The origin of the Palaeoproterozoic AMCG complexes in the Ukrainian shield: New U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes in zircon

The preferred model for the formation of the Ukrainian AMCG complexes involves the emplacement of large volumes of hot mantle-derived tholeiitic magma into the lower crust. This resulted in partial melting of mafic lower-crustal material, mixing of lower crustal and tholeiitic melts, and formation of ferromonzodioritic magmas. Further fractional crystallization of the ferromonzodioritic melts produced the spectrum of basic rocks in the AMCG complexes. Emplacement of the ferromonzodioritic and tholeiitic melts into the middle crust and their partial crystallization caused abundant melting of the ambient crust and formation of the large volumes of granitic rocks present in the complexes.