The genesis of felsic-mafic plutonic associations: a Sr and Nd isotopic study of the Hercynian Braga Granitoid Massif (Northern Portugal)

The late tectonic Braga plutonic complex in the “Centro Iberian Zone”, North Portugal, was emplaced during the Hercynian orogeny within a Silurian sedimentary sequence and displays an acid-basic association which consists of three well-defined intrusions: the biotite-dominant Braga granite, minor bodies of gabbro to granodiorite composition and the mildly peraluminous Gonça leucogranite. These three plutonic suites present field relationships indicating a synchronous magmatic emplacement for which a Rb---Sr age of 310±10 Ma is obtained. The distribution of the three plutonic units along regular curves in major and trace element diagrams suggests that the different units can be genetically related. However, the Rb---Sr and Sm---Nd isotopic results do not indicate a unique homogeneous source and a simple fractional crystallization process. The gabbros have chemical characters (high K, Ba, Sr and light rare-earth elements and low Nb, Ti and Zr contents) and isotopic compositions (Sr_i=0.70497 and ε_Nd=−2.5), which suggest an alkaline magmatic affinity of shoshonitic type. They are probably derived from an enriched mantle source. In contrast, the peraluminous Gonça leucogranite (Sr_i=0.70933 and ε_Nd=−6.8) is more likely the result of crustal anatexis. The Braga granite and the evolved members of the basic series have an intermediate isotopic composition (Sr_i=0.70532 to 0.70733 and ε_Nd=−3.0 to −6.2) which can be interpreted in terms of an hybridization process between the two previous end-members. The chemical and Sr---Nd isotopic compositions of the Braga plutonic series can be explained by an assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC) model between a mantle-derived magma (equivalent to the gabbros) and a crust-derived magma (the Gonça granite).     

Origin of Sr,Nd and Pb isotopic systematics in high-Sr basalts from central Arizona

Alkalic and tholeiitic basalts were erupted in the central Arizona Transition Zone during Miocene-Pliocene time before and after regional faulting. The alkalic lava types differ from the subalkaline lavas in Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic ratios and trace element ratios and, despite close temporal and spatial relationships, the two types appear to be from discrete mantle sources. Pre-faulting lava types include: potassic trachybasalts (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7052 to 0.7055, _Nd= –9.2 to –10.7); alkali olivine basalts (⁸⁷Sr/ ⁸⁶Sr = 0.7049 to 0.7054, _Nd= –2 to 0.2); basanite and hawaiites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7049 to 0.7053, _Nd= –3.5 to –7.8); and quartz tholeiites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7047, _Nd= –1.4 to –2.6). Post-faulting lavas have lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (<0.7045) and _Nd from –3.2 to 2.3. Pb isotopic data for both preand post-faulting lavas form coherent clusters by magma type with values higher than those associated with MORB but within the range of values found for crustal rocks and sulfide ores in Arizona and New Mexico. Pb isotopic systematics appear to be dominated by crustal contamination. Effects of assimilation and fractional crystallization are inadequate to produce the Sr isotopic variations unless very large amounts of assimilation occurred relative to fractionation. It is impossible to produce the Nd isotopic variations unless ancient very unradiogenic material exists beneath the region. Moreover the assumption that the alkalic lavas are cogenetic requires high degrees of fractionation inconsistent with major- and trace-element data. Metasomatism of the subcontinental lithosphere above a subduction zone by a slab-derived fluid enriched in Sr, Ba, P and K could have produced the isotopic and elemental patterns. The degree of metasomatism apparently decreased upward, with the alkalic lavas sampling more modified regions of the mantle than the tholeiitic lavas. Such metasomatism may have been a regional event associated with crustal formation at about 1.6 Ga. Disruption and weakening of the subcontinental lithosphere in the Transition Zone of the Colorado Plateau by volcanism probably made deformation possible.     

