Transpressional deformation,strain partitioning and fold superimposition in the southern Chinese Altai,Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Transpressional deformation has played an important role in the late Paleozoic evolution of the western Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), and understanding the structural evolution of such transpressional zones is crucial for tectonic reconstructions. Here we focus on the transpressional Irtysh Shear Zone with an aim at understanding amalgamation processes between the Chinese Altai and the West/East Junggar. We mapped macroscopic fold structures in the southern Chinese Altai and analyzed their relationships with the development of the adjacent Irtysh Shear Zone. Structural observations from these macroscopic folds show evidence for four generations of folding and associated fabrics. The earlier fabric (S₁), is locally recognized in low strain areas, and is commonly isoclinally folded by F₂ folds that have an axial plane orientation parallel to the dominant fabric (S₂). S₂ is associated with a shallowly plunging stretching lineation (L₂), and defines ∼NW-SE tight-close upright macroscopic folds (F₃) with the doubly plunging geometry. F₃ folds are superimposed by ∼NNW-SSE gentle F₄ folds. The F₃ and F₄ folds are kinematically compatible with sinistral transpressional deformation along the Irtysh Shear Zone and may represent strain partitioning during deformation. The sub-parallelism of F₃ fold axis with the Irtysh Shear Zone may have resulted from strain partitioning associated with simple shear deformation along narrow mylonite zones and pure shear-dominant deformation (F₃) in fold zones. The strain partitioning may have become less efficient in the later stage of transpressional deformation, so that a fraction of transcurrent components was partitioned into F₄ folds.     

Quantifying 3D post-accretionary tectonic strain in the Arabian–Nubian Shield: Superimposition of the Oko Shear Zone on the Nakasib Suture,Red Sea Hills,Sudan

Deformed conglomeratic clasts exposed along the Neoproterozoic Nakasib Suture and the Oko Shear Zone are used to calculate three-dimensional (3D) tectonic strain associated with the latter to quantify strain associated with post-accretionary deformational belts in the Arabian–Nubian Shield. The Nakasib Suture is a NE-trending fold and thrust belt that is sinistrally offset (∼10 km) by the cross-cutting NNW- to NW-trending strike-slip faults of the Oko Shear Zone. The Nakasib Suture was formed as a result of collision between the Haya terrane and the Gebeit terrane at ∼750 Ma ago. The Oko Shear Zone was subsequently formed as a result of an E–W directed shortening of the Arabian–Nubian Shield due to collision between East and West Gondwana at ∼670–610 Ma ago. This analysis indicates the following: (1) The Nakasib Suture is dominated by flattening strain with the flattening plane of the associated strain ellipsoid oriented at 21°/77°SE. This flattening deformation is interpreted to be associated with nappe emplacement from north to south. (2) Some regions along the Nakasib Suture are characterized by constriction strain that might be due to refolding of the early nappes about NE-trending axes. (3) The Oko Shear Zone is characterized by constriction strain, with the XY plane of the strain ellipsoid oriented at 171°/68°E. The strain ellipsoid associated with the Oko Shear Zone manifests superimposition of E–W shortening on the NE-trending fold and thrust belt associated with the Nakasib Suture. (4) The tectonic strain of the Oko Shear Zone, superimposed over the structures of the Nakasib Suture, is characterized by a strain ellipsoid whose flattening plane is oriented at 21°/49°W. The strain ellipsoid of the tectonic strain has a major axis with a quadratic elongation of 3.6 and an orientation of 357°/25°, an intermediate axis with a quadratic elongation of 1.2 and an orientation of 231°/30°, and a minor axis with a quadratic elongation of 0.25 and an orientation of 115°/18°. This suggests that the post-accretionary deformation of the Arabian–Nubian Shield was superimposed as a NW–SE directed shortening that created early N–S shortening zones and late NW-trending sinistral strike-slip faults.     

