Determination of the early Paleozoic accretionary complex in Southwestern Yunnan, China: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean

Accretionary complex study provides important knowledge on the subduction and the geodynamic processes of the oceanic plate,which represents the ancient ocean basin extinction location.Nevertheless,there exist many disputes on the age,material source,and tectonic attribute of the Lancang Group,located in Southwest Yunnan,China.In this paper,the LA-ICP-MS detrital zircon U‒Pb chronology of nine metamorphic rocks in the Lancang Group was carried out.The U‒Pb ages of the three detrital zircons mainly range from 590-550 Ma,980-910 Ma,and 1150-1490 Ma,with the youngest detrital zircons having a peak age of about 560 Ma.The U‒Pb ages of the six detrital zircons mainly range from 440-460 Ma and 980-910 Ma,and the youngest detrital zircon has a peak age of about 445 Ma.In the Lancang Group,metamorphic acidic volcanic rocks,basic volcanic rocks,intermediate-acid intrusive rocks,and high-pressure metamorphic rocks are exposed in the form of tectonic lens in schist,rendering typical melange structural characteristics of“block+matrix”.Considering regional deformation and chronology,material composition characteristics,and the previous data,this study thinks the Lancang Group may be an early Paleozoic tectonic accretionary complex formed by the eastward subduction of the Changning-Menglian Proto-Tethys Ocean,which provides an important constraint for the Tethys evolution.

Proto-Tethys ophiolitic mélange in SW Yunnan: Constraints from zircon U-Pb geochronology and geochemistry

An early Paleozoic Proto-Tethys ocean in western Yunnan has long been postulated although no robust geological evidence has been identified.Here we investigated the recently-identified Mayidui and Wanhe ophiolitic mélanges in SW Yunnan,which occurs in a N-S trending belt east of the late Paleozoic Changning-Menglian suture zone.The ophiolites consist mainly of meta-basalts(amphibole schists),meta-(cumulate)gabbros and gabbroic diorites,and meta-chert-shale,representing ancient oceanic crust and pelagic and hemipelagic sediments,respectively.Six samples of gabbros and gabbroic diorites from 3 profiles(Mayidui,Kongjiao and Yinchanghe)yielded zircon U-Pb ages between 462±6 Ma and 447±9 Ma,constraining the formation of the Mayidui and Wanhe ophiolites to Middle Ordovician.Gabbros from the Mayidui and Kongjiao profiles share similar geochemical characteristics with affinities to tholeiitic series,and are characterized by depleted to slightly enriched LREEs relative to HREEs with(La/Sm)N=0.69-1.87,(La/Yb)N=0.66-4.72.These,along with their predominantly positive wholerock eNd(t)and zircon eHf(t)values,indicate a MORB-like magma source.By contrast,the meta-mafic rocks from the Yinchanghe profile show significantly enriched LREEs((La/Sm)N=0.97-3.33,(La/Yb)N=1.19-14.93),as well as positive whole-rock eNd(t)and positive to negative zircon eHf(t)values,indicating an E-MORB-type mantle source.These geochemical features are consistent with an intra-oceanic setting for the formation of the Mayidui-Wanhe ophiolites.Our data,integrated with available geological evidence,provide robust constraints on the timing and nature of the Mayidui-Wanhe ophiolitic mélange,and suggest that the ophiolites represent remnants of the Proto-Tethys Ocean,which opened through separation of the Indochina and Simao blocks from the northern margin of Gondwana before the Early Cambrian,and evolved through to the Silurian.

