Weizhou Shen

Geochemical characteristics and genesis of Neoproterozoic granitoids in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block

Abstract Geochemistry of nine Neoproterozoic granitoid bodies in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block (YB) has been studied in this paper. Their ages range from 876 Ma to 786 Ma based on U-Pb zircon dating. These granitoids can be divided into three groups in terms of major and trace elements. Rocks of Group I are alkaline series granites characterized by evident negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.31 to 0.41) with total REE concentrations between 274 to 122 ppm. Group III includes migmatized granites characterized by low REE concentrations (14 to 45 ppm) and positive Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 1.1 to 2.5). Group II comprises tonalite and diorite with REE between the above two groups (ΣREE = 105 to 212 ppm, Eu/Eu* = 0.73 to 0.79). Granitoids of Group II and III belong to calc-alkaline series and I-type, which were formed during the Jinning Orogeny before 820 Ma related to subduction or collision between the Yangtze Block and oceanic Qinghai-Yunnan-Tibet Plate. The Group I granites were formed after 805 Ma in the late stage of or post the Jinning Orogeny. The Neoproterozoic granitoids have e Nd (T) values ranging from −4.3 to +4.5 and initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios ⩽ 0.705, similar to those of the Neoproterozoic granitoids in the other margins of the YB, but different from those of coeval granitoids within the YB which have e Nd (T) of −8.1 to −14.2 and initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of 0.705 to 0.708. The difference in geochemistry of the three groups was due to difference in their sources. The Neoproterozoic granitoids of this study were formed by magmas probably derived from sources with different proportions of juvenile crust and Meso- to Paleo-Proterozoic crust. The granites of Group III were derived probably from the lower crust. The crust sources for Group I granitoids probably contain less amounts of juvenile crust component and have higher maturity when compared with those for Group II.

The thermal history of the miarolitic granite at Xincun, Fujian Province, China

The thermal history of the late Mesozoic miarolitic granite has been studied based on zircon U-Pb dating, whole rock Rb-Sr dating and K-Ar dating of muscovite, biotite and K-feldspar from the same rock sample. From the beginning of zircon crystallization to the closure of K-Ar system of biotite, the granite body had a slow cooling rate (11.0°C/Ma) and an ascending rate (0.07 mm/a). From the end of this stage to the closure of K-Ar system of K-feldspar, the granite body increased its cooling rate (45°C/Ma) and ascending rate (0.36 mm/a). The thermal history of the Xincun granite with a slow cooling rate at the early stage and a fast cooling rate at the late stage may have been related to the fact that the Fujian coastal area had very high geothermal gradient in the late Mesozoic and evident decrease in geothermal gradient in the early Cenozoic.

The Nd-Sr isotope study of Mesozoic granitoids in Jiangxi Province

Nd-Sr isotopic compositions of 12 Mesozoic granitoids from Jiangxi Province have been reported. They show low-∈ND(−13.8–−8.3), high-/Sr(0.71069–0.73981) and oldtDM (2087–1635 Ma). Comparison between the Sm-Nd isotopic compositions of the granitoids and those of the basement metamorphic racks suggests that these granitoids were mainly derived from the metasedimentary rocks. There is an east-west trend Mesozoic granitoid zone with low-tDM from S. Jiangxi to S. Fujian. The origin of these granites was preliminarily discussed.

U-Pb dating of zircon grains from the ore-bearing plagioclase amphibolite in the Dashuigou Te deposit

The Dashuigou Te deposit is a unique independent one found in the world, and hosted in the plagioclase arnphibolite. The upper intercept age of single zircon from the arnphibolite can be considered to be the crystallization age of the source-rock of the amphibolite (tholeiitic basalt), while the lower intercept is nearly consistent with the time of the tectono-thermal event.

SR-ND-PB ISOTOPES OF TERTIARY VOLCANICS OF KING GEORGE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA

1 Geological settingThe King George Island is the largest one in South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica,with an area of 1200 km 2 . Most of it is covered by ice and snow all the year round. It consistsmainly of Tertiary volcanics, associated with plutonic rocks and some late Mesozoic and Qua-...

Petrogenesis of Early Cretaceous adakitic granodiorite: Implication for a crust thickening event within the Cathaysia Block, South China

Adakitic rocks in continental settings are commonly considered to be formed by partial melting of thickened or delaminated lower crust. Investigations on this kind of rocks can provide important information about crustal evolution complementary to information from other rocks. This paper reports adakitic granodiorite of the Lingxi pluton in the interior of the Cathayisa Block. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating shows that it was formed in the late Early Cretaceous (100±1 Ma). The granodiorite has geochemical features of adakitic rocks derived from partial melting of the thickened lower crust, e.g., high SiO2 (mainly ranging from 64.4 to 68.9 wt.%) and Sr (624–894 ppm) contents, Sr/Y (49.9–60.8) and La/Yb (23.4–42.8) values, low Y (10.3–17.1 ppm), Ni (5.62–11.8 ppm) and MgO (mostly from 0.86 wt.% to 1.57 wt.%) contents and weak Eu anomaly. It has initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7086–0.7091, εNd(t) values of −6.2 to −5.9 and zircon εHf(t) values mostly of −10.1 to −7.6. Based on the geochemical characteristics and simple modelling, it is suggested that the most likely generation mechanism of the Lingxi granodiorite is partial melting of a thickened Proterozoic lower continental crust at a pressure ≥12 kbar (or crust thickness ≥40 km), leaving a garnet-bearing amphibolite residue. Combining our results and previous studies of the tectonic evolution of the Cathaysia Block, we propose that the crust was thickened to over 40 km by a compressive event occurring during the late Early Cretaceous, which is supported by the observation that there is an angular unconformity between the Upper Cretaceous Series and the early Lower Cretaceous or the Jurassic rocks. After this event, the Cathaysia Block experienced a lithospheric extension and thinning probably driven by the high-angle paleo-Pacific subduction. With the attenuation of lithosphere, the lower crust was heated to partial melting by upwelling asthenospheric materials, resulting in generation of the Lingxi granodiorite and other coeval granitoids in the Cathaysia Block. This study provides new information on the crustal evolution of the Cathaysia Block during the Early Cretaceous.