Destruction of the Northern Margin of the North China Craton in Mid-Late Triassic: Evidence from Asthenosphere-derived Mafic Enclaves in the Jiefangyingzi Granitic Pluton from the Chifeng Area, Southern Inner Mongolia

The petrology, geochronology and geochemistry of the mafic enclaves in the Mid-Late Triassic Jiefangyingzi pluton from Chifeng area, southern Inner Mongolia, in China are studied to reveal their petrogenetic relationship with the host pluton. Furthermore, the coeval magmatic assemblage and its petrogenesis on the northern margin of the North China craton(NCC) are studied synthetically to elucidate their tectonic setting and the implications for the destruction of the NCC. Zircon U-Pb dating reveals that the mafic enclaves formed at 230.4 ± 2.2 Ma, which is similar to the age of the host pluton. The most basic mafic enclaves belong to weak alkaline rocks, and they display rare earth element(REE) and trace element normalized patterns and trace element compositions similar to those of ocean island basalt(OIB). In addition, they have positive εNd(t) values(+3.84 to +4.94) similar to those of the Cenozoic basalts on the northern margin of the NCC. All of these geochemical characteristics suggest that the basic mafic rocks originated from the asthenosphere. Petrological and geochemical studies suggest that the Jiefangyingzi pluton and the intermediate mafic enclaves were formed by the mixing of the asthenosphere-derived and crust-derived magmas in different degrees. The Mid-Late Triassic magmatic rocks on the northern margin of the NCC could be classified into three assemblages according to their geochemical compositions: alkaline series, weak alkaline–sub-alkaline series and sub-alkaline series rocks. Petrogenetic analyses suggest that the upwelling of the asthenosphere played an important role in the formation of these Mid-Late Triassic magmatic rocks. Basing on an analysis of regional geological data, we suggest that the northern margin of the NCC underwent destruction due to the upwelling of the asthenosphere during the Mid-Late Triassic, which was induced by the delamination of the root of the collisional orogeny between Sino-Korean and Siberian paleoplates in Late Permian.     

Geochronology, Petrology and Geochemistry of Xingdi No. 3 Mafic-Ultramafic Intrusions in the Northeastern Tarim Craton, NW China

The Xingdi mafic-ultramafic intrusions occur in the northeastern margin of the Tarim craton. The Xingdi No. 3 intrusion is the smallest of four intrusions, with an exposed area of 1.7 km~2, and the zircon U-Pb age of the intrusion is 752±4 Ma. The intrusion consists of gabbros, pyroxenites and peridotites, and exhibits a crystallization sequence of the main rock-forming minerals as olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and plagioclase. Mineralization occurred at or near the boundaries of the intrusion between pyroxenites and peridotites, and appears as a layered or lenticular shape about 500 m long and 4–15 m wide. The primary sulfides have a relatively simple mineralogy dominated by pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite assemblages, which occur as droplet, star-like and graphic texture and locally sideronitic structures. Geochronological and geochemistry investigations suggest that the Xingdi mafic-ultramafic intrusions and coeval volcanic rock in the Kuluktag area of the Tarim craton formed in an intracontinental breakup environment. Based on the composition of the dominant rockforming minerals and covariant relationships of other oxides versus Mg O, the parental magma of the Xingdi No.3 intrusion belongs to high-Mg tholeiitic basaltic magmas with Mg O of 10.78 wt%. The Xingdi No.3 intrusive rocks are characterized by light REE enrichment relative to heavy REE, negative Nb-Ta anomalies, low ~(143)Nd/~(144)Nd ratios(from 0.511183 to 0.511793) and high initial ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr ratios(from 0.7051 to 0.7113). The magma was derived from the enriched-lithospheric mantle and was contaminated during emplacement. According to rock assemblages, mineralization, olivine characteristics, geochemical characteristics and mass balance, there are better copper-nickel ore prospects in the Xingdi No.3 intrusion than in the other three intrusions in the area.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000856

Sulphide inclusions, which represent melts trapped in the minerals of magmatic rocks and xenoliths, provide important clues to the behaviour of immiscible sulphide liquids during the evolution of magmas and the formation of NieCueFe deposits. We describe sulphide inclusions from unique ultramafic clots within mafic xenoliths, from the mafic xenoliths themselves, and from the three silica-rich host plutons in Tongling, China. For the first time, we are able to propose a general framework model for the evolution of sulphide melts during the evolution of mafic to felsic magmas from the upper mantle to the upper crust. The model improves our understanding of the sulphide melt evolution in upper mantle to upper crust magmas, and provides insight into the formation of stratabound skarn-type FeeCu polymetallic deposits associated with felsic magmatism, thus promising to play an important role during prospecting for such deposits.     

