Continental Arc Research Articles

Geochronology, Petrogenesis, and Metallogenic Implications of Quartz Monzonite Porphyry in the Shanlixu Copper–Gold Deposit in the Lujiang–Chuzhou Area, Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley Metallogenic Belt, China

The Lujiang–Chuzhou Metallogenic Area is an important component of the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley Metallogenic Belt. Despite being an important copper–gold deposit in this area, the Shanlixu skarn Cu-Au deposit has not yet been systematically studied. According to LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating, the quartz monzonite porphyry from the Shanlixu deposit is aged 137.5 ± 1.7 Ma: while it differs from the timing of the magmatism and related mineralization in the Lujiang–Chuzhou Area, it is consistent with magmatic activity elsewhere in the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley Metallogenic Belt. The Ce4+/Ce3+ values of zircon in the quartz monzonite porphyry vary from 204.5 to 886.5, indicating that the intrusion might have formed in an environment with high oxygen fugacity. Additionally, the quartz monzonite porphyry exhibits high contents of Al2O3, Sr, Ba, and Mg# (Mg# = Mg2+/(Mg2+ + Fe2+)) and low ratios of Y, Nb, Ta, and K2O/Na2O, showing geochemical characteristics similar to those of adakitic rocks. Based on these characteristics, it is suggested that the intrusion might have been derived from the partial melting of subducted oceanic crust under a continental arc margin setting. Furthermore, it is strongly indicated that the quartz monzonite porphyry from the Shanlixu deposit, in the Lujiang–Chuzhou Area, is closely related to Cu-Au mineralization, as suggested by the age of the intrusion, which is approximately 137 Ma. These findings provide a new direction for research and exploration in this region.

Tracing Lower Crustal Contamination in Continental Arc Magmas Using Sr–Nd–Hf Isotopes: A Combined In Situ and Bulk Rock Approach Applied to the Adamello Batholith

Abstract The incremental construction of plutons characterises magmatic activity in arc settings, where new continental crust is produced. This polyphasic growth entails interactions with one or more crustal components, which modulate the geochemical and isotopic compositions of the newly formed crust. However, the early stages of magmatism are not always preserved due to obliteration by later magmatic pulses. Spatial migration of magmatism during the construction of the Adamello batholith (Northern Italy) enables the examination of the early pulses of pluton formation, thus allowing a time-integrated study of the relative importance of crystallisation-differentiation and contamination in a continental arc setting. We conducted a detailed textural, major and trace element and Sr isotopic study of plagioclase from the first intrusive pulses of the Adamello batholith, combined with new major, trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic analyses of bulk rock samples across the entire Adamello batholith. We selected well-characterised samples with published CA-ID-TIMS 206Pb-238U ages and Hf isotopic composition for zircons. Strontium isotopes in plagioclase from the same samples were determined by laser ablation multi-collector ICP-MS. The tonalitic samples in the early magmatic stages show elevated but constant Sr isotopic compositions despite large variations in anorthite contents (An90 to An13), indicating that crustal contamination occurred before significant differentiation. Invariant bulk-rock 87Sr/86Sr with variable SiO2 in all superunits of the Adamello batholith further supports contamination preceding significant melt differentiation. Contamination by lower crustal basement lithologies is due to the increasing thermal anomaly triggered by consecutive magmatic injections coupled with the heterogeneous and less restitic nature of the basement in the early stage of the magmatic system (i.e., before consumption of fusible components). In addition, we observe significant variability in crustal contamination proxies (e.g., 87Sr/86Srplag, 87Sr/86Srbulk, εNdbulk, εHfzircon) during the initial phases of magmatism. This variability likely reflects the uneven distribution of positive thermal anomalies in the lower crust during early magmatic stages as well as the diverse lithological and isotopic makeup of the lower crust. The processes identified in our case study are pertinent to continental arc magmatism, particularly where magmas interact with a metapelitic lower crust.

