Papuan Ultramafic Belt: a supra-subduction zone ophiolite analogue?

[摘要] The Papuan Ultramafic Belt (PUB) outcrops along the Woodlark and Australian plate boundaries, and is thought to represent oceanic lithosphere formed in fore-arc or back-arc basin, and emplaced during arc-continent collision above a subduction zone (e.g. HillHall, 2003; Whattam, 2009). Its mode of emplacement however, remains enigmatic due to limited outcrop access and complex tectonic history.Gabbroic and ultramafic rock samples collected from the Madang, Kokoda and Mt Suckling regions provide a unique opportunity to study the mineralogy and geochemistry of this ultramafic belt. This research provides a geochemical perspective on understanding the nature and composition of the upper mantle in eastern Papua, and the geological processes occurring at intra-oceanic margins above subduction zones, with direct implications for PGE, Ni and Cr metal deposits commonly found throughout the PUB.

[发布机构] CSIRO

[效力级别] Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology [学科分类] 地球科学(综合)