Part II of this paper reports geochemical and Nd isotope characteristics of the volcanogenic and siliceous-terrigenous complexes of the Lake zone of the Central Asian Caledonides and associating granitoids of various ages. Geological, geochronological, geochemical, and isotopic data were synthesized with application to the problems of the sources and main mechanisms of continental crust formation and evolution for the Caledonides of the Central Asian orogenic belt. It was found that the juvenile sialic crust of the Lake zone was formed during the Vendian-Cambrian (approximately 570–490 Ma) in an environment of intraoceanic island arcs and oceanic islands from depleted mantle sources with the entrainment of sedimentary crustal materials into subduction zones and owing to the accretion processes of the amalgamation of paleoceanic and island arc complexes and Precambrian microcontinents, which terminated by ∼490 Ma. The source of primary melts for the low-Ti basalts, andesites, and dacites of the Lake zone ophiolites and island arc complexes was mainly the depleted mantle wedge above a subduction zone. In addition, an enriched plume source contributed to the genesis of the high-Ti basalts and gabbroids of oceanic plateaus. The source of terrigenous rocks associating with the volcanics was composed of materials similar in composition to the country rocks at a minor and varying role of ancient crustal materials introduced into the ocean basin owing to the erosion of Precambrian microcontinents. The sedimentary rocks of the accretionary prism were derived by the erosion of mainly juvenile island arc sources with a minor contribution of rocks of the mature continental crust. The island arc and accretion stages of the development of the Lake zone (∼540–590 Ma) were accompanied by the development of high- and low-alumina sodic granitoids through the melting at various depths of depleted mantle reservoirs (metabasites of a subducted oceanic slab and a mantle wedge) and at the base of the island arc at the subordinate role of ancient crustal rocks. The melts of the postaccretion granitoids of the Central Asian Caledonides were derived mainly from the rocks of the juvenile Caledonian crust at an increasing input of an ancient crustal component owing to the tectonic mixing of the rocks of ophiolitic and island arc complexes and microcontinents. The obtained results indicate that the Vendian-Early Paleozoic stage of the evolution of the Central Asian orogenic belt was characterized by the extensive growth of juvenile continental crust and allow us to distinguish a corresponding stage of juvenile crust formation.
Data on the composition, inner structure, and age of volcanic and siliceous-terrigenous complexes and granitoids occurring in association with them in the Caledonian Lake zone in Central Asia are discussed in the context of major relations and trends in the growth of the Caledonian continental crust in the Central Asian Foldbelt (CAFB). The folded structures of the Lake zone host basalt, basalt-andesite, and andesite complexes of volcanic rocks that were formed in distinct geodynamic environments. The volcanic rocks of the basalt complex are noted for high concentrations of TiO2 and alkalis, occur in association with fine-grained siliceous siltstone and siliceous-carbonate rocks, are thus close to oceanic-island complexes, and were likely formed in relation to a mantle hotspot activity far away from erosion regions supplying terrigenous material. The rocks of the basalt-andesite and andesite complexes have lower TiO2 concentrations and moderate concentrations of alkalis and contain rock-forming amphibole. These rocks are accompanied by rudaceous terrigenous sediments, which suggests their origin in island-arc environments, including arcs with a significantly dissected topography. These complexes are accompanied by siliceous-terrigenous sedimentary sequences whose inner structure is close to those of sediments in accretionary wedges. The folded Caledonides of the Lake zone passed through the following evolutionary phases. The island arcs started to develop at 570 Ma, their evolution was associated with the emplacement of layered gabbroids and tonalitetrondhjemite massifs, and continued until the onset of accretion at 515–480 Ma. The accretion was accompanied by the emplacement of large massifs of the tonalite-granodiorite-plagiogranite series. The postaccretionary evolutionary phase at 470–440 Ma of the Caledonides was marked by intrusive subalkaline and alkaline magmatism. The Caledonides are characterized by within-plate magmatic activity throughout their whole evolutionary history, a fact explained by the accretion of Vendian-Cambrian oceanic structures (island arcs, oceanic islands, and back-arc basins) above a mantle hotspot. Indicators of within-plate magmatic activity are subalkaline high-Ti basalts, alkaline-ultrabasic complexes with carbonatites and massifs of subalkaline and alkaline gabbroids, nepheline syenites, alkaline granites, subalkaline granites, and granosyenites. The mantle hotspot likely continued to affect the character of the lithospheric magmatism even after the Caledonian folded terrane was formed.
