The history of crustal uplift and metamorphic evolution of Panzhihua-Xichang micro-palaeoland,SW China: Constraints on Sm-Nd, 40Ar/39Ar and FT ages of granulites

Panzhihua-Xichang (Panxi) micro-palaeoland is the oldest terrane on the western margin of the Yangtze Block. Some intermediate-basic granulites are considered to be the crystalline basement of lower crust in the terrane. Granulite-facies metamorphism of the granulites was developed in the period from 1186 Ma to 1128 Ma. The origin of granulites was related to the collision orogenic process occurring when the micro-palaeolands merged to form the Rodinia Supercontinent. Amphibolite-facies retrogressive metamorphism of granulites took place in the period from 877 Ma to 825 Ma. This period was consistent with the breakup time of the Rodinia Supercontinent. 40Ar/39Ar ages and fission track (FT) ages of granulites in the Panxi micro-palaeoland show that the vertical movement history of crustal rocks was a slow uplift process of the rigid terrane in the time from Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic. The subduction of India Plate towards Euroasia Plate resulted in the rapid uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Block in Cenozoic.Meanwhile, the Qinghai-Tibetan Block moved towards east. Consequently the Panxi terrane was uplifted rapidly. As a result of the collision orogeny between the Qinghai-Tibetan Block and the Panxi terrane, the granulite-facies crystalline basement in this region was exhumed and exposed to the surface.