Permian to quaternary magmatism beneath the Mt Carmel area, Israel: Zircons from volcanic rocks and associated alluvial deposits

The zircon data support a published model that locates a fossil Neoproterozoic plume head beneath much of the Arabia-Levant region, which has been intermittently melted to generate the volcanic rocks of the region. The Cretaceous magmas carry mantle xenoliths derived from depths up to 90 km, providing a minimum depth for the possible plume head. Post-Cretaceous magmatism, as recorded in detrital zircons, shows distinct peaks at 30 Ma, 13 Ma, 11.4 ± 0.1 Ma (a major peak; n = 15), 9-10 Ma and 4 Ma, representing the Lower and Cover Basalts in the area. Some of these younger magmas tapped the same mantle source as the Permian-Jurassic magmatism, but many young zircons have Hf-isotope compositions extending up to DM values, suggesting derivation of magmas from deeper, more juvenile sources.