Eoarchean subduction-like magmatism recorded in ca. 3750 Ma
mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Ukaliq supracrus-tal belt (Québec)
Abstract
Our understanding of the nature of crustal formation in the Eoarchean is
severely curbed by the scarcity and poor preservation of the oldest
rocks, and variable and imperfect preservation of protolith magmatic
signatures. These limitations hamper our ability to place quantitative
constraints on thermomechanical models for early crustal genesis and
hence on the operative geodynamical regimes at that time. Controls on
the liquid line of descent responsible for Eoarchean crust petrogenesis
could help us understand more, but these remain vague. Growth of Archean
crust may have occurred dominantly via processes akin to modern oceanic
crustal genesis, coupled to a vertical geodynamic regime. Equally,
convergent boundary processes, including subduction, are argued to be
important in the development of the crust before about 3.8 Ga. The
recently discovered ca. 3.75 Ga Ukaliq supracrustal enclave (northern
Québec) is mainly composed of serpentinized ultramafic rocks and
amphibolitized mafic schists. Inferred protoliths to the Ukaliq
serpentinites include dunites, pyroxenites, and hornblendites with
compositions similar to that of arc crust cumulates, whereas the mafic
rocks were probably basalts to basaltic andesites. The Ukaliq cumulates
record two liquid lines of descent: (i) a tholeiitic suite, partially
hydrated, resulting from the fractionation of a basaltic liquid; and
(ii) a boninitic suite documenting the evolution of an initially
primitive basaltic to andesitic melt at ~0.5 GPa and
containing >6 wt% H2O. Together with the
presence of negative μ142Nd anomalies, this
information points to a deep fluid input via recycling of Hadean crust
in the Eoarchean via modern-style subduction.