Dune stabilization in central and southern Yukon in relation to early Holocene environmental change,northwestern North America

Eolian deposits of central and southern Yukon, northwestern Canada, consist of loess mantles, small areas of active dunes, and larger stabilized dune fields. Dune fields in valley settings within the region are situated both within and beyond the limit of the last glaciation. Infrared stimulation luminescence (IRSL) dating in central and southern Yukon reveals that these dune fields stabilized as late as 9–8.5 ka, well after the retreat of Cordilleran glaciers. These findings are comparable to other valley-setting dune fields and loess from central Alaska, which record activity during the period from the Lateglacial to the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), and reduced or altered activity after 9–8 ka. Post-glacial dune activity was most likely related to warm, dry conditions during the HTM, under predominantly shrub-tundra vegetation. Early Holocene stabilization of these dunes probably occurred in response to cooler, moister conditions, and replacement of predominantly tundra by boreal forest cover, dominated by spruce. Stabilization of dune fields in southern Yukon and Alaska most likely represented an extension of the time-transgressive stabilization of dune fields that occurred across northwestern North America with the post-glacial expansion of the boreal forest.     

华北克拉通中部造山带早元古代盆地演化

华北克拉通中部造山带被认为是由东、西部陆块碰撞而产生的陆陆碰撞带。然而,关于两个陆块碰撞的时间以及方式还存在着争议。其中一个模式认为俯冲方向是向西的,两个陆块最终碰撞的时间是在2.5Ga左右,而另一个模式则认为俯冲方向是向东的,并且存在着2.1Ga和1.85Ga两期碰撞事件,第三个模式则认为俯冲方向是向东的,而最终的碰撞拼合发生在1.85Ga左右。近几年来,对于中部造山带中浅变质表壳岩系的研究取得了很大进展,为解决以上争议提供了进一步的资料。根据岩石组合和表壳岩中的不整合接触关系,位于中部造山带中段五台杂岩中的滹沱群和吕梁杂岩中的野鸡山群被分成了上下两个部分。其中,两个群的下部以及位于中部造山带南段中条杂岩中的绛县群和下中条群主要由类似于弧后盆地沉积的变质碎屑岩、碳酸盐岩和火山岩组成,而滹沱群和野鸡山群的上部以及上中条群和担山石群的岩石组合则是类似于山前磨拉石建造的变质砾岩和砂岩。来自于这些浅变质碎屑岩中碎屑锆石的年龄为我们提供了源区以及最大沉积年龄的信息。滹沱群和野鸡山群中的碎屑锆石具有两个峰值年龄,2.5Ga和2.15Ga,它们分别对应于中部造山带中段两期重要的岩浆事件。中条杂岩中的碎屑锆石年龄图谱则较为复杂,除了具有2.5Ga和2.15Ga这两个峰值,还具有2.7Ga这个较低和较老的峰值,这些较老的锆石可能来自中部造山带最南端太华杂岩中的古老岩石。弧后盆地沉积中最年轻的碎屑锆石年龄在2.1Ga左右,而山前磨拉石中最年轻的碎屑锆石在1.85Ga左右。结合前人的研究成果,我们给出了一个华北克拉通中部造山带早元古代沉积盆地的演化模式。从2.1Ga左右开始,一系列弧后盆地在"安第斯型"大陆边缘弧之后产生,在之后的东西陆块碰撞过程中他们成为了中部造山带的一部分。从1.85Ga左右开始,东西陆块沿着中部造山带碰撞,导致了陆壳加厚以及随后的快速抬升和剥蚀,从而形成了周缘前陆盆地中的山前磨拉石建造。发生在早元古代晚期的由弧后盆地向周缘前陆盆地的转化支持了华北的最终克拉通化发生在1.85Ga的构造演化模式。     

