“Grenvillian” intra-plate mafic magmatism in the southwestern Yangtze Block, SW China

• The basalts in the Julin Group in the western Yangtze Block have ages at ∼1.05 Ga.
• Primary magma of the basalts was derived from a depleted mantle.
• The metabasalts have formed in a continent rifting setting.
• This work does not support the existence of a Grenvillian orogenic belt in SW YZB.
• There is no evidence that the YZB was located in the central part of Rodinia.

Tectonic affinity of Grenvillian magmatism in the South China Block is important for understanding the role of the block in the reconstruction of the Rodinia supercontinent during the Mesoproterozoic. In the southwestern Yangtze Block, South China, late Mesoproterozoic metabasalts occur as layers in the Pudeng Formation of the Julin Group. Most metabasalts are highly metamorphosed to be amphibolites composed of dominantly plagioclase and amphibole with minor Fe–Ti oxides, titanite and apatite. Two metabasalt samples have identical zircon U–Pb ages of ∼1050 Ma. These basalts are tholeiitic in compositions and have high and variable TiO2 (1.1–3.2 wt.%) and low Mg# values (=Mg/(Mg + Fe2+); 35–60). In the primitive mantle-normalized diagram, they are characterized by enrichments in Th, Nb, Ta and light REE without significant Zr–Hf–Nb–Ta–Ti anomalies. The samples have ɛNd(t) values ranging from −1.4 to +4.0 and their zircon grains have ɛHf(t) values from −1.7 to +11.0. The low Mg# values and Cr (55.1–261 ppm) and Ni (13.5–76.5 ppm) contents suggest fractional crystallization of olivine and/or clinopyroxene, whereas minor negative Eu anomalies indicates slightly fractional crystallization of plagioclase. High positive ɛNd(t) and ɛHf(t) values suggest derivation of the parental magma from a depleted asthenospheric mantle source. On the other hand, variable ɛNd(t) and ɛHf(t) values and La/Sm and Nb/La ratios are consistent with significant crustal assimilation by the Paleoproterozoic rocks in the region. These samples have high Ti and Ti/V ratios (mostly >40), typical of within-plate basalts. In the Zr–Nb–Y and Th–Ta–Hf diagrams for tectonic discrimination, the samples with least crustal contamination are plotted in the ‘within-plate’ and ‘E-MORB’ fields, indicating an intra-continental rifting setting. In view of subsequent Neoproterozoic arc magmatic activities (950–730 Ma) in the region, we suggest that these basalts were likely produced at a rifting basin in a passive margin. Results presented here demonstrate that the Grenville-age magmatism in the southwestern Yangtze Block was not orogenic in origin, thus arguing against the existence of Grenvillian Orogen in the region that was traditionally used to place the South China Block in the central part of the Rodinia supercontinent.