Lateral variation in oxygen fugacity and halogen contents in early Cretaceous magmas in Jiaodong area, East China: Implication for triggers of the destruction of the North China Craton

Abstract

Pacific subduction has been suggested as the trigger of the destruction of the North China Craton, but evidence for it remains ambiguous. To further investigate this issue, we studied Wulian pyroxene monzonite (123±1Ma) in the west and Rushan gabbro-diorite (115±1Ma) in the east of the Sulu orogen, East China. The rocks of both locations are characterized by low TiO2 but high SiO2 and K2O, fractionated REE patterns with notable negative Ta-Nb-Ti anomalies, and by high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios and strongly negative εNd (t) and εHf (t) values. These geochemical and isotopic characteristics can be interpreted to be formed by partial melting of enriched lithosphere mantle refertilized by recycled crustal materials that were associated with the Sulu orogeny. Oxygen fugacities of the Rushan gabbro-diorites, estimated based on magnetite-ilmenite equilibration, are significantly higher than those of Wulian pyroxene monzonite. This lateral difference is mirrored by lower F and F/Cl but higher Cl in biotite in the Rushan gabbro-diorite compared to Wulian pyroxene monzonite. All these data suggest a spatially heterogeneous Cretaceous mantle source in terms of halogens and water contents beneath the Sulu orogen, which was most likely caused by the subduction processes of the Pacific plate. H2O-rich fluid in the mantle beneath the east of the Sulu orogen closer to the mantle wedge was prominently from early dehydration of subducted slab at shallow depth, while F-bearing fluid to further west was released by dehydrated deeper slab or stagnant oceanic slab within the mantle transition zone.