Sr and Nd isotope systematics of Francistown plutonic rocks, Botswana: implications for Neoarchaean crustal evolution of the Zimbabwe craton

The Francistown plutonic rocks at the south-western margin of the Zimbabwe craton consist of three igneous suites: Sanukitoid, Tonalite–Trondhjemite–Granite (TTG) suites and High-K granites. The TTG suite is subdivided into High Aluminum-TTG (HA-TTG) and Low Aluminum-TTG (LA-TTG) sub-suites. Their Rb–Sr isotope systems were partially homogenized by post-crystallization thermo–tectonic events, in which hydrothermal solutions and migmatization played an important role. Therefore, the Rb–Sr isochron age of 2427±54 Ma can only be regarded as a lower limit to the Francistown plutonic rock age. The large errors in the Sm–Nd isochron dates of Francistown granitoids indicate that these dates are not really constrained. In this study we compared the rock types of Francistown and adjacent areas, adopting the precise U, Th–Pb single zircon SHRIMP ages from the Vumba area as references. For TTG and Sanukitoid suites, the age we adopted is ca. 2.7 Ga, which is close to their depleted-mantle Sm–Nd model ages (T _DM). For High-K granites, the age adopted is ca. 2.65 Ga, which is also close to their Sm–Nd isochron age. The highest ε _Nd ^t values of Sanukitoids and TTG are +2.1 and +2.3, respectively. The positive ε _Nd ^t values and trace element geochemistry support partial melting of a depleted mantle and young oceanic crust for the genesis of Sanukitoid and the TTG suites respectively. The lowest ε _Nd ^t values of Sanukitoids and TTGs are −1.0 and −1.1, respectively, indicating contamination by continental crust, up to 10 and 14%, respectively. The ε _Nd ^t values of TTG decrease with decreasing Al₂O₃ and Sr contents and increasing Eu negative anomalies (Eu*–Eu), suggesting that the TTG magmas underwent a coupled fractionation crystallization and crustal contamination, and that the LA-TTG was the product of the fractionation and contamination of the HA-TTG sub-suite. In contrast, negative ε _Nd ^t values for the High-K granites (from −0.4 to −3.5) indicate the involvement of LA-TTG and some materials from an old continental crust in their genesis. The products of partial melting of both oceanic and continental crusts at the south-western margin of the Zimbabwe craton occurred within a short time interval (from 2.7 to 2.65 Ga ago) suggesting that the Francistown plutonic rocks were formed in a active continental margin environment, where a young ocean plate (Limpopo oceanic plate) subducted underneath an old continental plate (Zimbabwe craton).     

Nd and Sr isotopic systematics of central Australian granulites: chronology of crustal development and constraints on the evolution of lower continental crust

Nd and Sr isotopic data are reported for a granulite terrain in the Proterozoic Arunta Block of Central Australia. Sm-Nd data from a wide range of rock types define a crust formation age of 2,070±125 Ma and provide further evidence for voluminous crustal growth in the Proterozoic. An _Nd value of +1.5±0.8 indicates a depleted mantle source for this crustal segment and there is no evidence for a large component of significantly older sialic crust. Field relationships, geochemistry and Rb-Sr data for mafic and felsic granulites indicate that intracrustal differentiation and polyphase deformation were followed by granulite facies metamorphism (Rb depletion) at 1,800 Ma. Rb-Sr data for strongly retrogressed granulites define an age of 1,700 Ma which is interpreted as the time of retrograde biotite growth. Partial melting at the presently exposed crustal level and anatexis at deeper crustal levels were broadly coeval with the retrograde metamorphism. Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopic systematics of minerals indicate that the terrain cooled slowly, did not experience significant uplift until 1,000 Ma and remained at temperatures above 320° C until the late Palaeozoic. The mineral data are consistent with geological relationships and petrological evidence for a prolonged period of isobaric cooling followed by uplift late in the metamorphic evolution of the terrain. The granulite protoliths appear to have formed in a rift which closed within 280 Ma of initial separation. Deformation and granulite facies metamorphism at 1,800 Ma are interpreted to be a consequence of collision between the continental blocks which defined the rift. Regional retrogression and granitoid magmatism at 1,700 Ma are attributed to underthrusting of the granulites by lower grade rocks in the final stages of collision. Subsequent events in the cooling and uplift history appear to have been controlled by the presence of long-lived major faults in the crust and a prolonged history of episodic compression in the continental lithosphere. The results of this study suggest that granulite terrains, in general, cannot be equated with lower continental crust but instead represent assemblages of (mainly) supracrustal rocks which in some instances have been involved in major collision events.Abbreviations Opx orthopyroxene - Cpx clinopyroxene - Plag plagioclase - Hb hornblende - Ox opaque oxide - Bi biotite - Ap apatite - Zir zircon - Gt garnet - 2°CA secondary clinoamphibole - Qtz quartz - Ol olivine - Sp spinel - Se serpentine - Ep epidote - Kf alkali feldspar - Mz monazite - Sph sphene - Sill sillimanite - Rut rutile - Cd cordierite - Sphal sphalerite - Ms muscovite - Act actinolite - Cc calcite - Scap scapolite - Cor corundum - Xen xenotime - Sapph sapphirine - Ged gedrite - All allanite - Clh clinohumite - Dol dolomite - Mt magnetite - Ghn gahnite - Gal galena     

