Tracing the 850-Ma continental flood basalts from a piece of subducted continental crust in the North Qaidam UHPM belt,NW China

A Paleozoic ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic (UHPM) belt extends along the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, North Tibetan Plateau. Eclogites in the Yuka eclogite terrane, northwest part of this UHPM belt, occur as blocks or layers of varying size intercalated with granitic and pelitic gneisses. These eclogites have protoliths geochemically similar to enriched-type mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORB) and oceanic island basalts (OIB). On the basis of Ti/Y ratios, they can be divided into low-Ti and high-Ti groups. The low-Ti group (LTG) eclogites exhibit relatively low TiO₂ (most <2.5 wt%) and Ti/Y (<500) but comparatively high Mg# (48–55), whereas the high-Ti group (HTG) eclogites have high TiO₂ (most >2.5 wt%) and Ti/Y (>500) but lower Mg# (46–52). Zircons from two eclogite samples gave a magmatic crystallization (protolith) age of ∼850 Ma and a UHPM age of ∼433 Ma. The occurrence, geochemical features and age data of the Yuka eclogites suggest that their protoliths are segments of continental flood basalts (CFBs) with a mantle plume origin, similar to most typical CFBs. Our observation, together with the tectonic history and regional geologic context, lend support for the large scale onset of mantle plume within the Rodinia supercontinent at ∼850 Ma. The Qaidam block is probably one of the fragments of the Rodinia supercontinent with a volcanic-rifted passive margin. The latter may have been dragged to mantle depths by its subducting leading edge of the oceanic lithosphere in the Early Paleozoic.     

大别山南部黄镇—凉亭河一线宿松变质杂岩岩石学和峰期变质温压条件及与高压榴辉岩对比研究

通过对宿松变质杂岩的野外地质观测、岩相学和热力学评价及其峰期变质温压条件的空间变化特征的研究,并对比南大别高压单元研究结果,探讨宿松变质杂岩的岩石构成和变质特征。研究表明宿松变质杂岩自北向南可分为I、II和III三个带,主体仅经历了绿帘角闪岩相至角闪岩相的变质作用,温压范围为t=398～613℃和p=0.61～1.53GPa,平均温压值为t=517℃±50℃和p=1.03±0.21GPa。该变质杂岩未显示任何蓝片岩相的变质特征,其内部也没有温度分带或连续变化的趋势。对比南大别高压单元的峰期变质条件,它们压力差至少可达p=0.92GPa,温度差可能在t=45℃,两者应在构造作用下叠置在一起。     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114001121

The Chinese Tianshan belt of the southern Altaids has undergone a complicated geological evolution.Different theories have been proposed to explain its evolution and these are still hotly debated.The major subduction polarity and the way of accretion are the main problems.Southward,northward subduction and multiple subduction models have been proposed.This study focuses on the structural geology of two of the main faults in the region,the South Tianshan Fault and the Nikolaev Line.The dip direction in the Muzhaerte valley is southward and lineations all point towards the NW.Two shear sense motions have been observed within both of these fault zones,a sinistral one,and a dextral one,the latter with an age of 236-251 Ma.Structural analyses on the fault zones show that subduction has been northward rather than southward.The two shear sense directions indicate that the Yili block was first dragged along towards the east due to the clockwise rotation of the Tarim block.After the Tarim block stopped rotating,the Yili block still kept going eastward,inducing the dextral shear senses within the fault zones.     

超高温变质作用：以华北内蒙古土贵乌拉地区为例

超高温麻粒岩(富Mg-Al)是指温度高于900℃、压力为0.7~1.3GPa条件下形成的麻粒岩相变质岩,它记录了下地壳超高温极端变质作用的地质信息。富Mg-Al典型超高温矿物组合有:假蓝宝石+石英,尖晶石+石英,大隅石+石榴石,斜方辉石+夕线石+石英,高氟黑云母和钙镁闪石,刚玉+石英。目前世界上发现的超高温麻粒岩带(块)地区有非洲阿尔及利亚、南非、东南极、巴西中部、澳大利亚中部、印度南部和东南部等地。我们在华北克拉通北部内蒙古中南部地区孔兹岩区中发现了超高温麻粒岩,岩性主要为灰黑色条带状夕线石榴黑云片麻岩,其中含有尖晶石+石英、假蓝宝石+石英、斜方辉石+夕线石+石英以及刚玉+尖晶石+石榴石等超高温矿物组合,指示温度达1000℃,压力超过1.0GPa的变质作用。独居石定年获得了(1927±11)Ma以及(1819±11)Ma两个峰期年龄,代表变质年龄。华北克拉通北部超高温麻粒岩的发现对研究华北克拉通与哥伦比亚超大陆的演化关系有重要意义。     

