U-Pb Zircon Ages and Geochemistry of the Metasedimentary Rocks from the Foping Area in the South Qinling Belt:Evidence for Early Devonian Amalgamation between North China and South China Blocks

The provenance and tectonic implications of Late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the South Qinling Belt(SQB) provide important clues for understanding the timing and mechanism of the collision between North China Block(NCB) and South China Block(SCB).Here we report new LAICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages and geochemical composition of metasedimentary rocks from the Foping area in the SQB.The results indicate that the depositional age of the Wenquan Group can be limited to the Early Devonian by the youngest U-Pb age of 398 Ma,whereas those of the quartz schist from the Changjiaoba Group could be constrained after the Carboniferous by the youngest206Pb/238U peak age of 306 Ma.Therefore,much of the previously-assumed “Neoarchaean or Paleoproterozoic” strata,including the Wenquan and Changjiaoba groups,were actually deposited in the Late Paleozoic.Based on analysis and comparison of the detrital zircon ages of the Devonian tectonic units in the SQB,we found that most prominent peak ages of detrital zircons from metasedimentary rocks in the Foping area shared similar characteristics with others.They mainly derived from the North Qinling Belt and South Qinling Belt-Yangtze Block,with a minor source probably from the North China Block,implying that the Shangdan Ocean between NCB and SCB had closed in the Early Devonian.Combined with regional geological background and geochemical data,we inferred that these Devonian strata formed in the foreland basin after the amalgamation of the North China Block and South China Block.

Geochronology,Petrogenesis and Tectonic Setting of the Late Jurassic I-type Granites in the North Qinling Orogenic Belt,Central China

The North Qinling Orogenic Belt(NQOB)is a composite orogenic belt in central China.It started evolving during the Meso-Neoproterozoic period and underwent multiple stages of plate subduction and collision before entering intra-continental orogeny in the Late Triassic.The Meso-Cenozoic intra-continental orogeny and tectonic evolution had different responses in various terranes of the belt,with the tectonic evolution of the middle part of the belt being particularly controversial.The granites distributed in the Dayu and Kuyu areas in the middle part of the NQOB can provide an important window for revealing the geodynamic mechanisms of the NQOB.The main lithology of Dayu and Kuyu granites is biotite monzogranite,and the zircon U-Pb dating yielded intrusive ages of 151.3±3.4 Ma and 147.7±1.5 Ma,respectively.The dates suggest that the biotite monzogranite were formed at the end of the Late Jurassic.The whole-rock geochemistry analysis shows that the granites in the study areas are characterized by slightly high SiO_(2)(64.50-68.88 wt%)and high Al_(2)O_(3)(15.12-16.24 wt%)and Na_(2)O(3.55-3.80 wt%)contents.They are also enriched in light rare earth elements,large ion lithophile elements(e.g.,Ba,K,La,Pb and Sr),and depleted in high field strength elements(HFSEs)(e.g.,Ta,Nb,P and Ti).Additionally,the granites have weakly negative-slightly positive Eu anomalies(δEu=0.91-1.19).Zircon Lu-Hf isotopic analysis showedε_(Hf)(t)=-6.1--3.8,and the two-stage model age is T_(2DM(crust))=1.5-1.6 Ga.The granites in the study areas are analyzed as weak peraluminous high-K calc-alkaline I-type granites.They formed by partial melting of the thickened ancient lower crust,accompanied by the addition of minor mantle-derived materials.During magma ascent,they experienced fractional crystallization,with residual garnet and amphibole for a certain proportion in the magma source region.Comprehensive the geotectonic data suggest that the end of the Late Jurassic granite magmatism in the Dayu and Kuyu areas represents a compression-extension transition regime.It may have been a response to multiple tectonic mechanisms,such as the late Mesozoic intra-continental southward subduction of the North China Craton and the remote effect of the Paleo-Pacific Plate subduction.

