Experimental studies concerning the genesis of the Nigerian younger granites

Partial melting experiments on Nigerian charnockitic monzonite associated with migmatised gneisses provide consanguineous liquids from which the metaluminous and peraluminous younger granites may be derived. After 40–60% melting at 750–800° C the liquids are metaluminous with hastingsite-fayalite granite affinities. On cooling towards the granite system minimum these liquids can evolve into metaluminous hastingsite-biotite granite and peraluminous biotite granite compositions. These experiments show that partial melting of charnockitic monzonites cannot yield peralkaline liquids at the specified conditions (750–850° C).Syenitic rocks of this province may either reflect the action of late stage albitising fluids on residual charnockitic material after partial melt extraction or the collection of feldspar floated from a hastingsite-fayalite granite liquid.     

Topaz granites in northern Kazakhstan

The paper presents the first data obtained on topaz granites from dikes in columbite-bearing granites of the Kokchetav block, northern Kazakhstan. The columbite-bearing granites (398 ± 3 Ma, Rb-Sr method) compose large massifs and ubiquitously contain columbite as an accessory mineral in amounts from a few to a few dozen grams per ton. The topaz granites make up dikes up to 70–100 m long and 0.4–1.5 m thick, which have sharp contacts with the host granites. The composition of the topaz granites is as follows: albite ～50%, potassic feldspar ～24–26%, quartz ～20%, topaz 3–5%, biotite and muscovite ～1%. Topaz occurs in inner contact zones in the form of large (3–4 cm) crystals, which grew inward from dike contacts and is ubiquitous in the fine-grained groundmass as small (no larger than 0.05 mm) crystals. The ore minerals in the topaz granites (zircon, thorite, bastnaesite, Y-cerite, monazite, Y-fluorite, W-ixiolite, tantalite, columbite, and uraninite) developed as very small grains, which can be identified only under a microprobe and electron microscope. W-ixiolite was found only in topaz crystals. The topaz granites are rich in albite, contain Na > K and F concentrations from 0.2 to 0.97 wt %. Compared to the host columbite-bearing granites, the topaz granites are 10–15 times richer in Ta and Li, 3-8 times richer in Rb, Cs, Nb, Sn, F, and Be but 1.2–2 times poorer in U, Th, and REE. The columbite-bearing granites have Ta/Nb = 1: 20, while this ratio in the topaz granites is 1: 3, a fact highlighting the enrichment of the granites in Ta and their geochemical autonomy with respect to columbite-bearing granites.     

Origin of peralkaline granites of Saudi Arabia

Small volumes of peralkaline granites were generated as the final phase of a Pan African calc-alkaline igneous event which built the Arabian Peninsula. The peralkaline granites are closely associated with trends or sutures related to ophiolites. Peralkaline rocks are chemically heterogeneous, with anomalous abundances of Zr (average 2,150 ppm±2,600 1), Y (200±190), and Nb (105±100), representing up to ten-fold enrichments of these elements relative to abundances in calc alkaline granite counterparts. Large enrichments of some rare earth elements and fluorine are also present.The peralkaline granites have scattered whole rock ¹⁸O values, averaging 8.7±0.6% in the Hadb Aldyaheen Complex and 10.7±1% in the Jabal Sayid Complex. Quartz-albite fractionations of 0.5 to 1.5% signify that the heavier whole rock -values probably represent the oxygen isotope composition of the peralkaline magma. Small variable enrichments of ¹⁸O, in conjunction with slightly elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratios relative to broadly contemporaneous calc alkaline granites, are both suggestive of a small degree of involvement of crustal, or crustal derived material in the peralkaline magmas. It is proposed that the peculiar magma genesis is associated with a relaxation event which followed continental collision and underthrusting of salt rich sediments.     

