1.3–0.9 Ga Oaxaquia (Mexico): Remnant of an arc/backarc on the northern margin of Amazonia

Rocks with ages of ca. 1 Ga occur in central and southern Mexico as inliers surrounded by ubiquitous Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks. They appear to share a common history consisting of: (i) ca. 1300–1200 Ma arc magmatism and deposition of sediments including evaporites; (ii) ca.1160–1100 Ma intrusion of syenite, granite and anorthosite, the later part of which is synchronous with migmatization; (iii) intrusion of a ca. 1035–1010 Ma anorthosite–gabbro–charnockite–granite (AMCG) suite; (iv) a 1000–980 Ma granulite facies tectonothermal event with a stretching axis parallel to the long axis of Oaxaquia; (v) gradual exhumation at 750 and/or 545 Ma; and (vi) 517 Ma intrusion of an isolated calcalkaline granitoid pluton. The common Precambrian geological record of these outcrops suggests that they belonged to a single terrane (Oaxaquia) and formed a juvenile arc/backarc bordering a continent that underwent collision with, and overthrusting of, the Avalonian arc at 1000–980 Ma. This buried Oaxaquia to 25–30 km and was followed by further supra-subduction zone magmatism at ca. 917 Ma. These Precambrian rocks are unconformably overlain by uppermost Cambrian and Silurian platform rocks containing Gondwanan fauna and ca. 1 detrital zircons of Oaxacan provenance. The neighbouring Mixteca terrane includes lower Paleozoic, rift-passive margin sedimentary rocks that also contain 900–750 Ma detrital zircons probably derived from the Goiás arc in eastern Amazonia. The arc-backarc tectonic setting inferred for the 1300–900 Ma rocks also suggests that Oaxaquia lay on an active periphery of Amazonia until ca. 900 Ma, well after the amalgamation of Rodinia. This precludes a location for Oaxaquia off southern and western Amazonia that are inferred to have been juxtaposed against eastern Laurentia; contiguity with eastern Amazonia is also unlikely given the absence of the 900–750 Ma convergent tectonics in the Goiás arc. This leaves northern Amazonia as the most likely position, a location that requires the least relative displacement between Oaxaquia and Amazonia. The inferred 750 and 545 Ma exhumation episodes of Oaxaquia correspond to two proposed breakup stages of Rodinia.     

A high-pressure folded klippe at Tehuitzingo on the western margin of an extrusion zone,Acatlán Complex,southern México

High-pressure (HP) rocks at Tehuitzingo, on the western margin of the HP belt within the Paleozoic Acatlán Complex (southern México), occur in a klippe that was thrust over low-grade clastic rocks. The youngest detrital zircon cluster in the low-grade rocks yielded U-Pb ages of 481 ± 16 Ma, which provide an older limit for deposition. The HP rocks are composed of metabasites, serpentinite, granite (482 ± 3 Ma) and mica schist (youngest concordant detrital zircon: 433 ± 3 Ma). The schist and granite are inferred to be high-grade equivalents of lower Paleozoic, low-grade rocks exposed elsewhere in the Acatlán Complex, from which they are inferred to have been removed by subduction erosion. Mineral analyses indicate that the subducted rocks underwent HP metamorphism and polyphase deformation at depths of ~ 50 km (~ 16 kbar and 750 °C: eclogite facies). Subsequent retrogression passed through epidote-amphibolite to greenschist facies, which was synchronous with W-vergent thrusting over the low-grade clastic rocks. Deposition of the low-grade rocks and thrusting are bracketed between either 481–329 Ma (Ordovician-Mississippian), and was followed by F₃ synformal folding. Cooling through ca. 385 °C is indicated by 329 ± 1 and 316–317 ± 2 Ma, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar muscovite plateau ages in HP rocks, which are 5–17 my younger than those of the adjacent Piaxtla eclogites suggesting younger exhumation. The petrology, P-T conditions and ages of the Piaxtla Suite is consistent with an extrusion channel within the Acatlán Complex along the active western margin of Pangea during the Carboniferous. Detrital zircon populations in the low-grade psammite (ca. 481, 520–650, 720, 750, 815, 890, 1050 and 2750 Ma) and the HP schist (ca. 457–480, 534, 908, 954–1150, 1265, 1845 and 2035 Ma) indicate derivation from the Ordovician Acatlán granitoids, Neoproterozoic Brasiliano orogens, 900–750 Ma Goiás arc (Amazonia), 1–1.3 Ma Oaxaquia, and more ancient sources in Oaxaquia/Amazonia.     

Neoproterozoic arc magmatism in the southern Madurai Block,India: Subduction,relamination, continental outbuilding,and the growth of Gondwana

