U‐Pb Zircon Age, Geochemical, and Sr‐Nd‐Pb Isotopic Constraints on the Age and Origin of Mafic Dykes from Eastern Shandong Province, Eastern China

Abstract: U‐Pb zircon age, geochemical, and Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotopic data of mafic dykes from eastern Shandong Province, eastern China is reported herein. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) U‐Pb zircon analyses of two samples from the investigated mafic dykes yield consistent ages ranging from 121.9 Ma ± 0.47 Ma to 122.9 Ma ± 0.61 Ma. The mafic dykes are characterized by high (87Sr/86Sr)i ranging from 0.7087 to 0.7089, low εNd(t) values ranging from −16.9 to −17.8, 206Pb/204Pb = 17.15 to 17.17, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.45 to 15.47, and 208Pb/204Pb = 37.59 to 37.68. Results from the current study suggest that the mafic dykes are derived from partial melting of ancient lithospheric mantle that was variably hybridized by melts derived from foundered lower crustal eclogite. The mafic dykes may have been generated through subsequent insignificant crystal fractionation and very minor crustal contamination during magma ascent. Combined with previous studies, the current findings provide new evidence that the intense lithospheric thinning beneath the eastern Shandong Province of eastern China occurred at ∼120 Ma, and that this condition was caused by the removal of the lower lithosphere (mantle and lower crust).