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Beryllium is a critical metal typically concentrated in highly fractionated granitic rocks such as the leucogranites in the Himalaya. Here, we report beryl mineralization that was continuous from the earlier and less-evolved two-mica granite to the highly evolved albite granite and pegmatite in a typical leucogranite pluton at Pusila in the central of Himalaya. Textural and mineral chemical evidence support a magmatic origin for beryl, and the trends of beryl crystal chemistry indicate magma differentiation. Despite low to moderate fractionation of the biotite granite and two-mica granite in the Pusila leucogranite pluton, the Be contents (~7 µg/g, beryl-free and ~22 µg/g, beryl-bearing, respectively) of these granites are much higher than the average for biotite- and two-mica granites worldwide (~3–4 and 5–10 µg/g, respectively), indicating that the initial magma had a relatively high-Be concentration. The gneisses of Greater Himalayan System, considered the protolith, also show a higher Be abundance (~4–6 µg/g) than the mean value of pelitic rocks worldwide (~2–3 µg/g), which could be the source reservoir of Be. The source contributed the initial Be to the melt, and fractionation resulted in the onset of beryl crystallization from the interstitial residual melt in the two-mica granite. The ubiquity of beryl in two-mica granite to pegmatite stages of the Pusila pluton is explained by a continuous crystallization model, although there was a delay in the onset of beryl crystallization in the two-mica granite. Modeling based on Rayleigh fractionation indicates that Be becomes compatible once saturation is attained because of the beryl crystallization. Our findings indicate that the enrichment of critical elements (e.g., Be) is controlled not only by fractional crystallization but also by the buffering action of a saturating phase (e.g., beryl) on the concentration of the critical element in the melt.

Volcanic eruptions can release a large amount of volatiles, including sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere and trigger regional and/or global perturbations of the climate and environment. However, the potential effect of the Linzizong volcanism, the most intense and widespread magmatism in southern Tibet, is not yet known. Here, the systematic results of fieldwork, spatial distribution analysis (area and volume), and zircon U[sbnd]Pb age dating of 54 samples are reported from the Linzizong volcanic rocks (Dianzhong, Nianbo and Pana Formations) in the Linzhou and Pangduo basins, southern Tibet. Our new zircon U[sbnd]Pb ages of 40 samples and compilations of previous data indicated that the Pana Formation erupted rapidly ca. 52–50 Ma, consistent with the coeval “flare-up” (∼51 Ma) of the Gangdese batholith. The average eruption fluxes of the lower (Dianzhong Formation), middle (Nianbo Formation), and upper (Pana Formation) parts of the Linzizong volcanic sequence are 11.8, 1.44, and 3994 km3/Ma, respectively. Evidence including the high average eruption flux (3994 km3/Ma), large magnitude (M = 8.80), and Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI = 8) of the Pana Formation in the Linzhou and Pangduo basins suggests that this may represent a “supereruption” event in the Early Eocene. The rapid eruption of the Pana Formation was pervasive across the Tibetan Plateau and potentially extends to Sumatra, Southeast Asia, with consequences for the release of a large amount of CO2 that could drive the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO).

Resolving the time of rifting of the Black Sea basin is critical to reconstructing the tectonic evolution of the Pontides arc in northern Turkey. U–Pb geochronology of detrital zircons from Middle Jurassic, Upper Cretaceous, and lower Eocene formations in the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey), as well as published data from circum-Black Sea terranes, reveals that sediments preserved along with the northern (East European Craton-Scythian Platform) and southern (Eastern and Central Pontides-southern flank of the Greater Caucasus-Transcaucasus) margins of the Eastern Black Sea basin display distinct detrital provenances. The U–Pb detrital zircon ages of the sedimentary samples from the Eastern Pontides have distinct populations with ages of ~650–540, ~200, ~170, ~80, and ~50 Ma. In contrast, the ages of the sedimentary samples from the northern Black Sea terranes are characterized by age peaks of ~1400 and ~1100 Ma compared to those of the Eastern Pontides. Only a few detrital zircons in the range of ~650–540 Ma and

