Browsing by Author "Koepke, Juergen"
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Item Cu refertilization of abyssal peridotites by melt percolation(Copernicus Publications, 2015) Ciazela, Jakub; Dick, Henry; Koepke, Juergen; Botcharnikov, Roman; Muszynski, Andrzej; Kuhn, ThomasPrimitive mantle is depleted in many elements by partial melting processes, but it can be subsequently refertilized by impregnation with percolating melts. It is known that Cu can be enriched in primitive melts, depleting mantle residue, due to the former process (Patten et al. 2013). However, the behavior of Cu in the processes of mantle-melt interaction is poorly understood. The only comprehensive study is based on compositions of orogenic peridotites, representing the subcontinental mantle (Lorand et al. 1993; 2013), where a moderate enrichment of the mantle in Cu (up to 50 ppm) has been observed. Here, we present the first results obtained for a suite of rocks from an oceanic core complex (OCC), the Kane Megamullion at 22 30’N at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Dick et al. 2008). OCC’s provide large exposures of mantle and lower crustal rocks on the seafloor on detachment fault footwalls at slow and ultraslow spreading ridges. The mantle rocks are composed of spinel and plagioclase harzburgites. The spinel harzburgites represent depleted mantle, whereas the plagioclase harzburgites were formed by subsequent late-stage melt impregnation in the depleted mantle (Dick et al. 2010). We have determined Cu concentrations in 22 residual spinel harzburgites and 4 plagioclase harzburgites using total digestion ICP-MS. The average Cu concentration in spinel harzburgites is 35 11 ppm Cu (2 ). The average Cu concentration obtained for plagioclase harzburgites is 131 33 ppm Cu (2 ). Additionally, we have analyzed one 1.5 cm thick contact zone between an oxide gabbro vein and residual peridotite. The contact zone, which has been heavily impregnated by the melt, contains 284 ppm Cu. In contrast, the neighboring oxide gabbro vein and the hosting peridotite contain 147 and 68 ppm Cu, respectively. Furthermore, we have determined the concentration of Cu in a dunite (118 ppm), formed in a reaction between the mantle and melt ascending through the lithosphere (Dick et al. 2010). Magmatic processes in the rocks coming from OCCs can be obscured by deformation and alteration. Plastically deformed rocks are common in the damaged zone related to the detachment fault. Metaperidotites from these zones, which show protomylonitic to ultramylonitic textures, are systematically depleted in Cu (15 5 ppm, 2 ) in comparison to non-deformed spinel harzburgites. We have not included the values obtained from non-deformed harzburgites in the calculation of the averages presented above. Thus, the effect of deformation processes does not influence our results. The relatively narrow 0.95 confidence intervals of the means obtained for non-deformed spinel and plagioclase harzburgite species and a large difference between the two means indicate a relatively low influence of alteration. Therefore, we believe the significant enrichment in Cu exhibited by the refertilized mantle rocks is caused exclusively by mantle impregnation with late-stage melts. Enhanced Cu concentrations indicate that the scale of this enrichment can be significantly underestimated in previous studies (Lorand et al. 2013).Item Mantle rock exposures at oceanic core complexes along mid-ocean ridges(Instytut Geologii UAM, 2015-12) Ciazela, Jakub; Koepke, Juergen; Dick, Henry J.B.; Muszynski, AndrzejThe mantle is the most voluminous part of the Earth. However, mantle petrologists usually have to rely on indirect geophysical methods or on material found ex situ. In this review paper, we point out the in-situ existence of oceanic core complexes (OCCs), which provide large exposures of mantle and lower crustal rocks on the seafloor on detachment fault footwalls at slow-spreading ridges. OCCs are a common structure in oceanic crust architecture of slow-spreading ridges. At least 172 OCCs have been identified so far and we can expect to discover hundreds of new OCCs as more detailed mapping takes place. Thirty-two of the thirty-nine OCCs that have been sampled to date contain peridotites. Moreover, peridotites dominate in the plutonic footwall of 77% of OCCs. Massive OCC peridotites come from the very top of the melting column beneath ocean ridges. They are typically spinel harzburgites and show 11.3–18.3% partial melting, generally representing a maximum degree of melting along a segment. Another key feature is the lower frequency of plagioclase-bearing peridotites in the mantle rocks and the lower abundance of plagioclase in the plagioclase-bearing peridotites in comparison to transform peridotites. The presence of plagioclase is usually linked to impregnation with late-stage melt. Based on the above, OCC peridotites away from segment ends and transforms can be treated as a new class of abyssal peridotites that differ from transform peridotites by a higher degree of partial melting and lower interaction with subsequent transient melt.Item Mantle-crust differentiation of chalcophile elements in the oceanic lithosphere(2014) Ciazela, Jakub; Dick, Henry; Koepke, Juergen; Kuhn, Thomas; Muszynski, Andrzej; Kubiak, MartaThe chalcophile elements, as associated with sulfides, are believed mainly from the study of ophiolites to be generally enriched in the upper mantle, but depleted by magmatic processes in the lower and upper ocean crust. However, studies of some orogenic lherzolites suggest a copper depletion of peridotites in relation to the primitive mantle, suggesting that a portion of the sulfides is melted during decompression and incorporated into the ascending magmas. The rarity of abyssal peridotites and the high degree of their alteration have not allowed these results to be verified in situ in the oceans. Here, we present the first complete study of chalcophile elements based on a suite of rocks from an oceanic core complex (OCC), the Kane Megamullion at 22°30’N at the MidAtlantic Ridge. OCCs provide large exposures of mantle and lower crustal rocks on the seafloor on detachment fault footwalls at slow and ultraslow spreading ridges. The Kane Megamullion is one of the best sampled OCCs in the world, with 1342 rocks from 28 dredge sites and 14 dives. We have made XRF, TDMS and INAA analyses of 129 representative peridotites, gabbroic rocks, diabases and basalts. Our results suggest a depletion of some peridotites in relation to the primitive mantle (28 ppm Cu). Dunites, troctolites and olivine gabbros are relatively enriched in chalcophile elements. The amount of sulfides decreases gradually with progressive differentiation, reaching a minimum in gabbronorites and diabases. The highest bulk abundance of chalcophile elements in our sample suite was observed in dunites (up to ~ 300 ppm Cu in several samples) and a contact zone between residual peridotite and a mafic vein (294 ppm Cu). Plagioclasebearing harzburgites, generally formed by latestage melt impregnation in the mantle, are typically more enriched in Cu than unimpregnated residual peridotites. For these reasons, our initial results indicate sulfide melting during mantle melting, and their local precipitation in the mantle lithosphere due to late-stage melt impregnation.