Generation of the 105–100 Ma Dagze volcanic rocks in the north Lhasa Terrane by lower crustal melting at different temperature and depth: Implications for tectonic transition

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 1257-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Chuan Zeng ◽  
Ji-Feng Xu ◽  
Feng Huang ◽  
Ming-Jian Li ◽  
Qin Chen

Abstract Successively erupted intermediate-felsic rocks with variations in their geochemical compositions indicate physical changes in lower-crust conditions, and the variations can provide important insights into the regional tectonic setting. What triggered the late Early Cretaceous tectonic transition of the central-north Lhasa Terrane remains controversial, hindering the understanding of the mechanisms behind the formation of the central Tibetan Plateau. The sodic Dagze volcanic rocks in the north Lhasa Terrane are characterized by high contents of SiO2 and Na2O, low contents of MgO, Fe2O3, and K2O, and low values of Mg#. However, the trace element compositions of the whole-rocks and their zircons allow the rocks to be divided into two groups. The Group I rocks (ca. 105 Ma) have higher contents of Sr and Ba, higher Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios, and lower contents of Y, Yb, Ti, and Zr than Group II rocks (ca. 100 Ma). Besides, the zircons from Group I rocks have higher values of Yb/Gd and U/Yb, lower values of Th/U, and lower Ti contents than the zircons from Group II rocks. However, the rocks of both groups have identical depleted whole-rock Sr-Nd and zircon Hf isotope values. The geochemical data indicate that rocks of both groups were generated by partial melting of a juvenile lower crust, but the differences in the two groups reflect a transition from deep-cold melting to relatively shallower-hotter melting in the period from ca. 105 to 100 Ma. This transition was synchronous with the rapid cooling of granitoids, topographic uplift, and the shutdown of magmatism in the central-north Lhasa Terrane, and followed by sedimentation and the resumption of magmatism in the south Lhasa Terrane. The above observations collectively indicate that the central-north Lhasa Terrane was under an extensional setting in late Early Cretaceous, and we tentatively suggest that it was in response to lithospheric drip during roll-back of the northward-subducting Neo-Tethyan oceanic plate.

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1587-1602
Author(s):  
Tian-Yu Lu ◽  
Zhen-Yu He ◽  
Reiner Klemd

Abstract Abundant Neogene adakitic magmatism occurred in the southern Lhasa subterrane after the onset of the India–Asia collision while convergence continued. However, the tectonic setting and magmatic evolution of the adakitic rocks are still under discussion. This study includes new mineral chemical and whole-rock geochemical data as well as zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopes of adakitic intrusive rocks from the Gyaca and Nyemo locations in the southern Lhasa subterrane. Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) zircon U-Pb dating yielded crystallization ages of ca. 30 Ma for the Gyaca and Nyemo monzogranite and ca. 15 Ma for the Nyemo granodiorite. Both have common chemical signatures such as low MgO and heavy rare earth element contents as well as low compatible element abundances, indicating that these rocks result from partial melting of thickened lower crust with residual eclogite and garnet amphibolite. Furthermore, these rocks are characterized by variable positive zircon εHf(t) values, suggesting a juvenile magma source with variable ancient crustal contributions. Taking previous data into account, the adakitic magmatism concurs with an early late Eocene to Oligocene (ca. 38–25 Ma) and a late Miocene (ca. 20–10 Ma) phase. The adakitic rocks of the two phases are characterized by different fractionation evolutions of light and medium rare earth elements. We propose that the early-phase adakitic rocks were generated by the anatexis of Lhasa terrane lower crust owing to crustal shortening and thickening subsequent to the onset of the India–Asia collision and the upwelling of hot asthenosphere beneath the Lhasa terrane caused by the break-off of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab. The latest phase of adakitic rocks, however, relates to upwelling asthenosphere following the delamination and/or break-off of the subducting Indian continental slab.


