The composition of gases trapped in olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene in Iherzolite xenoliths collected from different locations in eastern China has been measured by the vacuum stepped-heating mass spectrometry. These xenoliths are hosted in alkali basalts and considered as residues of partial melting of the upper mantle, and may contain evidence of mantle evolution. The results show that various kinds of fluid inclusions in Iherzolite xenoliths have been released at distinct times, which could be related to different stages of mantle evolution. In general, primitive fluids of the upper mantle (PFUM) beneath eastern China are dominated by H2, CO2 and CO, and are characterized by high contents of H2 and reduced gases. The compositions of PFUM are highly variable and related to tectonic settings. CO, CO2 and H2 are the main components of the PFUM beneath cratons; the PFUM in the mantle enriched in potassic metasomatism in the northern part of northeastern China has a high content of H2, while CO2 and SO2 are the dominant components of the PFUM in the Su-Lu-Wan (Jiangsu-Shandong-Anhui) region, where recycled crustal fluids were mixed with deeper mantle components. There are several fluids with distinct compositions beneath eastern China, such as primitive fluids of upper mantle (CO, CO2 and H2), partial melting fluids (CO2 and CO) and metasomatic fluids mixed with recycled crustal fluids (CO2, N2, SO2 and CH4) etc. Fluids of the upper mantle beneath the North China craton are different from that of the South China craton in total gases and chemical compositions: the contents of the reduced gases of the PFUM in the NCC are higher than those in the SCC.
The ophiolites from the Yarlung Zangbo River (Tibet), Southwestern China, were analysed for the contents of helium and neon and their isotopic compositions by stepwise heating. The serpentinites from Bainang showed a high 3He/4He value of 32.66R a (R a is referred to the 3He/4He ratio in the present air) in 700°C fraction. At lower temperature, all of the dolerites displayed as very high 3He/4He ratios as ones investigated for hotspots. It was clear that the high 3He/4He ratio was one of immanent characterics in the magma source formed the dolerites, suggesting that there was a large amount of deep mantle fluids in these rocks. In the three-isotope diagram of neon, the data points from the ophiolites of the Yarlung Zangbo River were arranged along the Loihi Line. This is in agreement with the characteristics of helium isotopes, revealing that the high-3He plume from deep mantle had played an important role in the formation of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean. The helium isotopic compositions in the basalts were far higher than atomospheric value but lower than the average value of MORB, although there were various degrees of alteration. The possible reasons were that basaltic magmas had been contaminated by crust-derived fluids.
Fluid inclusions in olivine and orthopyroxene of mantle peridotites from the Yushigou ophiolite can be divided into three types based on decrepitation temperature,shape and distribution.Type-1 fluid inclusions are characterized by oval or negative crystal shapes and small size(<5μm across).They occur in the cores and mantles of the host crystals,and decrepitated at>840℃.Type- 2 fluid inclusions have irregular or tabular shapes with relatively large size(10～100μm in length).They occur in irregular or circular healed micro-fractures in the host crystals,and decrepitated at 612～710℃.Type-3 fluid inclusions have size and shape,similar to type-2 fluid inclusions but occur in micro-fractures restricted to the margins of the host crystals,and decrepitated at much lower temperature from 190℃to 340℃.The three different types of fluid inclusions are interpreted to represent primary,metasomatic (pseudo-secondary)and secondary inclusions,respectively.Stepwise heating reveals three concentration peaks of volatiles at 200～400℃,400～800℃and 800～1200℃released from olivine and orthopyroxene in harzburgite and dunite from the Yushigou ophiolite, which are considered to correspond to the decrepitation of secondary,metasomatic and primary fluid inclusions at similar temperature ranges.CO2 is a major constituent in the volatiles released at three different temperature intervals.Trace amounts of H_2 and N_2 are present in the volatiles released at<800℃and trace amounts of H_2O and SO_2 are mainly present in the volatiles at 400～800℃.TheδD(-95.2‰,-306.3‰)of H_2O and theδ^(13)C(-15.5～-12.5‰)andδ^(18)O values(1.4～1.9‰)of CO_2 released at<800℃are lower than normal mantle values and suggest the mixing origin of crustal fluids( sedimentary organic)with ocean water,implying that Yushigou AOLM had undergone an intensive metasomatism by a fluid composed of CO_2.H_2O and SO_2,and followed by degassing. In contrast,the volatiles released at 800～1200℃are characterized by trace amounts of H_2 and
