Alpine tectonics in the Calabrian–Peloritan belt (southern Italy): New 40Ar/39Ar data in the Aspromonte Massif area

This study provides new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronological constraints on the age of the Alpine tectonics in the Aspromonte Massif (southern part of the Calabrian–Peloritan belt). This massif exposes the upper units of the Calabride Complex which originated from the European continental margin. The Calabride Complex was incorporated in the Alpine orogenic wedge and then integrated into the Apennines and Maghrebides fold-and-thrust belts. Throughout the Calabride Complex there is evidence for a two stage tectonic history, which remains however rather poorly dated: Alpine nappe stacking is followed by extensional reworking along the former thrust contacts or along new detachment surfaces. Our new ages suggest that exhumation of the uppermost units, which accompanied nappe stacking, probably started at 45 Ma and that the deepest units were almost completely exhumed at 33 Ma. This kinematics probably corresponds to syn-orogenic extension while the end of exhumation is clearly related to the extensional tectonics dated at 28.6 Ma along detachment structures.Our geochronological data reveal a very short lag time between accretional and extensional processes in this part of the Mediterranean Alpine orogenic belt. The direction of extension, when the units are restored to their initial position (i.e. before the opening of the Western Mediterranean basins and the bending of the arc) is NNE–SSW. Such a direction does not fit with the eastward slab-retreat model generally put forward to explain extension in the Western Mediterranean. In contrast, we provide evidence for roughly N–S middle Oligocene extension in the accretionary prism, not previously described in this part of the Mediterranean domain.     

Episodes of Cenozoic Gold Mineralization on the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar Dating and Implication for Geodynamic Events

A lot of new gold deposits have been found on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the past two decades. Among them, three main types of gold deposits have been recognized, including quartz-vein-type, shearzone-type and porphyry-type. The former two types of gold deposits are mainly hosted within metamorphic rocks, while the latter is related to Cenozoic magmatism. Although all of these gold deposits are believed to have been formed during the uplift process of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the Cenozoic era (Wang et al., 2002b), precise isotopic age constraints have still been lacking until quite recently. This paper presents new ^40Ar/^39Ar data of some gold deposits on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which indicate that gold mineralization in the region occurred in response to the episodic stages of the orogenies. Recently obtained ^40Ar/^39Ar data on quartz and feldspars from several gold deposits, such as the Sandiao deposit, the Baijintaizi deposit, the Pusagang deposits, provide new constraints on gold mineralization on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Geochronological studies of gold deposits along the Daduhe River indicate that there are three stages of gold mineralization. The early two stages occurred as early as 65.1 Ma in the Shuibaiyang deposit and 58.95 Ma in the Ruoji deposit, while the latter stage occurred as late as 25.35 Ma in Baijintaizi and 24.70 Ma in Sandiao. Isotopic dating of three plagioclases from the Beiya deposit, Zhifanggou deposit and Luobodi deposit and a K-feldspar from the Jinchangqing deposit in Yunnan Province indicates that these deposits were formed at two stages. The Zhifanggou and Jinchangqing deposits have early stage records as old as 58.82 Ma in Zhifanggou and 55.49 Ma in Jinchangqing, but all of the above four deposits in Yunnan have late stage records of 23.18 Ma in Jinchangqing, 24.54 Ma in Zhifanggou, 24.60 Ma in Luobodi and 24.56 Ma in Hongnitang. The above results suggest that the gold deposits on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were formed concentratedly at two main episodes, i.e. the end of the Paleocene (about 58 Ma) and the boundary between the Paleogene and the Neogene (about 25 Ma). The later episode appears to be looks like more important and was coupled with the Sichuan movement, which was extensively activated at that period. The beginning of the Cenozoic Era (about 65 Ma) might be another episode of gold mineralization, but only one deposit (Shuibaiyang) in this study has been proved to have been be formed at this stage and might be earlier than the initial collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasia Plate. In view of geology, the above three episodes of gold mineralization are associated with three events of tectonicmagmatism and/or fluid events. Even though the gold deposits (for example, the Shuibaiyang deposit, Ruoji deposit and Pusagang deposit) were formed at different episodes, all of them are genetically related to tectonic movements in largescale shear zones. It looks like theat tectonic events (including large-scale strike-slip) between Paleogene and Neogene had a wide influence upon gold mineralization, with new deposits formed and old deposits enriched or superimposed to be a higher grade by new stage of mineralization. The above data suggest that gold deposits were not only concentrated in some areas, but also formed mainly at different boundaries of geological times, indicating that there existed some peak stages of gold mineralization (metallogenic episodes), and that the gold deposits were formed mainly by episodic mineralization.     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学现状与问题

