Geochemical Criteria for the Classification of Dolerite Dikes in the Central Part of the Baikal Basement Inlier of the Siberian Craton

Abstract

The paper presents detailed geological, petrographic, geochemical, and isotope data on the dolerites from dykes of the Baikal dike subswarm in the central part of the Baikal basement inlier of the Siberian craton. The main geochemical and isotope criteria were identified for classifying the dolerites that are similar in geological–structural position and mineral composition into three geochemical groups. Provisional age estimates of the dolerites are presented. The dolerites of the first and, perhaps, second groups compose Neoproterozoic (715 Ma) dikes. The first group includes medium- to coarse-grained dolerites, which form thick (more than 5–10 m) dikes. The dolerites of this group are characterized by low concentrations of Th (0.6–2.1 ppm) and Nb (3.3–9.2 ppm) and by ɛNd(T) = ‒0.5 to ‒3.9. Considered together, the geochemical and isotope data show that these dolerites could be produced as a result of the melting of a mantle source produced by mixing mantle components close in composition to oceanic plateau basalts and subduction-related subcontinental lithospheric mantle. The second group includes fine-grained dolerites from thin (1–5 m) dikes, including dikes located in contact with the dikes of the first group. The dolerites of the second group are characterized by higher concentrations of Th (3.0–5.3 ppm) and Nb (9.8–21.1 ppm) and by ɛNd(T) = –5.3 to ‒6.0. Geochemical and isotopic data on the dolerites of the second group indicate that continental crustal material was added to the mantle source unified for the dolerites of first and second groups. The third group includes medium-grained dolerites, which make up individual dikes that are contrastingly different in geochemical and isotope characteristics from the Neoproterozoic dolerites of the first and second groups. Dolerites of this group show low concentrations of Th (0.6–1.6 ppm) and Nb (2.7–5.1 ppm) at low values of (Th/La)pm (0.29–0.71) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.511223‒0.511544), which indicates that these dolerites may have been generated as a result of the melting of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle enriched in subduction components. Dolerites of the third group exhibit geochemical characteristics close to those of Paleoproterozoic (1.84 Ga) dikes of the South Siberian post-collisional magmatic belt.