Geochemistry of gabbro sills in the crust-mantle transition zone of the Oman ophiolite: implications for the origin of the oceanic lower crust

Details Geochemistry of gabbro sills in the crust-mantle transition zone of the Oman ophiolite: implications for the origin of the oceanic lower crust Geochemistry of gabbro sills in the crust-mantle transition zone of the Oman ophiolite: implications for the origin of the oceanic lower crust

Publishing date

Feb 1997

URL

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997e%26psl.146..475k&link_type=abstract

Journals

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 146, Issue 3-4, p. 475-488.

Science

Computer Science

Additional info 2

64

Type

Scientific paper

Abstract

Gabbroic sills intruding dunite in the crust-mantle transition zone (MTZ) of the Oman ophiolite have textures and compositions very similar to those in modally layered gabbros that form the lower part of the gabbro section in the ophiolite, and different from those in non-layered gabbros near the dike-gabbro transition. The presence of gabbroic sills in the MTZ indicates that modally layered gabbros can form far below the level of magmatic neutral buoyancy and far below the dike-gabbro transition. Minerals in the sills and lower, layered gabbros are in Fe-Mg and trace element exchange equilibrium with liquids identical to those that formed the sheeted dikes and lavas in the ophiolite. In contrast, many of the upper, non-layered gabbros resemble crystallized liquid compositions, similar to the dikes and lavas. The lower, layered gabbros probably formed in sills similar to those in the MTZ. Mantle-derived magmas cooled in these sills, where they crystallized from a few percent to 50% of their mass. Residual liquids then rose to form upper gabbros, dikes and lavas. Sills may form beneath permeability barriers created by the crystallization of cooling liquid migrating by porous flow. Once permeability barriers are present, however, porous flow becomes a less important mode of magma ascent, compared to ponding in sills, gradual increase in magma pressure, and periodic ascent in hydrofractures. Thus, gabbroic sills in the MTZ may represent the transition in fast-spreading ridge environments from continuous porous flow in the mantle to periodic diking in the crust.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Geochemistry of gabbro sills in the crust-mantle transition zone of the Oman ophiolite: implications for the origin of the oceanic lower crust does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Geochemistry of gabbro sills in the crust-mantle transition zone of the Oman ophiolite: implications for the origin of the oceanic lower crust, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Geochemistry of gabbro sills in the crust-mantle transition zone of the Oman ophiolite: implications for the origin of the oceanic lower crust will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1779974