Allanite is a common accessory mineral that generally incorporates considerable amounts of Th, U and light rare Earth elements in its structure, making it a useful mineral for in situ U-Th-Pb geochronology and Sm-Nd isotope measurements. Here, we present in situ U-Th-Pb ages and Sm-Nd isotopic compositions for nine allanite samples considered as potential reference materials (CAPb, Tara, Daibosatsu, LE40010, LE2808, A007, A011, A012 and SQ-51), with ages ranging from ~ 2650 Ma to ~ 12 Ma. Our study indicates that Daibosatsu and LE40010 have relatively homogeneous 147Sm/144Nd and 143Nd/144Nd isotopic compositions (147Sm/144Nd ratio variation is less than 2%) and, thus, can serve as primary reference materials for Sm-Nd microanalysis. In contrast, CAPb, Tara, LE2808, A007, A011 and A012 all show homogeneous calculated initial 143Nd/144Nd isotopic compositions, but with variable 147Sm/144Nd compositions, and thus can be used only as secondary reference materials for Sm-Nd microanalysis. Of these materials, LE40010 allanite can serve as a suitable primary reference material for in situ U-Pb dating, CAPb allanite can serve as a suitable primary reference material for in situ Th-Pb dating, and LE2808, LE40010, A007, A011 and A012 can serve as suitable secondary reference materials for in situ U-Pb geochronology. In addition, Daibosatsu is suitable as a secondary reference material for Cenozoic Th-Pb dating to monitor data reproducibility.

© 2022 Elsevier B.V.This study deals with the age and petrogenesis of mafic-ultramafic intrusions ranging in size from a few meters to 10 km within the Early Carboniferous high-grade gneisses of the Pulur Complex in the Eastern Pontides. The intrusions comprise dunite, wehrlite, gabbronorite, leucogabbro, anorthosite and ilmenite-bearing gabbronorite of cumulus origin, and are crosscut by dikes of ilmenite-bearing gabbronorite, leucogranite and microdiorite. U–Pb dating on zircons from gabbronorite, anorthosite and leucogranite yielded igneous crystallization ages of 322–326 Ma, indicating that the intrusions were emplaced ca. 5–7 Ma after the peak of high-grade metamorphism, and form part of the Late Carboniferous high-volume magmatism in the region. In most cumulate rocks, Cr–Al spinel, olivine and plagioclase were early crystallizing phases, followed by orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and hornblende. Whole rock geochemical data suggest that wehrlite, gabbronorite, leucogabbro and anorthosite stem from a common magma, and ilmenite-bearing gabbronorite and dikes of leucogranite and microdiorite from different magmas. Application of mineral/melt partition coefficients to trace element compositions of clinopyroxene and hornblende in cumulate rocks suggests that the main cumulate body was derived from middle- to high-K calc-alkaline basic melts, and relatively late ilmenite-bearing gabbronorites from hypersthene-normative Ca-rich melts. All the rock types display radiogenic Sr and Pb isotopic signatures, and unradiogenic Nd isotopic ratios, which are indistinguishable from those of the coeval voluminous high-K calc-alkaline I-type granites in the region; the isotopic ratios are probably related to the metasomatism of the lithospheric mantle by sediment-derived melts. We suggest that the parental melts of the mafic-ultramafic intrusions and those of the high-K calc-alkaline granites were genetically related, and melts of the high-K calc-alkaline granites were probably derived from the melting of newly underplated calc-alkaline basic material at lower crustal depths, that were compositionally comparable to the parental magmas of the mafic-ultramafic intrusions.

