Paleozoic granitoid magmatism of the eastern part of the Central Asian Fold Belt and formation of large ore deposits

Evidence on the Paleozoic granitoids of the eastern part of the Central Asian Fold Belt (CAFB) was analyzed. A tectonic chart of orogenic belts was compiled. Sketch maps were constructed for the geodynamic settings of the formation of Paleozoic granitoids and the extensiveness of their occurrence. Two types of deep controlling structures were distinguished: zones of lithospheric faults and plumes, including the newly recognized Jiamusi-Bureya plume. It was sown that the distribution of large and superlarge Paleozoic ore deposits is related to these structures, primarily to plumes. Sites promising for large and superlarge deposits related to the Paleozoic granitoid magmatism were determined in the Russian Far East.     

新疆博格达山分段及深浅构造转换关系

研究表明 ,天山及邻区自中生代以来一直处于热衰减状态 ,博格达山新生代再造山具有“冷隆升”性 ,盆山边界断裂多限于上地壳内 ,而非直通中地壳低速体甚至上地幔的“深大断裂”。造山带内的韧性剪切带是在古生代形成的 ,而不是再造山期的断裂 ,它对造山带隆升及盆山耦合无贡献 ,博格达山的隆升为复式背斜构造所支持。博格达山与准东的关系为背斜北翼与盆地平缓基底构成的挠曲构造 ,而不是被深大断裂分隔的断块。博格达山具有独特鲜明的分段性 ,造山带的两个弧形构造与新生代再生前陆盆地构成独特的“斜方对称”分布样式。以板条观点为指导 ,从盆山单元的平面配置关系和深浅构造转换关系入手 ,探讨了博格达山板内造山阶段的几何学和运动学分段性的成因 ,构建了盆山耦合模式     

Relative contribution of magmatic and post-magmatic processes in the genesis of the Thompson Mine Ni-Co sulfide ores,Manitoba, Canada

