塔里木盆地沙雅隆起北部三道桥地区前震旦纪基底岩浆岩特征与锆石U-Pb年龄研究

对塔里木盆地北部三道桥地区前震旦纪基底的岩浆岩进行岩石学分析及时代限定研究。研究区前震旦纪基底的岩浆岩主要由钾长花岗岩、石英二长岩及角闪二辉岩组成。钾长花岗岩局部受断裂影响,发生碎裂化作用,形成碎裂化钾长花岗岩。通过对Qg2、Qg3、S53及Qg4井4口钻井的4个岩心样品进行LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学研究,获得钾长花岗岩、石英二长岩及碎裂钾长花岗岩年龄分别为1846±1Ma、1791±1Ma、1824±2Ma,代表了古元古代岩浆岩的变质年龄;角闪二辉岩年龄为879±4Ma,代表了中新元古代火山侵入年龄。说明塔里木盆地沙雅隆起北部存在前震旦纪古老基底,这些结果也为塔里木克拉通的前寒武纪构造演化提供了新的限定。     

苏鲁地体折返与郯庐断裂活动:莱阳盆地中生界碎屑锆石年代学的制约

胶莱盆地位于苏鲁造山带的北缘,其莱阳群沉积对反演郯庐断裂和苏鲁造山带中生代的折返过程具有重要的制约作用。本文利用LA-ICP-MS方法对莱阳盆地的莱阳群碎屑岩和青山群火山岩进行锆石U-Pb年龄测定,分析其年龄谱特征,探讨其沉积物源区,进而为苏鲁造山带的折返机制提供依据。(1)莱阳盆地发育莱阳群和青山群为代表的中生代沉积岩,锆石年龄测试得到莱阳群形成时代为125±0.6Ma;青山群形成时代为119±1Ma,表明两者都是早白垩世中-晚期的沉积产物;(2)超高压带北缘莱阳盆地与合肥盆地的碎屑锆石年龄谱对比表明,莱阳盆地的沉积物无论沉积时代还是物源区均明显不同与郯庐断裂西侧的合肥盆地,表明郯庐断裂应该形成于两个盆地形成之前,可能为三叠纪-早侏罗世之间;(3)莱阳盆地内发育大量的华北型碎屑物质,进一步表明在扬子大陆板块俯冲过程中华北板块曾经仰冲到扬子板块之上;(4)莱阳盆地发育少量的新元古代岩浆和印支期变质锆石的年龄,表明早白垩世苏鲁超高压变质岩已经折返到地表;(5)超高压变质岩与中生代岩浆岩同时作为莱阳盆地的物源,结合五莲拆离断层的同期活动和莱阳盆地的同时代沉积,说明苏鲁超高压带中生代的折返具有与变质核杂岩类似的大型伸展构造背景。     

Archean diamonds from Wawa (Canada): samples from deep cratonic roots predating cratonization of the Superior Province

With an age of ca. 2.7 Ga, greenschist facies volcaniclastic rocks and lamprophyre dikes in the Wawa area (Superior Craton) host the only diamonds emplaced in the Archean available for study today. Nitrogen aggregation in Wawa diamonds ranges from Type IaA to IaB, suggesting mantle residence times of tens to hundreds of millions of years. The carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C) of cube diamonds is similar to the accepted mantle value (− 5.0‰). Octahedral diamonds show a slight shift (by + 1.5‰) to isotopically less negative values suggesting a subduction-derived, isotopically heavy component in the diamond-forming fluids. Syngenetic inclusions in Wawa diamonds are exclusively peridotitic and, similar to many diamond occurrences worldwide, are dominated by the harzburgitic paragenesis. Compositionally they provide a perfect match to inclusions from diamonds with isotopically dated Paleo- to Mesoarchean crystallization ages. Several high-Cr harzburgitic garnet inclusions contain a small majorite component suggesting crystallization at depth of up to 300 km. Combining diamond and inclusion data indicates that Wawa diamonds formed and resided in a very thick package of chemically depleted lithospheric mantle that predates stabilization of the Superior Craton. If late granite blooms are interpreted as final stages of cratonization then a similar disconnect between Paleo- to Mesoarchean diamondiferous mantle lithosphere and Neoarchean cratonization is also apparent in other areas (e.g., the Lac de Gras area of the Slave Craton) and may suggest that early continental nuclei formed and retained their own diamondiferous roots.     

