The transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision is a key stage in the evolution of ancient orogens. We present new data for Early Cretaceous diorite and granite porphyry from northecentral Tibet to constrain the evolution of the BangongeNujiang Tethyan Ocean (BNTO). The diorites have moderate SiO2 and high MgO contents, similar to high-Mg andesites. Zircon grains yield UePb ages of 128e124 Ma and positive εHf(t) values between þ13.2 and þ 16.3, corresponding to Hf depleted-mantle model ages (TDM) of 281e131 Ma. The high-Mg diorite was probably formed by
partial melting of hydrous mantle wedge flfluxed by slab-derived flfluids in an oceanic subduction setting. The granite porphyries yield zircon UePb ages of 117e115 Ma and zircon εHf(t) values ranging from þ0.1 to þ4.5. Most samples have high SiO2 and Fe2O3T contents, variable FeOT /MgO and Ga/Al ratios, and are depleted in Ba, Sr, P, and Ti, similar to I- and A-type granites. The granite porphyries were most likely derived from
partial melting of juvenile dioritic or granodioritic crust due to break-off of the BNTO lithosphere following collision between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks. The Early Cretaceous high-Mg diorite and Atype granite porphyry thus record the Early Cretaceous transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision along the BangongeNujiang suture zone (BNSZ).
© 2019 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.