Magmatic changes during the stabilisation of a cordilleran fold belt: the Late Carboniferous–Triassic igneous history of eastern New South Wales, Australia

In a 60 Ma interval between the Late Carboniferous and the Late Permian, the magmatic arc associated with the cordilleran-type New England Fold Belt in northeast New South Wales shifted eastward and changed in trend from north–northwest to north. The eastern margin of the earlier (Devonian–Late Carboniferous) arc is marked by a sequence of calcalkaline lava flows, tuffs and coarse volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks preserved in the west of the Fold Belt. The younger arc (Late Permian–Triassic) is marked by I-type calcalkaline granitoids and comagmatic volcanic rocks emplaced mostly in the earlier forearc, but extending into the southern Sydney Basin, in the former backarc region. The growth of the younger arc was accompanied by widespread compressional deformation that stabilised the New England Fold Belt. During the transitional interval, two suites of S-type granitoids were emplaced, the Hillgrove Suite at about 305 Ma during an episode of compressive deformation and regional metamorphism, and the Bundarra Suite at about 280 Ma, during the later stages of an extensional episode. Isotopic and REE data indicate that both suites resulted from the partial melting of young silicic sedimentary rocks, probably part of the Carboniferous accretionary subduction complex, with heat supplied by the rise of asthenospheric material. Both mafic and silicic volcanic activity were widespread within and behind the Fold Belt from the onset of rifting (ca. 295 Ma) until the reestablishment of the arc. These volcanic rocks range in composition from MORB-like to calcalkaline and alkaline. The termination of the earlier arc, and the subsequent widespread and diverse igneous activity are considered to have resulted from the shallow breakoff of the downgoing plate, which allowed the rise of asthenosphere through a widening lithospheric gap. In this setting, division of the igneous rocks into pre-, syn-, and post-collisional groups is of limited value.