Metals in Podiform Chromitite of Mantle Section of the Tibetan Ophiolite: What Do We Learn From Them?

<正>Ophiolitic podiform chromitites for a long time have been considered as"cumulates"formed by harzburgitemelt interaction and related melt mixing at the upper part of the suboceanic mantle to the Moho transition zone.Within many existing concepts,which are in a focus of this workshop,there is one suggesting that some portion of chromitites originate from deep mantle,where Cr-spinel     

Geochronology of the Dahongshan Group

The Dahongshan Group is divided into five formations from the bottom to the top: the Laochanghe Formation; the Manganghe Formation; the Hongshan Formation, the Feiweihe Formation and the Potou Formation. As can be seen from the U-Pb concordia plot for zircon fractions collected from the metamorphic sodic lava of the Hongshan Formation, the upper intersect age with the concordia is 1665.55 _-10.86 ^+13.56 Ma. Sm-Nd dating of four whole-rock samples and one hornblende from the Manganghe and Hongshan formations yielded an isochron age of 1657 ± 82 Ma. This result is in good agreement with the zircon U-Pb age and thus can represent the formation age of the Dahongshan Group. The initial¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratio is estimated at 0.510646. with ENd (T) = + 3.1 ± 1.8. In addition the Dahongshan Group rocks are characterized by low REE contents, with δEu>1. All this goes to show that the original rocks of the Dahongshan Group were derived from a depleted mantle. The calculated Sm-Nd model ages range from ∼ 1900 to ∼ 2000 Ma. representing the time of crust/ mantle differentiation in the area studied. From the above results, in conjunction with the time-scale scheme for China, the Dahongshan Group should be assigned to the Middle Proterozoic.     

Quantitative Evaluation of the Sea-level Drop at the End-Permian: Based on Reefs

The amplitude of pre-Quaternary sea level drop, H, can be calculated by using the formula H = D + To, where To is the original thickness from the top of the tidal deposits on the reef core to the bottom of the tidal deposits on the reef front, or to the bottom of the ancient meteoric vadose zone, or to the edge of the mixed-water dolostone zone. The identity and similarity between the sea-level drop amplitudes calculated from different reefs far away from each other indicates that such sea-level changes are eustatic rather than relative changes. Evidence of an end-Permian sea-level drop has been found on the Changxingian (i.e. the end of the Palaeofusulina zone) reefs at Ziyun in South China, including algal laminated deposits, sabkha-related dolostone, desiccation cracks, dissolution collapse breccia. According to calculation based on the meteoric dissolution zone of the reef-core sequence at Ziyun, Guizhou province, the amplitude of the sea-level drop at the end-Permian is about 89.3 m. Calculation vi     

The end of the Ediacara biota: Extinction,biotic replacement,or Cheshire Cat?

The Ediacaran–Cambrian transition signals a drastic change in both diversity and ecosystem construction. The Ediacara biota (consisting of various metazoan stem lineages in addition to extinct eukaryotic clades) disappears, and is replaced by more familiar Cambrian and Paleozoic metazoan groups. Although metazoans are present in the Ediacaran, their ecological contribution is dwarfed by Ediacaran-type clades of uncertain phylogenetic affinities, while Ediacaran-type morphologies are virtually non-existent in younger assemblages. Three alternative hypotheses have been advanced to explain this dramatic change at, or near, the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary: 1) mass extinction of most Ediacaran forms; 2) biotic replacement, with early Cambrian organisms eliminating Ediacaran forms; and 3) a Cheshire Cat model, with Ediacaran forms gradually disappearing from the fossil record (but not necessarily going extinct) as a result of the elimination of unique preservational settings, primarily microbial matgrounds, that dominated the Ediacaran. To evaluate these proposed explanations for the biotic changes observed at the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition, environmental drivers leading to global mass extinction are compared to biological factors such as predation and ecosystem engineering. We explore temporal and biogeographic distributions of Ediacaran taxa combined with evaluations of functional guild ranges throughout the Ediacaran. The paucity of temporally-resolved localities with diverse Ediacaran assemblages, combined with difficulties associated with differences in taphonomic regimes before, during, and after the transition hinders this evaluation. Nonetheless, the demonstration of geographic and niche range changes offers a novel means of assessing the downfall of Ediacara-type taxa at the hands of emerging metazoans, which we hypothesize to be most likely due to the indirect ecological impact metazoans had upon the Ediacarans. Ultimately, the combination of studies on ecosystem construction, biostratigraphy, and biogeography showcases the magnitude of the transition at the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary.     

