福建同安角闪辉长岩的矿物化学、^(40)Ar-^(39)Ar年龄及地质意义

福建同安角闪辉长岩的岩石化学成分具有低MgO高铝玄武岩的特征,其中的角闪石是富钙钙镁闪石,斜长石是An=91～95的钙长石。在基性的弧岩浆中,低MgO高铝玄武岩浆富水是导致结晶出高钙斜长石的关键因素。钙镁闪石的^(40)Ar-^(39)Ar年龄为129.62±0.15Ma,说明同安角闪辉长岩是东南沿海早白垩世“初始引张阶段”岩浆活动的产物。

A New Genus (Protosciadopityoxylon gen .nov .) of Early Cretaceous Fossil Wood from Liaoning ,China

Anewgenus (Protosciadopityoxylongennov .)ofEarlyCretaceousfossilwoodreportedinthepre sentpaperwasdiscoveredfromLiaoningProvince ,China ,andisnamedasanewspecies :Protosciado pityoxylonliaoningensegen .etsp .nov .Itisdescribedhereandthisgenericname ,adoptedbytheauthors ,is employedforfossilwoodthatisbelievedtobenearlyrelatedtotherecentgenusSciadopitysandthefossil genusSciadopityoxylon .ThenewgenusbearssomesimilaritiestoProtophyllocladoxylon ,Protocircoporoxylon andXenoxylonindifferentgeologicalages ,butitdiffersfromtheminthetypesofcross_fieldpitting .

A New Gleicheniaceous Fern Chansitheca (Sphenopteris) wudaensis from the Lower Permian of Wuda, Nei Mongol, China

Chansitheca (Sphenopteris) wudaensis sp. nov. is described based on the materials collected from the Lower Permian Shansi Formation of Wuda, Nei Mongol, China. The frond is small and at least two times pinnate. The pinnule is sphenopteroid. The sori are borne on the abaxial surface of the pinnule, arranged in two rows parallel to the midvein, elliptic,and composed of 4-10 round sporangia. The indusium is absent. The annulus is transverse and complete, and consists of about 18 thickened cells. The features of the fertile parts, sori, sporangia and annulus and the absence of indusium indicate that the new species belongs to the Gleicheniaceae.

Origin of Early Creceouscalc-alkaline granite, Taxkorgan: Implications for evolution of Tethys evolution in central Pamir

The Pamir plateau may have been a westward continuation of Tibet plateau.Meanwhile,the Rushan-Pshart suture is correlative to the Bangong-Nujiang suture of Tibet,and the Central Pamir is the lateral equivalent of the Qiangtang Block.We present the first detailed LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb chronology,major and trace element,and Lu-Hf isotope geochemistry of Taxkorgan two-mica monzogranite to illuminate the Tethys evolution in central Pamir.LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb dating shows that two-mica monzogranite is emplaced in the Cretaceous(118 Ma).Its geochemical features are similar to S-type granite,with enrichment in LREEs and negative Ba,Sr,Zr and Ti anomalies.All the samples show negative zirconεHf(t)values ranging from 17.0 to 12.5(mean 14.5),corresponding to crustal Hf model(TDM2)ages of 1906 to 2169 Ma.It is inferred that these granitoids are derived from partial melting of peliticmetasedimentary rocks analogous to the Paleoproterozoic Bulunkuole Group,predominantly with muscovite schists component.Based on the petrological and geochemical data presented above,together with the regional geology,this work provides new insights that Bangong Nujiang Ocean closed in Early Cretaceous(120114 Ma).

Characteristics and tectonic setting of volcanic rocks in Early Cretaceous Baiyingaolao Formation of Keyouzhongqi area,Inner Mongolia

The authors studied zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating,the zircon Hf isotope and geochemistry of acidic volcanic rocks in Baiyingaolao Formation of Keyouzhongqi area,Inner Mongolia,and discussed the chronology,source region and tectonic setting of the volcanic rocks in the studied area. The clear oscillatory zoning of zircons indicates a typical magmatic origin,and the results of dating show that the volcanic rocks of Baiyingaolao Formation were formed in Early Cretaceous( 121. 5 ± 1. 0 Ma). The features of major and trace elements show that the rocks are alkali-rich,poor in calcium and magnesium with enrichment in LILEs like Th,U,K and Gd and depletion in HFSEs,e. g. Nb,Ta,Sr and Ti. The fact implies that they were the products of partial melting of the crust. εHf( t) =( +6.30--+9.06) and TDM2= 600--835 Ma,suggest the magma originated from partial melting of the young crust. Combined with the evolution of regional tectonic structure,the authors conclude that the acidic volcanic rocks of Baiyingaolao Formation may be formed under the extensional environment related to the subduction of Paleo-Pacific Plate.

