Oxygen isotopic study of the Cretaceous granitic rocks in Japan

The (¹⁸O values of nine Cretaceous granitic rocks from the low P/T type regional metamorphic zone of Japan are +10.0 to +13.2 relative to SMOW, while ten Cretaceous granitic rocks from the non-metamorphic zone are +7.9 to +9.8. The ¹⁸O-enrichment in the former rocks is mainly attributed to oxygen isotopic exchange between the granitic magma and the surrounding metamorphic rocks during regional metamorphism. The assimilation of ¹⁸O-rich country rocks is also possible in the cases such as gneissose granite and migmatite.The oxygen isotopic ratios of quartz-biotite pairs in the granitic rocks indicate that they are isotopically in near-equilibrium with each other. The quartz-biotite isotopic equilibrium temperatures estimated for these rocks range from 550° to 670° C. Feldspar is occasionally isotopically in disequilibrium with other minerals. This may be caused by exchange of oxygen isotopes between feldspar and hydrothermal or meteoric water after crystallization.