LA-ICPMS Zircon U-Pb Dating in the Jurassic Daohugou Beds and Correlative Strata in Ningcheng of Inner Mongolia

LA-ICPMS Zircon U-Pb dating is applied to volcanic rocks overlying and underlying the Salamander-bearing bed in the Daohugou beds of Ningcheng in Inner Mongola and Reshuichang of Lingyuan and Mazhangzi of Jianping in western Liaoning. The results indicate that the youngest age of the rocks in Daohugou of Ningcheng is 158 Ma, and the oldest one is 164 Ma. Synthesized researches indicate that the salamander-bearing beds in Daohugou of Ningcheng, Reshuichang of Lingyuan and Mazhangzi of Jianping were developed in the same period. The Daohugou beds were formed in the geological age of 164-158 Ma of the middle-late Jurassic. Whilst, the Daohugou beds and its corrdative strata should correspond to the Tiaojishan Formation （or Lanqi Formation） of the middle Jurassic in northern Hebei Province and western Liaoning Province, based on the disconformity between the Daohugou beds and its overlaying beds of the Tuchengzi Formation of Late Jurassic and the Jehol Beds of early Cretaceous, and the disconformity between the Daohugou Beds and its underlying Jiulongshan Formation, which is composed of conglomerate, sandstone, shale with coal and thin coal beds.

Early Mineralization Age of the Hengjian Uranium Deposit: Constraints from Zircon SIMS U-Pb Dating

Objective The Hengjian uranium deposit is a typical hydrothermal deposit in the Xiangshan uranium ore field.The uranium mineralization ages of the Xiangshan deposits are poorly constrained,and only a few mineralization ages using the pitchblende U–Pb method have been published.These ages are commonly discordant and dispersed for abundant inclusions and an open U–Pb system.Zircon grains after strong hydrothermal alteration are usually characterized by high common Pb contents,and their U–Pb isochron ages recorded the hydrothermal alteration event without interference of common Pb components.The Hengjian gray/grayish-green granite porphyry experienced strong alteration by hydrothermal fluids during the pervasive uranium mineralization in the Xiangshan uranium ore field.Uranium mineralization in the Hengjian deposit may had different stages,and strong hydromicatization alteration occurred at a relatively early stage.Their altered zircon U–Pb isochron ages possibly represent relatively early mineralization age of the Xiangshan uranium deposits.Altered zircon grains from the Hengjian granite porphyry were analyzed using the secondary ion mass spectrometry(SIMS)U-Pb method in this study,and U–Pb isochron ages were measured to constrain the relatively early mineralization age of the Hengjian uranium deposit.

Zircon U-Pb Ages and Geochemistry of Permo-Carboniferous Mafic Intrusions in the Xilinhot Area, Inner Mongolia: Constraints on the Northward Subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB) resulted from accretion during the Paleozoic subduction of the PaleoAsian Ocean. The Xilinhot area in Inner Mongolia is located in the northern subduction zone of the central-eastern CAOB and outcropped a large number of late Paleozoic mafic intrusions. The characteristics of magma source and tectonic setting of the mafic intrusions and their response to the closure process of the Paleo-Asian Ocean are still controversial. This study presents LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb ages and geochemical features of mafic intrusions in the Xilinhot area to constrain the northward subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The mafic intrusions consist of gabbro, hornblende gabbro, and diabase. Their intrusion times can be divided into three stages of 326-321 Ma, 276 Ma and 254 Ma by zircon U-Pb ages. The first two stages of the 326-276 Ma intrusions mostly originated from subduction-modified continental lithospheric mantle sources that underwent a variable degree partial melting(5-30%), recording the subduction of oceanic crust. The third stage of the 254 Ma mafic rocks also show arc-related features. The primary magma compositions calculated by PRIMELT2 modeling on three samples of ~326 Ma and two samples of ~254 Ma show that these mafic samples are characterized by a variable range in SiO2(47.51-51.47 wt%), Al2O3(11.46-15.55 wt%), ΣFeO(8.27-9.61 wt%), MgO(13.01-15.18 wt%) and CaO(9.13-11.67 wt%), consisting with the features between enriched mantle and lower continental crust. The source mantle melting of mafic intrusions occurred under temperatures of 1302-1351°C and pressures of 0.92-1.30 GPa. The magmatic processes occurred near the crust-mantle boundary at about 33-45 km underground. Combined with previous studies, it is concluded that Carboniferous to early Permian(~326-275 Ma) northward subduction of the Paleo-Asian oceanic crust led to the formation of the mafic magmatism in the Baolidao arc zone. The whole region had entered the collision environment at ~254 Ma, but with subduction-related environments locally. The final collision between the North China craton and the South Mongolian microcontinent may have lasted until ca. 230 Ma.