Generation of high-silica rhyolite: A Nd,Sr, and O isotopic study of Sierra La Primavera,Mexican Neovolcanic Belt

High-silica rhyolites of the Sierra La Primavera, a late Pleistocene center near Guadalajara, are extremely Sr-poor (0.3–1.3 ppm), yet (with one exception) values of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i are relatively low at 0.7041–0.7048. Values of ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd for all the rhyolites are (within errors) identical to a basalt at 0.5129. These surprisingly primitive values, along with feldspar ¹⁸O of +6.6, are consistent with an origin by fractional crystallization of mantle-derived basalt. However, absence of the large volume of associated intermediate rocks that would be expected if the 40 km³ of erupted rhyolite were produced mainly by fractional crystallization suggests alternative processes involving partial melting of Mesozoic or Tertiary mafic intrusive rocks (or lower-crustal metamorphic equivalents). The latter interpretation is preferred, especially in light of comparative data for other North American, Cenozoic, high-silica rhyolites. Isotopic compositions correlate with basement age, but generally lie between values for associated basalts and the underlying crust. Nearly all can be interpreted as containing both a young mantle-derived component and a crustal component, probably derived by partial melting at intermediate to deep levels of the crust. No matter what the proportions of mantle- and crust-derived material in parental magmas, the extremely low concentrations of Sr and Ba in the high-silica rhyolites require extensive fractional crystallization of feldspar-rich assemblages after parental liquids attain rhyolitic compositions.At La Primavera, contamination by shallow roof rocks probably led to the 0.708 ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i ratio of the earliest postcaldera lava dome, which is thought to have erupted through the same vent as the caldera-forming pyroclastic flows. Contamination associated with collapse apparently affected only a small volume of magma in contact with brecciated wall rocks close to the vent, as nearby lavas that erupted during the same episode about 95 ky ago are unaffected. No identifiable lowering of ¹⁸O took place on caldera collapse. Rhyolitic lavas that erupted 75, 60, and 30 ky ago document postcaldera chemical recovery of the chamber to progressively more evolved compositions in its upper reaches, but show little variation in ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/ ⁸⁶Sr_i, or ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd with time, suggesting that the bulk of the rhyolitic magma within the chamber was isolated from significant wall-rock contamination. Most of the small range of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i among the rhyolites can be attributed to pre-eruptive, in situ decay of ⁸⁷Rb, resulting in a measurable secular increase of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in these Sr-poor magmas. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i of the youngest rhyolite, however, is somewhat lower than predicted, suggesting that the silicic magma chamber was at times open to interaction with more-mafic magmas from below.     

Nd, O and Sr isotopic constraints on the origin of Precambrian rocks, Southern Black Hills, South Dakota

The Nd, O and Sr isotopic characteristics of Precambrian metasedimentary, metavolcanic and granitic rocks from the Black Hills of South Dakota are examined. Two late-Archean granites (2.5-2.6 Ga) have T_dm ages of 3.05 and 3.30 Ga, suggesting that at least one of the granites was derived through the melting of significantly older crust. Early-Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks have T_dm ages that range from 2.32 to 2.45 Ga. These model ages, in conjunction with probable stratigraphic ages ranging from 1.9 to 2.2 Ga, indicate that mantle-derived material was added to the continental crust of this region during the early-Proterozoic. Previous studies of the Harney Peak Granite complex have reported U-Pb and Rb-Sr ages of about 1.71 Ga and most granite samples examined in this study have Sr isotopic compositions consistent with that age. Two granite samples taken from the same sill, however, give two-point Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd ages of 2.08 ±0.08 and 2.20 ±0.20 Ga (∑²²⁰⁰_Nd = −15.5), respectively. In addition, whole-rock and apatite samples of the spatially associated Tin Mountain pegmatite give a Sm-Nd isochron age of 2000 ±100 Ma (∑²²⁰⁰_Nd = −5.8 ±1.8).

