Re-Os isotopic system and formation age of subcontinental lithosphere mantle

The determination of the formation age of subcontinental Lithosphere Mantle (SCLM) is a widely concerned issue in mantle geochemistry. It is difficult to obtain the formation age of SCLM using lithophile isotopic systems such as Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, U-Th-Pb, etc., but as siderophile elements, the Re-Os isotopic system provides a powerful tool for that work. Here a comprehensive review on the recent development in Re-Os dating for SCLM has been given.     

In situ Re-Os isotope ages of sulfides in Hannuoba peridotitic xenoliths： Significance for the frequently-occurring mantle events beneath the North China Block

In situ Re-Os isotopes of sulfides in peridotitic xenoliths from Cenozoic Hannuoba basalts were analyzed by LAM-MC-ICPMS. The suifides developed two types of occurrences including silicate-enclosed and interstitial. In the enclosed sulfides, 187Os/188Os vary from 0.1124 to 0.1362 and 187Re/188Os from 0.0026 to 1.8027. In the interstitial ones, 187Os/188Os have a range from 0.1174 to 0.1354 and 187Re/188Os from 0.0365 to 1.4469. The oldest age, calculated by TRD for the enclosed sulfides, is 2.1 Ga. An isochron age of 2.3±1.2 Ga is obtained by five grains of enclosed sulfides and primitive mantle. The sulfides used have lower Re-Os isotopic ratio than primitive mantle. Meanwhile, an isochron age of 645±225 Ma is given by all in- terstitial sulfides and the enclosed sulfides with higher Re-Os isotopic ratio due to Re addition after man- tle formation. In addition, the model age of 1.3 Ga recorded by one interstitial sulfide, having similar TDM and TRD, should be meaningful to deep thermal event. The coexistence of different ages, revealed by in situ Re-Os isotope, indicates frequently-occurring mantle events beneath Hannuoba area.     

Re-Os isotopic composition of the Dongling ⅢCD iron meteorite

Re, Os concentrations and Os isotopic compositions of the Dongling ⅢCD iron meteorite were determined by N-TIMS technique. The result was compared with that of the other irons and chondrites. The Re and Os concentrations of the Dongling iron meteorite were plotted on the trends of the group ⅢA and ⅣA irons. The Pt-Os relation of the Dongling iron meteorite is similar to that of the group ⅡA irons. That suggests a higher fractionation for the Dongling iron meteorite.     

Repeated modification of lithospheric mantle in the eastern North China Craton: Constraints from SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of dunite xenoliths in western Shandong

Four dunite xenoliths from the Tietonggou intrusion of western Shandong,China,were subjected to SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating to constrain timing of the North China Craton(NCC) destruction,a topic of much controversy.Cathodoluminescence images revealed that 15 of the 18 zircon grains from the xenoliths display striped absorption.The rest showed oscillatory growth zoniation.All the zircons had variable contents of Th(49-3569 ppm;average,885 ppm) and U(184-5398 ppm;average,1277 ppm),and variable Th/U ratios(0.15-2.04).These zircon characteristics indicate a magmatic origin.The zircon age data can be divided into five groups:131-145,151-164,261-280,434-452,and 500-516 Ma.Group I(131-145 Ma) is consistent with timing of formation of the Tietonggou high-Mg diorites.Group II(151-164 Ma) is similar in age to Middle-Late Jurassic magmatism in the eastern NCC,which included both mantle-derived and intensive crust-derived magmatism.Group III(261-280 Ma) is similar in age to the Emeishan large igneous province,and Group IV(434-452 Ma) is similar in age to Paleozoic high-silica magmatism in the eastern NCC.Group V(500-516 Ma) may correspond to the global Pan-African event.Results indicate repeated modification of lithospheric mantle in the eastern NCC,and suggest that the most intensive modification occurred in the late Mesozoic(131-164 Ma).     

