Announcement

The Precambrian rocks of the St. Malo region are grouped into two tectono-stratigraphical units which are correlated with the Pentevrian Complex (a pre-900 Ma basement) and the Brioverian succession (a cover sequence deposited sometime during the interval 900-650 Ma) recognized elsewhere within the Precambrian of the Armorican Massif of France and the Channel Islands. The Pentevrian Complex in this region is composed of metasediments, metatexites (migmatites) and diatexites (anatectic granodiorites). The Brioverian succession is represented by a sequence of turbidites which have undergone only greenschist facies metamorphism. Rocks assigned to the Pentevrian Complex in the St. Malo region preserve the effects of at least four episodes of deformation and two episodes of migmatization all of which occurred prior to the deposition of the turbidites. Three episodes of deformation have affected the Brioverian succession in response to the late Precambrian Cadomian orogeny. Thus two distinct groups of Precambrian metasediments, with different structural-metamorphic histories, are present in the St. Malo region. Cadomian deformation of the Pentevrian Complex is heterogeneous, the strain being largely confined to ductile shear belts. Brief comparison is made with other areas of Precambrian rocks in the northern part of the Armorican Massif.     

Imagerie sismique de la zone de collision hercynienne dans le Sud-Est du Massif armoricain (projet Armor 2/programme Géofrance 3D)

The structure of the Hercynian collision zone in the southeast of the Armorican Massif is illustrated by a 70-km long deep seismic profile acquired in September 2000. The profile images a previously unknown south-dipping thrust that brought the Champtoceaux Domain on top of the Central Armorican Domain during Carboniferous times. Dextral strike-slip motions along the South Armorican Shear Zone, which is downward cut by the thrust zone, are partly coeval with northward thrusting. A major discontinuity, hidden by the thrust front, is also imaged in the lower crust between the Champtoceaux area and the Central Armorican Domain. These new data lead to a structural and kinematic re-interpretation of this part of the Hercynian collision zone. To cite this article: A. Bitri et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Anatomy of the Mondoñedo Nappe basal shear zone (NW Spain)

This paper analyses a major shear zone from the Iberian Hercynian belt which forms the basal thrust of the Mondoñedo Nappe. The shear zone developed by ductile deformation under amphibolite facies metamorphic conditions and later by brittle-ductile deformation in greenschists facies. Folds in the shear zone are asymmetric, very tight, 1C or similar class and frequently developing sheath geometries. The sheath folds originated by non-coaxial flow superimposed on earlier irregularities. The fabric of quartzitic rocks in the shear zone changes from bottom to top from ultramylonites through blastomylonitic rocks to non-mylonitic tectonites. c-axis fabrics vary across the shear zone, but show a dominant monoclinic symmetry. The blastomylonitic rocks include the fabrics representing the highest temperatures. The main foliation of the schists results from flattening of an earlier foliation, recording occasional microfolds. The use of different kinematic criteria has allowed an analysis of their validity as well as an assessment of movement direction towards the foreland of the orogen.     

Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous peak sulphide mineralization in the Western Hercynides

The Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous (Dinantian) within the Western Hercynides is marked by the formation of volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits: Chessy and Chizeuil in the Brévenne and Somme successions of the French Massif Central; Bodennec and La Porte-aux-Moines in the Châteaulin Basin of the French Armorican Massif; Rio Tinto, Neves-Corvo, Tharsis, etc., in the Volcano-Sedimentary formation of the Iberian Pyrite Belt; and Ketara, Draa Sfar and Hajar in the Jebilet-Guemassa district of the Moroccan Southern Meseta. Although these deposits show a slightly diachronous emplacement in response to a progressive migration of the metalliferous event from Late Devonian in France to Dinantian in Morocco, it is nevertheless possible to define an overall metalliferous ‘‘peak” around 350 Ma. The mineralization of the Armorican, Iberian and Moroccan sectors took place in epicontinental domains of the outer zone of the Hercynian belt, whereas that of the northeastern Massif Central occurred within the inner zone of the belt. This difference is registered by variations both in the geochemical characteristics of the ores (Sn in the outer zone and Mo-Ni in the inner zone) and in their lead isotopic signatures (clear mantle participation exclusively in the inner zone). In many cases the ores appear to be closely related to the felsic member of a bimodal magmatic association, although the massive sulphide deposits in the outer zone are more commonly associated with sedimentary rocks whereas those in the inner zone are hosted by felsic volcanic rocks. Another feature that should be noted is that the host sequences of the massive sulphide deposits commonly seem to be underlain by chaotic formations (notably with olistoliths) reflecting the beginning of Hercynian orogenic activity in the outer zone. It can be concluded that the peak mineralization took place within tensional domains developed during a period of plate convergence, and that it occurred around 350 Ma after a major period of Devonian compression but before the Carboniferous continental closure.     

