俯冲洋壳的折返及其相关问题讨论

大洋俯冲带中高压(HP)和超高压(UHP)岩石的折返机制一直以来都是俯冲工厂中最不为人知的问题之一.本文根据搜集全球折返到地表的洋壳榴辉岩基础数据(包括岩石学特征、峰期温压条件和折返P-T轨迹),初步探讨了洋壳榴辉岩的折返机制.根据峰期矿物组合、温压条件和对应的地温梯度,典型大洋俯冲带中的榴辉岩可以分为三类:含柯石英的UHP硬柱石榴辉岩(2.7～ 3.2GPa,470 ～ 610℃,5～7℃/km)、HP硬柱石榴辉岩(1.7～2.6GPa,360～ 620℃,5～8℃/km)和HP绿帘石榴辉岩(1.5 ～2.3 GPa,540 ～ 630℃,7～12℃/km).与大陆俯冲碰撞造山带中的HP-UHP榴辉岩相比,洋壳榴辉岩具有较低的峰期温压条件和较高的低密度含水矿物的含量,但是普遍缺失高密度的蓝晶石.已有的俯冲洋壳的折返模式都基于一个假设:洋壳榴辉岩密度比周围地幔大.因此,洋壳榴辉岩的折返必须借助于低密度的蛇纹岩或者变沉积岩.MORB体系的热力学模拟研究表明,俯冲洋壳的矿物组合、矿物含量和密度主要受低密度含水矿物(如硬柱石、绿泥石、蓝闪石和滑石等)的稳定性控制,并且在同等深度条件下,冷俯冲洋壳的密度低于热俯冲洋壳的密度.经历冷俯冲(～6℃/km)洋壳的密度在＜ 110～ 120km(P ＜3.3 ～ 3.6GPa)的深度仍小于周围地幔,但是经历热俯冲(～ 1O℃/km)洋壳的密度在＞60km(P＞1.8GPa)的深度就已经超过周围地幔.结合高温高压实验资料和地球物理观察数据,我们认为在＞120km的深度,俯冲基性洋壳本身密度大于周围地幔,不存在低密度的地幔楔蛇纹岩(蛇纹石已发生分解),并且大洋板块的俯冲角度突然增大可能阻碍了更深部的低密度变沉积岩的折返.以上这三个方面的原因可能导致现今折返到地表的洋壳榴辉岩和变沉积岩的形成深度普遍小于120km.折返过程中硬柱石脱水分解会导致洋壳密度增大,退变形成的蓝晶石榴辉岩的密度大于周围地幔,无法折返,这可能是全球洋壳榴辉岩中普遍缺失蓝晶石的主要原因.     

Experimental constraints on phase relations in subducted continental crust

. Synthesis piston cylinder experiments were carried out in the range 2.0-4.5 GPa and 680-1,050 °C to investigate phase relations in subducted continental crust. A model composition (KCMASH) has been used because all major ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) minerals of the whole range of rock types typical for continental crust can be reproduced within this system. The combination of experimental results with phase petrologic constraints permits construction of a UHP petrogenetic grid. The phase relations demonstrate that the most important UHP paragenesis consists of coesite, kyanite, phengite, clinopyroxene, and garnet in subducted continental crust. Below 700 °C talc is stable instead of garnet. As most of these minerals are also stable at much lower pressure and temperature conditions it is thus not easy to recognize UHP metamorphism in subducted crust. A general feature, however, is the absence of feldspars at H₂O-saturated conditions. Plagioclase is never stable at UHP conditions, but K-feldspar can occur in H₂O-undersaturated rocks. Mineral compositions in the experiments are fully buffered by coexisting phases. The Si content of phengite and biotite increase with increasing pressure. At 4.0 GPa, 780 °C, biotite contains 3.28 Si per formula unit, which is most probably caused by solid solution of biotite with talc. Above 800 °C, the CaAl₂SiO₆ component in clinopyroxene buffered with kyanite, coesite and a Mg-phase increases with increasing temperature, providing a tool to distinguish between 'cold' and 'hot' eclogites. Up to 10% Ca-eskolaite (Ca_0.5[]_0.5AlSi₂O₆) in clinopyroxene has been found at the highest temperature and pressure investigated (>900 °C, 4.5 GPa). Garnet buffered with coesite, kyanite and clinopyroxene displays an increase of grossular component with increasing pressure for a given temperature. Although the investigated system represents a simplification with respect to natural rocks, it helps to constrain general features of subducted continental crust. The observed phase relations and phase compositions demonstrate that at pressures >3.0 GPa and temperatures >800 °C continental crust can retain significant amounts of H₂O (>1 wt%), whereas K-free mafic or ultramafic rocks are dry at these conditions. UHP parageneses are only preserved if the whole exhumation path is situated within the stability field of phengite, i.e. if there is cooling during exhumation or if the whole exhumation occurred at T <700 °C. In contrast, break down of phengite and concomitant partial melting in terranes that show isothermal decompression may lead to a complete recrystallization of the subducted crust during exhumation. The density of UHP rocks can be estimated on the basis of the established phase relations. Pelitic rocks are likely to have a density close to mantle rocks (3.3 g/cm³) because of significant amounts of dense garnet and kyanite whereas granitic rocks are less dense (3.0 g/cm³). Hence, subducted average continental crust is most probably buoyant with respect to mantle rocks and tends to get exhumed as soon as it is detached from the down-going slab. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00410-001-0336-3.     

