The coupling control of biological precursors and environmental factors onβ-carotane enrichment in alkaline lacustrine source rocks:A case study from the Fengcheng formation in the western Junggar Basin,NW China

The organic-rich mudstones and dolostones of the Permian Fengcheng Formation(Fm.)are typically alkaline lacustrine source rocks,which are typified by impressively abundantβ-carotane.Abundant β-carotane has been well acknowledged as an effective indicator of biological sources or depositional environments.However,the specific biological sources of β-carotane and the coupling control of biological sources and environmental factors on the enrichment of β-carotane in the Fengcheng Fm.remains obscure.Based on a comprehensive investigation of the bulk,molecular geochemistry,and organic petrology of sedimentary rocks and the biochemistry of phytoplankton in modern alkaline lakes,we proposed a new understanding of the biological precursors of β-carotane and elucidated the enrichment mechanism of β-carotane in the Fengcheng Fm.The results show that the biological precursors crucially control the enrichment of β-carotane in the Fengcheng Fm.The haloalkaliphilic cyanobacteria are the primary biological sources of β-carotane,which is suggested by a good positive correlation between the 2-methylhopane index,7-+8-methyl heptadecanes/C_(max),C_(29%),and β-carotane/C_(max)in sedimentary rocks and the predominance of cyanobacteria with abundantβ-carotene in modern alkaline lakes.The enrichment of β-carotane requires the reducing condition,and the paleoredox state that affects the enrichment of β-carotane appears to have a threshold.The paleoclimate conditions do not considerably impact the enrichment of β-carotane,but they have some influence on the water's paleosalinity by affecting evaporation and precipitation.While it does not directly affect the enrichment of β-carotane in the Fengcheng Fm.,paleosalinity does have an impact on the cyanobacterial precursor supply and the preservation conditions.

Factors Controlling Organic Matter Enrichment in Alkaline Lacustrine Source Rocks:A Case Study of the Late Paleozoic Fengcheng Formation in the Junggar Basin,NW China

The late Paleozoic Fengcheng Formation shale(LPF shale)in the Junggar Basin,NW China,is the oldest alkaline source rock discovered in the world,providing a unique perspective with which to explore organic matter(OM)enrichment in alkaline lake environments.Combined with the organic carbon isotope profile and paleoenvironmental proxies,this study reveals that the LPF shale was deposited in an arid climate with high salinity and a strong reducing environment,accompanied by frequent volcanic activity.High TOC values are concentrated in two intervals with frequent fluctuations in OM types.A negative excursion due to changes in sedimentary OM source is found in the δ^(13)C_(org) profile.The excursion corresponds to the OM enrichment interval and is accompanied by abnormally high values of Sr/Ba and Sr/Cu.This implies that the extreme arid climate has led to high salinity,resulting in strong reducibility and changes in paleontological assemblages,which in turn controlled the differential enrichment of OM.The Fengcheng Fm.high-quality source rocks are the result of the combined action of climatic events,volcanism,high-salinity water environment and superior hydrocarbon-generating organisms.The results provide new insights into the formation conditions of terrestrial alkaline high-quality source rocks and the factors controlling alkaline OM enrichment.

Geodynamic Background of Intracontinental Cenozoic Alkaline Volcanic Rocks in Laojiezi, Western Yangtze Craton: Constraints from Sr-Nd-Hf-O Isotopes

The Laojiezi alkaline volcanic rocks, which are located in the intraplate region of the Yangtze craton, coincide with the formation of the Jinshajiang-Ailaoshan-Red River alkaline rock belt. Although this belt has been widely studied by geologists because of its porphyry-related Pb-Ag-Au polymetallic deposit and geotectonic location, the material sources of this belt are still debate. Whole-rock analyses show that these rocks have high total alkali contents(3.73–11.08 wt%), and their aluminum saturation index(ASI) values widely vary from 0.82 to 3.07, which comprise a metaluminous-peraluminous magma series. These rocks are characterized by high K(K2 O/Na2 O>1) and low Ti and Mg contents; enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements, such as Rb, Ba, K and light rare earth elements; and depletion in high field strength elements, such as Ta, Nb, P, and Ti. These rocks exhibit moderate Eu(Eu/Eu*=0.86–1.04) and Ce(Ce/Ce*=0.63–0.96) anomalies. Their(87 Sr/86 Sr)i, εNd(t), zircon εHf(t) and δ18 O values range from 0.70839 to 0.71013, from-10.16 to-12.45, from-19.6 to-5.8, and from 5.69‰ to 8.54‰, respectively, and their Nd and Hf two-stage model ages(TDM2) are 1.67–1.86 Ga and 1.27–2.02 Ga, respectively. These data reflect the primary partial melting of Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic lower crust with minor residual continental lithospheric mantle and supracrustal metasediments. The lithosphere was likely thickened along the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau following the Indian-Asian continentcontinent collision(65–41 Ma). During the post-collision phase(36–16 Ma), the transition from a compressional to extensional setting triggered the convective removal of the over-thickened CLM beneath the Yangtze craton, which led to the upwelling of asthenospheric materials. This process created alkali-rich and high-K magma through the partial melting of the thickened lower crust. Magma that carried Cu-Au-Pb-Ag minerals was emplaced by strike-slip motion along the E-to W-or ENE-to WSWtrending tectonically weak zone, finally forming an alkaline porphyry Cu-Au-Pb-Ag polymetallic deposit.

