The Olivine Horizon of the Layered Monchegorsk Pluton (Kola Region, Russia): Additional Magma Injection Based on Integrated Geological and Geochronological Data

Abstract

The paper presents the first SIMS SHRIMP U-Pb data for zircon from an olivine horizon within the Nyud intrusion of the ore-bearing layered Monchegorsk pluton (Monchepluton) in the Kola Region, Russia. A 100–150 m-thick olivine horizon occurs nearly horizontally between the melanocratic and mesocratic norite of the Nyud intrusion, which disturbs its normal cumulus stratigraphic sequence. In addition, the pyroxene-plagioclase hornfelses are present at the upper contact with the olivine horizon. Twenty-three zircon grains were extracted from the large-volume olivine plagio-orthopyroxenite sample and clustered into two populations. The first population of magmatic zircon (n = 8) has a concordant and weighted average 207Pb/206Pb age of 2484.3 ± 5.6 Ma, which characterizes the formation time of the olivine horizon rocks. This serves as evidence of the olivine horizon that forms as a result of additional magma injection, which does not contradict the geological data. The 207Pb/206Pb age of single-grain zircon is 2414 ± 25 Ma, which indicates the time of postmagmatic transformations. The second population of zircon (n = 16) has a concordant and weighted average U-Pb age of 2700.6 ± 4.6 Ma, which indicates zircon absorption by olivine horizon magma probably from the rocks of the Archean greenstone belt.