Petrogenesis of mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) in the oligocene-miocene granitoid plutons from northwest Anatolia,Turkey

Mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) in host granitoids can provide important constraints on the deep magmatic processes. The Oligocene-Miocene granitoid plutons of the NW Anatolia contain abundant MMEs. This paper presents new hornblende Ar-Ar ages and whole-rock chemical and Sr-Nd isotope data of the MMEs from these granitic rocks. Petrographically, the MMEs are finer-grained than their host granites and contain the same minerals as their host rocks (amphibole + plagioclase + biotite + quartz + K-feldspar), but in different proportions. The Ar-Ar ages of the MMEs range from 27.9 ± 0.09 Ma to 19.3 ± 0.01 Ma and are within error of their respective host granitoids. The MMEs are metaluminous and calc-alkaline, similar to I-type granites. The Sr-Nd isotopes of MMEs are 0.7057 to 0.7101 for ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and 0.5123 to 0.5125 for ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, and are similar to their respective host granitoids. These lithological, petrochemical and isotopic characteristics suggest that the MMEs in this present study represent chilled early formed cogenetic hydrous magmas produced during a period of post-collisional lithospheric extension in NW Anatolia. The parental magma for MMEs and host granitoids might be derived from partial melting of underplated mafic materials in a normally thickened lower crust in a post-collisional extensional environment beneath the NW Anatolia. Delamination or convective removal of lithospheric mantle generated asthenospheric upwelling, providing heat and magma to induce hydrous re-melting of underplated mafic materials in the lower crust.     

长乐—南澳断裂带变形火成岩的U-Pb和40Ar/39Ar年龄

长乐—南澳断裂带中同构造变形的花岗闪长岩主岩和闪长岩包体的锆石UPb法和角闪石⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar法定年结果分别为～130Ma和～95Ma。锆石UPb年龄代表了变形花岗质岩石的形成年龄,也表明长乐—南澳断裂带至少在此时已经开始活动。角闪石⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar年龄不能代表长乐—南澳断裂带的活动年龄,它记录的是与大规模、未变形的早白垩世晚期(相当于石帽山群)火成活动相关的热变质事件的时间。     

Geodynamic evolution of southern Costa Rica related to low-angle subduction of the Cocos Ridge: constraints from thermochronology

The Late Tertiary shallow subduction of the Cocos ridge under the Caribbean plate controlled the evolution of the Cordillera de Talamanca in southeast Costa Rica, which is a mountain range that consists mainly of granitoids formed in a volcanic arc setting. Fission track thermochronology using zircon and apatite, as well as ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar and Rb–Sr age data of amphibole and biotite in granitoid rocks constrain the thermal history of the Cordillera de Talamanca and the age of onset of subduction of the Cocos ridge. Shallow intrusion of granitoid melts resulted in fast and isobaric cooling. A weighted mean zircon fission track age (13 analyses) and Rb–Sr biotite ages of about 10 Ma suggest rapid cooling and give minimum ages for granitoid emplacement. In some cases ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar and Rb–Sr apparent ages of amphibole and biotite are younger than the zircon fission track ages, which can be attributed to partial resetting by hydrothermal alteration. Apatite fission track ages range from 4.8 to 1.7 Ma but show no correlation with the 3090-m elevation span over which they were sampled. The apatite ages seem to indicate rapid exhumation caused by tectonic and isostatic processes. The combination of the apatite fission track ages with subduction parameters of the Cocos plate such as subduction angle, plate convergence rate and distance of the Cordillera de Talamanca to the trench implies that the Cocos ridge entered the Middle America Trench between 5.5 and 3.5 Ma.     

K–Ar ages of granitoids unravel the stages of Neo-Tethyan convergence in the eastern Pontides and central Anatolia,Turkey