Zircon U-Pb dating for the earliest Neoproterozoic mafic magmatism in the southern margin of the North China Block

Geological records of Neoproterozoic magmaticevents have recently been identified in the central Phanerozoic orogenic belts of China[1]. In regions of east Qinling orogen[2], Dabie-Sulu orogen[3], north Qaidam Basin orogen[4―6], and southwest Tarim Basin…     

Re-Os dating of Mo-bearing black shale of the Laoyaling deposit,Tongling, Anhui Province,China

Laoyaling is a typical stratiform deposit in the Tongling district and the molybdenum orebody is hosted by black shale of the Dalong Formation of the Upper Permian system. Eight black shale samples from the Laoyaling Mo orebody were dated by Re-Os technique using ICP-MS, which give an isochron age of 234.2±7.3 Ma with an initial 187Os/188Os ratio of 1.37±0.39. The apparent Re-Os age is a few million years younger than the depositional age of the Late Permian. The young isochron age may be caused by the later hydrothermal disturbance or mass fractionation during ICP-MS measurement. However, the obtained isochron age is close to the depositional age and far earlier than those of the Late Yanshanian intrusions. It suggests that the Mo ore of the Laoyaling deposit is sedimentary in origin and not related to the Late Yanshanian magmatism. Black shales of the Upper Permian are distributed widely in the Mid-Lower Yangtze region, our result is important for understanding the ore-forming processes in the regio     

Hf isotopes of zircon megacrysts from the Cenozoic basalts in eastern China

Cenozoic basalts are widely distributed in eastern China, and some of them contain zircon megacrysts which are considered to be constituent mineral of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle （SCLM） and petrogenetically related to mantle metasomatism induced by addition of crustal materials. Using the Laser Ablation Multiple Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry （LA-MC-ICPMS）, zircon megacrysts from the Cenozoic basalts at Changle in Shandong, Mingxi in Fujian, and Penglai in Hainan provinces have been used for Hf isotopic analyses. The data indicate that there is no significant deviation for the different zircon grains in each locale, except those from Penglai. The obtained ^176Hf /^177Hf ratios are 0.28302- 0.28308 for Changle, 0.28297-0.28300 for Mingxi, and 0.28288-0.28293 for Penglai, with corresponding ear values of 8.7-10.8, 7.0-7.9, and 3.9-5.7, respectively. These data display that there existed some regional heterogeneity, but the Hf model ages clustere in the Phanerozoic. Therefore, it is inferred that metasomatism of the lithospheric mantle beneath eastern China took place in the Phanerozoic, most probably in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. However, the formation time of the iithospheric mantle is not clearly constrained based on the present Hf isotopic data.     

Mantle olivine xenocrysts entrained in Mesozoic basalts from the North China craton：Implication for replacement process of lithospheric mantle

Mesozoic (125 Ma) Fangcheng basalts fromShandong Province contain clearly zoned olivines that arerare in terrestrial samples and provide first evidence for thereplacement of lithospheric mantle from high-Mg peridotitesto Iow-Mg peridotites through peridotite-melt reaction.Zoned olivines have compositions in the core (Mg# = 87.2--90.7) similar to those olivines from the mantle peridotiticxenoliths entrained in Cenozoic basalts from the NorthChina craton and in the rim (Mg# = 76.8--83.9) close to oli-vine phenocrysts of the host basalts (75.7--79.0). Thesecompositional features as well as rounded crystal shapes andsmaller grain sizes (300—800 μm) demonstrate that thesezoned olivines are mantle xenocrysts, i.e. disaggregates ofmantle peridotites. Their core compositions can representthose of olivines of mantle peridotites. The zoned texture ofolivines was formed through rapid reaction between the oli-vine xenocryst and the host basalt. This olivine-basaltic meltreaction could have been ubiquitous in the Mesozoic litho-spheric mantle beneath the North China craton, i.e. an im-portant type of the replacement of lithospheric mantle. Thereaction resulted in the transformation of the Paleozoic re-fractory (high-Mg) peridotites to the late Mesozoic fertile(Iow-Mg) and radiogenic isotope-enriched peridotites, lead-ing to the loss of old lithospheric mantle.     

