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The paper reports the results of geological, geochemical, and isotope–geochronological studies of subvolcanic rhyolites of NW Gorny Altai and Rudny Altai, which belong to the large Hercynian volcanic systems: Altai-Minusa and Altai–Salair, respectively. U–Pb zircon dating revealed two age groups: ~410–405 and 390–381 Ma. The isotope–geochemical characteristics of the rhyolites demonstrate high eNd(Т) from +2.6 to 6.0 with relatively young model ages T(DM) = 851–966 Ma in Rudny Altai and older model ages, up to 1266 Ma, in NW Gorny Altai. The rhyolites show transitional geochemical signatures between within-plate and island-arc felsic magmas. The results obtained are consistent with two-stage evolution of volcanism and its migration from the continent to the ocean.

The Cambrian-Ordovician transition was the time of several key events in the history of Central Asia. They were the accretion of Mariana-type island arc systems to the Siberian continent, the related large-scale orogeny and intrusions of basaltic and granitic magma and the formation of a huge turbidite basin commensurate with the Bengal Gulf basin in the western part of the Central Asian orogenic belt (CAOB). The structure of the basin, as well as the sources and environments of deposition remain open to discussion. This paper presents new major- and trace-element data on Late-Cambrian-Early Ordovician turbidites from different parts of the Russian Altai and a synthesis of Nd isotope composition and ages of detrital zircons. The turbidites share chemical similarity with material shed from weathered continental arcs. Broad variations of CIA (39–73) and ICV (0.63–1.66) signatures in sandstones suggest origin from diverse sources and absence of significant sorting. Trace elements vary considerably and have generally similar patterns in rocks from different terranes. On the other hand, there are at least two provinces according to Nd isotope composition and age of detrital zircons. Samples from eastern Russian Altai contain only Phanerozoic zircons and have Nd isotope ratios similar to those in Early Cambrian island arcs (eNdt + 4.4… + 5.4; TNd(DM)-2-st = 0.8–0.9 Ga). Samples from central, western, and southern parts of Russian Altai contain Precambrian zircons (some as old as Late Archean) and have a less radiogenic Nd composition (eNdt up to -3.6; TNd(DM)-2-st up to 1.5 Ga). The chemical signatures of Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician turbidites indicate a provenance chemically more mature than the island arc rocks, and the presence of zircons with 510–490 Ma ages disproves their genetic relation with island arcs. The turbidite basin formed simultaneously with peaks of granitic and alkali-basaltic magmatism in the western Central Asian orogen and resulted from interplay of plate tectonic and plume tectonic processes.

Geological, mineralogical, petrographic, geochemical, and geochronological data are reported for granitoids of the Aturkol Massif (Gorny Altai). It is shown that it was formed in within-plate setting in the Early Triassic, nearly simultaneously with flood basalts of the Kuznetsk Basin and alkalic basite and lampropyre dike swarms in the western Altai-Sayan Fold Region. At the same time, the mineralogical-petrographic, geochemical, and isotope characteristics of the considered granitoids are close to those of I-type granites. Intraplate signatures (elevated HFSE and REE) are recognized only in the least silicic rocks (granosyenites). Obtained data suggest mantle–crustal nature of the granitoids. They were formed by mixing of lamprophyre magmas with high pressure (>10 kbar) crustal melts derived from a mixed source consisting mainly of N-MORB-type metabasites with insignificant admixture of high-Ti basalts and metasedimentary rocks. The contribution of mantle component in the granitoids was insignificant (