Geochronology and Geochemistry of Ore-related Granitoids in the Giant Gariatong Rb Deposit,Tibet and Implications for Rb Metallogeny in China

Rubidium(Rb)deposits mostly occur in the South China and Central Asia orogenic belts and are often closely associated with highly differentiated granites.This study investigates a newly-discovered giant Rb deposit at Gariatong in the Central Lhasa terrane in Tibet.Detailed field studies and logging data revealed that the Rb mineralization mainly occurs in monzogranite and is related to greisenization.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircon yielded ages of 19.1±0.2 Ma and 19.0±0.2 Ma for greisenized monzogranite and fresh monzogranite,respectively.The monzogranites are characterized as strongly peraluminous,with high contents of SiO2,Al2O3,K2O and Na2O as well as a high differentiation index.They are enriched in light rare earth and large ion lithophile elements with significant negative Eu anomalies and depleted high fieldstrength elements.Petrological and geochemical features of these ore-related monzogranites suggest that they are highly fractionated S-type granites,derived from remelting of crustal materials in a post-collisional setting.The geochemistry of zircon and apatite points to a low oxygen fugacity of the ore-related monzogranite during the magma’s evolution.The discovery of the Gariatong Rb deposit suggests that the Central Lhasa terrane may be an important region for rare metal mineralization.

Genesis of the Nuri Cu-W-Mo Deposit,Tibet,China:Constraints from in situ Trace Elements and Sr Isotopic Analysis of Scheelite

The Nuri deposit is the only Cu-W-Mo polymetallic deposit with large-scale WO3 resources in the eastern section of the Gangdese metallogenic belt,Tibet,China.However,the genetic type of this deposit has been controversial since its discovery.Based on a study of the geological characteristics of the deposit,this study presents mineralization stages,focusing on the oxide stage and the quartz-sulfide stage where scheelite is mainly formed,referred to as Sch-A and Sch-B,respectively.Through LA-ICP-MS trace element and Sr isotope analyses,the origin,evolutionary process of the oreforming fluid and genesis of the ore deposit are investigated.Scanning Electron Microscope-Cathodoluminescence(SEMCL)observations reveal that Sch-A consists of three generations,with dark gray homogenous Sch-A1 being replaced by relatively lighter and homogeneous Sch-A2 and Sch-A3,with Sch-A2 displaying a gray CL image color with vague and uneven growth bands and Sch-A3 has a light gray CL image color with hardly any growth band.In contrast,Sch-B exhibits a‘core-rim’structure,with the core part(Sch-B1)being dark gray and displaying a uniform growth band,while the rim part(Sch-B2)is light gray and homogeneous.The normalized distribution pattern of rare earth elements in scheelite and Sr isotope data suggest that the early ore-forming fluid in the Nuri deposit originated from granodiorite porphyry and,later on,some country rock material was mixed in,due to strong water-rock interaction.Combining the O-H isotope data further indicates that the ore-forming fluid in the Nuri deposit originated from magmatic-hydrothermal sources,with contributions from metamorphic water caused by water-rock interaction during the mineralization process,as well as later meteoric water.The intense water-rock interaction likely played a crucial role in the precipitation of scheelite,leading to varying Eu anomalies in different generations of scheelite from the oxide stage to the quartz-sulfide stage,while also causing a gradual decrease in oxygen fugacity(fO2)and a slow rise in pH value.Additionally,the high Mo and low Sr contents in the scheelite are consistent with typical characteristics of magmatic-hydrothermal scheelite.Therefore,considering the geological features of the deposit,the geochemical characteristics of scheelite and the O-H isotope data published previously,it can be concluded that the genesis of the Nuri deposit belongs to porphyry-skarn deposit.

