Depositional Age, Provenance Characteristics and Tectonic Setting of the Ailaoshan Group in the Southwestern South China Block

The depositional and metamorphic ages and provenances of the Ailaoshan(ALS) Group in the Ailaoshan-Red River(ALS-RR) shear zone, southwestern South China Block(SCB), were investigated to constrain the tectonic history of the southwestern SCB. In this study, we use petrology, geochemical analysis, zircon cathodoluminescence imaging and UPb geochronology to analyse samples of quartzite, garnet-bearing two-mica schist and metapelite. The age spectra of detrital zircon grains from these metasediments show two dominant age peaks at 550–424 Ma and 876–730 Ma and two subordinate peaks at 970–955 Ma and ~2450 Ma. The youngest peak, corresponding to the early Palaeozoic, accounts for more than 20% of the total dates and constrains the deposition of the ALS Group to the Palaeozoic rather than the Palaeoproterozoic as traditionally thought. Moreover, two peaks of metamorphic ages corresponding to the Permo-Triassic and Cenozoic were also identified, and these ages document the tectonothermal events associated with the Indosinian collision between the Indochina Block and the SCB and the Himalayan collision between the Indian and Asian plates. Geochemical data suggest that the provenances of the ALS Group were dominated by continental arc and recycled metasedimentary rocks. The comparison of probability density distribution plots of the detrital zircon U-Pb age data indicates that the Neoproterozoic detritus in the ALS Group was probably derived from the arc-related Neoproterozoic intrusive bodies in the northwestern and southwestern SCB. Furthermore, the early Palaeozoic detritus might have been sourced from eroded early Palaeozoic strata and magmatic plutons in Cathaysia and volcanic rocks in the western Indochina Block.

Shear Strength and Dilatancy of Calcareous Sand in the South China Sea

The shear strength and dilatancy of typical uncemented calcareous sand from the South China Sea are investigated by soil lab tests.According to drained triaxial tests at various relative densities and confining stresses,it is found that the constant volume friction angle is approximated as 39°and the traditional Bolton’s equations can be modified to estimate the peak friction angle and dilation angle.The reliability of the equation proposed for the peak friction angle is verified in terms of calcareous sands from more onshore and offshore sites worldwide,while the errors of the predicted dilation angles scatter in a relatively large range.Totally,the dilation angles of sands in the South China Sea are estimated by the equation presented with an error of±30%.The peak friction angle measured by the undrained is similar to that by the drained tests as the relative density smaller than 60%,while the former is slightly lower for denser samples.

ESR and U-series ages of coral reef samples from shallow drill holes in the South China Sea

The ages of coral reef samples from several shallow drill holes in the South China Sea are determined by ESR and U-series (230Th/234U) methods. The experimental results show ideal agreement between ESR and U-series ages and that the coral reefs were formed in the early Holocene. In the determination of natural total dose of coral reef by use of the additive dose method good results can be obtained by exponential fitting, no matter how the effect of dose saturation is. It was found that the ratio of the natural ESR signal intensity ( I0) to the ESR signal intensity at dose saturation ( Imax) of sample can reflect the significance of a irradiation efficiency-k value. Using the k value of sample determined by the formula given in this paper, the precision of ESR dating of marine carbonates can be improved.

Age Recalibration of the Xiaofeng Dykes, South China, and Its Implications for True Polar Wander at ～820 Ma

Paleomagnetism of the Neoproterozoic Xiaofeng dykes exposed in the Three Gorges region of Hubei Province bear important implications for the paleogeography of the South China block(SCB).New high-precision U-Pb

New U-Pb age constraints on the upper Banxi Group and synchrony of the Sturtian glaciation in South China

