Discovery of a Neoproterozoic granite in the Northern Alxa region, NW China: its age, petrogenesis and tectonic significance

A Neoproterozoic granite (Western Huhetaoergai granite) from the Northern Alxa region, southern Central Asia Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is first recognized by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb zircon dating (889 +/- 8 Ma). It is a highly fractionated potassium-rich calc-alkaline pluton with low epsilon(Nd)(t) (-2.6 to -1.1) and high (Sr-87/Sr-86) (t) (0.727305-0.735626), and is probably derived from a mantle source and assimilated crustal rocks with very high Sr-87/Sr-86. Regional geology implies that it may reflect the existence of a microcontinent, and the formation of the Western Huhetaoergai granite is related to the assembly of Rodinia.National Natural Science Foundation of China [41372225, 41430210]; China Scholarship Council [2010601124]; Swedish Research Council; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm UniversitySCI(E)ARTICLEtrwupku@163.com3512-52315