Melting Of Crust Research Articles

Structural evolution of the North Himalaya domes as revealed by crustal-scale seismic-reflection surveying

As the typical products of collisional orogeny, gneiss domes are important geological units with which to decipher the crustal deformation and evolutionary history of continental collision. However, their formation mechanisms remain poorly understood. This issue is well illustrated by the debate surrounding the origin of the North Himalaya gneiss dome zone, which has been attributed to middle-crustal channel flow, thrust-duplex development, extensional detachment faulting, or diapiric flow related to partial crustal melting. These models predict different internal structures within individual domes that can be tested by high-resolution seismic imaging. Here, we present newly acquired seismic-reflection data collected along an ∼120-km-long north-south traverse across the central segment of the North Himalaya gneiss dome zone. Analysis and interpretation of the seismic data constrained by surface geology observations imply that (1) the subducting Indian lower crust is decoupled from the deformed middle and upper crust in the North Himalaya, (2) a crustal-scale stack of antiformal duplexes with a structural thickness of ∼35 km defines the cores of the gneiss domes imaged by the seismic survey, and (3) highly reflective, sheetlike bodies imaged in our seismic profile are best interpreted as leucocratic intrusions developed synchronously during gneiss dome development. As a whole, our work suggests that the North Himalaya gneiss dome zone was created by coeval crustal shortening and partial melting of orogenic crust.

Melt extraction and mineralization: A case study from the Shuangjianzishan supergiant Ag-Pb-Zn deposit (208 Mt), Inner Mongolia, NE China

The supergiant Shuangjianzishan (SJZ) Ag-Pb-Zn deposit is in the southern segment of the Great Hinggan Range (SGHR), northeast China. Previous studies suggest the ore-forming material and fluid originated from the magmatic system, and the mineralization age was consistent with the diagenetic age. However, the relationship between granitic magmatism and mineralization is still unclear in the SJZ. In this study, C-H-O-He-Ar and in-situ S-Pb isotope analyses were conducted to determine the sources of ore-forming fluids and metals, which were combined with geochemistry data of SJZ granitoids from previous studies to constrain the relationship between the magmatism and the mineralization. The C-H-O-He-Ar-S-Pb isotopic compositions suggested the SJZ ore-forming material and fluids were derived from a magmatic source, which has mixed a small amount of mantle-derived materials. In addition, the disseminated sulfide from the syenogranite has comparable S-Pb isotopic composition with the sulfide minerals from ore veins, suggesting that the generation of the SJZ ore-forming fluids has a close relationship with the syenogranite magmatism. Combining with the geochemical characters of the syenogranite, the authors proposed that the mantle-derived fingerprint of the SJZ ore-forming fluid might be caused by the parent magma of the syenogranite, which was derived from partial melting of the juvenile lower crust, and underwent the residual melts segregated from a crystal mush in the shallow magma reservoir. The extraction of the syenogranite parent magma further concentrated the fertilized fluids, which was crucial to mineralization of the SJZ Ag-Pb-Zn deposit.©2023 China Geology Editorial Office.

Speculations on the Paleozoic legacy of Gondwana amalgamation

Using Gondwana as an example, we show how the geological record can be interrogated to detect significant changes in mantle convection patterns at critical junctures in Earth’s evolution. Evidence of major changes in mantle circulation in the aftermath of late Neoproterozoic-early Paleozoic Gondwana assembly is provided by widespread (i) plume-related magmatism around Gondwana’s periphery, (ii) ironstone deposits related to mantle plume-ocean ridge interaction and enhanced hydrothermal activity, and (iii) super-mature clastic deposits that reflect epeirogenic uplift triggered by mantle upwelling beneath Gondwana combined with deep tropical weathering.In our model, Gondwana assembled above a region of mantle downwelling in which subducted slabs between the converging Gondwanan continents descended to the core-mantle boundary. Renewed subduction along Gondwana’s periphery yielded early arc magmas. But as downwelling beneath Gondwana evolved into upwelling as a result of the ponding of subducted slabs at the base of the mantle, mantle plumes rose from the margins of the nascent upwelling to interact with the edges of Gondwana, where they penetrated the peripheral subduction zones via slab windows, tears and transform faults to generate voluminous calc-alkalic crustal melts in hydrated arc regions and A-type magmas in dry back-arc regions. The plumes also underplated oceanic lithosphere and interacted with adjacent ocean ridges, thereby enhancing hydrothermal activity and the flux of bioessential nutrients, leading to the recurrence of marine iron-rich sedimentary rocks in the geological record. At the same time, upwelling beneath a tropical to equatorial Gondwana led to epeirogenic uplift, deep weathering and erosion, resulting in the production of widespread super-mature clastic deposits. We contend that major changes in mantle convection patterns were encoded into the geological record of Gondwana assembly, influenced global-scale mantle convection patterns, and should be incorporated into geodynamic models for the assembly of Pangea.

