Genetic Mechanism of Mineral Inclusions in Zircons from the Khondalite Series, Southeastern Inner Mongolia

The early Precambrian khondalite series is widely distributed in theJining-Zhuozi-Fengzhen-Liangcheng area, southeastern Inner Mongolia. The khondalite series mainlyconsists of sillimanite garnet potash feldspar (or two-feldspar) gneiss and garnet biotiteplagioclase gneiss. These gneissic rocks have commonly experienced granulite-facies metamorphism. Inzircons separated from sillimanite garnet potash feldspar gneisses, many mineral inclusions,including Sil, Grt, Ky, Kfs, Qtz and Ap, have been identified by the Laser Raman spectroscopy.Generally, prograde metamorphic mineral inclusion assemblages such as Ky + Kfs + Qtz + Ap and Ky +Grt + Kfs + Qtz are preserved in the core of zircon, while peak granulite-facies metamorphicminerals including Sil + Grt + Kfs + Qtz and Sil + Gif + Kfs + Qtz + Ap are identified in the mantleand rim of the same zircon. However, in some zircons are only preserved the peak metamorphicminerals such as Sil + Grt + Kfs + Qtz and Sil + Grt + Kfs + Qtz + Ap from core to rim, and inothers are inherited the primary cores with minor mineral inclusions of Kfs + Qtz, with peakmetamorphic mineral inclusions around the inherited cores. These data indicate that the mineralassemblage evolution of sillimanite garnet potash feldspar gneisses in the study are did experiencea polymorphic transformation of kyanite to sillimanite. In garnet biotite plagioclase gneisses,secondary electron microscopic images reveal that most zircons display distinct zoning textures,which comprise cores and rims, each with distinctive inclusion assemblages. The inherited mineralinclusions, mainly consisting of Kfs + Pl + Qtz, Kfs + Qtz and Kfs + Qtz + Ap, are preserved in theprimary cores, while peak granulite-facies mineral asemblages, including Grt + Bt + Pl + Qtz + Ap,Grt + Bt + Pl + Qtz and Grt + Bt + Pl + Qtz + Rt, are identified on the rims. The occurrence of peakmetamorphic mineral inclusions in zircons indicates that these gneissic rocks, includingsillimanite garnet potash feldspar gneiss and garnet biotite plagioclase gneiss, have experiencedgranulite-facies metamorphism. Secondary electron microscopic images of zircons from the khondaliteseries display distinct zoning from core to rim, and are genetically related to the primary,prograde, and peak metamorphic mineral inclusion assemblages respectively. These images revealirregular zoning patterns and varying thickness of cores and rims. The abundance of inclusionscomplicates the conventional U-Pb age dating. Therefore, the SHRIMP micro-spot U-Pb method isessential for the protolith and metamorphic age dating of the khondalite series, southeastern InnerMongolia.

Discovery of khondalite series from the western segment of Altyn Tagh and their petrological and geochronological studies

The khondalite series, which are characterized by aluminum-rich gneisses (schists) consisting of sillimanite-garnet-biotite-monzonite gneiss, garnet-biotite-monzonite gneiss, graphite-sillimanite-biotite schist, and garnet-amphibole two-pyroxene granulites occurring as lenses and layers within gneisses (schists), were discovered in Tula area of western segment of Altyn Tagh. The petrology and geochemistry indicate that the protoliths of aluminum-rich gneisses (schists) are aluminum-rich pelitic and pelitic arenaceous sedimentary rocks, the protoliths of basic granulites are continental tholeiitic basalts. Therefore, the khondalite series may be produced at continental margin. They had suffered granulitic facies metamorphism with peak temperatures of 700–850°C and pressures of 0.8–1.2 GPa. The U-Pb and Pb-Pb isotopic dating of zircons provided the ages of 447–462 Ma representing the ages of peak granulitic metamorphism. The U-Pb dating of detrital zircons from aluminum-rich gneisses yielded older upper intercept ages which reflect the times of older materials derived from source rocks of the gneiss protoliths.

Archean Basement and a Paleoproterozoic Collision Orogen in the Huoqiu Area at the Southeastern Margin of North China Craton: Evidence from Sensitive High Resolution Ion Micro-Probe U-Pb Zircon Geochronology

This paper reports sensitive high resolution ion micro-probe U-Pb zircon ages for the ＂Huoqiu Group＂ and granitoids of the Early Precambrian basement in the Huoqiu area, southeastern margin of the North China Craton. The ＂Huoqiu Group＂ is similar in rock association and metamorphism to the khondalite series, apart from it containing considerable amounts of banded iron formation. All detrital zircons from the ＂Huoqiu Group＂ meta-sedimentary rocks are 3.0 Ga and 2.75 Ga, without any 2.5 Ga and younger ones, as is commonly found in Paleoproterozoic khondalite series in other areas of the North China Craton. In the Huoqiu area, 2.75 Ga and 2.56 Ga granitoids have also been identified. This basement assemblage underwent strong metamorphism during the late Paleoproterozoic （-1.84 Ga） tectonothermal event that is widely developed in the North China Craton. Thus the formation time of the ＂Huoqiu Group＂ can be constrained between 2.75 and 1.84 Ga in terms of detrital and metamorphic zircon ages. It is considered, combined with regional data, that there may be a Paleoproterozoic collision orogen extending in a NWW-SEE direction to the southern margin of the North China Craton.

Geochemistry of khondalites from the central portion of North China craton (NCC):implications for the continental cratonization in the Neoarchean

Within the high-grade metamorphic basement, the central portion of North China Craton (NCC), a group of Neoarchean khondalites (KS) is identified. They are characterized by large ion lithophile elements (LILE) enrichment, lower abundances of Zr, Hf and Sr. Their rare earth element (REE) distribution has significant LREE enrichment and negative Eu anomalies. The protoliths of KS are interpreted as feldspathic quartzite, shale or pelite and carbonite, deposited in a shallow sea upon cratonic shelf distant from the land. KS’s source region might be dominated by granitic rocks, with a minor amount of TTG, underwent comparatively severe chemical weathering. Considering relevent tectonic constraints, we suggest that khondalites from central portion of NCC, an important metamophosed sedimentary cover, are the most significant exogenetic marker of Neoarchean continental cratonization for NCC.