Terrane sutures in the Maine Appalachians,USA and adjacent areas

Terrane sutures in the Maine Appalachians and adjacent areas are recognized as melange dominated, deformed accretionary prisms of Ordovician age, and as a broad synmetamorphic transcurrent fault zone of probable Late Silurian-Early Devonian age. Although the accretionary prisms are associated with present day aeromagnetic and Bouguer gravity anomalies, they are probably not associated with present day crustal penetrating boundaries. The geology of the accretionary prisms indicates subduction-obduction dominated regimes during which (1) the Gander and Boundary Mountain (Dunnage) terranes amalgamated and (2) the composite Boundary Mountain-Gander terrane accreted to the Laurentian margin. The Penobscottian orogeny produced and deformed the older of the two accretionary prisms. This accretionary prism indicates that the Penobscottian was a continuous or perhaps diachronous event which spanned the late Cambrian to early Late Ordovician. The younger accretionary prism was produced and deformed during the Taconian orogeny during late Middle to early Late Ordovician. Initial deformation of this accretionary prism may have overlapped the waning stages of the Penobscottian. Portions of the Taconian arc locally overlie the Penobscottian accretionary prism. A synmetamorphic fault zone lies within Precambrian(?) to Ordovician(?) bimodal metavolcanic and metapelitic rocks assigned here to the Avalon terrane. This zone is several kilometres wide and is interpreted to be the postsubduction suture between the Avalon and Gander terranes, and may, in part, represent a fossil transform fault system. The fault zone contains phyllonites as well as shear zones which generally record dextral motion. The phyllonites were previously interpreted as a stratigraphic unit, whereas the shear zones span or are contained within mappable compositional units. Formation of and movement along these phyllonites and shear zones ceased before the intrusion of Early Devonian plutons. Not all faults in south-western Maine are related to the suture. Younger dip and/or strike-slip and thrust faults are approximately parallel to, or may lie within, the older shear zones and they complicate the recognition of the older faults.     

The Anglo-Brabant Massif: Persistent but enigmatic palaeo-relief at the heart of western Europe

The surface geology of central England and Belgium obscures a large ‘basement’ massif with a complex history and stronger crust and lithosphere than surrounding regions. The nucleus was forged by subduction-related magmatism at the Gondwana margin in Ediacaran time. Partitioning into a platform, in the English Midlands, and a basin stretching to Belgium, in the east, was already evident in Cambrian/earliest Ordovician time. The accretion of the Monian Composite Terrane during the Penobscotian deformation phase preceded late Tremadocian rifting, and Floian separation, of the Avalonia Terrane from the Gondwana margin. Late Ordovician magmatism in a belt from the Lake District to Belgium records subduction beneath Avalonia of part of the Tornquist Sea. This ‘Western Pacific-style’ oceanic basin closed in latest Ordovician time, uniting Avalonia and Baltica. Closure of the Iapetus Ocean in early Silurian time was soon followed by closure of the Rheic Ocean, recorded by subduction along the southern margin of the massif. The causes of late Caledonian deformation are poorly understood and controversial. Partitioned behaviour of the massif persisted into late Palaeozoic time. Late Devonian and Carboniferous sequences show strong onlap onto the massif, which was little affected by crustal extension. Compressional deformation during the Variscan Orogeny also appears slight, and was focussed in the west where a wedge-shaped mountain foreland uplift was driven by orogenic indentation, splitting the massif from the Welsh Massif along the reactivated Malvern Line. Permian to Mesozoic sequences exhibit persistent but variable degrees of onlap onto the massif.     

Early Ordovician terrane accretion along the Gondwanian margin of the East Antarctic Craton: new Pb/Pb titanite ages from the Tonalite Belt, North Victoria Land, Antarctica

Early Palaeozoic subduction of the palaeo-Pacific plate and terrane accretion along the palaeomargin of the East Antarctic Craton is well-documented in North Victoria Land, where the Tonalite Belt is a complex of synkinematic intrusions emplaced within the Lanterman–Murchison Shear Zone at the boundary between the Wilson Terrane and the allochthonous Bowers Terrane. Stepwise leaching Pb/Pb and U–Pb studies of titanite separates carried out on two well-foliated samples of tonalites yielded ages of deformation bracketed between 490 and 480 Ma with an isochron age of 480 ±13 Myr. Ar/Ar and K–Ar ages of 477 Myr in the metamorphic rocks of accreted terranes point to fast cooling and uplift after accretion. The new titanite ages, compared with a regional distribution of magmatic and metamorphic ages, indicate an early Ordovician age for terrane collision and amalgamation. As a consequence of collision, subduction shifted to an outward position along the palaeomargin of the East Antarctic Craton.     

