青藏高原东北缘西秦岭新生代抬升-天水盆地碎屑颗粒磷灰石裂变径迹记录

天水盆地位于青藏高原东北缘六盘山与西秦岭二重要构造带交汇处,该盆地充填较完整晚新生代沉积序列记录着该区构造变形历史,因此对该盆地沉积记录的研究对探讨青藏高原东北缘晚新生代构造活动事件具有重要的意义。通过对天水盆地晚新生代砂岩和含砾砂岩地层中碎屑颗粒磷灰石裂变径迹热年代学研究,推断23.7Ma左右天水盆地北部沉积物源区西秦岭发生了一次与青藏高原隆升有关的构造—热事件,该事件可能导致天水盆地的形成,并开始接受新近系冲积相沉积。约14.1Ma左右天水盆地物源区再次发生构造活动,使西秦岭剥露速率加快和盆地进一步拗陷广泛接受河湖相沉积。通过对剥蚀速率的估算,得出天水盆地沉积记录的23.7Ma和14.1Ma西秦岭北部快速抬升事件的平均剥蚀速率分别达0.34mm/a和1.05mm/a。      

循化-化隆盆地晚白垩世以来盆山耦合过程: 来自物源与磷灰石裂变径迹年代学分析的证据

循化-化隆盆地新生代沉积及盆地基底和周缘山系磷灰石裂变径迹年代学分析揭示了青藏高原东北缘晚白垩世以来经历过3期隆升剥露事件: (1)盆地基底及拉脊山和西秦岭北缘构造带磷灰石裂变径迹年龄分析普遍记录了晚白垩世-始新世中期相对快速的区域性的隆升剥露事件, 西秦岭北缘快速抬升的起始时间为84Ma, 受控于向北的逆冲抬升; 向北到循化-化隆盆地中部的拉目峡抬升的起始时间为69Ma; 更北的拉脊山一带快速抬升期主要为40~50Ma, 从而反映晚白垩世-始新世中期的快速抬升由南向北逐渐扩展.这一期构造隆升事件导致循化-化隆盆地和临夏盆地缺失了北部西宁-民和盆地古近纪所具有的西宁群沉积.隆升剥露结束于31Ma左右, 此时化隆-循化盆地向东与同时期的临夏盆地相连为一个统一的大型西秦岭山前盆地, 两者具有相同的构造、沉积演化史, 因此循化-化隆盆地他拉组底部地层年龄最老不会超过临夏盆地最老地层的古地磁年龄, 即29Ma.(2)渐新世晚期约26Ma拉脊山开始双向逆冲隆升, 并可能延续到中新世早期约21Ma, 隆升作用使循化-化隆盆地成为挟持于拉脊山逆冲带和西秦岭构造带之间的山前挤压型前陆盆地, 循化-化隆盆地开始大规模沉积巨厚的他拉组冲积扇相粗碎屑岩.(3)通过循化-化隆盆地咸水河组和临夏组的沉积相分析、古流方向和砾石成分分析, 揭示出拉脊山构造带在中新世8Ma左右发生的最大规模的双向逆冲隆升事件, 这次事件直接导致循化-化隆盆地由前陆挤压盆地转变为山间盆地, 形成现今青藏高原东北缘的盆山地貌基本格局.      

晚三叠世-早侏罗世祁连山东部隆升的裂变径迹年代学证据及地质意义

祁连山东北部为青藏高原隆升和东扩的前锋带,新生代以来经历了快速隆升和强烈剥露改造过程,致使前新生代地层面目全非,中生代陆内构造演化事件研究仍较薄弱,缺乏年代学的约束.为揭示和分析祁连山东部中生代构造隆升时限与过程,进而探讨秦祁造山带中生代陆内构造演化特点及区域动力学环境.主要采用物源分析、碎屑沉积物及基岩磷灰石裂变径迹定年,并结合裂变径迹热史反演模拟技术开展研究.研究表明,研究区侏罗系龙凤山组为近源的断陷盆地沉积,物源主要来自其周邻前中生代地层;其碎屑磷灰石裂变径迹未发生重置,年龄、径迹长度特征表明其源区在晚三叠世（±215 Ma）出现了快速冷却事件,同时东北部基岩裂变径迹热史模拟结果亦显示其较好地记录了该期事件,这与前人利用40Ar-39Ar年代学所揭示的西秦岭地区中晚三叠世快速抬升事件具时空统一性.分析表明研究区晚三叠世-早侏罗世发生了快速抬升事件,并认为该构造隆升事件是对中晚三叠世勉略洋闭合、秦岭最终碰撞造山过程的响应.      