Geodynamics of the Early Precambrian,Part 1: Volcanism and associated mantle processes

The work is dedicated to most important abiotic processes of the Early Precambrian, effect of which is recorded in continental crust, and to complementary processes in subcontinental mantle. We intend to figure out when a certain process was triggered first in the past and what indications suggest its further activity, evolution and possible cessation in subsequent geological history. Considerations are based on described natural objects characterizing particular geological events and enabling the cause-and-effect interpretation in order to understand different viewpoints known from publications. Considered in the work are the early Precambrian greenstone belts and ophiolites, island-arc systems and ecologites, magmatism unconnected with subduction zones (rifting-related, plateau basalts, dykes, kimberlites) and anorthosites representing a group of heterochronous intrusions of complicated genesis. Main considerations are premised with a brief review of the earliest geodynamic phenomena associated with meteorite impacts by termination of the planetary accretion.     

A tectonic model for the metamorphic evolution of the Basal Gneiss Complex, Western South Norway

A review of currently available information relevant to the Basal Gneiss Complex (BGC) of Western South Norway, combined with the authors'own observations, leads to the following conclusions.
1. Most of the BGC consists of Proterozoic crystalline rocks and probably subordinate Lower Palaeozoic cover.
2. The last major deformation of these rocks was during the Caledonian orogeny and involved large-scale thrusting, recumbent folding and doming. The structural development of the BGC is closely tied in with that of the Caledonian allochthon.
3. The whole eclogite-bearing part of the BGC has suffered a high pressure metamorphism with conditions of between 550°C, 12.5 kbar (Sunnfjord) and about 750°C, 20 kbar (Møre og Romsdal) at the metamorphic climax.
4. This metamorphism was of Caledonian age, probably rather early in the Caledonian tectonic history of the BGC and is considered to have been a rather transient event.
By setting these conclusions in a framework provided by geophysical evidence for the deep structure of the crust in southern Norway we have constructed a geotectonic model to explain the recorded metamorphic history of the BGC. It is suggested that considerable crustal thickening was caused by imbrication of the Baltic plate margin during continental collision with the Greenland plate. This resulted in high pressure metamorphism in the resulting nappe stack. Progradation of the suture caused underthrusting of the Baltic foreland below the eclogite-bearing terrain causing it to emerge at the Earth's surface, aided by tectonic stripping and erosion.
Application of isostacy equations to the model shows that eclogites can be formed by in-situ metamorphism in crustal rocks and reappear at the land surface above a normal thickness of crust in a single orogenic episode of approximately 65-70 Ma duration.     

Petrology, geochemistry and isotopic ages of eclogites from the Dulan UHPM Terrane, the North Qaidam, NW China

The Dulan eclogite–gneiss region is located in the eastern part of the North Qaidam eclogite belt, NW China. Widespread evidence demonstrates that this region is a typical ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terrane. Eclogites occur as lenses or layers in both granitic and pelitic gneisses. Two distinguished sub-belts can be recognized and differ in mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry. The North Dulan Belt (NDB) has tholeiitic protoliths with high TiO₂ and lower Al₂O₃ and MgO contents. REE patterns and trace element contents resemble those of N-type and E-type MORB. In contrast, eclogites in the South Dulan Belt (SDB) are of island arc protoliths with low TiO₂, high Al₂O₃ and show LREE-enriched and HFSE-depleted patterns. Sm–Nd isotope analyses give isochron ages of 458–497 Ma for eclogite-facies metamorphism for the two sub-belts. The ages are similar to those of Yuka and Altun eclogites in the western extension of the North Qaidam-Altun eclogite belt. The Dulan UHP metamorphic terrane, together with several other recently recognized eclogite-bearing terrenes within the North Qaidam-Altun HP-UHP belt, constitute the key to the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the northern Tibetan Plateau. The entire UHP belt extends for more than 1000 km from the Dulan UHP terrane in the southeast to the Altun eclogite–gneiss terrane in the west. This super-belt marks an early Paleozoic continental collision zone between the Qaidam Massif and the Qilian Massif.     