The Scandinavian Caledonides: a complexity of collisions

Thrust sheets dominate the structural framework of the Scandinavian Caledonides. Sheets at lower tectonostratigraphic levels comprise the shortened margin of the continent Baltica and, at higher levels, terranes derived outboard from this continent in oceanic or foreign continental environments. Amalgamation of these terranes with the margin of Baltica occurred during closure of the Iapetus Ocean in the early Palaeozoic. Closure involved subduction of oceanic crust, extensional tectonics and continent-arc collisions during the late Cambrian and early Ordovician, and ultimate continent-continent collision during the Silurian and Devonian.     

Evolution of the southeastern Lachlan Fold Belt in Victoria

The Benambra Terrane of southeastern Australia is the eastern, allochthonous portion of the Lachlan Fold Belt with a distinctive Early Silurian to Early Devonian history. Its magmatic, metamorphic, structural, tectonic and stratigraphic histories are different from the adjacent, autochthonous Whitelaw Terrane and record prolonged orogen‐parallel dextral displacement. Unlike the Whitelaw Terrane, parts of the proto‐Benambra Terrane were affected by extensive Early Silurian plutonism associated with high T/low P metamorphism. The orogen‐parallel movement (north‐south) is in addition to a stronger component of east‐west contraction. Three main orogenic pulses deformed the Victorian portion of the terrane. The earliest, the Benambran Orogeny, was the major cratonisation event in the Lachlan Fold Belt and caused amalgamation of the components that comprise the Benambra Terrane. It produced faults, tight folding and strong cleavage with both east‐west and north‐south components of compression. The Bindian (= Bowning) Orogeny, not seen in the Whitelaw Terrane, was the main period of southward tectonic transport in the Benambra Terrane. It was characterised by the development of large strike‐slip faults that controlled the distribution of second‐generation cleavage, acted as conduits for syntectonic granites and controlled the deformation of Upper Silurian sequences. Strike‐slip and thrust faults form complex linked systems that show kinematic indicators consistent with overall southward tectonic transport. A large transform fault is inferred to have accommodated approximately 600 km of dextral strike‐slip displacement between the Whitelaw and Benambra Terranes. The Benambran and Bindian Orogenies were each followed by periods of extension during which small to large basins formed and were filled by thick sequences of volcanics and sediments, partly or wholly marine. Some of the extension appears to have occurred along pre‐existing fractures. Silurian basins were inverted during the Bindian Orogeny and Early Devonian basins by the Tabberabberan Orogeny. In the Melbourne Zone, just west of the Benambra Terrane, sedimentation patterns in this interval, in particular the complete absence of material derived from the deforming Benambra Terrane, indicate that the two terranes were not juxtaposed until just before the Tabberabberan Orogeny. This orogeny marked the end of orogen‐parallel movement and brought about the amalgamation of the Whitelaw and Benambra Terranes along the Governor Fault. Upper Devonian continental sediments and volcanics form a cover sequence to the terranes and their structural zones and show that no significant rejuvenation of older structures occurred after the Middle Devonian.     

U-Pb geochronology of Late Palaeozoic plutons,Cobequid Highlands,Nova Scotia,Canada: evidence for Late Devonian emplacement adjacent to the Meguma-Avalon terrane boundary in the Canadian Appalachians

The Cobequid Highlands in the Canadian Appalachian orogen lie within Avalonia adjacent to the Meguma Terrane. U-Pb (zircon) data show that the age range of voluminous bimodal plutonism in the highlands is from 358 to 363 Ma (late Devonian). This age range is much narrower than that previously suggested by Rb/Sr geochronology and confirms that the Cobequid Highlands preserve the youngest large-scale plutonic event in the Canadian Appalachians. Late Palaeozoic tectonic history of the Appalachian orogen is profoundly influenced by predominantly dextral motion on the Avalon-Meguma terrane boundary. This age of plutonism is coeval with previously published ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar (muscovite) plateau ages derived from shear zones in the Meguma terrane adjacent to the terrane boundary, which is defined by the Minas fault zone. The NNE trending structural grain of the Appalachian orogen is disturbed in this area by the E-W Minas fault zone and pluton emplacement may have been associated with motion along this terrane boundary.     

