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Petrology and geochemistry of back-arc basin basalts from Lau Basin spreading ridges at 15°, 18° and 19°S

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Summary

Fresh back-arc basin lavas were recovered during five dives of the submersible ‘Mir’ during the 1990 cruise of the research vessel ‘Akademik Mstislav Keldysh’ to the Lau Basin. Three dives were conducted on the central spreading center of the ‘King's Triple Junction’ (KTJ) in the northeastern part of the Lau Basin east of Niuafo'ou Island at approximately 15°S. The lavas from the KTJ can be divided into types I and II based on their similarities to N-MORB and the BABB magma type ofSinton andFryer (1987) respectively. One dive each was made on the Central Lau Spreading Center (CLSC) at 18°S and the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC) at 19°S. Lavas sampled on the CLSC were associated with active hydrothermal sulphide chimneys occurring at the base of a collapsed caldera structure on the central volcanic axial high. Sampled lavas from both the CLSC and ELSC are all of type I geochemistry.

The results of the ‘Keldysh’ 90 cruise are integrated with previous work to evaluate the geochemical characteristics of the Lau Basin crust as a whole and geochemical zonation models for back-arc basin development. An important part of this review of Lau Basin basalt geochemistry is the recognition of boninites and rocks of boninitic affinity which occur at off-ridge locations throughout the Lau Basin. These are suggested to erupt during the initial stages of development of new spreading ridges associated with episodes of ridge jump or the propagation of back-arc spreading ridges into arc crust.

Hf-Th-Ta systematics of the Lau Basin lavas are used to identify unmodified mantle source compositions and possible subduction-related enriched components. Unmodified mantle source compositions range from D-, N-, and E-MORB to OIB. All Lau Basin lavas show some evidence of enrichment by a H2O ± LILE ± LREE-enriched component, a slab derived hydrous fluid. The slab-derived fluid is not homogeneous in composition perhaps reflecting the presence or absence of a subducted sediment component.

The sampled lavas from the KTJ confirm the uniqueness of the BABB magma type ofSinton andFryer (1987).

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Artikel berichtet über erste Ergebnisse einer Forschungsexpedition in das Lau Basin, ausgeführt mit dem Forschungsschiff ‘Akademiker Mstislav Keldysh’ und dem Mini-U-Boot ‘Mir’. Drei Tauchfahrten führten zur zentralen Achse der ‘King's triple junction’ (KTJ) im nordöstlichen Teil des Lau Basins östlich der Insel Niuafo'ou (15°S). Die dort beprobten Laven werden auf der Basis ihrer chemischen Zusammensetzung eingeteilt in die Typen I und II, entsprechend der Klassifikation vonSinton andFryer (1987) in ‘N-MORB’ und ‘BABB’. Eine vierte Tauchfahrt zum zentralen Lau Spreading Center (CLSC, 18°N) erbrachte Fragmente von Sulphidschloten eines aktiven ‘Black Smoker’ innerhalb einer kollabierten Calderastructur. Eine fünfte Tauchfahrt zum östlichen Lau Spreading Center (ELSC, 19°N) erbrachte Laven vom Typus I (entsprechend N-MORB).

Unter Berücksichtigung früherer Arbeiten gestatten die Ergebnisse der ‘Keldysh 90’ Expedition eine geochemische Charakterisierung des Lau Basins, sowie eine Bewertung bestehender Zonierungsmodelle fur die Entstehung und Evolution von Backarc Basins. Entlang der gesamten Achse im Lau Basin, aber abseits des eigentlichen aktiven Spreading Centers, werden Boninite und Laven boninitischer Affinität beobachtet. Diese Boninite können als integraler Teil des Frühstadiums eines Backarc Spreading Centers gedeutet werden, und entstehen möglicherweise dort, wo Spreading Centers in die Kruste eines Inselbogens vordringen oder dann, wenn es zu einer abrupten Positionsänderung der Achse kommt.

Die Hf-Th-Ta Konzentrationen und Verhältnisse in Lau Basin Laven gestatten die Identifikation mehrerer Mantel-Endglieder (entsprechend D-MORB, N-MORB, E-MORB, und OIB), sowie einer an H2O und LILE-LREE angereicherten Komponente, die mit Subduktionstätigkeit und anschließender Mantelmetasomatose in Zusammenhang gebracht wird. Die angereicherte Komponente war vermutlich inhomogen aufgrund variabler Anteile subduzierter Sedimente. Die Laven des Lau Basins bestätigen die vonSinton andFryer (1987) vorgeschlagene geochemische Sonderstellung von BABB Magmentypen.

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  1. T. J. Falloon

    Present address: Department of Geology, Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristol, Queens Rd, BS8 1RJ, Bristol, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Tasmania, 7001, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

    T. J. Falloon

  2. Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 96822, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

    A. Malahoff

  3. Institute of Oceanology, USSR Academy of Sciences, 117218, Moscow, Russia

    L. P. Zonenshaina &  Y. Bogdanova

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  1. T. J. Falloon
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  2. A. Malahoff
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Falloon, T.J., Malahoff, A., Zonenshaina, L.P. et al. Petrology and geochemistry of back-arc basin basalts from Lau Basin spreading ridges at 15°, 18° and 19°S. Mineralogy and Petrology 47, 1–35 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01165295

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