Crisis? What crisis? Displacing the spatial imaginary of the fiscal state

This paper argues that there is an immanent and evolving relationship between the prevailing form of taxation and the economic geographies of the state. Despite this, the geographic significance of taxation has been obscured by the language in which its historic transformation tends to be couched. Prevailing fiscal systems tend to be presented as essentially static – institutionally and spatially fixed and routinely inscribed within the fixed boundaries and territories of the ‘sovereign’ fiscal state. Any threat to, or change in the nature or geography of the fiscal state tends to be couched in terms of ‘crisis’ – of negative and discontinuous change. This paper contends that these related and essentially conservative discourses of fiscal geography mask the degree to which fiscal spaces are both multiple and continuously evolving. More importantly, it argues, this fluidity and multiplicity does not threaten the stability and viability of state form, but it is an essential process in its maintenance and reproduction. Running counter to the prevailing discourse of the ‘national economy’, the practice of fiscal geography is an under-analysed but key aspect of the historical evolution and transformation of the imagined geographies of economies.     

Geochronology of the Larderello geothermal field: new data and the “closure temperature” issue

The Larderello geothermal field is generally accepted to have been produced by a granite intrusion at 4–9 km depth. Hydrothermal parageneses and fluid inclusions always formed at temperatures greater than or equal to the current ones, which implies that the field has always undergone a roughly monotonic cooling history (fluctuations < 40 K) since intrusion of the granite at 4 Ma. The heat required to maintain the thermal anomaly over such a long period is supplied by a seismically anomalous body of 32000 km³ rooted in the mantle. Borehole minerals from Larderello are thus a unique well-calibrated natural example of thermally induced Ar and Sr loss under geological conditions and time spans. The observations (biotites retain Ar above 450°C) agree well with other, albeit less precise, geological determinations, but contrast with laboratory determinations of diffusivity from the literature. We therefore performed a hydrothermal experiment on two Larderello biotites and derived a diffusivity D _Lab(370°C)=5.3·10^-18 cm²s^-1, in agreement with published estimates of diffusivity in annite. From D _Lab and the rejuvenation of the K/Ar ages we calculate maximum survival times at the present in-hole temperatures. They trend smoothly over almost two orders of magnitude from 352 ka to 5.3 ka, anticorrelating with depth: laboratory diffusivities are inconsistent not only with geological facts, but also among themselves. From the geologically constrained lifetime of the thermal anomaly we derive a diffusivity D _G(370°C)=3.81·10²¹ cm²s^-1, 3±1 orders of magnitude lower than D _Lab. The cause of these discrepancies must be sought among various laboratory artefacts: overstepping of a critical temperature T ^*; enhanced diffusivities in wet experiments; presence of fast pathway (dislocation and pipe) diffusion, and of dissolution/reprecipitation reactions, which we imaged by scanning electron microscopy. These phenomena are minor in geological settings: in the absence of mineral transformation reactions, complete or near-complete resetting is achieved only by volume diffusion. Therefore, laboratory determinations will necessarily result in apparent diffusivities that are too high compared to those actually effecting the resetting of natural geochronometers.This word is dedicated to the memory of Aldo Valori (1958–1991)     

Geochronology of the Birim Supergroup of the West African craton in the Wa-Bolé region of west-central Ghana: Implications for the stratigraphic framework

