Sapphirine/kornenipine-bearing rocks and crustal uplift history of the Limpopo belt,Southern Africa

Sapphirine/kornerupine-bearing rocks occur within the anorthosites of the Messina layered intrusion in the Limpopo mobile belt of Zimbabwe. The X_Mg range of the major minerals is as follows: cordierite (0.98-0.93); enstatite (0.97-0.86); chlorite (0.98-0.92); phlogopite (0.98-0.90); sapphirine (0.98-0.86); kornerupine (0.94-0.88); gedrite (0.96-0.85); spinel (0.92-0.78). There are four rock types, the constituent minerals of which have different values, which decrease in the above mineral order; other minerals are corundum, sillimanite and relict kyanite. We recognise twenty reactions without phlogopite and nine reactions involving phlogopite. The textural relations and the plots of the microprobe data of coexisting minerals in the MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-(H₂O) system are consistent with the following sequence of main reactions: (1) enstatite+corundum cordierite+sapphirine; (4) sapphirine+sillimanite cordierite+corundum; (8) kornerupine+corundum cordierite+sapphirine; (13) kornerupine cordierite+sapphirine+enstatite; (15) enstatite+spinel chlorite+sapphirine; (18) cordierite+sapphirine chlorite+corundum; (20) sapphirine chlorite+corundum+spinel. The early reactions are shown by coarse-grained reaction intergrowths, kornerupine and gedrite breakdown is shown by finer-grained symplectites, and the latest reactions by very fine-grained products in micro-fractures. These selected reactions illustrate a remarkably steep trajectory from thePT peak close to 10 kbar and 800° C to the minimum observable at 3.5–4.5 kbar and 700° C as indicated by the pure MASH system. Very rapid uplift took place under nearly isothermal conditions. The protolith of this material was possibly sedimentary, derived from altered volcanic rocks. The bulk composition is close to the composition of kornerupine or to a mixture of alunite, chlorite and pyrophyllite. These texturally and mineralogically complex rocks contain a wealth of relevant data for documenting crustal uplift history.     

Calcite U–Pb age of the Cretaceous vertebrate‐bearing Bayn Shire Formation in the Eastern Gobi Desert of Mongolia: Usefulness of caliche for age determination

To verify the usefulness of calcite U–Pb measurement for vertebrate‐bearing strata in the Eastern Gobi, Mongolia, we performed laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry calcite U–Pb and trace element analyses of three caliche (calcrete) of the Bayn Shire Formation. The trace element analysis demonstrates high concentration of U in the calcites. Two meaningful calcite U–Pb ages were obtained; 95.9 ± 6.0 and 89.6 ± 4.0 Ma, which are consistent with published ages from the Bayn Shire Formation. Our results demonstrate that the calcite U–Pb method can be powerful tool for age determination of vertebrate‐bearing strata in the Gobi that do not contain index fossils or beds, but do contain caliches. This would make it possible for a comparison of biostratigraphy between the Gobi and other areas yielding abundant vertebrate fossils in Asia, North America and Europe, based on chronological data.     

Early Cretaceous wedge extrusion in the Indo-Burma Range accretionary complex: implications for the Mesozoic subduction of Neotethys in SE Asia

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Indo-Burma Range (IBR) of Myanmar, the eastern extension of the Yarlung-Tsangpo Neotethyan belt of Tibet in China, contains mélanges with...     

Palaeozoic collisional tectonics and magmatism of the Chinese Tien Shan, central Asia

The Chinese Tien Shan range is a Palaeozoic orogenic belt which contains two collision zones. The older, southern collision accreted a north-facing passive continental margin on the north side of the Tarim Block to an active continental margin on the south side of an elongate continental tract, the Central Tien Shan. Collision occurred along the Qinbulak-Qawabulak Fault (Southern Tien Shan suture). The time of the collision is poorly constrained, but was probably in in the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous. We propose this age because of a major disconformity at this time along the north side of the Tarim Block, and because the Youshugou ophiolite is imbricated with Middle Devonian sediments. A younger, probably Late Carboniferous-Early Permian collision along the North Tien Shan Fault (Northern Tien Shan suture) accreted the northern side of the Central Tien Shan to an island arc which lay to its north, the North Tien Shan arc. This collision is bracketed by the Middle Carboniferous termination of arc magmatism and the appearance of Late Carboniferous or Early Permian elastics in a foreland basin developed over the extinct arc. Thrust sheets generated by the collision are proposed as the tectonic load responsible for the subsidence of this basin. Post-collisional, but Palaeozoic, dextral shear occurred along the northern suture zone, this was accompanied by the intrusion of basic and acidic magmas in the Central Tien Shan. Late Palaeozoic basic igneous rocks from all three lithospheric blocks represented in the Tien Shan possess chemical characteristics associated with generation in supra-subduction zone environments, even though many post-date one or both collisions. Rocks from each block also possess distinctive trace element chemistries, which supports the three-fold structural division of the orogenic belt. It is unclear whether the chemical differences represent different source characteristics, or are due to different episodes of magmatism being juxtaposed by later dextral strike-slip fault motions. Because the southern collision zone in the Tien Shan is the older of the two, the Tarim Block sensu stricto collided not with the Eurasian landmass, but with a continental block which was itself separated from Eurasia by at least one ocean. The destruction of this ocean in Late Carboniferous-Early Permian times represented the final elimination of all oceanic basins from this part of central Asia.     

