Dating Of Titanite Research Articles

U-Pb DATING OF HYDROTHERMAL TITANITE RESOLVES MULTIPLE PHASES OF PROPYLITIC ALTERATION IN THE OYU TOLGOI PORPHYRY DISTRICT, MONGOLIA

Abstract Oyu Tolgoi is a world-class, Late Devonian porphyry district in southern Mongolia. Because of its age and geodynamic setting, it has undergone a complex geological history that includes major postmineralization magmatic-hydrothermal events in close proximity to the porphyry deposits. The propylitic alteration halos that surround the Cu-Au deposits contain widespread hydrothermal titanite, as do the younger altered volcanic and intrusive rocks. Here, we present a comprehensive laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry U-Pb study on in situ, propylitic titanite from the Oyu Tolgoi district. The results identify district-wide hydrothermal alteration episodes that coincide with known magmatic events: Devonian porphyry mineralization (~372 Ma); the intrusion of granodiorite plutons and andesite dikes in the Carboniferous (~320–310 Ma); and the emplacement of the Permian Khanbogd Granite alkaline batholith (~290 Ma). Both Carboniferous and Permian alteration events variably overprint the earlier porphyry alteration halo. Overdispersion in the U-Pb data from some samples, due to Pb and/or U mobility, makes interpretation of some titanite ages more difficult, but further exemplifies the complex alteration history of the district. We conclude that U-Pb dating of propylitic titanite is a viable means by which explorers can identify alteration within a prospect that is synchronous with potentially fertile intrusions of known age. The extent of the coeval propylitic alteration and its mineral chemistry can then be used to assess the likelihood of a major porphyry center being present.

Titanite in situ SIMS U–Pb geochronology, elemental and Nd isotopic signatures record mineralization and fluid characteristics at the Pusangguo skarn deposit, Tibet

The Pusangguo skarn is a newly discovered Cu-Pb-Zn deposit in the Gangdese metallogenic belt, Tibet. In order to constrain the age of the deposit and the source of hydrothermal fluids, various types of titanite and coexisting minerals in the Pusangguo deposit were studied. The titanite occurring interstitially in fresh granodiorite is magmatic and characterized by high REE, Y, Mn, and Lu/Hf ratios, and high crystallization temperatures (700 to 750 °C). The titanite growing with, or included in, diopside in the prograde endoskarn, or occurring with epidote, calcite, and quartz in the retrograde exoskarn, is hydrothermal titanite characterized by low REE, Y, Mn, and Lu/Hf ratios. The titanite in the retrograde exoskarn typically contains a REE-enriched early core characterized by a negative Eu anomaly, and an overgrowth REE-depleted rim with a positive Eu anomaly. The secondary-ion mass spectrometry U-Pb dating of titanite drilled from thin sections of retrograde exoskarn shows intercept ages of 14.91 ± 0.31 Ma, which are consistent with the granodiorite age (14.63 ± 0.30 Ma), indicating coeval emplacement of granodiorite and skarn mineralization at ~ 14.7 Ma. In addition, in situ epidote and calcite Sr isotopes and titanite Nd isotopes, all analyzed in the same retrograde exoskarn thin section, show similar Sr-Nd isotopic compositions to magmatic plagioclase and granodiorite (whole rock), indicating that the retrograde hydrothermal fluids were directly derived from, or had the same origin as, the granodiorite.

Contact Metamorphic and Metasomatic Processes at the Kharaelakh Intrusion, Oktyabrsk Deposit, Norilsk-Talnakh Ore District: Application of LA-ICP-MS Dating of Perovskite, Apatite, Garnet, and Titanite

Abstract The Norilsk-Talnakh ore district in the northwestern Siberian platform contains globally unique reserves of Cu-Ni-sulfides with Pt and, especially, Pd. The Oktyabrsk deposit, which is one of the largest in the district, is spatially and genetically associated with the Kharaelakh mafic-ultramafic intrusion and its exceptionally large metamorphic and metasomatic aureoles. In this study, we employed in situ laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry U-Pb isotope dating of apatite, titanite, garnet, and perovskite that cocrystallize with disseminated sulfides within the aureole of metasomatic and contact metamorphic rocks. The calculated isotopic ages for apatite (257.3 ± 4.5 and 248.9 ± 5.1 Ma), titanite (248.6 ± 6.8 and 249.1 ± 2.9 Ma), garnet (260.0 ± 11.0 Ma), and perovskite (247.3 ± 8.2 Ma), though with large uncertainties, indicate that sulfide mineralization within metasomatic and contact-metamorphic rocks is coeval with the emplacement of the Kharaelakh intrusion. These isotopic dates are in complete agreement with the published isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry U-Pb zircon ages for the Norilsk intrusions and, at the same time, notably older than available Re-Os isochron ages of sulfides. The latter ages have been long interpreted as evidence for a prolonged duration of magmatic ore-forming processes; however, our data narrow their life span. Trace elements in titanite and garnet allow distinguishing late- and postmagmatic grains, which show indistinguishable U-Pb isotope ages.