祁漫塔格造山带——青藏高原北部地壳演化窥探

祁漫塔格是东昆仑造山带的一个分支,位于青藏高原中北部,夹持于柴达木盆地和库木库里盆地中间,向西被阿尔金走滑断裂错段。从元古代到早中生代,由于受到多期、多阶段大洋俯冲和关闭影响,导致不同地体间发生碰撞拼贴和大陆增生过程,并由此引发一系列的岩浆事件。祁漫塔格造山带内发育新元古代花岗岩(1000~820 Ma)是对Rodinia超大陆形成的响应。以阿达滩和白干湖逆冲断裂为界,划分为南、北祁漫塔格两地体。北祁漫塔格地体作为活动大陆边缘,发育大量的早古生代与俯冲有关的花岗岩和VA型蛇绿岩;南祁漫塔格地体最初为洋内俯冲形成的原始大洋岛弧,发育早古生代SSZ型蛇绿岩、岛弧拉斑玄武岩和钙碱性火山岩。随着持续俯冲,年轻岛弧伴伴随地壳加厚转变为成熟岛弧。南、北祁漫塔格地体间的碰撞(弧-陆碰撞)可能发生在晚志留世(422Ma),并持续到早泥盆世(398Ma)。在此期间(422~389Ma),南祁漫塔格地体内发育一系列同碰撞型花岗岩;北祁漫塔格地体内发育一系列的大洋岛弧花岗岩。南祁漫塔格作为外来地体,碰撞拼贴对于大陆边缘、大陆增生意义重大。之后,南、北祁漫塔格地体进入后碰撞环境并发育一系列板内花岗岩。此外,伸展导致造山带垮塌,发育中泥盆统磨拉石建造。碰撞使得海沟后退,海沟阻塞导致俯冲减弱甚至停止,因而产生了石炭-二叠纪(357~251 Ma)岩浆活动缺口。古特提斯祁漫塔格洋的最终关闭可能始于晚二叠世,使得库木库里微板块拼贴于大陆边缘;碰撞抬升导致缺失上二叠统-中三叠统地层。早中三叠世(251~237 Ma)由于碰撞,俯冲大洋板片回转,之后断离,软流圈地幔物质沿岩石圈地幔通道上涌,使得新生下地壳部分熔融;到了晚三叠世,大规模岩石圈地幔和下地壳物质拆沉,导致古老地壳物质发生熔融,形成了一系列后碰撞背景下的钙碱性和碱性花岗岩。     

大别山低级变质岩的构造背景

大别山南北两侧的浅变质岩是碰撞造山以前洋壳俯冲造山阶段的重要组成部分。木兰山片岩或张八岭群是俯冲的洋壳;苏家河群、信阳群和佛子岭群是由洋壳俯冲形成的海沟沉积,并因俯冲过程中的前进变形而形成增生楔;杨山煤系和梅山群是石炭纪弧前盆地沉积,并因俯冲过程中的前进变形而被增生楔逆掩。宿松群是扬子大陆被动边缘沉积,不是俯冲造山带的成员。因洋壳俯冲形成的弧和弧后盆地可能已被新生界沉积物掩盖。高压—超高压变质带是碰撞造山后期从深部折返的外来体。高压—超高压变质带正好处于洋壳和增生楔之间,破坏了早期洋壳俯冲造山带的完整性,使得洋壳俯冲造山阶段的特征被破坏,因而不易辨别。俯冲造山阶段应为奥陶纪到泥盆纪,碰撞造山阶段应从二叠纪开始。     

