Finding of ancient materials in Cathaysia and implication for the formation of Precambrian crust

U-Pb dating for fifty-six detrltsl zircons from a paragneiss in Nanxiong area, northern Guangdong Province, Indicates that the latest Neoproterozoic sediments in Cathaysia hinterland are composed of numerous Grenvillian and Necerchaean clasUc materials, as well as some Mesoproterozolc detritus. Minor Paleoarchaean （3.76 Ga） and Mesoarchaean （3.0-3.2 Ga） zircons, which are the oldest zircons In South China, also are firstly found in the sediments, suggesting that the Cathaysia Block may contsln very old materials. The Hf isotope compositions of thirty-seven zircons reveal that these clastlc materials have different origins. Minor zircons crystslllzed from magma generated from relatively juvenile crust, while the parental magma of most zircons was derived from ancient crust. Integration of U-Pb dating and Hf Isotope analysis of these zircons suggests that the generation of juvenile crust in the Cathaysia block mainly occurred at 2.5-2.6 Ga. Mesoarchaean （3.0-3.3 Ga）, late Paleoproterozolc （-1.8 Ga） and Paleoarchaean （-3.7 Ga） may also be important episodes of crustal growth. Grenvllllan magmatism is extremely Intense, but it mainly involved recycling of ancient crustal components with little formation of Juvenile crust. The marked presence of -2.1 Ga Hf model ages and the absence of the zircons with crystsllizatlon ages at -2.1 Ga suggest that the parental magma of many zircons was probably derived from the mixed source consisting of Neoarchaean and late Paleoproterozoic materlals.     

Identification of Mesoproterozoic zircons in a Triassic dolerite from the Liaodong Peninsula,Northeast China

Evolution of mantle and crust in all blocks of China and their relationship with the surrounding blocks are re-lated to amalgamation and breakup of the supercontinents. Studies on the Mesoproterozoic Grenvillian orogeny and the configuration of Neoproterozoic Rodinia provide the most important advances to the ideas of continental crustal growth and configuration of plates[1,2]. Recent studies show that there are geological records of assembly and breakup of Rodinia in the Cathaysia and Yang…     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age of tuff from the Kunyang Group in central Yunnan： Evidence for Grenvillian orogeny in South China

Whether or not Grenvillian orogeny occurred in South China still remains highly controversial because high-quality,discriminating data are lacking,and therefore,the key to resolve this matter is to find datable volcanic and/or sedimentary rocks related to Grenvillian orogeny. Such rocks are apparently present in the Fuliangpeng Member from the lower-middle part of Kunyang Group in central Yunnan; here the unit is more than 100 m thick and consists of andesitic ignimbrite,tuffite,terrigeous clastic rocks and carbonates. These volcanic rocks,developed south of the Sibao fold-thrust belts,represent the earliest calc-alkaline volcanic activity in late Precambrian time from central Yunnan and are coeval with both a change in sedimentary facies from detritus to carbonates and the beginning of seismite development elsewhere. Two samples for SHRIMP analysis were collected from this volcanic unit. Sample G3-29-2,from the bottom of Fuliangpeng Member,is an ignimbrite,and about 100 zircon crys-tals recovered from it have euhedral shapes and display relatively simple sector zonation under cathodoluminescent (CL) imaging,suggesting a magmatogenic origin. Twenty-five of the zircons were analyzed and a weighed-mean U-Pb age of 1032±9 Ma was obtained. Sample G3-29-3 from uppermost part of Fuliangpeng Member is a tuffite,and many rounded,evidently detrital zircons were recovered. Nine of these zircons were analyzed,and the oldest single-grain U-Pb zircon age is 1938±26 Ma,im-plying that Paleoproterozoic basement developed in Cathaysia. The dating result,combined with the geotectonic research on the Fuliangpeng Member,leads us to conclude that late Mesoproterozoic orogenic volcanic activity occurred in the western part of South China,and that the related collision of Yangtze and Cathaysian cratons was an integral part of the assembly of Rodinia.     