Ordovician Granitoids and Silurian Mafic Dikes in the Western Kunlun Orogen, Northwest China:Implications for Evolution of the Proto-Tethys

The western Kunlun orogen in the northwest Tibet Plateau is related to subduction and collision of Proto-and Paleo-Tethys from early Paleozoic to early Mesozoic. This paper presents new LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes, whole-rock major and trace elements, and Sr–Nd isotopes of two Ordovician granitoid plutons(466–455 Ma) and their Silurian mafic dikes(～436 Ma) in the western Kunlun orogen. These granitoids show peraluminous high-K calcalkaline characteristics, with(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)_i value of 0.7129–0.7224, ε_(Nd)(t) values of -9.3 to -7.0 and zircon ε_(Hf)(t) values of -17.3 to -0.2, indicating that they were formed by partial melting of ancient lower-crust(metaigneous rocks mixed with metasedimentary rocks) with some mantle materials in response to subduction of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean and following collision. The Silurian mafic dikes were considered to have been derived from a low degree of partial melting of primary mafic magma. These mafic dikes show initial ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios of 0.7101–0.7152 and ε_(Nd)(t) values of -3.8 to -3.4 and zircon ε_(Hf)(t) values of -8.8 to -4.9, indicating that they were derived from enriched mantle in response to post-collisional slab break-off. Combined with regional geology, our new data provide valuable insight into late evolution of the Proto-Tethys.

Mineral Inclusions in Chromite from the Chromite Deposit in the Kudi Ophiolite,Tibet,Proto-Tethys

High-Al chromite from the Kudi chromitites contains a wide range of mineral inclusions. They include clinopyroxene, amphibole, phlogopite, olivine, orthopyroxene, apatite, base-metal sulfides, calcite and brucite. The modal abundance of inclusions vary greatly among different grains of chromite. The common inclusions are clinopyroxene and amphibole, which occur as monomineral or polymineral associated with other minerals. The shapes of these inclusions tend to follow the growth plane of host chromite. Mineral assemblages and textures demonstrate that some inclusions（olivine, clinopyroxene） are trapped during magmatic stage, and most of the inclusions（e.g., amphibole, phlogopite） are trapped during recrystallization of chromite. Sulfide inclusions are pentlandite, chalcopyrite and cubanite. They occur either as isolated grains or together with silicate minerals, and formed from the separation of sulfide-bearing liquid from silicate magma. The parental magma of chromitites contains Al2O3 15.0wt%–16.5wt%, TiO20.30wt%–1.05wt% based on calculation with the composition of chromite, similar to parental magma of high-Al chromitites from elsewhere and the estimated melt composition is comparable with that of MORB. Considering the high-Mg olivine in disseminated chromitite and abundant hydrous inclusions, we propose that Kudi chromitites formed beneath a volcanic front during the subduction initiation of Proto-Tethys.

Lajishan Ayishan Formation Rhyolites: Implications for the Closure Time of the Proto-Tethys Ocean