塔里木盆地、柴达木盆地的开合旋回

塔里木、柴达木显生宙盆地演化经历了3个开合旋回,即震旦纪—中泥盆世(Z—D2)开合旋回、晚泥盆世—三叠纪(D3—T)开合旋回和侏罗纪—第四纪(J—Q)构造旋回,可能与古亚洲洋和特提斯洋在不同阶段伸展张裂、俯冲消减和闭合作用有关。塔里木、柴达木显生宙盆地演化可进一步划分为6个演化阶段:震旦纪—早奥陶世为克拉通内裂陷盆地阶段,中奥陶世—中泥盆世为克拉通内挤压盆地阶段熏晚泥盆世—早二叠世为弧后裂陷盆地阶段,晚二叠世—三叠纪为弧后前陆盆地阶段熏侏罗纪—古近纪为前陆盆地阶段,新近纪—第四纪在塔里木前陆盆地性质明显,而在柴达木则表现为强烈挤压坳陷。     

Stream-dominated alluvial fan and lacustrine depositional systems in Cenozoic strike-slip basins, Denali fault system, Yukon Territory, Canada

Ancient stream-dominated (‘wet’) alluvial fan deposits have received far less attention in the literature than their arid/semi-arid counterparts. The Cenozoic basin fills along the Denali fault system of the northwestern Canadian Cordillera provide excellent examples of stream-dominated alluvial fan deposits because they developed during the Eocene-Oligocene temperate climatic regime in an active strike-slip orogen. The Amphitheatre Formation filled several strike-slip basins in Yukon Territory and consists of up to 1200 m of coarse siliciclastic rocks and coal. Detailed facies analysis, conglomerate: sandstone percentages (C:S), maximum particle size (MPS) distribution, and palaeocurrent analysis of the Amphitheatre Formation in two of these strike-slip basins document the transition from proximal, to middle, to distal and fringing environments within ancient stream-dominated alluvial-fan systems. Proximal fan deposits in the Bates Lake Basin are characterized by disorganized, clast-supported, boulder conglomerate and minor matrix(mud)-supported conglomerate. Proximal facies are located along the faulted basin margins in areas where C:S = 80 to 100 and where the average MPS ranges from 30 to 60 cm. Proximal fan deposits grade into middle fan, channelized, well organized cobble conglomerates that form upward fining sequences, with an average thickness of 7 m. Middle fan deposits grade basinward into well-sorted, laterally continuous beds of normally graded sandstone interbedded with trough cross-stratified sandstone. These distal fan deposits are characteristic of areas where C:S = 20 to 40 and where the average MPS ranges from 5 to 15 cm. Fan fringe deposits consist of lacustrine and axial fluvial facies. Palaeogeographic reconstruction of the Bates Lake Basin indicates that alluvial-fan sedimentation was concentrated in three parts of the basin. The largest alluvial-fan system abutted the strike-slip Duke River fault, and prograded westward across the axis of the basin. Two smaller, coarser grained fans prograded syntaxially northward from the normal-faulted southern basin margin. Facies analysis of the Burwash Basin indicates a similar transition from proximal to distal, stream-dominated alluvial fan environments, but with several key differences. Middle-fan deposits in the Burwash Basin define upward coarsening sequences 50 to 60 m thick composed of fine-grained lithofacies and coal in the lower part, trough cross-stratified sandstone in the middle, and conglomerate in the upper part of the sequence. Upward-coarsening sequences, 90–140 m thick, also are common in the fan fringe lacustrine deposits. These sequences coarsen upward from mudstone, through fine grained, ripple-laminated sandstone, to coarse grained trough cross-stratified sandstone. The upward-coarsening sequences are basinwide, facies independent, and probably represent progradation of stream-dominated alluvial-fan depositional systems. Coal distribution in the Amphitheatre Formation is closely coupled with predominant depositional processes on stream-dominated alluvial fans. The thickest coal seams occur in the most proximal part of the basin fill and in marginal lacustrine deposits. Coal development in the intervening middle and distal fan areas was suppressed by the high frequency of unconfined flow events and lateral channel mobility.     

