Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214

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Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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Petrogenesis of boninitic lavas from the Troodos Ophiolite, and

comparison with Izu–Bonin–Mariana fore-arc crust
Dominic Woelki ∗ , Marcel Regelous, Karsten M. Haase, René H.W. Romer, Christoph Beier
GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen–Nürnberg, Schlossgarten 5, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites such as the Troodos Ophiolite of Cyprus are thought to have
Received 23 December 2017 formed at spreading centres close to subduction zones. Similarities in the geochemistry between lavas
Received in revised form 25 May 2018 from SSZ ophiolites and fore-arc lavas from active subduction zones, and the presence of boninites in
Accepted 28 June 2018
both, have led to the suggestion that SSZ ophiolites represent fragments of fore-arc crust and mantle,
Available online 10 July 2018
Editor: M. Bickle
formed during subduction initiation. Here we present major and trace element and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope
data for fresh volcanic glasses from a section through the lava pile on the southern margin of the Troodos
Keywords: Ophiolite, and compare these to lavas from the Izu–Bonin–Mariana fore-arc. In Troodos, boninites and
Cyprus tholeiitic basalts are interbedded and were derived from a highly depleted mantle source that was later
boninitic glass enriched by both fluids and melts derived largely from subducted sediment, before melting beneath
ophiolite the spreading axis. Troodos boninites differ from Izu–Bonin–Mariana boninites by their greater source
Izu–Bonin–Mariana depletion, enrichment in Nb by small degree melts, and lack of Zr enrichment relative to Sm. Together
subduction initiation
with the lack of fore-arc basalts in Troodos, our data imply that the Troodos Ophiolite was formed in a
interbedded
fore-arc location at a back-arc spreading centre that propagated into arc crust. The Troodos Ophiolite was
thus not formed during subduction initiation and thus may not be used as analogue for the formation of
fore-arc basalts.
© 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
At subduction zones, oceanic crust and sediment is recycled
into the mantle, with important consequences for the crust–mantle
system, including mantle melting and arc magmatism, volatile de-
gassing, formation of mantle heterogeneity, and the creation of
new continental crust (Spandler and Pirard, 2013). Despite the im-
portant role of subduction zones in global geochemical cycles, the
processes by which new subduction zones are initiated are not
well understood. Current models suggest that rock exposures in
fore-arcs provide insights into the magmatic evolution of the upper
plate at the time of subduction initiation (Stern and Gerya, 2017;
Stern et al., 2012). These models are largely based on detailed
studies of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) fore-arc, where early ‘fore-
arc basalts’ are overlain by boninites, island arc tholeiites, and
finally calc-alkaline lavas representing the transition from fore-arc
spreading to island arc crust (Arculus et al., 2015; Ishizuka et al.,
2014; Reagan et al., 2010, 2017). These lava successions apparently
record partial melting of an increasingly depleted mantle above
the subducting plate yielding magmas with an increasing input
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: dominic.woelki@fau.de (D. Woelki).
of hydrous fluids or melts released from the slab (Pearce, 1982;
Plank, 2005; Plank and Langmuir, 1993).
Similar rock types to those found in fore-arcs also charac-
terise many Supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites, and it has
been suggested that such ophiolites represent fragments of fore-
arc crust formed during subduction initiation (Stern et al., 2012).
In particular, boninites are present in many western Pacific fore-
arcs and many SSZ ophiolites, but are rare or absent in other
tectonic settings (Cooper et al., 2010; Dilek and Furnes, 2014;
Pearce and Robinson, 2010; Whattam and Stern, 2011).
Boninites are rare volcanic rocks with high SiO2 and MgO but
low TiO2 contents (>8 wt% MgO, >52 wt% SiO2 and <0.5 wt%
TiO2 (Le Bas, 2000)), and can be divided into high- and low-Ca
types based on their CaO/Al2 O3 ratios. Boninites have been re-
covered from fore-arcs of the IBM and Tonga island arc systems
(Crawford et al., 1981; Ishizuka et al., 2014; Meffre et al., 2012;
Reagan et al., 2010), although the only known actively erupting
boninitic lava volcanoes are located in the Lau back-arc and Tonga
arc (Cooper et al., 2010; Rubin et al., 2009). The petrogenesis of
boninites may therefore yield important insights into the processes
of subduction initiation. Many boninites display U-shaped Rare
Earth Element (REE) patterns which have been attributed to an ad-
dition of a Light Rare Earth Element (LREE) enriched component

