Initiation of crustal shortening in the Himalaya

New monazite U/Th‐Pb petrochronological data from the Annapurna region of central Nepal outline a protracted thermal history spanning ~ 30 Ma from the early Eocene (c. 48 Ma) to the early Miocene (c. 18 Ma). Rare earth element data collected concomitant with the isotopic analyses are consistent with prograde metamorphism and crustal thickening between ~ 48 and 30 Ma and anatexis between ~ 28 and 18 Ma. The timing of metamorphism recorded in these rocks is consistent with records of crustal shortening derived from ultrahigh‐pressure rocks in the western Himalaya and exhumed metamorphic rocks in southern Tibet. Although previous records of early shortening/metamorphism related to the initial collision of India with Asia are spatially associated with the northern margin of the Indian plate, the ages presented in this study extend that early record south into the main Himalayan range. These new data provide important geological constraints on this early, poorly documented history.     

Precambrian crustal evolution of Peninsular India: A 3.0 billion year odyssey

The Precambrian geologic history of Peninsular India covers nearly 3.0 billion years of time. India is presently attached to the Eurasian continent although it remains (for now) a separate plate. It comprises several cratonic nuclei namely, Aravalli–Bundelkhand, Eastern Dharwar, Western Dharwar, Bastar and Singhbhum Cratons along with the Southern Granulite Province. Cratonization of India was polyphase, but a stable configuration between the major elements was largely complete by 2.5 Ga. Each of the major cratons was intruded by various age granitoids, mafic dykes and ultramafic bodies throughout the Proterozoic. The Vindhyan, Chhattisgarh, Cuddapah, Pranhita–Godavari, Indravati, Bhima–Kaladgi, Kurnool and Marwar basins are the major Meso to Neoproterozoic sedimentary repositories. In this paper we review the major tectonic and igneous events that led to the formation of Peninsular India and provide an up to date geochronologic summary of the Precambrian. India is thought to have played a role in a number of supercontinental cycles including (from oldest to youngest) Ur, Columbia, Rodinia, Gondwana and Pangea. This paper gives an overview of the deep history of Peninsular India as an introduction to this special TOIS volume.     

Gravity anomalies and crustal shortening in the eastern Mediterranean

Crustal shortening of the ocean floor in the eastern Mediterranean is recognized by a marked thickening of the sedimentary layer seaward of the Hellenic and Calabrian island arcs. Steep gradients and large negative free-air anomalies in the gravity field along with a highly uniform, low regional heat flow are manifestations of the thickened crust. Bodies of recently deformed sediment in and seaward of the Hellenic Trough reveal the style, polarity, and dynamics of the thickening mechanism.

A linear buried anticlinal structure, inferred from analysis of surface ship gravity profiles, may mark the site of contemporary intrabasinal underthrusting. The distribution of earthquakes beneath the Mediterranean Ridge supports the interpretation that the Anaximander, Ptolomy, and Strabo Mountains are features comparable to large basement nappes. Cyprus is one such structure, offset to the south, where the oceanic crust and part of the upper mantle have been involved in the décollement.     

Structure and tectonic style of the Precambrian shields and platforms of northern Australia

The structure and tectonic style of Australia, to the north of the Musgrave Block and the southern Canning Basin and to the west of the Tasman Orogenic Province, are summarized.Northern Australia is largely occupied or underlain by the early Proterozoic North Australian Orogenic Province, which is bounded by younger mid-Proterozoic mobile belts of the Central Australian Orogenic Province along the eastern and southern margins. In the north, a basement of the Archaean West Australian Orogenic Province underlies the North Australian Orogenic Province. The strata of the North Australian Platform Cover were mildly to moderately deformed at the time when the mid-Proterozoic mobile belts were active. The late Proterozoic and Palaeozoic Central Australian Platform Cover developed over both the North and Central Australian Orogenic Provinces. Finally, the Mesozoic—Cainozoic Trans-Australian Platform Cover transgressed most of the region.The tectonic evolution of northern Australia can be clearly related to the times of cratonisation of its basement. A comparatively uniform pattern of major fractures, trending roughly northerly and northwest, was established throughout the region very early in its history. The subsequent evolution resulted from repeated reactivation of these fractures.Much of the structure may possibly be explained by a simple model in which a central block, roughly between the Kimberleys and Mount Isa, was displaced northwards relative to the blocks on either side and locally, the horizontal displacements were absorbed along east—west-trending zones of thrusting and folding, where the cover was crumpled against rigid blocks.     

