Genesis of metapelitic migmatites in the Adirondack Mountains, New York

ABSTRACT Oxygen isotope ratios and rare earth element (REE) concentrations provide independent tests of competing models of injection v. anatexis for the origin of migmatites from amphibolite and granulite facies metasedimentary rocks of the Adirondack Mountains, New York. Values of d18O and REE profiles were measured by ion microprobe in garnet–zircon pairs from 10 sample localities. Prior U–Pb SIMS dating of zircon grains indicates that inherited cores (1.7–1.2 Ga) are surrounded by overgrowths crystallized during the Grenville orogenic cycle (1.2–1.0 Ga). Cathodoluminescence imaging records three populations of zircon: (i) featureless rounded whole grains (interpreted as metamorphic or anatectic), and rhythmically zoned (igneous) cores truncated by rims that are either (ii) discordant rhythmically zoned (igneous) or (iii) unzoned (metamorphic or anatectic). These textural interpretations are supported by geochronology and oxygen isotope analysis. In both the amphibolite facies NW Adirondacks and the granulite facies SE Adirondacks, d18O(Zrc) values in overgrowths and whole zircon are highly variable for metamorphic zircon (6.1–13.4&; n = 95, 10 lm spot). In contrast, garnet is typically unzoned and d18O(Grt) values are constant at each locality, differing only between leucosomes and corresponding melanosomes. None of the analysed metamorphic zircon–garnet pairs attained oxygen isotope equilibrium, indicating that zircon rims and garnet are not coeval. Furthermore, RE