^40Ar／^39Ar dating of Daqingshan thrust

The Daqingshan thrust system is an important part of the western segment of the Mesozoic Yinshan-Yanshan orogenic belt. Therefore, much attention has been paid to the thrusts due also to their large-scale and entirely devel-oped structural elements and typical structural styles. Studies and progress have been concentrated on the ge-ometry, kinematics, dating and dynamic mechanism of the thrust and thrusting. To date, there have been no reliable published isotopic data, however, on the dating…     

^40Ar／^39Ar geochronological constraints on syn-orogenic strike-slip movement of Tan-Lu fault zone

Two phases of sinistral strike-slip ductile shear belts occur on the eastern margin of the Dabie orogenic belt. A muscovite ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar plateau age of 128 Ma was obtained from mylonite in the later ductile shear zone. Three muscovite samples separated from mylonites of 3 localities in the earlier ductile shear belts yield ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar plateau ages of 192.5±0.7 Ma, 189.7±0.6 Ma and 188.7±0.7 Ma, respectively. They are interpreted as cooling ages of the earlier sinistral strike-slip deformation. It is suggested that left-lateral displacement of the Tan-Lu fault zone started in a late stage of the collision orogeny in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt between the North and South China plates. Therefore, the earlier Tan-Lu fault zone was syn-orogenic strike-slip tectonics. The fault zone was used again for sinistral displacement during tectonic activities of peri-Pacific regime in Early Cretaceous. It is proposed that the fault zone occurred as a transform fault during the orogenic process.     

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…     

Behavior of argon gas release from manganese oxide minerals as revealed by <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar laser incremental heating analysis

Manganese oxides in association with paleo- weathering may provide significant insights into the multiple factors affecting the formation and evolution of weathering profiles, such as temperature, precipitation, and biodiversity. Laser probe step-heating analysis of supergene hollandite and cryptomelane samples collected from central Queensland, Australia, yield well-defined plateaus andconsistent isochron ages, confirming the feasibility dating very-fined supergene manganese oxides by 40Ar/39Ar technique. Two distinct structural sites hostingAr isotopes can be identified in light of their degassing behaviors obtained byincremental heating analyses. The first site, releasing its gas fraction at thelaser power 0.2-0.4 W, yields primarily 40Aratm, 38Aratm, and 36Aratm (atmospheric Ar isotopes). The second sites yield predominantly 40Ar* (radiogenic 40Ar),39ArK, and 38ArK (nucleogenic components), at ～0.5-1.0 W. There is no significant Ar gas released at the laser power higher than 1.0 W, indicating the breakdown of the tunnel sites hosting the radiogenic and nucleogenic components. The excellent match between the degassing behaviors of 40Ar*, 39ArK, and 38ArK suggests that these isotopes occupy the same crystallographic sites and that 39ArK lossfrom the tunnel site by recoil during neutron irradiation and/or bake-out procedure preceding isotopic analysis does not occur. Present investigation supports that neither the overwhelming atmospheric 40Ar nor the very-fined nature of the supergene manganese oxides poses problems in extracting meaningful weathering geochronological information by analyzing supergene manganese oxides minerals.     

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.     

Dating of sediment－hosted disseminated－type gold deposit by using ^40Ar／^39Ar laser probe： A case study of Changkeng large－scale gold deposit, China

Hydrothermal clay minerals that formed in the main metallogenic stage of the Changkeng disseminated-type gold deposit in central Guangdong were analyzed by the 40Ar/39Ar laser probe. The results give Ar-Ar isochron ages of 109.9 1.4 to 110.1 1.3 Ma, which are 30 to 50 Ma older than the age of silver ore bodies in the deposit. Both gold and silver mineralizations were not related to hidden granite batholith in the mining district, but probably related to evo-lution of sedimentary basins. This study shows that the 40Ar/39Ar laser probe is a sound dating tool applicable to sediment-hosted disseminated-type gold deposit.     