The Madurai Block in southern India is a composite collage of at least three sub-blocks, with Neoarchean–Paleoproterozoic segments in the north and central domains, and a Neoproterozoic segment in the south. Here we investigate a suite of rocks with magmatic protoliths that constitute the basement in the southern margin of the Madurai Block including alkali granites, charnockites, enderbites and gabbros. The alkali granites are dominantly composed of perthitic K-feldspar, minor plagioclase and quartz, with hornblende as the main mafic mineral suggesting a calc-alkaline nature. The enderbites and charnockites have a broadly similar mineralogical constitution except for the variation in the modal content of plagioclase, K-feldspar and quartz, as well as the additional presence of clinopyroxene in some of the enderbites. The high modal content of hornblende in the gabbros suggests crystallization from hydrous basaltic melts. The geochemical features of this suite are identical to those of arc magmatic rocks, with distinct Nb, Ta, and Ti depletion suggesting magmatism in a subduction-related environment. We envisage that the underplating of basaltic magmas within a convergent margin setting provided the heat input for lower crustal melting generating the charnockitic suite of rocks. The intrusion of the underplated mafic melts as gabbroic dykes and sills into the crystallizing felsic magmas resulted in magma mixing and mingling generating the widespread enclaves of gabbroic rocks. The alkali granites were derived from the differentiation of lower crustal melts. Zircon U–Pb data from the alkali granites yield weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 786 ± 10 to 772 ± 11 Ma for the oldest and the most dominant group of magmatic grains, with a 662 ± 20 Ma subordinate group. The oldest group of magmatic zircons in the charnockite samples shows ages of 938 ± 27 Ma, 896 ± 12 Ma, and 786 ± 9 Ma, suggesting multiple magmatic pulses during early and mid-Neoproterozoic. A subordinate population of magmatic zircons with ages of 661 ± 9 Ma and 632 ± 7 Ma is also present. In the enderbites, the magmatic zircon population yields weighted mean ages of 926 ± 22 Ma, 923 ± 36 Ma, 889 ± 13 Ma, 803 ± 10 Ma, 787 ± 23 Ma, 786 ± 10 Ma, 748 ± 27 Ma, 742 ± 11 Ma, 717 ± 8 Ma and 692 ± 10 Ma suggesting continuous and multiple pulses of magmas emplaced throughout early to mid-Neoproterozoic. Magmatic zircons from the gabbros show weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 903 ± 13 Ma, 777 ± 10 Ma, 729 ± 10 Ma and 639 ± 27 Ma. Metamorphic zircons from all the rock types show latest Neoproterozoic-Cambrian ages in the range of 567 ± 19 Ma to 510 ± 8 Ma suggesting prolonged heating. Zircon Lu–Hf data show that the alkali granite-charnockite-enderbite suite has depleted mantle ages (T_DM) in the range of 1164–2172 Ma and crustal residence ages (T_DM^C) of 1227–3023 Ma. These spots show both negative εHf(t) and positive εHf(t) values (− 22.1 to 10.6), suggesting magma derivation from mixed juvenile mid- to late-Mesoproterozoic components and reworked Mesoarchean to mid-Mesoproterozoic components. Zircon grains from the gabbroic rocks show depleted mantle ages and (T_DM) in the range of 1112–2046 Ma, crustal residence ages (T_DM^C) of 1306–2816 Ma, and both negative and positive εHf(t) values (− 17.8 to 7.9), suggesting that the magmas were dominantly derived from juvenile mid-Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic components as well as reworked Mesoarchean to mid-Mesoproterozoic sources.Our data clearly reveal multiple arc magmatism along the southern Madurai Block during distinct pulses throughout early to late Neoproterozoic, suggesting an active convergent margin along this zone at this time. Crustal thickening occurred through relamination by mafic magmas associated with slab melting. Continental outbuilding and southward growth of the Madurai Block were associated with the lateral accretion of the vast sedimentary belt of Trivandrum Block, culminating in collisional metamorphism during latest Neoproterozoic–Cambrian associated with Gondwana assembly.     

Neoproterozoic magmatic events in the South Qinling Belt,China: Implications for amalgamation and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent

Neoproterozoic magmatic rocks in the South Qinling Belt of China provide important clues for understanding the mechanism and timing of the amalgamation and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent. Here we report new geochemical and high-precision LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopic analyses on magmatic suites from the Liuba and Zhashui areas in the South Qinling Belt. Our data show that the crystallization ages of the granitic intrusions from Tiefodian and Tangjiagou in the Liuba area are 863 ± 22 Ma and 794 ± 11 Ma, respectively, whereas those of the dioritic and gabbroic intrusions at Chishuigou in the Zhashui area are 925 ± 28 Ma and 832.6 ± 4.0 Ma, respectively. The diorites at Chishuigou display arc-related geochemical affinity, characterized by strong depletion in Nb, Ta, P and Ti, and enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (i.e., Rb, Ba, Th and U), indicating a subduction-related arc setting at ca. 925 Ma. The Tiefodian granitic rocks have high SiO₂ (68.46–70.98 wt.%), Na₂O (3.87–4.51 wt.%), and low K₂O (1.34–2.61 wt.%) contents with TTG affinity. However, their Cr, and Ni contents and Cr/Ni, Nb/Ta ratios are similar to those of continental crust, and together with high negative ε_Hf(t) values (− 4.87 to − 14.84), suggesting a continental margin arc at ca. 863 Ma. The gabbros at Chishuigou have high TiO₂ content (2.74–3.14 wt.%), Zr/Y (3.93–4.24), Ta/Yb (0.19–0.25) ratios and low Zr/Nb ratios (11.37–13.17), similar to the features of within-plate basalts, indicating an intra-continental rift setting at ca. 833 Ma. The granitoids at Tangjiagou exhibit enrichment of LREE, K and Pb, and depletion of Nb, Ta, P and Ti, suggesting an extensional tectonic environment at ca. 794 Ma.The results indicate that Neoproterozoic magmatic rocks in the South Qinling Belt formed before ca. 833 Ma and might represent the amalgamation of the Rodinia supercontinent in an arc-related subduction environment, whereas the magmatic events with the peak ages at ~ 740 Ma during ca. 833–680 Ma represent the breakup of Rodinia. Integrating our new data with those from previous works, we propose a new tectonic model for the evolutionary history of the South Qinling Belt in the Neoproterozoic, including four key stages: 1) an ocean that separated the South Qinling Belt and the Yangtze Block in the Early Neoproterozoic (ca.1000–956 Ma); 2) bidirectional subduction of the oceanic lithosphere during ca. 956–870 Ma; 3) subduction and collision between the South Qinling Belt and the Yangtze Block during ca. 870–833 Ma, thus suggesting that the South Qinling Belt was as a part of the Yangtze Block from this period; and 4) intra-continental rifting during ca. 833–680 Ma, although the blocks were not entirely rifted apart.     

