The Fazenda Largo off-craton kimberlites of Piauí State, Brazil

In the late 1990s, the Fazenda Largo kimberlite cluster was discovered in the Piauí State of Brazil. As with earlier known kimberlites in this area – Redondão, Santa Filomena-Bom Jesus (Gilbues) and Picos – this cluster is located within the Palaeozoic Parnaiba Sedimentary Basin that separates the São Francisco and the Amazonian Precambrian cratons. Locations of kimberlites are controlled by the ‘Transbrasiliano Lineament’. The Fazenda Largo kimberlites are intensely weathered, almost completely altered rocks with a fine-grained clastic structure, and contain variable amounts of terrigene admixture (quartz sand). These rocks represent near-surface volcano-sedimentary deposits of the crater parts of kimberlite pipes. By petrographic, mineralogical and chemical features, the Fazenda Largo kimberlites are similar to average kimberlite. The composition of the deep-seated material in the Fazenda Largo kimberlites is quite diverse: among mantle microxenoliths are amphibolitised pyrope peridotites, garnetised spinel peridotites, ilmenite peridotites, chromian spinel + chromian diopside + pyrope intergrowths, and large xenoliths of pyrope dunite. High-pressure minerals are predominantly of the ultramafic suite, Cr-association minerals (purplish-red and violet pyrope, chromian spinel, chromian diopside, Cr-pargasite and orthopyroxene). The Ti-association minerals of the ultramafic suite (picroilmenite and orange pyrope), as well as rare grains of orange pyrope-almandine of the eclogite association, are subordinate. Kimberlites from all four pipes contain rare grains of G10 pyrope of the diamond association, but chromian spinel of the diamond association was not encountered. By their tectonic position, by geochemical characteristics, and by the composition of kimberlite indicator minerals, the Fazenda Largo kimberlites, like the others of such type, are unlikely to be economic.     

Syn‐rift mass flow generated ‘tectonofacies’ and ‘tectonosequences’ of the Kingston Peak Formation,Death Valley,California, and their bearing on supposed Neoproterozoic panglacial climates

The Kingston Peak Formation of the Pahrump Group in the Death Valley region of the Basin and Range Province, USA, is the thick (over 3 km) mixed siliciclastic–carbonate fill of a long‐lived structurally‐complex Neoproterozoic rift basin and is recognized by some as a key ‘climatostratigraphic’ succession recording panglacial Snowball Earth events. A facies analysis of the Kingston Peak Formation shows it to be largely composed of ‘tectonofacies’ which are subaqueous mass flow deposits recording cannibalization of older Pahrump carbonate strata exposed by local faulting. Facies include siltstone, sandstone and conglomerate turbidites, carbonate megabreccias (olistoliths) and related breccias, and interbedded debrites. Secondary facies are thin carbonates and pillowed basalts. Four distinct associations of tectonofacies (‘base‐of‐scarp’; FA1, ‘mid‐slope’; FA2, ‘base‐of‐slope’; FA3, and a ‘carbonate margin’ association; FA4) reflect the initiation and progradation of deep water clastic wedges at the foot of fault scarps. ‘Tectonosequences’ record episodes of fault reactivation resulting in substantial increases in accommodation space and water depths, the collapse of fault scarps and consequent downslope mass flow events. Carbonates of FA4 record the cessation of tectonic activity and resulting sediment starvation ending the growth of clastic wedges. Tectonosequences are nested within regionally‐extensive tectono‐stratigraphic units of earlier workers that are hundreds to thousands of metres in thickness, recording the long‐term evolution of the rifted Laurentian continental margin during the protracted breakup of Rodinia. Debrite facies of the Kingston Peak Formation are classically described as ice‐contact glacial deposits recording globally‐correlative panglacials but they result from partial to complete subaqueous mixing of fault‐generated coarse‐grained debris and fine‐grained distal sediment on a slope conditioned by tectonic activity. The sedimentology (tectonofacies) and stratigraphy (tectonosequences) of the Kingston Peak Formation reflect a fundamental control on local sedimentation in the basin by faulting and likely earthquake activity, not by any global glacial climate.     

Palaeoenvironments and weathering regime of the Neoproterozoic Squantum ‘Tillite’, Boston Basin: no evidence of a snowball Earth

