新元古代冰期及其年代

新元古代在全球范围内出现了几期冰期事件,称之为“雪球地球”事件。这种剧烈的环境变化带来此后地球上生命演化的一次飞跃。“雪球地球”事件的核心是全球冰期的同时性,需要同位素地质年代学的证据。新元古代末期两次主要的冰期事件是Marinoan冰期和Sturtian冰期,其中Marinoan冰期结束于635Ma;Sturtian冰期可能发生在710～720Ma,已发表的年龄数据限定它在670Ma之前结束。Marinoan冰期后的Gaskiers冰期发生在580～590Ma。对华南的古城、铁丝坳、长安组、江口组等进行进一步精确定年,将对限定Sturtian冰期持续时间和Cryogenian、南华系的下限年龄具有重要意义。     

Early Paleozoic tectonics of Asia:Towards a full-plate model

Asia is key to a richer understanding of many important lithospheric processes such as crustal growth,continental evolution and orogenesis. But to properly decipher the secrets Asia holds, a first-order tectonic context is needed. This presents a challenge, however, because a great variety of alternative and often contradictory tectonic models of Asia have flourished. This plethora of models has in part arisen from efforts to explain limited observations(in space, time or discipline) without regard for the broader assemblage of established constraints. The way forward, then, is to endeavor to construct paleogeographic models that fully incorporate the diverse constraints available, namely from quantitative paleomagnetic data, the plentiful record of geologic and paleobiologic observations, and the principles of plate tectonics. This paper presents a preliminary attempt at such a synthesis concerning the early Paleozoic tectonic history of Asia. A review of salient geologic observations and paleomagnetic data from the various continental blocks and terranes of Asia is followed by the presentation of a new, full-plate tectonic model of the region from middle Cambrian to end-Silurian time(500-420 Ma). Although this work may serve as a reference point, the model itself can only be considred provisional and ideally it will evolve with time. Accordingly, all the model details are released so that they may be used to test and improve the framework as new discoveries unfold.     

华夏地块新元古代沉积记录与超大陆重建

新元古代-早古生代,Rodinia超大陆裂解至Gondwana大陆聚合的过程对华南构造格局与古地理演化具有重要的制约作用,然而在这过程中华夏地块的位置、华夏与扬子之间的关系等问题仍存在争议。本文通过同位素地层年代学、新元古代冰期事件及成矿事件对比了华夏地块武夷南部-南岭地区及华夏西缘新元古代中-晚期地层。在此基础上,对新元古代沉积物进行碎屑锆石物源分析,发现华夏西缘拉伸纪晚期-埃迪卡拉纪曾出现多次物源方向的转换,并在成冰纪晚期同时出现来自华南内部和外部的双向物源。结合浅海陆棚的沉积环境,表明此时扬子与华夏之间并没有宽阔的大洋相隔。华夏地块拉伸纪晚期-埃迪卡拉纪碎屑岩中包含了大量中元古代至新元古代早期的碎屑锆石,与东冈瓦纳北部印度、东南极等地区的沉积记录吻合,指示华夏地块至少自750 Ma时期就接收到来自印度北缘的碎屑物质。在Rodinia超大陆裂解至Gondwana大陆聚合期间,华南一直保持在超大陆边缘的古地理位置,与印度北缘相连。

     

Neoproterozoic terrigenous deposits of the Tuva–Mongolian massif: geochemical correlation, sourcelands, and geodynamic reconstruction

We have established that the terrigenous deposits of the Haisuin Formation and metamorphic deposits of the Shutkhulai block are similar in geochemical characteristics to the rocks of the Oka Group. The volcanics of the Sarkhoi Group and, to a lesser extent, the crystalline deposits of the Gargan block and rocks of the Dunjugur ophiolite complex served as sourcelands for the studied deposits. The terrigenous deposits of the Oka Group and Haisuin Formation and the pararocks of the Shutkhulai block accumulated in the same sedimentary basin localized on the margin of the Tuva–Mongolian massif in the setting of an island-arc system.     

