Osmium isotope constraints on lower crustal recycling and pluton preservation at Lassen Volcanic Center, CA

Osmium isotope compositions of intermediate- to silicic-composition calc-alkaline volcanic rocks from the Lassen volcanic region of the Cascade arc are significantly more radiogenic (γ_Os=+23 to +224) than typical mantle. These evolved arc rocks in the Lassen region have unradiogenic Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope compositions which overlap with those of contemporaneous mafic lavas. Crystal fractionation of mafic- to intermediate-composition magmas produces Re/Os ratios that are high enough to evolve to very radiogenic Os isotope compositions in only a few million years, providing a potential fingerprint for detecting the involvement of such young, relatively mafic crust in magmatic systems. However, the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope compositions will remain constant over such short time intervals due to relatively low parent/daughter enrichment during magmatic evolution. The radiogenic Os isotope compositions in typically evolved Lassen rocks are interpreted to reflect significant interaction with lower crustal material that has radiogenic Os isotope compositions. Beneath this section of the Cascade arc, large amounts of such high-γ_Os lower crust may have formed and been isolated from MASH zone mixing and homogenization processes during the Pliocene or Late Miocene. The results from this study indicate that Os isotopes may provide a unique glimpse into lower crustal processes, such as recycling, in primitive orogenic arcs.