The Gumeshevo skarn-porphyry copper deposits in the Central Urals,Russia: Evolution of the ore-magmatic system as deduced from isotope geochemistry (Sr,Nd, C,O, H)

The Early Devonian Gumeshevo deposit is one of the largest ore objects pertaining to the dioritic model of the porphyry copper system paragenetically related to the low-K quartz diorite island-arc complex. The (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_t and (ɛ_Nd)_t of quartz diorite calculated for t = 390 Ma are 0.7038–0.7045 and 5.0–5.1, respectively, testifying to a large contribution of the mantle component to the composition of this rock. The contents of typomorphic trace elements (ppm) are as follows: 30–48 REE sum, 5–10 Rb, 9–15 Y, and 1–2 Nb. The REE pattern is devoid of Eu anomaly. Endoskarn of low-temperature and highly oxidized amphibole-epidote-garnet facies is surrounded by the outer epidosite zone. Widespread retrograde metasomatism is expressed in replacement of exoskarn and marble with silicate (chlorite, talc, tremolite)-magnetite-quartz-carbonate mineral assemblage. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of epidote in endoskarn and carbonate in retrograde metasomatic rocks (0.7054–0.7058 and 0.7053–0.7065, respectively) are intermediate between the Sr isotope ratios of quartz dioritic rocks and marble (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.70784 ± 2). Isotopic parameters of the fluid equilibrated with silicates of skarn and retrograde metasomatic rocks replacing exoskarn at 400°C are δ¹⁸O = +7.4 to +8.5‰ and δD = −49 to −61‰ (relative to SMOW). The δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O of carbonates in retrograde metasomatic rocks after marble are −5.3 to +0.6 (relative to PDB) and +13.0 to +20.2% (relative to SMOW), respectively. Sulfidation completes metasomatism, nonuniformly superimposed on all metasomatic rocks and marbles with formation of orebodies, including massive sulfide ore. The δ³⁴S of sulfides is 0 to 2‰ (relative to CDT);⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of calcite from the late calcite-pyrite assemblage replacing marble is 0.704134 ± 6. The δ¹³C and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of postore veined carbonates correlate positively (r = 0.98; n = 6). The regression line extends to the marble field. Its opposite end corresponds to magmatic (in terms of Bowman, 1998b) calcite with minimal δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values (−6.9 ‰, +6.7‰, and 0.70378 ± 4, respectively). The aforementioned isotopic data show that magmatic fluid was supplied during all stages of mineral formation and interacted with marble and other rocks, changing its Sr, C, and O isotopic compositions. This confirms the earlier established redistribution of major elements and REE in the process of metasomatism. A contribution of meteoric and metamorphic water is often established in quartz from postore veins.     

Mesoarchean gabbroanorthosite magmatism of the Kola region: Petrochemical, geochronological, and isotope-geochemical data

The paper presents results of petrochemical, geochemical, and isotope-geochemical study of the Patchemvarek and Severnyi gabbroanorthosite massifs of the Kola Peninsula. It was shown that the rocks of these massifs differ from the gabbroanorthosite massifs of the Neoarchean Keivy-Kolmozero Complex in the more calcic composition (70–85% An) of normative plagioclase, and low contents of TiO₂, FeO, and Fe₂O₃. In terms of chemical composition, the gabbroanorthosites of the studied massifs are close to the rocks of the Fisken?sset Complex (Southwestern Greenland) and to the anorthosites of the Vermillion Lake Complex (Canada). U-Pb zircon dating established Mesoarchean ages of 2925 ± 7 and 2935 ± 8 Ma for the gabbroan-orthosites of the Patchemvarek and Severnyi massifs, respectively. It was shown that the gabbroanorthosites of the studied massifs have fairly low REE contents (Ce _n = 2.2−4.2, Yb _n = 1.6−2.6) and distinct positive Eu anomaly. Comagmatic ultrabasic differentiates have practically unfractionated REE pattern, low total REE contents (Ce _n = 1.2, Yb _n = 1.1, La/Yb _n = 1.3), and no Eu anomaly. The studied samples of the Archean gabbroanorthosites are characterized by positive ε_Nd = +2.68 for the gabbroanorthosites of the Severnyi Massif and from + 2.77 to + 1.66 for the Patchemvarek Massif. Initial strontium isotope ratios are ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr _i = 0.70204 ± 8 and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr _i = 0.70258 ± 8 for the rocks of the Severnyi and Patchemvarek massifs, respectively. Our study showed that the obtained U-Pb zircon ages for the gabbroanorthosites of the Patchemvarek and Severnyi massifs represent the oldest date for the Kola peninsula, thus marking the oldest, Mesoarchean stage in the evolution of region. The differences in the initial ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios between the Neoarchean gabbroanorthosites of the Keivy-Kolmozero Complex and the Mesoarchean gabbroanorthosites of the studied massifs suggest the existence of two mantle sources. One of them produced intrusions with an age of 2.67–2.66 Ga, while other was responsible for the formation of massifs with an age of 2.93–2.92 Ga. The composition and temperature of “parental” melt of the gabbroanorthosites were simulated using COMAGMAT-3.5 program. According to the calculations, the parental melt represented aluminous basalt, whose differentiation at T = 1280°C and P = 7 kbar at the crust-mantle boundary was accompanied by plagioclase floatation and formation of “crystal mesh” that produced anorthosite complexes. The gabbroanorthosies of the Patchemvarek and Severnyi massifs were presumably derived from MORB-type basalts of oceanic settings, while the Tsaga, Achinskii, and other anorthosite massifs of the Neoarchean age were generated from subalkaline magma formed in within-plate anorogenic setting. Sm-Nd isotope data suggest the existence of several mantle sources in the Kola region, which produced melts for different-age gabbroanorthosite massifs since Mesoarchean to the middle Paleoproterozoic. The Archean-Early Proterozoic anorthosite magmatism of the Kola region records a complete cycle (∼ 800 Ma) of the formation and consolidation of continental block.     

