Geochemistry and Tectonic Setting of Mafic Igneous Units in the Neoproterozoic Katangan Basin, Central Africa: Implications for Rodinia Break-up

Geochemical compositions of mafic igneous rocks in the Katangan basin in Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, hereafter Congo, and Zambia) provide the basis for the geodynamic interpretation of the evolution of this Neoproterozoic basin located between the Congo and Kalahari cratons. The Katangan basin is subdivided into five major tectonic units: the Katangan Aulacogen, the External Fold and Thrust Belt, the Domes Region, the Synclinorial Belt and the Katangan High. The metamorphosed mafic igneous rocks investigated occur in the Katangan Aulacogen, the External Fold and Thrust Belt and the Domes Region. The earliest magmatic activity produced continental tholeiites emplaced on Paleoproterozoic crust during the early stages of intraplate break-up. This continental tholeiite magmatism was followed by an association of alkaline and tholeiitic basalts emplaced in the Katangan continental rift and then by tholeiitic basalts with E-MORB affinity marking a young oceanic crust. These volcanic associations mark different stages of evolution from pre-rift continental break-up up to a continental rift similar to the East African rift system and then to a Red Sea type incipient oceanic rift. A similar evolution occurs in the Damaran basin in southwestern Africa, although no pre-rift continental tholeiites have been recorded in this segment of the Pan-African belt system.     

The Geochemistry of Ultramafic to Mafic Volcanics from the Belingwe Greenstone Belt, Zimbabwe: Magmatism in an Archean Continental Large Igneous Province

The evolution of the late Archean Belingwe greenstone belt,Zimbabwe, is discussed in relation to the geochemistry of theultramafic to mafic volcanic rocks. Four volcanic types (komatiite,komatiitic basalt, D-basalt and E-basalt) are distinguishedin the 2·7 Ga Ngezi volcanic sequence using a combinationof petrography and geochemistry. The komatiites and D-basaltsare rocks in which isotopic systems and trace elements are depleted.Chemical variations in komatiites and D-basalts can be explainedby fractional crystallization from the parental komatiite. Incontrast, komatiitic basalts and E-basalts are siliceous anddisplay enriched isotopic and trace element compositions. Theirchemical trends are best explained by assimilation with fractionalcrystallization (AFC) from the primary komatiite. AFC calculationsindicate that the komatiitic basalts and E-basalts are derivedfrom komatiites contaminated with 20% and 30% crustal material,respectively. The volcanic stratigraphy of the Ngezi sequence,which is based on field relationships and the trace elementcompositions of relict clinopyroxenes, shows that the leastcontaminated komatiite lies between highly contaminated komatiiticbasalt flows, and has limited exposure near the base of thesuccession. Above these flows, D- and E-basalts alternate. Thekomatiite appears to have erupted on the surface only in theearly stages, when plume activity was high. As activity decreasedwith time, komatiite magmas may have stagnated to form magmachambers within the continental crust. Subsequent komatiiticmagmas underwent fractional crystallization and were contaminatedwith crust to form D-basalts or E-basalts. KEY WORDS: komatiite; crustal assimilation; Belingwe greenstone belt; continental flood basalt; plume magmatism     

西准噶尔拉巴岩体的成因——来自岩石学、年代学和地球化学的证据

西准噶尔西南部的拉巴岩体形成于早二叠世(285.7~295.1 Ma), 由花岗岩、花岗闪长岩、二长花岗岩岩基和一系列花岗闪长斑岩、闪长岩、花岗岩等岩脉组成, 矿物主要包括石英、斜长石、碱性长石、角闪石和黑云母等, CaO、Na2O含量较高, Eu弱负异常, 高εNd、低(87Sr/86Sr)i, 具有中高硅、钙碱性、贫镁铁、准铝质-弱过铝质的特点, 属典型的I型花岗岩, 可进一步分为高Sr低Yb的高压型埃达克岩和低Sr高Yb的低压型岛弧花岗岩, 均形成于洋壳俯冲的岛弧环境, 西准噶尔地区在早二叠世可能仍存在未完全关闭的有限洋盆, 对完善区域大地构造演化具有重要意义。     

Geochemistry of Permian Mafic Igneous Rocks from the Napo‐Qinzhou Tectonic Belt in Southwest Guangxi,Southwest China: Implications for Arc‐Back Arc Basin Magmatic Evolution

