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Recycling of subducted crustal components into carbonatite melts revealed by boron isotopes

Nature Geoscience volume 9, pages 904–908 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

The global boron geochemical cycle is closely linked to recycling of geologic material via subduction processes that have occurred over billions of years of Earth’s history. The origin of carbonatites, unique melts derived from carbon-rich and carbonate-rich regions of the upper mantle, has been linked to a variety of mantle-related processes, including subduction and plume–lithosphere interaction. Here we present boron isotope (δ11B) compositions for carbonatites from locations worldwide that span a wide range of emplacement ages (between ∼40 and ∼2,600 Ma). Hence, they provide insight into the temporal evolution of their mantle sources for ∼2.6 billion years of Earth’s history. Boron isotope values are highly variable and range between −8.6‰ and +5.5‰, with all of the young (<300 Ma) carbonatites characterized by more positive δ11B values (>−4.0‰), whereas most of the older carbonatite samples record lower B isotope values. Given the δ11B value for asthenospheric mantle of −7 ± 1‰, the B isotope compositions for young carbonatites require the involvement of an enriched (crustal) component. Recycled crustal components may be sampled by carbonatite melts associated with mantle plume activity coincident with major tectonic events, and linked to past episodes of significant subduction associated with supercontinent formation.

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Figure 1: Nd and Sr isotopic signature of carbonatite magmatism.
Figure 2: δ13CPDB (‰) and δ18OSMOW (‰) values for carbonatites worldwide (blue field) compared with those from sedimentary15 and igneous sources28,29.
Figure 3: B isotopic signature of carbonatite magmatism through time.

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Acknowledgements

We thank K. Bell for donating most of the carbonatite samples investigated here. S. Hulett is appreciative of the assistance provided by D. Birdsell (Center for Environmental Science Technology (CEST), University of Notre Dame) in relation to the stable C and O isotope analyses and use of the micro-X-ray fluorescence instrument. I. Steele and B. Monaco are thanked for help with conducting EMP and LA-ICP-MS analyses. The work reported here was possible owing to financial support from the University of Notre Dame.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA

    Samuel R. W. Hulett & Antonio Simonetti

  2. Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, New York 11794, USA

    E. Troy Rasbury

  3. School of Earth and Environmental Science, Queens College—CUNY, New York 11367, USA

    N. Gary Hemming

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  1. Samuel R. W. Hulett
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Contributions

A.S. and S.R.W.H. conceived the model and prepared the initial manuscript. S.R.W.H. conducted all of the analytical work reported here at the University of Notre Dame, and E.T.R. and N.G.H. supervised S.R.W.H. during a 1-week instructional visit at Stony Brook. E.T.R. conducted the ion exchange chemistry and B isotope analyses on four carbonatite samples at Stony Brook University. All authors contributed to preparation of the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Antonio Simonetti.

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Hulett, S., Simonetti, A., Rasbury, E. et al. Recycling of subducted crustal components into carbonatite melts revealed by boron isotopes. Nature Geosci 9, 904–908 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2831

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