Yanshanian granitoids (178–120 Ma, Jurassic to Cretaceous), which intruded into Precambrian crystalline base- ment and Paleozoic strata, are widely distributed at the junction of the Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces (the ZGW region) in southern China, along with coeval volcanic
rocks. This paper summarizes zircon U–Pb age data, geochemi- cal characteristics and Sr-Nd isotopic characteristics of the Late Jurassic to Middle Cretaceous granitoids and volcanic rocks from the ZGW region. We demonstrate that members of the Shiling rhyolite formed during two different
periods of magmatic activity at 154.7 ± 2.5 Ma and 139–134 Ma and that igneous rocks from the different periods have distinct geochemical characteristics. Jurassic igneous rocks of the ZGW region have relatively low SiO2and high Al 2O3contents,
and show enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and depletion of high field strength elements (HFSEs). They are strongly enriched in LREE and depleted in HREEs with weakly negative Eu anomalies and strongly negative Nb, Ta anomalies. Rb and Y concentrations follow the trends of
I-type and S-type granites. By contrast, Cretaceous igneous rocks of this region are characterized by high SiO2and low Al2O3contents with negative Eu anomalies. They have typical wing- shaped rare earth element (REE) distribution patterns and show enrichment
of Rb, Th, U, Nb, Ta and depletion of Ba, Sr, P and Ti. They have affinity to A-type peraluminous granites or highly-fractionated felsic rocks. Overall, the igneous rocks evolved from high-Sr low-Yb to low-Sr high-Yb, which might reflect the evolution of the tectonic setting from subduction
to lithospheric extension/thinning, i. e., a transition from a continental margin subduction setting during the Late Jurassic to a within-plate extensional setting during the Early Cretaceous, at c. 142 ± 3 Ma. The repeated alternation between lava extrusion and extension and
extensional fault kinematics in the late Mesozoic is related to the changes of direction and rate of plate movement of the Izanagi and Pacific plates.