Gondwana break-up and the northern margin of the Saxothuringian belt (Variscides of Central Europe)

At the northwestern edge of the Hercynian Bohemian Massif (Saxothuringian belt) new U-Pb zircon age data from rift-related magmatic rocks indicate that the initiation of Gondwana break-up in this area started during the Middle to Upper Cambrian. Magmatic rocks from a bimodal, MORB- to within-plate volcanic sequence in the Vesser area are dated between ca. 517 and 501 Ma. The volcaniclastic sequences analysed exhibit basal layers of conglomerates and mature sandstones, which can be correlated with a widespread Gondwana-derived onlap horizon of an uppermost Cambrian/Tremadocian age that links the Vesser area with the Saxothuringian continental basin. The association of the Vesser rocks with the Saxothuringian terrane as part of the Armorican terrane assemblage is further demonstrated by a coeval magmatic development and by identical detrital components which are derived from a common Cadomian basement (white mica with a ca. 539 Ma K-Ar minimum age and inherited zircon signatures). The Vesser unit, situated between the NW margin of the Saxothuringian zone and the Mid-German Crystalline Zone, probably represents a N-facing remnant of an ocean-continent transition of the, or within the, Armorican terrane assemblage and involves sections of the early break-up process at the peri-Gondwanan shelf south of the Rheic ocean.     

新疆卡瓦布拉克大型剪切带及成矿有利地段

在东天山“中天山结晶轴”南部的卡瓦布拉克－星星峡一带,存在一条长达500km以上的大型韧性剪切带。该带中发育有变形花岗闪长岩、蛇纹石化超基性岩、辉长岩侵入体、硅质岩和砾岩,说明在中天山前寒武纪地块与塔里木基底之间存在一条构造混杂岩带,韧性剪切带叠加在在构造混杂岩带上。该韧性剪切带宏观几何分布、次级构造组合、叠加变形特征均与康古尔塔格韧性剪切带极为相似。其中大洼地东部、沙垅铁矿南部和双峰山地区是金、铅、锌、铜成矿的有利区段。     

Early Precambrian Crustal Evolution in the Northern Margin of the North China Craton: Constraints from Zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf Isotopes

Northern Hebei province, one of important Precambrian metamorphic areas, is located in the middle segment of northern margin of the North China Craton. Precambrian rocks in this area are subdivided into two units by the Chaiwopu-Dantazi ductile shear zone.     

U-Pb ages of zircons from meta-igneous and meta-sedimentary rocks of the Sierra de Guadarrama: implications for the Central Iberian crustal evolution

U-Pb data of zircons from various gneisses of the eastern Sierra de Guadarrama, Central Spain, make it possible to reconstruct the pre-Hercynian and Hercynian history of this area: (1) upper intercept ages (2400 Ma for meta-igneous and 2000 Ma for meta-sedimentary rocks) of discordias defined by data of anhedral zircon fractions document the existence of Early Proterozoic crust; (2) lower intercept minimum ages of anhedral zircon fractions show radiogenic lead loss at about 540 Ma due to a thermal event leading to volcanism and emplacement of granitoid rocks into Precambrian crust: growth of euhedral zircons is possibly related to this event; (3) lower intercept minimum ages of about 380 Ma defined by anhedral zircon fractions in meta-sedimentary rocks prove an Early Hercynian event. According to present knowledge on the metamorphism in the Sierra de Guadarrama this event could be explained in terms of a Barrow-type medium-pressure metamorphism. The inferred Cadomian igneous event relates the geological history of Central Spain with that of western Africa to the south and Brittany to the north. Furthermore, similarities of the crustal evolution in the area studied and other internal zones of the Hercynian belt (Moldanubian zone, French Central Massiv) are confirmed. The Early Hercynian event for the first time affected all the rocks of the area together. The pre-Hercynian evolution of the two complexes is different and the present association of the basement rocks may be explained by thrusting or in terms of Early-Hercynian nappe transport.     

