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…     

Zircon U-Pb ages for Wulian granites in northwest Sulu and their tectonic implications

The Sulu orogen is the eastern termination of the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt that results from the Triassic collision between the North China and the Yang-tze plates[1—4]. It contains ultrahigh pressure (UHP) meta-morphic rocks such as eclogite, granitic gneiss and marble. The Wulian complex zone, north to the Wulian fault in the Jiaonan area, is about 10—14 km wide and consists of metaigneous and metasedimentary rocks that only ex-perienced greenschist-facies metamorphism (Fig. …     

Whole-rock Ar-Ar dating for low-grade metavolcanics within the Dabie orogen and its geological significance

Greenschist-facies metasedimentary and metaigne- ous rocks are frequently found to occur continuously along convergent plate margins where high pressure (HP) or ultrahigh pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks also crop out[1-7]. Geological investigations of co…     

Zircon U-Pb geochronology of basement metamorphic rocks in the Songliao Basin

Zircon LA-ICP MS U-Pb dating of six metamorphic rocks and a metagranite (breccia) from southern basement of the Songliao Basin are reported in order to constrain the formation ages of basement. The basement metamorphic rocks in the Songliao Basin mainly consist of metagabbro (L45-1), amphibolite (SN117), metarhyolitical tuff (G190), sericite (Ser) schist (N103), chlorite (Chl) schist (T5-1), biotite (Bi)-actinolite (Act)-quartz (Q) schist (Y205), and metagranite (L44-1). The cathodoluminesence (CL) images of the zircons from metagabbro (L45-1) and metagranite (L44-1) indicate that they have cores of magmatic origin and rims of metamorphic overgrowths. Their U-Pb isotopic ages are 1808±21 Ma and 1873±13 Ma, respectively. The zircons with oscillatory zoning from amphibolite (SN117) and Chl schist (T5-1), being similar to those of mafic igneous rocks, yield ages of 274 ± 3.4 Ma and 264 ± 3.2 Ma, re-spectively. The zircons from metarhyolitical tuff (G190) and Ser schist (N103) display typical magmatic growth zoning and yield ages of 424 ± 4.5 Ma and 287 ± 5.1Ma, respectively. Most of zircons from Bi-Act-Q schist (Y205) are round in shape and different in absorption degree in the CL images, implying their sedimentary detritals. U-Pb dating yield concordant ages of 427 ± 3.1Ma, 455 ± 12 Ma, 696 ± 13 Ma, 1384±62 Ma, 1649±36 Ma, 1778±18 Ma, 2450±9 Ma, 2579±10 Ma, 2793±4 Ma and 2953±14 Ma. The above-mentioned results indicate that the Precambrian crystalline basement (1808―1873 Ma) exists in the southern Songliao Basin and could be related to tectonic thrust, and that the Early Paleozoic (424―490 Ma) and Late Paleozoic magmatisms (264―292 Ma) also occur in the basin basement, which are consistent with the ages of the detrital zircons from Bi-Act-Q schist in the basement.     

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating for two episodes of migmatization in the Dabie orogen

Zircon CL imaging and SHRIMP U-Pb dating were carried out for migmatite in the Dabie orogen. Zircons from the Manshuihe migmatite show clear core-rim structures. The cores display sector or weak zoning and low Th/U ratios of 0.01 to 0.17, indicating their precipitation from metamorphic fluid. They yield a weighted mean age of 137±5 Ma. By contrast, the rims exhibit planar or nebulous zoning with relatively high Th/U ratios of 0.35 to 0.69, suggesting their growth from metamorphic melt. They give a weighted mean age of 124±2 Ma. Zircons from the Fenghuangguan migmatite also display core-rim structures. The cores are weakly oscillatory zoned or unzoned with high Th/U ratios of 0.21 to 3.03, representing inherited zircons of magmatic origin that experienced different degrees of solid-state recrystallization. SHRIMP U-Pb analyses obtain that its protolith was emplaced at 768±12 Ma, consistent with middle Neoproterozoic ages for protoliths of most UHP metaigneous rocks in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. By contrast, the rims do not show significant zoning and have very low Th/U ratios of 0.01 to 0.09, typical of zircon crystallized from metamorphic fluid. They yield a weighted 206Pb/238U age of 137±4 Ma. Taking the two case dates together, it appears that there are two episodes of zircon growth and thus migmati-tization at 137±2 Ma and 124±2 Ma, respectively, due to metamorphic dehydration and partial melting. The appearance of metamorphic dehydration corresponds to the beginning of tectonic extension thus to the tectonic switch from crustal compression to extension in the Dabie orogen. On the other hand, the partial melting is responsible for the extensional climax, resulting in formation of coeval migmatite, granitoid and granulite. They share the common protolith, the collision-thickened continental crust of mid-Neoproterozoic ages.     

