Valu Fa and Eastern Lau `s (two regions along Lau's back-arc spreading center) observed axial morphology suggest that Valu Fa is more magmatically robust than Eastern Lau despite Eastern Lau's spreading rate nearly doubling Valu Fa's. Early geochemical [Pearce et al., 1994] and geophysical [Martinez and Taylor, 2002] studies predict a gradational decrease in melting moving north from Valu Fa to Eastern Lau, but more recent geochemical and seismic observations ([Escrig, .et al 2009]; [Dunn and Martinez, 2011]; [Dunn et al., 2011]) show a sharper stepwise decrease in melting as the spreading center's ridge axis sweeps away from the Tofua Volcanic-Arc. As the ridge sweeps away from the volcanic-arc, the influence of the slab hydrated mantle in the melting structure of the ridge decreases. Furthermore, Eastern Lau produces a thinner crust than expected for a robust spreading center. 2-D numerical studies [Harmon and Blackmon, 2010] show a gradational decrease in melting from Valu Fa to Eastern Lau but with no corresponding thinning of Eastern Lau's crust. To understand the melting dynamics underneath Lau's back-arc spreading center and the Tofua Volcanic-Arc implementing the effects of 3-D mantle flow and slab hydration appears to be required. To explain the observed geochemical and seismic observations, three 3-D numerical were performed, using a community developed mantle convection solver (CitcomS). The first model shows that observed geometric and surface kinematic boundary conditions cause a steep gradational increase in relative melting area (anhydrous) moving northward with increasing spreading rate along the ridge axis from Valu Fa to Eastern Lau caused by a northwestern along axis mantle flow. A peak in the relative melting area appears particularly close to Eastern Lau where crust is thinnest. These predictions run in opposition to the observations. The second model shows including a viscosity reduction in the mantle wedge due to slab hydration causes a more subdued relative melting increase with spreading rate and "saddle" shaped decrease in relative melting area north of 20.9°S. This saddle shaped melting structure is caused by a reversal in along axis flow towards the southeast, which takes hot mantle from Eastern Lau and transports it underneath Valu Fa accounting for the anomalously thin crust observed at Eastern Lau. Finally, introducing a hydrated solidus increases the melt production under Valu Fau and causes a stepwise decrease in melt production at Eastern Lau due to its decreased proximity to the slab-hydrated region, consistent with the observed geochemical and seismic studies.

Graduation date: 1999

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-166).

Extension at oceanic spreading centers ranges from ultra-slow (dominantly tectonic) to ultra-fast spreading (dominantly magmatic). This variation is reflected in the morphology of the spreading ridge segments and the magmatic productivity observed on the seafloor. These relationships are well understood at Mid-Ocean Ridges (MOR), but less is known about spreading centers above subduction zones. This study is part of a larger initiative to create the first 1:1,000,000 scale geological maps of different subduction zones at the Indo-Australian margin. This is a region of some of the fastest-growing crust on Earth and exhibits prolific magmatic-hydrothermal activity in back-arc basins. Previous work has shown that crustal growth associated with westward subduction of the Pacific Plate is characterized by highly distributed extension in back-arc basins, with numerous and simultaneously active spreading centers. In the NW Lau Basin, two of the spreading centers are punctuated by large-scale magmatic centers that coincide with anomalous mantle input (as documented by large-scale mantle helium anomalies) − features that are not well known in other basins. Detailed mapping at 1:200,000 scale shows that these spreading centers are related to near-field transcurrent faulting that developed in the early stages of the Lau back-arc basin. Translation across two oppositely moving fault zones induced rotation of the intervening crust and two anomalous spreading centers (Rochambeau Rifts and the Northwest Lau Spreading Center) opened obliquely to these structures. Both show inflated axial volcanic ridges that may be a product of an anomalous melt supply relative to the spreading rate. The marked variation in the morphology and magmatic output are thought to be controlled by input of melt from adjacent sources (Samoan plume) or the channeling of melt into a zone of thicker pre-existing crust, or both. These findings have important implications for understanding the origins of large-scale magmatic input in back-arc basins, where many fossil ore deposits have formed, thus providing important guides for resource exploration in ancient volcanic terranes on land.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-166). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xv, 166 leaves, bound col. ill., col. maps (1 fold.) 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-187). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Understanding the controls on the distribution and type of hydrothermal venting in modern oceanic spreading environments is key to developing tools for exploration and understanding the metallogeny of ancient massive sulfide deposits. Compared to mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones are characterized by additional tectonic complexities, including arc-ridge collisions, arc rotations, pre-existing structures, and variable distances to the arc. This thesis addresses the question, “How do tectonic complexities associated with subduction influence the structure and volcanic evolution of a back-arc basin, and how do they affect the distribution and type of hydrothermal venting?” A multi-scaled approach was used to address this question in the nascent back-arc region of the New Hebrides and in the more advanced stages of opening of the Mariana back-arc basin. In the New Hebrides, an arc-ridge collision segmented the volcanic front and affected the southern and northern back-arc regions in different ways. In the southern Coriolis Troughs (CT), voluminous eruptions are closely linked to the ridge collision, forming a large shield volcano in the near-arc region (Nifonea Volcano). The caldera-hosted eruptions produced high-temperature but short-lived magmatic-hydrothermal activity restricted to the shield volcano. In the northern Jean Charcot Troughs (JCT), ridge collision caused a reversal in the rotation of the arc, reducing extension in the south and increasing extension in the north. Unlike the CT, extension in the JCT is strongly affected by pre-existing structures, which form irregular widely-spaced grabens and volcanic ridges and magmatism in the central part of the back-arc. Here, hydrothermal venting is focused along deeply penetrating faults, associated with widespread tectonic extension. Detailed studies of the mineralogy and geochemistry of the ore and alteration at the Tinakula deposit reveal that massive sulfide accumulation in the region dominated by tectonic extension is characterized by longer-lived, lower-temperature venting than at Nifonea. Hydrothermal activity in the JCT at Tinakula is dominated by (1) long-lived heat from an underlying magma source; (2) fluid circulation along a fissure with long-lived or reactivated permeability; (3) enrichment in fluid-mobile elements such as Ba that are transported at low temperature; (4) mixing of cold seawater with hydrothermal fluids within the permeable volcaniclastic substrate and at the seafloor; (5) water depth controls on maximum hydrothermal vent temperatures; and (6) reduced permeability of the host volcaniclastic succession at the site of mineralization caused by precipitation of alteration minerals and sulfates, focusing fluid flow. The different styles of volcanic and hydrothermal activity closely resemble those of mid-ocean ridge environments in areas that are dominated by tectonic rather than magmatic extension. A comparison with the more advanced stages of rifting and segmentation of the Mariana back-arc demonstrates that Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR)-type structural and magmatic controls on hydrothermal activity are important during all stages of back-arc basin evolution. This work highlights the diversity of volcanic eruption styles and hydrothermal venting from the earliest stages of back-arc rifting to the advanced stages of basin opening and shows that processes normally associated with MOR-type spreading are directly analogous to back-arc basin systems. However, additional tectonic complexities (e.g., ridge-arc collisions) have a major impact on the location and type of magmatic and hydrothermal activity at back-arc spreading centers, with important implications for understanding ancient volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits that mainly formed in back-arc basins.

Sediment deposited in back-arc basins preserves a record of the extensional, volcanic and tectonic history of the arc-backarc systems. Back-arc sedimentation is of particular interest as seafloor massive sulfide deposits may be preserved in back-arc basin sediments. The study of back-arc sedimentation using acoustic data, such as high-resolution sub-bottom profiling data (Parasound) and seismic reflection data, can be a much more cost effective approach than analysis of sediments recovered from drill cores. In this study, we use these two acoustic datasets to build a facies model of sedimentation in the northeast Lau Basin, an actively opening back-arc basin in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Using 830 km of Parasound and 730 km of seismic lines along 4 transects of the Lau Basin, we constructed one of the most detailed models of sedimentation in a back-arc basin to date. Parasound data show distinct echoes with sub-bottom reflections indicative of a high proportion of hemipelagic sediment, whereas the indistinct echoes with few to no sub-bottom reflections indicate a higher proportion of coarse, bedded, volcaniclastic turbidites. Hyperbolic echoes are associated with regions of rugged or uneven terrain characterized by exposed, rough basement or deposits formed by contour currents, turbidity currents, slumps or slides. These relationships form the basis of an echo-facies legend developed for typical back-arc basin sediments. The echo-facies observed in the Parasound, and confirmed by deeper-penetrating seismic reflection data, provide important insights into the sedimentary processes involved in back-arc sedimentation. We observed mass transport deposits (MTDs) in all of the sub-basins and slope deposits within and on the flanks of active rifts (e.g., the Fonualei Rift and Spreading Centre, FRSC), suggesting a direct correlation between MTDs and zones of active rifting. We observed an overall increase in sediment thickness toward the Tofua Arc which suggests it is the main sediment source, but local variations in sediment thickness suggest significant input from local intrabasinal seamounts. The uppermost echo-facies in over 60% of the sub-basins in the study area is dominated by hemipelagic material, which suggests an abrupt transition in the dominant sediment source from volcaniclastic to hemipelagic at around 0.3 Ma, when a period of volcanic quiescence from the Tofua Arc began. The study shows that a near complete record of basin evolution can be constructed using geophysical and acoustic methods and that this work may help to locate future drill sites where in situ data can be collected.