Lower crustal copper enrichment and mobilization indicated by Late Permian amphibole gabbros and granodiorites in the eastern Kunlun Orogen, northern Tibet

Lower crustal fractional crystallization accompanied by sulfide saturation in thick continental arcs has been viewed as an essential step in forming porphyry Cu systems. These processes are supposed to lock Cu in the lower crust and, therefore, can be unfavorable to the generation of ore-forming magmas. In this study, we present in situ mineral major-trace elements, pyrrhotite S isotopes, and zircon UPb ages, as well as whole-rock major-trace elements and SrNd isotopes for amphibole gabbros and contemporary granodiorites in the eastern Kunlun Orogen to elucidate Cu variations during the transcrustal magmatic evolution of these rocks. The amphibole gabbros can be divided into two types based on field relationships with the granodiorites. These rocks were derived from an oxidized metasomatic mantle in a steep subduction setting at ∼250 Ma and experienced a transcrustal magmatic evolution. Orthopyroxene relicts, resorbed clinopyroxene, calcic plagioclase, high-Al2O3 amphibole, and magnetite in the amphibole gabbros of the first type are lower crustal cumulate minerals. Pyrrhotite with minor amounts of chalcopyrite, interstitial to cumulate amphibole or as inclusions in magnetite from the amphibole gabbros of the first type, is lower crustal Ni-rich monosulfide solid solution (mss) crystallized from immiscible sulfide melts with residual Cu-rich sulfide liquids. These lines of evidence together with field, mineralogical, and geochemical data indicate that the Cu-rich parental magmas experienced lower crustal MASH (melting, assimilation, storage, and homogenization) processes and became Cu-depleted. The evolved magmas after lower crustal evolution became moderately oxidized and Cu-normal according to amphibole, biotite, zircon, and whole-rock compositions. The moderately oxidized magmas scavenged and mobilized Cu from Cu-rich sulfide liquids to the upper crustal magma chambers where degassing dispersed the Cu and thus was unfavorable to porphyry Cu mineralization.

Two distinct early Paleozoic subduction zones in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence of subduction recycling and arc evolution

This paper presents zircon U–Pb dating and Hf isotopic, and whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data for early Paleozoic igneous rocks as well as zircon U–Pb dating for the sedimentary rocks of the Songnen Massif within the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), aiming to reveal arc magma evolution process. The zircon U–Pb dating results of the siltstone of the Xiaojingou Formation yielded 450 Ma, 471 Ma, 502 Ma, 773 Ma, 818 Ma and 949 Ma age peaks, as well as multi-episodic Paleo-proterozoic ages (2486-1612 Ma), implying its deposition time is younger than ∼ 450 Ma. The zircon U–Pb dating results reveal that the Songnen Massif exists three episodes of volcanic rocks of the middle Cambrian (502 Ma), Middle Ordovician (453-449 Ma) and the Silurian (435-420 Ma). The middle Cambrian basalts are low-K tholeiitic to calc-alkaline series, weakly depleted εHf(t) and εNd(t) values. They were derived from the weakly depleted mantle metasomatized by slab fluid in an immature island arc setting. The Middle Ordovician to Silurian volcanic rocks show SiO2 of 49.4–58.1 wt%, plotting into high-K calc-alkaline series, which are also featured by higher Th/Nd and (Hf/Sm)PM ratios, together with moderate depleted εNd(t) values, suggesting their derivation of the depleted mantle wedge metasomatized by sediment-derived melt. In contrast, coeval early Paleozoic volcanic rocks in the eastern Xing’an Massif with the MORB-like εNd(t) values are characterized by an origin of the depleted mantle wedge and the distinct interaction of oceanic crust melt and mantle peridotite. Combined with the variation of calculated crust thickness, we suggested that there was a continental arc in the eastern Songnen Massif, which developed from immaturity to maturity during middle Cambrian to Silurian, while the early Paleozoic island arc in the eastern Xing’an Massif is characterized by ocean ridge subduction process.

Identifying tectonic settings of porphyry copper deposits using zircon trace elements – A semi-supervised machine learning method

Porphyry copper deposits (PCDs), as main sources of Cu resources worldwide, have attracted great attention for both scientific research and mining purposes in the past decades. The formation of PCDs is closely related to magmatic-hydrothermal system formed in both (continental/oceanic) arc and non-arc environments. Many low-dimensional geochemistry discriminants were developed for identifying the tectonic environments where ore-related magmas formed. However, long-term geological processes may obscure the geochemistry information recorded in rocks and minerals, which inevitably introduces uncertainties for identifying tectonic environments when using the low-dimensional discriminant diagrams. Here, we proposed a semi-supervised machine learning (ML) approach based on zircon chemistry data (spanning 16 elements) to identify the tectonic environments of PCDs. The results show that the semi-supervised models perform better in identifying the tectonic environments compared to the conventional low-dimensional discriminants. Moreover, as another benefit of big data analysis, ML model can clarify the systematic geochemistry differences of igneous zircons formed in different tectonic environments. The results suggest that (U+Th)/Yb and LREE/HREE are the top two important zircon chemical features for distinguishing PCDs formed in arc or non-arc environments. Specifically, zircons from non-arc show higher (U+Th)/Yb compared to that of continental arc, while zircons from island arc show lowest (U+Th)/Yb and LREE/HREE. Finally, the semi-supervised learning model was applied to the Dexing porphyry copper deposit to approach the longstanding debate regarding the underlying metallogenic setting. The results support the viewpoint that the Dexing porphyry copper deposit was formed in an intracontinental (non-arc) environment related to asthenosphere upwelling.

