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Petrogenesis of the Kirkpatrick Basalt, Solo Nunatak, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, based on isotopic compositions of strontium, oxygen and sulfur

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Abstract

Chemical and isotopic compositions of Jurassic tholeiites of the Kirkpatrick Basalt Group from Solo Nunatak, northern Victoria Land, indicate that these rocks are contaminated with crustal material. The basalts are fine grained and contain phenocrysts of augite, pigeonite, hypersthene and plagioclase. The flows on Solo Nunatak are chemically more similar to average tholeiite than flows from Mt. Falla and Storm Peak in the Central Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) which appear to be more highly differentiated. Initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the flows on Solo Nunatak are high (>0.710) and are similar to those reported for the Kirkpatrick Basalt in the Central TAM. Whole-rock δ18O values are also high, ranging from +6.0 to +9.3‰ and correlate positively with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios, similar to the Kirkpatrick Basalt in the Central TAM. The correlation between initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios and δ18O values is explained as the result of simultaneous fractional crystallization and assimilation of a crustal contaminant. Sulfur isotope compositions vary between limits of δ34S= -4.01 to +3.41‰ Variations in (δ34S probably resulted from outgassing of SO2 under varying oxygen fugacities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Mineralogy and Institute of Polar Studies, The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    Teresa M. Mensing & Gunter Faure

  2. Research and Development Department, CONOCO Inc., 74603, Ponca City, OK, USA

    Lois M. Jones

  3. Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 84112, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    John R. Bowman

  4. Geochemical Institute, University of Göttingen, D-3400, Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany

    Jochen Hoefs

Authors
  1. Teresa M. Mensing
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  2. Gunter Faure
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  3. Lois M. Jones
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  4. John R. Bowman
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  5. Jochen Hoefs
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Additional information

Laboratory for Isotope Geology and Geochemistry (Isotopia), Contribution No. 71

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Mensing, T.M., Faure, G., Jones, L.M. et al. Petrogenesis of the Kirkpatrick Basalt, Solo Nunatak, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, based on isotopic compositions of strontium, oxygen and sulfur. Contrib Mineral Petrol 87, 101–108 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376216

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376216

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