Zircon U–Pb ages and tectonic implications of Paleozoic plutons in northern West Junggar,North Xinjiang,China

North Xinjiang, Northwest China, is made up of several Paleozoic orogens. From north to south these are the Chinese Altai, Junggar, and Tian Shan. It is characterized by widespread development of Late Carboniferous–Permian granitoids, which are commonly accepted as the products of post-collisional magmatism. Except for the Chinese Altai, East Junggar, and Tian Shan, little is known about the Devonian and older granitoids in the West Junggar, leading to an incomplete understanding of its Paleozoic tectonic history. New SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb ages were determined for seventeen plutons in northern West Junggar and these ages confirm the presence of Late Silurian–Early Devonian plutons in the West Junggar. New age data, combined with those available from the literature, help us distinguish three groups of plutons in northern West Junggar. The first is represented by Late Silurian–Early Devonian (ca. 422 to 405 Ma) plutons in the EW-striking Xiemisitai and Saier Mountains, including A-type granite with aegirine–augite and arfvedsonite, and associated diorite, K-feldspar granite, and subvolcanic rocks. The second is composed of the Early Carboniferous (ca. 346 to 321 Ma) granodiorite, diorite, and monzonitic and K-feldspar granites, which mainly occur in the EW-extending Tarbgatay and Saur (also spelled as Sawuer in Chinese) Mountains. The third is mainly characterized by the latest Late Carboniferous–Middle Permian (ca. 304 to 263 Ma) granitoids in the Wuerkashier, Tarbgatay, and Saur Mountains.As a whole, the three epochs of plutons in northern West Junggar have different implications for tectonic evolution. The volcano-sedimentary strata in the Xiemisitai and Saier Mountains may not be Middle and Late Devonian as suggested previously because they are crosscut by the Late Silurian–Early Devonian plutons. Therefore, they are probably the eastern extension of the Early Paleozoic Boshchekul–Chingiz volcanic arc of East Kazakhstan in China. It is uncertain at present if these plutons might have been generated in either a subduction or post-collisional setting. The early Carboniferous plutons in the Tarbgatay and Saur Mountains may be part of the Late Paleozoic Zharma–Saur volcanic arc of the Kazakhstan block. They occur along the active margin of the Kazakhstan block, and their generation may be related to southward subduction of the Irtysh–Zaysan Ocean between Kazakhstan in the south and Altai in the north. The latest Late Carboniferous–Middle Permian plutons occur in the Zharma–Saur volcanic arc, Hebukesaier Depression, and the West Junggar accretionary complexes and significantly postdate the closure of the Irtysh–Zaysan Ocean in the Late Carboniferous because they are concurrent with the stitching plutons crosscutting the Irtysh–Zaysan suture zone. Hence the latest Late Carboniferous–Middle Permian plutons were generated in a post-collisional setting. The oldest stitching plutons in the Irtysh–Zaysan suture zone are coeval with those in northern West Junggar, together they place an upper age bound for the final amalgamation of the Altai and Kazakhstan blocks to be earlier than 307 Ma (before the Kaslmovian stage, Late Carboniferous). This is nearly coincident with widespread post-collisional granitoid plutons in North Xinjiang.     

Tectonic entities connection between West Junggar (NW China) and East Kazakhstan

West Junggar (NW China) and East Kazakhstan are situated in the southwest of the Central Asian orogenic belt (CAOB). Tectonic entities in the two areas share the same tectonic evolution history and make up the famous horseshoe-shaped orocline in Central Asia. This paper presents a newly compiled cross-border tectonic sketch map of West Junggar and East Kazakhstan and proposes the extension of the Chingiz–Tarbagatai belt and the North Balkhash-West Junggar belt.The Chingiz–Tarbagatai Belt in East Kazakhstan consists mainly of Middle-Late Ordovician differentiated volcanic rocks, pyroclastic sediments and flysch; while in the Tarbagatai Mountain in China, Tarbagatai (Kujibai) ophiolite is newly found with zircon (gabbro) age of 478 ± 3 Ma and the Ordovician flysch metamorphosed to a greenschist facies is distinguished from Devonian–Carboniferous rock associations. Therefore, the Early Paleozoic Chingiz–Tarbagatai belt of East Kazakhstan evidently extends to the northern part of West Junggar along the Tarbagatai orogenic belt.The North Balkhash-West Junggar belt lying south to the Chingiz–Tarbagatai belt is separated by the EW-trending Baiyanghe–Heshituoluogai depression in West Junggar. Early Ordovician–Early Silurian ophiolitic fragments and related pyroclastic sediments are widely exposed in Tekturmas, North Balkhash and Agadyr of East Kazashtan. Similarly, Early Paleozoic ophiolites have also been verified in Tangbale, Mayile, Baerluke, Darbut and Karamay of West Junggar in recent years. Therefore, nearly all ophiolites in West Junggar and East Kazakhstan are proved to have formed in Early Paleozoic, which suggests that the evolution of the paleo-ocean in the two areas reached its peak in the Early Paleozoic. Based on the ages of the Tangbale, Karamay and Hongguleleng ophiolites, an Early Paleozoic continental accretionary belt extending from Tangbale to Hongguleleng is determined at the NW margin of the Junggar basin for the first time. According to spatiotemporal comparison, ophiolites exposed in West Junggar and East Kazakhstan might originate from the same paleo-ocean tectonic region, and then the North Balkhash in East Kazakhstan and the West Junggar were offset for a long distance with respect to each other by the major Junggar dextral fault.Because of the large-scale accretion of continental crust before Silurian, the Late Paleozoic ocean in West Junggar and East Kazakhstan became smaller with residual nature, and extensive arc-basin-trench systems might be absent during the closure of this residual ocean.     

