Age and chemical composition of magmatic rocks from the Belkovsky Island, New Siberian Islands

The study was inspired by information on Paleozoic andesites, dacites, and diabases on the Belkovsky Island in the 1974 geological survey reports used to reconstruct tectonic evolution of the continental block comprising the New Siberian Islands and the bordering shelf. We did not find felsic volcanics or Middle Paleozoic intrusions in the studied area of the island. Igneous rocks are mafic subvolcanic intrusions including dikes, randomly shaped bodies, explosion breccias, and peperites. They belong to the tholeiitic series and are similar to Siberian traps in petrography and trace-element compositions, with high LREE and LILE and prominent Nb negative anomalies. The island arc affinity is due to continental crust contamination of mantle magma and its long evolution in chambers at different depths. K-Ar biotite age (252+/-5 Ma) of magmatism indicates that it was coeval to the main stage of trap magmatism in the Siberian craton at the Permian-Triassic boundary. The terrane including the New Siberian Islands occurred on the periphery of the Siberian trap province where magmatism acted in rifting environment. Magma intruded into semiliquid wet sediments at shallow depths shortly after their deposition. Therefore, the exposed Paleozoic section in Belkovsky Island may include Permian or possibly Lower Triassic sediments of younger ages than it was believed earlier.

Geochemistry of ODP Sites 121-758 and 121-757

Nd isotopes are useful tracers for paleoceanography due to the short Nd residence time in seawater and the large differences between the isotopic signatures of various geological reservoirs. Therefore, ?Nd variations reflect the geological history of individual oceanic basins. Using a differential dissolution technique, which extracts Nd isotopes of seawater trapped in MnO2 coatings and carbonates in marine sediment, we measured almost two hundred samples from ODP Sites 758 and 757 in the Northern Bay of Bengal covering the last 4 Ma. For the first time, we have shown a covariation between epsilon-Nd and d18O over at least the last 800 ka. We also show that from 4 Ma to 2.6 Ma, epsilon-Nd is almost constant and starts to fluctuate at 2.6 Ma when northern glaciations increased. From 2.6 Ma to 1 Ma the fluctuation period is close to 40 ka while from 1 Ma to present it is dominantly 100 ka. We attribute these findings to mixing between Himalayan river water (that ultimately originates as Indian summer monsoon rain) and normal Bay of Bengal seawater. Previous studies on seawater, using epsilon-Nd, d18O analyzed on planktonic foraminifera and sedimentary data, can be integrated into this model. A simple quantitative binary mixing model suggests that the summer monsoon rain was more intense during interglacial than glacial periods. During last glacial episode, the monsoon trajectory was deviated to the east. At a large scale, the Indian monsoon is fully controlled by the variations in Northern Hemisphere climate but with a complex response function to this forcing. Our study clearly establishes the large potential of Nd isotope data to evaluate the hydrological river regime during the Quaternary and its relationship with climate fluctuations, particularly when the sediment archive is sampled close to sediment sources.

Major element oxides, trace element content and isotopic ratios of dolerites from the Schirmacher Oasis

New results on the petrochemistry and geochemistry of dolerites from the Schirmacher Oasis shed light on the development of the Karoo-Maud plume in Antarctica. The basalts and dolerites are petrologically identical to the rocks of western Dronning Maud Land (DML), which were previously studied and interpreted as a manifestation of the Karoo-Maud plume in Antarctica. The spatial distribution of the dikes suggests eastward spreading of the plume material, up to the Schirmacher Oasis for at least 10 Ma. The geochemical characteristics of magmas from the Schirmacher Oasis reflect the influence of crustal contamination, which accompanied both the ascent and spreading of the plume. The magmas of the initial stage of plume activity (western DML) appeared to be the most contaminated in crustal components. It was found that the geochemical characteristics of Mesozoic magmas from the Schirmacher Oasis are identical to those of enriched tholeiites from the Afanasy Nikitin Rise and the central Kerguelen Plateau (Hole 749), which indicates that their enrichment was related to the ancient material of the Gondwana continent. This was caused by the opening of the Indian Ocean under the influence of the Karoo-Maud plume. This process was peculiar in that it occurred in the presence of nonspreading blocks of varying thickness, for instance, Elan Bank in the central Kerguelen Plateau, and was accompanied by the formation of intraplate volcanic rises, which are documented in the seafloor relief of basins around Antarctica. The geochemical characteristics of igneous rocks from the resulting rises (Afanasy Nikitin, Kerguelen, Naturaliste, and Ninetyeast Ridge) indicate the influence of processes related to crustal assimilation. The magmatism that occurred 40 Ma after the main phase of the Karoo-Maud volcanism at the margins of the adjacent continents of Australia (Bunbury basalts) and India (Rajmahal trapps) could be generated by the Karoo-Maud plume flowing along the developing spreading zone. The plume moved subsequently and was localized at the Kerguelen Plateau, where it occurs at present as an active hotspot.

