变质作用、板块构造及超级大陆旋回

麻粒岩相超高温变质作用（GUHTM）主要发育于新太古代至寒武纪岩石中;推测在深部较年轻的,特别是新生代造山带岩石中也会有GUHTM存在。岩石中最初出现GUHTM记录意味着产生瞬时极高热流处的地球动力学发生了改变。许多GUHTM带可能发育于类似现代大陆弧后的构造背景中。在较热的地球上,超大陆及其裂解形成的循环组合,尤其是经岩石圈减薄的洋盆卷入到其外翻过程中可能产生比现代太平洋边缘更热的大陆弧后。中温榴辉岩 高压麻粒岩相变质作用（EHPGM）也是最先发现于新太古代岩石记录中,并发育于从元古宙至古生代岩石中。EHPGM带是对GUHTM带的补充,并经常认为是记录了从俯冲至碰撞造山作用的过程。在元古宙岩石记录中的蓝片岩明显记录了与现代俯冲作用相关的低热流梯度。以发育柯石英(±硬柱石)或金刚石为特征的硬柱石蓝片岩和榴辉岩（高压变质作用,HPM）及超高压变质岩（UHPM）主要是在显生宙形成。HPMUHPM记录了显生宙俯冲碰撞造山带早期碰撞过程中的低热流梯度及陆壳的深俯冲作用。尽管与直觉不同,在超级大陆聚敛期（Wilson旋回洋盆打开和关闭）的大陆地块增生过程,许多HPMUHPM带看来确实是通过小洋盆关闭而发育起来的,反映双重热体制的双重变质带仅发育于新太古代以来的岩石记录中。双重热体制是现代板块构造的特点,而双重变质作用则是板块构造在岩石记录中的特征性标志。尽管构造样式很可能不同,新太古代以来GUHTM和EHPGM带的发育证明“元古宙板块构造体制”的开始。以冷俯冲和大陆地壳深俯冲至地幔,以及其中的部分又从深达300 km处发生折返为标志,“元古宙板块构造体制”在新元古代进化为“现代板块构造体制”,这个转变可由岩石中的HPMUHPM证明。记录这种极端条件的变质带年龄是不一致的,而变质作用发生时间与各大陆岩石圈聚合到超级克拉通（如Superia/Sclavia）或超级大陆（如Nuna (Columbia), Rodinia, Gondwana, 和Pangea）的时间却是一致的。     

华北及扬子克拉通中元古代年代地层格架厘定及相关问题探讨

在系统分析近年华北和扬子克拉通典型地区中元古代(GTS2012,1 780~850 Ma)年代地层学进展基础上,详细厘定了其地层格架。确认华北克拉通中元古代早期地层(约1 780~约1 350 Ma)发育始于豫陕晋交界地区,其后沿“华北中部造山带”(TNCO:Trans North China Orogen)再逐渐扩展到燕山及附近地区,但随后则普遍缺失了中期(约1 350~约1 100 Ma)纪录。其晚期沉积(<1 100 Ma)见于胶辽徐淮、豫西南及燕山等地区。扬子克拉通的川滇交界地区出露有中元古代早期(约1 750~约1 450 Ma)及晚期(<1 100 Ma)地层,中期沉积(约1 400~约1 150 Ma)主要见于神农架地区。华北与扬子两地的地层纪录具有良好的互补性,并有效涵盖了整个GTS2012全球地质年表所建议之“中元古代”(1 780~850 Ma)。这一新格架蕴含多方面重要命题：(1)地层学方面。在未来GTS2012中元古界内部“系”级单位再划分研究中,中国学者通过在上述两地对应地层序列中识别此间全球大火成岩省LIPs地幔柱事件的沉积响应,可望从地球系统科学角度全面参与新建议各系底界的“金钉子”工作,并做出独特贡献。(2)早期真核生物演化及生物古地理方面。基于当前格架可以确认,山西永济汝阳群北大尖组以Tappania为代表的具刺大型疑源类生物群的时代应约为1 650 Ma,为目前全球真核生物遗存最早出现层位,同时不排除华北南缘有可能是此类生物的起源区。结合其时空分布或可进一步推测,至少在约1 650~约1 450 Ma阶段,即哥伦比亚超大陆向罗迪尼亚超大陆过渡阶段,华北克拉通应与印度、澳大利亚、北美、西伯利亚等古陆互为近邻。(3)沉积大地构造演化方面。中元古代华北及扬子克拉通均表现出“三段式”沉积过程,其沉降隆起区均发生过“跷跷板”式转换,包括“晋宁运动”在内的关键时间节点均存在较好的对应性,表明该阶段两者很可能处于同一板块构造应力场之内。结合约1.38 Ga燕山地区下马岭组含钾质斑脱岩黑色岩系所代表的前陆盆地性质、约1.1 Ga以后华北与扬子沉积发展同步性并含Chuaria等宏观藻类,以及华北东部该阶段富含格林维尔期碎屑锆石等特征,推测最晚应于约1.1 Ga前后,华北东部可能已与扬子华夏、锡林浩特蒙古微地块等相互拼合并形成格林维尔造山带。借此与北美、澳大利亚、波罗的等古陆相链接,共同见证了罗迪尼亚超大陆的最终聚合与初始裂解。     