As relics of ancient ocean lithosphere, ophiolites are the most important petrological evidence for marking the sutures and also play a key role in reconstructing plate configuration. They also provide valuable windows for studying crustal accretion and mantle processes occurring at modern ocean ridges. Abundant ophiolites are distributed along the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture and represent the relics of ocean lithosphere of the Neo-Tethys. They are characterized by an incomplete litho-stratigraphy, of which the mantle section is much thicker than the crustal section. Ocean crustal rocks outcropped in the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites are much thinner than normal ocean crusts (~ 7 km) or even absent. Tectonic settings from which the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites originated remain highly controversial, although an origin of the supra-subduction zone is prevailing. Moreover, their incomplete litho-stratigraphy has been commonly attributed to tectonic dismemberment during the late-stage emplacement after their formation. Nevertheless, such an incompleteness resembles the ocean lithosphere generated at modern ultraslow spreading ridges, such as the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). In this paper, we present several lines of evidence that support the formation of the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites at ultraslow spreading ridges, during which detachment faults were developed. This suggests that the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites might represent the ocean core complexes (OCC) in the Neo-Tethys Ocean. The OCC with high topography in the seafloor were clogged in the trench and preserved as ophiolites through Indo-Eurasia collision. The clogging resulted in the demise of an old subduction and a new subduction was re-initiated beneath the clogged OCC.

The Mogok metamorphic belt (MMB), Myanmar, is one of the most well-known gemological belts on Earth. Previously, 40Ar/39Ar, K-Ar, and U-Pb dating have yielded Jurassic-Miocene magmatic and metamorphic ages of the MMB and adjacent areas; however, no reported age data are closely related to the sapphire and moonstone deposits. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb dating of acicular rutile inclusions in sapphire and furnace step-heating 40Ar/39Ar dating of moonstone (antiperthite) in syenites from the MMB yield ages of 13.43 ± 0.92 and 13.55 ± 0.08 Ma, respectively, indicating both Myanmar sapphire and moonstone formed at the same time, and the ages are the youngest published in the region. The ages provide insight into the complex histories and processes of magmatism and metamorphism of the MMB, the formation of gemstone species in this belt, and the collision between India and Asia. In addition, our high field strength element data for the oriented rutile inclusions suggest an origin by co-precipitation rather than exsolution. In situ age determination of this nature is particularly significant since rutile inclusions in other gemstones, such as rubies, can be used to help constrain the geological history of their host rocks elsewhere.

Mare volcanics on the Moon are the key record of thermo-chemical evolution throughout most of lunar history1–3. Young mare basalts—mainly distributed in a region rich in potassium, rare-earth elements and phosphorus (KREEP) in Oceanus Procellarum, called the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT)4—were thought to be formed from KREEP-rich sources at depth5–7. However, this hypothesis has not been tested with young basalts from the PKT. Here we present a petrological and geochemical study of the basalt clasts from the PKT returned by the Chang’e-5 mission8. These two-billion-year-old basalts are the youngest lunar samples reported so far9. Bulk rock compositions have moderate titanium and high iron contents with KREEP-like rare-earth-element and high thorium concentrations. However, strontium–neodymium isotopes indicate that these basalts were derived from a non-KREEP mantle source. To produce the high abundances of rare-earth elements and thorium, low-degree partial melting and extensive fractional crystallization are required. Our results indicate that the KREEP association may not be a prerequisite for young mare volcanism. Absolving the need to invoke heat-producing elements in their source implies a more sustained cooling history of the lunar interior to generate the Moon’s youngest melts., Isotopic analysis of basalt clasts returned from the Moon by the Chang’e-5 mission indicates that the rocks were derived from a mantle source that lacked potassium, rare-earth elements and phosphorus.

The Moon has a magmatic and thermal history that is distinct from that of the terrestrial planets1. Radioisotope dating of lunar samples suggests that most lunar basaltic magmatism ceased by around 2.9–2.8 billion years ago (Ga)2,3, although younger basalts between 3 Ga and 1 Ga have been suggested by crater-counting chronology, which has large uncertainties owing to the lack of returned samples for calibration4,5. Here we report a precise lead–lead age of 2,030 ± 4 million years ago for basalt clasts returned by the Chang’e-5 mission, and a 238U/204Pb ratio (µ value)6 of about 680 for a source that evolved through two stages of differentiation. This is the youngest crystallization age reported so far for lunar basalts by radiometric dating, extending the duration of lunar volcanism by approximately 800–900 million years. The µ value of the Chang’e-5 basalt mantle source is within the range of low-titanium and high-titanium basalts from Apollo sites (µ value of about 300–1,000), but notably lower than those of potassium, rare-earth elements and phosphorus (KREEP) and high-aluminium basalts7 (µ value of about 2,600–3,700), indicating that the Chang’e-5 basalts were produced by melting of a KREEP-poor source. This age provides a pivotal calibration point for crater-counting chronology in the inner Solar System and provides insight on the volcanic and thermal history of the Moon., Basalt samples returned from the Moon by the Chang’e-5 mission are revealed to be two billion years old by radioisotopic dating, providing insight on the volcanic history of the Moon.

