Neoproterozoic ultramafic–mafic-carbonatite complex and granitoids in Quruqtagh of northeastern Tarim Block, western China: Geochronology, geochemistry and tectonic implications

Origin of two types of rhyolites in the Tarim Large Igneous Province: Consequences of incubation and melting of a mantle plume

“…Precambrian sequences of metasediments are composed of marine sediments, glacial deposits and sedimentary-volcanogenic series distributed along the northern and southwestern margins XJBGMR, 1993;Xu et al, 2005). Neoproterozoic granitoids, mainly consisting of gneissic biotite granites, granodiorites and tonalities, intruded the basement rocks and Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic sedimentary sequences (Wu et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2007a). The Mesoarchean-Paleoproterozoic basement shows a wide range in ε Nd-Hf composition, suggesting derivation from depleted mantle and enriched crust Long et al, 2010).…”

“…Less is known about Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic history of the Tarim craton. However, recently discovered Proterozoic-age zircon grains both in metasedimentary and igneous rocks may indicate the existence of extensive Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic basement in the Tarim craton (Cao et al, 2011;Ge et al, 2012;Long et al, 2011;Ma et al, 2012;Wang et al, 2009;Wu et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2007a).…”

New geochemical and combined zircon U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic data of orthogneisses in the northern Altyn Tagh, northern margin of the Tibetan plateau: Implication for Archean evolution of the Dunhuang Block and crust formation in NW China

“…Because of an extensive cover of desert recent deposits, Precambrian basement rocks are only exposed on the craton margins around the Tarim basin, e.g. the Kuluketage (also named as "Quruqtagh" in the literature) Block in the northeast, the Aksu Block in the northwest, the Tiekelike Block in the southwest and the Dunhuang Block in the east (BGMRX, 1993;Cao et al, 2011;Ge et al, 2012;Guo et al, 2003Guo et al, , 2005He et al, 2012;Hu and Wei, 2006;Hu et al, 2000;Long et al, 2010Long et al, , 2011aLong et al, , 2011bLong et al, , 2012Lu and Yuan, 2003;Lu et al, 2008b;Shu et al, 2011;Xu et al, 2005;Zhang et al, 2007bZhang et al, , 2009Zhang et al, , 2011Zhang et al, , 2012dZhang et al, , 2013aZhu et al, 2011aZhu et al, , 2011b. Among the Precambrian basement, Archean rocks predominantly consist of strongly deformed tonalitic-trondhjemiticgranodioritic orthogneisses (TTG) and metamorphosed supracrustal xenoliths, sparsely exposed along the northern and eastern margins (Zhao and Cawood, 2012 and references therein).…”

Petrology and zircon U-Pb dating combined with Hf isotope study of granitic rocks from the Kuluketage Block (Tarim Craton, NW China)

“…Middle Neoproterozoic to Phanerozoic rocks consist of mafic dyke swarms, bimodal volcanics as well as fine sandstones, siltstones, shales, dark limestones and chert nodule-bearing dolomites. The mafic dykes with bimodal volcanics were formed at 820-744 Ma and 650-630 Ma (Zhang et al 2007a;Zhu et al 2008;Xu et al 2009). Late Neoproterozoic glacial deposits are also well exposed (Xu et al 2009).…”

“…However, most of the previous studies have mainly focused on Neoproterozoic magmatism and tectonic evolution related to the break-up of Rodinia (Xu et al 2005;Luo et al 2007;Sun and Huang 2007;Zhu et al 2008;Zhang et al 2009;Shu et al 2010;Cao et al 2011), e.g., c. 800-820 Ma Qiganbulake mafic-ultramafic-carbonatite complex, 820 ± 10 Ma Xingdi granodiorite, 795 ± 10 Ma Taiyangdao granite (Zhang et al 2007a), c. 755 Ma bimodal volcanic rocks in the Xinger area (Xu et al 2005) and 630-650 Ma mafic dykes in Korla .…”