Geochemical Characteristics of Cenozoic Jining Basalts of the Western North China Craton: Evidence for the Role of the Lower Crust, Lithosphere, and Asthenosphere in Petrogenesis

Abstract Two suites of amphibole-rich mafic‒ultramafic rocks associated with the voluminous intermediate to felsic rocks in the Early Cretaceous Laiyuan intrusive-volcanic complex (North China Craton) are studied here by detailed petrography, mineral- and melt inclusion chemistry, and thermobarometry to demonstrate an in-situ reaction-replacement origin of the hornblendites. Moreover, a large set of compiled and newly obtained geochronological and whole-rock elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic data are used to constrain the tectono-magmatic evolution of the Laiyuan complex. Early mafic‒ultramafic rocks occur mainly as amphibole-rich mafic‒ultramafic intrusions situated at the edge of the Laiyuan complex. These intrusions comprise complex lithologies of olivine-, pyroxene- and phlogopite-bearing hornblendites and various types of gabbroic rocks, which largely formed by in-situ crystallization of hydrous mafic magmas that experienced gravitational settling of early-crystallized olivine and clinopyroxene at low pressures of 0.10‒0.20 GPa (∼4‒8 km crustal depth); the hornblendites formed in cumulate zones by cooling-driven crystallization of 55‒75 vol% hornblende, 10‒20 vol% orthopyroxene and 3‒10 vol% phlogopite at the expense of olivine and clinopyroxene. A later suite of mafic rocks occurs as mafic lamprophyre dikes throughout the Laiyuan complex. These dikes occasionally contain some pure hornblendite xenoliths, which formed by reaction-replacement of clinopyroxene at high pressures of up to 0.97‒1.25 GPa (∼37‒47 km crustal depth). Mass balance calculations suggest that the olivine-, pyroxene- and phlogopite-bearing hornblendites in the early mafic‒ultramafic intrusions formed almost without melt extraction, whereas the pure hornblendites brought up by lamprophyre dikes required extraction of ≥ 20‒30 wt% residual andesitic to dacitic melts. The latter suggests that fractionation of amphibole in the middle to lower crust through the formation of reaction-replacement hornblendites is a viable way to produce adakite-like magmas. New age constraints suggest that the early mafic-ultramafic intrusions formed during ∼132‒138 Ma, which overlaps with the timespan of ∼126‒145 Ma recorded by the much more voluminous intermediate to felsic rocks of the Laiyuan complex. By contrast, the late mafic and intermediate lamprophyre dikes were emplaced during ∼110‒125 Ma. Therefore, the voluminous early magmatism in the Laiyuan complex was likely triggered by the retreat of the flat-subducting Paleo-Pacific slab, whereas the minor later, mafic to intermediate magmas may have formed in response to further slab sinking-induced mantle thermal perturbations. Whole-rock geochemical data suggest that the early mafic magmas formed by partial melting of subduction-related metasomatized lithospheric mantle, and that the early intermediate to felsic magmas with adakite-like signatures formed from mafic magmas through strong amphibole fractionation without plagioclase in the lower crust. The late mafic magmas seem to be derived from a slightly different metasomatized lithospheric mantle by lower degrees of partial melting.

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Late Triassic adakitic plutons within the Archean terrane of the North China Craton: Melting of the ancient lower crust at the onset of the lithospheric destruction

Lithos ◽

10.1016/j.lithos.2014.11.027 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 212-215 ◽

pp. 353-367 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Chao Wang ◽

Shuguang Song ◽

Yaoling Niu ◽

Li Su

Keyword(s):

North China Craton ◽

Lower Crust ◽

North China ◽

Late Triassic ◽

The North ◽

Lithospheric Destruction

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Zircon geochronology and geochemistry of mafic xenoliths from Liaoning kimberlites: Track the early evolution of the lower crust, North China Craton

Science in China Series D Earth Sciences ◽

10.1360/03yd0057 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 47 (11) ◽

pp. 961 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jianping ZHENG

Keyword(s):

North China Craton ◽

Lower Crust ◽

North China ◽

Early Evolution ◽

Zircon Geochronology

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U–Pb and Hf-isotope analysis of zircons in mafic xenoliths from Fuxian kimberlites: evolution of the lower crust beneath the North China craton

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology ◽

10.1007/s00410-004-0587-x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 148 (1) ◽

pp. 79-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 88

Author(s):

Jianping Zheng ◽

W. L. Griffin ◽

Suzanne Y. O’Reilly ◽

Fengxiang Lu ◽

Chunmei Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North China Craton ◽

Lower Crust ◽

North China ◽

Isotope Analysis ◽

Hf Isotope ◽

The North

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Comparative studies on two phases of Archaean TTG magmas from different blocks of the North China Craton: petrogenesis and constraints on crustal evolution

Geological Magazine ◽

10.1017/s0016756820000618 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Houxiang Shan ◽

Mingguo Zhai ◽

RN Mitchell ◽

Fu Liu ◽

Jinghui Guo

Keyword(s):

North China Craton ◽

Lower Crust ◽

North China ◽

Tectonic Setting ◽

Source Material ◽

Crustal Growth ◽

Garnet Amphibolite ◽

The North ◽

Western Block ◽

Subducting Slab

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.

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The role of lithospheric heterogeneities in continental rifting: Implications for rift diversity in the North China Craton

Journal of Geodynamics ◽

10.1016/j.jog.2020.101765 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 139 ◽

pp. 101765

Author(s):

Kai Wang ◽

Lin Chen ◽

Xiong Xiong ◽

Zhiyong Yan ◽

Renxian Xie

Keyword(s):

North China Craton ◽

North China ◽

Continental Rifting ◽

The North

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Mesozoic adakites in the Lingqiu Basin of the central North China Craton: Partial melting of underplated basaltic lower crust

GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL ◽

10.2343/geochemj.40.447 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 40 (5) ◽

pp. 447-461 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

XUAN-CE WANG ◽

YONG-SHENG LIU ◽

XIAO-MING LIU

Keyword(s):

Partial Melting ◽

North China Craton ◽

Lower Crust ◽

North China

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Early Cretaceous Xiuyan adakitic granitoids in the Liaodong Peninsula, eastern China: petrogenesis and implications for lithospheric thinning of the North China Craton

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjes-2020-0033 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 50-66

Author(s):

Yang Dong ◽

Jingdang Liu ◽

Yanfei Zhang ◽

Shiyong Dou ◽

Yanbin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Cretaceous ◽

North China Craton ◽

Lower Crust ◽

North China ◽

Eastern China ◽

Lithospheric Thinning ◽

The North ◽

Magma Sources ◽

Liaodong Peninsula ◽

T Values

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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