Subduction-related metasomatic mantle source in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from amphibolites in the Xilingol Complex,Inner Mongolia,China

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) formed mainly in the Paleozoic due to the closure of the Paleo-Asian oceanic basins and accompanying prolonged accretion of pelagic sediments, oceanic crust, magmatic arcs, and Precambrian terranes. The timing of subduction–accretion processes and closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean has long been controversial and is addressed in a geochemical and isotopic investigation of mafic rocks, which can yield important insight into the geodynamics of subduction zone environments. The Xilingol Complex, located on the northern subduction–accretion zone of the CAOB, mainly comprises strongly deformed quartzo-feldspathic gneisses with intercalated lenticular or quasi-lamellar amphibolite bodies. An integrated study of the petrology, geochemistry, and geochronology of a suite of amphibolites from the complex constrains the nature of the mantle source and the tectono-metamorphic events in the belt. The protoliths of these amphibolites are gabbros and gabbroic diorites that intruded at ca. 340–321 Ma with positive εHf_(t) values ranging from + 2.89 to + 12.98. Their T_DM1 model ages range from 455 to 855 Ma and peak at 617 Ma, suggesting that these mafic rocks are derived from a depleted continental lithospheric mantle. The primitive magma was generated by variable degrees of partial melting of spinel-bearing peridotites. Fractionation of olivine, clinopyroxene and hornblende has played a dominant role during magma differentiation with little or no crustal contamination. The mafic rocks are derived from a Late Neoproterozoic depleted mantle source that was subsequently enriched by melts affected by slab-derived fluids and sediments, or melts with a sedimentary source rock. The Carboniferous mafic rocks in the northern accretionary zone of the CAOB record a regional extensional event after the Early Paleozoic subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. Both addition of mantle-derived magmas and recycling of oceanic crust played key roles in significant Late Carboniferous (ca. 340–309 Ma) vertical crustal growth in the CAOB. Amphibolite–facies metamorphism (P = 0.34–0.52 GPa, T = 675–708 °C) affected these mafic rocks in the Xilingol Complex at ca. 306–296 Ma, which may be related to the crustal thickening by northward subduction of a forearc oceanic crust beneath the southern margin of the South Mongolian microcontinent. The final formation of the Solonker zone may have lasted until ca. 228 Ma.     

Mid-Neoproterozoic crustal evolution of the northeastern Yangtze Block: Evidence from the felsic-gneiss xenoliths hosted in the Donghai Cenozoic basalts

Crustal xenoliths can provide new insights into the unexposed crust, and those from the northeastern Yangtze Block have rarely been studied. This paper reports U–Pb–Hf isotopes and trace-element compositions of zircons from six felsic xenoliths hosted by the Neogene alkali basalts in the Donghai region (i.e. Anfengshan and Pingmingshan) of the Sulu orogen in central eastern China. The xenoliths are mainly composed of orthoclase and quartz, or orthoclase and natrolite, with accessory minerals of Fe–Ti oxides and zircon. Most zircon grains show core-rim structures, with the cores and rims being magmatic and metamorphic in origin, respectively. The zircon cores mainly yield ages of ca. 827–794 Ma, while the zircon rims give ages of ca. 232–212 Ma. We interpret the zircon core ages as the time of an early Mid-Neoproterozoic magmatic event in the northeastern Yangtze Block and the zircon rim ages as the time of collision between the Yangtze and North China Blocks. Our data suggest that much more ca. 830–800 Ma magmatic records are possibly preserved in the unexposed deep crust, and the early Mid-Neoproterozoic is an important era for the crust evolution of the northeastern Yangtze Block. The new zircon Hf isotopic analyses show that the Anfengshan sample (south of Donghai) has zircon ε_Hf (820 Ma) values ranging from −15.3 to −9.4, and two-stage Hf model ages of 2.66–2.30 Ga; the Pingmingshan sample (southeast of Donghai) has zircon ε_Hf (820 Ma) values ranging from −1.4 to +3.8, and two-stage Hf model ages of 1.80–1.47 Ga. These data suggest that ancient crust as old as Neoarchean to Mesoproterozoic was involved in the early Mid-Neoproterozoic magmatism. Combined with the previously reported zircon U–Pb–Hf results of the exposed rocks, it is highlighted that crustal recycling was dominant in the early Mid-Neoproterozoic (ca. 830–800 Ma) magmatism, whereas both crustal recycling and addition of mantle-derived melts were significant in the late Mid-Neoproterozoic (ca. 800–720 Ma) magmatism in the northeastern Yangtze Block.     