Geochronology, Geochemical Characterization and Tectonic Background of Volcanic Rocks of the Longjiang Formation in the Lengjimanda Plate Area, Middle Da Hinggan Mountains

The Lengjimanda plate is situated in the middle section of the Da Hinggan mountains, in the eastern section of the Tianshan Xingmeng orogenic belt. To determine the formation age of the volcanic rocks in the Longjiang formation in this area, to explore their origin and tectonic background, and to reconstruct the geodynamic evolution of the region, this study conducted petrological, zircon U–Pb geochronological, geochemical, and isotopic analyses of the volcanic rocks in the Longjiang formation. The Longjiang formation’s volcanic rocks are primarily composed of trachyandesite, trachyte trachydacite, and andesite, which are intermediate basic volcanic rocks. They are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements, are depleted in high-field-strength elements, are significantly fractionated between light and heavy rare earth elements, and exhibit a moderate negative Eu anomaly in most samples. The results of the LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb dating indicate that the volcanic rocks in this group were formed in the Early Cretaceous period at 129.1 ± 0.82 Ma. The zircon εHf(t) ranges from +1.13 to +43.77, the tDM2 ranges from +655 to +1427 Ma, the initial Sr ratio (87Sr/86Sr)i ranges from 0.7030 to 0.7036, and the εNd(t) ranges from +2.1 to +6.6. Based on the geochemical compositions and isotopic characteristics of the rocks, the initial magma of the volcanic rocks in the Longjiang formation originated from the partial melting of basaltic crustal materials, with a source material inferred to be depleted mantle-derived young crustal. These rocks were formed in a superimposed post-collisional and continental arc environment, possibly associated with the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean closure and the oblique subduction of the Pacific plate. This study addresses a research gap regarding the volcanic rocks of the Longjiang formation in this area. Its findings can be applied to exploration and prospecting in the region.

Spatial and temporal evolution of magmatic arcs: Geochemical diversity and tectonic controls

We review the main petrologic and geochemical features of magmatic rocks from continental arcs compared to their intra-oceanic equivalents. Both types share a number of characteristics, including their typical HFSE-depleted incompatible element patterns and isotopic Sr, Nd, Pb and Hf features, intermediate between those of N-MORB and continental crust. They are thought to derive from the partial melting of the mantle wedge metasomatized by fluids emanating from the downgoing plate. They are dominantly hydrous fluids provided by the breakdown of amphibolites and antigorite serpentinites, but a significant role is attributed to felsic hydrous melts derived from oceanic metabasalts and associated sediments. The more enriched character of magmas from continental arcs with respect to those from intra-oceanic arcs is ascribed to their genesis from a less depleted mantle wedge in a milder thermal regime, to the enrichment of their source via subduction erosion of the continental margin, and finally to their contamination during ascent and storage within a thicker crust.

The significance of Paleoarchean granitoids from the Saglek Block, Labrador, Canada

