The Cornubian Batholith: an Example of Magmatic Fractionation on a Crustal Scale

Abstract. The Cornubian Batholith comprises six major and several smaller bodies of S‐type granite in southwestern England. These late‐Variscan granites comprise two‐mica granites, and much less abundant Li‐mica granites that are restricted to one of the major bodies (St Austell) and smaller bodies. Some of these intrusive rocks are associated with major Sn mineralization. This paper is concerned with the geochemistry of the two‐mica granites, which are felsic, strongly peraluminous, and have a high total alkali content and low Na:K. Rocks with very similar compositions to these granites occur elsewhere, including the Variscan granites of continental Europe, and in southeastern Australia. In detail all of the major plutons of this batholith have distinctive compositions, except for Bodmin Moor and Carnmenellis which cannot be discriminated from each other compositionally. A comparison with experimental data shows that the granites attained their major element composition under conditions of crystal‐liquid equilibrium, with the final melt being saturated in H₂O, at temperatures close to 770d?C and pressures about 50 MPa. That temperature estimate is in good agreement with values obtained from zircon saturation thermometry. The specific minimum‐temperature composition excludes the possibility of widespread transfer of elements during hydrothermal alteration. Minor elements that are relatively very abundant are Li, B, Cs and U, while F, Ga, Ge, Rb, Sn, Ta, W and Tl are quite abundant and P is high for felsic rocks. Sr, Ba, and the trace transition metals Sc to Zn, are low, but not as low as they commonly are in very felsic granites. These trace element abundances, and the EL₂O‐saturation, resulted from the fractional crystallization of a melt derived by the partial melting of feldspathic greywackes in the crust. The Cornubian granites have compositions very similar to the more felsic rocks of the Koetong Suite of southeastern Australia, where a full range of granites formed at the various stages of magmatic fractionation postulated for the Cornubian granites, can be observed. The operation of fractional crystallization in the Cornubian granites is confirmed by the high P abundances in the feldspars, with P contents of the plagioclase crystals correlating with Ab‐con‐tent Most of the granites represent solidified melt compositions but within the Dartmoor pluton there is a significant component of granites that are cumulative, shown by their higher Ca contents. The Cornubian plutons define areas of high heat flow, of a magnitude which requires that fractionated magmas were transported laterally from their sources and concentrated in the exposed plutons. The generation of these granite plutons therefore involved magmatic fractionation during the stages of partial melting, removal of unmelted material from that melt, and fractional crystallization. During the later stages of those processes, movement of those magmas occurred on a crustal scale.     

湘东北新元古代强过铝花岗岩的成因：年代学和地球化学证据

湘东北新元古代强过铝(SP)花岗岩主要由长三背和大围山两个岩体组成,它们的ASI值平均为1.24,LREE 富集,HREE 较为平坦,Eu/Eu~* 平均为0.51,Ba、Nb、Ta、Ti、P亏损,K、Rb、Th 富集,具有S型花岗岩的特征。长三背岩体单颗粒锆石蒸发法~(207)Pb/~(206)Pb 年龄为929±6 Ma,其较老的 Nd模式年龄、2491±2 Ma 残留锆石的年龄表明该地区可能存在新太古代—古元古代的基底。这些花岗岩 CaO/Na_2O 值>0.3,来源于富砂屑质的中元古代冷家溪群浅变质岩的部分熔融,所处的造山带与拉克伦褶皱带一样属于高温型碰撞带。该地区及江南造山带中其他同时代SP花岗岩的带状分布表明它们与地幔柱的活动无关,而是华夏和扬子地块相互碰撞的产物。湘东北花岗岩中镁铁质微花岗岩类包体及岩体附近闪斜煌斑岩的存在,表明其形成可能有基性物质的参与。这些花岗岩属后碰撞花岗岩,其热源可能由俯冲板片裂离导致的软流圈基性岩浆底侵所提供,岩浆上升过程捕获围岩物质,并在地壳中—浅层侵位。     

