Evaluation of two multidimensional discrimination diagrams from beach and deep-sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico and their application to Precambrian clastic sedimentary rocks

Two discriminant-function-based multidimensional major-element diagrams for the tectonic discrimination of siliciclastic sediments were recently published from a coherent statistical methodology of log_e-ratio transformation and linear discriminant analysis. These diagrams were constructed based on worldwide examples of Neogene–Quaternary siliciclastic sediments from known tectonic settings. In this work, these two tectonic discrimination diagrams were first successfully tested from Holocene (<0.0117–0 Ma) beach and deep-sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico. These diagrams were used to decipher tectonic settings of 11 case studies of the Precambrian clastic sedimentary rocks (~512–2800 Ma) from Argentina, USA, Ghana, Spain, Norway, India, China, and Australia. The test and application results obtained from these discrimination diagrams were generally consistent with the geology of the Precambrian source areas. Therefore, the two multidimensional diagrams can be considered as a useful tool for successfully discriminating the tectonic setting of older sedimentary basins, which may consist of one or more tectonic assemblages. Comparison of results of this study with the previously published tectonic discrimination diagrams is illustrated and the probable reasons for some inconsistent inferences were also discussed.     

内蒙古阿鲁科尔沁旗陶海营子剖面林西组地球化学特征及其对物源-构造背景的制约

大兴安岭中南段上二叠统林西组发育厚层的暗色泥页岩,是区域上重要的上古生界生烃层系之一。阿鲁科尔沁旗陶海营子剖面是林西组的典型剖面之一,本文以该剖面为研究对象,对取自该剖面林西组的10件砂、泥岩样品进行主量元素、微量元素和稀土元素测试分析。剖面样品元素分析和物源判别函数（F₁-F₂）、Ni-TiO₂、La/Th-Hf图解判别结果表明,陶海营子剖面林西组沉积物来源多样,主要来源于上地壳长英质火成物源区和石英岩沉积物源区,还有少量来自中、基性岩火成物源区。剖面样品微量元素PAAS（后太古庙澳大利亚页岩）标准化蛛网图、稀土元素球粒陨石标准化配分模式图、K₂O/Na₂O-SiO₂、Zr/Th、TiO₂-（TFe₂O₃+MgO）图解、物源构造背景判别函数（F₁-F₂）''的分析判别和剖面样品与不同构造环境砂岩地球化学参数对比结果表明,陶海营子剖面林西组物源构造背景具有被动大陆边缘、活动大陆边缘和大陆岛弧特征,构造背景较复杂。综合分析可知,陶海营子剖面林西组物源主要为被动大陆边缘背景下的火成岩、石英质沉积岩,以及活动大陆边缘和大陆岛弧背景下的火成岩。结合前人相关研究成果,推测兴蒙造山带内伸展作用背景下的晚石炭世-二叠纪岩浆型被动陆缘沉积建造和与俯冲背景有关的古生代弧岩浆岩应该是陶海营子剖面林西组的主要物源。     

