Abstract
Water enters Earth's mantle via subduction of hydrated oceanic slab and largely returns to the ocean-atmosphere system through arc volcanism. However, the extent to which H 2O is transferred into the deep mantle is poorly constrained. Here, we address this question by combining mineral chemistry and bulk-rockgeochemistry data for aillikites related to the deep mantle plume which generated the Permian Tarim large igneous province (NW China). The water contents of olivine phenocrysts are 75–168 ppm H 2O and positively correlated with Ti contents. These results, combined with infrared hydroxyl peaks at 3,572 and 3,525 cm −1 , suggest that H is mainly present in the form of Ti-clinohumite-like point defects. Hydrogen concentration profiles across olivine reveal that H loss during decompression was limited to the outermost rims, and yield dehydration durations of 15–417 min. Based on the water contents of the highest-Fo olivine cores, the water contents of the primitive aillikite melts and their mantle source are estimated as 1.6–4.7 wt% and 150–1,200 ppm H 2O, respectively. 3He/ 4He ratios (5.31–5.84 Ra) of olivine phenocrysts are slightly lower than MORBs and suggest involvement of recycled slab containing U (and hence radiogenic 4He) in the plume source. This interpretation is consistent with Pb isotope compositions of the aillikites which are intermediate between PREMA (Prevalent Mantle) and EM (Enriched Mantle) compositions. These lines of evidence combined with the depleted Sr-Nd isotopes and moderately radiogenic Os isotopes of the aillikites suggest that water in these rocks derived from a plume source marginally contaminated by deeply subducted hydrated material.