IGCP Project 510 “A-type Granites and Related Rocks through Time”: Project vita, results, and contribution to granite research

Geochronology and geochemistry of the late Paleoproterozoic aluminous A-type granite in the Xiaoqinling area along the southern margin of the North China Craton: Petrogenesis and tectonic implications

“…A-type granites are rather enigmatic not only as regards their typology and petrogenesis but also in terms of their tectonic setting and overall significance in the lithospheric evolution of the Earth (e.g., Barbarin, 1999;Dall'Agnol et al, 2012). Generation of typical A-type granite is commonly related to extensional settings, including post-collisional/post-orogenic or anorogenic (e.g., rift, mantle plume) environments (e.g., Whalen et al, 1987;Eby, 1992;Rämö et al, 1995;King et al, 1997;Wu et al, 2002).…”

“…They comprise a distinct group of granitoid rocks that are commonly produced in an extensional tectonic setting (e.g., Eby, 1992;Bonin, 2007), but their origins can be different and remains controversial (e.g., Skjerlie and Johnston, 1992;Turner et al, 1992;Patiño Douce, 1997;Wu et al, 2002;Yang et al, 2006;Shellnutt and Zhou, 2007;Shellnutt et al, 2011;Pankhurst et al, 2013). This type of rock is rare in Archean and early-mid Paleoproterozoic but has been identified extensively worldwide since the late Paleoproterozoic (e.g., Whalen et al, 1987;Anderson and Bender, 1989;Rämö et al, 1995;Dall'Agnol et al, 2012). Their generation is thus likely indicative of a geodynamic transition of the continental evolution of the Earth (e.g., Loiselle and Wones, 1979;Whalen et al, 1987;Eby, 1992;Bonin, 2007).…”

Age and geochemistry of the early Mesoproterozoic A-type granites in the southern margin of the North China Craton: Constraints on their petrogenesis and tectonic implications

“…A-type granites are rather profound not only as regards their typology and petrogenesis but also in terms of their tectonic setting and overall significance in the lithospheric evolution of the Earth (e.g., Barbarin, 1999;Dall'Agnol et al, 2012). A variety of extensional regimes, from continental arc or back-arc extension to post-collisional extension and within-plate settings have been proposed to explain the generation of A-type magmas (e.g., Whalen et al, 1987;Eby, 1992;Turner et al, 1992;Rämö et al, 1995;King et al, 1997).…”

“…They are commonly produced within an extensional environment, such as post-collisional or anorogenic setting (e.g., Eby, 1992;Bonin, 2007). This type of rocks are quite rare before middle Paleoproterozoic but abundant since the late Paleoproterozoic (e.g., Anderson and Bender, 1989;Rämö et al, 1995;Dall'Agnol et al, 2012). This probably reflects a causal relationship with the continental evolution and associated (modern-style) plate tectonic phenomena (e.g., Dall'Agnol et al, 2012).…”

“…This type of rocks are quite rare before middle Paleoproterozoic but abundant since the late Paleoproterozoic (e.g., Anderson and Bender, 1989;Rämö et al, 1995;Dall'Agnol et al, 2012). This probably reflects a causal relationship with the continental evolution and associated (modern-style) plate tectonic phenomena (e.g., Dall'Agnol et al, 2012). Hence, the generation of A-type granites has significant implications for secular evolution of continental crust (Collins et al, 1982;Bonin, 2007) and tectonics and geodynamics (Bonin, 2007).…”