The asthenosphere beneath both ancient and modern oceans is highly heterogeneous owing to the recycling of continental, sub-arc, or sub-oceanic mantle domains and subducted oceanic crust and pelagic sediments. The identification and discrimination of those “old” mantle domains are important for understanding of the generation of oceanic crust and the tectonic setting of ophiolites. Here we report geochemical data including Re–Os and Lu–Hf isotopic compositions for mantle peridotites from the Kop Mountain ophiolite in the western Neo-Tethys. These peridotites have whole-rock and mineral compositions comparable with those of abyssal peridotites. Trace element modeling of clinopyroxenes indicates that they were subjected to anhydrous melting, and in this respect the rocks are distinguishable from supra-subduction zone peridotites. Re–Os and Lu–Hf isotopic compositions further indicate that these mantle peridotites underwent ancient (at or before 1.52 Ga) melt extraction and Jurassic melt metasomatism. The Kop Mountain mantle peridotites thus represent ancient sub-oceanic mantle domains recycled into the Neo-Tethyan asthenosphere, undergoing earlier melt depletion before being entrained at the Neo-Tethyan ridge axis. Our results, together with data published for other ophiolites, indicate that the Os isotopic distribution of the Neo-Tethyan ophiolites is identical to that of global abyssal peridotites, suggesting similar melting histories. The Neo-Tethyan asthenosphere was highly heterogeneous, probably with numerous recycled continental, sub-arc, and sub-oceanic mantle inputs. The recycling of ancient mantle in the asthenosphere could be an alternative explanation for the generation of anomalous compositions in both modern and ophiolitic oceanic crusts such as K-rich lavas, enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts, and arc-like basalts. The use of basalt geochemical data to discriminate between tectonic settings (i.e., mid-ocean ridge or supra-subduction zone) of ophiolites should thus be approached with caution.

The Chang’E-5 (CE5) mission has demonstrated that lunar volcanism was still active until two billion years ago, much younger than the previous isotopically dated lunar basalts. How the small Moon retained enough heat to drive such late volcanism is unknown, particularly as the CE5 mantle source was anhydrous and depleted in heat-producing elements. We conduct fractional crystallization and mantle melting simulations that show that mantle melting point depression by the presence of fusible, easily melted components could trigger young volcanism. Enriched in calcium oxide and titanium dioxide compared to older Apollo magmas, the young CE5 magma was, thus, sourced from the overturn of the late-stage fusible cumulates of the lunar magma ocean. Mantle melting point depression is the first mechanism to account for young volcanism on the Moon that is consistent with the newly returned CE5 basalts.

