Consecutive underplating of cognate magmas: Contributions to the enclaves and large-volume plagiogranites in the North Qaidam orogen (NW China)

Abstract

Magma mingling between mafic and felsic magmas is a plausible mechanism for the formation of mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) which are common worldwide. Through dissecting the MMEs with parentage of magma mingling, it can be ascertained how two types of magmas with contrasting physicochemical properties interplay and what implicit information magma mingling records in crust-mantle interaction. Here we present petrography, geochronology, major and trace elements, Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes, and mineral geochemistry for rock associations from the North Qaidam orogen, which provides new insights into the processes of magma mingling, petrogenesis of large-volume host plagiogranites and crust-mantle magmatic interaction. MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalt)-like and arc-like magmas can be distinguished from mantle-derived mafic samples with zircon UPb ages ranging from 480 to 465 Ma. MORB-like magmas originated from a MORB-type asthenospheric mantle, whereas arc-like magmas were derived from an ultra-depleted asthenospheric mantle as a result of consecutive extraction of MORB-like magmas and late-stage metasomatism by subduction-related aqueous fluids. Given the content discrepancies for major oxides, gabbro-dioritic MMEs are formed by incipient mechanical mingling between gabbro-diorite magmas and felsic plagiogranite magmas. MMEs and host plagiogranites yield coincident crystallization ages of 478 Ma and overlapped whole-rock SrNd ((87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7044–0.7052; εNd(t) = +4.6 ∼ +5.6) and zircon Hf isotopes (εHf(t) = +13 ∼ +16). The host plagiogranite magmas are most likely derived by partial melting of pre-existing analogues of gabbro-diorite intrusions under the condition of consecutive underplating of different batches of cognate magmas over short time scales, which in turn determine the consistent isotope compositions between MMEs and host plagiogranites. As for mineral geochemistry, the plagioclases with the highest An% value and the hornblendes implying the highest melt water content, appear within the MME-bearing plagiogranites next to the chilled margin of MMEs, illustrating that aqueous fluid and heat transfer play a pioneering but finite role in incipient magma mingling. The consecutive underplating of cognate mantle-derived magmas as an ultimate engine leads to the partial melting of newly emplaced basites to form massive plagiogranite magmas and geochemically stratified crust. With magma ascent into a shallow level of crust, magma mingling between underplated mafic magmas and resultant plagiogranite magmas is finally realized.