Transpressive Structures in the Ghadir Shear Belt,Eastern Desert,Egypt: Evidence for Partitioning of Oblique Convergence in the Arabian‐Nubian Shield during Gondwana Agglutination

Transpressional deformation has played an important role in the late Neoproterozoic evolution of the ArabianNubian Shield including the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The Ghadir Shear Belt is a 35 km-long, NW-oriented brittleductile shear zone that underwent overall sinistral transpression during the Late Neoproterozoic. Within this shear belt, strain is highly partitioned into shortening, oblique, extensional and strike-slip structures at multiple scales. Moreover, strain partitioning is heterogeneous along-strike giving rise to three distinct structural domains. In the East Ghadir and Ambaut shear belts, the strain is pure-shear dominated whereas the narrow sectors parallel to the shear walls in the West Ghadir Shear Zone are simple-shear dominated. These domains are comparable to splay-dominated and thrust-dominated strike-slip shear zones. The kinematic transition along the Ghadir shear belt is consistent with separate strike-slip and thrustsense shear zones. The earlier fabric(S1), is locally recognized in low strain areas and SW-ward thrusts. S2 is associated with a shallowly plunging stretching lineation(L2), and defines ～NW-SE major upright macroscopic folds in the East Ghadir shear belt. F2 folds are superimposed by ～NNW–SSE tight-minor and major F3 folds that are kinematically compatible with sinistral transpressional deformation along the West Ghadir Shear Zone and may represent strain partitioning during deformation. F2 and F3 folds are superimposed by ENE–WSW gentle F4 folds in the Ambaut shear belt. The sub-parallelism of F3 and F4 fold axes with the shear zones may have resulted from strain partitioning associated with simple shear deformation along narrow mylonite zones and pure shear-dominant deformation in fold zones. Dextral ENEstriking shear zones were subsequently active at ca. 595 Ma, coeval with sinistral shearing along NW-to NNW-striking shear zones. The occurrence of upright folds and folds with vertical axes suggests that transpression plays a significant role in the tectonic evolution of the Ghadir shear belt. Oblique convergence may have been provoked by the buckling of the Hafafit gneiss-cored domes and relative rotations between its segments. Upright folds, fold with vertical axes and sinistral strike-slip shear zones developed in response to strain partitioning. The West Ghadir Shear Zone contains thrusts and strikeslip shear zones that resulted from lateral escape tectonics associated with lateral imbrication and transpression in response to oblique squeezing of the Arabian-Nubian Shield during agglutination of East and West Gondwana.     

Late Carboniferous seismic and volcanic record in the northwestern margin of the Junggar Basin: Implication for the tectonic setting of the West Junggar

The northwestern margin of the Junggar Basin is a transition zone between the Zaire-Hala'alate mountains and the Junggar Basin in West Junggar, which developed a large amount of volcanic rocks in the late Carboniferous. An investigation of the tectonic evolution of this area will be helpful for understanding the accretionary process of West Junggar. Here, we selected well-preserved drill core samples of andesite and andesitic tuff for detailed petrogenesis and geochemical studies, while high-quality seismic and resistivity prospecting cross-sections were also used to reveal the tectonic setting. Zircon U-Pb dating results of three andesite and andesitic tuff samples show that these rocks were erupted at ca. 312 Ma. The results of the geochemical and isotopic analyses of seven samples are characterized by relatively high MgO (1.84–5.52 wt%), Cr (26.19–246.61 ppm), Ni (16.53–82.85 ppm) contents, Ba/La (14.19–218.48) ratios, and high positive ɛHf_(t) (+4.8 to +14.2) values, but low TiO₂ (0.68–1.25 wt%) contents, FeO^T/MgO (1.18–2.81), Sr/Y (5.63–27.40), and Th/Yb (0.19–2.18) ratios, which are similar to the Bieluagaxi sanukitoids of West Junggar. LREEs are enriched in all samples, while Nb and Ta are significantly depleted. All the evidence suggests the volcanics were most likely derived from partial melting of oceanic slab that was contaminated by the overlying mantle wedge during the magma ascent. The seismic and resistivity cross-sections show apparent southeastward-vergent imbricate thrust fault systems, implying northwestward subduction in the late Carboniferous. Together with previous studies and our geochemical and geophysical data, we suggest that the formation of these late Carboniferous volcanic rocks is probably related to a northwestward ridge subduction process.     