Plutonism in the Variscan Odenwald (Germany): from subduction to collision

 Latest Devonian to early Carboniferous plutonic rocks from the Odenwald accretionary complex reflect the transition from a subduction to a collisional setting. For ∼362 Ma old gabbroic rocks from the northern tectonometamorphic unit I, initial isotopic compositions (ε_Nd=+3.4 to +3.8;⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr =0.7035–0.7053;δ¹⁸O=6.8–8.0‰) and chemical signatures (e.g., low Nb/Th, Nb/U, Ce/Pb, Th/U, Rb/Cs) indicate a subduction-related origin by partial melting of a shallow depleted mantle source metasomatized by water-rich, large ion lithophile element-loaded fluids. In the central (unit II) and southern (unit III) Odenwald, syncollisional mafic to felsic granitoids were emplaced in a transtensional setting at approximately 340–335 Ma B.P. Unit II comprises a mafic and a felsic suite that are genetically unrelated. Both suites are intermediate between the medium-K and high-K series and have similar initial Nd and Sr signatures (ε_Nd=0.0 to –2.5;⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.7044–0.7056) but different oxygen isotopic compositions (δ¹⁸O=7.3–8.7‰ in mafic vs 9.3–9.5‰ in felsic rocks). These characteristics, in conjunction with the chemical signatures, suggest an enriched mantle source for the mafic magmas and a shallow metaluminous crustal source for the felsic magmas. Younger intrusives of unit II have higher Sr/Y, Zr/Y, and Tb/Yb ratios suggesting magma segregation at greater depths. Mafic high-K to shoshonitic intrusives of the southern unit III have initial isotopic compositions (ε_Nd=–1.1 to –1.8;⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr =0.7054–0.7062;δ¹⁸O=7.2–7.6‰) and chemical characteristics (e.g., high Sr/Y, Zr/Y, Tb/Yb) that are strongly indicative of a deep-seated enriched mantle source. Spatially associated felsic high-K to shoshonitic rocks of unit III may be derived by dehydration melting of garnet-rich metaluminous crustal source rocks or may represent hybrid magmas. Received: 7 December 1998 / Accepted: 27 April 1999     

Large crustal input to high δ18O anorthosite massifs of the southern Grenville Province: new evidence from the Morin Complex, Quebec

Mid-Proterozoic anorthosite-suite magmatism is a major volumetric component of the southern Grenville Province, and provides an important probe of the compositions and types of lower crustal rocks. The ∼1.15 Ga Morin Complex (Quebec) consists of two anorthosite plutons with distinct compositions. Plagioclase from the western lobe of the anorthosite has δ¹⁸O values that average 9.6 ± 0.7‰, which is ∼3‰ higher than the values found in “normal” anorthosites and in mantle-derived mafic igneous rocks worldwide. Plagioclase from the eastern lobe of the massif (deformed by the Morin Shear Zone) has δ¹⁸O values that average 8.7 ± 0.6‰, also high compared to mantle-derived rocks. Numerous lines of evidence, including homogeneity of δ¹⁸O values within individual plutons, O–Sr–Nd mixing relations, and preservation of igneous δ¹⁸O in adjacent mangerite units argue against anorthosite interaction with high δ¹⁸O fluids as the cause of the high δ¹⁸O values seen in both anorthosite lobes. High δ¹⁸O values are best explained as primary magmatic compositions resulting from melting and assimilation of crustal materials by the anorthosite's parent magma. The Morin and Marcy massifs are located in the Allochthonous Monocyclic Belt of the Grenville Province, and have the highest known δ¹⁸O values for anorthosites in the Grenville. Although the Monocyclic Belt is juvenile in terms of radiogenic isotope systematics, the new oxygen isotope data indicate the presence high δ¹⁸O supracrustal materials at the base of the crust, probably buried during the ∼1.2 Ga Elzevirian orogeny in the Monocyclic Belt prior to anorthosite magmatism. This process is not recognized in other parts of the Grenville Province and points to differences in the pre-1.2-Ga continental margins. Received: 29 September 1999 / Accepted: 7 March 2000     

Oxygen isotope geochemistry of the Granite Harbour Intrusives, Wilson Terrane, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

Summary The oxygen and strontium isotope compositions of the Cambro-Ordovician granitoids cropping out in the Wilson Terrane (Granite Harbour Intrusives–GHI) constrain the petrological evolution of the magmatism in Antarctica, related to the Ross Orogeny. The measured δ¹⁸O_WR values of these intrusives define three different compositional groups: the metaluminous rocks (MAG), with δ¹⁸O_WR ranging from 6.9 (olivine gabbro) to 11.4‰ (monzogranite); the unaltered peraluminous granites (PAG), having δ¹⁸O_WR values ranging from 10.6 to 13.2‰, and the foliated peraluminous leucogranites (SKG), characterised by δ¹⁸O_WR values above 14‰. The analysis of equilibrium mineral assemblages indicates that the high δ¹⁸O_WR values are magmatic and unaffected by low-temperature processes. A few peraluminous granites sampled in the vicinity of Cenozoic intrusions show anomalously low δ¹⁸O_WR, due to meteoric-hydrothermal alteration. The isotopic data indicate that the coeval and spatially related metaluminous mafic and felsic intrusives forming the GHI were not comagmatic: the mafic and intermediate rocks were likely derived from lower crustal contamination of a pristine basaltic magma; their δ¹⁸O_WR values were also increased during emplacement, due to the interaction with the adjacent ¹⁸O-rich hydrous felsic magmas (mixing). Oxygen isotope data indicate that the crustal sources producing the Granite Harbour intrusives were not homogeneous: the felsic metaluminous intrusives were produced by partial melting of fertile rock with possible igneous origin, whereas partial melting of a metapelitic source rock is claimed for the genesis of the peraluminous granites. Received February 9, 2001; revised version accepted August 10, 2001     

Carbon and oxygen isotope constraints on fluid sources and fluid–wallrock interaction in regional alteration and iron-oxide–copper–gold mineralisation, eastern Mt Isa Block, Australia

