In this study,zircon U-Pb dating of volcanic rocks from the Zhongba ophiolite of the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone(YZSZ)in southern Xizang(Tibet)yielded an age of 247±3 Ma.According to whole rock geochemical and Sr-NdPb isotopic data,the Early Triassic samples could be divided into two groups:Group 1 with P-MORB affinity,showing initial^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios of 0.70253–0.70602,ε_(Nd)(t)values of 4.2–5.3,(^(206)Pb/^(204)Pb)_(t)ratios of 16.353–18.222,(^(207)Pb/^(204)Pb)_(t)ratios of 15.454–15.564,and(^(208)Pb/^(204)Pb)_(t)ratios of 35.665–38.136;Group 2 with OIB affinity,showing initial^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios of 0.70249–0.70513,ε_(Nd)(t)values of 4.4–4.9,(^(206)Pb/^(204)Pb)_(t)ratios of 17.140–18.328,(^(207)Pb/^(204)Pb)_(t)ratios of 15.491–15.575,and(^(208)Pb/^(204)Pb)_(t)ratios of 36.051–38.247.Group 2 rocks formed by partial melting of the mantle source enriched by a former plume,and assimilated continental crustal material during melt ascension.The formation of Group 1 rocks corresponds to the mixing of OIB melts,with the same components as Group 2 and N-MORBs.The Zhongba Early Triassic rocks belong to the continental margin type ophiolite and formed in the continental–oceanic transition zone during the initial opening of the Neo-Tethys in southern Xizang(Tibet).
HE JuanLI YalinHOU YunlingZHOU AorigeleWEI YushuaiCHEN XiDAI Jingen
The Changning-Menglian suture zone is a critical tectonic belt pivotal to the evolution of the Paleo-Tethys.The Wenquan Formation,characterized as turbidite deposited on the western side of the Changning-Menglian suture zone as well as the eastern edge of the Baoshan Block.Analysis of detrital zircons from the Wenquan Formation reveals two significant age peaks approximately at 440 and 980 Ma,with additional age populations around 600,780,and 2500 Ma.The major age peak at about 440 Ma is come from the andesitic-dominant volcanic arc within the Lancang Block and the western Simao Block,corroborated by the presence of andesite fragments in thin section studies.Meanwhile,the zircons that form the secondary age peak at~980 Ma and other older age groups probably originate from the Baoshan Block.Deposited on the western side of the Paleo-Tethyan ophiolites,the Wenquan Formation received detrital materials from the continental margin on the opposite side.Thus,the main Paleo-Tethyan Ocean basin was not sufficiently broad enough to cut off the transference of detrital materials.It was a relatively narrow basin in the Early Devonian.
The c.1000-m-thick pre-orogenic Devonian mainly metapelitic sequence of North Menorca Island shows a fairly complete stratigraphic succession.The rocks of this sequence indicate gradually increasing deeper marine conditions of sedimentation towards its uppermost levels.Furthermore,the obtained sedimentary characteristics resemble those related to a deep and narrow basin-associated deposit.Thin sills of Ti-augite-bearing alkaline gabbros occur within the Devonian sequence.The intensity of Variscan deformation increases downwards through the structure.According to the characteristics of the Devonian sequence and its location within the Variscan Orogen,a correlation with similar units located in the southern sectors of the Central Iberian Zone(Iberian Massif)is suggested.The Devonian metapelitic rocks have geochemical characteristics suggesting that they represent moderately recycled mature siliciclastic sediments,generated from erosion of distant source areas belonging to an upper continental crust.The relatively narrow range of variation observed in initial^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd ratios supports a similar source for the Menorcan slates(0.51165–0.51182).However,a marked trend is observed in these isotope ratios,from lower values at the base of the stratigraphic column(minimum value of 0.511941)to higher values at the top(maximum value of 0.512131).The^(147)Sm/^(144)Nd