冀北中低级变质表壳岩的年代学特征及其对华北克拉通构造演化的约束

华北克拉通在新太古代末期发生克拉通化,形成了现今规模的古陆,大量的太古宙岩石均经历了~2500Ma左右的区域高级变质作用(高角闪岩相-麻粒岩相)。而华北克拉通北部冀北地区出露一套中低级变质(绿片岩相-角闪岩相)的火山-沉积岩系,主要包括胡麻营地区红旗营子表壳岩和大阴山地区单塔子表壳岩中变质程度较低的部分。胡麻营地区红旗营子表壳岩系主要岩石组合为变基性火山岩、绿帘角闪岩、斜长角闪岩、含石榴石斜长角闪岩、角闪斜长片麻岩、黑云斜长片麻岩、黑云角闪斜长片麻岩、黑云二长片麻岩、石英片岩、磁铁石英岩等,SIMS锆石U-Pb定年结果表明斜长角闪岩形成于2486±18Ma(MSWD=1.4),而黑云斜长片麻岩形成于2507±37Ma(MSWD=2.0)。大阴山地区单塔子中低级变质表壳岩系主要由浅变质火山岩、云母石英片岩、斜长角闪岩、磁铁石英岩和大理岩等组成,SHRIMP锆石U-Pb定年结果显示,浅变质火山岩中的变玄武岩形成于2490±19Ma(MSWD=2.0),而变英安岩形成于2502±8Ma(MSWD=0.83)。因此,冀北中低级变质的表壳岩系主要形成于新太古代末期,形成年龄为2507~2486Ma;结合冀东青龙地区新太古代末期(2511~2503Ma)的浅变质火山-沉积岩系(青龙表壳岩),我们认为新太古代末期,中低级变质表壳岩系广泛分布于华北克拉通的核部和边缘地区,此套岩系覆盖在太古宙高级变质杂岩之上,代表华北克拉通化之后的稳定盖层,是克拉通化的主要标志之一。     

Implications of subduction and subduction zone migration of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath eastern North China,based on distribution,geochronology, and geochemistry of Late Mesozoic volcanic rocks

Several major volcanic zones are distributed across the eastern North China Craton, from northwest to southeast: the Greater Xing’an Range, Jibei-Liaoxi, Xishan, and Songliao Basins, and the Yanji, Huanghua, and Ludong volcanic zones. The Huanghua depression within the Bohai Bay Basin was filled by middle Late Mesozoic volcanic rocks and abundant Cenozoic alkaline basalts. Zircon LA-ICP-MS and SHRIMP U–Pb dating show that basic–intermediate volcanic rocks were extruded in the Early Cretaceous of 118.8 ± 1.0 Ma (weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age), before Late Cretaceous acid lavas at 71.5 ± 2.6 Ma. An inherited zircon from andesite has a Paleoprotoerozoic core crystallization age of 2,424 ± 22 Ma (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb age) indicating that the basement of the Bohai Bay Basin is part of the North China Craton. Early Cretaceous basic and intermediate lavas are characterized by strong enrichments in LREE and LILE and depletions in HREE and HFSE, indicating a volcanic arc origin related to oceanic subduction. Depletion in Zr only occurs in basic and intermediate volcanic rocks, while depletions in Sr and Ti exist only in acid samples, indicating that the acid series is not genetically related to the basic–intermediate series. Formation ages and geochemical features indicate that the Late Cretaceous acid lavas are products of crustal remelting in an extensional regime. Combined information from all these volcanic zones shows that subduction-related volcanic rocks were generated in the Jibei-Liaoxi and Xishan volcanic zones during the Early Jurassic, about 60 Ma earlier than their analogues extruded in the Huanghua and Ludong volcanic zones during the Early Cretaceous. This younging trend also exists in the youngest extension-related volcanism in each of these zones: Early Cretaceous asthenosphere-derived alkaline basalts in the northwest and Late Cretaceous in the southeast. A tectonic model of northwestward subduction and continuous oceanward retreat of the Paleo-Pacific Plate is proposed to explain the migration pattern of both arc-related and post-subduction extension-related volcanic rocks. As the subduction zone continuously migrated, active continental margin and backarc regimes successively played their roles in different parts of North China during the Late Mesozoic (J₁–K₂).     

