The augen gneisses of the Peloritani Mountains (NE Sicily): Granitoid magma production during rapid evolution of the northern Gondwana margin at the end of the Precambrian

The medium- to high-grade polymetamorphic basement rocks of the Peloritani Mountains, northern Sicily, include large volumes of augen gneiss of controversial age and origin. By means of a geochemical and SHRIMP zircon study of representative samples, the emplacement age of the original granitoid protoliths of the augen gneisses and the most likely processes and sources involved in that granitoid magmatism have been determined. U–Pb dating of three samples from widely spaced localities in the Peloritani Mountains yielded igneous protolith ages of 565 ± 5, 545 ± 4 and 545 ± 4 Ma, respectively. These late Ediacaran/early Cambrian ages are much older than was previously assumed on geological grounds, and are typical of the peri-Gondwanan terranes involved in the geodynamic evolution of the northern Gondwana margin at the end of the Avalonian–Cadomian orogeny. Major and trace element compositions and Sr–Nd isotopic data, in combination with zircon inheritance age patterns, suggest that the granitoid protoliths of the Sicilian and coeval Calabrian augen gneisses were generated by different degrees of mixing between sediment- and mantle-derived magmas. The magmas forming the ca. 545 Ma inheritance-rich granitoids appear to have had a significant contribution from partial melting of paragneiss that is the dominant rock type in the medium- to high-grade Peloritanian basement. The closeness of the inferred deposition age of the greywacke protoliths of the paragneisses with the intrusion age of the granitoids indicates rapid latest Precambrian crustal recycling involving erosion, burial, metamorphism to partial melting conditions, and extensive granitoid magmatism in less than ca. 10 Ma.     

Magma sources and petrogenesis of the early–middle Paleozoic backarc granitoids from the central part of the Qilian block,NW China

The petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopes of the backarc granitoids from the central part of the Qilian block are studied in the present work. Both S- and I-type granitoids are present. In petrographic classification, they are granite, alkali feldspar granite, felsic granite, diorite, quartz diorite, granodiorite, and albite syenite. The SHRIMP ages are 402–447 Ma for the S-type and 419–451 Ma for the I-type granitoids. They are mostly high-K calc-alkaline granitoids. The S-type granitoids are weakly to strongly peraluminous and are characterized by negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.18–0.79). The I-type granitoids are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous and are characterized mostly by small negative to small positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.71–1.16). The initial (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) values are 0.708848–0.713651 for the S-type and 0.704230–0.718108 for the I-type granitoids. The ε_Nd(450 Ma) values are − 8.9–−4.1 and − 9.7–+ 1.9 for the S-type and I-type granitoids, respectively. The T_DM values are 1.5–2.4 Ga for the S-type and 1.0–2.3 Ga for the I-type granitoids. For the Qilian block, the backarc granitoid magmatism took place approximately 60 million years after the onset of the southward subduction of the north Qilian oceanic lithosphere and lasted approximately 50 million years. Partial melting of the source rocks consisting of the Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Huangyuan Group and the intruding lower Paleozoic basaltic rocks could produce the S-type granitoid magmas. Partial melting of basaltic rocks mixed with lower continental crustal materials could produce the I-type granitoid magmas. Major crustal growth occurred in the late Archean and Meso-Paleoproterozoic time for the Qilian block. The magma generation was primarily remelting of the crustal rocks with only little addition of the mantle materials after 1.0 Ga for the Qilian block.     

Paleozoic collisional and intraplate granitoids of the Baikal area: comparative geochemistry and petrogenesis

Early Paleozoic granitoids of autochthonous and allochthonous facies in the Baikal area (Ol’khon Island, Khamar-Daban Ridge) are in close spatial association with gneisses, migmatites, and plagiogranites and are usually confined to granite–gneiss domes. They are virtually not subjected to magmatic differentiation. Formation of granitoids of the Solzan massif and Sharanur complex lasted 26–28 Myr, which might be considered an indicator of collisional granitoid magmatism. Collisional granitoids of different provinces have a series of indicative features: They are peraluminous and highly potassic and are enriched in crustal elements (Rb, Pb, and Th) but sometimes have low contents of volatiles. In contrast to collisional magmatism, petrogenesis of intraplate granitoids does not depend on the composition and age of the enclosing rocks. The geochemical evolution of intraplate granitoid magmatism in the Baikal area is expressed as an increase in contents of F, Li, Rb, Cs, Sn, Be, Ta, Zr, and Pb and a decrease in contents of Ba, Sr, Zn, Th, and U during the differentiation of multiphase intrusions. The geochemical diversity of these granitoids formed both from crustal and from mantle sources and as a result of the mantle–crust interaction, might be due to the effect of plume on the geologic evolution of intraplate magmatism. The wide range of compositions and geochemical types of igneous rocks (from alkali and subalkalic to rare-metal granitoids) within the Late Paleozoic Baikal magmatism area suggests its high ore potential.     