Interplay of Cretaceous transpressional deformation and continental arc magmatism in a long-lived crustal boundary, central Fiordland, New Zealand

Abstract Recovering the time-evolving relationship between arc magmatism and deformation, and the influence of anisotropies (inherited foliations, crustal-scale features, and thermal gradients), is critical for interpreting the location, timing, and geometry of transpressional structures in continental arcs. We investigated these themes of magma-deformation interactions and preexisting anisotropies within a middle- and lower-crustal section of Cretaceous arc crust coinciding with a Paleozoic boundary in central Fiordland, New Zealand. We present new structural mapping and results of Zr-in-titanite thermometry and U-Pb zircon and titanite geochronology from an Early Cretaceous batholith and its host rock. The data reveal how the expression of transpression in the middle and lower crust of a continental magmatic arc evolved during emplacement and crystallization of the ∼2300 km2 lower-crustal Western Fiordland Orthogneiss (WFO) batholith. Two structures within Fiordland’s architecture of transpressional shear zones are identified. The gently dipping Misty shear zone records syn-magmatic oblique-sinistral thrust motion between ca. 123 and ca. 118 Ma, along the lower-crustal WFO Misty Pluton margin. The subhorizontal South Adams Burn thrust records mid-crustal arc-normal shortening between ca. 114 and ca. 111 Ma. Both structures are localized within and reactivate a recently described >10 km-wide Paleozoic crustal boundary, and show that deformation migrated upwards between ca. 118 and ca. 114 Ma. WFO emplacement and crystallization (mainly 118–115 Ma) coincided with elevated (>750 °C) middle- and lower-crustal Zr-in-titanite temperatures and the onset of mid-crustal cooling at 5.9 ± 2.0 °C Ma−1 between ca. 118 and ca. 95 Ma. We suggest that reduced strength contrasts across lower-crustal pluton margins during crystallization caused deformation to migrate upwards into thermally weakened rocks of the mid-crust. The migration was accompanied by partitioning of deformation into domains of arc-normal shortening in Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks and domains that combined shortening and strike-slip deformation in crustal-scale subvertical, transpressional shear zones previously documented in Fiordland. U-Pb titanite dates indicate Carboniferous–Cretaceous (re)crystallization, consistent with reactivation of the inherited boundary. Our results show that spatio-temporal patterns of transpression are influenced by magma emplacement and crystallization and by the thermal structure of a reactivated boundary.

Influence of Titaniferous Phases on Tungsten Mineralizing Processes at the Giant Sisson Brook W-Mo Deposit, New Brunswick, Canada: Mineral-Chemical and Geochronological Assessment

The Sisson Brook deposit is a low-grade, large-tonnage W-Mo deposit with notable Cu located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada, and is one of several W-Mo deposits in New Brunswick associated with fluids sourced from granitic plutons emplaced during the Devonian Acadian Orogeny. The younger Devonian-aged stockwork and replacement scheelite-wolframite-molybdenite (and chalcopyrite) mineralization straddles the faulted boundary between Cambro-Ordovician metasedimentary rocks with Ordovician felsic volcaniclastic rocks and the Middle Silurian Howard Peak Granodiorite, with dioritic and gabbroic phases. U-Pb dating of magmatic titanite in the host dioritic phase of the Howard Peak Granodiorite using LA ICP-MS resulted in a 204Pb-corrected concordant age of 432.1 ± 1.9 Ma. Petrologic examination of selected mineralization combined with elemental mapping of vein selvages using micro-XRF and metasomatic titanite and ilmenite grains using LA ICP-MS indicates that saturation of titaniferous phases influenced the distribution of scheelite versus wolframite mineralization by altering the aFe/aCa ratio in mineralizing fluids. Ilmenite saturation in Ti-rich host rocks lowered the relative aFe/aCa and led to the formation of scheelite over wolframite. Altered magmatic titanite and hydrothermal titanite also show increased W and Mo concentrations due to interaction with and/or saturation from mineralizing fluids.

