Did natural fission of^(235)U in the earth lead to formation of the supercontinent Columbia?

Steady decline in the percentage of 235U in terrestrial uranium made natural fission impos- sible after about 1.8 Ga. Fission before 1.8 Ga disturbed the lead isotope system at various places world- wide, such as Oklo, Gabon, and may have caused the first lead isotope paradox. Fission in areas of high uranium concentration may also have generated enough heat to localize sparse Archean and Paleoproter- ozoic UHT belts. The oldest widespread orogenic systems formed at approximately 2.0-1.8 Ga after fission stopped contributing to the earth＇s heat flow. These early orogenic systems partly created the supercontinent Columbia.

2.2Ga Subduction-Related Mafic Magmatic Rocks in the Kongling Complex:Evidence for the Assembly of the Columbia Supercontinent

Objective Petrogenesis of the Paleoproterozoic mafic dikes and their tectonic implications are of great significance to the tectonic evolution of the Yangtze craton as well as the paleoposition of the Yangtze craton relative to the Columbia supercontinent.Till now,

Mechanism of Zhongtiao Aulacogen Related to Breakup of Columbia Supercontinent

The mechanism of the breakup of supercontinent is a scientific frontier in the field of supercontinent study.The rifting and breakup of supercontinent has long been considered to be related to mantle plume.Paleo-

High Ba-Sr adakitic charnockite suite from the Nagercoil Block,southern India:Vestiges of Paleoproterozoic arc and implications for Columbia to Gondwana

The Nagercoil block is the southernmost crustal segment of the Southern Granulite Terrane(SGT)in India and is mainly composed of charnockitic rocks and felsic gneisses(charnockite suite).In this study,we present petrologic,geochemical,zircon U-Pb,REE,and Hf isotopic studies on the charnockites and leucogneiss from the Nagercoil block.Based on field investigations and petrologic studies,the charnockites can be divided into garnet-bearing and garnet-absent anhydrous granulite facies rocks with orthopyroxene.The charnockites and leucogneiss show transition from adakites to non-adakitic magmatic rocks,with enrichment in LREEs(light rare earth elements)and LILEs(large ion lithophile elements),and depletion in HREEs(heavy rare earth elements)and HFSEs(high field strength elements).Some of the charnockites and the leucogneiss show typical HSA(high silica adakite)characters,(high SiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),Ba-Sr,La/Yb,and Sr/Y).The HSA is considered to have formed from the interaction of slab derived melts and peridotitic mantle wedge.The high Ba-Sr features were possibly inherited from subducted oceanic crust melting under high thermal gradient during Precambrian.The magmas were underplated and subjected to fractional crystallization.Zircon grains from the charnockite and leucogneiss show zoned magmatic cores surrounded by structureless metamorphic rims.Magmatic zircon grains from the charnockites show ages ranging from 1983±8.8 Ma to 2046±14 Ma,and the metamorphic domains show an age range of 502±14 Ma to 547±8.7 Ma.Zircon from the leucogneiss yielded magmatic and metamorphic ages of 1860±20 Ma and 575.6±8.8 Ma.Both charnockites and leucogneiss show two prominent age peaks at 1987 Ma and 568 Ma.The REE data of the zircon grains show LREE depletion and HREE enrichment,with the metamorphic grains showing more depletion in HREE.Zircon Hf isotopic data of the magmatic cores of zircon grains from the charnockite yieldedε_(Hf)(t)values from-1.17 to 0.46 with T_(DM)and T_(DM)~C and age peaks at 2392 Ma and 2638 Ma,suggesting Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic juvenile sources.We suggest that the high Ba-Sr adakitic charnockite suite from the Nagercoil block formed in a Paleoproterozoic magmatic arc setting during the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent,and underwent high-grade metamorphism associated with the amalgamation of the Gondwana supercontinent during the late Neoproterozoic-Cambrian.Our study provides new insights into the vestiges of Columbia fragments within the Gondwana assembly with two distinct cycles of crustal evolution.