Triassic to Pleistocene sandstones of the Kyrenia Range, N Cyprus provide an exceptional repository of the erosional history of Anatolia. The Kyrenia Range features several different tectonic hypotheses concerning the Eastern Mediterranean region, which are tested here using a combination of new and recently published detrital zircon geochronology, zircon trace-element data and hafnium isotopic data. Minimum detrital zircon ages refine the ages of several formations in the Kyrenia Range. The new data also provide insights into sediment provenance including far-removed sources of Upper Paleozoic zircons, within-plate versus subduction-related sources (e.g., rift; oceanic/continental arc/ophiolite) and Neogene collision-related magmatism. Facies and paleocurrent data indicate a major switch in clastic sediment input from generally southwards to westwards during the Oligocene, which was mainly controlled by the collision of the Arabian promontory with Anatolia, leaving the S Neotethys as an isolated deep-water basin.The U-Pb zircon age profiles indicate a prominent Late Neoproterozoic population, together with Carboniferous, Permian, Late Cretaceous and Miocene-aged clusters. Pan-African and Grenvillian-aged zircons were ultimately derived from Cadomian continental basement. Basement that rifted from Gondwana during the Triassic later became sources of detritus within Anatolia to the north. Devonian-Carboniferous zircons were originally supplied by active continental margin magmatism in southern Eurasia (Pontides) or northern Gondwana (Afyon zone of the Anatolides). The proposed explanation is that detrital zircons were sequentially recycled, first to Upper Carboniferous-earliest Permian turbidites (within the Afyon zone to the east), later to Mid-Upper Triassic alluvium and turbidites (within the Taurides to the south), and finally to Triassic-Paleogene clastic sediments as now preserved in the Kyrenia Range. Upper Cretaceous zircons were derived from continental arc granitoids, oceanic arc and/or ophiolitic rocks and related metamorphic rocks, generally to the north of the Kyrenia Range. Paleogene zircons mainly represent late-stage continental margin arc magmatism in SE Turkey. During the Oligocene, the switch from mainly southward sediment supply to mainly westward sediment supply represents dominant input from the S Neotethyan suture zone in SE Turkey. Miocene zircons were mainly derived from post-collisional volcanics in SE Turkey. Paleoriver drainage systems in central/southeast Anatolia largely existed by the Late Miocene in response to collision-related surface uplift, in turn strongly influencing Miocene-Pleistocene zircon provenance in sub-basins within and adjacent to the Kyrenia Range.The combined zircon data, together with assembled geological evidence, are used to discuss three contrasting tectonic hypotheses for the early Mesozoic-Eocene setting of the Kyrenia Range: (1) locally, in the easternmost Mediterranean (i.e., preferred interpretation); (2) far to the south, on the N African passive margin, and (3) far to the north, along (or near) the Eurasian margin. Overall, the present study exemplifies the diversity and complexity of clastic sediment sources within a developing orogen, with implications for some other regions.

The last decade of lunar exploration has revealed the presence of significant quantities of water on the Moon’s surface, notably characterised by global water retention, release, and replenishment1-9. This led to the proposition that a hydrated layer exists at depth in lunar soils, buffering a water cycle on the Moon globally9. However, so far no candidate reservoir has been identified for this hydrated layer. Here, we report the water abundances, hydrogen isotope compositions, and their core to rim variations, measured in impact glass beads from the Chang’e-5 (CE5) lunar soils. These targets preserve hydration signatures as revealed through water abundance profiles indicating diffusion of solar wind-derived hydrogen inwards into the glasses. Modelling suggests diffusion timescales of less than 661 years at a temperature of 296 K, which could provide an efficient mechanism to explain the recharge of water to sustain the lunar surface water cycle. We estimate that the amount of water contributed by impact glass beads in lunar soils can reach up to 7 × 1013 kilograms. These findings provide the first ground truths that could explain the water cycle at the Moon’s surface and demonstrate potential water reservoirs on airless bodies in the solar system.

Due to their relatively high Hf contents (i.e., several hundreds to thousands of ppm), columbite-group minerals (CGMs) are suitable for Lu–Hf isotope analysis, which can provide new insights into the source of such minerals in combination with the U–Pb age of rare-metal deposits. However, few studies have reported Lu–Hf isotope data for CGMs. Tantalum is a major element in CGMs (12–48 wt% Ta2O5) and has a significant effect on measurements of Hf isotopes using MC-ICP-MS. This effect was first evaluated in this study by analysis of mixed Hf–Ta standard solutions with different Ta/Hf ratios and LA-MC-ICP-MS analysis of various CGMs. This analytical artifact reflects serious tailing of the large 181Ta signal onto the 180Hf and 179Hf masses during analysis. Therefore, in order to obtain accurate Hf isotope data for CGMs by MC-ICP-MS, we present an improved chemical separation procedure for Hf from Ta, and also a novel analytical protocol for LA-MC-ICP-MS analysis of CGMs. Accurate in situ176Hf/177Hf ratios for CGMs can be obtained by normalization to 178Hf/177Hf = 1.4672, rather than 179Hf/177Hf = 0.7325, using the exponential law. This approach was validated by solution and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS analysis of four CGM samples from China and Africa. The Lu–Hf isotopic composition of CGMs provides a new geochemical tracer for rare-metal deposits.

