Cambrian-Silurian sediments in the southeastern Qilian Orogen, NE Tibetan Plateau: Constraints on crustal and tectonic evolution of microcontinents in the northern Proto-Tethys Ocean

The Qilian Orogen preserves abundant Early Paleozoic records, revealing the tectonic evolution of the northern Proto-Tethys Ocean on the periphery of the northern margin of eastern Gondwana. We present detrital zircon U-Pb and Hf isotopes, and whole-rock element and Nd isotopic geochemical data on the Early Paleozoic sedi-mentary rocks in the southeastern Qilian Orogen. Detrital zircon grains from these rocks are clustered into seven distinct age groups: 495-426 Ma, 710-501 Ma, 1043-726 Ma, 1347-1054 Ma, 2009-1609 Ma, 2874-2274 Ma, and > 3100 Ma. Detrital zircon and geochemical results suggest that their provenances are Early Paleozoic subduction-accretion related rocks, Neoproterozoic basements of the Qilian Block, and recycled sediments from Precambrian units. The whole-rock epsilon Nd(t) values of the sedimentary samples range from -13.0 to 2.5, and the epsilon Hf(t) values of Neoproterozoic-Early Paleozoic detrital zircon grains range from -28.6 to 15. Hf and Nd isotopes indicate marked growth and reworking of the continental crust in the early Neoproterozoic and Ordovician-Early Silurian. As revealed by age spectra of detrital zircon, we infer that the Qilian Block was tectonically related to blocks on the northern margin of eastern Gondwana during the Early Paleozoic, such as the North Qinling, Indochina and South China blocks. We also suggested that the Qilian Block experienced double-sided subduction of the North and South Qilian oceans, and developed sedimentation in the inter-arc and back-arc basins during the Ordovician to earliest Silurian. Finally, sedimentation occurred in an Early Silurian retro-arc foreland basin and Middle Silurian foreland basin during the syn-collisional stage.

Automated summary

The Qilian Orogen in eastern Gondwana is an important region for understanding the tectonic evolution of the northern Proto-Tethys Ocean. This study presents detailed analyses of detrital zircon U-Pb and Hf isotopes, as well as whole-rock element and Nd isotopic geochemistry of Early Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the southeastern Qilian Orogen. The results reveal the provenance and tectonic history of these rocks, showing that the Qilian Block was tectonically related to neighboring blocks during the Early Paleozoic. The double-sided subduction of the North and South Qilian oceans and the development of sedimentation in different basins during the Ordovician to Silurian stages are also inferred.