大别山低级变质岩的构造背景

大别山南北两侧的浅变质岩是碰撞造山以前洋壳俯冲造山阶段的重要组成部分。木兰山片岩或张八岭群是俯冲的洋壳;苏家河群、信阳群和佛子岭群是由洋壳俯冲形成的海沟沉积,并因俯冲过程中的前进变形而形成增生楔;杨山煤系和梅山群是石炭纪弧前盆地沉积,并因俯冲过程中的前进变形而被增生楔逆掩。宿松群是扬子大陆被动边缘沉积,不是俯冲造山带的成员。因洋壳俯冲形成的弧和弧后盆地可能已被新生界沉积物掩盖。高压-超高压变质带是碰撞造山后期从深部折返的外来体。高压-超高压变质带正好处于洋壳和增生楔之间,破坏了早期洋壳俯冲造山带的完整性,使得洋壳俯冲造山阶段的特征被破坏,因而不易辨别。俯冲造山阶段应为奥陶纪到泥盆纪,碰撞造山阶段应从二叠纪开始。     

东北亚中生代洋陆过渡带的研究及启示

从中生代起,亚洲大陆作为一个统一的大陆岩石圈板块,开始了大陆边缘的组建和改造。本文采用构造地层-地体观点,依据生物地层学和碰撞造山带的不同特征,将东北亚洋陆过渡带从西到东分成了7个带:(1)受郯庐断裂系改造的华北克拉通东缘带;(2)以近陆缘物质为主的增生带I;(3)以异源混杂堆积为主的增生带II;(4)新西伯利亚-楚科奇-阿拉斯加陆缘增生带III;(5)陆缘火山-深成岩带;(6)科里亚克增生带IV;(7)堪察加-萨哈林-东北日本增生带V。其中自早白垩世末至古新世初形成的楚科奇海-东锡霍特阿林的火山-深成岩带作为太平洋板块开始正向俯冲并导致弧岩浆活动的重要标志。此前晚三叠世至早白垩世末,在转换大陆边缘活动背景下,大量低纬度的外来地体以左旋平移断裂作用向北迁移并斜拼贴在陆缘。时空格局的分带性和阶段性清晰地展示了东北亚大陆边缘洋陆演化的关系。作者基于上述研究,并结合其他学科近期研究成果,对中国东部中生代岩浆作用与太平洋板块俯冲作用的关系进行了讨论,认为中国东部晚侏罗世-早白垩世大规模岩浆活动的高峰期正值东北亚洋陆过渡带转换大陆边缘活动和地体拼贴增生的阶段。然而太平洋板块正向俯冲主要发生在早白垩世末-晚白垩世,此时我国东部的大规模岩浆活动业已结束。因此难以将中国东部的岩浆活动与太平洋板块的正向俯冲作用相联系。以年轻陆壳组成的大兴安岭为例,作者提出晚侏罗世-早白垩世不同深度的两种地质作用同时控制着中国东部岩浆活动的源区特征和侵位的空间:即深部软流圈底辟上涌与中-上部地壳受到的洋陆之间的剪切走滑作用形成的变形。     

热水沉积成矿盆地的热状态及热演化分析与研究思路--热水沉积成矿盆地分析与研究之四

根据对秦岭泥盆纪沉积盆地的构造成盆 -后期构造变形特征研究 ,秦岭造山带泥盆纪热水沉积成矿盆地中构造 -热流体地质事件可初步厘定如下 :1中泥盆世伸展构造成盆 -热水同生沉积成矿事件 (D1)。2晚泥盆世 -石炭纪伸展变形 -深源热流体叠加事件 (D2 )。3印支期挤压收缩变形 -热改造事件 (D3 )。 4燕山期逆冲推覆构造改造 -深源热流体叠加及脆性变形事件 (D4 )。 5喜玛拉雅山期脆性变形 (D5)。从盆地热状态及热演化研究角度看 ,盆地内充填地层体中有机质及矿物可以记录热状态及热演化历史 ,利用盆地内充填地层体中有机质及矿物温度计可以反演盆地内充填地层体形成时盆地热状态和盆地底部热流。认为热水沉积成矿盆地热状态及热演化主要研究方法有主要矿物流体包裹体测温、镜质体反射率 (R0 )法、氧同位素地质温度计法等。     

Gondwanaland origin, dispersion, and accretion of East and Southeast Asian continental terranes

