Absence of Archean basement in the South Kunlun Block: Nd-Sr-O isotopic evidence from granitoids

Abstract   The West Kunlun mountain range along the northwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is crucial in understanding the early tectonic history of the region. It can be divided into the North and South Kunlun Blocks, of which the former is considered to be part of the Tarim Craton, whereas consensus was not reached on the nature and origin of the South Kunlun Block. Samples were collected from the 471 Ma Yirba Pluton, the 405 Ma North Kudi Pluton and the 214 Ma Arkarz Shan Intrusive Complex. These granitoids cover approximately 60% of the Kudi area in the South Kunlun Block. Sr, Nd, and O isotope compositions preclude significant involvement of mantle-derived magma in the genesis of these granitoids; therefore, they can be used to decipher the nature of lower–mid crust in the area. All samples give Mesoproterozoic Nd model ages (1.1–1.5 Ga) similar to those of the exposed metamorphic complex of this block but significantly different from those of the basement of the North Kunlun Block (2.8 Ga). This indicates that the South Kunlun Block does not have an Archean basement, and, thus, does not support the microcontinent model that suggests the South Kunlun Block was a microcontinent once separated from and later collided back with the North Kunlun Block.     

略阳煎茶岭铜镍硫化物矿床Re—Os同位素年龄及其地质意义

采用矿石Re-Os同位素方法对陕西省煎茶岭硫化镍矿床矿石进行了成矿年代学研究,获得了878士27 Ma(1σ)的等时线年龄,首次厘定了该矿床成矿时代为新元古代,成岩成矿基本同时.通过对878 Ma硫化镍矿石初始Re-Os同位素体系的γOs计算和Re/Os值分析表明,其yOs和Re/Os值变化范围大,深部条带状矿石的Re/Os值仅为0.05,yOs为-6.70;块状矿石的Re/Os值范围为4.24～24.43,γOs为-15.37～+280.65,说明成矿过程中有壳源物质的混染;两件样品的γOs为负值(-15.37,-6.70),可能指示其超镁铁质岩浆来源于Re亏损地幔.煎茶岭超基性岩体年龄及其镍矿石的Re-Os等时线年龄与扬子克拉通北缘火山岩浆活动时间相对应,它们是扬子克拉通西北缘晋宁期构造岩浆成矿作用的产物.     

喜马拉雅造山带中段定结地区拆离断层

定结地区位于喜马拉雅造山带中段,发育大量的低角度伸展拆离断层,这些拆离断层中部分构成了藏南拆离系的主体。它们基本上垂直于造山带走向伸展,各拆离断层特征显著,普遍发育糜棱岩,糜棱岩类型复杂,主要有硅质糜棱岩、长英质糜棱岩、花岗质糜棱岩。在研究区的北部,拆离断层呈环状产出,构成变质核杂岩三层结构中的中间层,规模一般较大;同时拆离断层使变质核杂岩体盖层中的部分地层拆离减薄;在研究区南部拆离断层呈线状延伸很远,总体上平行造山带延伸,构成了藏南拆离系重要组成部分。部分拆离断层同韧性剪切带平行产出,形成拆离剪切的脆韧性体系。     

吐哈盆地中央构造带正反转演化特征

吐哈盆地中央构造带由火焰山构造和七克台构造组成。中央构造带形成于三叠纪晚期至侏罗纪早期,表现为伸展构造特征,生长断层上盘地层厚度明显大于下盘,并于断层上盘所在的台北凹陷形成沉降中心。晚侏罗世,由于拉萨陆块与欧亚大陆的碰撞作用导致吐哈盆地由伸展盆地转变为挤压盆地,中央构造带也于此时发生构造反转,由早期的伸展正断层转变为挤压逆断层。发生于55Ma的喜山构造事件对天山地区产生了深刻的影响,但影响时间略有滞后,大致发生在晚渐新世至早中新世,中央构造带即在此次构造事件中强烈变形,逆冲出露于地表。     

岳西菖蒲地区超高压变质带内的构造地层序列与叠加褶皱型式

以大别造山带南部菖蒲地区为解剖区,结合区域地质调查分析,建立了包括浅变质岩层、超高压变质岩片在内的构造地层序列—岩片组合。对其组成特征、界面性质、形成时代、变形序列等,进行了较系统阐明,并对叠加褶皱型式及形成机制进行了讨论。     

东亚陆缘带构造扩张的深部热力学机制

近年来,我国地球科学家提出“陆缘构造扩张”观点,较好的解释了亚洲东部大陆边缘于新生代发生扩张离散运动的原因。本文基于“陆缘构造扩张”观点,探讨东亚陆缘带构造扩张的深部热力学机制。东亚陆缘带是具有强烈岩浆活动和构造变形的扩张带,此构造带的主要地球物理特征是频繁的地震活动和明显的地热异常。东亚陆缘扩张带地震层析成像显示,太平洋板块低角度俯冲到欧亚板块之下并平卧于670km相变界面之上。这种图像可能是俯冲后撤导致陆缘扩张的结果。热模拟及地球动力学计算表明:俯冲后撤时间距今约76Ma,海沟带后撤为陆缘壳体的生长留下空间,并形成东亚陆缘壳体增生扩展的前沿带,陆缘扩张量约700km。     

Jurassic Dextral and Cretaceous Sinistral Movements Along the Hida Marginal Belt

The Hida marginal belt (HMB), which consists of various kinds of fault-bound blocks, is located between the continental massif of the Hida belt and the Mesozoic accretionary complex of the Mino belt in Central Japan. Detailed field investigation reveals that the HMB had grown through the two different movements, i.e., Jurassic dextral and Cretaceous sinistral movements. The Jurassic dextral ductile shear zones run in the southern marginal part of the Hida belt and the northern part of the HMB, whereas the Cretaceous sinistral cataclastic shear zones occur in the southern part of the HMB and the northern marginal part of the Mino belt. Geologic map and field evidence seem to suggest that the Jurassic dextral movement form the fault-bound blocks of the HMB to form the basic structure of the Hida marginal belt, i.e., formation of the ‘proto-HMB.’ Following the dextral movement, the sinistral one restructured the ‘proto-HMB’ to complete the present feature of the Hida marginal belt. The Cretaceous sinistral movement might result in the sinistral collision between the proto-HMB and the Mino belt.     