Ar同位素体系定年矿物的封闭温度范围广,并且可以获得650℃～150℃温度段的非线性冷却历史,因此~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学成为研究地质体热演化历史过程中最有效的工具之一。但是由于矿物中Ar同位素扩散机制还有一些问题没有清楚地被认识,因此在一定程度上制约了~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学的发展。本文介绍了目前应用最广泛的两种~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学模式:多重扩散域模式和多路径扩散模式,讨论了它们的发展现状、存在的问题、可能解决的方法以及今后的发展方向。     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年代学数据处理软件ArArCALC简介

ArArCALC是40Ar/39Ar法数据处理专业软件,A.A.P. Koppers以Visual Basic编写的Microsoft Excel"宏",在Windows 95-Vista系统上均可运行.经过不断改进,ArArCALC已经发展成为一种功能强大且使用方便的软件,可全面进行40Ar/39Ar数据计算,包括回归时间零点值、坪年龄、全熔年龄和等时线年龄计算并自动作图,给出分析误差、内部误差和外部误差.更重要的是,ArArCALC能将原始数据、各种参数、计算结果和图件以可编辑的Excel格式给出.ArArCALC交互性强,用户可随时对有关参数进行修改,重新计算,提高了数据处理效率.鉴于上述优点,特此引荐ArArCALC.     

Collision Event during 177-135 Ma on the Eastern Marginof the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Evidence from ~(40)Ar/ ~(39)Ar Dating for Basaltson the Western Margin of the Yangtze Platform

Geochronology of continental flood basalts sampled from the Emei large igneous province (LIP) on the western margin of the Yangtze platform was investigated by the laser microprobe 40Ar/39Ar dating technique. These basalts yield a fairly wide range of 40Ar/39Ar ages, varying from 259 to 135 Ma. One basalt sample, at least altered, recorded the oldest 40Ar/39Ar age of about 259 Ma, corresponding to a peak eruption age of the Emei LIP continental flood basalts. Most of the samples yield much younger ages from 135 to 177 Ma, which are consistent with the K-Ar ages for the same samples (122.8-172.1 Ma). The dating data suggest that these Permian basalts had been widely affected by the regional tectonothermal event at 177-135 Ma. The event was probably caused by the convergence and collision among the Laurasia, Yangtze and Qiangtang-Qamdo continental blocks on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau after the late Triassic. The age of the event reflects the timing of the peak collisional orogeny.     

New 40Ar/39Ar constraints for the “Grande Nappe”: The largest rhyolitic eruption from the Mont-Dore Massif (French Massif Central)

Since the 1960s, an early explosive activity in the Mont-Dore Massif is associated with a major pyroclastic rhyolitic eruption (5–7 km³) known as the “Grande Nappe” (GN). This event, linked to the formation of a 6-km-diameter cryptic caldera named “Haute Dordogne”, was before our investigation dated by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar at 3.07 ± 0.04 Ma. Our new single-crystal laser fusion ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates obtained on two outcrops of the GN (Rochefort-Montagne and Ludières) questioned several hypotheses made concerning this “landmark” event of the Mont-Dore Massif history. We demonstrate that: (1) the GN rhyolitic eruption has occurred much later than previously estimated (i.e. 2.77 ± 0.02–0.07 Ma full external uncertainties); (2) the correlation made between the Vendeix rhyolitic complexes (intra-caldera position) dated back to 2.74 ± 0.04 Ma and the GN is proposed; (3) xenocryst contamination could be very high (i.e. 70% for the Rochefort-Montagne GN outcrop) and explains the noticeable older age obtained previously; (4) a link between the GN eruption and the formation of a caldera is questionable; the hypothesis of a northward-oriented blast channeled eastward toward the paleo-Allier River is thus proposed.     

自动化~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年设备研制

自主研发的小型高效气体纯化系统、二氧化碳激光熔样系统、流体包裹体提取系统和空气氩标定系统,与新一代小型高灵敏度多接收稀有气体质谱仪Argus VI联机,建立了激光阶段加热40Ar/39Ar定年、真空击碎流体包裹体40Ar/39Ar定年和空气氩标定等分析测试方法。开放式Qtegra Noble Gas软件和外部设备控制器Peri Con,使用户能够方便地自主增减和控制外部设备,实现计算机自动控制。通过"触点闭合"方式,Qtegra软件触发国产二氧化碳激光加热熔样软件启动,两者协调工作,实现激光阶段加热40Ar/39Ar定年分析的实验流程全自动化。空气氩分析获得了非常稳定的40Ar/36Ar比值,展示了自制空气氩标定系统和小型纯化系统的卓越性能,可资借鉴。新建40Ar/39Ar实验室为开展油气成藏年代学研究提供了一个高精度的测试平台。     

