How the delamination and detachment of lower crust can influence basaltic magmatism

The new model presented here is based on the role of lower crustal and lithospheric mantle recycling by delamination and detachment. This process can explain at least some geochemical peculiarities of basaltic rocks found in large and small volume igneous provinces, as well as in mid-ocean ridge basalts. Metamorphic reactions occurring in the lower continental crust as a consequence of continent-continent can lead to a density increase (up to 3.8 g/cm3) with the appearance of garnet in the metamorphic assemblage (basalt→amphibolite→garnet clinopyroxenite/eclogite) leading to gravitative instability of the overthickened lithospheric keel (lower crust + lithospheric mantle). This may detach from the uppermost lithosphere and sink into the upper mantle. Accordingly, metasomatic reactions between SiO2-rich lower crust partial melts and the uprising asthenospheric mantle (replacing the volume formerly occupied by the sunken lithospheric mantle and the lower crust) lead to formation of orthopyroxene-rich layers with strong crustal signatures. Such metasomatized mantle volumes may remain untapped also for several Ma before being reactivated by geological processes. Partial melts of such sources would bear strong lower crustal signatures giving rise to Enriched Mantle type 1 (EMI)-like basaltic magmatism. Basaltic magmatism with such a geochemical signature is relatively scarce but in some cases (e.g., Indian Ocean) it can be a geographically widespread and long-lasting phenomenon.