Strange attractors, spiritual interlopers and lonely wanderers:The search for pre-Pangean supercontinents

The observation is made that there are very strong similarities between the supercontinents Columbia, Rodinia and Pangea. If plate tectonics was operating over the past 2.5 billion years of Earth history, and dominated by extroversion and introversion of ocean basins, it would be unusual for three superconti-nents to resemble one another so closely. The term＇strange attractor＇ is applied to landmasses that form a coherent geometry in all three supercontinents. Baltica, Laurentia and Siberia form a group of＇strange attractors＇ as do the elements of East Gondwana （India, Australia, Antarctica, Madagascar）. The elements of ＂West Gondwana＂ are positioned as a slightly looser amalgam of cratonic blocks in all three super-continents and are referred to as ＇spiritual interlopers＇. Relatively few landmasses （the South China, North China, Kalahari and perhaps Tarim cratons） are positioned in distinct locations within each of the three supercontinents and these are referred to as＇lonely wanderers＇. 〈br〉 There may be several explanations for why these supercontinents show such remarkable similarities. One possibility is that modern-style plate tectonics did not begin until the late Neoproterozoic and horizontal motions were restricted and a vertical style of ＇lid tectonics＇ dominated. If motions were limited for most of the Proterozoic, it would explain the remarkable similarities seen in the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents, but would still require the strange attractors to rift, drift and return to approximately the same geometry within Pangea. 〈br〉 A second possibility is that our views of older supercontinents are shaped by well-known connections documented for the most recent supercontinent, Pangea. It is intriguing that three of the four ＇lonely wanderers＇ （Tarim, North China, South China） did not unite until just before, or slightly after the breakup of Pangea. The fourth＇lonely wanderer＇, the Kalahari （and core Kaapvaal） craton has a somewhat unique Archean-age geology compared to its nearest neighbors in Gondwana, but very similar to that in western Australia.

The~1.4 GaA-type granitoids in the“Chottanagpur crustal block”(India),and its relocation from Columbia to Rodinia?

In paleogeographic reconstructions of the Columbia and Rodinia Supercontinents,the position of the Greater India landmass is ambiguous.This,coupled with a limited understanding of the tectonic evolution of the mobile belts along which the mosaic of crustal domains in India accreted,impedes precise correlation among the dispersed crustal fragments in supercontinent reconstructions.Using structural,metamorphic phase equilibria,chronological and geochemical investigations,this study aims to reconstruct the tectonic evolution of the Chottanagpur Gneiss Complex(CGC)as a distinct crustal block at the eastern end of the Greater Indian Proterozoic Fold Belt(GIPFOB)along which the North India Block(NIB)and the South India Block(SIB)accreted.The study focuses on two issues,e.g.dating the Early Neoproterozoic(0.92 Ga)accretion of the CGC with the NIB contemporaneous with the assembly of Rodinia,and documenting the widespread(>24,000 km^(2))plutonism of1.5-1.4 Ga weakly peraluminous,calc-alkalic to alkali-calcic and ferroan A-type granitoids(±garnet)devoid of mafic microgrannular enclaves and coeval mafic emplacements in the crustal block.These dominantly within-plate granitoids arguably formed by asthenospheric upwelling induced partial melting of garnetbearing anatectic quartzofeldspathic gneisses that dominate the Early Mesoproterozoic basement of the block.The major and trace element chemistry of the granitoids is similar to the 1.35-1.45 Ga A-type granitoids in Laurentia/Amazonia emplaced contemporaneous with the 1.5-1.3 Ga breakup of the Columbia Supercontinent.This study suggests the Chottanagpur Gneiss Complex occured as a fragmented crustal block following the breakup of the Columbia Supercontinent;the crustal block was subsequently integrated within India during the Early Neoproterozoic oblique accretion between the NIB and SIB contemporaneous with the Rodinia Supercontinent assembly.

Ca. 1.7 Ga Magmatism on Southwestern Margin of the Yangtze Block: Response to the Breakup of Columbia

This paper presents some data of the Jiaopingdu gabbro and Caiyuanzi granite at the southwestern margin of the Yangtze Block,on the geochemical compositions,zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic data.The Jiaopingdu gabbro gives the age of 1721±5 Ma,the Caiyuanzi granite 1732±6 Ma and 1735±4 Ma,and the Wenjiacun porphyry granite 1713±4 Ma,suggesting nearly contemporaneous formation time of the gabbro and granite.The bimodal feature is demonstrated by the gabbro Si O2 content of 44.64-46.87 wt%and granite 73.81-77.03 wt%.In addition,the granite has high content of Si O2 and Na2 O+K2 O,low content of Al2 O3 and Ca O,enriched in REEs(except Eu)and Zr,Nb,Ga and Y,depleted in Sr,implying it belongs to A-type granite geochemistry and origin of within-plate environment.The zirconε(Hf)(t)of the granite and gabbro is at the range of 2-6,which is near the 2.0 Ga evolution line of the crust,implying the parent magma of the gabbro being derived from the depleted mantle and a small amount of crustal material,and the parent magma of the granite from partial melting of the juvenile crust and some ancient crustal material at the same time.Compared with 1.8-1.7 Ga magmatism during breakup of other cratons in the world,we can deduce that the Columbia has initially broken since ca.1.8 Ga,and some continental marginal or intra-continental rifts occurred at ca.1.73 Ga.

