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Widespread two-layered melt structure in the asthenosphere

Nature Geoscience volume 17, pages 472–477 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Partial melts in the Earth’s convecting mantle influence its physical and chemical state, particularly the plasticity of the asthenosphere and the dynamics of plate tectonics. Melt compositions change systematically with the depth of mantle melting, but there are currently few quantitative constraints. Here we measure major and trace elements, combined with Hf–Nd isotope measurements, for basalts from North China. In addition, we compile a dataset of basalts from various oceanic and continental settings and find a quantitative link between the depth of basaltic melt extraction and its mean Y/Yb ratio. We show that a bimodal Y/Yb distribution is widespread in oceanic and continental basalts, consistent with two distinct depths of melt accumulation in the asthenosphere. Silica-rich basaltic melt accumulates at depths of 80–110 km and silica-poor, iron-rich melt at depths of 140–165 km, with a melt-free gap at a depth of 110–140 km. Our findings suggest that a two-layered melt structure may be more widespread in the asthenosphere than previously thought, particularly in areas of active or passive mantle upflow. The presence of two melt layers beneath fast-spreading plates and rifted continental margins may reduce the basal drag force on cratonic roots and aid with the breakup of cratons and supercontinents.

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Fig. 1: A linear relationship between basaltic Y/Yb ratios and LAB/LVZ depths.
Fig. 2: Bimodal Y/Yb in the North China basalts.
Fig. 3: Mean Y/Yb ratios versus longitude and FeOtotal for the North China basalts.
Fig. 4: Vertical compositional stratification in the asthenosphere.
Fig. 5: Bimodal Y/Yb ratios and melt extraction depths for globally compiled oceanic/continental basalts.

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Data availability

All data that support the findings of this study are included in this published paper (and its Supplementary Information) and are available via Figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.25375873.v1 (ref. 74). Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 42173051 and 42050201 to J.-B.Z.), the Key Research & Development Program of China (2019YFA0708400 to Y.-S.L.) and the MOST Special Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources (MSFGPMR01 to Y.-S.L.). S.F.F. is funded by ARC grant FL180100134. We are grateful to H.-H. Chen for assistance with the ICP-MS analyses, and to K.-Q. Zong for access to samples. We also thank W. McDonough, C.-T. Lee and S. Wilde for their insightful suggestions on an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China

    Jun-Bo Zhang, Yong-Sheng Liu, Frédéric Moynier, Rong Xu & Cheng-Yuan Wang

  2. Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China

    Yong-Sheng Liu

  3. School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia

    Stephen F. Foley & Cheng-Yuan Wang

  4. Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Paris, France

    Frédéric Moynier

  5. State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Liang Zhao

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J.-B.Z. and Y.-S.L. designed the research. J.-B.Z. analysed the data. All authors participated in the discussion and interpretation of results, and preparation of the manuscript.

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Extended data

Extended Data Table 1 Compilations of global basalt Y/Yb ratios and geophysically determined LVZ/LAB depths
Full size table
Extended Data Table 2 Composition and calculated density and viscosity of the North China lavas, MORB and Hawaii OIB
Full size table

Extended Data Fig. 1 Map showing locations of globally-compiled oceanic and continental basalts.

Circle, location of geophysically determined LVZ/LAB; Pentagram, location of two melt layers inferred from Y/Yb ratios; Square, location of a geophysically determined double LVZ. Note that two-layered melts occur most frequently below the Pacific plate (Hikurangi Plateau, Hawaii, Samoa, Marquesas and Society Islands), continental margins (North America, South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica and East Asia), continental rifts (Baikal rift, Red Sea rift and the Gulf of California) and rifted microcontinents (Zealandia, Mauritius, Arabia and Iran). Global topological map was downloaded from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/)75.

