Journal of Petrology Volume 42 Number 6 Pages 1067-1094 2001
© Oxford University Press 2001
Mantle Processes and Sources of Neogene Slab Window Magmas from Southern Patagonia, Argentina
DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NY 14853, USA
Neogene plateau lavas in Patagonia, southern Argentina, east of the volcanic gap between the Southern and Austral Volcanic Zones at 46·5° and 49·5°S are linked with asthenospheric slab window processes associated with the collision of a Chile Ridge segment with the Chile Trench at 12 Ma. The strong ocean-island basalt (OIB)-like geochemical signatures (La/Ta <20; Ba/La <20; 87Sr/86Sr = 0·70350·7046; 143Nd/144Nd = 0·512900·51261; 206Pb/204Pb = 18·318·8; 207Pb/204Pb = 15·5715·65; 208Pb/204Pb = 38·438·7) of these Patagonian slab window lavas contrast with the mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-like, depleted mantle signatures of slab window lavas elsewhere in the Cordillera (e.g. Antarctic Peninsula; Baja California). The Patagonian lavas can be divided into a voluminous
125 Ma, tholeiitic main-plateau sequence (4855% SiO2; 45% Na2O + K2O) and a less voluminous
72 Ma alkaline post-plateau sequence (4349% SiO2; 58% Na2O + K2O). Moderately high FeOT (911%), and low heavy rare earth element (HREE), Y, and Sc concentrations in all lavas are consistent with melt generation just below the garnetspinel transition at a depth of
70 km. The main-plateau lavas from the western back-arc can be modeled by
1015% partial melting of an OIB-like asthenospheric mantle source with additions from slab fluidmelt components coupled with crustal contamination (AFC). A three-stage petrogenetic model is envisaged: (1) decompression melting and source region contamination of an OIB-like subslab asthenospheric source by slab melts of the trailing edge of the subducted Nazca Plate; (2) minor contamination of slab window melts with arc components stored in the supraslab mantle wedge and/or basal continental lithosphere; (3) further modification by addition of crustal components during magma ascent. The main-plateau lavas from the eastern back-arc can be modeled by
7% partial melting of the same asthenospheric source as the influence of arc components diminishes and the intensity of mantle upwelling into the slab window decreases. All post-plateau lavas can be modeled as 14% partial melts of the pristine OIB-like asthenospheric source in the widening slab window.
KEY WORDS: slab window magmatism; southern Patagonia; plateau basalt petrogenesis; mantle chemistry; back-arc processes
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