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Characterising modal metasomatic processes in young continental lithospheric mantle: a microsampling isotopic and trace element study on xenoliths from the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco

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Abstract

Clinopyroxene is a major host for lithophile elements in the mantle lithosphere, and therefore it is critical whether we are to understand the constraints that this mineral puts on mantle evolution and melt generation. This study presents a detailed in situ trace element and Sr isotope study of clinopyroxene, amphibole and melt from two spinel lherzolites from the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. The results show that there is limited, but discernable, Sr isotopic variation between clinopyroxene crystals within these xenoliths [87Sr/86Sr ranging from 0.703416 (±11 2SE) to 0.703681 (±12 2SE)]. Trace element patterns show similar interelement fractionation with LREE enrichment, but there is a considerable range in terms of elemental concentration (e.g. over 100 ppm in Sr concentrations). Observed modal clinopyroxene is far more abundant than that predicted from estimates of melt depletion. This along with isotope and trace element variability found in these xenoliths supports a multistage metasomatic process in which clinopyroxene and amphibole are recent secondary additions to the lithospheric mantle. Elemental systematics indicate that the metasomatic mineral assemblage has most recently equilibrated with a carbonatitic melt prior to inclusion in the host basalt. The clinopyroxene from this study is typical of global off-craton clinopyroxene in terms of Sr isotope composition, suggesting that the majority of clinopyroxene in off-craton settings may have a recent metasomatic origin. These findings indicate that caution is required when using peridotite xenoliths to estimate the degree of elemental enrichment in the subcontinental lithosphere.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a Natural Environment Research Council studentship (NERC/S/A/2006/14005) to JM. The authors would like to thank Geoff Nowell and Chris Ottley for technical assistance. Vikki Martin and Ofra Klein BenDavid are thanked by JM for patiently demonstrating the drilling and chemistry techniques and providing good company during long days in the laboratory. We would like to thank Joel Baker and an anonymous reviewer for constructive reviews which improved the manuscript. Jon Blundy is thanked for his editorial handling of the manuscript.

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  1. Northern Centre for Elemental and Isotopic Tracing, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Science Labs, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK

    Jacqueline Malarkey, Nadine Wittig, D. Graham Pearson & Jon P. Davidson

  2. Friedrich-Alexander Universitaet Erlangen, GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Lithosphere Dynamics, Schlossgarten, 5, 91054, Erlangen, Germany

    Nadine Wittig

  3. Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, and National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA

    Nadine Wittig

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  1. Jacqueline Malarkey
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  2. Nadine Wittig
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Correspondence to Jacqueline Malarkey.

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Communicated by J. Blundy.

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Malarkey, J., Wittig, N., Graham Pearson, D. et al. Characterising modal metasomatic processes in young continental lithospheric mantle: a microsampling isotopic and trace element study on xenoliths from the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Contrib Mineral Petrol 162, 289–302 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-010-0597-9

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