⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar and K-Ar geochronology for plutonic rocks in the central Abukuma Plateau, northeastern Japan

Abstract

The Abukuma Plateau is one of the major granitic terranes in the Japan Arc. Older granitic rocks (foliated and intermediate), younger granitic rocks (massive and felsic), and minor gabbroic rocks are complexly distributed in this region. In order to examine the cooling histories of the plutons, we have determined four ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar hornblende ages and five K-Ar biotite ages of the plutonic rocks in the central Abukuma Plateau. The results are as follows:

     Utsushiga-take gabbroic body: 103.8 ± 0.5 Ma (hbl)
     Nagaya body (older): 97.3 ± 0.6 Ma (hbl), 93.4 ± 3.1 Ma (bt)
     Shikayama body (older): 103.0 ± 0.4 Ma (hbl), 86.1 ± 3.8 Ma (bt)
     Ishimori body (older): 99.0 ± 0.5 Ma (hbl), 94.2 ± 2.6 Ma (bt)
     Miharu body (younger): 91.3 ± 2.3 Ma (bt)
     Hatsumori body (younger): 90.5 ± 2.6 Ma (bt)
     (hbl, ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar hornblende age; bt, K-Ar biotite age).

On the basis of these analytical results and the petrography of the samples, we made the following observations:
(1) The cooling rates of the Nagaya and Ishimori bodies (56 and 46 °C/m.y.) are equivalent to the common cooling rates of the Japanese granitic batholiths. The cooling rate of the Shikayama body (13 °C/m.y.) is slow because its volume is large.
(2) The excellent ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar plateau age of and the scarcity of metamorphic minerals in the Utsushiga-take gabbroic body suggest that the hornblende age is not a rejuvenated age but the original cooling age.
(3) We were unable to detect any distinct geochronological boundary between the older and younger granitic rocks in the central Abukuma Plateau, in terms of the K-Ar biotite ages.