The provenance of upper Cretaceous strata in the Tethys Himalaya provides critical constraints on the closure time of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and the initial India–Asia collision. This paper reports ...detailed petrographic studies, in-situ detrital zircon U–Pb ages and Lu–Hf isotopic analyses, whole rock Nd-isotopes, and Cr–spinel electronic microprobe data from upper Cretaceous clastic sedimentary rocks of the Tethys Himalaya near Gyangze, southern Tibet. The Berriasian–Coniacian Jiabula Formation consists of black mudstone, chert and minor quartz arenite, and is dominated by detrital zircons with Archean–Cambrian U–Pb ages which were most likely derived from the Indian continent. Overlying conformably is the Santonian–Maastrichtian Chuangde Formation, which consists of red shale, limestone and chert. The Chuangde Formation is in turn overlain by the late Maastrichtian–late Paleocene Zongzhuo Formation, which is composed of black mudstone and lithic sandstone enclosing various olistoliths of sandstone, limestone and chert. The Rilang conglomerate is a lens which is located within the upper part of the Zongzhuo Formation and consists of an upward-thinning and fining succession of volcanic conglomerate, sandstone and black mudstone. The Zongzhuo Formation and the Rilang conglomerate record an abrupt influx of Cretaceous zircon grains with juvenile Hf isotopic compositions, arc-related Cr–spinels and positive εNd
(0) sediments, suggesting an arc and suture-zone provenance. The change in provenance of upper Cretaceous strata from the southern Indian continent to a northern arc and suture zone is attributed to either (1) initial collision between the Indian plate and Lhasa terrane, or (2) initial collision between the Indian plate and an intra-oceanic arc. We prefer option (1) that the initiation of India–Asia collision occurred during Maastrichtian (~
70–65
Ma).
►The provenance of upper Cretaceous strata in the Tethys Himalaya provides significant constraints on the closing of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and the initial India–Asia collision. ►We carried out a detailed provenance study on the upper Cretaceous clastic sedimentary rocks of the northern Tethys Himalaya, near Gyangze, southern Tibet. ►Provenance drastically changed from the Indian continent to an arc and suture zone during the deposition of the Santonian–Maastrichtian Chuangde Formation. ►The change in provenance of upper Cretaceous strata is attributed to initial collision between the Indian plate and Lhasa terrane during Maastrichtian (70–65
Ma).
The southern Qiangtang magmatic belt was formed by the north-dipping subduction of the Bangong–Nujiang Tethyan Ocean during Mesozoic. To better understand the petrogenesis, time–space distribution ...along the length of this belt, 21 samples of several granitoid bodies, from west to east, in the Bangong Co, Gaize, Dongqiao and Amdo areas were selected for in-situ zircon U–Pb dating, Hf isotopic and whole-rock chemical analyses. The results suggest a prolonged period of magmatic activity (185–84Ma) with two major stages during the Jurassic (185–150Ma) and the Early Cretaceous (126–100Ma). Both the Jurassic and Cretaceous granitoids are high-K calc-alkaline I-type rocks, except the Cretaceous two-mica granite from Amdo in the east, which belongs to S-type. The granitoids are generated from different source materials as indicated by zircon Hf isotopic compositions. The Bangong Co and Dongqiao granitoids show high zircon εHf(t) values of −1.3–13.6 with younger TDMC ages of 293–1263Ma, suggesting a relatively juvenile source; whereas the Gaize and Amdo granitoids have low εHf(t) values of −16.1–2.9 with older TDMC ages of 999–2024Ma, indicating an old crustal contribution. These source rocks melt at different P–T conditions as suggested by Sr/Y ratio and TZr. The Sr/Y ratio of both stage granitoids increases with decreasing age. However, the TZr of the Jurassic granitoids decreases, whereas the TZr of the Cretaceous granitoids increases with decreasing age. The contrasting geochemical signatures of these granitoids may be controlled by the varying contribution of slab-derived fluids involved in the generation of the Jurassic and Cretaceous granitic magmas; i.e. increasing amount of fluids in the Jurassic, whereas decreasing amount of fluids in the Cretaceous. Therefore, it is proposed that the Jurassic and Cretaceous magmatism may be related to subduction and closure of the Bangong–Nujiang Tethyan Ocean, respectively. The age pattern of the Jurassic and Cretaceous granitoids suggests an oblique subduction of the Bangong–Nujiang Tethyan Ocean and a diachronous collision between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks.