Postdated melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle by the Emeishan mantle plume: Evidence from the Anyi intrusion,Yunnan, SW China

The Anyi intrusion is located in the central zone of Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP), SW China. It outcrops in an area of about 0.65 km² and ~ 1 km thick and dips to the southwest. The Anyi intrusion consists of a lower clinopyroxenite zone, middle gabbro zone, and an upper monzonite–syenite zone. Up to 400 m thick stratiform disseminated Fe–Ti oxide layer with grades of 16–18 wt.% total Fe is hosted in the lower clinopyroxenite zone. Zircon SHRIMP U–Pb age (247 ± 3 Ma) indicates that the Anyi intrusion represents postdated mafic magmatism resulting from the ~ 260 Ma Emeishan mantle plume. Compared with the typical oxide-bearing intrusions (such as Panzhihua and Baima) formed at ~ 260 Ma in the ELIP, the Anyi intrusion is characterized by high alkaline contents and LREE/HREE ratios, extremely low εNd values (− 6.2 to − 7.6) and moderate high (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i values (0.7072 to 0.7086). These characteristics of the Anyi intrusion cannot be explained by fractional crystallization or crustal contamination, but may reflect a unique enriched continental lithospheric mantle source (a mantle source mixed between garnet pyroxenite and spinel peridotite). We propose that the postdated mafic magmatism associated with the formation of the Anyi intrusion and its Fe–Ti oxide ore may be the product of melting of a mantle source mixed between garnet pyroxenite and spinel peridotite in the shallow lithosphere caused by conductive heating combined with lithosphere thinning due to plume–lithosphere interaction.     

Geochemistry of the Bafoussam Pan-African I- and S-type granitoids in western Cameroon

The Bafoussam area in western Cameroon is part of the Central African Orogenic Belt. It is dominated by granitoids which belong to the Pan-African syn- to post-collisional post-650 Ma group. Syenogranites are predominant, but alkali-feldspar granite, monzogranite, quartz-monzonite and quartz-monzodiorite occur as well. Four granitoid suites, biotite granitoids and deformed biotite granitoids with amphibole, megafeldspar granitoids with megacrysts and two-mica granitoids with primary muscovite and igneous garnet are distinguished. The granites can be assigned to high-K calc-alkalic to shoshonitic series. The partly shoshonitic biotite granitoids are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous and can be labelled as a highly fractionated I-type suite. The megafeldspar granitoids are weakly peraluminous with I-type character whereas the two-mica granitoids are weakly to strongly peraluminous and belong to an S-type suite. Emplacement ages at 558–564 Ma for the two-mica granitoids have been dated from monazite by the EMP Th–U–Pb method.The REE in the biotite granitoids are moderately fractionated with (La/Lu)_N = 23–38. Enrichment of Nb and Ta varies by one order of magnitude. The megafeldspar granitoids show homogeneous and strongly fractionated REE patterns with (La/Lu)_N = 27–42. The primitive mantle-normalized element patterns are homogeneous with marked negative Ba, Nb, Ta, Sr, Eu and Ti anomalies. The two-mica granitoids are characterized by low to moderate total REE contents with strongly fractionated REE expressed by (La/Lu)_N ranging from 7 to 59. The negative Nb and Ta anomalies are less significant. Nd and Sr whole-rock isotope data confirm different sources for the granitoid suites. The source of the I-type biotite granitoids was probably a juvenile mantle which has been variably metasomatized. The source of the I-type megafeldspar granitoids is characterized by juvenile mantle and lower crust components. Anatectic melts of the upper continental crust with variable contribution of lower continental crust or mantle melts can explain the heterogeneous isotopic signatures of the S-type two-mica granitoids. It is suggested that the melting of these sources was successively initiated by the rising isotherms during a syn- to post-collisional setting which followed a subduction.     