Origin of sapphirine-bearing garnet-orthopyroxene granulites: possible hydrothermally altered ocean floor

Sapphirine is a metamorphic mineral that forms in the deep crust in rocks with distinctive bulk compositions, in particular high concentrations of Mg and Al. This study investigates a thin, discontinuous layer of sapphirine-bearing garnet-orthopyroxene (SGO) granulite within a Palaeoproterozoic mafic granulite together with metamorphosed mafic and ultramafic rocks, micaceous rocks rich in magnetite and pyrite, and marble. All of these rocks occur within a low-strain zone in the Lewisian complex of South Harris, NW Scotland. Data on mineral compositions and major, trace, and rare earth element (REE) patterns provide evidence for the origin of the precursor of the SGO granulite. The host mafic granulite has a trace element signature and REE pattern comparable with that of E-type MORB. The chemical abundances of Nb, Ta, La, Ce, Nd, Zr, Hf, Ti, and V in the SGO granulite, except for one sample that records total element loss, are similar to those of the host mafic granulite; however, in terms of whole-rock element abundances, the former is relatively enriched in MgO and depleted in CaO, Na₂O, MnO, Sr, and Eu. Elements within the SGO granulite that were apparently unaffected by hydrothermal alteration—V, Y, Zr, and Cr—are within the range of values observed in the host mafic granulite. Sm–Nd whole-rock isotope systematics suggest that both the host mafic granulite and SGO granulite were metamorphosed at 1.9 Ga, and the Nd initial ratio is consistent with a MORB source at that time. There is no significant difference in the Nd values of the two rock types, suggesting that they originally belonged to the same protolith. Chemical trends within a narrow zone between the SGO and host rock granulite suggest that the former was derived from a basaltic precursor of the latter by a process of infiltration metasomatism, comparable with the chemical exchange that takes place when hydrothermal fluids in present-day oceanic crust pass through vents in a “recharge zone.” The geological and chemical relations observed in the South Harris rocks are consistent with the following model: hydrothermally altered oceanic basaltic crust was trapped in an accretionary wedge and subducted, followed by granulite-facies metamorphism in a deep continental environment during arc–continent collision. This is the first report of hydrothermally altered oceanic crust that was converted to sapphirine-bearing granulite deep in the continental crust.     

Selective elemental depletion during metamorphism of archaean granulites,scourie, NW Scotland

The low abundances of large ion lithophile elements (LIL), K, Rb, U, Th, Cs, and high K/Rb ratio in rocks varying in composition from gabbro to granite in the Scourian complex, NW Scotland, are interpreted as due to depletion during granulite facies metamorphism. Depletion was controlled by the mineralogy of the rock, the composition of the associated fluid phase and its volume relative to the volume of the rock. K-feldspar granites and granodiorites were not depleted in K and only moderately in Rb, but tonalites and trondhjemites were strongly depleted in both K and Rb. Published mineral-fluid partition coefficients for LIL in aqueous systems indicate that between 0.075 and 2.0 rock volumes of fluid phase passed through the host rock in order to achieve the observed selective elemental depletion.     

Subaqueous early eruptive phase of the late Aptian Rajmahal volcanism,India: Evidence from volcaniclastic rocks,bentonite, black shales,and oolite