The Hercynian orogeny in the South Armorican Massif (Saint-Georges-sur-Loire Unit, Ligerian Domain, France): rifting and welding of continental stripes

A new approach to explain the Western Hercynian Belt is given by a lithological and structural study of the St-Georges-sur-Loire Unit (southern part of the French Armorican Massif). This unit is interpreted as a Devonian olistostrome sheared to the North. It is formed in an accretionary prism linked with a south-dipping subduction zone, called the Layon subduction zone. It results from a chaotic sedimentation including exotic blocks of various lithologies and ages in a Middle Devonian pebbly mudstone matrix. An inovative geodynamic model involving microblock rifting and collision is discussed to explain the presence of the St-Georges-sur-Loire Unit in the Armorican Massif. This model involves two Palaeozoic subductions and emphasizes the role of the Nort-sur-Erdre fault, considered as a major polyphase suture zone separating South and Central Armorica.     

Gold Deposits in Beishan Mountain, Northwestern China

Abstract. The Beishan Mountain spans three provinces ‐ Gansu, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, having an area of 120,000 km² Tectonically, it transverses three different tectonic units, i.e. Siberia, Kazakhstan and Tarim plates, and is composed of nine ter‐rains with widely exposed Precambrian and Paleozoic strata, complex structures, intensive magmatic activities and widespread ore deposits. It is not only a main part of Tianshan‐Yinshan‐Great Hinggan metallogenic belt in China, but also a key to under‐stand the evolution of central‐Asian orogenic system. At present, more than 100 gold deposits and prospects have been discovered, explored and mined, among which Nanjinshan, Mazhuangshan, Liushashan, Jinwozi, Zhaobishan and Xiaoxigong are the most important ones. Based on the host rocks and the geological features, all these gold occurrences can be subdivided into three groups (or types): (1) hosted by Carboniferous or Permian volcanic or subvolcanic rocks; (2) hosted by or related to plutonic intrusions; and (3) hosted by Precambrian metamorphic rocks. The first group includes the Mazhuangshan gold deposit, which occurs in Hercynian quartz por‐phyry and rhyolite porphyry as gold‐bearing quartz veins. The second group is composed of the Liushashan, Nanjinshan Zhaobishan and Jinwozi gold deposits. Gold mineralization at these four deposits occurs within Hercynian granitoids intrusion: or late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks as quartz veins, veinlets and altered rocks. The Xiaoxigong gold deposit belongs to the third group, and is hosted by Precambrian schist, amphibolite and migmatite as quartz veins and altered rocks. Isotopic age dating data, geological and geochemical evidence suggest that most of the groups 1 and 2 gold deposits were generated during the emplacement of the Hercynian or partly Indosinian intrusions. These intrusions may provide both heat and metals for groups 1 and 2 deposits. In contrast, although the formation is closely related to the Hercynian magma‐tism, the ore‐forming materials of the group 3 deposits may not only come from the intrusions, but also from the Precambrian metamorphic rocks.     

甘肃敦煌-北山早前寒武纪岩石组合-构造初步框架

甘肃敦煌－北山地区广泛出露早前寒武纪岩石。这些岩石在早期的《甘肃省区域地质志》中被确定为前长城系、长城系、奥陶－志留系及部分石炭系。本文认为这些岩石应属太古宙和古元古代。据此，重新厘定了该区早前寒式纪岩石－构造框架。自南向北划分为敦煌太古宙杂岩区、北山南带古元古代剪切构造区和北山北带古元古代－太古宙杂岩区，并根据变形特点和岩石组合，进一步划分出次级带。     

夹皮沟金矿床的成矿时代讨论

产于太古宙中深变质岩中的金矿床在我国华北东北地区分布很广,成矿时代主要靠同位素年龄及其与后期岩浆活动的关系来确定。夹皮沟金矿是该型矿床中工作较多且有代表性的一个矿床,对其成矿时代有前寒武纪（Ar、Pt）成矿、显生宙（海西、海西一印支、燕山）成矿及前寒武纪十显生亩成矿等不同认识。本文根据矿脉与海西期花岗闪长岩及脉岩的关系,以及含金石英包裹体Rb－sr等时线年龄资料,认为成矿属海西期或海西一印支期,可能有燕山期的叠加。由于石英含过剩氩,故所得元古宙Ar－Ar、K－Ar表面年龄无地质意义,锆石可能具继承性,其太古宙年龄不能肯定为成矿时代。该矿是否有前寒武纪成矿期尚待进一步工作。     

西昆仑库地韧性剪切带的40Ar/39Ar年龄

西昆仑库地以南有一套变质变形较强的岩系,前人依照区域对比关系将其划为前寒武的古老基底。对西昆仑早期构造演化的论述均基于该观点,但没有提供确凿的同位素年代学证据。笔者通过野外观察、室内研究,确认库地以南的变质变形岩系是大型韧性推覆剪切作用的产物。通过对新生变质矿物角闪石和黑云母单矿物的⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar年龄分析,确定剪切变质年龄为426-451Ma,说明库地的变质变形岩系是形成于早古生代晚期的一条大型韧性剪切带,这对于解释西昆仑的早期构造演化具有重要意义。     