The snowball Earth hypothesis describes episodes of Neoproterozoic global glaciations, when ice sheets reached sea‐level, the ocean froze to great depth and biota were decimated, accompanied by a complete shutdown of the hydrological cycle. Recent studies of sedimentary successions and Earth systems modelling, however, have brought the hypothesis under considerable debate. The Squantum ‘Tillite’ (Boston Basin, USA), is one of the best constrained snowball Earth successions with respect to age and palaeogeography, and it is suitable to test the hypothesis for the Gaskiers glaciation. The approach used here was to assess the palaeoenvironmental conditions at the type locality of the Squantum Member through an analysis of sedimentary facies and weathering regime (chemical index of alteration). The stratigraphic succession with a total thickness of ca 330 m documents both glacial and non‐glacial depositional environments with a cool‐temperate glacial to temperate non‐glacial climate weathering regime. The base of the succession is composed of thin diamictites and mudstones that carry evidence of sedimentation from floating glacial ice, interbedded with inner shelf sandstones and mudstones. Thicker diamictites interbedded with thin sandstones mark the onset of gravity flow activity, followed by graded sandstones documenting channellized mass gravity flow events. An upward decrease in terrigenous supply is evident, culminating in deep‐water mudstones with a non‐glacial chemical weathering signal. Renewed terrigenous supply and iceberg sedimentation is evident at the top of the succession, beyond which exposure is lost. The glacially influenced sedimentary facies at Squantum Head are more consistent with meltwater dominated alpine glaciation or small local ice caps. The chemical index of alteration values of 61 to 75 for the non‐volcanic rocks requires significant exposure of land surfaces to allow chemical weathering. Therefore, extreme snowball Earth conditions with a complete shutdown of the hydrological cycle do not seem to apply to the Gaskiers glaciation.     

PT conditions and trace element variations of picroilmenites and pyropes from placers and kimberlites in the Arkhangelsk region,NW Russia

Compositions of picroilmenite and pyrope concentrates from Carboniferous sandstones in the Arkhangelsk kimberlite province were analyzed by EPMA and LAM ICP MS in Analytic Center of V.S. Sobolev’s Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, SD RAS, Novosibirsk. The results from single grain thermobarometry (Ashchepkov et al., 2010, Ashchepkov et al., 2011, Ashchepkov et al., 2012) for garnet, spinel, ilmenite and clinopyroxene suggest heating of the base of the lithospheric mantle to 1400 °C (45 mw/m²) at 7.0–7.5 GPa and to 900 °C (35 mw/m²) at 3.5–5.5 GPa in an interval corresponding to a lens enriched in chromite and clinopyroxene. The pipes from the eastern fields reveal smoother mantle geotherms and lower temperature PT paths. Mantle columns beneath the kimberlites from northern (Verkhotinskoe field) and western pipes (Kepinskoe field) show heating from the lithosphere base to 5.0 GPa and stepped PT paths shown by chromites probably due to interaction with magmas which caused local Ti-enrichment near 3.0 and 5.5 GPa. The PT paths in the mantle columns beneath the alnöite pipes reveal higher temperature and relatively shallow PT conditions with two major clusters around 3.0 and 5.0 GPa. Trace element patterns for garnets vary from S-type typical of harzburgites to those with a hump in MREE (middle REE) typical for pyroxenites. Lherzolitic garnets with sinusoidal decrease of LREE show distinctive HFSE enrichment. Trace element ratios (Sm/Er)_n and (La/Yb)_n of garnets correlate positively with pressures estimates by single grain thermobarometry (Ashchepkov et al., 2010, Ashchepkov et al., 2011, Ashchepkov et al., 2012) but only poorly with Cr₂O₃ content. Enrichment in HFSE of all garnets is related to metasomatism that accompanied the picroilmenite-forming event.Ilmenites reveal two compositional trends. One corresponds to fractionation within conduits at the lower mantle (6.0–7.0 GPa) without contamination. A second trend at <6.0 GPa, formed due to assimilation fractional crystallization (AFC), is characterized by Fe and Cr increase with decreasing pressure. Similar trace element patterns of the various in HREE in ilmenites, possibly partly due to garnet assimilation from wall rock peridotites. The PT conditions and geochemistry for the minerals from the Carboniferous sediments are similar to those from the Lomonosovskoe deposit and Arkhangelskaya pipe (Lehtonen et al., 2009).     

Petrology and geochemistry of diamondiferous Mesoproterozoic kimberlites from Wajrakarur kimberlite field,Eastern Dharwar craton,southern India: genesis and constraints on mantle source regions