Early Cretaceous precious fossil-bearing beds in Weijialing—Yaolugou of Jianchang Basin,western Liaoning

The Jianchang Basin is one of the main localities of the precious fossils of Jehol Biota in western Liaoning.The fossil-bearing horizons are mainly in the Yixian-and Jiufotang formations.In the Weijialing--Yaolugou of southwest Jianchang Basin,many precious fossils have been found at Luojiagou Bed of the 2nd Member of the Yixian Formation and at Xidian Bed of the 1st member of the Jiufotang Formation.The geologic setting,sedimentary environment and paleogeography of the precious fossil-bearing beds were also studied.

Tectono-paleogeographic study of the Early Cretaceous in the Songliao Basin

Based on first-hand material from the geological exploration of petroleum,we made a detailed study of the tectonic development in the Early Cretaceous and the distribution of basement rifts in the Songliao Basin.The sedimentary characteristics of this epoch and the tectono-paleogeography of the basin were expounded.The results show that in its early stages,the Songliao Basin was characterized by a detached faulted basin in which mainly lake facies developed among mountains.It became gradually one lake during the late stages of the Early Cretaceous.During this period,the fault activity in the Songliao Basin changed from a turbulent to a quiet development,the water area from small separated lakes to one large lake,in which the sedimentary facies were divided into asymmetric eastern and western parts.In the basin a volcanic clastic rock-alluvial fan system developed and a fan delta-lake-small delta-river system was mainly deposired.Our research also shows that the basement rifts not only controlled the distribution of fault depressions and the tectonic development in the Early Cretaceous,but had also an effect on the orientation of sedimentation,source area and river system,which determine the tectonopaleogeography of the Early Cretaceous.

Zircon U-Pb geochronology and geochemistry of Early Cretaceous granodiorite porphyries in Hutouya,western Shandong and their implications for petrogenesis

Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age and whole-rock geochemistry data are presented for the Hutouya grano-diorite porphyries in Mengyin, western Shandong, to restrict its petrogenesis. The analyzed zircons exhibit os-cillatory growth zoning and core-rim textures in the cathodoluminescence images and have high Th/U ratios （0.04-1.66）,indicating its magmatic origin. The youngest group of magmatic zircon yields weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 132 ±2 Ma, which represents the forming age of the granodiorite porphyries, i. e., the Early Cretaceous. The oldest group of magmatic zircon 207Pb/206Pb ages ranges from 2 398 Ma to 2 370 Ma, yielding a weighted mean age of 2 389 ±23 Ma,suggesting that the basement of the North China Craton should exist in the research area. Geochemically, the samples are characterized by high Si02（70. 38% and 64. 87% ） , low MgO （0.60% and 1. 53% ） and Mg# values （42. 92 and 50. 42）. Moreover, they show enrichment of light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements （e. g. Rb, Ba and K） , depletion of heavy rare earth ele-ments and high field strength elements （e. g. Nb and Ta） , positive anomaly of Pb, and negative anomaly of Ti. These results, together with previously published data, indicate that the Hutouya granodiorite porphyries were derived from partial melting of a delaminated lower continental crust and subsequent interaction with the mantle peridotites. They are consistent with the period of lithospheric thinning beneath the eastern North China Craton and may be formed in an extensional tectonic environment.

Petrogenesis of Early Cretaceous riebeckite granophyres in southern Da Hinggan Mts.

This Aliwula area in paper reports lithologic features, K-Ar age and geochemical data of riebeckite granophyres from the southern Da Hinggan Mts., aiming to reveal the petrogenesis of riebeckite granophyres. K- Ar age of riebeckite granophyres is 126± 2 Ma, implying that the riebeckite granophyres formed in the Early Cretaceous. The granophyres are rich in riebeckites and with a lot of melt-fluid inclusion in its quartz pheno- crysts. The granophyres are characterized by extensive enrichment in Si02, FeO, and （Na20 ＋ K20） and de- pletion in MgO and CaO, strong negative Eu anomalies and strong positive Ce anomalies. Additionally, the rie- beckite granophyres not only have high total REE contents and display enrichment of HFSEs （for example Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta）, but also are strong in depletion of LILEs （ e. g. Ba, Sr） as well as high Ga/A1 ratios. Primitive mantle-normalized REE pattern significantly displays REE M-W tetrad effect. REEs fractionate evidently and highly enrich in LREE, but are uneven distribution in the rocks. Taken together, we conclude that the riebeck- ite granophyres are similar to typical A-type granite, which could be derived from stretching environments in the Early Cretaceous. The granophyres originated from residual melt which underwent highly differentiation process, and were formed in magmatic-hydrothemal transition stage at last.