基于大数据方法的玄武岩大地构造环境智能挖掘判别与分析

通过玄武岩判别图推断其所形成的大地构造环境的方法由来已久,自1971年Pearce提出了构造-岩浆判别图解法之后,已涌现出了几十种不同的判别图。然而,判别图的制作过程中使用的元素的信息量少,数据样本量少,缺乏代表性,以至于其适用范围有限,且准确率不够。为提高构造环境判别过程的效率和准确性,本文提出以大数据智能挖掘方法建立判别模型,通过玄武岩的化学成分,迅速准确地对其大地构造环境进行判别。所用到的玄武岩包括三类:洋中脊玄武岩(MORB)、洋岛玄武岩(OIB)和岛弧玄武岩(IAB),样品总量为755个。首先,本文分别利用主量元素判别图和微量元素判别图对三类数据的大地构造环境进行判别,包括Ti O_2-MnO-P_2O_5、Fe O~T-MgO-Al_2O_3、Ti-Zr-Y、Zr/Y-Zr和Ti-Zr判别图。由于判别图法针对的是特定的元素或化合物,而有些样品的成份记录不完善或没有测量到有指定物质,导致无法对该样品在判别图中绘制,因此在绘制不同的判别图之前,需要筛选掉一部分数据。判别结果表明,在不考虑无效数据的情况下,Zr/Y-Zr判别图的准确率最高,可达90%以上。但如果考虑到已筛选掉的数据,上述五种图对三种岩石的判别准确率均低于75%。在利用数据挖掘算法进行判别的过程中,本文分别试验了朴素贝叶斯(NB)、K邻近(KNN)、支持向量机(SVM)和随机森林(RF)四种算法。为达到较好的识别效果,本文将所有的化合物和微量元素组成51维的参数组用于训练模型,并且不会进行任何的数据筛选,即全部被视作有效数据。训练结果表明,NB的分类结果最差,但也超过了75%,而RF训练准确率高达100%。在算法的进阶分析中,测得RF算法验证准确率可达88.46%;为提升智能算法的实用性,本文利用贝叶斯定理对算法的判别结果求逆概率,以实现"由果及因"的合理推断;同时,本文通过人为模拟数据缺失,进一步验证不同的算法的鲁棒性,并认为RF和NB是应该被优先考虑的两种算法;最后,通过提取RF中的决策树,本文对样本中元素的重要性进行了分析,并找到了对判别效果影响最大的几个主量元素和微量元素。综上所述,利用数据挖掘算法判别大地构造环境要比判别图法更为准确、迅速且功能多样,可在该领域做进一步推广应用。     

Basalt geochemistry as a diagnostic indicator of tectonic setting

Basalt geochemistry can be used as a diagnostic indicator for determining the tectonic setting of origin, because specific plate tectonic settings often impart distinctive geochemical characteristics. For example: (1) mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and oceanic island basalts (OIB) have clearly distinguishable trace element and Sr-Nd isotope geochemical characteristics; (2) arc related basalts, including IOAB (intra-oceanic arc basalts), IAB (island arc basalts) and CAB (continental arc basalts), exhibit following distinguishing features: all are characterized by low Nb/La ratios (<0.85) and negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies; most exhibit low Nb concentrations (<8 ppm), high positive ɛ_Nd values and low enrichment of incompatible elements except the continental arc shoshonitic basalts that possess high concentrations of incompatible trace elements and lower to negative ɛ_Nd values; (3) although contamination by continental crust or lithosphere can impart subduction-like signature (e.g., low Nb, low Ta and low Ti) and lead to misidentification of contaminated continental intraplate basalts as arc related, there are still some essential differences between continental intraplate basalts and arc related ones; such as: uncontaminated continental intraplate basalts have high Nb concentrations, Nb/La > 1, “hump-shaped” OIB-like trace element patterns and moderate positive ɛ_Nd values that distinguish them from the arc related ones; whereas, the contaminated continental intraplate basalts are characterized by pronounced negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies, but their concentrations of incompatible trace elements are conspicuously higher than those of subduction-zone basalts that also distinguishes them from the arc related ones; (4) an important difference between back-arc basin basalts (BABB) and the MORB is that the former exhibit both MORB-like and arc-like geochemical characteristics; (5) most oceanic plateau basalts (OPB) show diagnostic geochemical characteristics of enriched MORB (E-MORB) to transitional MORB (T-MORB); only the Kerguelen Plateau is an exception; the early (pre 90 Ma) volcanism of the Kerguelen Plateau is associated with the Early Cretaceous break-up of Gondwana and displays features of continental flood basaltic volcanism; with time, the tectonic setting of the Kerguelen plume-derived volcanism changed from a rifted continental margin setting (133–118 Ma) through a young, widening ocean (118–40 Ma), finally to an oceanic intraplate setting (~40 Ma to the present).Tectonic discrimination diagrams should not be used in isolation, but can still be useful as part of holistic geochemical characterization. For example: (1) MORB and OIB are distinguishable from each other in the 3Tb-Th-2Ta diagram; (2) the arc related basalts, including IOAB, IAB and CAB, constantly plot in the arc-related basalts fields in the Th/Yb-Ta/Yb diagram; (3) the 3Tb-Th-2Ta diagram can be utilized to fully illustrate both MORB-like and arc-like characteristics of BABB; (4) some discriminant diagrams (such as Zr/Y-Zr, Th/Yb-Ta/Yb, 3Tb-Th-2Ta and Hf/3-Th-Nb/16 diagrams) can be used to distinguish continental intra plate basalts from arc related ones; (5) although there are not any discrimination diagrams published that delineate an OPB field, some trace element diagrams can still reveal diagnostic characteristics of the OPB.     

