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Dating mafic-ultramafic intrusions by ion-microprobing contact-melt zircon : Examples from SW Sweden

Scherstén, Anders LU orcid ; Årebäck, Hans ; Cornell, David ; Hoskin, Paul ; Åberg, Anton and Armstrong, Richard (2000) In Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 139. p.115-125
Abstract

Zircons from anatectic melts of the country rocks of three Proterozoic mafic-ultramafic intrusions from the Sveconorwegian Province in SW Sweden were microanalyzed for U-Th-Pb and rare earth elements. Melting and interaction of the wall rocks with the intrusions gave rise to new magmas that crystallized zircon as new grains and overgrowths on xenocrysts. The ages of the intrusions can be determined by dating this newly crystallized zircon. The method is applied to three intrusions that present different degrees of complexity, related to age differences between intrusion and country rocks, and the effects of post-intrusive metamorphism. By careful study of cathodoluminescent images and selection of ion probe spots in zircon grains, we... (More)

Zircons from anatectic melts of the country rocks of three Proterozoic mafic-ultramafic intrusions from the Sveconorwegian Province in SW Sweden were microanalyzed for U-Th-Pb and rare earth elements. Melting and interaction of the wall rocks with the intrusions gave rise to new magmas that crystallized zircon as new grains and overgrowths on xenocrysts. The ages of the intrusions can be determined by dating this newly crystallized zircon. The method is applied to three intrusions that present different degrees of complexity, related to age differences between intrusion and country rocks, and the effects of post-intrusive metamorphism. By careful study of cathodoluminescent images and selection of ion probe spots in zircon grains, we show that this approach is a powerful tool for obtaining accurate and precise ages. In the contact melts around the 916 ± 11 Ma Hakefjorden Complex, Pb-loss occurred in some U-rich parts of xenocrystic zircon due to the heat from the intrusion. In back-veins of the 1624 ± 6 Ma Olstorp intrusion we succeeded in geochemically distinguishing new magmatic from xenocrystic zircon despite small age differences. At Boras the mafic intrusion mixed with country rock granite to form a tonalite in which new zircon grew at 1674 ± 8 Ma. Reworking of zircon occurred during 930 + 33/-34 Ma upper amphibolite facies Sveconorwegian metamorphism. Pb-loss was the result of re-equilibration with metamorphic fluids. REE-profiles show consistent differences between xenocrystic, magmatic, and metamorphic zircon in all cases. They typically differ in Lu/La(N), Ce/Ce(*), and Eu/Eu(*), and igneous zircon with marked positive Ce/Ce(*) and negative Eu/Eu(*) lost its anomalies during metamorphism.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
volume
139
pages
11 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0033841439
ISSN
0010-7999
DOI
10.1007/s004100050577
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
ef1cda0e-6173-41b5-b3e0-38e7661fed31
date added to LUP
2025-11-18 15:57:07
date last changed
2025-11-20 11:27:52
@article{ef1cda0e-6173-41b5-b3e0-38e7661fed31,
  abstract     = {{<p>Zircons from anatectic melts of the country rocks of three Proterozoic mafic-ultramafic intrusions from the Sveconorwegian Province in SW Sweden were microanalyzed for U-Th-Pb and rare earth elements. Melting and interaction of the wall rocks with the intrusions gave rise to new magmas that crystallized zircon as new grains and overgrowths on xenocrysts. The ages of the intrusions can be determined by dating this newly crystallized zircon. The method is applied to three intrusions that present different degrees of complexity, related to age differences between intrusion and country rocks, and the effects of post-intrusive metamorphism. By careful study of cathodoluminescent images and selection of ion probe spots in zircon grains, we show that this approach is a powerful tool for obtaining accurate and precise ages. In the contact melts around the 916 ± 11 Ma Hakefjorden Complex, Pb-loss occurred in some U-rich parts of xenocrystic zircon due to the heat from the intrusion. In back-veins of the 1624 ± 6 Ma Olstorp intrusion we succeeded in geochemically distinguishing new magmatic from xenocrystic zircon despite small age differences. At Boras the mafic intrusion mixed with country rock granite to form a tonalite in which new zircon grew at 1674 ± 8 Ma. Reworking of zircon occurred during 930 + 33/-34 Ma upper amphibolite facies Sveconorwegian metamorphism. Pb-loss was the result of re-equilibration with metamorphic fluids. REE-profiles show consistent differences between xenocrystic, magmatic, and metamorphic zircon in all cases. They typically differ in Lu/La(N), Ce/Ce(*), and Eu/Eu(*), and igneous zircon with marked positive Ce/Ce(*) and negative Eu/Eu(*) lost its anomalies during metamorphism.</p>}},
  author       = {{Scherstén, Anders and Årebäck, Hans and Cornell, David and Hoskin, Paul and Åberg, Anton and Armstrong, Richard}},
  issn         = {{0010-7999}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{115--125}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology}},
  title        = {{Dating mafic-ultramafic intrusions by ion-microprobing contact-melt zircon : Examples from SW Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004100050577}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s004100050577}},
  volume       = {{139}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}