超大陆聚散的环境效应

超大陆（Supercontinent）是在地球演化某一阶段所形成的几乎包含当时所有陆块的一个大陆。超大陆的聚合是通过全球性碰撞造山事件来完成的，而超大陆的裂解往往是超级地幔柱作用的结果。因此，超大陆的聚合与裂解事件势必对地球的水圈、大气圈和生物圈产生重要影响，进而影响地球的宜居环境。在超大陆聚合过程中，大陆深俯冲会导致大陆总体面积的减少和大洋面积的增加，从而导致全球海平面的下降；另一方面，在超大陆的聚合期间，地幔岩浆喷发至地表的机会明显减少，通过火山射气进入大气圈中的CO2含量会急剧降低，从而形成极端寒冷干燥的冰室（Icehouse）气候，冰碛岩在低纬度地区广泛出现，不利于生物生存，或导致生物大量灭绝。相反，在超大陆裂解期间，大陆地壳会遭受拉伸减薄，大陆面积相对增加，大洋面积减少，海平面上升；另外，导致超大陆裂解的超级地幔柱所喷发的巨量玄武岩会导致洋壳加厚，也会导致海平面的上升；此外，超级地幔柱巨量玄武质岩浆的喷发会导致大气中CO2浓度的增加，形成温暖潮湿性的气候（Greenhouse），有利于生命复苏或大爆发。然而，目前有关超大陆聚散的环境效应研究还处于初步阶段，而且主要局限于Pangea超大陆聚散对水圈、大气圈和生物圈的影响研究，一些研究结论的可靠性也有待于通过对Rodinia和Columbia/Nuna等更古老的超大陆聚散的研究结果加以证实。     

Geochronology and Tectonic Evolution of Karimnagar and Bhopalpatnam Granulite Belts, Central India

The Karimnagar Granulite Belt (KGB) and the Bhopalpatnam Granulite Belt (BGB) occur along both flanks of the Pranhita-Godavari (PG) rift basin. We present a state-of-the-art overview on the geochronological and tectonic aspects of these belts and surrounding geologic domains, and report new age data on zircon, monazite and uraninite recovered from granulite facies assemblages from KGB and BGB based on electron microprobe analyses (EPMA). Zircons from KGB charnockites show core ages of up to 3.1 Ga mantled by rims of 2.6 Ga. Zircons from BGB have 1.9 Ga cores mantled by 1.7 Ga rims. Zircons with core ages of 1.6 to 1.7 Ga in BGB rocks suggest new growth at this time. Monazites and uranitite from KGB show clear peaks with well-defined ages in the narrow range between 2.42±0.08 Ga and 2.47°0.03 Ga. Rims of monazite show mean age of 2.21±0.08 Ga. Monazites from BGB define sharp linear trend in PbO vs. ThO₂* diagram delineating a clear isochron with age of 1.59±0.03 Ga. Age data from KGB and BGB presented in this report negate current models linking these terrains to "Godavari Granulite Belt" and considering them as single and contemporaneous entity. The mid-Archaean to early Palaeoproterozoic signature recognized from KGB is totally missing in BGB. On the other hand, KGB rocks do not record any evidence for major Mesoproterozoic thermal regime. The two granulite belts shouldering the PG rift basin have therefore evolved in different times under distinct P-T conditions and thermal regimes. Our results have important implications in evaluating models of supercontinent assemblies, particularly the older assemblies of Ur, Columbia and Rodinia. While tectonothermal events in KGB broadly match with those of East Dharwar, we propose that BGB represents a 1.6 Ga collisional mobile belt between the Bastar and the Dharwar cratons. The 1.6 Ga collisional mobile belt at the southern margin of the Bastar craton was superposed by rift activity along the PG basin at 1.5 Ga. This sequence of events goes against the existence of a 3.0 Ga old contiguous assembly of Ur but closely matches with the history of accretion and break-up of the Columbia. Further, parts of the PG basin located away from the influence of the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt, neither recorded any Grenville ages (1.0 Ga) corresponding to the Rodinia accretion nor late Pan-African ages (ca. 550 Ma) relating to the Gondwana amalgamation, indicating that the region did not witness any of these younger tectonic events.     