Experiments on spilite melting at P = 3 kbar and T = 950−850°C indicate that partial melting in the presence of aqueous fluid (\(P_{H_2 O} \) = 3 kbar) produces a series of melts of normal alkalinity with up to 77 wt % SiO2. The partial melts derived from spilite in the presence of aqueous fluid generated in the system NaCl-CaCO3-H2O have an agpaitic coefficient increasing to a level sufficient for the origin of alkaline granite in the course of fractional crystallization. An increase in the alkalinity of the melt is explained by soda synthesis in the fluid due to an exchange reaction between CaCO3 and NaCl. In contrast to NaCl, soda in highly soluble in aluminosilicate melts. We discovered that partial melting in the presence of a soda-bearing fluid results in BaO concentrating from a level of 0.05 wt % in the original spilite to 1 wt % in the partial melt. Conceivably, magmatism in the environment of oceanic islands can occur under conditions favorable for the synthesis of soda-bearing fluids. CO2 that carbonizes the mafic rocks is provided by mantle plumes, whereas seawater penetrating to depths greater than those of intermediate chambers serves as a source of NaCl. The activity of a fluid-magmatic system is able to generate subalkaline sodic rocks, such as benmoreite and pantellerite.
Во второй части статьи рассмотрены данные о геохимических и Nd-изотопных особенностях вулканогенных и кремнисто-терригенных комплексов Озерной зоны каледонид Центральной Азии, ассоциирующих с ними разновозрастных гранитоидов, и на основе синтеза геологических, геохронологических, геохимических и изотопных данных обсуждаются вопросы об источниках пород и ведущих механизмах формирования и эволюции континентальной коры каледонид Центрально-Азиатского складчатого пояса. Установлено, что ювенильная сиалическая кора Озерной зоны была образована в венд-кембрийское время (около 570490 млн. лет назад) в обстановке внутриокеанических островных дуг и океанических островов из деплетированных мантийных источников с вовлечением в зоны субдукции корового материала в форме осадков, а также во время аккреционных процессов амальгамации палеоокеанических и островодужных комплексов и докембрийских микроконтинентов, завершившихся к рубежу около 490 млн. лет назад. Источником исходных расплавов низко-Ti базальтов, андезитов и дацитов офиолитовых и островодужных комплексов Озерной зоны являлась, главным образом, деплетированная мантия надсубдукционного клина. В петрогенезисе высоко-Ti базальтов и габброидов океанических плато участвовал также обогащенный плюмовый источник. Источниками сноса терригенных осадочных пород, ассоциирующих с вулканитами, являлись породы, близкие по составу к вмещающим, при подчиненной варьирующей роли древнего корового материала, поступавшего в океанический бассейн вследствие размыва докембрийских микроконтинентов. Осадочные породы аккреционной призмы формировались при размыве преимущественно ювенильных островодужных источников с незначительным участием пород зрелой континентальной коры. На островодужной и аккреционной стадиях развития Озерной зоны (около 540490 млн. лет назад) происходило становление гранитоидов натровой серии высоко- и низкоглиноземистого типов посредством разноглубинного плавления деплетированных мантийных источников метабазитов субдуцирующей океанической плиты и мантийного клина, а также в основании островной дуги при подчиненном участии древнекорового материала. Источниками расплавов постаккреционных гранитоидов каледонид Центральной Азии выступали преимущественно породы ювенильной каледонской коры при прогрессивной добавке древнего корового компонента, вследствие тектонического смешения пород офиолитовых и островодужных комплексов и микроконтинентов. Таким образом, полученные данные свидетельствуют о том, что венд раннепалеозойский период эволюции Центрально-Азиатского складчатого пояса характеризуется обширным ростом ювенильной континентальной коры и позволяют выделить соответствующий этап ювенильного корообразования.