The source of metasomatic fluids in iron-oxide–copper–gold districts is contentious with models for magmatic and other fluid sources having been proposed. For this study, δ ¹⁸O and δ ¹³C ratios were measured from carbonate mineral separates in the Proterozoic eastern Mt Isa Block of Northwest Queensland, Australia. Isotopic analyses are supported by petrography, mineral chemistry and cathodoluminescence imagery. Marine meta-carbonate rocks (ca. 20.5‰ δ ¹⁸O and 0.5‰ δ ¹³C calcite) and graphitic meta-sedimentary rocks (ca. 14‰ δ ¹⁸O and −18‰ δ ¹³C calcite) are the main supracrustal reservoirs of carbon and oxygen in the district. The isotopic ratios for calcite from the cores of Na–(Ca) alteration systems strongly cluster around 11‰ δ ¹⁸O and −7‰ δ ¹³C, with shifts towards higher δ ¹⁸O values and higher and lower δ ¹³C values, reflecting interaction with different hostrocks. Na–(Ca)-rich assemblages are out of isotopic equilibrium with their metamorphic hostrocks, and isotopic values are consistent with fluids derived from or equilibrated with igneous rocks. However, igneous rocks in the eastern Mt Isa Block contain negligible carbon and are incapable of buffering the δ ¹³C signatures of CO₂-rich metasomatic fluids associated with Na–(Ca) alteration. In contrast, plutons in the eastern Mt Isa Block have been documented as having exsolved saline CO₂-rich fluids and represent the most probable fluid source for Na–(Ca) alteration. Intrusion-proximal, skarn-like Cu–Au orebodies that lack significant K and Fe enrichment (e.g. Mt Elliott) display isotopic ratios that cluster around values of 11‰ δ ¹⁸O and −7‰ δ ¹³C (calcite), indicating an isotopically similar fluid source as for Na–(Ca) alteration and that significant fluid–wallrock interaction was not required in the genesis of these deposits. In contrast, K- and Fe-rich, intrusion-distal deposits (e.g. Ernest Henry) record significant shifts in δ ¹⁸O and δ ¹³C towards values characteristic of the broader hostrocks to the deposits, reflecting fluid–wallrock equilibration before mineralisation. Low temperature, low salinity, low δ ¹⁸O (<10‰ calcite) and CO₂-poor fluids are documented in retrograde metasomatic assemblages, but these fluids are paragenetically late and have not contributed significantly to the mass budgets of Cu–Au mineralisation.     

Origin of the Rubian carbonate-hosted magnesite deposit, Galicia, NW Spain: mineralogical, REE, fluid inclusion and isotope evidence

The Rubian magnesite deposit (West Asturian—Leonese Zone, Iberian Variscan belt) is hosted by a 100-m-thick folded and metamorphosed Lower Cambrian carbonate/siliciclastic metasedimentary sequence—the Cándana Limestone Formation. It comprises upper (20-m thickness) and lower (17-m thickness) lens-shaped ore bodies separated by 55 m of slates and micaceous schists. The main (lower) magnesite ore body comprises a package of magnesite beds with dolomite-rich intercalations, sandwiched between slates and micaceous schists. In the upper ore body, the magnesite beds are thinner (centimetre scale mainly) and occur between slate beds. Mafic dolerite dykes intrude the mineralisation. The mineralisation passes eastwards into sequence of bedded dolostone (Buxan) and laminated to banded calcitic marble (Mao). These show significant Variscan extensional shearing or fold-related deformation, whereas neither Rubian dolomite nor magnesite show evidence of tectonic disturbance. This suggests that the dolomitisation and magnesite formation postdate the main Variscan deformation. In addition, the morphology of magnesite crystals and primary fluid inclusions indicate that magnesite is a neoformed hydrothermal mineral. Magnesite contains irregularly distributed dolomite inclusions (<50 μm) and these are interpreted as relics of a metasomatically replaced dolostone precursor. The total rare earth element (REE) contents of magnesite are very similar to those of Buxan dolostone but are depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE); heavy rare earth element concentrations are comparable. However, magnesite REE chondrite normalised profiles lack any characteristic anomaly indicative of marine environment. Compared with Mao calcite, magnesite is distinct in terms of both REE concentrations and patterns. Fluid inclusion studies show that the mineralising fluids were MgCl₂–NaCl–CaCl₂–H₂O aqueous brines exhibiting highly variable salinities (3.3 to 29.5 wt.% salts). This may be the result of a combination of fluid mixing, migration of pulses of variable-salinity brines and/or local dissolution and replacement processes of the host dolostone. Fluid inclusion data and comparison with other N Iberian dolostone-hosted metasomatic deposits suggest that Rubian magnesite probably formed at temperatures between 160 and 200°C. This corresponds, at hydrostatic pressure (500 bar), to a depth of formation of ~~5 km. Mineralisation-related Rubian dolomite yields δ ¹⁸O values (δ ¹⁸O: 12.0–15.4‰, mean: 14.4±1.1‰) depleted by around 5‰ compared with barren Buxan dolomite (δ ¹⁸O: 17.1–20.2‰, mean: 19.4±1.0‰). This was interpreted to reflect an influx of ¹⁸O-depleted waters accompanied by a temperature increase in a fluid-dominated system. Overlapping calculated δ ¹⁸O_fluid values (~+5‰ at 200°C) for fluids in equilibrium with Rubian dolomite and magnesite show that they were formed by the same hydrothermal system at different temperatures. In terms of δ ¹³C values, Rubian dolomite (δ ¹³C: −1.4 to 1.9‰, mean: 0.4±1.3‰) and magnesite (δ ¹³C: −2.3 to 2.4‰, mean: 0.60±1.0‰) generally exhibit more negative δ ¹³C values compared with Buxan dolomite (δ ¹³C: −0.2 to 1.9‰, mean: 0.8±0.6‰) and Mao calcite (δ ¹³C: −0.3 to 1.5‰, mean: 0.6±0.6‰), indicating progressive modification to lower δ ¹³C values through interaction with hydrothermal fluids. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, calculated at 290 Ma, vary from 0.70849 to 0.70976 for the Mao calcite and from 0.70538 to 0.70880 for the Buxan dolostone. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in Rubian magnesite are more radiogenic and range from 0.71123 to 0.71494. The combined δ ¹⁸O–δ ¹³C and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data indicate that the magnesite-related fluids were modified basinal brines that have reacted and equilibrated with intercalated siliciclastic rocks. Magnesite formation is genetically linked to regional hydrothermal dolomitisation associated with lithospheric delamination, late-Variscan high heat flow and extensional tectonics in the NW Iberian Belt. A comparison with genetic models for the Puebla de Lillo talc deposits suggests that the formation of hydrothermal replacive magnesite at Rubian resulted from a metasomatic column with magnesite forming at higher fluid/rock ratios than dolomite. In this study, magnesite generation took place via the local reaction of hydrothermal dolostone with the same hydrothermal fluids in very high permeability zones at high fluid/rock ratios (e.g. faults). It was also possibly aided by additional heat from intrusive dykes or sub-cropping igneous bodies. This would locally raise isotherms enabling a transition from the dolomite stability field to that of magnesite.Editorial handling: F. Tornos     