Late Cenozoic orogenic history of Western Qinling inferred from sedimentation of Tianshui basin, northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau

The Western Qinling orogenic belt marks the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Its late Cenozoic orogenic history is recorded in an excellent sedimentary sequence exposed in the Tianshui sub-basin of the Longzhong basin. According to the magnetostratigraphic analysis from the Yaodian and Lamashan sections, we speculate that the late Cenozoic Tianshui basin accumulated lacustrine/floodplain deposits from ~14.8 to ~2.6?Ma. In addition, detrital apatite fission-track thermochronologic and paleocurrent data reveal that the detritus of the Tianshui basin mostly derived from the Western Qinling and that the youngest population age represents a ~14?Ma volcanic intrusion, which can be related to the lithospheric deformation and uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Furthermore, two stages of variations in depositional facies and average accumulation rates were attributed to the pulse uplift and deformation of the Western Qinling at 9.2–7.4 and ~3.6?Ma.     

西秦岭北缘断裂带漳县—车厂断层的结构及构造演化

西秦岭北缘断裂带是青藏高原东北缘主要构造边界断裂带之一, 其构造变形历史和运动学特征研究可以为西秦岭中新生代构造过程和印度—亚洲板块碰撞动力学的远程构造响应提供约束。漳县—车厂断层是西秦岭北缘断裂带的重要组成部分, 通过对工程开挖所揭露的断层带内丰富构造现象的观测与分析, 至少可以辨别出3期性质、规模、运动学特征各异的构造变形事件。第一期为向北北东陡倾的伸展正断层作用; 第二期为向南南西倾的由南向北的逆冲断层作用; 第三期为沿近直立断面左旋走滑作用。尽管每期变形的时代尚缺乏构造物质测年的约束, 但根据其与白垩系、新近系的空间关系以及已有第四纪以来沿断层地貌位错和相关沉积物测年以及地震活动历史研究对断层左旋走滑作用的时代约束, 认为第一期伸展正断层作用起始于早白垩纪, 可能持续到渐新世; 第二期向北逆冲断层作用起始于渐新世初, 可能持续到早第四纪; 第三期左旋走滑断层作用起始于晚第四纪, 持续至今。漳县—车厂断层是一条典型的多期变形的脆性断层, 其变形特征与历史, 如果代表了西秦岭北缘断裂带特征与构造变形过程, 那么现今西秦岭北缘断裂带仅是起始于早白垩纪、新生的脆性断裂带, 并非是印支主造山期大规模韧性逆冲推覆作用的边界断层。     

西秦岭北缘一个新生代伸展型角度不整合及其地质意义

通过对西秦岭北缘漳县地区渐新统—中新统含盐红层地层与下伏造山带地层之间的角度不整合及其之上的砾岩、地层序列、沉积旋回等特征研究,提出了该角度不整合为伸展型角度不整合的认识。该伸展型角度不整合的存在指示了西秦岭北缘漳县渐新统—中新统含盐红层盆地具有伸展断陷盆地的属性,意味着在渐新世—中新世漳县含盐盆地形成和沉积充填时期,青藏高原东北缘(至少西秦岭北缘)一直处于伸展构造环境。这与印度板块与欧亚板块碰撞汇聚动力学作用向东北缘扩展形成的以挤压缩短和隆升为主的构造环境不协调,也就是说,青藏高原东北缘在渐新世—中新世可能尚未卷入现今青藏高原构造系统。     

Late Oligocene-early Miocene evolution of the Lunpola Basin,central Tibetan Plateau,evidences from successive lacustrine records