Using various methods of melt inclusion investigation, including electron and ion microprobe techniques, we estimated the composition, evolution, and formation conditions of melts producing the trachydacites and pantellerites of the Late Paleozoic bimodal volcanic association of Dzarta-Khuduk, Central Mongolia. Primary crystalline and melt inclusions were detected in anorthoclase from trachydacites and quartz from pantellerites and pantelleritic tuffs. Among the crystalline inclusions, we identified hedenbergite, fluorapatite, and pyrrhotite in the trachydacites and F-arfvedsonite, fluorite, ilmenite, and the rare REE diorthosilicate chevkinite in the pantellerites. Melt inclusions in anorthoclase from the trachydacites are composed of glass, a gas phase, and daughter minerals (F-arfvedsonite, fluorite, villiaumite, and anorthoclase rim on the inclusion wall). Melt inclusions in quartz from the pantellerites are composed of glass, a gas phase, and a fine-grained salt aggregate consisting of Li, Na, and Ca fluorides (griceite, villiaumite, and fluorite). Melt inclusions in quartz crystalloclasts from the pantelleritic tuffs are composed of homogeneous silicate glasses. The phenocrysts of the trachydacites and pantellerites crystallized at temperatures of 1060–1000°C. During thermometric experiments with quartz-hosted melt inclusions from the pantellerites, the formation of immiscible silicate and salt (fluoride) melts was observed at a temperature of 800°C. Homogeneous melt inclusions in anorthoclase from the trachydacites have both trachydacite and rhyolite compositions (wt %): 68–70 SiO 2 , 12–13 Al 2 O 3 , 0.34–0.74 TiO 2 , 5–7 FeO, 0.4–0.9 CaO, and 9–12 Na 2 O + K 2 O. The agpaitic index ranges from 0.92 to 1.24. The glasses of homogenized melt inclusions in quartz from the pantellerites and pantelleritic tuffs have rhyolitic compositions. Compared with the homogeneous glasses trapped in anorthoclase of the trachydacites, quartz-hosted inclusions from the pantellerites show higher SiO 2 (72–78 wt %) and lower Al 2 O 3 contents (7.8–10.0 wt %). They also contain 0.14–0.26 wt % TiO 2 , 2.5–4.9 wt % FeO, 9–11 wt % Na 2 O + K 2 O, and 0.9–0.15 wt % CaO and show an agpaitic index of 1.2–2.05. Homogeneous melt inclusions in quartz from the pantelleritic tuffs contain 69–72 wt % SiO 2 . The contents of other major components, including TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , FeO, and CaO, are close to those in the homogeneous glasses of quartzhosted melt inclusions in the pantellerites. The contents of Na 2 O + K 2 O are 4–10 wt %, and the agpaitic index is 1.0–1.6. The glasses of melt inclusions from each rock group show distinctive volatile compositions. The H 2 O content is up to 0.08 wt % in anorthoclase of the trachydacites, 0.4–1.4 wt % in quartz of the pantellerites, and up to 5 wt % in quartz of the pantelleritic tuffs. The content of F in the glasses of melt inclusions in the phenocrysts of the trachydacites is no higher than 0.67 wt %, and up to 1.4–2.8 wt % in quartz from the pantellerites. The Cl content is up to 0.2 wt % in the glasses of melt inclusions in the minerals of the trachydacites and up to 0.5 wt % in the glasses of quartz-hosted melt inclusions from the pantellerites. The investigation of trace elements in the homogenized glasses of melt inclusions in minerals showed that the trachydacites and pantellerites were formed from strongly evolved rare-metal alkaline silicate melts with high contents of Li, Zr, Rb, Y, Hf, Th, U, and REE. The analysis of the composition of homogeneous melt inclusions in the minerals of the above rocks allowed us to distinguish magmatic processes resulting in the enrichment of these rocks in trace and rare earth elements. The most important processes are the crystallization differentiation and immiscible separation of silicate and fluoride salt melts. It was also shown that all the melts studied evolved in spatially separated magma chambers. This caused the differences in the character of melt evolution between the trachydacites and pantellerites. During the final stages of differentiation, when the magmatic system was saturated with respect to ore elements, Na-Ca fluoride melts were separated and extracted considerable amounts of Li.
New data on the geology and tectonics of the main structural elements of the East Transbaikalian segment of the Central Asian Foldbelt are discussed. Correlation charts of the main stratified and igneous complexes are compiled. The rocks of the Baikal-Patom and Baikal-Muya belts, as well as the Barguzin-Vitim Superterrane, are characterized by new Nd isotopic data, which have allowed us to establish the sources of these rocks, to separate isotopic provinces, and to distinguish two stages of crust-forming processes: the Early Baikalian (1.0–0.8 Ga) and the Late Baikalian (0.70–0.62 Ga). The Early Baikalian crust was formed in relatively narrow and spatially isolated troughs of the Baikal-Muya Belt and probably in the Amalat Terrane, whereas the Late Baikalian continental crust was formed and reworked in the Karalon-Mamakan, Yana, and Katera-Uakit zones of the Baikal-Muya Belt. The Baikal-Patom Belt and most of the Anamakit-Muya Zone in the Baikal-Muya Belt are characterized by remobilization of the Early Precambrian continental crust and by a subordinate role of Late Riphean juvenile sources. Reworking of the mixed Late Riphean and Early Precambrian crustal sources is typical of the Barguzin-Vitim Superterrane. The origination and evolution of the continental crust in the studied region are considered in light of new data; alternative versions of paleogedynamic reconstructions are discussed.
