Ar-Ar and U-Pb geochronology of Late Paleozoic basalts in western Guangxi and its constraints on the eruption age of Emeishan basalt magmatism

~~Ar-Ar and U-Pb geochronol-ogy of Late Paleozoic basalts in western Guangxi and its constraints on the eruption age of Emeishan basalt magmatism1. GXBGMR (Guangxi Bureau Geological Mineral Resource), Regional Geology of Guangxi, Beijing: Geol. Pub. House, 1985, 1-853. 2. GZBGMR (Guizhou Bureau Geological Mineral Resource), Regional Geology of Guizhou Province, Beijing: Geol. Pub. House, 1987, 1-698. 3. YNBGMR (Yunnan Bureau Geological Mineral Resource), Regional …     

Further support for a Cretaceous age for the feathered-dinosaur beds of Liaoning, China: New 40Ar/39Ar dating of the Yixian and Tuchengzi

We report new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating results obtained from total fusion and incremental-heating analyses of sanidine and biotite from three tuffs found interbedded within the fossil-bearing deposits of Liaoning, northeast China. The first is a new sample of the Bed 6 Sihetun tuff from the Yixian Formation, previously dated by our team as middle Early Cretaceous, and recently considered by Lo et al., partially reset due to metamorphism from a nearby basaltic sill. The second is the Yixian Bed 9 tuff from Hengdaozi considered by Lo et al. to be unaffected by metamorphism and whose age, based on total fusion ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of biotite, argues for a Jurassic age for the Yixian Formation. The third tuff is a previously undated tuff from the upper part of the underlying Tuchengzi Formation. Single crystal total fusion ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analyses of the Sihetun sanidine showed homogeneous radiogenic Ar, Ca/K ratios, excellent reproducibility and gave a mean age of 125.0 ± 0.18 (1SD) ± 0.04 (SE) Ma. Single sanidine crystal total fusion ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analyses of the Hengdaozi tuff gave a mean age of 125.0 ± 0.19 (1SD) ± 0.04 (SE) Ma, which is indistinguishable from the Sihetun tuff. The Tuchengzi Formation tuff gave a mean age of 139.4 ± 0.19 (1SD) ± 0.05 (SE) Ma. Detailed laser incremental-heating analyses of biotite from Sihetun, Hengdaozi, and Tuchengzi tuffs show disturbed Ar release patterns and evidence of trapped argon components. We conclude from these analyses that the total fusion dates on biotite by Lo et al. are erroneously old and isotopic dating of both biotite and sanidine from tuffs of the Yixian Formation point to a middle Early Cretaceous age. The upper part of the Tuchengzi Formation can be referred to the Early Cretaceous.     

Discovery of Permian islandarc basalts in the Cenxi area and the tectonic significance

Cenxi Permian basalts are the late Palaeozoic island-arc type basalts first found in South China. REE and trace element characteristics and distribution patterns show that this volcanic formation, which has been isotopically dated at 261 MaB. P. by the³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar method, is of an active continental marginal island arc type, and that the tectonic environment at that time was an island-arc marginal sea or minor ocean basin related with the paleo-Tethyan tectonic belt in western Guangdongeastern Guangxi.     

Further support for a Cretaceous age for the feathered-dinosaur beds of Liaoning,China:New 40Ar÷39Ar dating of the Yixian and Tuchengzi Formations

We report new ⁴⁰Ar÷³⁹Ar dating results obtained from total fusion and incremental-heating analyses of sanidine and biotite from three tuffs found interbedded within the fossil-bearing deposits of Liaoning, northeast China. The first is a new sample of the Bed 6 Sihetun tuff from the Yixian Formation, previously dated by our team as middle Early Cretaceous, and recently considered by Lo et al., partially reset due to metamorphism from a nearby basaltic sill. The second is the Yixian Bed 9 tuff from Hengdaozi considered by Lo et al. to be unaffected by metamorphism and whose age, based on total fusion ⁴⁰Ar÷³⁹Ar dating of biotite, argues for a Jurassic age for the Yixian Formation. The third tuff is a previously undated tuff from the upper part of the underlying Tuchengzi Formation. Single crystal total fusion ⁴⁰Ar÷³⁹Ar analyses of the Sihetun sanidine showed homogeneous radiogenic Ar, Ca÷K ratios, excellent reproducibility and gave a mean age of 125.0±0.18 (1SD)±0.04 (SE) Ma. Single sanidine crystal total fusion ⁴⁰Ar÷³⁹Ar analyses of the Hengdaozi tuff gave a mean age of 125.0±0.19 (1SD)±0.04 (SE) Ma, which is indistinguishable from the Sihetun tuff. The Tuchengzi Formation tuff gave a mean age of 139.4±0.19 (1SD)±0.05 (SE) Ma. Detailed laser incremental-heating analyses of biotite from Sihetun, Hengdaozi, and Tuchengzi tuffs show disturbed Ar release patterns and evidence of trapped argon components. We conclude from these analyses that the total fusion dates on biotite by Lo et al. are erroneously old and isotopic dating of both biotite and sanidine from tuffs of the Yixian Formation point to a middle Early Cretaceous age. The upper part of the Tuchengzi Formation can be referred to the Early Cretaceous.     