Mineral Geochemistry of Apatite in the Jiama PorphyrySkarn Deposit,Tibet and its Geological Significance

The Jiama deposit,a significant porphyry-skarn-type copper polymetallic deposit located within the Gangdese metallogenic belt in Tibet,China,exemplifies a typical porphyry metallogenic system.However,the mineral chemistry of its accessory minerals remains under-examined,posing challenges for resource assessment and ore prospecting.Utilizing electron microprobe analysis and LA-ICP-MS analysis,this study investigated the geochemical characteristics of apatite in ore-bearing granite and monzogranite porphyries,as well as granodiorite,quartz diorite,and dark diorite porphyries in the deposit.It also delved into the diagenetic and metallogenic information from these geochemical signatures.Key findings include:(1)The SiO_(2) content,rare earth element(REE)contents,and REE partition coefficients of apatite indicate that the dark diorite porphyry possibly does not share a cogenetic magma source with the other four types of porphyries;(2)the volatile F and Cl contents in apatite,along with their ratio,indicate the Jiama deposit,formed in a collisional setting,demonstrates lower Cl/F ratios in apatite than the same type of deposits formed in a subduction environment;(3)compared to non-ore-bearing rock bodies in other deposits formed in a collisional setting,apatite in the Jiama deposit exhibits lower Ce and Ga contents.This might indicate that rock bodies in the Jiama deposit have higher oxygen fugacity.Nevertheless,the marginal variation in oxygen fugacity between ore-bearing and non-ore-bearing rock bodies within the deposit suggests oxygen fugacity may not serve as the decisive factor in the ore-hosting potential of rock bodies in the Jiama deposit.

Below-Moho Earthquakes of Tibet,Himalaya,the Indian Foreland,and Worldwide:How,Where and Why?

We seek to understand lithospheric rheology by mapping continental earthquake depths relative to Moho depth,across the entire India/Asia convergent orogen,and eventually worldwide.Such mapping has particular value in geothermometry,and potentially in identifying regions of delamination.How:We are extending our Sn/Lg method beyond amplitude ratios of regional seismic phases measured on arrays(array Sn/Lg method,Wang and Klemperer,2021)to include frequency proxies for earthquake depth relative to Moho(Wang&Klemperer,2024a,b;Harris et al.,2024).

Present-day Upper-crustal Strain Rate Field in Southeastern Tibet and its Geodynamic Implications:Constraints from GPS Measurements with ABIC Method

The Earth’s surface kinematics and deformation are fundamental to understanding crustal evolution.An effective research approach is to estimate regional motion field and deformation fields based on modern geodetic networks.If the discrete observed velocity field is obtained,the velocity related fields,such as dilatation rate and maximum shear strain rate,can be estimated by applying varied mathematical approaches.This study applied Akaike's Bayesian Information Criterion(ABIC)method to calculate strain rate fields constrained by GPS observations in the southeast Tibetan Plateau.Comparison with results derived from other three methods revealed that our ABIC-derived strain rate fields were more precise.The maximum shear strain rate highlighted the Xianshuihe–Xiaojiang fault system as the main boundary for the outward migration of material in southeastern Tibet,indicating rotation of eastern Tibet material around the eastern Himalaya rather than whole extrusion along a fixed channel.Additionally,distinct dilatation rate patterns in the northeast and southwest regions of the fault system were observed.The northeast region,represented by the Longmenshan area,exhibited negative dilatational anomalies;while the southwest region,represented by the Jinsha River area north of 29°N,displayed positive dilatational anomalies.This indicates compression in the former and extension in the latter.Combined with deep geophysical observations,we believe that the upper and lower crusts of the Jinsha River area north of 29°N are in an entire expanding state,probably caused by the escape-drag effect of material.The presence of a large,low-viscosity region south of 29°N may not enable the entire escape of the crust,but instead result in a differential escape of the lower crust faster than the upper crust.

