Mountain building across a lithospheric boundary during arc construction: The Cretaceous Peninsular Ranges batholith in the Sierra San Pedro Martir of Baja California, Mexico

The Jura-Cretaceous Peninsular Ranges batholith (PRB) of Southern and Baja California contains a remarkable example of variation in crustal composition and structure across a batholith-parallel lithospheric-scale discontinuity. This lithospheric boundary between western oceanic-floored and eastern continental-floored crust influenced contractional deformation, arc magmatism, and differential exhumation of western and eastern zones in the batholith during its evolution.In the Sierra San Pedro Martir of Baja California, Mexico, a ca. 20 km wide, doubly vergent fan structure occurs across the PRB basement transition that consists of inward-dipping mylonite thrust sheets on the sides of the fan that gradually transition to a steeply-dipping tectonized zone in the center. A dramatic inverted metamorphic gradient occurs on the western side of this structure where mid-crustal amphibolite metamorphic grade rocks with peak pressures of 5–6 kbar in the center of the fan were thrust over upper-crustal sub-greenschist grade rocks (peak pressures < 2 kbar) in the western zone footwall. An inverted but smaller gradient occurs on the eastern side of the structure where rocks of the fan interior have been thrust eastwards over amphibolite to upper greenschist grade rocks (peak pressures 4–5 kbar).Gradients in cooling ages determined by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar biotite and K-feldspar and apatite fission track methods coupled with U–Pb zircon ages and Al in hornblende thermobarometry studies on plutons across this zone indicate that structures focused along the transition zone between contrasting lithosphere in the PRB accommodated nearly 15 km of the differential exhumation of western and eastern basement in the orogen. The western zone of the batholith was a major forearc depo-center for thick clastic sequences derived from the uplifting eastern PRB and remained at low average elevation during the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene. In contrast the eastern zone experienced dramatic uplift subsequent to achieving a crustal thickness in excess of 55 km by mid-Cretaceous time. This region had the isostatic potential for 4–5 km surface elevations, and likely formed a topographically high orogenic plateau. Exhumation of the fan structure initiated after 100 Ma and was largely complete by 85 Ma. Eastward-migrating unroofing of the rest of the eastern PRB continued into the Paleogene.A variety of factors were responsible for exhumation in this region. Structural thickening of the eastern zone of the orogen resulted from more than 30 million years of episodic contractional deformation in the fan structure, much of which followed island arc accretion of the western zone along this segment of the batholith. An episode of voluminous magmatism involving the intrusion of the 99–92 Ma La Posta-type magmatic suite across the eastern zone of the PRB triggered exhumation in the fan structure. Denudation in this region appears to have been solely by erosion; no evidence has been found for extensional tectonics during this time. This arc orogen demonstrates the important influence of inherited tectonic boundaries in controlling the spatial distribution of structural thickening and magmatism. It also displays the complex interrelationships among structural thickening, exhumation, and the role of magmatism in triggering exhumation episodes within orogens.     

华北克拉通减薄过程中岩浆深部过程及浅部响应:以河北武安坦岭杂岩体为例

白垩纪时期华北克拉通东部岩石圈发生了强烈的减薄作用,其减薄过程中岩石圈、岩浆的深部过程及浅部响应仍存在较大争议。本文以华北克拉通中部的河北武安坦岭杂岩体为研究对象,进行了详细的野外地质调查、岩相学观察、矿物电子探针分析、岩石地球化学分析以及锆石年代学研究。锆石SHRIMP U-Pb测年结果显示,细粒二长岩的年龄为134Ma,具似斑状及斑状结构的岩石的平均年龄为127Ma。岩相学观察及BSE图像显示,坦岭各岩体的斜长石均具有复杂的结构。文中对杂岩体各侵入岩中的斜长石进行了综合分析,表明其具有不同的生长环境和生长过程。通过对坦岭杂岩中各侵入岩中角闪石的温度、压力计算,获得的计算结果可大致归为三个阶段,温度为927～940℃、819～852℃、696℃,压力为347～390MPa、179～223MPa和30MPa,对应的形成深度为13～15km、7～8km和1km。根据斜长石晶体群成分剖面的分析及角闪石温压计的计算结果,本文提出了一个多重岩浆房模型:来自深部幔源的流体形成流体超压将至少二个岩浆房进行活化,并夹带不同岩浆房中的晶体和残余岩浆进行混合形成熔体-流体流迅速上侵冷却就位于地表,伴随着多次脉动及地壳快速抬升完成了坦岭杂岩体的组装过程。在此过程中,研究区地壳在7Myr内抬升了约5km,表明了拆沉作用的发生,是华北克拉通岩石圈减薄的浅部响应。     