K–Ar dating of mineral separates extracted from various granitoid rock units of the eastern Pontides and central Anatolia, Turkey, has provided some new insights unravelling various stages of the Neo-Tethyan convergence system, which evolved with northward subduction between the Eurasian plate (EP) to the north and the Tauride-Anatolide platform (TAP) to the south along the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture (IAES) zone. Arc-related granitoid rocks are only encountered in the eastern Pontides and yield K–Ar cooling ages of both Early Cretaceous (138.5 ± 2.2 Ma) (early arc), and Late Cretaceous, ranging from 75.7 ± 0.0 to 66.5 ± 1.5 Ma (mature arc), respectively. The multi-sourced granitoids of the eastern Pontides, with a predominant mantle component and K–Ar ages between 40 and 50 Ma, are considered to be a part of post-collisional slab break-off magmatism accompanied by tectonic denudation of pre-Late Cretaceous granitoid rocks following juxtaposition of the EP and the TAP around 55–50 Ma in the eastern Pontides. The K–Ar cooling ages of collision-related S-, I- and A-type granitoids in central Anatolia reflect good synchronism between 80 and 65 Ma, suggesting a coeval genesis in a unique geodynamic setting but with derivation from various sources—namely, purely crustal, purely mantle and/or of mixed origin. This sort of simultaneous generation model for these S-I-A-type intrusives seems to be consistent with a post-collisional lithospheric detachment related geodynamic setting. I-type granodioritic to tonalitic intrusives with K–Ar cooling ages ranging from 40 to 48 Ma in east-central Anatolia are interpreted to have been derived from a post-collisional, within-plate, extension-related geodynamic setting following the amalgamation of the EP and the TAP in east-central Anatolia.     

Magmatic and tectonic history of Jurassic ophiolites and associated granitoids from the South Apuseni Mountains (Romania)

The Jurassic ophiolites in the South Apuseni Mountains represent remnants of the Neotethys Ocean and belong to the East Vardar ophiolites that contain ophiolite fragments as well as granitoids and volcanics with island-arc affinity. New U–Pb zircon ages, and Sr and Nd isotope ratios give insights into their tectono-magmatic history. The ophiolite lithologies show tholeiitic MOR-type affinities, but are occasionally slightly enriched in Th and U, and depleted in Nb, which indicates that they probably formed in a marginal or back-arc basin. These ophiolites are associated with calc-alkaline granitoids and volcanics, which show trace element signatures characteristic for subduction-enrichment (high LILE, low HFSE). Low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.703836–0.704550) and high ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios (0.512599–0.512616) of the calc-alkaline series overlap with the ratios measured in the ophiolitic rocks (0.703863–0.704303 and 0.512496–0.512673), and hence show no contamination with continental crust. This excludes a collisional to post-collisional origin of the granitoids and is consistent with the previously proposed intra-oceanic island arc setting. The new U–Pb ages of the ophiolite lithologies (158.9–155.9 Ma, Oxfordian to Early Kimmeridgian) and granitoids (158.6–152.9 Ma, latest Oxfordian to Late Kimmeridgian) indicate that the two distinct magmatic series evolved within a narrow time range. It is proposed that the ophiolites and island arc granitoids formed above a long-lived NE-dipping subduction zone. A sudden flip in subduction polarity led to collision between island arc and continental margin, immediately followed by obduction of the ophiolites and granitoids on top of the continental margin of the Dacia Mega-Unit. Since the granitoids lack crustal input, they must have intruded the Apuseni ophiolites before both magmatic sequences were obducted onto the continental margin. The age of the youngest granitoid (~153 Ma, Late Kimmeridgian) yields an estimate for the maximum age of emplacement of the South Apuseni ophiolites and associated granitoids onto the Dacia Mega-Unit.     

Petrogenesis of the Puerto Edén Igneous and Metamorphic Complex,Magallanes, Chile: Late Jurassic syn-deformational anatexis of metapelites and granitoid magma genesis

A suite of schists, gneisses, migmatites, and biotite granitoids from the Puerto Edén Igneous and Metamorphic Complex (PEIMC) and biotite–hornblende granitoids of the South Patagonian batholith (southern Chile) has been studied. For that purpose, the chemistry of minerals and the bulk rock composition of major and trace elements including Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd isotopes were determined. Mineralogical observations and geothermobarometric calculations indicate high-temperature and low-pressure conditions (ca. 600–700 °C and 3 to 4.5 kbar) for an event of metamorphism and partial melting of metapelites in Late Jurassic times (previously determined by SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages). Structures in schists, gneisses, migmatites and mylonites indicate non-coaxial deformation flow during and after peak metamorphic and anatectic conditions. Andalusite schists and sillimanite gneisses yield initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of up to 0.7134 and εNd₁₅₀ values as low as − 7.6. Contemporaneous biotite granitoids and a coarse-grained orthogneiss have initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios between 0.7073 and 0.7089, and εNd₁₅₀ values in the range − 7.6 to − 4.4. This indicates that metamorphic rocks do not represent the natural isotopic variation in the migmatite source. Thus, a heterogeneous source with a least radiogenic component was involved in the production of the biotite granitoids. The PEIMC is considered as a segment of an evolving kilometre-sized and deep crustal shear zone in which partial melts were generated and segregated into a large reservoir of magmas forming composite plutons in Late Jurassic times. A biotite–hornblende granodiorite and a muscovite–garnet leucogranite show initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.7048 and 0.7061, and εNd₁₀₀ values of − 2.6 and − 1.8, respectively, and are thus probably related to Early Cretaceous magmas not involved in the anatexis of the metasedimentary rocks.     

