Paleomagnetic Constraints on Mineralization Age of the Nansatsu-type Gold Deposits in Southern Kyushu, Japan

Abstract: Two mineralization stages, stage I and stage II, have been identified from textural, mineralogical and crosscutting relationships in gold ore from the Nansatsu-type gold deposits of Kasuga, Iwato and Akeshi. Mineralization age of each stage in each deposit was determined with paleomagnetic methods on 432 specimens from 312 oriented samples. As results, mineralization ages of stage I of each deposit fall in the same period, the reversed polarity subchron of 4.18–3.58 Ma, and those of stage II are limited in the normal and reversed polarity subchrons of 3.58–3.22 Ma. Contrasting with previous results based only on K-Ar ages, our conclusion shows that these Nansatsu-type gold deposits were formed contemporaneously.     

Onset of seafloor spreading in the Iapetus Ocean at 608 Ma: precise age of the Sarek Dyke Swarm, northern Swedish Caledonides

The Sarek Dyke Swarm (SDS) crops out in the Sarektjåkkå Nappe (SN) of the Seve-Kalak Superterrane in the northern Swedish Caledonides. The SN has two main components: (1) a 4–5 km thick succession of rift-related sedimentary rocks, which is intruded by (2) a suite of tholeiitic dykes (the SDS) constituting 70–80% of the nappe. The nappe was deformed during Caledonian thrusting, but dykes and sedimentary rocks in the interior of the eastern parts of the SN are preserved in a pristine state. The tholeiitic dykes of the SDS commonly occur in sheeted dyke complexes, and up to 11 successive generations can be identified from crosscutting relations. The SN represents the fossil continent–ocean transition between the Baltic craton and the Iapetus Ocean, marking the initiation of seafloor spreading. Bubble-shaped pods and veinlets of diorite are present in the SDS sheeted dyke complexes. The pods are absent in the oldest dykes, but the younger a dyke, the more frequent the pods. The diorite pods are the equivalent of gabbro pegmatites, and both cogenetic and coeval with the dykes. The rapid successive emplacement of tholeiitic magma raised the ambient temperature in the dyke complex, so that crystallization in the youngest dykes mimicked similar processes in gabbro plutons. Six zircon fractions, from the diorite pods including two single grains, were analysed geochronologically by the U–Pb thermal ionization mass spectrometry method. The data yield a linear array of points that are 0.4–0.8% normally discordant, indicating a crystallization age of 608±1 Ma (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb=607.9±0.7 Ma, MSWD=0.33). This age is inferred to date the onset of seafloor spreading in the Iapetus Ocean along the Baltoscandian margin.     

Generation of Deccan Trap magmas

Deccan Trap magmas may have erupted through multiple centers, the most prominent of which may have been a shield volcano-like structure in the Western Ghats area. The lavas are predominantly tholeiitic; alkalic mafic lavas and carbonatites are rare. Radioisotope dating, magnetic chronology, and age constraints from paleontology indicate that although the eruption started some 68 Ma, the bulk of lavas erupted at around 65–66 Ma. Paleomagnetic constraints indicate an uncertainty of ± 500,000 years for peak volcanic activity at 65 m.y. in the type section of the Western Ghats. Maximum magma residence times were calculated in this study based on growth rates of “giant plagioclase” crystals in lavas that marked the end phase of volcanic activity of different magma chambers. These calculations suggest that the > 1.7 km thick Western Ghats section might have erupted within a much shorter time interval of ∼ 55,000 years, implying phenomenal eruption rates that are orders of magnitude larger than any present-day eruption rate from any tectonic environment. Other significant observations/conclusions are as follows: (1) Deccan lavas can be grouped into stratigraphic subdivisions based on their geochemistry; (2) While some formations are relatively uncontaminated others are strongly contaminated by the continental crust; (3) Deccan magmas were produced by 15–30% melting of a Fe-rich lherzolitic source at ∼ 3–2 GPa; (4) Parent magmas of the relatively uncontaminated Ambenali formation had a primitive composition with 16%MgO, 47%SiO₂; (5) Deccan magmas were generated much deeper and by significantly more melting than other continental flood basalt provinces; (6) The erupted Deccan tholeiitic lavas underwent fractionation and magma mixing at ∼ 0.2 GPa. The composition and origin of the crust and crust/mantle boundary beneath the Deccan are discussed with respect to the influence of Deccan magmatic episode.     

