The age of the Earth and the oldest rocks

The ages of rocks and minerals can be determined by measuring the accumulation of the products of radioactive decay within them. The results provide a time–scale for the Earth and for the major geological events which have shaped the Earth's continental crust since it first started to separate from the mantle at least 3700 million years ago. The Earth itself is about 4600 million years old.     

中国最老岩石和锆石

在中国大陆的许多地区都已发现大于3.4Ga的锆石和岩石.鞍山是全球仅有几个存在≥3.8Ga岩石的地区之一.它们以不大的规模存在于白家坟、东山、深沟寺杂岩中,由糜棱岩化奥长花岗岩、条带状奥长花岗岩和变质石英闪长岩组成.近年来,在鞍山地区还发现了许多3.7～3.6Ga岩石和锆石.锆石Hf同位素组成表明鞍山地区在3.8～3.6Ga期间存在周期性的地幔添加和陆壳形成.除鞍山外,在中国许多地区的不同类型岩石中也获得了≥3.4Ga锆石,虽然它们大多数都是碎屑和残余成因.(1)华北克拉通冀东铬云母石英岩中3.85～3.55Ga碎屑锆石:(2)华北克拉通信阳中生代火山岩长英质麻粒岩中3.66Ga岩浆锆石;(3)华南克拉通宜昌地区杨子地块新元古代砂岩中3.80Ga碎屑锆石(一颗);(4)华南克拉通华夏地块新元古代一古生代变质沉积岩中3.76～3.6Ga碎屑锆石;(5)西北地区塔里木地块阿克塔什塔格地区古元古代片麻状花岗岩中3.6Ga残余锆石;(6)西秦岭奥陶纪变质火山岩中4.08Ga捕掳锆石(一颗);(7)西藏普兰地区奥陶纪石英岩中4.1Ga碎屑锆石(一颗,有3.61Ga增生边).一些古老锆石有高达4.1～4.0Ga的Hf同位素模式年龄.在中国,>3.4Ga地壳物质的比例以往被低估了,发现冥古宙和始太古代物质的可能性仍然存在,它们将对中国早期陆壳演化提供新的制约.     

华北克拉通太古宙地壳演化和最古老的岩石

简要总结了华北克拉通太古宙地壳演化的规律、认识及存在的问题,特别是近年来在最古老的岩石和锆石年代学研究方面取得的进展。华北克拉通构造热事件主要发生在约2.5Ga,导致大规模陆壳的形成。仅在鲁西、胶东等少数地区有较大规模的约2.7Ga的地质体存在。古元古代晚期的陆陆碰撞使华北克拉通最终形成统一的整体。最近对鞍山地区的研究发现大量3.6～3.8Ga的岩石和锆石。在冀东、信阳、焦作及其他地区也有始太古代—古太古代的岩石和锆石存在。华北克拉通可能存在几个不同的古太古代—始太古代陆核。     

用偏硼酸锂熔样ICP-AES法测定岩石中Si、Zr等12个元素

本方法采用偏硼酸锂分解样品，电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测量，在同一份溶液中可以测定硅、钠、铝、钙、镁、铁、钛、锰、钡、锶、钒、锆等元素。通过对国家标准物质测定，其准确度、精密度能满足岩石样品中定量分析要求。     

Age and geochemistry of zircon from the oldest metamorphic rocks of the Omolon Massif (Northeast Russia)

This study provides SHRIMP-RG data on zircons from garnet gedritites, the products of retrograde metamorphism of eclogite-like rocks constituting belonging to the basement of the Omolon Massif. The earliest episode recorded by oscillatory-zoned cores having high HREE and Ti contents occurred at 3.25–3.22 Ga (Paleoarchean) and is interpreted to represent an upper age limit of a metamorphic or magmatic protolith. One zircon core with a pronounced negative Eu anomaly yielded a concordant age of 2.6 Ga, which is interpreted to mark a Neoarchean episode of granite formation. The studied population of zircons provides the most distinct record of a Paleoproterozoic (1.9 Ga) event, which is marked by formation of garnet gedritites under amphibolite-facies conditions. This event is recorded by transparent recrystallization rims of preexisting large zircon grains and small newly-formed grains, which are characterized, compared with their cores, by lower crystallization temperatures and one order of magnitude lower concentrations of U, Th, and HREE, and the presence of garnet micro-inclusions.     

