Geochronologic Constraints on the Magmatic Underplating of the Gangdisê Belt in the India-Eurasia Collision: Evidence of SHRIMP II Zircon U-Pb Dating

Abundant small mafic intrusions occur associated with granitoids along the Gangdise^ magmatic belt. In addition to many discrete gabbro bodies within the granitoid plutons, a gabbro-pyroxenite zone occurs along the southern margin of the Gangdise^ belt to the north of the Yarlung Zangbo suture. The mafic intrusion zone spatially corresponds to a strong aeromagnetic anomaly, which extends -1400 km. The mafic intrusions consist of intermittently distributed small bodies and dikes of gabbro and dolerite with accumulates of pyroxenite, olivine pyroxenite, pegmatitic pyroxenite and amphibolite. Much evidence indicates that the Gangdise^ gabbro-pyroxenite assemblage is most likely a result of underplating of mantle-derived magma. Detailed field investigation and systematic sampling of the mafic rocks was conducted at six locations along the Lhasa-Xigaze^ segment of the mafic intrusive zone, and was followed by zircon SHRIMP Ⅱ U-Pb dating. In addition to the ages of two samples previously published （47.0±1 Ma and 48.9±1.1 Ma）, the isotopic ages of the remaining four gabbro samples are 51.6±1.3Ma, 52.5±3.0 Ma, 50.2±4.2Ma and 49.9±1.1Ma. The range of these ages （47-52.5 Ma） provide geochronologic constraints on the Eocene timing of magma underplating beneath the Gangdise^ belt at ca. 50 Ma. This underplating event post-dated the initiation of the India-Eurasia continental collision by 15 million years and was contemporaneous with a process of magma mixing. The SHRIMP Ⅱ U-Pb isotopic analysis also found several old ages from a few zircon grains, mostly in a range of 479-526 Ma （weighted average age 503±10 Ma）, thus yielding information about the pre-existing lower crust when underplating of mafic magma took place. It is believed that magma underplating was one of the major mechanisms for crustal growth during the Indian-Eurasia collision, possibly corresponding in time to the formation of the 14-16 km-thick ＂crnst-mantle transitional zone＂ characterized by Vp=6.85-6.9 km/s.

An Important Spreading Event of the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous: Evidence from Zircon U-Pb SHRIMP Dating on Diabase in Nagarze, Southern Tibet

Widely distributed in Gyangzê-Chigu area, southern Tibet, NW- and nearly E-W-trending diabase（gabbro）-gabbro diorite dykes are regarded as the product of the large-scale spreading of the late Neo-Tethys Ocean. In order to constrain the emplacement age of these dykes, zircons of two samples from diabases in Nagarzê were dated by using the U-Pb SHRIMP method. Two nearly the same weighted mean ^206pb/^23SU ages were obtained in this paper, which are 134.9±1.8 Ma （MSWD=0.65） and 135.5 ± 2.1 Ma （MSWD=1.40）, respectively. They not only represent the crystallization age of the diabase, but also documented an important spreading event of the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous. This dating result is of great significance to reconstruct the temporal framework of the late Neo-Tethys Ocean in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of the mafic and felsic intrusive rocks of the Saza area in the Lupa goldfields, southwestern Tanzania: Implication for gold mineralization

The Lupa Goldfield (LGF) is one of the eight structural terranes in the NW – SE striking Ubendian Belt of SW Tanzania. The LGF is comprised of granitic gneisses with bands of amphibolites which are intruded by mafic intrusions including gabbros, granodiorites, diorites;and various granites as well as metavol-canics. These rocks are cross-cut by narrow mafic dykes and aplites. SHRIMP zircon U-Pb data are presented for the granodiorite and a mafic dyke that cross-cut the granodiorites in the Saza area of the LGF, with the aim of constraining the mafic and felsic magmatism and their implication to gold mineralization. The zircon U-Pb data shows that the Saza granodiorites were emplaced at 1924 ± 13 Ma (MSWD = 2.6) whereas the cross-cutting mafic dyke yielded a zircon U-Pb age of 1758 ± 33 Ma (MSWD = 0.88). The dated granodiorite sample was in sheared contact with an altered mafic intrusive rock, most likely a diorite, along which an auriferous quartz vein occurs. The 1924 ± 13 Ma age of granodiorites is within error of the reported molybdenite Re-Os age of 1937 Ma determined for the gold mineralization event in Lupa Goldfields. Although auriferous quartz veins are younger than the granodiorites, the more or less similar ages between the emplacement of granodiorites and the mineralizing event indicate that the granodiorites might be the heat source (or driver) of hydrothermal fluids responsible for gold mineralization in the Lupa goldfields. This would further suggest that gold mineralization in the LGF is intrusion-related type. The mafic dykes represent the youngest rocks to have been emplaced in the area and hence the 1758 ± 33 Ma age of the mafic dykes conclude the magmatic evolution in the Lupa goldfields during the Palaeoproterozoic.