Geochemical and chronological evidence for collision of proto-Yap arc/Caroline plateau and rejuvenated plate subduction at Yap trench

The Yap Arc was considered to have derived from the proto-Yap-Izu Bonin-Mariana arc system. It is a rare example of subduction of an oceanic plateau with short arc–trench distance and consists mainly of metamorphic rocks, which are distinct from the Izu Bonin-Mariana arc system. However, it is not known on the origin and formation time of the basement rocks of the Yap Arc. For the first time, in this study we provide the results of radiometric age-dating and whole-rock major element, trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotope analyses for the metamorphic basement rocks (amphibolites) of the Yap Arc. These rock samples can be classified into three groups based on their major and trace element compositions. Group 1 samples have strong depletion of LREEs and a Dupal-type isotopic signature, and they represent forearc basalts (FABs) of the nascent Yap forearc. Group 2 samples have an alkali basalt-like geochemistry and oceanic island basalts (OIBs) type trace element patterns, and they represent the basalts of the Caroline Plateau. Group 3 samples have island-arc-type negative anomalies of Nb–Ta–Zr–Hf, and they may represent the volcanic rocks of the proto-Yap Arc. These amphibolites were formed at 21 Ma according to 40Ar/39Ar amphibole dating and in situ SIMS UPb titanite dating, and they record the timing of the collisional event between the Caroline Plateau and the proto-Yap Arc. We propose that the Yap arc has been evolving distinctly from the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc since this collision time. These rocks were metamorphosed and brought onto the present Yap Arc as a result of the collision between the proto-Yap Arc and the Caroline Plateau. Based on the new results of age-dating and geochemistry of this study, we propose three stages of tectonic evolution for the Yap Arc as a result of collision from the Caroline plateau: an early stage (proto-Yap Arc) of subduction of the Caroline Plate, collision of the proto-Yap Arc with the in-coming young Caroline Plateau, and rejuvenated plate subduction at the Yap Trench with limited volcanism.

In situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology and trace element analysis of hydrothermal titanite from the Jiepai W-Cu deposit, South China: Implications for W mineralization

ABSTRACT Titanite is associated with scheelite in altered biotite granite, clinopyroxene skarn, actinolite skarn, clinozoisite skarn, and quartz veins in the Jiepai W-Cu deposit, South China. Textural and geochemical characteristics indicate a hydrothermal origin for the titanite. There is compositional variability with respect to the rare earth element (REE) and high field strength element (HFSE) components in titanite from the different rock types. Interstitial titanite from the clinopyroxene (-garnet-vesuvianite) skarn displays low to moderate concentrations of REE (1212–1693 ppm), Nb (1337–1911 ppm), Ta (16–24 ppm), and W (26–42 ppm); low LREE/HREE (0.36–0.47) yet high Nb/Ta (47–85) ratios; along with weak negative Eu (0.71–0.90) and positive Ce (1.1–1.2) anomalies. By contrast, titanite from the actinolite and clinozoisite skarns shows generally higher concentrations of REE (2721–11,550 ppm), Nb (4350–24,228 ppm), Ta (1346–11,781 ppm), and W (32–337 ppm); highly variable LREE/HREE (0.14–0.70) but lower Nb/Ta (0.61–5.6) ratios; along with stronger yet variable negative Eu (0.02–0.14) and positive Ce (1.2–1.6) anomalies. Furthermore, the quartz vein-hosted titanite differs from those occurring in retrograde skarns in its significantly higher LREE/HREE ratios (0.78–6.3) and distinct Eu anomalies, which vary from negative to positive (0.15–1.2). Accordingly, the shift from relatively oxidizing to reducing conditions, as recorded by δEu and δCe in titanite, together with the different LREE/HREE and Nb/Ta ratios of the mineralizing fluids, as constrained by fluid composition and fractional precipitation, took place during emplacement of the hydrothermal W mineralization. In situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of hydrothermal titanite from the mineralized clinozoisite skarn, quartz vein, and actinolite skarn, respectively, yielded weighted mean 207Pb-corrected 206Pb/238U ages of 427 ± 5 Ma, 427 ± 4 Ma, and 426 ± 7 Ma (1σ), indicative of the dominant Silurian W skarn mineralization at Jiepai. Our new U-Pb data are consistent with published ages for igneous and ore-forming activities in other major W (-polymetallic) deposits in the Miao'ershan-Yuechengling pluton, highlighting the capability of Early Paleozoic granites to develop W (-polymetallic) deposits in South China. Additionally, hydrothermal titanite carrying considerable concentrations of Nb, Ta, and W along with variable Nb/Ta ratios holds potential for deciphering the fluid chemistry and sources for W-skarn deposits elsewhere.

