Petrogenesis of Migmatites in Maine, USA: Possible Source of Peraluminous Leucogranite in Plutons?

In Maine, Siluro-Devonian turbidites were metamorphosed underhigh-T–low-P facies series conditions during deformationwithin a Devonian crustal-scale shear zone system, defined bykilometer-scale straight belts of apparent flattening strainthat anastomose around lozenges of apparent constrictional strain.At upper amphibolite facies grade, metapelites are partiallymelted, the onset of which is recorded by a migmatite front.The resulting migmatites are stromatic or heterogeneous, andsmaller-volume granites form sheets or cylinders according tothe structural zone in which they occur, suggesting that migmatitesand granites record syntectonic melt flow through the deformingcrust. Common leucogranite of the nearby coeval Phillips pluton,which was emplaced syntectonically, was sourced from crustalrocks with geochemical characteristics similar to those of thehost Siluro-Devonian succession. Migmatites have melt-depletedcompositions relative to metapelites. Leucosomes are peraluminousand represent the cumulate products of fractional crystallizationand variable loss of evolved fractionated liquid. Among theheterogeneous migmatites are schlieric granites, the geochemistryof which suggests melt accumulation before fractional crystallizationand loss of the evolved liquid. Smaller-volume granites areperaluminous with a range of chemistries that reflect variableentrainment of residual plagioclase and biotite, accumulationof products of fractional crystallization and loss of most ofthe evolved liquid. Common leucogranite of the Phillips plutonand larger granites in the migmatites have compositions thatsuggest crystallization of evolved liquids derived by fractionalcrystallization of primary muscovite dehydration melts. We inferthat the leucogranite represents the crystallized fugitive liquidfrom a migmatite source similar to that exposed nearby. Watertransported through the shear zone system dissolved in meltwas exsolved at the wet solidus to cause retrogression in sub-solidusrocks and retrograde muscovite growth in migmatites. KEY WORDS: anatexis of pelite; Maine; migmatite; peraluminous granite; plutons