Magmatism occurred almost continuously over the past 25 m.y. in the Republic of Djibouti. Lavas are mainly basic to intermediate with some rhyolites. Large chemical and isotopic variations among the volcanic series are interpreted in terms of mantle source heterogeneity. Crustal contribution is only evidenced in the oldest rhyolites emplaced during the initial stages of rifting. Excluding these old rhyolites, a clear evolution through time of the mantle sources is observed in relation to rifting. Three sources were involved in the genesis of these lavas: (1) an old subcontinental lithospheric component (87Sr/86Sr ≈ 0.706, 206Pb/204Pb ≈ 17.9), mainly observed in the oldest lavas (25 to 10 Ma), (2) an HIMU (high U/Pb ratio)‐type reservoir, and (3) a depleted mantle. As rifting goes on, there is an increasing contribution of an HIMU‐type mantle source. It is attributed to the influence of a mantle diapir (Afar plume) thermally eroding the subcontinental lithosphere. The geochemical characteristics of 9 to 1 Ma old lavas, erupted after the strong increase of spreading rate in Afar, reflect this evolution of mantle sources. The influence of the mantle plume is most prominent in the northern youngest lavas (<1 Ma), particularly Manda, characterized by the strongest HIMU signature (87Sr/86Sr ≈ 0.7035, 206Pb/204Pb ≈ l9.2). The contribution of the depleted mantle component originating from the asthenosphere is best recognized in the young (<4 Ma) lavas, particularly Tadjoura and Asal lavas (3 to 1 Ma). The evolution of Djibouti lava sources through time may be accounted for by the recent models developed for plume structure.
Afar is a favorable area in which to investigate the interactions between lithosphere and asthenosphere during the opening of a continental rift. The present work focuses on the territory of Djibuti Republic where volcanism has occurred over the past 25 Ma. With the exception of the oldest rhyolites which contain a large crustal‐derived component, the Sr, Nd, Pb isotopic compositions of basalts indicate mantle sources without significant crustal contamination. As the rifting process goes on, the sources are evolving from an ancient and isotopically heterogeneous lithospheric subcontinental component (87Sr/86Sr = 0.707 and 206Pb/204Pb = 17.5) to a component having HIMU characteristics (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7035 and 206Pb/204Pb > 19). The influence of the asthenospheric depleted mantle is not established. The present data confirm that a mantle plume is associated with the rifting.
He, Ar, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic ratios have been determined for a set of submarine basaltic glasses from the Gulf of Tadjoura and subaerial lavas from Afar, Republic of Djibuti. Rare gases were recovered by vacuum crushing and analysed with a new analytical system. Helium isotopic ratios up to 15 Ra show the occurrence of a "high 3He" hot spot beneath Afar and indicate the occurrence of a plume originating from a gas-rich, presumably deep, region of the mantle. He-Ar isotope systematics in dicate a mixing between three geochemical end-members: the plume component, enriched in 3He, a radiogenic, possibly crustal, component, and the atmosphere. Low 40Ar/36Ar ratios are interpreted as the result of selective atmospheric contamination of Afar magmas, but the process of contamination is unclear. In a He-Sr-Nd-Pb space, Afar data are plotted in a field similar to basic lavas emitted in Iceland (Djibuti territory) and in the Reykjanes Ridge (Gulf of Tadjoura) and differ by their He isotopic ratios from lavas emitted in EM (e.g., Gough and Tristan da Cunha) and HIMU (e.g., Saint Helena and Tubuaii) hot spots analysed so far.
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