Some conifers from Aptian in Yanbian area of Jilin, Northeast China

Some well-preserved conifer leafy shoots and female cones from the Lower Cretaceous Changcai For- mation near Fudong of Helong, eastern Jilin, Northeast China are studied. Based on gross morphological and cuticular study, a new species, Elatides helongensis Sun et Zhao （ sp. nov. ） is described systematically. The new species is characterized by persistent, linear or slightly falcate leaves with obtusely acute apex, attached helically on the shoots. Female cones of the new species are terminal and oval, composed of persistent helically- arranged rhomboidal scales and erect seeds. One erect seed is growing on each scale. Leaf cuticles are hyposto- matic. Monocylic stomata are ellipse, composed of 2 sunken guard ceils and 4-8 subsidiary cells. Moreover, the cuticles of a young female cone of Pityostrobus yingchengensis Yang are described for the first time.

Geochemistry and tectonic significance of Early Cretaceous granites in Highland 1248 of Daxing'anling

The Early Cretaceous granitic complex in Highland 1248 of Daxing'anling successively consists of intruded granodiorite,monzonite granite and syenite granite. Through test analysis on the major,trace and rare earth elements of the intrusive complex,this study focuses on the source characteristics and tectonic environment of the original magma of intrusive complex. The results show that the intrusive rocks in Highland 1248 are meta-aluminous-peraluminous rocks in calc-alkaline series with homologous characteristics in δEu negative anomalies; the complex is enriched in LILE( Rb,Cs and K) and depleted in HFSE( lanthanide,Sc,Y,U,Nb and Ta),displaying the geochemical characteristics of I-type granites in active continental-margin subduction zones. The complex also has the characteristics of granites after the collision of plate with rich aluminum and high potassium,but significantly depleted Nb,Ta,Ti,P and other elements,i. e. in the orogenic evolutionary stage. The zircon U-Pb SHRIMP isotopic apparent age of the complex in Highland 1248 is 140. 0--141. 0Ma,and the formation time is in Early Cretaceous.

Early Cretaceous flora from coal-bearing strata of Markovsky Peninsula in South Primorye,Russia

The Early Cretaceous flora from the coal-bearing strata （Ussuri and Lipovtsy formations ） in the Markovsky peninsula of South Primorye, Far East Russia, is reported in some detail in this paper. The flora containing over 80 species of about 50 genera can be divided into two assemblages. The paleofloristie characteristics and the comparisons of this flora with its coeval floras from the adjacent region of the eastern Heilongjiang of Northeast China, indicate the flora and its coal-bearing strata of the Markovsky peninsula can be compared to those of the Chengzihe and Muling formations of the Jixi area of Heilongjiang, representing probably the late Barremian and Aptian age, respectively.

New speices of Late Mesozoic wood fossils from southeastern Mongolia

Three new species of fossil woods are reported from the Upper,Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous in southeastern Mongolia, including Protaxodioxylon mongolense sp. nov. Circoporoxylon mongolen.;e sp. nov. Protocircoporoylon mongolense sp. nov. The anatomical characters of three new species are described in detail.

Discussion on origin of clay minerals in outcropped sandstone from Lower Cretaceous Chengzihe Formation and Muling Formation in Jixi Basin

Clay minerals in the outcropped sandstone from Lower Cretaceous Chengzihe Formation and Muling Formation in Jixi Basin were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The results show that the clay minerals mainly consist of illite, kaollinite and illite/smectite, which can be divided into two types： kaolinite- and illite/smectite types. The outcropped sandstone occurred in middle diagenetic stage-A on the basis of the clay mineral composition. The development factor of the formation of kaolinite type clay mineral is caused mainly by the organic acid from the coal-bearing formation and nmdstone during the diagenesis process in Lower Cretaceous Chengzihe Formation and Muling Formation in the Jixi Basin. The weak hydrodynamic force of sedimentary facies made the sandstone leaching condition poor, which is the reason forming the aggregation of clay minerals of the illite/ smectite-and illite types.

