Late Paleozoic rare-metal granitoid magmatism of the Southern Baikal region

The Late Paleozoic intraplate magmatism of the Selenga-Vitim structural zone of the Baikal region (Khamar-Daban Range) produced granitoids of different geochemical types: palingenic calc-alkaline granitoids, subalkaline monzogranites, and rare-metal Li-F granitoids and their subvolcanic analogues. Subalkaline and rare-metal granitoids occur in the periphery of the Late Paleozoic magmatic zone. Rare metal granite magmatism is manifested in this region as nearly N-S trending intrusive-dike belts comprising multiphase intrusions (Kharagul, Urugudei, and Bitu-Dzhida massifs) with an exposed area of ∼10 km² and an age of formation from 311 to 321 Ma and series of accompanying dikes. The early phases of the intrusions are made up of biotite granites usually with fluorite, which are changed during the late stage by typical topazbearing rare-metal amazonite-albite granites. In the subvolcanic facies, thicker subalkaline dikes of monzonite porphyry, granite porphyry, and elvan are changed by ongonites, topaz rhyolites, and topazites, which occasionally serve as cement in eruptive and fluid-explosive breccias. The development of multiphase intrusions from early biotite granites to late amazonite-albite granites with Li-F mica was accompanied by an increase in SiO₂ and, especially, Na₂O contents, whereas the level of (FeO + Fe₂O₃), CaO, and K₂O declined. Geochemical evolution includes an increase in the same direction in the contents of F, Li, Rb, Cs, Sn, Be, Ta, and Pb and a decrease in Ba, Sr, Zn, Zr, Th, and U. Similar evolution is also characteristic of the subvolcanic rocks, which emphasizes the genetic relation of the whole intrusive-dike complex of the Khamar-Daban province. Significant differences were detected in the distribution of K, Ba, Sr, and Zr between the calc-alkaline granitoids and rare-metal Li-F granites. The continental crust-normalized patterns of the raremetal granites show positive anomalies for Li, Rb, Nb, and Pb. The rare-metal Li-F granites could not be produced by palingenesis only, and their formation required specific conditions causing extensive accumulation of characteristic trace elements. During the evolution of granite melts, Li, Rb, Ta, Nb, Sn, W, and F are extensively accumulated in late intrusive phases, which indicates an important role of the processes of magmatic and fluid-magmatic differentiation during their formation. The composition and isotope geochemical characteristics of the supposed magma source material correspond to the ancient Precambrian continental crust with a mean model age of more than 1200 Ma.