Decoupling of surface and subsurface sutures in the Dabie orogen and a continent-collisional lithospheric-wedging model: Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic evidences of Mesozoic igneous rocks in eastern China

There are significant differences of Nd and Pbisotopic compositions between Mesozoic mafic igneous rocks from the North China Block (NCB) and the South ChinaBlock (SCB). Mesozoic mantle-derived igneous rocks fromthe North China Block have very low e Nd values (-15 to -21), and 206Pb/204Pb ratios (< 17.9), while those in the SCB are characterized by e Nd > -10 and 206Pb/204Pb > 18.3. The verylow e Nd values (-16 to -20) and 206Pb/204Pb ratios (< 17.3) of the early Cretaceous mafic-ultramafic intrusions developedin the north part of the Dabie orogen (NDZ) suggest that the deep lithosphere underneath the NDZ belongs to the NCBbut not the SCB. Therefore, although the surface suture be-tween the NCB and SCB is located on the north side of theNDZ, the subsurface suture between the NCB and SCBshould be located to the south side of the NDZ. This is con-sistent with the previous suggestion that the subsurface su-ture in the Sulu terrane east of the Tanlu fault was the south displacement, but contradictory to northward continentalsubduction of the SCB. A continent-collisional lithospheric-wedging model can interpret the decoupling of the surface and subsurface sutures in the Dabie-Sulu orogen. After slabbreak-off, the continuing convergence of two continental blocks must increase the compression force acting on the suture zone, which might induce the lithosphere splitting of SCB. Thus, the lower crust and lithospheric mantle on thesouth margin of the NCB can wedge into the north margin of the lithosphere of the SCB along the Dabie-Sulu collisionzone. This process caused the overthrust of the mid-upper continental crust with exhumed ultrahigh pressure meta-morphic (UHPM) rocks and underthrust of the deep litho-sphere of the SCB. It could be an important mechanism re-sponsible for the second rapid cooling and uplifting of theUHPM rocks and lithospheric delamination as well as thecorresponding magmatism in Jurassic in the Dabie orogen.The southward movement of subsurface suture in theDabie-Sulu orogen may also provide a tectonic setting indepth for the large-scale Mesozoic magmatic-metallogenesis along the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtse River in east-ern China.