Post-accretionary permian granitoids in the Chinese Altai orogen: Geochronology, petrogenesis and tectonic implications

The Altai orogen is an important constituent of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The main orogenic processes occurred mainly in the early to middle Paleozoic and involved a series of northward subduction and terrane accretion. However, termination of the accretionary and post-accretionary processes remains poorly defined. The Chinese Altai is located in the southern part of this orogeny, which is widely intruded by Permian granitic plutons. These plutons are approximately circular in shape, free of deformation and generally cutting pre-Permian structures, suggesting a post-tectonic formation. We report the results of geochronological and geochemical data from five specific granitic plutons (Buerjin, Xibodu, Daqiaonan, Aweitan, and Adenbluk), which all yielded magmatic zircon U-Pb ages of about 270 Ma. These plutons are composed of high-K calc-alkaline rocks, including K-feldspar megaphyric granite, biotite granite and monzogranite that have metaluminous to weakly LREE-enriched, coupled with negative Eu anomalies. Significant negative anomalies of Ba, Sr, P, and Ti are also observed in the primitive-mantle normalized diagram. They have positive whole-rock epsilon(Nd)(t) (+1.3 to +7.2) and zircon epsilon(Hf)(t) values (+5.6 to +12.9), yielding Sm-Nd model ages of <=.0.9 Ga. Therefore, these granitoids are proposed to have been generated by differentiation of mantle-derived magmas with variable crustal contamination. In view of the field occurrence, structural analysis, regional tectonics and geochemical characteristics, these Permian plutons are concluded to be post-accretionary or post-collisional. Asthenospheric upwelling after the collision and amalgamation of the Altai and Junggar blocks could have caused the mantle-derived magmas that evolved to form the granitoids. We note that Permian intrusions are not only widespread but also voluminous in the CAOB. They mostly are post-collisional products, and some of them might have been related to the large igneous province activity in the Tarim Block.