Subduction of solidifying melt lens beneath ultraslow-spreading ridges revealed by (Grt-)amphibolites and dolerites in the Xiugugabu ophiolitic melange, southwestern Tibet

Ridge subduction is an inevitable process during the evolution history of a vanished ocean. Due to its special characteristics, such as buoyant density, high heat fluxes and active magmatism, subduction of a ridge segment would leave specific fingerprints of high geothermal gradients and unique metamorphism. Therefore, investigations on ridge subduction could provide invaluable details of the evolution of oceanic lithosphere, and also help to understand the emplacement and preservation mechanism of worldwide ophiolites. This study mainly focuses on the mafic blocks of garnet-(Grt-)free and Grt-bearing amphibolites, foliated dolerites and dolerite dykes intruding into other blocks outcropped in the Xiugugabu ophiolitic me ' langes of the west segment of the Yarlung-Tsangpo Suture Zone (YTSZ). On the basis of the detailed field, petrographical and geochemical investigations, combined with previous research on the other YTSZ ophiolites, this study highlights that the (grt-) amphibolites in the ophiolitic melange are metamorphosed products under conditions of high geothermal gradients with protoliths to be subducted cumulate layered gabbros, which were likely to be newly crystallized in solidifying melt lenses beneath ridges. Hence, the generation of the XGGB ophiolite was contemporary with NeoTethyan ridge subduction. Intruding dolerite dykes show identical U-Pb ages to their intruded metamorphic soles, indicating that these amphibolites had gone through extremely rapid exhumation after peak conditions. Finally, scenarios of ridge destruction and subduction were proposed to complete the evolution history of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean and to provide an explanation for ophiolite emplacement and extremely rapid exhumation of metamorphic soles.

Automated summary

Ridge subduction is an inevitable process during the evolution of a vanished ocean, and studying it can provide valuable insights into the evolution of oceanic lithosphere. This study reveals that certain rocks in ophiolitic melanges are formed under high geothermal gradients. Additionally, intruding dykes and their metamorphic soles have the same ages, indicating rapid exhumation of these rocks.