SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age and significance of Early Paleozoic volcanic rocks in East Kunlun orogenic belt, Qinghai Province, China

Early Paleozoic volcanic rocks in Nuomuhong area occurred as basalt slice and meta-volcanic slice. SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of the basalt slice and the meta-volcanic slice show that the age of the basalt slice is 419 +/- 5 Ma, and that of the meta-volcanic slice is 401 +/- 6 Ma. These ages directly testify that there existed Early Paleozoic ocean-continent transform in East Kunlun, the basalt slice was formed in an extensional mid-ocean ridge setting and the meta-volcanic rock slice was formed in an extrusion subduction and collision setting. The inherited zircon age of 1734 Ma in volcanic rocks reflects that the base of East Kunlun may be Middle Proterozoic.