Geology, Geochemistry and Tectonic Significance of Mafic-ultramafic Rocks of Mesoproterozoic Phulad Ophiolite Suite of South Delhi Fold Belt, NW Indian Shield

A thick sequence of mafic-ultramafic rocks, occurs along a major shear zone (Phulad lineament), running across the length of Aravalli Mountain Range for about 300 kms. It has been suggested, that this sequence may represent a fragment of ophiolite or a rift related metavolcanic suite made up of basalts and fractionated ultramafics. The geological and tectonic significance of the complex is assessed using field relationships, petrography and geochemistry. Structurally, the lowest part of the complex comprises a discontinuous band of plastically deformed harzburgite (mantle component) followed by layered cumulus gabbroic rocks (crustal component). A complex of non-cumulus rocks comprising hornblende schists, gabbros, sheeted dykes and pillowed basalts structurally overlies layered gabbros. Huge bodies of diorite intrude volcanics.

Geochemical classification suggests that all non-cumulus mafic rocks are sub-alkaline basalts except one variety of dykes which shows mildly alkaline character. The sub-alkaline rocks are tholeiite to calc-alkaline with boninite affinity. Tectono-magmatic variation diagrams and MORB normalised patterns suggest a fore arc tectonic regime for the eruption of these rocks.

The mafic rocks of Phulad Ophiolite Suite are zoned across the strike in terms of their distribution from west to east. The hornblende schists and basalts are exposed at the westernmost margin followed by gabbros and dykes. The alkaline dyke occurs at the easternmost part. The rocks of Phulad suite are juxtaposed with shallow water sediments in the east followed by platformal sediments and then continental slope sediments in the further east indicating gradual thickening of the crust from west to east and an eastward subduction. The geochemical interpretation presented in this study, together with discussion of lithological association is used to decipher the tectonic evolution of the Mesoproterozoics of NW Indian shield.     

Petrochemical Investigation of the Antique Ophiolite (Philippines): Implications on Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide and Podiform Chromitite Deposits

Abstract: The Antique ophiolite, located in Panay island (west‐central Philippines), corresponds to several tectonic slices within the suture zone between the Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) and the North Palawan Block (NPB). It includes dismembered fragments of a basaltic sequence, dominantly pillow‐lavas with minor sheet flows, rare exposures of sheeted dikes, isotropic gabbros, subordinate layered mafic and ultramafic rock sequences and serpentinites. Most of the ophiolite units commonly occur as clasts and blocks within the serpentinites, which intrude the whole ophiolitic body, as well as, the basal conglomerate of the overlying Middle Miocene sedimentary formation. The volcanic rock sequence is characterized by chemical compositions ranging from transitional (T)‐MORB, normal (N)‐MORB and to chemistry intermediate between those of MORB and island arc basalt (IAB). The residual upper mantle sequence is harzburgitic and generally more depleted than the upper mantle underlying modern mid‐oceanic ridges. Calculations using whole‐rock and mineral compositions show that they can represent the residue of a fertile mantle source, which have undergone degrees of partial melting ranging from 9‐22.5 %. Some of the mantle samples display chondrite‐nor‐malized REE and extended multi‐element patterns suggesting enrichments in LREE, Rb, Sr and Zr, which are comparable to those found in fore‐arc peridotites from the Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana (IBM) arc system. The Antique ultramafic rocks also record relatively oxidizing mantle conditions (Δlog f_O2 (FMQ)=0.9‐3.5). As a whole, the ophiolite probably represents an agglomeration of oceanic ridge and fore‐arc crust fragments, which were juxtaposed during the Miocene collision of the PMB and the NPB. The intrusion of the serpentinites might be either coeval or subsequent to the accretion of the oceanic crust onto the fore‐arc. Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits occur either in or near the contact between the pillow basalts and the overlying sediments or interbedded with the sediments. The morphology of the deposits, type of metals, ore texture and the nature of the host rocks suggest that the formation of the VMS bodies was similar to the accumulation of metals around and in the subsurface of hydrothermal vents observed in modern mid‐oceanic ridge and back‐arc basin rift settings. The podiform chromitites occur as pods and subordinate layers within totally serpentinized dunite in the residual upper mantle sequence. No large coherent chromitite deposit was found since the host dunitic rocks often occur as blocks within the serpentinites. It is difficult to evaluate the original geodynamic setting of the mineralized bodies since the chemistry of the host rocks were considerably modified by alteration during their tectonic emplacement. A preliminary conclusion for Antique is that the VMS is apparently associated with a primitive tholeiitic intermediate MORB‐IAB volcanic suite, the chemistry of which is close to the calculated composition of the liquid that coexisted with the podiform chromitites.     

