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.     

Crustal Contamination of Early Cretaceous Magmatic Rocks of the Western Transbaikal Rifting Zone

Results of isotope Sr, Ns, and O analyses of volcanic rocks from the Uda sector of the West Transbaikal Rift Zone have allowed estimation of the character of interaction of their parental mantle melts with crustal rocks. The smallest magnitude of this interaction has been found in the compositions of Late Cretaceous (83–70 Ma) volcanics, the geochemical and isotope markers of which suggest their derivation from a moderately enriched mantle compositionally resembling OIB sources. The Early Cretaceous volcanics were derived from mantle sources that included a mantle enriched by subduction. While ascending through the crust, the parental melts of the Uda Complex (130–111 Ma) were contaminated by the lower crust matter. The Zazin Complex magmas (143–135 Ma) have features suggesting their interaction with upper crustal granitoids of the Angara–Vitim Batholith.

     

Composition,sources, and geodynamic nature of giant batholiths in Central Asia: Evidence from the geochemistry and Nd isotopic characteristics of granitoids in the Khangai zonal magmatic area

Data on the composition, inner structure, and magma sources of giant batholith in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt are analyzed with reference to the Khangai batholith. The Khangai batholith was emplaced in the Late Permian–Early Triassic (270–240 Ma) and is the largest accumulations (>150000 km²) of granite plutons in central Mongolia. The plutons are dominated by granites of normal alkalinity and contain subalkaline granites and more rare alkaline granites. The batholith is hosted in the Khangai zonal magmatic area, which consists of the batholith itself and surrounding rift zones. The zones are made up of bimodal basalt–trachyte–comendite (pantellerite) or basalt-dominated (alkaline basalt) volcanic associations, whose intrusive rocks are dominated by syenite and granite, granosyenite, and leucogranite. Both the batholith and the rift zones were produced within the time span of 270–240 Ma. Although the rocks composing the batholith and its rift surroundings are different, they are related through a broad spectrum of transitional varieties, which suggests that that the mantle and crustal melts could interact at various scale when the magmatic area was produced. A model is suggested to explain how the geological structure of the magmatic area and the composition of the magmatic associations that make up its various zones were controlled by the interaction between a mantle plume and the lithospheric folded area. The mantle melts emplaced into the lower crust are thought to not only have been heat sources and thus induced melting but also have predetermined the variable geochemical and isotopic characteristics of the granitoids. In the marginal portions of the zonal area, the activity of the mantle plume triggered rifting associated with bimodal and alkaline granite magmatism. The formation of giant batholiths was typical of the evolution of the active continental margin of the Siberian paleocontinent in the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic: the Khangai, Angara–Vitim, and Khentei batholiths were formed in this area within a relatively brief time span between 300 and 190Ma. The batholiths share certain features: they consist of granitoids of a broad compositional range, from tonalite and plagiogranite to granosyenite and rare-metal granites; and the batholiths were produced in relation to rifting processes that also formed rift magmatic zones in the surroundings of the batholiths. The large-scale and unusual batholith-forming processes are thought to have occurred when the active continental margin of the Late Paleozoic Siberian continent overlapped a number of hotspots in the Paleo- Asian Ocean. This resulted in the origin of a giant anorogenic magmatic province, which included batholiths, flood-basalt areas in Tarim and Junggar, and the Central Asian Rift System. The batholiths are structural elements of the latter and components of the zonal magmatic areas.     

Late Paleozoic gabbroids of western Transbaikalia: U-Pb and Ar-Ar isotopic ages,composition, and petrogenesis

We provide new isotope-geochronological evidence for the synchronous occurrence of Late Paleozoic basic and granitoid magmatism in western Transbaikalia; this is a strong argument for the contribution of mantle magmas to granitoid petrogenesis. The Late Paleozoic basic rocks originated from the phlogopite-garnet-bearing lherzolitic mantle, which melted under “hydration conditions.” The specific features of Late Paleozoic magmatism in western Transbaikalia were determined by the combination of the activity of a low-energy mantle plume with the final stage of the Hercynian orogeny in space and time. At the early stage of magmatism, during the formation of the Barguzin granites,the plume had only a thermal influence on the crustal rocks heated as a result of Hercynian fold-thrust deformations. The mixing of mantle basic and crustal salic magmas at different levels marked the transition from crustal to mixed (mantle-crustal) granites, which include all post-Barguzin complexes (probably, except for alkali granites). In the geologic evolution of Transbaikalia, the Late Paleozoic magmatism was postorogenic, but it was initiated and influenced by the mantle plume.     

