Constraints from experimental melting of amphibolite on the depth of formation of garnet-rich restites, and implications for models of Early Archean crustal growth

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Autorschaft

  • Chao Zhang
  • Francois Holtz
  • Jürgen Koepke
  • Paul Eric Wolff
  • Changqian Ma
  • Jean H. Bédard

Organisationseinheiten

Externe Organisationen

  • China University of Geosciences (CUG)
  • Geological Survey of Canada
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Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)206-217
Seitenumfang12
FachzeitschriftPrecambrian research
Jahrgang231
Frühes Online-Datum21 März 2013
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Juli 2013

Abstract

The felsic continental crust formed in the early Earth most likely resulted from melting of basaltic protoliths, but the geodynamic processes leading to partial melting are still debated. Attempts to reconcile geochronological data, thermal modeling and experimental results have led to two major alternative scenarios: (1) partial melting of subducted oceanic slabs and (2) dehydration melting at the base of thick (or thickened) oceanic/simatic protocrusts. Existing experimental data on melting of metabasalt suggest that garnet only becomes an important residual phase (>10wt%) at depths >50-60km, which has been seen as difficulty for model 2. We present results of amphibolite dehydration-melting experiments at pressures of 5-15kbar and provide constraints on melting reactions of a hydrated metabasalt with SiO2 of 47.5wt% and Al2O3 of 16.4wt%. Our experiments demonstrate that felsic melts and complementary restites with ~20wt% garnet can form at ca. 900°C and 12kbar, conditions corresponding to the base of a 40-km thick basaltic protocrust that might be prevalent in the Early Archean. Based on phase proportions determined experimentally and trace element partitioning data, our modeling suggests that such partial melts resemble the Early Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) suites, including high Al2O3 and low MgO contents, and modestly high La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios. The garnet-rich restite is calculated to be denser than the underlying Early Archean lherzolitic upper mantle and would have the potential to delaminate. Our experimental results and combined geochemical modeling are consistent with models where the initial growth of continental crust on the Archean Earth occurred in non-subduction settings by anatexis of the base of basaltic plateaus.

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Constraints from experimental melting of amphibolite on the depth of formation of garnet-rich restites, and implications for models of Early Archean crustal growth. / Zhang, Chao; Holtz, Francois; Koepke, Jürgen et al.
in: Precambrian research, Jahrgang 231, 07.2013, S. 206-217.

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Zhang C, Holtz F, Koepke J, Wolff PE, Ma C, Bédard JH. Constraints from experimental melting of amphibolite on the depth of formation of garnet-rich restites, and implications for models of Early Archean crustal growth. Precambrian research. 2013 Jul;231:206-217. Epub 2013 Mär 21. doi: 10.1016/j.precamres.2013.03.004
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title = "Constraints from experimental melting of amphibolite on the depth of formation of garnet-rich restites, and implications for models of Early Archean crustal growth",
abstract = "The felsic continental crust formed in the early Earth most likely resulted from melting of basaltic protoliths, but the geodynamic processes leading to partial melting are still debated. Attempts to reconcile geochronological data, thermal modeling and experimental results have led to two major alternative scenarios: (1) partial melting of subducted oceanic slabs and (2) dehydration melting at the base of thick (or thickened) oceanic/simatic protocrusts. Existing experimental data on melting of metabasalt suggest that garnet only becomes an important residual phase (>10wt%) at depths >50-60km, which has been seen as difficulty for model 2. We present results of amphibolite dehydration-melting experiments at pressures of 5-15kbar and provide constraints on melting reactions of a hydrated metabasalt with SiO2 of 47.5wt% and Al2O3 of 16.4wt%. Our experiments demonstrate that felsic melts and complementary restites with ~20wt% garnet can form at ca. 900°C and 12kbar, conditions corresponding to the base of a 40-km thick basaltic protocrust that might be prevalent in the Early Archean. Based on phase proportions determined experimentally and trace element partitioning data, our modeling suggests that such partial melts resemble the Early Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) suites, including high Al2O3 and low MgO contents, and modestly high La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios. The garnet-rich restite is calculated to be denser than the underlying Early Archean lherzolitic upper mantle and would have the potential to delaminate. Our experimental results and combined geochemical modeling are consistent with models where the initial growth of continental crust on the Archean Earth occurred in non-subduction settings by anatexis of the base of basaltic plateaus.",
keywords = "Continental crust, Experimental petrology, Oceanic plateau, Partial melting, Subduction, TTG",
author = "Chao Zhang and Francois Holtz and J{\"u}rgen Koepke and Wolff, {Paul Eric} and Changqian Ma and B{\'e}dard, {Jean H.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was funded by the German Research Council (DFG) grants to F. Holtz and J. Koepke. C. Zhang appreciates the financial supports from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). C. Ma acknowledges National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC Grants 41272079 & 90814004 ) and China Geological Survey (Grant 1212011121270 ) for supporting related studies. This paper benefited from the insightful and helpful reviews of Editor-in-chief Guochun Zhao and two anonymous reviewers, and Elis Hoffmann's review on an earlier version. This is NRCAN/ESS/GSC contribution no. ( 20130001 ). Copyright: Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",
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language = "English",
volume = "231",
pages = "206--217",
journal = "Precambrian research",
issn = "0301-9268",
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Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - Constraints from experimental melting of amphibolite on the depth of formation of garnet-rich restites, and implications for models of Early Archean crustal growth

