Genesis of the Gold Deposit in the Indus-Yarlung Tsangpo Suture Zone, Southern Tibet: Evidence from Geological and Geochemical Data

The Nianzha gold deposit,located in the central section of the Indus-Yarlung Tsangpo suture(IYS) zone in southern Tibet,is a large gold deposit(Au reserves of 25 tons with average grade of 3.08 g/t) controlled by a E-W striking fault that developed during the main stage of Indo-Asian collision(~65-41 Ma).The main orebody is 1760 m long and 5.15 m thick,and occurs in a fracture zone bordered by Cretaceous diorite in the hanging wall to the north and the Renbu tectonic melange in the footwall to the south.High-grade mineralization occurs in a fracture zone between diorite and ultramafic rock in the Renbu tectonic melange.The wall-rock alteration is characterized by silicification in the fracture zone,serpentinization and the formation of talc and magnesite in the ultramafic unit,and chloritization and the formation of epidote and calcite in diorite.Quartz veins associated with Au mineralization can be divided into three stages.Fluid inclusion data indicate that the deposit formed from H_2O-NaCl-organic gas fluids that homogenize at temperatures of 203℃-347℃ and have salinities of 0.35wt%-17.17wt%NaCl equivalent.The quartz veins yield δ~(18)O_(fluid) values of 0.15‰-10.45‰,low δD_(V-SMOW)values(-173‰ to-96‰),and the δ~(13)C values of-17.6‰ to-4.7‰,indicating the ore-forming fluids were a mix of metamorphic and sedimentary orogenic fluids with the addition of some meteoric and mantle-derived fluids.The pyrite within the diorite has δ~(34)S_(V-CDT) values of-2.9‰-1.9‰(average-1.1‰),~(206)Pb/~(204)Pb values of 18.47-18.64,~(207)Pb/~(204)Pb values of 15.64-15.74,and ~(208)Pb/~(204)Pb values of 38.71-39.27,all of which are indicative of the derivation of S and other ore-forming elements from deep in the mantle.The presence of the Nianzha,Bangbu,and Mayum gold deposits within the IYS zone indicates that this area is highly prospective for large orogenic gold deposits.We identified three types of mineralization within the IYS,namely Bangbu-type accretionary,Mayum-type microcontinent,and Nianzha-type ophiolite-associated orogenic Au deposits.The three types formed at different depths in an accretionary orogenic tectonic setting.The Bangbu type was formed at the deepest level and the Nianzha type at the shallowest.     

西藏雅鲁藏布江缝合带东波地幔橄榄岩中金刚石的发现及地质意义

本文报道了雅鲁藏布江缝合带西段的东波蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩中发现与罗布莎和普兰岩体相似的金刚石和特殊地幔矿物群。东波地幔橄榄岩体以方辉橄榄岩为主,含少量二辉橄榄岩和纯橄岩,辉石岩和辉长岩呈脉状产在方辉橄榄岩中。岩石地球化学特征表明东波岩体形成于MOR环境后受到SSZ环境的改造。通过重砂分选实验,在693 kg的地幔橄榄岩大样中发现了金刚石和碳硅石等30余种特殊矿物群,包括金刚石、自然铬、自然金、自然铁、自然硅、自然铜等自然元素矿物类;碳硅石等碳化物;铬尖晶石、金红石、铬铁矿、刚玉、黑钨矿、铌钽铁矿、磁铁矿、赤铁矿、方铁矿、锡石等氧化物;铁铬镍合金、镍铁合金、铜锌合金等合金互化物;辉钼矿、方铅矿、辉铋矿、黄铁矿、黄铜矿、毒砂和闪锌矿等硫化物;橄榄石、辉石、锆石、蓝晶石、白云母、蛇纹石、绿帘石等硅酸岩;萤石等氟化物。该矿物群与雅鲁藏布江缝合带的罗布莎和普兰两个岩体中发现的特殊矿物群非常类似,同时也为蛇绿岩型金刚石这一新类型提供了佐证。     

