Early Paleozoic monzodiorite–granodiorite association in the northeastern flank of the South Mongolia–Khingan orogenic belt (Nora–Sukhotinsky Terrane): Age and tectonic setting

The paper presents the results of U–Pb geochronological and geochemical studies of the rocks of the monzodiorite–granodiorite association in the northeastern flank of the South Mongolia–Khingan orogenic belt, which composes a tectonic block among the provisionally Lower Paleozoic volcanosedimentary complexes of the Nora–Sukhotinsky Terrane. It is shown that the studied rocks have similar petrographic features (with the presence of transitional varieties) and form common trends in the petrographic diagrams. This suggests that they are members of a single magmatic association. The geochemical features of the monzodiorites, quartz monzodiorites, and granodiorites, in particular their enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depletion in some HFSE, indicate their similarity with island-arc magmatic rocks. The presence of monzonites and quartz monzonites in the studied monzodiorite–granodiorite association along with high K, Rb, Th, and Pb concentrations gives reasons to believe that it formed in active continental margin or ensialic island-arc environments. The granodiorites of the monzodiorite–granodiorite associations of the Nora–Sukhotinsky Terrane are dated at 440 ± 10 Ma and may be considered as a fragment of the early Silurian active continental margin or ensialic mature island arc in the structure of the South Mongolia–Khingan orogenic belt.