Neoproterozoic,Paleozoic, and Mesozoic granitoid magmatism in the Qinling Orogen,China: Constraints on orogenic process

The Qinling Orogen is one of the main orogenic belts in Asia and is characterized by multi-stage orogenic processes and the development of voluminous magmatic intrusions. The results of zircon U–Pb dating indicate that granitoid magmatism in the Qinling Orogen mainly occurred in four distinct periods: the Neoproterozoic (979–711 Ma), Paleozoic (507–400 Ma), and Early (252–185 Ma) and Late (158–100 Ma) Mesozoic. The Neoproterozoic granitic magmatism in the Qinling Orogen is represented by strongly deformed S-type granites emplaced at 979–911 Ma, weakly deformed I-type granites at 894–815 Ma, and A-type granites at 759–711 Ma. They can be interpreted as the products of respectively syn-collisional, post-collisional and extensional setting, in response to the assembly and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent. The Paleozoic magmatism can be temporally classified into three stages of 507–470 Ma, 460–422 Ma and ∼415–400 Ma. They were genetically related to the subduction of the Shangdan Ocean and subsequent collision of the southern North China Block and the South Qinling Belt. The 507–470 Ma magmatism is spatially and temporally related to ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism in the studied area. The 460–422 Ma magmatism with an extensive development in the North Qinling Belt is characterized by I-type granitoids and originated from the lower crust with the involvement of mantle-derived magma in a collisional setting. The magmatism with the formation age of ∼415–400 Ma only occurred in the middle part of the North Qinling Belt and is dominated by I-type granitoid intrusions, and probably formed in the late-stage of a collisional setting. Early Mesozoic magmatism in the study area occurred between 252 and 185 Ma, with the cluster in 225–200 Ma. It took place predominantly in the western part of the South Qinling Belt. The 250–240 Ma I-type granitoids are of small volume and show high Sr/Y ratios, and may have been formed in a continental arc setting related to subduction of the Mianlue Ocean between the South Qinling Belt and the South China Block. Voluminous late-stage (225–185 Ma) magmatism evolved from early I-type to later I-A-type granitoids associated with contemporaneous lamprophyres, representative of a transition from syn- to post-collisional setting in response to the collision between the North China and the South China blocks. Late Mesozoic (158–100 Ma) granitoids, located in the southern margin of the North China Block and the eastern part of the North Qinling Belt, are characterized by I-type, I- to A-type, and A-type granitoids that were emplaced in a post-orogenic or intraplate setting. The first three of the four periods of magmatism were associated with three important orogenic processes and the last one with intracontinental process. These suggest that the tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogen is very complicated.     

Geochemistry and genesis of ultrapotassic and potassic magmatic rocks on the eastern shore of Chaun Bay in Chukotka and their role in the metallogenic specialization of tin-bearing granitoids

Basite magmatism preceding the intrusion of large volumes of felsic magmas takes place only during powerful tectonic rearrangements, which span both the continental crust and lithospheric mantle. The study of this magmatism makes it possible to solve many genetic problems and obtain important geological information on the sources and processes that are responsible for granitoid magmatism. This paper reports the results of the geochemical study of potassic and ultrapotassic magmatic rocks that predate the intrusion of the granitoid complex and belong to it. In terms of geochemistry, the studied magmatic rocks of Chukotka correspond to the derivatives of potassic and ultrapotassic magmas, which allows us to use the models of formation of ultrapotassic magmas for interpreting the genetic features of tin-bearing granites, in particular, for explaining the anomalous contents of incompatible elements in these rocks. Using modern genetic models in combination with geological, geophysical, and geochemical data, it is established that the source of this specialization was the lithospheric mantle domain. The domain was formed within a convergent geologic boundary owing to the metasomatic reworking of the mantle wedge by fluids that were released during dehydration of the oceanic lithosphere. Based on the obtained results, a new model was proposed for the formation of tin-bearing granitoids in the collisional orogens. This model is underlain by the concept of a particular lithospheric source, which acquired its geochemical and metallogenic signatures during intense tectonic transformation that involved the lithospheric mantle. These signatures were inherited by magmas formed during melting within this domain.     

Crustal recycling through intraplate magmatism: Evidence from the Trans-North China Orogen