Timings of early crustal activity in southern highlands of Mars:Periods of crustal stretching and shortening

Extensional and compressional structures are globally abundant on Mars. Distribution of these structures and their ages constrain the crustal stress state and tectonic evolution of the planet. Here in this paper, we report on our investigation over the distribution of the tectonic structures and timings of the associated stress fields from the Noachis-Sabaea region. Thereafter, we hypothesize possible origins in relation to the internal/external processes through detailed morphostructural mapping. In doing so, we have extracted the absolute model ages of these linear tectonic structures using crater size-frequency distribution measurements, buffered crater counting in particular. The estimated ages indicate that the tectonic structures are younger than the mega impacts events(especially Hellas) and instead they reveal two dominant phases of interior dynamics prevailing on the southern highlands, firstly the extensional phase terminating around3.8 Ga forming grabens and then compressional phase around 3.5-3.6 Ga producing wrinkle ridges and lobate scarps. These derived absolute model ages of the grabens exhibit the age ca. 100 Ma younger than the previously documented end of the global extensional phase. The following compressional activity corresponds to the peak of global contraction period in Early Hesperian. Therefore, we conclude that the planet wide heat loss mechanism, involving crustal stretching coupled with gravitationally driven relaxation(i.e.,lithospheric mobility) resulted in the extensional structures around Late Noachian(around 3.8 Ga). Lately cooling related global contraction generated compressional stress ensuing shortening of the upper crust of the southern highlands at the Early Hesperian period(around 3.5-3.6 Ga).     

西藏措勤盆地构造特征与地壳缩短

措勤盆地为青藏高原仅次于羌塘盆地的第二大海相盆地,笔者通过对盆地基底和盖层变形特征分析,将措勤盆地基底划分为北部拗陷、北部隆起、中部拗陷和南部隆起4个一级构造单元;盖层划分为北部拗褶带、北部冲断带、中部拗褶带、南部冲断带和南部拗褶带5个一级构造单元,并利用平衡剖面计算得到措勤盆地晚白垩世缩短约24%。     

Recent crustal uplift of Precambrian cratons: Key patterns and possible mechanisms

Precambrian cratons cover about 70% of the total continental area. According to a large volume of geomorphological, geological, paleontological, and other data for the Pliocene and Pleistocene, these cratons have experienced a crustal uplift from 100-200 m to 1000-1500 m, commonly called the recent or Neotectonic uplift. Shortening of the Precambrian crust terminated half a billion years ago or earlier, and its uplift could not have been produced by this mechanism. According to the main models of dynamic topography in the mantle, the distribution of displacements at the surface is quite different from that of the Neotectonic movements. According to seismic data, there is no magmatic underplating beneath most of the Precambrian cratons. In most of cratonic areas, the mantle lithosphere is very thick, which makes its recent delamination unlikely. Asthenospheric replacement of the lower part of the mantle lithosphere beneath the Precambrian cratons might have produced only a minor part of their Neotectonic uplifts. Since the above mechanisms cannot explain this phenomenon, the rock expansion in the crustal layer is supposed to be the main cause of the recent uplift of Precambrian cratons. This is supported by the strong lateral nonuniformity of the uplift, which indicates that expansion of rocks took place at a shallow depth. Expansion might have occurred in crustal rocks that emerged from the lower crust into the middle crust with lower pressure and temperature after the denudation of a thick layer of surface rocks. In the dry state, these rocks can remain metastable for a long time. However, rapid metamorphism accompanied by expansion of rocks can be caused by infiltration of hydrous fluids from the mantle. Analysis of phase diagrams for common crustal rocks demonstrates that this mechanism can explain the recent crustal uplift of Precambrian cratons.     

