ALBERT

Beschreibung: A combined volcanological, geochemical, paleo-oceanological, geochronological and geophysical study was undertaken on the Kurile Basin, in order to constrain the origin and evolution of this basin. Very high rates of subsidence were determined for the northeastern floor and margin of the Kurile Basin. Dredged volcanic samples from the Geophysicist Seamount, which were formed under subaerial or shallow water conditions but are presently located at depths in excess of 2300 m, were dated at 0.84±0.06 and 1.07±0.04 Ma with the laser 40Ar/39Ar single crystal method, yielding a minimum average subsidence rate of 1.6 mm/year for the northeast basin floor in the Quaternary. Trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data from the volcanic rocks show evidence for contamination within lower continental crust and/or the subcontinental lithospheric mantle, indicating that the basement presently at ∼6-km depth is likely to represent thinned continental crust. Average subsidence rates of 0.5–2.0 mm/year were estimated for the northeastern slope of the Kurile Basin during the Pliocene and Quaternary through the determination of the age and paleo-environment (depth) of formation of sediments from a canyon wall. Taken together, the data from the northeastern part of the Kurile Basin indicate that subsidence began in or prior to the Early Pliocene and that subsidence rates have increased in the Quaternary. Similar rates of subsidence have been obtained from published studies on the Sakhalin Shelf and Slope and from volcanoes in the rear of the Kurile Arc. The recent stress field of the Kurile Basin is inferred from the analysis of seismic activity, focal mechanism solutions and from the structure of the sedimentary cover and of the Alaid back-arc volcano. Integration of these results suggests that compression is responsible for the rapid subsidence of the Kurile Basin and that subsidence may be an important step in the transition from basin formation to its destruction. The compression of the Kurile Basin results from squeezing of the Okhotsk Plate between four major plates: the Pacific, North American, Eurasian and Amur. We predict that continued compression could lead to subduction of the Kurile Basin floor beneath Hokkaido and the Kurile Arc in the future and thus to basin closure.

Beschreibung: The 40Ar/39Ar ages for 35 volcanic rocks and 14C ages for two charcoal samples from the Madeira Archipelago and Ampère Seamount (eastern North Atlantic) are presented. The volcanic evolution of Madeira can be divided into a voluminous shield stage (〉4.6–0.7 Ma) and a subsequent low-volume posterosional stage (〈0.7–0 Ma). Volcanism during the shield stage originated from a two-armed rift system, composed of the E–W oriented Madeira rift arm and the N–S oriented Desertas rift arm. Average growth rates for the submarine (5500 km3/Ma) and subaerial (100–150 km3/Ma) shield stages on Madeira are among the lowest found for ocean island volcanoes. It is proposed that Madeira represents the present location of a 〉70 Myr old hotspot which formed Porto Santo Island (11.1–14.3 Ma), Seine, Ampère (31 Ma), Corral Patch and Ormond (65–67 Ma [Féraud et al., 1982, 1986]) Seamounts, and the Serra de Monchique (70–72 Ma [McIntyre and Berger, 1982]) complex in southern Portugal. Age and spatial relationships result in a calculated absolute African plate motion above the hotspot of 1.2 cm/yr around a rotation pole located at 43°36′N/ 24°33′W.

Beschreibung: The magmatic evolution of the Alboran region (westernmost Mediterranean) contains important clues for improving our understanding of the origin of Mediterranean-style back-arc basins and the desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea in the Messinian. We use new laser 40Ar/39Ar age and geochemical (major and trace element and O–Sr–Nd–Pb isotope) data from igneous rocks from southern Spain, the Alboran Sea and northern Morocco to reconstruct the magmatic evolution of the westernmost Mediterranean since the Eocene. Lower Oligocene dikes near Malaga (33.6±0.6 Ma) and Middle to Upper Miocene volcanic rocks from the Alboran Sea area (6.57±0.04 to 11.8±0.4 Ma) can be subdivided into two groups: (1) LREE-depleted (relative to N-MORB), primarily tholeiitic series, and (2) LREE-enriched, primarily calc-alkaline series volcanic rocks. Both groups are generally enriched in fluid-mobile elements (e.g. Rb, Th, U, K and Pb) relative to fluid-immobile elements (e.g. Nb, Ta, LREE). The LREE-depleted group has 143Nd/144Nd (0.5128–0.5130) isotope ratios similar to Atlantic MORB but higher 87Sr/86Sr (0.7046–0.7100). In contrast, the LREE-enriched group has less radiogenic Nd (0.5121–0.5126) and tend to more radiogenic Sr (0.7066–0.7205) isotopic composition. Pb isotope ratios are surprisingly uniform and have compositions similar to marine sediments. Analyses of mineral separates show that mafic melts with relatively low δ18O (5.6–7.2‰) had high 87Sr/86Sr (0.7048–0.7088), Δ7/4 (10.6–14.1) and Δ8/4 (40.0–49.3). Modeling of the trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb–O isotopic compositions provides compelling evidence for the contamination of the mantle source with hydrous fluids/melts, which can be explained through subduction of oceanic lithosphere beneath the Alboran Basin but not through detachment/delamination of lithospheric mantle. We present a geodynamic model that reconstructs the Late Eocene to Quaternary evolution of the western Mediterranean through westward roll-back of subducted Tethys oceanic lithosphere. Slab roll-back resulted in a large-scale reorganization of the western Mediterranean paleogeography, causing the closure of marine gateways linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Isolation of the Mediterranean Sea led to its desiccation, causing the Messinian Salinity Crisis.

