Origin and Geological Significance of TTG Gneisses from the Maevatanana Greenstone Belt in North-Central Madagascar,and A Comparison with India

The Maevatanana greenstone belt in north-central Madagascar contains widespread exposures of tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite （TTG） gneisses, and is important for its concentrations of various metal deposits （e.g., chromium, niekle, iron, gold）. In this paper we report on the petrography, and major and trace element compositions of the TTG gneisses within the Berere Complex of the Maevatanana area, as well as LA-ICP-MS U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopic compositions of zircons from the gneisses. The gneisses consist mainly of granitoid gneiss and biotite （± hornblende） plagiogneiss, and analysis of thin sections provides evidence of crushing, recrystallization, and metasomatism related to dynamic metamorphism. Samples have large variations in their major and trace element contents, with SiO2 = 55.87-68.06 wt%, Al2O3 = 13.9-17.8 wt%, and Na2O/K2O= 0.97-2.13. Geochemically, the granitoid gneisses and biotite plagiogneisses fall on a low-Al trondhjemite to granodiorite trend, while the biotite-hornblende plagiogneisses represent a high-Al tonalite TTG assemblage. Zircon U-Pb dating shows that the Berere Complex TTG gneisses formed at 2.5-2.4 Ga. Most εHf（t） values of zircons from the biotite （q- hornblende） plagiogneisses are positive, while most εHf（t） values from the granitoid gneisses are negative, suggesting a degree of crustal contamination. Two-stage Hf model ages suggest that the age of the protolith of the TTG gneisses was ca. 3.4-2.6 Ga, representing a period of paleocontinent formation in the Mesoarchean. Geothermometries indicate the temperature of metamorphism of the TTG gneisses was 522-612℃. Based on these data, the protolith of the TTG gneisses is inferred to have formed during the development of a Mesoarchean paleocontinent that is now widely exposed as a TTG gneiss belt （mostly lower amphibolite facies） in the Maevatanana area, and which records a geological evolution related to the subduction of an ancient oceanic crust and the collision of microcontinents during the formation of the Rodinia supercontinent. The lithological similarity of Precambrian basement, the close ages of metamorphism within greenstone belts and the comparable distribution of metamorphic grade all show a pronounced Precambrian geology similarity between Madagascar and India, which can provide significative clues in understanding the possible Precambrian Supercontinent tectonics, and also important constraints on the correlation of the two continental fragments.

Episodic crustal growth and reworking at the southeastern margin of the North China Craton: evidence from zircon U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopes of Archean tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite gneisses in the Bengbu-Wuhe area

The cratonization history of the North China Craton(NCC)and the nature of tectonothermal events are still highly controversial.Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite(TTG)gneisses,as the dominant lithological assemblages in Archean metamorphic terranes,can provide significant clues to the magmatic and metamorphic evolution of Precambrian crust.This study presents zircon laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry U–Pb ages,trace-element,and in-situ LA-MC-ICPMS zircon Hf isotope data for the TTG gneisses from the Bengbu-Wuhe area on the southeastern margin of the NCC.Cathodoluminescence images and trace elements indicated that magmatic zircons display the characteristics of euhedral-subhedral crystals with oscillatory growth zoning structures,high RREE contents,marked Ce positive anomalies,and Pr–Eu negative anomalies.The metamorphic zircons display the spherical-oval crystals with distinct core-rim structures,high and homogeneous luminescent intensity,lower RREE,Nb,Ta,Hf contents,relative flat REE patterns,weak Ce positive anomalies,and Pr-Eu negative anomalies.The Ti–in–zircon geothermometer data indicate that the crystallization temperature of the TTG gneiss ranged from 754 to 868℃.Zircon U–Pb ages indicate that the TTG gneisses formed at 2.79–2.77 Ga and 2.50 Ga and underwent metamorphism at 2.57–2.52 Ga.The Hf isotopic data indicate that the magmatic zircons exhibit high,positive eHf(t)values close to those of the coeval depleted mantle,whereas the metamorphic zircons exhibit negative or nil eHf(t)values.This implies that the TTG gneisses were derived from the partial melting of the~2.9–2.6 Ga juvenile crustal sources mixed with~3.0–2.8 Ga ancient crustal materials.Combined with the regional tectonic evolution,we propose that the metamorphic basement at the southeastern margin of the NCC underwent episodic crustal growth at~2.7 and~2.5 Ga and subsequently underwent crustal reworking or re-melting of the ancient crust during the Neoarchean.The Neoarchean TTG gneisses might have been derived from the partial melting of lower crustal materials related to plate subduction.

Remnants of Earth’s Oldest Continental Crust Formed by Subduction

Eoarchean(3.6–4.0 Ga)tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite(TTG)are the major component of Earth’s oldest persevered continental crust,thereby holding the key to understanding how continental crust originated and when plate tectonics started in the early Earth.TTGs are mostly generated by partial melting of hydrated mafic rocks at different depths(e.g.,Moyen and Martin,2012),but whether this requires subduction remains enigmatic(e.g.,Palin et al.,2016).Recent studies show that most early Archean TTGs formed at relatively low pressures(≤1.5 GPa)and do not require subduction(e.g.,Johnson et al.,2017).We have identified a suite of Eoarchean tonalitic gneisses dated at^3.7 Ga from the Tarim Craton,northwestern China(Ge et al.,2018).These rocks are probably the oldest high-pressure TTGs so far documented worldwide.Thermodynamic and trace element modelling demonstrates that the parent magma may have been generated by water-fluxed partial melting of moderately enriched arc-like basalts at 1.8–1.9 GPa and 800–830℃,indicating an apparent geothermal gradient(400–450℃GPa-1)typical for hot subduction zones.They also locally record geochemical evidence for magma interaction with a mantle wedge.Accordingly,we propose that these highpressure TTGs were generated by partial melting of a subducted proto-arc during arc accretion.Our model implies that modernstyle plate tectonics was operative,at least locally,at^3.7 Ga and was responsible for generating some of the oldest continental nuclei.