The Birim rocks of the West African craton comprise belts of greenschist- to amphibolite-grade gneiss and schist, and subparallel basins of greenschist-grade phyllite of volcaniclastic and epiclastic origin, which were intruded by igneous rocks. The granitoids intruded between 2213 and 2060 Ma and overlap with the volcaniclastic units dated between 2211 and 2064 Ma. The simultaneous occurrence of the magmatic events and irregular distribution of the rock ages hamper the formulation of a stratigraphic succession. SHRIMP spot analyses were done on older cores, crystals and rims from 23 rocks from the Bolé-Wa region in west-central Ghana. The crystallization ages range from 2195 to 2118 Ma, the inherited ages from 2876 to 2130 Ma, and metamorphic ages from 2114 to 2090 Ma. Aided by metamorphic, structural and chemical studies an older geotectonic cycle (2195–2150 Ma), containing the Dole and Guropie Suite and Bolé Group, was established. These units were subjected to several orthogonal and shear deformation events. These events were followed by the contemporaneous Sawla calc-alkaline monzonitic plutonism (2132–2126 Ma) and deposition of the epiclastic Maluwe Group (2137–2125 Ma) of calc-alkaline felsic to tholeiitic volcanic origin. Deformation of the basin beds was succeeded by the intrusion of the Tanina Suite granitoids of 2122–2120 Ma, which, themselves, were deformed prior to 2119 Ma. At 2118 Ma syenite and gabbro intruded along conjugate extension fractures. The gabbro and syenite of the Wakawaka Suite were only affected by three events of brittle strike-slip faulting. The first had significant displacement along NNE- to NE-directed shear zones, while the latter only formed conjugate joint systems with limited transport. Palaeo- to Neoarchaean cores, the oldest yet reported in the Baoulé Mossi domain, are restricted to the gneissic Dole Suite biotite granites. The presence of Dole-, Guropie-, Sawla-, and Tanina-aged older cores and grains in younger rocks reflects continuous reworking of the developing crust during successive magmatic episodes. Zircon rim growth between 2105 and 2090 Ma indicates posttectonic crustal thickening. The low Rb/Sr R_o of ～0.7032 of gabbro and monzonite, and the recycling of the Birim-age crust confirm the primary and juvenile nature of the West African craton after ～2195 Ma. With the various ages obtained, it was possible to link deposition, magmatism and deformation to crustal processes, and establish the cyclic geotectonic evolution in the West Africa craton (individual basin opening and closure) over time as part of an intraoceanic arc–back-arc basin system.     

Understanding the Interactions between Climate Change, Landscape Evolution, Surface Processes and Tectonics in the Earth System: What Can the Studies of Chinese Deserts Contribute?

Due to large deserts on Earth surface a thorough understanding of climate change, landscape evolution and geomorphological processes having occurred in deserts is crucial for Earth System Science. The landscapes in deserts are, however, diverse and different over the globe with regard to their geomorphological nature, human activities and geological histories. In the last decades a great number of efforts have been put to the investigation of the initial timing of the occurrence of arid climate, e. g. in northwestern China. Silty sediments in the downwind directions have been used to deduce the histories of deserts. In general, there is a lack of knowledge about processes and landscapes in Chinese drylands between the initial Miocene silt sedimentation at desert margins and the late Quaternary multiple occurrences of wetter climate with assumed large lakes in many of the deserts in northern China. The geomorphological concept of three primary triggering factors, i.e., the sediment supply, sediment availability and transport capacity of wind, and additionally the underground geology need to be fully considered for a better understanding of the environmental histories of sand seas which should not be viewed as equivalent for deserts because sand seas cover between < 1% and ca. 45% of the desert areas in various continents dependent on a complex interaction between various processes of both exogenous and endogenous origins.     

What can the dihedral angle of conjugate-faults tell us?