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•Systematic study of grantoids in south Qiangtang•Long period of magmatic activity (185 ~ 80 Ma) with two peaks (185 ~ 150 Ma and 126 ~ 100 Ma)•Jurassic and Cretaceous magmatism may be related to subduction and closure of the BNT, respectively•An oblique BNT subduction and a diachronous Lhasa-Qiangtang collision
Paleoelevation reconstruction using oxygen isotopes is making a significant contribution to understanding the Cenozoic uplift of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. This paper presents new oxygen ...and carbon isotopic compositions from well dated Tertiary paleosols, lacustrine calcareous carbonates, and marls from the Nianbo (60–54 Ma) and upper Pana Formations (51–48 Ma) of the Linzizong Group in the Linzhou (Penbo) Basin. The sediments of the Nianbo Formation, which are >180 m-thick, were deposited in alluvial fans, braided rivers, fan deltas, and on nearshore to offshore lacustrine settings, whereas those of the upper Pana Formation are >100 m-thick and are comprised predominantly of proximal alluvial fan and braided river deposits. Correlations between the lithofacies and stable isotopic compositions suggest that the basin was mainly a hydrologically open environment. It is confirmed that the δ18Oc and δ13Cc values from Nianbo and Pana Formations have not yet been reset by late-stage diagenesis based on petrographic examination, oxygen isotope of the fossil ostracodes, and tectonic deformation of strata. The paleoelevations are reconstructed using the corrected most negative paleosurface water δ18Opsw values. These imply that the Linzhou area had attained an elevation of 4500±400 m during the period of the Indo-Asian collision, i.e., achieved a near-present elevation, and may form an Andean-type mountain range stretching the Gangdese arc before collision. The Gangdese Mountains probably maintained high elevations since at least the Paleocene and could play a crucial role in the climate change in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau during the Early Cenozoic. The paleogeomorphic scenario of the Eocene Tibet is proposed to exist at two high mountains in excess of 4500 m that sandwiched a low elevation basin.
•δ18O data of Ostracode analyzed in situ by NanoSIMS rule out diagenetic reset.•The southern Lhasa terrane reached an elevation of 4500 m in Paleocene–Eocene.•Eocene Tibet was two high mountains sandwiched one low corridor.
•We provide Early Permian volcanic paleomagnetic results from northern Qiangtang.•Northern Qiangtang had a paleolatitude of 21.9±4.7°S at ca. 296.9±1.9 Ma.•Northern Qiangtang rifted away from ...Gondwana prior to the Permian.•Northern Qiangtang drifted northward totally ca. 7000 km over ca. 100 myr.•The Qiangtang metamorphic belt is not an in situ Paleo-Tethys suture.
The origin of the northern Qiangtang block and its Late Paleozoic–Early Mesozoic drift history remain controversial, largely because paleomagnetic constraints from pre-Mesozoic units are sparse and of poor quality. In this paper, we provide a robust and well-dated paleomagnetic pole from the Lower Permian Kaixinling Group lavas on the northern Qiangtang block. This pole suggests that the northern Qiangtang block had a paleolatitude of 21.9±4.7°S at ca. 296.9±1.9 Ma. These are the first volcanic-based paleomagnetic results from pre-Mesozoic rocks of the Qiangtang block that appear to average secular variation accurately enough to yield a well-determined paleolatitude estimate. This new pole corroborates the hypothesis, first noted on the basis of less rigorous paleomagnetic data, the presence of diamictites, detrital zircon provenance records, and faunal assemblages, that the northern Qiangtang block rifted away from Gondwana prior to the Permian. Previous studies have documented that the northern Qiangtang block accreted to the Tarim-North China continent by Norian time. We calculate a total northward drift of ca. 7000 km over ca. 100 myr, which corresponds to an average south-north plate velocities of ∼7.0 cm/yr. Our results do not support the conclusion that northern Qiangtang has a Laurasian affinity, nor that the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt is an in situ Paleo-Tethys suture. Our analysis, however, does not preclude paleogeographies that interpret the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt as an intra-Qiangtang suture that developed at southernly latitudes outboard of the Gondwanan margin. We emphasize that rigorous paleomagnetic data from Carboniferous units of northern Qiangtang and especially upper Paleozoic units from southern Qiangtang can test and further refine these paleogeographic interpretations.
•Carbonate clumped isotopes validate the preservation of primary carbonate of the Gonjo Basin in the early and middle Eocene.•The Gonjo Basin was low (0.7 km) in the early Eocene and rose to 3.8 km ...in the middle Eocene.•Rapid uplift was induced by intracontinental subduction between the Lhasa and Qiangtang terrains.