Phanerozoic mafic magmatism in the southern Siberian craton: geodynamic implications

The Phanerozoic history of mafic magmatism in the southern Siberian craton included three major events. The earliest event (～500 Ma) recorded in dolerite dikes occurred during accretion and collision at the early stage of the Central Asian orogen. Injection of mafic melts into the upper crust was possible in zones of diffuse extension within the southern Siberian craton which acted as an indenter. The Late Paleozoic event (～275 Ma) produced dikes that intruded in a setting of subduction-related extension at the back of the active continental margin of Siberia during closure of the Mongolia–Okhotsk ocean, as well as slightly older volcanics (290 Ma) in the Transbaikalian segment of the Central Asian orogen. Early Mesozoic magmatism in the southern Siberian craton resulted in numerous 240–250 Ma mafic intrusions in the Angara–Taseeva basin. The intrusions (Siberian traps) appeared as the subducting slab of the Mongolia–Okhotsk ocean interacted with a lower mantle plume. The post-Late Paleozoic ages of flood basalts (290–275 Ma) correspond to progressive northwestward (in present coordinates) motion of the slab beneath the southern craton margin which likely ceased after the slab had reached the zone of the Siberian superplume. Since its consolidation after the Early Mesozoic activity, the crust in the area has no longer experienced extension favorable for intrusion of basaltic magma.     

Geochemistry, Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Relationships of Miocene Calc-alkaline Volcanic Rocks in the Western Carpathian Arc, Eastern Central Europe

We report major and trace element abundances and Sr, Nd andPb isotopic data for Miocene (16·5–11 Ma) calc-alkalinevolcanic rocks from the western segment of the Carpathian arc.This volcanic suite consists mostly of andesites and dacites;basalts and basaltic andesites as well as rhyolites are rareand occur only at a late stage. Amphibole fractionation bothat high and low pressure played a significant role in magmaticdifferentiation, accompanied by high-pressure garnet fractionationduring the early stages. Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic dataindicate a major role for crustal materials in the petrogenesisof the magmas. The parental mafic magmas could have been generatedfrom an enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB)-type mantlesource, previously metasomatized by fluids derived from subductedsediment. Initially, the mafic magmas ponded beneath the thickcontinental crust and initiated melting in the lower crust.Mixing of mafic magmas with silicic melts from metasedimentarylower crust resulted in relatively Al-rich hybrid dacitic magmas,from which almandine could crystallize at high pressure. Theamount of crustal involvement in the petrogenesis of the magmasdecreased with time as the continental crust thinned. A strikingchange of mantle source occurred at about 13 Ma. The basalticmagmas generated during the later stages of the calc-alkalinemagmatism were derived from a more enriched mantle source, akinto FOZO. An upwelling mantle plume is unlikely to be presentin this area; therefore this mantle component probably residesin the heterogeneous upper mantle. Following the calc-alkalinemagmatism, alkaline mafic magmas erupted that were also generatedfrom an enriched asthenospheric source. We propose that bothtypes of magmatism were related in some way to lithosphericextension of the Pannonian Basin and that subduction playedonly an indirect role in generation of the calc-alkaline magmatism.The calc-alkaline magmas were formed during the peak phase ofextension by melting of metasomatized, enriched lithosphericmantle and were contaminated by various crustal materials, whereasthe alkaline mafic magmas were generated during the post-extensionalstage by low-degree melting of the shallow asthenosphere. Thewestern Carpathian volcanic areas provide an example of long-lastingmagmatism in which magma compositions changed continuously inresponse to changing geodynamic setting. KEY WORDS: Carpathian–Pannonian region; calc-alkaline magmatism; Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes; subduction; lithospheric extension     

Orogenic Volcanism in Eastern Kazakhstan: Composition,Age, and Geodynamic Position

