Detrital zircon populations of the South Qiangtang terrane, central Tibetan Plateau, and their implications for Tethyan evolution

Detrital zircon populations of the South Qiangtang terrane (SQT) provide vital information for reconstructing Tethyan evolution Tibetan Plateau but are obscured by undefined affiliation detrital samples and superimposition multiple tectonothermal events. We outlined SQT based on geological mapping collated Cambrian-Triassic to investigate representative populations. Although diachronous strata have distinctive age distributions, Cambrian-Permian record similar ca. 2.50 Ga, 950 Ma, 800 550 Ma populations, which can be used in future studies as Palaeozoic indicators SQT. analyse above data compare them those from adjacent microcontinents (e.g. North terrane, NQT). note that (1) Cambrian-Late Ordovician zircons Upper Triassic yield positive εHf(t) values, suggesting juvenile arc-related magmatism NQT, (2) late NQT both contain Late Devonian-early Carboniferous different Together with previous evolution, we support southward subduction Proto-Tethys oceanic plate opened two back-arc basins between during Cambrian-Ordovician Carboniferous. The former closed Silurian; latter evolved into Palaeo-Tethys Ocean. Subsequently, northward produced early-middle Permian arc slab pull force subducting caused middle-late intraplate opposite passive margin.