Research on groundwater ecological environment mapping based on ecological service function:A case study of five Central Asian countries and neighboring regions of China

The groundwater system is a unique ecosystem that serves both resource and ecological functions.Hydrogeologists have conducted extensive theoretical research and practical work on groundwater ecological mapping.This paper,based on the study of groundwater resources and surface ecology in the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China,introduces the concept of ecosystem service functions.It establishes a groundwater ecological zoning index system and conducts research of ecological mapping using the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China as examples.Through this process,the ecosystem service functions of groundwater can be more comprehensively reflected,which can better guide regional geological environment protection and industrial planning.This approach helps coordinate the relationship between socio-economic development and water resource protection,maintain the health of the groundwater ecological environment,enhance the value of groundwater ecological services,and promote the sustainable development of regional economies and societies.

Discourse Analysis of the Belt and Road Initiative From the Perspective of Central Asian Countries: A Case Study of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This study employs Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA)three-dimensional model,using the Republic of Kazakhstan as a case study,to delve into the discourse construction of China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)in Central Asian countries.Through detailed analysis of policy documents,media reports,and public discussions in Central Asian countries,this paper reveals how the BRI constructs specific social practices,discourse events,and textual meanings within these nations.The findings indicate that through this global development strategy,China has not only strengthened its economic ties with Central Asian countries but has also exerted profound influences on political,cultural,and social levels.

Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt in NE China

The eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB)in NE China is a key area for investigating continental growth.However,the complexity of its Paleozoic geological history has meant that the tectonic development of this belt is not fully understood.NE China is composed of the Erguna and Jiamusi blocks in the northern and eastern parts and the Xing’an and Songliao-Xilinhot accretionary terranes in the central and southern parts.The Erguna and Jiamusi blocks have Precambrian basements with Siberia and Gondwana affinities,respectively.In contrast,the Xing’an and Songliao-Xilinhot accretionary terranes were formed via subduction and collision processes.These blocks and terranes were separated by the Xinlin-Xiguitu,Heilongjiang,Nenjiang,and Solonker oceans from north to south,and these oceans closed during the Cambrian(ca.500 Ma),Late Silurian(ca.420 Ma),early Late Carboniferous(ca.320 Ma),and Late Permian to Middle Triassic(260-240 Ma),respectively,forming the Xinlin-Xiguitu,Mudanjiang-Yilan,Hegenshan-Heihe,Solonker-Linxi,and Changchun-Yanji suture zones.Two oceanic tectonic cycles took place in the eastern Paleo-Asian Ocean(PAO),namely,the Early Paleozoic cycle involving the Xinlin-Xiguitu and Heilongjiang oceans and the late Paleozoic cycle involving the Nenjiang-Solonker oceans.The Paleozoic tectonic pattern of the eastern CAOB generally shows structural features that trend east-west.The timing of accretion and collision events of the eastern CAOB during the Paleozoic youngs progressively from north to south.The branch ocean basins of the eastern PAO closed from west to east in a scissor-like manner.A bi-directional subduction regime dominated during the narrowing and closure process of the eastern PAO,which led to“soft collision”of tectonic units on each side,forming huge accretionary orogenic belts in central Asia.

