Provenance of Precambrian Fe- and Al-rich Metapelites in the Yenisey Ridge and Kuznetsk Alatau, Siberia： Geochemical Signatures

Major, trace and rare earth element contents of Fe- and Al-rich metapelites from the Korda （Yenisey Ridge） and Amar （Kuznetsk Alatau） formations were determined to examine the nature, origin and evolution of their protoliths. Results indicate that these rocks are the redeposited and metamorphosed products of Precambrian kaolinitic weathering crusts, while the geochemical distinctions between the studied metapelites are determined by different weathering conditions in the source area and tectonic settings. The protolith of the Korda Formation metapelites was produced by erosion products of the post-Archean granitoid rocks, which accumulated under humid climate conditions in shallow-water basins along the continental margin. The geochemical characteristics of the deeper primary deposits of the Amar Formation suggest that volcanogenic material of mafic composition derived from an island-arc environment had a major role in supplying the erosion zone. These results agree with lithofacies data and with the geodynamic reconstruction of the evolution of the Yenisey Ridge and Kuznetsk Alatau during the Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic, respectively. It was shown that REEs had limited mobility during contact metamorphism. The coherent mobility of REEs during collisional metamorphism may be attributed both to mineral reactions responsible for modal changes and to local chemical heterogeneity inherited from the initial protolith.     

Zonal Metamorphic Complex in the Tongulack Mountain Ridge, Altai, Russia, and Explanation of Its Origin with the Help of Thermal Modelling

A moderate pressure / high temperature zonal metamorphic complex in the Tongulack Mountain Ridge, Altai, Russia, is described, and the applicability of the models of magmatic intrusion and fluid flow to explanation of its origin discussed. The Precambrian complex was formed at 500-700℃ and 3.0-5.5 kbars; it is a linear, 25-30 km wide, thermal anticline with a curved axis showing symmetric metamorphic zoning. The metamorphism was isochemical by its nature, as is corroborated by the chemical compositions of the rocks. Four zones can be recognized within the metamorphic complex: chloritic (on the peripheries), cordieritic, sillimanitic and staurolite-out (in the centre). The zones are separated by successive isograds: cordierite, staurolite-in or sillimanite and staurolite-out. It is argued that the origin of the metamorphic zoning can be explained best by a combined fluid-magmatic model; conductive heat flow from the intrusion predominated considerably over the fluid flux in heat transfer: the fluid flow     

Paleoproterozoic,High-Metamorphic,Metasedimentary Units of Siberian Craton

Abstract: Sensitive, high-resolution ion microprobe zircon U–Pb ages of Paleoproterozoic, high-grade, metasedimentary rocks from the south-western part of the Siberian Craton are reported. Early Precambrian, high-grade complexes, including garnet–biotite, hypersthene–biotite, and cordierite-bearing gneisses compose the Irkut terrane of the Sharyzhalgay Uplift. Protoliths of studied gneisses correspond to terrigenous sediments, ranging from greywacke to shale. The paragneiss model Nd ages of 2.4–3.1 Ga indicate Archean-to-Paleoproterozoic source provinces. Zircons from gneisses show core-rim textures in cathodoluminescence (CL) image. Round or irregular shaped cores indicate detrital origin. Structureless rims with low Th/U are metamorphic in origin. The three age groups of detrital cores are: ≥2.7, ~2.3, and 1.95–2 Ga. The ages of metamorphic rims range from 1.86 to 1.85 Ga; therefore, the sediments were deposited between 1.95 and 1.86 Ga and derived from Archean and Paleoproterozoic source rocks. It should be noted that Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Irkut Block are not unique. High-grade metaterrigenous sediments, with model Nd ages ranging from 2.3 to 2.5 Ga, are widely distributed within the Aldan and Anabar Shields of the Siberian Craton. The same situation is observed in the North China Craton, where metasedimentary rocks contain detrital igneous zircon grains with ages ranging from 3 to 2.1 Ga (Wan et al., 2006). All of these sedimentary units were subjected to Late Paleoproterozoic metamorphism. In the Siberian Craton, the Paleoproterozoic sedimentary deposits are possibly marked passive margins of the Early Precambrian crustal blocks, and their high-grade metamorphism was related to the consolidation of the Siberian Craton.