Crustally-derived granites in the Panzhihua region,SW China: Implications for felsic magmatism in the Emeishan large igneous province

In the Panxi region of the Late Permian (~ 260 Ma) Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) there is a bimodal assemblage of mafic and felsic plutonic rocks. Most Emeishan granitic rocks were derived by differentiation of basaltic magmas (i.e. mantle-derived) or by mixing between crustal melts and primary basaltic magmas (i.e. hybrid). The Yingpanliangzi granitic pluton within the city of Panzhihua intrudes Sinian (~ 600 Ma) marbles and is unlike the mantle-derived or hybrid granitic rocks. The SHRIMP zircon U–Pb ages of the Yingpanliangzi pluton range from 259 ± 8 Ma to 882 ± 22 Ma. Younger ages are found on the zircon rims whereas older ages are found within the cores. Field relationships and petrography indicate that the Yingpanliangzi pluton must be < 600 Ma, therefore the older zircons are interpreted to represent the protolith age whereas the younger analyses represent zircon re-crystallization during emplacement. The Yingpanliangzi granites are metaluminous and have negative Ta–Nb_PM anomalies, low εNd_{(260 Ma)} values (? 3.9 to ? 4.4), and high I_Sr (0.71074 to 0.71507) consistent with a crustal origin. The recognition of a crustally-derived pluton along with mantle-derived and mantle–crust hybrid plutons within the Panxi region of the ELIP is evidence for a complete spectrum of sources. As a consequence, the types of Panxi granitoids can be distinguished according to their ASI, Eu/Eu*, εNd_(T), εHf_(T), T_Zr(°C) and Nb–Ta_PM values. The diverse granitic magmatism during the evolution of the ELIP from ~ 260 Ma to ~ 252 Ma demonstrates the complexity of crustal growth associated with LIPs.     

Zircon U–Pb ages and Hf–O isotopic signatures of the Wajilitag and Puchang Fe–Ti oxide–bearing intrusive complexes: Constraints on their source characteristics and temporal–spatial evolution of the Tarim large igneous province

The Wajilitag and Puchang igneous complexes host two known economic Fe–Ti oxide deposits in the recently recognized Tarim large igneous province (TLIP). The Wajilitag complex comprises clinopyroxenite and melagabbro, whereas the Puchang complex is generally gabbroic and anorthositic in lithology apart from minor plagioclase-bearing clinopyroxenites in the marginal contact zone. The Fe–Ti oxide ores are disseminated throughout the Wajilitag complex and principally restricted to the ultramafic unit, whereas the Puchang complex contains massive to disseminated Fe–Ti oxide ores mainly hosted within the gabbroic rocks. Both secondary ion mass spectroscopy and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry U–Pb dating of zircon grains from the Wajilitag and Puchang complexes yield U–Pb zircon ages of ca. 283 Ma and ca. 275 Ma, respectively, clearly indicating that there were two independent episodes of the magmatic events related to Fe–Ti oxide mineralization in the TLIP. The new zircon U–Pb ages of intrusive rocks studied here, coupled with available geochronological data from elsewhere in the TLIP, show a long duration of magmatism (up to 30 Myr), although the precise age of the TLIP remains to be determined. The two complexes are late-stage events that notably postdate most, if not all, the basaltic lava flows. Furthermore, the occurrence of the earliest manifestation (e.g., ca. 300 Ma kimberlitic rocks) of a proposed mantle plume in the Bachu area and the potential temporal migration of the late-stage magmatism from the Bachu and Keping areas to the edges of the Tarim Craton, indicate a possible plume centre near the Bachu–Keping district. The ε_Hf(t) values of zircons from each complex show a range of several ε_Hf(t) units (Wajilitag: + 2.7 to + 9.2, Puchang: − 5.2 to + 2.6), probably suggesting late-stage crustal contamination in magma chambers at the time of zircon saturation. Unlike the Lu–Hf isotopic system, the zircons may preserve the original O isotope signature of their mantle sources. The increase of O isotopic composition from the Wajilitag complex (δ¹⁸O = 5.2–5.9‰) to the Puchang complex (δ¹⁸O = 5.6–7.1‰), indicates a relatively high proportion of recycled subduction-related materials (e.g., eclogite and garnet pyroxenite) incorporated into the subcontinental lithospheric mantle source for the Puchang intrusive rocks. Partial melting of the refertilized subcontinental lithospheric mantle with the involvement of garnet-bearing mafic components can be of great importance for the formation of parental Fe-rich magmas and ultimately Fe–Ti oxide deposits. This observation is consistent with the occurrence of some mineralized LIPs (e.g., Emeishan) in formerly active convergent plate margins of ancient cratonic blocks, contributing to a global understanding valuable to exploration efforts.     

Discovery of Neoarchean suprasubduction zone ophiolite suite from Yishui Complex in the North China Craton

