Reading the geochemical fingerprints of archean hot subduction volcanic rocks: Evidence for accretion and crustal recycling in a mobile tectonic regime

Author(s):  
A. Polat ◽  
R. Kerrich
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Gao ◽  
Shuwen Liu ◽  
Peter Cawood ◽  
Jintuan Wang ◽  
Guozheng Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract The redox evolution of Archean mantle impacted Earth differentiation, mantle melting and the nature of chemical equilibrium between mantle, ocean and atmosphere of the early Earth. However, how and why it varies with time remain controversial. Archean mantle-derived volcanic rocks, especially basalts are ideal lithologies for reconstructing the mantle redox state. Here we show that the ~3.8-2.5 Ga basalts from fourteen cratons are subdivided geochemically into two groups, B-1, showing incompatible element depleted and modern mid-ocean ridge basalt-like features ((Nb/La)PM ≥ 0.75) and B-2 ((Nb/La)PM < 0.75), characterized by modern island arc basalt-like features. Our updated V-Ti redox proxy indicates the Archean upper mantle was more reducing than today, and that there was a significant redox heterogeneity between ambient and modified mantle presumably related to crustal recycling, perhaps via plate subduction, as shown by B-1 and B-2 magmas, respectively. The oxygen fugacity of modified mantle exhibits a ~1.5-2.0 log units increase over ~3.8-2.5 Ga, whereas the ambient mantle becomes more and more heterogeneous with respect to redox, apart from a significant increase at ~2.7 Ga. These findings are coincident with the increase in the proportions of crustal recycling-related lithologies with associated enrichment of associated incompatible elements (e.g., Th/Nb), indicating that increasing recycling played a crucial role on the secular oxidation of Archean upper mantle.


1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1075-1082 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Corfu ◽  
G. M. Stott

Five precise U–Pb zircon (and titanite) ages from different lithologic units of the Shebandowan greenstone belt in the western Wawa Subprovince of the Superior Province put tight constraints on the time of late Archean magmatism and of two major deformation events.A porphyry sill from the older supracrustal sequence has an age of 2733 ± 3 Ma. Another porphyritic rock, a trondhjemite occurring as a clast in a conglomerate of the unconformably overlying Timiskaming-type supracrustal sequence, formed 2704 ± 2 Ma ago and defines a maximum age for the deposition of the Timiskaming-type sequence. An alkalic volcanic rock from this sequence has been directly dated at [Formula: see text], in accord with the above constraint and with another probable maximum age of deposition given by the date of 2696 ± 2 Ma for the Shebandowan Lake Pluton. A first deformation event (D1) was related to a predominantly vertical tectonic regime and occurred during or before intrusion of the Shebandowan Lake Pluton at 2696 ± 2 Ma. The second deformation event (D2) was caused by northwesterly-directed compression and occurred after [Formula: see text] ago, the age of the Timiskaming-type volcanic rocks. A minimum age for the D2 deformation event, which also affected the adjacent Quetico metasedimentary belt and was probably related to the development of major transcurrent fault systems throughout the Superior Province, is provided by an age of [Formula: see text] for the undeformed, late-kinematic Burchell Lake Pluton.


Author(s):  
Gejing Li ◽  
D. R. Peacor ◽  
D. S. Coombs ◽  
Y. Kawachi

Recent advances in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) have led to many new insights into the structural and chemical characteristics of very finegrained, optically homogeneous mineral aggregates in sedimentary and very low-grade metamorphic rocks. Chemical compositions obtained by electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) on such materials have been shown by TEM/AEM to result from beam overlap on contaminant phases on a scale below resolution of EMPA, which in turn can lead to errors in interpretation and determination of formation conditions. Here we present an in-depth analysis of the relation between AEM and EMPA data, which leads also to the definition of new mineral phases, and demonstrate the resolution power of AEM relative to EMPA in investigations of very fine-grained mineral aggregates in sedimentary and very low-grade metamorphic rocks.Celadonite, having end-member composition KMgFe3+Si4O10(OH)2, and with minor substitution of Fe2+ for Mg and Al for Fe3+ on octahedral sites, is a fine-grained mica widespread in volcanic rocks and volcaniclastic sediments which have undergone low-temperature alteration in the oceanic crust and in burial metamorphic sequences.


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