Abstract
A total of 108 samples of meta-tonalites, metagranodiorites, granites and meta-tholeiites representing groups of Early to Late Archean age and different metamorphic history from SW and SE Greenland have been analyzed for Ca, K and 28 trace elements. There is no systematic change of the chemical composition with age observable. The results support petrologic experiments which suggest that tonalites and granodiorites (the most abundant rocks of the Archean crust) are partial melting products of a mafic lower crust. Modelling suggest that this crust consisted of garnet amphibolite derived from a source with a bulk composition resembling a slightly enriched rather than depleted mantle. The CeN/YbN ratio is above 10 in the majority of tonalites. Most samples have no Eu anomaly because of a balanced contribution from the minerals of a mafic rock (or a plagioclase-free source). The positive Eu anomaly of some granodiorites and of a minor proportion of tonalites can be explained as being caused by plagioclase accumulation during differentiation or by partial melting of plagioclase-rich fractions. Modelling with Zn excludes an origin of tonalitic melts by differentiation of basaltic to dioritic magmas. The Archean meta-diorites, meta-tonalites and meta-granodiorites from Greenland have generally lost some K and S relative to their suggested magmatic protoliths. Loss of Rb, Tl, Pb and K and relative gain of Ca, Sr, Ba and Sc connected with granulitization of meta-tonalites can be explained in the majority of cases by separation of about 25 percent granitic partial melt. High K/Rb, K/Pb, Zn/Cd and Nb/Th ratios of granulites plus low ratios of granites are almost in balance with intermediate ratios of amphibolite-facies tonalites. Retrogression of granulites into amphibolites was accompanied by introduction of Pb, Tl, Rb, Ba, Sr and K from Na-Cl-rich brines circulating on fractures. A comparison of the abundance of 24 elements (characterized by different compatibility) in the Archean crust of Greenland with the present bulk crust reflects only minor changes (Th, Nb) if at-all in the chemical composition of the continental crust since the Archean.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Allègre CJ (1982) Chemical geodynamics. Tectonophysics 81:109–132
Baadsgaard H (1976) Further U-Pb dates on zircons from the early Precambrian rocks of the Godthaabsfjord area, West Greenland. Earth Planet Sci Lett 33:261–267
Baadsgaard H, McGregor VR (1981) The U-Th-Pb systematics of zircons from the type Nûk gneisses, Godthåbsfjord, West Greenland. Geochim. Cosmochim A 45:1099–1109
Baadsgaard H, Nutman AP, Bridgwater D, Rosing M, McGregor VR, Allaart JH (1984) The zircon geochronology of the Akilia association and Isua supracrustal belt, West Greenland. Earth Planet Sci Lett 68:221–228
Baadsgaard H, Nutman AP, Rosing N, Bridgwater D, Longstaffc FJ (1986) Alteration and metamorphism of Amitsoq gneisses from the Isukasia area, West Greenland: rccommendations for isotope studies in the early crust. Geochim Cosmochim A 50:2165–2172
Barker F (1979) Trondhjemite: definition, environment and hypotheses of origin, Chap 1. In: Barker F (ed) Trondhjemites, dacites, and related rocks. Elsevier, Amsterdam
Bridgwater D, McGregor VR, Myers JS (1974) A horizontal tectonic regime in the Archaean of Greenland and its implications for early crustal thickening. Precambr Res 1:179–197
Bridgwater D, Keto L, McGregor VR, Myers JS (1976) Archean gneiss complex of Greenland. In: Watt WS, Escher AE (eds) Geology of Greenland 18–75. Grønlands Geol Unders Copenhagen
Bridgwater D, Myers JS (1979) Outline of the Nagssugtoquidian mobile belt of East Greenland. Rapport Grönlands Geol Unders 89:9–18
Bridgwater D, Rosing M, Schiötte L, Austrheim H (1989) The effect of fluid-controlled element mobility during metamorphism on whole rock isotope systems, some theoretical aspects and possible examples. In: Bridgwater D (ed) Fluid movements, element transport and the composition of the deep crust. Nato ASO Ser C, Reidel Dordrecht
