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Granitoids in the Dalat zone, southern Vietnam: age constraints on magmatism and regional geological implications

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Abstract

The Dalat zone in southern Vietnam comprises a Cretaceous Andean-type magmatic arc with voluminous granitoids and contemporary volcanic rocks. On the basis of petrographical and mineralogical studies, the granitoids were subdivided into three suites: Dinhquan, Deoca and Cana. Rocks of the Dinhquan suite are hornblende–biotite diorites, granodiorites and minor granites. The Cana suite encompasses mainly leucocratic biotite-bearing granites with scarce hornblende. The Deoca suite is made up of granodiorites, monzogranites and granites. Geochemically, the granitoids are of subalkaline affinity, belong to the high-K, calc-alkaline series, and most of them display typical features of I-type granites. This paper presents the new Rb–Sr mineral and U–Pb zircon and titanite age data for the granitoids, which establish the ages of the plutonic suites as: the Dinhquan at ~112–100 Ma, Cana at ~96–93 Ma and Deoca at ~92–88 Ma. These ages are significantly different from earlier publications, and indicate that the earliest magmatism in the Dalat zone began at ~112 Ma ago, that is ~30–50 Ma later than previously thought. Our geochronological data are also support the continuation of an Andean-type arc running from SE China via southern Vietnam to SW Borneo.

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Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks are due to the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) for the scholarship to Thuy T.B. Nguyen. We are deeply indebted to Prof. R. Altherr and an anonymous reviewer for the valuable remarks and thoughtful suggestions for improvement of the manuscript. We thank G. Bartholomä for mineral separation and E. Reitter for isotopic analyses. The help of Nguyen Thu Giao and Vu Nhu Hung for guiding Thuy T.B Nguyen in the field and for discussion is greatly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstr. 56, 72074 Tübingen, Germany

    Thuy Thi Bich Nguyen, Muharrem Satir & Wolfgang Siebel

  2. Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Thanh Xuan-Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Thuy Thi Bich Nguyen

  3. Laboratory for Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9825, 100029, Beijing, P.R. of China

    Fukun Chen

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  1. Thuy Thi Bich Nguyen
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  2. Muharrem Satir
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  3. Wolfgang Siebel
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  4. Fukun Chen
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Correspondence to Thuy Thi Bich Nguyen.

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Nguyen, T.T.B., Satir, M., Siebel, W. et al. Granitoids in the Dalat zone, southern Vietnam: age constraints on magmatism and regional geological implications. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 93, 329–340 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-004-0387-6

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