An 40Ar–39Ar investigation of the Mertz Glacier area (George V Land,Antarctica): Implications for the Ross Orogen–East Antarctic Craton relationship and Gondwana reconstructions

George V Land (Antarctica) includes the boundary between Late Archean–Paleoproterozoic metamorphic terrains of the East Antarctic craton and the intrusive and metasedimentary rocks of the Early Paleozoic Ross–Delamerian Orogen. This therefore represents a key region for understanding the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the East Antarctic Craton and the Ross Orogen and for defining their structural relationship in East Antarctica, with potential implications for Gondwana reconstructions. In the East Antarctic Craton the outcrops closest to the Ross orogenic belt form the Mertz Shear Zone, a prominent ductile shear zone up to 5 km wide. Its deformation fabric includes a series of progressive, overprinting shear structures developed under different metamorphic conditions: from an early medium-P granulite-facies metamorphism, through amphibolite-facies to late greenschist-facies conditions. ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar laserprobe data on biotite in mylonitic rocks from the Mertz Shear Zone indicate that the minimum age for ductile deformation under greenschist-facies conditions is 1502 ± 9 Ma and reveal no evidence of reactivation processes linked to the Ross Orogeny. ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar laserprobe data on amphibole, although plagued by excess argon, suggest the presence of a ∼1.7 Ga old phase of regional-scale retrogression under amphibolite-facies conditions. Results support the correlation between the East Antarctic Craton in the Mertz Glacier area and the Sleaford Complex of the Gawler Craton in southern Australia, and suggest that the Mertz Shear Zone may be considered a correlative of the Kalinjala Shear Zone. An erratic immature metasandstone collected east of Ninnis Glacier (∼180 km east of the Mertz Glacier) and petrographically similar to metasedimentary rocks enclosed as xenoliths in Cambro–Ordovician granites cropping out along the western side of Ninnis Glacier, yielded detrital white-mica ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar ages from ∼530 to 640 Ma and a minimum age of 518 ± 5 Ma. This pattern compares remarkably well with those previously obtained for the Kanmantoo Group from the Adelaide Rift Complex of southern Australia, thereby suggesting that the segment of the Ross Orogen exposed east of the Mertz Glacier may represent a continuation of the eastern part of the Delamerian Orogen.     

Distinct deformational history of two contrasting tectonic domains in the Chinese Altai: Their significance in understanding accretionary orogenic process

The Chinese Altai, a key component of the western Central Asian Orogenic Belt, is considered to be formed through multiple accretions of different terranes. However, the deformational histories of each terrane (tectonic domain), i.e. structural records before and after the accretion, are rarely studied, which has hindered our understanding of the accretionary processes. To fill the gap, a systematic macro- and microscopic structural analysis was carried out on two contrasting litho-tectonic units, i.e. the early Paleozoic low-grade Alegedayi Ophiolitic Complex (AOC) juxtaposed to the high grade Tarlang Granitic Massif (TGM). Selected rock samples were analyzed using zircon U–Pb isotopic dating to constrain the timing of polyphase deformation. Our structural and geochronological data suggest that the two litho-tectonic units were initially detached and located in different crustal levels and experienced distinct phases of deformation under contrasting P-T conditions. They were mutually accreted with each other in the early Devonian and jointly underwent a WNW-ESE-directed shortening deformational event (D₁) at ∼390 Ma. The change of tectonic regime was further enhanced by a subsequent NNE-SSW-directed shortening deformation (D₂) after ∼ 380 Ma. The shortening process ended before the crustal-scale sinistral strike-slip shearing deformation along the Erqis fault zone at 290 - 240 Ma. Results of this study provide solid field-based evidence for a model that the Chinese Altai initially underwent a nearly E–W-oriented subduction-accretional event in the middle Paleozoic, before it was reoriented to a nearly N–S-oriented convergence.     

Polyphase tectonics and late Variscan extension in Austria (Moldanubian Zone,Strudengau area)

New data suggest syn-convergent extrusion and polyphase tectonics followed by late Variscan extension in the Strudengau area of the southern Moldanubian zone in Austria. The tectonic history can be summarized as follows: (1) The oldest ductile event is observed in HT/LP metamorphic pelitic gneisses, which preserve E-dipping foliation planes (D₁-fabric) with NW–SE-trending lineations. (2) The overlying gneisses record HT/HP conditions with decompression-induced anatexis in the central part of the domain. These gneisses exhibit N–S trending, horizontal lineations along steep-dipping foliation planes (D₂-fabric) crosscutting the D₁-fabric of the pelitic gneisses. Along the margin, these rocks have been strongly mylonitized under amphibolite facies conditions (D₂). D₂ is interpreted as a significant vertical shear zone, which juxtaposes the HT/LP rocks against the orogenic lower crust. (3) Lastly, the whole area is overprinted by localized shear zones (D₃-fabric) with top-to-the-NW kinematics. This newly discovered Strudengau shearing event is associated with isoclinal folding that possesses axial planes parallel to the mylonitic foliation and fold axes parallel to the stretching lineations. Initial mylonitization occurred under greenschist facies, representing the latest ductile event of the Strudengau area. The new geochronological data presented here indicate a narrow time frame (c. 323–318 Ma) for the D₃ deformation. Therefore, this event is contemporaneous with the intrusion of the granites of the South Bohemian Batholith (330–310 Ma). The nearby South Bohemian Batholith and generally steep dyke swarms in the Strudengau area and to the north trend in a NE–SW preferred orientation, interpreted to be D₃-synkinematic magmatism. In a regional context, the NW–SE stretching during D₃ together with the synkinematic intrusion of dykes is associated with late orogenic extension in the Austrian Moldanubian Zone. Kinematic data of brittle normal faults and tension gashes are consistent with NW–SE-oriented extension under cooler conditions.     

