Comparison of mantle-derived matierals from different spatiotemporal settings: Implications for destructive and accretional processes of the North China Craton

Cratonic destruction or lithospheric thinning beneath North China makes it as one of the most ideal areas for the studying on the formation and evolution of continent. However, the mechanism, time, range and dynamic setting of the destruction, even the lithospheric status before the destruction, are contentious. The comparison among mantle xenoliths in the volcanic rocks from different captured times （e.g. Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic） and locations （e.g. intra-plate or its rim, the translithospheric Tanlu fault or the North-South Gravity Line）, and peridotitic massifs within the Sulu-Dabie ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism belt along the southern margin of the North China Craton, indicates that （1） the cratonic lithosphere is heterogeneous in structure and composition, and contains mantle weak zones; and （2） the Mesozoic-Cenozoic lithospheric thinning process is complex, including lateral spreading of lithosphere, interaction between melt and peridotite, non-even asthenospheric erosion （huge lithospheric thinning）, and the limited lithospheric accretion and thus thickening, which resulted in the final replacement of the refractory cratonic lithosphere by juvenile fertile mantle. In early Mesozoic, the integrity of the North China Craton was interrupted, even destroyed by subduction and collision of the Yangtze block. The mantle wedge of the North China Craton was also metasomatized and modified by melt/fluids revealed from the subducted Yangtze continent. Lithospheric mantle extension and tectonic intrusion of the North China Craton also occurred, accompanied by the asthenospheric upwelling that due to the detachement of the subducted Yangtze continent （orogenic root）. During early Cretaceous-early Tertiary, the huge thinning of lithosphere was triggered by the upwelling asthenosphere due to the subduction of the Pacific plate. Since late Tertiary, the cooling of the upwelling asthenosphere resulted in the replacement of the mantle in existence by the newly accreted lithosphere, accompanied with a little thickness in lithosphere and thus finally achieved the lithospheric thinning as a whole. The translithospheric faults, such as the Tanlu fault, play excellent channels for asthenospheric upwelling. Meanwhile, the channels in lithosphere are usually irregular, which resulted in different eruption times of magma. Peridotite xenolith in the basalts erupted at 100 Ma is mainly fertile, indicating such a fact, that is, the mantle replacement occurred before the eruption （e.g. 125--100 Ma） beneath the eastern part of the North China Craton.     

Delamination and destruction of the North China Craton

This article presents an overview on recent developments in studies of chemical and physical processes of lithospheric delamination with respect to destruction of the North China Craton. It is emphasized that the pyroxenite source resulting from interaction between eclogite-derived melt and peridotite is a direct consequence of delamination. The pyroxenite source thus formed has unique mineralogical and geochemical features, which characterize Mesozoic basalts of the North China Craton. Melt-peridotite interaction played an important role in refertilization of cratonic lithospheric mantle, leading to density increase, weakening and final destabilization of the North China Craton. The nature of the melt is the key to distinguish mechanisms of destructing this craton.     

Uppermost mantle structure of the North China Craton: Constraints from interstation Pn travel time difference tomography

The uppermost mantle is the key area for exchange of heat flux and material convection between the crust and lithospheric mantle. Spatial variations of lithospheric thinning and dynamic processes in the North China Craton could inevitably induce the velocity heterogeneity in the uppermost mantle. In this study, we used Pn arrivals from permanent seismic stations in North China and surrounding regions to construct a tomographic image of the North China Craton. The tomographic method with Pn travel time difference data were used to study the velocity variations in the uppermost mantle. Pn velocities in the uppermost mantle varied significantly in the Eastern, Central and Western blocks of the North China Craton. This suggests that the lithosphere beneath different blocks of the North China Craton have experienced distinct tectonic evolutions and dynamic processes since the Paleozoic. The current uppermost mantle has been imprinted by these tectonic and dynamic processes. Fast Pn velocities are prominent beneath the Bohai Bay Basin in the Eastern Block of the North China Craton, suggesting residuals of the Archean lithospheric mantle. Beneath the Tanlu Fault Zone and Bohai Sea, slow Pn velocities are present in the uppermost mantle, which can be attributed to significant lithospheric thinning and asthenospheric upwelling. The newly formed lithospheric mantle beneath Yanshan Mountain may be the dominant reason for the existence of slow Pn velocities in this region. Conversely, the ancient lower crust and lithospheric mantle already have been delaminated. In the Central Block, significant slow Pn velocities are present in Taihangshan Mountain, which also extends northward to the Yinchuan-Hetao Rift on the northern margin of the Ordos Block and Yinshan Orogen. This characteristic probably is a result of hot asthenospheric upwelling along the active tectonic boundary on the margin of the Western Block. The protracted thermal erosion and underplating of hot asthenospheric upwelling may induce lithospheric thinning and significant slow velocities in the uppermost mantle. Fast velocities beneath the Western Block suggest that the thick, cold and refractory Archean lithospheric keel of craton still is retained without apparent destruction.     