Chase CG, Patchett PJ (1988) Stored mafic/ultramafic crust and early Archean mantle depletion. Earth Planet Sci Lett 91:66–72
Chayes F (1975) Average composition of the commoner Cenozoic volcanic rocks. Annual Report of the Director Geophys Lab 1974–1975:547–550
Compston W, Kinny PD, Williams IS, Foster JJ (1986) The age and Pb loss behaviour of zircons from the Isua supracrustal belt as determined by ion microprobe. Earth Planet Sci Lett 80:71–81
Condie KC (1980) Origin and early development of the Earth's crust. Precambr Res 11:183–197
Dostal J, Dupuy C, Carron JP, Le Guen de Kerneizon M, Maury RC (1983) Partition coefficients of trace elements: application to volcanic rocks of St Vincent, West Indies. Geochim Cosmochim A 47:525–533
Drummond BJ (1988) A review of crust/upper mantle structure in the Precambrian areas of Australia and implications for Precambrian crustal evolution. Precambr Res 40/41:101–116
Eade KE, Fahrig WF (1971) Geochemical evolutionary trends of continental plates — a preliminary study of the Canadian Shield. Geol Surv Canada Bull 179:51 pp
Ermanovics IF, McRitchie WD, Houston WN (1979) Petrochemistry and tectonic setting of plutonic rocks of the Superior Province in Manitoba. In: Barker F (ed) Trondhjemites, dacites, and related rocks. Elsevier, Amsterdam pp 323–362
Ewart A (1979) A review of the mineralogy and chemistry of Tertiary-Recent dacitic, latitic, rhyolitic, and related salic volcanic rocks. In: Barker F (ed) Trondhjemites, dacites, and related rocks. Elsevier Amsterdam, pp 13–121
Friend CRL, Nutman AP, McGregor VR (1987) Late-Archaean tectonics in the Faeringehavn-Tre Brödre area, south of Buksefjorden, southern West Greenland. J Geol Soc London 144:369–376
Fujimaki H, Tatsumoto M, Aoki K (1984) Partition coefficients of Hf, Zr, and REE between phenocrysts and groundmasses. J Geophys Res 89 (suppl):B662-B672
Gill RCO, Bridgwater D (1979) Early Archaean basic magmatism in West Greenland: The geochemistry of the Ameralik dykcs. J Petrol 20:695–726
Gill JB (1978) Role of trace element partition coefficients in models of andesite genesis. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 42:709–724
Glassley WE, Bridgwater D (1985) Fluid enhanced mass transport in deep crust and its influence on element abundances and isotope systems. In: Tobi AC, Touret JLR (eds) The deep Proterozoic crust in the North Atlantic Provinces. Reidel, Dordrecht, pp 105–117
Griffin WL, McGregor VR, Nutman AP, Taylor PN, Bridgwater D (1980) Early Archaean granulite facies metamorphism south of Ameralik, West Greenland. Earth Planet Sci L 50:59–74
Hanson GN (1978) The application of trace elements to the petrogenesis of igneous rocks of granitic composition. Earth Planet Sci L 38:26–43
Heinrichs H (1979) Determination of bismuth, cadmium and thallium in 33 international standard reference rocks by fractional distillation combined with flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. Fresenius Z Anal Chem 294:345–351
Heinrichs H, Schulz-Dobrick B, Wedepohl KH, (1980) Terrestrial geochemistry of Cd, Bi, Tl, Pb, Zn and Rb. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 44:1519–1533
Helgeson HC (1969) Thermodynamics of hydrothermal systems at elevated temperatures and pressures. Am J Sci 267:729–804
Helz RT (1973) Phase relations of basalts in their melting ranges at \(P_{H_2 O} \)=5 kb as a function of oxygen fugacity. Part I Mafic phases J Petrol 14:249–302
Helz RT (1976) Phase relations of basalts in their melting ranges at \(P_{H_2 O} \)=5 kb. Part II Melt compositions. J Petrol 17:139–193
Hofmann AW (1988) Chemical differentiation of the Earth: the relationship between mantle, continental crust and oceanic crust. Chem Geol 90:297–314
Irving AJ (1978) A review of experimental studies of crystal/liquid trace element partitioning. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 42:743–770
Jochum KP, Seufert HM, Spcttel B, Palme H (1986) The solarsystem abundances of Nb, Ta, and Y, and the relative abundances of refractory lithophile elements in differentiated planetary bodies. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 50:1173–1183