Caledonian Low-Temperature Granulite-Facies Metamorphism in the West Kunlun Orogenic Belt—SHRIMP Chronological Evidence from Zircon

The West Kunlun orogenic belt is located at the conjunction of the paleo-Asian tectonic system and the Tethys tectonic system. Petrological and mineralogical studies of the Early Cambrian metamorphic surface crust in this region have shown that in case the metamorphism reached low-temperature granulate facies, the typical mineral assemblage is biotite-garnet-silimanite-K feldspar-plagioclase-quartz. The peak metamorphic temperatures are within the range of 720–740°C and the pressure is 0.6 GPa ±. Three types of metamorphic zircon have been detected in the metamorphic rocks: the complex inclusion-bearing type ; the early relic zircon inclusion-bearing type; and the inclusion-free type. SHRIMP age determination of these three types of metamorphic zircon have revealed that these zircons were formed principally during 400–460 Ma, indicating that pre-Cambrian metamorphic surface crust rocks underwent low-temperature granulite facies metamorphism during the Caledonian. In combination with the geological characteristics of this region, it is considered that when the oceanic basin was closed, there occurred intense intracontinental subduction (type A), bringing part of the Early Cambrian metamorphic basement in this region downwards to the lower crust. Meanwhile, there were accompanied with tectonic deformation at deep levels and medium- to high-grade metamorphism. This study provided important chronological and mineralogical evidence for the exploration of the evolutionary mechanism and process of the West Kunlun Early Paleozoic. Part of the results from the research project “ Research on the West Kunlun pre-Cambrian tectonic events” under the program “ Research on the important geological problems of China’ s pre-Cambrian” (No. 200113900070) sponsored by the China National Geological Surveying Bureau.     

POSITIVE INVERSION STRUCTURE OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE BELT IN TURPAN-HAMI BASIN

The central structure belt in Turpan-Hami basin is composed of the Huoyanshan structure and Qiketai structure formed in late Triassic-early Jurassic, and is characterized by extensional tectonics. The thickness of strata in the hanging wall of the growth fault is obviously larger than that in the footwall, and a deposition center was evolved in the Taibei sag where the hanging wall of the fault is located. In late Jurassic the collision between Lhasa block and Eurasia continent resulted in the transformation of the Turpan-Hami basin from an extensional structure into a compressional structure, and consequently in the tectonic inversion of the central structure belt of the Turpan-Hami basin from the extensional normal fault in the earlier stage to the compressive thrust fault in the later stage. The Tertiary collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate occurred around 55Ma, and this Himalayan orogenic event has played a profound role in shaping the Tianshan area, only the effect of the collision to this area was delayed since it culminated here approximately in late Oligocene-early Miocene. The central structure belt was strongly deformed and thrusted above the ground as a result of this tectonic event.     

Contrasting metamorphic evolution of metasedimentary rocks from the Çine and Selimiye nappes in the Anatolide belt, western Turkey

Abstract P–T conditions, mineral isograds, the relation of the latter to foliation planes and kinematic indicators are used to elucidate the tectonic nature and evolution of a shear zone in an orogen exhumed from mid‐crustal depths in western Turkey. Furthermore, we discuss whether simple monometamorphic fabrics of rock units from different nappes result from one single orogeny or are related to different orogenies. Metasedimentary rocks from the Çine and Selimiye nappes at the southern rim of the Anatolide belt of western Turkey record different metamorphic evolutions. The Eocene Selimiye shear zone separates both nappes. Metasedimentary rocks from the Çine nappe underneath the Selimiye shear zone record maximum P–T conditions of about 7 kbar and >550 °C. Metasedimentary rocks from the overlying Selimiye nappe have maximum P–T conditions of 4 kbar and c. 525 °C near the base of the nappe. Kinematic indicators in both nappes are related to movement on the Selimiye shear zone and consistently show a top‐S shear sense. Metamorphic grade in the Selimiye nappe decreases structurally upwards as indicated by mineral isograds defining the garnet‐chlorite zone at the base, the chloritoid‐biotite zone and the biotite‐chlorite zone at the top of the nappe. The mineral isograds in the Selimiye nappe run parallel to the regional S_R foliation, parallel the Selimiye shear zone and indicate that the Selimiye shear zone formed during this prograde greenschist to lower amphibolite facies metamorphic event but remained active after the peak of metamorphism. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar mica ages and the tectonometamorphic relationship with the Eocene Cyclades–Menderes thrust, which occurs above the Selimiye nappe in the study area, suggests an Eocene age of metamorphism in the Selimiye nappe. Metasedimentary rocks of the Çine nappe 20–30 km north of the Selimiye shear zone record maximum P–T conditions of 8–11 kbar and 600–650 °C. An age of about 550 Ma is indicated for amphibolite facies metamorphism and associated top‐N shear in the orthogneiss of the Çine nappe. Our study shows that simple monophase tectonometamorphic fabrics do not always indicate a simple orogenic development of a nappe stack. Preservation in some areas and complete overprinting of those fabrics in other areas apparently occur very heterogeneously.