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…     

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.     

内蒙古中部乌拉山-大青山地区富铝片麻岩年代学特征

内蒙古中部乌拉山岩群是一套变质程度为高角闪岩相-麻粒岩相的早前寒武纪高级变质岩系,出露于内蒙古中部。为划分乌拉山-大青山地区富铝片麻岩的原岩形成时代,通过对侵入乌拉山岩群黑云石榴斜长片麻岩的石英闪长质片麻岩和紫苏花岗质片麻岩变质深成体进行年代学研究,本次研究涉及的实验样品共6件,分别于内蒙古中部乌拉山-大青山地区片麻岩中和变质深成岩中各取3件。分别为矽线石榴黑云斜长片麻岩(TWB19)、黑云斜长片麻岩(TWB20)、含橄榄石方解石大理岩(TWB18)和紫苏花岗质片麻岩(TW7)、石英闪长质片麻岩(TWB6)和花岗闪长质片麻岩(D1227)。结果表明：紫苏花岗质片麻岩(TW7)的加权平均年龄为2462±13Ma,花岗闪长质片麻岩(D1227)加权平均年龄为2512±24Ma,由于后期构造事件对岩石的改造,锆石的实际年龄应更大一些。可见,乌拉山富铝片麻岩原岩形成年代早于2.5Ga。石英闪长质片麻岩(TWB6)的变质年龄为2.2Ga和1.9Ga,指示乌拉山-大青山地区遭受古元古代早期和晚期构造热事件叠加改造。综上所述,乌拉山-大青山地区富铝片麻岩最晚形成时代限定在2.5Ga。     

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…     

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.     

Reinterpretation of metamorphic age of the Hengshan Complex, North China Craton

Hengshan granulite facies terrane consists of tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite(TTG)gneisses and minor high-pressure mafic granulite blocks.LA-ICP-MS zircon dating for two TTG gneiss samples indicates metamorphic ages of 1916.7±9.9 Ma and1850–1930 Ma,and magmatic protolith age of ca.2.5 Ga,with similar HREE-rich patterns.Phase equilibria modelling in ZrO2-bearing system reveals that zircon abundance varies inversely with melt abundance in suprasolidus metamorphism,zircon growth occurs with melt crystallization during cooling,and thus,the newly grown zircon can only record the age of retrograde metamorphism.Consequently,we suggest that the Hengshan granulite facies terrane experienced slowly uplifting and cooling during 1.85–1.93 Ga in an extensional setting under middle-crust,while the collision orogeny corresponding to peak stage of high-pressure granulite may have happened much earlier.     

Eocene high grade metamorphism and crustal anatexis in the North Himalaya Gneiss Domes,Southern Tibet

Determination of the timing and geochemical nature of early metamorphic and anatectic events in the Himalayan orogen may provide key insights into the physical and chemical behavior of lower crustal materials during the early stage of tectonic evolution in large-scale collisional belts.The Yardoi gneiss dome is the easternmost dome of the North Himalayan Gneiss Domes(NHGD),and contains three types of amphibolites with distinct mineral assemblage,elemental and radiogenic isotope geochemistry,as well as various types of gneisses.SHRIMP zircon U/Pb analyses on the garnet amphibolite and garnet-bearing biotite granitic gneiss yield ages of nearly peak metamorphism at 45.0±1.0 Ma and 47.6±1.8 Ma,respectively,which are 2 to 4 Ma older than the age for partial melting in migmatitic garnet amphibolite(43.5±1.3 Ma).Available data have demonstrated that ultra-high pressure metamorphism in the Tethyan Himalaya occurred at ～55 Ma,and high amphibolite facies to granulite facies metamorphism at 45 to 47 Ma.In addition,partial melting at thickened crustal conditions occurred at 43.5±1.3 Ma,which led to the formation of high Sr/Y ratios two-mica granites.The high-grade metamorphic rocks in the NHGD may represent the subducted front of the Indian continental lithosphere.In large collisional belts,fertile components in crustal materials could melt and form granitic melts with relatively high Na/K and Sr/Y ratios under thickened crustal conditions,significantly different from those formed by decompressional melting during rapid exhumation.     

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。     

Identification of 3.5 Ga detrital zircons from Yangtze craton in south China and the implication for Archean crust evolution

The LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of hundreds of detrital zircon grains from the Sinian sandstones of Liantuo formation and tillites of Nantuo formation at Sanxia area in Yichang identified 3319?3508 Ma zircon grains. Their ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages show excellent agreement (concordia degree 99%?100%). Their CL images exhibit well-developed oscillatory zoning and the Th/U ratios are within 0.46?0.76, implying that they are igneous zircons which formed during middle-early Archean. These zircons are the oldest ones discovered in Yangtze craton until now. However, the detrital zircons with ages older than 3.3 Ga in the metamorphic rocks of Kongling group were not found by further investigation, which suggests the presence of crust older than high-grade metamorphic Kongling terrain in Yangtze craton.     

