The Petrogenesis and Geochemistry of the British Caledonian Granites, With Special Reference to Mineralized Intrusions

The Caledonian fold belt of Britain forms part of a major orogenic belt now to be found along the east coast of north America (Appalachians), northeast Greenland, the British Isles and western Scandinavia. Intrusive granitic rocks of Caledonian age are found in all parts of the fold belt, on both sides of the suture, which, in the British Isles is thought to pass along a line through the Solway Firth. The British section of the Caledonian fold belt has been extensively studied and mapped, and to a wealth of detail has accumulated on the metamorphic, structural and tectonic aspects of the fold belt. However there has been no previous comprehensive geochemical study of the granitic intrusive rocks, although some individual intrusions have been examined in detail. The aim of this project was to produce a comprehensive body of major and trace element data on the Caledonian granitoids which would provide a regional framework witin which the petrogenesis of the granites could be considered, both individually and collectively, along with the effects of element distributions during fractional crystallization, hydrothermal alteration and mineralization. [Taken form the thesis Introduction]