Tracking source materials of Phanerozoic granitoids in South Korea by zircon Hf isotopes

Phanerozoic granitoids in South Korea are classified into four primary spatiotemporal groups showing geochemical and isotopic diversity. This study presents the first in situ Hf isotope data for zircons extracted from representative outcrops of each granitoid group. The core‐to‐rim variation in ε_Hf values observed in some zircon grains provides evidence for open‐system processes influenced by the input of more primitive melts or interactions with pre‐existing crustal materials. A general core‐to‐rim decrease in Lu/Hf and Th/U ratios indicates a progressive compositional change in the melts during magmatic differentiation. Contrasting evolutionary paths demonstrated by zircon ε_Hf values suggest that the Neoproterozoic to Palaeozoic crust including the Permian granitoids was recycled during the Cretaceous to Palaeogene magmatism in south‐eastern Korea, whereas the Palaeoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic crust provided major source material for the Triassic to Jurassic granitoids in central Korea.