尼日利亚中生代碱性花岗岩和黑云母花岗岩成因及其对锡多金属找矿的指示

尼日利亚中生代环状杂岩中产出丰富的含锡(铌钽)等多金属的花岗岩, 其中与成矿相关且占主体的2种岩石类型是碱性花岗岩和黑云母花岗岩, 前者具有含碱性暗色矿物过碱质特征, 后者具有含黑云母过铝质特征。前人对2种共生的岩石对锡(铌钽)成矿作用可能的制约机制还未深入探讨, 综合分析前人研究资料, 为理解非造山A型花岗岩锡(铌钽)成矿作用提供新视角, 进一步明确找矿方向。2种岩石绝大多数在侏罗纪侵位, 但在同一杂岩体中, 碱性花岗岩锆石结晶普遍稍早于黑云母花岗岩, 且前者分异程度稍弱于后者。碱性花岗岩是起源于富集地幔岩浆在极端分离结晶作用下的产物, 但此过程中有部分地壳物质的混染。过铝质黑云母花岗岩并非与造山型过铝质花岗岩一样来自地壳物质的熔融, 它更可能是来自于碱性花岗岩同一母岩浆演化的另一个混染了更多地壳物质的晚期分支。与俯冲背景的成锡花岗岩一样, 尼日利亚锡多金属富集主要与弱过铝质黑云母花岗岩有关, 受岩浆后期出溶流体的显著影响。碱性花岗岩对锡(铌钽)元素的富集程度, 大致代表了未受出溶流体影响时共生黑云母花岗岩的锡(铌钽)含量。成矿物质来源为泛非基底围岩, 元素的富集成矿主要被分离结晶和流体出溶行为控制。尼日利亚不成矿环状杂岩体中, 黑云母花岗岩和碱性花岗岩的锡(铌钽)含量都偏低, 两者的Sn含量范围为4×10-6~13×10-6; 而对于成矿杂岩体, 两者锡(铌钽)含量基本高于不成矿杂岩体, 但其中与成矿密切相关的黑云母花岗岩锡(铌钽)含量反而较碱性花岗岩偏低, 其中碱性花岗岩Sn含量范围为21×10-6~205×10-6, 黑云母花岗岩Sn含量范围为10×10-6~62×10-6, 表明熔体中成矿元素含量高低及后期流体出溶是决定能否成矿的关键。因此, 高锡(铌钽)含量杂岩体中具有较低Sn含量的黑云母花岗岩是寻找锡多金属矿的第一选择。     

Geochemical characteristics of the niobium-rich arfvedsonite granites, Younger Granites province of Nigeria

Arfvedsonite granites are most prevalent in the northern sector of the Nigerian anorogenic ring-complex province wherein they form the main granitic rocks at Kudaru and Fagam and are important components of Kila-Warji, Ririwai and Dutsen-Wai ring-complexes. The albitized variety of these rocks hosts pyrochlore to varying extents depending on the degree of albitization and are, therefore, important targets for niobium investigation. Geochemical data of the granites reveal that niobium has a mean concentration of 111 ppm in the arfvedsonite granite, increasing to 168 ppm in the aegirine arfvedsonite granite and reaching 1568 ppm in the albite arfvedsonite granite. Niobium is thus enriched in the albite arfvedsonite granite by a factor of 8-11 relative to its mean value in the aegirine arfvedsonite and arfvedsonite granites, respectively. Uranium contents show a sympathetic trend with niobium, being also enriched in the albite arfvedsonite granite relative to its abundance in both the aegirine arfvedsonite granite and arfvedsonite granite by a factor of 15. The uranium abundance in the albite arfvedsonite granite is more than 48 times higher than the mean background values in low-calcium granite.The REE fractionation patterns in all three arfvedsonite granite varieties are characterized by enrichment of both the light (La-Sm) and heavy (Gd-Lu) rare earth elements and a significant negative Eu anomaly. The albite arfvedsonite granite is, however, preferentially more enriched in the heavy REE relative to the aegirine arfvedsonite and the arfvedsonite granites. A plot of the ∑REE against Na₂O and niobium reveals positive correlation in the arfvedsonite granites. There is also a linear relationship and strongly positive correlation between Nb and Na₂O because the pyrochlore is most abundant in the most extensively albitized variety of the arfvedsonite granites.     

