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.     

东准噶尔红柳峡辉长岩锆石U-Pb年龄及地质意义

准噶尔盆地基底性质及形成时期问题对研究新疆地壳演化、油气资源的勘探与评价均有重要意义,但长期以来一直存在很大争议。准噶尔盆地东部红柳峡地区是探讨准噶尔盆地是否存在前寒武纪基底的代表性地区之一,因此对该区进行同位素定年分析,以期获得古老锆石年龄的同位素证据。选取原定为中元古界札曼苏岩群中的大量发育的变质辉长岩进行了LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年研究。发现U-Pb表面年龄值分布的范围很宽,从385±7 Ma至2 322±45 Ma.岩浆锆石206Pb/238U加权平均年龄为（396±5）Ma（MSWD=1.15,n=7）,代表辉长岩的结晶年龄为早泥盆世晚期。此外辉长岩中尚有4粒年龄为（842～2 322）Ma捕获锆石,代表了岩浆上升溢流路经区围岩中的锆石形成时代。札曼苏岩群被划分为中元古代是不准确的,综合该区的变质砂岩和玄武岩锆石同位素定年数据,认为札曼苏岩群形成时期的下限不早于早泥盆世。结合区域地质综合分析认为,准噶尔盆地东部可能存在前寒武纪的古老结晶基底。     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating for the dacite of the Sangxiu Formation in the central segment of Tethyan Himalaya and its implications

The Tethyan Himalaya is located between the In-dus-Yarlung Zangbo suture zone to the north and HigherHimalayan crystallines to the south, paleogeographicallybelonging to the northern margin of “Greater India”. TheSangxiu Formation is used to define a series of specialstrata with rich volcanic interbeds, and is only distributedto the southeast of Yangzuoyong Co within 200 km×50 km along the eastern part of central Tethyan Hima-laya[1]. Based on overlapped relationships of strata andfos…     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating for lamprophyre from Liaodong Peninsula： Constraints on the initial time of Mesozoic lithosphere thinning beneath eastern China

It is undebated fact that the lithospheric mantle beneath eastern China was considerably thinned during the Mesozoic time. However, it has no adequate evidence for the exact timing when the lithosphere thinning started. The Liaodong Peninsula is located in the eastern segment of the North China Craton and is one of the important domains to explore the event of lithosphere thinning. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating and geochemical study were carried out for the lamprophyre dike swarm that intruded into the magnesite ore-beds in the Dashiqiao Formation of Paleoproterozoic Liaohe Group at the Huaziyu magnesite ore district, Liaodong Peninsula. The results indicate that these lamprophyre dikes were intruded in late Jurassic （155±4 Ma） and show some geochemical characteristics of potassic magmas. It is now accepted that the lithosphere thinning took place in the late Mesozoic, and the peak thinning stage occurred in early Cretaceous （130-120 Ma）. Considering the potassic mafic magmatism marking the onset of the lithospheric thinning, we therefore suggest that the studied late Jurassic potassic lamprophyre dike swarm could imply that the late Jurassic is the time that lithosphere thinning started.     

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…     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating for Qiashikansayi granodiorite, the Northern Altyn Tagh Mountains and its geological implications

The Qiashikansayi granodiorite is foliated resulting in a granodioritic gneiss. Its geochemical features, such as alumina saturation index(A/CNK) of 0.81-0.99, Na2O/K2O values>1, TiO2 contents <1.0%, LREE enrichment with high fractionation factors, weakly negative or no Eu anomalies, and significant Ba and Ti negative anomalies, suggest that it is similar to a typical island arc pluton. The trace elements of the Qiashikansayi granodiorite are plotted in the island arc field in the tectonic setting discrimination diagrams as well. Cathodoluminescence images demonstrated that the zircons have clear rhythmic crystallized zoning, without any remnant core and new crystallized rim, suggesting the zircons be magmatic ones. Their U and Th contents vary in the range of 574-870 μg/g, and 279-556μg/g respectively, with the Th/U ratio in the range of 0.52-0.68. SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating yielded the 481.5±5.3 Ma age for the intrusion of the granodiorite, which is coeval with the island arc volcanic rocks in the no     

Ages and tectonic significance of the collision-related granite porphyries in the Lhunzhub Basin, Tibet, China

