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Geochronology and geochemistry of monzonitic granites from the eastern central Qilian Block, northwest China

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Abstract

Eastern Central Qilian Block (E-CQB) is located in the Qilian orogenic belt, characterised by large outcrops of granite. The subduction age and geochemical processes of E-CQB are not precise. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive study of petrology, geochronology and whole-rock geochemistry of the Middle Ordovician granites (Sanlian rock mass) in the E-CQB. The results provide three key findings. First, the magmatic emplacement age of monzonite granites is about 466 Ma. Analysis derived from geochemical and geochronological revealed that the sample contains high-K, calc-alkaline, strongly peraluminous characteristics, and enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs; e.g., K, Th, and Rb). Depleting intensely in high field-strength element (HFSEs; e.g., Ti and P) then weakly in Nb, Ba, Sr and weak negative Eu. Monzonitic granites belong to S-type granites, can be divided into cordierite-bearing peraluminous granites, and the provenance is mainly partial melting of metapelite and metagreywacke. Second, combining the previous research and the new data obtained in this paper, the subduction age of E-CQB can be further refined to 444~466 Ma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the reviewers for their comments and suggestion. We thank Qipeng Yang and Xiaolong Zhu for providing help during lab experiments. This research was supported by Science and Technology project of Qinghai province (Grant Nos. 2018-ZJ-956Q) and 2019 Qinghai University two-level financial construction special project-key discipline construction project of geological resources and geological engineering (Grant No. 41250103).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, 810 000, Qinghai, China

    Dongyi Lv, Erfeng Ren & Sha Yang

  2. School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuxiang Road, Shijiazhuang, People’s Republic of China

    Jilong Han

  3. Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810 008, Qinghai Province, China

    Binkai Li

  4. Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810 008, Qinghai Province, China

    Binkai Li

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  1. Dongyi Lv
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Contributions

Dongyi Lv: Data curation, formal analysis, investigation, validation, writing original draft. Erfeng Ren: Methodology, visualization, writing – review and editing, fund acquisition. Jilong Han: Methodology, validation, writing – review and editing. Binkai Li: Conceptualization, supervision. Sha Yang: Material support.

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Correspondence to Erfeng Ren.

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Communicated by Rajneesh Bhutani

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Lv, D., Ren, E., Han, J. et al. Geochronology and geochemistry of monzonitic granites from the eastern central Qilian Block, northwest China. J Earth Syst Sci 131, 123 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-01854-9

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