Multi-stage evolution of gneiss from North Dabie： evidence from zircon U-Pb chronology

TTG gneiss is a common rock to outcrop in the northern part of the Dabie orogen, a few of which are closely associated with eclogites that experienced the Triassic ultrahigh pressure metamorphism. Although they were thermally metamorphosed by a large-scale magma activity in this region at the Early Cretaceous, it is unclear whether or not they are also affected by the Triassic metamorphism during continental subduction and exhumation. In order to resolve this issue, SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating was carried out for the host gneiss of eclogites in North Dabie. The results show that cores from the gneiss have an age of 746~.31 Ma, consistent with the protolith ages of granitic gneisses in the Dabie orogen. Zircon overgrowing with different U and Th concentrations give concordant ages of 212~21 and 120~11 Ma, respectively. Th/U ratios of overgrown zircons are both lower than 0.1, suggesting a metamorphic genesis. The present resuits suggest that the gneiss in North Dabie has the similar protolith ages of Neoproterozoic to those granitic gneisses elsewhere in the Dabie orogen, and experienced not only the Triassic metamorphism but also the thermal metamorphism due to the Early Cretaceous magmatism. This provides an important insight into the geodynamic evolution of gneissic rocks in the Dabie orogen.     

苏鲁造山带岩浆岩的锆石U Pb定年及构造意义

锆石U-Pb定年和地球化学分析结果显示,苏鲁造山带南缘连云港锦屏山片麻状花岗岩形成于(806.0±14.0)Ma,海州群云台组变质火山岩形成于(800.8±7.8)Ma,张八岭隆起的张八岭群西冷组变质火山岩形成于(751.6±7.1)Ma和(767.0±15.0)Ma.这些岩浆岩总体上具有高钾钙碱性系列、右倾型REE(Rare Earth Elements)模式、Nb、Ta、Sr、P和Ti强烈亏损、中等负铕异常、重稀土弱到中等亏损、低Sr、高Yb等特点,与浙闽型岩浆岩反映的区域伸展环境和下地壳部分熔融是一致的.这次构造岩浆活动820～740Ma,是晋宁期主碰撞造山后Rodinia超大陆裂解和岩石圈减薄演化的记录.     

A ∼2.5 Ga magmatic event at the northern margin of the Yangtze craton: Evidence from U-Pb dating and Hf isotope analysis of zircons from the Douling Complex in the South Qinling orogen

