The Okinawa Trough is an incipient back-arc basin formed by the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate and is a natural laboratory for studying basin evolution, magmatism, and crust-mantle interactions during the early stages of back-arc spreading. Back-arc spreading and recent magmatism are occurring mainly in the Middle Okinawa Trough (MOT) and Southern Okinawa Trough (SOT). In order to investigate the magmatism in the Okinawa Trough, volcanic rock samples from the MOT and SOT were analysed for Fe - Sr - Nd - Pb - Hf isotopic compositions. The Fe isotopic compositions of basaltic andesite samples from the SOT are similar to or lower than MORBs. The fluid/melt derived from the subducted slab, especially the fluid dehydrated from slab serpentinites and sediment-derived melts, entered the overlying depleted mantle wedge and participated in magma generation, which resulted in the low & delta;Fe-56 values of the SOT basaltic magmas. The & delta;Fe-56 values of volcanic rocks from the MOT increase with increasing SiO2 contents, suggesting a gradual enrichment of heavy Fe isotopes during the evolution of the magma as it ascended to the surface. While the Sr - Nd - Pb - Hf isotopic compositions do not vary significantly, suggesting that the different samples are the products of different degrees of crystal fractionation of comagma. The fractional crystallization of olivine, pyroxene, and ilmenite minerals, which enrich in light Fe isotopes, resulted in the gradual increase in Fe isotopic values of magma during its evolution. The dacites and rhyolites from the southernmost Okinawa Trough have the similar & delta;Fe-56 values with the basaltic andesite and the basalt from the SOT and MOT, accompanied by significantly lower Nd and Hf isotope ratios relative to basalts, reflecting that the contamination of crustal materials would not change the magma in Fe isotope compositions evidently. Compared with the MOT, the volcanic rocks from the SOT was more affected by subduction components on their underlying mantle, and those from the southernmost experienced more contamination by crustal materials in the evolving magma.
Late Palaeozoic evolution of the Chinese Altai-East Junggar orogenic collage is vital for a better understanding of the accretionary evolution in the southern Altaids. This paper reports new geochronological, geochemical, and isotopic data for the magmatic rocks collected from the northern part of the Dulate arc. The similar to 304.6 Ma tonalite samples present typical adakitic features of high Sr (396-714 ppm), low Y (1.42-2.60 ppm), Yb (0.11-0.24 ppm), and high Sr/Y (177.25-440.23) ratios. Combining high Mg# (55.35-57.21) and depleted isotopic composition (epsilon(Hf)(t): +9.89 to +13.37 and epsilon(Nd)(t): +5.36 to +6.06), we suggest that they were derived from the partial melting of a subducted oceanic slab. The similar to 299.4 Ma monzogranite samples have high A/CNK values (1.08 to 1.25), CIPW normative corundum contents (1.28-3.25 wt.%), and positive epsilon(Hf)(t) (+5.14 to +8.63) and epsilon(Nd)(t) (+1.08) values, which are similar to S-type granite that may be generated by the melting of greywackes. The monzogranite (similar to 286.9 Ma) and rhyolitic porphyry (similar to 283.9 Ma) are high-K calc-alkaline and similar to the highly fractionated I-type granites with depleted isotopic features (epsilon(Hf)(t): +11.68 to +14.99 and +0.75 to +7.18, epsilon(Nd)(t): +5.91 and +6.18). The monzogranite and rhyolitic porphyry could have been derived from a depleted mantle source, but the rhyolitic porphyry probably suffered partial assimilation of the overlying crust materials. Combining regional rock associations of mafic-ultramafic complexes, adakitic rocks, high-Mg diorites, and A-type granites with close spatial-temporal relationship, we conclude that a mid-oceanic ridge of the Ob-Zaisan Ocean subducted southward beneath the Dulate arc during the latest Carboniferous to Permian. With the opening of the slab window, the upwelling asthenosphere provided high heat flux and triggered various magmatism in the upper plate. We propose that ridge subduction is one of the most effective mechanisms of continental growth in the southern Altaids.