The North China Craton (NCC) preserves the history of crustal growth and craton formation during the early Precambrian followed by extensive lithospheric thinning and craton destruction in the Mesozoic. Here we present evidence for magma mixing and mingling associated with the Mesozoic tectonic processes from the Central NCC, along the Trans-North China Orogen, a paleo suture along which the Eastern and Western Blocks were amalgamated at end of Paleoproterozoic. Our investigations focus on two granitoids – the Chiwawu and the Mapeng plutons. Typical signatures for the interaction of mafic and felsic magmas are observed in these plutons such as: (1) the presence of diorite enclaves; (2) flow structures; (3) schlierens; (4) varying degrees of hybridization; and (5) macro-, and micro-textures. Porphyritic feldspar crystals show numerous mineral inclusions as well as rapakivi and anti-rapakivi textures. We present bulk chemistry, zircon U–Pb geochronology and REE data, and Lu–Hf isotopes on the granitoids, diorite enclaves, and surrounding basement rocks to constrain the timing of intraplate magmatism and processes of interaction between felsic and mafic magmas. Our LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb data show that the pophyritic granodiorite was emplaced at 129.7 ± 1.0 Ma. The diorite enclaves within this granodiorite show identical ages (128.2 ± 1.5 Ma). The basement TTG (tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite) gneisses formed at ca. 2.5 Ga coinciding with the major period of crustal accretion in the NCC. The 1.85 Ga age from zircons in the gabbro with positive Hf isotope signature may be related to mantle magmatism during post-collisional extension following the assembly of the Western and Eastern Blocks of the NCC along the Trans-North China Orogen. Our Hf isotope data indicate that the Neoarchean–Paleoproterozoic basement rocks were derived from complex sources of both juvenile magmas and reworked ancient crust, whereas the magma source for the Mesozoic units are dominantly reworked basement rocks. Our study provides a window to intraplate magmatism triggered by mantle upwelling beneath a paleosuture in the North China Craton.     

He–Ar isotope geochemistry of iron and gold deposits reveals heterogeneous lithospheric destruction in the North China Craton

The North China Craton (NCC) provides a classic example for extensive destruction of the cratonic lithosphere. The Mesozoic magmatism which contributed to the decratonization of the NCC was also accompanied by the formation of a variety of mineral deposits. In order to gain further insights into the cratonic destruction process, typical iron and gold deposits are investigated here. Helium–argon isotopic data on pyrite, from typical skarn iron deposits of the Beiminghe and Fushan in the Han-Xing district of the central NCC, and the Linglong and Canzhuang gold deposits in the Jiaodong district in the eastern NCC, are presented in this paper. The ³He/⁴He, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/⁴He ratios show generally uniform patterns within the individual deposits and reveal a complex evolutionary history of the ore-forming fluids with varying degree of crust–mantle interaction. The ore-forming fluids associated with the gold mineralization at the Jiaodong mine have higher content of fluids of mantle origin with mantle helium ranging from 1.24% to 18.02% (average 6.73%; N = 18). In contrast, the ore-forming fluids related to the iron ore deposits contain less mantle contribution with mantle helium ranging from 0.12% to 4.96% (average 1.29%; N = 10). Our results suggest complex and heterogeneous crust–mantle processes associated with the magmatism and metallogeny, where the lithosphere of the eastern NCC was subjected to more extensive thinning and destruction as compared with that in the western part, consistent with the observations from geophysical studies in the region. Our study demonstrates that fluids associated with the Mesozoic metallogenic processes in the NCC provide useful insights into the geodynamics of destruction and refertilization of the cratonic lithosphere.     

Late Paleozoic granitoids in western Transbaikalia: sequence of formation,sources of magmas,and geodynamics

The evolution of Late Paleozoic granitoid magmatism in Transbaikalia shows a general tendency for an increase in the alkalinity of successively forming intrusive complexes: from high-K calc-alkaline granites of the Barguzin complex (Angara–Vitim batholith) at the early stage through transitional from calc-alkaline to alkaline granites and quartz syenites (Zaza complex) at the intermediate stage to peralkaline granitoids (Early Kunalei complex) at the last stage. This evolution trend is complicated by the synchronous development of granitoid complexes with different sets and geochemical compositions of rocks. The compositional changes were accompanied by the decrease in the scales of granitoid magmatism occurrence with time. Crustal metaterrigenous protoliths, possibly of different compositions and ages, were the source of granitoids of the Angara–Vitim batholith. The isotopic composition of all following granitoid complexes points to their mixed mantle–crustal genesis. The mechanisms of granitoid formation are different. Some granitoids formed through the mixing of mantle and crustal magmas; others resulted from the fractional crystallization of hybrid melts; and the rest originated from the fractional crystallization of mantle products or the melting of metabasic sources with the varying but subordinate contribution of crustal protoliths. Synplutonic basic intrusions, combined dikes, and mafic inclusions, specific for the post-Barguzin granitoids, are direct geologic evidence for the synchronous occurrence of crustal and mantle magmatism. The geodynamic setting of the Late Paleozoic magmatism in the Baikal folded area is still debatable. Three possible models are proposed: (1) mantle plume impact, (2) active continental margin, and (3) postcollisional rifting. The latter model agrees with the absence of mafic rocks from the Angara–Vitim batholith structure and with the post-Barguzin age of peralkaline rocks of the Vitim province.     

