Evolution of the neoarchean Kola alkaline granites, northeastern Fennoscandian Shield: insights from SHRIMP-II titanite and zircon U–Pb isotope and rare earth elements data

Abstract

Abstract An U–Pb isotopic investigation combined with rare earth element data for titanites, zircons and coexisting accessories has been undertaken to gain insight into the formation of the Archean peralkaline granites of the northeastern Fennoscandian Shield and to test the stability of titanite during metamorphic and hydrothermal processes. The obtained set of isotope data shows that whereas more stable zircon retains a memory of the major episodes of granite evolution, the coexisting titanite provides additional information on crystallization, subsequent growth, cooling and alteration of the plutonic complexes. In addition to titanites formed at the magmatic stages of c. 2710 and c. 2650 Ma, the peralkaline granites contain titanite populations which have undergone major resetting at c. 1870 Ma during the burial metamorphism related to the Svecofennian orogeny and the 1760 Ma hydrothermal alteration near contemporaneous with regional metamorphism of c. 1780 Ma. The peralkaline granites which contain c. 2710 Ma titanites also include inherited titanite grains of an age of 2795 Ma. These data support the concept that the titanite can remain a closed system to Pb diffusion at temperatures of peralkaline granite melt (<800°C) as long as the crystals escape magmatic or metamorphic recrystallization.