The Qinling Orogenic Belt in Central China is formed by an oblique continental collision between the North China and South China Blocks. In this review, we summarize the knowledge of the early Mesozoic magmatism, in combination with the coeval metamorphic characteristics, regional structural features and depositional history in the foreland and hinterland basins along the Qinling-Dabie Orogen. The early Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Qinling is divided into four stages. Stage I (~250–235 Ma) is characterized by medium-K calc-alkaline magmatism in the western Qinling induced by slab roll-back. Meanwhile, ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism was triggered by continental subduction in the Sulu-Dabie, indicating a diachronous closure of the ocean. Stage II (~235–225 Ma) is recognized as a magmatic gap. Depositional variations of sedimentary facies and compressional deformations with an increased crustal thickness reflect the initial collision in the Qinling. Stage III (~225–210 Ma) is distinguished by a magmatic flare-up event. Abundant mantle-derived melts coupled with extensive crustal-derived melts were coeval with rapid uplift, strike-slip movement and regional crustal thickening in the Qinling as well as retrograde metamorphism in the Sulu-Dabie. The main tectonic driver was the propagating detachment of the subducted oceanic slab at gradually shallower depth from the Sulu-Dabie to the Qinling. Stage IV (~210–190 Ma) magmatism is dominated by high silica granites derived from metasedimentary rocks. The rapid denudation rates and extensional structures indicate gravitational collapse and regional delamination of the thickened crust. In addition to the strike-slip faults and block extrusion, the Qinling is characterized by asymmetric distribution patterns of magmatism and metamorphism, different melting mechanisms over time; diachronous depositions, differential uplift and non-uniform crustal thickening, and regional delamination of the thickened orogenic root. All these features are the result of the oblique collision, which is a common process in nature, and therefore could be applied to other orogens.

The Triassic Lincang granites make up the largest peraluminous granitic batholith in the Changning-Menglian Paleo-Tethys orogenic belt, southeastern Tibetan Plateau. It is undoubtedly very importan...

We present a new procedure for U-Pb dating of vesuvianite using laser ablation sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-SF-ICP-MS). Vesuvianite is a common mineral in skarn ore deposits and in metamorphic and metasomatic argillaceous carbonate rocks. The age of vesuvianite growth directly dates the formation of skarn mineralization, possibly also the metamorphism and metasomatism of argillaceous limestones. Vesuvianite U-Pb dating may provide age information for hydrothermal, metamorphic, and metasomatic processes that may be hard to get by zircon U-Pb dating. We analyzed eleven vesuvianite samples. Matrix effects were corrected by using Ti-bearing andradite (schorlomite) of known age as no well-characterized vesuvianite was available as an U-Pb reference material. The robustness of the analytical protocol was assessed by additional U-Pb dating of four vesuvianite samples by ID-TIMS. The U-Pb ages determined by ID-TIMS and LA-SF-ICP-MS agree well within uncertainties. An additional seven vesuvianite samples yielded in situ U-Pb ages that agree with previously published zircon, cassiterite, or wolframite U-Pb ages from the same area. Therefore, U-Pb dating of vesuvianite by LA-SF-ICP-MS represents a fast, relatively low-cost approach with high spatial resolution that may be particularly suited to date skarn mineralization.