Geochemistry and tectonic significance of volcanic rocks from Qushenla Formation in Gerze area of northern Tibetan Plateau

By using petrological,isotope chronological,and geochemical methods,the authors studied the volcanic rocks in the studied area,mainly including dacites and trachytes. The results show that they formed during the late Early Cretaceous. Geochemically,the volcanic rocks are relatively enriched in large-ion lithophile elements( Rb,K,and Th) and depleted in high field strength elements( Nb,Ta,and Ti),and rich in light rare earth elements,and depleted in heavy rare earth elements. The fact indicates that the main body of the volcanic rocks in the Qushenla Formation was derived from the partial melting of lower crust. The lithological assemblages are characterized by continental high-K calc-alkaline and shoshonitic series,suggesting that the southward-subducting oceanic slab in southern Bangong Lake had break off and that the Bangong Lake-Nujiang Ocean had closed before 107 Ma. The main dynamic mechanisms for the genesis of this set of intermediate-acidic volcanic rocks were upwelling of the asthenosphere and partial melting of the lower crust caused by slab break-off.

Early Cretaceous extensional structures in the Liaodong Peninsula:Structural associations,geochronological constraints and regional tectonic implications

Various extensional structures,e.g.,half grabens,detachment faults,and metamorphic core complexes,were formed in the Liaodong Peninsula.There are two metamorphic core complexes (mcc's) in the western part of the Peninsula,i.e.the Liaonan mcc and the Wanfu mcc.They share the same lower plate and constitute a conjugate mcc pair.The Dayingzi detachment fault system and the three half grabens are exposed in the central and eastern parts,respectively.U-Pb dating of zircons from syntectonic plutons in the lower plates of the detachment faults and volcanic rocks from half graben basins indicates that their formation spans from 135 to 106 Ma,although the individual structure may be formed at a particular stage.Despite the differences in age of formation,in the regional attitudes,and in rooting depths,the extensional structures have great similarities in their kinematics,geometrical asymmetry,and coeval tectono-magmatic activities etc.Macroscopically,the extensional structures constitute conjugate associations,but a particular one generally has asymmetric patterns.Early Cretaceous extensional structures extend from the Liaodong Peninsula to North China,Northeast China,South China,and eastern Mongolia and Transbaikal area in Russia.The extensional structures from different areas share many common features.The Liaodong Peninsula is the miniature of the East Asia with respect to the formation of extensional structures in Early Cretaceous.It is suggested that the interaction of the Izanagi Plate with Eurasia Plate is responsible for the extension of crust.The structural mobility of the lithosphere,partly attributed to the fluid flow at the depth,and detachment faulting in both the crustal and mantle lithosphere provide important constraints on the development of Early Cretaceous extensional structures in the East Asia.

Controls of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous tectonic event on source rocks and seals in marine sequences,South China

Thermal evolution of source rocks and dynamic sealing evolution of cap rocks are both subjected to tectonic evolution.The marine sequences in South China have experienced superposed structural deformation from multiple tectonic events.To investigate the effectiveness of preservation conditions,it is of great importance to understand the controls of key tectonic events on the dynamic evolution of cap rocks.This paper discusses the controls of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous(J3-K1) tectonic event on source and cap rocks in marine sequences in South China based on the relationships between J3-K1 tectonic event and the burial history types of the marine sequences,the hydrocarbon generation processes of marine source rocks,the sealing evolution of cap rocks,the preservation of hydrocarbon accumulations,and the destruction of paleo-oil pools.The study has the following findings.In the continuously subsiding and deeply buried areas during the J3-K1 period,marine source rocks had been generating hydrocarbons for over a long period of time and hydrocarbon generation ended relatively late.At the same time,the sealing capacity of the overburden cap rocks had been constantly strengthened so that hydrocarbons could be preserved.In the areas which suffered compressional deformation,folding and thrusting,uplifting and denudation in J3-K1,the burial history was characterized by an early uplifting and the hydrocarbon generation by marine source rocks ended(or suspended) during the J3-K1 period.The sealing capacity of the cap rocks was weakened or even vanished.Thus the conditions for preserving the hydrocarbon accumulations were destroyed.The continuously subsiding and deeply buried areas during the J3-K1 period are the strategic precincts of the petroleum exploration in marine sequences in South China.

Geochronology and significance of volcanic rocks in the Ning-Wu Basin of China

The Ning-Wu(Nanjing-Wuhu) Basin is one of the most important volcanic basins in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Valley,eastern China.It consists of four volcanic units,i.e.,the Longwangshan,Dawangshan,Gushan,and Niangniangshan Formations.Their LA-ICP MS U-Pb zircon ages are 134.8±1.8,132.2±1.6,129.5±0.8,and 126.8±0.6 Ma,respectively.Results of this study indicate that all volcanic rocks in the Ning-Wu Basin were formed in the Early Cretaceous from 135 to 127 Ma,lasting 8-10 m.y.No Jurassic volcanic activities occurred in any of the volcanic basins of the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Valley,including the Ning-Wu Basin.These new chronological results provide significant evidence for further study of this region to improve our understanding of Mesozoic tectonic,magmatic,and metallogenic processes of eastern China.

