Composition, structure and tectonic analysis of the Shangrimuce arc-continent collision zone on the northern margin of the Central Qilian, NW China

A 1:50000 regional survey, covering an area of about 2000 km², was carried out in the Shangrimuce area of Qilian Mountain in Northwest China. The results show that during Caledonian, the northern margin of the Central Qilian block experienced collision with mature island arcs and subsequently northward expansion. In the Shangrimuce study area, five geological units have been identified; they are, form south to north, back-arc basin, early Ordovician island arc, inter arc basin, middle Late Ordovician island arc, and fore-arc and oceanic lithosphere amalgamation zone. 

(1) back-arc basin. In the Yangyuchi- Shule River- Cuorigang- Wawusi area, there may be a back-arc spreading basin, and there should be spreading basins in this area. It is speculated that there was a northward reverse subduction in the late Ordovician, accompanied by a syenite body, a broad spectrum dyke swarms and an accretionary wedge zone in the whole area.

(2) early Ordovician island arc. In the Shangrimuce-Dander area, the Proterozoic basement granitic gneiss, the early Ordovician island arc block and the high-pressure geological body all occur in the form of thrust horses, forming a double metamorphic belt, which reveals the existence of ocean subduction to south in the early Ordovician. 

(3) inter arc basin. On both banks of Tuolai River to the east of Yanglong Township, there are early Middle Ordovician inter-arc basins with oceanic crust. 

(4) middle Late Ordovician island arc. To the north of Tuolai River, there is a middle Late Ordovician island arc belt. Both sides of the island arc zone experienced strong ductile shear deformation, which recorded a complex arc-continent collision. 

(5) fore-arc and oceanic lithosphere amalgamation zone (Fig.1). The Yushigou area has developed a fore-arc and oceanic lithospheric amalgamation zone, with weakly deformed fore-arc flysch basin, strongly deformed siliceous rocks, pillow Basalt, diabase, gabbro, peridotite and other rock assemblages.

Combined with the characteristics of arc-continent collision zone in the Western Pacific, there are two stages of shear zone series (Fig.2). One is ductile shear zones formed by the South dipping gneissic belt, revealing the existence of oceanic subduction accretion wedge and emplacement of high-pressure rocks. Another superimposed one is north dipping. This indicates that the arc-continent collision caused by back-arc reverse subduction, which ultimately controls the overall geometric and kinematic characteristics of the shear zones in the region.

Figure 1 United sections showing a Caledonian trench-arc system in the Qilian Mountain, NW China.

Figure 2 Structural analysis at Hongyahuo, indicating two stages of deformation.

The research has been supported by projects from the Ministry of Land and Resources (No.201211024-04; 1212011121188) and the 2020 undergraduate class construction project from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (No. HHSKE202003).