The Sabzevar ophiolite is the most extensive and best-exposed section of oceanic lithosphere in NE Iran. In this study, we examined the mantle section of the eastern part of the Sabzevar ophiolite, where mantle peridotites are the most widespread rock type and are crosscut by pyroxenite veins and mafic dykes. Major and trace element compositions (minerals and whole-rock) of lherzolites are akin to those of abyssal peridotites from mid-ocean ridges (MOR), whereas those of harzburgites evidence formation in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) setting. Rare-earth element (REE) patterns of whole-rock and clinopyroxene of lherzolites and harzburgites suggest polybaric melting, with initial melting in the garnet peridotite field (similar to 5-6%), followed by similar to 5-15% melting for lherzolites and similar to 10-20% for harzburgites in the spinel peridotite field. Harzburgites show LREE enrichment incompatible with partial melting models, indicating significant interaction with SSZ-related melts, whereas analysed lherzolites experienced limited melt-rock interaction. Pyroxene dissolution and olivine precipitation in residual peridotites resulting from reaction with island arc tholeiite and/or boninite melts led to the formation of dunites. These melts eventually intruded as dykes and veins in the mantle and crustal sections of the ophiolite. In addition, boninite melts are inferred to be responsible for forming olivine pyroxenite veins within the harzburgites. We conclude that the mantle section of the Sabzevar ophiolite formed in an intra-oceanic arc setting and experienced a geochemical evolution from a MOR-like to SSZ setting. The intra-oceanic subduction of the Neotethys oceanic lithosphere and shifting conditions of melting during the development of subduction beneath the incipient island arc were responsible for the geochemical heterogeneity of mantle peridotites and the generation of SSZ-related magmas within the Sabzevar oceanic lithosphere.
Based on the geological and geochemical analysis of volcanic rock and their surrounding rocks, combined with palaeontological data and hydrocarbon generation thermal simulation experiments, the mechanism of the impact of volcanic eruptions on the formation of organic matter and hydrocarbon generation in the Dongying Depression is investigated. According to the results, underwater volcanic eruptions play a significant role in promoting biological eruptions and water stratification by introducing heat, minerals, and metal elements. The formation of the basalt source rock symbiotic association went through three evolutionary stages, which were underwater eruption, late eruption, and normal sedimentation. These stages have influenced the generation of hydrocarbons from organic matter in the following ways: (1) The organic acid released from the source rock dissolves the adjacent basalt, and the transitional metal elements in the basalt become activated and enter the source rock, which catalyses the hydrocarbon generation from the source rock. (2) Alteration of olivine in basalt releases hydrogen, improving hydrocarbon generation efficiency of source rock. (3) The existence of a large number of carbonates improves the hydrocarbon generation rate and efficiency of source rocks and reduces the hydrocarbon generation threshold of source rocks.
Scandium (Sc) is a dispersed metal in Earth's lithosphere, with an average abundance of 16 to 22 ppm. In the meantime, it is widely considered as a critical metal because of its paramount significance in scientific research and technical innovation. With surging demands that are not backed-up by current supplies globally, the market price of Sc oxide is astonishingly five times more than the most expensive rare earth oxide of terbium (Tb). Production of Sc is significantly held back due to scarcity of economically viable grades at explorable depths within the crust, compared with other critical metals such as REE, Nb and Ta. Nevertheless, typical high- to intermediate-grade Sc deposits, as compiled in this review, consistently show close relationships to specific magmatic (e.g. ultramafic-mafic and carbonatitic), supergene and hydrothermal processes during Sc enrichment, especially the former two. Known potential Sc deposits are tentatively classified based on their host rocks and metallogeny, including those hosted in the ultramafic-mafic rocks and related laterites, in carbonatite and related laterites, in bauxite residue and processed coals, hydrothermal Sc deposits and Sc deposits related to syenite intrusions, pegmatites or marine sediments. We also discuss the Sc enrichment mechanism and associated tectonics and partition coefficients of Sc among diverse minerals and melts, which reveal the preference of Sc for clinopyroxene, garnet and iron oxides by isomorphic replacement or ion absorption during diverse magmatic and supergene Sc enrichment processes. Lastly, Sc resources in the world-class Bayan Obo deposit are discussed in detail as an illustrative benchmark example, where hydrothermal aegirine may host majority of carbonatite-derived Sc.