Studies of volcanic rocks in orogenic troughs of Eastern Kazakhstan were carried out. The troughs were formed at late-orogenic stages of evolution of Hercynian Altai collision system. Volcanic rocks are represented by basalts, andesites, dacites and rhyolites. Based on geochemical and isotopic data, the basalts and andesites derived from mafic magmas that formed as a result of partial melting of garnet peridotites in the upper mantle under the orogen. U–Pb zircon data prove two volcanic stages: more-scaled Middle Carboniferous (~311 Ma) and less-scaled Early Permian (297–290 Ma). Basalts and andesites in lower parts of the orogenic troughs and independent dacite-rhyolite structures were formed at the Middle Carboniferous stage. Parental mafic magmas were formed as a result of partial melting of mantle substrates in local transtensional zones along large shear faults. The formation of dacites and rhyolites could have been caused by partial melting of crustal substrates under effect of mafic magmas. Transtensional movements in the lithosphere of orogenic belts may indicate the beginning of collapse of orogens. A smaller volume of basalts and andesites formed at the Early Permian stage. Geochemical data prove the independent episode of partial melting in upper mantle. Synchronous basalts and andesites also appeared at wide territory in Tian Shan, Central Kazakhstan, and Central and Southern Mongolia. Early Permian volcanism indicates general extension of the lithosphere at the postorogenic stages. Large-scaled Early Permian mafic and granitoid magmatism in Central Asia has been interpreted in recent years as the Tarim Large Igneous Province caused by Tarim mantle plume activity. Thus, the extension of the lithosphere and associated volcanism in the Early Permian can be an indicator of the onset of the plume–lithosphere interaction process.

     

The Late Paleozoic geodynamics of the West Transbaikalian segment of the Central Asian fold belt

New data testifying to Late Paleozoic tectonometamorphic processes at the West Transbaikalian segment of the Central Asian Fold Belt have been obtained. Zircon dating (SHRIMP-II) of highly metamorphosed rocks showed that the processes took place at 295.3 ± 1.6 Ma. Based on these data, the Late Paleozoic ages of granitoids of the Angara–Vitim areal pluton (340–280 Ma) and some dike complexes in Transbaikalia (300–280 Ma), and the Late Paleozoic age of some carbonate-terrigenous strata dated earlier to the Early Paleozoic, we have substantiated the significant role of Hercynian tectogenesis in the consolidation of the regional continental crust. We have also shown that the Late Paleozoic endogenous events and accompanying sedimentation processes were related to the geodynamic conditions governed by the changing parameters of the subsidence of the Mongol-Okhotsk oceanic subduction slab beneath the Siberian continent. Changes in the slope and rate of the slab subsidence resulted in A-subduction conditions in the distal part of the suprasubduction plate, which led to the formation of accretion-collisional orogen and the Angara–Vitim areal pluton.     

Crust-derived felsic magmatism in the Emeishan large igneous Province: New evidence from zircon U-Pb-Hf-O isotope from the Yangtze Block,China

Numerous intrusive bodies of mafic–ultramafic to felsic compositions are exposed in association with volcanic rocks in the Late Permian Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP), southwestern China. Most of the granitic rocks in the ELIP were derived by differentiation of basaltic magmas with a mantle connection, and crustal magmas have rarely been studied. Here we investigate a suite of mafic dykes and I-type granites that yield zircon U-Pb emplacement ages of 259.9 ± 1.2 Ma and 259.3 ± 1.3 Ma, respectively. The ε_Hf(t) values of zircon from the DZ mafic dyke are –0.3 to 9.4, and their corresponding T_DM1 values are in the range of 919–523 Ma. The ε_Hf(t) values of zircon from the DSC I-type granite are between –1 and 3, with T_DM1 values showing a range of 938–782 Ma. We also present zircon O isotope data on crust-derived felsic intrusions from the ELIP for the first time. The δ¹⁸O values of zircon from the DSC I-type granite ranges from 4.87‰ to 7.5‰. The field, petrologic, geochemical and isotopic data from our study lead to the following salient findings. (i) The geochronological study of mafic and felsic intrusive rocks in the ELIP shows that the ages of mafic and felsic magmatism are similar. (ii) The DZ mafic dyke and high-Ti basalts have the same source, i.e., the Emeishan mantle plume. The mafic dyke formed from magmas sourced at the transitional depth between from garnet-lherzolite and spinel-lherzolite, with low degree partial melting (<10%). (iii) The Hf-O isotope data suggest that the DSC I-type granite was formed by partial melting of Neoproterozoic juvenile crust and was contaminated by minor volumes of chemically weathered ancient crustal material. (iv) The heat source leading to the formation of the crust-derived felsic rocks in of the ELIP is considered to be mafic–ultramafic magmas generated by a mantle plume, which partially melted the overlying crust, generating the felsic magma.     