Petrogenesis of Indosinian Granitoids in Middle-Segment of South Qinling Tectonic Belt:Constraints from Sr-Nd Isotopic Systematics

South Qinling Tectonic Belt（SQTB）is located between the Shangzhou-Danfeng and Mianxian-Lueyang sutures.There are a lot of early Mesozoic granitoid plutons in its middle segment, comprising the Dongjiangkou-Zhashui granitoid plutons at the northeast,Huayang-Wulong-Laocheng granitoid plutons at the central part,Xiba granitoid pluton at the northwest and Guangtoushan-Liuba granitoid plutons at the southwest.These Indonisian granitoids contain a mass of various scale mafic enclaves,which show sometimes clear boundaries and sometimes transitional boundaries with their host granitoids.These granitoids also exhibit metaluminous to peraluminous series,commonly higher Mg# and a wide range of petrochemistry from low-K tholeiite series,through mid-K and high-K calc-alkaline series to shoshonite series and predominated samples are attributed to mid-K and high-K calc-alkaline series.Detailed analyses in Sr-Nd isotopic systematics and petrochemistry reveal that there may be regionally initial granitoid magma of the Indonisian granitoid plutons,comprising Dongjiangkou-Zhashui,Huayang-Wulong-Laocheng,Xiba,and Guangtoushan-Liuba granitoid plutons,which were produced by hybrids of magmas in various degrees,and the initial magmas were derived from both the mantle and the lower continental crust（LCC）sources in the SQTB.The initial granitoid magma further did the magma hybrid with the magmas from the LCC,crystallization fractionation,and assimilation with upper crustal materials during their emplacement to produce these granitoid plutons in the SQTB.These magmatism processes are most likely to occur under continent marginal arc and syn-collision to post-collision tectonic backgrounds.

M agmatic Gold Mineralization in the Western Qinling Orogenic Belt: Geology and Metallogenesis of the Baguamiao,Liba and Xiaogouli Gold Deposits

The superlarge Baguamiao, large Liba and Xiaogouli gold deposits represent three typical gold deposits different from the Carlin type in the western Qinling Orogenic Belt. Based on Ar-Ar dating of quartz from ores, U-Pb dating of single zircon from granite, tracing of H and O isotopes and studies on the mineralogy and texture of spots and bleached alteration developed in wall rocks, this paper focuses the relations between gold deposits and granite to clarify the origin of gold deposits and the metallogenesis in the tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogenic Belt. The comprehensive studies show that the age of the granite (148.1-244 Ma) is identical with that of the gold deposits (131.91-232.56 Ma). It is suggested that the granite has close temporal, spatial and genetic relationship with the gold deposits. The granite provides a heat source, water source and considerable amount of ore-forming material. Finally, it is concluded that the orogeny by collision, emplacement of the granite and positioning of the gold deposits represent a successive process. Both the granite and gold deposits resulted from the syn-orogeny and post-orogeny tectonic evolution.

Xiba Granitic Pluton in the Qinling Orogenic Belt, Central China: Its Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications

Xiba granitic pluton is located in South Qinling tectonic domain of the Qinling orogenic belt and consists mainly of granodiorite and monzogranite with significant number of microgranular quartz dioritic enclaves. SHRIMP zircon U-Pb isotopic dating reveals that the quartz dioritic enclaves formed at 214±3 Ma, which is similar to the age of their host monzogranite （218±1 Ma）. The granitoids belong to high-K calc-alkaline series, and are characterized by enriched LILEs relative to HFSEs with negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies, and right-declined REE patterns with （La/Yb） N ratios ranging from 15.83 to 26.47 and δEu values from 0.78 to 1.22 （mean= 0.97）. Most of these samples from Xiba granitic pluton exhibit εNd（t） values of 8.79 to 5.38, depleted mantle Nd model ages （T DM ） between 1.1 Ga and 1.7 Ga, and initial Sr isotopic ratios （ 87 Sr/ 86 Sr） i from 0.7061 to 0.7082, indicating a possible Meso-to Paleoproterozoic lower crust source region, with exception of samples XB01-2-1 and XB10-1 displaying higher （ 87 Sr/ 86 Sr） i values of 0.779 and 0.735, respectively, which suggests a contamination of the upper crustal materials. Quartz dioritic enclaves are interpreted as the result of rapid crystallization fractionation during the parent magmatic emplacement, as evidenced by similar age, texture, geochemical, and Sr-Nd isotopic features with their host rocks. Characteristics of the petrological and geochemical data reveal that the parent magma of Xiba granitoids was produced by a magma mingling process. The upwelling asthenosphere caused a high heat flow and the mafic magma was underplated into the bottom of the lower continent crust, which caused the partial melting of the lower continent crustal materials. This geodynamic process generated the mixing parent magma between mafic magma from depleted mantle and felsic magma derived from the lower continent crust. Integrated petrogenesis and tectonic discrimination with regional tectonic evolution of the Qinling orogen, it is suggested that the granitoids are most likely products in a post-collision tectonic setting.

