Single zircon U-Pb dating of the Kongling high-grade metamorphic terrain: Evidence for >3.2 Ga old continental crust in the Yangtze craton

Single zircons from two trondhjemitic gneisses and two clastic metasedimentary rocks without Eu anomaly of the Kongling high-grade metamorphic terrain are dated by thein situSHRIMP U-Pb method. The results show that the trondhjemitic magma emplaced at 2947-2903 Ma. Concordant age of as old as 3.3 Ga is present in the detrital zircons from the clastic metasedimentary rocks. Together with the depleted mantle Nd model age (T_DM =3.2-3.3 Ga) of the clastic metasedimentary rocks, this documents the presence of Paleoarchean continental crust in the Yangtze craton.     

U–Pb zircon ages of the Nakanogawa Group in the Hidaka Belt,northern Japan: Implications for its provenance and the protolith of the Hidaka metamorphic rocks

Zircon U–Pb ages of two acidic tuff and two turbidite sandstone samples from the Nakanogawa Group, Hidaka Belt, were measured to estimate its depositional age and the development of the Hokkaido Central Belt, northeast Japan. In the northern unit, homogeneous zircons from pelagic acidic tuff from a basal horizon dated to 58–57 Ma, zircons from sandstone from the upper part of the unit dated to 56–54 Ma, and zircons from acidic tuff from the uppermost part dated to 60–56 Ma and 69–63 Ma. Both of the tuff U–Pb ages are significantly older than the youngest radiolarian fossil age (66–48 Ma). Therefore, the maximum depositional age of the turbidite facies in the northern unit is 58 Ma and the younger age limit, estimated from the fossil age, is 48 Ma. In the southern unit, homogeneous zircons from turbidite sandstone dated to 58–57 Ma. Thus the depositional age of this turbidite facies was interpreted to be 66–56 Ma from the fossil age, probably close to 57 Ma. Most of the zircon U–Pb ages from the Nakanogawa Group are younger than 80 Ma, with a major peak at 60 Ma. This result implies that around Hokkaido volcanic activity occurred mainly after 80 Ma. Older zircon ages (120–80 Ma, 180–140 Ma, 340–220 Ma, 1.9 Ga, 2.2 Ga, and 2.7 Ga) give information about the provenance of other rocks in the Hidaka Belt. It is inferred that the Nakanogawa Group comprises protoliths of the upper sequence of the Hidaka Metamorphic Zone, which therefore has the same depositional age as the Nakanogawa Group (66–48 Ma). The depositional ages of the lower sequence of the Hidaka Metamorphic Zone and the Nakanogawa Group are probably the same.     

Composition variations of the Sinian-Cambrian sedimentary rocks in Hunan and Guangxi provinces and their tectonic significance

This paper reports the geochemical and zircon U-Pb dating data of the Sinian to Cambrian low-grade metamorphic rocks in the Miaoer Mountain area, Guangxi Province and the Jinjiling area, Hunan Province. Petrographic and geochemical features indicate that protoliths of these metamorphic rocks are clastic sedimentary rocks with medium weathering, which were formed in the passive continental margin. Geochemistry and zircon U-Pb ages indicate that the Sinian and Cambrian sedimentary rocks in the Jinjiling area have similar detritus components, which are characterized by abundant Grenvillian detrital zircons, suggesting a close affinity with the Cathaysia Block. The Cambrian sedimentary rocks in the Miaoer Mountain area have similar geochemistry and zircon geochronology to those in the Jinjiling area, showing an affinity with the Cathaysia Block. However, the Sinian sedimentary rocks in the Miaoer Mountain area show different geochemical features from the Cambrian sedimentary rocks and those in the Jinjiling area, and are characterized by abundant 840-700 Ma detrital zircons and less ～2.0 Ga ones, showing a close affinity with the Yangtze Block. These variations suggest that the Jinjiling area continuously accepted the fragments from the Cathaysia from the Sinian to the Cambrian, whereas the provenance of the Miaoer Mountain sedimentary basin changed from the Yangtze Block to the Cathaysia Block during this interval. This change implies a tectonic movement, which caused the further sinking of the basin in the Miaoer Mountain area and northwestward transferring of the basin center before the Middle Cambrian, so that the Miaoer Mountain basin received the detritus from the Cathaysia Block in the Middle Cambrian. This fact also proves that the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks have converged at least in Middle Cambrian, and the southwestern boundary between them is located between the Miaoer Mountain and Jinjiling areas.     