Experimental evidence of decompression melting during exhumation of subducted continental crust

Experiments have been carried out on a metagreywacke at 800, 850 and 900°C, in the pressure range 0.5–5 GPa to locate the solidus and the eclogite/amphibolite facies transition in felsic rocks, identify the nature of the reactions responsible for major mineralogical changes, and determine the proportions of phases as a function of pressure. The mineral assemblage phengite + clinopyroxene + garnet + quartz/coesite is stable above 2.3 GPa while biotite + plagioclase + garnet + quartz is stable below 2 GPa. The model reaction for the eclogite/amphibolite facies transition in metagreywackes is:

When and why the continental crust is subducted: Examples of Hindu Kush and Burma

The Indian subcontinent has been colliding against Asia along the Himalayas. Hindu Kush and Burma in this collision zone have intermediate-depth seismicities beneath them, with most of the continental crust subducted into a few hundred km depth. The subduction, not collision, in these regions is an enigma long time. We show that the continental lithosphere subducted beneath Hindu Kush and Burma traveled over the Reunion and Kerguelen hotspots from 100 Ma to 126 Ma and is likely to have been metasomatized by upwelling plumes beneath those hotspots. The devolatilization of the metasomatized lithosphere impinging on the collision boundary would have provided a high pore fluid pressure ratio at the thrust zones and made the subduction of the continental lithosphere in these regions possible. The subducted lithosphere could give intermediate-depth seismicities by devolatilization embrittlement. Such subduction of hotspot-affected lithosphere without accompanying any oceanic plate would be one candidate for producing ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks by deep subduction of the continental crust.     

Tracing the 850-Ma continental flood basalts from a piece of subducted continental crust in the North Qaidam UHPM belt,NW China

A Paleozoic ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic (UHPM) belt extends along the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, North Tibetan Plateau. Eclogites in the Yuka eclogite terrane, northwest part of this UHPM belt, occur as blocks or layers of varying size intercalated with granitic and pelitic gneisses. These eclogites have protoliths geochemically similar to enriched-type mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORB) and oceanic island basalts (OIB). On the basis of Ti/Y ratios, they can be divided into low-Ti and high-Ti groups. The low-Ti group (LTG) eclogites exhibit relatively low TiO₂ (most <2.5 wt%) and Ti/Y (<500) but comparatively high Mg# (48–55), whereas the high-Ti group (HTG) eclogites have high TiO₂ (most >2.5 wt%) and Ti/Y (>500) but lower Mg# (46–52). Zircons from two eclogite samples gave a magmatic crystallization (protolith) age of ∼850 Ma and a UHPM age of ∼433 Ma. The occurrence, geochemical features and age data of the Yuka eclogites suggest that their protoliths are segments of continental flood basalts (CFBs) with a mantle plume origin, similar to most typical CFBs. Our observation, together with the tectonic history and regional geologic context, lend support for the large scale onset of mantle plume within the Rodinia supercontinent at ∼850 Ma. The Qaidam block is probably one of the fragments of the Rodinia supercontinent with a volcanic-rifted passive margin. The latter may have been dragged to mantle depths by its subducting leading edge of the oceanic lithosphere in the Early Paleozoic.     