Fluid-induced high-temperature metasomatism at Rundv?gshetta in the Lützow-Holm Complex,East Antarctica: Implications for the role of brine during granulite formation

We report new petrological, phase equilibria modeling, and fluid inclusion data for pelitic and mafic granulites from Rundv?gshetta in the highest-grade region of the Neoproterozoic Lützow-Holm Complex(LHC),East Antarctica, and provide unequivocal evidence for fluid-rock interaction and high-temperature metasomatism in the presence of brine fluid. The studied locality is composed dominantly of well-foliated pelitic granulite(K-feldspar+quartz+sillimanite+garnet+ilmenite) with foliation-parallel bands and/or layers of mafic granulite(plagioclase+orthopyroxene+garnet+ilmenite+quartz+biotite). The boundary between the two lithologies is defined by thin(about 1 -20 cm in thick) garnet-rich layers with a common mineral assemblage of garnet+plagioclase+quartz+ilmenite+biotite ? orthopyroxene. Systematic increase of grossular and decrease of pyrope contents in garnet as well as decreasing Mg/(Fe+Mg) ratio of biotite from the pelitic granulite to garnet-rich rock and mafic granulite suggest that the garnet-rich layer was formed by metasomatic interaction between the two granulite lithologies. Phase equilibria modeling in the system NCKFMASHTO demonstrates that the metasomatism took place at 850 -860℃, which is slightly lower than the peak metamorphism of this region, and the modal abundance of garnet is the highest along the metapeliteemetabasite boundary(up to 40%), which is consistent with the field and thin section observations. The occurrence of brine(7.0 -10.9 wt.% Na Cleqfor ice melting or 25.1 -25.5 wt.% NaC leqfor hydrohalite melting) fluid inclusions as a primary phase trapped within plagioclase in the garnet-rich layer and the occurrence of Cl-rich biotite(Cl = 0.22 -0.60 wt.%) in the metasomatic rock compared to that in pelitic(0.15 -0.24 wt.%) and mafic(0.06-0.13 wt.%) granulites suggest infiltration of brine fluid could have given rise to the high-temperature metasomatism. The fluid might have been derived from external sources possibly related to the formation of major suture zones formed during the Gondwana amalgamation.     

Reaction between basaltic melt and orthopyroxene at 3.0–4.5 GPa:Implications for the evolution of ocean island basalts in the mantle

Interactions between basaltic melt and orthopyroxenite(Opx)were investigated to gain a better understanding of the consequences of the residence and transport of ocean island basalts(OIBs)within the mantle.The experiments were conducted using a DS-3600 six-anvil apparatus at 3.0–4.5 GPa and 1300–1450℃.The basaltic melt and Opx coexisted at local equilibrium at these pressures and temperatures;the initial melts dissolved Opx,which modified their chemical composition,and clinopyroxene(Cpx)precipitated with or without garnet(Grt).The trace-element contents of Grt,Cpx,and melt were measured and the mineral–melt distribution coefficients(D)of Cpx–melt and Grt–melt were calculated,which can be used to assess the distribution of trace elements between basalt and minerals in the mantle.Two types of reaction rim were found in the experimental products,Cpx,and Cpx+Grt;this result indicates that residual rocks within the mantle should be pyroxenite or garnet pyroxenite.Both rock types are found in mantle xenoliths from Hawaii,and the rare-earth-element(REE)pattern of Cpx in these mantle pyroxenites matches those of Cpx in the experimental reaction rims.Furthermore,residual melts in the experimental products plot in similar positions to Hawaiian high-SiO₂OIBs on major-element Harker diagrams,and their trace-element patterns show the signature of residual Grt,particularly in runs at1350℃ and 4.0–4.5 GPa.Trace-element concentrations of the experimental residual melts plot in similar positions to the Hawaiian OIBs on commonly used discrimination diagrams(Ti vs.Zr,Cr vs.Y,Cr vs.V,Zr/Y vs.Zr,and Ti/Y vs.Nb/Y).These results indicate that reaction between basaltic melt and pyroxenite might contribute to the generation of Hawaiian high-SiO2 OIBs and account for their chemical variability.     

