Petrological and Os Isotopic Characteristics of Zedong Peridotitesin the Eastern Yarlung–Zangbo Suture in Tibet

The Zedong ophiolites in the eastern Yarlung–Zangbo suture zone of Tibet represent a mantle slice of more than 45 km~2. This massif consists mainly of mantle peridotites, with lesser gabbros, diabases and volcanic rocks. The mantle peridotites are mostly harzburgite, lherzolite; a few dike-like bodies of dunite are also present. Mineral structures show that the peridotites experienced plastic deformation and partial melting. Olivine(Fo89.7–91.2), orthopyroxene(En_(88–92)), clinopyroxene(En_(45–49) Wo_(47–51) Fs_(2–4)) and spinel [Mg~#=100×Mg/(Mg+Fe)]=49.1–70.7; Cr~#=(100×Cr/(Cr+Al)=18.8–76.5] are the major minerals. The degree of partial melting of mantle peridotites is 10%–40%, indicating that the Zedong mantle peridotites may experience a multi–stage process. The peridotites are characterized by depleted major element compositions and low REE content(0.08–0.62 ppm). Their \"spoon–shaped\" primitive–mantle normalized REE patterns with(La/Sm)_N being 0.50–6.00 indicate that the Zedong ultramafic rocks belong to depleted residual mantle rocks. The PGE content of Zedong peridotites(18.19–50.74 ppb) is similar with primary mantle with Pd/Ir being 0.54–0.60 and Pt/Pd being 1.09–1.66. The Zedong peridotites have variable, unradiogenic Os isotopic compositions with ~(187)Os/~(188)Os=0.1228 to 0.1282. A corollary to this interpretation is that the convecting upper mantle is heterogeneous in Os isotopes. All data of the Zedong peridotites suggest that they formed originally at a mid-ocean ridge(MOR) and were later modified in supra–subduction zone(SSZ) environment.     

Provenance Study of Fe–Ti Oxide Minerals in the Quaternary Sediments in Yichang Area and Its Implication of Formation Time of the Yangtze Three Gorges, China

The Three Gorges are considered to be critical to understand the formation of Yangtze River. Recent research results suggest that the Yangtze Three Gorges was created during the Quaternary but the exact time is debatable. Fe–Ti oxide minerals are seldom used to study sediment provenance, expecially using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). In this study, the provenance of Quaternary sediments in Yichang area, which is located to the east of the Yangtze Three Gorges, was investigated by using SEM and EDS to research Fe–Ti oxides. The Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite and Emeishan basalt outcrop are located to the west of the Three Gorges. Further, the materials from them are observed in the Quaternary sediments of Yichang area. Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite are observed in the Yunchi and Shanxiyao Formations, which were formed before 0.75 Ma B.P., whereas Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite, Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite, and Emeishan basalt are observed in the riverbed and fifth-terrace sediments of the Yangtze River, which were formed after 0.73 Ma B.P.. Thus, we can infer that the Three Gorges formed after the deposition of the Shanxi Formation and before the fifth-terrace; i.e., 0.75–0.73 Ma B.P..