Review Section

ABSTRACT

The petrology, geochronology, and geochemistry of the early Permian volcanic rocks from Houtoumiao area, south Xiwuqi County in central Inner Mongolia of China, are studied to elucidate the early Permian tectonic setting of the region. The volcanic rocks, which are interbedded with sandstone, feature both mafic and felsic compositions and show a bimodal nature. Zircon U–Pb dating reveals that the volcanic rocks formed at 274–278 Ma, similar to the ages of bimodal magmatism in neighbouring areas. The mafic rocks are composed of tholeiitic basalt, basaltic andesite, basaltic trachyandesite, and trachyandesite. They are rich in Th, U, and LILEs, depleted in HFSEs Nb, Ta, and Ti, and have positive ε_Nd(t) values (+3.6 to +7.9). Geochemical analyses indicate that the mafic rocks originated from metasomatized lithospheric mantle. The felsic volcanic rocks are mainly rhyolite, with minor trachyte and dacite. They have different evolutionary tendencies of major elements, chondrite-normalized REE patterns, and isotopic compositions from the mafic volcanic rocks, which preclude formation by fractional crystallization of mafic melts. The ε_Nd(t) values of the felsic rocks are similar to those of the Carboniferous Baolidao arc rocks in the region. It is suggested that Permian felsic melts originated from the partial melting of Carboniferous juvenile arc-related rocks. By comparison with typical Cenozoic bimodal volcanism associated with several tectonic settings, including rift, post-collisional setting, back-arc basin, and the Basin and Range, USA, the bimodal volcanic rocks in central Inner Mongolia display similar petrological and geochemical characteristics to the rocks from back-arc basin and the Basin and Range, USA. Based on the analysis of regional geological data, it is inferred that the early Permian bimodal volcanic rocks in the study area formed on an extensional continental margin of the Siberian palaeoplate after late Carboniferous subduction–accretion.     

Petrogenesis of Late Silurian volcanism in SW Yunnan (China) and implications for the tectonic reconstruction of northern Gondwana

ABSTRACT

Early Palaeozoic magmatic records and tectonic reconstructions along the northern margin of Gondwana are still pending problems. In this paper, Late Silurian Dawazi and Dazhonghe volcanics in SW Yunnan Province (China) were studied. The Dazhonghe volcanics (419 Ma) have variable chemical compositions with SiO₂ ranging between 49.8 and 79.5 wt.%, whereas, the Dawazi volcanics (417–429 Ma) form a bimodal volcanic suite consisting mainly of silicic rocks and subordinate basaltic rocks with a SiO₂ content gap of ca. 15 wt.%. The Dazhonghe volcanics display calc-alkaline elemental compositions with enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREEs), and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSEs) (e.g. Nb, Ta and Ti) and positive ε_Nd(t) values (+ 4.0 to + 5.5). The Dawazi basaltic rocks are calc-alkaline, depleted in HFSEs, enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) (e.g. Cs, Rb, U and K), and have high ε_Nd(t) values of ?1.7 to + 5.4. The Dawazi silicic rocks have high Na₂O/K₂O ratios and positive ε_Nd(t) values of + 2.4 to + 5.0, which are equivalents of calc-alkaline I-type granites. The Dazhonghe volcanics are dominated by fractional crystallization (FC) from a calc-alkaline primary magma which originated from an enriched mantle source metasomatized by subduction-related, sediment-derived fluid. The Dawazi basaltic rocks were derived from partial melting of an enriched mantle source metasomatized by subducted oceanic sediment/slab-derived fluids; the Dawazi silicic rocks originated from partial melting of the juvenile mafic lower crust with extensive FC. Both the Dazhonghe and Dawazi volcanics were generated in a continental back-arc extension setting. Combined with previous geological observations, a Late Silurian Prototethyan arc and back-arc extension system is proposed along the northern margin of Gondwana in SW China.     