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.06.041
0012-821X/© 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
204 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214
Fig. 1. Right panel: Simplified geological map of the Troodos Ophiolite (modified from Osozawa et al., 2012), showing location of the sampled area at Parekklisia. Central
panel: Topographic map (from openstreetmap.org) of the Parekklisia section showing sample localities. Left panel: Variation of Zr/Yb with latitude (younging direction to the
south) showing lack of systematic chemical change with time, and that flows containing depleted tholeiitic glass (DTG) and boninitic glass (BG) are interbedded.
to a refractory peridotite mantle source (Crawford et al., 1989).
Boninites are enriched in fluid mobile elements (e.g. U, Pb, Rb, Ba),
relative to REE and High-Field Strength Elements (HFSE) of simi-
lar incompatibility. Boninite magmas are apparently derived from
highly depleted mantle sources to which a fluid is added, and re-
quire higher mantle potential temperatures (Crawford et al., 1989;
Falloon and Danyushevsky, 2000). Boninites have also been re-
ported from many SSZ ophiolites, including the Troodos Ophiolite
(Cameron, 1985; König et al., 2008; Osozawa et al., 2012), the New
Caledonia ophiolite (Cluzel et al., 2016) and the Koh and Betts Cove
ophiolites (Bédard, 1999; Meffre et al., 1996). Boninites from ophi-
olites provide an ideal opportunity to understand boninite magma
genesis because the stratigraphic relationships of boninites with
other lava compositions are preserved, and the freshest material
for geochemical analysis can be selected.
In this paper, we present major element, trace element and
Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data for fresh boninitic and tholeiitic volcanic
glasses from a >2 km section through the lava sequence on the
southern margin of the Troodos ophiolite. We discuss the petro-
genesis of the lavas and compare their geochemistry to that of
similar rocks from the IBM fore-arc.
2. Geological setting
The Troodos ophiolite is exposed on the island of Cyprus, in
the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The ophiolite covers approximately
3000 km2 in the central part of the island, and preserves the typi-
cal ophiolite sequence of serpentinized upper mantle peridotites,
overlain by layered and isotropic gabbros, a sheeted dike com-
plex and an extrusive volcanic series (Dilek and Furnes, 2009;
Gass, 1968; Fig. 1). The age of the Troodos ophiolite is 90.3 to
92.4 ± 0.7 Ma based on U–Pb zircon dating (Mukasa and Lud-
den, 1987). The central part of the ophiolite was uplifted by
mantle serpentine diapirism (Schuiling, 2011), but the Troodos
ophiolite shows almost no evidence for emplacement deformation
(Robertson, 2002). The E–W trending Arakapas fault zone (AFZ), lo-
cated at the south-east corner of the Troodos ophiolite (Fig. 1), is
thought to represent a fossil transform fault (Simonian and Gass,
1978).
The tectonic setting in which the Troodos ophiolite was formed
is debated, but the occurrence of a thick sheeted dike complex
overlain by pillow lavas with similar geochemical composition in-
dicate formation at an oceanic spreading centre (Dilek and Furnes,
2009). However, the enrichment of fluid-soluble elements, e.g.
Th, U, Rb, Ba and Pb in Troodos lavas (Osozawa et al., 2012;
Pearce and Robinson, 2010; Regelous et al., 2014; Sobolev et al.,
1993), requires formation in an SSZ environment, i.e. in a spread-
ing environment close to a subducting slab. The origin of the ophi-
olite in an island arc, as first proposed by Miyashiro (1974), has
largely been ruled out on the basis of the composition of the lavas
(including a lack of calc-alkaline lavas), and a lack of island arc
deposits (Osozawa et al., 2012; Pearce and Robinson, 2010). Previ-
ous studies have proposed that the ophiolite formed in a juvenile
arc, back-arc, fore-arc, plate edge, or ridge–trench–trench or ridge–
trench–transform triple junction setting (Osozawa et al., 2012;
Pearce and Robinson, 2010; Regelous et al., 2014).
The Troodos extrusives have previously been divided into two
main series (Pearce and Robinson, 2010); the upper pillow lavas
(UPL) and the lower pillow lavas (LPL). The LPL are dominantly
composed of tholeiitic basalts to rhyolites with an increase of SiO2
towards higher stratigraphic levels. The LPL have been divided into
three distinct compositional groups (Pearce and Robinson, 2010),
based largely on their MgO and TiO2 contents (Fig. 2). The UPL in-
clude the most depleted lavas, but it is currently unclear whether
boninitic lavas of this series are distributed over the entire ophi-
olite or whether they are restricted to the southern margin and
to the vicinity of the Arakapas FZ (e.g. Osozawa et al., 2012;
Pearce and Robinson, 2010). A detailed study of a section through
the lava sequence at Akaki Canyon on the northern margin of the
 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214
Fig. 2. Major element variations in volcanic glasses from Parekklisia (this study), and
Akaki Canyon (Regelous et al., 2014), compared with Troodos lava groups defined by
Pearce and Robinson (2010); lower series 1 (ls1), lower series 2 (ls2), lower series
3 (ls3), and upper series (us). Shown for comparison are data for MORB glasses
(Jenner and O’Neill, 2012), subducting sediments (Plank and Langmuir, 1998), and
IBM fore-arc and arc lavas (Arculus, 1992; Dobson et al., 2006; Hickey-Vargas et al.,
2018; Ishizuka et al., 2018, 2011; Reagan et al., 2010; Taylor et al., 1994; Yajima
and Fujimaki, 2001).
ophiolite only determined tholeiitic lavas of basalt to dacite com-
position (Regelous et al., 2014).
Most previous geochemical studies of Troodos boninites were
carried out on variably altered bulk rock samples (Pearce, 1975;
Portnyagin et al., 1997), or on fresh glasses from localities scattered
widely over the ophiolite (Golowin et al., 2017; König et al., 2008;
Osozawa et al., 2012; Pearce and Robinson, 2010; Rautenschlein
et al., 1985). Our new samples are from a section through the
lava pile close to the village of Parekklisia, on the SE margin
of the ophiolite south of the AFZ, where fresh glasses are pre-
served in pillow margins. Ninety-seven fresh glass samples were
collected from an approximately 2200 m long section extending
from Parekklisia village northwards towards the boundary of the
volcanic section with the sheeted dyke complex (Fig. 1). The upper
1500 m of the lava pile (beneath the lava–sediment boundary) and
the lowermost 1000 m were not sampled due to the lack of fresh
glass. Individual flow units were between 1–5 m thick, but due
to alteration, limited petrographic variation and intermittent expo-
sure, we were not able to identify the thickness or lateral extent
of all flow units.
205
3. Analytical methods
In order to avoid the effects of alteration, which particularly
affects the concentrations of fluid-mobile elements, only fresh
glasses were used in this study. Glass samples were crushed and
hand-picked, and single 1–2 mm sized chips were cleaned, em-
bedded in epoxy resin and polished for electron microprobe and
laser-ablation ICP-MS analyses. The fresh, transparent appearance
of the glasses (Fig. S1) indicates that they have undergone insignif-
icant alteration. Ninety-seven fresh glasses from Parekklisia were
analysed for major elements, and 43 representative samples were
selected for trace element analysis.
Analysis of the major element contents of glasses (SiO2 , TiO2 ,
Al2 O3 , FeOt , MnO, CaO, Na2 O, K2 O, P2 O5 , SO3 and Cl) was car-
ried out on a JEOL JXA-8200 Superprobe electron microprobe
at the GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander Universität
Erlangen–Nürnberg, Germany. The microprobe was operated with
an acceleration voltage of 15 kV, a beam current of 15 nA and a
defocused (10 μm) beam. Counting times were set to 20 s and 10
s for peaks and backgrounds for all elements, except for Cl where
peak counting time was 40 s and background times were set to
20 s. Accuracy and precision were determined using international
glass standards VG-2 and VG-A99 measured during each analytical
session (Beier et al., 2018). Accuracy is better than 4.7% for all el-
ements (except for Cl, SO3 and P2 O5 ) and precision is better than
5.5% (except for Cl, SO3 and P2 O5 ). The average values of 10 spot
analyses on each sample are presented in Table A1. Measurements
of olivine and spinel inclusions are described in detail in Woelki et
al. (2018). Data is presented in supplemental Table A1.
Trace element concentrations of the glasses were determined
by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
(LA-ICP-MS) on the same glass fragments analysed for major ele-
ments, using an Agilent 7500i quadrupole mass spectrometer cou-
pled with a New Wave Research UP193FX excimer laser at the
GeoZentrum Nordbayern. The beam diameter was set to 35 μm and
the SiO2 contents, previously determined by electron microprobe,
were used as internal standard. External calibration was performed
using the NIST614 glass standard. The international rock standard
BCR-2g was measured to determine accuracy and reproducibility.
Accuracy was better than 12.6% except for Zn and Cu and repro-
ducibility was better than 9.7% except for As and Cr. Data in Table
A1 represent averages of four points analysed on each sample or
standard.
We measured the Pb, Sr and Nd isotope composition of 15
representative samples from the Parekklisia section, and for com-
parison six glass samples from Akaki Canyon previously analysed
for major and trace elements by Regelous et al. (2014). For Sr,
Nd and Pb isotope analysis, 50–100 mg of handpicked fresh glass
chips were leached for 10 min at room temperature in a 25:25:50
mixture of H2 O2 , 2.5M HCl and MQ H2 O, then washed thor-
oughly with MQ H2 O. The samples were dissolved in 12M HF and
15M HNO3 overnight at 100 ◦ C. The solution was evaporated, 15M
HNO3 added, evaporated and redissolved in 6M HCl, dried down
and finally dissolved in 1M HCl. Lead was separated from the rock
matrix using 100 μl Eichrom Sr-Spec® resin. The sample solution
was loaded onto the resin and rinsed with 1M HCl before col-
lecting Pb in 6M HCl. The 1M HCl wash from the Pb columns
was evaporated and redissolved in 3.5M HNO3 , and Sr and the
REE separated using Sr-Spec® and TRU-Spec® resin in HNO3 . The
REE fraction was evaporated, redissolved in 0.25M HCl, and Nd
was separated from the other REE using LN-spec® resin in 0.25M
HCl. All reagents were Teflon distilled (those for Pb were double-
distilled), and typical procedural blanks for Pb, Sr and Nd were 30
pg, 200 pg and 80 pg, respectively.
Sr and Nd isotope measurements were carried out on a
Thermo-Fisher Triton thermal ionisation multi-collector mass spec-
206 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214