雅鲁藏布江南带白垩纪地层划分及特征

通过1∶25万区域地质调查,在藏南普兰县拉昂错—萨嘎县旦嘎东雅鲁藏布江结合带南带修康群中发现了大量放射虫化石,通过对该区沉积地层的详细调查,结合放射虫化石对原划修康群进行了充分解体,新厘定出侏罗系至始新统7个组级岩石地层单位,其中白垩系划分为折巴组与桑单林组。折巴组以杂色硅质岩、泥岩和页岩为主,夹砂岩、玄武岩等,与上覆上侏罗统旦嘎组和下伏下白垩统桑单林组呈整合接触关系,含丰富的早白垩世放射虫化石;桑单林组以杂色石英砂岩、砂岩、泥岩、页岩及硅质岩为主,夹玄武岩等,整合于下白垩统折巴组与古近系蹬岗组之间,含丰富的晚白垩世放射虫与有孔虫化石。白垩系折巴组与桑单林组的建立与研究,丰富和完善了中生代特提斯洋盆区(雅鲁藏布江南带地层分区)的岩石地层沉积序列,提高了地层的研究水平,为研究该区沉积古地理环境和大地构造演化提供了新的基础资料。     

Geochronology and petrogenesis of the mafic dykes from the Purang ophiolite:Implications for evolution of the western Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone,southwestern Tibet

The>2000 km Indus-Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone(IYSZ)is composed of the Neo-tethys oceanic remnants,flysch units and related continental rocks,which has been regarded as the boundary between the Eurasian and Indian terranes.Among the ophiolitic complexes,the Purang ophiolite is the biggest massif in the IYSZ,and many studies have been conducted on this ophiolite.However,previous studies have mainly focused on harzburgite,clinopyroxenite and dunite.Field observations show that mafic dykes were emplaced within the Purang ophiolite.However,petrogenetic evolutions of those mafic dykes are poorly understood.In this study,we present new LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results,whole-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope analyses for microgabbro,gabbro and dolerite dykes from the Purang ophiolite of the southwestern IYSZ,respectively.Three samples yielded zircon U-Pb ages of144.2±2.1 Ma.127.9±2.3 Ma and 126.5±0.42 Ma,suggesting two different phases of magmatic activities distinctly.Whole-rock geochemical results suggest that the gabbro samples show alkaline features marked by enrichments of light rare earth elements(LREE)and large-ion lithophile elements(LILE),as well as Nb-Ta elements,suggesting an oceanic island basalt-like(OIB-like)geochemical affinity.However,the dolerite and microgabbro samples demonstrate sub-alkaline characteristics with normal mid-oceanic ridge basalt-like(N-MORB-like)geochemical features.Three distinct mafic dykes show significant Rb element depletion.The geochemical data and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic features suggest that the microgabbro and gabbro rocks were derived from a depleted mantle that had been metasomatized by partial melts of sediments and enriched slab-derived fluids.The dolerite was also originated from a depleted mantle marked by significantly depleted Sr-Nd-Hf compositions,which was not influenced by enriched slab-derived fluids and sediments contamination during subsequent evolution.The isotope and geochemical data and tectonic diagrams suggest a tectonic transition from a within-plate to a midoceanic ridge basalt-like(MORB-like)setting during the period from ca.144 Ma to 127 Ma.Combined with regional background and this study,we propose that these mafic dykes were formed in an oceanic back-arc basin setting.Additionally,integrated with previous studies,we suggest that the geodynamic evolution of the southwestern and central parts of the Neo-Tethys oceanic basin is comparable in Early Cretaceous.     

西藏班公湖-怒江结合带中段沙木罗组的发现

西藏班公湖—怒江结合带是青藏高原一条重要的板块结合带,是羌塘板片和冈底斯-念青唐古拉板片的分界1。西藏中部安多县东巧和切里湖一带位于班公湖-怒江结合带中段,以发育“面状”蛇绿岩著称2。西藏地质调查院在承担中国地质调查局国土资源调查项目“1∶25万班戈县幅区域地质调查”期间,首次发现上侏罗统—下白垩统沙木罗组角度不整合覆盖于木嘎岗日岩群之上,确定了班公湖-怒江结合带的封闭时代,对研究特提斯演化具有重要意义。1剖面描述沙木罗组剖面位于安多县得萨乡懂错北约6km次玛附近,起点坐标为东经91°08'26″,北纬31°50'55″。剖面…     

