We report U–Pb/Hf/O isotopic measurements of zircon extracted from meta-igneous rocks exposed in the Assean Lake crustal complex, northwestern Superior craton (Canada). With crystallization ages of ca. 3.22 Ga, zircon from the Assean Lake crustal complex are among the oldest reported in the Superior craton. The Hf and O isotope compositions of zircon indicate that these meta-igneous rocks derive from

Cretaceous alkaline-ultramafic stocks in the northern Prince Charles Mountains (PCM) contain zircon xenocrysts entrained during magma ascent to the surface. These xenocrysts provide the only evidence for the age of the underlying crustal rocks in the area. The zircons display a range of ages from ca 2700 Ma to ca 300–260 Ma, with the most dominant ages of ca 900–800 Ma and ca 660–500 Ma. These data

Episodic granitic magmatism occurred in Southeast China from the Paleoproterozoic to the Late Cretaceous, and some of the early Paleozoic granitic rocks in the region are inferred to have formed through crustal anatexis. However, the complex processes associated with upper amphibolite-facies metamorphism and anatexis remain unclear. We investigate the early Paleozoic anatexis by analyzing zircon grains

The trace element and radiogenic isotope systematics of clinopyroxene have frequently been used to characterise mantle metasomatic processes, because it is the main host of most lithophile elements in the lithospheric mantle. To further our understanding of mantle metasomatism, both solution-mode Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb and in situ trace element and Sr isotopic data have been acquired for clinopyroxene grains

Triassic rift-related volcanic rocks outcrop over all mainland Greece, comprising of trachybasalts and basaltic trachyandesites. Relatively immobile to the effects of alteration processes major and trace element abundances classify the volcanics into OIB and E-MORB lavas. They have mainly been distinguished based upon their: i) LREE contents, ii) silica-saturation index (S·I.), iii) Zr/Nb and Nb/Y

Widespread Mesozoic granitoids in the Cathaysia Block of South China are associated with intensive reworking of the lower crust as a result of magma underplating. This inference is based mainly on studies of mafic igneous rocks, whereas there is little evidence from lower-crustal rocks. Lower-crustal xenoliths in Mesozoic basalts in the Daoxian region within the Cathaysia Block might record information

Cretaceous mafic rocks mainly occur along the coast of South China. In comparison, coeval mafic rocks are distributed only sporadically in the inland region, and their petrogenesis and tectonic setting have not been well documented so far. Here we report a detailed study on 40Ar/39Ar dating, elemental geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes for the Yaoling diabases in northern Guangdong, South China. The

Early Cretaceous lamprophyre dykes occur widely in the Jiaodong Peninsula, eastern North China Craton (NCC). These mantle-derived magmatic products allow us to elucidate subduction-related mantle metasomatic events that modified the sub-continental lithospheric mantle of the NCC. The Jiaodong Peninsula lamprophyres display zircon UPb ages of 130 ± 2 to 132 ± 1 Ma, arc-like trace element patterns, high

The Numbi pegmatites of South Kivu Province (D.R.C) in the Kibaran belt which intruded the Mesoproterozoic Formation (1.6-0.9 Ga) was investigated to elucidate the structural imprints and geochemical characteristics related to the pegmatitic rocks associated with Sn - Nb - Ta mineralization, source(s) of the mineralisation, processes responsible for its formation and the economic viability of Tin-Niobium-Tantalum

Oxide gabbros are a minor but diffuse component of the lower oceanic crust. Their presence poses questions on lower crust exhumation processes and magma differentiation at mid ocean ridges because they are systematically associated with shear zones and are hardly explained by classical fractionation and melt migration models. Here, we report on a study of lower-crust gabbros recovered from the Vema

Aluminous metapelitic granulites from the central Namaqua Sector of the Namaqua–Natal Metamorphic Province, South Africa, host partly retrogressed hercynite–quartz assemblages. These assemblages record peak P–T conditions of 860–890 °C and 5–5.5 kbar, estimated via thermodynamic modelling and ternary feldspar thermometry. In-situ UPb geochronology and geochemistry of anatectic zircon and monazite constrains

The petrogenesis of granites with high Sr/Y signatures similar to adakitic rocks in continental settings is much debated. It is especially controversial whether these rocks are indicative of high-pressure magmatism (i.e., partial melting or crystallization fractionation) related to a thickened crust, or their high Sr/Y signatures are merely inherited from a high Sr/Y source. To address this, new chronological