Geochronology and Petrogenesis of Late Carboniferous to Early Permian Basalts in the Central Lhasa Subterrane, Southern Tibet: Implications for the Evolution of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean

Basalts from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian are extensively developed in the central Lhasa subterrane, southern Tibet. Studying the petrogenesis of these rocks may have implications for the late Paleozoic arc magmatism along the central Lhasa subterrane uncovering more of the evolution of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean and its dynamic mechanism. Basalt samples from the Luobadui Formation in the Leqingla area, NW of Linzhou City in the central Lhasa subterrane, southern Tibet exhibit arc-like geochemical signatures in a subduction-zone tectonic setting characterized by high Al_(2)O_(3) and low TiO_(2) contents, fractionated REE patterns with low Nb/La ratios and high LREE concentrations, and negative HFSE anomalies. Based on their higher Th/Ce, Nb/Zr, and lower Ba/Th, Pb/Nd ratios, slightly negative to positive ε_(Nd)(t) values, and the relatively high Sr-Pb isotopic compositions, these samples were probably derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle source of garnet + spinel lherzolite, metasomatized by subducted sediments around 297 Ma. Modeling of the trace elements indicates that these basalts experienced fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene and minor plagioclase during magma ascent and eruption. It is proposed that these Late Carboniferous–Early Permian basalts are associated with the northward subduction of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean seafloor along the southern margin of the central Lhasa subterrane.

Mantle Driven Early Eocene Magmatic Flare-up of the Gangdese Arc, Tibet: A Case Study on the Nymo Intrusive Complex

Magmatic periodicity is recognized in continental arcs worldwide, but the mechanism responsible for punctuated arc magmatism is controversial. Continental arcs in the Trans-Himalayan orogenic system display episodic magmatism and the most voluminous flare-up in this system was in early Eocene during the transition from subduction to collision. The close association of the flare-up with collision is intriguing. Our study employs zircon Lu-Hf and bulk rock Sr-Nd isotopes, along with mineral geochemistry, to track the melt sources of the Nymo intrusive complex and the role of mantle magma during the early Eocene flare-up of the Gangdese arc, Tibet. The Nymo intrusive complex is composed of gabbronorite, diorite, quartz diorite, and granodiorite which define an arc-related calc-alkaline suite. Zircon U-Pb ages reveal that the complex was emplaced between ~50–47 Ma. Zircon Hf isotopes yield εHf(t) values of 8.2–13.1, while whole-rock Sr and Nd isotopes yield εNd(t) values of 2.7–6.5 indicative of magmatism dominated by melting of a juvenile mantle source with only minor crustal assimilation(~15%–25%) as indicated by assimilation and fractional crystallization modeling. Together with published data, the early Eocene magmatic flare-up was likely triggered by slab breakoff of subducted oceanic lithosphere at depths shallower than the overriding plate. The early Eocene magmatic flare-up may have contributed to crustal thickening of the Gangdese arc. This study provides important insights into the magmatic flare-up and its significant role in the generation of large batholiths during the transition from subduction to collision.

Thoughts on Pairing Assistance to Tibet for Promoting Agricultural High-quality Development in Southern Tibet from the Perspective of Agricultural Power

In the new era,there is an urgent need to further promote pairing assistance to Tibet,promote the simultaneous construction of a strong agriculture in Tibet and the China's Mainland,and compose a Chinese-style modernization.Southern Tibet,located in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region,includes Shannan City and Nyingchi City,is a region assisted by four provincial partners including Hubei Province.This paper introduces the agricultural environment in southern Tibet,studies its agricultural characteristics,and analyzes the main issues of its pairing assistance.Taking forging the strong consciousness of the Chinese national community as the main line,the paper explores strategies for promoting agricultural high-quality development in southern Tibet through pairing assistance to Tibet from the perspective of agricultural power,and proposes some strategies,such as inheriting agricultural cultural heritage,promoting the upgrading of modern seed industry,enhancing the characteristic advantages of highland barley(naked barley)and animal husbandry industries,and developing edible fungi and cold water fish industries.