华北地区三叠纪盆地格局及演化分析

三叠纪是华北地区构造格局的重要转型期,该时期发生的印支运动影响着华北地区盆地的发育演化.早—中三叠世,华北板块内部基本继承了晚海西期以来的构造格局和沉积特点,地势北西高、东南低,为一南陡北缓、呈NWW向展布的大型内陆沉积盆地,恢复的地层原始沉积厚度在1 500～2 000 m之间.晚三叠世扬子板块与华北板块之间发生自东向西的剪刀式碰撞拼接,华北地区发生全面抬升,且东部抬升早、抬升幅度大,西部抬升晚、抬升幅度小,沉积盆地的范围向西发生退缩.华北地区西南部仍为统一的大型沉积盆地,发育温暖潮湿气候下的河流、湖泊、沼泽相沉积;华北东部大部分地区处于隆升剥蚀状态,使得先期沉积的早—中三叠世地层发生剥蚀,一些地区剥蚀作用深至古生界,仅局部地区发育小型山间盆地沉积.     

Activation of northern margin of the North China Craton in Late Paleozoic: Evidence from U-Pb dating and Hf isotopes of detrital zircons from the Upper Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation in the Ningwu-Jingle basin

LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb dating has been performed on detrital zircons from the Upper Carboniferous Tai-yuan Formation (N-8) in the Ningwu-Jingle Basin, west of the North China Craton (NCC). The ages of 72 detrital zircon grains are divided into three groups: 303―320 Ma (6 grains), 1631―2194 Ma (37 grains, peaked at 1850 Ma), 2318―2646 Ma (29 grains, peaked at 2500 Ma). Detrital zircons of Group 2 and Group 3 were likely derived from the basement of the NCC. Group 1 zircons exhibit 176Hf/177Hf ratios ranging from 0...     

Destruction geodynamics of the North China craton and its Paleoproterozoic plate tectonics

Much attention has been paid in the last two decades to the physical and chemical processes as well as temporal-spatial variations of the lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton. In order to provide insights into the geodynamics of this variation, it is necessary to thoroughly study the state and structure of the lithospheric crust and mantle of the North China Craton and its adjacent regions as an integrated unit. Based on the velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle constrained from seismological studies, this paper presents various available geophysical results regarding the lithosphere thickness, the nature of crust-mantle boundary, the upper mantle structure and deformation characteristics as well as their tectonic features and evolution systematics. Combined with the obtained data from petrology and geochemistry, a mantle flow model is proposed for the tectonic evolution of the North China Craton during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. We suggest that subduction of the Pacific plate made the mantle underneath the eastern Asian continent unstable and able to flow faster. Such a regional mantle flow system would cause an elevation of melt/fluid content in the upper mantle of the North China Craton and the lithospheric softening, which, subsequently resulted in destruction of the North China Craton in different ways of delamination and thermal erosion in Yanshan, Taihang Mountains and the Tan-Lu Fault zone. Multiple lines of evidence recorded in the crust of the North China Craton, such as the amalgamation of the Archean eastern and western blocks, the subduction of Paleo-oceanic crust and Paleo-continental residue, indicate that the Earth in the Paleoproterozoic had already evolved into the plate tectonic system similar to the present plate tectonics.     

Hf isotopes of the 3.8 Ga zircons in eastern Hebei Province, China： Implications for early crustal evolution of the North China Craton

Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the fuchsite quartzite in eastern Hebei Province was derived from weathering and erosion of the 3.6-3.8 Ga granitic rocks. In-situ zircon Hf analyses show that the Lu-Hf isotopic system remained closed during later thermal disturbances. Zircons with concordant ages have Hf isotopic model ages of about 3.8 Ga, suggesting a recycling of this ancient crust. The -3.8 Ga zircons have similar Hf isotopic compositions to those of chondrite, indicating that their source rocks （granitic rocks） were derived from partial melting of the juvenile crust which originated from a mantle without significant crust-mantle differentiation. Therefore, it is proposed that there was no large-scale crustal growth before -3.8 Ga in eastern Hebei Province. Considering zircon Hf isotopic data from other areas, it is concluded that the most ancient crust in the North China Craton probably formed at about 4.0 Ga, and the possibility to find crust older than 4.0 Ga is very limited.     

