Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspective

The formation, evolution, and geodynamics of the Archean continent is a hot topic in solid earth science. Sanukitoids are the oldest Mg-Fe-K-rich granitoid magmas recognized so far on Earth, and their crust-mantle interaction process is a golden key to deciphering the formation and evolution of earl...

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Main Authors: Guozheng Sun, Shuwen Liu, Lintao Wang, Yang Yu, Shengyao Yu, Huahua Cao, Lei Gao, Yalu Hu, Jinghao Fu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-11-01
Series:Geosystems and Geoenvironment
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772883825000767
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author Guozheng Sun
Shuwen Liu
Lintao Wang
Yang Yu
Shengyao Yu
Huahua Cao
Lei Gao
Yalu Hu
Jinghao Fu
author_facet Guozheng Sun
Shuwen Liu
Lintao Wang
Yang Yu
Shengyao Yu
Huahua Cao
Lei Gao
Yalu Hu
Jinghao Fu
author_sort Guozheng Sun
collection DOAJ
description The formation, evolution, and geodynamics of the Archean continent is a hot topic in solid earth science. Sanukitoids are the oldest Mg-Fe-K-rich granitoid magmas recognized so far on Earth, and their crust-mantle interaction process is a golden key to deciphering the formation and evolution of early continental crust. Sanukitoid suites consist of late Archean (3.0–2.5 Ga-old) plutonic rocks ranging from diorites, monzodiorites, and granodiorite, typically with abundant cognate mafic enclaves. Geochemically, they have a mantle signature (high content of Mg, Ni, Cr, and high Mg#) and enrichment in LILE (especially K, Ba, and Sr). It is generally believed that Archean sanukitoids originated from an enriched or metasomatized lithospheric mantle source, and its parental magmas are water-rich and highly oxidized, which is probably genetically related to gold mineralization. Here we compile the geochemical data for late Neoarchean (2.6–2.5 Ga) sanukitoids from the North China Craton and conduct a systematic petrogenetic classification. The less-differentiated sanukitoid magma (SiO2 < 62 wt%) was controlled by multiple factors such as metasomatic component, metasomatic degree, and melting P-T conditions, indicating that near-surface weathering had already existed in the late Archean. The differentiated sanukitoids (SiO2 > 62 wt%) were formed by extensive fractional crystallization of less-differentiated sanukitoid melts, accompanied by crust-mantle magmatic mixing. These late Neoarchean sanukitoids are distributed sporadically throughout the North China Craton without zonation. Combined with other evidence of magmatism, metamorphic deformation, and thermodynamic numerical modeling, we propose that the sanukitoids may develop under the microplate tectonic regime, characterized by small-scale and short-term warm subduction.
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spelling doaj-art-5968c49c1bde49ebaead8be0b7eb595c2025-08-20T03:50:01ZengElsevierGeosystems and Geoenvironment2772-88382025-11-014410042610.1016/j.geogeo.2025.100426Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspectiveGuozheng Sun0Shuwen Liu1Lintao Wang2Yang Yu3Shengyao Yu4Huahua Cao5Lei Gao6Yalu Hu7Jinghao Fu8Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Lab of Submarine Geosciences and Prospecting Techniques, MOE and College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Corresponding author.Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaFrontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Lab of Submarine Geosciences and Prospecting Techniques, MOE and College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, ChinaFrontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Lab of Submarine Geosciences and Prospecting Techniques, MOE and College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, ChinaFrontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Lab of Submarine Geosciences and Prospecting Techniques, MOE and College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, ChinaFrontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Lab of Submarine Geosciences and Prospecting Techniques, MOE and College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, ChinaSchool of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaDevelopment Research Center, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100037, ChinaSchool of Geoscience and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, ChinaThe formation, evolution, and geodynamics of the Archean continent is a hot topic in solid earth science. Sanukitoids are the oldest Mg-Fe-K-rich granitoid magmas recognized so far on Earth, and their crust-mantle interaction process is a golden key to deciphering the formation and evolution of early continental crust. Sanukitoid suites consist of late Archean (3.0–2.5 Ga-old) plutonic rocks ranging from diorites, monzodiorites, and granodiorite, typically with abundant cognate mafic enclaves. Geochemically, they have a mantle signature (high content of Mg, Ni, Cr, and high Mg#) and enrichment in LILE (especially K, Ba, and Sr). It is generally believed that Archean sanukitoids originated from an enriched or metasomatized lithospheric mantle source, and its parental magmas are water-rich and highly oxidized, which is probably genetically related to gold mineralization. Here we compile the geochemical data for late Neoarchean (2.6–2.5 Ga) sanukitoids from the North China Craton and conduct a systematic petrogenetic classification. The less-differentiated sanukitoid magma (SiO2 < 62 wt%) was controlled by multiple factors such as metasomatic component, metasomatic degree, and melting P-T conditions, indicating that near-surface weathering had already existed in the late Archean. The differentiated sanukitoids (SiO2 > 62 wt%) were formed by extensive fractional crystallization of less-differentiated sanukitoid melts, accompanied by crust-mantle magmatic mixing. These late Neoarchean sanukitoids are distributed sporadically throughout the North China Craton without zonation. Combined with other evidence of magmatism, metamorphic deformation, and thermodynamic numerical modeling, we propose that the sanukitoids may develop under the microplate tectonic regime, characterized by small-scale and short-term warm subduction.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772883825000767Continental crustArchean sanukitoidsCrust-mantle interactionMicroplate tectonicNorth China Craton
spellingShingle Guozheng Sun
Shuwen Liu
Lintao Wang
Yang Yu
Shengyao Yu
Huahua Cao
Lei Gao
Yalu Hu
Jinghao Fu
Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspective
Geosystems and Geoenvironment
Continental crust
Archean sanukitoids
Crust-mantle interaction
Microplate tectonic
North China Craton
title Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspective
title_full Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspective
title_fullStr Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspective
title_full_unstemmed Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspective
title_short Late Neoarchean sanukitoids in the North China Craton: A geodynamic perspective
title_sort late neoarchean sanukitoids in the north china craton a geodynamic perspective
topic Continental crust
Archean sanukitoids
Crust-mantle interaction
Microplate tectonic
North China Craton
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772883825000767
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