2004 Denver Annual Meeting (November 7–10, 2004)
Paper No. 88-3
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

THE SMALLEST, BUT MOST POTASSIC MASSIF ANORTHOSITE ON EARTH: GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE MONTPELIER PLUTON, GOOCHLAND TERRANE, VIRGINIA

OWENS, Brent E.1, IRIARTE, Kristen E.1, and DYMEK, Robert F.2, (1) College William & Mary, PO Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, beowen@wm.edu, (2) Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington Univ, Saint Louis, MO 63130

The Montpelier Anorthosite (~1045 Ma) occupies a surface area of less than 4 km2 in the northern part of the Goochland Terrane, and is well-exposed in an active quarry. Undeformed portions of the pluton show all the trademark features of massif anorthosites (large crystals of plag, pyx with exsolution lamellae of plag, local concentrations of rutile or ilmenite ± apatite), although quartz is a common albeit atypical accessory. Fine-grained, highly tectonized portions of the pluton generally have been interpreted as the deformed equivalent of coarse-grained anorthosite.  Plag megacrysts in undeformed anorthosite are strongly antiperthitic, and the tectonized variety consists of independent grains of Plag and Kf. Compositions of undeformed (6 samples) and deformed (8 samples) rocks are similar, confirming previous interpretations. High whole-rock K2O (2.8-3.6 wt%) results in normative feldspar compositions that are unusually potassic, ranging up to An26Or21. Concentrations of Sr (878-1181 ppm) are uniformly high and correlate with feldspar content. Barium concentrations are similarly high (1058-1472 ppm). Rubidium ranges up to 30 ppm, yielding moderately elevated K/Rb (952-1403).  Concentrations of REE in three samples yield steeply fractionated patterns (LaN~10X, LuN~0.2X), with large positive Eu-anomalies (Eu/Eu*~10-27). Although Montpelier resembles other young, alkalic anorthosites in Quebec (Labrieville, Mattawa, St. Urbain, etc.), it is most similar to the Roseland anorthosite in the Blue Ridge of Virginia. Both contain much higher K than other anorthosites, and Montpelier appears to be the most potassic massif yet recognized. Montpelier is the only known anorthosite with Ba > Sr, and Roseland also has anomalously high Ba/Sr. Unless coincidental, such similarities imply some link between Goochland and the Blue Ridge in the Mesoproterozoic (despite strong evidence for substantial southwest transport of the Goochland Terrane in the Paleozoic). Finally, Montpelier is yet another example of a relatively young, alkalic, high-Ba,Sr anorthosite, much like its counterparts in Quebec. This robust age-composition correlation suggests a common factor in their petrogenesis, and probably reflects the particular tectonic setting (high P due to thickened crust?)and/or magma source region involved.

2004 Denver Annual Meeting (November 7–10, 2004)
General Information for this Meeting
Session No. 88--Booth# 50
Igneous Petrology (Posters)
Colorado Convention Center: Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM-12:00 PM, Monday, November 8, 2004

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 220

© Copyright 2004 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.