花岗岩类与大陆地壳生长初探——以中国典型造山带花岗岩类岩石的形成为例

本文主要基于东昆仑造山带、秦岭造山带、兴蒙造山带、阿尔泰造山带、燕山造山带以及华南过铝花岗岩带等花岗岩类形成的研究成果,讨论中国大陆内几个造山带的花岗岩类形成与大陆地壳生长方式和过程,我们的初步认识是:软流圈(对流地幔)的热和物质向大陆的输入(input)是大陆地壳生长和再改造的根本.大陆地壳的形成演化和再改造(reworking)主要通过岩浆作用完成,岩浆的形成、运移和定位是大陆地壳生长的基本过程.幔源玄武质岩浆底侵(underplating)于大陆地壳底部和内侵(intraplating)于地壳内部,是软流圈注入大陆的基本形式.造山带镁铁质下地壳的拆沉作用是致使陆壳总组成为中性火成岩(安山岩和闪长岩,或粗面安山岩和二长岩质的)的主要原因.收缩挤压构造作用使陆壳加厚达≥50 km,是诱发镁铁质下地壳拆沉作用的必需条件.火成岩构造组合及其时间序列是识别大陆地壳从软流圈地幔中分出,直至最终形成的过程的关键记录.     

板块俯冲起始与大陆地壳演化

组成大陆地壳的物质主要来自两个地质过程:地幔柱活动和板块俯冲。目前大多数研究认为板块俯冲起始于30多亿年前。在板块俯冲起始之前,基性的初始地壳物质受热重熔是大陆地壳生长的主要方式,其中,地幔柱活动是关键。地幔柱不仅向地壳输送玄武质岩浆,同时导致已有玄武质岩石和沉积岩通过部分熔融向中酸性岩石转化。当原始岩石圈强度足够大时,地幔柱会导致岩石圈倾斜、破裂,产生下滑力,诱发板块俯冲。板块俯冲引发岩浆活动,产生大量的岩浆岩,如岛弧安山岩、弧后盆玄武岩等。这些岩浆岩通过喷发、侵位,再经由块体拼贴、增生等过程加入到大陆地壳,是大陆地壳生长的主要途径。同时,板内岩浆活动乃至地幔柱活动等也与板块俯冲有直接或者间接的联系。俯冲再循环物质促进地幔柱发育,也为大陆地壳的生长提供物源和热能。与此同时,大陆地壳不断风化剥蚀,其中一部分沉积物随俯冲板块再循环到地幔,而板块俯冲过程也通过俯冲剥蚀等过程,将仰冲盘岩石圈物质刮削带入地幔。这些是大陆地壳消减的主要途径。目前大陆地壳增生和消减基本处于动态平衡。     

俯冲带岩浆弧安山岩的成因研究进展

安山岩是俯冲带岩浆弧中重要的岩石类型,其成因至今仍是国际地质学界研究的热点之一.根据安山岩分布的地质背景,岩浆弧安山岩可以简单划分为陆弧安山岩和洋弧安山岩,二者在化学成分和空间分布等方面存在明显差异.自20世纪20年代末以来,大量的研究成果丰富了人们对岩浆弧安山岩成因的认识,逐渐将其归纳为玄武质岩浆输入和安山质岩浆输入2种模型.玄武质岩浆输入模型认为形成岩浆弧安山岩的初始岩浆成分为玄武质,强调分离结晶、同化混染和岩浆混合等壳内过程;而安山质岩浆输入模型认为地幔源区可以直接形成安山质熔体,强调俯冲板片来源的流体/熔体—地幔橄榄岩的交代反应和沉积物底辟等壳下过程.虽然岩浆弧安山岩的成因研究取得了一定的进展,但每一个模型都有亟待完善之处.地幔交代岩的实验岩石学研究、安山岩与大陆地壳形成与演化间的关系、理论计算和模拟的应用等都是未来需要研究的领域.     