The Sm-Nd, O and Rb-Sr isotopic systematics of these granitic rocks have been complicated to some degree by both crystallization and post-crystallization processes, and the age of the pegmatite and parts of the Harney Peak Granite complex remain uncertain. Processes that probably complicated the isotopic systematics of these rocks include derivation from heterogeneous source material, assimilation, mixing of REE between granite and country rock during crystallization via a fluid phase and post-crystallization mobility of Sr. The Nd isotopic compositions of the pegmatite and the Harney Peak Granite indicate that they were not derived primarily from the exposed metasedimentary rocks.     

Behavior of isotopic systematics during deformation and metamorphism: a Hf,Nd and Sr isotopic study of mylonitized granite

A combined compositional and Hf, Nd and Sr isotopic study was performed on a suite of samples of progressively deformed granite from a mylonite zone in the Harquahala Mountains, western Arizona, to evaluate the effects of deformation and metamorphism on the isotopic systematics of typical continental crustal rocks. The 1.4 Ga Harquahala Granite was deformed during Mesozoic thrusting along the Harquahala thrust. Granite in the resulting 60 m wide shear zone ranges from protomylonite to ultramylonite. In most of these mylonites, the protolith is not megascopically recognizable, and can be discerned only by the progressive transition to undeformed granite. Isotopic analyses of Hf, Nd and Sr from the shear zone document the immobility of the Hf and Nd isotopic systems relative to that of the Sr isotopic system during deformation. The Rb–Sr isotopic data show considerable scatter on an isochron plot, exhibiting both gains and losses of Rb and Sr from the whole-rock systems. In contrast, the Sm–Nd and Lu–Hf isotopic systematics are mostly well behaved on isochron diagrams, plotting mostly in tight clusters or along 1.4 Ga isochrons. These results show that while the Sr isotopic system in crustal rocks is quite susceptible to later tectonic disturbance, both Hf and Nd isotopic systems can provide reliable model age information in continental crustal terranes even when the rocks have been subjected to low to medium grades of deformation and metamorphism.     

Age and provenance of early Precambrian metasedimentary rocks in the Lapland–Kola Belt, Russia: evidence from Pb and Nd isotopic data

²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages are presented for detrital zircons (Laser Ablation Microprobe ICP‐MS) and whole‐rock Nd isotopic determinations (TIMS) from samples of Neoarchean and Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks from the Umba granulite terrane and the Keivy domain of the Central Kola composite terrane, Kola Peninsula, north‐western Russia. Three are samples of rocks from the Umba granulite terrane that were deposited ≈ 2.20–1.90 Ga; they contain Archaean detritus, much of it older than 3.0 Gyr, as well as abundant 2.20–1.95‐Gyr‐old material. Deposition may have occurred on the margin of an Archaean craton with an exposed Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc source, possibly during orogenesis. Two samples from the Keivy domain have remarkably similar, dominantly Archaean detrital zircon age spectra. One was deposited pre‐2.4 Ga, whereas the other was probably deposited post‐2.01 Ga. Both had similar sources, compatible with the proximal country rocks, and possible shallow‐water (?) cratonic margin depositional settings.     

The genesis of Variscan (Hercynian) plutonic rocks: Inferences from Sr,Pb, and O studies on the Maladeta igneous complex,central Pyrenees (Spain)

