Petrogenesis of Dashenshan I-type granodiorite: implications for Triassic crust–mantle interaction, South China

Abstract

Triassic granodiorites in South China (SC) provide an opportunity to examine crust–mantle interactions that may have been caused by a mantle plume. Here we present a combined study of chronological, geochemical, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions for Dashenshan granodiorites. These are high-K, calc-alkaline, I-type granodiorites that yield a U–Pb zircon age of 211 ± 3 Ma. They are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous (A/CNK < 1.1), with 3.04–3.89 wt.% Na2O and 3.24–3.86 wt.% K2O, and Na2O/K2O ratio ranging from 0.79 to 1.11. These granodiorites contain 67.7–72.6 wt.% SiO2 but show moderate Mg# values (44.2–57.8) and variable contents of Ni (3.6–29.9 ppm) and Cr (7.6–53.5 ppm). They exhibit light rare earth element (REE) enrichment and flat, heavy REE patterns with negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.52–0.87). They also display strongly negative Ba, Sr, Nb, Ta, P, and Ti anomalies and positive Rb, Th, K, and Pb anomalies. Dashenshan granodiorites have high whole-rock initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7121–0.7172), negative εNd (t) values (–8.8 to –6.8), and negative zircon εHf (t) values (–6.6 to –3.3). These results suggest that the Dashenshan granodiorites were generated by a mixing between crustal melt and mantle-derived magma in an extensional setting. We conclude that generation of the Dashenshan pluton may reflect an interaction between a mantle plume and the overlying SC crust.