Early Cretaceous Metasomatized Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Central Jiangnan Orogen in South China: Geochemical and Sr‐Nd Isotope Evidence from the Tuanshanbei Dolerite

Abstract

It is well established that Cretaceous magmatism in the South China Block (SCB) is related to the Paleo‐Pacific subduction. However, the starting time and the associated deep crust‐mantle processes are still debatable. Mafic dike swarms carry important information on the deep earth (incl. mantle) geodynamics and geochemical evolution. In the Jiangnan Orogen (South China), there is no information on whether the Mesozoic magmatic activities in this region are also directly related to the Pacific subduction or not. In this study, we present detailed zircon U‐Pb geochronological, whole‐rock element and Sr‐Nd isotope data for Early Cretaceous Tuanshanbei dolerite dikes, and provide new constraints on the condition of the lithospheric mantle and mantle dynamics of the SCB during that time. LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U‐Pb dating suggests that this dolerite erupted in the Early Cretaceous (∼145 Ma). All samples have alkaline geochemical affinities with K2O+Na2O = 3.11–4.04 wt%, K2O/Na2O = 0.50–0.72, and Mg# = 62.24–65.13. They are enriched in LILE but are depleted in HFSE with higher initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.706896–0.714743) and lower ɛNd(t) (–2.61 to –1.67). They have high Nb/U (27.41–38.34), Nb/La (0.90–1.09), La/Sm (5.42–5.79) and Rb/Sr (0.12–0.18), and low La/Nb (0.92–1.11), La/Ta (15.8–17.3), Ce/Pb (5.11–14.29), Ba/Rb (5.14–8.85), Tb/Yb (0.29–0.31) and Gd/Yb (1.71–1.85) ratios. Such geochemical signatures suggest that the fractional crystallization is obvious but crustal contamination play a negligible role during magmatic evolution. Tuanshanbei dolerite were most likely derived from low‐degree (2–5%) partial melting of a phlogopite‐bearing mantle material consisted of ∼85% spinel peridotite and ∼15% garnet peridotite previously metasomatized by asthenosphere‐derived fluids/melts with minor subduction‐derived fluids/melts. Slab‐rollback generally lead to the upwelling of the hot asthenosphere. The upwelling of asthenosphere consuming the lithospheric mantle by thermo‐mechanical‐chemical erosion. The lithospheric mantle may have partially melted due to the heating by the upwelling asthenosphere and lithospheric extension. It is inferred that the Tuanshanbei dolerite suggest that the initial slab rollback and corresponding lithospheric extension occurred potentially at ca. 145 Ma.