RESEARCH Geochronology and Geochemistry of Neoproterozoic
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RESEARCH Geochronology and geochemistry of Neoproterozoic granitoids in the central Qilian Shan of northern Tibet: Reconstructing the amalgamation processes and tectonic history of Asia Chen Wu1,*, Andrew V. Zuza2,3, An Yin1,2, Changfeng Liu4, Robin C. Reith2, Jinyu Zhang5, Wencan Liu4, and Zhiguang Zhou1 1STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY GROUP, CHINA UNIVERSITY OF GEOSCIENCES (BEIJING), BEIJING 100083, CHINA 2DEPARTMENT OF EARTH, PLANETARY, AND SPACE SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095-1567, USA 3NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, NEVADA 89557, USA 4INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, CHINA UNIVERSITY OF GEOSCIENCES (BEIJING), BEIJING 100083, CHINA 5INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY, CHINA EARTHQUAKE ADMINISTRATION, BEIJING 100029, CHINA ABSTRACT Our understanding of the assembly history of Asia depends critically on the tectonic relationships between its major cratons, including Siberia, North China, South China, and Tarim. The intervening microcontinents between these cratons can provide insight into the paleogeographic and paleotectonic relationships of the cratons, but there is currently a general lack of knowledge regarding the basement geology of these microcontinents. Here we present results from systematic geologic mapping, U-Pb zircon dating, whole-rock geochemical analysis, and syn- thesis of existing data to establish the Proterozoic to early Paleozoic evolution of the central Qilian basement to the south of the North China craton in northwest China. Our results indicate that the region underwent three major periods of magmatic activity at 960–880, 877–710, and 550–375 Ma. Our geochemical analysis suggests that the ca. 900 Ma plutons were generated during arc magmatism and/or syncollisional crustal melting, whereas the ca. 820 Ma plutons are A-type granitoids, which are typically associated with extensional tectonism. Igneous zircons from a high- and ultrahigh-pressure eclogite in the north-central Qilian Shan have a U-Pb age of ca. 916 Ma, whereas dating of the recrystallized rims suggests that eclogite facies metamorphism occurred at ca. 485 Ma. Our detrital zircon geochronology also indicates that a widespread metasedimentary unit in the region was deposited between ca. 1200 and ca. 960 Ma, prior to the onset of a rift-drift event at ca. 750 Ma. Based on regional geologic constraints and the magmatic history, we propose the following tectonic history: (1) the paleo–Qilian Ocean bound the combined North Tarim–North China craton to the south (present-day coordinates) in the Mesoproterozoic; (2) the paleo– Qilian Ocean closed between 900 and 820 Ma following the collision of North Tarim–North China craton and the South Tarim–Qaidam–Kunlun continent; (3) the younger Qilian Ocean opened at ca. 775 Ma along the previous suture trace of the paleo–Qilian Ocean as a marginal sea within southern Laurasia; and (4) this ocean closed by ca. 445–440 Ma as a result of collision between the Tarim–North China cratons and the Qaidam-Kunlun continent along a south-dipping subduction system. LITHOSPHERE; v. 9; no. 4; p. 609–636; GSA Data Repository Item 2017231 | Published online 25 May 2017 https://doi.org/10.1130/L640.1 INTRODUCTION 2000; Chen et al., 2003; Cowgill et al., 2003; Yin, 2010; Gao et al., 2013; Zuza and Yin, 2016; Zuza et al., 2016). Northern Tibet marks the transitional zone between the Tethyan oro- Early workers suggested that the ophiolite-bearing mélange and blue- genic system to the south and the Paleo–Asian Ocean system to the north schist assemblages exposed across the Qilian Shan represented an early (Fig. 1) (e.g., Şengör and Natal’in, 1996; Yin and Harrison, 2000; Heubeck, Paleozoic Qilian Ocean (Wang and Liu, 1976; Xiao et al., 1978). Later 2001; Stampfli and Borel, 2002; Stampfli et al., 2013; Wu et al., 2016). studies revealed that the Qilian Ocean may have formed as early as the Although extensive research has focused on the tectonic evolution of these Neoproterozoic (e.g., Yin and Harrison, 2000; Gehrels et al., 2003a, 2003b, two well-known orogenic domains, comparatively little research has been 2011; Yin et al., 2007a; Xiao et al., 2009; Song et al., 2013, 2014; Xu et al., devoted to investigating the tectonic history of intervening oceanic and 2015; Wu et al., 2016). However, the lack of absolute age constraints and continental fragments, including the early Paleozoic Qilian orogen (e.g., an unclear geologic context of the Neoproterozoic strata have hampered Yin et al., 2007a; Xiao et al., 2009; Song et al., 2013). A major challenge our ability to decipher the origin and formation ages of this ocean. This in unraveling the geologic history of the Qilian orogen is that the region has in turn led to debates regarding (1) the location and lateral extent of was strongly modified