Structure of Palaeogene sediments in east Ellesmere Island: Constraints on Eurekan tectonic evolution and implications for the Nares Strait problem

The “Nares Strait problem” represents a debate about the existence and magnitude of left-lateral movements along the proposed Wegener Fault within this seaway. Study of Palaeogene Eurekan tectonics at its shorelines could shed light on the kinematics of this fault. Palaeogene (Late Paleocene to Early Eocene) sediments are exposed at the northeastern coast of Ellesmere Island in the Judge Daly Promontory. They are preserved as elongate SW–NE striking fault-bounded basins cutting folded Early Paleozoic strata. The structures of the Palaeogene exposures are characterized by broad open synclines cut and displaced by steeply dipping strike-slip faults. Their fold axes strike NE–SW at an acute angle to the border faults indicating left-lateral transpression. Weak deformation in the interior of the outliers contrasts with intense shearing and fracturing adjacent to border faults. The degree of deformation of the Palaeogene strata varies markedly between the northwestern and southeastern border faults with the first being more intense. Structural geometry, orientation of subordinate folds and faults, the kinematics of faults, and fault-slip data suggest a multiple stage structural evolution during the Palaeogene Eurekan deformation: (1) The fault pattern on Judge Daly Promontory is result of left-lateral strike-slip faulting starting in Mid to Late Paleocene times. The Palaeogene Judge Daly basin formed in transtensional segments by pull-apart mechanism. Transpression during progressive strike-slip shearing gave rise to open folding of the Palaeogene deposits. (2) The faults were reactivated during SE-directed thrust tectonics in Mid Eocene times (chron 21). A strike-slip component during thrusting on the reactivated faults depends on the steepness of the fault segments and on their obliquity to the regional stress axes.Strike-slip displacement was partitioned to a number of sub-parallel faults on-shore and off-shore. Hence, large-scale lateral movements in the sum of 80–100 km or more could have been accommodated by a set of faults, each with displacements in the order of 10–30 km. The Wegener Fault as discrete plate boundary in Nares Strait is replaced by a bundle of faults located mainly onshore on the Judge Daly Promontory.     

Geochemical and isotope data from the Acatlán Volcanic Field, western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: Origin and evolution

The Quaternary Acatlán Volcanic Field (AVF) is located at the western edge of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). This region is related to the subduction of the Pacific Cocos and Rivera plates beneath the North American plate since the late Miocene. AVF rocks are products of Pleistocene volcanic activity and include lava flows, domes, erupted basaltic andesite, trachyandesite, trachydacite, and rhyolite of calc–alkaline affinity. Most rocks show depletion in high field-strength elements and enrichment in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements as is typical for magmas in subduction-related volcanic arcs. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values range from 0.70361 to 0.70412, while Nd values vary from +2.3 to +5.2. Sr–Nd isotopic data plot along the mantle array. On the other hand, lead isotope compositions (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=18.62–18.75, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=15.57–15.64, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=38.37–38.67) give evidence for combined influences of the upper mantle, fluxes derived from subducted sediments, and the upper continental crust involved in magma genesis at AVF. Additionally δ¹⁸O whole rock analyses range from +6.35‰ in black pumice to +10.9‰ in white pumice of the Acatlán Ignimbrite. A fairly good correlation is displayed between Sr as well as O isotopes and SiO₂ emphasizing the effects of crustal contamination. Compositional and isotopic data suggest that the different AVF series derived from distinct parental magmas, which were generated by partial melting of a heterogeneous mantle source.     

Amphibole Ar/Ar Geochronology from the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, South Korea and its Tectonic Implications