East and Southeast Asia is a complex assembly of allochthonous continental terranes, island arcs, accretionary complexes and small ocean basins. The boundaries between continental terranes are marked by major fault zones or by sutures recognized by the presence of ophiolites, mélanges and accretionary complexes. Stratigraphical, sedimentological, paleobiogeographical and paleomagnetic data suggest that all of the East and Southeast Asian continental terranes were derived directly or indirectly from the Iran-Himalaya-Australia margin of Gondwanaland. The evolution of the terranes is one of rifting from Gondwanaland, northwards drift and amalgamation/accretion to form present day East Asia. Three continental silvers were rifted from the northeast margin of Gondwanaland in the Silurian-Early Devonian (North China, South China, Indochina/East Malaya, Qamdo-Simao and Tarim terranes), Early-Middle Permian (Sibumasu, Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes) and Late Jurassic (West Burma terrane, Woyla terranes). The northwards drift of these terranes was effected by the opening and closing of three successive Tethys oceans, the Paleo-Tethys, Meso-Tethys and Ceno-Tethys. Terrane assembly took place between the Late Paleozoic and Cenozoic, but the precise timings of amalgamation and accretion are still contentious. Amalgamation of South China and Indochina/East Malaya occurred during the Early Carboniferous along the Song Ma Suture to form “Cathaysialand”. Cathaysialand, together with North China, formed a large continental region within the Paleotethys during the Late Carboniferous and Permian. Paleomagnetic data indicate that this continental region was in equatorial to low northern paleolatitudes which is consistent with the tropical Cathaysian flora developed on these terranes. The Tarim terrane (together with the Kunlun, Qaidam and Ala Shan terranes) accreted to Kazakhstan/Siberia in the Permian. This was followed by the suturing of Sibumasu and Qiangtang to Cathaysialand in the Late Permian-Early Triassic, largely closing the Paleo-Tethys. North and South China were amalgamated in the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic and finally welded to Laurasia around the same time. The Lhasa terrane accreted to the Sibumasu-Qiangtang terrane in the Late Jurassic and the Kurosegawa terrane of Japan, interpreted to be derived from Australian Gondwanaland, accreted to Japanese Eurasia, also in the Late Jurassic. The West Burma and Woyla terranes drifted northwards during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous as the Ceno-Tethys opened and the Meso-Tethys was destroyed by subduction beneath Eurasia and were accreted to proto-Southeast Asia in the Early to Late Cretaceous. The Southwest Borneo and Semitau terranes amalgamated to each other and accreted to Indochina/East Malaya in the Late Cretaceous and the Hainanese terranes probably accreted to South China sometime in the Cretaceous.     

Distribution and characteristics of metamorphic belts in the south-eastern Alaska part of the North American Cordillera

The Cordilleran orogen in south-eastern Alaska includes 14 distinct metamorphic belts that make up three major metamorphic complexes, from east to west: the Coast plutonic–metamorphic complex in the Coast Mountains; the Glacier Bay–Chichagof plutonic–metamorphic complex in the central part of the Alexander Archipelago; and the Chugach plutonic–metamorphic complex in the northern outer islands. Each of these complexes is related to a major subduction event. The metamorphic history of the Coast plutonic–metamorphic complex is lengthy and is related to the Late Cretaceous collision of the Alexander and Wrangellia terranes and the Gravina overlap assemblage to the west against the Stikine terrane to the east. The metamorphic history of the Glacier Bay–Chichagof plutonic–metamorphic complex is relatively simple and is related to the roots of a Late Jurassic to late Early Cretaceous island arc. The metamorphic history of the Chugach plutonic–metamorphic complex is complicated and developed during and after the Late Cretaceous collision of the Chugach terrane with the Wrangellia and Alexander terranes. The Coast plutonic–metamorphic complex records both dynamothermal and regional contact metamorphic events related to widespread plutonism within several juxtaposed terranes. Widespread moderate-P/T dynamothermal metamorphism affected most of this complex during the early Late Cretaceous, and local high-P/T metamorphism affected some parts during the middle Late Cretaceous. These events were contemporaneous with low- to moderate-P, high-T metamorphism elsewhere in the complex. Finally, widespread high-P–T conditions affected most of the western part of the complex in a culminating late Late Cretaceous event. The eastern part of the complex contains an older, pre-Late Triassic metamorphic belt that has been locally overprinted by a widespread middle Tertiary thermal event. The Glacier Bay–Chichagof plutonic–metamorphic complex records dominantly regional contact-metamorphic events that affected rocks of the Alexander and Wrangellia terranes. Widespread low-P, high-T assemblages occur adjacent to regionally extensive foliated granitic, dioritic and gabbroic rocks. Two closely related plutonic events are recognized, one of Late Jurassic age and another of late Early and early Late Cretaceous age; the associated metamorphic events are indistinguishable. A small Late Devonian or Early Mississippian dynamothermal belt occurs just north-east of the complex. Two older low-grade regional metamorphic belts on strike with the complex to the south are related to a Cambrian to Ordovician orogeny and to a widespread Middle Silurian to Early Devonian orogeny. The Chugach plutonic–metamorphic complex records a widespread late Late Cretaceous low- to medium/high-P, moderate- T metamorphic event and a local transitional or superposed early Tertiary low-P, high-T regional metamorphic event associated with mesozonal granitic intrusions that affected regionally deformed and metamorphosed rocks of the Chugach terrane. The Chugach complex also includes a post-Late Triassic to pre-Late Jurassic belt with uncertain relations to the younger belts.     