The Qilian orogenic belt,as an important component of the central orogenic system,can be divided into three tectonic units from north to south:the North Qilian tectonic belt,the Central Qilian tectonic belt and the South Qilian tectonic belt.The Lajishan ophiolitic mélange zone is an important part of the South Qilian tectonic belt.The study of the formation age and tectonic attributes of the different rock units in the Lajishan is of great significance for reconstructing the tectonic evolution of the south Qilian tectonics belt and the Proto-Tethys Ocean.The Ayishan formation is an important unit of the Lajishan mélange belt,but its stratigraphic age and formation environment are still not constrained,which limits the reconstruction of the early Palaeozoic tectonic evolution of the South Qilian tectonic belt and the closure time of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.In recent years,a set of rock assemblages consisting of andesite,rhyolite,sandstone and pebbly sandstone have been identified in the Ayishan formation exposed in the Lajishan through detailed geological mapping in the field.They are in fault contact with the underlying ophiolite mélange.Regionally,a volcano-sedimentary succession consisting of andesite,rhyolite,volcanic breccia,and volcaniclastic sandstone nonconformably overlies the Cambrian arc-accretionarycomplex system in the Ayishan area.These rocks were originally assigned to the Ayishan formation and attributed an Early Ordovician age(BGMRQP,1964,1991).Our rhyolite samples from the Ayishan formation yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 447 Ma using zircon U-Pb dating,which can be interpreted as the eruption age of the volcanic rocks.These volcanic rock assemblages are distributed in sandstone,pebbled sandstone and conglomerate in the form of interlayers.Therefore,the zircon UPb age of the volcanic rocks can constrain the age of Ayishan formation that it should belong to the late Ordovician rather than early Ordovician.Additionally,we propose that the Ayishan rhyolites were formed in collision-related tectonic setting based on the geochemistry of the rhyolites,which means the initial continental collision between the Central Qilian block and the Qaidam block occurred at least in the Late Ordovician.Ayishan formation are in fault contact with the Cambrian Donggoumeikuang complex in the south.The Donggoumeikuang complex represents a Cambrian introceanic subduction system that formed in response to subduction of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean(Yan et al.,2015;Fu et al.,2018).At 450 to 420 Ma,the Proto-Tethyan Ocean closed and the Qaidam block collided against the central Qilian tectonics belt.Voluminous 450–440 Ma I-type and S-type granites(Yan et al.,2015;Tung et al.,2016)that straddle the Central and South Qilian belts formed a broad Andean-type continental margin(Yan et al.,2019),which indicates that the transition from oceanic subduction to continental subduction occurred in 450–440 Ma.At 440–420 Ma,the syncollisional and postcollisional granitoids extensively developed,accompanied by high-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism and anatexis in the South Qilian belt and the Qaidam block(Yu et al.,2014;Yan et al.,2015;Fu et al.,2018;Li et al.,2018).

Early Paleozoic Mafic-Ultramafic Rocks in the East Kunlun: Trace Subduction of Proto-Tethys

The East Kunlun located in the northern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet)Plateau,is a composite orogenic belt which has underwent multi-stages tectonic evolution(e.g.Wang and Chen,1987;Jiang et al.,1992;Yang et al.,1996,2009).The East Kunlun orogenic belt(EKOB)is bounded by Altyn Tagh Fault in the west and Wenquan Fault in the east,bounded by the south margin of Qaidam

Early Ordovician-Middle Silurian Subduction-Closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean:Evidence from the Qiaerlong Pluton at the Northwestern Margin of the West Kunlun Orogenic Belt,NW China

Early Paleozoic magmatism in the West Kunlun Orogenic Belt(WKOB)preserves important information about the tectonic evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.This paper reports whole-rock compositions,zircon and apatite U-Pb dating,and zircon Hf isotopes for the Qiaerlong Pluton(QEL)at the northwestern margin of WKOB,with the aim of elucidating the petrogenesis of the pluton and shedding insights into the subduction-collision process of this oceanic slab.The QEL is mainly composed of Ordovician quartz monzodiorite(479±3 Ma),quartz monzonite(467–472 Ma),and syenogranite(463±4 Ma),and is intruded by Middle Silurian peraluminous granite(429±20 Ma)and diabase(421±4 Ma).Zirconε_(Hf)(t)values reveal that quartz monzodiorites(+2.1 to+9.9)and quartz monzonites(+0.6 to+6.8)were derived from a mixed source of juvenile crust and older lower crust,and syenogranites(−5.6 to+4.5)and peraluminous granites(−2.9 to+2.0)were generated from a mixed source of lower crust and upper crust;diabases had zirconε_(Hf)(t)values ranging from−0.3 to+4.1,and contained 463±5 Ma captured zircon and 1048±39 Ma inherited zircon,indicating they originated from enriched lithospheric mantle and were contaminated by crustal materials.The Ordovician granitoids are enriched in LILEs and light rare-earth elements,and depleted in HFSEs with negative Nb,Ta,P,and Ti anomalies,suggesting that they formed in a subduction environment.Middle Silurian peraluminous granites have the characteristics of leucogranites with high SiO_(2)contents(74.92 wt.%–75.88 wt.%)and distinctly negative Eu anomalies(δEu=0.03–0.14),indicating that they belong to highly fractionated granite and were formed in a post-collision extension setting.Comparative analysis of these results with other Early Paleozoic magmas reveals that the Proto-Tethys ocean closed before the Middle Silurian and its southward subduction resulted in the formation of QEL.