Fig. 3. Trace element composition of the Parekklisia glasses normalised to N-MORB (Sun and McDonough, 1989). Green field shows composition of glasses from Akaki Canyon
(Rautenschlein et al., 1985; Regelous et al., 2014). Mean fore-arc basalt (FAB) and boninite (BON) for comparison (data sources as in Fig. 2). Note enrichment in fluid soluble
elements in all Troodos lavas compared to MORB, the relative Nb and LREE enrichment in the most depleted Troodos lavas, and lack of Zr enrichment relative to Sm.
(For interpretation of the colours in the figure(s), the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

trometer (MC-ICP-MS) in static mode at the GZN. Strontium iso-
tope measurements were corrected for instrumental mass fraction-
ation assuming 88 Sr/86 Sr = 0.1194, and corrected for the contribu-
tion of 87 Rb to mass 87. Neodymium isotope data were corrected
for mass fractionation using a 146 Nd/144 Nd ratio of 0.7219. Samar-
ium interference on masses 144, 148, 150 was corrected by mea-
suring 147 Sm. The average value of the NBS987 Sr standard during
this study was 0.710259 ± 0.000013 (n = 8), and an in-house
Nd standard solution gave 143 Nd/144 Nd of 0.511539 ± 0.000006
(n = 6), equivalent to a value of 0.511841 for the La Jolla stan-
dard.
Lead isotope measurements were carried out on a Thermo-
Fisher Neptune MC-ICP-MS using a 207 Pb–204 Pb double spike to
correct for instrumental mass fractionation. The double spike, with
a 207 Pb/204 Pb ratio of 0.813508, was calibrated against a solu-
tion of the NBS982 equal atom Pb standard. Samples were diluted
with 2% HNO3 to a concentration of approximately 20 ppb, and
an aliquot of this solution spiked in order to obtain a 208 Pb/204 Pb
ratio of about 1. Spiked and unspiked sample solutions were intro-
duced into the plasma via a Cetac Aridus desolvating nebulizer, and
measured in static mode. Interference of 204 Hg on mass 204 was
corrected by monitoring 202 Hg. An exponential fractionation cor-
rection was applied offline using the iterative method of Compston
and Oversby (1969), the correction was typically 8 permil per
amu. Twenty measurements of the NBS981 Pb isotope standard
(measured as an unknown) over the course of this study gave
206
Pb/204 Pb, 207 Pb/204 Pb, 208 Pb/204 Pb ratios of 16.9410 ± 0.0020,
15.4993 ± 0.0019 and 36.7244 ± 0.0046 respectively. Initial Sr, Nd
and Pb isotope ratios were calculated using parent–daughter ratios
determined by LA-ICP-MS, and assuming an age of 92 Ma for all
samples.
4. Results
The volcanic glasses from Parekklisia have SiO2 contents of 51
to 55 wt% (Fig. 2) and range in composition from basalt to basaltic
andesite (Le Bas et al., 1986). The MgO contents of Parekklisia
glasses range from 7.1 to 9.7 wt% (Fig. 2), overlapping the high-
MgO end of the Troodos glasses analysed in previous studies
(Golowin et al., 2017; König et al., 2008; Osozawa et al., 2012;
Pearce and Robinson, 2010; Rautenschlein et al., 1985; Regelous et
al., 2014). The concentrations of TiO2 , SiO2 (Fig. 2), Al2 O3 , Na2 O
and FeOt increase, and CaO decreases with decreasing MgO. Sixty-
two of the Parekklisia lavas are boninites sensu stricto having MgO
>8 wt%, TiO2 <0.5 wt% and SiO2 >52 wt% (Le Bas, 2000) similar
to some previously analysed Troodos glasses (König et al., 2008;
Osozawa et al., 2012). The remainder have TiO2 >0.4 wt% and MgO
<8 wt% and are tholeiitic basalts. We thus divided the Parekklisia
samples into two groups – depleted tholeiitic glasses (DTG) and
boninitic glasses (BG), which also differ in their trace element
composition. The DTG and BG glasses contain few mm-sized phe-
nocrysts of olivine (Fo: 88–91) with small euhedral inclusions of
Cr-rich spinel (Cr#: 64–79). Some samples contain rare microphe-
nocrysts of clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene.
The Parekklisia glasses correspond broadly to the UPL and LPL
Group 3 of Pearce and Robinson (2010). The Parekklisia boni-
nite glasses belong to the high-Ca (CaO/Al2 O3 >0.75) group of
boninites.
Compared to average mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), the
Parekklisia glasses have lower REE concentrations, but are enriched
in La–Sm relative to the middle and Heavy Rare Earth Elements
(HREE; Fig. 3). The Parekklisia glasses are enriched in fluid-mobile
elements (Cs, Rb, Ba, U, Pb, Sr) relative to REE and HFSE of similar
incompatibility (Fig. 3), which is a characteristic of subduction-
related magmas. Trace element data for the boninitic samples over-
lap with published trace element data for Troodos boninites (König
et al., 2008; Osozawa et al., 2012). Compared to the tholeiitic
glasses from the Akaki Canyon section (Rautenschlein et al., 1985;
Regelous et al., 2014), the Parekklisia lavas extend to lower Sm/Yb
and Zr/Yb ratios of 0.2 to 0.9 and 4.9 to 17.9 respectively (Fig. 4).
The BGs have the lowest Zr/Yb <11 whereas the DTGs have Zr/Yb
of 10 to 20 and overlap with Akaki Canyon tholeiites and the de-
pleted end of the MORB array (Fig. 4). Ce/Pb ratios (1.0 to 8.8)
of the Parekklisia glasses are lower than those of most oceanic
basalts (20–30), and correlate positively with Zr/Yb (Fig. 4) and
negatively with Th/Nd and Nb/La, extending to higher Th/Nd com-
pared to MORB (Fig. 5). The Parekklisia glasses have Ba/Th ratios
between 83 and 208, which is higher than Akaki glasses and most