Pre‐orogenic upper crustal softening by lower greenschist facies metamorphic reactions in granites of the central Pyrenees

AbstractPre‐kinematic greenschist facies metamorphism is often observed in granites and basement units of mountain belts, but rarely dated and accounted for in orogenic cycle reconstructions. Studying pre‐kinematic alteration is challenging because of its usual obliteration by subsequent syn‐kinematic metamorphism often occurring at conditions typical of the brittle–ductile transition. It is, however, to be expected that pre‐kinematic alteration has major implications for the rheology of the upper crust. In the 305 Ma‐old Variscan basement of the Bielsa massif (located in the Axial Zone of the Pyrenees), successive fluid–rock interaction events are recorded in granites below 350°C. Combined microstructural and petrographic analysis, low‐T thermobarometry and in situ U–Th/Pb dating of anatase, titanite and monazite show extensive pre‐orogenic (pre‐Alpine) and pre‐kinematic alteration related to feldspar sericitization and chloritization of biotite and amphibole at temperatures of 270–350°C at 230–300 Ma. This event is followed by a second fluid–rock interaction stage marked by new crystallization of phyllosilicates at 200–280°C and is associated with the formation of mylonitic shear zones and fractures parallel to the shear planes. U–Pb anatase and monazite ages as well as the microtextural relationships of accessory minerals suggest an age for this event at 40–70 Ma, consistent with independent regional geology constraints. The Variscan basement was therefore softened at late to post‐Variscan time, at least 150–200 Ma before the main Alpine shortening while Alpine‐age compression (c. 35–50 Ma) leads to the formation of a dense net of mylonites. The associated deformation, both distributed at the scale of the Bielsa massif and localized at decametric scale in mylonitic corridors, precedes the strain localization along the major thrusts of the Axial Zone. The Bielsa massif is a good example where inherited, pre‐orogenic upper crustal softening controls the deformation patterns in granitic basement units through low‐grade metamorphic reactions.

In situ U-Pb geochronology, Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotope systematics of the Hoidas Lake REE deposit, northern Saskatchewan, Canada

The diopside-allanite veins and apatite breccia veins of the Hoidas Lake LREE deposit cross-cut the deformed Archaean and Paleoproterozoic granitoid gneisses of the Rae Subprovince, in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The timing and source of this unusual and complex REE deposit are not well-constrained. Here we report on the results of LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology of zircon and titanite from diopside-allanite veins and green apatite and monazite from apatite breccia veins, Hf isotopic data for zircon, and Sm-Nd isotopic data for titanite, apatite and monazite, in an attempt to constrain the age and duration of crystallization of REE-bearing phases, and provide implications on the source of the mineralization. Geological relationships and in situ U-Pb data indicate that the REE veins formed after peak metamorphism at ca. 1.9 Ga. However, there are zircon crystals in the diopside-allanite veins with concordant U-Pb dates as old as ~2350 Ma, the oldest of which may have been inherited from Arrowsmith Orogen granitoids. Zircon rims show a concordant cluster of U-Pb dates around 1911 Ma, which are interpreted to represent new zircon growth, based on textural features and their distinct initial ɛHf values (26.9 and 34.3), compared to the inherited zircon cores, which range from −9.5 to −2.0. Younger U- Pb Concordia ages of titanite (ca. 1860 Ma and 1830 Ma) and monazite (ca. 1843 Ma), and discordant apatite 207Pb/206Pb dates (ca. 1840 Ma), are considered to be the best constraints on the initiation of REE mineralization. The initial ɛNd values of titanite, green apatite and monazite (−15.2 to −10.7) are comparable to, but lower than the ɛNd values for the Martin Group alkali basalts (Beaverlodge Domain) and the ultrapotassic rocks of the Christopher Island Formation (Baker Lake Basin), both of which also yielded similar U-Pb dates to those of the youngest Hoidas Lake REE-bearing minerals. These regionally occurring alkali units originated from a similar source, most probably an ancient enriched lithospheric mantle reservoir. The melts and fluids, from which the Hoidas Lake deposit formed, then interacted with Rae craton crust as they utilized structures while they were transported from the source region to the depositional site.

In situ U-Pb dating of titanite by LA-SF-ICP-MS and insights into titanite crystallization and closure temperature

榍石富含U、Th，贫Pb，是U-Pb定年的理想矿物之一。本文采用激光剥蚀-高分辨等离子体质谱建立榍石U-Pb定年方法，采用25~30μm激光斑束，准确测定榍石U-Pb标准样品BLR-1（~1048Ma）、OLT-1（~1014Ma）和Pakistan（~21.4Ma），以及年轻榍石样品（< 100Ma）U-Pb年龄，提高了检测准确性和空间分辨率。综合对比共生锆石和榍石U-Pb年龄、榍石颗粒微量元素和U-Pb年龄环带及不同成分岩浆岩（SiO2含量48.1%~77.0%）中岩浆榍石的结晶温度，结果表明：岩浆演化过程中，榍石具有宽泛的结晶温度（600~900℃，峰值~750℃），主要集中于岩浆演化中晚期结晶，榍石U-Pb同位素封闭温度接近或略低于锆石，因此同一岩浆体系中锆石与榍石的年龄差异可能反映了该熔体较晚达到榍石饱和，而非熔体热演化历史或封闭温度信息。