Early Paleozoic Granulite-Facies Metamorphism and Magmatism in the Northern Wulan Terrane of the Quanji Massif:Implications for the Evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean in Northwestern China

The nature and evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean originated from the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia remain controversial. Early Paleozoic magmatism and metamorphism can pro- vide important constraints on the closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean. This paper reports on a set of geological, petrographical, geochronological, mineralogical and geochemical data for Early Paleozoic granite, gabbro, granulite and granitic leucosome in the northern Wulan terrane of the Quanji Massif. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating reveals two episodes of magmatism, with the emplacement of a gran- itic pluton at 476.7±2.8 Ma and a gabbroic dike at 423±2 Ma. Whole-rock geochemistry suggests an arc affinity for the magma of the granitic pluton but a post-collisional extension setting for the gabbroic dike. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating also shows that the peak granulite-facies metamorphism and anatexis occurred at --475 Ma, coeval with the formation of the granitic pluton in the Quanji Massif as well as the early lawsonite-bearing eclogites in the North Qaidam high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure （HP-UHP） metamorphic belt to the south. The granulite-facies metamorphism with peak P-T condi- tions at 718-729 ℃ and 0.46-0.53 GPa is characterized by an anticlockwise P-T path. Our data provide compelling evidence for Early Paleozoic paired metamorphic belts with HP-UHP metamorphism in the North Qaidam to the south and low PIT metamorphism in the Quanji Massif as a continental arc to the north, hence suggesting a northward subduction polarity for the Proto-Tethys oceanic plate. The intrusion of the post-collisional gabbroic dike supports for the closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean in north- western China before 423 Ma.

^40Ar/^39Ar and Rb-Sr Ages of the Tiegelongnan Porphyry Cu-(Au)Deposit in the Bangong Co-Nujiang Metallogenic Belt of Tibet,China:Implication for Generation of Super-Large Deposit

The Tiegelongnan deposit is a newly discovered super-large porphyry-epithermal Cu-（Au） deposit in the western part of the Bangong Co-Nujiang metallogenic belt, Tibet（China）. Field geology and geochronology indicate that the porphyry mineralization was closely related to the Early Cretaceous intermediate-felsic intrusions（ca. 123–120 Ma）. Various epithermal ore and gangue mineral types were discovered in the middle-shallow part of the orebody, indicating the presence of epithermal mineralization at Tiegelongnan. Potassic, propylitic, phyllic and advanced argillic alteration zones were identified. 40Ar/39Ar dating of hydrothermal biotite（potassic zone）, sericite（phyllic zone）, and alunite（advanced argillic zone） in/around the ore-bearing granodiorite porphyry yielded 121.1±0.6 Ma（1σ）, 120.8±0.7 Ma（1σ） and 117.9±1.6 Ma（1σ）, respectively. Five hydrothermal mineralization stages were identified, of which the Stage IV pyrite was Rb-Sr dated to be 117.5±1.8 Ma（2σ）, representing the end of epithermal mineralization. Field geology and geochronology suggest that both the epithermal and porphyry mineralization belong to the same magmatic-hydrothermal system. The Tiegelongnan super-large Cu-（Au） deposit may have undergone a prolonged magmatichydrothermal evolution, with the major mineralization event occurring at ca.120–117Ma.

