly present as lamellae, and the only interval where troilite was not observed is from the uppermost 150 m of the section sampled during Leg 118, which is intensely metamorphosed. The common presence of troilite indicates that much of the sulfide assemblage from Hole 735B precipitated from a magmatic system and subsequently underwent low-temperature reequilibration. Evaluation of geochemical trends in bulk rock and sulfides indicates that the combined effects of olivine accumulation in troctolites and high pentlandite to pyrrhotite ratios account for the sporadic bulk rock compositions high in Ni. Bulk rock and sulfide mineral geochemical indicators that are spatially coincident with structural and physical properties anomalies indicate a heretofore unrecognized lithologic unit boundary in this section. Platinum-group element (PGE) compositions were also determined for 36 samples from throughout the section that were recovered during Leg 176. Whereas most samples had low (<0.4 ppb) PGE concentrations, rare samples had elevated PGE values, but no unique common trend between these samples is evident.

Geochemical composition of gabbroic rocks from ODP Hole 179-1105A, southwest Indian Ridge

Oxide-free olivine gabbro and gabbro, and oxide olivine gabbro and gabbro make up the bulk of the gabbroic suite recovered from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 179 Hole 1105A, which lies 1.2 km away from Hole 735B on the eastern transverse ridge of the Atlantis II Fracture Zone, Southwest Indian Ridge. The rocks recovered during Leg 179 show striking similarities to rocks recovered from the uppermost 500 m of Hole 735B during ODP Leg 118. The rocks of the Atlantis platform were likely unroofed as part of the footwall block of a large detachment fault on the inside corner of the intersection of the Southwest Indian Ridge and the Atlantis II Transform at ~11.5 Ma. We analyzed the lithologic, geochemical, and structural stratigraphy of the section. Downhole lithologic variation allowed division of the core into 141 lithologic intervals and 4 main units subdivided on the basis of predominance of oxide gabbroic vs. oxide-free gabbroic rocks. Detailed analyses of whole-rock chemistry, mineral chemistry, microstructure, and modes of 147 samples are presented and clearly show that the gabbroic rocks are of cumulate origin. These studies also indicate that geochemistry results correlate well with downhole magnetic susceptibility and Formation MicroScanner (FMS) resistivity measurements and images. FMS images show rocks with a well-layered structure and significant numbers of mappable layer contacts or compositional contrasts. Downhole cryptic mineral and whole-rock chemical variations depict both "normal" and inverse fine-scale variations on a scale of 10 m to <2 m with significant compositional variation over a short distance within the 143-m section sampled. A Mg# shift in whole-rock or Fo contents of olivine of as much as 20-30 units over a few meters of section is not atypical of the extreme variation in downhole plots. The products of the earliest stages of basaltic differentiation are not represented by any cumulates, as the maximum Fo content was Fo78. Similarly, the extent of fractionation represented by the gabbroic rocks and scarce granophyres in the section is much greater than that represented in the Atlantis II basalts. The abundance of oxide gabbros is similar to that in Hole 735B, Unit IV, which is tentatively correlated as a similar unit or facies with the oxide gabbroic units of Hole 1105A. Oxide phases are generally present in the most fractionated gabbroic rocks and lacking in more primitive gabbroic rocks, and there is a definite progression of oxide abundance as, for example, the Mg# of clinopyroxene falls below 73-75. Coprecipitation of oxide at such early Mg#s cannot be modeled by perfect fractional crystallization. In situ boundary layer fractionation may offer a more plausible explanation for the complex juxtaposition of oxide- and nonoxide-bearing more primitive gabbroic rocks. The geochemical signal may, in part, be disrupted by the presence of mylonitic shear zones, which strike east-west and dip both to the south and north, but predominantly to the south away from the northern rift valley where they formed. Downhole deformation textures indicate increasing average strain and crystal-plastic deformation in units that contain oxides. Oxide-rich zones may represent zones of rheologic weakness in the cumulate section along which mylonitic and foliated gabbroic shear zones nucleate in the solid state at high temperature, or the oxide may be a symptom of former melt-rich zones and hypersolidus flow, as predicted during study of Hole 735B.

Composition and alteration of volcanic rocks of ODP Hole 119-738C

During ODP Leg 119 one basement hole was drilled at Site 738, on the Southern Kerguelen Plateau. The 38.2 m of basement rocks drilled comprises three basaltic aa-lava flows with basal and top breccias, overlain by Turanian marine carbonates. Site 738 basalts probably erupted near a fracture zone, and were emplaced during the plateau-forming stage of Kerguelen Plateau evolution under quiet, subaerial to shallow water conditions. The basalts are T-MORB, chemically resembling Mesozoic continental flood basalts of the southern hemisphere. Two slightly different magma batches are distinguished by Fe, Ti, Al, Zr, and REE concentrations. Prior to eruption, the magmas had undergone significant olivine and some clinopyroxene fractionation. Incompatible and immobile trace element concentrations and ratios point to a veined upper mantle source, where a refractory mineral assemblage retains Nb, Ta, and the HREE. The basaltic melts derived from this regionally veined, enriched upper mantle have high LREE, and especially Ba and Th concentrations and bear the DUPAL isotopic signature gained from deep- seated, recycled, old oceanic(?) crust. A saponite-celadonite secondary mineral assemblage confines the alteration temperature to <170°C. Alteration is accompanied by net gains of H2O, CO2, K2O, and Rb, higher oxidation, minor Na2O, SiO2 gains, and losses of V and CaO. Released Ca, together with Ca from seawater, precipitated as calcite in veins and vesicles, plumbed the circulation system and terminated the rock/open seawater interaction.