Partial melting and P–T evolution of the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt, southern India

The Kodaikanal region of the Madurai Block in southern India exposes a segment of high-grade metamorphic rocks dominated by an aluminous garnet–cordierite–spinel–sillimanite–quartz migmatite suite, designated herein as the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt (KMB). These rocks were subjected to extreme crustal metamorphism during the Late Neoproterozoic despite the lack of diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature assemblages. The rocks preserve microstructural evidence demonstrating initial-heating, dehydration melting to generate the peak metamorphic assemblage and later retrogression of the residual assemblages with remaining melt. The peak metamorphic assemblage is interpreted to be garnet + sillimanite + K-feldspar + spinel + Fe–Ti oxide + quartz + melt, which indicates pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions around 950–1000 °C and 7–8 kbar based on calculated phase diagrams. A clockwise P–T path is proposed by integrating microstructural information with pseudosections. We show that evidence for extreme crustal metamorphism at ultrahigh-temperature conditions can be extracted even in the cases where the rocks lack diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature mineral assemblages. Our approach confirms the widespread regional occurrence of UHT metamorphism in the Madurai Block during Gondwana assembly and point out the need for similar studies on adjacent continental fragments.     

Structural controls on Tertiary orogenic gold mineralization during initiation of a mountain belt, New Zealand

Two types of structurally controlled hydrothermal mineralization have occurred during folding of fissile schist in southern New Zealand: fold-related mineralization and normal fault-related mineralization. Both types have the same mineralogy and textures, and are dominated by quartz–ankerite veins and silicified breccias with ankeritic alteration. Most mineralized zones are thin (centimetre scale), although host schist is commonly impregnated with ankerite up to 20 m away. Thick (up to 5 m wide) mineralized zones are generally gold-bearing and contain pyrite and arsenopyrite with stibnite pods locally. Some of these auriferous zones have been extensively mined historically despite rugged topography and difficult access. Mineralization occurred during regional tectonic compression in the initial stages of development of the Southern Alps mountain belt at the Pacific–Australian plate boundary in the Miocene. Most of the gold-bearing deposits occur in east to south-east, striking normal faults that cut across mesoscopic folds in a belt that coincides with the southern termination of a regional-scale north trending antiform. Mineralized zones have similar structural control and relative timing to a nearby swarm of Miocene lamprophyre dykes and carbonatites. Limited stable isotopic data (C and O) and trace element geochemistry suggest that there was probably no genetic link between the igneous activity and gold mineralization. However, these two types of fluid flow have been controlled by the same tectonically created crustal plumbing system. This Miocene hydrothermal activity and gold deposition demonstrates that orogenic (mesothermal) mineralization can occur during the inception of an orogenic belt, not just in the latter stages as is commonly believed. These Miocene structures have been preserved in the orogen because the locus of uplift has moved northwards, so the early-formed gold deposits have not yet been structurally overprinted or eroded.     

A study on the geochemical characteristics of Upper Permian continental marginal arc volcanic rocks in the northern segment of South Lancangjiang Belt

1IntroductionThe northern segment of the South LancangjiangBelt refers to the terrain about200km east of theYunxian-Lingcang granite in the South LancangjiangBelt(Fig.1).During the seventh Five-Year Plan peri-od,Mo Xuanxue et al.(1993)undertook the resear…     

武当地块基性岩席群及其地质意义

侵位于武当地块内部的大量的板状为基性侵入体近年来一直被认为是800Ma左右发生的扬子古大陆裂解的重要依据。然而作者在武当地块北缘与西南部所做的1：5万地质填图以及相应的构造学和同位素年代学研究表明，它们与武当地块顺层伸展滑脱构造主滑脱面之顺层韧性一韧性变形带有密切的空间关系，是被褶皱了的岩席群。最新获得的岩体单颗粒锆石U－Pb年龄为401－407Ma，结合已有的地球化学研究成果，并考虑到邻区同时代碱性岩浆的侵位，作者认为，这套基性岩群代表了泥盆纪时南秦岭地区曾发生过大规模的上地幔岩浆的底侵作用，并因此导致南秦岭上部地壳的伸展减薄。     

