Geochronology, geochemistry, and geological significance of early Jurassic intrusive rocks in the Lesser Xing’an- Zhangguangcai Range, northeast China

Abstract

The Lesser Xing’an—Zhangguangcai Range of northeast China is located in the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), which records intense magmatism during the Mesozoic. The petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of the Early Jurassic intrusive rocks in this region are unclear. In this paper, we present new zircon U–Pb age and whole-rock geochemical data for these intrusive rocks to investigate their origins and tectonic setting. Zircon U–Pb dating suggests these intrusive rocks were emplaced during the Early Jurassic (197–187 Ma). The granites are enriched in silica and alkali, and depleted in MgO and CaO. They are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, and have high A/CNK values and low zircon saturation temperatures (TZr ~ 779°C), suggesting they are highly fractionated I-type granites derived by partial melting of lower crustal materials. The granites exhibit negative Nb, Ta, P, Eu, and Ti anomalies due to fractional crystallization. The diorites and gabbros have low SiO2 contents and high Mg# values, and are enriched in light rare earth and large-ion lithophile (Ba, K, and Sr) elements, and depleted in heavy rare earth and high field strength (Nb, Ta, and Ti) elements. The geochemical characteristics show that the mafic magmas were derived by partial melting of mantle that had been metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. Based on the geochemical characteristics of coeval intrusive rocks and the regional geological setting, we suggest the Early Jurassic intrusive rocks in the Lesser Xing’an—Zhangguangcai Range were formed along an active continental margin, possibly as a result of bidirectional subduction of the Mudanjiang Oceanic plate between the Jiamusi and Songnen—Zhangguangcai Range massifs.