Late Silurian to Early Devonian volcanics in the East Kunlun orogen, northern Tibetan Plateau: Record of postcollisional magmatism related to the evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean

Abstract The late Early Paleozoic volcanic rocks in the East Kunlun orogen are crucial to determining collisional processes related to the evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean. We report new zircon U-Pb ages, whole-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopes from these volcanic rocks and constrain their tectonic setting and magmatic processes. This volcanic suite consists mainly of foliated metarhyolites and minor metabasalts. Zircon U-Pb ages indicate that the bimodal volcanic rocks formed from Late Silurian to Early Devonian (ca. 420-409 Ma). The basalts show tholeiitic geochemical signatures characterized by low contents of SiO2 (47.19-54.83%), MgO (2.21-7.52%), and K2O/Na2O ratios (0.32-0.77%) and high contents of TiO2 (1.80-2.91%). Their chondrite-normalized REE patterns are characterized by enrichments in LREEs (LREE/HREE = 3.68-6.09) with slight Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.67-1.00); their patterns are similar to the reference line of oceanic island basalt (OIB). The primitive mantle-normalized trace element diagram also shows similarities with OIBs and features overall enrichments in large ion lithophile and high field strength elements, except for Nb and Ta. The eNd(t = 422 Ma) values range narrowly from -1.79 to +1.32. These features suggest that the basalts were most likely derived from an asthenospheric mantle that was contaminated by small volumes of subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM)/crust. The variations in major and trace elements show that the basalts experienced fractional crystallization of olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase. In contrast, the metarhyolites have high SiO2 (65.85-70.83%), Na2O + K2O (6.71-10.09%), K2O/Na2O ratios (1.69-2.80%) and low MgO, Ni, and Cr contents. Their trace element signatures show enrichments in LILEs and LREEs (e.g. Cs, Rb, Ba), depletion of HFSEs (e.g. Nb, Ti, Ta) and high negative Eu anomalies. These features suggest a crustal origin lacking interactions with mantle melts. Considering all the geochemical and tectonic events of this area, it is concluded that the Maoniushan Formation volcanic rocks in EKOB formed in a postcollisional extensional setting related to asthenospheric mantle upwelling and continental delamination processes during the Late Silurian to Early Devonian. These tectonic-magmatic events, together with previous data, suggest that the Proto-Tethys Ocean had closed and evolved to postcollisional collapse stage since the Late Silurian.