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…     

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。     

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.     

Grenvillian orogeny in the Southern Cathaysia Block: Constraints from U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes in zircon from metamorphic basement

Metamorphic basement rocks in the Cathaysia Block are composed mainly of meta-sediments with different ages. New zircon U-Pb geochronological results from the meta-sedimentary rocks exposed in the Zengcheng and Hezi areas, southern Cathaysia Block, show that they consist dominantly of early Neoproterozoic （1.0-0.9 Ga） materials with minor Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic and late Neoproterozoic （0.8-0.6 Ga） components, suggesting that the detritus mostly come from a Grenvillian orogen. The youngest detrital zircon ages place a constraint on the deposition time of these sediments in Late Neoproterozoic. Zircon Hf isotopic compositions indicate that the Grenvillian zircons were derived from the reworking of Mesoproterozoic arc magmatic rocks and Paleoproterozoic continental crust, implying an arc-continent collisional setting. Single-peak age spectra and the presence of abundant euhedral Grenvillian zircons suggest that the sedimentary provenance is not far away from the sample location. Thus, the Grenvillian orogen probably preexisted along the southern margin of the Cathaysia Block, or very close to the south. Similarity in the ages of Grenvillian orogeny and the influence of the assembly of Gondwana in South China with India and East Antarctic are discussed, with suggestion that South China was more likely linked with the India-East Antarctica continents in Early Neoproterozoic rather than between western Laurentia and eastern Australia.     

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…     

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.     

Geochronology of source materials from high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks in Jurassic sedimentary rocks of Hefei Basin

Eclogite cobbles were discovered by Wang et al. (2001) in the Fenghuangtai Formation of the northern margin of Dabie Mountains in the Dushan area of Anhui Province, China[1]. They proposed that after the formation during the Triassic, the high-pressure (HP) and ultra-high-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks reached the sur-face through exhumation and uplifting before the late Ju-rassic. However, they have not provided any evidence about isotopic ages. One kind of cobbles of HP-UHP rocks w…     

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.     

攀枝花-西昌古裂谷晚古生代的演化

文章分６个阶段重塑了晚古生代攀枝花－西昌古裂谷的演化，认为它属地台区不成熟的小规模裂谷，是大陆边缘地区发生张裂及深部物质上涌的结果     

The subducted slab of Yangtze continental block beneath the Tethyan orogen in western Yunnan

The western Yunnan area is a natural laboratory with fully developed and best preserved Tethyan orogen in the world. Seismic tomography reveals a slab-like high velocity anomaly down to 250 km beneath the western Yunnan Tethyan orogen, to its west there is a low-velocity column about 300 km wide. In the region from Lancangjiang to Mojiang an obvious low velocity in the lower crust and uppermost mantle overlies on the slab. Synthesizing the available geological and geochemical results, the present paper demonstrates that this slab-like high velocity anomaly is a part of the subducted plate of Yangtze continental segment after the closure of Paleotethys. The collision of India and Eurasia continent starting from 50–60 MaBP might trigger thermal disturbance in the upper mantle and cause the uprising of asthenosphere, in that case the subducted Yangtze plate could be broken off, causing Cenozoic magmatic activities and underplating in the Lancangjiang-Mojiang region.     

The subducted slab of Yangtze Continental block beneath the Tethyan orogen in western Yunnan

The western Yunnan area is a natural laboratory with fully developed and best preserved Tethyan orogen in the world. Seismic tomography reveals a slab-like high velocity anomaly down to 250 km beneath the western Yunnan Tethyan orogen, to its west there is a low-velocity column about 300 km wide. in the region from Lancangjiang to Mojiang an obvious low velocity in the lower crust and uppermost mantle overlies on the slab. Synthesizing the available geological and geochemical results, the present paper demonstrates that this slab-like high velocity anomaly is a part of the subducted plate of Yangtze Continental segment after the closure of Paleotethys. The collision of India and Eurasia continent starting from 50-60 MaBP might trigger thermal disturbance in the upper mantle and cause the uprising of asthenosphere, in that case the subducted Yangtze plate could be broken off, causing Cenozoic magmatic activities and underplating in the Lancangjiang-Mojiang region.     

辽北新宾?苇子峪地区太古宙花岗质岩石的形成年代、成因及其地质意义

辽北新宾?苇子峪地区的花岗质岩石主要由英云闪长质?奥长花岗质片麻岩和二长花岗岩?正长花岗岩岩体等组成。为确定其形成年代及成因, 对这些花岗质岩石进行锆石U-Pb-Hf同位素和全岩地球化学分析。锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素定年结果表明这些花岗质岩石均形成于新太古代, 英云闪长质和奥长花岗质片麻岩的岩浆结晶年龄分别为2588±4 Ma (MSWD=1.3)和2587±6 Ma (MSWD=1.8), 二长花岗岩?正长花岗岩则侵位于2555±4 Ma (MSWD=0.51)。全岩地球化学和锆石Lu-Hf同位素研究表明, 英云闪长质?奥长花岗质片麻岩形成于俯冲板片的部分熔融, 其原始岩浆在上升过程中受到地幔楔岩石的交代; 而二长花岗岩?正长花岗岩中一部分岩浆起源于变质杂砂岩的部分熔融, 其余形成于以变质玄武岩与变质沉积岩为主要成分的混合源区的部分熔融。结合近年的研究成果, 认为新宾?苇子峪地区的新太古代花岗质岩石可能形成于活动大陆边缘的动力学背景。     