西藏雅江缝合带西段普兰蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩成因:一种新认识

蛇绿岩中的地幔橄榄岩是蛇绿岩的重要组成部分,不仅记录了其所经历的板块构造事件,还可以探讨地幔的物质组成和深部地幔作用。位于雅江缝合带西段的普兰蛇绿岩以出露面积约600 km2的特大型地幔橄榄岩体而引人注目。为了探讨普兰蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩的成因,本文在普兰地幔橄榄岩体的东段完成了一条穿过岩体的长约10km的地质剖面,对地幔橄榄岩进行了系统采样,开展了详细矿物学、地球化学研究,取得以下主要进展和认识:(1)普兰地幔橄榄岩中的二辉橄榄岩经历了9%~15%的部分熔融作用,方辉橄榄岩最终经历了15%~25%的部分熔融作用;(2)基于橄榄石-尖晶石矿物化学平衡计算的普兰地幔橄榄岩氧逸度?log(fo2)FMQ值从-1.11到+0.45,略高于用VY含量估算出的氧逸度(在FMQ到FMQ-1趋势),指示其形成于还原环境;(3)普兰地幔橄榄岩不是简单的地幔残余,还经历了后期熔体交代作用。对普兰地幔橄榄岩交代产生类似"U"型稀土配分模式的熔体可能是洋中脊(MOR)环境产生的低融岩浆;(4)地幔橄榄岩地球化学特征及氧逸度计算结果表明,普兰地幔橄榄岩可能形成于洋中脊(MOR)环境,并没有俯冲带(SSZ)环境的印记。对于普兰地幔橄榄岩以及雅鲁藏布江缝合带其他岩体的成因,前人主要根据地幔橄榄岩一些元素的富集特征提出的MOR→SSZ两阶段演化模式需要重新审视。     

Petrological and Os Isotopic Characteristics of Zedong Peridotites in the Eastern Yarlung–Zangbo Suture in Tibet

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.     

西藏班公湖-怒江缝合带--深部地球物理结构给出的启示

通过跨越缝合带的综合地球物理和地质调查研究,查明了地质上推测的“班公湖-怒江缝合带”的深部结构和构造,提出了下述观点现有资料尚不足以证明,“班公湖-怒江缝合带”是严格意义上的缝合带,而趋向表明是一个老的弧后拉张区,在后来的印度大陆与拉萨地块碰撞挤压过程中,先是沉积了巨厚的第三纪地层,仅在20Ma(?)以来才转变成挤压体制,形成多条逆冲断裂;纳木错-申扎逆冲的蛇绿岩片带代表着侏罗纪洋的主要缝合带位置,在其闭合过程中洋壳与陆壳一起向北发生俯冲,并形成班戈岩带所代表的岩浆弧,在岩浆弧后出现了拉张区;下地壳向北挤压增厚,物理性质不同的上、下地壳之间相互运动而形成了一条缓倾的剪切片理化带,南北长达300km,命名为主羌塘逆冲断裂带(MQT);并使班戈岩片整体向南逆推上去,致使地壳分层增厚;在拉张期伦坡拉小地块向下运动,20Ma以后转变成压缩体制后又开始向上逆推,再加上后期的剥蚀,致使班戈深成岩体出露于地表;唐古拉山、各拉丹冬等年轻的火山岩浆带与地表显示的构造活动无直接关系,推测应是地壳深层作用引起的构造岩浆活动的显示。     