迁安紫苏花岗岩的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄谱

对采自河北省迁安县水厂地区的紫苏花岗岩中的黑云母和紫苏辉石进行了~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄测定,分别给出了18.7亿年和19.6亿年的~(40)Ar保存年龄。这两种矿物的年龄谱的视年龄的梯度变化表明,紫苏花岗岩形成后是缓慢冷却的。3.9亿年左右的一次热事件,造成了放射成因~(40)Ar的丢失。根据热历史和封闭温度的研究,从27亿年(侵入到该区紫花岗岩中的花岗闪长岩的锆石U-Pb年龄)到19.6亿年,紫苏花岗岩岩体的抬升速率为6.5m/Ma,但从19.6亿年到18.7亿年,其抬升速率高达111m/Ma,具有明显的构造抬升作用。     

激光显微探针~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar同位素定年

已有 5 0年历史的K Ar定年法 ,由于过剩Ar和Ar丢失的普遍发现 ,使其最广泛的应用面临着严重挑战。40 Ar/ 3 9Ar分步加热释氩法是常规K Ar定年法的发展 ,它克服了常规K Ar定年法的一些局限 ,又可以测定岩浆构造热事件。激光显微探针40 Ar/ 3 9Ar定年法是在 2 0世纪末把聚焦激光束应用在40 Ar/ 3 9Ar分步加热释氩法中而发展起来的一种定年方法。它既具有常规K Ar定年法和40Ar/ 3 9Ar分步加热释氩法的所有优越性 ,又把定年引入微观领域。特别是在 2 0世纪的最后几年 ,以激光显微探针40 Ar/ 3 9Ar定年方法的完善和精度的提高为标志 ,把K Ar年代学研究推向了一个新的里程碑。微区微量高精度高分辨定年 ,把定年时限扩展到人类历史范畴 ,精细的分析技术拓宽了年代学的应用范围 ,使之解决的地质问题更广泛和深入 ,并且开始冲击着地球科学中的某些热点和难点课题。     

Stratigraphy of the Okhotsk–Chukotka Belt in the Headwaters of the Malyi Anyui River (the Vicinity of Kupol Deposit): U–Pb and 40Ar/39Ar Age Data

Doklady Earth Sciences - U–Pb and 40Ar/39Ar age data obtained for volcanic rocks of the Okhotsk–Chukotka Belt in the headwaters of the Malyi Anyui River (the vicinity of Kupol deposit)...     

A late Triassic 40Ar/39Ar age for the El Hammam high-REE fluorite deposit (Morocco): mineralization related to the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province?

El Hammam is the only fluorite mine in Morocco (production 100,000 t/year). The fluorite mineralization is in an array of fluorite–calcite veins and is characterized by unusually high REE content in carbonate minerals (1,400 ppm in calcite; up to 2,000 ppm in siderite) and in fluorite (about 600 ppm). Since the 1960s, the genesis of the deposit has been attributed to a mesothermal hydrothermal event connected with late-Variscan granitic intrusions. Precise ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of hydrothermal K-feldspar yields an age of formation of the El Hammam deposit at 205 ± 1 Ma. Its genesis is therefore associated in time and space with the development of the Triassic–Jurassic basins and the associated anorogenic continental flood basalts of the Moroccan Mesetian Middle Atlas. The source of the hydrothermal mineralization (magmatic and/or metamorphic) is discussed.     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar Age and Geological Significance of Lamprophyres in Pishan on the SW Margin of the Tarim Terrane, NW China

The dike swarm of lamprophyres at Pishan on the SW margin of the Tarim terrane is composed of ultra-potassic lamprophyres that have intruded into the Proterozoic hornblende schists. 40Ar/39Ar dating data suggest that the isochron ages for phlogopite and whole rock separates of the lamprophyres are 231.7±0.3 Ma and 228.5±0.3 Ma, respectively. Geochemical data indicate that the dikes were derived from a subduction-related or metasomatized mantle. During the Middle-Late Triassic the western Kunlun area entered the post-orogeny period, and thus the occurrence of the dike swarm in the study area may have been controlled by underplating.     

