Geochronological and geochemical constraints on the Cuonadong leucogranite, eastern Himalaya

First comprehensive investigations of the Cuonadong leucogranite exposed in North Himalayan gneiss dome of southern Tibet are presented in this study.The SIMS U–Pb ages of oscillatory zircon rims scatter in a wide range from 34.1 to 16.0 Ma, and the Cuonadong leucogranite probably emplaced at 16.0 Ma. High-precision ^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar dating on a muscovite sample yields an essentially flat age spectrum with consistent plateau and isochron ages, indicating that the Cuonadong leucogranite cooled below 450 °C at 14 Ma. Based on the youngest zircon U–Pb age and muscovite^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar age, the Cuonadong leucogranite experienced rapid cooling with a rate of 119 °C/Myr from 16 to 14 Ma. The geochronological data of this undeformed leucogranite also suggest that the ductile extension of the South Tibetan Detachment System in the eastern Himalaya ceased by ca. 14 Ma. Furthermore,the initial Sr–Nd isotopic compositions and Nd model ages demonstrate that the leucogranite was derived from metapelitic source within the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Complex. The distinct Ba depletion with high Rb/Sr ratios and negative Eu anomalies make it clear that the leucogranite melts were generated by breakdown of muscovite under fluid-absent conditions.

Retrograde metamorphism of the eclogite in North Qaidam,western China:Constraints by joint ^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar in vacuo crushing and stepped heating

Two amphiboles and a syn-metamorphic quartz vein from the Yuka terrane,North Qaidam,western China,have been analyzed by joint40Ar/39Ar crushing in vacuo and stepwise heating techniques.The crushing in vacuo results provide information to directly constrain the timing of fluid activity and the age of amphibolite-facies retrogression.The stepwise heating results could further be used to decipher the thermal history of the UHP rocks.Amphiboles from amphibolites and quartz vein within garnetamphibolite lens analyzed by in vacuo crushing yield similarly shaped age spectra and exhibit relatively flat age plateaus for the last several steps.The characteristics of gas release patterns and geochronological data testify to the presence of significant excess40Ar within the fluid inclusions.The age plateaux with weighted mean ages（WMA） ranges from 488 to 476 Ma for amphiboles and 403 Ma for quartz（2σ）.These data points constitute amphibole WMA yielding excellent isochrons with isochron ages of 469 and 463 Ma with initial40Ar/36Ar ratios of 520 and 334,respectively.The isochron ages are interpreted to represent initial amphibolite-facies retrogression.The data points constituting the quartz age plateaux give an isochron age of 405 Ma with initial40Ar/36Ar ratio of 295,recording a significant aqueous fluid flow episode during the early Devonian.Age spectra obtained by stepwise heating of amphibole residues remaining after crushing experiments are characterized by younger and relatively complex age spectra,which are probably influenced by the combined effects of resetting argon and/or mineral inclusions.Nevertheless,we note that the spectra shapes have features in common:excluding the last two steps,minimum apparent ages are found at temperatures of around 500 ℃,corresponding to319 and 249 Ma,perhaps representing the time of isotopic resetting or resulting from release gas from mineral inclusions of,e.g.,biotite or feldspar.Maximum apparent ages are obtained at temperatures of around 800℃,corresponding to 418 and 413 Ma,which probably reflect mixed ages of radiogenic resetting and original amphibole.These results indicate that the Yuka eclogites and their retrogressed equivalents were overprinted by multiple thermal events in the Silurian and possibly as young as the Triassic.

Structural Features and Proto-Type Basin Reconstructions of the Bay of Bengal Basin:A Remnant Ocean Basin Model

Remnant ocean basin is a key to understand the plate suturing and subsequent uplift and erosion of orogen. The Bay of Bengal Basin （BOBB） provides a typical example to analyze the remnant ocean basin structures, evolution, and relationships between depositional filling and uplifting of the Himalayan Orogen. Thirty-nine seismic profiles as well as interval velocities of well BODC3 were used to compile isopach maps of the basin. Among the seismic data, 26 seismic profiles were applied to estab- lish 8 cross sections. The cross sections suggest the basin is asymmetric, bounded to the west by the eastern continental margin of India （ECMI） with graben-horst and to the east by the Sunda conver- gence margin dominated by trench-arc system. The BOBB is characterized by a prominent down flex- ure structures caused by huge amount of Bengal fan turbidite sediments accumulation. Our isopach maps and chronology data collected from adjacent regions reveal the initial development and fast southward growth of the Bengal fan were related to the early and major stage uplift and erosion of the Himalayan Orogen, respectively. The BOBB has experienced a critical transition from an ocean basin to a remnant ocean basin at Late Oligocene. Such basin structures and evolution features indicate the BOBB provides whole records of oblique convergence of the India and Asia plates, and the early and major stage evolution of the Himalayan Orogen.