Accepted Manuscript

Transitional I-S type characteristics in the Main Range Granite, Peninsular Ma‐
laysia

Azman A. Ghani, Michael Searle, Laurence Robb, Sun-Lin Chung

PII: S1367-9120(13)00299-X
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.05.013
Reference: JAES 1608

To appear in: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

Please cite this article as: Ghani, A.A., Searle, M., Robb, L., Chung, S-L., Transitional I-S type characteristics in
the Main Range Granite, Peninsular Malaysia, Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), doi: http://dx.doi.org/
10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.05.013

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 Transitional I-S type characteristics in the Main Range Granite, Peninsular
Malaysia
Azman A. Ghani1*, Michael Searle2, Laurence Robb2 & Sun-Lin Chung3

1
Department of Geology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
2
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
3
Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

*Corresponding author. Tel: 603 7967 4203; Fax: 603 7967 5149
E mail: azmangeo@um.edu.my (Azman A. Ghani)

ABSTRACT
The dominantly Triassic Main Range Granite of Peninsular Malaysia that occurs west

of the Paleo-Tethyan Bentong Raub suture zone was regarded exclusively as an S–type

granite. The Main Range dominantly biotite granites are of batholithic proportion and host

one of the World’s largest tin provinces. The S type characteristics include high initial
87
Sr/86Sr isotope ratios (> 0.710), a narrow range in silica, presence of ilmenite and

occasional cordierite and andalusite, and the presence of pelitic or quartzose metasedimentary

xenoliths. However, the present review shows that the Main Range granites also have many

features that are more characteristic of I–type granites such as the very large scale of

plutonism, the presence of primary titanite and amphibole, occurrence of hornblende-bearing

mafic enclaves, increasing peraluminosity towards the more differentiated end-members of

the suite and decreasing P2O5 with increasing SiO2 contents. The moderately peraluminous

nature of the bulk Main Range Granite, without containing cordierite, Fe Mg garnet or

sillimanite, is consistent with derivation from a metasedimentary protolith that was itself

undersaturated with respect to Al2SiO5.

HIGHLIGHTS
Petrology and geochemistry characteristics of Main Range granite of Peninsular Malaysia

Classification and comparison of the Main Range granite with original I/S– type granite
classification

Comments on Age and tectonic setting of the Main Range granite

Comments on petrogenesis of the Main Range granite magma

KEYWORDS
S type granite, Peninsular Malaysia, Main Range Granite, tin granite, crustal thickening
 1 Transitional I-S type characteristics in the Main Range Granite, Peninsular

2 Malaysia

4 Azman A. Ghani1, Michael Searle2, Laurence Robb2 & Sun-Lin Chung3

5
1
6 Department of Geology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
2
7 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
3
8 Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

10

11 ABSTRACT

12 The dominantly Triassic Main Range Granite of Peninsular Malaysia that occurs west

13 of the Paleo-Tethyan Bentong‒ Raub suture zone was regarded exclusively as an S–type

14 granite. The Main Range dominantly biotite granites are of batholithic proportion and host

15 one of the World’s largest tin provinces. The S‒ type characteristics include high initial
87
16 Sr/86Sr isotope ratios (> 0.710), a narrow range in silica, presence of ilmenite and

17 occasional cordierite and andalusite, and the presence of pelitic or quartzose meta-

18 sedimentary xenoliths. However, the present review shows that the Main Range granites also

19 have many features that are more characteristic of I–type granites such as the very large scale

20 of plutonism, the presence of primary titanite and amphibole, occurrence of hornblende-

21 bearing mafic enclaves, increasing peraluminosity towards the more differentiated end-

22 members of the suite and decreasing P2O5 with increasing SiO2 contents. The moderately

23 peraluminous nature of the bulk Main Range Granite, without containing cordierite, Fe‒ Mg

24 garnet or sillimanite, is consistent with derivation from a meta-sedimentary protolith that was

25 itself undersaturated with respect to Al2SiO5.

1
26 1. Introduction

27 The I- and S-type granite classification was initially developed in southeastern

28 Australia by Chappell and White (1974) where they emphasised the importance of source

29 rock composition and the concept of separation of melt and refractory residue during

30 production of felsic magmas. The scheme considers I–type granites as the melt products of

31 meta-igneous source rocks mainly through high-temperature hornblende breakdown, whereas

32 S-type granites result from melting of meta-sedimentary source material mainly through

33 muscovite or biotite dehydration reactions. In both cases, the source is considered to have

34 resided within continental crust. In the Lachlan Fold Belt of SE Australia, a clear spatial

35 distribution exists between I-and S-type granites. The concept has been developed by

36 Chappell and White and their co-workers in a series of papers (e.g. Chappell, 1999, 2004;

37 Chappell and White, 1984, 1992, 2001; Chappell and Stephens, 1988; White and Chappell,

38 1988; Chappell and Wyborn, 2012, Chappell et al., 2012). S‒ type granites have restricted

39 SiO2 content (65 to 75%) which, according to Chappell and White (1984), is characteristic of

40 SiO2 rich sources. This contrasts with the I-type granites that usually exhibit a broad

41 compositional range as typically observed in calc-alkaline magmatic arcs. Both types of

42 granite can be further distinguished using numerous petrological and geochemical parameters

43 (Table 1). I-type granites are characterized by higher Na2O contents, lower initial Sr isotopic

44 ratios and the presence of hornblende and titanite. S-type granites, on the other hand, have

45 lower Na2O contents, higher initial Sr isotopic ratios and presence of aluminous minerals

46 such as muscovite, cordierite, sillimanite and andalusite. S-type granites have mol

47 Al2O3/(Na2O+K2O+CaO) ratios > 1.1, in contrast to I-type granites which have ratios < 1.1.

48 S-type granites are low in Na, Ca and Sr, which are depleted in their source rocks

49 during the conversion of feldspar to clay minerals by weathering. High K 2O/Na2O in the S-

50 type rocks is explained by the fact that potassium is incorporated into clays during chemical

2
 3+ 2+
51 weathering, whereas sodium is removed in solution along with Ca, Sr and Pb. The Fe /Fe

52 ratios of the S-type rocks are significantly lower than those of I-types, because the source

53 rocks are commonly reduced due to the presence of graphite (Liew 1983). As a result of the

54 lower Na and Ca, S-type magmas are typically corundum normative or peraluminous and

55 become more strongly so as the rocks become chemically less evolved (Chappell, 1984).

