Abstract
The Yeongju granitoid batholith is a plutonic complex of huge area (1180km2) intruding the metamorphic rocks of the Yeongnam massif. The batholith, which is divided into fivelithofacies, consists of three separate plutons. The oldest Buseok pluton comprises four lithofacies: hornblende biotite tonalite, porphyrotoc biotite granodiorite, equigranular biotite grandiorite and biotite granite. The middle Chunyang pluton has been called as Chunyang granite that ranges in compostion from granodiorite to granite. The youngest Jangsu pluton is intrusions that has lithofacies of two mica granite. The contact between Buseok pluton and the rest two plutons shows obvious intrusive relations, but relation between the Chunyang and the Jangsu pluton is far away, so gives no indication of relative ages. Changes in nextures and micristructures, as well as in the mineral contents, take place between rock types og the plutons. only the Buseok pluton shows faliations of two type: magmatic foliation and regional mylonal foliation. K-Ar age deteminations fall into 171.7$\pm$3.2~162.3$\pm$3.1 Ma in the Buseok pluton, 153.9$\pm$2.9 Ma in the Chunyang pluton and 145.3$\pm$2.7 Ma in the jangsu Pluton. The batholith presents three separate intrusive phases which range in composition from tonalite to granite to granite. Each intrusive phase apperars to have been intruded in a pulse from an underlying, differentiating magma. The petrochemical data showthat three plutons are within the diagnostic range for continental arc orogenic tectonic setting, whereas Jangsu pluton approaches postorogenic setting. The data suggest that three plutons are calc-aclkalline series, and that temporal compositional variations change progerssively from tonalite through grandiorite to granite between the intrusive phases. so we consider that the magmas for all the phases were probably derived from a differentiation by fractional crystallization of a parental magma. The tonalite magma of the Buseok phase was tapped was tapped from a chamber deep in the crust, and then would have to rise at a rapid rate to its final level of emplacement. The tonalite magma in the chamber was gradually enolved through granodiorite magma into granite magma by fractional crystallization. The magmas of the younger phases were respectively tapped with temporal interval from a evolved magma of the chamber that rose into a shallower lever in the crust, and rose to their present level of emplacement.