Structural analysis and implicit 3D modelling of high-grade host rocks to the Venetia kimberlite diatremes,Central Zone,Limpopo Belt,South Africa

The Beit Bridge Complex of the Central Zone (CZ) of the Limpopo Belt hosts the 519 ± 6 Ma Venetia kimberlite diatremes. Deformed shelf- or platform-type supracrustal sequences include the Mount Dowe, Malala Drift and Gumbu Groups, comprising quartzofeldspathic units, biotite-bearing gneiss, quartzite, metapelite, metacalcsilicate and ortho- and para-amphibolite. Previous studies define tectonometamorphic events at 3.3–3.1 Ga, 2.7–2.5 Ga and 2.04 Ga. Detailed structural mapping over 10 years highlights four deformation events at Venetia. Rules-based implicit 3D modelling in Leapfrog Geo™ provides an unprecedented insight into CZ ductile deformation and sheath folding. D₁ juxtaposed gneisses against metasediments. D₂ produced a pervasive axial planar foliation (S₂) to isoclinal F₂ folds. Sheared lithological contacts and S₂ were refolded into regional, open, predominantly southward-verging, E–W trending F₃ folds. Intrusion of a hornblendite protolith occurred at high angles to incipient S₂. Constrictional-prolate D₄ shows moderately NE-plunging azimuths defined by elongated hornblendite lenses, andalusite crystals in metapelite, crenulations in fuchsitic quartzite and sheath folding. D₄ overlaps with a: 1) 2.03–2.01 Ga regional M₃ metamorphic overprint; b) transpressional deformation at 2.2–1.9 Ga and c) 2.03 Ga transpressional, dextral shearing and thrusting around the CZ and d) formation of the Avoca, Bellavue and Baklykraal sheath folds and parallel lineations.     

Onset timing of left-lateral movement along the Ailao Shan–Red River Shear Zone: 40Ar/39Ar dating constraint from the Nam Dinh Area,northeastern Vietnam

Left-lateral motion along the Ailao Shan–Red River (ASRR) Shear Zone has been widely advocated to be the result of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates and to account for sea-floor spreading in the South China Sea. Our new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data on the south-easternmost outcrop of the Day Nui Con Voi metamorphic massif, northern Vietnam, suggest that the exhumation of metamorphic massif by shearing along the ASRR zone began ∼27 Ma and lasted until ∼22 Ma. A perfect correlation between location and cooling path for the samples along the shear zone suggests that the transtensional deformation may have propagated northwestward at a rate of ∼6 cm y⁻¹. Such a good correlation also indicates that the onset of the left-lateral movement of the shear zone may have occurred later than ∼27.5 Ma. This conclusion is consistent with our previous interpretation that collision-induced southeastward extrusion of Indochina along the ASRR Shear Zone postdates the opening of the South China Sea, and that extrusion tectonics in SE China may not be responsible for the opening of the South China Sea.     

Transpressive Structures in the Ghadir Shear Belt,Eastern Desert,Egypt: Evidence for Partitioning of Oblique Convergence in the Arabian‐Nubian Shield during Gondwana Agglutination