Geochronology,Geochemistry and Petrogenesis of the Pungco Ophiolite,TibetEI北大核心CSCD

Although the middle section of the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone has been intensively investigated, its tectonic framework and evolution is still controversy. The Pungco ophiolite has a relative complete ophiolitic complex, which is an ideal specimen for studying this tricky problem. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircons from the diabasic rock yielded an age of 159.0±2.1 Ma. This age suggests that the Pungco ophiolite was formed in the Late Jurassic, indicating the development of the Late Jurassic ophiolite in the third ophiolitic subzone. The whole-rock major and trace element compositions of diabasic and basaltic rocks exhibit mixed arc and N-MORB geochemical characteristics. Two diabasic samples have (87Sr/86Sr)i values of 0.7055 and 0.7063 and εNd(t) values of 11.28 and 11.84, respectively. The geochemical signatures and formation age of the Pungco ophiolite suggest that this ophiolite was probably produced in an active continental fore-arc setting. It originated from a N-MORB-like depleted mantle source with the involvement of subducted-slab fluids. Considering the regional geological background, the Pungco ophiolite was likely generated during the southward subduction of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan oceanic lithosphere beneath the Lhasa terrane, and belongs to a regional archipelagic arc-basin system together with the other Early Jurassic-Early Cretaceous ophiolites from the northern Tibet Lake district. © 2018, Science Press. All right reserved.     

Petrology, chronology and isotope geochemistry of the proterozoic amphibolites from Xiangshan, central Jiangxi province, China

On the basis of a comprehensive study on the petrology,trace elements and isotopic geochemistry of the Xiangshan amphibolites,we suggest that the protoliths of the amphibolites were basalts formed in an island-arc tectonic setting.The basaltic magma was derived from a slightly depleted mantle source with a small amount of crustal contamination.Assemblage of the rock-froming minerals indicates that these amphibolites underwent a low-grade metamorphism of amphibolite facies.According to the formation age(1113Ma) and subsequent metamophic age(726.6Ma) of the basalts aw well as the geological and gochemical features of these amphibolites,a tectonic model of Proterozoic oceanic island-arc setting is proposed for central Jiangxi.     

Geological and Geochemical Characteristics of Early Cretaceous Mafic Dikes in Northern Jiangxi Province, SE China and Their Geodynamic Implications

The development of Early Cretaceous mafic dikes in northern and southern Jiangxi allows an understanding of the geodynamic setting and characteristics of the mantle in southeast China in the Cretaceous. Geological and geochemical characteristics for the mafic dikes from the Wushan copper deposit and No. 640 uranium deposit are given in order to constrain the nature of source mantle, genesis and tectonic implications. According to the mineral composition,the mafic dikes in northern Jiangxi can be divided into spessartite and olive odinite types, which belong to slightly potassium-rich calc-alkaline lamprophyre characterized by enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE), large depletion in high strength field elements (HSFE) and with negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies, as well as 87Sr/86Sr ratios varying from 0.7055 to 0.7095 and 143Nd/r44Nd ratios varying from 0.5119 to 0.5122.All features indicate that the magma responsible for the mafic dikes was derived mainly from metasomatic lithosphere mantle related to dehydration and/or upper crust melting during subduction. Differences in geochemical characteristics between the mafic dikes in northern Jiangxi and the Dajishan area, southern Jiangxi were also studied and they are attributed to differences in regional lithospheric mantle components and/or magma emplacement depth. Combining geological and geochemical characteristics with regional geological history, we argue that southeast China was dominated by an extensional tectonic setting in the Early Cretaceous, and the nature of the mantle source area was related to enrichment induced by asthenosphere upwelling and infiltration of upper crust-derived fluids responding to Pacific Plate subduction.     