The Nanhua basin in South China hosts well-preserved middle-late Neoproterozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks that are critical for studying the basin evolution, the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia, the nature and dynamics of the "snowball" Earth and diversification of metazoans. Establishing a stratigraphic framework is crucial for better understanding the interactions between tectonic, paleoclimatic and biotic events recorded in the Nanhua basin, but existing stratigraphic correlations remain debated, particularly for pre-Ediacaran strata. Here we report new Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(LA-ICPMS) U-Pb zircon ages from the middle and topmost Wuqiangxi Formation(the upper stratigraphic unit of the Banxi Group) in Siduping, Hunan Province, South China. Two samples show similar age distribution, with two major peaks at ca. 820 Ma and 780 Ma and one minor peak at ca. 910 Ma, suggesting that the Wuqiangxi sandstone was mainly sourced from Neoproterozoic rocks. Two major age peaks correspond to two phases of magmatic events associated with the rifting of the Nanhua basin, and the minor peak at ca. 910 Ma may correspond to the Shuangxiwu volcanic arc magmatism, which represents pre-collision/amalgamation subduction on the southeastern margin of the Yangtze Block. The youngest zircon group from the topmost Wuqiangxi Formation has a weighted mean age of 714.6±5.2 Ma, which is likely close to the depositional age of the uppermost Banxi Group. This age, along with the ages reported from other sections, constrains that the Banxi Group was deposited between ca. 820 Ma and ca. 715 Ma. The age of 714.6±5.2 Ma from the top of the Wuqiangxi Formation is indistinguishable with the SIMS U-Pb age of 715.9± 2.8 Ma from the upper Gongdong Formation in the Sibao village section of northern Guangxi, South China. It is also, within uncertainties, overlapped with two TIMS U-Pb ages from pre-Sturtian strata in Oman and Canada. These ages indicate that the Jiangkou(Sturtian) glaciation in South China started at ca. 715 Ma instead of ca. 780 Ma and support a globally synchronous initiation of the Sturtian glaciation at ca. 715 Ma.

Palynology and stratigraphy of the thick evaporate-bearing Shashi Formation in Jiangling Depression,Jianghan Basin of South China,and its paleoclimate change

In the greater inland Jianghan Basin of South China,three salt depressions are lacking accurate geological times,of which Jiangling Depression is the largest.Evaporites are important records of paleoclimate,however,the geological ages of evaporates are very difficult to be determined because often evaporates have scare macrofossils and microfossils.Nonmarine Cretaceous to Tertiary halite deposits interbedded with mudstones are widely distributed in China.Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum had very high temperatures and attracted strong interests of geologists because these times can be compared with future climate change because of global warming.However,previous studies focused on marine sediments found that during the Paleocene-Early Eocene,massive evaporate deposits formed in Jiangling depression of the Jianghan Basin.In this paper,the authors show that the Shashi Formation halite deposits formed in the Paleocene according to palynology.Most of these palynology fossils are arid types,so the massive evaporites in the Jiangling depression could be closely related to the hot Paleocene climate.High temperatures during the Paleocene contributed to the formation of the massive evaporates in the Jiangling Depression,until sylvite was the result.

Expansion of the South China Sea basin:Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes,sea floor topography,satellite gravity and submarine geothermics

The widely distributed E-W-trending magnetic anomaly stripes in the central basin and the N-Etrending magnetic anomaly stripes in the southwest sub-basin provide the most important evidence for Neogene expansion of the South China Sea.The expansion mechanism remains,however,controversial because of the lack of direct drilling data,non-systematic marine magnetic survey data,and irregular magnetic anomaly stripes with two obvious directions.For example,researchers have inferred different ages and episodes of expansion for the central basin and southwest sub-basin.Major controversy centers on the order of basinal expansion and the mechanism of expansion for the entire South China Sea basin.This study attempts to constrain these problems from a comprehensive analysis of the seafloor topography,magnetic anomaly stripes,regional aeromagnetic data,satellite gravity,and submarine geothermics.The mapped seafloor terrain shows that the central basin is a north-south rectangle that is relatively shallow with many seamounts,whereas the southwest sub-basin is wide in northeast,gradually narrows to the southwest,and is relatively deeper with fewer seamounts.Many magnetic anomaly stripes are present in the central basin with variable dimensions and directions that are dominantly EWtrending,followed by the NE-,NW- and NS-trending.Conversely such stripes are few in the southwest sub-basin and mainly NE-trending.Regional magnetic data suggest that the NW-trending Ailaoshan-Red River fault extends into the South China Sea,links with the central fault zone in the South China Sea,which extends further southward to Reed Tablemount.Satellite gravity data show that both the central basin and southwest sub-basin are composed of oceanic crust.The Changlong seamount is particularly visible in the southwest sub-basin and extends eastward to the Zhenbei seamount.Also a low gravity anomaly zone coincides with the central fault zone in the sub-basin.The submarine geothermic distribution demonstrates that the southwest sub-basin has a higher geothermal value than the central basin,and that the central fault zone is defined by a low thermal anomaly.This study suggests that NW-SE expansion of the southwest subbasin is later than the N-S expansion of the central basin with the sub-basin extending into the central basin and with both expansions ending at the same time.The expansion of southwestern sub-basin,similar to the Japanese Sea,is likely caused by left-lateral strike slip on the central fault zone in the South China Sea,which may have significance for finding oil and gas in this region.

