Generation of Palaeocene Adakitic Andesites by Magma Mixing; Yanji Area, NE China

Palaeocene (c. 55–58 Ma) adakitic andesites from the Yanjiarea, NE China, are typically clinopyroxene-bearing sodic andesitescontaining 60· 9–62· 2% SiO₂ and 4·02–4· 36% MgO, with high Mg-number [100 Mg/(Mg+ Fe) atomic ratio] from 65· 5 to 70· 1. Whole-rockgeochemical features include high Cr (128–161 ppm) andNi (86–117 ppm) concentrations, extremely high Sr (2013–2282ppm), low Y (10–11 ppm) and heavy rare earth elements(HREE; e.g. Yb = 0· 79–1· 01 ppm), and mid-oceanridge basalt (MORB)-like Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions[e.g. ⁸⁷Sr/ ⁸⁶Sr(i) = 0· 70298–0· 70316,_Nd(t) = +3· 8 to +6· 3 and ²⁰⁶Pb/ ²⁰⁴Pb = 17·98 – 18· 06], analogous to high-Mg adakites occurringin modern subduction zones. However, mineralogical evidencefrom clinopyroxene phenocrysts and microcrystalline plagioclaseclearly points to magma mixing during magma evolution. Iron-richclinopyroxene (augite) cores with low Sr, high Y and heavy REEcontents, slightly fractionated REE patterns and large negativeEu anomalies probably crystallized along with low-Ca plagioclasefrom a lower crustal felsic magma. In contrast, high Mg-numberclinopyroxene (diopside and endiopside) mantles and rims havehigher Sr and lower HREE and Y concentrations, highly fractionatedREE patterns (high La/Yb) and negligible Eu anomalies, similarto those found in adakites from subduction zones. The Yanjiadakitic andesites can be interpreted as a mixture between acrust-derived magma having low Mg-number and Sr, and high Yand HREE, and a mantle-derived high Mg-number adakite havinghigh Sr and low Y and HREE concentrations. During storage and/orascent, the mixed magma experienced further crustal contaminationto capture zircons, of a range of ages, from the wall rocks.The absence of coeval arc magmatism and an extensional tectonicregime in the Yanji area and surrounding regions suggest thatthese Palaeocene adakitic andesites were formed during post-subductionextension that followed the late Cretaceous Izanagi–Farallonridge subduction. Generation of these adakitic andesites doesnot require contemporaneous subduction of a young, hot oceanicridge or delamination of eclogitic lower crust as suggestedby previous models. KEY WORDS: magma mixing; adakitic andesites; Palaeocene; NE China