Discovery of Caledonian island-arc granodiorite-tonalite in Buqingshan, Qinghai Province

The granodiorite-tonalite rock occurred in ophiolitic melange was discovered in Buqingshan area, Qinghai Province. Its Rb-Sr isochron age is 578.15 ± 54.4 Ma which belongs to Early Paleozoic. The rock, belonging to calcic-alkaline series, has the features of island-arc granite, which hints that oceanic crust subduction and island-arc magmatism occurred in this area in Early Paleozoic. This discovery is of great significance to recognize the tectonic framework and evolution of this area even as far as the Central Orogenic Belt.     

The geological characteristics of oceanic-type UHP metamorphic belts and their tectonic implications: Case studies from Southwest Tianshan and North Qaidam in NW China

The geological characteristics of ultrahigh-pressure （UHP） metamorphic belts formed by deep subduction of oceanic crust are summarized in this paper. Oceanic-type UHP metamorphic belt is characterized by its protolithlc assemblage of typical oceanic crust, the peak metamorphic temperature 〈600℃, P-T path undergoing blueschist facies during prograde and retrograde metamorphic evolution, reepectively, with low geothermal gradient of cold subduction. The further study of oceanic-type UHP metamorphic belt is very significant for constructing metamorphic reaction series of cold subduction zone, for understanding how aqueous fluids were transported into deep mantle and for classifying the types of UHP metamorphism in cold subduction zone. The uplift and exhumation mechanism of oceanic UHP metamorphic rocks is one of the most challenging problems in the study of UHP metamorphism, which is very important for understanding the geodynamic mechanism of solid Earth. As a traveler eubducted into the mantle depth end then uplifted to the surface, oceanic-type UHP metamorphic belts witness the bulk process from the subduction to exhumation and is an ideal target to study the geochemical behavior end cycling of elements in subduction zones. The tectonic evolution of one convergent orogenic belt can be usually divided into two stages of oceanic subduction and followed continental subduction and collision, and the two best-established examples of orogenic belts are Alpa and Himalaya. Therefore, the study of oceanic-type UHP metamorphic belt is the frontier of the current plate tectonic theory. As two case studies, the current status and existing problems of oceanic-type UHP metamorphic belts in Southwest Tianshan and North Qaidam, NW China, are reviewed in this paper.     

恒山高压麻粒岩对其构造环境和出露过程探讨

研究高压麻粒岩对于认识地壳深层次构造作用、陆壳底部物质组成有重要意义。通过研究恒山高压麻粒岩构造环境和出露过程,阐明恒山与五台变质岩区之间的相互关系,探讨华北克拉通新太古代构造格架。恒山高压麻粒岩的 p-T-t 变质作用、构造变形研究表明高压麻粒岩经历陆壳俯冲的升温升压过程后,又经近等温减压过程（ITD）抬升,之后在中部地壳长期近等压冷却（IBC）,最终出露地表。恒山高压麻粒岩形成与“安第斯型”俯冲-碰撞模式有关。恒山和五台变质岩区地质年代学、变质程度以及构造关系的对比研究表明两者在构造热事件存在耦合关系,它们在构造上连续,恒山属岛弧根部,而五台山区代表中浅层次地壳。同位素年龄及构造分析表明东西陆块在2.5Ga发生碰撞,形成中部造山带以及五台前陆盆地,华北在新太古代存在板块运动。     

Petrology, geochemistry and geodynamics of basic granulite from the Altay area, North Xinjiang, China

The basic granulite of the Altay orogenic belt occurs as tectonic lens in the Devonian medium- to lower-grade metamorphic beds through fault contact. The Altay granulite (AG) is an amphibole plagioclase two-pyroxene granulite and is mainly composed of two pyroxenes, plagioclase, amphibole and biotite. Its melano-minerals are rich in Mg/(Mg Fe^2 ),and its amphibole and biotite are rich in TiO2. The AG is rich in Mg/(Mg Fe^2 ), Al2O3 and depletion of U, Th and Rbcontents. The AG has moderate ∑REE and LREE-enriched with weak positive Eu anomaly. The AG shows island-arc pattern with negative Nb, P and Ti anomalies, reflecting that formation of the AG may be associated with subduction. Geochemical and mineral composition data reflect that the protolith of the AG is calc-alkaline basalt and formed by granulite facies metamorphism having peak P-T conditions of 750℃-780℃ and 0.6-0.7 Gpa. The AG formation underwent two stages was suggested. In the early stage of oceanic crustal subduction, calc-alkaline basalt with island-arc environment underwent granulite facies metamorphism to form the AG in deep crust, and in the late stage, the AG was thrust into the upper crust.     