Deformation within the upper crust (elastico-frictional regime) is largely accommodated by fractures and conjugate faults. The Coulomb fracture criterion leads us to expect that the average dihedral angle of conjugate-fault sets is expected to be ∼60°. Experiments, however, reveal a significant amount of scatter from this 60° average. The confining pressure under which these rocks are deformed is a contributing factor to this scatter.The Canyon Range syncline, Sevier fold-thrust belt (USA) and the Jebel Bani, Anti-Atlas fold-belt (Morocco) both folded under different depths, within the elastico-frictional regime, by cataclastic flow. Conjugate-fault sets assisted deformation by cataclastic flow. The Canyon Range syncline and the Jebel Bani are used here as natural examples to test the relationship between the dihedral angle of conjugate-faults and confining pressure. Variations is confining pressure are modeled by the difference in depth of deformation and position within the folds.Results from this study show that the dihedral angle increases with an increase in depth and within the hinge regions of folds, where space problems commonly occur. Moreover, the shortening directions based on the acute bisectors of conjugate-faults may not be accurately determined if the dihedral angles are unusually large or small, leading to incorrect kinematic analyses.     

Guanling Biota: A Marker of Triassic Biotic Recovery from the end-Permian Extinction in the Ancient Guizhou Sea

After a slow recovery from the end-Permian extinction during the Early Triassic and rapid radiation in the Middle Triassic, evolution of organisms reached a new peak phase in the Late Triassic. The Guanling Biota from the Wayao Member （conodont Paragondolella polygnathiformis Zone）, Falang Formation, Xinpu, Guanling County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China corresponds to this peak that marks the full recovery from the end-Permian extinction of marine ecosystems. The biota is of high diversity, containing well preserved and completely articulated skeletons of vertebrates comprising marine reptiles, fishes, and invertebrates including crinoids, ammonites, bivalves, and other fossils, and is one of the best examples of marine ecosystem records in life history. The fossil marine reptiles and crinoids are most significant in this biota, especially the marine reptiles, which provide an important link between the Triassic Pacific and Tethys, and between Triassic basal forms and the Jurassic-Cretaceous marine top predators. The most remarkable fossils are the large completely articulated ichthyosaur skeletons up to and more than 10 m, and the first recorded thalattosaurs and placodonts in China. Following our review, of the 17 named reptilian taxa the eight listed here are considered to be valid： three ichthyosaurs （Qianichthyosaurus zhoui Li, 1999; Guizhouichthyosaurus tangae Cao and Luo in Yin et al., 2000, Guanlingsaurus liangae Yin in Yin et al., 2000）, three thalattosaurs （Anshunsaurus huangguoshuensis Liu, 1999, Xinpusaurus suni Yin in Yin et al., 2000, Xinpusaurus kohi Jiang et al., 2004）, and two placodonts （Sinocyamodus xinpuensis Li, 2000, Psephochelys polyosteoderma Li and Rieppel, 2002）. Mixosaurus guanlingensis Cao in Yin et al., 2000 might be a junior synonym of Qianichthyosaurus zhoui Li, 1999, and Cymbospondylus asiaticus Li and You, 2002 and Panjiangsaurus epicharis Chen and Cheng, 2003 might be junior synonyms of Guizhouichthyosaurus tangae Cao and Luo in Yin et al., 2000. It needs to re-describe the holotypes after a complete preparation for clarifying the taxonomic status of Typicusichthyosaurus tsaihuae Yu in Yin et al., 2000, Xinpusaurus bamaolinensis Cheng, 2003, Neosinosaurus hoangi （Zhou in Yin et al., 2000）, Wayaosaurus geei Zhou in Yin et al., 2000, Wayaosaurus bellus Zhou in Yin et al., 2000 and Placochelys ？ minutus Yin and Luo in Yin et al., 2000.     

