Plutonic rocks of the Median Batholith in eastern and central Fiordland, New Zealand: Field relations, geochemistry, correlation, and nomenclature

Abstract This paper provides a comprehensive description of all major plutonic rock units in Fiordland between Lakes Poteriteri and Te Anau, and the heads of Doubtful and George Sounds. Plutonic rocks comprise c. 80% of the basement in the area described, the remainder being metase dim entary and metavolcaniclastic rocks. The plutonic rocks, of which c. 50% are granitoids, were emplaced in three phases—at c. 492 Ma, between c. 365 and 318 Ma, and between 168 and 116 Ma. Correlatives of the Devonian Karamea Suite emplaced between c. 375 and 367 Ma, and the Triassic to Early Jurassic part of the Darran Suite emplaced between c. 230 and 168 Ma, are not present in the area described here. The strongly deformed Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician Jaquiery Granitoid Gneiss is one of the oldest plutonic rocks yet discovered in New Zealand and is of similar age to plutonic rocks within the Ross and Delamerian Orogens of Victoria Land and South Australia. Rocks emplaced between c. 365 and 318 Ma include Ridge Suite ...