Texture and Geochemistry of Multi-stage Hydrothermal Scheelite in the Mamupu Cu-Au-Mo(-W)Deposit,Eastern Tibet:Implications for Tungsten Mineralization in the Yulong Belt

Multistage tungsten mineralization was recently discovered in the Mamupu copper-polymetallic deposit in the southern Yulong porphyry copper belt(YPCB),Tibet.This study reports the results of cathodoluminescence,trace element and Sr isotope analyses of Mamupu scheelite samples,undertaken in order to better constrain the mechanism of W mineralization and the sources of the ore-forming fluids.Three different types of scheelite are identified in the Mamupu deposit:scheelite A(Sch A)mainly occurs in breccias during the prograde stage,scheelite B(Sch B)forms in the chlorite-epidote alteration zone in the retrograde stage,while scheelite C(Sch C)occurs in distal quartz sulfide veins.The extremely high Mo content and negative Eu anomaly in Sch A represent high oxygen fugacity in the prograde stage.Compared with ore-related porphyries,Sch A has a similar REE pattern,but with higher ΣREE,more depleted HREE and slightly lower(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)i ratios.These features suggest that Sch A is genetically related to ore-related porphyries,but extensive interaction with carbonate surrounding rocks affects the final REE and Sr isotopic composition.Sch B shows dark(Sch B-I)and light(Sch B-II)domains under CL imaging.From Sch B-I to Sch B-II,LREEs are gradually depleted,with MREEs being gradually enriched.Sch C has the highest LREE/HREE ratio,which indicates that it inherited the geochemical characteristics of fluids after the precipitation of HREE-rich minerals,such as diopside and garnet,in the early prograde stage.The Mo content in Sch B and Sch C gradually decreased,indicating that the oxygen fugacity of the fluids changed from oxidative in the early stages to reductive in the later,the turbulent Eu anomaly in Sch B and Sch C indicating that the Eu anomaly in the Mamupu scheelite is not solely controlled by oxygen fugacity.The extensive interaction of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids and carbonate provides the necessary Ca^(2+)for the precipitation of scheelite in the Mamupu deposit.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Solar Energy Resources in Tibet

The Tibet Plateau is one of the regions with the richest solar energy resources in the world.In the process of achieving carbon neutrality in China,the development and utilization of solar energy resources in the region will play an important role.In this study,the gridded solar resource data with 1km resolution in Tibet were obtained by spatial correction and downscaling of SMARTS model.On this basis,the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of solar energy resources in the region in the past 30 years(1991–2020)are finely evaluated,and the annual global horizontal radiation resource is calculated.The results show that:1)The average annual global horizontal radiation amount in Tibet is 1816 kWh/m^(2).More than 60%of the area belongs to the“Most abundant”(GHI≥1750 kWh/m^(2))area of China’s solar energy resources category A,and nearly 40%belongs to the“Quite abundant”(1400≤GHI<1750)area of China’s solar energy resource category B.2)In space,the solar energy resources in Tibet increased gradually from north to south and from east to west.Lhasa,Central and Eastern Shigatse,Shannan,and Southwestern Ali are the most abundant cities,with a maximum annual radiation level of 2189 kWh/m2.3)In terms of time,the total horizontal radiation in Tibet was the highest in May and the lowest in December.74%of the total area belongs to the“Very stable”(R_(w)≥0.47)area of solar resource stability category A,and 26%belongs to the“stable”(0.36≤R_(w)<0.47)area of solar resource stability category B.Solar energy resources in the region show the characteristics of both strong and stable.Average solar energy resources in the region have shown a fluctuating downward trend over the past 30 years,with an average decline of about 12.86(kWh/m2)per decade.4)In terms of solar radiation resources reaching the earth’s surface,the theoretical total amount of annual horizontal radiation in Tibet is about 240.07 billion tons of standard coal or 222.91 billion kilowatts on average.

