Geochemistry of I- and A-type granites of the Qingyang–Jiuhuashan complex, eastern China: Insights into early cretaceous multistage magmatism

Abstract

The Lower Yangtze River Belt in eastern China preserves evidence for widespread Mesozoic magmatism. Geochronological and geochemical studies have been conducted on the magmatic rocks and their associated mineral deposits; however, the relationships and melting conditions of spatially associated I- and A-type granites remain poorly constrained. The Qingyang–Jiuhuashan granitic complex in southern Anhui Province, eastern China, comprises primarily hornblende-bearing granodiorite, monzogranite, alkali-feldspar granite, and granitic porphyry, which yield zircon UPb ages of 142.2 ± 1.3, 134.6 ± 1.2, 126.4 ± 1.9, and 125.9 ± 1.2 Ma, respectively. Zircon grains from an enclave in the monzogranite yield an age of 134.5 ± 1.1 Ma, similar to that of the host rock. The ages are consistent with the timing of regional magmatic events in southern Anhui Province. Whole-rock geochemical compositions indicate that the granodiorite and monzogranite represent I-type granites, whereas the alkali-feldspar granite and granitic porphyry display A-type signatures. The I- and A-type granites yield similar whole-rock SrNd isotopic compositions, but distinct zircon δ18O values. We infer that the I-type granites were produced through water-fluxed melting of Mesoproterozoic basement during subduction of the paleo-Pacific plate. The A-type granites were generated through partial melting of the lower crust, triggered by extensional upwelling of mantle-derived magmas that provided heat and alkali-rich fluids. We identify three stages of Cretaceous tectono-magmatic activity that occurred in response to ridge subduction and subsequent slab rollback beneath eastern China.