Zircon U–Pb ages and Sr–Nd isotope ratios for the Sirstan granitoid body,NE Iraq: Evidence of magmatic activity in the Middle Cretaceous Period

The Sirstan granitoid (SG), comprising diorite and granodiorite, is located in the Shalair Valley area, in the northeastern part of Iraq within the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SSZ) of the Zagros Orogenic Belt. The U–Pb zircon dating of the SG rocks has revealed a concordia age of 110 Ma, which is interpreted as the age of crystallization of this granitoid body during the Middle Cretaceous. The whole-rock Rb–Sr isochron data shows an age of 52.4 ± 9.4 Ma (MSWD = 1.7), which implies the reactivation of the granitoid body in the Early Eocene due to the collision between the Arabian and Iranian plates. These rocks show metaluminous affinity with low values of Nb, Ta and Ti compared to chondrite, suggesting the generation of these rocks over the subduction zone in an active continental margin regime. The SG rocks are hornblende-bearing I-type granitoids with microgranular mafic enclaves. The positive values of ?_Nd (t = 110 Ma) (+0.1 to +2.7) and the low (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i ratios (0.7044 to 0.7057) indicate that the magma source of the SG granitoids is a depleted subcontinental mantle. The chemical and isotope compositions show that the SG body originated from the metasomatic mantle without a major role for continental contamination. Our findings show that the granitoid bodies distributed in the SSZ were derived from the continuous Neo-Tethys subduction beneath the SSZ in Mesozoic times and that the SSZ was an active margin in the Middle Cretaceous.     

Sediment recycling and crustal growth in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from Sr–Nd–Hf isotopes and trace elements in granitoids of the Chinese Altay

Felsic igneous rocks are common constituents of volcanic arcs, and contain valuable information about subduction-related magmatism. In this study we investigate nine granitoids with S-type volcanic arc affinity from the Chinese Altay, emplaced from 507 to 391 Ma in an active subduction zone during the early–middle Paleozoic. These granitoids are characterized by moderate to high SiO₂ contents (61.01–75.30 wt.%), moderate total alkalis (Na₂O + K₂O, 3.43–7.64 wt.%), and high Al₂O₃ contents (13.29–17.18 wt.%). Negative εNd(t) values (− 6.1 to − 1.0), the wide range of εHf(t) values (− 7.0 to + 9.0), and enrichment of LILEs such as Pb, Th and U, all suggest that the granitoids were probably derived from the partial melting of subducting oceanic sediments and the associated mantle wedge. This inference is further supported by the Nd-isotope data. The high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.703963–0.719428), low Ba/Th ratios (7.00–118.93), and uniformly negative εNd(t) values (− 6.1 to − 1.0) indicate that slab-derived aqueous fluids were vital in generating the initial magma of these granitoids, and assimilation played only a minor role. Our data demonstrate that residual zircon retains a substantial amount of Hf during the partial melting of oceanic sediments, therefore, Hf may not be an effective tracer for the input of recycled sediments. We conclude that sediment recycling played an important role in the generation of arc magmatism and the growth of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB).     

Juvenile vs. recycled crust in NE China: Zircon U–Pb geochronology,Hf isotope and an integrated model for Mesozoic gold mineralization in the Jiaodong Peninsula

The continental crust of the North China Craton (NCC) is a major reservoir of mineral resources with imprints of secular changes in tectonics and metallogeny. The Jiaodong Peninsula, located in the eastern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), is currently one of the largest gold producers over the globe, and preserves the records of multiple magmatic and metamorphic events. Here we characterize the timing and tectonics of the major Mesozoic magmatism and the associated gold metallogeny in this region through a comprehensive U–Pb geochronological and Hf isotope investigation of zircons in a suite of granitoids, mafic magmatic enclaves, melanocratic dikes and melted basement rocks.The Linglong granite, hosting one of the major gold deposits in Jiaodong, shows emplacement ages between 150 and 160 Ma, and the dominantly negative ε_Hf (t) values (− 34.0 to − 23.8) of zircons from this intrusion suggest magma derivation from recycled components in the Archean basement. The Guojialing granodiorite and its mafic magmatic enclaves show similar ages between 123 and 127 Ma, with negative ε_Hf (t) values (− 19.3 to − 16.8), corresponding to crustal magma source. The melanocratic dikes, belonging to pre- and syn-mineralization stages, with U–Pb age range of 126 to 166 Ma display large variation in their zircon ε_Hf (t) values (− 25.7 and 2.3) suggesting the involvement of both recycled crustal and juvenile mantle components. Zircons in the melted basement rocks with ages in the range of ca. 127–132 Ma also display both positive and negative ε_Hf (t) values (− 44.6 and 9.8) indicating a mixture of recycled ancient crust and juvenile magmas. Our study shows that although the peak of gold metallogeny coincided with the tectonics associated with Pacific plate subduction which mobilized and concentrated the ores, the source materials of gold mineralization and magmatism had multiple origins including from the Precambrian basement rocks, Mesozoic granitoids and mantle-derived mafic magmas with extensive mixing of crustal, lithosphere mantle and asthenospheric components. A combination of delamination, mantle upwelling, subduction-related metasomatic enrichment and recycling of ancient components facilitated the gold metallogeny in this region. Our study provides a typical case of juvenile and recycled components in the formation and evolution of continental crust and associated mineral resources.     