Isotopic and geochemical constraints for a Paleoproterozoic accretionary orogen in the Borborema Province,NE Brazil:Implications for reconstructing Nuna/Columbia

The Alto MoxotóTerrane of the Borborema Province presents a wide exposure of Paleoproterozoic crust,but unlike other continental blocks of South America,its orogenic history is strongly obliterated by late Neoproterozoic deformation.New isotopic and geochemical studies were conducted in mafic-ultramafic(Fazenda Carmo Suite)and granitic-gneissic rocks(Riacho do Navio Suite)within the terrane.The former present zircon U-Pb crystallization ages at ca.2.13 Ga,whereas Sm-Nd data suggests a juvenile origin via melting of early Paleoproterozoic to Archean peridotitic sources.Geochemical data for these rocks are compatible with tholeiitic magmas with some degree of crustal contamination and trace element distribution points to a continental-arc related setting interpreted as remnants of the early stages of subduction.In contrast,the Riacho do Navio Suite was emplaced at ca.2.08 Ga and has highly negativeεNd(t)values indicating crustal reworking.The suite displays calc-alkali to alkali-calcic and ferroan geochemical signatures compatible with Cordilleran magmas.In addition,trace-element distribution as well as discriminant diagrams suggest that the precursor magmas were generated during the later stages of a continental arc or in a syn-collisional setting.Based on our results,we suggest that the studied units might represent missing pieces of a Paleoproterozoic accretionary orogen that formed the crustal framework of the Alto MoxotóTerrane,and that this represents a block associated with assembly of the Nuna/Columbia supercontinent,which is now largely hidden within the Neoproterozoic orogenic belts of West Gondwana.

Geochemistry and geodynamic significance of the rare-earth mineralized Paleoproterozoic Longwangzhuang granite on the southern margin of the North China Craton

The Longwangzhuang granite pluton occurs on the southern margin of the North China Craton and consists mainly of biotite syenogranite with aegirine granite being locally distributed.The granites are characterized by high silicon and alkaline contents(SiO2=72.17%-76.82%,K2O+Na2O=8.28%-10.22%,K2O/Na2O>>1),AI(agpaitic index) =0.84-0.95,DI=95-97,ASI(aluminum saturation index)=0.96-1.13,and very high Fe* number(FeO*/(FeO*+Mg)=0.90-0.99),thus the granites are assigned to the metaluminous to weakly peraluminous,alkalic to calc-alkalic ferroan A-type granites.The granites are rich in large ion lithophile elements(LILE),especially high in REE concentrations(REE+Y=854×10-6-1572×10-6);whereas the enrichment of high strength field elements(Nb,Ta,Zr,Hf) is obviously less than that of LILEs,exhibiting mild depletions on trace element spider plots;and the rocks are significantly depleted in Ba,Sr,Ti,and Pb.The low εNd(t) values(-4.5--7.2) and high model ages(2.3-2.5 Ga) of the granites as well as the low εHf(t) values(-1.11--5.26) and high Hf model ages(THf1= 2.1-2.3 Ga,THf2=2.4-2.6 Ga) of zircons from the biotite syenogranite suggest that the granites were probably derived from an enriched mantle source.The zircons from the biotite syenogranite are mainly colorless transparent crystals exhibiting well-developed oscillatory zoning on the cathodoluminescence images with a LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb age of 1602.1±6.6 Ma(MSWD=0.48).Petrochemical,trace elements,as well as Nd and Hf isotopic compositions of the rocks demonstrate that the granites were formed in a within-plate extensional tectonic regime possibly related to the breakup of the Columbia supercontinent.The granites were most likely formed through extreme fractional crystallization of alkali basaltic magma resulted from partial melting of the mantle,which was fertilized by recycling crustal rocks triggered by the delamination of lithospheric mantle and lower crust following the ～1.8 Ga collision and amalgamation of the North China Craton which is part of the Columbia supercontinent.However,contamination of neo-Archean to Paleoproterozoic crustal rocks during the ascent and emplacement of the magma could not be excluded.Being the youngest known anorogenic magmatism on the southern margin of the North China Craton related to Columbia breakup,it might represent the break off of the North China Craton from Columbia supercontinent at the end of Paleoproterozoic.