He and Ar isotope geochemistry of pyroxene megacrysts and mantle xenoliths in Cenozoic basalt from the Changle–Linqu area in western Shandong

We performed a combined study of He–Ar isotopes and element geochemistry for pyroxene megacrysts and mantle xenoliths from Cenozoic basalt in the Changle–Linqu area in western Shandong.The results are used to trace the evolution of subcontinental lithospheric mantle after destruction of the North China Craton.The3He/4He ratios of pyroxene megacrysts,websterite,and dunites are 7.0–7.7 Ra,7.4 Ra,and 7.0–7.7 Ra,respectively.They are related to the origin of host basalts,and are slightly lower than that of mid-ocean ridge basalts(MORB).Their40Ar/36Ar ratios are much lower than that of MORB and close to that of air.The lherzolites and wehrlites represent the fragments of the newly accreted lithospheric mantle,and their REE and trace elements indicate that they experienced melt metasomatism and partial melting.The3He/4He ratios of their olivine are slightly lower than that of MORB,but3He/4He ratios of their clinopyroxene are low(2.3–7.1 Ra)and display an inverse correlation with(La/Yb)N.The40Ar/36Ar ratios of these clinopyroxene are much lower than that of MORB and close to the air ratio.Combining existing studies of petrology,Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes,O isotopes,trace elements,and Mg isotopes,we infer that the juvenile lithospheric mantle in the Changle–Linqu area was metasomatized by oceanic crust-derived melts,which transfer the supracrustal Ar isotope signatures to the mantle sources.The low4He abundance and low3He/4He ratios of clinopyroxene in the lherzolites and wehrlites are ascribed to metasomatism by crustal melts from the subducted Pacific plate.     

ISEA reversed event in the Cretaceous Normal Super-chron （CNS）： ^40Ar／^39Ar dating and paleomagnetic results

ThegeomagneticfieldwasfoundtobeofnormalpolarityforalongtimeduringtheCretaceousbyHelsleyandSteiner[1]andthiswaslaternamedasCretaceousNormalSuperchron(CNS)[2].TheCNSlastedalmost37Ma(120—83Ma).Severalabnormalgeologicalevents,suchasanoceanicanoxicevent,alargenumberofvol-canismandglobalclimaticwarmingduringtheCNShavebeenreported[3—11].Thishasledtomanyquestionsbeingraised.IsittruethattheEarthsmagneticfielddidnotreverseatallintheCNS?Ifitdidreverse,howmanytimesandwhendidthishappen?Istherea…     

Noble gases in corundum megacrysts from the basalts in Changle, Shandong Province, eastern China

This study presents noble gaseous data of the corundum megacrysts from the Cenozoic basalts in Changle, Shandong Province, eastern China. It is known that no noble gaseous data of corundum megacryst have been documented before. The 3He/4He ratios (1.13-7.37 Ra) of the corundums from Changle vary from atmosphere to MORB values; the 20Ne/22Ne (9.67-10.75) and 21Ne/22Ne (0.0280-0.0372) data define two linear trends on Ne three-isotope diagram, respectively, along the MFL and the correlation line between atmosphere and MORB; the 38Ar/36Ar (0.177-0.194) ratios, the 40Ar/36Ar (280.9 -404.2) ratios and the 128-136Xe/132Xe ration with obvious 129Xe excess are generally higher than at-mospheric component, but the 40Ar/36Ar ratios are much closer to atomospheric ratio. The isotopic compositions of noble gases (particularly for He and Ar) of the corundums are similar to those of py-roxene, anorthoclase megacrysts, and mantle-derived xenoliths from this area, and those of man-tle-derived xenoliths from several areas in eastern China. Therefore, the noble gases trapped in the corundums probably are from mantle source, representing a ‘mixed fluid' produced by the interaction between the lithospheric mantle and fluids releasing from the convective plate. Both the noble gas isotopic compositions and the oxygen isotopic compositions of the solid corundums are not the characteristics of crustal source. These suggest that the corundums crystallized from mantle-derived magmas with minimal crustal contamination.     

