Mantle Xenoliths from the Southeastern Slave Craton: Evidence for Chemical Zonation in a Thick, Cold Lithosphere

We present the first data on the petrology of the mantle lithosphereof the Southeastern (SE) Slave craton, Canada. These are basedon petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical studies of mantlexenoliths in Pipe 5034 of the Cambrian Gahcho Kué kimberlitecluster. Major types of mantle xenoliths include altered eclogite,coarse garnet or spinel peridotite, and deformed garnet peridotite.The peridotites belong to the low-temperature suite and formedat T=600–1300°C and P= 25–80 kbar in a thick(at least 220–250 km), cool lithosphere. The SE Slavemantle is cooler than the mantle of other Archaean cratons andthat below other terranes of the Slave craton. The thick lithosphereand the relatively cool thermal regime provide favourable conditionsfor formation and preservation of diamonds beneath the SE Slaveterrane. Similar to average Archaean mantle worldwide, the SESlave peridotite is depleted in magmaphile major elements andcontains olivine with forsterite content of 91–93·5.With respect to olivine composition and mode, all terranes ofthe Slave mantle show broadly similar compositions and are relativelyorthopyroxene-poor compared with those of the Kaapvaal and Siberiancratons. The SE Slave spinel peridotite is poorer in Al, Caand Fe, and richer in Mg than deeper garnet peridotite. Thegreater chemical depletion of the shallow upper mantle is typicalof all terranes of the Slave craton and may be common for thesubcontinental lithospheric peridotitic mantle in general. Peridotiticxenoliths of the SE Slave craton were impregnated by kimberliticfluids that caused late-stage recrystallization of primary clinopyroxene,spinel, olivine and spinel-facies orthopyroxene, and formationof interstitial clinopyroxene. This kimberlite-related recrystallizationdepleted primary pyroxenes and spinel in Al. The kimberliticfluid was oxidizing, Ti-, Fe- and K-rich, and Na-poor, and introducedserpentine, chlorite, phlogopite and spinel into peridotitesat P < 35 kbar. KEY WORDS: kimberlite xenolith; lithosphere; mantle terrane; chemical zoning; thermobarometry; Slave craton     

Retrograded textures and associated mass transfer: evidence for aqueous fluid action during exhumation of the Qinglongshan eclogite, Southern Sulu ultrahigh pressure metamorphic terrane, eastern China

The Qinglongshan eclogites in the Southern Sulu ultrahigh pressure metamorphic (UHPM) terrane show very different retrograded textures from their counterparts in the Northern Sulu terrane, implying a different thermal history. Scanning electron and optical microscope observations indicate that the peak assemblage of the Qinglongshan eclogite is anhydrous, composed of Grt + OmpI + Rt + (Ky + coesite). These primary minerals were replaced by second and third stage minerals, resulting in symplectite pseudomorphs or coronas. The following relationships are inferred: OmpI → OmpII + Ab + Fe‐oxide symplectite (type I) and Rt → Rt + Ilm intergrowth; and, Ky → Pg, OmpII (+Pl) → Amp (+Pl) symplectite (type II), and Grt → Prg (+Fe‐oxide). Mineral chemistry and mass‐balance demonstrate that the pseudomorphed textures were developed by metasomatism involving dissolution and precipitation intensified by fluids along grain boundaries. The formation of symplectite type I produced Fe, Mg and Na but consumed Ca and Si. The Mg and Fe diffused to garnet where exchange of (Mg, Fe) with Ca of the garnet resulted in compositional zonation with decreased Ca towards the edge of garnet grains where Ca was consumed during symplectite formation. The replacement of kyanite by paragonite consumed the extra Na. In the later stage, fluid infiltration partially transformed symplectite type I to type II, and narrow rims of pargasite resorbed garnet from their boundaries. Mass balance suggests that the transformation and resorption would have been coupled during fluid infiltration. In the latest stage, epidote and quartz were precipitated at very late stage as a result of fluid activity along microfractures. Tentative P–T conditions based on mineral reactions and thermocalc software suggest that the retrograded eclogite did not record the granulite facies retrograde evolution characteristic of eclogites from the Northern Sulu terrane. The difference in retrograde evolution between the Southern and Northern Sulu eclogites suggests a different exhumation history.     

