Middle Paleozoic basaltic and kimberlitic magmatism in the northwestern shoulder of the Vilyui Rift,Siberia: relations in space and time

A Middle Paleozoic tectonothermal event in the eastern Siberian craton was especially active in the area of the Vilyui rift, where it produced a system of rift basins filled with Devonian–Early Carboniferous volcanics and sediments, as well as long swarms of mafic dikes on the rift shoulders. Basalts occur mostly among Middle Devonian sediments and are much less spread in Early Carboniferous formations. The dolerite dikes of the Vilyui–Markha swarm in the northwestern rift border coexist with the Mirnyi and Nakyn fields of diamond-bearing kimberlites. The voluminous dikes and sills intruded before the emplacement of kimberlites. The Mir kimberlite crosscuts a dolerite sill and a dike in the Mirnyi field, while a complex dolerite dike (monzonite porphyry) cuts through the Nyurba kimberlite in the Nakyn field. Thus, the kimberlites correspond to a longer span of Middle Paleozoic basaltic magmatism. The basalts in Middle Paleozoic sediments have faunal age constraints, but the age of dolerite dikes remains uncertain. The monzonite porphyry dike in the Nyurba kimberlite has been dated by the 40Ar/39Ar method, and the obtained age must be the upper bound of the dike emplacement. The space and time relations between basaltic and kimberlitic magmatism were controlled by Devonian plume–lithosphere interaction.     

The Early Paleozoic basite magmatism of Western Transbaikalia: Composition,isotope age (U-Pb,SHRIMP RG), magma sources,and geodynamics

Remnants of the Early Paleozoic gabbro and gabbromonzonite with an age of 514.6 ± 7.2 Ma (U-Pb, Zrn, SHRIMP-RG, Turka Massif) were identified among basites spatially associated with Late Paleozoic granitoids of Western Transbaikalia. Obtained geochronological data are close to those of felsic subvolcanic rocks of the Early Cambrian volcanotectonic structures of the Uda-Vitim paleoisland arc and gabbro of the Dzhida island arc in Central and Southwestern Transbaikalia. As compared to the Late Paleozoic analogues, the Early Paleozoic gabbromonzonite is characterized by the moderately low potassic alkalinity, fractionated REE pattern, and LILE enrichment relative to HFSE. The Early Paleozoic gabbro and gabbromonzonite are depleted in Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf and enriched in Pb and Sr, which is typical of suprasubduction magmatic rocks. Geochemical data indicate a contribution of crustal (subducted) material in a magma source. A combination of geological, geochemical, and isotope-geochronological data indicates that the Early Paleozoic gabbromonzonite was formed in the Uda-Vitim paleoisland arc system in a suprasubduction setting. The geochemical similarity of the Early Paleozoic rocks and Late Paleozoic basites, which are associated with the Late Paleozoic granitic rocks of the Angara-Vitim batholith and were formed 200 Ma later, is attributed to inheritance of mantle source.     

Paleomagnetism of Middle Paleozoic Basites on the Southeastern Flank of the Vilyui Paleorift

Doklady Earth Sciences - The eastern boundary of the Siberian Craton was formed as a result of rifting that split the continent late in the Middle Paleozoic. The paleomagnetic data derived from the...     

Late Paleozoic granitoids in western Transbaikalia: sequence of formation,sources of magmas,and geodynamics

