The determination of partial melt compositions of peridotitic systems by melt inclusion synthesis

Abstract

An experimental method of melt inclusion synthesis within olivine crystals has been developed to determine the composition of the melt present in a partially molten peridotite assemblage. Trace element doped peridotite was equilibrated with 5 wt% of a C-O-H volatile source at 20 kbar/1175 °C in a piston-cylinder apparatus under buffered oxygen and sulphur fugacity conditions [log(f _O2) ∼ IW +1 log unit, log (f _S2) ∼ Fe/FeS > +1 log unit]. A single crystal of olivine, which had been cut to a disc shape, was included in the sample capsule. At run conditions the peridotite charge formed olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, Fe-Ni sulphide and a volatile-bearing melt. The melt phase is preserved as homogeneous glass inclusions up to 50 μm in size, trapped in situ in the olivine disc. The major element composition of the glass inclusions showed them to be of broadly basaltic character, but with a low Mg/(Mg + ΣFe), which is associated with precipitation of olivine from the melt inclusion onto the walls of the olivine disc during quenching. Thus the equilibrium melt composition has been calculated from the glass inclusion composition by addition of olivine component using the Fe/Mg exchange coefficient of Roeder and Emslie (1970); the desired Mg/(Mg + ΣFe) being determined from the composition of olivine formed at run conditions in the peridotite section of the charge. The melt composition obtained is close to the trend for dry melting established by Falloon and Green (1988), and it is evident that although the reduced volatiles in this case have induced a liquidus depression of some 250 °C, there has been only a small shift in melt composition. Trace element, carbon and hydrogen contents of thirteen melt inclusions have been determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The trace element signature is consistent with ∼29% melting in equilibrium with a lherzolitic assemblage. The equilibrium melt has a C/H of 0.48 by weight. Carbon solubility in partial melts is thus significant under reducing conditions in the presence of dissolved “water components” and establishes a major melt fluxing role for carbon in the upper mantle. The ubiquitous presence of carbon and hydrogen in basaltic magmas underscores the importance of determining both the position of vapour-present solidi and the composition of melts generated, when developing petrogenetic models.