Timing and setting of Guanjiagou conglomerate in South Qinling and their tectonic implications

TheGuanjiagouFormationisafault-boundterranelocatedintheSouthQinlingMountains,centralChina.Theageandtectonicsettingoftheconglomerateinthisformation(Guanjiagouconglomerate,GC)havebeencontroversialsincethe1940s,withnumerousconflictinginterpretationsandcorrelationsproposedbydifferentworkers.Forexample,itwasinitiallydescribedbyYeetal.(1944)[1],whointerpretedtheGCasSinian(LatestNeo-proterozoic)tillites.However,Huang[2]regardedtheGC,plustheBikouSystem(composedoftheBikouvolcanicandtheHengdant…     

The genesis and environmental significance of red and black sedimentary interlayers in coral reef of well Nanyong 2

The results of paleogeomagnetics and geochemistry of the coral reef in well Nanyong 2 of Nansha Islands showed that the bottom of the black sedimentary interlayer corresponds to the conversion boundary line between Brunhes Postive Polarity and Matuyama Reversed Polarity (B/M) and the cold/warm (19/20) climatic conversion bounds on δ¹⁸O curve, 0.78 Ma ago; and the red sedimentary interlayer corresponds to the ReunionⅠpolarity excursion (reversion) of the geomagnetic field, 2.01—2.04 Ma ago. Comparing with the normal light-coloured coral reef rock, the magnetic susceptibility (c), residual magnetization intensity (Mr) and the content of MnO and Fe₂O₃ of the black sedimentary layer appeared obviously positive abnormity. The magnetic susceptibility (c), residual magnetization intensity (Mr) and the content of Fe₂O₃ of the red sedimentary layer also appeared positive abnormity. Combining with the analyzing results of paleontology, we hold that this pair of special and typical sedimentary interlayers was relative to the sudden change of paleoclimate, i.e. the global climatic change and its incidental polarity reversal of the geomagnetic field directly affected the living environment of the paleontological species as well as the dispersion and enrichment of some chemical elements, especially the elements sensitive to redox such as Fe and Mn. For example, the elements Fe and Mn concentrated in the glacial period would be largely oxidized and diluted when the climate warmed up suddenly, and the originally oxidized high valence Fe would be condensed again when the climate cooled suddenly. This is possibly one of the important reasons of appearing and disappearing of the red and black sedimentary events of coral reef in well Nanyong 2.     

Magnetostratigraphy of borehole EY02-2 in the southern Yellow Sea and its paleoenvironmental significance

Various media are used for the study of paleoenvi- ronment. Among them, ice-core, loess and marine sediments are the most important for long time re- cording[1]. In all kinds of researches of paleoenviron- ment, age determination of the sediments is the m…     

Stratigraphy and age of the Daohugou Bed in Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia

Recent fieldwork has extended the distribution of the Daohugou Bed deposits from the Daohugou Village to its several neighboring areas. The fossil-bearing Daohugou deposits uncomformably overlie complex bedrocks, and comprise three major parts. The red shales in the lower part were misidentified as belonging to the Tuchengzi Formation. Field excavation has indicated that the shales of upper part of the bed are the major fossil-bearing horizon. Due to strong tectonic activities, sediments were often folded with the sequences inverted in the region. Some newly recognized contacts between the Daohugou Bed and the volcanic rocks showed that the ignimbrite of the Tiaojishan Formation （159-164 Ma） underlies the Daohugou deposits, rather than overlying the latter as previously proposed. Thus, the age of the Daohugou deposits should be younger than the age of the ignimbrite, and thus it was incorrect to correlate the Daohugou Bed with the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation. Although biostratigraphic studies based on conchostracans and insects support a Middle Jurassic-early Late Jurassic age for the Daohugou deposits, vertebrate fossils such as Liaoxitriton, Jeholopterus and feathered maniraptorans show much resemblance to those of the Yixian Formation. In other words, despite the absence of Lycoptera, a typical fish of the Jehol Biota, the Daohugou vertebrate assemblage is closer to that of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota than to any other biota. We propose that the Daohugou fossil assemblage probably represents the earliest evolutionary stage of the Jehol Biota based on both vertebrate biostratigraphy and the sedimentological and volcanic features which suggest the Daohugou deposit belongs to the same cycle of volcanism and sedimentation as the Yixian Formation of the Jehol Group.     