Late Triassic melting of a thickened crust in southeastern China: Evidence for flat-slab subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate

The Dashuang complex in Zhejiang Province of southeast China is composed of two distinct lithologies: syenite in the west and quartz monzonite in the east. They record similar zircon U–Pb ages of 224 ± 3 Ma (syenite), and 226 ± 2 Ma and 227 ± 1 Ma (quartz monzonite), respectively, but are notably different in petrography, magnetic susceptibility, whole-rock chemistry, zircon Hf isotope and zircon trace element characteristics. The west Dashuang syenitic pluton (the west body) has high modal alkali feldspar, high zircon saturation temperatures, high whole-rock and zircon MREE/HREE ratios, low Fe–Mg–Ti contents, and is depleted in Ba, Sr and Eu. It also has low magnetic susceptibilities, belongs to the ilmenite-series, and is a peraluminous and ferroan granitoid. The east Dashuang quartz monzonitic pluton (the east body) has abundant K-feldspar megacrysts, with hornblende, titanite and biotite being the major ferromagnesian minerals. In contrast to the west body, the east body has lower zircon saturation temperatures, lower whole-rock and zircon MREE/HREE ratios, higher Fe–Mg–Ti contents, and shows no depletion in Ba, Sr or Eu. The east body has higher magnetite contents, high magnetic susceptibilities and belongs to the magnetite-series. It is a metaluminous and magnesian granitoid of arc-affinity. Zircon Hf isotopic data reveal that both bodies were derived from partial melting of Paleoproterozoic igneous protoliths in the lower crust, but the east body possibly incorporated subducted terrigenous sediments. Both bodies have higher melting temperatures and pressures than adjacent Cretaceous granitoids, reflecting their origin in a thickened, hotter lower crust. The most feasible model to explain their differences is variations in water content during crustal melting, resulting in different melting and crystallization behaviors. Such melting in a Triassic thickened crust with variable water involvement, followed by Cretaceous magmatism in an extensional setting, is consistent with the flat-slab subduction model proposed for South China. The model involves crustal thickening and partial melting, with mantle and lower crustal metasomatism during flat-slab propagation in the Triassic–Early Jurassic, and crustal thinning and extension from the mid-Jurassic to the Cretaceous.     

Ultrapotassic basites in the Central Chukchi region and their role in genesis of Sn-bearing granites

Analysis of the genetic relationship of Sn-bearing granitoids with ultrapotassic basic magmatism showed that their metallogeny was determined by the geochemistry of a specific reservoir localized in the continental lithosphere mantle (metasomatized mantle). The granitoid formation is well explained by the binary model of mixing of primary melts (products of the metasomatized mantle) with the continental crustal material. Geochemical studies of basic magmatism of different ages showed that the specific lithosphere reservoir formed in the Middle-Late Jurassic and existed at least till the late Late Cretaceous, i.e., during both tin metallogenic epochs of the Chukchi region.     