Zircon U–Pb and Hf isotopic study of Neoproterozoic granitic gneisses from the Alatage area,Xinjiang:constraints on the Precambrian crustal evolution in the Central Tianshan Block

The architecture and growth history of Precambrian crustal basements in the Central Tianshan Block play a key role in understanding the tectonic evolution of the Chinese Tianshan Orogenic Belt.In this study,we present precise LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating and LAMC-ICPMS zircon Hf isotopic data for two granitic gneisses from Alatage area in the Central Tianshan Block.The magmatic zircons from both samples yield similar protolith ages of 945±6 and 942±6 Ma,indicating that the early Neoproterozoic magmatism is prevailed in the Alatage area.These zircons have crustal Hf model ages of1.82–2.22 and 1.70–2.03 Ga,respectively,which are significantly older than their crystallization ages.It indicates that their parental magmas were derived from the reworking of ancient crust.However,we suggest that these Paleoproterozoic Hf model ages might result from mixing of continental materials with different ages in the Neoproterozoic crust.The inherited(detrital)zircon cores not only yield a wide age range of ca.989–1617 Ma,but also exhibit large Hf-isotope variations with Hf model ages of1.54–2.30 Ga.In particular,some 1.4–1.6 Ga zircons show high initial176Hf/177Hf ratios,consistent with those of depleted mantle,which indicates that the Mesoproterozoic event involved both reworking of older crust and generation of juvenile crust.The Central Tianshan Block has different Precambrian crustal growth history from the Tarim Craton.Therefore,it would not be a fragment of the Precambrian basement of the Tarim Craton.     

Caledonian reworking of Paleoproterozoic basement in the Cathaysia Block: Constraints from zircon U-Pb dating,Hf isotopes and trace elements

A combined study of zircon U-Pb dating, Hf isotopes and trace elements has been carried out for granodioritic neosomes of migmatites from the Tianjingping area in northwestern Fujian Province. Zircons are characterized by zoning, higher Th/U ratios （mostly≥0.1）, HREE enrichment, and positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies, and show features similar to magmatic or anatectic zircons. Apparent ^206Pb/^238U ages for the zircons are 447±2 Ma （95 % conf., MSWD=0.88）, corresponding to a Caledonian event. εHf（t） values are -13.3 to -9.7, indicating a crustal source. Two-stage Hf model ages are 1.7 to 1.9 Ga, suggesting that protolith of the migmates was probably formed in the Paleoproterozoic. The granodioritic neosomes have the characteristics of peraluminous calc-alkaline granite, and their REE patterns and trace elements spidergrams show features of middle to upper crustal rocks. Together with previous studies, we conclude that the protolith of the Cathaysia basement in the Tianjingping area was likely formed in the middle-late Paleoproterozoic and experienced partial melting during the Caledonian period. The recognition of Caledonian reworking of the Paleoproterozoic basement in the Cathaysia Block provides a new insight into the tectonic evolution of the Cathaysia Block in the Caledonian period and the interaction between the Cathaysia Block and the Yangtze Block.     

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb ages of the “Xinghuadukou Group” in Hanjiayuanzi and Xinlin areas and the “Zhalantun Group” in Inner Mongolia, Da Hinggan Mountains

A report is presented of SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating data of meta-igneous and meta-sedimentary rocks of the Xinghuadukou Group(Xinlin-Hanjiayuanzi area,Heilongjiang Province)and meta-volcanic rocks of the Zhalantun Group(Zhalantun district,Inner Mongolia).The SHRIMP analyses show that the meta-igneous rocks from the Xinghuadukou Group formed at 506±10―547±46 Ma,belonging to Early-Middle Precambrian,whereas the meta-sedimentary rocks yielded detrital zircons,with ages of 1.0―1.2,1.6―1.8 and 2.5―2.6 Ga,indicative of deposition age at least<1.0 Ga. Meta-basic volcanic rocks from the Zhalantun Group have a formation age of 506±3 Ma.These data suggest that both the Xinghuadukou and Zhalantun Groups formed during Cambrian and/or Neoproterozoic time,rather than Paleoproterozoic time as previously thought.Early Precambrian inherited zircons in the meta-igneous rocks and numerous Precambrian detrital zircons in the meta-sedimentary rocks imply that these rocks were formed proximal to older crust.It is inferred that the Xinghuadukou and Zhalantun Groups represent Cambrian and/or Neoproterozoic vol- cano-sedimentary sequences formed in an active continental margin setting.     

SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology of the zircons from the Precambrian basement of the Qilian Block and its geological significances

Origin and tectonic evolution of the Qilian Precambrian basement on NW China were investigated using zircon U-Pb ages with collaborating stratigraphic and paleontological evidence. Zircon grains were separated from two schists, two granitic gneisses and one mylonized gneiss and dated with SHRIMP. Seventy percent of sixty-one detrital zircon ages from two schists ranges from 0.88 Ga to 3.09 Ga, mostly within 1.0 Ga to 1.8 Ga with a peak at 1.6 Ga to 1.8 Ga, and twenty percent varies from 2.0 Ga to 2.5 Ga. A few falls in the Archean and Neoproterozoic periods. The two granitic gneisses were dated 930±8 Ma and 918±14 Ma, whereas the mylonized granitic gneiss was dated 790±12 Ma. These ages represent two periods of magmatisms, which can be correlated with the early and late stages of magmatisms associated with the Jinningian movement on the Yangtze Blocks. The results from this and previous studies indicate that the ages of the Precambrian detrital zircons from the Qilian Block are widely distributed in the Proterozoic era, distinct from the North China Block which was stable in the Neo-Mesoproterozoic era. By contrast, the age histograms of the detrital zircons from the Qilian Block is similar to those from Precambrian basement of the Yangtze Craton. Therefore, it is suggested that the Qilian Block had a strong affinity toward the Yangtze Craton and might belong to the supercontinent Gondwana in the Neoproterozoic time. This inference is supported by Nd model age (TDM), stratigraphic, and paleontological evidence. It is further considered that the Qilian Block was rifted from the supercontinent Gondwana during late Sinian to form an isolated continent in the Proto-Tethyan Ocean, moving towards the Alaxa Block in the North China Craton. The part of Proto-Tethyan Ocean between the Qilian and Alaxa Blocks should correspond to the so-called Paleo-Qilian Ocean. Following the closure of the Paleo-Qilian Ocean in the early Paleozoic, the Qilian Block collided with the Alaxa Block to form the North Qilian Orogenic Belt. Based on this tectonic explanation, the North Qilian ophiolites should represent parts of lithosphere from the Proto-Tethyan Ocean. Lithological and geochronological evidence also indicates that the Qilian Block underwent continental reactivation possibly induced by the deep northward subduction of the North Qaidam Block in early Paleozoic time.     

Occurrence of Neoproterozoic low-grade metagranite in the western Beihuaiyang zone,the Dabie orogen

Based on detailed field investigations and petrographic observations, we discovered Neoproterozoic-emplaced granite from the metavolcanics of the Dingyuan Formation in the western Beihuaiyang zone, the Dabie orogen. This study reports the results of zircon U-Pb dating and preliminary petrographic observations on two metagranite samples. The studied rocks experienced epidote-amphibolite facies metamorphism and strong structural deformation. Their U-Pb ages are 726 ± 6 and 758 ± 12 Ma, respectively, similar to those for the Luzhenguan complex in the eastern segment of the Beihuaiyang zone. In combination with previously determined 635 ± 5 Ma low-grade metagabbro, this study suggests the occurrence of at least two types of Neoproterozoic intrusive rocks in the Beihuaiyang zone, the northern margin of the South China Block (SCB): 726–758 Ma metagranite and 635 Ma metagabbro. These rocks occur within the metamorphosed Ordovician volcanic zone (originally named the Dingyuan Formation) and are in tectonic contact to each other, but they formed in different tectonic settings. The protolith ages for the Neoproterozoic low-grade metaigneous rocks are in good agreement not only with ages for two episodes of mid- and late-Neoproterozoic mafic and felsic magmatism in the Suizhou and Zaoyang area, Hubei Province, but also agree with protolith ages of ultrahigh-pressure metaigneous rocks in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. In view of their tectonic relationships to country rocks, it appears that these Neoproterozoic low-grade rocks are exotic and they may have been detached and scraped from subducting SCB crust in the early Triassic during the initial continental subduction, and thrusted over Paleozoic metamorphosed rocks in the southern margin of the North China Block during continental collision.     

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating for olivine gabbro at Wangmuguan in the Beihuaiyang zone and its geological significance

In the Neoproterozoic, a large-scale magmatic activ- ity took place in the northern margin of the South China Block, with ages in a range of 700―800 Ma[1―4]). A systematic zircon U-Pb dating for bimodal metaigneous rocks in the Dabie-Sulu orogen yields ages of 758 ± 15 Ma[5], typifying rift magmatism along the northern margin of the South China Block during the middle Neoproterozoic. In addition, there is a widespread oc- currence of volcanic tuff interlayers around 635 Ma with the se…     

SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology of the detrital zircons from the Longshoushan Group and its tectonic significance