Discrete ultrahigh-pressure domains in the Western Gneiss Region, Norway: implications for formation and exhumation

New eclogite localities and new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages within the Western Gneiss Region of Norway define three discrete ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) domains that are separated by distinctly lower pressure, eclogite facies rocks. The sizes of the UHP domains range from c. 2500 to 100 km²; if the UHP culminations are part of a continuous sheet at depth, the Western Gneiss Region UHP terrane has minimum dimensions of c. 165 × 50 × 5 km. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar mica and K‐feldspar ages show that this outcrop pattern is the result of gentle regional‐scale folding younger than 380 Ma, and possibly 335 Ma. The UHP and intervening high‐pressure (HP) domains are composed of eclogite‐bearing orthogneiss basement overlain by eclogite‐bearing allochthons. The allochthons are dominated by garnet amphibolite and pelitic schist with minor quartzite, carbonate, calc‐silicate, peridotite, and eclogite. Sm/Nd core and rim ages of 992 and 894 Ma from a 15‐cm garnet indicate local preservation of Precambrian metamorphism within the allochthons. Metapelites within the allochthons indicate near‐isothermal decompression following (U)HP metamorphism: they record upper amphibolite facies recrystallization at 12–17 kbar and c. 750 °C during exhumation from mantle depths, followed by a low‐pressure sillimanite + cordierite overprint at c. 5 kbar and c. 750 °C. New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar hornblende ages of 402 Ma document that this decompression from eclogite‐facies conditions at 410–405 Ma to mid‐crustal depths occurred in a few million years. The short timescale and consistently high temperatures imply adiabatic exhumation of a UHP body with minimum dimensions of 20–30 km. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar muscovite ages of 397–380 Ma show that this extreme heat advection was followed by rapid cooling (c. 30 °C Myr^?1), perhaps because of continued tectonic unroofing.     

New data on genesis of the crust in the eastern segment of the Middle Urals: Sr–Nd isotopic constraints

The analysis of the Sr and Nd isotopic composition in different granitoids of the Verkhisetsk, Shartash, Krasnopolsk, Petrokamensk, and Shabry massifs, which were successively formed in the island arc, continental marginal, and collisional geodynamic settings during the period from the Middle Devonian to the early Permian, revealed that ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr₀ values in them vary from 0.70331 to 0.70431 and ε_Nd(t), from +1.9 to +6.2. The two-stage model Nd age of granitoids (938–629 Ma) indicates that their magma originates from material at least Neoproterozoic in age, not younger. The observed variations in the Nd model ages of granitoids and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr₀ values provide grounds for assuming the primary heterogeneity of the source of granitoid melts.     

Magma sources and petrogenesis of the early–middle Paleozoic backarc granitoids from the central part of the Qilian block,NW China

The petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopes of the backarc granitoids from the central part of the Qilian block are studied in the present work. Both S- and I-type granitoids are present. In petrographic classification, they are granite, alkali feldspar granite, felsic granite, diorite, quartz diorite, granodiorite, and albite syenite. The SHRIMP ages are 402–447 Ma for the S-type and 419–451 Ma for the I-type granitoids. They are mostly high-K calc-alkaline granitoids. The S-type granitoids are weakly to strongly peraluminous and are characterized by negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.18–0.79). The I-type granitoids are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous and are characterized mostly by small negative to small positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.71–1.16). The initial (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) values are 0.708848–0.713651 for the S-type and 0.704230–0.718108 for the I-type granitoids. The ε_Nd(450 Ma) values are − 8.9–−4.1 and − 9.7–+ 1.9 for the S-type and I-type granitoids, respectively. The T_DM values are 1.5–2.4 Ga for the S-type and 1.0–2.3 Ga for the I-type granitoids. For the Qilian block, the backarc granitoid magmatism took place approximately 60 million years after the onset of the southward subduction of the north Qilian oceanic lithosphere and lasted approximately 50 million years. Partial melting of the source rocks consisting of the Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Huangyuan Group and the intruding lower Paleozoic basaltic rocks could produce the S-type granitoid magmas. Partial melting of basaltic rocks mixed with lower continental crustal materials could produce the I-type granitoid magmas. Major crustal growth occurred in the late Archean and Meso-Paleoproterozoic time for the Qilian block. The magma generation was primarily remelting of the crustal rocks with only little addition of the mantle materials after 1.0 Ga for the Qilian block.     