秦岭造山带勉略缝合带构造变形与造山过程

秦岭晚古生代以来造山过程中的构造变形研究对建立华北板块与华南板块之间的最终拼合过程尤为重要。为此，选择勉略带进行了详细的野外调查，对其物质组成，几何学结构，变形序列，运动学和动力学作了系统解剖，认为：勉略带是有一定宽度，由一定实体组成的蛇构造混杂岩带，它包括不同时代，不同构造背景，不同起源的一系列构造岩片，如：基底岩片组，洋壳岩片组，岛弧岩片组，碰撞构造沉积楔形体，大陆边缘岩片组，它们被一系列的北倾南冲的断裂分割。勉略带到－高川段的北倾南冲逆冲断裂和勉略带北部南倾北冲的逆冲断裂组合成为现今不对称的正花状几何学结构，但勉略带的北界状元碑断裂和南界 到－略阳断裂走滑特征明显。结合勉略带邻区的构造特征，分别对带内重要断裂及岩片的构造解析表明，除主造山的大地构造演化阶段外，可将勉略带构造变形序列及演化历程总体归纳为三大阶段：俯冲变形阶段，主造山碰撞变形阶段的陆内造山调整变形阶段，并对不同变表阶段的时限，变形特征，运动学和动力学分别作了描述；最后针对该区复杂的楔入，挤出（逃逸）走滑，逆冲过程，提出了一个统一的动力学演化模式。     

中朝板块元古宙板内地震带与盆地格局

地史中发生的强地震事件在地层中留下固定的记录 (图 1～ 3) ,这些记录在区域上呈带状分布 ,代表地史中的地震带。中朝板块元古宙目前可识别出两个板内地震带 (图 5 )。中元古代板内地震带 (170 0～ 12 0 0Ma)西起太行山北段 ,经燕山山脉、辽宁西部、穿越辽河平原至辽宁北部的泛河流域分布 ,即燕山—泛河地震带 ,现今呈NEE向延伸。新元古代震旦纪地震带沿吉林南部、辽东半岛、山东中部及苏皖北部现今呈NNE走向分布 ,即古郯庐地震带 (6 5 0～ 6 0 0Ma)。上述两个板内地震带是元古宙不同时期超大陆裂解的响应。中元古代与新元古代两个不同方向的地震断裂带分别控制着两个时期的盆地边界。燕山泛河地震断裂带构成中元古代海盆南界 (指现在的位置 ) ,形成向北开放的海域。古郯庐地震断裂带将中朝板块裂解为华北块体与胶辽朝块体。古郯庐地震断裂带构成震旦纪海域的边界 ,震旦纪海盆通过朝鲜半岛与当时的外海相连接 ,华北块体则为陆源剥蚀区。文内四幅古地理图 (图 6～ 9)是以地震灾变思想为指导 ,以新的地层研究、对比为基础编制的 ,侧重反映了盆地的格局及其变化。根据地震、同沉积断裂新的思路 ,可提供地质学家重新认识与解释某些沉积矿床的成因 ,它们的成矿元素均来自地球深部而非地表风化作用。文中编制     

秦岭若干重要类型金矿床成矿地质条件研究新进展

通过秦岭金矿区域成矿地质条件研究取得的进展 :八卦庙矿区发育有条带状的热水沉积岩 ,金矿床类型属于热水沉积韧性剪切带改造型 ,矿化类型为细脉浸染型 ;马鞍桥金矿的成矿大地构造环境属于华北板块南缘 ,含矿岩系为早古生代的深水斜坡浊积岩相 ,矿区的“浅色岩相”系变质成因 ;煎茶岭金矿属构造蚀变岩型金矿 ,而非超基性岩浆热液型金矿。以上研究为秦岭地区金矿找矿指出了新方向和新类型     

Geochronological constraints on the evolution of the Embu Complex, São Paulo, Brazil