High-silica granites (typically > 70 wt.% SiO2) represent the products of extreme crustal differentiation, but whether their distinctive chemical compositions reflect source lithology or are produced via magmatic differentiation is commonly difficult to discriminate. To provide new insights into this issue, here we present high-precision Mg and Zn isotope data for high-silica, peraluminous leucogranites from the Himalayan orogen. The samples are subdivided into two-mica leucogranite, tourmaline leucogranite and garnet-bearing leucogranite based on their mineral assemblages. The two-mica leucogranites, representing the least evolved Himalayan leucogranites, have similar δ66ZnJMC 3-0749L (mean = 0.31 ± 0.06‰) but heavier δ26MgDSM-3 values (mean = −0.01 ± 0.12‰) relative to more mafic igneous rocks. This indicates that they were formed by anatexis of weathered silicates, consistent with the well-acknowledged metasedimentary source of the Himalayan leucogranites. In contrast, the more evolved tourmaline leucogranites and garnet-bearing leucogranites have lower δ26Mg and higher δ66Zn values compared with the two-mica leucogranites. The extremely low δ26Mg (−1.32‰ to −0.54‰) and high δ66Zn values (0.35–0.69‰) of garnet-bearing leucogranites vary systematically with indices of granitic differentiation (e.g., Zr/Hf, K/Rb, Eu/Eu*, 1/TiO2). Although exsolution of chlorine-rich fluid may result in elevated δ66Zn values, it is unlikely to explain the low δ26Mg signatures of the same samples. Analysis of major Mg-bearing minerals suggests that substantial segregation of tourmaline and/or Fe-Ti oxide could have driven the differentiated leucogranites towards very low δ26Mg values. In this regard, the slightly lower δ26Mg values (mean = −0.17 ± 0.06‰) of tourmaline leucogranites relative to the two-mica leucogranites may also reflect that the former were more differentiated than the latter. Thus, although source heterogeneity may be responsible for the Mg isotopic variations observed in some high-silica granites, our study implies that high-silica granites could be remarkably heterogeneous in terms of Mg isotopes primarily as a result of prolonged fractional crystallization at the late stage of melt evolution. The anomalously light Mg and heavy Zn isotopic signatures of garnet-bearing leucogranites highlight that Mg and Zn isotopes may be treated as important makers of highly fractionated granites in future studies.

The Oligocene to Miocene period is one of the most important stages during the formation and evolution of the Tibetan Plateau which generated the tectonic framework similar to the present. The rise of southern Tibet at this time was accompanied by widespread and intense tectonomagmatic activities. The Himalayan region was dominated by leucogranites considered as pure metasediments derived S-type granites, while the Lhasa terrane developed coeval thickened crust derived high Sr/Y calcalkaline rocks and metasomatized mantle derived ultrapotassic rocks. It is puzzling why the adjacent amalgamated regions show contrasting magmatic and dynamic process. This contribution presents a systematic study of newly found various dikes, including minette, aplite, granodiorite porphyry and granite porphyry, which are widespread from the southern Lhasa terrane, across the Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone (YTSZ) and into the Tethyan Himalaya. These dikes yield 16–11 Ma U-Th-Pb ages from zircon, titanite and monazite. The aplite and granodiorite porphyry dikes (high Sr/Y calcalkaline) and minette dikes (ultrapotassic) previal from the Lhasa terrane to the YTSZ. They are identical to the coeval high Sr/Y and/or ultrapotassic rocks from the Lhasa terrane, indicating a similar melting process of thickened lower crust and metasomatized lithospheric mantle. To the south of YTSZ, the middle Miocene granite porphyry in the Tethyan Himalaya exhibit high Sr/Y ratios (50–138), relatively low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio (0.7064–0.7098), high eNd(t) value (−8.31 to −1.91) and positive eHf(t) value (+1.55 to +4.33), in contrast to the high 87Sr/86Sr and low eNd(t) Himalayan leucogranites. They were likely generated by partial melting of thickened lower crust dominated by amphibolite with significant contributions from juvenile magma. The two-mica granite of Bendui pluton from the Tethyan Himalaya is similar to the granite porphyry in element composition, while the highly evolved muscovite granite there resembles the Himalayan leucogranite. Together, the granite porphyry, Bendui two-mica granite and leucogranite from the Tethyan Himalaya show a transition trend in elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions, implying that the high Sr/Y granite porphyry dikes may represent the more primitive magma of Himalayan leucogranites. In this case, the Himalayan leucogranites, at least in part, represent highly evolved I-type granites with extensive assimilation of ancient crustal materials instead of pure metasediment-derived partial melts. Therefore, we suggest that the thickened lower crust in southern Tibet underwent pervasive partial melting during Oligocene to Miocene as a result of the removal of subducting Indian plate.

Lu and Hf content, and Hf isotopic composition of 13 Chinese rock reference materials are reported for the first time. The reference materials span a broad compositional range. Results indicate that they are of comparable quality to the well characterised and widely utilised USGS and GSJ rock reference materials.