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.     

Diatoms from the southwestern continental slope, South China Sea, and their paleoenvironmental significance since the last glacial times

A quantitative study was undertaken on diatoms from cores (SA08-34) obtained from the southwestern continental slope of the South China Sea (SCS). A total of 165 diatom species belonging to 45 genera were identified. We constructed a stratigraphic subdivision and correlation according to the characteristics of diatom assemblages together with ¹⁴C dating and carbonate analysis. We also discuss the sedimentary environment in the sea area since the last glacial times. The research shows that the diatom assemblages coincide with interglacial and glacial times, and changes in diatom abundance reflect the instability of the climate in the southern part of the SCS, such that short-term, temperature descending events correlate with the interglacial interval. The abundance of diatoms is relevant to interglacial and glacial times, since high abundance values were associated with an interglacial interval, and low abundance values with the last glacial maximum. We assume that strong upwelling developed in the interglacial interval, the development of which was influenced by variations of monsoons in the East Asian region.     

早泥盆世古亚洲洋构造作用:来自可可托海和额济纳旗花岗岩年代学研究

古亚洲构造域内发育有大量的古生代酸性侵入岩。对阿尔泰造山带可可托海近3号脉的酸性侵入岩体进行LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年分析,以确定其岩浆作用时代及其岩浆活动的构造意义。研究区内的花岗岩包含的锆石大部分为自形-半自形晶,显示为典型的岩浆成因;测年结果发现,该岩体形成于404.4±3.2 Ma,为早泥盆世岩浆活动的产物。通过对额济纳辉森乌拉西糜棱岩化二长花岗岩中白云母⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar同位素年代学分析,获得白云母的坪年龄和等时线年龄分别为407.69±3.09 Ma和407.65±3.99 Ma,这暗示了拐子湖-呼和音乌苏弧形挤压带在早泥盆世活动的冷却年龄。以上事件与早泥盆世古亚洲洋的俯冲、碰撞的构造环境关系密切。     

Further support for a Cretaceous age for the feathered-dinosaur beds of Liaoning,China:New 40Ar/39Ar dating of the Yixian and Tuchengzi Formations

We report new 40Ar/39Ar dating results obtained from total fusion and incremental-heating analyses of sanidine and biotite from three tuffs found interbedded within the fossil-bearing deposits of Liaoning, northeast China. The first is a new sample of the Bed 6 Sihetun tuff from the Yixian Formation, previously dated by our team as middle Early Cretaceous, and recently considered by Lo et al., partially reset due to metamorphism from a nearby basaltic sill. The second is the Yixian Bed 9 tuff from Hengdaozi considered by Lo et al. to be unaffected by metamorphism and whose age, based on total fusion 40Ar/39Ar dating of biotite, argues for a Jurassic age for the Yixian Formation.The third tuff is a previously undated tuff from the upper part of the underlying Tuchengzi Formation. Single crystal total fusion 40Ar/39Ar analyses of the Sihetun sanidine showed homogeneous radiogenic Ar, Ca/K ratios, excellent reproducibility and gave a mean age of 125.0 ± 0.18 (1SD) ±0.04 (SE) Ma. Single sanidine crystal total fusion 40Ar/39Aranalyses of the Hengdaozi tuff gave a mean age of 125.0 +0.19 (1SD) ± 0.04 (SE) Ma, which is indistinguishable from the Sihetun tuff. The Tuchengzi Formation tuff gave a mean age of 139.4 ± 0.19 (1SD) ± 0.05 (SE) Ma. Detailed laser incremental-heating analyses of biotite from Sihetun, Hengdaozi, and Tuchengzi tuffs show disturbed Ar release patterns and evidence of trapped argon components. We conclude from these analyses that the total fusion dates on biotite by Lo et al. are erroneously old and isotopic dating of both biotite and sanidine from tuffs of the Yixian Formation point to a middle Early Cretaceous age. The upper part of the Tuchengzi Formation can be referred to the Early Cretaceous.``     

