Different formation histories between the African and Pacific large low
shear-wave velocity provinces as revealed by their water contents
Abstract
Global tomographic models have revealed the existence of two large low
shear-wave velocity provinces (LLSVPs) underlying Africa and the
Pacific, which are regarded as sources of most typical mantle plumes.
Plume-induced basalts have the potential to imply the formation
mechanisms and evolutional histories of the LLSVPs. In this study, we
measured H2O contents in clinopyroxene and olivine
phenocrysts from Cenozoic basalts produced by the Kerguelen and Crozet
mantle plumes, which are deeply rooted in the African LLSVP. The results
were used to constrain the H2O content in the source of
basalts, yielding 1805 ± 579 ppm for the Kerguelen plume and 2144 ± 690
ppm for the Crozet plume. H2O contents in the mantle
sources of basalts fed by other plumes rooted in these two LLSVPs were
calculated from literature data. Combining these results together, we
show that the African LLSVP seems to have higher H2O
content and H2O/Ce (620-2144 ppm and 184-592,
respectively) than the Pacific LLSVP (262-671 ppm and 89-306,
respectively). These features could be ascribed to incorporation of
subducted material, which had experienced variable degrees of
dehydration during its downwelling, into the LLSVPs. Our results imply
that the continuous incorporation of subducted oceanic crust modifies
the compositions of LLSVPs and induces heterogeneous distribution of
H2O within individual LLSVPs and distinct
H2O contents between the African and Pacific LLSVPs.
This suggests that the African and Pacific LLSVPs might have different
formation and evolution histories.