56 Studies and reviews of granitoid batholiths (Pitcher, 1979; Shaw and Flood, 1981)

57 suggest that S-type granitoids may display a wide range of mineralogical and chemical

58 characteristics and that the criteria adopted for identification of granitoid type in one terrain

59 may not hold true in another. The Main Range Granite is the largest granitic batholith in the

60 Western Belt terrane of Peninsular Malaysia and has been regarded as comprising

61 exclusively S-type granites (Liew, 1983; Hutchison, 1996). The S-type features of the Main

62 Range granites include, (a) narrow range of felsic rock (SiO2: 65.95 to 77.4%), (b) usually

63 ilmenite bearing (c) high initial 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios (> 0.710), (d) high K2O/Na2O

64 ratios (1.4 - 2.8 – with S-types typically 0.9-3.2), (e) low Na2O content (< 3.2%) in rocks

65 with ~ 5% K2O, and (f) contain pelitic or quartzose meta-sedimentary xenoliths. Our study,

66 however, shows that certain features of the Main Range Granite are similar to I–type granites

67 in SE Australian granites (Chappell and White, 1974, 1984, 1992, 2001; Chappell and

68 Stephens, 1988; White and Chappell, 1988; Chappell, 1999, 2004). I-type features include

69 (a) occurrence of primary titanite and amphibole especially in the northern part of the

70 batholith, (b) occurrence of mafic, microgranitoid hornblende-bearing enclaves, (c)

71 increasing peraluminosity towards the more differentiated units of a suite and (d) define a

72 similar trend to the I‒ type granite in P2O5 vs. Rb and P2O5 vs. SiO2.

73 This paper will elaborate more on the differences between S–type granites of the

74 Main Range, Malaysia with original S- and I-type granites of the Lachlan Fold Belt. The

75 transitional character between I-and S-type granite has been discussed previously (e.g Ghani,

3
 76 2000a; Clemens, 2003). Clemens (2003) suggested that terranes dominated by sediments

77 with a few igneous rocks or terrane dominated by andesitic to basaltic igneous successions

78 with minor intercalated sediments may produce a magma with transitional I- and S-type

79 characteristics.

80 Two examples of granitic batholiths that have intermediate I- and S-type

81 characteristics have direct relevance to our study of the Malaysian Main Range Granites.

82 They are the Karakoram batholith of North Pakistan and Cornubian batholith in SW England.

83 These two granitic batholiths have a similar tectonic setting to the Main Range Granite of

84 Malaysia. The Karakoram batholith of North Pakistan shows both pre-collisional I-type

85 hornblende-bearing diorites, granodiorites and granites (Crawford and Searle, 1992, 1993)

86 and post-collisional S-type two-mica garnet bearing leucogranites (Baltoro granites) (Searle

87 et al., 1992, 2010; Fraser et al., 2001). Here, the two granite types are distinguishable with

88 respect to field relationships, geochemistry and age. The earlier I-type granites formed above

89 an oceanic subduction zone in an Andea-type setting prior to the India-Asia collision were

90 deformed, metamorphosed to amphibolite facies and intruded by later S-type granites after

91 the Early Eocene collision. A few post-collision granitic intrusions in Southern Tibet and in

92 the Karakoram are generally classified as adakites and have intermediate I-S type

93 characteristics (Chung et al., 2003; Searle et al., 2011) similar to some of the Main Range

94 granites of Malaysia.

95 The second example is the Variscan Cornubian batholith in Devon and Cornwall, SW

96 England, where early hornblende-bearing I-type granites are enclosed by later tin-bearing S-

97 type granites with a shallow thermal contact aureole (Pownall et al., 2012). S-type

98 characteristics, biotite, muscovite, tourmaline, topaz, lithium micas in the melt, greisen veins

99 with abundant Sn-W mineralisation) are dominant in the Lands End and Tregonning granites

100 but some also have characteristic I-type features including hornblende-bearing enclaves, Cu

4
101 mineralisation, elevated ENd and the granites are of batholithic proportions. The Cornubian

102 granites are again of batholithic proportions and not associated with regional Barrovian

103 metamorphism, and are thus similar in tectonic setting to the Malaysian Main Range

104 granites.

105

106 2. Regional setting

107 The granitoids of the Southeast Asian tin belt have petrographical and

108 geochronological features that permit them to be grouped into north-south elongate

109 provinces. The original subdivision was developed by Hutchison (1973, 1977) and Mitchell

110 (1977) but this has been modified by Cobbing et al. (1992). The granite belts are subdivided

111 into (a) the Eastern (East Peninsular Malaysia), (b) Main Range (South Thailand–West

112 Peninsular Malaysia), and (c) Northern (Northern Thailand) and Western (Southwest

113 Thailand–East Myanmar) granite provinces (Fig. 1). The Eastern and Main Range granite

114 provinces are well exposed in Peninsular Malaysia (Fig. 2), are separated by the Bentong-

115 Raub suture (Metcalfe, 2000; 2013) and show distinct petrological, age and geochemical

116 characteristics. The Eastern granite province consists of Permian to Triassic granitoids with

117 wide compositional range including gabbro, diorite, tonalite and monzogranite (e.g. Cobbing

118 et al. 1992; Ghani et al. 2013). The Triassic Main Range Granite has more restricted

119 compositional range from granite to granodiorite.

120 Figure 2 shows the available U‒ Pb ages for granites in Peninsular Malaysia (Liew

121 and McCulloch, 1985, Liew and Page, 1985; Searle et al., 2012). A summary of the available

122 geochronological data (U-Pb, K-Ar and Rb-Sr) across Peninsular Malaysia granites is also

123 shown in Figure 3 (Bignell and Snelling 1977, Liew and Mc Culloch 1985, Liew and Page,

124 1985; Krahenbuhl, 1991; Cobbing et al., 1992; Searle et al., 2012). Interpreted intrusive ages

125 display a general younging trend from east to west for the Eastern Belt. U–Pb zircon ages of

5
126 the Peninsular Malaysia Main Range granites range between 198 to 220Ma (Liew and

127 McCulloch, 1985; Liew and Page, 1985; Searle et al. 2012). The presence of an inherited

128 Precambrian zircon population in the Main Range granite suggests that the province is

129 underlain by Precambrian continental crust. Consequently, the upper intersection ages of the

130 reverse discordia, consistently in the 1500 to 1700 Ma age range may represent the ages of

131 an inherited zircon component that was incorporated into the granitoid magmas (Liew and

132 McCulloch 1985).

133

134 3. Rock distribution and Field relation

135 The Main Range Granites of Peninsular Malaysia are characterized by a continuous

136 mountain range extending from north to the south along the western part of the Peninsula

137 (Ghani 2009). To the west, the Main Range Granite is exposed in several islands which

138 include Pangkor, Sembilan and Jarak. Jarak island is located 34 km off the west coast of

139 Peninsular Malaysia. The Jarak island granites have petrographic features such as the

140 occurrence of tourmaline-quartz pods, accumulation of large pegmatitic K-feldspar and

141 aplopegmatite phases which are similar to those observed in the Main Range Granite on the

142 mainland (Ghani, 2008). To the east, the Main Range Granite is bordered by the Bentong-

143 Raub suture, which, although poorly exposed, contains Devonian to Middle Triassic

144 radiolarian cherts, uncommon serpentinites and a mélange associated with the Palaeo–

145 Tethyan suture (Sone and Metcalfe 2008). The country rocks intruded by the Main Range

146 Granites are typically Lower Palaeozoic formations that range from Cambrian (Machinchang

147 formation) to Devonian and Lower Permian (e.g. Kinta Valley and Gunung Kanthan

148 limestone) in age and have a Gondwanan affinity (Metcalfe 2000, 2013). The granites also

149 intrude the Bentong-Raub suture zone rocks (e.g. mélange at Genting Sempah) (Metcalfe

150 2000, 2013).

