Garnet Sm-Nd and U-Pb systems: A case study of a granulite from the European Variscan belt

This study presents zircon and garnet ages of a mafic granulite from the high-grade Variscan basement of the Black Forest, Germany and discuss isotope closure temperature of garnet Sm-Nd and U-Pb systems. Zircon grains yield 207Pb/206Pb ages between ～340 and ～414 Ma by the U-Pb and evaporation methods. In contract, garnet dating gives Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb isochron ages of (398±3) Ma and (411±14) Ma, respectively, which are older than most of zircon ages. These data imply that most of zircons lost radiogenic Pb, probably due to metamictization or recrystallisation during the granulite-facies metamorphism (～800℃) at ～340 Ma. Garnet Sm-Nd and U-Pb systems preserve chronological information of pro-grade metamorphism, probably profiting from a fluid-absence metamorphic environment. These results demonstrate that garnet mineral can be a better candidate than zircon mineral to date high-grade metamorphism by the U-Pb and Sm-Nd methods in some cases.     

Age of Anzishan granulites in the Mianxian-Lueyang suture zone of Qingling orogen: With a discussion of the timing of final assembly of Yangtze and North China craton blocks

Many granulite blocks have been recently discovered in the Anzishan area, Mianxian County, Shaanxi Province, in the central segment of the Mianxian-Lueyang suture zone. Sm-Nd isochron and 40Ar/39Ar ages of mineral samples of granulites from this area are reported in the note. The granulite mineral samples give a Sm-Nd isochron age of t=(206 ( 55) Ma (2(), with INd = 0.51302(7(2() and MSWD = 1.6, and a biotite 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of (199.7(1.7) Ma (2(). The formation and uplift of the granulites were related to subduction of the Yangtze block beneath the South Qinling microcontinent and their collision and the final amalgamation of the Yangtze and Sino-Korean craton blocks in the Indosinian, and their age is consistent with or close to those of the Dabie ultrahigh-pressure and high-pressure metamorphic rocks, so have great tectonic significance.     

On emplacement ages of lamproites in Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province, China

Emplacement ages of lamproites that comprise lamproite and olivine lamproite in Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province, China, have been constrained by the whole-rock Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isochron methods and the whole rock K-Ar method. Intrusive activities of lamproites in the Sinantang area of Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province, took place during the Late Cambrian, as indicated by the Sm-Nd isochron ages ( t ) = (503 ± 17) (2σ) Ma and by the Rb-Sr isochron ages ( t ) = (501.2 ± 4.6) (2σ) Ma. Intrusive activities of olivine lamproites at the Maping with Ⅱ-type diamond and Xitou in Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province, took place from the Late Cambrian to the Early Ordovician, as evidenced by the Sm-Nd isochron ages ( t ) = (502 ± 27) (2σ) Ma and by the Rb-Sr isochron age ( t ) = (502 ± 27) (2σ) Ma. This suggests that the upwelling hot materials derived from the deep mantle were emplaced from the Late Cambrian to the Early Ordovician (503-497 Ma), while the time terminal of cooling of the geothermal event of magmatism-tectonism probably was at 442.64-435.54 Ma, as dated by the whole rock K-Ar method.     

<Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar isochron ages of lawsonite blueschists from Jiuquan in the northern Qilian Mountain,NW China,and their tectonic implications

Using laser ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating method, we have gotten the metamorphic ages of lawsonite blueschist and epidote blueschist from Jiuquan, northern Qilian Mountain, NW China. The high quality laser ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of glaucophane from lawsonite blueschist gives an isochron age of 413±5 Ma. The isochron age obtained from phengite in epidote blueschist is 415±7 Ma. These data, combining with peak metamorphic P-T conditions and regional geological setting, allow us to infer that the lower limit of the ages of the prograde subduction metamorphism from lawsonite blueschist facies to epidote blueschist facies occurred at ca. 413–415 Ma, which also suggests that the formation of lawsonite blueschist in the northern Qilian Mountain maybe resulted from the corner flow in the cold subduction zone. This study shows that the final closing time of the northern Qilian remnant oceanic basin is about 413–415 Ma, which also represents the convergent age between the North China Craton and the Qaidam block.     

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…     

Paleoproterozoic lower crust beneath Nushan in Anhui Province： Evidence from zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating on granulite xenoliths in Cenozoic alkali basalt

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating was carried out for an intermediate granulite xenolith in Cenozoic alkali basalt from Nushan. The results suggest that the lower crust beneath Nushan may have formed at about 2400—2200 Ma, and have been subjected to granulite-facies metamorphism at 1915 27 Ma. The old age of the Nushan lower crust is consistent with the geochemical similarities between Nushan granulite xenoliths and Archean-Paleoproterozoic granulite terrains in the North China craton, but it is not distinguishable from high-grade metamorphic rocks in the Yangtze craton where such old ages were also reported. Significant Pb-loss occurs in the Nushan zircons, implying important influence of widespread Mesozoic to Cenozoic underplating in East China on the lower crust beneath Nushan.     