西藏雅鲁藏布江缝合带东段泽当豆荚状铬铁矿特征

泽当蛇绿岩位于雅鲁藏布江缝合带东段,岩体由地幔橄榄岩、辉长辉绿岩、辉石岩、火山岩等组成。地幔橄榄岩主要为方辉橄榄岩、纯橄岩和二辉橄榄岩。在方辉橄榄岩中发现7处豆荚状铬铁矿,矿石类型主要有致密块状和浸染状。出露地表的长度0.5~3m,厚0.2~1m。矿体的延伸方向为北西向,与岩体展布的方向一致,铬铁矿的Cr~#=67.9~88.5,属于高铬型铬铁矿。泽当地幔橄榄岩岩相学特征以及矿物组合、矿物化学成份及岩相学特征,显示岩体至少存在两次的部分熔融过程,即为早期的MOR构造背景,以及后期SSZ环境的改造。铬铁矿的铂族元素(PGE)以富集Os、Rh、Pd,亏损Ir、Ru、Pt的负斜率分布模式,表明其形成过程中经受后期熔体/流体的改造。对比罗布莎岩体的矿物组合,矿物化学和地球化学等特征,显示泽当豆荚状铬铁矿矿体与典型高铬型具相似性,存在较大的找矿空间。     

西藏班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪增生杂岩的特征及意义

西藏班公湖-怒江成矿带北部多龙矿集区出露的增生杂岩属总体无序、局部有序的非史密斯地层,由基质和块体2个部分组成。基质为侏罗系砂泥质复理石建造,块体由大小不等的玄武岩、砂岩、硅质岩、泥质灰岩、超基性岩等组成。增生杂岩系变形强烈,发育强烈的构造置换作用,块体与基质之间由透入性挤压面理或剪切面理分隔,为典型造山带大陆增生边缘的增生杂岩。这套增生杂岩形成于侏罗纪羌塘陆块南缘的侧向增生边缘,发育于晚古生代增生杂岩系之上,与班公湖-怒江中特提斯洋壳侏罗纪时期向羌塘陆块的俯冲作用有关,侏罗纪—白垩纪羌多岩浆弧为在这套增生楔基础上发育起来的火山-岩浆弧。班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪增生杂岩的识别为正确认识多龙超大型斑岩铜金矿床的成矿地质背景和结合带的演化提供了新的线索。     

西藏班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪 增生杂岩的特征及意义

西藏班公湖-怒江成矿带北部多龙矿集区出露的增生杂岩属总体无序、局部有序的非史密斯地层,由基质和块体2个部分组成。基质为侏罗系砂泥质复理石建造,块体由大小不等的玄武岩、砂岩、硅质岩、泥质灰岩、超基性岩等组成。增生杂岩系变形强烈,发育强烈的构造置换作用,块体与基质之间由透入性挤压面理或剪切面理分隔,为典型造山带大陆增生边缘的增生杂岩。这套增生杂岩形成于侏罗纪羌塘陆块南缘的侧向增生边缘,发育于晚古生代增生杂岩系之上,与班公湖-怒江中特提斯洋壳侏罗纪时期向羌塘陆块的俯冲作用有关,侏罗纪—白垩纪羌多岩浆弧为在这套增生楔基础上发育起来的火山-岩浆弧。班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪增生杂岩的识别为正确认识多龙超大型斑岩铜金矿床的成矿地质背景和结合带的演化提供了新的线索。     

Discovery of eclogites in Jinsha River suture zone,Gonjo County,eastern Tibet and its restriction on Paleo-Tethyan evolution