The Ni-Co-(PGE) sulfide deposits of the Thompson Nickel Belt (TNB) in Northern Manitoba, Canada are part of the fifth largest nickel camp in the world based on contained nickel; past production from the TNB deposits is 2500 kt Ni. The Thompson Deposit is located on the eastern and southern flanks of the Thompson Dome structure, which is a re-folded nappe structure formed during collision of the Trans-Hudson Orogen with the Canadian Shield at 1.9–1.7 Ga. The Thompson Deposit is almost entirely hosted by P2 member sulfidic metasedimentary rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Ospwagan Group. Variably serpentinised and altered dunites, peridotites and pyroxenites contain disseminated sulfides and have a spatial association with sediment-hosted Ni sulfides which comprise the bulk of the ore types. These rocks formed from rift-related komatiitic magmas that were emplaced at 1.88 Ga, and subsequently deformed by boudinage, thinning, folding, and stacking.Disseminated sulfide mineralization in the large serpentinised peridotite and dunite intrusions that host the Birchtree and Pipe Ni-Co sulfide deposits typically has 4–6 wt% Ni in 100% sulfide. The disseminated sulfides in the less abundant and much smaller boudinaged serpentinised peridotite and dunite bodies associated with the Thompson Deposit have 7–10 wt% Ni in 100% sulfide. The majority of Thompson Mine sulfides are hosted in the P2 member of the Pipe Formation which is a sulfidic schist developed from a shale prololith; the mineralization in the schist includes both low Ni tenor (<1 wt% Ni in sulfide) and barren sulfide (<200 ppm Ni) and a Ni-enriched sulfide with 1–18 wt% Ni in 100% sulfide. The semi-massive and massive sulfide ores show a similar range in Ni tenor to the metasediment-hosted mineralization, but there are discrete populations with maximum Ni tenors of ∼8, 11 and 13 wt% Ni in 100% sulfide. The variations in Ni tenor are related to the Ni/Co ratio (high Ni/Co correlates with high Ni tenor sulfide) and this relationship is produced by the different Ni/Co ratios in sulfides with a range in proportions of pyrrhotite and pentlandite. Geological models of the ore deposit, host rocks, and sulfide geochemical data in three dimensions reveal that the Thompson Deposit forms an anastomosing domain on the south and east flanks of a first order D3 structure which is the Thompson Dome. In detail, a series of second order doubly-plunging folds on the eastern and southern flank control the geometry of the mineral zones. The position of these folds on the flank of the Thompson Dome is a response to the anisotropy of the host rocks during deformation; ultramafic boudins and layers of massive quartzite in ductile metasedimentary rocks control the geometry of the doubly-plunging F3 structures. The envelope of mineralization is almost entirely contained within the P2 member of the Pipe formation, so the deposit is clearly folded by the first order and second order D3 structures. The sulfides with highest Ni tenor (typically >13 wt% Ni in sulfide) define a systematic trend that mirrors the configuration of the second order doubly-plunging F3 structures on the flanks of the Dome. Although moderate to high Ni tenor mineralization is sometimes localized in fold hinges, more typically the highest Ni tenor mineralization is located on the flanks of the fold structures.There is no indication of the mineralogical and geochemical signatures of sedimentary exhalative or hydrothermal processes in the genesis of the Thompson ores. The primary origin of the mineralization is undoubtedly magmatic and this was a critical stage in the development of economic mineralization. Variations in metal tenor in disseminated sulfides contained in ultramafic rock indicate a higher magma/sulfide ratio in the Thompson parental magma relative to Birchtree and Pipe. The variation in Ni tenor of the semi-massive and massive sulfide broadly supports this conclusion, but the variations in metal tenor in the Thompson ores was likely created partly during deformation. The sequence of rocks was modified by burial and loading of the crust (D2 events) to a peak temperature of 750 °C and pressure of 7.5 kbar. The third major phase of deformation (D3) was a sinistral transpression (D3 event) which generated the dome and basin configuration of the TNB. These conditions allowed for progressive deformation and reformation of pyrrhotite and pentlandite into monosulfide solid solution as pressure and temperature increased; this process is termed sulfide kinesis. Separation of the ductile monosulfide solid solution from granular pentlandite would result in an effective separation of Ni during metamorphism, and the monosulfide solid solution would likely be spread out in the stratigraphy to form a broad halo around the main deposit to produce the low Ni tenor sulfide. Reformation of pentlandite and pyrrhotite after the peak D2 event would explain the broad footprint of the mineral system. The effect of the D3 event at lower pressure and temperature would have been to locally redistribute, deform, and repeat the lenses of sulfide.The understanding of the relationships between petrology, stratigraphy, structure, and geochemistry has assisted in formulating a predictive exploration model that has triggered new discoveries to the north and south of the mine, and provides a framework for understanding ore genesis in deformed terrains and the future exploration of the Thompson Nickel Belt.     

东昆仑金水口地区格林威尔期超高温麻粒岩

格林威尔期构造事件是了解罗迪尼亚超大陆形成的关键。本文报道了东昆仑造山带东段金水口地区古生代花岗岩中新发现二辉麻粒岩包体,其峰期变质矿物组合为单斜辉石+紫苏辉石+钙长石+石英+磁铁矿。通过锆石U-Pb测年,我们确定二辉麻粒岩样品的峰期变质年龄为995±34Ma,并受到泥盆纪(～417Ma)构造热事件的叠加改造。利用单斜辉石-斜方辉石温压计估算出该区二辉麻粒岩变质峰期温度867～1079℃,压力46～89kbar,属于低压超高温变质的温压范围,可能形成于高地温梯度的岛弧环境。该二辉麻粒岩是首次在东昆仑地区发现的格林威尔期超高温麻粒岩,代表罗迪尼亚超大陆汇聚过程中低压高温变质的产物。该发现对了解东昆仑造山带前寒武纪基底的构造属性和起源有重要意义。     