Can the visualization of rip currents prevent drowning accidents? Consideration of the effect of optimism bias

Drowning accidents at beach in Japan are caused by rip currents. To reduce these accidents, a new technology that can detect rip currents and notify beachgoers by using the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) was proposed. However, studies on the effect of visualizing rip currents or considering the effect of optimism bias have not been conducted. This study investigates if visualization of rip currents might help in preventing drowning accidents, while considering the effect of optimism bias. The participants were 90 Japanese beachgoers. They were asked to answer questions based on their knowledge of the beach and rip currents, their optimism bias regarding rip currents, and awareness with or without visualization. The results of the analyses suggest that despite optimism bias, the visualization of rip currents increases the tendency of beachgoers to perceive and avoid rip currents. As described above, it was found that by visualizing the rip current, beachgoers were able to perceive and avoid rip currents. In addition, an understanding of rip currents is positively related to the intent to avoid rip currents even when rip currents are visualized. Therefore, it is necessary not only to enhance the avoidance tendency by visualizing rip currents, but also to further enhance knowledge of beachgoers to deepen the understanding of rip currents including the danger associated and methods to avoid them.

     

Missing data estimation in tyrannosaurid dinosaurs: Can diameter take the place of circumference?

Missing data, due to taphonomic deformation, inaccessibility of specimens, or human error in collecting, cataloguing and measuring features, is a formidable problem in current palaeontological studies. Missing values within a data set can undermine confidence in analyses, skew results in promoting analyses of small portions of a population, not necessarily representative of the entire data set, and drastically decrease sample sizes. Missing data estimation methods, however, may reduce the effects of these missing values and potentially boost sample sizes for palaeontological studies. Here, six missing data estimation models for the prediction of femoral circumferences in tyrannosaurids were statistically tested and their predictive success measured against true circumferences, and other models. The statistical analyses suggest that estimation models based on anteroposterior diameter values of tyrannosaurid femora were poor predictors of circumference, whereas those based on mediolateral diameters were much more successful. Three out of the six models, were presented as viable alternatives to missing measured circumferences and may be used to boost tyrannosaurid samples with significant levels of missing data.     

Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Radiolarian Cherts of the Mada’er Area, Southwestern Tianshan: Implications for Depositional Environment

In the Southwestern Tianshan, the geologic ages of many strata and their depositional environments are still poorly constrained because of complex structures. The Mada’er area is located in the Kuokesaleling belt, Southwestern Tianshan. The cherts from the former Wupata’erkan Group contain abundant radiolarian fossils, including 10 species which are identified as late Devonian to early Carboniferous in age. Eleven chert samples have SiO2 contents ranging from 88.80 wt% to 93.28 wt%, and 2.02 wt% to 3.72 wt% for Al2O3. The SiO2/Al2O3 ratios of all samples vary from 23.84 to 46.11, much lower than those of the pure cherts (80–1400). These values suggest that the cherts contain high ratios of terrigenous materials. The Al2O3/(Al2O3+Fe2O3) ratios vary between 0.64 and 0.77, whereas V and Cu concentrations range from 10.92 ppm to 26.7 ppm and from 2.15 ppm to 34.1 ppm respectively. The Ti/V ratios vary from 25.53 to 44.93. The total REE concentrations of the cherts are between 30.78 ppm and 59.26 ppm, averaging 45.46 ppm. The (La/Ce)N ratios range from 0.81 to 1.12, and 0.88–1.33 for (La/Yb)N, averaging 1.09, which suggests a continental margin environment. Consequently, it is inferred that the cherts formed in a residual sea environment during the late Devonian to early Carboniferous time, which suggests that the collision between the Karakum-Tarim and Kazakhstan-Junggar plates did not occur at the time. In addition, the regional geological information indicates that the study area experienced a post-collision stage during the early Permian, and thus it is likely that the collision between the two plates took place in the late Carboniferous.     

Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Radiolarian Cherts of the Mada’er Area, Southwestern Tianshan: Implications for Depositional Environment

In the southwestern Tianshan,the geologic ages of many strata and their depositional environments are still poorly constrained because of complex structures.The Mada'er area is located in the Kuokesaleling belt,Southwestern Tianshan.The cherts from the former Wupata'erkan Group contain abundant radiolarian fossils,including 10 species which are identified as late Devonian to early Carboniferous in age.Eleven chert samples have SiO_2 contents ranging from 88.80 wt%to 93.28 wt%, and 2.02 wt%to 3.72 wt%for ...     