Geochemistry, zircon U–Pb geochronology and Lu–Hf isotopes of the Late Jurassic granitoids from the Shuangyuangou deposit, South Qinling, China: Implications for petrogenesis and porphyry Cu metallogeny

The Shuangyuangou copper deposit is located in the southern segment of the Qinling orogenic belt in central China. The ore‐related intrusions include quartz diorite porphyry, granite porphyry and lamprophyre. In this study, we present whole‐rock geochemistry, zircon U–Pb geochronology, trace elements and Lu–Hf isotope data on the Shuangyuangou intrusions which provide critical constraints on the emplacement age, magma origin, petrogenesis and implications for porphyry Cu mineralization in this newly discovered deposit. Zircon U–Pb dating constrains the emplacement age of quartz diorite porphyry, lamprophyre and granite porphyry at 150–147 Ma. The quartz diorite porphyry and granite porphyry display high‐K calc–alkaline I‐type granite affiliation. The rocks show enrichment of LREE and LILE (Rb, Ba), depletion in HREE and HFSE (Nb, Ta, Ti) and absence of Eu anomaly. Zircon εHf(t) values of quartz diorite porphyry, lamprophyre and granite porphyry range from −7.5 to −1.7 with TDM2 ages of 1.3–1.6 Ga. Our data suggest that the parental magma was derived from partial melting of juvenile lower crust and metasomatic lithospheric mantle, with more involvement of mantle material for the lamprophyre. The zircon Eu/Eu* values of 0.55–0.78 suggest high magmatic water content which suppresses the fractionation of plagioclase. In addition, the ΔFMQ values calculated from zircon trace elements range from −0.90 to 2.96 which is a favourable factor for porphyry Cu mineralization at Shuangyuangou. The Late Jurassic Shuangyuangou intrusion and associated Cu mineralization were formed within an intracontinental setting after the collisional assembly of the Qinling orogenic belt.

Redistribution of heat‐producing elements during melting of Archean crust

AbstractHeat generated from the decay of K, Th, and U plays a fundamental role in the differentiation and stabilization of Earth's continental crust. This is particularly important in the construction of Archean cratons that form the nuclei of Earth's continents. The Kapuskasing uplift is a rare exposure of an Archean‐age crustal cross‐section that provides a snapshot of crustal melting, differentiation, and compositional stratification. We integrate field observations, whole‐rock compositions, thermodynamic equilibrium and accessory mineral modelling with heat production and latency time modelling to provide insights into the partitioning of heat‐producing elements between residue and melt during anatexis of metabasites as well as the resulting effects on metamorphic timescales and the production of tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) suites. We model six metabasite compositions ranging from relatively fertile greenschist facies metabasites to melt‐depleted residual mafic (upper‐)amphibolites to granulites. Heat‐producing elements are modelled to be partitioned between melt and residue; the dominant minerals in the residue that host these elements are apatite, hornblende, K‐feldspar, and epidote. At 800–850°C epidote is no longer stable, and the melt fraction is predicted to contain roughly half of the heat production capacity for the system. Apatite and melt are expected to be the dominant repositories for Th and U during anatexis; zircon is predicted to be completely consumed by 850°C, whereas apatite persists to higher temperatures and allanite is expected only in minor modal abundances at high‐P, low‐T conditions. The partitioning of heat‐producing elements into relatively low‐density melt decreases the heat production of the residual system during anatexis. Due to their high density and affinity for U and Th, epidote and apatite retain heat production capacity in the residue during metabasite melting. Thermal latency modelling of metamorphism suggests that enriched metabasite compositions require 38–46 My to increase the temperature from ~650 to 850°C (solidus temperature to peak metamorphic temperature of the Kapuskasing uplift), whereas estimates are considerably shorter for depleted compositions (7–25 My). Four of the six samples modelled require 60–70 My to reach 1000°C from the solidus. Our modelling of heat‐producing element partitioning and predicted proportions of melt suggest that enriched basaltic compositions are the most reasonable source of TTG magmas and our heating time modelling indicates the mantle as an equal to dominant source of heat for metabasite anatexis compared with radiogenic heat production.

Origin and tectonic setting of middle–late Triassic Lalingzaohuo granitoids in the western East Kunlun Orogen, northern Tibetan Plateau

ABSTRACT Triassic granitoids are widespread in the East Kunlun Orogen (EKO), with Middle Triassic granitoids being dominant and Late Triassic granitoids being subordinate. This paper presents new whole-rock geochemical and Sr – Nd isotope, and zircon U – Pb age and Lu – Hf isotope data for eight granitoids in the Lalingzaohuo area, western EKO, northern Tibetan Plateau. These granitoids yield Middle and Late Triassic ages of 245–239 and 223–220 Ma, respectively. The granitoids from the Lalingzaohuo area have features typical of I-type granites and belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series. They exhibit variable rare earth and trace element patterns, and Sr – Nd – Hf isotopic compositions, indicative of different petrogenetic processes. The Middle Triassic samples have higher ISr values of 0.71440–0.71572 and lower εNd(t) values of −6.18 to −4.26 than the Late Triassic samples (ISr = 0.71139–0.71348; εNd(t) = –3.23 to −1.51), which are consistent with I-type granitoids derived from the lower crust. Geochemical and isotopic data indicate that the two stages of I-type granitoids had a significant mantle contribution. The Middle Triassic granitoids in the EKO, particularly the western EKO, have adakitic characteristics and formed by partial melting of lower continental crust. The T2–T3 granites formed by oceanic slab breakoff related to subduction and mantle convection, and the Late Triassic granites formed by lithospheric thinning and asthenospheric upwelling after slab breakoff.

