U–Pb zircon dating, geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions of Early Indosinian intrusive rocks in West Qinling, central China: petrogenesis and tectonic implications

Expansion of Dust Provenance and Aridification of Asia Since ~7.2 Ma Revealed by Detrital Zircon U‐Pb Dating

“…Metamorphic deformation and magmatic events at 1,000~800 Ma and regional metamorphism during the Cretaceous and Triassic (~150–140 Ma) are widely superimposed (Chen et al, ; Ding et al, ; Liu et al, ; Wang et al, ; Wang et al, ; Yang, Xu, Pei, et al, ; Yang et al, ; Ye et al, ; Zhao et al, ; Zhu et al, , Zhang, Zhang et al, ; Figure ). The NE Tibetan Plateau, including the Qilian Mountains (Mao et al, ; Shi, Yang, Wu, Iizuka, & Hirata, ; Shi, Yang, Wu, & Wooden, ; Song et al, ; Tseng et al, ; Wan et al, ; Xu et al, ; Zhang et al, ), Qaidam Basin (Licht et al, ; Pullen et al, ), West Qinling (Cao et al, ; Ding et al, ; Li et al, ; Liu et al, ; Luo et al, ; Pei, Ding, Li, et al, ; Pei et al, ; Pei et al, ; Qin et al, ; Wu et al, ; Yang et al, ; Zhang et al, ; Zhu et al, ), piedmont of the NE Tibetan Plateau (Che & Li, ; Zhang et al, ), and the upper reaches of the Yellow River (Nie et al, ; Stevens et al, ) are characterized by zircon ages with a dominant peak at 540–350 Ma and relatively minor peaks for the Neoproterozoic (1.0–0.85 Ga), 350–250 Ma, and Triassic (250–200 Ma; Figure ; see supporting Information for more detail). Sediments from the piedmont of the Gobi Altay Mountains (Che & Li, ; Zhang et al, ), Tengger Desert (Licht et al, ; Stevens et al, ; Zhang et al, ), and Mu Us sand fields (Licht et al, ; Stevens et al, , ; Zhang et al, ) are characterized by a detrital zircon age population dominated by a 350‐ to 250‐Ma peak (centered at 280–270 Ma), with a relatively minor peak at 540–350 Ma (Bird et al, ; Rittner et al, ; Stevens et al, , ; Zhang...…”

“…Arrows highlight increases in the 350‐ to 250‐Ma‐age population. [Details of previously published data from the Gobi Altay Mountains piedmont (Che & Li, ; Zhang et al, ), Tengger Desert (Licht et al, ; Stevens et al, ; Zhang et al, ), Mu Us sand fields (Licht et al, ; Stevens et al, , ; Zhang et al, ), NE Tibetan Plateau piedmont (Che & Li, ; Zhang et al, ), Qaidam Basin (Licht et al, ; Pullen et al, ), Yellow River (Nie et al, ; Stevens et al, ), NE Tibetan Plateau igneous rocks, including the Qilian Mountains (Mao et al, ; Shi, Yang, Wu, & Wooden, ; Shi, Yang, Wu, Iizuka, & Hirata, ; Song et al, ; Tseng et al, ; Wan et al, ; Xu et al, ; Zhang et al, ), and the West Qinling Mountains (Cao et al, ; Ding et al, ; Li et al, ; Liu et al, ; Luo et al, ; Pei, Ding, Li, et al, ; Pei et al, ; Pei et al, ; Qin et al, ; Wu et al, ; Yang et al, ; Zhang et al, ; Zhu et al, ), and the North Qinling Mountains (Chen et al, ; Ding et al, ; Liu et al, ; Wang et al, , ; Yang et al, ; Yang, Xu, Pei, et al, ; Ye et al, ; Zhao et al, ; Zhu et al, ) are in given Data Set S2]. (Zircon ages from 600 to 0 Ma are shown in these plots, and n represents the number of zircon grains within this range.…”

“…Metamorphic deformation and magmatic events at 1,000~800 Ma and regional metamorphism during the Cretaceous and Triassic (~150-140 Ma) are widely superimposed (Chen et al, 2004;Ding et al, 2010;Liu et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2005;Wang et al, 2009;Yang, Xu, Pei, et al, 2002;Yang et al, 2003;Ye et al, 2006;Zhao et al, 2012;Zhu et al, 2008; Figure 2). The NE Tibetan Plateau, including the Qilian Mountains (Mao et al, 1998;Shi, Yang, Wu, Iizuka, & Hirata, 2004;Shi, Yang, Wu, & Wooden, 2004;Song et al, 2004;Tseng et al, 2007;Wan et al, 2001;Xu et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2006), Qaidam Basin (Licht et al, 2016;Pullen et al, 2011), West Qinling (Cao et al, 2011;Ding et al, 2006;Li et al, 2007;Liu et al, 2006;Luo et al, 2012;Pei, Ding, Li, et al, 2007;Pei et al, 2007a;Pei et al, 2007b;Qin et al, 2005;Wu et al, 2009;Yang et al, 2006;Zhang et al, 2006;Zhu et al, 2011), piedmont of the NE Tibetan Plateau (Che & Li, 2013;Zhang et al, 2016), and the upper reaches of the Yellow River (Nie et al, 2015;Stevens et al, 2013) are characterized by zircon ages with a dominant peak at 540-350 Ma and relatively minor peaks for the Neoproter...…”

A review of the Early Mesozoic granitoids in the Qinling Orogen: Implication for gold metallogeny

“…The I‐type granitoids are most widespread in the western Qinling Orogen, and mainly distributed in SQB, with minor in NQB (Figure ; Li et al, ; Luo et al, ; Wang et al, ). The age of these granitoids is range 185 Ma to 248 Ma.…”

“…Early Mesozoic granitoids are widespread in the Qinling Orogen, especially in its west part (Figure ). Detailed investigations of the individual intrusions have been carried out in geology, geochronology, and geochemistry since 1990s (e.g., Deng, Liu, Zhang, Hu, & Li, ; Jiang et al, ; Li et al, ; Li et al, ; Liu et al, ; Luo, Zhang, & Lü, ; Qin, Lai, & Li, ; Qin, Lai, Wang, & Li, ; Qin et al, ; Qin et al, ; Qin, Lai, Wang, & Li, ; Qin, Lai, Diwu, Ju, & Li, ; Sun, Li, Sun, Zhang, & Li, ; Wang et al, ; Wang, Wang et al, ; Wang, Wang, & Zhang, ; Yang et al, ; Yang, Liu et al, ; Zhang, Jin et al, ; Zhang, Xiao, Zhang, Yuan, & Jin, ; Zhu et al, ). In addition to the Early Mesozoic granitoids, the other attractive geological features in the Qinling Orogen is the extensive distribution of gold deposits (Figure ; Jin, Li, Hofstra, & Sui, ; Liu, Lui et al, ; Liu, Dai et al, ; Liu, Lui et al, ; Liu, Liao et al, ; Mao et al, ; Zeng et al, ; Yang, Deng et al, ; Yang, Liu, et al, ), which were classified as orogenic (Chen et al, ; Chen & Santosh, ; Mao et al, ), Carlin‐type (Chen, Zhang, Zhang, Pirajno, & Li, ; Yang, Zhu et al, ) and Carlin‐like (Liu, Dai et al, ; Liu, Tan, Wang, & Wei, ; Zhang, Du, Wang, & Qi, ) in view of mineralization style, alteration assemblages, and geochemical signatures.…”