Mineral major and trace elements combined with Sr isotopes of clinopyroxene are used to unravel the origins and evolution of mantle eclogite and pyroxenite xenoliths from the Doornkloof-Sover orangeite dike (western Kaapvaal craton), and to investigate the generation and destruction of diamond in these rocks. Two different eclogite types are present: (1) MgO-poor eclogites (MgO = 7.3 to 14.5 wt%; n = 43)

The petrogenesis of Late Carboniferous A-type granites and Early Cretaceous adakites in NE China offers new insights into the geodynamic evolution of the Paleo-Asian and Paleo-Pacific oceans. This study reports new LA–ICP–MS zircon UPb ages, geochemical data, and zircon Hf isotopic compositions of syenogranites and quartz diorite porphyries exposed on the northern margin of the Songnen Block, NE China

It has been shown that certain host minerals can robustly shield mineral inclusions and prevent loss of petrochronological information during subsequent thermal events. Rutile inclusions in garnet may crystallize under a wide range of metamorphic conditions and thus it is expected to be a useful geochronometer for constraining different stages of a metamorphic P-T path. Hence, it is important to ascertain

The Nimrod Complex in the Miller and Geologists ranges of the central Transantarctic Mountains comprises Mesoarchean and Palaeoproterozoic crust that was incorporated into the Ross Orogen during metamorphism and deformation along the eastern Gondwanan convergent margin in the late Neoproterozoic and early Palaeozoic. In the Miller Range, boudinaged mafic domains are hosted within upper-amphibolite-

The chemical composition of the upper continental crust (UCC) dramatically changed from predominantly sodic to more potassic during the late Archean (3000–2500 Ma), although how this change occurred remains poorly constrained. The origins of Neoarchean potassic granites may provide clues for this crucial change, as their formation dominated the compositional transition of the UCC. In this study, we

The processes and related rock types in post-collision setting are important to fully understand the geodynamic evolution of a collision zone. Bangong-Nujiang collision zone is the oldest collision zone in the Tibet Plateau. Slab break-off is one of the primary processes during post-collision, and is considered to have occured in the Bangong-Nujiang collision zone. Here, we report a newly identified

The Paleoproterozoic tectonic setting and spatial-temporal evolution of the northern North China and Central Orogenic belt constrain the assembly of the North China craton. Here we describe a new Paleoproterozoic mafic-ultramafic unit and intermediate-mafic intrusions located between the Khondalite belt and Central Orogenic belt, which we refer to as Donggouzi mafic-ultramafic complex. This complex

Differences in the geothermal regime of continental intraplate regions depend mainly on the amount and distribution of radioactive heat production in crustal rocks. Granitoids are the predominant sources of radioactive heat production and have abundant radioactive heat-producing elements, such as uranium, thorium and potassium. The Mesozoic geology of the South China Block (SCB) is characterized by

A caldera-forming eruption in 946 CE, known as the Millennium Eruption (ME), at Changbaishan (or Baekdusan) volcano, located on the border between China and North Korea, was one of the largest explosive eruptions on Earth in the last 2000 years. In this study, we obtained new whole-rock Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic data and 238U–230Th disequilibrium data of representative volcanic products of the ME, as

The Jijal Complex, one of the largest Neo-Tethyan ophiolites (ca. 150 km2) in Pakistan, occupies a deep-level section of the Cretaceous Kohistan Arc that was obducted along the Main Mantle Thrust or Indus Suture Zone. Peridotites of the Jijal Complex consist mainly of harzburgite and dunite with numerous podiform chromitites. In this paper, we present new mineral compositions, whole-rock major elements

Polymetallic ore deposits of the Aegean Sea, Greece, are temporally and spatially associated with the emplacement of Miocene granitoids and Pliocene to Quaternary volcanic units along the active volcanic arc and occur adjacent to the crustal-scale detachment systems. A variety of mineral deposits (e.g., carbonate-replacement, skarn, porphyry, vein-type, and low- to high-sulfidation epithermal deposits)

The 144–133Ma Koegel Fontein Igneous Complex is notable for the high proportion of magmatic rocks with very low δ18O values (<6‰), including some that crystallized from low-δ18O magmas (< 6‰). Previous work has suggested that this is a consequence of partial melting of country rock with very low δ18O values. Here we demonstrate that low-δ18O country rocks (as low as —2‰) are present and are associated

