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Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb ages and trace element geochemistry of the Kuhai gabbro and the Dur’ngoi diorite in the southern east Kunlun tectonic belt, Qinghai, Western China and their geological implications

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Abstract

Timing of the intermediate-basic igneous rocks developed in the area of Kuhai-A’nyêmaqên along the southern east Kunlun tectonic belt is a controversial issue. This paper presents new zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating data for igneous zircons from the Kuhai gabbro and the Dur’ngoi diorite in the Kuhai-A’nyemaqen tectonic belt, which are 555±9 Ma and 493±6 Ma, respectively. The trace element geochemical features of the Kuhai gabbro and the Dur’ngoi diorite are similar to those of ocean island basalts (OIB) and island arc basalts (IAB), respectively. Thus, the Kuhai gabbro with the age of 555±9 Ma and OIB geochemical features is similar to the Yushigou oceanic ophiolite in the North Qilian orogen, whereas the Dur’ngoi diorite with the age of 493±6 Ma and IAB geochemical features is similar to the island arc volcanic rocks developed in the north Qaidam. The Late Neoproterozoic to Early Ordovician ophiolite complex in the area of Kuhai-A’nyêmaqên suggests that the southern margin of the “Qilian-Qaidam-Kunlun” archipelagic ocean in this period was located in the southern east Kunlun tectonic belt. Therefore, the southern east Kunlun tectonic belt in the early Paleozoic is not comparable to the Mianlüe tectonic belt in the Qinling orogenic belt.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Li WangYe & Li ShuGuang

  2. Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, China

    Guo AnLin & Zhang GuoWei

  3. Remote Sensing Center of Qinghai Institute of Geological Survey, Xining, 810012, China

    Sun YanGui

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  1. Li WangYe
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  2. Li ShuGuang
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  3. Guo AnLin
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  4. Sun YanGui
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  5. Zhang GuoWei
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Correspondence to Li ShuGuang.

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40234041) and the Opening Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics (Northwest University)

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Li, W., Li, S., Guo, A. et al. Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb ages and trace element geochemistry of the Kuhai gabbro and the Dur’ngoi diorite in the southern east Kunlun tectonic belt, Qinghai, Western China and their geological implications. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 50 (Suppl 2), 331–338 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-6003-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-6003-4

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