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating for island arc volcanic rock of Fangniugou area in Yitong region of Jilin Province

Polymetallic iron ore sulphate deposits of marine volcanic rock have been developed in the Fangniugou area,Jilin Province,China,but the division of volcanic ore-bearing strata has not been specifically elucidated and there is disagreement about the division.The sampling and SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating of volcanic rock for Daheishan in the Fangniugou area and the northeast slope of the Duanjiadian were described.The volcanic rock formation period and recorded the volcanic events in the Daheishan mountains were systematically researched.Two samples of high-precision U-Pb zircon dating were used to represent the volcanic rock fomation period of the Late Silurian.The measured data reflect that multiple volcanic activities occurred during the Middle Silurian,Early Silurian,Middle Ordovician and Silurian,and Late Ordovician,probably matching volcanic events in the Songnan Basin identified from zircon dating.At the same time,it is confirmed that a controversial "conglomerate of Daheishan" did in fact develop in the Late Silurian,and those sections of both the Dazigou and Xinlitun-Taoshan with graptolite had been reversed.

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.

Formation Age of the Sujiagou Komatiites in Western Shandong: Further Constraints from SHRIMP U-Pb Zircon Dating on Granitic Dykes

Komatiites are presented as direct evidence for higher mantle temperatures during the Archean. In the North China Craton, komatiites with spinifex structure have been identified only at one locality, i.e. the Sujiagou area, western Shandong. They were considered as formed during the early Neoarchean mainly based on their association with supracrustal rocks considered to be that age. This study carried out SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating on metamorphosed trondhjemitic and monzogranitic dykes intruding the Sujiagou komatiites, and they have magmatic zircon ages of 2592 ± 12 Ma and 2586 ± 13 Ma respectively. This provides direct evidence that the komatiites formed during the early Neoarchean.

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating of the Neogene coral reefs,Xisha Islands,South China Sea:implications for tectonic evolution

The Xisha Block is a minor one in the South China Sea and an important tectonic unit in the northwestern part of the region.Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb ages for three volcanic intrusive core samples from Xike-1,an exploratory well penetrating the bioherms of the Xisha Islands.The core samples are from the Miocene reef carbonate bedrock and are recognized as dark-gray biotite-hornblende gabbro,gray fne-grained biotite diorite,and gray fine-grained granite,respectively.Zircon cathodoluminescence (CL)images and trace Th,U and Pb compositions of the zircons show that these rocks are of volcanic intrusive origin.Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating yielded six groups of ages,ranging from 2451-1 857 Ma to early Cretaceous, which indicate that the formation and evolution of the Xisha Block was affected by the evolution and closure of Neotethys Ocean,probably within its eastern extension into South China Sea.Both old,deepsourced material,including fragments from Rodina supercontinent,and recent mantle-derived magma products contributed to the emergence and formation of the Xisha block.The SHRIMP U-Pb results also proved that this process differed from that of the Kontum massif,the Hainan Block,and the South China Block,but is similar to that of the Nansha and Zhongsha blocks.The process was associated with the effects of Yanshanian magmatism induced by subduction mechanisms of the Paleo-Pacific Plate or the reworking of the multiple magmatisms since the Early to mid-Yanshanian,possibly jointly experienced by the Xisha-Zhongsha-Nansha Block.