Views differ on the uplift history of the SE Tibetan Plateau and causal geodynamic mechanisms, yet reliable age-constrained paleoaltimetry in this region could test growth models of the entire plateau. Here we apply carbonate clumped isotope thermometry to well-dated carbonate paleosols and marls in the Gonjo Basin, SE Tibet, to reveal the topographic evolution of the basin. The sedimentary ages of carbonates of the lower and upper Ranmugou Formation are constrained to 54-50 Ma and 44-40 Ma, respectively. The temperature derived from carbonate clumped isotope thermometry indicates the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) of the Gonjo Basin in the early Eocene was ∼24°C, which is consistent with the warm climate indicated by palm fossils. The MAAT of the basin in the middle Eocene was ∼7°C, 17°C cooler than in the early Eocene. Carbonate clumped oxygen isotope thermometry-based paleoaltimetry shows the Gonjo Basin experienced a rapid uplift of 3.1 km, from ∼0.7 km in the early Eocene to ∼3.8 km in the middle Eocene. This rise explains the marked cooling. As a cause of this rapid rise, and the associated regional climate change transforming the landscape from desert to forest, we invoke crustal deformation and thickening induced by intracontinental subduction between the Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes that comprise the core of the Tibet.
The Mesozoic strata, within the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone in central Tibet, recorded critical information about the subduction-accretion processes of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean prior to the ...Lhasa-Qiangtang collision. This paper reports detailed field observations, petrographic descriptions, sandstone detrital zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic analyses from an accretionary complex (preserved as Mugagangri Group) and the unconformably overlying Shamuluo Formation near Gaize. The youngest detrital zircon ages, together with other age constraints from literature, suggest that the Mugagangri Group was deposited during late Triassic-early Jurassic, while the Shamuluo Formation was deposited during late Jurassic-early Cretaceous. Based on the differences in lithology, age and provenance, the Mugagangri Group is subdivided into the upper, middle and lower subunits. These units are younging structurally downward/southward, consistent with models of progressive off-scrapping and accretion in a southward-facing subduction complex. The upper subunit, comprising mainly quartz-sandstone and siliceous mud/shale, was deposited in abyssal plain environment close to the Qiangtang passive margin during late Triassic, with sediments derived from the southern Qiangtang block. The middle and lower subunits comprise mainly lithic-quartz-sandstone and mud/shale, containing abundant ultramafic/ophiolitic fragments. The middle subunit, of late Triassic-early Jurassic age, records a transition in tectono-depositional setting from abyssal plain to trench-wedge basin, with sudden influx of sediments sourced from the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt and northern Qiangtang magmatic belt. The appearance of ultramafic/ophiolitic fragments in the middle subunit reflects the subduction initiation. The lower subunit was deposited in a trench-wedge basin during early Jurassic, with influx of Jurassic-aged zircons originating from the newly active southern Qiangtang magmatic arc. The lower subunit records the onset of arc magmatism related to the northward subduction of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean. The Shamuluo Formation, comprising mainly lithic-feldspar-sandstone with limestone interlayers, was deposited in a post-collisional residual-sea or pre-collisional trench-slope basin, with sediments derived entirely from the Qiangtang block.
•The Mugagangri Group is explained as a southward-facing accretionary complex.•The Shamuluo Formation was deposited in a residual-sea or trench-slope basin.•The northward subduction of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean began at ~195–190Ma.•The associated arc-magmatism in southern Qiangtang block initiated at ~185Ma.
The Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision closed the Meso‐Tethys Ocean, but the exact timing of this event remains hotly debated. Here, we present geochronological and paleomagnetic analyses conducted on ...Cretaceous volcanics from western Qiangtang to constrain the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western Tibet. Our investigations yield a paleolatitude of ∼30.5 ± 5.0°N for western Qiangtang during ca. 110–100 Ma. A reanalysis of previously acquired Mesozoic‐Cenozoic paleomagnetic data from western Qiangtang suggests a stationary position during ca. 136–34 Ma. Examination of paleomagnetic data from western Lhasa reveals a significant reduction in northward paleolatitudinal motion during the Early Cretaceous, dropping from ∼12.3 cm/yr to nearly zero. Integration of our paleomagnetic findings with available geological records has led to conclude that the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western Tibet occurred at ca. 132 Ma. Additionally, we infer that crustal shortening on the order of ∼1,000 km happened between Lhasa and Qiangtang during the Early Cenozoic.
Plain Language Summary
The Tibetan Plateau comprises multiple different blocks, which originated from the Gondwana in the southern hemisphere. Their convergence histories toward Euraisa have changed the global land‐sea distributions since the Late Paleozoic. The time at which the Lhasa block, one of the Tibetan blocks, accreted to the Qiangtang block to the north remains poorly constrained. In this work, we provide robust data suggesting a latitude of ∼30.5 ± 5.0°N for western Qiangtang during the Early Cretaceous (ca. 110–100 Ma). We also compiled the available latitudinal data from western Tibet in combination with geological observations. We suggest Lhasa collided with Qiangtang during 132 million years ago in western Tibet. Significant shortening of the continental crust by ∼1,000 km between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks occurred after their collision.
Key Points
Western Qiangtang had a paleolatitude of ∼30.5 ± 5.0°N at ca. 110–100 Ma
A substantial decrease in the paleolatitudinal motion of western Lhasa occurred in the Early Cretaceous
The Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western Tibet occurred at ca. 132 Ma
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