Palaeozoic multiphase magmatism at Barleik Mountain,southern West Junggar,Northwest China: implications for tectonic evolution of the West Junggar

The West Junggar lies in the southwest part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and consists of Palaeozoic ophiolitic mélanges, island arcs, and accretionary complexes. The Barleik ophiolitic mélange comprises several serpentinite-matrix strips along a NE-striking fault at Barleik Mountain in the southern West Junggar. Several small late Cambrian (509–503 Ma) diorite-trondhjemite plutons cross-cut the ophiolitic mélange. These igneous bodies are deformed and display island arc calc-alkaline affinities. Both the mélange and island arc plutons are uncomfortably covered by Devonian shallow-marine and terrestrial volcano-sedimentary rocks and Carboniferous volcano-sedimentary rocks. Detrital zircons (n = 104) from the Devonian sandstone yield a single age population of 452–517 million years, with a peak age of 474 million years. The Devonian–Carboniferous strata are invaded by an early Carboniferous (327 Ma) granodiorite, late Carboniferous (315–311 Ma) granodiorites, and an early Permian (277 Ma) K-feldspar granite. The early Carboniferous pluton is coeval with subduction-related volcano-sedimentary strata in the central West Junggar, whereas the late Carboniferous–early Permian intrusives are contemporary with widespread post-collisional magmatism in the West Junggar and adjacent regions. They are typically undeformed or only slightly deformed.

Our data reveal that island arc calc-alkaline magmatism occurred at least from middle Cambrian to Late Ordovician time as constrained by igneous and detrital zircon ages. After accretion to another tectonic unit to the south, the ophiolitic mélange and island arc were exposed, eroded, and uncomfortably overlain by the Devonian shallow-marine and terrestrial volcano-sedimentary strata. The early Carboniferous arc-related magmatism might reflect subduction of the Junggar Ocean in the central Junggar. Before the late Carboniferous, the oceanic basins apparently closed in this area. These different tectonic units were stitched together by widespread post-collisional plutons in the West Junggar during the late Carboniferous–Permian. Our data from the southern West Junggar and those from the central and northern West Junggar and surroundings consistently indicate that the southwest part of the CAOB was finally amalgamated before the Permian.     

“钉合岩体”与新疆北部主要缝合带的形成时限

本文介绍了钉合岩体的概念,强调钉合岩体在造山带研究中具有重要的大地构造意义。在科迪勒拉增生造山带中,钉合岩体是在增生事件之后形成的;而在喜马拉雅碰撞造山带中,钉合岩体是在碰撞事件之后形成的。因此可以区分后增生和后碰撞两类钉合岩体,它们可以为限定增生或碰撞事件的时间上限提供年代学约束。特别是在缝合带被钉合岩体侵入的情况下,缝合带的形成时限(即增生或碰撞事件的起止时间)可以根据缝合带中最年轻的蛇绿岩质岩石和最老的钉合岩体给予严格限定。应用这种方法,能够限定新疆北部的主要缝合带(如额尔齐斯-斋桑缝合带、北天山缝合带和南天山缝合带等,东准噶尔和西准噶尔的蛇绿岩带)最晚是在晚石炭世形成的。西准噶尔增生杂岩也是在在晚石炭世形成的,但当时是否存在洋壳俯冲还需要进一步研究。目前的资料显示,虽然新疆北部各主要缝合带的形成时限存在一定差异,但没有三叠纪形成的缝合带。特别是南天山缝合带内发育的钉合岩体不但有效地限定了缝合带的时间上限,而且还从地质上约束了受到质疑的晚二叠世放射虫化石的可靠性和高压-超高压变质岩中三叠纪锆石U-Pb年龄的解释的合理性。     

A Large-Scale Palaeozoic Dextral Ductile Strike-Slip Zone:the Aqqikkudug-Weiya Zone along the Northern Margin of the Central Tianshan Belt,Xinjiang,NW China

The nearly E-W-trending Aqqikkudug-Weiya zone, more than 1000 km long and about 30 km wide, is an important segment in the Central Asian tectonic framework. It is distributed along the northern margin of the Central Tianshan belt in Xinjiang, NW China and is composed of mylonitized Early Palaeozoic greywacke, volcanic rocks, ophiolitic blocks as a mélange complex, HP/LT-type bleuschist blocks and mylonitized Neoproterozoic schist, gneiss and orthogneiss. Nearly vertical mylonitic foliation and sub-horizontal stretching lineation define its strike-slip feature; various kinematic indicators, such as asymmetric folds, non-coaxial asymmetric macro- to micro-structures and C-axis fabrics of quartz grains of mylonites, suggest that it is a dextral strike-slip ductile shear zone oriented in a nearly E-W direction characterized by "flower" strusture with thrusting or extruding across the zone toward the two sides and upright folds with gently plunging hinges. The Aqqikkudug-Weiya zone experienced at least two stages of ductile shear tectonic evolution: Early Palaeozoic north vergent thrusting ductile shear and Late Carboniferous-Early Permian strike-slip deformation. The strike-slip ductile shear likely took place during Late Palaeozoic time, dated at 269(5 Ma by the40Ar/39Ar analysis on neo-muscovites. The strike-slip deformation was followed by the Hercynian violent S-type granitic magmatism. Geodynamical analysis suggests that the large-scale dextral strike-slip ductile shearing is likely the result of intracontinental adjustment deformation after the collision of the Siberian continental plate towards the northern margin of the Tarim continental plate during the Late Carboniferous. The Himalayan tectonism locally deformed the zone, marked by final uplift, brittle layer-slip and step-type thrust faults, transcurrent faults and E-W-elongated Mesozoic-Cenozoic basins.     

