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…     

Pliocene eclogite exhumation at plate tectonic rates in eastern Papua New Guinea

As lithospheric plates are subducted, rocks are metamorphosed under high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure conditions to produce eclogites and eclogite facies metamorphic rocks. Because chemical equilibrium is rarely fully achieved, eclogites may preserve in their distinctive mineral assemblages and textures a record of the pressures, temperatures and deformation the rock was subjected to during subduction and subsequent exhumation. Radioactive parent-daughter isotopic variations within minerals reveal the timing of these events. Here we present in situ zircon U/Pb ion microprobe data that dates the timing of eclogite facies metamorphism in eastern Papua New Guinea at 4.3 +/- 0.4 Myr ago, making this the youngest documented eclogite exposed at the Earth's surface. Eclogite exhumation from depths of approximately 75 km was extremely rapid and occurred at plate tectonic rates (cm yr(-1)). The eclogite was exhumed within a portion of the obliquely convergent Australian-Pacific plate boundary zone, in an extending region located west of the Woodlark basin sea floor spreading centre. Such rapid exhumation (> 1 cm yr(-1)) of high-pressure and, we infer, ultrahigh-pressure rocks is facilitated by extension within transient plate boundary zones associated with rapid oblique plate convergence.     

Age of Anzishan granulites in the Mianxian-Lueyang suture zone of Qingling orogen: With a discussion of the timing of final assembly of Yangtze and North China craton blocks

Many granulite blocks have been recently discovered in the Anzishan area, Mianxian County, Shaanxi Province, in the central segment of the Mianxian-Lueyang suture zone. Sm-Nd isochron and 40Ar/39Ar ages of mineral samples of granulites from this area are reported in the note. The granulite mineral samples give a Sm-Nd isochron age of t=(206 ( 55) Ma (2(), with INd = 0.51302(7(2() and MSWD = 1.6, and a biotite 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of (199.7(1.7) Ma (2(). The formation and uplift of the granulites were related to subduction of the Yangtze block beneath the South Qinling microcontinent and their collision and the final amalgamation of the Yangtze and Sino-Korean craton blocks in the Indosinian, and their age is consistent with or close to those of the Dabie ultrahigh-pressure and high-pressure metamorphic rocks, so have great tectonic significance.     

Granitic magmatism related to early Paleozoic continental collision in North Qinling

Zircon U-Pb dating of early Paleozoic granitoids in North Qinling yields three age peaks of ~500, -452 and -420 Ma. They can be temporally correlated with high-pressure to ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism at ca. 500 Ma, retrograde granulite-facies meta- morphisms at ca. 450 Ma and amphibolite-facies metamorphism at ca. 420 Ma, respectively. The first episode of granitic magma- tism is considered to have resulted from continental collision, whereas the second and third episodes of magmatism are attributed to crustal uplifting. Combined with the regional geological setting and new results from high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks, the ca. 500 Ma magmatism is interpreted as the result of partial melting of sedimentary rocks in accretionary wedge between the south Qinling microcontinent and the north Qinling belt including the southern margin of the North China Craton. The ca. 450 Ma intensive magmatism is ascribed to dehydration melting of deeply subducted continental crust at thick- ened conditions in response to slab breakoff, and the final magmatism in ca. 420 Ma is interpreted as the product of partial melt- ing during the tectonic transition from contraction to extension.     

东海丽水凹陷晚古生代碎屑锆石的发现及其意义

通过对东海新生代陆架盆地丽水凹陷N6井月桂峰组和灵峰组下段地层碎屑锆石U-Pb定年,发现月桂峰组碎屑锆石主要为岩浆锆石,包括140—90 Ma和190—170 Ma两个年龄组分,并有零星的大于400 Ma的变质锆石;向上至灵峰组下段碎屑锆石中除上述锆石年龄组分外,新出现280—260 Ma的变质锆石组分,说明除140—90 Ma及190—170 Ma岩浆岩物源外,随着物源区持续剥蚀,至灵峰组下段物源区明显加入了280—260 Ma变质岩.这一与二叠纪相关的变质碎屑锆石和变质作用,可能与晚古生代古太平洋板块汇聚华南大陆有关.     

LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating for high-pressure basic granulite from North Qinling and its geological significance

Inrecentyears,discoveriesofhightoultrahighpressuremetamorphicrocksatthenorthandsouthsidesoftheQinlingGroupinthenorthernpartoftheQinlingMountains(hereafterNorthQinling)haveattractedfocusattentionofgeologistsworldwide.Thenorthhigh-pressure(HP)metamorphicbelt,distributedintheareafromGuanpotoShuanghuaishunorthwardtoShizipin,LushCountyinHenanProvince,consistsmainlyofeclogiteoutcroppedaslenticularmassesofdifferentsizesinthegneissesoftheQinlingGroupclosetothesouthsideofZhuyangguan-Xiaguanfault…     

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.     

Subduction age of Neo-Tethys oceanic crust in southwest Yunnan, China: Laser micro-area40Ar-39Ar dating

The basic granulite, which is considered to be the MORE based on geochemistry and isotopic characteristics[1], has been discovered recently as the enclaves in the Yingjiang island-arc magmatic suite on the border of Burma and west Yunnan, east of Myitkyina suture in the eastern Burma. The laser micro-area 40Ar-39Ar technique is used to date the age of garnet and cliopyroxene that is the result of the early metamorphic event. The isochron outcome is -74.4 Ma which is induced to be the age of the suduction event of the Myitkyina oceanic crust on the basis of the Cenozoic lithosphere tectonic evolution, tectonic thermal events and the age of deformation and metamorphism. The discovery of the high-grade or high-pressure metamophic rocks in the island-arc magmatic suite by the way of studying its P-T-t paths can provide a good way to study the age and process of oceanic crust subduction, slab break-off, metamorphic terrain exhumation and the evolution of paleoocean basin.     

The 40Ar/39Ar age record of formation and uplift of the blueschists and eclogites in the western Tianshan Mountains

The 40Ar/39Ar ages indicate that the eclogite facies rocks of the Hasiate slice in the western Tianshan Mountains were formed at the early stage of Devonian (401 Ma) and had been uplifted to the greenschist facies tectonic level in the middle stage of Devonian (381 Ma). The formation and uplift of the blueschists of the Akesayi slice are constrained to the late stage of Devonian (370─364 Ma). The different tectonic slices in the high-pressure metamorphic belt have experienced the different uplift history.     

Petrology and40Ar/39Ar isotopic ages of blueschists in Gangmar, central Qiangtang, northern Tibet

The petrology and mineral assemblages of blueschists in the Gangmar, central Qiangtang, northern Tibet were examined, which indicates that the metamorphic condition is high-pressure low-temperature. In this note, we reported the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating results of glaucophane from two blueschist samples. Their apparent ages are (275.0± 1.3) Ma and (287.6± 2.3) Ma and similar isochron ages are (275.0± 0.9) Ma and (282.4± 0.8) Ma, respectively. These isotopic datings show the high-pressure metamorphism occurring in Lower Permian. The ages also coincide with the evolution of Palaeo-Tethys ocean in Late Palaeozoic.     

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.     

Sm-Nd age dating of high-pressure granulites and amphibolite from Sanggan area, North China craton

The high pressure (HP) metamorphic age has been dated to HP rocks from the Sanggan area, North China craton. We have got garnet+whole rock isochron ages of (1 842±38) Ma for HP granulite, and (1 856 ± 26) Ma for HP amphibolite. The Sm-Nd whole rock isochron of HP granulites give out an age of (1 870±150) Ma with Nd depleted mantle model age of (2 402—2 482) Ma. Considering the Nd isotope homogenization during the peak metamorphism of the HP granulite, Sm-Nd closure temperature and the retention of Nd isotopic memory in garnets partially broken down during decompression, all these isochron ages are thought to be HP metamorphic age. Furthermore, we proposed that the HP metamorphism took place at the end of Paleoproterozoic during the large-scale collision and assembly of the North China craton.     

