REE in charnockite and associated rocks,southwest Sweden

The rate earth element compositions of a suite of high-grade metamorphic and plutonic rocks which outcrop in the Varberg region of southwest Sweden are presented. A plutonic complex containing both charnockitic and non-charnockitic elements intrudes country rocks of upper amphibolite and granulite facies grade. The REE data for the country rocks sustain the view that they are supracrustal origin and support the importance placed on these elements in investigations of metamorphic rock progenitors. The progressive change in REE characteristics found for the various units of the plutonic association confirms that they represent rational stages in differentiation from a common parent. The end-product of this differentiation is a granite with the REE concentration and distribution found, elsewhere in the Baltic Shield, to characterize Rapakivi granite. The progressive change in REE with time suggested for the Baltic Shield by other authors finds support in the results of this study.