1.79–1.75 Ga mafic magmatism of the Siberian craton and late Paleoproterozoic paleogeography

The paper presents new geological, geochronological, geochemical, and Nd isotopic data on the late Paleoproterozoic dolerites of the Siberian craton. U-Pb baddeleyite ages of the Doros dolerites (Aldan shield, south-eastern Siberia) and East Anabar dolerites (Anabar shield, northern Siberia) are 1757 ± 4 and 1774 ± 6 Ma, respectively. This new geochronological data together with published 1.76–1.75 Ga ages for Timpton-Algamay dolerites of the Aldan shield and Chaya dolerites of the Baikal uplift (southern Siberia) revealed a 20 my difference between this magmatism in the north and south Siberia. The Doros dolerites in their chemical compositions correspond to sub-alkaline basaltic andesites, but the East Anabar dolerite is chemically close to basaltic trachyandesite. The Doros dolerites demonstrate negative and close to zero ɛNd(t) values (from −7.0 to +0.1), which correlate well with SiO2 and Mg#. All Doros dolerites have Nb–Ta and Ti anomalies in multielement spectra. The geochemical and Nd isotopic data suggest that the Doros dolerites have been formed by the mixing of mantle and crustal material. The East Anabar dolerites are characterized by a negative ɛNd(t) value of −3.7, negative Nb–Ta anomaly in multielement spectra, high concentrations of TiO2 and P2O5. The 1775 Ma East Anabar dolerites could be generated from a subcontinental lithospheric mantle source, possibly with some mantle plume interaction (possibly centred at the convergence with the 1.76–1.75 Ga fanning Aldan swarm). Geochemistry and Nd isotope systematics of all 1.78–1.75 Ga mafic dykes and intrusions of the Siberian craton indicate the subcontinental lithospheric mantle source or mantle source contaminated by crustal material. Geochronological data from the 1.79–1.75 Ga magmatic rocks of Siberia and other continents suggest continuous magmatism over this interval in some continents, but a series of short magmatic events/pulses (from one to four) separated by intervals of quiescence in other continents. We locate the analysed dykes and sills on new 1750 Ma and 1790 Ma global paleogeographic reconstructions. Analysis of 1.79–1.75 Ga geochemical data on mafic intrusions from Late Paleoproterozoic continents suggests the prevalence of subcontinental lithospheric mantle source for the mafic intrusions over the pure mantle plume source.