The evolution of Late Paleozoic granitoid magmatism in Transbaikalia shows a general tendency for an increase in the alkalinity of successively forming intrusive complexes: from high-K calc-alkaline granites of the Barguzin complex (Angara–Vitim batholith) at the early stage through transitional from calc-alkaline to alkaline granites and quartz syenites (Zaza complex) at the intermediate stage to peralkaline granitoids (Early Kunalei complex) at the last stage. This evolution trend is complicated by the synchronous development of granitoid complexes with different sets and geochemical compositions of rocks. The compositional changes were accompanied by the decrease in the scales of granitoid magmatism occurrence with time. Crustal metaterrigenous protoliths, possibly of different compositions and ages, were the source of granitoids of the Angara–Vitim batholith. The isotopic composition of all following granitoid complexes points to their mixed mantle–crustal genesis. The mechanisms of granitoid formation are different. Some granitoids formed through the mixing of mantle and crustal magmas; others resulted from the fractional crystallization of hybrid melts; and the rest originated from the fractional crystallization of mantle products or the melting of metabasic sources with the varying but subordinate contribution of crustal protoliths. Synplutonic basic intrusions, combined dikes, and mafic inclusions, specific for the post-Barguzin granitoids, are direct geologic evidence for the synchronous occurrence of crustal and mantle magmatism. The geodynamic setting of the Late Paleozoic magmatism in the Baikal folded area is still debatable. Three possible models are proposed: (1) mantle plume impact, (2) active continental margin, and (3) postcollisional rifting. The latter model agrees with the absence of mafic rocks from the Angara–Vitim batholith structure and with the post-Barguzin age of peralkaline rocks of the Vitim province.     

Middle Paleozoic kimberlite magmatism in the northeastern Siberian craton

The mineral chemistry and crystal morphology of kimberlite pyropes from the Billyakh River placer in the northeastern Siberian craton are characterised in terms of the placer history. The pyropes bear signatures of chemical weathering (dissolution), presumably in a Middle Paleozoic laterite profile, and therefore were originally hosted by Middle Paleozoic kimberlites. The broad occurrence of placer pyropes with lateritic dissolution signatures points to the presence of Middle Paleozoic diamond-bearing kimberlites in the study area.     

Composition and geodynamic setting of Late Paleozoic magmatism of Chukotka

The paper reports the results of petrogeochemical and isotope (Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf) study of the Late Paleozoic granitoids of the Anyui–Chukotka fold system by the example of the Kibera and Kuekvun massifs. The age of the granitoids from these massifs and granite pebble from conglomerates at the base of the overlying Lower Carboniferous rocks is within 351–363 Ma (U-Pb, TIMS, SIMS, LA-MC-ICP-MS, zircon) (Katkov et al., 2013; Luchitskaya et al., 2015; Lane et al., 2015) and corresponds to the time of tectonic events of the Ellesmere orogeny in the Arctic region. It is shown that the granitoids of both the massifs and granite pebble are ascribed to the I-type granite, including their highly differentiated varieties. Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope compositions of the granitoids indicate a contribution of both mantle and crustal sources in the formation of their parental melts. The granitic rocks of the Kibera and Kuekvun massifs were likely formed in an Andean-type continental margin setting, which is consistent with the inferred presence of the Late Devonian–Early Carboniferous marginal-continental magmatic arc on the southern Arctida margin (Natal’in et al., 1999). Isotope data on these rocks also support the idea that the granitoid magmatism was formed in a continental margin setting, when melts derived by a suprasubduction wedge melting interacted with continental crust.     

Middle Paleozoic mafic magmatism and ocean plate stratigraphy of the South Tianshan,Kyrgyzstan