Structural and geochronological relationships of metamorphic soles of eastern Mediterrranean ophiolites to surrounding units: indicators of intra‐oceanic subduction and emplacement

This paper is a synthesis of structural and geochronological data from eastern Mediterranean ophiolitic metamorphic rocks and surrounding units to interpret the intra‐oceanic subduction and ophiolite emplacement mechanism.

Metamorphic rocks occur as discontinuous tectonic slices at the base of the ophiolites, generally between the peridotite tectonites and volcanic‐sedimentary units, and locally in fault zones in the overlying peridotites. They consist essentially of amphibolite, and in lesser quantities, micaschist, quartzite, epidotite and marble.

Geological and geochronological data indicate that recrystallization of the metamorphic rocks occurred in the oceanic environment. The contact between the metamorphic rocks and the hanging‐wall is parallel to the foliation of the metamorphic rocks, and is interpreted as the fossil plane of intra‐oceanic subduction. Structural relationships suggest that intra‐oceanic subduction was situated between two lithospheric blocks separated by an oceanic fracture zone. Therefore the Neotethyan ophiolites with metamorphic soles represent the remnants of the overriding oceanic lithosphere's training slices of the metamorphic rocks at the base.

In the Anatolian region, radiometric dating of metamorphic rocks from the Taurus and Izmir‐Ankara‐Erzincan zone ophiolites yield nearly identical ages. Besides, palaeontological and structural data indicate coeval opening and similar oceanic ridge orientation. Consequently it is highly probable that Taurus and Izmir‐Ankara‐Erzincan zone ophiolites represent fragments of the same oceanic lithosphere derived from a single spreading zone. Palaeontological data from underlying volcanic and sedimentary units point out that the opening of the Neotethyan ocean occurred during Late Permian‐Middle Triassic time in the Iranian‐Oman region, during Middle Triassic in Dinaro‐Hellenic area, and finally during Late Triassic in the Anatolian region.

Radiometric dating of the metamorphic rocks exhibit that the intra‐oceanic thrusting occurred during late Lower‐early Late Jurassic for Dinaro‐Hellenic ophiolites, late Lower‐early Late Cretaceous for Anatolian, Iranian and Oman ophiolites well before their obduction on the Gondwanian continent. Neotethyan ophiolites were obducted onto various sections of the Gondwanian continent from late Upper Jurassic to Palaeocene time, Dinaro‐Hellenic ophiolites during late Upper Jurassic‐early Lower Cretaceous onto the Adriatic promontory, Anatolian, Iranian and Oman ophiolites from late Lower Cretaceous to Palaeocene onto the Aegean, Anatolian and Arabic promontories.     

四川德格错阿金矿特征与矿床成因初析

错阿金矿床赋存于理塘义敦群上三叠统瓦能组变基性火山岩中,金矿体受次级北北西-近南北向韧性-脆韧性剪切变质带控制,与金矿化有关蚀变主要为黄铁矿化、辉锑矿化和硅化、碳酸盐化、金云母化及石墨化。矿床成因为蚀变构造型。甘孜-理塘断裂带北段嗄拉、错阿、海子口三个矿化集中区内大部份化探异常具有面积大、强度高、梯度变化大、元素组合好等特点,具有很好的找矿前景。     

Helium and neon isotopic compositions in the ophiolites from the Yarlung Zangbo River,Southwestern China:The information from deep mantle

The ophiolites from the Yarlung Zangbo River (Tibet),Southwestern China,were analysed for the con-tents of helium and neon and their isotopic compositions by stepwise heating. The serpentinites from Bainang showed a high 3He/4He value of 32.66Ra (Ra is referred to the 3He/4He ratio in the present air) in 700 ℃ fraction. At lower temperature,all of the dolerites displayed as very high 3He/4He ratios as ones investigated for hotspots. It was clear that the high 3He/4He ratio was one of immanent characterics in the magma source formed the dolerites,suggesting that there was a large amount of deep mantle fluids in these rocks. In the three-isotope diagram of neon,the data points from the ophiolites of the Yarlung Zangbo River were arranged along the Loihi Line. This is in agreement with the characteristics of he-lium isotopes,revealing that the high-3He plume from deep mantle had played an important role in the formation of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean. The helium isotopic compositions in the basalts were far higher than atomospheric value but lower than the average value of MORB,although there were various de-grees of alteration. The possible reasons were that basaltic magmas     

