Geochlmica et CosmochimicaActa. 1977.Vol. 41, pp. 225 to 231. Pergamon Press.

Prmted m Great Britain

Rare earth element patterns and

crustal evolution-II. Archean sedimentary
rocks from Kalgoorlie, Australia
W. B. NANCE*and S. R. TAYLOR
Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
(Received 5 January 1976; accepted in revised form 5 August 1976)

Abstract-REE
data, with major element and other trace element data are reported for a suite of
Archean sedimentary rocks (2800 million years old) from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The REE
patterns fall into two groups with lLREE/cHREE ratios of 6 and 15, respectively. The first group
have either no Eu anomaly relative to chondrites, or a positive Eu anomaly, in contrast to the pronounced Eu depletion (Eu/Eu - 0.67) shown by younger (Post-Archean) sedimentary rocks.
The problem of positive Eu enrichment relative to chondritic patterns, is examined by analysing
a suite of Devonian greywackes, derived from talc-alkaline volcanic rocks. Some of these samples
also show positive Eu anomalies, attributable to local accumulation of feldspar. This explanation is
preferred to models involving an early anorthositic crust. The group of samples showing heavy REE
depletion patterns (complementary to those observed in garnet) appear to be derived from adjacent
Na-rich granites which display identical REE patterns. Locally abundant K-rich granites do not appear
to have made any contribution to the Archean sedimentary rocks.
The majority of the sedimentary rocks have REE patterns indistinguishable from those of recent
island arc talc-alkaline rocks, and so could constitute evidence that the Archean crust was principally
formed by processes analogous to present day island-arc type volcanism. However, similar REE patterns
may be produced by an appropriate mixture of the common bimodal tholeiitic-felsic igneous suite
commonly observed in Archean terrains. The REE data presented here do not distinguish between
these two models.

INTRODUCTION
THIS PAPER reports the results of a study of rare earth
elements in elastic sediments and of some associated
felsic intrusive rocks of the Kalgoorlie area of the
Eastern Goldfields region, Western Australia. A previous paper in this series dealt with the REE geochemistry of Australian
Post-Archean
sedimentary
rocks (NANCE and TAYLOR, 1976). The Archean
sedimentary rocks can provide information in principle about the overall composition
of the early
Archean crust and the relative abundance
of the
various rock types which were exposed to weathering
at that time. Since the rare earth elements are more
resistant to fractionation
by weathering
and metamorphism than are many other trace elements, they
offer perhaps the best means of identifying the major
source rocks of these sediments. A suite of Devonian
greywackes, derived from island-arc
type volcanic
rocks, from the Tamworth District, N.S.W., were analyzed for comparison
with the Archean sediments,
particularly to resolve the question of positive europium anomalies, relative both to Post-Archean
sediments, and to chondrites. An extended discussion of
the significance of Archean sedimentary rock patterns
is given by TAYLOR (in press).
GEOLOGICAL

