Detachment within subducted continental crust and multi-slice successive exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks: Evidence from the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt

Although tectonic models were presented for exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure （UHP） metamorphic rocks during the continental collision, there is increasing evidence for the decoupling between crustal slices at various depths within deeply subducted continental crust. This lends support to the multi-slice successive exhumation model of the UHP metamorphic rocks in the Dabie-Sulu orogen. The available evidence is summarized as follows： （1） the low-grade metamorphic slices, which have geotectonic affinity to the South China Block and part of them records the Triassic metamorphism, occur in the northern margin of the Dabie-Sulu UHP metamorphic zone, suggesting decoupling of the upper crust from the underlying basement during the initial stages of continental subduction; （2） the Dabie and Sulu HP to UHP metamorphic zones comprise several HP to UHP slices, which have an increased trend of metamorphic grade from south to north but a decreased trend of peak metamorphic ages correspondingly; and （3） the Chinese Continental Science Drilling （CCSD） project at Donghai in the Sulu orogen reveals that the UHP metamorphic zone is composed of several stacked slices, which display distinctive high and low radiogenic Pb from upper to lower parts in the profile, suggesting that these UHP crustal slices were derived from the subducted upper and middle crusts, respectively. Detachment surfaces within the deeply subducted crust may occur either along an ancient fault as a channel of fluid flow, which resulted in weakening of mechanic strength of the rocks adjacent to the fault due to fluid-rock interaction, or along the low-viscosity zones which resulted from variations of geotherms and lithospheric compositions at different depths. The multi-slice successive exhumation model is different from the traditional exhumation model of the UHP metamorphic rocks in that the latter assumes the detachment of the entire subducted continental crust from the underlying mantle lithosphere and its subsequent exhumation as a whol     

Multistage evolution of continental collision orogen: A case study for western Dabie orogen

The foramtion and evolution of collisional orogen is a prominent feature along convergent plate margins, and is generally a complex process. This article presents an integrated study of zircon genesis, U-Pb age and Lu-Hf isotope composition as well as geological characteristics for the western Dabie orogen to constrain its multi-stage evolution history. The results suggest that the formation of oceanic crust in the Huwan area was constrained at ca. 400--430 Ma, which was slightly later than the collision of the northern Qinling with the North China Block. It formed in a marginal basin in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block. The peak metamorphism of eclogite in the Huwan area occurred at ca. 310 Ma, and the timing of the initial exhumation of oceanic eclogite was about 270 Ma. The high to ultrahigh pressure （HP-UHP） metamorphic rocks in the Xinxian and the Hong＇an metamorphic zones have the same ages and natures as those of the HP-UHP metamorphic rocks in the other Dabie-Sulu terrains, and also have experienced multi-stage exhumation, and thus can be taken as a coherent part of the Dabie-Sulu orogen. Therefore, the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogen is a typical multi-stage continental collision orogen, with an amalgamation process extending more than 200 Ma.     

华北东部侏罗—白垩纪原型盆地及其演化

在残留盆地展布、地层发育特征以及控盆因素分析的基础上,恢复了华北东部侏罗—白垩纪的原型盆地格局。研究表明,早—中侏罗世,华北东部处于古亚洲构造域向滨太平洋构造域演化的过渡阶段,为弱挤压成盆期,发育中小型山间盆地,早期盆地走向以近EW向为主,晚期NNE向盆地更为发育;盆地早期的沉积表现为对印支期造成的低洼地区的充填,晚期则表现为披覆式沉积。晚侏罗—早白垩世,华北东部构造演化主要受滨太平洋构造域的控制,进入大规模裂陷或断陷盆地发育阶段,火山活动强烈,原型盆地的展布具有明显分区性,受NW/NWW向、NE/NNE向断裂系统的控制,拉张断陷、拆离断陷、反转断陷及走滑拉张型盆地在不同的地区分布。晚白垩世,华北东部隆起剥蚀,仅少数地区沉积充填。     

华北东部侏罗—白垩纪盆地演化及其对构造运动的响应

华北东部侏罗—白垩纪盆地演化的阶段性反映了燕山运动的幕式过程.在华北东部侏罗—白垩纪残留盆地分布、沉积充填特征研究的基础上,结合区域构造演化背景,恢复了晚中生代华北东部的原型盆地格局.结果表明:早—中侏罗世华北东部处于由古亚洲构造域向滨太平洋构造域演化的过渡阶段,早期发育一些小的山间沉积盆地群,表现为对印支期造成的低洼地区的充填,晚期表现为披覆式沉积;晚侏罗世进入中生代重要的构造转折期,华北东部构造演化受控于西太平洋区板块活动,晚侏罗—早白垩世伸展断陷盆地发育,盆地的展布具有明显的分区性,沉积充填受北东—北北东向和北西—北西西向断裂系统控制;晚白垩世,郯庐断裂带以西的华北东部地区持续隆升,仅局部洼陷有红色碎屑沉积充填.     

