Evidence of Subduction of the Paleoproterozoic Oceanic Crust in the Khapchan Belt of the Anabar Shield, Siberian Craton

Abstract

Granulite complex on the left side of the Bol. Kuonamka River, below the mouth of the Khapchan River, is composed of melanocratic and mesocratic orthopyroxene–clinopyroxene crystalline schists and leucocratic orthopyroxene and orthopyroxene–clinopyroxene plagiogneisses. The granulites formed after mafic to felsic volcanoplutonic rocks with rare sedimentary interlayers. In terms of chemical composition, the mafic and ultramafic rocks correspond to pyroxenites, gabbronorites, and gabbro-diorites of the tholeiite series. The plagioschists and plagiogneisses were formed after rocks similar to diorites, tonalities, and trondhjemites or their volcanic analogs, and are distinguished by increased contents of Ba, Zr, Y, REE, Nb, and Ta. The concordant U-Pb age of zircon from the diorite protolith of orthopyroxene–clinopyroxene plagioschists is 2095 ± 10 Ma. The Lu-Hf isotopic composition of the zircon (eHf (T) = 6.5–12, THf(DM) = 1.98–2.22 Ga) indicates the correspondence of its source to the Paleoproterozoic depleted mantle. Two-pyroxene plagiogneisses with a concordant U-Pb zircon age of 2030 ± 17 Ma were formed after tonalites of the calc-alkaline series. They are characterized by well-pronounced negative Ti, Nb, Ta, P anomalies characteristic of subduction magmatism. All studied rocks of the Khapchan Belt have positive eNd(T) values from +2.3 to +4.2 and are interpreted as a juvenile suprasubduction complex. It is assumed that the subduction of oceanic crust of this age is associated with the formation of eclogitic diamond, which was noted earlier and widespread in placer deposits in the northeastern Siberian platform.