Geochemistry of a new enriched mantle type locality in the northern hemisphere: Implications for the origin of the EM-I source

• Published in: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
• Main Authors: Geldmacher, Jörg, Hoernle, Kaj, Kluegel, Andreas, van den Bogaard, Paul, Bindeman, I.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2008
• Subjects: North Atlantic; Ocean Island
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/6606/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/6606/1/77_Geldmacher_2008_GeochemistryOfANewEnriched_Artzeit_pubid8405.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2007.10.001

Late Cretaceous (66.2 ± 0.5 Ma amphibole and 66.7 ± 0.2 Ma phlogopite 40Ar/39Ar ages) nephelinitic volcanic rocks from Godzilla Seamount in the eastern North Atlantic (34°N latitude) have trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf-isotope compositions similar to the Enriched Mantle I (EM-I) endmember, except for their low 207Pb/204Pb relative to 206Pb/204Pb ratios (206Pb/204Pbin = 17.7, 207Pb/204Pbin = 15.34) plotting below the Northern Hemisphere Reference Line on the uranogenic Pb isotope diagram. O isotope data on amphibole separates are mantle-like (δ18O = 5.6–5.8‰). Age and location of the isolated Godzilla Seamount, however, preclude it from being derived from the Madeira or Canary hotspots, making a lower-mantle origin unlikely. Therefore we propose derivation from a shallow (lithospheric/asthenospheric) melting anomaly. As observed in mid-ocean-ridge and ocean-island basalts, there is a systematic decrease of 207Pb/204Pb ratios (and Δ7/4) in the individual EM-I endmember type localities towards northern latitudes with Godzilla lying on the extension of this trend. This trend is mirrored in ultra-potassic volcanic rocks such as lamproites and kimberlites, which reflect the composition of enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Therefore, a global pattern in 207Pb/204Pb ratios and Δ7/4 is suggested. The geochemical composition of EM-I endmember type localities, including Godzilla lavas, and the enriched (DUPAL) anomaly in the southern hemisphere could reflect derivation from ancient, metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle. We propose a two-stage model to explain the trace element and isotopic composition of the EM-I mantle endmember localities worldwide: 1) during the early history of the Earth, subcontinental lithosphere was metasomatized by melts from subducted slabs along convergent margins generating high μ (238U/204Pb) sources, and 2) as the Earth cooled, hydrous fluids replaced hydrous melts as the main slab component metasomatizing the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (generating EM-I sources ...