Metamorphism of the East Sector of the Southern Qinling Orogenic Belt and Its Geological Significance

The east sector of the southern Qinling belt is, lithologically, composed mainly of metapelites, ***qüartzites, marbles and small amount of metabasites and gneisses, whose protoliths are the Silurian, Devonian and less commonly the Sinian and Upper Palaeozoic. They have been subjected at least to two epochs of metamorphism. The early epoch belongs to progressive metamorphism which is centered on high amphibolite-granulite fades in the Fuping area and changed outwards into low amphibolite facies (staurolite-kyanite zone), epidote amphibolite facies (garnet zone) and greenschist facies (chlorite and biotite zones), the metamorphic age of which is about 220–260 Ma. This early-epoch metamorphism belongs to different pressure types: the rocks from greenschist to low amphibolite facies belong to the typical medium-pressure type which shows geothermal gradients of about 17–20 ***C/km and was probably produced by a crustal thickening process related to continental collision, and the high amphibolite-granulite facies belongs to the low-pressure type which shows geothermal gradients of about 25–38 ***C/km and was probably affected by some magmatic heats. Based on the basic characteristics of the P-T paths of the different facies calculated from the garnet zonations, it can be deduced that the metamorphism of medium-pressure facies series took place during an imbricated thickening process, rather than during the uplifting process after thickening. The late-epoch metamorphism belongs to dynamic metamorphism of greenschist facies which is overprinted on the early-epoch metamorphic rocks and is Yanshanian or Himalayan in age, probably related to intracontinental orogeny.

Qinling Orogenic Belt:Its Palaeozoic-Mesozoic Evolution and Metallogenesis

The formation, development and evolution of the Qinling orogenic belt can be divided into three stages: (1) formation and development of Precambrian basement in the Late Archaean-Palaeoproterozoic (3.0–1.6 Ga), (2) plate evolution (0.8–0.2 Ga), and (3) intracontinental orogeny and tectonic evolution in the Mesozoic.

Tectonic Boundary and Ceasing Time of Amalgamation between the North China Craton and the North Qinling Belt

The Qinling orogenic belt is a composite orogen, consisting of the north and south Qinling belts with different collision ages. The North Qinling belt is composed of several petro-tectonic units, including the Kuanping, Erlangping, Qinling and Danfeng groups with numerous granitoid plutons from Neoproterzoic to Middle Devonian. To the north of the Kuanping Group, a mylonitized granite body in the Luanchuan Group was determined to have the magmatic age of 850 Ma, which is the northernmost Neoprotozoic granite body. The volcanic rocks of the Dahongkou Formation from the Luanchuan Group had the eruptive age of -1 600 Ma, obtained from zircon U-Pb LA-ICP-MS analysis. The detrital zircons in meta-sandstones from the Taowan Group have three populations of-920-1 400, -1 600-2 100, and 〉2 200 Ma ages, whereas those from the Kuanping Group shows six populations with the peaks of -590, -767, -952, -1 590, -2 485, and -3 200 Ma. These data suggest that the boundary between the North China Craton and the North Qinling belt cannot simply be constrained by using the events determined from zircon U-Pb ages. The granitoid plutons with the magmatic age of 430 Ma were strongly deformed, while those with the magmatic age of -390 Ma show no or less deformation, indicating that the deformation of amalgamation between the North China Craton and the North Qinling belt ceased between 390 and 430 Ma.

