Objective
A large scale multi-disciplinary research programme in the North Atlantic region has already been initiated by one of the participants and includes field studies, petrological, geochemical and geophysical studies of the structural and magmatic development during the continental break-up in the North Atlantic about 60 million years ago. Together with materials and information from the volcanic provinces in West Greenland and the Faeroe Islands and ODP (Ocean Drilling Project) legs, it has access to almost all well documented and well controlled samples of almost all magma types extruded during the opening of the North Atlantic. This unique collection will be used for the current study of the depth of formation and chemical variability in primary high-magnesium (picrite) melts formed during the continental break-up. Focus will be on the melt inclusions of olivine phenocrysts and xenocrysts of tholeiitic picritic lavas. Picritic lavas play a fundamental role in the current models for continental break-up under the influence of mantle plume activity.
The specific research activities of the current project are:
basic studies of the forsterite-kalsilite-larnitesillica-H20 system which will be oriented towards the phase equilibria in the silica-undersaturated part of the forsterite-kalsilite-larnite-silica-H20 system at elevated pressures;
experiments with natural melanephelinite compositions whichwill consist of a high-pressure study of carbonated melanephelinite;
studies of melt evolution in volatile-rich carbonatite-bearing utramafic alkaline complexes which will be focussed on melt evolution in ultramafic alkaline rocks and carbonatites.
The melt inclusions will be studied by a large number of methods, including microthermometry, electron microprobe, synchrotron XRF microprobe, be subjected to re-equilibration and melting at different pressure, etc. The North Atlantic region is a most important natural laboratory for mantle plume and large igneous provinces (LIPS) studies. All results, including basic petrologic information, are believed to have wide international geological interest and can be published in high ranking international journals. The study will provide information on the melt inclusions from all regions of the North Atlantic, combined with experimental studies of subordinate types of alkaline and very enriched magma types, including:
reliable pictures of the distribution of high-temperature picritic melts and of "enriched" magmas during continental break-up;
a better understanding of the nature of the enrichment;
strong improvements on the constraints on the structure of the supposed mantle plume;
a lead to revisions and new modelling of the current models for the formation of LIPS;
information of the degassing and additions to the Earth's atmosphere during the continental break-up.
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
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1350 København
Denmark