Lithium Isotopic Investigations of Crustal Evolution

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual Merit. Several lines of evidence point to an important role for chemical weathering in producing the bulk continental crust: [1] its composition is "andesitic", although the crust today, and likely since the Archean, grew by addition of basalt, [2] it is depleted in certain fluid-mobile elements relative to mantle-derived magmas (e.g., Sr, as seen in the crust's low Sr/Nd), 3) it has an oxygen isotopic composition heavier than that of the mantle (d18O ~9 vs. 6, respectively, due to lighter oxygen in water vs. rock), and 4) its has a lithium isotopic composition lighter than that of the mantle (d7Li ~1 vs. 4, respectively, due to heavier Li in water vs. rock). However, the mass of crust removed through chemical weathering is poorly constrained. It is proposed here to quantify the influence of weathering on the crust's composition through two parallel PhD projects that focus on Li isotopes and major and trace element geochemistry: [1] quantification of the weathering flux from basaltic continental crust, focusing on the Columbia River Basalts (CRB) in the Pacific NW, and [2] construction of a mass balance model for the bulk continental crust using lithium concentration ([Li]) and d7Li to determine the mass lost to the crust via weathering. The weathering flux from the continents and the attendant transformation of basalt to more Si-enriched regolith will be evaluated through a coupled study of in situ weathering and the riverine flux from the CRB. The strong rain shadow effect of the Cascade Mountains causes large variations in the weathering intensities of CRB basalts east and west of this range. Extensive laterites and bauxites formed on CRB from the wet, western side of the Cascades. In contrast, soil development and/or preservation is variable to the east due to differential exposure ages as a result of the massive flooding that occurred during the last ice age. Analyses of selected weathering profiles coupled with analyses of the fluvial flux in catchments that drain only CRB will be used to quantify the chemical flux and associated reactions attending basalt weathering. These data will be used to model the influence of weathering on continental crust composition. The non-basaltic composition of the continental crust was likely the consequence of the combined effects of delamination of mafic lower crust and removal of soluble components by weathering, but their relative contributions are poorly constrained. A mass balance model constructed to solve for the time-integrated chemical flux of weathering components from the continental crust using Li and its isotopes and accompanying sensitivity tests show that the calculated mass lost is highly sensitive to Li concentration in the bulk continental crust and juvenile crustal additions. These parameters will be estimated via analyses of deep crustal rocks as well as Archean Na-rich granites (trondhjemites, tonalites, granodiorites - TTG = putative slab melts additions to the continental crust). A parallel study of Li in shales through time will explore their utility as indicators of continental weathering intensity over geologic time. Broader Impacts. This project will support two PhD projects that are just underway. Several undergraduates will be involved in the research with the expectation that at least one senior thesis will result from this project. The project will support laboratory facilities used as a resource by numerous national and international visitors.