The40Ar/39Ar age record of formation and uplift of the blueschists and eclogites in the western Tianshan Mountains

The⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages indicate that the eclogite facies rocks of the Hasiate slice in the western Tianshan Mountains were formed at the early stage of Devonian (401 Ma) and had been uplifted to the greenschist facies tectonic level in the middle stage of Devonian (381 Ma). The formation and uplift of the blueschists of the Akesayi slice are constrained to the late stage of Devonian (370-364 Ma). The different tectonic slices in the high-pressure metamorphic belt have experienced the different uplift history.     

新路盆地火山岩Sr-Nd同位素地球化学特征及其地质意义

在浙西新路盆地中生代酸性火山岩的Sr-Nd同位素组成和Nd同位素模式年龄基础上,探讨了其源岩性质及其大地构造意义。结果显示,构成新路盆地主体的黄尖组晶屑熔结凝灰岩和花岗斑岩的平均锶初始值分别为0.714 10、0.710 39,ε_(Nd)(t)值分别为-5.5、-5.7;黄尖组晶屑熔结凝灰岩和花岗斑岩的两阶段模式年龄均值分别为1 366Ma、1 387Ma,与扬子地块基底双溪坞群变质岩年龄(900~1 000 Ma)差异明显,而与华夏地块基底陈蔡群变质岩年龄(1 400 Ma)接近;2个单元火山岩Nd同位素均位于陈蔡群Nd同位素演化域。研究认为,新路盆地黄尖组熔结凝灰岩和花岗斑岩具有相似的物质来源,均表现出壳源和幔源物质混合成因特点,壳源物质可能源自南部华夏地块的陈蔡群变质岩,与扬子地块变质基底双溪坞群无关;推测发生于1 000~900 Ma B.P.时期或其后的浙西地区扬子地块与华夏地块之间的陆陆碰撞,具有华夏地块向扬子地块俯冲的动力学特点。上述大地构造运动方式以及岩石成因特点,或许是导致赣杭火山岩带分属华夏地块和扬子地块的火山岩均呈现出与铀成矿关系密切的重要原因。     

Fluid inclusions in whiteschist in the ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt of Dabie Shan, China

Hualiangting whiteschist in the Dabie Shan ultrahigh-pressure eclogite complex is a specific Mg-Al- rich metamorphic rock. Its protolith was a felsic dyke, which suffered replacement by high-pressure fluids during eclogite-facies metamorphism. Based on fluid inclusion results in whiteschist, primary high-pressure fluids are CO2-bearing aqueous solutions. Those prove that there exists CO2-H2O fluid during the ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. Pseudosecondary H2O inclusions were trapped during ultrahigh-pressure exhumation, whereas secondary H2O inclusions were related to the latest evolutionary stage of the ultrahigh-pressure exhumation.     

Noble gas isotopic compositions of deep carbonate rocks from the Tarim Basin

Abundances and isotopic compositions of noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr) with various existence states in carbonate rocks from the Tacan1 Well have been investigated by means of the stepwise heating technique. The elemental abundance patterns of noble gases in the samples show the enrichment of heavy noble gases and depletion of ²⁰Ne relative to the atmosphere, which are designated as type-Ⅰand are similar to that observed in water, natural gases and sedimentary rocks. The ³He/⁴He ratios of deep carbonate samples at lower and medium temperature (300—700℃) and a majority of samples at higher temperature (1100—1500℃) steps are very similar to those of natural gases in the same strata in this area, this feature of radiogenic crustal helium shows that the Tazhong Uplift is relatively stable. However, significant helium and argon isotopic anomalies are found at the 1100℃ step in the Middle-Upper Ordovician carbonate rock, suggesting the incorporation of mantle-derived volatiles, this may be due to minor igneous minerals contained in sedimentary carbonate rocks. The ⁴⁰Ar/ ³⁶Ar ratios in the Cambrian carbonate rock are slightly higher than those in Ordovician carbonate rocks, which may reflect the influence of the chronologic accumulation effect of crust radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar. Argon isotopes of various existence states in source rocks are much more different, both ³⁸Ar/ ³⁶Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/ ³⁶Ar ratios at the higher temperature steps are higher than those at the lower temperature steps.     