LA-ICP-MS U-Pb Zircon Dating for Felsic Granulite, Huangtuling Area, North Dabieshan: Constraints on Timing of Its Protolith and Granulite-Facies Metamorphism, and Thermal Events in Its Provenance

Information about the protolith of the Huangtuling granulite in North Dabieshan has been unavailable. The complex evolution history of the rock and its host basement must be further discussed. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating was conducted on three textural domains in zircon from a high-temperature, high-pressure felsic granulite in the Huangtuling area, North Dabieshan, Central China. The metamorphic growth-derived detrital zircon domain yields a 207^ pb/206^Pb age in the range of （2 49±54 ） -- （2 500±180） Ma. The magmatic genesis-derived detrltal zircon domain gives a 207^pb/ 206^Pb age ranging from 2 628 Ma to 2 690 Ma, with an oldest 206^ pb/ 238^U age of （2 790 ± 150） Ma. The metamorphic overgrowth or metamorphic recrystallization zircon domain yields a diesordia with an upper intercept age of （2 044. 7 ± 29.3 ） Ma. Compositions of the mineral assemblage, major element geochemistry, and especially the complex interior texture of the zircon suggest that the prololith of the felsic granulite is of sedimentary origin. Results show that the protolith material of the granulite came from a provenance with a complex thermal history, i.e. -2.8 Ga magmatlsm and -2.5 Ga metamorphism, and was deposited in a basin not earlier than 2.5 Ga. The high-temperature and high-pressure granulite-facies metamorphic age was precisely constrained at （2.04±0.03） Ga, which indicates the granulite in Huangtuling area should be a relict of a Paleoproterozoic UHT （ultrahigh temperature） metamorphosed slab.

High-reliability zircon separation for hunting the oldest material on Earth： An automatic zircon separator with image-processing/microtweezers-manipulating system and double-step dating

Despite the recent development in radiometric dating of numerous zircons by LA-ICPMS, mineral separation still remains a major obstacle, particularly in the search for the oldest material on Earth. To improve the efficiency in zircon separation by an order of magnitude, we have designed/developed a new machine-an automatic zircon separator（AZS）. This is designed particularly for automatic pick-up of100 μm-sized zircon grains out of a heavy mineral fraction after conventional separation procedures. The AZS operates in three modes：（1） image processing to choose targeted individual zircon grains out of all heavy minerals spread on a tray,（2） automatic capturing of the individual zircon grains with microtweezers, and（3） placing them one-by-one in a coordinated alignment on a receiving tray. The automatic capturing was designed/created for continuous mineral selecting without human presence for many hours. This software also enables the registration of each separated zircon grain for dating, by recording digital photo-image, optical（color） indices, and coordinates on a receiving tray. We developed two new approaches for the dating; i.e.（1） direct dating of zircons selected by LA-ICPMS without conventional resin-mounting/polishing,（2） high speed U-Pb dating, combined with conventional sample preparation procedures using the new equipment with multiple-ion counting detectors（LA-MIC-ICPMS）.With the first approach, Pb-Pb ages obtained from the surface of a mineral were crosschecked with the interior of the same grain after resin-mounting/polishing. With the second approach, the amount of time required for dating one zircon grain is ca. 20 s, and a sample throughput of 〉150 grains per hour can be achieved with sufficient precision（ca. 0.5%）.We tested the practical efficiency of the AZS, by analyzing an Archean Jack Hills conglomerate in Western Australia with the known oldest（〉4.3 Ga） zircon on Earth. Preliminary results are positive; we were able to obtain more than 194 zircons that are over 4.0 Ga out of ca. 3800 checked grains, and 9 grains were over 4300 Ma with the oldest at 4371 ± 7 Ma. This separation system by AZS, combined with the new approaches, guarantees much higher yield in the hunt for old zircons.

SHRIMP Zircon U-Pb Dating of the Tongshi Magmatic Complex in Western Shandong and Its Geological Implications

The SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating result of the Tongshi magmatic complex in western Shandong is presented in this paper. The Tongshi magmatic complex comprises fine-grained porphyritic diorite and syenitic porphyry. Eighteen analyses for fine-grained porphyritic diorite gave two concordia ages, in which ten analyses constitute the young age group, giving ^206Pb/^238U ages ranging from 167.9 Ma to 183 Ma with a weighted mean age of 175.7±3.8 Ma, and the other eight yielded ^207Pb/^206Pb ages of 2502 Ma to 2554 Ma with a weighted mean 2518±11 Ma. Two analyses for syenitic porphyry gave ages of 2485 Ma and 2512 Ma, respectively. The age of 175.7±3.8 Ma indicates that the crystallization of the Tongshi magmatic complex occurred in the Middle Jurassic, whereas that of 2518±11 Ma is interpreted as the age of inherited magmatic zircons in the Neoarchean Wutai period.