Spatial Distribution and Ages of Alkaline Intrusive Rocks in China and Related Tectonics

: On the basis of the geological data from 220 intrusions and isotope ages of 115 rock bodies, the paper discusses the distribution of 18 alkaline intrusive rock belts along deep faults and their relations to the plate tectonic activity. In view of the presence of a large amount of Variscan alkaline rocks of deep-source character, it is inferred that mantle diapirism was very strong in China during the Variscan. Besides anorogenic and postorogenic alkaline granites, there also occur alkaline granites formed in the terminal orogenic stage when the regional tectonic activity was of compressional nature. Finally, the paper discusses the tectonic environment of the Maoniuping nordmarkite in Mianning county, Sichuan province, and the authors consider it to be a compressional environment originating after rift closing.

Geochemical constraints on the origin of Early Cretaceous alkaline intrusions and its tectonic implication,Sulu Orogenic Belt,Eastern North China Craton

Post-orogenic alkaline intrusions from the Sulu Orogenic Belt of eastern North China Craton consist of A-type granites.In this study,we report U-Pb zircon ages,geochemical data,Sr-Nd-Pb,and zircon Hf isotopic data for these rocks.The LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon analyses yield consistent ages ranging from 127.1±2.4 to 119.5±4.8 Ma for four samples.The alkaline rocks are characterized by high total alkalis(K2 O+Na2 O=8.32-10.11 wt%),light rare-earth element enrichment,and heavy rare-earth element depletion,with a wide range(La/Yb)N values(20-48),moderate negative Eu anomalies(Eu/Eu*=0.50-0.74),enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements(LILEs,i.e.,Rb,Th,U and Pb),and depletion in Ba,Sr and high field strength elements(HFSEs,i.e.,Nb,Ta,and Ti),high(87Sr/86Sr)i ranging from 0.708 to 0.7089,low sNd(t)values from-19.4 to-16.8,(206Pb/204Pb)i=16.751-16.935,(207Pb/204Pb)i=15.381-15.535,(208-Pb/204Pb)i=37.472-37.838,negativeεHf(t)values between-21.3 and-25.7 for the magmatic zircons,and larger TDM2 model ages from 2.5 to 2.8 Ga.These results suggest that the rocks were derived from a common enriched lithospheric mantle source that was metasomatized by foundered lower crustal eclogitic materials before magma generation.Furthermore,the geochemical and isotopic feature implies that the primary magma of these rocks originated through partial melting of ancient lithospheric mantle that was variably hybridized by melts derived from lower crust eclogite.These rocks in this study may have been generated by subsequent fractionation of potassium feldspar,plagioclase,ilmenite,and/or rutile.However,negligible crustal contamination occurred during the diagenesis process.

