Ophiolite obduction

If ophiolite complexes originate as oceanic crust and mantle generated by sea-floor spreading at oceanic ridges or in marginal basins, the tectonic emplacement (obduction) of ophiolite sheets and slices must involve some form of decoupling of oceanic lithosphere prior to emplacement and the expulsion of relatively dense oceanic rocks onto lighter continental rocks. The major problems are the mechanism by which this decoupling takes place, the extent to which the decoupling fractures penetrate the entire lithosphere, and the mechanism and geometry of the tectonic emplacement process, that is — the extent to which compressional versus gravity-sliding mechanisms predominate. Several writers (Coleman, 1971; Stevens, 1970; Church and Stevens, 1971; Temple and Zimmerman, 1969; Dewey and Bird, 1970, 1971; Williams, 1971) have discussed these obduction problems and offered various kinds of solution. These solutions, among others, are discussed in this paper. It is concluded that several convergent plate-margin mechanisms may be responsible for ophiolite obduction, none of which involve gravity sliding.     

桂北“龙胜蛇绿岩”质颖

广西北部龙胜地区丹洲群广泛发育一套细碧岩和镁铁－超镁铁质岩石。细碧岩具有板内和岛弧火山岩的双重地地球化学属性,其形成时代〈８２０Ｍａ。本文作者综合地质学、岩石学、地球化学和同位素年代学的资料,提出陇胜地区丹洲群火山岩及镁铁－超镁铁质岩石不属于蛇绿岩,而是新元古代（～８２０Ｍａ）大陆裂谷进一步发展的产物,共形成与Ｒｏｄｉｎｉａ超级大陆的裂解过程相联系。这一认识对华南地区前寒武纪大南构造演化研究具有生     

Ophiolite metamorphism in northeast Borneo

The Darvel Bay ophiolite consists of a conformable sequence of mantle harzburgite, a gabbro layer of about 2 km thickness, a basalt layer and associated chert-spilite association of Late Cretaceous to Eocene age, and overlying Miocene melange and olistostrome deposits. The ophiolite is an extension into Borneo of the recently inactive Sulu Archipelago non-volcanic arc. Generally the gabbro layer has been converted to banded plagioclase-amphibole gneisses and the basalt layer to crudely foliated epidote amphibolite. Igneous relicts occur sporadically, especially in the lower gabbro horizons. They have either cumulus granular or gabbroic textures and contain diopsidic augite, bronzite, and a dark brown pargasitic hornblende. The labradorite is occasionally clouded. The partitioning of Fe/Mg between the two pyroxenes and the hornblende suggests an igneous paragenesis and the former allocation of these pyroxene-bearing rocks to the granulite facies is now rejected.The basites have undergone metamorphic re-equlibration, frequently sporadic and imperfec, through amphibolite facies, characterized by hornblende, to greenschist facies, characterized by actinolite. Igneous labradorite frequently persists to the lower grades. The partitioning of Ca/Na between amphibole and plagioclase may be correlated with metamorphic grade.Sub sea-floor retrogressive metamorphism, combined with large scale metasomatism resulting from the circulation of hot brine, appears to be the most appropriate mechanism to explain the sodium enrichment in the basalt layer and the imperfect metamorphic re-equilibration of the ophiolite generally.     

蛇绿岩及蛇绿岩构造侵位

已有研究实例阐明了蛇绿岩产出的构造环境及构造侵位机制的多样性 ,其中发育完整的蛇绿岩套具有与现代大洋岩石圈剖面相似的四层结构模式 ,它们形成于洋中脊扩张构造环境。由于构造运动使蛇绿岩套肢解 ,构造侵位于大陆造山带缝合线地带 ,沿断裂构造以构造岩片和构造混杂岩产出。蛇绿岩提供了洋壳形成和破坏的重要证据 ,蛇绿岩带或古缝合线是确定造山带中古洋盆存在及陆块边界的直接标志     

青藏高原的蛇绿岩与铬铁矿

综述了近年来青藏高原蛇绿岩、铬铁矿的调查研究进展及其成果。归纳了青藏高原蛇绿岩的展布特征,简述了蛇绿岩的时代、地球化学特征及其形成环境。在统计青藏高原铬铁矿床（点）的基础上回顾了一些典型矿床的勘查成果。最后讨论了青藏高原铬铁矿找矿的乐观前景。     

