This is an integrated petrological and geochemical study of the 630-650 m.y. old Egersund dikes from SW Norway. The dikes are remarkably fresh, are relatively unoxidized, and contain glass. They provide an outstanding opportunity to study the high-pressure evolution (via fractionation and assimilation) of continental basalts, and to study assimilation processes in detail. The proposed research, involves acquisition of microprobe data for phenocryst, megacryst, xenocryst and xenolith phases, whole-rock major (including Fe2O3 and FeO) and trace element data for dikes, glasses, melt areas in xenoliths and whole xenoliths, and limited isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) data for dikes and xenoliths. These data will be used to model the evolution of the magmas, and place constraints on the mantle source region using data from the least involved, uncontaminated dikes.
