High-P granulites of the Songshugou area (Qinling Orogen,east-central China): Petrography,phase relations,and U/Pb zircon geochronology

High-pressure (HP) granulites provide telling records of mineral reactions at upper mantle to lower crustal levels and key information on the fate of material in subduction systems. The latter especially applies when they abut eclogite and mantle dunite because such rock associations are crucial for understanding the incompletely known processes at the interface of converging plates. A continental arc, active c. 520–395 Ma ago, formed an enigmatic example of such a rock association in the Songshugou area, Qinling Orogen. To unravel the juxtaposition of the distinct rocks, this study combines petrography, phase equilibria modelling, conventional thermobarometry, and zircon U–Th–Pb–Ti–REE analysis. Two mafic HP granulites, which contain the mineral assemblages garnet–clinopyroxene–plagioclase–rutile–mesoperthite–quartz and garnet–clinopyroxene–plagioclase–rutile, experienced peak metamorphic conditions of ≤1.4 GPa, 860°C and ~1.3 GPa, ≥910°C, respectively. During decompression and cooling, at 489 ± 4 Ma, amphibole lamellae unmixed from a clinopyroxene solid solution and orthopyroxene in part replaced garnet. A felsic HP granulite shows equilibration of garnet, perthite, antiperthite, kyanite, quartz, and rutile at 810–860°C, ~1.2 GPa, sillimanite growth during decompression, and upper amphibolite facies cooling at 510 ± 4 Ma. Though the thermobarometric data are just within the methodological errors, the U/Pb zircon ages imply the HP granulites did not evolve coherently. The HP granulites either represent foundered lower arc crust or originated from subduction erosion because their geochemistry is indistinguishable from that of the hanging-wall plate. Published and new pressure–temperature–time–deformation paths converge at ~710°C, ~0.9 GPa, and ≲470 Ma, implying exhumation tectonics juxtaposed the HP granulites with a mélange of eclogite and mantle dunite at lower crustal levels. This study highlights that lower arc crust can comprise material of diverse evolution.     

大别山北部蛇绿岩的地球化学制约

常量元素,微量元素,稀土元素,Ｎｄ同位素及氧同位素地球化学特征表明,太别山北部变质镁铁－超镁铁质岩带中存在变质的蛇绿岩,它主要由变质橄榄岩,辉长岩（－辉绿岩？）和基性熔岩三部分组成,其中,变质的基性熔岩的亏损地幔模式年龄ｔＤＭ／Ｍａ＝１０３６．８～１２９３．８,εＮｄ（ｔ）＝７．２～７．７,表明它可能代表１０００Ｍａ左右形成于中等扩张速率（２ｃｍ／ａｄ左右）洋盆条件下的洋壳残片。     

FT-IR Spectroscopic Investigation of Hydrous Components in Sillimanite from Eastern Ghat Granulite Belt, India

FT-IR spectra of sillimanite samples from high grade regionally metamorphosed rocks belonging to the granulite terrain (amphibolite to pyroxene granulite facies) deciphers prominent OH features. Heating experiments indicate growth of prominent band at 3161cm⁻¹. Heating above 1000°C all OH features disappear in intensity into broad features with slight shift of bands towards lower energies. Complete dehydration requires temperatures above 1000°C. Coexistence of boron and OH features are also observed in all sillimanite samples. The high temperature behaviour of sillimanite from the granulite terrain discerns that the hydrous species in sillimanite were incorporated much below 700°C, however, secondary hydration due to pegmatite activity, retrograde metamorphism and migmatisation is not ruled out. Thus a near anhydrous condition were probably not achieved during the granulite facies metamorphism in Eastern ghat granulite terrain.     

