ADVANCES IN POLAR SCIENCE ›› 2010, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (4): 348-374.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1084.2010.00348

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A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON LATE NEOPROTEROZOIC EARLY PALEOZOIC(PAN-AFRICAN)GRANITOIDS FROM EAST ANTARCTICA

  

  • Received:2010-06-21 Revised:2010-09-08 Online:2010-12-30 Published:2010-12-30

Abstract:

There exist two Pan-African orogenic belts, i.e. Maud and Prydz belts, in East Antarctica. Numerous syn- to post-tectonic granitoids occur in these two orogenic belts. In this paper we summarized the published petrological, geochemical and geochronological data of Pan-African intrusive rocks from the different areas in East Antarctica. A comparative study on rock types, magma sources and tectonic settings were performed. The results show that most granitoids have an affinity of A- or S-type granites related to collisional orogeny, except for granitoids from the S?r Rondane Mountains being I-type granites. The Pan-African granitoid magmatism occurred between 600 and 500 Ma, largely coeval with regional high-grade metamorphism. Granitoid magmatism in two orogenic belts is probably related to post-collisional lithospheric thinning, magmatic underplating and crustal relaxation, which is expected in a typical collisional tectonic setting. Therefore, The Gondwana supercontinent was probably formed by the final juxtaposition between West Gondwana, Indian-Antarctic and Australian-Antarctic continental blocks along the two sutures (Maud and Prydz belts) during the Pan-African time.

Key words: Granitoids