Intercalibration of international and domestic ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating standards

40Ar/39Ar method is a high precision dating means, of which the age is obtained by contrasting the un- known sample with those of standards. Usually the age of standard is determined by K-Ar method in which the 38Ar spike should be added for measurement. However, the absolute concentration of 38Ar spike is measured through the calibrated standards in turn, al- though occasionally the concentration of 38Ar spike is determined by other dating methods, such as Rb-Sr, U-Pb methods, which is kn…     

The~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar geochronology constraint and geological significance of mylonites in Shangyi-Chicheng fault belt on the north of North China Craton

The Shangyi-Chicheng fault belt extending along the south boundary of the Inner Mongolia axis on the north of the North China Craton was formed in the Middle Proterozoic. This fault has special geological significance1) in the evolution of the North China…     

40Ar/39Ar geochronology and exhumation of mylonitized metamorphic complex in Changle-Nanao ductile shear zone

New⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages from rocks of Changle-Nanao ductile shear zone are 107.9 Ma(Mus), 108.2 Ma(Bi), 107.1 Ma(Bi), 109.2 Ma(Hb) and 117.9 Ma(Bi) respectively, which are concordant with their isochron ages and record the formation age of the ductile shear zone. The similarity and apparent overlap of the cooling ages with respective closure temperatures of 5 minerals document initial rapid uplift during 107–118 Ma following the collision between the Min-Tai microcontinent and the Min-Zhe Mesozoic volcanic arc. The⁴⁰Ar/³⁹ Ar plateau ages, K-Ar date of K-feldspar and other geochronologic information suggest that the exhumation rate of the ductile shear zone is about 0.18–1.12 mm/a in the range of 107–70 Ma, which is mainly influenced by tectonic extension.     

鲜水河断裂带炉霍段的震后滑动与形变

1973年2月在鲜水河断裂带炉霍段发生了M7.6地震破裂.自那以来,先后在炉霍县虾拉沱布设了若干横跨该地震断层(1973年破裂带)的地壳形变观测系统,包括断层近场的短基线、短水准、蠕变仪、人工构筑物等,以及断层近-远场的GPS观测站.利用这些观测系统的长期观测资料,本文分析了鲜水河断裂带炉霍段的震后滑动/变形及其时、空变化特征,并建立起解释这些特征的动力学模式.研究表明:(1)1973年地震后的头5年,地震断层在虾拉沱场地表现为开放性质,近场的断层震后滑动以无震左旋蠕滑为主,速率达到10.27 mm/a,且伴有微量的拉张性蠕动作用;1979年以来,左旋蠕滑速率由5.3 mm/a逐渐减小到2.27 mm/a,减小的过程呈对数函数型,反映此阶段断层面已逐渐重新耦合、正朝闭锁的方向发展,并伴有部分应变积累.(2)1999年以来,地震断层两侧远场的相对左旋位移/变形速率为10 mm/a,远大于同时期断层近场(跨距40~144 m)的左旋蠕滑速率0.66~2.52 mm/a;远-近场位移/形变速率的显著变化发生在地震断层两侧各宽约30 km的范围,显示出这是与大地震应力应变积累—释放相关的断裂带宽度.(3)结合动力学背景与深部构造信息,本文对这里断层的震后位移/变形及其时、空变化的机理进行初步解释,要点是:震后约5年之后,由于逐渐增大的断层滑动/摩擦阻抗,上地壳脆性层中的断层面由震后初期的开放性质逐渐转向重新耦合、并朝闭锁的方向发展,但其两侧地块深部持续的延性相对运动拖拽着浅部脆性层发生相应的弹性位移/变形.(4)可估计再经历15~25年,研究断裂段将完全闭锁,即进入积累下一次大地震应力应变的震间闭锁阶段.     

