[1] Recent examinations of the chemical fluxes through convergent plate margins suggest the existence of significant mass imbalances for many key species: only 20-30% of the to-the-trench inventory of large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) can be accounted for by the magmatic outputs of volcanic arcs. Active serpentinite mud volcanism in the shallow forearc region of the Mariana convergent margin presents a unique opportunity to study a new outflux: the products of shallow-level exchanges between the upper mantle and slab-derived fluids. ODP Leg 125 recovered serpentinized harzburgites and dunites from three sites on the crests and flanks of the active Conical Seamount. These serpentinites have U-shaped rare earth element (REE) patterns, resembling those of boninites. U, Th, and the high field strength elements (HFSE) are highly depleted and vary in concentration by up to 2 orders of magnitude. The low U contents and positive Eu anomalies indicate that fluids from the subducting Pacific slab were probably reducing in nature. On the basis of substantial enrichments of fluid-mobile elements in serpentinized peridotites, we calculated very large slab inventory depletions of B (79%), Cs (32%), Li (18%), As (17%), and Sb (12%). Such highly enriched serpentinized peridotites dragged down to depths of arc magma generation may represent an unexplored reservoir that could help balance the input-output deficit of these elements as observed by Plank and Langmuir (1993, 1998) and others. Surprisingly, many species thought to be mobile in fluids, such as U, Ba, Rb, and to a lesser extent Sr and Pb, are not enriched in the rocks relative to the depleted mantle peridotites, and we estimate that only 1-2% of these elements leave the subducting slabs at depths of 10 to 40 km. Enrichments of these elements in volcanic front and behind-the-front arc lavas point to changes in slab fluid composition at greater depths.
The Tyrrhenian border of the Italian peninsula has been the site of intense magmatism from Pliocene to recent times. Although calc-alkaline, potassic and ultrapotassic volcanism overlaps in space and time, a decrease of alkaline character in time and space (southward) is observed. Alkaline ultrapotassic and potassic volcanic rocks are characterised by variable enrichment in K and incompatible elements, coupled with consistently high LILE/HFSE values, similar to those of calc-alkaline volcanic rocks from the nearby Aeolian arc. On the basis of mineralogy and major and trace element chemistry two different arrays can be recognised among primitive rocks; a silica saturated trend, which resulted in formation of leucite-free mafic rocks, and a silica undersaturated trend, charactrerised by leucite-bearing rocks. Initial 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd values of Italian ultrapotassic and potassic mafic rocks range from 0.70506 to 0.71672 and from 0.51173 to 0.51273, respectively. 206Pb/204Pb values range between 18.50 and 19.15, 207Pb/204Pb values range between 15.63 and 15.70, and 208Pb/204Pb values range between 38.35 and 39.20. The general εSr vs. εNd array, along with crustal lead isotopic values, clearly indicates that a continental crustal component has played an important role in the genesis of these magmas. The main question is where this continental crustal component has been acquired by the magmas. Volcanological and petrologic data indicate continental crustal contamination to be a leading process along with fractional crystallisation and magma mixing. Considering, however, only the samples thought to represent primary magmas, which have been in equilibrium with their mantle source, a clearer picture emerges. A large variation of εSr vs. εNd is still observed, with εSr from −2 to +180 and εNd from + 2 to −12. A bifurcation of this array is observed in the samples that plot in the lower right quadrant, with mafic leucite-bearing Roman Province rocks buffered at εSr = + 100 whereas the mafic leucite-free potassic and ultrapotassic rocks point to strongly radiogenic Sr compositions. We may argue that mafic leucite-bearing Roman Province rocks point to εSr and εNd values similar to those of Miocene carbonate sediments whereas mafic leucite-free potassic and ultrapotassic rocks point to a silicate upper crust end-member. Lead isotopes plot well inside the field of island arcs, overlapping the values of pelagic sediments as well, but bifurcation between the samples north and south of Rome is observed. The main characteristic for the mantle source of Italian potassic and ultrapotassic magmas is the clear upper crustal signature acquired prior to partial melting through metasomatic agents released by the subducted slab. In addition, one lithospheric mantle source in the north and an asthenospheric mantle source, pointing to an HIMU reservoir, in the south were recognised. The chemical and isotopic differences observed between the northern and southern sectors of the magmatic region were possibly due to the presence of a...
[1] Shallow slab devolatilization is not only witnessed through fluid expulsion at accretionary prisms, but is also evidenced by active serpentinite seamounts in the shallow fore-arc region of the Mariana convergent margin. Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 195 recovered serpentinized peridotites that present a unique opportunity to study the products of shallow level exchanges between the upper mantle and slab-derived fluids. Similar to samples recovered during ODP Leg 125, the protoliths of these fore-arc serpentinized peridotites are mantle harzburgites that have suffered large volume melt extraction (up to 25%) prior to interactions with fluids released from the downgoing Pacific Plate. Samples recovered from both ODP legs 125 and 195 show U-shaped rare earth element (REE) patterns and very low REE abundances (0.001-0.1 Â chondrites). Relative to global depleted mantle values these rocks typically have 1-2 orders of magnitude lower high field strength elements, REE, Th, and U contents. Interestingly, all fore-arc rocks thus far examined show extreme enrichments of fluid mobile elements (FME: B, As, Cs, Sb, Li). Because the elemental and B, Li, and Sr isotope systematics in these fore-arc serpentinites point to nonseawater-related processes, studies of elemental excesses and anomalous isotopic signatures allow assessment of how much of the subducted inventory is lost during the initial subduction process between 10 and 40 km. On the basis of similar but substantial enrichments of FME in the Mariana fore-arc samples recovered at ODP legs 125 and 195, we report large slab inventory depletions of B ($75%), Cs ($25%), As ($15%), Li ($15%), and Sb ($8%); surprisingly low (generally less than 2%) depletions of Rb, Ba, Pb, U, Sr; and no depletions in REE and the high field strength elements (HFSE). Such slab-metasomatized mantle wedge materials may be dragged to depths of arc magma generation, as proposed by Tatsumi (1986) and Straub and Layne (2002) and thus represent an unexplored class of mantle material, different in its origins, physical properties and geochemical fingerprint from mantle rocks traditionally used in modeling a wide range of subduction zone processes.Citation: Savov, I. P., J. G. Ryan, M. D 'Antonio, and P. Fryer (2007), Shallow slab fluid release across and along the Mariana arcbasin system: Insights from geochemistry of serpentinized peridotites from the Mariana fore arc,
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