Late Eocene–early Miocene provenance evolution of the Crocker Fan in the southern South China Sea

There are many large-scale Cenozoic sedimentary basins with plentiful river deltas,deep-water fans and carbonate platforms in the southern South China Sea.The Crocker Fan was deposited as a typical submarine fan during the late Eocene–early Miocene,and stretches extensively across the entire Sarawak–Sabah of the northern Borneo area.However,systematic analyses are still lacking regarding its sediment composition and potential source suppliers.No consensus has been reached yet on the provenance evolution and sedimentary infilling processes,which seriously impeded the oil-and-gas exploration undertakings.By combining with sedimentaryfacies identification,heavy mineral assemblages,elemental geochemistry and detrital zircon U-Pb dating,this paper aims to generalize an integrated analysis on the potential provenance terranes and restore source-to-sink pathways of the Crocker Fan.In general,the Crocker Fan was initially formed over the Cretaceous–lower/middle Eocene Rajang Group by an angular Rajang unconformity.The continual southward subduction of the protoSouth China Sea resulted in magmatic activities and subsequent regional deformation and thrusting along the Lupar Line in the northern Borneo.The lowermost Crocker sequence is featured by a thick conglomerate layer sourced from in-situ or adjacent paleo-uplifts.From the late Eocene to the early Miocene,the Crocker Fan was constantly delivered with voluminous detritus from the Malay Peninsula of the western Sundaland.The Zengmu Basin was widely deposited with delta plain and neritic facies sediments,while the Brunei-Sabah Basin,to the farther east,was ubiquitously characterized by turbiditic sequences.The Crocker Fan successions are overall thick layers of modest-grained sandstones,which formed high-quality reservoirs in the southern South China Sea region.

Geochemical characteristics of Oligocene-Miocene sediments from the deepwater area of the northern South China Sea and their provenance implications

Geochemical and detrital zircon U-Pb dating data for drilled sediments from the Baiyun deepwater area of the northern South China Sea demonstrate a change of sedimentary sources from the Oligocene to the Miocene.Zircon ages of the pre-rift Eocene sequences are dominated by Yanshanian ages with various peak values（110–115 Ma for U1435 and L21; 150 Ma for H1）, indicating local sediment supply from the pre-existing Mesozoic magmatic belt. For the Oligocene sediments in the northern part of the basin, the rare earth elements show different distribution characteristics, indicating sediment supply from the paleo-Zhujiang River（Pearl River）, as also confirmed by the multimodal zircon age spectra of the Lower Oligocene strata in Well X28. By contrast, a positive Eu anomaly characterizes sediments from the western and southern parts of the basin, indicating potential provenances from intermediate to basic volcanic rock materials. The Baiyun Movement at the end of the Oligocene contributed to a large-scale subsidence in the deepwater area and also a northward retreat of continental shelf break, leading to deepening depositional environment in the basin. As a result, all the detrital zircon ages of the Upper Oligocene strata from Wells X28, L13, and L21 share a similar distribution, implying the possible control of a common source like the Zhujiang River. During the Miocene, whereas sediments in the northern area were mainly sourced from the Zhujiang River Delta, and those in the southern deepwater area continued to be affected by basic volcanic activities, the Dongsha Uplift could have contributed as the main source to the eastern area.