Paleozoic accretionary orogenesis in the eastern Beishan orogen: Constraints from zircon U–Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology

The continental growth mechanism of the Altaids in Central Asia is still in controversy between models of continuous subduction–accretion versus punctuated accretion by closure of multiple oceanic basins. The Beishan orogenic belt, located in the southern Altaids, is a natural laboratory to address this controversy. Key questions that are heavily debated are: the closure time and subduction polarity of former oceans, the emplacement time of ophiolites, and the styles of accretion and collision. This paper reports new structural data, U- Pb and Ar–Ar ages from the eastern Beishan orogen that provide information on the accretion process and tectonic affiliation of various terranes. Our geochronological and structural results show that the younging direction of accretion was northwards and the subduction zone dipped southwards under the northern margin of the Shuangyingshan micro-continent. This long-lived and continuous accretion process formed the Hanshan accretionary prism. Our field investigations show that the emplacement of the Xiaohuangshan ophiolite was controlled by oceanic crust subduction beneath the forearc accretionary prism of the Shuangyingshan–Mazongshan composite arc to the south. Moreover, we address the age and terrane affiliation of lithologies in the eastern Beishan orogen through detrital zircon geochronology of meta-sedimentary rocks. We provide new information on the ages, subduction polarities, and affiliation of constituent structural units, as well as a new model of tectonic evolution of the eastern Beishan orogen. The accretionary processes and crustal growth of Central Asia were the result of multiple sequences of accretion and collision of manifold terranes.     

Orogenesis and Basin Development: U-Pb Detrital Zircon Age Constraints on Evolution of the Late Paleozoic St. Marys Basin, Central Mainland Nova Scotia

The St. Marys Basin, along the southern flank of the composite Late Paleozoic Magdalen Basin in the Canadian Appalachians and along the Avalon-Meguma terrane boundary, contains Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous continental clastic rocks of the Horton Group that were deposited in fluvial and lacustrine environments after the peak of the Acadian orogeny. SHRIMP II (Geological Survey of Canada) data on approximately 100 detrital zircons from three samples of Horton Group rocks from the St. Marys Basin show that most of the zircons have been involved in a multistage history, recycled from clastic rocks in the adjacent Meguma and Avalonian terranes. Although there is a minor contribution from Early Silurian (411 Ma) and Late Devonian suites (ca. 380-370 Ma), Neoproterozoic (ca. 700-550 Ma) and Paleoproterozoic (ca. 2.0-2.2 Ga) zircon populations predominate, with a minor contribution from ca. 1.0-, 1.2-, and 1.8-Ga zircons. Published U-Pb single-zircon analyses on clastic sedimentary rocks indicate that the Meguma and Avalon terranes have different populations of detrital zircons, sourced from discrete portions (Amazonian and West African cratons) of the ancient Gondwanan margin. Both terranes contain Neoproterozoic and Late Archean populations. The SHRIMP data, in conjunction with published sedimentological and geochemical data, indicate that the Horton Group basin-fill sediments are largely the result of rapid uplift and erosion of Meguma terrane metasedimentary and granitoid rocks immediately to the south of the St. Marys Basin during the waning stages of the Acadian orogeny. Regional syntheses indicate that this uplift occurred before and during deposition and was a consequence of dextral ramping of the Meguma terrane over the Avalon terrane along the southern flank of the Magdalen Basin.     