The petrology and geochemistry of some new occurrences of Mesoproterozoic diamondiferous hypabyssal-facies kimberlites from the Chigicherla, Wajrakarur-Lattavaram and Kalyandurg clusters of the Wajrakarur kimberlite field (WKF), Eastern Dharwar craton (EDC), southern India, are reported. The kimberlites contain two generations of olivine, and multiple groundmass phases including phlogopite, spinel, calcite, dolomite, apatite, perovskite, apatite and rare titanite, and xenocrysts of eclogitic garnet and picro-ilmenite. Since many of the silicate minerals in these kimberlites have been subjected to carbonisation and alteration, the compositions of the groundmass oxide minerals play a crucial role in their characterisation and in understanding melt compositions. While there is no evidence for significant crustal contamination in these kimberlites, some limited effects of ilmenite entrainment are evident in samples from the Kalyandurg cluster. Geochemical studies reveal that the WKF kimberlites are less differentiated and more primitive than those from the Narayanpet kimberlite field (NKF), Eastern Dharwar craton. Highly fractionated (La/Yb = 108–145) chondrite-normalised distribution patterns with La abundances of 500–1,000 × chondrite and low heavy rare earth elements (HREE) abundances of 5–10 × chondrite are characteristic of these rocks. Metasomatism by percolating melts from the convecting mantle, rather than by subduction-related processes, is inferred to have occurred in their source regions based on incompatible element signatures. While the majority of the Eastern Dharwar craton kimberlites are similar to the Group I kimberlites of southern Africa in terms of petrology, geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotope systematics, others show the geochemical traits of Group II kimberlites or an overlap between Group I and II kimberlites. Rare earth element (REE)-based semi-quantitative forward modelling of batch melting of southern African Group I and II kimberlite source compositions involving a metasomatised garnet lherzolite and very low degrees of partial melting demonstrate that (1) WKF and NKF kimberlites display a relatively far greater range in the degree of melting than those from the on-craton occurrences from southern Africa and are similar to that of world-wide melilitites, (2) different degrees of partial melting of a common source cannot account for the genesis of all the EDC kimberlites, (3) multiple and highly heterogeneous kimberlite sources involve in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) in the Eastern Dharwar craton and (4) WKF and NKF kimberlites generation is a resultant of complex interplay between the heterogeneous sources and their different degrees of partial melting. These observations are consistent with the recent results obtained from inversion modelling of REE concentrations from EDC kimberlites in that both the forward as wells as inverse melting models necessitate a dominantly lithospheric, and not asthenospheric, mantle source regions. The invading metasomatic (enriching) melts percolating from the convecting (asthenosphere) mantle impart an OIB-like isotopic signature to the final melt products.     

Zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic systematics of the Daping plutonic rocks: Implications for the Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the northeastern margin of the Indochina block, Southwest China

The Daping Neoproterozoic plutonic rocks at the northeastern margin of Indochina block in southwest China provide an ideal opportunity for studying the tectonic setting and relationship between the Indochina and Yangtze Blocks. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating on the zircon cores and rims of a hornblende-gabbro yield ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U weighted means ages of 873 ± 9.1 Ma and 769 ± 7 Ma, respectively, and that for cores, mantles and rims of a granodiorite yield ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U weighted means ages of 981-987 Ma, 829 ± 10 Ma and 761 ± 11 Ma, respectively. The zircon cores and mantles are interpreted as inherited from their source region. The zircon rims are magmatic, their ages represent the emplacement timing. The zircon cores and rims from the hornblende-gabbro have ε_Hf^(t) values ranging from − 5.0 to − 5.8 and + 0.6 to + 6.4. Corresponding single-stage model ages range from 1626 to 1662 Ma and 1094 to 1311 Ma, respectively. For the granodiorite, the inherited mantles (including cores) show two groups: (1) ε_Hf^(t) values of + 3.3 to + 12.3 with single-stage Hf model ages of 897 to 1235 Ma; and (2) ε_Hf^(t) values of − 1.9 to − 7.8 with single stage model ages of 1470-1667 Ma. The zircon rims are characterized by positive ε_Hf^(t) values (+ 5.4 to + 8.2) with single-stage model ages ranging from 977 to 1108 Ma. Whole-rock geochemical data for the hornblende-gabbro, such as enrichment of LILE and LREE, negative anomaly of Nb and Ta, and high Mg^# (52.1-65.4), suggest magma generation in a subduction-related setting. An island-arc affinity is strongly supported by the features of high-alumina basalt and abundant hornblende in a large hornblende-gabbro sill. The granodiorites are characterized by high Sr contents and Sr/Y ratios, strong enrichment of LILE and LREE, and negative anomaly of Nb, Ta, P and Ti, comparable with the features of subduction-related plutonic rocks. These data show that the hornblende-gabbro was generated by the partial melting of a metasomatized mantle wedge peridotite with contribution from aqueous fluids derived from a subducted slab. The granodiorite magma is a product of the mixing of mafic magma produced by partial melting of a slab-fluid-enriched metasomatized mantle wedge peridotite and felsic magma formed by the partial melting of crustal materials. The emplacement ages and geochemical features of subduction-related Daping plutonic rocks are the same as those reported from the western margin of the Yangtze block, suggesting the presence of an oceanic crust in between, with subduction to either side generating island-arc magmatism in the Neoproterozoic.     