Beschreibung: It is commonly accepted that large igneous provinces are formed through catastrophic volcanic events occurring over vast areas within a few million years at the initiation of hotspots (mantle plumes). New 40Ar/39Ar ages (111–139 Ma) and geochemical results from the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, extend the age range of volcanism in the Caribbean large igneous province to 70 m.y. (69–139 Ma). Our results are not consistent with the formation of this vast igneous province through a single plume head at the initiation of a mantle plume such as the Galápagos. Instead we propose that multiple oceanic intraplate igneous structures, such as plateaus and hotspot tracks, were accumulated through the subduction process. The igneous structures could be remnants of the earlier history of the Galápagos hotspot, making it one of the oldest active hotspots on Earth. Alternatively they could have been derived from several spatially distinct mantle-melting events that sampled similar source material, e.g., oceanic lithosphere of similar age.

Beschreibung: The Messinian salinity crisis—the desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea between 5.96 and 5.33 million years (Myr) ago1—was one of the most dramatic events on Earth during the Cenozoic era2. It resulted from the closure of marine gateways between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the causes of which remain enigmatic. Here we use the age and composition of volcanic rocks to reconstruct the geodynamic evolution of the westernmost Mediterranean from the Middle Miocene epoch to the Pleistocene epoch (about 12.1–0.65 Myr ago). Our data show that a marked shift in the geochemistry of mantle-derived volcanic rocks, reflecting a change from subduction-related to intraplate-type volcanism, occurred between 6.3 and 4.8 Myr ago, largely synchronous with the Messinian salinity crisis. Using a thermomechanical model, we show that westward roll back of subducted Tethys oceanic lithosphere and associated asthenospheric upwelling provides a plausible mechanism for producing the shift in magma chemistry and the necessary uplift (approx1 km) along the African and Iberian continental margins to close the Miocene marine gateways, thereby causing the Messinian salinity crisis.

Beschreibung: Major element, trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data, combined with 40Ar/39Ar age determinations, of volcanic rocks from the Selvagen Islands and neighboring seamounts in the eastern North Atlantic reveal the earlier history of the ≥70 Ma old Canary hotspot. A basanitic to phonolitic late shield stage intrusive complex (29 Ma) is exposed on Selvagem Pequena. The evolution of Selvagem Grande can be divided into three magmatic phases: a tephritic to phonolitic late shield stage intrusive complex (24–26 Ma) and two rejuvenated or post-erosional stages (8–12 and 3.4 Ma) consisting of alkali basalt, basanite and rare phonolite. During the early to mid-Miocene volcanic hiatus (12–24 Ma), the top of the volcano was beneath sea level as evidenced by marine carbonate sediments (13–24 Ma, dated through correlation of 87Sr/86Sr with the seawater Sr isotope curve). The geochemistry of the shield stage lavas indicates that they derive from plume sources, whereas the post-erosional lavas are derived from metasomatized lithospheric sources. Five sampled seamounts to the east and northeast of the islands range in composition from alkali basalt and basanite to phonolite. Samples from Dacia, Conception Bank and Lars were dated at 9, 17 and 68 Ma, respectively. Geochemical data suggest that the dredged samples come from the post-erosional stage of volcanism, and therefore, the dates represent minimum ages for the seamount volcanoes. The elevation of erosional platforms formed at wave base decrease from Selvagen Grande (∼100 m above sea level) to Lars seamount (∼900 m below sea level), suggesting a southwest to northwest age progression and that all of these seamounts are older than the Selvagen Islands. Trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic composition of the Selvagen Islands and neighboring seamounts are consistent with their origin from the Canary plume. Interaction of the weak Canary mantle plume with a slow moving plate appears to be responsible for generating a 450-km-wide, irregular hotspot track extending 800 km from the youngest Canary Island of Hierro in the southwest to Lars seamount in the northeast.