Extreme Mantle Heterogeneity beneath the Jingpohu Area,Northeastern China-Geochemical Evidence of Holocene Basaltic Rock

Holocene basaltic rocks of the Jingpohu area are located in the “Crater Forest” and Hamatang districts to the northwest of the Jingpohu Lake. Although there is only a distance of 15 km between the two districts, their petrological characteristics are very different: alkaline olivine basalt without any megacrysts in the former, and leucite tephrite with Ti-amphibole, phlogopite and anorthoclasite megacrysts in the latter. On the basis of their geochemical characteristics, the two types of basaltic rocks should belong to weakly sodian alkaline basalts. But leucite tephrite is characterized by higher Al2O3, Na2O and K2O, higher enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE) and large ion lithophile elements (LILE), lower MgO and CaO, compatible elements and moderately compatible elements and lower Mg*values and Na/K ratios in comparison with alkaline olivine basalt. However, the two types of basaltic rocks have similar Sr, Nd, Pb isotopic compositions, which suggests that the mantle beneath the Jingpohu area was homogeneous before undergoing some geological processes about 3490 years ago. As the activity of the mantle plume led to different degrees of metasomatism, extreme mantle source heterogeneities occurred beneath the Jingpohu area. In comparison with alkaline olivine basalt, the leucite tephrite was derived from the more enriched mantle source region and resulted from strong metasomatism.

Origin and tectonic setting of low-Si alkaline magma

Despite of the relatively rare occurrence of alkaline igneous rocks on Earth, they are the most diverse group of igneous rocks due to variations in their mineral assemblages and geochemical compositions. Alkaline igneous rocks are generally characterized by Si undersaturation, and K-Na(and in some cases C) enrichment. Although there is no unified alkaline igneous rock classification scheme, diagrams such as total alkalis-SiO_(2) or K_(2)O-SiO_(2) can be used to classify alkaline igneous rocks. The origins of silica-saturated alkaline rocks(SiO_(2)>52 wt.%) are relatively complex because multiple episodes of magmatism are often involved, therefore most studies have focused on the origins of silica-undersaturated alkaline magmas.Numerous experimental petrological studies have been conducted in the past few decades. Initially, it was considered that enrichment of trace elements was only achieved by low-degree partial melting of mantle peridotite, but the experimental melts could not reproduce the geochemical composition of natural alkaline igneous rocks. Subsequent studies have focused on carbonate-bearing eclogites that represent the average component of subducted oceanic crust. Although experimental studies indicate that silica-undersaturated and alkali-oversaturated melts can be generated from eclogites, some studies have considered that natural silica-undersaturated alkaline igneous rocks are the result of multi-stage source enrichment by incompatible elements. Low-degree partial melts of the mantle can be emplaced in the lithospheric mantle, forming veins consisting of phlogopite, amphibole, and pyroxene. Melting experiments including these components show that the produced melts better reproduce the naturally occurring silica-undersaturated alkaline magmas. Silica-deficient alkaline igneous rocks occur in various tectonic settings. Those in intraplate and divergent settings(i.e., mainly continental rifts) normally involve contributions from recycled components such as subducted slabs at the mantle transition zone(MTZ) or metasomatized lithospheric mantle. At convergent plate boundaries, silica-undersaturated alkaline magmas can be derived by the melting of mélange or the focused breakdown of phlogopite at back-arc depths. We compiled global data for alkaline igneous rocks and discovered that silicaundersaturated alkaline igneous rocks in continental collisional zones are K-rich and differ from those from other tectonic settings. We suggest that subducted continental sediment is an important K-rich end-member, which contributes a large amount of K to the alkaline magmas in the collision zone. Moreover, the solidus of K-rich minerals in the subducted plate implies that K can only participate in magmatism in the subduction zone. Before the plate reaches a depth of ~300 km, the mica-group minerals,K-feldspar, evaporitic minerals, and other K-rich minerals are gradually consumed and rarely participate in deeper processes. In contrast, relatively Na-rich minerals such as pyroxene can be transported into the deeper mantle with eclogitic oceanic crust, and the resultant melt can enter the lithosphere owing to convective mantle flow. This forms metasomatic minerals, such as amphibole, in the lithospheric mantle, which melt to generate Na-rich and low-Si alkaline magmas.

A New Type of Rare Metal Deposit:The Yushishan Leptynite-Type Nb-Ta Deposit in Eastern Altun,Gansu Province,NW China