O Ofiolito Arroio Grande, localizado no sudeste do Cinturão Dom Feliciano, próximo à fronteira Brasil/Uruguai, entre Arroio Grande e Jaguarão (RS), é uma associação metaultramáfica-máfica-sedimentar que representa fragmentos de uma mélange ofiolítica, relacionada à amalgamação do paleocontinente Gondwana Ocidental durante os estágios finais do ciclo orogênico Brasiliano-Panafricano. As rochas do Ofiolito Arroio Grande se encontram circundadas por rochas metassiliciclásticas do Complexo Arroio Grande, do qual o ofiolito faz parte, e também como xenólitos em meio a granitoides da Suíte Pinheiro Machado e do Granito Três Figueiras (os quais integram o Batólito Pelotas-Aiguá). A unidade metaultramáfica do ofiolito compreende serpentinitos e xistos magnesianos cromíferos. Sua unidade metamáfica é constituída por anfibolitos, metagabros e metadioritos. A unidade metassedimentar compreende mármores calcíticos, intrudidos por enxame de diques máficos. O Ofiolito Arroio Grande está posicionado ao longo da Zona de Cisalhamento Ayrosa Galvão-Arroio Grande (transcorrente, dúctil, alto ângulo), responsável pela milonitização da maioria das rochas dessa associação. As investigações desenvolvidas no ofiolito tiveram o objetivo de identificar as fontes magmáticas dos protólitos e os processos que ocorreram desde sua geração no manto/crosta oceânica até sua incorporação no continente, além de obter idades (absolutas e relativas) referentes a esses processos. Para os metaultramafitos, a geoquímica de rocha total (e.g. Ni >1000 ppm; Cr > 1500 ppm), em conjunto com a química mineral de cromitas (e.g. Cr# 0,6-0,8; TiO2 0,01-0,20 %peso; Fe2+/Fe3+ ± 0,9), sugeriu protólitos harzburgíticos mantélicos, cuja fonte é um manto depletado sob uma região de espalhamento oceânico de retroarco, que experimentou altas taxas de fusão parcial. Esses harzburgitos foram posteriormente serpentinizados em ambiente oceânico, sugerido pelas razões 87Sr/86Sr630 de um serpentinito (ca. 0,707). Para os metamafitos, a geoquímica de rocha total e isotópica sugeriram protólitos toleíticos oceânicos, gerados em um contexto de suprassubducção em ambiente de retroarco (e.g. Cr 260-600 ppm; Nb/Y 0,1-0,5; Ti/Y ± 500; La/Nb 2-5; Th/Yb 0,1-5 e Nb/Yb 1-5; padrões de REE; razões 87Sr/86Sr630 variando de MORB – 0,703 – a IAT – 0,705-0,707), cuja fonte magmática foi enriquecida por material crustal e fluidos relacionados à subducção. A idade mínima para a obducção e metamorfismo das unidades ofiolíticas foi estimada em 640 Ma, a partir da datação (U-Pb SHRIMP) de um quartzo sienito. Esse último é o resultado de fusões relacionadas a intrusões diorítico-tonalíticas, atribuídas ao magmatismo de arco continental da Suíte Pinheiro Machado. Essas intrusões afetaram os mármores e os anfibolitos (fragmentos dos enxames de diques máficos), de maneira que, em pelo menos 640 Ma, rochas da mélange ofiolítica (já metamorfizadas) estavam alojadas em ambiente continental. Um evento metassomático posterior (relacionado à intrusão do Granito Três Figueiras, sincinemática à zona de cisalhamento acima referida) afetou os serpentinitos, gerando zonas de talcificação, tremolitização e cloritização, essa última representando um blackwall que também envolveu unidades metassiliciclásticas do Complexo Arroio Grande. O Ofiolito Arroio Grande foi inserido no contexto geotectônico da bacia de retroarco Marmora, cujos fragmentos são encontrados na