6
151 In this section, the Main Range Granite is described in three facies (Fig.4), based on

152 the mineralogy and texture (1) biotite granite, (2) amphibole bearing granite and (3)

153 microgranite and mesogranite associated with aplopegmatite.

154

155 3.1 Biotite granite

156 Biotite granite constitutes about 50% of the total Main Range Granite. Biotite

157 granites can occur as large bodies of more than 10 km in length, such as the Tampin and

158 Bukit Tinggi granites. Microgranite and mesogranite (see section 3.3) may occur as a felsic

159 core. Both coarse-grained equigranular and porphyritic textures are present. Biotite is the

160 only mafic phase present in the rock. The granite is mesocratic and characterized by euhedral

161 to subhedral K-feldspar phenocrysts up to 7 cm in length. Most of the biotite granite exhibits

162 primary textures, the best examples being Tampin, Bujang Melaka and the Gap Unit of the

163 Bukit Tinggi pluton. These granites typically comprise K-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz,

164 biotite, muscovite and occasionally titanite. Metasedimentary xenoliths and biotite rich

165 microgranitic enclaves are common in the biotite granite (Figs. 5a & 5b).

166

167 3.2 Amphibole bearing granite

168 Amphibole-bearing granites are found in several bodies in the northern and central

169 parts of the Main Range Granite (Fig. 4). The Taiping and Kuala Kelawang granite

170 complexes are the best examples, typically comprising low–Al biotite + titanite ± actinolitic

171 hornblende. The amphibole-bearing granite is usually darker compared to the non-amphibole

172 granite due to a high percentage of mafic components. In some samples the biotite alone can

173 be up to 25% in a single hand specimen. The granite is melanocratic and characterized by

174 euhedral to subhedral K-feldspar phenocrysts that are up to 6 cm in length and sometimes

175 show a prominent flow texture. In the Kuala Kelawang granite, amphibole is characterized

7
176 by a blue to pale blue or violet pleochroism possibly representative of cummingtonite that is

177 closely associated with biotite The amphibole bearing granites usually contain a diverse type

178 of microgranitoid enclaves, that contain amphibole, clinopyroxene and biotite (Fig. 5c).

179 Similar amphibole microgranitoid enclaves have been reported in the Bujang Melaka granite

180 of Kinta valley (Singh and Yong, 1982). Khoo and Lee (1994) have reported a suite of

181 plutonic rocks consisting of hornblende-biotite quartz monzonite, tonalite, granodiorite and

182 granite from the northeastern extremity of the Main Range granite.

183

184 3.3 Microgranite and mesogranite associated with aplopegmatites

185 The granites characterized by heterogeneous porphyritic microgranite, mesogranite

186 and porphyritic granite may, in many cases, be associated with Sn and related mineralization

187 (Hutchison and Chakraborty 1979; Hutchison 1983; Cobbing et al.,1992). The texture of this

188 granite varies from fine grained microgranite to heterogeneous porphyritic microgranite and

189 porphyritic granite. Such textural variations result from disrupted crystallization of the

190 granitic magma during the later stage of crystallization (Pitfield et al., 1990; Cobbing et al.,

191 1992). According to Cobbing et al. (1992) these textures are most often seen in the more

192 evolved, later phases of granitic bodies. Granite mineralogy is dominated by K-feldspar

193 mainly microcline, quartz, muscovite, garnet and tourmaline. These granites are usually

194 associated with aplopegmatitic bodies, examples of which occur in the Jerai pluton and the

195 Kuah-Tuba Unit of the Langkawi granite, both of which are located in the northern Main

196 Range. In the Tuba granite, xenoliths from the country rock appear to be stretched and folded

197 by magmatic flow (Fig. 5d). The Jerai pluton is reversely zoned with biotite granite occuring

198 as a central core rimmed by more felsic muscovite-garnet tourmaline granite. These two

199 granite phases are cut by numerous aplopegmatite veins and dykes up to 5 m long (Fig. 5e).

200 The aplopegmatites also occur as pods of various shapes and sizes. They comprise

8
201 muscovite, K–feldspar, quartz, garnet and tourmaline with prominant cassiterite

202 mineralisation. Leucogranite dykes and veins are common especially near to the contact with

203 the metasediments and some cross-cut the country rocks creating breccias (Fig. 5f).

204

205 4. Petrology

206 In general the Main Range granite comprises texturally variable type from biotite

207 granodiorite to syenogranite and monzogranite (Streckeisen, 1976), and finally to muscovite-

208 tourmaline leucogranite. The mineralogy of the Main Range Granite, in decreasing order of

209 abundance, is K-feldspar, quartz, plagioclase, biotite, muscovite, tourmaline, amphibole,

210 allanite, zircon, titanite, apatite, ilmenite, garnet, andalusite and epidote. In the following

211 section the petrology of the Main Range Granite is again described in three facies (1) biotite

212 granite, (2) amphibole bearing granite and (3) microgranite and mesogranite associated with

213 aplopegmatites.

214

215 4.1 Biotite granite

216 Large subhedral to euhedral K-feldspar megacrysts up to 5 cm long are common in

217 porphyritic rocks, whereas equigranular coarse grained granites contain anhedral K feldspar.

218 Both microperthitic orthoclase and microcline occur in the granite with the latter developed

219 more in the felsic varieties. Plagioclases may occur as discrete phenocrysts or as

220 glomeroporphyritic aggregates showing resorbed outlines in the mafic members of the

221 granites. The most common plagioclase type is oligoclase.

222 Quartz in the Main Range Granite is mostly anhedral and sometimes occurs as

223 subgrains. It is generally interstitial to all other minerals, especially plagioclase and to a

224 lesser extent to the microcline. It also occurs as small round crystals at the margins of the

225 plagioclase. Biotite is an early crystallizing phase and may occur as discrete plates, as ragged

9
226 shreds in mafic clots and as small flakes associated with granoblastic aggregates of quartz

227 and plagioclase. Biotite pleochroism is typically pale brown to dark brown, and may be dark

228 brown to red brown in contact facies. Liew (1983) showed that the biotite from the Main

229 Range granite is high in Al compared to the biotites from the Eastern Malay Peninsula I-type

230 variants. Liew (1983) also showed that typically, biotites from amphibole-bearing granites

231 are more calcareous and more Mg rich, and have higher Mg/ (Mg+Fe) ratios. Some of the

232 Lachlan fold belt S-type rocks (e.g Dalgety granodiorite of Berridale batholith) also have Al-

233 rich biotite (Chappell & White, 1992).

