Geodynamic settings of Mesozoic large-scale mineralization in North China and adjacent areas——Implication from the highly precise and accurate ages of metal deposits

AlthoughthereareseveralmetallogeniceventsthroughthegeologicalhistoryintheNorthChinacratonandadjacentareas,includingtheArcheanBIFtypeirondepositsandtheProterozoicSEDEXtypePb-ZnandCudeposits,thelarge-scalepolymetallicmineralizationmainlyoccurredinMesozoic.H…     

Laser-ablation ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages for key Pliocene-Pleistocene tephra beds in unglaciated Yukon and Alaska

Tephrochronology is one of the most effective ways to correlate and date Quaternary deposits across large distances. However, it can be challenging to obtain direct ages on tephra beds when they are beyond the limit of radiocarbon dating, do not contain mineral phases suitable for ⁴⁰K-⁴⁰Ar (or ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar) dating, or suitable glass shards for fission-track dating are not available. Zircon U-Pb dating by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is an emerging technique for dating young (<1 Ma) tephra. Here, we demonstrate that LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating can produce reliable ages for key tephra beds found in Yukon and Alaska. We assessed five different techniques for calculating tephra maximum depositional ages from zircon U-Pb ages for eight tephra beds. Our preferred zircon U-Pb ages (reported with 2σ uncertainties), based on a Bayesian model for calculating maximum depositional ages, are broadly consistent with previously established chronology constructed from stratigraphy, paleomagnetism, and/or glass fission track and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages: Biederman tephra (178 ± 17 ka), HP tephra (680 ± 47 ka), Gold Run tephra (688 ± 44 ka), Flat Creek tephra (708 ± 43 ka), PA tephra (1.92 ± 0.06 Ma), Quartz Creek tephra (2.62 ± 0.08 Ma), Lost Chicken tephra (3.14 ± 0.07 Ma), and GI tephra (542 ± 64 ka). We also present newly revised glass fission-track and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages recalculated from previous determinations using updated ages for the Moldavite tektite and Fish Canyon Tuff standards, and updated K decay constants. For Pleistocene age zircon crystals, corrections for ²³⁰Th disequilibrium and common-Pb are significant and must be treated with caution. Similarly, apparent tephra ages are sensitive to the choice of method used to calculate a maximum depositional age from the assemblage of individual crystallization ages. This study demonstrates that LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating can be successfully applied to numerous Pliocene-Pleistocene Alaskan-Yukon tephra, providing confidence in applying this method to other stratigraphically important tephra in the region.     

LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating from granitoids in southern basement of Songliao basin:Constraints on ages of the basin basement

Seven LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb datings from granitoids in the southern basement of the Songliao basin were done in order to constrain the ages of the basin basement. The cathodoluminescence (CL) images of the zircons from seven granitoids indicate that they are euhedral-subhedral ones with striped ab-sorption and obvious oscillatory zoning rims. The dating results show that a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age is 236±3 Ma for quartz diorite (sample No.T6-1) located in the western slope of the basin,that weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages are 319±1 Ma (2126 m) and 361±2 Ma (1994 m) for diorite (sample No.YC1-1) and granite (sample No.YC1-2) located in northern part of southeastern uplift of the basin,respectively,and that weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages are 161±5 Ma,165±2 Ma,165±1 Ma and 161±4 Ma for samples Q2-1,SN121,SN122,and SN72 granitoids located in southern part of southeastern uplift of the basin,respectively. The statistical results of ages suggest that the middle Jurassic granitoids con-stitute the main part of basement granitoids,and that the Hercynian and Indo-Sino magmatisms also occur in the basin basement. It is implied that the Songliao basin should be a rift one formed in the intracontinent or active continental margin settings in the late Mesozoic after the Middle Jurassic orogeny took place.     

