Open AccessThe effects of re‐homogenization on plagioclase hosted melt inclusions
Author(s) -
Nielsen Roger L.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2011gc003822
Subject(s) - plagioclase , geology , melt inclusions , geochemistry , homogenization (climate) , mantle (geology) , quartz , paleontology , biodiversity , ecology , biology
Melt inclusions trapped in phenocrysts provide a unique picture of magma systems prior to modification by crustal processes. However, post‐entrapment crystallization complicates their interpretation. Re‐heating the phenocryst to the temperature of entrapment is a commonly applied method to recover the original melt composition. To understand the effects of re‐homogenization, we compared the composition of re‐heated and naturally quenched melt inclusions and inclusion compositions that had been subjected to over‐heating and under‐heating to examine the degree to which anomalous compositions were produced. Our results on plagioclase hosted inclusions from ocean floor basalts indicate that the general patterns represented by naturally quenched inclusions are the same as observed for rehomogenized inclusions. Most important, the range of minor elements described for plagioclase hosted inclusions from basalts is found in naturally quenched inclusions, and is therefore not a consequence of the re‐homogenization process.