Coupled modeling of global carbon cycle and climate in the Neoproterozoic: links between Rodinia breakup and major glaciations

A coupled climate–geochemical model of new generation (GEOCLIM) is used to investigate the possible causes of the initiation of snowball glaciations during Neoproterozoic times. This model allows the calculation of the partial pressure of atmospheric CO₂ simultaneously with the climate at the continental surface with a rough 2D spatial resolution (10° lat. × 50° long.). We calculate that the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent, starting 800 Myr ago, results in a global climatic cooling of about 8 °C triggered by enhanced consumption of atmospheric CO₂ resulting from increased runoff over continental surfaces. This increase in runoff is driven by the opening of oceanic basins resulting in an increase of soil moisture sources close to continental masses. This climatic effect of the supercontinent breakup is particularly strong within the 800–700 Ma interval since all continents are located in the equatorial area, where temperature and runoff conditions optimize the consumption of CO₂ through weathering processes. However, this effect alone is insufficient to trigger snowball. We propose that the efficient weathering of fresh basaltic surfaces that erupted during the Rodinia breakup, and were transported to the humid equatorial area through continental plate motion, contributed the necessary CO₂ sink that triggered the ca. 730-Ma Sturtian glacial event. Simulations of the GEOCLIM model for the ca 580-Ma Gaskiers ice age, where all continents are centered on the South Pole, shows that no snowball glaciation can be initiated. The calculated CO₂ partial pressure remains above 1000 ppmv, while a threshold of less than 80 ppmv is required to initiate a snowball glaciation. At that time, a polar configuration does not allow the onset of total glaciation. Nevertheless, a regional glaciation is simulated by the GEOCLIM when the climatic and geochemical (i.e. weathering related) effects of the Pan-African orogeny (∼600 Ma) are taken into account. Finally, the question of the role of the paleogeographic setting in the Marinoan snowball event (∼635 Ma) is still an open question, since no reliable Marinoan paleogeographic reconstruction exists due to the paucity of paleomagnetic data.     

新元古时期Rodinia超大陆研究进展述评

新元古时期Ｒｏｄｉｎｉａ超大陆的假说自１９９０年提出以来,引起国外许多地质学家的关注,其研究程度不断提高,本文在回顾Ｒｏｄｉｎｉａ超大陆研究历史的基础上,介绍了Ｒｏｄｉｎｉａ超大陆的古地理再造图,并着重介绍中国大陆古地块在超大陆中古地理位置的最新研究动向,文中对建立Ｒｏｄｉｎｉａ超大陆的标志,特别是中元古代晚期－新元古代早期的造山运动和新元古代晚期的裂谷作用进行了评述。同时对我国中－新元古代与Ｒｏ     

Provenance of latest Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic (meta)-sedimentary rocks and implications for paleographic reconstruction of the Yili Block

The Yili Block is one of the major Precambrian microcontinents of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Detrital zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic data of the Meso-Neoproterozoic (meta)-sedimentary units within the Yili Block constrain the tectonic affinity and early history of the block. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages, in combination with related magmatic age data, indicate that the Tekesi and Kusitai groups were deposited during the latest Mesoproterozoic-earliest Neoproterozoic (1040–960 Ma) and early Neoproterozoic (<926 Ma), respectively. Zircons from the Kusitai Group yield major age groups at 941–910 Ma and 1887–1122 Ma, whereas the Tekesi Group have a dominant age group at ca. 2.0–1.1 Ga with age peaks at ca. 1.9 Ga, 1.8 Ga, 1.75–1.70 Ga, 1.58 Ga, 1.5 Ga, 1.47–1.43 Ga and 1.27–1.20 Ga. A minor age peak of ca. 2.5 Ga is also recognized in the middle part of the Tekesi Group. Early Neoproterozoic detrital zircons with relatively uniform ε_Hf(t) values (+0.7 to +3.2) were mainly derived from contemporaneous magmatic rocks in the Yili Block. The Central Tianshan Block provides a likely source for detritus with ages of ca. 1.7–1.4 and 2.5 Ga. The predominant late Paleoproterozoic to latest Mesoproterozoic detrital zircons with positive ε_Hf(t) values (+0.5 to +12.0) in the Yili Block were probably derived primarily from regions exhumed during collisional assembly of Rodinia. These populations are consistent with those from the late Mesoproterozoic-early Neoproterozoic (meta)-sedimentary successions in the Central Tianshan, Kokchetav-North Tianshan and Erementau-Niyaz blocks, and Southeast Siberia and northeastern Laurentia cratons. The Yili Block, together with the Precambrian microcontinents in the southwestern Central Asian Orogenic Belt, was likely located at the margin of Rodinia supercontinent, between the southeast Siberia and northeast Laurentia during the early Neoproterozoic.     