NanoSIMS imaging method of zircon U-Pb dating

We report an imaging method of zircon U-Pb dating with NanoSIMS 50 L, which overcomes the significant U-Pb fractionation as the pit was sputtered deeper during conventional spot mode analysis and can be applied to irregular small grains or heterogeneous areas of zircon. The U-Pb and Pb-Pb ages can be acquired simultaneously for 2 μm×2 μm(for small grains) or 1 μm×9 μm(for zoned grains), together with Zr, Y and other trace elements distributions. Using zircon M257 as standard, the U-Pb ages of other zircon standards, including Qinghu, Plesovice, Temora and 91500, were measured to(2σ) as158.8±0.8, 335.9±3.4, 412.0±12 and 1067±12 Ma, respectively, consistent with the recommended values within the analytical uncertainties. Tiny zircon grains in the impact melt breccia of the lunar meteorite SaU 169 were also measured in this study,with a Pb-Pb age of 3912±14 Ma and a U-Pb age of 3917±17 Ma, similar to previous results reported for the same meteorite.The imaging method was also applied to determine U-Pb age of the thin overgrowth rims of Longtan metamorphic zircon, with a Pb-Pb age of 1933±27 Ma and a U-Pb age of 1935±25 Ma, clearly distinct from the Pb-Pb age of 2098±61 Ma and the U-Pb age of 2054±40 Ma for detrital cores.     

U-Pb dating of early Mesozoic granodioritic intrusions in southeastern Hunan Province, South China and its petrogenetic implications

The NE-trended Mesozoic granodioritic intrusions are spatially and temporally associated with the copper multi-metal mineralization in southeastern Hunan Province, South China. U-Pb dating result of single-grained zircons of four samples respectively from Shuikoushan, Baoshan, western Tongshanling and eastern Tongshanling intrusions reveals that their crystallization age spans a range from 172 Ma to 181 Ma, which also represents the oldest age of the regional copper multi-metal mineralization. Some of the zircon grains give an upper intercept age of about 1753 Ma and ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb apparent age of (1752 ± 4) Ma, implying the involvement of the pre-Cambrian metamorphic (possible Middle Proterozoic) basement in their genesis. The presence of such a kind of zircon grains in these granodiorites indicates either that the parental magmas were assimilated by basement rocks during magma ascent or that lower/middle crustal rocks were one of the important components during the melting process.     

The Dabie Orogen as the early Jurassic sedimentary provenance: Constraints from the detrital zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating

The SHRIMP U-Pb ages of detrital zircon from the oldest Mesozoic strata, the Fanghushan Fomation, in the Hefei Basin range from 200 Ma to ca. 2500 Ma, which indicates that the Dabie Orogen as the early Jurassic sedimentary provenance was complex. The composition of the Dabie Orogen includes: the Triassic high pressure-ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks, of which the detrital zircon ages are from 234 Ma to 200 Ma; the rocks possibly related to the Qinling and Erlangping Groups representing the southern margin of the Sino-Korean craton in the Qinling and Dabie area, of which the detrital zircon has an age of 481-378 Ma; the Neo-proterozoic rocks originated from the Yangtze croton, of which the detrital zircon ages are 799-721 Ma old; and the rocks with the detrital zircon ages of ca. 2000 Ma and ca. 2500 Ma, which could be the old basement of the Yangtze craton.     

<Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar geochronology of the Faku tectonites: Implications for the tectonothermal evolution of the Faku block,northern Liaoning

For lack of reliable isotopic chronological data, the metamorphic rock series in the Faku region of northern Liaoning has long been regarded as the platform basement. Recent studies reveal that these deformed and metamorphosed rocks, with a variety of protoliths of plutonic intrusions and supracrustal volcanic and sedimentary rocks, were genetically related to later ductile shearing events, and they, together with the syntectonic intrusions, constituted the large-scale Faku tectonites. In this paper, we report new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data on hornblende, biotite, and K-feldspar from typical granitic mylonites in this suite of tectonites. The plateau age 256 Ma of FK53 hornblende and the high-temperature plateau age 262 Ma of Fk51-1 biotite should represent the cooling ages when the granites, formed as a result of Paleozoic oceanic crustal subduction beneath the continental crust or collision of multiple micro-continental blocks, were exhumed into shallow crustal levels. The plateau age 231 Ma of FK51-1 boitite and the apparent age 227 Ma of Fk51-2 K-feldspar are interpreted to record the time of ductile deformation occurring under greenschist facies conditions, i.e. the formation age of the Faku tectonites, while the age gradient from 197 Ma to 220 Ma of Fk51-2 K-feldspar probably record the subsequent stable uplift-cooling process. The tectonic exhumation event indicated by the plateau age 180 Ma of Fk51-2 K-feldspar may be associated with the onset of paleo-Pacific subduction beneath the North China plate. In addition, the U-Pb dating of FK54 zircon from later-intruded granite yields the age of crystallization of this super-unit intrusion at 159 Ma, thus establishing an upper limit for the formation age of the Faku tectonites, while the plateau age 125 Ma of Fk54 K-feldspar most likely corresponds to the rapid cooling and tectonic denudation event associated with the final collision between the Siberian plate and the North China plate. These isotopic ages provide important geochronological constraints for re-evaluating the tectonic essence of the Faku Faulted Convex and ascertaining the suturing boundary between the North China Platform and the Xingmeng Fold System.     

