Early Indosinian magmatism in the West Qinling orogen and its tectonic implication

The West Qinling Orogen (WQO), which is bounded by the Qilian Orogenic Belt, Qaidam Block and the Songpan-Ganzi Block, is the western extension of the Qinling Orogenic Belt, and experienced complex tectonic evolution processes, involving the opening, subduction and closure history of the Proto- and Paleo-Tethys Oceans. The WQO features widespread Indosinian magmatic rocks, which are crucial to constrain the tectonic evolution of the WQO. The Indosinian magmatic rocks were formed mainly in two stages, 250 to 240 Ma and 225 to 210 Ma. The Early Indosinian magmatic rocks (250 to 240 Ma) are mainly distributed in the west and middle northern WQO. In comparison, the Late Indosinian magmatic rocks are mainly exposed in the eastern WQO, but also in the western WQO and the Bikou terrane. Controversy has existed for a long time on the petrogenesis and tectonic setting of the Early Indosinian magmatic rocks. We selected four respective plutons, including the Heimahe pluton, the Ren’ai pluton, the Daerzang pluton and the Ganjiagongma pluton. Detailed field investigation, petrology, LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating, zircon Lu-Hf isotope analyses, whole rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotope analyses, and mineral EPMA analyses were conducted for the studied plutons. The studied plutons were emplaced between 246 to 241 Ma according to zircon U-Pb dating results. Based on detailed studies on petrology, geochronology and geochemistry, we emphasis the significance of magma mixing in the petrogenesis of the Early Indosinian granitic rocks. The high Mg# signature of the Early Indosinian granitic rocks were generated by magma mixing between mafic and felsic magmas, but not result of direct fractional crystallization of mafic rocks. The granitic rocks with high Sr/Y values in the WQO, represented by the Ganjiagongma pluton, were not derived from thickened continental crust. No evident continental thickening occurred in the WQO during the Early Indosinian. Combining with regional geological evidence, we propose an alternative tectonic model to explain the evolution history of the WQO during the early Mesozoic. The A’nimaque-Mianlue ocean subducted northward with low angle, then the subducted slab rolled back during the Late Permian to Middle Triassic, and the ocean closured in the Late Triassic. This model can explain the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the magmatic rocks and sedimentary rocks, as well as Late Triassic uplift and deformation event in the WQO.