华北燕山带:构造、埃达克质岩浆活动与地壳演化(英文)

埃达克质火成岩在中国东部,包括燕山带是很常见的,一般认为它们是下地壳不均匀的镁铁质岩石及/或富集的上地幔岩石在高压(≥1.5 GPa)下部分熔融的结果。在燕山带内埃达克岩浆的形成有一个很长的时间(约190～80 Ma),然而岩浆活动的峰期却与约170～130 Ma间有基底岩石卷入的陆壳收缩期相一致。尽管埃达克质岩浆活动的历史很长,但那种把岩浆活动与岩石圈的拆沉效应相联系的模式似乎是不适当的。在该带内,埃达克质与非埃达克质岩浆活动有一部分是同时的,而且在地理分布上也是相间的,这说明了在下地壳和上地幔岩石的部分熔融中成分是相当不均匀的。侏罗纪及白垩纪熔融作用的热源应当是与古太平洋板块俯冲相关的中生代板底垫托的玄武岩浆。除了局部例外,在燕山带,埃达克质岩浆活动的终结和碱性岩浆活动的开始约在130～120 Ma,在此时期收缩作用使东亚大达200万km~2以上的地区发生了NW—SE向的区域性伸展作用。强烈的地壳伸展仅局限于华北克拉通北缘分布的少数几个变质核杂岩中。陆壳的伸展减薄合理地解释了130～120 Ma间发生高压埃达克质熔融条件的终结,尽管还有局部年轻的埃达克火山活动(约120～80Ma)可以在伸展规模有限而厚的地壳依然存在的地区继续出现。燕山区早白垩世的碱性侵入体中的锆石不存在前寒武纪?     

Evolution of the Proto-Tethys in the Baoshan block along the East Gondwana margin: constraints from early Palaeozoic magmatism

Zircon U–Pb ages and geochemical and isotopic data for Late Ordovician granites in the Baoshan Block reveal the early Palaeozoic tectonic evolution of the margin of East Gondwana. The granites are high-K, calc-alkaline, metaluminous to strongly peraluminous rocks with A/CNK values of 0.93–1.18, are enriched in SiO₂, K₂O, and Rb, and depleted in Nb, P, Ti, Eu, and heavy rare earth elements, which indicates the crystallization fractionation of the granitic magma. Zircon U–Pb dating indicates that they formed at ca. 445 Ma. High initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.719761–0.726754, negative ?_Nd(t) values of –6.6 to –8.3, and two-stage model ages of 1.52–1.64 Ga suggest a crustal origin, with the magmas derived from the partial melting of ancient metagreywacke at high temperature. A synthesis of data for the early Palaeozoic igneous rocks in the Baoshan Block and adjacent Tengchong Block indicates two stages of flare-up of granitic and mafic magmatism caused by different tectonic settings along the East Gondwana margin. Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician granitic rocks (ca. 490 Ma) were produced when underplated mafic magmas induced crustal melting along the margin of East Gondwana related to the break-off of subducted Proto-Tethyan oceanic slab. In addition, the cession of the mafic magmatism between late Cambrian-Early Ordovician and Late Ordovician could have been caused by the collision of the Baoshan Block and outward micro-continent along the margin of East Gondwana and crust and lithosphere thickening. The Late Ordovician granites in the Baoshan Block were produced in an extensional setting resulting from the delamination of an already thickened crust and lithospheric mantle followed by the injection of synchronous mafic magma.     

The limited extent of plume-lithosphere interactions during continental flood-basalt genesis: geochemical evidence from Cretaceous magmatism in southern Brazil