The tectonic boundary between the Okcheon and Taebaeksan basins,South Korea: A restraining bend of a continental transform fault between the South and North China Cratons

The geological relationship between the Okcheon and Taebaeksan basins of the Okcheon belt on the Korean peninsula is a key issue in reconstructing the tectonic evolution of the peninsula. The boundary between the two basin sequences has been variously interpreted as a conformable, unconformable, or thrust contact, without clear evidence being provided for any of these hypotheses. Detailed examination of structures and microfabrics of deformed rocks adjacent to the contact in the Bonghwajae area suggests that the boundary between the two basin sequences is a thrust. Based on the U–Pb ages of detrital zircons from metasedimentary rocks and pre‐existing geologic data from the Okcheon belt, the thrust is a relay structure between two segments of a continental transform fault along which the Okcheon Basin was juxtaposed against the Taebaeksan Basin during the Permian–Triassic suturing of the North and South China Cratons.     

Silurian A-type granitoids in the southern margin of the Tongbai-Dabieshan: Evidence from SHRIMP zircon geochronology and geochemistry

The Dabieshan Orogenic belt is well known for the exhumation of early Mesozoic ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks and Jurassic–Cretaceous emplacement of voluminous granitoids. However, the tectonic evolution in the orogen during the Paleozoic, especially its magmatic response to tectonism has not received much attention. As indicated by published data, the Dabieshan orogenic belt contains different records of Paleozoic magmatic-tectonic association in different tectonic units. Occ…     

Timing of the granulite facies metamorphism in the Sanggan area, North China craton: zircon U-Pb geochronology

Zircon U-Pb ages are reported for three samples of intrusive rocks in Khondalite series in the Sanggan area, North China craton. The age of meta-granite is dated as 2005∓9 Ma, implying that the sedimentary sequences in Khondalites series formed before 2.0Ga. The age of 1921 ∓ 1Ma for the meta-diorite constrain the age of granulite facies metamorphism younger than this date. The age of 1892 ∓ 10 Ma for garnet granite is obtained, but the granite crystallization age seems a little younger than the date considering the morphology of zircons. On the basis of these dates and of a concise review of previous age data, it is inferred that the Khondalite series was subjected to granulite facies metamorphism at about 1.87Ga together with tonalitic granulites and HP basic granulites in the Sanggan area.     

In situ zircon Hf isotopic, U-Pb age and trace element study of monzonite xenoliths from Pingquan and Fuxin basalts:Tracking the thermal events of 169 Ma and 107 Ma in Yanliao area

K-Ar ages of the Mesozoic (92-100 Ma) Fuxin alkalic basalts (western Liaoning Province) and the Tertiary (23-45 Ma) Pingquan alkalic basalts (eastern Hebei Province), and the results of in situ zircon U-Pb dating, Hf isotope and the trace elements from three monzonite xenoliths carried in the alkalic basalts are reported. The crust-mantle interaction occurring in the Yanshan intracontinental orogenic belt is also discussed. Fuxin zircons show highly uniform U-Pb age ((169±3) Ma). More than 95% Pingquan zircons display the age of (107±10) Ma except two are 2491 Ma and 513 Ma respectively. Zircons with the ages of (169±3) Ma have εHf close to zero. εHf of the zircons with the ages of (107±10) Ma are mainly at -11.5--16.3, showing the crustal derivation. Fuxin zircons contain low Nb, Ta, Sr, Th, U contents, low and narrow Hf model ages (0.87-1.00 Ga), which reflect that the source materials of the monzonite xenoliths are young to Pingquan (focus at (1.28±0.08) Ga). High contents of the incompatible elements, and wide range of Hf model ages (0.89-2.56 Ga) in Pingquan zircons suggest a more complex source and the highly crustal maturity in their petrogenesis. Comprehensive information including the published data indicates that J3-K1 is the key period of the deep processes and shallow tectonic reverse in the Yanliao area. However, the processes were highly heterogeneous in spatial and in temporal.     

