NEOPROTEROZOIC ISLAND ARCS IN EAST SAYAN: DURATION OF MAGMATISM (from U–Pb zircon dating of volcanic clastics)
Two island arcs of different ages have been reconstructed in the Neoproterozoic history of southeastern East Sayan: Dunzhugur and Shishkhid. According to earlier concepts, the Dunzhugur arc formed at ~1020 Ma and underwent collision with the Siberian(?) continent at ~810 Ma. The Shishkhid arc formed somewhat earlier than 800 Ma and existed till the end of the Late Baikalian (~600 Ma, from indirect data). This primitive geologic history, when each arc existed for 200 Myr, was suggested because of the deficit of direct data, and its reconstruction cast doubt. In this work we present results of preliminary dating of detrital zircons extracted from the volcaniclastic rocks composing the above arcs. We analyzed 12 zircon crystals from the Dunzhugur volcanic clastics, whose 206Pb/238U age varies from 844 ± 8 to 1048 ± 12 Ma (1σ). Five most ancient zircons form a concordant cluster with an age of 1034 ± 9 Ma (2σ). Hence, the arc formed earlier than it was assumed and existed for a long time, most likely, till its collision with the continent. We also studied two zircon samples from the volcaniclastic rocks of the Oka accretionary prism, which probably formed in the Shishkhid arc. All ten crystals of the first sample form a concordant cluster with an age of 813 ± 7 Ma (2σ). The analyzed zircons of the second sample arrange in two clusters, with an age of 775 ± 8 Ma (2σ, nine crystals) and 819 ± 17 Ma (three crystals). Thus, the Shishkhid arc formed earlier than it was assumed, at the end of the Early Baikalian, and underwent active volcanism at least till 775 Ma. Dating of detrital zircons from the volcaniclastic rocks generated at the mature stage of the Shishkhid-arc evolution will help to reconstruct partly or completely its history in the period 775–600 Ma.