Accuracy of LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb age determination: An inter-laboratory comparison

LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb dating has been greatly advanced and widely applied in the past decade because it is a cheap and fast technique.The internal error of LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb dating can be better than 1%,but reproducibility(accuracy)is relatively poor.In order to quantitatively assess the accuracy of this technique,zircons from two dioritic rocks,a Mesozoic dioritic microgranular enclave(FS06)and a Neoproterozoic diorite(WC09-32),were dated independently in eight laboratories using SIMS and LA-ICPMS.Results of three SIMS analyses on FS06 and WC09-2 are indistinguishable within error and give a best estimate of the crystallization age of 132.2 and 760.5 Ma(reproducibility is~1%,2RSD),respectively.Zircon U-Pb ages determined by LA-ICPMS in six laboratories vary from 128.3±1.0 to 135.0±0.9 Ma(2SE)for FS06 and from 742.9±3.1 to777.8±4.7 Ma(2SE)for WC09-32,suggesting a reproducibility of~4%(2RSD).Uncertainty produced during LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb analyses comes from multiple sources,including uncertainty in the isotopic ratio measurements,uncertainty in the fractionation factor calculation using an external standard,uncertainty in the age determination as a result of common lead correction,age uncertainty of the external standards and uncertainty in the data reduction.Result of our study suggests that the uncertainty of LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb dating is approximately 4%(2RSD).The uncertainty in age determination must be considered in order to interpret LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb data rationally.     

DETRITAL ZIRCON U-PB DATING OF MODERN RIVERS' DEPOSITS IN PAMIR,SOUTH TIAN SHAN AND THEIR CONVERGENCE ZONE

By dating detrital zircon U-Pb ages of deposition sequence in foreland basins, we can analyze the provenance of these zircons and further infer the tectonic history of the mountain belts. This is a new direction of the zircon U-Pb chronology. The precondition of using this method is that we have to have all-around understanding to the U-Pb ages of the rocks of the orogenic belts, while the varied topography, high altitude of the zircon U-Pb ages of the orogenic belts are very rare and uneven. This restricts the application of this method. Modern river deposits contain abundant geologic information of their provenances, so we can probe the zircon U-Pb ages of the geological bodies in the provenances by dating the detrital zircon U-Pb ages of modern rivers' deposits. We collected modern river deposits of 14 main rivers draining from Pamir, South Tian Shan and their convergence zone and conducted detrital zircon U-Pb dating. Combining with the massive bed rock zircon U-Pb ages of the magmatic rocks and the detrital zircon U-Pb ages of the modern fluvial deposit of other authors, we obtained the distribution characteristics of zircon U-Pb ages of different tectonic blocks of Pamir and South Tian Shan. Overlaying on the regional geological map, we pointed out the specific provenance geological bodies of different U-Pb age populations and speculated the existence of some new geological bodies. The results show that different tectonic blocks have different age peaks. The main age peaks of South Tian Shan are 270~289Ma and 428~449Ma, that of North Pamir are 205~224Ma and 448~477Ma, Central Pamir 36~40Ma, and South Pamir 80~82Ma and 102~106Ma. The Pamir syntaxis locates at the west end of the India-Eurasia collision zone. The northern boundary of the Pamir is the Main Pamir Thrust(MPT)and the Pamir Front Thrust(PFT). In the Cenozoic, because of the squeezing action of the India Plate, the Pamir thrust a lot toward the north and the internal terranes of the Pamir strongly uplifted. For the far-field effect of the India-Eurasia collision, the Tian Shan on the north margin of the Tarim Basin also uplifted intensely during this period. Extensive exhumation went along with these upliftings. The material of the exhumation was transported to the foreland basin by rivers, which formed the very thick Cenozoic deposition sequence. These age peaks can be used as characteristic ages to recognize these tectonic blocks. These results lay a solid foundation for tracing the convergence process of Pamir and South Tian Shan in Cenozoic with the help of detrital zircon U-Pb ages of sediments in the foreland basin.     