中国东部中生代岩浆活动与板块俯冲的关系——浙闽与日本弧和安第斯弧的对比及其意义

中国东部中-新生代的构造背景是中国地质学界最关注的问题之一。自20世纪70年代板块构造学说引入中国后,中国地质学家普遍接受了太平洋板块向欧亚板块俯冲导致中国东部中生代强烈的构造-岩浆活动和相应的成矿作用的观点,乃至成为被中外学者普遍认知的理论,至今仍然广泛流传。但是,本文研究认为问题很多。众所周知,岛弧是以玄武岩出露为主,大陆弧则是以安山岩出露最多,而中国东部玄武岩和安山岩极不发育。本文按照大数据研究思路,对日本和安第斯全部新生代岩浆岩的统计研究表明,上述认识基本上是对的:日本弧主要是玄武岩,其次是安山岩;安第斯弧主要是安山岩,其次是玄武岩;而中国东部(以浙闽地区为代表),主要是花岗岩,其次是玄武岩,出现双峰式分布的特征。看来,中国东部与日本和安第斯的构造背景完全不同,中国东部没有俯冲作用的明显证据。其次,岛弧和大陆弧有明显的成分和结构分带,如日本弧,从海沟开始,岩浆活动是从前弧-岛弧-后弧-弧后(frant-arc,arc,rear-arc,back-arc)。安第斯弧不如日本弧明显,从海沟向东到大陆是从弧前杂岩-弧岩浆岩-弧后盆地。中国东部(包括东海大陆架、中国东部沿海)与俯冲有关的结构和成分分带哪里有?我们的研究集中讨论了浙闽地区400km宽度范围内侏罗纪-白垩纪岩浆岩的分布,从年龄到地球化学(Si O2的变化,Mg O、K2O的变化,年龄的变化等等),基本上见不到有从东到西分带的趋势,这种情况如何与板块俯冲作用联系起来呢?岛弧岩浆岩主要来源于亏损的地幔、洋壳、深海沉积物,以及由俯冲带带来的流体,因此,岛弧岩浆岩洋壳的特征非常明显。大陆弧也来自地幔,但是,岩浆穿过大陆壳,会带来明显的陆壳混染的影响,因此安第斯型岩浆岩陆壳的印记比较明显。大陆岩浆岩如果不考虑俯冲带的影响,岩浆岩应当来自高热的软流圈地幔。如果高热的软流圈停滞在岩石圈底部,在那里发生部分熔融,形成的应当是大陆溢流玄武岩,而中酸性岩浆岩非常少;相反,如果高热的软流圈突破岩石圈的阻隔而上升到地壳底部,则会加热下地壳底部使之发生部分熔融,形成的则是大量的酸性花岗岩,而玄武岩和安山岩很少。峨眉山是前面的情况,中国东部则是后面的情况。中国东部岩浆岩究竟与日本、安第斯有何异同点?应当是岩石学家研究的首要命题,建议中国的岩石学家和地球化学家不要仅限于中国东部的研究,而将研究的触角延伸一步,深入细致地研究一下日本和安第斯岩浆岩的情况,再对比中国东部的情况,如此可能会得出新的认识,这样的认识也许才可能有益于解决中国东部岩浆岩形成背景的问题。     

岩浆弧火成岩构造组合与洋陆转换

本文从岩浆弧的火成岩构造组合、主要地质特征和弧地壳成熟度几个方面,讨论洋陆转换作用及其过程。表征洋俯冲环境的火成岩构造组合主要有英云闪长岩—奥长花岗岩—花岗闪长岩(TTG)组合,高镁安山岩组合,镁安山岩组合,Adakite组合(即高锶低钇中酸性岩)与富铌弧玄武岩组合等。基于火成岩构造组合的配置,讨论了4种可能的洋俯冲壳的壳幔结构:(1)热的年轻的俯冲洋壳与上覆冷的幔楔岩石圈;(2)冷的老的俯冲洋壳与冷的幔楔岩石圈;(3)冷的老的洋壳与热的幔楔软流圈;(4)热的年轻的俯冲洋壳与上覆幔楔软流圈。讨论了弧岩浆前锋作为结构标志以及空间组成极性的构造意义;讨论了弧火山作用的时间极性与弧成熟度及其地壳厚度之间的正相关关系,提出岩浆弧地壳双层结构的模型,下地壳主要为玄武质的基性麻粒岩和角闪岩,上地壳为长英质的TTG片麻岩,相当于大陆壳形成的第一阶段,即新生陆壳。岩浆弧及其洋—陆过渡性的弧地壳是洋俯冲作用形成的洋陆转换带(或增生造山带)的最重要的记录。     