Intra-continental deformation and tectonic evolution of the West Junggar Orogenic Belt,Central Asia:Evidence from remote sensing and structural geological analyses

The West Junggar Orogenic Belt(WJOB)in northwestern Xinjiang,China,is located in the core of the western part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB).It has suffered two stage tectonic evolutions in Phanerozoic,before and after the ocean–continental conversion in Late Paleozoic.The later on intracontinental deformation,characterized by the development of the NE-trending West Junggar sinistral strike-slip fault system(WJFS)since Late Carboniferous and Early Permian,and the NW-trending Chingiz-Junggar dextral strike-slip fault(CJF)in Mesozoic and Cenozoic,has an important significance for the tectonic evolution of the WJOB and the CAOB.In this paper,we conduct geometric and kinematic analyses of the WJOB,based on field geological survey and structural interpretation of remote sensing image data.Using some piercing points such as truncated plutons and anticlines,an average magnitude of^73 km for the left-lateral strike-slip is calculated for the Darabut Fault,a major fault of the WJFS.Some partial of the displacement should be accommodated by strike-slip fault-related folds developed during the strike-slip faulting.Circular and curved faults,asymmetrical folds,and irregular contribution of ultramafic bodies,implies potential opposite vertical rotation of the Miao’ergou and the Akebasitao batholiths,resulted from the sinistral strike-slipping along the Darabut Fault.Due to conjugate shearing set of the sinistral WJFS and the dextral CJF since Early Mesozoic,superimposed folds formed with N–S convergence in southwestern part of the WJOB.     

新疆北部古生代构造演化的几点认识

最近的地质调查和研究资料揭示,新疆北部古生代存在"三块两带"的构造格局,并经历了复杂的洋陆转换过程。地质、地球物理和碎屑锆石年龄结果显示,准噶尔盆地南部应存在一个至少发育前震旦系的古老陆块;初步认为东准噶尔北自额尔齐斯构造带东南的玛依鄂博地区至南部的卡拉麦里构造带南界,整体为一增生杂岩体,西准噶尔自额尔齐斯构造带南缘至谢米斯台南缘亦为一增生杂岩体。提出新疆北部加里东运动表现为准噶尔-吐哈陆块、中天山陆块群、伊犁地块等拼合形成哈萨克斯坦板块的一部分。从新疆北部泥盆系建造组合和沉积环境演变视角,探讨了早古生代形成的哈萨克板块北部洋盆从早泥盆世开始,至晚泥盆世拼合,洋盆经历了逐渐变浅直至消亡的演化过程。结合区域地质调查资料,提出南天山为一巨大的增生杂岩体,代表了哈萨克斯坦板块与塔里木板块最后增生拼合的位置,亦是古亚洲洋在中国境内最后闭合的位置,闭合的时限为早石炭末期。在以上认识的基础上,提出新疆北部晚古生代构造演化的"三块两带"基本框架:即在统一哈萨克斯坦板块形成后,自北而南依次存在西伯利亚板块、哈萨克斯坦板块、塔里木板块及其间的准噶尔洋盆和南天山洋盆。晚泥盆世哈萨克斯坦板块与西伯利亚板块完成增生拼贴;早石炭世末,塔里木板块与西伯利亚-哈萨克斯坦联合板块完成增生拼贴,古亚洲洋结束洋陆转换;晚石炭世至早二叠世,新疆北部进入后碰撞伸展至大陆裂谷演化阶段。     

Paleozoic multiple accretionary and collisional tectonics of the Chinese Tianshan orogenic collage