Crustal evolution of the Shiwandashan area in South China: Zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic records from granulite enclaves in Indo-Sinian granites

U-Pb dating coupled with Hf isotope analyses on zircon from metasedimentary granulite enclaves in the Jiuzhou peraluminous granite from the Shiwandashan area in southeastern Guangxi Province, South China are presented in this paper. The results show that the protoliths of these granulite enclaves were mainly composed of Neo-Mesoproterozoic (564–1061 Ma) clastic materials with a peak age at ~822 Ma. These materials were probably derived from the igneous rocks that were emplaced during the Neoproterozoic breakup of Rodinian Supercontinent. Subordinate sediments include the Paleoproterozoic (1778–2227 Ma) and even the Meso-Paleoarchean materials with the oldest U-Pb age at 3551±8 Ma, indicating the existence of ancient crustal rocks in the area and/or its surrounding regions. Younger grains include the early Mesozoic (234±2 Ma) magmatic zircon populations and the late Permian (253±3 Ma) metamorphic zircon populations. Further zircon Hf isotope analyses reveal that their protoliths were complex, containing both recycled crustal rocks and juvenile materials. Combined zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotope compositions indicate that at ~253 Ma, the Shiwandashan area experienced an intensive thermal event that resulted in the granulite-facies metamorphism; and that crustal remelting occurred at ~234 Ma to form the S-type granitoids during the uplifting stage. The metasedimentary granulite enclaves are resitites of these granitoids.     

An in situ zircon Hf isotopic,U-Pb age and trace element study of banded granulite xenolith from Hannuoba basalt： Tracking the early evolution of the lower crust in the North China craton

Backscattered electron images, in situ Hf isotopes, U-Pb ages and trace elements of zircons in a banded granulite xenolith from Hannuoba basalt have been studied. The results show that the banded granulite is a sample derived from the early lower crust of the North China craton. It is difficult to explain the petrogenesis of the xenolith with a single process. Abundant information on several processes, however, is contained in the granulite. These processes in-clude the addition of mantle material, crustal remelting, metamorphic differentiation and the delamination of early lower crust. About 80% of zircons studied yield ages of 1842 ±40 Ma, except few ages of 3097-2824 Ma and 2489-2447 Ma. The zircons with ages older than 2447 Ma have high εHf (up to +18.3) and high Hf model age (2.5-2.6 Ga), indicating that the primitive materials of the granulite were derived mainly from a depleted mantle source in late Archean. Most εhf of the zircons with early Proterozoic U-Pb age vary around zero, but two have     

Geochronology of the Hannan intrusive complex to adjoin the Qinling orogen and its rapid cooling reason

The geochronological works for the Hannan intrusive complex, cosisting of the gabbro-quartz dio-rite-plagiogranite bodies, in the north border of the Yangtze craton block, adjoining the Qinling orogen, are reported, because its age and genesis are of great importance to research of the tectonic evalutional history for the Qinling orogen and of the rifted processes for the Late Proterozoic supercontinent Rodinia. A good isochron of t=(837±26) Ma (2σ), corresponding to INd=0.51165±2(2σ), εNd(t)=+1.9, MSWD1.02, was difined by the Nd isotopic analytical results for the 21 whole-rock samples from the varied lithological complex bodies, but for the Rb-Sr isotopic aralytical data there is no isochron. The 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of the biotite, sorted from plagiogranites, is (796±20) Ma(2σ), and yet for the Rb-Sr isotopic data of the plagiogranite whole-rock samples (WR) and the sorted biotite (Bio), plagioclase (Plag) and apatite (Apt) mineral samples from the plagiogranitewhole-rock samples, an isochron of t=(824.86±3.8) Ma (2σ) with ISr=0.70393±14(2σ), MSWD2.44 is given. The U-Pb isotopic results for the single zircon, sorted from pla-giogranite samples, yielded an upper and a lower intercept ages of -876 Ma and -273 Ma. The Nd isotope data of complex indicate that it is probably the products of crystallization differentiation from the magma with 3333Nd>0 when the rapid uplift in 837-800 Ma took place in the northern border of the Yangtze craton block.     

