TTGs and adakites: are they both slab melts?

Although both high-Al TTG (tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite) and adakite show strongly fractionated REE and incompatible element patterns, TTGs have lower Sr, Mg, Ni, Cr, and Nb/Ta than most adakites. These compositional differences cannot be easily related by shallow fractional crystallization. While adakites are probably slab melts, TTGs may be produced by partial melting of hydrous mafic rocks in the lower crust in arc systems or in the Archean, perhaps in the root zones of oceanic plateaus. It is important to emphasize that geochemical data can be used to help constrain tectonic settings, but it cannot be used alone to reconstruct ancient tectonic settings.

Depletion in heavy REE and low Nb/Ta ratios in high-Al TTGs require both garnet and low-Mg amphibole in the restite, whereas moderate to high Sr values allow little, if any, plagioclase in the restite. To meet these requirements requires melting in the hornblende eclogite stability field between 40- and 80-km deep and between 700 and 800 °C.

Some high-Al TTGs produced at 2.7 Ga and perhaps again at about 1.9 Ga show unusually high La/Yb, Sr, Cr, and Ni. These TTGs may reflect catastrophic mantle overturn events at 2.7 and 1.9 Ga, during which a large number of mantle plumes bombarded the base of the lithosphere, producing thick oceanic plateaus that partially melted at depth.     

Making continental crust through slab melting: Constraints from niobium-tantalum fractionation in UHP metamorphic rutile

The formation of the continental crust (CC) is one of the most important processes in the evolution of the silicate Earth. Exactly how the CC formed is the subject of ongoing debate that focuses on its subchondritic Nb/Ta ratio. Nb and Ta are “geochemical identical twins,” so they usually do not fractionate from each other. Here, we show that rutile grains from hydrous rutile-bearing eclogitic layers recovered from drillcores in the Dabie-Sulu ultrahigh pressure terrain have highly variable Nb/Ta values (ranging from 5.4 to 29.1, with an average of 9.8 ± 0.6), indicating major fractionation of Nb and Ta most likely occurred during blueschist to amphibole-eclogite transformation in the absence of rutile. It is suggested that the released fluids with subchondritic Nb/Ta were transported to, and retained by, hydrous rutile-bearing eclogite in colder regions, resulting in suprachondritic Nb/Ta ratios for drier eclogite in hotter regions. Further dehydration of hydrous rutile-bearing eclogites cannot transfer the fractionated Nb/Ta values to the CC due to the low solubility of Nb and Ta in fluids in the presence of rutile, while dehydration-melting results in a major component of the CC, the tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) component, which is responsible for the low Nb/Ta of the CC. Consequently, residual eclogites have variable but overall suprachondritic Nb/Ta.     

Evolution of the 3.65–2.58 Ga Mairi Gneiss Complex,Brazil: Implications for growth of the continental crust in the São Francisco Craton

The composition and formation of the Earth’s primitive continental crust and mantle differentiation are key issues to understand and reconstruct the geodynamic terrestrial evolution, especially during the Archean. However, the scarcity of exposure to these rocks, the complexity of lithological relationships, and the high degree of superimposed deformation, especially with long-lived magmatism, make it difficult to study ancient rocks. Despite this complexity, exposures of the Archean Mairi Gneiss Complex basement unit in the São Francisco Craton offer important information about the evolution of South America’s primitive crust. Therefore, here we present field relationships, LA-ICP-SFMS zircon U-Pb ages, and LA-ICP-MCMS Lu-Hf isotope data for the recently identified Eoarchean to Neoarchean gneisses of the Mairi Complex. The Complex is composed of massive and banded gneisses with mafic members ranging from dioritic to tonalitic, and felsic members ranging from TTG (Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite) to granitic composition. Our new data point to several magmatic episodes in the formation of the Mairi Gneiss Complex: Eoarchean (ca. 3.65–3.60 Ga), early Paleoarchean (ca. 3.55–3.52 Ga), middle-late Paleoarchean (ca. 3.49–3.33 Ga) and Neoarchean (ca. 2.74–2.58 Ga), with no records of Mesoarchean rocks. Lu-Hf data unveiled a progressive evolution of mantle differentiation and crustal recycling over time. In the Eoarchean, rocks are probably formed by the interaction between the pre-existing crust and juvenile contribution from chondritic to weakly depleted mantle sources, whereas mantle depletion played a role in the Paleoarchean, followed by greater differentiation of the crust with thickening and recycling in the middle–late Paleoarchean. A different stage of crustal growth and recycling dominated the Neoarchean, probably owing to the thickening of the continental crust by collision, continental arc growth, and mantle differentiation.     