(40)~Ar/(39)~Ar chronology and geochemistry of high-K volcanic rocks in the Mangkang basin, Tibet

Our two newly obtained high-quality 40Ar/39Ar ages suggest that the high-K volcanic rocks of the Lawuxiang Formation in the Mangkang basin, Tibet were formed at 33.5±0.2 Ma. The tracing of elemental and Pb-Sr-Nd isotopic geochemistry indicates that they were derived from an EM2 enriched mantle in continental subduction caused by transpression. Their evidently negative anomalies in HFSEs such as Nb and Ta make clear that there is an input of continental material into the mantle source. The high-K rocks at 33.5±0.2 Ma in the Mangkang basin may temporally, spatially and compositionally compare with the early one of two-pulse high-K rocks in eastern Tibet distinguished by Wang J. H. et al., implying that they were formed in the same tectonic setting.     

Studies on40Ar/39Ar thermochronology of strike-slip time of the Tan-Lu fault zone and their tectonic implications

Samples of mylonite, ultramylonite and phyllonite were collected from 5 localities in the Anhui part of the Tan-Lu fault zone for⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronological studies. Among them 4 samples from 3 localities on the eastern margin of the Dabie orogenic belt yielded⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of 128 —132 Ma; and 2 samples from the western margin of the Zhangbalin uplift and eastern margin of the Bengbu uplift gave the same⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of 120 Ma. Isochron analyses and other lines of evidence suggest that the data are reliable. The data are interpreted as cooling ages of sinistral strike-slip deformation of the Tan-Lu fault zone. The younger ages from the north might be related to slower strike-slip rising. These results indicate that the large-scale left-lateral displacement in the Tan-Lu fault zone took place in the Early Cretaceous, rather than in Late Triassic (Indosinian) as proposed by some geologists. Therefore, this fault zone is an intracontinental wrench fault rather than a transform fault or suture line developed during formation of the Dabie orogenic belt.     

40Ar/39Ar isotopic ages of Qitianling granite and their geologic implications

This paper has reported the first application of 40Ar/39Ar dating to orthoclase from Qitianling granite. The resultant plateau ages yielded by three orthoclase specimens 2KL-17, 99LQ-2 and 2KL-31 (Note: The last one was taken from the part of granite which had been attributed to Cailing super-unit of the Indosinian Period by the former researchers) collected from the said granite are (139.57±2.79) Ma, (140.55±2.81) Ma and (144.91±2.90) Ma respectively. The above-mentioned ages represent the closed 40Ar/39Ar age of the orthoclase. The consistency in age dating results, the similarity in geochemical characteristics and rock textures, and the NW-SE orientation of orthoclase phenocrysts almost throughout the granite, provide evidence for the intimate relationship between the Furong super-unit and the Cailing super-unit that form the main part of the granite, suggesting that they are products of comagmatic conjugate differentiation during the Late Jurassic. This paper also makes a comparison between the Qitianling granite and the Qianlishan granite.     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar geochronology of the Faku tectonites:Implications for the tectonothermal evolution of the Faku block,northern Liaoning

As for the metamorphic rock series distributed on the “Faku Faulted Convex (FFC)”[1] of the northern Liaoning, the earliest geologic investigation divided it into the Langzishan, Dashiqiao and Gaixian forma-tions1) and considered it to be equivalent to the Liaohe Group in the eastern Liaoning, whereas Liaoning Bu-reau of Geology and Mineral Resources (LBGMR) included it into the Lower Proterozoic basement[1]. Recent 1︰50000 scale geological mapping2) reveals that this deformed and …     

The <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar geochronology constraint and geological significance of mylonites in Shangyi-Chicheng fault belt on the north of North China Craton

A dating of two biotite samples taken from the meso- and low-temperature mylonites within the Shangyi-Chicheng fault belt on the north of the North China Craton yields ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar isotopic ages of (399 ± 1) Ma and (263 ± 2) Ma, respectively. These data reflect an Early Devonian deformation and a Late Carboniferous retrograde metamorphism event along the fault, suggesting that the tectonic activities of the North China Craton in Paleozoic should be reconsidered.     

