Abstract
UNDERSTANDING the nature of the mantle underlying continents is important for balancing the inventory of the Earth's main chemical reservoirs1, 2 and for constraining aspects of mantle convection, such as the extent to which continental lithosphere is coupled to the asthenosphere beneath3–5. Strontium, neodymium and lead isotope studies of basaltic lavas from regions of continental extension, such as the southwestern United States, have identified at least two components of the sub-continental mantle6: one composed of ancient lithosphere, enriched by the addition of metasomatic fluids or crustal material, and an asthenospheric component with Sr, Nd and Pb isotope compositions matching those of ocean-island basalts. The lutetium–hafnium isotope system7–9 provides additional information not obtainable from the other systems; in particular, by betraying the presence of garnet during melting10, 11 (hence constraining the depth of previous melting events of the source mantle). Here we report that basalts derived from upwelling asthenosphere in the region of the Rio Grande rift, southwestern United States, have Nd and Hf isotope ratios that lie significantly off the ocean-island Nd–Hf array10. We interpret the low 176Hf/177Hf ratios in these basalts as reflecting derivation from ancient asthenospheric mantle that melted at shallow levels beneath the oceans. Hafnium isotopes in continental basalts may thus provide evidence for large-scale overriding by continents of sub-oceanic mantle.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hawkesworth, C. J., Kempton, P. D., Rogers, N. W., Ellam, R. M. & van Calsteren, P. W. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 96, 256–268 (1990).
McDonough, W. F. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 101, 1–18 (1990).
Richardson, R. M., Solomon, S. C. & Sleep, N. H. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 17, 981–1019 (1979).
Gordon, R. G. & Jurdy, D. M. J. geophys. Res. 91, 12389–12406 (1986).
Davies, G. F. & Richards, M. A. J. Geol. 100, 151–206 (1992).
Kempton, P. D., Fitton, J. G., Hawkesworth, C. J. & Ormerod, D. S. J. geophys. Res. 92, 13713–13735 (1991).
Patchett, P. J. & Tatsumoto, M. Geophys. Res. Lett 7, 1077–1080 (1980).
Patchett, P. J. Lithos 15, 47–51 (1983).
Patchett, P. J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 47, 81–91 (1983).
Salters, V. J. M. & Hart, S. R. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 104, 364–380 (1991).
Salters, V. J. M. & Hart, S. R. Nature 342, 420–422 (1989).
Menzies, M. A., Leeman, W. P. & Hawkesworth, C. J. Nature 303, 205–209 (1983).
Perry, F. V., Baldridge, W. S. & DePaolo, D. J. J. geophys. Res. 92, 9193–9213 (1987).
Johnson, C. M. & Thompson, R. A. J. geophys. Res. 96, 13593–13608 (1991).
Barovich, K. M. & Johnson, C. M. Science (submitted).
Hart, S. R., Gerlach, D. C. & White, W. M. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 50, 1551–1557 (1986).
Patchett, P. J., White, W. M., Feldmann, H., Kielinczuk, S. & Hofmann, A. W. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 69, 365–378 (1984)
Chauvel, C., Hofmann, W. A. & Vidal, P. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 110, 99–119 (1992).
Takahashi, E. & Kushiro, I. Am. Mineral. 68, 859–879 (1983).
Olsen, K. H., Baldridge, W. S. & Callendar, J. F. Tectonophysics 143, 119–139 (1987).
Sinno, Y. A., Dattet, P. H., Keller, G. R., Morgan, P. & Harder, S. H. J. geophys. Res. 91, 6143–6156 (1986).
Davies, P. M., Parker, E. C., Evans, J. R., Iyer, H. M. & Olsen, K. H. New Mexico geol. Soc. Guidebook 35, 29–38 (1984).
Iyer, H. M. & Hitchcock, T. Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179–209 (1989).
Stille, P., Unruh, D. M. & Tatsumoto, M. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 50, 2303–2319 (1986).
Stille, P., Unruh, D. M. & Tatsumoto, M. Nature 304, 25–29 (1983).
Ottonello, G., Ernst, W. G. & Joron, J. L. J. Petrol. 25, 343–372 (1984).
Fujimaki, H., Tatsumoto, M. & Aoki, K. J. geophys. Res. 89, 662–672 (1984).
Irving, A. J. & Frey, F. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 48, 1201–1221 (1984).
Rampone, E., Bottazzi, P. & Ottolini, L. Nature 354, 518–520 (1991).
White, W. M. & Patchett, P. J. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 67, 167–185 (1984).
Woodhead, J. D. Chem. Geol. 76, 1–24 (1989).
Kempton, P. D., Dungan, M. A. & Blanchard, D. P. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 215, 347–370 (1987).
Dungan, M. A. et al. J. geophys. Res. 91, 5999–6208 (1986).
Phelps, D. W., Gust, D. A. & Wooden, J. L. Contrib. Miner. Petrol. 84, 182–190 (1983).
Stormer, J. C. Jr Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 83, 2443–2448 (1972).
Johnson, C. M. & Lipman, P. W. Contrib. Miner. Petrol. 100, 107–128 (1988).
Johnson, C. M., Lipman, P. W. & Czamanske, G. K. Contrib. Miner. Petrol. 104, 99–124 (1990).
Thompson, R. A., Johnson, C. M. & Mehnert, H. H. J. geophys. Res. 96, 13577–13592 (1991).
Patchett, P. J. & Tatsumoto, M. Nature 288, 571–574 (1980).
Tatsumoto, M., Unruh, D. M. & Patchett, P. J. Proc. 6th Symp. Antarctic Meteorites 237–249 (Nat Inst. Polar Res., Tokyo, 1981).
Beard, B. L., thesis, Univ. Wisconsin-Madison (1992).
Beard, B. L. & Johnson, C. M. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. (submitted).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Johnson, C., Beard, B. Evidence from hafnium isotopes for ancient sub-oceanic mantle beneath the Rio Grande rift. Nature 362, 441–444 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/362441a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/362441a0
This article is cited by
-
High-K andesites as witnesses of a continental arc system in the Western Alps, Italy: constraints from HFSE and Hf–Nd–Sr–Pb–O isotope systematics
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2023)
-
Decoupling of Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd Isotopic System in Deep-Seated Xenoliths from the Xuzhou-Suzhou Area, China: Differences in Element Mobility during Metamorphism
Journal of Earth Science (2019)
-
The role of mantle-hybridization and crustal contamination in the petrogenesis of lithospheric mantle-derived alkaline rocks: constraints from Os and Hf isotopes
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2018)
-
Source components and magmatic processes in the genesis of Miocene to Quaternary lavas in western Turkey: constraints from HSE distribution and Hf–Pb–Os isotopes
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2015)
-
Comment on Manuella et al. “The Hyblean xenolith suite (Sicily): an unexpected legacy of the Ionian–Tethys realm”
International Journal of Earth Sciences (2015)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.