Petrogenesis of the early Permian Hongliujing granite complex in the Chinese Eastern Tianshan orogen: Evidence for crustal growth in the Central Tianshan microcontinent

The generation and modification of silicic magma systems are essential processes in resolving the differentiation of continental crust. This understanding motivated the geochronological and geochemical study of the early Permian Hongliujing granite complex, consisting of quartz monzonite, granite, and leucogranite in the Central Tianshan microcontinent of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Laser ablation−inductively coupled plasma−mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) zircon U-Pb dating of the Hongliujing complex rock units revealed almost identical ages (279 ± 2 Ma to 270 ± 2 Ma). The high-silica leucogranite and granite are characterized by positive Rb and negative Eu anomalies and Ba, Sr, P, and Ti depletions. The zircon trace elements are characterized by relatively low Ti and Th/U and high Yb/Gd. In contrast, the quartz monzonite and its mafic microgranular enclaves display minor negative Ba, Sr, P, Ti, and Eu anomalies, while the zircon trace elements are characterized by relatively high Ti and Th/U and low Yb/Gd. The complex has similar zircon Hf and whole-rock Nd isotopic compositions, with Hf and Nd model ages younger than 1.4 Ga, suggesting that their magmas were derived from an isotopically depleted mantle, with some contributions from crustal melts. The leucogranites further showed relatively large variations of εHf(t) and lower εNd(t) values, implying that their magma was affected by higher amounts of crustal contamination. We suggest that crystal-melt segregation was the major mechanism responsible for the evolution of the magmatic system, and that the early Permian magmatism represents a crust-forming episode triggered by slab rollback of the subducting South Tianshan oceanic plate beneath the eastern Central Tianshan microcontinent. Thus, our study reveals that microcontinents with Precambrian crustal basement were major sites of juvenile continental growth during the accretionary evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.

Late Neoarchean plume-induced crust-mantle interaction and crustal reworking: Evidence from the Jianping Complex, North China Craton

The Archean basement of the North China Craton (NCC) is predominantly composed of 2.6–2.5 Ga lithological assemblages, while the tectonic regime that governed the formation and evolution of these Neoarchean basement rocks has been a controversial issue. Based on field relationships, petrographical features, whole-rock chemistry and zircon Hf isotope data, diverse late Neoarchean granitoids exposed in the Jianping Complex of the NCC are categorized into TTGs, sanukitoids and potassic granites. Their petrogenesis are associated with partial melting of metabasalts, melting of metasomatized mantle, and melting of crustal lithologies including tonalite and metasediments, respectively. Zircon U-Pb results suggest that different types of Neoarchean granitoids in the Jianping Complex are nearly coeval with crystallization ages of ∼ 2.54–2.52 Ga and metamorphic ages of ∼ 2.49–2.48 Ga. New Hf isotopic data reveal that these granitoids show positive εHf(t) values, with the tonalitic gneisses of εHf(t) values closer to the depleted mantle than those of granodioritic gneiss, sanukitoids and potassic granite. This result reflects potentially more enriched source for other granitoids than the tonalitic gneisses, which is linked with increasing level of crustal-mantle interaction and crustal reworking the late Neoarchean. Integrating other evidence from geochemical, structural and metamorphic studies, it is inferred that the plume activities play an important role in the emplacement of late Neoarchean granitoids in the Jianping Complex, with TTGs formed through the partial melting of juvenile crust induced by plume activity, sanukitoids produced from melting of metasomatized mantle resulted from sagduction process, and potassic granites formed by reworking of earlier crustal lithology caused by sustained underplating of mantle material. Overall, we interpreted that the late Neoarchean crustal growth and crustal-mantle interaction in the Jianping Complex can be attributed to upwelling of mantle plume and potential sagduction process in a vertical tectonic regime.

Integrated photogrammetry, lava geochemistry and palynological re-evaluation of the early evolution of the topographically constrained Mull Lava Field, Scotland

ABSTRACTPhotogrammetry was used to elucidate complex strata relationships between isolated outcrops of the Palaeocene lava fields of SW Mull, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province. Subsequent sampling for lava geochemistry and palynology was undertaken based on interpretation of these photogrammetry models. Coherent units of Plateau- and Staffa-type lavas were identified using lava geochemistry, in particular using rare earth elements (REEs), divisions supported by multivariate statistics. Lavas with three different REE compositional clusters were identified within the Staffa magma type and four within the Plateau type of SW Mull. Understanding the distribution of these lava types was achieved using the interpreted photogrammetry models and analysis of prominent interbedded sedimentary rock units and their correlative unconformities. Probably the most renowned rocks of SW Mull are the thick columnar jointed lavas, including those of the Isle of Staffa. REE geochemistry reveals that lavas of both Staffa- and Plateau-type geochemistry occur as columnar jointed facies associated with what has previously been attributed to the Staffa Lava Formation. Instead, the SW Mull Lava Field was initiated by eruption of Plateau-type lava into a fault-controlled valley. Subsequent eruptions of Staffa-type lavas partially infilled this structure, which was finally overfilled by a thick succession of younger Plateau-type lavas. The geochemical characteristics of this Plateau–Staffa–Plateau lava succession indicate that magma reservoirs deep in the crust were succeeded by shallow melts during a period of crustal extension. This phase of shallow melting induced topographical instability and formation of sedimentary interbeds and correlative unconformities that characterise the Staffa-type lava succession. Subsequent compressive tectonics forced a return to deep crustal melts. Interbed palynofloral compositional data indicate that eruption of the later Plateau-type lavas likely took place within a period of ~2.5 million years during the Selandian to early Thanetian period.