青藏高原巨厚地壳：生长、加厚与演化

大陆地壳约占地表面积的40%, 其成因与生长, 是一个关乎人类生存和资源供给的基础地学问题。人们普遍认为, 大洋俯冲通过岛弧拼贴和幔源岩浆底侵形成造山带新生陆壳，大陆碰撞过程只对现存地壳进行再造，不产生新生地壳。青藏高原经历古/新特提斯大洋俯冲和印 亚大陆强烈碰撞, 拥有全球最厚的陆壳(65~80km), 是研究大陆地壳的形成、生长、加厚、演化与保存的天然实验室。我们研究表明, 古/新特提斯大洋的相继俯冲消减, 产生多期次的幔源镁铁质弧岩浆(270~66Ma), 在弧地壳下部底侵和上部侵位, 导致地壳侧向加积和垂向生长并加厚约10km。在同(软)碰撞期(65~41Ma), 印度大陆岩石圈俯冲导致俯冲前缘的洋壳板片回转和断离, 诱发软流圈地幔熔融及其幔源岩浆上升侵位, 在冈底斯碰撞带形成新生地壳, 并导致地壳加厚6~9km。在晚(硬)碰撞期(40~26Ma), 冈底斯碰撞造山带内不同地壳块体(地体)间发生逆冲叠覆, 导致中深层次地壳缩短加厚10~20km; 在碰撞带的后陆区, 印度大陆岩石圈地幔俯冲诱发软流圈沿地幔通道上涌, 侵蚀和吞噬地幔岩石圈, 并诱发其部分熔融, 向地壳注入大量幔源镁铁质岩浆, 形成新生地壳, 维持高原生长。在后碰撞期(<25Ma), 碰撞带和后陆区均发生地壳伸展与有限减薄, 伴有新生地幔组分少量注入和高原陆表强烈剥蚀。粗略估计：形成并保存于大陆碰撞造山带的新生地壳量占整个陆壳的28%, 大洋俯冲与大陆碰撞分别为青藏高原贡献了75%和25%的新生地壳。我们提出, 青藏高原巨厚地壳的形成发育, 实际上是幔源岩浆向地壳注入添加与中下地壳缩短加厚连续或交互作用的结果。伴随大洋俯冲与大陆碰撞, 巨厚地壳物质组成发生以新生地壳形成和古老地壳再造为特征的动态演变。镁铁质新生下地壳的大规模重熔与长英质岩浆大量侵位可能是巨厚地壳长英质化的主要机制。     

大陆弧岩浆幕式作用与地壳加厚:以藏南冈底斯弧为例

大陆弧岩浆带位于汇聚板块的前缘,记录了洋陆俯冲过程和大陆地壳生长过程,是研究壳幔相互作用的天然实验室。越来越多的研究发现,大陆弧岩浆的生长与侵位并不是均一的、连续的过程,而是呈现阶段性、峰期性特征,即幕式岩浆作用。弧岩浆峰期与岩浆平静期相比,岩浆增生速率显著增强,易于发生岩浆聚集,继而形成大的岩基,如北美西部科迪勒拉造山带内华达岩基、半岛岩基等。藏南冈底斯岩浆带位于拉萨地体南缘,属于印度-亚洲碰撞带的上盘,其南侧与喜马拉雅地体以雅鲁藏布蛇绿岩带为界。冈底斯弧岩浆形成时代集中在240~50 Ma期间,其形成与演化与新特提斯洋壳岩石圈板片俯冲到拉萨地体之下密切相关。因此,对冈底斯弧型岩浆作用的研究,将很好地揭示大陆型弧岩浆的演化过程,继而反演洋-陆俯冲过程,以及壳幔相互作用过程。通过对冈底斯岩浆带岩浆岩锆石U-Pb及Lu-Hf同位素,以及弧前和前陆盆地碎屑锆石U-Pb和Lu-Hf同位素的收集和整理,结合已经发表的区域地质资料的总结,我们发现冈底斯弧型岩浆演化具有如下特点:1幕式侵位,岩浆峰期为100~80 Ma和65~40 Ma,中间为岩浆平静期;2峰期阶段岩浆聚集,形成巨大岩基;岩石同位素非常亏损,预示着地幔物质的显著参与;3在弧岩浆的峰期阶段,冈底斯地壳厚度有显著增加,说明弧岩浆的峰期侵位对地壳加厚有重大贡献。     