Isotopic (Sr,Nd, O) systematics of the high Sr-Ba Late Miocene granitoid intrusions from the Caucasian Mineral Waters region

This paper is dedicated to the interpretation of isotope-geochemical data on high Sr-Ba granitoids exemplified by their typical representatives—Late Miocene laccoliths of the Caucasian Mineral Waters (CMW). These massifs are made up of amphibole granites, granosyenites, syenites, and leucogranites, which show particular behavior of Sr, Nd, and O isotope systems. The syenites and granosyenites are characterized by δ¹⁸O variations from 8 to 10‰. As compared to them, the amphibole granites have lowered (up to 7‰), while leucogranites, elevated (up to 12.5–13.7‰) oxygen isotope compositions. The (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_8.3 ratio in the granitoids accounts for 0.7083–0.7086, whereas σ_Nd(T) varies from −4.2 to −2.1.     

Composition,sources, and genesis of granitoids in the Irtysh Complex,Eastern Kazakhstan

Intrusions of the Irtysh Complex are spatially restricted to the regional Irtysh Shear Zone (ISZ) and are hosted in blocks of high-grade metamorphic rocks (Kurchum, Predgornenskii, Sogra, and others) in the greenschist matrix of the ISZ. The massifs consist of contrasting rock series from gabbro to plagiogranite and granite at strongly subordinate amounts of diorite and the practical absence of rocks of intermediate composition (tonalite and granodiorite). The complex was produced in the Early Carboniferous, simultaneously with the onset of the origin of the ISZ itself. The granitoids composing the complex affiliate with diverse petrochemical series (from subaluminous plagiogranite of the andesite series to granite of the calc-alkaline series) and contain similar REE and HFSE concentrations [total REE = 103–163 ppm (La/Yb) _n = 3.59–5.44, Zr (200–273 ppm), Nb (7.6–10.6 ppm), Hf (6.1–7.6 ppm), and Ta (0.68–1.19 ppm)] but are different in concentrations in LILE [Rb (3–9 and 121–221 ppm), Sr (213–375 and 77–148 ppm), and Ba (67–140 and 240–369 ppm)] and isotopic composition of Nd (ɛ_Nd(T) from +5.3 in the plagiogranite to −1.2 in the granite) and O (δ¹⁸O from +9.4 in the plagiogranite to +14.5 in the granite). Data on the geochemistry and isotopic composition of metamorphic rocks of the Kurchum block and numerical geochemical simulations indicate that the granitoids were generated via the melting of a heterogeneous crustal source, which consisted of upper crustal metapelites and metabasites of the oceanic basement of the blocks of high-grade metamorphic rocks. The differences in the chemical and isotopic compositions of the granitoids were predetermined by the mixing of variable proportions of granitoid magmas derived from metapelite and metabasite sources.     

Water-rock interactions and chemical compositional variations during ductile deformation of the NW-striking shear zone in the Jiapigou gold belt,China

Two kinds of mylonite series rocks, felsic and mafic, have been recognized in the NW-striking shear zone of the Jiapigou gold belt. During ductile deformation, a large amount of fluid interacted intensively with the mylonite series rocks: plagioclases were sericitized and theAn values declined rapidly, finally all of them were transformed to albites; dark minerals were gradually replaced by chlorites (mostly ripidolite). Meanwhile, large-scale and extensive carbonation also took place, and the carbonatization minerals varied from calcite to dolomite and ankerite with the development of deformation. The δ¹³C values of the carbonates are −3.0‰ – −5.6‰ suggesting a deep source of carbon. The ductile deformation is nearly an iso-volume one (f _v≈1). With the enhancement of shear deformation, SiO₂ in the two mylonite series rocks was depleted, while volatile components suchs as CO₂ and H₂O, and some ore-forming elements such as Au and S were obviously enriched. But it is noted that the enrichment of Au in both the mylonite series rocks did not reach the paygrade of gold. The released SiO₂ from water-rock interactions occurred in the form of colloids and absorbed gold in the fluid. When brittle structures were formed locally in the ductile shear zone, the ore-forming fluids migrated to the structures along microfractures, and preciptated auriferous quartz because of reduction of pressure and temperature. Fluid inclusion study shows that the temperature and pressure of the ore-forming fluids are 245–292°C and 95.4–131.7 MPa respectively; the salinity is 12.88–16.33wt% NaCl; the fluid-phase is rich in Ca²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, F⁻ and Cl⁻, while the gaseous phases are rich in CO₂ and CH₄. The δD and δ¹⁸O, values of the ore-forming fluid are −84.48‰ – −91.73‰ and −0.247‰ – +2.715‰ respectively, suggesting that the fluid is composed predominantly of meteoric water. This project is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 9488010).     

