Olivine Tholeiites from Krafla, Iceland: Evidence for Variations in Melt Fraction within a Plume |
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| Authors: | NICHOLSON HUGH; LATIN DAVE |
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| Institution: | 1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3JW UK
2Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge Cambridge CB3 0EZ, UK |
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| Abstract: | Olivine tholeiites (8–10 wt. % MgO) from Krafla show significantcorrelations between major elements (notably Fe) and incompatibletrace elements. In particular, the samples with the highestFe contents are the most enriched in elements such as K, Ti,and light rare earth elements (LREEs). The observed trends cannotbe explained by fractional crystallization of olivine, plagioclase,or clinopyrox-ene from a single primary magma, nor are theylikely to result from crustal contamination. The simplest explanationfor the compositional variations is that they result from imperfectmixing of primary melts, produced at different levels in theupwelling asthenosphere, which later underwent olivine fractionation.Nd and Sr isotopic data hint at the possibility that some mixingbetween two (plume and non-plume) mantle sources may also berequired. The average olivine tholeiite composition is comparedwith the average compositions of melts, predicted from parameterizationsof melting experiments, produced from mantle with differentpotential temperatures. The predicted compositions were correctedfor fractional crystallization before the comparison was made.The data compare well with the predicted average compositionof melt from mantle with a potential temperature of {small tilde}1580C. Differences between the observed and predicted compositions(notably higher Fe and lower Na in the Krafla basalts) are ascribedeither to errors related to the modelling or to the effect oftemperature- and velocity-structure of the mantle plume beneathIceland. The average REE composition of the olivine tholeiiteswas then inverted to obtain the variation of melt fraction withdepth. The predicted melt fraction rises from 00 at a depthof {small tilde} 140 km (consistent with a potential temperatureclose to 1580 C) to a maximum value of {small tilde} 03 atthe surface. The predicted melt thickness ({small tilde}22 kmwhen corrected for fractional crystallization) is consistentwith geophysical estimates of crustal thickness. |
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