Barium concentrations und stable isotope ratios of late Paleocene deep-sea sediments

Deep-sea sediment Ba* (Ba/Al2O3(sample) * 15% - Ba(aluminosilicate) records show increasing values synchronous with the evolution of the late Paleocene global d13C maximum, reflecting an increase in marine surface primary production and biogenic barite formation at this time. At two oligotrophic locations, Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Sites 384 and 527 in the North and South Atlantic, respectively, Ba* increases from 160-360 ppm in the early Paleocene to 1100-3000 ppm during the d13C maximum. At equatorial DSDP Site 577, positioned within or near the high-productivity zone, Ba* increases from ~15,500 ppm in the early Paleocene to ~25,400 ppm in conjunction with late Paleocene maximum d13C values. Linear fitted correlation plots of sediment Ba* content versus surface water d13C in all three regions support barite originating in the euphotic zone. The early to late Paleocene relative increase in Ba* illustrates how burial rates of Corg (relative to Al2O3) accelerated by a factor of ~1.8 and ~6.0 in the eutrophic and oligotrophic areas, respectively. A tentative estimate, weighing our result for the entire ocean, suggests that accumulation rates of organic carbon increased by a factor of 2 during the late Paleocene d13C maximum.

Dissolved chemical elements in river waters of the Wrangel Island

Pioneer information about chemical composition of river waters in the Wrangel Island has been obtained. It is shown that water composition reflects the lithogeochemical specifics of primary rocks and ore mineralization. In contrast to many areas of the Russian Far North river waters of the island are characterized by elevated background value of total mineralization (i.e., total dissolved solids, TDS) (0.3-2 g/l) and specific chemical type (SO4-Ca-Mg). This is related to abundance of Late Carboniferous gypsiferous and dolomitic sequences in the mountainous area of the island. It has also been established that salt composition of some streams is appreciably governed by supergene alterations of sulfide mineralization associated with quartz-carbonate vein systems. They make up natural centers of surface water contamination. Waters in such streams are characterized by low pH values (2.4-5.5), high TDS (up to 6-23 g/l) and SO4-Mg composition. These waters are also marked by anomalously high concentrations of heavy and non-ferrous metals, as well as REE, U, and Th.

Chemical composition of phillipsites from Core AKO26-35

Behavior of rare earth elements (REE) was examined in oceanic phillipsites collected from four horizons of eupelagic clay in the Southwest Basin of the Pacific Ocean. REE concentrations were determined in >50 ?m size fraction phillipsite samples by the ICP-MS method. Composition of separate phillipsite aggregates was studied by electron microprobe and secondary ion mass-spectrometry. Rare earth elements in phillipsite samples are related to admixture of ferrocalcium hydroxophosphates. Analysis of separate phillipsite aggregates reveals low (<0.1-18.1 ppm) REE(III) concentrations. Ce concentration varies between 2.7 and 140 ppm. The correlation analysis shows that REE(III) present in admixture of iron oxyhydroxides in separate phillipsite aggregates. Based on the REE(III) concentration in iron oxyhydroxides we can identify two generations of phillipsite aggregates. Massive rounded aggregates (phillipsite I) are depleted in REE, while pseudorhombic (phillipsite II) aggregates are enriched in REE and marked by a positive Ce anomaly. Oceanic phillipsites do not accumulate REE or inherit the REE signature of volcaniclastic material and oceanic deep water. Hence, REE distribution in phillipsites does not depend on sedimentation rate and composition of host sediments.

