Two generations of monazite were identified in one mica schist sample from the central zone of the eastern Kunlun Orogen at the northern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The first generation was found in the cores of garnet porphyroblasts with relatively high Y 2 O 3 contents (averaging 1.012±0.088 wt%). The second generation occurs either as inclusions in the rims of garnet porphyroblasts, matrix kyanite, plagioclase and quartz, or as separate crystals associated with matrix biotite and muscovite mostly having a relatively low Y 2 O 3 content (averaging 0.479±0.100 wt%). Electron microprobe (EMP) Th-U-Pb total chemical dating for two grains of the first generation monazite yields average ages of 455 ± 18 Ma and 420 ± 20 Ma, respectively; six grains of the second generation gave an average age of 246.1 ± 3.8 Ma. These ages suggest that the core and rim of the garnet porphyroblasts and their associated assemblages record two events of significant tectonometamorphism. The formation of the Ordovician monazite is related to the tectonometamorphic event responsible for continuous amalgamation of the Gondwanaland in the Late Pan-African period or for consumption of the Proto-Tethys, whereas the development of the Triassic monazite is related to the tectonometamorphic event for consumption of the Paleo-Tethys.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.