云南腾冲北部华力西期印支期花岗岩

阐述了云南腾冲北部华力西期花岗斑岩（磨石岭单元）和印支期花岗岩（和尚塘单元）的地质特征、岩石特征、地球化学特征和同位素特征。资料和数据表明,前者为板内花岗岩,后者属同碰撞花岗岩,两者的产出时代恰好与滇西古特提斯洋闭合、中特提斯洋张开的演化过程相吻合。     

Age and isotopic studies of some Pan-African granites from North-Central Nigeria

Twenty-nine Rb-Sr whole-rock isotopic analyses and three U-Pb zircon analyses on foliated granites and largely unfoliated charnockitic rocks indicate that the central part of the Pan-African belt in west Africa was characterised by intense orogenic plutonism. These data and Rb-Sr analyses on muscovite books from late cross-cutting pegmatites indicate that the peak of magmatic activity occurred 610 ± 10 m.y. ago.Initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for the granitic and charnockitic rocks are in the range 0.7065–0.7125, and indicate a significantly older crustal component in the magmas.     

新疆北部卡拉麦里地区黄羊山碱性花岗岩的岩石成因

北疆地区晚古生代后碰撞岩浆活动以大面积分布碱性花岗岩为特征。侵位于晚石炭世的黄羊山碱性花岗岩体是北疆地区产于300Ma左右后碰撞伸展环境中的典型的花岗岩体之一,以正εNd(t)值(+5.06～+6.67)和年轻的tDM(501～878Ma)为特征。黄羊山碱性花岗岩包括钠铁闪石碱性花岗岩和角闪石碱长花岗岩,为过碱质到弱过铝质,岩石化学属钾玄岩系列和高钾钙碱性系列;稀土元素配分曲线为典型的"V"字形,具明显的负Eu异常;富集大离子亲石元素和高场强元素,显著亏损Ba、Sr、P2O5、TiO2。根据这种碱性花岗岩高εNd(t)值和tDM与区域内洋壳年龄吻合度较好的特征,推测其可能源岩应为洋盆闭合时洋壳残片转化而来的年轻地壳。模拟计算得出,黄羊山碱性花岗岩中幔源组分的比例可达88%～92%。在维宪末期-谢尔普霍夫末期的萨吾尔运动之后,软流圈物质上涌所携带的巨大热能加热了区域范围内的地壳,先期抵达的幔源岩浆所携带的热能进一步加热并熔融了下地壳镁铁质物质,形成北疆地区～300Ma的碱性花岗岩。同时,本文也说明了洋壳残片通过构造运动归并到陆壳当中亦可能是某些地区在某些地质时期大陆地壳增生的重要方式之一。     

Origin of granites in an Archean high-grade terrane,southern India

Archean deep-level granites in southern India are similar geochemically to young granites from continentalmargin arc systems. They exhibit light REE enriched patterns with variable, but chiefly positive Eu anomalies. This is in striking contrast to the negative Eu anomalies typical in high-level Archean granites. In addition, the deep-level granites are relatively enriched in Ba and Sr and depleted in total REE and high field strength elements (HFSE). One pluton, the Sankari granite, has unusually low contents of REE and HFSE. Most of the deep-level granites appear to represent cumulates with variable amounts of trapped liquid and of minor phases, resulting from fractional crystallization of a granitic parent. Such parental granitic magmas can be produced by batch melting of Archean tonalite at middle to lower crustal depths. The Sankari granite requires a tonalitic source depleted in REE and HFSE. Archean tonalites and tonalitic charnockites exhibit original igneous geochemical signatures and their average composition does not show a significant Eu anomaly. Hence, they cannot represent the positive Eu-anomaly complement to the negative Eu-anomaly, high-level granites. Our results suggest that Archean deep-level granites may represent this complement. Such granite may form in waterrich zones in the middle or lower crust and be produced in response to dehydration of the lower crust by a rising CO₂-rich fluid phase.     

Silurian granites of northern Kazakhstan: U-Pb age and tectonic position

The isotopic-geochronological studies of zircons from granites of the Borovoe, Makinsk, and Zhukei massifs located in the eastern part of the Precambrian Kokchetav median massif revealed that they were formed during the relatively brief period from 431 to 423 Ma ago, which allowed them to be united into the Early Silurian Borovoe Complex.     