We present an analytical protocol for in situ U–Pb isotope dating of wolframite series minerals [(Fe,Mn)WO4], the main ore mineral for tungsten, by LA-SF-ICP-MS. Precision and accuracy of the protocol was intensively assessed using our newly developed well-characterized U–Pb wolframite reference material. The tungsten oxide interference on Hg and Pb was investigated in detail. The matrix effect between ferberite and hübnerite during laser ablation was thoroughly examined for wolframite series minerals with a different Mn/(Mn + Fe) ratio. The closure temperature of wolframite, with respect to the U–Pb system, was evaluated. The application of eleven wolframite samples, with ages from ∼1780 Ma to ∼26 Ma, robustly demonstrated the feasibility of our approach. Most studied wolframite series minerals yielded U–Pb concordant or subconcordant ages. Samples with a relatively high U content and negligible common Pb content typically had a 206Pb/238U age precision of ca. 1%. The new in situ data agree well with published cassiterite or wolframite ages from the same locations. LA-SF-ICP-MS, with the advantages of high sensitivity, rapidity, and relatively low cost, as well as moderate spatial resolution (i.e., 32 or 44 μm) that is sufficiently high to avoid sulfide inclusions, is the method of choice for in situ wolframite U–Pb microanalysis.

In the present work, we describe a sequential U–Pb and Sm–Nd systematics measurement from natural LREE-enriched minerals using Neptune Plus MC-ICP-MS coupled with a 193 nm excimer laser in a single shot. MC-ICP-MS is equipped with an optical zoom lens to bring ion beams into the collector coincidently. The key features allow rapid switching between the U–Pb and Sm–Nd collector configurations, which are applied to simultaneously measure the U–Pb age and Sm–Nd isotope of common natural LREE-enriched minerals. The robustness and usefulness of the present protocol are investigated using a series of well-characterized mineral reference materials (i.e., monazite, titanite, perovskite) with known U–Pb and Sm–Nd isotopic values, which demonstrate its potential and versatility in geochemistry and cosmochemistry for microanalysis.

The nepheline syenite pegmatite in the Saima alkaline complex in northeastern China is characterized by REE mineralization, mainly rinkite-(Ce) and associated alteration minerals. As the most abundant REE-bearing mineral in the pegmatite, rinkite-(Ce) closely coexists with microcline, nepheline, natrolite, and calcite. Some rinkite-(Ce) grains show compositional sector-zonation, in which the inner core displays relatively high Ti, Ca, and Sr concentrations, but low Zr, REE, and Na contents. Primary rinkite-(Ce) has undergone multiple episodes of fluid interactions, and accordingly, from weak to strong, three different mineral assemblages of hydrothermal alteration can be summarized: (1) rinkite-(Ce) + secondary natrolite ± K-feldspar ± minor fluorbritholite-(Ce); (2) rinkite-(Ce) relics + secondary natrolite + K-feldspar + fluorbritholite-(Ce) + unidentified Ca-Ti silicate mineral + fluorite and calcite; and (3) pseudomorphs after rinkite-(Ce). The pseudomorphs can be divided into two groups characterized by distinct mineral associations: (1) Ca-bearing strontianite + fluorbritholite-(Ce) + natrolite + fluorite + calcite coexisting with silicate minerals; and (2) calcite + fluorite + fluorbritholite-(Ce) + rinkite-(Ce) relics ± Ca-bearing strontianite ± ancylite-(Ce) associated with a calcite matrix. These alteration mineral assemblages are evidence of magmatic-derived alkali metasomatism due to an alkali-CO2-F-rich fluid and Ca-metasomatism due to a different, externally derived Sr- and Ca-rich fluid. The metasomatic events acted as the potential driving force for the rinkite-(Ce) dissolution and pseudomorph-forming process. The high concentration of rinkite-(Ce) in the nepheline syenite pegmatite results from the fractional crystallization of the Saima CO2-rich alkaline silicate magma, and the successive alterations of rinkite-(Ce) attest to the important role played by hydrothermal fluids in controlling the remobilization of REE and the crystallization of secondary rare earth minerals.