Late early Cretaceous peraluminous biotite granites along the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone, Central Tibet: Products derived by partial melting of metasedimentary rocks?

Abstract

The petrogenesis of biotite granites, which may be metaluminous or peraluminous in composition, is a subject of debate. In this study, we present new zircon U-Pb geochronology and O-Hf isotopic, and whole-rock major and trace element, and Sr-Nd isotopic data for biotite granites in the Langla–Laqinpu area of northern Lhasa Terrane, central Tibet. The rocks are distributed along the eastern segment of the Bangong–Nujiang Tethys Ocean suture, and were emplaced during the late Early Cretaceous (ca.119 Ma). The biotite granites are peraluminous, and have high SiO2 (67.5–72.4 wt%) and low MgO (0.57–1.20 wt%) and CaO (2.36–4.38 wt%) contents with variable K2O/Na2O ratios (0.77–1.32), and show geochemical affinity with the upper-continental crust, e.g., enrichment of Rb, Th, U, K and Pb, depletion of Nb, Ta, Ti, P, Eu, and Sr. They are characterized by relatively high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios ((87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7098–0.7137) and low εNd(t) values (−8.4 to −10.3), and high zircon δ18O values (8.29–13.47‰) and variable εHf(t) values (−0.02 to −21.36), indicating they were derived through partial melting of a crustal source consisting of metagreywackes with or without minor metaigneous rocks. Taking into account all available regional geological data, we suggest that the Bangong–Nujiang Tethys Ocean may undergo diachronous closure–although the eastern segment may have been closed by the late Early Cretaceous, its western and western–middle segments may still have been at least partially open and active at that time. The Langla–Laqinpu biotite granites were probably generated in post-collisional setting, following slab break-off after closure of the Bangong–Nujiang Tethys Ocean.