The Archean tectonic realm of the North China Craton (NCC) is considered in recent models as a collage of several microblocks which were amalgamated along zones of ocean closure during late Neoarchean. Here we report the finding of a dismembered ophiolite suite from the southern margin of the Jiaoliao microblock in the interior of the unified Eastern Block of the NCC. The suite is composed of lherzolite, pyroxenite, noritic and hornblende gabbro, and hornblendite intruded by veins and sheets of leuco granite. Together with transposed layers and bands of metavolcanics and amphibolites, banded iron formation (BIF), and diabase dykes in the adjacent locations, the Yishui complex corresponds well with a dismembered suprasubduction zone ophiolite suite. Clinopyroxene in the pyroxenite and gabbroic rocks is Mg rich and range in composition from augite to diopside. Among orthopyroxenes, those in lherzolite show the highest X_Mg of 0.84–0.85. Plagioclase in hornblende gabbro shows high anorthite content (An_50–64). Calcic amphiboles in the gabbroic rocks range in composition from ferropargasite to ferro-edenite, edenite and pargasite. Spinel inclusions in lherzolite are Cr-rich magnesiospinel. Geochemically, the mafic rocks from Yishui complex show subalkaline basaltic source, whereas the granitoids show volcanic arc affinity. The hornblende gabbro and gabbro, lherzolite and hornblendite show compositional similarity to E-MORB and N-MORB respectively. The lherzolite and hornblendite possess arc-related ultramafic cumulate nature, with overall features straddling the fields of IAT and IAT-MORB. The geochemical features are consistent with evolution in a suprasubduction regime with no significant crustal contamination. The majority of zircon grains in the Yishui suite exhibit magmatic texture and high Th/U ratios. Zircon grains from hornblendite define ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb upper intercept age of 2538 ± 30 Ma. Zircons from the granite show ages of 2538 ± 16 Ma and 2503 ± 21 Ma, and those from the gabbros yield ages of 2503 ± 16 Ma and 2495 ± 10 Ma. The well defined major age peak at 2500 Ma is broadly coeval with Neoarchean ages reported from the microblocks in the North China Craton. The zircon Lu–Hf data from the Yishui suite display εHf(t) values between − 2.5 and 5.0, with corresponding model ages suggesting magma derivation from Neoarchean juvenile sources together with limited reworked Paleo-Mesoarchean crustal components.Our study is the first report of Neoarchean suprasubduction-type ophiolites from a locality far from the margins of the major crustal blocks and suture zones in the NCC and strengthens the concept that the craton is a mosaic of several microblocks with intervening oceans that closed along multiple subduction zones. We envisage that the amalgamation between the Xuhuai and the Jiaoliao microblocks resulted in the accretion of the Yishui suprasubduction zone ophiolitic assemblages onto the southern margin of the Jiaoliao microblock. The Neoarchean microblock amalgamation in the North China Craton provides new insights into continental growth in the early Earth and confirms that modern style plate tectonics might have been initiated early in the history of our planet.     

Chronological link between deep-seated processes in magma chambers and eruptions: Permo-Carboniferous magmatism in the core of Pangaea (Southern Pyrenees)

In the Southern Pyrenees there are Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian sedimentary basins with a significant volume of volcanic material derived from explosive eruptions (rhyolitic ignimbrites and andesitic flows). These basins are spatially associated with granodiorites and dacitic dykes emplaced in Variscan basement rocks. U–Pb SHRIMP dating of zircons extracted from three granodiorites, an andesitic flow, a dacitic dyke and six ignimbrites, revealed that magmatism occurred over an extended period of thirty eight million years, from ca. 304 Ma to ca. 266 Ma (Upper Carboniferous–Middle Permian). A scattering of zircon ages in each sample shows that the history of melt crystallization was complex, with more than one zircon-forming event in each magma chamber. The prolonged crystallization history was transferred to the product of the eruptions. A chronological link between the deep-seated magma chambers and processes in eruptions was identified on the basis of four overlapping intervals at: ca. 309–307 Ma (Upper Carboniferous), ca. 304–296 Ma (Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian), ca. 294–282 Ma (Lower Permian), and ca. 276 Ma (Lower Permian). The variation of zircon U/Th ratios exposes a tendency for an increase in mafic sources as crystallization advances in the Permian. Zircons probably crystallized from melt phases related to both a felsic-intermediate metaluminous source from ca. 310–293 Ma (mostly 0.1 < Th/U < 0.6) to ca. 289–273 Ma (especially in the range 0.6 < Th/U < 1) and a mafic source (mostly 1.2 < Th/U < 1) at ca. 266–265 Ma. U–Pb zircon ages from volcanic and plutonic rocks of the Southern Pyrenees are consistent with the ages of the post-Variscan magmatism of Iberia associated with orocline generation and subduction of the Paleotethys Ocean (ca. 304–283 Ma), and in addition reveal a later magmatic event at ca. 276–266 Ma (Lower–Middle Permian). The location of the Iberian orocline in the core of Pangaea and near the western end of the subduction zone of the Paleotethys Ocean leads to the hypothesis that this later magmatic activity of the Southern Pyrenees could provide the missing link between the Variscan and Cimmerian cycles that acted sequentially in Permo-Carboniferous times.     

Early Mesozoic metamorphism and tectonic significance of the eastern segment of the Lhasa terrane,south Tibet

The metamorphic belt in the Basongco area, the eastern segment of Lhasa terrane, south Tibet, occurs as the tectonic blocks in Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. The Basongco metamorphic rocks are mainly composed of paragneiss and schist, with minor marble and orthogneiss, and considered previously to be the Precambrian basement of the Lhasa terrane. This study shows that the Basongco metamorphic belt experienced medium-pressure amphibolite-facies metamorphism under the conditions of T = 640–705 °C and P = 6.0–8.0 kbar. The inherited detrital zircon of the metasedimentary rocks yielded widely variable ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages ranging from 3105 Ma to 500 Ma, with two main age populations at 1150 Ma and 580 Ma. The magmatic cores of zircons from the orthogneiss constrain the protolith age as ca. 203 Ma. The metamorphic zircons from all rocks yielded the consistent metamorphic ages of 192–204 Ma. The magmatic cores of zircons in the orthogneiss yielded old Hf model ages (T_DM2 = 1.5–2.1 Ga). The magmatic zircons from the mylonitized granite yielded a crystallization age of ca. 198 Ma. These results indicate that the high-grade metamorphic rocks from the Basongco area were formed at early Jurassic and associated with coeval magmatism derived from the thickening crust. The Basongco metamorphic belt, together with the western and coeval Sumdo and Nyainqentanglha metamorphic belts, formed a 400-km-long tectonic unit, indicating that the central segment of the Lhasa terrane experienced the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic collisional orogeny.     