Actualistic Ophiolite Provenance: The Cyprus Case

The island of Cyprus represents an excellent site to assess quantitatively petrologic clastic response to actively obducting oceanic sources in order to define an actualistic reference for ophiolite provenance, in terms of framework composition and heavy mineral suites. An improved methodology, an extension of the classic ternary QFL logic to include a wider spectrum of key indexes and ratios, provides an accurate synthesis of modal data and allows differentiation of three main petrographic provinces and at least seven subprovinces. Diagnostic signatures of detritus from various levels of an oceanic lithospheric source, and criteria for distinguishing provenance from suprasubduction versus mid-oceanic ophiolites are also outlined. Modern sands derived from the Troodos Ophiolite contain variable proportions of largely pelagic carbonate to chert, boninite to basalt, diabase to metabasite, plagiogranite to gabbroic, and cumulate grains supplied from progressively deeper-seated levels of the multilayered oceanic crust. Dense minerals are mainly clinopyroxenes (diopside), prevailing over orthopyroxenes (enstatite, hypersthene, clinoenstatite), hornblende, tremolite/actinolite, and epidote. Where serpentinized mantle harzburgites have been unroofed, detritus is markedly enriched in cellular serpentinite grains and enstatite, with still negligible olivine and spinel. Sedimentaclastic sands dominated by chert (Mamonia Province) or carbonate grains (Kyrenia Province) are deposited along the southern and northern shores of the island, respectively. Compositions of Cyprus sands are virtually unaffected by climatic, sedimentary, or anthropic processes; recycling of sandstones from foreign sources is a major process only in the Karpaz Peninsula. Petrographic analysis also provides an independent mean to identify prevalent directions of longshore sand transport.     

Peraluminous potassium-rich granitoids in the Semail Ophiolite

Potassic granites are found as dikes and small stocks in the uppermost part of the mantle sequence of the Semail ophiolite, predominantly in the northern and less frequently in the central and southern part. New chemical analyses show that the biotite granites lie on the same evolutionary trend as the quartz diorites and tonalites, occurring as late intrusives in the gabboro and mantle sequence. Based on mineral chemistry, the P-T conditions of andalusite-cordierite bearing pegmatoidal granites were calculated, giving pressures of 1.8–2.2 kbar and a solidus within the stability field of andalusite. Hydrothermal experiments on five natural granite and tonalite compositions gave minimum melting between 650 and 675° C at 2 kbar. At 700° C, excess H₂O, there is already 70–80% melt from the granitic starting compositions. Potassic granites in the ophiolite can be the result of extreme fractional crystallization in the late intrusive series. Granitic melts can also be produced by a two-stage process, in which fluids escaping from the underlying metamorphic sole trigger partial melting of the more felsic members in the ophiolite series. Two-mica granites and pegmatites in the underlying metamorphic sole, possibly melting products of amphibolites and biotite gneisses, are contemporaneous. These escaping fluids could also explain the Pb and Sr isotopic compositions of the leucocratic dikes, indicating variable crustal contamination.     

Chromite in the Mantle Section of the Oman Ophiolite: Implications for the Tectonic Evolution of the Oman Ophiolite

<正>Structure and composition of the Uralian ophiolites reflect a large spectrum of geodynamic environment of their creation during Paleozoic time:from mid-ocean ridge,rift zone in continental margin,and suprasubduction spreading zone(SSZ)with resultant lherzolite or harzburgite ophiolite type(LOT and HOT).Residual     

北山蛇绿岩特征及构造属性

概述了北山地区4条蛇绿岩带的岩石类型组合及岩石地球化学特征,并结合区域地质情况分析认为:红柳河-牛圈子-洗肠井蛇绿岩带形成于早古生代洋盆环境,特征最接近现代洋壳蛇绿岩,在该带北侧保存有标志活动陆缘的公婆泉-东七一山岛弧火山岩带,南侧保存有标志南北两个板块开裂前伸展拉张的浅海—次深海形成的寒武纪含磷钒铀锰沉积岩系地层,说明该蛇绿岩带指示南北两个板块间裂解与聚合的位置。芨芨台子-小黄山蛇绿岩带分布于公婆泉-东七一山岛弧与星星峡-旱山地块之间,形成于早古生代弧后盆地环境。红石山-百合山-蓬勃山蛇绿岩带和辉铜山-帐房山蛇绿岩带形成于晚古生代裂谷拉张最大化至初始小洋盆出现的阶段,即类似于"红海型"海槽的环境。     