The paper reports results of the analysis of the spatial distribution of modern (younger than 2 Ma) volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere and relations between this volcanism and the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent and with the spatial distribution of hotspots of the Earth’s mantle. Products of modern volcanism occur in the Earth’s northern hemisphere in Eurasia, North America, Greenland, in the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean. As anywhere worldwide, volcanism in the northern hemisphere of the Earth occurs as (a) volcanism of mid-oceanic ridges (MOR), (b) subduction-related volcanism in island arcs and active continental margins (IA and ACM), (c) volcanism in continental collision (CC) zones, and (d) within-plate (WP) volcanism, which is related to mantle hotspots, continental rifts, and intercontinental belts. These types of volcanic areas are fairly often neighboring, and then mixed volcanic areas occur with the persistent participation of WP volcanism. Correspondingly, modern volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere is of both oceanic and continental nature. The latter is obviously related to the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent, because it results from the Meso-Cenozoic evolution of Wegener’s Late Paleozoic Pangaea. North Pangaea in the Cenozoic comprises Eurasia, North and South America, India, and Africa and has, similar to other supercontinents, large sizes and a predominantly continental crust. The geodynamic setting and modern volcanism of North Pangaea are controlled by two differently acting processes: the subduction of lithospheric slabs from the Pacific Ocean, India, and the Arabia, a process leading to the consolidation of North Pangaea, and the spreading of oceanic plates on the side of the Atlantic Ocean, a process that “wedges” the supercontinent, modifies its morphology (compared to that of Wegener’s Pangaea), and results in the intervention of the Atlantic geodynamic regime into the Arctic. The long-lasting (for >200 Ma) preservation of tectonic stability and the supercontinental status of North Pangaea are controlled by subduction processes along its boundaries according to the predominant global compression environment. The long-lasting and stable subduction of lithospheric slabs beneath Eurasia and North America not only facilitated active IA + ACM volcanism but also resulted in the accumulation of cold lithospheric material in the deep mantle of the region. The latter replaced the hot mantle and forced this material toward the margins of the supercontinent; this material then ascended in the form of mantle plumes (which served as sources of WP basite magmas), which are diverging branches of global mantle convection, and ascending flows of subordinate convective systems at the convergent boundaries of plates. Subduction processes (compressional environments) likely suppressed the activity of mantle plumes, which acted in the northern polar region of the Earth (including the Siberian trap magmatism) starting at the latest Triassic until nowadays and periodically ascended to the Earth’s surface and gave rise to WP volcanism. Starting at the breakup time of Wegener’s Pangaea, which began with the opening of the central Atlantic and systematically propagated toward the Arctic, marine basins were formed in the place of the Arctic Ocean. However, the development of the oceanic crust (Eurasian basin) took place in the latter as late as the Cenozoic. Before the appearance of the Gakkel Ridge and, perhaps, also the oceanic portion of the Amerasian basin, this young ocean is thought to have been a typical basin developing in the central part of supercontinents. Wegener’s Pangaea broke up under the effect of mantle plumes that developed during their systematic propagation to the north and south of the Central Atlantic toward the North Pole. These mantle plumes were formed in relation with the development of global and local mantle convection systems, when hot deep mantle material was forced upward by cold subducted slabs, which descended down to the core-mantle boundary. The plume (WP) magmatism of Eurasia and North America was associated with surface collision- or subduction-related magmatism and, in the Atlantic and Arctic, also with surface spreading-related magmatism (tholeiite basalts).