An understanding of the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt (OMB) in South Korea is central to unraveling the tectono-metamorphic evolution of East Asia. Amphibole-bearing rocks in the OMB occur as calcsilicate layers and lenses in psammitic rocks, in the psammitic rocks themselves, and in the mafic volcanic layers and intrusives. Most amphiboles fail to show ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages; those that do have ages ranging from 132 to 975 Ma. The disturbed age pattern and wide variation in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages can be related to metamorphic grade, retrograde chemical reactions, excess Ar and amphibole composition. The oldest age (975 Ma) can be interpreted either as an old igneous or metamorphic age predating sedimentation or a false age caused by excess Ar. The youngest age of 132 Ma and the disturbed age pattern found in amphiboles from rocks located close to Jurassic granitoids are the result of retrograde thermal metamorphic effects accompanying intrusion of the granitoids. Some medium- or coarse-grained amphiboles in the calcsilicates are aggregates of fine-grained crystals. As a result, they are heterogeneous and prove to be readily affected by excess Ar. A disturbed age pattern in amphiboles from the calcsilicates occurring in the high-grade metamorphic zone may also be the product of excess Ar. On the other hand, the disturbed pattern of amphiboles present in the calcsilicates from the low-grade metamorphic zone could arise from both excess Ar and mixed ages. However, amphiboles from psammitic rocks and some calcsilicates in the high-grade metamorphic zone and in intrusive metabasites display real plateau ages of 237 to 261 Ma. The temperature conditions in the high-grade metamorphic zone were higher than the argon closing temperature for amphibole, and the amphiboles in this zone give plateau ages only when they are homogeneous in composition, lack excess Ar, and have not been thermally affected by intrusion of the granitoids. The unmodified ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages prove rather younger than the age of the Late Paleozoic metamorphic event of 280 to 300 Ma, but they are close to muscovite K-Ar ages of 263 to 277 Ma. These ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar amphibole ages are interpreted as the time of cooling that followed the main regional, intermediate-P/T metamorphic climax. The results demonstrate that interpretation of ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar amphibole ages in an area subjected to several metamorphic events can be accomplished only by undertaking a thorough tectono-metamorphic study, accompanied by detailed chemical analysis of the amphiboles.     

Pan-African Tectonism in the Western Maud Belt: P-T-t Path for High-grade Gneisses in the H.U. Sverdrupfjella, East Antarctica

Extensive high-grade polydeformed metamorphic provinces surroundingArchaean cratonic nuclei in the East Antarctic Shield recordtwo tectono-thermal episodes in late Mesoproterozoic and lateNeoproterozoic–Cambrian times. In Western Dronning MaudLand, the high-grade Mesoproterozoic Maud Belt is juxtaposedagainst the Archaean Grunehogna Province and has traditionallybeen interpreted as a Grenvillian mobile belt that was thermallyoverprinted during the Early Palaeozoic. Integration of newU–Pb sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe and conventionalsingle zircon and monazite age data, and Ar–Ar data onhornblende and biotite, with thermobarometric calculations onrocks from the H.U. Sverdrupfjella, northern Maud Belt, resultedin a more complex P–T–t evolution than previouslyassumed. A c. 540 Ma monazite, hosted by an upper ampibolite-faciesmineral assemblage defining a regionally dominant top-to-NWshear fabric, provides strong evidence for the penetrative deformationin the area being of Pan-African age and not of Grenvillianage as previously reported. Relics of an eclogite-facies garnet–omphaciteassemblage within strain-protected mafic boudins indicate thatthe peak metamorphic conditions recorded by most rocks in thearea (T = 687–758°C, P = 9·4–11·3kbar) were attained subsequent to decompression from P >12·9 kbar. By analogy with limited U–Pb singlezircon age data and on circumstantial textural grounds, thisearlier eclogite-facies metamorphism is ascribed to subductionand accretion around 565 Ma. Post-peak metamorphic K-metasomatismunder amphibolite-facies conditions is ascribed to the intrusionof post-orogenic granite at c. 480 Ma. The recognition of extensivePan-African tectonism in the Maud Belt casts doubts on previousRodinia reconstructions, in which this belt takes a pivotalposition between East Antarctica, the Kalahari Craton and Laurentia.Evidence of late Mesoproterozoic high-grade metamorphism duringthe formation of the Maud Belt exists in the form of c. 1035Ma zircon overgrowths that are probably related to relics ofgranulite-facies metamorphism recorded from other parts of theMaud Belt. The polymetamorphic rocks are largely derived froma c. 1140 Ma volcanic arc and 1072 ± 10 Ma granite. KEY WORDS: Maud Belt; Pan-African orogeny; geochronology; P–T–t path, East Antarctica     

Insights into the complexity of crustal differentiation: K2O‐poor leucosomes within metasedimentary migmatites from the Southern Marginal Zone of the Limpopo Belt,South Africa