Transpressional deformation has played an important role in the late Neoproterozoic evolution of the ArabianNubian Shield including the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The Ghadir Shear Belt is a 35 km-long, NW-oriented brittleductile shear zone that underwent overall sinistral transpression during the Late Neoproterozoic. Within this shear belt, strain is highly partitioned into shortening, oblique, extensional and strike-slip structures at multiple scales. Moreover, strain partitioning is heterogeneous along-strike giving rise to three distinct structural domains. In the East Ghadir and Ambaut shear belts, the strain is pure-shear dominated whereas the narrow sectors parallel to the shear walls in the West Ghadir Shear Zone are simple-shear dominated. These domains are comparable to splay-dominated and thrust-dominated strike-slip shear zones. The kinematic transition along the Ghadir shear belt is consistent with separate strike-slip and thrustsense shear zones. The earlier fabric(S1), is locally recognized in low strain areas and SW-ward thrusts. S2 is associated with a shallowly plunging stretching lineation(L2), and defines ～NW-SE major upright macroscopic folds in the East Ghadir shear belt. F2 folds are superimposed by ～NNW–SSE tight-minor and major F3 folds that are kinematically compatible with sinistral transpressional deformation along the West Ghadir Shear Zone and may represent strain partitioning during deformation. F2 and F3 folds are superimposed by ENE–WSW gentle F4 folds in the Ambaut shear belt. The sub-parallelism of F3 and F4 fold axes with the shear zones may have resulted from strain partitioning associated with simple shear deformation along narrow mylonite zones and pure shear-dominant deformation in fold zones. Dextral ENEstriking shear zones were subsequently active at ca. 595 Ma, coeval with sinistral shearing along NW-to NNW-striking shear zones. The occurrence of upright folds and folds with vertical axes suggests that transpression plays a significant role in the tectonic evolution of the Ghadir shear belt. Oblique convergence may have been provoked by the buckling of the Hafafit gneiss-cored domes and relative rotations between its segments. Upright folds, fold with vertical axes and sinistral strike-slip shear zones developed in response to strain partitioning. The West Ghadir Shear Zone contains thrusts and strikeslip shear zones that resulted from lateral escape tectonics associated with lateral imbrication and transpression in response to oblique squeezing of the Arabian-Nubian Shield during agglutination of East and West Gondwana.     

Recrystallisation,phase mixing and strain localisation in peridotite during rapid extrusion of sub-arc mantle lithosphere

The Anita Peridotite, in southwestern New Zealand, is a ∼1 × 20 km ultramafic massif that was rapidly extruded from beneath a Cretaceous arc within the 4 km wide mylonitic Anita Shear Zone. The peridotitic body contains a spectacular array of textures that preserve evidence for changing temperature, stress, and deformation mechanisms during the exhumation process. Olivine and orthopyroxene microstructures and lattice-preferred orientations (LPO) record a three-phase deformation history. Dislocation glide on the C- and E-type slip systems is recorded by coarse pre-mylonitised olivine grains, and occurred under hydrous conditions at T ∼650 °C, stress ∼200–700 MPa and strain rate ∼10⁻¹⁵ s⁻¹, probably within hydrated sub-arc mantle lithosphere. Rare protomylonite pods record deformation by dislocation creep in porphyroclasts and dislocation-accommodated grain boundary sliding in the matrix on {0kl}[100] in olivine and (100)[001] in orthopyroxene, under conditions of T ∼730–770 °C, stress ∼52–700 MPa and strain rate ∼10⁻¹⁵ s⁻¹. The massif, however, is dominated by mylonite and ultramylonite that wrap the protomylonite pods, comprising mostly fine-grained olivine neoblasts that lack internal distortions and have uniform LPOs. These textures indicate deformation occurred by grain-size sensitive (GSS) creep at T ∼650 °C, stress ∼69–137 MPa and strain rate ∼10⁻¹⁵ s⁻¹, and thus during conditions of cooling and decreasing stress. GSS creep became more dominant with time, as the proportion of randomly-oriented neoblasts increased and formed interlinked networks that accommodated much of the strain. Grain boundary pinning allowed GSS creep to be maintained in polyphase regions, following mixing of olivine and orthopyroxene, which may have occurred by grain boundary transport in a fluid phase during a “creep cavitation” process. The results indicate that the Anita Peridotite recrystallised and underwent rheological weakening at a constant strain rate, with strain distributed across the entire section. This widespread deformation caused rapid exhumation of the peridotite from the lithospheric mantle into the overlying arc crust. The massif therefore records multiple overprinting phases of deformation under mantle and crustal conditions associated with the rapid exhumation of a large orogenic peridotite.     