内蒙古中部印支期强过铝质花岗岩的相平衡约束及动力学背景

岩石相平衡分析表明，内蒙古中部沿华北地台北缘分布的印支期(T3)后碰撞强过铝质花岗岩的源岩为含泥质成分较高的岩石，是在小于1．5GPa(约50km)条件下，由源岩中白云母及黑云母脱水部分熔融形成的，形成温度低于黑云母消失的上限温度，熔融残留物有斜长石、石榴子石和辉石。本区强过铝质花岗岩的CaO／Na2O比值(0.09～0．58)说明，其源岩中既有泥质岩，又有砂岩，与岩石相平衡分析的结果相一致；Al2O3/TiO2比值(53．78～413．94)表明，本区的强过铝质花岗岩为高温类型和高压类型之间的一种过渡类型。     

辽东岫岩地区晚侏罗世侵入岩的年代学、地球化学特征及地质意义

对辽东岫岩地区锉草沟黑云母二长花岗岩、刘家堡子二云母二长花岗岩进行了岩相学观察、LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学和地球化学测试。测年结果显示锉草沟黑云母二长花岗岩的锆石年龄为(162.7±2.5) Ma,刘家堡子二云母二长花岗岩锆石年龄为(156.9±1.1) Ma,均形成于晚侏罗世。两个岩体具有相似的地球化学特征,主量元素具有富Si、Al和K以及贫Fe、Mg和Ca的特征,A/CNK值为1.01~1.15,A/NK值为1.13~1.33;微量元素亏损Nb、P和Ti等高场强元素,富集Rb、K和Hf等不相容元素,(La/Yb)_N为7.10~41.13,Eu无负异常,具有高Sr (128×10^-6~454×10^-6)、低Y(3.03×10^-6~12.10×10^-6)和Yb(0.40×10^-6~1.32×10^-6)特征,表现为具有埃达克质亲和性的过铝质I型花岗岩。结合两个岩体的时空特点分析认为,在晚侏罗世时期,辽东岫岩地区花岗质岩浆作用的发生是太平洋Izanaqi板块向西俯冲、西伯利亚板块与华北板块碰撞挤压造成地壳增厚,进而引发下地壳物质部分熔融的结果。     

高武地区过铝花岗岩特征与构造环境

高武地区的过铝花岗岩主要为二长花岗岩及正长花岗岩,山德指数ALI>1 1,标准矿物刚玉分子(c)普遍>3,出现石榴石、原生白云母矿物组合,δ18O‰>10、87Sr/86Sr>0 707,属典型的S型过铝花岗岩。形成的高峰期为新元古代早中期(819-825Ma),是与Rodinia超大陆裂解背景有关的拉张构造环境的产物,而非形成于挤压构造体制。     

Early Ordovician strongly peraluminous granite in the middle section of the Yarlung Zangbo junction zone and its geological significance

LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb isotopic dating and rock geochemical analysis were done of the Xarru granite in the middle section of the Yarlung Zangbo junction zone.Zircon 206Pb/238U weighted mean ages of 474.9±2.3 and 478.3±1.7 Ma have been obtained for two gneiss granite samples respectively,which represent the formation age of the granite.This is the first discovery of the Early Ordovician magmatism in the Yarlung Zangbo junction zone.The rocks are high-K calcic-alkalic granite,contain tourmaline but not hornblende,with aluminum saturation index(ASI) of A/CNK1.1(1.10–1.20),and are enriched in Rb,Th and U and relatively depleted in Ba,Nb,Sr,Zr,Ti and Eu.They are strongly peraluminous S-type granite,resulting from partial melting of argillaceous components in the crust in a syn-collisional setting.According to previous studies as well as the analysis in this paper,the formation of the Xarru granite is probably related to the Andean-type orogeny in the process of subduction of the Proto-Tethys Ocean towards the Gondwanaland,and it is a product of partial melting of the thickened upper crust as a result of collision between blocks or micro-blocks in the northern margin of the Gondwana supercontinent in the process of oceanic subduction.The Xarru granite is identified as the Early Ordovician granite,indicating that the wall rocks had probably formed in the Cambrian or Precambrian.A crustal basement may exist in the Xarru region.     