Petrologic and geochronological work was carried out on a roadside outcrop of amphibolite facies orthogneisses near São Lourenço da Serra, about 50 km southwest of São Paulo City. These orthogneisses belong to the Embu Complex, within the Neoproterozoic Brasiliano Orogenic Cycle mobile belts of SE Brazil. The outcrop consists of predominantly foliated biotite tonalites and granodiorites, which were cut by granitic veins and pegmatites prior to final deformation. SHRIMP U/Pb measurements on zircons from one granodioritic–tonalitic gneiss indicate magmatic crystallization of the protolith at 811±13 Ma (MSWD=1.0). Zircons with dates of ca. 2000 and ca. 1000 Ma in this rock are interpreted as inherited from older crust. One zircon analyzed from the gneiss and three zircons from a discordant pegmatitic vein indicate an event at 650–700 Ma, perhaps related to the intrusion of the pegmatites. A regression of Rb–Sr whole rock data for four biotite gneisses yielded an imperfect isochron, giving an apparent age of 821±68 Ma and an elevated initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.719±0.005. The elevated initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio and the inherited zircons indicate involvement of older crust in the genesis of the gneisses. Rb–Sr feldspar and whole rock pairs yield ca. 560 Ma tielines, giving the time of final cooling below 300–350 °C, and the cessation of medium-grade metamorphism and ductile deformation. These results document a series of tectono-thermal events spanning 250 million years during the Brasiliano Orogenic Cycle. They relate to ca. 800 Ma magmatic arc activity and later allochthonous terrane assembly during closure of the Adamastor Ocean, resulting in the accretion of Western Gondwana.     

北秦岭中生代沙河湾岩体环斑结构特征及有关问题的讨论

该岩体的环斑结构主要发育于边部含巨斑状黑云角闪石英二长岩中 ,环斑长石粒径一般 2cm× 4cm。形态多呈自形、半自形 ,有些为卵形。环斑长石由核部钾长石和多层或单层斜长石外壳两部分构成。钾长石内核呈肉红色 ,一般是由单颗粒组成 ,具卡氏双晶 ,普遍发育规则的条纹结构 ;中心部分钾长石分子含量Or为 95 ,边部为 84。外壳斜长石牌号一般为An2 0± ,为奥长石。内核和外壳中均发育石英、斜长石、黑云母、角闪石等矿物的包裹体 ;包裹体在其边部较多 ,中部较少 ,钾长石斑晶中的石英包裹体呈不规则的凹面状和水滴状。岩石中主要矿物具有 2个世代。这些特征显示 ,沙河湾岩体中的环斑结构与典型的环斑结构是相同的。亦表明典型的环斑结构可以出现于不同的时代和构造环境。由于其形成时代和产出背景不同于典型环斑花岗岩 ,该岩体属典型环斑花岗岩还是一种新的似环斑花岗岩还有待于进一步研究。     

Geochronology of Gold Deposits and Its Implication for Metallogenesis in the Fengxian-Lixian Area, Qinling Orogenic Belt, China

Abstract: A series of super large‐scale and large‐scale Pb and Zn, and Au deposits are distributed in the Qinling orogenic belt, China. Gold deposits were generally ascribed to Carlin‐type originated from circular meteoric water. Visible and coarse‐grained gold (up to over 3mm in grain size) was recently identified in some gold deposits in the Fengxian‐Lixian area, Qinling. Au‐bearing quartz lodes related to magmatism were discovered in the Xiaogouli gold deposit. Two types of Au‐bearing quartz veins, i.e., NW‐trending quartz veins and NE‐trending quartz veins cutting strata are widely present in the Baguamiao gold deposit. Both are spatially associated with each other. The former is generally snake–like, S‐shape or zigzag, which was resulted from plastic deformation by ductile shearing, being generally cut by the latter. The latter is generally linear with widely developed bleaching alteration zones in its adjacent wall rocks, which symbolizes the superimposition of brittle deformation and filling and metasomatism of magmatic hydrothermal solution in ductile shear zones after uplifting of the shear zones near the surface. The NW‐trending quartz veins contain Au of lower than 3ppm. The NE‐trending quartz veins contain Au of more than 3 ppm, so that NE‐trending quartz veins and the adjoining altered rocks are important ores. The NW‐trending Au–bearing quartz vein was dated as 210.61.26 to 232.581.59 Ma by ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar method, i.e., late Indosinian epoch (Triassic). The NE‐trending Au–bearing quartz vein was dated as 131.910.89 to 197.451.13 Ma by ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar method, i.e., Yanshanian epoch (Jurassic). The ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar age of the NW‐trending Au–bearing quartz veins represents the age of the ductile shear formation. The isotope data of the NE‐trending quartz veins indicate that gold mineralization was closely related to Indosinian and Yanshanian granite intrusives not only in time and space, but also in origin.