Sunrise Hill unconformity: A newly discovered regional hiatus between Archaean granites and greenstones in the northeastern Pilbara Craton

Contacts between Archaean granites and greenstones in the northeastern part of the Pilbara Craton have been described as intrusive and tectonic. New field observations in the Shay Gap region demonstrate that greenstones of the Gorge Creek Group unconformably overlie the Muccan and Warrawagine batholiths. Regionally, the unconformity is marked by a persistent but relatively thin basal clastic sequence, locally with a granite boulder conglomerate, overlain by ore‐bearing banded iron‐formation, fine‐grained clastic rocks and chert. The granite basement is dated at 3443 ± 6 Ma. The precise age of the hiatus is unknown but its maximum effect might have been the removal of a substantial thickness of Early to Middle Archaean strata.     

Preliminary 3–D geological model of the Kalgoorlie region,Yilgarn Craton,Western Australia,based on deep seismic‐reflection and potential‐field data

The granite‐greenstone terranes of the Eastern Goldfields Province, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, are a major Australian and world gold and nickel source. The Kalgoorlie region, in particular, hosts several world‐class gold deposits. To attempt to understand why these deposits occur where they do, it is important to understand the crustal architecture in the region and how the major mineral systems operate in this architecture. One way to understand these relationships is to develop a detailed 3–D geological model for the region. The best method to map the 3–D geometry of major geological structures is by acquisition and interpretation of seismic‐reflection profiles. To contribute to this aim, a grid of deep seismic‐reflection traverses was acquired in 1999 to examine the 3–D geometry of the region in an area including the Kalgoorlie mineral region and mineral fields to the north and west. This grid was tied to the 1991 regional deep seismic traverse and 1997 high‐resolution seismic profiles in the same region. The grid covers an area measuring approximately 50 km wide by 50 km long and extended to a depth of approximately 50 km (below the base of the crust in this region). The resulting 3–D geological model was further constrained by both surface geological data and geophysical interpretations, with the seismic interpretations themselves also constrained by gravity and magnetic modelling. The 3–D model was used to investigate the geometric relationships between the major faults and shear zones in the area, the relationship between the granite‐greenstone succession and the basement, and the spatial relationships between the greenstones and the granites. Interpretation of the grid of seismic lines and construction of the 3–D geological model confirmed the existence of the detachment surface and led to the recognition that the granite‐greenstone contact usually occurs at a much shallower level than the detachment. Also, west‐dipping faults in the vicinity of the Golden Mile, including the Abattoir Shear through to Boulder‐Lefroy Fault, appear to be more important than previously thought in controlling the structure of that area. An antiformal thrust stack occurs beneath a triangle zone centred on the Golden Mile. The Black Flag Group was deposited in a probable extensional setting, and late extension was also probably more important than previously thought. The granite‐gneiss domes were uplifted by the formation of antiformal thrust stacks at depth beneath them.     

Granite gneiss basement on Flinders Island,South Australia

A U–Pb zircon age of 1762 ± 11 Ma is reported for granite gneiss located on Flinders Island, South Australia. This age is identical, within analytical uncertainty, to a previously reported age for schists of the Price Metasediments located 100 km to the southeast on the southwestern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. The outcrop represents the only known country rock to the Early Mesoproterozoic Calca Granite (Hiltaba Suite) of Flinders Island, the largest island of the Investigator Group of islands, in the southwestern Gawler Craton. The stratigraphic name Investigator Granite Gneiss is proposed for this rock unit. The discovery of the Investigator Granite Gneiss now considerably increases the extent of known Late Palaeoproterozoic rocks on the eastern side of the peninsula. The outcrop was previously included with the considerably younger St Peter Suite granite‐monzogranite, and grouped together with other islands in the Investigator Group. This new dating suggests that the geology on the other islands may require revision. For the first time, detailed major and trace‐element geochemistry is supplied for the granite gneiss on Flinders Island.     

Genetic and ore-forming ages of the Fe–P–(Ti) oxide deposits associated with mafic–ultramafic–carbonatite complexes in the Kuluketage block,NW China