吉南板石沟地区前寒武纪构造韧变序列及地壳演化

１∶５ 万吉南板石沟幅地质填图,查明前寒武纪变质岩系内发育一套韧变序列：前阜平旋回中构相;阜平旋回第一幕浅—中构相;阜平旋回第二幕中—浅构相;吕梁旋回早期浅构相;吕梁旋回晚期表—浅构相。各期面状构造特征性韧变标志,反映出近东西向龙岗古陆核是由韧性—脆性、由活动向稳定演化的一套构造堆积体组成的。     

Active crustal shortening in NE Syria revealed by deformed terraces of the River Euphrates

The Africa–Arabia plate boundary comprises the Red Sea oceanic spreading centre and the left‐lateral Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ); however, previous work has indicated kinematic inconsistency between its continental and oceanic parts. The Palmyra Fold Belt (PFB) splays ENE from the DSFZ in SW Syria and persists for ～400 km to the River Euphrates, but its significance within the regional pattern of active crustal deformation has hitherto been unclear. We report deformation of Euphrates terraces consistent with Quaternary right‐lateral transpression within the PFB, indicating anticlockwise rotation (estimated as 0.3° Ma^?1 about 36.0°N 39.8°E) of the block between the PFB and the northern DSFZ relative to the Arabian Plate interior. The northern DSFZ is shown to be kinematically consistent with the combination of Euler vectors for the PFB and the Red Sea spreading, resolving the inconsistency previously evident. The SW PFB causes a significant earthquake hazard, previously unrecognized, to the city of Damascus.     

Thickness of the lithosphere beneath Precambrian cratons and mechanisms of their neotectonic crustal uplift

Up to 70% of the area of continents is occupied by the Precambrian crust. Shortening of this crust finished 0.5 Ga ago or earlier, while Pliocene–Quaternary rises made up of 100–200 to 1000–1500 m. In order to support these uplifts in the absence of shortening, the density in the lithosphere layer had to be considerably decreased. This lower density can be attributed to the replacement of the lower part of the mantle lithosphere with asthenospheric material or to the expansion of the inner parts of the crust resulting from repeated metamorphism. As is shown by our calculations, a decrease in density at depths of 150–250 km beneath the Precambrian cratons can lead to uplifts only up to 100 m in amplitude. Hence, the neotectonic uplifts were caused by expansion at higher crustal levels. This situation required the supply of a large amount of mantle fluid into the crust, and the volume of this fluid should be comparable to that of the new-formed relief     

登封地区早前寒武纪地壳演化－地球化学和锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年代学制约

河南中部登封地区早前寒武纪基底主要由新太古代登封群、古元古代嵩山群和早前寒武纪花岗质岩石组成。登封群主要由斜长角闪岩、角闪变粒岩、黑云变粒岩、云母石英片岩及少量磁铁石英岩（BIF）等组成,变质原岩为主要基性火山岩、中酸性火山岩和碎屑沉积岩。3个登封群变质酸性火山岩样品给出2.51～2.53 Ga岩浆锆石年龄,存在2.61～2.69 Ga残余锆石。它们高SiO2,tDM(Nd)和εNd(t)分别为2.52～2.79 Ga和0.51～4.41。嵩山群主要由石英岩和片岩组成,绿片岩相变质。嵩山群石英岩碎屑锆石年龄峰值为2.5 Ga,与华北克拉通孔兹岩系变泥沙质岩石中存在大量2.1～2.3 Ga碎屑锆石明显不同。石英岩中可靠的最年轻碎屑锆石年龄为2.45 Ga,部分碎屑锆石年龄大于2.65 Ga,最大达3.26 Ga。会善寺奥长花岗岩、大塔寺英云闪长岩、路家沟钾质花岗岩和石秤二长花岗岩形成时代分别为2.55 Ga、2.53 Ga、2.51 Ga和1.78 Ga,会善寺奥长花岗岩中存在2621～2638 Ma残余锆石,并有～2.51 Ga变质增生边存在。花岗质岩石在元素地球化学组成上存在较大变化,但具有类似Nd同位素组成,tDM(Nd)为2.60～2.80 Ga（钾质花岗岩样品除外）。根据研究,可得出如下结论和认识：1）登封群形成于新太古代末期（2.51～2.53 Ga）,与前人认识一致。2）不同类型花岗质岩石,与登封群表壳岩一道,形成于一个相对较小的时间范围（2.50～2.55 Ga）,结合岩石组合和地球化学组成特征,推测其形成与板底垫托作用有关。3）在岩石组合和形成时代等方面,五台和箕山地区花岗绿岩带与登封地区的十分类似,可能为同一大型花岗绿岩带的不同部分。4）可把嵩山群形成时代限制在2.0～2.45 Ga之间,与五台地区高凡群（2.14～2.47 Ga）或滹沱群（2.08～2.14 Ga）对比。5）石秤花岗岩是华北克拉通古元古代之后拉张构造体制下壳内岩浆作用的产物。     

