Mantle pyroxenites are important components of mantle rocks, because they provide important insights into bulk composition and heterogeneity of the Earth's upper mantle and therefore, direct evidence of mantle evolution throughout the Earth history. Studied pyroxenites from localities Bečváry (the Kutná Hora Complex), Níhov, Nové Dvory, Mohelno, Horní Kounice, Karlstteten and Meidling (the Gföhl Unit of the Moldanubian Zone) occur as dykes and/or layers within spinel and garnet peridotites from the Bohemian massif. Whole-rock concentrations of rare earth (REE) and other trace elements in studied pyroxenites yield extreme variability, which most likely reflect: 1) variable garnet/clinopyroxene ratios in bulk rocks, 2) different degree of fractionation of parental melts and 3) different concentrations trace elements in the source host material. Pyroxenites from locality Mohelno (LREE-depleted) may be derived from depleted or only slightly enriched suboceanic mantle. In contrast, pyroxenites from Karlstetten, Meidling, Horní Kounice and Nové Dvory (LREE-enriched) crystallized from the melts derived from enriched mantle source with possibly significant contribution of recycled crust. Studied pyroxenites are characterized by extremely variable 187 Os/188 Os ratios. While the pyroxenites from Mohelno and...

The Troodos ophiolite is a type example of ophiolite and has been studied for more than 50 years. Albeit numerous findings have been derived from previous investigations, some questions about the details of its formation processes are still outstanding. One of them concerns the origin of the pyroxenites in the mantle and the lower crustal section, and this is the main theme of this thesis. Integrated field, petrographical and geochemical work was conducted in this study. On the basis of distribution, the pyroxenites can be divided into two categories, crustal pyroxenites and mantle pyroxenite dykes. The results show that the layered or massive crustal pyroxenites can be distinguished by their magmatic features, and their formations have been controlled by a series of factors, including the melt composition, change of pressure, magma replenishment and magma mixing. The crystallization sequences of the crustal ultramafic unit samples are classified into two trends. Trend (i) olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase has been derived from tholeiitic-boninitic transitional melts, whereas trend (ii) olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, orthopyroxene from depleted boninitic melts. Regarding the mantle section, the pyroxenite dykes have been formed by focused flow of melt during migration towards the crust. Data show that they are products of several processes, including melt-rock reactions and fractional crystallization. On the basis of modal composition, the pyroxenite dykes are divided into clinopyroxenites and orthopyroxenites. Geochemical compositions suggest that the clinopyroxenites have been derived from island arc tholeiitic melts, whereas the orthopyroxenites from boninitic melts. The important overlap of the tholeiitic and the boninitic series throughout the sections of the ophiolite, as well as the presence of lithologies with compositions transitional between the two series, suggests that the two magmatic suites existed together. A tectonic model of subduction initiation, during which the subducting slab rolled-back rapidly, triggering asthenospheric mantle flow into the mantle wedge, inducing partial melting at a shallow level of the mantle to generate a series of island arc tholeiitic magmas and at deeper level, a series of depleted boninitic magmas. The two magmatic series have possibly been mixed during migration in the mantle, producing transitional units of the two series. / published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

Cette étude vise à caractériser la composition chimique d’enclaves de pyroxénites échantillonnées par le volcanisme cénozoïque intraplaque de la province volcanique de Azrou Timahdite dans le Moyen Atlas marocain afin de préciser leur origine et leur signification dans le cadre de l’évolution géodynamique du manteau sous l’Afrique du Nord. Les interprétations sont basées sur une étude pétrologique et sur des données géochimiques à l’échelle de la roche totale et du minéral. Les données sont utilisées dans le cadre du débat récurrent pour savoir si les pyroxénites représentent d’anciens événements magmatiques ou sont des fragments de croûte océanique recyclés dans le manteau lithosphérique. Les données géochimiques montrent que les pyroxénites du Moyen Atlas ont été formées par différents processus : 1 - recyclage de croûte océanique dans le manteau lithosphérique; 2 – réactions entre un magma et des roches basiques anciennes ; 3 – cristallisation dans le manteau à partir d’un magma enrichi. L’origine et l’âge des pyroxénites formées par recyclage de la croûte océanique ou par réaction entre un magma et des roches plus anciennes sont difficile à interpréter dans le cadre de l’évolution géodynamique de cette région. Par analogie avec les massifs de Ronda et de Beni Bousera, ces pyroxénites pourraient représenter d’anciennes roches basiques isolées depuis très longtemps dans le manteau lithosphérique sous-Continental. Ces fragments de croûte océanique et certaines signatures crustales peuvent être reliés à des processus de subduction pan-Africains. Dans ce cas, ces pyroxénites ont gardé leur signature géochimique intacte, sans modification significative au cours du temps. / The Ph.D. study is aimed at characterising the composition of pyroxenite xenoliths brought to the surface by Cenozoic intraplate volcanism in the Azrou Timahdite district of Middle Atlas (Morocco) to unravel their origin and significance in the frame of the geodynamic evolution of the North Africa lithospheric mantle. The interpretations are based on a petrological approach and on reliable geochemical information at both bulk rock and mineral scale. The data are used to address a largely debated and crucial issue, namely whether pyroxenites do represent ancient magmatic events or section of subducted crust recycled into the lithospheric mantle. The geochemical data revealed that the Middle Atlas pyroxenites formed through different processes: 1 – recycling of older oceanic crust in the lithospheric mantle; 2 – reactions between mantle melt and older mafic layers; 3 – magmatic crystallization from enriched melts at mantle depth. In an overall geodynamic scenario, the origin and age of the pyroxenites interpreted as fragments of recycled oceanic crust and as products of melt-Rock interaction processes are not completely understood. By analogy with Ronda and Beni Bousera these pyroxenites could represent old mafic rocks that have been isolated in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle for very long time spans. The fragments of oceanic material and the crustal components recorded by pyroxenites may be tentatively related to subduction processes occurred during Pan-African times. If so, these pyroxenites maintained for long time their pristine geochemical signatures without marked changes.