Geochemical and isotopic signatures, and zircon U[sbnd]Pb ages of the oldest known intrusive rocks associated with porphyry Cu deposits in the central Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc, Iran

The Zafarghand pluton, having ~10 km2 of outcrop exposure, lies within the central Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA) in Iran, of ~34 Ma age. Zafarghand plagioclase is albitic, with amphibole and chlorite being the distinctive mafic minerals. Although productive porphyry Cu deposits (PCDs) occur nearby, Zafarghand and its immediate neighboring plutons are sub-productive. Values of SiO2 and K2O span a narrow compositional range from 69 to 73 wt% and 2.2 to 3.5 wt%, respectively, corresponding to granodiorite or granite and calc-alkaline in affinity. εNd(t) values are ranging from ~0 to +1.2, a diagnostic range for the mantle-dominant melts. The SrNd isotopic values are significantly lower and higher than those of slab melting- and crust melting adakites, respectively. The 34 Ma age of Zafarghand plutons make them to be the oldest Cu porphyry deposits yet to be found in the UDMA, in which mineralization had occurred during a mature, late stage of subduction (pre-collisional). We propose multi-stage refertilizing of Cu in lithospheric mantle beneath the UDMA, negligibly during Eocene to Early Oligocene slab roll-back accompanied by middle to rather high fO2 context, and dominantly, during the Middle–Late Miocene slab break-off, the latter significantly tapping into influxing of asthenosphere mantle melt. Buffering of fO2 at a sufficiently high level (and not partial melting of slab or thickened crust) is the most plausible explanation for forming Late Eocene–Oligocene sub-productive (–and non-adakitic) Zafarghand Cu-bearing plutons.

Trace element partitioning in strongly peraluminous rare-metal silicic magmas – Implications for fractionation processes and for the origin of the Macusani Volcanics (SE Peru)

The Macusani Volcanics and related rocks (SE Peru) are well known examples of erupted strongly peraluminous rare-metal rich silicic magmas. We used the phenocryst/matrix glass method to determine relevant mineral/melt partition coefficients to facilitate modeling of such systems. Concentrations of trace (Li, Be, B, Al, P, Ti, Mn, Zn, Ge, Rb, Sr, Zr, Nb, Sn, Cs, Ba, La, Sm, Eu, Gd, Yb, Ta, W, Pb and U) and major elements were measured in obsidians, matrix glasses, glass inclusions, phenocrysts and phases from biotite reaction zones by Laser-Ablation ICP-MS and Electron Microprobe Analysis. The derived phenocryst/melt partition coefficients for quartz, plagioclase, sanidine, biotite, muscovite, andalusite and ilmenite are compared with values from reference silicic magmas and literature. Mineral/biotite partition coefficients are calculated for tourmaline and hercynite. The database is then applied to model chemical fractionation in Macusani magmas. Fractional crystallization and partial melting trends (with the B concentration used as a proxy for the fraction of residual liquid) generate progressively more evolved (higher Rb, Nb, Sn, Cs and Ta and lower Sr, Ba and Pb) residual liquids. The trace element concentrations in obsidians are reproduced for 50–70% crystallization of matrix glasses from ash-flow tuffs. This demonstrates that differentiation of magmas parental to the ash-flow tuffs can generate the highly evolved obsidian-forming liquids. Based on this, we present an updated model for crustal melting and the generation of the Macusani magmas. A metapelitic component dominates the source region but calcic plagioclase cores enriched in Sr, Ba and La suggest an affiliation with mafic magmas, which were likely potassic to ultrapotassic. The presence of a mafic component is consistent with the high heat fluxes in the source region and accounts for specific magmatic variables (i.e., middle crustal anatectic zone, very reducing fO2, high F). Petrogenetic processes differ significantly between Macusani Volcanics suites and two-mica leucogranites despite both having nearly identical source rocks, mineral assemblages and compositions.