Statistical evaluation of tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams for granitic rocks and proposal of new discriminant-function-based multi-dimensional diagrams for acid rocks

The four tectonic discrimination diagrams of Pearce et al. [Journal of Petrology, v. 25, p. 956–983] for granitic rocks were first evaluated using the literature cited by these authors as well as from our new database. The first diagram (Y?Nb) cannot discriminate volcanic-arc and collision settings. Both Y?Nb and Yb?Ta diagrams have an overlapping field for within-plate and ocean-ridge granitoids. The remaining two diagrams (Y?+?Nb?Rb and Yb?+?Ta?Rb) use a mobile element (Rb) in their y-axis. Although these diagrams successfully discriminate volcanic-arc and within-plate granites, they perform less well for collision tectonics. Besides, felsic or acid rocks are scarce in ocean-ridge settings, which limits the usefulness of these diagrams for this geological environment. Therefore, using an extensive database, we proposed a set of five new discriminant-function-based multi-dimensional diagrams for acid magmas from four tectonic settings (island arc, continental arc, continental rift, and collision). The very similar tectonic settings of island and continental arcs are discriminated for the first time. These diagrams are based on correct statistical treatment of compositional data, because they use natural logarithm transformation of major-element ratios and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The use of discordant outlier-free samples prior to LDA improved the success rates by about 3–5%. Success rates of these diagrams as inferred from a testing set were between 76% and 88% for island arc, 60% and 92% for continental arc, and 72% and 84% for both continental rift and collision settings. Finally, application of these new diagrams to case studies not compiled in our initial database used for constructing these diagrams provided the following results: a collision setting for the Himalayas at about 30 Ma; an island arc setting for Quaternary acid rocks from geothermal boreholes in El Salvador; an island- or continental-arc setting for northern Italy at 35–52 Ma; a continental-arc setting for the Italy–Austria border at about 30 Ma; either a rift or a collision setting for northern Nigeria at about 164 Ma; a collision setting for central Nigeria at about 144 Ma and for the Cretaceous Masirah ophiolites of Oman; and an island arc setting for the Cretaceous Semail ophiolites of Oman. In spite of the relative mobility of major elements, these applications suggest utility of the new discrimination diagrams for all four tectonic settings.     

燕山中段常州沟组砂岩岩石学、地球化学特征及地质意义

中元古代常州沟组是华北克拉通北缘燕山地区变质结晶基底上的第一套沉积盖层,不整合覆盖于新太古代各类片麻岩之上。为了解常州沟组时期的古环境、古气候及其物质来源、构造环境和盆地性质,在野外地质调查的基础上,对常州沟组砂岩进行了粒度分析和地球化学分析测试。岩石组合、沉积构造和粒度分析结果指示区内常州沟组沉积环境演化由下至上依次为冲积扇、辫状河和碎屑潮坪。常州沟组砂岩地球化学特征具有高SiO₂、Al₂O₃和K₂O,低TiO₂、Fe₂O₃、FeO、MgO含量的特点,成熟度较高,化学蚀变指数(CIA)介于52.00～73.23之间,化学风化作用指数(CIW)范围为93.04～98.68。由于岩石遭受钾交代作用影响,结合A-CN-K图解、Th/U-Th图解和古气候判别图综合分析,认为源区可能经历了较强的风化作用,古气候温暖、潮湿。Cr/Zr、Th/Sc、Ba/Sr、Rb/Sr值和La/Th-Hf图解指示常州沟组源区属性主要为上地壳环境,原岩成分以长英...     