High-Si phengite records the time of greenschist facies overprinting: implications for models suggesting mega-detachments in the Aegean Sea

In the lower main unit of the Attic‐Cycladic crystalline belt (Greece), white mica geochronology (Rb–Sr, K–Ar, ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar) has established the timing of at least two metamorphic events: well‐preserved high‐pressure/low‐temperature (HP/LT) rocks yielded Eocene ages (c. 53–40 Ma) and their greenschist facies counterparts provided Oligocene–Miocene dates (c. 25–18 Ma). Marbles from Tinos Island contain high‐Si phengite with Rb–Sr (phengite–calcite) and ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar white mica ages between 41 and 24 Ma. All Ar age spectra are disturbed and ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar total fusion ages generally are 3–6 Ma older than corresponding Rb–Sr ages. Due to the polymetamorphic history, we consider inheritance from the HP stage as the most likely cause for the complex Ar age spectra and the older ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar dates. This concept also suggests that the Rb–Sr system is more sensitive to modification during overprinting than the Ar isotope system, because resetting of the Sr isotope system can be accomplished more quickly by Sr exchange with other Ca‐rich phases, whereas lack of pervasive deformation and/or restricted availability of synmetamorphic fluids has favoured partial inheritance of the Ar isotope system. On Tinos, the lowermost part of the metamorphic succession has experienced a pervasive greenschist facies overprint. Si‐rich phengite from marbles representing this lithostratigraphic level yielded Rb–Sr ages of c. 24 Ma. If the earlier metamorphic history is not taken into account, such data sets may lead to the erroneous conclusion of Miocene HP metamorphism. This study indicates that this phengite experienced pervasive rejuvenation of the Rb–Sr isotope system during overprinting, without significant changes in Si content, due to bulk‐compositional constraints. This leads to the conclusion that in the absence of critical mineral assemblages the Si value of phengite is not a reliable indicator for metamorphic pressures in impure marbles. Recent studies have reported large displacements (>100 km) for detachment faults in the Aegean Sea. A critical parameter for such models is the age of HP metamorphism as deduced from white mica dating in the basal units of the Cyclades. We question the underlying idea of Miocene HP metamorphism and suggest, instead, that this age constrains the timing of the greenschist facies overprint and that the existence of mega‐detachments in the study area requires further investigation.     

The geological significance of 40Ar/39Ar and Rb–Sr white mica ages from Syros and Sifnos,Greece: a record of continuous (re)crystallization during exhumation?

The Attic‐Cycladic crystalline belt in the central Aegean region records a complex structural and metamorphic evolution that documents Cenozoic subduction zone processes and exhumation. A prerequisite to develop an improved tectono‐metamorphic understanding of this area is dating of distinct P–T–D stages. To evaluate the geological significance of phengite ages of variably overprinted rocks, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and Rb–Sr analyses were undertaken on transitional blueschist–greenschist and greenschist facies samples from the islands of Syros and Sifnos. White mica geochronology indicates a large age variability (⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar: 41–27 Ma; Rb–Sr: 34–20 Ma). Petrologically similar samples have either experienced greenschist facies overprinting at different times or variations in ages record variable degrees of greenschist facies retrogression and incomplete resetting of isotopic systematics. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and Rb–Sr data for metamorphic rocks from both islands record only minor, localized evidence for Miocene ages (c. 21 Ma) that are well documented elsewhere in the Cyclades and interpreted to result from retrogression of high‐pressure mineral assemblages during lower pressure metamorphism. Field and textural evidence suggests that heterogeneous overprinting may be due to a lack of permeability and/or limited availability of fluids in some bulk compositions and that retrogression was more or less parallel to lithological layering and/or foliation as a result of, possibly deformation‐enhanced, channelized fluid ingress. Published and new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and Rb–Sr data for both islands indicate apparent age variations that can be broadly linked to mineral assemblages documenting transitional blueschist‐to‐greenschist‐ and/or greenschist facies metamorphism. The data do not record the timing of peak HP metamorphism, but may accurately record continuous (partial) resetting of isotopic systematics and/or (re)crystallization of white mica during exhumation and greenschist facies retrogression. The form of ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar phengite age spectra are complex with the lowest temperature steps yielding Middle to Late Miocene ages. The youngest Rb–Sr ages suggest maximum ages of 20.6 ± 0.8 Ma (Syros) and 22.5 ± 0.6 Ma (Sifnos) for the timing of greenschist facies overprinting. The results of this study further accentuate the challenges of interpreting isotopic data for white mica from polymetamorphic terranes, particularly when mixing of populations and/or incomplete resetting of isotopic systematics occurs during exhumation. These data capture the full range of isotopic age variations in retrogressed HP rocks documented in previous isotopic studies, and can be interpreted in terms of the geodynamic evolution of the Aegean.     