Intercalibration of international and domestic 40Ar/39Ar dating standards

Four international standards, Ga1550, MMhb-1, Lp-6, Bem 4M, and one domestic standard BT-1 have been intercalibrated. The repeated measurements on MMhb-1 with different mass demonstrate that MMhb-1 is inhomogeneous in age and its average age is 519.8 Ma. The results of Bern 4M and Lp-6 reflect that they have an invariable value of ⁴⁰Ar*/³⁹Ar_k (F) and the ages we obtained are consensus with their K-Ar age: Lp-6=127.7Ma; Bern 4M=18.2 Ma. Analyses of BT-1 age spectra, Ca/K and Cl/K spectra as well as inverse isochrons indicate that the sample is homogeneous and invariable and keeps close chemically, with its trapped argon isotope composition close to the atmosphere. The dating results show that age values are reproducible and steady, total fusion age, step-heating age, plateau age and isochron age are in accord with each other within the error range (2σ). Therefore, we recommend 28.7 Ma as the calibrated age of BT-1. We also discuss the variation in neutron flux gradients of Beijing 49-2 reactor. It was found that the neutron flux gradient varies considerably, and more monitors (standard samples) are needed to fix the trend of variation. The coefficient of the 49-2 reactor that transfers the ratio of production rate of ³⁷Ar_Ca/³⁹Ar_K into Ca/K ratio is 1.78. This is different from that reported earlier, 2.0, which may be caused by the reconstruction of the reactor.     

40Ar/39Ar ages of blueschist facies pelitic schists from Qingshuigou in the Northern Qilian Mountains, western China

Abstract   Pelitic schists from Qingshuigou in the Northern Qilian Mountains of China contain mainly glaucophane, garnet, white mica, clinozoisite, chlorite and piemontite. Isotopic age dating of these schists provides new constraints on the formation of the high-grade blueschists at Qingshuigou. White mica ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages range from 442.1 to 447.5 Ma (total fusion age of single grain) and from 445.7 to 453.9 Ma (integrated age of white mica concentrates). These ages (442.1–453.9 Ma) represent the peak metamorphic ages or cooling ages of the blueschists during exhumation shortly after peak metamorphism. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates in the present study are similar to ages previously reported for eclogites and blueschists in the area; this suggests that both the eclogites and pelitic sediments underwent high-grade metamorphism during the same subduction event. From this chronological evidence and the presence of well-developed Silurian remnant-sea flysch and Devonian molasse, it is concluded that the Northern Qilian Ocean had closed by the end of the Ordovician, and rapid orogenic uplift followed in the Devonian.     

Cretaceous-Eocene compression in the central Southern Alps (N Italy) inferred from Ar/Ar dating of pseudotachylytes along regional thrust faults

The integration of structural analyses with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of fault-related pseudotachylytes provides time constraints for the reconstruction of the Alpine evolution of the central portion of the South Alpine orogenic wedge. In the northern sector of the belt a Variscan basement is stacked southward on the Permian to Mesozoic cover along regional faults (Orobic and Porcile thrusts). Fault zones, slightly postdating a first folding event of Alpine age, experienced a complex evolution through the ductile and brittle deformation regime, showing greenschist facies mylonites overprinted by a penetrative cataclastic deformation. Generation of fault-related pseudotachylyte veins marks the onset of brittle conditions, lasting up to the youngest episodes of fault activity. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of the pseudotachylyte matrix of 9 samples give two separated age clusters: Late Cretaceous (80–68 Ma) and latest Palaeocene to Middle Eocene (55–43 Ma). These new data provide evidence that the pre-Adamello evolution of the central Southern Alps was characterised by the superposition of different tectonic events accompanying the exhumation of the deepest part of the belt through the brittle–ductile transition. The oldest pseudotachylyte ages demonstrate that south-verging regional thrusting in the central Southern Alps was already active during the Late Cretaceous, concurrently with the development of a synorogenic foredeep basin where the Upper Cretaceous Lombardian Flysch was deposited.     