U-Pb Zircon Geochronology and Geochemistry of Granitoids in the Douling Group in the Eastern Qinling

LA-ICPMS U-Pb zircon dating of the Sanpinggou, Gangou and Fengzishan granitoids in the Douling Group of the Eastern Qinling yields ages of 760-685 Ma, which represents a strong tectono-magmatic event in the southern Qinling during the late Neoproterozoic. Geochemical data show that these intrusions have wide compositions ranging from minor gabbros through diorites to granodiorites. They are relatively enriched in LILE, poor in HFSE and strongly depleted in Nb and Ta, displaying affinities of Ⅰ-type granites formed in an active continental margin with oceanic subduction. In contrast to granitoids, gabbros and enclaves in the granitoids have higher REE abundances, relatively flat REE patterns, lower LILE, slightly higher HFSE and more depletion in Nb and Ta. All these suggest that the gabbros were formed by partial melting of the upper mantle above the subduction zone and the granitoids by the partial melting of the lower crust. Combined with regional geological data, the subduction-related granitoids in the Douling Group, together with the Tuwushan A-type granite with an age of 725 Ma and contemporaneous basic dikes in the Wudang Block, provide evidence for local subduction of oceanic basins between different blocks during the rifting in the Southern Qinling in the Neoproterozoic. Thus, the coexistences of various magmatic rocks formed in different tectonic environments indicate a complicated tectonic evolution and variety of tectonic frameworks in the Qinling area in the Neoproterozoic.

Crustal growth history of the Korean Peninsula: Constraints from detrital zircon ages in modern river sediments

U-Pb analyses were carried out on detrital zircon grains from major river-mouth sediments draining South Korea to infer provenance characteristics and the crustal growth history of the southern Korean Peninsula, using a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer（LA-ICP-MS）. The Korean Peninsula is located in the East Asian continental margin and mainly comprises three Precambrian massifs and two metamorphic belts in between them. We obtained 515 concordant to slightly discordant zircon ages ranging from ca. 3566 to ca. 48 Ma. Regardless of river-mouth location, predominance of Mesozoic（249e79 Ma） and Paleoproterozoic（2491e1691 Ma） ages with subordinate Archean ages indicates that the zircon ages reflect present exposures of plutonic/metamorphic rocks in the drainage basins of the South Korean rivers and the crustal growth of the southern Korean Peninsula was focused in these two periods. Comparison of detrital zircon-age data between the North and South Korean river sediments reveals that the Paleoproterozoic zircon age distributions of both regions are nearly identical,while the Neoproterozoice Paleozoic ages exist and the Mesozoic ages are dominant in southern Korean Peninsula. This result suggests that Precambrian terrains in Korea record the similar pre-Mesozoic magmatic history and that the influence of Mesozoic magmatism was mainly focused in South Korea.

黑龙江桦南地区黑龙江杂岩锆石U-Pb定年

黑龙江杂岩主要由绿片岩相变质岩和糜棱岩化构造片岩组成,长期以来与麻山杂岩一起被认为代表佳木斯地块的前寒武纪基底,但这种认识缺乏可信的同位素年代学及古生物资料的支持。对出露于黑龙江省东部桦南地区湖南营组绿片岩进行了锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年研究。结果显示锆石的Th/U比值为0.27～1.27,变化较大;获得两组^(206)Ph/^(238)U年龄数据:其加权平均年龄分别为:511±10Ma(n=13,MSWD=1.6)和274.7±3.6Ma(n=9,MSWD=0.91)。黑龙江杂岩中最老的年龄969～747Ma表现来自中元古和新元古代。这些年龄与黑龙江杂岩的年龄与来自俯冲碰撞变质事件的～511Ma的年龄结合起来,表明黑龙江杂岩中含有经历晚新元古——早古生代造山作用的碎屑锆石,亦或代表着在俯冲拼贴过程中混入的麻山杂岩块体。～275Ma年龄反映黑龙江杂岩经历的一次碰撞造山事件,可能与晚古生代古亚洲洋闭合相关。

Geochronology Constraints on Transformation Age from Ductile to Brittle Deformation of the Shangma Fault and Its Tectonic Significance,Dabieshan,Central China

