Constraints on the growth and evolution of continental crust in the NE Cathaysia Block: insights from detrital zircon U–Pb ages and Hf–O isotopic analyses in Tingjiang sediments

Abstract

Fluvial detrital zircons provide crucial insights into the early Precambrian crustal evolution. In this study, we utilize U-Pb geochronology and Hf-O isotopic compositions of detrital zircons from the Tingjiang River to comprehend the provenance and continental crustal evolution of the northeast Cathaysia Block. Zircon U-Pb ages display seven major populations at 105-177 Ma, 200-262 Ma, 376-520 Ma with a striking peak at ca. 422 Ma, 606-775 Ma, 836-1457 Ma, 1710-2042Ma, and 2300-2661Ma, corresponding to the documented tectonic-thermal events in the South China Block. Episodic magmatism was the response to the formation and breakup of the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinent. The episode of 422 Ma matches with the ages of widely spread early Paleozoic intraplate orogenic events in the South China Block. The isotopic signatures of Hf and O in the detrital zircons indicate that the majority of Precambrian zircons likely originated from the re-melted ancient continental crust, with contributions from juvenile mantle-derived magmas. Phanerozoic zircons, on the other hand, were formed through partial melting of recycled crustal material. Analysis of crustal growth rates, based on the two-stage Hf model ages, suggests a significant presence of juvenile crustal growth during the Paleoproterozoic era. Specifically, it is estimated that approximately 40% and 90% of the present crust within the northeastern Cathaysia Block were formed around 2.3 Ga and 1.6 Ga, respectively.