The lower crust of the Gangdese magmatic arc,southern Tibet,implication for the growth of continental crust

Magmatic arcs are thought to be the primary sites of modern-day continental crustal growth, and arc crustal sections provide an exceptional opportunity to directly observe the geological processes that occur there, yet few deeply exposed arc sections are available for direct study. The Gangdese magmatic arc, southern Tibet, formed during the Mesozoic subduction of Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere and Cenozoic collision between the Indian and Asian continents, and represent juvenile continental crust. However, the petrological components and compositions of the lower crust of the Gangdese arc remain unknown. Based on detailed geological mapping, we conducted a systemic geochemical, geochronological and zircon Hf isotopic study of well-exposed high-grade metamorphic and migmatitic rocks from the lower crust of the eastern Gangdese arc. The results obtained show that Late Cretaceous garnet amphibolites, dioritic and granitic gneisses, and Paleocene–Eocene garnet amphibolites and granitic gneisses are the main components of the Gangdese lower arc crust. These meta-intrusive rocks witnessed a long period of magmatic, and metamorphic and anatectic processes from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Eocene, and have chemical compositions that range from ultramafic to felsic, with an average SiO₂ content of 57.61 wt% and Mg# value of 0.49. These new data indicate firstly that the Gangdese lower arc crust has an overall intermediate composition and typical feature of juvenile crusts, and therefore supports the recent proposition that continental lower crusts are relatively felsic in composition, instead of mafic. We consider that the downward transport of felsic intrusives and associated sedimentary rocks into the deep crustal levels and subsequent partial melting resulted in componential and compositional changes of the Gangdese arc lower crust over time. This is a potential key mechanism in transforming primary lower arc crust to mature continental lower crust for the magmatic arcs with a complete growth history.     

Nature and(in-)coherent metamorphic evolution of subducted continental crust in the Neoproterozoic accretionary collage of SW Mongolia

In continental subduction complexes minor volumes of high-pressure mafic rocks(eclogites) often co-exist with much more abundant felsic(granitic) and metasedimentary rocks, which are vital for resolving the origin and metamorphic evolution of subducted continental crust.In SW Mongolia, the Alag Khadny eclogite-bearing accretionary complex(AKC) is assumed to represent either a remnant of oceanic slab, or a continental margin,subducted in the Early Cambrian.Here we present geochronological, geochemical and petrological evidence of subduction records for the three major types of lithologies that host mafic eclogites, including Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic granitic basement and overlying Neoproterozoic continental-margin sediments.Variably deformed, ferroan and peraluminous metagranitoids compose a major part of AKC and are interlayered with eclogites in its southern and eastern margins.They have geochemical features of post-collisional/intraplate high-K calc-alkaline granites.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon geochronology of three distinct metagranite samples show uniform protolith crystallization ages of ca.0.96 Ga and uncertain re-crystallization in the Late Neoproterozoic or Early Paleozoic metamorphic event, whereas abundant zircon inheritance indicates older,Mesoproterozoic to Paleoproterozoic crustal substrate during granite generation.The existence of Mesoproterozoic crust is highlighted by finding of distinct metagranitoids with the U-Pb zircon crystallization age of ca.1.6 Ga.Hafnium isotope signatures(T_(DM)~C 2.88–1.85 Ga) of zircons from all lithologies preserved the evidence of reworked Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic crust, similar to that of the Baidrag block(southern Mongolia), for both Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic rocks.Regardless of the specific lithology, the rocks display indicators of high-pressure metamorphic re-equilibration, including garnet(X_(Ca)up to 0.65) + epidote +phengite(Si p.f.u.up to 3.56) ± rutile assemblage in metagranitoids, garnet + phengite(Si p.f.u.up to 3.42)in quartz-rich semi-pelites and garnet + phengite(Si p.f.u.up to 3.39) + medium-Mg chloritoid(X_(Mg)up to 0.25) + kyanite + rutile in metapelites.Corresponding P-T conditions recovered from different lithologies reveal incoherent subduction of rocks, which could be shallow for granitic basement(1.1–1.4 GPa and 600–670 ℃) and clastic metasediments(1.4–1.6 GPa, 570–620 ℃), but deeper for metapelites(2.1–2.3 GPa, 500–570 ℃).consistent with that of eclogites, The combined data show that the Alag Khadny complex represents a remnant of a rifted Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic(ca.1.6–0.96 Ga) continental margin consequently metamorphosed under HP conditions during Late Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian evolution of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt.Acquired P-T estimates imply that high-pressure metagranitoids and metasedimentary rocks equilibrated at different depths, but most likely shared a common subduction-related metamorphic evolution.     