Deciphering the source and contamination history of peraluminous magmas using δ18O of accessory minerals: examples from garnet-bearing plutons of the Sierra Nevada batholith

Peraluminous granitoids provide critical insight as to the amount and kinds of supracrustal material recycled in the central Sierra Nevada batholith, California. Major element concentrations indicate Sierran peraluminous granitoids are high-SiO₂ (68.9–76.9) and slightly peraluminous (average molar Al₂O₃/(CaO + Na₂O + K₂O)=1.06). Both major and trace element trends mimic those of other high-silica Sierran plutons. Garnet (Grt) in the peraluminous plutons is almandine–spessartine-rich and of magmatic origin. Low grossular contents are consistent with shallow (<4 kbar) depths of garnet crystallization. Metasediments of the Kings Sequence commonly occur as wallrocks associated with the plutons, including biotite schists that are highly peraluminous (A/CNK=2.25) and have high whole rock (WR) δ¹⁸O values (9.6–21.8‰, average=14.5±2.9‰, n=26). Ultramafic wallrocks of the Kings–Kaweah ophiolite have lower average δ¹⁸O (7.1±1.3‰, n=9). The δ¹⁸O(WR) of the Kings Sequence is variable from west to east. Higher δ¹⁸O values occur in the west, where quartz in schists is derived from marine chert; values decrease eastward as the proportion of quartz from igneous and metamorphic sources increases. Peraluminous plutons have high δ¹⁸O(WR) values (9.5–13‰) consistent with supracrustal enrichment of their sources. However, relatively low initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values (0.705–0.708) indicate that the supracrustal component in the source of peraluminous magmas was dominantly altered ocean crust and/or greywacke. Also, plutons lack or have very low abundances (<1% of grains) of inherited zircon (Zrc) cores. Average δ¹⁸O(Zrc) is 7.9‰ in peraluminous plutons, a higher value than in coeval metaluminous plutons (6–7‰). Diorites associated with peraluminous plutons also have high δ¹⁸O(Zrc), 7.4–8.3‰, which is consistent with the diorites being derived from a similar source. Magmatic garnet has variable δ¹⁸O (6.6–10.5‰, avg.=7.9‰) due to complex contamination and crystallization histories, evidenced by multiple garnet populations in some rocks. Comparison of δ¹⁸O(Zrc) and δ¹⁸O(Grt) commonly reveals disequilibrium, which documents evolving magma composition. Minor (5–7%) contamination by high δ¹⁸O wallrocks occurred in the middle and upper crust in some cases, although low δ¹⁸O wallrock may have been a contaminant in one case. Overall, oxygen isotope analysis of minerals having slow oxygen diffusion and different times of crystallization (e.g., zircon and garnet), together with detailed textural analysis, can be used to monitor assimilation in peraluminous magmas. Moreover, oxygen isotope studies are a valuable way to identify magmatic versus xenocrystic minerals in igneous rocks. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

A HFSE- and REE-enriched ferrodiorite suite from the Bolangir Anorthosite Complex, Eastern Ghats Belt, India

The massif-type anorthosite complex at Bolangir in the northern part of the Eastern Ghats belt occurs in a milieu of predominantly supracrustal granulite-grade rocks. The massif is separated from the host gneisses by coarse-grained garnetiferous granitoid gneisses which are interpreted as coeval crustallyderived melts. Melanocratic ferrodiorite rocks occur at the immediate contact with the anorthosite massif which they intrude in cross-cutting dikes and sheets. The emplacement age of the anorthosite diapir and the associated igneous suites is deemed to be pre-D₂. Recrystallization of the igneous assemblages of the ferrodiorite suite (750–800°C, 7–8kbar, ) during a period of near-isobaric cooling from the igneous crystallization stage to the regionalP-T regime led to extensive development of coronitic garnet at the interface of plagioclase phenocrysts with the mafic matrix assemblage (opx + fay + cpx + ilm ± amph, bio). Abundant accessory phases are zircon, apatite and thorite. The mafic phases have extremely ferrous compositions (X_Fe gar: 0.93-0.87, fay: 0.90-0.87, opx: 0.80-0.60, cpx: 0.70-0.47, amph: 0.81-0.71) reflecting the low Mg-number (16-8) of the rocks. Compared to worldwide occurrences of similar rocks, the Bolangir ferrodiorites (SiO₂ 36–58 wt.%, FeO*: 39-10 wt.%) are characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of HFSE and REE (TiO₂: 4.8-1.0 wt.%, P₂O₅: 1.7-0.5 wt.%, Zr: 5900-1300 ppm, Y: 240-80 ppm, La: 540-100 ppm, Ce: 1100-200 ppm, Yb: 22-10 ppm, Th: 195-65 ppm). Well defined linear variation trends for major and trace elements reflect progressive plagioclase accumulation towards the felsic members of the suite. The ferrodiorites are interpreted to represent residual liquids of anorthosite crystallization which after segregation and extraction from the ascending diapir became enriched in HFSE and REE through selective assimilation of accessory phases (zircon, monazite, apatite) from crustal felsic melts. Ferromonzodioritic rock presumably formed through hybridization between the ferrodiorite and overlying felsic melts.     

Geochemical characteristics of pyrite in Duolanasayi gold deposit, Xinjiang

The Duolanasayi gold deposit, 60 km NW of Habahe County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is a mid-large-scale gold deposit controlled by brittle-ductile shearing, and superimposed by albitite veins and late-stage magma hydrothermal solutions. There are four types of pyrite, which are contained in the light metamorphosed rocks (limestone, siltstone), altered-mineralized rocks (chlorite-schist, altered albite-granite, mineralized phyllite), quartz veins and carbonatite veinlets. The pyrite is the most common ore mineral. The Au-barren pyrite is present mainly in a simple form and gold-bearing pyrite is present mainly in a composite form. From the top downwards, the pyrite varies in crystal form from {100} and {210} {100} to {210} {100} {111} to {100} {111}. Geochemical studies indicate that the molecular contents of pyrite range from Fe1.057S2 to Fe0.941S2. Gold positively correlates with Mn, Sr, Zn, Te, Pb, Ba and Ag. There are four groups of trace elements: Fe-Cu-Sr-Ag, Au-Te-Co, As-Pb-Zn and Mn-V-Ti-Ba-Ni-Cr in pyrite. The REE characteristics show that the total amount of REE (ΣREE) ranges from 32.35×10 -6 to 132.18×10 -6; LREE/HREE, 4.466-9.142; (La/Yb)N, 3.719-11.133; (Eu/Sm)N, 0.553-1.656; (Sm/Nd)N, 0.602-0.717; La/Yb, 6.26-18.75; δEu, 0.628-2.309; δCe, 0.308-0.816. Sulfur isotopic compositions (δ 34S=-2.46‰--7.02‰) suggest that the sulfur associated with gold mineralization was derived from the upper mantle or lower crust.     

