ABSTRACT

Nine basaltic rocks from the New Georgia Group, the Solomon Islands, have been analyzed for REE, Ba and Sr abundances, Sr and Nd isotopic ratios, and major element compositions. Nd and Sr isotopic ratios of four olivine basalts and two picrite basalts fall in restricted ranges, suggesting that these rocks have a common source. REE patterns of six of these basaltic rocks have the following features: (1) The patterns have no intersection with each other, (2) All of the patterns possess a common fine structure of convex curve around Nd-Gd-Dy, and (3) Inclination of light REE span increases with increase of REE concentration. REE pattern analysis of the basalts leads to inferences that (A) a linear REE partition coefficient function with a sharp break at Ho has operated in the generation of the olivine basalts by the Rayleigh fractional crystallization of a picrite basalt magma, and (B) the absolute magnitudes of the partition coefficients did not change substantially during the magmatic differentiation.