Deep Structure and Metallogenic Processes of the Altai-Junggar-Tianshan Collage in Southern Altaids

The Altai-Junggar-Tianshan collage in southern Altaids is an important metallogenic domain in Central Asia that contain world-class copper-iron-nickel deposits.As an accretionary-type metallogenic system,the metallogenic processes of the Altai-Junggar-Tianshan collage is essential in understanding the genetic mechanism of ore deposits in general.Here in this paper we present a brief introduction to the project on the western part of the Southern Altaids,entitled"The deep structure and metallegenic processes of the North China accretionary metallogenic systems".This project mainly focuses on the deep structure and metallogenic background of the Altai-Junggar-Tianshan collage by integrated studies from field geology,structural mapping,geochemistry and geophysical exploration.Multiple new geological and geophysical methods will be applied to make transparency of the Kalatongke and Kalatage ore clusters.This will update our understanding of the geodynamic processes of metallogenesis and lead to the development and foundation of new metallogenic theories in accretionary orogens.

Comparative Orotomy of the Archean Superior,North China,and Phanerozoic Altaid Orogenic Systems Architecture

Geological maps encode vast amounts of data about rock types,ages,chemistry,orogenic architecture and deep-time history or different tectonic units,yet these are often difficult to extract because of the way different geologists portray their results at various scales.To understand orogenesis in 4D,it is essential to uniformly integrate map data,together with geophysical data and deep geochemical mapping(Wang et al.,2023).

Discovery of the Plagiogranites in the Diyanmiao Ophiolite,Southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt,Inner Mongolia,China and Its Tectonic Significance

In this study, plagiogranites in the Diyanmiao ophiolite of the southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt （Altaids） were investigated for the first time. The plagiogranites are composed predominantly of albite and quartz, and occur as irregular intrusive veins in pillow basalts. The plagiogranites have high SiO2 （74.37-76.68wt%） and low A1203 （11.99-13.30wt%）, and intensively high Na20 （4.52-5.49wt%） and low K20 （0.03-0.40wt%） resulting in high Na20/K20 ratios （11.3-183）. These rocks are classified as part of the low-K tholeiitic series. The plagiogranites have low total rare earth element contents （∑REE）（23.62-39.77ppm）, small negative Eu anomalies （JEu=0.44-0.62）, and flat to slightly LREE-depleted chondrite-normalized REE patterns （（La/Yb）N=0.68-0.76）, similar to N-MORB. The plagiogranites are also characterized by Th, U, Zr, and Hf enrichment, and Nb, P, and Ti depletion, have overall flat primitivemantle-normalized trace element patterns. Field and petrological observations and geochemical data suggest that the plagiogranites in the Diyanmiao ophiolite are similar to fractionation-type plagiogranites. Furthermore, the REE patterns of the plagiogranites are similar to those of the gabbros and pillow basalts in the ophiolite. In plots of SREE-SiO2, La-SiO2, and Yb-SiO2, the plagiogranites, pillow basalts, and gabbros show trends typical of crystal fractionation. As such, the plagiogranites are oceanic in origin, formed by crystal fractionation from basaltic magmas derived from depleted mantle, and are part of the Diyanmiao ophiolite. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircons from the plagiogranites yielded ages of 328.6±2.1 and 327.1±2.1Ma, indicating an early Carboniferous age for the Diyanmiao ophiolite. These results provide petrological and geochronological evidence for the identification of the Erenhot-Hegenshan oceanic basin and Hegenshan suture of the Paleo-Asian Ocean.

The PTst Evolution of Metamorphism and Development Mechanism of the Thermal-Structural-Gneiss Domes in the Chinese Altaides

A series of thermal-structural-gneiss domes (briefly TSG domes) are developed in the Chinese Altaides. Sericite-chlorite zone, biotite zone, garnet zone, staurolite zone, kyanite (andalusite)zone, sillimanite- cordierite (sillimanite-garnet)zone, migmatite zone and migmatic granite- gneiss field are developed from the low-grade metamorphic area to the centre of the TSG domes. The succession of the formation and evolution of the progressive metamorphic zone, migmatite zone and migmatic granite-gneiss corresponds to the spatial sequence from the outer part to the centre of the TSG domes. The peak temperature of the metamorphism and granitization increases progressively from 400℃ to 800℃ while the pressure decreases progressively from 1.05 GPa to 0.10 GPa from the biotite zone to the migmatic granite-gneiss field. The metamorphism of the erogenic belt may be described by the pressure-temperature-space-time model (PTst). In the main episode of orogeny, the deep heat flow and structural flow upsurged along a series of the centres of the regional thermodynamic anomalies, giving rise to the progressive metamorphism, granitization, and the differential uplift and the formation of TSG domes.

The Orogeny in the Altaides

Studies of the deformation styles, formation types and isotopic age data indicate that the Altaides has successively experienced 5 stages of orogeny: (1) the Kanas orogeny forming the angular unconformity between the Baihaba Formation (O_3) and the Habahe Group (Z-O_2); (2) the Daqiao orogeny (S_3-D_(1-2) giving rise to the early Hercynian quasi-aulacogen extensional continental crust of the area; (3) the Altay orogeny (middle-late Hercynian) leading to the oblique intracontinentai collision and the formation of large shear arc-shaped thrust system and representing a strong orogeny stage; (4) the pan-Altay orogeny (latest Hercynian-Indosinian) resulting in the uplifting and erosion of the mountains as a whole; (5) the Himalayan movement causing the rejuvenation of fault systems and block uplift of the Aitaides since the Cenozoic.