秦岭-祁连结合部位早古生代埃达克岩的发现及其造山作用意义

阎家店闪长岩体位于北祁连造山带东段,是秦-祁构造结合部位最大的早古生代复合闪长岩体,主要岩性为石英闪长岩-闪长岩。早期研究显示阎家店闪长岩体北部样品的测年结果为~440Ma,是以红土堡基性火山岩为代表的弧间裂谷(或初始弧后盆地)在中晚奥陶世向北俯冲形成的岛弧侵入岩体。区域资料显示阎家店闪长岩自北向南岩体逐渐发育平行定向构造,具有糜棱结构,片麻状构造。南部糜棱岩化闪长岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年结果显示其形成于418±3.2Ma。主微量元素地球化学特征显示其与埃达克岩地球化学特征一致,具有高Si O2,Al2O3,Na2O和Sr,低Yb和Y以及高Sr/Y和(La/Yb)N比值,无或微弱的Eu异常。低Na/K,Nb/U和Ce/Pb比值以及负的εHf(t)值表明阎家店闪长岩体主要起源于壳源物质的部分熔融。较高的Y/Yb和Ho/Yb以及Nb/Ta暗示其源岩已经转变为榴辉岩相物质。高密度的榴辉岩相基性下地壳由于重力不稳定性拆沉进入地幔,受地幔橄榄岩交代导致了阎家店闪长岩体南部样品的高Mg O含量以及Mg#。因此,自~440Ma至~418Ma秦岭-祁连结合部位的地壳在不断地加厚,~418Ma的阎家店闪长岩形成于俯冲后碰撞造山阶段,其动力学背景和时限与北祁连构造带一致。     

Lithospheric stress in Mongolia,from earthquake source data

Lithospheric stress in Mongolia has been studied using mechanisms of 84 M_(LH)≥ 4 earthquakes that occurred in the 20 th century and instrumental seismic moments of 17,375 M_(LH)≥2.5 events recorded between 1970 and 2000.The M_(LH)≥ 3.5 earthquakes mostly have strike-slip mechanisms in southern and central Mongolia,with frequent reverse-slip motions in the west and normal slip in the north,especially,in the area of Lake Hovsgol.The principal stresses are,respectively,S_HS_vS_h in the center and in the south;high horizontal compression with S_HS_hS_v in the west;and a heterogeneous stress pattern with S_vS_HS_h in the north.According to seismic moments of M_(LH)=2.5 events,oblique slip generally predominates over the territory,at S_v≈S_HS_h,while frequent strike slip motions in the west record high horizontal compression(S_HS_vS_h).Earthquake mechanisms show the principal horizontal compression S_H to be directed W-E in the east,NE-SW in the central and Gobi-Altay regions,and approximately N-S in the west of Mongolia.The patterns of principal lithospheric stresses in the territory of Mongolia have undergone three events of dramatic change for a few recent decades,and these events were synchronous with three similar events in the Baikal rift system(BRS):in the latest 1960 s,latest 1970 s to earliest 1980 s,and in the latest 1980 s to earliest 1990 s.The seismicity of Mongolia has been controlled by superposition of variable stresses associated with rifting activity pulses in the neighbor BRS on the background of quasi-stationary super-regional compression.     

Metasomatic origin of garnet xenocrysts from the V. Grib kimberlite pipe,Arkhangelsk region,NW Russia

