Petrography and geochemistry of basaltic rocks from the Conrad fracture zone on the America-Antarctica Ridge |
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| Authors: | Anton P le Roex Henry JB Dick |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Geology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch , 7700South Africa;2. Department of Geochemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch , 7700South Africa |
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| Abstract: | Intrusive and extrusive basaltic rocks have been dredged from the Conrad fracture zone (transecting the slow-spreading America-Antarctica Ridge). The majority of rocks recovered are holocrystalline with the dominant mineral assemblage being plagioclase plus clinopyroxene with or without minor Fe-Ti oxides (olivine occurs in only three samples) and many of the samples show evidence of extensive alteration. Secondary minerals include chlorite, actinolite, K- and Na-feldspar, analcite and epidote. In terms of bulk chemistry the rocks are characterized by their generally evolved and highly variable compositions (e.g.Mg*=0.65?0.35;TiO2=0.7?3.6%;Zr=31?374ppm;Nb=<3?21ppm;Y=17?96ppm;Ni=100?9ppm), but with respect to the immobile incompatible element ratios (e.g. Zr/Nb, Y/Nb, La/Sm) are similar to “normal” or depleted mid-oceanic ridge basalts.Quantitative major and trace element modelling indicate that most of the variation observed can be attributed to low-pressure fractional crystallization of plagioclase plus clinopyroxene in approximately equal proportions with or without minor Fe-Ti oxides. The range in composition can be accounted for by up to 76% fractional crystallization. Although ferrobasalts have not frequently been associated with slow spreading ridges, the extreme differentiation observed in the Conrad fracture zone basalts implies some additional constraint other than spreading rate on the formation of ferrobasalt and reaffirms the importance of extensive crustal differentiation during the production of this basalt type. |
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