Climatic catastrophes in Earth history: two great Proterozoic glacial episodes

Near the beginning and end of the Proterozoic Eon (2.5 Ga–542 Ma) the Earth went through dramatic climatic perturbations. The Palaeoproterozoic (Huronian) glaciations are best known from the Canadian Shield where there is evidence of at least three such episodes. Glacial deposits of comparable age are also known from Fennoscandia, South Africa and Western Australia. In the type area, the Huronian glacial deposits are preserved in an ancient rift system that preceded break‐up of the supercraton, Kenorland, whereas those in the southern hemisphere may have been deposited in a foreland basin setting. Detailed correlations between the two hemispheres must await more geochronological data. Following a long period (~1.5 Ga) with little evidence of glaciation, the climatic upheavals of the Neoproterozoic Era began. The two most widespread glacial events are known as the Sturtian and Marinoan. The Neoproterozoic glaciations also took place on a supercontinent (Rodinia). Some were accompanied by unexpected rock types such as dolomitic cap carbonates and iron formations, both of which show evidence of hydrothermal influence. Major influences on surface temperatures on Earth include solar luminosity (increasing throughout geological history) and the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases such as CO₂ (generally diminishing with time). It is suggested that the two great Proterozoic climatic oscillation periods resulted from perturbations of the balance between these two variables, triggered by drawdown of atmospheric CO₂ during intensive weathering of supercontinents. A weathering‐related negative feedback loop resulted in multiple glaciations with intervening warm periods. Climatic stability only returned after the supercontinent broke apart and reduced continental freeboard moderated continental weathering. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geodynamics of the Early Precambrian,Part 2: Formation of continental crust and sedimentary basins,specificity of the lithosphere

This part of work is aimed at consideration of problems concerning evolution of geodynamic processes based on characteristic structures of the Early Precambrian and their rocks. Considered in the paper are structures characterizing existence of mature continental crust (sedimentary basins), development of the crust (metamorphic belts and granitoids) and underlying upper mantle (lithospheric keel), and amalgamation of crustal domains (continents, microcontinents, terrains) into supercontinents. Geodynamic phenomena of the Early Precambrian comparable with the Phanerozoic ones are distinguishable, on the one hand, and their changes with time of evolutionary character are detectable, on the other. The latter are satisfactorily explainable by secular lowering of the mantle temperature in general and above the top of mantle plumes.     

Anatomy of the Mozambique Belt of Eastern and Southern Africa: Evidence from Tanzania

The Mozambique belt of eastern and southern Africa is polyorogenic and marks the sites for the assembly (collision and suturing) and dispersion (rifting and drifting) of the Proterozoic supercontinents. Subduction zones and collisional sutures in this belt are of variable ages. Reliable isotope and geological data from the Mozambique belt of Holmes (1951) suggest that there existed three major Proterozoic oceans within this belt: the Palaeoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic “Mozambique Oceans”. However, the accretion and collisional tectonic history of this orogenically coalescent belt are complex and thus still enigmatic.     

