Geochemical and Geochronological Constraints on the Origin of the Meta‐basic Volcanic Rocks in the Tengtiaohe Zone, Southeast Yunnan

Abstract

AbstractThe meta‐basic volcanic rocks in the Tengtiaohe Zone yield zircon U‐Pb ages of 258.8±2.5 Ma and 259.2±1.8 Ma, respectively which agree with the ages of flood basalts of ELIP and are similar to the basaltic rocks and komatiites from the Song Da Zone in northern Vietnam. The results suggest that the age of meta‐basic volcanic rocks is Late Permian, rather than the Early Permian or Early Carboniferous ages as previously inferred. Most meta‐basic volcanic rocks are strongly enriched in LREEs relative to HREEs and display trace element patterns similar to the ELIP high‐Ti basalts, and are enriched in LILEs with negative Sr anomalies. Their initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios range from 0.705974 to 0.706188 and εNd(t) from –0.82 to –2.11. Their magmas were derived from an enriched and deep mantle source without significant crustal contamination. These meta‐basic volcanic rocks formed in ELIP. Therefore, the Tengtiaohe Zone is not an ophiolite zone and can link to the Song Da Zone in northern Vietnam.