by later phases of Mesozoic extension and Cenozoic the Qilian Ocean as represented by the suture zone rocks (e.g., Tseng et al., intracontinental thrust and strike-slip faulting (Fig. 1) (Yin and Harrison, 2009), (2) the polarity of subduction that led to the closure of the Qilian Ocean (e.g., Zuo and Liu, 1987; Feng and He, 1996; Yin and Harrison, *Corresponding author: [email protected]; [email protected] 2000; Yang et al., 2002; C.L. Wu et al., 2006; Gehrels et al., 2003a, 2003b, LITHOSPHERE© 2017 Geological | Volume Society 9 of| America.Number 4For | www.gsapubs.orgpermission to copy, contact [email protected] 609 Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/lithosphere/article-pdf/9/4/609/2316115/609.pdf by University of Nevada Reno user on 11 February 2019 CHEN WU ET AL. A Central Asian Orogenic System 0250 500 km Closure sites of Proto-Tethys ATR SQS Fig. 1B NQS Karakum Tarim ATF North China KQD CQLT QKT KQD SQS KQD NQGS JS CQGS SGT KF BN QTT SQGS LST Closure site of IT Neo-Tethys South China India Closure sites of Paleo-Tethys Ordovician intra-plate UHP terranes Western KF Karakorum fault Closure site of Pacific ATF Altyn Tagh fault Meso-Tethys Subduction ARSZ Ailao Shan-Red River shear zone ARSZ System KQD: Kunlun-Qinling-Dabie suture; NQS and SQS: North and South Qilian sutures; NQGS, CQGS, and SQGS: North, Central, and South Qinling suture; JS: Jinsha suture; BN: Bangong-Nujiang suture; IT: Indus-Tsangpo suture. QKT: Qaidam-Kunlun terrane; SGT: Songpan-Ganzi terrane; QTT: Qiangtang terrane; LST: Lhasa terrane; CQLT: central Qilian terrane; KF: Karakorum fault; ARSZ: Ailao Shan-Red River shear zone; ATF: Altyn Tagh fault; ATR: Altyn Tagh Range. Altyn Tagh B Altyn Tagh Qilian Shan-Nan Shan Range Fault Thrust Belt N 40° E study area Figure 2A Fig.2 North Har Lake China Ordos 38° E Block Qaidam Qinghai Xining Lake LiupanShan Basin Thrust Belt Kunlun 36° E Fault BoundariesHaiyuan of Te thyan OrogenicFa Systemult 200 km 34° E 94° E 96° E 98° E 100° E 102° E 104° E 106° E 108° E Figure 1. (A) Tectonic map of the Tethyan Orogenic System and the Central Asian Orogenic System (modified from Wu et al., 2016). (B) Regional tectonic map of the Qilian Shan–Nan Shan thrust belt and its adjacent regions (modified from Gao et al., 2013; Zuza et al., 2016). Major faults are denoted with black lines (thrust), blue lines (sinistral strike slip), yellow lines (dextral strike slip), and pink lines (normal). Underlying base map is from www.geomapapp.org (Ryan et al., 2009). 610 www.gsapubs.org | Volume 9 | Number 4 | LITHOSPHERE Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/lithosphere/article-pdf/9/4/609/2316115/609.pdf by University of Nevada Reno user on 11 February 2019 Proterozoic to early Paleozoic evolution of northern Tibet | RESEARCH 2011; Tung et al., 2007, 2013; Song et al., 2006, 2010, 2013, 2014; Huang Ga and locally reworked at 250–230 Ma (Yu et al., 2009). Mesoprotero- et al., 2015; Xu et al., 2015), and (3) the lateral linkage of the Precambrian zoic basement rocks (1431–1200 Ma) are restricted to Hainan Island (Li Qilian basement (Qaidam-Kunlun terrane), which is bounded by the north et al., 2002; X.H. Li et al., 2008a). A compilation of U-Pb zircon ages and south Qilian suture zones to the north and the Kunlun-Qinling-Dabie shows that >90% of the Cathaysia block Precambrian basement consists suture to the south (Fig. 1A), with either the North China or South China of Neoproterozoic rocks, including volcanic-sedimentary strata metamor- cratons (e.g., Zuo and Liu, 1987; Feng and He, 1996; Wan et al., 2001; phosed from greenschist to granulite facies (Zhao and Cawood, 2012). The Tung et al., 2007, 2013; Lu et al., 2008; Song et al., 2010, 2012, 2013; Cathaysia block underwent a widespread tectonothermal event in the early Xu et al., 2015; Wu et al., 2016) (Fig. 1). A Qilian–South China craton Paleozoic, resulting in an angular unconformity between Devonian cover connection would require that the Qilian continental basement (Qaidam- and metamorphosed pre-Silurian strata (Huang, 1977; Wang et al., 2013b). Kunlun terrane) was first rifted from the Yangtze craton in the western In the recent reconstruction (Wu et al., 2016), the Yangtze basement is part of the South China craton during the Neoproterozoic breakup of the assumed to extend west underneath the Songpan-Ganzi terrane (see dis- supercontinent Rodinia and later collided against the North China craton cussion in Zhang et al., 2014) and this entire craton rifted from Gondwana in the early Paleozoic (e.g., Wan et al., 2001; Tung et al., 2007; Song et in the Devonian–Carboniferous (e.g., Zhao and Cawood, 2012; Cawood et al., 2013; Xu et al., 2015). In contrast, a Qilian–North China connection al., 2013). The craton was bound to the north by the Neo–Kunlun Ocean requires that the Qaidam-Kunlun terrane never drifted far from the North (Mianlue Ocean) (e.g., Ratschbacher et al., 2003; Dong and Santosh, 2015) China craton since the Neoproterozoic.