The Maladeta plutonic complex formed during the latest stages of the Variscan orogeny. It was emplaced into the Paleozoic sedimentary sequence of the Pyrenees. The eastern part, investigated in the present study, consists of an early intrusion of cumulate gabbronorites followed in order of emplacement by the main biotite-hornblende granodiorite, which was itself intruded by two small stocks of two-mica cordierite granite. An ⁸⁷Rb-⁸⁷Sr isochron dates the granodiorite at 277±7 m.y. with an initial (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_o ratio of 0.7117±3. Gabbroic rocks have lower strontium initial ratios, down to 0.7092, while those of granite range from that of the granodiorite up to about 0.715. The three rock types have distinctive ¹⁸O values: 8.7 to 9.6 for the gabbronorites, 9.4 to 10.4 for the granodiorites and 10.3 to 11.8 for the granites. Lead isotopic compositions of rocks and feldspars are all radiogenic. Feldspars give consistent Pb model ages around 280 m.y., with and values of about 9.7 and 4.05, respectively. No pristine, mantle-derived magma was found among the investigated samples and the rocks cannot be related to one another by any simple mechanism of fractional crystallization. Some type of mixing process involving two end members seems to be required: a high-¹⁸O, high-⁸⁷Sr material that is clearly of crustal origin, and a lower-¹⁸O, lower-⁸⁷Sr end member derived from the mantle. Examination of various mixing models does not support magma mixing nor assimilation of crustal rocks by a mafic magma. The most acceptable model involves melting at different levels of a vertically-zoned source in the continental crust; this source was formed by mixing between mantle-derived magmas and crustal metasediments. This material was apparently thickened, tectonically downwarped and partially melted. None of the Maladeta magma-types appear to have been derived at a consuming plate boundary.Contribution Number 3280, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA     

The Cu isotopic signature of granites from the Lachlan Fold Belt,SE Australia

This contribution reports our preliminary work to determine Cu isotope ratios for various granite rocks and examine the Cu isotope systematics within granite suites. A chemical procedure, modified from Maréchal [Maréchal, C.N., Télouk, P. and Albarède, F., 1999. Precise analysis of copper and zinc isotopic compositions by plasma-source mass spectrometry. Chemical Geology, 156(1–4): 251–273.], was used to separate Cu from rock matrix. Quantitative recovery (100.6 ± 1.6%), with a low total procedural blank (2.65 ± 0.66 ng) for Cu, has been achieved, allowing Cu isotopic measurements on samples with as little as 10 ppm Cu. The Cu isotope ratios (δ⁶⁵Cu relative to NIST SRM 976) of 32 rock samples, ranging from mafic to felsic compositions, from 3 batholiths (2 I-type, 1 S-type) from the Lachlan Fold Belt in southeastern Australia, vary from ? 0.46‰ to 1.51‰. Most of them cluster around zero, with mean values for the I-type and S-type granites of 0.03 ± 0.15‰ and ? 0.03 ± 0.42‰ (2 sigma) respectively. These data, together with Cu isotope ratios of two loess samples, provide preliminary evidence that the baseline Cu isotopic composition of the crystalline part of upper continental crust is close to zero. The tight clustering of Cu isotope ratios of rocks from the I-type suites suggests that high-temperature magmatic processes do not produce significant Cu isotope fractionation. However, two granites with abnormally heavy Cu isotope signatures (up to 1.51‰) appears to be the result of localized hydrothermal alteration. Measurable variation in Cu isotopic composition of the S-type granite may reflect isotopic heterogeneity in the sedimentary source region as a result of redox processes or may be due to hydrothermal overprinting. Thus, Cu isotope geochemistry may be a useful tracer for studying hydrothermal alteration and source heterogeneity of granitic rocks.     

A Nd and Sr isotopic study of the Ivrea zone,Southern Alps,N-Italy

The Ivrea zone represents a tilted cross section through deep continental crust. Sm-Nd isotopic data for peridotites from Baldissero and Balmuccia and for a suite of gabbros from the mafic formation adjacent to the Balmuccia peridotite provide evidence for an event of partial melting 607±19 Ma ago in an extended mantle source with ₆₀₇ ^Nd =+0.4±0.3. The peridotites are interpreted as the corresponding melt residue, the lower part of the mafic formation as the complementary melts which underwent further differentiation immediately after extraction. The Finero body represents a complex with layers of phlogopite peridotite, hornblende peridotite, and amphibole-rich gabbro. The isotopic signatures fall into two groups: (1) highly radiogenic Nd and low-radiogenic Sr characterize the phlogopite-free, amphibole-rich rocks, whereas (2) low-radiogenic Nd and highly radiogenic Sr is found in ultramafics affected by phlogopite metasomatism. Phlogopite metasomatism in the Ivrea zone is dated by a Rb-Sr whole rock isochron yielding 293±13 Ma. It was fed by K-rich fluids which were probably derived from metasediments. The high initial ₂₉₃ ^Nd value of about +7.5 for phlogopite-free samples indicates a high time-integrated Sm/Nd ratio in the Finero protolith 293 Ma ago. Sm-Nd analyses of metapelites from the paragneiss series yield Proterozoic crustal residence ages of 1.2 to 1.8 Ga. Internal Sm-Nd isochrons for three garnetiferous rocks show that closure of garnet at temperatures around 600° C or even lower occurred about 250 Ma ago.     