鲜水河断裂带北西段不同破裂源强震震级（M≥67）及复发间隔研究

鲜水河断裂带是四川西部一条晚第四纪强烈左旋走滑活动的构造带，历史上发生多次强震. 它与西北侧的甘孜—玉树断裂带一起，构成青藏高原东部的侧向滑移构造系统中的川滇活动地块的北边界——羌塘地块的东北边界. 鲜水河断裂带北西段可以分成4个段落，每一段落均可作为一个独立的基本破裂单元而发生地震破裂，亦有可能发生不同尺度的多段联合瞧裂. 对鲜水河断裂带北西段不同尺度破裂的震级及复发间隔进行研究. 根据该地区的地质、地球物理、测量及地震等方面的资料，结合我国强震复发的特点，分析了拉分盆地内部的滑动速率分布，以确定各段落的等效长度和倾向宽度，从而建立适合我国大陆走滑断裂的面波震级与断裂发震面积的关系式；进而运用地震矩方法，考虑断层之间的相互作用，结合专家意见建立了该段的矩平衡断裂破裂模型；最后，给出了鲜水河断裂带北西段各破裂源特征化地震的复发间隔、震级大小和不确定性，以及他与中小地震的联合震级分布. 结果表明，鲜水河断裂带北西段较易发生单段破裂，复发间隔在100～150年左右.     

鲜水河断裂带南东段的深部孕震环境与2014年康定M_S6.3地震

2014年11月22日16时55分在四川省甘孜藏族自治州康定县发生的6.3级地震,结束了鲜水河断裂带近30多年以来没有较大地震发生的历史,其潜在的地震危险性再次引起国内外地学工作者的关注.为了研究鲜水河断裂带南东段深部孕震环境和探求康定MS6.3地震的成因,本文先利用四川区域数字地震台网和康定地区及周边所布设的流动地震台阵在2009年1月1日至2014年12月5日期间所记录到7397次区域地震事件的99287条P波到时资料,反演得到了鲜水河断裂带南东段上地壳范围内不同深度的三维P波速度结构特征;再对康定震区及周边的重力、航磁数据进行视密度、视磁化强度反演,得到了壳内不同深度密度的横向变化信息和视磁化强度的分布特征;在此基础上综合研究鲜水河断裂带南东段的深部孕震环境.研究结果表明,雅江—九龙一带的低速区与泸定—宝兴高速区的速度结构特征表明了鲜水河断裂带南东段两侧壳内物质存在显著的横向介质差异,康定MS6.3地震发生在该高低速异常区的分界线上;结合康定MS6.3地震的1028个余震序列的精确定位结果可以看出,重新定位后的余震沿着鲜水河断裂带南东段呈条带状分布,且震源深度优势分布层位深度为8~15km,该余震序列的空间分布特征与鲜水河断裂南东段的深部介质条件密切相关.鲜水河断裂带南东段特有的视密度和视磁化强度异常分布特征反映了康定地区东西两侧块体的基底性质存在明显差异,康定—石棉及其以东地区所表现出的磁异常高和重力高的位场特征,反映该区域由强磁性、高密度物质组成,而康定MS6.3地震就发生在康定—石棉重力梯度变化带上、雅安—泸定磁性穹窿区的西边界线上.随着川青块体向南东方向滑移,受到四川盆地西缘边界刚性基底对川青块体的强烈阻挡,加剧了康定—石棉及其以东地区基底岩层的褶皱变形并产生了强烈的应力积累,所积累的应力突然释放导致了康定MS6.3地震的发生,这正是此次鲜水河断裂带南东段康定地区强震孕育和发生的深部构造环境和介质特征.根据本文对鲜水河断裂带南东段深部孕震环境的综合研究成果可知,石棉段处于重磁异常梯级带上且其北东侧表现出的高密度、强磁性和高波速等物性特征有利于区域应力的相对集中,因此,鲜水河断裂带南东段石棉地区的地震活动趋势和地震危险性背景值得进一步关注和研究.     