Geochemistry and U–Pb SHRIMP zircon chronology of granitoids and microgranular enclaves from Jhirgadandi Pluton of Mahakoshal Belt,Central India Tectonic Zone,India

The northern part of Central India Tectonic Zone (CITZ) is delineated by an arc-shaped supracrustal belt commonly referred to as Mahakoshal Belt, which is considered as a product of intense rifting of sialic crust that occurred at ca 2400–2600 Ma. Several granitoid plutons intrude the Parsoi Formation of Mahakoshal Belt. Among these, an elliptical small stock-like granitoid body trending E–W is exposed in and around Jhirgadandi region of Mahakoshal Belt, referred herein as Jhirgadandi Pluton. It is composed of minor amount of mafic rocks (diorite) and predominant granitoids. Country-rock pelitic xenoliths and microgranular enclaves (ME) are commonly hosted in granitoids but are absent in diorite. The ME exhibit typical magmatic texture with a Bt(±Cpx ± Hbl)-Pl-Kf-Qtz-Mag-Ap assemblage, similar to that in host granitoids but with contrasting mineral proportions. Whole-rock molar Al₂O₃/(CaO + Na₂O + K₂O) (A/CNK) ratios of diorite (0.63–0.72), ME (0.69–1.21) and granitoids (0.83–1.05) suggest their nature largely metaluminous (I-type) to rarely peraluminous (S-type) granitoids. On most binary plots involving silica, two distinct compositional paths can be recognized; one formed by an array of differentiating diorite and ME, and another by fractionating granitoids gradually depleting in compatible elements. It is most likely that ME were generated by progressive and concurrent mixing of coeval pristine mafic (diorite) and granitoid magmas and fractionation processes. However, coherent and identical trace elements (except for Sr, Th, Y and Ni) and REE patterns for ME-granitoid pairs most likely suggest partial to near-complete chemical equilibration through varying degrees of diffusion process across the ME – partly crystalline host granitoid boundary. High-precision U–Pb SHRIMP zircon ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages for ME (1758 ± 19 Ma) and host granitoid (1753 ± 9.1 Ma) from Jhirgadandi Pluton further support the notion that they were coeval. The obtained age (∼1750 Ma) of Jhirgadandi Pluton also points to the existence and role of Super-Columbian continental component in the evolution of Mahakoshal Belt of the CITZ.     

The Mesoproterozoic mantle plume beneath the northern part of the Siberian craton

The study of the Mesoproterozoic (1473 ± 24 Ma) dolerites of the Olenek uplift of the Siberian craton basement has shown their petrologic and geochemical similarity to typical OIB produced with participation of a mantle plume. The dolerites are characterized by variations in the geochemical composition explained by different degrees of melting of the same source. A conclusion is drawn that the parental melts of the rocks were slightly modified by crustal contamination, as evidenced from their Nd isotope composition (£_Nd(T) = + 0.6 to − 0.8) and the presence of inherited zircons of four ages (2564, 2111, 2053, and 1865 Ma). Since the Siberian craton in the structure of the Nuna supercontinent (Columbia) was located relatively close to the Baltic continent and the Congo and Sao Francisco cratons, we assume that the Early Mesoproterozoic mafic intrusions (1500–1470 Ma) of all these cratons belong to the same large igneous province (LIP). The province formation was related to the activity of superplume (or mantle hot field), which supplied mantle matter to the lithosphere basement. The superplume core was probably located beneath the northern part of the Siberian craton, where basites are compositionally most similar to the primary mantle source.     

Character of formation of the Erdenet-Ovoo porphyry Cu-Mo magmatic center (northern Mongolia) in the zone of influence of a Permo-Triassic plume

The Erdenet-Ovoo magmatic center (EOMC) lies within the North Mongolian magmatic area formed through the interaction of a Permo-Triassic plume with the lithosphere in an environment of active continental margin. Two stages are recognized in the EOMC history: subduction stage with participation of basalt-andesite-dacite-rhyolite series and rifting stage with trachybasalt series. The granitoid magmatism (258–220 Ma) is expressed as the Selenge, Shivota, and ore-bearing porphyry complexes. The formation of the Selenge and Shivota granitoids was preceded by the intrusion of gabbroids. Trachybasalts formed during the granitoid magmatism after the Selenge complex, nearly synchronously with the Shivota and ore-bearing porphyry complexes. At the subduction stage of the EMC evolution, the plume influence is documented from the appearance of gabbros both depleted and enriched in lithophile trace elements similar to volcanic rocks of trachybasalt series and basaltoids of bimodal series in northern Mongolia. The Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotope characteristics of the enriched gabbros suggest the participation of a lower mantle source in their formation. The plume, as a heat carrier, led to a large-scale manifestation of volcanism and, obviously, a wide development of basic rocks of this stage at depth. The basic rocks were the source of granitoid magma that produced the Selenge granitoids. The protolith melted in the >50 km thick crust preventing the wide manifestation of basaltoid volcanism in that period. The increased plume influence, rifting, uplift of the region, and extension of the crust favored the basaltoid and granitoid (Shivota and ore-bearing porphyry) magmatism activity.     