苏鲁造山带南缘虎山多期次韧性剪切变形特征研究

从变形机制、力学性质和变质变形矿物世代研究入手,对江苏东北部苏鲁造山带南缘东海虎山多期叠加剪切带进行的研究表明,该区存在三期韧性剪切变形,第一期为滑脱拆离变形,长英质糜棱岩中形成长石拉伸线理,榴辉岩中形成绿辉石、石榴石分异成分层;第二期变形为韧性逆冲,形成蓝晶石、多硅白云母、黝帘石拉伸线理,在榴辉岩中形成石榴石眼球体;第三期变形为韧脆性逆冲构造,形成长英质S—C糜棱岩,具S—C面理和丝带状石英条带,该结论为建立区域构造变形序列提供了依据。     

A palaeomagnetic investigation of the Malvernian and Old Radnor Precambrian,Welsh Borderlands

Alternating field and thermal demagnetization of igneous rocks of the Malvern Hills identifies a number of magnetite-held components which are characterized by a high blocking temperature (M2) component D = 283°, I = 47°, and lower blocking temperature (M3) component D = 269°, I = −43° which is of complex origin or more than one age. Two subordinate components are (M1) D = 7°, I = 56° and (M4) D = 174°, I = 51° in later dolerites. A pervasive hematite-held remanence with a mean D = 186°, I = −5° is linked to Hercynian palaeofield directions and the uplift/folding of the Malvernian axis. The similarity of the magnetization directions in the Stanner–Hanter (702 Ma) and Malvernian (681 Ma) rocks suggests that folding of the Palaeozoic rocks in the Malvern Hills was achieved by upthrust of the basement and involved little folding of the latter. The Old Radnor sediments possess a post-folding remanence D = 117°, I = −13° of probable Cambrian age and a subordinate remanence which may be Hercynian in age. The late Precambrian–Cambrian palaeomagnetic record (ca. 700–500 Ma) of England and Wales is compared with data from the Armorican Massif. Although the apparent polar wander (a.p.w.) paths are widely dissimilar prior to 550 Ma, the two regions had similar latitudes and went through similar palaeolatitudinal movements throughout this interval. The palaeomagnetic data support models involving tectonic rotations but little closure across this part of the Hercynian Belt.     

Tectonic history of the Hercynian Armorican Shear belt (Brittany,France)

The Hercynian Armorican belt is made of different tectonic domains separated by large-scale shear zones. One of these domains, Central Brittany, was deformed by regional pervasive dextral strike-slip during Carboniferous times. This paper examines implications that the restoration of ductile strain within Central Brittany has on the deformation history along its boundaries and within adjacent domains. Data used for the analysis include surface structural features and recent deep seismic data. A good consistency is observed between model implications and available geological and structural data. Results lead to a reappraisal of the Carboniferous history of the Armorican belt, including relationships between tectonics, plutonism and basin development. They further emphasize the usefulness of restoration for integrated tectonic analysis of crustal-scale deformation zones.     

Collision tectonics in the late Precambrian Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt: mesoscopic to satellite-scale structural observations

Regional mapping of a section across the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt (EGMB) north of the Godavari graben in Eastern Peninsular India by using Landsat Thematic Mapper data enables recognition of a number of shear zones, lineaments, and structural domes and basins. A conspicuous megashear occurs at the western boundary of the granulite facies rocks of the EGMB adjacent to the Archean granite-greenstone craton. The confinement of a suite of alkaline igneous rocks to this shear zone is a notable feature. The strike extensions of this shear belt extend through to the Elchuru alkaline complex, Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh, and the syenite plutons of Koraput district, Orissa. The contrasting lithologies, metamorphism and structural history on either side of the shear zone suggests that it might be a Precambrian suture zone. The mesoscopic structural features in the EGMB include prominent foliation with moderate to steep dips, folds, faults/shears, S-C fabrics, pinch and swell structures and other linear fabric elements. These observations favour the consideration of drastic crustal shortening and thickening and a complex deformational sequence. The major rock units in this part of EGMB comprise garnetiferous sillimanite gneisses, quartzites and calc-granulites forming the khondalitic suite of rocks and a wide variety of charnockitic rocks. The contact of the two rock units is generally sheared and often migmatised. The structural fabric suggests two major tectonic events: an essentially horizontal tectonic regime resulting in thrust systems and associated structures, subsequently followed by strike-slip tectonics characterized by high shear strains. Features such as westward-verging thrusts, large-scale recumbent folds, major shear zones, structural domes and basins, indications of tectonic crustal shortening, extensive calc-alkali magmatism and widespread migmatization in the region are attributed to collisional processes during Proterozoic times. The spatial disposition of the EGMB and its linkage with the distribution of similar rock units during the late Precambrian time in a global tectonic scenario are discussed.     