Trace element mobility in dolomitic argillites of the Mesoproterozoic Belt-Purcell Supergroup, Western North America

The Belt-Purcell Supergroup comprises dolomite-rich stratigraphic units in a dominantly siliciclastic succession, where sedimentation spans 1400-1470 Ma. Dolomitic units are variable mixtures of co-sedimented argillite and primary carbonate post-depositionally converted to secondary dolomite. Based on rare earth element (REE) relationships three distinct REE patterns are identified in the dolomite-rich units: Type 1 (T1d; d = dolomitic sample) with REE patterns parallel to post-Archean Upper Continental Crust (PA-UCC), albeit at lower absolute abundances due to dilution by carbonate content; Type 2 (T2d) with Heavy REE (HREE) enrichment but Light REE (LREE) depletion relative to T1d; and Type 3 (T3d) with enrichment in LREE and HREE relative to T1d, but erratic Middle REE (MREE) patterns. There is a progressive increase of ΣREE from T1d through T2d to T3d, whereas for ΣLREE/ΣHREE T2d < T1d < T3d. T1d-T2d and T3d represent three different “snapshots” of a continuous process.In terms of timing, dolomitization of calcite primary sediment in all samples likely took place broadly during burial diagenesis, as inferred for most Proterozoic dolomites. T1d is easily explained by provenance: however, T2d and T3d cannot be related to provenance, weathering or sedimentary sorting processes to explain higher concentrations of HREE referenced to PA-UCC and consequently developed in the sediment from a T1d precursor. The same three REE signatures have been described in previous studies in counterpart siliciclastic counterparts throughout the Belt-Purcell Supergroup at three different locations. Mobility of normally stable REE is accompanied by mobility of normally isochemical high field strength elements (HFSE) in T2d and T3d to give REE/REE, HFSE/HFSE, REE/HFSE and Y/HREE fractionations. No specific REE-HFSE signatures are apparent in the carbonate-rich units as compared to their non-dolomitic siliciclastic counterparts. This unusual mobility of REE and HFSE reflected in T2d and T3d is attributed to alkaline oxidizing post-depositional brines. Salinity was derived from seawater-sediment reactions, dissolution of evaporite minerals, and the smectite-illite transformation, whereas alkaline oxidizing conditions were promoted by groundwater interaction with mafic units in the basin, CO₂ introduced into the system during episodic rifting with mantle degassing, and interaction of syn-sedimentary mafic intrusions with carbonate units at early stages of BPS deposition. Intermittent brine activity, inducing T2d and T3d patterns, spanned >1 Ga as recorded by secondary monazite grains with age distributions that correspond to large scale tectono-thermal events in Laurentia.Post-depositional processes and redistribution of carbonate can have an impact on transitional stratigraphic contacts between dolomitic and siliciclastic units which may have been incorrectly described as primary due to sedimentary environment changes.     

华北克拉通北缘中段古元古代造山作用的岩浆记录:S型花岗岩地球化学特征及锆石SHRIMP年龄

华北克拉通北缘中段沿集宁-凉城-千里山一带分布着大量S型花岗岩,主要为强过铝花岗岩,少量为偏(亚)铝质花岗岩.S型花岗岩岩石地球化学的特点是SiO2含量较低(大部分＜74%),Al2O3/TiO2比值低(＜100),CaO/Na2O比值高(＞ 0.3),Rb/Sr和Rb/Ba比值较低,稀土元素和微量元素特征复杂,如Eu正异常、Eu负异常和Eu异常不明显均出现,具有中等程度的轻稀土元素富集.这种地球化学特征暗示该区S型花岗岩的源区成分为杂砂岩,形成于主动大陆边缘,且熔融温度较高,来源较深,相当于澳大利亚拉克伦造山带S型花岗岩,为高温型热造山带产物.通过对该区不同岩体锆石SHRIMP测定,该区S型花岗岩形成年代为1904～1921 Ma,该时代代表华北克拉通北缘古元古代一次造山作用的时代.     

