Given that oceanic basalts form by partial melting of mantle peridotites that rise below mid-ocean ridges, peridotite and basalt should have identical Sr and Nd isotope ratios.We tested this concept on parallel sets of peridotites and basalts sampled from an exposed section of lithosphere representing 20 m.y. of accretion at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The 143Nd/144Nd ratios of the basaltic glasses stay constant, whereas those of the peridotitic clinopyroxenes extend both higher and lower than the basalt ratios, suggesting that the constant isotopic composition of the basalts results from mixing of melts released by peridotitesfrom a broad region of the subridge mantle. The degree of melting undergone by the peridotites correlates inversely with their 143Nd/144Nd ratios. Small-scale isotopic heterogeneity of the peridotites may result from variable premelting metasomatism in the mantle, mostly during periodic, dynamic, subridge upwelling, possibly superimposed upon time-integrated radioactive decay of ancient heterogeneities.

Oceanic crust generated by elusive parents: Sr/Nd isotopes in basalt-peridotite pairs from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge / Cipriani, Anna; Bruekner, H; Bonatti, E; Brunelli, Daniele. - In: GEOLOGY. - ISSN 0091-7613. - STAMPA. - 32:8(2004), pp. 657-660. [10.1130/G20560.1]

Oceanic crust generated by elusive parents: Sr/Nd isotopes in basalt-peridotite pairs from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

CIPRIANI, Anna;BRUNELLI, Daniele
2004

Abstract

Given that oceanic basalts form by partial melting of mantle peridotites that rise below mid-ocean ridges, peridotite and basalt should have identical Sr and Nd isotope ratios.We tested this concept on parallel sets of peridotites and basalts sampled from an exposed section of lithosphere representing 20 m.y. of accretion at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The 143Nd/144Nd ratios of the basaltic glasses stay constant, whereas those of the peridotitic clinopyroxenes extend both higher and lower than the basalt ratios, suggesting that the constant isotopic composition of the basalts results from mixing of melts released by peridotitesfrom a broad region of the subridge mantle. The degree of melting undergone by the peridotites correlates inversely with their 143Nd/144Nd ratios. Small-scale isotopic heterogeneity of the peridotites may result from variable premelting metasomatism in the mantle, mostly during periodic, dynamic, subridge upwelling, possibly superimposed upon time-integrated radioactive decay of ancient heterogeneities.
2004
32
8
657
660
Oceanic crust generated by elusive parents: Sr/Nd isotopes in basalt-peridotite pairs from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge / Cipriani, Anna; Bruekner, H; Bonatti, E; Brunelli, Daniele. - In: GEOLOGY. - ISSN 0091-7613. - STAMPA. - 32:8(2004), pp. 657-660. [10.1130/G20560.1]
Cipriani, Anna; Bruekner, H; Bonatti, E; Brunelli, Daniele
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Licenza Creative Commons
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/583639
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 78
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 76
social impact