Metamorphic evolution of the Attic Cycladic Metamorphic Belt on Naxos (Cyclades, Greece) utilizing 40Ar/39Ar age spectrum measurements

Abstract ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age spectrum analysis of phengite separates from Naxos, part of the Attic Cycladic Metamorphic Belt in Greece, indicates that cooling following high-pressure, low- to medium-temperature metamorphism, M₁, occurred about 50 Ma ago. Phengite has ⁴⁰Ar* gradients that suggest that part of the scatter observed in conventional K–Ar ages was caused by diffusion of radiogenic argon from the minerals during a younger metamorphism, M₂. In central Naxos, this metamorphism (M₂) has overprinted the original mineral assemblages completely, and is associated with development of a thermal dome. Excellent ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateaus at 15.0 ± 0.1 Ma, 11.8 ± 0.1 Ma, and 11.4 ± 0.1 Ma, obtained on hornblende, muscovite and biotite, respectively, from the migmatite zone, indicate that relatively rapid cooling followed the M₂ event, and that no significant thermal overprinting occurred subsequent to M₂. Toward lower M₂ metamorphic grade, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of hornblendes increase to 19.8 ± 0.1 Ma; concomitantly the proportion of excess ⁴⁰Ar in the spectra increases as well. We propose that the peak of M₂ metamorphism occurred beween 15.0 and 19.8 Ma ago. K–Ar ages of biotites from a granodiorite on the west coast are indistinguishable from those found in the metamorphic complex, and hornblende K–Ar ages from the same samples are in the range 12.1–13.6 Ma. As the latter ages are somewhat younger than most ages obtained from the metamorphic complex, intrusion of the granodiorite most likely followed the peak of the M₂ metamorphism. The metamorphic evolution of Naxos is consistent with rapid crustal thickening during the Cretaceous or early Tertiary, causing conditions at which supracrustal rocks experienced pressures in the range 900–1500 MPa. Transition to normal crustal thicknesses ended the M₁ metamorphism about 50 Ma ago. The M₂ metamorphism and granodiorite intrusion occurred during a period of heat input into the crust, possibly related to the migration of the Hellenic volcanic ar°C in a southerly direction through the area.     

Constraints from geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopes for the origin of albitite deposits from Central Sardinia (Italy)

Major- and trace-element contents and Sr–Nd isotope ratios were determined in albitite, albitized and unaltered late-Variscan granitoid samples from the world-class Na-feldspar deposits of central Sardinia, Italy. The albite deposit of high economic grade has geological, textural, and chemical features typical of metasomatic alteration affecting the host granitoids. Albitization, locally accompanied by chloritization and epidotization, was characterized by strong leaching of Mg, Fe, K, and geochemically similar trace elements, and by a significant increase of Na. Ca, and P were moderately leached in the most metasomatized rocks. Other major (Si, Ti, Ca) and trace elements (U, Th, Y, and Zr), along with light (LREE) and middle (MREE) rare-earth elements, behaved essentially immobile at the deposit scale. The Nd-isotope ratios (0.512098 to 0.512248) do not provide information on the emplacement age of the unaltered late-Variscan granitoids. On the other hand, their Sr-isotope ratios fit an errorchron of 274±29 Ma (1σ error), in fair agreement with all published ages of Sardinian Variscan granitoids. The very low Rb content of albitized rocks precludes application of the Rb–Sr radiometric system to determine the age of albitization. The Sm–Nd system is not applicable either, because the ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of albitized rocks and unaltered granitoids overlap. The overlap confirms that Sm and Nd were substantially immobile during albitization. On the other hand, the measured ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the albitized rocks are appreciably lower than those of the unaltered host granitoids, whereas, their initial Sr-isotope ratios are higher. This seems to suggest that a) albitization was induced by non-magmatic fluids rich in radiogenic Sr, and b) albitization occurred shortly after the granitoid emplacement. This conclusion is supported by Nd isotopes, because unaltered granitoids and albitites fit the same reference isochron at 274 Ma. The fluids acquired radiogenic Sr by circulation through the Lower Paleozoic metasedimentary basement. Specifically, it is estimated that Sr supplied by the non-carbonatic basement represents about 22 wt% of total Sr in albitite.     

