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.

SRXRF Experiments and Analytical Methods of Mineral Individual Fluid Inclusions

This paper focuses on the micro-beam and trace element non-destructive experiment and analytical method of mineral fluid inclusions by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SRXRF） microprobe at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility （BSRF）. The experimental instrument, measurement process and calculating method are introduced. A set of oil- and gas-containing typical mineral fluid inclusions taken from the Tazhong and Lunnan oilfields in the Tarim Basin were analyzed non-destructively. The trace element contents in the fluid inclusions may provide guidance for oil and gas exploration and development.

Metallogenic Processes:Evidencesfrom Zoning Patterns of Mineralization and alteration and fluid inclusion geochemistryin the Lehong Zn-Pb Deposit in Northeastern Yunnan, China

1 Introduction The large clusters of Zn-Pb deposits in northeastern Yunnan,located in the southwestern margin of the Yangtze Block,are an important part of the Sichuan-YunnanGuizhou Pb-Zn Poly-metallic Metallogenic Triangle Area

Protolith ages and timing of peak and retrograde metamorphism of the high-pressure granulites in the Shandong Peninsula,eastern North China Craton

High-pressure （HP） granulites widely occur as enclaves within tonalite-trondhjemite- granodiorite （TTG） gneisses of the Early Precambrian metamorphic basement in the Shandong Peninsula, southeast part of the North China Craton （NCC）. Based on cathodoluminescence （CL）, laser Raman spec- troscopy and in-situ U-Pb dating, we characterize the zircons from the HP granulites and group them into three main types： inherited （magmatic） zircon, HP metamorphic zircon and retrograde zircon. The inher- ited zircons with clear or weakly defined magmatic zoning contain inclusions of apatites, and 207pb/206pb ages of 2915--2890 Ma and 2763--2510 Ma, correlating with two magmatic events in the Archaean base- ment. The homogeneous HP metamorphic zircons contain index minerals of high-pressure metamor- phism including garnet, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, quartz, rutile and apatite, and yield 207pb/2066pb ages between 1900 and 1850 Ma, marking the timing of peak HP granulite facies metamorphism. The retrograde zircons contain inclusions of orthopyroxene, plagioclase, quartz, apatite and amphibole, and yield the youngest 207pb/206pb ages of 1840-1820 Ma among the three groups, which we correlate to the medium to low-pressure granulite facies retrograde metamorphism. The data presented in this study suggest subduction of Meso- and Neoarchean magmatic protoliths to lower crust depths where they were subjected to HP granulite facies metamorphism during Palaeoproterozoic （1900-1850 Ma）. Subse- quently, the HP granulites were exhumated to upper crust levels, and were ovel-printed by medium to low-pressure granulite and amphibolite facies retrograde event at ca. 1840--820 Ma.

Ultrahigh-pressure and Retrograde Metamorphic Ages for Paleozoic Protolith of Paragneiss in the Main Drill Hole of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project(CCSD-MH),SW Sulu UHP Terrane

Laser Raman spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence （CL） images show that most zircon crystals separated from paragneiss in the main drill hole of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project （CCSD-MH） at Maobei, southwestern Sulu terrane, contain low-pressure mineral-bearing detrital cores, coesite-bearing mantles and quartz-bearing or mineral inclusion-free rims. SHRIMP U-Pb dating on these zoned zircons yield three discrete and meaningful age groups. The detrital cores yield a large age span from 659 to 313 Ma, indicating the protolith age for the analyzed paragnelss is Paleozoic rather than Proterozoic. The coesite-bearing mantles yield a weighted mean age of 228 ± 5 Ma for the UHP event. The quartz-bearing outmost rims yield a weighted mean age of 213 ± 6 Ma for the retrogressive event related to the regional amphibolite facies metamorphism in the Sulu UHP terrane. Combined with previous SHRIMP U-Pb dating results from orthogneiss in CCSD-MH, it is suggested that both Neoproterozoic granitic protolith and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks were subducted to mantle depths in the Late Triassic. About 15 million years later, the Sulu UHP metamorphic rocks were exhumed to mid-crustal levels and overprinted by an amphibolite-facies retrogressive metamorphism. The exhumation rate deduced from the SHRIMP data and metamorphic P-T conditions is about 6.7 km/Ma. Such a fast exhumation suggests that the Sulu UHP paragnelss and orthogneiss returned towards the surface as a dominant part of a buoyant sliver, caused as a consequence of slab breakoff.