云开造山带强过铝深熔花岗岩地球化学、年代学及构造背景

云开造山带条带—眼球状(环斑)深熔花岗岩(含紫苏花岗岩)地球化学和年代学的研究表明,绝大多数花岗岩的A／ CNK>1．1,CaO／Na2O=0．62-1．61(平均0．94,大于0．3),Al2O3／TiO=16．6-60．6(平均23．68),高场强元素Ta、Nb、Zr 亏损,具大陆边缘俯冲-碰撞造山带后碰撞构造环境强过铝(SP)高钾钙碱性-钙碱性花岗岩的特征,紫苏花岗岩和片麻状含榴黑云二长花岗岩Al2O3／TiO(平均17．82)明显低于条带-眼球状(环斑)黑云二长花岗岩Al2O3／TiO(平均29．55),显示其形成温度更高,并具A型花岗岩的演化特征．而且从高钾钙碱性条带-眼球状(环斑)黑云二长花岗岩到钙碱性紫苏花岗岩、片麻状含榴黑云二长花岗岩,形成时代由(465±10)Ma、(467±10)Ma变为(435±11)Ma、(413±8)Ma,表明扬子板块与华夏板块在加里东期发生了洋—陆俯冲—碰撞造山和后碰撞的伸展—拆沉—底侵岩浆岩作用,并且后期又经历了海西—印支期挤压抬升和伸展揭顶作用的改造,这也为华南存在加里东期扬子板块向华夏板块的洋-陆俯冲-碰撞造山提供了重要证据．     

Eocene melting of subducting continental crust and early uplifting of central Tibet: Evidence from central-western Qiangtang high-K calc-alkaline andesites, dacites and rhyolites

Changes in oceanic O–Sr isotopic compositions and global cooling beginning in the Eocene are considered to have been caused by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The specific timing and uplift mechanism, however, have long been subjects of debate. We investigated the Duogecuoren lavas of the central-western Qiangtang Block, which form the largest outcrops among Cenozoic lavas in northern-central Tibet and have widely been considered as shoshonitic. Our study demonstrates, however, that most of these lavas are high-K calc-alkaline andesites, dacites and rhyolites. Moreover, they are characterized by high Sr (367–2472 ppm) and Al₂O₃ (14.55–16.86 wt.%) and low Y (3.05–16.9 ppm) and Yb (0.31–1.48 ppm) contents and high La/Yb (27–100) and Sr/Y (48–240) ratios, similar to adakitic rocks derived by partial melting of an eclogitic source. They can be further classified as either peraluminous and metaluminous subtypes. The peraluminous rocks have relatively high SiO₂ (> 66 wt.%) contents, and low MgO (< 1.0 wt.%), Cr (4.94–23.3 ppm) and Ni (2.33–17.0 ppm) contents and Mg^# (20–50) values, while the metaluminous rocks exhibit relatively low SiO₂ (55–69 wt.%) contents, and high MgO (1.41–6.34), Cr (25.7–383 ppm), Ni (14.13–183 ppm) and Mg^# (46–69) values, similar to magnesian andesites. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating reveal that both peraluminous and metaluminous adakitic rocks erupted in the Eocene (46–38 Ma). Paleocene–Early Miocene thrust faults and associated syn-contractional basin deposits in the Qiangtang Block suggest that this region was undergoing crustal shortening within a continent during the Eocene. The low ε_Nd (− 2.81 to − 6.91) and high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7057–0.7097), Th (11.2–32.3 ppm) and Th/La (0.23–0.88) values in the Duogecuoren adakitic rocks further indicate that they were not derived by partial melting of subducted oceanic crust. Taking into account tectonic and geophysical data and the compositions of xenoliths in Cenozoic lava in northern-central Tibet, we suggest that the peraluminous adakitic rocks were most probably derived by partial melting of subducted sediment-dominated continent of the Songpan-Ganzi Block along the Jinsha suture to the north at a relatively shallow position (the hornblende + garnet stability field), but the metaluminous adakitic rocks likely originated from the interaction between peraluminous adakitic melts generated at greater depths (the garnet + rutile stability field) and mantle. Because the Duogecuoren adakitic rocks must have originated from a garnet-bearing (namely, eclogite facies) source, Eocene continental subduction along the Jinsha suture caused the thickening of the Qiangtang crust. Given that crustal thickening generally equates with elevation, the uplift of the Central Tibetan Plateau probably began as early as 45–38 Ma, which provides important evidence for tectonically driven models of oceanic O–Sr isotope evolution during global cooling and Asian continental aridification beginning in the Eocene.     