Mineral inclusions in zircon domains and geological significance of SHRIMP U-Pb dating for coesite-bearing zircons of paragneiss in Sulu terrane,eastern China

Laser Raman spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence (CL) image reveal that zircons separated from paragneisses in the southwestern Sulu terrane (eastern China) preserve multi-stage mineral assemblages in different zircon domains. In the same paragneiss zircon sample, some zircon grains retain inherited (detrital) cores with abundant low-pressure mineral inclusions of Qtz + Phe + Ap + impurities and Qtz + Phe + impurities. The ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic overgrowths mantles of these zircons preserve Coe, Coe + Phe and other UHP mineral inclusions, indicating that these inherited (detrital) zircons from protoliths experienced metamorphic recrystallization during the Sulu UHP metamorphic event. However, other zircon grains preserve UHP mineral inclusions of Coe, Coe + Ap and Coe + Phe in the cores and mantles, whereas the outmost rims contain quartz (Qtz) and other low-pressure mineral inclusions. These phenomena prove that the second group zircons were crystallized at UHP metamorphic stage and overpr     

Gabbro and related rock emplacement beneath rifting continental crust: UPb geochronological and geochemical constraints for the Galicia passive margin (Spain)

The thinned continental crust of the west Galicia margin is bound by a belt of serpentinized peridotites (‘peridotite ridge’) lying about 300 km off the coast in the North Atlantic ocean. From this ridge, a gabbro and a chlorite rock were studied in an attempt to substantiate rift-related subcontinental magmatism, occurring prior to sea-floor spreading. U-Pb dating of 13 different zircon fractions yields a precise age of 122.1 ± 0.3 Ma (2σ) for the emplacement of the chlorite rock protolith, from which more than 50% of Si and alkali-calc-alkali elements were lost during greenschist facies tectonometamorphism. Sr and Nd isotope signatures suggest that the gabbro and chlorite rock protoliths were derived from mantle sources that were moderately depleted in LILE, relative to a chondritic reservoir. No evidence for the presence of continental material in the magma source regions can be observed. From the new zircon age of 122.1 ± 0.3 Ma, and earlier determined³⁹Ar⁴⁰Ar age of 122.0 ± 0.6 Ma for amphibole from the same locality, it can be documented that magma formation, solidification and unroofing of the mantle rocks occurred during a short period of time of about 3.4 Ma, which means that the peridotite ridge detached from the continent and rose to the surface immediately after, or even coevally with mantle melting.     

Cretaceous volcanic-intrusive magmatism in western Guangdong and its geological significance

The Nanling Mountains lying in the southern part of South China are an economically important gran-ite-related multi-metallogenic province. The Nanling Mountains granites can be described as: temporally spanning from Caledonian to Yanshanian and spatially distributed as three EW trending zones: the north one in Zhuguangshan-Qingzhangshan, the middle one in Dadongshan-Guidong, and the south one in Fogang-Xinfengjiang with two neighboring zones’ midline having an interval of ca. latitude …     

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of the intrusives in the Tongling metallogenic cluster and its dynamic setting

