MID-MIOCENE SEQUENCES OF HIGH- AND MODERATE-MG VOLCANIC ROCKS IN VITIM PLATEAU, SOUTHERN SIBERIA: IMPACT OF A SUB-LITHOSPHERIC CONVECTIVE MATERIAL ON THE LITHOSPHERE

Abstract

A comparative study of major elements, trace elements, and isotopes in high- and moderate-Mg volcanic sequences of 16–14 and 14–13 Ma, respectively, has been performed in the Bereya volcanic center. In the former (small volume) sequence, contaminated by crustal material basalts and trachybasalts of K–Na series were followed by uncontaminated basanites and basalts of transitional (K–Na–K) compositions and afterwards by picrobasalts and ba­salts of K series. From pressure estimates using equation [Scarrow, Cox, 1995], high-Mg magma originated at the deep range of 115–150 km. In the latter (high-volume) sequence, basalts and basaltic andesites of transitional (Na–K–Na) compositions and basalts of Na series were overlain by basalts and trachybasalts of K–Na series. First, there was a strong melting of its shallow garnet-free part with coeval weak melting of more deep garnet-bearing portion, then only a deep garnet-bearing portion of the lithospheric mantle melted. It is suggested that the sequential formation of high- and moderate-Mg melts reflected the mid-Miocene thermal impact of the lithosphere by hot material from the Transbaikalian low-velocity domain, which had the potential temperature Tp as high as 1510 °С. This thermal impact triggered the rifting in the lithosphere of the Baikal Rift System.

Keywords

• volcanism
• geodynamics
• cenozoic
• asia
• asthenosphere
• lithosphere
• picrobasalt
• basanite
• basalt