大别山辉石岩—辉长岩体的锆石U—Pb年龄及其地质意义

大别山北部祝家铺,小河口和椒岩三个辉石岩－辉长岩侵入体的锆石给出四个Ｕ－Ｐｂ谐和年龄,范围均在１２３￣１３０Ｍａ之间,这表明这些基性／超基性侵入体是碰撞后成因的。由于白垩纪花岗岩脉普遍穿切这些辉长岩体,说明大别山垩纪大规模岩浆事件,是从深部地幔部分熔融开始的,其热动力可能源于地幔上涌。     

Metamorphic characteristics and geotectonic implications of the high-pressure granulites from Namjagbarwa, eastern Tibet

A large area of high-pressure garnet-kyanite granulite is exhumed in the Namjagbarwa area, which provides a window for observing the deep crust rocks and structures of the Tibetan Plateau. Three mineral assemblages can have been distinguished in the garnet-kyanite HP granulites by petrography, i.e. M₁. Mus+Bi+P1+Q, M₂. Gt+Ky +perphite/antiperphite+Rt+Q, M₃. Gt+Sill+Cord+Sp+Ilm ± Opx. Metamorphic conditions of the peak granulite assemblages (M₂) formatted by thickening of crusts, with available isotopic ages of 45–69 Ma, are at 1.4—1.8 Gpa and 750—850°. Their retrograde assemblages overprinted by decompressure during the uplift, with available isotopic ages of 18—23 Ma, were formed at 0.60—0.70 Gpa, 621—726°. The thermobarometric evaluation, petrogenetic grid and corresponding isotopic ages indicate a clockwise isothermal decompression metamorphic path. The HP granulite metamorphic history indicates that the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate had begun at 70 Ma, far earlier than the widely accepted 45 Ma. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49732100), the National Key Project for Basic Research, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Project for Tibetan Research Project (GrantNos. KZ951-A1-204, KZ95T-06).     

Tectonothermal history of the basement rocks in the western zone of the North China Craton and its tectonic implications

The basement of the North China Craton can be divided into the eastern, central and western zones, based on lithological, structural, metamorphic and geochronological data. The western zone comprises two different petrotectonic units: Archaean tonalitic–trondhjemitic–granodioritic (TTG) grey gneisses and metamorphic mafic rocks, and Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series. The former is characterized by isobaric cooling (IBC)-type anticlockwise P–T paths in the north-northwestern part of the zone and near-isothermal decompression (ITD)-type clockwise P–T paths in the eastern part, adjacent to the central zone. On the other hand, the tectonothermal evolution of Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series rocks is characterized exclusively by nearly isothermal decompression following the peak of metamorphism and then cooling, defining clockwise P–T paths. The Archaean TTG gneisses and associated mafic rocks with anticlockwise metamorphic P–T paths reflects an origin related to underplating and intrusion of mantle-derived magmas which may be derived from mantle plumes. They represent a late Archaean continental block in the western part of the North China Craton. The Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series rocks represent passive continental margin deposits. They were metamorphosed and deformed in the late Palaeoproterozoic during the amalgamation of the western continental block with another continental block in the east part of the North China Craton. The ITD-type clockwise P–T–t paths of the Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series rocks record the tectonothermal histories of the collision of the western and eastern continental blocks which resulted in the final assembly of the North China Craton at c. 1800 Ma.     

塔里木地块西北缘震旦系发现二叠纪基性岩床侵入事件

准确识别侵入岩和火山岩并厘定其形成时代是野外地质调查的一项基础工作,它们对认识区域岩浆事件序列和建立沉积地层年代格架具有重要的作用。塔里木地块西北缘阿克苏地区以出露连续的新元古界和丰富多样的新元古代岩浆岩而成为备受前寒武纪地质研究工作者关注的地区。本文通过遥感影像的识别、野外剖面地质调查和岩石学研究,发现塔里木西北缘阿克苏市西南部的震旦系中发育的基性岩具有典型的岩浆侵入特征,包括局部截切地层、包裹围岩块和内部结晶粗、边缘结晶细等特点。结合锆石U-Pb年代学研究,发现该地区震旦系发育的基性岩浆岩并不全是震旦纪玄武岩,有相当一部分是早二叠世(ca. 290Ma)侵入的辉绿岩岩床,其侵位年龄与塔里木二叠纪大规模溢流玄武岩的喷发时代接近,很可能是塔里木大火成岩省的重要组成部分。这期显著的岩浆热事件可能对该地区前寒武纪岩石重磁化产生重要影响,同时也启示今后开展塔里木北缘震旦纪岩浆作用研究时需要特别引起重视并加以仔细鉴别。     

Quantitative elemental mapping of granulite-facies monazite: Textural insights and implications for petrochronology