A review of the pre-Permian geology of the Variscan French Massif Central

The Massif Central, like the southern part of the Massif Armoricain, belongs to the north Gondwana margin. The Massif Central consists of a stack of nappes resulting from six main tectonic-metamorphic events. The first, D₀, is coeval with a Late Silurian (ca 415 Ma) high-pressure (HP) (or ultra high-pressure) metamorphism for which the associated structures are poorly documented. The Early Devonian D₁ event, responsible for top-to-the-southwest nappe displacement, is coeval with migmatization and the exhumation of HP rocks around 385–380 Ma. In the northern part of the Massif Central, metamorphic rocks with retrogressed eclogites are covered by Late Devonian undeformed sedimentary rocks. The Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous D₂ event involves top-to-the-northwest shearing, coeval with an intermediate pressure-temperature metamorphism dated around 360–350 Ma. The Visean D₃ event is a top-to-the-south ductile shearing, which is widespread in the southern Massif Central. Coevally, in the northern Massif Central, the D₃ event corresponds to the onset of synorogenic extension. The next two events, D₄ and D₅, of Early and Late Carboniferous age, correspond to the syn- and late orogenic extensional tectonic regimes, respectively. The former is controlled by NW–SE stretching whereas the latter is accommodated by NNE–SSW stretching. These structural and metamorphic events are reconsidered in a geodynamic evolution model. The possibilities of one or two cycles involving microcontinent drifting, rewelding and collision are discussed.     

Differential Late Paleozoic active margin evolution in South-Central Chile (37°S–40°S) – the Lanalhue Fault Zone

The N–S oriented Coastal Cordillera of South Central Chile shows marked lithological contrasts along strike at ∼38°S. Here, the sinistral NW–SE-striking Lanalhue Fault Zone (nomen novum) juxtaposes Permo-Carboniferous magmatic arc granitoids and associated, frontally accreted metasediments (Eastern Series) in the northeast with a Late Carboniferous to Triassic basal-accretionary forearc wedge complex (Western Series) in the southwest. The fault is interpreted as an initially ductile deformation zone with divergent character, located in the eastern flank of the basally growing, upwarping, and exhuming Western Series. It was later transformed and reactivated as a semiductile to brittle sinistral transform fault. Rb–Sr data and fluid inclusion studies of late-stage fault-related mineralizations revealed Early Permian ages between 280 and 270 Ma for fault activity, with subsequent minor erosion. Regionally, crystallization of arc intrusives and related metamorphism occurred between ∼306 and ∼286 Ma, preceded by early increments of convergence-related deformation. Basal Western Series accretion started at >290 Ma and lasted to ∼250 Ma. North of the Lanalhue fault, Late Paleozoic magmatic arc granitoids are nearly 100 km closer to the present day Andean trench than further south. We hypothesize that this marked difference in paleo-forearc width is due to an Early Permian period of subduction erosion north of 38°S, contrasting with ongoing accretion further south, which kinematically triggered the evolution of the Lanalhue Fault Zone. Permo-Triassic margin segmentation was due to differential forearc accretion and denudation characteristics, and is now expressed in contrasting lithologies and metamorphic signatures in todays Andean forearc region north and south of the Lanalhue Fault Zone.     

Oligocene–Miocene thrusting in central Aegean: insights from the Cycladic island of Amorgos

In the central Aegean, the Cycladic island of Amorgos consists of two high‐pressure (HP) units, the marble‐rich Amorgos unit, which is correlated to the Mesozoic ‘cover’ sequence of the Menderes Massif, and the Cycladic Blueschist unit. New structural data show that the deformation history of the Amorgos HP‐rocks was principally governed by early Oligocene (or late Eocene)–early Miocene ductile to brittle thrusting (D₁–D₃) followed by middle–late Miocene oblique contractional movements (D₄–D₅). The D₁ phase caused syn‐blueschist‐facies ductile thrusting of the Cycladic Blueschist unit over the Amorgos unit, with ambiguous kinematics. Progressive deformation under continuous NW–SE compression produced a sequence of imbricate NW‐directed thrusts (D_2/3) characterized by a stratification of fault‐related rocks, with mylonitic zones (D₂) giving way downwards to cataclastic zones (D₃). Ductile D₂ thrusting synchronous to greenschist‐facies retrogression, was accompanied by mega‐sheath folding during constrictional and general shear deformation. Brittle D₃ thrusting was associated with NW‐verging F₃ folds trending at a high‐angle to the transport direction. Orthogonal contraction gave way to transpression during which the compression orientation changed from NW–SE (D₄) to NE–SW (D₅). Back‐arc related NW–SE pure extension (D₆) seems to have been established in post‐late Miocene times and related high‐angle normal faulting affected HP‐rocks only after they had already reached the uppermost crustal levels. Oligocene–early Miocene deformation history is interpreted to indicate syn‐compressional exhumation of HP‐rocks possibly in an extrusion wedge. In this case, Amorgos HP‐rocks should have occupied the base of the extrusion wedge. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deformation history and U–Pb zircon geochronology of the high grade metamorphic rocks within the Klaeng fault zone,eastern Thailand

