Geochemical evidence for forearc metasomatism of peridotite in the Xigaze ophiolite during subduction initiation in Neo-Tethyan Ocean, south to Tibet

Abstract

Subduction initiation is one of the key processes in the operation of plate tectonics. Our understanding of this process is largely derived from geochemical studies of basaltic rocks in ophiolites at continental margins. Because of the petrological inheritance in forearc basalts, it is important to acquire geochemical signatures for fluid metasomatism of the nascent mantle wedge at forearc depths. This may be provided by the study of peridotite in ophiolites, which is least affected by tectonic emplacement of the ophiolites onto continental margins. For this purpose, we have carried out a comprehensive study of whole-rock and mineral geochemical compositions for harzburgites from the Xigaze ophiolites in the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone, southern Tibet. The results provide insights into the forearc metasomatism during subduction initiation before the closure of Neo-Tethyan Ocean for the India-Asia continental collision in the Cenozoic. The harzburgites show high spinel Cr# values and strong whole-rock depletion in CaO, Al2O3 and REE, suggesting high degrees of melt extraction (~10–20%) during seafloor spreading to form the Neo-Tethyan mid-ocean ridge basalts. They exhibit positive LILE anomalies in trace element distribution patterns, indicating metasomatism by subduction zone fluids. This is supported by the occurrence of tremolite and dolomite in some of the harzburgites. Based on the presence or absence of carbonate minerals, two types of metasomatic fluids are distinguished. One is the aqueous solutions, leading to the formation of tremolite and the enrichment of LILE in clinopyroxene. The other is the carbonate-bearing fluids, resulting in the formation of dolomites, tremolite and low Mg# (79–82) olivine. The metasomatism also results in the high contents of structural hydroxyl in pyroxenes and elevated δ18O values for the harzburgites. It is inferred that the fluid metasomatism was induced by incipient subduction of the juvenile Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab to forearc depths shortly after conversion of the Neo-Tethyan mid-ocean ridge into the trench. During this period of subduction initiation, the fluids were produced by heating dehydration of the sinking ridge crust to the forearc depths. It is these fluids that would metasomatize the overlying nascent mantle wedge, leading to superimposition of the geochemically enriched signature on the lithochemically depleted harzburgites in the ophiolites. Therefore, the forearc metasomatism of peridotite in ophiolite can be used as a geochemical proxy for subduction initiation. Furthermore, the Xigaze ophiolites were produced by the ridge-trench conversion for subduction initiation in the Mesozoic and they were emplaced onto the southern margin of the Asian continent in the Cenozoic.