Subduction-related accretion in the Junggar–Balkash and South Tianshan Oceans (Paleo-Asian Ocean), mainly in the Paleozoic, gave rise to the present 2400 km-long Tianshan orogenic collage that extends from the Aral Sea eastwards through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, to Xinjiang in China. This paper provides an up-to-date along-strike synthesis of this orogenic collage and a new tectonic model to explain its accretionary evolution.The northern part of the orogenic collage developed by consumption of the Junggar–Balkash Ocean together with Paleozoic island arcs (Northern Ili, Issyk Kul, and Chatkal) located in the west, which may have amalgamated into a composite arc in the Paleozoic in the west and by addition of another two, roughly parallel, arcs (Dananhu and Central Tianshan) in the east. The western composite arc and the eastern Dananhu and Central Tianshan arcs formed a late Paleozoic archipelago with multiple subduction zones. The southern part of the orogenic collage developed by the consumption of the South Tianshan Ocean which gave rise to a continuous accretionary complex (Kokshaal–Kumishi), which separated the Central Tianshan in the east and other Paleozoic arcs in the west from cratons (Tarim and Karakum) to the south. Cross-border correlations of this accretionary complex indicate a general southward and oceanward accretion by northward subduction in the early Paleozoic to Permian as recorded by successive southward juxtaposition of ophiolites, slices of ophiolitic mélanges, cherts, island arcs, olistostromes, blueschists, and turbidites, which are mainly Paleozoic in age, with the youngest main phase being Late Carboniferous–Permian. The initial docking of the southerly Tarim and Karakum cratons to this complicated late Paleozoic archipelago and accretionary complexes occurred in the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian in the eastern part of the Tianshan and in the Late Permian in the western part, which might have terminated collisional deformation on this suture zone. The final stages of closure of the Junggar–Balkash Ocean resembled the small ocean basin scenario of the Mediterranean Sea in the Cenozoic. In summary, the history of the Altaids is characterized by complicated multiple accretionary and collisional tectonics.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of early Carboniferous alkaline volcanic rocks in Karamay region of West Junggar,Northwest China

ABSTRACT

Zircon U–Pb geochronological and geochemical analyses are reported for a suite of the early Carboniferous volcanic rocks from West Junggar (Northwest China), southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), with the aim to investigate the sources, petrogenesis, and tectonic implications. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb analysis from an andesite yielded concordant weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 345 ± 3 Ma, indicating the presence of early Carboniferous volcanic rocks in West Junggar. The early Carboniferous volcanic rocks consist of basalt, basaltic andesite, and andesite. Geochemically, all the samples bear the signature of ocean island basalt (OIB), and are characterized by alkaline affinity with minor variations in SiO₂ compositions (45.13–53.05 wt.%), high concentrations of Na₂O + K₂O (5.08–8.89 wt.%) and TiO₂ (1.71–3.35 wt.%), and LREE enrichment and HREE depletion ((La/Yb)_N = 7.1–12.4), with weak Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.9–1.1) and no obvious Nb, Ta, and Ti negative anomalies. These features suggest that the early Carboniferous volcanic rocks were derived from an OIB-related source that consists of oceanic lithosphere with ~1–3% degree partial melting of garnet lherzolite. From these observations, in combination with previous work, we conclude that the early Carboniferous alkaline volcanic rocks in Karamay region formed by upwelling of asthenospheric mantle through a slab window in a forearc setting during consumption of the West Junggar Ocean. Meanwhile, seamounts, which formed in the Late Devonian and were accreted and subducted in Karamay arc, also brought geological effects in the subduction zone.     

Tangled up in folds: tectonic significance of superimposed folding at the core of the Central Iberian curve (West Iberia)

The amalgamation of Pangea during the Carboniferous produced a winding mountain belt: the Variscan orogen of West Europe. In the Iberian Peninsula, this tortuous geometry is dominated by two major structures: the Cantabrian Orocline, to the north, and the Central Iberian curve (CIC) to the south. Here, we perform a detailed structural analysis of an area within the core of the CIC. This core was intensively deformed resulting in a corrugated superimposed folding pattern. We have identified three different phases of deformation that can be linked to regional Variscan deformation phases. The main collisional event produced upright to moderately inclined cylindrical folds with an associated axial planar cleavage. These folds were subsequently folded during extensional collapse, in which a second fold system with subhorizontal axes and an intense subhorizontal cleavage formed. Finally, during the formation of the Cantabrian Orocline, a third folding event refolded the two previous fold systems. This later phase formed upright open folds with fold axis trending 100° to 130°, a crenulation cleavage and brittle–ductile transcurrent conjugated shearing. Our results show that the first and last deformation phases are close to coaxial, which does not allow the CIC to be formed as a product of vertical axis rotations, i.e. an orocline. The origin of the curvature in Central Iberia, if a single process, had to be coeval or previous to the first deformation phase.     

A-type granites induced by a breaking-off and delamination of the subducted Junggar oceanic plate,West Junggar,Northwest China