Geochemistry of volcanic glass from ODP holes 129-801C and 185-801C in the western Pacific

Major element chemistry of basalt from the southern East Pacific Rise (EPR) is different from that of the EPR at the time of the formation of the Pacific Plate at 170 Ma.Glass recovered from Jurassic age (170 Ma) Pacific ocean crust (Bartolini and Larson, 2001, doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2001)029<0735:PMATPS>2.0.CO;2) at Ocean Drilling Program Hole 801C records higher Fe8 (10.77 wt%) and marginally lower Na8 (2.21 wt%) compared to the modern EPR, suggesting deeper melting and a temperature of initial melting that was 60°C hotter than today.Trace element ratios such as La/Sm and Zr/Y, on the other hand, show remarkable similarities to the modern southern EPR, indicating that Site 801 was not generated on a hotspot-influenced ridge and that mantle composition has changed little in the Pacific over the past 170 Ma. Our results are consistent with the observation that mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) older than 80 Ma were derived by higher temperature melting than are modern MORBs (Humler et al., 1999, doi:10.1016/S0012-821X(99)00218-6), which may have been a consequence of the Cretaceous superplume event in the Pacific.Site 801 predates the formation of Pacific oceanic plateaus and 801C basalt chemistry indicates that higher temperatures of mantle melting beneath Pacific ridges preceded the initiation of the superplume.

Geochemistry of ash from Santorin, Greece

Santorin, am südlichsten Punkt des Kykladenbogens gelegen, ist der einzige noch tätige Vulkan in der südlichen Ägäis. Der Vulkanismus begann vor ca. 1.6 Mio. Jahren. Santorin besteht aus 5 Inseln, die nahezu vollständig aus vulkanischen Gesteinen aufgebaut sind, die im Laufe der Vulkangeschichte aus verschiedenen Eruptionszentren gefördert wurden. Abgesehen von den Laven im N der Hauptinsel Thera, wird der Zentral- und Südteil der Insel in der Hauptsache von den pyroklastischen Förderprodukten des sog. Thera-Vulkans aufgebaut. In der vorliegenden Arbeit waren diese pyroklastischen Serien Ziel der Untersuchungen. Die Ergebnisse daraus können folgendermaßen zusammengefaßt werden: - Die Aufnahme von 14 detaillierten Profilen und deren Korrelierung erbrachte die Einteilung der pyroklastischen Schichten in 5 Haupt-Folgen: T5/1 - Untere Bimsstein-Folge (Bu), T5/2-Mittlere Bimsstein-Folge (Bm), - T5/3, Die Obere Bimsstein-Folge (Bo) wurde dabei nicht weiter berücksichtigt, da sie bereits in zahlreichen Arbeiten untersucht worden ist. - Die als T5/1-3 bezeichneten Serien bestehen aus Aschen, Schlacken, wenigen Bimsstein-Horizonten und untergeordnet Ignimbriten, 'pyroclastic' und 'ash flow'-Ablagerungen, sowie Laharen. Umlagerungen und Bodenhorizonte zeigen die Unterbrechung in der vulkanischen Tätigkeit an. - In den Tg-Folgen konnten jeweils einer oder mehrere Leit-Horizonte gefunden werden, die es ermöglichen die drei Tg-Serien zu unterscheiden und zu korrelieren. - Die Untere Bimsstein-Folge (Bu) wurde in sechs Einheiten unterteilt, die eine Wechselfolge von 'pumice fall' und 'pumice flow'-Ablagerungen bilden. - Mineralogische Untersuchungen zeigen für die 5 Haupt-Folgen nur geringe Unterschiede. Die Bimssteine und Schlacken bestehen überwiegend aus Glas und haben nur wenige Phänokristalle (3-12 Vol.*), wobei der Plagioklas (Andesin-Labradorit) überwiegt; Orthopyroxen (Hypersthen) und Klinopyroxen (diops. Augit) stellen ca. 30% der Einsprengunge. An Akzessorien sind vorhanden: Apatit, Magnetit, Hämatit und sehr selten Hornblende. - Ein Versuch zur Unterscheidung der Gesteine in den einzelnen Schicht-Einheiten war die Bestimmung der Lichtbrechung und der Dichte. Es zeigte sich, daß die Dichte weniger geeignet ist, die Lichtbrechung aber eine schwache Differenzierung widerspiegelt und somit für die Bimssteine und Schlacken, aber auch für die Bimssteine innerhalb des Bu unterschiedliche Werte gefunden wurden - Aus den Korngrößen-Analysen des Asche-Leithorizontes der T5/3-Folge ergaben sich die Lage des Eruptionszentrums und die damals vorherrschende Windrichtung. - Die Oberen Ignimbrite (Ign., im Hangenden der T5/3-Folge) konnten erstmals in 5 Einheiten unterteilt werden. - Die Seltenen Erden-Analysen erbrachten für die einzelnen Folgen in etwa die gleichen SEE-Spektren. - Die geochemischen Untersuchungen von ca. 120 Proben sind in verschiedenen Diagrammen dargestellt. Daraus wird deutlich, daß die T5-Folgen die basischsten Glieder sind. Es handelt sich überwiegend um Quarz-Andesite und Quarz-Latiandesite, während die Bimsstein-Serien (Bu u. Bm) eine quarz-latiandesitische bis rhyodacitische Zusammensetzung haben. Es sind aber alles kalkalkaline Gesteine, die in den Bereich der Kontinentalrand-Andesite gehören. - Es wird angenommen, daß die Gesteine des Thera-Vulkans aus einer Magmakammer stammen. Während Zeiten ± kontinuierlicher, explosiver Tätigkeit wurden die Aschen und Schlacken der T5-Serien gefördert, die gegenüber den Bimsstein-Folgen relativ basisch sind. Während längerer Ruheperioden (Bodenhorizonte am Top der Tc-Folgen) differenzierte die Schmelze in der Magmakammer, vorwiegend durch Kristallfraktionierung. In den paroxysmalen Ausbrüchen wurden dann die sauren, gasreichen Bimssteine des Bu, Bm und Bo gefördert. - Anhand der lithologischen und geochemischen Untersuchungen ließen sich die etwaigen Eruptionszentren, die Ausbruchsmechanismen und der Ablagerungstyp der Schichten herleiten und daraus die Vulkangeschichte rekonstruieren, wie sie in vier Tabellen übersichtlich zusammengefaßt sind. - Schließlich sollen paläomorphologische Karten die einzelnen Stadien des Thera-Vulkans veranschaulichen.