华北克拉通东部新元古代宏体化石生物地层序列

华北克拉通东部是中国晚前寒武纪地层出露最为完整、连续的地区,特别是华北克拉通东缘连续出露了新元古代自老至新的全部地层,是对比和衔接中国南、北方晚前寒武纪地层的关键地区。在该地区所发现和建立的宏体化石群——“龙凤山生物群”、“辽南生物群”和“淮南生物群”可能是新元古代“南华大冰期”前后较为独特的生物群落,其中相当部分可能归属于多细胞后生动物和多细胞藻类,是地球早期生命景观的重要代表。因此,对这些新元古代早期生物群的研究将可能揭示比陡山沱期更早的多细胞后生动植物的演化面貌,在演化生物学上意义重大。近年来,在地调项目的资助下,开展了华北克拉通东部地区的新元古代年代地层及生物地层的研究。本文综合现有资料,详细记述了华北克拉通东部（燕山地区和辽南、徐淮地区）含宏体化石的新元古代地层及其宏体化石特征、组合面貌和生物地层序列。同时,依据宏体化石记录,探讨了中国新元古代地层的对比问题。     

A Back-arc Palaeotectonic Setting for the Augaro Neoproterozoic Magmatic Rocks of Western Eritrea

The Augaro volcano-sedimentary assemblages of western Eritrea are part of the Neoproterozoic, N-S trending belt of low-grade volcano-sedimentary and associated plutonic rocks. In contrast to the volcanic-dominated oceanic-arc assemblages in central Eritrea, the predominant rock types in the west are supracrustal sequences of sedimentary origin with subordinate volcanic rocks. These Augaro supracrustal rocks are overlain, unconformably, by a basin-fill metasedimentary succession known as the Gulgula Group. The Augaro metavolcanic rocks are tholeiitic and range in composition from basalt to basaltic andesite. Comparison of trace element characteristics and N-MORB-normalised spidergrams of these rocks with those of modern volcanic environments and age-comparable metavolcanic rocks of known tectonic association from the Arabian-Nubian Shield suggest that the volcanic assemblages from western Eritrea were generated in a back-arc tectonic setting.

Single zircon Pb-Pb evaporation and vapour-transfer U-Pb analyses of magmatic zircons from pre/syn-tectonic granites yield a mean ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 849±20 Ma and an upper concordia intercept age of 849±26 Ma. These ages are interpreted to represent the time of major magmatism in western Eritrea and are comparable to ages of early arc magmatism in central and northern Eritrea and in the southern Nubian Shield. Initial eNd values and initial Sr isotope ratios of whole-rock samples of magmatic rocks calculated for an age of 850 Ma range from +4.0 to +7.1 and 0.7026 to 0.7037, respectively. Single zircon ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages, initial eNd value and Sr isotope ratio for a granitic clast in the Gulgula metaconglomerate suggest that the source area for the Gulgula metasedimentary rocks is similar to the surrounding Neoproterozoic rocks of western Eritrea.     

