Palaeozoic multiphase magmatism at Barleik Mountain,southern West Junggar,Northwest China: implications for tectonic evolution of the West Junggar

The West Junggar lies in the southwest part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and consists of Palaeozoic ophiolitic mélanges, island arcs, and accretionary complexes. The Barleik ophiolitic mélange comprises several serpentinite-matrix strips along a NE-striking fault at Barleik Mountain in the southern West Junggar. Several small late Cambrian (509–503 Ma) diorite-trondhjemite plutons cross-cut the ophiolitic mélange. These igneous bodies are deformed and display island arc calc-alkaline affinities. Both the mélange and island arc plutons are uncomfortably covered by Devonian shallow-marine and terrestrial volcano-sedimentary rocks and Carboniferous volcano-sedimentary rocks. Detrital zircons (n = 104) from the Devonian sandstone yield a single age population of 452–517 million years, with a peak age of 474 million years. The Devonian–Carboniferous strata are invaded by an early Carboniferous (327 Ma) granodiorite, late Carboniferous (315–311 Ma) granodiorites, and an early Permian (277 Ma) K-feldspar granite. The early Carboniferous pluton is coeval with subduction-related volcano-sedimentary strata in the central West Junggar, whereas the late Carboniferous–early Permian intrusives are contemporary with widespread post-collisional magmatism in the West Junggar and adjacent regions. They are typically undeformed or only slightly deformed.

Our data reveal that island arc calc-alkaline magmatism occurred at least from middle Cambrian to Late Ordovician time as constrained by igneous and detrital zircon ages. After accretion to another tectonic unit to the south, the ophiolitic mélange and island arc were exposed, eroded, and uncomfortably overlain by the Devonian shallow-marine and terrestrial volcano-sedimentary strata. The early Carboniferous arc-related magmatism might reflect subduction of the Junggar Ocean in the central Junggar. Before the late Carboniferous, the oceanic basins apparently closed in this area. These different tectonic units were stitched together by widespread post-collisional plutons in the West Junggar during the late Carboniferous–Permian. Our data from the southern West Junggar and those from the central and northern West Junggar and surroundings consistently indicate that the southwest part of the CAOB was finally amalgamated before the Permian.     

A model for the state of brittle failure of the western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) is an igneous arc built above the Middle America subduction zone. Its western section is being extended orthogonally to its axis by several arrays of active normal faults with a combined length of 450 km and including up to 1.5 km of throw. Until now, intra-arc extension in the TMVB has been considered the result of either rifting or retreat of the Rivera and Cocos plates. Observations worldwide and numerical models, however, appear to contradict these ideas. Continental extension in convergent margins takes place where the upper plate moves away from the trench, and the subduction zone is only weakly coupled with the overlying plate. In western Mexico, neither of these relationships applies. A new numerical model presented here is able to explain satisfactorily the state of brittle failure of the TMVB. The model embodies the first-order physics of the northern Middle America subduction zone, and its boundary conditions are consistent with the convergence history of the Rivera and North America plates. Modelling results show that periods of accelerated subduction between the Rivera and North America plates give rise to an increase in suction force under the fore arc. The over-riding plate then bends downwards, building up tensional stress inside the volcanic arc. Failure of the arc follows within 1 million years of pulse initiation. Analysis of the results shows that the steep subduction angle of the Rivera slab, the relief of the volcanic plateau, and the thermal weakening of the lower crust facilitated the failure of the arc. The model demonstrates that a highly coupled subduction zone can cause extension, albeit limited, in the over-riding plate.     

