Geochemical characteristics of the late Eocene mudstones in the eastern Nima Basin, Xizang: implications for the paleoenvironment, provenance, and tectonic setting

Abstract

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction plays a pivotal role in providing insights into the uplift history of the Xizang Plateau during the Cenozoic. The Nima Basin, situated in the central Xizang Plateau, is crucial for studying the tectonic and geomorphic evolution of this region. The clastic composition and geochemical characteristics of the Niubao Formation hold considerable potential for unravelling the geological history and reconstructing depositional environments of central Xizang in the early Cenozoic. In this study, we present detailed geochemical characteristics to determine their provenance, paleoenvironmental conditions, and tectonic origins. The index of compositional variability (ICV > 1) of mudstones indicates that low compositional maturity sediments underwent weak sedimentary recycling. The chemical index of alteration (CIA: 59.8−72.9) reveals that parental rocks experienced a moderate chemical weathering degree. The paleoclimate indicators of the mudstones suggest an oxidizing and arid depositional environment, with a mean annual temperature (MAT) of 11.64°C ± 4.19°C. The geochemical evidence also demonstrates that the mudstones were derived from mixed felsic and intermediate igneous rocks that formed in a dominantly continental island arc tectonic setting. Similarities in the geochemical characteristics among the Niubao Formation and surrounding igneous rocks indicate that a continental-scale drainage system once drained westward in central Xizang. It is concluded that the central plateau experienced a cooler and drier climate coinciding with the presence of a large-scale drainage system during the late Eocene.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

late Eocene / geochemistry / Nima Basin / mudstone / paleoenvironment

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