Rock Assemblages and Formation Ages of the Baishuijiang Group in the Southwest Qinling Orogenic Belt, Northwest China

The Baishuijiang Group, located in the southwest Qinling orogenic belt, is divided into three belts according to the characteristic of the matrix and rock blocks based on the large scale geological mapping. The north belt and south belt are composed of abyssal mudstone and siltstone, and limestone, chert and basic and ultrabasic rock blocks. The middle belt consists of a few limestone blocks and turbidites, which were formed in the trench environment. At present, in the Baishuijiang Group, many fossils were found in matrix and rock blocks, the fossils contain the Cambrian small shell fossils(Xiao, 1992;Tao et al., 1992), Silurian chitinozoas, scolecodonts and spores, and Ordovician graptolites, and middle Devonian Coral and conodonts in limestone and chert blocks(Wang et al., 2011a), and Permian radiolarians in the matrix(Wang et al., 2007). The volcanic rock blocks have undergone different degree of metamorphism. Their geochemical characteristics indicate that the rocks are similar to oceanic island arc and seamount(Wang et al., 2009), and SHRIMP U-Pb dating yielded ages from Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic(Yan et al., 2007;Wang et al., 2009, 2011b). Therefore, comprehensive analysis of regional data, the Baishuijiang group is an accretionary complex which was consisted of matrix and blocks, and was finally formed during Permian-Triassic.

Feldspar Lead Isotopic Composition of Granitoids from the Eastern Qinling Orogenic Belt and Their Tectonic Significance

This paper reports 48 feldspar lead isotope analyses from 27 granitic intrusions,which formed from the Late Proterozic to Mesozoic within the Eastern Qinling oregenic belt. Itis found that the granitic rocks of South Qinling are characterized by a strong block-effect anddepletion in U-Pb and Th-Pb, showing that these rocks came from the same lead isotopetectono-geochemical province, while those of North Qinling are characterized by higher U-Pband Th-Pb for Late Proterozoic to Early Paleozoic ones and lower U-Pb and Th-Pb forLate-Palaeozoic and younger ones in their feldspar lead isotopic composition. In the NorthQinling block, lead isotopic signatures reflect that the source of granitic magma had changedsince the Late Palaeozoic. Comparison of feldspar lead isotopic composition between SouthQinling and North Qinling shows that there is marked difference in lead isotopic compositionfor pre-Palaeozoic granitoids, indicating that the South Qinling and the North Qinling blocksbelong to different tectonic units, but the similarities in lead isotopic composition are quiteclear, which indicates that the South Qinling block had been welded with the North Qinlingblock and that the magma sources of both blocks were identical. The analysis provides directevidence for underplating of the continental crust of South Qinling beneath the North Qinlingblock in the continent-continent interaction stage of the Eastern Qinling oregenic belt.

The Songpan-Garze Massif: Its Relation to the QinlingFold Belt and Yangtze Platform and Developmental History

Whether there existed the Songpan-Garze massif is a controversial problem. This paper expounds and proves that the old basement of the massif is represented by the pre-Sinian granitic rock series. This massif and the South Qinling fold belt might both be a part of the old Yangtze platform. Rifting generated by the Caledonian orogeny in the terminal Early Palaeozoic caused the massif to be disintegrated from the northwestern part of the Yangtze platform. This disintegration, however, was not thorough, and the rift troughs were later gradually closed and filled up. The Emei taphrogeny that was initiated in the Early Permian Maokou' an Stage involved a second disintegration of this massif from the Yangtze platform. The rift line largely goes along the Muli-Pingwu line. This rifting belongs to synchronous extensional rifting at peripheries of the Yangtze platform and in its interior, showing that the posterior, lateral and interior extension resulting from rapid northward shift of the Yangtze platform led to isolation of this massif together with South Qinling from their adjacent areas. During the Ladinian Stage, the Songpan-Garze massif and southern Qinling sank strongly en masse. This subsidence continued till the end of the Late Triassic when the late Indosinian movement caused the sea trough to be closed and Songpan-Garze1 and southern Qinling to be folded and uplifted and become mountains.