AU - Zhang, Chao

AU - Holtz, Francois

AU - Koepke, Jürgen

AU - Wolff, Paul Eric

AU - Ma, Changqian

AU - Bédard, Jean H.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was funded by the German Research Council (DFG) grants to F. Holtz and J. Koepke. C. Zhang appreciates the financial supports from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). C. Ma acknowledges National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC Grants 41272079 & 90814004 ) and China Geological Survey (Grant 1212011121270 ) for supporting related studies. This paper benefited from the insightful and helpful reviews of Editor-in-chief Guochun Zhao and two anonymous reviewers, and Elis Hoffmann's review on an earlier version. This is NRCAN/ESS/GSC contribution no. ( 20130001 ). Copyright: Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/7

Y1 - 2013/7

N2 - The felsic continental crust formed in the early Earth most likely resulted from melting of basaltic protoliths, but the geodynamic processes leading to partial melting are still debated. Attempts to reconcile geochronological data, thermal modeling and experimental results have led to two major alternative scenarios: (1) partial melting of subducted oceanic slabs and (2) dehydration melting at the base of thick (or thickened) oceanic/simatic protocrusts. Existing experimental data on melting of metabasalt suggest that garnet only becomes an important residual phase (>10wt%) at depths >50-60km, which has been seen as difficulty for model 2. We present results of amphibolite dehydration-melting experiments at pressures of 5-15kbar and provide constraints on melting reactions of a hydrated metabasalt with SiO2 of 47.5wt% and Al2O3 of 16.4wt%. Our experiments demonstrate that felsic melts and complementary restites with ~20wt% garnet can form at ca. 900°C and 12kbar, conditions corresponding to the base of a 40-km thick basaltic protocrust that might be prevalent in the Early Archean. Based on phase proportions determined experimentally and trace element partitioning data, our modeling suggests that such partial melts resemble the Early Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) suites, including high Al2O3 and low MgO contents, and modestly high La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios. The garnet-rich restite is calculated to be denser than the underlying Early Archean lherzolitic upper mantle and would have the potential to delaminate. Our experimental results and combined geochemical modeling are consistent with models where the initial growth of continental crust on the Archean Earth occurred in non-subduction settings by anatexis of the base of basaltic plateaus.

AB - The felsic continental crust formed in the early Earth most likely resulted from melting of basaltic protoliths, but the geodynamic processes leading to partial melting are still debated. Attempts to reconcile geochronological data, thermal modeling and experimental results have led to two major alternative scenarios: (1) partial melting of subducted oceanic slabs and (2) dehydration melting at the base of thick (or thickened) oceanic/simatic protocrusts. Existing experimental data on melting of metabasalt suggest that garnet only becomes an important residual phase (>10wt%) at depths >50-60km, which has been seen as difficulty for model 2. We present results of amphibolite dehydration-melting experiments at pressures of 5-15kbar and provide constraints on melting reactions of a hydrated metabasalt with SiO2 of 47.5wt% and Al2O3 of 16.4wt%. Our experiments demonstrate that felsic melts and complementary restites with ~20wt% garnet can form at ca. 900°C and 12kbar, conditions corresponding to the base of a 40-km thick basaltic protocrust that might be prevalent in the Early Archean. Based on phase proportions determined experimentally and trace element partitioning data, our modeling suggests that such partial melts resemble the Early Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) suites, including high Al2O3 and low MgO contents, and modestly high La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios. The garnet-rich restite is calculated to be denser than the underlying Early Archean lherzolitic upper mantle and would have the potential to delaminate. Our experimental results and combined geochemical modeling are consistent with models where the initial growth of continental crust on the Archean Earth occurred in non-subduction settings by anatexis of the base of basaltic plateaus.

KW - Continental crust

KW - Experimental petrology

KW - Oceanic plateau

KW - Partial melting

KW - Subduction

KW - TTG

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U2 - 10.1016/j.precamres.2013.03.004

DO - 10.1016/j.precamres.2013.03.004

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84876959493

VL - 231

SP - 206

EP - 217

JO - Precambrian research

JF - Precambrian research

SN - 0301-9268

ER -

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