ratios vary between 0.1074 and 0.1238,within the range defined for siliciclastic rocks with felsic crustal provenance.The Nd model ages define a narrow range between 1496 Ma and 1754 Ma(Late Paleoproterozoic–Early Mesoproterozoic),and they are consistently younger up-section.These data rule out a provenance from the erosion of the West Africa Craton,as they are more compatible with a provenance from regions located in the Trans-Saharan Belt or Sahara Metacraton.The characteristics of the Menorcan Devonian sequence are compatible with its deposition in a narrow and deep peri-Gondwanan transtensional basin,generated to the south of an advancing Variscan o
Abundant mafic-felsic intrusions distributed in the Altyn Orogen record orogenic histories related to Proto-Tethys and Paleo-Tethys evolution.Zircon U-Pb dating of the intrusive rocks in the eastern Altyn Orogen identifies at least three major tectono-magmatic episodes,yielding ages of∼426,∼376–373 and∼269–254 Ma.The first two emplacement episodes correspond to the post-collisional magmatism in the Altyn Orogen.The∼426 Ma granitoids possess adakitic characteristics coupled with enriched isotopes,suggesting that they originated from partial melting of thickened lower continental crust induced by upwelling asthenospheric mantle after slab break-off of the South Altyn Ocean Plate.Next,the∼376–373 Ma mafic-intermediate rocks and coeval granitoids represent a large thermal event that involved mantle melting with induced new juvenile lower continental crust melting in a post-collisional extensional setting.Finally,the∼254 Ma diabase dykes intruded into the∼269 Ma granitoids,which were related to the widespread Late Paleozoic magmatism resulting from Paleo-Tethys Ocean subduction.Post-collisional magmatism in the Altyn Orogen significantly enhances understanding of the tectono-magmatic evolution in the northern Tibetan Plateau.The penetrative influence of Paleo-Tethys Ocean subduction was more extensive than previously thought.
Early Paleozoic magmatism in the West Kunlun Orogenic Belt(WKOB)preserves important information about the tectonic evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.This paper reports whole-rock compositions,zircon and apatite U-Pb dating,and zircon Hf isotopes for the Qiaerlong Pluton(QEL)at the northwestern margin of WKOB,with the aim of elucidating the petrogenesis of the pluton and shedding insights into the subduction-collision process of this oceanic slab.The QEL is mainly composed of Ordovician quartz monzodiorite(479±3 Ma),quartz monzonite(467–472 Ma),and syenogranite(463±4 Ma),and is intruded by Middle Silurian peraluminous granite(429±20 Ma)and diabase(421±4 Ma).Zirconε_(Hf)(t)values reveal that quartz monzodiorites(+2.1 to+9.9)and quartz monzonites(+0.6 to+6.8)were derived from a mixed source of juvenile crust and older lower crust,and syenogranites(−5.6 to+4.5)and peraluminous granites(−2.9 to+2.0)were generated from a mixed source of lower crust and upper crust;diabases had zirconε_(Hf)(t)values ranging from−0.3 to+4.1,and contained 463±5 Ma captured zircon and 1048±39 Ma inherited zircon,indicating they originated from enriched lithospheric mantle and were contaminated by crustal materials.The Ordovician granitoids are enriched in LILEs and light rare-earth elements,and depleted in HFSEs with negative Nb,Ta,P,and Ti anomalies,suggesting that they formed in a subduction environment.Middle Silurian peraluminous granites have the characteristics of leucogranites with high SiO_(2)contents(74.92 wt.%–75.88 wt.%)and distinctly negative Eu anomalies(δEu=0.03–0.14),indicating that they belong to highly fractionated granite and were formed in a post-collision extension setting.Comparative analysis of these results with other Early Paleozoic magmas reveals that the Proto-Tethys ocean closed before the Middle Silurian and its southward subduction resulted in the formation of QEL.
Jinhong XuZhengwei ZhangChengquan WuTaiyi LuoWeiguang ZhuXiyao LiZiru JinPengcheng Hu