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.     

Post-collisional extensional and thrust-nappe structures in northern part of Dabie Mountains

Thrust-nappe structures and extensional structures simultaneonsly occur in the northern part of the Dabie Mountains. The systematic structural study reveals that extensional structures along the Mozitan-Xiaotian fault and thrust-nappe structures that take the Jinzhai-Shucheng fault as their frontal thrust share the same shear sense, and display a transitional relationship from the ductile extensional structure of deep level in the south to the ductile-brittle and brittle thrust-nappe structure of shallow level in the north. The extensional and thrnst-nappe structures in the region are explained to result from post-collisional processes by the continuous subduction of the Yangtze continental block and the extension induced by the uplifting of the core part of the Dabie Mountains, which are components of the exteasional structures produced in the exhumation process of the ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks in the Dabie Mountains. Because of the frontal blocking in the process of the north-westward spreading, the extension and detachment of the low-grade metamorphic rocks along the Mozitan-Xiaotian fault was transformed into the northwestward thrustiag, resulting in the thrust-nappe structures. They developed in the period of 200-170 Ma, maybe last till the late Jurassic.     

U-Pb zircon age of the foliated garnet-bearing granites in western Dabie Mountains, Central China

U-Pb zircon dating on two foliated garnet-bearing granite samples in the western Dabie ultra-high-pressure (UHP) metamorphic unit yields concordant ages of (234±4) Ma and (227±5) Ma, respectively. These ages, following the UHP peak metamorphism, represent the magma emplacement ages for the foliated garnet-bearing granites. This, for the first time, shows that there are the Triassic granites in the Dabie Mountains. The foliated garnet-bearing granites resemble A-type granite in geochemical characteristics, indicating that they were formed in extensional geodynamic setting. The magma formation reflects a reheating event in the Dabie orogenic belt and it enhances the transfer of tectonic regime from collision into extension and promotes the rapid exhumation into lower crust for the UHP metamorphic rocks.     

下扬子前中生代构造演化

下扬子具有前震旦系变质基底,自震旦纪进入板内演化。震旦纪－早古生代发育三个向ＮＥ方向打开的拗拉槽,具有典型的三段式建造序列,槽内沉积作用不同于槽间区域的沉积作用。自晚奥陶世末期到志留纪末期,下扬子转变为前陆盆地。碎屑沉积厚度逾６０００ｍ,物质来自东侧,说明东侧有一新生的造山带崛起。自晚泥盆世初期到二叠纪末期,该造山带向前陆推挤,下扬子发生ＳＮ向引张,在晚二叠世出现成熟的撞击槽。槽内发育火山岩,碎屑沉积物来自该造山带。建议称之为东海造山带。     

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.     

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…     

Eclogites in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau and their geodynamic implications

Eclogites have been recently reported in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau, including in the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt, in the Basu metamorphic massif of the eastern Bangong-Nujiang suture zone, and at Songdo and Pengco in the eastern Lhasa terrane. Some typical ultrahigh-pressure （UHP） metamorphic phenomena, e.g., garnet exsolution from clinopyroxene, were documented in the Basu and Pengco eclogites. The UHP metamorphism in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau marked by these eclogites generally took place in the Early Mesozoic. Along with exhumation of these eclogites, （post-） collision-related magmatism extensively occurred around the central Qiangtang belt, the eastern Bangong-Nujiang suture zone, and the eastern Lhasa terrane. The occurrence of these Early Mesozoic eclogites manifests an out-of-sequence evolution of the Tethys, and they could be a product of diachronous collision between the eastern Qiangtang terrane and the irregular continental margin of the united western Qiangtang-Lhasa plate, along the linked eastern Bangong-Nujiang-central Qiangtang zone. The collision-related magmatic rocks could have been originated from lithospheric thickening, melting, or detachment due to the collision. The presence of UHP metamorphic rocks in central Qiangtang and Basu implies likely continental deep-subduction, and the denudation of these two metamorphic zones could have served as the source of the Triassic turbidites in the Songpan-Garze complex and the Jurassic turbidites in the western Bangong-Nujiang zone, respectively. However, studies of the eclogites in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau just began, and many principal aspects still remain to be explored, such as their distributions, typical lithologies and minerals, temperature-pressure conditions, timing of formation and exhumation, protoliths and tectonic setting, and relationship with the evolution of the Tethys and large-scale basins in Tibet.     