Plate-driven extension and convergence along the East Gondwana active margin: Late Silurian–Middle Devonian tectonics of the Lachlan Fold Belt,southeastern Australia

The Lachlan Fold Belt of southeastern Australia developed along the Panthalassan margin of East Gondwana. Major silicic igneous activity and active tectonics with extensional, strike-slip and contractional deformation have been related to a continental backarc setting with a convergent margin to the east. In the Early Silurian (Benambran Orogeny), tectonic development was controlled by one or more subduction zones involved in collision and accretion of the Ordovician Macquarie Arc. Thermal instability in the Late Silurian to Middle Devonian interval was promoted by the presence of one or more shallow subducted slabs in the upper mantle and resulted in widespread silicic igneous activity. Extension dominated the Late Silurian in New South Wales and parts of eastern Victoria and led to formation of several sedimentary basins. Alternating episodes of contraction and extension, along with dispersed strike-slip faulting particularly in eastern Victoria, occurred in the Early Devonian culminating in the Middle Devonian contractional Tabberabberan Orogeny. Contractional deformation in modern systems, such as the central Andes, is driven by advance of the overriding plate, with highest strain developed at locations distant from plate edges. In the Ordovician to Early Devonian, it is inferred that East Gondwana was advancing towards Panthalassa. Extensional activity in the Lachlan backarc, although minor in comparison with backarc basins in the western Pacific Ocean, was driven by limited but continuous rollback of the subduction hinge. Alternation of contraction and extension reflects the delicate balance between plate motions with rollback being overtaken by advance of the upper plate intermittently in the Early to Middle Devonian resulting in contractional deformation in an otherwise dominantly extensional regime. A modern system that shows comparable behaviour is East Asia where rollback is considered responsible for widespread sedimentary basin development and basin inversion reflects advance of blocks driven by compression related to the Indian collision.     

Marginal accretion processes of Jiamusi Block in NE China: Evidences from detrital zircon U-Pb age and deformation of the Wandashan Terrane

The eastern segment of Central Asian Orogenic Belt underwent not only a long evolution history related to the Paleo-Asian Ocean during Paleozoic but also the tectonic overprinting by the westward subduction of Paleo-Pacific Ocean crust during Mesozoic. When the subduction of Paleo-Pacific Ocean crust started has been long debated issue for understanding the tectonic evolution of the eastern Asian continental margin. The eastern margin of the Jimusi Block (Wandashan Terrane) preserved complete records for the accretionary process of the westward subduction of Paleo-Pacific Ocean crust. Comprising the Yuejinshan Complex and Raohe Accretionary Complex (RAC), the Wandashan Terrane is located in the eastern margin of Jiamusi Block, NE China, and is considered to be an accretionary wedge of the westward subducting oceanic crust. To reconstruct the marginal accretion processes of the Jiamusi Block, the structural deformation of the Wandashan Terrane was investigated in the field and the geochronology of the Dalingqiao and Yongfuqiao formations were studied, which were formed syn-and-post RAC accretion respectively. The Yuejinshan and Raohe complexes were discontinuously accreted to the eastern margin of the Jiamusi Block. Contrary to the previous consideration of the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic, this study suggests that the Yuejianshan Complex in southwest Wandashan Terrane probably accreted from Late Carboniferous to Middle Permian, which was driven by unknown oceanic crust subduction existing to the east (present position) of the Jiamusi Block at that time. The siltstones of the Dalingqiao Fm. yield the youngest zircon U-Pb age of 142 ± 2 Ma, indicating the emplacement of the RAC not earlier than the Late Jurassic. Thus, the RAC might start to accrete from the Jurassic and emplace during 142–131 Ma, resulted from the Paleo-Pacific subduction which started from the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic.     