Chemical and Isotopic Characteristics of Gabbroic Xenoliths from Hannuoba,China

Nine pieces of gabbroic xenoliths from Hannuoba were examined for their major and trace elements and Nd,Sr and Pb isotopes.The results show that the gab-broic xenoliths are of more mafic basaltic composition .Their abundances show narrow variations in major elements.The trace element contents are highly variable in contrast with those of host basalts and lherzolite xenoliths.The gabbroic xenoliths are rich in Nd(0.51159-0.51249),Sr(0.70491-0.70768) and low in radiogenic Pb(16.283-17.046, 15.191-15.381 and 36.999-37.476),significantly different from basalts and lherzolites in isotopic space.The calculated Nd and Pb model ages are about 3.0-3.5 Ga.The rocks have relatively low equilibrium T(-850℃) and P(0.8-0.9 Gpa).They could be inter-preted to be the product of upper mantle melting at the boundary between the lower crust and the upper mantle.Their chemical and isotopic variations can be ascribed to different degrees of melting,segregation and long-term evolution.     

Melt Pockets in Garnet Megacrysts from Cenozoic Alkali Basalts of the Shavaryn Tsaram Vicinity, Mongolia

Garnet megacryst with a multiphase inclusion from intraplate alkali basalts of the Shavaryn Tsaram(Tariat,Mongolia)was the object of the study.This unusual aggregate consists of porous glass,Ti-rich biotite,orthopyroxene,spinel,clinopyroxene,olivine,and ilmenite.Win TWQ 2.32 thermodynamic simulation of this system revealed a few intervals of equilibrium.Pressure and temperature adjustment reflected in the paragenetic minerals of the melt pocket.The capture of already crystallised garnet megacryst was at P=0.8-1 GPa and T=1120-1160℃.Mineral crystallisation inside the melt pocket,accompanied by external inputs,occurred at P=0.75-0.95 GPa;T=790-1120℃.Symplectite assemblage formed in the garnet megacryst due to decomposition at(P=0.55-0.7 GPa;T=850-930℃).The study of the oxygen isotope content in primary garnet and biotite of the melt pocket showed that the δ¹⁸O_VSMOW values are the same and correspond to that of typical mantle xenoliths.However,the chemical and microcomponent composition of the melt pocket minerals reveals a material that differs from basalts and peridotites.Thus,it has been revealed that the multiphase inclusion in the garnet megacryst formed not only on account of the garnet’s substance,but also due to the entrapped material of the Earth’s interior.     

Petrological and Re-Os Isotopic Constraints on the Origin and Tectonic Setting of the Cuobuzha Peridotite, Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone, SW Tibet, China

The Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone(YZSZ)in southern Tibet includes the remnants of Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere and marks a major suture between the Indian Plate to the south and the Lhasa Terrane of Tibet to the north(Dupuis et al.,2005;Yang et al.,2011).In the western part of the YZSZ,the Northern and the Southern sub-belts form two sub-parallel zones of mafic–ultramaficrockassemblageswithoverlapping crystallization ages(Xiong et al.,2011;Hebért et al.,2012;Liu et al.,2015).The upper mantle section of the Cuobuzha ophiolite in the northern sub-belt of the Yarlung–Zangbo Suture Zone(YZSZ)in SW Tibet comprises mainly clinopyroxene(cpx)–rich and depleted harzburgites.Spinels in the cpx-harzburgites show lower Cr#values(12.6–15.1)than the spinels in the harzburgites(26.1–34.5),and the cpx-harzburgites display higher heavy rare earth element concentrations than the depleted harzburgites.The harzburgites have subchondritic Os isotopic compositions(0.11624–0.11699),whereas the cpx-harzburgites have suprachondritic 187Os/188Os ratios(0.12831–0.13125)with higher Re concentrations(0.380-0.575 ppb).The cpx-harzburgites plot in a Re vs.Al2O3 diagram as a result of subsequent addition of Re following the last partial melting event that occurred during mid-ocean ridge melt evolution processes(Uysal et al.,2015).Although these geochemical and isotopic signatures suggest that both peridotite types in the ophiolite represent mid-ocean ridge type upper mantle units,their melt evolution trends reflect different mantle processes.The cpx-harzburgites formed from low-degree partial melting(~5%)of a primitive mantle source,and they weresubsequently modified by melt–rock interactions in a mid-ocean ridge environment.The depleted harzburgites,on the other hand,were produced by re-melting of the cpx-harzburgites,which later interacted with MORB-or island arc tholeiite(IAT)-like melts(Fig.1)possibly in a trench-distal backarc spreading center.Our new isotopic and geochemical data from the Cuobuzha peridotites confirm that the Neotethyan upper mantle had highly heterogeneous Os isotopic compositions as a result of multiple melt production and melt extraction events during its seafloor spreading evolution.     