It has been suggested that large areas of the Earth's lithospheric mantle undergo pervasive dehydration melting during the impact of mantle plumes and the Early-Cretaceous Paraná-Etendeka continental flood-basalt (CFB) province has repeatedly been cited as evidence of this phenomenon. During the Cretaceous, however, southern Brazil experienced two phases of mafic magmatism. These igneous events occurred ～50?Ma apart and therefore represent distinct episodes of melt genesis in the underlying mantle. The first phase of magmatism, in the Early Cretaceous, included the emplacement of lava flows associated with the Paraná-Etendeka CFB province and also the intrusion of small-volume mafic alkaline magmas (e.g. Anitápolis, Jacupiranga and Juquiá) in the Dom Feliciano and Ribeira mobile belts. During the Late Cretaceous, both sodic and potassic mafic magmas were emplaced on the margin of the adjacent Luis-Alves craton and intrude the flood-basalts at Lages. On the basis of variations in incompatible trace-element concentrations (e.g. Ba?=?1000 to 2000?ppm), initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7048–0.7064) and ?_Nd values (?3 to ?12), we suggest that all of the Late-Cretaceous mafic potassic magmas were derived from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) which was metasomatically enriched during the Proterozoic. We propose that these relatively low temperature, volatile-rich, mafic melts provide direct evidence that the underlying SCLM did not melt wholesale during the previous Early-Cretaceous Paraná-Etendeka CFB event. Late-Cretaceous melting of the SCLM beneath southern Brazil may have been caused by heat conduction from either: (1) ponded ～132?Ma Tristan plume-head material; or (2) ～85?Ma Trindade plume-head material channelled southwards between the thick cratonic keels of the Amazonas and São Francisco cratons. The Late-Cretaceous magmatism appears to have been contemporaneous with uplift across southern Brazil and Paraguay; we suggest that both of these phenomena represent the widespread effects of the impact of the Trindade mantle plume on the base of the SCLM. Plate margin stresses and lithospheric extension associated with the opening of the South Atlantic may also have changed the geothermal gradient beneath southern Brazil and contributed to mantle melting.     

U–Pb geochronology and Lu–Hf isotopes of zircons from newly identified Permian–Early Triassic plutons in western Liaoning province along the northern margin of the North China Craton: constraints on petrogenesis and tectonic setting

Mafic to felsic gneisses along the northern margin of the North China Craton (NMNCC), in western Liaoning province, China, were previously assumed to be part of Archean metamorphic basement but are here identified as younger (Permian–Early Triassic) intrusions. LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb isotopic dating reveals that the magmatic precursors of the mafic gneisses were emplaced from 295 ± 3 to 259 ± 2 Ma and that the magmatic precursors of the dioritic and monzogranitic gneisses were emplaced at 267 ± 1 and 251 ± 2 Ma, respectively, thus recording a continuum of Permian to Early Triassic magmatism. The mafic and dioritic rocks exhibit zircon ε_Hf(t) values from ?20.7 to ?3.3, suggesting they were mainly derived from a metasomatized lithospheric mantle source, possibly involving some crustal contamination. The monzogranitic rocks display their zircon ε_Hf(t) values of +0.9 to +4.7, indicating the acidic magma was derived from partial melting of juvenile crustal materials from the depleted mantle source. Crustal model ages (T _DM ^C ) obtained from zircon Hf isotopes of these monzogranitic rocks range from 976 to 1,215 Ma, with an average of 1,074 ± 32 Ma, possibly implying an episode of Grenvillian crustal growth in western Liaoning province. These new lines of evidence show that the NMNCC witnessed abundant magmatic activity and interaction of the crust and mantle during the Permian and Early Triassic and that the mafic magmatism was earlier than the monzogranitic activity. These findings indicate that the monzogranitic activity was the result of underplating of mafic magma with an enriched mantle source. In the context of regional Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic magmatic activity, the Permian magmatism occurred in an Andean-style continental margin setting when the Paleo-Asian oceanic plate was subducted beneath the NMNCC, and in this context, the Late Permian to Early Triassic magmatism may have been linked to post-collisional extension and asthenospheric upwelling, suggesting that the western Liaoning province in the NMNCC may be an eastward extension of the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic active continental margin.     

