Multiple partial melting events in the Sulu UHP terrane: zircon U–Pb dating of granitic leucosomes within amphibolite and gneiss

Thin layers and lenses of granitic leucosome are widely distributed within amphibolites, paragneisses and orthogneisses of the Sulu UHP terrane. They are parallel to, or cross‐cut, foliations in the host rocks at different scales and show evidence of coalescence and migration to form centimetre‐ to decimetre‐scale segregations. Variously migmatized rocks extend at least 350 km from SW Sulu (Maobei) to NE Sulu (Weihai), in a band at least 50 km wide. A combined study of mineral inclusions, cathoduluminescence (CL) images, U–Pb LA‐ICP‐MS dates, and in‐situ trace element compositions of zircon provide clear evidence on the nature and timing of partial melting in these UHP rocks. Most zircon from the granitic leucosomes occurs as distinct overgrowths around inherited (igneous or metamorphic) cores or as new, euhedral crystals. The overgrowths and new crystals commonly show perfectly euhedral shapes, have pronounced oscillatory zoning and contain felsic mineral inclusions, such as Kfs + Pl + Qtz ± Ilm ± monazite (Mon). In contrast, the inherited igneous or metamorphic cores are rounded or irregular, contain low‐P or UHP mineral inclusions and show clear dissolution textures. These data suggest that the new zircon is anatectic in origin and that it grew during partial melting of the UHP rocks. The REE patterns of the anatectic zircon show steep slopes from the HREE to LREE with strongly to moderately negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.31–0.72) and pronounced positive Ce anomalies (Ce/Ce* = 6.8–26.5). Abundant U–Pb spot analyses of the anatectic zircon reveal two discrete and meaningful ages of partial melting within the Sulu UHP terrane. Anatectic zircon from 12 granitic leucosomes within amphibolites, paragneisses, and orthogneisses from Sulu UHP slices II and III yields consistent mean U–Pb ages of 219.0 ± 1.2 to 218.3 ± 1.6 Ma, 218.8 ± 2.0 to 217.3 ± 1.7 Ma and 218.2 ± 1.4 to 215.0 ± 1.5 Ma, respectively. In contrast, anatectic zircon from six granitic leucosomes within paragneisses and orthogneisses from Sulu UHP slice III records younger mean U–Pb ages of 151.9 ± 1.3 to 151.1 ± 1.8 Ma and 155.9 ± 1.8 to 153.7 ± 1.7 Ma, respectively. These data imply that the Sulu UHP terrane experienced two Mesozoic partial melting events. The first partial melting event (219–215 Ma) was probably associated with a Late Triassic granulite facies stage of ‘hot’ exhumation, whereas the second (156–151 Ma) is interpreted as the result of Middle‐Late Jurassic extension and thinning of the previously thickened crust of the Sulu UHP terrane. Both partial melting events induced extensive retrograde metamorphism of the eclogites and their country rocks.     

Anatectic melt volumes in the thermal aureole of the Etive Complex,Scotland: the roles of fluid‐present and fluid‐absent melting

Pelitic hornfelses within the inner thermal aureole of the Etive igneous complex underwent limited partial melting, generating agmatic micro‐stromatic migmatites. In this study, observed volume proportions of vein leucosomes in the migmatites are compared with modelled melt volumes in an attempt to constrain the controls on melting processes. Petrogenetic modelling in the MnNCKFMASHT system was performed on the compositions of 15 analysed Etive pelite samples using THERMOCALC. Melt modes were calculated at 2.2 kbar (the estimated pressure in the southern Etive aureole) from solidus temperatures to 800 °C for both fluid‐absent and fluid‐present conditions. Volume changes accompanying fluid‐absent melting at 2.2 kbar were also calculated. P–T pseudosections reproduce the zonal sequence of the southern Etive aureole fairly well. The modelled solidus temperatures of silica‐rich pelitic compositions are close to 680 °C at 2.2 kbar and, in the absence of free fluid, melt modes in such compositions rise to between 12 and 29% at 800 °C, half of which is typically produced over the narrow reaction interval in which orthopyroxene first appears. Silica‐poor compositions have solidus temperatures of up to ～770 °C and yield <11.4% melt at 800 °C under fluid‐absent conditions. For conditions of excess H₂O, modelled melt modes increase dramatically within ～13 °C of the solidus, in some cases to >60%; by 800 °C they range from 61 to 88% and from 29 to 74% in silica‐rich and silica‐poor compositions, respectively. Calculated volume changes for fluid‐absent melting are positive for all modelled compositions and reach 4.5% in some silica‐rich compositions by 800 °C. Orthopyroxene formation is accompanied by a volume increase of up to 1.48% over a temperature increase of as little as 2.7 °C, supporting the arguments for melt‐induced ‘hydrofracturing’ as a viable melt‐escape mechanism in low‐P metamorphism. Mineral assemblages in the innermost aureole support previous conclusions that partial melting took place predominantly under fluid‐absent conditions. However, vein leucosome proportions, estimated by image analysis, do not show the expected correlation with grade, and are locally greatly in excess of melt modes predicted by fluid‐absent models, particularly close to the melt‐in isograd. Melting of interlayered psammites, addition of H₂O from interlayered melt‐free rocks, and metastable persistence of muscovite are ruled out as major causes of the excess melt anomaly. The most likely cause, we believe, is that local variations existed in the amount of fluid available at the onset of melting, promoted by focussing of fluid released by dehydration in the middle and outer aureole; however, some redistribution of melt by compaction‐driven flow through the vein channel network cannot be ruled out. The formation of melt‐filled fractures in the inner Etive aureole was assisted by stresses that caused extension at high angles to the igneous contact. The fractures were probably caused either by transient pressure reduction in the diorite magma chamber associated with a second phase of intrusion, or by sub‐solidus thermal contraction in the diorite pluton during the early stages of inner‐aureole cooling.     

