Large Igneous Provinces and their Plumbing Systems

Identification of large-volume, short-duration mafic magmatic events of intraplate affinity in both continental and oceanic settings on the Earth and other planets provides invaluable clues for understanding several vital geological issues of current concern. Of particular importance is understanding the assembly and dispersal of supercontinents through Earth's history, dramatic climate change events including mass extinctions, and processes that have produced a wide range of large igneous province (LIP)-related resources, such as Ni–Cu–PGE, Au, U, base metals and petroleum. This volume comprises 21 contributions on the latest developments and new information on LIPs and their plumbing systems and presents methodical studies on different components of LIP plumbing systems. These articles are especially helpful in understanding continental break-up events, regional domal uplift and a variety of metallogenic systems, as well as the temporal and spatial distribution of LIPs, their origin and their likely links to mantle plumes/superplumes.
Geochemical, petrographic, and stratigraphic analyses of the Portage Lake Volcanics of the Keweenawan CFBP: implications for the evolution of main stage volcanism in continental flood basalt provinces
Correspondence: davisw14@msu.edu
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Published:March 09, 2022
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CiteCitation
William Ray Davis, M. A. Collins, T. O. Rooney, E. L. Brown, C. A. Stein, S. Stein, R. Moucha, 2022. "Geochemical, petrographic, and stratigraphic analyses of the Portage Lake Volcanics of the Keweenawan CFBP: implications for the evolution of main stage volcanism in continental flood basalt provinces", Large Igneous Provinces and their Plumbing Systems, Rajesh K. Srivastava, Richard E. Ernst, Kenneth L. Buchan, Michiel de Kock
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Abstract
Continental flood basalt provinces (CFBPs) are large igneous features formed by the extrusion of massive amounts of lavas that require significant evolution within the lithosphere. Although sequential lava flows are effective probes of magmatic systems, CFBPs are typically poorly preserved. We focus on lava flows from the well-preserved 1.1 Ga Keweenawan CFBP that erupted within the Midcontinent Rift System. We present a new geochemical, petrographic, and stratigraphic synthesis from the Main stage Portage Lake Volcanics (PLV). Flow-by-flow analysis of the PLV reveals that major element behaviour is decoupled from trace element behaviour; MgO exhibits limited variability, while compatible and incompatible trace elements deviate from high to low concentrations throughout the sequence. The concentrations of incompatible trace elements slightly decrease from the base of the sequence to the top. We investigate these observations by applying a recharge, evacuation, assimilation and fractional crystallization model to geochemical and petrographic data. Our modelling demonstrates a magmatic system experiencing increased evacuation rates while fractionation and assimilation rates decrease, indicating an increase in magmatic flux. The outcome of this modelling is a progressively more efficient magma system within the PLV. This study highlights the utility of joint petrographic and geochemical interpretation in constraining CFBP magma evolution.