冀北赤城红旗营子杂岩的地质特征及意义

运用野外地质填图、岩石地球化学分析以及同位素年龄等方法探讨冀北赤城红旗营子杂岩的岩石组合、构造属性、变质演化以及时代归属等特征,为重新划分冀北赤城的红旗营子群提供依据。结果显示红旗营子杂岩由云州表壳岩及其内部的退变榴辉岩、蛇纹岩(蛇纹石化方辉橄榄岩)和蛇纹石化(橄榄)大理岩等透镜状构造岩块组成,它们一起经历了晚古生代(321~326 Ma B.P.)区域角闪岩相变质事件。其中,云州表壳岩的岩性主要为石榴黑云斜长片麻岩,原岩是形成于大陆岛弧环境的泥质(含泥质)砂岩,沉积作用发生在晚古生代(340~369Ma B.P.),属于晚古生代沉积-变质地层;石榴黑云斜长片麻岩之中的退变榴辉岩、蛇纹岩(蛇纹石化方辉橄榄岩)和蛇纹石化(橄榄)大理岩等构造岩块应属"外来"的洋壳残片,成因上可能与古亚洲洋的洋壳向南俯冲消减有关。赤城红旗营子杂岩的岩石组合、构造属性、变质演化以及同位素地质年代学等特征明显不同于冀北其他地区的红旗营子群,冀北红旗营子群需要重新划分。     

Northernmost paleo-tethyan oceanic basin in Tibet: Geochronological evidence from40Ar/39Ar age dating of Dur’ngoi ophiolite

Whole rock⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age dating has been conducted on a basalt sample from Dur’ngoi ophiolite, Qinghai Province, which was reported to be the northernmost paleo-tethyan oceanic basin in Tibet. A high temperature plateau age (345.3±7.9 Ma) with an isochorn age (336.6±7.1 Ma) has been obtained, representing the eruption time of oceanic crust. Considering related geological settings, the new age provides constraints on the northernmost paleo-tethyan suture zone in Tibet and the tectonic evolution of Paleo-tethys in Northeast Tibet and adjacent areas.     

南海海盆东-西部地质特征存在巨大差异

 南海中部存在巨大的中南断裂将南海海盆分割为东-西两部分,至少自1亿年以来,在沉积环境与沉积厚度、洋陆边界的属性与特征、大陆破裂的时代、岩浆活动的来源与程度、减薄大陆架和大陆坡的宽度、洋壳年龄与磁性层结构、磁异常条带特征、岩石化学等诸多方面都存在巨大差异,它们主要受控于早期地质构造背景的差异、东西部大陆减薄伸展速率的变化以及海底扩张的构造环境的不同,并深刻影响了之后的区域沉积分区和沉降特征。     

Discovery of Late Paleozoic retrograded eclogites from the middle part of the northern margin of North China Craton

The northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), located between the Paleo-Asian Ocean tectonic region on the north and the NCC on the south, is a key region for studying the tectonic evolution of NCC. A Pre-cambrian retrograded eclogite (2500 Ma or 1800 Ma) was reported in Baimashi near Hengshan Mountain in the NCC, which is characterized by the vermicular symplec-tite of diopside and plagioclase with absence of ompha-cite[1,2]. In Hongqiyingzi Group from the middle part of the …     

Mantle compensation of active metamorphic core complexes at Woodlark rift in Papua New Guinea

In many highly extended rifts on the Earth, tectonic removal of the upper crust exhumes mid-crustal rocks, producing metamorphic core complexes. These structures allow the upper continental crust to accommodate tens of kilometres of extension, but it is not clear how the lower crust and underlying mantle respond. Also, despite removal of the upper crust, such core complexes remain both topographically high and in isostatic equilibrium. Because many core complexes in the western United States are underlain by a flat Moho discontinuity, it has been widely assumed that their elevation is supported by flow in the lower crust or by magmatic underplating. These processes should decouple upper-crust extension from that in the mantle. In contrast, here we present seismic observations of metamorphic core complexes of the western Woodlark rift that show the overall crust to be thinned beneath regions of greatest surface extension. These core complexes are actively being exhumed at a rate of 5-10 km Myr(-1), and the thinning of the underlying crust appears to be compensated by mantle rocks of anomalously low density, as indicated by low seismic velocities. We conclude that, at least in this case, the development of metamorphic core complexes and the accommodation of high extension is not purely a crustal phenomenon, but must involve mantle extension.     