The Saglek Block in the Nain Province of northeast Canada is part of the North Atlantic Craton. It comprises Archean gneisses that record magmatic and metamorphic ages between ca. 3.9 and 2.5 Ga. In this study, a grey banded gneiss from Maidmonts Island records an age of 3.72 Ga, which is equated with Uivak I gneisses reported from across the Saglek Block, and contains 3.8 Ga xenocrysts. These rocks were deformed and metamorphosed prior to the intrusion of augen gneiss protoliths on both Maidmonts and Mentzel islands that record U-Pb zircon ages of 3.33 Ga. These rocks are composed of ferroan calc-alkaline granite and granodiorite and were likely generated by partial melting of pre-existing quartzo-feldspathic crust, as attested by the presence of ca. 3.8 Ga xenocrysts. Such augen gneiss was previously classified as ca. 3.6 Ga ‘Uivak II gneiss’, a term we argue should now be abandoned. The final magmatic events recorded on Maidmonts and Mentzel islands took place in the Neoproterozoic with the emplacement of granitic stocks at ca. 2.72 Ga, and sills and dykes at ca. 2.57 Ga. This sequence of magmatic events from the Eoarchean to Neoarchean is very similar to that recorded in the Itsaq Gneiss Complex of southwest Greenland, where, based on the Hf signature, it has been suggested that a change in tectonic environment resulted from the initiation of subduction at ca. 3.2 Ga. Although Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotopic signatures from the ca. 3.33 Ga gneisses have been interpreted in the literature as due to partial melting of Hadean mafic crust, alternatively, they can be generated by partial melting of Eoarchean continental crust in a continental arc setting. We argue this is more consistent with the non-TTG geochemistry of the augen gneisses.

Slab melting boosts the mantle wedge contribution to Li-rich magmas

The lithium cycling in the supra-subduction mantle wedge is crucial for understanding the generation of Li-rich magmas that may potentially source ore deposition in continental arcs. Here, we look from the mantle source perspective at the geological processes controlling the Li mobility in convergent margins, by characterizing a set of sub-arc mantle xenoliths from the southern Andes (Coyhaique, western Patagonia). The mineral trace element signatures and oxygen fugacity estimates (FMQ > + 3) in some of these peridotite xenoliths record the interaction with arc magmas enriched in fluid-mobile elements originally scavenged by slab dehydration. This subduction-related metasomatism was poorly effective on enhancing the Li inventory of the sub-arc lithospheric mantle, underpinning the inefficiency of slab-derived fluids on mobilizing Li through the mantle wedge. However, major and trace element compositions of mantle minerals in other xenoliths also record transient thermal and chemical anomalies associated with the percolation of slab window-related magmas, which exhibit an “adakite”-type geochemical fingerprint inherited by slab-derived melts produced during ridge subduction and slab window opening event. As these melts percolated through the shallow (7.2–16.8 kbar) and hot (952–1054 °C) lithospheric mantle wedge, they promoted the crystallization of metasomatic clinopyroxene having exceptionally high Li abundances (6–15 ppm). Numerical modeling shows that low degrees (< 10%) of partial melting of this Li-rich and fertile sub-arc lithospheric mantle generates primitive melts having two-fold Li enrichment (~13 ppm) compared with average subduction-zone basalts. Prolonged fractional crystallization of these melts produces extremely Li-enriched silicic rocks, which may stoke the Li inventory of mineralizing fluids in the shallow crust.

Paleozoic Episodic Magmatism in Western Tianshan: Insight Into Assembling the Northeastern Pangea

AbstractThe late‐stage union of Pangea was associated with the convergence of Siberia with Laurussia, but the exact timing remains unclear. The orogenic duration of the Kazakhstan block can provide geochronological constraints as it connects Siberia, Baltica, and Tarim. Zircon petrochronology offers a reliable approach for ascertaining the lifespan of an ancient orogen. In this study, we explore three phases of magmatism recorded in detrital zircons from late Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstone‐siltstones in Western Tianshan, that is, 400–470 Ma, 320–380 Ma, and 280–320 Ma. Based on their age‐propagated Hf isotopes, melt SiO2 contents, and crustal thicknesses, our findings suggest that the southern limb of Kazakhstan underwent the early Paleozoic amalgamation of microcontinents with arcs, the late Paleozoic maturation of an Andean‐like continental arc, and the late Carboniferous collision of Kazakhstan with the Junggar oceanic basin and the Tarim craton. Such characteristics manifest the long‐term orogenic progression of Kazakhstan. Combining published timelines and paleolatitudes of major orogens and blocks, we propose that the Kazakhstan block welded northeastern Pangea along with the cessation of these orogenic activities around it. Consequently, by docking Kazakhstan with surrounding cratons, the fundamental configuration of Pangea could have been established in the late Carboniferous.

