Zircon in gabbroids from the axial zone of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, Markov Deep, 6° N: Correlation of geochemical features with petrogenetic processes

This paper reports the results of detailed petrological-geochemical study of zircons and host rocks that were dredged from the Markov Deep area in the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic ridge. The rocks are represented by variably cataclased gabbronorite with veinlets of oceanic plagiogranite (OPG) as well as leucocratic gabbro (primitive gabbro) and hornblende Fe-Ti oxide gabbronorite (ferrogabbro) without OPG. The studied zircons differ in morphology, inner structure, set of mineral inclusions (ingrowths), and content of trace elements. Compositional heterogeneity is also observed within individual grains. The REE distribution patterns in zircons are characterized by gentle growth from LREE to HREE, with prominent positive Ce anomaly and negative Eu anomaly, and in general fall in the range of zircons from magmatic rocks. Oceanic zircons clearly differ from continental populations in the U/Yb-Y and U/Yb-Hf discrimination diagrams, primarily, due to their lower U/Yb ratio at wide variations of Y and Hf contents. Zircons that contain inclusions of acid glass and hence, crystallized from OPG melt are relatively depleted in REE, especially HREE. This indicates that OPG was formed by partial melting of gabbro in the presence of concentrated water-salt fluid, which extracted REE from the plagiogranite melt. Zircons from gabbroids devoid of OPG inclusions have higher total REE contents than zircons from OPG. Late hydrothermal alterations of zircon are distinctly established by the formation of neogenic collomorphic (porous) texture and/or by composition of mineral inclusions and accompanied by significant enrichment in La. Heterogeneous distribution of Ti in zircon may be caused not only by a change in its crystallization temperature, but also variations in silica to titanium oxide activity ratios in the rocks during interaction with hydrothermal solution of variable acidity. A complex study of structural-morphological and geochemical features of oceanic zircons and phase composition of host rocks and inclusions provides insight into processes leading to the crystallization and subsequent evolution of this mineral in the rocks of oceanic lithosphere. DOI: 10.1134/S0869591113010025