Neoproterozoic granitic activities in the Xingdi plutons at the Kuluketage block,NW China: Evidence from zircon U–Pb dating,geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic analyses

Neoproterozoic igneous rocks are widely distributed in the Kuluketage block along the northern margin of the Tarim Craton. However, the published literature mainly focuses on the ca. 800 Ma adakitic granitoids in the area, with the granites that intrude the 735–760 Ma mafic–ultramafic rocks poorly studied. Here we report the ages, petrography and geochemistry of two granites in the Xingdi mafic–ultramafic rocks, in order to construct a new view of the non-adakitic younger granites. LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating provided weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 743.0 ± 2.5 Ma for the No.I granite (G1) and 739.0 ± 3.5 Ma for the No.II granite (G2). A clear core-rim texture of similar age and a high zircon saturation temperature of ca. 849 ± 14 °C were observed for the No.I granite; in contrast, G2 has no apparent core-rim texture but rather inherited older zircons and a lower zircon saturation temperature of ca. 763 ± 17 °C. Geochemical analysis revealed that G1 is an alkaline A-type granite and G2 is a high-K calc-alkaline I-type granite. Both granites share similar geochemical characteristics of arc-related magmatic rocks and enriched Sr–Nd–Hf isotopes, likely due to their enriched sources or mixing with enriched magma. Whereas G1 and its host mafic rocks form typical bimodal intrusions of the same age and similar Sr–Nd–Hf isotope compositions, G2 is younger than its host mafic rocks and its Sr–Nd–Hf isotope composition indicates a lower crust origin. Although they exhibit arc-related geochemical features, the two granites likely formed in a rift setting, as inferred from thier petrology, Sr–Nd–Hf isotopes and regional tectonic evolution.     

Triassic volcanism along the eastern margin of the Xing'an Massif,NE China: Constraints on the spatial–temporal extent of the Mongol–Okhotsk tectonic regime

We present new zircon U–Pb–Hf and whole-rock geochemical data for volcanic rocks along the eastern margin of the Xing'an Massif of NE China in order to further our understanding of the history of subduction towards the SE and the spatial extent of the Mongol–Okhotsk tectonic regime. Zircon U–Pb dating indicates that the Triassic volcanism in the Xing'an Massif occurred in two stages during the Middle (ca. 242 Ma) and Late (ca. 223–228 Ma) Triassic. Middle Triassic basaltic andesites in the Heihe area have an affinity to arc-type volcanic rocks. The zircon ε_Hf(t) values (+ 8.5 to + 12.7) suggest that the primary magma was generated by the partial melting of a relatively depleted mantle wedge that had been metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. The Late Triassic andesites in the Handaqi area exhibit geochemical affinities to high-Mg adakitic andesites. Their zircon ε_Hf(t) values (+ 11.5 to + 14.5) and T_DM2 ages (313–484 Ma) indicate that their primary magma was derived from the partial melting of a young subducted oceanic crust, followed by interaction with melts derived from mantle peridotite. The Late Triassic basaltic andesites, andesites, and dacites in the Zhalantun–Moguqi area have features similar to those of igneous rocks formed in subduction zones. Their zircon ε_Hf(t) values (+ 8.4 to + 15.4) and T_DM1 ages (260–542 Ma) indicate that their primary magma was derived from the partial melting of a depleted mantle wedge that had been metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. These data suggest that the Triassic volcanic rocks of the Xing'an Massif formed in an active continental margin setting associated with the southward subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate towards the SE. We conclude that the Mongol–Okhotsk tectonic regime extended at least as far as the eastern margin of the Xing'an Massif, and that the tectonism spanned the period from the late Permian to early Early-Cretaceous.     

Three successive Proterozoic island arcs in the Northern Arabian–Nubian Shield: Evidence from SIMS U–Pb dating of zircon

Four isolated metamorphic complexes located within post-collisional granitoids occupying up to 70% of the total area, were distinguished in Sinai (Egypt) and Elat area (southern Israel), the northernmost part of the Arabian–Nubian Shield. The metamorphic rocks include metasediments, felsic and mafic metavolcanic rocks intruded by granitic, dioritic, and gabbroic plutons, all subjected to penetrative deformation.We present new SIMS U–Pb dating of zircons from 13 rock units comprising metasediments, volcanic rocks, gneisses and plutons from three metamorphic complexes (Sa'al, Feiran–Solaf, and Kid). In addition we present a SIMS U–Pb titanite age of a granitic gneiss previously dated using zircon. On the basis of the new and published U–Pb data, three successive Meso- to Neoproterozoic island arcs formed during a period of ca. 500 My are recognized. The Sa'al arc (represented by the oldest arc rocks in the ANS) evolved from 1.03 to 0.93 Ga (100 My); the Feiran–Elat arc developed from ca. 870 to 740 Ma (130 My), and the Kid arc formed from ca. 640 to 620 Ma (20 My). Evidence for an older, ca. 1.1 Ga, pre-Sa'al island arc was established from the zircon xenocryst population, though no exposures of rocks of this age were found. In the Sa'al and Kid arcs both volcanic and sedimentary rocks are preserved, whereas in the Elat–Feiran arc volcanic rocks are missing. We suggest that at ~ 700 Ma the Elat−Feiran arc was subjected to rifting that resulted in separating of the Qenaia block and its movement to the SE.     

