Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Ongoing debates persist regarding the role of the lithospheric mantle in the generation of intraplate volcanoes. Most geochemical models propose that these volcanoes originate from magmas formed in the asthenosphere. Intraplate basalt composition, particularly their high content of trace elements, implies that these magmas are produced at low degree of partial melting. However, the melt migration through the lithospheric mantle remains largely unexplored. As these small quantities of magma traverse the lithosphere, their limited heat transport results in rapid cooling due to the lithosphere's strong geotherm (McKenzie, 1989), casting doubt on their ability to directly reach the surface. In contrast, this process induces a chemical effect characterized by the metasomatic enrichment of the lithospheric mantle, observed across oceanic, continental, and cratonic environments. Here, we developed a numerical finite difference model, incorporating thermo-hydro-chemical-thermal (THMC) processes, to investigate melt migration across the lithosphere. The model includes conservation equations for mass, fluid, and solid momentum, featuring a non-linear porosity-permeability relation for decompaction weakening and reactive porosity waves essential for flow channelization. Thermodynamic calculations employed Thermolab (Vrijmoed Podladchikov, 2022), a versatile Gibbs energy minimizer. Amphiboles and phlogopites are crucial phases for mantle metasomatism and alkaline magma generation. We successfully model these phases within expected PT ranges. Using both solution models and fixed composition phases. The model progresses through multiple steps, initiating at the asthenosphere-lithosphere boundary. Initial melt, present there if volatile content is sufficient, migrates upward with a decreasing volume but increasing volatile content as the pressure and temperature decrease. At a given point, the freezing effect of volatiles on mantle melting temperature is no longer sufficient to stabilize melt in equilibrium with the surrounding mantle. Melt migration concludes with the formation of hydrous phases like pargasite or phlogopite depending on the pressure. The second step, addressing excess volatiles after hydrous phases crystallization, involves their further upward transport as fluid, metasomatizing the overlying mantle until depletion of fluid. This process explains several aspects of metasomatism, such as hydrated phase formation and cryptic metasomatism associated with fluid migration. On the other hand, our model confirms that magma does not seem capable of crossing the lithosphere without reacting with the surrounding mantle and crystallizing. To take this further, we consider the hypothesis that the process of melt transport in the lithosphere occurs through the repeated migration of several pulses of magma from the asthenosphere. The emplacement of the first porosity wave is fundamental in establishing a pathway through which all successive pulses will traverse. Following this intricate process, a more extensive segment of the lithosphere undergoes metasomatism. Additionally, the recurrent influx of melt/fluid gradually elevates temperatures in the metasomatized area, potentially leading to the subsequent re-melting of hydrous phases, thereby engendering alkaline melts observed at the surface. McKenzie, D. (1989). Some remarks on the movement of small melt fractions in the mantle. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 53-72. Vrijmoed Podladchikov. (2022). Thermolab: A Thermodynamics Laboratory for Nonlinear Transport Processes in Open Systems .G3, 23, e2021GC010303
Repac et al. (Mon,) studied this question.