Decratonic gold deposits

The North China Craton(NCC) hosts numerous gold deposits and is known as the most gold-productive region of China. The gold deposits were mostly formed within a few million years in the Early Cretaceous(130–120 Ma), coeval with widespread occurrences of bimodal magmatism, rift basins and metamorphic core complexes that marked the peak of lithospheric thinning and destruction of the NCC. Stable isotope data and geological evidence indicate that ore-forming fluids and other components were largely exsolved from cooling magma and/or derived from mantle degassing during the period of lithospheric extension. Gold mineralization in the NCC contrasts strikingly with that of other cratons where gold ore-forming fluids were sourced mostly from metamorphic devolatization in compressional or transpressional regimes. In this paper, we present a summary and discussion on time-space distribution and ore genesis of gold deposits in the NCC in the context of the timing, spatial variation, and decratonic processes. Compared with orogenic gold deposits in other cratonic blocks, the Early Cretaceous gold deposits in the NCC are quite distinct in that they were deposited from magma-derived fluids under extensional settings and associated closely with destruction of cratonic lithosphere. We argue that Early Cretaceous gold deposits in the NCC cannot be classified as orogenic gold deposits as previously suggested, rather, they are a new type of gold deposits, termed as "decratonic gold deposits" in this study. The westward subduction of the paleo-West Pacific plate(the Izanagi plate) beneath the eastern China continent gave rise to an optimal tectonic setting for large-scale gold mineralization in the Early Cretaceous. Dehydration of the subducted and stagnant slab in the mantle transition zone led to continuous hydration and considerable metasomatism of the mantle wedge beneath the NCC. As a consequence, the refractory mantle became oxidized and highly enriched in large ion lithophile elements and chalcophile elements(e.g., Cu, Au, Ag and Te). Partial melting of such a mantle would have produced voluminous hydrous, Au- and S-bearing basaltic magma, which, together with crust-derived melts induced by underplating of basaltic magma, served as an important source for ore-forming fluids. It is suggested that the Eocene Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada, occurring geologically in the deformed western margin of the North America Craton, are comparable with the Early Cretaceous gold deposits of the NCC because they share similar tectonic settings and auriferous fluids. The NCC gold deposits are characterized by gold-bearing quartz veins in the Archean amphibolite facies rocks, whereas the Nevada gold deposits are featured by fine-grained sulfide dissemination in Paleozoic marine sedimentary rocks. Their main differences in gold mineralization are the different host rocks, ore-controlling structures, and ore-forming depth. The similar tectonic setting and ore-forming fluid source, however, indicate that the Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada are actually analogous to decratonic gold deposits in the NCC. Gold deposits in both the NCC and Nevada were formed in a relatively short time interval(<10 Myr) and become progressively younger toward the subduction zone. Younging of gold mineralization toward subduction zone might have been attributed to retreat of subduction zone and rollback of subducted slab. According to the ages of gold deposits on inland and marginal zones, the retreat rates of the Izanagi plate in the western Pacific in the Early Cretaceous and the Farallon plate of the eastern Pacific in the Eocene are estimated at 8.8 cm/yr and 3.3 cm/yr, respectively.

Early Cretaceous dinosaur and other tetrapod tracks of southwestern China

In recent years the Lower Cretaceous red beds of southwestern China have yielded more than 20 significant dinosaur-dominated tracksites. More than half occur in the Jiaguan Formation with the remainder in the Feitianshan and Xiaoba formations. Collectively these sites provide evidence of at least 13 distinct dinosaurian trackmaker morphotypes, in addition to two avian theropod(bird)morphotypes and pterosaur and turtle tracks. Together these total 17 morphotypes provide a data base of 479 potential trackmakers, probably representing the same number of individuals. Such an ichnological database provides a useful proxy paleoecological census of tetrapod communities in the area during the Early Cretaceous, and is especially significant given the complete absence or scarcity of skeletal remains reported from these formations.The composition of ichnofaunas in all three formations is heavily saurischian(theropod and sauropod) dominated with a high diversity of distinctive theropod morphotypes,mostly assignable to known ichnogenera. Moreover, ichnofaunal data from multiple sites are generally consistent between sites and an indication of the reliability and repeatability of track census data. Such regionally-widespread data are rapidly superseding the information available from the skeletal record in the corresponding area, and must therefore be considered of high paleontological value.