Oceanic ridge metamorphism of the East Taiwan Ophiolite

Brecciated mafic+ultramafic plutonic rocks of the East Taiwan Ophiolite occur as detritus and slide blocks in the Pliocene Lichi Mélange. These plutonic rocks have been subjected to two stages of post-magmatic recrystallization: (I) pre-brecciation ridge-type metamorphism attended by high-grade greenschist and rare amphibolite facies physical conditions; and (II) later off-axis metamorphism under zeolite to lowest greenschist facies conditions that postdated brecciation, submarine talus accumulation and deposition of associated pelagic sediments. The effects of the earlier ridge metamorphism are the main concern of this paper. (I) Dominant antigorite together with chlorite and talc in some ultramafics suggests that these rocks recrystallized at T>350 ° C. The primary compositions of gabbroic calcic plagioclase have been modified from An 45–70 to An 13–38, and the igneous clinopyroxenes and hornblendes partly replaced by actinolite+chlorite. Stable mineral assemblages in the metagabbros are thus ∼oligoclase+actinolite+chlorite±very rare epidote+sphene, and intermediate plagioclase +actinolite+chlorite+sphene. Amphibolites are less common and consist of more calcic plagioclase (An 25–49)+hornblende. The presence of assemblages transitional between greenschist and amphibolite facies for basaltic compositions is suggestive of very low-pressure thermal metamorphism such as would be appropriate to the crustal portions of an oceanic spreading center. (II) The occurrence of vein albite+actinolite+ chlorite near the base of the brecciated plutonic sequence and vein prehnite+laumontite in the upper part suggests that the brecciated plutonic rocks were later feebly retrograded under conditions of the greenschist and zeolite facies respectively-probably some distance removed from the thermal regime of a mid-oceanic ridge. The East Taiwan Ophiolite probably represents the western termination of the Philippine Sea lithospheric plate. Portions of this oceanic crust and underlying mantle were incorporated in the Lichi Mélange of the Coastal Range of eastern Taiwan as a consequence of antithetic faulting and erosion. This process evidently accompanied east-directed underflow of the Asiatic (South China Sea) plate.     

绿岩套和蛇绿岩套的区分标志

综合绿岩、蛇绿岩的有关概念、地质环境、岩石学、地球化学特征,论述蛇绿岩和绿岩之间的异同。 目前由于太古宙和显生宙地质构造研究的进展,使人们对绿岩套和蛇绿岩套的特征及其相互之间的异同性、联系性和形成环境越来越感兴趣。同时,在不同地区的地质构造研究中,对上述两种岩套在概念上和成因上存在混淆。本文将讨论这一问题。     

桂北"龙胜蛇绿岩"质疑

广西北部龙胜地区丹洲群广泛发育一套细碧岩和镁铁-超镁铁质岩石.细碧岩具有板内和岛弧火山岩的双重地球化学属性,其形成时代<820Ma.本文作者综合地质学、岩石学、地球化学和同位素年代学的资料,提出龙胜地区丹洲群火山岩及镁铁-超镁铁质岩石不属于蛇绿岩,而是新元古代(～820Ma)大陆裂谷进一步发展的产物,其形成与Rodinia超级大陆的裂解过程相联系.这一认识对华南地区前寒武纪大地构造演化研究具有重要意义.     

