40Ar/39Ar and K–Ar age constraints on the timing of regional deformation,south coast of New South Wales,Lachlan Fold Belt: Problems and implications

Four slate samples from subduction complex rocks exposed on the south coast of New South Wales, south of Batemans Bay, were analysed by K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar step‐heating methods. One sample contains relatively abundant detrital muscovite flakes that are locally oblique to the regional cleavage in the rock, whereas the remaining samples appear to contain sparse detrital muscovite. Separates of detrital muscovite yielded plateau ages of 505 ± 3 Ma and 513 ± 3 Ma indicating that inheritance has not been eliminated by metamorphism and recrystallisation. Step‐heating analyses of whole‐rock chips from all four slate samples produced discordant apparent age spectra with ‘saddle shapes’ following young apparent ages at the lowest temperature increments. Elevated apparent ages associated with the highest temperature steps are attributed to the presence of variable quantities of detrital muscovite (<1–5%). Two whole‐rock slate samples yielded similar ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar integrated ages of ca 455 Ma, which are some 15–30 million years older than K–Ar ages for the same samples. These discrepancies suggest that the slates have also been affected by recoil loss/redistribution of ³⁹Ar, leading to anomalously old ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages. Two other samples, from slaty tectonic mélange and intensely cleaved slate, yielded average ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar integrated ages of ca 424 Ma, which are closer to associated mean K–Ar ages of 423 ± 4 Ma and 409 ± 16 Ma, respectively. Taking into account the potential influences of recoil loss/redistribution of ³⁹Ar and inheritance, the results from the latter samples suggest a maximum age of ca 440 Ma for deformation/metamorphism. The current results indicate that recoil and inheritance problems may also have affected whole‐rock ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data reported from other regions of the Lachlan Fold Belt. Therefore, until these effects are adequately quantified, models for the evolution of the Lachlan Fold Belt, that are based on such whole‐rock ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data, should be treated with caution.     

Derivation of detrital rutile in the Yaoundé region from the Neoproterozoic Pan-African belt in southern Cameroon (Central Africa)

Rutile, as an important component in alluvial or eluvial heavy mineral deposits, is known in southern Cameroon. These deposits are underlain by the Neoproterozoic low- to high-grade Yaoundé Group. Geochemical, thermometric, fluid inclusion and Pb isotopic studies of the rutile from alluvial and eluvial concentrates and from medium-grade micaschist from the nearby Yaoundé region permit the following conclusions: (1) alluvial and eluvial rutile of the Yaoundé region are derived from the degradation of metapelites, metamafic rocks and pegmatites of the nearby Yaoundé Group; (2) rutile in the Yaoundé Group formed during the Pan-African metamorphism, or was inherited as detrital rutile from a 900 Ma source. The study also shows that the rutile can be used to trace the history of the Pan-African belt north of the Congo craton.     

Mississippian foraminifers from the Onimaru Formation in the Hikoroichi area, South Kitakami Belt, Northeast Japan

Abundant foraminifers were found from the Mississippian Onimaru Formation distributed in the Hikoroichi area of the central part of the South Kitakami Belt, Northeast Japan. They include Brunsia pulchra, Archaediscus sp., Paraarchaediscus? sp., Neoarchaediscus? sp., Palaeotextularia spp., Climacammina, spp., Tetrataxis spp., Haplophragmella sp., Lituotubella? sp., Forschiella sp., Cribrospira sp., Bradyina spp., Janischewskina sp., Endothyra spp., Planoendothyra aljutovica., Endothyranopsis compressa, E. crassa, Omphalotis samarica, Eo-staffella spp., Mediocris breviscula, and several others. The Onimaru foraminiferal fauna is similar to those re-ported from MFZ (Mamet Foraminiferal Zone) 15-16. This supports a late Visean (V3b-V3c) age of the formation, which has been proposed previously by rugose corals.     

A geochemical study of the Sweet Home Mine,Colorado Mineral Belt,USA: hydrothermal fluid evolution above a hypothesized granite cupola

Deposition of quartz–molybdenite–pyrite–topaz–muscovite–fluorite and subsequent hübnerite and sulfide–fluorite–rhodochrosite mineralization at the Sweet Home Mine occurred coeval with the final stage of magmatic activity and ore formation at the nearby world-class Climax molybdenum deposit about 26 to 25 m.y. ago. The mineralization occurred at depths of about 3,000 m and is related to at least two major fluid systems: (1) one dominated by magmatic fluids, and (2) another dominated by meteoric water. The sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite, strontium isotopes and REY distribution in fluorite suggest that the early-stage quartz–molybdenite–pyrite–topaz–muscovite–fluorite mineral assemblage was deposited from magmatic fluids under a fluctuating pressure regime at temperatures of about 400°C as indicated by CO₂-bearing, moderately saline (7.5–12.5 wt.% NaCl equiv.) fluid inclusions. LA-ICPMS analyses of fluid inclusions in quartz demonstrate that fluids from the Sweet Home Mine are enriched in incompatible elements but have considerably lower metal contents than those reported from porphyry–Cu–Au–Mo or Climax-type deposits. The ore-forming fluid exsolved from a highly differentiated magma possibly related to the deep-seated Alma Batholith or distal porphyry stock(s). Sulfide mineralization, marking the periphery of Climax-type porphyry systems, with fluorite and rhodochrosite as gangue minerals was deposited under a hydrostatic pressure regime from low-salinity ± CO₂-bearing fluids with low metal content at temperatures below 400°C. The sulfide mineralization is characterized by mostly negative δ³⁴S values for sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and tetrahedrite, highly variable δ¹⁸O values for rhodochrosite, and low REE contents in fluorite. The Pb isotopic composition of galena as well as the highly variable ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of fluorite, rhodochrosite, and apatite indicates that at least part of the Pb and Sr originated from a much more radiogenic source than Climax-type granites. It is suggested that the sulfide mineralization at the Sweet Home Mine formed from magmatic fluids that mixed with variable amounts of externally derived fluids. The migration of the latter fluids, that were major components during late-stage mineralization at the Sweet Home Mine, was probably driven by a buried magmatic intrusion.     