Early Precambrian crystalline complexes of the Central Asian microcontinent: Age,sources, tectonic position

In the Early Caledonian superterrane of Central Asia, an accretionary orogen of mosaic structure, pre-Riphean Baidaragin and Bumbuger complexes are exposed in the Baidarik block of the Dzabkhan microcontinent. Zircon dating on ion-ion SHRIMP II microprobe and Nd isotopic-geochemical systematics are used to establish protolith age for Neoarchean orthogneisses of the Baidaragin complex, age constraints for accumulation of Lower Proterozoic metasediments of the Bumbuger Complex and provenance of sedimentary material. The results of isotopic dating facilitate correlation of the Baidarik block crystalline complexes with basement formations of North Eurasian ancient cratons. Possible position and migration path of the Dzabkhan microcontinent during the Early Proterozoic transformation of supercontinents Columbia-Rodinia-Pangea are considered based on interpretation of paleomagnetic data.     

华北克拉通板内拉张性岩浆作用与三个超大陆裂解及深部地球动力学

对华北克拉通碱性岩等板内拉张背景岩浆岩进行了大量的同位素年代学及空间分布的研究,并结合前人的有关研究成果得出：华北克拉通板内拉张性岩浆作用主要集中在３个时段,即古元古代末—中元古代早期（1 850~1 600 Ma）新元古代中–晚期（900~600 Ma）、和古生代末—新生代（250 Ma~现今）。这３个时段的拉张性岩浆作用,由老到新依次称之为第一拉张作用阶段、第二拉张作用阶段和第三拉张作用阶段岩浆作用,3个阶段拉张性岩浆作用出现的频率强度和空间分布的广度均有明显差别。第三阶段拉张性岩浆作用出现的频率强度最大,空间分布也最广;第一阶段拉张性岩浆作用次之;而第二阶段拉张性岩浆作用出现的频率强度最弱,并且空间分布也很局限。特别值得提出的是三个阶段拉张性岩浆作用在时间上分别与哥伦比亚（Columbia）、罗迪尼亚（Rodinia）及潘基亚（Pangaea）三个超级大陆的拉张裂解时间基本一致。这可能说明华北克拉通对三个超级大陆的拉张裂解都有不同程度的反映。对于导致超级大陆拉张裂解的深部地质过程地球动力学,一般认为是超级热地幔柱活动。推测华北克拉通距导致三个超级大陆拉张裂解的超级热地幔柱活动中心,在第三拉张阶段时可能最近,第一拉张阶段时也较近,但在第二拉张阶段时相对较远。     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000898

In more than 4 Ga of geological evolution, the Earth has twice gone through extreme climatic perturbations, when extensive glaciations occurred, together with alternating warm periods which were accompanied by atmospheric oxygenation. The younger of these two episodes of climatic oscillation preceded the Cambrian “explosion” of metazoan life forms, but similar extreme climatic conditions existed between about 2.4 and 2.2 Ga. Over long time periods, changing solar luminosity and mantle temperatures have played important roles in regulating Earth's climate but both periods of climatic upheaval are associated with supercontinents. Enhanced weathering on the orogenically and thermally buoyed supercontinents would have stripped CO₂ from the atmosphere, initiating a cooling trend that resulted in continental glaciation. Ice cover prevented weathering so that CO₂ built up once more, causing collapse of the ice sheets and ushering in a warm climatic episode. This negative feedback loop provides a plausible explanation for multiple glaciations of the Early and Late Proterozoic, and their intimate association with sedimentary rocks formed in warm climates. Between each glacial cycle nutrients were flushed into world oceans, stimulating photosynthetic activity and causing oxygenation of the atmosphere. Accommodation for many ancient glacial deposits was provided by rifting but escape from the climatic cycle was predicated on break-up of the supercontinent, when flooded continental margins had a moderating influence on weathering. The geochemistry of Neoproterozoic cap carbonates carries a strong hydrothermal signal, suggesting that they precipitated from deep sea waters, overturned and spilled onto continental shelves at the termination of glaciations. Paleoproterozoic (Huronian) carbonates of the Espanola Formation were probably formed as a result of ponding and evaporation in a hydrothermally influenced, restricted rift setting. Why did metazoan evolution not take off after the Great Oxidation Event of the Paleoproterozoic? The answer may lie in the huge scar left by the ～2023 Ma Vredefort impact in South Africa, and in the worldwide organic carbon-rich deposits of the Shunga Event, attesting to the near-extirpation of life and possible radical alteration of the course of Earth history.