Magmatic diversity of western Mexico as a function of metamorphic transformations in the subducted oceanic plate

This geochemical study of the Mexican subduction zone elucidates how metamorphic and dehydration reactions affecting the subducted oceanic plate at different depths can influence magmatic diversity. In the western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, there is a narrow potassic volcanic front running in parallel to the Middle American Trench that becomes replaced by intraplate-like high-Nb rocks to the north, and by more typical calc-alkaline products to the southeast. Potassic rocks have high MgO and are enriched in incompatible trace elements, but have lower heavy rare earth element contents than more evolved calc-alkaline and high-Nb magmas, and slightly more enriched Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes. Potassic magmas also have higher Rb/Cs and Ba/Cs ratios than the calc-alkaline and high-Nb suites, and extend to unusually high Nb/Ta ratios that correlate positively with Rb/Ta, Zr/Ta, La/Ta and Gd/Yb. These chemical variations are inconsistent with different extents of melting of a peridotitic source, but are also incompatible with melting of a phlogopite-rich mantle (vein-plus-wall-rock relationship), unless mica is totally consumed during melting, and a titaniferous phase such as rutile remains in the residue together with garnet. This assemblage is unlikely in the source region of primitive hydrous magmas, but it is what would be expected during dissolution of phengite and monazite/allanite in the subducted slab, with the concurrent formation of an anhydrous rutile-bearing eclogite. The magmatic diversity of western Mexico can thus be explained by invoking contributions of chemically different subduction agents as a function of slab depth and residual mineralogy: a low-pressure/temperature aqueous fluid would induce melting of the peridotitic mantle wedge and form typical calc-alkaline volcanoes, whereas a deeper and hotter slab-derived melt (or supercritical liquid) would contribute to the formation of potassic magmas due to phengite/monazite/allanite disintegration. In this context, intraplate-like magmas derive from decompression melting of the upper mantle as a natural consequence of subduction geodynamics.     

Recycled crust controls contrasting source compositions of Mesozoic and Cenozoic basalts in the North China Craton

We explore Fe/Mn and Nb/Ta ratios of basalts as potential tracers for differentiating melts of recycled mafic crustal lithologies from peridotitic melts. Trace elements and Fe/Mn ratios of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic basalts from East China were analyzed by ICP-MS. Low Nb/Ta ratios (15.4 ± 0.3 (2σ, n = 45)), high Nb and Ta contents (60.1 and 4.01 ppm) and high Fe/Mn ratios (64.7 ± 1.5 (2σ, n = 45)) characterize the <110 Ma basalts. Mesozoic basalts with ages >110 Ma are characterized by superchondritic Nb/Ta ratios (20.1 ± 0.3 (2σ, n = 25)), low Nb and Ta contents (10.8 and 0.54 ppm) and slightly lower Fe/Mn ratios (60.0 ± 1.1 (2σ, n = 25)). Both the Mesozoic and Cenozoic basalts have Fe/Mn ratios higher than basaltic melt formed by partial melting of peridotite at the same MgO and CaO levels. Although both the Mesozoic and Cenozoic basalts are characterized by highly fractionated REE patterns, the >110 Ma basalts have island arc-type trace element patterns (i.e., depletion in Nb and Ta), whereas OIB-type trace element patterns (e.g., no depletion in Nb and Ta) are characteristic of the <110 Ma basalts. Based on D_Fe/Mn values for olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and garnet, high Fe/Mn ratios and negative correlations of Fe/Mn with Yb (Y) of the <110 Ma basalts suggest clinopyroxene/garnet-rich mantle sources. The lower Fe/Mn ratios and positive correlations of Fe/Mn with Y and Yb in the >110 Ma basalts suggest orthopyroxene/garnet-rich mantle sources. Combining these data with Sr-Nd isotopes, we present a conceptual model to explain the Nb/Ta ratios and PM-normalized trace element patterns of the >110 and <110 Ma basalts. Preferential melting of recycled ancient lower continental crust during Mesozoic lithospheric thinning resulted in (1) peridotite-melt/fluid reaction that formed the orthopyroxene/garnet-rich mantle sources for the >110 Ma basalts, and (2) peridotite + rutile-bearing eclogite mixing that formed the clinopyroxene/garnet-rich mantle sources for the <110 Ma basalts. The choice of models may indeed be arbitrary and non-unique, but the goal is to seek relatively simple forward models that explain the characteristics of the lavas, and the differences between the >110 and <110 Ma basalts, in a relatively consistent geodynamic framework.     

Nb–Ta fractionation by partial melting at the titanite–rutile transition

During the evolution of the Earth, distinct geochemical reservoirs with different Nb/Ta ratios have developed. Archean granitoids of the tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) suite, which represent the Earth’s early continental crust, show larger Nb/Ta variations than any other Earth reservoir. This implies that significant Nb–Ta fractionation must have occurred during early crust formation, while the underlying mechanism behind is still unclear. Here, we present a new model on how Nb may be fractionated from Ta during partial melting of subducted oceanic crust. Our data show that Nb/Ta ratios in melts derived from rutile- and titanite-bearing eclogite are largely controlled by the modal relative abundances of rutile and titanite in the source. High modal ratios of titanite over rutile generate melts with very high Nb/Ta (>60), whereas low modal titanite/rutile produces melts with much lower Nb/Ta (≤30). Very low Nb/Ta (<16) occur when all Ti-phases are consumed at very high degrees of melting. As the modal ratio of titanite to rutile is a function of pressure, the Nb/Ta of melts is a function of melting depth. Our new model helps to explain the extreme variation of Nb/Ta observed in many TTGs and thus how Nb and Ta were fractionated during the early evolution of the Earth. Furthermore, the model also indicates that simple one-stage melting models for mafic crust are not sufficient to explain the formation of TTGs.     