Geochemistry,petrogenesis and tectonic setting of Neoproterozoic mafic–ultramafic rocks from the western Jiangnan orogen,South China

The Jiangnan orogenic belt (JOB) has been interpreted as a suture zone between the Yangtze craton and Cathaysian terranes in South China. The Neoproterozoic mafic–ultramafic rocks are extensively exposed in the western JOB, providing an ideal opportunity to study the Neoproterozoic assembly and tectonic evolution of South China. We present integrated field and geochemical studies including LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating, and whole-rock major and trace element and Sm–Nd isotope analyses of the Neoproterozoic mafic–ultramafic rocks exposed in the northern Guangxi Province, South China. Geochronological results show that the magmatic events took place in two distinct periods: the early Neoproterozoic (861–834 Ma) and the late Neoproterozoic (770–750 Ma). Early Neoproterozoic ultramafic rocks of the Sibao Group have positive ε_Nd(t) values (+ 2.7 to + 6.6) whereas mafic rocks exhibit negative ε_Nd(t) values (− 5.8 to − 0.9). The basaltic rocks show TiO₂ contents of 0.62–0.69 wt.% and Mg-number of 59–65, and also display an enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs) and pronounced negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies on chondrite- and primitive mantle-normalized diagrams, consistent with subduction-related geochemical signatures. Late Neoproterozoic rocks of the Danzhou Group show ε_Nd(t) values (− 1.23 to + 3.19) for both ultramafic and mafic rocks. The basaltic rocks have TiO₂ contents of 1.01–1.33 wt.% and Mg-number of 57–60, and have a mixture of MORB- and arc-like geochemical affinities, inferred to have formed in an extensional arc environment. Geochemical signatures suggest that all rock types in this study were derived from subarc mantle wedge sources and underwent various degrees of crustal contamination. Thus, we suggest that subduction may have continued to ca. 750 Ma in the western JOB, implying that the amalgamation event between the Yangtze craton and Cathaysian terranes was later than 750 Ma.     

Sedimentation and magmatism in the Paleoproterozoic Cuddapah Basin,India: Consequences of lithospheric extension

The Cuddapah Basin is one of many Proterozoic, intracontinental sedimentary basins across Peninsular India. The basin comprises several unconformity-bounded successions, the lowermost of which (the Papaghni Group and overlying Chitravati Group) are intruded by dolerite sills that contact metamorphosed their host rocks. A mafic-ultramafic sill from the base of the Tadpatri Formation in the Chitravati Group was previously dated at c. 1885 Ma, and interpreted to be part of a large igneous province (LIP). We have dated two samples of a felsic tuff from the upper part of the Tadpatri Formation at 1864 ± 13 Ma and 1858 ± 16 Ma; combining data from the two samples yields a weighted mean date of 1862 ± 9 Ma. Mafic sills intrude rocks stratigraphically above the tuffaceous beds, indicating that mafic magmatism continued until after c. 1860 Ma. Given that the sills intruded lithified rocks, some of the sills may be considerably younger than 1860 Ma. Mafic volcanic rocks are also known from below the unconformity at the base of the Chitravati Group, within the basal Papaghni Group (> c. 1890 Ma). Collectively, these data indicate that mafic sill emplacement spanned more than 30 myr so that it is likely to have been a protracted event or a series of events, and, therefore unlikely to represent a LIP. The time span for mafic magmatism is more compatible with episodic, lithospheric extension (passive rifting) during basin evolution than it is with a mantle plume (active rifting).     

Significance of Late Devonian – Lower Carboniferous ages of hydrothermal sulphides and sericites from the Urals Volcanic-Hosted Massive Sulphide deposits

Formation of the Urals Volcanic-Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) deposits is considered to be related with the intra-oceanic stage of the island arc(s) development in Late Ordovician – Middle Devonian time (ca. 460–385 Ma) based on the biostratigraphic record of ore-hosting sedimentary rocks. However, the known radiometric ages of ore hosting volcanics are very limited. Here we present direct dating results of sulphide mineralisation from the Yaman-Kasy and Kul-Yurt-Tau VHMS deposits using Re-Os isotope systematics showing similar mineralisation ages of 362 ± 9 Ma and 363 ± 1 Ma. These ages coincide with the previous Re-Os dating of the Alexandrinskoe (355 ± 15 Ma) and Dergamysh (366 ± 2 Ma) VHMS deposits. This Late Devonian (Famennian) age corresponds to the late stage of the ‘Magnitogorsk arc – Laurussia continent’ collision event and coincides with a beginning of large scale subduction-related granitoid magmatism. The younger mineralisation age relative to the biostratigraphic ages of host rocks is interpreted as one of the latest episodes of the multi-stage history of VHMS deposits development. Ar-Ar ages of sericites from metasomatic rocks of Barsuchi Log and Babaryk deposits show even younger ages clustering around 345 Ma, and testify another late hydrothermal event in the history of the Urals VHMS deposits.     

