Subduction-related 200 Ma Talun metagranite,SE Taiwan: an age constraint for palaeo-Pacific plate subduction beneath South China Block during the Mesozoic

Various tectonic models have been proposed to account for the widely distributed igneous activities in the southeastern part of the South China Block (SCB) during the Triassic–Jurassic period. One of the major contending debates is on the timing of initiation of the palaeo-Pacific plate subduction under the SCB, due to lack of unequivocal evidence for arc magmatism during the period in this region.

The 191 ± 10 Ma (N = 5, MSWD = 12) calc-alkalic high-K I-type Talun metagranite occurs in the southern Tailuko belt of the Tananao metamorphic complex, Taiwan. In terms of age, this metagranite belongs to the Early Yanshanian igneous activity in the southeastern part of the SCB. However, its geographic position does not accord with the well-known general oceanward younging trend of the Yansnanian igneous rocks. In view of the large age uncertainty reported, this metagranite is redated in this study. Some zircons of this metagranite are high in U content and are metamict. Zircons with low U contents are analysed by SHRIMP yielding a more precise age of 200 ± 2 Ma (N = 10, MSWD = 4). In particular, the εHf(t) of these dated zircons ranges from +4.5 to +12.9. The metagranite mainly consists of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, with minor amounts of garnet, biotite, zircon, apatite, and pyrrhotite. Chlorite and calcite are secondary phases overprinted by the later tectonic event(s). Its initial Sr isotope compositional range is 0.70473–0.70588, and εNd(t), +2.4 to +3.6. The results demonstrate that the genesis of this metagranite could be attributed to the assimilation-fractionation of a depleted mantle-derived basaltic magma, which was most likely related to arc magmatism. The present study therefore offers key evidence that during the Mesozoic, the palaeo-Pacific plate subduction underneath the SCB would have taken place no later than the very early Jurassic.     

Geochronology and geochemistry of gneissic metagranites in eastern Dabie Mountains:Implications for the Neoproterozoic tectono-magmatism along the northeastern margin of the Yangtze Block

The gneissic metagranites with Neoproterozoic protolith ages are widely exposed along the eastern margin of the Dabie ultra-high-pressure(UHP) metamorphic belt.In this paper,five representative plutons,including Huangzhen,Daba,Shima,Shuanghe,and Sanzusi,were selected for a detailed chronological and geochemical study aiming to identify the nature of the protoliths and to reveal their implications for the Neoproterozoic tectono-magmatic evolution along the northeastern margin of the Yangtze Block.These gneissic metagranites consist mainly of quartz,albite(oligoclase) and K-feldspar,and minor amphibole and biotite,as well as some metamorphic minerals due to the UHP metamorphism,such as phengite,epidote and minor kyanite and garnet.Mafic alkaline minerals(e.g.,aegirine or aegirine-augite) have been observed in some of these plutons.Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating results indicate that the protoliths of the gneissic metagranites have been generated in Mid-Neoproterozoic(770-780 Ma),and suffered both ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism in Early Mesozoic and subsequently high-pressure eclogite-facies recrystallization at about 215 Ma.Although the gneissic metagranites generally have high SiO2 contents(70.23%-77.23%) and show metaluminous-weakly peraluminous signatures(ASI=0.90-1.05),there are still some geochemical variances between different plutons.Compared with the Sanzusi pluton,the metagranites from the Huangzhen,Daba,Shima,and Shuanghe have high K2O+Na2O contents(7.76%-9.45%),FeOtotal/(FeOtotal+MgO) ratios(0.82-0.96),HFSEs and Ga concentrations with an average 104×Ga/Al ratio up to 3.07.Combined with the features that the four plutons commonly contain aegirine-augite and have high zircon saturation temperatures(816-918°C),it is suggested that their proto-liths belong to peralkaline A-type granites.The Sanzusi pluton generally contains biotite and epidote generated from metamorphic reaction of amphibole,and is chemically enriched in calcium and depleted in potassium with K2O/Na2O ratios ranging from 0.42 to 0.54,suggesting their protoliths should be ascribed to calc-alkaline granitoids(I-type).The gneissic metagranites in the eastern margin of Dabie Mountains show both arc-and rift-like geochemical signatures,and their protoliths likely have been generated by reworking of the preexisting arc-related crust under an extensional setting,suggesting that the northeastern margin of the Yangtze Block during the Middle Neoproterozoic likely have been under the initial stage of a passive rifting rather than in an active rifting setting typically induced by the upwelling of a mantle plume.     

Nucleation and growth of myrmekite during ductile shear deformation in metagranites

Myrmekite is extensively developed along strain gradients of continuous, lower amphibolite facies shear zones in metagranites of the Gran Paradiso unit (Western Alps). To evaluate the role of stress, strain energy and fluid phase in the formation of myrmekite, we studied a sample suite consisting of weakly deformed porphyric granites (WDGs), foliated granites (FGs) representative of intermediate strains, and mylonitic granites (MGs). In the protolith, most K‐feldspar is microcline with different sets of perthite lamellae and fractures. In the WDGs, abundant quartz‐oligoclase myrmekite developed inside K‐feldspar only along preexisting perthite lamellae and fractures oriented at a high angle to the incremental shortening direction. In the WDGs, stress played a direct role in the nucleation of myrmekites along interfaces already characterized by high stored elastic strain because of lattice mismatch between K‐feldspar and albite. In the FGs and MGs, K‐feldspar was progressively dismembered along the growing network of microshear zones exploiting the fine‐grained recrystallized myrmekite and perthite aggregates. This was accompanied by a more pervasive fluid influx into the reaction surfaces, and myrmekite occurs more or less pervasively along all the differently oriented internal perthites and fractures independently of the kinematic framework of the shear zone. In the MGs, myrmekite forms complete rims along the outer boundary of the small K‐feldspar porphyroclasts, which are almost completely free of internal reaction interfaces. Therefore, we infer that the role of fluid in the nucleation of myrmekite became increasingly important as deformation progressed and outweighed that of stress. Mass balance calculations indicate that, in Al–Si‐conservative conditions, myrmekite growth was associated with a volume loss of 8.5%. This resulted in microporosity within myrmekite that enhanced the diffusion of chemical components to the reaction sites and hence the further development of myrmekite.     

柴达木地块南缘昆北单元变质新元古代花岗岩锆石SHRIMPU-Pb年龄

侵入于香日德南昆北单元金水口岩群白沙河岩组中的变质花岗岩的锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄约为904Ma.该年龄与东昆仑地区已有的定年数据一道,表明柴达木地块南缘存在一条中-新元古代的花岗岩深成侵入岩带,整个柴达木地块可能曾响应了全球Rodinia超大陆汇聚事件.