Ion-microprobe zircon geochemistry as an indicator of mineral genesis during geochronological studies

This paper considers the distribution of trace elements (including rare earth elements) in zircons dated by the ion-microprobe U-Th-Pb isotope method and its genetic implications. Two problems were addressed on the basis of the investigation of trace element compositions of zircons: (1) genesis of zircons from subalkaline magmatic rocks, syenites, and sanukitoids and their comparison with tonalites as exemplified by the rocks of the Karelian region, and (2) determination of trace element signatures of zircons from the oldest granulite-facies rocks of the Ukrainian shield. It was shown that the REE distribution patterns of the tonalites, which crystallized in equilibrium with melt, are strictly governed by crystal-chemical laws. The REE distribution patterns show a positive slope with an increase from La to Lu, a positive Ce anomaly, and a negative Eu anomaly. Similar patterns were observed in zircons from the syenites. The trace element contents of zircons are related to those of melts through partition coefficients. Zircons from the sanukitoids show a considerable LREE enrichment, which is inconsistent with the calculated zircon/melt partition coefficients and presumably related to the inherently imperfect zircon structure. Such a structure was formed during zircon crystallization from melt at high temperatures and the anomalous fluid regime that is characteristic, in particular, of sanukitoid melts. The REE distribution patterns of zircons that crystallized under granulite-facies conditions are sharply different from typical distributions in HREE depletion, which was caused by the competitive growth of garnet during zircon crystallization.