40Ar-39Ar geochronology of Cenozoic Linzizong volcanic rocks from Linzhou Basin, Tibet, China, and their geological implications

Whole-rock and mineral separate Ar-Ar dating was carried out for the Linzizong volcanic rocks at Linzhou Basin in Tibet to constrain the time span of volcanism and the corresponding stratigraphic sequence. Sampling was based on detailed geologic mapping and stratigraphic sequence of Dianzhong, Nianbo, Pana Formations, systematically from the bottom to near the top. The results indicate that the Linzizong volcanic rocks erupted from Paleocene to middle of Eocene (64.43-43.93 Ma). Among them, the Pana Formation formed from ca. 48.73 to 43.9 Ma, the Nianbo Formation around 54 Ma and the Dianzhong Formation from 64.4 to 60.6 Ma. In combination with evidence from the geochemical characteristics of the volcanic rocks, and from stratigraphy in southern Tibet, it is postulated that the age of the lowest member in the Dianzhong Formation of the Linzizong volcanic rock, which overlies unconformably the Late Cretaceous Shexing Formation, likely corresponds to the inception of the collision between Indian and Asian continents in southern Tibet.