What Happened in the Trans-North China Orogen in the Period 2560-1850 Ma？

The Trans-North China Orogen （TNCO） was a Paleoproterozic continent-continent collisional belt along which the Eastern and Western Blocks amalgamated to form a coherent North China Craton （NCC）. Recent geological, structural, geochemical and isotopic data show that the orogen was a continental margin or Japan-type arc along the western margin of the Eastern Block, which was separated from the Western Block by an old ocean, with eastward-directed subduction of the oceanic lithosphere beneath the western margin of the Eastern Block. At 2550-2520 Ma, the deep subduction caused partial melting of the medium-lower crust, producing copious granitoid magma that was intruded into the upper levels of the crust to form granitoid plutons in the low- to medium-grade granite-greeustone terranes. At 2530-2520 Ma, subduction of the oceanic lithosphere caused partial melting of the mantle wedge, which led to underplating of mafic magma in the lower crust and widespread mafic and minor felsic volcanism in the arc, forming part of the greenstone assemblages. Extension driven by widespread mafic to felsic volcanism led to the development of back-arc and/or intra-arc basins in the orogen. At 2520-2475 Ma, the subduction caused further partial melting of the lower crust to form large amounts of tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic （TTG） magmatism. At this time following further extension of back-arc basins, episodic granitoid magmatism occurred, resulting in the emplacement of 2360 Ma, -2250 Ma 2110-21760 Ma and -2050 Ma granites in the orogen. Contemporary volcano-sedimentary rocks developed in the back-arc or intra-are basins. At 2150-1920 Ma, the orogen underwent several extensional events, possibly due to subduction of an oceanic ridge, leading to emplacement of mafic dykes that were subsequently metamorphosed to amphibolites and medium- to high-pressure mafic granulites. At 1880-1820 Ma, the ocean between the Eastern and Western Blocks was completely consumed by subduction, and the dosing of the ocean led to the continent-arc-continent collision, which caused large-scale thrusting and isoclinal folds and transported some of the rocks into the lower crustal levels or upper mantle to form granulites or eclogites. Peak metamorphism was followed by exhumation/uplift, resulting in widespread development of asymmetric folds and symplectic textures in the rocks.     

Biomediation of calcrete at the gold anomaly of the Barns prospect,Gawler Craton,South Australia

Anomalously high Au concentrations (2.5 to 50 ppb) in regolith carbonate accumulations, such as calcrete and calcareous sands in aeolian sand dunes overlying Au mineralisation of the Gawler Craton, South Australia, show a marked covariance of Au with K, Mg and most notably Ca. This relationship appears to be linked to the authigenic formation of smectites and carbonates within the aeolian dunes in the region. However, little is known about the processes involved in the formation of carbonates under semi-arid and arid conditions. In this study the geochemical properties of aeolian dunes along several depth profiles of 2 to 4 m are investigated in order to assess the relationship between Au mobility and calcrete formation. In the profiles a strongly systematic relationship between Au and the increasing Ca–Mg contents at depth highlights the close association between the enrichment of Au in the calcrete and the underlying hydrothermal mineralisation. Intense calcrete formation and concurrent Au enrichment also occurs in the vicinity of roots penetrating the dune. Thin section petrography and cathodoluminescence show that most of the calcrete in the regolith profiles is micritic; some sparic crystallites have also been identified. To demonstrate the presence of microbial processes that may mediate the formation of calcrete, samples from a depth profile in the dune were taken under sterile conditions. After amendment with urea and incubation of up to 24 h, up to 18 mg/l of NH₄⁺ were detected in near surface samples. At depth of 2.3 m 1 mg/l NH₄⁺ were detected compared to a control that contained below 0.05 mg/l NH₄⁺. These results suggest that the genesis of calcrete and pedogenic carbonate in the area may be partly biologically mediated via processes such as the metabolic breakdown of urea by resident microbiota which generates a pH and pCO₂ environment conducive to the precipitation of carbonate. In the process of urea breakdown organic Au complexes such as Au-amino acid complexes may become destabilised in solution and Au may be co-precipitated, resulting in the fine, non-particulate distribution of Au throughout the micritic calcrete carbonate. In conclusion, this study suggests a coupled mechanism of biologically mediated and inorganic mechanisms that lead to the formation of Au-in-calcrete anomalies.     