晚侏罗-早白垩世郯庐断裂平移性质的探讨

通过晚侏罗世-早白垩世郯庐断裂带的应力场性质、盆地原型展布及构造环境分析,并结合同一时期大别造山带北缘火山岩主量元素、稀土元素的地球化学特征,认为大别造山带北缘和郯庐断裂带西侧区域为伸展构造环境,主张应力方向为北西西-南东东,郯庐断裂带在晚侏罗世-早白垩世应为右行平移伸展活动.     

陕西秦岭泥盆纪盆地群构造沉积动力学研究

陕西秦岭泥盆纪盆地群是在早泥盆世扬子板块北缘陆内裂谷沿勉略一线进一步发育成有限洋盆，而后分裂出秦岭板块，勉略洋盆与商丹洋盆的并存导致秦岭造山带出现了三个板块（扬子、华北及秦岭板块）共存的格局，由此形成了秦岭泥盆纪盆地群．在这种复杂的板块构造格局下，整个秦岭造山带出现了构造动力学成因不同的一系列盆地．在秦岭板块北缘发育了刘岭边缘盆地，在其中堆积了含火山岩的巨厚碎屑岩系（最大厚度超过１１ｋｍ）．在秦岭板块内部，由于广泛发育的伸展断裂而形成了一系列地堑和半地堑型盆地，在其中堆积了反映以陆表海为主的一套碳酸盐和碳酸盐碎屑沉积．在扬子板块与秦岭板块之间的勉略有限洋盆中发育了夹超基性至酸性火山岩、硅质岩的碳酸盐碎屑沉积．在扬子板块北缘的高川一带还发育了以细碎屑岩碳酸盐岩为主的陆表海沉积．总之，秦岭在泥盆纪发育了一个多种构造沉积动力学成因性质完全不同的盆地集合群     

巴彦浩特盆地沉降史分析

运用回剥分析技术对巴彦浩特盆地的沉降史作了定量方面的研究，认为巴彦浩特盆地是在早古生代的古隆起基础上发育起来的，共经历了两个隆升期和三个沉降期，两个隆升期是：三叠纪—早侏罗世、晚白垩世；三个沉降期是：志留纪—二叠纪、中侏罗世—早白垩世及第三纪—第四纪．相应地形成了四种类型的盆地，即志留纪—二叠纪前陆盆地（南部坳陷带）、石炭纪—二叠纪裂陷槽（东部坳陷带及其以东地区，为贺兰裂陷槽的一部分）、中侏罗世—早白垩世断陷盆地及新生代的坳陷盆地．晚古生代时，沉降主要发生在盆地的南部坳陷带及东部坳陷带内，侏罗纪时，南部坳陷带隆起，西部坳陷带及东部坳陷带为主要沉降区，受断陷活动控制，其间为中央隆起带分隔．早白垩世盆地全面下沉，成为统一盆地     

Isotope chronological trace of granite gravel in Hefei Basin

The discovery of granite gravel in Hefei Jurassic backland basin, which came from the Dabie Shan or North Huaiyang, has a great significance for probing into uplift and exhumation of the Dabie orogenic belt. Lithochemical and isotope chronological analyses on the granite gravel in the Sanjianpu Formation and the Fenghuangtai Formation in Jinzhai County prove that post-orogenic granite was developed in the major provenance of the Hefei Basin; that is, Dabie Shan or North Huaiyang. Discordant lower intersection point age of zircon U-Pb of granite gravel is about 214 Ma, and⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of muscovite about 196 Ma, K-Ar age of K-spar about 181 Ma. The former is the diagenetic age of the sample, and the latter two represent the sealed ages of muscovite and K-spar respectively. The age of sedimentary rocks in which a lot of granite gravels appear in the sedimentary section may represent the newest age of the exhumation of the granite body, so we assume that the age is 166 Ma. Therefore, we calculated the uplift rates of the granite body from Late Triassic to early Middle Jurassic; that is about 0.08 km/Ma and 0.4–0.3 km/Ma in the early slowly uplifting stage and later fast uplifting stage respectively, after the formation of the body at 214 Ma. These results are basically identical to the uplifting ages of the Dabie ultrahigh pressure metamorphic (UHPM) belt and the North Huaiyang thrust belt.     