O–Hf isotope ratios of Alvand S-type granite, western Iran, reveal crustal melting in an extensional regime

There are a few intrusive bodies in the central Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (C-SaSZ), which is parallel to the Zagros suture zone, in western Iran. The Alvand batholith in the Hamedan area is one of these bodies and consists of rock types with large variation, in particular, two-mica garnet-bearing granite with an S-type signature. Zircon UPb dating gives crystallization ages of 170–163 Ma for the S-type granite. The 176Hf/177Hf ratios in the zircon grains vary from 0.282001 to 0.282780 (rim), with low 176Lu/177Hf ratios (0.002 to 0.018). The εHf(t) values (rim) are clustered into two main groups: a negative εHf(t) group (−6.9 to 0.0, n = 39), with some highly negative εHf(t) values (−25.8 to −21.9, n = 3), and slightly positive εHf(t) values (+0.3 to +2.9, n = 14) of inherited grains. The δ18O values for the zircon grains are positive and range from +10.4‰ to +11.8‰. The high δ18O (positive) and mostly negative εHf(t) values are more consistent with continental crustal sources for these rocks, and the Hf model ages (TDM2) show a wide range from 2.7 to 0.8 Ga, suggesting the heterogeneity of the crustal components. The long incubation time (2089 to 544 Ma) indicates a long history of crustal residence and crustal reworking. The incubation age of the zircon grains, >300 Ma, confirms the recycling of crustal material by partial melting. The simultaneous occurrence of S-type granites with mafic bodies, such as gabbro and diorite members with tholeiitic signatures, suggests that the injection of mafic magma increased the geothermal gradient from the bottom and sides along the major faults, which was the trajectory for the injection of hot mafic melts to shallow depths. These processes abnormally increased the geothermal gradients locally, and the partial melting of crustal and supracrustal materials produced S-type granites and migmatization among the hot blade-shaped mafic bodies. Therefore, the partial melting of crustal material in an extensional tectonic regime and/or in a thin continental crust occurred in a continental rift and/or in the Neo-Tethys passive margin. The present work concludes that the passive margin can be suggested as the tectonic setting for the generation of S-type granites, without the collisional regime that has been widely considered for the sources of this type of granite in the world.

Petrogenesis of early Paleozoic granitoids in the North Qinling Orogen, Central China: Implications for crustal evolution in an accretionary orogen

Accretionary orogens are sites of extensive continental crustal growth and modification. The mechanism by which mafic crust is transformed into silicic melts (i.e., maturation of continental crust) is important for understanding the formation of the continental crust. The North Qinling Orogen (NQO) is a composite orogenic belt and contains an early Paleozoic accretion-dominated orogenic system, which is ideal for investigating continental crustal maturation. We obtained zircon and monazite U–Pb age and O isotope data, zircon Lu–Hf isotope data, and whole-rock major- and trace-element and Sr–Nd isotope data for early Paleozoic granitoids of the NQO. The granitoids are divided into three groups. Group 1 includes the Taiping tonalite (445 ± 3 Ma), the Manziying syenogranite (445 ± 2 Ma), and the Huoshenmiao granodiorite (436 ± 2 Ma). The Taiping and Huoshenmiao plutons have relatively high SiO2 contents (68.64–71.67 wt.%) and Na2O/K2O ratios (1.15–4.19), with enrichments in Rb, Ba, Th, and U and depletions in Nb, Ta, P, and Ti, and they are geochemically similar to sodic arc magmas. The Manziying syenogranite is a peraluminous potassic granite with high K2O contents (4.59–5.27 wt.%). Grantioids from Group 1 have similarly depleted Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotopic features (εHf[t] = +5.9 to +8.8; δ18O = 3.98‰–5.41‰), indicative of derivation via partial melting of oceanic arc crust, which suggests that partial melting of oceanic arc crust in a subduction system contributes to the generation of continental crust and causes its maturation. Group 2 consists of the Wuduoshan monzogranite (418 ± 2 Ma) and the Sikeshu granodiorite (423 ± 3 Ma). These plutons have relatively high SiO2 (65.59–72.06 wt.%), K2O (3.26–4.79 wt.%), and Al2O3 (14.65–16.12 wt.%) contents and Sr/Y (33–87) and (La/Yb)N (23–48) ratios. The Wuduoshan monzogranite has positive zircon εHf(t) (+0.4 to +3.1) and uniform δ18O (6.38‰–8.07‰) values, but the Sikeshu granodiorite has more variable isotopic compositions (εHf[t] = −1.9 to +5.0; δ18O = 6.37‰–10.60‰). The Wuduoshan monzogranite and Sikeshu granodiorite have similar whole-rock Sr–Nd isotopic compositions to basement rocks of the NQO. These features indicate that the two plutons formed by partial melting of basement rocks (i.e., subducted into the lower crust) of the North Qinling unit, along with juvenile crustal material. Group 3 is represented by the Xiaguan monzogranite, which formed at 434–430 Ma, and can be subdivided into heavy rare earth element (REE)-depleted and -enriched units. The former has high Sr/Y (56–98) and (La/Yb)N (34–73) ratios and low MgO (0.13–0.24 wt.%), Cr (0.37–1.69 ppm), and Ni (0.32–1.09 ppm) contents, similar to adakites derived from metabasaltic sources. The heavy REE-enriched nature of the Xiaguan monzogranite may reflect modification of its source by melt or fluid. Our results show that partial melting of enriched oceanic arc crust contributed to crustal maturation in an accretionary orogen. The addition of evolved crustal material also facilitated this process; therefore, the basement rocks and crustal thickness should be considered when assessing crustal dynamics in an accretionary orogen.

