AbstractThe Zhongwunongshan Structural Belt (ZWSB) locates between the Olongbruk Microblock of North Qaidam and the South Qilian Block in China, and it has important implication for understanding the tectonic significance of North Qaidam. Nowadays, there are few discussion on the Caledonian tectonothermal events of the Zhongwunongshan Structural Belt, and there exist different opinions on provenance and tectonic environment of the Zhongwunongshan Group in the ZWSB and its adjacent North Qaidam. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the detrital zircon geochronological research was carried out on the Zhongwunongshan Group. The detrital zircon U-Pb dating results showed two major populations. The first was Neoproterozoic (966-725 Ma) with a ∈Hf(t) = −15.9 to 9.5, and the other was late Early Paleozoic (460-434Ma) with a ∈Hf(t) = −9.6 to −3.1. In combination with previous research, the dominated provenances were found to be the Neoproterozoic granitic gneiss of the Yuqia-Shaliuhe HP-UHP metamorphic belt and the late Early Paleozoic granite of the Tanjianshan ophiolite-volcanic arc belt in North Qaidam. The Zhongwunongshan Group was deposited in the back-arc sedimentary basin related to the Caledonian collisional orogeny during Middle Silurian-Early Devonian (434-407.9 Ma).
Provenance and tectonic significance of the Zhongwunongshan Group from the Zhongwunongshan Structural Belt in China: insights from zircon geochronology
