Search

The Mesozoic tectono-magmatism in SE China has widely been considered to relate to subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean. However, there lacks robust petrologic and geochemical evidence from subduction-related mafic igneous rocks to reconstruct the architecture of the subduction zone. This paper presents a comprehensive geochemical dataset (petrography, mineral chemistry, zircon U-Pb age, in-situ Sr and Pb isotope compositions of plagioclase and whole-rock major, trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope data) of three early Cretaceous (Pingtan, Daiqianshan and Quanzhou) mafic intrusions from the coastal region in SE China, with aims to understand their petrogenetic link with subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean. The mafic rocks comprise predominantly calcic hornblende and Ca-rich plagioclase and show varying degrees of crystal accumulation. Petrological observations and mass balance calculation indicate their parental magmas are hydrous and calc-alkaline with typical arc-type trace element features. These rocks are also characterized by "crust-like" isotopic signatures, i.e., moderately radiogenic Sr, unradiogenic Nd and highly radiogenic Pb compositions. The narrow variations of in-situ plagioclase Sr and Pb isotope ratios and the nearly identical isotope compositions between the plagioclase and bulk rock in each intrusion indicate a minor role of crustal assimilation during magmatic evolution. Instead, such "crust-like" isotopic signatures were largely resulted from source enrichment through an input of subducted sediment. Further element-isotopic modeling results suggest that the parental magmas were likely produced by melting of a depleted mantle source metasomatized via the subducted sediment-derived melt. Generation of the early Cretaceous mafic intrusions can thus be explained by subduction of a relatively hot oceanic slab, during which melt derived from the subducted sediment acted as a predominant agent to enrich the mantle wedge. Our results provide powerful petrological and geochemical constraints on the early Cretaceous subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean beneath the SE China and suggest that addition of subducted sediment-derived melt may be an important mechanism for mantle enrichment in relatively hot subduction zones. • Early Cretaceous mafic intrusions are subduction-related with "crust-like" isotopic features. • Parental magmas were formed through melting of a depleted mantle wedge enriched by sediment-derived melt. • A relatively hot Paleo-Pacific Ocean subduction zone existed in SE China during early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesozoic geology of SE China has been widely considered to relate to subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasia, accompanied with extensive felsic magmatism. However, the relationship between the origin of the voluminous crust-derived magmatism and the Paleo-Pacific slab subduction remains unclear. Here we present petrology, zircon U-Pb-Hf isotope data, and whole-rock geochemical and isotopic compositions of two episodes of Cretaceous silicic volcanic rocks (~114–113 Ma for Group 1 and ~ 100–93 Ma for Group 2) from southeastern Zhejiang Province in SE China, to provide new constraints on the geodynamic transition of the Paleo-Pacific slab subduction. Both volcanic groups show similarly unradiogenic whole-rock ε Nd (t) and zircon ε Hf (t) values (ε Nd (t) = −8.6 to −6.4 and ε Hf (t) = −8.5 to −0.7 for Group 1, and ε Nd (t) = −7.1 to −6.1 and ε Hf (t) = −7.8 to −2.2 for Group 2). The limited emplacement of coeval mafic magmas and absence of mafic microgranular enclave and intermediate lavas suggest an insignificant role of mantle-derived melt either as a parental magma for differentiation or a mafic component during magma mixing. Instead, the low MgO and high concentrations of SiO 2 and incompatible elements and the evolved Nd and Hf isotopic compositions indicate derivation of these two groups of silicic magmas from similar hybrid crustal sources containing the metasedimentary rocks of Cathaysia basement and the newly accreted arc crust. Group 1 rocks contain a higher proportion of hydrous minerals (e.g., biotite) and Sr/Y and La/Yb CN ratios but lower zircon saturation temperature than Group 2. Such variations in mineral and geochemical compositions could be mainly attributed to the change of melting conditions from a relatively deeper, colder and water-fluxed crust to a shallower, hotter and less hydrous state. By combining our new results and previous studies of the late Mesozoic volcanic rocks in SE China, we propose that a geodynamic transition from subduction to slab rollback of the Paleo-Pacific Plate was responsible for such P-T-H 2 O variations of the crustal source. • 1. Two episodes of Cretaceous felsic volcanic rocks were identified in SE China. • 2. Both of them were formed by crustal melting at different P-T-H 2 O conditions. • 3. Transition from subduction to slab rollback occurred during ca. 110–90 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Liucheng OIB-type dolerite sill in the coastal region of SE China was formed during early Cretaceous. • Crustal components from both the sediments and mafic oceanic crust have been identified in the mantle source. • Rollback and tearing of the subducting slab may contribute to OIB-type magmatism at an active continental margin. Both early Cretaceous ocean island basalt (OIB)-type and subduction-related arc-type mafic magmatism occurred in coastal