太古宙TTG的Nb/Ta变化特征:对“Nb-Ta悖论”的启示

英云闪长岩-奥长花岗岩-花岗闪长岩(TTG)是地球早期大陆地壳最重要的组成部分。TTG的Nb/Ta比值变化不仅与它的成因相关,而且与早期构造环境和地壳分异过程关系紧密。本文选择阴山地块出露的TTG片麻岩及下地壳斜长角闪岩/麻粒岩包体作为研究对象,开展了寄主花岗闪长岩和同源镁铁质包体中的角闪石和黑云母的原位微区矿物的微量元素分析工作,以及TTG与非同源斜长角闪岩包体的全岩主微量元素分析工作。矿物化学研究结果表明,花岗闪长岩和同源镁铁质包体的角闪石具有相似的Mg^#值,但是两者具有明显不同的Nb/Ta比值。镁铁质包体中的角闪石更富Cr、Ta,Nb/Ta比值为30~50;TTG岩石中的角闪石Cr和Ta含量偏低,但具有更高的Nb/Ta比值(38~70)。TTG和镁铁质包体中的角闪石Cr含量与Nb/Ta具有较好的负相关关系。全岩地球化学分析结果揭示,TTG片麻岩的具有高Nb/Ta比值(13~65,平均值31),斜长角闪岩和麻粒岩包体具有变化的Nb/Ta比值(10~56)。太古宙绿岩带中玄武质岩石的Nb/Ta平均值为~15,阴山地块斜长角闪岩和麻粒岩包体具有高的Nb/Ta比值,反映了这些代表基性下地壳的岩石经历了部分熔融作用或后期的交代作用,使其Nb/Ta比值发生改变。研究区具有高Nb/Ta比值的TTG可能来源于高Nb/Ta比值基性下地壳部分熔融,并继承了源区高Nb/Ta比值的特征。通过本文研究揭示,高Nb/Ta比值的TTG并非一定形成于俯冲带洋壳榴辉岩相部分熔融,下地壳富角闪石和黑云母的岩石部分熔融是形成高Nb/Ta比值TTG的一种重要途径。     

华北克拉通太古宙TTG岩石的时空分布、组成特征及形成演化:综述

华北克拉通具有3.8Ga以上的演化历史,TTG是其地质记录的最重要载体。华北克拉通太古宙(特别是中太古代以前)地质演化在很大程度上与TTG岩石密切相关。在华北克拉通,始太古代(3.6~4.0Ga)TTG岩石仅在鞍本地区被发现,但冀东地区已在多种变质碎屑沉积岩中发现大量3.6~3.88Ga碎屑锆石;古太古代(3.2~3.6Ga)TTG岩石在鞍本、冀东、信阳地区被识别出来;中太古代(2.8~3.2Ga)TTG岩石在鞍本、冀东、胶东、鲁山等地存在;可把新太古代(2.5~2.8Ga)进一步划分为早期和晚期两个阶段:新太古代早期(2.6~2.8Ga)TTG岩石已在10余个地区被发现,新太古代晚期(2.5~2.6Ga)TTG岩石几乎在每一个太古宙基底岩石出露区都存在。野外地质、锆石定年、元素地球化学和Nd-Hf同位素组成研究表明,中太古代以前TTG岩石局部存在,主要分布于Wan et al.(2015)所划分的三个古陆块中;新太古代TTG岩石广泛分布,是陆壳增生最重要时期岩浆作用的产物。TTG岩石类型随时代变化,3.1~3.8Ga和2.7~2.9Ga TTG岩石分别主要为奥长花岗岩和英云闪长岩;2.5~2.6Ga期间花岗闪长岩大规模出现,并有壳源花岗岩广泛分布,表明这时陆壳已有相当的成熟度。奥长花岗岩轻重稀土分异程度从弱到强的时间出现在~3.3Ga;2.5~3.3Ga的TTG岩石轻重稀土分异程度变化很大,表明其形成条件存在很大差异。TTG岩石主要为新生地壳,但也有相当部分为壳内再循环产物或形成过程中受到陆壳物质影响。华北克拉通中太古代以前的主要构造机制是板底垫托或地幔翻转作用,新太古代晚期板块构造体制可能已起作用。     

A new cache of Eoarchaean detrital zircons from the Singhbhum craton,eastern India and constraints on early Earth geodynamics

The dominant geodynamic processes that underpin the formation and evolution of Earth’s early crust remain enigmatic calling for new information from less studied ancient cratonic nuclei.Here,we present U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic compositions of detrital zircon grains from^2.9 Ga old quartzites and magmatic zircon from a 3.505 Ga old dacite from the Iron Ore Group of the Singhbhum craton,eastern India.The detrital zircon grains range in age between 3.95 Ga and 2.91 Ga.Together with the recently reported Hadean,Eoarchean xenocrystic(up to 4.24 Ga)and modem detritus zircon grains from the Singhbhum craton,our results suggest that the Eoarchean detrital zircons represent crust generated by recycling of Hadean felsic crust formed at^4.3-4.2 Ga and^3.95 Ga.We observe a prominent shift in Hf isotope compositions at^3.6-3.5 Ga towards super-chondritic values,which signify an increased role for depleted mantle and the relevance of plate tectonics.The Paleo-,Mesoarchean zircon Hf isotopic record in the craton indicates crust generation involving the role of both depleted and enriched mantle sources.We infer a short-lived suprasubduction setting around^3.6-3.5 Ga followed by mantle plume activity during the Paleo-,Mesoarchean crust formation in the Singhbhum craton.The Singhbhum craton provides an additional repository for Earth’s oldest materials.     

