Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction

Zinc isotopes may act as a new tool of tracking recycling of crustal materials that causes compositional heterogeneity of the mantle. This application relies on an investigation of Zn isotopic behaviors during slab subduction. In this study, we report Zn isotopic compositions for a suite of metabasa...

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Main Authors: Li-Juan Xu, Sheng-Ao Liu, Shuguang Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-09-01
Series:Geoscience Frontiers
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987121000463
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author Li-Juan Xu
Sheng-Ao Liu
Shuguang Li
author_facet Li-Juan Xu
Sheng-Ao Liu
Shuguang Li
author_sort Li-Juan Xu
collection DOAJ
description Zinc isotopes may act as a new tool of tracking recycling of crustal materials that causes compositional heterogeneity of the mantle. This application relies on an investigation of Zn isotopic behaviors during slab subduction. In this study, we report Zn isotopic compositions for a suite of metabasalts (greenschists, amphibolites, and coesite-bearing eclogites) from the Dabie Orogen (China), which were formed via the subduction of mafic rocks into different depths and up to > 200 km. Three out of eight greenschists are characterized by lighter δ66ZnJMC-Lyon (0.10‰–0.16‰) than those of global basalts (0.28‰ ± 0.05‰), which may be caused by crustal assimilation of the protoliths by sedimentary rocks due to their extremely high 87Sr/86Sr (up to 0.7130) and low εNd values (down to −12.3). The remaining greenschists have relatively low 87Sr/86Sr and their δ66Zn values (0.21‰–0.38‰) overlap the ranges of amphibolites (0.18‰–0.32‰) and coesite-bearing eclogites (0.18‰–0.36‰). There is no correlation between δ66Zn and sensitive indicators of dehydration (Rb/TiO2, Ba/Yb, and H2O+), suggesting that no detectable Zn isotope fractionation has occurred during the deep subduction of mafic rocks even into > 200 km, which is attributed to the limited loss of Zn during prograde metamorphism and dehydration. Thus, Zn isotopic compositions of the deeply subducted mafic rocks are inherited from their protoliths. Considering that these metamorphosed rocks have higher δ66Zn than that of the mantle value by up to 0.2‰, the recycled/subducted mafic crust can incorporate isotopically heavy Zn into the mantle. The subducted slabs may partially melt and generate a metasomatized mantle, resulting in changes of Zn isotopic composition of the hybridized mantle as have been observed in some mantle xenoliths and basaltic lavas.
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spelling doaj.art-e6e85348a7314098a4e082d33999b5252023-09-02T23:12:23ZengElsevierGeoscience Frontiers1674-98712021-09-01125101182Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subductionLi-Juan Xu0Sheng-Ao Liu1Shuguang Li2State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Scientific Research, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, ChinaCorresponding author.; State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Scientific Research, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Scientific Research, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, ChinaZinc isotopes may act as a new tool of tracking recycling of crustal materials that causes compositional heterogeneity of the mantle. This application relies on an investigation of Zn isotopic behaviors during slab subduction. In this study, we report Zn isotopic compositions for a suite of metabasalts (greenschists, amphibolites, and coesite-bearing eclogites) from the Dabie Orogen (China), which were formed via the subduction of mafic rocks into different depths and up to > 200 km. Three out of eight greenschists are characterized by lighter δ66ZnJMC-Lyon (0.10‰–0.16‰) than those of global basalts (0.28‰ ± 0.05‰), which may be caused by crustal assimilation of the protoliths by sedimentary rocks due to their extremely high 87Sr/86Sr (up to 0.7130) and low εNd values (down to −12.3). The remaining greenschists have relatively low 87Sr/86Sr and their δ66Zn values (0.21‰–0.38‰) overlap the ranges of amphibolites (0.18‰–0.32‰) and coesite-bearing eclogites (0.18‰–0.36‰). There is no correlation between δ66Zn and sensitive indicators of dehydration (Rb/TiO2, Ba/Yb, and H2O+), suggesting that no detectable Zn isotope fractionation has occurred during the deep subduction of mafic rocks even into > 200 km, which is attributed to the limited loss of Zn during prograde metamorphism and dehydration. Thus, Zn isotopic compositions of the deeply subducted mafic rocks are inherited from their protoliths. Considering that these metamorphosed rocks have higher δ66Zn than that of the mantle value by up to 0.2‰, the recycled/subducted mafic crust can incorporate isotopically heavy Zn into the mantle. The subducted slabs may partially melt and generate a metasomatized mantle, resulting in changes of Zn isotopic composition of the hybridized mantle as have been observed in some mantle xenoliths and basaltic lavas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987121000463Zn isotopesMetamorphosed rocksDehydrationCrustal deep subduction
spellingShingle Li-Juan Xu
Sheng-Ao Liu
Shuguang Li
Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction
Geoscience Frontiers
Zn isotopes
Metamorphosed rocks
Dehydration
Crustal deep subduction
title Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction
title_full Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction
title_fullStr Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction
title_full_unstemmed Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction
title_short Zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction
title_sort zinc isotopic behavior of mafic rocks during continental deep subduction
topic Zn isotopes
Metamorphosed rocks
Dehydration
Crustal deep subduction
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987121000463
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AT shuguangli zincisotopicbehaviorofmaficrocksduringcontinentaldeepsubduction