Early Cretaceous highly positive <Emphasis Type="Italic">ε</Emphasis><Subscript>Nd</Subscript> felsic volcanic rocks from the Hinggan Mountains,NE China: origin and implications for Phanerozoic crustal growth

An early Cretaceous (135 ± 2 Ma) felsic volcanic suite of dacite and rhyolite from Huolinhe, NE China is characterized by large ion lithophile element and light REE enrichment and high field strength element (HFSE, e.g., Nb and Ta) and Ti–P depletion, and bulk silicate earth-like Sr [⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr(i) = 0.70409–0.70481], quite radiogenic Nd [ε _Nd(t) = +3.98 to +5.88], Pb [e.g., ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb(i) = 18.46–18.55] and Hf [ε _Hf(t) ~+9.2] isotope compositions. Compared with contemporaneous mafic rocks in the region, these felsic rocks have even higher Nd and Hf isotopic ratios, precluding an origin through differentiation of coeval mantle-derived magmas. Isotope calculation results suggest that these magmas were derived from a preexistent mixture composed of mainly juvenile crust (70–80%), and a subordinate recycled crustal component (20–30%) having highly radiogenic Sr and Pb and unradiogenic Nd and Hf. About 25–30% melting of such a mixed source produced the primary dacitic magma. The rhyolites, which have relatively low MgO, FeO*, Al₂O₃, CaO, TiO₂, P₂O₅, Na₂O, Ba, Sr, REE, HFSE and Y, were differentiates of the dacites after removal of a fractional assemblage of hornblende + plagioclase + K-feldspar + apatite + zircon. Considering the prolonged events (from 262 to 130 Ma) that produced such highly positive ε _Nd felsic igneous rocks in the region, we prefer a pre-Mesozoic crustal growth model related to arc accretion associated with the Paleo-Asian Ocean subduction.     

High-Al gabbros in the Laramie Anorthosite Complex,Wyoming: implications for the composition of melts parental to Proterozoic anorthosite

High-Al gabbro represents one of the latest phases of magmatism in the 1.43 Ga Laramie anorthosite complex (LAC) in southeastern Wyoming. This lithology, which is mineralogically and geochemically the most primitive in the LAC, forms dikes and small intrusions that cross cut monzonitic and anorthositic rocks. High-Al gabbro is characterized by high Al₂O₃ (15–19 wt%), REE patterns with positive europium anomalies (Eu/Eu^*=1.2–3.8), and the lowest initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (as low as 0.7033) and highest initial _Nd (up to +2) in the LAC. Their Sr and Nd isotopic characteristics indicate a mantle origin followed by crustal assimilation during ascent. Intermediate plagioclase (An_50–60) and mafic silicate (Fo_54–63) compositions suggest that they are not primary mantle melts and that they differentiated prior to final emplacement. High-Al gabbros of the LAC are similar compositionally to gabbros from several other Proterozoic anorthosite complexes, including rocks from the Harp Lake complex and the Hettasch intrusion in Labrador and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. These gabbros are considered to be parental to their associated anorthositic rocks, a theory that is supported by recent experimental work. We interpret LAC high-Al gabbros to represent mantle-derived melts produced by the differentiation of a basaltic magma in an upper mantle chamber. Continued evolution of this magma eventually resulted in the formation of plagioclase-rich diapirs which ascended to mid-crustal levels and formed the anorthositic rocks of the LAC. Because these gabbros intrude the anorthositic rocks, they do not represent directly the magma from which anorthosite crystallized and instead are younger samples of magma formed by identical processes.     

Uniformly mantle-like δ<Superscript>18</Superscript>O in zircons from oceanic plagiogranites and gabbros

Lower ocean crust is primarily gabbroic, although 1–2% felsic igneous rocks that are referred to collectively as plagiogranites occur locally. Recent experimental evidence suggests that plagiogranite magmas can form by hydrous partial melting of gabbro triggered by seawater-derived fluids, and thus they may indicate early, high-temperature hydrothermal fluid circulation. To explore seawater–rock interaction prior to and during the genesis of plagiogranite and other late-stage magmas, oxygen-isotope ratios preserved in igneous zircon have been measured by ion microprobe. A total of 197 zircons from 43 plagiogranite, evolved gabbro, and hydrothermally altered fault rock samples have been analyzed. Samples originate primarily from drill core acquired during Ocean Drilling Program and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program operations near the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest Indian Ridges. With the exception of rare, distinctively luminescent rims, all zircons from ocean crust record remarkably uniform δ¹⁸O with an average value of 5.2 ± 0.5‰ (2SD). The average δ¹⁸O(Zrc) would be in magmatic equilibrium with unaltered MORB [δ¹⁸O(WR) ~ 5.6–5.7‰], and is consistent with the previously determined value for equilibrium with the mantle. The narrow range of measured δ¹⁸O values is predicted for zircon crystallization from variable parent melt compositions and temperatures in a closed system, and provides no indication of any interactions between altered rocks or seawater and the evolved parent melts. If plagiogranite forms by hydrous partial melting, the uniform mantle-like δ¹⁸O(Zrc) requires melting and zircon crystallization prior to significant amounts of water–rock interactions that alter the protolith δ¹⁸O. Zircons from ocean crust have been proposed as a tectonic analog for >3.9 Ga detrital zircons from the earliest (Hadean) Earth by multiple workers. However, zircons from ocean crust are readily distinguished geochemically from zircons formed in continental crustal environments. Many of the >3.9 Ga zircons have mildly elevated δ¹⁸O (6.0–7.5‰), but such values have not been identified in any zircons from the large sample suite examined here. The difference in δ¹⁸O, in combination with newly acquired lithium concentrations and published trace element data, clearly shows that the >3.9 Ga detrital zircons did not originate by processes analogous to those in modern mid-ocean ridge settings.     