武当群变质岩年龄

出露于湖北省西北部武当群的形成年龄长期争论。本文报道了采自湖北省十堰市北、武当山太子坡和房县土城的武当群变质火山岩样品的Sm-Nd、Rb-Sr年龄测定结果。原划武当群可能由两部分变质火山岩组成。一部分变质火山原岩形成于1927Ma左右，火山岩物质来自类似MORB地幔源区，岩石形成过程中未见明显地壳物质污染，是真正武当群；另一部分变质火山岩形成于1175－871Ma间，和耀岭河群、郧西群变质火山岩原岩形成年龄类似，岩石同位素组成也有亲缘性。在复杂地质作用地层时代研究中，如果从少量Nd同位素研究入手可能会收到好的效果。     

Depositional age,provenance and metamorphic age of metasedimentary rocks from southern Madagascar

Southern Madagascar is the core of a > 1 million km² Gondwanan metasedimentary belt that forms much of the southern East African Orogen of eastern Africa, Madagascar, southern India and Sri Lanka. Here the Vohibory Series yielded U–Pb isotopic data from detrital zircon cores that indicate that it was deposited in the latest Tonian to late Cryogenian (between ~ 900 and 640 Ma). The deposition of the Graphite and Androyen Series protoliths is poorly constrained to between the late Palaeoproterozoic and the Cambrian (~ 1830–530 Ma). The Vohibory Series protoliths were sourced from very restricted-aged sources with a maximum age range between 910 and 760 Ma. The Androyen and Graphite Series protoliths were sourced from Palaeoproterozoic rocks ranging in age between 2300 and 1800 Ma. The best evidence of the timing of metamorphism in the Vohibory Series is a weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 642 ± 8 Ma from 3 analyses of zircon from sample M03-01. A considerably younger ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U metamorphic age of 531 ± 7 Ma is produced from 10 analyses of zircon from sample M03-28 in the Androyen Series. This ~ 110 Ma difference in age is correlated with the early East African Orogeny affecting the west of Madagascar along with its type area in East Africa, whereas the Cambrian Malagasy Orogeny affected the east of Madagascar and southern India during the final suturing of the Mozambique Ocean.     

Rb-Sr age of lunar igneous rocks 62295 and 14310

We report an age of crystallization for spinel-troctolite (VHA basalt) 62295 of 4.00 ± 0.06 × 10⁹ yr (I = 0.69956 ± 6) and an age of crystallization for KREEP-rich basalt 14310 of [3.94 ± 0.03 × 10⁹yr (I = 0.70041 ± 5). The ages probably date the cooling of shock melts.     

火焰原子吸收法测定岩石、土壤中微量银的研究

该方法是以硝硫混酸分解样品,用二苯硫脲—醋酸丁脂全量萃取测定岩石和土壤中微量银的一种较新的方法,称为火焰原子吸收分析法。本文实验研究了测定时萃取酸度、有机相与水相体积比、二苯硫脲的浓度以及硝硫混酸的用量对测定结果的影响。做了萃取分离后共存元素干扰测定。经与国家一级标准物质对比分析验证其结果与标准值相符。     

可溶岩化学溶蚀试验方法研究综述

可溶岩中存在大量的溶洞、溶隙、溶孔、管道等溶蚀现象,易造成山体崩滑、地面塌陷、洪涝等灾害,因此研究可溶岩的化学溶蚀速率可以预测岩溶的发展趋势,为岩溶地质灾害早期识别与安全评价提供保障。文章在大量文献调研的基础上,综合分析国内外学者围绕可溶岩化学溶蚀试验方法取得的成果,得到以下认识：（1）可溶岩化学溶蚀试验方法不断成熟和完善,研究深度和应用范围逐步拓展。（2）可溶岩化学溶蚀的测定方法很多,根据试验开展的条件主要分为室内溶蚀试验和野外溶蚀试验,其中标准溶蚀试片法以其操作简单被广泛采用。（3）现有的可溶岩化学溶蚀测定方法的原理及适用性不同,需要综合运用多种试验手段得出相对可靠的试验结果。根据这一科学问题的研究现状,下一步应着重开展大尺寸可溶岩室内溶蚀试验研究,建立模型试验系统真实模拟野外可溶岩的溶蚀过程,并加强从微观角度刻画可溶岩的溶蚀过程。另外需要综合运用多种野外试验方法开展研究,避免或降低单一试验方法可能带来的较大误差,建立野外溶蚀试验和室内溶蚀试验的关联,以期通过室内短期的试验研究推测野外长时间尺度下的溶蚀状态。     

