Oxygen isotope variations in oceanic magmatic rock suites: assimilation-fractional crystallization processes versus mantle source variations

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Karsten Matthias Haase
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2008 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 84784881

Oxygen isotopes are an important tool to study reactions between ascending mantle-derived magmas and material in the oceanic lithosphere that has been altered by surface processes like for example, sediments or hydrothermally altered rocks. Furthermore, crystal fractionation processes can also affect the O isotope composition especially of evolved magmas because different mineral phases fractionate O isotopes. Both assimilation and crystal fractionation thus impede the study of O isotope compositions of the magma sources in the mantle which could give important insights into recycling processes at subduction zones and in deep mantle plume-derived intraplate magmas. Here we suggest a study of the O isotope variation of five well-characterized lava series from different oceanic magmatic settings (mid-ocean ridge, oceanic intraplate, back-arc, and island arc settings) in order to define the variations between basaltic and silicic lavas and the processes affecting the O isotope ratios. Based on the understanding of lithospheric processes we will be able to distinguish the O isotope composition of the mantle sources of the magmas and draw conclusions on crustal recycling into the deep mantle and into the mantle wedge beneath subduction zones.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Michael M. Joachimski; Privatdozent Dr. Stefan Krumm