Sulfide assemblages in granulite xenoliths from Hannuoba Basalt, Hebei Province, China

Granulite xenoliths are important samples for understanding the forming and evolution of the crust. The granulite xeno- liths enclosed in Cenozoic basalt of Hannuoba, Hebei Province, China, contain four types of sulfide assemblages: isolate rotundity enclosed sulfides, intergranular sulfides between minerals, secondary sulfide inclusions ranging in linear, and fissure-filling sulfides. Electron microprobe analysis shows that the components of sulfides are Ni-poor pyrrhotite with the molar ratios of (Ni+Co+Cu)/Fe less than 0.2. The molar ratios of (Fe+Cu+Co+Ni)/S are less than 0.875 of normal pyrrhotite, and are less than those of mantle xeno- liths, reflecting a sulfur-saturated environment. Pyrrhotite in various occurrences contains some Au and Ag, with the averages of 0.19wt%-0.22wt% Au and 0.01wt%-0.02wt% Ag, showing the gold mineralization related to the granulitization of low crust. Ni, Co and Cu have a normal correlation with S in pyrrhotite, indicating that heavy metal elements have a same source similar to sulfur be- cause of the degasification of upper mantle.

Nature and evolution of the lower crust under central Spain:Inferences from granulite xenoliths(Calatrava Volcanic Field-Spanish central system)

So far,the nature and evolution of the lower crust under central Spain have been constrained mainly on the basis of a heterogeneous suite of granulite xenoliths from the Spanish Central System(SCS).In recent years,ultramafic volcanics from the Calatrava Volcanic Field(CVF)have also provided deep-seated crustal xenoliths which have not been studied in detail.Our data,combining mineral,whole-rock and isotopic geochemistry with U–Pb–Hf isotope ratios in zircons from the CVF and SCS xenoliths,highlight the felsic composition of the lower crust under central Iberia.A number of the Calatrava xenoliths represents Variscan igneous protoliths,which are a minor population in the SCS,and were likely formed by crystallisation of intermediate and felsic melts in the lower crust during the Variscan orogeny(leucodiorite protolith age of 314±3 Ma and leucogranite protolith age of 308±2.5 Ma).U–Pb data of metamorphic zircons show that granulite-facies metamorphism mainly occurred from 299 to 285 Ma in both areas.These ages are slightly younger than those of granitic intrusions that could be genetically related to the granulitic residue,which points to a main role of U–Pb isotope resetting in lower crustal zircons during HT or UHT conditions.The zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopic ratios support the idea that the lower crust in central Iberia consists mainly of Ordovician–Neoproterozoic metaigneous and metasedimentary rocks associated with the Cadomian continental arc of northern Gondwana.These rocks provide evidence of mixing between juvenile magmas and an enriched crustal component,ultimately extracted from an Eburnean crust.Other more evolved components present in detrital zircons are likely related to recycling of Archean crust derived from North Africa cratonic terranes.

Garnet-Rich Granulite Xenoliths from the Hannuoba Basalts, North China: Petrogenesis and Implications for the Mesozoic Crust-Mantle Interaction

Garnet-rich granulite xenoliths collected from the Hannuoba basalts, the North China craton （NCC）, were studied to reveal the Mesozoic crnst-mantle interaction. These xenoliths are characterized by low SiO2 （37.7 wt.%-46.0 wt.%） and high Al2O3 （10.8 wt.%-17.9 wt.%） contents. Their Mg# （60-75, Mg#=100×Mg/（Mg＋Fe）, atomic number） are relatively low for their low SiO2 contents. They have low rare-earth element （REE） contents and LREE-rich REE patterns, and show remarkable enrichments in Sr relative to the adjacent REE. Some of them exhibit convex RISE patterns with a maximum at Nd and remarkably positive Eu anomalies. Taking into account their high garnet mode （generally 〉30%）, these features suggest that they are high-pressure metamorphic products of lowpressure cumulates （e.g., gabbro） after it had been depressed into the garnet stability field. They have evolved Nd and Sr isotopic compositions （143Nd/144Nd=0.511 763-0.512 173, STSr/86Sr=0.705 34-0.706 99） and fall in the trend defined by the 〉110 Ma Mesozoic basalts and high-Mg# andesites from the NCC. Zircon U-Pb dating by LA-ICP-MS shows a wide age range from 83 to 2 581 Ma, most of which cluster in 83-134 Ma. CL images of some Mesozoic zircons from the granulites show typical features of igneous zircons, providing direct evidence for the Mesozoic underplating event in this area. Neither peridotite-derived basaltic underplating model nor residue model of ancient lower crust after lithospheric thinning alone can reasonably explain the above features of the garnet-Hch granulite xenoliths. Combined with the previous research, we propose that most of the granulite xenoliths from the Hannuoba basalts are products of the Mesozoic magmatie underplating and mixing with the pre-existing lower crust （i.e., AFC process）. However, the melts could be mostly derived from partial melting of basaltic layers that were previously subducted （a fossil oceanic slab） or underplated into the base of the lithospheric mantle, or from partial melting of Archean lithospheric mantle that was variably hybridised by melts derived from foundered lower crustal edogite, although it cannot be excluded that some of the melts were derived from depleted man. tie peridotite. In other words, parent melts of most granulite xenoliths could share the same petrogenesis as the〉110 Ma Mesozoic basalts from the NCC.

