The Jurassic Yeba Formation in the Gangdese arc of S. Tibet: implications for upper plate extension in the Lhasa terrane

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe formation of the Jurassic Xiongcun porphyry copper deposit, within the Gangdese magmatic belt of southern Tibet, took place coincident with subduction of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere. Although the Yeba Formation (coeval and co-magmatic intrusions and volcanic rocks) in the eastern Gangdese magmatic belt formed at the same time as the Xiongcun deposit, the Yeba Formation is devoid of subduction-related porphyry Cu deposits. Here, we report detrital zircon U–Pb ages for sedimentary rocks of the Yeba and Bima Formations along with a summary of all published whole-rock geochemical data and zircon epsilon Hf isotopes for the volcanic rocks in the Yeba Formation. We use these data to re-evaluate the petrogenesis, magmatic source, and tectonic setting of the volcanic rocks. Detrital zircon ages from the sedimentary rocks reveal that the volcanic rocks of the Yeba and Bima Formations are the main source for their sedimentary interlayers. In addition, the Yeba sedimentary layers contain inherited zircons sourced from older country rocks whereas the Bima Formation is devoid of ancient zircons. Geochemically, the Yeba volcanic rocks resemble a bimodal volcanic suite. Geochemical data reveal that the Yeba volcanic rocks formed in a continental arc setting, while the mafic ones were derived from the partial melting of the mantle wedge above the subducting slab rather than from the melting of the descending oceanic slab. In addition, the mafic ensemble formed in a back-arc setting, indicative of subduction-related extension in the Lhasa terrane. In contrast, the felsic ensemble may originate from the melting of basaltic lower crust. Thus, the magma source and tectonic setting for the Yeba Formation are distinct from typical subduction-related Cu-hosted porphyry and volcanic rocks in a compressional setting.