Spatiotemporal reconstruction of Late Mesozoic silicic large igneous province and related epithermal mineralization in South China: Insights from the Zhilingtou volcanic-intrusive complex

Silicic large igneous provinces (SLIPs) generally reflect large-scale melting of lower crustal materials and represent significant metal reservoirs. The South China Block-Coastal Region (SCB-CR) SLIP hosts several large epithermal deposits. To better understand these deposits, we document the spatiotemporal framework of the host SLIP across the SCB-CR. Using zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical and isotopic analysis, we identify four stages of emplacement. Stage 1 felsophyre (circa 149 Ma) shows a chemical affinity to highly fractionated I-type granites. Stages 2 and 3 of low-Mg felsic volcanics (circa 128 to 111 Ma) and stage 4 felsite (circa 100 Ma) have higher epsilon(Hf)(t) and epsilon(Nd)(t) values than stage 1 felsophyre, suggesting a significant contribution of newly underplated juvenile crust to the magma sources. Stage 4 diabase (circa 101 Ma) was likely produced by melting of subduction. metasomatized asthenospheric mantle. Together with reliable published data, we build a new spatiotemporal framework of volcanics and infer that the majority of the SCB-CR SLIP was related to the gradual northwestward subduction of the Izanagi plate beneath South China in a continental arc setting during circa 170 to 110 Ma, and minor contribution was from the eastward retreat of the subducting slab in a back-arc setting during circa 110 to 90 Ma. We conclude that the large-scale epithermal mineralization was generated by melting of the metal-rich, thin (30-40 km), newly underplated hydrous juvenile crust during the tectonic transition from arc to back-arc settings.