Titanite composition and SHRIMP U–Pb dating as indicators of post-magmatic tectono-thermal activity: Variscan I-type tonalites to granodiorites, the Western Carpathians

Abstract Titanite belongs to the common accessory minerals in Variscan (~360–350 Ma) metaluminous to slightly peraluminous tonalites to granodiorites of I-type affinity in the Tatric and Veporic Units, the Western Carpathians, Slovakia. It forms brown tabular prismatic-dipyramidal crystals (~0.5 to 10 mm in size) in association with quartz, plagioclase, and biotite. Titanite crystals commonly shows oscillatory, sector and convolute irregular zonal textures, reflecting mainly variations in Ca and Ti versus Al (1–2 wt. % Al2O3, 0.04–0.08 Al apfu), Fe (0.6–1.6 wt. % Fe2O3, 0.02–0.04 Fe apfu), REE (La to Lu + Y; ≤4.8 wt. % REE2O3, ≤ 0.06 REE apfu), and Nb (up to 0.5 wt. % Nb2O5, ≤0.01 Nb apfu). Fluorine content is up to 0.5 wt. % (0.06 F apfu). The compositional variations indicate the following principal substitutions in titanite: REE3+ + Fe3+ = Ca2+ + Ti4+, 2REE3+ + Fe2+ = 2Ca2+ + Ti4+, and (Al, Fe)3+ + (OH, F)− = Ti4+ + O2−. The U–Pb SHRIMP dating of titanite reveal their Variscan ages in an interval of 351.0 ± 6.5 to 337.9 ± 6.1 Ma (Tournaisian to Visean); titanite U–Pb ages are thus ~5 to 19 Ma younger than the primary magmatic zircon of the host rocks. The Zr-in-titanite thermometry indicates a relatively high temperature range of titanite precipitation (~650–750 °C), calculated for assumed pressures of 0.2 to 0.4 GPa and a(TiO2) = 0.6–1.0. Consequently, the textural, geochronological and compositional data indicate relatively high-temperature, most probably early post-magmatic (subsolidus) precipitation of titanite. Such titanite origin could be connected with a subsequent Variscan tectono-thermal event (~340 ± 10 Ma), probably related with younger small granite intrusions and/or increased fluid activity. Moreover, some titanite crystals show partial alteration and formation of secondary titanite (depleted in Fe and REE) + allanite-(Ce) veinlets (Sihla tonalite, Veporic Unit), which probably reflects younger Alpine (Cretaceous) tectono-thermal overprint of the Variscan basement of the Western Carpathians.

Conference report: Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution VI

Conference report: Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution VI

LA-ICP-MS apatite fission track dating: A practical zeta-based approach

The LA-ICP-MS method is becoming increasingly popular for uranium determinations in fission track dating of apatite, zircon or titanite. This is because the approach has several advantages over the classical external detector method (EDM), including faster sample throughput, simultaneous acquisition of additional data (such as U-Pb age information and trace element abundances), while removing the need for neutron irradiation. Two different approaches are used to determine U contents in LA-ICP-MS fission track dating: an absolute dating approach, or a zeta-based determination analogous to the classical EDM. Absolute age dating by LA-ICP-MS potentially suffers from small but systematic deviations in apatite U contents, which in turn propagate through to minor systematic deviations in the accuracy of absolute fission track age determinations. A zeta-based approach typically requires time-consuming counting of large numbers of zeta-standard grains (usually Durango apatite) so as to yield a precise zeta factor for every LA-ICP-MS session containing unknowns. The modification of the zeta-based approach proposed here has two major advantages. Firstly, it employs just one large primary LA-ICP-MS session to determine a precise primary zeta factor on a large number of counted Durango primary zeta grains. During subsequent secondary LA-ICP-MS sessions with unknowns, no further fission track counting of the primary zeta standard is required. This is because we reanalyse a subset of the primary zeta grains to calculate a session-specific zeta fractionation factor, which is related to variations in the instrumental operating conditions (primarily plasma tuning) between primary and secondary LA-ICP-MS sessions. This enables us to ‘reuse’ the primary zeta factor, and thus avail of its precision derived from the large spontaneous track count. The second advantage is that reusing the primary zeta grains by applying a session-specific zeta fractionation factor allows us to verify that background and drift corrections applied during the secondary LA-ICP-MS session were fully appropriate. This method has been successfully tested by dating samples of known apatite fission track age, by comparing EDM and LA-ICP-MS data from the same sample and by participating in a round robin test between international fission track laboratories where ‘blind’ fission track dating of two unknown samples was undertaken. Our LA-ICP-MS apatite fission track dating approach is also easily modifiable for fission track dating of zircon or titanite if suitable age standards are employed.

