A new compositional estimate for refractory lower continental crust

Compared to the well-studied upper continental crust, the composition of the lower crust is much more poorly constrained. Geophysical constraints and geochemical data from granulite xenoliths indicate that the lower crust is, on average, mafic and depleted in most incompatible elements, including the heat-producing elements (HPE). However, the extent of this depletion is not well known. The large uncertainties associated with lower crustal estimates have important implications for the Earth’s evolution, as the lower crust is often proposed to be a “hidden reservoir” (e.g., for unradiogenic Pb) needed to close mass balance discrepancies for the Bulk Silicate Earth.

In this study, we analysed granulite xenoliths from Queensland, eastern Australia, and the Kola Peninsula, northwest Russia, using a reconstitution approach that corrects for host magma contamination. This method also provides detailed insight into which minerals control elemental distribution and concentrations of the xenoliths. The major element compositions of both suites of granulite xenoliths highlight their mafic nature, with SiO₂ contents similar to previously published estimates. However, the concentrations of the most incompatible elements, including the large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and HPE, are very low. Some elements are more depleted by an order of magnitude than the most popular composites used in the literature. Zircon and monazite are rare in these mafic granulites, while apatite and rutile have relatively low Th and U concentrations. The absence of hydrous silicates (e.g., mica and amphibole) and the relatively high anorthite contents of feldspar in the xenoliths is a controlling factor in the low LILE concentrations, particularly for Rb and Cs. If this composition is representative of typical lower continental crust, then such highly refractory compositions limit the ability of the lower crust to act as a significant contributor for planetary mass balance considerations because it does not contain enough Pb, Nb, Ta, Cs and Rb to balance other inventories of the differentiated bulk silicate Earth.