Multiple mantle metasomatism beneath the Leizhou Peninsula,South China: evidence from elemental and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope geochemistry of the late Cenozoic volcanic rocks

ABSTRACT

We analysed whole-rock major and trace elements and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes of the late Cenozoic volcanic rocks in the Leizhou Peninsula, South China to investigate their mantle source characteristics. These volcanic rocks, collected from Jiujiang, Tianyang and Huoju areas of the Leizhou Peninsula, are characterized by incompatible element enrichment but variable isotopic depletion. The volcanic rocks from Jiujiang and Tianyang show prominent primitive-mantle-normalized positive Nb, Ta and Sr anomalies and depleted Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope compositions, whereas those from Huoju show slight positive to negative Nb and Ta anomalies, a prominent positive Pb anomaly, and more enriched Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope compositions. Two types of mantle metasomatism are required to explain the geochemical characteristics of these rocks. The Jiujiang and Tianyang samples were largely derived from a mantle source metasomatized recently by a low-F melt. Such low-F melt is generated within the asthenospheric mantle, which is enriched in volatiles and incompatible elements with positive Sr anomaly and depleted Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope compositions. The Huoju samples were largely derived from a mantle source metasomatized by recycled upper continental crust material. These two types of mantle metasomatism beneath the Leizhou Peninsula are consistent with trace element characteristics of mantle mineralogy (e.g. clinopyroxene vs. amphibole), which reflects source evolution in space and time (e.g. tectonic setting change).     

Geochemical evidence concerning sources and petrologic evolution of Faial Island,Central Azores

Volcanic rocks that make up Faial Island, Central Azores, consist of four volcano-stratigraphic units, with ages between 730 ka and the present. Lavas range from alkali basalts to trachyandesites and belong to the alkaline-sodic series. The oldest unit is the Ribeirinha Volcanic Complex, generally characterized by low MgO contents. The Cedros Volcanic Complex is composed of basalts to benmoreites with low MgO contents. The Almoxarife Formation represents fissure flows, containing MgO contents similar to to slightly higher than those of the underlying Cedros Volcanic Complex. The youngest unit, the Capelo Formation, consists of mafic rocks with MgO values higher than those of the other units. Bulk-rock major and trace element trends suggest that differentiation of the three earliest units were dominated by fractional crystallization of plagioclase ± clinopyroxene ± olivine ± titanomagnetite. Capelo bulk-rock compositions are the most primitive, and are related to a period when volcanic activity was fed by deep magmatic chambers, and melts ascended more rapidly. Comparison among geochemical patterns of the trace elements suggests a strong similarity between the lavas from Faial and Pico islands. Corvo Island volcanism contrasts with the geochemistry of Faial and Pico lavas, reflecting its strong K and Rb depletion, and Th, U, Ta, Nb, La, and Ce enrichment. Absence of the Daly gap in the Faial volcanics is attributed to early crystallization of Ti-Fe oxides. The probable source of the Faial magma coincides with the MORB-FOZO array, which implies the presence of ancient recycled oceanic crust in the mantle source. Ratios of incompatible trace elements suggest the similarity of Corvo volcanic rocks with magmas derived from HIMU sources, whereas the Faial and Pico volcanic rocks could have been produced from sources very close to EMII-type OIB.     

Eocene mafic volcanism in northern Anatolia: its causes and mantle sources in the absence of active subduction

Eocene mafic volcanic rocks occurring in an E–W-trending, curvilinear belt along and north of the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan suture zone (IAESZ) in northern Anatolia, Turkey, represent a discrete episode of magmatism following a series of early Cenozoic collisions between Eurasia and the Gondwana-derived microcontinents. Based on our new geochronological, geochemical, and isotope data from the Kartepe volcanic units in northwest Anatolia and the extant data in the literature, we evaluate the petrogenetic evolution, mantle melt sources, and possible causes of this Eocene volcanism. The Kartepe volcanic rocks and spatially associated dikes range from basalt and basaltic andesite to trachybasalt and basaltic trachyandesite in composition, and display calc-alkaline and transitional calc-alkaline to tholeiitic geochemical affinities. They are slightly to moderately enriched in large ion lithophile (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) with respect to high-field strength elements (HFSE) and show negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies reminiscent of subduction-influenced magmatic rocks. The analysed rocks have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(i) values between 0.70570 and 0.70399, positive ?_Nd values between 2.7 and 6.6, and Pb isotope ratios of ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(i) = 18.6–18.7, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(i) = 15.6–15.7, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(i) = 38.7–39.1. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar cooling ages of 52.7 ± 0.5 and 41.7 ± 0.3 Ma obtained from basaltic andesite and basalt samples indicate middle to late Eocene timing of this volcanic episode in northwest Anatolia. Calculated two-stage Nd depleted mantle model (T_DM) ages of the Eocene mafic lavas range from 0.6 to 0.3 Ga, falling between the T_DM ages of the K-enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle of the Sakarya Continent (1.0–0.9 Ga) to the north, and the young depleted mantle beneath central Western Anatolia (0.4–0.25 Ga) to the south. These geochemical and isotopic features collectively point to the interaction of melts derived from a sublithospheric, MORB-like mantle and a subduction-metasomatized, subcontinental lithospheric mantle during the evolution of the Eocene mafic volcanism. We infer triggering of partial melting by asthenospheric upwelling beneath the suture zone in the absence of active subduction in the Northern Neotethys. The geochemical signature of the volcanic rocks changed from subduction- and collision-related to intra-plate affinities through time, indicating an increased asthenospheric melt input in the later stages of Eocene volcanism, accompanied by extensional deformation and rifting.     