Near surface manifestation of hydrocarbons in Proterozoic Bhima and Kaladgi Basins: Implications to hydrocarbon resource potential

Reconnaissance surface geochemical survey for adsorbed soil gas analysis conducted in Proterozoic Bhima and Kaladgi Basins, have revealed occurrence of anomalous concentrations of light gaseous hydrocarbons i.e. C₁ to C₄ (CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, i-C₄H₁₀ and n-C₄H₁₀) in the near surface soils. The concentrations of C₁ and ΣC₂₊(C₂H₆+C₃H₈+ i-C₄H₁₀+ n-C₄H₁₀) in Bhima and Kaladgi Basins are in the range of 1–2594 ppb and 1 to 57 ppb and 1–1142 ppb and 1–490 ppb, respectively. The carbon isotopic data of adsorbed soil gas methane in few selected samples are in the range of −29.9 to −39‰ (PDB). The evaluation of adsorbed soil gas data indicates that all the gas components are cogenetic and hydrocarbon ratios of C₁/(C₂+C₃) < 10 and C₃/C₁*1000 between 60–500 and 20–60 suggest that the adsorbed gases are derived from oil and gas-condensate zones. The carbon isotopic values of methane further support thermogenic origin of these migrated gases. The concentration distribution of C₁ and ΣC₂₊ in the study areas illustrate C₁ and ΣC₂₊ anomalies near Katamadevarhalli, Andola and Talikota in Bhima Basin and near Kaladgi, Lokapur and north of Mudhol in Kaladgi Basin. The hydrocarbon anomalies near the surface coincide with the favourable subsurface structural features and correlate with existing geochemical and geophysical data in these basins suggesting seepage related anomalies.     

辽北德仁组火山岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄及岩石地球化学特征

通过对辽北平岗盆地中德仁组火山岩的岩石学、地球化学和年代学的研究,探讨了其岩石成因、形成时代、构造环境,以及华北克拉通东部岩石圈减薄时间和减薄机制。用LA-ICP-MS技术测定了平岗盆地中德仁组中部英安质角砾晶屑岩屑凝灰岩和上部流纹岩中的锆石U-Th-Pb同位素组成。获得前者的锆石~(206)Pb/~(238)U年龄为246.8±3.5Ma和169.6±4.6Ma,代表了2期岩浆活动的年龄,是平岗盆地基底早三叠世和中侏罗世岩浆活动的表现;后者的锆石~(206)Pb/~(238)U年龄为117.0±0.9Ma,表明流纹岩形成于早白垩世。德仁组火山岩富集大离子亲石元素K、Rb、Ba,亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta、Zr、Hf、Y、Yb;富集轻稀土元素,亏损重稀土元素,稀土元素配分曲线呈右倾型,表现出壳源特征。德仁组火山岩形成于活动大陆边缘火山弧环境,原始岩浆来源于盆地基底岩浆岩重熔。研究区在117~135Ma期间,发生了由正地形向负地形的重大转变,区域上发育伸展盆地和变质核杂岩,并在基底岩石重熔过程中受到地幔混染作用,表明研究区在早白垩世发生了岩石圈减薄,且减薄的起始时间早于117.0±0.9Ma,减薄机制为拆沉作用。     

A deep borehole in the East European platform margin: Petrologic and isotopic-geochronologic data

The petrologic and isotopic-geochronologic study of basement rocks that were penetrated by a deep borehole in the marginal part of the East European Platform revealed that its section overlain by the Vendian-Paleozoic sedimentary cover is Early Proterozoic in age and largely consists of aluminous migmatized biotite, biotite-cordierite, and biotite-cordierite-sillimanite gneisses, which are intruded by granites, plagiogranites, and metatonalites. The lower part of the section is dominated by amphibole schists and amphibolites with subordinate nonmetamorphosed dolerite dikes and pegmatite veins. By metamorphism parameters (T = 630–680°C, P = 2–4 kbar), the metamorphic complex may be considered as the shallowest one, compared with other Early Proterozoic complexes, developed at least in the southwestern part of Fennoscandia. The progressive decrease in the mineral-formation pressure observed in the Lower Proterozoic metamorphic rocks southward, away from the Karelian Craton is likely explained by the tectonic transport (thrusting) of the Svecofennides over the margin of the Karelian Craton and their subsequent deeper erosion near the craton. The magmatic crystallization of metamorphic palgiogranites, penetrated at depths of 925–928 and 1004 m, is estimated by the U-Pb ID-TIMS method on zircons to occur 1860 ± 9 Ma ago. It is shown that by their age, the REE composition, and isotopic-geochemical characteristics, these rocks are close to the plagiogranites formed in the southeastern extremity of the Svecofennnian belt in the present-day northern Ladoga region and the Karelian Isthmus. No rocks, which could be correlated by their lithology with the Archean rocks of the Karelian Craton, are found.     