Petrological, geochemical and chronological constraints for the tectonic setting of the Dongco ophiolite in Tibet

The Dongco ophiolite occurred in the middle-western segment of the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone. The thickness of the ophiolite suite is more than 5 km, which is composed, from bottom to top, of the mantle peridotite, mafic-ultramafic cumulates, basic sills (dykes) and basic lava and tectoni- cally emplaced in Jurassic strata (Mugagongru Group). The Dongco cumulates consist of dunite- troctolite-olivine-gabbro, being a part of DTG series of mafic-ultramafic cumulates. The basic lavas are characterized by being rich in alkali (Na2O K2O), TiO2, P2O5 and a LREE-rich type pattern dip- ping right with [La/Yb]=6.94―16.6 as well as a trace elements spider-diagram with normal anomaly of Th, Nb, Ta, Hf. Therefore, the Dongco basic lavas belong to ocean-island basalt (OIB) and dis- tinctly differ from mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and island-arc basalt (IAB) formed in the plate convergence margin. The basic lavas have higher 87Sr/86Sr (0.704363―0.705007), lower 143Nd/144Nd (0.512708―0.512887) and εNd(t ) from 2.7― 5.8, indicating that they derive from a two-components mixing mantle source of depleted mantle (DM) and enriched mantle (EMI). From above it is ready to see that the Dongco ophiolite forms in oceanic island (OIB) where the mantle source is replaced by a large amount of enriched material, therefore it distinctly differs from these ophiolites formed in island-arc and mid-oecan ridge. Newly obtained SHRIMP U-Pb dating for zircon of the cumulate troctolite is 132 ± 3 Ma and whole-rock dating of ~(39)Ar/~(40)Ar for the basalt is 173.4 ± 2.7 Ma and 140.9 ± 2.8 Ma, indicating that the Dongco ophiolite formed at Early Cretaceous and the middle-western segment of the Bangong-Nujiang oceanic basin was still in the developing and evolving period at Early Cretaceous.     

<Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar dating of the eruptive history of Mount Erebus,Antarctica: volcano evolution

Mt. Erebus, a 3,794-meter-high active polygenetic stratovolcano, is composed of voluminous anorthoclase-phyric tephriphonolite and phonolite lavas overlying unknown volumes of poorly exposed, less differentiated lavas. The older basanite to phonotephrite lavas crop out on Fang Ridge, an eroded remnant of a proto-Erebus volcano and at other isolated locations on the flanks of the Mt. Erebus edifice. Anorthoclase feldspars in the phonolitic lavas are large (~10 cm), abundant (~30–40%) and contain numerous melt inclusions. Although excess argon is known to exist within the melt inclusions, rigorous sample preparation was used to remove the majority of the contaminant. Twenty-five sample sites were dated by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method (using 20 anorthoclase, 5 plagioclase and 9 groundmass concentrates) to examine the eruptive history of the volcano. Cape Barne, the oldest site, is 1,311±16 ka and represents the first of three stages of eruptive activity on the Mt. Erebus edifice. It shows a transition from sub-aqueous to sub-aerial volcanism that may mark the initiation of proto-Erebus eruptive activity. It is inferred that a further ~300 ky of basanitic/phonotephritic volcanism built a low, broad platform shield volcano. Cessation of the shield-building phase is marked by eruptions at Fang Ridge at ~1,000 ka. The termination of proto-Erebus eruptive activity is marked by the stratigraphically highest flow at Fang Ridge (758±20 ka). Younger lavas (~550–250 ka) on a modern-Erebus edifice are characterized by phonotephrites, tephriphonolites and trachytes. Plagioclase-phyric phonotephrite from coastal and flank flows yield ages between 531±38 and 368±18 ka. The initiation of anorthoclase tephriphonolite occurred in the southwest sector of the volcano at and around Turks Head (243±10 ka). A short pulse of effusive activity marked by crustal contamination occurred ~160 ka as indicated by at least two trachytic flows (157±6 and 166±10 ka). Most anorthoclase-phyric lavas, characteristic of Mt. Erebus, are less than 250 ka. All Mt. Erebus flows between about 250 and 90 ka are anorthoclase tephriphonolite in composition.Editorial responsibility: J. Donelly-Nolan     

<Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar chronology and geochemistry of high-K volcanic rocks in the Mangkang basin,Tibet

Our two newly obtained high-quality ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages suggest that the high-K volcanic rocks of the Lawuxiang Formation in the Mangkang basin, Tibet were formed at 33.5 ± 0.2 Ma. The tracing of elemental and Pb-Sr-Nd isotopic geochemistry indicates that they were derived from an EM2 enriched mantle in continental subduction caused by transpression. Their evidently negative anomalies in HFSEs such as Nb and Ta make clear that there is an input of continental material into the mantle source. The high-K rocks at 33.5 ± 0.2 Ma in the Mangkang basin may temporally, spatially and compositionally compare with the early one of two-pulse high-K rocks in eastern Tibet distinguished by Wang J. H. et al., implying that they were formed in the same tectonic setting.     

<Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar dating of the eruptive history of Mount Erebus,Antarctica: summit flows,tephra, and caldera collapse

Eruptive activity has occurred in the summit region of Mount Erebus over the last 95 ky, and has included numerous lava flows and small explosive eruptions, at least one plinian eruption, and at least one and probably two caldera-forming events. Furnace and laser step-heating ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages have been determined for 16 summit lava flows and three englacial tephra layers erupted from Mount Erebus. The summit region is composed of at least one or possibly two superimposed calderas that have been filled by post-caldera lava flows ranging in age from 17 ± 8 to 1 ± 5 ka. Dated pre-caldera summit flows display two age populations at 95 ± 9 to 76 ± 4 ka and 27 ± 3 to 21 ± 4 ka of samples with tephriphonolite and phonolite compositions, respectively. A caldera-collapse event occurred between 25 and 11 ka. An older caldera-collapse event is likely to have occurred between 80 and 24 ka. Two englacial tephra layers from the flanks of Mount Erebus have been dated at 71 ± 5 and 15 ± 4 ka. These layers stratigraphically bracket 14 undated tephra layers, and predate 19 undated tephra layers, indicating that small-scale explosive activity has occurred throughout the late Pleistocene and Holocene eruptive history of Mount Erebus. A distal, englacial plinian-fall tephra sample has an age of 39 ± 6 ka and may have been associated with the older of the two caldera-collapse events. A shift in magma composition from tephriphonolite to phonolite occurred at around 36 ka.Editorial responsibility: Julie Donnelly-Nolan     

Southeastern extension of the Red River fault zone (RRFZ) and its tectonic evolution significance in western South China Sea

The tectonic evolution features in the western South China Sea (SCS) are directly related to the Tethys tectonic province. The Red River fault zone (RRFZ) comprises a large part of the Tethys tectonic province and is the boundary between the Europe Block and the India-Asia Block[1]. It serves as the contact between the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the SCSopening. The RRFZ, which is an important dividing line in the geology of the SE Asia, is about 1000 km long in the co…     

Post-caldera activity in the Alban Hills volcanic district (Italy): 40Ar/39Ar geochronology and insights into magma evolution

We present 24 ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages for the youngest volcanic products from the Alban Hills volcanic district (Rome). Combined with petrological data on these products, we have attempted to define the chronology of the most recent phase of activity and to investigate the magma evolution of this volcanic district. The early, mainly explosive activity of the Alban Hills spanned the interval from 561±1 to 351±3 ka. After approximately 50-kyr of dormancy, a mainly effusive phase of activity took place, accompanied by the strombolian activity of a small central edifice (Monte delle Faete). This second phase of activity spanned the interval 308±2 to 250±1 ka. After another dormancy period of approximately 50-kyr, a new, hydromagmatic phase of activity started at 200 ka at several centers located to the southwest of the Monte delle Faete edifice. After an initial recurrence period of approximately 50-kyr, which also characterized this new phase of activity, the longest dormancy period (approximately 80-kyr) in the history of the volcanic district preceded the start of the activity of the Albano and Giuturna centers at 70±1 ka. Results of our study suggest a quasi-continuous magmatic activity feeding hydromagmatic centers with a new acme of volcanism since around 70 ka. Based on data presented in this paper, we argue that the Alban Hills should not be considered an extinct volcanic district and a detailed re-assessment of the volcanic hazard for the area of Rome is in order. Published online: 4 April 2003 Editorial responsibility: J. Donnelly-Nolan