论清源北部太古代地质几个基本问题

以岩石学与构造研究相结合为基础，宏观与微观观察为主，地球化学为辅的综合研究方法论证了本区太古代地质体由三套变质建造组成。其中花岗质岩石占７１％，原地深熔紫苏花岗岩为１１．８％，浅色麻粒岩是１．２％，浅粒岩、含砾麻粒岩质浅粒岩（底砾岩）３６．７％和原地深熔花岗岩２０％。高角闪岩相以浅位岩为主原地深熔花岗岩的原岩建造为类磨拉石建造系列，低角闪岩似绿岩建造的原岩建造为镁铁质泥灰岩粉砂岩型复理石建造。其地质体是由６１．２％的层状变质岩系和３１．８％的原地深熔花岗岩组成。根据各建造的地层缺生，底砾岩及低、高角闪岩相矿物共生组合区域性叠加和变辉绿岩群的分布规律，确定三套变质建造为不整合接触，据此提出新的划分方案并与华北地台北部太古界分布区作了对比，事实证明岩石地层学的方法，在太古代地质与成矿研究中仍是有效的。     

Petrochemistry, Chronology and Tectonic Setting of Strong Peraluminous Anatectic Granitoids in Yunkai Orogenic Belt, Western Guangdong Province, China

INTRODUCTIONA suite of strongly deformed and metamor-phosed banded-augen (rapakivi) anatectic granitoids(charnockite) can be found at Dongzhen, Sihe ,Heshui and Baishi in Xinyi County , Changpo ,Gaozhou, Yunlu and Huanglingin Gaozhou County ,western Guangdong Province and Liuma , Tiantang-shan mountain in Luchuan County , and easternGuangxi in the Yunkai orogenic belt . Research onthe genesis and chronology of the granitoids has beenconducted by Mo et al . (1980) and Lin et al .(1…     

Palaeoproterozoic evolution of the Challenger Au deposit, South Australia, from monazite geochronology

Monazite in granulite facies metatexite migmatites (Christie Gneiss) hosting the Challenger Au deposit, South Australia, records a series of growth and resorption stages over a c. 60 Myr period between 2470 and 2410 Ma. A combination of electron microprobe X‐ray mapping and in situ ion‐microprobe dating was used to delineate and date five compositional domains. The oldest prograde metamorphic components are preserved in granoblastic gneisses surrounding the deposit, and as small high‐Y cores in large monazite grains in Au‐bearing migmatites. In metatexite leucosomes, these cores were partially resorbed prior to the growth of large high‐Th monazite domains that crystallized during partial melting and stromatic migmatite development at c. 2443 Ma. Subsequent heating to biotite dehydration conditions (c. 850 °C at 7 kbar) caused further partial melting roughly 10–15 Myr later, giving rise to c. 2428 Ma domains surrounding partly resorbed 2443 Ma grains that were entrained in the higher‐temperature melts. This period of partial melting coincided with isoclinal folding culminating in dextral transpression and represents the most likely window for remobilization of Au‐bearing polymetallic sulphide melts into low‐strain domains. Localized reaction of residual melt with the granulite facies assemblage during cooling gave rise to narrow high‐Y rims dated at 2414 ± 7 Ma. Although monazite from unmineralized granoblastic gneisses and migmatitic ore zones display the same range of U‐Pb dates, monazite in migmatites displays a higher overall Ca + Th + U content, indicating that compositional heterogeneities between ore zones and host rocks developed prior to 2470 Ma, perhaps a consequence of the hydrothermal alteration inferred to have accompanied gold mineralization.     