Petrogenesis of Lingshan highly fractionated granites in the Southeast China: Implication for Nb-Ta mineralization

Whole rock major and trace element and Sr-, Nd- and Hf-isotope data, together with zircon U-Pb, Hf- and O-isotope data, are reported for the Nb-Ta ore bearing granites from the Lingshan pluton in the Southeastern China, in order to trace their petrogenesis and related Nb-Ta mineralization. The Lingshan pluton contains hornblende-bearing biotite granite in the core and biotite granite, albite granite and pegmatite at the rim. In addition, numerous mafic microgranular enclaves occur in the Lingshan granites. Zircon SIMS U-Pb dating gives consistent crystallization ages of ca. 132 Ma for the Lingshan granitoids and enclaves, consistent with the Nb-Ta mineralization age of ∼132 Ma, indicating that mafic and felsic magmatism and Nb-Ta mineralization are coeval. The biotite granites contain hornblende, and are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, with high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.7071–0.7219, negative ε_Nd(t) value of −5.9 to −0.3, ε_Hf(t) values of −3.63 to −0.32 for whole rocks, high δ¹⁸O values and negative ε_Hf(t) values for zircons, and ancient Hf and Nd model ages of 1.41–0.95 Ga and 1.23–1.04 Ga, indicating that they are I-type granites and were derived from partial melting of ancient lower crustal materials. They have variable mineral components and geochemical features, corresponding extensive fractionation of hornblende, biotite and feldspar, with minor fractionation of apatite. Existence of mafic microgranular enclaves in the biotite granites suggests a magma mixing/mingling process for the origin of the Lingshan granitoids, and mantle-derived mafic magmas provided the heat for felsic magma generation. In contrast, the Nb-Ta mineralized albite granites and pegmatites have distinct mineral components and geochemical features, which show that they are highly-fractionated granites with extensive melt and F-rich fluid interaction in the generation of these rocks. The fluoride-rich fluids induce the enrichment in Nb and Ta in the highly evolved melts. Therefore, we conclude that the Nb-Ta mineralization is the result of hydrothermal process rather than crystal fractionation in the Lingshan pluton, which provides a case to identify magmatic and hydrothermal processes and evaluate their relative importance as ore-forming processes.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Early Cretaceous andesitic-dacitic rocks,western Qinling(Central China):Geochronological and geochemical constraints

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar and zircon U-Pb geochronological and whole-rock geochemical analyses for the Laozanggou intermediate-acidic volcanic rocks from the western Qinling orogenic belt,Central China,constrain their petrogenesis and the nature of the Late Mesozoic lithospheric mantle.These volcanic rocks yield hornblende or whole-rock ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar plateau ages of 128.3-129.7 Ma and zircon U-Pb age of131.3±1.3 Ma.They exhibit Si02 of 56.86-66.86 wt.%,K_2 O of 0.99-2.46 wt.% and MgO of 1.03-4.47 wt.%,with Mg# of 42-56.They are characterized by arc-like geochemical signatures with significant enrichment in LILE and LREE and depletion in HFSE.All the samples have enriched Sr-Nd isotopic compositions with initial ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr ratios ranging from 0.7112 to 0.7149 and ε_(Nd)(t) values from 10.2 to 6.3.Such geochemical signatures suggest that these volcanic rocks were derived from enriched lithospherederived magma followed by the assimilation and fractional crystallization(AFC)process.The generation of the enriched lithospheric mantle is likely related to the modification of sediment-derived fluid in response to the Triassic subduction/collision event in Qinling orogenic belt.The early Cretaceous detachment of the lithospheric root provides a reasonable mechanism for understanding the petrogenesis of the Laozanggou volcanic sequence in the western Qinling orogenic belt.     