<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.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> gas emplacement age in the Songliao Basin: Insight from volcanic quartz <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar-<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar stepwise crushing

Due to a lack of suitable minerals, the gas/oil emplacement ages have never been accurately obtained before. CH₄-CO₂-saline- bearing secondary inclusions are found in quartz from the volcanic rocks of the Yingcheng Formation, the container rocks of the deep CO₂ gas reservoir in the Songliao Basin. The inclusion fluid was trapped into microcracks in quartz during the gas emplacement and accumulation, providing an optimal target for the ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar stepwise crushing technique to determine the CO₂ gas emplacement age. ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar dating results of a quartz sample by stepwise crushing yield a highly linear-regression isochron with an age of 78.4±1.3 Ma, indicating that the accumulation of the deep CO₂ gas reservoir in the Songliao Basin occurred in the late Cretaceous. This is the first time to report an exact isotopic age for a CO₂ gas reservoir, which indicates that the ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar dating can serve as a new technique to date the oil/gas emplacement ages.     

40Ar/39Ar同位素体系及其在地学上的应用

40Ar/39Ar同位素体系大体经历了3个技术阶段常规 40Ar/39Ar定年技术、40Ar/39Ar分步加热定年技术和40Ar/39Ar激光显微探针定年技术.研究表明可以通过大气中40Ar/39Ar比值随时间的变化窥探地球去气作用的时间和强度;40Ar/39Ar法不仅有助于研究岩浆冷却过程和花岗岩侵位机制等岩浆动力学的历史和壳幔演化,而且对研究热液成矿年龄也是很有效方法之一;在一定的地质条件下,沉积地层时代越老,40Ar/39Ar值越高;当今40Ar/39Ar年代法已为全球环境演变研究提供了一种强有力的工具.     

40Ar/39Ar ages and stable isotopes of supergene jarosite from the Baiyin VHMS ore field,NE Tibetan Plateau with paleoclimatic implications

Supergene jarosite is widely distributed in weathering profiles derived from hypogene sulfide ores.Precise40Ar/39Ar dating and determination of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of supergene jarosite can not only place tight constraints on the timing and history of continental weathering and supergene enrichment of sulfide ore deposits,but also shed significant insights into paleoclimatic conditions and tectonic uplift responsible for the weathering.In this paper,we present a preliminary study of40Ar/39Ar geochronology and stable isotope geochemistry of supergene jarosite from the early Paleozoic Zheyaoshan volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposit of the Baiyin ore field located in the eastern portion of the Qilian Mountain along the northeastern(NE)margin of the Tibetan Plateau in an attempt to better understand the climatic conditions prevailed during the pervasive weathering in the region.Jarosite from the Zheyaoshan mining area occurs either as gravels within alluvial deposits over low-relief flat-top hills or cm-wide veins crosscutting weathered sulfide ores or their wall rocks.The gravels consist of massive jarosite aggregates with tabular crystal morphology and contain 8.21 wt%–8.31 wt%K2O on average.Two jarosite grains extracted from the gravels(08-02-2 and 08-02-5)yield well-defined40Ar/39Ar plateauages of 37.1±0.3 and 41.2±0.4 Ma(2r),respectively.They have dD values of-133%and-156%,and d18OSO4values of 2.6%and 2.5%.The vein-type jarosite consists of hexagonal pyramid crystals and contains much lower K2O,averaging at 2.44 wt%–2.72 wt%.Two jarosite veins(06-16-3 and 06-16-4)yield similar plateau ages of 3.2±0.1 and 3.3±0.1 Ma(2r),respectively.These jarosite veins have dD values of-158%and-160%,and d18OSO4values of 2.8%and 2.5%.The40Ar/39Ar ages indicate that sulfide ores of the Zheyaoshan deposit must have been brought to the surface since the late Eocene,and subsequently subjected to prolonged oxidation and supergene enrichment.The precipitation and preservation of jarosite in weathering profiles indicate that arid–semiarid climatic conditions must have been prevailed since the late Eocene.The hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of the jarosite further point to variation of climatic conditions in the area,with the Pliocene being slightly cooler relative to the late Eocene.Given that weathering profiles overlying sulfide ore deposits are widely distributed along the Qilian Mountain,systematic studies of40Ar/39Ar geochronology and stable isotope geochemistry of jarosite-group minerals from these profiles would provide valuable information on the timing and evolution of regional tectonic uplift,paleoclimatic changes,and supergene mineralization in this mountainous belt along the NE edge of the Tibetan Plateau.     

