Geochemistry of dioritic enclaves related to magmatic mixing in the concentrically zoned Alatage igneous complex, central Tianshan Mountains

There are various genetic models about the concentrically zoned igneous complexes. In order to investigate the genesis of the concentrically zoned Alatage igneous complex in central Tianshan Mountains, the authors studied the origin of dark coloured enclaves within the complex and their magmatic evolution in this paper. The enclaves are extremely unevenly distributed, and are concentrated in the southeastern part of the more acidic granitoids within the complex. Most of them are rounded or sub-rounded, with a microlithic to fine-grained texture. Some enclaves contain feldspar phenocrysts that were derived from the host rocks. Based on an analysis of major and trace elements, Sr-Nd isotope, and U-Pb geochronology of individual zircons of the dark coloured enclaves, it is suggested that they are mainly dioritic and granodioritic enclaves and belong to high-K calc-alkaline or K-rich basalt series, with low SiO₂ (56.72%-61.80%) and high K₂O+Na₂O (8.12%-10.55%) content. Their Rittman index is 4.59-4.85, with enriched rare earth elements. The covariance diagrams of the major and trace elements of the enclaves and host rocks show varying degrees of linear relationships, and the curve patterns of REE and trace elements of the enclaves and host rocks are similar, which indicates that there are both similarities and differences in the geochemistry of the enclaves and host rocks. These characteristics indicate that the genesis of the circular granitoid complex is related to magma mixing of at least two types of magma. The enclaves have relatively low (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_t ratios (0.705204-0.705914), and positive ε_Nd(t) values (1.65-2.57), which indicates that the primary magma of the enclaves is a mantle-derived basaltic magma. The relationship between the enclaves and host rocks suggests that mafic magma was injected into acidic magma to result in magma mixing. The results obtained by the authors provide important evidence for the multiple origins of the concentrically zoned Alatage igneous complex that was generated by magma mixing between crust-sourced acidic magma and mantle-derived mafic magma.