Petrology and tectonic significance of the early Mesozoic granulite xenoliths from the eastern Inner Mongolia, China

Granulite xenoliths are found in the early Mesozoic diorite intrusions from Chifeng and Ningcheng areas, eastern Inner Mongolia. The granulites are granoblastic and weakly gneissic with mineral assemblage of hypersthene, diopside, plagioclase and minor biotite, amphibole and ilmenite. Some samples contain the intergrowth composed of labradorite and vermicular hypersthene, and some coarse-grained plagioclases of andesine and labradorite composition occasionally develop bytownite rims with vermicular hypersthene, indicating a possible presence of garnet. Presence of blastogabbroic texture and hypersthene with diopside exsolution lamellae in some samples suggests that the protolith of the granulite is norite or gabbro. On the basis of metamorphic research and thermobaric calculation, the evolution of the granulite xenoliths is summarized into the following stages: (1) Isobaric cooling of underplated noritic or gabbroic magma in the lower crust led to the formation of probable garnet-bearing medium-high pressure granulite. (2) These higher pressure granulites were adiabatically uplifted to upper crust by dioritic magma and transformed to low pressure two-pyroxene granulite during an isothermal decompression. (3) The two-pyroxene granulite underwent retrograde metamorphism of different degrees during an isobaric cooling process as a result of crystallization and cooling of the dioritic magma. The pyroxenite-dominated cumulates and the medium-high pressure granulites may have rejuvenated the lower crust during the early Mesozoic.

Dehydration melting of amphibolite at 1.5 GPa and 800–950C:Implications for the Mesozoic potassium-rich adakite in the eastern North China Craton

Mesozoic intermediate-felsic magmatic rocks in the eastern North China Craton commonly show geochemical similarity to adakites.However,the lack of direct constraints from partial melting experiments at high pressures and temperatures fuels a debate over the origin of these rocks.In this work,we performed partial melting experiments at 1.5 GPa and 800–950℃on amphibolite samples collected from the vicinity of the Mesozoic potassium-rich adakitic rocks in the Zhangjiakou area,northern margin of the North China Craton.The experimental melts range from granitic to granodioritic compositions,with SiO_(2)=56.4–72.6 wt.%,Al_(2)O_(3)=16.1–19.3 wt.%,FeO^(*)=2.4–9.6 wt.%,MgO=0.3–2.0 wt.%,CaO=0.6–3.8 wt.%,Na_(2)O=4.7–5.3 wt.%,and K_(2)O=2.6–3.9 wt.%,which are in the ranges of the surrounding Mesozoic potassium-rich adakitic rocks,except for the higher Al_(2)O_(3)contents and the data point at 1.5 GPa and 800℃.Trace element compositions of the melts measured by LA-ICP-MS are rich in Sr(849–1067 ppm)and light rare earth elements(LREEs)and poor in Y(<10.4 ppm)and Yb(<0.88 ppm),and have high Sr/Y(102–221)and(La/Yb)n(27–41)ratios and strongly fractionated rare earth element(REE)patterns,whereas no obvious negative Eu anomalies are observed.The geochemical characteristics show overall similarity to the Mesozoic potassium-rich adakitic rocks in the area,especially adakites with low Mg#,again except for the data point at 1.5 GPa and 800℃.The results suggest that partial melting of amphibolite can produce potassium-rich adakitic rocks with low Mg#in the eastern North China Craton under the experimental conditions of 1.5 GPa and 850–950℃.The experimental restites consist of hornblende(Hbl)+plagioclase(Pl)+garnet(Grt)±clinopyroxene(Cpx),a mineral assemblage significantly different from that of the nearby Hannuoba mafic granulite xenoliths which consist of Cpx+orthopyroxene(Opx)+Pl±Grt.Chemically,the experimental restites contain higher Al_(2)O_(3)but lower MgO and CaO than the Hannuoba mafic granulite xenoliths.We therefore argue that the Hannuoba mafic granulite xenoliths cannot represent the direct products of partial melting of the experimental amphibolite.