The Paleocene collision-related granite porphyries are identified for the first time along the western margin of the Lhunzhub Basin, Tibet. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon analysis indicates that the granite porphyries were emplaced at 58.7±1.1 Ma (MSWD = 0.79) during the Indo-Asian continental collision. The granite porphyries are peraluminous and high in K, belonging to the calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline series. They are relatively enriched in LILE, Th and LREE and depletion in Ba, Nb, P and Ti, characterized by LREE-enriched patterns with slightly to moderately negative Eu anomalies. These Paleocene granite porphyries are interpreted as the products generated by partial melting of the pre-existing arc crustal rocks caused by the increase of pressures and temperatures during the crustal shortening at the early stages of the Indo-Asian continental collision since 65 Ma. Despite inherited geochemical features and tectonic settings of the arc protoliths, they are significantly different from the volcanic rocks of the Dianzhong Formation within the Linzizong Group and the Miocene granite por- phyries in the Gangdise belt.     

4.1 Ga old detrital zircon in western Tibet of China

4.1 Ga old detrital zircon was found by SHRIMP U-Pb dating for quartz schist from Buring County in western Tibet, Southwest China. This is the oldest zircon U-Pb age found in China so far. The detrital zircon is a zircon of magmatic origin because its Th/ U ratios are 0.76 to 0.86. Two dates older than 4.0 Ga were measured only in one grain. U-Pb ages of 35 measured spots in 24 zircons can be subdivided into 6 groups, corresponding to at least 6 episodes of magmatic activity in the target area. The present results provide an important geochronological constraint on the geological evolution of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.     

SHRIMP ages of detrital zircons from the Changcheng System in the Ming Tombs area, Beijing： Constraints on the protolith nature and maximum depositional age of the Mesoproterozoic cover of the North China Craton

The Mesoproterozoic Changcheng System is widely distributed in the North China Craton. Determining its time of deposition and sources is important to understand the Precambrian crustal evolution of the North China Craton. This paper suggests age distribution patterns for detrital zircons from clastic sediments of the Changcheng System in the Ming Tombs area, Beijing. Samples of feldspar-bearing sandstone (CHc-2) and pure sandstone (CHc-9) were collected from the Changzhougou Formation, which constitutes the basal part of the Changcheng System. Detrital zircons show an age range from 2.35 to 2.60 Ga. However, sample CHc-9 in the upper Changzhougou Formation also contains some zircons with ages of 1.9-1.8 Ga and 2.3-2.1 Ga. The age patterns lead to the following conclusions: (1) Most of the detrital material came from a source area composed predominantly of -2.5 Ga continental crust of the North China Craton; (2) 1.9--1.8 Ga reflects the age record of Palaeoproterozoic continent-continent collisional event in the North China Craton; and (3) the oldest age for deposition of the Changcheng System is 1.8 Ga.     

准噶尔盆地西北缘和布克赛尔玄武岩锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

目的确定准噶尔盆地西北缘和布克赛尔玄武岩的形成时代,并探讨其地质意义。方法在锆石阴极发光内部结构研究的基础上,进行LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年。结果玄武岩形成时限在291～310 Ma。结论玄武岩喷发形成时代不是晚奥陶世,而更可能是在早二叠世。其中,最老的继承性单颗粒碎屑锆石谐和年龄为（2 395±27）Ma,推测该区应存在前寒武纪古老地块。因此,准噶尔盆地西北缘由两条蛇绿岩、蛇绿混杂岩带围限的区带,应是由蛇绿岩、蛇绿混杂岩地体、岛弧岩浆杂岩和微古陆块共同组成的古生代增生带。     

Initial movement of the Karakorum Fault in western Tibet： constraints from SHRIMP U-Pb dating of zircons

The Karakorum Fault zone(KFZ)plays an important role in understanding the formation,evolvement and deformation of the Tibetan Plateau.The high-T dextral shearing metamorphic rocks,e.g.,mylonites or mylonitized gneisses-granites,locally crop out along the southeastern part of the KFZ in the Ayila Ri’gyüRange area.The SHRIMP U-Pb dating of the syn-kinematic crystallized zircons indicates that the initial age of the KFZ is~27 Ma,~10 Ma older than previous results.The extensive high-T dextral shearing along the KFZ started at least at 27-20 Ma,accompanied by the syn-kinematic emplacement of leuco-granites.Deformation and concomitant fluid circulation during shearing most likely occurred as early as at 25-13 Ma.The KFZ probably grew from southeast to northwest along the fault as a result of continuous convergence between the India plate and Eurasia plate.