Neodymium isotope equilibration during crustal metamorphism revealed by in situ microanalysis of REE-rich accessory minerals

Hammerli, J., Kemp, A.I.S., and Spandler, C. (2014) Neodymium isotope equilibration during crustal metamorphism revealed by in situ microanalysis of REE-rich accessory minerals. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 392. pp. 133-142.

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Abstract

Radiogenic isotopes are widely used to investigate crustal evolutionary processes, however recent claims of Nd and Sr isotope disequilibrium during anatexis question the reliability of such information. We have conducted an in situ Sm–Nd isotope study of apatite, allanite, titanite, xenotime and monazite in metasedimentary rocks of different metamorphic grade to test Nd isotope equilibrium during metamorphism. Our results show that apatite retains an original, probably detrital, highly variable Nd isotopic signature until at least 500 °C before being isotopically homogenised, irrespective of textural context within the rock. Once equilibrated, apatite retains its Nd isotope signature throughout anatexis. In contrast, allanite and titanite are equilibrated at temperatures as low as 350–400 °C. REE-rich accessory minerals in high-grade rocks (∼600°C) show very similar initial εNd values at the time of metamorphism. We conclude that under these metamorphic conditions Nd isotope disequilibrium between crustal melts and metasedimentary sources is unlikely. Intra-grain Nd isotope zoning of monazite indicates that partial melting was open system, involving the injection of externally-derived melt into migmatites. This process, likely to be common in anatectic terranes but not always obvious at hand-specimen scale or from bulk rock geochemical data, can produce isotope variation that could potentially be misinterpreted as disequilibrium between the melt and its protolith.

Item ID: 33273
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1385-013X
Keywords: Nd isotope equilibration, laser ablation MC-ICP-MS, accessory minerals, anatexis
Funders: Australian Research Council (ARC)
Projects and Grants: ARC Discovery Project grant DP 1095280
Date Deposited: 28 May 2014 06:27
FoR Codes: 04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0403 Geology > 040304 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology @ 50%
04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0402 Geochemistry > 040203 Isotope Geochemistry @ 50%
SEO Codes: 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970104 Expanding Knowledge in the Earth Sciences @ 100%
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