Age and composition of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the Xing'an–Mongolia Orogenic Belt: Implications for the construction of microcontinents during accretionary orogenesis

Abstract

We present major- and trace-element concentrations, Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions, ReOs isotopes, and highly siderophile element (HSE) abundances of 17 xenolithic mantle peridotites from the Nuomin volcanic field to constrain the assembly and evolution of the Xing'an–Mongolia Orogenic Belt (XMOB), Northeast China. The Nuomin peridotites are divided into five groups (harzburgite groups Haz-1, Haz-2, and Haz-3, and lherzolite groups Lhz-1 and Lhz-2). The Haz-1 peridotites are characterized by refractory chemical compositions (Al2O3 contents of 1.03–2.30 wt% and olivine forsterite (Fo) numbers of 90.7–92.5) that are best interpreted as residues after high degrees of mantle partial melting. The Haz-2 and Haz-3 peridotites exhibit slightly more fertile compositions (Al2O3 of 1.72–1.80 wt% and Fo of 89.0–89.9 for the Haz-2, and Al2O3 of 2.86 wt% and Fo of 91.2 for the Haz-3), resulting from refertilization by silicate melts. The Lhz-1 samples are more fertile (Al2O3 of 2.90–3.64 wt% and Fo of 89.1–90.3) than the Lhz-2 samples (Al2O3 of 1.64–2.16 wt% and Fo of 90.9–91.3). The combination of trace-element data (Ti/Eu ratio) and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions indicates the presence of at least three peridotite end-members (Haz-1, Haz-2, and Lhz-1–Lhz-2) beneath the Nuomin area, which can be explained by the infiltration of two distinct metasomatic agents (MA1: composition similar to potassic basaltic rocks in the Wudalianchi–Erkeshan–Keluo area, and MA2: Fe–Ti-enriched melt). HSE abundances and Os isotopic data show that the Os isotopic compositions of the Haz-1, Lhz-1, and Lhz-2 peridotites were not significantly affected by lithophile-element-dominated metasomatism and can be used to constrain the melt extraction ages of these peridotites. The lower 187Os/188Os ratios of Haz-1 peridotites define a prominent rhenium depletion age (TRD) of ~1.6 Ga and represent fragments of the Paleo–Mesoproterozoic lithospheric mantle rather than reflecting the heterogeneous characteristics of the asthenosphere or extraneous emplacement. In contrast, the Lhz-1 and Lhz-2 lherzolite groups together have a narrow range of 187Os/188Os ratios that give younger TRD ages (~0.5 to 1.0 Ga). Our data demonstrate that both the Paleo–Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic subcontinental lithospheric mantle coexist beneath the XMOB and that they correspond respectively to the bimodal age peaks of crustal growth of ~1.6 Ga and ~0.8 Ga defined by the XMOB granitoids. The XMOB was assembled primarily during the Phanerozoic by multiple blocks that had formed from the Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic. The similar chemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic signatures of both young and old lithospheric mantle indicate that the large-scale metasomatism event involving potassic melts most likely occurred during the evolution of the Paleo–Asian Ocean. The crustal materials carried to the mantle by multiple subduction events could be an effective source of potassium for the origin of potassic basaltic rocks.