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Geochemistry of the E-MORB type ophiolite and related volcanic rocks from the Wushan area, West Qinling

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Abstract

The mafic-ultramafic assemblages, which thrustthrust into the Wushan-Tangzang boundary fault as some blocks and outcropped in the Yuanyangzhen, Lijiahe, Lubangou and Gaojiahe area, consist mainly of meta-peridotites, gabbros and basalts. The meta-peridotites are characterized by high SiO2 and MgO contents, low ΣREE, as well as their chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns show some similarities to that of middle oceanic meta-peridotite. The basalts from the Yuanyangzhen, Lijiahe and Lubangou area are characterized by relatively high TiO2 content, low Al2O3 content and Na2O>>K2O. Above all, it is the slight enrichment or flat REE distribution patterns and the unfractionated in HFS elements in the primitive-normalized trace elements distribution patterns that indicate these basalts are similar to that of the typical E-MORB. In comparison, the basalts from the Gaojiahe section are featured by depletion in Nb and Ta contents and enrichment in Th content which show that these were derived from an island-arc setting. From studies of the regional geology, petrology, geochemistry, geo-chronology and all above evidence, it can be suggested that the mafic-ultramafic rocks from the Wushan area are mainly dismembered E-MORB type ophiolite, which represent the fragments of the lithosphere of the Early-Paleozoic Qinling ocean. It is preferred that these rocks were formed in an initial mid-ocean ridge setting during the beginning stage of the oceanic basin spreading. This ophiolite together with the Gaojiahe island-arc basalts shows that there exists an ophiolitic mélange along the Wushan-Tangzang boundary fault, and marks the suture zone after the closure of the Qinling ocean in early Paleozoic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, China

    Dong YunPeng, Zhang GuoWei, Yang Zhao, Zhao Xia, Ma HaiYong & Yao AnPing

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  1. Dong YunPeng
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  2. Zhang GuoWei
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  3. Yang Zhao
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  4. Zhao Xia
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Correspondence to Dong YunPeng.

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40472115 and 40234041)

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Dong, Y., Zhang, G., Yang, Z. et al. Geochemistry of the E-MORB type ophiolite and related volcanic rocks from the Wushan area, West Qinling. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 50 (Suppl 2), 234–245 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-6004-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-6004-3

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