Geochronology and geochemistry of early Paleozoic granitic and coeval mafic rocks from the Tannuola terrane (Tuva,Russia): Implications for transition from a subduction to post-collisional setting in the northern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Early Paleozoic magmatism of the Tannuola terrane located in the northern Central Asian Orogenic Belt is important to understanding the transition from subduction to post-collision settings. In this study, we report in situ zircon U-Pb ages, whole rock geochemistry, and Sr-Nd isotopic data from the mafic and granitic rocks of the eastern Tannuola terrane to better characterize their petrogenesis and to investigate changing of the tectonic setting and geodynamic evolution. Zircon U-Pb ages reveal three magmatic episodes for about 60 Ma from ∼510 to ∼450 Ma, that can be divided into the late Cambrian (∼510–490 Ma), the Early Ordovician (∼480–470 Ma) and the Middle-Late Ordovician (∼460–450 Ma) stages. The late Cambrian episode emplaced the mafic, intermediate and granitic rocks with volcanic arc affinity. The late Cambrian mafic rocks of the Tannuola terrane may originate from melting of mantle source that contain asthenosphere and subarc enriched mantle metasomatized by melts derived from sinking oceanic slab. Geochemical and isotopic compositions indicate the late Cambrian intermediate-granitic rocks are most consistent with an origin from a mixed source including fractionation of mantle-derived magmas and crustal-derived components. The Early Ordovician episode reveal bimodal intrusions containing mafic rocks and adakite-like granitic rocks implying the transition from a thinner to a thicker lower crust. The Early Ordovician mafic rocks are formed as a result of high degree melting of mantle source including dominantly depleted mantle and subordinate mantle metasomatized by fluid components while coeval granitic rocks were derived from partial melting of the high Sr/Y mafic rocks. The latest Middle-Late Ordovician magmatic episode emplaced high-K calc-alkaline ferroan granitic rocks that were formed through the partial melting the juvenile Neoproterozoic sources.These three episodes of magmatism identified in the eastern Tannuola terrane are interpreted as reflecting the transition from subduction to post-collision settings during the early Paleozoic. The emplacement of voluminous magmatic rocks was induced by several stages of asthenospheric upwelling in various geodynamic settings. The late Cambrian episode of magmatism was triggered by the slab break-off while subsequent Early Ordovician episode followed the switch to a collisional setting with thickening of the lower crust and the intrusion of mantle-induced bimodal magmatism. During the post-collisional stage, the large-scale lithospheric delamination provides the magma generation for the Middle-Late Ordovician granitic rocks.     

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.     

Sequence of magmatic events in the Late Paleozoic of Transbaikalia,Russia (U-Pb isotope data)

The Late Paleozoic intrusive rocks, mostly granitoids, totally occupy more than 200,000 km² on the territory of Transbaikalia. Isotopic U-Pb zircon dating (about 30 samples from the most typical plutons) shows that the Late Paleozoic magmatic cycle lasted for 55–60 m.y., from ~330 Ma to ~275 Ma. During this time span, five intrusive suites were emplaced throughout the region. The earliest are high-K calc-alkaline granites (330–310 Ma) making up the Angara–Vitim batholith of 150,000 km² in area. At later stages, formation of geochemically distinct intrusive suites occurred with total or partial overlap in time. In the interval of 305–285 Ma two suites were emplaced: calc-alkaline granitoids with decreased SiO₂ content (the Chivyrkui suite of quartz monzonite and granodiorite) and the Zaza suite comprising transitional from calc-alkaline to alkaline granite and quartz syenite. At the next stage, in the interval of 285–278 Ma the shoshonitic Low Selenga suite made up of monzonite, syenite and alkali rich microgabbro was formed; this suite was followed, with significant overlap in time (281–276 Ma), by emplacement of Early Kunalei suite of alkaline (alkali feldspar) and peralkaline syenite and granite. Concurrent emplacement of distinct plutonic suites suggests simultaneous magma generation at different depth and, possibly, from different sources. Despite complex sequence of formation of Late Paleozoic intrusive suites, a general trend from high-K calc-alkaline to alkaline and peralkaline granitoids, is clearly recognized. New data on the isotopic U-Pb zircon age support the Rb-Sr isotope data suggesting that emplacement of large volumes of peralkaline and alkaline (alkali feldspar) syenites and granites occurred in two separate stages: Early Permian (281–278 Ma) and Late Triassic (230–210 Ma). Large volumes and specific compositions of granitoids suggest that the Late Paleozoic magmatism in Transbaikalia occurred successively in the post-collisional (330–310 Ma), transitional (305–285 Ma) and intraplate (285–275 Ma) setting.     

The passive margin of northern Gondwana during Early Paleozoic: Evidence from the central Tibet Plateau