An evaluation of the Rb vs. (Y + Nb) discrimination diagram to infer tectonic setting of silicic igneous rocks

The most commonly used tectonic discrimination diagrams for granites were introduced by Pearce et al. [Pearce, J.A., Harris, N.B.W., Tindle, A.G., 1984. Trace element discrimination diagrams for the tectonic interpretation of granitic rocks. J. Petrol. 25, 956–983.]. Since then, many studies have shown that some granites defy classification or their geochemical assignment does not fit with the geodynamic environment in which they are thought to have formed. In this paper we evaluate the performance of the Pearce et al. tectonic discrimination method, specifically, the most widely-used Rb-(Y + Nb) diagram, using a new data base of over 250 occurrences worldwide, the tectonic settings of which are fairly well known. We conclude that a correlation of geochemistry and tectonic position exists, but that ambiguities and misclassifications arise from one or both of the following factors. First, complex or polyphase orogeny can mix source rocks of different tectonic provenance. This is common in continental arcs and collisional settings, which can be closely associated in space and time with extensional regimes. Second, differentiation can produce compositional trends which cross field boundaries, especially the VAG to WPG boundary. One can minimize this problem by using less felsic, noncumulate members of cogenetic series.

We demonstrate the inherent weaknesses of trace element tectonic discrimination diagrams. Such diagrams are of little use if applied alone, but they can be valuable in combination with other methods such as dating and geologic assessment.     

柴达木盆地北缘西段下石炭统物源和构造背景：来自碎屑岩U- Pb年代学与地球化学的约束

为查明柴达木盆地北缘西段早石炭世沉积物来源和构造背景,本次研究采集小赛什腾山怀头他拉组沉积岩进行碎屑岩锆石U- Pb年代学和全岩微量元素地球化学分析。研究表明：测试样品微量元素蛛网图呈平坦型,富Th、U、Hf,贫Co、Sc、Ni、V元素;砂岩轻重稀土元素分馏明显,属轻稀土富集型,具有中等负Eu异常;Cr/Zr、Sm/Nd、Th/Sc及Th/U等微量元素比值和判别图版显示研究区怀头他拉组为上地壳长英质物源区。沉积岩微量元素、稀土元素含量及特征比值显示,研究区样品与大陆弧环境砂岩具有极为相似的地球化学特征,相关构造环境投图同样表明怀头他拉组沉积环境以大陆弧为主,兼有主动大陆边缘特征。怀头他拉组碎屑锆石U- Pb年龄可划分出3个年龄区间,480～402 Ma,1493～900 Ma和1908～1803 Ma。年龄谱呈早古生代单峰值特征,峰值年龄为414 Ma,反映物源区与柴北缘加里东期构造带内早古生代晚期的岩浆作用关系密切。结合前人区域上古地理、古水流证据,综合分析认为小赛什腾山下石炭统怀头他拉组物源主要来自于柴北缘高压—超高压变质带。     

云南兰坪盆地古近系细碎屑岩地球化学特征及其地质意义

采用电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)方法对兰坪盆地古近系104件细碎屑岩样品进行了稀土元素及微量元素分析,结果显示∑LEE含量较高,轻稀土含量较富集、重稀土含量较亏损,显示出明显的"右倾"型配分模式。根据稀土元素和微量元素特征、w(Zr)-w(Th)、La-Th-Sc、Th-Sc-Zr/10等多种沉积构造背景判别图解及多种交叉分析方法,对兰坪盆地古近系细碎屑源岩构造背景进行了详细研究。利用La/Th-Hf和La/Yb-∑REE判别图解对兰坪盆地古近系源岩属性进行了分析,结果表明:兰坪盆地古近系碎屑源岩主要以上地壳长英质岩石为主,并混有少量基性岩,反映其物源区构造背景为早期为大陆岛弧构造背景,至晚期逐渐过渡为被动大陆边缘构造背景。     

Modal analysis and geochemistry of two sandstones of the Bhander Group (Late Neoproterozoic) in parts of the Central Indian Vindhyan basin and their bearing on the provenance and tectonics