Destruction of the lower crust beneath the North China Craton recorded by granulite and pyroxenite xenoliths

The lower crust beneath the North China Craton(NCC)was transformed during the craton destruction in the Mesozoic,however,the transformation processes are yet to be fully understood.Compositional and geochronological variations of granulite and pyroxenite xenoliths provided insights into the nature of the lower crust before and after the craton destruction.In this study,we summarized the latest results of geochemistry and zircon geochronology coupled with Hf-O isotopes from granulite and pyroxenite xenoliths hosted by Phanerozoic igneous rocks in NCC.Comparing previous studies on the granulite terranes and adakitic rocks of NCC,we aim to discuss the destruction processes of lower crust beneath the NCC.The granulite and pyroxenite xenoliths of NCC were divided into two and three groups,respectively,based on the differences of geochemical features.Group I granulite xenoliths from the NCC have silicic-basic compositions,with metamorphic ferrosilite.The Group I granulite xenoliths show relatively lower Mg#values of pyroxenes and whole-rock than that of the Group II granulite xenoliths,and enrichments of light rare earth elements and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions.Their zircons display Archean-Phanerozoic ages with three peaks of Neoarchean,Paleoproterozoic,and Mesozoic.Generally,Group I granulite xenoliths show close affinities to the granulite terranes of the NCC in terms of the major and trace elements and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions,with a consistent Archean-Proterozoic evolutionary history.However,Group I granulite xenoliths have abundant Phanerozoic zircons with variable Hf isotopic compositions from depleted to enriched,which could be formed by modifications of magma underplating.Therefore,Group I granulite xenoliths represent the modified ancient lower crust beneath the NCC.The Group II granulite and Group III pyroxenite xenoliths from the NCC have similar geochemical features and are basic in compositions,with metamorphic to magmatic orthopyroxenes.The Group II granulite and Group III pyroxenite xenoliths usually show higher MgO and lower incompatible elements compositions in minerals and bulk rocks than that in the granulite terranes and Group I granulite xenoliths,but their Sr-Nd isotopic compositions fall into the fields of granulite terranes and group I granulite xenoliths.Zircons from the Group II granulite and Group III pyroxenite xenoliths are predominantly Phanerozoic with subordinate ArcheanProterozoic ages,and the Hf-O isotopic compositions of zircons are similar to those in the Group I granulite xenoliths.Additionally,the trace element compositions of Group II granulite and Group III pyroxenite xenoliths are complementary to those of the adakitic rocks from the NCC.Furthermore,the similar Sr-Nd and zircon Hf isotopic compositions among Group II granulite and Group III pyroxenite xenoliths and adakitic rocks indicate that they are cognate.Therefore,we suggest that the Group II granulite and Group III pyroxenite xenoliths could be restites left after partial melting of the ancient basic lower crust that produced voluminous adakitic rocks.In contrast,Group I and II pyroxenite xenoliths from the NCC have cumulate and reaction origins,respectively.The Group I and II pyroxenite xenoliths commonly have magmatic enstatite and show higher Mg#values and depleted Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of minerals and bulk rocks relative to that in the granulite and Group III pyroxenite xenoliths.Formation of voluminous Group I pyroxenite cumulates in the crust-mantle transition zones implies extensive magma underplating beneath the NCC during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic,which also provided exotic materials and heat for the reworking of the ancient lower crust.Therefore,the destruction of the lower crust beneath the NCC could result from continuous modifications and remelting of the ancient lower crust triggered by magma underplating.These processes led to not only the transformations of some ancient basic lower crust into granulite and pyroxenite restites but also the compositional modifications of the ancient lower crust.Consequently,the lower crust beneath the NCC showed downward rejuvenation,similar to the lithospheric mantle.