The tectonic history of the Kyrgyz South Tianshan in the western Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) remains controversial, first of all, due to the limited amount of geochemical and isotope data. Our paper presents the first results of a detailed geochemical study (major and trace elements, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes) of Middle Paleozoic mafic volcanic and subvolcanic rocks of the Ferghana and Atbashi–Kokshaal accretionary belts of the South Tianshan orogen in Kyrgyzstan, which formed during the evolution of the Turkestan Ocean. A special focus is given to the relation between magmatic rocks and sedimentary units of marine origin, chert, siliceous shale/mudstone, volcanogenic–carbonate clastics, seamount carbonates, and turbidites, which we consider as elements of Ocean Plate Stratigraphy (OPS). The age range of marine sediments is Late Silurian to Early Carboniferous, but the age of the most volcanic rocks associated with fossil-bearing OPS sediments is Devonian. The magmatic rocks have geochemical affinity to oceanic island basalts (OIB-type) and, to a lesser extent, mid-oceanic ridge (MORB-type) basalts associated with hemipelagic siliceous mudstone and pelagic chert. The rocks with OIB-type affinity are associated with chert, siliceous shale and carbonaceous clastics and carbonates. They are enriched in TiO₂, LREE (La/Sm_n = 1.9), and Nb (Zr/Nb_av. = 10), have differentiated HREE (Gd/Yb_n = 2.0), medium to low εNd (~ 5.7) and are characterized by clear Nb positive anomalies in normalized multi-element plots (Nb/Th_pm = 1.3, Nb/La_pm = 1.1). The OIBs formed by relatively low degrees of melting (< 5%) of mantle sources in the garnet stability field and erupted in an oceanic island setting. The MORB-type samples associated with siliceous mudstone and chert are less enriched in incompatible elements, possess flat REE and multi-element pattern, and show higher εNd values (~ 9.1); they were probably produced by high-degree melting of spinel lherzolite and/or harzburgite and erupted in a mid-oceanic ridge setting. The geological, lithological and geochronological data suggest that the OPS units with dominantly OIB-type basalts formed at one or several seamount chains of the Turkestan Ocean, which were accreted to the Kazakhstan continent, and thus contribute to our understanding of the Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the western CAOB during the Serpukhovian–Bashkirian.     

Late Paleozoic alkaline magmatism in Western Transbaikalia,Russia:Implications for magma sources and tectonic settings

This paper presents the results of geochronological(~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar,U-Pb SHRIMP Ⅱ),petrological and geochemical studies of the Late Paleozoic complexes of alkaline rocks(Zimovechinsky,Tuchinsky and Koma) located within the Vitim Plateau(the western part of the Mongol-Okhotsk Orogenic Belt).The rocks were formed at 310-280 Ma.It is coeval with Late Paleozoic magmatism within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.The ε_(Nd)(T) values show large variations from-2.1 to +3.3 as well as the initial Sr(I) isotopic ratios from 0.7042 to 0.7138,that demonstrate strong isotopic heterogeneity of the magmatic source.The geochemical characteristics of the rocks show pronounced positive Pb and negative Ti,Zr-Hf anomalies that can be explained by involvement of the subducted component in primary melts.The rocks intruded in a setting of extension at the active continental margin of the Siberian Craton during subduction of Mongol-Okhotsk oceanic crust under the Siberian Craton.     

Comparative characteristics of Middle Paleozoic and Late Riphean plume magmatism of the Siberian platform

Based on isotopic and geochemical data for Late Riphean dikes and sills and for Devonian dolerite dikes and basalt covers within the Sette-Daban rift in the western part of the Siberian platform, we proved conceptions about the participation of various deep sources in their formation. The inverse correlation in Devonian basites between concentrations of Nb, light rare earth elements, and a number of other highly incompatible elements on the one hand and Zr, Y, and other moderate incompatible elements, including heavy rare earth elements on the other hand allows us to assume that two sources participated in the formation of melts. The source of dolerites is close to the EMORB type, and the source of basalts is close to the OIB type. The compositions of Riphean rocks correspond to a trend for which magma formation occurred with the participation of a source with characteristics between NMORB and EMORB and also a component typical of subduction zones. The data obtained imply associate formation of basites with the influence of mantle plumes on the lithosphere of the southeastern part of the Siberian craton in the Late Riphean and Middle Paleozoic. In the Riphean the plume mantle was composed of a moderately depleted mantle of the EMODB type and a mantle with the composition close to the above-subduction mantle, which was metosomatically changed under the influence of fluid water, which caused the appearance of a Nb and Ta deficit in melting products. The isotopic characteristics Nd(¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd = 0.165 and ɛ_Nd(T) ∼ 2.3–4.7) of rocks show the moderate depleted nature of these sources.     

Middle Paleozoic Rhyolite of the Gorny and Rudny Altai: Geochronology and Composition

Doklady Earth Sciences - The paper reports the results of geological, geochemical, and isotope–geochronological studies of subvolcanic rhyolites of NW Gorny Altai and Rudny Altai, which...     