Neoproterozoic tectonic synthesis of Uruguay

Neoproterozoic–lower Palaeozoic successions in the Brasiliano fold belts are described and a brief synthesis of these terranes is presented in order to erect a tectonic framework for this region. Tectonic events that occurred around the Río de La Plata craton were diachronous and reflected successive stages of the Brasiliano orogenic cycle. They took place in mobile belts that constituted part of the Gondwana supercontinent. The most thoroughly investigated Neoproterozoic sections are located in the eastern and southeastern regions of Uruguay. The Dom Feliciano Belt shows a tectonic evolution from back-arc to foreland basin characterized by fold-and-thrust, thick-skinned belts developed during the Brasiliano/Pan-African orogenic cycle. The most conspicuous features were late-tectonic high-K calc-alkaline granitoids, HT-LP metamorphism, significant displacements along shear zones, and post-tectonic granitoids. The final stage was characterized by post-collisional basins (molassic sequences) and extensional magmatism related to a phase of crustal stretching. Several lithotectonic units are present as basement inliers in the Dom Feliciano Belt: these include a low-to-medium metamorphic grade sequence (the Zanja del Tigre Formation), granitoids and gneisses (the Campanero Unit), high-grade basement of the Cerro Olivo Complex (Palaeoproterozoic or Neoproterozoic), and a low-metamorphic grade orogenic belt (the Rocha Formation). This paper provides a simplified tectonic map of eastern Uruguay, which we use to describe tectonic evolution from Precambrian to early Palaeozoic time.     

新元古代的"雪球地球"

“雪球地球”假说的提出解释了一些新元古代冰川现象，如低纬度和低海拔冰川沉积、帽碳酸盐岩、负的碳酸盐δ^13C漂移和BIF铁矿等现象。尽管有不同的假说与解释，但“雪球地球”最为流行。“雪球地球”事件被认为起因于地球系统的变化，如Rodinia超大陆的裂解、超级地幔柱的活动及古地磁真极的漂移等。“雪球地球”的极端气候环境变化，促进了生命的演化，造成了寒武纪生物大爆发。     

Neoproterozoic Tectonic Events of Egypt

The Egyptian Nubian Shield(ENS) represents the northwestern part of the Arabian-Nubian Shield and the northern extension of the East African Orogen. The ENS is regarded as being formed due to northward-directed escape tectonics. It is characterized by mild accretion and suture zones dominated by major strike-slip zones with a commonly sinistral sense of movement; some shear zones display a dextral sense of shear. It is dominated by gneisses and migmatites in the south, arc volcaniclastic metasediments and highly dismembered ophiolites in the central parts, whereas its northern part is dominated by late-to post-tectonic granitoids. In southern Sinai, the Neoproterozoic rocks are grouped into four complexes, namely Feiran–Solaf, Sa'al–Zaghra, Kid and Taba. The ENS ophiolites were formed between 730–750 Ma, mainly in a supra-subduction zone setting. The ENS has undergone a Neoproterozoic deformation history involving three successive phases:(1) Early N–S shortening phase(D1),(2) Syn-accretionary phase(D2) and(3) Post-accretionary phase(D3). The initial island-arc stage(780–730 Ma) is a N–S shortening phase initiated by collision between the Eastern Desert tectonic terrane to the north with both the Gebeit and Gabgaba terranes to the south(830–720 Ma). During the arc-splitting and back-arc spreading stage(730–620), voluminous syn-tectonic granitoids intruded into the ENS(750–610 Ma). The E–W-directed compressional/transpressional phase(620–450 Ma) led to the overall uplift of the central part of the ENS and consequently the development and exhumation of the core complexes in oblique convergent zones. The E–W intense shortening deformation resulted also in the formation of NW-and NE-striking sinistral and dextral strike-slip shear zones, respectively. The latest periods of the E–W-directed compressional/transpressional regime were characterized by deposition of the molasse-type Hammamat Sediments unconformably over the Dokhan Volcanics, or interbedded with them. The combined thrusting, folding and sinistral-reverse shearing structures have been interpreted to resulted from the E–Wdirected compressional/transpressional phase in response to the oblique shortening of the Arabian-Nubian Shield between East and West Gondwana.     