Palaeozoic to Early Jurassic history of the northwestern corner of Gondwana,and implications for the evolution of the Iapetus,Rheic and Pacific Oceans

The Palaeozoic to Mesozoic igneous and metamorphic basement rocks exposed in the Mérida Andes of Venezuela and the Santander Massif of Colombia are generally considered to define allochthonous terranes that accreted to the margin of Gondwana during the Ordovician and the Carboniferous. However, terrane sutures have not been identified and there are no published isotopic data that support the existence of separate crustal domains. A general paucity of geochronological data led to published tectonic reconstructions for the evolution of the northwestern corner of Gondwana that do not account for the magmatic and metamorphic histories of the basement rocks of the Mérida Andes and the Santander Massif. We present new zircon U–Pb (ICP-MS) data from 52 igneous and metamorphic rocks, which we combine with whole rock geochemical and Pb isotopic data to constrain the tectonic history of the Precambrian to Mesozoic basement of the Mérida Andes and the Santander Massif. These data show that the basement rocks of these massifs are autochthonous to Gondwana and share a similar tectono-magmatic history with the Gondwanan margin of Peru, Chile and Argentina, which evolved during the subduction of oceanic lithosphere of the Iapetus Ocean. The oldest Palaeozoic arc magmatism is recorded at ~ 500 Ma, and was followed shortly by Barrovian metamorphism. Peak metamorphic conditions at upper amphibolite facies are recorded by anatexis at ~ 477 Ma and the intrusion of synkinematic granitoids until ~ 472 Ma. Subsequent retrogression resulted from localised back-arc or intra-arc extension at ~ 453 Ma, when volcanic tuffs and interfingered sedimentary rocks were deposited over the amphibolite facies basement. Continental arc magmatism dwindled after ~ 430 Ma and terminated at ~ 415 Ma, coevally with most of the western margin of Gondwana. After Pangaea amalgamation in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian, a magmatic arc developed on its western margin at ~ 294 Ma as a result of subduction of oceanic crust of the palaeo-Pacific ocean. Intermittent arc magmatism recorded between ~ 294 and ~ 225 Ma was followed by the onset of the Andean subduction cycle at ~ 213 Ma, in an extensional regime. Extension was accompanied by slab roll-back which led to the migration of the arc axis into the Central Cordillera of Colombia in the Early Jurassic.     

Fault controlled Carboniferous A-type magmatism in the proto-Andean foreland (Sierras Pampeanas,Argentina): Geochemical constraints and petrogenesis

The intrusion of granitoids into the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas in the Early Carboniferous took place after a long period of mainly compressional deformation that included the Famatinian (Ordovician) and Achalian (Devonian) orogenies. These granitoids occur as small scattered plutons emplaced in a dominant extensional setting, within older metamorphic and igneous rocks, and many of them are arranged along a reactivated large shear zone. A set of 46 samples from different granitic rocks: Huaco granitic complex, San Blas pluton, and the La Chinchilla stock from the Sierra de Velasco, Zapata granitic complex from Sierra de Zapata, and the Los Árboles pluton from Sierra de Fiambalá, display high and restricted SiO₂ contents between 69.2 and 76.4 wt.%. On both FeO/(FeO + MgO) vs. SiO₂ and [(Na₂O + K₂O) ? CaO] vs. SiO₂ plots the samples plot in the ferroan and alkaline-calcic to calco-alkaline fields (FeO/(FeO + MgO) = 0.88–1.0%;[(Na₂O + K₂O) ? CaO] = 6.3–8.3%), thus showing an A-type granitoid signature. The high concentrations for the High Field Strength Elements (HSFE), such as Y, Nb, Ga, Ta, U, Th, etc. and flat REE patterns showing significant negative Eu anomalies are also typical features of A-type granites. Our petrogenetic model supports progressive fractional crystallization with dominant fractionation of feldspar and a source mineral assemblage enriched in plagioclase. Biotites have distinctive compositions with high FeO/MgO ratios (7.8–61.5), F (360–5610 ppm), and Cl (120–1050 ppm). The FeO/MgO ratios together with the F and Cl content of igneous biotites seem to reflect the nature of their parental host magmas and may be useful in identifying A-type granitoids. The isotopic data (Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd) confirm that the A-type granites represent variable mixtures of asthenospheric mantle and continental crust and different mixtures lead to different subtypes of A-type granite (illustrating the lack of consensus about A-type magma origin). We conclude that prominent shear zones play an important role in providing suitable conduits for ascending asthenospheric material and heat influx in the crust, a hypothesis that is in accord with other recent work on A-type granites.