大陆科学钻探先导孔（CCSD—P1）橄榄岩地幔属性及动力学意义

早中生代的扬子大陆向华北大陆的深俯冲碰撞作用以及中、新生代的华北东部岩石圈减薄作用是国际大陆动力学问题研究的两个热点。然而，把它们有机联系起来，探讨深部岩石圈演化动力学过程的研究还很少。报道了中国大陆科学钻探先导孔（CCSD-PP1）橄榄岩的矿物岩石化学分析结果。这些橄榄岩亏损玄武质组分（如低w（CaO＋Al2O3）、高Mg^#等），并经历了中元古代来自软流圈的碳酸岩熔体的交代作用和早中生代的超高压再平衡过程。结合已发表的华北捕虏体橄榄岩资料，对这一橄榄岩的原始地幔属性进行了分析。发现CCSD-PP1橄榄岩与华北古老岩石圈地幔组成相似，是早中生代来自华北岩石圈的构造侵入体。早中生代华北岩石圈的伸展减薄与苏鲁超高压变质岩石的折返提供了早期软流圈物质上涌的构造体制。     

A new key pole for the East European Craton at 1452 Ma: Palaeomagnetic and geochronological constraints from mafic rocks in the Lake Ladoga region (Russian Karelia)

Palaeomagnetic and geochronological studies on mafic rocks in the Lake Ladoga region in South Russian Karelia provide a new, reliably dated Mesoproterozoic key paleopole for the East European Craton (Baltica). U–Pb dating on baddeleyite gives a crystallisation age of 1452 ± 12 Ma for one of the studied dolerite dykes. A mean palaeomagnetic pole for the Mesoproterozoic dolerite dykes, Valaam sill and Salmi basalts yields a paleopole at 15.2°N, 177.1°E, A₉₅ = 5.5°. Positive baked contact test for the dolerite dykes and positive reversal test for the Salmi basalts and for the dykes confirm the primary nature of the magnetisation. Comparison of this Baltica palaeopole with coeval paleomagnetic data for Laurentia and Siberia provides a revised palaeoposition of these cratons. The results verify that the East European Craton, Laurentia and Siberia were part of the supercontinent Columbia from the Late Palaeoproterozoic to the Middle Neoproterozoic.     

4D architecture and tectonic evolution of the Laverton region,eastern Yilgarn Craton,Western Australia

The Laverton region, located in the eastern Yilgarn Craton (EYC) Western Australia, is second only to the Kalgoorlie region for gold endowment. The integration of high-density, potential-field data, regional- and camp-scale seismic reflection data, regional- and mine-scale structural analysis, and geochronologically-constrained stratigraphy, provided new insights into the 4D architecture and tectonic evolution of Laverton region.     

Geodynamics of the eastern Yilgarn Craton

Over the last decade there have been significant advances in our understanding of the stratigraphy, magmatism, deformation, metamorphism and timing of mineralisation, in the eastern Yilgarn Craton (EYC) of Western Australia. The integration of these disciplines has enabled a holistic review of the tectonic history of the EYC which favours a paraautochthonous tectonic model.     

贺兰山高压泥质麻粒岩——华北克拉通西部陆块拼合的岩石学证据

贺兰山孔兹岩系作为华北克拉通西部孔兹岩带的重要组成部分,其成因问题一直存在争议。近来,在对贺兰山富铝岩系研究过程中,发现了具有"蓝晶石+条纹长石+石榴石"特征组合的高压泥质麻粒岩。通过岩相观测与相平衡定量模拟,确定其曾经历四个阶段的变质演化过程,即早期进变质阶段(M1)、变质峰期阶段(M2)、峰期后降压阶段(M3)和晚期退变阶段(M4)。早期进变质阶段,以石榴石中包裹黑云母和白云母为特征。变质峰期阶段,以出现"蓝晶石+条纹长石+石榴石"组合为特征,变质温、压条件为850～870℃、1.4～1.5GPa。峰期后降压阶段以峰期石榴石和蓝晶石转变为堇青石和夕线石为特征,温压条件大致为840～860℃、0.6～0.8GPa。晚期退变阶段以出现新生黑云母为标志,温、压条件为780～810℃、0.45～0.55GPa。PT轨迹具有顺时针演化样式,峰期后表现为先发生近等温降压(ITD)、后发生近等压冷却(IBC)的退变过程,反映陆-陆碰撞发生高压麻粒岩相变质作用,后又快速折返到正常地壳深度的变质动力学过程,进而从岩石学角度证明华北克拉通西部孔兹岩带是由北部的阴山陆块与南部的鄂尔多斯陆块发生碰撞所致。     

