A team of researchers has made strides in understanding the formation of massif-type anorthosites, enigmatic rocks that only formed during the middle part of Earth's history.
A team of researchers has made strides in understanding the formation of massif-type anorthosites, enigmatic rocks that only formed during the middle part of Earth's history. These plagioclase-rich igneous rock formations, which can cover areas as large as 42,000 square kilometers and host titanium ore deposits, have puzzled scientists for decades due to conflicting theories about their origins.
By analyzing the isotopes of boron, oxygen, neodymium and strontium in the rocks as well as conducting petrogenetic modeling, the researchers discovered that the magmas that formed these anorthosites were rich in melts derived from oceanic crust altered by seawater at low temperatures. They also found isotopic signatures corresponding to other subduction zone rocks such as abyssal serpentinite.
Because massif-type anorthosites don't form on Earth today, the new evidence linking these rocks to very hot subduction on the early Earth opens new interdisciplinary approaches for understanding how these rocks chronicle the physical evolution of our planet.
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