Sixty-two geologically meaningful U-Pb dates were obtained by using SHRIMP technique for the detrital zircons in three metasedimentary rocks from stratigraphically uppermost parts of the Longshoushan Group in the present study. Eighty percents of these dates range from 1.7 Ga to 2.2 Ga with a peak at 1.8-2.0 Ga and twenty percents from 2.3 Ga to 2.7 Ga. The youngest detrital zircon is dated at 1724±19 Ma which is interpreted as the maximum depositional age of the metasedimentary rocks. Therefore, the age for the diagenesis and lithification of the original sedimentary rocks of the Longshoushan Group before the metamorphism must be younger than 1724±19 Ma. Comparison of the age histograms of these detrital zircons with the ages of the igneous rocks on the surrounding older massifs suggests that the sediments of the Longshoushan Group were most likely derived from the Alaxa Block and Tarim Craton. This implies that the affinity between Alaxa Block and Tarim Craton was strong and that they might have been a unified craton during middle-early Proterozoic time.     

Formation and evolution of Precambrian continental crust in South China

The occurrence of zircons with U-Pb ages of ~3.8 Ga and Hf model ages of ~4.0 Ga in South China suggests the existence of the Hadean crustal remnants in South China. Furthermore, a detrital zircon with a U-Pb age as old as 4.1 Ga has been found in Tibet. This is the oldest zircon so far reported in China. These results imply that continental crust was more widespread than previously thought in the late Hadean, but its majority was efficiently reworked into Archean continental crust. On the basis of available zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotope data, it appears that the growth of continental crust in South China started since the early Archean, but a stable cratonic block through reworking did not occur until the Paleoproterozoic. Thus the operation of some form of plate tectonics may occur in China conti- nents since Eoarchean. The initial destruction of the South China craton was caused by intensive magmatic activity in association with the assembly and breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia during the Neoproterozoic. However, most of the Archean and Paleoproterozoic crustal materials in South China do not occur as surface rocks, but exist as sporadic crustal remnants. Nevertheless, the occur- rence of Neoproterozoic magmatism is still a signature to distinguish South China from North China.     

Paleoproterozoic reworking of ancient crust in the Cathaysia Block, South China: Evidence from zircon trace elements, U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopes

A combined study of zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating, trace elements and Hf isotope was carried out for gneissic granite from the Sanzhishu area in Jingning, SW Zhejiang Province. Nearly all the zircons separated from the granite exhibited oscillatory zoning and high Th/U ratios (>0.1). The REE profile showed a pronounced positive Ce anomaly, negative Eu anomaly and an enrichment of HREE, which are typical characteristics of magmatic zircon. Thirteen concordant or nearly concordant analytical data yielded a weighted mean ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 1860±13 Ma (MSWD=0.084), representing the formation age of the granite. The magmatic zircons had negative εHf(t) values of −15.6 to −10.0 and two-stage Hf model ages of 3.1 to 3.4 Ga, indicating that the granites were formed by reworking of ancient crust. The major- and trace-element data indicate that the gneissic granites are metaluminous high-K calc-alkaline rocks and exhibit the same geochemical characteristics as aluminous A-type granites, implying the emplacement of the granite in a post-orogenic extensional tectonic setting. We conclude that the Paleoproterozoic crustal reworking event in the Cathaysia Block of South China marked the transition from assembly to break-up of the Columbia supercontinent. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40873004), Special Funds for National Scientific Research of Commonweal Industries, the Ministry of Land and Resources of China (Grant No. 2008110015), Opening Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University (Grant No. 06LCD12) and the Project of Land and Resources Bureau of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. 2004005)     

Preliminary study of microscale zircon oxygen isotopes for Dabie-Sulu metamorphic rocks： Ion probe in situ analyses

151 in situ analyses of oxygen isotopes were carried out by ion micro-probe for zircons from 8 localities of HP-UHP metamorphic rocks including eclogites in the Dabie-Sulu terrane. The results show significant heterogeneity in δ^18O values, with variation in different rocks from -8.5‰ to 9.7‰ and within one sample from 2‰ to 12‰. No measurable difference in δ^18O was observed between protolith magmatic (detrital) zircons and metamorphic recrystallized zircons within analytical uncertainties from the ion micro-probe measurements. This indicates that the metamorphic zircons have inherited the oxygen isotopic compositions of protolith zircons despite the HP to UHP metamorphism. According to their protolith ages from zircon U-Pb in situ dating by the same ion micro-probe, two groups of oxygen isotope composition are recognized, with one having δ^18O values of 6‰-7‰ for old protolith of 1.9-2.5 Ga ages and the other 0‰-2‰ for young protolith of 0.7-0.8 Ga ages. The latter anomalously low δ^18O values of zircons indicate that the magma has had the obvious involvement of meteoric water when forming the young protolith of high-grade metamorphic rocks. This may be correlated with the snowball Earth event occurring in South China and the world elsewhere during the Neoproterozoic.     