P-wave velocity features of the lithosphere under the Eromanga Basin, Eastern Australia, including a prominent MID-crustal (Conrad?) discontinuity

The crustal structure of the central Eromanga Basin in the northern part of the Australian Tasman Geosyncline, revealed by coincident seismic reflection and refraction shooting, contrasts with some neighbouring regions of the continent. The depth to the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) of 36–41 km is much less than that under the North Australian Craton to the northwest (50–55 km) and the Lachlan Fold Belt to the southeast (43–51 km) but is similar to that under the Drummond and Bowen Basins to the east.The seismic velocity boundaries within the crust are sharp compared with the transitional nature of the boundaries under the North Australian and Lachlan provinces. In particular, there is a sharp velocity increase at mid-crustal depths (21–24 km) which has not been observed with such clarity elsewhere in Australia (the Conrad discontinuity?).In the lower crust, the many discontinuous sub-horizontal reflections are in marked contrast to lack of reflecting horizons in the upper crust, further emphasising the differences between the upper and lower crust. The crust-mantle boundary (Moho) is characterised by an increase in velocity from 7.1–7.7 km/s to a value of 8.15 + 0.04 km/s. The depth to the Moho under the Canaway Ridge, a prominent basement high, is shallower by about 5 km than the regional Moho depth; there is also no mid-crustal horizon under the Canaway Ridge but there is a very sharp velocity increase at the Moho depth of 34 km. The Ridge could be interpreted as a horst structure extending to at least Moho depths but it could also have a different intra-crustal structure from the surrounding area.The sub-crustal lithosphere has features which have been interpreted, from limited data, as being caused by a velocity gradient at 56–57 km depth with a low velocity zone above it.Because of the contrasting crustal thicknesses and velocity gradients, the lithosphere of the central Eromanga Basin cannot be considered as an extension of the exposed Lachlan Fold Belt or the North Australian Craton. The lack of seismic reflections from the upper crust indicates no coherent accoustic impedance pattern at wavelengths greater than 100 m, consistent with an upper crustal basement of tightly folded meta-sedimentary and meta-volcanic rocks. The crustal structure is consistent with a pericratonic or arc/back-arc basin being cratonised in an episode of convergent tectonics in the Early Palaeozoic. The seismic reflections from the lower crust indicate that it could have developed in a different tectonic environment.     

朝鲜半岛北部定州与铁山稀土矿相关碱性岩和花岗岩的岩石学和SIMS锆石U-Pb年代学特征研究

朝鲜半岛北侧的狼林地块是中朝克拉通的重要组成部分,狼林地块具有与辽南地块以及辽吉活动带类似的早前寒武纪岩石组成、变质和变形特征。我们在分布有稀土矿的朝鲜定州-铁山一带(狼林地块西北部),采集了与稀土矿密切相关的碱性岩(粗粒正长岩和萤石化霓辉正长岩)和花岗岩(似斑状花岗岩)样品。岩石样品的岩相学观察表明,定州与铁山地区的碱性岩和花岗岩并不显示明显的岩浆期之后的热液蚀变特征。SIMS锆石U-Pb定年结果显示粗粒正长岩的岩浆结晶年龄为1865±6Ma,萤石化霓辉正长岩的岩浆结晶年龄为1868±8Ma,铁山地区的四件似斑状花岗岩的年龄结果分别为1871±13 Ma、1866±8 Ma、1872±6 Ma和1873±7 Ma,这些年龄值一方面代表了岩浆活动时代,另一方面可能也代表了朝鲜定州和铁山稀土矿的成矿时代。狼林地块的这些碱性岩与花岗岩的时代与华北克拉通辽吉活动带以及狼林地块其它地区的高级变质作用同期,并且在辽南地块,也有类似碱性岩的报道。综合现有的证据表明,辽吉活动带、辽南地块以及狼林地块在古元古代可能属于同一个大型构造带,并且这个构造带(或者构造带的一部分)当时处于伸展的构造背景。通过全面对比野外观测结果、岩石的岩相结构、岩浆结晶时代可知,朝鲜定州和铁山一带的稀土矿与中朝克拉通的世界级稀土矿——白云鄂博,在岩石组合、稀土矿物组成、岩石蚀变特征、成矿时代等方面存在较大的区别。关于这一稀土矿的具体稀土矿物组成、矿床成因以及储量等众多问题,未来还需要进行大量的工作。     