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of a small tonalite intrusion in metamorphic belt of Chinese Altai orogen and its geological implication

Small granitic intrusions occur in the progressive metamorphic belts of the Chinese Ahai orogen. SHRIMP U-Pb analyses were performed on zircons separated from a tonalite intrusion and yielded a concordant age of 409.6±3.7 Ma （ MSWD = 0.93 ）, restricting the emplacement and crystallization of the tonalite intru- sion to the Early Devonian. Combined with the existing geological data of the contemporary large granitic plutons in the Chinese Altai orogen, the tonalite is considered to be formed together with other granitic rocks in a continental arc setting. The tonalite intrusion has consistent foliation with its country rocks, indicating the strain resuiting in the regional deformation should be very strong during or after the early Devonian.

U-Pb SHRIMP-II Baddeleyite and Zircon Dating of the Early Proterozoic Monchegorsk Layered Mafite-Ultramafite Complex(Kola Peninsula): Evidence of Synchronous Magmatism

The Early Paleoproterozoic Monchegorsk Complex is exposed over an area of 550 km;and comprises two layered mafite–ultramafite intrusions:the Monchepluton of ultramafic and mafic rocks and the predominantly gabbroid

A New SHRIMP Age of the Xiamaling Formation in the North China Plate and Its Geological Significance

Setting up the hypostratotype of late Precambrian is the main aim of the research on the Meso- and Neoproterozoic in North China. The chronostratigraphic position is the key in this study. However, many key horizons have not been calibrated with the high-quafity isotopic ages. Using the reported new U-Pb age with the Sensitive High-Resolution Ion Microprobe （SHRIMP Ⅱ）, a zircon U- Pb age was obtained of the ash bed in the Xiamaling Formation in North China Plate, yielding a weighted mean ^206pb/^238U age of 1368±12 Ma. It is the first SHRIMP U-Pb age from the Xiamaling Formation in the North China Plate, and represents the depositing time of the middle part of the Xiamaling Formation. The zircon age plays an important role to understanding geological evolution of the North China Plate during Meso- and Neoproterozoic.

Reclassification of the Meso- and Neoproterozoic Chronostratigraphy of North China by SHRIMP Zircon Ages

High-quality zircon U-Pb ages acquired from Meso- and Neoproterozoic strata in North China in recent years has provided a high-resolution chronostratigraphic framework for dating. A basis of this high-level chronostratigraphic system provides the foundation for a global Precambrian study and stratigraphic correlation and so recent geological studies have focused attention on systemic SHRIMP zircon dating. A chronology of Meso- and Neoproterozoic strata and the time of origin of the overlying Changcheng System is given on the basis of new SHRIMP zircon dating from the Qianxi Complex and diabase of the Chuanlinggou Formation. A new tectonostratigraphy for a Neoproterozoic chronostratigraphic framework in the southeastern margin of the North China continent is underpinned by the new SHRIMP zircon dating of a Neoproterozoic mafic magma diabase in the Jiao-Liao-Xu-Huai Sub-Province.

Protracted zircon growth in migmatites and In situ melt of Higher Himalayan Crystallines:U-Pb ages from Bhagirathi valley, NW Himalaya,India

The Higher Himalayan Crystallines(HHC), in western Garhwal, Uttarakhand are located in a regionalscale intracontinental ductile shear zone(15-20 km wide) bounded by the Main Central Thrust at the base, and the South Tibetan Detachment System at the top. The migmatite zone in the centre has the highest grade of metamorphism in the NW Himalayas and show evidence of flowage. Zircons extracted from samples of metasediment, migmatite, biotite granite and in situ partial melt(tourmaline-bearing leucogranite) along the Bhagirathi Valley, preserve U-Pb isotopic evidence of magmatic history, magma source and effects of the Himalayan orogeny in the region. Three distinct periods of zircon growth in the leucogranite record the episodic influx of magma between 46 Ma and 20 Ma indicating a time span of more than 25 Ma between the onset of fluid-fluxed partial melting in the mid-crustal intracontinental shear zone and the emplacement of the magma into the upper crust in a post-collisional extensional setting. Metamorphic zircon growth was initiated about 46 Ma, when the partial melts were generated as the migmatite zone was exhumed.