Paleocene metamorphism along the Pennine\u2013Austroalpine suture constrained by U\u2013Pb dating of titanite and rutile (Malenco, Alps)

We present in situ rutile and titanite U–Pb geochronology for three samples from the Ur breccia, which forms the boundary between the Malenco unit and the Margna nappe (Eastern Central Alps) near Pass d’Ur in southeast Switzerland. These sampled both oceanic brecciated material and a blackwall reaction zone in contact with a micaschist and serpentinized peridotite. Peak temperatures during Alpine metamorphism in these units were ~ 460 ± 30 °C. Textural observations combined with new geochronological data indicate that rutile and titanite both grew below their closure temperatures during Alpine metamorphism. We present a technique to calculate the most precise and accurate ages possible using a two-dimensional U–Pb isochron on a Wetherill concordia. Rutile from two samples gave a U–Pb isochron age of 63.0 ± 3.0 Ma. This age conflicts with previous 39Ar–40Ar data on heterogeneous amphiboles from which an age of 90–80 Ma was inferred for the high pressure part of the Alpine evolution, but is consistent with K–Ar ages and Ar–Ar ages on phengitic white mica. Titanite from three samples gave a U–Pb isochron age of 54.7 ± 4.1 Ma. This age is consistent with Rb–Sr isochron ages on mylonites along and in the footwall of the Lunghin–Mortirolo movement zone, a major boundary that separates ductile deformation in the footwall from mostly localized and brittle deformation in the hangingwall. Our ages indicate a Paleocene rather than upper Cretaceous metamorphism of the Pennine–Austroalpine boundary and permit at most ~ 15 Myr, and possibly much less, between the growth of rutile and titanite.

Temporal and spatial variations in magmatism and transpression in a Cretaceous arc, Median Batholith, Fiordland, New Zealand

AbstractWe investigated the interplay between deformation and pluton emplacement with the goal of providing insights into the role of transpression and arc magmatism in forming and modifying continental arc crust. We present 39 new laser-ablation–split-stream–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LASS-ICP-MS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) 206Pb/238U zircon and titanite dates, together with titanite geochemistry and temperatures from the lower and middle crust of the Mesozoic Median Batholith, New Zealand, to (1) constrain the timing of Cretaceous arc magmatism in the Separation Point Suite, (2) document the timing of titanite growth in low- and high-strain deformational fabrics, and (3) link spatial and temporal patterns of lithospheric-scale transpressional shear zone development to the Cretaceous arc flare-up event. Our zircon results reveal that Separation Point Suite plutonism lasted from ca. 129 Ma to ca. 110 Ma in the middle crust of eastern and central Fiordland. Deformation during this time was focused into a 20-km-wide, arc-parallel zone of deformation that includes previously unreported segments of a complex shear zone that we term the Grebe shear zone. Early deformation in the Grebe shear zone involved development of low-strain fabrics with shallowly plunging mineral stretching lineations from ca. 129 to 125 Ma. Titanites in these rocks are euhedral, are generally aligned with weak subsolidus fabrics, and give rock-average temperatures ranging from 675 °C to 700 °C. We interpret them as relict magmatic titanites that grew prior to low-strain fabric development. In contrast, deformation from ca. 125 to 116 Ma involved movement along subvertical, mylonitic shear zones with moderately to steeply plunging mineral stretching lineations. Titanites in these shear zones are anhedral grains/aggregates that are aligned within mylonitic fabrics and have rock-average temperatures ranging from ∼610 °C to 700 °C. These titanites are most consistent with (re)crystallization in response to deformation and/or metamorphic reactions during amphibolite-facies metamorphism. At the orogen scale, spatial and temporal patterns indicate that the Separation Point Suite flare-up commenced during low-strain deformation in the middle crust (ca. 129–125 Ma) and peaked during high-strain, transpressional deformation (ca. 125–116 Ma), during which time the magmatic arc axis widened to 70 km or more. We suggest that transpressional deformation during the arc flare-up event was an important process in linking melt storage regions and controlling the distribution and geometry of plutons at mid-crustal levels.

Titanite petrochronology of the southern Brasília Orogen basement: Effects of retrograde net-transfer reactions on titanite trace element compositions