Determining elastic constants of transversely isotropic rocks using Brazilian test and iterative procedure

The elastic constants of rocks are the basic parameters for rock mechanics, and play a very important role in engineering design. There are many laboratory methods to determine the elastic constants of transversely isotropic rocks, and the Brazilian test is a popular method. This paper presented a method combination of the Brazilian test, back calculation, and iterative procedure to evaluate the five independent elastic constants of transversely isotropic rocks in laboratory. The strain data at the centre of discs were obtained using Brazilian test. The stresses at the centre of discs were computed using numerical programs. By using back calculation, the temporary elastic constants were computed after the stresses and stains were substituted into elastic mechanics equations. After iterative procedure, the convergent values of the elastic constants can be obtained. One numerical example and three experimental cases were proposed to show the applicability of this method. The convergent values of the five independent elastic constants can be obtained in no more than 10 iterative cycles. The results coming from numerical analysis method exhibited satisfactory outcome in accordance with those of generalized reduced gradient method. The merits of this method include convenient specimen preparation of the Brazilian test, simple iterative procedure, and readily available commercially numerical programs, so that this method can be easily popularized in research and engineering analysis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geochemistry and age of metamorphic rocks of the Khavyven Highland,eastern Kamchatka

The metamorphic rocks of the Khavyven Highland in eastern Kamchatka were determined to comprise two complexes of metavolcanic rocks that have different ages and are associated with subordinate amounts of metasediments. The complex composing the lower part of the visible vertical section of the highland is dominated by leucocratic amphibole-mica (±garnet) and epidote-mica (±garnet) crystalline schists, whose protoliths were andesites and dacites and their high-K varieties of the island-arc calc-alkaline series. The other complex, composing the upper part of the vertical section, consists of spilitized basaltoids transformed into epidote-amphibole and phengite-epidote-amphibole green schists, which form (together with quartzites, serpentinized peridotites, serpentinites, and gabbroids) a sea-margin ophiolitic association. The high LILE concentrations, high K/La, Ba/Th, Th/Ta, and La/Nb ratios, deep Ta-Nb minima, and low (La/Yb)_N and high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the crystalline schists of the lower unit are demonstrated to testify to their subduction nature and suggest that their protolithic volcanics were produced in the suprasubduction environment of the Ozernoi-Valaginskii (Achaivayam-Valaginskii) island volcanic arc of Campanian-Paleogene age. The green schists of the upper unit show features of depleted MOR tholeiitic melts and subduction melts, which cause the deep Ta-Nb minima, and low K/La and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios suggesting that the green schists were formed in a marginal basin in front of the Ozernoi-Valaginskaya island arc. Recently obtained K-Ar ages in the Khavyven Highland vary from 32.4 to 39.3 Ma and indicate that the metamorphism of the protolithic rocks occurred in the Eocene under the effect of collision and accretion processes of the arc complexes of the Ozernoi-Valaginskii and Kronotskii island arcs with the Asian continent and the closure of forearc oceanic basins in front of them. The modern position of the collision suture that marks the fossil subduction zone of the Ozernoi-Valaginskii arc and is spatially restricted to the buried Khavyven uplift in the Central Kamchatka Depression, which is characterized by well-pronounced linear gravity anomalies.     

鞍山地区陈台沟壳岩时代归属的初步研究

鞍山市东部约8km处的陈台沟村附近,出露一套以斜长角闪岩类、石英岩类和长英质片麻岩类组成的表壳岩。长期以来，大多数地质学者一直将该表壳岩划归为鞍山群，但在岩石组合、变质变形特征和含矿性等诸多方面，都与鞍山地区公认的鞍山群明显不同，因表壳岩本身缺少准确定年的对象，难以直接测年，笔者将侵入于长英质片麻岩中的花岗岩脉中的锆石颗粒，用Kober方法和离子探针质谱计（SHRIMP）测定年龄，取得了表壳岩的沉积年龄为3376±5Ma-3357±4Ma。说明该表壳岩形成时代远老于鞍山群。     

Investigation of precious metal inclusions in highly carbonaceous rocks by the SEM and X-Ray spectrum analysis methods

The results of special-purpose investigations of the informativity of the SEM-XRSA method in the study of PGE- and Au-rich inclusions in highly carbonaceous rock matrixes are presented. As exemplified by the black schists of the Late Proterozoic-Early Cambrian Kimkan and Sutyr rock sequences of the Bureya massif in the Russian Far East, the SEM-XRSA method is an efficient tool for the prospecting and study of such inclusions. The method yields correct estimates of their chemical composition characterized by the presence of a substantial amount of admixtures, including oxygen and carbon.     