Widespread Cenozoic sediments in and around the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are thought to have played an important role in explaining the process of the India-Asia collision as well as its interactions with global and regional paleoclimate. However, high-resolution temporal frameworks of sedimentary sequences and controls on geological and climatic events are still absent. To study the abovementioned issues, we investigate the Oligocene-Miocene lacustrine sequences (the Dingqinghu Formation) of the Lunpola Basin, central TP. In this work, cyclostratigraphic analyses are conducted with gamma ray log and pollen data to establish a high resolution temporal framework ranging from ca. 25.4 to 18.0 Ma for the sections. Along these sections, sediment accumulation rates are calculated with orbital signals to monitor clastic input of the lake basin; elemental, palynological, and isotopic data are summarized to depict the paleoclimate and paleoelevation evolution of this drainage system. Integrating all these clues together, we sort out a chronological list of events including lake basin, tectonics, and paleoclimate: regional uplift took place at 23.7 Ma; simultaneously, a distinct lake-basin transition characterized by accelerated sediment accumulation rate is recognized; about 0.2 Ma later at 23.5 Ma, catchment scale drought occurred and maintained to the end of the sections. Our results demonstrate that paleoclimate did not impose decisive influence on the late Oligocene-early Miocene evolution of the lake basin; instead, regional uplift and its associated accelerated exhumation of the source area resulted in the lake-basin transition and paleoclimatic drought. After reviewing the Oligocene-Miocene sedimentary records distributed in and around the TP, we argue that the 23.7 Ma geological event of the Lunpola Basin is probably not a single case but a regional effect of a dramatic tectonic transition of the plateau.     

Detrital apatite fission track analyses of the Subei basin: implications for basin-range structure of the northern Tibetan Plateau

The northern Tibetan Plateau has evolved a unique basin-range structure characterized by alternating elongated mountain ranges and basins over a history of multiple tectonic and fault activities. The Subei basin recorded evolution of this basin-range structure. In this study, detailed detrital apatite fission track (AFT) thermochronological studies in conjunction with previously documented data reveal provenance of the Subei basin, important information about the Indo-Eurasia collision, and two Miocene uplift and exhumation events of the northern Tibetan Plateau. Detrital AFT analyses combined with sedimentary evidences demonstrate that the Danghenanshan Mountains is the major provenance of the Subei basin. In addition, very old age peaks indicate that part sediments in the Subei basin are recycling sediments. Age peak populations of 70–44 Ma and 61–45 Ma from the lower and upper Baiyanghe formations record the tectono-thermal response to the Indo-Eurasia collision. Combined detrital AFT thermochronology, magnetostratigraphy and petrography results demonstrate the middle Miocene uplift and exhumation event initiated 14–12 Ma in the Subei basin, which may resulted from the Miocene east-west extension of the Tibetan Plateau. Another stronger uplift and exhumation event occurred in the late Miocene resulted from strengthened tectonic movement and climate. A much younger AFT grain age, breccia of diluvial facies and boulders of root fan subfacies record the late Miocene unroofing in the Danghenanshan Mountains.     

西秦岭舒家坝地区泥盆纪舒家坝群碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MSU-Pb年龄：源区特征与形成时代

以西秦岭舒家坝地区泥盆纪舒家坝群碎屑岩为研究对象,进行碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年龄研究,探讨其形成时代、物源组成和构造背景。所测样品最小锆石年龄组的年龄加权平均值为413Ma,代表了舒家坝群的沉积下限,结合前人研究的古生物资料将其形成时代限定为中泥盆世。所获碎屑锆石年龄可划分为4个谱段：震旦纪—古生代年龄谱段619～409Ma,峰值为445Ma;新元古代年龄谱段930～735Ma,峰值为849Ma;中元古代年龄谱段1760～1033Ma;新太古代—古元古代年龄谱段3095～2478Ma。综合研究认为,舒家坝群的物源具多元性,包括西秦岭北缘构造带、北祁连造山带东段和华北板块基底,其中北祁连造山带东段和西秦岭北缘构造带是舒家坝群沉积的主要物源区,且后者占主导地位。结合区域地质资料,根据其物源组成特征判断,舒家坝群形成于陆—陆或弧—陆碰撞后由挤压转换为伸展环境的局部裂陷盆地。     

西秦岭新生代夷平面发育特征和年代及其意义

青藏高原多圈层相互作用研究一直是国际地学界研究的热点和难点,而高原各主要块体精确的内外耦合作用记录成为取得突破的关键.西秦岭地处高原东北向生长的关键节点部位,夷平面保留完好,具典型性,是研究区域内外力耦合作用的良好载体.在野外考察的基础上,通过地貌因子提取法和目视解译法,对该区进行定量解译分析发现,山顶面与主夷平面分别...     

