Geochemistry and zircon U-Pb ages of early Ordovician syenites from the Inexpressible Island, Antarctica and tectonic implications

The Ross Orogenic Belt is in the Antarctica Transantarctic Mountains. North Victoria Land Granite Harbour Intrusive complex (GHI) records the tectonic-magmatism evolution of Ross orogeny. Extensively developed post-collisional granites around this margin of early Paleozoic magmatism can provide insights into the growth of continental crust through accretionary orogenesis. We provide geochemical and geochronological data from syenites from Terra Nova Bay, north Victoria Land in order to constrain its tectonic evolution and setting. The syenite belongs to the potassium-alkaline, calc-alkaline series and is characterized by high concentrations of rare Earth elements and large ion lithophile elements (LILE), and low content in high field strength elements (Nb, Ta, P, Ti). The petrographic and geochemical signatures show a possible island-arc granite affinity. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results suggest that the Inexpressible Island syenite was emplaced at ca. 471.8 +/- 1.8 Ma and 477.3 +/- 1.7 Ma, respectively. Zircon epsilon(Hf)(t) values range from -7.4 to -9.1; average -8.2 and whole-rock epsilon(Nd) (t) values range from -8.5 to -10.3, indicating that formed by the partial melting of the lithospheric mantle enriched with subduction slab fluids and subcontinental lithosphere. Whereas, the syenite has a strong positive Eu anomaly and a positive Sr anomaly, suggesting that plagioclase cumulate crystallization occurred in the magma source area. Furthermore, through integration with previous studies, we suggest that syenite is a result of the melting zone of an older previously subduction enriched layer of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). To enable syenite emplacement we suggest a tectonic-magmatic model that invokes alternating phases of extension and contraction in the overriding plate. Finally, we report the youngest age of (post-orogenic) magmatism occurred during extension in the overriding plate ca. 478-471 Ma.

Automated summary

This study investigates the Ross Orogenic Belt in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. By analyzing the geochemical and geochronological data of the North Victoria Land Granite Harbour Intrusive complex, the impact of early Paleozoic magmatism on continental crust growth through accretionary orogenesis is revealed. The syenite shows characteristics of island-arc granite and was emplaced at approximately 471.8-477.3 Ma, resulting from the partial melting of the lithospheric mantle enriched with subduction slab fluids and subcontinental lithosphere. A tectonic-magmatic model involving alternating phases of extension and contraction in the overriding plate is proposed. The study concludes that the (post-orogenic) magmatism occurred during extension in the overriding plate at around 478-471 Ma.