Generation and emplacement of Triassic granitoids within the Songpan Ganze accretionary-orogenic wedge in a context of slab retreat accommodated by tear faulting,Eastern Tibetan plateau,China

The eastern Songpan Ganze accretionary-orogenic wedge (northern Tibetan plateau) is characterized by extensive magmatism coeval with Middle to Upper Triassic closure of the Paleotethys Ocean along a double subduction system, traced by the Kunlun-Anyemaqen suture to the north and the Jinsha-Litang suture to the south. New field, petrographic and geochemical data on Mesozoic plutons intrusive into Triassic metasediments of the eastern Songpan Ganze wedge are presented and integrated in a review of available data for the region. Three types of granitoids are distinguished: (i) high-K calc-alkaline granite to granodiorite (Yanggon, Maoergai, Markam, Sheng Meng, Xue Sheng, Taiyanghe, Menggu, Manai, Dusong Xian, Tagong and Jiulong plutons), (ii) high-K alkaline granite (Nyanbaoyeche and Rilong plutons and the Niuxingou shoshonitic syenite), and (iii) peraluminous S-type granite (Markam and Manai leucogranites). Elemental and isotopic signatures of these granitoids are consistent with the implication of both crustal (Yangtze craton, and Songpan Ganze metasediments) and mantle (asthenospheric mantle and metasomatised lithospheric mantle) sources. Based on (i) the ages of the plutons that are concomitant with the end of the northern and southern subductions of the Paleo-Tethys, (ii) the position of the plutons intrusive in the crustal tectonically accreted units decoupled from the downgoing plate of this double subduction system, (iii) the diversity of their petrological and geochemical signatures, we propose that magma emplaced in the Songpan Ganze accretionary-orogenic wedge were generated at the end of the Paleotethys closure in a context of slab retreat, accommodated by a tear fault along the passive margin of the South China block. Indeed, we argue that this context is the most favourable to trigger synchronous partial melting of (i) the suprasubduction enriched mantle wedge owing to lowering of the mantle solidus by metasomatism, (ii) the upwelled undepleted asthenospheric mantle into the tear fault owing to decompression, (iii) the metasomatized lithospheric continental mantle of the Yangtze craton owing to the temperature increase associated to the asthenospheric upwelling and (iv) the rocks of the Songpan Ganze accretionary wedge composed of metasediments and Yangtze continental margin basement owing to the combined effects of increased radioactive heat production and mantle heat flux. We propose that the concentration of plutons along the eastern margin of the Songpan Ganze results from focussed migration and emplacement of the granitic magmas guided by the development of a tear fault along the former passive eastern margin of the Yangtze craton as a consequence of the Paleotethys slab retreat.