Combining U-Pb geochronology and trace element characteristics of accessory minerals more reactive during metamorphism and deformation than zircon, such as titanite (CaTiSiO5), is a powerful tool for elucidating pressure-temperature-time (P-T-t) evolution of orogenic basement complexes. This study reports in-situ titanite U-Pb and trace element data from upper-amphibolite facies metatexitic orthogneisses of the Pouso Alegre Complex in the basement of the Neoproterozoic southern Brasília Orogen, SE Brazil. The titanite data is combined with thermodynamic modeling, major phase compositions and U-Pb zircon dating and used to constrain the P-T-t path of the complex during the Neoproterozoic orogenesis. The investigated garnet amphibole gneisses record peak metamorphic conditions of 750–775 °C and 10.5–12.5 kbar, associated with partial melting and dated at ca. 630–620 Ma based on U-Pb analyses of HREE+Y depleted titanite cores, inferred to have crystallized in the presence of garnet near the peak P-T conditions. Extensive melt crystallization at ca. 616 Ma is constrained by U-Pb dating of leucosome zircons. The exhumation of the complex and re-equilibration to ca. 550–625 °C at 6–9 kbar led to widespread generation of biotite + epidote/clinozoisite, partially replacing amphibole + garnet along the main foliation. Trace element signatures of these retrograde net-transfer reactions are recorded in the titanite rims which are HREE+Y enriched, strontium depleted and were dated at 605.7 ± 6.2 Ma. The average zirconium contents of the titanite rims are higher than cores suggesting disequilibrium partitioning of zirconium into titanite during the retrograde path resulting in overestimated Zr-in-titanite temperatures for the rims. The exhumation of the complex was concomitant with the intrusion of folded and recrystallized leucogranite dykes dated at 607.0 ± 5.7 Ma, attesting the persistence of deformation after their intrusion. Assuming that the Pouso Alegre Complex is part of the São Francisco paleocontinent reworked during the Brasília orogeny, the data constrain the minimum age for the collision between the São Francisco paleocontinent and the Paranapanema block at ca. 620–630 Ma and agree with the idea of long-lived metamorphism and deformation in the southern Brasília Orogen.

Geochronology and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope constraints on the petrogenesis of teschenites from the type-locality in the Outer Western Carpathians

Abstract The Teschenite Association Rocks (TAR) in the Outer Western Carpathian (OWC) flysch form a classic suite of alkaline intrusions where teschenite and picrite were first defined. They represent continental intraplate volcanism that produced a wide range of melano- to mesocratic rocks emplaced during the Early Cretaceous rifting within the southern margin of the European Plate. Geochemical modelling indicates that they may be a product of ~2–5 % partial melting of the metasomatised, asthenospheric mantle. The variations in REE (low / heavy REE content, LaN/YbN = 11–34) are consistent with deep melting of garnet peridotite. Initial ε(Nd)i = 5.0–6.3 and ε(Hf)i = 4.9–10.0 preclude the significant mature crust involvement. Instead, a linear array formed by the 143Nd/144Nd and 176Hf/177Hf isotopic ratios points to a genesis from the mixed, HIMU–OIB source with the more depleted, MORB-type component. Mantle metasomatism was most likely caused by the Variscan subduction–collision processes as indicated by the depleted mantle Nd model ages. The isotope and trace element ratios of the TAR resemble the European Asthenospheric Reservoir (EAR) — the common mantle end-member for the widespread Cenozoic volcanic rocks in Europe. This confirms a long-term existence of the EAR mantle component beneath the Central Europe, at least since the Early Cretaceous. In situ laser-ablation ICP-MS U–Pb dating of titanite indicates short duration of mafic alkaline magmatism in the OWC, lasting from 123.7 ± 2.1 to 117.9 ± 1.8 Ma. Emplacement of the TAR is correlated with the maximum lithospheric thinning that triggered adiabatic decompression and partial melting of the upwelling asthenospheric mantle. Magmatism ceased most likely due to transition to the dominantly compressive regime associated with the major stress field reorganization directly preceding the Carpathian– Alpine Orogeny.

Titanite dates crystallization: Slow Pb diffusion during super‐solidus re‐equilibration

AbstractTitanite can be found in rocks of wide compositional range, is reactive, growing or regrowing during metamorphic and hydrothermal events, and is generally amenable to U–Pb geochronology. Experimental evidence suggest that titanite has a closure temperature for Pb ranging from 550 to 650°C, and thus titanite dates are commonly interpreted as cooling ages. However, this view has been challenged in recent years by evidence from natural titanite which suggests the closure temperature may be significantly higher (up to 800°C). Here, we investigate titanite in an enclave of migmatitic gneiss included within a granite intrusion. The titanite crystals exhibit textural features characteristic of fluid‐mediated mass transfer processes on length scales of &lt;100 µm. These textural features are associated with variation in both Pb concentrations and distinct U–Pb isotopic compositions. Zr‐in‐titanite thermometry indicates that modification of the titanite occurred at temperatures in excess of 840°C, in the presence of a high‐T silicate melt. The Pb concentration gradients preserved in these titanite crystals are used to determine the diffusivity of Pb in titanite under high‐T conditions. We estimate diffusivities ranging from 2 × 10−22 to 5 × 10−25 m2/s. These results are significantly lower than experimental data predict yet are consistent with other empirical data on natural titanites, suggesting that Pb diffusivity is similar to that of Sr. Thus our data challenge the wide‐held assumption that U–Pb titanite dates only reflect cooling ages.