The Napo-Qinzhou Tectonic Belt (NQTB) lies at the junction of the Yangtze, Cathaysia and Indochina (North Vietnam) Blocks, which is composed of five major lithotectonic subunits: the Qinzhou-Fangcheng Suture Zone (QFSZ), the Shiwandashan Basin (SB), the Pingxiang-Nanning Suture Zone (PNSZ), the Damingshan Block (DB) and the Babu-Lingma Suture Zone (BLSZ). On the basis of geochemical compositions, the Permian mafic igneous rocks can be divided into three distinct groups: (1) mafic igneous rocks (Group 1) from the Longjing region in the PNSZ and Hurun region in the BLSZ, which are characterized by intermediate Ti, P and Zr with low Ni and Cr contents; (2) mafic igneous rocks (Group 2) from the Naxiao and Chongzuo region in the DB, characterized by low-intermediate Ti, P and Zr with high Ni and Cr concentrations; and (3) mafic igneous rocks (Group 3) from the Siming region in the Jingxi carbonate platform of the northwestern margin of the NQTB, with intermediate-high Ti, P and Zr and low Ni and Cr contents. The Group 1 rocks yield a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 250.5±2.8 Ma and are geochemically similar to basalts occurring in back-arc basin settings. The Group 2 rocks exhibit geochemical features to those basalts in island arcs, whereas the Group 3 rocks show geochemical similarity to that of ocean island basalts. All three groups are characterized by relatively low εNd(t) values (–2.61 to +1.10) and high initial 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios (0.705309–0.707434), indicating that they were derived from a subduction-modified lithospheric mantle and experienced assimilation, fractional crystallization, and crustal contamination or mixing during magmatic evolution. Accordingly, we propose the existence of an arc-back arc basin system that developed along the NQTB at the border of SW Guangxi Province (SW China) and northern Vietnam, and it was formed by continued northwestward subduction of the Cathaysian (or Yunkai) Block under the Yangtze Block, and northeastward subduction of the Indochina Block beneath the Yangtze Block during Permian time.     

东昆仑香加花岗质岩体中镁铁质包体成因:岩相学及地球化学证据

东昆仑造山带以广泛发育富含镁铁质包体的早-中三叠世花岗岩为主要特征,但目前尚缺乏对不同类型镁铁质包体系统的岩相学和矿物学研究.在本文中,我们选择了极具代表性的香加花岗岩体及其中包体为研究对象,从岩相学和矿物化学角度揭示了东昆仑地区壳幔岩浆相互作用的详细过程.研究表明包体发育眼球状石英、韵律环带斜长石和针状磷灰石等不平衡结构和快速结晶现象,指示存在岩浆混合作用,而似辉绿辉长结构包体代表了岩浆混合的基性端元.此外,长石的多阶段生长证明可能存在多次的岩浆混合过程.镁铁质包体相对寄主岩（Mg#值为0.39~0.56,Fe#值为0.44~0.62）具高Mg#和低Fe#特征.包体具有两类角闪石:一类结晶源自早期深部幔源岩浆（TiO₂=2.1%~2.9%,SiO₂=41.75%~44.49%）,另一类则起源于浅部壳幔混合作用（TiO₂=1.0%~1.8%,SiO₂=42.49%~48.10%）.部分黑云母具有高镁特征（MgO=9.78%~11.53%,Mg#=0.462~0.541）,与幔源成因黑云母成分相当.斜长石的韵律环带及化学组成指示其岩浆混合成因.幔源基性岩浆在5×108 bar（约18 km）左右深度结晶并形成高钛角闪石,玄武质岩浆底侵上升,并发生壳幔岩浆混合作用,混合的岩浆上升至2.5×108 bar（约8 km）左右深度结晶形成低钛角闪石.以上证据指示,东昆仑地区在三叠纪时期可能经历了多期次的岩浆混合作用,地幔岩浆的注入在地壳深熔作用和地壳生长过程中扮演了重要角色.广泛的壳幔岩浆相互作用可能是三叠纪时期阿尼玛卿洋板片断离的重要响应.      

Stenian A-type granitoids in the Namaqua-Natal Belt,southern Africa,Maud Belt,Antarctica and Nampula Terrane,Mozambique:Rodinia and Gondwana amalgamation implications