The Neoproterozoic Bhander Group in the Son Valley, central India conformably overlying the Rewa Group, is the uppermost subdivision of the Vindhyan Supergroup dominantly composed of arenites, carbonates and shales. In Maihar-Nagod area, a thick pile of unmetamorphosed clastic sedimentary rocks of Bhander Group is exposed, which provides a unique opportunity to study Neoproterozoic basin development through provenance and tectonic interpretations. The provenance discrimination and tectonic setting interpretations are based on modal analysis and whole rock geochemistry. The average framework composition of the detrital sediments composed of quartz and sedimentary lithic fragments are classified as quartz arenite to sublitharenite. The sandstone geochemically reflects high SiO₂, moderate Al₂O₃ and low CaO and Na₂O type arenite. The high concentration of HFSE such as Zr, Hf, and Th/Sc, Th/U ratios in these sandstones indicate a mixed provenance. The chondrite normalized REE pattern shows moderate to strong negative Eu anomaly which suggests that major part of the sediments were derived from the granitic source area. The sandstone tectonic discrimination diagrams and various geochemical plots suggest that the provenance of the lower and upper Bhander sandstone formations was continental interior to recycled orogen.     

全球新生代安山岩构造环境有关问题探讨

20世纪70～80年代,以Pearce为代表的一批科学家先后提出了玄武岩和花岗岩的构造环境判别图,将构造环境与岩石地球化学特征有机地结合起来,为岩浆岩大地构造环境研究开辟了新途径。但学术界对全球广布的安山岩构造环境及相关地球化学特征问题的讨论则相对不足。本文利用GEOROC 和PetDB 两个数据库对全球新生代安山岩进行数据挖掘,讨论了它们的地球化学特征及形成环境。初步将全球新生代安山岩归属为12个形成构造环境,其中67.71%产出于岛弧、陆缘弧等汇聚板块边缘环境,其余安山岩则形成于大陆板内、大陆溢流、洋岛、大陆裂谷、洋中脊等构造环境。研究表明,常用的玄武岩微量元素判别图以及LILE/HFSE 玄武岩判别图均在一定程度上可用于安山岩成因及环境判别, 暗示安山岩地球化学成分也可用于构造环境的判定。采用大数据思维,探索洋岛安山岩（OIA）和岛弧安山岩（IAA）中地球化学元素的关联关系,从获得的近20 000 个OIA-IAA 判别图中选出lg（Cs/Ta）-lg（Cu/Ta）、lg（CaO/Nb）-lg（Cs/Zr）和lg（Cu/Ta）-lg（Co/Nb）等6个图解,能有效限定它们的构造环境,为安山岩成因及形成环境研究提供了新的思路。这些初步成果说明科学大数据的研究方法可成为岩浆岩构造环境及地球化学研究中的重要有效手段。     

贺兰山地区晚三叠世延长组地球化学特征及其地质意义

沉积岩的微量和稀土元素对沉积环境变化有着较高的灵敏度,是研究古沉积环境以及沉积物源区构造背景的一种有效手段。本文主要利用地球化学方法对贺兰山晚三叠世延长组不同地区、不同层段的25件泥岩、粉砂岩以及细砂岩样品进行了主量、微量以及稀土元素测试分析,探讨了延长期沉积环境和物源区构造背景。结果显示：延长期整体处于氧化—还原过渡的淡水环境,古气候温暖潮湿;稀土元素球粒陨石标准化配分表现为轻重稀土分异明显,且轻稀土富集、重稀土相对亏损,Eu负异常,Ce异常不明显等特征;La/Yb-REE和La/Th-Hf源岩判别图及Gd/Yb的比值关系图显示延长组源岩主要为长英质岩石,部分为基性岩和沉积岩,且以后太古界为主要物源;La-Th-Sc,Th-Sc-Zr/10和Th-Co-Zr/10判别图解均显示研究区延长组物源区构造背景主要为大陆岛弧,晚期有活动陆缘构造背景的物源加入。     

Tectonomagmatic origin of Precambrian rocks of Mexico and Argentina inferred from multi-dimensional discriminant-function based discrimination diagrams