西秦岭舟曲峰迭和夏河桑日卡岩体锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

对西秦岭疑似为燕山期花岗岩的舟曲峰迭和夏河桑日卡岩体进行岩相学研究和锆石U-Pb同位素地质年龄测定,获得锆石U-Pb年龄分别为201.3±0.9Ma和232.6±2.2Ma,表明2个岩体均属早中生代印支期造山作用岩浆活动的产物,澄清了有关地质图(1∶25万陇东幅地质图和1∶25万临夏市幅建造构造图)中2个岩体的时代归属。通过研究认为,西秦岭内部无论南带或北带基本不存在燕山期花岗岩,其花岗岩主体为出露于北带的印支期花岗岩体。因此,西秦岭可以与东秦岭的南秦岭构造单元对比,在构造带的划分上相当于南秦岭的西延。结合前人研究成果,从西秦岭与南秦岭花岗岩形成时代与同位素地球化学特征看,两者的岩浆源区相似并具有扬子地块基底属性。西秦岭缺少燕山期花岗岩的原因归咎于它的构造位置与东秦岭尤其是燕山期花岗岩极发育的小秦岭完全不同,后者燕山期岩浆作用得以盛行,可能与华北克拉通岩石圈破坏或与中生代中晚期华北地块向秦岭造山带的陆下俯冲有关。     

北秦岭造山带西段早古生代榴辉岩相变质岩石的发现及其地质意义SCIEI北大核心CSCD

西秦岭地处中国中央造山系东西转换衔接部位,随着东秦岭以及祁连、柴北缘和东昆仑早古生代高压-超高压变质岩石的陆续发现和深入研究,西秦岭造山带变质作用研究吸引了大家的普遍关注。本文在大范围野外地质调查基础上,在北秦岭造山带西段天水南部的秦岭岩群长英质片麻岩中发现了一套石榴子石斜长角闪岩(榴闪岩),并开展了详细的锆石形貌和内部结构、微区微量元素和U-Th-Pb同位素研究。CL图像显示榴闪岩锆石普遍具有核-幔-边或核-边结构,部分存在原岩残留锆石。定年结果得到榴闪岩原岩残留锆石年龄为710±52Ma,同时得到497±3Ma、452±3Ma和423±7Ma三期变质年龄。其中497±3Ma变质年龄来自锆石核部并显示出轻稀土亏损、重稀土平坦且没有明显负Eu异常的稀土配分曲线特征,表明该时期的矿物组合中有石榴子石但没有斜长石,与榴辉岩相变质锆石特征一致;452±3Ma变质年龄来自锆石幔部或边部,对应测点重稀土元素的分异加大,并出现弱的负Eu异常,说明此时石榴子石被消耗且出现少量斜长石;423±7Ma变质年龄来自锆石的最边部,对应稀土配分曲线表现出更明显的负Eu异常和更大的重稀土元素分异特征,指示此时岩石中石榴子石含量更少,斜长石含量更多。上述结果表明该榴闪岩可能经历了~500Ma的榴辉岩相变质作用,并在~450Ma和~420Ma叠加了两期退变质改造。天水地区榴闪岩无论是其野外产状,还是变质锆石的形貌和内部结构、稀土配分曲线特征及其所记录的原岩和三期变质年龄都与北秦岭造山带东段大陆俯冲型高压-超高压变质榴辉岩近乎一致,指示早古生代时期,北秦岭造山带西段与东段经历了相似的大陆(深)俯冲和折返过程,它们共同构成一条统一的早古生代高压-超高压变质岩带。     

