Carbonatite Versus Silicate Melt Metasomatism Impacts Grain Scale 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd Heterogeneity in Polynesian Mantle Peridotite Xenoliths

Abstract

Abstract The Earth's upper mantle is isotopically heterogeneous over large lengthscales, but the lower limit of these heterogeneities is not well quantified. Grain scale trace elemental variability has been observed in mantle peridotites, which suggests that isotopic heterogeneity may be preserved as well. Recent advances in isotope ratio mass spectrometry enable isotopic analysis of very small samples (e.g., nanograms or less of analyte) while maintaining the precision necessary for meaningful interpretation. Here we examine four peridotite xenoliths—hosted in lavas from Savai'i (Samoa hotspot) and Tahiti (Societies hotspot) islands—that exhibit grain scale trace element heterogeneity likely related to trapped fluid and/or melt inclusions. To evaluate whether this heterogeneity is also reflected in grain scale isotopic heterogeneity, we separated clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and (in the most geochemically enriched xenolith) olivine for single‐grain 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd analyses. We find, in some xenoliths, extreme intra‐xenolith isotopic heterogeneity. For example, in one xenolith, different mineral grains range in 87Sr/86Sr from 0.70987 to 0.71321, with corresponding variability in 143Nd/144Nd from 0.512331 to 0.512462. However, not all peridotite xenoliths which display trace elemental heterogeneity exhibit isotopic heterogeneity. Based on coupled isotopic and trace element data (i.e., a negatively‐sloping trend in 87Sr/86Sr vs. Ti/Eu), we suggest that carbonatitic metasomatism is responsible for creating the intra‐xenolith isotopic heterogeneities which we observe. This carbonatitic component falls off the array defined in 87Sr/86Sr‐143Nd/144Nd space by Samoa hotspot basalts, which suggests a second, distinct EM2 (enriched mantle II) component is present in the Samoa hotspot that is not readily recognized in erupted products, but is instead seen only in mantle peridotite xenoliths.

Keywords

• mantle xenolith
• mantle heterogeneity
• isotopic heterogeneity
• Samoa hotspot
• carbonatitic metasomatism