利用空间自相关法研究华北克拉通中部瑞雷面波频散特征

华北克拉通是我国大陆最古老的克拉通之一,是研究大陆岩石圈形成与演化的一个天然实验室。利用华北地震科学台阵在2007年1月13日记录到的地震微动信号的垂向分量,采用空间自相关法(SPAC法)获得了华北克拉通中部块体7～33 s的瑞雷波相速度频散曲线。总体而言,研究区的频散曲线随周期增加而增大。7～12 s ±的相速度增加梯度较陡,可能反映了该区域地表太古宙至古生代早期的古老基岩露头的影响; 13～16 s ±的相速度反映中地壳的速度变化,中部块体的相速度值随周期增大而逐渐减小,并在16 s ±时达到最小值,这与该地区中地壳发育低速层的地质背景较吻合。     

华北东部中、新生代盆地叠合特征与上古生界天然气勘探

依据华北东部中、新生代盆地叠合过程分析及沉积区与剥蚀区的叠加关系,对华北东部渤海湾地区进行叠合单元划分,并选择处于不同叠合单元的苏桥潜山-文安斜坡、孔西潜山、林樊家凸起等地区,从叠合单元的角度对上古生界烃源岩生排烃史、油气成藏及保存条件进行总结,探讨盆地叠合单元的石油地质意义.研究认为:华北东部渤海湾地区可划分为持续沉降型、复合沉剥型、持续隆剥型3大类型叠合单元,其中复合沉剥型又可分为中沉新剥型、中复新沉型、中复新剥型和中剥新沉型4个次级类型;对于寻找源自上古生界煤系烃源岩的气藏而言,复合沉剥型中的中剥新沉、中复新沉型叠合单元最为有利,若中生代沉积厚度较薄,持续沉降型叠合单元也较为有利.     

1736-1998年中国洪涝灾害持续时间分析

根据中国1736－1948年历史洪涝灾害资料和1949－1998年报刊数据,以县为空间单元,统计出了每年洪涝灾害的持续时间,以持续时间为指标,首先分析了中国每年洪涝灾害总的持续时间和平均持续时间的时间空间变化规律,其次按照流域范围重建了中国10个流域的洪涝灾害持续时间序列并分析了其时间变化特征,结果表明：1736－1948年洪涝灾害年总持续时间在波动中逐渐增长,洪涝灾害平均持续时间地略有增长,1949－1998年的新中国成立50年来总洪涝灾害持续时间有所减少。     

Precipitation of rutile needles in garnet from sillimanite-bearing pelitic granulite from the Khondalite Belt,North China Craton

Pelitic granulite from the Khondalite Belt, North China Craton, is composed of garnet, sillimanite, perthite, biotite and quartz. Oriented rutile needles in gar- net are reported for the first time from the granulite. The rutile needles have been identified by optical microscopy and confirmed by in situ Raman spectroscopy, where they show the characteristic bands at 446-448 and 610 cm-1. Because of their very strong shape preferred orientation in 3-4 easily observable directions, these futile needles are interpreted to have formed by precipitation during exhu- mation and cooling following peak metamorphism. The ternary feldspar geothermometer gives a peak metamorphic temperature of ,- 980 ℃ at 10 kbar. The presence of oriented rutile needles in garnet is suggested to be a valuable indicator of ultrahigh-temperature （UHT） metamorphism in the Khondalite Belt and therefore likely in other UHT terrains.     

华北克拉通北缘典型高锶花岗岩区域锶型矿泉水分布特征及成因

华北克拉通北缘存在大量高锶花岗岩体,但其周边区域锶型矿泉水的赋存情况鲜有研究.首次以都山岩体作为典型高锶花岗岩,通过水文地质调查、水样采集、化验分析等方法,对其周边区域锶型矿泉水的分布和形成机理进行了分析.同时对寿王坟岩体、碾子峪岩体、小寺沟岩体、杨杖子岩体等四处高锶花岗岩体周边区域水体进行调查取样分析,以验证锶型矿泉...     

