Michael V. Mints

Mesoarchean subduction processes: 2.87 Ga eclogites from the Kola Peninsula, Russia

The nature of tectonic processes on the early Earth is still controversial. The scarcity of high-pressure metamorphic rocks such as eclogite (the high-pressure equivalent of basalt) in Archean cratons has been used to argue that plate tectonics did not operate until Earth had cooled to a critical point, perhaps around the 2.5 Ga Archean-Proterozoic transition. However, eclogites occur as meter- to kilometer-sized lenses enclosed in Archean gneisses of the Belomorian Province of the Fennoscandian shield. Geochemistry and internal features suggest that the protoliths of the eclogites were interlayered olivine gabbros, troctolites, and Fe-Ti oxide gabbros. Greenschist facies mineral parageneses are enclosed in prograde-zoned eclogite garnets, and peak metamorphic conditions define an apparent thermal gradient (12–15 °C/km), consistent with metamorphism in a warm Archean subduction zone. We show here that these eclogites represent the oldest known high-pressure metamorphic rocks. U-Pb dating and Hf isotope analyses of zircons from the eclogites and a crosscutting felsic vein define a minimum age of 2.87 Ga for the Uzkaya Salma eclogite; a 2.70 Ga age for the Shirokaya Salma eclogite is interpreted as the age of a granulite facies overprint. Thermal overprinting and growth of new zircon also occurred during the Svecofennian (1.9–1.8 Ga) orogeny. These new data imply that plate tectonic processes operated at least locally in late Mesoarchean time. The adakitic nature of the felsic vein suggests that partial melting of hydrated eclogites could produce Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite–type magmas.

The Belomorian eclogite province: Unique evidence of Meso-Neoarchaean subduction and collision

The Belomorian eclogite province (BEP) recently revealed in the eastern part of the Fennoscandian shield is a unique Archaean object. The age of the crust eclogites known in the world outside the BEP does not exceed two billion years [1], which corresponds to the middle of the Paleoproterozoic. Eclogites with an age not less than 2.72 Ga [2] were found for the first time within the Belomorian province. The studies of the BEP open principally new opportunities, first, for the reconstruction of the geodynamic processes in the his� tory of the Early Precambrian crust of the region, and second, for a more correct concept about the geody� namics of the Early Precambrian as a whole, because the lack of reliable findings of Archaean eclogites is one of the arguments against the reality of subduction and application of plate tectonics to the modeling of the Archaean geodynamics.

The Salma Eclogites of the Belomorian Province, Russia: HP/UHP Metamorphism Through the Subduction of Mesoarchean Oceanic Crust

Publisher Summary Eclogite-facies mafic rocks occur within gray gneisses of TTG affinity in the northeastern part of the Belomorian Province, Kola Peninsula. These are characterized by widespread omphacite-breakdown textures and locally preserved relics of omphacite. Thermobarometry indicates a clockwise PT path. Garnet inclusions suggest a prograde path passing from surface-weathering conditions through the low-grade green schist facies (pumpellyiteactinolite facies) before reaching the eclogite facies. Peak metamorphic conditions are estimated to be about 700‑750°C and > 14‑15 kbar. Needle-shaped inclusions (rods) of quartz in omphacite suggest that the peak P-T conditions of studied eclogites could reach significantly higher pressure than estimated in the present study. The retrograde path passed through granulite facies to upper amphibolite facies by near-isothermal decompression. The results of UPb dating and Hf-isotope analysis of zircons from the eclogites and cross-cutting felsic vein can be used to infer an approximate 2.89 Ga age for the oceanic crust, which was subducted and underwent eclogite-facies metamorphism between 2.87 and 2.82 Ga. The granulite-facies overprint is likely to have occurred at 2.72 Ga. Thermal overprinting and growth of new zircon also occurred during the Svecofennian (1.9‑1.8 Ga) orogeny. These new data imply that plate tectonic processes (“hot subduction”) operated at least locally in the late Mesoarchean. The petrology and geochemistry of the Salma eclogites and related TTG rocks can be best explained by subduction of Archean oceanic crust. The adakitic nature of the felsic vein inside the Salma eclogites suggests that partial melting of hydrated eclogites could produce Archean TTG-type magmas.

