Cenozoic basalts in SE China: Chalcophile element geochemistry, sulfide saturation history, and source heterogeneity

Cenozoic basalts in SE China may be derived from a mixture of depleted MORB mantle (DMM) and enriched mantle 2 (EM2) sources, but whether these basalts share a common mantle source or magmatic history remains unknown. To investigate these unresolved issues, this study sampled basalts from Niutoushan and Mingxi (Fujian province), Xilong (Zhejiang province), and Penghu (Taiwan) for geochemical analysis. The basalt samples show OIB-like trace element patterns and have low PGE contents, with 0.02-0.7 ppb Ir and Pd, 0.05-1.4 ppb Ru, 0.01-0.2 ppb Rh, and 0.06-1.1 ppb Pt. All samples have high Cu/Pd ratios ranging from ~ 69,000 to 3,500,000, and low Cu/Zr ratios ranging from 0.1 to 0.8, suggesting sulfur-saturated fractionation. Model calculations indicate that the basalts are depleted in PGE due to the retention of 0.001% to 0.1% sulfide in the mantle and the removal of up to 0.0022% sulfide during magma ascent. The crystallization of olivine and spinel, and partial melting are insufficient to account for the observed PGE variation in these basalts. Thus, the distinct PGE patterns in basalts with different ages may reflect the heterogeneity of the mantle source beneath SE China. The source heterogeneity may be due to compositional heterogeneity, particularly variations in oxygen fugacity and PGE mineral phases, or due to variable fluid/melt metasomatic agents in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle. This heterogeneity is possibly related to the westward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate.