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TEXTURAL AND MICROANALYSIS OF IGNEOUS ROCKS: TOOLS ...

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4.5.0.2 Insights from Trace Elements and Inverted Parent Magma Compositions<br />

Plagioclase parent magmas from Units 4 and 10 overlap whole-rock fields de-<br />

fined by their respective Site 1137 upper and lower basalt groups in Ba/Sr vs Rb<br />

space (Fig. 4.14). Whole-rock compositions tend to represent an integration of<br />

all of the subsurface processes that were active during basalt petrogenesis, and a<br />

number of studies have noted greater records of processes such as crustal assim-<br />

ilation and exposure to primitive magmas within individual plagioclase crystals<br />

[37, 135]. Although major element and zoning data indicate that the plagioclase<br />

phenocrysts contain greater temporal records of magma evolution relative to the<br />

whole-rock chemistry, this overlap in figure 4.14a indicates that peak crustal con-<br />

tamination present in Units 4 and 10 pre-dated plagioclase crystallization.<br />

Plagioclase parent magmas trend to lower La/Sm relative to their respective<br />

host basalt groups (Fig. 4.14c), and inverted parent magma trace element and<br />

REE abundances are generally lower than those of Site 1137 upper and lower group<br />

basalts (Table 4.4 and Table 4.5). Low trace element abundances of plagioclase<br />

parent magmas may indicate that plagioclase crystals grew from magmas that<br />

were more depleted than their host basalts. This however seems unlikely given<br />

the regular occurrence of reversely zoned plagioclase crystals in each basalt and the<br />

overlap in figure 4.14a. An alternative origin for the low trace element abundances<br />

of plagioclase parent magmas is the use of inaccurate partition coefficients and/or<br />

trace element diffusion. It is difficult to gauge the accuracy of calculated partition<br />

coefficients, but Bindeman et al. [7] and Blundy and Wood [10] pointed out that<br />

An content is a dominant factor that affects cation substitution in plagioclase<br />

and temperature has a minor affect. Although An variations and crystallization<br />

temperatures are accounted for in partition coefficient calculations, it is possible<br />

208

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