The final collision of the CAOB: Constraint from the zircon U–Pb dating of the Linxi Formation, Inner Mongolia

The Linxi Formation occupies an extensive area in the eastern Inner Mongolia in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The Linxi Formation is composed of slate, siltstone, sandstone and plant, lamellibranch microfossils in the associated strata. Major and trace element data (including REE) for sandstones from the formation indicate that these rocks have a greywacke protolith and have been deposited during a strong tectonic activity. LA-ICPMS U–Pb dating of detrital zircons yield ages of 1801 to 238 Ma for four samples from the Linxi Formation. 425–585 Ma, together with the ∼500 Ma age for the metamorphism event previously determined for Northeast China, indicates that their provenance is the metamorphic rocks of Pan-African age that have a tectonic affinity to NE China. A few older zircons with U–Pb ages at 1689–1801 Ma, 1307–1414 Ma, 593–978 Ma are also present, revealing the Neoproterozoic history of NE China. The youngest population shows a peak at ca. 252 Ma, suggesting that the main deposition of the Linxi Formation was at late Permain. Moreover, the ca. 250 Ma zircon grains of all four samples yield weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages of 250 ± 3 Ma, 248 ± 3 Ma, 249 ± 3 Ma, and 250 ± 2 Ma, respectively. These ages, together with the youngest zircon age in the sample ZJB-28 (ca. 238 Ma), suggest that the deposition of the Linxi Formation extended to the early Triassic. Combining with previous results, we suggest that the final collision of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) in the southern of Linxi Formation, which located in the Solonker–Xra Moron–Changchun suture, and the timing for final collision should be at early Triassic.