Cooling Rates of Mantle Peridotites Estimated from Lithophile Trace Element Diffusion in Orthopyroxene

Cooling rates of ocean floor mantle rocks from mid-ocean ridges can potentially provide important information about ridge dynamics, emplacement mechanisms and mantle uplift. There are a growing number of geospeedometric methods to retrieve such cooling rates in various settings. However, few exist for typical four- phase mantle peridotites and they only cover temperatures below 800° C. The down-temperature lithophile trace element exchange between clinopyroxene (cpx) and orthopyroxene (opx) can provide such a high- temperature spinel peridotite geospeedometer. Orthopyroxenes studied by SIMS from two fresh Gakkel Ridge peridotites are zoned in all trace elements while clinopyroxenes are homogeneous. This allows the calculation of equilibrium temperatures [1]. Several profiles in opx cover a range of 1250° C (opx core) to 800° C (opx rim) and are in agreement with straightforward diffusion and closure temperature models. The systematics of REE diffusion in opx deviate from the results of a recent experimental study [2]. The data allow us to estimate diffusion systematics of 16 elements (REE and TE) and their cation distributions in orthopyroxene. The data set is internally coherent as all elements were subjected to the same extrinsic parameters. 1. Decreasing ionic radius increases REE diffusion in opx (as it does in cpx). 2. M2-site diffusion is controlled more by ionic radius than by cationic charge. 3. M1-site diffusion is controlled by both ionic radius and cationic charge. 4. M1-site diffusion is generally slower than M2-site diffusion for isovalent cations, most likely because of higher M1- site energies compared to M2-site. The advantages of this geospeedometer should be its relatively good precision, use of standard analytical methods and its coverage of the important range between solidus temperatures and 800° C. In combination with other geospeedometers it will be possible to retrieve the continuous cooling history of a mantle rock from its solidus down to low temperatures. [1] G. Witt-Eickschen & H. O'Neil (2005): Chemical Geology, 65 - 101. [2] D.J. Cherniak & Y. Liang (2007): Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, doi 10.1016/j.gca.2006.12.001.