Re-Os dating of gold-bearing arsenopyrite of the Maoling gold deposit,Liaoning Province,Northeast China and its geological significance

The Maoling gold deposit, one of the large gold deposits in eastern Liaoning Province, NE China, is an arsenopyrite-disseminated gold deposit with a resource of approximately 25 t Au and an average Au grade of 3.2 g/t. Six arsenopyrites closely related to Au mineralization of the Maoling gold deposit are dated by Re-Os technique and define a Re-Os isochron with an age of 2316±140 Ma, which suggests that the deposit was formed in the Paleoproterozoic era rather than in the Indosinian period as some early researchers suggested. High initial ^187Os/^188Os ratio of 1.32±0.48 indicates a crustal derivation of the ore-forming material of the deposit, which may be derived from rocks of the Gaixian formation of the Liaohe Group. Furthermore,the result also implies that the age of the Gaixian Formation in the Maoling district is older than 2316±140 Ma.     

Re-Os isotope dating of pyrite from the footwall mineralization zone of the Xinqiao deposit,Tongling, Anhui Province: Geochronological evidence for submarine exhalative sedimentation

The Xinqiao deposit is located in the Tongling area,Anhui Province.This deposit is dominantly composed of stratiform sulfide orebodies,which are restricted to the transitional zone from clastic rocks to carbonates at the base of the Late Carboniferous Huanglong Formation.There are discordant veinlets or networks of mineralization in the footwall rocks below the stratiform sulfide orebodies.The underlying discordant mineralization zones coexist with conformable stratiform sulfide orebodies,which are considered to be the most representative features of massive sulfide deposits formed by submarine exhalative sedimentation.This study reports a pyrite 187Re-187Os isotopic age of 319±13 Ma(MSWD=16) for the footwall mineralization zone.This isochron age is consistent with the interval of strata hosting the conformable stratiform sulfide orebody,and provides direct geochronological evidence for Carboniferous exhalative sedimentary mineralization.     

Discovery of the Early Paleozoic post-collisional granites in northern margin of the Erguna massif and its geological significance

The Luoguhe intrusion, located in Mohe County, Heilongjiang Province, is mainly composed of monzogranite, quartz diorite and granodiorite, with minor diorite, tonalite, quartz monzodiorite, quartz monzonite, syenogranite and alkali-feldspar granite. The intrusion can be divided into two iithological units, i.e. quartz diorite and monzogranite units, with affinities to high-K caic-alkaline series. The quartz diorite unit （SiO2： 54.79%-58.30%, Na2O/CaO： 0.79-1.53 and Shand index： 0.77-0.82） belongs to metaluminous rocks. And the monzogranite unit （SiO2： 65.29%-66.45%, Na2O/CaO： 1.73-3.43 and Shand index 〈1.05） can be considered as weakly peraluminous rocks. The intrusion is characterized by high REE abundance （∑REE = 180.2-344.3μg/g）, medium-strong negative Eu anomalies （δEu = 0.33-0.82）, weak REE fractionation [（La/Yb）N = 4.12-10.45], enrichments in Rb, Th, U, K, La, Ce, Nd, Hf, Zr and Sm, but strong depletions of Ba, Nb, Ta, Sr, P and Ti. These characteristics of major, REE and trace elements indicate that the intrusion was formed in a transitional tectonic setting from compressionai to extensional regime, which can be classified as post-collisional granitoids. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon analyses yield ages of 517±9 and 504±8 Ma for the quartz diorite and monzogranite units, respectively. The discovery of Early Paleozoic post-collisionai granites in the northern margin of the Erguna massif indicates that the northern branch of Paleo-Asian Ocean between Siberian plate and Erguna massif was closed in the Early Paleozoic and the Salair orogeny ended ca. 500 Ma ago.     

华北陆台早前寒武纪地质演化与地幔对流模式

提出了华北陆台早前寒武纪地质演化及地幔地流模式，太古宙地幔呈南北方向向陆台俯冲，由于放射性热元素在壳下的不断积累，温度逐渐升高，对流速度减慢，从而使地幔对流方向在晚太古代至早元古代发生了转换，由近南北向的挤压俯冲转米为近东西向的壳下地幔下涌，陆台下发生了广泛的ＴＴＧ质重熔，并发生了大幅度的抬升，这种对流状态持续到古生代末。     

班公湖—怒江成矿带西段尕尔穷铜金矿床辉钼矿Re-Os年龄及其地质意义

尕尔穷铜金矿床的夕卡岩矿体之下陆续发现花岗斑岩脉,该花岗斑岩与夕卡岩存在密切的成生联系.通过辉钼矿的Re-Os同位素年龄测定技术,确定其成矿年龄为86.79 Ma,成矿时代是晚白垩世,矿床形成于班公湖—怒江洋盆向南俯冲碰撞和雅鲁藏布江洋盆向北俯冲碰撞的间歇期;狮泉河结合带在晚白垩世处于同碰撞期,大量中酸性岩浆岩侵位事件...     