CHRONOLOGICAL RESEARCH OF SAND BARS ALONG THE SOUTH COAST OF CHINA

Ⅰ. INTRODUCTIONThere are many sand bars along the south coast of China, distributed from the south of Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan to Guangxi. After investigating and sampling more than 100 bars, the author has chosen 64 samples for dating and has collected 35 prevenient data in order to study the ages of the bars. The samples got from bars, from beds

Timing of Uranium Mineralization and Geological Implications of Shazijiang Granite-Hosted Uranium Deposit in Guangxi, South China: New Constraint from Chemical U-Pb Age

Miaoershan（MES） uranium ore field is one of the most important uranium sources in China, hosts the largest Chanziping carbonaceous-siliceous-pelitic rock type uranium deposit in South China together with many other granite-hosted uranium deposits. The Shazijiang（SZJ） uranium deposit is one of the representative granite-hosted uranium deposits in the MES uranium ore field, situated in the Ziyuan, Guangxi Province, South China. Uranium mineralization in the SZJ deposit mainly occurs as uraninite with quartz and calcite veins that is spatially associated with mafic dykes in the region. The hydrothermal alteration includes silicification, carbonation and hematitization. New uraninite chemical U-Pb geochronology and petrographic evidences provide the timing constraints and new insights into the formation of the SZJ uranium deposit. The results show that the first stage of uranium mineralization formed at 97.5±4.0 Ma, whereas another stage of uranium mineralization occurred at 70.2±1.6 Ma. Two stages of uranium mineralization are fairly consistent with two episodic crustal extensions that occurred at -100 and -70 Ma throughout South China. This study indicates that there are two uranium mineralization events in SZJ uranium ore field controlled by mafic dyke, supporting that mafic dykes play an important topochemical role in uranium concentration and/or mobilization. Therefore, geochemical U-Pb age firstly reinforces that ore-forming age of the SZJ uranium deposit mainly yields at 97.5±4.0 and 70.2±1.6 Ma. Additionally, geochemical age method is particularly useful for interest samples which record information on multi-stage uranium mineralizations in South China.

Activity and Formation of Sand Waves on Northern South China Sea Shelf

Sand waves on the northern South China Sea shelf had been considered as stable relict bed form. For the industry use of sea bed between stations LF13-2 and LF13-1, a new round of explorations were conducted. The newly obtained data show that both spacings and amplitudes of sand waves are all systematically changing with water depth. Repeated observations since 2003 to 2004 showed that the sea bed is currently active. Due to strong erosion of surface sediment since Dongsha （东沙） uplifting, there are almost no modern sediments on the shelf of Dongsha area. Sand materials in the study area mainly originate from the erosion of the bed sediment formation. The water depth increment revealed by repeated echo sounder data is mainly due to erosion. Bottom currents are quite complex in the area of Dongsha underwater plateaus. At site 9MKH, the southward ebb current is stronger than the north- ward flood current, while at site AEM-HR, the WNW-ward flood current is slightly stronger than the ESE-ward ebb current. At site 9MKII, the maximum bottom current speed is 48 cm/s, and 22% of the observed bottom current speeds are larger than 20 cm/s, which meet the minimum bottom current speed required for the creation of sand wave. This article points out that present-day oceanographic condition couples well with the sand-wave morphologies, and that the sand waves are to a great extent in equilibrium with the ongoing present-day oceanographic bottom current condition and active.

New SHRIMP U-Pb age from the Wuqiangxi Formation of Banxi Group:Implications for rifting and stratigraphic erosion associated with the early Cryogenian (Sturtian) glaciation in South China

In South China, the Wuqiangxi Formation of the Banxi Group and its equivalents underlie the early Cryogenian (Sturtian) glacial deposits but their thickness varies from <200 m to >2000 m. In the Guzhang section of western Hunan, the Wuqiangxi Formation is only 152 m thick, and an ash bed 58 m below the glacial diamictite yielded a SHRIMP U-Pb age of 809.3±8.4 Ma. In contrast, 90 km south of the Guzhang section towards the basin in Zhijiang area where the Wuqiangxi Formation is ～2200 m thick, an age of 725±10 Ma has been reported from the top of this unit, 300 m below the glacial diamictite. These ages provide new evidence for the regional stratigraphic correlation across the Nanhua basin, and suggest unusually large (>2 km) stratigraphic erosion potentially associated with the Sturtian glaciation in South China. The magnitude of erosion may imply significant uplifting and tectonotopography at the onset of the Sturtian glaciation.

