A long-lived ancient subduction-induced mantle boundary within the Pacific mantle

A large-scale mantle discontinuity has been identified along the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge (PAR) with an inferred transition zone between the EPR 23°S-31°S. Because of strong interactions of the EPR with the Easter mantle plume, the nature and genesis of this geochemical transition zone remain unclear. IODP sites U1367 and U1368 drilled into the basement that was accreted from the mantle of the Pacific-Farallon/Nazca ridge at ~33.5 Ma and ~13.5 Ma, respectively, at latitudes of 28°S to 29°S on the EPR. Lavas from sites U1367 and U1368 are used here to track this mantle discontinuity away from the EPR. The Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data reported here show strong discrepancies between the two sites unrelated to the plume-ridge interaction. which suggests the persistence of a mantle boundary near latitudes of the Easter island since at least 33.5 Ma. Comparison of our data with those along the EPR-PAR defines an isotopic anomaly in the Pacific mantle with a mantle boundary near the EPR 29°S and a gentle transition near the PAR 57°S. This isotopic anomaly is coupled with a low-velocity zone near the core-mantle boundary in the south Pacific, low 3He/4He ratios of lavas, and shallow axial depth1 south of the EPR 29°S along the EPR-PAR. Interpretation of this mantle discontinuity involves an ancient subduction zone across the EPR 28°S-29°S that allowed long-lasting introduction of recycled oceanic crust and depleted mantle wedge into the south Pacific mantle. Lavas at sites U1367 and U1368 might have sampled mantle that once was part of this ancient subduction zone that remained largely intact and not stirred by mantle convection.