What is the deepest part of the Vostok ice core telling us?

This review paper is mainly concerned with a geochemical investigation of the deepest part of the Vostok ice core between 3310 m, the depth at which the palaeoenvironmental record present in the ice above is lost, and the bottom of the core about 130 m above subglacial Lake Vostok. Two sections constitute this part of the core.The upper section (3310–3539 m depth) still consists of ice of meteoric origin but subjected to widespread complex deformation. This deformation is analysed in light of a δD–deuterium excess diagram and information on microparticles, crystal sizes and chemical elements distributions in that part of the core. Such ice deformation occurred when the ice was still grounded upstream from Vostok station in a region with subfreezing temperatures.The lower section from 3539 m to the bottom of the core at 3623 m depth is lake ice formed by freezing of subglacial Lake Vostok waters. This is indicated by the isotopic properties (δD, δ¹⁸O and deuterium excess), by electrical conductivity measurements (ECM), crystallography and gas content of the ice. These ice core data together with data on ionic chemistry favour an origin of the lake ice by frazil ice generation in a supercooled (below pressure melting point) water plume existing in the lake followed by accretion and consolidation by subsequent freezing of the host water.The helium profile of this deepest part of the Vostok core is quite unusual and surprising. It has important implications for the interactions between the ice sheet and the lake. Two constrasting scenarios can be satisfactorily constructed so that the lake residence time is not well constrained.     

Tectonics or climate: What drove the Miocene global expansion of C4 grasslands?

Investigations into the most plausible causes which triggered the Late Miocene global expansion of C₄ grasslands have reached no consensus and are still being debated. The global decline in CO₂ levels in the Late Miocene has been thought to be the most common driver. Although C₄ grassland expansion was largely confined to the Late Miocene, their first appearance varied significantly in different parts of the Old and New world and therefore emphasizes role of local and/or regional factors may or may not be in combination with one or more global factors. The dynamic Himalayan orogen constitutes a significant global tectonic event that is believed to have affected global climate. Hence, a study of the Himalayan foreland basin sediments could help in gleaning out possible causes behind this major paleoecologic event, which could perhaps be directly or indirectly related. Stable carbon isotope analyses of a total of 141 pedogenic carbonates in the Mio-Pleistocene Siwalik paleosols of the Ramnagar sub-basin are coherent, providing a better insight into paleovegetational changes across the sub-basin on temporal and spatial scales. Furthermore, paleovegetational history during Oligocene is reconstructed from Dagshai paleosols exposed in the Subathu sub-basin. The isotopic results show dominance of C₃ vegetation pre-7 Ma and dominance of C₄ vegetation post-5 Ma. Percentage abundance of C₄ vegetation was less than 20 % pre-7 Ma but increased to more than 40 % post-5 Ma, reaching up to 100 % in the youngest analyzed sediments. There is exclusive dominance of C₃ vegetation during Oligocene. These results conform to the pattern of change in vegetation documented in other parts of the Himalayan belt. The global expansion of C₄ grasslands largely during Late Miocene have long been linked with then climate changes, particularly brought by declining atmospheric CO₂ level, large-scale fires, intensification of monsoon, seasonality, and aridity as demonstrated by various researchers. These major hypotheses explaining expansion of C₄ grasslands during Late Miocene are not very convincing due to significant shortcomings associated with them, for example, expansion of C₄ grasslands in non-monsoonal regions put serious constraints on the monsoonal intensification hypothesis. Likewise, aridity as being the primary driver of C₄ grassland expansion seems hard to support since there is no substantial evidence that could suggest global onset of arid conditions at about same geologic time, and some most arid periods, like the Triassic, show no evidence of C₄ plants. We suggest that the initial lowering of CO₂ below 450 ppmV created an environment for the beginning of C₄ vegetation, but the persistence of this threshold value for a considerable time during Late Miocene appears to be the probable cause of the Late Miocene global expansion of C₄ grasslands irrespective of their time of first appearance. It has been deduced through the correlation of Himalayan tectonic events with atmospheric CO₂ levels and paleovegetational changes since Upper Miocene times that it was indeed the Late Miocene continuous, intense tectonic instability of the Himalayas that significantly decreased atmospheric CO₂ levels and which perhaps played a key role in changing the nature of photosynthetic pathways.     