张广才岭北部苇河花岗岩基的地球化学特征与岩石成因

张广才岭北部苇河花岗岩基的地质学、岩相学、全岩主量和微量及锆石Hf 同位素的详细解析显示: 苇河花岗岩基主体岩性为花岗闪长岩、二长花岗岩、正长--碱长花岗岩及少量的石英闪长岩和英云闪长岩,不同岩石类型之间呈侵入接触关系。岩石富硅富铝,为准铝质--弱过铝质岩石( A/CNK = 0. 97 ～ 1. 03) ,全碱( K₂O + Na₂O) 含量为6. 56% ～ 9. 10%,主要为高钾钙碱性系列I 型花岗岩。稀土和微量元素组成上,均富集LREE、Rb、Th、U、K、Hf,相对亏损Nb、Ta、P、Ti,δEu 从中等程度负异常到弱正异常。不均匀的锆石Hf 同位素成分( εHf ( t) = ( － 6. 68 ～ + 12. 13) ,TDM2 = 464 ～ 1 657 Ma) 表明,岩浆主体来源于显生宙--新元古代时期从亏损地幔中增生的基性下地壳物质,局部同化了更古老的地壳物质。     

Paleotethyan evolution of the Indochina Block as deduced from granites in northern Laos

The Paleotethyan evolution of the Southeast Asia has become better understood in recent years. Questions remain, however, over the role of the Dien Bien Phu Suture Zone in the evolution of the Indochina Block and whether the Song Ma Suture represents the boundary between the Indochina Block and the South China Block. Granitoid geochronological and geochemical data obtained in northern Laos provide new information vis-à-vis these arguments. Zircon U–Pb ages together with whole rock, trace and rare earth element data from 27 granitic rocks from five complexes allow us to conclude that these granites are typical of I-type Indosinian volcanic arc granites. However, the 234–256 Ma I-type granites mismatch the initiation age obtained from the ductile shear zone of the Dien Bien Phu Fault, thus repudiating the existence of the Dien Bien Phu Suture Zone. This then implies that the Qamdo–Simao and Indochina blocks were united. The geochemical and geochronological data further suggest that the main crust in the Indochina Block formed in the Late Paleoproterozoic to Early Mesoproterozoic, much later than the Archean crustal formation age identified east of the Song Ma Suture. Moreover, the 440–404 Ma and 234–256 Ma I-type granites suggest that the boundary between Indochina and South China should be the Jinsha River Suture–Song Ma Suture–Kontum Massif, instead of the Jinsha River Suture–Song Chay Suture. Finally, the Emeishan basalt and granite complexes both form part of the South China tectonic units subducting westward under the Qamdo–Simao and Indochina blocks.     

Early Proterozoic syn-and postcollision granites in the northern part of the Baikal fold area

Early Proterozoic granitoids are of a limited occurrence in the Baikal fold area being confined here exclusively to an arcuate belt delineating the outer contour of Baikalides, where rocks of the Early Precambrian basement are exposed. Geochronological and geochemical study of the Kevakta granite massif and Nichatka complex showed that their origin was related with different stages of geological evolution of the Baikal fold area that progressed in diverse geodynamic environments. The Nichatka complex of syncollision granites was emplaced 1908 ± 5 Ma ago, when the Aldan-Olekma microplate collided with the Nechera terrane. Granites of the Kevakta massif (1846 ± 8 Ma) belong to the South Siberian postcollision magmatic belt that developed since ～1.9 Ga during successive accretion of microplates, continental blocks and island arcs to the Siberian craton. In age and other characteristics, these granites sharply differ from granitoids of the Chuya complex they have been formerly attributed to. Accordingly, it is suggested to divide the former association of granitoids into the Chuya complex proper of diorite-granodiorite association ～2.02 Ga old (Neymark et al., 1998) with geochemical characteristics of island-arc granitoids and the Chuya-Kodar complex of postcollision S-type granitoids 1.85 Ga old. The Early Proterozoic evolution of the Baikal fold area and junction zone with Aldan shield lasted about 170 m.y. that is comparable with development periods of analogous structures in other regions of the world.     