234 Muscovite is restricted to granites containing high Al biotite and is absent from

235 amphibole bearing granites. Features such as relatively coarse grained, euhedral grains

236 occasionally containing apatite and opaque inclusions (Liew, 1983), and a non-association

237 with feldspar, are regarded to be primary (Miller et al. 1981). The secondary muscovite is an

238 alteration product of plagioclase and K-feldspar (Fig. 6a). Primary muscovite has high Ti

239 contents (~ 0.53%; Ghani, 2000b) and is comparable to the primary muscovite described by

240 Miller et al. (1981). Liew (1983) showed that the muscovite from Main Range Granite

241 contains significant amount of caledonitic and ferrimuscovitic components. The presence of

242 texturally primary inferred muscovite give an estimation of magma formation around 700 to

243 750ºC and pressure around 3–5 kbar and water content of about 6–10wt % (Huang and

244 Wyllie 1981; Liew, 1983).

245 Zircon and apatite are ubiquitous accessory phases. Fluorite is uncommon and only

246 observed in rocks of leucogranitic composition. Euhedral allanite is present in amphibole

247 bearing plutons and commonly shows oscillatory zonation. Andalusite has been reported in

248 the Sungai Ara granite, Penang (Chakraborty and Amerizal, 1984) and also occurs in

249 microgranite from southwest Penang Island (Fig. 6b), where it is surrounded by secondary

10
250 muscovite. Secondary epidote, chlorite, and occasionally titanite often occur along biotite

251 cleavages.

252

253 4.2 Amphibole bearing granite

254 In term of textures, amphibole bearing granite is similar to biotite granite. The granite

255 is coarse grained, K-feldspar megacrystic and sometimes show a strong flow alignment,

256 which indicates a magmatic texture. Both amphibole bearing granites from the Taiping and

257 Kuala Kelawang granites are characterized by subhedral K-feldspar megacrysts. In basic

258 members the plagioclases show complex zonation and sometimes have corroded or cracked

259 cores (Fig. 6c). The matrix is melanocratic. Amphibole found in the northern part of the

260 Main Range granite (Cobbing et al., 1992; Khoo and Lee, 1994 ; Singh and Yong, 1982) is

261 mainly actinolitic hornblende with an atomic Mg/(Mg+Fe) ranging from 0.5 to 0.6 (Liew,

262 1983). Amphibole also occurs in the Kuala Kelawang granite and is characterized by blue

263 pleochroism under plain polarized light, suggesting a cummingtonitic composition (Fig. 6d).

264 Both titanite and amphibole are considered to be characteristic of I–type granites (Chappell

265 and White, 1974).

266

267 4.3 Microgranite and mesogranites

268 Micro and mesogranites are common in the Main Range and may associated with the

269 dominant biotite granite, or occur as marginal facies. Typical texture of the

270 microgranite/mesogranite is shown in figure 6e. The Kuala Lumpur granite complex exhibits

271 the best examples of this relationship – mineralogy of these phases is typically K-feldspar,

272 quartz, biotite, muscovite, tourmaline, garnet and apatite. Quartz occasionally occurs as

273 anomalously blue grains. Biotites from granites such as the Kuala Lumpur batholith (Ghani,

274 2002) exhibit similarities to biotite that crystallized from peraluminous melts, and are

11
275 characterized by high Al2O3 content (17 – 21%). Tourmaline commonly occurs as an

276 interstitial skeletal network, which are most apparent in leucogranitic rocks. Leucogranites of

277 the Jerai pluton contain tourmaline as large euhedral crystals alongside garnet and muscovite

278 (Fig. 6f). Liew (1983) showed that the tourmalines belong to the schorl (Fe rich) - dravite

279 (Mg rich) solid solution series, which is similar to tourmalines from Southwestern England

280 (Cornubian batholith) and the Hub Kapong aplopegmatites of Southern Thailand (Manning,

281 1982). Garnet may occur as small (<0.5mm), inclusion free crystals in quartz and albite

282 aggregates, as larger (> 1mm) grains closely associated with muscovite-quartz-albite

283 aggregates, or as late interstitial grains containing quartz inclusions.

284

285 5. Geochemical characteristics of the granites

286 5.1 Data source

287 Twenty nine samples from the Main Range Granite were analysed for major and trace

288 elements (Table 2). Another 101 analyses of major and trace elements of the Main Range

289 Granite have been collated from Liew (1983) and Cobbing et al. (1992) (Table 3). Thus, a

290 total 60 samples from biotite granites, 20 samples from amphibole bearing granite and 50

291 samples of microgranite/mesogranite are used in this review.

292 All new analyses presented below were carried out at the Geoanalytical Laboratory,

293 Washington State University. Major oxide elements and trace elements were analysed by X-

294 ray fluorescence using standard procesures at the above institute. Accuracy in major and

295 trace elements analysis were checked by routine analysis of the following USGS standard

296 samples (PCC-1, BCR-1, BIR-1, DNC-1, W-2, AGV-1, GSP-1, G-2, and STM -1) using

297 values recommended by Govindaraju (1994). Precision was typically ±2-5% for both major

298 and trace elements.

299

12
300 5.2 Major and trace element geochemistry

301 In general, the Main Range granites are characterised by highly evolved rocks with

302 SiO2 contents ranging from 65.95 to 77.4%. 90% of the samples analyzed contain more than

303 70% SiO2. No analyses of the Main Range Granite contain less than 65% SiO2. Amphibole

304 bearing rocks (Bintang batholith and the Kuala Kelawang granite) have lower SiO2 content

305 (65.95 to 70.3%) than both biotite granites (67.44 to 75.12%) and microgranite/mesogranite

306 (74.00 to 77.44%). Selected major and trace elements Harker plot for the Main Range are

307 shown in figures 7 and 8 respectively. CaO, MgO, P2O5 and TiO2 for all facies decrease with

308 increasing SiO2. Amphibole bearing granite has higher MgO, TiO2 and CaO compared to

309 both biotite granite and microgranite/mesogranite. The microgranite/mesogranite

310 characterized by high Rb/Sr ratio and Rb and low Zr, Sr and Ba. The continuous liquid-line-

311 of-descent links all the granite types suggesting that they are all part of a single magmatic

312 differentiation trend.

313 On a K2O vs SiO2 plot (Fig. 9) samples of the Main Range are approximately equally

314 distributed between the shoshonite and high-K calc-alkali fields. Although there does not

315 appear to be any spatial significance to this observation The Na2O contents of the Main

316 Range Granite range from 2.21 to 4.0 % and ~50% of the analysed Main Range Granite

317 samples have Na2O greater than 3%. However the content/Na ratio for the Main Range

318 granites are still typically S-type in character, with less than 3.2% Na2O in rocks with ~ 5%

319 K2O. The Na2O vs K2O plot (Fig. 10) nevertheless reveals that 26% (30 out of 120 samples)

320 of samples plot in the I-type field. The ACNK values for the Main Range Granites range

321 from 0.92 (mildly metaluminous) to 1.18 (peraluminous) (Fig. 11). Of the samples some

322 19% (15 out of 120 samples) plot below the ACNK = 1 line and are metaluminous, whereas

323 approximately 60% (82 out of 120 samples) plot below ACNK =1.1.