Abstract

During the past 50 years, many geological and ore-deposit investigations have led to the discovery of the Fe–P–(Ti)-oxide deposits associated with mafic–ultramafic–carbonatite complexes in the Kuluketage block, northeastern Tarim Craton. In this paper, we discuss the genetic and ore-forming ages, tectonic setting, and the genesis of these deposits (Kawuliuke, Qieganbulake and Duosike). LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating yielded a weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 811?±?5?Ma, 811?±?4?Ma, and 840?±?5?Ma for Kawuliuke ore-bearing pyroxenite, Qieganbulake gabbro and Duosike ore-bearing pyroxenite, respectively. The CL images of the Kawuliuke apatite grains show core–rim structure, suggesting multi-phase crystallisation, whereas the apatite grains from Qieganbulake and Dusike deposits do not show any core–rim texture, suggesting a single-stage crystallisation. LA-ICP-MS apatite ²⁰⁷Pb-corrected U–Pb dating provided weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 814?±?21?Ma and 771?±?8?Ma for the Kawuliuke ores, and 810?±?7?Ma and 841?±?7?Ma for Qieganbulake and Duosike ores, respectively. The core–rim texture in apatite by CL imaging as well as two different ore-forming ages in the core and rim of the apatite indicate two metallogenic events for the Kawuliuke deposit. The first metallogenic period was magmatic in origin, and the second period was hydrothermal in origin. The initial ore-forming age of the Kawuliuke Fe–P–Ti mineralisation was ca 814?Ma and the second one was ca 771?Ma. On the other hand, the ore-forming ages of the Qieganbulake and Duosike deposits were ca 810?Ma and ca 841?Ma, respectively. Qieganbulake and Duosike deposits were of magmatic origin. Combined with previous geochronological data and the research on the tectonic background, we infer that the Kawuliuke, Qieganbulake and Duosike Fe–P–(Ti)-oxide deposits were formed in a subduction-related tectonic setting and were the product of subduction-related magmatism.     

Unravelling the tectonothermal evolution of reworked Archean granulite facies metapelites using in situ geochronology: an example from the Gawler Craton,Australia

The use of in situ geochronological techniques allows for direct age constraints to be placed on fabric development and the metamorphic evolution of polydeformed and reworked terranes. The Shoal Point region of the southern Gawler Craton consists of a series of reworked granulite facies metapelitic and metaigneous units which belong to the Late Archean Sleaford Complex. Structural evidence indicates three phases of fabric development with D₁ retained within boudins, D₂ consisting of a series of upright open to isoclinal folds producing an axial planar fabric and D₃ composed of a highly planar vertical high‐strain fabric which overprints the D₂ fabric. Th–U–total Pb EPMA monazite and garnet Sm–Nd geochronology constrain the D₁ event to the c. 2450 Ma Sleaford Orogeny, whereas the D₂ and D₃ events are constrained to the 1730–1690 Ma Kimban Orogeny. P–T pseudosections constrain the metamorphic conditions for the Sleafordian Orogeny to between 4.5 and 6 kbar and between 750 and 780 °C. Subsequent Kimban‐aged reworking reached peak metamorphic conditions of 8–9 kbar at 820–850 °C during the D₂ event, followed by high‐temperature decompression to metamorphic conditions <6 kbar and 790–850 °C associated with the development of the D₃ high‐strain fabric. The P–T–t evolution of the Shoal Point rocks reflects the transpressional exhumation of lower crustal rocks during the Kimban Orogeny and the development of a regional ‘flower structure’.     

岩溶在古地理研究中的作用——“关于古地理研究中若干原则问题的商榷”一文的补充及讨论

本文从现代、地史时期岩溶剥蚀速度及岩溶铝土矿的形成等方面探讨岩溶在古地理研究中的重大作用,从而提出稳定地区“缺失”某一时期地层,并非该时期为陆;而是前期仍有沉积,后期才真正上升为陆,遭受剥蚀。     

福建浦城丘源地区晚太古代变质岩地质特征

浦城丘源地区出露太古代变质岩，其地质特征类似于建宁西部上太古界天井坪组，并取得了２６７８±４１Ｍａ同位素年龄资料。本文系统论述其岩石组合、原岩建造、大地构造环境及同位素地质年龄等特征。     

华北地台南缘燕山期板内花岗斑岩类地球化学特征及成分空间变化规律

华北地台南缘燕山期花岗斑岩类小岩体形成于大陆板内环境,它具有类似岛弧—活动大陆边缘钙碱系列岩石地球化学特征,其成分在空间上呈现极性特征。本文探讨了这种成分极性与中、新生代俯冲带花岗岩类的可比性,并根据锶、钕同位素资料揭示成岩物质的可能来源及造成成分空间变化的可能原因。     

三道溜河地区太古宙岩浆－构造事件

三道溜河地区处于中朝准地台北东缘，北西起自著名的夹皮沟金矿，南东至四道砬子河，太古宇出露广泛。笔者在此进行１：５万区调时，共发现了六次岩浆－构造事件，由老至新依次为：７８７角闪辉石岩、岭东片麻岩、大朝阳沟斜长角闪岩、三道溜河ＴＴＧ岩组、唐胡店沟二长花岗岩、五道砬子河变辉长辉绿岩（发生在元古宙早期，在时空上与太古宇关系密切）。上述事件，表现为基性岩类与酸性岩类交替出现。基性岩事件依次为超基性岩－基性岩－偏碱性基性岩，稀土元素总量由高至低，微量元素Ｂａ、Ｍｎ、Ｚｒ递增，Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ递减。酸性岩事件依次为中酸性岩－酸性岩－偏碱性酸性岩，稀土元素的Ｌａ／Ｌｕ、ΣＣｅ／ΣＹ由低到高，总量变化不大，微量元素Ｃｏ、Ｃｒ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｕ递减。本区的构造运动与岩浆侵入活动相辅相成，古穹窿构造及北西向韧性剪切带控制了Ａｕ、Ａｇ、Ｃｕ等矿产的展布。