We present a detailed, new time scale for an orogenic cycle (oceanic accretion–subduction–collision) that provides significant insights into Paleozoic continental growth processes in the southeastern segment of the long-lived Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The most prominent tectonic feature in Inner Mongolia is the association of paired orogens. A southern orogen forms a typical arc-trench complex, in which a supra-subduction zone ophiolite records successive phases during its life cycle: birth (ca. 497–477 Ma), when the ocean floor of the ophiolite was formed; (2) youth (ca. 473–470 Ma), characterized by mantle wedge magmatism; (3) shortly after maturity (ca. 461–450 Ma), high-Mg adakite and adakite were produced by slab melting and subsequent interaction of the melt with the mantle wedge; (4) death, caused by subduction of a ridge crest (ca. 451–434 Ma) and by ridge collision with the ophiolite (ca. 428–423 Ma). The evolution of the magmatic arc exhibits three major coherent phases: arc volcanism (ca. 488–444 Ma); adakite plutonism (ca. 448–438 Ma) and collision (ca. 419–415 Ma) of the arc with a passive continental margin. The northern orogen, a product of ridge-trench interaction, evolved progressively from coeval generation of near-trench plutons (ca. 498–461 Ma) and juvenile arc crust (ca. 484–469 Ma), to ridge subduction (ca. 440–434 Ma), microcontinent accretion (ca. 430–420 Ma), and finally to forearc formation. The paired orogens followed a consistent progression from ocean floor subduction/arc formation (ca. 500–438 Ma), ridge subduction (ca. 451–434 Ma) to microcontinent accretion/collision (ca. 430–415 Ma); ridge subduction records the turning point that transformed oceanic lithosphere into continental crust. The recognition of this orogenic cycle followed by Permian–early Triassic terminal collision of the CAOB provides compelling evidence for episodic continental growth. 相似文献
The Zedong ophiolites in the eastern Yarlung–Zangbo suture zone of Tibet represent a mantle slice of more than 45 km~2. This massif consists mainly of mantle peridotites, with lesser gabbros, diabases and volcanic rocks. The mantle peridotites are mostly harzburgite, lherzolite; a few dike-like bodies of dunite are also present. Mineral structures show that the peridotites experienced plastic deformation and partial melting. Olivine(Fo89.7–91.2), orthopyroxene(En_(88–92)), clinopyroxene(En_(45–49) Wo_(47–51) Fs_(2–4)) and spinel [Mg~#=100×Mg/(Mg+Fe)]=49.1–70.7; Cr~#=(100×Cr/(Cr+Al)=18.8–76.5] are the major minerals. The degree of partial melting of mantle peridotites is 10%–40%, indicating that the Zedong mantle peridotites may experience a multi–stage process. The peridotites are characterized by depleted major element compositions and low REE content(0.08–0.62 ppm). Their "spoon–shaped" primitive–mantle normalized REE patterns with(La/Sm)_N being 0.50–6.00 indicate that the Zedong ultramafic rocks belong to depleted residual mantle rocks. The PGE content of Zedong peridotites(18.19–50.74 ppb) is similar with primary mantle with Pd/Ir being 0.54–0.60 and Pt/Pd being 1.09–1.66. The Zedong peridotites have variable, unradiogenic Os isotopic compositions with ~(187)Os/~(188)Os=0.1228 to 0.1282. A corollary to this interpretation is that the convecting upper mantle is heterogeneous in Os isotopes. All data of the Zedong peridotites suggest that they formed originally at a mid-ocean ridge(MOR) and were later modified in supra–subduction zone(SSZ) environment. 相似文献
New U–Pb age-data from zircons separated from a Northland ophiolite gabbro yield a mean 206Pb/238U age of 31.6 ± 0.2 Ma, providing support for a recently determined 28.3 ± 0.2 Ma SHRIMP age of an associated plagiogranite and 29–26 Ma 40Ar/39Ar ages (n = 9) of basalts of the ophiolite. Elsewhere, Miocene arc-related calc-alkaline andesite dikes which intrude the ophiolitic rocks contain zircons which yield mean 206Pb/238U ages of 20.1 ± 0.2 and 19.8 ± 0.2 Ma. The ophiolite gabbro and the andesites both contain rare inherited zircons ranging from 122–104 Ma. The Early Cretaceous zircons in the arc andesites are interpreted as xenocrysts from the Mt. Camel basement terrane through which magmas of the Northland Miocene arc lavas erupted. The inherited zircons in the ophiolite gabbros suggest that a small fraction of this basement was introduced into the suboceanic mantle by subduction and mixed with mantle melts during ophiolite formation.
We postulate that the tholeiitic suite of the ophiolite represents the crustal segment of SSZ lithosphere (SSZL) generated in the southern South Fiji Basin (SFB) at a northeast-dipping subduction zone that was initiated at about 35 Ma. The subduction zone nucleated along a pre-existing transform boundary separating circa 45–20 Ma oceanic lithosphere to the north and west of the Northland Peninsula from nascent back arc basin lithosphere of the SFB. Construction of the SSZL propagated southward along the transform boundary as the SFB continued to unzip to the southeast. After subduction of a large portion of oceanic lithosphere by about 26 Ma and collision of the SSZL with New Zealand, compression between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate was taken up along a new southwest-dipping subduction zone behind the SSZL. Renewed volcanism began in the oceanic forearc at 25 Ma producing boninitic-like, SSZ and within-plate alkalic and calc-alkaline rocks. Rocks of these types temporally overlap ophiolite emplacement and subsequent Miocene continental arc construction. 相似文献
The Jurassic Bangong Lake ophiolite, NW Tibet, is a key element within the western part of the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone, which marks the boundary between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks. It is a tectonic mélange consisting of numerous blocks of peridotite, mafic lavas and dikes. The mantle peridotites include both clinopyroxene-bearing and clinopyroxene-free harzburgites. The Cpx-bearing harzburgite contains Al-rich spinel with low Cr#s (20–25), resembling peridotites formed in mid-ocean ridge settings. On the other hand, the Cpx-free harzburgite is highly depleted with Cr-rich spinel (Cr# = 69–73), typical of peridotites formed in subduction zone environments. Mafic rocks include lavas of N-MORB and E-MORB affinity and boninites. The N-MORB rocks consist of pillow lavas and mafic dikes, whereas the E-MORB rocks are brecciated basalts. The boninites have high SiO2 (53.2–57.9 wt%), MgO (6.5–12.5 wt%), Cr (166–752 ppm) and Ni (63–213 ppm) and low TiO2 (0.22–0.37 wt%) and Y (5.34–8.10 ppm), and are characterized by having U-shaped, chondrite-normalized REE patterns. The N-MORB and E-MORB lavas probably formed by different degrees of partial melting of primitive mantle, whereas the boninites reflect partial melting of depleted peridotite in a suprasubduction zone environment. The geochemistry of the ophiolite suggests that it is a fragment of oceanic lithosphere formed originally at a mid-ocean ridge (MOR) and then trapped above an intraoceanic subduction zone (SSZ), where the mantle peridotites were modified by boninitic melts. The Bangong–Nujiang suture zone is believed to mark the boundary between two blocks within Gondwanaland rather than to separate Gondwanaland from Eurasia. 相似文献