Early Paleoproterozoic magmatism in the Quanji Massif, northeastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and its tectonic significance: LA-ICPMS U–Pb zircon geochronology and geochemistry

The Quanji Massif is located on the north side of the Qaidam Block and is interpreted as an ancient cratonic remnant that was detached from the Tarim Craton. There are regionally exposed granitic gneisses in the basement of the Quanji Massif whose protoliths were granitic intrusive rocks. Previous studies obtained intrusion ages for some of these granitic gneiss protoliths. The intrusion ages span a wide range from ~ 2.2 Ga to ~ 2.47 Ga. This study has determined the U–Pb zircon age of four granitic gneiss samples from the eastern, central and western parts of the Quanji Massif. CL images and trace elements show that the zircons from these four granitic gneisses have typical magmatic origins, and experienced different degrees of Pb loss due to strong metamorphism and deformation. LA-ICPMS zircon dating yields an upper intercept age of 2381 ± 41 (2σ) Ma from monzo-granitic gneiss in the Hudesheng area and 2392 ± 25 (2σ) Ma from granodioritic gneiss in the Mohe area, eastern Quanji Massif, and 2367 ± 12 (2σ) Ma from monzo-granitic gneiss in the Delingha area, central Quanji Massif, and 2372 ± 22 (2σ) Ma from monzo-granitic gneiss in the Quanjishan area, western Quanji Massif. These results reveal that the intrusive age of the protoliths of the widespread granitic gneisses in the Quanji Massif basement was restricted between 2.37 and 2.39 Ga, indicating regional granitic magmatism in the early Paleoproterozoic, perhaps related to the fragmentation stage of the Kenorland supercontinent. Geochemical results from the granodioritic gneiss from the Mohe area indicate that the protolith of this gneiss is characterized by adakitic rocks derived from partial melting of garnet-amphibolite beneath a thickened lower crust in a rifting regime after continent–continent collision and crustal thickening, genetically similar to the TTG gneisses in the North China Craton. This suggests that the Quanji Massif had a tectonic history similar to the Archean Central Orogenic Belt of North China Craton during the early Paleoproterozoic. We tentatively suggest that the Quanji Massif and the parental Tarim Craton and the North China Craton experienced rifting in the early Paleoproterozoic, after amalgamation at the end of the Archean. The Tarim Craton and North China Craton might have had close interaction from the late Neoarchean to the early Paleoproterozoic.