Petrogenesis and timing of mafic magmatism, South Taimyr, Arctic Siberia: A northerly continuation of the Siberian Traps?

• Published in: Lithos 2016-04, Vol.248-251, p.382-401
• Main Authors: Reichow, M.K., Saunders, A.D., Scott, R.A., Millar, I.L., Barfod, D., Pringle, M.S., Rogers, N.W., Hammond, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Large igneous province; Petrogenesis; Siberian Traps; Taimyr
• ISSN: 0024-4937; 1872-6143
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lithos.2016.01.018

The Siberian large igneous province (LIP) forms the world's most extensive continental exposure of basalt and has several sub-provinces surrounding it, which may be genetically related. The Taimyr peninsula of north Siberia is one of these sub-provinces and is frequently assumed to be the northerly continuation of the basalts exposed at Noril'sk, the best-studied area of the Siberian LIP. However, the correlation is uncertain. We present new major and trace element data from 35 samples of extrusive and intrusive rocks from Taimyr, with Sr and Nd isotope data from a subset of ten. The Taimyr rocks fall into two groups with low (~7wt.%) and elevated (~9wt.%) MgO concentrations. The high-MgO rocks display a restricted range of initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.705 to 0.706) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.5122 to 0.5124) ratios, and share bulk silicate earth normalised rare earth element patterns strikingly similar to data observed in the ore-related Noril'sk intrusions. The remaining low-MgO group samples have a broader range with higher Sr and lower Nd isotope values and higher incompatible trace element ratios (e.g., Th/Ta>5.3 and La/Smn>1.7) similar to the crustally-contaminated Nadezhdinsky and Morongovsky suite basalts of the Noril'sk region. The major and trace element data for both groups are consistent with a process of fractional crystallisation coupled with small degrees of assimilation of incompatible-element-enriched lower crust involving different contaminants. Trace element model calculations indicate a process of magma formation at large degrees of partial melting and at pressures of less than 3GPa, probably within the garnet–spinel transition zone or the spinel stability field of the asthenospheric mantle. We obtained an argon plateau age of ~252 (252.7±1.5) Ma and a ~239Ma total fusion age from a Taimyr lava and intrusive sample, respectively, confirming that volcanism is only partly contemporaneous with the activity of the Siberian LIP. Although this is in agreement with previous interpretations, we argue that the age difference between both events is only ~13Ma and probably less (~5Ma) although further investigation of the relationship is required. Our data allow correlation with distinct Noril'sk members and most importantly to the ore-bearing (Ni–Cu) intrusions implying that whole rock chemistry could have value as a prospecting tool in Taimyr. •Taimyr lavas are a northerly extension of the Siberian LIP.•Taimyr lavas share similarities to Noril'sk lavas which pre