Mineralogy, geochemistry and geological significance of tourmaline-rich rocks from the Paleozoic Cinco Villas massif (western Pyrenees, Spain)

Tourmaline-rich rocks associated with clastic metasedimentary rocks of Carboniferous age occur in the Cinco Villas massif, western Pyrenees. Three types of tourmaline-rich rocks were distinguished: (1) Fine-grained stratiform tourmaline-rich rocks, which are associated with carbonaceous metapelites (TR1); (2) stratabound tourmaline-rich rocks, associated with metapelites in the contact aureole of the Aya granitoid pluton (TR2); (3) stratabound to massive tourmaline-rich rocks, associated with psammopelites in contact with granites and pegmatites (TR3). Tourmalines belong to the schorl–dravite solid solution series and have a wide compositional range, from nearly end-member dravite for TR1 tourmalines to schorl for TR3 tourmalines; TR2 tourmalines have intermediate compositions. The Fe/(Fe+Mg) typically varies between 0.02 and ≈0.55, increasing from TR1 to TR3. The TR1 tourmalines commonly display a discontinuous chemical zoning with Fe-rich green cores (8–8.5% FeO) and Mg-rich colorless rims (10–11% MgO). In contrast, crystals that exhibit fine growth lamellae appear to lack significant chemical zoning. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions also reveal major differences between TR1 and TR3 tourmalines, the former displaying heavier δ¹⁸O values (17.7–19‰) and δD values (−35 to −42‰) than TR3 tourmalines 11 to 13‰ and −47 to −76‰, respectively. The TR2 tourmalines show intermediate values of 11.3 to 14.6‰ for δ¹⁸O and −40 to −55‰ for δD. Linear and continuous chemical variations obtained for major and trace elements of the whole rocks reflect mixing between clay-rich and quartz-rich end-members, indicative that some tourmaline-rich rocks contain a significant detrital component. Chondrite normalized REE (rare earth element) patterns of tourmaline-rich rocks are similar to those of surrounding unaltered clastic metasediments, except for some TR1 rocks which are characterized by low contents of ΣREE. Mass-balance calculations show that tourmaline-forming processes plus metamorphism led to mass and volume changes at mesoscopic scales (≈10% for the TR1 tourmalinites). Silicon, Fe, Mn, and REE elements were partially lost from sedimentary rocks, whereas Mg and particularly B were added to pelitic sediments. Available data, nevertheless, do not allow an assessment of the boron source. Formation of the TR1 tourmaline-rich rocks probably was the net result of several processes, including direct precipitation from B-rich hydrothermal fluids or colloids, early diagenetic reactions of carbonaceous pelitic sediments with these fluids, and subsequent recrystallization during regional metamorphism. The TR2 tourmaline-rich rocks mainly developed by metamorphic recrystallization of TR1. Tourmaline-rich rocks and veins adjacent to pegmatites and granitic rocks (TR3) are the result of boron metasomatism; the primary boron having been recycled from stratiform tourmalinites during regional metamorphism and magmatism. Received: 18 November 1996 / Accepted: 25 April 1997     

Cumulate xenoliths from St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles Island Arc: a window into upper crustal differentiation of mantle-derived basalts

In order to shed light on upper crustal differentiation of mantle-derived basaltic magmas in a subduction zone setting, we have determined the mineral chemistry and oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition of individual cumulus minerals in plutonic blocks from St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles. Plutonic rock types display great variation in mineralogy, from olivine–gabbros to troctolites and hornblendites, with a corresponding variety of cumulate textures. Mineral compositions differ from those in erupted basaltic lavas from St. Vincent and in published high-pressure (4–10 kb) experimental run products of a St. Vincent high-Mg basalt in having higher An plagioclase coexisting with lower Fo olivine. The oxygen isotope compositions (δ¹⁸O) of cumulus olivine (4.89–5.18‰), plagioclase (5.84–6.28‰), clinopyroxene (5.17–5.47‰) and hornblende (5.48–5.61‰) and hydrogen isotope composition of hornblende (δD = −35.5 to −49.9‰) are all consistent with closed system magmatic differentiation of a mantle-derived basaltic melt. We employed a number of modelling exercises to constrain the origin of the chemical and isotopic compositions reported. δ¹⁸O_Olivine is up to 0.2‰ higher than modelled values for closed system fractional crystallisation of a primary melt. We attribute this to isotopic disequilibria between cumulus minerals crystallising at different temperatures, with equilibration retarded by slow oxygen diffusion in olivine during prolonged crustal storage. We used melt inclusion and plagioclase compositions to determine parental magmatic water contents (water saturated, 4.6 ± 0.5 wt% H₂O) and crystallisation pressures (173 ± 50 MPa). Applying these values to previously reported basaltic and basaltic andesite lava compositions, we can reproduce the cumulus plagioclase and olivine compositions and their associated trend. We conclude that differentiation of primitive hydrous basalts on St. Vincent involves crystallisation of olivine and Cr-rich spinel at depth within the crust, lowering MgO and Cr₂O₃ and raising Al₂O₃ and CaO of residual melt due to suppression of plagioclase. Low density, hydrous basaltic and basaltic andesite melts then ascend rapidly through the crust, stalling at shallow depth upon water saturation where crystallisation of the chemically distinct cumulus phases observed in this study can occur. Deposited crystals armour the shallow magma chamber where oxygen isotope equilibration between minerals is slowly approached, before remobilisation and entrainment by later injections of magma.     