Geochemistry,geochronology and Hf isotope of granitoids in the northern Alxa region:Implications for the Late Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The tectonic setting of the northern Alxa region during the Late Paleozoic is highly controversial.The key to resolve this controversy is to recognize the Late Paleozoic magmatic processes in the northern Alxa.In this paper,we present new zircon U-Pb ages,Hf-isotopic compositions and whole-rock geochemical data of four granitoids along the Zhusileng-Hangwula Tectonic Belt in the northern Alxa region that could provide critical information about the tectonic evolution of this region.The zircon U-Pb data could be grouped as two phases:Late Devonian granite and diorite(ca.373-360 Ma),and Late Carboniferous granodiorite(ca.318 Ma).The Late Devonian granites and diorites are metaluminous to slightly peraluminous,with A/CNK and A/NK ratios of 0.90-1.11 and0.95-2.19,respectively.The Late Devonian diorites are characterized by high MgO,Cr and Ni contents and MgO#values,together with variableεHf(t)values from-1.0 to+1.3 and old TDM2 ages varied from 1283 Ma to 1426 Ma,indicating the primary magma was potentially derived from magma mixing of depleted mantle with Mesoproterozoic continental crust.Even though the Late Devonian granites yielded most positive and minor negative eHf(t)values between-1.1 to+5.7(three grains are negative)with two-stage model ages(TDM2)of 1003-1438 Ma,they display low MgO,Cr and Ni contents and MgO#values,suggesting that they were mainly derived from juvenile crustal materials,mixed with a small amount of ancient crust.The Late Carboniferous granitoids are metaluminous and medium-K calc-alkaline series,with A/CNK and A/NK ratios ranging from 0.88 to 0.95 and1.75 to 1.90,respectively.These rocks were potentially derived from juvenile crustal materials mixed with depleted mantle,as evidenced by their highεHf(t)values(+11.6 to+14.1)and young TDM2 ages(427 Ma to 586 Ma),as well as high Mg#values,and MgO,Ni and Cr contents.Our data,along with available sedimentary evidence and previous researches,indicate that the Late Devonian and Late Carboniferous rocks are arc-related granitoids under the subduction setting.The identification of arc-related granitoids in the northern Alxa region not only reveals the Late Paleozoic magmatic process in response to the subduction of Paleo Asian Ocean,but also provide significant constrains to the tectonic evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.

Permian Tectonic Evolution in the Middle Part of Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from Newly Identified Volcanic Rocks in the Bilutu Area, Inner Mongolia

In this study, zircon U-Pb ages, geochemical and Lu-Hf isotopic data are presented for the newly identified volcanic rocks which were considered as Bainaimiao group in Bainaimiao Arc Belt(BAB), Inner Mongolia, which could provide important constraints on the evolution of the northern part of North China Block(NCB) and BAB. Basalt to basaltic andesite and andesite to dacite were collected from two sections, which showed eruption ages of 278.2±4.1 Ma and 258.3±3.0 Ma respectively. All samples are characterized by high abundances in Al2O3, LREEs, and LILEs, but depleted in HFSEs. Together with high Mg# ratios and low K/tholeiite to calc-alkaline series, these features indicated that basalt to andesite was likely derived from relatively low degree partial melting of the subduction-fluid related mantle in the spinel phase. And dacite was mainly from the partial melting of crust, then affected by mantle. All samples barely went through fractional crystallization process with the slight Eu anomaly. Compared with the contemporary basalt in NCB, rocks in BAB have a complex composition of zircon and a more positive εHf(t) value(-6.6-6.4), indicating that they had different magma sources of rocks. Though with different basements, NCB and BAB have become an integrated whole before 278 Ma. Therefore, it could be concluded that NCB and BAB belonged to the active continental margin and the PAO had not closed yet until late Permian and then it disappeared gradually and the CAOB developed into a condition of syn-post collision.

New Evidence of Detrital Zircon Ages for the Final Closure Time of the Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(NE China)

Objective The NE China is located in the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt（CAOB）,which is a large accretionary orogen between the Siberian Craton and the North China Craton（NCC）.Many researches have discussed about the evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean（PAO）in the eastern CAOB.However,

Geochemical and Petrological Studies on the Early Carboniferous Sidingheishan Mafic-Ultramafic Iintrusion in the Southern Margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt,NW China