The late Aptian(118-115 Ma) continental flood basalts of the Rajmahal Volcanic Province(RVP) are part of the Kerguelen Large Igneous Province,and constitute the uppermost part of the Gondwana Supergroup on the eastern Indian shield margin.The lower one-third of the Rajmahal volcanic succession contains thin layers of plant fossil-rich inter-trappean sedimentary rocks with pyroclasts,bentonite,grey and black shale/mudstone and oolite,whereas the upper two-thirds consist of sub-aerial fine-grained aphyric basalts with no inter-trappean material.At the eastern margin and the north-central sector of the RVP,the volcanics in the lower part include rhyolites and dacites overlain by enstatite-bearing basalts and enstatite-andesites.The pyroclastic rocks are largely felsic in composition,and comprise ignimbrite as well as coarse-grained tuff with lithic clasts,and tuff breccia with bombs,lapilli and ash that indicate explosive eruption of viscous rhyolitic magma.The rhyolites/dacites(68 wt.%) are separated from the andesites( 60 wt.%) by a gap in silica content indicating their formation through upper crustal anatexis with only heat supplied by the basaltic magma.On the other hand,partially melted siltstone xenoliths in enstatite-bearing basalts suggest that the enstatite-andesites originated through mixing of the upper crust with basaltic magma,crystallizing orthopyroxene at a pressure-temperature of ~3 kb/1150℃.In contrast,the northwestern sector of the RVP is devoid of felsic-intermediate rocks,and the volcaniclastic rocks are predominantly mafic(basaltic) in composition.Here,the presence of fine-grained tuffs,tuff breccia containing sideromelane shards and quenched texture,welded tuff breccia,peperite,shale/mudstone and oolite substantiates a subaqueous environment.Based on these observations,we conclude that the early phase of Rajmahal volcanism occurred under predominantly subaqueous conditions.The presence of grey and black shale/mudstone in the lower one-third of the succession across the entire Rajmahal basin provides unequivocal evidence of a shallow-marine continental shelf-type environment.Alignment of the Rajmahal eruptive centers with a major N—S mid-Neoproterozoic lineament and the presence of a gravity high on the RVP suggest a tectonic control for the eruption of melts associated with the Kerguelen plume that was active in a post-Gondwana rift between India and Australia-Antarctica.     

Geochemistry of mylonitic gneisses from the Cycladic Basement Unit (Paros and Serifos,Aegean Sea): implications for protoliths of the high-grade gneisses

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The nature of the protolith(s) of high-grade gneisses from the Aegean Cycladic Basement Unit of the islands of Paros and Serifos is investigated using...     

Carboniferous rifted arcs leading to an archipelago of multiple arcs in the Beishan–Tianshan orogenic collages (NW China)

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Beishan and East Tianshan Orogenic Collages in the southernmost Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) record the final stages of evolution of the...     

Accretionary processes and metallogenesis of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Advances and perspectives

As one of the largest Phanerozoic orogens in the world,the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is a natural laboratory for studies of continental dynamics and metallogenesis.This paper summarizes the research progresses of the accretionary processes and metallogenesis of the CAOB since the Peopled Republic of China was founded,and puts forward the prospect for future research.During the early period (1950s-1970s),several geological theories were applied to explain the geological evolution of Central Asia.In the early period of China's reform and opening-up,the plate tectonics theory was applied to explain the evolution of the northern Xinjiang and Xingmeng regions,and the opinion of subduction-collision between Siberian Kazakhstan and China-North Korea-Tarim plates was proposed.The idea of the Solonker-Yanbian suture zone was established.In the 1990s,the study of the CAOB entered a period of rapid development.One school of scholars including geologists from the former Soviet Union proposed a multi-block collision model for the assemblage of the CAOB.In contrast,another school of scholars,led by a Turkish geologist,Celal Sengor,proposed that the Altaids was formed through the growth and strike-slip duplicates of a single island arc,and pointed out that the Altaids is a special type of collisional orogen.During this period,Chinese geologists carried out a lot of pioneering researches on ophiolites and high-pressure metamorphic rocks in northern China,and confirmed the main suture zones accordingly.In 1999,the concept of"Central Asian metallogenic domain"was proposed,and it became one of the three major metallogenic domains in the world.Since the 21st century,given the importance for understanding continental accretion and metallogenic mechanism,the CAOB has become the international academic forefront.China has laid out a series of scientific research projects in Central Asia.A large number of important scientific research achievements have been spawned,including the tectonic attribution of micro-continents,timing and tectonic settings of ophiolites,magmatic arcs,identification and anatomy of accretionary wedges,regional metamorphism-deformation,(ultra)high-pressure metamorphism,ridge subduction plume-plate interaction archipelagic paleogeography and spatio-temporal framework of multiple accretionary orogeny,continental growth accretionary metallogenesis,structural superposition and transformation etc.These achievements have made important international influences.There still exist the following aspects that need further study:(1) Early evolution history and subduction initiation of the Paleo-Asian Ocean;(2) The accretionary mechanism of the extroversion Paleo-Asian Ocean;(3) The properties of the mantle of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and their spatiotemporal distribution;(4) The interaction between the Paleo-Asian Ocean and the Tethys Ocean;(5) Phanerozoic continental growth mechanism and its global comparison;(6) Accretionary metallogenic mechanism of the Central Asian metallogenic domain;and (7) Continental transformation mechanism.