Evidence from gabbro of the Troodos ophiolite for lateral magma transport along a slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge

The lateral flow of magma and ductile deformation of the lower crust along oceanic spreading axes has been thought to play a significant role in suppressing both mid-ocean ridge segmentation and variations in crustal thickness. Direct investigation of such flow patterns is hampered by the kilometres of water that cover the oceanic crust, but such studies can be made on ophiolites (fragments of oceanic crust accreted to a continent). In the Oman ophiolite, small-scale radial patterns of flow have been mapped along what is thought to be the relict of a fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge. Here we present evidence for broad-scale along-axis flow that has been frozen into the gabbro of the Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus (thought to be representative of a slow-spreading ridge axis). The gabbro suite of Troodos spans nearly 20 km of a segment of a fossil spreading axis, near a ridge-transform intersection. We mapped the pattern of magma flow by analysing the rocks' magnetic fabric at 20 sites widely distributed in the gabbro suite, and by examining the petrographic fabric at 9 sites. We infer an along-axis magma flow for much of the gabbro suite, which indicates that redistribution of melt occurred towards the segment edge in a large depth range of the oceanic crust. Our results support the magma plumbing structure that has been inferred indirectly from a seismic tomography experiment on the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge.     

咸沟岩体地质地球化学特征及成岩机制探讨

咸沟岩体位于华北地台北缘西段．主岩体为二云母花岗岩，成岩时代为３９９．８±１．８２．１Ｍａ，内有岩浆演化晚期的白云母花岗岩侵入，与主岩体有迥然不同的地球化学特点．前者显示出不同地壳物质混合的岩浆特征，后者属典型的Ｓ型花岗岩．结合区域构造演化分析，认为咸沟岩体形成于拉张环境，源岩可能为下地壳的英云闪长岩．下地壳的深熔岩浆在上升迁移过程中，遭受了富含泥质的陆壳物质的强烈混染，混染岩浆向Ｓ型岩浆方向演化．     

25 years of continental deep subduction

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the discovery of coesite in metamorphic rocks of supracrustal origin. This initiated a revolution of the plate tectonics theory due to intensive studies of ultrahigh pressure metamorphism and continental deep subduction. The occurrence of coesite was first reported in 1984 by two French scientists, C. Chopin and D.C. Smith,     

Detachment within subducted continental crust and multi-slice successive exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks: Evidence from the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt

Although tectonic models were presented for exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure （UHP） metamorphic rocks during the continental collision, there is increasing evidence for the decoupling between crustal slices at various depths within deeply subducted continental crust. This lends support to the multi-slice successive exhumation model of the UHP metamorphic rocks in the Dabie-Sulu orogen. The available evidence is summarized as follows： （1） the low-grade metamorphic slices, which have geotectonic affinity to the South China Block and part of them records the Triassic metamorphism, occur in the northern margin of the Dabie-Sulu UHP metamorphic zone, suggesting decoupling of the upper crust from the underlying basement during the initial stages of continental subduction; （2） the Dabie and Sulu HP to UHP metamorphic zones comprise several HP to UHP slices, which have an increased trend of metamorphic grade from south to north but a decreased trend of peak metamorphic ages correspondingly; and （3） the Chinese Continental Science Drilling （CCSD） project at Donghai in the Sulu orogen reveals that the UHP metamorphic zone is composed of several stacked slices, which display distinctive high and low radiogenic Pb from upper to lower parts in the profile, suggesting that these UHP crustal slices were derived from the subducted upper and middle crusts, respectively. Detachment surfaces within the deeply subducted crust may occur either along an ancient fault as a channel of fluid flow, which resulted in weakening of mechanic strength of the rocks adjacent to the fault due to fluid-rock interaction, or along the low-viscosity zones which resulted from variations of geotherms and lithospheric compositions at different depths. The multi-slice successive exhumation model is different from the traditional exhumation model of the UHP metamorphic rocks in that the latter assumes the detachment of the entire subducted continental crust from the underlying mantle lithosphere and its subsequent exhumation as a whol     