Petrogenesis and Tectonics of the Naruo Porphyry Cu(Au) Deposit Related Intrusion in the Duolong Area,Central Tibet

The Duolong area is the most important part of the Western Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone porphyry Cu（Au） metallogenic belt, in Tibet, China. Here new detailed data are presented from LAICP-MS zircon U-Pb, whole-rock geochemical, and in-situ zircon Hf isotope analyses for igneous rocks in the large Naruo deposit（2.51 Mt of Cu and 82 t of Au） which is located ~2 km NE of the Duolong（Duobuza and Bolong） super-large gold-rich porphyry copper deposit. We integrated our results with previous research of other porphyry deposits in the Duolong area and have identified the timing, geodynamic setting, and petrogenesis of the mineralization-associated magmatic events. Based on the measurements, the Duolong area porphyry Cu（Au） deposit formations are associated with Early Cretaceous intermediate-felsic magmatism, which is consistent with U-Pb zircon ages of 120 Ma. All the main intrusive rocks in the ore-concentrated area have similar lithogeochemical characteristics; they show a relative enrichment in both light rare earth elements（LREEs） and large-ion lithophile elements（LILEs： Rb, Ba, K, etc.） and relative depletion in both heavy rare earth elements（HREEs） and high field strength elements（HFSEs： Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, etc.）. Moreover, the granite porphyry shows positive εHf（t） values between 1.38–7.37 suggesting that magmas were potentially derived from the partial melting of a depleted mantle wedge that had been metasomatized by subducted slab-derived fluids or melts. This paper points out that the formation of the porphyry-epithermal Cu（Au） deposit in the Duolong area was dominated by northward subduction of the Bangongco Tethys Plate beneath the Qiangtang block in the Early Cretaceous（124–114 Ma）, when the subducted oceanic crust reached 50–70 km underground and generated different degrees of phase transformation, which lead to a melt produced by dehydration of amphibole minerals, a metasomatized mantle wedge, and induced mantle partial melting that produced the magma. Those deposits occurred in a continental arc tectonic setting, which is similar to the continental margin arc environment of the ocean-continent subduction setting of the Andes metallogenic belt in South America.

Diamonds Discovered from High–Cr Podiform Chromitites of Bulqiza,Eastern Mirdita Ophiolite,Albania

Various combinations of diamond, moissanite, zircon, corundum, rutile and titanitehave been recovered from the Bulqiza chromitites. More than 10 grains of diamond have been recovered, most of which are pale yellow to reddish–orange to colorless. The grains are all 100–300 μm in size and mostly anhedral, but with a range of morphologies including elongated, octahedral and subhedral varieties. Their identification was confirmed by a characteristic shift in the Raman spectra between 1325 cm-1 and 1333 cm-1, mostly at 1331.51 cm-1 or 1326.96 cm-1. This investigation extends the occurrence of diamond and moissanite to the Bulqiza chromitites in the Eastern Mirdita Ophiolite. Integration of the mineralogical, petrological and geochemical data of the Bulqiza chromitites suggests their multi–stage formation. Magnesiochromite grains and perhaps small bodies of chromitite formed at various depths in the upper mantle, and encapsulated the ultra–high pressure, highly reduced and crustal minerals. Some oceanic crustal slabs containing the magnesiochromite and their inclusion were later trapped in suprasubduction zones, where they were modified by tholeiitic and boninitic arc magmas, thus changing the magnesiochromite compositions and depositing chromitite ores in melt channels.

Near-surface Geothermal Gradient Observation and Geothermal Analyses in the Xianshuihe Fault Zone,Eastern Tibetan Plateau

The Xianshuihe fault（XSHF） zone, characterized by intense tectonic activity, is located at the southwest boundary of the Bayan Har block, where several major earthquakes have occurred, including the 2008 Wenchuan and the 2013 Lushan earthquakes. This study analysed underground temperature sequence data for four years at seven measuring points at different depths（maximum depth： 18.9 m） in the southeastern section of the XSHF zone. High-frequency atmospheric noise was removed from the temperature sequences to obtain relatively stable temperature fields and heat fluxes near the measurement points. Our measurements show that the surrounding bedrock at（the seven stations distributed in the fault zone） had heat flux values range from-41.0 to 206 m W/m^2, with a median value of 54.3 m W/m^2. The results indicate a low heat flux in the northern section of DaofuKangting and a relatively high heat flux in the southern section of Kangting, which is consistent with the temperature distributions of the hot springs near the fault. Furthermore, our results suggest that the heat transfer in this field results primarily from stable underground heat conduction. In addition, the underground hydrothermal activity is also an obvious factor controlling the geothermal gradient.