Role of the subducted slab,mantle wedge and continental crust in the generation of adakites from the Andean Austral Volcanic Zone

 All six Holocene volcanic centers of the Andean Austral Volcanic Zone (AVZ; 49–54°S) have erupted exclusively adakitic andesites and dacites characterized by low Yb and Y concentrations and high Sr/Y ratios, suggesting a source with residual garnet, amphibole and pyroxene, but little or no olivine and plagioclase. Melting of mafic lower crust may be the source for adakites in some arcs, but such a source is inconsistent with the high Mg# of AVZ adakites. Also, the AVZ occurs in a region of relatively thin crust (<35 km) within which plagioclase rather than garnet is stable. The source for AVZ adakites is more likely to be subducted oceanic basalt, recrystallized to garnet-amphibolite or eclogite. Geothermal models indicate that partial melting of the subducted oceanic crust is probable below the Austral Andes due to the slow subduction rate (2 cm/year) and the young age (<24 Ma) of the subducted oceanic lithosphere. Geochemical models for AVZ adakites are also consistent with a large material contribution from subducted oceanic crust (35–90% slab-derived mass), including sediment (up to 4% sediment-derived mass, representing approximately 15% of all sediment subducted). Variable isotopic and trace-element ratios observed for AVZ adakites, which span the range reported for adakites world-wide, require multistage models involving melting of different proportions of subducted basalt and sediment, as well as an important material contribution from both the overlying mantle wedge (10–50% mass contribution) and continental crust (0–30% mass contribution). Andesites from Cook Island volcano, located in the southernmost AVZ (54°S) where subduction is more oblique, have MORB-like Sr, Nd, Pb and O isotopic composition and trace-element ratios. These can be modeled by small degrees (2–4%) of partial melting of eclogitic MORB, yielding a tonalitic parent (intermediate SiO₂, CaO/Na₂O>1), followed by limited interaction of this melt with the overlying mantle (≥90% MORB melt, ≤10% mantle), but only very little (≤1%) or no participation of either subducted sediment or crust. In contrast, models for the magmatic evolution of Burney (52°S), Reclus (51°S) and northernmost AVZ (49–50°S) andesites and dacites require melting of a mixture of MORB and subducted sediment, followed by interaction of this melt not only with the overlying mantle, but the crust as well. Crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) processes and the mass contribution from the crust become more significant northwards in the AVZ as the angle of convergence becomes more orthogonal. Received: 1 March 1995 / Accepted: 13 September 1995     

Multiple zircon growth during fast exhumation of diamondiferous, deeply subducted continental crust (Kokchetav Massif, Kazakhstan)

Diamondiferous rocks from the Kokchetav Massif, Kazakhstan, represent deeply subducted continental crust. In order to constrain the age of ultra high pressure (UHP) metamorphism and subsequent retrogression during exhumation, zircons from diamondiferous gneisses and metacarbonates have been investigated by a combined petrological and isotopic study. Four different zircon domains were distinguished on the basis of transmitted light microscopy, cathodoluminescence, trace element contents and mineral inclusions. Mineral inclusions and trace element characteristics of the zircon domains permit us to relate zircon growth to metamorphic conditions. Domain 1 consists of rounded cores and lacks evidence of UHP metamorphism. Domain 2 contains diamond, coesite, omphacite and titanian phengite inclusions providing evidence that it formed at UHP metamorphic conditions (P>43 kbar; T~950 °C). Domain 3 is characterised by low-pressure mineral inclusions such as garnet, biotite and plagioclase, which are common minerals in the granulite-facies overprint of the gneisses (P~10 kbar; T~800 °C). This multi-stage zircon growth during cooling and exhumation of the diamondiferous rocks can be best explained by zircon growth from Zr-saturated partial melts present in the gneisses. Domain 4 forms idiomorphic overgrowths and the rare earth element pattern indicates that it formed without coexisting garnet, most probably at amphibolite-facies conditions (P~5 kbar; T~600 °C). The metamorphic zircon domains were dated by SHRIMP ion microprobe and yielded ages of 527LJ, 528NJ and 526LJ Ma for domains 2, 3 and 4 respectively. These indistinguishable ages provide evidence for a fast exhumation beyond the resolution of SHRIMP dating. The mean age of all zircons formed between UHP metamorphic conditions and granulite-facies metamorphism is 528Dž Ma, indicating that decompression took place in less than 6 Ma. Hence, the deeply subducted continental crust was exhumed from mantle depth to the base of the crust at rates higher than 1.8 cm/year. We propose a two-stage exhumation model to explain the obtained P-T-t path. Fast exhumation on top of the subducted slab from depth >140 to ~35 km was driven by buoyancy and facilitated by the presence of partial melts. A period of near isobaric cooling was followed by a second decompression event probably related to extension in a late stage of continental collision.     

