An extensive comparison between world-wide occurrences of mantle glasses in
both continental and oceanic settings is presented here. Several localitie
s were chosen on the basis of the available major (and trace) element data,
coupled with a clear identification of the nature of the metasomatizing ag
ents. Xenoliths bearing amphibole and/or phlogopite, which can strongly aff
ect the glass chemistry, were not considered. Despite their considerable ge
ochemical variability world-wide, glasses are rather homogeneous within sin
gle xenoliths and their main geochemical features are broadly maintained in
the same area. Orthopyroxene always plays a major role in glass genesis, a
s suggested by the relationship between its presence in the primary assembl
age and the silica saturation degree, as well as by the FeO vs. SiO2 decrea
sing trends. At the same time, the absence of any correlation between mg# a
nd SiO2 rules out the possibility of glass chemistry resulting from (or bei
ng affected by) secondary mineral fractionation. Thus, the geochemical feat
ures of mantle glasses are a powerful tool for investigating the nature of
the metasomatic melts. According to available data, glasses in mantle xenol
iths from Gran Comore, Samoa, Spitsbergen, Mongolia and Hoggar have been re
lated to carbonatite metasomatism, whereas glasses in mantle xenoliths from
Mt. Lessini, Hawaii, Cape Verde and Yitong have been related to metasomati
sm by alkali silicate basic melts. Moreover, the distinctly different alkal
i contents in Mt. Lessini and Hawaii glasses as compared with those of Cape
Verde and Yitong allow a sodic signature to be attributed to the alkali si
licate metasomatic melt of the former with respect to a potassic characteri
stic of the latter. Glasses related to carbonatite metasomatism are charact
erized by high CaO, Na2O and low SiO2 and K2O contents, with Na2O/K2O ratio
s usually greater than 2; they tend to have the highest Nb and LREE and the
lowest Zr and Ti contents. On the other hand, glasses related to K-alkali
silicate metasomatism are mainly characterized by high SiO2 and K2O and low
CaO and NaO contents, with Na2O/K2O ratios less than 1; they generally pre
sent higher Rb and lower Nb and REE contents. Glasses related to Na-alkali
silicate metasomatism are characterized by SiO2 contents comparable to thos
e related to K-alkali silicate metasomatism, but present higher Na2O conten
ts (in any case lower than those of carbonatite metasomatism), with Na2O/K2
O ratios usually ranging between 1 and 2. On these bases, diagrams for disc
riminating between carbonatite- and Na-alkali or K-alkali silicate-related
metasomatism are presented. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser
ved.