Composition of minerals from peridotides at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 13°N

Peridotites (diopside-bearing harzburgites) found at 13°N of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge fall into two compositional groups. Peridotites P1 are plagioclase-free rocks with minerals of uniform composition and Ca-pyroxene strongly depleted in highly incompatible elements. Peridotites P2 bear evidence of interaction with basic melt: mafic veinlets; wide variations in mineral composition; enrichment of minerals in highly incompatible elements (Na, Zr, and LREE); enrichment of minerals in moderately incompatible elements (Ti, Y, and HREE) from P1 level to abundances 4-10 times higher toward the contacts with mafic aggregates; and exotic mineral assemblages Cr-spinel + rutile and Cr-spinel + ilmenite in peridotite and pentlandite + rutile in mafic veinlets. Anomalous incompatible-element enrichment of minerals from peridotites P2 occurred at the spinel-plagioclase facies boundary, which corresponds to pressure of about 0.8-0.9 GPa. Temperature and oxygen fugacity were estimated from spinel-orthopyroxene-olivine equilibria. Peridotites P1 with uniform mineral composition record temperature of the last complete recrystallization at 940-1050°C and FMQ buffer oxygen fugacity within the calculation error. In peridotites P2, local assemblages have different compositions of coexisting minerals, which reflects repeated partial recrystallization during heating to magmatic temperatures (above 1200°C) and subsequent reequilibration at temperatures decreasing to 910°C and oxygen fugacity significantly higher than FMQ buffer (delta log fO2 = 1.3-1.9). Mafic veins are considered to be a crystallization product from basic melt enriched in Mg and Ni via interaction with peridotite. The geochemical type of melt reconstructed by the equilibrium with Ca-pyroxene is defined as T-MORB: (La/Sm)_N~1.6 and (Ce/Yb) )_N~2.3 that is well consistent with compositional variations of modern basaltic lavas in this segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, including new data on quenched basaltic glasses.