SETTING

The area around Kalgoorlie is typical of the Archean

granite-greenstone terrains in the Eastern Goldfields. The

greenstone belts consist of ultramafic-mafic and felsic volcanic-clastic associations (WILLIAMS,1970). The mafic volcanic rocks, which make up over 50% of the greenstones
are mainly low-K tholeiitic basalts (HALLBERG,1972).
Ultramafic rocks, including periodotitic volcanics with
spinifex textures, are common at lower stratigraphic levels
(NESBITT,1971). Felsic volcanics of dacitic, rhyodacitic, and
rhyolitic compositions are abundant at higher stratigraphic
levels, as are thick sequences of elastic sediments. The clastic associations contain abundant fragments from nearby
lenses of felsic porphyries (GLIKSON,1971). Felsic intrusive
rocks of both sodium-rich and potassium-rich varieties are
present. The more potassic intrusives are mainly adamellites and are considered as younger than the greenstone
sequences (GLIKSON,1972; COMPSTONand TUREK, 1973).
Age relationships of the sodium-rich intrusives are less
clear but GLIK~ON(1972) considers at least some of them
to predate the elastic sequences.
The stratigraphy of the area around Kalgoorlie has been
discussed by W~~DALL (1965). KRIEWALDT(1969). WILLIAMS (1970; 1973) and GL~K~~N(1970, 1971j. The most
prominent feature is the Kurrawang Syncline, a thick clastic sequence bordered on the west by m&c and ultramafic
rocks of the Kalgoorlie Belt. The area east of the Kalgoorlie Belt is occupied by another elastic sequence similar in
part to the Kurrawang sequence (GLIKSON,1970). Interpretation of the detailed stratigraphy is open to debate.
KRIEWALDT(1969) considered the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie Belts to be a single structural layer, folded to form
the base of the felsic-elastic sequence in the Kurrawang
Syncline. GLIK~~N(1971) maintained that the Coolgardie
Belt represented a lower and thus older structural layer
than the Kalgoorlie Belt.
SAMPLES

*Present address: Milchem Inc., Houston, Texas 77027,

The sedimentary rock classifications used here, based on
U.S.A.
chemistry and petrography, are from PE~~IJOHN(1957). A
225

226

W. B. NANCEand S. R. TAYLOR

Table 1. Sample localities for Archean Black Flag Beds,

Kalgoorlie. Locality data for Devonian greywackes are
given in CHAPPELL(1968)

The K-rich and Na-rich felsic igneous rocks in the Kalgoorlie area were represented by samples of the Mungari
and Kambalda granites, respectively. Major element chemistry, mineralogy, and isotopic age data for these two felsic
plutons were reported by COMP~TONand TUREK (1973),
RODDICK (1974) and OVERSBY(1975). Seven volcanic
greywackes from the Tamworth District, N.S.W., were analyzed. Locality data and mineralogy of these samples are
given by CHAPPELL(1968). These greywackes have been
subjected to prehnitepumpellyite
grade metamorphism
(CNAPPELL,1968). Full details of the sample preparation
and analytical methods are given in NANCEand TAYLOR
(in press). The term XLREE refers to the sum of the abundances of La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm, while CHREE is the
sum of the abundances of Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb.
DISCUSSION

description of samples is given in Table 1. Archean sedimentary units sampled include the Mungari Beds, the
Black Flag Beds (WOODALL,1965), and unnamed units
which probably correspond to the Association IV of WILLIAMS(1970). These formations have been subjected to
greenschist facies metamorphism (GLIKSON,1971).

The major element chemistry of the Archean elastic

sediments and the two Archean granites are reported
in Table 2. Table 3 lists the major element chemistry
of the Devonian volcanic greywackes from the Tamworth district, N.S.W. Trace element data for the
Archean samples are reported in Table 4, and Table

Table 2. Major element chemistry of Archean sedimentary and igneous rocks from the Kalgoorlie
area. Locality data for granites are given in COMPSTON
and TUREK(1973)
GROUP I