Chert–clastic sequence in the Cretaceous Shimanto Accretionary Complex on the central Kii Peninsula,SW Japan

Ocean plate stratigraphy (OPS) within an ancient accretionary complex provides important information for understanding the history of an oceanic plate from its origin at a mid‐ocean ridge to its subduction at a trench. Here, we report a recently discovered chert–clastic sequence (CCS) that comprises a continuous succession from pelagic sediments to terrigenous clastics and which constitutes part of the OPS in the Akataki Complex within the Cretaceous Shimanto Accretionary Complex on the central Kii Peninsula, SW Japan. As well as describing this sequence, we present U–Pb ages of detrital zircons from terrigenous clastic rocks in the CCS, results for which show that the youngest single grain and youngest cluster ages belong to the Santonian–Campanian and are younger than the radiolarian age from the underlying pelagic sedimentary rock (late Albian–Cenomanian). Thus, the CCS records the movement history of the oceanic plate from pelagic sedimentation (until the late Albian–Cenomanian) to a terrigenous sediment supply (Santonian–Campanian).     

U-Pb zircon geochronology and Hf isotope study of metamorphosed basic-ultrabasic rocks from metamorphic basement in southwestern Zhejiang: The response of the Cathaysia Block to Indosinian orogenic event

A combined study using LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating, Hf isotopes, trace elements and the Ti-in-zircon geo-thermometer was carried out on zircons from the metamorphosed basic-ultrabasic rocks in the meta-morphic basement of the Cathaysia Block, southwestern Zhejiang Province. The formation and meta-morphic ages of the rocks from the metamorphic basement of the Cathaysia Block were determined based on zircon U-Pb geochronology. The age for the magmatic crystalline zircons from the protolith is about 1.85 Ga. The εHf(t) values of the older zircons were from ?7 to ?3, with two-stage model Hf ages (TDM2LC) of about 2.9 to 3.4 Ga, indicating that the source material was derived from anatexis and recy-cling of the Archean crust. The newly formed metamorphic zircons yielded U-Pb ages of 260―230 Ma. The metamorphic temperature calculated using the Ti-in-zircon geothermometer ranged from 610 to 720℃, consistent with the results from petrographic observations, indicating that the Cathaysia Block experienced an amphibolite facies metamorphism during the Indosinian. Results from this study pro-vided an important timeframe for the tectonic evolution in South China and the Southeast Asia during the Late Permian and Early Triassic times.     

Hafnium isotopes in Jack Hills zircons and the formation of the Hadean crust

New bulk Hf and Pb isotope data were obtained for 63 leached single zircons from Jack Hills (JH), Western Australia, using solution chemistry and, respectively, MC-ICP MS and ICP-MS. With the exception of one “young” zircon at 3.32 Ga, the remainder of the selected grains were previously dated at > 3.9 Ga by ion-microprobe. This work extends and complements the solution chemistry data of Harrison et al. [Harrison, T.M., Blichert-Toft, J., Müller, W., Albarède, F., Holden, P., Mojzsis, S.J., 2005. Heterogeneous Hadean hafnium: evidence of continental crust at 4.4 to 4.5 Ga. Science 310, 1947–1950.] but uses bulk rather than in situ Pb–Pb ages to interpret the Hf isotope data. This larger data set is used to explore whether the host rocks of the JH zircons formed as a succession of pulses or rather as a single event, and to calculate the age and assess the nature of their crustal protolith. We find that the parent granites of the JH zircons analyzed here formed during a single pulse 4.1 ± 0.1 Ga ago by the remelting of a 4.30–4.36 Ga old protolith. Monte Carlo modeling indicates that the ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios of this material (< 0.01) are unlike the ratios of modern-type oceanic crust and island arc rocks but rather fit a tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) source. TTGs themselves derived their inordinately enriched character from a basaltic progenitor which corresponds to the missing enriched reservoir identified by the ¹⁴³Nd–¹⁴⁴Nd, ¹⁴²Nd–¹⁴⁴Nd, and ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf systematics of Archean rocks. We speculate that crystallization of the magma ocean in the presence of garnet left the upper mantle and an early basaltic crust enriched in incompatible elements. Reaction of this early crust with the overlying hydrosphere and subsequent foundering into the mantle gave rise at ～ 4.3 Ga to the TTG protolith of the JH granites. Dating the onset of plate tectonics therefore depends on whether TTGs can be considered as subduction zone magmas or not.     

