Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2023, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (4): 299-316.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.5.1

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The components of the subducted continental basement within the Dabieshan orogenic belt as evidenced by xenocrystic/inherited zircons from Cretaceous dykes

XU Daliang1,2(), DENG Xin1,2, PENG Lianhong1,*(), TIAN Yang1,2, JIN Wei1,2,3, JIN Xinbiao1,2   

  1. 1. Wuhan Center, China Geological Survey (Geosciences Innovation Center of Central South China), Wuhan 430205, China
    2. Research Center for Petrogenesis and Mineralization of Granitoid Rocks, China Geological Survey, Wuhan 430205, China
    3. Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
  • Received:2023-02-24 Revised:2023-05-04 Online:2023-07-25 Published:2023-07-07

Abstract:

Ancient continental basement of young orogenic belts may reveal the early evolutionary history of continental blocks. Continental basement of subduction plate in a collision orogen is generally located in the Earth’s lower crust and unlikely to be widely exposed on the Earth’s surface, however, xenocrystic/inherited zircons from shallow igneous rocks can be used to trace the content and evolution of continental crust at depth. Here we present in situ U-Pb and Hf isotope data for the newly discovered xenocrystic/inherited zircons from Late-Mesozoic dykes (140-127 Ma) in the southern Dabieshan orogen to address the critical issue about the nature, age and evolution of geologic basement of the Dabieshan orogenic belt. The xenocrystic/inherited zircons are dated to the Precambrian and show an episodic age distribution. They record a large number of multi-stage magmatic events (at 3.44-3.23 Ga, 2.99-2.82 Ga, 2.79-2.60 Ga, 2.47 Ga, 2.00 Ga, 1.82 Ga, 0.89 Ga, 0.82-0.78 Ga and 0.71-0.59 Ga) as well as six metamorphic events (at 3.28 Ga, 2.87 Ga, 2.73 Ga, 2.51 Ga, 1.98 Ga and 0.80 Ga). The Hf isotopic composition of the xenocrystic/inherited zircons shows that the southern Dabieshan orogen experienced significant continental growth in the Archean, mainly concentrated in the Paleoarchean (3.6-3.3 Ga) and Neoarchean (2.7-2.6 Ga), and underwent multi-stage reconstruction (3.4-3.2 Ga, 3.0~2.8 Ga, 2.7-2.5 Ga, 2.0-1.8 Ga, 0.9-0.6 Ga and 0.1 Ga). According to comprehensive analysis, the southern Dabie orogen should represent basement of subduction plate that was not involved in deep subduction and at least modified by multi-stage tectono-thermal events in the Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic relating to the formation of the Columbia and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinents, respectively.

Key words: Dabieshan orogenic belt, Archean, Proterozoic, Precambrian, xenocrystic/inherited zircon, crustal growth and reconstruction

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