Post-orogenic granites in Pingwu region, Northwest Sichuan: Evidence for North China block and Yangtze block collision during Triassic

Abstract

The Nanyili (南一里), Laohegou (老河沟), and Shaiziyan (筛子岩) granitic intrusions are located in the southern margin of the Bikou (碧口) block in Pingwu (平武) area, Northwest Sichuan (四 川). The petrography and geochemical characteristics of the granitic intrusions as well as their source and tectonic settings are reported and discussed in this article. The Laohegou and Shaiziyan granites are with high SiO2 (69.89 wt.%–73.05 wt.%) and Al2O3 contents, and A/CNK=1.04–1.12. They are typical strongly peraluminous granites, with supersaturation in Al and Si. The abundance of ΣREE varies in the range of (33.13−89.12)×10−6. The rocks show an LREE enrichment pattern and obvious Eu negative anomaly. The trace element geochemistry is characterized evidently by a negative anomaly of Ta, Nb, Ti, etc. and a positive anomaly of Rb, Ba, Sr, etc.. Zircons of the Nanyili granite have higher Th/U ratios, and their CL images have internal oscillatory zoning, suggesting that the zircons of the samples are igneous in origin. The LA ICP-MS zircon U-Pb isotopic concordia diagram yields an age of 223.1±2.6 Ma (MSWD=1.4), which indicates that the granodiorite intrusions formed in the early Late Triassic. The Nanyili, Laohegou, and Shaiziyan granites have the characteristics of post-collisional granites and are regarded as post-orogenic granites. Thus, the granite intrusions are interpreted as syn-collisional granites that resulted from the crustal thickening caused by the collisions between the North China plate and the Yangtze plate during the Indosinian. The granitic intrusions formed in a transitional environment from syn- (compressional environment) to post-collision (extensional environment).