Adakite-like geochemical signature produced by amphibole-dominated fractionation of arc magmas: An example from the Late Cretaceous magmatism in Gangdese belt, south Tibet

Late Cretaceous (~ 106-76 Ma) adakite-like intrusive rocks in the middle-eastern Gangdese belt occur in an E-W trending belt paralleling the Indus-Yarlung suture, south Tibet. Their petrogenesis and geodynamic processes have been a subject of debate. We report here U-Pb zircon ages, geochemical and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data for adakite-like intrusive rocks as well as the normal arc rocks (gabbros and gabbroic diorites) in the middle Gangdese belt. LA-ICPMS U-Pb zircon analyses yielded an identical age of ~ 88 Ma for two adakite-like rocks, which are slightly younger than the gabbro and gabbroic diorite (ca. 94-90 Ma). Both the adakite-like rocks and the normal arc rocks have similar whole-rock Sr-Nd and zircon Hf isotope compositions, indicating that they have been derived from a common source. Similarly, the adakite-like and normal arc intrusive rocks in the eastern Gangdese belt also show similar Sr-Nd-Hf isotope compositions. In the middle-eastern Gangdese belt, the > 85 Ma Late Cretaceous intrusive rocks consist of a magma series from gabbro to granodiorite, including both normal arc rocks and adakite-like rocks. These rocks overlap in space and time that conform to a normal arc differentiation trend. In terms of major and trace elements, they also show a clear evolution from the normal arc magmatic into adakitic field. Thus, we suggest that these > 85 Ma Late Cretaceous intrusive rocks were ultimately derived from melting of the hydrated mantle wedge and the adakite-like rocks can be generated in normal arc magmas by amphibole-dominated fractionation. Taking into accounting for the spatial and temporal distribution of the Cretaceous magmatic rocks in the Lhasa terrane, we prefer a model of early Late Cretaceous rollback following Early Cretaceous low-angle oceanic slab subduction. At intermediate pressure and H2O-rich conditions, fractionation of amphibole changes the major and trace element compositions of arc magmas, and will efficiently drives basaltic composition to andesitic composition in arc magmas.