Petrogenesis, geochronology and thermochronology of Oligocene to Miocene Western Anatolia granitoid plutons in Turkey

Western Anatolia (WA) hosts numerous I-and S-type plutons with variable compositions. This paper presents new comprehensive geology, petrography, bulk-rock and mineral chemistry, SrNd isotope, zircon UPb, biotite and hornblende Ar/Ar and first apatite UTh / He age data for seven plutons (Baklan, Evciler, Eybek, Ilıca-Şamlı, Kozak, Uludağ, Yenice) in WA. Western Anatolia granitoid plutons (WAGPs) are mainly granodiorite, with minor monzonite, diorite, quartz monzonite and granite. The dominant minerals are K-feldspar (usually orthoclase and rarely microcline), plagioclase (albite, oligoclase), amphibole (hornblende), biotite, quartz, and accessory minerals are titanite, zircon, apatite, and opaques. The crystallization temperatures are relatively uniform (640-740 °C) but pressures range from those typical of the upper crust to those typical of the mid crust. The plutons are characterized by moderate to high SiO2 (58.1–73.7 wt%), K2O (2.1–6.9 wt%), and relatively low P2O5 (0.03–0.60 wt%) and most are I-type and metaluminous, except for the Uludağ pluton that is S-type. They are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs e.g. U, Th, Rb, and K), light rare earth elements (LREEs) and Pb, and depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), high field strength elements (HFSE, e.g. Nb, Ti) and Sr, Ba and P relative to other LILEs. The plutons display small Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu*: 0.17–1.15) due to probaly suppression of feldspar fractionation/or partial melting of lower crust. They have relatively high initial 87Sr/86Sr = 0.705775–0.708357 and low initial 143Nd/144Nd = 0.512290–0.512581. The LA-ICP-MS 206Pb238U age analyses of zircon in addition to 40Ar/39Ar dating of hornblendes and biotites suggest that the plutons were emplaced between 29.4 Ma and 19.8 Ma and cooled with a relatively high rate (∼363 °C/Ma). These ages correlate with the collision between the Sakarya Zone and Anatolide–Tauride Platform in Rupelian to Burdigalian time. The (UTh)/He apatite ages range from 19.8 Ma to 7.6 Ma, for the WA granitoid plutons and indicates that the crustal terrains hosting the seven plutons had complex exhumation histories within their arc environment. Consequently, these ages constrain the crystallization, cooling and exumation times of the Oligocene to Miocene plutons in a post-collisional setting on the northern margin of Gondwana.

Petrogenesis of Jurassic granitic plutons in the Yanbian area, NE China: Implications for the subduction history of the Paleo-Pacific Plate

It is widely accepted that the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent began during the early Mesozoic; however, the details of the subduction process remain uncertain. This paper presents new zircon U–Pb–Hf and whole-rock geochemical data for Jurassic intrusive rocks from the Yanbian area of NE China to provide a better understanding of the subduction history of the Paleo-Pacific Plate. Zircon U–Pb dating results reveal that three stages of Jurassic magmatism are recorded in the Yanbian area, namely, Early Jurassic (188–179 Ma), Middle Jurassic (172–163 Ma), and Late Jurassic (158–156 Ma). Early Jurassic intrusive rocks from the Yanbian area are predominantly calc-alkaline gabbro, gabbro-diorite, quartz monzonite, granodiorite, and syenogranite. These geochemical features and rock associations are indicative of formation in an active continental margin setting related to the initial subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent. The Early Jurassic granitoids were formed mainly by the partial melting of heterogeneous lower crust. The Middle Jurassic granitoids are geochemically similar to adakites and have εHf(t) values of + 2.0 to + 10.1. These rocks are inferred to have been derived from magmas generated by the partial melting of thickened juvenile lower-crustal material. Their formation was related to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate. Late Jurassic adakites in the Yanbian area formed in a compressional tectonic setting. Their negative εHf(t) values (−17.2 to − 8.6) and TDM2 ages (2025–1552 Ma) indicate that the primary magma was derived from the partial melting of ancient continental crust. Combining our data with the distribution of Late Jurassic igneous rocks in the NE Asian continental margin and the northward migration of Jurassic accretionary complexes along the margin, we conclude that the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent during the Late Jurassic–earliest Early Cretaceous had a low angle of obliquity.

Decoding subcontinental lithosphere processes: The key role of fractional crystallization in Central Andes monogenetic volcanism - Insight from El Negrillar volcanic field, Chile