Neoproterozoic evolution of the basement of the South-American platform

Neoproterozoic geologic and geotectonic processes were of utmost importance in forming and structuring the basement framework of the South-American platform. Two large domains with distinct evolutionary histories are identified with respect to the Neoproterozoic era: the northwest-west (Amazonian craton and surroundings) and the central-southeast (the extra-Amazonian domain).In the first domain, Neoproterozoic events occurred only locally and were of secondary significance, and the geologic events, processes, and structures of the pre-Neoproterozoic (and syn-Brasiliano) cratonic block were much more influential. In the second, the extra-Amazonian domain, the final evolution, structures and forms are assigned to events related to the development of a complex net of Neoproterozoic mobile belts. These in turn resulted in strong reworking of the older pre-Neoproterozoic basement. In this domain, four distinct structural provinces circumscribe or are separated by relatively small pre-Neoproterozoic cratonic nuclei, namely the Pampean, Tocantins, Borborema and Mantiqueira provinces. These extra-Amazonian provinces were formed by a complex framework of orogenic branching systems following a diversified post-Mesoproterozoic paleogeographic scenario. This scenario included many types of basement inliers as well as a diversified organization of accretionary and collisional orogens. The basement inliers date from the Archean to Mesoproterozoic periods and are different in nature. The escape tectonics that operated during the final consolidation stages of the provinces were important to and responsible for the final forms currently observed. These latest events, which occurred from the Late Ediacaran to the Early Ordovician, present serious obstacles to paleogeographic reconstructions.Two groups of orogenic collage systems are identified. The older system from the Tonian (>850 Ma) period is of restricted occurrence and is not fully understood due to strong reworking subsequent to Tonian times. The second group of orogenies is more extensive and more important. Its development began with diachronic taphrogenic processes in the Early Cryogenian period (ca. 850–750 Ma) and preceded a complex scenario of continental, transitional and oceanic basins. Subsequent orogenies (post 800 Ma) were also created by diachronic processes that ended in the Early Ordovician. More than one orogeny (plate interaction) can be identified either in space or in time in every province. The orogenic processes were not necessarily synchronous in different parts of the orogenic system, even within the same province. This particular group of orogenic collage events is known as the “Brasiliano”.All of the structural provinces of the extra-Amazonian domain exhibit final events that are marked by extrusion processes, are represented by long lineaments, and are fundamental to unraveling the structural history of the Phanerozoic sedimentary basins.     

Neoproterozoic banded iron formations

Two epochs of the formation of ferruginous quartzites—Archean-Paleoproterozoic (3.2–1.8 Ga) and Neoproterozoic (0.85–0.7 Ga)—are distinguished in the Precambrian. They are incommensurable in scale: the Paleoproterozoic Kursk Group of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (KMA) extends over 1500 km, whereas the extension of Neoproterozoic banded iron formations (BIF) beds does not exceed a few tens of kilometers. Their thickness is up to 200 m and not more than 10 m, respectively. The oldest BIFs are located in old platforms, whereas Neoproterozoic BIFs are mainly confined to Phanerozoic orogenic (mobile) zones. Neoproterozoic BIFs universally associate with glacial deposits and their beds include glacial dropstones. In places, they underlie tillites of the Laplandian (Marinoan) glaciation (635 Ma), but they are more often sandwiched between glaciogenic sequences of the Laplandian and preceding Sturtian or Rapitan glaciation (730–750 Ma). Neoproterozoic BIFs are rather diverse in terms of lithology due to variation in the grade of metamorphism from place to place from low grades of the greenschist facies up to the granulite facies. Correspondingly, the ore component is mainly represented by hematite or magnetite. The REE distribution and (Co + Ni + Cu) index suggest an influence of hydrothermal sources of Fe, although it was subordinate to the continental washout. Iron was accumulated in seawater during glaciations, whereas iron mineralization took place at the earliest stages of postglacial transgressions.     

