The Petrography and Chemistry of Basaltic Magmas
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From Layered Intrusions to Mid-Ocean Rides: The Petrography and Chemistry of Basaltic Magmas by Benjamin W. Wernette Earth and Ocean Sciences Duke University Date: _______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Emily Klein, Advisor ___________________________ Alan Boudreau ___________________________ Drew Coleman ___________________________ Avner Vengosh Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Earth and Ocean Sciences in the Graduate School of Duke University 2020 i v ABSTRACT From Layered Intrusions to Mid-Ocean Rides: The Petrography and Chemistry of Basaltic Magmas by Benjamin W. Wernette Earth and Ocean Sciences Duke University Date: _______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Emily Klein, Advisor ___________________________ Alan Boudreau ___________________________ Drew Coleman ___________________________ Avner Vengosh An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Earth and Ocean Sciences in the Graduate School of Duke University 2020 i v Copyright by Benjamin W. Wernette 2020 Abstract The geochemical evolution of basaltic magmas, in a variety of settings, has been the subject of countless studies. In some instances, basaltic magmas evolve to form economic transition and precious metal ore bodies. The metals extracted from these ore bodies are of critical importance to a wide variety of industries, such as automotive manufacturing. On a larger scale, basaltic magmas evolve to form the oceanic crust, the interface between the Earth’s mantle and the oceans. These are just two examples of how basaltic magmas are entwined with life on Earth and together represent the focus of this dissertation. The second chapter of this dissertation uses detailed petrography to characterize the late-stage evolution of the Eocene Skaergaard Intrusion, Greenland. Significantly, this study identifies textural and chemical evidence that suggests that late hydrothermal fluids modified the Skaergaard transition (copper) and precious metal (silver, gold, platinum) budget. The third chapter examines the major and trace element concentrations, as well as the 87Sr/86Sr ratios, for a suite of basaltic lavas dredged from the Cocos-Nazca Spreading Center, the Dietz Volcanic Ridge, and the East Pacific Rise. Prior to this study, this region of the Pacific basin was sparsely sampled. Notably, this study determines that lavas from the Cocos-Nazca Spreading Center are chemically depleted and are i likely sourced from mantle that differs from that characteristic of normal mid-ocean ridge basalt. Finally, the fourth chapter examines the size distribution, morphology, and chemical composition of plagioclase in plagioclase phyric lavas from the Cocos-Nazca Spreading Center. A variety of plagioclase morphologies, textures, and chemical compositions are reported. Importantly, this study demonstrates that combining size distribution analysis with textural and compositional information can provide nuanced information about the processes occurring beneath mid-ocean ridges. ii Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... i List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ viii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... xii 1.Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 2. Sulfides, native metals, and associated trace minerals of the Skaergaard Intrusion, Greenland: Evidence for late hydrothermal fluids .................................................................. 3 2.1 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Geologic Background and Summary of Previous Studies .......................................... 6 2.4 Sampling and Methods .................................................................................................. 11 2.5 Results .............................................................................................................................. 12 2.5.1 Summary of Stratigraphic Trends ........................................................................... 12 2.5.2 General Description of Sulfide Assemblages and Associated Trace Minerals . 14 2.5.3 Occurrence of Precious and Transition Metals ..................................................... 19 2.5.4 Fluid Inclusions ......................................................................................................... 25 2.6 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 26 2.6.1 Sulfides and Associated Minerals ........................................................................... 26 2.6.2 Evidence for Volatiles in the Skaergaard Intrusion .............................................. 29 2.6.3 Precious Metals in an Exsolved Volatile Phase ..................................................... 31 iii 2.6.4 Temperature and Timing ......................................................................................... 33 2.6.5 Modelling Silver Solubility ...................................................................................... 35 2.6.6 Evaluating Existing Genetic Models for the Skaergaard Intrusion Metal Budget ............................................................................................................................................... 41 2.6.7 Genetic Model ............................................................................................................ 43 2.7 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 44 3. The major element, trace element, and 87Sr/86Sr characteristics of basaltic lavas from the Cocos-Nazca Spreading Center ................................................................................................ 46 3.1 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................... 46 3.2 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 48 3.3 Geological Background .................................................................................................. 51 3.4 Sample Description ........................................................................................................ 56 3.5 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 57 3.6 Results .............................................................................................................................. 60 3.6.1 Major Elements .......................................................................................................... 60 3.6.1.1 Cocos-Nazca Spreading Center ....................................................................... 60 3.6.1.2 Dietz Volcanic Ridge ......................................................................................... 64 3.6.2 Trace Elements ........................................................................................................... 66 3.6.2.1 Cocos-Nazca Spreading Center ....................................................................... 66 3.6.2.2 Dietz Volcanic Ridge ......................................................................................... 68 3.6.3 87Sr/86Sr Isotope Analyses ......................................................................................... 69 3.7 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 70 iv 3.7.1 Comparing the Cocos-Nazca Spreading Center to the Galapagos Spreading Center ................................................................................................................................... 70 3.7.2 The Unusual Chemical Depletion of Cocos-Nazca Lavas ................................... 71 3.7.3 Local East Pacific Rise and Incipient Rift Lavas .................................................... 75 3.7.4 Dietz Volcanic Ridge ................................................................................................. 77 3.7.5 Comparing Cocos-Nazca Lavas to Other Highly Depleted MORB and the Global Occurrence of Depleted MORB ........................................................................... 77 3.7.6 Modeling the Depleted Nature of Cocos-Nazca, Incipient Rift, and local East Pacific Rise Lavas ............................................................................................................... 81 3.7.7 A Tectonic Model for the Local East Pacific Rise and Cocos-Nazca Lavas ....... 86 3.8 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................