Geochemical characteristics and tectonic implications of HP-UHP eclogites and blueschists in southwestern Tianshan, China

Four rock assemblages in correspondence with two different tectonic settings have been recognized in the NEE-SWW extending HP-UHP metamorphic belt in southwestern Tianshan, northwest China. Eclogite assemblage EC1 is geochemically akin to alkaline within-plate oceanic island basalt (OIB). EC2 shows affinity to enriched mid-oceanic ridge basalt (EMORB). Rare earth element (REE) and other immobile trace element characteristics of blueschist assemblage BS1 resemble those of normal mid-oceanic ridge basalt (NMORB). These three assemblages are likely formed on a seamount setting, and the prevalent presence of carbonate minerals and omphacite quartzite stripes/gobbets suggests ancient pelagic sediments including marls are probably developed upon the basaltic seamount. Whereas the geochemical characteristics of BS2 assemblage are of volcanic arc basalt-type. The seamount with the pelagic sediments on it is brought into the subduction zone, and volcanic arc basalts formed on the active continental margin and trench sediments are eroded and enwrapped in the subducting mass, they are altogether subjected to high to ultrahigh pressure metamorphism and subsequent exhumation towards surface. The HP-UHP metamorphic belt is thus interpreted as a subduction-accretionary complex formed by tectonic juxtaposition and imbrication of seamount, seafloor, trench and volcanic arc sequences during oceanic crust subduction.     

A new interpretation of the tectonic setting and age of meta-basic volcanics in the Ondor Sum Group, Inner Mongolia

The Ondor Sum Group in the central Inner Mongolia is mainly composed of meta-basic volcanics intercalated with ferruginous quartzite and quartz schist, and has been interpreted as slices of oceanic crust or an ophiolite suite of the Early Paleozoic or much older ages. This paper presents new LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical data for the meta-basic volcanics. The results show that zircons in the meta-basic volcanics were derived from complicated sources, most of which may be captured by basic magma from the country rocks or other sources. They yield a large age range from the Late Archean to Early Mesozoic with the youngest age group between 246 and 261 Ma, constraining the protolith of the meta-basic volcanics formed in the Late Permian to Early Triassic. The meta-basic volcanics have an affinity to E-MORB in geochemistry, and also a similarity toward OIB, representing a tectonic setting of limited intra-continental ocean basin. This limited basin might have been related to the continuous extension of the area since the Early Permian and finally closed in the Early Mesozoic.     

Multistage evolution of continental collision orogen: A case study for western Dabie orogen

The foramtion and evolution of collisional orogen is a prominent feature along convergent plate margins, and is generally a complex process. This article presents an integrated study of zircon genesis, U-Pb age and Lu-Hf isotope composition as well as geological characteristics for the western Dabie orogen to constrain its multi-stage evolution history. The results suggest that the formation of oceanic crust in the Huwan area was constrained at ca. 400--430 Ma, which was slightly later than the collision of the northern Qinling with the North China Block. It formed in a marginal basin in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block. The peak metamorphism of eclogite in the Huwan area occurred at ca. 310 Ma, and the timing of the initial exhumation of oceanic eclogite was about 270 Ma. The high to ultrahigh pressure （HP-UHP） metamorphic rocks in the Xinxian and the Hong＇an metamorphic zones have the same ages and natures as those of the HP-UHP metamorphic rocks in the other Dabie-Sulu terrains, and also have experienced multi-stage exhumation, and thus can be taken as a coherent part of the Dabie-Sulu orogen. Therefore, the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogen is a typical multi-stage continental collision orogen, with an amalgamation process extending more than 200 Ma.     