GROUP II

Granites
Mungari

KHl

KH36

Kn37

Kambalda

KH3a

KH44

KH47

KHZ1

KH30

KH32

71-739

71-755
71.52

SiO2

85.50

75.14

54.36

64.57

61.28

66.75

39.14

74.63

73.77

TiO2

0.61

0.55

0.50

0.40

0.48

0.75

0.80

0.32

0.37

0.14

0.21

6.49

14.61

12.09

11.10

12.76

17.59

22.13

a.97

16.02

13.60

15.40

A'203

66.96

2.16

2.42

9.41

16.04

a.01

1.43

0.78

a.21

1.10

1.30

1.56

Ngo

0.57

1.03

0.66

1.23

2.69

0.58

0.47

a.39

0.38

0.36

0.55

cao

0.13

0.03

0.10

0.50

1.18

1.34

0.06

12.06

0.08

0.85

2.03

Na20

0.24

0.26

4.32

0.44

1.65

2.43

0.64

0.58

1.12

3.83

5.51

1.57

3.84

3.25

2.18

1.95

6.50

4.29

0.62

3.48

4.77

2.23

%O3

KZO
MnO
PzO5
Loss on
ignition

0.01

0.01

0.02

0.02

0.01

0.01

0.42

0.04

0.02

0.04

0.03

0.05

0.07

0.05

0.02

0.05

0.08

0.11

0.05

0.07

2.20

2.05

7.17

14.64

6.23

7.00

3.31

20.80

3.46

99.57

99.97

100.52

100.98

99.59

98.93

99.29

99.59

100.75

98.7

Table 3. Major element chemistry of Devonian greywackes from the Baldwin

Formation, Tamworth-Barraba District N.S.W. For locality data, see CHAPPELL
(1968)
Ml6
Si02

TiO2
*'2'3

54.13

M277
54.04

M282
55.09

a283
52.08

M284
56.98

M285
58.39

El0
53.55

1.24

1.33

1.18

1.16

0.98

0.79

1.40

14.69

15.53

16.35

14.13

16.41

16.82

15.39

11.34

11.96

10.25

10.31

7.74

6.59

12.19

Mgo

5.90

3.89

3.79

3.61

2.73

2.36

4.44

cao

5.34

5.01

3.71

a.84

4.70

5.30

4.14

Na20

4.19

4.40

5.26

4.07

6.26

5.51

4.62

0.81

0.53

0.96

0.30

0.72

0.71

0.94

0.13

0.18

0.14

0.22

0.22

0.11

0.18

0.20

0.23

0.26

0.25

0.19

0.14

0.24

Fe2o3

K2O
MnO
P2O5
LOSS on
ignition

3.94

3.50

3.35

5.74

3.09

2.83

3.57

101.91

100.60

100.34

100.71

100.02

99.55

100.66

99.10

221

Rare earth element patterns and crustal evolution-II

Table 4. Rare earths and other trace elements in Archean sedimentary and igneous rocks from the Eastern
Goldfields Province
GROUP II

GROUP I
KHl

KH36

Th

3.0

1.5

Hf

KH37

KH38

KH44

Kn47

Average

3.3

4.3

6.9

1.2

1.3

1.9

6.3

4.1

4.321.5

1.6

0.97

2.9

2.3

2.2

4.1

2.8

Ba

180

370

CS

0.92

5.3

360

540

5.2

4.7

La

11

14

15

23

M32

Granites
Mungari Kambalda
71-739
71-755

16

5.2

5.6

28

2.0

23

1.2

7.0

1.9

3.3

2.9to.7

3.7

1.6

2.6

3.5

2.9

790

900

523+280

1200

180

520

550

1270

1.3

1.5

3.2t2.1

8.9

5.8

4.0

3.7

4.0

17

11

1524.5

36

19

24

29

14.6

23

30

31

45

33

23

2.5

3.2

4.0

5.5

4.4

2.2

Nd

9.1

12.7

16

21

17

9.1

Sm

1.3

2.5

3.2

4.0

3.1

2.1

0.54

1.1

1.5

1.3

1.1

0.80

l.lTO.3

ELI

KH30

1.pzo.33

Pr

Cl?

