Cretaceous sedimentation and metamorphism of the western Alpine Schist protoliths associated with the Pounamu Ultramafic Belt, Westland, New Zealand

The Pounamu Ultramafic Belt (PUB), part of the Alpine Schists, comprises a metamorphosed ophiolitic sequence overlain by a thin pelagic unit, a massive quartzofeldspathic biotite rock and quartzofeldspathic turbidites derived from a Torlesse/Otago Schist source. Constituent zircon populations from the biotite rock are euhedral/prismatic and are unabraded. One sample is near unimodal, with a U-Pb SHRIMP age of 106.6±1.4 Ma (2σ_m, while the other has two peaks at 108.0±1.6 Ma and 71.9±1.8 Ma. The older age is interpreted to represent the age of igneous activity and sedimentation, while the younger peak is interpreted to represent the age of subsequent metamorphism. The whole-rock geochemistry of the biotite rock, its field distribution and zircon morphology are consistent with an origin by eruption of a dacitic air-fall tuff. The base of the Pounamu sequence divides predominantly psammitic Triassic metasediments to the east from intensely deformed, but regionally west-facing, Cretaceous metasediments to the west. These Cretaceous metasediments have undergone multiphase deformation and metamorphism by 72 Ma, a timing that contrasts markedly with previous interpretations for Jurassic amalgamation of the Haast Schists.