A Microanalytical Approach to Understanding the Origin of Cumulate Xenoliths from Mauna Kea, Hawaii

• Main Author: Pickard, Megan
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2008
• Subjects: Mauna Kea; Hawaii; LA-ICP-MS; clinopyroxene; xenoliths; Geology
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1575; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2574&context=etd

Cumulate xenoliths erupted with alkalic hawaiite lavas from a postshield cinder cone on Mauna Kea, Hawaii include a variety of mafic and ultramafic rock types. Previous studies of major and trace element compositions of minerals in the xenoliths are interpreted to show transitional to alkalic magma parentages from the postshield stage, although any orthopyroxene-bearing xenoliths are considered to have tholeiitic parents. Major element compositions minerals were analyzed using the electron microprobe and trace element compositions of clinopyroxene grains were analyzed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In this study, major element compositions of clinopyroxene, olivine and plagioclase grains and trace element compositions in clinopyroxene grains in xenoliths lacking orthopyroxene indicate a transitional magma parentage consistant with postshield magmas. Trace element compositions of possible parent magmas of the xenoliths were calculated from clinopyroxene compositions using partition coefficients for basaltic liquids from Hauri et al. (1994). Liquids calculated from the clinopyroxene in the xenoliths were compared to Mauna Kea shield lavas and to the postshield Hamakua and Laupahoehoe units. Chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns of liquids calculated from both orthopyroxene-bearing xenoliths and those without orthopyroxene were similar REE patterns of both Mauna Kea postshield tholeitic and alkalic lavas. Liquids from a wehrlite and an olivine gabbronorite have REE patterns similar to tholeiitic shield basalts. To better distinguish the transitional xenolith sources as one of Mauna Kea's two postshield substages, the older, basaltic Hamakua unit or the younger hawaiitic Laupahoehoe unit, variation diagrams compared calculated liquid compositions to Mauna Kea lavas from the shield and postshield stages. Calculated liquid trace element concentrations are similar to those of Hamakua lavas.