KHZ1

Gd

1.5

2.3

3.5

3.6

3.2

2.0

Tb

0.30

0.42

0.56

0.54

0.49

0.31

5.6

75

40

54

68

30

8.9

5.1

5.7

5.6

3.2

14+4.7
_

31

18.4

20

18.4

11.2

2.7+0.9

4.9

2.8

2.6

3.4

2.0

1.2

0.97

0.78

0.30

0.58

31+8
_
3.6~1.2

2.7to.9
0.44+0.11

3.7

2.5

2.5

1.8

1.2

0.49

0.32

0.30

0.34

0.14

OY

2.1

2.7

3.7

3.5

3.1

1.9

2.5

1.7

1.3

2.0

0.52

HO

0.45

0.49

0.59

0.82

0.64

0.40

0.575.15

0.39

0.38

0.25

0.40

0.09

Er

1.3

1.6

1.9

2.5

1.8

1.3

1.735.45

0.87

1.2

0.57

1.1

0.20

Yb

1.5

1.5

2.0

2.5

1.6

1.3

1.733.44

0.44

1.1

0.41

1.1

0.10

E REE

53

71

81

110

84

54

76+21

162

91

111

131

64

10

18

12

22

12

11

1424.8

11

10

5.6

1.16

C REEtY

173

101

117

0.91

1.22

1.03

0.37

8.5

82

17

35

26

146

5.2

7.3

6.8

9.2

8.5

7.3

2.7

2.7

2.3

3.7

4.3

1.04

2.6

3.9

4.2

8.0

0.23

4.3

4.0

2.95

6.7

6.3

18

11

17

18

27

63

89

93

132

96

65

1.30

1.52

1.51

1.10

1.18

1.29

La/Yb

7.3

9.3

7.5

9.2

11

La/Sm

8.5

5.6

4.7

5.8

5.5

La/Th

3.7

4.2

3.5

3.3

Th/U

2.0

2.8

3.3

3.6

ELREEI
CHREE

6.4

6.5

5.4

6.7

Eu/Eu*

Table 5. Rare earths and other trace elements in Devonian

greywackes from the Baldwin Formation, Tamworth-Barraba District, N.S.W.

1.4
0.84
1.2
100
0.80
6.8
15
20
8.2
2.2
1.1
2.6
0.19
2.7
0.59
1.9
1.8
45

15
60
1.55

3.8
3.1
1.9
1.7
3.5

2.83.7

1.31+0.17

5 lists the trace element data for the Devonian greywackes.

Comments on the behaviour of the REE during
weathering, sedimentation, diagenesis and metamorphism have been made by NANCEand TAYLOR(1976).
The samples studied here have been subjected to low
grades of metamorphism (greenschist facies for the
Archean samples, and prehnite-pumpellyite facies for
the Devonian greywackes). No features of the REE
patterns can be attributed to metamorphic effects.
All of the Archean sediments are enriched in Eu
relative to post-Archean shales and some are enriched
in Eu relative to chondrites. The Archean sediments
can be divided into two groups on the basis of
ZLREEFHREE ratios. One group (I in Tables 2 and
4) has an average CLREEDHREE of 6.3 + 0.5, much
lower than that of post-Archean sediments (9.7 + 1.8;
NANCEand TAYLOR,1976).
A comparison of the average Archean (group I) and
post-Archean sediments is shown in Fig. 1. The
Archean sedimentary patterns has lower total REE
abundances and positive Eu anomaly, compared to
the post-Archean sedimentary patterns. This enrichment of Eu in Archean sedimentary rocks, relative
to the North American shale composite sample, has
been frequently discussed (WILDEMANand HASKIN,
1973; WILDEMANand CONDIE, 1973; MACON and
MCGREGOR,in press, JAKES and TAYU)R, 1974). A
review of these data and its significance for Archean

228

W. B. NANCEand S. R. TAYLOR

La

a
Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

I1

Gd

Tb

Dy

III

HOY

Er

Tm

Yb

Fig. 1. Comparison of REE patterns of average Archean shale (Table 6) with average post-Archean
sedimentary rock (NANCEand TAYLOR,1976). Data plotted relative to chondritic REE abundances
(data from NANCEand TAYLOR,1976). Note the lower REE abundances and positive Eu anomaly
in the Archean rocks.
crustal
press).