Extended Data Fig. 2 Y and Yb partitioning in major mantle minerals.

a−c, Y and Yb partition coefficients between minerals (clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and olivine) and silicate melt as a function of pressure. Error bars are 1 SD and are smaller than symbol size where absent. Experimental data are presented as mean values ± 1 SD. Partitioning data for clinopyroxene (cpx): 6 GPa and 1410 °C76; 3 GPa and 1380 °C77; 1.5 GPa and temperature of 1255–1315 °C78,79,80; 1 atm and 1080−1100 °C81. Partitioning data for orthopyroxene and olivine at 1.5 GPa and 1275–1315 °C are from refs. 79,80. d, Y and Yb partition coefficients between (peridotitic versus pyroxenitic) garnet and silicate melt as a function of pressure or temperature. Experimental data from ref. 22. The solidus of nominally dry peridotite as a function of pressure (0 to 8 GPa) was taken from Hirschmann25. Note that Y and Yb are highly incompatible in olivine (D < 0.05), and so olivine would play a very limited effect on melt Y/Yb ratios during peridotite mantle melting. We also note that Y and Yb partition coefficients in (peridotitic versus pyroxenitic) garnet are temperature- and pressure-dependent and decrease with increasing pressure and temperature. Considering that the solidus increases with pressure25, it is reasonably to suggest that DY, Ybgarnet/melt are highly pressure-dependent. e, Calculated DY/Yb between garnet/cpx and silicate melt as a function of pressure. The green model line was calculated by exponentially weighted moving average (the same data as DYb and DY in b22). f, Calculated Y/Yb ratios of silicate melt (assumed to be equilibrated with mantle with varying cpx-garnet modal proportions) as a function of pressure.

Extended Data Fig. 3 Y/Yb systematics of terrestrial rocks.

a, Plots of Y versus Yb and Y/Yb versus Fe2O3 for the Xu-Huai eclogite/garnet-pyroxenites. b, Plot of Y versus Yb for xenolithic spinel-facies peridotites in Cenozoic basalts from the eastern NCC. Spinel-facies peridotites have Y and Yb contents lower than primitive mantle values but near-chondritic Y/Yb ratios, indicating that melting of peridotites within the spinel stability field does not fractionate Y from Yb significantly. c, Y/Yb values of oceanic and continental crust. d, Plot of Y versus Yb for global MORB, Moon and Mars. The Moon and Mars have chondritic Y/Yb values, implying that planetary differentiation could not fractionate Y from Yb. e, Plots of Y versus Yb and Y/Yb ratio versus K2O for ancient glacial diamictites. Fine-grained glacial diamictites deposited in the Mesoarchean, Paleoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, and Paleozoic eras define a positive relationship between Y and Yb (R2 = 0.98) and have chondritic Y/Yb ratios (Y/Yb = 9.81 ± 0.65, 1 SD), which are independent of K2O content (potassium is known as a highly fluid-mobile element, and is sensitive to chemical weathering34). In particular, these glacial diamictites have high CIA (chemical index of alteration, a measure of chemical weathering intensity) ranging from 54 to 89, and show decoupled variation between Y/Yb ratios and CIA82. These observations indicate that the fractionation of the Y/Yb ratio is insensitive to chemical weathering of upper crustal rocks. Data sources: Xu-Huai eclogite/garnet-pyroxenite xenoliths83 and peridotite xenoliths in Cenozoic basalts84 from the eastern NCC; continental crust34; chondrite and primitive mantle21; Moon85; Mars86; glacial diamictite82; Siberian Udachnaya eclogites87; Koidu low- and high-MgO eclogites from West Africa88,89. LCC, MCC and UCC represent lower, middle and upper continental crust, respectively34. The horizontal or vertical shaded areas in a, c and e represent the upper and lower bounds based on mean values ± 1 SD. Error bars in c are 1 SD and are smaller than symbol size where absent. Data in c are presented as mean values ± 1 SD. R2, correlation coefficient. Full data for MORB (including Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific-Antarctic, Ninetyeast, Galapagos Spreading Center, South China Sea and Juan de Fuca) are listed in Supplementary Table 1.