Petrological Study on the Ductile Shear Zones in the Core of the Eastern Qinling Orogenic Belt in Western Henan

A series of ductile shear zones of the overthrust and strike-slip-types and related ductile shear metamorphicrocks, including tectonic melange and mylonites. were formed in the core of the Qinling orogenic belt in thecourse of the Caledonian-Indosinian ductilc and brittle-ductile reworking. The study on their petrography. va-riations in composition and conditions of formation is conducive to revealing the metamorphism-deformationhistory of the core of the Qinling orogenic belt and further to understanding the dynamic mechanism of its evo-lution.

In Situ Rb-Sr Dates of Muscovite and Sulfur Isotope of Pyrite from the Yangshan Gold Deposit in Western Qinling,China

Located along the southern part of the West Qinling orogenic belt,the Yangshan gold deposit is one of the largest in China.The major gold ores of Yangshan are disseminated in metasedimentary host rocks with minor native gold amounts in stibnite-gold quartz veins.Pyrite and arsenopyrite are the major Au-bearing minerals.Hydrothermal muscovite from gold-bearing quartz veins was dated using the in situ Rb-Sr method to determine the formation age of the Yangshan gold deposit.The Rb-Sr isochron date of the muscovite yielded 210.1±5.6 Ma(MSWD=1.2).This date is near the lower end of the period of the mineralized granitic dykes(210.49-213.10 Ma).Two stages of gold enriching process are recognized in the gold-bearing pyrite:the first is incorporated with the Co,Cu,As,Ni enrichment;and the second is accompanied by Bi,Co,Ni,Pb,Cu,Sb concentration.The in-situ sulfur isotopic values of pyrites show a restrictedΔ34s range of-1.43‰to 2.86‰with a mean value of 0.43‰.Trace-element mapping and in-situ sulfur isotopic analysis of pyrite suggest that the sulfur deposits are likely derived from a magmatic source and likely assimilated by sulfur from the sedimentary bedrock.Thus,magmatism plays a critical role in the formation of the Yangshan gold deposit.

Structural Geology and Chronology of Shear Zones along the Shangdan Suture in Qinling Orogenic Belt,China:Implications for Late Mesozoic Intra-Continental Deformation of East Asia

The Shangdan suture zone(SDZ)in the Qinling orogenic belt(QOB)is a key to understanding the East Asia tectonic evolution.The SDZ gives information about convergent processes between the North China Block(NCB)and South China Block(SCB).In the Late Mesozoic,several shear zones evolved along the SDZ boundary that helps us comprehend the collisional deformation between the NCB and SCB,which was neglected in previous studies.These shear zones play an essential role in the tectonic evolution of the East Asia continents.This study focuses on the deformation and geochronology of two shear zones distributed along the SDZ,identified in the Shaliangzi and Maanqiao areas.The shear sense indicators and kinematic vorticity numbers(0.54–0.90)suggest these shear zones have sinistral shear and sub-simple shear deformation kinematics.The quartz’s dynamic recrystallization and c-axis fabric analysis in the Maanqiao shear zone(MSZ)revealed that the MSZ experienced deformation under green-schist facies conditions at∼400–500℃.The Shaliangzi shear zone deformed under amphibolite facies at∼500–700℃.The^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar(muscovite-biotite)dating of samples provided a plateau age of 121–123 Ma.Together with previously published data,our results concluded that QOB was dominated by compressional tectonics during the Late Early Cretaceous.Moreover,we suggested that the Siberian Block moved back to the south and Lhasa-Qiantang-Indochina Block to the north,which promoted intra-continental compressional tectonics.

Provenance of the Lower Jurassic pyroclastic sediments in the Zigui Basin:Implication for crustal thickening in the eastern Qinling orogenic belt