Palaeozoic oolitic ironstone of the French Armorican Massif: a chemical and structural trap for orogenic base metal–As–Sb–Au mineralisation during Hercynian strike-slip deformation

In the Saint-Aubin-des-Chateaux quarry (Armorican Hercynian belt, western France), an epigenetic hydrothermal alteration affects an oolitic ironstone layer intercalated within the Lower Ordovician Grès armoricain Formation. The hydrothermal overprint produced pervasive and massive sulphidation with stratoid pyritised lenticular bodies within the oolitic ironstone layer. These sulphide lenses are spatially associated with strike-slip faults and extend laterally from them. After the massive sulphidation stage (Fe–As, stage 1), subsequent fracturing allowed the deposition of base metals (stage 2) and Pb–Sb–Au (stage 3) parageneses in veins. The dominant brittle structures are vertical extension veins, conjugate shear veins and strike-slip faults of various orders. All these structures are filled with the same paragenetic sequence. Deformation analysis allows the identification of structures that developed incrementally via right-lateral simple shear compatible with bulk strain affecting the Central Armorican Domain. Each increment corresponds to a fracture set filled with specific parageneses. Successive hydrothermal pulses reflect clockwise rotation of the horizontal shortening direction. Geothermometry on chlorite and arsenopyrite shows an input of hot hydrothermal fluids (maximum of 390–350°C) during the main sulphide stage 1. The subsequent stages present a marked temperature drop (300–275°C). Lead isotopes suggest that the lead source is similar for all hydrothermal stages and corresponds to the underlying Neo-Proterozoic basement. Lead isotope data, relative ages of deformation and comparison with neighbouring deposits suggest that large-scale fluid pulses occurred during the whole Hercynian orogeny rather than pulses restricted to the late Hercynian period. The vicinity of the Hercynian internal domain appears as a key control for deformation and fluid flow in the oolitic ironstones, which acted as a chemical and structural trap for the hydrothermal fluids. The epigenetic mineralisation of Saint-Aubin-des-Chateaux appears to be very similar to epigenetic sulphidation described in banded iron formation-hosted gold deposits.     

青海省哇洪山断裂带中段构造变形特征及X光岩组分析

通过对哇洪山断裂带中段构造变形宏观及微观特征的研究,认为该断裂带经历了两种不同层次、不同性质的构造变形,早期以韧性变形为主,形成了沿断裂带广泛分布的NW-NNW向糜棱岩带;晚期以脆性变形为主,形成了广泛分布断层破碎带,并将早期的糜棱岩带错断。X光岩组分析结果表明,糜棱岩带构造岩内矿物排列定向性明显,其中石英变形以底面滑移或近底面滑移为主,兼有柱面滑移,为中低温-中温变形环境所形成;另外动态重结晶对变形岩石中石英优选方位的形成也可能发挥了重要作用。华里西晚期花岗闪长岩、印支期钾长花岗岩、花岗岩、二长花岗岩均没有明显的优选方位,因此韧性变形发生在该类岩石侵位之前。构造变形分析及同位素测年结果证实韧性剪切带形成于晚志留世,即加里东晚期。     

鲁西青邑韧性剪切带运动学涡度及剪切作用类型

青邑韧性剪切带是晚太古代末期发育在鲁西前寒武纪基底花岗岩中一条规模较大的韧性剪切带。剪切带NW走向,面理直立,线理水平,剪切标志反映右行剪切。石英光轴法求得运动学涡度在0．96～0．99之间变化,极摩尔圆法求得糜棱岩化岩石运动学涡度为0．91,初糜棱岩运动学涡度为0．87,糜棱岩运动学涡度为0．81,超糜棱岩运动学涡度为0．60。运动学涡度表明,剪切带剪切作用类型为一般剪切,变形初期以单剪为主,随应变的增大,运动学涡度值逐渐减小,变形的纯剪分量不断增加,最后以纯剪为主。剪切作用类型及三维参照变形分析表明,青邑韧性剪切带属加长一变宽类型的一般剪切带并且在Y轴方向上有所增长。韧性剪切在太古代末期克拉通化过程中具有加厚陆壳的作用。