Quantification of the concrete freeze–thaw environment across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau based on machine learning algorithms

The reasonable quantification of the concrete freezing environment on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau(QTP) is the primary issue in frost resistant concrete design, which is one of the challenges that the QTP engineering managers should take into account. In this paper, we propose a more realistic method to calculate the number of concrete freeze–thaw cycles(NFTCs) on the QTP. The calculated results show that the NFTCs increase as the altitude of the meteorological station increases with the average NFTCs being 208.7. Four machine learning methods, i.e., the random forest(RF) model, generalized boosting method(GBM), generalized linear model(GLM), and generalized additive model(GAM), are used to fit the NFTCs. The root mean square error(RMSE) values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 32.3, 4.3, 247.9, and 161.3, respectively. The R^(2) values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 0.93, 0.99, 0.48, and 0.66, respectively. The GBM method performs the best compared to the other three methods, which was shown by the results of RMSE and R^(2) values. The quantitative results from the GBM method indicate that the lowest, medium, and highest NFTC values are distributed in the northern, central, and southern parts of the QTP, respectively. The annual NFTCs in the QTP region are mainly concentrated at 160 and above, and the average NFTCs is 200 across the QTP. Our results can provide scientific guidance and a theoretical basis for the freezing resistance design of concrete in various projects on the QTP.

Three-Dimensional Density Distribution and Seismic Activity along the Guxiang–Tongmai Segment of the Jiali Fault,Tibet

The Guxiang-Tongmai segment of the Jiali fault is situated northeast of the Namche Barwa Syntaxis in northeastern Tibet.It is one of the most active strike-slip faults near the syntaxis and plays a pivotal role in the examination of seismic activity within the eastern Himalayan Syntaxis.New study in the research region has yielded a 1:200000 gravity dataset covering an area 1500 km^(2).Using wavelet transform multiscale decomposition,scratch analysis techniques,and 3D gravity inversion methods,gravity anomalies,fault distributions,and density structures were determined across various scales.Through the integration of our new gravity data with other geophysical and geological information,our findings demonstrate substantial variations in the overall crustal density within the region,with the fault distribution closely linked to these density fluctuations.Disparities in stratigraphic density are important causes of variations in the capacity of geological formations to endure regional tectonic stress.Earthquakes are predominantly concentrated within the density transition zone and are primarily situated in regions of elevated density.The hanging wall stress within the Guxiang-Tongmai segment of the Jiali fault exhibits a notable concentration,marked by pronounced anisotropy,and is positioned within the density differential zone,which is prone to earthquakes.

Analysis of Dry-Wet Climate Change Characteristics and Main Influencing Factors in Main Grain Producing Area of Tibet from 1980 to 2021

Based on the daily meteorological observation data of seven meteorological stations in southern Tibet from 1980 to 2021 (April-October), the temporal and spatial variation characteristics and influencing factors of aridity index ( AI ) in the growing season of major grain producing areas in Tibet were studied by using climate tendency rate, Mann-Kendal test, Morlet wavelet analysis, GIS hybrid interpolation method, Pearson correlation coefficient, contribution rate analysis and other methods. The results showed that the average AI in the main grain producing areas of Tibet was 1.7, which belonged to the semi-arid area, and the overall trend was decreasing (humidifying) (-0.036/10 a). The linear decreasing trend was different in different regions, and the area around Lhatse County was the most significant (-0.26/10 a). AI had no obvious abrupt change, and had long- and medium-term fluctuation characteristics of 24 years, 6 years. The spatial distribution was uneven, and had the characteristics of ‘shrinking arid area and expanding humid area . The contribution rates of the main climate influencing factors of AI varied in different regions. In general, the contribution rates after quantification was as follows: precipitation (34.9%)>relative humidity (28.4%)>sunshine (19.9%)>maximum temperature (12.4%).