The poorly studied Douling Complex is a crystalline basement that developed in the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic weakly metamorphosed to non-metamorphosed strata at the South Qinling tectonic belt. Five banded dioritic-granitic gneiss samples from the Douling Complex were chosen for LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb zircon dating, which yielded protolith emplacement ages of 2469 ± 22 Ma, 2479 ± 12 Ma, 2497 ± 21 Ma, 2501 ± 17 Ma and 2509 ± 14 Ma, respectively. An important peak age of ～2.48 Ga was also obtained for a metasedimentary rock in the same region. These discoveries suggest the occurrence of magmatic activity of 2.51–2.47 Ga at the northern margin of the Yangtze craton. The age-corrected ? _Hf(t) values obtained from in situ zircon Hf isotopic analysis are mainly between ?5.5 and +0.3, and the two-stage zircon Hf model ages range from 3.30 to 2.95 Ga. Considering two important periods of ～3.3–3.2 Ga and ～2.95–2.90 Ga for the continental crustal growth in the Yangtze craton, we infer that the dioritic-granitic gneisses from the Douling Complex are the products of reworking of Paleo- to Mesoarchean crust at the northern margin of the Yangtze craton at ～2.5 Ga. In addition, metamorphic ages of 837 ± 8 Ma and 818 ± 10 Ma were obtained for zircon overgrowth rims from a dioritic gneiss and a metasedimentary rock, indicating that the main phase amphibolite facies metamorphism of the Doulng Complex occurred during the Neoproterozoic, although its geological meaning remains ambiguous.     

伊春花岗质片麻岩锆石 U-Pb 年代学特征

通过1∶5万朱拉比拉河等图幅区域地质调查工作,在伊春地区发现了新元古代花岗质片麻岩。应用锆石 U-Pb 测龄方法对花岗质片麻岩进行了年代学研究,23个点的206 Pb／238 U表面谐和年龄均在850 Ma 左右,加权平均为850．2±2．1 Ma。该年龄代表花岗质片麻岩体的侵位时间为新元古代;而较新的499 Ma 年龄可能是后期构造事件改造的新生锆石,反映后期构造热事件的年龄;1518 Ma 的年龄应是本次岩浆作用过程中捕获的早期锆石的年龄,该锆石年龄可能代表本区花岗岩的继承性锆石年龄。伊春花岗质片麻岩所在的地区存在前寒武纪的古老微陆块。     

扬子板块西缘盐边群及周边岩体地质年代学新格局

扬子板块西缘的盐边群及其周边岩体,作为前寒武纪构造岩浆活动带的核心,是观察和研究新元古代大陆壳生长的重要窗口。查明这一构造岩浆活动带内地质体的产出时代及构造岩浆活动的轨迹,是揭示新元古代大陆壳产生、发展地球动力学过程的重点环节。对盐边群及周边岩体的地质年代学研究表明:(1)区内大规模的岩浆事件集中在中元古代晚期至新元古代早期,荒田组海相玄武岩的喷发最早出现在1 122~1 038Ma B.P.;关刀山岩体早期的锆石U-Pb年龄为988±51Ma(N=6)和924±17Ma(N=9),并延续至857Ma B.P.;同德岩体的年龄主要集中在886~814Ma,峰值年龄为847.2±4.9 Ma(N=39)。(2)盐边群的渔门组和小坪组沉积时代晚于荒田组玄武岩、关刀山和同德岩浆岩体。(3)盐边群的碎屑沉积锆石与盐边群周边岩体锆石U-Pb年龄接近一致,是否存在成因关系,需进一步证实。以盐边群及其周边岩体为核心,同时向南、东、北方向延伸开展研究,核实区内主要岩浆地质体的产出时代、空间分布及物源特性,是重建扬子板块西缘新大陆壳生长及其地球动力学过程的必要前提。     

Formation history and protolith characteristics of granulite facies metamorphic rock in Central Cathaysia deduced from U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic studies of single zircon grains

The petrochemical as well as zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic studies of granulite facies metamorphic rock from the Tao＇xi Group in eastern Nanling Range, Central Cathaysia indicate that its protolith is the sedimentary rock with low maturation index. The clastic materials are mostly from middle Neoproterozoic （-736 Ma） granitoid rocks with minor Neoarchaean and Paleoproterozoic rocks. The timing of this Neoproterozoic magmatism is in agreement with the second period of magmatism widespread surrounding the Yangtze Block. Hf isotopic data indicate that the Neoproterozoic granitoids resulted from the recycled Paleoproterozoic mantle-derived crustal materials. The sedimentary rock was deposited in Late Neoproterozoic Era, and carried into low crust in Early Paleozoic. The partial melting of the meta-sedimentary rock took place at about 480 Ma and subsequently granulite facies metamorphism occurred at ca. 443 Ma. The zircons forming during this time interval （Early Paleozoic） show large Hf isotope variations, and their ZHf（t） values increase from -13.2 to ＋2.36 with decreasing age, suggesting the injection of mantle-derived materials during partial melting and metamorphism processes in the Early Paleozoic. Calculation results show that this metamorphic rock, if evolved to Mesozoic, has similar isotopic composition to the nearby Mesozoic high Si peraluminous granites, implying that this kind of granulite facies metamorphic rock is probably the source material of some Mesozoic peraluminous granitoids in eastern Nanling Range.     