Differentiation of the continental crust is the result of complex interactions between a large number of processes, which govern partial melting of the deep crust, magma formation and segregation, and magma ascent to significantly higher crustal levels. The anatectic metasedimentary rocks exposed in the Southern Marginal Zone of the Limpopo Belt represent an unusually well‐exposed natural laboratory where the portion of these processes that operate in the deep crust can be directly investigated in the field. The formation of these migmatites occurred via absent incongruent melting reactions involving biotite, which produced cm‐ to m‐scale, K₂O‐poor garnet‐bearing stromatic leucosomes, with high Ca/Na ratios relative to their source rocks. Field investigation combined with geochemical analyses, and phase equilibrium modelling designed to investigate some aspects of disequilibrium partial melting show that the outcrop features and compositions of the leucosomes suggest several steps in their evolution: (1) Melting of a portion of the source, with restricted plagioclase availability due to kinetic controls, to produce a magma (melt + entrained peritectic minerals in variable proportions relative to melt); (2) Segregation of the magma at near peak metamorphic conditions into melt accumulation sites (MAS), also known as future leucosome; (3a) Re‐equilibration of the magma with a portion of the bounding mafic residuum via chemical diffusion (H₂O, K₂O), which triggers the co‐precipitation of quartz and plagioclase in the MAS; (3b) Extraction of melt‐dominated magma to higher crustal levels, leaving peritectic minerals entrained from the site of the melting reaction, and the minerals precipitated in the MASs to form the leucosome in the source. The key mechanism controlling this behaviour is the kinetically induced restriction of the amount of plagioclase available to the melting reaction. This results in elevated melt H₂O and K₂O and chemical potential gradient for these components across the leucosome/mafic residuum contact. The combination of all of these processes accurately explains the composition of the K₂O‐poor leucosomes. These findings have important implications for our understanding of melt segregation in the lower crust and minimum melt residency time which, according to the chemical modelling, is <5 years. We demonstrate that in some migmatitic granulites, the leucosomes constitute a type of felsic refractory residuum, rather than evidence of failed magma extraction. This provides a new insight into the ways that source heterogeneity may control anatexis.     

Structural geometry and controls on basement‐involved deformation in the northern Flinders Ranges,Adelaide Fold Belt,South Australia

In the northern Flinders Ranges, Neoproterozoic and Cambrian sedimentary rocks were deformed and variably metamorphosed during the ca 500 Ma Cambro‐Ordovician Delamerian Orogeny. Balanced and restored structural sections across the northern Flinders Ranges show shortening of about 10–20%. Despite the presence of suitable evaporitic detachment horizons at the basement‐cover interface, the structural style is best interpreted to be thick‐skinned involving basement with only a minor proportion of the overall shortening accommodated along stratigraphically controlled detachments. Much of the contractional deformation was localised by the inversion of former extensional faults such as the Norwest and Paralana Faults, which both controlled the deposition of Neoproterozoic cover successions. As such, both faults represent major, long‐lived structures which effectively define the present boundaries of the northern Flinders Ranges with the Gawler Craton to the west and the Curnamona Craton to the east. The most intense deformation, which resulted in exhumation of the basement along the Paralana Fault to form the Mt Painter and Babbage Inliers, coincides with extremely high heat flows related to extraordinarily high heat‐production rates in the basement rocks. High heat flow in the northern Flinders Ranges suggests that the structural style not only reflects the pre‐Delamerian basin architecture but is also a consequence of the reactivation of thermally perturbed, weakened basement.     

Short-lived polyphase deformation during crustal thickening and exhumation of a collisional orogen (Ribeira Belt,Brazil)

The Ribeira Belt (Brazil) is a Neoproterozoic collisional-related feature that was located in a south-central position in West Gondwana. We present quantitative data on finite strain, flow vorticity and deformation temperatures for the Curitiba Terrane, a major segment of the southern Ribeira Belt. Six deformation phases (D₁-D₆) related with crustal thickening and exhumation were recognized. D₁ and D₂-related microstructures are preserved exclusively within porphyroblasts, in part grown during stages of high-pressure (∼9–12 kbar) isobaric heating after crustal thickening. D₃ phase was active from peak metamorphism attained in contrasting crustal levels (810–400 °C), to the early stage of exhumation (500–400 °C), as indicated by petrological, microstructural and quartz c-axis fabric evidence. Kinematic vorticity results indicate that the SL₃ mylonitic fabric resulted from a simple shear-dominated deformation related with westward thrusting. North-verging overturned D₄ folds with E-W-trending subhorizontal axes derived from a pure shear-dominated deformation. Regional D₅ open folds with subvertical axes and NNE-SSW-trending traces were produced by indentation tectonics. D₆ phase comprises retrograde orogen-parallel transcurrent shear zones related with scape tectonics. Geochronological data indicate that D₃-D₆ phases occurred between 584 and 580 Ma, suggesting a fast exhumation rate of ∼8 mm/year for the deepest rocks from the southern Ribeira Belt.     

