Evolution of the middle Paleozoic magmatism in the Chinese Altai: Constraints on the crustal differentiation at shallow depth in the accretionary orogen

Abstract The Chinese Altai underwent intensive mafic and felsic magmatism in the middle Paleozoic, which was the most important magmatic event in the region. It is still unclear for the role of the event in formation of the crust that is thick (∼56 km) and has structure of three-layer stratification. In this study, the data for the middle Paleozoic mafic rocks and granites are comprehensively compiled and integrated with new geochronological, petrological, geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data for gabbroic rocks from Keketuohai area and tonalite and biotite granites from Habahe area. The middle Paleozoic mafic rocks exhibit two evolutionary trends, which can be defined as high-Al and low-A…