Evolution of the early Paleozoic Hongguleleng–Balkybey Ocean: Evidence from the Hebukesaier ophiolitic mélange in the northern West Junggar, NW China

Yang, Yaqi; Zhao, Lei; Zheng, Rongguo; Xu, Qiang

doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2018.11.029

Cited by 48 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Earlier studies have suggested that the Mishigou and Gangou ophiolitic mélanges were most likely formed during the Early–Middle Cambrian periods and that the subduction of associated NTO began at the Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician (Che et al, ; Dong et al, ; Shu, Charvet, & Ma, ). Our recent zircon U–Pb dating of gabbroic rocks from the adjacent Gangou ophiolitic mélanges yield a weighted mean 206 Pb/ 238 U age of 515 ± 4 Ma (Gong e al., in preparation), which well corresponds to those Cambrian ophiolites recently reported from the West Junggar region (e.g., Hebukesaier, 512–502 Ma, Yang, Zhao, Zheng, & Xu, ; Chagantaolegai ophiolite, 519–517 Ma, Zhao & He, ; Baerleike, 521–512 Ma, Wen et al, ; Saleinuohai, 516 Ma, Ren et al, ). In addition, Early Carboniferous ophiolites (e.g., Kuitunhe, 343 Ma, Li et al, ; Bayingou, 344 Ma, Xu et al, ) have also been documented within the same suture.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Petrogenesis of Carboniferous volcanic rocks from the Gangou area, Chinese North Tianshan: Constraints on the evolution of the North Tianshan Ocean

Yang

Gong

et al. 2019

Geological Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The time duration and evolution of the major North Tianshan Ocean (also the Junggar Ocean) in the Chinese Tianshan orogenic collage remain poorly constrained. Here we report new geochronological and geochemical data of Carboniferous volcanic rocks documented from the North Tianshan accretionary complex in the Gangou area (Xinjiang, NW China). The studied rocks include basaltic andesites and andesites, with one andesite yielding a zircon U–Pb age of 332 ± 4 Ma. This reflects nearly synchronous eruption of the volcanics with the formation of host Early Carboniferous Yamansu Formation. These rocks are mostly tholeiitic in compositions, with a few samples transitioning to calcalkaline. All the samples show enriched LREE and LILE but depleted HFSE, a ubiquitous subduction signature observed in supra‐subduction zone volcanics. The positive εNd(t) (+5.2 to +6.7) and low initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.7038 to 0.7040) in these rocks suggest derivation from a MORB‐depleted peridotite source. However, the overall low MgO contents (and Mg#) in these rocks compared with typical high‐Mg andesites indicate that they are less likely formed via simple melting of metasomatized mantle wedge peridotites. Instead, partial melting of mafic‐ultramafic metasomes (e.g., pyroxenites) formed by slab melts/fluids‐peridotite interactions may explain these rocks. The studied rocks share many geochemical similarities with those Early Carboniferous volcanic rocks widely documented from the Chinese Western Tianshan and those volcanics from typical continental arcs (e.g., the Gangdese arc). Therefore, we suggest the volcanic rocks, combining with recent results from the North Tianshan ophiolites, tend to support a continued southward subduction of the major North Tianshan Ocean from the Cambrian to the Carboniferous periods.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Petrogenesis of Carboniferous volcanic rocks from the Gangou area, Chinese North Tianshan: Constraints on the evolution of the North Tianshan Ocean

