A Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic magmatic arc in the Trans-North China Orogen: Petrological and geochemical constraints from the Tianzhen gneisses in the Huai'an Complex

Abstract

In the past two decades, extensive investigations have been carried out on the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO), a Himalayan-type continental collisional belt along which the Eastern Block and the Western Block amalgamated to form the basement of the North China Craton. There are now coherent outlines of the timing and tectonic processes involved in the Paleoproterozoic amalgamation of the TNCO. However, pre-collisional tectonic setting and driving mechanism of the TNCO still remain controversial. To resolve these issues, we carried out field petrological and geochemical investigations on the Tianzhen gneisses from the Huai'an Complex in the TNCO. The Tianzhen gneisses consist predominantly of tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic (TTG) series, which can be further divided into low-Yb and high-Yb types. Our results indicate that although both low-Yb and high-Yb TTG series were formed in a magmatic arc environment, their petrogenetic origins were different. The Huai'an low-Yb TTG magma was derived from the partial melting of subducted oceanic crust consisting of eclogite or 30% garnet-bearing amphibolite under 15 to 20 kbar or even higher pressure, with garnet, amphibole, and rutile as residues. In contrast, the high-Yb TTG magma was derived from the partial melting of subducted oceanic slab consisting of garnet-free or 7% garnet amphibolite under 10 to 15 kbar, leaving residual garnet and amphibole. Both magmas then interacted with the overlying mantle wedge during ascent. Thus, it can be concluded that the Tianzhen TTG magmas were derived from the partial melting of subducted oceanic crust and interaction with mantle peridotite, supporting a magmatic arc setting for the Huai'an Complex during Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic time. Associated with other analogous gneiss complexes in the TNCO, a long-lived Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic magmatic arc system is established in the Trans-North China Orogen.