Sources of continental crust: neodymium isotope evidence from the Sierra Nevada and Peninsular ranges

Journal Article · Fri Aug 08 00:00:00 EDT 1980 · Science; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.209.4457.684· OSTI ID:5246056

DePaolo, D J

Granitic rocks from batholiths of the Sierra Nevada and Peninsular Ranges exhibit initial /sup 143/Nd//sup 144/Nd ratios that vary over a large range and correlate with /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr ratios. The data suggest that the batholiths represent mixtures of materials derived from (i) chemically depleted mantle identical to the source of island arcs and (ii) old continental crust, probably sediments or metasediments with a provenance age of approx. 1.6 x 10/sup 9/ years. These conclusions are consistent with a model for continental growth whereby new crustal additions are repeatedly extracted from the same limited volume of the upper mantle, which has consequently become depleted in elements that are enriched in the crust. There is little evidence that hydrothermally altered, subducted oceanic crust is a primary source of the magmas.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 5246056
• Journal Information: Science; (United States), Vol. 209
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
CALIFORNIA
CONTINENTAL CRUST
GRANITES
PETROGENESIS
MEXICO
ISOTOPE DATING
ISOTOPE RATIO
NEODYMIUM 143
NEODYMIUM 144
STRONTIUM 86
STRONTIUM 87
AGE ESTIMATION
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EARTH CRUST
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LATIN AMERICA
NEODYMIUM ISOTOPES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
PLUTONIC ROCKS
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTH NUCLEI
ROCKS
STABLE ISOTOPES
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
USA
WESTERN REGION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)