First Evidence of Lamprophyric Magmatism from the Konya Region,Turkey: a Genetic Link to High-K Volcanism

In the vicinity of Konya （Turkey）,mafic,micro-porphyritic sub-volcanic rocks intrude into the Mesozoic units,which represents the only example of such a rock type in the region.40Ar/39Ar dating of two whole rock samples from the sub-volcanics gave ages of 13.72±0.13 and 12.40±0.11 Ma,suggesting temporal association to the Late Miocene-Pliocene high-K calc-alkaline volcanism in the region.The mineral chemistry and geochemical data permit us to classify the rocks as ＂minette＂ lamprophyres.They include diopside and phlogopite phenocrysts in a microcrystalline groundmass composed of sanidine,phlogopite,diopside and titano-magnetite.Segregation and ocelli-like globular structures occur commonly in the samples.In terms of major elements,the lamprophyres are calcalkaline,and potassic to ultrapotassic rocks.All the lamprophyres display strong enrichments in LILE （Rb,Ba,K,Sr）,radiogenic elements （Th,U） and LREE （La,Ce） and prominent negative Nb,Ta,and Ti anomalies on primordial mantle-normalized trace element diagrams.Geochemical data suggest that the lamprophyres and high-K calc-alkaline rocks in the region derived from a subduction-modified lithospheric mantle source affected by different metasomatic events.Lamprophyric magmatism sourced phlogopite-bearing veins generated by sediment-related metasomatism via subduction,but high-K calc-alkaline magmas are possibly derived from a mantle source affected by fluid-rich metasomatism.     

Assimilation of carbonate country rock by the parent magma of the Panzhihua Fe-Ti-V deposit（SW China）：Evidence from stable isotopes

The Panzhihua intrusion in southwest China is part of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province and host of a large Fe-Ti-V ore deposit.During emplacement of the main intrusion,multiple generations of mafic dykes invaded carbonate wall rocks,producing a large contact aureole.We measured the oxygen-isotope composition of the intrusions,their constituent minerals,and samples of the country rock.Magnetite and plagioclase from Panzhihua intrusion haveδ¹⁸O values that are consistent with magmatic equilibrium, and formed from magmas withδ¹⁸O values that were 1-2‰higher than expected in a mantle-derived magma.The unmetamorphosed country rock has highδ¹⁸O values,ranging from 13.2‰（sandstone） to 24.6-28.6‰（dolomite）.The skarns and marbles from the aureole have lowerδ¹⁸O andδ¹³C values than their protolith suggesting interaction with fluids that were in exchange equilibrium with the adjacent mafic magmas and especially the numerous mafic dykes that intruded the aureole.This would explain the alteration ofδ¹⁸O of the dykes which have significantly higher values than expected for a mantle-derived magma.Depending on the exactδ¹⁸O values assumed for the magma and contaminant, the amount of assimilation required to produce the elevatedδ¹⁸O value of the Panzhihua intrusion was between 8 and 13.7 wt.%,assuming simple mixing.The exact mechanism of contamination is unclear but may involve a combination of assimilation of bulk country rock,mixing with a melt of the country rock and exchange with CO₂-rich fluid derived from decarbonation of the marls and dolomites.These mechanisms,particularly the latter,were probably involved in the formation of the Fe-Ti-V ores.     

Variation in mantle lithology and composition beneath the Ngao Bilta volcano,Adamawa Massif,Cameroon volcanic line,West-central Africa

