A Young Crustal Component in the Caroline Mantle Plume (Western Pacific Ocean)

Abstract The geochemical variability in oceanic island basalts is linked to Earth's deep mantle heterogeneity, with distinct mantle components whose origin is under debate. In this study, we found basalts from the Caroline Seamount Chain exhibit elevated δ57Fe signatures. The association of hig...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yuan Zhong, Ji Zhang, Sanzhong Li, Guo‐Liang Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-07-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114031
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract The geochemical variability in oceanic island basalts is linked to Earth's deep mantle heterogeneity, with distinct mantle components whose origin is under debate. In this study, we found basalts from the Caroline Seamount Chain exhibit elevated δ57Fe signatures. The association of high δ57Fe with mildly depleted Nd–Hf isotope compositions indicates the involvement of a young crustal component in the Caroline plume, which was likely introduced into the Pacific Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP) by the subduction girdle surrounded Rodinia supercontinent about 600 million years ago. Similar recycled crustal components are also found in basalts from hotspots near the boundary of the Pacific LLSVP, including Hawaii and Galapagos, but not seen in basalts from hotspots centered in the Pacific LLSVP. We suggest the circum‐Rodinia subduction could lead to such preferential appearance of young crustal materials, and consequently result in the zoned compositional structure of the Pacific LLSVP.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007