The origin and evolution of the Klondike goldfields, Yukon, Canada

The world famous Klondike goldfields are located in the unglaciated part of west-central Yukon, Canada. Since their discovery over 100 years ago, they have produced an estimated 311 tonnes of gold, primarily from bench and creek placers that are fluvial in origin and range from Pliocene to Holocene in age. Historically, the placers are classified into three levels of gravel with four main units. These include the high-level White Channel Gravel (Pliocene), presently the most important gold-bearing unit, which sits nonconformably on an erosional bedrock surface (i.e., the ‘White Channel strath’) and is overlain and interbedded with the glaciofluvial Klondike Gravel (Pliocene); the intermediate-level gravel (Pleistocene), the least important economically; and the low-level gravel (Pleistocene–Holocene), historically the most important gold-bearing unit, but it has been mined three or four times now. The goldfields originated from the weathering and erosion of early Cretaceous, discordant mesothermal quartz veins, and the light grey color of the matrix of the White Channel Gravel is due mainly to weathering and diagenetic alteration by groundwater flow. The concentration of placer gold is related to a hierarchy of physical scales: at the lithofacies scale (metres), bed roughness determined sites of gold deposition; at the element scale (tens of metres), gravel bars were preferentially enriched in gold; at the reach scale (hundreds of metres), stream gradient was an important factor; at the system scale (hundreds of km), braided river environments transported large amounts of gold; and at the sequence scale (thousands of km), economic placers formed initially in the high-level White Channel Gravel and later in the intermediate-level and low-level gravel. The White Channel strath is interpreted as an erosional ‘tectonic’ terrace that formed during isostatic uplift and under conditions of dynamic equilibrium. The high-level White Channel Gravel and Klondike Gravel are interpreted as a depositional ‘climatic’ terrace that formed during a reversal in the tectonically induced downcutting, which is attributed to the initial and most extensive of the pre-Reid glaciations (3 Ma) in the Yukon. The intermediate-level gravel is interpreted as minor erosional ‘complex response’ terraces that formed during static equilibrium when there were pauses in valley-floor degradation, which are attributed to the subsequent and less extensive pre-Reid glaciations. The low-level gravel formed also during valley-floor degradation and may represent a return to dynamic equilibrium conditions. Hence, the dominant forcing mechanisms controlling the evolution of the goldfields were isostatically compensated exhumation and climatic change related to the repeated glaciation of the Yukon. In addition, the lowering of baselevel from high-level, to intermediate-level and finally to low-level gravel was accompanied by a decrease in accommodation space (as indicated by a decrease in gravel thickness), which resulted in an increase in the concentration of the placer gold.     

Integrated chemostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the Windermere Supergroup, northwestern Canada: implications for Neoproterozoic correlations and the early evolution of animals

The thick, richly fossiliferous succession of the upper Windermere Supergroup, Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada, provides a test of integrated biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic frameworks in terminal Proterozoic correlation. The C- and Sr-isotopic abundances of lower Keele Formation carbonates approximate those for other pre-Varanger samples, confirming that the simple disc-like fossils of the underlying Twitya Formation predate all known diverse Ediacaran faunas. "Tepee" and Sheepbed carbonates record strong post-glacial isotopic excursions; in contrast, delta13C values for Gametrail through Risky carbonates vary only within the narrow range of about +l% to +2%. A second negative excursion occurs in Ingta Formation carbonates that immediately underlie the paleontologically determined Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. The upper Windermere profile as a whole compares closely with curves determined for other terminal Proterozoic successions. The lowermost diverse Ediacaran assemblages in the Sheepbed Formation correlate chemostratigraphically with the oldest fauna in Namibia, but the two assemblages differ in taxonomic composition. Blueflower assemblages correlate both chemostratigraphically and taxonomically with faunas from Australia, China, Siberia, and elsewhere. Increasing data support the hypothesis that paleontological and geochemical data together provide a reliable means of correlating terminal Proterozoic sedimentary rocks throughout the world.     