Some aspects of the spatial characteristics of drought in northern Nigeria

A long-period instrumental data set (1916–1987) of monthly growing season (April–October) rainfall totals for 34 stations in northern Nigeria is used to quantify drought following the method of H. N. Bhalme and D. A. Mooley. It is established that there are remarkable seasonal changes in the patterns of wetness and dryness over the region with no consistent recurrent spatial patterns in the moisture anomalies. In general, large-scale droughts only rarely cover the region as a whole, and there are distinct spatial differences dominating the wet and dry years. The length and severity of drought varies from sub-area to sub-area with very low interannual persistence. Although discrete areas do catch the brunt of drought on a year-by-year basis, drought occurrence in the region is largely sporadic in its spatial distribution. The rather noisy spatial characteristics of drought in northern Nigeria suggests that the seasonal shift in the Intertropical Discontinuity (ITD) is not likely the most important causal mechanism of drought in the region.     

广西北部新元古代花岗岩锆石U-Pb年代学及其构造意义

广西北部（扬子块体南缘）３个代表性的新元古代花岗岩体（本洞、三防和元宝山岩体）的矿物组合、岩石化学、元素和同位素地球化学特征表明,它们均为过铝质Ｓ型花岗岩。高精度的ＳＨＲＩＭＰ和颗粒级锆石ＵＰｂ定年结果表明,本洞、三防和元宝山岩体的形成时代分别为（８２０±７）Ｍａ、（８２５±６）Ｍａ和（８２４±４）Ｍａ,在误差范围内基本相同,排除了本区存在中元古代末／新元古代初形成的花岗岩。结合野外地质关系和扬子块体东南缘蛇绿岩的定年结果,扬子块体南缘新元古代晋宁期造山运动的时限应为１．０～０．８０Ｇａ,很可能以０．８２Ｇａ的晚造山花岗岩和约０．８Ｇａ的陆相双峰式火山岩的形成而告终,同时,震旦系底界年龄也应小于８２０Ｍａ。     

On “Birthmarks” in rare-metal granites of the Losevka pluton,northern Kazakhstan

The Losevka pluton of rare-metal albite granite, which was explored as a possible source of columbite-zircon-malacon ore, is composed of quartz, sodic plagioclase, potassium feldspar, annite, protolithionite, lepidomelane, and Li-muscovite. The average chemical composition of this rock is as follows, wt %: 74.14 SiO₂, 0.04 TiO₂, 14.07 Al₂O₃, 1.05 Fe₂O₃, 0.78 FeO, 0.15 MnO, 0.09 MgO, 0.47 CaO, 4.65 Na₂O, 4.11 K₂O, and 0.03 P₂O₅. The accessory minerals are zircon, malacon, and cyrtolite (874 ppm); apatite (18 ppm); ilmenite (114 ppm); xenotime and monazite (119 ppm); and Nb-columbite (463 ppm). The black inclusions up to 15 cm in size, which are observed in this granite and called “birthmarks” by local geologists, consist of the same rock-forming minerals as the surrounding granite, but are enriched in MnO, MgO, CaO, TiO₂, and F and depleted in SiO₂ relative to the light granite. The black granite is also distinguished by much higher Sr and Ba contents and lower La, Rb, Y, Nb, REE, Cs, Ta, Th, and U contents. The black color is caused by enrichment in manganese oxides, manganoilmenite, and Mn-annite. All rock-forming minerals are pervaded by thin veinlets of Mn-oxides. In addition, bastnaesite, Y-and Th-fluorides, zircon, and malacon have been identified. Aggregates of black-colored minerals are not the products of the fractionation of the initial magma or immiscibility effects, because the structure of the albite-potassium feldspar-quartz-mica matrix is the same both in black and light granites. The percolation of a deep-sourced fluid enriched in Mn and F into a granitic melt might be a more probable origin.