Zircon SHRIMP dating of sodium alkaline rocks from Maomaogou area of Huili County in Panxi, SW China and its geological implications

Alkalinerocksareoftenassociatedwithextensionaltectonicsandregardedasthecharacteristicproductsoc-curringincontinentalmarginsorriftzones[1].Theywereusuallygeneratedindeep-large-faultzoneandcloselyconnectedwithbasic/ultrabasicrocksinspace.Therefore,alkalinerocksareofsignificanceintectonicpetrology.Atthebeginningofthe1980s,geologicalandgeophysicalstudieswereperformedinPanzhihua-Xichangpaleo-riftzone(Panxiriftzone).However,thesestudiesonlyin-volvedgeologyandpetrochemistryoftheMaomaogouringalkalic…     

U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes for detrital zircons from quartzite in the Paleoproterozoic Songshan Group on the southwestern margin of the North China Craton

In situ U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analysis were carried out for detrital zircons from quartzite in the Paleoproterozoic Songshan Group on the southern margin of the North China Craton （NCC）. The results provide further constraints on the crustal formation and evolution history of NCC. Four ^207Pb/^206Pb age populations were obtained from 99 analyses, with clusters at -3.40 Ga, 2.77-2.80 Ga, -2.50 Ga and 2.34 Ga, respectively. The 3.40 Ga old zircons have similar Hf isotopic compositions to those from Archean rocks in the Jidong and Anshan areas of NCC. However, crustal remnants older than 3.6 Ga have been identified in the southern margin of NCC, the South China Craton, the northwestern part of the Qinling Orogen and its adjacent area. Thus, it is not easy to trace the source rock from which the 3.40 Ge detrital zircons were derived. It can be inferred that the crustal remnants older than 3.40 Ga might have been widely distributed in the North China Craton. The 2.77-2.80 Ga zircons make up a relatively small proportion and have the highest εHf（t） values （up to 6.1±1.6）, consistent with the Hf isotopic composition of the depleted mantle at 2.83 Ga. Their single-stage Hf model age of 2.83 Ga is close to their crystallized age, suggesting that their source rocks were extracted from the contemporaneous depleted mantle. The -2.50 Ga zircon grains constitute about 85% of the total grain population and their Hf isotopic compositions indicate major growth of juvenile crust at -2.50 Ga but minor reworking of ancient crust. The youngest zircon dated in this study gave an U-Pb age of 2337±2.3 Ma, which can be considered the maximum depositional age of the formation of the Songshan Group.     

Paleoproterozoic basement beneath the southern Jiangxi Province: Evidence from U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes in zircons from the Doushui lamprophyre

This paper presents geochemical analyses of a lamprophyre intruding the Caledonian Doushui granite body in Shangyou County, southern Jiangxi Province. U-Pb dating and Hf-isotope analyses are espe-cially carried out for zircons from it. Petrological and geochemical features show that the lamprophyre belongs to a high-K, weakly alkaline pyroxene-biotite lamprophyre. It is characterized by high Mg# (0.74), Ni (253 μg/g) and Cr (893 μg/g) contents, and also enriched in incompatible elements, such as REE, Rb, Sr...     

LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb geochronological constraints on the tectonothermal evolution of the Early Paleoproterozoic Dakendaban Group in the Quanji Block,NW China

The Quanji Block, situated between the northern margin of the Qaidam Block and the South Qilian orogenic belt in the NE Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, is thought to represent a remnant continental crust. In this study, LA-ICPMS U-Pb analyses of detrital zircon grains from two mesosomes in the migmatitic Dakendaban Group yield ages of 2467＋28/-26 Ma and 2474＋66/-52 Ma, respectively. Zircon grains from a leucosome give two distinct ages of 2471＋18/-16 Ma and 1924＋14/-15 Ma. Zircon from a granitic pegmatite that intruded into the Dakendaban Group yields an age of 2427＋44/-38 Ma. These data suggest that the Early Paleoproterozoic Dakendaban Group deposited between -2.43 to -2.47 Ga and has been subject to an intrusive event at 2.43Ga, and regional metamorphism-anatexis at 1.92 Ga. The common lower intercept age of -0.9 Ga probably records a significant Early Neoproterozoic event in the Quanji Block.     

