U-Pb Studies of Zircon Cores and Overgrowths, and Monazite: Implications for Age and Petrogenesis of the Northeastern Idaho Batholith

Abstract

U-Pb isotopic studies of zircons, many containing xenocrystic cores with euhedral overgrowths, and monazite from igneous rocks and metasedimentary inclusions of the northeastern Idaho batholith yield linear arrays on concordia diagrams. We interpret these as mixing lines between an old component (cores) and a young component (overgrowths and zircons without cores). The lower intercept of such arrays with concordia may yield the minimum age of the rocks if the overgrowths and zircons without cores are discordant, or the crystallization age if they are concordant. Monazites yield apparently concordant ages either equal or less than the lower intercept zircon ages. The samples studied yield lower intercept ages ranging from $73.5 \pm 6 m.y.$ (foliated quartz diorite) to $46.5 \pm 1 m.y.$ (feldspar megacryst granite); ages obtained are consistent with crosscutting relations observed in the field. Upper intercepts yield ages of 1700 to 2349 m.y. These are interpreted to indicate the mean age of xenocrystic zir...