Neoproterozoic diamictites from the Itombwe Synclinorium, Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo: Palaeoclimatic significance and regional correlations

The Itombwe Synclinorium in the Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo contains a Neoproterozoic succession of greenschist facies metasedimentary rocks defined as the Itombwe Supergroup, dated between 1020 ± 50 and 575 ± 83 Ma. The Itombwe Supergroup unconformably overlies the Mesoproterozoic Kibaran belt and is subdivided into the Upper and Lower Kadubu Groups which are separated by a faulted tectonic contact. Graded, rhythmically repeated sequences of sandstones, greywackes, phyllites and shales indicate deposition as turbiditic sediment-gravity flows. Periods of basin anoxia are indicated by the presence of graphitic black shales. The Lower and Upper Kadubu Groups contain three stratigraphic levels of diamictites and lonestone-bearing iron-rich sedimentary rocks interpreted as glaciogenic strata, which broadly correlate with other Neoproterozoic glacial sequences in the Central African region and elsewhere around the world. Current stratigraphic and geochronological knowledge of these beds is insufficient to provide more accurate correlations.     

辽东大连新元古代臼齿碳酸盐岩地球化学特征及其地质意义

臼齿构造碳酸盐岩是全球各大陆中、新元古代时期普遍发育的、具有特殊成因意义的碳酸盐岩类型,到目前为止,已在全球20多个地区近50多个中、新元古代地层剖面中被发现。百余年来,有关MT的研究越来越深入,进展显著。从前期和前人较少关注的有关MT与宿主岩石的关系,尤其是从MT与宿主岩石地球化学特征的关系及其所揭示的地质意义出发,通过薄片、电子探针、背散射、阴极发光等测试手段及C、O、Sr同位素的系统测试,对辽东地区新元古代南关岭组、营城子组及兴民村组MT及其宿主岩石的成分、结构、微观组构等特征进行了深入研究。研究证明,MT是原生或早期成岩的产物,由原生海水埋藏成岩和海水直接成岩形成;MT与宿主岩石具有相似的地球化学特征,具有同生或准同生的特点,形成于温暖的正常海水环境,并于Sturtian冰期前终止发育。锶、碳同位素同全球中、新元古代碳锶同位素理论曲线类比表明,大连新元古代南关岭组和营城子组的形成时限为760~950 Ma,兴民村组形成时限为720~800 Ma,与胶辽徐淮地区新古代地层具有良好可对比性。     

Geochemical characterisation, provenance, source and depositional environment of ‘Roches Argilo-Talqueuses’ (RAT) and Mines Subgroups sedimentary rocks in the Neoproterozoic Katangan Belt (Congo): Lithostratigraphic implications

The chemical characteristics of sedimentary rocks provide important clues to their provenance and depositional environments. Chemical analyses of 192 samples of Katangan sedimentary rocks from Kolwezi, Kambove–Kabolela and Luiswishi in the central African Copperbelt (Katanga, Congo) are used to constrain (1) the source and depositional environment of RAT and Mines Subgroup sedimentary rocks and (2) the geochemical relations between the rocks from these units and the debate on the lithostratigraphic position of the RAT Subgroup within the Katangan sedimentary succession. The geochemical data indicate that RAT, D. Strat., RSF and RSC are extremely poor in alkalis and very rich in MgO. SD are richer in alkalis, especially K₂O. Geochemical characteristics of RAT and Mines Subgroups sedimentary rocks indicate deposition under an evaporitic environment that evolved from oxidizing (Red RAT) to reducing (Grey RAT and Mines Subgroup) conditions. There is no chemical difference between RAT and fine-grained clastic rocks from the lower part of the Mines Subgroup. The geochemical data preclude the genetic model that RAT are syn-orogenic sedimentary rocks originating from Mines Group rocks by erosion and gravity-induced fragmentation in front of advancing nappes.     

Geochemistry of the Uintjiesberg kimberlite, South Africa: petrogenesis of an off-craton, group I, kimberlite

The Uintjiesberg kimberlite diatreme occurs within the Proterozoic Namaqua–Natal Belt, South Africa, approximately 60 km to the southwest of the Kaapvaal craton boundary. It is a group I, calcite kimberlite that has an emplacement age of 100 Ma. Major and trace element data, in combination with petrography, are used to evaluate its petrogenesis and the nature of its source region. Macrocryst phases are predominantly olivine with lesser phlogopite, with very rare garnet and Cr-rich clinopyroxene. Geochemical variation amongst the macrocrystic samples (Mg# 0.85–0.87, SiO₂=27.0–29.3%, MgO=26.1–30.5%, CaO=10.9–13.5%) is shown to result from 10% to 40% entrainment and partial assimilation of peridotite xenoliths, whereas that shown by the aphanitic samples (Mg# 0.80–0.83, SiO₂=19.1–23.0%, MgO=17.9–23.9%, CaO=16.5–23.7%) is consistent with 7–25% crystal fractionation of olivine and minor phlogopite. Changing trajectories on chemical variation diagrams allow postulation of a primary magma composition with 25% SiO₂, 26% MgO, 2.3% Al₂O₃, 5%H₂O, 8.6% CO₂ and Mg#=0.85.