English Abstract The Dunkelsteiner Wald granulite massif in Lower Austria belongs to the Gföhl unit of the Moldanubian zone of the Bohemian Massif. Predominant rocks are felsic granulites which in some places contain garnet pyroxenites and peridotites. There are positions of mafic and intermediate granulites on their intersection. Primary mineral association of mafic granulites is garnet, clinopyroxene rich on Jd and Ca-Tschermack component and kyanite. These rocks probably represent Ca-richer variant of pyroxenites. Contemporary mineral association is make by garnet, clinopyroxene, plagioclase and orthopyroxene. Accessory there is amphibole, spinel, rutile and Ilmenite in the rocks. Sapphire inclusion in garnet cores close to kyanite inclusions has been observed in several cases. Decompression of these rocks creates specific symplectite textures in mafic granulites characterized by plagioclase inclusions. These inclusions are partly or fully surrounded by garnet porphyroblasts on their edges and coarse grain symplectics of plagioclase and pyroxene in matrix. A possible explanation of emergence of this specific texture in rocks on intersection with felsic granulite is an infiltration of melt from felsic lithology. Proof can be the enrichment of K component on edges of plagioclase grains. On the other hand,...

Carbonatites are unique and enigmatic magmatic rocks of unclear origin, with very specific mineralogy and geochemical properties. They are predominantly composed of magmatic calcite or other carbonate minerals (Le Bas 1987) and have low content of SiO2 (Le Maitre 2002). Origin of these peculiar magmas is still not clear but they appear to represent an important "window" into processes in Earth's mantle. They are considered either as residual melts from a fractionated carbonated nephelinite or melilitite (Gittins 1989; Gittins and Jago 1998), as immiscible fractions of CO2-saturated silicate melts (Freestone and Hamilton 1980; Amundsen 1987; Kjarsgaard and Hamilton 1988, 1989; Brooker and Hamilton 1990; Kjarsgaard and Peterson 1991; Church and Jones 1995; Lee and Wyllie 1997; Dawson 1998; Halama et al. 2005; Brooker and Kjarsgaard 2011), or as primary melts which are were generated from CO2-bearing peridotite through partial melting (Wallace and Green 1988; Sweeney 1994; Harmer and Gittins 1998; Harmer et al. 1998; Ying et al. 2004). Abundances of rare earth elements (REE) are often high in carbonatites because carbonatitic magmas can dissolve these elements much easily than silicate magmas (Nelson et al. 1988). Carbonatitic magma can also dissolve large quantities of Sr, Ba, P and mainly Zr and Nb,...