一种新型的大地构造相模式和弧后碰撞造山

从瑞士阿尔卑斯造山带分析入手，本提出了一种新型的在地构造相模式；即认为世界上绝大多数造山带均为弧后碰撞造山形成，而造山带均由三个大地构造相组成：Ａｌｅｍａｎｉｄｅ ｆａｃｉｅｓ（日耳大地构造相）、Ｃｅｌｔｉｄｅ ｆａｃｉｅｓ（摄尔特大地构造相）和Ｒａｅｔｉｄｅ ｆａｃｉｅｓ（类特大地构造相）。本还列举了几个造山实例，并认为该模式可用于对世界上其它造山带的分析。     

北秦岭—桐柏蛇绿岩套的地球化学和构造背景

本文提供北秦岭—桐柏加里东构造—岩浆带中蛇绿岩套的地层层序,岩石化学和地球化学资料,并讨论其形成的构造背景。该蛇绿岩套地层层序自下向上可分为六个单元:(1) 构造定位的超镁铁岩带;(2) 第一期细碧—角斑岩系;(3) 硅质岩;(4) 复理石建造;(5) 第二期细碧—角斑岩系;(6) 火山沉积岩系。岩石学、岩石化学、地球化学及稀土模式特征均表明该岩套是在加里东优地槽——弧后盆地中形成的;火山—沉积岩系是“原地”成因的。华北和华南两古板块之间曾长期存在古海洋,并在海西期实现拼贴对接和古大洋的消失。     

Zircon U-Pb and Hf isotopes of volcanic rocks from the Batamayineishan Formation in the eastern Junggar Basin

An internal structural study was conducted to investigate U-Pb age, trace elements and Hf isotopes of basaltic zircons from the Batamayineishan Formation. The basalt was obtained from drill well San-Can 1 on the eastern Luliang uplift within the Junggar Basin. Trace element data of zircons show that all samples are magmatic, with similar REE patterns, including positive Ce (δCe=5.06–134), but negative Eu (δEu=0.06⦒0.55) anomalies and enrichment in heavy rare earth elements. Among 25 grains, the concordant ages were subdivided into three groups; ages of 300.4±1.3 Ma (n=11), 339.2±2.7 Ma (n=3) and 392.0±1.7 Ma (n=8). Three remaining grains were nearly concordant, with ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 510±7, 488±6 and 453±6 Ma, respectively. The youngest concordant age (i.e., 300.4±1.3 Ma) could be interpreted as the formation age of the studied basaltic rock; this is consistent with the sampling position at the upper part of the Batamayineishan Formation. On the other hand, ages such as Ordovician and early Devonian are consistent with the ages of island-arc volcanic rocks (enrichment in Pb) or ophiolites around the basin. Moreover, the positive ɛ _Hf(t) values of the early and middle Paleozoic zircons (+3.6–+10.5) may suggest that the basement traversed by the studied volcanic rocks may be Paleozoic in age, formed from the residual oceanic crust and island-arc complex. The ɛ _Hf(t) values (+4.2–+17.1) of the late Paleozoic (∼300.4 Ma) zircons suggest that the basaltic magmas were derived from partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle or depleted lithospheric mantle. These magmas were slightly contaminated by the existence of early-middle Paleozoic materials. The late Carboniferous basalts represent direct eruption of mantle-derived magmas at the upper crustal level during a post-collisional tectonic setting. We therefore consider that extensive vertical growth of the continental crust to have occurred before the late Carboniferous.     

Evolution of the Archaean crust by delamination and shallow subduction

The Archaean oceanic crust was probably thicker than present-day oceanic crust owing to higher heat flow and thus higher degrees of melting at mid-ocean ridges. These conditions would also have led to a different bulk composition of oceanic crust in the early Archaean, that would probably have consisted of magnesium-rich picrite (with variably differentiated portions made up of basalt, gabbro, ultramafic cumulates and picrite). It is unclear whether these differences would have influenced crustal subduction and recycling processes, as experiments that have investigated the metamorphic reactions that take place during subduction have to date considered only modern mid-ocean-ridge basalts. Here we present data from high-pressure experiments that show that metamorphism of ultramafic cumulates and picrites produces pyroxenites, which we infer would have delaminated and melted to produce basaltic rocks, rather than continental crust as has previously been thought. Instead, the formation of continental crust requires subduction and melting of garnet-amphibolite--formed only in the upper regions of oceanic crust--which is thought to have first occurred on a large scale during subduction in the late Archaean. We deduce from this that shallow subduction and recycling of oceanic crust took place in the early Archaean, and that this would have resulted in strong depletion of only a thin layer of the uppermost mantle.The misfit between geochemical depletion models and geophysical models for mantle convection (which include deep subduction) might therefore be explained by continuous deepening of this depleted layer through geological time.