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Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

Synonyms

TTG

Definition

Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (or TTG suite, a term coined by Jahn et al. 1981) is an association of rocks that compose a large part of Archean continental crust. It is widely accepted that this rock suite formed by melting of hydrous metabasalts at high pressure, yet the geodynamic setting in which this melting took place is discussed. Two main sources of melt are proposed: (1) basaltic material that was previously underplated beneath thickened crust (e.g., Smithies 2000) and (2) basaltic rocks in subducting oceanic slabs that melted in a hotter Archean mantle (e.g., Martin et al. 2005).

Overview

About 90 % of the juvenile continental crust generated between 4.0 and 2.5 Ga belongs to the “TTG suite” (tonalite, trondhjemite, granodiorite) (Jahn et al. 1981; Moyen and Martin 2012), although in some cratons (e.g., Yilgarn Craton, Australia; Champion and Sheraton 1997), high-K monzodioritic and syenogranitic rocks can also be abundant. Most of these rocks are...

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References and Further Reading

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, Université Blaise Pascal, OPGC, CNRS, IRD, 5 rue Kessler, 63038, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Hervé Martin

  2. Maison des Géosciences, LGCA, Université J. Fourier, 1381, rue de la Piscine, 38400, St-Martin d’Hères, France

    Nicholas Arndt

Authors
  1. Hervé Martin
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  2. Nicholas Arndt
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Correspondence to Hervé Martin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Martin, H., Arndt, N. (2014). Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1620-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1620-5

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite
    Published:
    25 May 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1620-6

  2. Original

    Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite
    Published:
    29 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1620-5

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