Mesozoic basin development and its indication of collisional orogeny in the Dabie orogen

The Dabie orogen underwent deep continental subduction, rapid exhumation, and the huge amount of erosion during the Mesozoic. Its tectonic evolution, especially how its evolution was recorded by sedimentary basins at the flanks of the Dabie orogen is one of the most important issues of the world’s attention. These years, newly studies of basin sedimentology, combined with structural geology, have shown a fundamental progress. The overall distribution of different basin types in the orogen indicates that shortening and thrusting at the margins of the orogen from the Late Triassic to the Early Cretaceous controlled the foreland basins, and extension, doming and rifting were initiated in the core of the orogen from the Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous and were expanded to the whole orogen after the Late Cretaceous. Therefore, The Dabie orogen records gradual transition from overall shortening and thrusting to dominantly extension and rift basin formation expanded from its core to its margins, although these shortening and extension overlapped in time from the Jurassic through Early Cretaceous at crustal levels. The unroofing ages of the ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks in the Dabie orogen change from Early Jurassic to Late Jurassic westward. The depth of exhumation increases eastwards. The sediment sources for the Hefei basin are mostly composed of the deeply exhumed, axial Dabie metamorphic complex, and the sediment sources for the Middle Yangtze basin are mostly from cover strata in the southern orogen and related strata with subjacent (i.e. subsequently overthrusted) Mianlue suture belt. Geodynamic analysis represents that continental collision between the North China Block and the South China Block along the Shangdan and Mianlue sutures, subsequently northwestward progradation of the Jiangnan fold and thrust belt, and the underthrusting of the North China Block along the Northern Boundary Fault of Qinling Range led to crustal thickening, gravitational spreading and balanced rebound of the resultant thick crustal welt, and multi-episodic exhumation of the HP/UHP metamorphic rocks. The future studies by the methods of tracing the Dabie orogeny through deposition in the marginal basins should focus on eastward extension of the Mianlue suture, thrust and overlap of the Dabie HP/UHP metamorphic block on different lithotectonic zones and basins along the northern South China Block, the structural framework of the source area of the basins in the syn-depositional stage, the basin lateral extension, huge amount of erosion and sediment transportation from the Dabie blanket and basement rocks, and recovery of subducted and re- moved structural units within the Dabie orogen, etc.     

西秦岭中生代花岗岩锆石U-Pb-Lu-Hf同位素特征及地质意义

对西秦岭地区中川岩体、柏家庄岩体和教场坝花岗岩体进行LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb同位素年代学分析, 获得其岩浆侵位年龄分别为220±1, 216±6和222±3 Ma, 表明3个岩体均形成于中?晚三叠世。样品的全岩地球化学分析结果表明, 3个岩体具有相似的稀土及微量元素特征, 均表现为显著亏损高场强元素Nb, Ti和P等, 具有明显的右倾式球粒陨石标准化稀土元素配分模式。锆石Lu-Hf同位素分析结果表明, 3个岩体锆石测年样品的ε_Hf(t)值介于?3.31~+1.68之间, 二阶段模式年龄介于1151~1456 Ma之间。岩石成因分析表明, 这些印支期花岗岩体的母岩浆主要来源于新元古代地壳物质的部分熔融。结合岩体形成时代、岩石成因和区域岩浆作用, 认为这些岩体形成于南秦岭与华南板块沿勉略缝合带相碰撞的造山动力学背景, 可能与华南板块的俯冲板片断离有关。     

Timing of the Wudangshan, Yaolinghe volcanic sequences and mafic sills in South Qinling: U-Pb zircon geochronology and tectonic implication

The Wudangshan, Yaolinghe volcanic-sedimentary sequences and doleritic-gabbroic sills comprise the largest exposed Precambrian basement in South Qinling. Zircons separated from 5 volcanic-pyroclastic samples of the Wudangshan Group, 2 volcanic samples of the Yaolinghe Group and one sample for the mafic sills were used for U-Pb dating by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （LA-ICPMS）. The results reveal that the Wudangshan volcanic sequence was formed at （755±3） Ma （a weighted mean from the 5 samples, MSWD=0.47）, whereas the Yaolinghe volcanic suite and the mafic sill were crystallized at （685±5） （2 samples, MSWD=0.36） and （679±3） Ma （MSWD=1.6）, respectively, which are equal to each other within analysis errors. These ages are markedly younger than those previously documented for the rocks. The newly obtained ages for the Wudangshan and Yaolinghe Groups are Identical to those of the bottom Liantuo and slightly older than those of the Nantuo Formations, respectively, lower strata of the Nanhua （middle to late Neoproterozoic） stratotype section in eastern Three Gorges, Yangtze creton. A range of inherited magmatic zircons was recognized with ages of 830 to 780 Ma, which are typical of Neoprotzrozoic magmatisms recorded along the margins and interior of the Yangtze craton. Thus, there is Neoproterozoic basement comprising 830-780 Ma igneous suites in South Qinling; the inherited zircons were detrital sediments derived from the northern margin of the Yangtze craton. Accordingly, it is suggested that the South Qinling is a segment of the Yangtze creton before the Qinling Orogeny.     