White mica trace element and boron isotope evidence for distinctive infiltration events during exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust

ABSTRACT

Previous study of subducted continental crust within the Luliang Shan terrane in Northwest China has documented metasomatic formation of thick, hydrated phengite + garnet-rich selvages at the interface between mafic eclogite blocks and quartzofeldspathic host gneiss. Whole rock concentrations of Cs and Ba within the selvage are enriched by two orders of magnitude relative to the eclogite blocks and host gneiss. We performed in situ ion microprobe analyses of Li, Be, B, Rb, Sr, Cs and Ba and δ¹¹B of phengite within the Luliang Shane terrane to better constrain the source(s) of the infiltrating fluid. The phengite within the selvage are enriched in Li, Cs and Ba and yield δ¹¹B values between ?30‰ and ?9‰, values that are lower than mantle values. High Ba/Rb, Cs/Rb coupled with low B/Be, B/Li and highly negative δ¹¹B values indicate that the high-pressure fluid that formed the selvage was derived from highly devolatilized rocks within the subduction channel. In contrast, muscovite, which crystallized in the adjacent host gneiss during a subsequent lower pressure phase of fluid infiltration at approximately 0.9 GPa depths, has much lower Li, Cs and Ba relative to the high-pressure phengite. These retrograde muscovite have very high concentrations of B (up to 5500 ppm) and Be (up to 50 ppm) and high (?2 to +8‰) δ¹¹B values that are consistent with crystallization from a fluid derived from shallower and less devolatilized regions of the subduction zone. Additional host gneiss samples, regionally distributed and kilometres away from the studied area lack the B-rich signature and indicate that the late stage fluids were likely localized to the region near the studied traverse.     

深俯冲陆壳部分熔融初始熔体的厘定:来自苏鲁超高压地体混合岩中浅色体证据

深俯冲陆壳物质部分熔融产生的熔体,实验岩石学方面已有广泛报道,而天然初始熔体的组分却难以厘定。对此,本文从苏鲁超高压地体荣成混合岩中识别出了深俯冲花岗质陆壳部分熔融产生的天然初始熔体组成。野外露头显示,混合岩中主要矿物组成为钾长石+斜长石+石英的浅色熔体呈不连续的条带状与残余体互层产出,指示了原位或近源区的部分熔融特征。混合岩浅色体锆石CL图像呈明显的核-边结构,继承核部为扬子板块来源的岩浆锆石,形成时代为721±24Ma;新生边部CL图像具震荡环带结构,微量元素上REE呈明显左倾,具有Eu的负异常及Ce的正异常,低的Hf/Y和Th/U比值,具深熔锆石特征,指示形成于花岗质陆壳物质的部分熔融。边部U-Pb谐和年龄为225.9±2Ma,略晚于苏鲁超高压地体超高压峰期变质年龄,表明初始熔融发生在超高压地体折返早期。浅色熔体的全岩地球化学特征表明,主量元素上具有高SiO_2、K_2O及Na_2O含量,低的Fe_2O_3~T、MgO及CaO含量,A/CNK=1.02~1.04,呈弱过铝质亚碱性花岗岩的特征,这与实验岩石学中富硅陆壳物质部分熔融产生的熔体组分极为相近;微量元素上富集大离子亲石元素(如Rb、Ba、Pb等),亏损Nb、Ta、Ti等高场强元素,REE呈较为平坦的配分模式,具弱的Eu负异常并亏损Sr。本文通过上述对天然样品研究,厘定了深俯冲花岗质陆壳部分熔融及其初始熔体的组成,为理解大陆俯冲带壳幔相互作用提供了关键依据。     

