U–Pb geochronology of the southern Brasília belt (SE-Brazil): sedimentary provenance, Neoproterozoic orogeny and assembly of West Gondwana

The Brasília belt borders the western margin of the São Francisco Craton and records the history of ocean opening and closing related to the formation of West Gondwana. This study reports new U–Pb data from the southern sector of the belt in order to provide temporal limits for the deposition and ages of provenance of sediments accumulated in passive margin successions around the south and southwestern margins of the São Francisco Craton, and date the orogenic events leading to the amalgamation of West Gondwana.Ages of detrital zircons (by ID–TIMS and LA-MC-ICPMS) were obtained from metasedimentary units of the passive margin of the São Francisco Craton from the main tectonic domains of the belt: the internal allochthons (Araxá Group in the Áraxá and Passos Nappes), the external allochthons (Canastra Group, Serra da Boa Esperança Metasedimentary Sequence and Andrelândia Group) and the autochthonous or Cratonic Domain (Andrelândia Group). The patterns of provenance ages for these units are uniform and are characterised as follows: Archean–Paleoproterozoic ages (3.4–3.3, 3.1–2.7, and 2.5–2.4 Ga); Paleoproterozoic ages attributed to the Transamazonian event (2.3–1.9 Ga, with a peak at ca. 2.15 Ga) and to the ca. 1.75 Ga Espinhaço rifting of the São Francisco Craton; ages between 1.6 and 1.2 Ga, with a peak at 1.3 Ga, revealing an unexpected variety of Mesoproterozoic sources, still undetected in the São Francisco Craton; and ages between 0.9 and 1.0 Ga related to the rifting event that led to the individualisation of the São Francisco paleo-continent and formation of its passive margins. An amphibolite intercalation in the Araxá Group yields a rutile age of ca. 0.9 Ga and documents the occurrence of mafic magmatism coeval with sedimentation in the marginal basin.Detrital zircons from the autochthonous and parautochthonous Andrelândia Group, deposited on the southern margin of the São Francisco Craton, yielded a provenance pattern similar to that of the allochthonous units. This result implies that 1.6–1.2 Ga source rocks must be present in the São Francisco Craton. They could be located either in the cratonic area, which is mostly covered by the Neoproterozoic epicontinental deposits of the Bambuí Group, or in the outer paleo-continental margin, buried under the allochthonous units of the Brasília belt.Crustal melting and generation of syntectonic crustal granites and migmatisation at ca. 630 Ma mark the orogenic event that started with westward subduction of the São Francisco plate and ended with continental collision against the Paraná block (and Goiás terrane). Continuing collision led to the exhumation and cooling of the Araxá and Passos metamorphic nappes, as indicated by monazite ages of ca. 605 Ma and mark the final stages of tectonometamorphic activity in the southern Brasília belt.Whilst continent–continent collision was proceeding on the western margin of the São Francisco Craton along the southern Brasília belt, eastward subduction in the East was generating the 634–599 Ma Rio Negro magmatic arc which collided with the eastern São Francisco margin at 595–560 Ma, much later than in the Brasília belt. Thus, the tectonic effects of the Ribeira belt reached the southernmost sector of the Brasília belt creating a zone of superposition. The thermal front of this event affected the proximal Andrelândia Group at ca. 588 Ma, as indicated by monazite age.The participation of the Amazonian craton in the assembly of western Gondwana occurred at 545–500 Ma in the Paraguay belt and ca. 500 Ma in the Araguaia belt. This, together with the results presented in this work lead to the conclusion that the collision between the Paraná block and Goiás terrane with the São Francisco Craton along the Brasília belt preceded the accretion of the Amazonian craton by 50–100 million years.     