We carried out SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating on A-type granitic intrusions from the Namaqua-Natal Province,South Africa,Sverdrupfjella,western Dronning Maud Land,Antarctica and the Nampula Province of northern Mozambique.Zircon grains in these granitic rocks are typically elongated and oscillatory zoned,suggesting magmatic origins.Zircons from the granitoid intrusions analyzed in this study suggest~1025-1100 Ma ages,which confirm widespread Mesoproterozoic A-type granitic magmatism in the Namaqua-Natal(South Africa),Maud(Antarctica) and Mozambique metamorphic terrains.No older inherited(e.g.,~2500 Ma Achean basement or~1200 Ma island are magmatism in northern Natal)zircon grains were seen.Four plutons from the Natal Belt(Mvoti Pluton,Glendale Pluton,Kwalembe Pluton,Ntimbankulu Pluton) display 1050-1040 Ma ages,whereas the Nthlimbitwa Pluton in northern Natal indicates older 1090-1080 Ma ages.A sample from Sverdrupfjella,Antarctica has~1091 Ma old zircons along with~530 Ma metamorphic rims.Similarly,four samples analysed from the Nampula Province of Mozambique suggest crystallization ages of~1060-1090 Ma but also show significant discordance with two samples showing younger~550 Ma overgrowths.None of the Natal samples show any younger overgrowths.A single sample from southwestern Namaqualand yielded an age of~1033 Ma.Currently available chronological data suggest magmatism took place in the Namaqua-Natal-MaudMozambique(NNMM) belt between~1025 Ma and~1100 Ma with two broad phases between~1060-1020 Ma and 1100-1070 Ma respectively,with peaks at between~1030-1040 Ma and~1070-1090 Ma.The age data from the granitic intrusions from Namaqualand.combined with those from Natal,Antarctica and Mozambique suggest a crude spatial-age relationship with the older1070 Ma ages being largely restricted close to the eastern and western margins of the Kalahari Craton in northern Natal,Mozambique.Namaqualand and WDML Antarctica whereas the younger 1060 Ma ages dominate in southern Natal and western Namaqualand and are largely restricted to the southern and possibly the western margins of the Kalahari Craton.The older ages of magmatism partially overlap with or are marginally younger than the intracratonic Mkondo Large lgneous Provinee intruded into or extruded onto the Kalahari Craton,suggesting a tectonic relationship with the Maud Belt.Similar ages from granitic augen gneisses in Sri Lanka suggest a continuous belt stretching from Namaqualand to Sri Lanka in a reconstituted Gondwana,formed during the terminal stages of amalgamation of Rodinia and predating the East African Orogen.This contiguity contributes to defining the extent of Rodinia-age crustal blocks,subsequently fragmented by the dispersal of Rodinia and Gondwana.     

Radiating 1.0 Ga Mafic Dyke Swarms of Eastern Brazil and Western Africa: Evidence of Post-Assembly Extension in the Rodinia Supercontinent?

Several mafic dyke swarms of similar composition and age (tholeiite- ca.1.0 Ga) occur on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in eastern South America and western Africa. When assembled to their pre-drift position in the Mesozoic, the Brazilian coastal dyke province of Bahia, and the African dykes in Cameroun (Ebolowa suite) and Congo (Comba and Sembe-Ouesso provinces) define a giant radiating pattern (1200 km × 800 km) similar to other dyke swarms elsewhere associated with large-scale continental rifting. Magma flow indicators of the Brazilian dykes and branching propagation styles of their African counterparts indicate that the dyke conduits were fed with magmas diverging from a source beneath the long axis of the Meso-Neoproterozoic West-Congolian Basin in Africa. There, MORB-like metabasalts have been described in the La Bikossi Group of the Mayombian Supergroup. Whether the rifting event and intrusion of dyke swarms were triggered or not by a mantle plume beneath part of the Rodinia subcontinental lithosphere remain to be confirmed.     

闽西南E⁃MORB型基性岩墙成因:来自地球化学、锆石U⁃Pb年代学及Sr⁃Nd同位素证据

闽西南地区发育富集洋脊玄武岩(E?MORB)地球化学特征的基性岩墙,这对研究晚中生代中国东南部的构造岩浆作用具有重要指示意义.利用岩石学、锆石U?Pb年代学、元素地球化学、同位素地球化学等方法对早白垩世闽西南基性岩墙进行研究,岩墙以辉绿岩和角闪辉长辉绿岩为主,属于中-低钾岩石系列,Mg#值为55.80～66.38.锆石...     

