Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern Altaids
The accretionary processes and the continental growth of the Altaids are still controversial. The Beishan orogen is situated in the southernmost Altaids and is an ideal tectonic site to address these issues. In this study, we report the results of new field-based lithological mapping and structural...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.825852/full |
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| author | Qigui Mao Qigui Mao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Hao Wang Songjian Ao Songjian Ao Songjian Ao Brian F. Windley Dongfang Song Dongfang Song Miao Sang Zhou Tan Rui Li Meng Wang Meng Wang |
| author_facet | Qigui Mao Qigui Mao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Hao Wang Songjian Ao Songjian Ao Songjian Ao Brian F. Windley Dongfang Song Dongfang Song Miao Sang Zhou Tan Rui Li Meng Wang Meng Wang |
| author_sort | Qigui Mao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The accretionary processes and the continental growth of the Altaids are still controversial. The Beishan orogen is situated in the southernmost Altaids and is an ideal tectonic site to address these issues. In this study, we report the results of new field-based lithological mapping and structural analysis on the Huaniushan complex in the Beishan orogen, which is composed of blocks of serpentinized ultramafic, gabbro, basalt, chert, limestone, and other rocks within a strongly deformed and cleaved matrix of sandstone and schist. Our new zircon U-Pb date reveal that a gabbro block formed at 504 ± 3 Ma. Our geochemical and isotopic data of gabbroic and basaltic blocks show that they are relics of the Mid-Ocean-Ridge (MORB)-type and Ocean-Island-Basalt (OIB)-type oceanic lithosphere, with high values of εNd(t) (+4.3–+14.5) and εHf(t) (+8.07–+17.74). The maximum depositional ages (MDAs) of two sandstone blocks were dated at 309 ± 5 Ma and 502 ± 11 Ma, respectively. U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes of detrital zircons from the matrix sandstones indicate that they were derived only from the Shuangyingshan–Huaniushan arc to the north. Accordingly, the Huaniushan complex was part of the Liuyuan accretionary complex that fringed the Huaniushan arc, and, therefore, formed by the northward subduction of the Liuyuan oceanic plate. Combined with the basalt yields zircon U-Pb age of 1,071 ± 5 Ma, we concluded that the Huaniushan complex has an age of 1,071 Ma to 309 Ma. Furthermore, the oceanic blocks and sedimentary matrix of the Liuyuan accretionary complex have an age of 1,071–270 Ma and 920–234 Ma, respectively, suggesting that the Liuyuan Ocean was still open at ca. 234 Ma. Thus, the studies reveal that the Liuyuan Ocean, a major branch of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, may have experienced a prolonged tectonic history, starting in the late Mesoproterozoic (1,071 Ma) and terminating later than the late Triassic (234 Ma), with a long subduction and development of a series of seamounts and/or plateaus emplaced into the Liuyuan accretionary complex. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:58:27Z |
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| id | doaj.art-4772c61f86594764a3660552e82d7f87 |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:58:27Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4772c61f86594764a3660552e82d7f872022-12-22T00:47:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632022-05-01910.3389/feart.2021.825852825852Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern AltaidsQigui Mao0Qigui Mao1Wenjiao Xiao2Wenjiao Xiao3Wenjiao Xiao4Wenjiao Xiao5Hao Wang6Songjian Ao7Songjian Ao8Songjian Ao9Brian F. Windley10Dongfang Song11Dongfang Song12Miao Sang13Zhou Tan14Rui Li15Meng Wang16Meng Wang17Xinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaRedrock Mining CO., Ltd., Hami, ChinaXinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaChina-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaXinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaChina-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester, United KingdomState Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaXinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaXinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaXinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaXinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaCollege of Resource and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, ChinaThe accretionary processes and the continental growth of the Altaids are still controversial. The Beishan orogen is situated in the southernmost Altaids and is an ideal tectonic site to address these issues. In this study, we report the results of new field-based lithological mapping and structural analysis on the Huaniushan complex in the Beishan orogen, which is composed of blocks of serpentinized ultramafic, gabbro, basalt, chert, limestone, and other rocks within a strongly deformed and cleaved matrix of sandstone and schist. Our new zircon U-Pb date reveal that a gabbro block formed at 504 ± 3 Ma. Our geochemical and isotopic data of gabbroic and basaltic blocks show that they are relics of the Mid-Ocean-Ridge (MORB)-type and Ocean-Island-Basalt (OIB)-type oceanic lithosphere, with high values of εNd(t) (+4.3–+14.5) and εHf(t) (+8.07–+17.74). The maximum depositional ages (MDAs) of two sandstone blocks were dated at 309 ± 5 Ma and 502 ± 11 Ma, respectively. U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes of detrital zircons from the matrix sandstones indicate that they were derived only from the Shuangyingshan–Huaniushan arc to the north. Accordingly, the Huaniushan complex was part of the Liuyuan accretionary complex that fringed the Huaniushan arc, and, therefore, formed by the northward subduction of the Liuyuan oceanic plate. Combined with the basalt yields zircon U-Pb age of 1,071 ± 5 Ma, we concluded that the Huaniushan complex has an age of 1,071 Ma to 309 Ma. Furthermore, the oceanic blocks and sedimentary matrix of the Liuyuan accretionary complex have an age of 1,071–270 Ma and 920–234 Ma, respectively, suggesting that the Liuyuan Ocean was still open at ca. 234 Ma. Thus, the studies reveal that the Liuyuan Ocean, a major branch of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, may have experienced a prolonged tectonic history, starting in the late Mesoproterozoic (1,071 Ma) and terminating later than the late Triassic (234 Ma), with a long subduction and development of a series of seamounts and/or plateaus emplaced into the Liuyuan accretionary complex.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.825852/fulllate mesoproterozoic–late triassicHuaniushan complexLiuyuan accretionary complexsouthern Beishanaltaids |
| spellingShingle | Qigui Mao Qigui Mao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Wenjiao Xiao Hao Wang Songjian Ao Songjian Ao Songjian Ao Brian F. Windley Dongfang Song Dongfang Song Miao Sang Zhou Tan Rui Li Meng Wang Meng Wang Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern Altaids Frontiers in Earth Science late mesoproterozoic–late triassic Huaniushan complex Liuyuan accretionary complex southern Beishan altaids |
| title | Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern Altaids |
| title_full | Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern Altaids |
| title_fullStr | Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern Altaids |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern Altaids |
| title_short | Prolonged Late Mesoproterozoic to Late Triassic Tectonic Evolution of the Major Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan Orogen (NW China) in the Southern Altaids |
| title_sort | prolonged late mesoproterozoic to late triassic tectonic evolution of the major paleo asian ocean in the beishan orogen nw china in the southern altaids |
| topic | late mesoproterozoic–late triassic Huaniushan complex Liuyuan accretionary complex southern Beishan altaids |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.825852/full |
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