河南嵩山地区新元古界何家窑组微亮晶脉特征、成因及地质意义探讨

在河南嵩山地区青白口系何家窑组中可识别出一个碳酸盐岩微亮晶脉集中的层位，笔者等结合微亮晶脉自身的特征、成分和伴生的地震引起的其他变形特征，以及通过显微镜和核磁共聚焦显微镜下的微相研究，认为嵩山地区板状微亮晶脉与华北块体东缘胶辽徐淮地区的泥晶脉特征一致，是由地震液化形成的产物，该层位代表了一个地震活跃期。同处华北块体南缘的豫西鲁山和陕西南部相对应的青白口系层位（洛峪口组和巡检司组）也发现了同期的地震记录。笔者认为嵩山地区微亮晶脉的出现应与华北块体南缘构造事件相关联。     

Sedimentary genesis and lithostratigraphy of Neoproterozoic megabreccia from Mufulira, Copperbelt of Zambia

The Lufilian arc is an orogenic belt in central Africa that extends between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and deforms the Neoproterozoic-Lower Palaeozoic metasedimentary succession of the Katanga Supergroup. The arc contains thick bodies of fragmental rocks that include blocks reaching several kilometres in size. Some megablocks contain Cu and Cu–Co-mineralised Katangan strata. These coarse clastic rocks, called the Katangan megabreccias, have traditionally been interpreted in the DRC as tectonic breccias formed during Lufilian orogenesis due to friction underneath Katangan nappes. In mid-90th, several occurrences in Zambia have been interpreted in the same manner. Prominent among them is an occurrence at Mufulira, considered by previous workers as a ≈1000 m thick tectonic friction breccia containing a Cu–Co-mineralised megablock.This paper presents new results pertaining to the lower stratigraphic interval of the Katanga Supergroup at Mufulira and represented by the Roan Group and the succeeding Mwashya Subgroup of the Guba Group. The interval interpreted in the past as tectonic Roan megabreccia appears to be an almost intact sedimentary succession, the lower part of which consists of Roan Group carbonate rocks with siliciclastic intercalations containing several interbeds of matrix-supported conglomerate. A Cu–Co-mineralised interval is not an allochthonous block but a part of the stratigraphic succession underlain and overlain by conglomerate beds, which were considered in the past as tectonic friction breccias. The overlying megabreccia is a syn-rift sedimentary olistostrome succession that rests upon the Roan strata with a subtle local unconformity. The olistostrome succession consists of three complexes typified by matrix-supported debris-flow conglomerates with Roan clasts. Some of the conglomerate beds pass upwards to normally graded turbidite layers and are accompanied by solitary slump beds. The three conglomeratic assemblages are separated by two intervals of sedimentary breccia composed of allochthonous Roan blocks interpreted as mass-wasting debris redeposited into the basin by high-volume sediment-gravity flows. Sedimentary features are the primary characteristics of the conglomerate interbeds in the Roan succession and of the overlying megabreccia (olistostrome) sequence. Both lithological associations are slightly sheared and brecciated in places, but stratigraphic continuity is retained throughout their succession. The olistostrome is deformed by an open fold, the upper limb of which is truncated by and involved in a shear zone that extends upwards into Mwashya Subgroup strata thrust above.Based on the sedimentary genesis of the megabreccia, local tectonostratigraphic relations and correlation with the succession present in the Kafue anticline to the west, the Mwashya Subgroup, formerly considered as a twofold unit, is redefined here as a three-part succession. The lower Mwashya consists of an olistostrome complex defined as the Mufulira Formation, the middle Mwashya (formerly lower Mwashya) is a mixed succession of siliciclastic and carbonate strata locally containing silicified ooids and tuff interbeds, and the term upper Mwashya is retained for a succession of black shales with varying proportions of siltstone and sandstone interlayers. The sedimentary genesis and stratigraphic relations of the megabreccia at Mufulira imply that the position and tectonostratigraphic context of the Katangan Cu and Cu–Co orebodies hosted in megablocks associated with fragmental rocks, which were in the past interpreted as tectonic friction breccias, need to be critically re-assessed in the whole Lufilian arc.     

