Reassessment of petrogenesis of Carboniferous—Early Permian rift-related volcanic rocks in the Chinese Tianshan and its neighboring areas

The Carboniferous-Early Permian rift-related volcanic successions, covering large areas in the Chinese Tianshan and its adjacent areas, make up a newly recognized important Phanerozoic large igneous province in the world, which can be further divided into two sub-provinces： Tianshan and Tarim. The regional unconformity of Lower Carboniferous upon basement or pre-Carboniferous rocks, the ages （360--351 Ma） of the youngest ophiolite and the peak of subduction metamorphism of high pressure-low temperature metamorphic belt and the occurrence of Ni-Cu-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusion with age of ~352 Ma and A-type granite with age of ~358 Ma reveal that the final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean might take place in the Early Mississippian. Our summation shows that at least four criteria, being normally used to identify ancient asthenosphere upwelling （or mantle plumes）, are met for this large igneous province： （1） surface uplift prior to magmatism; （2） being associated with continental rifting and breakup events; （3） chemical characteristics of asthenosphere （or plume） derived basalts; （4） close links to large-scale mineralization and the uncontaminated basalts, being analogous to those of many ＂ore-bearing＂ large igneous provinces, display Sr-Nd isotopic variations between plume and EMI geochemical signatures, These suggest that a Carboniferous asthenosphere upwelling and an Early Permian plume played the central role in the generation of the Tianshan--Tarim （central Asia） large igneous province.

Relationships between Basic and Silicic Magmatism in Continental Rift Settings:A Petrogeochemical Study of Carboniferous Post-collisional Rift Silicic Volcanics in Tianshan,NW China

Petrogeochemical data are reported for silicic volcanic rocks from the Tianshan Carboniferous rift, with the aim of discussing the petrogenesis of silicic magmas. Incompatible element vs. incompatible element diagrams display smooth positive trends for the Tianshan Carboniferous rift-related volcanic rocks; the isotope ratios of the silicic lavas [^87Sr/^86S（t）=0.699880.70532; eNd（t）=4.76-8.00; ^206pb/^204pb（t）=17.435-18.017; ^207Pb/^204Pb（t）=15.438-15.509; ^208Pb/^204Pb（t） = 37.075-37.723] encompass those of the basic lavas. These data suggest a genetic link between rhyolites and basalts, but are not definitive in establishing whether silicic rocks are related to basalts through fractional crystallization or partial melting. Geochemical modeling of incompatible vs. compatible elements excludes the possibility that silicic melts are generated by the melting of basaltic rocks, and indicates a derivation by fractional crystallization plus moderate assimilation of wall rocks （AFC） starting from intermediate rocks to silicic rocks. Continuous AFC from basalt to rhyolite, with small rates of crustal assimilation, best explains the geochemical data. The presence or absence of bimodal volcanism （the ＂Daly Gap＂） might be related to cooling rates of magma chambers. In central and eastern Tianshan, the crust was thinner and the cooling rates of the magma chamber within the crust were greater. These conditions resulted in a rapid fall in temperature within the magma reservoir and caused a narrow temperature interval over which intermediate melts formed, effectively reducing the volume of the intermediate melts.

Petrogenesis of the Borjuri diorite pluton in the Mikir Massif of Northeast India:implications for post-collisional intermediate magmatism during the Pan-African orogeny

The Assam-Meghalaya Gneissic Complex(AMGC)of northeast India contains numerous Pan-African granitic bodies that have been attributed to post-collisional rift-related magmatism.The present study is concerned with the first appraisal of intermediate magmatism(diorite,monzonite,and monzodiorite)found in the Borjuri Pluton of Mikir Massif,which is the eastern extension of AMGC.The diorites are strongly metaluminous and exhibit enriched LREE([La/Yb]N=1.63–7.37)with respect to HREE([Gd/Yb]N=1.95–2.27).The studied rocks do not show any mineralogical or textural indication of metamorphism.Tectonic discrimination diagrams indicate that these rocks originated in a within-plate tectonic setting.The lower Mg#(33.49–38.69),low Cr(below detection limit),and Ni(27–41 ppm)contents along with elemental ratios such as Rb/Sr(0.32–0.95),La/Nb(0.49–4.21),and Nb/Ce(0.11–0.64)suggest a crustal source for the diorites.Discrimination diagrams coupled with elemental ratios suggest that these rocks originated due to partial melting of mafic components in the crust with possible contribution from mantle materials.The P–T conditions of diorite emplacement(7.4 kbar,688℃)were calculated using the amphibole-plagioclase geothermobarometer.Geochemical and geochronological data of the Pan-African felsic plutons reported from the AMGC indicate that these rocks were emplaced in a post-collisional extensional regime.The Borjuri Pluton is in close proximity with the Kathalguri Pluton,which has been reported as a product of PanAfrican magmatism.In view of the numerous extensional Pan-African felsic magmatism reported from the AMGC and based on the close vicinity of the Borjuri diorites with the Kathalguri granites,we speculate that the Borjuri diorites are products of the Pan-African post-collisional magmatism.