Late Paleozoic magmatic record of Middle Gobi area, South Mongolia and its implications for tectonic evolution: Evidences from zircon U–Pb dating and geochemistry

Abstract

Late Paleozoic subduction–accretion complexes occur widely in Middle Gobi area and provide a good opportunity for unraveling the Paleozoic tectonic evolution of South Mongolia. The magmatic rocks in the Tsavchir hudug district mainly consist of rhyolites and volcaniclastic rocks. The rhyolites show enrichment in LREE and LILE and negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies, indicating genesis in the subduction zone. A rhyolite sample from the Tsavchir hudug region yielded a SHRIMP 206Pb/238U zircon age of 315±4Ma (MSWD=0.79, n=15). The andesite overlying the Namdain hundy Early Paleozoic ophiolite shows adakite geochemical features, and the two andesite samples yielded SHRIMP 206Pb/238U zircon ages of 325±3Ma (MSWD=1.6, n=14) and 319±4Ma (MSWD=0.56, n=13), respectively, suggesting that the Carboniferous island arc formed on the basis of Early Paleozoic accretionary complex. The granodiorite sample that intrudes the Early Paleozoic accretion complex with adakite geochemical features yielded a SHRIMP 206Pb/238U zircon age of 333±4Ma (MSWD=1.6, n=16), representing the Late Paleozoic island arc intrusive. The SHRIMP U–Pb analyses for the tuff sandstones that occur associated with Early Paleozic oceanic inliers in Middle Gobi area suggest detrital zircons mainly stem from the Devonian–Carboniferous arc. The age data obtained from the ophiolite (528–509Ma) and tuff sandstone indicate the accretion in Middle Gobi area lasted from Early Paleozoic to Late Paleozoic for at least ca. 200Ma, suggesting the ocean of the accretionary complex was the major Paleo-Asain ocean basin. The subduction related magmatic belt in Middle Gobi area includes both Early Paleozoic and Late Paleozoic island arc activities, which is consistent with the accretion duration time obtained from accretionary complex and also attests the argument of major Paleo-Asain ocean basin.