Mantle peridotites entrained as xenoliths in the lavas of Ngao Bilta in the eastern branch of the continental Cameroon Line were examined to constrain mantle processes and the origin and nature of melts that have modified the upper mantle beneath the Cameroon Line.The xenoliths consist mainly of lherzolite with subordinate harzburgite and dunite.They commonly contain olivine,orthopyroxene,clinopyroxene and spinel although the dunite is spinel-free.Amphibole is an essential constituent in the lherzolites.Mineral chemistry differs between the three types of peridotite:olivines have usual mantle-like Mg#of around 90 in lherzolites,but follow a trend of decreasing Mg#(to 82)and NiO(to 0.06 wt.%)that is continuous in the dunites.Lherzolites also contain orthopyroxenes and/or clinopyroxenes with low-Mg#,indicating a reaction that removes Opx and introduces Cpx,olivine,amphibole and spinel.This is attributed to reaction with a silica-undersaturated silicate melt such as nephelinite or basanite,which originated as a low-degree melt from a depleted source as indicated by low Al2O3 and Na2O in Cpx and high Na2O/K2O in amphibole.Thermobarometric estimates place the xenoliths at pressures of 11–15 kbar(35–50 km)and temperatures of 863–957
C,along a dynamic rift geotherm and shallower than the region where carbonate melts may occur.The melt/rock reactions exhibited by the Ngao Bilta xenoliths are consistent with their peripheral position in the eastern branch of the Cameroon Volcanic Line in an area of thinned crust and lithosphere beneath the Adamawa Uplift.     

Behaviours of REE and Other Trace Elements During Pedological Weathering-Evidence from Chemical Leaching of Loess and Palaeosol from the Luochuan Section in Central China

The chemical leaching method is used for a systematic analysis of distribution characteristics of acid-soluble and acid-insoluble REE and other trace elements from the Luochuan loess deposits. The study shows that the acid-insoluble phase in loess and palaeosol is a stable component of old aeolian dusts and is characteristic of the provenance; the acid-soluble phase is the unstable component in the weathering pedogenic process and reflects rock-forming features after accumulation of aeolian dusts. The acid-insoluble REE and acid-soluble Sr and Pb can be used as geochemical indicators respectively to trace the provenance characteristics and the weathering pedogenic process.     

Detrital Mode and Geochemistry of the Shurijeh Formation (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) in the Central and Western Parts of the Intracontinental Kopet-Dagh Basin, NE Iran: Implications for Provenance, Tectonic Setting and Weathering Processes

Petrographical and geochemical methods were combined to investigate the provenance, geodynamic and weathering history of the Shurijeh sandstones, Kopet-Dagh Basin. The point-counting method and XRF technique are used for modal and geochemical analyses. Based on petrographical examinations, it seems that the Shurijeh sandstones are mainly deposited in the craton interior and recycled orogen belts. In addition to petrographical investigation, geochemical analyses (major oxides and trace elements) of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rocks reveal that the sedimentation processes are performed in a passive continental margin. Such interpretation is supported with geodynamic and paleogeographical studies of the Kopeh-Dagh basin during this time. The geochemical investigations suggested that the composition of probable source rocks mostly was acidic-intermediate with minor mafic igneous rocks. Based on the above, Paleo-Tethys remnants and their collision-related granitoids, in the south and west of Mashhad, may have been the source area for these rocks. CIA values, which range from 63.8 to 94.9 in samples, are suggesting a moderate to relatively high degree of alteration (weathering) in the source area. Therefore, petrographical and paleogeographical studies of siliciclastic rocks can be used for the provenance, tectonic setting and paleoweathering studies in the source area.     

Geochronology and petrogenesis of the mafic dykes from the Purang ophiolite:Implications for evolution of the western Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone,southwestern Tibet