The formation of foliated (garnet-bearing) granites in the Tongbai-Dabie orogenic belt: partial melting of subducted continental crust during exhumation

Foliated (garnet-bearing) (FGB) granites are associated closely with and are usually the major wall rocks of the high-pressure (HP) and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks in the Tongbai-Dabie region, the mid segment of the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in central China. These granites appear either as small plutons or as veins, which commonly intrude into or surround the HP and UHP metamorphic eclogites or gneisses. The veins of FGB granites usually penetrate into the retrograded eclogites or gneisses along the foliations. Condensation rims can occasionally be found along the margins of granite veins. These granites are rich in Si and alkali with high Ga/Al ratios, and depleted in Ca, Mg, Al, Ti, Sc, V, Ni, Co, Cr and Sr, which are similar to A-type granites. In a chondrite normalized diagram, the samples are light rare earth elements enriched with different extent of negative Eu anomaly. Moreover, Rb, Nb, Ta, Sr, P and Ti show different degrees of negative anomalies, whereas Ba, K, La, Zr and Hf show positive anomalies in the primitive mantle normalized diagram. Negative anomalies of Eu and Sr indicate strong influence of plagioclase. In conventional discrimination diagrams, these FGB granites belong to the A-type granite, with geochemical characteristics affinitive to post-collisional granites. The εNd (230 Ma) values (−15.80 to −2.52) and T _DM values (1.02–2.07 Ga) suggest that magma for the FGB granites were derived from a heterogeneous crustal source. Therefore, the FGB granites may provide clues for deciphering the formation of post-collisional granites. It is proposed that the magma of the FGB granites both in the HP and UHP units was formed in an extensional tectonic setting slightly post-dating the HP and UHP metamorphism, most likely as a result of decompressional partial melting of UHP retrograded eclogites during exhumation.     

Geochronology and geochemistry of subducted Cadomian continental basement in central Iran: Decompressional anatexis along the Jurassic Neotethys margin

Late Neoproterozoic-Early Cambrian calc-alkaline granitoids are ubiquitous in the continental basement of Iran and indicate formation within a Cadomian arc system at the northern margin of Gondwana. A basement complex comprising mainly mica schist, paragneisses, and metagranite along with metabasite and rare pegmatite is exposed in the Zayanderud region north of Shahrekord located in the hinterland of the Zagros mountain range. This complex is unique in the Neotethyan realm because it includes eclogites with Jurassic metamorphic ages implying involvement of continental crust at the onset of subduction. Ion microprobe UPb zircon dating along with trace element and oxygen isotope analyses for metagranites define two zircon age clusters of ca. 552 and 565 Ma confirming connection with the other Ediacaran age basement arc plutons in the belt. Zircon geochronology for pegmatite, by contrast, yielded a concordant age population averaging 176.5 ± 3.3 (2σ) Ma. Zircon crystals from the pegmatite also have unusually low rare earth element (REE) abundances with sharp increases towards the heavy REE. Along with an absence of a negative Eu anomaly, this indicates a high-grade metamorphic origin of zircon crystallizing from a pegmatite which was formed by melting of mica schist and possibly amphibole eclogite during decompression where incipient garnet breakdown released Zr and HREE to form zircon, and LREE were retained in stable apatite and titanite. Corresponding ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar phengite dates from the pegmatite and the mica schist country-rock are overlapping with or only slightly postdate the UPb zircon ages, indicating rapid cooling after reaching maximum metamorphic pressure in the Early Jurassic. The Zayanderud basement complex is thus potentially a rare example of deep burial of continental crust and rapid exhumation due to buoyant escape during the incipient stages of subduction, well before the ultimate closing of the Neotethys ocean basin between Arabia and Eurasia in the mid-Tertiary.     