长江中下游中生代安山质火山岩记录的新元古代大洋板片-地幔相互作用

大陆弧安山岩的形成是大洋板片向大陆边缘之下俯冲的结果,但是在具体形成机制上存在很大争议.针对这个问题,对长江中下游地区中生代安山质火山岩及其伴生的玄武质和英安质火山岩进行了系统的岩石地球化学研究,结果对大陆弧安山质火成岩的成因提出了新的机制.分析表明,这些岩石形成于早白垩世,它们不仅表现出典型的岛弧型微量元素分布特征,而且具有高度富集的Sr-Nd-Hf同位素和高的放射成因Pb以及高的氧同位素组成.通过全岩和矿物地球化学成分变化检查发现,地壳混染和岩浆混合作用对其成分的富集特征贡献有限,而其岩浆源区含有丰富的俯冲地壳衍生物质才是其成分富集的根本原因.虽然这些火山岩的喷发年龄为中生代,但是其岩浆源区形成于新元古代早期的华夏洋壳俯冲对扬子克拉通边缘之下地幔楔的交代作用.大陆弧安山岩地幔源区中含有大量俯冲洋壳沉积物部分熔融产生的含水熔体,显著区别于大洋弧玄武岩的地幔源区,其中只含有少量俯冲洋壳来源的富水溶液和含水熔体.正是这些含水熔体交代上覆地幔楔橄榄岩,形成了不同程度富集的超镁铁质-镁铁质地幔源区.在早白垩纪时期,古太平洋俯冲过程的远弧后拉张导致中国东部岩石圈发生部分熔融,其中超镁铁质地幔源区熔融形成玄武质火山岩,镁铁质地幔源区则熔融形成安山质火山岩.因此,大陆弧安山岩成因与大洋弧玄武岩一样,可分为源区形成和源区熔融两个阶段,其中第一阶段对应于俯冲带壳幔相互作用.      

冈底斯岩浆弧的形成与演化

位于青藏高原南部的冈底斯岩浆弧是新特提斯大洋岩石圈长期俯冲导致的中生代岩浆作用的产物,而且在印度与亚洲大陆碰撞过程中叠加了强烈的新生代岩浆作用,是世界上典型的复合型大陆岩浆弧,也是研究增生与碰撞造山作用和大陆地壳生长与再造的天然实验室。基于岩浆、变质和成矿作用研究成果,我们将冈底斯弧的形成与演化历史划分5期,即新特提斯洋早期俯冲、新特提斯洋中脊俯冲、新特提斯洋晚期俯冲、印度-亚洲大陆碰撞和后碰撞期。第1期发生在晚白垩世之前,是以新特提斯洋岩石圈的长期俯冲、地幔楔部分熔融形成钙碱性弧岩浆岩为特征。长期的幔源岩浆作用导致了整个冈底斯弧发生显著的新生地壳生长,并在岩浆弧西部形成了一个大型的与俯冲相关的斑岩型铜矿。第2期发生在晚白垩世,活动的新特提斯洋中脊发生俯冲,软流软圈沿板片窗上涌,使上升的软流圈、地幔楔和俯冲洋壳发生部分熔融,导致了强烈的幔源岩浆作用和显著的新生地壳生长与加厚,并以不同类型和不同成分岩浆岩的同时发育和伴随的高温变质作用为特征。第3期发生在晚白垩世晚期,为新特提斯洋脊俯冲后残余大洋岩石圈的俯冲期,以正常的弧型岩浆作用为特征。第4期发生在古新世至中始新世,伴随印度与亚洲大陆的碰撞,俯冲的新特提斯洋岩石圈回转和断离引起软流圈上涌,诱发了强烈的幔源岩浆作用。在此阶段,大陆碰撞导致的地壳挤压缩短和幔源岩浆的底侵与增生,使冈底斯弧经历了显著的地壳生长和加厚,新生和古老加厚下地壳的高压、高温变质和部分熔融,幔源和壳源岩浆岩的共生和强烈的岩浆混合。所形成的I型花岗岩大多继承了新生地壳弧型岩浆岩的化学成分,并多显出埃达克岩的地球化学特征。在岩浆弧北部形成了一系列与起源于古老地壳花岗岩相关的Pb-Zn矿床。第5期发生在晚渐新世到早-中中新世的后碰撞挤压过程中,以地壳的继续加厚,加厚下地壳的高温变质、部分熔融和埃达克质岩石的形成为特征。在岩浆弧东段南部形成了一系列与起源于新生加厚下地壳埃达克质岩石相关的斑岩型Cu-Au-Mo矿。冈底斯带的多期岩浆、变质与成矿作用为其从新特提斯洋俯冲到印度-亚洲大陆碰撞的构造演化提供了重要限定。     