Comprehensive geochemical identification of highly evolved marine hydrocarbon source rocks： Organic matter, paleoenvironment and development of effective hydrocarbon source rocks

1 Introduction China’s widespread marine carbonate rock series are mostly characterized by intensive thermal evolution and low abundance of organic matter, especially the Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks have experienced multi-episodes of tectonics and ap…     

下扬子地区青龙群上部角砾岩成因问题

1989—1990年,安徽省地质科学研究所与德国下萨克森州不伦瑞克大学地质古生物研究所在下扬子地区合作进行了中三叠统的蒸发岩沉积特征及含钾性评价的研究,对下扬子地区青龙群上部(东马鞍山组)地表角砾岩层进行了详细的野外地质工作。我们认为这套以往一直被看作盐溶倒塌成因的角砾岩,主要是碎屑流沉积的结果,有少量构造角砾岩、膏溶崩坍角砾岩。碎屑流沉积发育于长江北岸的宿松、安庆、巢湖、无为和长江南岸的贵池、铜陵、繁昌、南京、镇江、溧阳等地,呈北东—南西向带状展布,分布广泛、规模大,最大沉积厚度超过百米以上,十分引人注目。     

U-Pb systematics of detrital zircons from the Serebryanka Group of the Central Urals

Based on the LA-ICP-MS data, detrital zircons from the tillite-type conglomerates of the Tanin Formation (Serebryanka Group) on the western slope of the Central Urals include approximately equal proportions of crystals with Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic U-Pb ages. Therefore, we can assume that crystalline rocks of the basement beneath the eastern part of the East European Craton served as a provenance for aluminosilicate clastics in the initial Serebryanka period. Detrital zircons from sandstones of the Kernos Formation have the Meso-Neoarchean (∼15%), Paleoproterozoic (∼60%), and Mesoproterozoic (∼26%) age. Comparison of the obtained data with the results of the study of detrital zircons from Riphean and Vendian sandstones of the Southern Urals shows that the Riphean and Lower Vendian rocks are mainly represented by erosional products of Middle and Upper Paleoproterozoic crystalline rocks that constitute the basement of the East European Craton. In addition, a notable role belonged to older (Lower Proterozoic, Neoarchean and Mesoarchean) rock associations during the formation of the Serebryanka Group. The terminal Serebryanka time (Kernos Age) differed from its initial stage (Tanin Age) by the appearance of Mesoproterozoic complexes in provenances. According to available data, these complexes played an insignificant role in the formation of Riphean-Vendian rocks in the neighboring South Uralian segment. This implies a spatiotemporal diversity of clastic material sources for Upper Precambrian rocks in the western megazone of the Southern and Central Urals.     

Archaean gold mineralization synchronous with late cratonization of the Western Dharwar Craton,India: 2.52 Ga U–Pb ages of hydrothermal monazite and xenotime in gold deposits

New zircon U–Pb ages for a felsic volcanic rock (2,588 ± 10 Ma) and an intrusive granite (≥2,555 ± 6 Ma) in the Gadag greenstone belt in the Western Dharwar Craton, southern India, are similar to dates for equivalent rocks in the Eastern Dharwar Craton and indicates docking of the two cratons prior to this time. The zircons in the intrusive granite are strongly overprinted, and coexisting titanites yielded two different age populations: the dominant group gives an age of 2,566 ± 7 Ma, interpreted as the emplacement age, whereas the minor group gives an age of 2,516 ± 10 Ma, reflecting a hydrothermal overprint. In situ U–Pb dating of monazite and xenotime in gold reefs of the Gadag (2,522 ± 6 Ma) and Ajjanahalli (2,520 ± 9 Ma) gold deposits reveal a previously undated episode of gold mineralization at 2.52 Ga, substantially younger than the 2.55 Ga Hutti deposit in the eastern Dharwar Craton. The new dates confirm that both the younger greenstone belts and lode gold mineralization in the Dharwar Craton are about 100–120 My, younger than in other well-dated Archaean cratons. Although gold mineralization across the craton postdates most of the magmatic activity and metamorphism at upper crustal levels, widespread thermal reworking of the lower-middle crust, involving partial melting, metamorphism, and lower crustal granitoid intrusion, occurred concurrently with gold mineralization. It is likely that the large-scale hydrothermal fluid flow that produced widespread gold deposition was also part of this tectono-thermal event during the final stages of cratonization of the Dharwar Craton in southern India.     