The central–south domain of the Tibet Plateau represents an important part of the northern segment of Gondwana during the early Paleozoic. Here we present zircon U–Pb, Lu–Hf isotope, and whole–rock geochemical data from a suite of early Paleozoic magmatic rocks from the central Tibet Plateau, with a view to gain insights into the nature and geotectonic evolution of the northern margin of Gondwana. Zircon grains in four granitic rocks yielded ages of 532−496 Ma with negative ε_Hf(t) values (−13.7 to −0.6). Zircon grains in meta–basalt and mafic gneiss yielded ages of 512 ± 5 Ma and 496 ± 6 Ma, respectively. Geochemically, the granitic rocks belong to high–K calc–alkaline and shoshonitic S–type granite suite, with the protolith derived from the partial melting of ancient crustal components. The mafic gneiss and meta–basalt geochemically resemble OIB (Oceanic Island Basalt) and E–MORB (Enriched Mid–Ocean Ridge Basalt), respectively. They were derived from low degree (∼5–10%) partial melting of an enriched mantle (garnet and spinel lherzolite) that was contaminated by upper crustal components. The parental magmas experienced orthopyroxene–dominated fractional crystallization. Sedimentological features of the Cambrian–Ordovician formations indicate that the depositional cycle transformed from marine regression to transgression leading to the formation of parallel/angular unconformities between the Cambrian and Ordovician strata. The hiatus associated with these unconformities are coupled with the peak of the early Paleozoic magmatism in Tibet Plateau, indicating a tectonic control. We conclude that the Cambrian–Ordovician magmatic suite and sedimentary rocks formed in an extensional setting, and we correlate this with the post–peak stage of the Pan–African orogeny. The post–collision setting associated with delamination, orogenic collapse or lithospheric extension along the northern margin of Gondwana, can account for the Cambrian–Ordovician magmatism and sedimentation, rather than oceanic subduction along the external margin. We thus infer a passive margin setting for the northern Gondwana during the Early Paleozoic.     

280–310 Ma rift-related basaltic magmatism in northern Baoshan,SW China: Implications for Gondwana reconstruction and mineral exploration

The temporal and spatial variations of Late Paleozoic basaltic lavas in Baoshan, the northern part of a Gondwana-derived micro-continental block called Sibumasu, are important for Gondwana reconstruction. Magmatic zircon crystals from three selected dolerite dykes in the Baoshan region yield U-Pb ages from ~295 to ~310 Ma. These new ages, together with previous zircon U-Pb ages for this type of rock, define a protracted (~30 myr) episode of basaltic magmatism from ~310 to 280 Ma in a small area of this region, which is inconsistent with the typical temporal-spatial distribution of mantle plume magmatism. The trace element compositions of the Baoshan dolerite dykes and associated lavas are similar to arc basalts as well as continental flood basalts worldwide, showing light REE enrichments and negative Nb-Ta anomalies. Mixing calculations using the Sr-Nd-Hf isotope data of the Baoshan mafic rocks indicate that their intriguing trace element characteristics can be explained by contamination of mantle-derived magmas with crustal materials. Our new data, together with the lack of Late Paleozoic are-related calcalkaline rocks and granitoids in the Sibumasu block and other contemporaneous Gondwana-derived micro-continental blocks, strongly support the premise that the 310–280 Ma basalts and dolerites in the Baoshan region are the products of continental rift-related magmatism rather than arc magmatism. Based on the temporal correlation of the 310–280 Ma rift-related magmatism in several related Gondwana-derived micro-continents (Sibumasu, South Qiangtang, Lhasa and Himalaya), plus other independent constraints such as paleoclimate biotas and paleolatitudes from the literature, we provide an improved model for the configuration of the Gondwana supercontinent in the Early Permian. Based on the results from this study, we conclude that further investment in the exploration of magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposits associated with the 310–280 Ma mafic-ultramafic intrusions in northern Baoshan and the other related Gondwana-derived micro-continental blocks is warranted.     

Contributions of basaltic underplating to crustal growth in island arc and extensional tectonic settings in the Chinese Tianshan Orogenic Belt,NW China