华北克拉通古元古代地质记录及其构造意义

华北克拉通上存在广泛的古元古代地质记录,尤其是构造岩石组合和同位素年龄资料,显示克拉通上可能存在多条古元古代的汇聚拼合带:如鄂尔多斯地块与华北东部-阴山地块之间的拼合造山带、华北东部地块与狼林地块之间的胶辽造山带以及华北克拉通北缘的安第斯型汇聚边界等.华北克拉通中部地区的古元古代锆石年龄数据统计,显示出2.3~2.4 Ga、2.0~2.2 Ga和1.8~1.95 Ga三组年龄值,暗示华北克拉通古元古代可能存在两个演化阶段:其中古元古代末期(1.8~1.95 Ga)的造山事件已得到了广泛认可,并认为与全球Columbia超大陆汇聚事件相关;而2.3~2.4 Ga、2.00~2.2 Ga所代表的构造热事件的性质和意义尚不明确.我国古元古代末期有关陆块汇聚的构造热事件以及其后的裂解事件群和地层学记录,与新的国际前寒武纪地质年代表建议的古-中元古代界线一致,这将促进我国特别是古中元古代的前寒武纪研究.     

中国西北地区沉积盆地发育的区域构造格局与演化

中国西北地区是不同地质时期多个全球性大地构造单元的组成部分,具有南北分带、东西分区的构造特征,经历了中、新元古代—古生代期间地壳增生、洋-陆转换、板块开-合旋回、晚二叠世以来盆地的叠加改造和新生代印度与欧亚板块碰撞远源效应等长期演化过程,具有明显的阶段性。研究表明,现今盆地多位于具有一定规模的经过前震旦系不断增生作用所形成的陆块基底之上,塔里木盆地塔中、塔北、塔东北地区基底可能以古元古界为主,而巴楚地区则以晋宁期的变质基底为主。准噶尔盆地前震旦纪存在多个独立发育的块体,古生代总体具有多岛洋的性质。柴达木盆地、河西走廊及邻区的诸多中小型盆地的基底主要为中元古代形成。敦煌盆地、北山地区众多中小型盆地坐落在中小地块或者古生代活动陆缘的岛弧之上。西北地区早古生代经历了一个完整的板块开-合旋回,但不同地区有不同表现方式。北疆地区至少存在寒武纪—早奥陶世、志留纪和泥盆纪3个主要时期的蛇绿岩,反映了在早、晚古生代各存在一定规模的洋盆。在不同带的早古生代洋盆具有不同的闭合时间。塔里木盆地周缘南天山洋、西昆仑洋及阿尔金、祁连、东昆仑、北山地区早古生代洋盆的发育时间为寒武纪早期,经过了中、晚寒武世到早奥陶世早期洋盆的扩张,早奥陶世晚期构造应力场转为挤压体制。志留纪中晚期至早泥盆世,西北地区存在全区性的板块拼合与碰撞以及不同程度的变形变质过程。西北地区晚古生代又经历了一个完整的板块开-合旋回,天山全区、准噶尔南部、东西两侧分别进入碰撞后新的大规模的伸展阶段,均形成了有限洋盆,其时代略有差别,上、下石炭统之间可能存在构造转换。塔西南地区早石炭世伸展作用形成了晚古生代的西昆仑洋和陆缘裂陷盆地,中二叠世康西瓦—苏巴什洋盆向北侧俯冲消减,发生于中、晚二叠世之间的海西晚期构造运动是西北地区具有重大变革意义的一次构造运动。晚二叠世—新生代是西部地区构造格局大的调整与定型时期,在总体表现为多板块拼合后的宏观背景下,经历了多期幕式挤压与伸展交替的构造演化过程,并不是以往所简单认为的各种前陆盆地的组合,晚期均受到了青藏高原快速隆升所导致的远源碰撞作用的强烈改造。构造格局的差异性和演化的阶段性使西北不同地区、不同时期盆地发育和叠加组合方式差异很大,油气地质条件的明显不同,油气资源丰度差别很大。     

Precambrian–Palaeozoic geology of Smith Sound, Canada and Greenland: key constraint to palaeogeographic reconstructions of northern Laurentia and the North Atlantic region

Nares Strait separating Greenland and northernmost Canada is floored by continental crust. Most palaeogeographic reconstructions of Laurentia and the North Atlantic region model the seaway as the site of massive sinistral strike–slip and/or compression/transpression, subduction and collision, the supposed manifestations of the hypothetical Wegener Fault. However, these reconstructions fail to take into account the bedrock geology that represents within-plate evolution. Both sides of Smith Sound, the southernmost part of Nares Strait, expose the same early Proterozoic to early Palaeozoic assemblages that are unaffected by seaway-related tectonism or thermal activity. Smith Sound is an intact crustal block or `linchpin' demonstrating that there was no independent Greenland plate. North-west Greenland was not a leading plate margin neither was Nares Strait the site of the plate boundary between Greenland and North America. The Wegener Fault does not exist. The Smith Sound linchpin constitutes a key constraint that must be respected in any palaeogeographic reconstruction of the region.     

