Survived Seamount Reveals an in situ Origin for the Central Qiangtang Metamorphic Belt in the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

The origin of the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt (CQMB) has long been in debate, which is not clear whether this belt is the exhumed Jinsha oceanic plate that had been subducted and underthrusted beneath the Qiangtang Block, or the in situ Longmu Co-Shuanghu suture that separated the south and north Qiangtang blocks. Here we report field observations, zircon U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes, as well as whole rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopes of the Late Triassic volcanic rocks near the Chabo Co within the southern margin of the CQMB. The ca. 229 Ma Chabo Co volcanic rocks and limestones possess characteristic lithologies of a seamount. Their geochemical and isotopic compositions are similar to OIB-type lavas. Unlike other metabasalts (eclogites and blueschists) in the CQMB, the Chabo Co volcanic rocks are OIB-type lavas that did not experience high-grade metamorphism; this is likely because that the Chabo Co seamount was detached from the subducting Longmu Co-Shuanghu oceanic slab. This work provides new solid evidences for an in situ origin of the CQMB.