Geochronology of source materials from high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks in Jurassic sedimentary rocks of Hefei Basin

Eclogite cobbles were discovered by Wang et al. (2001) in the Fenghuangtai Formation of the northern margin of Dabie Mountains in the Dushan area of Anhui Province, China[1]. They proposed that after the formation during the Triassic, the high-pressure (HP) and ultra-high-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks reached the sur-face through exhumation and uplifting before the late Ju-rassic. However, they have not provided any evidence about isotopic ages. One kind of cobbles of HP-UHP rocks w…     

Zircon U-Pb ages of olivine pyroxenite xenolith from Hannuoba: Links between the 97—158 Ma basaltic underplating and granulite-facies metamorphism

U-Pb zircon dating by LA-ICP-MS andSHRIMP for one olivine pyroxenite yields complex agepopulations including Mesozoic ages of 97-158 Ma and 228±8.7 Ma, Early Paleozoic ages of 418--427 Ma, Paleoprotero-zoic age of 1844±13 Ma, Neoarchean age of 2541±54 Ma andmiddle Archean age of 3123±4.4 Ma. The 97--158 Ma and228±8.7 Ma zircons show typical igneous oscillatory zona-tion in CL images, suggesting two episodes of magmaticevents. Overlapping of the 97-158 Ma ages with that ofgranulite xenoliths indicates that the Mesozoic granu-lite-facies metamorphism was induced by heating from thebasaltic underplating at the base of the lower crust. Bothprocesses lastcd at least from about 158 to 97 Ma. Ages of 418--427 Ma could be records of the subduction of Mongoliaoceanic crust under the North China craton. Ages of 1.84 Ga,2.54 Ga and 3.12 Ga correspond to the three importantcrust-mantle evolutionary events in the North China craton,and imply preservation of Precambrian lower crust in thepresent-day lower crust.     

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.     

Petrology and40Ar/39Ar isotopic ages of blueschists in Gangmar, central Qiangtang, northern Tibet

The petrology and mineral assemblages of blueschists in the Gangmar, central Qiangtang, northern Tibet were examined, which indicates that the metamorphic condition is high-pressure low-temperature. In this note, we reported the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating results of glaucophane from two blueschist samples. Their apparent ages are (275.0± 1.3) Ma and (287.6± 2.3) Ma and similar isochron ages are (275.0± 0.9) Ma and (282.4± 0.8) Ma, respectively. These isotopic datings show the high-pressure metamorphism occurring in Lower Permian. The ages also coincide with the evolution of Palaeo-Tethys ocean in Late Palaeozoic.     

Electron microprobe monazite Th-Pb dating and its constraints on multi-stage metamorphism of low-pressure pelitic granulite from the Jingshan Group in the Jiaobei terrane

U-Th-Pb chemical dating of monazite with the electron microprobe is a new method developed in the last dec-ade[1,2]. It is attracting more and more attention for its ad-vantages of quickness, cheapness and relative high reli-ability[3]. Although its precision (±10?30 Ma)[4,5] is not as high as the ion-probe (SHRIMP), it has very high spatial resolution (1?2 μm), more superior than other in-situ techniques for analyzing compositions of zoned monazite crystals of less than 50 μm in size. …     

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.     

Sm-Nd age of syncollisional mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Dabie Mountains

A Sm_Nd age of (228±42) Ma with initial ε Nd =-16.4 for the Renjiawan pyroxenite intrusion in the North Dabie terrane is reported. This age with another Sm_Nd age of (230±44) Ma for the Zhujiapu pyroxenite in the same terrane documents that the pyroxenite in the North Dabie terrane are formed during continental subduction time of the Yangtze craton in the Triassic.     

Whole-rock Ar-Ar dating for low-grade metavolcanics within the Dabie orogen and its geological significance

Greenschist-facies metasedimentary and metaigne- ous rocks are frequently found to occur continuously along convergent plate margins where high pressure (HP) or ultrahigh pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks also crop out[1-7]. Geological investigations of co…     

Formation history and protolith characteristics of granulite facies metamorphic rock in Central Cathaysia deduced from U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic studies of single zircon grains

The petrochemical as well as zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic studies of granulite facies metamorphic rock from the Tao＇xi Group in eastern Nanling Range, Central Cathaysia indicate that its protolith is the sedimentary rock with low maturation index. The clastic materials are mostly from middle Neoproterozoic （-736 Ma） granitoid rocks with minor Neoarchaean and Paleoproterozoic rocks. The timing of this Neoproterozoic magmatism is in agreement with the second period of magmatism widespread surrounding the Yangtze Block. Hf isotopic data indicate that the Neoproterozoic granitoids resulted from the recycled Paleoproterozoic mantle-derived crustal materials. The sedimentary rock was deposited in Late Neoproterozoic Era, and carried into low crust in Early Paleozoic. The partial melting of the meta-sedimentary rock took place at about 480 Ma and subsequently granulite facies metamorphism occurred at ca. 443 Ma. The zircons forming during this time interval （Early Paleozoic） show large Hf isotope variations, and their ZHf（t） values increase from -13.2 to ＋2.36 with decreasing age, suggesting the injection of mantle-derived materials during partial melting and metamorphism processes in the Early Paleozoic. Calculation results show that this metamorphic rock, if evolved to Mesozoic, has similar isotopic composition to the nearby Mesozoic high Si peraluminous granites, implying that this kind of granulite facies metamorphic rock is probably the source material of some Mesozoic peraluminous granitoids in eastern Nanling Range.     

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.