development

The REE patterns are in general parallel to those

of talc-alkaline rocks of similar major element chemistry. In particular, these sediments do not show a
negative europium anomaly relative to chondritic patterns, a feature characteristic of talc-alkaline volcanic
rocks. Two samples (M284, M285) have large enrichments of Eu (Eu/Eu* - 1.5) relative to chondritic patterns (Fig. 2). These positive Eu enrichments are comparable to the largest observed in the Archean sedimentary rocks. The europium
enrichment
in the
Devonian greywackes appears to be related to a high
normative plagioclase content, due to a local accumulation of feldspar during sedimentation.
This feature
indicates that such effects can arise locally and sporadically during weathering
and sedimentation.
The
enrichment of Eu, relative to chondrites, observed in
the Archean sedimentary
rocks, is probably due to
the same cause. There is no reason to suppose that
such an enrichment has wider significance, implying
an excess Eu content, relative to chondrites, as a general feature of the Archean crust, exposed to weathering. Neither does it constitute evidence for an early
anorthositic crust.

has been given by TAYLOR (in

Eu enrichment relative to chondritic patterns

Six of the Archean sedimentary rocks show significant positive europium enrichments, not only in comparison to post-Archean
sedimentary rocks, but also
to chondritic patterns. If such an effect were widespread, it might be a europium spike from a possible
early anorthositic
crust (WINDLEY, 1973). Alternatively, it might be a purely local effect, due, for
example, to selective accumulation of feldspar during
sedimentary processes, without wider implications.
To test these ideas, a suite of Devonian volcanogenie greywackes was analyzed. A petrological study
of these greywackes was made by CHAPPELL (1968)
and they were found to have talc-alkaline
andesitic
compositions.
These greywackes contain very little
detrital quartz or sedimentary
rock fragments, indicating they were derived
almost
exclusively
by
detritus from andesitic volcanoes within the New
England Geosyncline
(CHAPPELL, 1968). The major
element chemistry (Table 3) shows that these rocks
have undergone very little alteration except for an
enrichment
in sodium, commonly observed in volcanic sediments of this type (PETTIJOHN et al., 1972).
Thus the REE patterns of these sedimentary
rocks
should indicate the effects of erosion and sedimentation on material of talc-alkaline derivation.

Heavy REE depleted patterns

Three samples (Group II in Tables 2 and 4) show
a strong depletion in the heavy REE, with an average
CLREEFHREE
of 15 + 4. A typical pattern (KH21)

, , ,

GREYWACKE

La

ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

HoY

Er

Tm

Yb

Fig. 2. Average REE patterns for Devonian volcanogenic greywackes of the Baldwin Formation (Table
7) and of two plagioclase-rich samples (M 284, 285) showing positive Eu anomalies.

229

Rare earth element patterns and crustal evolution-II

I
La

III

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

HoV

Er

0.

Tm

Vb

Fig. 3. Comparison of heavy REE depleted Archean shale KH21, compared with REE patterns for
Na-rich Kambalda granite and K-rich Mungari granite.
is shown in Fig. 3. The other two samples in this
group (KH30 and KH32) show similar, but less
extreme, depletion of the heavy REE.
Sample KH21 is a shale from the Gundockerta
Formation of the association IV of WILLIAMS(1970).
The elastic sediments of the Gundockerta Formation
are associated with felsic volcanic rocks (WILLIAMS,
1970). The close spatial relationships as well as compositional similarities indicates that the felsic volcanics are possible source rocks of elastic sediments
in the Kalgoorlie area (WILLIAMS,1970; GLIKSON,
1971). A sample of the Kambalda granite (Tables 2
and 4) was analyzed to examine this problem. The
Kambalda granite is a sodium-rich acid pluton near
Kambalda, W. A., southeast of Kalgoorlie. The major
element chemistry and mineralogy were reported by
RODDICK(1974). The chondrite normalized rare earth
pattern of the Kambalda granite is shown in Fig.
3 along with that of KH21. The patterns are nearly
parallel, but the absolute rare earth abundances of
KH21 are about twice those of the Kambalda
granite. Despite the differences in absolute abundances, the rare earth pattern of the Kambalda
granite shows the same depletion of heavy rare
earths shown by KH21, suggesting a similar origin
for the source rocks of KH21 as for the Kambalda
granite. Similar rare earth patterns have been
reported for Archean felsic volcanic rocks by ARTH
and HANSON (1972, 1975). CONDIE and BARAGAR
(1974) and JAHN et al. (1974), indicating that they are
closely related to the sodic intrusives discussed here.
The only common mineral which shows a complementary REE pattern to those of the Na-rich felsic
rocks, is garnet, which accordingly may have been
a residual phase in the source region of the granites.
The absence of Eu anomalies would also imply that
plagioclase was not present as a major phase. Experimental petrological data (NICHOLLS, 1974) would
place the depth of origin of these rocks below 40 km,
corresponding to pressures in excess of 10 kbar, and
imply a mantle source for these rocks. Potassium-rich

