Long-lived magmatic systems and implications on the recognition of granite–pegmatite genetic relations: Characterization of the Pavia granitic pegmatites (Ossa-Morena Zone, Portugal)

It is generally accepted that pegmatites are derived from large masses of granite but, even in areas where complete mineralogical, chemical and isotopic datasets are available, the relation between pegmatites and host granitic rocks or nearby plutons is usually not simple to address. The Pavia pluton, located in the Ossa-Morena Zone (Iberian Massif), is a multiphase intrusive body constructed over ∼11 m.y. by the amalgamation of several batches of magma. At the first glance, pegmatites seem to constitute a very homogeneous pegmatite field. They are mainly “intragranitic” thin tabular dikes, unzoned, layered, or with simple internal structure and are composed by the ordinary minerals that constitute the different classes of igneous rocks. They also present identical whole rock major and trace elements geochemistry and isotopic signature [(87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.70434–0.70581, ɛNdt = −1.3 to −3.7 and δ18O = 8.2–9.6‰] but, based on previously published geochronological data, three generations of pegmatites were identified. Two of these are coeval with the emplacement of the host granites (s.l.) at 328 Ma and ca. 324 Ma. The other is related to a later magmatic event at 319–317 Ma. A similar and rather juvenile source is suggested for host granites (s.l.) and pegmatites but a simple and continuous process of intra-chamber magmatic differentiation is not supported by our data. It is suggested that pegmatites derived from slightly evolved batches of magma that interacted with fresh, newly emplaced, batches (from the same or from a similar source) with limited interaction with the crust. Therefore, the Pavia pegmatites do not represent the final products of magmatism at this level of the crust but slightly differentiated products of different batches of magma. This study demonstrates how long-lived magmatic systems can potentially affect the recognition of granite–pegmatite genetic relationships.