Geochemical and geochronological data from Eastern Plutonic Bodies, Peninsular Malaysia

This dataset compiles integrated whole-rock geochemistry, zircon U-Pb geochronology, and zircon Lu-Hf isotope data from five key plutons (Maras-Jong, Jerong, Jengai, Kijal, Kuantan) of the Eastern Plutonic Bodies (EPB), Eastern Belt granitoids, Peninsular Malaysia. The data were generated to resolve long-standing controversies regarding the petrogenesis and mantle-derived contributions to these granitoids, which formed during the critical transition from Gondwana dispersal to Pangaea assembly.

The dataset includes:

New whole-rock major and trace element geochemistry for 39 samples from the Maras-Jong, Jerong, Jengai, and Kijal plutons, analyzed by XRF and ICP-MS.

New zircon U-Pb geochronological data for the Jerong and Jengai plutons, obtained via LA-ICP-MS.

Compiled and reinterpreted zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic data from Quek et al. (2021) for the Maras-Jong, Kijal, and Kuantan plutons, ensuring methodological consistency.

Key parameters and features of the data:

Geochemistry: The granitoids are high-K calc-alkaline, peraluminous, and highly fractionated, showing characteristic I-type trends (e.g., strong negative P₂O₅ vs. SiO₂ correlation). Trace element patterns show arc-like signatures with enrichments in LILEs (Rb, Th, U) and depletions in HFSEs (Nb, Ta, Ti).

Geochronology: Zircon U-Pb ages define two distinct magmatic pulses: a main Permian pulse (~276–262 Ma) and a Middle Triassic pulse (~245 Ma, Kijal pluton).

Hf Isotopes: Zircon εHf(t) values range from -9.2 to +14.6, with most plutons (Kuantan, Kijal, Jengai) showing predominantly juvenile, positive signatures (εHf(t) = -0.3 to +5.3), corresponding to Neoproterozoic depleted mantle model ages (TDM² = 0.76–0.99 Ga).

This robust, multi-proxy dataset provides critical evidence for a revised petrogenetic model. It demonstrates that the Eastern Belt granitoids are highly fractionated I-types, where S-type characteristics are the result of extreme fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation, not a metasedimentary source. The Hf isotopes quantitatively establish the mantle not only as a thermal engine but also as a fundamental material component in granite genesis through crust-mantle hybridization. The data directly link the Permian magmatism to subduction-related processes and the Triassic Kijal pluton to a post-collisional slab break-off event, offering a refined geodynamic narrative for the final assembly of Pangaea in Southeast Asia.

This dataset is essential for researchers in granite petrogenesis, crust-mantle interaction, Tethyan tectonics, and supercontinent cycles. It supports comparative studies with other orogenic belts and provides a benchmark for testing geodynamic models of subduction-to-collision transitions.