The A-type granites with highly positive ε_Nd(t) values in the West Junggar, Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), have long been perceived as a group formed under the same tectonic and geodynamic setting, magmatic sourceq and petrogenetic model. Geological evidence shows that these granites occurred at two different tectonic units related to the southeastern subduction of Junggar oceanic plate: the Hongshan and Karamay granites emplaced in the southeast of West Junggar in the Baogutu continental arc; whereas the Akebasitao and Miaoergou granites formed in the accretionary prism. Here the authors present new bulk-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopes, zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-O isotopes data on these granites. The granites in the Baogutu continental arc and accretionary prism contain similar zircon ε_Hf(t) values (+10.9 to +16.2) and bulk-rock geochemical characteristics (high SiO₂ and K₂O contents, enriched LILEs (except Sr), depleted Sr, Ta and Ti, and negative anomalies in Ce and Eu). The Hongshan and Karamay granites in the Baogutu continental arc have older zircon U-Pb ages (315–305 Ma) and moderate ¹⁸O enrichments (δ¹⁸O_zircon=+6.41‰–+7.96‰); whereas the Akebasitao and Miaoergou granites in the accretionary prism have younger zircon U-Pb ages (305–301 Ma) with higher ¹⁸O enrichments (δ¹⁸O_zircon=+8.72‰–+9.89‰). The authors deduce that the elevated ¹⁸O enrichments of the Akebasitao and Miaoergou granites were probably inherited from low-temperature altered oceanic crusts. The Akebasitao and Miaoergou granites were originated from partial melting of low-temperature altered oceanic crusts with juvenile oceanic sediments below the accretionary prism. The Hongshan and Karamay granites were mainly derived from partial melting of basaltic juvenile lower crust with mixtures of potentially chemical weathered ancient crustal residues and mantle basaltic melt (induced by hot intruding mantle basaltic magma at the bottom of the Baogutu continental arc). On the other hand, the Miaoergou charnockite might be sourced from a deeper partial melting reservoir under the accretionary prism, consisting of the low-temperature altered oceanic crust, juvenile oceanic sediments, and mantle basaltic melt. These granites could be related to the asthenosphere’s counterflow and upwelling, caused by the break-off and delamination of the subducted oceanic plate beneath the accretionary prism Baogutu continental arc in a post-collisional tectonic setting.©2022 China Geology Editorial Office.     

Paleozoic convergence processes in the southwestern Central Asian Orogenic Belt:Insights from U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from West Junggar,northwestern China

The West Junggar orogen,located in the southwestern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB),preserves an abundant record of tectonic processes associated with the evolution of the Junggar Ocean.In this study,we use detrital zircon U–Pb age data from Ordovician to Carboniferous sandstones in the southern and central West Junggar domains,complemented by literature data,to better constrain the tectonic evolution of the southwestern CAOB.The Kekeshayi,Qiargaye,and Laba formations in the southern West Junggar domain were deposited during the Darriwilian-Sandbian,Katian-Aeronian,and Homerian-Emsian,respectively.Detrital zircon provenances of these formations display a marked shift from the southern West Junggar domain to the Paleo-Kazakhstan Continent(PKC).This suggests that the southern West Junggar intra-oceanic arc might have gradually accreted to the northern margin of the PKC prior to the Emsian,which has significantly contributed to the lateral growth of the PKC.The Carboniferous strata,Xibeikulasi,Baogutu,and Tailegula formations,in the central West Junggar domain represent a coherent sequence of volcaniclastic turbidites and were deposited in a progressively shrinking remnant oceanic basin during the Visean to Moscovian.They contain unimodal detrital zircon distributions and are derived from the local and coeval magmatic rocks in the central West Junggar domain.We propose that the final closure of the Junggar Ocean likely occurred in the end of the Late Carboniferous in response to regional amalgamation events in the southwestern CAOB,which marks the final assembly of the Kazakhstan Orocline.The central and southern West Junggar domains underwent individual evolution in the Paleozoic,and were recombined by the significant intra-continental reworking along the large-scale strike-slip faults.     

西准噶尔晚古生代岩浆活动和构造背景

西准噶尔作为中亚造山带的一部分,吸引了大量学者的关注。蛇绿混杂岩带、花岗岩、中基性岩墙在本地区广泛出现,表明西准噶尔晚古生代构造演化极为复杂。但是在许多方面仍存在很多争议,例如西准噶尔蛇绿混杂岩带的形成时代、岩石组合和岩石成因;I型和A型花岗岩的岩石成因,构造背景和热机制;中基性-酸性岩墙群的年代学、岩石成因、构造背景和古应力场;西准噶尔晚古生代年代学格架和构造背景;西准噶尔显生宙地壳增生;西准噶尔基底特征和西准噶尔晚古生代构造演化等。笔者通过搜集前人的资料和数据,对西准噶尔区域发育的蛇绿混杂岩带、地层、古地理环境、花岗岩体和中基性岩墙群的总结,结合项目组野外与室内数据的研究,得到以下认识:(1)达尔布特和克拉玛依蛇绿混杂岩的形成环境为与俯冲相关的弧后盆地,源区来自含尖晶石二辉橄榄岩高程度部分熔融作用;(2)早石炭世花岗岩形成于俯冲环境,晚石炭世-早二叠世花岗岩形成于后碰撞环境,中二叠世花岗岩形成于板内环境;(3)I型花岗岩的成因与俯冲密切相关,而A型花岗岩和中基性岩墙产于后碰撞环境下;(4)A型花岗岩是下地壳受地幔底侵发生部分熔融并高度分离结晶的产物,中基性岩墙群普遍具有埃达克质岩的地球化学特点,可能产于受流体(或熔体)交代的残余洋壳板片的部分熔融;(5)中基性岩墙群稍晚于寄主岩体而形成,但两者均形成于后碰撞构造背景。在晚石炭世-早二叠世,西准噶尔处于近南北向的拉张应力体系;(6)西准噶尔在泥盆纪为洋盆体系;早石炭世,俯冲-碰撞过程结束;晚石炭世-早二叠世属于后碰撞环境;中晚二叠世处于板内环境。     

Are the Chinese Altai “terranes” the result of juxtaposition of different crustal levels during Late Devonian and Permian orogenesis?