Forward melting models, assuming 0.5% melting, indicate derivation of the primary Uintjiesberg kimberlite magma from a source enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) by 10× chondrite and heavy REE (HREE) by 0.8–2× chondrite, the latter being dependent on the proportion of residual garnet. Significant negative Rb, K, Sr, Hf and Ti anomalies present in the inferred primary magma composition are superimposed on otherwise generally smooth primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns, and are inferred to be a characteristic of the primary magma composition. The further requirement for a source with chondritic or lower HREE abundances, residual olivine with high Fo content (Fo₉₄) suggests derivation from a mantle previously depleted in mafic melt but subsequently enriched in highly incompatible elements prior to kimberlite genesis. These requirements are interpreted in the context of melting of continental lithospheric mantle previously enriched by metasomatic fluids derived from a sublithospheric (plume?) source.     

Geochemistry and Crustal Evolution of Volcano-sedimentary Successions and Orthogneisses in the São Gabriel Block, Southernmost Brazil — Relics of Neoproterozoic Magmatic Arcs

Precambrian metaplutonic rocks of the São Gabriel block in southernmost Brazil comprise juvenile Neoproterozoic calc-alkaline gneisses (Cambaí Complex). The connection with associated (ultra-)mafic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks (Palma Group) is not well established. The whole complex was deformed during the Brasiliano orogenic cycle. Both metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks as well as metaplutonic rocks of the Cambaí Complex have been sampled for geochemical analyses in order to get constraints on the tectonic setting of these rocks and to establish a tectonic model for the São Gabriel block and its role during the assembly of West-Gondwana. The major element compositions of the igneous rocks (Palma Group and Cambaí Complex) indicate a subalkaline character; most orthogneisses have a calc-alkaline chemistry; many metavolcanic rocks of the Palma Group show signatures of low-K tholeiitic volcanic arc basalts. Trace element data, especially Ti, Zr, Y, Nb, of most igneous samples from both the lower Palma Group and the Cambaí Complex indicate origin at plate margins, i.e., in a subduction zone environment. This is corroborated by relative enrichment in LREE, low contents of Nb and other high field strength elements and enrichment in LILE like Rb, Ba, and Th. The data indicate the possible existence of two suites, an oceanic island arc and a continental arc or active continental margin. However, some ultramafic samples of the lower Palma Group in the western São Gabriel block indicate the existence of another volcanic suite with intra-plate character which possibly represents relics of oceanic island basalts (OIB). Trace element data indicate contributions from andesitic to mixed felsic and basic arc sources for the metasedimentary rocks. The patterns of chondrite- and N-MORB-normalized spider diagrams resemble the patterns of the igneous rocks, i.e., LILE and LREE enrichment and HFS depletion. The geochemical signatures of most igneous and metasedimentary samples and their low (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_t ratios suggest only minor contribution of old continental crust.A geotectonic model for the São Gabriel block comprises east-ward subduction and following accretion of an intra-oceanic island arc to the eastern border of the Rio de la Plata Craton at ca. 880 Ma, and westward subduction beneath the newly formed active continental margin between ca. 750 and 700 Ma. The São Gabriel block represents relics of an early Brasiliano oceanic basin between the Rio de la Plata and Kalahari Cratons. This ocean to the east of the Rio de la Plata Craton might be traced to the north and could possibly be linked with Neoproterozoic juvenile oceanic crust in the western Brasília belt (Goiás magmatic arc).     

扬子地块西缘天全新元古代过铝质花岗岩类成因机制及其构造动力学背景

四川西部天全地区花岗岩属于扬子地块西缘岩浆岩带,是"康滇地轴"北段的重要组成部分。岩石形成年龄为851±15Ma(MSWD=0.7),属于新元古代花岗岩,与扬子地块西缘和北缘大量的中酸性侵入体和火山岩具有相近的形成年龄。火夹沟花岗闪长岩为过铝质、低Si O2、具有相对亏损的Sr-Nd-Pb同位素地球化学组成,结合岩石低的Al2O3/Ti O2和高的Ca O/Na2O比值,其应是在镁铁质岩浆底侵的条件下,成熟度较低的杂砂岩部分熔融形成的过铝质熔体,岩石较低的Si O2含量表明其同化了部分镁铁质熔体。而角脚坪花岗岩具有高的Si O2含量,为过铝质、富Na的熔体,而且具有极度亏损的Sr-Nd同位素组成,表明其应是亏损的玄武质岩石(洋壳或是与地幔柱有关的玄武岩)在H2O饱和条件下发生低程度部分熔融形成的过铝质熔体。结合扬子西缘其它新元古代火成岩的地球化学特征及区域构造资料,我们认为天全地区的Na质花岗闪长岩-花岗岩组合代表在高地温梯度条件下,玄武质岩石在H2O饱和条件下发生部分熔融形成的过铝质花岗岩。     

