Abstract
Major and trace element compositional data are reported for nine mafic and ultramafic rock samples from the Barberton greenstone belt. Rocks from this province are among the oldest fragments of the Earth's crust (∼3.5 b.y.). The data are consistent with an oceanic crust related origin for these rocks. The high abundances of Ni in these samples make their origin by fractional crystallization of a primitive magma unlikely but are consistent with their generation by partial melting of an upper mantle source. The basaltic samples from the Komati formation can be related by small degrees of partial melting of a primitive upper mantle source to the peridotitic komatiite which probably derived from much more extensive partial melting of a similar source. REE and especially Ni abundances limit the proportion of olivine that is permitted in the residue.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, R.O., Haskin, L.A., Anderson, M.R., Müller, O.: Neutron activation analysis for 39 elements in small or precious geologic samples. J. Radioanal. Chem. 6, 115–137 (1970)
Allsopp, H.L., Viljoen, M.J., Viljoen, R.P.: Strontium isotopic studies of the mafic and felsic rocks of the Onverwacht group of the Swaziland sequence. Geol. Rundschau 62, 902–917 (1973)
Anhaeusser, C.R.: The evolution of the early Precambrian crust of southern Africa. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, Ser. A 273, 359–388 (1973)
Bender, M., Broecker, W., Gornitz, V., Middel, U., Kay, R., Sun, S.-S., Biscaye, P.: Geochemistry of three cores from the East Pacific Rise. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 12, 425–433 (1971)
Carter, J.L.: Mineralogy and chemistry of the earth's upper mantle based on the partial fusion-partial crystallization model. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 81, 2021–2034 (1970)
Denechaud, E.B., Helmke, P.A., Haskin, L.A.: Analysis for the rare-earth elements by neutron activation and Ge(Li) spectrometry. J. Radioanal. Chem. 6, 97–113 (1970)
Frey, F.A., Bryan, W.B., Thompson, G.: Atlantic ocean floor: Geochemistry and petrology of basalts from legs 2 and 3 of the Deep-Sea Drilling Project. J. Geophys. Res. 79, 5507–5528 (1974)
Frey, F.A., Haskin, L.A., Haskin, M.A.: Rare-earth abundances in some ultramafic rocks. J. Geophys. Res. 76, 2057–2070 (1971)
Frey, F.A., Haskin, M.A., Poetz, J.A., Haskin, L.A.: Rare earth abundances in some basic rocks. J. Geophys. Res. 73, 6085–6098 (1968)
Gast, P.W.: Trace element fractionation and the origin of tholeiitic and alkaline magma types. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 32, 1057–1086 (1968)
Green, D.H.: Archaen greenstone belts may include terrestrial equivalents of lunar maria? Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 15, 263–270 (1972)
Green, D.H., Ringwood, A.E.: The genesis of basaltic magmas. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 15, 103–190 (1967)
Häkli, T.A., Wright, T.L.: The fractionation of nickel between olivine and augite as a geothermometer. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 31, 877–884 (1967)
Haskin, L.A., Allen, R.O., Helmke, P.A., Paster, T.P., Anderson, M.R., Korotev, R.L., Zweifel, K.A.: Rare earths and other trace elements in Apollo 11 lunar samples. Proc. Apollo 11 Lunar Sci. Conf. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl. 1, 2, 1213–1231 (1970)
Henderson, P., Dale, I.M.: The partitioning of selected transition element ions between olivine and groundmass of oceanic basalts. Chem. Geol. 5, 267–274 (1969/1970)
Herrmann, A.G., Knake, D.: Coulometrisches Verfahren zur Bestimmung von Gesamt-, Carbonatund Nichtcarbonat-Kohlenstoff in magmatischen, metamorphen und sedimentären Gesteinen. Z. Anal. Chem. 266, 196–201 (1973)
Herrmann, A.G., Potts, M.J., Knake, D.: Geochemistry of the rare earth elements in spilites from the oceanic and continental crust. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 44, 1–16 (1974)
Hubbard, N.J.: A chemical comparison of oceanic ridge, Hawaiian tholeiitic and Hawaiian alkalic basalts. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 5, 346–352 (1969)
Jacobs, J.W., Korotev, R.L., Blanchard, D.P., Haskin, L.A.: A well tested procedure for instrumental neutron activation analysis of silicate rocks and minerals. J. Radioanal. Chem. (submitted, 1976)
Jahn, B., Shih, C., Murthy, V.R.: Trace element geochemistry of Archean volcanic rocks. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 38, 611–627 (1974)
Jakeš, P., Gill, J.: Rare earth elements and the island arc tholeiitic series. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 9, 17–28 (1970)
Kay, R., Hubbard, N.J., Gast, P.W.: Chemical characteristics and origin of oceanic ridge volcanic rocks. J. Geophys. Res. 75, 1585–1613 (1970)
Kosiewicz, S.T., Schomberg, P.J., Haskin, L.A.: Rare earth analysis of USGS rocks SCo-1 and STM-1; Evaluation of standards for homogeneity and of the precision and accuracy of a procedure for neutron activation analysis. J. Radioanal. Chem. 20, 619–626 (1974)
Mysen, B.: Partitioning of samarium and nickel between olivine, orthopyroxene, and liquid; preliminary data at 20 kbar and 1025 ° C. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 31, 1–7 (1976)
Philpotts, J.A., Schnetzler, C.C.: Potassium, rubidium, strontium, barium, and rare-earth concentrations in lunar rocks and separated phases. Science 167, 493–495 (1970a)
Philpotts, J.A., Schnetzler, C.C.: Phenocryst-matrix partition coefficients for K, Rb, Sr and Ba, with applications to anorthosite and basalt genesis. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 34, 307–322 (1970b)
Piper, D.Z.: Rare earth elements in the sedimentary cycle: A summary. Chem. Geol. 14, 285–304 (1974)
Puchelt, H.: Barium. In: Handbook of geochemistry, Vol. II. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1972
Shaw, D.M.: Development of the early continental crust. Part 1. Use of trace element distribution coefficient models for the protoarchean crust. Can. J. Earth Sci. 9, 1577–1595 (1972)
Shih, C.-Y., Haskin, L.A., Wiesmann, H., Bansal, B.M., Brannon, J.C.: On the origin of high-Ti mare basalts. Proc. 6th Lunar Sci. Conf. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl. 6, 2, 1255–1285 (1975)
Viljoen, M.J., Viljoen, R.P.: An introduction to the geology of the Barberton granite-greenstone terrain. Upper Mantle Project, Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 2, 9–28 (1969a)
Viljoen, R.P., Viljoen, M.J.: The effects of metamorphism and serpentinization on the volcanic and associated rocks of the Barberton region. Upper Mantle Project, Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 2, 29–53 (1969b)
Viljoen, M.J., Viljoen, R.P.: The geology and geochemistry of the lower ultramafic unit of the Onverwacht group and a proposed new class of igneous rocks. Upper Mantle Project, Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 2, 55–85 (1969c)
Viljoen, M.J., Viljoen, R.P.: Evidence for the existence of a mobile extrusive peridotitic magma from the Komati formation of the Onverwacht group. Upper Mantle Project, Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 2, 87–112 (1969d)
Viljoen, R.P., Viljoen, M.J.: Evidence for the composition of the primitive mantle and its products of partial melting from a study of the rocks of the Barberton Mountain Land. Upper Mantle Project, Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 2, 275–295 (1969e)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Herrmann, A.G., Blanchard, D.P., Haskin, L.A. et al. Major, minor, and trace element compositions of peridotitic and basaltic komatiites from the precambrian crust of Southern Africa. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 59, 1–12 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00375107
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00375107