Petrogenesis, Tectonic Evolution and Geothermal Implications of Mesozoic Granites in the Huangshadong Geothermal Field, South China

Mesozoic multi-stage tectono-magmatic events produced widely distributed granitoids in the South China Block. Huangshadong (HSD) is located in south-eastern South China Block, where closely spaced hot springs accompany outcrops of Mesozoic granites. New data on whole-rock geochemistry, zircon U-Pb geochronology, and zircon Lu-Hf isotopes are presented, to study the petrogenesis and tectonic evolution of the granites, and to explore the relationship between granites and geothermal anomalies. Zircon U-Pb isotopes display three periods of granites in the HSD area: Indosinian (ca. 253 Ma, G4) muscovite-bearing monzonitic granite, early Yanshanian (ca. 175-155 Ma, G5 and G3) monzonitic granite and granodiorite, and late Yanshanian (ca. 140 Ma, G1 and G2) biotite monzonitic granite. In petrogenetic type, granites of the three periods are I-type granite. Among them, G1, G2, G3, and G4 are characterized by high fractionation, with high values of SiO2, alkalis, Ga/Al, and Rb/Sr, and depletion in Sr, Ba, Zr, Nb, Ti, REEs, with low (La/Yb)N, Nb/Ta, and Zr/Hf ratios and negative Eu anomalies. In terms of tectonic setting, 253 Ma G4 may be the product of partial melting of the ancient lower crust under post-orogenic ex-tensional tectonics, as the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean resulted in an intracontinental orogeny. At 175 Ma, the subduction of the Pacific Plate became the dominant tectonic system, and low-angle subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate facilitated partial melting of the subducted oceanic crust and basement to generate the hornblende-bearing I-type granodiorite. As the dip angle of the subducting plate increased, the continental arc tectonic setting was transformed to back-arc extension, inducing intense partial melting of the lower crust at ca. 158 Ma and resulting in the most frequent granitic magmatic activity in the South China hinterland. When slab foundering occurred at ca. 140 Ma, underplating of mantle-derived magmas caused melting of the continental crust, generating extensive highly fractionated granites in HSD. Combining the granitic evolution of HSD and adjacent areas and radioactive heat production rates, it is suggested that highly fractionated granites are connected to the enrichments in U and Th with magma evolution. The high radioactive heat derived from the Yanshanian granites is an important part of the crustal heat, which contributes significantly to the terrestrial heat flow. Drilling ZK8 reveals deep, ca. 140 Ma granite, which implies the heat source of the geothermal anomalies is mainly the concealed Yanshanian granites, combining the granite distribution on the surface.