As the important component of the eastern Tethys tectonic region, the Jinsha River-Ailao Mountain suture zone is often considered to be an ophiolitic mélange belt. However, the P-T-t path and chronological framework of the metamorphic evolution in the collisional orogenetic process of this zone are still poorly understood owing to the lack of metamorphism research of symbolic high-pressure rocks. During a regional geological survey on a scale of 1 : 50000 in Gonjo County, Tibet Autonomous Region involved in this paper, (retrograde) eclogites lenses of different scales were found in Jinsha River suture zone, eastern Tibet for the first time. The (retrograde) eclogites can be divided into garnet-albite-chlorite-actinolite schists and eclogites according to retrograde degrees. The mainly mineral components of eclogites include garnet (45%–50%), clinopyroxene (about 25%), and hornblende (5%–10%) primarily, and biotite, quartz, rutile, and muscovite secondarily. According to the data of electron probe micro analysis (EPMA), clinopyroxenes feature high content of Na₂O (5.6%–6%) and corresponding jadeite (Jd) molecules of 37%–44%, and they fall within the omphacite region in Quad-Jd-Ae diagram. The temperature and pressure of the metamorphism at peak are P≈2.2–2.34 GPa and T≈622–688 °C respectively as measured with geobarometry Grt-Omp-Phe and geothermometer Grt-Omp. This will provide a new reference for the understanding of Paleo-Tethyan evolution. In this paper, two samples of eclogites were chosen for LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating and their ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages obtained are 240 ± 3 Ma and 244 ± 1 Ma respectively. Furthermore, the zircons feature extremely low Th/U ratio (<0.01), extremely low content of Nb, Ta, and HREE, and invisible negative Eu anomaly. Therefore, the genesis of the zircons shall be eclogites-facies metamorphism, indicating that the 240–245 Ma determined in this paper shall be the age of eclogites-facies metamorphism and may represent the westward subduction-collision epoch of Paleo-Tethys Ocean located between Zhongza Block and Qamdo Block.     

西藏班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪增生杂岩的特征及意义

西藏班公湖-怒江成矿带北部多龙矿集区出露的增生杂岩属总体无序、局部有序的非史密斯地层,由基质和块体2个部分组成。基质为侏罗系砂泥质复理石建造,块体由大小不等的玄武岩、砂岩、硅质岩、泥质灰岩、超基性岩等组成。增生杂岩系变形强烈,发育强烈的构造置换作用,块体与基质之间由透入性挤压面理或剪切面理分隔,为典型造山带大陆增生边缘的增生杂岩。这套增生杂岩形成于侏罗纪羌塘陆块南缘的侧向增生边缘,发育于晚古生代增生杂岩系之上,与班公湖-怒江中特提斯洋壳侏罗纪时期向羌塘陆块的俯冲作用有关,侏罗纪—白垩纪羌多岩浆弧为在这套增生楔基础上发育起来的火山-岩浆弧。班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪增生杂岩的识别为正确认识多龙超大型斑岩铜金矿床的成矿地质背景和结合带的演化提供了新的线索。     

Detrital zircon U–Pb ages along the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet: Implications for oblique convergence and collision between India and Asia

Age-dating of detrital zircons from 22 samples collected along, and adjacent to, the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone, southern Tibet provides distinctive age-spectra that characterize important tectonostratigraphic units. Comparisons with data from Nepal, northern India and the Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes of central Tibet constrain possible sources of sediment, and the history of tectonic interactions.Sedimentary rocks in the Cretaceous–Paleogene Xigaze terrane exhibit strong Mesozoic detrital zircon peaks (120 and 170 Ma) together with considerable older inheritance in conglomeratic units. This forearc basin succession developed in association with a continental volcanic arc hinterland in response to Neotethyan subduction under the southern edge of the Eurasia. Conspicuous sediment/source hinterland mismatches suggest that plate convergence along this continental margin was oblique during the Late Cretaceous. The forearc region may have been translated > 500 km dextrally from an original location nearer to Myanmar.Tethyan Himalayan sediments on the other side of the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone reveal similar older inheritance and although Cretaceous sediments formed 1000s of km and across at least one plate boundary from those in the Xigaze terrane they too contain an appreciable mid-Early Cretaceous (123 Ma) component. In this case it is attributed to volcanism associated with Gondwana breakup.Sedimentary overlap assemblages reveal interactions between colliding terranes. Paleocene Liuqu conglomerates contain a cryptic record of Late Jurassic and Cretaceous rock units that appear to have foundered during a Paleocene collision event prior the main India–Asia collision. Detrital zircons as young as 37 Ma from the upper Oligocene post-collisional Gangrinboche conglomerates indicate that subduction-related convergent margin magmatism continued through until at least Middle and probably Late Eocene along the southern margin of Eurasia (Lhasa terrane).Although the ages of detrital zircons in some units appear compatible with more than one potential source with care other geological relationships can be used to further constrain some linkages and eliminate others. The results document various ocean closure and collision events and when combined with other geological information this new dataset permits a more refined understanding of the time–space evolution of the Cenozoic India–Asia collision system.     

