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The metamorphism of the Central Qilian Block in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau records a complete tectonic history of the Qilian Orogen. Here, results of structural measurements, geochronological data, and thermobarometry for metamorphic rocks in the Central Qilian Block were presented, which trace the tectonic evolution of the Qilian Orogen. New U–Pb dating of detrital zircon from one paragneiss shows a main age population between c. 1500 and c. 1250 Ma, with the youngest age of 1085 Ma. This unit was intruded by an orthogneiss which has a U–Pb weighted mean age of 920 ± 18 Ma. Together with c. 1200–1000 Ma ages from inherited zircon cores in amphibolites, these results indicate that the protoliths of the Huangyuan Group were formed during the Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic. Rims of these zircons obtain tightly constrained and concordant ages ranging from c. 459 to c. 427 Ma, with a weighted mean age of c. 450 Ma. Phase equilibrium modelling and conventional thermobarometry jointly indicate high‐temperature/medium‐pressure HT–MP metamorphism along a clockwise pressure–temperature (P–T) path at c. 450 Ma, passing through prograde conditions of 7.8–8.0 kbar and 620–650°C to peak conditions of ~7 kbar and ~780–800°C. Together with documented widespread metamorphism, magmatism, and ductile shear belts, these new results reassert that the Central Qilian Block experienced a three‐stage tectono‐metamorphic evolution during the Early Palaeozoic and the HT–MP metamorphism of Huangyuan Group was developed by a continental collision geodynamic setting with coeval mafic and granitic magmatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qilian orogen along the NE edge of the Tibet‐Qinghai Plateau records the evolution of Proto‐Tethyan Ocean that closed through subduction along the southern margin of the North China block during the Early Paleozoic. The South Qilian belt is the southern unit of this orogen and dominated by Cambrian‐Ordovician volcano‐sedimentary rocks and Neoproteozoic Hualong complex that contains similar rock assemblages of the Central Qilian block. Our recent geological mapping and petrologic results demonstrate that volcano‐sedimentary rocks show typical rock assembles of a Cambrian‐early Ordovician arc‐trench system in Lajishan Mts. along the northern margin of the Hualong Complex. Island arc rocks including basalt, andesite, dacite, rhyolite, and breccia is in fault contact with ophiolite complex consisting of mantle peridotite, serpentinite, gabbro, dolerite, plagiogranite, and basalt. Accretionary complexes are tectonically separated from the ophiolite‐arc rocks, with various rock assemblages spatially. They consist of pillow basalt, basalt breccia, tuff, chert, and limestone blocks with a seamount origin within the scaly shale in Dingmaoshan and Donggoumeikuang areas, and basalt, chert, and sandstone blocks within muddy shale matrix and mélange at Lajishankou area. Abundant radiolarians occur in red chert, and trilobite, brachiopod, and coral fossils occur within Dingmaoshan limestone blocks. Although partial basalt or chert blocks are highly disrupted, duplex, thrust fault, rootless intrafolial fold, tight fold, and penetrative foliation are well‐developed at Donggoumeikuang area. Spatially, accretionary complexes lie structurally beneath ophiolite complex and above the turbidites of the Central Qilian block. Ophiolite and accretionary complexes are also overlapped by late Ordovician molasse deposits sourced from Cambrian arc‐trench system and the Central Qilian block. These observations demonstrate that a Cambrian‐early Ordovician trench‐arc system within the South Qilian belt formed during the early Paleozoic southward subduction of the South Qilian Ocean collided with the Central Qilian block prior to the late Ordovician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]