晚白垩世西峡盆地和夏馆盆地古地震事件的发现及意义

以大量的野外工作为基础,辅以地球化学研究,确定了西峡盆地和夏馆盆地普遍存在着古地震事件的物质记录。同沉积期古地震事件主要表现为同沉积小断裂、同沉积角砾岩层等,且同沉积地震事件对于河流侵蚀作用的产生具有重要的影响;成岩期古地震事件主要表现为沿断裂上盘砾岩的"涂抹"和成岩期形成的方解石擦磨晶体,以及由断裂(裂隙)所围限的不同于周侧岩性的块体。古地震事件的研究不仅可以为恐龙蛋的埋藏作用提供信息,也可以为研究古地理和古构造背景提供信息。     

Geochemistry of Early–Middle Palaeozoic basalts in the Hodgkinson Province: a key to tectono-magmatic evolution of the Tasman Fold Belt System in northeastern Queensland, Australia

The Palaeozoic Hodgkinson Province in northeastern Queensland, Australia, is host to Late Ordovician to Devonian rock assemblages that contain tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalts. These basalts occur as massive fault-bounded units interspersed with marine sedimentary rocks and limestones that are metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies in the Ordovician Mulgrave, Silurian Chillagoe and Devonian Hodgkinson formations, respectively. The petrogenetic and Sm–Nd isotope characteristics of these mafic volcanic rocks were investigated to constrain the tectonic setting in which they erupted. Major, trace and rare earth element analyses were carried out on samples from these formations and intrusive dolerites. The mafic rocks can be classified as basalts and basaltic andesites with distinct MORB characteristics. Furthermore, the basalts are characterized by a slight to moderate enrichment in Th and concomitant depletion in Nb, both of which become less pronounced with basalt evolution through time. These features are consistent with decreasing volcanic arc affinity of Silurian and Devonian MORB-type basalts in the Hodgkinson Province. Sm–Nd isotope characteristics of these basalts indicate a change in source region from dominantly sub-continental lithospheric mantle in the Silurian to asthenospheric input in the Devonian. Collectively, the geochemical and isotopic characteristics of the Hodgkinson Province basalts are interpreted to reflect deposition in an evolving back-arc basin setting. The onset of basin extension was initiated in the Silurian. Accelerated basin subsidence occurred throughout the Devonian and was halted by basin inversion in the Late Devonian. Basin evolution was controlled by an eastward stepping subduction zone outboard of the Australian Craton.     

U-Pb ages and tectonomagmatic relationships of early Ordovician low-Ti tholeiites, boninites and related plutonic rocks in central Newfoundland, Canada

The Wild Bight Group (WBG) and South Lake Igneous Complex (SLIC) together comprise one of the Ordovician accreted oceanic terranes of the central mobile belt of the Newfoundland Appalachians. Combined detailed mapping, geochemistry, Sm-Nd isotopic studies and U-Pb geochronology have shown that sheeted dykes and hornblende diorite and tonalite plutons of the SLIC are genetically related to a discrete package of volcanic rocks in the WBG. These igneous rocks are geochemically, isotopically and temporally distinct from volcanic rocks in the rest of the WBG. Plutonic rocks of the SLIC range in age from 486 ± 3 Ma to 489 ± 3 Ma, and a cross-cutting gabbro dyke gives a minimum age of 486 ± 4 Ma for the related volcanic sequence. Volcanic rocks in the rest of the WBG sequence are predominantly younger than 472 ± 3 Ma. The older volcanic sequence of the WBG and the SLIC occur as fault-bounded packages interleaved within the younger WBG sequence. A conformable stratigraphic relationship between the older and younger sequences of the WBG has not been demonstrated. The mafic rocks of the older package include boninites and low-Ti, high-Mg tholeiitic island arc basalts which are interpreted to be genetically related, and normal island arc tholeiites (IAT). The high-Mg mafic rocks are interpreted to have formed in an extensional setting during subduction zone initiation, and the normal IAT are thought to represent stabilisation of the volcanic front. The associated high-Si, low-K rhyolite and tonalite are interpreted to be the products of secondary melting at the base of thickened early arc crust. Sm-Nd isotopic compositions indicate that the characteristic trace element signature of the boninites developed at or near their time of generation and was not a long lived characteristic of the source region. The boninites and low-Ti tholeiites are interpreted to have originated from a similar source, which was metasomatized by different subduction-related components. Apparent decoupling of Sm-Nd geochemical and isotopic compositions suggests that these very depleted rocks may be recording the effect of subduction zone processes not yet fully understood. Received: 31 October 1997 / Accepted: 6 May 1998     