What kind of countryside do the public want: community visions from Wales UK?

This paper assesses how far community led rural visions accord with the current thrust of rural planning policy delivery in the UK. Adapting conventional visioning methods, qualitative techniques were used on eight different communities across urban, exurban and rural Wales to elicit views relating to the kind of local countryside(s) that were desired. The results show that the communities’ visions reflect an emerging consensus around local countryside priorities: multifunctionality, integration, wider countryside protection, development based on need, and local distinctiveness according with the thrust of current planning policy at national and local levels. However, there is a clear dichotomy between this and the reality of what communities actually experienced in developments affecting their countryside. Here, universal criticism was encountered over the type, pace and scale of development, the lack of rural specificity and the failure to take account of local community needs and priorities. It is hypothesized that tensions between national and local politics and stakeholder power relations are playing a crucial role in distorting the delivery of town and country planning. It is recommended that rural policy delivery must become more “joined up” and rural proofed at national and local levels concomitant with a change in the operational culture of agencies at the forefront of rural delivery. Essentially, effective engagement of top down approaches synergising with bottom up community led ideas is long overdue.     

U–Pb Zircon Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Neoproterozoic Liujiaping Group Volcanics in the Northwest Margin of the Yangtze Block: Implications For the Breakup of the Rodinia Supercontinent

Investigation of the petrogenesis and the origin of zircons from the volcanic rocks of the Liujiaping Group of the back-Longmenshan tectonic belt in the northwest margin of the Yangtze Block is conducted by analysis of U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry. Results show that selected zircons are characterized by internal oscillatory zonings and high Th/U ratios (0.43–1.18), indicating an igneous origin. Geochronological results of LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating of the Liujiaping Group zircons yield an age of 809 ± 11 Ma (MSWD = 2.2), implying that the volcanic rocks were formed in the Late Neoproterozoic. Geochemical analysis shows that the rocks are calc-alkaline, supersaturated in Al, and metaluminous to weakly peraluminous. Rare-earth elements are present at high concentrations (96.04–265.48 ppm) and show a rightward incline and a moderately negative Eu anomaly, similar to that of continental rift rhyolite. Trace element geochemistry is characterized by evident negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, P, Th, Ti, inter alia, and strong negative anomalies of K, Rb, Sr, et al. We conclude that the Liujiaping Group volcanic rocks resulted from typical continental crust source petrogenesis and were formed in a continental margin setting, which had no relation to subduction, and thus, were the products of partial melting of the lower crust due to crustal thickening caused by active continental margin subduction and arc–continent collision orogeny in the northwestern Yangtze Block and were triggered by the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent during the Neoproterozoic.     

Effects of Subduction of Pacific Plate on the Great Xing’an Range: Constriants from Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Shaxilate Granite Porphyry

As a widely‐developed mineral in various types of rocks, pyrite features important geological information such as temperature and pressure during its formation and evolution (An et al., 2014; An et al., 2018). It is an important geological formation for studying the origins of rocks, mineralization, and deposits (Xue et al., 2014; An et al., 2016). The study of the genesis of gold deposits is a research hotspot in current geology and mineral deposits not only because of high economic value, but also because of important practical significance (An et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2014). Shandong Zhaoyuan, as the third largest gold production area in the world, has important research significance of the origin and generation of gold‐bearing minerals (Xue et al., 2014; Wen et al., 2014). In this study, pyrite from augen granite (figure 1a), syenite (figure 1b), basite (figure 1c) and gold ore (figure 1d) at Zhaoyuan gold deposit Shandong Province, was selected as the research object. The morphological and structural micro‐fabrics were analysed by polarized light microscopy (PLM) and Raman spectroscopy to reveal the source and process of gold further.