Chromite from the Bela Arc-Basin Ophiolite,Pakistan

The Bela arc-basin ophiolite (BABO) is a complex of ophiolite and melange outcrops that formed in the tectonic setting of an oceanic volcanic arc and its adjoining forearc basin. The BABO contains typically podiform segregations of chromite, whose microprobe compositions display a variation trend separate from that of the chromian spinel from surrounding peridotites, but similar to that in the latter igneous differentiates (pyroxenites and an andesite). The podiform chromitite and associated dunite were derived by mantle-melt reaction and cumulate-melt crystallization. Both exhibit conformable relations and are cogenetic. Chromite characteristics conform to the suprasubductionzone setting of the BABO, with two components distinguished from the whole-rock geochemistry, field relations, and chromite chemistry—a remnant forearc basin toward the southwest and an adjacent arc-trench gap toward the northeast. Individual ophiolite massifs within the BABO display differences in degree of partial melting and may have originated from different depths within the mantle.     

Ophiolite complexes as collision zone markers: making the case for the Antique Ophiolite Complex, Panay Island, central Philippines

The collision between the North Palawan Block (NPB) and Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) has been the subject of studies considering its significance in help-ing define the tectonic evolution of the Philippine is-land arc system. The geology of the western Panay island reveals the presence of a continent-related block (Buruanga Peninsula) juxtaposed to an oceanic frag-ment (Antique Ophiolite Complex). Our recent work in the Buruanga Peninsula helped us define the terrane boundary between the Peninsula and the Antique Ophiolite Complex. However, considering available published data, the Antique Ophiolite Complex has never been considered to be a part of the NPB and to mark the collision zone between Palawan and the PMB.     

EPR microplates, a model for the Oman Ophiolite

Structural mapping in the Southern half of the Oman ophiolite has revealed a palaeoridge organization with similarities to an EPR microplate, forming in superfast spreading conditions. A NW-trending propagator was rapidly opening in a lithosphere no more than 1 Myr older and itself created in a NE-SW ridge system. The NW-trending propagator, underlined by small mantle diapirs, was active or dying when detached as part of a future ophiolite. Local thrusting of the future ophiolite was also initiated very early, between 1 and 5 Myr after ridge accretion; it was accompanied by a 40° rotation within this time lapse. Such an activity supports the comparison of the Oman palaeoridge system with an oceanic microplate, and provides evidence to suggest the existence of thrusts at active microplates.     

新疆沙尔布拉克蛇绿岩岩石地球化学特征及形成时代

介绍了沙尔布拉克蛇绿岩物质组成、岩石地球化学特征及形成时代,并探讨其就位机制。该蛇绿岩套包括蛇绿岩残片、上覆岩系、外来岩块3部分,其中镁铁质火山岩具亏损高场强元素和富集大离子亲石元素特征,稀土元素球粒陨石标准化曲线总体平坦,分馏程度较弱,说明岩浆地幔源区可能卷入岛弧火山岩和洋中脊玄武岩成份,获得玄武岩中锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄为（322±9）Ma,认为沙尔布拉克蛇绿岩与库尔提蛇绿岩形成环境较相似,均形成于弧后盆地。就位过程应包括俯冲过程中的侵位、碰撞过程的侵位、地壳缩短期的侵位和阿尔泰南缘二叠纪地壳伸展减薄阶段的改造等。     

Early Tertiary eclogite facies metamorphism in the Monviso Ophiolite

Although crucial for the construction of tectonic models of the Alps the timing of high pressure metamorphism is still poorly determined and controversial. It is likely to vary from one tectonic unit to another depending on when each became involved in subduction. This in turn relates to palaeogeographic position with respect to the active ocean basin. Well defined, reliable geochronological data are too few to test this hypothesis. This paper extends the database by determining Sm–Nd mineral isochrons on two samples from the Monviso Ophiolite in the Piemonte Zone, carefully selected to minimize the problems of Sm–Nd dating of eclogites encountered elsewhere in the Alps. The dated samples have eclogite facies mineral assemblages typical of the Lago Superiore unit of the ophiolite; mineral compositions are similar to previously reported samples and indicate pressures of around 2  GPa and temperatures of 400–500  °C. Sm–Nd isochron ages of 60±12 and 62±9  Ma are defined by garnet and clinopyroxene, while the Rb–Sr age on phengite which is part of the high- P assemblage is 40±1  Ma. The new data fit an emerging pattern of ages in which high- P metamorphism in the oceanic realm is Early Tertiary, with slightly older ages in the overlying Sesia Zone and younger, Oligocene ages in the underlying internal basement massifs which only became involved in subduction when closure of the Piemont ocean was complete.