In eastern Thailand the Klaeng fault zone includes a high-grade metamorphic rock assemblage, named Nong Yai Gneiss, which extends about 30 km in a NW–SE direction along the fault zone. The rocks of this brittle-fault strand consist of amphibolite to granulite grade gneissic rocks. Structural analysis indicates that the rocks in this area experienced three distinct episodes of deformation (D₁–D₃). The first (D₁) formed large-scale NW–SE-trending isoclinal folds (F₁) that were reworked by small-scale tight to open folds (F₂) during the second deformation (D₂). D₁ and D₂ resulted from NE–SW shortening during the Triassic Indosinian orogeny before being cross-cut by leucogranites. D₁ and D₂ fabrics were then reworked by D₃ sinistral shearing, including shear planes (S₃) and mineral stretching lineations (L₃). LA–MC–ICP–MS U–Pb zircon dating suggested that the leucogranite intrusion and the magmatic crystallization took place at 78.6 ± 0.7 Ma followed by a second crystallization at 67 ± 1 to 72.1 ± 0.6 Ma. Both crystallizations occurred in the Late Cretaceous and, it is suggested, were tectonically influenced by SE Asian region effects of the West Burma and Shan-Thai/Sibumasu collision or development of an Andean-type margin. The sinistral ductile movement of D₃ was coeval with the peak metamorphism that occurred in the Eocene during the early phases of the India–Asia collision.     

The origin and response of zircon in eclogite to metamorphism during the multi-stage evolution of the Huwan Shear Zone,China: Insights from Lu–Hf and U–Pb isotopic and trace element geochemistry

The Huwan Shear Zone (HSZ) is an eclogite bearing transpressive wrench zone located along the Shangdan Suture that juxtaposes the Paleozoic Qinling and Mesozoic Hong'an–Dabie orogenic terrains. The region preserves a complex history that bridges the gap between adjacent orogenic terrains. Simultaneous in-situ trace element, U–Th–Pb and Lu–Hf‐isotope analysis of zircon grains from samples of the Xiongdian and Sujiahe eclogite identify a late Carboniferous to early Permian period of high pressure metamorphism, ca. 283 to 306 Ma. Zircon grains are observed to respond to metamorphic overprint via a two stage process: (1) An initial prograde stage of fluid catalyzed interface coupled dissolution–reprecipitation, involving exsolution of a non-ideal solid solution thorite (ThSiO₄) end member and loss of highly incompatible components (LREE and Pb), (2) A second stage of coupled zircon dissolution, coarsening, and new rim growth in equilibrium with garnet at high pressure conditions.We identify Proterozoic whole rock Sm–Nd and zircon grain Lu–Hf isotopic evidence which challenges the traditional interpretation that the Xiongdian and Sujiahe eclogite formed in response to early Paleozoic mantle melting and oceanic crust generation. We argue the Huwan Shear Zone contains no conclusive evidence of early/middle Paleozoic oceanic crust, but rather Proterozoic crustal components analogous to those found in the Northern Qinling Terrain and associated with formation of the Shangdan Suture. We present a simpler geodynamic model involving continuous convergence and accretion of terrains onto the southern margin of the North China Block during the Paleozoic Qinling and Mesozoic Dabie orogenies.     

Geometry and kinematics of brittle deformation in the Central Cameroon Shear Zone (Kékem area): Implication for gold exploration within the Central Africa Fold Belt in Cameroon