秦岭造山带中-新元古代(早期)地质演化

秦岭造山带是位于中国大陆中部并夹持于华北与扬子陆块之间的大陆造山带,是加里东期至印支期的碰撞造山带。对前加里东期演化虽然亦积累了不少资料,但认识上存在较大分歧。本文着重介绍秦岭造山带自中元古代晚期武关裂谷的打开(1243Ma±46Ma),中元古代末期松树沟洋盆的形成(1084Ma±73Ma～1030Ma±46Ma)以及新元古代早期同造山期花岗岩的侵入(960～840Ma)等自1.25Ga至0.84Ga期间的一系列热-构造事件,反映扬子大陆边缘前加里东期曾经历过一次“威尔逊构造旋回”,表明该区存在中—新元古代造山带的地质记录。但这次造山作用不是华北与扬子大陆的汇聚,而是曾属于扬子大陆边缘的“北秦岭变质地体”与其南的扬子大陆的一次汇聚过程。     

Architecture and composition of ocean floor subducted beneath northern Gondwana during Neoproterozoic to Cambrian: A palinspastic reconstruction based on Ocean Plate Stratigraphy (OPS)

The Blovice accretionary complex, Bohemian Massif, hosts well-preserved basaltic blocks derived from an oceanic plate subducted beneath the northern active margin of Gondwana during late Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian. The major and trace element and Hf–Nd isotope systematics revealed two different suites, tholeiitic and alkaline, whose composition reflects different sources of melts within a back-arc basin setting. The former suite has composition similar to mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB), yet with striking enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and Pb paralleled by depletion in Nb, in agreement with its derivation from depleted mantle fluxed by subduction-related fluids. In contrast, the latter suite has composition similar to ocean island basalts (OIB) with variable contribution of ancient, recycled crustal material. We argue that both suites represent volcanic members of Ocean Plate Stratigraphy (OPS) and indicate that the oceanic realm consumed by the Cadomian subduction was a complex mosaic of intra-oceanic subduction zones, volcanic island arcs, and back-arc basins with mantle plume impinging the spreading centre. Hence, the basalt geochemistry implies that two distinct domains of oceanic lithosphere may have existed off the Gondwana’s continental edge: an outboard domain, made up of old and less buoyant oceanic lithosphere (remnants of the Mirovoi Ocean surrounding former Rodinia?) that was steeply subducted and generated the back-arcs, and young, hot, and more buoyant oceanic lithosphere generated in the back-arcs and later involved in accretionary complexes as dismembered OPS. Perhaps the best recent analogy of this setting is the Izu Bonin–Mariana arc–Philippine Sea in the western Pacific.     

Application of carbon isotope chemostratigraphy to the Renison dolomites,Tasmania: A Neoproterozoic age

This study uses carbon isotope chemostratigraphy to propose an age for the Success Creek Group and Crimson Creek Formation in the absence of any direct radiometric dates, palaeomagnetic or reliable palaeontological data. The δ¹³C values were determined for the least‐altered dolomite samples. Suitable samples were selected on the basis of grainsize, cathodoluminescence petrography, most enriched δ¹⁸O values (> ‐2%o) low Mn/Sr ratios and low Fe and Mn concentrations. The average least‐altered, most ¹³C‐enriched dolomicrite samples in the youngest (No. 1) dolomite horizon are + 4.6%o. This is typical of Neoproterozoic (but not Cambrian) carbonates. The δ¹³C values of all dolomite samples in the succession are significantly positive (up to + 7.5%o) and the excursion characteristic of the Proterozoic/Cambrian boundary has not been observed. The lack of negative δ¹³C values in all dolomite samples studied also suggests an absence of correlatives of Sturtian and Varanger tillites in the dolomite successions. The δ¹³C values in all three dolomite horizons suggest a Neoproterozoic age between about 820 to 570 Ma (Cryogenian to Neoproterozoic III) on the current global compilation carbon isotope curves. This age for the Success Creek Group and Crimson Creek Formation, inferred from carbon isotope chemostratigraphy, can be substantiated by other evidence. The age of the Renison dolomites is constrained by K‐Ar dates of 708 ± 6 Ma from detrital muscovite in the underlying Oonah Formation and 588 ± 8 and 600 ± 8 Ma from doleritic rock in a lithostratigraphic equivalent of the Crimson Creek Formation from the Smithton Basin. Furthermore, acritarchs and the stromatolite Baicalia cf. B. burra also suggest a Neoproterozoic rather than Cambrian age.     

A history of the global understanding of the Earth

The author contributes to the development of a history of the global understanding of the Earth. He summarizes the main steps in the knowledge of the Earth's interior from antiquity to the present time and draws some lessons from this history.