Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications of the Early Triassic Nianzi Adakitic Granite Unit in the Yanshan Fold and Thrust Belt: New Constraints from U-Pb Geochronology and Sr-Nd-Hf Isotopes

The Nianzi granite unit, which includes the Nianzi, Xiaolianghou and Xiawopu granitic intrusions, is a significant component of the northern part of the North China Craton (NCC) and is situated in the Yanshan fold and thrust belt (YFTB). However, there is still debate regarding the tectonic evolutionary history of the YFTB during the late Permian to Triassic period, specifically regarding the timing of subduction and collision between the NCC and the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The Nianzi granite unit exhibits unique petrological, geochronological and geochemical signatures that shed light on the tectonic evolutionary history of the YFTB. This study presents detailed petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, together with Sr-Nd isotopic, zircon U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic data of the granites within the Nianzi granite unit. Our findings demonstrate that the granites primarily consist of subhedral K-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, minor biotite and hornblende, with accessory titanite, apatite, magnetite and zircon. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the Xiaolianghou granite was emplaced at 247.5 +/- 0.62 Ma. Additionally, the adakitic characteristics of the Nianzi, Xiawopu and Xiaolianghou granitic intrusions, such as high Sr and Ba contents and high ratios of Sr/Y and (La/Yb)N, combined with negative Sr-Nd and Lu-Hf isotopes (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.705681-0.7057433, epsilon Nd(t) = -21.98 to -20.97, zircon epsilon Hf(t) = -20.26 to -9.92), as well as the I-type granite features of high SiO2, Na2O and K2O/Na2O ratios, enriched Rb, K, Sr and Ba, along with depleted Th, U, Nb, Ta, P and Ti, suggest that the Nianzi granitic unit was mainly derived from the partial melting of a thickened lower crust containing hydrous, calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline, mafic to intermediate metamorphic rocks. In light of these parameters, we further integrate our data with previous studies and conclude that the Nianzi granitic unit was generated in a post-collisional extensional environment during the Early Triassic. image