Age and tectonostratigraphic significance of the Upper Carboniferous series in the basement of the Andean Frontal Cordillera: Geodynamic implications

The age and tectonosedimentary environment of the Palaeozoic sediments on the Frontal Cordillera is not well known and earlier studies have been unable to satisfactorily explain the geological history of the basement of the Andes.In the vicinity of the old Castaño Viejo mine crop out various levels of partially metamorphosed microbialite limestones, which alternate with thin marly–lutitic interstrata. These levels contain abundant palynomorph remains, which allow the series to be dated as Silurian–Devonian. These data, together with the presence of warm climate fossils, lend support to the hypothesis of a major allochtony of the Chilenia Terrane (of which the Frontal Cordillera formed part), relative to the Cuyania Terrane (which included the Precordillera), prior to their amalgamation.Upper Carboniferous palynomorphs found during this study occur in association with resedimented palynomorphs and chitinozoa, of possible Devonian age. This demonstrates the equivalence of both fossiliferous series and their location within the upper part of the Upper Carboniferous Agua Negra Fm. The Silurian–Devonian elements, deformed during a phase prior to the Gondwanic orogeny, were eroded and transported to the foreland basin during the Upper Carboniferous.The palynomorph associations found in all samples correspond to the Ancistrospora palynological zone and to the Raistrickia densa–Convolutispora muriornata Biozone, which are indicative of Upper Carboniferous times. Characteristic forms such as Ancistrospora verrucosa and C. muriornata, both indicative of an Upper Carboniferous age, were found in samples from the Castaño Viejo area.Earlier interpretations of the Frontal Cordillera attributing the sedimentation to a palaeo-latitude at some distance from Gondwana, were based on the presence of Silurian–Devonian hot water stromatolithic limestones. Our results suggest that Cuyania and Chilenia were not necessarily separated by a great distance before their amalgamation. This in turn means that a large ocean was not necessarily consumed in the process.     

青藏高原拉萨地块西部念青唐古拉岩群的地球化学特征及构造意义

拉萨地块西部呈断块状沿狮泉河-申扎-嘉黎蛇绿混杂岩带附近分布的念青唐古拉岩群被认为是前寒武纪变质基底。本文对念青唐古拉岩群进行了系统的岩石学、地球化学、同位素年代学及构造地质学研究。研究结果表明片岩-片麻岩-变粒岩含十字石、石榴子石等特征变质矿物,遵循粒度分异规律,其原岩可能为来自冈瓦纳古陆核北缘中新元古代弧盆体系的活动大陆边缘浊积岩。斜长角闪岩具低硅、高铁镁、富钙的基性岩特征,其原岩为岛弧型基性火山岩。念青唐古拉岩群中的花岗伟晶岩锆石LA-ICPMS U-Pb年龄为1150±13Ma,具过铝质S型花岗岩地球化学特征,可能为中元古代(1150±13 Ma)以前就开始沉积的念青唐古拉岩群基底岩石通过部分熔融形成。与花岗伟晶岩渐变过渡接触的二云斜长片麻岩第一组变质重结晶锆石U-Pb年龄为701±15 Ma,结合十字石特征变质矿物,暗示了该地区中温高压变质作用的峰期变质,变质程度达角闪岩相;第二组热液流体锆石UPb年龄为301±8.4 Ma,可能与冈瓦纳大陆北缘古特提斯洋演化过程中的岩浆热液作用有关。     

西秦岭与赛什塘铜矿床有关的花岗质岩石岩浆源区特征及大地构造背景探讨

西秦岭赛什塘铜矿区内出露的三叠纪花岗质岩石有闪长玢岩、石英闪长岩、石英闪长玢岩、花岗斑岩和石英斑岩,其岩浆源区与形成构造环境可为古特提斯洋演化和区域成矿作用研究提供证据。岩石地球化学特征共同表明,这些花岗质岩石属于准铝质钙碱性-高钾钙碱性系列,为I型花岗岩;Mg#值变化较大(39~68),LREE富集,HREE亏损,(La/Yb)N比值介于8.50~22.9,具有Eu负异常,δEu介于0.28~0.78,同时富集大离子亲石元素Cs、Rb、K、Pb,亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta、Ti,呈现出与典型俯冲作用密切相关岛弧花岗岩相一致地球化学特征。石英闪长玢岩和石英斑岩SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年龄分别为219.0±2.3Ma和220.0±2.0Ma,锆石εHf(t)分别为-4.5~-2.1和-2.5~+1.0,对应二阶段模式年龄分别为1392~1544Ma和1190~1415Ma。结合前人对西秦岭三叠纪花岗岩以及其南侧阿尼玛卿蛇绿混杂带研究成果,本文认为赛什塘铜矿区花岗质岩石与西秦岭同时期花岗岩形成于与古特提斯洋向北俯冲密切相关的大陆边缘弧环境,其岩浆源区为中元古代下地壳变基性岩,且岩浆可能受到地幔物质混染。     

Exhumation of the Mesozoic Guojialing Granodiorite: Implication for the Preservation of Gold Deposits in the Jiaobei Terrane,China

