Geochronology, geochemistry, and Sr–Nd isotopes of Permian dike swarms in the Beishan orogenic belt, southernmost Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Petrogenesis and implications for geodynamic setting

Permian mafic dikes crop out widely within Beishan area in the southernmost Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). These mantle-derived products provide important clues for elucidating the genesis and geodynamic setting of Permian magmatism. The mafic dikes within the Beishan area display zircons U–Pb ages of 281 ± 4 Ma. Characterized by low SiO₂ (44.88–47.73 wt.%) and high Mg^# values (62.2–68.6), the type 1 dikes are relatively depleted in light rare earth elements (LREEs; (La/Yb)_n = 0.72–1.43) but enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs). They show high positive ε_Nd(t) values (6.6–8.5) with a range of (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_<i>i</i> (0.703477–0.705789) ratios. In contrast, the type 2 dikes have higher SiO₂ content (47.47–51.13 wt.%) and lower Mg^# (40.9–63.0). They are enriched in LREEs ((La/Yb)_n = 1.79–5.02) and LILEs, and have lower ε_Nd(t) values (3.8–7.4) with a variable range of (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_<i>i</i> (0.702873–0.706949) ratios. Thus, the type 1 dikes resulted from lower degrees of fractional crystallization and contamination than the type 2 dikes. Considering the LILEs and Pb enrichments, high field strength elements depletions, and high Ba/Th (86–460) ratios, the mantle source was metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. These dikes should be derived from high degrees (&gt;20%) of partial melting of a Sr–Nd isotope-depleted, phlogopite-bearing spinel lherzolite lithospheric mantle according to their high Rb/Sr (0.04–0.24), low Ba/Rb (0.9–3.3), low La/Sm, and constant Sm/Yb ratios in addition to Sr–Nd depletion. Combined with the coeval evidence of regional geology and novel tectonic discriminate diagrams, we suggest that the mafic dikes in Beishan area formed in arc-related setting rather than intracontinental setting during the Permian. The metasomatized lithospheric mantle by subduction-related fluids were heated by upwelling asthenosphere mantle triggered by the slab roll-back, resulting in the formation of the parental magma of the mafic dikes.