Genesis of granitoid batholiths of Peninsular Malaysia and implications for models of crustal evolution: Evidence from a NdSr isotopic and UPb zircon study

Nd, Sr and U-Pb isotopic data for the late Triassic West Coast Province batholiths and Permian to Triassic East Coast Province batholiths of Peninsular Malaysia allow estimates of the ages of the crustal fragments comprising the peninsula to be made. Initial ?_Nd and ?_Sr values for granitoids from the West Coast Province range from ?6 to ?10 and +160(0.716) to +660(0.751) respectively. Nd model ages calculated based on a depleted mantle evolution model (T_DM^Nd) range from 1300 Ma to 1800 Ma and are in general agreement with the mid-Proterozoic upper intersection ages of U-Pb zircon reverse discordia (1500–1700 Ma). Initial ?_Nd and ?_Sr values for granitoids from the East Coast Province range from ?0.8 to ?6 and +10(0.705) to +130(0.714) respectively. Calculated T_DM^Nd ages of 900–1400 Ma for these granitoids are comparable to two U-Pb zircon reverse discordia intercepts that yield 800 Ma and 1350 Ma. The general agreement of U-Pb zircon inheritance ages and T_DM^Nd ages are interpreted to correspond to the Proterozoic ‘crust formation’ ages of the continental fragments represented by the West Coast and East Coast batholithic provinces. Mid-Proterozoic (~ 1300–1900 Ma) ‘crust formation’ ages are commonly shown by other Phanerozoic continental margin plutonic and volcanic belts. The ubiquitous mid-Proterozoic ‘crust formation’ ages and the absence of Archaean signatures suggest voluminous juvenile additions to the continental crust in the mid-Proterozoic. Such ages at continental margins would imply that many continental blocks had achieved very much their present-day extent by the mid-Proterozoic.     

Origin and evolution of topaz-bearing granites from the Nanling Range, South China: a geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic study

Summary The F-rich Hongshan pluton in the eastern Nanling Range, southern China, is a topaz-bearing albite leucogranite. It is distinctive from other topaz-bearing felsic rocks in South China with respect to age, size, geochemical evolution and topaz mode and morphology. The Hongshan granites are highly peraluminous and characterized by high K₂O/Na₂O, Si, Rb, Cs, Nb, Ta and F, and low Ca, Ba, Sr, Zr, Hf, P, K/Rb, Zr/Hf and Eu/Eu^*. The granites show significant trace-element variations with magma evolution, with increasing Rb, Cs, Nb, Ta, Sn, W and decreasing Sr, Ba, Zr, Hf, Y, REE, Pb, Th, K/Rb, Zr/Hf, Th/U and Eu/Eu^*. These changes dominantly reflect fractional crystallization of plagioclase, biotite and accessory minerals such as zircon and monazite. The granites also exhibit a decrease in ɛNd(t = 225 Ma) from −7.9 to −11.7 with magma evolution. Modeling shows that the Nd isotopic variation could result from assimilation of the Taoxi Group wall rocks during fractional crystallization. The Hongshan pluton also shows spatial geochemical variations; the most evolved parts are located in the southeastern part of the pluton, which would be the most likely target area for rare-metal mineralization commonly associated with other topaz-bearing granites. Zircon grains from two rock types in the Hongshan body were analyzed in situ for U–Pb ages and Hf isotopic values. The concordant zircon grains mostly range from 218 to 230 Ma with an average of 224.6 ± 2.3 Ma (Indosinian). Some zircons with different internal structures and Hf isotope compositions, as well as monazite fragments, yield U–Pb ages of ca. 280 to 240 Ma, suggesting older thermal events in the studied area. The ɛHf(t) of these older zircons is strongly negative (−12.3), implying a crustal source with a Paleoproterozoic model age, similar to that for the Proterozoic Zhoutan Group. The main (∼225 Ma) zircon population exhibits less negative ɛHf(t) (−3.0 to −7.6) and Mesoproterozoic model ages, suggesting that the original magma of the Hongshan granite was generated from deeper Mesoproterozoic crust.     

Geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of mantle xenoliths from the Monte Vulture carbonatite–melilitite volcano, central southern Italy

Spinel peridotite xenoliths found in the Monte Vulture carbonatite-melilitite volcano have been derived from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath central southern Italy. Clinopyroxene-poor lherzolites and harzburgites are the most common rock types, with subordinate wehrlites and dunites. Small quantities of phlogopite and carbonate are present in a few samples. The peridotites record a large degree of partial melting and have experienced subsequent enrichment which has increased their LILE and LREE contents, but in most cases their HFSE contents are low. Despite being carried to the surface by a carbonatite-melilitite host, the whole-rock and clinopyroxene compositions of the xenoliths have a trace-element signature more closely resembling that of silicate-melt metasomatised mantle rather than carbonatite-metasomatised peridotites. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotopic ratios for clinopyroxene from the Vulture peridotites are 0.7042-0.7058 and 0.51260-0.5131 respectively. They form a trend away from the depleted mantle to the composition of the host magmas, and show a significant enrichment in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr compared with most European mantle samples. The mantle beneath Monte Vulture has had a complex evolution - we propose that the lithosphere had already undergone extensive partial melting before being affected by metasomatism from a silicate melt which may have been subduction-related.     

内蒙古敖包吐萤石矿床的Sr、Nd、Pb同位素地球化学特征

敖包吐萤石矿床是内蒙古北部苏莫查干地区单一萤石矿集区中的一个代表性矿床,产于早二叠世大石寨组火山-沉积岩与早白垩世敖包吐花岗岩的接触带上。文章通过分析该矿床岩、矿石的微量元素和稀土元素,揭示出萤石的成矿作用可分为2个阶段,即交代作用和充填作用。交代作用过程中大石寨组的结晶灰岩可能为萤石的形成提供了部分Ca来源,萤石矿石的稀土元素配分模式与海水基本类似,具有Ce负异常;成矿作用后期主要表现为充填作用,形成颗粒粗大的萤石,表现为重稀土元素富集的特征,并随着萤石的沉淀析出,稀土元素总量逐渐下降,反映出成矿流体经历了较长期的演化过程。各地层单元、花岗岩体和萤石矿石的Sr、Nd、Pb同位素研究表明,萤石的放射性同位素组成具有壳、幔源混合的特点,成矿物质来源具有多源性。早白垩世敖包吐花岗岩可能是萤石中F的主要来源,而大石寨组的结晶灰岩则可能提供了Ca。另外,Pb、Nd同位素的极大不均一性,有可能是成矿流体在运移过程中对艾力格庙群放射性组分的选择性吸收的结果。萤石成矿作用与钾玄岩的时空关系暗示了萤石的成矿过程可能是中国东部岩石圈减薄和下地壳的置换地质事件的结果。在构造转型的过程中,燕山中期富碱的酸性花岗岩浆的活动分异出富含F的成矿流体,与幔源流体混合,沿区域重新活化的深大断裂和大石寨组的层间破碎带上升,交代其间的灰岩透镜体,从而形成敖包吐中型萤石矿床。     

太行山-大兴安岭构造岩浆带中生代侵入岩Nd、Sr、Pb同位素特征及物质来源探讨

太行山-大兴安岭构造岩浆带是中国东部中生代大规模岩浆活动的集中区,它纵跨华北克拉通和兴蒙海西造山带两个大地构造单元,既是我国东部规模最大的北北东向深大断裂带之一,又是我国东部北北东向延伸的地壳厚度陡变带与重力异常高梯度带,因而具有十分重大的地质意义。本文针对研究区在中生代岩浆活动物质来源认识方面的不足,首次对太行山-大兴安岭整个构造岩浆带40余个代表性岩体的Nd、Sr、Pb同位素地球化学特征进行了全面系统的研究,发现不同区段(南、北太行山地区、大兴安岭中-南地区)、不同侵入期次(早、中、晚)岩石具有明显不同的Nd、Sr、Pb同位素特征,可以推断其岩浆源区性质各不相同：南太行山地区基-中性岩浆均来源于富集地幔储库;北太行山地区早期基-中性岩浆主要来源于富集地幔的部分熔融;中期中-酸性岩浆来源与下地壳关系密切;晚期富碱质中-酸性岩浆来源可能与下地壳、甚至中地壳物质有关;大兴安岭地区中-酸性岩浆来源与亏损地幔关系密切,可能源自与亏损地幔有联系的年轻的下地壳。由此表明,中生代华北克拉通地区岩石圈地幔为富集地幔,而兴蒙造山带地区岩石圈地幔则为亏损地幔。此外,根据岩石的Nd模式年龄,初步认为2543～1485Ma可能指示华北克拉通岩石圈地幔发生富集作用的时间,而983～540Ma则可能为大兴安岭地区地壳生长的一个重要时期。     