Microstructures, petrofabrics and seismic properties of ultra high-pressure eclogites from Sulu region, China: implications for rheology of subducted continental crust and origin of mantle reflections

Ultra high-pressure (UHP) eclogites from Sulu region (China) represent mafic components of the continental crust, which were first subducted to mantle depths greater than 100 km and then exhumed to the earth's surface. Detailed investigation of microstructures, chemical compositions, petrofabrics and seismic properties of the UHP eclogites can provide important information on the operating deformation mechanisms and rheology of subducted continental crust and on the origin of seismic reflections within the upper mantle. We present here results from field, optical and TEM observations, electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) measurements and numerical computations of the seismic properties of UHP eclogites collected from fresh surface outcrops at the drill site (Maobei, Donghai County, Jiangsu Province) of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Program (CCSD). Two types of eclogites have been distinguished: Type-1 (coarse-grained) eclogites deformed by recovery-accommodated dislocation creep at the peak metamorphic conditions, and Type-2 (fine-grained) eclogites which are composed of reworked Type-1 materials during recrystallization-accommodated dislocation creep in shear zones which were active during the exhumation of the UHP metamorphic rocks. Both garnet and omphacite in these eclogites deformed plastically and the flow strength contrast between these two constituent minerals is apparently much less than an order of magnitude under the UHP metamorphic conditions. Plasticity of eclogites under UHP conditions can effectively facilitate channeled flow along the interplate shear zone. The preservation of the relict crustal materials within the continental lithosphere may produce regionally extensive, strong, seismic reflections in the upper mantle. This may explain the origin of mantle reflections observed in many areas of the world.     

Adakitic rocks derived from the partial melting of subducted continental crust: Evidence from the Eocene volcanic rocks in the northern Qiangtang block

Eocene is a critical time for the elevation of Tibetan Plateau and global climate change, and previous studies suggested that the Eocene elevation was caused by intra-continental subduction of the Songpan–Garze block beneath the Qiangtang block. This paper reports zircon U–Pb age and geochemistry of the Eocene volcanic rocks from the Zuerkenwula mountain area in the northern part of Qiangtang block, and proposes that both slab break-off of the Neo-Tethys oceanic slab along the Bangong–Nujiang suture and intra-continental subduction of the Songpan–Garze block beneath the Qiangtang block caused the extensive partial melting of lithospheric mantle and subducted Songpan–Garze continental crust, which resulted in the significant elevation of the Tibetan Plateau. The volcanic rocks have LA-ICP MS U–Pb zircon age of 40.25 ± 0.15 Ma (MSWD = 2.1, 2σ), which is contemporaneous with the Eocene eclogites in the Great Himalayan and K-rich lavas in the southeastern Tibet. They display some adakitic characteristics with SiO₂ = 57.44 to 68.72%, TiO₂ = 0.38 to 0.81%, Na₂O = 2.89 to 4.35%, K₂O = 2.77 to 4.48%, Al₂O₃ = 13.92 to 18.22%, A/CNK = 0.69 to 1.03, MgO = 0.27 to 5.86% with Mg# ranging from 13.2 to 72.0, strongly depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) (Yb = 0.92 to 1.51 ppm and Y = 10.1 to 24.1 ppm), in combination with their positive Sr anomalies, high Sr/Y ratios and no significant Eu anomalies, which suggest a garnet-in and plagioclase-free source residue. These volcanic rocks can be divided into high-Mg# (> 45) and low-Mg# (< 45) groups. Both of the two groups share evolved Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.707412–0.708284; ε_Nd(t) = ? 4.0 to ? 5.7; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18.7499–18.8189, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 15.7189–15.7384; ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 39.166–39.262. The geophysical data and regional geological setting suggest that the low-Mg# adakitic rocks were derived from the decompression melting of a subducted lower continental crust, when low-Mg# adakitic melts in the overlying peridotite mantle wedge captured some olivine crystals, resulting in their elevated Mg# and MgO values.     

Isotopic constraints on age and duration of fluid-assisted high-pressure eclogite-facies recrystallization during exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust in the Sulu orogen