The vertical section of volcanic rocks in the Khan-Bogd Late Paleozoic depression, southern Mongolia, in the belt of southern Mongolian Hercynides contains comendites. The basement of the depression is made up of Devonian ophiolites (older than 362 Ma) overlain by volcanic associations of an active continental margin (ACM) (dated at 330 Ma) and a bimodal association (dated at approximately 290 Ma), which is subdivided into a lower unit (BLU), dacites of the intermediate layer (IL), and a bimodal association of the upper unit (BUU). The volcanic associations of the Devonian and ACM are calc-alkaline and poor in TiO2. The BLU rocks have higher alkalinity and TiO2 concentrations and show a transition from the tholeiitic to calc-alkaline series in the course of differentiation with the origin of comendites and trachyrhyolites, including those with adakite characteristics. The IL dacites are analogues of calc-alkaline magmas of the ACM type. The BUU volcanic association is composed of tholeiite basalts with moderate Ti concentrations (of the MORB type), comendites, and trachyrhyolites, with a compositional gap at rocks of intermediate composition. The variations in the canonical ratios of incompatible trace elements and petrochemical parameters of the Khan-Bogd volcanic rocks show that their parental magmas were derived mostly from a source of basalts of the arc type (IAB) with the addition of variable proportions of a source of the MORB type. The greatest role of the latter is identified in the magmas of the bimodal association. BLU and BUU are separated by IL, a fact testifying that the bimodal volcanism occurred simultaneously with normal dacite continental-marginal volcanism. Although the geodynamic environments in which volcanic rocks were formed somewhat varied during the development of the Khan-Bogd depression, a subduction environment remained predominant, and the volcanic rocks were derived from an IAB-type source. The subduction volcanic associations produced thereby are differentiated and vary in composition from basites to dacite and rhyolite, which could be formed at the assimilation of continental crustal material (CC). Conceivably, the bimodal volcanic association was generated when the subduction zone was approached by a mid-oceanic ridge, whose material could be added in appreciable amounts to the subduction sources. The volcanic evolution of the Khan-Bogd depression shows an evolution of geodynamic environments and the composition of the volcanic rocks generally resembling those in the western margin of North America in the Cenozoic. The acid BLU and BUU rocks were most probably generated by different mechanisms. The BLU comendites and trachyrhyolites were likely formed by the crystallization differentiation of an arc basite magma of elevated alkalinity. The acid BUU rocks resulted from the anatexis of basites of this association, particularly spilitized ones (as well as any other basites) and the subsequent crystallization differentiation of the anatectic magmas.
The spatial distribution of recent (under 2 Ma) volcanism has been studied in relation to mantle hotspots and the evolution of the present-day supercontinent which we named Northern Pangea. Recent volcanism is observed in Eurasia, North and South America, Africa, Greenland, the Arctic, and the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Several types of volcanism are distinguished: mid-ocean ridge (MOR) volcanism; subduction volcanism of island arcs and active continental margins (IA + ACM); continental collision (CC) volcanism; intraplate (IP) volcanism related to mantle hotspots, continental rifts, and transcontinental belts. Continental volcanism is obviously related to the evolution of Northern Pangea, which comprises Eurasia, North and South America, India, Australia, and Africa. The supercontinent is large, with predominant continental crust. The geodynamic setting and recent volcanism of Northern Pangea are determined by two opposite processes. On one hand, subduction from the Pacific Ocean, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa consolidates the supercontinent. On the other hand, the spreading of oceanic plates from the Atlantic splits Northern Pangea, changes its shape as compared with Wegener’s Pangea, and causes the Atlantic geodynamics to spread to the Arctic. The long-lasting steady subduction beneath Eurasia and North America favored intense IA + ACM volcanism. Also, it caused cold lithosphere to accumulate in the deep mantle in northern Northern Pangea and replace the hot deep mantle, which was pressed to the supercontinental margins. Later on, this mantle rose as plumes (IP mafic magma sources), which were the ascending currents of global mantle convection and minor convection systems at convergent plate boundaries. Wegener’s Pangea broke up because of the African superplume, which occupied consecutively the Central Atlantic, the South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean and expanded toward the Arctic. Intraplate plume magmatism in Eurasia and North America was accompanied by surface collisional or subduction magmatism. In the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, deep-level plume magmatism (high-alkali mafic rocks) was accompanied by surface spreading magmatism (tholeiitic basalts).
We compiled a database containing more than 480000 determinations for 73 elements in melt inclusions in minerals and quenched glasses of volcanic rocks. These data were used to estimate the mean contents of major, volatile, and trace elements in igneous melts from main geodynamic settings. The following settings were distinguished: (I) oceanic spreading zones (mid-ocean ridges); (II) zones of mantle plume activity on oceanic plates (oceanic islands and plateaus); (III) and (IV) settings related to subduction processes, including (III) zones of island-arc magmatism generated on the oceanic crust and (IV) magmatic zones of active continental margins involving the continental crust into magma generation processes; (V) intracontinental rifts and continental hot spots; and (VI) back-arc spreading centers. The histogram of SiO2 contents in the natural igneous melts of all geodynamic settings exhibits a bimodal distribution with two maxima at SiO2 contents of 50–52 wt % and 72–74 wt %. The range 62–64 wt % SiO2 comprises the minimum number of determinations. Primitive mantle-normalized spidergrams were constructed for average contents of elements in the igneous melts of basic, intermediate, and acidic compositions from settings I–V. The diagrams reflect the characteristic features of melt compositions for each geodynamic setting. On the basis of the analysis of data on the composition of melt inclusions and glasses of rocks, average ratios of incompatible trace and volatile components (H2O/Ce, K2O/Cl, Nb/U, Ba/Rb, Ce/Pb, etc.) were estimated for the igneous melts of all of the settings. Variations of these ratios were determined, and it was shown that, in most cases, the ratios of incompatible elements are significantly different between settings. The difference is especially pronounced for the ratios of elements with different degrees of incompatibility (e.g., Nb/Yb) and for some ratios with volatile components (e.g., K2O/H2O).