The Sidingheishan mafic-ultramafic intrusion is located in the eastern part of the Northern Tianshan Mountain, along the southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in northern Xinjiang autonomous region of China. The Sidingheishan intrusion is mainly composed of wehrlite, olivine websterite, olivine gabbro, gabbro and hornblende gabbro. At least two pulses of magma were involved in the formation of the intrusion. The first pulse of magma produced an olivine-free unit and the second pulse produced an olivine-bearing unit. The magmas intruded the Devonian granites and granodiorites.An age of 351.4±5.8 Ma(Early Carboniferous) for the Sidingheishan intrusion has been determined by U-Pb SHRIMP analysis of zircon grains separated from the olivine gabbro unit. A U-Pb age of 359.2±6.4 Ma from the gabbro unit has been obtained by LA-ICP-MS. Olivine of the Sidingheishan intrusion reaches 82.52 mole% Fo and 1414 ppm Ni. On the basis of olivine-liquid equilibria, it has been calculated that the MgO and FeO included in the parental magma of a wehrlite sample were approximately10.43 wt% and 13.14 wt%, respectively. The Sidingheishan intrusive rocks are characterized by moderate enrichments in Th and Sm, slight enrichments in light REE, and depletions in Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf. The εNd(t) values in the rock units vary from +6.70 to +9.64, and initial87Sr/86Sr ratios range between 0.7035 and0.7042. Initial206Pb/204Pb,207Pb/204Pb and208Pb/204Pb values fall in the ranges of 17.23-17.91,15.45-15.54 and 37.54-38.09 respectively. These characteristics are collectively similar to the Heishan intrusion and the Early Carboniferous subduction related volcanic rocks in the Santanghu Basin, North Tianshan and Beishan area. The low(La/Gd)PMvalues between 0.26 and 1.77 indicate that the magma of the Sidingheishan intrusion was most likely derived from a depleted spinel-peridotite mantle.(Th/Nb)PMratios from 0.59 to 20.25 indicate contamination of the parental magma in the upper crust.Crystallization modeling methods suggest that the parental magma of the Sidingheishan intrusion was generated by flush melting of the asthenosphere and subsequently there was about 10 vol%contamination from a granitic melt. This was followed by about 5 vol% assimilation of upper crustal rocks. Thus, the high-Mg basaltic parental magma of Sidingheishan intrusion is interpreted to have formed from partial melting of the asthenosphere during the break-off of a subducted slab.

Continental reconstruction and metallogeny of the Circum-Junggar areas and termination of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Continental reconstructions in Central Asia are represented by orogenesis along some large orogenic belts in the Altaid collage （Fig. 1 ） or Central Asian Orogenic Belt （CAOB）, which separate the East European and Siberian cratons to the north from the Tarim and North China cratons to the south （$eng0r et al,, 1993; Jahn et al., 2004; Windley et al., 2007; Qu et al., 2008; Xiao et al., 2010; Xiao and Santosh, 2014）. The Altaid Collage was characterized by complex long tectonic and structural evolution from at least ca. 1.0 Ga to late Paleozoic-early Mesozoic with considerable continental growth （Khain et al., 2002; Jahn et al., 2004; Xiao et al., 2009, 2014; KrOner et al., 2014）, followed by Cenozoic intracontinental evolution related to far-field effect of the collision of the In- dian Plate to the Eurasian Accompanying with these complex world-class ore deposits developed 2001; Goldfarb et al., 2003, 2014）. Plate （Cunningham, 2005）. geodynamic evolutions, many （Qin, 2000; Yakubchuk et al,2001; Goldfarb et al., 2003, 2014）.

Convergence History of the Songliao and Jiamusi Blocks in the Eastern End of Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from Detrital Zircons of Late Paleozoic Sedimentary Rocks

Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB) is one of the largest accretionary orogenic belts in the world. The eastern segment of CAOB is dominated by Paleozoic Paleo Asian Ocean tectonic regime, Mesozoic Paleo-Pacific tectonic regime and Mongolian-Okhotsk tectonic regime. The Songliao and Jiamusi blocks are located in the easternmost part of the CAOB and are the key region to solve the problem about overprinting processes of multiple tectonic regimes. It is generally believed that the Mudanjiang Ocean between the two blocks was finally closed in the Mesozoic, but the Paleozoic magmatism also developed along the Mudanjiang suture zone, while on both sides of the suture zone, there were comparable Paleozoic strata, indicating that the two blocks had converged during the Paleozoic, and the evolution history of the two blocks in the Late Paleozoic remains controversial. The Carboniferous-Permian terrestrial strata mainly developed in Binxian, Wuchang and Tieli on Songliao Block, Baoqing and Mishan on Jiamusi Block. Samples from the Songliao and Jiamusi blocks in the Late Carboniferous-Early Permian and Late Permian are collected for comparative analysis. The LAICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results show that the maximum depositional age of Middle Permian Tumenling Formation and Late Permian Hongshan Formation in Songliao Block is ~260 Ma, while that of Tatouhe Formation and Carboniferous strata in Jiamusi Block are ~290 Ma and ~300 Ma, respectively, which supports the previous stratigraphic division scheme. The age peaks of ~290-300 Ma, ~400 Ma, ~500 Ma appeared in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian strata of Jiamusi Block and the Middle Permian strata of Songliao Block. The age peak of ~500 Ma in the Middle Permian strata of Songliao Block may come from the Cambrian basement, Mashan Complex, of Jiamusi Block, while the age peaks of ~420-440 Ma in the Carboniferous strata of Jiamusi Block may come from the Silurian magmatic arc in Zhangguangcai Range in the eastern margin of Songliao Block, reflects the history that they had been potential sources of each other, indicating that they may have combined in the Paleozoic. The Hongshan Formation of Songliao Block in the Late Permian lacks the age peak of ~500 Ma, which indicate that Jiamusi Block was not the provenance of Songliao Block in the Late Permian, that is, there was a palaeogeographic isolation between the two blocks. Combined with the ~210 Ma bimodal volcanic rocks developed along the Mudanjiang suture zone reported previously, we believe that the oceanic basin between the Songliao and Jiamusi blocks should have been connected in Late Permian and reopened during Late Permian to Late Triassic.

First Report of Zircon U-Pb Ages from Lubei Cu-Ni Sulfide Deposit in East Tianshan of Central Asian Orogenic Belt, NW China

Objective The East Tianshan mafic-ultramafic rocks belt mainly produced in the eastern Jueluotage belt is an important part of the Central Asia Orogenic Belt （CAOB）. The well- known deposits including Huangshan, Huangshandong, Tulaergen, Hulu, Xiangshan were have been consecutively discovered in this belt （Duan Xingxing et al., 2016）. The new discovery of the Lubei Cu-Ni sulfide deposit in recent years, which locates in the west of Jueluotage belt, has great significance to the westward extension of the East Tianshan Cu-Ni metallogenic belt. To determine whether the mineralization age of the Lubei Cu-Ni sulfide deposit is consistent with other typical deposits, this study conducted zircon U-Pb geochronology on the diorite from the Lubei Cu-Ni sulfide deposit in order to provide new information for further exploring direction of Cu-Ni prospecting in East Tianshan.

Detrital zircon constraints on late Paleozoic tectonism of the Bogda region(NW China)in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The Chinese North Tianshan(CNTS)in the southern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB)has undergone multistage accretion-collision processes during Paleozoic time,which remain controversial.This study addresses this issue by tracing the provenance of Late Paleozoic sedimentary successions from the Bogda Mountain in the eastern CNTS through U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of detrital zircons.New detrital zircon U-Pb ages(N=519)from seven samples range from 261±4 Ma to 2827±32 Ma.The most prominent age peak is at 313 Ma and subordinate ages vary from 441 Ma to 601 Ma,with some Precambrian detrital zircon ages(~7%)lasting from 694 Ma to 1024 Ma.The youngest age components in each sample yielded weighted mean ages ranging from 272±9 Ma to 288±5 Ma,representing the maximum depositional ages.These and literature data indicate that some previously-assumed"Carboniferous"strata in the Bogda area were deposited in the Early Permian,including the Qijiaojing,Julideneng,Shaleisaierke,Yangbulake,Shamaershayi,Liushugou,Qijiagou,and Aoertu formations.The low maturity of the sandstones,zircon morphology and provenance analyses indicate a proximal sedimentation probably sourced from the East Junggar Arc and the Harlik-Dananhu Arc in the CNTS.The minor Precambrian detrital zircons are interpreted as recycled materials from the older strata in the Harlik-Dananhu Arc.Zircon EHf(t)values have increased since^408 Ma,probably reflecting a tectonic transition from regional compression to extension.This event might correspond to the opening of the Bogda intraarc/back arc rift basin,possibly resulting from a slab rollback during the northward subduction of the North Tianshan Ocean.A decrease of zirconεHf(t)values at^300 Ma was likely caused by the cessation of oceanic subduction and subsequent collision,which implies that the North Tianshan Ocean closed at the end of the Late Carboniferous.