Genesis of zircon and its constraints on interpretation of U-Pb age

Zircon U-Pb dating is the most commonly used method for isotopic geochronology. However, it has been a difficult issue when relating zircon U-Pb ages to metamorphic conditions in complex metamorphic rocks. Much progress has been made in the past decade with respect to the genesis of zircon and its constraints on interpretation of U-Pb age. Three methods have been proposed to link zircon U-Pb age to metamorphic conditions: ( i ) internal structure; ( ii ) trace element feature; (iii) mineral inclusion composition. Magmatic zircon shows typical oscillatory zoning and/or sector zoning, whereas metamorphic zircon has internal structures such as no zoned, weakly zoned, cloudy zoned, sector zoned, planar zoned, and patched zoned ones. Zircons formed in different geological environments generally have characteristic internal structures. Magmatic zircons from different rock types have variable trace element abundances, with a general trend of increasing trace element abundances in zircons from ultramafic through mafic to granitic rocks. Zircons formed under different metamorphic conditions have different trace element characteristics that can be used to relate their formation to metamorphic conditions. It is an effective way to relate zircon growth to certain P-T conditions by studying the trace element partitioning between coexisting metamorphic zircon and garnet in high-grade metamorphic rocks containing both zircon and garnet. Primary mineral inclusions in zircon can also provide unambiguous constraints on its formation conditions. Therefore, interpretation of zircon U-Pb ages can be constrained by its internal structure, trace element composition, mineral inclusion and so on.     

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.     

Discovery of ultrahighpressure magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite (>3.8 GPa) in the Altyn Tagh,Northwest China

Magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite from the Altyn Tagh, associated with garnet pyroxenite, and garnet-bearing felsic gneiss, crops out as lenses in Proterozoic gneiss about 100 km east of the Jianggelasayi River. The garnet lherzolite, together with the eclogite in western Jianggelasayi, composes a high-pressure to ultrahigh- pressure metamorphic belt in the southern margin of the Altyn Tagh. Parageneses of minerals from magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite indicate that the rock evolved a multi-stage metamorphism. The peak-stage metamorphism produces an assemblage of Grt+Ol+Opx+Cpx±Mgs, in which Al₂O₃ content of Opx is very low (0.30 — 0.66wt%). The calculated P-T condition of the peak stage is 3.8—5.1GPa and 880—970℃, some exsolution rods of clinopyroxene and rutile occur in the Grt and magnesite is rimed by dolomite and orthopyroxene, all implying that the peak stage was a UHP metamorphic process. Together with regional geological studies, isotopic dating and the discovery of coesite inclusions in zircon separates from felsic gneiss from the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, the presence of a very long UHP metamorphic belt in northwest China is suggested.     

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb age of garnet olivine pyroxenite at Hujialin in the Sulu terrane and its geological significance

Abundantbasic-ultrabasicbodiescropoutintheDabie-Suluultrahighpressure(UHP)metamorphicbeltandoccurasgroupandband.Muchresearchworkhasbeencarriedoutonthebasic-ultrabasicbodiesandmadeagreatprogressespeciallyonmineralogy.ThediscoveryofmineralassemblagesofUHPmetamorphismandexsolvedlamellaesuggestthattherocksmaycomefromthedeepmantleorwasonceemplacedintotheshallowlevelofthecrustandthensubductedtothemantledepthsduringsub-ductionofthecrust[1—13].However,theiroriginandtec-tonicsettingarestillacontrov…     

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.     

粤西东田金矿黑云斜长片麻岩锆石U—Pb年龄及意义

粤西东田金矿的赋矿围岩—黑云斜长片麻岩的原岩为英云闪长岩，其中的锆石Ｕ－Ｐｂ同位素年龄测定结果表明，它的成岩年龄为２２７３Ｍａ，它是云开隆起区广泛分布的片麻状黑云母花岗岩的源岩之一和金、银、钨等矿床的成矿物质来源     

Zircon isotopic ages from magnetite quartzites of the Jianping metamorphic complex, western Liaoning Province

Using the zircon Pb evaporation method and high precise ion microprobe analyses, zircon isotopic ages in supracrustal magnetite quartzites from Jianping metamorphic complex have been obtained. The results show that the deposition of the supracrustal rocks occurred around 2 552–2 520 Ma and the peak of granulite facies metamorphism reached at about 2 487 Ma; about (1 806±16) Ma, i.e. Mid-Proterozoic, the other possible metamorphic event with relatively low intensity happened in the study area. It is speculated that a likely tectonic setting where the Jianping metamorphic complex formed is an active continental margin that is involved in continental collision and crustal thickening shortly after its formation.     

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.     

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.     

Coesite inclusions in zircon from gneisses identified by laser Raman microspectrometer in ultrahigh pressure zone of Dabie Mountains, China

The mineral inclusions in zircon from gneisses in ultra-high pressure (UHP) zone of the Dabie Mountains were identified by using a laser Raman microspectrometer. Coesite occurs as inclusions in zircons from all types of gneiss. Other important minerals, such as jadeite, omphacite, aragonite, barite, and anhydrite were also found as inclusion minerals. These discoveries indicate that (ⅰ) gneissic country rocks had metamorphosed at the same time as the enclosed eclogites; and (ⅱ) SO₄^-2-bearing fluids were present in the UHP metamorphic process, which is manifested by occurrence of barite and anhydrite coexisting with coesite.     

The first discovery of eclogite and Palaeoproterozoic granitoids in the Beishan area, northwestern Gansu Province, China

The eclogite, discovered in Liuyuan, occurs as lenticular enclave within granitic gneiss. It has typical features of eclogite in petrology and mineralogy. The eclogite provides an important window to reconstruct the tectonic border of the Tarim block. The granitoids, located in Baihu area, yield U-Pb zircon ages of 1 660–2 000 Ma (Palaeoproterozoic), which implies an early Precambrian basement in the area.