Foulwind Suite magmatism in the Buller Terrane, New Zealand: geochemistry of the Carboniferous Foulwind and Windy Point Granites

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Waight, Tod
  • Kirstine Malloch
  • Steve Weaver
  • Trevor Ireland
  • Roddy Muir

The peraluminous Foulwind and Windy Point Granites are important components of the Foulwind Suite - a diverse group of high field strength element-enriched Carboniferous granitoids in New Zealand's Western Province. Four phases are identified in the Foulwind Granite (Seal Point, Siberia Bay, Tauranga Bay, Lighthouse). A new age of 324.0 +/- 4.1 Ma has been obtained for the relatively undeformed Siberia Bay phase. The rocks are generally enriched in high-field strength elements and the Tauranga Bay and Lighthouse phases can be classified as ferroan A-type granites, whereas classification of the other phases is ambiguous. Sr isotope compositions were disturbed by the formation of the Paparoa Metamorphic Core Complex. Nd isotopes vary considerably and indicate involvement of multiple sources. The Nd isotope and A-type signatures can be explained by melting of mid-Paleozoic I-type granites with variable involvement of Greenland Group metasediments. The tectonic setting of the Foulwind Suite is unclear, but may be related to processes subsequent to the generation of voluminous mid-Paleozoic granitoids and amalgamation of the Buller and Takaka Terranes.

Original languageEnglish
JournalNew Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics
Volume65
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)470-490
ISSN0028-8306
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

    Research areas

  • Granite, Paleozoic, Carboniferous, Buller Terrane, Foulwind, A-type, geochronology, geochemistry, A-TYPE GRANITES, METAMORPHIC CORE COMPLEX, LACHLAN FOLD BELT, NEW-ENGLAND BATHOLITH, U-PB GEOCHRONOLOGY, SOUTH-ISLAND, GONDWANA MARGIN, ZIRCON GEOCHRONOLOGY, PALEOZOIC TERRANES, EASTERN AUSTRALIA

ID: 276945961