Author name: Fu-Yuan Wu

Himalayan leucogranites were once overlooked for rare-metal resources because they initially were thought to have formed by in-situ partial melting of underlying high-grade metamorphic rocks. However, recent findings have revealed widespread rare-metal mineralizations of Be, Nb/Ta, Li/ Rb/Cs, and W/Sn associated with leucogranites in the area, suggesting these mineralizations resulted from extensive fractionation of leucogranitic magmas during long-distance magma transport along the low-angle South Tibetan Detachment System. When combined with coeval Au-Sb-Pb/Zn mineralizations in the Himalayas of the Indian plate, and porphyry Cu-Mo mineralizations in the Gangdese of the Asian plate, a specific Himalayan-type mineralization is proposed to describe the metallogenesis related to the exhumation of the subducted Indian continent, coinciding with the uplift of the Himalayan mountains.

Himalayan leucogranites crop out intermittently over 2000 km along the crest of the world’s youngest and largest mountain range. They are derived from partial melting of continental crust during a classic continental collisional orogeny. Studies of these leucogranites have significantly advanced knowledge of crustal anatexis, felsic magmatic differentiation, and the tectonic evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. This Elements thematic issue provides an overview of the petrogenesis and significance of the Himalayan leucogranites including field relations, source rocks, petrology, geochemistry, tectonics, and links to orogenesis and economic resources. It not only summarizes the state-of-the-art research on Himalayan leucogranites but also demonstrates how a multidisciplinary approach can help constrain the origins and evolution of granites, their associated mineralizations, and related geodynamic development.