Geochronology and Nd and Pb isotope characteristics of gabbro dikes in the Luobusha ophiolite, Tibet

We report a combined internal and whole-rock Sm-Nd isochron age, and Nd and Pb isotopic data for gabbro dikes of the Luobusha ophiolite in Tibet. The Sm-Nd isochron of data for two whole rocks and plagioclase and clinopyroxene separates from one of the rocks yields a Middle Jurassic age of (177±31) Ma (with an initial ε_Nd(t) = +8), which provides a significant bound on the time of formation of the Luobusha ophiolite. The Nd and Pb isotopic characteristics of the dike indicate an Indian-Ocean-type isotopic affinity, and we conclude that the Luobusha ophiolite formed in an oceanic setting during the Middle Jurassic.     

K-Ar dating of late Mesozoic volcanism and geochemistry of volcanic gravels in the North Huaiyang Belt, Dabie orogen: Constraints on the stratigraphic framework and exhumation of the northern Dabie orthogneiss complex

Two eruption episodes are identified through systematic field investigations and K-Ar dating of the lateMesozoic volcanic rocks in the North Huaiyang belt (NHB),Dabie orogenic belt, of which the earlier volcanic suitetermed Maotanchang Fm. (Fm.) occurring at Jinzhai,Xianhualing and Maotanchang, etc., was erupted from 149Ma to 138 Ma. The other named Xiaotian Fm. mainly dis-tributed at Xiaotian, Shucheng, etc., was formed between132 Ma and 116 Ma. During the eruption gap of the two vol-canic suites deposited a volcano-sedimentary conglomeratelayer, which are composed of the multi-compositional gravels, including the North Dabie orthogneiss complex (NDOC),volcanic gravels, etc. These volcanic gravels in the con-glomerate layer show identical geochemical and isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr(t) =0.7084-0.7092, (Nd (t) = 21.8-24.4) to the Maotanchang Fm. volcanic rocks (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7086-0.7102, (Nd = 19.2-24.4), but significantly distinct from those of Xiaotian Fm. (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7076-0.7084, (Nd = 17.2 - 19.2). K-Ar dating results of its underlying andoverlying volcanic sequences indicate that the conglomerate layers were deposite d at ~135 Ma. This suggests that the NDOC was rapidly exhumed to the surface dur ing or shortly before ~135 Ma and became the important provenance of the late Me sozoic volcano-sedimentary basins in the NHB. In combination with the regional v olcano-sedimentary correlation, we divided the Mesozoic stratigraphic sequence i n the NHB from base to top into Fanghushan Fm. (>160 Ma), Yuantongshan Fm. (/mid dle- lower segment of Sanjianpu Fm.) (160-149 Ma), Maotanchang Fm. (/Zhougongsh an Fm./upper segment of Sanjianpu Fm./Fenghuangtai Fm.) (149-135 Ma) and Xiaoti an Fm. (/Baidafan Fm./Heshidu Fm.) (135-116 Ma).     

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.     

Age dating of lacustrine sediments in Lake Tianshuihai of the Tibetan Plateau by using U-series isochron method and its significance

The age of the clastic-clay sediments with varied content of carbonate in core TS95 taken from the Lake Tianshuihai in the northwest of the Tibetan Plateau was determined successfully by using the total sample dissolution U-series isochron method for the first time. With this method, the serial absolute timescale (isotope time scale) covered the last 240 ka in the main body of the Tibetan Plateau with a sea level up to 4000 m is also established for the first time, thereby laying the foundation for the research on the paleoclimate and palaeoenvironment in the Lake Tianshuihai region as well as the relationship between evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and global changes. In addition to a brief introduction of the basic principles, the procedures of experiments, and the results, this note also presents the adaptability and superiority of this method as well as its possible problems.