Composition,sources, and mechanisms of origin of rare-metal granitoids in the Late Paleozoic Eastern Sayan zone of alkaline magmatism: A case study of the Ulaan Tolgoi massif

The Ulaan Tolgoi massif of rare-metal (Ta, Nb, and Zr) granites was formed at approximately 300Ma in the Eastern Sayan zone of rare-metal alkaline magmatism. The massif consists of alkaline salic rocks of various composition (listed in chronologic order of their emplacement): alkaline syenite → alkaline syenite pegmatite → pantellerite → alkaline granite, including ore-bearing alkaline granite, whose Ta and Nb concentrations reach significant values. The evolution of the massif ended with the emplacement of trachybasaltic andesite. The rocks of the massif show systematic enrichment in incompatible elements in the final differentiation products of the alkaline salic magmas. The differentiation processes during the early evolution of the massif occurred in an open system, with influx of melts that contained various proportions of incompatible elements. The magma system was closed during the origin of the ore-bearing granites. Rare-metal granitoids in the Eastern Sayan zone were produced by magmas formed by interaction between mantle melts (which formed the mafic dikes) with crustal material. The mantle melts likely affected the lower parts of the crust and either induced its melting, with later mixing the anatectic and mantle magmas, or assimilated crustal material and generated melts with crustal–mantle characteristics. The origin of the Eastern Sayan zone of rare-metal alkaline magmatism was related to rifting, which was triggered by interaction between the Tarim and Barguzin mantle plumes. The Eastern Sayan zone was formed in the marginal part of the Barguzin magmatic province, and rare-metal magmas in it were likely generated in relation with the activity of the Barguzin plume.     

Early Paleozoic batholiths in the northern part of the Kuznetsk Alatau: Composition,age, and sources

The paper reports geological, chemical, and geochronological data on the Early Paleozoic granitoid and gabbro-granite associations, which compose the Kozhukhovskii and Dudetskii batholiths in the northern part of the Kuznetsk Alatau. The Kozhukhovskii batholith located in the Alatau volcanoplutonic belt is made up of tholeiitic, calc-alkaline, and subalkaline rocks that were formed in two stages. The first stage corresponded to the formation of granitoids of the Tylinskii quartz diorite-tonalite-plagiogranite complex (～530 Ma, Tylinskii Massif, tholeiitic type) in an island arc setting. The second stage (～500 Ma) produced the Martaiga quartz diorite-tonalite-plagiogranite complex (Kozhukhovskii Massif, calc-alkaline type) and the Krasnokamenskii monzodiorite-syenite-granosyenite complex (Krasnokamenskii Massif, subalkaline type) in an accretionary-collisional setting. The Dudetskii batholith is situated in the Altai-Kuznetsk volcanoplutonic belt and contains widespread subalkaline intrusive rocks (Malodudetskii monzogabbro-monzodiorite-syenite and Karnayul’skii granosyenite-leucogranite complexes) and less abundant alkaline rocks (Verkhnepetropavlovskii carbonatite-bearing alkaline-gabbroid complex), which were formed within the age range of 500–485 Ma. Our Nd isotopic studies suggest mainly a subduction source of the rocks of the Kozhukhovskii batholith (ε_Nd from + 4.8 to + 4.2). Subalkaline rocks of the Dudetskii batholith exhibit wide isotopic variations. The Nd isotopic composition of monzodiorites and monzogabbro of the Malodudetskii Complex (ε_Nd = + 6.6), in association with the elevated alkalinity and high Nb and Ta contents of these rocks, testifies to the predominant contribution of an enriched mantle source at the participation of a depleted mantle source. The lower ε_Nd (from + 3.2 to + 1.9) in its syenites possibly indicates their generation through melting of metabasic rocks derived from enriched mantle protolith. The rocks of the Karnayul’skii Complex have lower Nb and Ta contents at similar ε_Nd (+3.6), which suggests some crustal contribution to their formation.     

