Late Mesozoic Carbonatite of Central Asia

Abstract

Late Mesozoic carbonatites of Central Asia are developed within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and adjacent territories of the Siberian and North China platforms. In terms of their structural position, age, geochemical characteristics, and other parameters, they differ from other carbonatite occurrences of Central Asia and are distinguished as the Late Mesozoic carbonatite province in Central Asia. The province includes separate areas of carbonatite magmatism, the geological position of which is determined by the relation with Late Mesozoic rift zones of intracontinental Asia. The carbonatites were formed within a relatively narrow time range (between 150 and 118 Ma) at the early evolution stages of these zones. The carbonatite-bearing complexes of the province are represented by subolcanic and volcanic associations of silicate rocks, carbonatites, magmatic non-silicate rocks (phosphates, sulfates, and others), as well as products of hydrothermal activity. The carbonatites are characterized by diverse composition and include calciocarbonatites, magnesiocarbonatites, and ferrocarbonatites. The silicate rocks are dominated by K–Na and K intermediate rocks. All these rocks have similar geochemical features determined by the elevated contents of LREE, Sr, Ba, and Pb, at low Nb and Ta contents. The typomorphic minerals of carbonatites of the province, in addition to carbonates, are fluorite, Ba and Sr sulfates or carbonates, LREE F-carbonates, and apatite. Unaltered carbonatites are enriched in ¹⁸О and ¹³С relative to mantle values, but in general fall within the compositional range of carbonatites around the world. Hydrothermal and supergene processes modified the mineral composition of carbonatites, which was accompanied by a change of the initial Sr, O, and C isotope composition. The Sr and Nd isotope composition of rocks of carbonatite complexes of the province in general depends on the age of the basement of a definite volcanic area. Carbonatites and associated silicate rocks have close isotope characteristics, but carbonatites usually show relative enrichment in (⁸⁷Sr) and depletion in radiogenic neodymium (¹⁴³Nd). The formation of the Late Mesozoic carbonatite province is related to the activity of mantle plumes, which controlled the Late Mesozoic magmatism in Central Asia. The plumes obviously were accompanied by fluid flows enriched in СО₂, F, and S. This caused the enrichment of lithospheric mantle in volatile components, as well as REE, Sr, Ba, and K, which were extracted by a fluid en route to the surface. Subsequent melting of metasomatized mantle produced parental melts of carbonate-bearing rock complexes.