Early–Middle Jurassic (182–170 Ma) Ruocuo adakitic porphyries, southern margin of the Lhasa terrane, Tibet: Implications for geodynamic setting and porphyry Cu–Au mineralization

Abstract

Jurassic adakitic rocks in the southern Lhasa subterrane are relatively rare, poorly documented, and their petrogenesis and geodynamic setting are unclear. To explore these issues, we present zircon U–Pb ages along with Hf isotopic, whole-rock geochemical, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data for hornblende quartz diorite porphyry (HQDP) and quartz diorite porphyry (QDP) in the Ruocuo area, southern margin of the Lhasa terrane, Tibet. Zircon U–Pb dating for these rocks indicates that they were emplaced in the Early–Middle Jurassic (182–170 Ma). Geochemically, HQDP and QDP both show characteristics of adakites, with intermediate SiO2 (60.62–65.63 wt% and 57.46–60.04 wt%, respectively), relatively high Al2O3 (14.23–18.23 wt% and 18.32–20.14 wt%, respectively) and Sr (344–571 ppm and 514–614 ppm, respectively), and low Y (9.12–13.0 ppm and 11.0–14.9 ppm, respectively) and Yb (0.93–1.31 ppm and 1.08–1.52 ppm, respectively). In addition, they show relatively low ratios of (87Sr/86Sr)i (0.7038–0.7045), (206Pb/204Pb)i (18.31–18.42), (207Pb/204Pb)i (15.56–15.66), and (208Pb/204Pb)i (38.36–38.77) and relatively high values of εNd(t) (+5.54 to +6.33) and εHf(t) (+11.8 to +17.3). The Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotopes of HQDP and QDP are similar to those of the Yarlung Tsangpo ophiolites, indicating that they were predominantly generated by the partial melting of the subducted Neo-Tethys oceanic slab. The subducted Neo-Tethys oceanic slab-derived adakitic rocks that are present in the southern Lhasa subterrane provide strong evidence for proving the presence of oceanic subduction during the Early–Middle Jurassic. By combining our results with the previously reported results, we suggest that the Ruocuo adakitic rocks and Early Mesozoic (Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic) magmatic rocks in the southern Lhasa subterrane formed in a magmatic arc setting related to the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic slab, that the initial subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic slab occurred prior to the Early Jurassic, and that the upwelling asthenosphere, triggered by the roll-back of the subducted Neo-Tethys oceanic slab, provided the heat that was required for slab melting. However, contrasting these results with the geochemical characteristics of the No. 2 deposit in the Xiongcun Cu–Au district leads us to consider that the Early–Middle Jurassic subducted oceanic slab-derived adakitic porphyries contain a greater potential for porphyry Cu–Au mineralization than the Early Mesozoic normal magmatic rocks in the southern Lhasa subterrane. Furthermore, mineralized Jurassic porphyry has been reported in the Ruocuo area, adjacent to the northern Xigaze forearc basin, indicating that the northern Xigaze forearc basin also has the potential for subduction-related porphyry Cu–Au mineralization.