This paper selected five typical Mesozoic intrusives from the Tongling metallogenic cluster (Xiaotongguanshan, Fenghuangshan, Xinqiao, Dongguashan, and Shatanjiao plutons), and made a systemic SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating for the five plutons, which produced an age range of 151.8±2.6- 142.8±1.8 Ma. This work put an accurate constraint on the formation age of the intrusives in the Tongling metallogenic cluster. These age data indicate that magmatic activity reached a peak during Late Jurassic. The intrusive sequence of magma is generally from quartz monzonite (porphyry) through monzonite to granodiorite to quartz monzodiorite to pyroxene monzodiorite to gabbro-diabase. The intrusives of different lithology differed in crystallization age, probably implying the intrusives in the Tongling area underwent an evolutional process of magma, which was closely related to geodynamical setting in the depths of the area. A dynamic model was presented for the origin of the igneous rocks in the study area as follows. The assembly between the Yangtze craton and the North China craton fini- shed at the end of T3, and then the stage of another compressional orogeny began in the Tongling area, i.e., Pacific dynamic system. Along with the subduction of the Izanagi plate underneath the Eurasian plate at J2-J3, NW-trending compression toward the East China continent was produced, and compres- sional deformation also took place, forming NE-trending fold and resulting in thickening of the crust in the Tongling area. High-density eclogite-facies rocks were produced in the low part of the crust, re- sulting in the delamination of mantle lithosphere and lower crust, and upwelling of materials in as- thenosphere. Decompression melting produced basaltic magma, and the materials in lower crust were heated by the underplating of the basaltic magma. Thus, melting of lower crust yielded granitic magma, which intruded along deep and large faults through various geological processes (J3-K1). The SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age of 151.8±2.6-142.8±1.8 Ma for intrusives in the Tongling area suggests that the de- lamination of lithosphere mantle and lower crust at least began at middle-late stage of Late Jurassic, resulting in sharp thinning of lithosphere and intense extension of middle-upper crust. Thus, a lot of decollements were produced between cover and cover, basement and cover, and middle and lower crust. This was structural layering or detachment of lithosphere in the Tongling area. Three concordant ages for old inherited cores of magmatic origin (747-823 Ma) indicated that there were obvious mag- matism in the Tongling area during Neoproterozoic, and a little more of the Neoproterozoic igneous source rocks participated in the formation of Mesozoic intrusives.     

Geochemistry and U-Pb zircon geochronology of Late-Mesozoic lavas from Xishan, Beijing

The North China craton (NCC) is distinctively dif-ferent from other Archean craton around the world due to violent construction-magmatic activity, ore deposi-tion and basin formation process and the deep dynam-ics could be probably related with lithospher…     

Material records for Mesozoic destruction of the North China Craton by subduction of the Paleo-Pacific slab

It is well known that the destruction of the North China Carton(NCC) is closely related to subduction of the PaleoPacific slab, but materials recording such subduction has not been identified at the peak time of decratonization. This paper presents data of whole-rock major and trace elements and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes and zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-O isotopes for Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the Liaodong-Jinan region in the northeastern NCC, in order to trace the subduction-related materials in their source and origin. The Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the Liaodong-Jinan region are mainly composed of two series of rocks, including alkaline basaltic trachyandesite, trachyandesite and trachyte, and subalkaline trachyandesite and andesite. Zircon U-Pb dating yields eruption ages of 129–124 Ma for these rocks. The Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks are all enriched in LILEs(such as Rb, Sr, Ba and Th) and LREEs, depleted in HFSEs(such as Nb, Ta and Ti), indicating that they were originated from mantle sources that had been modified by subducted crustal materials. However, they have relatively heterogeneous and variable isotopic compositions. The alkaline basaltic trachyandesite, trachyandesite and trachyte have enriched whole-rock Sr-Nd-Hf and zircon Hf isotopic compositions and mantle-like δ~(18)O values, suggesting that they were derived from low-degree partial melting of an isotopically enriched lithospheric mantle source. In contrast, the subalkaline trachyandesite and andesite have relatively depleted isotopic compositions with zircon ε_(Hf)(t) values up to +5.2 and heavy zircon O isotopic compositions with δ~(18)O values of +8.1‰ to +9.0‰, indicating that they were originated from a lithospheric mantle source that had been metasomatized by melts/fluids derived from the recycled low-T altered oceanic basalt. All of these geochemical features suggest that the Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks in the Liaodong-Jinan region would result from mixing of mafic magmas with different compositions. Such magmas were originated from the enriched lithospheric mantle and the young metasomatized mantle, respectively, with variable extents of enrichment and depletion in trace elements, radiogenic isotopes and O isotopes. Importantly, the identification of the low-T altered oceanic crust component in the origin of Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks by the zircon Hf-O isotopes provides affirmative isotopic evidence and direct material records for Mesozoic subduction of the Paleo-Pacific slab that induced decratonization of the North China Craton.     