Tectonic affinity of Paleozoic stratigraphic slices along the northern margin in Dabie Orogen, central China: evidence from Pb isotope of rocks

Metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks from the Paleozoic tectono-stratigraphic units along the northern margin in the Dabie orogen show that there are two types of Pb isotopic compositions, which have some affined regularity with tectonic subdivision. Compared with the main tectonic units of the Qinling orogen, the Dingyuan Formation should be the part of the South Qinling orogenic belt or the northern margin of the Yangtze craton, characterized by less radiogenic Pb isotopic composition, and the Guishan Formation, Nanwan Formation-Foziling Group and the Carboniferous should be the part of the North Qinling orogenic belt which is extended to the east, characterized by more radiogenic Pb isotopic composition. These facts combined with the distribution of the geological units suggest that the Paleozoic subduction zone between the Yangtze and North China cratons should be located in the north boundary of the Nanwan Formation-Foziling Group or somewhere that is covered by the Nanwan Formation-Foziling Group now. From the Pb isotopic evidence and suggestion presented here, one aspect of the constraint is provided for determining the position of the Triassic collision suture between the two cratons.     

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     

Process and mechanism of mountain-root removal of the Dabie Orogen—Constraints from geochronology and geochemistry of post-collisional igneous rocks

Systematical studies of post-collisional igneous rocks in the Dabie orogen suggest that the thickened mafic lower crust of the oro- gen was partially melted to form low-Mg# adakitic rocks at 143-131 Ma. Delamination and foundering of the thickened mafic lower crust occurred at 130 Ma, which caused the mantle upwelling and following mafic and granitic magmatic intrusions. Mig- matite in the North Dabie zone, coeval with the formation of low-Mg# adakitic intrusions in the Dabie orogen, was formed by partial melting of exhumed ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks at middle crustal level. This paper argues that the partial melting of thickened lower and middle crust before mountain-root collapse needs lithospheric thinning. Based on the geothermal gradient of 6.6~C/km for lithospheric mantle and initial partial melting temperature of ~1000~C for the lower mafic crust, it can be estimated that the thickness of lithospheric mantle beneath thickened lower crust has been thinned to 〈45 km when the thickened lower crust was melting. Thus, a two-stage model for mountain-root removal is proposed. First, the lithospheric mantle keel was partially removal by mantle convection at 145 Ma. Loss of the lower lithosphere would increase heat flow into the base of the crust and would cause middle-lower crustal melting. Second, partial melting of the thickened lower crust has weakened the lower crust and increased its gravity instability, thus triggering delamination and foundering of the thickened mafic lower crust or mountain-root collapse. Therefore, convective removal and delamination of the thickened lower crust as two mechanisms of lithospheric thin- ning are related to causality.     

Finding of Neoproterozoic （～775 Ma） magmatism recorded in metamorphic complexes from the North Qilian orogen： Evidence from SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating

The Qilian Mountain is considered a part of the Cen- tral Orogenic Belt of China[1]. The Central Orogenic Belt of China, extending for a distance of about 4000 km long in the E-W direction from the east coast west- ward through the mainland China all the …     

Zircon U-Pb geochronology of the volcanic rocks from Fanchang-Ningwu volcanic basins in the Lower Yangtze region and its geological implications

The latest eruptions in two important Mesozoic volcanic basins of Fanchang and Ningwu located in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River formed the bimodal volcanic rocks of the Kedoushan Formation and ultrapotassic volcanic rocks of the Niangniangshan Formation, respectively. The representative volcanic rocks of the two Formations were selected for LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb dating. The results indicate that there exist a large amount of magmatic zircons as indicated by high Th/U ratios in these volcanic rocks. The weighted mean age of 21 analyses is 130.7±1.1 Ma for the Kedoushan Formation, and that of 20 analyses is 130.6±1.1 Ma for the Niangniangshan Formation. These U-Pb ages are interpreted to represent the formation times of the volcanic rocks. In combination with other known geochronological data for Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the Lower Yangtze region, it is proposed that the latest volcanic activations in the Jinniu, Luzong, Fanchang and Ningwu volcanic basins probably came to end prior to ca. 128 Ma. There is no significant time interval between the early and later volcanic activities in the Luzong and Ningwu basins, suggesting a short duration of volcanic activities and thus implying the onset of an extensional tectonic setting at about 130 Ma in the Lower Yangtze region. Integrated studies reveal that the Early Cretaceous magmatic activities and their geochronological framework in the Lower Yangtze region are a response to progressively dynamic deep processes that started with the transformation of tectonic setting from compression to extension, followed by delaminating of the lower part of the thickened lithosphere, lithospheric thinning, asthenosphere upwelling, and crust-mantle interaction.