The Late Triassic witnessed significant collisional orogenic events in the Qinling orogenic belt,accompanied by magma underplating and tectonic deformation.These processes potentially resulted in substantial crustal thickening and uplift of the Qinling orogen.However,due to the absence of igneous rock records from this period in the eastern section of the Qinling orogen,the changes in crustal thickness during this orogenic process have not been thoroughly investigated.A series of foreland basins emerged during the Early Mesozoic to the south of the East Qinling orogenic belt.These basins have preserved clastic sedimentary rocks derived from the uplift and erosion of the orogenic belt.These sedimentary records serve as crucial records to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the Qinling orogen.To further clarify the collisional orogenic process of the Qinling orogenic belt,this study conducted in situ volcanic lithic fragment geochemistry,detrital zircon U-Pb chronology and trace element composition analysis on the sandstones of the Lower Jurassic Tongzhuyuan Formation in the Zigui Basin.The results suggest that the sandstones,which exhibit a significant abundance of volcanic lithic fragments,has a characteristic detrital zircon age group of 250–200 Ma,indicating a major provenance from the Triassic volcanic rocks.Combined with regional correlation and paleocurrent analysis,the detrital zircon U-Pb age data show that the source area of volcanic rocks should be in the Qinling orogenic belt to the north of the basin.This interpretation is further supported by the Triassic granitic rocks exposed in the western part of the orogenic belt,representing the magmatism during the Triassic collisional orogenesis in the Qinling orogen.Based on the co-varying relationships between present-day crust thickness with the chemical compositions of granite rocks and zircons,the La/Yb ratio of volcanic lithic fragments in the Tongzhuyuan Formation and the Eu/Eu*ratio of detrital zircons with Triassic ages indicate that the Qinling orogen experienced crustal thickening during the Late Triassic,reaching its maximum thickness of 60–70 km at ca.220–210 Ma.This crustal thickening in the eastern Qinling orogen is temporally consistent with that in the western orogen as recorded by the Triassic granitic rocks and may be related to large-scale crustal shortening and magmatism during the collisional orogeny.

Zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic characteristics of the Dehe biotite monzonitic gneiss pluton in the North Qinling orogen and their geological significance

The Dehe granitic pluton intruded the Xiahe Group which is in the core complex of the North Qinling Orogenic Belt(NQOB).It shows gneissic bedding and possesses typical S-type granite minerals such as muscovite and garnet.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb isotopic dating of the Dehe granite yielded a weighted average age of 925±23 Ma which represents the emplacement age of the pluton.Most of the εHf(t) values are negative,and the two-stage model ages are consistent with the age of the Qinling Group.The isotope data show that the Dehe granite was formed in the following geological setting:in the syn-collision setting of the NQOB in the Neoproterozoic,crustal thickening induced partial melting of materials derived from the Qinling complex,and then the maga upwelled and intruded into the Xiahe Group.The formation of the Dehe S-type granite implied the occurrence of a convergent event in the QOB during the Neoproterozoic.

Earthquake-induced Soft-sediment Deformation Structures in the Dengfeng Area,Henan Province,China:Constraints on Qinling Tectonic Evolution during the Early Cambrian

Soft-sediment deformation structures are abundant in the Cambrian Zhushadong and Mantou formations of the Dengfeng area, Henan Province, China. Soft-sediment deformation structures of the Zhushadong Formation consist of fluidized deformation, synsedimentary faults, seismo-folds and plastic deformation; the Mantou Formation is dominated by small-scale horst faults, intruded dikes, fluidized veins, and seismo-cracks. These structures are demonstrated to be earthquake-related by analysis of trigger mechanisms, and may indicate the activity of the Qinling tectonic belt during the early Cambrian. Furthermore, the assemblages of soft-sediment deformation structures altered with time： large-scale, intense deformation in the Zhushadong Formation alters to small-scale, weak deformation in the Mantou Formation. This striking feature may have been caused by changes in hypocentral depth from deep-focus to shallow-focus earthquakes, indicating that the Qinling tectonic belt developed from the subduction of the Shangdan Ocean to the extension of the Erlangping back-arc basin. This study suggests that soft-sediment deformation structures can be used to reveal the activity of a tectonic belt, and, more importantly, changes in deformation assemblages can track the evolution of a tectonic belt.

New Evidence for Eastward Extension of Late Hercynian－Early Indosinian Qinling Sea

The problem of the eastward extension of Qinling sea of Late Hercynian -Early Indosinian has always been in suspension. The present paper makes an assumption that the Qinling rock-group should be a tectonic complex consisting of complicated structural slices of different ages according to the new discovery of radiolarias and other faunas in the Yanlinggou rock-formation in the area around eastern Qinling-Toughai Mountains. The discovery of the Early Triassic radiolarias in Tongbai Mountain and the analysis of the paleogeography of the Yangtze and North China plate margins indicate the existence of eastern Qinling-Tongbai-Dabie sea of Late Hercynian-Early Indosinian, which is considered to be the eastward extension of the western Qinling rift trough. The rift trough was closed by the convergent collision between the Yangtze and North China plates in Middle to Late Triassic.