A Contiguous Taltson‐Thelon Margin Revisited

AbstractThe amalgamation of Laurentia was initiated along the western margin of the Rae craton. However, the tectonic setting that generated magmatic rocks along this margin has long been debated, with the Thelon tectonic zone in the north having formed in an arc setting, and the Taltson magmatic zone in the south variably attributed to either continental arc or intracratonic magmatism. The magmatic rocks of the Great Slave Lake shear zone (GSLsz) lie between these two tectonic belts and, thus, may be critical to the interpretation of the evolution of the western Rae margin. To understand the origin of the rocks in the GSLsz, we have applied U‐Pb geochronology, trace‐element geochemistry, and O and Hf isotope analyses to zircons from a suite of samples that transect the La Loche River fault (LRf)—a major structure that bisects the GSLsz. Samples collected to the north of the LRf are Neoarchean in age, have mantle‐like δ18O (4.7–5.8‰) and chondritic to juvenile εHf values (0–4.5), whereas those to the south are exclusively Paleoproterozoic in age and have more elevated δ18O (6.3–7‰) and much more evolved εHf values (−12 to −6); these results indicate that the LRf marks a crustal‐scale suture between the Slave craton and the Taltson magmatic zone. Our isotopic data, together with other regional constraints from the area, are most consistent with the Taltson magmatic zone having formed in a continental arc setting emplaced into ca. 2.3 Ga juvenile basement crust.

Constraints on the subduction and closure of the Hegenshan Ocean: Magmatic and sedimentary records from central Inner Mongolia, China

Petrological, geochronological, and geochemical data from the volcano-sedimentary sequences, granitoids, and ophiolite relics of central Inner Mongolia, China, were used to reconstruct the subduction and final closure of the Hegenshan Ocean. Geochronological dating and compilation reveal four phases (ca. 360−355 Ma, 348−320 Ma, 320−310 Ma, and 310−275 Ma) of magmatism in the Uliastai continental margin. The ca. 356 Ma I-type Halatumiao granodiorite and Amanwusu ophiolite relics are subduction-related, and the Halatumiao granodiorite provides solid evidence of the northward subduction of the Hegenshan Ocean beneath the Uliastai continental margin at ca. 360−355 Ma. The ca. 348−320 Ma and 320−310 Ma volcanic rocks and granitoids constitute two linear magmatic belts roughly parallel to the Erenhot-Hegenshan ophiolite belt, which record two phases of continental arc magmatism in the Uliastai continental margin. Overall, the ca. 360−310 Ma arc magmatism shows landward migration and then oceanward migration in the Uliastai continental margin, which indicates advancing subduction and subsequent slab steepening of the Hegenshan Ocean. By contrast, the ca. 310−275 Ma magmatic rocks are dominated by I- and A-type felsic volcanic rocks, granites, and dikes, which are post-accretionary, extension-related, and pervasive in the Uliastai continental margin and Erenhot-Hegenshan ophiolite belt. A provenance shift was identified between the Benbatu and Amushan formations of the Amanwusu area of the Erenhot-Hegenshan ophiolite belt. The early detritus was derived from the early Paleozoic rocks in the Sonid Zuoqi arc belt, whereas the late detritus originated from the Early Carboniferous ophiolite relics in the Erenhot-Hegenshan ophiolite belt. The provenance shift and emplacement of pervasive extension-related magmatic rocks imply a Late Carboniferous closure of the Hegenshan Ocean. The Late Carboniferous oceanic closure event in the north of the southeast Central Asian Orogenic Belt is also evidenced by the transition of Hf isotopic composition of zircons dated between ca. 360−310 Ma and 310−275 Ma.

The 2.03–2.02 Ga arc–back-arc mafic magmatism from the Zhongxiang Complex, northern Yangtze Block: Implications for Columbia supercontinent assembly

To better understand Paleoproterozoic tectonic processes in the Yangtze Block during the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent, an integrated geochronological and geochemical study of amphibolite facies mafic rocks exposed in the Zhongxiang Complex in the northern Yangtze Block is presented. Based on trace element and rare earth element (REE) characteristics, these mafic rocks can be divided into two coeval groups. The MORB-like mafic rocks show flat REE patterns and are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (e.g. Rb, Ba, K, Sr). Their zircon ɛHf(t) values range from + 3.43 to + 4.90. The other mafic rocks are arc-like and have elevated REE contents and display relatively light REE enriched patterns, as well as depletion in high field strength elements (e.g. Nb, Ta, Ti). The zircon ɛHf(t) values of the latter group range from + 0.17 to + 2.68. Zircon U-Pb dating yielded a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 2029 ± 15 Ma for the MORB-like mafic rocks, and 2023 ± 14 Ma for the arc-like mafic rocks, respectively. The elemental and isotopic characteristics indicate that the MORB-like mafic rocks may be derived from a depleted asthenospheric mantle source, whereas its counterpart with arc-like signatures originated from a lithospheric mantle source. The low (La/Yb)CN (1.10–2.84) and Sm/Yb (0.99–1.29) ratios indicate that the mafic rocks are formed by partial melting of spinel lherzolite mantle. Combined with other geological observations, these mafic rocks are inferred to constitute part of a mid-Paleoproterozoic continental arc–back-arc basin system. The 2.03–2.02 Ga mafic rocks from the northern Yangtze Block indicate that the continental margin experienced subduction in response to assembly of the Columbia supercontinent.