A high field strength element perspective on early lunar differentiation

Lunar rocks are inferred to tap the different fossil cumulate layers formed during crystallisation of a lunar magma ocean (LMO). A coherent dataset, including Zr isotope data and high precision HFSE (W, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf) and REE (Nd, Sm, Lu) data, all obtained by isotope dilution, can now provide new insights into the processes active during LMO crystallisation and during the petrogenesis of lunar magmas. Measured ⁹²Zr and ⁹¹Zr abundances agree with the terrestrial value within 0.2 ε-units. Incompatible-trace-element enriched rocks from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) display Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf above the bulk lunar value (ca. 17), and mare basalts display lower ratios, generally confirming the presence of complementary enriched and depleted mantle reservoirs on the Moon. The full compositional spectrum of lunar basalts, however, also requires interaction with ilmenite-rich layers in the lunar mantle. Notably, the high-Ti mare basalts analysed display the lowest Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf of all lunar rocks, and also higher Sm/Nd at similar Lu/Hf than low-Ti basalts. The high-Ti basalts also exhibit higher and strongly correlated Ta/W (up to 25) and Hf/W (up to 140), at similar W contents, which is difficult to reconcile with ortho- and clinopyroxene-controlled melting. Altogether, these patterns can be explained via assimilation of up to ca. 20% of ilmenite- and clinopyroxene-rich LMO cumulates by more depleted melts from the lower lunar mantle. Direct melting of ilmenite-rich cumulates or the possible presence of residual metals in the lunar mantle both cannot easily account for the observed Ta/W and Hf/W patterns. Cumulate assimilation is also a viable mechanism that can partially buffer the Lu/Hf of mare basalts at relatively low values while generating variable Sm/Nd. Thus, the dichotomy between low Lu/Hf of lunar basalts and high time integrated source Lu/Hf as inferred from Hf isotope compositions can potentially be explained. The proposed assimilation model also has important implications for the short-lived nuclide chronology of the Earth-Moon system. The new Hf/W and Ta/W data, together with a compilation of existing W-Th-U data for lunar rocks, indicate that the terrestrial and lunar mantles are indistinguishable in their Hf/W. Virtually identical εW and Hf/W in the terrestrial and lunar mantle suggest a strong link between final core-mantle equilibration on Earth and the Moon forming giant impact. Previously, linear arrays of lunar samples in ¹⁸²W vs. Hf/W and ¹⁴²Nd vs. Sm/Nd spaces have been interpreted as isochrons, arguing for LMO crystallisation as late as 250 Myrs after solar system formation. Based on the proposed assimilation model, the ¹⁸²W and ¹⁴²Nd in many lunar magmas can be shown to be decoupled from their ambient Hf/W and Sm/Nd source compositions. As a consequence, the ¹⁸²W vs. Hf/W and ¹⁴²Nd vs. Sm/Nd arrays would constitute mixing lines rather than isochrons. Hence, the lunar ¹⁸²Hf-¹⁸²W and ¹⁴⁶Sm-¹⁴²Nd data would be fully consistent with an “early” crystallisation age of the LMO, even as early as 50 Myrs after solar system formation when the Moon was probably formed.     

Neoproterozoic subducted materials in the generation of Mesozoic Luzong volcanic rocks: Evidence from apatite geochemistry and Hf-Nd isotopic decoupling

A combined study including apatite geochemistry, zircon U-Pb, Lu-Hf isotopes and whole-rock geochemistry including Nd isotopes was carried out for the late Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the Luzong Basin, in the lower Yangtze River region, South China. Whole-rock geochemistry indicates the enrichments of large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) as well as depletions of Nb, Ta and Ti. The extremely low Cl contents in apatites strongly contrast with the rather high-K contents in whole rocks. Potential loss of Cl during syn- and post-magmatic processes having been ruled out, Cl-K decoupling is attributed to be a feature inherited from the primary magma, which indicates the involvement of highly dehydrated sediments and altered oceanic crust in the mantle source. A calculation based on apatite and whole-rock geochemistry further illustrates that the source was composed of four end-members in the perspective of Cl/K, Cl/Nb and F/K ratios. The Hf-Nd isotopes are decoupled for the basaltic trachytes from the lower volcanic sequences in the Luzong Basin, with rather low ε_Hf(t) values (mean = − 10.3) and inconsistent Hf-Nd model ages (Hf ~ 1.8 Ga, Nd ~ 1.3 Ga), which indicate the “zircon effect” that in turn requires the incorporation of continental detritus in the source via subduction. However, Hf and Nd isotopes are nearly coupled for the rocks from the upper volcanic sequences in the Luzong Basin. Late-Mesoproterozoic two-stage Hf and Nd model ages (ca. 1.2 Ga) of rocks from the upper volcanic sequences in the Luzong Basin are similar to those of the Neoproterozoic igneous rocks from the Jiangnan orogen, suggesting their relationship with the same subduction event. Based on the combined apatite geochemistry and Hf-Nd isotopes, this work suggests that the source of Luzong volcanic rocks might incorporate Neoproterozoic subducted slab fragments and detrital sediments that had been blocked in the deep lithospheric mantle below the Luzong area since the Neoproterozoic assembly between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks. The partial melting may be triggered by the back-arc lithospheric extension related to the subduction of Paleo-Pacific plate in the late Mesozoic.     