Several new multi-dimensional tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams employing log-ratio variables of chemical elements and probability based procedure have been developed during the last 10 years for basic-ultrabasic, intermediate and acid igneous rocks. There are numerous studies on extensive evaluations of these newly developed diagrams which have indicated their successful application to know the original tectonic setting of younger and older as well as sea-water and hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks. In the present study, these diagrams were applied to Precambrian rocks of Mexico (southern and north-eastern) and Argentina. The study indicated the original tectonic setting of Precambrian rocks from the Oaxaca Complex of southern Mexico as follows: (1) dominant rift (within-plate) setting for rocks of 1117–988 Ma age; (2) dominant rift and less-dominant arc setting for rocks of 1157–1130 Ma age; and (3) a combined tectonic setting of collision and rift for Etla Granitoid Pluton (917 Ma age). The diagrams have indicated the original tectonic setting of the Precambrian rocks from the north-eastern Mexico as: (1) a dominant arc tectonic setting for the rocks of 988 Ma age; and (2) an arc and collision setting for the rocks of 1200–1157 Ma age. Similarly, the diagrams have indicated the dominant original tectonic setting for the Precambrian rocks from Argentina as: (1) with-in plate (continental rift-ocean island) and continental rift (CR) setting for the rocks of 800 Ma and 845 Ma age, respectively; and (2) an arc setting for the rocks of 1174–1169 Ma and of 1212–1188 Ma age. The inferred tectonic setting for these Precambrian rocks are, in general, in accordance to the tectonic setting reported in the literature, though there are some inconsistence inference of tectonic settings by some of the diagrams. The present study confirms the importance of these newly developed discriminant-function based diagrams in inferring the original tectonic setting of Precambrian rocks.     

云南思茅盆地江城上白垩统勐野井组稀土微量元素特征及地质意义

沉积盆地中碎屑岩的地球化学成分主要受物源区控制,因此,通过分析碎屑岩的化学成分可以揭示盆地沉积岩的源区构造背景和物源属性。思茅盆地上白垩统勐野井组（K2me）细碎屑岩的稀土元素组成分析结果表明,研究区沉积物具有轻稀土元素富集,较平坦的重稀土元素分布模式,以及中等程度 Eu 负异常的总体特征。根据样品的（Hf-La/Th、La/Sc-Co/Th和REE-La/Yb）图解,特征性微量元素比值（La/Sc、Sc/Th、Cr/Th 和 Co/Th）,并结合岩矿薄片分析,认为勐野井组细碎屑岩具有典型的上陆壳特征,源区母岩以长英质岩石为主。微量元素 Cr/Co 结合岩相古地理的分析显示勐野井组细碎屑沉积物应属于近源沉积。通过与不同构造背景下杂砂岩的稀土元素特征对比及主元素（K2O/Na2O-SiO2/Al2O3和SiO2-K2O/Na2O）判别图解,勐野井组细碎屑岩源区构造背景应属被动大陆边缘环境,这与思茅盆地所处的三江造山带构造背景相符。     

Island-arc affinity of the Central Iranian Volcanic Belt

Three types of tectonic settings are proposed for the Central Iranian Volcanic Belt (CIVB), namely, rift, continental margin, and post-collision settings. However, geochemical, tectonic, stratigraphic, and metallogenic evidence favor an ensialic island-arc setting. The discrimination diagrams that have been used in this study are useful for making a distinction between ensialic island-arcs and continental margin-arcs from which the ensialic island-arcs were derived.     

Island-arc affinity of the Central Iranian Volcanic Belt

Three types of tectonic settings are proposed for the Central Iranian Volcanic Belt (CIVB), namely, rift, continental margin, and post-collision settings. However, geochemical, tectonic, stratigraphic, and metallogenic evidence favor an ensialic island-arc setting. The discrimination diagrams that have been used in this study are useful for making a distinction between ensialic island-arcs and continental margin-arcs from which the ensialic island-arcs were derived.     