He,Sr and Nd isotopic variations in lavas from the juan fernandez archipelago,SE pacific

Helium, Sr, and Nd isotopic ratios and major and trace element compositions have been measured on a suite of lavas from the intra-plate volcanos of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile. Lavas from the islands of Mas Afuera and Mas a Tierra and from Monte Alpha and Friday seamounts have Sr and Nd isotopic ratios lying on the low¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd side of the mantle array (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr:0.7034–0.7037;¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd:0.51281–0.51289). The homogeneity of these tracers suggests the involvement of a restricted range of mantle source compositions throughout Juan Fernandez volcanism. In marked contrast is the large range in³He/⁴He, from 7.8 to 18.0 R_A. A bimodal³He/⁴He distribution on Mas a Tierra is associated with two distinct volcanic lineages;³He/⁴He ratios of 14.5–18.0 R_A (n=15) occur in alkalic and tholeiitic shield basalts, whereas post-shield basanites range from 11.2 to 13.6 R_A (n=12). Elemental and isotopic systematics demonstrate a transition from an enriched (Loihi-like) plume source in the shield lavas to a more MORB-like source in the post-shield volcanics. The transition between these sources is much more pronounced in³He/⁴He than in the other isotopic tracers. The predominantly tholeiitic basalts of Mas Afuera have exceptionally uniform isotopic and elemental characteristics; Sr and Nd ratios are similar to those of Mas a Tierra, but³He/⁴He ratios are lower and more uniform at 8.3±0.5 R_A (n=17). The dramatic distinction between Mas Afuera and Mas a Tierra helium is surprising given the great similarity between the two islands in other geochemical characteristics. Both the Mas Afuera and Mas a Tierra results demonstrate that helium records systematic processes not readily apparent from other isotopic or elemental indicators. Neither magma chamber degassing nor local metasomatic events are likely to be responsible. We suggest that the observed variations may be attributed to mixing of plume and asthenospheric sources in which the plume component is characterized by a heterogeneous distribution of volatiles or has suffered extraction of small degree partial melts prior to mixing.     

Progressive crustal contamination of the Bushveld Complex: evidence from Nd isotopic analyses of the cumulate rocks

We report the first Nd isotopic data on the cumulate rocks of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. We analysed 17 whole-rock samples covering 4700 m of stratigraphy through the Lower, Critical and Main Zones of the intrusion at Union Section, north-western Bushveld Complex. The basal ultramafic portions of the complex have markedly higher ɛNd(T) (−5.3 to −6.0) than the gabbronoritic Main Zone (ɛNd(T) −6.4 to −7.9). The rocks of the Upper Critical Zone have intermediate values. These results are in agreement with new Nd isotope data on marginal rocks and sills in the floor of the complex that are generally interpreted as representing chilled parental magmas, and with published Sr isotopic data, all of which show a larger crustal component in the upper part of the intrusion. In contrast, the concentrations of many highly incompatible trace elements are decoupled from the isotopic signatures. The basal portions of the complex have higher ratios of incompatible to compatible trace elements than the upper portions. The variations of isotopic and trace-element compositions are interpreted in terms of a change in the nature of the crustal material that contaminated Bushveld magmas. Those magmas that fed into the lower part of the complex had assimilated a relatively small amount of incompatible trace-element-rich partial melt of upper crust, whereas magmas parental to the upper part of the complex had assimilated a higher proportion of the incompatible trace-element-poor residue of partial melting. Received: 5 October 1999 / Accepted: 7 July 2000