Constraints from eclogite and MARID xenoliths on origins of mantle Zr/Hf–Nb/Ta variability

New trace-element data of rutile in kimberlite-borne ~1.85 Ga eclogite and pyroxenite xenoliths from the central Slave craton, as well as ~110 Ma MARID xenoliths from the Kaapvaal craton, provide constraints on the origins of lithospheric and sublithospheric mantle variability in high field strength element ratios. Rutiles in eclogites and pyroxenites have Zr/Hf ranging from 20 to 62 and Nb/Ta ranging from 10 to 40. Rutiles in MARID xenoliths have Zr/Hf from 24 to 33 and Nb/Ta from 10 to 41. Calculated whole-rock Zr/Hf is suprachondritic for eclogites with suggested gabbroic protoliths and subchondritic for boninite-like eclogites; the latter is consistent with cpx-controlled depletion in the protolith source. Within each eclogite type, positive correlations of Zr/Hf with La/Lu and negative correlations with Lu/Hf likely reflect fractionation of cpx and/or plagioclase during crystallisation of the protoliths. Zr/Hf–Nb/Ta relationships of some MARID-type rocks, which are products of lithospheric mantle metasomatism, and eclogite xenoliths plot on a silicate differentiation trend, whereas other samples have higher Nb/Ta at a given Zr/Hf. Fractionation of a few percent rutile from an HFSE-rich mafic melt can generate a trend towards strongly increased Nb/Ta at minimally changed Zr/Hf in the residual melt. Superposition of rutile fractionation on the effects of silicate differentiation, which fractionates Zr/Hf more strongly than Nb/Ta, can explain the Zr/Hf–Nb/Ta relationships of most eclogites from the central Slave craton as well as those of MARID rocks, metasomatised peridotites and group II kimberlites. By contrast, Zr/Hf–Nb/Ta relationships suggest that Group I kimberlites are mixtures between depleted peridotite and carbonatite. Thus, high Nb/Ta is a signature of lithospheric processes and may not be important in deeply subducted eclogites that bypass extended residence in the lithosphere. Conversely, considerable primary Zr/Hf variability was inherited by the eclogites, which is indicative of the compositional diversity of ancient subducted oceanic crust, which is expected to have generated substantial heterogeneity in sublithospheric basalt sources.     

Garnet fractionation,progressive melt loss and bulk composition variations in anatectic metabasites:Complications for interpreting the geodynamic significance of TTGs

Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite(TTG) suites constitute a large proportion of the Archean geological record;however,the geodynamic processes that generated them,and Archean continental crust in general,remain a subject of debate.The concentrations and ratios of Sr,Y,La,Yb,Nb,and Ta in TTGs are commonly used to determine the depth of melting of their metabasic sources.The trace element composition of melt produced by metabasic source rocks during anatexis is strongly affected by the presence and abundance of pressure-sensitive minerals,such as plagioclase(Sr-bearing),garnet(Y-and HREE-bearing),and rutile(Nb-and Ta-bearing).Elevated Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios and low concentrations of Nb and Ta in TTGs are generally considered to indicate melting at high pressures(≥2.0 GPa).The depth of melting is a key factor in determining the origin of TTGs as this provides critical information on the tectonic setting of their generation.We use phase equilibrium and trace element modelling to explore the effects of three potential influences on TTG trace element compositions:fractionation of trace elements into peritectic garnet cores,progressive melt loss from the source,and source bulk composition.We model three different compositions of Archean basalts along thermal gradients of 500℃/GPa,750℃/GPa,and 1000℃/GPa.The models produce maj or and trace element melt compositions that are generally consistent with measured compositions of TTGs.Although Sr/Y,La/Yb,Nb,and Ta exhibit pressure-dependent behaviour,other factors also affect these values.Garnet fractionation causes Sr/Y and La/Yb to reach much greater values and in this scenario,the values also increase with increasing temperature.Source bulk composition has an effect in all scenarios and most strongly influences La/Yb,Nb,and Ta.Overall,these results show that Sr/Y,La/Yb,Nb,and Ta can reach values generally considered to be indicative of high pressure melting at a range of P-T conditions including P 2.0 GPa.Consequently,trace element compositions of TTGs alone may provide a misleading impression of the depth of melting of metabasites and the geodynamic environment of Archean crustal growth and reworking.     