藏北羌塘中部日湾茶卡地区晚三叠世安山岩与闪长质包体岩石成因及地质意义

龙木错-双湖-澜沧江缝合带将羌塘板块划分为南、北2个次级板块,在缝合带两侧大规模发育晚三叠世岩浆作用,并伴随大量的高压超高压变质岩。在缝合带以南的日湾茶卡地区识别出一套安山岩,其中发育大量的暗色闪长质捕虏体,锆石U-Pb测年结果在安山岩中获得了364.7±1.9Ma和223.9±1.3Ma两组年龄信息,锆石原位Hf同位素测试结果εHf(t)分别为+7.22~+8.69和-5.94~-4.14。结合羌塘中部已有的研究成果,认为闪长质捕虏体形成于晚泥盆世洋壳俯冲背景,是地幔楔部分熔融底侵至地壳的产物;而安山岩形成于晚三叠世碰撞后伸展背景,是深部板片断离机制下深俯冲陆壳边缘一侧熔体混染晚泥盆世新生地壳的产物。安山岩中闪长质捕虏体的发现支持了俯冲带作为大陆生长的重要场所的观点。     

冈底斯弧的岩浆作用：从新特提斯俯冲到印度亚洲碰撞

位于青藏高原南部的冈底斯岩浆弧形成于中生代新特提斯大洋岩石圈的长期俯冲过程中,而且在印度与亚洲大陆碰撞过程中叠加了强烈的新生代岩浆作用,是世界上典型的复合型大陆岩浆弧,已经成为研究汇聚板块边缘岩浆作用和大陆地壳生长与再造的天然实验室。基于对现有研究成果的总结,我们将冈底斯岩浆弧的岩浆构造演化划分为5个阶段：第1阶段发生在晚白垩世之前,以新特提斯洋岩石圈长期正常俯冲和钙碱性弧岩浆岩的发育为特征;第2阶段发生在晚白垩世时期,以活动的新特提斯洋中脊发生俯冲和强烈的岩浆作用与显著的新生地壳生长为特征;第3阶段发生在晚白垩世晚期,以残余的新特提斯大洋岩石圈俯冲和正常弧型岩浆作用为特征;第4阶段发生在古新世至中始新世,以印度与亚洲大陆碰撞、俯冲的新特提斯洋岩石圈回转和断离,及其诱发的幔源岩浆作用、新生和古老地壳的强烈再造为特征;第5阶段为发生在晚渐新世到中中新世的后碰撞阶段,深俯冲印度岩石圈的回转和断离,或加厚岩石圈地幔的对流移去导致了加厚下地壳的部分熔融和埃达克质岩石的广泛发育,同时伴随幔源钾质超钾质岩浆作用。冈底斯弧岩浆作用与岩浆成分的系统时空变化很好地记录了从新特提斯洋俯冲到印度亚洲大陆碰撞的完整构造演化过程。     

Reworking of the Gangdese magmatic arc,southeastern Tibet: post‐collisional metamorphism and anatexis