Conglomerates and sandstones from the Yintun Formation in Northern Liaoning Province： Implications for the Huronian Glaciation and reconstruction of the Columbia supercontinent

New U-Pb zircon geochronology data suggest that the Yintun Formation is younger man ~ 1895 Ma and is late Paleoproterozoic.The Yintun Formation may represent the first sedimentary cover of the North China Craton(NCC)based on its stratigraphic sequence and the ages of its sediments.Gravels in the conglomerates from the lower member of the Yintun Formation are characterized by obvious glacial origins.It is possible that these glacial gravels are the re-deposited sedimentary products of the Huronian Glaciation from the Indian continent.This can also provide sedimentary evidence for the relative location of the Indian continent and the NCC in the reconstruction of the Columbia supercontinent.

Discovery and Tectonic Significance of Paleoproterozoic Ophiolite from North Huangling Dome, Yangtze Craton

Ophiolites represent fragments of ancient oceanic lithosphere, tectonically incorporated into continental margins during plate subduction or remained in the subduction-collisional orogenic belt. We report for the first time a Paleoproterozoic supra-subduction zone mafic- ultramafic complex from north Huangling dome,

Characteristics and genetic mechanism of the Mesoproterozoic rift system,Ordos Basin,China

The Mesoproterozoic rifts are developed in the Ordos Basin located in the western margin of the North China Plate.Based on the latest 3D seismic data and previous research results,this study intends to discuss the zonal differential deformation characteristics and genetic mechanism of the Mesoproterozoic rifts in the Ordos Basin.NE-trending rifts are developed in the Mesoproterozoic in the south-central Ordos Basin,the main part of which are located near the western margin of the North China Plate.NNW-trending rifts are developed in the north of the basin,while NW-NNW rifts in the Mesoproterozoic in Hangjinqi area.The genetic mechanism of the Mesoproterozoic rifts is related to regional extensional stress field,plate boundary conditions and internal preexisting structures.The main extensional stress direction strikes NWW-SSE(120°)in the western margin of the North China Plate,based on the forward rift trend of the northern Mesoproterozoic.In Hangjinqi area,the reactivation of the existing NWtrending Wulansu fault and NW-NW-trending Daolao fault,results in dextral shear stress field.The boundary between the western margin of the North China Plate and its adjacent plates forms a nearly NS-trending preexisting basement tectonic belt,which intersects with the NWW-SSE(120°)extensional stress at an acute angle of 60°.Therefore,the western margin of the North China Plate is formed by oblique normal faults under oblique extension.Due to the long time span of Columbia Supercontinent breakup(1.8e1.6 Ga),the oblique rift in the south-central Ordos Basin is formed under the continuous oblique extension at the western margin of the North China Plate.

Granulite Facies Metamorphic Age and Tectonic Implications of BIFs from the Kongling Group in the Northern Huangling Anticline

We report preliminary results of a geochemical study on banded iron formations （BIFs） in the Zhaojiayangpo （赵家阳坡） area from the Kongling （崆岭） Group in the northern Huangling （黄陵） anticline, on the northern margin of the Yangtze craton. The CL （cathodoluminescence） images of zircons mostly have sector zoning, fir-tree zoning and patched zoning, and a few show core-rim tex-tures with rims having patched zoning. The calculated formation temperatures using the Ti-in-zircon thermometer are 660-808 ℃ （714 ℃C in aver-age）, all indicating that the BIFs underwent granulite facies metamorphism. The age of zir-cons with granulite facies metamorphism is 1 990±14 Ma by LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating, indi-cating that there was a significant granulite fa-cies tectonothermal event in the northern Huangling anticline in the Paleoproterozoic, which may be related with tectonic thermal events of the metamorphism caused by the as-sembly of the Columbia supercontinent with South China. Moreover, the REE pattern ischaracterized by depletion in LREE while relatively flat in HREE, LaN/YbN=0.26, with a positive Eu anomaly （Eu/Eu^＊---1.59）, which reveals its hydrothermal sedimentation origin and it may have formed in the environment of submarine exhalation.

