Origin of Mafic Enclaves at Bingie Bingie Point: Petrogenetic Implications for the Moruya Batholith 4 SUSAN KEAY 2nd November, 1992 Submitted as a partial fulfilment for the requirements of the Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in the Department of Geology at The University of Newcastle.ABSTRACT Evidence from a range of sources suggests that the igneous rocks cropping out at Bingie Bingie Point, on the South Coast of N.S.W., are the result of magma mixing processes between mafic Bingie Bingie Suite ‘magmas of diortic composition and more felsic Moruya Suite magmas of tonalite composition intruded into the Lachlan Fold Belt during the Devonian, Field relationships are characteristic of net-veined intrusive complexes (Walker & Skethorn, 1966), with dicrte bodies of the Bingie Bingie Suite locally chilled, veined and included in the Tuross Head Tonalite of the Moruya Suite, and small-scale mixing occurring along contacts, An array of microdiorite dykes cut both intrusions late in their crystallization history. These features suggest an order of intrusion at variance to that reported by eatlier workers (Brown, 1928; Griffin st al., 1978) who suggested the diorites were intruded prior tothe tonalites, and more compatible with recent studies (Vernon et sl., 1988; O'Sullivan, 1990) suggesting synchronous intrusion and hybridization of number of rock-types. The origin of the numerous quartz diorite enclaves included in the tonalite are attributable to mixing between the Bingie Bingie and Moruya Suites. The interpretation of enclaves as restite (Griffin et al., 1978; Chappell et al., 1987) is found to be inconsistent with most of the observations made in this study. Chemical variation diagrams for both major and trace elements display a scatter of data points which do not conform with models of restite unmixing, fractionation or simple two-component mixing. These variations are resolved by accounting for fractionation of the diorite to produce a range of mafic end-member compositions which may mix with members of the Moruya Suite and form a "mixing triangle” which includes most intermediate rock-types and explains them in terms of a range of mixing lines produced within the triangle of end-member compositions. Rare earth element patterns are identical for most rock-types, varying only in relative abundance which decreases with increasing silica content. The patterns are moderately LREE-enriched and slightly HREE-depleted compared to chondrite values and show no distinct europium anomaly. These patterns are consistent with partial melting of mantle-derived basalt at moderate depths (30-40 km) and high water contents above @ subduction zone leaving a granulite residue. ‘The REE patterns are considered to be controlled mainly by the accessory mineral sphene which is present in most rock-types.