Age of metamorphic rock masses in Laba Basin,North Caucasus

A Neoarchaean sanukitoid pluton that was intruded into the base of the Guyang greenstone belt in the Yinshan Block of the North China Craton hosts a number of hornblendite enclaves. Geochemically, the pluton is characterized by high MgO, Mg#, Cr, Ni, large-ion lithophile element (LILE), and heavy rare earth element (HREE) contents and low TiO₂ and high-field strength element (HFSE) contents, and has relatively low Sr/Y ratios and negative Eu anomalies. Whole-rock Sr–Nd isotopic analyses indicate that it has ε_Nd(t) values of +1.4 to +2.0. These geochemical and isotopic characteristic suggest that the sanukitoid was formed under a low-pressure and high-temperature environment by slab melting and assimilation of hornblendite enclaves. The hornblendite enclaves show high MgO, Mg#, Cr, and Ni contents, high and variable K₂O, LREE, and Th contents, enrichment in LILEs and LREEs, and depletion in HFSEs. They have high Y contents and relatively low Sr/Y values, strongly negative Eu anomalies, and whole-rock ε_Nd(t) values of +1.0 to +1.9. The geochemical and isotopic characteristics indicate that these enclaves might have been derived from a mixed source of an enriched mantle, metasomatized by melts expelled from subducted sediments in a high-temperature, low-pressure environment. To explain these characteristics, a ridge subduction model is proposed for the formation of the sanukitoid and hornblendite in the Yinshan Block in the Neoarchaean.     

Oligocene–Miocene geodynamic evolution of the central part of Urumieh-Dokhtar Arc of Iran

Basic volcanic rocks from Tafresh, west Kashan, and west Nain volcanic successions in the central part of Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Assemblage (UDMA) of Iran yield K–Ar ages ranging from 26.8 to 18.2 Ma. These ages indicate significant Late Oligocene–Early Miocene basic volcanism in the UDMA. These ages, combined with K–Ar ages of 26.0 and 14.1 Ma, respectively, for associated low-silica and high-silica adakites, help constrain reconstructions of the UDMA geodynamic evolution. Late Oligocene–Early Miocene slab roll-back associated with an asthenospheric mantle influx are suggested as the major processes responsible for concurrent volcanism showing Nb–Ta-depleted, Nb–Ta-enriched and low-silica adakite signatures. Slab roll-back, the likely consequence of a decrease in subduction velocity, led to partial melting of the subducted slab and produced Early–Middle Miocene high-silica (dacitic) adakites. Oligocene to Miocene volcanic rocks do not conform to the Oligocene continental collisional model for the UDMA, rather they suggest a decrease in the subduction rate that prompted the asthenospheric mantle influx.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of the middle Silurian volcanic rocks in northern West Junggar,NW China

Zircon U–Pb geochronological and geochemical analyses are reported for a suite of the middle Silurian volcanic rocks from northern West Junggar (NW China), southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), with the aim to investigate the sources, petrogenesis, and tectonic implications. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb analysis from an andesite yielded a concordant weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 429 ± 3 Ma, indicating the presence of middle Silurian volcanic rocks in northern West Junggar. The andesite is tholeiite series and characterized by minor variations in compositions (SiO₂ = 55.68–59.17 wt.%, Al₂O₃ = 14.56–17.7 wt.%, TiO₂ = 0.55–1.23 wt.%, Na₂O + K₂O = 3.46–7.16 wt.%, and P₂O₅ = 0.15–0.37 wt.%), with wider MgO content (2.18–6.48 wt.%) and Mg# (57.4–77.9). All andesitic rocks are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs; e.g. Rb, Ba, K, and Th) and light rare earth elements (LREEs), but strongly depleted in some high field strength elements (HFSEs; e.g. Nb, Ta and Ti), with slight negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.8–1). These features suggest that the andesitic magmas were derived from 2–8% partial melting of a garnet lherzolite depleted mantle source with subducted sediments metasomatized by slab-derived fluids. Combining the current study with those data in existing literature, we conclude that the middle Silurian volcanic rocks formed in an intra-oceanic subduction setting during consumption of the Irtysh–Zaysan Ocean, and further confirm the eastern extension of the early Palaeozoic Boshchekul–Chingiz volcanic arc of East Kazakhstan in China.     