Geochemistry and Crustal Evolution of Volcano-sedimentary Successions and Orthogneisses in the São Gabriel Block, Southernmost Brazil — Relics of Neoproterozoic Magmatic Arcs

Precambrian metaplutonic rocks of the São Gabriel block in southernmost Brazil comprise juvenile Neoproterozoic calc-alkaline gneisses (Cambaí Complex). The connection with associated (ultra-)mafic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks (Palma Group) is not well established. The whole complex was deformed during the Brasiliano orogenic cycle. Both metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks as well as metaplutonic rocks of the Cambaí Complex have been sampled for geochemical analyses in order to get constraints on the tectonic setting of these rocks and to establish a tectonic model for the São Gabriel block and its role during the assembly of West-Gondwana. The major element compositions of the igneous rocks (Palma Group and Cambaí Complex) indicate a subalkaline character; most orthogneisses have a calc-alkaline chemistry; many metavolcanic rocks of the Palma Group show signatures of low-K tholeiitic volcanic arc basalts. Trace element data, especially Ti, Zr, Y, Nb, of most igneous samples from both the lower Palma Group and the Cambaí Complex indicate origin at plate margins, i.e., in a subduction zone environment. This is corroborated by relative enrichment in LREE, low contents of Nb and other high field strength elements and enrichment in LILE like Rb, Ba, and Th. The data indicate the possible existence of two suites, an oceanic island arc and a continental arc or active continental margin. However, some ultramafic samples of the lower Palma Group in the western São Gabriel block indicate the existence of another volcanic suite with intra-plate character which possibly represents relics of oceanic island basalts (OIB). Trace element data indicate contributions from andesitic to mixed felsic and basic arc sources for the metasedimentary rocks. The patterns of chondrite- and N-MORB-normalized spider diagrams resemble the patterns of the igneous rocks, i.e., LILE and LREE enrichment and HFS depletion. The geochemical signatures of most igneous and metasedimentary samples and their low (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_t ratios suggest only minor contribution of old continental crust.A geotectonic model for the São Gabriel block comprises east-ward subduction and following accretion of an intra-oceanic island arc to the eastern border of the Rio de la Plata Craton at ca. 880 Ma, and westward subduction beneath the newly formed active continental margin between ca. 750 and 700 Ma. The São Gabriel block represents relics of an early Brasiliano oceanic basin between the Rio de la Plata and Kalahari Cratons. This ocean to the east of the Rio de la Plata Craton might be traced to the north and could possibly be linked with Neoproterozoic juvenile oceanic crust in the western Brasília belt (Goiás magmatic arc).     

Using Mesoproterozoic sedimentary geochemistry to reconstruct basin tectonic geography and link organic carbon productivity to nutrient flux from a Northern Australian large igneous Province

The Beetaloo Sub-basin, northern Australia, is considered the main depocentre of the 1,000-km scale Mesoproterozoic Wilton package of the greater McArthur Basin – the host to one of the oldest hydrocarbon global resources. The ca. 1.40–1.31 Ga upper Roper Group and the latest Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic unnamed group of the Beetaloo Sub-basin, together, record ca. 500 million years of depositional history within the North Australia Craton. Whole-rock shale Sm–Nd and Pb isotope data from these sediments reveal sedimentary provenance and their evolution from ca. 1.35 to 0.85 Ga. Furthermore, these data, together with shale major/trace elements data from this study and pyrolysis data from previous publications, are used to develop a dynamic tectonic geography model that links the organic carbon production and burial to an enhanced weathering of nutrients from a large igneous province. The ca. 1.35–1.31 Ga Kyalla Formation of the upper Roper Group is composed of isotopically evolved sedimentary detritus that passes up, into more isotopically juvenile Pb values towards the top of the formation. The increase in juvenile compositions coincides with elevated total organic carbon (TOC) contents of these sediments. The coherently enriched juvenile compositions and TOC the upper portions of the Kyalla Formation are interpreted to reflect an increase in nutrient supply associated with the weathering of basaltic sources (e.g. phosphorous). Possible, relatively juvenile, basaltic sources include the Wankanki Supersuite in the western Musgraves and the Derim Derim–Galiwinku large igneous province (LIP). The transition into juvenile, basaltic sources directly before a supersequence-bounding unconformity is here interpreted to reflect uplift and erosion of the Derim Derim–Galiwinku LIP, rather than an influx of southern Musgrave sources. A new baddeleyite crystallisation age of 1,312.9 ± 0.7 Ma provides both a tight constraint on the age of this LIP, along with its associated magmatic uplift, as well as providing a minimum age constraint for Roper Group deposition. The unconformably overlying lower and upper Jamison sandstones are at least 300 million years younger than the Kyalla Formation and were sourced from the Musgrave Province. An up-section increase in isotopically juvenile compositions seen in these rocks is interpreted to document the progressive exhumation of the western Musgrave Province. The overlying Hayfield mudstone received detritus from both the Musgrave and Arunta regions, and its isotopic geochemistry reveals affinities with other early Neoproterozoic basins (e.g. Amadeus, Victoria and Officer basins), indicating the potential for inter-basin correlations.     