Stratigraphic Status of the Conglomerate Occurring from East to Northwest of Salumber in Western Indian Craton: Implications on Geology of Paleoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup

Stratigraphic status of the polymictic conglomerate (outlier of erstwhile Delhi system) exposed from east to northwest of Salumber town (western India) is controversial. Detailed mapping on 1:25000 scale indicated that the polymictic conglomerate has distinct overlapping relationship with the lithounits occurring to its south. The conglomerate contains clasts of the overlapped lithounits. Overlapping disposition and clast characteristics confer younger status to the conglomerate with respect to the overlapped lithounits. Most earlier workers regarded the conglomerate to be older than the overlapped lithounits. The conglomerate is correlatable with the Debari conglomerate of the Aravalli sequence. As the conglomerate unit has been a significant marker horizon in the Aravalli stratigraphy, the proposed revision in its stratigraphic status would lead to resolving certain ambiguities in the Paleoproterozoic Aravalli stratigraphy of southern Rajasthan.     

中国东北兴蒙—吉黑造山带贝加尔运动、萨拉伊尔运动、兴凯运动及泛非运动等之比较

近一个世纪以来,中国东北兴蒙—吉黑造山带及毗邻地域发生在前寒武纪末期或寒武纪的一场造山运动,一直为国内外地质学家所关注。先后提出过:贝加尔运动、萨拉伊尔运动、兴凯运动、泛非运动等来描述或界定这场伟大的造山作用。本文综合区域已有实际资料:区域性角度不整合-磨拉石建造出现的时限,造山花岗岩的测年数据,变质热事件的记录,构造活动残留的遗迹等,界定该期构造运动相对最符合贝加尔运动或兴凯运动创建之原意。而创建兴凯运动的典型区,其时限的可确定性和认知度尤佳,故建议在这诸多用语中,精选"兴凯运动"一语为最宜。     

Campanian Climatic Change: Isotopic Evidence from Far East, North America, North Atlantic and Western Europe

Paleoclimatic settings have been reconstructed for the Campanian using original oxygen-isotopic analyses of well-preserved molluskan and foraminifera shells from Russian Far East, Hokkaido, USA, Belgium and some DSDP holes (95, 98, 102, 390A, and 392A) in North Atlantic. Early Early Campanian climatic optimum has been recognized from data on high bottom shelf water paleotemperatures in middle latitudes of both the western circum-Pacific (to 24.2°C) and the eastern circum-Pacific (to 26.4°C) areas and high bottom shallow water paleotemperatures in high latitudes of the Koryak Upland (22.4–25.5°C), which agrees with the data on the Campanian Barykovskaya flora in high latitudes (Golovneva and Herman, 1998) and Jonker flora and its equivalents in middle latitudes. Judging from the data on comparatively high bottom shallow water paleotemperature values in high latitudes, South Alaska (19.4°C) and the Koryak Upland (22.4–25.5°C), we also expect Latest Campanian temperature maximum, which has not been confirmed, however, for low and middle latitudes by neither of isotopic nor paleobotanic data now. Main climatic tendency during the Campanian (with the exception of Latest Campanian) has been learned from isotopic composition of Campanian aragonitic ammonoid shells from the Hokkaido-South Sakhalin (Krilyon) marine basin. In contrary to Huber’s et al. (2002) assumption, we expect warm greenhouse conditions during the most part of the Campanian.     