Formation of "old red sands" and paleogeographic environment on South China coasts

The formation and development environment of the "old red sands" on South China coasts is discussed according to the investigation in the field and laboratory works. The authors believed that the "old red sands" are the aeolian sediments deposits in the last glacial period of late Pleistocene when the sea level was lower than the present, and the laterization took place under the hot and wet climate during the later interglacial and postglacial periods when the sea level was relatively high.

LA-ICP-MS Zircon U-Pb Age of Longtou Syenite body in South Songxian County, Southern Margin of the North China Craton

Objective Indosinian magmatic rocks mainly locate in west Qinling Orogen, which are, however, extremely rare in east Qingling Orogen （Lu Xinxiang, 2000; Zhang Guowei et al., 2001; Guo Xianqing et al., 2017）. The Zhifang Huangzhuang （ZH） area in south Songxian County is located in the southern margin of the North China Craton （Fig. l a）, which is an important lndosinian alkaline magmatic occurrence including 32 syenite bodies and syenitic dykes in east Qinling Orogen. There are five syenite bodes in the ZH area, i.e., the Lang＇aogou, Mogou, Longtou, Jiaogou and Wusanggou from west to east （Fig. l b）.

Rb-Sr isochron ages and significance of bimodal volcanic association in Baimianshi uranium ore-field, South China

1 Geologic background THE volcanic U-deposits are generally associated with felsic to intermediate volcanic rock and their sedimentary derivatives. However, uranium mineralization has been found to be spatially associated with thebasalt of bimodal volcanic associations in Baimianshi uranium ore field. Baimianshi uranium ore-field islocated in Baimianshi volcanic-sedimentary basin of south Jiangxi Province. The cover rocks of the basinconsist of a suite of bimodal volcanic-sedimentary sequences. Its basement rocks are two-mica granites ofBaimianshi rock body. The basalt of cover rocks is interbedded with arkoses in lower sequence, and rhyolite or rhyolitic tuff in upper sequence. Uranium minerals mainly occur as disseminations in the

Opening time and filling pattern of the Neoproterozoic Kangdian Rift Basin,western Yangtze Continent,South China

The Neoproterozoic Kangdian Rift Basin is a continental rift basin in the western Yangtze Continent.Determining its time of opening and subsequent filling pattern is an important aspect of understanding the formation and evolution of the Yangtze Continent,South China.The Luliang Formation is the early filling in the eastern part of this rift basin,and its deposition age and filling sequence are significant for studies of the regional stratigraphic correlation,opening time,and filling pattern of this basin.Having been correlated to the upper part of the Mesoproterozoic Kunyang Group or to the Neoproterozoic Chengjiang Formation,the age and regional stratigraphic correlation of the Luliang Formation have long been uncertain.This is due to a lack of reliable absolute age constraints.To address this issue,the first zircon SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology has been established for this formation,yielding two high-precision isotopic ages of 818.6±9.2 and 805±14 Ma for the tuff layers at the bottoms of the lower and upper members of the Luliang Formation,respectively.Given the error factor,the bottom age of the lower member of the Luliang Formation can be interpreted as ca.820 Ma,corresponding to the bottom age of the lower part of the Banxi Group,which is the early filling of the Neoproterozoic Xianggui Rift Basin,a representative basin of the Neoproterozoic rift basins in the Yangtze Continent,South China.The bottom age of the upper member of the Luliang Formation can be interpreted as ca.800±5 Ma,corresponding to the bottom age of the Chengjiang Formation in the western part of the Neoproterozoic Kangdian Rift Basin and also corresponding to the bottom age of the upper part of the Banxi Group in the Neoproterozoic Xianggui Rift Basin.These ages indicate that the Neoproterozoic Kangdian Rift Basin shares the same opening time and filling sequences as those of the other Neoproterozoic rift basins in South China.Basin analysis shows that the Neoproterozoic Kangdian Rift Basin is a typical half-graben basin,with its main boundary fault in the west and basin center in the east.This basin consisted of mini unidirectional half-graben basins in its juvenile stage and simplified to become a large united half-graben basin in its mature stage,i.e.,a supradetachment basin.