13
324 The decrease of Ba and Sr at the expense of Rb (Fig 12) suggests that K-feldspar,

325 biotite and plagioclase are being progressively fractionated from the magma. Plagioclase

326 fractionation is also evident from the Rb/Sr vs SiO2 plot (Fig 12) – this plot suggests that

327 plagioclase was one of the major liquidus phases responsible for trace element trends in the

328 Main Range (Atherton, 1993).

329

330 6. Discussion

331 The Main Range granites are typically homogeneous in terms of their mineralogy and

332 major element compositions. SiO2 contents exhibit a narrow range (65.95 to 77.4%) that is

333 slightly lower on average than the Cornubian tin granites (Exley et al., 1983; Charoy, 1986;

334 Floyd et al., 1993). By contrast, certain of the LIL trace elements, such as Rb and Sr, show

335 extreme variations, with Rb ranging between 350 and 900 ppm, Sr between 5 and 220 ppm

336 and Rb/Sr ratios varying from 1 to 200. Ba, too, shows considerable variation (30 to

337 1000ppm) although other trace elements such as Zr, Nb, La and Y exhibit less extreme

338 variations. The main reason for this pattern is likely to be due to the dominance of feldspar

339 crystalization on the fractionation of trace elements such as Rb, Sr and Ba that are

340 contrastingly compatible and incompatible with respect to the two feldspar groups. Most of

341 the I-type characters of the Main Range Granite are shown by the amphibole bearing granite

342 which includes low A/CNK value, occurrence of primary titanite and pale green amphibole

343 and occurrence of mafic, hornblende bearing enclaves. The amphibole bearing granite on

344 average has the lowest SiO2 content compared to biotite granite and microgranite/

345 mesogranite.

346 Previous studies have shown that the Main Range granites have high Sr initial ratios

347 (>0.710) which is consistent with a metasedimentary origin. Negative ∑Nd initials of –6 to –

348 10 and inherited zircon ages of ~1500 to 1700 Ma suggested that the meta-sedimentary

14
349 sources rock of the granitoids were derived from a lower crustal protolith dominanted by

350 metasedimentary rocks. An amphibolite source for the Main Range magma can be ruled out

351 because partial melting of such rocks results in tonalitic magmas (e.g. Beard and Lofgren,

352 1991). Furthermore the isotopic evidence of the Main Range does not support an

353 amphibolitic source (Liew and Mc Culloch, 1985). Liew (1983) has suggested that the

354 moderately peraluminous nature of the bulk of Main Range granites, and the absence of

355 cordierite and sillimanite, is most consistent with derivation from metasediments that were

356 themselves undersaturated with respect to Al2SiO5. Occurrence of Palaeozoic basement rocks

357 in the region point to the existence of meta-arenites, meta-psammites and greywacke, which,

358 if also present at mid-crustal depths, could have been the protoliths of the Main Range

359 granites.

360

361 6.1 Transitional I-S type character of the Main Range Granite

362 6.1.1 General character

363 S-type granites are considered to be derived from melting of metasedimentary crust

364 that has undergone weathering and recycling processes, whereas I‒ type granites are derived

365 from a meta-igneous source. This study highlights the transitional I- and S- type character of

366 the Main Range granites of Peninsular Malaysia and raises the question of the nature of the

367 protolith. The dominantly Triassic Main Range granite of Peninsular Malaysia, occurring

368 west of the Bentong-Raub suture zone, has been regarded as an exclusively S-type granite

369 (Liew, 1983, Liew and Mc Culloch, 1985). In summary, the S-type characteristics of the
87
370 granite include, (a) high initial Sr/86Sr isotope ratio (> 0.710), (b) low Na2O contents (<

371 3.2% Na2O) in rocks with ~ 5% K2O, (c) a narrow range of evolved felsic rock compositions

372 (with SiO2 typically between 66% and 77%), (d) usually ilmenite-bearing, and (f) containing

15
373 pelitic or quartzose meta-sedimentary xenoliths. However, the present review demonstrates

374 that the granites also have features that are more characteristic of I-type granites (Chappell

375 and White, 1974; 1992), such as (a) a paucity of Al-rich minerals such as sillimanite and

376 cordierite, (b) occurrence of primary titanite and pale green amphibole especially in the

377 northern part of the batholith, (c) occurrence of mafic, hornblende bearing enclaves, and (d)

378 increasing peraluminosity towards the most differentiated rocks, as also shown in plots of

379 P2O5 vs. Rb and P2O5 vs SiO2. These features support the view that the Main Range granites

380 of Peninsular Malaysia are not exclusively S-type, but have characteristics that are

381 transitional between I- and S-types.

382 6.1.2. Mineralogy and Protoliths

383 Mineralogy of the Main Range granites exhibits both I- and S-type characteristics.

384 The presence of primary titanite, amphibole, andalusite and ilmenite show that the granite is

385 transitional in terms of the mineralogical classification scheme of Chappell and White (1974,

386 1992; see Table 1). Although no amphibole has been reported in the S-type rocks from the

387 Lachlan Fold Belt, actinolitic hornblende and cummingtonite have been reported in a number

388 of S-type plutons from the New England batholith in eastern Australia (Shaw and Flood,

389 1981). The Lachlan Fold Belt S-type granite does not contain primary titanite, although

390 secondary titanite, formed by alteration of biotite, is common (Chappell and White, 1992).

391 The presence of andalusite, albeit in minor amounts, suggests that at least a part of the Main

392 Range magma was Al-saturated. The presence of titanite, together with higher Fe2O3

393 contents in ilmenite (Liew, 1983), in amphibole bearing granites, suggests that the latter

394 crystallized from a relatively oxidized magma.

395 Two types of enclave are recorded in the Main Range granites, namely, meta-

396 sedimentary enclaves and biotite and/or hornblende microgranular enclaves. Meta-

397 sedimentary enclaves exhibit banding consistent with bedding, a feature that is common in S-

16
398 type granites (Chappell et al., 2012). Microgranular enclaves in the Main Range Granites

399 comprise, unlike the predominantly biotite bearing assemblages of the Lachlan Fold Belt, a

400 high proportion of hornblende. The origin of the Main Range microgranular enclaves is

401 uncertain, but they nevertheless emphasize the fact that the origin of this batholith is not as

402 straightforward as originally thought.

403

404 6.1.3 Peraluminosity and phosphorus content

405 S-type magmas are typically over-saturated in Al with respect to feldspar formation

406 which is why they crystallize aluminous phases such as muscovite, garnet, cordierite etc

407 (Chappell et al., 2012). Typically, I-type granites become progressively less metaluminous,

408 and S-type granites become progressively less peraluminous, with increasing differentiation.

409 Aluminium saturation indices of the Main Range Granites are mildly metaluminous to

410 moderately peraluminous, with ACNK value ranging from 0.92 to 1.18. Thus, only some

411 20% of the Main Range samples plot in the S–type field according to the Chappell criterion

412 where ACNK ≥1.1. More than 50% of amphibole bearing granite samples plot below ACNK

413 = 1, compared to the remaining granites in which only about 9% of the samples plot below

414 this limit. The ACNK index increases with increasing SiO2 which is different to the trend

415 observed in most other S-type granites, especially those from the Lachlan Fold Belt. This

416 feature is considered to support the contention that the Main Range Granite is metaluminous

417 to mildly peraluminous in character and that it was partial melting of a protolith that was

418 itself Al-undersaturated that gave rise to the Main Range magmas. It is, however, recognized

419 that peraluminosity can be brought about by mechanisms such fractional crystallization of

420 metaluminous magmas and interaction with late-stage hydrothermal fluids (Clarke, 1981)

421 and that these mechanisms need to be be considered in more detail with respect to the

422 petrology of the Main Range granites.

