RESEARCH New Biostratigraphic Evidence of Late Permian to Late
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
RESEARCH New biostratigraphic evidence of Late Permian to Late Triassic deposits from Central Tibet and their paleogeographic implications Gui-chun Wu1,*, Zhan-sheng Ji2, Wei-hua Liao3, and Jian-xin Yao1 1KEY LABORATORY OF STRATIGRAPHY AND PALAEONTOLOGY, MINISTRY OF LAND AND RESOURCES, INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY, CHINESE ACADEMY OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES, BEIJING 100037, CHINA 2CHINESE ACADEMY OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES, BEIJING 100037, CHINA 3NANJING INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND PALAEONTOLOGY, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, NANJING, 210008, CHINA ABSTRACT Triassic deposits in the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone are important for understanding its tectonic nature and evolutionary history, but have not been systematically studied due to a lack of biostratigraphic data. For a long time, the Upper Triassic Quehala Group featuring clasolite has been regarded as the only rocky unit. In recent years, the silicite-dominated Gajia Formation that bears radiolarian fossils was suggested to represent Ladinian to Carnian deposits. The Upper Permian and Lower Triassic rocks have never been excavated and thus are considered to be absent. This research, however, reveals that fossils aged from the Late Permian to Anisian of the Middle Trias- sic and Norian of the Late Triassic have been preserved in the central Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone, which provides evidence of Upper Permian to early Middle Triassic deposits and provides new insights on the Upper Triassic strata as well. A new Triassic strata succes- sion is thus proposed for the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone, and it demonstrates great similarities with those from Lhasa to the south and Qiangtang to the north. Therefore, we deduce that the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone was under a similar depositional setting as its two adjacent terranes, and it was likely a carbonate platform background because limestones were predominant across the Triassic. The newly acquired biostratigraphic data indicate that Lhasa and Qiangtang could not have been located on two separate continents with disparate sedimentary settings; therefore, the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone likely did not represent a large ocean between them. This conclusion is supported by lithostratigraphic and paleomagnetic research, which revealed that Lhasa and Qiangtang were positioned at low to middle latitudes during the Early Triassic. Combining this conclusion with fossil evidence, we suggest that the three main Tibetan terranes were in the same palaeobiogeographic division with South China, at least during the Latest Permian to Early Triassic. The Early Triassic conodont species Pachycladina obliqua is probably a fossil sign of middle to low latitudes in palaeogeography. LITHOSPHERE; v. 11; no. 5; p. 683–696 | Published online 27 June 2019 https://doi.org/10.1130/L1046.1 INTRODUCTION 2012). This view generally considers the Lhasa (Ji et al., 2018a), separated only by a wide sea- terrane to have remained on the north margin way rather than a large ocean (Yang et al., 1984; The Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone (BNSZ), of Gondwanaland, while the Qiangtang terrane Chen et al., 2001). which is bounded by the Lhasa terrane to the had drifted northward as one component of the These disputes primarily resulted from rarely south and the South Qiangtang terrane to the Cimmerian Continent during the Late Permian documented stratigraphic data. The ocean opin- north, is an E–W trending tectonic unit in central to Late Triassic (Fig. 2) (Wakita and Metcalfe, ion was based on siliceous rock producing radio- Tibet (Pan et al., 2013; Zhu et al., 2016) (Fig. 1). 2005; Muttoni et al., 2009; Metcalfe, 2013; Zhu larian fossils of the Late Triassic Carnian in the In research into dispersion, amalgamation, and et al., 2013). The other view considers Lhasa Dingqing area (Wang et al., 2002) or on the convergence between Eurasia and Gondwana- and Qiangtang to be closely connected, both radiolarian-bearing siliceous Gajia Formation in land, the tectonic background of Bangong-Nuji- having had a common migration history dur- the Nagqu area of central Tibet (Pan et al., 2012; ang during the Triassic has always been a tan- ing the Permian to Triassic (e.g., Scotese and Zhu et al., 2013). The viewpoint placing Lhasa talizing subject (Scotese and McKerrow, 1990; McKerrow, 1990; Wang et al., 2003). In this and Qiangtang in the same plate depended on Pan et al., 2012; Metcalfe, 2013). At present, opinion, disputes still exist about their deposi- different stratigraphic information. For example, disagreements abound, as represented by two tional setting. Some explained them as a land the land and continental rift opinion was based opposite opinions. The mainstream view is that since the Late Permian that began rupturing as a on the knowledge that Lower to Middle Trias- it was one part of the Tethyan Ocean between continental rift along the BNSZ at the end of the sic deposits were absent; the only affirmative Eurasia and Gondwanaland (e.g., Pan et al., Late Triassic (Zhao et al., 2001) (Fig. 3). Oth- lithological unit is the clasolite-characterized ers pointed out that Lhasa and Qiangtang were Quehala Group of the Upper Triassic (Fig. 1C). *Corresponding author: [email protected] in a similar marine setting during the Triassic In contrast, the sea perspective was due to the Geological© 2019 The SocietyAuthors. of Gold America Open |Access: LITHOSPHERE This paper | Volume is published 11 | underNumber the 5 terms| www.gsapubs.org of the CC-BY-NC license. 