Petrogenesis of Early Permian Intrusive Rocks from Southeastern Inner Mongolia, China: Constraints on the Tectonic Framework of the Southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The late Paleozoic tectonic framework of the southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt is key to restricting the accretion orogeny between the Siberia Craton and the North China Craton. To clarify the framework, petrogenesis of early Permian intrusive rocks from southeastern Inner Mongolia was studied. Zircon U-Pb dating for bojite and syenogranite from Ar-Horqin indicate that they were emplaced at 288–285 Ma. Geochemical data reveal that the bojite is highly magnesian and low-K to middle-K calc-alkaline, with E-MORB-type REE and IAB-like trace element patterns. The syenogranite is a middle-K calc-alkaline fractionated A-type granite and shows oceanic-arc-like trace element patterns, with depleted Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes,(~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr)I = 0.7032–0.7042, ε_(Nd)(t) = +4.0 to +6.6 and zircon ε_(Hf)(t) = +11.14 to +14.99. This suggests that the bojite was derived from lithospheric mantle metasomatized by subducted slab melt, while the syenogranite originated from very juvenile arc-related lower crust. Usng data from coeval magmatic rocks from Linxi-Ar-Horqin, the Ar-Horqin intra-oceanic arc was reconstructed, i.e., initial transition in 290–280 Ma and mature after 278 Ma. Combined with regional geological and geophysical materials in southeastern Inner Mongolia, an early Permian tectonic framework as ‘one narrow ocean basin of the PAO', ‘two continental marginal arcs on its northern and southern' and ‘one intra-oceanic arc in its southern' is proposed.

Constructing the latest Neoproterozoic to Early Paleozoic multiple crust-mantle interactions in western Bainaimiao arc terrane,southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Identifying the crust-mantle interactions in association with the evolution of the Precambrian microcontinents provides critical constraints on the accretionary evolution in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB).The Bainaimiao arc terrane(BAT)is one of the most important Precambrian microcontinents in southeastern CAOB,however,few studies have paid attention to the types and the evolving processes of the crust-mantle interactions that occurred before its final accretion onto the northern North China Craton.This study presents an integrated study of geochronology,zircon Hf isotope and whole-rock geochemistry on the latest Neoproterozoic diabases and the Early Paleozoic arc intrusions in the western BAT.The latest Neoproterozoic(ca.546 Ma)diabases display low SiO2(46.52-49.24 wt.%)with high MgO(8.23-14.41 wt.%),Cr(66-542 ppm)and Ni(50-129 ppm),consisting with mantle origin.Their highly negative zirconεHf(t)(-12.0 to-24.7)and high Fe/Mn ratios(62.1-81.7)further indicate a significantly enriched mantle source.Considering that the BAT maybe initially separated from the Tarim Craton with a thickened crustal root,we propose that these diabases were generated through partial melting of an enriched lithospheric mantle source that had been hybridized by lower-crustal eclogites during foundering of the BAT lower crust.The Early Paleozoic(ca.475-417 Ma)arc intrusions in western BAT can be divided into PeriodsⅠandⅡat approximately 450 Ma.The PeriodⅠ(>450 Ma)intrusions contain abundant mafic minerals like hornblende and pyroxene,and show positive zirconεHf(t)(+1.5 to+10.9).They are predominantly medium-K calc-alkaline with broad correlations of SiO2 versus various major and trace elements,which correlate well with the experimental melts produced by the fractional crystallization of primitive hydrous arc magmas at 7 kbar.We assume they were formed through mid-crustal differentiation of the mantle wedge-derived hydrous basaltic melts.By contrast,the PeriodⅡ(≤450 Ma)intrusions are characterized by variable zircon eHf(t)(-15.0 to+11.5)with irregular variations in most major and trace elements,which are more akin to the arc magmas generated in an open system.The general occurrence of elder inherited zircons,along with the relatively high Mg#(>45)of some samples,call upon a derivation from the reworking of the previously subduction-modified BAT lower crust with the input of mantle-derived mafic components.In combination with the Early Paleozoic tectonic melanges flanking western BAT,we infer that the compositional transition from PeriodⅠtoⅡcan be attributed to the tectonic transition from south-dipping subduction of Solonker ocean to north-dipping subduction of South Bainaimiao ocean in southeastern CAOB.The above results shed light not only on the latest Neoproterozoic to Early Paleozoic multiple crust-mantle interactions in western BAT,but also on the associated crustal construction processes before the final arc-continent accretion.