内蒙古中部花岗质岩类年代学格架及该区构造岩浆演化探讨

内蒙古中部广泛出露花岗质岩类,这些花岗质岩类的时空分布及岩石组合类型的变化,反映了华北板块北缘与蒙古陆块碰撞拼合的进程.本文从花岗质岩类的角度对古亚洲洋在内蒙古中部地区的演化进行了探讨.古亚洲洋在该区的演化经历了十分复杂的过程,包括奥陶纪双向俯冲、志留纪拼贴/增生、泥盆纪拉张、二叠纪南部带俯冲和北部带拉张、并以晚古生代末至早中生代初发生的陆-陆碰撞为标志宣告该区洋盆演化的结束.     

Paleozoic and Lower Mesozoic magmas from the eastern Klamath Mountains (North California) and the geodynamic evolution of northwestern America

The Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic geology of the eastern Klamath Mountains (N California) is characterized by three major magmatic events of Ordovician, Late Ordovician to Early Devonian, and Permo-Triassic ages. The Ordovician event is represented by a calc-alkalic island-arc sequence (Lovers Leap Butte sequence) developed in the vicinity of a continental margin. The Late Ordovician to Early Devonian event consists of the 430–480 Ma old Trinity ophiolite formed during the early development of a marginal basin, and a series of low-K tholeiitic volcanic suites (Lovers Leap Basalt—Keratophyre unit, Copley and Balaklala Formations) belonging to intraoceanic island-arcs. Finally, the Permo-Triassic event gave rise to three successives phases of volcanic activity (Nosoni, Dekkas and Bully Hill) represented by the highly differentiated basalt-to-rhyolite low-K tholeiitic series of mature island-arcs. The Permo-Triassic sediments are indicative of shallow to moderate depth in an open, warm sea. The geodynamic evolution of the eastern Klamath Mountains during Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic times is therefore constrained by the geological, petrological and geochemical features of its island-arcs and related marginal basin.

A consistent plate-tectonic model is proposed for the area, consisting of six main stages:

1. (1) development during Ordovician times of a calc-alkalic island-arc in the vicinity of a continental margin;

2. (2) extrusion during Late Ordovician to Silurian times of a primitive basalt-andesite intraoceanic island-arc suite, which terminated with boninites, the latter suggest rifting in the fore-arc, followed by the breakup of the arc;

3. (3) opening and development of the Trinity back-arc basin around 430–480 Ma ago;

4. (4) eruption of the Balaklala Rhyolite either in the arc or in the fore-arc, ending in Early Devonian time with intrusion of the 400 Ma Mule Mountain stock;

5. (5) break in volcanic activity from the Early Devonian to the Early Permian; and

6. (6) development of a mature island-arc from the Early Permian to the Late Triassic.

The eastern Klamath Mountains island-arc formations and ophiolitic suite are part of the “Cordilleran suspect terranes”, considered to be Gondwana margin fragments, that have undergone large northward translations before final collision with the North American craton during Late Mesozoic or Cenozoic times. These eastern Klamath Mountains island-arcs could be associated with the paleo-Pacific oceanic plate that led to accretion of these allochthonous terranes to the American margin.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001113

The Rheic Ocean was one of the most important oceans of the Paleozoic Era.It lay between Laurentia and Gondwana from the Early Ordovician and closed to produce the vast Ouachita-Alleghanian -Variscan orogen during the assembly of Pangea.Rifting began in the Cambrian as a continuation of Neoproterozoic orogenic activity and the ocean opened in the Early Ordovician with the separation of several Neoproterozoic arc terranes from the continental margin of northern Gondwana along the line of a former suture.The rapid rate of ocean opening suggests it was driven by slab pull in the outboard lapetus Ocean.The ocean reached its greatest width with the closure of lapetus and the accretion of the periGondwanan arc terranes to Laurentia in the Silurian.Ocean closure began in the Devonian and continued through the Mississippian as Gondwana sutured to Laurussia to form Pangea.The ocean consequently plays a dominant role in the Appalachian-Ouachita orogeny of North America,in the basement geology of southern Europe,and in the Paleozoic sedimentary,structural and tectonothermal record from Middle America to the Middle East.Its closure brought the Paleozoic Era to an end.