Yang

Gong

et al. 2019

Geological Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The northern WJT contains the Late Palaeozoic Zharma–Saur arc (ZhSA: 344–321 Ma; Chen et al, ; Liu, Chen, et al, ) and the middle Palaeozoic Boshchekul–Chingiz arc (BCA: 424–392 Ma; Chen, et al, ). These two arcs were separated from each other by the E–W striking Kujibai–Hebukesaier–Hongguleleng suture zone (Han, Guo, & He, ; Han, Guo, Zhang, et al, ) which consists of an ophiolitic mélange belt composed of normal mid‐ocean ridge basalt (N‐MORB)‐type gabbros (Du & Chen, ; Yang, Zhao, Zheng, & Xu, ) and basalts (Zhang et al, ) and island arc tholeiite (IAT)‐type diabases and basalts (She, Deng, Liu, Gao, & Di, ). The gabbros from this ophiolitic mélange belt yielded zircon U–Pb ages of 512–472 Ma (Du & Chen, ; She et al, ; Yang et al, ; Zhang & Guo, ; Zhu & Xu, ), indicating the existence of a middle Cambrian–Early Ordovician broad ocean basin (Du & Chen, ; Yang et al, ; Zhang & Guo, ) or back‐arc basin (She et al, ; Zhang et al, ), but the timing of final closure of this oceanic basin is still uncertain (Chen et al, ; Han, Guo, & He, ; Zhu & Xu, ).…”

Section: Geological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two arcs were separated from each other by the E–W striking Kujibai–Hebukesaier–Hongguleleng suture zone (Han, Guo, & He, ; Han, Guo, Zhang, et al, ) which consists of an ophiolitic mélange belt composed of normal mid‐ocean ridge basalt (N‐MORB)‐type gabbros (Du & Chen, ; Yang, Zhao, Zheng, & Xu, ) and basalts (Zhang et al, ) and island arc tholeiite (IAT)‐type diabases and basalts (She, Deng, Liu, Gao, & Di, ). The gabbros from this ophiolitic mélange belt yielded zircon U–Pb ages of 512–472 Ma (Du & Chen, ; She et al, ; Yang et al, ; Zhang & Guo, ; Zhu & Xu, ), indicating the existence of a middle Cambrian–Early Ordovician broad ocean basin (Du & Chen, ; Yang et al, ; Zhang & Guo, ) or back‐arc basin (She et al, ; Zhang et al, ), but the timing of final closure of this oceanic basin is still uncertain (Chen et al, ; Han, Guo, & He, ; Zhu & Xu, ). The Chagantaolegai ophiolitic mélange occurs along the Xiemisitai Fault (Figure b) and is characterized by blocks of ophiolitic rocks including enriched mid‐ocean ridge basalt (E‐MORB)‐type gabbros (zircon U–Pb ages of 519–517 Ma; Zhao & He, ) and deep‐water cherts (containing Early to Middle Ordovician radiolarians; Zong et al, ).…”

Section: Geological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two arcs were separated from each other by the E-W striking Kujibai-Hebukesaier-Hongguleleng suture zone (Han, Guo, & He, 2010;Han, Guo, Zhang, et al, 2010) which consists of an ophiolitic mélange belt composed of normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-MORB)-type gabbros (Du & Chen, 2017;Yang, Zhao, Zheng, & Xu, 2019) and basalts (Zhang et al, 1993) and island arc tholeiite (IAT)-type diabases and basalts (She, Deng, Liu, Gao, & Di, 2016).…”

Section: And the Middle Palaeozoicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The gabbros from this ophiolitic mélange belt yielded zircon U-Pb ages of 512-472 Ma (Du & Chen, 2017;She et al, 2016;Yang et al, 2019;Zhu & Xu, 2006), indicating the existence of a middle Cambrian-Early Ordovician broad ocean basin (Du & Chen, 2017;Yang et al, 2019; or back-arc basin (She et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 1993), but the timing of final closure of this oceanic basin is still uncertain Han, Guo, & He, 2010;Zhu & Xu, 2006). The Chagantaolegai ophiolitic mélange occurs along the Xiemisitai Fault ( Figure 1b (Zhao & He, 2014;Zong et al, 2014) or a suture zone between the BCA and the central WJT Du & Chen, 2017).…”

Section: And the Middle Palaeozoicmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Ediacaran to Early Palaeozoic evolution of the Junggar–Balkhash Ocean: A synthesis of the ophiolitic mélanges in the southern West Junggar terrane, NW China