This paper presents new major and trace element data from 150 garnet xenocrysts from the V. Grib kimberlite pipe located in the central part of the Arkhangelsk diamondiferous province (ADP). Based on the concentrations of Cr₂O₃, CaO, TiO₂ and rare earth elements (REE) the garnets were divided into seven groups: (1) lherzolitic “depleted” garnets (“Lz 1”), (2) lherzolitic garnets with normal REE patterns (“Lz 2”), (3) lherzolitic garnets with weakly sinusoidal REE patterns (“Lz 3”), (4) lherzolitic garnets with strongly sinusoidal REE patterns (“Lz 4”), (5) harzburgitic garnets with sinusoidal REE patterns (“Hz”), (6) wehrlitic garnets with weakly sinusoidal REE patterns (“W”), (7) garnets of megacryst paragenesis with normal REE patterns (“Meg”). Detailed mineralogical and geochemical garnet studies and modeling results suggest several stages of mantle metasomatism influenced by carbonatite and silicate melts. Carbonatitic metasomatism at the first stage resulted in refertilization of the lithospheric mantle, which is evidenced by a nearly vertical CaO-Cr₂O₃ trend from harzburgitic (“Hz”) to lherzolitic (“Lz 4”) garnet composition. Harzburgitic garnets (“Hz”) have probably been formed by interactions between carbonatite melts and exsolved garnets in high-degree melt extraction residues. At the second stage of metasomatism, garnets with weakly sinusoidal REE patterns (“Lz 3”, “W”) were affected by a silicate melt possessing a REE composition similar to that of ADP alkaline mica-poor picrites. At the last stage, the garnets interacted with basaltic melts, which resulted in the decrease CaO-Cr₂O₃ trend of “Lz 2” garnet composition. Cr-poor garnets of megacryst paragenesis (“Meg”) could crystallize directly from the silicate melt which has a REE composition close to that of ADP alkaline mica-poor picrites. P-T estimates of the garnet xenocrysts indicate that the interval of ～60–110 km of the lithospheric mantle beneath the V. Grib pipe was predominantly affected by the silicate melts, whereas the lithospheric mantle deeper than 150 km was influenced by the carbonatite melts.     

地下煤火燃空区覆岩裂隙分布模型和局部化特征

在推导出覆岩层下沉曲面方程和微元面平面伸张量方程的基础上构建了地下煤火燃空区各覆岩离层裂隙率、破断裂隙率和总裂隙率的二维分布模型,经实例分析发现,覆岩裂隙场是由离层裂隙场和破断裂隙场组成的竖向不连续具有各向异性的非均质多孔介质,覆岩四周裂隙率大,内部裂隙率小;随着覆岩埋深减小,裂隙发育程度逐渐降低,离层裂隙率极大值由0.36、0.20、0.14、0.12逐次降低,破断裂隙率极大值由0.32、0.11、0.05、0.02逐次降低;在覆岩中部区域出现裂隙率竖向变化突变点;覆岩周边裂隙率分布形式由破断裂隙主导,内部则由离层裂隙主导。基于钻孔红外热像分析技术提出了一种间接性的覆岩裂隙现场实测方法,经验证选取的5个点的裂隙率计算值与实测值的差异率都小于9%,差异率低,模型具有较高的可靠性。     

~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar Dating of Albite and Phlogopite from Porphyry Iron Deposits in the Ningwu Basin in East-Central China and Its Significance

40Ar-39Ar dating of albite from the Meishan and Taocun iron deposits yields plateau ages of 122.90±0.16 Ma and 124.89±0.30 Ma, and isochron ages of 122.60±0.16 Ma and 124.90±0.29 Ma, respectively. Phlogopite from the Zhongshan-Gushan ore field has a plateau age of 126.7±0.17 Ma and an isochron age of 127.21±1.63 Ma. Analysis of regional geodynamic evolution of the middle-lower Yangtze River region suggests that the porphyry iron deposits were formed as a result of large-scale lithosphere delamination and strong sinistral strike-slip movement of the Tancheng Lujiang fault zone. The copper, molybdenum and gold deposit system in the middle-lower Yangtze River region was formed during the stress transition period of the eastern China continent.     

Petrogenetic significance of high Fe/Mn ratios of the Cenozoic basalts from eastern China

The Cenozoic basalts from eastern China show commonly high Fe/Mn ratios (average = 68.6 ± 11.5) coupled with OIB-type trace element signature. The Cenozoic basalts form the northern margin and the southern margin of the North China Craton are studied in detail. Model calculations point out that the coupling feature of high Fe/Mn ratio with OIB-type trace element signature of these basalts cannot be produced by neither pyroxene/olivine crystallization nor remelting of previously melted mantle, but require partial melting of a garnet pyroxenite-rich mantle source. Combining these features of the Cenozoic basalts with the Phanerozoic lithospheric evolution of the eastern China, we suggest that the Cenozoic basalts were derived from a garnet pyroxenite-rich mantle source associated with continental crust delamination or oceanic crust subduction.     