felsic intrusives, such as the Mungari granite, also

occur in the Kalgoorlie area. A typical REE pattern
for the K-rich Mungari granite is shown in Figure
3.
The lack of negative Eu anomalies in the sediments
indicate that these K-rich felsic rocks were not important source material for the sediments, in spite of their
abundance in the area at the present time. Thus, we
conclude that they were not an important component
in this terrain at the time of deposition of the elastic
sequences. In contrast to the Na-rich felsic rocks, the
flat heavy REE patterns of these K-rich granites indicate that they were not in equilibrium with garnet.
The europium depletion would be consistent with
derivation from a source where plagioclase is a residual phase. This evidence would imply derivation of
these granites from depths of less than 30-40 km, that
is, from within present continental crustal depths.
Alternative sources for Archean sedimentary rocks
The occasional samples showing heavy REE depletion appear to be derived from the Na-rich felsic rocks,
with which they are spatially associated, as discussed
in the previous section. However, most Archean sedimentary rocks have rare earth patterns which resemble those of present day talc-alkaline rocks (JAKES
and TAYLOR,1974; TAYMR, in press). Relative to the
patterns exhibited by younger sedimentary rocks, they
are depleted in light REE, and do not show a europium anomaly. Figure 4 shows the REE patterns of
two of the Archean sedimentary rocks (KH38, KH44)
compared with that of a recent calc-alkaline andesite
from Indonesia (WHITFORD,1975). The striking parallelism of these patterns is clear. Similar comparisons
extend to most other elements, and form the basis
for the model that the overall composition of the
Archean crust was analogous to that of modem calcalkaline volcanic rocks. This model is supported by
the presence of talc-alkaline rocks in Archean terrains. For example, the Marda volcanics, described

W. B.

230

NANCE

and S. R. TAYLOR

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

h)Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm Yb

La Ce

Pr

Nd

(Pm) Sm Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm Yb

Fig. 4. Rare earth patterns for a talc-alkaline andesite

from Indonesia (WHITFORD,
1975) and two Archean sedimentary rocks from the Kalgoorlie area.

Fig. 5. A comparison of the chondrite normalized rare

earth patterns of KH38 and KH44 with that of the 1:l
mixture of KH21 and low-K tholeiite.