Extended Data Fig. 4 Regional maps and seismic observations.

a, Sketch map of main tectonic units in the North China craton (NCC)83. WB, TNCO and EB denote three-fold division of the North China craton into the Western Block, Trans-North China Orogen and Eastern Block, respectively27. b, Imaged depth distributions (latitude 36.38°N) of the present-day continental Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho) and lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB) below Shandong, North China29. c, Distribution of Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic volcanoes (yellow) of various ages in Shandong, North China (modified from refs. 22,30,59). Also shown is locality of Paleozoic diamondiferous kimberlites from Mengyin (North China). Topological map in c was created using the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) (https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/)90, and all GMT data can be available through GitHub at https://github.com/GenericMappingTools.

Extended Data Fig. 5 Major element compositions of the North China basalts, compared with experimental partial melts.

a, b, Na2O + K2O and Fe2O3 versus SiO2. c, d, Fe2O3 and Fe/Mn versus MgO. e, f, CaO versus MgO and SiO2. The shaded area in (e) denotes primary partial melts of peridotite91. Lavas with CaO contents that are lower than those defined by the red line are potentially partial melts of pyroxenite or high-degree partial melts of peridotite that experienced olivine fractional crystallization91,92. Data sources: peridotite partial melts (3–7 GPa)92; garnet pyroxenite partial melts (2.5–7 GPa, 1400–1750 °C)93,94,95,96; amphibolite and amphibolite-DMM (depleted MORB peridotite) partial melts (1.5 GPa, 1150–1400 °C)67; Hawaii (Kilauea, Loihi, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai) lavas and MORB68; carbonated eclogite partial melts70. Full data of the North China basalts are provided in Supplementary Table 2.

Extended Data Fig. 6 Effects of lithospheric contamination.

a, Plot of Y/Yb versus Yb for basalts, diamondiferous kimberlites and spinel-facies peridotite xenoliths enclosed in Cenozoic basalts from the eastern NCC. The horizontal shaded areas represent the upper and lower bounds based on mean values ± 1 SD. The dark red curves are trends showing basaltic melts contaminated by lithospheric mantle with the composition of spinel-facies peridotites from the eastern NCC. The above modelling indicates that the low Y/Yb basaltic melts did not originate from lithospheric contamination of a high Y/Yb basaltic melt. b, εHf and εNd values of basalts and spinel-facies peridotite xenoliths. εHf and ΔHf values of basalts and diamondiferous kimberlites are also shown. ΔHf = εHf – (1.59εNd + 1.28). R2, correlation coefficient. Data sources: primitive mantle21 and peridotite xenoliths in Cenozoic basalts84 from the eastern NCC; the mantle array line: εHf = 1.59εNd + 1.2897. Full data of the North China basalts and Mengyin diamondiferous kimberlites are provided in Supplementary Table 2.

Source data

Extended Data Fig. 7 Densities of various silicate melts as a function of pressure, compared with those of surrounding solid mantle (Fo90 as representative)98.

LAB = lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. LVZ = low-velocity zone. Melt densities are provided in Extended Data Table 2. Also shown are depths of LAB29 and bottom of LVZ33 beneath the eastern NCC. High Y/Yb basalts and Laoheishan iron-rich basalt (15LHS05; Fe2O3 = 16.57 wt%) have densities close to the surrounding solid mantle at 5 GPa, implying that iron-rich silicate melts may be gravitationally stable at depths of ~150 km in the asthenosphere.

Extended Data Fig. 8 Variations of shear wave velocity (Vs) along latitude 37°N in Shandong, North China.

Seismic images are from ref. 33.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Figs. 1–3, Tables 1–4 and references.

Supplementary Table 1

Compositions of globally compiled oceanic and continental basalts.

Supplementary Table 2

Compositions of the North China basalts and diamondiferous kimberlites.

Supplementary Table 3

Bimodal Y/Yb ratios of globally compiled basalts.

Source data

Source Data Fig. 2

Major and trace element compositions of the North China basalts and diamondiferous kimberlites.

Source Data Extended Data Fig. 6

Hf–Nd isotopic compositions of the North China basalts and diamondiferous kimberlites.

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Zhang, JB., Liu, YS., Foley, S.F. et al. Widespread two-layered melt structure in the asthenosphere. Nat. Geosci. 17, 472–477 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01433-1

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