华北地台前寒武花岗岩类、陆壳演化与克拉通形成

通过华北前寒武纪花岗岩类的研究,提出英云闪长岩和奥长花岗岩（Ｔ１Ｔ２）代表不成熟陆壳组成,Ｔ１Ｔ２Ｇ１Ｇ２代表半成熟陆壳组成,花岗闪长岩和花岗岩（Ｇ１Ｇ２）代表成熟陆壳组成。讨论了大陆根的形成与性质。识别出华北地台内１０个太古陆核。讨论了中太古代初始陆核、新太古代陆核;新太古代末两个微大陆尺度的陆核的形成;早元古代两个成熟陆核的构造拼合并形成华北克拉通     

青藏高原主要地体地壳短缩作用研究现状及存在的问题

在对喜马拉雅、拉萨和羌塘3个地体已有的有关地壳短缩研究成果系统分析的基础上,对3个地体进行了平衡剖面恢复:北羌塘侏罗系短缩率为25.18%.南羌塘短缩率为33.57%;对拉萨地体南段(措勤盆地南部坳褶带)上白垩统恢复得出其短缩率为20.68%北段中部坳褶带到班公湖一怒江缝合带南缘短缩率为25.3%;地处特提斯喜马拉雅地体东段的郎杰学地体三叠系短缩率达75%.大于前人研究的特提斯喜马拉雅56%~6O%的短缩率.通过对比,对3个地体短缩变形的规律进行了分析,认为各地体内部短缩作用并不是一个连续均匀的过程,陆内变形主要是通过稳定地体边界和大型逆冲构造带来吸收的;拉萨地体和羌塘地体新生代内部变形较小.     

87Sr/86Sr in Precambrian carbonates as an index of crustal evolution

The Sr isotopic composition of ‘seawater’, as measured on carbonate rocks, shows a composite pattern during geologic history. All known Archaean data are compatible with contemporaneous upper mantle ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values. This is followed by a strong increase in the radiogenic component during the 2.5–2.1 b.y. period, a less pronounced increase during the remaining portion of the Proterozoic and a decrease during the Phanerozoic. The trend closely resembles the K₂O/Na₂O secular variations in composition of igneous and sedimentary rocks (Engelet al, Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer. 85, 843–858, 1974) and probably reflects the fractionation state of the contemporary crust. The data are compatible with recent suggestions of three major tectonic regimes during geologic history: greenstone belts during the Archaean, mobile belts during the Proterozoic and plate tectonics during the Phanerozoic. They also indicate that continental crust during the Archaean contributed only subordinate Sr into the meteoric cycle.     

