Search

Large areas of intermediate-acid intrusive rocks are widely exposed in the Eastern Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB), which is an ideal place to study crustal reworking and growth and the tectonic setting and evolution of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. Petrographic research shows that intermediate-acid intrusive rocks are mainly composed of diorite, diorite porphyry, granodiorite, and monzogranite, and their zircon U-Pb ages are 260.8 ± 1.5 Ma, 250.7 ± 1.8 Ma, 242.6 ± 0.7 Ma, 239.8 ± 1.2 Ma, 235.2 ± 0.9 Ma, and 230.2 ± 1.0 Ma. They are generally divided into granite, quartz monzonite and monzodiorite series in the QAP diagram. The granite series (HRGLG and LMR monzogranites and BLGX granodiorite) has high SiO2 contents and calc-alkaline features; it has low P2O5 and Zr+Nb+Ce+Y (75–267 ppm) contents, showing affinities to I-type granite, which reflects reworking of Mesoproterozoic lower crust. The quartz monzonite series (KEQK and DDKD diorites) has medium SiO2 and lower MgO contents (1.63–2.59 wt.%) than mantle-derived magmas and has crustal Nb/U and Ce/Pb ratios but mantle-like Nb/Ta ratios. Their geochemistry with binary properties related to both crust and mantle indicate that they probably originated from an AFC process involving mantle-derived melts and provide an important growth model of the continental crust in the EKOB. The monzodiorite series (BLGX diorite porphyry) has medium SiO2 and high MgO contents and Mg# values (59–61) and contains high-Mg diorites. They are enriched in LILEs and depleted in HFSEs; furthermore, strikingly high enrichments in Rb/Y ratios and Ba contents but a narrow range of Nb/Y ratios suggest that they originated from partial melting of hydrous mantle peridotites affected by fluids from the subducted slab. In conclusion, we suggest that the 261–235 Ma intermediate-acid intrusions represent the sustained subduction of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean slab and that the 230 Ma BLGX diorite porphyry records the breakoff of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, in situ zircon U–Pb ages, and Lu–Hf isotopic data are reported for granodiorite and monzonitic granite samples from the Harizha Region in the eastern section of the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt. The results of the LA-ICP-MS zircon dating indicate that the granodiorite and monzonitic granite were emplaced at 447.9 ± 3.0 Ma and 443.8 ± 3.5 Ma, respectively, i.e., in the Late Ordovician–Early Paleozoic periods. The granodiorite is characterized by relatively high MgO (4.52–5.91 wt%), Sr (541–712 ppm), Cr (218–357 ppm), Ni (56.7–80.7 ppm) and V (66.8–94.7 ppm), with low Y (10.40–13.60 ppm) and Yb (1.05–1.45) contents. This results in elevated Mg# (65–68), Sr/Y (39.78–58.84), and (La/Yb)N (10.21–18.30) ratios, common features for adakitic high-Mg andesite (HMA). The granodiorite is metaluminous to weakly peraluminous and high-K calc-alkaline in composition. In addition, the granodiorite is enriched in light rare-earth elements (LREE) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs, Rb, K, Sr, and Pb) U, and Nd; and depleted in high-field strength elements (HFSEs, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti) and P. The zircon grains from the granodiorites have εHf(t) values of − 5.5 to + 4.7, with two-stage Hf model ages (tDM2) ranging from 0.92 to 1.71 Ga. These features suggest that the granodiorites were formed by mixing processes of crustal melts and magma from a metasomatized mantle in a subduction setting. The monzonitic granite possesses high normative corundum values (2.34–4.10 wt%), is strongly peraluminous (A/CNK ratios of 1.16–1.32, with minor mineral muscovite), with high-K calc-alkaline affinity. Furthermore, enrichments in large ion lithophile elements (Rb, K, and Pb), U, Th, and Nd, depletions in high-field strength elements (Nb, Ta, and Ti) and Ba and P, and mainly right-inclined REE patterns with negative Eu anomalies, exhibits an S-type granite affinity. The magmatic zircons from the monzonitic granite yielded εHf(t) values between − 4.9 and − 2.7, corresponding to two-stage Hf model ages of 1.60–1.73 Ga. Therefore, this study suggests that the monzonitic granite magma was derived from crustal material (metagreywacke) in a syn-collision setting. Subsequently, by combining these findings with the previous research results, this study propose that a transverse diachronism closure model which entailed an "earlier on the sides–later in the middle" in an East–West direction in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt for the Proto-Tethys Ocean's evolution process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]