Tracing uplift and erosion in orogenic settings using quartz luminescence sensitivity: Insights from the Northern Andes uplift

The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity of the fast component in quartz has been increasingly used in provenance analysis of Quaternary sediments. Quartz OSL natural sensitization is thought to be mainly controlled by the formation conditions of the source bedrock and surface processes occurring mainly in sediment source areas. Thus, quartz OSL sensitivity can be linked to distinct sediment source regions, based on their tectonic setting and erosion conditions. In this way, changes in quartz OSL sensitivity within siliciclastic successions would track variations in sediment provenance. So far, few works evaluated how the OSL sensitivity of quartz sand grains varies in sedimentary successions that experienced long-term cycles of deep burial, exhumation, and erosion. Therefore, this work aims to characterize the sensitivity of the fast OSL component of quartz sand grains retrieved from the Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of the Northern Andes basins and assess its spatiotemporal changes. We found that quartz grains with the lowest OSL sensitivity are sourced by crystalline and volcanic rocks related to the Andean Continental Arc emplaced in the Colombian Central Cordillera, reflecting the onset of denudation in orogenic sources during the Paleocene. Subsequently, increasing trends in OSL sensitivity are related to the sedimentary recycling during the Andean orogeny, reaching maximum values as a result of the progressive unroofing of Cretaceous rocks in the Colombian Eastern Cordillera, originally sourced from the low-relief Amazon Craton. Changes in quartz OSL sensitivity measured in the Cenozoic sedimentary basin-fill sequences of the Northern Andes vary according to the shifts in sediment provenance related to the orogenic construction and sediment recycling of the Andean range.

Evolution of a large-scale phreatoplinian eruption: Constraints from the 40 ka caldera-forming eruption of Kutcharo volcano, eastern Hokkaido, Japan

“Phreatoplinian” is an explosive phreatomagmatic eruption style that is defined by the fragmentation of magma and widespread dispersal of the resulting fine ash and accretionary lapilli. These eruptions pose significant future risks at caldera volcanoes that host lakes and abundant groundwater. There have been no direct observations of a phreatoplinian eruption, therefore, constraining the detailed mechanisms and sequences of such events relies on studying the deposits of previous eruptions. In order to advance our understanding of these hazardous phenomena we conducted a case study of the 40 ka caldera-forming eruption (Kp I) from Kutcharo volcano in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. We subdivided Kp I eruption deposits into 7 units (Units 1 to 7 in ascending order). Units 1 to 6 are air fall deposits consisting of alternating thin pumice and thick silty ash layers with abundant spherical accretionary lapilli. Stratigraphically higher ash fall units are thicker, finer in grain-size, and more widely distributed. The maximum eruption column height and mass-discharge rate were calculated to be 40 km and 1.4 × 109 kg/s, respectively. Unit 7 is a climactic ignimbrite (76 km3), which is distributed widely over the area north of Kutcharo caldera.Unit 6 is the largest air fall unit and can be considered to have been deposited by a phreatoplinian eruption, given its abundant accretionary lapilli, wide dispersion, and high degree of fragmentation. Unit 6 had the highest mass discharge rate (1.4 × 109 kg/s), suggesting the interaction between magma and external water was most intense, and it is thought that a large eruption column covered eastern Hokkaido. In addition, Kp I eruption deposits commonly contain glass shards derived from fragmentation via both magma degassing and Molten Fuel Coolant Interaction (MFCI). To account for this observation, we infer that the conduit penetrated a large aquifer, and the margin of the ascending magma came into contact with this external water source. Due to repeated caldera-forming eruptions, intra-caldera filled deposits (hosting a large aquifer) likely played a key role in supplying external caldera lake water to a level near the fragmentation depth of H2O-saturated felsic magma. The occurrence of these intra-caldera conduit and caldera-lake systems may provide the required conditions for phreatoplinian eruptions at continental arc caldera volcanoes in Japan and globally.