Les laves émises en domaine de subduction sont dominées par des compositions calcoalcalines à hypersthène normatif. En revanche, les inclusions magmatiques piégées dans les olivines magnésiennes (Fo ≥ 88) des basaltes d’arc présentent des compositions alcalines, à néphéline normative. Bien que leurs compositions en éléments traces incompatibles ne diffèrent pas de celles de leurs laves hôtes, ces magmas ne peuvent pas s’expliquer par les modèles classiques de formation des laves d’arc. L’étude d’inclusions magmatiques alcalines de plusieurs arcs du monde a permis de mettre en évidence leur variabilité de composition, en particulier en CaO et Sc, deux éléments compatibles dans le clinopyroxène. Le couplage de cette étude avec des modélisations thermodynamiques a aboutit à l’élaboration d’un modèle de source impliquant la contribution de clinopyroxénites à amphibole à environ 1 GPa. Les inclusions magmatiques à néphéline normative d’arc seraient ainsi les témoins de l’hétérogénéité de source à l’origine des magmas d’arc. Les expériences de fusion partielle du mélange homogène clinopyroxénite à amphibole – péridotite hydratée réalisées à 1 GPa permettent d’apporter des informations supplémentaires quant aux mécanismes de genèse des magmas d’arc sous-saturés en silice et de mieux comprendre les comportements de fusion des deux types de lithologies. Pour des proportions inférieures à ~ 50 % de pyroxénite dans la source, les magmas produits présentent des compositions à hypersthène normatif, comparables aux laves d’arc issues de la fusion de lithologies péridotitiques. Pour des proportions de pyroxénites supérieures, les magmas sont à néphéline normative et s’enrichissent en calcium, reproduisant ainsi la gamme de compositions observée pour les inclusions magmatiques. 50 % de mélange correspond à la limite de stabilité de l’orthopyroxène. Tant que cette phase est présente dans le résidu, les magmas engendrés restent à hypersthène normatif. De plus, la présence d’amphibole dans la source permet d’augmenter la sous-saturation des liquides résultants et d’expliquer ainsi les termes les plus riches en néphéline normative de certaines inclusions. Nos expériences de fusion d’une source homogène ont également permis de déterminer la composition des magmas formés par un processus de fusion plus réaliste, impliquant une source hétérogène pyroxénite-péridotite. La productivité de liquides des pyroxénites étant supérieure à celles des péridotites, les magmas générés à partir d’une source hétérogène seront donc principalement pyroxénitiques, c’est-à-dire davantage sous-saturés en silice. Ainsi, dans le cas d’un mélange de magmas issus d’une source hétérogène, la transition entre les compositions à hypersthène et à néphéline normatifs s’effectue aux alentours de 30-40 % de liquides pyroxénititiques, soit pour environ 20-25 % de pyroxénite dans la source. L’origine de ces lithologies dans le manteau sub-arc est attribuée à la délamination de cumulats à clinopyroxène + amphibole présents à la base de la croute des arcs. Les inclusions magmatiques à néphéline normative d’arc auraient enregistré plusieurs étapes de mélange entre des liquides quasi-purs de clinopyroxénites et des liquides péridotitiques. L’homogénéité de compositions des laves à hypersthène normatif traduirait en revanche, un stade de mélange et de différenciation plus avancé, atténuant ainsi la signature pyroxénitique. / Lavas erupted in subduction zones are dominated by calc-alkaline, hypersthene-normative compositions. However, melt inclusions trapped in magnesian olivines (Fo ≥ 88) from arc basalts often show alkaline, nepheline-normative compositions. Although their trace element compositions are comparable to those of their host lavas, these melt inclusions cannot be simply explained by the typical models for arc lava genesis. The study of melt inclusions from several island arcs from all over the world has emphasized their compositional variability, in particular in calcium and Sc, two elements compatible in clinopyroxene. The coupling of this study with thermodynamic modelling has led to the development of a source model involving the contribution of amphibole-bearing clinopyroxenites at about 1 GPa. Nepheline-normative arc melt inclusions thus underline the source heterogeneity at the origin of arc magmas. Partial melting experiments of amphibole-clinopyroxenite – hydrous peridotite homogeneous mixtures performed at 1 GPa have provided additional information on the origin of silica-undersaturated arc magmas, and also a better understanding of the melting behaviour of the two types of lithologies. For proportions of pyroxenite lower than 50 % in the mixed source, the derived melts show hypersthene-normative compositions that are comparable to peridotite-derived arc lavas. For higher proportions of pyroxenite in the source, the derived magmas become nepheline-normative, calcium-rich, and reproduce the compositional range of the melt inclusions. Fifty percent of mixing corresponds to the limit of orthopyroxene stability. As long as this phase is present in the residue, the generated melts are hypersthene-normative. In addition, the presence of amphibole in the source increases the silica under-saturation of liquids and thus accounts for the extreme enrichment in normative nepheline of some inclusions. Our melting experiments of a homogeneous source have allowed to determine the compositions of magmas derived from a mode realistic melting process, involving a heterogeneous source. As pyroxenites have higher melt productivity than peridotites, most melts produced from a pyroxenite-peridotite mixed source are comparable to those produced by a dominantly pyroxenitic source, i.e., they display normative nepheline compositions. Thus, in the case of mixing of magmas derived from heterogeneous source, the transition between hypersthene- and nepheline-normative compositions occurs for 30-40 % of pyroxenite melts, generated from 20-25 % of pyroxenite in the source. The origin of these lithologies in the subarc mantle is explained by the delamination of lower crustal cumulates consisting of clinopyroxene + amphibole. Nepheline-normative arc melt inclusions would record multi-stage mixing between clinopyroxenite and peridotite melts. In contrast, the compositional homogeneity of hypersthene-normative lavas would reflect a more advanced stage of mixing and differentiation, thereby reducing the pyroxenite signature in derived magmas.