Geochronology, Geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Hf Isotopes of Early–Middle Triassic Adakitic Plutons in Central-eastern Jilin Province, NE China: Constraints on the Non-synchronous Closure of Paleo-Asian Ocean

The Changchun–Yanji suture zone(CYSZ) in NE China is considered as the suture between the North China Craton(NCC) and Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB). The geochronology, geochemistry and Sr-NdHf isotopes of Early–Middle Triassic adakitic plutions from the CYSZ, are presented in this paper to discuss their petrogenesis and tectonic setting, as well as to constrain the timing and style of the Paleo-Asian Ocean's final closure. In Early Triassic, the Dayushan pluton(ca. 250 Ma) from western CYSZ has negative ε_(Nd)(t) values, bidirectional provenances(NCC and CAOB) of ε_(Hf)(t), which are formed in a collision tectonic setting. In contrast, in eastern CYSZ, the early Triassic samples in Liangshan(ca. 242 Ma) were high Mg~# values, positive ε_(Nd)(t), single provenances(CAOB) of ε_(Hf)(t) resulting from a subduction setting. In the Middle Triassic, the Atype granites in western CYSZ are found in previous studies representing a post-collisional extensional environment, whereas syn-collisional Lianyanfeng granites(ca. 237 Ma) in eastern CYSZ with low ISr and large scale ε_(Nd)(t) and ε_(Hf)(t) values from bidirectional provenances(NCC and CAOB), represent a collisional setting. The Paleo-Asian Ocean's occurred in a scissor-like fashion along the CYSZ during the Triassic period.

Large-scale thrusting at the northern Junggar Basin since Cretaceous and its implications for the rejuvenation of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The Wulungu Depression is the northernmost first-order tectonic unit in the Junggar Basin. It can be divided into three sub-units： the Hongyan step-fault zone, the Suosuoquan sag and the Wulungu south slope. The Cenozoic strata in the basin are intact and Mesozoic-Cenozoic deformation can be observed in the Wulungu step-fault zone, so this is an ideal place to study the Mesozoic-Cenozoic deformation. By integration of fault-related folding theories, regional geology and drilling data, the strata of the Cretaceous-Paleogene systems are divided into small layers which are selected as the subjects of this research. The combination of the developing unconformity with existing growth strata makes it conceivable that faults on the step-fault zone have experienced different degrees of reactivation of movement since the Cretaceous. Evolutionary analyses of the small layers using 2D-Move software showed certain differences in the reactivation of different segments of the Wulungu Depression such as the timing of reactivation of thrusting, for which the reactivity time of the eastern segment was late compared with those of the western and middle segments. In addition the resurrection strength was similarly slightly different, with the shortening rate being higher in the western segment than in the other segments. Moreover, the thrust fault mechanism is basement-involved combined with triangle shear fold, for which a forward evolution model was proposed.