Amphibole fractionation as a key driver for oxidation of magmas in convergent margins

During the process of differentiation, the magmas in convergent margins undergo an increase of oxidized nature, accompanied by a decreased Fe content and concentration of heavy Fe isotopes. Garnet and amphibole are both Fe-rich minerals, which can be responsible for this phenomenon through fractional crystallization. One prevailing hypothesis suggests that Fe2+-rich garnet cumulates in the arc root as a "crustal redox filter." However, the stability of garnets is highly dependent on pressure conditions. In contrast, amphibole can crystallize under a broader range of temperature and pressure conditions and is a more common mineral phase in magmas. As such, the contribution of amphibole might have been underappreciated. Here, we conducted elemental composition, zircon trace element, and high-precision Fe isotope analyses on Miocene magmatic rocks from the Gangdese arc to trace the evolution of magmatic oxidation. The results indicate that the enrichment of heavy Fe isotopes in these magmas is primarily controlled by amphibole-dominated fractional crystallization rather than garnet. This also implies that amphibole fractional crystallization may play a role in enhancing the oxygen fugacity of the magmas. Taking a global perspective, we found a pervasive correlation between amphibole fractional crystallization and Fe isotope fractionation in magmatism at convergent plate margins, indicating its widely applicable influence on oxidation. The influence of garnet cannot be entirely neglected in some specific scenarios, such as within thickened continental arcs, but its impact is generally limited. Continuous amphibole fractional crystallization increases oxidation, facilitating the mobilization and concentration of Cu within the magma, thereby enhancing the potential for porphyry deposit formation. This impact is especially notable in spatiotemporally related magmatic events and could be decisive in determining the magmatic mineralization potential.

Contributing to understand how Cordilleran batholiths build from detailed geochronology of the Carboniferous Tabaquito batholith, Frontal Cordillera (Argentina)

Cordilleran Granitic batholiths or Andean/Cordilleran batholiths serve as plutonic expressions of continental arcs, offering valuable insights into the processes that operate in large silicic magmatic systems at subduction environments. This work presents a comprehensive geochronological study of the Carboniferous Tabaquito batholith in the Frontal Cordillera of western Argentina, which is the best exponent of the Carboniferous arc-related magmatism in this region. Using new data obtained through LA-MC-ICP-MS and comparing it with previously published data (LA-MC-ICP-MS and SHRIMP techniques), we identify five distinct magmatic events in the Tabaquito batholith: 325 ± 2 Ma; 332 ± 2 Ma; 337 ± 2 Ma; 346 ± 1 Ma, and 362 ± 2 Ma. The 325 Ma event is considered as the best estimate of the crystallization age during the emplacement. The 332 Ma, 337 Ma, 346 Ma and 362 Ma events suggest the presence of zircon antecrysts, implying a complex magmatic system that worked for a protracted time lapse of ca. 40 Myr, or ca. 15 Myr if we consider the ages of 346 and 362 Ma as xenocrysts from a source like the Potrerillos pluton (346 ± 3 Ma to 356 ± 3 Ma), which was interpreted in previous studies as possible source of the parental magmas of the Tabaquito batholith. Furthermore, it has been also identified inherited zircons with ages older than ca. 370 Ma that are consistent with the detrital zircon pattern obtained for the country rock. Inherited zircon ages from the referred country rock yield a maximum deposition age estimated at 387 Ma that is consistent with the fossil ammonoids record, indicating that the granitic rocks were emplaced in Devonian rocks.

