Origin of Early Paleozoic garnet peridotite and associated garnet pyroxenite in the south Altyn Tagh, NW China: Constraints from geochemistry, SHRIMP U–Pb zircon dating and Hf isotopes

• Garnet peridotites were derived from Neoproterozoic ultramafic intrusive rocks.
• The peak metamorphic event is at ∼500 Ma.
• Garnet peridotite and host felsic granulite shared a coeval metamorphic and geodynamic evolution.

Garnet peridotite, garnet pyroxenite, mafic granulite and dominant felsic granulite constitute a high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) metamorphic terrane in the south Altyn Tagh, North Tibet (China). Garnet peridotite and associated garnet pyroxenite occur as slices or lenses within high pressure felsic granulite. Previous studies indicate that garnet peridotite experienced the peak HP/HT metamorphism, followed by a medium pressure granulite-facies overprint. However, the origin of the garnet peridotite and associated garnet pyroxenite remains controversial. In this contribution, we present new zircon U–Pb and Hf isotopic data and whole-rock major, trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the representative garnet peridotites and associated garnet pyroxenites. SHRIMP U–Pb dating on the inherited (magmatic) zircons from the garnet peridotites gave an U–Pb age of ca. 780 Ma, which is interpreted as the age of the ultramafic magma crystallization. The metamorphic zircons yield an age of ca. 500 Ma, which is consistent with the Sm–Nd isochron age of 493 ± 24 Ma for whole rock, garnet and clinoproxene from a garnet pyroxenite, representing the timing of peak metamorphism. The Baishiwake garnet peridotites and garnet pyroxenites show relatively high contents in Fe2O3, TiO2, P2O5, Nb, Zr, and Y, but significantly low MgO, Cr, A12O3 and Ni contents. They possess enriched LREE, nearly flat HREE, slightly positive Eu anomaly and weak negative anomalies in Nb and Ti. The relatively high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.707–0.710) and low 143Nd/144Nd ratios (0.5123–0.5124) imply a possible crust contamination prior to HP metamorphism. Integrating these data together with previous studies, we suggest that the Bashiwake garnet peridotites and associated garnet pyroxenites were derived from mantle-derived magmas which intruded into the continental crust during the Neoproterozoic and then experienced a common HP/HT metamorphism with felsic crustal rocks in the Early Paleozoic (ca. 500 Ma).