17
423 Another difference that exists between typical I- and S-type melts is that phosphorus

424 decreases in abundance in I-type and increases in abundance in S-type magmas with

425 increasing degrees of differentiation (Bea et al., 1992; Chappell, 1999; Broska et al., 2004).

426 Plots of P2O5 vs. SiO2 and P2O5 vs. Rb for the Main Range granites are shown in Figure 13.

427 Also shown in the diagram are P2O5 vs. Rb plots for both I- and S-type granite from the

428 Lachlan Fold Belt (Chappell and White, 1992). In the P2O5 vs SiO2 plot all samples of the

429 Main Range produce colinear trends of decreasing P with increasing SiO2 content, which is

430 similar to the general trend produced by the I-type granites (Chappell, 1999). The typical

431 I‒ type granite trend also exhibits a P decrease with increasing Rb whereas a positive

432 correlation of P2O5 vs. Rb is found in Lachlan Fold Belt S-type granites (Figure 13 and

433 Chappell and White, 1992). However, plots of the Main Range granites on the P2O5 vs. Rb

434 diagram (Fig. 13) produce an inverse trend similar to the I-type granite pattern. Previous

435 studies showed that the variability in the abundances of P between the strongly fractionated

436 I- and S-type granites is related to a higher apatite solubility in peraluminous melts, with P

437 becoming progressively more abundant in the felsic S-type melts during fractionation (Bea et

438 al., 1992; Chappell, 1999; Sha and Chappell, 2000; Belousova et al., 2001; Broska et al.

439 2004). In S-type granites from the Western Carpathians, Slovakia, P2O5 contents decrease in

440 samples with < 70% SiO2 , but increase in samples with > 70% SiO2 (Broska et al. 2004),

441 which also contrasts with the trend produce by the Main Range granites.

442

443 7. Conclusions

444 Although the Main Range Granites of Malaysia are certainly lower crustal melts,

445 their field and geochemical characteristics indicate that they are neither true S-type granites

446 nor true I-type granites but have charcteristics of both. The very large-scale plutonism

447 suggests extensive crustal melting that must have additional heat input from the mantle like

18
448 I-type Andean batholiths. Himalayan S-type granites are associated with regional Barrovian

449 facies metamorphism, extensive kyanite and sillimanite- bearing migmatites and crustal

450 melting produces only relatively small granitic intrusions. The Main Range Granites are not

451 associated with regional metamorphism or migmatisation and not in situ melts.
87
452 The S‒ type characteristics include high initial Sr/86Sr isotope ratios (> 0.710), a

453 narrow range in silica, presence of ilmenite and occasional cordierite and andalusite, and the

454 presence of pelitic or quartzose metasedimentary xenoliths. However, the present review

455 shows that the Main Range Granites also have many features that are more characteristic of

456 I-type granites such as the very large scale of plutonism, the presence of primary titanite and

457 amphibole, occurrence of hornblende-bearing mafic enclaves, increasing peraluminosity

458 towards the more differentiated end-members of the suite and decreasing P2O5 with

459 increasing SiO2 contents.

460

461

462 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

463 Dr N Taib, the late Prof C S Hutchison and Dr N A Majid are acknowledged for discussion

464 and suggestion the earlier version of the manuscript. We thank Masa Sone, Grahame Oliver,

465 Hatta Roselee and Samuel Ng for field assistance and Raphael Martin (Dark Research) for

466 sponsorship of Searle and Robb. The work is partly sponsored by University Malaya

467 Research Grant No. RG041/09AFR and UM/MoHE High Impact Research Grant. British

468 Geological Survey for the permission using the geochemical data from ‘The granites of the

469 South-East Asian tin belt’: Overseas Memoir 10, B.G.S.

470

471

472

19
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595 Hutchison, C.S., 1983. Multiple Mesozoic Sn-W-Sb granitoids of Southeast Asia. In:

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612 Liew, T.C., 1983. Petrogenesis of the Peninsular Malaysia granitoid batholith. PhD thesis,

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617 zircon study. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 49, 587 –600.

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622 Manning, D.A.C., 1982. Chemical and morphological variation in tourmaline from the Hub

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644 Pitfield, P. E. J., Teoh, L.H., Cobbing, E. J., 1990. Textural variation and tin mineralization

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668 zircon chronology of SE Asian tin granitoids. Journal of Geological Society London 169,

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675 Shand, S. J., 1943. Eruptive rocks. T Murby and Co., London, 2nd edn., 444 pp.

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681 J.K.R quarry, Kuala Dipang, Perak. Warta Geology 8, 103.

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691 Fold Belt. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 79, 169–181.

692

28
693 FIGURE CAPTIONS

694

695 Figure 1. Subdivision of granitoids from the Southeast Asia Tin Belt (modified from

696 Cobbing et al., 1992).

697

698 Figure 2. Subdivision of granites from Peninsular Malaysia, with available U-Pb zircon ages

699 shown (age data sources: Liew & Page 1985; Liew and McCulloch 1985; Searle et al. 2012).

700

701 Figure 3. Summary of available age data for the Main Range and Eastern Belt granitoids

702 from Peninsular Malaysia, showing the age variation with distance from the medial suture.

703 Interpreted intrusive ages display a general younging trend westwards. East-west distance

704 approximates to 300 km. All K-Ar and Rb-Sr data are from Bignell and Snelling (1977).

705

706 Figure 4. Location map showing relationship between the granitic bodies of the (a) northern

707 and (b) southern parts of the Main Range Granite (modified from Cobbing et al., 1992).

708

709 Figure 5. Field photographs of the Main Range Granite. (a) layered meta-sedimentary

710 xenolith. Granite facies: biotite granite, (b) rounded biotite-rich micro-granite enclaves in

711 fine grained granite. Granite facies: biotite granite, (c) mafic microgranular enclave in

712 porphyritic hornblende biotite granite. Granite facies: Amphibole bearing granite, (d)

713 leucogranitic flow with stretched and folded meta-sedimentary enclave (lower part of the

714 photograph), the Tuba-Kuah unit of Langkawi granite. Granite facies: Microgranite/

715 mesogranite, (e) zoned aplite-pegmatite dyke from the Jerai granite, black minerals at the

716 margin of the dyke are garnet and tourmaline. Granite facies: Microgranite/mesogranite, and

29
717 (f) leucogranite intruding to breakout the lower part of the meta-sedimentary rock. Granite

718 facies: Microgranite/mesogranite

719

720 Figure 6. Selected photomicrographs of the Main Range Granite. (a), secondary muscovite

721 with a distinct pattern in granite from Bukit Mertajam. Granite facies: biotite granite (b)

722 andalusite surrounded by secondary muscovite in Penang granite. Granite facies: biotite

723 granite (c) plagioclase phenocrysts with complex zonation. Granite facies: Amphibole

724 bearing granite (d) amphibole (cummingtonite?) crystal in the Kuala Kelawang granite.

725 Granite facies: Amphibole bearing granite (e) General texture of the microgranite/

726 mesogranite. Photo taken from Cobbing et al. (1992). Granite facies: Microgranite/

727 mesogranite and (f) tourmaline and garnet in highly evolved leucogranite of the Jerai pluton.