北京延庆高于庄组凝灰岩的锆石U-Pb定年研究及其对华北北部中元古界划分新方案的进一步约束

作者最近在北京延庆高于庄组张家峪亚组上部发现了凝灰岩,并测得了该凝灰岩中锆石1559±12Ma的SHRIMPU-Pb年龄和1560±5Ma的LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb年龄。这一新的高精度定年结果表明,华北北部高于庄组形成于中元古代初期的盖层纪(Calymmian Period,1600~1400Ma)早期。结合早先大红峪组火山岩的锆石U-Pb年龄(1622~1625Ma),现在可以确切地将高于庄组的底界年龄限定在1600Ma左右。结合最近在铁岭组斑脱岩获得的锆石U-Pb年龄(~1440Ma),本文再次建议,应将华北中元古界蓟县系的底界下拉到高于庄组底界,自该组底部(1600Ma)到铁岭组顶部(1400Ma)的巨厚碳酸盐岩序列都属于新定义的蓟县系,并对应于国际中元古界的盖层系,高于庄组与大红峪组之间的界线则可作为蓟县系与长城系的分界标志。高于庄组凝灰岩锆石的精确定年,为华北北部中元古界年代地层划分等研究,提供了直接的年代学约束。     

华北克拉通中生代以来基性岩墙群的分布及研究意义

围绕岩石圈破坏和减薄这个主题,华北克拉通成为近10年来国内外研究的热点地区。华北克拉通中生代以来基性岩墙群分布广泛,然而对此仍缺乏系统的研究。通过对基性岩墙群的系统总结,在详尽的资料收集和已有研究的基础上,重点对华北克拉通中生代基性岩墙群的研究现状、分布和意义进行了汇总和讨论。随后,结合近年来的研究经验,提出了基性岩墙群定年中应注意的问题。     

小秦岭地区太华群锆石U-Pb年龄及华北克拉通南缘地壳演化

以小秦岭地区太华群二长片麻岩为研究对象,分析其地球化学、锆石U-Pb年龄和Hf同位素特征。地球化学分析显示其原岩为高钾钙碱性花岗质岩石,稀土元素总含量较高(229×10-6),轻、重稀土元素分馏明显(w(La)N/w(Yb)N=45.39),有明显的Eu负异常(0.43)。原始地幔标准化微量元素蛛网图显示其富集Rb、Ba、Th、U等大离子亲石元素和亏损Nb、Ta、Sr、P、Ti等高场强元素。锆石U-Pb定年结果显示,其原岩的形成时代为古元古代早期(2.47Ga)。锆石Hf同位素分析结果显示:初始N(176 Hf)/N(177 Hf)值变化范围很小,为0.281 284~0.281 328,εHf(t)值均为正值(0.93~5.18);二阶段Hf模式年龄为2.70~2.89Ga,新生地壳(现代岛弧火山)Hf模式年龄为2.54~2.73Ga,接近于锆石结晶年龄(2.47Ga),指示华北克拉通南缘在这一时期有明显的新生地壳生长。华北克拉通南缘在新太古代早期(2.7~2.9Ga)、新太古代晚期—古元古代早期(2.2~2.5Ga)和古元古代中期(1.8~2.1Ga)有3期重要的构造热事件。新太古代早期及晚期有明显的新生地壳生长(εHf(t)0),新太古代晚期—古元古代早期和古元古代中期的岩浆活动有明显的新生地壳生长,同时还伴随有古老地壳物质的再循环和改造(εHf(t)0或εHf(t)0)。