Johnston AD, Wyllie PJ (1988) Constraints on the origin of Archean trondhjemites based on phase relationships of Nuk gneiss with H2O at 15 kbar. Contrib Mineral Petrol 100:35–46
Kalsbeek F (1976) Metamorphism of Archaen Rocks of West Greenland In: Windley BF (ed) The early history of the Earth 225–235. Wiley, London
Kalsbeek F, Taylor PN, Henriksen N (1984) Age of rocks, structures and metamorphism in the Nagssugtoquidian mobile belt, West Greenland-field and Pb-isotope evidence. Can J Earth Sci 21:1126–1131
Kaiser H, specker H (1956) Bewertung und Vergleich von Analysenverfahren. Z Anal Chem 149:46–66
Kay RW, Kay S, Mahlburg (1990) Creation and destruction of lower continental crust. Geol Rundsch 79:(in press)
Kinny PD (1987) An ion microprobe study of uranium-lead and hafnium isotopes in natural zircon. PhD Thesis Australian Nat Univ Res School Earth Sci, Canberra
Leeman WP (1979) Partitioning of Pb between volcanic glass and coexisting sanidine and plagioclase feldspars. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 43:171–175
Le Maitre RW (1976) The chemical variability of some common igneous rocks. J Petrol 17:589–637
Martin H (1987) Petrogenesis of Archean trondhjemites, tonalites and granodiorites from eastern Finland: major and trace element geochemistry. J Petrol 28:921–953
Mason B (1979) Cosmochemistry Part 1 Meteorites. US Geol Surv Prof Pap 440-B:1–132
Mathez EA (1976) Sulfur solubility and magmatic sulfides in submarine basaltic glass. J Geophys Res 81:4269–4276
McGregor VR (1968) Evidence of very old Precambrian rocks in the Godthåb district, West Greenland. Rapp Grønland Geol Unders 19:31–35
McGregor VR (1973) The early Precambrian gneisses of the godthåb district, West Greenland. Philos Trans R Soc London Ser 8, 273:343–358
McGregor VR (1979) Archean gray gneisses and the origin of the continental crust: evidence the Godthåb region, West Greenland, Chap 6. In: Barker F (ed) Trondhjemites, dacites, and related rocks. Elsevier, Amsterdam
Mengel FC, Bridgwater D, Austrheim H, Hansen BT, Winter J, Pedersen S (1990) The metamorphic history of the Nagssugtoqidian mobile belt, southern East Greenland. Geol Fören Stock För 112:298–299
Moore JG, Schilling J-G (1973) Vesicles, water and sulfur in Reykjanes Ridge basalts. Contrib Mineral Petrol 41:105–118
Newton RC, Smith JV, Windley BF (1980) Carbonic metamorphism, granulites and crustal growth. Nature 288:45–50
Nockolds SR, (1954) Average chemical compositions of some igneous rocks. Bull Geol Soc Am 65:1007–1032
Nutman AP, Allaart JH, Bridgwater D, Dimroth E, Rosing M (1984) Stratigraphic and geochemical evidence for the depositional environment of the early Archean Isua supracrustal belt, southern West Greenland. Precambr Res 25:365–396
Nutman AP, Bridgwater D (1986) Early Archean Amitsoq tonalites and granites of the Isukasia area, southern West Greenland: development of the oldest known sial. Contrib Mineral Petrol 94:137–148
Nutman AP, Friend CRL (1989) Reappraisal of crustal evolution at Kangimut sangmissoq, Ameralik Fjord, southern West Greenland: fluid movement and interpretation of Pb/Pb isotopic data. In: Bridgwater D (ed) Fluid movements, element transport and the composition of the deep crust. Reidel, Dordrecht
Nutman AP, Friend CL, Baadsgaard H, McGregor VR (1989) Evolution and assembly of Archean gneiss terranes in the Godthabsfjord region southern West Greenland: structural, metamorphic and isotope evidence. Tectonics 8:573–589
Oskarsson N, Sigvaldason G, Steinthórsson S (1982) A dynamic model of rift zone petrogenesis and the regional petrology of Iccland. J Petrol 23:28–74
Pedersen S, Bridgwater D (1979) Isotopic re-equilibration of Rb-Sr whole rock systems during reworking of Archaean gneisses in the Naqssuqtoquidian mobile belt, East Greenland. Rapp Groenlands Geol Unders 89:133–146