Geochemical Constraints of Sediments on the Provenance, Depositional Environment and Tectonic Setting of the Songliao Prototype Basin

The geochemistry of sediments is primarily controlled by their provenances, and different tectonic settings have distinctive provenance characteristics and sedimentary processes. So, it is possible to discriminate provenances, depositional environments and tectonic settings in the development of a sedimentary basin with the geochemistry of the clastic rocks. The analytical results of the present paper demonstrate that sediments in the Songliao prototype basin are enriched in silica (SiO2=66.48-80.51 %), and their ΣREE are 30-130 dmes of that of chondrite with remarkable Eu anomalies. In discriminating diagrams of Eu/Eu vs eeeeeREE and (La/Yb)N vs ΣREE, most samples locate above the line Eu/ Eu=l, on the right of the line Eu/Eu/ΣREE=1 and under the line La/Yb)N/eeeeeREE=1/8, which indicates that the depositional environment of sediments in the basin was oxidizing. In addition, variations of MgO, TiO2, A12O3, FeO+Fe2O3, Na2O and CaO vs SiO2 reflect a tendency of increasing mineral maturity of sediments     

Discriminating four tectonic settings: Five new geochemical diagrams for basic and ultrabasic volcanic rocks based on log — ratio transformation of major-element data

We present five new discriminant function diagrams based on an extensive database representative of basic and ultrabasic rocks from four tectonic settings of island arc, continental rift, ocean-island, and mid-ocean ridge. These diagrams were obtained after log_e-transformation of concentration ratios of major-elements — a technique recommended for a correct statistical treatment of compositional data. Higher % success rates (overall values from ∼ 83 to 97%) were obtained for proposing these new diagrams as compared to those (∼82 to 94%) obtained from the discriminant analysis of the raw major-element concentration data (i.e., without the log_e-transformation and without taking ratios of the compositional data, but using exactly the same database to provide an unbiased comparison), suggesting that such a data transformation constitutes a statistically correct and recommended technique. The new diagrams also resulted in less mis-classification of basic and ultrabasic rocks from known tectonic settings than the diagrams obtained from the raw data. The use of these highly successful new discriminant function diagrams is illustrated using Miocene to Recent basic and ultrabasic rocks from three areas of Mexico with complex or controversial tectonic settings (Mexican Volcanic Belt, Los Tuxtlas volcanic field, and Eastern Alkaline Province), as well as older rocks from three areas (Deccan, Malani, and Bastar) of India. Additionally, the major-element data from two ‘known’ continental arc settings are used to show that they are similar to those from the island arc setting. Continental rift setting is inferred for all Mexican cases and for one cratonic area of India (Malani) and an IAB setting for the Bastar craton. The Deccan flood basalt province of India is used to warn against an indiscriminate use of those discrimination diagrams that do not explicitly include the likely setting of the area under evaluation. An Excel template is also provided for an easy application of these new diagrams for discriminating the four settings considered in this work.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000401

In this paper, a new discrimination diagram using absolute measures of Th and Nb is applied to post-Archean ophiolites to best discriminate a large number of different ophiolitic basalts. This diagram ...     

维西地区中三叠统上兰组物源分析及构造背景判断

前人对于金沙江构造带内三叠纪碎屑岩形成和演化的研究甚少,影响了对金沙江洋盆演化历史的整体认识.维西地区上兰组为砂板岩夹灰岩沉积,与原岩图解结果一致.变质砂岩碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄分布于426～603 Ma、713～980 Ma、1 000～1 600 Ma和1 600～2 500 Ma四个年龄段,年龄信息主要记录了来自扬子陆块及其周缘老基底、同泛非期及加里东期的物质来源;∑REE含量略高于上地壳值且具明显的轻重稀土分异特征,（La/Yb）_N=5.23～12.33,具有轻微的δEu异常.碎屑组分特征及判别图解显示其物源主要来自于碰撞造山带及少量火山弧造山带,源岩性质属于再循环的古老沉积物及长英质火山岩类,构造环境为大陆岛弧及活动大陆边缘.以上研究表明上兰组形成于碰撞挤压坳陷构造背景,结合区域构造演化综合判断其为一种弧后前陆盆地构造环境.