Dating the lower crust by ion microprobe

Ion microprobe UThPb ages of zircons from granulite facies lower crustal xenoliths from north Queensland, Australia, correlate well with the ages of major orogenic episodes manifest at the earth's surface. About half of the xenoliths contain Proterozoic zircons which are similar in age to the episodes of high-grade metamorphism of the older surface rocks. All the xenoliths contain late Paleozoic zircons which show a real 100 Ma range in²⁰⁶Pb²³⁸/U ages (from 320 to 220 Ma), which is attributed to granulite facies metamorphism followed by slow cooling in the deep crust. The Paleozoic zircon ages coincide in time with the prolonged episode of eruption of voluminous felsic ash-flows and intrusion of high-level granites in this region (320-270 Ma). Mineral and melt inclusions in the zircons provide clues to the origin of some of the xenoliths, and coupled with the age information, can be used to infer the geological processes operating in the lower crust. The zircons from two mafic xenoliths contain felsic and intermediate melt inclusions implying at least a two-stage history for these rocks, involving either partial melting of a more felsic protolith or crystal accumulation from an evolved melt. Some of the zircons from the felsic xenoliths contain CO₂-rich fluid inclusions, indicating that those zircons grew during high-grade metamorphism. The isotopic and chemical data for the whole rock xenoliths show that they originate from a segment of the lower crust which is a heterogeneous mixture of supracrustal and mafic, mantle-derived, lithologies. The major orogenic event responsible for the formation of that crust occurred in the late Paleozoic, when Proterozoic supracrustal rocks were emplaced into the lower crust, possibly along thin-skinned thrust slices. This was accompanied by intrusion of high-temperature, mantle-derived melts which caused partial melting of pre-existing crust. The most likely setting for such tectonism is a continental margin subduction zone.     

Volcanic resurfacing and the early terrestrial crust: Zircon U-Pb and REE constraints from the Isua Greenstone Belt, southern West Greenland

The oldest known bona fide succession of clastic metasediments occurs in the Isua Greenstone Belt, SW Greenland and consists of a variety of mica schists and rare metaconglomerates. The metasediments are in direct contact with a felsic metavolcanic lithology that has previously been dated to 3.71 Ga. Based on trace element geochemical data for > 30 metasediments, we selected the six samples with highest Zr concentrations for zircon extraction. These samples all yielded very few or no zircon. Those extracted from mica schists yielded ion probe U/Pb ages between 3.70 and 3.71 Ga. One metaconglomerate sample yielded just a single zircon of 3.74 Ga age.The mica schist hosted zircons have U/Pb ages, Th / U ratios, REE patterns and Eu anomalies indistinguishable from zircon in the adjacent 3.71 Ga felsic metavolcanic unit. Trace element modelling requires the bulk of material in the metasediments to be derived from variably weathered mafic lithologies but some metasediments contain substantial contribution from more evolved source lithologies. The paucity of zircon in the mica schists is thus explained by incorporation of material from largely zircon-free volcanic lithologies. The absence of older zircon in the mica schists and the preponderance of mafic source material imply intense, mainly basaltic resurfacing of the early Earth. The implications of this process are discussed.Thermal considerations suggest that horizontal growth of Hadean crust by addition of mafic-ultramafic lavas must have triggered self-reorganisation of the protocrust by remelting. Reworking of Hadean crust may have been aided by burial of hydrated (weathered) metabasalt due to semi-continuous addition of new voluminous basalt outpourings. This process causes a bias towards eruption of Zr-saturated partial melts at the surface with O-isotope compositions potentially different from the mantle. The oldest zircons hosted in sediments would have been buried to substantial depth or formed in plutons that crystallised at some depth, from which it took hundreds of millions of years for them to be exhumed and incorporated into much younger sediments.     

Protolith natures and U-Pb sensitive high mass-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) zircon ages of the metabasites in Hainan Island, South China: Implications for geodynamic evolution since the late Precambrian

Abstract Metabasites within the Paleozoic volcanic‐clastic sedimentary sequences in Hainan Island, South China, show large differences not only in the nature of protoliths, but also in zircon U‐Pb sensitive high mass‐resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) ages. The protoliths for the Tunchang area metabasites have intraoceanic arc geochemical affinities. In the east‐central island gabbroic to diabasic rocks and pillow lavas are also present, while the Bangxi area metabasites with back‐arc geochemical affinities in the northwest island consist of basaltic, gabbroic and/or picritic rocks. Three types of zircon domains/crystals in the Tunchang area metabasites are defined. Type 1 is comagmatic and yields concordant to approximately concordant 206 Pb/238 U ages ranging from 442.1 ± 13.7 Ma to 514.3 ± 30.2 Ma with a weighted U‐Pb mean age of 445 ± 10 Ma. Type 2 is inherited and yields a weighted 207 Pb/206 Pb mean age of 2488.1 ± 8.3 Ma. Type 3 is magmatic with a 207 Pb/206 Pb age of ca 1450 Ma. Magmatic zircons in the Bangxi area metabasites yield a weighted U‐Pb mean age of 269 ± 4 Ma. We suggest 450 Ma is the minimum age for crystallization of protoliths of the Tunchang area metabasites, because the age range of ca 440–514 Ma probably corresponds to both the time of igneous crystallization and the high‐temperature overprint. The presence of abundant inherited zircons strongly favors derivation of these rocks from a NMORB‐like mantle proximal to continental crust. A protolith age of ca 270 Ma for the Bangxi area metabasites probably records expansion of an epircontinental back‐arc basin and subsequent generation of a small oceanic basin. The presence of ophiolitic rocks with an age of ca 450 Ma, not only in Hainan Island, but also in the Yangtze block, highlights the fact that the South China Caledonian Orogeny was not intracontinental in nature, but characterized by an ocean‐related event.     