Late Paleozoic magmatism in South China:Oceanic subduction or intracontinental orogeny?

A gneissic granite with an U-Pb age of 313±4 Ma was found in northeastern Fujian Province,South China.It is an S-type granite characterized by high K2O,Al2O3 and low SiO2,Na2O contents with high A/CNK ratio of 1.22 for the whole rock.Zircons with stubby morphology from the gneissic granite yield 206 Pb/238 U ages ranging from 326 to 301 Ma with a weighted average age of 313±4 Ma,and negative εHf(t) values from -8.35 to -1.74 with Hf model ages (TCDM) of 1.43 to 1.84 Ga.This S-type granite probably originated from late Paleoproterozoic crust in intracontinental orogeny.Integrated with previous results on paleogeographic reconstruction of South China,the nature of Paleozoic basins,Early Permian volcanism and U-Pb-Hf isotope of detrital zircons from the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic sedimentary rocks,we suggest the occurrence of a late Paleozoic orogeny in the eastern Cathaysia Block,South China.This orogenic cycle includes Late Carboniferous (340-310 Ma) orogeny (compression) episode and Early Permian (287-270 Ma) post-orogenic or intraplate extension episode.Therefore,the late Paleozoic magmatism in the southeastern South China probably occurred during the intraplate orogeny rather than the arc-related process.

The geographical characteristics of Nansha Islands in the South China Sea

As is well-known, Nansha Islands in the South China Sea(SCS) are of important strategic position and invaluable ecological value. Therefore, many attentions are paid to either the political and legal aspects of exposed features that matter in the maritime delimitation, or the physical and geographical characteristics of coral reefs that are the predominant structures of these islands. However, it seems that they consistently lose the connection of sciences and humanities in the research of Nansha Islands in the SCS. In this study, we carry out a combinative research, based on remote sensing data using satellite imagery analysis together with historical materials using literature investigation, so as to reconsider to the geographical characteristics of Nansha Islands from a standpoint of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS). After thoroughly appraising the statuses of these newly formed sand cays, several high tide features of Nansha Islands are identified. By means of the comparison of satellite images coupled with reference to nautical charting and sailing directions during different time periods, we can conclude that the statuses of these high tide features formed on reef platforms are relatively stable due to the growth of reef-building organisms although their migration patterns are subject to external disturbances, and hence the cursory judgment pursuant to the relevant provisions of the UNCLOS about whether a coral reef belongs to a low tide elevation only based on outdated references or ex parte evidences is not reliable. Moreover, it is accordingly justified to improve further development and perfection of the maritime legislation by eliminating such ambiguities with the growth of coral reefs and the evolution of sand cays being both taken into account.

The Late Mesozoic Granodiorites from the Southwest Basin in the South China Sea and Its Tectonic Implication

The southwest basin is a key to study the origin and development of the South China Sea（SCS）.We do not know much about its boundaries,geological history,and the formation of its sea floor because it has a complex and highly re-gional structural background,notable sediment activity,and yet few floor rocks.Here a grano-diorite sample was collected from the southern margin of the southwest basin of the South China Sea.The results indicated that the 40Ar-39Ar ages of biotites in the sample are 110.3±0.5 Ma,suggesting that they were prod-ucts of magmatic intrusion during the Early Cretaceous period.The sample＇s geochemistry showed it had high SiO2,K2O,and Al2O3 but low TiO2 levels.Tectonic discriminant diagrams suggested that the sample might represent extrusion-related magmatism,either in an arc or forearc setting in the SCS area and that the sample mainly belonged to the syncollision type,whose formation was related to orogenies.The sample may be part of the main rock that made up the boundaries of rift system.The process of tension cracking was similar to the development of the Red Sea,in which the rifting and sagging occurred in the continental crust.The southwest basin may not be an original ocean,but a rift developed through finite extension on continental crust basement.The oceanic crust came into being when the width and depth of the rift valley reached a certain scale.The granodiorite sample we collected provides a means of determining the boundary of the southwest basin and the clues that may help researchers expand relevant models.It constitutes an important datum regarding the analysis of the formation and development of the SCS.