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Origin of CFB magmatism: Multi-tiered intracrustal picrite-rhyolite magmatic plumbing at Spitzkoppe, western Namibia, during early-Cretaceous Etendeka magmatism

Thompson, R.N.; Riches, A.J.V.; Antoshechkina, P.M.; Pearson, D.G.; Nowell, G.M.; Ottley, C.J.; Dickin, A.P.; Hards, V.L.; Nguno, A.K.; Niku-Paavola, V.

Authors

R.N. Thompson

A.J.V. Riches

P.M. Antoshechkina

D.G. Pearson

A.P. Dickin

V.L. Hards

A.K. Nguno

V. Niku-Paavola



Abstract

Early Cretaceous tholeiitic picrite-to-rhyolite dykes around Spitzkoppe, western Namibia, are part of the extensive Henties Bay–Outjo swarm, penecontemporaneous with 132 Ma Etendeka lavas 100 km to the NW. Although only intermediate to rhyolitic dykes contain clinopyroxene phenocrysts, the behaviour of Ca, Al and Sc in the dyke suite shows that liquidus clinopyroxene—together with olivine—was a fractionating phase when MgO fell to 9 wt %. Both a plot of CIPW normative di–hy–ol–ne–Q and modelling using (p)MELTS show that a mid-crustal pressure of 0·6 GPa is consistent with this early clinopyroxene saturation. Sr, Nd, Hf and Pb isotope variations all show trends consistent with AFC contamination (assimilation linked to fractional crystallization), involving Pan-African Damara belt continental crust. The geochemical variation, including isenthalpic AFC modelling using (p)MELTS, suggests that the picrites (olivine-rich cumulate suspensions) were interacting with granulite-facies metamorphic lower crust, the intermediate compositions with amphibolite-facies middle crust, and the rhyolitic dykes (and a few of the basalts) with the Pan-African granites of the upper crust. The calculated densities of the magmas fall systematically from picrite to rhyolite and suggest a magmatic system resembling a stack of sills throughout the crust beneath Spitzkoppe, with the storage and fractionation depth of each magma fraction controlled by its density. Elemental and isotopic features of the 20 wt % MgO picrites (including Os isotopes) suggest that their parental melts probably originated by fusion of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) source convecting mantle, followed by limited reaction with sub-continental lithospheric mantle metasomatized just prior to the formation of the parental magmas. Many of the distinctive features of large-volume picritic–basaltic magmas may not be derived from their ultimate mantle sources, but may instead be the results of complex polybaric fractional crystallization and multi-component crustal contamination.

Citation

Thompson, R., Riches, A., Antoshechkina, P., Pearson, D., Nowell, G., Ottley, C., …Niku-Paavola, V. (2007). Origin of CFB magmatism: Multi-tiered intracrustal picrite-rhyolite magmatic plumbing at Spitzkoppe, western Namibia, during early-Cretaceous Etendeka magmatism. Journal of Petrology, 48(6), 1119-1154. https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egm012

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 27, 2007
Publication Date Jun 1, 2007
Deposit Date Feb 20, 2007
Journal Journal of Petrology
Print ISSN 0022-3530
Electronic ISSN 1460-2415
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 48
Issue 6
Pages 1119-1154
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egm012
Keywords Flood basalts, Spitzkoppe, Picrite, Trace elements, Hafnium isotopes, Etendeka.