班公湖-怒江结合带北侧陆缘火山-岩浆弧带的厘定及其意义

在班公湖-怒江结合带西段北侧的拉热拉新岩体东、西两侧,新发现了一些早白垩世岩体、相伴的陆缘火山岩组合和矿(化)点,侵入岩和火山岩的岩石化学特征均显示其成因与中特提斯洋向北俯冲消减密切相关。本文将班-怒带北侧的火山-侵入岩带厘定为五峰尖-拉热拉新晚侏罗世—早白垩世陆缘火山-岩浆弧带,同时讨论了陆缘火山-岩浆弧带的厘定在分析中特提斯构造演化方面的研究意义。     

班公湖-怒江结合带北侧陆缘火山-岩浆弧带的厘定及其意义

在班公湖-怒江结合带西段北侧的拉热拉新岩体东、西两侧,新发现了一些早白垩世岩体、相伴的陆缘火山岩组合和矿(化)点,侵入岩和火山岩的岩石化学特征均显示其成因与中特提斯洋向北俯冲消减密切相关。本文将班- 怒带北侧的火山- 侵入岩带厘定为五峰尖拉热拉新晚侏罗世—早白垩世陆缘火山岩浆弧带,同时讨论了陆缘火山- 岩浆弧带的厘定在分析中特提斯构造演化方面的研究意义。     

西藏班公湖岛弧带含硫化镍超基性岩的源区性质与基底背景

青藏高原班公湖一怒江成矿带上的超基性岩型硫化镍矿化是近年来在西藏地区发现的矿化新类型.文章根据成矿带西段班公湖地区含镍超基性岩体的岩石地球化学和Sr、Pb同位素分析结果,论述了含镍超基性岩浆的源区性质及生成条件,并根据锆石U-Pb LA-ICP-MS年龄测定结果,探讨了藏西北地区的基底背景.研究发现,班公湖地区的含镍超基性岩体以富集大离子不相容元素Rb、Th、U、Sr、Pb,亏损Ba、K为特点,高场强元素亏损Nb、Ti,富集Ta;稀士元素相对球粒陨石亏损强烈,但轻稀土元素相对富集.这些特点一致反映出含矿岩浆产生于受俯冲沉积物熔体交代的富集型岩石圈地幔源区.岩浆的生成深度较浅,为尖晶石二辉橄榄岩相,源区部分熔融程度较低,大体在10%左右.岩石中集中出现一批24.79亿年的残留锆石年龄,标志着当时班公湖中特斯洋盆沉积物的物源区较为单一,主要来自太古代末-元古代初的古老基底,并且推测太古代与元古代之交(25亿年)有可能是藏西北的一个古陆壳快速生长期.     

Transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision recorded in the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone: Insights from Early Cretaceous magmatic rocks in the north-central Tibet

The transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision is a key stage in the evolution of ancient orogens. We present new data for Early Cretaceous diorite and granite porphyry from north–central Tibet to constrain the evolution of the Bangong–Nujiang Tethyan Ocean (BNTO). The diorites have moderate SiO₂ and high MgO contents, similar to high-Mg andesites. Zircon grains yield U–Pb ages of 128–124 Ma and positive ε_Hf(t) values between +13.2 and + 16.3, corresponding to Hf depleted-mantle model ages (T_DM) of 281–131 Ma. The high-Mg diorite was probably formed by partial melting of hydrous mantle wedge fluxed by slab-derived fluids in an oceanic subduction setting. The granite porphyries yield zircon U–Pb ages of 117–115 Ma and zircon ε_Hf(t) values ranging from +0.1 to +4.5. Most samples have high SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃^T contents, variable FeO^T/MgO and Ga/Al ratios, and are depleted in Ba, Sr, P, and Ti, similar to I- and A-type granites. The granite porphyries were most likely derived from partial melting of juvenile dioritic or granodioritic crust due to break-off of the BNTO lithosphere following collision between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks. The Early Cretaceous high-Mg diorite and A-type granite porphyry thus record the Early Cretaceous transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision along the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone (BNSZ).