Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track Dating

Abstract Stable craton lithosphere can undergo complex tectonic events at its margins due to peripheral tectonic activity. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of zircon U‐Pb dating, apatite and zircon fission‐track thermochronology on the Aktash Tagh complex in the southeastern marg...

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Main Authors: Xiao Hu, Zhiyuan He, Ganqing Xu, Johan DeGrave, Rongfeng Ge, Guangwei Li, Wenbin Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GC011483
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author Xiao Hu
Zhiyuan He
Ganqing Xu
Johan DeGrave
Rongfeng Ge
Guangwei Li
Wenbin Zhu
author_facet Xiao Hu
Zhiyuan He
Ganqing Xu
Johan DeGrave
Rongfeng Ge
Guangwei Li
Wenbin Zhu
author_sort Xiao Hu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Stable craton lithosphere can undergo complex tectonic events at its margins due to peripheral tectonic activity. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of zircon U‐Pb dating, apatite and zircon fission‐track thermochronology on the Aktash Tagh complex in the southeastern margin of the Tarim Craton. The obtained apatite fission‐track ages range from ∼219 Ma to ∼104 Ma, while the zircon fission‐track ages span from ∼1,400 Ma to ∼100 Ma. The zircon U‐Pb ages from double dating of 261 grains range from ∼3.6 Ga to ∼1.9 Ga. The complexity of our zircon fission‐track ages is attributed to the presence of both high‐retentive zircons and low‐retentive zircons. High‐retentive zircons indicate that the samples have not been exposed to temperatures above the zircon fission‐track reset temperature (∼350°C) since about 1.0 Ga. We can identify in the study area reheating events at ∼2.0–1.9 Ga and post 1.4 Ga, as well as cooling events at ∼1.9–1.8 Ga, ∼1.4 Ga, and ∼1.0 Ga. We conducted inverse thermal history modeling using QTQt software that revealed two significant thermo‐tectonic events: (a) rapid rock cooling during the Middle to Late Jurassic, and (b) renewed rapid cooling from the Oligocene to the present day. The former cooling event may have been related to the collision between the Lhasa Block and the southern margin of Asia, while the latter is generally linked to the far‐field effects of the India‐Eurasia collision.
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spelling doaj-art-fb9696ceda5c4d75bebb0cb9bea1df972025-08-20T02:48:23ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272025-03-01263n/an/a10.1029/2024GC011483Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track DatingXiao Hu0Zhiyuan He1Ganqing Xu2Johan DeGrave3Rongfeng Ge4Guangwei Li5Wenbin Zhu6State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research School of Earth Sciences and Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing ChinaLaboratory for Mineralogy and Petrology Department of Geology Ghent University Ghent BelgiumEarth Sciences School of Science University of Waikato Hamilton New ZealandLaboratory for Mineralogy and Petrology Department of Geology Ghent University Ghent BelgiumState Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research School of Earth Sciences and Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing ChinaState Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research School of Earth Sciences and Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing ChinaState Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research School of Earth Sciences and Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing ChinaAbstract Stable craton lithosphere can undergo complex tectonic events at its margins due to peripheral tectonic activity. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of zircon U‐Pb dating, apatite and zircon fission‐track thermochronology on the Aktash Tagh complex in the southeastern margin of the Tarim Craton. The obtained apatite fission‐track ages range from ∼219 Ma to ∼104 Ma, while the zircon fission‐track ages span from ∼1,400 Ma to ∼100 Ma. The zircon U‐Pb ages from double dating of 261 grains range from ∼3.6 Ga to ∼1.9 Ga. The complexity of our zircon fission‐track ages is attributed to the presence of both high‐retentive zircons and low‐retentive zircons. High‐retentive zircons indicate that the samples have not been exposed to temperatures above the zircon fission‐track reset temperature (∼350°C) since about 1.0 Ga. We can identify in the study area reheating events at ∼2.0–1.9 Ga and post 1.4 Ga, as well as cooling events at ∼1.9–1.8 Ga, ∼1.4 Ga, and ∼1.0 Ga. We conducted inverse thermal history modeling using QTQt software that revealed two significant thermo‐tectonic events: (a) rapid rock cooling during the Middle to Late Jurassic, and (b) renewed rapid cooling from the Oligocene to the present day. The former cooling event may have been related to the collision between the Lhasa Block and the southern margin of Asia, while the latter is generally linked to the far‐field effects of the India‐Eurasia collision.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GC011483Tarim CratonArchean basement rockszirconapatitefission‐track thermochronology
spellingShingle Xiao Hu
Zhiyuan He
Ganqing Xu
Johan DeGrave
Rongfeng Ge
Guangwei Li
Wenbin Zhu
Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track Dating
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
Tarim Craton
Archean basement rocks
zircon
apatite
fission‐track thermochronology
title Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track Dating
title_full Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track Dating
title_fullStr Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track Dating
title_full_unstemmed Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track Dating
title_short Thermo‐Tectonic History of Archean Basement Rocks in the Aktash Tagh, Southeastern Tarim Craton: Constraints From Zircon U‐Pb, Zircon and Apatite Fission‐Track Dating
title_sort thermo tectonic history of archean basement rocks in the aktash tagh southeastern tarim craton constraints from zircon u pb zircon and apatite fission track dating
topic Tarim Craton
Archean basement rocks
zircon
apatite
fission‐track thermochronology
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GC011483
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