E. A. Kudryashova

Late Riphean alkali granites of the Zabhan microcontinent: Evidence for the timing of Rodinia breakup and formation of microcontinents in the Central Asian Fold belt

The estimation of chronological boundaries in the geological history of the Rodinia supercontinent, in particular, the age of its breakup is far from a final solution. The enormous size of the supercontinent rules out synchronization of geological events throughout its territory. In addition, the estimation is complicated by unreliable reconstructions of positions of particular cratons within the supercontinent and a shortage of geochronological data on substantiation of the timing of breakup in separate parts of Rodinia. Most likely, this was a long-term process similar to that of the breakup of Pangea, which lasted for almost 150 Ma from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cenozoic [1]. The long-term character of these events is evidenced by the available geochronological data on the processes of rifting that initiated the breakup in various parts of Rodinia. For example, according to the reconstruction [2], two age levels of rifting are established beyond the Laurasian part of the supercontinent. The older event occurred from 830 to 795 Ma ago. The younger event (780‐ 745 Ma ago) completed the breakup of the continental lithosphere. The Laurasian part of Rodinia was broken into the Siberian and Laurentian continents 720‐ 630 Ma ago [3]. The breakup of Rodinia promoted the origin of the Paleoasian ocean, the evolution of which produced the Central Asian Fold belt (CAFB). The terranes (microcontinents) of the Precambrian crust within the fold belt are regarded as fragments of supercontinent margins [3]. Such an interpretation is supported by structural and historical similarities of the terranes with some continental massifs in Rodinia and by wide occurrence of shelf complexes therein. However, the timing of separation of these terranes from the supercontinent and their initial location remain uncertain. In this communication, new data on the isotopic age and composition of the Late Riphean alkali granites of the Zabhan Terrane established in the CAFB are reported for the first time and the timing of the breakup and approximate position of this microcontinent in Rodinia is outlined. Geological characteristics. The Zabhan microcontinent (Fig. 1) represents terranes with an Early Precambrian basement, which are rare in the CAFB. The oldest metamorphic rocks of the Baidarik Block are subdivided into the Upper Archean Baidarag and the Lower Proterozoic Bumbuger crystalline complexes [4]. The stages of the microcontinent evolution are broadly correlated with those of the North Chinese and Siberian cratons [4]. The collisional processes responsible for the formation of the main tectonic units of these cratons and the microcontinent occurred almost synchronously 1.90‐1.85 Ga ago. In the northeast, the basement rocks are unconformably overlapped by primarily greenschist-facies rocks of the Ul’dzit-Gol Complex (metasandstones, black shales, and marmorized dolomites) of presumably Middle‐lower Upper Riphean age. Based on the K‐Ar actinolite dating, the age of greenschist-facies metamorphism of rocks of this complex is estimated at ~840 Ma [5]. In the western part of the microcontinent, the basement rocks are overlain by gently dipping subaerial volcanics of the Zabhan Group [6]. They are composed of virtually unmetamorphosed violet, black, and redbrown subaerial volcanic glasses, vitreous rhyodacites and trachyrhyolites, as well as ignimbrites with rare small feldspar and quartz phenocrysts. The subordinate basic and intermediate volcanic rocks are usually confined to the base of the group and to its roof in some places [6]. Their share increases toward the western

Late Cenozoic volcanic province in Central and East Asia

The paper presents materials on the inner structure of the Late Cenozoic within-plate volcanic province in Central and East Asia, in which two subprovinces are distinguished: Central Asian and Far Eastern, which comprise a number of autonomously evolving volcanic areas. Some of the volcanic areas are proved to have evolved for a long time, starting in the Late Mesozoic. In spite of differences in their age and structural setting, the volcanic areas evolved according to similar scenarios in the Late Cenozoic. Magmatism in the province was related to a mantle source of the within-plate type. The magmatic associations are dominated by mafic alkaline high-K rocks. The rocks are geochemically close to basalts of the OIB type, and their isotopic composition corresponds to a combination of mantle sources of the PREMA, EMI, and EMII types at the predominance of PREMA. Geological, geochemical, and isotopic lines of evidence suggest that magmatism in the province was related to mantle plumes. This is consistent with geophysical data, which testify that the volcanic areas are underlain by upwellings of the asthenospheric mantle or plumes. Seismic tomography data indicate that the “stems” of the plumes can be traced down to the upper and lower mantle. The province is thought to have been produced when the eastern margin of the Asian plate overlapped one of the branches of the Pacific superplume at approximately 160 Ma. This branch of the superplume is pronounced in the modern mantle structure as a cluster of mantle plumes that control (according to seismic tomography data) the interaction zone of the Pacific and Asian lithospheric plates.