region of SE China. However, whether there existed a genetic relationship between the OIB-type magmatism and contemporary subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean remains unclear. Here we present a comprehensive geochemical dataset of the Liucheng dolerite sill (~108 Ma) from coastal SE China, with aims to investigate the possible genetic link between them. The dolerite displays OIB-like trace element features and contains moderately radiogenic Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf and light Ca isotopic compositions. The nearly identical Sr-Pb isotopes between plagioclase and bulk rock indicate a minor role of crustal assimilation during magmatic evolution. The remarkable positive Ba anomalies, similar Sr and Pb isotopic compositions to the contemporary arc-type mafic rocks and light Ca isotopes suggest a source modified by recycled sediments. Additionally, the low La/Nb and Zr/Nb ratios indicate the involvement of an oceanic crust component that experienced dehydration and metamorphism to retain rutile. Further element-isotopic modeling suggests derivation of the parental magma from the asthenospheric mantle source that had been metasomatized by melts from both sediments and mafic oceanic crust. Considering that SE China was mainly influenced by subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean during late Mesozoic, the subducting Paleo-Pacific slab was therefore the most likely candidate for such recycled components. Interaction of the melts from the recycled oceanic slab with the asthenospheric mantle, possibly as a consequence of rollback and tearing of the subducting Paleo-Pacific slab, formed the OIB-type source of the Liucheng dolerite sill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both Cretaceous arc-type and intraplate rocks are widely distributed in SE China, in association with subduction of the paleo-Pacific Plate. However, it remains unclear whether there exists a genetic link between the intraplate and subduction-related magmatism. Here we conduct a comprehensive geochemical data compilation, sorting and processing of the Cretaceous mafic igneous rocks from SE China, in combination with a 2-D numerical simulation on slab melting, to further decipher the petrogenetic relationship between the arc-type and intraplate magmatism under a unified tectonic framework invoking subduction and rollback-tearing of the paleo-Pacific Ocean. The Cretaceous arc-type mafic rocks (120–80 Ma) include eruptive and intrusive rocks, distributing along the coastal region in a NE-NNE direction. After parent magma compositional recalculation of the mafic intrusions, the results indicate that both the eruptive and intrusive arc-type mafic rocks are hydrous calc-alkaline basalts, with enrichments in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) but depletions in high field strength elements (HFSEs), crust-like Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions, and low Lu/Hf ratios. All these features are typical of igneous rocks formed in a continental arc. The combined data suggest their mantle source was mainly metasomatized by melts derived from the subducted terrestrial sediments and reflect a relatively hot subduction zone during Cretaceous. The intraplate mafic rocks (110–70 Ma) distribute in SE China interior and generally show trace element geochemistry similar to oceanic island basalt (OIB, hereafter we term them as OIB-like basalts). They can be further divided into two groups: high-Nb (Nb > 50 ppm) and low-Nb (Nb < 40 ppm) basalts. The high-Nb basalts have depleted asthenospheric mantle-like isotopic compositions. Their mantle source was composed mainly of pyroxenite that was likely formed through interaction between the asthenosphere and melts from the dehydrated subducted slab. Relative to the high-Nb basalts, the low-Nb basalts have lower Nb/REE and Nb/LILE ratios, and more evolved but highly variable isotopic compositions. Their mantle source was also the asthenosphere metasomatized by addition of the slab melts containing a higher proportion of recycled sediment component. From the arc-type to low-Nb and ultimately to high-Nb mafic rocks, increases of Nb, Nb/LILE and Nb/REE ratios are coupled with more depleted Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic features, reflecting the occurrence of melting from the upper subducted sediment to the lower oceanic mafic crust that had experienced extensive dehydration. Further thermodynamic modelling results show that melting of the dehydrated slab can occur along the torn surface and lower part of the oceanic crust, once the slab is strongly thinned and fractured in response to tearing and fragmentation. In combination with the contemporaneous sedimentary records in SE China, the Cretaceous mafic magmatism provided geochemical records of tectonic transition from early Cretaceous advanced subduction to late Cretaceous rollback of the paleo-Pacific slab, during which slab tearing or fragmentation and the resultant melting of the dehydrated subducted slab acted as a predominant agent for mantle enrichment. • Geochemistry of Cretaceous arc-type magmas indicate an active continental margin in SE China. • Both high-Nb and low-Nb intraplate basalts were derived from the asthenosphere metasomatized by slab melts. • Geodynamic simulation suggests melting of dehydrated oceanic crust only in strongly thinned slab. • Cretaceous mafic magmatism in SE China recorded the subduction and tearing of the paleo-Pacific slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]