Evidence for Early LREE-enriched Mantle Source Regions: Diverse Magmas from the c. 3{middle dot}0 Ga Mallina Basin, Pilbara Craton, NW Australia

The c. 2·97–2·95 Ga magmatic history ofthe Mallina Basin, in the Pilbara Craton of NW Australia, includeswhat is perhaps the most lithologically diverse magmatism ofany similar-sized Archaean terrain, and is unusual for similar-sizedterrains of any age. The magmatism includes light rare earthelement (LREE)-rich basaltic rocks, LREE-rich gabbros and rockswith boninite-like compositions (collectively the ‘Mallinamafic suite’), and high-Mg diorites (sanukitoids). TheMallina mafic suite is characterized by high primitive mantlenormalized (La/Nb)_PM (>3) and (La/Yb)_PM (>2), and non-radiogenicNd-isotopic compositions (     

Three Palaeoproterozoic basins—Yerrida,Bryah and Padbury—Capricorn Orogen,Western Australia

The Palaeoproterozoic Yerrida, Bryah and Padbury Basins record periods of sedimentation and magmatism along the northern margin of the Archaean Yilgarn Craton. Each basin is characterised by distinct stratigraphy, igneous activity, structural and metamorphic history and mineral deposit types. The oldest of these basins, the Yerrida Basin (ca 2200 Ma) is floored by rocks of the Archaean Yilgarn Craton. Important features of this basin are the presence of evaporites and continental flood basalts. The ca 2000 Ma Bryah Basin developed on the northern margin of the Yilgarn Craton during backarc sea‐floor spreading and rifting, the result of which was the emplacement of voluminous mafic and ultramafic volcanic rocks. During the waning stages of the Bryah Basin this mafic to ultramafic volcanism gave way to deposition of clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks. At a later stage, the Padbury Basin developed as a retroarc foreland basin on top of the Bryah Basin in a fold‐and‐thrust belt. This resulted from either the collision of the Pilbara and Yilgarn Cratons (Capricorn Orogeny) or the ca 2000 Ma westward collision of the southern part of the Gascoyne Complex and the Yilgarn Craton (Glenburgh Orogeny). During the Capricorn Orogeny the Bryah Group was thrust to the southeast, over the Yerrida Group. Important mineral deposits are contained in the Yerrida, Bryah and Padbury Basins. In the Yerrida Basin a large Pb–carbonate deposit (Magellan) and black shale‐hosted gossans containing anomalous abundances of Ba, Cu, Zn and Pd are present. The Pb–carbonate deposit is hosted by the upper units of the Juderina Formation, and the lower unit of the unconformably overlying Earaheedy Group. The Bryah and Padbury Basins contain orogenic gold, copper‐gold volcanogenic massive sulfides, manganese and iron ore. The origin of the gold mineralisation is probably related to tectonothermal activity during the Capricorn Orogeny at ca 1800 Ma.     

The Vendian passive continental margin in the southern Siberian Craton: geochemical and isotopic (Sr,Sm–Nd) evidence and U–Pb dating of detrital zircons by the LA-ICP-MS method

Geochemical and isotopic (Sm–Nd and Sr) studies of deposits of the Baikal and Oselok Groups in the southern Siberian Craton and LA-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of detrital zircons show that they accumulated in passive continental-margin settings in the Vendian. The time limits of sedimentation were assessed on the basis of Sr chemostratigraphy of carbonate deposits of the Baikal Group and LA-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of detrital zircons in first-cycle terrigenous deposits of the Oselok Group. The main provenances for rocks of these groups were constant. These were rocks of the cover and basement of the Siberian Craton. Tuffite horizons in upper portions of the groups are the only sign of Late Vendian activation of this block, which is reflected in changes of geochemical indices of terrigenous rocks and their younger Sm–Nd model ages.