Jurassic Hornblende Gabbros in Dongga,Eastern Gangdese,Tibet:Partial Melting of Mantle Wedge and Implications for Crustal Growth

The Gangdese batholith, more than 2500 km in length, is composed mainly of JurassicMiocene igneous rocks. This batholith is one of the most important constituents of the Tibetan orogenesis and provides an ideal place for study of Neo-Tethyan ocean geodynamic evolution and plateau uplift. Recent studies on the Gangdese Jurassic felsic magmatism highlight its juvenile source. However, important aspects concerning the genesis of the juvenile magmatism and related deep geodynamic evolution are still unclear. Here, we report detailed petrological, geochronological, geochemical, whole-rock Sr-Nd isotopic, and in situ Sr-Hf isotopic data for a recently identified hornblende gabbro in the Dongga area, southern Lhasa sub-block. This hornblende gabbro is dominated by hornblende and plagioclase, dated at Early Jurassic（ca. 180–190 Ma）, and characterized by a narrow compositional range in SiO2（49.38wt%–52.27wt%）, MgO（4.08wt%–7.00wt%）, FeO（10.43wt%–11.77wt%）, Na2O（2.58wt%–3.51wt%）, and K2O（0.48wt%–1.53wt%）. It has depleted isotopic signatures, with whole-rock（87Sr/86Sr）i ratios of 0.7033–0.7043, εNd（t） values of ＋4.90 to ＋6.99, in situ plagioclase（87Sr/86Sr）i ratios of 0.7034–0.7042, and zircon εHf（t） of ＋12.2 to ＋16.8. Our results integrated with published data suggest a model of Gangdese juvenile crustal growth by a subduction-related water-enriched mantle wedge. The hydrous partial melting of the lithosphere mantle was triggered by the dehydration of a Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab. This mafic magmatism emplaced in the middle-lower crust of intraoceanic arcs or active continental margins, leading to Jurassic juvenile crustal growth in southern Tibet.

Geology,Geochemistry and Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of Porphyries in the Dabate Mo-Cu Deposit,Western Tianshan,China:Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications

The Dabate Mo-Cu deposit is a medium-sized porphyry-type deposit in the Sailimu Lake region, western Tianshan, China. We present the geology, geochemistry and zircon U-Pb geochronology of granite porphyries from the Dabate district with the intent to constrain their tectonic setting and petrogenesis. Porphyries in the Dabate district include granite porphyry I（gray white color with large phenocrysts）, granite porphyry II（pink color with small phenocrysts） and quartz porphyry. Granite porphyry II is the Cu and Mo ore-bearing granitoid in the Dabate deposit. LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb analyses indicate that granite porphyry II was emplaced at 284.2±1.8 Ma. Granite porphyry I and II have similar geochemical features and are both highly fractionated granites：（1） They have high SiO2 content（70.93–80.18 wt% and 72.14–72.64 wt%, respectively）, total alkali（7.58–8.95 wt% and 9.35–9.68 wt%, respectively）, mafic index（0.95–0.98 and 0.93–0.94, respectively） and felsic index（0.79–0.94 and 0.89–0.91, respectively）;（2） They are characterized by pronounced negative Eu anomaly, ＂seagullstyle＂ chondrite-normalized REE patterns and ＂tetrad effect＂ of REE;（3） They are rich in Rb, K, Th, Ta, Zr, Hf, Y and REE, but depleted in Sr, P, Ti and Nb. The magma of granite porphyries in Dabate can be interpreted to have been generated by partial melting of the upper crust due to mantle-derived magma underplating in a post-collisional extensional setting.