We present major element, trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions of the late Cenozoic basaltic rocks from Dalinor, Inner Mongolia, on the west of the Greater Hinggan Mountain Range in Northeast Asia, and discuss the origin of mantle source heterogeneity beneath Northeast Asia. The early-stage volcanoes (EV) from Dalinor produced predominantly quartz tholeiitic and olivine tholeiitic basalts

The Mesozoic Yuljeon Basin (YB) is a small scale non–marine sedimentary basin in the northeastern part of the Gyeonggi Massif in the Korean Peninsula. The YB consists of two lithostratigraphic units, the Munamdong and Yuljeon formations. Based on an integrated study of stratigraphy, structural geology, geochronology, and geochemistry, major episodes of the YB have been investigated. In the late Triassic

Rifting, breakup, and subsequent collision related to the ca. 1.92–1.79 Ga Svecofennian orogeny fragmented and deformed the western margin of the Archean Karelia-Kola craton into four crustal blocks: Pudasjärvi, Iisalmi, Kuhmo, and Taivalkoski. Detailed quantification of Svecofennian deformation is limited due to poorly exposed basement geology and an as yet incomplete dyke swarm record. New U-Pb ID-TIMS

Phanerozoic growth of continental crust on our planet is one of the important research themes in Earth Science. Here, we present the results of a systematic study of newly found and previously reported Mesozoic igneous rocks, including diorite cumulate, granodiorite cumulate, mafic magmatic enclaves (MME) and host granitoids in the central Lhasa terrane, southern Tibet. These igneous rocks give zircon

Deformed alkaline rocks and carbonatites (DARCs) can be important tectonic indicators of regions that have experienced two separate events of rifting and collision, but can also represent alkaline magmas that were synkinematically emplaced along major structures and were therefore generated and deformed in the same geologic event. The Monte Santo Suite consists of two foliated and variably deformed

A series of magmatic syenites containing extremely high K2O contents (up to 15 wt%, mean of 12 wt%) have been identified in the Songxian region of Qinling Orogenic Belt (Central China). An integrated investigation, combining mineral composition, whole-rock elemental and SrNd isotopic geochemistry and zircon U–Pb geochronology, was conducted to track the origin and evolution of the ultrapotassic intermediate

The Pb isotopic compositions of granulite xenoliths are crucial to constrain the formation and evolution of the lower continental crust (LCC) and are potentially the key to resolve the first Pb paradox of the Earth. However, it remains unclear how host magma infiltration affects the Pb isotopic compositions of LCC xenoliths and how different this effect is for different xenoliths in composition (from

Determining the origin and related mantle dynamics responsible for the generation of giant granitic batholiths in convergent margins is critical to unravel the formation mechanism of the silica–rich continental crust. This paper reports the whole–rock major element, trace element, SrNd isotopic, and zircon UPb age and Hf isotope data of samples from the Menglian Batholith in the eastern Tengchong Terrane

The granite is one of most widely distribution rocks in crust, and its petrogenesis is crucial to advance our knowledge of thermal condition in continental crust. The long-time tectonic evolution of crust in the active continental margin could be recorded by multi-stages of granitic assemblage. In order to reveal the subduction of Neo-Tethys and initial collision of Indian-Asian continents in eastern

Scapolite, a volatile-bearing framework silicate, is found in pegmatites and leucosomes spatially associated with (ultra)-high pressure ((U)HP) eclogites in the Nordøyane domain of the Western Gneiss Region (WGR), Norway. The field relationships, petrology, and stable isotope geochemistry of scapolite-bearing rocks offer insights into the role of fluids in partial melting of WGR gneisses during the

Permeability is a key control on fluid infiltration in the crust. However, quantitative geological constraints on crustal permeability are limited, particularly with regards to its temporal evolution. Here we constrain the permeability evolution in the middle–lower crust, based on metamorphic processes associated with fluid infiltration and crustal fracturing. We investigated mafic granulite and o

High-grade metamorphic complexes are critical for the understanding of regional crustal configuration and accretionary history of the Altai orogenic belt. The orthogneissic rocks from the Northern Fuyun Complex, southern Chinese Altai, are investigated in this study. Zircon UPb isotopic analysis yields ages of ca. 411–398 Ma, arguing against previous views that these rocks represent old Precambrian

