A. V. Postnikov

Sarmatia-Volgo-Uralia junction zone: Isotopic-geochronologic characteristic of supracrustal rocks and granitoids

The geochronologic (U-Pb isotopic system of zircons) and isotopic-geochemical (Sm-Nd isotopic system of the bulk rock) studies were performed along the profile extending from the eastern Sarmatia (in the west) to the Middle Volga megablock of Volgo-Uralia (in the east), i.e., across the entire junction zone for dating the integration of Sarmatia and Volgo-Uralia, representing two segments of the East European Craton. It is established that the examined rocks are characterized by the Paleoproterozoic Nd isotopic model age, which varies from 2.1 and 2.4 Ga, except for some samples indicating a similar age of the crust through the entire Sarmatia-Volgo-Uralia junction zone. The highly metamorphosed complexes of the granulite and amphibolite facies constituting the southwestern margin of Volgo-Uralia are Paleoproterozoic, not Archean, in age, contrary to previous views. Two Early Paleoproterozoic lithotectonic complexes are defined in Volgo-Uralia: South Volga metasedimentary and Tersa metasedimentary-volcanogenic. The obtained data confirm the asynchronous integration of individual segments into the East European Craton: the integration of Sarmatia and Volgo-Uralia approximately 2100–2000 Ma ago was followed by the conjunction of this newly-formed continent with Fennoscandia ca. 1800 Ma ago.

Volgo-Uralia: The first U-Pb, Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotopic evidence of preserved Paleoarchean crust

The crustal segment Volgo-Uralia is the least known part of the East European Craton. Its crystalline crust is hidden beneath a thick Neoproterozoic to Phanerozoic cover but disclosed by thousands of drill holes. In conjunction with the recent “Tatseis” reflection seismic profile, we conducted the first isotopic study of the Bakaly granitoid block in eastern Volgo-Uralia, which represents a subsurface section of the layered upper-middle crust. The study included whole-rock Sm-Nd and ion-probe zircon U-Th-Pb (SIMS) and Lu-Hf (LA-ICPMS) analyses of granitoids from seven drill cores. The Bakaly block was also targeted because its rocks have never been subjected to granulite facies metamorphism, making it possible to date pristine, pre-metamorphic zircon. Our study showed that the four principal suites of granitoids in the Bakaly block are different in age, each corresponding to a particular stage of Archean crustal evolution between 3.3 and 2.6 Ga. The Tashliar monzonitic suite, belonging to an alkaline series yielded zircon ages of 3.3 and 3.2 Ga, which are the oldest ages yet found in Volgo-Uralia. The εHf(T) values of the dated zircon and the εNd(T) values of their host rocks indicate that a Paleo- to Eoarchean protolith with model TDM ages up to 3.8 Ga had been involved in the formation of the Tashliar melts. Three Neoarchean rock suites, one comprising quartz dioritic and tonalitic gneisses (the Bak 1), another K-rich granodiorites, granites and migmatites (the Bak 2), and the third monzonitic granitoids (the Aktanysh suite) were formed sequentially between 2.72 and 2.60 Ga. The 2.72 Ga Bak 1 suite is chemically diverse. It includes granitoids of the TTG type related to slab/subduction melts as well as rocks formed by the re-melting of older crust with whole-rock Nd TDM and Hf TDM model ages of 3.4 to 3.2 Ga. The 2.69 to 2.65 Ga Bak 2 suite was probably associated with a major collisional event, which defined the stacked structure of the Archean crust in Volgo-Uralia and its seismic layering. Our data suggest that the Bak 2 melts originated partly from juvenile sources with εHf(T) zircon values up to +4.8, as well as mixed crustal and juvenile mantle materials. Some crustal contamination of the melts appears to have occurred as evidenced by incorporated xenocrystic zircon. The chemical compositions of Bak 2 granitoids from the different plutons, their zircon εHf values, and the Hf- and Nd TDM ages all mirror a heterogeneous, collisional, crustal structure. During post-collisional extension at 2.6 Ga, the intrusion of Aktanysh monzonitic granitoids took place. These rocks also bear evidence of a long crustal pre-history with Nd and Hf TDM model ages of 3.3 to 3.5 Ga. The Aktanysh rocks are coeval with the Tuymazy gabbro-norite-anorthosite intrusions, which are widely distributed along post-collisional shear zones in the Bakaly block. They could have provided the heat necessary to melt the crust at this stage. Altogether, the isotopic evidence suggests several episodes of crustal growth and recycling possibly reaching back to 3.6 and 3.8 Ga. Metamorphic zircon rims show that the Archean crust in the Bakaly block were subjected to several tectonothermal overprints in the Paleoproterozoic between 2.4 and 1.9 Ga ago.

The early crust of the Volgo-Uralian segment of the East European Craton: Isotope-geochronological zirconology of metasedimentary rocks of the Bolshecheremshanskaya Formation and their Sm-Nd model ages

We present the results of isotope-geochronological study of metasedimentary rocks of the Bolshecheremshanskaya Formation of the Volgo-Uralian segment of the East European Craton carried out to identify their protoliths. 16 samples of high-alumina gneisses from well cores were studied using the Sm-Nd isotope method and TNd(DM) model ages. Accessory zircons were selected from rocks with the most ancient model ages (more 3.2 Ga) in three wells: Minnibaevskaya 20000, Novo-Elkhovskaya 20009, and Zai-Karatayskaya 12930 in South Tatarstan. The isotope U-Pb dating of 200 zircon grains was performed on a Cameca 1280 NORDSIM secondary ion mass spectrometer at the Natural History Museum (Stockholm, Sweden). The most applicable sites for analysis of zircon crystals were pre-selected based on cathodoluminescence images. The analytical results demonstrate the diversity of zircon groups in age from 3.8 to 2.6 Ga and together with geochemical features of metasedimentary rocks of the Bolshecheremshanskaya Formation suggest the heterogeneous composition and age of provenance areas under denudation. Occurrence of Eoarchean and Paleoarchean zircons in the clastic material of the protolith of the Bolshecheremshanskaya gneisses indicates the existence of Early Archean crustal terrains in Volgo-Uralia.

The isotopic–geochronological age of trap formation rocks in the sedimentary section of the Baikit anteclise

The Lower Cambrian Usol’e Formation in the Kamov arch of the Baikit anteclise includes stratiform intrusions confined to several levels. According to isotopic‒geochronological investigations, the age of stratiform intrusions composed of olivine dolerites is estimated to be 256.0 ± 3.2 Ma.