Two-Stage Mafic-Felsic Magma Interactions and Related Magma Chamber
Processes in the Arc Setting: An Example from the Enclave-Bearing
Calc-alkaline Plutons, Chinese Altai
Abstract
A systematic dataset of petrography, mineralogy, geochronology, and
geochemistry is reported for the enclave-bearing calc-alkaline I-type
granitoids from the Chinese Altai, Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB).
Zircon U–Pb dating and geochemical data indicate that the MME and
granitoids formed coevally at ~395 Ma in a subduction
setting. Geochemical modelling and hybrid testing suggest that the
granitoid parental magma was formed by mixing between a mafic and a
felsic endmember that can be identified by isotopic compositions. The
mafic rocks have
(87Sr/86Sr)i of
0.7048 – 0.7062, εNd(t) of -0.5 – +2.6, and zircon εHf(t) of +2.3 –
+5.4, while the host granitoids have similar Sr isotopic compositions
((87Sr/86Sr)i =
0.7054 – 0.7064), but generally lower whole-rock εNd(t) and zircon
εHf(t) values (-2.2 – +0.4 and +0.6 – +4.6, respectively). The sharp
decrease of An values from cores to rims (e.g., from ca. 80 to 40) of
plagioclase phenocrysts points to polybaric crystallization accompanied
by degassing, which is supported by the pressure and water content
estimations based on amphibole compositions. Petrographic evidence and
plagioclase in-situ Sr isotopic compositions
((87Sr/86Sr)i =
0.7053 - 0.7071) confirm the interaction of two isotopically different
magmas during the mineral crystallization. A model for the formation of
the enclave-bearing calc-alkaline plutons in an arc setting is
presented: in-depth mantle and crustal melting and efficient magma
mixing controlled the principal chemical compositions of the granitoid
intrusions, while the later decompression-dominated crystallization,
magma mingling and limited mixing in the higher crustal level finally
determined the texture, mineral composition, and enclave morphology.