Analytical methods to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of jointed rocks

Hydrogeology Journal - The hydraulic conductivity of jointed rocks is one of the main input parameters to predict water inflow to engineering structures that are located in the jointed rocks....     

塔里木盆地古董山火山岩地球化学特征及可能的时代

前人原将塔里木盆地中部古董山地区划为二叠纪的地层中夹有4层火山岩,但对该处火山岩至今没有详细的地球化学和同位素年代学研究。笔者经过详细的野外考察和室内的实验测试,揭示了古董山火山岩的野外特征、地球化学特征和K-Ar定年及锆石SHRIMP U–Pb定年数据,并对古董山火山岩可能的时代和形成时的构造环境进行了讨论。认为在塔里木盆地古董山地区白垩纪发生过多次岩浆活动事件,锆石SHRIMP U–Pb定年记录的最新岩浆活动是在晚白垩世,而且可能还有更新的岩浆活动,古董山火山岩的时代可能要重新考虑,或许应为白垩纪。地球化学特征显示古董山火山岩显著富集TiO2,并且FeO+Fe2O3、P2O5含量较高,Al2O3、MgO、CaO含量较低,主量、微量元素特征均反映出古董山火山岩为典型的板内玄武岩,形成于板内拉张环境。     

玄武质岩石的单颗粒锆石U-Pb年龄谱

报道了托云、东浮山、羊角、雪花山和山旺5处新生代玄武岩的SHRIMP锆石U-Pb测年结果。位于西南天山造山带的托云新生代玄武岩的14个测点年龄值十分发散,最大值与最小值分别为857.1和203.4Ma,它们与其余4件玄武岩样品49个SHRIMP锆石测点年龄一同构筑了涵盖各个地质时期几乎贯穿整个地质时间的复杂年龄谱。位于华北克拉通中部区域南太行山造山带的东浮山、羊角和雪花山新生代玄武岩3件样品累计36个锆石测点形成的锆石年龄谱相对简单,其中35个测点的年龄集中在1719.9～2641.6Ma,唯一的古生代年龄(311.3Ma)出现在雪花山玄武岩7.1测点。位于华北克拉通东部裂谷带内山旺玄武岩6件样品27个测点的单颗粒锆石年龄构筑的锆石年龄谱形成3个集中时间段,分别为新太古代—古元古代(2595.4～1852.2Ma)、古生代(385.8～271.1Ma)和中生代(109.4Ma)。3个年龄谱中大部分单颗粒锆石U-Pb年龄均能在各自所处区域内发现与之对应的岩浆-热事件,部分单颗粒锆石年龄可能暗示所在区域至今未发现的岩浆热事件,托云、东浮山-羊角-雪花山、山旺新生代玄武岩的复杂单颗粒锆石年龄谱再造了各自所处区域的地质演化史。3个锆石年龄谱的复杂程度与各自区域地表出露岩浆岩的规模和期次复杂程度相关,天山造山带内岩浆岩发育,托云玄武岩锆石年龄普最复杂,记录了天山造山带的演化,而华北克拉通中部区域南太行山造山带地表零星出露岩浆岩,东浮山-羊角-雪花山玄武岩的锆石年龄普最简单。处于后期遭受破坏改造的华北克拉通东部裂谷带内的山旺玄武岩的单颗粒锆石年龄谱,其复杂程度明显低于托云玄武岩的年龄谱,而又高于东浮山-羊角-雪花山玄武岩的年龄谱。鉴于玄武质岩浆同化混染围岩过程中能量消耗和地球化学印记以及玄武质岩浆上升的耗时限制,认为托云、东浮山、羊角、雪花山和山旺新生代玄武岩中具有复杂年龄信息的锆石捕掳晶不是玄武质岩浆在快速上升过程中从围岩中捕获的,而是在岩石圈拆沉过程中进入软流圈地幔中,随着具原生岩浆性质的玄武质岩浆喷发到达地表。     