年轻火山岩激光40Ar/39Ar定年中的n值与MSWD值

激光熔蚀⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar等时线法是第四纪年轻火山岩样品精细定年的新方法, 该方法处于逐步完善过程中。针对怎样判定获得的年龄结果是否可靠的问题, 通过对数据处理过程中所用参数的分析, 认为样品属性是决定年轻火山岩精细定年结果质量和可靠性的关键因素, 与样品测试数n值相关的加权均方差MSWD(mean square weighted deviation)是判断同一样品各测试点的数据是否符合正态分布, 能否用来客观地评价测试结果, 进而评估样品是否适合进行相关测试, 结果是否可靠的重要指标。其次, 属于同一真实年龄值样品的MSWD在99.7%置信区间的取值范围可通过计算加以确认, 并提出对于表面年龄和等时线年龄数据, 必须定量地考察相应的MSWD值, 判定在具有足够样品测试数(足够大的n值)的情况下, 是否符合概率统计的正态分布, 确定样品是否对应同一年龄真实值。在MSWD值达不到理想值1.0的情况下, 可以利用表面年龄概率密度曲线, 区分测试样品内部包含的非同源或非等时或封闭不好体系的数据, 再结合MSWD与n值关系, 适量地去除部分偏离正态分布的测试数据, 识别出可能归属多个年龄真实值的测试数据组, 并以此计算不同数据组的反等时线年龄, 获得年轻火山岩喷发的准确年龄。     

Experiment of the ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating of diagenetic illite in gas reservoirs

40Ar/39Ar dating of diagenetic illite has been performed to investigate gas reservoirs in the Sulige Gas Field of the northern Ordos Basin. A series of technical challenges were confronted, including illite purification, Ar recoil loss, and separation of diagenetic illite from detrital illite. Mineral growth ages for diagenetic illite were obtained by this experiment, from which the age of gas emplacement was deduced to be later than 169 Ma.     

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.``     

The age of the Gaojiacun mafic-ultramafic intrusive complex in the Yanbian area,Sichuan Province： Geochronological constraints by U-Pb dating of single zircon grains and ^40Ar／^39Ar dating of hornblende

The Gaojiacun mafic-ultramafic intrusivecomplex in the Yanbian area, Sichuan Province, is a strati-form intrusive body that has undergone intensive magmaticdifferentiation. This intrusive body involves two magmaticaccumulating cycles. Systematic U-Pb dating of single zircongrains and ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating of hornblende were conducted,and the results showed that the age of hornblende gabbro,which was formed at the main phase of intrusion of the Gao-jiacun intrusive complex, is 840±5 Ma, casting doubt on theconcept of "Yanbian Ophiolite". It is believed that the for-mation of the Gaojiacun intrusive complex seems to be re-lated to a super-mantl3 plume underneath the su-per-continent Rodinia. The above research results are helpfulfor us to get a better understanding of the characteristics ofNeoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the Yanbian area inSichuan Province.     

The 40Ar/39Ar age record of formation and uplift of the blueschists and eclogites in the western Tianshan Mountains

The 40Ar/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.     

冀北赤城红旗营子群黑云斜长片麻岩的黑云母~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄及其地质意义

探讨冀北赤城红旗营子群是否经历了印支期的构造热事件。通过对冀北赤城红旗营子群黑云斜长片麻岩样品进行的黑云母40 Ar/39 Ar年龄测定,获得其坪年龄和等时线年龄分别为(238.63±1.44)Ma和(238.77±1.71)Ma,两者基本一致。此年龄数据是黑云斜长片麻岩在晚古生代角闪岩相区域变质作用之后所经历印支期构造热事件的记录。综合分析冀北岩浆作用及其地质年代学特征,认为它可能与区域上同时期的酸性岩浆活动有关,是后者为此次构造热事件提供了必要的热源。     

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.     

Laser probe40Ar/39Ar dating of mica on the deformed rocks from Altyn Fault and its tectonic implications, western China

The samples of Caledonian mylonitized granite and Jurassic meta-sedimentary rocks were collected in the north of Dangjinshan Pass, Qaidam gate fault-valley and Gesi fault-valley. Detailed studies under the microscope and electronic microscope suggest that all the samples contain the syntectonic-growing minerals such as white mica, chlorite, sericite, biotite, etc. By dating these minerals, we got a group of ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar laser probe isochronal ages of 89—92 Ma and apparent ages of (46.6±6.4) Ma. The ages ranging from 97 to 46 Ma were reported for the first time in the isotopic dating researches of the Altyn Fault. The isochronal age group of (98—89) Ma indicates that a ductile strike-slip event, with low-grade metamorphism, began in late Cretaceous. This suggests that the strike-slip movement of the Altyn Fault should be related to the formation of the so-called west tectonic syntaxis in the Nepal-western Kunlun area.     

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.