The supercontinental status of the contemporary aggregation of continents called North Pangea is substantiated. This supercontinent comprises all continents with the probable exception of Antarctica. In addition to the spatial contiguity of continents, the supercontinent is characterized by the prevalence of the continental crust that combines North America and Eurasia, Eurasia and Africa, and Eurasia and Australia. Over the course of the 300–250-Ma evolution from Wegener’s Pangea to contemporary North Pangea, the aggregation of continents has not lost its supercontinental status, despite modification of the supercontinent shape and opening and closure of the newly formed Paleotethys, Tethys, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. Over the last 250–300 Ma, all movements of the lithospheric plates have most likely occurred within the Indo-Atlantic segment of the Earth, whereas the Pacific segment has remained oceanic. In short, the formation of the North Pangea supercontinent can be outlined in the following terms. The long and deep subduction of the lithospheric plates beneath Eurasia and North America gave rise to the stabilization of the continents and accumulation of huge bodies of the cold lithosphere commensurable in volume with the upper mantle at the deeper mantle levels. This brought about compensation ascent of hot mantle (mantle plumes) near the convergent plate boundaries and far from them. A special geodynamic setting develops beneath the supercontinent. Due to encircling subduction of the lithospheric plates and related squeezing of the hot mantle, an ascending flow, or plume (superplume) formed beneath the central part of the supercontinent. In our view, the African superplume broke up Wegener’s Pangea in the Atlantic region, caused the opening of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and migrated to the Arctic Region 53 Ma ago.
The sequence of rock and ore formation at the Yermakovsky beryllium deposit is established on the basis of geological relationships and Rb-Sr and U-Pb isotopic dating. The Rb-Sr age of amphibolitefacies regional metamorphism is determined for quartz-biotite-plagioclase schist (266 ± 18 Ma) and dolomitized limestone (271 ± 12 Ma) of the Zun-Morino Formation. The U-Pb zircon age of premineral gabbro is 332 ± 1 Ma. The Rb-Sr age of gabbro is somewhat younger (316 ± 8.3 Ma), probably owing to the effect of Hercynian metamorphism on sedimentary rocks of the Zun-Morino Formation and gabbroic intrusion that cuts through it. The U-Pb zircon age of gneissose granite of the Tsagan Complex at the Yermakovsky deposit is 316 ± 2 Ma, i.e., close to the age of metamorphism superimposed on gabbro rocks. The U-Pb zircon age of preore granitic dikes, estimated at 325 ± 3 and 333 ± 10 Ma, is close to the age of gabbro. The Ar/Ar age of amphibole from a granitic dike (302.5 ± 0.9 Ma) probably displays a later closure of this isotopic system or the effect of superimposed processes. The Rb-Sr age of alkali syenite intrusion is 227 ± 1.9 Ma. The U-Pb zircon age of alkali leucogranite stock pertaining to the Lesser Kunalei Complex is 226 ± 1 Ma, while the Rb-Sr age of beryllium ore is 225.9 ± 1.2 Ma. These data indicate that beryllium ore mineralization is closely related in space and time to igneous rocks of the Lesser Kunalei Complex dated at 224 ± 5 Ma and varying from gabbro to alkali granite in composition. Thus, the preore Hercynian magmatism at the Yermakovsky deposit took place ∼330 Ma ago and was completed by metamorphism dated at 271–266 Ma. The ore-forming magmatism and beryllium ore mineralization are dated at 224 ± 5 Ma. Postore magmatic activity is scarce and probably correlated with tectonic melange of host rocks.