Preservation conditions are very important for mineral systems and a suitable exhumation process is critical for endogenetic deposits, especially for those deposits formed in orogenic settings, where deposits are inclined to erode away due to strong uplift. The G uojialing batholith, intruding into the L inglong granites and the J iaodong G roup right before regional gold mineralization, is one of the most important gold ore‐hosting M esozoic intrusions in the J iaobei terrane. Gold deposits and the intrusion together underwent similar tectonothermal evolutionary processes. Exhumation and denudation process of the G uojialing granodiorite was constrained by biotite geobarometry and apatite fission track (FT ) analysis. Biotite geobarometric data yields an emplacement depth of 3.0 km, while denudation since 110 M a was calculated from the FT data at about 2.7 km. FT inverse modeling revealed a rapid uplift since ca 100 Ma. Compared with the gold ore‐forming depth which is confined between 2.5 and 9.5 km by fluid inclusion studies, great gold potential in the depths is inferred in the J iaobei terrane. Our result is consistent, to some extent, with the hypothesis of a M esozoic paleoplateau in E ast C hina.     

西藏西北部浅变质石英砂岩岩石学特征及其构造意义

羌塘盆地中央隆起带主要由浅变质石英砂岩组成,由于化石匮乏、变形强烈,长期以来对这套浅变质石英砂岩成因的争议颇大,导致了对藏西北地区前中生代构造演化的认识长期模糊不清,其中,何处才是冈瓦纳大陆北界就是一个长期争论的议题。在西藏西北部,近东西走向的布尔嘎错断裂带将北部的查多岗日地块与南部的南羌塘地块分隔开,浅变质石英砂岩广泛出露于这两地块之内。沿近东西走向布尔嘎错断裂带断续产出的冈玛错蓝片岩、蛇绿岩等岩片大体呈南北向逆冲于浅变质石英砂岩之上,因此早期曾认为布尔嘎错断裂带是冈瓦纳大陆之北界。本文的调查与研究发现查多岗日和南羌塘地块内浅变质石英砂岩岩相学特征完全相同,均主要由石英组成,遭受了绿片岩相的变质作用,形成了钠长石+绿泥石+白云母组合,充填于早期石英颗粒之间,钠长石交代钾长石。这两地的浅变质石英砂岩均被未变质钙质胶结的钾长石石英砂岩平行不整合覆盖。碎屑锆石的阴极发光分析与U-Pb定年结果进一步证实了查多岗日与南羌塘地块内浅变质石英砂岩内的锆石来源完全相同。这些证据充分反映了查多岗日与南羌塘地块早期构造演化过程相似,源自同一大陆。碎屑锆石定年结果进一步表明浅变质石英砂岩的最大沉积年龄为520±8Ma,该岩石再被约480Ma的花岗岩脉侵入,因此其很可能形成于晚寒武世,而不整合面之上沉积岩的最大沉积年龄为460±8Ma,表明该不整合面上、下沉积岩之间存在明显的沉积间断,证实了该平行不整合面形成于奥陶纪。不整合面之下的浅变质石英砂岩因此与杨耀等(2014)报道的荣玛组相同,不整合面之上未变质长石石英砂岩则属于中上奥陶统塔石山组。查多岗日地块因此是西藏境内最北端的冈瓦纳大陆的碎块。在西藏西北部,冈瓦纳大陆北界为龙木错-帮达错-(83°40'E、35°N)-红脊山-荣玛乡。布尔嘎错断裂带不是冈瓦纳大陆之北界。     

胶北地体荆山群禄格庄组沉积时代与物源——来自山东沐浴店地区长石石英岩碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄与稀土元素的新证据

荆山群禄格庄组是胶北地体古元古代变沉积岩系最重要的组成部分之一,准确测定其原岩沉积时代与物质源区,对进一步探讨荆山群与粉子山群之间的成因关系具有重要的地质意义。以山东莱阳沐浴店地区出露的禄格庄组长石石英岩为研究对象,通过对长石石英岩中碎屑锆石内部矿物包体、阴极发光图像、LA-ICP-MSU-Pb定年与稀土元素组成的综合研究发现,沐浴店地区禄格庄组长石石英岩的碎屑锆石207Pb/206Pb年龄介于2502~1970 Ma之间,其中最小一组碎屑锆石上交点年龄为2079 Ma,结合沐浴店地区禄格庄组记录了1934 Ma变质年龄,初步限定沐浴店地区荆山群禄格庄组的原岩沉积时代为2079~1934 Ma。综合以上研究及相关数据表明,荆山群禄格庄组、南辽河群里尔峪组和集安群蚂蚁河组的碎屑锆石都具有2200~2100 Ma的单峰年龄;而粉子山群小宋组-祝家夼组、北辽河群浪子山组与老岭群达台山组都以出现大于2500 M a的峰值年龄为特征。结合胶-辽-吉带的其他地质数据,推测粉子山群小宋组与祝家夼组沉积时可能靠近被动大陆边缘的一侧,而荆山群禄格庄组可能更靠近岩浆岛弧的一侧,二者可能属于同时异相沉积的产物。