A new model for chromitite formation in ophiolites: Fluid immiscibility

Although the involvement of hydrous fluids has been widely invoked in formation of podiform chromitites in ophiolites, there is lack of natural evidence to signify the role and mechanism of fluids. In this study, a new model for the genesis of podiform chromitite is proposed on basis of revisits of comprehensive petrological, mineralogical and geochemical results of the well-preserved K?z?lda? ophiolite and the well-characterized Luobusa chromite deposit. In this model, ascending magmas intruding oceanic lithospheric mantle would presumably form a series of small magma chambers continuously connected by conduits. Tiny chromite nuclei would collect fluids dispersed in such magmas to form nascent droplets. They tend to float upward in the magma chamber and would be easily transported upward by flowing magmas. Chromite-rich droplets would be enlarged via coalescence of dispersed droplets during mingling and circulation in the magma chamber and/or transport in magma conduits. Crystallization of the chromite-rich liquid droplets would proceed from the margin of the droplet inward, leaving liquid entrapped within grains as precursor of mineral inclusions. With preferential upward transportation, immiscible chromite-rich liquids would coalesce to a large pool in a magma chamber. Large volumes of chromite would crystallize in situ, forming podiform chromitite and resulting in fluid enrichment in the chamber. The fluids would penetrate and compositionally modify ambient dunite and harzburgite, leading to significant fractionations of elemental and isotopic compositions between melts and fluids from which dunite and chromitite respectively formed. Therefore, fluid immiscibility during basaltic magma ascent plays a vital role in chromitite formation.

Metamorphic Evolution of a Tremolite Marble from the Dabie UHP Terrane,China:A Focus on Zircon

In this study,a tremolite marble from the Dabie ultrahigh-pressure(UHP)terrane,eastcentral China was investigated for its metamorphic evolution by focusing on zircon.The marble contains an amphibolite-facies assemblage of dolomite,Mg-calcite,tremolite,biotite,and plagioclase,while zircon in the marble witnesses a complex recrystallization and growth history under both amphiboliteand eclogite-facies conditions.Cathodoluminescence reveals eight characteristic zones for zircon.As indicated by mineral inclusions in zircon,two zones formed no earlier than amphibolite-facies retrogression and are too thin to date.The other six zones contain inclusions of dolomite,aragonite,diopside(X_(Na)=Na/(Na+Ca)=0.11-0.14),garnet(X_(Ca)=0.51-0.62,X_(Mg)=0.21-0.23,X_(Fe)=0.17-0.26,X_(Mn)=0.01),phengite and rutile,and formed under eclogite-facies conditions.Phase equilibria calculations illustrat that the Na-richest diopside formed under UHP conditions.Being an accessory eclogite-facies mineral in the marble,the analyzed chemistry of garnet inclusions cannot be reproduced by phase equilibria calculations because solid-solution models for many other minerals don't incorporate Mn-endmembers.The eclogite-facies zircon zones show low HREE contents and flat MREE-HREE distribution patterns,which are interpreted to have been determined by the low bulk-rock HREE content instead of the presence of accessary garnet in the marble.U-Pb dating yielded a large age dataset ranging from about 250 to 210 Ma for the eclogite-facies zircon zones.Statistically,the eclogite-facies ages are characterized by a Gaussian distribution with a median peak at 232 Ma.We propose that zircon experienced a“protracted”recrystallization and/or growth history in the tremolite marble during the Triassic subduction and exhumation.