 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214
Fig. 4. Variations of (A) Sm/Yb, (B) Nb/Yb and (C) Ce/Pb with Zr/Yb. Assuming
that Zr, Sm and Yb are immobile in fluids, the low Zr/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios in
Troodos lavas result from melting a mantle source more depleted than that of
MORB. Note lower Zr/Yb in Troodos boninites compared to IBM boninites. Lower
Ce/Pb and higher Nb/Yb ratios in the most depleted Troodos lavas with low
Zr/Yb indicate the addition of Pb and Nb from fluids and melts. Note contrast-
ing trends in these diagrams defined by Troodos and IBM lavas. Data sources; FAB
(Hickey-Vargas et al., 2018; Ishizuka et al., 2018, 2011; Reagan et al., 2010); tran-
sitional IBM (Reagan et al., 2010); boninite IBM as in Fig. 2; arc IBM (Tollstrup et
al., 2010); Troodos tholeiites and boninites (Golowin et al., 2017; König et al., 2008;
Osozawa et al., 2012).
207
Fig. 5. Negative correlation of Ce/Pb with (A) Th/Nd and (B) Nb/La for Parekklisia
and Akaki lavas, extending from the depleted end of the MORB range, towards a
sediment melt component with higher Nb/La and Th/Nd. Note contrasting positive
array defined by IBM lavas in (B). Data sources as in Figs. 2 and 4.
MORB, but lower than many island arc lavas (>300). The lavas
with the lowest Zr/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios also have the lowest Ce/Pb
and highest Th/Nd (Figs. 4, 5).
Age-corrected 87 Sr/86 Sr and 144 Nd/143 Nd ratios of Parekklisia
glasses range between 0.70346 to 0.70439 and 0.51283 to 0.51291,
respectively. Glasses from Akaki Canyon have 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios be-
tween 0.70341 and 0.70447, overlapping with glass data from
Rautenschlein et al. (1985) from the same location. Most of our
samples have lower 87 Sr/86 Sr than the boninitic–tholeiitic Troo-
dos lavas analysed by König et al. (2010). For the dataset as
a whole, 87 Sr/86 Sr correlates positively with Th/Nd and nega-
tively with Ce/Pb (Fig. 6). Age-corrected Pb isotope ratios of
206
Pb/204 Pb, 207 Pb/204 Pb and 208 Pb/204 Pb from Parekklisia range
between 18.555 to 18.908 and 15.445 to 15.605 and 38.117 to
38.787, respectively, and overlap with previously published Pb iso-
tope data for Troodos tholeiites and boninites (Fig. 7). The most ra-
diogenic Pb isotope compositions overlap with the global sediment
values of Plank and Langmuir (1998) (Fig. 7). The BGs have higher
87
Sr/86 Sr and Pb isotope ratios compared to the DTGs (Figs. 6, 7).
The Akaki glasses have higher 207 Pb/204 Pb and 208 Pb/204 Pb for a
given 206 Pb/204 Pb compared to the Parekklisia glasses. Lead isotope
ratios are positively correlated with 87 Sr/86 Sr, Th/Nd and negatively
correlated with Ce/Pb (Fig. 7).
208 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214

Fig. 6. Variations of (A) Ce/Pb and (B) Th/Nd with 87 Sr/86 Sr. For Parekklisia glasses,
87
Sr/86 Sr is positively correlated with Th/Nd, and negatively correlated with Ce/Pb,
indicating that the slab component with low Ce/Pb and high Th/Nd has high
87
Sr/86 Sr similar to the subducting sediment averages of Plank and Langmuir
(1998).

5. Discussion

5.1. Stratigraphic relation between the DTGs and BGs, and other Troodos
lavas

Previous studies suggested that Troodos boninitic lavas may

have been erupted after the tholeiitic lavas (Cameron, 1985; König
et al., 2010; Portnyagin et al., 1997; Rautenschlein et al., 1985).
However, our detailed stratigraphic sampling at the Parekklisia sec-
tion shows that the DTGs and BGs are interbedded (Fig. 1), with no
systematic change in composition with stratigraphic age. Our field
observations indicate that the DTG and BG occur together in single
outcrops and were erupted contemporaneously. This implies that Fig. 7. Variations of 206 Pb/204 Pb with (A) 207 Pb/204 Pb, (B) 208 Pb/204 Pb and (C) Ce/Pb.
the UPL and LPL lava groups of Pearce and Robinson (2010) do not The low Ce/Pb slab component inferred from the negative correlation in (C) has
represent distinct stratigraphic units in this area. The Parekklisia a 206 Pb/204 Pb of about 19, and lies within the field of subducting sediments in
(A) and (B). Akaki and Parekklisia glasses define different arrays in (A) and (B),
section contrasts with the lava sequence in Akaki Canyon where suggesting that the Pb isotope composition of the slab component differed between
only tholeiitic lavas were sampled (Regelous et al., 2014). Our data, the northern and southern margins of Troodos. Black arrows indicate age correction
together with published Troodos glass and whole rock data (König for IBM lavas. Data sources as in Fig. 2 and 4.
et al., 2008; Osozawa et al., 2012; Pearce and Robinson, 2010;
Rautenschlein et al., 1985; Regelous et al., 2014) suggest that
boninites may be restricted to the southern margin of the ophi- dos lava stratigraphy also differs from that of the IBM fore-arc
olite. In neither of the (incomplete) sections through the Troodos crust, as discussed further in section 5.5.
lava pile at Akaki and Parekklisia are all of the geochemical lava Crawford et al. (1989) proposed that boninite magmatism com-
groups defined by Pearce and Robinson (2010) present. The Troo- monly starts at late stages or after oceanic crust production and
 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214 209

