Abstract
Parental magmas to the Troodos ophiolite are characterised by low TiO2 and Al2O3 and high SiO2. Extremely fresh and chemically primitive (high MgO) rocks are found within the Upper Pillow Lavas and along the Arakapas Fault Belt of Cyprus and contain forsteritic olivine±enstatite and groundmass clinopyroxene set in glass or plagioclase, with accessory magnesiochromite and sometimes hornblende. They are quartz-normative and may have originally contained up to 3 wt% H2O. Geochemically, there are three distinct groups of primitive lavas, based on TiO2 and Zr contents but also reflected by CaO, Na2O and REE abundances. These groups cannot be related by crystal fractionation and are considered to have been generated by incremental melting of a variably depleted source region. The parental magma to the least depleted group (Group I) was that of the major portion of the Troodos plutonic complex and is similar to those postulated for other “low-Ti” ophiolites. Chemically it has close affinities with komatiitic basalts. The most depleted lavas (Group III) all have U-shaped REE profiles and variable 143Nd/ 144Nd ratios, interpreted in terms of metasomatism of the source region by an incompatible element-enriched component which was probably derived from a subducted slab. These lavas represent an intermediate step in the development of boninite series rocks.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Adamides NG (1980) The form and environment of formation of the Kalavasos ore deposits — Cyprus. In: A Panayiotou (ed) Ophiolites. Geol Surv Dept, Nicosia, pp 117–128
Arndt NT, Fleet ME (1979) Stable and metastable pyroxene crystallization in layered komatiite lava flows. Am Mineral 64:856–864
Arndt NT, Nesbitt RW (1982) Geochemistry of Munro Township basalts. In: Arndt NT, Nisbet EG (eds) Komatiites. Allen and Unwin, London, pp 309–329
Bear LM (1960) The geology and mineral resources of the Akaki-Lythrondha area. Mem Geol Surv Cyprus 3:1–122
Beccaluva L, Ohnenstetter D, Ohnenstetter M (1979) Geochemical discrimination between ocean floor and island arc tholeiites. Application to some ophiolites. Ofioliti 4:67–72
Bloomer SH (1983) Distribution and origin of igneous rocks from the landward slopes of the Mariana Trench: implication for its structure and evolution. J Geophys Res 88:7411–7428
Cameron WE (1980) Comment on ‘Role of multistage melting in the formation of oceanic crust’ by Duncan RA, Green DH. Geology 8:562
Cameron WE, Nisbet EG (1982) Phanerozoic analogues of komatiitic basalts. In: Arndt NT, Nisbet EG (eds) Komatiites. Allen and Unwin, London, pp 29–50
Cameron WE, Nisbet EG, Dietrich VJ (1979) Boninites, komatiites and ophiolitic basalts. Nature 280:550–553
Cameron WE, Nisbet EG, Dietrich VJ (1980) Petrographic dissimilarities between ophiolitic and ocean-floor basalts. In: Panayiotou A (ed) Ophiolites. Geol Surv Dept, Nicosia, pp 182–192
Cameron WE, McCulloch MT, Walker DA (1983) Boninite petrogenesis: chemical and Nd-Sr isotopic constraints. Earth Planet Sci Lett 65:75–89
Clague DA, Jarrard RD (1973) Tertiary Pacific plate motion deduced from the Hawaiian-Emperor chain. Bull Geol Soc Am 84:1135–1154
Coish RA, Hickey R, Frey FA (1982) Rare earth element geochemistry of the Betts Cove ophiolite. Newfoundland: complexities in ophiolite formation. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 46:2117–2134
Coleman RG (1977) Ophiolites. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 299 pp
Crawford AJ, Beccaluva L, Serri G (1981) Tectono-magmatic evolution of the West Philippine-Mariana region and the origin of boninites. Earth Planet Sci Lett 54:346–356
Desmet A (1976) Evidence of cogenesis of the Troodos lavas, Cyprus. Geol Mag 113:165–168
Desmet A, Lapierre H, Rocci G, Gagny Cl, Parrot J-F, Delaloye M (1978) Constitution and significance of the Troodos sheeted complex. Nature 273:527–530
Desmons J, Delaloye M, Desmet A, Gagny Cl, Rocci G, Voldet P (1980) Trace and rare earth element abundances in Troodos lavas and sheeted dykes, Cyprus. Ofioliti 5:35–56