华南晋宁期造山运动──地质年代学和地球化学制约

综合了前人和作者最新的地质年代学和地球化学研究成果,对华南晚元古代晋宁期造山运动的演化提供了化学地球动力学制约晚元古代早期（0．97－1．0Ga）的皖南、赣东北和桂北蛇绿岩在元素地球化学上具有相似的岛弧特征,但它们的Nd同位素组成明显不同新获得的高精度结石U－Ph年龄资料表明,桂北地区的本洞、三防和元宝山等三个主要花岗岩岩体均形成于820-825Ma,排除了本区有中元古代晚期花岗岩的存在．扬子南缘中元古代到三叠纪各个时代地层中的泥质沉积岩的TDM在晚元古代早期从约1．8Ga急剧降低至约1．3Ga,反映了这个时期的沉积物源区有大量新生馒源物质的加入．根据研究资料,提出了华南和扬子块体晋宁期陆-弧-陆碰撞模式     

Zircon U–Pb ages and tectonic implications of 'Early Paleozoic' granitoids at Yanbian, Jilin Province, northeast China

Abstract   The Yanbian area is located in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) of China and is characterized by widespread Phanerozoic granitic intrusions. It was previously thought that the Yanbian granitoids were mainly emplaced in the Early Paleozoic (so-called 'Caledonian' granitoids), extending east–west along the northern margin of the North China craton. However, few of them have been precisely dated; therefore, five typical 'Caledonian' granitic intrusions (the Huangniling, Dakai, Mengshan, Gaoling and Bailiping batholiths) were selected for U–Pb zircon isotopic study. New-age data show that emplacement of these granitoids extended from the Late Paleozoic to Late Mesozoic (285–116 Ma). This indicates that no 'Caledonian' granitic belt exists along the northern margin of the North China craton. The granitoids can be subdivided into four episodes based on our new data: Early Permian (285 ± 9 Ma), Early Triassic (249–245 Ma), Jurassic (192–168 Ma) and Cretaceous (119–116 Ma). The 285 ± 9 Ma tonalite was most likely related to subduction of the Paleo-Asian Oceanic Plate beneath the North China craton, followed by Triassic (249–245 Ma) syn-collisional monzogranites, representing the collision of the CAOB orogenic collage with the North China craton and final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The Jurassic granitoids resulted from subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate and subsequent collision of the Jiamusi–Khanka Massif with the existing continent, assembled in the Triassic. The Early Cretaceous granitoids formed in an extensional setting along the eastern Asian continental margin.     

Formation time of the big mantle wedge beneath eastern China and a new lithospheric thinning mechanism of the North China craton—Geodynamic effects of deep recycled carbon