overlies tholeiitic magmatism. In the Izu–Bonin fore-arc and the

Betts Cove ophiolite (Bédard et al., 1998; Ishizuka et al., 2006),
tholeiites and boninites appear to have erupted separately. On the
other hand, interbedded tholeiitic and boninitic lavas have been
found in the Izu–Bonin fore-arc region (ODP Leg 125, Site 786;
Haraguchi and Ishii, 2007), and the Mariana fore-arc at DSDP Leg
60, Site 458 (Wood, 1981) and on Guam Island (Hickey-Vargas and
Reagan, 1987). The progression of melting processes, and the evo-
lution of mantle and lava compositions in fore-arcs may therefore
be less systematic than suggested.

5.2. Limited effects of fractional crystallisation and crustal assimilation

The BG samples display well-defined correlations of most ma-

jor elements with MgO whereas the DTGs have a more restricted
range in major and trace element composition (Figs. 2, 3). Both
groups lie at the high-MgO end of the Troodos glasses analysed
by Pearce and Robinson (2010). Small but significant differences
in TiO2 (Fig. 2), Na2 O and CaO at a given MgO between the DTGs
and BGs rule out a common parental melt for both groups. This
is supported by the differences in incompatible element and iso-
tope ratios, for example Ce/Pb varies by an order of magnitude.
The Ce/Pb ratios correlate positively with immobile (alteration-
resistant) trace element ratios such as Sm/Yb and Zr/Yb, indicating
that the range in trace element and isotope compositions in the
lavas result from mantle melting processes or mantle source het-
erogeneity. The TiO2 , SiO2 (Fig. 2), Al2 O3 , Na2 O and FeOt contents
increase, and CaO decreases with decreasing MgO within the BG
glasses. Both groups display a negative correlation of Ni with de-
creasing MgO, with slightly higher Ni in the DTGs. The decreasing
Ni, CaO and Sc concentrations with decreasing MgO indicate frac-
tional crystallisation of olivine and clinopyroxene, but high MgO
contents up to 9.7 wt% exclude substantial changes due to frac-
tional crystallisation.
The Troodos glasses generally have higher Cl/K2 O (0.10–0.37)
compared to mantle values (average of 0.09), and overlap with val-
ues for MORB from medium- to fast-spreading ridges (Kendrick et
al., 2014; Kovalenko et al., 2006; Michael and Schilling, 1989). High
Cl/K2 O ratios in MORB are thought to result from assimilation of
altered crustal material, but unlike the Akaki Canyon lavas, Cl/K2 O
does not increase with decreasing MgO in the Parekklisia lavas,
indicating that they have not experienced extensive assimilation
of hydrothermally altered crust during ascent. Rather, high Cl/K2 O
may reflect the influence of a slab-derived component affecting the
mantle source of the Parekklisia magmas, as also observed in Lau
back-arc basin glasses, which have Cl/K2 O ratios of 0.1 to 2.7 (Kent
et al., 2002).
5.3. A highly depleted mantle source for the Troodos boninites
The MREEs and HREEs together with Zr and Hf are moderately
incompatible and relatively immobile in subduction components,
and can be used as tracers of partial melting conditions in subduc-
tion zones, including the degree of melting and source depletion
(Pearce and Peate, 1995; Woodhead et al., 2001). The Parekklisia
glasses have Sm/Yb and Zr/Yb ratios which overlap with the de-
pleted (lower) end of the MORB array (Fig. 4) and with Akaki
Canyon lavas, but extend to more depleted values. Lower Sm/Yb
and Zr/Yb in the BGs indicate higher degrees of melt extraction
and mantle depletion compared to the DTGs. The low Zr/Yb ratios
of BGs cannot be generated by melting of a MORB-type mantle
source, but require melting of a source previously depleted by
melt extraction. The glasses from the Akaki Canyon section were
derived from a mantle source depleted by 1–2% partial melting
compared to normal spreading ridges (Regelous et al., 2014), and
the lower Zr/Yb ratios of the DTGs and BGs require the sources of
Fig. 8. Ti8 and Fe8 (TiO2 and FeOt contents of lavas (>5 wt% MgO) corrected for
crystal fractionation to MgO = 8 wt% using the observed liquid lines of descent)
of the Parekklisia and Akaki glasses. Shown for comparison are data for Mariana
back-arc lavas (Gribble et al., 1998), global MORB (Gale et al., 2013) and fore-arc
basalts (Reagan et al., 2010; Ishizuka et al., 2011). For Akaki lavas, Fe8 is correlated
positively with Ti8, and overlaps with back-arc lavas and some IBM fore-arc lavas.
The more depleted Parekklisia lavas have lower Ti8 for a given Fe8, but higher Ti8
than IBM fore-arc boninites (data sources as in Fig. 2). Grey symbols for melting
conditions are from Langmuir et al. (2006). Low Fe8 and Ti8 require a wet, relatively
hot and depleted mantle source.
these lavas to have been even more depleted. This extreme mantle
depletion is also evident in the decrease of Ti8 and Na8 (fraction-
ation corrected to 8 wt% MgO) from the DTGs to the BGs samples.
The lower Ti8, Na8 and Fe8 (Fig. 8) of back-arc and fore-arc vol-
canic rocks has been attributed to source depletion by previous
melt extraction and melting under hydrous conditions (Langmuir
et al., 2006). The Parekklisia and Akaki samples form an array
extending towards lower values of Ti8 (Fig. 8) and Na8 than all
back-arc lavas, suggesting melting of a highly depleted, hydrous
mantle source. A highly depleted mantle source is also evident
from the compositions of the Cr-rich spinel inclusions in high-Fo
olivines (Kamenetsky et al., 2001).
In order to determine the degree of source depletion recorded
by the DTGs and BGs, we used a similar approach to König et
al. (2010). The trace element composition of the subduction zone
modified source mantle prior to the melting event which created
the DTGs and BGs was calculated using the bulk partition coef-
ficients for mantle melting under hydrous (or anhydrous; Th and
U) conditions (McDade et al., 2003b). We assumed that Troodos
lavas represent 20% partial melts, which is a typical value for
subduction-related lavas (König et al., 2010; Tatsumi and Eggins,
1995). If the Parekklisia lavas were derived by a smaller degree of
melting, then the degree of source depletion calculated is a mini-
mum value. The HREE (i.e. Y, Er, Yb and Lu) of the calculated man-
tle source can then be used to estimate the degree of source de-
