Newly Identified A-type Granite in Western Yangtze Block and Its Geochemistry Characteristics: Evidence for Ridge Subduction beneath the South China Craton

Numerous Neoproterozoic granitic intrusions occur over a north-south distance of more than 700 km in the western Yangtze Block. In this paper, we use zircon U-Pb age, Lu-Hf isotopic, and whole-rock geochemical data to show that the Shimian granitic pluton, which was previously thought to be S-type granite in the area, is actually A-type granite. The selected fresh samples for this study are mainly porphyritic biotite monzogranites. They are weak peraluminous, A₂-subtype granites, displaying high contents of SiO₂ and K₂O, low CaO, and Na₂O, with the characteristics of high silica, rich potassium, and low sodium. They are enriched in incompatible trace elements, but low in trace elements compatible in mafic silicates and feldspars, and they are chemically characterized by having high REE and Ga abundances and low Al, Ni, Ba, Sr, and Eu abundances. The major and trace element behavior suggests that the granites underwent the process of advanced fractional crystallization and were likely generated by crustal partial melting. Zircon U-Pb age shows the Shimian granitic pluton was emplaced at 728 ± 20 Ma. The studied granites yield an average ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf value of 0.282363 (ε_Hf = 0.8) with a 94% confidence interval of 0.282334 to 0.282384 (ε_Hf = −0.1 to 1.7), indicating that they are derived from the remelting of juvenile continental crust. We suggest that this newly identified A-type granite at Shimian, southwestern China, was more plausibly generated in an extensional setting as a result of slab window caused by ridge subduction, which can account not only for the formation of voluminous granitoids, but also for the basalts, boninitic pillow lavas, and SSZ-type ophiolites in western Yangtze Block.