Crystallization Conditions and Petrogenesis of the Paleoproterozoic Basement Rocks in Bangladesh:An Evaluation of Biotite and Coexisting Amphibole Mineral Chemistry

The Paleoproterozoic （-1.73 Ga） basement rocks from Maddhapara, Bangladesh show a large range of chemical variations including diorite, quartz diorite, monzodiorite, quartz monzonite and granite. These are composed of varying proportions of quartz＋plagioclase＋K-feldspar＋biotite＋ hornblende±epidote＋titanite＋magnetite＋apatite and zircon. Amphibole and biotite, dominant ferro- magnesian minerals, have been analyzed with an electron microprobe. The biotite, Mg-dominant trioc- tahedral micas, is classified as phlogopitic nature. Relatively high Mg （1.33-1.53 pfu）, Mg^# （0.52-0.59） and low AIw （0.13-0.25 pfu） contents in the biotite reflect slightly fractionated magma, which might be a relative indicator for the origin of the parental magma. Biotite is also a very good sensor of oxidation state of the parental magma. Oxygen fugacity of the studied biotites estimate within the QFM and HM buffers and equilibrate at about -12.35 and -12.46, which exhibit the source materials were relatively higher oxidation state during crystallization and related to arc magmatism. Whereas, calcic amphi- boles, a parental member of arc-related igneous suite, display consistent oxygen fugacity values （-11.7 to -12.3）, low Al^# （0.16-0.21） with H2Omelt （5.6 wt.%-9.5 wt.%） suggest their reliability with the typical values of calc-alkaline magma crystallization. The oxygen fugacity of magma is related to its source material, which in turn depends on tectonic setting. Discrimination diagrams and chemical indices of both biotite and amphibole of dioritic rocks reveal calc-alkaline orogenic complexes; mostly I-type suite formed within subduction-related environments. Moreover, igneous micas are used as metal- logenic indicator. The biotites with coexisting amphibole compositions show an apparent calc-alkaline trend of differentiation. The study suggests that the trend of oxidized magmas is commonly associated with compressive tectonic and convergent plate boundaries.

Comparisons of the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic large igneous provinces and black shales in the North China and North Australian cratons

Comparisons of large igneous provinces(UPs)and black shales from different cratons can provide important constraints on Precambrian paleogeographic reconstructions and a better understanding of the environmental effects of large-scale volcanic events.A comparison of intraplate mafic events mostly interpreted as LIPs or portions of LIPs(LIP fragments/remnants due to continental breakup or erosion)from the North China Craton(NCC)and North Australian Craton(NAC)shows good correlation in the age range from 1800 Ma to 1300 Ma,and four robust age matches at ca.1790-1770 Ma,ca.1730 Ma,ca.1680-1670 Ma and ca.1320 Ma have been identified.Most notably,the coeval ca.1320 Ma Yanliao LIP in the eastern-northern NCC and the Derim Derim-Galiwinku LIP in the NAC are also characterized by similar field occurences and dominantly subalkaline tholeiitic basalts and intraplate geochemical compositions,and are interpreted as portions of the same LIP,separated by continental breakup.Subsequent to 1300 Ma,the NCC and NAC exhibit very different magmatic histories,indicating that separation of these two cratons occurred,likely subsequent to the ca.1320 Ma LIP event.A comparison of Paleo-Mesoproterozoic black shales from the NCC and NAC provides further evidence for close connections between these regions during this period.Black shales of the Chuanlianggou Formation in the northern NCC and the Cuizhuang Formation in the southern NCC were deposited in the age range ca.1650-1635 Ma and can be correlated with ca.1640-1635 Ma black shales in the Barney Creek Formation of the NAC.Deposition of black shales within the Xiamaling Formation in the NCC and the Velkerri and Kyalla formations of the McArthur Basin in the NAC occurred synchronously at ca.1380-1360 Ma.Our results from matching of LIP ages and black shales combined with paleomagnetic data show that the northern-northeastern margin of the NCC was connected to the northern margin of the NAC from ca.1800 Ma to 1300 Ma.This long-lived late Paleoproterozoic to mid-Mesoproterozoic connection lasted for at least 500 million years until separation of the NCC from the NAC between ca.1320 and ca.1230-1220 Ma.

New Research Progress on the Pre-Sinian Tectonic Evolution and Neotectonics of the Huangling Anticline Region,South China

In this paper the authors briefly introduce and review the new progress of the newly dis-covered Proterozoic Miaowan （庙湾） ophiolite and Neoproterozoic HuangUng （黄陵） granitoids in the southern Huangling anticline in the Yangtze craton, and the tectonic evolution significance of assemblage and breakup of Rodinia and Columbia supereontinent in South China.