Spatial-temporal heterogeneity of ecological quality changes across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under the influence of climate factors and human activities

Over the last few decades,the ecological quality of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau(QTP)has significantly changed due to climate warming,humidification,and increasing human activities.Thus,evaluating this region's ecological quality and dominant factors is crucial for sustainable development.In this study,the changes in the ecological quality on the QTP from 2000 to 2020 were evaluated based on aggregated indices and Sen–MK trend analyses,and the dominant factors affecting the ecological quality of the QTP were quantitatively analyzed using decision tree classification.The results revealed that(1)the ecological quality of the QTP exhibited an overall high trend in the east and a low pattern in the west;(2)the ecological quality of the QTP significantly increased from 2000 to 2020,and human activities were the dominant factors causing this change;and(3)the changes in the ecological quality and dominant factors exhibited obvious spatiotemporal heterogeneity.The area with an improved ecological quality occurred mainly in the northern QTP region.It was governed by human activities and precipitation.In contrast,the area with a deteriorated ecological quality occurred largely in the southern QTP region and was dominated by human activities and temperature.The 2000–2010 period was the most significant period of heterogeneity regarding of ecological quality and its driving factors.(4)The change in the ecological quality was mainly affected by the synergistic relationship between human activities and climate change in this region,which encompassed multiple dominant factors.This study provides important information on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of ecological quality change and its dominant factors on the QTP and offers systematic guidance for the planning and implementation of ecological protection projects.

Hydrochemical characteristics of surface water in Hengduan mountain region of Eastern Tibet and its response to human activities:A case study of Duoqu Basin,Jinsha River

The analysis of hydrochemical characteristics and influencing factors of surface river on plateau is helpful to study water hydrological cycle and environmental evolution,which can scientifically guide rational development and utilization of water resources and planning of ecological environment protection.With the expansion and diversification of human activities,the quality of surface rivers will be more directly affected.Therefore,it is of great significance to pay attention to the hydrochemical characteristics of plateau surface rivers and the influence of human activities on their circulation and evolution.In this study,surface water in the Duoqu basin of Jinsha River located in Hengduan mountain region of Eastern Tibet was selected as the representative case.Twenty-three groups of surface water samples were collected to analyze the hydrochemical characteristics and ion sources based on correlation analysis,piper trigram,gibbs model,hydrogen and oxygen isotopic techniques.The results suggest the following:(1)The pH showed slight alkalinity with the value ranged from 7.25 to 8.62.Ca^(2+),Mg^(2+)and HCO_(3)^(–)were the main cations and anions.HCO_(3)^(-)Ca and HCO_(3)^(-)Ca·Mg were the primary hydrochemical types for the surface water of Duoqu River.The correlation analysis showed that TDS had the most significant correlation with Ca^(2+),Mg^(2+)and HCO_(3)^(–).Analysis on hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicated that the surface rivers were mainly recharged by atmospheric precipitation and glacial melt water in this study area.(2)The surface water had a certain reverse cation alternating adsorption,and surface water ions were mainly derived from rock weathering,mainly controlled by weathering and dissolution of carbonates,and secondly by silicates and sodium rocks.(3)The influence of human activities was weak,while the development of cinnabar minerals had a certain impact on the hydrochemistry characteristics,which was the main factor for causing the increase of SO_(4)^(2–).The densely populated county towns and temples with frequent incense burning activities may cause some anomalies of surface water quality.At present,the Duoqu River watershed had gone through a certain influence of mineral exploitation,so the hydrological cycle and river eco-environment at watershed scale will still bound to be change.The results could provide basic support for better understanding water balance evolution as well as the ecological protection of Duoqu River watershed.

Plume-lithosphere interaction in the Comei Large Igneous Province: Evidence from two types of mafic dykes in Gyangze, south Tibet, China