Based on the generalization of data on melt inclusions and quenched glasses, the average compositions of subduction (island arc and active continental margin settings) basic magmas were estimated. The main geochemical features of the average composition of these magmas are significant depletion in Nb and Ta, less significant depletion in Ti, Zr, and Sm, and enrichment in Cl, H2O, F, and P in the primitive mantlenormalized patterns. The average normalized contents of moderately incompatible HREE in these magmas are close to those in the basic magmas of other geodynamic settings. Subduction basic magmas exhibit negative correlation of Li, Y, Dy, Er, Yb, Lu, and Ti contents with MgO content. Most of incompatible elements (Nb, Ta, U, Th, LREE) do not correlate with MgO, but correlate with each other and K2O. Variations in element contents are related to crystallization differentiation, magma mixing, and possibly, participation of several sources. The water content in the island arc basic magmas varies from almost zero value to more than 6 wt %. Most compositions are characterized by weak negative correlation between H2O and MgO contents, but some compositions define a negative correlation close to that in magmas of mid-ocean ridges (MOR). Considered magmas demonstrate distinct positive correlation between MgO content and homogenization temperature, practically coinciding with that of MOR magmas. Modeling of phase equilibria revealed widening of crystallization field of olivine in the magmas of subduction zones compared to MOR magmas. This can be related to the high water content in subduction magmas. Simultaneous liquidus crystallization of olivine and clinopyroxene in subduction magmas occurs at pressure approximately 5 kbar higher than that of MOR magmas. Based on the average ratios of trace element to K2O content, we determined the average compositions for subduction magma sources. Relative to depleted mantle, they are enriched in all incompatible elements, with positive anomalies of U, Rb, Ba, B, Pb, Cl, H2O, F, and S, and negative anomalies of Th, K, Be, Nb, Ta, Li, Nd, Pb, and Ti. A general elevated content of incompatible elements indicates a reworking of the rocks of mantle wedge by fluids and melts that were released from the upper layers of subducted plate.
An isotopic study of igneous and metamorphic rocks has been carried out at the Yermakovsky bertrandite-phenakite-fluorite deposit. It has been established that the model age of the schists pertaining to the Zun-Morino Formation is 1360–1260 Ma. In Nd and Sr isotopic composition, these schists deviate from the isotopic composition of the continental crust and are close in this respect to the enriched mantle reservoir (EM-II). The model age of carbonate rocks of the Zun-Morino Formation is 1330–1020 Ma. The Middle Riphean model age of the Zun-Morino Formation is interpreted as the age of its protolith. According to the Sr and Nd isotopic data, all preore igneous rocks (granitic dikes, gabbroic rocks, and gneissose granite of the Tsagan Complex) were formed with the participation of continental crustal material. Synore basic dikes, alkali leucogranite stock, and syenite intrusion are considered to be mixtures of mantle components (DM+HIMU) and various continental crustal components (Tsagan gneissose granite, crystalline schists, the mean composition of granitoids of the Angara-Vitim batholith as an estimate of average composition of the regional continental crust). Synore igneous rocks are genetically cognate and related to the magmatic activity in the Western Transbaikal Rift Zone presumably formed in the Triassic under effect of a mantle plume.
The Haldzan-Buregtey group of alkali granitoid massifs with an age of 391–395 Ma is located among the Early Caledonides of the Ozernaya zone of western Mongolia and consists of seven intrusive phases, including two rare-metal phases with Zr, Mn, Y, and REE mineralization. In order to identify the magma sources of the massifs, the abundances and canonical ratios of incompatible trace elements in the rocks of various intrusive phases are analyzed and compared with those in the volcanic rocks of Pantelleria island. The latter rocks were taken as the reference association of rocks linked through crystallization differentiation. The rocks of the Haldzan-Buregtey Complex were formed by mixing an OIB source (with participation of MORB) and host ophiolites, while alkali granitoids of phase 2 originated via mixting these sources with the host non-alkaline granitoids. Practically all rocks have mixed sources, with all transitional varieties from OIB, MORB to ophiolites. OIB was the main source for the rocks, while the host ophiolites could serve as sources for anatectic magmas or contaminants of the magmas of other considered rocks. The rare-metal granitoids were produced from the same sources as the barren magmatic rocks of the Haldzan-Buregtey Complex. The rocks of the Haldzan-Buregtey Complex show a bimodal distribution, with the practically complete absence of intermediate varieties between basite dikes and syenite-granite rocks. This seems to be related to the formation of the least differentiated sialic rocks (nordmarkites, pantellerites, some alkali granites) by anatexis of their own parental basite rocks (dolerites and basites), their cumulates, or ophiolites. Most of the phase-2 alkali granites likely resulted from the differentiation of the phase-1 nordmarkites coupled with assimilation of the host ophiolites. Ekerites are geochemically similar to the nordmarkites and can be interpreted as their residual in situ melts or their anatectic melts.