Subduction zones are complex geodynamic settings in which volcanic arcs form due to the interaction between subducting slabs, water, and continental materials. Investigating this extensive Earth recycling system offers valuable insights into the exchange of materials between the crust and mantle. While previous research has primarily focused on analyzing polygenetic volcanoes to explore this interaction, monogenetic volcanic fields (MVF) present an opportunity to delve into the mechanisms operating within the upper and lower mantle. Monogenetic volcanoes are a class of volcanoes that are typically smaller in size but showcase a range of eruptive styles and compositions. These volcanoes can be found in various locations along the arc, including the main Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ) (arc-front volcanoes), and even far from the tectonic plate boundaries in the back-arc region (intraplate volcanism).We carried out a detailed geochemical study of El Negrillar (EN) MVF, located in the Central Andes main-arc, on the Altiplano-Puna Plateau's southwestern border. The volcanic field has 35 eruptive centers and a total of 86 eruptive phases originating from its three clusters: Northern, Central, and Southern. EN magmas range in composition from basaltic andesite to dacite and have produced over 6.8 km3 (DRE) of lava and pyroclastic material, which makes it the most voluminous volcanic field in the Central Andes, and therefore, an excellent example to study MVF in arc-systems. We have conducted an extensive study encompassing major and trace elements, as well as isotopic analysis using whole rock Sr-Nd-Pb. We also present an analysis of our results with available geochemical data from the back-arc and main-arc volcanoes, including other monogenetic volcanoes near EN (<80 km, EN's neighbors). The results revealed that EN magmas and their neighbors are strongly related and exhibit a clear similarity in major and trace element compositions and isotopic ratios, indicating a common source and origin of their melts. Our comparison across the arc surprisingly reveals similarities between EN and back-arc monogenetic volcanism. Both regions indicate geochemical signatures that do not support melting via slab metasomatism, typical of subduction zones. Instead, they show low Th/Ce (<0.1 ppm) and Ba/La (<30 ppm) and high Ce/Pb (>6 ppm), Ba/Th (>100 ppm), high 143Nd/144Nd > 0.51240, and La/Yb ratios at a given La/Sm compared to the main-arc polygenetic volcanoes. Interestingly, EN also exhibits adakite-like signatures with increasing SiO2 content (high Sr > 600 ppm, Sr/Y > 40, and high La/Yb > 20), a term used for igneous rock suites with chemical characteristics that are identical to those of adakites but produced through petrogenetic processes that do not include a slab component. We explore how fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation participate in the development of monogenetic volcanoes, and our findings underscore the significant influence of fractional crystallization on the monogenetic volcanic processes in the Salar de Atacama region. The geochemical changes observed in this area can be attributed to a combination of varying degrees of fractional crystallization within magmas generated through the partial melting of a garnet-enriched environment, which could be primary lower crust or partial melting of a peridotite mantle that has later equilibrated with garnet-bearing crustal melts.

Bimodality in zircon oxygen isotopes and implications for crustal melting on the early Earth

Zircons from the oldest dated felsic crust, the Acasta Gneiss Complex, Canada, provide key information that may help understand the generation of crust on our nascent planet. When screened to eliminate grains with secondary alteration by measuring relative hydration (Δ16O1H/16O), primary ≥ 3.99 Ga zircon cores show δ18O of 5.88 ± 0.15 ‰, at the extreme upper (heavy) range for mantle values. Another early (≥3.96 Ga) zircon component indicates distinctly different, primary light δ18O values (δ18O ≤ 4.5 ‰). This bimodality in ancient zircon oxygen isotopes implies partial melting of both deep (lower crustal) and shallower (near surface) source rocks, responsible for felsic crust production on the early Earth. A similar bimodality in zircon δ18O is recognised in data from other ancient cratons, albeit at different times. Although alternative (uniformitarian) interpretations may also satisfy the data, the tempo of this bimodality matches models of planetary high-energy impact flux, consistent with a fundamental role for bolide impacts in the formation of crustal nuclei on the early Earth.

In situ probing of the present-day zircon-bearing magma chamber at Krafla, Northeastern Iceland

Active felsic magmatism has been rarely probed in situ by drilling but one recent exception is quenched rhyolite sampled during the 2009 Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP). We report finding of rare zircons of up to ∼100 µm in size in rhyolite glasses from the IDDP-1 well products and the host 1724 AD Viti granophyres. The applied SHRIMP U-Th dating for both the IDDP and the Viti granophyre zircons gives zero-age (±2 kyr), and therefore suggests that the IDDP-1 zircons have crystallized from an active magma intrusion rather than due to the 20–80 ka post-caldera magmatic episodes recorded by nearby domes and ridges. Ti-in-zircon geothermometer for Viti granophyre reveals zircon crystallization temperatures ∼800°C–900°C, whereas IDDP-1 rhyolite zircon cores show Ti content higher than 100 ppm, corresponding to temperatures up to ∼1,100°C according to the Ti-in-zircon thermometer. According to our thermochemical model at such elevated temperatures as 1,100°C, rhyolitic magma cannot be saturated with zircon and zircon crystallization is not possible. We explain this controversy by either kinetic effects or non-ideal Ti incorporation into growing zircons at low pressures that start to grow from nucleus at temperatures ∼930°C. High temperatures recorded by IDDP-1 zircon together with an occurrence of baddeleyite require that the rhyolite magma formed by partial melting of the host granophyre due to basaltic magma intrusion. Zr concentration profiles in glass around zircons are flat, suggesting residence in rhyolitic melt for &amp;gt;4 years. In our thermochemical modeling, three scenarios are considered. The host felsite rocks are intruded by: 1) a basaltic sill, 2) rhyolite magma 3) rhyolite sill connected to a deeper magmatic system. Based on the solution of the heat conduction equation accounting for the release of latent heat and effective thermal conductivity, these data confirm that the rhyolite magma could be produced by felsic crust melting as a result of injection of a basaltic or rhyolite sill during the Krafla Fires eruption (1975 AD).