Pre-collisional (> 0.5 Ga) complexes of the Olkhon terrane (southern Siberia) as an echo of events in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The Olkhon terrane is a part of the Early Palaeozoic accretionary-collisional system in the northern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The terrane was produced by an Ordovician collision as a collage of numerous chaotically mixed tectonic units composed of rock complexes of different ages originated in different tectonic settings. The pre-collisional history of the terrane is deciphered using new data on zircon ages and chemistry of rocks from several complexes. The oldest Olkhon rocks are the 1.87–1.83 Ga granulite and gneissic granites of the Kaltygey complex, which is an exotic Palaeoproterozoic tectonic slice. The next age group consists of the Ust-Zunduk orthogneisses (807 ± 9 Ma) and the Orso amphibolites and gneisses (792 ± 10 and 844 ± 6 Ma). Samples of both complexes have negative ε_Nd(t) values. The Ust-Zunduk and Orso complexes can have formed in active margins of continents or in crustal blocks other than southern Siberia. The Ediacaran subduction-related rocks of the Olkhon complex may have formed in an island arc setting within the Palаeo-Asian Ocean (PAO). The protolith of schists after volcanic rocks has an age of 637 ± 4 Ma and shows positive ɛ_Nd(t) values. The Ediacaran/Cambrian Tonta mafic granulites (ca.545 Ma), with OIB affinity and slightly positive ɛ_Nd(t), were derived from an enriched mantle source and may represent a fragment of an oceanic island. The Cambrian Shebarta gneisses after continental-arc greywackes with negative ɛ_Nd(t) values were deposited in a back-arc basin of a microcontinent within the PAO, between 530 and 500 Ма. The Cambrian Birkhin metamorphics after PAO mature island-arc rocks have U-Pb ages of ca. 500–490 Ma and positive ɛ_Nd(t) values. All pre-collisional complexes in the Olkhon terrane have their analogues among the rocks formed during main events in the northern CAOB history. Thus the reconstructed milestones in the Olkhon terrane history appear to be an echo of events in the CAOB northern segment.     

Isotopic ages for alkaline igneous rocks,including a 26 Ma ignimbrite,from the Peshawar plain of northern Pakistan and their tectonic implications

New isotopic ages on zircons from rocks of the Peshawar Plain Alkaline Igneous Province (PPAIP) reveal for the first time the occurrence of ignimbritic Cenozoic (Oligocene) volcanism in the Himalaya at 26.7 ± 0.8 Ma. Other new ages confirm that PPAIP rift-related igneous activity was Permian and lasted from ∼290 Ma to ∼250 Ma. Although PPAIP rocks are petrologically and geochemically typical of rifts and have been suggested to be linked to rifting on the Pangea continental margin at the initiation of the Neotethys Ocean, there are no documented rift-related structures mapped in Permian rocks of the Peshawar Plain. We suggest that Permian rift-related structures have been dismembered and/or reactivated during shortening associated with India–Asia collision. Shortening in the area between the Main Mantle Thrust (MMT) and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) may be indicative of the subsurface northern extension of the Salt Range evaporites. Late Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of the Peshawar Plain deposited during and after Himalayan thrusting occupy a piggy-back basin on top of the thrust belt. Those sedimentary rocks have buried surviving evidence of Permian rift-related structures. Igneous rocks of the PPAIP have been both metamorphosed and deformed during the Himalayan collision and Cenozoic igneous activity, apart from the newly recognized Gohati volcanism, has involved only the intrusion of small cross-cutting granitic bodies concentrated in areas such as Malakand that are close to the MMT. Measurements on Chingalai Gneiss zircons have confirmed the occurrence of 816 ± 70 Ma aged rocks in the Precambrian basement of the Peshawar Plain that are comparable in age to rocks in the Malani igneous province of the Rajasthan platform ∼1000 km to the south.     

Growth and reworking of the early Precambrian continental crust in the North China Craton: Constraints from zircon Hf isotopes

We synthesize more than 2600 Hf isotope data on the Archean-Paleoproterozoic zircons from the North China Craton (NCC). Recalculation of the data based on single stage and two-stage Hf model ages of the Eastern Block of the NCC shows peak ages of 3902 ± 13 Ma and 3978 ± 18 Ma, respectively, and also small peaks at 3.5–4.0 Ga. The majority of zircon ε_Hf(t) values are positive, suggesting the possibility of the crust and the mantle differentiation at ca. 3.9–4.0 Ga in the Eastern Block of the NCC. Most magmatic zircons from the whole of NCC have their Hf model age range of 2.4–2.9 Ga, and the single stage model ages is cluster at 2698 ± 4 Ma, whereas the two-stage model ages concentrate at 2714 ± 5 Ma, implying that the protoliths were juvenile crustal rocks. The most prominent peak at 2.7 Ga indicates that this period marks the most important stage of the crust-mantle differentiation and crust formation of the NCC. The widespread 2.5 Ga rocks in the NCC and the absence of the 2.5 Ga peaks in Hf model ages are consistent with the partial melting and reworking of the juvenile rocks at 2.5 Ga. Furthermore, the 2.5–1.7 Ga zircon Hf isotope features are also related to the reworking of the crustal rocks. Our results from the integration of a large database suggest that the Eastern Block and the Trans-North China Orogen have undergone similar crust-mantle differentiation and magmatism, leading to the conclusion that the essential cratonization of the North China took place at the end of Neoarchean.