Picrodolerite Dikes of the Naryn River: Age, Composition, and Position in the Geological History of Southern Tuva (Central Asian Orogenic Belt)

Abstract

New evidence of the Early Silurian sublithospheric magmatic activity in the eastern part of the Altai–Sayan orogen has been obtained. This activity occurred between large-scale mantle-derived magmatic episodes of the Middle–Late Ordovician and Devonian. It involved high-Mg (15–22 wt % MgO) picritic dolerite dikes of the Naryn complex in the western part of the Tuva–Mongolian Superterrane. The dike complex consists of simple picrodolerite dikes and those combined with a central picrodolerite zone and granitoids at contacts with mingling relationships between contrasting rocks. The picrodolerite geochemical signature is similar to enriched basalts of the mid-ocean ridges or intraplate regions and is indicative of a sublithospheric mantle source. Initial picrodolerite melts were formed at a depth of about 120–140 km, a temperature of 1600–1640°C, and a melting degree of up to 20% at a dry peridotite source. These values are consistent with the conditions of the hot spot magmas origin. Granitoids from the combined dikes had a crustal geochemical signature and were formed due to the anatexis of the Tuva–Mongolian Superterrane host rocks initiated by the picrodolerite intrusion. The U–Pb zircon age (SHRIMP-II) of leucogranite from the combined dike is 439 ± 3 Ma interpreted as the age of the Naryn dike complex. The Early Silurian mantle-derived magmatic activity of the Southeastern Tuva most likely caused the migration of the Siberian paleocontinent over the African mantle hot field.