Formation and Modification of the Shallow Sub-continental Lithospheric Mantle: a Review of Geochemical Evidence from Ultramafic Xenolith Suites and Tectonically Emplaced Ultramafic Massifs of Western and Central Europe

The petrology and geochemistry of shallow continental lithospheric Extended mantle-normalized incompatible trace element patterns for whole rocks show enrichment in Rb and Ba in peridotites considered mantle (SCLM) can be studied via (1) tectonically emplaced ultramafic massifs and (2) mantle xenoliths entrained in alkaline to have been subduction-metasomatized, whereas those considered to be carbonate-metasomatized have strong negative anomalies in magmas. Data from these two separate sources are used to identify processes that have formed and modified the SCLM. In western Zr, Nb and Hf. Mantle amphiboles are strongly enriched in LREE when found in veins, but can be LREE depleted if they are and central Europe where the continental crust consolidated in Phanerozoic times, both sources of information are available for interstitial. Radiogenic isotope ratios for xenoliths and massifs largely overlap, although the xenoliths show a significant clustering study. Rock types found in ultramafic massifs in Europe are generally similar to those found in ultramafic xenolith suites. The most around a ‘plume-component’ identical to the Neogene alkaline magmatism of Europe. This component is lacking in the massifs, frequent lithology is anhydrous spinel lherzolite, grading towards most of which were emplaced into the crust before the onset of harzburgite. Massifs reveal pyroxenite layering, harzburgite bands Neogene plume activity. Infiltration of carbonatite melts is observed and cross-cutting mafic and ultramafic dykes. The Phanerozoic petrographically in some xenoliths and evidenced by low Ti/Eu European SCLM xenoliths and massifs show broad mineralogical ratios in bulk rocks, but is very rare. The effect of passage of and chemical similarities to Phanerozoic continental spinel peridotites hydrous fluids from subducting slabs is also seen in some suites and world-wide. The main process that controls the geochemistry of the massifs, being exhibited mainly as unusual Sr and Pb isotope SCLM is depletion by removal of basaltic melt. Differences from ratios, although enrichment in K, Rb and Ba, and the presence of this norm reflect significantly different processes in the SCLM, such modal phlogopite, may also point to subduction-metasomatism. as interaction with melts and fluids. Such processes probably gave rise to hornblendite veins and pyroxenite layers, although the latter have also been interpreted as recycled oceanic crust. Rare earth