Early Palaeoproterozoic volcanism of the Karelian Craton: age, sources, and geodynamic setting

A combined study of major and trace elements, Nd isotopes, and U-Pb systematics has been conducted for the early Palaeoproterozoic (Sumian) volcanic rocks and granites localized in different portions of the Karelian Craton. SHRIMP dating of zircons from the Sumian basalts indicates an emplacement age of 2423 ± 31 Ma, which constrains the lower age boundary of the early Palaeoproterozoic sequence at the Karelian Craton. The early Palaeoproterozoic mafic volcanic rocks of the Karelian Craton show practically no lateral geochemical and isotope-geochemical variations. The rocks bear signs of crustal contamination, in particular Nb and Ti negative anomalies, light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment, and nonradiogenic Nd isotope composition. However, some correlations between incompatible element ratios suggest that the crustal signatures were mainly inherited from mantle sources metasomatized during a previous subduction event. En route to the surface, melts presumably experienced only insignificant contamination by crustal material. Felsic rocks do not define common trends with mafic rocks and were formed independently. They exhibit higher REE contents, large-ion lithophile element (LILE) enrichment, and extremely wide variations in Nd isotope composition, which clearly demonstrates a considerable contribution of heterogeneous basement to their formation. Geochemically, the felsic rocks of the Karelian Craton correspond to A2-type granites and were formed by melting of crustal rocks in an anorogenic setting. Their possible sources are Archaean sanukitoid-type granitoids and Archaean granite gneisses. The high Yb content and pronounced Eu anomaly imply that they were generated from a garnet-free pyroxene – plagioclase source at shallow depths. By the Palaeoproterozoic, the older Vodlozero block was colder than the Central Domain, which facilitated the development of the brittle deformations and faulting and, correspondingly, rapid magma ascent to the surface without melting of crustal rocks. This resulted in the absence of felsic rocks and the formation of more primitive basalts in this area.

Archean—Paleoproterozoic boundary at the Karelian craton: First ion-microprobe U—Pb (SHRIMP II) data on zircons from mafic volcanics

In spite of the long history of study of Karelian geol� ogy, the question concerning position of the Archean– Proterozoic boundary remains open thus far. According to the traditional scheme developed by Krats [1], this boundary was placed at the base of the Sumian Super� horizon. The lower part of the latter is made up of two sedimentary–volcanogenic sequences, each of which (from the bottom upward) consists of highly mature sedimentary rocks (quartzites, arkoses) and basaltic andesites. The Sumian unit is terminated by a rhyodac� itic volcanic sequence. The U–Pb age of the felsic vol� canics determined by the conventional zircon tech�

A Neoarchean–Proterozoic Supercontinent (~2.8–0.9 Ga): An Alternative to the Model of Supercontinent Cycles

The model of supercontinent cycles is revisited on the basis of reevaluation of existing ideas on the geodynamics and tectonics of granulite gneiss belts and areals. Granulite-gneiss belts and areals of a regional scale correspond to mantle–plume (superplume) activity and form the major components of intracontinental orogens. The evolution of geodynamic settings of the Earth’s crust origin can be imagined as a “spiral sequence”: (1) interaction of mantle plumes and “embryonic” microplate tectonics during the Paleo- Mesoarchean (~3.80–2.75 Ga); (2) plume-tectonics and local plume-driven plate-tectonics within supercontinent during Neoarchean and Proterozoic (~2.75–0.85 Ga); (3) plate tectonics in the Phanerozoic along with a reduced role of mantle plumes starting from ~0.85 Ga.

Dumortierite- and corundum-bearing quartz–feldspar–mica rocks of the Belomorian eclogite province: An example of melting of phengite + quartz

In the Salma eclogite of the Belomorian eclogite province, a dumortierite–phengite–corundum–bearing quartz–feldspar rock has been studied: its primary HP mineral paragenesis included garnet, phengite, and quartz. The phengite–quartz rocks were formed during dehydration and/or melting of boroncontaining rocks when they were dipped in the Meso- Neoarchaean subduction zone to a depth of not less than 70 km. As a result of the subsequent superimposed high-temperature metamorphic events under PT conditions of high-pressure granulite facies, the phengite in quartz underwent incongruent dehydration melting with formation of complex polymineral pseudomorphs, consisting of feldspars, biotite, newly formed muscovite, kyanite, corundum, and dumortierite. New estimates of the metamorphic temperature (850–900°C according to the melting reactions of phengite and the dumortierite field of stability; about 1000°C by the reintegrated composition of feldspar–mesoperthite) that affected the HP parageneses of Salma eclogitized rocks are at least 50–100°C (or even more) higher than them estimated earlier.