1. Petrogenesis of Himalayan Leucogranites: Perspective From a Combined Elemental and Fe‐Sr‐Nd Isotope Study.
- Author
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Shi, Qingshang, He, Yongsheng, Zhao, Zhidan, Liu, Dong, Harris, Nigel, and Zhu, Di‐Cheng
- Subjects
PETROGENESIS ,CRYSTALLIZATION ,SEDIMENTARY rocks ,GARNET ,GEOCHEMISTRY - Abstract
The petrogenesis of Himalayan leucogranites remains crucial for understanding the thermal and tectonic evolution of the Himalayan orogen. To understand whether they are largely pristine melts of crustal anatexis or have experienced a high degree of fractional crystallization (FC), we present Fe isotopic data of 30 representative Himalayan leucogranites and 9 local metasedimentary rocks. Excepting three garnet leucogranites with low δ56Fe (−0.04‰–0.06‰) that are likely affected by garnet accumulation, tourmaline, and two‐mica leucogranites have largely homogeneous δ56Fe from 0.13‰ to 0.24‰ irrespective of their highly variable SiO2, MgO, and FeOt contents. Combined with observed mineral assemblages and available fractionation factors, this does not support a high degree of FC (with or without assimilation) in their petrogenesis. The elevated δ56Fe relative to the supposed source rocks, represented by metasedimentary rocks and/or metabasite with a δ56Fe value of 0.10‰, by ∼0.07‰, may reflect Fe isotope fractionation during crustal anatexis. This study indicates most leucogranites can provide robust constraints on the conditions of crustal anatexis and thus the thermal and tectonic evolution of the Himalayan orogen. Plain Language Summary: The Himalayas have been formed from the collision between two tectonic plates. During their formation, the rocks of the continental crust have melted to form leucogranites which potentially provide important information on how the collision process evolves. Several recent studies of rare‐element mineralization associated with these granites have argued that the magmas result from extensive removal of early formed minerals during the cooling of the magma (fractional crystallization [FC]) which, if true, would undermine their usefulness as monitors of the collisional process. In this study, we address this issue through a geochemical approach that combines isotopic data from iron, strontium, and neodymium. Whereas Sr and Nd give information on the source of the magmas, the isotopes of Fe will remain largely unfractionated if the granites result simply from melting the crust but fractionate significantly during FC. Our results reveal very limited fractionation of Fe isotopic compositions for two types of leucogranites, which is inconsistent with the model requiring a high degree of FC but supports the interpretation that they represent largely unfractionated crustal melts. Our study therefore confirms that Himalayan leucogranites can provide reliable probes for the thermal and tectonic evolution of the Himalayan crust. Key Points: The first integrated Fe‐Sr‐Nd isotopical and geochemical data set of Himalayan leucogranites and metasedimentary rocks are presentedIsotopic and geochemical data suggest that two‐mica and tourmaline leucogranites have not experienced a high degree of fractional crystallizationThe low δ56Fe values of garnet leucogranites were likely derived from garnet accumulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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