Magma Origin and Evolution of Tengchong Cenozoic Volcanic Rocks from West Yunnan,China: Evidence from Whole Rock Geochemistry and Nd‐Sr‐Pb Isotopes

Tengchong Cenozoic volcanics that have record key information on the tectonic evolution and mantle features of the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau are of great importance because of its unique eruption history spanning the entire Quaternary period. Magma origin and evolution of Tengchong Cenozoic volcanic rocks were studied on the basis of Nd-Sr-Pb isotope and major and trace element data from different eruptions in the Ma’anshan area. Different samples within one eruption show relative identical lithologies, chemical and isotopic compositions. However, the geochemical features for the five eruptions are distinct from each other. These volcanic rocks show low Mg# values (<45), moderate to high fractionation of LREEs and HREEs, and enrichment of Pb and Ba and depletion of Nb. Tengchong Cenozoic volcanic rocks were derived from an enriched mantle based on Nd-Sr-Pb isotopic studies. And lines of evidence show that crustal contamination should be involved before the eruption of different periods of Tengchong Cenozoic volcanic rocks. Older subducted components may be responsible for adakite recycling at various stages of evolution, which results in the origin of the enriched mantle source magma accounting for the isotopic features of Tengchong Cenozoic volcanic rocks. Segregated primitive magma pulsating injected into magma chamber, fractional crystallized and contaminated with crust component. Finally, magmas with distinct chemical and isotopic compositions for each eruption formed. The extension of the northeast segment of the Yingjiang tectonic belt triggered the pulsating eruption of the Cenozoic volcanics in the Tengchong area.     

大兴安岭中段莫克河地区新生代火山活动

通过野外地质观测、岩石地球化学分析及高精度加速器质谱(AMS)14 C测年等工作,对大兴安岭中段莫克河地区新生代火山活动进行了详细研究。结果表明:莫克河地区新生代火山活动活跃,覆盖面积超过80km2,喷发方式为斯特朗博利型喷发。火山活动最早始于晚更新世,火山活动经历了4个火山喷发旋回,并在第一、二个火山旋回之间有短暂的间歇。火山岩为以低硅、高镁、高钾、高钛为主要特征的高钾钙碱性橄榄玄武岩。综合周边地区资料,研究区新生代火山岩是在拉张的构造环境下、以复活的深大断裂为通道产生的板内OIB型玄武岩,岩浆在上升过程中没有或很少发生壳源物质混染,也没有发生斜长石结晶分异,但有橄榄石、单斜辉石的分离结晶作用。     

Soil and landscape studies in Western Aaustralia

The nature of the valley forms, and associated superficial deposits and soils of the South‐West Drainage Division of Western Australia are described. All the major rivers tap interior palaeo‐drainage lines associated with chains of salt lakes; thereafter, downstream, there is a succession of valley forms which are progressively more sharply incised and of steeper gradient. It is shown that this succession is repeated in all major rivers. The main palaeo‐drainage systems are named for the first time, and their catchments delineated. The changes in valley form which occur downstream of the palaeo‐drainage lines are interpreted as stages in rejuvenation of drainage of the epeiro‐genically uplifted Old Plateau of Western Australia. The relationship between the valley forms and patterns of distribution of soils, deeply weathered profiles and superficial deposits is described, and its agricultural, geochemical and hydrological significance briefly discussed.     

Geomorphology of the Barrington Tops area,New South Wales

K‐Ar total rock age determinations have been made on a sequence of metasedimentary rocks resting on a 2350 m.y.‐old basement in southern Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The metasediments have an Rb‐Sr age of 1785 m.y., but K‐Ar isochrons suggest that relatively high temperatures persisted for a further 250 million years before the rocks became systems closed to K and Ar diffusion. A significant amount of ⁴⁰Ar was trapped in the metasediments at the time of closure of the K‐Ar system, 1550 million years ago.