The Central Africa Fold Belt (CAFB) is a collision belt endowed with gold deposits in Eastern Cameroon area mined for about 50 years. However, favorable areas for gold exploration are poorly known. This paper presents (1) the kinematics of the brittle deformation in the Kékem area in the SW portion of the Central Cameroon Shear Zone and (2) constraints gold mineralization events with respect to the collisional evolution of the CAFB. The authors interpret that the conjugate ENE to E and NNW to NW trending lineament corresponds to the synthetic (R) and the antithetic (R’) shears, which accompanied the dextral slip along the NE to ENE striking shear. The latter coincides with the last 570–552 Ma D₃ dextral simple shear-dominated transpression, which is parallel to the Bétaré Oya shear zone hosting gold deposits. Gold mineralizations, which mainly occurred during the last dextral shearing, are disseminated within quartz veins associated to Riedel’s previous structures reactivated due to late collisional activities of the CAFB as brittle deformation. Gold mineralizations occurred mainly during the 570–552 Ma D₃ event. The reactivation, which might be due to dextral simple shear during mylonitzation, plausibly remobilized the early gold deposits hosted in syn-compressional rocks and/or possibly focused deep-sourced fluid mixed with those released by dehydration. Therefore, the Central Cameroon Shear Zone where Kékem is located, and which shows similar petrographical and structural features to those controling Batouri gold district, is a target area for gold exploration in Cameroon.     

Diachronic metamorphic and structural evolution of the Connecticut Valley–Gaspé trough,Northern Appalachians

The Connecticut Valley–Gaspé (CVG) trough represents a major, orogen-scale Silurian–Devonian basin of the Northern Appalachians. From Gaspé Peninsula to southern New England, the CVG trough has experienced a contrasting metamorphic and structural evolution during the Acadian orogeny. Along its strike, the CVG trough is characterized by increasing strain and polyphase structures, and by variations in the intensity of regional metamorphism and contrasting abundance of c. 390–370 Ma granitic intrusions. In southern Quebec and northern Vermont, a series of NW–SE transects across the CVG trough have been studied in order to better understand these along-strike variations. Detailed structural analyses, combined with phase equilibria modelling, Raman spectrometry, and muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating highlight a progressive and incremental deformation involving south–north variation in the timing of metamorphism. Deformation evolves from a D₁ crustal thickening event which originates in Vermont and progresses to southern Québec where it peaked at 0.6 GPa/380°C at c. 375 Ma. This was followed by a D₂ event associated with continuous burial in Vermont from 378 to 355 Ma, which produced peak metamorphic conditions of 0.85 GPa/380°C and exhumation in Quebec from 368 to 360 Ma. The D₃ compressional exhumation event also evolved from south to north from 345 to 335 Ma. D₁ to D₃ deformation events form part of a continuum with an along-strike propagation rate of ~50 km/Ma During D₁, the burial depth varied by more than 15 km between southern Quebec and Vermont, and this can be attributed to the occurrence of a major crustal indenter, the Bronson Hill Arc massif, in the New England segment of the Acadian collision zone.     

Structural evolution and U–Pb SHRIMP zircon ages of the Neoproterozoic Maria da Fé shear zone,central Ribeira Belt – SE Brazil

The Maria da Fé Shear Zone (MFSZ) is a sinistral strike-slip kilometric-scale structure developed in the late Neoproterozoic during the assembly of Gondwana. The MFSZ development is related to the NW–SE collision between the São Francisco Paleocontinent and the Rio Negro Magmatic Arc, which formed the Ribeira Belt. This paper describes the shear zone in detail, concluding that the orientation and age are consistent with NW–SE shortening during the afore mentioned collision. A U–Pb SHRIMP Concordia age of 586.9 ± 8.7 Ma is reported from zircon grains of a granitic dyke that crystallised synkinematically to the main tectonic activity of the shear zone. Another group of zircon grains from the same sample generated an upper intercept age of 2083 ± 43 Ma anchored in the younger Concordia age. These zircon grains are interpreted as relict grains of the basement from which the granite dyke was generated by partial melting. The temperature during mylonitization in the MFSZ was estimated in the range from 450 to 600 °C, based on microstructures in quartz and feldspar. An earlier collision in the same region, between 640 and 610 Ma, led to an extensive nappe-stack with tectonic transport to ENE, integrating the southern Brasilia Belt. One of the thrust zones between these nappes in the studied area is the Cristina Shear Zone with mylonites that were generated under upper amphibolite to granulite facies conditions. Brittle-ductile E–W metric-scale shear zones are superimposed on the MFSZ, which were active in similar, but probably slightly cooler, metamorphic conditions (≈500 °C).     

