Incompatible element

About: Incompatible element is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2420 publications have been published within this topic receiving 154052 citations.

Melting in the Earth's deep upper mantle caused by carbon dioxide

Abstract: By determining the solidus of carbonated peridotite at high pressure it was demonstrated that melting beneath mid-ocean ridges may occur at greater depths than usually assumed — down to 330 kilometres or more. The onset of partial melting beneath mid-ocean ridges governs the cycling of highly incompatible elements from the mantle to the crust1, the flux of key volatiles (such as CO2, He and Ar)1,2 and the rheological properties of the upper mantle3. Geophysical observations4,5,6 indicate that melting beneath ridges begins at depths approaching 300 km, but the cause of this melting has remained unclear. Here we determine the solidus of carbonated peridotite from 3 to 10 GPa and demonstrate that melting beneath ridges may occur at depths up to 330 km, producing 0.03–0.3% carbonatite liquid. We argue that these melts promote recrystallization and realignment of the mineral matrix, which may explain the geophysical observations. Extraction of incipient carbonatite melts from deep within the oceanic mantle produces an abundant source of metasomatic fluids and a vast mantle residue depleted in highly incompatible elements and fractionated in key parent-daughter elements. We infer that carbon, helium, argon and highly incompatible heat-producing elements (such as uranium, thorium and potassium) are efficiently scavenged from depths of ∼200–330 km in the upper mantle.

Origin of calc-alkaline series lavas at Medicine Lake Volcano by fractionation, assimilation and mixing

Abstract: The results of experimental studies and examination of variations in major elements, trace elements and Sr isotopes indicate that fractionation, assimilation and magma mixing combined to produce the lavas at Medicine Lake Highland. Some characteristics of the compositional differences among the members of the calc-alkalic association (basalt-andesite-dacite-rhyolite) can be produced by fractional crystallization, and a fractionation model reproduces the major element trends. Other variations are inconsistent with a fractionation origin. Elevated incompatible element abundances (K and Rb) observed in lavas intermediate between basalt and rhyolite can be produced through assimilation of a crustal component. An accompanying increase in 87Sr/86Sr from ∼ 0.07030 in basalt to ∼0.7040 in rhyolite is also consistent with crustal assimilation. The compatible trace element contents (Ni and Sr) of intermediate lavas can not be produced by fractional crystallization, and suggest a magma-mixing origin for some lavas. Unusual phenocryst assemblages and textural criteria in these lavas provide additional evidence for magma mixing. A phase diagram constructed from the low pressure melting experiments identifies a distributary reaction point, where olivine+augite react to pigeonite. Parental basalts reach this point at low pressures and undergo iron-enrichment at constant SiO2 content. The resulting liquid line of descent is characteristic of the tholeiitic trend. Calc-alkalic differentiation trends circumvent the distributary reaction point by three processes: fractionation at elevated pH2O, assimilation and magma mixing.