The general structure of the Chinese Altai has been traditionally regarded as being formed by five tectono-stratigraphic ‘terranes’ bounded by large-scale faults. However, numerous detrital zircon studies of the Paleozoic volcano-sedimentary sequences shown that the variably metamorphosed Cambro-Ordovician sequence, known as the Habahe Group, is present at least in four ‘terranes’. It structurally represents deepest rocks unconformably covered by Devonian and Carboniferous sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Calc-alkaline, mostly Devonian, granitoids that intruded all the terranes revealed their syn-subduction related setting. Geochemistry and isotope features of the syn-subduction granitoids have shown that they originated mainly from the melting of youthful sediments derived from an eroded Ordovician arc further north. In contrast, Permian alkaline granitoids, mostly located in the southern part of the Chinese Altai, reflect a post-subduction intraplate setting. The metamorphic evolution of the metasedimentary sequences shows an early MP-MT Barrovian event, followed by two Buchan events: LP-HT mid-Devonian (ca. 400–380 Ma) and UHT-HT Permian (ca. 300–270 Ma) cycles. The Barrovian metamorphism is linked to the formation of a regional sub-horizontal possibly Early Devonian fabric and the burial of the Cambro-Ordovician sequence. The Middle Devonian Buchan type event is related to intrusions of the syn-subduction granitoids during an extensional setting and followed by Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous NE-SW trending upright folding and crustal scale doming during a general NW-SE shortening, responsible for the exhumation of the hot lower crust. The last Permian deformation formed NW-SE trending upright folds and vertical zones of deformation related to the extrusion of migmatites, anatectic granitoids and granulite rocks, and to the intrusions of gabbros and granites along the southern border of the Chinese Altai. Finally, the Permo-Triassic cooling and thrust systems affected the whole mountain range from ca. 265 to 230 Ma. In conclusion, the Chinese Altai represents different crustal levels of the lower, middle and upper orogenic crust of a single Cambro-Ordovician accretionary wedge, heterogeneously affected by the Devonian polyphase metamorphism and deformation followed by the Permian tectono-thermal reworking event related to the collision with the Junggar arc. It is the interference of Devonian and Permian upright folding events that formed vertical boundaries surrounding the variously exhumed and eroded crustal segments. Consequently, these crustal segments should not be regarded as individual suspect terranes.     

新疆西准噶尔达拉布特蛇绿岩E-MORB型镁铁质岩的地球化学、年代学及其地质意义

新疆西准噶尔地区是古生代经过俯冲-增生形成的复合造山带,该地区分布有多条蛇绿岩带,其中之一的西准噶尔达拉布特蛇绿岩被认为是最大的一条蛇绿岩带,可能代表了古亚洲洋壳的残余。本文的资料显示蛇绿岩带内的镁铁质岩呈现出N-MORB、E-MORB和似OIB的地球化学特征,通过对阿克巴斯套岩体中的浅色辉长岩LA-ICP-MS锆石年龄测定,获得达拉布特蛇绿岩E-MORB型镁铁质岩的年龄为302±1.7Ma。鉴于达拉布特蛇绿岩中E-MORB和似OIB型镁铁质岩成因的复杂性,结合前人研究成果,对辉长岩锆石U-Pb年龄所代表的意义存在两种可能性：（1）E-MORB型和似OIB型镁铁质岩可能是弧后盆地扩张后期的产物,代表蛇绿岩的年龄,其表明西准噶尔地区可能晚石炭纪还有洋盆存在;（2）E-MORB型镁铁质岩是蛇绿岩消亡阶段由于扩张脊和俯冲带碰撞作用而形成的弧前海山,形成时代晚于达拉布特主体蛇绿岩,但其成因与蛇绿岩的演化密切相关。本文侵向于第二种可能性,认为新疆北部晚石炭-早二叠可能仍存在活动陆缘,俯冲作用仍然存在,扩张脊俯冲形成的板片窗效应导致地幔楔、俯冲板片和沉积物等熔融促使基性岩浆向长英质酸性岩浆转变,从而引发了二叠纪大规模玄武质岩浆底侵,导致了该时期的构造-岩浆-成矿-造山作用的发生。     