滇东南发现新元古代岩浆岩：SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年代学和岩石地球化学证据

滇东南老君山地区出露了一套穹隆状变形-变质岩系,新近完成的1:5万都龙幅、麻栗坡县幅区域地质矿产调查报告,将其分解为晚志留纪南温河花岗岩、新元古界新寨岩组和古元古界猛硐岩群。首次对猛硐岩群的石英角闪斜长片麻岩进行了SHRIMP锆石U-Pb定年,结合阴极发光图像分析,获得两组岩浆锆石的结晶年龄分别为761±12Ma和829±10Ma,指示滇东南老君山地区存在新元古代岩浆活动,同时从同位素年代学上,表明猛硐岩群是一套前寒武纪的变质沉积-岩浆杂岩。此外,还获得一些年龄为≈1．83Ga的残留锆石,表明该区存在古元古代的结晶基底。石英角闪斜长片麻岩及共存的斜长角闪岩,它们的原岩具有大陆裂谷背景下玄武质-玄武安山质岩浆系列的地球化学特征,可能与新元古代Rodinia超大陆聚合-裂解过程中的岩浆活动有关,本区在新元古代可能位于南华裂谷与康滇裂谷的交汇部位。     

Provenance of the Neoproterozoic Maricá Formation (Sul-rio-grandense Shield, Southern Brazil): Petrographic and Sm–Nd isotopic constraints

This paper reports the integrated application of petrographic and Sm–Nd isotopic analyses for studying the provenance of the Neoproterozoic Maricá Formation, southern Brazil. This unit encompasses sedimentary rocks of fluvial and marine affiliations. In the lower fluvial succession, sandstones plot in the “craton interior” and “transitional continental” fields of the QFL diagram. Chemical weathering probably caused the decrease of the ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios to 0.0826 and 0.0960, consequently lowering originally > 2.0 Ga T_DM ages to 1.76 and 1.81 Ga. ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios are also low (0.511521 to 0.511633), corresponding to negative ε_Nd present-day values (− 21.8 and − 19.6). In the intermediate marine succession, sandstones plot in the “dissected arc” field, reflecting the input of andesitic clasts. Siltstones and shales reveal low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios (0.511429 to 0.511710), ε_Nd values of − 18.1 and − 23.6, and T_DM ages of 2.16 and 2.37 Ga. Sandstones of the upper fluvial succession have “dissected arc” and “recycled orogen” provenance. ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotopic ratios are also relatively low, from 0.511487 to 0.511560, corresponding to ε_Nd values of − 22.4 and − 21.0 and T_DM of 2.07 Ga. A uniform granite–gneissic basement block of Paleoproterozoic age, with subordinate volcanic rocks, is suggested as the main sediment source of the Maricá Formation.     

Geochemistry, petrogenesis and tectonic setting of late Neoproterozoic Dokhan-type volcanic rocks in the Fatira area, eastern Egypt

 The Neoproterozoic Dokhan volcanics of the Fatira area in eastern Egypt comprise two main rock suites: (a) an intermediate volcanic suite, consisting of basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite, and their associated pyroclastic rocks; and (b) a felsic volcanic suite composed of rhyolite and rhyolitic tuffs. The two suites display well-defined major and trace element trends and a continuum in composition with wide ranges in SiO₂ (54–76%), CaO (8.19–0.14%), MgO (6.96–0.04%), Sr (983–7 ppm), Zr (328–95 ppm), Cr (297–1 ppm), and Ni (72–1 ppm). They are enriched in LILEs (Rb, Ba, K, Th, Ce) relative to high field strength elements (Nb, Zr, P, Ti) and show strong affinity to calc-alkaline subduction-related rocks. However, their undeformed character, their emplacement temporally and spatially with post-orogenic A-type granite, and their high Zr/Y values suggest that their emplacement follow the cessation of subduction in eastern Egypt in an extensional-related within-plate setting. Major and trace element variations in the intermediate volcanics are consistent with their formation via partial melting of an enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle source followed by a limited low-pressure fractional crystallization of olivine and pyroxene before emplacement. The LILE enrichment relative to HFSE is attributed to the inheritance of a subduction component from mantle material which constituted the mantle wedge during previous subduction events in eastern Egypt. The evolution of the whole volcanic spectrum was governed mainly by crystal/melt fractionation of amphibole, plagioclase, titanomagnetite, and apatite in the intermediate varieties and plagioclase, amphibole, biotite, Fe–Ti oxides, apatite, and zircon in the felsic varieties. At each stage of evolution, crystal fractionation was accompanied by variable degrees of crustal contamination. Received: 28 June 1998 / Accepted: 25 August 1999     

SHRIMP zircon dating and Sm/Nd isotopic investigations of Neoproterozoic granitoids, Eastern Desert, Egypt

