Monazite stability and the maintenance of Th-U-total Pb ages during post-magmatic processes in granitoids and host metasedimentary rocks: A case study from the Sudetes (SW Poland)

The stability and maintenance of the age record of monazite during post-magmatic processes were studied in granitic and host metasedimentary rocks from the Sudetes (SW Poland). Unaltered monazite in the Kłodzko–Złoty Stok granitoid provided a Th-U-total Pb age of 329 ± 5 Ma, which was related to the late stage of pluton emplacement. In contrast, monazite in the Jawornik granitoid remained unaltered or was partially replaced by secondary phases, including (1) allanite, epidote and, occasionally, apatite; (2) cheralite, allanite and a mixture of clays, Fe oxides and possible unknown rare earth element (REE) phases; and (3) K-feldspar and cheralite with subsequent formation of titanite. Different alteration products on the thin section scale indicate the local character of the post-magmatic processes affecting monazite induced by alkali-rich fluids. The altered and unaltered monazite grains both yielded a Th-U-total Pb age of 343 ± 4 Ma. The Th-U-total Pb ages of the monazite in the accompanying metasedimentary rocks thermally affected by intruding magmas were also constrained. In the paragneiss in contact with the Jawornik granitoid, the unaltered monazite and monazite partially replaced by allanite yielded an age of 344 ± 5 Ma. The monazite from the mica schist, farther from the contact with the granitoids, exhibited an age of 336 ± 4.5 Ma. The 344–336 Ma ages exhibited a record of monazite (re)growth during prolonged Variscan metamorphism. The predominant early Viséan ages constrain the timing of the development of the Złoty Stok Skrzynka Shear Zone and the emplacement of the Jawornik granitoid intrusion. The age results, which are consistent with previous geochronology, indicate that the partial alteration of the monazite did not affect the internal domains or the maintenance of the monazite ages. Thus, this study reveals that monazite geochronology can provide meaningful data in crystalline rocks affected by fluid-induced post-magmatic processes.