Geochemical Correlation Between Metasediments of the Mfongosi Group of the Natal Sector of the Namaqua-Natal Metamorphic Province, South Africa and the Ahlmannryggen Group of the Grunehogna Province, Antarctica

The whole-rock geochemistry of metamorphosed greywackes, arenites and arkoses within the Mesoproterozoic Namaqua-Natal-Maudheim Province is interpreted with the aim of establishing geochemical correlations and defining common sediment source terrains. Metasediments of the Mfongosi Group of the Natal Sector of the Namaqua-Natal Metamorphic Province were sampled from their type area in the Mfongosi Valley. Metagreywackes from the northern limits of the Mfongosi Valley, directly adjacent to the Kaapvaal Craton, show ocean island arc signatures while metagreywackes from the southern limits of the Mfongosi Valley, near the contact with the Madidima Thrust of the Natal nappe zone, show mainly active continental margin signatures. Interleaved, geochemically distinct low-Ca+Na, high-K metamorphosed arkoses to lithic arkoses indicate a minor passive margin sediment component. Geochemical classification of low-grade Ahlmannryggen Group greywackes, arenites and arkoses of the Grunehogna Province, Antarctica, indicates both active and passive continental margin sediment sources. An oceanic island arc signature is not evident in Ahlmannryggen Group data. The active continental margin signature in both Natal Sector and Grunehogna Province metasediments potentially provides for a common link between these terranes. Discriminant Function Analysis, using three pre-defined provenance sub-sets within the Mfongosi Group and two pre-defined provenance sub-sets within the Ahlmannryggen Group, indicate that metasediments with active continental margin signatures from both groups are geochemically identical, implying that the active continental margin of the Grunehogna Province shed immature sediments westwards (African azimuths) into the developing, narrow or restricted Mesoproterozoic ‘Mfongosi Basin.’ This was accompanied by minor sediment influx from a stable continental platform, potentially the Kaapvaal Craton. Oblique and diachronous collision, initiated in the southwestern portions of the combined Natal Sector/Grunehogna Province system produced a laterally variable Mfongosi Group, which formed in the ‘Mfongosi Basin’. Coarse-grained sediments dominated in its eastern portions while basalts with thin sapropelite units dominated in its western portions.     

云南麻栗坡南秧田白钨矿床层控似矽卡岩成因探讨

南秧田白钨矿床是中国滇东南地区一个罕见的似层状白钨矿床,矿体赋存在元古界南秧田岩组层状似矽卡岩中。最新的勘查资料表明,该矿床已达超大型矿床规模。笔者通过详细的矿区实地考察,结合室内岩、矿石地球化学分析及国内外典型矿床对比研究,对该矿床似矽卡岩的原岩进行了恢复,得出南秧田白钨矿床似矽卡岩的原岩为海底火山喷发沉积(或热水沉积岩)夹杂部分的陆源碎屑沉积岩,对南秧田层控白钨矿床似矽卡岩进行了成因探讨,认为南秧田白钨矿床似矽卡岩为沉积变质成因矽卡岩,属类矽卡岩系列。     

Nd Isotopes and Geochemistry of Phanerozoic Clastic Sedimentary Rocks from the Yangtze Block and Their Tectonic Implications

This article presents Sm-Nd and geochemical data on fine-grained sediments of the northern margin from the Yangtze block, China, to understand the variations of Nd isotopic compositions and crustal evolution history in this area. The results are as follows: (1) Nd isotopic compositions for clastic sedimentary rocks of the Middle-Late Proterozoic have relatively positive Nd(t) values ( 2.72 to 0.69), with Nd model ages from 1.38 Ga to 1.55 Ga, corresponding to the contemporaneous volcanic rocks from the Xixiang (西乡) Group. This indicates that the arc-related materials from Middle-Late Proterozoic dominate the provenances of the Middle-Late Proterozoic periods. (2) The gradual decrease in εNd(t) during the Cambrian-Carboniferous periods is likely to reflect the progressively increasing proportion of erosion materials from the Foping (佛坪) and Qinling (秦岭) complexes, corresponding to a gradually decreasing trend in the La/Th ratios. (3) A prominent increase in the εNd(t) value of the Late Permian strata probably reflects the significant incorporation of the mantle-derived materials. The trace element data are compared with data of the Emeishan (峨嵋山) flood basalts. These data indicate that the volcanic dust has been added to the Late Permian strata during the Late Permian, represented by periods of extremely high Emeishan flood basalt activity in the south-eastern margin of the Yangtze block.     

Source rocks and provenances of the Ladoga Group siliciclastic metasediments (Svecofennian Foldbelt, Baltic Shield): Results of geochemical and Sm-Nd isotopic study

Siliciclastic metasediments of the Ladoga Group that is the Kalevian stratotype in Karelia correlative with the Kalevian siliciclastic succession in Finland are studied in terms of geochemistry and Sm-Nd isotopic systematics. The results obtained show that rocks in the Ladoga Group lower part are enriched, as compared to rocks of the upper part, in TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, MgO, Cr, Co, Ni, and Sc, being comparatively depleted in Al₂O₃ and Th that is a result of compositional changes in provenances. The Sm-Nd isotopic data evidence that siliciclastic sediments of the Ladoga Group have accumulated during the erosion of rocks, which originated at the time of the Archean and Early Proterozoic crust-forming processes. Siliciclastic material with the Archean and Early Proterozoic T_Nd(DM) values, which are characteristic of metasediments in the group lower part, was derived respectively from granite gneisses of the Archean basement in the Karelian megablock of the Baltic Shield and from volcanic rocks of the Sortavala Group. Volcanic rocks of island-arc terranes of the Svecofennian foldbelt represented main source of siliciclastic material that accumulated in upper part of the succession.     

Evaluating the Provenance of Metasedimentary Rocks of the Jiangxian Group from the Zhongtiao Mountain Using Whole-Rock Geochemistry and Detrital Zircon Hf Isotope

Abstract：In this study, whole-rock geochemical and Nd isotopic data, as well as detrital zircon Hf isotopes of Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks from the Jiangxian Group are presented to evaluate the characteristics of their provenance and the tectonic history. The major and trace element compositions are comparable to Post-Archean upper continental crust (PA-UCC), but have slight enrichment in the LILE, with the exception of Cs and Sr, and a slight depletion in ferromagnesian elements, HFS elements, such as Nb and Ta, and some major elements, such as CaO and Na2O. The geochemical data reveal that the collected metasedimentary rocks have experienced intermediate source weathering with chemical index of alteration values ranging from 72 to 78, varying degrees of K-metasomatism, and post-depositional loss of Na, as well as negligible sorting, and are derived from the weathering of mostly felsic and non-mafic rocks. The selected Lu–Hf isotopic analysis on detrital zircon points to both the Trans-North China Orogen and Eastern Block of the north China craton as the most likely sources for the metasedimentary rocks of the Jiangxian Group. However, a contribution of detritus from the Western Block of the north China craton can be ruled out. The sediments were probably deposited in a back-arc basin within an active continental margin setting.