Dick HJB, Bullen T (1984) Chromian spinel as a petrogenetic indicator in oceanic environments. Contrib Mineral Petrol 86:54–76
Donaldson CH (1976) An experimental investigation of olivine morphology. Contrib Mineral Petrol 57:187–213
Duncan RA, Green DH (1980) Role of multistage melting in the formation of oceanic crust. Geology 8:22–26
Fleet ME (1975) Growth habits of clinopyroxene. Can Mineral 13:336–341
Frey FA (1983) Rare earth element abundances in upper mantle rocks. In: Henderson P (ed) Rare earth element geochemistry, Elsevier, Amsterdam
Frey FA, Dickey JS Jr, Thompson G, Bryan WB, Davies HL (1980) Evidence for heterogeneous primary MORB and mantle sources, NW Indian Ocean. Contrib Mineral Petrol 74:387–402
Gass IG (1958) Ultrabasic pillow lavas from Cyprus. Geol Mag 95:241–251
Gass IG, Smewing JD (1973) Intrusion, extrusion and metamorphism at constructive margins: evidence from the Troodos Massif, Cyprus. Nature 242:26–29
Greenbaum D (1972) Magmatic processes at ocean ridges: evidence from the Troodos Massif, Cyprus. Nature Phys Sci 238:18–21
Greenbaum D (1977) The chromitiferous rocks of the Troodos ophiolite complex, Cyprus. Econ Geol 72:1175–1194
Hannah JL, Futa K (1982) Nd, Sr and O isotope systematics in the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. Geol Soc Am Absts 14:506
Hickey RL, Frey FA (1982) Geochemical characteristics of boninite series volcanics: implications for their source. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 46:2099–2115
Irvine TN, Baragar WRA (1971) A guide to the chemical classification of the common volcanic rocks. Can J Earth Sci 8:523–548
Jaques AL, Green DH (1980) Anhydrous melting of peridotite at 0–15 Kb pressure and the genesis of tholeiitic basalts. Contrib Mineral Petrol 73:287–310
Jaques AL, Chappell BW, Taylor SR (1983) Geochemistry of cumulus peridotites and gabbros from the Marum Ophiolite Complex, northern Papua New Guinea. Contrib Mineral Petrol 82:154–164
Jenner GA (1981) Geochemistry of high-Mg andesites from Cape Vogel, Papua New Guinea. Chem Geol 33:307–332
Jørgensen KA, Brooks CK (1981) The Troodos ophiolite: petrology of a fresh glassy basalt. Bull Geol Soc Denmark 30:43–50
Kay RW, Senechal RG (1976) The rare earth geochemistry of the Troodos ophiolite complex. J Geophys Res 81:964–970
Kramers JD, Roddick JCM, Dawson JB (1983) Trace element and isotope studies on veined, metasomatic and “MARID” xenoliths from Bultfontein, South Africa. Earth Planet Sci Lett 65:90–106
Lapierre H (1972) Geological map of the Polis-Paphos area. Geol Surv Dept, Nicosia
Lapierre H, Rocci G (1976) Le volcanism alkalin du sud-ouest de Chypre et le problème de l'ouverture des régions Tethysiennes au Trias. Tectonphys 30:299–313
McCulloch MT, Cameron WE (1983) Nd-Sr isotopic study of primitive lavas from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus: evidence for a subduction-related setting. Geology 11:727–731
McCulloch MT, Jaques AL, Nelson DR, Lewis JD (1983) Nd and Sr isotopes in kimberlites and lamproites from Western Australia: an enriched mantle origin. Nature 302:400–403
Meijer A (1980) Primitive arc vulcanism and a boninite series: examples from western Pacific island arcs. In: Hayes DE (ed) The tectonic and geologic evolution of southeast Asian seas and islands. Am Geophys Union Monogr 23:269–282
Menzies MA (1983) Mantle ultramafic xenoliths in alkaline magmas: evidence for mantle heterogeneity modified by magmatic activity. In: Hawkesworth CJ, Norry MJ (eds) Continental basalts and mantle xenoliths, Shiva Press, London, pp 92–110
Menzies MA, Allen CR (1974) Plagioclase lherzolite — residual mantle relationships within two eastern Mediterranean ophiolites. Contrib Mineral Petrol 45:197–213
Miyashiro A (1973) The Troodos ophiolitic complex was probably formed in an island arc. Earth Planet Sci Lett 19:218–224
Moores EM, Vine FJ (1971) The Troodos Massif, Cyprus and other ophiolites as oceanic crust: evaluation and implications. Phil Trans R S London, Ser A 268:443–466