内蒙古东乌旗北部早古生代火山岩年代学、地球化学特征及地质意义

内蒙古北部二连-东乌旗地区出露早古生代火山岩,为兴蒙造山带北缘构造-岩浆岩带的组成部分,对研究造山带早古生代构造格局及演化具有重要作用。本文对东乌旗北部早古生代中基性及酸性火山岩进行了锆石U-Pb年代学、岩石学、全岩地球化学及Sr-Nd-Hf同位素分析。定年结果显示,中基性火山岩成岩年龄为452±2Ma,酸性火山岩为430±20Ma,表明早古生代岩浆活动可延续至中志留世。地球化学组成上,中基性火山岩稀土总量中等,Eu异常不明显,富集Rb、Sr、Th、U等大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、Ta等高场强元素,特征类似岛弧岩浆岩;酸性火山岩富集Th、U,Eu负异常显著,但Rb、Ba等大离子亲石元素富集程度不高,Nb、Ta等高场强元素亏损不明显,表现出板内岩浆特点。中基性和酸性火山岩均具有亏损的同位素组成:中基性火山岩ε_(Nd)(t)=+203～+267,ε_(Hf)(t)值介于+79～+145之间;酸性火山岩ε_(Nd)(t)=+494,ε_(Hf)(t)值为+99～+153。岩石学及地球化学分析表明,中基性火山岩为岛弧环境下遭受俯冲流体交代的地幔楔部分熔融产物,酸性火山岩则来源于新生基性下地壳熔融并具有板内岩浆特征,可能指示了俯冲的结束。结合前人资料,二连-东乌旗地区早古生代岩浆活动介于晚寒武-中志留世之间,形成时间及阶段性演化特征近似于苏尼特左旗-锡林浩特早古生代岩浆岩带,暗示两者可能具有成因联系,均为早古生代古亚洲洋向北俯冲的产物。     

Time scale of an early to mid-Paleozoic orogenic cycle of the long-lived Central Asian Orogenic Belt, Inner Mongolia of China: Implications for continental growth

We present a detailed, new time scale for an orogenic cycle (oceanic accretion–subduction–collision) that provides significant insights into Paleozoic continental growth processes in the southeastern segment of the long-lived Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The most prominent tectonic feature in Inner Mongolia is the association of paired orogens. A southern orogen forms a typical arc-trench complex, in which a supra-subduction zone ophiolite records successive phases during its life cycle: birth (ca. 497–477 Ma), when the ocean floor of the ophiolite was formed; (2) youth (ca. 473–470 Ma), characterized by mantle wedge magmatism; (3) shortly after maturity (ca. 461–450 Ma), high-Mg adakite and adakite were produced by slab melting and subsequent interaction of the melt with the mantle wedge; (4) death, caused by subduction of a ridge crest (ca. 451–434 Ma) and by ridge collision with the ophiolite (ca. 428–423 Ma). The evolution of the magmatic arc exhibits three major coherent phases: arc volcanism (ca. 488–444 Ma); adakite plutonism (ca. 448–438 Ma) and collision (ca. 419–415 Ma) of the arc with a passive continental margin. The northern orogen, a product of ridge-trench interaction, evolved progressively from coeval generation of near-trench plutons (ca. 498–461 Ma) and juvenile arc crust (ca. 484–469 Ma), to ridge subduction (ca. 440–434 Ma), microcontinent accretion (ca. 430–420 Ma), and finally to forearc formation. The paired orogens followed a consistent progression from ocean floor subduction/arc formation (ca. 500–438 Ma), ridge subduction (ca. 451–434 Ma) to microcontinent accretion/collision (ca. 430–415 Ma); ridge subduction records the turning point that transformed oceanic lithosphere into continental crust. The recognition of this orogenic cycle followed by Permian–early Triassic terminal collision of the CAOB provides compelling evidence for episodic continental growth.     

Drought and institutional adaptation in the Great Plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1914–1939

Agriculture in the southern Great Plains of Canada has been particularly vulnerable to prolonged episodes of drought. Using climate data and a precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration index, the extent of the region’s exposure to drought is examined. Between 1914 and 1917, the Dry Belt was particularly vulnerable to drought, whereas after 1928, a much larger region known as the Palliser Triangle covering most of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan was much more exposed to drought. These droughts provoked major institutional adaptation, in particular the establishment of the Special Areas Board by the Government of Alberta, and the creation of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration by the Government of Canada. Both organizations have proved to be relatively permanent public adaptations to the natural hazard of drought in the region. Moreover, these earlier experiences with prolonged drought as well as institution-building may be of value in helping the residents of the Palliser Triangle adapt to predicted climate changes in the future as well as anticipate some of the barriers to effective institutional adaptation.     