Dehydration experiments on natural omphacites: qualitative and quantitative characterization by various spectroscopic methods

A series of natural omphacites from a wide range of P, T occurrences were investigated by electron microprobe (EMP), infrared (IR)-, Mössbauer (MS)- and optical spectroscopy in the UV/VIS spectral range (UV/VIS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and single crystal structure refinement by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the influence of hydrogen loss on valence state and site occupancies of iron. In accordance with literature data we found Fe²⁺ at M1 as well as at M2, and in a first approach assigned Fe³⁺ to M1, as indicated by MS and XRD results. Hydrogen content of three of our omphacite samples were measured by SIMS. In combination with IR spectroscopy we determined an absorption coefficient: ε _i,tot = 65,000 ± 3,000 lmol_H2O ^?1 cm^?2. Using this new ε _i,tot value, we obtained water concentrations ranging from 60 to 700 ppm H₂O (by weight). Hydrogen loss was simulated by stepwise heating the most water rich samples in air up to 800°C. After heat treatment the samples were analyzed again by IR, MS, UV/VIS, and XRD. Depending on the type of the OH defect, the grade of dehydration with increasing temperature is significantly different. In samples relatively poor in Fe³⁺ (<0.1 Fe³⁺ pfu), hydrogen associated with vacancies at M2 (OH bands around 3,450 cm^?1) starts to leave the structure at about 550°C and is completely gone at 780°C. Hydrogen associated with Al³⁺ at the tetrahedral site (OH bands around 3,525 cm^?1, Koch-Müller et al., Am Mineral, 89:921–931, 2004) remains completely unaffected by heat treatment up to 700°C. But all hydrogen vanished at about 775°C. However, this is different for a more Fe³⁺-rich sample (0.2 Fe³⁺ pfu). Its IR spectrum is characterized by a very intense OH band at 3,515 cm^?1 plus shoulder at 3,450 cm^?1. We assign this intense high-energy band to vibrations of an OH dipole associated with Fe³⁺ at M1 and a vacancy either at M1 or M2. OH release during heating is positively correlated with decrease in Fe²⁺ and combined with increase in Fe³⁺. That dehydration is correlated with oxidation of Fe²⁺ is indirectly confirmed by annealing of one sample in a gas mixing furnace at 700°C under reducing conditions keeping almost constant OH^? content and giving no indication of Fe²⁺-oxidation. Obtained data indicate that in samples with a relatively high concentration of Fe²⁺ at M2 and low-water concentrations, i.e., at a ratio of Fe^{2+ M2}/H > 10 dehydration occurs by iron oxidation of Fe²⁺ exclusively at the M2 site following the reaction: \( {\left[ {{\text{Fe}}^{{{\text{2 + [ M2]}}}}{\text{OH}}^{ - } } \right]} = {\left[ {{\text{Fe}}^{{{\text{3 + [ M2]}}}} {\text{O}}^{{{\text{2}} - }} } \right]} + {\text{1/2}}\;{\text{H}}_{{\text{2}}} \uparrow . \) In samples having relatively low concentration of Fe²⁺ at M2 but high-water concentrations, i.e., ratio of Fe^{2+ M2}/H < 5.0 dehydration occurs through oxidation of Fe²⁺ at M1.     

Using the isotope dating of endocontact hybrid rocks for the age determination of mafic rocks (southern Siberian craton)

Geological observations and petrological and geochemical criteria are used to detect hybrid rocks at the endocontact of a dolerite dike. The hybrid rocks were produced when the material of a mafic intrusion mixed with a felsic melt. The latter was produced by the melting of the metamorphic rocks making up the Goloustnaya basement inlier of the Siberian craton, under the thermal effect of the intruded dike. Two age groups of zircon have been identified in the hybrid rock by SHRIMP analysis. The Paleoproterozoic age of inherited zircon (1902, 1864, 1859, and 1855 Ma) reflects the contribution of ancient sources to the hybrid-rock composition. The young, primary-magmatic, zircon grains, produced by melting at the endocontact of the mafic intrusion (494 ± 5 Ma), are coeval with the hybrid rocks, and their age indicates when the mafic rocks intruded the metamorphic framework. Dikes of close age, with similar geochemical characteristics, are present on the vast southern margin of the Siberian craton—from Goloustnaya to Biryusa salients.