The Metamorphic and Deformational History of a Continental Collision Zone and its Geodynamic Process——as Evidenced by Qinling Complex,Western Henan,China

The Qinling orogenic belt is a collision zone between the North China and Yangtze cratons. The Qinling Complex is a Precambrian metamorphic complex, developed in the inner zone of the orogenic belt , which records the metamorphic and deformational history and PTt path of the regional meta-morphism of the collision zone . The present paper studies the metamorphic and deformational history and the PTt path of various tectono-metamorphic cycles in order to describe the geodynamic processes prevailing in that part of the Qinling orogenic belt since Proterozoic.The tectonometamorphic history and evolution of the Qinling Complex is divided into two stages: the stage of formation and the stage of modification During the stage of formation dated as Proterozoic,three deformational sequences are recognized. The amphibolite facies regional metamorphism is earlier than or synchronous with the first or second phase of folding. Three metamorphic zones, i.e. And-Ms ,Sil- Ms, Sil Kfs are delimited. During the stage of modification , the emplacement of Caledonian granite , superimposed thermal aureole (garnet K feldspar zone )and the development of ductile shear zones are major events.Metamorphic reactions are reconstructed in terms of analysis of re-equilibrium textures. Geothermobarometric calculations are conducted to calibrate the PT conditions of metamorphism .The metamorphic PTt paths have been estabh'shed. The PTt path of the Proterozoic tectonometamorphic cycle shows a clockwise pattern and is characterized by prominent decompression. The PTt path of the Caledonian tectonometamorphic cycle is characterized first by PT rising ,then isothermal decompression (rapid uplift), and finally by isobaric cooling The PTt path of the two tectonometamorphic cycles evidence the geodynamic processes: two major stages of collision and uplift in the Proterozoic and Caledonian Hercynian periods, respectively, during the evolution of Qinling orogenic belt.

Detrital Zircon Geochronology of Early Triassic Strata in the West Qinling Orogen:Implications for the Tectonic Evolution of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean

The West Qinling Orogen(WQO)is located in the western part of the Qinling Orogen and in the transition zone of Qilian Orogen,Songpan-Garze Orogen and Yangtze Block,and also the key position of Triassic collision orogenic event.The study of the Early Triassic strata in the WQO is contributed to analyze the closure process of the paleo-Tethys.We conducted LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating studies on detrital zircons to determine the provenance,depositional age,and tectonic setting of the Early Triassic Longwuhe Formation in the Lintan area of the WQO.The results show that the majority of the detrital zircons in the Longwuhe Formation are mainly magmatic origin and have characteristic of crust source zircon.The lowest limit of sedimentation of the Longwuhe Formation is constrained to the Early Triassic,with the youngest detrital zircon age of 253±3 Ma.The ages can be divided into five age groups:3346–1636 Ma,with two peak ages of ca.2495 and ca.1885 Ma;1585–1010 Ma,with a peak age at ca.1084 Ma;992–554 Ma,with a peak age at ca.939 Ma;521–421 Ma,with a peak age at ca.445 Ma;418–253 Ma,with a peak age at ca.280 Ma.Apparently,the sources of the Longwuhe Formation include the northern margin of the WQO,the Qilian Orogen(QLO)and the basement of the southern margin of the North China Block(NCB),of which the ancient basement of the southern margin of the NCB is the main source area of the Longwuhe Formation.Combined with previous studies,we propose that the Longwuhe Formation was formed in a fore-arc basin,which is related to the closure of the A’nyemaqen-Mianlüe Ocean from the Early Permian to Early–Middle Triassic due to the northward subduction-collision of the Yangtze Block(YZB).This also indicates that the A’nyemaqen-Mianlüe Ocean has flat subduction characteristics.