Late Archean to Paleoproterozoic evolution of the North China Craton: key issues revisited

A recently proposed model for the evolution of the North China Craton envisages discrete Eastern and Western Blocks that developed independently during the Archean and collided along the Trans-North China Orogen during a Paleoproterozoic orogenic event. This model has been further refined and modified by new structural, petrological and geochronological data obtained over the past few years. These new data indicate that the Western Block formed by amalgamation of the Ordos Block in the south and the Yinshan Block in the north along the east-west-trending Khondalite Belt some time before the collision of the Western and Eastern Blocks. The data also suggest that the Eastern Block underwent Paleoproterozoic rifting along its eastern continental margin in the period 2.2–1.9 Ga, and was accompanied by deposition of the Fenzishan and Jingshan Groups in Eastern Shandong, South and North Liaohe Groups in Liaoning, Laoling and Ji’an Groups in Southern Jilin, and possibly the Macheonayeong Group in North Korea. The final closure of this rift system at ∼1.9 Ga led to the formation of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt. In the late Archean to early Paleoproterozoic, the western margin of the Eastern Block faced a major ocean, and the east-dipping subduction beneath the western margin of the Eastern Block led to the formation of magmatic arcs that were subsequently incorporated into the Trans-North China Orogen. Continued subduction resulted in a major continent-continent collision, leading to extensive thrusting and high-pressure metamorphism. The available age data for metamorphism and deformation in the Trans-North China Orogen indicate that this collisional event occurred at about 1.85 Ga ago, resulting in the formation of the Trans-North China Orogen and final amalgamation of the North China Craton.     

The multi-stage tectonic evolution of the Xitieshan terrane,North Qaidam orogen,western China: From Grenville-age orogeny to early-Paleozoic ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism

The geodynamic evolution of the early Paleozoic ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt in North Qaidam, western China, is controversial due to ambiguous interpretations concerning the nature and ages of the eclogitic protoliths. Within this framework, we present new LA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon ages from eclogites and their country rock gneisses from the Xitieshan terrane, located in the central part of the North Qaidam UHP metamorphic belt. Xitieshan terrane contains clearly different protolith characteristics of eclogites and as such provides a natural laboratory to investigate the geodynamic evolution of the North Qaidam UHP metamorphic terrane. LA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon dating of three phengite-bearing eclogites and two country rock gneiss samples from the Xitieshan terrane yielded 424–427 Ma and 917–920 Ma ages, respectively. The age of 424–427 Ma from eclogite probably reflects continental lithosphere subduction post-dating oceanic lithosphere subduction at ~ 440–460 Ma. The 0.91–0.92 Ga metamorphic ages from gneiss and associated metamorphic mineral assemblages are interpreted as evidence for the occurrence of a Grenville-age orogeny in the North Qaidam UHPM belt. Using internal microstructure, geochemistry and U–Pb ages of zircon in this study, combined with the petrological and geochemical investigations on the eclogites of previous literature’s data, three types of eclogitic protoliths are identified in the Xitieshan terrane i.e. 1) Subducted early Paleozoic oceanic crust (440–460 Ma), 2) Neoproterozoic oceanic crust material emplaced onto micro-continental fragments ahead of the main, early Paleozoic, collision event (440–420 Ma) and 3) Neoproterozoic mafic dikes intruded in continental fragments (rifted away from the former supercontinent Rodinia). These results demonstrate that the basement rocks of the North Qaidam terrane formed part of the former supercontinent Rodinia, attached to the Yangtze Craton and/or the Qinling microcontinent, and recorded a complex tectono-metamorphic evolution that involved Neoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic orogenies.     

LakeCC: a tool for efficiently identifying lake basins with application to palaeogeographic reconstructions of North America

Along the margins of continental ice sheets, lakes formed in isostatically depressed basins during glacial retreat. Their shorelines and extent are sensitive to the ice margin and the glacial history of the region. Proglacial lakes, in turn, also impact the glacial isostatic adjustment due to loading, and ice dynamics by posing a marine-like boundary condition at the ice margin. In this study we present a tool that efficiently identifies lake basins and the corresponding maximum water level for a given ice sheet and topography reconstruction. This algorithm, called the LakeCC model, iteratively checks the whole map for a set of increasing water levels and fills isolated basins until they overflow into the ocean. We apply it to the present-day Great Lakes and the results show good agreement (∼1−4%) with measured lake volume and depth. We then apply it to two topography reconstructions of North America between the Last Glacial Maximum and the present. The model successfully reconstructs glacial lakes such as Lake Agassiz, Lake McConnell and the predecessors of the Great Lakes. LakeCC can be used to judge the quality of ice sheet reconstructions. © 2019 The Authors Journal of Quaternary Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