High-resolution P wave tomography shows that the subducting Pacific slab is stagnant in the mantle transition zone and forms a big mantle wedge beneath eastern China. The Mg isotopic investigation of large numbers of mantle-derived volcanic rocks from eastern China has revealed that carbonates carried by the subducted slab have been recycled into the upper mantle and formed carbonated peridotite overlying the mantle transition zone, which becomes the sources of various basalts. These basalts display light Mg isotopic compositions(δ26 Mg = –0.60‰ to –0.30‰) and relatively low87 Sr/86 Sr ratios(0.70314–0.70564) with ages ranging from 106 Ma to Quaternary, suggesting that their mantle source had been hybridized by recycled magnesite with minor dolomite and their initial melting occurred at 300-360 km in depth. Therefore, the carbonate metasomatism of their mantle source should have occurred at the depth larger than 360 km, which means that the subducted slab should be stagnant in the mantle transition zone forming the big mantle wedge before 106 Ma. This timing supports the rollback model of subducting slab to form the big mantle wedge. Based on high P-T experiment results, when carbonated silicate melts produced by partial melting of carbonated peridotite was raising and reached the bottom(180–120 km in depth) of cratonic lithosphere in North China, the carbonated silicate melts should have 25–18 wt% CO2 contents, with lower Si O2 and Al2 O3 contents, and higher Ca O/Al2 O3 values, similar to those of nephelinites and basanites, and have higher εNdvalues(2 to 6). The carbonatited silicate melts migrated upward and metasomatized the overlying lithospheric mantle, resulting in carbonated peridotite in the bottom of continental lithosphere beneath eastern China. As the craton lithospheric geotherm intersects the solidus of carbonated peridotite at 130 km in depth, the carbonated peridotite in the bottom of cratonic lithosphere should be partially melted, thus its physical characters are similar to the asthenosphere and it could be easily replaced by convective mantle. The newly formed carbonated silicate melts will migrate upward and metasomatize the overlying lithospheric mantle. Similarly, such metasomatism and partial melting processes repeat, and as a result the cratonic lithosphere in North China would be thinning and the carbonated silicate partial melts will be transformed to high-Si O2 alkali basalts with lower εNdvalues(to-2). As the lithospheric thinning goes on,initial melting depth of carbonated peridotite must decrease from 130 km to close 70 km, because the craton geotherm changed to approach oceanic lithosphere geotherm along with lithospheric thinning of the North China craton. Consequently, the interaction between carbonated silicate melt and cratonic lithosphere is a possible mechanism for lithosphere thinning of the North China craton during the late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Based on the age statistics of low δ26 Mg basalts in eastern China, the lithospheric thinning processes caused by carbonated metasomatism and partial melting in eastern China are limited in a timespan from 106 to25 Ma, but increased quickly after 25 Ma. Therefore, there are two peak times for the lithospheric thinning of the North China craton: the first peak in 135-115 Ma simultaneously with the cratonic destruction, and the second peak caused by interaction between carbonated silicate melt and lithosphere mainly after 25 Ma. The later decreased the lithospheric thickness to about70 km in the eastern part of North China craton.     

The Pengguan tectonic dome of Longmen Mountains, Sichuan Province: Mesozoic denudation of a Neoproterozoic magmatic arc-basin system

Neoproterozoic igneous and metamorphic complexes occur as tectonic domes in the Longmen Mountains of the western margin of the Yangtze Block, and are important in reconstructing the Rodinian supercontinent and constraining the timing and mechanism of tectonic denudational processes. The Pengguan dome consists of granitic intrusions and metamorphic rocks of the Huangshuihe Group and is tectonically overlain by ductilly deformed Sinian to Paleozoic strata. The plutonic intrusions consist of granites with abundant amphibolite enclaves. New LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating yielded an emplacement age of 809±3 Ma and a protolith age of 844±6 Ma for the granite. The granitic rocks have geochemical signatures typical of A-type granites, indicating their formation under an extensional environment, by melting of newly formed tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) rocks. A detachment fault, characterized by variable ductile shear deformation of S-C fabric and ESE-ward kinematics, separates the Pengguan dome from the Sinian-Paleozoic cover. 40Ar/39Ar dating of muscovite from the mylonite in the detachment fault of the dome demonstrates that ductile deformation occurred at ~160 Ma. This study indicates the existence of a Neoproterozoic magmatic arc-basin system, which was denudated by a Jurassic middle crustal ductile channel flow along the Longmenshan thrust belt.     

SIMS U-Pb zircon age of a tuff layer in the Meishucun section,Yunnan, southwest China: Constraint on the age of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary

Determination of the age of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary is critical in understanding early evolution of life on Earth. SIMS U-Pb zircon analyses of the Bed 5 tuff layer of the Meishucun section were carried out closely following the guidance of cathodoluminescence images, and the majority of analyses were conducted on the oscillatory zircon grains. Thirteen measurements yield a highly reliable Concordia U-Pb age of 536.7 ± 3.9 Ma for the Bed 5 horizon. A grand mean of 206Pb/238U age of 535.2± 1.7 Ma (...