There is an increasing evidence for the involvement of pre-Neoproterozoic zircons in the Arabian–Nubian Shield, a Neoproterozoic crustal tract that is generally regarded to be juvenile. The source and significance of these xenocrystic zircons are not clear. In an effort to better understand this problem, older and younger granitoids from the Egyptian basement complex were analyzed for chemical composition, SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages, and Sm–Nd isotopic compositions. Geochemically, the older granitoids are metaluminous and exhibit characteristics of I-type granites and most likely formed in a convergent margin (arc) tectonic environment. On the other hand, the younger granites are peraluminous and exhibit the characteristics of A-type granites; these are post-collisional granites. The U–Pb SHRIMP dating of zircons revealed the ages of magmatic crystallization as well as the presence of slightly older, presumably inherited zircon grains. The age determined for the older granodiorite is 652.5 ± 2.6 Ma, whereas the younger granitoids are 595–605 Ma. Xenocrystic zircons are found in most of the younger granitoid samples; the xenocrystic grains are all Neoproterozoic, but fall into three age ranges that correspond to the ages of other Eastern Desert igneous rocks, viz. 710–690, 675–650 and 635–610 Ma. The analyzed granitoids have (+3.8 to +6.5) and crystallization ages, which confirm previous indications that the Arabian–Nubian Shield is juvenile Neoproterozoic crust. These results nevertheless indicate that older Neoproterozoic crust contributed to the formation of especially the younger granite magmas.     

苏鲁造山带胶南区段片麻岩原岩的成因:地球化学及Nd同位素证据

出露于苏鲁造山带胶南区段的片麻岩主要包括三种类型黑云斜长片麻岩、二长花岗片麻岩和A型花岗质片麻岩,地球化学判别结果表明它们的原岩均为火成岩.不同类型片麻岩的地球化学特征各不相同,反映它们的原岩具有不同的形成与演化历史.其中黑云斜长片麻岩以负Eu异常弱,甚至出现明显的正异常(δEu=0.60～1.45)、强的Ba正异常、无明显的Sr异常为特征而明显不同于其它类型的片麻岩.其地球化学的总体特征类似于扬子克拉通北缘新元古代双峰式火山岩的酸性端元;与黑云斜长片麻岩类似,二长花岗片麻岩中轻、重稀土元素之间的分馏程度也较强(LaN/YbN=6.3～17.2),但以强的负Eu异常(δEu=0.27～0.54)、强的Sr负异常和弱的Ba负异常为特征明显不同于黑云斜长片麻岩;A型花岗片麻岩的稀土模式及蛛网图的形态类似于二长花岗片麻岩,所不同的是前者Nb、Ta负异常相对较弱.区内几种类型片麻岩的εNd(t)值差别不大,反映它们的原岩之间可能有一定的成因联系.它们的Nd同位素模式年龄TDM都集中在2.0Ga左右,表明它们的源区主要为早元古代的地壳物质,且岩性比较均一.推测二长花岗片麻岩与黑云斜长片麻岩的原岩是同源异相,而A型花岗岩是在大规模Ⅰ型花岗质岩浆形成后,由脱水的紫苏辉石质残留下地壳物质再次发生部分熔融形成的.     

Early Neoproterozoic evolution of Southeast Pakistan: evidence from geochemistry,geochronology, and isotopic composition of the Nagarparkar Igneous Complex

ABSTRACT

Rocks of the early Neoproterozoic age of the world have remained in discussion for their unique identity and evolutionary history. The rocks are also present in Sindh province of Pakistan and have been in debate for a couple of years. Yet, these igneous rocks have been studied very poorly regarding U-Pb and Lu-Hf age dating. The early Neoproterozoic rocks located in Nagarparkar town of Sindh have been considered as shoulder of Malani Igneous Suite (MIS) discovered in Southwest of India. The Nagarparkar Igneous Complex (NPIC) rocks are low-grade metamorphosed, mafic and silicic rocks. These rocks are accompanied by felsic and mafic dikes. Two types of granite from NPIC have been identified as peraluminous I-type biotite granites (Bt-granites), of medium-K calc-alkaline rocks series and A-type potash granites (Kfs-granites) of high-K calc-alkaline rocks series. Geochemical study shows that these Kfs-granites are relatively high in K and Na contents and low MgO and CaO. The Bt-granites have positive Rb, Ba, and Sr with negative Eu anomalies rich with HFSEs Zr, Hf, and slightly depleted HREEs, whereas Kfs-granites have positive Rb with negative Ba, Sr, and Eu anomalies and have positive anomalies of Zr and Hf with HREEs. In addition, these rocks possess crustal material, which leads to the enrichment of some incompatible trace elements and depletion of Sr and Ba in Kfs-granites and relatively high Sr and Ba in Bt-granites, indicating a juvenile lower continental crust affinity. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of these granites yielded weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages ranging from 812.3 ± 14.1 Ma (N = 18; MSWD = 3.7); and 810 ± 7.4 Ma (N = 16; MSDW = 0.36) for the Bt-granites, and 755.3 ± 7.1 Ma (N = 21; MSDW = 2.0); NP-GG-01 and 736.3 ± 4.3 Ma (N = 24; MSWD = 1.05) for Kfs-granites, respectively. The Bt-granites and Kfs-granites have positive zircon ε_Hf^(t) values, which specify that they are derived from a juvenile upper and lower continental crust. Based on the geochemical and geochronological data, we suggest that the Bt-granites were formed through lower continental crust earlier to the rifting time, whereas the Kfs-granites were formed via upper continental crust, during crustal thinning caused by Rodinia rifting. These zircon U-Pb ages 812 to 736 Ma, petrographic, and geochemical characteristics match with those of the adjacent Siwana, Jalore, Mount Abu, and Sirohi granites of MIS. Thus, we can suggest that NPIC granites and adjacent MIS can possibly be assumed as a missing link of the supercontinent Rodinia remnants.     

