The Tectonic Implications of the Hongliuhe-Xichangjing Ophiolitic Mélanges Belt in the Central Region of the Beishan Orogen, NW China——Constrained by the U-Pb Ages of Detrital Zircons of the Metasandstones

The tectonic attributes of different blocks within orogenic belts are of great significance for the study of accretionary processes and the evolution of Earth. The Hongliuhe-Niujianzi-Baiyunshan-Xichangjing ophiolitic mélange belt(HXOMB) is distributed in the heart of the Beishan Orogen, the Shuangyingshan and Minshui-Hanshan blocks being distributed in the south and north of the HXOMB respectively, and a large number of Early Paleozoic geological units are exposed on the blocks. According to the zircon age populations of the metasandstones in the Baiyunshan area recovered in this paper, when compared with the zircon age populations of the Paleozoic metasandstones reported in the Niujuanzi and Hanshan areas, we found that the metasandstones of the Shuangyingshan Block have age peaks at c. 598 Ma, 742 Ma, 828 Ma, 941 Ma, 990 Ma, 1168 Ma, 1636 Ma, 2497 Ma with non-significant age populations of 1500–1300 Ma, showing a possible affinity with the Tarim Craton;the metasandstones of the Minshui-Hanshan Block have age peaks at c. 606 Ma, 758 Ma, 914 Ma, 1102 Ma, 1194 Ma, 1304 Ma, 1672 Ma with significant age populations of 1500-1300 Ma, showing a possible affinity with the Chinese Central Tianshan Block. Therefore, the HXOMB of the Beishan Orogen is of great significance in plate segmentation, which separates the Tarim Craton in the south and the Chinese Central Tianshan Block in the north. Based on the evolutionary process of the Hongliuhe-Xichangjing ocean in the Beishan Orogen, we believe that break-up and convergence can be recognized as having occurred twice between the Chinese Central Tianshan Block and the Tarim Craton since the Mesoproterozoic in the Beishan area. This was related firstly to the break-up of the Columbia Supercontinent and the convergence of the Rodinia Supercontinent, mainly during the Middle Mesoproterozoic to Early Neoproterozoic, and secondly to the opening and closing of the Hongliuhe-Xichangjing ocean, mainly during the Early Paleozoic.

Munabulake ophiolitic mélange:Implication for the evolution history of the north branch of the Proto-Tethys ocean

One of the ophiolites that record the Proto-Tethys Ocean’s episodic closure is the Munabulake ophiolitic mélange,which is situated in the middle of the Kunlun-Qaidam and Altun-Qilian blocks.Detailed field mapping revealed that the Munabulake ophiolitic mélange comprises local(ultramafic rocks,basalts,andesites,gabbros,diorites,and plagiogranites)and exotic(marble,gneiss,schist,and amphibolite)blocks,many of which are in the schist matrix(Qimantage Group).Based on geochronological,geochemical,and petrological observations,the mafic rocks in the Munabulake ophiolitic mélange can be categorized into three categories:498-Ma OIB-like gabbros,468-Ma Hawaiian alkaline basalt-like dolerite and pillow basaltic slices,and 428 Ma massive SSZ-like ultramafic rocks.The 501-452 Ma I-type granites exhibit arc affinities due to the oceanic crust subduction.These findings,along with spatial relationships,suggest that the Early Paleozoic ophiolite complex,island arc rocks,and accretionary complex generated as an intra-oceanic arc system as a result of obduction of the south Altun Ocean’s onto the Central Altun block within a north-directed subduction event.A dextral strike-slip was evident throughout the Early Paleozoic oceanic crust subduction based on the whole set of planar and linear structural data,and the subduction polarity was likely to the north.According to the ophiolitic mélange’s youngest rocks and the existence of 413 Ma granite dykes that are widely exposed in the Munabulake ophiolitic mélange,the Munabulake ophiolitic mélange was most likely emplaced during the Middle Silurian.This Munabulake ophiolitic mélange is similar in age and petrochemical characteristics to the other ophiolites in the South Altun subduction-collision belt,indicating that the Manabulak ophiolite mélange is a westward extension of the Apa-Mangya subduction-collision belt,which formed during the northward subduction of the South Altun Ocean slab during the Early Paleozoic.Thus,the final closing time of the South Altun Ocean is between 413 and 428 Ma.