锆石阴极发光和U-Pb年龄特征研究

根据锆石阴极发光和微区U-Pb定年的年龄结果,表明皖南新元古代花岗闪长岩中包含三类不同成因的锆石,即:同岩浆锆石、简单结构继承锆石和继承锆石核。同岩浆锆石能够反映岩体的形成时代与侵位条件,继承锆石反映岩浆岩的物质源区和岩浆形成条件。通过各岩体锆石样品的不同成因锆石分析研究,得出皖南新元古代各花岗闪长岩体具有相似的形成过程,但来自于不同的岩浆房,岩浆形成深度和侵位条件不同,与其形成于弧陆碰撞带的构造环境是一致的。     

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating for subduction-related granitic rocks in the northern part of east Junggar, Xinjiang

A great deal of studies have recently devoted to the Central Asian orogenic belt (CAOB). Some of the studies have proposed that CAOB is a tectonic frame ofcomplex mosaic fragments, link of multiple suture zone and mountain-basin coupling, and has undergon…     

Crustal evolution of the Shiwandashan area in South China: Zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic records from granulite enclaves in Indo-Sinian granites

U-Pb dating coupled with Hf isotope analyses on zircon from metasedimentary granulite enclaves in the Jiuzhou peraluminous granite from the Shiwandashan area in southeastern Guangxi Province, South China are presented in this paper. The results show that the protoliths of these granulite enclaves were mainly composed of Neo-Mesoproterozoic (564–1061 Ma) clastic materials with a peak age at ~822 Ma. These materials were probably derived from the igneous rocks that were emplaced during the Neoproterozoic breakup of Rodinian Supercontinent. Subordinate sediments include the Paleoproterozoic (1778–2227 Ma) and even the Meso-Paleoarchean materials with the oldest U-Pb age at 3551±8 Ma, indicating the existence of ancient crustal rocks in the area and/or its surrounding regions. Younger grains include the early Mesozoic (234±2 Ma) magmatic zircon populations and the late Permian (253±3 Ma) metamorphic zircon populations. Further zircon Hf isotope analyses reveal that their protoliths were complex, containing both recycled crustal rocks and juvenile materials. Combined zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotope compositions indicate that at ~253 Ma, the Shiwandashan area experienced an intensive thermal event that resulted in the granulite-facies metamorphism; and that crustal remelting occurred at ~234 Ma to form the S-type granitoids during the uplifting stage. The metasedimentary granulite enclaves are resitites of these granitoids.     

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating for the Cangshuipu volcanic rocks and its implications for the lower boundary age of the Nanhua strata in South China

Continental volcanic rocks and volcaniclastic sedi-mentary conglomerates of the Cangshuipu Formation oc- cur as wedge-shaped Neoproterozoic strata in the Yiyang region, Hunan Province. They overlie with a high-angle unconformity the Lengjiaxi Group of the Upper Meso- proterozoic Eonothem. The wedge-shaped Neoproterozoic strata of the continental clastic rocks and the Mesopro-terozoic deep marine flysch turbidites of the Lengjiaxi Group represent two distinct stages of basin-tectonic evo-…     

Diachroneity of continental subduction and exhumation: Constraints from the Permian-Triassic HP metamorphic terrane in the Tongbai orogen, central China