Two-stage crust-mantle interactions from oceanic subduction to post-collisional extension in the northern margin of the North China Craton: Insights from Paleozoic to Mesozoic magmatism

The northern margin of the North China Craton experienced prolonged tectono-magmatic evolution during the late Paleozoic−early Mesozoic in response to the southward subduction and closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. However, details about the subduction process and the timing of the tectonic transition from subduction to post-collision are still poorly constrained. Here, we identify two-stage crust-mantle interactions in the Wulashan area and report new geochronology, geochemistry, and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic data for magmatic rocks that record such processes following the subduction and closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The early Carboniferous Xiguanjing pluton features a bimodal suite of gabbro (ca. 333 Ma) and syenogranite (ca. 331 Ma). The gabbros have arc-like geochemical affinities, with low Nb/La (0.31−0.40) and La/Ba (0.04−0.09) ratios, and variable Rb/Y (1.22−2.94) ratios, as well as enriched, mantle-like Sr-Nd-Pb (87Sr/86Sri = 0.7046−0.7047; εNd(t) = −3.8 to −3.5; 206Pb/204Pbi = 17.078−17.141) and enriched to depleted Hf (εHf(t) = −4.5 to +6.2) isotopic values. Such geochemical signatures indicate that they were derived from partial melting of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle that was metasomatized by slab-derived fluids, with minor involvement of asthenospheric components. In contrast, the contemporaneous syenogranites are characterized by lower negative εNd(t) (−13.5 to −12.1) and εHf(t) values (−16.3 to −8.2), which suggests that they were formed by partial melting of the lower crust. Late Triassic Shadegai and Xishadegai plutons are mainly composed of enclave-bearing syenogranite, and both mafic microgranular enclaves and syenogranites crystallized at ca. 233−231 Ma. The mafic microgranular enclaves have geochemical features similar to those of the early Carboniferous gabbros, and also have moderately enriched isotopic compositions (εNd(t) = −9.7 to −8.4; εHf(t) = −9.2 to −0.3), which suggests that they originated from interaction between mantle-derived magma and overlying crust-derived magma, with minor additions of asthenospheric melts in their sources. Field and petrological observations, coupled with the similar ages of the host granites and mafic microgranular enclaves, suggest a magmatic mingling process. Isotopic mixing models suggest that minor amounts (∼10%−20%) of lower crustal materials were mixed during the formation of the mafic microgranular enclaves. The host syenogranites display calc-alkaline to alkalic and metaluminous to weakly peraluminous compositions, and negative εNd(t) (−15.0 to −12.1) and εHf(t) values (−16.4 to −9.8), which indicates that they were mainly derived from partial melting of the lower crust and experienced the injection of deep mantle-derived magmas. Our new data, along with previously published data for magmatic rocks in the northern margin of the North China Craton, suggest that the early Carboniferous bimodal intrusive rocks formed in a localized back-arc extensional regime that was probably triggered by slab rollback of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. However, the Late Triassic plutons formed in a post-collisional extensional regime in response to slab breakoff or lithospheric delamination. Temporal variations of Nd-Hf isotopes for the magmatism in the northern margin of the North China Craton suggest that tectonic switching from advancing to retreating subduction to post-collisional extension occurred during the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic. We propose that a tectonic transition from subduction to post-collisional extension may have occurred during the Early−Middle Triassic, marking the final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, which most likely took place at ca. 250−235 Ma.

Mechanisms for generating elevated zircon δ18O in Archean crust: Insights from the Saglek-Hebron Complex, Canada

The Saglek-Hebron Complex (northern Labrador, Canada) is a polymetamorphic terrane preserving felsic crustal rocks as old as 3.87 Ga. Crustal rocks of this age are rare and offer opportunities to interrogate how Earth's earliest continent forming processes may have differed from the modern plate tectonic regime. Oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) in primary crystalline zircon are strongly affected by the incorporation of supracrustal materials during magmatism and can provide useful information about the character of early crustal reworking events. While zircon δ18O signatures >+6.4 ‰ indicate the incorporation of supracrustal material into the source of crustal anatexis, questions remain regarding the volumetric scale, sources, and processes by which supracrustal and magmatic mixing occurred during the Archean. Here, we present 271 zircon in-situ oxygen isotope analyses for a suite of seven Saglek-Hebron granitoids emplaced between 3.87 and 2.79 Ga in age, significantly expanding the temporal and lithologic diversity of the magmatic SHC zircon δ18O record. Collected from carefully characterized grain domains, primary zircon δ18O values range from 5.0 to 8.4 ‰ and include some of the highest igneous Archean zircon oxygen isotope ratios recorded to date. Leveraging an integrated workflow for identifying preserved zircon geochemistry, and correlating our new data with previous information from zircon Hf and whole-rock 142Nd/144Nd isotopes, we identify three periods of contribution from high-δ18O supracrustal material to crustal melts during reworking events in the SHC at 3.63, 3.33, and 2.79 Ga. Our work points towards repeated episodes of interaction between a maturing surface environment and magmatism from 3.6 Ga onwards at this locality.