Chemo-and Biostratigraphy of the Jurassic Oil Shales from the Qiangtang Basin,Northern Tibet,China:A Case Study of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event

The marine oil shales of the Qiangtang Basin, northern Tibet, exposed in the Biluo Co, Tuonamu, Shenglihe and Changsheshan areas are believed to be important petroleum source rocks. This work comprehensively analyzed the carbon isotopes, trace elements, and calcareous nannofosills, ammonites and bivalves of the Biluo Co section in the Qiangtang Basin. The organic carbon isotopes show a positive excursion close to 2.17‰（relative to PDB）, which, albeit significantly smaller, may also be associated with other Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Events（T-OAE） in the European epicontinental seas and the Tethyan continental margins. Coinciding with the Early Toarcian transgression, the oxygen deficiency in bottom water had led to dysoxic-anoxic conditions and deposition of black shales lacking benthic fauna. Under such condition, the redox-sensitive trace metals such as Mo, V, Ni, Cr, and U were enriched, in conjunction with high planktonic productivity of Watznaueriaceae calcareous nannofossils. Comparison of the results with the records of chemo-and biostratigraphy, as well as the palaeogeography during the Early Jurassic suggests that the anoxia linked to the Early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event was mainly caused by the high surface water temperature, sea-level rise and an increase of surface water productivity.

New Apatite Fission-Track Ages of the Western Kuqa Depression:Implications for the Mesozoic–Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of South Tianshan,Xinjiang

The Mesozoic–Cenozoic uplift history of South Tianshan has been reconstructed in many ways using thermochronological analyses for the rocks from the eastern Kuqa Depression. The main difference in the reconstructions concerns the existence and importance of Early Cretaceous and Paleogene tectonic activities, but the existence of a Cenozoic differential uplift in the Kuqa Depression remains enigmatic. Here, we present new apatite fission-track ages obtained for 12 sandstone samples from the well-exposed Early Triassic to Quaternary sequence of the Kapushaliang section in the western Kuqa Depression. The results reveal that there were four pulses of tectonic exhumation, which occurred during the Early Cretaceous（peak ages of 112 and 105 Ma）, Late Cretaceous（peak age of 67 Ma）, Paleocene–Eocene（peak ages at 60, 53, and 36 Ma）, and early Oligocene to late Miocene（central ages spanning 30–11 Ma and peak ages of 23 and 14 Ma）, respectively. A review of geochronological and geological evidence from both the western and eastern Kuqa Depression is shown as follows.（1） The major exhumation of South Tians Shan during the Early Cretaceous was possibly associated with docking of the Lhasa block with the southern margin of the Eurasian plate.（2） The Late Cretaceous uplift of the range occurred diachronically due to the far-field effects of the Kohistan-Dras Arc and Lhasa block accretion.（3） The Paleogene uplift in South Tianshan initially corresponded to the far-field effects of the India–Eurasia collision.（4） The rapid exhumation in late Cenozoic was driven by the continuous far-field effects of the collision between India and Eurasia plates. The apatite fission-track ages of 14–11 Ma suggest that late Cenozoic exhumation in the western Kuqa Depression prevailed during the middle to late Miocene, markedly later than the late Oligocene to early Miocene activity in the eastern segment. It can be hypothesized that a possible differential uplift in time occurred in the Kuqa Depression during the late Cenozoic.

Geochronology, Geochemistry and Tectonic Setting of the Bairiqiete Granodiorite Intrusion(Rock Mass) from the Buqingshan Tectonic Mélange Belt in the Southern Margin of East Kunlun