Geochronology and geochemistry of the Fangcheng Neoproterozoic alkali-syenites in East Qinling orogen and its geodynamic implications

Finding of Neoproterozoic syenites at Fangcheng in the northern Qinling region of the East Qinling orogen provides an important constraint on timing of tectonic transformation to extensional regime. The alkaline pluton consists mainly of nepheline syenite, aegirine syenite, and alkali-feldspar syenite. The syenites are of intermediate （SiO2 = 54%-62%）, rich in alkali （K2O＋Na2O = 12%-15%）, aluminum （Al2O3= 16.81%-23.26%） and large ion lithophile elements （LILE）, without any obvious Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf anomalies. The Fangcheng syenites are geochemically characterized by relative enrichment of LREE, minor differentiation of HREE, significant negative Eu anomalies （Eu = 0.13-0.23）, less negative εNd（t） values of -1.37 to-3.90, young Nd model ages of 1364 to 1569 Ma, and high zircon saturation temperatures of 915 to 1044℃. The syenitic magmas probably originated from small proportion melting of upper mantle in an extensional regime of intraplate-anorogenic tectonic setting, and have been slightly contaminated by crustal materials during ascending and/or emplacement. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating yields ages of 844.3±1.6 Ma （MSWD=0.86）, suggesting that the Fangcheng alkaline syenites formed in the early Neoproterozoic. They are the oldest Neoproterozoic alkaline rocks ever recognized in the Qinling orogen as well as in South China. This implies that the tectonic regime of the Qinling region would have transformed from post-collisional stretch to intraplate-anorogenic extension no later than 844 Ma.     

Zircon U-Pb SHRIMP dating for the volcanic rocks of the Xiong’er Group: Constraints on the initial formation age of the cover of the North China Craton

The volcanic rocks of the Xiong‘er Group occur widely in the southern part of the North China Craton, which mark the beginning of the cover in the southern part of the North China Craton. The age of the volcanic rocks is thus crucial to understand the tectonic regime and evolutionary history of the North China Craton in the Proterozoic age. Zircons from five volcanic rocks and intrusions were dated by U-Pb SHRIMP method. The results indicate that the Xiong‘er Group formed in 1.80--1.75 Ga of Paleo-Proterozoic. Since the Xiong‘er Group formed earlier than the Changcheng System, the earliest rocks in the Changcheng System is therefore assumed to be formed in 1.75 Ga. A thermal-tectonic event of ca. 1.84 Ga is indicated by new zircon U-Pb SHRIMP ages in the southern part of the North China Craton. The volcanic rocks of the Xiong‘er Group thus represent the initial magmatism of the Paleo-Proterozoic breakup of the North China Craton. Numerous inherited zircons in the volcanic rocks mainly formed in ～2.20 Ga, indicating that the source magma of the volcanic rocks may be derived from the ～2.20 Ga crust, or from a mantle magma with significant contamination of the ～2.20 Ga crust.     

～4.1 Ga xenocrystal zircon from Ordovician volcanic rocks in western part of North Qinlin80rosenic Belt

High-precision U-Pb dating by in situ LA-ICP-MS yields an age of 4079±5 Ma for a xenocrystal zircon from Ordovician volcanics of the Caotangou Group in western part of the North Qinling Orogenic Belt. As a result, the North Qinling Orogenic Belt becomes one of a few localities in the world that contain Hadean age records （4276±6 Ma and 4404±8 Ma detrital zircons from Jack Hill of the Yilgarn craton, 4016 Ma Acasta gneisses of the Wopmay Orogeny and Burang quartzite with detrital zircon of 4103 Ma in Tibet）. It is also the first report of the Hadean age in Phanerozoic volcanics. The finding of the 4.1 Ga xenocrystal zircon provides not only the geochronological record of the oldest crustal materials in China, but also the condition for further search for rocks forming in the region during the early time of the Earth＇s evolution. Thirty-six zircon U-Pb dates from the Ordovician volcanic rocks are subgrouped into seven generations that represent different tectono-magmatic events in the North Qinling Orogenic Belt. Among them, two periods of 0.9--1.5 Ga and 0.4--0.5 Ga are consistent with Mesoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic orogenies, respectively.