Lithospheric mantle signatures as revealed by zircon Hf isotopes of Late Triassic post-collisional plutons from the central Korean peninsula, and their tectonic implications

The Mesozoic tectonic architecture of the Korean peninsula is largely governed by the continental collision between the North and South China blocks. Zircon Hf isotopic compositions presented in this study and whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd isotope data in the literature collectively suggest that the lithophile-elements-enriched signature of the Late Triassic post-collisional plutons from the Gyeonggi massif in central Korea is a primary feature inherited from the metasomatized mantle lithosphere. Highly negative zircon epsilon(Hf) (t) values (-23 to -19) of plutons from the middle and eastern parts of the massif indicate an ancient metasomatism of their mantle source. Distinctly higher zircon epsilon(Hf) (t) values (-15 to -12) from the southwestern plutons are ascribed to a contribution from an accreted component of the South China-like block. The involvement of asthenospheric mantle is not recognized in zircons from either group. The implications of these isotopic features are discussed in the context of Mesozoic collisional tectonics.