Erosion of lithospheric mantle beneath the East African Rift system: geochemical evidence from the Kivu volcanic province

This study presents new major and trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic results for a suite of Miocene–Recent mafic lavas from the Kivu volcanic province in the western branch of the East African Rift. These lavas exhibit a very wide range in chemical and isotopic characteristics, due to a lithospheric mantle source region that is heterogeneous on a small scale, probably <1 km. The chemical and isotopic variations are mostly geographically controlled: lavas from Tshibinda volcano, which lies on a rift border fault on the northwestern margin of the province, have higher values of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, (La/Sm)_n, Ba/Nb, and Zr/Hf than the majority of Kivu (Bukavu) samples. The range of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr at Tshibinda (0.70511–0.70514) overlaps some compositions found in the neighboring Virunga province, while Bukavu group lavas include the lowest ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70314) and highest _Nd (+7.6) yet measured in western rift lavas. The Tshibinda compositions trend towards a convergence for Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic values among western rift lavas. Among Kivu lavas, variations in ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd correlate with those for certain incompatible trace element ratios (e.g., Th/Nb, Zr/Hf, La/Nb, Ba/Rb), with Tshibinda samples defining one compositional extreme. There are covariations of isotopic and trace element ratios in mafic lavas of the East African Rift system that vary systematically with geographic location. The lavas represent a magmatic sampling of variations in the underlying continental lithospheric mantle, and it appears that a common lithospheric mantle (CLM) source is present beneath much of the East African Rift system. This source contains minor amphibole and phlogopite, probably due to widespread metasomatic events between 500 and 1000 Ma. Lava suites which do not show a strong component of the CLM source, and for which the chemical constraints also suggest the shallowest magma formation depths, are the Bukavu group lavas from Kivu and basanites from Huri Hills, Kenya. The inferred extent of lithospheric erosion therefore appears to be significant only beneath these two areas, which is generally consistent with lithospheric thickness variations estimated from gravity and seismic studies.     

Post-collisional granitoids from the Dabie orogen in China: Zircon U–Pb age, element and O isotope evidence for recycling of subducted continental crust

While recycling of subducted oceanic crust is widely proposed to be associated with oceanic island, island arc, and subduction-related adakite magmatism, it is less clear whether recycling of subducted continental crust takes place in continental collision belts. A combined study of zircon U–Pb dating, major and minor element geochemistry, and O isotopes in Early Cretaceous post-collisional granitoids from the Dabie orogen in China demonstrates that they may have been generated by partial melting of subducted continental crust. The post-collisional granitoids from the Dabie orogen comprise hornblende-bearing intermediate rocks and hornblende-free granitic rocks. These granitoids are characterized by fractionated REE patterns with low HREE contents and negative HFSE anomalies (Nb, Ta and Ti). Although zircon U–Pb dating gives consistent ages of 120 to 130 Ma for magma crystallization, occurrence of inherited cores is identified by CL imaging and SHRIMP U–Pb dating; some zircon grains yield ages of 739 to 749 Ma and 214 to 249 Ma, in agreement with Neoproterozoic protolith ages of UHP metaigneous rocks and a Triassic tectono-metamorphic event in the Dabie–Sulu orogenic belt, respectively. The granitoids have relatively homogeneous zircon δ¹⁸O values from 4.14‰ to 6.11‰ with an average of 5.10‰ ± 0.42‰ (n = 28) similar to normal mantle zircon. Systematically low zircon δ¹⁸O values for most of the coeval mafic–ultramafic rocks and intruded country rocks preclude an AFC process of mafic magma or mixing between mafic and felsic magma as potential mechanisms for the petrogenesis of the granitoids. Along with zircon U–Pb ages and element results, it is inferred that the granitic rocks were probably derived from partial melting of intermediate lower crust and the intermediate rocks were generated by amphibole-dehydration melting of mafic rocks in the thickened lower crust, coupled with fractional crystallization during magma emplacement. The post-collisional granitoids in the Dabie orogen are interpreted to originate from recycling of the subducted Yangtze continental crust that was thickened by the Triassic continent–continent collision. Partial melting of orogenic lithospheric keel is suggested to have generated the bimodal igneous rocks with the similar crustal heritage. Crustal thinning by post-collisional detachment postdated the onset of bimodal magmatism that was initiated by a thermal pulse related to mantle superwelling in Early Cretaceous.