By a detailed investigation of geometry and kinematics of the Shangma （商麻） fault in Dabieshan （大别山）, three different crust levels of extension movement have been recognized in sequence from the deep to the shallow：① low-angle ductile detachment shearing with top to the NW; ② low-angle normal fault with top to the NW or NWW in brittle or brittle-ductile transition domain; ③ high-angle brittle normal fault with top to the W or NWW. Two samples were chosen for zircon U-Pb age dating to constrain the activity age of the Shangma fault. A bedding intrusive granitoid pegmatite vein that is parallel to the foliation of the low-angle ductile detachment shear zone of the country rock exhibits a lotus-joint type of boudinage deformation, showing syn-tectonic emplacing at the end of the ductile deformation period and deformation in the brittle-ductile transition domain. The zircon U-Pb dating of this granitoid pegmatite vein gives an age of （125.9±4.2） Ma, which expresses the extension in the brittle-ductile transition domain of the Shangma fault. The other sample, which is collected from a granite pluton cutting the foliation of the low-angle ductile detachment shear zone, gives a zircon U-Pb age of （118.8±4.1） Ma, constraining the end of the ductile detachment shearing. Then the transformation age from ductile to brittle deformation can be constrained between 126-119 Ma. Combined with the previous researches, the formation of the Luotian （罗田） dome, which is locatedto the east of the Shangma fault, can be constrained during 150-126 Ma. This study gives a new time constraint to the evolution of the Dabie orogenic belt.

Redefinition and Formation Age of the Tanjianshan Group in Xitieshan Region, Qinghai

The Tanjianshan Group,which was previously divided into a,b,c and d formations,has been controversial for a long time.It mainly distributes in the northern margin of Qaidam Basin and is an important early Paleozoic greenschist facies metamorphic volcanic sedimentary rock formation.Detailed field investigation and zircon LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating of the key strata suggest that the original lower part of a Formation （a-1） versus the original middle upper of d Formation （d-3 and d-4）,the original upper part of a Formation （a-2） and b Formation versus the original lower part of d Formation （d-1 and d-2） of Tanjianshan Group are contemporaneous heterotopic facies volcanicclasolite deposit,respectively.The former formations formed during the middle-late Ordovician （463-458 Ma）,while the latter ones formed in the late Ordovician （about 445 Ma）.The original c formation of Tanjianshan Group,which formed after 430 Ma,is similar to the Maoniushan Formation of Kunlun Mountains and north Qaidam Basin.According to the rules of stratigraphic division and naming,new stratum formations of Tanjianshan Group are re-built and divided into Duancenggou （O1-2td）,Zhongjiangou （O2-3tz） and Xitieshan （O3tx） formations.The original c Formation is separated from Tanjianshan Group and is renamed as the Wuminggou Formation （S3-D1W）,which shows a discordant contact with underlying Tanjianshan Group and overlying Amunike Formation （D3a）.The zircon U-Pb age frequency spectrogram of Tanjianshan Group indicates three prominent peaks of 430 Ma,460 Ma and 908 Ma,which is consistent with the metamorphic and magmatic crystallization ages obtained from para-and orthogneisses in north Qaidam HP-UHP metamorphic belt,implying that strong Caledonian and Jinningian tectonic and magmatic events have ever happened in North Qaidam.

Age of the Marwar Supergroup,NW India:A note on the U–Pb geochronology of Jodhpur Group felsic volcanics

The Marwar Supergroup(NW Peninsular India)is thought to be of Ediacaran-Cambrian age,based on previous paleontological and geochronological studies.However,direct constraints on the onset of sedimentation within the Marwar basin are still scarce.In this study,we report U–Pb zircon,LA-ICP-MS,and SIMS ages from the Chhoti Khatu felsic volcanic rocks,interlayered with the Jodhpur Group sandstones(Lower Marwar Supergroup).The cathodoluminescence images of the zircons indicate complex morphologies,and core-rim textures coupled with the wide range of ages indicate that they are likely inherited or in the case of thin poorly indurated ash-beds,detrital in origin.The age spectra of 68 zircon analyses from our sampling display a dominant 800–900 Ma age peak corresponding to the age of basement"Erinpura granite"rocks in the region.The youngest inherited zircon from a felsic ash layer yielded a U–Pb age of651 Ma±18 Ma that,together with previous studies and paleontological evidence,indicates a postCryogenian age for the initiation of Marwar sedimentation following a~125 Ma hiatus between the end of Malani magmatism and Marwar deposition.