雅鲁藏布江缝合带中段构造特征及成因模式新见解

雅鲁藏布江缝合带中的蛇绿岩在西藏南部不同地段,表现形式并不相同.通过对缝合带中段的构造特征及蛇绿岩组合特征的深入研究,认为印度板块的大陆地壳北缘具有特殊的波状弯曲的几何边界--东西两端为向北突出的犄角,构造结之间为向南突出的弧形边界.这种特殊的边界条件,在新特提斯洋俯冲碰撞过程中,新特提斯洋首先在突出结点处完成关闭,而...     

西藏羌塘南缘热那错早白垩世流纹岩锆石U-Pb年代学和Hf同位素及其意义

在青藏高原的演化历史中,班公湖-怒江洋的俯冲方向一直存在争议。现有的岩浆作用时空展布表明,大量早白垩的岩浆作用分布在班公湖-怒江缝合带(以下简称为班怒带)以南,但是近年来在该缝合带以北也发现了少量同时代的岩浆作用。本文研究了靠近班公湖-怒江蛇绿岩带以北、改则县北部热那错地区的流纹岩,获得了岩石的锆石U-Pb年龄和Hf同位素成分。热那错流纹岩年龄为~110Ma,与相邻地区报道的岩浆岩活动和缝合带以南的北拉萨地体地区大范围出露的早白垩世岩浆岩同期产出。岩石具有不均一且偏正的ε_Hf(t)特征,与北拉萨地体同期岩浆岩Hf同位素成分相似。本文综合考虑了班怒带两侧发育同期岩浆活动、且南侧极大量而北侧很少量发育的特征,认为热那错流纹岩的成因可以置于班公湖-怒江洋向南俯冲的总体模式中,南向俯冲的班公湖怒江岩石圈在~110Ma发生板片断离,可以同时解释分布于缝合带两侧的早白垩世岩浆活动。     

岌岌湖现代水下加积扇与东坷里三角洲层序地层学意义比较

对比研究东坷里三角洲（East Coulee Delta）和岌岌湖现代水下加积扇的层序地层学意义,认为：（1）东坷里三角洲发育LST—TST组合、FSST组合,其分属两个层序;（2）岌岌湖SAF发育FSST—LST—TST组合、FSST组合,亦分属两个层序;（3）两个陆相实例证明最大水泛面之后均未有高位体系域出现,可能...     

北大别的高温超高压变质作用与多阶段折返

近期的变质岩石学、地球化学及同位素年代学研究表明,北大别整体经历了高温超高压变质作用和多阶段折返历史,因而表现为广泛发育的多期减压结构和极少保留早期的超高压变质记录。北大别榴辉岩以高温变质作用以及折返期间因麻粒岩相和角闪岩相退变质变质作用而形成的多期后成合晶为显著特征。石榴子石中伴有放射状胀裂纹的单晶和多晶石英包体指示早期柯石英的转变结果,这已被锆石中发现的柯石英残晶所证实。结合北大别北部榴辉岩和片麻岩中发现的金刚石等超高压证据以及三叠纪变质记录,由此证明北大别整体经历过深俯冲和印支期超高压变质作用。北大别榴辉岩的多阶段高温条件主要来自石榴子石-绿辉石矿物对温度计、单斜辉石中紫苏辉石+石英针状矿物出熔体以及金红石中较高的Zr含量和变质锆石中较高的Ti含量等得出的温度证据。此外,多期后成合晶以及石榴子石和单斜辉石等矿物中成分分带的存在,证明该区榴辉岩经历了一个多阶段、快速折返过程;而不同变质阶段的温度、压力和形成时代,却反映该区榴辉岩经历了长时间的高温变质演化与缓慢冷却过程。长时间的高温变质作用与缓慢冷却过程也许正是北大别长期难以发现柯石英和有关超高压记录的重要原因。因此,这些成果为大别山三个不同超高压岩片的差异折返模型的建立提供了新的证据。