by HALLBERGet al. (1976) have REE patterns indistinguishable from those of recent talc-alkaline rocks
from Eastern Papua (unpublished data, this laboratory).
However, talc-alkaline volcanic rocks appear to be
less common in Archean terrains than the so-called
bimodal suite of tholeiitic basalts and felsic volcanics
(BARKERand PETERMAN,1974). Such rocks are abundant in the Kalgoorlie area (WILLIAMS,1970; KRIEWALDT, 1969, GLIKSON, 1971; HALBERG, 1972). As
described in the previous section, KH21 seems to
have been derived almost exclusively from the felsic
volcanics and/or sodic plutonic rocks which are depleted in the heaviest rare earths. Is a mixture of those
rocks and the greenstones responsible for the rare
earth patterns of the other Archean sediments? The
greenstones are mostly low-K tholeiitic basalts (GLIKSON, 1970; HALLBERG,1972), and as such have a
nearly flat chondrite normalized rare earth pattern
(WHITE et al., 1971; JAHN et al., 1974) so that even
a small contribution from such a source would have
raised the abundances of the heaviest rare earths in
KH21.
Sedimentary rocks in the Kalgoorlie area, were described as a mixture of the felsic porphyries and mafic
greenstones by GLIK~ON(1971), on the basis of petrographic and chemical evidence. OJAKANGAS(1972)
found that the Archean elastic sediments in the Vermilion greenstone belt (Minnesota-Ontario)
were
derived primarily from felsic volcanics and, to a lesser
degree, the greenstones. ARTH and HANSON(1972)
found the rare earth pattern of an Archean greywacke
from the same area to be consistent with a mixture
of greenstone (low-K tholeiite) and rocks depleted in
the heaviest rare earths. Using the composition of
KH21 as an estimate of the average composition of
rocks of this type in the Kalgoorlie area, mixing calculations were carried out using the elemental abun-

dances of KH21 and a hypothetical low-K tholeiite,

with a flat rare earth pattern and absolute abundances of 15 x chondrites, as end members.
Figure 5 shows a comparison of the chondrite normalized rare earth patterns of KH38 and KH44 with
that of the above mixture. There is a striking similarity in the patterns, although this is dependent on the
choice of end members for the mixing process. The
REE patterns in Archean sediments are more variable
than the very uniform patterns observed in younger
sediments (NANCE and TAYLOR, 1976). Such variability would be expected on the basis of mixing of
two REE patterns as diverse as those of the tholeiitic
and felsic bimodal igneous suite.
At present, it does not seem possible to distinguish
between this mixing model and the talc-alkaline
island arc type model on the basis of the element
abundance criteria presented here. An extended discussion of this problem has been given by TAYLOR
(in press).
MAUREEN
KAYEcarried out XRF
major element determinations and X-ray diffractometer
mineralogical studies. The paper has been improved by
substantive comments from S. R. HART,M. A. MENZIE~
and T. R. WILDEMAN.
The authors are grateful to B. W.
CHAPPELL
and K. S. HEIER,who collected the samples used
Acknowledgements-Mrs.

in this study.

REFERENCES
ARTHJ. G. and HAN~DN
G. N. (1972) Quartz diorites derived by partial melting of eclogite or amphibolite at
mantle depths. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 37, 161-174.
ARTHJ. G. and HANSONG. N. (1975) Geochemistry and
origin of the early Precambrian crust of northeastern
Minnesota. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 39, 325-362.
BARKERF. and PETERMAN
Z. E. (1974) Bimodal tholeiiticdacitic magmatism and the early Precambrian crust.
Precnmbrian Res. 1,1-12.

Rare earth element patterns and crustal evolution-II

CHAPPELLB. W. (1968) Volcanic greywackes from the
Upper Devonian Baldwin Formation, Tamworth-Barraba District, New South Wales. J. Geol. Sot. Aust. 15,
87-102.
COMP~TON
W. and TUREKA. (1973) Isotopic age limits for
the provenance and deposition of the Kurrawang Beds,
Coolgardie Goldfield, Western Australia. J. Geol. Sot.
Aust. 20, 217-222.
CONDIEK. C. and BARAGARW. R. A. (1974) Rare-earth
element distribution in volcanic rocks from Archaean
greenstone celts. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 45. 2377246.
G~IK~~N A. Y. (1970) Geochemical evolution and geochemical affinities of Earlv Precambrian svstems. Tectonophysics 9, 397433.

GLIK~CIN
A. Y. (1971) Archaean geosynclinal sedimentation
near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Spec. Publ. Geol.
Sot. Aust. 3, 443460.
GLIK~~N A. Y. (1972) Early Precambrian evidence of a
nrimitive ocean crust and island nuclei of sodic granite.
Bull. Geol. Sot. Amer. 83, 3323-3214.

