Archean Boninite-like Rocks of the Northwestern Youanmi Terrane, Yilgarn Craton: Geochemistry and Genesis

Abstract

Abstract Rocks with chemical compositions similar to Cenozoic boninites occur in many Archean cratons (boninite-like rocks), but they are rarely well-preserved, well-sampled, or presented within chrono- and chemo-stratigraphic context. This study provides a detailed description of the most extensive and well-preserved Archean boninite-like rocks reported to date. Within the 2820 to 2740 Ma magmatic suites of the northwest Youanmi Terrane, Yilgarn Craton, boninite-like rocks occur as two distinct units. The first boninite-like unit is thinner (several 10 s of m thick), occurs close to the base of the 2820–2800 Ma Norie Group and includes both volcanic flows and subvolcanic intrusions. The second boninite-like unit is thicker (locally several 100 s m), occurs near the base of the 2800–2740 Ma Polelle Group and consists of mainly fine-grained volcanic flows with local cumulate units. On average, major and trace element compositions for Youanmi Terrane boninite-like rocks are marginal between basalt, picrite and boninite and they have asymmetrically concave REE patterns, and Th–, Zr–Hf enrichments, similar to many Phanerozoic low-Si boninite suites, but at generally higher MREE–HREE contents. We report over 300 new whole-rock geochemical analyses, and 16 new Sm–Nd isotopic analyses, and associated petrographic evidence, including representative mineral compositions, which we support with published geochemical analyses and several decades of fieldwork in our study area. Comparison between Archean boninite-like rocks and Cenozoic boninites shows that most Archean examples had less depleted sources. We consider two possible petrogenetic models for the Youanmi Terrain examples: (1) they reflect variably contaminated komatiites, or (2) they reflect melts of metasomatised refractory mantle, analogous to Phanerozoic boninites. Trace element modelling indicates that crustal contamination could potentially produce rocks with boninite-like compositions, but requires an Al-enriched komatiitic parent liquid, for which there is no field evidence in our study area. Initial εNdT values in pre-2800 Ma rocks (εNdT -0·4 to +1·2) are on average slightly higher than those in 2800–2733 Ma examples (εNdT -3·2 to +1·2), compatible with increasing mantle metasomatism involving recycling of ≥ 2950 Ma crust. Integration of trace element and Nd isotopic data demonstrates that significant direct crustal assimilation was restricted to felsic magmas. The Th–Nb and Ba–Th systematics of mafic-intermediate rocks reflect fluid- and sediment-derived processes in the mantle, with boninite-like examples being linked primarily to fluid metasomatism. We compare the well-preserved igneous textures and mineralogy of Youanmi Terrane boninite-like rocks with those of their Phanerozoic counterparts, and based on studies of the latter, suggest that former had similarly hot, H2O-rich parent magmas. The association of boninite-like rocks in the Norie and Polelle Groups with coeval high-Mg andesites, sanukitoids and hydrous mafic intrusions of the Narndee Igneous Complex strongly suggests a metasomatised mantle source and subduction operating in the Yilgarn between 2820 and 2730 Ma.