2009 ◽  
Vol 146 (5) ◽  
pp. 638-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
LING CHEN ◽  
CHANG-QIAN MA ◽  
ZHEN-BING SHE ◽  
ROGER MASON ◽  
JIN-YANG ZHANG ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Dabie orogenic belt is characterized by the presence of large volumes of intrusive and volcanic rocks that formed in Late Mesozoic times. Most of the intrusive bodies are I-type granites but it is still unclear whether there are contemporary A-type granites. Here, we report the first unambiguous discovery of A-type granite from Baiyashan in the North Dabie tectonic belt. The crystallization age of the body has been fixed as 120.4 ± 1.2 Ma using U–Pb analysis of zircons by LA-ICPMS. The Baiyashan granite is enriched in Si, K, Na, Rb and REE, has elevated FeOtot/(FeOtot + MgO) and Ga/Al ratios, and is depleted in Mg, Ca, Mn, Ba, Sr, P and Ti. The REE composition shows highly fractionated patterns with (La/Yb)N = 6.95–16.68 and Eu*/Eu = 0.33–0.59. Its crystallization age, field relationships, petrographic and geochemical data show beyond doubt that the Baiyashan granite is an Early Cretaceous A-type granite. Sr–Nd isotope systematics are characterized by a high ISr of 0.708–0.714 and a low ɛNd of −7.5 to −19.4, with TDM2 = 1.5–2.5 Ga, and these data indicate that the magmas were dominantly sourced from partial melting of middle to lower crustal intermediate-felsic igneous rocks and mingling with mafic to intermediate magmas, during rift-related magmatism associated with subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Plate beneath Eastern China in Early Cretaceous times.


2017 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
EN MENG ◽  
CHAO-YANG WANG ◽  
ZHUANG LI ◽  
YAN-GUANG LI ◽  
HONG YANG ◽  
...  

AbstractIn this paper we present new petrological and whole-rock geochemical data for the Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks in the upper part of the Ji'an Group within the Jiao–Liao–Ji Belt, China, as well as zircon U–Pb age dates andin situLu–Hf isotope data. The new data improve our understanding of the original nature of the metasedimentary rocks, further providing insights into their tectonic setting and the evolutionary history of the northern segment of the Jiao–Liao–Ji Belt. The zircons can be divided into two groups, viz., one of magmatic origin and the other of metamorphic origin. Zircon U–Pb dating gave mean or statistical peak ages for the magmatic zircons at 2035, 2082, 2178, 2343–2421, 2451–2545, 2643–2814 and 2923–3446 Ma, and mean peak ages for the metamorphic zircons at 1855 and 1912 Ma, which indicate a maximum depositional age of 2.03 Ga and two-stage metamorphic events atc. 1.91 and 1.85 Ga for the metasedimentary rocks. Geochemical data show that (1) the protoliths of these rocks were mainly sandstones, greywackes and claystones, together with some shales; (2) the main sources of the sedimentary material were Palaeoproterozoic granites and acid volcanic rocks, with minor contributions from Archaean granitic rocks; and (3) the sediments were deposited in an active continental margin setting. Moreover, along the northeastern margin of the Eastern Block of the North China Craton there is evidence of ancient crustal materials as old as 3.76 Ga, and multiple crustal growth events at 3.23–3.05, 2.80–2.65, 2.54–2.45 and 2.28–2.08 Ga.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1111
Author(s):  
Xiaolei Chu ◽  
Jinggui Sun ◽  
Fanting Sun ◽  
Yanxiong Mei ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
...  

The Hongshan complex, located in the southern part of the Taihang Mountains in the central part of the North China Craton, consists of syenite stocks (including fine-grained biotite aegirine syenite, medium-grained aegirine gabbro syenite, coarse-grained aegirine gabbro syenite, syenite pegmatite, and biotite syenite porphyry), with monzo-diorite and monzo-gabbro dikes. This paper presents zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotope data and whole-rock geochemical data from the Hongshan complex. LA–ICP-MS zircon U–Pb age from the fine-grained biotite aegirine syenite, monzo-diorite, and monzo-gabbro are 129.3 ± 2.0Ma, 124.8 ± 1.3Ma, and 124.1 ± 0.9Ma, respectively, indicating their emplacement in the Early Cretaceous when the North China Craton was extensively reactivated. The monzo-diorite and monzo-gabbro have low SiO2 contents (48.94–57.75 wt%), total alkali contents (5.2–9.4 wt%), and εHf (t) values of −22.3 to −18.4 and are enriched in MgO (4.0–8.2 wt%), Al2O3 (14.3–15.8 wt%), light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs). Interpretation of elemental and isotopic data suggests that the magma of monzo-diorite and monzo-gabbro were derived from partial melting of the enriched lithospheric mantle metasomatized by slab-derived hydrous fluids. Syenites with high alkali (K2O + Na2O = 9.4–13.0 wt%) and Sr contents (356–1737 ppm) and low Yb contents (0.94–2.65 ppm) are enriched in Al (Al2O3 = 16.4–19.1 wt%), but depleted in MgO (0.09–2.56 w%), Cr (Avg = 7.16 ppm), Co (Avg = 6.85 ppm) and Ni (Avg = 9.79 ppm), showing the geochemical features of adakitic rocks associated with thickened lower crust. Combining zircon 176Hf/177Hf ratios of 0.282176 to 0.282359, εHf(t) values of −18.3 to −11.8 and εNd (t) values of −11.1 to −8.2, we conclude that the syenite magma was derived from the mixing of the thickened lower crust and the enriched lithospheric mantle magma. These magma processes were controlled by Paleo-Pacific plate subduction and resulted in the destruction and thinning of the central North China Craton.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Jia-Hao Jing ◽  
Hao Yang ◽  
Wen-Chun Ge ◽  
Yu Dong ◽  
Zheng Ji ◽  
...  