683 Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/lithosphere/article-pdf/11/5/683/4830227/683.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 GUI-CHUN WU ET AL. | New biostratigraphic evidence from Central Tibet RESEARCH 82° 84° 86° 88° 90° 92° Zhapu B Lugu Dinggu Shuanghu NQ LSSZ 33° Gumu Geji RiganpeiCo Rima SQ Oma Ejiu Gaize 32 Dongco BNSZ ° DaruCo Nierong 0 60 120(km) Sailipu SelinCo Jiaqun Nima Fig.C LS Nagqu Beila Longgar Coqen Ban’ge SQ LSSZ 31° NQ A DangreyongCo Xainza BNSZ Dingqing NamuCo Fig.B Jiangrang LS ★ Lhasa Beijing IYSZ LSSZ: Longmu Tso-Shuanghu Suture Zone; BNSZ: Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone; IYZSZ: Indus-Yarlung Fig.A Himalaya Terrane Zangbo Suture Zone; NQ: Northern Qiangtang; SQ: Southern Qiangtang; LS: Lhasa terrane 90°36′ 90°42′ ′ 0 K 4 Qusehai T3Q K1q D1d D2-3c P1x ° 1 J2-3Jn 3 Da’erdong Fm.Chaguoluoma Fm. Xiala Fm. D1d Q K Devonian Devonian B Permian K1q o Q ' Jiaqun Daruc B K q 1 T3Q J1-2X J2-3Jn K1q Quehala Gr. Xihu Gr. Jienu Gr. Q Q K Triassic Jurassic Jurassic K1q K1q P1x ′ K E K1q 5 Laqingduo J2-3Jn 3 P1x J2-3Jn T3Q ° J2-3Jn J2-3Jn Granites Granites Qushenla Fm. 1 J Jn A 2-3 3 K Cretaceous ' E Tertiary Cretaceous A K1q J2-3Jn D2-3c 1 D d n Shemari J Q 3 T Q - 3 2 J J2-3Jn Quatenary Fault Unconformity T3Q D1d Q T Q D2-3c 3 D1d Q B B' D1d A A' D2-3c T3Q D d 2X 1 D c J 1- 2-3 Shemari sections West Jiaqun 90°36′ 90°42′ section C Figure 1. Sketch map showing (A and B) the main tectonic terranes of Tibet (simplified after Pan et al., 2013), and (C) the geological map for the study area (modified after Chen et al., 2015). close marine Triassic deposits and faunas found a complete Triassic succession has been estab- comprehensive biostratigraphic investigation to in both Lhasa and Qiangtang (Yang et al., 1984; lished in accordance with the sections found in the north of Ban’ge area in the central BNSZ. As Chen et al., 2001; Ji et al., 2018a). the Coqen and Wenbudangsang areas (Ji et al., a result, deposits for the Upper Permian to early Stratigraphic evidence has invariably been 2007b; Wu et al., 2007, 2014), implying that the Middle Triassic and the Norian of the Upper Tri- a main contributor to interpretations of tec- west Lhasa terrane was in a carbonate platform assic were first discovered in the study area. The tonic nature. However, Triassic sedimentary setting during the Triassic (Ji et al., 2018a; Wu et details are given in the following sections. data remain rare at present, especially in the al., 2018). Similar deposits were found in South BNSZ, where a Lower Triassic deposit has Qiangtang as well (Guizhou Institute of Geologi- GEOLOGICAL SETTING never been reported and is thus believed to be cal Survey, 2005; Zhang et al., 2005; Li et al., missing, which contrasts greatly with adjacent 2018). The common sedimentary evidence dis- The investigated area is located south and areas where Triassic marine sediments were dis- covered on both sides suggests that they should southwest of Daruco Lake (Fig. 1). Tectonically, closed to be well developed. For example, in be affiliated with a similar carbonate platform it belongs to the Dongkaco substratigraphic divi- the Lhasa terrane to the south, Lower Triassic setting. As a tectonic zone between these two ter- sion in central BNSZ. According to a 1:250000 deposits are widespread in the western portion ranes, biostratigraphic research in the BNSZ will Geological survey on the Ban’ge Sheet (Chen (Ji et al., 2006, 2007a, 2007b, 2007c; Wu et al., be helpful in providing crucial evidence to sup- et al., 2015), the rocky units in this area consist 2007, 2014, 2017, 2018; Zheng et al., 2007), and port this hypothesis. Accordingly, we launched a primarily of the Lower Devonian Da’erdong Geological Society of America | LITHOSPHERE | Volume 11 | Number 5 | www.gsapubs.org 684 Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/lithosphere/article-pdf/11/5/683/4830227/683.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 GUI-CHUN WU ET AL. | New biostratigraphic evidence from Central Tibet RESEARCH Under this stratigraphic background, the Palaeozoic rocks are commonly treated as bro- Siberia ken blocks inserted within the Mesozoic strata, Jungar Greenland and the Upper Permian to the Triassic strata Tarim Panthalassa below the Quehala Group clasolite was thought Kazakhstan Qaidam Ocean 30ºN to be absent (Fig.