The subalkaline potassic magmatism of the Ballons massif (Southern Vosges,France): shoshonitic affinity

A systematic geochemical study of the Ballons plutonic complex (Southern Vosges, France) indicates that the border facies of the massif are composed of two continuous differentiation series ranging from gabbros to quartz monzonites and very similar to the shoshonitic associations (high K₂O/Na₂O ratios as well as high Ba, Sr, U and Th contents). The existence of a geochemical discontinuity between the two series and the monzogranite, which is the principal component of the massif, argues against the monzogranite being directly related to the two differentiation series by fractional crystallization. The zoned structure of the monzogranite can be attributed to in situ crystal fractionation.