Geochemistry of amphibolitized eclogites and cross-cutting tonalitic–trondhjemitic dykes in the Metamorphic Kimi Complex in East Rhodope (N.E. Greece): implications for partial melting at the base of a thickened crust

In the ultra-high pressure Metamorphic Kimi Complex widespread tonalitic–trondhjemitic dykes, with an intrusion age ca. 65–63 Ma, cross-cut boudins and layers of amphibolitized eclogites. Geochemical investigation proclaims the tied genetic relationship of the amphibolitized eclogites and the associated tonalitic–trondhjemitic dykes. The major and trace element contents and rare earth element patterns of the amphibolitized eclogites indicate formation of their protoliths by fractional crystallization of tholeiitic magmas in a back-arc environment. The tonalites and trondhjemites are characterized by moderate to high Sr contents (>130 ppm), and low Y (<8.2 ppm) and heavy rare earth element contents (Yb content of 0.19–0.88 ppm). The chemical composition of the tonalitic and trondhjemitic dykes are best explained by partial melting of a tholeiitic source like the amphibolitized eclogites with residual garnet and amphibole, at the base of a thickened crust during Early Tertiary subduction/accretion at the southern margins of the European continent.     

大别造山带中镁铁质——超镁铁质岩石和榴辉岩有关问题的讨论

根据近年来积累的文献资料及研究讨论指出：（１）大别山造带镁铁质－－超镁铁质岩石可分成两大类;一类以任家湾、童家冲、祝家铺道士冲、青山、沙河等辉石辉长岩类为代表,它们具有相同的牲和成岩年龄,可能与华北、华南地块聚敛碰产生的岛弧或大陆岩浆岩有关;另一类以铙拔寨,大化坪、碧溪岭和毛屋岩体为代表,虽然它们的成岩年龄均在前寒武纪,但却有着不同的成岩时代和成岩环境。（２）大别造山带榴辉岩等多属异地来源,具有不     

滇西勐库地区退变质榴辉岩锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

滇西双江县勐库地区退变质榴辉岩呈构造透镜体产于湾河蛇绿混杂岩带内,该发现弥补了东特提斯造山带高压-超高压变质岩在云南境内的空缺。在岩石学观察的基础上,借助激光剥蚀等离子体质谱(LA-ICP-MS)技术,对退变质榴辉岩中的锆石开展了精确的U-Pb年龄测定。所测试的3件样品分别采自3个不同的露头:样品PM011-9-1采自勐库控角剖面,样品PM038-15-4采自勐库地界剖面,样品GH1612-1-1采自勐库根恨大寨。测年结果显示,样品PM011-9-1的23个测点中存在2组较集中的~(206)Pb/~(238)U年龄,分别为801.0±9.8Ma和227.0±12Ma;样品PM038-15-4的26个测点中存在2组较集中的~(206)Pb/~(238)U年龄,分别为447.5±3.6Ma和291.7±6.3Ma;样品GH1612-1-1的30个测点中存在一组较集中的~(206)Pb/~(238)U年龄,为229.0±1.3Ma。结合区域资料及锆石阴极发光图像分析,801.0±9.8Ma应属退变质榴辉岩的原岩年龄,可能代表了Rodinia超大陆裂解早期出现的初始洋壳;而447.5±3.6Ma、291.7±6.3Ma和229.0±1.3～227.0±12Ma这3组年龄可能代表了退变质榴辉岩经历的3期变质作用年龄:分别为峰期硬柱石榴辉岩相的变质作用;中期角闪石榴辉岩相-高压麻粒岩相的退变质作用,为一个降压-增温的"热折返"过程;主期角闪岩相的退变质作用,是一个大幅度的降温-减压过程,奠定了勐库地区退变质榴辉岩的主体面貌。