In situ LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of ultrahigh-pressure eclogites in the Yukahe area, northern Qaidam Basin

Zircon grains were selected from two types of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) eclogites, coarse-grained phengite eclogite and fine-grained massive eclogite, in the Yukahe area, the western part of the North Qaidam UHP metamorphic belt. Most zircon grains show typical metamorphic origin with residual cores in some irregular grains and sector, planar or misty internal textures on the cathodoluminescence (CL) images. The contents of REE and HREE of the core parts of grains range from 173 to 1680 μg/g and 170 to 1634 μg/g, respectively, in phengite eclogite, and from 37 to 2640 (g/g and 25.7 to 1824 μg/g, respectively, in massive eclogite. The core parts exhibit HREE-enriched patterns, representing the residual zircons of protolith of the Yukahe eclogite. The contents of REE and HREE of the rim parts and the grains free of residual cores are much lower than those for the core parts. They vary from 13.1 to 89.5 (g/g and 12.5 to 85.7 μg/g, respectively, in phengite eclogite, and from 9.92 to 45.8 μg/g and 9.18 to 43.8 (g/g, respectively, in massive eclogite. Negative Eu anomalies and Th/U ratios decrease from core to rim. Positive Eu anomalies are shown in some grains. These indicate that the presence of garnet and the absence of plagioclase in the peak metamorphic mineral assemblage, and the zircons formed under eclogite facies conditions. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age data indicate that phengite eclogite and massive eclogite have similar metamorphic age of 436±3Ma and 431±4Ma in the early Paleozoic and magmatic protolith age of 783―793 Ma and 748―759 Ma in the Neo-proterozoic. The weighted mean age of the metamorphic ages (434±2 Ma) may represent the UHP metamorphic age of the Yukahe eclogites. The metamorphic age is well consistent with their direct country rocks of gneisses (431(3 Ma and 432±19 Ma) and coesite-bearing pelitic schist in the Yematan UHP eclogite section (423―440 Ma). These age data together with field observation and lithology, allow us to conclude that the Yukahe eclogites were Neo-proterozoic igneous rocks and may have experienced subduction and UHP metamorphism with continental crust at deep mantle during the early Paleozoic, therefore the metamorphic age of 434±2 Ma of the Yukahe eclogites probably represents the continental deep subduction time in this area.

Age assignment of the Upper Carboniferous Arbasay Formation in Shichang Region,North Tianshan(NW China)

The North Tianshan Orogenic Belt contains the youngest ophiolites in the Tianshan and provides some information on timing of the last closure of the Junggar-Balkhash Ocean. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating was conducted to define the formation age of the Arbasay Formation in the Shichang Region of North Tianshan, which is exposed near the suture zone but its age remains debated. The Arbasay Formation is mainly composed of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks with tuft interlayers. The zircons from the tufts yield two age populations of 315 ± 3 Ma and 304 ± 2 Ma, constraining the commencement and demise timings of volcanism, respectively. Furthermore, zircon U-Pb age spectra of the tuffaceous sandstones display the youngest peak age at 308 Ma, indicating a 〈 308 Ma age for the depositional age of volcaniclastic rocks. The volcaniclastic rocks therefore were likely to deposit together with the syn-sedimentary volcanism during Late Carboniferous. This means that the Arbasay Formation in Shichang Region should be re-assigned to Late Carboniferous in age. Given that the Arbasay Formation was likely to be formed during the tectonic transition from compression to extension, the Junggar-Balkhash Ocean possibly closed during Late Carboniferous.

Structure and deformation around the Gyirong basin, north Himalaya, and onset of the south Tibetan detachment system

Gyirong basin and its adjacent area are located at a special position in the Himalayan orogen, where the south Tibetan detachment system (STDS) and N-S trending rift converged. The north Himalayan orogen here can be divided into five petrologic-tectonic units successively from south to north: 1) the Greater Himalayan crystalline complex (GHC); 2) the STDS shear zone; 3) the Tethyan Himalayan sedimentary sequence (THS); 4) the late Cenozoic sedimentary basins, such as Gyirong and Oma basins; and 5) the Malashan gneiss dome. Structural studies show that this area experienced four stages of deformation: 1) the earlier south-directed thrusting, preserved both in the GHC and THS; 2) top-down-to-north slip along the STDS, normal faults related to this slip formed the early controlling structures of the Cenozoic basins,and the tilted pattern of the blocks between the basins indicated a north-directed slip; 3) east-west extension, the resultant N-S trending normal fault formed the eastern boundary of the basins; and 4) late gravitational collapse. Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating on the syn-deformational (leuco-) granite along the STDS indicates that the major activity of the STDS occurred at ca. 26 Ma, but its onset may have begun as early as ca. 36 Ma.