Abstract Late Mesozoic igneous rocks are important for deciphering the Mesozoic tectonic setting of NE China. In this paper, we present whole-rock geochemical data, zircon U–Pb ages and Lu–Hf isotope data for Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks from the Tulihe area of the northern Great Xing’an Range (GXR), with the aim of evaluating the petrogenesis and genetic relationships of these rocks, inferring crust–mantle interactions and better constraining extension-related geodynamic processes in the GXR. Zircon U–Pb ages indicate that the rhyolites and trachytic volcanic rocks formed during late Early Cretaceous time (c. 130–126 Ma). Geochemically, the highly fractionated I-type rhyolites exhibit high-K calc-alkaline, metaluminous to weakly peraluminous characteristics. They are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) but depleted in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs), with their magmatic zircons ϵHf(t) values ranging from +4.1 to +9.0. These features suggest that the rhyolites were derived from the partial melting of a dominantly juvenile, K-rich basaltic lower crust. The trachytic volcanic rocks are high-K calc-alkaline series and exhibit metaluminous characteristics. They have a wide range of zircon ϵHf(t) values (−17.8 to +12.9), indicating that these trachytic volcanic rocks originated from a dominantly lithospheric-mantle source with the involvement of asthenospheric mantle materials, and subsequently underwent extensive assimilation and fractional crystallization processes. Combining our results and the spatiotemporal migration of the late Early Cretaceous magmatic events, we propose that intense Early Cretaceous crust–mantle interaction took place within the northern GXR, and possibly the whole of NE China, and that it was related to the upwelling of asthenospheric mantle induced by rollback of the Palaeo-Pacific flat-subducting slab.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
An-Qi Wang ◽  
Debin Yang ◽  
Wen-Liang Xu ◽  
Hao-Tian Yang ◽  
Mao-Song Mu ◽  
...  

Geosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1012-1041
Author(s):  
Cathy Busby ◽  
Alison Graettinger ◽  
Margarita López Martínez ◽  
Sarah Medynski ◽  
Tina Niemi ◽  
...  

Abstract The Gulf of California is an archetype of continental rupture through transtensional rifting, and exploitation of a thermally weakened arc to produce a rift. Volcanic rocks of central Baja California record the transition from calcalkaline arc magmatism, due to subduction of the Farallon plate (ca. 24–12 Ma), to rift magmatism, related to the opening of the Gulf of California (<12 Ma). In addition, a suite of postsubduction rocks (<12 Ma), referred to as “bajaites,” are enriched in light rare-earth and other incompatible elements (e.g., Ba and Sr). These are further subdivided into high-magnesian andesite (with 50%–58% SiO2 and MgO >4%) and adakite (>56% SiO2 and MgO <3%). The bajaites correlate spatially with a fossil slab imaged under central Baja and are inferred to record postsubduction melting of the slab and subduction-modified mantle by asthenospheric upwelling associated with rifting or slab breakoff. We report on volcanic rocks of all three suites, which surround and underlie the Santa Rosalía sedimentary rift basin. This area represents the western margin of the Guaymas basin, the most magmatically robust segment of the Gulf of California rift, where seafloor spreading occurred in isolation for 3–4 m.y. (starting at 6 Ma) before transtensional pull-apart basins to the north and south ruptured the continental crust. Outcrops of the Santa Rosalía area thus offer the opportunity to understand the magmatic evolution of the Guaymas rift, which has been the focus of numerous oceanographic expeditions. We describe 21 distinct volcanic and hypabyssal map units in the Santa Rosalía area, using field characteristics, petrographic data, and major- and trace-element geochemical data, as well as zircon isotopic data and ten new 40Ar-39Ar ages. Lithofacies include lavas and lava domes, block-and-ash-flow tuffs, ignimbrites, and hypabyssal intrusions (plugs, dikes, and peperites). Calcalkaline volcanic rocks (13.81–10.11 Ma) pass conformably upsection, with no time gap, into volcanic rocks with rift transitional chemistry (9.69–8.84 Ma). The onset of rifting was marked by explosive eruption of silicic ignimbrite (tuff of El Morro), possibly from a caldera, similar to the onset of rifting or accelerated rifting in other parts of the Gulf of California. Epsilon Hf zircon data are consistent with a rift transitional setting for the tuff of El Morro. Arc and rift volcanic rocks were then juxtaposed by normal faults and tilted eastward toward a north-south fault that lay offshore, likely related to the north-south normal faults documented for the early history of the Guaymas basin, prior to the onset of northwest-southeast transtenional faulting. Magmatism in the Santa Rosalía area resumed with emplacement of high-magnesian andesite lavas and intrusions, at 6.06 Ma ± 0.27 Ma, coeval with the onset of seafloor spreading in the Guaymas basin at ca. 6 Ma. The 9.69–8.84 Ma rift transitional volcanic rocks underlying the Santa Rosalía sedimentary basin provide a maximum age on its basal fill. Evaporites in the Santa Rosalía sedimentary basin formed on the margin of the Guaymas basin, where thicker evaporites formed. Overlying coarse-grained clastic sedimentary fill of the Santa Rosalía basin and its stratiform Cu-Co-Zn-Mn sulfides may have accumulated rapidly, coeval with emplacement of 6.06 Ma high-magnesian andesite intrusions and the ca. 6 Ma onset of seafloor spreading in the Guaymas basin.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Houxiang Shan ◽  
Mingguo Zhai ◽  
RN Mitchell ◽  
Fu Liu ◽  
Jinghui Guo

