“The IGCP-649 Workshop on Ophiolites and Related High-Pressure Rocks in the Qilian Mountains” was held in Xining of Qinghai Province, China on August 6th -10th, 2015. It was the first international workshop of the IGCP-649 Project “Diamonds and Recycled Mantle” after being granted jointly by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in the beginning of 2015.

Over 100 experts from 8 countries in the field of Qilian Mountains’ orogenic belt and ophiolites were present at the Workshop. During the one-day session, 12 experts delivered oral presentations. Participants in the Workshop discussed and explored the genesis of global mantle peridotites and anomaly mantle minerals from ophiolites, and the latest research progress on the diagenesis and mineralization of the rocks including the high-pressure and low-temperature metamorphic rocks, ophiolites, island-arc volcanic rocks etc. Focusing on the petrology, geochemistry and tectonics of the Qilian Mountains, the participants carried out in-depth discussions on ore-forming processes of anomaly mantle minerals, chromitites and other related minerals, and further explored the tectonic evolution process of the Qilian Mountains by examining the genesis and evolution information contained in the ophiolites there.

A four-day post-workshop field trip was organized to examine lawsonite-bearing blue-schists, eclogites, ophiolite complex and island-arc complex in the North Qilian Mountains.

Being a global cooperation and correlation program, the IGCP-649 was jointly initiated by Prof. Yang Jingsui from the Institute of Geology, CAGS, Prof. Yilidirim Dilek from the Miami University and several other experts from Australia, Canada, Albania and Egypt. The five-year (2015-2019) project will undertake systematic sampling of peridotites and associated chromitites in different ophiolites around the world with diverse ranges of ages and geochemical affinities to document the extent of diamond occurrence in the mantle.

Opening Ceremony

Post-Workshop Field Trip