The>2000 km Indus-Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone(IYSZ)is composed of the Neo-tethys oceanic remnants,flysch units and related continental rocks,which has been regarded as the boundary between the Eurasian and Indian terranes.Among the ophiolitic complexes,the Purang ophiolite is the biggest massif in the IYSZ,and many studies have been conducted on this ophiolite.However,previous studies have mainly focused on harzburgite,clinopyroxenite and dunite.Field observations show that mafic dykes were emplaced within the Purang ophiolite.However,petrogenetic evolutions of those mafic dykes are poorly understood.In this study,we present new LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results,whole-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope analyses for microgabbro,gabbro and dolerite dykes from the Purang ophiolite of the southwestern IYSZ,respectively.Three samples yielded zircon U-Pb ages of144.2±2.1 Ma.127.9±2.3 Ma and 126.5±0.42 Ma,suggesting two different phases of magmatic activities distinctly.Whole-rock geochemical results suggest that the gabbro samples show alkaline features marked by enrichments of light rare earth elements(LREE)and large-ion lithophile elements(LILE),as well as Nb-Ta elements,suggesting an oceanic island basalt-like(OIB-like)geochemical affinity.However,the dolerite and microgabbro samples demonstrate sub-alkaline characteristics with normal mid-oceanic ridge basalt-like(N-MORB-like)geochemical features.Three distinct mafic dykes show significant Rb element depletion.The geochemical data and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic features suggest that the microgabbro and gabbro rocks were derived from a depleted mantle that had been metasomatized by partial melts of sediments and enriched slab-derived fluids.The dolerite was also originated from a depleted mantle marked by significantly depleted Sr-Nd-Hf compositions,which was not influenced by enriched slab-derived fluids and sediments contamination during subsequent evolution.The isotope and geochemical data and tectonic diagrams suggest a tectonic transition from a within-plate to a midoceanic ridge basalt-like(MORB-like)setting during the period from ca.144 Ma to 127 Ma.Combined with regional background and this study,we propose that these mafic dykes were formed in an oceanic back-arc basin setting.Additionally,integrated with previous studies,we suggest that the geodynamic evolution of the southwestern and central parts of the Neo-Tethys oceanic basin is comparable in Early Cretaceous.     

Trace Element Geochemistry of Cenozoic Volcanic Rocks in Shandong Province

The Cenozoic volcanic rock of Shandong Province are mainly alkalic and strongly alkalic basaltic rocks.The Contents of major and trace elements including transitional,incompatible and rare-earth elements were determined.The chemical characterisitics of major and trace elements indicate that these basaltic rocks were derived from a mantle source and probably represent a primary magma,I,e.,unmodifiecd partical melts of mantle peridotite in terms of Mg values,correlatione between P2O5 and Ce,Sr,Ni and Rb concentrations,mantle xenoliths,etc.The abundances of trace elements vary systematically from west to east.The compatible transition elements such as Co,Ni,and Cr show a remarkable depletion,whereas the incompatible and rare-earth elements are abundant as viewed from the chondrite-nor-malized patterns.The chemical composition and correlation are consistent with the tectonic setting.According to the batch and fractional partial melting theory,the trace element contents of Shandong volcanic rocks can be calculated from the two-component mixing model.     

Petrology,geochemistry and source characteristics of the Burpala alkaline massif,North Baikal

The Burpala alkaline massif contains rocks with more than 50 minerals rich in Zr,Nb,Ti,Th,Be and rare earth elements(REE).The rocks vary in composition from shonkinite,melanocratic syenite,nepheline and alkali syenites to alaskite and alkali granite and contain up to 10%LILE and HSFE,3.6%of REE and varying amounts of other trace elements(4%Zr,0.5%Y,0.5%Nb,0.5%Th and 0.1%U).Geological and geochemical data suggest that all the rocks in the Burpala massif were derived from alkaline magma enriched in rare earth elements.The extreme products of magma fractionation are REE rich pegmatites,apatite-fiuorite bearing rocks and carbonatites.The Sr and Nd isotope data suggest that the source of primary melt is enriched mantle(EM-Ⅱ).We correlate the massif to mantle plume impact on the active margin of the Siberian continent.     

Special Xenoliths in an Aegirine–Augite Syenite Porphyry in Liuhe, Yunnan, China: Discovery and Implications

Three special types of xenoliths have recently been found in an aegirine–augite syenite porphyry in Liuhe, Yunnan, China. Petrographical, petrochemical, electron microprobe, and scanning electron microscopy studies indicate that pure calcite xenocrysts and quartz-bearing topaz pegmatite xenoliths result from the degassing of mantle fluids during their migration, and that black microcrystalline iron-rich silicate-melt xenoliths are the product of the extraction of mantle fluids accompanying degassing and are composed dominantly of quartz, chlorite, and iron-rich columnar and sheet silicate minerals with characteristic minerals, such as native iron, apatite, and zircon. According to the bulk-rock chemical and mineral compositions and crystallization states, the microcrystalline melt xenoliths are not the product of conventional magmatism, and especially the existence of native iron further proves that the xenoliths were mantle fluid materials under reduction or anoxic conditions. The study of the special xenoliths furnishes an important deep-process geochemical background of polymetallic mineralization in different rocks and strata in the study area.