Zircon U-Pb ages,geochemistry, and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions of the Pinghe pluton,Southwest China: implications for the evolution of the early Palaeozoic Proto-Tethys in Southeast Asia

The geological record of the Neoproterozoic to early Palaeozoic Proto-Tethyan Ocean in Southeast Asia is not clear. To better constrain the evolution of the Proto-Tethys, we present new geochronology, geochemistry, and petrology of the late Cambrian to Ordovician Pinghe pluton monzogranite from the Baoshan block, western Yunnan, southwest China. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of four zircon samples yield ages of 482–494 and 439–445 Ma for the pluton, interpreted as two episodes within one magmatic event accompanying the whole process of subduction–collision–orogeny between buoyant blocks and oceanic crust of the Proto-Tethys. The monzogranite belongs to the strong peraluminous, high-K, calc-alkaline series and shows characteristics of both I-type and S-type granitic rocks. It is characterized by extremely high Rb/Sr and Rb/Ba but low TiO₂, MgO, FeOt, and CaO/Na₂O ratios. The monzogranite is also moderately enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs), depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), lacks HREE fractionation, and has strongly negative Eu (Eu/Eu* = 0.06–0.49), Ba, Nb, Ta, Sr, and Ti anomalies. Whole-rock ε_Nd(t) and ε_Hf(t) values range from ?8.7 to ?11.6 and ?5.55 to ?9.58, respectively. Nd and Hf two-stage model ages range from 1.66 to 2.06 Ga and 2.14 to 3.00 Ga, respectively, with variable radiogenic ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(t) (16.547–18.705), ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(t) (15.645–15.765), and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(t) (38.273–38.830). These signatures suggest that the monzogranite magma was derived from partial melting of heterogeneous metapelite, which was generated from Neoarchean to Palaeoproterozoic materials mixed with basaltic magma. The monzogranite magma underwent crystallization differentiation of plagioclase, K-feldspar, and ilmenite. Magmatism to form the Pinghe pluton occurred in a post-collisional setting. Based on the comparison of coeval granites throughout adjacent regions (e.g. Himalayan orogen, Lhasa Terrane, and parts of Gondwana supercontinent), we propose that the Baoshan block was derived from the northern Australian Proto-Tethyan Andean-type active continental margin of Gondwana and experienced subduction of the Proto-Tethyan oceanic crust and accretion of an outboard micro-continent. The Pinghe pluton could have formed when a subducting oceanic slab broke off during collision.     

内蒙卓资-凉城地区古元古代变质过铝/强过铝花岗岩的形成温度:区域高温/超高温变质作用证据

内蒙古卓资-凉城地区孔兹岩系出露大量古元古代过铝/强过铝花岗岩。野外地质和岩石地球化学特征均显示它们存在两种类型。一类来自孔兹岩部分熔融,与孔兹岩呈渐变过渡关系并以含有粗大的石榴石、石英和堇青石斑晶为特征,出露广泛(A类);另一类花岗岩为花岗侵入岩体,矿物粒度相对细小,无矿物斑晶,其起源尚待进一步查证(B类)。电子探针(EPMA)分析石英单颗粒Ti含量并运用钛温度计进行计算,结果显示两类花岗岩石英Ti温度存在较明显差异:A类中石英钛温度多集中在680℃～800℃和>800℃间,而B类花岗岩多集中在650℃～750℃间,前者较后者普遍存在高的Ti温度值;两类花岗岩的锆饱和温度也存在差异,两者分别集中在820℃～890℃和700℃～780℃间。结果表明,来自孔兹岩部分熔融的A类花岗质岩石形成温度应高于900℃,B类花岗岩侵入体的石英和锆饱和温度均反映出正常花岗质侵入体结晶温度范围。由于A类花岗岩广泛分布在卓资-凉城地区,因此我们认为本区发生的超高温变质作用属于区域高温/超高温变质作用的结果。