NSF Org:	EAR Division Of Earth Sciences
Recipient:	WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION
Initial Amendment Date:	January 7, 2004
Latest Amendment Date:	December 17, 2004
Award Number:	0337677
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Sonia Esperanca EAR  Division Of Earth Sciences GEO  Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date:	January 1, 2004
End Date:	December 31, 2007 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$299,725.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$299,725.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2004 = $299,725.00
History of Investigator:	Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink (Principal Investigator) behrenbrink@whoi.edu Peter Kelemen (Former Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 266 WOODS HOLE RD WOODS HOLE MA  US  02543-1535 (508)289-3542
Sponsor Congressional District:	09
Primary Place of Performance:	Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 266 WOODS HOLE RD WOODS HOLE MA  US  02543-1535
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	09
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	GFKFBWG2TV98
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	Petrology and Geochemistry, Marine Geology and Geophysics
Primary Program Source:	app-0104
Program Reference Code(s):	0000, OTHR
Program Element Code(s):	157300, 162000
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.050

ABSTRACT

Kelemen
EAR-0337677

Formation, alteration and subduction of oceanic crust are fundamental processes of Earth's ongoing chemical differentiation. The chemical transformations of oceanic crust from igneous accretion to subduction are of fundamental importance to constraining the chemical evolution of the Earth. While the chemical composition of upper oceanic crust has been studied using multiple shallow drill holes, our knowledge of middle and lower oceanic crust is limited to ophiolite sections and few drill holes into deeper oceanic crust. This project is aimed at investigating refractory cumulate gabbros and complementary lavas from well studied sections in the southernmost massifs in the Oman ophiolite, that overlap compositionally with the depleted end of the mid-ocean-ridge compositional spectrum. Two important hypothesis will be tested: 1) The lower oceanic crust is the main reservoir of platinum group elements (PGE) in the oceanic crust, and 2) The average rhenium/osmium in lavas is higher than that in corresponding cumulates. The project also aims at identifying important PGE carrier phases to better understand magmatic fractionation of these elements, and investigating the effects of hydrothermal alteration on the PGE budget of the oceanic crust. Complementary isotope, major and trace element, as well as petrographic and mineral analyses will be carried out to place the Re/Os/PGE data in a broader geochemical context. Results from this study will significantly improve our understanding of chemical interaction between the oceans, crust and mantle.

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