Petrogenesis of late-Variscan high-K alkali-calcic granitoids and calc-alkalic lamprophyres: The Aber-Ildut/North-Ouessant complex, Armorican Massif, France

Abstract

The Aber-Ildut/North-Ouessant Variscan granitoid complex in the Armorican Massif is an example of high-K alkali-calcic zoned pluton, c. 304Ma in age. A first magmatic batch intruded through a northern EW-trending sinistral transcurrent shear zone, before injecting southwards as a huge horizontal zoned sill, with moderately peraluminous muscovite-free granitoids in the north and strongly peraluminous muscovite-bearing leucogranites to the south. The second magmatic stage resulted in the intrusion of a large two-mica leucogranitic body from a root zone along the same shear zone, prior to the end of crystallization of the first injection. Finally, ultrapotassic dykes, including calc-alkalic lamprophyres (leucominettes), intrude the complex. The strongly peraluminous granites are interpreted as pure melting products of crustal clay-rich pelitic material. All the other petrographic types, including leucominettes, are thought to result from mixing of crustal melts and mantle-derived mafic liquids. Highly silicic tourmaline-bearing leucogranites are significantly affected by a tetrad effect, in relation with REE complexing behavior. Aber-Ildut/North-Ouessant granitoids probably formed during the Variscan late-orogenic stage associated with exhumation and lithospheric thinning, at low pressure and by advective heating of a ≤50km-thick crust from hot metasomatized asthenosphere.