东南极普里兹带多期变质作用及其对罗迪尼亚和冈瓦纳超大陆重建的启示

东南极普里兹带是一条经受格林维尔期和泛非期高级构造热事件影响的多相变质带,其构造演化过程与罗迪尼亚和冈瓦纳超大陆的形成密切相关。新的岩石学和年代学资料表明,普里兹带中的格林维尔期高级变质作用是区域性的,并经历了>970Ma和930~900Ma两个演化阶段(期),变质条件达到相对高温高压的麻粒岩相。格林维尔期造山作用起始于活动大陆边缘或岛弧环境下的岩浆增生,最后发展到陆陆碰撞,从而使印度、东南极西陆块和非洲的卡拉哈里克拉通拼合在一起,构成了罗迪尼亚超大陆的重要组成部分之一。普里兹带中的泛非期高级变质作用并不象前人认为的那样只发生在中低压麻粒岩相条件下,而是达到高压麻粒岩相,并具有近等温减压的顺时针P-T演化轨迹。格林维尔期变质先驱的普遍存在说明泛非期碰撞造山事件主要叠加在印度-南极陆块东缘的基底杂岩之上,所以其主缝合线的位置应该在现今普里兹带的东南方向,并可能向南极内陆延伸到甘布尔采夫冰下山脉。对不同类型岩石的精细定年揭示,普里兹带中泛非期造山作用过程从570Ma一直持续到490Ma,这与东非造山带的晚期碰撞阶段大致相吻合。因此,冈瓦纳超大陆的最后拼合可能是通过西冈瓦纳、印度-南极陆块和澳大利亚-南极陆块等三个陆块的近于同期碰撞来完成的。     

Geological context of the Boumnyebel talcschists (Cameroun): Inferences on the Pan-African Belt of Central Africa

The talcschists of the Boumnyebel area (southern Cameroon) form ≤ 30 m thick discontinuous layers within a Pan-African nappe unit (Yaoundé group), which includes, at the base, muscovite + biotite ± garnet micaschists associated with amphibolites and pyroxenites, and, at the top, muscovite + biotite + garnet + kyanite micaschists locally associated with marble and amphibolites. The metamorphic peak (∼650 °C/9.5 kbar; ca. 620 Ma) postdates nappe emplacement. Isograds are in normal position, micaschists passing downwards to migmatites in the northwestern part of the area studied. The rock types in the lower part of this nappe suggest active margin environments with detrital input from a nearby continental crust (arc or back-arc context).     

胶-辽-吉活动带中段古元古代早期构造演化:来自牧牛河和大房身岩体的证据

辽吉花岗岩是胶-辽-吉活动带的重要组成部分,它们是限定胶-辽-吉活动带早期构造属性的重要依据.由于辽吉花岗岩的属性一直存在争议,所以胶-辽-吉带的早期构造环境也一直没有定论.通过对牧牛河-大房身地区的辽吉花岗岩(牧牛河岩体和大房身岩体)进行年代学和地球化学分析,以探讨该地区辽吉花岗岩成因和地质意义.锆石U-Pb定年结果...     

The Petrology and Geochemistry of Mafic Igneous Rocks in the Anorthosite-Bearing Adirondack Highlands, New York

Igneous rocks of broadly basaltic composition are widely distributedin the anorthosite-bearing Adirondack Highlands of New York.They constitute a mafic series of rocks that occurs on the marginsof the anorthosite series and up to 50 km away from the anorthosite.On an Sr reference diagram, the mafic series has an apparentinitial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr value of 0.7036, which is consistent with1100 Ma subcontinental mantle. The series was probably emplacedin the interval 1150–1100 Ma, during which time anorthositeand granitic magmas were also emplaced. The rocks were metamorphosedshortly thereafter ({small tilde} 1088 Ma) under upper-amphiboliteand granulite facies conditions. Individual bodies of maficrocks range in thickness from small enclaves and layers >>1 m thick to large lensoid masses several tens of meters thick.Despite deformation and metamorphic recrystallization, manyof the rocks retain chiHed margins, cross-cutting relationships,and relict igneous textures. Selected samples of the mafic series have been analyzed fortheir major and trace element compositions. Metamorphism didnot significantly alter the igneous geochemical relationships,and the rocks retain mantle-like values for Zr/Nb, K/Zr, K/Rb,Rb/Sr, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. The most primitive rocks of the seriesare silica-undersaturated gabbroic troctolites, and the moreevolved rocks are basaltic in composition. The mafic seriesas a whole has high abundances of A1₂O₃, FeO, the light rareearth elements (LREE), and other incompatible trace elements.Even the most geochemically primitive compositions have highFeO contents. The Fe enrichment and Si depletion that are shownby chemically evolved compositions are consistent with a Fennertrend of fractionation. Low levels of normative di indicatethat high Fe is not a result of the extensive fractionationof cpx. The geochemical trends that are defined by the traceelements, including the REE, suggest the basaltic rocks maybe differentiates of a parental magma of gabbroic troctolitecomposition. The main compositional trend of the mafic seriescan be simulated by 61% crystallization of olivine and plagioclaseof a gabbroic troctolite, followed by 13% crystallization ofolivine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and titanomagnetite atthe final stages. The modelled ratio of olivine to plagioclasecrystallization changes from 1–8: 1 to 0–64: 1.These non-cotectic ratios may reflect a delay in the crystallizationof plagioclase relative to olivine, possibly as a result oflow nucleation rates. At later stages of differentiation, plagioclasewas more important in the crystallization of the series. Delayedcrystallization of plagioclase may also have resulted in thehigh A1₂O₃ contents and enhancement of Eu and Sr relative toother trace elements at early stages of differentiation. The mafic series and the silica-saturated anorthosite seriestogether form an anorthosite-norite-troctolite (ANT) suite.More than one mantle composition may have been involved in generatingthe Adirondack mafic magmas. The rocks retain geochemical evidenceof a source that was depleted in basaltic components (cpx) butenriched in Fe, Ti, K, and the LREE. Previously documented evidenceof anticlockwise cooling paths (Bohlen, 1987) and of a regionalgravity high centered beneath the Adirondack region (Simmons,1964) suggests that of the continental crust by basaltic magmasmay have underplating of the continental crust by basaltic magmasmay have been an important feature of the tectonic evolutionofthe region. A model of mantle upwelling beneath thinning continentalcrust explains the geochemically hybrid nature of the maficseries magmas. It is also consistent with a tectonic settingof incipient or failed continental rifting, to which the generationof the anorthosites is commonly attributed.     

