Hot and cold granites? Implications of zircon saturation temperatures and preservation of inheritance

Research Article| June 01, 2003 Hot and cold granites? Implications of zircon saturation temperatures and preservation of inheritance Calvin F. Miller; Calvin F. Miller 1 Department of Geology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Susanne Meschter McDowell; Susanne Meschter McDowell 1 Department of Geology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Russell W. Mapes Russell W. Mapes 1 Department of Geology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Calvin F. Miller 1 Department of Geology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA Susanne Meschter McDowell 1 Department of Geology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA Russell W. Mapes 1 Department of Geology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 30 Oct 2002 Revision Received: 18 Feb 2003 Accepted: 23 Feb 2003 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2003) 31 (6): 529–532. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2003)0312.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 30 Oct 2002 Revision Received: 18 Feb 2003 Accepted: 23 Feb 2003 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Calvin F. Miller, Susanne Meschter McDowell, Russell W. Mapes; Hot and cold granites? Implications of zircon saturation temperatures and preservation of inheritance. Geology 2003;; 31 (6): 529–532. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2003)0312.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Zircon saturation temperatures (TZr) calculated from bulk-rock compositions provide minimum estimates of temperature if the magma was undersaturated, but maxima if it was saturated. For plutons with abundant inherited zircon, TZr provides a useful estimate of initial magma temperature at the source, an important parameter that is otherwise inaccessible. Among 54 investigated plutons, there is a clear distinction between TZr for inheritance-rich (mean 766 °C) and inheritance-poor (mean 837 °C) granitoids. The latter were probably undersaturated in zircon at the source, and hence the calculated TZr is likely to be an underestimate of their initial temperature. These data suggest fundamentally different mechanisms of magma generation, transport, and emplacement. "Hot" felsic magmas with minimal inheritance probably require advective heat input into the crust, are crystal poor, and readily erupt, whereas "cold," inheritance-rich magmas require fluid influx, are richer in crystals, and are unlikely to erupt. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.