华北地区1972年和1997年干旱特征及其影响系统分析

利用华北地区实测的月降水量资料,美国NCAR/NCEP 850 hPa的矢量风5、00 hPa和850 hPa的位势高度等再分析资料,分析了华北地区1972年和1997年这2个干旱年干旱的空间分布、强度分布和持续时间,以及西太平洋副热带高压变化、季风进退和欧亚大气环流异常情况.结果表明:1972年是季风正常年,但该年亚洲大陆高压偏强且持续存在、西太平洋副热带高压持续偏弱,导致了干旱的发生与持续;而1997年由于持续偏强的亚洲大陆高压、持续偏弱的季风和西太平洋副热带高压造成该地区严重干旱.     

LA-(MC)-ICPMS U-Pb zircon geochronology and Lu-Hf isotope compositions of the Taihua complex on the southern margin of the North China Craton

Widely distributed on the southern margin of the North China Craton, the Taihua complex extends roughly in an east-west direction and the relatively complete successions are found in Lushan County, Henan Province. Like many other Archean terranes, the Taihua Complex can be divided into two major lithological units along the Dangze River, namely gneisses series and supracrustal rocks. The former is located on the north side of the river and chiefly composed of TTG gneisses and amphibolites; the latter on the south side of the river is mainly supracrustal rock. Coupled with the previous studies, the results obtained by this study show that the Taihua complex was formed in a large time span from Neoarchean to Palaeoproterozoic. The TTG gneisses and amphibolites are dated at Neoarchean (2794–2752 Ma). The 2.9 Ga and 3.1 Ga zircons in amphibolites could be xenocrysts. In the North China Craton, the 2.8–2.7 Ga old rocks crop out in several areas e.g. western Shandong Province, Jiaodong Peninsula and Lushan area of Henan Province. In addition, 2.8–2.7 Ga detrital zircons or xenocryst zircons have been recognized in Huai’an, Fuping, Wutai areas of North China Craton and also reported in the Early Paleozoic diamondiferous kimberlites in Mengyin and Fuxian. All these age results indicate that the 2.8–2.7 Ga rocks may have been developed much broader region than today’s outcrops. Zircon Hf and whole rock Nd isotopes show that the 2.8–2.7 Ga tectono-thermal event represents an important period of crustal growth with minor ancient crust reworked in the North China Craton. However the formation of supracrustal rocks is limited to 2.2–2.0 Ga in the Palaeoproterozoic time, not the Archaean, as previously believed. Combined with the chronological data of aluminium-rich metamorphic rocks (Khondalite series) on the southern margin of the North China Craton and adjacent areas, it is suggested that the above areas have widely developed Paleoproterozoic passive continental margin environment.     

华北克拉通中元古代岩墙群形成的构造应力场数值模拟

华北克拉通中部广泛发育中元古代镁铁质岩墙群。这些岩墙群未变形和未变质,侵位于先存破裂中,成为恢复华北克拉通中部中元古代构造应力场的显著标志。克拉通北部地块的镁铁质岩墙群为张剪性,而中部和南部地块为张性。根据华北克拉通中部中元古代镁铁质岩墙群的分布和成因机制分析,来恢复模拟中元古代的构造应力场。数值模拟结果表明镁铁质岩墙群在中元古代形成于伸展的大地构造背景,与横穿华北克拉通中部的燕辽-中条拗拉槽系的伸展作用有一定的联系。     

U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes for detrital zircons from quartzite in the Paleoproterozoic Songshan Group on the southwestern margin of the North China Craton

In situ U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analysis were carried out for detrital zircons from quartzite in the Paleoproterozoic Songshan Group on the southern margin of the North China Craton （NCC）. The results provide further constraints on the crustal formation and evolution history of NCC. Four ^207Pb/^206Pb age populations were obtained from 99 analyses, with clusters at -3.40 Ga, 2.77-2.80 Ga, -2.50 Ga and 2.34 Ga, respectively. The 3.40 Ga old zircons have similar Hf isotopic compositions to those from Archean rocks in the Jidong and Anshan areas of NCC. However, crustal remnants older than 3.6 Ga have been identified in the southern margin of NCC, the South China Craton, the northwestern part of the Qinling Orogen and its adjacent area. Thus, it is not easy to trace the source rock from which the 3.40 Ge detrital zircons were derived. It can be inferred that the crustal remnants older than 3.40 Ga might have been widely distributed in the North China Craton. The 2.77-2.80 Ga zircons make up a relatively small proportion and have the highest εHf（t） values （up to 6.1±1.6）, consistent with the Hf isotopic composition of the depleted mantle at 2.83 Ga. Their single-stage Hf model age of 2.83 Ga is close to their crystallized age, suggesting that their source rocks were extracted from the contemporaneous depleted mantle. The -2.50 Ga zircon grains constitute about 85% of the total grain population and their Hf isotopic compositions indicate major growth of juvenile crust at -2.50 Ga but minor reworking of ancient crust. The youngest zircon dated in this study gave an U-Pb age of 2337±2.3 Ma, which can be considered the maximum depositional age of the formation of the Songshan Group.     