新疆西准噶尔地区花岗岩类年代学及其构造意义

本文在野外地质调查基础上,通过对西准噶尔花岗岩类年代学的研究,厘定各期构造岩浆事件的时限,反演西准噶尔造山带构造演化过程。研究结果表明,西准噶尔岩浆活动划分为3个时期。晚志留世—早泥盆世花岗岩类主要为谢米斯台花岗岩类、赛尔花岗岩类及阿克乔克花岗岩类,结合区域地质背景及阿克乔克花岗闪长岩具有典型的埃达克岩地球化学特征,推测阿克乔克埃达克岩可能是大洋板片俯冲过程中经过脱水发生部分熔融形成的;早石炭世花岗岩类主要分布在扎尔马—萨吾尔岩浆弧地区,这一时期的花岗岩类可能是额尔齐斯蛇绿岩所代表的古大洋向南俯冲脱水引发上覆地幔楔部分熔融或者部分熔融形成的玄武岩浆底侵作用引起中、下地壳物质部分熔融的结果,指示俯冲的古大洋在早石炭世期间未闭合碰撞;晚石炭世—早二叠世的花岗岩类在整个西准噶尔地区都有分布,形成于后碰撞构造环境,表明西准地区进入了陆内构造演化阶段。     

准噶尔盆地东部石炭纪富火山岩海相油气盆地原型:一个工作假说

准噶尔盆地石炭系中发现自生自储的大型火山岩油气藏,这不仅大大拓宽了油气勘探领域,而且从含油气盆地原型恢复角度为我们提出了一个新的命题。本文对准噶尔盆地东部的石炭纪盆地进行了剖析,在井间地层对比和锆石U-Pb同位素年代学测定基础上,确定了准噶尔盆地石炭系划分方案,建立了准东地区及邻区石炭系的5条联井对比骨干地质剖面,进而把准东地区石炭系盆地的充填过程划分为两个旋回、7个阶段,其中第一旋回为早石炭世,进一步分为4个阶段,第1至第3阶段以各种火山岩发育为特征,第4阶段为火山活动的间歇期,发育了暗色泥质岩。第二旋回为晚石炭世,进一步分为3个阶段,第5和第6两个阶段以发育中基性火山岩为特征,第7阶段以沉火山凝灰岩和与泥质岩、砂岩互层发育为特征。文中归纳了准东地区石炭纪盆地及其中火山岩油气藏烃源岩和储层的发育特点,建立了其盆地原型,指出准东地区石炭系在沉积时的构造古地理以多岛洋为特征,受准噶尔洋的持续向北东方向俯冲的影响,准东地区盆地基底向南西方向倾斜,造成了沉积中心的向南西迁移。考虑到盆地位于增生型造山带内,将其原型盆地称为增生楔盆地。文中特别指出,任何构造位置上形成的盆地都有形成大油气田的潜力,能否形成大油气田的关键在于有没有优质烃源岩、优质储层和有效圈闭。准东增生楔盆地中烃源岩与火山岩储层的空间关系十分密切,二者往往形成互层状或穿插状,这一特征决定了盆地中油气产出具有近源性,而圈闭的形成则因火山岩储层的成层性差而呈形态和类型的多样性。     

Geochemistry and U–Pb detrital zircon dating of Paleozoic graywackes in East Junggar,NW China: Insights into subduction–accretion processes in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is characterized by multiple and linear accretionary orogenic collages, including Paleozoic arcs, ophiolites, and accretionay wedges. A complex history of subduction–accretion processes makes it difficult to distinguish the origin of these various terranes and reconstruct the tectonic evolution of the southern CAOB. In order to provide constraints on the accretionary history, we analyzed major and trace element compositions of Paleozoic graywackes from the Huangcaopo Group (HG) and Kubusu Group (KG) in East Junggar. The HG graywackes have relatively low Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values (50 to 66), suggesting a source that underwent relatively weak chemical weathering. The identical average Index of Compositional Variability (ICV) values (~ 1.1) for both the KG and HG samples point to an immature source for the Paleozoic graywackes in East Junggar, which is consistent with an andesitic–felsic igneous source characterized by low La/Th ratios and relatively high Hf contents. These graywackes are geochemically similar to continental island arc sediments and therefore were probably deposited at an active continental margin. U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from the lower subgroup of the HG yielded a young age peak at ~ 440 Ma, indicating a post-Early Silurian depositional age. However, the youngest populations of detrital zircons from the KG graywackes and the upper subgroup of the HG yielded ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of ~ 346 Ma and ~ 355 Ma, respectively, which suggest a post-Early Carboniferous depositional age. Because of similarities of rock assemblages, these two units should be incorporated into the Early Carboniferous Nanmingshui Formation. The detrital zircon age spectrum of the Early Paleozoic HG graywackes resembles that of the Habahe sediments in the Chinese Altai, which suggests that the ocean between East Junggar and the Chinese Altai was closed before the deposition of the sediments and that the Armantai ophiolite was emplaced prior to the Early Devonian. The differences in age spectra for detrital zircons from the post-Early Carboniferous graywackes in East Junggar and the Harlik arc indicate that the emplacement of the Kalamaili ophiolite postdates the Early Carboniferous. Therefore, a long-lasting northward subduction–accretion process is suggested for the formation of East Junggar and the reconstruction of the Early Paleozoic evolution of the southern CAOB.