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Picrites as parental magma of MORB-type tholeiites

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Abstract

Recent experimental work on peridotites and basalts1–3 and a reappraisal of ophiolite complexes4 supports the concept that basalts are derived from picritic parents5–7. The occurrence of a density minimum in the liquid line of descent8–10 explains why mid-ocean ridge tholeiites fall in a restricted compositional range, and parental picrites can only be found in the exceptional case when eruption is not yet controlled by a steady-state magma chamber7,11. We present here a preliminary account of a natural example of such a case from the Caribbean.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Institute, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    D. J. Beets, G. Th. Klaver & F. F. Beunk

  2. WACOM, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    C. Kieft

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    P. Maaskant

Authors
  1. D. J. Beets
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  2. G. Th. Klaver
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  3. F. F. Beunk
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  4. C. Kieft
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  5. P. Maaskant
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Beets, D., Klaver, G., Beunk, F. et al. Picrites as parental magma of MORB-type tholeiites. Nature 296, 341–343 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/296341a0

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