Petrogenesis of Late Mesozoic trachydacites in the Jiaolai Basin, Eastern China: Implications for the destruction of the North China Craton

Abstract

The North China Craton has witnessed a large-scale lithospheric thinning event in the Mesozoic. The volcanic rocks of the Qingshan Group formed during the destruction of the North China Craton, therefore retaining important information to the deep processes in this region. Zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical analyses have been carried out on volcanic rocks of the Qingshan Group collected from southeastern margin of the Jiaolai Basin. In combination with previously published data on the volcanic rocks of the Qingshan Group, the newly acquired data show that: (1) the volcanic rocks of Qingshan Group in Mashan have SiO2 content of 62.82 ∼ 66.3 wt% and total alkali content (K2O + Na2O) of 7.64 ∼ 9.34 wt%. According to TAS diagram, they belong to trachydacite which experienced strong fractionation between LREEs and HREEs with depletion of HFSEs and enrichment of LILEs. (2) The crystallization age of trachydacite in Mashan is 116.4 ± 2.3 Ma (MSWD = 1.9, n = 9). The magma originated from the partial melting of the ancient lower crust and the enriched lithospheric mantle metasomatized by the fluids/melts released from the subducted slab of the Yangtze Craton. (3) The formation age of magmatic rocks in western Shandong is generally earlier than that in eastern Shandong, while the lower crust delamination in western Shandong preceded that in eastern Shandong. The occurrence of magmatism in eastern Shandong is probably attributed to the delamination process in western Shandong as well as the ongoing tectonic activities along the Tan-Lu fault zone. The lithospheric thinning of the North China Craton was mainly controlled by the change of the subduction angle of the Paleo-Pacific plate, and is probably influenced by the continuous activity of the Tan-Lu fault zone in eastern Shandong.