Age, genesis, and geological significance of Permian–Triassic boundary volcanic tuffs in the northeastern margin of South China

Abstract

The Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) volcanic tuffs are widely distributed in the East Palaeo‐Tethys region, but their age and origin have been controversial. The Permian–Triassic deep‐water sediments in the northeastern margin of South China are favourable research objects, and we report new results from the PTB deep basin sediments in the Susong area, Anhui Province, in this paper. Two volcanic tuffs are found in the Zuoshan PTB in the Zuoshan section, and Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) U–Pb zircon dating indicates that the upper and lower tuffs are 251.3 ± 1.7 Ma and 252.3 ± 2.1 Ma, respectively. The PTB age is 251.6 Ma according to a numerical interpolation method of the average deposition rate of the PTB. Fusulinids and non‐fusulinid foraminifers in the limestone overlying the lower tuff define the rock as end‐Permian. Zircon trace elements show that both tuffs are sourced from felsic volcanism in continental arc background, and their source magmas were derived from the continental crust. Zircons of PTB age from the upper tuff on the bottom of the Triassic have negative εHf(t) value from −8.02 to −3.75, and the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 1502–1780 Ma, showing that their source rocks were only derived from the remelting of the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic continental crust. The zircons from the lower tuff on the top of the Permian show two types, including negative εHf(t) values from −6.48 to −1.25 and Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 1350–1679 Ma, and positive εHf(t) values from +3.98 to +10.15, and Neoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 629–1023 Ma, indicating that their sources were derived from the reworking of the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic continental crust and early Neoproterozoic depleted mantle joined in juvenile crust growth in the northern margin of the South China Block at the beginning of the collision between the South China and North China blocks. The initial collision started no later than 252.3 Ma and developed significantly from east to west.