Geochemical and geochronological constraints on the genesis of Pliocene post-collisional granite porphyry and shoshonite in Quanshuigou, western Kunlun Mountains, NW Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Abstract

ABSTRACT Post-collisional K-rich magmatic rocks of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau provide important information for understanding the continental collision and uplift of this plateau during the Cenozoic. However, the source of these K-rich rocks is still debated, and limited investigations have been conducted in the western Kunlun Mountains (WKM) in the northwestern margin of the plateau. In this paper, we present geochemical, geochronological, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope data for Quanshuigou post-collisional K-rich igneous rocks from the WKM. Geochronological results show that these rocks were emplaced during two stages: (1) ca. 5.3 Ma, as an intrusive suite of granite porphyries; and (2) ca. 4.8 Ma, as a suite of shoshonites. These rocks are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs), and depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and high-field-strength elements (HFSEs). Compositions of the granite porphyries classify these rocks as high-K calc-alkaline peraluminous A-type granites. Combining the negative zircon ε Hf(t) values (−6.9 to −1.1) with Hf crustal model ages (TDM2) of 1.16–1.53 Ga and negative ε Nd(t) values (−5.31 to −4.96) with two-stage Nd model ages (TDM2) of 1.22–1.46 Ga, these signatures suggest that the granite porphyries most probably originated from partial melting of thickened lower crust with limited input of mantle-derived magmas. In contrast, the shoshonites have low SiO2 contents (50.84–53.94 wt.%), relatively high Mg# values (50–57), and εNd (t) values ranging from −6.18 to −5.34, with single-stage Nd model ages (TDM1) of 0.97–1.02 Ga. Our analyses show that the parental magma of the shoshonites probably formed by partial melting of EMII-type lithospheric mantle, with the addition of subducted and recycled oceanic sediments. Hence, we conclude that these granite porphyries and shoshonites formed in a post-collisional, extension-related geodynamic setting and that the melting was probably triggered by motion on the Altyn Tagh strike-slip fault system.