REE, Sm [sbnd]Nd and U [sbnd]Pb zircon study of eclogites from the Alpine External Massifs (Western Alps): evidence for crustal contamination

Abstract

A geochemical and geochronological study of the Alpine External Crystalline Massifs (AECM) of Aiguilles Rouges, Belledonne and Argentera was undertaken in order to constrain the geodynamic evolution of this segment of the Variscan foldbelt. Another aim of the study is to characterize the behaviour of isotopic markers, in particular the U Pb zircon system, under high-grade metamorphic conditions. The whole-rock geochemistry of eclogites and amphibolites was investigated using major and trace element (including the REE) analytical techniques; isotopic studies were performed by application of the Sm Nd whole-rock and U Pb zircon methods. In terms of regional geological history, the early development of metamorphic and magmatic activity in the AECM is typical of the extensional tectonic regime observed throughout the Variscan foldbelt during the Cambro-Ordovician (i.e. basic magmatism dated at 475-450 Ma). The composition of the metabasic rocks is closely similar to tholeiites emplaced into thinned continental crust which are generally associated with the initial stages of oceanic rifting. The source regions for these metabasics are characterized by initial ε Nd values between +6 and +8, suggesting depleted mantle sources influenced by a weak crustal component and/or the existence of a metasomatised lithosphere. The multi-stage eclogite-facies metamorphism is dated at 425-395 Ma (i.e. Silurian). An application of the U Pb method, associated with the artificial abrasion of zircon grains, has led to the recognition of a weak crustal contamination in the metabasic protoliths. This is implied by the Archaean and Lower Proterozoic upper intercepts on Concordia—devoid of geological significance—which reflect the presence of a pre-existing basement to the AECM. The U Pb zircon results have yielded upper and lower intercepts which represent, in different cases, either an ancient inherited component, the age of magmatism, eclogite-facies metamorphism or even the effects of late-stage recrystallization. The interpretation of these intercepts is rather ambiguous, but can be corroborated by zircon morphology studies and a comparison with the results obtained by other isotopic methods.