Highly evolved Archean basement beneath the western Cathaysia Block, South China

How has the Earth’s continental crust evolved? Most of our knowledge comes from surface exposures, but zircon xenocrysts in volcanic rocks can provide samples of deeper crustal levels. The U-Pb and Hf-isotope systematics of xenocrystic zircons brought to the surface by the Cenozoic (48-49 Ma) Pingnan basaltic rocks and the Mesozoic (166 Ma) Pingle minettes in Guangxi Province (South China), suggest the presence of unexposed relict Archean basement beneath the western Cathaysia Block, where the oldest exposed rocks are Neoproterozoic-Phanerozoic in age. This basement has provided zircons with several distinct age populations: 3.85, 3.55, 3.3-3.2 and mainly 2.9-2.5 Ga. These have Hf depleted-mantle model ages (T_DM) of 2.5 to ?3.9 Ga. The oldest T_DM (∼3.9 Ga) shows the existence of Paleo- to Eoarchean components in this area. This relict basement experienced complex modification, including the addition of juvenile mantle material (with ε_Hf up to +12.7) at ca 3.6-3.2, 2.5, 1.0 and 0.5 Ga. The zircons also record thermal events that reworked (remelted) the older crustal components of the block at ca 2.0-1.8, 1.6-1.5 Ga and ∼80 Ma. Although these younger events have modified the Archean nature of the basement, it seems that they do not represent significant post-Archean crustal growth.     

Geochemistry of rare high-Nb basalt lavas: Are they derived from a mantle wedge metasomatised by slab melts?

Compositionally, high-Nb basalts are similar to HIMU (high U/Pb) ocean island basalts, continental alkaline basalts and alkaline lavas formed above slab windows. Tertiary alkaline basaltic lavas from eastern Jamaica, West Indies, known as the Halberstadt Volcanic Formation have compositions similar to high-Nb basalts (Nb > 20 ppm). The Halberstadt high-Nb basalts are divided into two compositional sub-groups where Group 1 lavas have more enriched incompatible element concentrations relative to Group 2. Both groups are derived from isotopically different spinel peridotite mantle source regions, which both require garnet and amphibole as metasomatic residual phases. The Halberstadt geochemistry demonstrates that the lavas cannot be derived by partial melting of lower crustal ultramafic complexes, metasomatised mantle lithosphere, subducting slabs, continental crust, mantle plume source regions or an upper mantle source region composed of enriched and depleted components. Instead, their composition, particularly the negative Ce anomalies, the high Th/Nb ratios and the similar isotopic ratios to nearby adakite lavas, suggests that the Halberstadt magmas are derived from a compositionally variable spinel peridotite source region(s) metasomatised by slab melts that precipitated garnet, amphibole, apatite and zircon. It is suggested that high-Nb basalts may be classified as a distinct rock type with Nb > 20 ppm, intraplate alkaline basalt compositions, but that are generated in subduction zones by magmatic processes distinct from those that generate other intraplate lavas.     

Multi-stage crustal growth and Neoarchean geodynamics in the Eastern Dharwar Craton,southern India

The Dharwar Craton is a composite Archean cratonic collage that preserves important records of crustal evolution on the early Earth. Here we present results from a multidisciplinary study involving field investigations, petrology, zircon SHRIMP U–Pb geochronology with in-situ Hf isotope analyses, and whole-rock geochemistry, including Nd isotope data on migmatitic TTG (tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) gneisses, dark grey banded gneisses, calc-alkaline and anatectic granitoids, together with synplutonic mafic dykes along a wide Northwest – Southeast corridor forming a wide time window in the Central and Eastern blocks of the Dharwar Craton. The dark grey banded gneisses are transitional between TTGs and calc-alkaline granitoids, and are referred to as ‘transitional TTGs’, whereas the calc-alkaline granitoids show sanukitoid affinity. Our zircon U–Pb data, together with published results, reveal four major periods of crustal growth (ca. 3360-3200 Ma, 3000-2960 Ma, 2700-2600 Ma and 2570-2520 Ma) in this region. The first two periods correspond to TTG generation and accretion that is confined to the western part of the corridor, whereas widespread 2670-2600 Ma transitional TTG, together with a major outburst of 2570–2520 Ma juvenile calc-alkaline magmatism of sanukitoid affinity contributed to peak continental growth. The transitional TTGs were preceded by greenstone volcanism between 2746 Ma and 2700 Ma, whereas the calc-alkaline magmatism was contemporaneous with 2570–2545 Ma felsic volcanism. The terminal stage of all four major accretion events was marked by thermal events reflected by amphibolite to granulite facies metamorphism at ca. 3200 Ma, 2960 Ma, 2620 Ma and 2520 Ma. Elemental ratios [(La/Yb)_N, Sr/Y, Nb/Ta, Hf/Sm)] and Hf-Nd isotope data suggest that the magmatic protoliths of the TTGs emplaced at different time periods formed by melting of thickened oceanic arc crust at different depths with plagioclase + amphibole ± garnet + titanite/ilmenite in the source residue, whereas the elemental (Ba–Sr, [(La/Yb)_N, Sr/Y, Nb/Ta, Hf/Sm)] and Hf-Nd isotope data [εHf_(T) = −0.67 to 5.61; εNd_(T) = 0.52 to 4.23; ] of the transitional TTGs suggest that their protoliths formed by melting of composite sources involving mantle and overlying arc crust with amphibole + garnet + clinopyroxene ± plagioclase + ilmenite in the residue. The highly incompatible and compatible element contents (REE, K–Ba–Sr, Mg, Ni, Cr), together with Hf and Nd isotope data [εHf_(T) = 4.5 to −3.2; εNd_(T) = 1.93 to −1.26; ], of the sanukitoids and synplutonic dykes suggest their derivation from enriched mantle reservoirs with minor crustal contamination. Field, elemental and isotope data [εHf_(T) = −4.3 to −15.0; εNd_(T) = −0.5 to −7.0] of the anatectic granites suggest their derivation through reworking of ancient as well as newly formed juvenile crust. Secular increase in incompatible as well as compatible element contents in the transitional TTGs to sanukitoids imply progressive enrichment of Neoarchean mantle reservoirs, possibly through melting of continent-derived detritus in a subduction zone setting, resulting in the establishment of a sizable continental mass by 2700 Ma, which in turn is linked to the evolving Earth. The Neoarchean geodynamic evolution is attributed to westward convergence of hot oceanic lithosphere, with continued convergence resulted in the assembly of micro-blocks, with eventual slab break-off leading to asthenosphere upwelling caused extensive mantle melting and hot juvenile magma additions to the crust. This led to lateral flow of hot ductile crust and 3D mass distribution and formation of an orogenic plateaux with subdued topography, as indicated by strain fabric data and strong seismic reflectivity along an E-W crustal profile in the Central and Eastern blocks of the Dharwar Craton.     

