Geochemical characteristics of Early Cretaceous source rocks in Boli Basin

The Early Cretaceous deposits are composed of important source rocks in Boli Basin. The types of the source rocks include black mudstones and coal (with carbonaceous mudstone). By the organic geochemical analysis methods, the authors discussed the organic petrological characters, abundance of organic matter, degree of maturity and the type of source rocks. The main micro-component of black mudstone is exinite or vitrinite, and the content of vitrinite is high in coal. The weathering of the outcrop is very serious. The abundance of organic matter in source rock reaches the poor to better rank. The major kerogens in mudstone are type-Ⅲ, type-Ⅱ 2 and some type-Ⅱ 1; the organic type of coal is type-Ⅲ. The thermal evolution of the source rocks in every structural unit is very different, from low-maturity to over-maturity. The depositional environment is reductive, which is good for the preservation of organic matter. The organic matter in source rocks is mainly from aquatic organisms and terrigenous input.

The Yanshan orogeny and late Mesozoic multi-plate convergence in East Asia—Commemorating 90th years of the “Yanshan Orogeny”

The Yanshan movement/orogeny has been proposed for 90 years, which is of special significance in the history of geological research in China. This study conducted a review by synthesizing major achievements regarding episodic deformation features, sedimentary and magmatic records of the Yanshan orogeny in China, and clarified the episodic tectono-magmatism and its geodynamic origins. The tectonic implications of the Yanshan orogeny are discussed in the context of global plate tectonics and supercontinent reconstruction. Lines of evidence from structural, sedimentary and magmatic data suggest that the Yanshan orogeny represents a regional-scale tectonic event that affected the entire China continent in late Mesozoic period. Numerous age and structural constraints consistently indicate that the Yanshan orogeny was initiated in the Jurassic(at ～170±5 Ma). and was characterized by alternating stages of crustal shortening at ～170–136 Ma, crustal extension at ～135–90 Ma, and weak shortening at ～80 Ma. The 170–136 Ma crustal shortening was reflected in the generation of two regional stratigraphic unconformities(the Tiaojishan and Zhangjiakou unconformities), which were initially named the A and B episodes of "the Yanshan Orogeny" by Mr.Wong Wenhao in 1928. Geodynamically, the Yanshan orogeny in East Asia was associated with nearly coeval oceanic subduction and continental convergence in the Paleo-Pacific, Neo-Tethys, and Mongol-Okhotsk tectonic domains. As a consequence, three giant accretionary-collisional tectonic systems were formed along the continental margins of East Asia, i.e., the Mongol-Okhotsk, Bangonghu-Nujiang, and SE China subduction-and collision-related accretionary systems. The Yanshan orogeny induced widespread crustal-scale folding and thrusting, tectonic reactivation of long-lived zones of crustal weakness,and extensive magmatism and mineralization in intraplate regions. Based on the time principle of supercontinent assembly and break-up, we propose that the mid-Late Jurassic multi-plate convergence in East Asia might represent the initiation of the assembly of the Amasia supercontinent, and the Yanshan orogeny might be the first "stirrings" that is a prerequisite for the birth of the Amasia supercontinent.

Geochronology and Hf Isotopes of Granite Gravel from Fanjingshan, South China: Implication for the Precambrian Tectonic Evolution of Western Jiangnan Orogen

The debate of assembly time between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks has aroused the disputation on the formation mechanism of Jiangnan orogen, South China. Therefore widespread magmatism of 830-750 Ma in South China is interpreted as the product of either plume or arc magmatism, which results in distinctive depositional background in the Neoproterozoic. Granite gravel located at the unconformity between the Banxi Group and Fanjingshan Group of the western Jiangnan orogen was collected, which gave a new age limit to the deposition of the Banxi Group and Nanhu rift. Zircons from the granite gravel crystallized yield a weighted mean 2~6pb/238U age of 789~11 Ma, which probably represents the end of the Jiangnan orogeny and marks the onset of Nanhua rift. These zircons have negative εHf（t） of -2.1 to -6.0, with TDM of 1.38-1.52 Ga and Tcrust of 1.81-1.98 Ga indicating an old continental crust origin for the granite.