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The petrogenesis of massif anorthosites: a Nd and Sr isotopic investigation of the Proterozoic of Rogaland/Vest-Agder, SW Norway

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Abstract

Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopic analyses of charnockitic migmatite, augen gneiss, anorthosite-leuconorite and two acid plutons from the Rogaland and Vest-Agder districts of southwest Norway constrain their crustal residence ages, origin and evolution. The charnockitic migmatites, which are a major component of the metamorphic basement complex, represent the oldest and largest episode of accretion, in which new crust was derived 1.5–1.9 Ga ago from a mantle source of depleted Nd isotopic composition. The basement complex was intruded by a number of large anorthositic to granitic plutons during and after the Sveconorwegian orogenic period. Samples from the ca. 1050 Ma old, synorogenic Håland anorthosite-leuconorite massif exhibit substantial variation of initial ɛ Nd of +2.1 to +4.4 at an anorthosite locality and −0.5 to +2.3 at a leuconorite locality, but display significant variation of initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio only between the localities (anorthosite mean=0.70369, leuconorite mean=0.70560). A model is proposed whereby the anorthosite and leuconorite were derived by major crustal contamination of, and fractional crystallization from, a picritic magma derived from isotopically-depleted mantle. Two younger acid intrusions, the 950 Ma old Lyngdal granodiorite and the 930 Ma old Farsund charnockite, both have initial Sr and Nd isotope ratios consistent with massive contamination of depleted-mantle-derived magma by old continental crustal material.

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  1. Geology Department, University College, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Julian F. Menuge

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Menuge, J.F. The petrogenesis of massif anorthosites: a Nd and Sr isotopic investigation of the Proterozoic of Rogaland/Vest-Agder, SW Norway. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 98, 363–373 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00375186

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