湘西南兰蓉岩体锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄、地球化学特征及构造背景

湘西南兰蓉岩体为一加里东期小侵入体,由黑云母二长花岗岩和二云母二长花岗岩组成.（443.5±8.1）Ma的锆石SHRIMP U Pb年龄表明花岗岩形成于早志留世早期.主量元素组成表明岩体总体属钙碱性高钾钙碱性系列强过铝质花岗岩类.该侵入体Ba、（Ta＋Nb）、Sr、P、Ti强烈亏损,Rb、（Th＋U＋K）、（La＋Ce）、Nd、（Zr＋Hf＋Sm）、（Y＋Yb＋Lu）等相对富集;稀土元素含量较高、轻稀土富集明显、Eu显著亏损;Isr值为0.71299,εSr（t）值为120,εNd （t）值为 8.11和-8.89,t2DM为1.82和1.84Ga.C/MF-A/MF图解显示其源岩为泥质岩和砂屑岩.上述地球化学特征表明兰蓉岩体为陆壳碎屑岩石部分熔融形成的S型花岗岩.基于岩石成因、构造环境判别以及区域构造演化过程,推断兰蓉岩体的具体形成机制为：奥陶纪末志留纪初的北流运动（板内造山运动）导致地壳增厚、升温,尔后在挤压减弱、应力松弛的后碰撞减压构造环境下,中、上地壳酸性岩石发生部分熔融并向上侵位而形成兰蓉岩体.     

Age and isotope geochemistry of the Archaean Pongola and Usushwana suites in Swaziland, southern Africa: a case for crustal contamination of mantle-derived magma

The igneous rocks of the Pongola Supergroup (PS) and Usushwana Intrusive Suite (UIS) represent a case of late Archaean continental magmatism in the southeastern part of the Kaapvaal craton of South Africa and Swaziland.

U-Pb dating on zircons from felsic volcanic rocks of the PS yields a concordia intercept age of 2940 ± 22Ma that is consistent with a Sm-Nd whole rock age of 2934 ± 114Ma determined on the PS basalt-rhyolite suite. The initial ε_Nd of−2.6 ± 0.9 is the lowest value so far reported for Archaean mantle-derived rocks. Rb-Sr whole rock dating of the PS yields a younger isochron age of 2883 ± 69Ma, which is not significantly different form the accepted U-Pb zircon age.

An internal (cpx-opx-plag-whole rock) isochron for a pyroxenite from the younger UIS yields an age of 2871 ± 30 Ma and initial ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd that lies off the CHUR growth curve by ε_Nd −2.9 ± 0.2. However, Sm-Nd whole-rock data for the UIS yield an excessively high age of 3.1 Ga that conflicts with firm geological evidence showing the UIS to be intrusive into the PS.

The negative deviations of initialε_Nd from the chondritic Nd evolution curve suggest significant contamination of the PS and UIS melts by older continental crust. A mixing process with continental crust after magma segregation is supported by a high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of0.703024 ± 24 for a clinopyroxene sample from a UIS pyroxenite, compared with an expected value of 0.701 for the 2.9 Ga mantle. We therefore interpret the linear array of data points for the UIS gabbros as a mixing line between 2.87 Ga old magma and older continental crust.

Parallel LREE-enriched REE patterns, negative Nb-Ti anomalies, a distinctive and uniform ratio of Ti/Zr 46 and a narrow span of initial Nd indicate a common source for both the PS and UIS suites which is different from primitive mantle.     

