Estimating Influence of Crystallizing Latent Heat on Cooling-Crystallizing Process of a Granitic Melt and Its Geological Implications

Based on the theory of thermal conductivity, in this paper we derived a formula to estimate the prolongation period （AtL） of cooling-crystallization process of a granitic melt caused by latent heat of crystallization as follows：△tL=QL×△tcol/（TM-TC）×CP where TM is initial temperature of the granite melt, Tc crystallization temperature of the granite melt, Cp specific heat, △tcol cooling period of a granite melt from its initial temperature （TM） to its crystallization temperature （Tc）, QL latent heat of the granite melt. The cooling period of the melt for the Fanshan granodiorite from its initial temperature （900℃） to crystallization temperature （600℃） could be estimated -210,000 years if latent heat was not considered. Calculation for the Fanshan melt using the above formula yields a AtL value of -190,000 years, which implies that the actual cooling period within the temperature range of 900°-600℃ should be 400,000 years. This demonstrates that the latent heat produced from crystallization of the granitic melt is a key factor influencing the cooling-crystallization process of a granitic melt, prolongating the period of crystallization and resulting in the large emplacement-crystallization time difference （ECTD） in granite batholith.

Identification of Hercynian shoshonitic intrusive rocks in central Hainan Island and its geotectonic implications

An identification has been made of some shoshonitic intrusive rocks in central Hainan Island recently. These rocks are K-rich (K2O=2.9%―5.1%, K2O/Na2O=0.95―2.12), distinctly enriched in LILE and LREE, strongly depleted in Nb, Ta, and moder- ately depleted in Sr and Ti, with (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.70859―0.71425 and ε Nd(t) = (?2.77―?7.49). They were derived from an EMⅡ-type mantle source. The enrichment process is related to metasomatism of depleted mantle caused by a great amount of fluid-melt released from oceanic crust and terri- genous sediments at great depth (eclogite facies) during the subduction of the South China plate under the Indochina-South China Sea plate in the Carbon- iferous–Early Permian. A SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating yields a crystallization age of 272±7 Ma for the sho- shonitic intrusions, which is coeval with the strongly peraluminous granites found in central Hainan Island. These two kinds of rocks generally possess syn-intrusion ductile deformation structures. Thus they are considered to have been generated during the early stage (syn-thrust phase) of a post-collisional event. The primary magma of shoshonitic rocks was produced at a depth > 80 km by decompression- dehydration melting of previously enriched litho- spheric mantle wedge, phlogopite-bearing garnet peridotite, which was in turn caused by the break-off of a descendent slab and upwelling of a hot as- thenosphere. The rising of melts was accompaniedby crustal contamination and crystallization fractiona- tion (AFC). Combining with other related data, it is proposed that the southwards subduction and amal- gamation of the South China plate with the Indo- China-South China Sea plate took place at ca. 287- 278 Ma, which was a part of the convergence proc- ess of the Pangea supercontinent. The suture zone was probably located along the line of Song Ma-Beibu Gulf-north margin of the Yunkai Moun- tains-Wuyi Mountains.

Estimate of influence of U-Th-K radiogenic heat on cooling process of granitic melt and its geological implications

The U-Th-^(40)K concentrations of granite are on 1―2 orders of magnitude greater than those of basal- tic-ultrabasic rocks. Radiogenic heat of a granitic melt has significant influence on the cool- ing-crystallization period of the melt. In this paper we derived a formula to calculate prolongation period (tA) of cooling-crystallization of a granitic melt caused by radiogenic heat. Calculation using this for- mula and radioactive element concentrations (U=5.31×10-6; Th=23.1×10-6; K=4.55%) for the biotite adamellite of the Jinjiling batholith shows that the tA of the adamellite is 1.4 times of the cooling period of the granitic melt without considering radiogenic heat from the initial temperature (Tm=960℃) to crystallization temperature (Tc=600℃) of the melt. It has been demonstrated that the radiogenic heat produced in a granitic melt is a key factor influencing the cooling-crystallization process of the granitic melt, and is likely one of the reasons for inconsistence between emplacement ages and crystallization ages of many Meso-Cenozoic granitoids.