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Geochronology and geochemistry of the Airikenqiken granite, Central Tianshan Terrane, Xinjiang, China: implications for petrogenesis and continental growth

The Central Tianshan terrane (CTT) is part of the southwestern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Since the collision between CTT and Tarim block marks the termination of the South Tianshan Ocean in the southwestern corner of the CAOB, the CTT is regarded as a key area for understanding the tectonic evolution of the CAOB. The Airikenqiken granitic pluton is located ~30 km to the northwest of Baluntai town in the eastern part of CTT. Here we report a zircon LA-ICP-MS U–Pb age of 320.1 ± 3.3 Ma for the granite. Geochemically, the pluton is characterized by a high concentration of SiO2 (71.01–73.58 wt.%) and relatively low contents of MgO (0.28–0.5 wt.%), Cr (1–10 ppm), and Ni (~2 ppm). The rocks show enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and significantly negative Nb, Ta, Ti, and P anomalies. Light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment and slightly negative Eu anomalies are also displayed. Zircon εHf(t) values at ~320 Ma range from – 1.1 to +12.2. Our data suggest that the parental magma of the pluton was generated by partial melting of a thickened garnet-bearing, amphibolite facies lower crust. The magma was contaminated by ancient crustal components en route to the shallow crust. Together with the information from previous studies on the Central and South Tianshan Mountains, we propose that the Airikenqiken granite formed in a post-collisional setting and that the late Palaeozoic continental growth of CTT involved the input of juvenile components.