Paleozoic tholeiitic magmatism of the Kola province: Spatial distribution,age, and relation to alkaline magmatism

This paper focuses on the occurrences of tholeiitic magmatism in the northeastern Fennoscandian shield. It was found that numerous dolerite dikes of the Pechenga, Barents Sea, and Eastern Kola swarms were formed 380–390 Ma ago, i.e., directly before the main stage of the Paleozoic alkaline magmatism of the Kola province. The isotope geochemical characteristics of the dolerites suggest that their primary melts were derived from the mantle under the conditions of the spinel lherzolite facies. The depleted mantle material from which the tholeiites were derived shows no evidence for metasomatism and enrichment in high fieldstrength and rare earth elements, whereas melanephelinite melts postdating the tholeiites were generated in an enriched source. It was shown that the relatively short stage of mantle metasomatism directly after the emplacement of tholeiitic magmas was accompanied by significant mantle fertilization. In contrast to other large igneous provinces, where pulsed intrusion of large volumes of tholeiitic magmas coinciding or alternating with phases of alkaline magmatism was documented, the Kola province is characterized by systematic evolution of the Paleozoic plume–lithosphere process with monotonous deepening of the level of magma generation, development of mantle metasomatism and accompanying fertilization of mantle materials, and systematic changes in the composition of melts reaching the surface.     

扬子地块西南缘晚古生代基性岩浆岩的性质与古特提斯洋的演化

扬子地块西南缘晚泥盆世至晚二叠世的基性岩浆岩具有大体类似的地球化学性质, 它们均富集Ｔｉ（ＴｉＯ２＞ ２％ ）、ＬＩＬＥ和ＬＲＥＥ（Ｌａ／Ｙｂ）Ｎ＝ ４．８～１４．６）,Ｔｉ／Ｖ（３２～６７）、Ｔｉ／Ｙ（４００～６９３）和Ｚｒ／Ｙ（３．２～７．６）比值高,具洋岛玄武岩的特征,推测它们均与地幔柱岩浆的活动有关。该地幔柱岩浆活动的时期与古特提斯洋盆演化的时期大体吻合, 但地幔柱岩浆开始喷发的中心与古特提斯初始扩张的中心相距甚远,看来,金沙江－哀牢山洋盆的张开与地幔柱岩浆活动无关。从晚泥盆世至晚二叠世,地幔柱岩浆活动的规模和强度逐渐增加,玄武岩分布中心从广西的南宁－百色之间逐渐向北西３１０°方向迁移了约６００ ｋｍ ,推测这一迁移轨迹可能受金沙江－哀牢山洋盆扩张的影响。据此估计, 金沙江－哀牢山洋盆宽度可达约１ ０００ ｋｍ 。据地幔柱岩浆轨迹与金沙江－哀牢山缝合带所夹的角度推测, 扬子地块可能经历了顺时针旋转, 与古地磁资料一致。     

Middle Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic anorogenic magmatism of the South Yenisei Ridge: first geochemical and geochronological data

In this paper we present complex geological, petrographic and geochronological data of the study of intermediate and acid composition intrusive and volcanogenic rocks from the Porozhnaya massif of the South Yenisei Ridge. For the first time in the Yenisei Ridge Devonian and Triassic U-Pb age values (SHRIMP method) have been obtained for leucogranites—387 ± 5 Ma and alkaline trachytes—240 ± 3 Ma, which allows us to attribute them to two different complexes, despite the fact that these rocks were formed within the same Severnaya riftogenic structure. Geochronological Ar-Ar data (392–387 Ma) for micas from paragneisses and leucogranitic dikes of the Yenisei suture zone on whose extension the Severnaya riftogenic structure is located are also given in this study. These data on Devonian tectonic-magmatic events in the South Yenisei Ridge agree well with coeval events of continental rifting—the formation of intrusive and volcanogenic rocks of the Agul graben in the Prisayan region and the Minusa basin in the Altai-Sayan folded area. The forming of alkaline trachytes and alkaline syenites of the Severnaya riftogenic structure, for which an age of 240 ± 3 Ma has been established, is related to the trap magmatism of the Siberian platform.