Texturally complex monazite grains contained in two granulite-facies pelitic migmatites from southern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada, were mapped by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (using spot sizes ≤5 µm) to quantitatively determine the spatial variation in trace element chemistry (with up to 1,883 analyses per grain). The maps highlight the chemical complexity of monazite grains that have experienced multiple episodes of growth, resorption and chemical modification by dissolution–precipitation during high-grade metamorphism. Following detailed chemical characterization of monazite compositional zones, a related U–Pb data set is re-interpreted, allowing petrologically significant ages to be extracted from a continuum of concordant data. Synthesis of these data with pseudosection modelling of prograde and peak conditions allows for the temporal evolution of monazite trace element chemistry to be placed in the context of the evolving P–T conditions and major phase assemblage. This approach enables a critical evaluation of three commonly used petrochronological indicators: linking Y to garnet abundance, the Eu anomaly to feldspar content and Th/U to anatectic processes. Europium anomalies and Th/U behave in a relatively systematic fashion, suggesting that they are reliable petrochronological witnesses. However, Y systematics are variable, both within domains interpreted to have grown in a single event, between grains interpreted to be part of the same age population, and between samples that experienced similar metamorphic conditions and mineral assemblages. These observations caution against generalized petrological interpretations on the basis of Y content, as it suggests Y concentrations in monazite are controlled by domainal equilibria. The results reveal a c. 45 Myr interval between prograde metamorphism and retrograde melt crystallization in the study area, emphasizing the long-lived nature of heat flow in high-grade metamorphic terranes. Such long timescales of metamorphism would be assisted by the growth, retention and dominance of high-Th suprasolidus monazite, as observed in this study, contributing to the radiogenic heating budget of mid- to lower-crustal environments. Careful characterization of monazite grains suggests that continuum-style U–Pb data sets can be decoded to provide insights into the duration of metamorphic processes.     

东昆仑金水口地区格林威尔期超高温麻粒岩

格林威尔期构造事件是了解罗迪尼亚超大陆形成的关键。本文报道了东昆仑造山带东段金水口地区古生代花岗岩中新发现二辉麻粒岩包体,其峰期变质矿物组合为单斜辉石+紫苏辉石+钙长石+石英+磁铁矿。通过锆石U-Pb测年,我们确定二辉麻粒岩样品的峰期变质年龄为995±34Ma,并受到泥盆纪(～417Ma)构造热事件的叠加改造。利用单斜辉石-斜方辉石温压计估算出该区二辉麻粒岩变质峰期温度867～1079℃,压力46～89kbar,属于低压超高温变质的温压范围,可能形成于高地温梯度的岛弧环境。该二辉麻粒岩是首次在东昆仑地区发现的格林威尔期超高温麻粒岩,代表罗迪尼亚超大陆汇聚过程中低压高温变质的产物。该发现对了解东昆仑造山带前寒武纪基底的构造属性和起源有重要意义。     

南阿尔金巴什瓦克基性麻粒岩的变质演化 P- T- t 轨迹

大陆碰撞造山带中高压麻粒岩的 P- T- t 轨迹研究对于理解造山带的热演化历史及大陆地壳的形成与演化具有重要的意义,然而,如何连接同位素年龄与变质演化过程是恢复和建立 P- T- t 轨迹的重点和难点。本文通过对南阿尔金巴什瓦克地区基性麻粒岩的详细岩相学研究,认为该基性麻粒岩经历了原岩阶段（M1）、峰期变质阶段（M2）、峰后退变质阶段（M3）以及晚期角闪岩相- 绿片岩相退变质阶段（M4）。其中,传统矿物温压计和矿物微量元素温压计获得该基性麻粒岩所记录的峰期变质条件分别为17. 5~22. 6 kbar,901~985℃ 和17~28 kbar,1012~1049℃,退变质阶段的温压条件为7. 6~10. 7 kbar,750~810℃。此外,锆石U- Pb 年代学结果表明基性麻粒岩的变质时代为491±3. 5 Ma (MSWD=0. 62),结合锆石和石榴子石的微量元素分配系数以及前人的实验岩石学数据,认为该变质时代记录了早古生代高压- 超高温的变质事件,进而恢复了南阿尔金基性麻粒岩所记录的顺时针 P- T- t 轨迹。