Fluid availability during high‐grade metamorphism is a critical factor in dictating petrological, geochemical and isotopic reequilibration between metamorphic minerals, with fluid‐absent metamorphism commonly resulting in neither zircon growth/recrystallization for U‐Pb dating nor Sm‐Nd isotopic resetting for isochron dating. While peak ultra‐high pressure (UHP) metamorphism is characterized by fluid immobility, high‐pressure (HP) eclogite‐facies recrystallization during exhumation is expected to take place in the presence of fluid. A multichronological study of UHP eclogite from the Sulu orogen of China indicates zircon growth at 216 ± 3 Ma as well as mineral Sm‐Nd and Rb‐Sr reequilibration at 216 ± 5 Ma, which are uniformly younger than UHP metamorphic ages of 231 ± 4 to 227 ± 2 Ma as dated by the SHRIMP U‐Pb method for coesite‐bearing domains of zircon. O isotope reequilibration was achieved between the Sm‐Nd and Rb‐Sr isochron minerals, but Hf isotopes were not homogenized between different grains of zircon. The HP eclogite‐facies recrystallization is also evident from petrography. Thus this process occurred during exhumation with fluid availability from decompression dehydration of hydrous minerals and the exsolution of hydroxyl from nominally anhydrous minerals. This provides significant amounts of internally derived fluid for extensive retrogression within the UHP metamorphosed slabs. Based on available experimental diffusion data, the consistent reequilibration of U‐Pb, Sm‐Nd, Rb‐Sr and O isotope systems in the eclogite minerals demonstrates that time‐scale for the HP eclogite‐facies recrystallization is c. 1.9–9.3 Myr or less. This provides a maximum estimate for duration of the fluid‐facilitated process in the HP eclogite‐facies regime during the exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust.     

Multistage metamorphism of the Huangtuling granulite, Northern Dabie Orogen, eastern China: implications for the tectonometamorphic evolution of subducted lower continental crust

Granulites from Huangtuling in the North Dabie metamorphic core complex in eastern China preserve rare mineralogical and mineral chemical evidence for multistage metamorphism related to Palaeoproterozoic metamorphic processes, Triassic continental subduction‐collision and Cretaceous collapse of the Dabie Orogen. Six stages of metamorphism are resolved, based on detailed mineralogical and petrological studies: (I) amphibolite facies (6.3–7.0 kbar, 520–550 °C); (II) high‐pressure/high‐temperature granulite facies (12–15.5 kbar, 920–980 °C); (III) cooling and decompression (4.8–6.0 kbar, 630–700 °C); (IV) medium‐pressure granulite facies (7.7–9.0 kbar, 690–790 °C); (V) low‐pressure/high‐temperature granulite facies (4.0–4.7 kbar, 860–920 °C); (VI) retrograde greenschist facies overprint (1–2 kbar, 340–370 °C). The P–T history derived in this study and existing geochronological data indicate that the Huangtuling granulite records two cycles of orogenic crustal thickening events. The earlier three stages of metamorphism define a clockwise P–T path, implying crustal thickening and thinning events, possibly related to the assembly and breakup of the Columbia Supercontinent at c. 2000 Ma. Stage IV metamorphism indicates another crustal thickening event, which is attributed to Triassic subduction/collision between the Yangtze and Sino‐Korean Cratons. The dry lower crustal granulite persisted metastably during the Triassic subduction/collision because of the lack of hydrous fluid and deformation. Stage V metamorphism records the Cretaceous collapse of the Dabie Orogen, possibly due to asthenosphere upwelling or removal of the lithospheric mantle resulting in heating of the granulite and partial melting of the North Dabie metamorphic core complex. Comparison of the Huangtuling granulite in North Dabie and the high‐pressure–ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphic rocks in South Dabie indicates that the subducted upper (South Dabie) and lower (North Dabie) continental crusts underwent contrasting tectonometamorphic evolution during continental subduction‐collision and orogenic collapse.     

大陆边缘弧岩浆成因与大陆地壳形成

大陆地壳如何形成是国际学术界长期关注并正在持续攻关的一个重大基础科学问题。活动陆缘弧的岩浆成因和密度分选过程是理解大陆地壳形成机制和演化过程的关键。北美白垩纪Cordilleran大陆边缘弧的形成可能经历了与底侵幔源岩浆有关的下地壳部分熔融和岩浆混合,或幔源初始玄武质岩浆的两阶段成分分异过程,以花岗质成分为主的北美内华达地区垂向地壳成分剖面结构可能与榴辉岩相残留体或堆晶岩的拆沉作用密切相关。目前并不清楚亚洲大陆南部以约200 Ma和约90 Ma两个时间断面为代表的中生代冈底斯弧,为何出现大量角闪石岩并具有玄武安山质的平均成分。探究中生代冈底斯弧的岩浆成因、地壳垂向成分结构和地壳形成机制可能有助于或多或少地解决这一问题。