The Carrancas Formation,Bambuí Group: A record of pre-Marinoan sedimentation on the southern São Francisco craton,Brazil

The Carrancas Formation outcrops in east-central Brazil on the southern margin of the São Francisco craton where it comprises the base of the late Neoproterozoic Bambuí Group. It is overlain by the basal Ediacaran cap carbonate Sete Lagoas Formation and was for a long time considered to be glacially influenced and correlative with the glaciogenic Jequitaí Formation. New stratigraphic, isotopic and geochronologic data imply that the Carrancas Formation was instead formed by the shedding of debris from basement highs uplifted during an episode of minor continental rifting. Reddish dolostones in the upper Carrancas Formation have δ¹³C values ranging from +7.1 to +9.6‰, which is a unique C isotopic composition for the lowermost Bambuí Group but similar to values found in the Tijucuçu sequence, a pre-glacial unit in the Araçuaí fold belt on the eastern margin of the São Francisco craton. The stratigraphic position below basal Ediacaran cap carbonates and the highly positive δ¹³C values together indicate a Cryogenian interglacial age for the Carrancas Formation, with the high δ¹³C values representing the so-called Keele peak, which precedes the pre-Marinoan Trezona negative δ¹³C excursion in other well characterized Cryogenian sequences. Hence, The Carrancas Formation pre-dates de Marinoan Jequitaí Formation and represents an interval of Cryogenian stratigraphy not previously known to occur on the southern margin of São Francicso craton. Documentation of Cryogenian interglacial strata on the São Francisco craton reinforces recent revisions to the age of Bambuí Group strata and has implications for the development of the Bambuí basin.     

江南造山带新元古代中期(830～750Ma)岩浆活动及对构造演化的制约

连接扬子地块和华夏地块的江南造山带是华南前寒武纪最重要的构造单元,其形成和演化长期以来备受关注。在江南造山带的范围内广泛发育了新元古代岩浆岩,它们是探讨江南造山带构造演化的重要对象,但其成因和形成的构造背景却备受争论。本文系统收集和分析了江南造山带830~820 Ma花岗岩、800~780 Ma酸性岩和800~750 Ma基性岩的地球化学数据。研究表明,不同时间段的岩石成因类型存在系统差异,830~820 Ma的花岗岩主要为S型花岗岩,800~780 Ma的酸性岩主要为A型酸性岩,而800~750 Ma的基性岩以拉斑系列和碱性系列为主,并在构造判别图中显示了板内玄武岩(WPB)和洋中脊玄武岩(MORB)的特征。综合同位素年代学、岩石地球化学和沉积学等学科领域的研究成果我们认为:扬子北缘和西缘应先于东南缘在1000~900 Ma期间发生碰撞,而此时的东南缘仍为活动大陆边缘;直到~830 Ma,扬子地块与华夏地块沿江南造山带发生拼贴,但只是陆-弧-(微)陆之间的"软碰撞",而无山脉隆升和高级变质作用,各个块体之间处于"联而不合"的状态,大洋岩石圈拆沉之后的软流圈上涌和由拆沉所引起的拉张作用导致了上覆岩石圈和陆壳发生部分熔融,产生了江南造山带830~820 Ma的S型花岗岩;随着全球Rodinia超大陆的裂解,~820 Ma,华南裂谷盆地开启,并在随后的裂解过程中发育了大量与伸展有关的800~780 Ma A型酸性岩和基性岩脉/墙,而其明显高于同时代MORB源区的地幔潜能温度显示,导致Rodina超大陆裂解的地幔柱可能对该时期岩浆岩的地幔源区有一定影响;随着拉张作用的不断加强,出现了760~750 Ma碱性系列和具MORB特征的基性岩,此时的软流圈地幔既提供热量又有物质供应。     