HALLBERGJ. A. (1972) Geochemistry of Archaean volcanic

belts in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia. J. Petrol. 13, 45-56.
HALLBERGJ. A., JOHNSONC. and BYE S. M. (1976) The
Archean Marda igneous complex, Western Australia.
Precambrian Res. 3, 111-136.
JAHNB., SHIH C. and MURTHYV. R. (1974) Trace element
geochemistry of Archaean volcanic rocks. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 38, 611627.

JAKESP. and TAYLORS. R. (1974) Excess europium content

in Precambrian sedimentary rocks and continental evolution. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 38, 739-745.
KRIEWALDT,M. J. B. (1969) Explanatory notes on the Kalgoorlie sheet area. Bur. Min. Res. Aust. 1:250,000 geological series.
MASON B. and MCGREGORV. R. (in press) Geochemistry
of metabasaltic and metasedimentary enclaves in the
Amitsoq gneisses of the Godthaab region, West Greenland. Precambrian Res.
NANCEW. B. and TAYLORS. R. (1976) Rare earth element
patterns and crustal evolution-I
Australian PostArchean sedimentary rocks. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta
40. 153991551.
NESBITTR. W. (1971) Skeletal crystal forms in the ultramafit rocks of the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia: evidence for an Archaean ultramafic liquid. Spec. Pub/.
Geol. Sot. Aust. 3, 331-347.

231

NICHOLLS,I. A. (1974) Liquids in equilibrium with periodotitic mineral assemblages at high water pressures. Contrib. Mineral Petrol. 45, 289-316.
OJAKANGAS,R. W. (1972) Archaean volcanogenic greywackes of the Vermilion District, northeastern Minnesota. Bull. Geol. Sot. Amer. 83, 42942.
OVERSBY,
V. M. (1975) Lead isotopic systematics and ages
of Archaean acid intrusives in the Kalgoorlie-Norseman
area, Western Australia. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 39,
1107-l 125.
PETTIJOHN,
F. J. (1957) Sedimentary Rocks, second edition.
Harper.
PETTIJOHNF. J., POTTERP. E. and SIEVERR. (1972) Sand
and Sandstone. Springer-Verlag.
RODDICKJ. C. M. (1974) Responses of strontium isotopes
to some crustal processes. Ph.D. thesis, Australian
National University.
TAYLORS. R. (in press) Island arc models and the composition of the continental crust. Amer. Geophys. Union
Monogr. (Ewing Symposium).
WHITEA. J. R., JAI& P. and CHRISTIED. M. (1971) Composition of greenstones and the hypothesis of sea-floor
spreading in the Archaean. Spec. Publ. Geol. Sot. Aust.
3, 47-56.

WHITFORDD. J. (1975) Geochemistry and petrology of volcanic rocks from the Sunda Arc, Indonesia. Ph.D. thesis,
Australian National University.
WILDEMANT. R. and CONDIEK. C. (1973) Rare earths
in Archaean greywackes from Wyoming and from the
Fig Tree Group, South Africa. Geochim. Cosmochim.
Acta 37, 439453.

WILDEMANT. R. and HASKINL. A. (1973) Rare earths in

Precambrian sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 37,
419-438.

WILLIAMSI. R. (1970) Explanatory notes for the Kuralpi

sheet area. Bur. Min. Res. Aust. 1:250,000 geological
series.
WILLIAMSI. R. (1973) A proposed structural subdivision
for the Eastern Goldfields Province of the Archaean Yilgarn Block, Western Australia Geol. Survey West. Aust.
Record 1973/8.
WINDLEYB. F. (1973) Crustal development in the Precambrian. Phil. Trans. Roy. Sot. London (A), 273, 321-341.
W~~DALLR. W. (1965) Structure of the Kalgoorlie Goldfield. In Geology of Australian Ore Deposits, (editor J.
McAndrew), pp. 71-79. 8th Comm. Min. Metall. Congr.,
Melbourne.