A combined study of SHRIMP U-Pb dating, trace element and mineral inclusions on high-pressure metamorphic overgrowth zircon in eclogite from Qinglongshan in the Sulu terrane

Methods recently advanced for discrimination on the genesis of metamorphic zircon, such as analysis of mineral inclusions and trace elements, provide us powerful means to distinguish zircon overgrowth during high-pressure metamorphism. Zircons in ultrahigh-pressure eclogite from Qinglongshan in the Sulu terrane were studied by the SHRIMP U-Pb method in combining with trace element and mineral inclusion analyses. No inherited core was identified in the analyzed zircons by means of cathodoluminescence images. The occurrence of high-pressure metamorphic mineral inclusions in zircon, such as garnet, omphacite, rutile, and the flat HREE pattern in zircon indicate that the zircon formed at high-pressure metamorphic conditions. Therefore, a weighted average U-Pb age of 227.4±3.5 Ma obtained from such a kind of zircon is interpreted to represent the timing of peak nietamorphism for the Qinglongshan eclogite.     

青藏高原东北缘多福屯陆内基性火山岩的40Ar/39Ar同位素定年和地球化学特征及其构造启示

目的探讨青藏高原东北缘多福屯地区钠质基性火山岩与青藏高原隆升及南北构造带活动之间的关系。方法运用地球化学和同位素Sr-Nd-Pb特征分析及全岩40Ar/39Ar同位素进行研究。结果全岩40Ar/39Ar年龄结果显示,多福屯钠质基性火山岩的形成时代为96.21 Ma±2.10 Ma,为晚白垩世(K2)早期。岩石元素-同位素地球化学特征表明,该套火山岩岩浆形成于部分熔融。火山岩表现为特征的DUPAL(高放射成因铅)异常,属似OIB性质的板内碱性—偏碱性玄武岩,源区具有DM与EMⅡ混合特点。结论多福屯火山岩相关的岩浆活动源于板块边界动力学引起的远程大陆陆内构造效应,即印度板块与欧亚大陆的早期碰撞(100～85 Ma),由于藏北板块的刚性特点,应力实现远程传递到高原东北缘,导致南北复合构造带在西秦岭西段发生构造扰动,诱发了软流圈地幔的部分熔融,形成多福屯火山岩原生岩浆。     

SHRIMP dating of zircons from the Caledonian Xiongdian eclogite, western Dabie Mountains, China

This note reports the SHRIMP U-Pb data of zircons from the Caledonian Xiongdian eclogite, western Dabie Mountains. Zircons from the rock occur mainly in garnet and other metamorphic minerals with sharp boundaries and exhibit textures growing under metamorphic conditions. Analyses of 7 grains give ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages ranging from 335 to 424 Ma, showing a certain degree of radiogenic lead loss. This suggests a minimum age of (424±5) Ma for the metamorphic zircons, as well as the high-pressure metamorphic event. The outer peripheral zone of a zircon gives ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of about 300 Ma. Combined with Sm-Nd, ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar, U-Pb and ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages, the peak metamorphism of the Xiongdian eclogite is documented between 424—480 Ma.     

Ca. 2.5 Ga TTG rocks in the western Alxa Block and their implications

The Alxa Block is considered part of the North China Craton, but the unambiguous Archean basement has not been reported. In this study, we present the first evidence of the Neoarchean rocks in the Beidashan area of the western Alxa Block. The petrographic and geochemical data show that these rocks are granodiorite with TTG (tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) characteristics. Zircon U-Pb dating gave an age of 2522±30 Ma for the magmatic core and 2496±11 Ma for the metamorphic recrystallized rim. The near-identical age between the Latest Neoarchean magmatism and the high-grade metamorphism shows that these features were related to the same Latest Neoarchean-Earliest Paleoproterozoic tectonothermal event. The age-corrected Hf (t) value is mainly between 0.4 and 4.9. The two-stage zircon Hf model age ranges from 2.7 to 3.0 Ga, suggesting that the Mesoarchean- Neoarchean (2.7-3.0 Ga) juvenile crust was reworked at the end of the Neoarchean in the western Alxa Block. These data suggest that the western Alxa Block experienced a Mesoarchean-Neoarchean crust growth and Latest Neoarchean-Earliest Paleoproterozoic tectonothermal event similar to the North China Craton.