Neoproterozoic Trench-arc System in the Western Segment of Jiangnan Orogenic Belt, South China

The Jiangnan orogenic belt is a key to understanding of the Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the South China Block. We investigate the mafic-ultramafic suites of lherzolite, pyroxenite, gabbro, pillow basalt and gabbroic diorite as well as red jasper interbedded with marine marbles that are mainly exposed as fault-trapped blocks in the Yuanbaoshan and Longsheng domains of the western Jiangnan belt. The postcollisional granite plutons that intruded the ultramafic-mafic rocks are developed well. Zircons in the gabbro yield crystallization ages of 867±10 Ma, 863±8 Ma, 869±9 Ma and 855±5 Ma whereas those from the granites show ages of 823±5 Ma, 831±5 Ma, 824±5 Ma and 833±6 Ma. The Neoproterozoic serpentinited ultramafic samples display minor REE enriched pattern with depletion of Rb, Ba, Nb, Ta and Ti, similar to those of SSZ type ophiolite. The coeval gabbro shows tholeiitic features and is characterized by negative Ba, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf and Sr anomalies and LREE enriched patterns, with a minor negative Eu anomaly. Some zircon grains from the Longshen gabbro yield Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic ages(2859–2262 Ma), suggesting its continental arc setting. Geochemical signature of the maficultramafic rocks is consistent with subduction related setting. The pyroxene-bearing diorite exhibits a distinctive arc affinity. The zircons from the gabbro show positive εHf(t) values ranging from 3.9 to 13.8. The granitoids are typical S–type granites with high ACNK values(1.15–1.40) and negative εHf(t) values(–15.1 to –3.2), and are classified as collision–related granites. Combined with the occurrences of mafic-ultramafic rocks, siliceous marble and red jasper mixed with basalt, our new results suggest the presence of a Tonian(863–869 Ma) SSZ ophiolite system and continental arc-type magmatism in the western Jiangnan orogen.

Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications of the Late Silurian–Early Devonian Bimodal Intrusive Rocks in the Central Beishan Orogenic Belt,NW China:Constraints by Petrology,Geochemistry and Hf Isotope

A large number of Late Silurian–Early Devonian intrusive rocks are distributed in the central Beishan orogenic belt(BOB).Tectonic setting of these intrusive rocks is of great significance to the study of the subduction and accretion of the Paleo-Asian Ocean.Previous studies show that most of the intrusive rocks in this region are S-type or A-type granitoids.In this study,we firstly reported the Late Silurian–Early Devoniandia bases,granodiorites on the southside of the Baiyunshan ophiolitic mélanges belt,as a part of Hongliuhe-Xichangjing ophiolitic mélanges belt(HXOMB).Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating yields emplacement ages between 418 and 397 Ma,REE distribution patterns exhibit enriched LREE and flat HREE in the diabases,the discriminant diagrams show that the diabases have geochemical characteristics of intraplate basalt.The granodiorites in this paper present more like S-and A-type granitoids reported,showing the geochemical characteristics of syn/post-collision granites.Actually,the bimodal magmatic rocks are developed during Late Silurian–Early Devonian on both sides of the HXOMB,which are related to the tectonic background of the post orogeny extension.The diabases are tholeiitic with relative strong depletedεHf(t)(+8.1 to+13.0),which are mainly from relative depleted mantle.The granodiorites are calc-alkaline with relative slightly depletedεHf(t)(+0.7 to+5.6)and the lower Mg#and MgO contents(34.6–36.9,0.50 wt.%–1.19 wt.%respectively),reflecting the source characteristics of meta-basalt.Therefore,the remelting of juvenile crust may be the main way of continental crust accretion during Late Silurian–Early Devonian in the central BOB.