Paleoproterozoic gabbronoritic and granitic magmatism in the northern margin of the North China craton: Evidence of crust–mantle interaction

Paleoproterozoic Xuwujia gabbronorites in the northern margin of the North China craton occur as dykes, sills and small plutons intruded into khondalite (aluminous paragneisses, sedimentary protoliths deposited at ca. 2.0–1.95 Ga), and as numerous entrained bodies and fragments of variable scales in the Liangcheng granitoids (ca. 1.93–1.89 Ga). These gabbronoritic dykes are present at all locations where ca. 1.93–1.92 Ga ultra-high-temperature metamorphism is recorded in the khondalite. A gabbronorite sample from the Hongmiaozi dyke gives zircon ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb mean ages of 1954 ± 6 Ma (core domains) and 1925 ± 8 Ma (rim domains). These ages, as well as previously reported ages, constrain the age of mafic magmatism to be at ca. 1.96–1.92 Ga (∼1.93 Ga). One sample from the Xigou gabbro intruded by the Liangcheng granitoids gives a zircon ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb mean age of 1857 ± 4 Ma, which is interpreted as the age of a metamorphic overprint. The Xuwujia gabbronorites comprise mainly gabbronorite compositions, as well as some norite, olivine gabbronorite, monzonorite, quartz gabbronorite, and quartz monzonorite. Chemically, they are tholeiitic and can be divided into two groups: a high-Mg group (6.2–22.9 wt.% MgO) and a relatively low-Mg group (2.2–5.7 wt.% MgO). The high-Mg group shows negative Eu-anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.53–0.72), slight light rare earth element enrichment (La/Yb_N = 0.56–1.53), and small negative anomalies in high field-strength elements. The ?Nd (t = 1.93 Ga) values vary from +0.3 to +2.4. The low-Mg group shows varied Eu-anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.48–1.05), and is enriched in light rare earth elements (La/Yb_N = 1.51–11.98). The majority shows negative anomalies in high field-strength elements (e.g., Th, Nb, Zr, and Ti). Initial ?Nd (at 1.93 Ga) values for low-Mg gabbronorites vary from −5.0 to 0. The Xuwujia gabbronorites possibly experienced assimilation of crust, and fractional crystallization of initially olivine and hypersthene (the high-Mg group), and then olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase (the low-Mg group). The slightly younger Liangcheng granitoids consist of garnet-bearing granite, granodiorite and quartz-rich granitic compositions. They are intermediate to felsic calc-alkaline rocks, thought to be derived from surrounding metasedimentary crust. Xigou gabbro could represent early cumulates. The granitoids have relatively high-Mg numbers (up to 54), and show some chemical affinities with the gabbronorites, which could have resulted from incorporation of gabbronoritic melts. The occurrence and chemical variations of the Xuwujia gabbronorites and Liangcheng granitoids can be interpreted to have resulted from crust–mantle interaction, with mingling and partial mixing of mantle (gabbronoritic) and crustal (granitic) melts. The Xuwujia gabbronorites originated from a mantle region with high potential temperatures (∼1550 °C), possibly associated with a plume or more likely a ridge-subduction-related mantle upwelling event. They could have had extremely high primary intrusion temperatures (up to 1400 °C). Emplacement of these magmas was likely responsible for the extensive crustal anatexis (Liangcheng granitoids) and the local ultra-high-temperature metamorphism. These sequences may have followed ca. 1.95 Ga continent–continent (arc?) juxtaposition and were themselves followed by significant regional uplift and exhumation in the northern margin of the North China craton.     