The Gangdese magmatic arc, southeastern Tibet, was built by mantle‐derived magma accretion and juvenile crustal growth during the Mesozoic to Early Cenozoic northward subduction of the Neo‐Tethyan oceanic slab beneath the Eurasian continent. The petrological and geochronological data reveal that the lower crust of the southeastern Gangdese arc experienced Oligocene reworking by metamorphism, anatexis and magmatism after the India and Asia collision. The post‐collisional metamorphic and migmatitic rocks formed at 34–26 Ma and 28–26 Ma respectively. Meta‐granitoids have protolith ages of 65–38 Ma. Inherited detrital zircon from metasedimentary rocks has highly variable ages ranging from 2708 to 37 Ma. These rocks underwent post‐collisional amphibolite facies metamorphism and coeval anatexis under P–T conditions of ~710–760 °C and ~12 kbar with geothermal gradients of 18–20 °C km ^{? 1}, indicating a distinct crustal thickening process. Crustal shortening, thickening and possible subduction erosion due to the continental collision and ongoing convergence resulted in high‐P metamorphic and anatectic reworking of the magmatic and sedimentary rocks of the deep Gangdese arc. This study provides a typical example of the reworking of juvenile and ancient continental crust during active collisional orogeny.     

Tracking the birth and growth of Cimmeria: Geochronology and origins of intrusive rocks from NW Iran

New geochronological and geochemical data for Late Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic intrusive rocks from NW Iran define major regional magmatic episodes and track the birth and growth of one of the Cimmerian microcontinents: the Persian block.After the final accretion of the Gondwanan terranes, the subduction of the Prototethyan Ocean beneath NW Gondwana during the Late Neoproterozoic was the trigger for high magmatic fluxes and the emplacement of isotopically diverse arc-related intrusions in NW Gondwana. The Late Neoproterozoic rocks of NW Iran belong to this magmatic event which includes intrusions with highly variable εHf(t) values. This magmatism continued until a magmatic lull during the Ordovician, which led to the erosion of the Neoproterozoic arc, and then was followed by a rifting event which controlled the opening of Paleotethys. In addition, it is supposed that a prolonged pulse of rift magmatism in Persia lasted from Devonian-Carboniferous to Early Permian time. These magmatic events are geographically restricted and are mostly recorded from NW Iran, although there is some evidence for these magmatic events in other segments of Iran. The Jurassic rocks of NW Iran are interpreted to be the along-strike equivalents of a Mesozoic magmatic belt (the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone; SaSZ) toward the NW. Magmatic rocks from the SaSZ show pulsed magmatism, with high-flux events at both ~176–160 Ma and ~130 Ma. The SaSZ magmatic rocks are suggested to be formed along a continental arc but a rift setting is also considered for the formation of the SaSZ rocks based on the plume-related geochemical signatures. The arc signatures are represented by Nb-Ta depletion in the highly contaminated (by upper continental crust) plutonic rocks whereas the plume-related signature of less-contaminated melts is manifested by enrichment in Nb-Ta and high εHf(t) values, with peaks at +0.6 and +11.2. All these magmatic pulses led to pre-Cimmerian continental growth and reworking during the Late Neoproterozoic, rifting and detachment of the Cimmerian blocks from Gondwana in Mid-Late Paleozoic time and further crustal growth and reworking of Cimmeria during the Mesozoic.     

Growing primordial continental crust self-consistently in global mantle convection models

The majority of continental crust formed during the hotter Archean was composed of Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite (TTG) rocks. In contrast to the present-day loci of crust formation around subduction zones and intra-plate tectonic settings, TTGs are formed when hydrated basalt melts at garnet-amphibolite, granulite or eclogite facies conditions. Generating continental crust requires a two step differentiation process. Basaltic magma is extracted from the pyrolytic mantle, is hydrated, and then partially melts to form continental crust. Here, we parameterise the melt production and melt extraction processes and show self-consistent generation of primordial continental crust using evolutionary thermochemical mantle convection models. To study the growth of TTG and the geodynamic regime of early Earth, we systematically vary the ratio of intrusive (plutonic) and eruptive (volcanic) magmatism, initial core temperature, and internal friction coefficient. As the amount of TTG that can be extracted from the basalt (or basalt-to-TTG production efficiency) is not known, we also test two different values in our simulations, thereby limiting TTG mass to 10% or 50% of basalt mass. For simulations with lower basalt-to-TTG production efficiency, the volume of TTG crust produced is in agreement with net crustal growth models but overall crustal (basaltic and TTG) composition stays more mafic than expected from geochemical data. With higher production efficiency, abundant TTG crust is produced, with a production rate far exceeding typical net crustal growth models but the felsic to mafic crustal ratio follows the expected trend. These modelling results indicate that (i) early Earth exhibited a “plutonic squishy lid” or vertical-tectonics geodynamic regime, (ii) present-day slab-driven subduction was not necessary for the production of early continental crust, and (iii) the Archean Earth was dominated by intrusive magmatism as opposed to “heat-pipe” eruptive magmatism.     