柴北缘托莫尔日特地区变基性火山岩年代学、地球化学特征及地质意义

托莫尔日特-赛坝沟蛇绿混杂岩带位于柴北缘结合带东段,对该蛇绿混杂岩带中的变火山岩进行了系统的年代学及岩石地球化学研究。结果表明,变基性火山岩SiO₂含量为47.78%～50.01%,MgO含量为4.52%～9.36%,~TFeO含量为8.00%～14.94%,K₂O含量为0.04%～0.80%,Na₂O含量为1.02%～4.20%,具典型的拉斑玄武质岩浆特征。微量元素上表现出轻稀土元素弱亏损,富集大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、Ta等高场强元素特征,表明该基性岩很可能形成于弧后盆地环境。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年结果显示,变基性火山岩年龄为480.1±1.8 Ma。综合区域地质资料,认为原特提斯洋在早奥陶世已经开始了俯冲消减作用。     

Permo-Carboniferous Radiolarians from the Wupata＇erkan Group, Western South Tianshan, Xinjiang, China

The Wupata‘erkan Group, also called Wupata‘erkan Formation, distributed in the South Tianshan, Xinjiang,China, mainly consists of gray and dark gray fine-grained clastic rocks, interlayered with volcanic rocks, carbonates and cherts. Some ultra-basic rocks (blocks) punctuate the formation. The formation was variously assigned to Silurian-Middle Devonian, Silurian-Lower Devonian, and pre-Devonian, mainly based on Atrypa bodini Mansuy, Hypothyridina parallelepipedia (Brour.) and Prismatophyllum hexagonum Yoh collected from the limestone interlayers, respectively.However, radiolarian fossils obtained from 24 chert specimens of the Wupata‘erkan Group, mainly include Albaillella sp.cf. A. undulata Deflandre, Albaillella sp. cf. A. paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella cf. A. deflandrei Gourmelon, Albaillella sp. cf. A. indensis Won, Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa Ishiga, Kito and Imoto, Albaillella sp. and Latentifistulidae gen. et. sp.indet., are earliest Carboniferous and Late Permian. The earliest Carboniferous assemblage is characterized by Albaillella sp. cf. A. undulata Deflandre, Albaillella sp. cf. A. paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella cf. A. deflandrei Gourmelon and Albaillella sp. cf. A. indensis Won, and the Late Permian assemblage by Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa Ishiga, Kito and Imoto. This new stratigraphic evidence indicates that the Wupata‘erkan Group is possibly composed of rocks with different ages from Silurian to Permian, and therefore, it is probably an ophiolite mrlange. The discovery of Late Permian Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa provides more reliable evidence supporting the existence of a Permian relic ancient oceanic basin in the western part of Xinjiang South Tianshan.     

西藏班公湖-怒江缝合带中段江错蛇绿岩岩石学、地球化学、年代学及地质意义

江错蛇绿岩位于班公湖-怒江缝合带中段, 位于切里湖蛇绿岩亚带的最东端, 南邻蓬湖西蛇绿岩.江错蛇绿岩岩石组合相对较全, 主要由变质橄榄岩、辉长岩和辉绿岩等组成.江错蛇绿岩辉长岩-辉绿岩与N-MORB相比具有较高的Mg#、低Ti、K、Na和P的特征, 富集大离子亲石元素Sr、Rb、Ba和亏损高场强元素Th、Hf、Ta、Nb, REE配分图总体显示为平坦型分布模式.通过地球化学元素分析认为江错蛇绿岩是形成于SSZ之上的弧后盆地扩张脊环境.对其进行辉长岩锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年, 得出加权平均年龄为189.8±3.3 Ma(MSWD=0.97), 该结果代表了班公湖怒江缝合带中段江错地区特提斯洋的扩张时代, 与中段东巧地区蛇绿岩年龄一致, 但晚于东段洋盆发育时代且早于西段洋盆发育时代, 表明整个班公湖-怒江洋盆发育时代存在东早西晚的特点.      

Pb, Sr AND Nd-ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF PALEO AND NEO-TETHYAN OCEANIC CRUSTS IN THE EASTERN TETHYAN DOMAIN: IMPLICATION FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN-TYPE ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE

Pb, Sr AND Nd-ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF PALEO AND NEO-TETHYAN OCEANIC CRUSTS IN THE EASTERN TETHYAN DOMAIN: IMPLICATION FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN-TYPE ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE     

基于小波变换的反射光谱分析在蛇绿岩识别中的应用研究——以西准噶尔地区为例

介绍了基于小波变换的反射光谱分析技术的基本理论和方法;运用此技术手段对克拉玛依市白碱滩区西侧地区40条岩石野外光谱曲线数据进行了定量处理,总结并分析了蛇绿岩套中常见典型岩石(基性混杂岩、辉长岩、橄榄岩、蛇纹石)的光谱特征及其产生原因.最后,结合ETM+波段范围提出了适用于西准噶尔地区多波段遥感影像光谱角(Spectral Angle Mapper,SAM)提取模型,从遥感影像上识别蛇绿岩分布奠定了良好的基础.