SHRIMP zircon age of the high aeromagnetic anomaly zone in central Tarim Basin and its geological implications

In order to get the correct isotopic age, SHRIMP U-Pb zircon date of Precambrian hornblende granite in Well TD2, located in the central aeromagnetic belt in the eastern of the Tarim basin, was carried out. The result showed a dependable age of 1908.2 ± 8.6 Ma, which demonstrated that the granite pluton is the result of the magmatic activity in early Palaeoproterozoic. It is indicated that the central aeromagnetic belt across Tarim basin, divided it into north and south block, is formed before Neoproterozoic by a large scale tectonothermal events based on the seismic and drilling date. The Tarim continent may have different age and type basements formed the united crystalline basement in Precambrian. This result has yielded new intraplate evidence to constrain the relation between the Tarim plate and the Colombia supercontinent.

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb Ages,Geochemistry and Nd-Hf Isotopes of~1.0 Ga A-Type Felsic Rocks in the Southwestern Yangtze Block,South China:Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications

The petrogenesis and tectonic affinity of Late Mesoproterozoic igneous rocks in the Yangtze Block are important to understand its tectonic evolution within the context of the Rodinia supercontinent’s reconstruction.Here,we report the SHRIMP zircon U-Pb ages,geochemistry,and Nd-Hf isotopic data for dacite from the Zegu Formation of the Dengxiangying Group in southwestern Yangtze Block.The crystallization age of the Zegu dacite is 1037 Ma.These rocks have relatively high Ga,Zr,Hf,and HREE contents,as well as high(10000×Ga)/Al(2.7-2.9)and FeOt/MgO(3.8-10.5)ratios,showing a geochemical affinity of A-type granitoids.Moreover,they are characterized by negativeεNd(t)(-3.6 to-7.5)and zirconεHf(t)values(-0.3 to-14.4),indicating that they likely generated via partial melting of an ancient continental crust source.The tectonic discriminant diagrams showed that the Zegu dacites have high Y and Nb contents(plotted in the‘within-plate’magmatic rocks field).In conclusion,the geochemistry and isotopic data indicated that the 1037 Ma felsic volcanic rock in the Dengxiangying Group generated during an intra-plate rift basin along a passive margin.Our work thus argues against a Grenvillian orogen’s existence in the Yangtze Block.In view of the subsequent Neoproterozoic subduction-related magmatism in the region,we suggest that the Yangtze Block might have been along the periphery of the Rodinia.

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of late Paleoproterozoic kondalites in the Daqing Mountains area on the North China Craton

The Daqing Mountains area comprises a typical occurrence of the Khondalite Belt in the Western Block of the North China Craton (NCC). In this area, both early and late Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks have been identified in what was originally called the Upper Wula Mountains "Subgroup". Six metasedimentary rock samples yielded SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages of 2.56-2.04 Ga for detrital and 1.96-1.83 Ga for metamorphic zircons. Based on these data and previously published results, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) The source region for the late Paleoproterozoic detrital sedimentary rocks is mainly 2.55 2.4 and 2.2 2.04 Ga in age, consistent with the early Precambrian geological history identified widely in the basement of the NCC. 2) The majority of sedimentary rocks of the khondalite series were deposited between 2.04 and 1.95 Ga, and then in a protracted period (1.96 and 1.83 Ga) underwent a complex history of amphibolite to granulite-facies metamorphism.

Geochemistry and zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating of granitoids from the west segment of the North Qaidam

Granitoid intrusives such as Saishitenshan, Tuanyushan, Aolaohe and Sanchagou occur widely in the western segment of North Qaidam. All these bodies trend NW, roughly parallel to the regional structure. Zircon SHRIMP dating for these granites show that they range in age from Ordovician to Permian; 465.4±3.5 Ma for Saishitenshan, 469.7±4.6 Ma and 443.5±3.6 Ma for Tuanyushan, 372.1±2.6 Ma for Aolaohe, and 271.2±1.5 Ma and 259.9±1.2 Ma for Sanchagou. Both the Tuanyshan and Aolaohe plutons record two distinct intrusive events. Geochemically, the early Paleozoic granites have an island arc or active continental margin affinity, and their protolith may have been Mesoproterozoic oceanic crust derived from depleted mantle. The protolith of the late Paleozoic granites may have been Mesoproterozoic lower crust from the root of an island arc with the magmas reflecting a mixture of mantle and crustal material.