Sources and geodynamics of the Late Cenozoic volcanism of Central Mongolia: Evidence from isotope-geochemical studies

In the Late Cenozoic, the volcanism of the South Khangai Volcanic Region (SKhVR) spanned the Khangai Range and its framing. Geochronological, petrochemical, geochemical, and isotope studies were performed for volcanic rocks of this region, which are represented by high-K basic and intermediate rocks of OIB affinity. Initial Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope ratios in the volcanic rocks of the SKhVR are close to those of the volcanic rocks of Pitcairn Island and form trends between PREMA, EMI, and EMII sources.The petrochemical, geochemical, and isotope zoning is unraveled in distribution of the Late Cenozoic associations within SKhVR. Volcanic sequences of the Vodorazdel’nyi graben occupying the watershed part of the Khangai Range and adjacent valley lava flows are located in the central part of the area. The peripheral part is made up of the volcanic associations formed within the Lake Valley and Taryat grabens and the Orkhon-Selenga area. Compositional zoning is characterized by an increase in contents of alkalis, Ti, P, and some other lithophile elements, as well as systematic changes of isotope composition of the rocks from central part toward periphery.Taking into account gravimetric and seismotomographic data marking asthenospheric rise beneath Central Khangai, it was concluded that the studied volcanism is related to mantle plume activity. Revealed compositional zoning of the volcanic region presumably reflects the plume heterogeneity. The volcanism of the watershed part of the Khangai Range was controlled by plume channel, which was presumably fed by PREMA-type lower mantle. The isotopic enrichment of lavas in the peripheral parts of the volcanic region was not related to participation of lithospheric components, but reflects the distribution of compositionally different mantle sources in plume structure. The most probable source of enriched components in the Late Cenozoic rocks of SKhVR was Early Precambrian recycled crustal material, which was isolated from upper mantle convection after subduction and transported by the ascending mantle jet to the lithosphere base only in the Late Cenozoic.

Late Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic volcanism of Southern Mongolia: A trace of the South Khangai mantle hot spot

The Gobi-Tien Shan volcanic area (in Southern Mongolia) is part of the South Khangai volcanic region (SKVR). The formation of its lava fields was related to three stages of volcanic activity: the Late Cretaceous (88–71 Myr), Paleocene-Early Eocene (62–47 Myr), and Early Oligocene (37–30 Myr). Volcanic occurrences of different age are represented by trachybasalt, trachyandesitobasalt, basanite, and melanephelinite with similar geochemical characteristics, which are also close to the geochemical characteristics of OIB basalt. The isotope composition (Sr, Nd) of the rocks indicates that the magma sources were formed as a result of mixing of a moderately depleted PREMA mantle and an EM-I mantle enriched in neodymium.The patterns of migration of volcanic centers of different ages over the area of interest have been studied. The earliest (Late Cretaceous) volcanic occurrences were concentrated mainly in the south of the area, the Paleocene-Early Eocene eruptions took place at the center of the area, and the Early Oligocene volcanism occurred in the northern area. The observed migration of the volcanic activity centers is related to lithospheric plate motions relative to a localized source of hot mantle (the South Khangai mantle hot spot), which controlled volcanic activity within SKVR. In the lithospheric structure of this region, local asthenospheric high, reaching a depth of ∼50 km, correspond to this hot spot.

Age, sources, and geological position of anorthosites of Precambrian terranes of Central Asia: Example from the Khunzhilingol Massif, Mongolia

Large anorthosite massifs (or autonomous anorthosites) are typical magmatic complexes of Early Precambrian structures. They are usually formed at the postorogenic stages of their evolution and serve as indicators of their intraplate activation. These massifs remain enigmatic from the petrological point of view, but provide important information on the geology and evolution of host structures. Anorthosite massifs were found in Mongolia in the second half of the 20th century. These are the small Mustulin and Khodzhulingol massifs in the Tarbagatai block, and Olonkhuduk Massif in the Dzabkhan microcontinent (Fig. 1). One more large anorthosite massif was recently found by us in the northern part of the Tarbagatai block, in the lower reaches of the

Magmatic zoning of Late Cenozoic volcanism in Central Mongolia: Relation with the mantle plume

The concentric zonal structure of the Late Cenozoic volcanism areal in Central Mongolia which is situated on the territory of the Khangai vault has been educed. The central part of the structure conforms to the axial part of the vault and is presented with volcanic fields of the Watershed graben and newest valley flows. The peripheral zone is presented with volcanic fields located along the vault frame (Taryat graben, Lake Valley graben, and grabens of the Orkhon-Selenga interfluve). The structural zoning of the areal comports with the substantial zoning of volcanism products. The rocks of the central part have isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) and geochemical characteristics conforming to the most primitive (like PREMA) compositions of mantle sources of magmatism. Magmatism sources in the peripheral zone of the volcanic areal, besides the PREMA mantle, contained a substance of enriched mantle like EMI. The character of substantial and structural zoning of volcanism is caused by the influence of the mantle plume on the Central Asia lithosphere. According to geophysical and isotopic-geochemical data, this plume had a lower mantle nature.