Peridotite-melt interaction: A key point for the destruction of cratonic lithospheric mantle

This paper presents an overview of recent studies dealing with different ages of mantle peridotitic xenoliths and xenocrysts from the North China Craton, with aim to provide new ideas for further study on the destruction of the North China Craton. Re-Os isotopic studies suggest that the lithospheric mantle of the North China Craton is of Archean age prior to its thinning. The key reason why such a low density and highly refractory Archean lithospheric mantle would be thinned is changes in composition, thermal regime, and physical properties of the lithospheric mantle due to interaction of peridotites with melts of different origins. Inward subduction of circum craton plates and collision with the North China Craton provided not only the driving force for the destruction of the craton, but also continuous melts derived from partial melting of subducted continental or oceanic crustal materials that resulted in the compositional change of the lithospheric mantle. Regional thermal anomaly at ca. 120 Ma led to the melting of highly modified lithospheric mantle. At the same time or subsequently lithospheric extension and asthenospheric upwelling further reinforced the melting and thinning of the lithospheric mantle. Therefore, the destruction and thinning of the North China Craton is a combined result of per- idotite-melt interaction （addition of volatile）, enhanced regional thermal anomaly （temperature increase） and lithospheric extension （decompression）. Such a complex geological process finally produced a ＂mixed＂ lithospheric mantle of highly chemical heterogeneity during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. It also resulted in significant difference in the composition of mantle peridotitic xenoliths between different regions and times.     

Geochemical characteristics and petrogenesis of Mesozoic basalts from the North China Craton： A case study in Fuxin, Liaoning Province

Occurrence of Cretaceous basalts in Fuxin County, Liaoning Province provides us an opportunity to understand Mesozoic mantle processes beneath the northern margin of the North China Craton (NNCC). Fuxin Jianguo basalts occur as volcanic channel phases with well-developed columnar jointings and contain few spinel lherzolite and pyroxenite xenoliths. They are poor in silica and rich in alkalis, Ti and Al, belonging to alkaline basalts. In trace element compositions, Jianguo basalts are moderately enriched in LREE and LILE, but not depleted in HFSE. They have low Sr and high Nd and Pb isotopic ratios. These geochemical characteristics suggest that Jianguo basalts originated from the depleted asthenosphere, representing an undifferentiated and uncontaminated primitive magma. Presence of these basalts indicates that the lithosphere beneath the region had thickness less than 65 km at the time of basalt eruption and was mainly composed of fertile pargasite-bearing spinel Iherzolite and plagioclase pyroxenite. The voluminous basaltic-andesitic magmatism during the early Jurassic-late Cretaceous time indicates that the commencement and accomplishment of lithosphere thinning in the NNCC was much earlier than that in the southern margin, since the mafic-intermediate volcanism only occurred at the Cretaceous time in the southern margin and the basalts with an asthenosphere isotopic signature at the Tertiary. This shows that highly spatial and temporal heterogeneity existed in the Mesozoic lithosphere evolution.     

华北地区夏季水量丰、枯年大气水分收支对比分析

利用NCEP／NCAR的40年再分析资料,初步对比分析了华北地区夏季水量丰、枯年大气水分循环的差异,结果发现,干旱年自然表经蒸发过程进入大气的水分少于湿润年;华北全区平均夏季垣年略有水汽亏损,湿润年略有盈余;干旱年对流层呼层由西南气流带来的水汽明显少于湿润年,由东边界和北边界流出的水汽也明显不和于湿润年;干旱年对流层各层大气湿度都小于湿润年;水量丰、枯年对流层各层水汽均以辐合为主,但干旱年福合量小于湿润年。