What question did this study set out to answer?

Determine the mantle source compositions and melting conditions that produce the compositional continuum from quartz tholeiites to olivine melilitites.

August 1, 1978Journal of Petrology

Integrated Models of Basalt Petrogenesis: A Study of Quartz Tholeiites to Olivine Melilitites from South Eastern Australia Utilizing Geochemical and Experimental Petrological Data

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Determine the mantle source compositions and melting conditions that produce the compositional continuum from quartz tholeiites to olivine melilitites.
Analyzed major and trace element abundances, including rare earth elements (REE), across Tertiary to Recent basalts and associated mantle xenoliths.
Calculated model primary magma compositions by correcting for low- to moderate-pressure fractional crystallization of olivine and pyroxene.
Evaluated high-pressure liquidus phase relationships and trace element behaviors using a modified pyrolite mantle model with varying H2O and CO2 contents.
A single pyrolite source containing 0.3%–0.4% TiO2 produces the full basalt spectrum via ~4% to ~25% partial melting, ranging from olivine melilitites (4%–6%) to olivine tholeiites (20%–25%).
Observed minor and trace element profiles require the mantle pyrolite source to be enriched in strongly incompatible elements at 6–9× chondritic abundances prior to melting.
Mantle source heterogeneity reflects the migration of an incompatible element-enriched, H2O- and CO2-rich fluid or melt within or below the low-velocity zone.

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Implication

Petrological modeling reveals that variable pyrolite melting generates diverse basalts in volcanic provinces, indicating upper mantle metasomatism drives magmatic diversity.

Cite This Study

Frey et al. (1978) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a01cbf6fdf359f3d7d8b42c https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/19.3.463

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Implication

Petrological modeling reveals that variable pyrolite melting generates diverse basalts in volcanic provinces, indicating upper mantle metasomatism drives magmatic diversity.

Integrated Models of Basalt Petrogenesis: A Study of Quartz Tholeiites to Olivine Melilitites from South Eastern Australia Utilizing Geochemical and Experimental Petrological Data

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Integrated Models of Basalt Petrogenesis: A Study of Quartz Tholeiites to Olivine Melilitites from South Eastern Australia Utilizing Geochemical and Experimental Petrological Data

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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