青海循化盆地新近纪磁性地层学

青藏高原东北部是研究高原隆升和东亚季风演化的重要地区.通过对青藏高原东北部循化盆地西沟剖面新近纪河湖相沉积的磁性地层学研究, 建立了西沟剖面约14.6~5.0 Ma沉积物的磁极性年代框架.沉积相的分析表明, 循化盆地在约14.6~5.0 Ma期间总体上处于充填萎缩阶段.西沟剖面巨厚层砾岩首次出现的时间约为7.3 Ma前, 应是青藏高原东北部快速隆升的沉积响应.这与青藏高原在约8.0 Ma前快速隆升的时间相近, 进一步说明约8.0 Ma前青藏高原的构造隆升具有准同时性.      

新生代渭河盆地沉积-构造迁移与渭北隆起及东秦岭耦合关系探讨

渭河盆地、渭北隆起及东秦岭造山带地处青藏块体东北缘、华北克拉通和扬子克拉通的交界处,形成了特有的盆山体系,分布有油气、氦气及地热等多种能源矿产资源。新生代是渭河盆地沉积-构造演化及渭北隆起和东秦岭隆升的重要时期,缺乏该时期盆山体系耦合关系的研究,制约了对区域矿产资源分布规律的认识。盆山耦合体现在时间、空间、物质、构造作用及地表形态等多方面。以大量钻孔资料为依托,运用“回剥法”分析了渭河盆地新生代的沉降幅度及沉降速率,并根据主沉降期新近纪以来不同阶段沉积地层厚度展布特征恢复了盆地沉积演化历史。研究表明渭河盆地新生代以来沉降中心具有自西南方向西安凹陷向北东方向固市凹陷迁移的特征。古近纪始新世以来,渭河盆地发生快速构造沉降,中新世早-中期以西安凹陷为主要沉积、沉降中心,晚中新世以来以西安、固市两个凹陷为主要沉积、沉降中心,晚上新世-早更新世沉降中心转移到东北部固市凹陷,晚更新世以来,西安凹陷和固市凹陷均发生快速沉降。裂变径迹的分析测试结果表明渭北隆起约45～32 Ma整体快速抬升,同步于东秦岭太白山和华山约57～40 Ma的快速隆升阶段,与渭河盆地古近纪始新世约40 Ma的基底快速沉降具有耦合关系。晚中新世约7.3 Ma以来,渭河盆地的持续快速沉降,与渭北隆起上新世约5 Ma及东秦岭太白山约10～9.6 Ma、华山约8～5 Ma以来的快速耦合关系明显。太平洋板块的俯冲、欧亚板块与印度板块始新世约55～45 Ma碰撞及青藏高原约10～8 Ma隆升外扩的远程效应对研究区影响较大。     

札达盆地碎屑裂变径迹揭示的盆山耦合过程

札达盆地是中新世9.5 Ma以来发育的新生代沉积盆地.沉积厚度、砾石成分和古流向分析显示札达盆地新生代沉积的物源主要来自盆地北部的阿伊拉日居山系.札达盆地系列样品碎屑锆石裂变径迹年龄结构显示存在两个明显的峰值年龄区间, 分别为12.6~15.3 Ma(P1峰值年龄)与19.8~22.2 Ma(P2峰值年龄).锆石裂变径迹年龄的滞后时间(lag time)与沉积时代对比分析显示, P1和P2峰值年龄为快速冷却事件的静态峰, 与北部阿伊拉日居地区基岩U-Pb年代研究揭示的热事件时间具有良好的可对比性.因此, 札达盆地碎屑裂变径迹年龄两个峰值年龄区间记录了源区阿伊拉日居的两次构造事件, 可能对应于喀喇昆仑断裂在中新世的两次强烈的构造活动.综合碎屑锆石、磷灰石裂变径迹年龄信息, 估算源区在32.6~9.5 Ma之间的平均冷却速率是15.4 ℃/Ma, 上新世末期—第四纪(3.6~1.4 Ma)之间再次发生了一次快速的隆升剥露事件.札达盆地中新生代沉积地层碎屑裂变径迹热年代学结构与喀喇昆仑断裂东南段阿伊拉日居的热事件年龄格局吻合, 从碎屑裂变径迹年代学角度揭示了造山带地区的盆山耦合过程.      

