Response of the U–Pb chronometer and trace elements in zircon to ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism: The Kadavur anorthosite complex, southern India

Abstract

Zircon from quartzites in the contact aureole and wider environs of the Kadavur anorthosite complex, SE India, was studied by laser ablation ICP-MS to assess the response of the U–Pb isotope system and trace element concentrations to ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) contact metamorphism (≥ 1000 °C). Combined cathodoluminescence imaging and LA-ICP-MS analyses show that zircon grains contain detrital cores, which yield ages between 3.4 Ga and 1.8 Ga and exhibit a large spread in REE concentrations. These cores are associated with one or two rims that provide concordant age populations at 955 ± 16 Ma and 810 ± 7 Ma (2σ) and relatively uniform REE patterns. The older ages of ca. 955 Ma record the imprints of regional early Neoproterozoic metamorphism related to Rodinia assembly. The younger age is interpreted to date anorthosite emplacement and its associated contact metamorphism during a second regional metamorphic episode, coeval with the intrusion of A-type granites in the area. Zircon grains from the country rocks away from the anorthosite show additional rims yielding ages from 590 to 490 Ma corresponding to regional Pan-African tectonometamorphism. The zircon rims are either newly grown domains or represent recrystallized and re-equilibrated parts of precursor zircon. Discordance is only observed in 25% of the detrital cores. These cores have relatively high U concentrations (> 400 ppm), which strongly suggests that Pb loss occurred under (U)HT conditions by partial recrystallization (annealing) of zircon that had become metamict. The preservation of old concordant ages and source REE characteristics by the low-U (i.e., weakly to non metamict) detrital cores shows that pristine zircon is extremely robust to thermal disturbance and that its U–Pb systematics can remain unaffected despite multiple (U)HT metamorphic episodes. These observations imply that U–Pb ages in zircon cannot be reset by volume diffusion under any crustal conditions. Disturbance of the U–Pb system in individual zircon crystals or parts thereof can only be achieved by recrystallization of radiation damaged zircon.