Amphibole Ar/Ar Geochronology from the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, South Korea and its Tectonic Implications

An understanding of the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt (OMB) in South Korea is central to unraveling the tectono-metamorphic evolution of East Asia. Amphibole-bearing rocks in the OMB occur as calcsilicate layers and lenses in psammitic rocks, in the psammitic rocks themselves, and in the mafic volcanic layers and intrusives. Most amphiboles fail to show ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages; those that do have ages ranging from 132 to 975 Ma. The disturbed age pattern and wide variation in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages can be related to metamorphic grade, retrograde chemical reactions, excess Ar and amphibole composition. The oldest age (975 Ma) can be interpreted either as an old igneous or metamorphic age predating sedimentation or a false age caused by excess Ar. The youngest age of 132 Ma and the disturbed age pattern found in amphiboles from rocks located close to Jurassic granitoids are the result of retrograde thermal metamorphic effects accompanying intrusion of the granitoids. Some medium- or coarse-grained amphiboles in the calcsilicates are aggregates of fine-grained crystals. As a result, they are heterogeneous and prove to be readily affected by excess Ar. A disturbed age pattern in amphiboles from the calcsilicates occurring in the high-grade metamorphic zone may also be the product of excess Ar. On the other hand, the disturbed pattern of amphiboles present in the calcsilicates from the low-grade metamorphic zone could arise from both excess Ar and mixed ages. However, amphiboles from psammitic rocks and some calcsilicates in the high-grade metamorphic zone and in intrusive metabasites display real plateau ages of 237 to 261 Ma. The temperature conditions in the high-grade metamorphic zone were higher than the argon closing temperature for amphibole, and the amphiboles in this zone give plateau ages only when they are homogeneous in composition, lack excess Ar, and have not been thermally affected by intrusion of the granitoids. The unmodified ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages prove rather younger than the age of the Late Paleozoic metamorphic event of 280 to 300 Ma, but they are close to muscovite K-Ar ages of 263 to 277 Ma. These ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar amphibole ages are interpreted as the time of cooling that followed the main regional, intermediate-P/T metamorphic climax. The results demonstrate that interpretation of ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar amphibole ages in an area subjected to several metamorphic events can be accomplished only by undertaking a thorough tectono-metamorphic study, accompanied by detailed chemical analysis of the amphiboles.     

Isotopic signatures of Paleoproterozoic granitoids from the southern São Francisco Craton and implications for the evolution of the Transamazonian Orogeny

The southern São Francisco Craton, northeastern Brazil, consists of an Archean block surrounded by a Paleoproterozoic belt related to the Transamazonian Orogeny (ca. 2.0 Ga). A calc-alkaline plutonic arc developed within the belt and the granitoid plutons comprise two distinct groups. One group displays Archean T_DM ages (3.07–2.62 Ga), ε_Nd(t) values between −11.0 and −3.8 and high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values, and it consists mainly of peraluminous granites. T_DM ages for the other group are Paleoproterozoic (2.43–2.27 Ga), and ε_Nd(t) values range between −2.8 and +1.3; the plutons are metaluminous tonalites (trondhjemites) to granodiorites. The Transamazonian granitoids can be related to contrasting source-regions, from mantle- to crust-derived ones. A number of them are probably derived from mixing of Paleoproterozoic juvenile material and variable proportions of Archean crust material. Magmatism related to deep faulting, during the compressional stages of the Transamazonian Orogeny, is a plausible model for granitoid generation. The contribution of mantle-derived material to the granitoid sources supports the idea that a significant episode of new crust formation occurred during the Transamazonian Orogeny.     

Evolution of the Mesozoic Granites in the Xiong＇ershan-Waifangshan Region, Western Henan Province, China, and Its Tectonic Implications

Based on the new data of isotopic ages and geochemical analyses, three types of Mesozoic granites have been identified for the Xiong'ershan-Waifangshan region in western Henan Province: high-Ba-Sr I-type granite emplaced in the early stage (～160 Ma), I-type granite in the middle stage (～130 Ma) and anorogenic A-type granite in the late stage (～115 Ma).Geochemical characteristics of the high-Ba-Sr I-type granite suggest that it may have been generated from the thickened lower crust by partial melting with primary residues of amphibole and garnet. Gradual increase of negative Eu anomaly and Sr content variations reflect progressive shallowing of the source regions of these granites from the early to late stage. New 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages of the early-stage Wuzhangshan granite (156.0±1.1 Ma, amphibole) and middle-stage Heyu granite (131.8±0.7 Ma, biotite) are indistinguishable from their SHRIMP U-Pb ages previous published, indicating a rapid uplift and erosion in this region. The representative anorogenic A-type granite, Taishanmiao pluton, was emplaced at ～115 Ma. The evolution of the granites in this region reveals a tectonic regime change from post-collisional to anorogenic between ～160 Ma and ～115 Ma. The genesis of the early- and middle-stage I-type granites could be linked to delamination of subducted lithosphere of the Qinling orogenic belt, while the late-stage A-type granites represent the onset of extension and the end of orogenic process. In fact, along the Qinling -Dabie-Sulu belt, the Mesozoic granitoids in western Henan, Dabieshan and Jiaodong regions are comparable on the basis of these temporal evolutionary stages and their initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios,which may suggest a similar geodynamic process related to the collision between the North China and Yangtze cratons.     