Forming Proterozoic basement within eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt:Evidence from zircon U-Pb-Hf-O isotopes

As part of the mosaic of micro-continents within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB), the Xing’anAirgin Sum Block(XAB) features increasingly-recognized Meso-Neoproterozoic geological records. However, the origin, temporal-spatial distribution of ancient materials, and their roles in crust evolution remain to debate. This paper presents an integrated study of zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-O isotopes for Mesoproterozoic and Paleozoic granites from the Erenhot region of central Inner Mongolia, along eastern CAOB. The intrusion of 1450 Ma syenogranite denotes that the Precambrian basement of XAB extends from Sonid Zuoqi westward to Erenhot. The 384 and 281 Ma monzogranites containing Mesoproterozoic xenocrystic zircons possess Proterozoic-dominant two-stage Hf model ages, further suggesting the wide existence of Proterozoic crust beneath western XAB. Cyclic Proterozoic crustal growth and reworking seem to show close linkages with the orogenesis during relevant supercontinent cycles. 1450-1360 Ma juvenile crustal growth at Erenhot and synchronous ancient crust reworking at Sonid Zuoqi and Abagaqi were likely resulted from retreating subduction involved in Columbia breakup, while 1.2-1.0 Ga reworking and 0.9-0.7 Ga growth events within the Erenhot basement might respond to assembly and breakup of Rodinia, respectively. Besides, our work confirms that reworking of Neoproterozoic crust played important roles during Paleozoic multi-stage accretion of CAOB.

Multiple Deformation in the Northeastern Alxa Block: Implications for the Southern Central Asian Orogeny and Its Subsequent Intraplate Evolution

As an important tectonic unit in the middle part of the southern Central Asian Orogeny, the Alxa Block was affected by multiple deformational events occurring in the Central Asian tectonic regime during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. The record of deformation in the Alxa Block represents the entire evolutionary process from a continental margin to an intraplate setting. In the Langshan region of the northeastern Alxa Block, four important Paleozoic-early Mesozoic deformation events have been distinguished:(1) nearly north-south-striking ductile thrusting along the eastern Alxa Block in the Late Devonian;(2) nearly east-west-trending brittle top-to-the-south thrusting in the Mid-Late Permian;(3) nearly east-west-trending initially ductile then brittle dextral transtension with 30-40 km of displacement in the Late Permian;and(4) northeast-trending ductile sinistral shearing with 120-125 km of displacement in the Mid-Late Triassic. The ductile thrusting in the Late Devonian may have resulted from the interaction between the North China Craton and the Alxa Black, which was a peri-eastern Gondwana block. Parallel east-west-trending thrusts and related folds formed in the Neoproterozoic Langshan Group due to the closure of the PaleoAsian Ocean in the Mid-Late Permian. The Late Permian eastwest-trending and dextrally ductile transtension may have resulted from intraplate adjustment after the Central Asian Orogeny and the formation of the Ural Orogenic Belt to the west;this shear zone may have been part of a huge ductile tectonic belt developed along the whole southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB). During the Early Triassic, the subduction of oceanic crust along the southern central CAOB terminated then the eastern Alxa Block was affected by the collision between the North China Craton and the Yangtze Craton to the south. Since the late Mesozoic, the Langshan region has experienced another five important deformation events, which were all far-field tectonic effects related to plate margin tectonic activities(e.g., the closure of the Mongolian-Okhotsk Ocean, the collision between the Qiangtang and Lhasa blocks and the India-Eurasia collision). The large-scale brittle and ductile strike-slip faults in the northeastern Alxa Block all formed in intraplate settings since the late Paleozoic in response to the collisional orogenies occurring along the plate margins or the intraplate adjustment following the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean.