Late Miocene–Quaternary rapid stepwise uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau and its effects on climatic and environmental changes

The way in which the NE Tibetan Plateau uplifted and its impact on climatic change are crucial to understanding the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and the development of the present geomorphology and climate of Central and East Asia. This paper is not a comprehensive review of current thinking but instead synthesises our past decades of work together with a number of new findings. The dating of Late Cenozoic basin sediments and the tectonic geomorphology of the NE Tibetan Plateau demonstrates that the rapid persistent rise of this plateau began ~ 8 ± 1 Ma followed by stepwise accelerated rise at ~ 3.6 Ma, 2.6 Ma, 1.8–1.7 Ma, 1.2–0.6 Ma and 0.15 Ma. The Yellow River basin developed at ~ 1.7 Ma and evolved to its present pattern through stepwise backward-expansion toward its source area in response to the stepwise uplift of the plateau. High-resolution multi-climatic proxy records from the basins and terrace sediments indicate a persistent stepwise accelerated enhancement of the East Asian winter monsoon and drying of the Asian interior coupled with the episodic tectonic uplift since ~ 8 Ma and later also with the global cooling since ~ 3.2 Ma, suggesting a major role for tectonic forcing of the cooling.     

哀牢山构造带晚渐新世地壳深熔与熔/流体迁移:锆石U-Pb年龄与微量元素证据

哀牢山构造带是青藏高原东南缘重要的边界构造带,其内出露的深变质岩系一直被认为是古老的变质基底岩石。利用LA-ICP-MS原位微区分析技术对哀牢山深变质岩系锆石进行U-Pb年龄、微量元素分析。结果表明深变质岩系的原岩有728±8Ma、727±3Ma、231±4Ma的花岗质岩石和其它年龄的碎屑岩,变质时代为27.8~23.7Ma。综合野外地质特征和分析结果,我们认为哀牢山深构造带在晚渐新世27.8~23.7Ma发生了大规模的地壳深熔作用,现今所见深变质岩系是由不同时代、不同岩性的原岩在晚渐新世(27.8~23.7Ma)变质形成,不全是古老的变质基底岩石。深熔过程中熔/流体发生了明显的迁移。哀牢山变质带具有混合岩化特征的岩石很可能是峰期变质作用后减压熔融的产物。晚渐新世地壳深熔作用与左行走滑剪切是哀牢山深变质带折返过程中近似同时发生的两种不同变质表现形式,两者相互影响、相互制约。     

上扬子盆地新生代差异抬升剥蚀与分异过程

中-新生代上扬子陆相盆地不仅是华南大陆的核心构造单元,也是大陆构造和盆地成因演化研究的天然实验室.基于楚雄盆地和四川盆地晚白垩世地层剖面中6件样品LA-ICP-MS磷灰石FT-U/Pb双法定年和热演化史模拟等研究,揭示上扬子盆地新生代差异抬升剥蚀及其分异过程.楚雄盆地大姚宜就剖面江底河组磷灰石裂变径迹（apatite fission track,AFT）年龄和径迹长度分别为43.2~33.9 Ma、10.06~11.30 μm,中新世以来快速抬升冷却速率达到约3~5 ℃/Ma;四川盆地宜宾柳嘉剖面三合组-高坎坝组AFT年龄和径迹长度分别为128.0~95.2 Ma、10.2~11.7 μm,为部分埋深退火样品.宜就剖面和柳嘉剖面上白垩统磷灰石U-Pb年龄峰值特征总体相似,共同揭示物源区古元古代（2 100~1 700 Ma）、新元古代（820~700 Ma）、早古生代（500~400 Ma）和早中生代（250~170 Ma）中高级别变质-岩浆构造热事件,其晚白垩世物源区主要为扬子板块西缘和北缘地区（即松潘-甘孜褶皱带、义敦岛弧、康滇古陆和秦岭造山带）.尤其柳嘉剖面磷灰石FT-U/Pb对比年龄揭示三合组-高坎坝组中少量磷灰石矿物为物源区晚三叠世-晚白垩世快速岩浆侵位过程的初始旋回沉积产物.晚新生代上扬子盆地受控于青藏高原东南向扩展生长过程控制影响,最终发生肢解分异形成现今盆地格架.      

