Petrogenetic significance of rare-earth element behavior in the basement rocks of southern Obudu Plateau, Bamenda Massif, southeastern Nigeria

Rock samples representing various igneous and metamorphic rocks of southern Obudu Plateau were analyzed for rare-earth element (REE) behavior by ICP-MS. Results of the analyses indicate a range of REE abundances and distinctive patterns from highly fractionated patterns with negative Eu anomalies in granitic rocks to relatively low abundances and less REE fractionated flat patterns with little Eu anomaly in some paragneisses, schists, enderbites and dolerites to unfractionated patterns with positive Eu anomalies in some paragneisses and charnockites. Over all, there are low to high ∑REE contents with negative to positive Eu anomalies. The ratios of different parameters, especially La/Yb and Ce/Yb, show behaviors consistent with crustal to mantle derivation. The heterogeneity of REE abundances and REE patterns reflects mantle to crustal petrogenetic variations of different rock suites on the Plateau. The LREE content is higher than the HREE content in the highly differentiated rocks, as evidenced by their La/Yb, Ce/Yb and La/Sm ratios, which are normally higher in residual products than in primary melts. The dominantly intermediate nature of the source rock of the orthogneisses is suggested by the generally low {∑REE}. The granites enriched in LREE and depleted in HREE and some of the charnockites with negative Eu anomalies were probably formed by partial melting and crystallization.