The Cretaceous crustal shortening and thickening of the South Qiangtang Terrane and implications for proto-Tibetan Plateau formation

The timing and magnitude of deformation across the central Tibetan Plateau, including the South Qiangtang Terrane (SQT), are poorly constrained but feature prominently in geodynamic models of the Tibetan Plateau formation. The Ejiu fold and thrust belt (EFTB), which is located in the SQT, provides valuable records of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic deformation history of the central Tibetan Plateau. Here we integrate geochronology of volcanic rocks, low-temperature thermochronology, geologic mapping and a balanced cross section to resolve the deformation history of the SQT. Geochronologic data suggest that major deformation that initiated in the early Cretaceous continued until at least 80 Ma and ceased by ∼40 Ma. The balanced cross section resolves ∼66 km upper crustal shortening (34%) mainly during the Cretaceous Qiangtang-Lhasa collision. However, the Cenozoic crustal shortening is not well constrained because of a lack of successive Cenozoic strata. We also discussed whether the observed crustal shortening can account for the modern crustal thickness and elevation in the SQT. Our observations indicate that crustal shortening and thickening within the central Tibetan Plateau was mostly accomplished during the Cretaceous Lhasa-Qiangtang collision. A thick crust could be maintained since the Cretaceous due to slow erosion rates since ∼40 Ma. Minor Late Cenozoic shortening also contributed to a small amount of crustal thickening in the central Tibetan Plateau. However, close to modern >4700 m elevation was finally attained by lithospheric mantle foundering in the Qiangtang Terrane at ∼25 Ma.     

青藏高原主要地体地壳短缩作用研究现状及存在的问题

在对喜马拉雅、拉萨和羌塘3个地体已有的有关地壳短缩研究成果系统分析的基础上,对3个地体进行了平衡剖面恢复：北羌塘侏罗系短缩率为25.18%,南羌塘短缩率为33.57%;对拉萨地体南段(措勤盆地南部坳褶带)上白垩统恢复得出其短缩率为20.68%,北段中部坳褶带到班公湖-怒江缝合带南缘短缩率为25.3%;地处特提斯喜马拉雅地体东段的郎杰学地体三叠系短缩率达75%,大于前人研究的特提斯喜马拉雅56%~60%的短缩率。通过对比,对3个地体短缩变形的规律进行了分析,认为各地体内部短缩作用并不是一个连续均匀的过程,陆内变形主要是通过稳定地体边界和大型逆冲构造带来吸收的;拉萨地体和羌塘地体新生代内部变形较小。     

A subdivision of the Precambrian of China

Precambrian rocks are widely distributed in China. The Precambrian is divided into two time units, i.e., the Archaean and Proterozoic Eon, each of these is separated into three chronological intervals, also with the status of eras, with the prefixes early, middle or late. The time boundary between the Archaean and Proterozoic Eon is placed at ～ 2500 Ma.According to the present isotopic data, the proposed subdivision for the Archaean of China is two-fold. The age of the Fuping Group is younger than 2800–2900 Ma, and that of the Qianxi Group and the corresponding stratigraphic units of eastern Liaoning are older than 2800 Ma, so that 2800+ Ma is selected as the boundary between the early—middle and late Archaean.Based on the representative stratigraphic units, the Wutai and Huto Groups, and an intervening major unconformity formed by the Wutaiian orogeny at 2200–2300 Ma, the early Proterozoic is further divided into two periods, with a time demarcation at 2200+ Ma. A major episode of orogeny known as the “Luliangian Movement” occurred at the end of the early Proterozoic at ～ 1900 Ma. This disturbance was very extensive and is, in a way, responsible for the difference in geological conditions between the lower and middle—upper Proterozoic in China. The boundary (1900 Ma) that relates to the Luliangian Movement is more important than the boundary corresponding to the age of 1600 Ma, which is recommended as the time boundary between Proterozoic I and II, so we propose to use 1900 Ma as the boundary between the early and middle Proterozoic in China.The time boundary between the middle Proterozoic, including the Changcheng System and the Jixian System, and the late Proterozoic, which is composed of the Qingbaikou and Sinian Systems, is ～ 1000 Ma. The age for the boundary between Cambrian and Precambrian, based upon the recent isochron data, is inferred to be 610 Ma.     