华北克拉通孔兹岩带古元古代凉城石榴石花岗岩成因机制及其岩石学意义

在华北克拉通孔兹岩带东段凉城地区分布有大规模古元古代石榴石花岗岩。凉城石榴石花岗岩是产于麻粒岩相变沉积岩中的原地-半原地花岗岩,伴生有徐武家岩体为代表的辉长苏长岩小侵入体群。凉城石榴石花岗岩富含石榴子石（5%~15%,局部可达25%）,常见紫苏辉石,推测形成于高温（>850~900℃）、高压（8~10kbar）条件下,不同于典型的S型花岗岩。地球化学特征上,石榴石花岗岩具有强过铝的地球化学属性（A/CNK=1.1~1.6）,显示低SiO₂（55%~75%）和富MgO+FeO^T（5%~14%）的特征,已经偏离了正常S型花岗岩的成分范围。凉城石榴石花岗岩低硅富镁铁的成分特征很可能是由残留体（石榴石岩）带入和辉长苏长岩物质添加造成,残留体和辉长苏长岩的物质贡献比例约占20%~40%。年代学研究表明凉城石榴石花岗岩形成时代为1.93~1.92Ga,与辉长苏长岩形成时代（1.93Ga）和变质沉积岩记录的超高温变质作用时代（1.92Ga）一致,指示凉城石榴石花岗岩是幔源基性岩浆侵入麻粒岩相变质沉积岩中引起变沉积岩在高温-超高温条件下大规模部分熔融的产物。大规模出露的高温石榴石花岗岩及多点分布的超高温麻粒岩共同反映了集宁-凉城区域上超高温的特点。

     

Paleomagnetic Evidence for Tectonic Setting of Paleoproterozoic Dyke Swarms in the North China Craton,China

正In order to investigate the tectonic setting of 1.77-1.78Ga dyke swarms emplaced into the central North China Craton(NCC),we carried out a paleomagnetic and magnetic fabric study on the well geochronologically     

华北克拉通晚太古代末-古元古代初的岩浆事件及构造热体制

华北克拉通变质基底中广泛出露岩浆成因的正片麻岩。本文将华北克拉通分为11个变质地区,对其中新太古代末-古元古代初的正片麻岩的产状、岩性、形成时代进行了讨论。通过对这11个变质地区的对比可以看出,华北克拉通新太古代末-古元古代初的正片麻岩具有以下特征:(1)新太古代末-古元古代初的岩浆事件分布广泛,该期岩浆事件所形成的正片麻岩不仅在东部陆块、西部陆块广泛分布,而且在中部造山带也有广泛出露,在各变质地区该期的正片麻岩通常占变质基底总面积的70%以上;(2)该期岩浆事件主要集中在从2540Ma到2490Ma的50Ma期间。目前的年龄数据统计该期间形成的正片麻岩占2600Ma到2450Ma所形成的正片麻岩的75%;(3)该阶段形成的钠质片麻岩和钾质片麻岩在形成时间上几乎一致,在各变质地区不同成分的正片麻岩不具分带性。但钾质花岗岩在辽宁鞍山、辽西绥中、冀东秦皇岛和鲁西傲徕山分布相对集中;(4)该期岩浆事件与变质事件几乎同时发生,变质事件通常较岩浆事件晚10～15Ma,在有些地区几乎同时,表明岩浆事件和变质事件是同一构造热事件的产物;(5)该期岩浆事件所产生片麻岩的εHf(t)值绝大多数为正值,表明它们是有地幔物质加入的新生地壳再造的产物。综合以上特征,我们认为在华北克拉通新太古代末-古元古代初广泛的岩浆事件是地幔柱底侵导致的,该期广泛的岩浆事件造就了华北克拉通的基本形态。