Whole-rock geochemistry and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope systematics of the Late Carboniferous volcanic rocks of the Awulale metallogenic belt in the western Tianshan Mountains (NW China): Petrogenesis and geodynamical implications

• The Dahalajunshan volcanic rocks are calc-alkaline basalt, andesite and rhyolite.
• These rocks were derived from low-degree melting of sub-arc lithospheric mantle.
• The formation of these rocks was controlled by fractional crystallization.
• These studied volcanic rocks (ca. 320 Ma) formed in a continental arc setting.
• The western Tianshan entered into a post-collisional period at 304 to 270 Ma.

The Awulale metallogenic belt (AMB) of the western Tianshan (NW China) includes Late Carboniferous (ca. 320 Ma) ore-bearing volcanic rocks of the Dahalajunshan Formation. The petrogenesis and tectonic setting of these volcanic rocks are important for the understanding of the tectonic evolution and metallogeny of the western Tianshan. This paper presents new major and trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data from the Dahalajunshan volcanic rocks, which are mainly calc-alkaline basaltic trachy-andesite and trachy-andesite with subordinate basalt, trachy-basalt and rhyolite. The variations of major and trace elements in the mafic and intermediate volcanic rocks indicate the fractionation of pyroxene and magnetite or hornblende, magnetite, apatite and plagioclase, respectively, during their petrogenesis. The Dahalajunshan volcanic rocks have similar primitive mantle-normalized diagrams and chondrite-normalized rare-earth element (REE) patterns suggesting their similar mantle source(s). They are characterized by enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light REEs (LREEs), depletion in heavy REEs (LaN/YbN ≈ 2.80 to 9.59) and high field strength elements (HFSEs) and εNd(t) ranging from + 1.2 to + 6.0 at 86Sr/87Sr(t) = 0.7047–0.7063 and 206Pb/204Pbi = 17.49–18.19. Both the geochemical and isotopic data indicate that the volcanic rocks were probably derived by low-degree melting of sub-arc lithospheric mantle modified by fluids in a continental arc setting. Our obtained results, in conjunction with previous published data, allow us to suggest that the southward subduction of Junggar oceanic crust continued until the Late Carboniferous and was followed by a tectonic shift from continental arc to post-collisional extension environment.

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