Two suites of mafic dykes,T1193-A and T1194-A,outcrop in Gyangze area,southeast Tibet.They are in the area of Comei LIP and have indistinguishable field occurrences with two other dykes in Gyangze,T0902 dyke with 137.7±1.3 Ma zircon age and T0907 dyke with 142±1.4 Ma zircon age reported by Wang YY et al.(2016),indicating coeval formation time.Taking all the four diabase dykes into consideration,two different types,OIB-type and weak enriched-type,can be summarized.The“OIB-type”samples,including T1193-A and T0907 dykes,show OIB-like geochemical features and have initial Sr-Nd isotopic values similar with most mafic products in Comei Large Igneous Provinces(LIP),suggesting that they represent melts directly generated from the Kerguelen mantle plume.The“weak enriched-type”samples,including T1194-A and T0902 dykes,have REEs and trace element patterns showing withinplate affinity but have obvious Nb-Ta-Ti negative anomalies.They show uniform lowerεNd(t)values(−6‒−2)and higher 87Sr/86Sr(t)values(0.706‒0.709)independent of their MgO variation,indicating one enriched mantle source.Considering their closely spatial and temporal relationship with the widespread Comei LIP magmatic products in Tethyan Himalaya,these“weak enriched-type”samples are consistent with mixing of melts from mantle plume and the above ancient Tethyan Himalaya subcontinental lithospheric mantle(SCLM)in different proportions.These weak enriched mafic rocks in Comei LIP form one special rock group and most likely suggest large scale hot mantle plume-continental lithosphere interaction.This process may lead to strong modification of the Tethyan Himalaya lithosphere in the Early Cretaceous.

Coherent Chemical Variation Trends of the 55-25 Ma Magmatic Rocks in SE Tibet:N-S Direction Lithospheric Stretching of Eurasia during Early Stage of India-Eurasia Collision

The progressive indentation of India into Eurasia generated an E-W-trending orthogonal collision belt and a N-S-trending oblique collision belt.Compiling available data reveals that~70%of the Cenozoic igneous rocks in eastern and southeastern Tibet are concentrated within an ENE-trending,~550-km long and~250-km wide magmatic zone(CMZ)that once separated the orthogonal and oblique collision belts.The Latitude 26°N Line is now its southern boundary.The onset timing of magmatism of the CMZ varies gradually from~55 Ma in the westernmost part to~27 Ma in the easternmost.Then the magmatism successively occurred and suddenly stopped at~25 Ma.The segmented and coherent chemical variation trends found suggest that the CMZ magmatic rocks were formed due to partial melting of the heterogeneous upper mantle and crusts of Eurasia.Subduction of Paleo-and Neotethyan oceanic plates generated this compositional and mineralogical heterogeneity.Combined with available geophysical data,the CMZ was diachronously formed in response to asthenosphere upwelling induced by NNW-SSE-direction lithosphere stretching.The difference in responses of the orthogonal and oblique collision belts to the indentation of the Indian continent has led to this lithosphere stretching.

The long-lived partial melting of the Greater Himalayas in southern Tibet, constraints from the Miocene Gyirong anatectic pegmatite and its prospecting potential for rare element minerals

The Cenozoic Himalayan leucogranite-pegmatite belt has been a hotspot for rare metal exploration in recent years.To determine the genesis of the pegmatite in the Himalayan region and its relationship with the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Complex(GHC),the Gyirong pegmatite in southern Tibet was chosen for geochronological and geochemical studies.The dating analyses indicate that the U-Th-Pb ages of zircon,monazite,and xenotime exhibit large variations(38.6‒16.1 Ma),with the weighted average value of the four youngest points is 16.5±0.3 Ma,which indicates that the final stage of crystallization of the melt occurred in the Miocene.The age of the muscovite Ar-Ar inverse isochron is 15.2±0.4 Ma,which is slightly later than the intrusion age,showing that a cooling process associated with rapid denudation occurred at 16‒15 Ma.TheεHf(t)values of the Cenozoic anatectic zircons cluster between−12 and−9 with an average of−11.4.The Gyirong pegmatite shows high contents of Si,Al,and K,a high Al saturation index,and low contents of Na,Ca,Fe,Mn,P,Mg,and Ti.Overall,the Gyirong pegmatite is enriched in Rb,Cs,U,K,Th and Pb and depleted in Nb,Ta,Zr,Ti,Eu,Sr,and Ba.The samples show a high 87Sr/86Sr(16 Ma)ratio of ca.0.762 and a lowεNd(16 Ma)value of−16.0.The calculated average initial values of 208Pb/204Pb(16 Ma),207Pb/204Pb(16 Ma)and 206Pb/204Pb(16 Ma)of the whole rock are 39.72,15.79 and 19.56,respectively.The Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic characteristics of the Gyirong pegmatite are consistent with those of the GHC.This study concludes that the Gyirong pegmatite represents a typical crustal‒derived anatectic pegmatite with low metallogenic potential for rare metals.The Gyirong pegmatite records the long‒term metamorphism and partial melting process of the GHC,and reflects the crustal thickening caused by thrust compression at 39‒29 Ma and the crustal thinning induced by extensional decompression during 28‒15 Ma.

