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Zircon and monazite U–Pb geochronology and zircon Hf isotopes place constraints on the temporal and source relationships between crustal anatexis, magmatism, and exhumation of the Priest River metamorphic core complex, northern Idaho. Granitoids that intruded the migmatitic, pelitic Hauser Lake gneiss include the < 76.5 ± 0.1 Ma Spokane granite, 50.13 ± 0.02 Ma Silver Point quartz monzonite, c. 47.9 Ma Wrencoe granodiorite, < 46.4 ± 1.8 Ma Rathdrum granite, and a < 49.8 ± 0.4 Ma leucocratic dike. Cretaceous magmatism preceded the c. 64 Ma peak metamorphism (recorded by monazite) of the Hauser Lake gneiss, whereas discrete pulses of Eocene magmatic activity post-date the onset of exhumation by 10 Ma. The relative timing of pluton emplacement in the Priest River complex indicates that it was primarily a response to decompression rather than a cause. The mylonitized Silver Point and undeformed Wrencoe plutons bracket the end of a rapid phase of exhumation to c. 50–48 Ma. Zircon ε Hf(i) values and Lu–Hf isotope evolution indicate that the Silver Point and Wrencoe plutons crystallized from homogeneous magmas sourced from Archean–Proterozoic basement orthogneisses, whereas the Spokane granite and two leucocratic units appear to have been produced by partial melting of the Hauser Lake gneiss. Comparison of the Priest River complex with other deeply exhumed northern Cordilleran complexes indicates variability in the timing and, therefore, relative influences of partial melting and magmatism on the initiation of exhumation, which must be accounted for in numerical models of metamorphic core complex formation and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The robust nature of the mineral zircon, combined with our analytical ability to readily acquire in-situ uranium-lead (U-Pb), lutetium-hafnium (Lu-Hf) and oxygen (O) isotopic data, has resulted in a rapid rise in the use of zircon isotopic datasets for studying both the generation of continental crust and its growth through Earth history. In such studies there has been a strong focus on developing methods to determine the timing and/or proportion of juvenile magmatic addition to the continental crust. One widespread approach to determine the timing of crustal growth has been the construction or fitting of ‘reworking arrays’ to regional Hf isotopic datasets. Simple stochastic models are presented which highlight that in many cases apparent reworking arrays are much more likely to represent a process of on-going dilution and refertilisation of ancient crust, consistent with “Hot Zone” models of granitoid generation and the need to refertilise lower crustal reservoirs to maintain magmatism. A new compilation of magmatic rock zircon Lu-Hf and O isotope data is used to demonstrate that the use of mantle-like O isotope data as a screening tool for “meaningful” Hf model ages is also unlikely to be reliable, with independently constrained data indicating that as few as 14% of Hf model ages provide a meaningful indicator of the timing of crustal growth. The limitations of Hf model ages are discussed with regard to existing approaches for continental growth and we demonstrate that popular inverse modelling approaches suffer from a bias created by both the use of model ages and numerical artefacts. In an effort to address some of the limitations within existing models, we develop stochastic models based on joint calibration of multiple datasets which allow for more unique solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]