Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2021, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (1): 334-352.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2020.6.32

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An alternative perspective of the origin of oxide gabbros from ocean ridge: The case of the ODP 735B core from the Southwest Indian Ridge

JIN Ye1(), FANG Nianqiao2, YUAN Xiaobo3, HU Ke2   

  1. 1. Department of Tourism, Resources and Environment, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang 277160, China
    2. School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences(Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
    3. Institute of Marine Science, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
  • Received:2019-11-09 Revised:2020-01-25 Online:2021-01-25 Published:2021-01-28

Abstract:

ODP 735B core from the Southwest Indian Ridge is highly abundant in Fe-Ti oxide-rich gabbros, which is particularly significant in lothologic Unit Ⅳ of this core. Meanwhile, the primary silicate minerals in Unit Ⅳ display unique trend of compositional variations. The formation and the unusual compositional variations of the oxide gabbros are commonly considered to have occurred through modifications by highly differentiated Fe-Ti-rich melts forming beneath or adjacent to Hole 735B, which migrated into the section along shear zones and reacted with an upwardly differentiated olivine gabbro protolith. Here, we report the detailed petrographic features and structure-controlled mineral profiles of the Unit Ⅳ oxide gabbros to provide a new perspective on the their formation. It can be seen that when some evolved silicate minerals formed due to the injection of exotic materials, Fe-Ti oxides should have remained unsaturated in the liquid. Additionally, the clinopyroxenes follow the crystallization sequence of augite → pigeonite → augite during crystallization, and near contacts with the later-formed minerals in the oxide gabbros (e.g., Fe-Ti oxides or orthopyroxene), the clinopyroxenes have significantly evolved compositions. Based on the detailed petrographic features and mineral compositional microprobe data, combining with discussion on Fe-Ti-rich melts by former researchers, we propose exotic mantle-derived hydrous fluids or liquid mixtures of hydrous fluids and basaltic melts, rather than just highly differentiated Fe-Ti-rich melts, as the suitable exotic materials involved within the formation of the oxide gabbros in Unit Ⅳ. Theoretically, these fluids might not originate from the same source region as the basaltic melt, which means that these fluids might migrate not only vertically, but also laterally over long distances. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that oxide gabbros in Unit Ⅳ should have unique isotopic features, which would be important clues in testing the mechanism of the formation of oxide gabbros in Unit Ⅳ, even in the whole 735B core.

Key words: exotic hydrous fluids, oxide gabbros, lithologic unit Ⅳ, ODP 735B core, Southwest Indian Ridge

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