Ca. 850 Ma magmatic events in the Tarim Craton: Age, geochemistry and implications for assembly of Rodinia supercontinent

Abstract

The origin of magmatic episodes between final assembly and initial breakup of Rodinia is crucial for deciphering geodynamic transition and continental crust growth processes. However, few igneous rocks were identified during the quiescent time from 900 Ma to 830 Ma in the Tarim Craton. Along its northwestern margin, our field investigations identified abundant granitic debris in the Cryogenian Qiaoenbrak Group. Zircon U-Pb age determination revealed crystallization age at ca. 850 Ma. Detrital zircon crystals within Cryogenian to Ediacaran clastic rocks and schists of the basement Aksu Group also contain a major population having crystallized at ca. 860–840 Ma. Thus, we suggest that a hitherto unknown major magmatic event occurred ca. 850 Ma ago in northern Tarim. Granite gravels exhibit typical fractionated granite features, with high values of SiO2 (73.1–75.7 wt%), alkali oxides (Na2O + K2O = 7.8–8.7 wt%) and Na2O/K2O (avg. 1.3 wt%), and low values of P2O5 (≤0.04 wt%) and A/CNK (0.87–1.01), together with Rb, Th, U and K enrichment, and depletion in Nb, Ta, Sr, P, Ti and Eu, negative Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.21–0.74) and fairly low Ga/Al ratios. Including detrital crystals, ca. 850 Ma zircon crystals display a large range of εHf(t) values from −17.0 up to +11.6. Elemental and zircon Hf isotopes suggest that granites were derived from melting of juvenile lower crust, with addition of reworked upper crust and mantle-derived melts. We propose (1) before ca. 850 Ma, arc-continental collision setting related to southward accretionary assembly along Tarim margin, (2) progressive assembly of Tarim Craton, and (3) position of Tarim Craton within Rodinia supercontinent probably closer to North India Block than to Australia at ca. 850 Ma.