NANOGRANITES · Nanogranite Inclusions: New Window into the Partial Melting of the Deep Earth´s Crust

Nanogranite Inclusions: New Window into the Partial Melting of the Deep Earth´s Crust

Partial melting is a key process in the evolution and compositional differentiation of the Earth and, in particular, the Earth´s Continental Crust. Knowledge about these processes is hampered by the absence of precise information on the composition of primary natural melts. The main goal of this project is to provide the compositions of primary crustal melts through the experimental study of nanogranitoids, a new approached recently proposed and developed by Prof. Cesare and his research team at the Università di Padova (UNIPD), Italy. This study corresponds to basic science, which is the foundation of all scientific theories and the basis for applied science. Crustal anatexis is the process that mobilizes and concentrates many of the basic elements human race use to manufacture their devices. Knowledge about this process will improve our knowledge about the geochemical cycle of these elements, and improve our techniques to detect and extract them. The overall objectives of this project are: Objective 1: To provide the composition of primary crustal melts by remelting and analyzing nanogranites hosted in peritectic minerals from migmatites and granulites. Objective 2: To investigate the mechanisms of anatexis, by conducting melting experiments using the migmatites hosting the studied nanogranites, and by comparing the compositions of experimental glasses and remelted nanogranites. Objective 3: To determine the implications of the compositions of remelted nanogranites on the generation and differentiation of the continental crust. Conclusions of the action: This project was designed to be conducted in three years, but has been terminated in month 8th of the second year, because I have obtained a permanent position at the Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra of Spain (IACT). I have conducted most of the proposed experiments, I have analyzed most of the conducted experiments, and I have used all of the analytical techniques proposed in the project. As major conclusions, regarding objective 1, I have found that the composition of the studied nanogranites is leucogranitic and shows variable proportions of H2O and CO2. Major conclusions/results involving objective 2 are being discussed now. Major conclusions/results involving objective 3 will be available after the conduction of geochemical and thermodynamic modeling, which will be done in the near future. The first results of this project consist of 1 article in a first-class journal, 1 article under review, 2 oral talks, 1 poster and 3 abstracts presented in international meetings, and 3 talks delivered at Australian National University (ANU), Australia.

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