Elsevier, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1-3(85), p. 105-116
DOI: 10.1016/0012-821x(87)90025-2
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Archean komatiites, high-Mg basalts and tholeiites from the North Star Basalt and the Mount Ada Basalt formations of the Talga-Talga Subgroup, Warrawoona Group, Pilbara Block, Western Australia, define a linear correlation on the normal143Nd/144Nd vs.147Sm/144Nd isochron plot. The data give an age of 3712 ± 98 Ma and initialεNd(T) of +1.64 ± 0.40. The 3712 ± 98 Ma date is consistent with the regional stratigraphic sequence and available age data and the SmNd linear array may be interpreted as an isochron giving the eruption age of the Talga-Talga Subgroup. An alternative interpretation is that the isochron represents a mixing line giving a pre-volcanism age for the Subgroup. Consideration of geochemical and isotopic data indicates that the true eruptive age of the Talga-Talga Subgroup is possibly closer to about 3500 Ma. Regardless of the age interpretation, the new Nd isotopic data support an existence of ancient LREE-depleted reservoirs in the early Archean mantle, and further suggest that source regions for the Pilbara volcanic rocks were isotopically heterogeneous, withεNd(T) values ranging from at least 0 to +4.0.