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The southern West Junggar terrane in the south‐western Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is mainly composed of accretionary complexes and characterized by widespread outcrops of ophiolitic mélanges in the Barleik, Mayile, and Tangbale (BMT) areas, representing the site of consumption of the Junggar–Balkhash Ocean. However, due to a lack of comprehensive synthesis of the ophiolitic mélanges, the early evolution of the Junggar–Balkhash Ocean remains poorly understood. This paper first focuses on the little‐known Barleik ophiolitic blocks and associated pillow basalts and then integrates the Barleik, Mayile, and Tangbale ophiolitic mélanges into one model. Mineral and whole‐rock chemistry suggests that the Barleik ophiolitic blocks, including serpentinized dunite, clinopyroxenite, and gabbro, show supra‐subduction zone (SSZ) affinities, as indicated by high Cr# values (76–78) in spinels and strong depletion in Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf, whereas the Barleik pillow basalts are alkaline and have high TiO2 contents (2.82–3.42 wt.%) and Nb–Ta enrichment, similar to ocean‐island basalt (OIB) lavas. Combined with published chronological and chemical data from ophiolites, metamorphic rocks, and arc plutons, we propose that the BMT Ediacaran to middle Cambrian ophiolitic gabbros were formed in a SSZ environment, implying a single Mariana‐type arc system within the Junggar–Balkhash Ocean, which was coeval with an Andean‐type arc system in the Kyrgyz North Tianshan, supporting an archipelagic model for the south‐western CAOB. By contrast, the BMT OIB‐type basalts are early Silurian in age, much younger than the SSZ‐type ophiolites, and can be interpreted as relicts of seamounts. Thus, a model involving the Ediacaran to Ordovician intra‐oceanic subduction and late Silurian to Early Devonian seamount accretion is helpful for clarifying the different components of the accretionary complexes in the southern West Junggar terrane.

show abstract

Early Palaeozoic reduction of the Palaeo‐Asian Ocean: Evidence from the Ordovician strata and ophiolitic mélanges of northern West Junggar, NW China

Zong

Gong

2020

Geological Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

West Junggar is an important part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, which is the evolutionary product of the Palaeo‐Asian Ocean (PAO). In this area, sporadically distributed ophiolitic mélanges and associated Palaeozoic stratal succession provided research materials revealing the reduction and closure of the PAO. Based on the systematically reviewed Ordovician strata in the northern West Junggar, we find that the Lower Ordovician is mainly composed of ultramafic and mafic rocks of ophiolitic mélanges, the Middle Ordovician is made up of island arc volcanic rocks and pelagic sedimentary rocks from the ophiolitic mélanges, and the Upper Ordovician consists of coarse volcaniclastic turbidites. The geochemical characteristics of the Middle Ordovician radiolarian‐bearing siliceous rocks show that these deposits formed in a limited oceanic basin controlled by terrestrial sources, and that the basin‐filling succession began with the occurrence of the Upper Ordovician proximal turbidites. The above shows that the Ordovician PAO underwent an evolutionary process from oceanic basin to limited oceanic basin and to marginal sea in northern West Junggar, and constrains the age of the ocean–continent transformation to the Middle–Late Ordovician transition, with northern West Junggar entering the evolutionary stage of marginal sea in the Late Ordovician.

show abstract

Evolution of the early Paleozoic Hongguleleng–Balkybey Ocean: Evidence from the Hebukesaier ophiolitic mélange in the northern West Junggar, NW China

Cited by 48 publications

References 47 publications

Petrogenesis of Carboniferous volcanic rocks from the Gangou area, Chinese North Tianshan: Constraints on the evolution of the North Tianshan Ocean

Petrogenesis of Carboniferous volcanic rocks from the Gangou area, Chinese North Tianshan: Constraints on the evolution of the North Tianshan Ocean

The Ediacaran to Early Palaeozoic evolution of the Junggar–Balkhash Ocean: A synthesis of the ophiolitic mélanges in the southern West Junggar terrane, NW China

Early Palaeozoic reduction of the Palaeo‐Asian Ocean: Evidence from the Ordovician strata and ophiolitic mélanges of northern West Junggar, NW China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About