This study focuses on the zircon U-Pb geochronology and geochemistry of the Bairiqiete granodiorite intrusion （rock mass） from the Buqingshan tectonic mélange belt in the southern margin of East Kunlun.The results show that the zircons are characterized by internal oscillatory zoning and high Th/U （0.14-0.80）,indicative of an igneous origin.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircons from the Bairiqiete granodiorite yielded an age of 439.0 ± 1.9 Ma （MSWD =0.34）,implying that the Bairiqiete granodiorite formed in the early Silurian.Geochemical analyses show that the rocks are medium-K calc-alkaline,relatively high in Al2O3 （14.57-18.34 wt％） and metaluminous to weakly peraluminous.Rare-earth elements have low concentrations （45.49-168.31 ppm） and incline rightward with weak negative to weak positive Eu anomalies （δEu =0.64-1.34）.Trace-element geochemistry is characterized by negative anomalies of Nb,Ta,Zr,Hf and Ti and positive anomalies of Rb,Th and Ba.Moreover,the rocks have similar geochemical features with adakites.The Bairiqiete granodiorite appears to have a continental crust source and formed in a subduction-related island-arc setting.The Bairiqiete granodiorite was formed due to partial melting of the lower crust and suggests subduction in the Buqingshan area of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.

Hydrochemistry and H-O-C-S Isotopic Geochemistry Characteristics of Geothermal Water in Nyemo-Nagqu,Tibet

Nyemo-Nagqu, Tibet, is rich in high-temperature geothermal resources. The geothermal fields in Yangbajain and Yangyi as well as 11 unexplored geothermal fields along the geothermal belt from Nyemo to Nagqu were systematically investigated and the hydrochemistry data were collected from the whole field. Meanwhile, H-O-C-S isotope data were obtained for the new fields, and H-O isotope data for the Yangbajain and Yangyi fields. A comparison of the Nyemo-Nagqu geothermal fields with those in the Yangbajain area shows that the types of high-temperature geothermal water are dominated by Cl-Na and Cl·HCO3-Na, while the types of medium-high-temperature geothermal water are dominated by HCO3-Na. The concentrations of Li, F, SiO2, and HBO2 in the geothermal water are positively correlated with Cl content, indicating possible mixing with magma water. The reservoir temperatures range from 90 to 270°C by geothermometers. Slight drifting of 18O was recorded at the Dongweng and Nyingzhong high-temperature geothermal fields, while more significant drifting was recorded at Gulu. The geothermal water is mainly replenished by atmospheric precipitation. The low tritium contents（〈1 TU） of the geothermal water from Nyingzhong, Gulu, and Luoma indicate that it is mainly replenished by sub-modern（prior to 1952） water, while the high tritium content（8.4 TU） in Yuela implies modern water replenishment. Other geothermal fields are replenished by a mix of sub-modern fresher water. The isotopic data in this study show that the carbon and sulfur in the geothermal water originates mainly from sediment leaching, with some of the carbon and sulfur having a deep origin.

Geology Along the Line from Yecheng to Shiquanhe and Tectonic Evolution of the Region Involved

The geotraverse from Yecheng to Shiquanhe, on the western Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, totalling 1056 km in length, passes the western Kunlun Mountains and the eastern end of the Karakorum Mountains. The Chinese and French scientists made a joint investigation along the line from July to August, 1989. Based on the outcropped ophiolites, palaeontology, sedimentary facies, magmatism, tectonic deformation and metamorphism, the region involved may be divided from north to south into five terranes and four ophiolitic suture zones. The ages of these terranes have a tendency to become increasingly younger from north to south.

The Coupling Relationship between the Uplift of Longmen Shan and the Subsidence of Foreland Basin,Sichuan,China

Depending on the analysis of the coeval sedimentary geometry and subsidence mechanism in the Longmen Shan foreland basin, three models about the coupling relationship between Longmen Shan uplift and foreland basin subsidence since the Indosinian have been proposed：（1） crustal shortening and its related wide wedge-shaped foreland basin,（2） crustal isostatic rebound and its related tabular foreland basin, and（3） lower crustal flow and its related narrow wedge-shaped foreland basin. Based on the narrow wedge-shaped foreland basin developed since 4 Ma, it is believed that the narrow crustal shortening and tectonic load driven by lower crustal flow is a primary driver for the present Longmen Shan uplift and the Wenchuan（Ms 8.0） earthquake.