728 Granite facies: Microgranite/mesogranite

729

730 Figure 7. Selected Harker diagrams of major elements for the Main Range Granite of

731 Peninsular Malaysia

732

733 Figure 8. Selected Harker diagrams of trace elements for the Main Range Granite of

734 Peninsular Malaysia

735

736 Figure 9: Plot of K2O vs SiO2 for the Main Range Granite of Peninsular Malaysia.

737

738 Figure 10. Plot of Na2O vs K2O for the Main Range Granite of Peninsular Malaysia. I- and

739 S-type fields are after Chappell and White (1983). Note that the I-type in general contains

740 slightly higher Na2O than the S-type at the same K2O.

741

30
742 Figure 11. Plot of ACNK vs SiO2 for the Main Range Granite of Peninsular Malaysia.

743

744 Figure 12. Plots of (a) Ba vs Sr and (b) Rb/Sr vs SiO2 of the Main Range Granite.

745

746 Figure 13. Plots of P2O5 vs SiO2 and P2O5 vs Rb for the Main Range Granite (left plot) and

747 P2O5 vs Rb for the I-and S-type granites of the Lachlan Fold Belt (right plots) (Figure taken

748 from Chappell and White (1992). Note that the Main Range Granite show correlations

749 similar to the I-type trend of the Lachlan Fold Belt.

750

751

752 Table 1. Comparison between I-S type granite and Main Range Granite

753

754 Table 2. Whole rock and trace element composition of granitic rocks from Main Range

755 Granite. Pluton Name: Jerai: Jerai Pluton; KL: Kuala Lumpur pluton; Langkawi: Langkawi

756 pluton; KLD: Kuala Lumpur Damansara granite; KLWG: Kuala kelawang granite; Bi

757 granite: Biotite granite; Amph granite: Amphibole bearing Granite; MicroGr:

758 Microgranite/mesogranite

759

760 Table 3. Representative geochemical analyses of Cobbing et al. (1998) and Liew (1983) used

761 in this study.

762

763

31
Characteristic S-type I-type Main Range Granite
SiO2 65-79% 53-76% 67 – 76%
>1.1: decrease with <1.1; increase with 0.9 – 1. increase with
Al2O3/(Na2O+K2O+CaO)
increasing SiO2 increasing SiO2 increasing SiO2
Na2O in silicic rocks variable >3.2% intermediate 2.21 – 4.0%
Increase with Decrease with Decrease with increasing
P2O5
increasing SiO2 increasing SiO2 SiO2
87
Sr/86Srinitial >0.708 <0.708 >0.708

Nd -4 to -17 -4 to -9 -6 to -10

Metasediments,
Microgranular enclave
Mafic microgranular
Main Enclaves metasediments, contain biotite, biotite +
enclave, dioritic
hornblende or
orthopyroxene only.
muscovite, Hornblende, Muscovite. Biotite,
biotite, sillimanite, biotite, titanite, ilmenite, garnet, titanite,
Key Modal Minerals ilmenite, garnet magnetite amphibole

leucogranite
granite to
Common Range leucogranite to granodiorite
granodiorite and
of Rock types to granodiorite (monzogranite to
gabbro
syenogranite predominate)
Sample no JAGA-T1 JAGA-T2 JAGA-T3 JAGA-T6 JAGA-T7 JAGA-T8 AZ-3 AZ-4 AZ-7 AZ-10 L28(1) L28(2) Q1 Q2 Q3
Pluton
name Jerai Jerai Jerai Jerai Jerai Jerai KL KL KL KL Langkawi Langkawi Langkawi Langkawi Langkawi
Granite Bi Bi Bi Bi Bi
type MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite
Major elements in wt%
SiO2 71.94 72.41 71.16 70.95 73.93 73.76 75.96 77.63 72.42 76.41 70.93 69.25 70.81 70.53 70.81
TiO2 0.007 0.007 0.023 0.022 0.022 0.023 0.170 0.153 0.141 0.142 0.277 0.210 0.525 0.466 0.402
Al2O3 15.67 15.66 15.22 15.20 14.47 14.49 12.95 11.90 14.44 12.27 14.29 16.07 12.94 13.89 13.88
FeO* 1.31 1.30 0.74 0.75 1.89 1.90 0.46 1.25 1.35 2.46 2.07 1.47 3.33 2.84 2.49
MnO 0.572 0.568 0.134 0.138 0.563 0.556 0.005 0.022 0.022 0.020 0.049 0.036 0.078 0.060 0.054
MgO 0.02 0.02 0.08 0.08 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.19 0.17 0.39 0.54 0.35 0.92 0.80 0.67
CaO 0.16 0.15 0.30 0.30 0.37 0.38 0.10 0.32 0.41 0.07 1.27 1.15 1.77 1.46 1.85
Na2O 6.06 6.07 2.07 2.07 5.77 5.76 2.10 2.38 2.54 0.37 3.21 3.40 2.74 2.71 3.21
K 2O 0.73 0.73 9.01 9.01 1.82 1.82 5.18 4.75 6.84 4.43 4.57 7.20 3.93 5.17 4.30
P2O5 0.430 0.429 0.390 0.383 0.429 0.429 0.064 0.064 0.070 0.062 0.152 0.122 0.180 0.169 0.134
LOI 2.32 2.15 0.56 0.8 0.52 0.62 2.41 0.98 1.24 3.14 1.62 0.29 0.52 1.81 1.95
Total 99.21 99.48 99.69 99.70 99.85 99.79 99.48 99.65 99.65 99.76 99.26 99.53 97.75 99.91 99.75

