Hafnium isotopic disequilibrium during sediment melting and assimilations

Abstract

Identification of juvenile and mature crustal sources in granite formation relies on radiogenic isotopic systems such as Sm-Nd and Lu-Hf and assumes isotope systems reach equilibrium between the melt and residual phases prior to melt extraction. However, we hypothesise disequilibrium melting and residual zircon result in preferential retention of 177 Hf in residues, generating partial melts with higher 176 Hf/ 177 Hf ratios. To test this hypothesis, we evaluate radiogenic isotopic signatures of strongly-peraluminous granites from the Chinese Altai. These granites show Nd-Hf isotopic decoupling and inherited zircons with negative Hf (t) values providing evidence for incomplete Hf release. This is consistent with the significant depletions in Zr and Hf. The Chinese data compilation shows that strongly-peraluminous and calcic to calc-alkalic, magnesian metaluminous or ferroan peraluminous (often respectively referred to as S-and I-type) granites show elevated Hf (t) relative to the terrestrial Hf-Nd isotopic array. Hf isotope disequilibrium marked by the preferential release of radiogenic Hf is likely ubiquitous during anatexis of zircon-rich protoliths.