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating and its geological significance of Chibaisong gabbro in Tonghua area,Jilin Province,China

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating for Chibaisong No.1 gabbro in the Tonghua area, Jilin Prov- ince, is discussed in the paper. The cathodoluminescence (CL) images of the zircons indicate that they can be divided into two major types, i.e. euhedral-subhedral one with striped absorption and round one with obvious oscillatory zoning rims. The dating results of the zircons suggest that Chibai- song gabbro in the Tonghua area was formed at 134±7Ma—the Early Cretaceous. The concordia ages of 2497±13Ma, 787±35Ma, 321±10Ma, 217±11Ma of zircons imply that the Tonghua area might geologically be located in the convergent region of the Yangtze Block (YB) and the North China Block (NCB) in the early Mesozoic and the zircons should be caught during magma intrusion. The existence of the Early Cretaceous basic dyke swarm in the Tonghua area shows that an intensive extensional environment occurred in the Early Cretaceous. It is suggested that the magmatism and lithospheric extension in the Tonghua area should be related to the subduction of the Pacific plate.

Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating of granites from Dulan and the chronological framework of the North Qaidam UHP belt, NW China

Zircon SHRIMP dating of granites from Dulan,east segment of North Qaidam UHP belt shows that they are 406.6±3.5 Ma for Yematan-E,407.3±4.3 and 397±6 Ma for Balijiehatan-W,404.5±4.0 and 397.0±3.7 Ma for Shuiwenzhan-N,380.5±5.0 Ma for Shuiwenzhan-S,382.5±3.6 and 372.5±2.8 Ma for Chachagongma.These granites from Dulan represent the products of the third and fourth periods of Paleozoic magmatism in North Qaidam.Geochemically,the granitoids with metalumious to weak peratuminous are quartz diorite,granodiorite,and granite in composition and mainly belong to calc-alkaline series,a few samples to calc or alkali-calc series.The third period of granites is a rock association of granodiorite+granite,with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios from 0.7082 to 0.7110 and T2DM model ages from 1.41–1.90 Ga;and the fourth period of granites is a rock association of quartz diorite+granodiorite+granite,with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios from 0.7072 to 0.7091 and T2DM model ages from 1.07–1.38 Ga.Therefore,the third period of granites has higher initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios and T2DM model ages.On the contrary,the fourth period of granites has Nd(t)values from 0.6 to-3.0,higher than that of the third granite with Nd(t)values-3.2 to-9.3.Thus,the data comparison indicates that the third granites may derive from Paleo-proterzoic continental crust with mantle material whereas the fourth granites may derive from the Meso-proterzoic basalt crust with continental material.Combined with regional geology,we thought that the third granites were formed relative to plate exhumation and the fourth granites to delamination of the lithospheric mantle.

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of the intrusives in the Tongling metallogenic cluster and its dynamic setting

This paper selected five typical Mesozoic intrusives from the Tongling metallogenic cluster (Xiaotongguanshan, Fenghuangshan, Xinqiao, Dongguashan, and Shatanjiao plutons), and made a systemic SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating for the five plutons, which produced

The Dabie Orogen as the early Jurassic sedimentary provenance: Constraints from the detrital zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating

The SHRIMP U-Pb ages of detrital zircon from the oldest Mesozoic strata, the Fanghushan Fomation, in the Hefei Basin range from 200 Ma to ca. 2500 Ma, which indicates that the Dabie Orogen as the early Jurassic sedimentary provenance was complex. The composition of the Dabie Orogen includes: the Triassic high pressure-ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks, of which the detrital zircon ages are from 234 Ma to 200 Ma; the rocks possibly related to the Qinling and Erlangping Groups representing the southern margin of the Sino-Korean craton in the Qinling and Dabie area, of which the detrital zircon has an age of 481-378 Ma; the Neoproterozoic rocks originated from the Yangtze croton, of which the detrital zircon ages are 799-721 Ma old; and the rocks with the detrital zircon ages of ca. 2000 Ma and ca. 2500 Ma, which could be the old basement of the Yangtze craton.