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The petrogenesis of the Eocene (43–42 Ma) Nb-rich granitoid dykes from the Kohistan–Ladakh island arc provides insights into melting of the down-going Indian continental crust during the Indian-Eurasian continental collision. These Nb-rich granitoids (SiO2 = 53.8–72.3 wt%, Nb = 24.0–44.1 ppm) have high Sr/Y (41.2–76.8) and (La/Yb)N (15.6–36.8) ratios. Their geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions are distinct from those of the Kohistan–Ladakh basement (Eurasian continent), but similar to those of coevally metamorphic amphibolites (42–40 Ma) in the Nanga Parbat massif (Indian continent). This implies that the magma of the Nb-rich granitoids would be derived from partial melting of the subducted Indian continental plate. The biotites from the Nb-rich granitoids show high Mg# (up to 61) and Cr2O3 (up to 2.36 wt%) and low TiO2 (0–3.21 wt%). Some samples of the Nb-rich granitoids contain 2–3% phengites with SiO2 ranging from 48.33 to 51.74 wt% and calculated pressure of 1.6–0.6 GPa, indicating initial magma crystallization of the Nb-rich granitoids at high-pressure condition (depth > 55 km). We propose that partial melting of the subducted Indian continental crust occurred when it underthrusted into the Kohistan–Ladakh asthenosphere mantle and the resultant melts upward migrated and significantly modified the overlying lithosphere and the residual Indian continental crust sank into the deep mantle. Both the metasomatized lithospheric mantle and the residual Indian continental crust played a critical role in the formation of the Miocene ultrapotassic rocks in southwestern Tibet.

The Qinling–Dabie–Sulu orogenic belt is the junction between the North and South China blocks, which resulted from the final amalgamation of China continents during the Indosinian. Indosinian granitoids are widespread in the Qinling orogen, and their geneses can thus constrain the evolution of China continent. We carried out a combined U–Pb zircon dating and geochemical study for the Shuangpengxi granodiorite pluton and the Xiekeng diorite–granodiorite pluton in the middle part of the West Qinling orogen. U–Pb zircon dating shows that the magma crystallization ages of 242 ± 3 Ma for the Shuangpengxi pluton and ~244–242 Ma for the Xiekeng pluton. Geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions reveal that the magma of the Shuangpengxi granodiorite was derived from partial melting of crustal materials. The Xiekeng diorites can be divided into high-Al diorite and high-Mg diorite. Both of them resulted from partial melting of enriched lithospheric mantle, but their mantle source had been modified by previous slab-derived melt. The high-Al diorite was formed by fractional crystallization of olivine, pyroxene and/or preferential accumulation of plagioclase, and the high-Mg diorite was formed by fractional crystallization of olivine and/or preferential accumulation of pyroxene. The Xiekeng granodioritic porphyry was formed by mixing of crust-derived and mantle-derived melts. We propose that the Early Indosinian magmatism resulted from break-off of subducted oceanic slab after collision. The slab break-off model can well explain the linear distribution of the Early Indosinian plutons and rapid crustal uplift during the Middle Triassic in the West Qinling.