Trace elements in ppm

Ni 3 3 6 5 4 4 5 6 9 15 9 23 13 12 10
Cr 89 90 87 89 102 101 125 157 287 288 160 262 248 204 198
Sc 4 4 1 1 5 3 5 5 4 5 6 4 9 8 7
Ba 11 13 207 207 8 14 224 153 297 94 289 820 235 483 352
Rb 100 100 674 670 210 210 490 433 569 824 372 455 327 364 320
Sr 471 471 32 32 6 5 42 33 40 7 61 106 79 94 86
Zr 32 34 27 29 24 24 102 111 86 82 129 103 239 209 174
Y 4 4 7 8 3 4 114 66 58 56 25 19 44 33 31
Nb 95.0 86.4 5.4 5.1 113.6 111.9 18.1 17.1 16.5 13.9 10.7 7.1 17.1 14.7 12.4
Ga 24 22 20 20 21 21 18 17 18 28 20 18 20 20 19
Cu 2 2 3 3 2 1 1 2 6 13 4 7 13 10 6
Zn 7 8 51 52 62 62 9 18 19 6 33 23 61 50 44
Pb 7 6 45 47 5 5 88 47 75 10 32 60 35 39 38
La 0 0 7 2 2 2 137 26 28 15 24 20 47 39 36
Ce 2 2 5 5 0 0 214 46 53 30 57 41 99 87 76
Th 0 1 2 2 0 1 33 38 33 27 18 14 30 25 22
Nd 1 2 4 2 0 0 152 23 25 12 22 17 41 35 32
Sample no KM6 KM7.25 KbLa KbLb DD3 BSD3b DP2b DP2j TT1 TT2 TT7 TT9 TT10 TT12
Pluton
name Langkawi Langkawi KLD KLD KLD KLD KLD KLD KLWG KLWG KLWG KLWG KLWG KLWG
Granite Bi Bi Amph Amph Amph Amph Amph Amph
type Granite Granite MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr MicroGr Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite Granite
Major elements in wt%
SiO2 72.41 71.25 72.53 74.40 76.09 75.43 74.94 74.06 67.79 68.02 67.67 67.85 67.88 67.22
TiO2 0.429 0.461 0.216 0.230 0.188 0.195 0.092 0.237 0.743 0.746 0.830 0.639 0.753 0.691
Al2O3 12.73 13.46 14.81 13.69 13.15 13.23 14.25 13.94 14.39 14.50 14.21 14.85 14.38 14.83
FeO* 2.75 2.32 1.55 1.62 1.42 1.40 1.20 1.63 3.82 3.96 4.21 3.38 3.97 3.73
MnO 0.064 0.068 0.037 0.037 0.049 0.032 0.021 0.040 0.065 0.067 0.071 0.055 0.065 0.061
MgO 0.72 0.71 0.31 0.32 0.21 0.25 0.11 0.34 2.02 2.09 2.21 1.72 2.11 1.96
CaO 1.41 1.51 1.12 1.01 0.70 0.79 0.38 0.81 2.69 2.77 2.86 2.51 2.74 2.81
Na2O 2.55 2.56 3.06 2.83 3.04 2.69 3.63 2.81 2.34 2.37 2.37 2.38 2.40 2.45
K2O 4.45 5.37 6.01 5.46 4.87 5.35 4.97 5.47 4.70 4.58 4.16 5.38 4.40 4.78
P2O5 0.153 0.194 0.153 0.158 0.125 0.148 0.249 0.151 0.190 0.192 0.204 0.174 0.196 0.184
LOI 1.98 1.96 0.14 0.15 0.11 0.25 0.12 0.24 0.20 0.52 0.59 0.25 0.57 0.66
Total 99.65 99.85 99.94 99.90 99.94 99.77 99.95 99.73 98.94 99.81 99.38 99.18 99.47 99.36

Trace elements in ppm

Ni 10 9 8 7 8 10 8 8 23 23 26 22 24 22
Cr 225 211 224 222 236 276 213 188 129 136 149 155 127 132
Sc 8 7 4 4 5 4 3 5 12 14 13 11 12 12
Ba 308 613 338 201 108 193 170 247 1011 792 615 1292 735 988
Rb 371 387 481 474 509 465 503 469 249 252 253 256 254 254
Sr 67 89 53 34 48 34 89 47 148 139 133 157 137 152
Zr 180 206 115 119 104 106 56 127 260 263 290 241 277 259
Y 37 35 36 37 38 33 23 37 32 33 35 30 33 31
Nb 14.7 15.6 17.0 17.4 19.9 16.8 18.4 18.7 15.8 16.4 17.1 14.5 15.8 14.6
Ga 18 16 21 20 19 20 22 20 18 19 19 18 19 19
Cu 13 7 8 9 8 11 7 7 13 14 14 14 12 13
Zn 51 32 39 41 26 35 20 45 61 63 67 52 65 59
Pb 36 36 52 47 38 44 22 47 42 41 37 47 39 42
La 38 49 32 32 28 26 9 32 53 50 56 44 53 47
Ce 81 105 72 69 58 58 20 73 104 110 109 95 116 100
Th 26 29 28 31 28 26 12 35 33 33 33 30 34 31
Nd 35 44 27 22 21 23 8 28 45 46 46 42 51 41
Sample MAL 1 MAL 2 MAL 5 MAL 12 MAL 13 MAL 15 MAL 16 MAL 17 MAL18
Granite Microgranite Microgranite Microgranite Microgranite Microgranite Biotite Gr Biotite Gr Biotite Gr Biotite Gr
Pluton Name Penang Penang Penang Penang Penang Mertajam Mertajam Mertajam Mertajam
Location 5 16' 50'' N 5 16' 50'' N 5 28' 0'' N 5 20' 15'' N 5 19' 0'' N 5 21' 0'' N 5 21' 0'' N 5 21' 0'' N 5 21' 30'' N
100 17' 15'' E 100 17' 15'' E 100 16' 30''E 100 16' 0'' E 100 16' 0'' E 103 33' 0'' E 103 33' 0'' E 103 33' 0'' E 100 28' 15'' E

Major elements
SiO2 69.44 72.37 74.20 73.23 72.33 71.39 71.54 67.44 71.95
TiO2 0.52 0.30 0.20 0.14 0.23 0.41 0.43 0.46 0.41
Al2O3 14.12 13.88 13.09 14.15 14.25 13.50 13.55 16.24 13.37
Fe2O3 0.53 0.57 0.32 0.41 0.42 0.66 0.44 0.66 0.78
FeO 2.96 1.57 1.28 0.85 1.16 1.76 2.00 1.92 1.64
MnO 0.05 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.05 0.06 0.05
MgO 0.73 0.47 0.16 0.25 0.36 0.77 0.73 1.02 0.74
CaO 0.87 1.25 1.10 0.76 0.91 1.75 2.01 1.85 1.80
Na2O 2.91 2.94 2.92 3.10 2.71 2.91 2.89 5.89 2.97
K2O 4.66 5.48 5.35 5.31 5.29 4.81 4.91 2.96 4.54
P2O5 0.19 0.12 0.06 0.22 0.20 0.15 0.16 0.16 0.14
H2O+ 0.98 0.61 0.53 0.58 0.82 0.92 0.60 1.02 0.45
H2O- 0.16 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.05 0.12 0.07 0.08 0.13
CO2 0.24 0.11 0.24 0.04 0.15 0.25 0.10 0.20 0.34
Total 99.54 99.99 99.75 99.34 99.36 99.67 99.67 100.15 99.50

Trace Elements
Ba 325 385 200 230 320 580 450 220 315
Rb 329 304 293 418 409 284 302 317 341
Sr 71 72 52 47 63 228 182 343 132
Pb 37 44 35 45 47 40 41 21 45
Th 32 34 60 21 35 57 66 77 65
U 4 7 14 11 9 10 15 21 16
Zr 243 157 144 80 129 197 189 218 194
Nb 17 15 11 19 20 20 18 20 21
Y 36 42 89 21 20 28 31 31 37
La 41 35 88 22 37 38 44 45 41
Ce 93 82 86 48 88 89 102 100 99
Sn 9 10 7 18 15 16 14 30 13
Sc 7 5 5 4 4 6 6 7 7
V 34 20 11 9 15 39 38 45 33
Cr 11 7 2 3 4 5 5 7 6
Mn 365 210 155 265 210 375 385 480 395
Ni 6 3 2 2 3 4 4 4 4
Cu 4 3 <1 1 2 3 2 <1 13
Zn 59 42 30 47 49 41 35 42 41
Ga 19 17 17 17 18 15 16 21 16