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Petrogenesis of the Xuanwoling mafic–ultramafic intrusion in the northeastern Tarim Block (Northwest China)

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Abstract

Beishan Terrane, located in the northeast of the Tarim Block, in northwest China, has developed a 500-km long and 100-km wide belt of Permian mafic–ultramafic intrusions. One of these mafic–ultramafic intrusions, the Xuanwoling Intrusion, is composed of dunite, troctolite, olivine gabbros, and gabbros, with cumulate texture and rhythmic layering. The crystallization sequence is olivine + spinel → plagioclase → pyroxene, indicating that the crystallization pressure is lower than 0.5–0.8 GPa and that the intrusion has undergone variable degrees of crustal contamination, increasing from dunite to gabbros. The olivines found in the Xuanwoling Intrusion have high Fo values (up to 90), suggesting a primary magma with a high composition of mg. It is likely that this high-mg magma was produced at extremely high temperatures (1,330–1,350 °C), and as a result, Nd–Sr isotopic compositions similar to oceanic island basalts are found in the Xuanwoling Intrusion, which we propose arose from the mantle plume.

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Acknowledgments

The research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 4130207,41102045), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2014G1271066), and China Regional Geological Survey (12120113043100). Constructive comments from two anonymous reviewers and guidance from the editors are greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth Science and Resources, Chang’an University, 126 Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Zhao-De Xia, Chang-Yi Jiang & Ming-Zhe Xia

  2. Key Laboratory of Western China’s Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering of Ministry of Education, Chang’an University, 126 Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Zhao-De Xia & Chang-Yi Jiang

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Correspondence to Zhao-De Xia.

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Xia, ZD., Jiang, CY. & Xia, MZ. Petrogenesis of the Xuanwoling mafic–ultramafic intrusion in the northeastern Tarim Block (Northwest China). Chin. J. Geochem. 34, 69–84 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-014-0022-6

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