Composition of volcanic rocks from the Alchan Basin, Northwestern Primorie

Geological, petrochemical, and geochemical data are reported for volcanic rocks of a Cretaceous pull-apart basin in the Tan Lu strike-slip system, Asian continental margin. A comparison of these volcanic rocks with magmatic rocks from typical Cenozoic transform margins in the western North America and rift zones of Korea made it possible to distinguish some indicator features of transform-margin volcanic rocks. Magmatic rocks from strike-slip extension zones bear island-arc, intraplate, and occasionally depleted MORB geochemical signatures. In addition to calc-alkaline rocks there are bimodal volcanic series. The rocks are characterized by high K2O, MgO, and TiO2 contents. They show variable enrichment in LILE relative to HFSE, which is typical of island-arc magmas. At the same time they are rich in compatible transition elements, which is a characteristic of intraplate magmas. Trace element distribution patterns normalized to MORB or primitive mantle usually show a negative Ta-Nb anomaly typical of suprasubduction settings. Their Ta/Nb ratio is lower, whereas Ba/Nb, Ba/La, and La/Yb ratios are higher than those of some MORB and OIB. In terms of trace element systematics, for example, Ta-Th-Hf, Ba/La-(Ba/La)_n, (La/Sm)_n-La/Hf, and others, they fall within the area of mixing of magmas from several sources (island arc, intraplate, and depleted reservoirs). Magmatic rocks of transform settings show a sigmoidal chondrite-normalized REE distribution pattern with a negative slope of LREE, depletion in MREE, and an enriched or flat HREE pattern. Magmas with mixed geochemical characteristics presumably originated in a transform margin setting in local extension zones under influence of mantle diapirs, which caused metasomatism and melting of the lithosphere at different levels, and mixing of melts from different sources in variable proportions.

Chemical composition of clinopyroxenes and melt inclusions in clinopyroxenes from rocks of the Malaita Island, Ontong Java Plateau (Pacific Ocean)

The paper is based on new results of melt inclusion studies in minerals. Physicochemical and geochemical parameters of plateau basalt magmatic systems of the Siberian Platform and Ontong Java Plateau (Pacific Ocean) have been established. The studied melts are enriched in Fe. That differs them from magmatic melts of mid-ocean ridges (MOR). A comparative analysis of data on inclusions has shown a similarity of continental and oceanic plateau basalt magmatic systems. They considerably differ from those of MOR and intraplate oceanic islands. Crystallization of oceanic plateau basalts took place at lower temperatures and pressures as compared with similar rocks of the Siberian Platform. The data on inclusions evidence that the melts of the Siberian Platform and the Malaita Island underwent a serious evolution in contrast to magmas of the Nauru Basin that have more stable geochemical parameters. The most fractionated low-temperature high-Fe magmas with elevated contents of trace and rare-earth elements occur in the Malaita Island (Ontong Java Plateau) magmatic system.

Chemical and isotopic compositions of basalts and glasses from lavas of the Sierra Leone fault site

According to detailed petrological, geochemical, and isotope-geochemical study, fragments of fresh pillow lavas with chilled glass margins dredged at the Sierra-Leone test site in the axial rift zone of the MAR between 5° and 7°N correspond to MORB tholeiites, which are not primitive mantle melts, but were differentiated in intermediate magmatic (intrusive) chambers. Small-scale geochemical and Sr-Nd isotope heterogeneities were established for the first time in basalts and their glasses. It was shown that some samples have significant nonsystematic differences in the 87Sr/86Sr ratio between basalts and their chilled glasses and less significant difference in e-Nd; higher Sr ratios can be observed both in glasses and basalts of the same lava fragments. No significant correlation is observed between isotope characteristics of samples and their geochemistry; it was also shown that seawater did not affect Sr and Nd isotope compositions of the chilled glasses from the studied pillow lavas. It is suggested that such differences in isotope ratios are related to small-scale heterogeneity of melts owing to incomplete homogenization during their rapid ascent to the surface. Heterogeneity of basaltic melts is explained by their partial contamination by older plutonic rocks (especially gabbroids) of the lower oceanic crust, through which they ascended to the surface of the ocean floor. The wider scatter of the Sr isotopic ratios relative to Nd ones is related to presence of xenocrysts of calcic plagioclase; correspondingly, absence of a Nd mineral carrier in the rocks results in less distinct Nd isotope variations. It was shown that all studied basalts define a single trend along the mantle correlation array in the Sr-Nd isotope diagram. Causes of this phenomenon remain unclear.