Petrography, U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of Varcheh intrusions: Insight into younging trend of mid‐Cretaceous subduction in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, western Iran

The Neotethyan Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone of western Iran has recorded major magmatic activities due to its continental arc tectonic setting during the Mesozoic. The Varcheh mafic intrusions were less‐studied plutons in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SSZ). Field evidence, petrography, geochemistry and U–Pb geochronological data were used to determine petrographic composition, geochemical nature, crystallization age and also to suggest a conceptual tectonomagmatic model for their emplacement. Small plutonic bodies are dominantly composed of monzogabbro that have intruded into the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks. Based on U–Pb zircon datings, these rocks have crystallized at 125–118 Ma in late Early Cretaceous (Barremian–Aptian), and are older than the supposed ages reported on geological maps. Varcheh rocks are not just typical calc‐alkaline rocks and some show alkaline affinity. Negative anomalies in Nb–Ta–Ti and enrichments in some large‐ion lithophile elements on spider diagrams are consistent with a subduction‐zone setting. Potential deep source for magma generation is partial melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge above a subducting slab of oceanic lithosphere. The spaces for the Varcheh mafic intrusions are accommodated by dominant dextral strike‐slip movement in a continental arc experiencing extension during late Early Cretaceous subduction. According to the zircon U–Pb geochronology results in this paper and previous U–Pb ages in the northern part of the SSZ, the mid‐Cretaceous magmatism reveals a significant NW‐ward younging trend and migration of the magmatic arc from the Barremian–Aptian in south‐east to the Albian–Cenomanian in the north‐west.

Late Neoproterozoic tholeiitic plutonism in far-east Avalonia (the Dirgine Batholith, Istanbul Zone): Exposed mid-crustal section of an oceanic arc

Avalonia, a large composite terrane, extends from the northeastern regions of America and Canada to southern Britain and Belgium/Netherlands, continuing on to Poland. It was accreted to Laurentia and Baltica during early Paleozoic. The late Neoproterozoic basement of the Istanbul Zone (NW Turkey), which is considered the far-east extension of Avalonia, is poorly known. This study deals with the petrology and age of the Dirgine Batholith, the largest component of the late Neoproterozoic basement. The batholith, ∼70 km long and ∼12 km wide, was emplaced into Neoproterozoic low-grade mafic to felsic metavolcanic and metapyroclastic rocks. Tonalite and quartz diorite form the bulk of the batholith. Trondhjemite, granodiorite, and anorthositic gabbro occur in minor amounts. Overall, rock types resemble low-Al tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite series and trondhjemites in ophiolite sequences. The batholith formed over a narrow time interval (562–574 Ma, late Ediacaran), as inferred by U–Pb zircon geochronology. In-situ Lu-Hf analyses of igneous zircons reveal a limited range of significantly positive initial εHf values (9.47 ± 1.46, 2σ) and young Hf depleted mantle model ages (0.78 ± 0.06 Ga), indicating the relatively juvenile character of original magmas. All rock types have typical subduction-related trace-element signatures such as depletion in high-field-strength elements and enrichment in several fluid-mobile elements as well as nearly flat chondrite-normalized REE patterns. Geochemical characteristics indicate that crustal assimilation was insignificant, and the batholith formed by fractional crystallization of mantle-derived low-K tholeiitic magmas involving mainly clinopyroxene, hornblende and ± plagioclase. The Dirgine Batholith and metamorphic country rocks probably represent the mid-crustal section of a late Neoproterozoic oceanic arc. The interpretation of an oceanic rather than continental arc is based on the significantly lower concentrations of incompatible elements relative to continental arcs, nearly flat REE patterns of the rock types, and the juvenile nature of the primary magmas. These data, in concert with those in the literature, reveal that late Neoproterozoic oceanic arcs constitute an important component of far-east Avalonian terranes.

The Weixi High‐silica Granitoids in the Central Sanjiang Orogenic Belt, Southwest China: Implications for Growth of the Continental Crust

AbstractHigh‐silica granitoids record the formation and evolution of the continental crust. A new intrusive complex has been recognized among silicic volcanic rocks of the Weixi arc, Southwest China. The intrusions consist of granites, granitic porphyries, and granodiorites. Zircon U‐Pb age data indicate that the Weixi granitoids formed at 248–240 Ma and were coeval with silicic volcanic rocks of the Weixi arc. The Weixi granitoids are enriched in Rb, Th, and U, depleted in Ba, Sr, Nb, Ta, and Ti, and have high light/heavy rare earth element ratios and slightly negative Eu anomalies. The Weixi granitoids have negative εNd(t) values (–9.8 to –7.8) and negative zircon εHf(t) values (–12.02 to –5.11). The geochemical and isotopic features suggest the Weixi granitoids were derived by partial melting of ancient crustal material. The Weixi granitoids and silicic volcanic rocks were derived from the same magma by crystal accumulation and melt extraction, respectively, and they record the formation of a continental arc in the central Sanjiang orogenic belt.