Late Cretaceous-Tertiary magmatic and tectonic events in the Transhimalaya batholith (Kailas area, SW Tibet)

Author(s): Christine Miller, Ralf Schuster, Urs Kloetzli, Wolfgang Frank
Abstract: Major and trace element, single zircon evaporation, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and 40Ar/39Ar data are presented for the igneous rocks of the Andean-type plutonic belt exposed along the southern margin of the Lhasa terrane in SW Tibet. The new data (1) show that the calc-alkaline plutonism is 80 Ma older than previously thought: it started as early as 119 Ma and lasted until about 40 Ma; (2) indicate a range of eruption ages for the associated volcanic rocks of c. 119 to 38 Ma; (3) document the involvement of mantle and crustal components in the genesis of these magmatic rocks: 87Sr/86Sr initial ratios range between 0.7035 and 0.7353; (4) suggest that the intrusion of plutons occurred at crustal depths of c. 0.27-0.65 GPa; (5) confirm and extend previously published models of Cretaceous-Tertiary magmatic and tectonic events: the plutons in the northern part of the batholith had cooled to below 300 °C by 90 Ma, probably due to thrust tectonics. The postcrystallization cooling history of the Kailas pluton in the southern part is characterized by cooling to below 500 °C and exhumation to the surface between 43-23 Ma, probably due to S directed thrusting along the Gangdese thrust. Reheating around 20 Ma documents the activity of the N directed Kailas thrust system.
Organisation(s): Department of Geology
External organisation(s): Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, University of Vienna
Journal: Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen: eine europäische Zeitschrift für Mineralogie, Geochemie und Petrographie
Volume: 80
Pages: 1-20
No. of pages: 20
ISSN: 0036-7699
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5169/seals-60947
Publication date: 2000
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 105101 General geology
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/0adef242-68a8-46be-85ea-811a1a886359

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