pletion, and the concentrations of more incompatible, fluid-soluble
elements in the source prior to fluid addition. We used the bulk
partition coefficients of McDade et al. (2003b) and the Depleted
MORB Mantle (DMM) composition of Workman and Hart (2005)
to calculate the degree of mantle wedge depletion. Comparing the
composition of the pre-subduction mantle with that of the mantle
source that melted to form the BGs and DTGs, we can then quan-
tify the contribution of the subduction component in both groups,
as discussed in section 5.4.
210 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214
Based on our calculations a DMM (Workman and Hart, 2005)
with lherzolite mineral mode (56.5% olivine + 28.7% orthopyrox-
ene + 14.1% clinopyroxene + 4% spinel) (McDade et al., 2003a)
approximately 6% batch melting is required to explain the low
HREE abundance of the subduction modified mantle wedge of the
DTGs (Sample: IEGZN0105; Fig. S2). To explain the HREE abun-
dance of the subduction modified mantle wedge of the BG (Sam-
ple: IEGZN0111) approximately 9% batch melting of the same man-
tle source as the DTG would be required. The interbedded occur-
rence of the DTGs and BGs requires melting of variably depleted
mantle on a scale smaller than the entire region of melt genera-
tion.
We note that the mantle source of the Parekklisia lavas was
considerably more depleted (refractory) than that of the Akaki
Canyon lavas on the northern margin of the ophiolite. Experiments
suggest that boninite magmas may require unusually hot man-
tle (Crawford et al., 1989; Sobolev et al., 1993), but variations of
mantle temperature on a scale of <40 km beneath the Troodos
ophiolite appear unlikely because the contemporaneous eruption
of DTGs and BGs indicates that both lava groups likely had sim-
ilar temperatures. Alternatively, variable initial levels of depletion
of the mantle, together with variable input of a slab component
beneath the northern and southern margins of the ophiolite can
explain much of the trace element variation in Troodos lavas, as
discussed below.
5.4. Addition of the subduction component: fluids or melts from
sediments
The Parekklisia lavas have trace element compositions charac-
teristic of subduction influenced magmas (Pearce, 1982), including
enrichment of Pb, U, Rb, Ba and other fluid-mobile elements rela-
tive to REE and HFSE of similar incompatibility (Fig. 3). The Ce/Pb
ratios of the Parekklisia lavas are similar to those of many island-
arc lavas, and lower than those of most lavas from back-arc basins
(Regelous et al., 2014). The enrichment of fluid-soluble elements
in subduction-related lavas is generally attributed to the addition
of these elements by hydrous melts or fluids, derived from either
subducted altered oceanic crust or sediments (Brenan et al., 1995;
Kessel et al., 2005; Plank, 2005).
Trace element ratios indicate that the subduction component
input is highest in the BGs, lower in the DTGs, and lowest in the
Akaki glasses. The Ce/Pb ratios of ∼1 in some Parekklisia lavas
are as low as in many arc lavas indicating that most of the Pb
is slab-derived. Assuming an initial Ce/Pb ratio of a DMM of ∼30
(Workman and Hart, 2005), then >96% of the Pb in the sample
with the lowest Ce/Pb (Sample: IEGZN0176) was slab-derived, and
this is a minimum estimate if Ce is also in part derived from the
slab. The boninitic Parekklisia glasses with the lowest Zr/Yb (i.e.
the lavas from the most depleted source) also have the lowest
Ce/Pb ratios (i.e. the highest relative subduction component con-
tribution), whereas the lavas of Akaki Canyon have higher Zr/Yb
and higher Ce/Pb (Fig. 4). The relative subduction component input
thus increases with increasing source depletion. This could reflect
the fact that the more depleted source of the BGs was more sen-
sitive to subduction component addition, or a greater subduction
flux to the source of the BGs, as discussed below.
We can quantify the contribution of the slab-derived compo-
nent to the total budget of other trace elements by comparing
the difference in trace element content of the mantle sources
that melted to form the Parekklisia lavas, and the composition of
the mantle immediately following depletion as calculated in sec-
tion 5.3. Highly incompatible and fluid-mobile trace element abun-
dances in the DTGs and BGs including Th (97–99%), Nb (97–99%),
La (85–98%) and Sr (92–94%) are almost completely controlled by
the slab derived material, whereas Sm (27–34%) and Y (5–6%) are
less affected. Although the estimates of subducting slab contri-
bution using this method may not be very precise, they give an
indication of the composition of the slab component. The calcu-
lated contribution of subducted materials to the budget of most
incompatible elements, in μg per g of mantle, was broadly similar
for sources of both the BGs and DTGs (Fig. S3). Lower Ce/Pb ratios
in the BGs compared to the DTGs therefore result from the greater
depletion of the mantle source of the former, rather than a greater
slab flux.
The BGs and DTGs lavas with the lowest Ce/Pb ratios also have
the highest 87 Sr/86 Sr and 207 Pb/204 Pb ratios (Figs. 6, 7), consis-
tent with the involvement of subducted materials to the Sr and
Pb budget of these lavas. The negative correlations between Ce/Pb
and Pb isotope ratios indicate that the subduction component had
206
Pb/204 Pb >18.72, 207 Pb/204 Pb >15.62 and 208 Pb/204 Pb >38.88.
Both the Parekklisia and the Akaki Canyon lavas extend to higher
207
Pb/204 Pb and 208 Pb/204 Pb isotope ratios for a given 206 Pb/204 Pb
than most mid-ocean ridge basalts, similar to previously published
data for Troodos lavas (Fig. 7). The most radiogenic Pb isotope
compositions overlap with global subducting sediments (Fig. 7),
indicating that the slab component affecting the Parekklisia lavas
originated at least in part from subducting sediment. In Pb isotope
space, the Akaki and Parekklisia glasses define separate arrays,
indicating that the composition of the sediment component was
different in these two regions (Fig. 7).
Trace element ratios can be used to determine whether the
slab component was a hydrous fluid or a melt derived from sedi-
ment. Parekklisia lavas have Ce/Pb ratios that are lower, and Sr/Nd