Natland JH (1980) Crystal morphologies and pyroxene compositions in boninites and tholeiitic basalts from DSDP Holes 458 and 459B in the Mariana forearc region. In: Hussong DM, Uyeda S et al. (eds) Init Repts DSDP 60, US Govt Ptg Office, Washington, pp 681–707
Natland JH, Tarney J (1980) Petrologic evolution of the Mariana arc and back-arc basin system — a synthesis of drilling results in the South Philippine Sea. In: Hussong DM, Uyeda S et al. (eds) Init Repts DSDP 60, US Govt Ptg Office, Washington, pp 877–908
Norrish K, Chappell BW (1977) X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. In: Zussman J (ed) Physical methods in determinative mineralogy. Academic Press, London, pp 201–272
Pantazis Th M (1967) The geology and mineral resources of the Pharmakas-Kalavasos area. Cyprus Geol Surv Mem 8
Pantazis Th M (1969) 1∶250000 geological map of Cyprus. Geol Survey Dept, Nicosia
Pearce JA (1975) Basalt geochemistry used to investigate past tectonic environments on Cyprus. Tectonophys 25:41–67
Pearce JA, Norry MJ (1979) Petrogenetic implications of Ti, Zr, Y and Nb variations in volcanic rocks. Contrib Mineral Petrol 69:33–47
Richard P, Allègre CJ (1980) Neodymium and strontium isotope study of ophiolite and orogenic lherzolite petrogenesis. Earth Planet Sci Lett 47:65–74
Robinson PT, Melson WG, O'Hearn T, Schmincke H-U (1983) Volcanic glass compositions of the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. Geology 11:400–404
Roeder PL, Emslie RF (1970) Olivine-liquid equilibrium. Contrib Mineral Petrol 29:275–289
Searle DL, Vokes FM (1969) Layered ultrabasic lavas from Cyprus. Geol Mag 106:515–530
Serri G (1981) The petrochemistry of ophiolite gabbroic complexes: a key for the classification of ophiolites into low-Ti and high-Ti types. Earth Planet Sci Lett 52:203–212
Shervais JW (1982) Ti-V plots and the petrogenesis of modern and ophiolitic lavas. Earth Planet Sci Lett 59:101–118
Simonian KO, Gass IG (1978) Arakapas fault belt, Cyprus: a fossil transform fault. Geol Soc Am Bull 89:1220–1230
Smewing JD, Potts PJ (1976) Rare-earth abundances in basalts and metabasalts from the Troodos Massif, Cyprus. Contrib Mineral Petrol 57:245–258
Smewing JD, Simonian KO, Gass IG (1975) Metabasalts from the Troodos Massif, Cyprus: genetic implication deduced from petrography and trace element geochemistry. Contrib Mineral Petrol 51:49–64
Swarbrick RE (1980) The Mamonia complex of SW Cyprus: a Mesozoic continental margin and its relationship to the Troodos complex. In: Panayiotou A (ed) Ophiolites. Geol Surv Dept, Nicosia
Sun S-S, Nesbitt RW (1978) Geochemical regularities and genetic significance of ophiolitic basalts. Geology 6:689–693
Sun S-S, Nesbitt RW, Sharaskin A Ya (1979) Geochemical characteristics of mid-ocean ridge basalts. Earth Planet Sci Lett 44:119–138
Taylor SR, Gorton MP (1977) Geochemical application of spark source mass spectrography — III. Element sensitivity, precision and accuracy. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 41:1375–1380
Tsunakawa H (1983) K-Ar dating on volcanic rocks in the Bonin Islands and its tectonic implication. Tectonophys 95:221–232
Walker DA, Cameron WE (1983) Boninite primary magmas: evidence from the Cape Vogel Peninsula, PNG. Contrib Mineral Petrol 83:150–158
Wood DA (1979) Dynamic partial melting: its application to the petrogenesis of basalts erupted in Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, the Isle of Skye (Scotland) and the Troodos Massif (Cyprus). Geochim Cosmochim Acta 43:1031–1046
Wood DA, Marsh NG, Tarney J, Joron J-L, Fryer P, Treuil M (1980) Geochemistry of igneous rocks recovered from a transect across the Mariana Trough, arc, fore-arc, and trench, Sites 453 through 461, DSDP Leg 60. In: Hussong DM, Uyeda S et al. (eds) Init Repts DSDP 60, US Govt Ptg Office, Washington, pp 611–645
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cameron, W.E. Petrology and origin of primitive lavas from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 89, 239–255 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379457
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379457