Geochemical characteristics and zircon U-Pb isotopic ages of island-arc basic igneous complexes from the Tianshui area in West Qinling

The Liushuigou intermediate-basic meta-igneous complex at Guanzizhen, Tianshui area, is mainly composed of metagabbro, metagabbro diorite and metadiorite, while the Baihua basic meta-igneous complex consists mainly of pyroxenite, gabbro (gabbro diorite), diorite and quartz diorite. They form a relatively complete comagmatic evolutionary series. The geochemical characteristics of intermediate-basic igneous rocks indicate that they belong to a tholeiite suite. Their chondrite-normalized REE patterns are nearly flat and are LREE-slightly enriched type, and their primitive mantle-normalized and MORB-normalized trace element spider-grams are generally similar; the LILEs Cs, Ba, Sr, Th and U are enriched, while Rb and K and the HFSEs Nb, P, Zr, Sm, Ti and Y are depleted. All these show comagmatic evolutionary and genetic characteristics. The tectonic environment discrimination by trace element reveals that these igneous complexes formed in an island-arc setting. The Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) single-grain zircon U-Pb age for the Liushuigou intermediate-basic meta-igneous rocks in the Guanzizhen area is (507.5±3.0) Ma, representing the age of these igneous complexes, which indicates that island-arc-type magmatite rocks in the northern zone of West Qinling are Late Cambrian and also reveals that the timing of subduction of the paleo-ocean basin represented by the Guanzizhen ophiolite and resulting island-arc-type magmatic activity are probably Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician. Translated from Geology in China, 2005, 32(4): 529–540 [译自: 中国地质]     

Exhumation of the Saualpe eclogite unit, Eastern Alps: constraints from 40Ar/39Ar ages and structural investigations

Summary The Cretaceous Eclogite-Gneiss unit and its tectonic overburden (Micaschist, Phyllite and Lower Magdalensberg units) and the underlying Preims subunit of the Saualpe, Eastern Alps, have been investigated in order to constrain the mode of exhumation of the type locality of eclogites. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of white mica from the eclogite-bearing unit suggest rapid, uniform cooling and exhumation between 86 and 78 Ma (Santonian-Campanian). Overlying units show upwards increasingly older ages with an age of 261.7 ± 1.4 Ma in the uppermost, low-grade metamorphic unit (Lower Magdalensberg unit). We consider this Permian age as geologically significant and to record a Permian tectonic event. Rocks of phyllite and micaschist units along western margins of the Saualpe block yield amphibole and white mica ages ranging from 123 to 130 Ma. These are considered to closely date the age of nappe stacking, whereas a single biotite age of 66–68 Ma from a shear zone is interpreted to date retrogression during normal faulting. Biotite and amphibole of Micaschist and Eclogite-Gneiss units show variable contents of extraneous argon. Consequently, their ages are in part geologically meaningless whereas other samples yield meaningful ages. The white mica ages from the Eclogite-Gneiss unit range from 78 to 85 Ma and argue for cooling through ca. 400 °C during the time as the westerly adjacent Upper Cretaceous Krappfeld collapse basin formed. The Preims subunit with paragneiss and marbles is considered to represent a large synmetamorphic shear zone at the base of the overthrusting Eclogite-Gneiss unit. The unit comprises a flat-lying foliation and a SE-trending lineation. This zone is interpreted to represent a zone of top-NW thrusting. A major ductile low-angle normal fault with top to ESE shear has been detected between the Eclogite-Gneiss and overlying units, and between the Micaschist and Phyllite units. The ductile thrust at the base and the low-angle normal fault at the top are considered to confine a NW-ward extruding high-pressure wedge. The new observations argue for rapid exhumation of a subducted high-pressure wedge within a subduction channel. Rapid surface erosion of the exhuming wedge might have facilitated exhumation. Eroded sedimentary rocks are preserved within adjacent Gosau basins, although only pebbles of low-grade metamorphic rocks of the uppermost tectonic unit can be found in these basins.