(Fig. 9) ratios higher than average subducting sediments or sed-
iment melts, indicating that a fluid phase was at least partly
responsible for Sr and Pb enrichment in the source of these
lavas. In contrast, both Th and Nd are generally immobile in low-
temperature fluids (Brenan et al., 1995) and thus the Th/Nd ra-
tio of the lavas is mainly controlled by mantle composition and
melts from subducting sediment, rather than a fluid phase (Plank
and Langmuir, 1993). Sediments have higher Th/Nd than the up-
per mantle, and experiments under relevant P–T conditions show
that due to the higher incompatibility of Th compared to Nd
during melting, Th/Nd is higher in sediment melts (Johnson and
Plank, 2000). The calculated compositions of melts from global
subducting sediment of Plank and Langmuir (1998), using the ex-
perimental determined partition coefficients of Johnson and Plank
(2000) yield Th/Nd ratios of >0.25 for sediment melt and Th/Nd
<0.15 for sediment fluid (Fig. 9). The BGs have elevated Th/Nd
ratios up to 0.28 (Fig. 9) indicating the influence of a sediment
melt. Re-enrichment of the source of the Troodos lavas by melts is
also evident in their relatively high Nb contents. Niobium, Zr and
Yb are immobile in slab-derived fluids (Pearce and Peate, 1995)
and so Nb/Yb and Zr/Yb ratios in the Parekklisia glasses would
be expected to lie on an extension of the linear array formed
by MORB, as neither ratio is affected by fluid addition. However,
Troodos lavas have higher Nb/Yb for a given Zr/Yb, compared to
oceanic basalts (Fig. 4). The negative correlation of Nb/Yb with
Zr/Yb (Fig. 4) is most consistent with addition of Nb by a melt
phase, following the depletion event(s) that led to low Zr/Yb. In
contrast, later depletion of an initially fluid- and melt-enriched
source would produce positive arrays in Fig. 4, parallel to, but dis-
placed above the MORB array. The enrichment of Nb as well as Th
by a melt component is also evident from the negative correlation
of Nb/La and Th/Nd with Ce/Pb (Fig. 5).
The influence of both hydrous fluids and melts can be seen
from the distribution of the Troodos data in Fig. 9. Addition of
fluid decreases the 143 Nd/144 Nd ratio of the mantle, with little ef-
fect on Th/Nd (Fig. 9). Subsequent mixing of a sediment melt leads
to the negative correlation of Th/Nd and 143 Nd/144 Nd observed
in Troodos lavas towards the estimated composition of sediment
 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214
Fig. 9. Variations of (A) Sr/Nd and (B) 143 Nd/144 Nd with Th/Nd. Increasing Sr/Nd
with increasing Th/Nd in the DTG samples could result from a contribution of
hydrous fluid and melt from subducted sediments. Increasing Th/Nd at constant
Sr/Nd in the BG results from addition of a sediment melt with high Th/Nd. In (B),
DTGs have lower 143 Nd/144 Nd than DMM (Workman and Hart, 2005) consistent
with addition of a hydrous fluid from sediment. Negative correlation of Th/Nd with
143
Nd/144 Nd for the BGs indicates the contribution of a hydrous melt of sediment.
See text for discussion. Fluid and melt composition of GLOSS (Plank and Langmuir,
1998) were calculated using the experimental determined partition coefficients of
Johnson and Plank (2000). Additional Troodos data from König et al. (2008) and
Osozawa et al. (2012).
melts (Fig. 9). The high Sr/Nd ratios of the Troodos lavas also indi-
cate the influence of a hydrous fluid, and for the DTGs and Akaki
lavas, Th/Nd ratios increase with increasing Sr/Nd, indicating a con-
current small enrichment by a hydrous melt (Fig. 9). In contrast,
Troodos boninites form a horizontal array towards higher Th/Nd at
constant Sr/Nd (∼30) indicating the influence of a melt component
as discussed above.
The initially highly depleted mantle source of the Parekklisia
lavas was thus enriched by both fluids and melts, at different
times, prior to the melting event beneath the former spreading
ridge. Our data confirm previous conclusions, that the source of
Troodos lavas was affected by both hydrous fluids and melts from
subducting materials, including sediment (Fonseca et al., 2017;
Golowin et al., 2017; König et al., 2008; Portnyagin et al., 1997;
Rautenschlein et al., 1985; Regelous et al., 2014). Re-enrichment
of a highly depleted mantle source by small degree melts derived
from subducting materials has also been reported for boninites
from other localities worldwide (Crawford et al., 1981; Hickey and
Frey, 1982; König et al., 2010; Reagan et al., 2010; Yajima and Fu-
jimaki, 2001).
211
5.5. Was the Troodos ophiolite formed during subduction initiation in
a fore-arc setting?
The precise tectonic setting of the Troodos ophiolite is still
debated but there is the consensus that, like other SSZ ophio-
lites, it probably formed at a spreading centre in the vicinity of
a subduction zone (Pearce and Robinson, 2010). The Akaki Canyon
lavas have some similarities to lavas from back-arc spreading cen-
tres (Regelous et al., 2014), whereas boninites are predominantly
found in fore-arc, and less commonly in back-arc and arc loca-
tions (Cooper et al., 2010; Rubin et al., 2009). The Tonga and
Izu–Bonin–Marianas (IBM) fore-arc crust is thought to have formed
at short-lived spreading centres shortly after subduction initia-
tion, and includes boninites as well as other lavas with a sub-
duction input (Ishizuka et al., 2006, 2011; Reagan et al., 2010).
Several authors have suggested that SSZ ophiolites, including Troo-
dos, formed in a fore-arc setting as a result of spreading during
subduction initiation (Dilek and Furnes, 2009; Dilek and Thy, 2009;
Pearce and Robinson, 2010; Stern and Bloomer, 1992; Stern et al.,
2012). Recent sampling of the IBM fore-arc region revealed an ap-
parently progressive change in magma compositions, with increas-
ing source depletion and subduction zone influence with decreas-
ing stratigraphic age. The oldest lavas, so-called ‘fore-arc basalts’
(FAB) have chemical affinities to MORB, with variable depletion of
the LREE, and TiO2 contents >1 wt%. FAB magmatism is followed
by lavas that are more depleted in HFSE, but enriched in the LREE
and fluid-mobile elements and have compositions intermediate be-
tween boninites and FAB (Ishizuka et al., 2006; Reagan et al., 2010;
Whattam and Stern, 2011). Boninites normally overlie the interme-