Namíbia (Terreno Marmora) e no Uruguai (Complexo Paso del Dragón e Bacia Rocha – Terreno Punta del Este). / The Arroio Grande Ophiolite, located in the southeastern region of the Dom Feliciano Belt, near the Brazil/Uruguay border, is a metaultramafic-mafic-sedimentary association which represents slices of an ophiolitic mélange, related to the Western Gondwana amalgamation during the late stages of the Brasiliano-Panafrican orogenic cycle. The Arroio Grande Ophiolite rocks are enveloped by metasiliciclastic units of the Arroio Grande Complex and occur as xenolyths within granitoids of the Pinheiro Machado Suite and within the Três Figueiras Granite (units of the Pelotas-Aiguá Batholith). The metaultramafites of the ophiolite comprise serpentinites and Cr-rich magnesian schists. The metamafites comprise amphibolites, metagabbros and metadiorites. The metasedimentary unit comprises calcitic marbles, which are intruded by mafic dykes. The ophiolite is found along the Ayrosa Galvão- Arroio Grande Shear Zone (transcurrent, ductile, high angle), responsible for the mylonitization of this association. The investigations developed in this ophiolite had the objective of identify the magmatic sources of the protoliths and the processes that occurred since their generation within the mantle/oceanic crust until their incorporation into the continental crust, including their absolute and relative ages. The bulk-rock chemistry of the metaultramafites (e.g. Ni >1000 ppm; Cr > 1500 ppm), together with the mineral chemistry of the chromites (e.g. Cr# 0.6-0.8; TiO2 0.01-0.20 wt%; Fe2+/Fe3+ ± 0.9), suggested harzburgitic protoliths, attributed to a depleted mantle source under a back-arc spreading region, which experienced high degrees of partial melting. These harzburgites were serpentinized in an oceanic setting, as suggested by the 87Sr/86Sr630 ratio of a serpentinite (ca. 0.707). The bulkrock chemistry of the metamafites suggested oceanic tholeiitic protoliths, generated in a supra-subduction setting in a back-arc environment (e.g. Cr 260-600 ppm; Nb/Y 0.1-0.5; Ti/Y ± 500; La/Nb 2-5; Th/Yb 0.1-5 and Nb/Yb 1-5; REE patterns; 87Sr/86Sr630 ratios ranging from MORB – 0.703 – to IAT – 0.705-0.707), whose magmatic source was contaminated by crustal material and subduction-related fluids. The minimum age for the obduction and metamorphism of the Arroio Grande Ophiolite rocks was estimated around 640 Ma from the U-Pb age of a quartz-syenite. The latter is the result of melting, related to dioritic-tonalitc intrusions, attributed to the continental magmatism of the Pinheiro Machado Suite. These intrusions affected both the marbles and the amphibolites (fragments of the mafic dykes), in order that, at least around 640 Ma, rocks of the ophiolitic mélange (already metamorphosed) were emplaced on the continent. A late metasomatic event (related to the emplacement of the Três Figueiras Granite, syn-kinematic to the abovementioned shear zone) affected the serpentinites, generating zones of talcification, tremolitization and chloritization, the latter representing a blackwall which also involved metasiliciclastic rocks of the Arroio Grande Complex. The Arroio Grande Ophiolite was inserted in the geotectonic context of the Marmora back-arc basin, whose fragments are found in Namibia (Marmora Terrane) and Uruguay (Paso del Dragón Complex and Rocha Basin – Punta del Este Terrane).

Abstract not available