Cathodoluminescence and Trace Element Composition of Scheelite from the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt (MLYB): Implications for Mineralization and Exploration

The Middle–Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt (MLYB) is known to contain abundant copper and iron porphyry-skarn deposits, with an increasing number of tungsten deposits and scheelite in Fe–Cu deposits being discovered in the MLYB during recent decades. The ore genesis of the newly-discovered tungsten mineralization in the MLYB is poorly understood. We investigate four sets of scheelite samples from tungsten, iron and copper deposits, using CL imaging and LA–ICP–MS techniques to reveal internal zonation patterns and trace element compositions. The REE distribution patterns of four studied deposits show varying degrees of LREE enrichment with negative Eu anomalies. The oxygen fugacity of ore-forming fluid increased in Donggushan, while the oxygen fugacity of ore-forming fluid decreased in Ruanjiawan, Guilinzheng and Gaojiabang. The scheelites from the Donggushan, Ruanjiawan, Guilinzheng and Gaojiabang deposits show enrichment in LREEs and HFSE, with Nb/La ratios ranging from 1.217 to 52.455, indicating that the four tungsten deposits are enriched in the volatile fluorine. A plot of (La/Lu)N versus Mo/δEu can be used to distinguish quartz vein type, porphyry and skarn tungsten deposits. This study demonstrates that scheelite grains can be used to infer tungsten mineralization and are effective in identifying magmatic types of tungsten deposits in prospective mining sites.     

新疆图拉尔根镁铁-超镁铁质杂岩体镍铜钴成矿岩浆作用过程:流体化学与碳同位素组成制约

东天山造山带的图拉尔根镁铁-超镁铁杂岩体为一个早古生代长期活动的幔源岩浆通道,大型铜镍钴硫化物矿体赋存于Ⅰ号超镁铁质岩体的顶部,不同类型岩石中辉石矿物的流体挥发份化学组成以H₂O为主（平均91%,5400.4mm³/g）,其次为H₂（2.0%）、H₂S（2.3%）和CO₂（2.1%）;赋矿角闪橄榄岩中CO₂和H₂S含量最高,辉长岩中流体挥发份含量低于辉石橄榄岩和橄榄辉石岩等岩浆早期结晶的岩石。CO₂和CH₄的δ¹³C值位于地壳与甲烷氧化的范围内,甲烷同系物的碳同位素组成具有正序分布模式,部分样品（TLG512）释出的CH₄和C₂H₆具有较重的δ¹³C值和反序分布特征。表明Ⅰ号岩体不同类型岩石可能是不同期次岩浆活动的产物,成矿岩浆具有富H₂O和H₂S的特征,可能起源于被流体交代的亏损地幔源区,混染壳源组分可能为俯冲板片来源蚀变沉积有机质组分。

     

Cryospheric Changes and Their Impacts on Water Resources in the Belt and Road Regions

“Belt and Road” regions include Asia, Europe and eastern and northern Africa, with a wide spatial distribution. The cryosphere is undergoing rapid changes in the Belt and Road regions with global warming, and has an important impact on water resources, ecosystems and Arctic waterways in these regions. This article reviewed recent cryospheric changes and associated impacts on water resources in the Belt and Road regions during the last decades. The main cognitions are as follows: \mathrm{①} Most glaciers are shrinking and glacier mass balances are most negative, but there are regional differences in the changes of glaciers. \mathrm{②} Global temperature rise has resulted in permafrost degradation, including a rise in permafrost temperature and decreasing permafrost thickness as well as an increase in active layer thickness. \mathrm{③} There is a significant decrease in snow cover extent and an increase in snow depth. Snow cover duration has shortened, the onset of snow cover has delayed, and the end of snow cover has advanced. However, there are still obvious regional differences in the changes of snow cover. \mathrm{④} Arctic sea ice has declined precipitously in both extent and thickness in summer, and multi-year sea ice has decreased,indicating the precipitous retreat of sea ice. The freeze-up date of some lakes has been delayed, the break-up date has advanced, and the ice cover duration of river/lake ice has significantly shortened. \mathrm{⑤} Glacial runoff has increased significantly in China. Snowmelt and permafrost degradation have also increased the basin runoff, which indicates the important impact of cryospheric changes on runoff. This study will provide a baseline and important scientific support for addressing climate change and regional sustainable development.