Zircon Senstive High Resolution Ion Microprobe (SHRIMP) study of granitoid intrusions in Zhaoye Gold Belt of Shandong Province and its implication

The zircon Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe (SHRIMP) results show that granitoid intrusions in Zhaoye Gold Belt were emplaced at two periods of Mesozoic: Linglong and Luanjiahe types of granitic intrusions were emplaced between 160 Ma and 150 Ma (late Jurassic); Guojialing type of granodioritic intrusions, 130 Ma and 126 Ma (early Cretaceous). All the three types contain at least two major generations of inherited zircons with Precambrian (>650 Ma) and early Mesozoic ages (200–250 Ma), respectively. The former suggests that these plutonic rocks are of crustal origin and that Precambrian basement with component of sialic crust up to 3.4 Ga old (Middle Archean) exists in the region. The presence of abundant inherited zircons with early Mesozoic age indicates that the Precambrian basement was affected by a major tectono-thermal event, that is the collision of the North and South China blocks, at 250 Ma to 200 Ma. SHRIMP results also indicate that the gold mineralization in the region took place between 126 Ma and 120 Ma. Project supported by the Sino-Australian Economic and Technical Fund.     

Existence of multiple units with different accretionary and metamorphic ages in the Sanbagawa Belt,Sakuma–Tenryu area,central Japan

U–Pb ages of detrital zircons and white mica K–Ar ages are obtained from two psammitic schists from the western and eastern units of the Sanbagawa Metamorphic Belt located in the Sakuma–Tenryu area. The detrital zircons in the sample from the western unit (T1) show an age cluster around 95 Ma, and the youngest age in the detrital zircons is 94.0 ± 0.6 Ma. The detrital zircons in the sample from the eastern unit (T5) show a main age cluster in the Late Cretaceous with some older ages, and the youngest age in the detrital zircons is 72.8 ± 0.9 Ma. The youngest zircon ages restrict the older limit of the depositional ages of each sample. White mica K–Ar ages of T1 and T5 are 69.8 ± 1.5 Ma and 56.1 ± 1.2 Ma, respectively, which indicate the age of exhumation and restrict the younger limit on the depositional age of each sample. The results show that the western and eastern units were different in their depositional and exhumation ages, suggesting the episodic subduction and exhumation of the Sanbagawa Belt in the Sakuma–Tenryu area. These results also suggest simultaneous existence of subduction and exhumation paths of metamorphic rocks in the high‐P/T Sanbagawa Metamorphic Belt.     

Geochronology and Nd isotopic data of Grenville-age rocks in the Colombian Andes: new constraints for Late Proterozoic-Early Paleozoic paleocontinental reconstructions of the Americas

New UPb zircon crystallization ages and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar cooling ages from the Colombian Andes confirm the existence of rocks metamorphosed during the Orinoquian Orogenic Event (ca. 1.0 Ga) of northern South America. ε_Nd (t = 1.1 Ga) for these rocks range from −3.9 to +0.91, which is interpreted as a mixture of Late Archean-Early Proterozoic crust with juvenile material produced during the 1.1 Ga orogenic event. The Colombian Grenville age rocks are part of a much longer metamorphic pericratonal belt, sporadically exposed along the Andes, in western-central Peru, southern Bolivia and northern Argentina. In addition, Nd model (T_DM) ages for the Colombian rocks range from 1.9 to 1.45 Ga, similar to those obtained in the Grenville Province of the eastern U.S. and in the Mexican basement, placing constraints on Late Proterozoic-Early Paleozoic paleocontinental reconstructions.     

Late Archaean ages for the deposition of clastic sediments belonging to the Malene supracrustals, southern West Greenland: evidence from an ion probe UPb zircon study

Ion probe UPb age determinations on zircons from two samples of metasediment belonging to the Malene supracrustals of southern West Greenland closely constrain the age of sedimentation, between the youngest age obtained from detrital material and the age of metamorphic overgrowth. For both samples, older and younger limits of ca. 2900 Ma and ca. 2650 Ma, respectively, are indicated. Some of the detrital zircons are best interpreted as derived from their source rock after the regional high-grade metamorphism at ca. 2800 Ma: if so, the older limit of the age of sedimentation is younger than 2800 Ma. The hypothesis that all Malene supracrustal rocks pre-date the middle to late Archaean Nuˆk gneisses is no longer valid. This has major implications for interpretations of the late Archaean crustal evolution of western Greenland: the period between 2800 and 2500 Ma was characterised by major tectonic activity and metamorphism.