柿竹园多金属矿床成矿作用~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年代学研究

石英是热液矿床的常见矿物,分布广泛。石英流体包裹体~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年技术为解决矿床年龄测定难题开辟了新的途径,但以前的研究工作缺少共生钾矿物年龄对比验证。本文选择柿竹园多金属矿床共生白云母和石英进行~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar测年分析对比研究。白云母激光阶段加热坪年龄为(153.7±0.9)Ma,代表了成矿年龄。采用真空击碎技术提取石英流体包裹体进行~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄测定,获得了逐渐下降型年龄谱,在反等时线图上数据点构成高度线性相关的等时线,年龄为(152.3±5.7)Ma,代表了原生包裹体的年龄。石英原生流体包裹体等时线年龄与共生白云母年龄一致,表明石英流体包裹体~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar技术是行之有效的矿床定年方法。此外,K-Cl-40Ar图解可以区分石英中的原生、次生包裹体,并获得次生包裹体年龄为~100 Ma,与矿区钾长石脉年龄一致,指示了一次后期热液活动的时间。     

胶东三山岛金矿床构造-热历史:~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar和裂变径迹年代学制约

胶东金成矿省目前已探明黄金资源储量超过4000t,是世界上最大的花岗岩容矿的单金成矿省之一。三山岛金矿床位于该金成矿省西北部,是产于早白垩世郭家岭型花岗中的世界级金矿床。锆石U-Pb数据表明该矿床内赋矿围岩郭家岭花岗岩侵位于~128Ma,其后郭家岭花岗岩快速冷却并普遍经历了亚固态韧性变形。已有绢云母Rb-Sr数据表明,该矿床大规模金成矿作用和脆性变形发生于约117Ma。本次获取的1件~99Ma白云母~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄揭示了主期成矿后一期微弱的构造-流体活动。4件锆石裂变径迹年龄中相对较老的单颗粒锆石年龄组分90±10Ma说明,该矿床大致于该时间段冷却至锆石裂变径迹封闭温度240±50℃。13件磷灰石裂变径迹年龄分布于69.8±7.2Ma~46.1±4.8Ma之间;8件磷灰石裂变径迹长度集中于13.1±0.2~12.3±0.2μm,并且呈单峰型略带负偏态的分布,说明该矿床大致于70~50Ma单调缓慢冷却通过磷灰石裂变径迹部分退火带125~60℃。最终,该矿床缓慢冷却剥露至现今近地表温度。相对缓慢的成矿后冷却和剥蚀以及新近深部钻探成果说明,三山岛及其周缘金矿床主断裂下盘脆性变形和热液蚀变作用叠加部位成矿潜力巨大,为有利的找矿靶区。     

激光显微探针~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年方法研究成功

中国地质科学院地质研究所同位素地质研究室以陈文同志为首的课题组,从1991年开始,历经3年时间,于今年11月成功地建成了激光显微探针~(40)Ar/~(39)A~r年代测定实验室。它的建立标志着我国在微区、微量样品~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年技术方面已接近国际最先进水平,同时也使我国的Ar法定年技术在历经了从K-Ar稀释法到~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar阶段升温法之后又取得了一次突破性进展。和传统的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar测年方法相比,激光显微探针~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年法的主要进步表现在以下几个方面: 1.样品用量少(2μg):传统的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar测年过     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年矿物绢云母的提纯研究

绢云母的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄是研究矿床形成年龄的重要手段,但是~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年矿物绢云母的提纯一直是一个难题。现有分离提纯方法得到的绢云母集合体中通常含有微斜长石,如本研究中常规磁选-重液法得到的微斜长石含量在0～28%,常规悬浮液法得到的微斜长石含量在3%～45%。当绢云母集合体中的微斜长石含量超过10%时,会直接影响测年的准确性。为探索一种有效的绢云母提纯方法,本文首先考察了常规磁选-重液法和常规悬浮液法的提纯效果,实验结果表明两种方法得到的绢云母纯度均不高,而且常规悬浮液法的粒度有时很细,不能满足定年要求。进而采用超声波解离-悬浮液法对磁选-重液法得到的含微斜长石的绢云母集合体进行了条件实验,绢云母的纯度从28%提高到77%,微斜长石相对于绢云母的含量从12.5%降为0。绢云母的粒度大于1μm的占比在95%以上,最小粒度大于0.356μm,大于~(39)Ar核反冲丢失的理论估算值0.08μm,该粒度下的绢云母在接受中子照射过程中不会引起明显的核反冲丢失,对中高温阶段的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄影响不大。研究认为,对于采用磁选-重液法得到的绢云母集合体,当其中的微斜长石含量大于10%时,可以采用超声波解离-悬浮液法进一步富集绢云母,降低微斜长石的含量,保证测年的准确性。     