Magmatic evolution of the South Shetland Islands,Antarctica, and implications for continental crust formation

Lavas from the South Shetland Islands volcanic arc (northern Antarctic Peninsula) have been investigated in order to determine the age, petrogenesis and compositional evolution of a long-lived volcanic arc constructed on 32-km-thick crust, a thickness comparable with average continental crust. New ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar ages for the volcanism range between 135 and 47 Ma and, together with published younger ages, confirm a broad geographical trend of decreasing ages for the volcanism from southwest to northeast. The migration pattern breaks down in Palaeogene time, with Eocene magmatism present on both Livingston and King George islands, which may be due to a change in both subduction direction and velocity after c. 60 Ma. The lavas range from tholeiitic to calc-alkaline, but there is no systematic change with age or geographic location. The compositions of lavas from the north-eastern islands indicate magma generation in a depleted mantle wedge with relatively low Sr and high Nd isotopic compositions and low U/Nb, Th/Nd and Ba/Nb ratios that was metasomatized by hydrous fluids from subducted basaltic oceanic crust. Lavas from the south-western islands show an additional sedimentary influence most likely due to fluid release from subducted sediments into the mantle wedge. Although magmatic activity in the South Shetland arc extended over c. 100 m.y., there is no evolution towards more enriched or evolved magmas with time. Few South Shetland arc lavas are sufficiently enriched with incompatible elements to provide a potential protolith for the generation of average continental crust. We conclude that even long-established subduction zones with magmatic systems founded on relatively thick crust do not necessarily form continental crustal building blocks. They probably represent only the juvenile stages of continental crust formation, and additional re-working, for example during subsequent arc-continental margin collision, is required before they can evolve into average continental crust.     

The lower crust of the Gangdese magmatic arc,southern Tibet,implication for the growth of continental crust

Magmatic arcs are thought to be the primary sites of modern-day continental crustal growth, and arc crustal sections provide an exceptional opportunity to directly observe the geological processes that occur there, yet few deeply exposed arc sections are available for direct study. The Gangdese magmatic arc, southern Tibet, formed during the Mesozoic subduction of Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere and Cenozoic collision between the Indian and Asian continents, and represent juvenile continental crust. However, the petrological components and compositions of the lower crust of the Gangdese arc remain unknown. Based on detailed geological mapping, we conducted a systemic geochemical, geochronological and zircon Hf isotopic study of well-exposed high-grade metamorphic and migmatitic rocks from the lower crust of the eastern Gangdese arc. The results obtained show that Late Cretaceous garnet amphibolites, dioritic and granitic gneisses, and Paleocene–Eocene garnet amphibolites and granitic gneisses are the main components of the Gangdese lower arc crust. These meta-intrusive rocks witnessed a long period of magmatic, and metamorphic and anatectic processes from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Eocene, and have chemical compositions that range from ultramafic to felsic, with an average SiO₂ content of 57.61 wt% and Mg# value of 0.49. These new data indicate firstly that the Gangdese lower arc crust has an overall intermediate composition and typical feature of juvenile crusts, and therefore supports the recent proposition that continental lower crusts are relatively felsic in composition, instead of mafic. We consider that the downward transport of felsic intrusives and associated sedimentary rocks into the deep crustal levels and subsequent partial melting resulted in componential and compositional changes of the Gangdese arc lower crust over time. This is a potential key mechanism in transforming primary lower arc crust to mature continental lower crust for the magmatic arcs with a complete growth history.