Organic petrology of Paleocene Marcelina Formation coals, Paso Diablo mine, western Venezuela: Tectonic controls on coal type

About 7 Mt of high volatile bituminous coal are produced annually from the four coal zones of the Upper Paleocene Marcelina Formation at the Paso Diablo open-pit mine of western Venezuela. As part of an ongoing coal quality study, we have characterized twenty-two coal channel samples from the mine using organic petrology techniques. Samples also were analyzed for proximate–ultimate parameters, forms of sulfur, free swelling index, ash fusion temperatures, and calorific value.Six of the samples represent incremental benches across the 12–13 m thick No. 4 bed, the stratigraphically lowest mined coal, which is also mined at the 10 km distant Mina Norte open-pit. Organic content of the No. 4 bed indicates an upward increase of woody vegetation and/or greater preservation of organic material throughout the life of the original mire(s). An upward increase in telovitrinite and corresponding decrease in detrovitrinite and inertinite illustrate this trend. In contrast, stratigraphically higher coal groups generally exhibit a ‘dulling upward’ trend.The generally high inertinite content, and low ash yield and sulfur content, suggest that the Paso Diablo coals were deposited in rain-fed raised mires, protected from clastic input and subjected to frequent oxidation and/or moisture stress. However, the two thinnest coal beds (both 0.7 m thick) are each characterized by lower inertinite and higher telovitrinite content relative to the rest of Paso Diablo coal beds, indicative of less well-established raised mire environments prior to drowning.Foreland basin Paleocene coals of western Venezuela, including the Paso Diablo deposit and time-correlative coal deposits of the Táchira and Mérida Andes, are characterized by high inertinite and consistently lower ash and sulfur relative to Eocene and younger coals of the area. We interpret these age-delimited coal quality characteristics to be due to water availability as a function of the tectonic control of subsidence rate. It is postulated that slower subsidence rates dominated during the Paleocene while greater foreland basin subsidence rates during the Eocene–Miocene resulted from the loading of nappe thrust sheets as part of the main construction phases of the Andean orogen. South-southeastward advance and emplacement of the Lara nappes during the oblique transpressive collision of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates in the Paleocene was further removed from the sites of peat deposition, resulting in slower subsidence rates. Slower subsidence in the Paleocene may have favored the growth of raised mires, generating higher inertinite concentrations through more frequent moisture stress. Consistently low ash yield and sulfur content would be due to the protection from clastic input in raised mires, in addition to the leaching of mineral matter by rainfall and the development of acidic conditions preventing fixation of sulfur. In contrast, peat mires of Eocene–Miocene age encountered rapid subsidence due to the proximity of nappe emplacement, resulting in lower inertinite content, higher and more variable sulfur content, and higher ash yield.     

Ca isotopic compositions of dolomite, phosphorite and the oldest animal embryo fossils from the Neoproterozoic in Weng'an, South China

Deciphering the drastic changes of surface environment and the emergence of animals after the Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth event are important for understanding the changes of surface environment and its influence on the evolution of life through geologic time. Especially, the emergence of two types of Metazoan animals such as animal embryo fossils, cnidarians or sponges, and Ediacaran fauna in the late Neoproterozoic was one of the critical turning points in the biological evolution.Calcium is one of the essential elements for the growth of most animals. In this study, in order to evaluate the Ca cycles in the Neoproterozoic, we have measured Ca isotopic ratios (⁴⁴Ca/⁴²Ca and ⁴³Ca/⁴²Ca) for phosphorite, dolostone and phosphatic animal embryo fossils with a multiple collector, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). The resulting ⁴⁴Ca/⁴²Ca ratio defined by the relative deviation from the ratio of NIST SRM915a (δ^44/42Ca_NIST915) for phosphorite and dolostone ranges from 0.83 to 0.95‰, demonstrating that the fractionation between phosphorite/dolostone and seawater was very small. This evidence indicates that at the emergence of the Weng'an biota seawater was deficient in Ca probably due to mass deposition of phosphorite/dolostone and to the beginning of Ca-biomineralization.Three phosphatic animal embryo fossils have lower δ^44/42Ca values than the phosphorite and dolomite, implying that the precursor of the phosphatic embryo fossils was able to fractionate Ca isotopes through Ca-biomineralization, consistent with marine gastropods.