Geochemical, zircon U-Pb-Hf-O isotopic evidence and molybdenite Re-Os dating from the Cuojiaoma batholith, eastern Tibetan Plateau: Implications for molybdenum potential and tectonic evolution

Subduction of oceanic plates beneath continental lithosphere is critical for understanding tectonic evolution and evaluation of prospecting and exploration. Within the Yidun Terrane (YDT) of southwestern China, a number of Mesozoic to Cenozoic granitoid intrusions are exposed and they are useful for investigating the tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Tethys system. However, Mesozoic magmatism of the northern portion of the YDT, remains ambiguous regarding to their magmatic spatial-temporal evolution and their mineralization potential. As the largest pluton in the northern YDT, the Cuojiaoma batholith mainly consists of monzogranite and granodiorite. In this study, we present new zircon U-Pb and molybdenite Re-Os ages, whole-rock geochemical, and zircon Hf-O isotopic data for the Cuojiaoma batholith. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating of granodiorite and monzogranite exhibit ages of 221.8 +/- 1.4 Ma (n = 22, MSWD = 2.4) and 216.7 +/- 2.2 Ma (n = 14, MSWD = 0.03), respectively. A total of 9 molybdenite samples differing Re-Os model ages of 205.4 +/- 3.3 and 220.6 +/- 5.5 Ma, yield a robust weighted mean model age of 209.9 +/- 1.8 Ma (MSWD = 2.4, n = 9) representing the depositional age of molybdenite. The monzogranite and granodiorite's mineralogical and geochemical characteristics indicate they are classified as (medium-) high-K calc-alkaline and metaluminous to weakly peraluminous I-type granite. Geochemically, they are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs, e.g., Rb, U, K) and light rare earth elements (LREEs), and depleted in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs, e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti and P) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), and contain distinctly or slightly negative Eu anomalies and no significant Ce anomalies, indicating an affinity to classical island arc magma. Combined with their negative zircon epsilon(Hf)(t) values (-16.24 to-2.49 and -16.41 to -1.43) and two-stage Hf model ages (2019-1255 Ma and 2027-1200 Ma), plus their zircon delta O-18 values, which range from 5.96 to 8.01 and from 5.05 to 7.61 for monzogranite and granodiorite, respectively, these geochemical indexes indicate that the Cuojiaoma batholith shares similar petrogenesis to other intrusions within the YDT. The formation of the early granodiorite may be genetically related to the slab subduction and is most likely formed by mixture of lower crustal melts and mafic magma derived from partial melting of mantle wedge induced by the influx of slab derived melt (fluid). Subsequent slab break-off and the upwelling asthenosphere at similar to 216 Ma to 210 Ma led to high heat flow and extensive melting of the overlying mantle wedge, followed by the highly crystallization differentiation, which finally contributed to the monzogranite and the subsequential disseminated molybdenite in a post-subduction extension setting. The northern YDT possesses high Mo metallogenic prospectivity, especially for the magmatic activity that dominantly by lower crustal melt and genetically related to the slab break-off occurred at -216 Ma and represented by the highly fractionated granite derived from the large Cuojiaoma granitic batholith.

Automated summary

The study presents new data on the Cuojiaoma batholith in the Yidun Terrane of southwestern China, providing insights into its rock composition, ages, and mineralization potential, which contributes to understanding the geological evolution of the region.