Reaction between MORB-eclogite derived melts and fertile peridotite and generation of ocean island basalts

We performed reaction experiments between partial melt of volatile-free MORB-eclogite and volatile-free fertile peridotite at 2.5-3 GPa, 1375 degrees C and 1440 degrees C. The fraction of added basaltic andesite melt was varied from similar to 8 to 50 wt.%. Melt was introduced either as a separate layer or mixed homogeneously with peridotite to simulate channelized and porous flow, respectively. Layered experiments produced a zone of orthopyroxene-rich garnet-websterite separating the reacted melt pool from a residual four phase lherzolite while mixed experiments produced a residual assemblage of orthopyroxene +/- clinopyroxene +/- olivine +/- garnet co-existing with reacted melt where residual olivine was absent only in the experiments with 50 wt.% added melt. It is observed that the reacted melts display a continuous spectrum from tholeiitic to alkalic melts with increasing extent of wall-rock reaction for the layered runs and decreasing melt:rock ratio for the mixed experiments. The reacted melts at similar to 10-16 wt.% MgO match better with natural alkali basalts and basanite from intraplate ocean islands in terms of SiO2 (44-48 wt.%), TiO2 (2.2-4.1 wt.%), Al2O3 (12.6-14.3 wt.%), CaO (similar to 8-11 wt.%), Na2O (similar to 2-4 wt.%), and CaO/Al2O3 (0.52-0.81) as compared to partial melts of volatile-free peridotite and MORB-eclogite. FeO* content (similar to 9-11 wt.%) of the reacted melts, however, remains poorer compared to most ocean island basalts (OIBs). We demonstrate that both alkalic and tholeiitic melts are produced in the process of MORB-eclogite partial melt and fertile peridotite reaction. We also demonstrate that near-primary alkali basalt can form at a temperature distinctly below the peridotite solidus and mantle potential temperature (T-p) of similar to 1350 C may be sufficient to generate near-primary alkalic OIBs. Our study obviates the necessity for exotic lithologies, such as silica-deficient garnet pyroxenites, in the solid state mantle to explain the genesis of alkalic OIBs. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.