Metamorphic zircons from North Cameroon; implications for the Pan-African evolution of Central Africa

Morphoscopic studies of zircons, including optical microscopic and SEM (backscattered electron mode), from the Rôniers valley (West-Poli, Northern Cameroon) indicate an important crystallization of zircon during a medium-grade garnet-kyanite metamorphic event. This was associated with a deformation (D1) and with the emplacement of a basic and intermediate plutonic suite (BIP). U-Pb dating of these zircon gave almost concordant Pan-African ages (630 Ma) which contribute to a solution of a major regional uncertainty about the age of the regional D1 event, which, in the mobile belt of Central Africa, has been considered previously either as Pan-African or as Lower to Middle Proterozoic. A chronological framework is proposed for the evolution of northern Cameroon.

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Zusammenfassung Eine kristallmorphologische Bearbeitung von Zirkonen aus Glimmerschiefern des Rôniers-Tals (Westlich von Poli, Nord-Kamerun) wurde mit Durchlicht- und mit RasterElektronen-Mikroskopie (Rückstrahl Elektronen) ausgeführt. Verbunden mit einer Bearbeitung des strukturgeologischen und metamorphen Rahmens führt sie zu der Vorstellung einer massiven Auskristallisation der Zirkone anläßlich eines tektono-metamorphen Ereignisses mittlerer Stärke in der Granat-Disthen Fazies. Dieses Ereigniss ist von einer Deformationsphase (D1) und der Platznahme eines basischen bis intermediären Gesteinsverbandes (BIP) begleitet worden. Eine U/Pb Datierung dieser Zirkone ergibt praktisch konkordante pan-afrikanische Alter (630 M.J.) Diese Resultate klären eine Ungewissheit in Bezug auf das Alter des stärksten metamorphen Schieferung, die hier als Resultat des Ereignisses D1 gedeutet wird. Je nach der geographischen Stellung innerhalb der zentral-afrikanischen mobilen Zone wurde bis jetzt das Alter dieser Schieferung als pan-afrikanisch oder als unter- bis mittelproterozoisch gegeben. Ein chronologischer Ablauf kann somit für die Entwicklung des nordkamerunischen Gebietes vorgeschlagen werden.

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Résumé Une étude morphologique de zircons provenant des micaschistes de la vallée des Rôniers (ouest de Poli, Nord Cameroun) a été menée aussi bien en microscopie optique qu'en microscopie à balayage (électrons rétrodiffusés). Combinée à l'étude de l'environnement structural et métamorphique, elle conduit à l'idée d'une cristallisation massive du zircon pendant un événement tectono-métamorphique de degré moyen dans le faciès à grenat-disthène. Cet épisode s'accompagne d'une phase de déformation (D1) et de la mise en place d'une association basique à intermédiaire (BIP). Une datation U/Pb de ces zircons donne des âges panafricains (630 Ma) pratiquement concordants. Ces résultats permettent de lever une ambiguïté sur l'âge de la foliation métamorphique principale interprétée comme résultant de l'événement D1: elle est considérée selon les endroits de la zone mobile d'Afrique centrale soit d'âge panafricain soit d'âge protérozoïque inférieur à moyen. Une chronologie de l'évolution du domaine nord camerounais est proposée.

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