A GIS layout of the map of recent volcanism in North Eurasia is used to estimate the geodynamic setting of this volcanism. The fields of recent volcanic activity surround the Russian and Siberian platforms-the largest ancient tectonic blocks of Eurasia-from the arctic part of North Eurasia to the Russian Northeast and Far East and then via Central Asia to the Caucasus and West Europe. Asymmetry in the spatial distribution of recent volcanics of North Eurasia is emphasized by compositional variations and corresponding geodynamic settings. Recent volcanic rocks in the arctic part of North Eurasia comprise the within-plate alkaline and subalkaline basic rocks on the islands of the Arctic Ocean and tholeiitic basalts of the mid-ocean Gakkel Ridge. The southern, eastern, and western volcanic fields are characterized by a combination of within-plate alkaline and subalkaline basic rocks, including carbonatites in Afghanistan, and island-arc or collision basalt-andesite-rhyolite associations. The spatial distribution of recent volcanism is controlled by the thermal state of the mantle beneath North Eurasia. The enormous mass of the oceanic lithosphere was subducted during the formation of the Pangea supercontinent primarily beneath Eurasia (cold superplume) and cooled its mantle, having retained the North Pangea supercontinent almost unchanged for 200 Ma. Volcanic activity was related to the development of various shallow-seated geodynamic settings and deep-seated within-plate processes. Within-plate volcanism in eastern and southern North Eurasia is controlled, as a rule, by upper mantle plumes, which appeared in zones of convergence of lithospheric plates in connection with ascending hot flows compensating submergence of cold lithospheric slabs. After the breakdown of Pangea, which affected the northern hemisphere of the Earth insignificantly, marine basins with oceanic crust started to form in the Cretaceous and Cenozoic in response to the subsequent breakdown of the supercontinent in the northern hemisphere. In our opinion, the young Arctic Ocean that arose before the growth of the Gakkel Ridge and, probably, the oceanic portion of the Amerasia Basin should be regarded as a typical intracontinental basin within the supercontinent [48]. Most likely, this basin was formed under the effect of mantle plumes in the course of their propagation (expansion, after Yu.M. Pushcharovsky) to the north of the Central Atlantic, including an inferred plume of the North Pole (HALIP).
The paper reports data on the Nd isotopic composition and the evaluated composition of the sources of magmatism that produced massifs of alkali and basic rocks of the Khaldzan-Buregtei group. The massifs were emplaced in the terminal Devonian at 392–395 Ma in the Ozernaya zone of western Mongolia. The host rocks of the massifs are ophiolites of the early Caledonian Ozernaya zone, which were dated at 545–522 Ma. The massifs were emplaced in the following succession (listed in order from older to younger): (1) nordmarkites and dolerites syngenetic with them; (2) alkali granites and syngenetic dolerites; (3) dike ekerites; (4) dike pantellerites; (5) rare-metal granitoids; (6) alkali and intermediate basites and quartz syenites; and (7) miarolitic rare-metal alkali granites. Our data on the Nd isotopic composition [ɛNd(T)] and conventionally used (canonical) ratios of incompatible elements (Nb/U, Zr/Nb, and La/Yb) in rocks from the alkaline massifs and their host ophiolites indicate that all of these rocks were derived mostly from mantle and mantle-crustal enriched sources like OIB, E-MORB, and IAB with a subordinate contribution of N-MORB (DM) and upper continental crustal material. The variations in the ɛNd(T) values in rocks of these massifs suggest multiple mixing of the sources or magmas derived from them when the massifs composing the Khaldzan-Buregtei group were produced. The OIB and E-MORB sources were mixed when the rocks with mantle signatures were formed. The occurrence of nordmarkites, alkali granites, and other rocks whose isotopic and geochemical signatures are intermediate between the values for mantle and crustal sources testifies to the mixing of mantle and crustal magmas. The crustal source itself, which consisted of rocks of the ophiolite complex, was obviously isotopically and geochemically heterogeneous, as also were the magmas derived from it. The model proposed for the genesis of alkali rocks of the Khaldzan-Buregtei massifs implies that the magmas were derived at two major depth levels: (1) mantle, at which the plume source mixed with an E-MORB source, and (2) crustal, at which the ophiolites were melted, and this gave rise to the parental magmas of the nordmarkites and alkali granites. The basites were derived immediately from the mantle. The mantle syenites, pantellerites, and rare-metal granitoids were produced either by the deep crystallization differentiation of basite magma or by the partial melting of the parental basites and the subsequent crystallization differentiation of the generated magmas. Differentiation likely took place in an intermediate chamber at depth levels close to the crustal (ophiolite) level of magma generation. Only such conditions could ensure the intense mixing of mantle and crustal magmas. The principal factor initiating magma generation in the region was the mantle plume that controlled within-plate magmatism in the Altai-Sayan area and the basite magmas related to this plume, which gave rise to small dikes and magmatic bodies in the group of intrusive massifs.