The Devonian back-arc basin and Triassic arc-continent collision along the Imjingang belt in the Korean Peninsula and their tectonic meaning

The Imjingang belt, which is located between the Nangrim and Gyeonggi Massifs, is divided into the Imjin group in the north and the Samgot unit in the south. The southeastern part of the Imjin group, which is located within South Korea, is called the Jingok unit. The Samgot unit consists of amphibolite, psammitic schist, meta-alkali granite and meta-calc-silicate rock. The amphibolite experienced prograde metamorphism from 648-550 °C/13-11 kbar to 715 °C/11 kbar and was then retrograded to ca. 579-569 °C/6.7-6.3 kbar. The psammitic schist was metamorphosed at ca. 710 °C/11 kbar and then retrograded to ca. 670-660 °C/11-10 kbar. These data indicate that the Samgot unit underwent clockwise prograde metamorphism with peak metamorphism conditions of 715-710 °C/11 kbar, which is confirmed by pseudosection analysis. The results of this and previous studies indicate that the metamorphic grade increases southward from the garnet and staurolite zones (630-500 °C/9-3 kbar) through the kyanite zone (710-665 °C/9 kbar) in the Jingok unit to the Samgot unit (715-710 °C/11 kbar) of the Imjingang belt. This metamorphic pattern indicates that the Imjingang belt underwent regional intermediate-P/T metamorphism. The SHRIMP U-Pb age dating of zircons from the amphibolite and meta-alkali granite yields intrusion ages of ca. 371-361 Ma and 373 Ma, respectively. From the psammitic schist, ages of ca. 401-370 Ma are obtained from the youngest detrital zircons and ages of ca. 251-249 Ma are obtained from the metamorphic zircons. In addition, the SHRIMP U-Pb age dating of titanite from the amphibolite yields a retrograde metamorphic age of ca. 229-214 Ma. The whole-rock chemical composition of the amphibolite plots in the back-arc basin basalt field on the tectonic discrimination diagrams. These data indicate that the Imjingang belt, including the Samgot unit, consists of Devonian sedimentary rocks that were deposited in a back-arc basin and intruded by mafic and felsic igneous rocks at ca. 373-361 Ma. Finally, the Imjingang belt underwent intermediate-P/T metamorphism during the Triassic (251–249 Ma) instead of high-P/T metamorphism, indicating that the Imjingang belt is not the extension of the Dabie-Sulu collision belt but a back-arc basin within the North China Craton that underwent intermediate-P/T metamorphism due to the closure of the back-arc basin (arc-continent collision) during the collision between the North and South China Cratons along the Hongseong-Odesan collision belt within the Gyeonggi Massif.

Conflicting zircon vs. titanite U-Pb age systematics and the deposition of the host volcanic sequence to Kiruna-type and IOCG deposits in northern Sweden, Fennoscandian shield

The Northern Norrbotten region, and in particular the Kiruna area, hosts a number of large apatite iron oxide deposits (e.g. the huge Kiirunavaara ore) of significant economic importance. Age data from rock lithologies hosting these ores, represented by metamorphosed rocks of the Porphyrite and Kiirunavaara Groups, are complex to interpret. This is illustrated by (LA-ICP-MS) data for titanite, and to some extent for rutile, which scatter considerably yielding ages within a span from ca. 2.1 Ga to 1.7 Ga. These analysed hydrothermal minerals, characterized by complex BSE images revealing darker and brighter zones, are located in ore zones and associated with e.g. strong scapolitisation, albitisation and actinolitisation. Previous (TIMS) zircon ages of host rocks, on the other hand, define a more narrower age interval between ca. 1900 and 1870 Ma, and this is supported by new U-Pb zircon results presented here. Furthermore, one coherent set of SIMS data for titanite from the Luossavaara ore favour that crystallization took place at ca 1.88 Ga, although laser ICP data from the same locality are much more complex. An implication arising from published pre-1.9 Ga laser ablation ages for titanites is that the emplacement of host rocks started already at around 2.1 Ga. As the depositional time of these rocks is crucial for the understanding of the overall crustal formation in northern Norrbotten, additional rocks were selected for age dating. New zircon age data (LA-ICP-MS and SIMS) give support to a scenario where host rocks to ores started to develop at around 1900 Ma and this calls for a re-evaluation of published LA-ICP-MS data of hydrothermal mineral phases.Here, we present four models that aim to explain how pre-1.9 Ga titanite ages, believed to have a questionable geological significance, may develop. The principal idea is that ≤2.1 Ga alteration events were not responsible for the crystallization of the hydrothermal minerals, instead it is believed that apparent old age domains carry excess radiogenic lead due to the effect of ≤1.9 Ga hydrothermal processes. Currently, the interpretation of U-Pb isotope data in the study area remains enigmatic, and further radiometric analyses are required.