diate lavas and FAB.
We compiled major and trace element data for boninites, FAB
and transitional lavas from the IBM fore-arc to compare with Troo-
dos lavas. Whole-rock FAB from the IBM fore-arc show slight en-
richment in fluid-mobile elements including Rb, Ba and Pb (Reagan
et al., 2010; Fig. 3), although analysed fresh glasses of FAB show al-
most no enrichment in fluid-mobile elements (Reagan et al., 2010).
FAB glasses thus show similar degrees of source depletion (e.g. low
Zr/Yb and Sm/Yb) as the Akaki lavas (Regelous et al., 2014), but
are less enriched in fluid-mobile elements. The FAB and transi-
tional lavas show enrichments of fluid mobile elements towards
the composition of the IBM arc lavas, which are dominated by
fluids from altered oceanic crust (AOC), whereas in Troodos, the
Akaki lavas and the DTGs extend towards higher values of Th/Nd
and are overall more enriched in Th (Fig. 5). Lavas with the ex-
act trace-element composition of FABs are not found in the Akaki
and Parekklisia sections, although some Akaki lavas partly over-
lap in composition with FABs from the IBM fore-arc. However,
the compositions of boninites from the IBM region and Troodos
differ in several important respects. Fractionation corrected Fe8
and Ti8 values show distinct differences in major elements be-
tween Troodos glasses in the north and south. FAB, boninites and
arc lavas from the IBM region form an array towards lower Ti8
and Fe8 (Fig. 8), suggesting increasing water content and degree
of depletion of the mantle source. Parekklisia lavas overlap in
Fe8 with IBM arc lavas, boninites and with Akaki Canyon lavas
(Fig. 8). Akaki Canyon lavas tend to higher Ti8 similar to Mari-
ana back-arc basalts (Fig. 8). Compared to the boninitic glasses of
Parekklisia, the boninites of the IBM fore-arc have higher Sm/Yb
and Zr/Yb ratios, overlapping in Sm/Yb with Akaki Canyon lavas
and the DTGs. The Zr/Yb ratios are distinctively higher in IBM
boninites and overlap with enriched MORB (Sun and McDonough,
1989) and are displaced from the MORB array in Fig. 4, indicat-
ing an enrichment of Zr. This enrichment in Zr relative to Sm is
also present in some IBM transitional lavas. Lead isotope ratios of
the IBM boninites and FAB overlap in part with the Parekklisia
DTGs and BGs indicating a role for subducted sediment in both
212 D. Woelki et al. / Earth and Planetary Science Letters 498 (2018) 203–214
Fig. 10. Modified schematic stratigraphic section through Bonin fore-arc crust
(Ishizuka et al., 2011) compared to the lava stratigraphy observed in the Akaki
Canyon (Regelous et al., 2014) and Parekklisia sections (this study). The Troodos
stratigraphy lacks early FAB and later arc tholeiites and calc-alkaline lavas.
settings, but the IBM lavas extend to less radiogenic 207 Pb/204 Pb
and 208 Pb/204 Pb ratios (Fig. 7). Akaki lavas have similar 206 Pb/204 Pb
and 207 Pb/204 Pb ratios to IBM arc lavas (Fig. 7). The enrichment of
fluid-mobile elements (including Pb) overlaps in the Troodos and
IBM boninites, whereas Nb/La ratios of IBM boninites are much
lower, extending towards the composition of IBM arc lavas (Fig. 5).
The Troodos BGs are unique among boninites worldwide in their
extremely low Zr/Yb (source depletion), coupled with both low
Ce/Pb (fluid enrichment) and high Nb/Yb (melt enrichment) ra-
tios. In contrast, IBM boninites are enriched in Zr but not Nb,
and the high Zr/Sm and Zr/Yb in IBM boninites have been at-
tributed to residual amphibole and titanite (Hickey and Frey, 1982;
König et al., 2010).
In summary, Troodos DTGs, BGs and Akaki glasses have dif-
ferent compositions to IBM fore-arc lavas, and the geochemical
stratigraphy of Troodos lavas also differs from that proposed for
the IBM fore-arc crust (Fig. 10). In Troodos there are no lavas re-
sembling FAB, and Troodos and IBM fore-arc lavas define different
arrays in incompatible trace element diagrams, indicating a differ-
ent depletion and slab-enrichment history. The Troodos boninitic
lavas were derived from a more depleted source, suggesting that
a subduction zone already existed prior to spreading. We sug-
gest that the apparent geographical variations in Troodos lavas,
from back-arc like lavas on the northern margin of the ophio-
lite, to highly depleted boninitic lavas with a stronger subduction
component in the south, could be explained if the Troodos ophi-
olite formed at a ridge–trench–trench/transform triple junction
(Regelous et al., 2014), with the trench located south of the present
southern margin of Troodos. This hypothesis could be tested by
mapping out the geographic chemical variations within the Troo-
dos lava pile with data from additional sections.
6. Conclusions
Fresh volcanic glasses from the Parekklisia section on the south-
ern margin of the Troodos ophiolite can be divided into two dis-
tinct groups (boninites and depleted tholeiites) on the basis of
their geochemistry. Boninites were derived from a mantle source
depleted by about 9% previous melt extraction, whereas the source
of the tholeiites was less depleted (6%). The sources of all lavas
were subsequently enriched by both fluids and small-degree melts,
derived in part from subducted sediment. Combined with previ-
ously published data for Troodos volcanic glasses, the Parekklisia
lavas form arrays in trace element diagrams that differ from those
for IBM fore-arc lavas. The differences in the compositions of
boninites from Troodos and IBM, the lack of ‘fore-arc basalt’ com-
positions in Troodos, and the lack of any systematic chemical evo-
lution with time within the Troodos lava pile, suggests that this
ophiolite was not formed as a result of subduction initiation.
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemein-
schaft, grant RE 3020/11-1. We acknowledge the Smithsonian In-
stitution for providing electron microprobe standards. We thank
Helene Brätz and Reiner Klemd for their support during the LA-
ICP-MS analysis, and Patrick Hoyer for help with sample collection
and isotope analysis.
Appendix A. Supplementary material
Supplementary material related to this article can be found on-
line at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.06.041.
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