The Yusishan deposit is a newly found leptynite-type niobium and tantalum(Nb-Ta)deposit,which is located in the Eastern Altun of Gansu Province.The leptynite of the Neoproterozoic Aoyougou Formation occurs more than 10 km long and 3 km wide.In this paper,we carried out a detailed study of the leptynite and related mineralization.The U-Pb dating of zircon reveals ages of 831±5 Ma and 790±5 Ma for the unmineralized leptynite and 491±4 Ma and 455±4 Ma for the mineralized leptynite.The petrographic and geochemical evidence identified the protolith of the leptynite as alkalin e volcanic rocks that erupted during Neoproterozoic at ca.830 Ma.At ca.490 Ma,the tectono-magmatic and metamorphic event triggered remobilization and enrichment of Nb-Ta as well as other critical metals(REE,Zr,Hf etc)with the formation of industry orebodies in the leptynite strata.The Yushishan deposit presents many similarities with the alkaline volcanic rocks related rare metal deposits in the south Qinling of China and the Brochman,Toogni and Southern Peak Range deposits in Australian.We therefore propose that the Yushishan deposit is a new type(sub-type)of Nb-Ta deposit and termed as leptynite type that represents the metamorphic counterpart of the alkaline volcanic rocks related rare metal deposits.

Geochronology,petrology,and geochemistry of the Yaojiazhuang ultramafic-syenitic complex from the North China Craton

The Yaojiazhuang ultramafic-syenitic complex is one of the representative Triassic alkaline plutons on the northern margin of the North China Craton （NCC）. Based on detailed study of the zircon U-Pb age, petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical data of the complex, the characteristics of the magmas system, the petrogenesis of different rock types, and the nature of the mantle source were discussed to provide new constraints on the origin and tectonic setting of the Triassic alkaline belt. Cumu- lus ultramafic rocks, clinopyroxene-syenites and syenites are the main rock types of the complex. The zircons from the sye- nites yielded a U-Pb age of 209 Ma. Diopside-augite, biotite, and sanidine-orthoclase are the major minerals, with subordinate apatite and magnetite. Rocks from the complex are enriched in large ion lithophile elements （LILE） and light rare earth ele- ments （LREE）, depleted in high field strength elements （HFSE） and heavy rare earth elements （HREE）, and the initial 878r]86Sr ranges from 0.7057 to 0.7061 and eNd（t） from -9.4 to -11.4. Mineralogy and geochemical data demonstrate that the parent magma of the complex is SiO2-undersaturated ultrapotassic alkaline-peralkaline, and is characterized by high CaO content and fluid compositions （P205, CO2, H20）, and by high oxygen fugacity and high temperature. The complex was originated from a phlogopite-clinopyroxenite-rich lithospheric mantle source in the garnet-stable area （〉 80 km） that had previously been meta- somatized by melts/fluids from altered oceanic crust. The parent magma has been contaminated by little ancient TTG gneisses during magma emplacement. The development of the Yaojiazhuang complex indicates that the northern margin of the NCC has entered into an extensively extensional regime in the Late Triassic.

Origin of Baotoudong syenites in North China Craton:Petrological, mineralogical and geochemical evidence

Baotoudong syenite pluton is located to the east of Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, the westernmost part of the Trias- sic alkaline magmatic belt along the northern margin of the North China Craton （NCC）. Zircon U-Pb age, petrological, miner- alogical and geochemical data of the pluton were obtained in this paper, to constrain its origin and mantle source characteris- tics. The pluton is composed of nepheline-clinopyroxene syenite and alkali-feldspar syenite, with zircon U-Pb age of 214.7±1.1 Ma. Diopside （cores）-aegirine-augite （rims）, biotite, orthoclase and nepheline are the major minerals. The Bao- toudong syenites have high contents of rare earth elements （REE）, and are characterized by enrichment in light rare earth ele- ments （LREE） and large ion lithophile elements （LILE; e.g., Rb, Ba, Sr）, depletion in heavy rare earth elements （HREE） and high field strength elements （HFSE）. They show enriched Sr-Nd isotopic compositions with initial 87Sr/86Sr ranging from 0.7061 to 0.7067 and eNd（t） values from -9.0 to -11.2. Mineralogy, petrology and geochemical studies show that the parental magma of the syenites is SiO2-undersaturated potassic-ultrapotassic, and is characterized by high contents of CaO, Fe2O3, K2O, Na2O and fluid compositions （H2O）, and by high temperature and high oxygen fugacity. The syenites were originated from a phlogopite-rich, enriched lithospheric mantle source in garnet-stable area （〉80 km）. The occurrence of the Baotoudong sye- nites, together with many other ultrapotassic, alkaline complexes of similar ages on the northern margin of the NCC in Late Triassic implies that the lithospheric mantle beneath the northern margin of the NCC was previously metasomatized by melts/fluids from the subducted, altered paleo-Mongolian oceanic crust, and the northern margin of the craton has entered into an extensively extensional regime as a destructive continental margin in Late Triassic.