The redox state, often expressed as oxygen fugacity (fO2), is a fundamental parameter controlling geochemical and geodynamic processes. Recent studies have revealed highly variable convective-mantle fO2 values, but causes of the variability are poorly understood. High fO2 values of up to 1.6 log units above the Fayalite–Magnetite–Quartz (FMQ) buffer in Cenozoic Jiaodong basalts of eastern China vary

The Xigatze fore-arc basin, one of the well-preserved fore-arc basins worldwide, consists of interesting nearly E-W trending dike swarms of basaltic to granitic compositions. Mid-Miocene more felsic dikes to the responses of fore-arc lithosphere provide important records to the post-collisional processes. Miocene (~15–11 Ma, zircon UPb ages) high Sr/Y magmatic rocks from the Xigatze area in this study

The early to middle Paleozoic accretionary history of the Chinese Altai orogen remains controversial, especially along its southern margin facing the Paleo-Asian Ocean. This study conducts a systematic investigation on the Devonian meta-volcanic sequences from the Altay Formation in the southern Chinese Altai to constrain their petrogenesis and tectonic implications. LA-ICP-MS zircon UPb dating for

The Superior craton is bordered on its northern and eastern sides by the approximately coeval Cape Smith fold belt and the Labrador Trough, two major Paleoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary belts that record broadly similar tectonic evolution but which show some distinctive characteristics and have notably different mineral resource endowments. The Roberts Lake Syncline, situated directly between the

Phase relations in the MgSiO3–MgTiO3 and Mg3Al2Si3O12–MgTiO3 systems were studied at 10–24 GPa and 1600 °C using a high-pressure Kawai-type multianvil apparatus. We investigated the full range of starting compositions for the enstatite-geikielite system to derive a P–X phase diagram and synthesize titanium-bearing phases, such as olivine/wadsleyite, rutile, pyroxene, MgTiSi2O7 weberite, bridgmanite

Metamorphic petrology observations on rubies found in-situ in their host-rock are combined with geochemical measurements and optical microscopy observations on the same rubies, with the aim of connecting the ruby-forming metamorphic reaction to a unique fingerprint for these minerals. The Fiskenæsset complex in Greenland is used as an area of this case study. Isochemical pressure-temperature sections

The South China Block (SCB) is considered to have undergone extensive reworking of continental crust. However, the mechanisms of this crustal reworking are unclear. Here, we report on Late Jurassic (162–155 Ma) two-mica granites and associated diorites and syenite porphyries from the Huolushan–Longyandong area of Guangzhou City, southeastern China. The two-mica granites have high SiO2 contents (69

The hydrothermal evolution of the chemically highly evolved topaz granite Kymi stock in southeastern Finland was reconstructed from fluid inclusion petrography, microthermometry, and LA-ICP-MS analysis. The Kymi stock shows a clear zonation and intrusion sequence consisting of an early porphyritic granite, a subsequent equigranular granite, and a late marginal stockscheider pegmatite. Miarolitic cavities

High-MgO (>12 wt%) magmas represent some of the most primary and high temperature melts from mantle plumes. The compositional diversity of high-MgO magmas gained by fractional melting within inhomogeneous mantle sources, is often overprinted by wall rock assimilation, magma mixing and fractional crystallisation within magma chambers at various depths within the crust. The deepest intrusions, at the

The Himalayan leucogranites, which were derived from crustal anatexis during the India-Asia continental collision, have recorded the tectono-magmatic evolution process of the Himalayan orogenic belt. In the Gurla Mandhata area of the western Himalaya, tourmaline leucogranites accompanied by variable deformation are observed along the Gurla Mandhata detachment fault. Whole-rock compositions show that

Recent research has identified abundant Early Permian to Late Triassic ultramafic-mafic rocks along the west Jinsha to Garzê-Litang suture, central NE Tibetan Plateau. However, the petrogenesis and tectonic setting of these rocks are hotly debated. This paper presents a combination of zircon UPb ages, major and trace element concentrations, and SrNd isotopic data for mafic rocks from the Zhiduo Complex

The late- to post-collisional Cape Granite Suite (CGS), located in the ~560–520 Ma Pan-African Saldania Belt of south-western South Africa, comprises S-, I-, and A-type granites, mafic intrusive rocks, and pyroclastic rocks. The CGS formed during the closing of the Adamastor Ocean during the Neoproterozoic to Early-Cambrian, related to Gondwana construction. The S-type granites of the suite have received