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• A new Neoproterozoic stratum is determined in North Lhasa terrane. • The stratum is an intercontinental rift sedimentation (∼875 Ma). • Detrital zircons of the stratum exhibit both Australian and Indian characteristics. • North Lhasa originated from Western Australia. • North Lhasa experienced the Precambrian evolution of "rift–drift–emplacement". Constraining the origin and Paleogeographic positions of ancient continental fragments plays a crucial role in reconstructing and validating supercontinent cycles. The Lhasa terrane in southern Tibet is the key to revealing the early formation and evolution of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen. Although previous origin models of the Lhasa terrane are supported by Phanerozoic evidence, Precambrian geological records have not been comprehensively considered. The U–Pb age and Hf isotope data on detrital zircons from newly discovered Precambrian basement in the North Lhasa terrane define two distinctive age populations of ca. 1170 Ma with ε Hf (t) values identical to the coeval detrital zircons from Western Australia, and ca. 950 Ma with a similar ε Hf (t) range to the contemporaneous detrital zircons from South Qiangtang and Tethyan Himalaya terranes. The ca. 1170 Ma detrital zircons were most likely derived from Western Australia, whereas the ca. 950 Ma detrital zircons might have been sourced from the norther Indian margin. Compiled detrital zircon data shows that in the early Neoproterozoic, the affinity between northern Lhasa and Western Australia decreased, while the predilection between northern Lhasa and northern India increased. Combined with ca. 930–870 Ma rift, ca. 870–700 Ma arc igneous rocks and ∼650 Ma high-pressure granulites, we propose that the North Lhasa terrane was a ribbon continent that rifted from Western Australia in the early Neoproterozoic (ca. 930–870 Ma), drifted westward along the northern edge of Rodinia in the middle Neoproterozoic (ca. 870–700 Ma), and was emplaced in the Northern East African Orogen during the late Neoproterozoic (∼650 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A New Precambrian basement has been identified in Asa region, southern Tibet. • The emplacement age of gabbro intrusions in this basement is ca. 875 Ma. • These gabbro intrusions were formed in an intercontinental rift environment. • The North Lhasa terrane may originate from Australia. Due to the less exposure of Precambrian basement, the origin of ancient continental blocks in the Tibetan plateau and their paleogeographic locations in the Rodinia supercontinent remain enigmatic. Here we first report the newly identified Precambrian basement from the Asa region of the North Lhasa terrane (NL), southern Tibet. The zircon U–Pb age and whole-rock geochemical data on gabbro intrusions (known as Tugu gabbros) in this basement reveal an important tectonic evolution process of continental-oceanic transition experienced by the North Lhasa terrane in the early Neoproterozoic (ca. 900–875 Ma), which may be the prelude to the disintegration of Rodinia in China. Tugu gabbros (ca. 876–874 Ma) belong to the series of sub-alkaline tholeiitic basalt and have N-MORB geochemical affinities. In combination, the high (87Sr/86Sr) i ratios (0.709–0.711), positive ε Nd (t) values (2.8–3.9) and the relatively young Nd isotopic pattern age (t DM C = 1.2–1.3 Ga) indicate that it came from a depleted mantle source and were formed in an intercontinental rift environment on the northern margin of Rodinia. According to previous studies and data provided herein, the era and nature of Precambrian magmatic-metamorphic records in North and South Lhasa terranes cannot be compared, suggesting these may have been two separate terranes in the Precambrian. We propose that the South Lhasa terrane (SL) originated from India, while the North Lhasa terrane may originate from Australia. After splitting from Australia at ca. 930–875 Ma, the North Lhasa terrane continued to drift westward owing to the break-up of Rodinia. During the process of drifting, the North Lhasa terrane received sedimentary input from India and developed Andean-type arc magmatism with the influence of oceanic subduction on the northwest margin of supercontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]