Subduction channel fluid-rock interaction:Indications from rutile-quartz veins within eclogite from the Yuka terrane,North Qaidam orogen

High-pressure(HP)or ultrahigh-pressure(UHP)rutile-quartz veins that form at mantle depths due to fluid-rock interaction can be used to trace the properties and behavior of natural fluids in subduction zones.To explore the fluid flow and the associated element mobility during deep subduction and exhumation of the continental crust,we investigated the major and trace elements of Ti-rich minerals.Additionally,U–Pb dating,trace element contents,and Lu–Hf isotopic composition of zircon grains in the UHP eclogite and associated rutile-quartz veins were examined in the North Qaidam UHP metamorphic belt,Yuka terrane.The zircon grains in the rutile-quartz veins have unzoned or weak oscillatory zonings,and show low Th/U ratios,steep chondrite-normalized patterns of heavy rare earth elements(HREEs),and insignificant negative Eu anomalies,indicating their growth in metamorphic fluids.These zircon grains formed in 431
3 Ma,which is consistent with the 432
2 Ma age of the host eclogite.As for the zircons in the rutile-quartz veins,they showed steep HREE patterns on one hand,and were different from the zircons present in the host eclogite on the other.This demonstrates that their formation might have been related to the breakdown of the early stage of garnet,which corresponds to the abundance of fluids during the early exhumation stage.The core-rim profile analyses of rutile recorded a two-stage rutile growth across a large rutile grain;the rutile core has higher Nb,Ta,W,and Zr contents and lower Nb/Ta ratios than the rim,indicating that the rutile domains grew in different metamorphic fluids from the core towards the rim.The significant enrichment of high field strength elements(HFSEs)in the rutile core suggests that the peak fluids have high solubility and transportation capacity of these HFSEs.Furthermore,variations in the Nb vs.Cr trends in rutile indicate a connection of rutile to mafic protolith.The zircon grains from both the rutile-quartz veins and the host eclogite have similar Hf isotopic compositions,indicating that the vein-forming fluids are internally derived from the host eclogite.These fluids accumulated in the subduction channel and were triggered by local dehydration of the deeply subducted eclogite during the early exhumation conditions.

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology from Greywackes in the Niujuanzi Ophiolitic Mélange, Beishan Area, NW China: Provenance and Tectonic Implications

The Niujuanzi ophiolitic m^lange represents the remnant of oceanic crust between the Dunhuang massif and Mingshui-Hanshan massif. Greywacke from different tectonic slices in the Niu- juanzi ophiolitic mdlange were analyzed for detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, trace dements and whole-rock trace elements to infer their provenance and the evolution of the Niujuanzi Ocean. Sample N-76s containing Carboniferous spores has the youngest zircon age of 323 Ma, while sample N-85s without fossils has the youngest zircon age of 449 Ma. The two samples were deposited no earlier than 323 and 449 Ma, respectively. The greywackes are depleted in large ion lithophile elements, and are relatively enriched in high field strength elements. The age spectra and trace element concentrations indicate that the sediments may have been deposited near the trench. The Hf, U, and Yb contents of zircons from sample N-76s vary widely, whereas those from sample N-85s have a narrow range. Sample N-76s contains both continental and oceanic zircons, while sample N-85s contains only continental zir-cons. The sediments were derived from the continental arc and accretionary wedge. The Paleozoic oce- anic crust zircons have ages of 430-500 Ma, indicating the timing of the expansion of the Hongliuhe- Niujuanzi-Xichangjing Ocean expansion. The oldest Paleozoic continental zircon has an age of 470 Ma, suggesting that the northward subduction of the oceanic crust may have started at that time.