祁连山新元古代中—晚期至早古生代火山作用与构造演化

祁连山地区的新元古代中—晚期至早古生代火山作用显示系统地时、空变化,其乃是祁连山构造演化的火山响应。随着祁连山构造演化从Rodinia超大陆裂谷化—裂解,经早古生代大洋打开、扩张、洋壳俯冲和弧后伸展,直至洋盆闭合、弧-陆碰撞和陆-陆碰撞,火山作用也逐渐从裂谷和大陆溢流玄武质喷发,经大洋中脊型、岛弧和弧后盆地火山活动,转变为碰撞后裂谷式喷发。850~604 Ma的大陆裂谷和大陆溢流熔岩主要分布于祁连和柴达木陆块。从大约550 Ma至446 Ma,在北祁连和南祁连洋-沟-弧-盆系中广泛发育大洋中脊型、岛弧和弧后盆地型熔岩。与此同时,在祁连陆块中部,发育约522~442 Ma的陆内裂谷火山作用。早古生代洋盆于奥陶纪末(约446 Ma)闭合。随后,从约445 Ma至约428 Ma,于祁连陆块北缘发育碰撞后火山活动。此种时-空变异对形成祁连山的深部地球动力学过程提供了重要约束。该过程包括:(1)地幔柱或超级地幔柱上涌,导致Rodinia超大陆发生裂谷化、裂解、早古生代大洋打开、扩张、俯冲,并伴随岛弧形成;(2)俯冲的大洋板片回转,致使弧后伸展,进而形成弧后盆地;(3)洋盆闭合、板片断离,继而发生软流圈上涌,诱发碰撞后火山活动。晚志留世至早泥盆世(420~400 Ma),先期俯冲的地壳物质折返,发生强烈的造山活动。400 Ma后,山体垮塌、岩石圈伸展,相应发生碰撞后花岗质侵入活动。     

浙西北平水铜矿细碧角斑岩成岩年龄及其地质意义

文章对浙西北平水铜矿赋矿围岩双溪坞群平水组细碧角斑岩中锆石进行了LA-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素年龄测定。结果显示锆石Th/U比值为0.42~2.28,明显高于Th/U比值小于0.1的变质成因的锆石,为典型岩浆成因锆石。几乎所有的锆石颗粒样品都投影在谐和曲线上及其附近,细碧岩年龄加权平均值为(952±5)Ma(n=18,MSWD=0.19),角斑岩年龄加权平均值为(954±8)Ma(n=15,MSWD=0.51);结合锆石自形、发育岩浆环带等特点,该年龄是平水组细碧角斑岩的形成年龄。结合前人研究及地质事实,本次研究确定双溪坞群平水组细碧角斑岩的成岩年龄为新元古代(950 Ma左右);认为江南造山运动发生的上、下限虽还没有最终限定,但它东端的造山运动很可能介于1.0~0.9 Ga;钦杭成矿带北东段地区有寻找同类矿床的潜力。     

祁连山新元古代——早古生代火山作用与铁-铜多金属成矿

祁连山造山带新元古代—早古生代是板块构造演化与成矿的最重要时段,铁、铜多金属矿产资源丰富,成矿作用与新元古代—早古生代火山作用密切相关。根据矿床产出构造位置,将祁连山铁、铜多金属矿床分为4类:大陆裂谷型铁(铜)矿床、岛弧-岛弧裂谷型铜多金属矿床、陆缘裂谷型铜多金属矿床、扩张脊型铜矿床。镜铁山铁(铜)型矿床是新元古代大陆裂谷火山作用过程中热水沉积作用的产物;东沟铜矿为晚寒武世大洋扩张脊火山作用的产物;白银矿田铜多属矿床是奥陶纪与岛弧-岛弧裂谷火山作用的产物;石居里铜矿是晚奥陶纪弧后扩张脊有关火山作用的产物;红沟铜矿则是晚奥陶世陆缘裂谷火山作用的产物。