High-pressure （HP） metamorphic terrane in the Tongbai orogen comprises two HP slices （I and II） and a tectonic m61ange zone in the northeast and a blueschist-greenschist zone in the southwest. HP slice I is represented by the northern and southern eclogite zones on the two sides of the Tongbaishan antiform. HP slice II is represented by retrograded eclogite-bearing metamorphic en- claves in Cretaceous gneissic granites in the Tongbai Complex. U-Pb, Lu-Hf, Rb-Sr and 4Ar/39Ar multichronometric data indi- cate that the peak metamorphism of HP slice I took place at -255 Ma, whereas the metamorphic ages of HP slice II are as young as 232-220 Ma. By contrast, the tectonic melange zone near the suture was metamorphosed at -256 Ma. Such a diachroneity of dif- ferent slices across the direction of the orogen in the Hong＇an-Dabie-Sulu HP/UHP terrane is ubiquitous, and it can be interpreted by a syn-subduction detachment/exhumation model. Furthermore, the metamorphic age of HP slice I in the Tongbai orogen is older than that of the equivalent HP slice in the Hong＇an orogen by ~15 Ma, suggesting that the diachroneity may have also ex- isted along the direction of the orogen. A seesaw-type subduction/exhumation model is proposed to explain this age disparity and the subduction of the South China Block becomimg shallower towards the west.     

陕南铜厂闪长岩体的成岩、成矿时代及其地质意义

铜厂闪长岩体位于扬子地台北缘勉县-略阳-阳平关三角地块区域内, 主要由闪长岩、石英闪长岩和花岗闪长岩组成。LA-ICPMS 和 SHRIMP 锆石U-Pb 同位素定年结果表明铜厂闪长岩体存在 3 个侵位结晶阶段: 早期阶段的闪长岩形成于 879 ±7 Ma; 中期阶段的石英闪长岩形成于 848±5 ～840±7 Ma, 含矿钠长岩脉于 834±7 Ma侵位结晶, 与中期阶段石英闪长岩侵位时代在误差范围内一致; 晚期阶段花岗闪长岩形成于 824±5 Ma。这些新的年代学数据表明铜厂闪长岩体及其相伴生的大型铜厂铜矿形成于晋宁期, 而不是古生代, 揭示了扬子地台北缘存在重要的新元古代早期岩浆活动, 与 Rodinia 超大陆的裂解事件在时间上( 860 ～750 Ma) 基本一致, 是Rodinia 超大陆事件在扬子地台北缘的重要响应。     

A new interpretation of the tectonic setting and age of meta-basic volcanics in the Ondor Sum Group, Inner Mongolia

The Ondor Sum Group in the central Inner Mongolia is mainly composed of meta-basic volcanics intercalated with ferruginous quartzite and quartz schist, and has been interpreted as slices of oceanic crust or an ophiolite suite of the Early Paleozoic or much older ages. This paper presents new LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical data for the meta-basic volcanics. The results show that zircons in the meta-basic volcanics were derived from complicated sources, most of which may be captured by basic magma from the country rocks or other sources. They yield a large age range from the Late Archean to Early Mesozoic with the youngest age group between 246 and 261 Ma, constraining the protolith of the meta-basic volcanics formed in the Late Permian to Early Triassic. The meta-basic volcanics have an affinity to E-MORB in geochemistry, and also a similarity toward OIB, representing a tectonic setting of limited intra-continental ocean basin. This limited basin might have been related to the continuous extension of the area since the Early Permian and finally closed in the Early Mesozoic.     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages for the UHP metamorphosed granitoid gneiss in Altyn Tagh and their geological significance

Different types of UHP metamorphic rocks havebeen recently discovered in the Altyn Tagh[1—4], the north-ern margin of Qadam Basin[5—7], the southwestern Tian-shan Mountains[8,9] and the northern Qinling Moun-tains[10,11] in Central and Western China. And these areashave attracted focus attention of geologists at home andabroad to the studying of UHP metamorphism and conti-nental deep subduction. However, as newly discoveredUHP metamorphic terranes, some questions have beenarisen abou…     

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.