A mafic–ultramafic intrusive belt comprising Silurian arc gabbroic rocks and Early Permian mafic–ultramafic intrusions was recently identified in the western part of the East Tianshan, NW China. This paper discusses the petrogenesis of the mafic–ultramafic rocks in this belt and intends to understand Phanerozoic crust growth through basaltic magmatism occurring in an island arc and intraplate extensional tectonic setting in the Chinese Tianshan Orogenic Belt (CTOB). The Silurian gabbroic rocks comprise troctolite, olivine gabbro, and leucogabbro enclosed by Early Permian diorites. SHRIMP II U-Pb zircon dating yields a 427 ± 7.3 Ma age for the Silurian gabbroic rocks and a 280.9 ± 3.1 Ma age for the surrounding diorite. These gabbroic rocks are direct products of mantle basaltic magmas generated by flux melting of the hydrous mantle wedge over subduction zone during Silurian subduction in the CTOB. The arc signature of the basaltic magmas receives support from incompatible trace elements in olivine gabbro and leucogabbro, which display enrichment in large ion lithophile elements and prominent depletion in Nb and Ta with higher U/Th and lower Ce/Pb and Nb/Ta ratios than MORBs and OIBs. The hydrous nature of the arc magmas are corroborated by the Silurian gabbroic rocks with a cumulate texture comprising hornblende cumulates and extremely calcic plagioclase (An up to 99 mol%). Troctolite is a hybrid rock, and its formation is related to the reaction of the hydrous basaltic magmas with a former arc olivine-diallage matrix which suggests multiple arc basaltic magmatism in the Early Paleozoic. The Early Permian mafic–ultramafic intrusions in this belt comprise ultramafic rocks and evolved hornblende gabbro resulting from differentiation of a basaltic magma underplated in an intraplate extensional tectonic setting, and this model would apply to coeval mafic–ultramafic intrusions in the CTOB. Presence of Silurian gabbroic rocks as well as pervasively distributed arc felsic plutons in the CTOB suggest active crust-mantle magmatism in the Silurian, which has contributed to crustal growth by (1) serving as heat sources that remelted former arc crust to generate arc plutons, (2) addition of a mantle component to the arc plutons by magma mixing, and (3) transport of mantle materials to form new lower or middle crust. Mafic–ultramafic intrusions and their spatiotemporal A-type granites during Early Permian to Triassic intraplate extension are intrusive counterparts of the contemporaneous bimodal volcanic rocks in the CTOB. Basaltic underplating in this temporal interval contributed to crustal growth in a vertical form, including adding mantle materials to lower or middle crust by intracrustal differentiation and remelting Early-Paleozoic formed arc crust in the CTOB.     

Basites of the polychronous magmatic center with the Erdenetiyn-Ovoo porphyry Cu-Mo deposit (northern Mongolia): petrogeochemistry, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology,geodynamic position,and related ore formation

The Erdenetiyn-Ovoo magmatic center (EMC) with a porphyry Cu-Mo deposit includes the following intrusive complexes: Selenga, Shivota, ore-bearing porphyry, and post-ore dike. The EMC formed at 260–200 Ma. The geologic evolution of northern Mongolia in that period was much determined by the effect of a mantle plume, which showed two periods of activity: Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic. The long multistage evolution of the EMC was due to its localization on the periphery of the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic areas of the plume’s influence. The Shivota and post-ore basites are considered to be comagmatic to the Late Permian–Early Triassic trachyandesite-basalt and Late Triassic–Early Jurassic trachyandesite series, respectively, which are similar to the products of Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic within-plate magmatism in northern Mongolia. The Selenga complex, which formed before the Shivota one, and the porphyry complex, which formed before the post-ore dike one, are differentiated gabbro-granite series. Gabbro-granitoid magmatism was initiated by the melting of rocks of continental lithosphere under the action of a plume. Later on, as the plume ascended to the surface and the lithosphere became thinner, the conditions were created favoring the lithosphere breakthrough and within-plate basaltoid magmatism.In geochemical features (high contents of LILE and LREE, low contents of HFSE and HREE) the studied basites are similar to the products of subduction magmatism. But this contradicts the geologic position of basites formed after the completion of subduction during the transition of the region to the rifting stage and during the rifting. The mantle metasomatized during the preceding subduction is regarded as the main source of basites. The high contents of alkalies and LREE in the volcanics of the post-ore dike complex and the REE patterns similar to the OIB ones evidence the influence of the plume on the magma formation. The high contents of incompatible trace elements and the Nd isotope composition corresponding to the weakly depleted mantle do not exclude a possible plume effect during the formation of the Selenga complex gabbroids. The geochemical features of the Shivota gabbros, comagmatic to volcanics produced during the Late Paleozoic within-plate activity, are partly transformed during the melt evolution in crustal chambers.The REE patterns of the EMC basites evidence that the evolution of ascending magma was accompanied by the fractionation of amphibole. During this process, ore elements were redistributed into mineral and concentrated in amphibole-containing rocks, from which metals were later mobilized by late melts and fluids. The evolution of basaltoid magmatism of the Selenga, Shivota, and porphyry complexes is regarded as a preliminary stage of ore formation, which was considerably responsible for the EMC productivity.