Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : Differentiation of the Earth's mantle and formation of continental and oceanic crust occur principally through partial melting and extraction of basaltic melt. Among the mantle rocks occurring at the Earth's surface, as tectonically-emplaced massifs, abyssal peridotites or xenoliths, the harzburgites (< 5% clinopyroxene) are widely considered as refractory mantle residues left after extraction of a basaltic component. In contrast, the most fertile lherzolites (15% clinopyroxene) are generally regarded as pristine mantle, only weakly affected by partial melting. In this paper we present new convergent structural and geochemical data from the Lherz massif, the type-locality of lherzolite, indicating that the lherzolites from Lherz do not represent pristine mantle. Detailed structural mapping clearly shows that the lherzolites are secondary rocks formed at the expense of the harzburgites. Variations of major, minor and trace elements through the harzburgite–lherzolite contacts indicate that the lherzolites were formed through a refertilization process involving interaction of refractory, lithospheric mantle with upwelling asthenospheric partial melts. Combined with previously published indications of refertilization in orogenic peridotites, our new observations in Lherz suggest that most lherzolite massifs represent secondary (refertilized) rather than pristine mantle. Together with geochemical data on mantle xenoliths, this indicates that melt transport and melt-rock reaction play a key role on the rejuvenation and erosion of the lithospheric mantle.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-00406433
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00406433
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2007.05.026

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Most peridotite massifs and mantle xenoliths show a wide range of isotopic variations, often involving significant decoupling between Hf, Nd and Sr isotopes. These variations are generally ascribed either to mingling of individual components of contrasted isotopic compositions or to time integration of parent-element enrichment by percolating melts/fluids, superimposed onto previous depletion event(s). However, strong isotopic decoupling may also arise during porous flow as a result of daughter-elements fractionation during solid-liquid interaction. Although porous flow is recognized as an important process in mantle rocks, its effects on mantle isotopic variability have been barely investigated so far. The peridotites of the Lherz massif (French Pyrenees) display a frozen melt percolation front separating highly refractory harzburgites from refertilized lherzolites. Isotopic signatures observed at the melt percolation front show a strong decoupling of Hf from Nd and Sr isotopes that cannot be accounted for by simple mixing involving the harzburgite protolith and the percolating melt. Using one dimensional percolation-diffusion and percolation-reaction modeling, we show that these signatures represent transient isotopic compositions generated by porous flow. These signatures are governed by a few critical parameters such as daughter element concentrations in melt and peridotite, element diffusivity, and efficiency of isotopic homogenization rather than by the chromatographic effect of melt transport and the refertilization reaction. Subtle variations in these parameters may generate significant inter-isotopic decoupling and wide isotopic variations in mantle rocks. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-00413135
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00413135
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.033

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Interactions between deformation and melt percolation yield important consequences for the evolution of the mantle lithosphere, controlling its composition and mechanical behavior. In the Lherz massif (Pyrenees, France), the analysis of structural relationships between harzburgites, lherzolites and pyroxenites and of the crystal-preferred orientations (CPO) of olivine and pyroxenes highlights a strong feedback between percolation of basaltic melts and deformation under near-solidus conditions at the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary. Elongated harzburgite bodies up to tens of meters wide, which are the remnants of an old lithospheric mantle, preserve a constant foliation. This foliation is locally outlined by cm-scale flattened websteritic lenses. At the contact with the enclosing lherzolites, the harzburgite foliation is crosscut by the lherzolites foliation and by cm-wide websterite bands parallel to the contact. Strain intensity in the lherzolites increases with distance to the harzburgites. Based on these observations, we propose that reactive percolation was synchronous to the deformation and propose that variations in instantaneous melt fraction, due to pyroxenes and spinel crystallization during reactive melt transport, guided strain localization. Accordingly, the observed decrease in olivine CPO intensity and change in CPO patterns from harzburgites to distal lherzolites are interpreted as recording changes in the relative contribution of dislocation glide and diffusion processes, which is ruled by a balance between the instantaneous melt fraction and the local strain rate. We also propose that the pervasive websteritic layering in the refertilized lherzolites may result from deformation-assisted melt segregation in a system with decreasing permeability due to refertilization reactions. Finally, we discuss the possible timing and geodynamical context of the refertilization episode.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-00411724
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00411724
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2008.07.053

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Differentiation of the lithospheric mantle occurred principally through partial melting and extraction of melts. Harzburgites are generally considered as melting residues whereas lherzolites are regarded as pristine mantle weakly affected by melting. However, some orogenic peridotites show evidence of igneous refertilization. In this context, this work re-investigates the nature of the Lherz lherzolites (Pyrenees), type-locality of lherzolites, described as a piece of preserved fertile mantle. Structural and geochemical data show that these lherzolites are not pristine but formed through a refertilization reaction between MORB-like melts and refractory lithosphere. Moreover, the Lherz peridotites were partly used to infer the composition of the primitive upper mantle and these results may have important implications for the nature of the late veneer. Additionally, crystal-preferred orientations of minerals (CPO) highlight a strong feedback between melt percolation and finite strain in the percolated rocks. CPO variations are ruled by a subtle balance between instantaneous melt fraction and local strain rate. This work also investigated the effect of melt percolation on Hf, Nd and Sr isotopes. Isotope systematics in Lherz shows that strong isotopic decoupling may arise in a percolation front. The modelling suggests that decoupled isotopic signatures are generated during porous flow and governed by the melt/matrix elements concentrations, chemical diffusivities or efficiency of isotopic homogenization. Melt-rock interactions can generate “intraplate-like” isotopic signatures. This suggests that a part of isotopic signatures of mantle-related rocks could be generated by diffusional processes associated with melt transport.
La différenciation du manteau lithosphérique s'est principalement effectuée par fusion partielle et extraction de magmas. Les harzburgites sont généralement considérées comme des résidus de fusion tandis que les lherzolites représentent un manteau originel peu affecté par la fusion. Cependant, certaines péridotites orogéniques montrent des évidences de refertilisation magmatique. Dans ce contexte, ce travail remet en cause la nature primitive des lherzolites de Lherz (Pyrénées), lithotype de la lherzolite. Les données structurales et géochimiques montrent que ces lherzolites ne représentent pas du manteau préservé mais qu'elles se sont formées par une réaction de refertilisation entre un liquide de type MORB et une lithosphère réfractaire. De plus, les orientations préférentielles de réseau (OPR) des minéraux montrent une forte interdépendance entre la percolation magmatique et la déformation finie observée dans les roches percolées. Les variations d'OPR semblent contrôlées par un équilibre subtil entre fraction de liquide instantanée et taux de déformation local. Ce travail a également abordé les effets de la percolation magmatique sur la variabilité isotopique des roches mantelliques. Les résultats montrent qu'un fort découplage isotopique peut s'observer dans un front de percolation. Les modèles suggèrent que le découplage des signatures isotopiques se produit pendant la percolation, gouverné par le rapport des concentrations en éléments (magma/matrice), la diffusivité et le processus d'homogénéisation isotopique. Les réactions magma/roche peuvent générer des signatures isotopiques de type intraplaque. Ceci suggère qu'une part des signatures isotopiques des roches ou laves dérivées du manteau pourrait être produite par des processus diffusionnels associés à du transport de magma.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00431325

tel-00431325
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00431325
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00431325/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00431325/file/theseleroux08.pdf