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.     

鄂尔多斯盆地西缘北段沉降史与沉积响应

通过对鄂尔多斯盆地西缘北段沉降史的分析可知,晚三叠世—白垩纪,由于中三叠世巴颜喀拉地体、晚三叠世羌塘地体、中—晚侏罗世拉萨地块、白垩纪冈底斯地体连续向北增生、碰撞以及燕山期伊佐奈岐板块的俯冲,盆地西缘北段的响应显示为陆内前陆盆地的特征。受地体碰撞的影响,盆地西缘造山带发生幕式构造运动,从而导致盆地沉降也发生幕式变化。造山带每次挤压逆冲均导致相应的前陆盆地沉降和沉积物充填,并直接控制前陆盆地的沉积充填特征。     

松辽盆地中、新生代构造特征及其演化

松辽盆地发育在大陆内部古生宙－元古宙基底之上，出现在中生代火山岩带的后缘，经历了晚侏罗世地幔上隆、陆壳坳陷，早白垩世大规模岩浆上涌、引张裂陷、晚白垩世盆地挤压、构造反转和新生代较小幅度伸展断陷多阶段的构造演化。研究表明，发生在松辽盆地的从岩石圈伸展减薄到挤压增厚再到拉伸的复杂动力学演化过程是中生代伊泽奈崎大洋岩石圈朝东亚陆缘俯冲－碰撞作用的结果，松辽盆地的形成演化与洋壳运动方向、俯冲角度、俯冲速率的变化、俯冲带位置的迁移、大陆内部对洋壳消减了作用的响应方式等因素密切相关。     

Decoupling of surface and subsurface sutures in the Dabie orogen and a continent-collisional lithospheric-wedging model：Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic evidences of Mesozoic igneous rocks in eastern China

Based on the distribution of UHPM rocks on the surface in Sulu terrane, the surface suture between the NCB and SCB should be located along the Wulian fault (see Fig. 1, S1). However, based on the aeromagnetic data of eastern China, Li[1] first indicated that the subsurface suture between the NCB and SCB in the region east of the Tan-Lu fault should be located to the east of Nanjing City (see Fig. 1, S2), which south displaced about 400 km from the surface suture. This is contradicto…     

Evolution of the Xiaotian-Mozitan fault and its implications for exhumation of Dabie HP-UHP rocks

The Xiaotian-Mozitan fault （XMF） located north of the Dabie orogenic belt separates the North Dabie complex to the south from the Beihuaiyang low-grade metamorphic rocks to the north. It comprises several NW-striking ductile shear zones and brittle faults. The brittle faults obviously overprinted on the ductile shear zones and promoted the development of the volcanic basins in early Cretaceous to the north, which suggests that the brittle faults were normal faults formed in early Cretaceous during doming of the Dabie orogenic belt. The ductile shear zone superposed on the north Dabie gray gneiss, and it is an important channel where the Dabie HP-UHP rocks exhumed. For obtaining new structural constraint on exhumation of the HP-UHP rocks, we present here experimental results on the microstructure, quartz C-axis fabrics and the microprobe analyses of phengite. The ductile shear zone was determined to be formed at a temperature of 600-650 ℃ and pressure of 1.1 GPa by the mineral deformation, microprobe analyses and geobarometry of Si-in-phengite of the mylonite, the results suggest that the mylonite now exposed on the surface experienced an upper amphibolite-facies metamorphism in the lower crust. The mineral stretching lineation varies from horizontal in the east segment to sub-dip in the west. Shear sense indicators from outcrop and thin sections of orientated specimen and quartz C-axis fabrics suggest that the XMF is a sinistral normal fault. The kinematics analysis of the ductile shear zone indicates that the exhumation of Dabie HP-UHP rocks is the results of a SE-directed extrusion and an anticlockwise rotation around its eastern pivot simultaneously.