内蒙古敖汉旗七家金矿闪长玢岩锆石U-Pb年代学、地球化学及地质意义

内蒙古敖汉旗七家金矿构造位置上处于兴蒙造山带与华北克拉通北缘的结合部位, 靠近兴蒙造山带一侧, 是近年来新发现的石英脉型金矿床.区内岩脉以闪长玢岩为主, 且与石英脉型矿体空间关系密切.根据岩脉与矿体的穿插关系, 将其分为成矿前闪长玢岩和成矿后闪长玢岩.LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学表明, 成矿前闪长玢岩加权平均年龄为166.3±3.4 Ma, 成矿后闪长玢岩加权平均年龄为128.6±4.5 Ma, 与区域上两期构造-岩浆活动时间(分别为160 Ma左右和128 Ma左右)近似吻合.主量元素特征显示: 二者均属于准铝质, 高钾钙碱性系列; 微量元素特征显示: 二者均富集轻稀土元素、大离子亲石元素(Rb、K)和活泼的不相容元素(U、Pb), 相对亏损重稀土元素和高场强元素(Nb、Ta、Ti), 反映出岩浆来源具壳源特征.主微量元素特征均显示出二者具有岛弧岩浆岩的地球化学属性.另外, 成矿后闪长玢岩有较高的Nb/Ta(18.66~20.27)和Zr/Hf(37.16~39.23)比值, 暗示其岩浆来源具明显的幔源特征.岩石地球化学特征表明, 成矿前闪长玢岩可能起源于太平洋板块俯冲导致的下地壳部分熔融岩浆; 成矿后闪长玢岩可能起源于俯冲流体交代的地幔楔熔融岩浆, 并在其演化侵位过程中伴有地壳物质的混染.结合闪长玢岩成岩时代、岩石成因及区域构造演化, 反映出七家金矿的形成与太平洋板块的西向俯冲密切相关, 矿床在地壳由挤压增厚向伸展减薄的转换过程中形成.     

三位一体找矿预测模型的表达式

三位一体找矿预测模型是勘查区找矿预测理论遵循的原则。三位是指成矿地质体、成矿结构面、成矿作用标志,一体是指矿体、矿床或矿田。可以理解为成矿地质体、成矿结构面、成矿作用标志决定矿体、矿床或矿田产出的空间位置,反映的是成矿要素与成矿产物之间的空间关系,或者空间结构模型,是由某一个成矿地质体决定的矿床成矿系统的最小单元,如某斑岩体决定的次火山热液成矿系统和同生断裂决定的热水沉积成矿系统。 根据中国地质调查局(2016)颁发的1:50 000 矿产地质调查工作指南(试行),成矿地质体是指与矿床形成在时间、空间和成因上有密切联系的地质体。成矿结构面是指赋存矿体的显性或隐性存在的岩石物理及化学性质不连续面,也就是赋存矿体的各类界面。成矿作用标志是指能够直接指示矿体赋存位置的、对找矿预测具有特殊意义的标志(中国地质调查局,2016)。矿床成岩成矿年代学及成矿作用产物与成矿地质体的空间关系表明,成矿地质体在成矿过程中,仍然主要起导矿构造的作用,尽管部分成矿现象类似于侧分泌成矿,但规模热液矿床的形成必然伴随着大规模流体沿构造通道持续或间歇性运移。完整的成矿系统必然包含源、运、储三个基本环节(翟裕生,2005),所以成矿地质体也可以表述为导矿构造,进而将三位一体找矿预测模型定性地表述为导矿构造、成矿结构面和成矿作用标志决定成矿作用产物产出的空间位置。模型的定量表示则需要研究导矿构造、成矿结构面和成矿作用标志的响应范围及其耦合关系。     

断代成矿单元研究划分 ----以陕西省成矿单元划分为例

随着地质找矿难度的日益加大,如何科学地圈定找矿靶区,已成为新时期矿产勘查部署及实现找矿突破的关键。成矿单元划分是区域成矿规律研究的基础性工作,在圈定找矿靶区、部署矿产勘查工作中起着重要作用。目前国内成矿单元划分的主要方法是以区域内成矿作用最强、矿床最多的构造旋回所形成的地质构造单元为基础,同时考虑其它构造旋回形成的矿床分布状况而进行成矿单元划分,即采用综合方法划分成矿单元（陈毓川等,2007.徐志刚等,2008.）。对于仅发育单一构造演化阶段或多数矿床形成于某一主要构造阶段的区域而言,上述划分思路和方案基本反映了成矿地质背景及矿产分布规律。但对于发育多个构造演化阶段或多旋回造山带的区域（如陕西省）而言,其矿产众多且形成于多个构造演化阶段,综合方法所划分的成矿区带则较难客观、清晰地反映其成矿背景及矿产分布规律。陕西省多年来的矿产勘查实践表明,成矿单元的划分应从本省多旋回构造演化、多阶段成矿作用的实际出发开展断代成矿单元划分,从而清晰地反映各构造演化阶段的成矿特征及矿床分布规律,以满足新时期地质找矿工作的需求。