Spatiotemporal distribution of regional landslides and erosion rates in Southeastern Tibet

The difficulty in estimating ages of regional landslides hampers to assess frequency of landslides and hence to quantitatively assess regional landslide hazard.In this study,we used radiocarbon dating of organic sediment on boulder rock varnish to estimate landslide ages in Langxian(LX)arid region in southeastern Tibet.Samples of rock varnish with organic sediment were collected on site for radiocarbon dating,leading to landslide ages from 1880±30 to 18,430±30 yr B.P.To measure surface roughness characteristics of 109 remotely-mapped large bedrock landslide deposits,we estimated average standard deviation of slope(SDS)over an area of~640 km^(2) by calculating the slope gradient of each raster cell and using a rectangular moving window method in Arc Map from a 5 m-resolution Digital Elevation Model generated from helicopterobtained photographs.Combing estimated landslide ages(t)with average surface roughness of mapped landslide deposits(R)quantified by SDS,we fit an exponential landslide deposits surface roughness-age function(t=1.47×10^(6)×e^(-1).46R,r2=0.63)that was used to estimate regional landslide ages in LX.We conclude that three periods with clusters of regional landslides in LX were revealed by different surface roughness of landslide deposits combing roughness-age function,with the values of 5563-7455 yr B.P.,1724-4151 yr B.P.,and 960-1287 yr B.P..Furthermore,we used our estimates of landslide ages to quantify landslide erosion rates of three corresponding hillslopes in LX ranging from 0.50 to 2.42 mm yr-1.Although rock varnish radiocarbon dating provides us a feasible option for timing regional landslides of arid regions,the epistemic uncertainty in the dating method should arouse our attention,which could be reduced by increasing the number of samples.

Genesis of the Sinongduo Carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in the Central Lhasa Terrane,Tibet

The Sinongduo mining region includes two types of mineralizations:the epithermal and the carbonate-hosted PbZn-Ag deposits.Despite being studied for many years,the ore formation process and genesis of the carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn-Ag deposits remain poorly understood.The Pb-Zn-Ag ore bodies occur as veins and are hosted by limestone and dolostone of the Permian Xiala Formation.Three sulfide mineralization substages have been identified at the Sinongduo carbonatehosted deposit.Indium coupled with Cu,Co and Sn was incorporated into sphalerite as substitutions:2Zn^(2+)?Cu^(+)+In^(3+),(3n/2+1)Zn^(2+)?Co^(2+)+n In^(3+)or(2n+1)Zn^(2+)?Co^(2+)+n(Cu^(+)+In^(3+))(n>1)and 4Zn^(2+)?Sn2++2In^(3+).Sphalerite and pyrite in the mineralization stage displayδ^(34)S values in a narrow range of+5.7‰to+11.3‰,which are similar to those of Palaeocene igneous rocks,indicative of a magmatic source of sulfur.We present systematic carbon-hydrogen-oxygen isotope results that further support a magmatic source for the ore-forming fluids that were influenced by meteoric water.Furthermore,the Pb isotope compositions of sulfide minerals in the Sinongduo carbonate-hosted deposit overlap with the values of coeval Linzizong volcanic rocks and are similar to those of Indian Ocean sediments,indicating upper crustal sources of metals.We conclude that the Sinongduo carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn-Ag deposit is a medium-to low-temperature magmatic-hydrothermal deposit related to Linzizong magmatism.