Petrogenesis of Mesozoic granitoids and volcanic rocks in South China： A response to tectonic evolution

This paper summarizes the new results on the petrogenesis of Mesozoic granitoids and volcanic rocks in South China. The authors propose that these rocks were formed in time and space as a response to regional tectonic regime change from the continent-continent collision of the Indosinian orogeny within the broad Tethyan orogenic domain in the Early Mesozoic （T1-T3） （Period Ⅰ） to the largely extensional setting as a result of the Yanshanian orogeny genetically associated with the NW-WNW-ward subduction of the paleo-Pacific oceanic lithosphere in the Late Mesozoic （J2-K2） （Period Ⅱ）. Of the Period I Indosinian granitoids, the early （T1-T2^1） ones are syn-collisional, and formed in a compressional setting; the late （T2^2-T3） ones are latecollisional, and formed in a locally extensional environment. During the Period Ⅱ Yanshanian magmatism, the Early Yanshanian （J2-J3） granitoid-volcanic rocks, which are distributed mainly in the Nanling Range and in the interior of the South China tectonic block （SCB）, are characteristic of rift-type intraplate magmatism, whereas the Late Yanshanian K1 granitoidovolcanic rocks are interpreted as genetically representing active continental margin magmatism. The K2 tholeiitic basalts interlayered with red beds are interpreted as genetically associated with the development of back-arc extensional basins in the interior of the SCB. The Yanshanian granitoid-volcanic rocks are distributed widely in South China, reflecting extensional tectonics within much of the SCB. The extension-induced deep crustal melting and underplating of mantle-derived basaltic melts are suggested as the two principal driving mechanisms for the Yanshanian granitic magmatism in South China.

Paleozoic structural and geodynamic evolution of eastern Tianshan （NW China）： welding of the Tarim and Junggar plates

Chinese East Tianshan is a key area for understanding the Paleozoic accretion of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. A first accretion-collision stage, before the Visean, developed the Eo-Tianshan range, which exhibits north-verging structures. The geodynamic evolution included： i） Ordovician-Early Devonian southward subduction of a Central Tianshan ocean beneath a Central Tianshan arc; ii） Devonian oceanic closure and collision between Central Tianshan arc and Iqli-North Tianshan block, along the Central Tianshan Suture Zone; iii） Late Devonian-earliest Carboniferous closure of a South Tianshan back-arc basin, and subsequent Central Tianshan-Tarim active margin colli- sion along the South Tianshan Suture Zone. A second stage involved： i） Late Devonian-Carboniferous south- ward subduction of North Tianshan ocean beneath the Eo-Tianshan active margin （Yili-North Tianshan arc）;

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age, fitho- and biostratigraphic analyses of the Huaiyu Domain in South China,— Evidence for a Neoproterozoic orogen, not Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic collision

In the last few decades, the Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic tectonic evolution of South China has been quite controversial. The focus of debate is on both the age of ophiolites and the Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic geological and geodynamic environment. The Huaiyu Domain is located in the NE part of South China and exposes numerous significant geological features that are keys to understand the tectonics of South China. In this paper, we present some new evidence on stratigraphy, petrology and SHRIMP zircon U-Pb geochronology, and together with other geological and geochemical data available in the literature, and the following conclusions are suggested： 1） The eastern Jiangnan ophiolites belt, dated at 858±11 Ma by SHRIMP zircon U-Pb method, was generated during the Neoproterozoic, but not the Late Paleozoic; 2） The sedimentary rocks associated with these oceanic rocks do not contain radiolarians but Neoproterozoic acritarchs; 3） During Permian-Early Triassic times, the Huaiyu Domain was dominantly characterized by a shallow sea depositional environment since deep sea sediments are absent; and 4） The pre-Devonian tectonics of South China has been reworked by late polyphase tectonism through the Triassic and the Cretaceous periods. A Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic deep marine domain floored by oceanic crust never existed in the study area. The geochronological and structural data do not comply with a Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic South China Ocean.

Initial geometry and paleoflow reconstruction of the Yamansu skarn-related iron deposit of eastern Tianshan(China): from paleomagnetic and magnetic fabrics investigations

This study aims to uses paleomagnetic and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility(AMS)methods to recognize the initial deposit position and to track the paleoflow at the origin of an iron skarn-related deposit.The Yamansu deposit is located in eastern Tianshan(Charvet,2007).This province has a substantial mining potential for Fe–(Cu)skarn,Cu–Ni and V–Ti orthomagmatic deposits,and orogenic Au lodes(Branquet et al.,2012;Zhang et a.,2005;Mao et al.,2005).Recent publication dates the Yamansu deposit at 323 Ma,and uses this deposit to define a model of Submarine Volcanogenic Iron Oxide(SVIO)deposits(Hou et al.,

Pre-Devonian tectonic evolution of the eastern South China Block:Geochronological evidence from detrital zircons

Using the U-Pb LA-ICP-MS analysis technique we analyzed geochronological features of detrital zircons from Devonian and Ordovician coarse sandstone in southern Jiangxi Province,northern Cathaysia Block.Abundant ancient crustal information was obtained.The 350 groups of U-Pb age center on five ranges:2600-2300 Ma(peak at 2470 Ma),1100-900 Ma(peak at 980 Ma),900-700 Ma(peak at 800 Ma),650-520 Ma(peak at 600 Ma) and 450-400 Ma(peak at 440 Ma).We also found a detrital zircon of ~3.5 Ga.This is the oldest age in northern Cathaysia Block obtained so far.From the analysis we concluded that:(1) the 2600-2300 Ma period,characterized by a global continent-building,records late Neoarchean magmatism that did not occur in the neighboring area of Cathaysia;(2) the marked peak at 1100-900 Ma corresponds with the assembly time of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent,Rodinia,suggesting that the Cathaysia Block was once a part of Rodinia,and numerous euhedral zircons with similar ages likely resulted from the Grenville event;(3) the peak at 900-700 Ma corresponds to the breakup of Rodinia,as evidenced by wide occurrence of Neoproterozoic granite,basic dyke swarms and continental rift-type deposition;(4) the 650-520 Ma period is the typical time of the Pan-African event,but as yet no associated magmatic rock has been reported in this area;and(5) the peak at 450-400 Ma,representing the early Paleozoic orogeny,was recorded in various igneous rocks.Abundant Silurian-Lower Devonian granitic plutons,orthogneisses and their zircon U-Pb dating ages(450-400 Ma) are important evidence of an early Paleozoic orogenic event.Geological data support the interpretation of an Early Paleozoic tectonic heat event in Cathaysia,which was likely to be caused by intracontinental collision.