Late Early Permian (266 Ma) N–S compressional deformation of the Turfan basin,NW China: the cause of the change in basin pattern

Previous studies suggested an important, but yet poorly-understood, tectonic transition in the Altaids (also termed the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, CAOB) in the Permian. This tectonic transition, clearly documented by published stratigraphic data and provenance analyses, suggested a unified Junger–Turfan basin in northwest China in Permian time and it further indicated that extension dominated Early Permian tectonics in the region, whereas flexural, foreland subsidence controlled Late Permian basin evolution. Our new structural observations, microtectonic analyses, and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronological data from southwest of the Turfan basin reveal that in the late Early Permian (266 Ma) a NS-directed contractional deformation operated along the southern border of the unified Junger–Turfan basin, which was probably related to the transition in basin evolution. The contraction gave rise to a NW-striking right-lateral transpressional, rather than simple-shear dextral, ductile shear zone along the southwestern border of the Turfan basin, and to an interference fold pattern together with closely-spaced, concentrated cleavage and thrusts in a constrictional strain regime in the basin interior. After the Late Permian the tectonic evolution of the CAOB changed from Paleozoic continental amalgamation to Mesozoic–Cenozoic intracontinental orogenic reactivation.     

Phanerozoic polyorogenic deformation in southern Jiuling Massif,northern South China block: Constraints from structural analysis and geochronology

The structure of the Jiuling Massif has been investigated in order to delineate the polyorogenic deformation and discuss its geodynamic evolution and orogenic mechanisms. Detailed structural analysis indicates that the D₁ event is characterized by top-to-the NNW ductile shearing with pervasive foliation, and mineral and stretching lineation developed in the entire region. Compared with the D₁ deformation, D₂ structures are localized in ductile shear zones with subvertical foliation and subhorizontal E–W trending lineation, indicating a dextral ductile shearing. The D₃ event, marked by folds and thrusts mainly in a brittle domain, modified the D₁ structures by asymmetrical folds. The dominant D₄ structures are gravitational folds and normal faults, corresponding to a later extension. Our new geochronological data suggest that the D₁ event occurred between 465 and 380 Ma with D₂ dextral shearing at the end of this Early Paleozoic orogen, and the D₃ event has been constrained at 245–215 Ma. The final uplift of the Jiuling Massif by the D₄ event can be correlated with the Late Mesozoic extension across the eastern South China block. Along with previous studies in the South China block, the structural pattern of the Jiuling Massif elucidates the influence of the Early Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic intracontinental belts triggered by repeated reactivation of the Jiangshan–Shaoxing Fault. Combined with deformation to the south, the Early Paleozoic belt shows a positive flower pattern, with opposing kinematics, rooted in the Jiangshan–Shaoxing Fault. During the Early Mesozoic, a general intracontinental belt was developed with uniform kinematics in both the Jiuling Massif and the Xuefengshan Belt, possibly resulted from the far-field effect of the Triassic NW-directed Paleo-Pacific subduction.     

Provenance of the Permo–Carboniferous sediments in the northern Alxa and its tectonic implications for the southernmost Central Asian Orogenic Belt

As the southernmost segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), the northern Alxa orogenic belt (NAOB) connects the southeastern and southwestern segments of the CAOB. The NAOB amalgamated with the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean; however, the closure time of the Paleo-Asian Ocean is still on great debate. In this study, we reported new detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology and Hf–O isotopes for the Permo–Carboniferous sediments in the northern Alxa to constrain the provenance and its tectonic implications. The Permo–Carbonifereous Amushan Formation is composed of volcanic-carbonite-clastic rocks and was deposited in a shallow marine environment. Based on the zircon U–Pb geochronology, the Amushan Formation was deposited in the late Carboniferous to early Permian, but some outcrops of volcanic and clastic rocks in the Quaganqulu area were likely formed in the middle to late Permian. The integrated zircon age spectrum for the clastic rocks shows a wide range from late Archean to Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic (with a peak age at 1458 ​Ma), early Neoproterozoic (with peak ages of 988 ​Ma and 929 ​Ma), early Paleozoic (with a peak age at 447 ​Ma) and late Paleozoic (with a peak age at 294 ​Ma). Combined with the zircon Hf–O isotopes, the provenance was considered to be the Alxa Block, the Shalazhashan terrane and the Zhusileng–Hangwula block (and the southern Beishan orogenic belt). The multiple source regions to the south and north of the Paleo-Asian Ocean indicate the closure of this ocean before the late Carboniferous. The absence or small proportion of depositional age-approximated zircons in most samples makes their age spectra similar to extensional basins. Combined with the intra-plate volcanism, the deposits were considered to be formed in extensional settings. Accordingly, after the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, the NAOB stepped into an extensional stage.