Ocean Intraplate Volcanism

This map shows important hot spots and hot spot tracks over the world. Note that many tracks have kinks, indicating changing plate motions.

Figure 14-1. After Crough (1983) Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 11, 165-193.

Types of OIB Magmas

Two principal magma series: Tholeiitic series (dominant type), parental to ocean island tholeiitic basalt, or OIT. This magma is similar to MORB, but with some distinct chemical and mineralogical differences. Alkaline series (subordinate), parental to ocean island alkaline basalt, or OIA. There are two principal alkaline sub-series: Silica undersaturated sub-series (more common).

Slightly silica oversaturated sub-series (less common).

Reminder of magma series types

Some common characteristics of typical magmatic series. Magmatic series Tholeiitic Calc-alkaline Norms OPX OPX Low-Ca As phenocrysts and As phenocrysts pyroxene in the matrix Magnetite Late Early Magnetite and Fe-Ti oxides Mostly ilmenite ilmenite Amphibole Silicic differentiates only Excess Mg over Ca (Mg for Ol, OPX, CPX) Yes Yes Yes Common, all compositions except the most primitive Excess Ca over Mg (Ca for augite, amphibole, titanite) No No Yes Alkaline No OPX Rare Varies Varies Common, all compositions Excess Ca and Na over Mg (Ca+Na for CPX, amphibole, aegirine, etc.) No Yes Yes

Chemical characteristic Ocean ridges Ocean islands Volcanic arcs

Magma evolution in the oceanic island lava series

Strongly alkaline Mildly alkaline Tholeiitic

After Wilson, 1989, Igneous Petrogenesis. Kluwer.

Alkalinity of oceanic island lavas

Alkalinity is highly variable among various oceanic islands. Alkalis are incompatible and little affected by <50% shallow fractional crystallization. This again argues for distinct mantle sources.
Alkali and silica ratios (regression slopes) for selected ocean island lava suites. (Na2O+K2O) Na2O K2O Na2O Ratios: SiO2 SiO2 SiO2 K2O Tahiti 0.86 0.54 0.32 1.7 Principe 0.86 0.52 0.34 1.5 Trinidade 0.83 0.47 0.35 1.3 Fernando de Noronha 0.74 0.42 0.33 1.3 Gough 0.74 0.30 0.44 0.7 St. Helena 0.56 0.34 0.22 1.5 Tristan de Cunha 0.46 0.24 0.22 1.1 Azores 0.45 0.24 0.21 1.1 Ascension 0.42 0.18 0.24 0.8 Canary Island 0.41 0.22 0.19 1.2 Tenerife 0.41 0.20 0.21 1.0 Galapagos 0.25 0.12 0.13 0.9 Iceland 0.20 0.08 0.12 0.7

Hawaiian eruptive sequence scenario

The lengthy eruption history of oceanic islands is not well known, since sampling below the exposed surface is difficult, and few examples of active, young submarine volcanoes at the leading edge of hot spot tracks have been studied. From the Hawaii chain, this seems to be the sequence: 1. Pre-shield-building stage (submarine) somewhat alkaline and variable (Loihi seamount). 2. Shield-building stage, with tremendous outpourings of tholeiitic basalts (Kilauea). 3. Waning activity more alkaline, episodic, and violent (Mauna Kea, Hualalai, and Kohala). Lavas are also more diverse, with a larger proportion of differentiated liquids 4. A long period of dormancy, followed by late, post-erosional lavas that are highly alkaline and silica-undersaturated, including alkali basalts, nephelinites, melilite basalts, and basanites

Trace elements, general

The LIL trace elements (K, Rb, Cs, Ba, Pb2+ and Sr) are incompatible and are all enriched in OIB magmas with respect to MORBs.
HFS elements (Th, U, Ce, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, and Ti) are also incompatible, and are enriched in OIBs with respect to MORBs.

The ratios of incompatible elements have been employed to distinguish between different mantle source reservoirs. For example:
N-MORB: the K/Ba ratio is high, usually >100.

E-MORB: the K/Ba ratios are ~35.

Ocean island tholeiites: K/Ba ratios range from 25 to 40. Ocean island alkaline lavas: K/Ba ratios are ~28. N-MORB: Zr/Nb ratios are generally >30. Ocean island basalts: Zr/Nb ratios are generally <10. Thus all of these magma types appear to have distinctive sources.

Trace Elements: REEs

La/Yb (overall REE slope) correlates with the degree of silica undersaturation in ocean island lavas: Highly undersaturated alkaline magmas >30. Mildly alkaline magmas ~12. Ocean island tholeiites ~4. Positive slopes (LREEdepleted) are exclusively N-MORBs. Negative slopes (LREEenriched) are characteristic of E-MORB and ocean island lavas.
After Wilson, 1989, Igneous Petrogenesis. Kluwer.

Spider diagrams

Simple Mixing Models

Binary mixing
All analyses fall along a line between two end members as source regions or magmas mix.

Ternary mixing
All analyses fall within a triangle of three end members as source regions or magmas mix.

Winter, 2001, An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. Prentice Hall.

A model for oceanic magmatism

Cartoon illustrating a conceptual model for the origin of various ocean magmas, and the mantle reservoirs from which they ultimately come.
Continental reservoirs

Enriched mantle Nomenclature from Zindler and Hart, 1986, After Wilson, 1989, and Rollinson, 1993.

Depleted mantle