Puchelt H (1972) Chapter 56 Barium. In: Handbook of geochemistry, Vol II. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Riciputi LR, Valley JW, McGregor VR (1990) Conditions of Archean granulite metamorphism in the Godthab-Fiskenaesset region, southern West Greenland. J Metam Geol 8:171–190
Rudnick RL, Taylor SR (1986) Geochemical constraints on the origin of Archaean tonalitic-trondhjemitic rocks and implications for lower crustal composition. In: Dawson JB, Carswell DA, Hall J, Wedepohl KH (eds) The nature of the lower continental crust 179–191. Blackwell Scientific Publ, Oxford
Rudnick RL, Presper T (1990) Geochemistry of intermediate-to high-pressure granulites. In: Vielzeuf D, Vidal P (eds) Granulites and crustal differentiation. Kluwer Academic Publ, Amsterdam, NATO ASI Series
Rutter MJ, Wyllie PJ (1987) Melting of tonalite and the origin of crustal granites. Trans Am Geophys Union 68:441
Schiøtte L (1989) On the possible role of fluid transport in the distribution of U and Pb in an Archean gneiss complex. In: Bridgwater D (ed) Fluid movements, element transport and the composition of the deep crust. Reidel, Dordrecht
Schiøtte L, Compston W, Bridgwater D (1989) U-Pb single-zircon age for the Tinissaq gneiss of southern West Greenland: a controversy resolved. Chem Geol 79:21–30
Schock HH (1977) Trace element partitioning between phenocrysts of plagioclase, pyroxenes and magnetite and the host pyroclastic matrix. J Radioanal Chem 38:327–340
Shaw DM (1968) A review of K-Rb fractionation trends by covariance analysis. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 32:573–601
Shaw DM (1970) Trace element fractionation during anatexis. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 34:237–243
Shaw DM, Cramer JJ, Higgins MD, Truscott MG (1986) Composition of the Canadian Precambrian shield and the continental crust of the earth. In: Dawson JB, Carswell DA, Hall J, Wedepohl KH (eds) The nature of the lower continental crust. Blackwell Sci Publ, Oxford
Tarney J, Weaver B, Drury SA (1979) Geochemistry of Archaean trondhjemitic and tonalitic gneisses from Scotland and East Greenland. In: Barker F (ed) Trondhjemites, dacites, and related rocks. Elsevier, Amsterdam
Taylor SR (1977) Island arc models and the composition of the continental crust. AGU Ewing Series 1:325–335
Taylor SR, McLennan SM (1985) The continental crust: its composition and evolution. Blackwell Scientific Publ, Oxford
Turekian KK (1969) The oceans, streams and atmosphere. Handbook of geochemistry Vol 1. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Wedepohl KH (1975) The contribution of chemical data to assumptions about the origin of magmas from the mantle. Fortschr Miner 52/2:141–172
Wedepohl KH (1985) Origin of the Tertiary basaltic volcanism in the northern Hessian Depression. Contrib Mineral Petrol 89:122–143
Wedepohl KH (1987) The chlorine and sulfur crustal cycle-abundance of evaporites. Proceedings Intern Meeting “Geochemistry of the Earth Surface and Processes of Mineral Formation” in Granada 1986. In: Rodríguez-Clemente R, Tardy Y (eds) Geochemistry and mineral formation in the earth surface 3–27. Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique
Wedepohl KH (1988) Spilitization in the occan crust and seawater balances. Fortschr Miner 66:129–146
Wedepohl KH (1990) Chemical composition and fractionation of the continental crust. Geol Rundsch 79: (in press)
Wells PRA (1979) Chemical and thermal evolution of Archean sialic crust, Southern West Greenland. J Petrol 20:187–226
Whalen JB, Curric KL, Chappell BW (1987) A-type granites: geochemical characteristics, discrimination and petrogenesis. Contrib Mineral Petrol 95:407–419
Windley BF (ed) (1976) The Early History of the Earth. Wiley, London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wedepohl, K.H., Heinrichs, H. & Bridgwater, D. Chemical characteristics and genesis of the quartz-feldspathic rocks in the Archean crust of Greenland. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 107, 163–179 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310705
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310705