Granitoids and continental crustal growth modes in China

Abstract：Orogenic granitoids in the continent of China may fall into the east and west regions. The orogenic granitoids in the west region include the Central Asian orogenic belt, Qinling-Qilian-Kunlun orogenic belt and Gangdise orogenic belt in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which are associated with the development of the ocean, and the orogenic granitoids in the east region, including Northeast China, North China and South China, are Yanshanian orogenic granitoids formed after the assembly of the continent of China. Based on the settings and geological and geochemical characteristics of granitoids of different orogenic belts (exemplified by orogenic granitoids in Altay, East Kunlun, Yanshan in North China, Northeast China and Nanling in South China), the relationships between granitoids and continental crustal growth are discussed, and five modes of continental crustal growth in the continent of China are proposed；they are as follows:(1)the Altay mode of continental growth is that the material and heat of the Paleozoic convertive mantle formed on the background of the Paleo-Asian Ocean were input into the Paleozoic continent and mixed with the materials of the upper crust；(2) the East Kunlun mode is that the basement of the Proterozoic orogenic belt was reworked by the heat input and materials of the Paleozoic-early Mesozoic convective mantle formed on the background of TTG continental crust of the Proterozoic orogenic belt；(3) the Northeast China style is that the Phanerozoic continental crust was reworked by the heat input and materials from the convective mantle formed on the background of the Yanshanian Central Asian orogenic belt；(4) the Yanshan mode is that the Archean basement was reworked by the heat input and materials from the Yanshanian convective mantle；and (5) the Nanling mode is that in South China what was input by the Yanshanian convective mantle into the continent was mainly heat and subordinately materials and the crustal material recycle was the dominant mode for the continental growth (showing zero continental growth). These modes are the basic modes for the Phanerozoic continental growth of the continent of China.