内蒙古镶黄旗哈达庙金矿床含矿斑岩体形成时代和成矿构造背景

内蒙古中部镶黄旗哈达庙金矿床位于华北板块北缘的中亚造山带中东段,矿体受控于花岗斑岩体与围岩接触带,为斑岩型金矿床.运用激光剥蚀等离子体质谱仪(LA-ICP-MS)测定了含矿花岗斑岩中单颗粒锆石U-Pb年龄,获得15个测试点的加权平均年龄为271.8±3.3Ma(MSWD=2.3,n=15),表明花岗斑岩侵位年龄(或成矿年龄)为早二叠世.结合前人的岩相学、微量元素地球化学和同位素地球化学研究结果,认为哈达庙金矿区花岗斑岩可能形成于古生代末-三叠纪初的华北板块与西伯利亚古板块之间的大陆碰撞背景,俯冲板片部分熔融或者深熔作用形成的岩浆上侵为金矿的形成提供了成矿物质.     

丹东地区古元古代晚期花岗岩对胶-辽-吉带造山作用的制约

华北克拉通古元古代胶-辽-吉带造山过程保存了丰富的变质-变形、岩浆-构造热事件与成矿作用记录,带内广泛存在的高压麻粒岩变质作用演化p-T-t轨迹呈顺时针,指示胶-辽-吉带经历了俯冲-碰撞-后碰撞折返伸展造山过程,但这时期的俯冲碰撞或陆-陆碰撞与之后伸展造山作用的时代目前仍有争议.本文对丹东地区大楼房古元古代花岗岩进行了...     

M agmatic Gold Mineralization in the Western Qinling Orogenic Belt: Geology and Metallogenesis of the Baguamiao,Liba and Xiaogouli Gold Deposits

The superlarge Baguamiao, large Liba and Xiaogouli gold deposits represent three typical gold deposits different from the Carlin type in the western Qinling Orogenic Belt. Based on Ar-Ar dating of quartz from ores, U-Pb dating of single zircon from granite, tracing of H and O isotopes and studies on the mineralogy and texture of spots and bleached alteration developed in wall rocks, this paper focuses the relations between gold deposits and granite to clarify the origin of gold deposits and the metallogenesis in the tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogenic Belt. The comprehensive studies show that the age of the granite (148.1-244 Ma) is identical with that of the gold deposits (131.91-232.56 Ma). It is suggested that the granite has close temporal, spatial and genetic relationship with the gold deposits. The granite provides a heat source, water source and considerable amount of ore-forming material. Finally, it is concluded that the orogeny by collision, emplacement of the granite and positioning of     

The Effect of Sweeping Secular Resonances on the Classical Kuiper Belt

Abstract The Kuiper Belt is a disk of small icy objects orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune. The region between 40-48AU in this disk is supposed to consist of dynamical “cold” objects on low-inclination orbits and is called the “Classical Kuiper Belt”. Recent observations reveal that there is a “hot” population with inclinations being as large as 30? residing in this region. Secular resonance sweeping, which took place in the late stage of formation of the planetary system when the residual nebula gas was dispersing, is a possible mechanism that can excite the orbits in this region. In this paper, we investigate in detail the excitation of orbital inclination by this mechanism. It is shown that the excitation depends sensitively on the angle δ between the midplane of the nebula gas and the invariable plane of the solar system. The excitation is very small when δ = 0?, but if the gas midplane coincides with the ecliptic, i.e. if δ ≈ 1.6?, then objects in the region of classical Kuiper belt can be excited to orbital inclinations as high as 30?, provided the nebula gas has the proper initial density and disperses at a proper rate. We also considered the orbital excitation by secular resonance sweeping with Jupiter on an inclined orbit and with migrating Jovian planets, and found the excitation is only slightly affected.     

Kuiper带天体的原始分布模拟

用包括太阳、8颗大行星、冥王星和UB313以及无质量实验粒子在内的N体问题的天体动力学模型,取当前观测的天体轨道根数为初始条件,对具有确定轨道根数的551个Kuiper主带内的小天体进行了10亿年的轨道反演数值模拟.结果显示:当前观测的这些Kuiper 天体中的1/3以上在10亿年前就位于该区域,少部分位于海王星轨道之内,其他在5OAU之外;在4.5亿年前,整个Kuiper主带内的天体呈较好的正态分布,海王星3:2共振带内没有像今天这样的天体聚集现象.