Zircon geochronology constraints on the age and nature of ‘Precambrian metamorphic rocks’ in the Xing’an block of Northeast China

Abstract

The Great Xing’an Range in Northeast China is located in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. From north to south, the Great Xing’an Range is divided into the Erguna, Xing’an, and Songliao blocks. Previous U–Pb zircon geochronology results have revealed that some ‘Precambrian metamorphic rocks’ in the Xing’an block have Phanerozoic protolith ages, questioning whether Precambrian basement exists in the Xing’an block. We present laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) U–Pb dating results for zircons from suspected Precambrian metamorphic rocks in the Xing’an block. Meta-rhyolites of the Xinkailing Group in Nenjiang yield magmatic ages of 355.8 Ma. Detrital zircons from phyllites of the Xinkailing Group in Duobaoshan yield populations of ca. 1505, ca. 810, and ca. 485 Ma, with the youngest peak constraining its depositional age to be <485 Ma. Zircons from amphibolitic gneisses of the Xinkailing Group in Nenjiang have magmatic ages of 308.6 Ma. Mylonitic granites of the Xinkailing Group in Nenjiang have zircon magmatic ages of 164 Ma. Detrital zircons from two-mica quartz schists of the Luomahu Group in the Galashan Forest yield ca. 2419, ca. 1789, ca. 801, ca. 536, ca. 480, and ca. 420 Ma, with the youngest peak indicating its depositional age as <420 Ma. Detrital zircons from mylonitized sericite–chlorite schist of the Ergunhe Formation in Taerqi yield populations of 982–948, ca. 519, and ca. 410 Ma, with the youngest peak demonstrating that its depositional age is <410 Ma. These zircon ages for a range of lithologies show that the Great Xing’an Range metamorphic rocks formed during the Phanerozoic (164–485 Ma) and that this crust is mostly Palaeozoic. Based on these results and published data, we conclude that there is no evidence of Precambrian metamorphic basement in the Xing’an block. In summary, the age data indicate that Precambrian metamorphic basement may not exist in the Xing’an region.