塔北哈拉哈塘流纹岩的离子探针锆石U-Pb 年代学: 对塔里木溢流玄武岩主期喷发时代的约束

塔里木北部哈拉哈塘地区存在流纹岩覆盖于玄武岩之上的迭置关系。对上层流纹岩采用SIMS锆石U-Pb 法精确测定其年龄为 287.3 ±2.0 Ma。该年龄限定该区玄武岩的喷发时代不晚于 287 Ma,证明塔里木溢流玄武岩的主喷发期应不晚于 287 Ma,而非前人提出的大约 275 Ma。     

Lasing on pyroclastic rocks: A case study of <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar dating on Moshishan Group,eastern Zhejiang Province

It is difficult to date pyroclastic rocks, for almost all the dating methods, due to the multiple sources during their formation. ^40Ar/^39gAr incremental heating results on groundmass selected from the samples show that the age spectra are meaningless geologically. However, singe crystal total fusions of CO2 lasing on the sanidine separates could yield rational 4^40Ar/^39Ar results and distinguish their sources in this study. Timing on three formations of the Moshishan Group, after avoiding the exotic and altered grains by lasing on the single sanidine separate, was reported in this paper. The lowermost portion of the Chawan Formation gives an age of 113.7±0.3 Ma; the lower part of the Xishantou Formation was formed 116.4±0.4 Ma ago and the bottom of the Gaowu Formation took its shape at 118.4±0.4 Ma. These new ages are much younger than the previous ones, suggesting that these thick volcanic formations had been formed in very short durations.     

陈家庄地区馆陶组高分辨率层序地层分析及沉积微相研究

为了搞清陈家庄地区馆陶组沉积微相特征及含气层位,从岩心观察入手,利用岩心资料识别了陈家庄地区馆陶组短期旋回,建立了岩电关系模板,在此基础上,利用大量的测井资料,根据短期旋回在测井曲线上的响应,识别了中期旋回并进行了横向对比,建立了高分辨率层序地层格架。研究结果表明,陈家庄地区馆陶组发育4个中期旋回16个短期旋回,旋回叠加样式主要有退积式、加积式。对该层序地层格架内不同准层序沉积相平面分布及其随时间的变化特征分析认为,陈家庄地区馆陶组沉积体系从早至晚经历了冲积扇辫状河沉积、辫状河广泛发育期和辫状河向曲流河演化3个阶段。     

He-Ar isotope geochemistry of the Yaoling-Meiziwo tungsten deposit,North Guangdong Province: Constraints on Yanshanian crust-mantle interaction and metallogenesis in SE China

Isotopic abundances and ratios of He and Ar found in inclusion fluids in pyrites formed in the Yaoling-Meiziwo tungsten miner-alization epoch show that the concentration of 4He varies widely,from 1.54×10-7 cm3 STP/g to 2609×10-7 cm3 STP/g.3He is 0.759×10-12 cm3 STP/g-3.463×10-12 cm3 STP/g.3He/4He is 0.0043-4.362 Ra,varying from crustal to mantle values.The concen-tration of 40Ar ranges from 0.624×10-7 cm3 STP/g to 8.89×10-7 cm3 STP/g.The 40Ar/36Ar varies extensively,from 330 to 2952,between atmospheric and crustal or mantle radiogenic values.Mantle-derived He is present in ore-forming fluids and the calcu-lated average proportion of the mantle He is 22%;the maximum is 67%.Our research results show that mantle-derived fluids play a significant role in tungsten mineralization.The fractionation of He and Ar indicate that there was 4He-enriched air-saturated water(MSAW) in the ore-forming fluid.The ore-forming fluid was a mixture of mantle fluid,crustal magmatic fluid and MSAW.The occurrence of a mantle component in ore-forming fluid indicates the large-scale W and Sn mineralization,including Yaol-ing-Meiziwo,in southeastern China was the result of crust and mantle interaction.The underplating or intrusion of voluminous basaltic magma formed by partial melting of the upper mantle provided the necessary heat to cause partial melting of the crust and the generation of voluminous S-type granitic magmas.Crustal magmatic fluid and mantle fluid with high 3He/4He were released from magma crystallization and fractionation,mixed with the circulating modified air-saturated water,and filled the extensional tectonic fractures,leading to the formation of world-class W and Sn deposits in southeastern China.     

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.