CHIME age dating of monazites from metamorphic rocks and granitic rocks of the Ryoke belt in the Iwakuni area, Southwest Japan

Abstract CHIME (chemical Th-U-total Pb isochron method) ages were determined for monazite from gneisses and granitoids of the Ryoke belt in the Iwakuni area. The CHIME monazite ages are 99.6 ± 2.4, 98.9 ± 2.1 and 98.2 ± 5.7 Ma for the Ryoke gneiss, 90.7 ± 2.2, 89.7 ± 2.0 and 89.3 ± 2.2 Ma for the Tajiri Granite, 91.0 ± 3.2, 90.6 ± 3.2 and 89.9 ± 3.2 Ma for the Namera Granite, 89.3 ±3.3 and 88.6 ± 5.6 Ma for a small stock at Shimizu, and 87.3 ± 1.6 and 86.6 ± 2.1 Ma for the post-tectonic Shimokuhara Granite. The CHIME monazite ages, interpreted as the time of the first attainment at the amphibolite facies conditions for the gneisses and as the time of emplacement for the granites, respectively, agree with the field intrusive sequence. The present dating documented that the Ryoke metamorphism in the Iwakuni area reached the amphibolite facies conditions at ∼98 Ma, was complete at -87 Ma, the time of emplacement of the post-tectonic Shimokuhara Granite.     

Episodic accretion and metamorphism of Jurassic accretionary complex based on biostratigraphy and K-Ar geochronology in the western part of the Mino-Tanba Belt, Southwest Japan

Abstract The low grade metamorphic Jurassic accretionary complex in the western part of the Mino-Tanba Belt, Southwest Japan, is a chaotic sedimentary complex which consists of argillaceous matrices with allochthonous blocks of chert, greenstone, siliceous mudstone, terrigenous sandstone and mudstone. The complex is divided into three distinct geologic units, Units I, II and III, with a tectonic boundary (thrust) between them, forming a pile-nappe structure. They have different features for lithologies, fossil age, metamorphic condition and K-Ar age. Microfossil researches revealed that their timings of accretion were in the early Early Jurassic ( ca 195 Ma) for Unit III, in the early Middle Jurassic ( ca 175 Ma) for Unit II and in the latest Late Jurassic (ca 147 Ma) for Unit I. On the other hand, K-Ar age determinations of white mica separated from pelitic rocks of the three units clarified that the subsequent subduction-related metamorphism was 23 million years after the accretion of each unit. These results strongly suggest that the accretionary and metamorphic process had taken place episodically with an interval of 20 to 28 million years during Mesozoic time in the western part of the Mino-Tanba Belt, Southwest Japan.     

中国东部中生代构造演变与聚煤作用的迁移

中生代期间，中国东部的构造演变具有从西向东不断发展，从南向北不断扩展的特点。正是这种从南向北的构造演变与潮湿气侯带由南向北的不断迁移相结合，决定了中生代聚煤作用不断地从南向北迁移。     

Tempos of Elderly Age and Geographical Concentration*

This paper presents a method to measure two types of tempos: 1) the tempo of elderly age concentration, the rate of change in the elderly proportion in a region; and 2) the tempo of elderly geographical concentration, the rate of change in a region's share of the national elderly population. The two measurements are applied to historical data for the United States. The results reveal that both tempos vary spatially and temporally. Relative tempos are also introduced to compare the indices between different age groups and regions.     

刘家坪杂岩体的岩石特征及时代

刘家坪杂岩体出露于扬子准地台西北边缘。该区扬子期岩浆活动,早期为刘家坪组海底喷发的中～酸性火山岩系,晚期先后侵入有角闪辉长岩—石英闪长岩—斜长花岗岩—辉绿岩脉。岩浆岩具有幔源岩浆及造山带地区火山岩的特征。据震旦系覆于刘家坪杂岩体之上,其底部砂砾岩的砾石中有杂岩体成分,以及杂岩体侵入于同位素年龄值为6.43亿年的刘家坪组之中,认为刘家坪杂岩体时代为前震旦纪。     

赣东北元古代蛇绿岩Sm—Nd同位素年龄及地质意义

江南古陆东南缘赣东北弋阳—德兴—婺源一线有一条蛇绿岩带,普遍认为它是二个一级大地构造单元的分界线,形成于元古代。推断蛇绿混杂岩是元古代古洋壳俯冲时被挤上来的碎片;也有人认为它是中生代二大古陆之间的缝合线。Sm-Nd矿物等时线给出1034±16Ma(MSWD=1.0)的同位素年龄,它符合元古代缝合带的观点,而不利于中生代缝合带。     

闽西震旦系上统变质火山岩的地球化学特征及其大地构造背景

福建西部震旦系上统变质火山岩属钙碱性系列。ＲＥＥ分布模式均呈向右倾斜的曲线，具Ｅｕ负异常，富集大离子系亲石元素和亏损地幔岩相容元素，（８６）Ｓｒ／（８７）Ｓｒ初始值０．７１０５～０．７１２６，显示陆壳重熔生成的岩浆特点。它们是在浙南－闽西北加里东期挤压碰增造山作用中陆壳重熔岩浆上升喷发产物。