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Major and trace element compositions and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic ratios of late Cenozic mafic lavas from the northern basin and range

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5608103

During the late Cenozoic mafic lavas were emplaced contemporaneously with Basin and Range extension near Battle Mountains, Nevada. They display wide ranges in major and trace elements contents and Sr, Nd, and Pb ratios. The temporal and compositional characteristics of the basalts indicate the effects of crustal contamination on the compositions of the younger lavas has decreased relative to the older lavas. Assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) modeling suggests their compositional heterogeneity cannot be attributed solely to crustal contamination. Regional variations in the trace element ratios (Rb/La and Ba/Zr) and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions of mafic lavas from the western US indicate they were derived from a heterogeneous lithospheric mantle. The variation in the basalts' isotopic ratios likely reflects their derivation from a heterogeneous mantle source region. Plots of [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr versus [sup 207]Pb/[sup 204]Pb or [sup 207]Pb/[sup 207]Pb illustrates the compositional characteristics of their source regions. The Snake River Plain and southern Sierran Province basalts display elevated [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr and varied Pb isotopic ratios indicating they were derived from a heterogeneous ancient lithospheric source with high time integrated Rb/Sr and U/Pb ratios. The low [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr and Pb isotopic ratios of the Colorado Plateau-Eastern Transition Zone basalts were derived from a heterogeneous ancient lithospheric source with low time integrated Rb/Sr and U/Pb ratios. Basalts from the Basin and Range, Oregon Plateau, and northern Sierran Province display a positive correlation between their [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr versus [sup 208]Pb/[sup 204]Pb or [sup 207]Pb/[sup 204]Pb ratios, which appears to reflect two component mixing between accreted depleted oceanic-type mantle and an enriched mantle component.

Research Organization:
Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
OSTI ID:
5608103
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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