Chemical and mineralogical heterogeneity in the basal zone of the Partridge River Intrusion: implications for the origin of Cu–Ni sulfide mineralization in the Duluth Complex,midcontinent rift system

Copper–nickel sulfide mineralization in the Partridge River Intrusion of the 1.1 Ga Duluth Complex is restricted primarily to a 100 m thick zone near the base of the intrusion, which is heterogeneous at meter scales in terms of both sulfide contents and rock types, which include dunite, melatroctolite, troctolite, leucotroctolite, gabbro, olivine gabbro, gabbronorite, and rare norite. Olivine-rich troctolites and melatroctolites appear to have required mineral accumulation on a substrate, whereas augite troctolite and gabbros are thought to have formed via in situ crystallization of magmas ranging in composition from high-Al olivine tholeiite to high-Ti tholeiite. δ¹⁸O values of orthopyroxene-poor rocks in the Partridge River Intrusion range from 5.2 to 6.7‰. δ¹⁸O values of 6.7‰ are consistent with less than 20% contamination by high-¹⁸O metasedimentary country rock, either via devolatilization or local partial melting. Rocks with greater than ∼15% orthopyroxene, gabbronorites, and norites, are characterized by δ¹⁸O values in excess of 6.9‰, and required the assimilation of larger amounts of siliceous country rocks. Sulfur isotopic values in leucotroctolitic rocks that contain less than ∼400 ppm S and that overlie the basal zone range between −1.5 and 2‰, values that are consistent with those of mantle-derived sulfur. In contrast, δ³⁴S values in the basal zone range from −1.4 to 10.5‰, where the ³⁴S-enriched samples require an input of sulfur from metasedimentary country rocks. δ³⁴S values of the rocks in the basal zone correlate with variations in olivine Fo content but not with S abundance. The wide range in δ³⁴S values of rocks in the basal zone strongly suggests that magmas interacted with layers in the sedimentary country rocks that were themselves characterized by variable sulfide contents and δ³⁴S values. The S isotopic data suggest that the heterogeneity observed in the basal zone results from the emplacement of relatively thin sheets of compositionally distinct magma. All rock types present in the basal zone can be produced as a result of variable degrees of fractionation of a parental high-Al olivine tholeiite, followed by varying degrees of contamination of derivative liquids by country rocks. The S-contamination process was essential for the development of Cu–Ni mineralization, and was restricted to the earliest stages in the development of the Duluth Complex at a time when volatile species such as S and H₂O, and low-T partial melts of country rocks, were available to magmas. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A fluid inclusion and stable isotope study of 200 Ma of fluid evolution in the Galway Granite, Connemara, Ireland

Fluid inclusions in granite quartz and three generations of veins indicate that three fluids have affected the Caledonian Galway Granite. These fluids were examined by petrography, microthermometry, chlorite thermometry, fluid chemistry and stable isotope studies. The earliest fluid was a H₂O-CO₂-NaCl fluid of moderate salinity (4–10 wt% NaCl eq.) that deposited late-magmatic molybdenite mineralised quartz veins (V₁) and formed the earliest secondary inclusions in granite quartz. This fluid is more abundant in the west of the batholith, corresponding to a decrease in emplacement depth. Within veins, and to the east, this fluid was trapped homogeneously, but in granite quartz in the west it unmixed at 305–390 °C and 0.7–1.8 kbar. Homogeneous quartz δ¹⁸O across the batholith (9.5 ± 0.4‰n = 12) suggests V₁ precipitation at high temperatures (perhaps 600 °C) and pressures (1–3 kbar) from magmatic fluids. Microthermometric data for V₁ indicate lower temperatures, suggesting inclusion volumes re-equilibrated during cooling. The second fluid was a H₂O-NaCl-KCl, low-moderate salinity (0–10 wt% NaCl eq.), moderate temperature (270–340 °C), high δD (−18 ± 2‰), low δ¹⁸O (0.5–2.0‰) fluid of meteoric origin. This fluid penetrated the batholith via quartz veins (V₂) which infill faults active during post-consolidation uplift of the batholith. It forms the most common inclusion type in granite quartz throughout the batholith and is responsible for widespread retrograde alteration involving chloritization of biotite and hornblende, sericitization and saussuritization of plagioclase, and reddening of K-feldspar. The salinity was generated by fluid-rock interactions within the granite. Within granite quartz this fluid was trapped at 0.5–2.3 kbar, having become overpressured. This fluid probably infiltrated the Granite in a meteoric-convection system during cooling after intrusion, but a later age cannot be ruled out. The final fluid to enter the Granite and its host rocks was a H₂O-NaCl-CaCl₂-KCl fluid with variable salinity (8–28 wt% NaCl eq.), temperature (125–205 °C), δD (−17 to −45‰), δ¹⁸O (−3 to + 1.2‰), δ¹³C_CO2 (−19 to 0‰) and δ³⁴S_sulphate (13–23‰) that deposited veins containing quartz, fluorite, calcite, barite, galena, chalcopyrite sphalerite and pyrite (V₃). Correlations of salinity, temperature, δD and δ¹⁸O are interpreted as the result of mixing of two fluid end-members, one a high-δD (−17 to −8‰), moderate-δ¹⁸O (1.2–2.5‰), high-δ¹³C_CO2 (> −4‰), low-δ³⁴S_sulphate (13‰), high-temperature (205–230 °C), moderate-salinity (8–12 wt% NaCl eq.) fluid, the other a low-δD (−61 to −45‰), low-δ¹⁸O (−5.4 to −3‰), low-δ¹³C (<−10‰), high-δ³⁴S_sulphate (20–23‰) low-temperature (80–125 °C), high-salinity (21–28 wt% NaCl eq.) fluid. Geochronological evidence suggests V₃ veins are late Triassic; the high-δD end-member is interpreted as a contemporaneous surface fluid, probably mixed meteoric water and evaporated seawater and/or dissolved evaporites, whereas the low-δD end-member is interpreted as a basinal brine derived from the adjacent Carboniferous sequence. This study demonstrates that the Galway Granite was a locus for repeated fluid events for a variety of reasons; from expulsion of magmatic fluids during the final stages of crystallisation, through a meteoric convection system, probably driven by waning magmatic heat, to much later mineralisation, concentrated in its vicinity due to thermal, tectonic and compositional properties of granite batholiths which encourage mineralisation long after magmatic heat has abated. Received: 3 April 1996 / Accepted: 5 May 1997