Monazite geochronology and petrology of kyanite- and sillimanite-grade migmatites from the northwestern flank of the eastern Himalayan syntaxis
A combined geochronological and petrological study of pelitic migmatites from the northwestern flank of the eastern Himalayan syntaxis has constrained the timing and P-T conditions of two high-grade metamorphic events that affected the south Lhasa block (Asian margin) and provides new insight into t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Published: |
2014
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| Summary: | A combined geochronological and petrological study of pelitic migmatites from the northwestern flank of the eastern Himalayan syntaxis has constrained the timing and P-T conditions of two high-grade metamorphic events that affected the south Lhasa block (Asian margin) and provides new insight into the tectonothermal evolution of the India-Asia collision. U(-Th)-Pb dating of in situ monazite shows that upper amphibolite-facies sillimanite-grade metamorphism and consequent partial melting occurred between c. 71 and 50 Ma at P-T conditions above 6.3 ± 1.2 kbar and 750 ± 30 °C. Further partial melting at upper amphibolite-facies kyanite-grade conditions occurred between c. 44 and 33 Ma at minimum P-T conditions of 10.4 ± 1.0 kbar and 698 ± 20 °C. These data are interpreted to record a south Lhasa block mid-crustal sillimanite-grade melting event in the Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene related to regional heat advection caused by coeval and prolonged emplacement of Gangdese batholith units. This was followed by a higher pressure and lower temperature kyanite-grade melting event during the Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene associated with deformation and crustal thickening in the south Lhasa block, coeval with kyanite-grade metamorphism along the Himalaya, as a result of the on-going India-Asia collision. These partially-melted crustal lithologies offer potential sources (or otherwise analogs for sources) for the Miocene emplacement of adakitic intrusions previously documented in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis region. © 2013 International Association for Gondwana Research. |
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