望天鹅火山喷发时限的激光~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年代学

在中国东北地区,望天鹅火山的覆盖范围仅次于长白山,前人测得的K-Ar年龄主要集中在2～3Ma,但其精确的喷发年代一直没有很好的限定。这是因为第四纪以来的火山岩~(40) Ar/~(39) Ar定年与较老的地质样品有显著的不同,测试过程中极其微小的偏差会呈指数方式放大,带来测年结果的极大误差,难以严格限定火山喷发的年代。本文选用的激光~(40)Ar/~(39) Ar年代学方法具有样品用量小、精度高、自动化测试稳定等优点。通过增加测试次数,在数据处理中引入高斯混合模型进行统计分析,可以更准确地判别火山喷发期次。在此基础上,提出符合等时线计算要求的同位素体系"同源、同时、封闭"的数学表达是表观年龄的正态分布,对构成同一正态分布的数据计算等时线年龄,能够实现对望天鹅火山喷发时代的精细限定。结果显示,在测试精度尺度内,望天鹅火山可以看作是一期喷发的结果,喷发时限为2.73±0.18Ma。这一时限可以帮助解释北太平洋深海钻探中同一时期火山凝灰质沉积层的出现,并由此可以把2.73Ma前后的北半球大冰期事件与望天鹅火山喷发联系起来,为研究火山喷发与气候变冷效应提供一个新的实证案例。     

Pre-metamorphic 40Ar/39Ar and U–Pb ages in HP metagranitoids from the Hercynian belt (France)

In most orogenic belts, the age of HP metamorphism and subsequent exhumation events still remain open to debate since geochronology can yield results which appear to conflict with the closure temperature concept [Dodson, M.H., 1973. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 40, 259–274], and because the behaviour of daughter radiogenic isotopes under HP to UHP conditions is poorly constrained. To obtain new data on isotope migration under high-pressure conditions, two undeformed HP metagranites with partially preserved magmatic assemblages from the French Variscan belt were investigated using the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar laser probe and U–Pb ion probe methods. In both cases, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar biotite and U–Pb zircon ages are consistent and could be related to the emplacement of pre-orogenic granites, despite petrological evidence of a strong metamorphic overprint during the Variscan orogeny. Temperatures experienced by the granites during subduction and exhumation events were more than 400 °C above that normally estimated for argon retention in biotite, but failed to cause significant resetting of the mica ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronometer. Only a weak intragrain redistribution of argon is evidenced with the laser probe up to the contact with metamorphic garnet fringing biotite. By contrast, a complete resetting of biotite ages occurs in gneisses enclosing the metagranites. These results suggest that, in these dry undeformed HP metagranites, the thermally activated diffusion was relatively ineffective and that recrystallisation is the main process which controlled isotopic exchanges of Ar and Pb. It is likely that the absence of pervasive deformation and fluid circulation has also exercised some control on the preservation of pre-metamorphic isotopic signature in the studied rocks. The possible influence of several other parameters is also discussed. This example reveals that recovering thermochronological information in high-pressure metamorphic rocks is not straightforward and that great caution must be paid in the use of ages for the reconstruction of P–T–t paths.     

表生钾锰矿物~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年代学及其古气候意义

红土型风化壳和次生锰矿床形成于温暖和潮湿的古气候条件 ,其中含有丰富的表生钾锰矿物。因此 ,对表生钾锰矿物进行精确的40 Ar/ 3 9Ar年龄测定 ,不仅能查明大陆化学风化和矿床次生富集的时间和过程 ,而且可以为区域古气候的反演提供重要的年代学资料。透射电子显微镜、热重分析、离子交换实验和40 Ar/ 3 9Ar同位素分析表明 ,层状结构的黑锌锰矿、锂锰矿和钠水锰矿以及具有 1× 1隧道结构的软锰矿不适合于40 Ar/ 3 9Ar年龄测定 ;而隐钾锰矿、锰钡矿和锰铅矿因具有致密和稳定的 2× 2隧道结构及很强的保存K Ar体系的能力 ,是40 Ar/ 3 9Ar同位素定年的理想对象。硬锰矿和钙锰矿分别具有 2× 3和 3× 3隧道结构 ,由于隧道孔径过大 ,晶体结构的稳定性较差 ,其作为40Ar/ 3 9Ar测年的适用性有待于进一步证实。采用精细的激光阶段加热技术 ,可以有效克服表生钾锰矿物40 Ar/ 3 9Ar测年过程中3 9ArK 的反冲损失、多世代表生钾锰矿物的共生 ,以及表生钾锰矿物中原生矿物的污染和过量大气氩的存在等问题 ,并获得有意义的风化年龄。已有数据表明 ,表生钾锰矿物的形成主要集中在白垩纪末期、始新世末期—渐新世早期、中新世和上新世中期等 4个时期 ,可能记录了地史时期周期性的化学风化及气候的交替演变