Geochemical variations of the Late Mesozoic granitoids in the southern margin of North China Craton: A possible link to the tectonic transformation from compression to extension

The composition of the continental crust of the North China Craton (NCC) is more felsic than that of the average bulk crust, which is regarded to be the result of the delamination of the thickened lower crust during Mesozoic. However, whether the thickened continental crust existed and when the delamination event happened along the southern margin of the NCC are still debated. Here, we report geochronological, geochemical and Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotopic evidence that granitoids from the Late Jurassic Wuzhangshan pluton and the Early Cretaceous Huashani complex were derived by partial melting of the lower crust with different thickness. Our new data shows that the two lithofacies of the Wuzhangshan pluton were mainly formed between ca. 157 and 156 Ma, whereas the five lithofacies of the Huashani complex were mainly emplaced between ca. 132 and 125 Ma. The Wuzhangshan pluton and the earlier four lithofacies granitoids of the Huashani complex (ca. 160–125 Ma) both display adakitic geochemical features, which are characterized by as high SiO₂ (63.26–72.71 wt%), Al₂O₃ (13.97–16.89 wt%) and Sr (413–1218 ppm) contents, and low Y (6.30–14.98 ppm) and Yb_N (1.55–4.43), and high Sr/Y (33−112) and (La/Yb)_N (11.53–29.72) ratios. They also have high (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)i (0.7066–0.7086), and low εNd(t) (−9.9 to −18.8) and εHf(t) (−11 to −26) values, and two-stage Nd and Hf model ages ranging from 2.4 to 1.7 Ga and 2.7 to 1.7 Ga, respectively. In contrast, the late Early Cretaceous (ca. 125–110 Ma) granitoids have higher SiO₂ (71.30–76.78 wt%) and lower Sr (64–333 ppm) contents, and lower Sr/Y (17–29) and (La/Yb)_N (13.25–18.36) ratios, and similar εNd(t) (−10 to −16) and relatively higher εHf(t) (−10 to −14) values. These geochemical variations suggest that the ca.160–125 Ma granitoids were most probably produced by partial melting of thickened crust (>45 km) with eclogite, garnet amphibolite or amphibolite residues, whereas that the ca. 125–110 Ma granitoids were formed by partial melting of the thinner crust (<33 km). We thus suggest that the NCC likely underwent a synchronous tectonic transformation at ca. 125 Ma from a compressional setting with thickened crust to an intensive extensional setting with thinner crust at ca. 125 Ma, which demonstrates that the lower crust was most likely delaminated.     

Comparison of petrology and isotope geochemistry of the Bulka peridotite–gabbro massif and granitoids of the Kyzykchadra complex (West Sayan)

The study provides new petrologic and isotope geochemical data for rocks of the 465 ± 5 Ma Bulka massif (Borodina et al., 2011). The primary amphibole from granitoid stocks cutting across the layered series of the massif yielded an Ar–Ar age of 415.9 ± 3.7 Ma. The rocks of the Bulka massif have ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratio of 0.513243 and εNd (Т) values of +12.00. The granitoids have ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios between 0.512919 and 0.512961 and εNd (Т) values between +8.03 and +9.25. The Nd isotope composition indicates that the rocks of the Bulka massif and granitoids were derived from a depleted mantle source. Depletion of the rocks of the massif in LILE, LREE, and HFSE over LILE is inherited from the mantle source, which has geochemical signatures of N-MORB and subduction-related components. Granitoids are metaluminous I-type granites, which were probably generated either by differentiation of intermediate to mafic mantle-derived magmas or by melting of metabasites. The rocks of the granitoid stocks are characterized by enrichment in LILE and LREE and depletion in HFSE over LILE, which suggests derivation from arc-related parental magmas.