Early Paleozoic geodynamic evolution of the Eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Insights from granitoids in the Xing’an and Songnen blocks

The early Paleozoic tectonic framework and evolutionary history of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB)is poorly understood.Here we present zircon U-Pb geochronology,whole rock geochemistry,and Sr-NdHf isotope data of the early Paleozoic granitoids in eastern CAOB to investigate the petrogenesis and geodynamic implications.The early Paleozoic granitoids from the Songnen Block yield zircon U-Pb ages of 523-490 Ma,negative εNd(t)values of-6.7 to-0.8,and values of-8.6 to 7.1,indicating they were generated by partial melting of ancient crustal materials with various degrees of mantle contribution.They generally show affinities to A-type granites,implying their generation from an extensional environment after the collision between the Songnen and Jiamusi blocks.In comparison,the early Paleozoic granitoids from the Xing’an Block have zircon U-Pb ages of 480-465 Ma,εNd(t)values of-5.4 to 5.4,andεHf(t)values of-2.2 to 12.9,indicating a dominated juvenile crustal source with some input of ancient crustal components.They belong to I-type granites and were likely related to subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean.The statistics of TDM2 Hf model ages of the granitoids indicate that the Erguna and Jiamusi blocks contain a significant proportion of Mesoproterozoic crystalline basement,while the Xing’an Block is dominated by a Neoproterozoic basement.Based on these observations,the early Paleozoic evolutionary history of eastern GAOB can be divided into four stages:(1)before 540 Ma,the Erguna,Xing’an,Songnen,and Jiamusi blocks were discrete microcontinents separated by different branches of the Paleo-Asian Ocean;(2)540-523 Ma,the Jiamusi Block collided with the Songnen Block along the Mudanjiang suture;(3)ca.500 Ma,the Erguna Block accreted onto the Xing’an Block along the Xinlin-Xiguitu suture;(4)ca.480 Ma,the Paleo-Asian Ocean started a double-side subduction beneath the united Erguna-Xing’an and Songnen-Jiamusi blocks.

How Central Asian Orogeny Evolves:New Insights from End-Permian to Middle Triassic Magmatic Record along the Solonker Suture Zone

Objective The modem Earth is characterized by two types of orogens： collisional orogen and accretionary orogen. It is widely accepted that the Central Asian Orogenic Belt （CAOB） is made up of widespread multiple ancient archipelagos. It has been recognized as a non-collisional orogen, contrasting with the archetypical Alpine- Himalayan-type collisional orogens. Although the CAOB is traditionally compared to subduction-accretion systems that have been well studied, all accretionary orogens ultimately passed into a collisional phase at the end of the orogenic Wilson cycle due to ocean closure and termination of subduction, which will lead to subsequent crustal shortening, thickening and reworking. Therefore, the archipelago-type CAOB may also preserve a terminal collision record, although this is not a classic continental collision at all.

Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Xingxingxia Triassic A-type Granites in Central Tianshan,NW China:Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications

The Triassic granitoids in Central Tianshan play a key role in determining the petrogenesis and tectonic evolution on the southern margin of the Central Asian orogenic belt.In this study,we present SHRIMP zircon U-Pb ages,Hf isotopic and geochemical data on the Xingxingxia biotite granite,amazonite granite and granitic pegmatite in Central Tianshan,NW China.Zircon U-Pb dating yielded formation ages of 242 Ma for the biotite granite and 240 Ma for the amazonite granite.These granitoid rocks have high K_(2)O with low MgO and CaO contents.They are enriched in Nb,Ta,Hf and Y,while being depleted in Ba and Sr,showing flat HREE patterns and negative Eu anomalies.They have typical A-type granite geochemical signatures with high Ga/A_(1)(8–13)and TFeO/(TFeO+MgO)ratios,showing an A_(2) affinity for biotite granite and an A_(1) affinity for amazonite granite and granitic pegmatite.Zircon ε_(Hf)(t)values of the granitoids are 0.45–2.66,with Hf model ages of 0.99–1.17 Ga.This suggests that these A-type granites originated from partial melting of the lower crust.We propose that Xingxingxia Triassic A-type granites formed under lithospheric extension from post-orogenic to anorogenic intraplate settings and NE-trending regional strike-slip fault-controlled magma emplacement in the upper crust.