Erratum to: Late Cenozoic Volcanism at the Northeastern Flank of the South Khangai Volcanic Region (Central Mongolia): Geochronology and Formation Conditions

The South Khangai volcanic region holds a special place within the Cenozoic intraplate province of Central Asia due to a long evolutionary history continuously traced within the range of the last 100 Ma [1] and a south-to-north elongated shape. Such a configuration of the region is related to a sequential northward shift of centers of volcanism for more than 800 km and is considered as a trace of the South Khangai hot spot of the mantle imprinted in the structure of the lithosphere during its passage over a mantle plume [2]. The position of the volcanic region in the modern structure of the province coincides with the boundary between the Amur and Mongolian microplates [3] (Fig. 1) formed in the Late Cenozoic [4] as the result of disintegration of inner areas of Central Asia caused by collision between the Indian and Asian lithospheric plates [3]. In the Late Cenozoic, volcanic processes were

On the Jurassic volcanism and on volcanoes in the Shadoron Basin, eastern Transbaikalia

We present new data on the stratigraphy, volcanism, and K–Ar ages of Jurassic features in the Shadoron Basin. Two phases of volcanic eruptions have been identified, a Middle Jurassic and a Late Jurassic, which are separated by a pre-Oxfordian phase of tectogenesis. We show that the Jurassic volcanism in the area of study occurred through fissure vents and mostly evolved in subaqueous conditions.

Riftogenic magmatism of western part of the Early Mesozoic Mongolian–Transbaikalian igneous province: Results of geochronological studies

Geochronological studies of rocks from a bimodal high-alkali volcanic–plutonic complex collected in the area of Kharkhorin zone of the Early Mesozoic Mongolian–Transbaikalian igneous province (MTIP) are made. The age of alkali granites from Olziit sum is 211 ± 1 Ma (U–Pb ID-TIMS on zircon) to 209 ± 2 and 217 ± 4 Ma (40Ar/39Ar on alkali amphibole); the age of alkali granite-porphyries from the area of Sant sum is 206 ± 1 Ma (U–Pb ID-TIMS on zircon). These rock series formed syncronously to the analogous magmatism episode in the Northern Gobi and Western Transbaikalian rift zones of the MTIP. The similarity of the age and composition of igneous associations of the MTIP suggests a common mechanism of its formation related to the effect of a mantle plume on the continental lithosphere at the base of the entire igneous zone having a zonal structure.

Petrogenesis of Late Cenozoic Basaltic Complexes in the Southern Baikal and Southern Khangai Volcanic Areas in Central Asia: Evidence from Melt Inclusions

Data on melt inclusions in minerals provide direct information on the physicochemical petrogenetic parameters of Late Cenozoic basaltic complexes in the Southern Baikal and Southern Khangai Volcanic Areas (SBVA and SKVA, respectively) in Central Asia. Newly obtained data on inclusions in olivine reveal differences between the temperatures of the magmatic systems that produced basalts in SBVA and SKVA. The comparison of the experimentally determined homogenization temperatures and parameters calculated from data on the composition of glasses in the melt inclusions allowed us to realistically evaluate the temperatures of the petrogenetic processes that generated Late Cenozoic basaltic complexes in SBVA (1130–1160°C and 1175–1250°C) and SKVA (1145–1185°C, 1210–1270, and about 1300–1310°C). The analysis of fluid phases in the inclusions testifies that basaltic melts in SBVA were rich in carbon dioxide, which ensured elevated pressures (up to 5–6.6 kbar) during the crystallization of the minerals. Data on the composition of inclusions in the olivine highlight differences between the chemistries of magmatic systems in the two territories: elevated TiO2, Al2O3, and CaO concentrations at relatively low FeO and MgO contents in the SBVA melts as compared to analogous concentrations in the SKVA basaltic magmas. The petrochemical and geochemical parameters of the primary melt inclusions and the composition of the olivine generally testify that deep plume magmatic processes were actively involved in the generation of basalts in both SBVA and SKVA. Data on melt inclusions in olivine and the composition of the clinopyroxene reveal similarities between the geochemistry, mineralogy, and crystallization parameters of Late Cenozoic basalts in both SBVA and SKVA and Cretaceous-Paleogene basalts in the Tien Shan and their certain differences from the plume-related systems of the OIB type. These data suggest that the geodynamic environment of the Cenozoic and Late Mesozoic intraplate plume magmatism in Central Asia were different from the geodynamic environment of typical long-lived mantle plumes like that at Hawaii.