Abstract Whole-rock major and trace elements and Hf isotopes of magmatic zircons of tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) rocks with different ages (2.9, 2.7 and 2.5 Ga) from the three blocks (the Eastern Block, Western Block and Trans-North China Orogen) of the North China Craton were compiled to investigate their respective petrogenesis, tectonic setting and implications for crustal growth and evolution. Geochemical features of the 2.5 Ga TTGs of the Eastern Block require melting of predominant rutile-bearing eclogite and subordinate garnet-amphibolite at higher pressure, while the source material of the 2.7 Ga TTGs is garnet-amphibolite or granulite at lower pressure. The 2.5 Ga TTGs have high Mg#, Cr and Ni, negative Nb–Ta anomalies and a juvenile basaltic crustal source, indicating derivation from the melting of a subducting slab. In contrast, features of the 2.7 Ga TTGs suggest generation from melting of thickened lower crust. The 2.5 and 2.7 Ga TTGs in the Trans-North China Orogen were formed at garnet-amphibolite to eclogite facies, and the source material of the 2.5 Ga TTGs in the Western Block is most likely garnet-amphibolite or eclogite. The 2.5 Ga TTGs in the Trans-North China Orogen and Western Block were generated by the melting of a subducting slab, whereas the 2.7 Ga TTGs in the Trans-North China Orogen derived from melting of thickened lower crust. The Hf isotopic data suggest both the 2.5 and 2.7 Ga TTG magmas were involved with contemporary crustal growth and reworking. The two-stage model age (TDM2) histograms show major crustal growth between 2.9 and 2.7 Ga for the whole North China Craton.


2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-66
Author(s):  
Yang Dong ◽  
Jingdang Liu ◽  
Yanfei Zhang ◽  
Shiyong Dou ◽  
Yanbin Li ◽  
...  

Mesozoic magmatic rocks are widely distributed in the North China Craton (NCC) and are crucial to understanding the timing, location, and geodynamic mechanisms of lithospheric thinning of the NCC. In this study, we report geochronological, petrogeochemical, and Lu–Hf isotopic data for adakitic granitoids from different parts of Xiuyan pluton in the Liaodong Peninsula, aiming to constrain their magma sources, petrogenesis, and tectonic implications. The adakites are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous and are classified as high-K calc-alkaline I-type granite with Early Cretaceous zircon U–Pb ages of 129–126 Ma. They exhibit adakite-like geochemical characteristics, such as high Sr content and low Yb and Y contents, coupled with high Sr/Y and no pronounced Eu anomalies. They are enriched in Rb, U, and light rare-earth elements and are depleted in Ta, Nb, P, and Ti. The adakites from the eastern part of the pluton have low εHf(t) values (–8.5 to –4.0) with old TDM2 ages (1.57–1.31 Ga), indicating they were derived from the lower crust containing juvenile mantle-derived materials. In contrast, adakites from the northern part of the pluton have lower εHf(t) values (–19.7 to –16.6) with older TDM2 ages (2.21–2.03 Ga), indicating that they were derived mainly from an ancient crust. Our results show that both adakitic magmas were derived from partial melting of delaminated lower crust. Their relatively high MgO and Ni contents and Mg# values indicate that the melts interacted with mantle peridotites. The lower crust delamination beneath the Liaodong Peninsula resulted from paleo-Pacific plate subduction during the Early Cretaceous, which resulted in thinning of Mesozoic crust in the Xiuyan area.


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