Petrogenesis of Early Cretaceous low-Mg adakitic rocks along the southernmost margin of the North China Craton: implications for late Mesozoic crustal evolution. Issue 8 (11th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Longyao; Qu, Wei; Liu, Shuwen
• Is Part Of: International geology review. Volume 59:Issue 8(2017)
• Page Start: 996
• Page End: 1014
• Publication Date: 2017-06-11
• Subjects: Low-Mg adakitic rocks -- petrogenesis -- crustal evolution -- North China Craton; Geology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 551.05
• DOI: 10.1080/00206814.2016.1242094
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-6814

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article reports systematic zircon U–Pb dating, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the Early Cretaceous Jialou granitoids along the southernmost margin of the North China Craton (NCC), adjacent to the Tongbai Orogen. These results will provide significant constrains on the crustal evolution of the southern margin of the NCC. Zircon U–Pb analyses, using laser ablation–multicollector–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, indicate that the Jialou granitoids were emplaced at ~130 Ma. The granitoids have high SiO2, K2 O, Al2 O3, Sr, and Ba contents, high Sr/Y and (La/Yb)N ratios, and low concentrations of MgO, Y, and heavy rare earth elements, indicating a low-Mg adakitic affinity. They have relatively high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios (0.707464–0.708190) and negative εNd(t) values (–11.8 to –15.2), similar to those of the Palaeoproterozoic lower crust in the NCC. These geochemical and isotopic features indicate that the Jialou low-Mg adakitic rocks were derived by partial melting of mafic Palaeoproterozoic lower crust of the NCC at >50 km depth, leaving behind a garnet amphibolite residue. The petrogenesis of the Jialou low-Mg adakitic rocks, plus the petrogenesis of Mesozoic granitoids and lower crustal xenoliths entrained in the Late Jurassic Xinyang volcaniclastic diatreme, suggests that the continental crust along the southern margin of the NCC was thickened during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, but thinned after 130 Ma. We propose that crustal thickening was caused by a late Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous intra-continental orogeny, rather than continent–continent collision between the NCC and the Yangtze Craton. We also suggest that crustal thinning and Early Cretaceous magmatism were related to subduction of the palaeo-Pacific plate, rather than post-orogenic collapse of the Qinling–Tongbai–Dabie Orogen.