Origin of CO2-rich fluid inclusions in leucosomes from the Skagit migmatites, North Cascades, Washington, USA

CO₂–CH₄ fluid inclusions are present in anatectic layer-parallel leucosomes from graphite-bearing metasedimentary rocks in the Skagit migmatite complex, North Cascades, Washington. Petrological evidence and additional fluid inclusion observations indicate, however, that the Skagit Gneiss was infiltrated by a water-rich fluid during high-temperature metamorphism and migmatization. CO₂-rich fluid inclusions have not been observed in Skagit metasedimentary mesosomes or melanosomes, meta-igneous migmatites, or unmigmatized rocks, and are absent from subsolidus leucosomes in metasedimentary migmatites. The observation that CO₂-rich inclusions are present only in leucosomes interpreted to be anatectic based on independent mineralogical and chemical criteria suggests that their formation is related to migmatization by partial melting. Although some post-entrapment modification of fluid inclusion composition may have occurred during decompression and deformation, the generation of the CO₂-rich fluid is attributed to water-saturated partial melting of graphitic metasedimentary rocks by a reaction such as biotite + plagioclase + quartz + graphite ± Al₂SiO₅+ water-rich fluid = garnet + melt + CO₂–CH₄. The presence of CO₂-rich fluid inclusions in leucosomes may therefore be an indication that these leucosomes formed by anatexis. Based on the inferences that (1) an influx of fluid triggered partial melting, and (2) some episodes of fluid inclusion trapping are related to migmatization by anatexis, it is concluded that a free fluid was present at some time during high-temperature metamorphism. The infiltrating fluid was a water-rich fluid that may have been derived from nearby crystallizing plutons. Because partial melting took place at pressures of at least 5 kbar, abundant free fluid may have been present in the crust during orogenesis at depths of at least 15 km.     

Thermobarometry and granite genesis: the Hercynian low-P, high-T Velay anatectic dome (French Massif Central)

The Velay dome (French Massif Central) offers a quasi-continuous section across an anatectic domain comprising low- to high-grade schists, gneisses and granites. Two main tectonometamorphic events, and their related generation of granitic material, were recognized in addition to a major Barrrovian tangential event (D2) attributed to intracontinental collision tectonics: (i) a medium- to low- P , high- T event (D3) which gave rise to migmatites and syntectonic monzonitic granites and granodiorites, and (ii) a widespread melting event (D4) which led to the generation of migmatities, the Velay granite and post-anatectic granites.
Thermobarometry on samples collected from both the metamorphic envelope and the granitic core distinguishes two distinct geotherms: (i) a first, associated with the D3 event, characterized by P > 5 kbar, T ≤ 750° C and water-present melting (biotite remains stable) which led to large-scale migmatization but minor amount of granites; (ii) a second, associated with the D4 event and characterized by vapour-absent melting ( P = 4–5 kbar, T = 760–850° C) which gave rise to the Velay granites and late-migmatitic granites. The temperature increase during the D4 event is attributed to the intrusion of hot mafic magmas within the crust.
The time-integrated features of the different granitic rocks in the Velay dome can be directly related to a _H2O in the source region and illustrate the progressive dehydration of a middle to lower crustal segment over 60 Ma.     

What controls partial melting in migmatites?

Abstract The layers of six stromatic migmatites from Northern, Western, and Central Europe display small but systematic chemical and mineralogical differences. At least five of these migmatites do not show any signs of largescale metamorphic differentiation, metasomatism, or segregation of melts. It is concluded, therefore, that the compositional layering observed in most of the investigated migmatites is due to compositional differences inherited from the parent rocks. Almost isochemical partial melting seems to be the most probable process transforming layered paragneisses, metavolcanics, or schists into migmatites.
The formation of neosomes is believed to be caused by higher amounts of partial melts formed due to higher amounts of water moving into these layers. The neosomes have less biotite and more K-feldspar, if K-feldspar is present at all, than the adjacent mesosomes. These differences are small but systematic and seem to control the access of different amounts of water to the various rock portions. Petrographical observations, chemical data, and theoretical considerations indicate a close relationship between rock composition, rock deformation, transport of water, partial melting, and formation of layered migmatites.