Birthplace of the São Francisco Craton,Brazil: Evidence from 3.60 to 3.64 Ga Gneisses of the Mairi Gneiss Complex

Records of Earth's primitive crust are scarce. Eoarchean (older than 3.6 Ga) banded mafic to felsic gneisses have been discovered in the São Francisco Craton, Brazil, pushing back by over 100 million years the oldest gneisses known to date in South America (3.5 Ga). Zircon U‐Pb data yield rock ages from 3,598 to 3,642 Ma with a few ca. 3.65–3.69 Ga grains suggesting even older rocks in the area. Zircon grains show significantly negative to nearly chondritic initial εHf values and two‐stage model ages from 3.82 to 4.33 Ga, which may indicate the existence of a recycled Hadean to early Eoarchean crust in the region. The felsic gneisses are chemically similar to the low‐pressure Tonalite‐Trondhjemite‐Granodiorite association whereas the mafic gneisses have geochemical signatures that resemble within‐plate basaltic andesite to andesite of Iceland (icelandites). The results are relevant to constrain the composition of Earth's first continental crust.     

Petrogenesis and zircon LA-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of newly discovered Mesoarchean gneisses on the northern margin of the North China Craton

Geological mapping and zircon U–Pb laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) dating has identified a Mesoarchean (2857 ± 17 Ma) geological unit in the Luanjiajie area of the northern margin of the North China Craton, within the northern part of Liaoning Province, China. This unit is dominated by tonalitic and trondhjemite gneisses that form part of a typical tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) rock assemblage. These Mesoarchean gneisses are enriched in Na and depleted in K, yield K₂O/Na₂O ratios of 0.34–0.50, have Rittmann index (σ) values of 1.54–3.04, and are calc-alkaline. They have Eu_N/Eu_N* values of 0.77–1.20 (average of 1.03), indicating that these samples have negligible Eu anomalies, and yield high La_N/Yb_N values (4.92–23.12). These characteristics indicate that these Mesoarchean gneisses have fractionated rare earth element (REE) compositions that are enriched in the light REE (LREE) and depleted in the heavy REE (HREE), with steeply dipping chondrite-normalized REE patterns. These gneisses are also enriched in Rb, Th, K, Zr, and Hf, and are relatively depleted in Ta, Nb, P, and Ti. In summary, the magma that formed these tonalitic and trondhjemite gneisses was most likely derived from the partial melting of lower-crustal basaltic rocks during subduction. The timing of formation (2.85 Ga) of the Luanjiajie tonalite and trondhjemite gneisses probably represents the timing of initiation of plate tectonics within the LongGang Block during a SE-directed subduction event. The presence of inherited zircons with ages of >3.0 Ga within the Luanjiajie gneisses suggests that this area may contain as yet undiscovered rocks that formed before 3.0 Ga.     

Origin of Archean tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) suites and granites in the Fiskenæsset region,southern West Greenland: Implications for continental growth

Mesoarchean to Neoarchean orthogneisses (2.95–2.79 Ga) in the Fiskenæsset region, southern West Greenland, are composed of an older suite of metamorphosed tonalites, trondhjemites, and granodiorites (TTGs), and a younger suite of high-K granites. The TTGs are characterized by high Al₂O₃ (14.2–18.6 wt.%), Na₂O (3.4–5.13 wt.%), and Sr (205–777 ppm), and low Y (0.7–17.4 ppm) contents. On chondrite- and N-MORB-normalized trace element diagrams, the TTGs have the following geochemical characteristics: (1) highly fractionated REE patterns (La/Yb_cn = 14–664; La/Sm_cn = 4.3–11.0; Gd/Yb_cn = 1.5–19.7); (2) strong positive anomalies of Sr (Sr/Sr* = 1.0–15.9) and Pb (Pb/Pb* = 1.4–34.9); and (3) large negative anomalies of Nb (Nb/Nb* = 0.01–0.34) and Ti (Ti/Ti* = 0.1–0.6). The geochemical characteristics of the TTGs and trace element modeling suggest that they were generated by partial melting of hydrous basalts (amphibolites) at the base of a thickened magmatic arc, leaving a rutile-bearing eclogite residue. Field observations suggest that spatially and temporarily associated tholeiitic basalts (now amphibolites) in the Fiskenæsset region might have been the sources of TTG melts. The high-K granites have steep REE patterns (La/Yb_cn = 3.8–506; La/Sm_cn = 2.7–18.9; Gd/Yb_cn = 0.92–12.1) and display variably negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.37–0.96) and moderate Sr (84–539 ppm) contents. Four outlier granite samples have variably positive Eu (Eu/Eu* = 1.0–12) anomalies. Given that the granodiorites have higher K₂O/Na₂O than the tonalites and trondhjemites, it is suggested that the granites were derived from partial melting of the granodiorites. It is speculated that the dense eclogitic residues, left after TTG melt extraction, were foundered into the sub-arc mantle, leading to basaltic underplating beneath the lower rust. Melting of the granodiorites in response to the basaltic underplating resulted in the production of high-K granitic melts. Formation of the Fiskenæsset TTGs, the foundering of the eclogitic residues into the mantle, and the emplacement of the high-K granites led to the growth of Archean continental crust in the Fiskenæsset region.