Precambrian terranes in the southwestern framing of the Siberian craton: isotopic provinces,stages of crustal evolution and accretion-collision events

We studied geology and main rock assemblages of the Precambrian Kan, Arzybei, and Derba terranes of the Central Asian Fold Belt which border the Siberian craton in the southwest. The Precambrian terranes include three isotopic provinces (Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, and Neoproterozoic) distinguished from the Sm-Nd isotope compositions of granitoids, felsic metavolcanics, and metasediments. The terranes formed in three stages of crustal evolution: 2.3–2.5, 0.9–1.1, and 0.8–0.9 Ga. Proterozoic juvenile crust was produced by subduction-related magmatism; it was originally of transitional composition and transformed into continental crust by potassic plutonism as late as the Late Vendian-Cambrian. Terrigenous sediments in the Arzybei and Derba terranes vary in T(DM) Nd model ages from 1.0 to 2.0 Ga. The Nd ages of the underlying metavolcanics and lowest T(DM) of metasediments indicate that terrigenous sedimentation started in the Neoproterozoic. It was maintained by erosion of Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic crust and, to a lesser extent, of Early Precambrian rocks on the craton margin or in Paleoproterozoic terranes. Ar-Ar dating of amphiboles and biotites from metamorphic rocks and U-Pb dating of zircons from granitoids yielded 600–555 and 500–440 Ma, respectively, corresponding to the Vendian and Early Paleozoic stages of nearly synchronous metamorphism and plutonism. Accretion and collision events caused amalgamation of the Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, and Neoproterozoic terranes in the Vendian and their collision with the Siberian craton. The lateral growth of the paleocontinent completed in the Late Ordovician.     

青藏高原主要地体地壳短缩作用研究现状及存在的问题

在对喜马拉雅、拉萨和羌塘3个地体已有的有关地壳短缩研究成果系统分析的基础上,对3个地体进行了平衡剖面恢复：北羌塘侏罗系短缩率为25.18%,南羌塘短缩率为33.57%;对拉萨地体南段(措勤盆地南部坳褶带)上白垩统恢复得出其短缩率为20.68%,北段中部坳褶带到班公湖-怒江缝合带南缘短缩率为25.3%;地处特提斯喜马拉雅地体东段的郎杰学地体三叠系短缩率达75%,大于前人研究的特提斯喜马拉雅56%~60%的短缩率。通过对比,对3个地体短缩变形的规律进行了分析,认为各地体内部短缩作用并不是一个连续均匀的过程,陆内变形主要是通过稳定地体边界和大型逆冲构造带来吸收的;拉萨地体和羌塘地体新生代内部变形较小。     

Upper crustal shortening and forward modeling of the Himalayan thrust belt along the Budhi-Gandaki River, central Nepal

A balanced cross-section along the Budhi-Gandaki River in central Nepal between the Main Central thrust, including displacement on that fault, and the Main Frontal thrust reveals a minimum total shortening of 400 km. Minimum displacement on major orogen-scale structures include 116 km on the Main Central thrust, 110 km on the Ramgarh thrust, 95 km on the Trishuli thrust, and 56 km in the Lesser Himalayan duplex. The balanced cross-section was also incrementally forward modeled assuming a generally forward-breaking sequence of thrusting, where early faults and hanging-wall structures are passively carried from the hinterland toward the foreland. The approximate correspondence of the forward modeled result to observe present day geometries suggest that the section interpretation is viable and admissible. In the balanced cross-section, the Trishuli thrust is the roof thrust for the Lesser Himalayan duplex. The forward model and reconstruction emphasize that the Lesser Himalayan duplex grew by incorporating rock from the footwall and transferring it to the hanging wall along the Main Himalayan thrust. As the duplex developed, the Lesser Himalayan ramp migrated southward. The movement of Lesser Himalayan thrust sheets over the ramp pushed the Lesser Himalayan rock and the overburdens of the Greater and Tibetan Himalayan rock toward the erosional surface. This vertical structural movement caused by footwall collapse and duplexing, in combination with erosion, exhumed the Lesser Himalaya.