Tectonic evolution of the Mogok metamorphic belt, Burma (Myanmar) constrained by U‐Th‐Pb dating of metamorphic and magmatic rocks

Abstract

The Mogok metamorphic belt (MMB) extends for over 1500 km along the western margin of the Shan‐Thai block, from the Andaman Sea north to the eastern Himalayan syntaxis. Previous geochronology has suggested that a long‐lasting Jurassic–early Cretaceous subduction‐related event resulted in emplacement of granodiorites and orthogneisses (171–120 Ma) and a poorly constrained Tertiary metamorphic event. On the basis of new U‐Pb isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry and U‐Th‐Pb laser ablation–multicollector–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer geochronology presented here, we propose two Tertiary metamorphic events affected the MMB in Burma. The first was a Paleocene event that ended with intrusion of crosscutting postkinematic biotite granite dikes at ∼59 Ma. A second metamorphic event spanned late Eocene to Oligocene (at least from 37, possibly 47, to 29 Ma). This resulted in the growth of metamorphic monazite at sillimanite grade, growth of zircon rims at 47–43 Ma, sillimanite + muscovite replacing older andalusite, and synmetamorphic melting producing garnet and tourmaline bearing leucogranites at 45.5 ± 0.6 Ma and 24.5 ± 0.7 Ma. These data imply high‐temperature sillimanite + muscovite metamorphism peaking at 680°C and 4.9 kbar between 45 and 33 Ma, to around 606–656°C and 4.4–4.8 kbar at 29.3 ± 0.5 Ma. The later metamorphic event is older than 24.5 ± 0.3 Ma, the age of leucogranites that crosscut all earlier fabrics. Our structural and geochronological data suggest that the MMB links north to the unexposed middle or lower crust rocks of the Lhasa terrane, south Tibet, and east to high‐grade metamorphic core complexes in northwest Thailand.