Petrogenesis of the Early Cretaceous Laojunshan monzogranite at the southern margin of the North China Craton: Constrains on the transition of the tectonic regime

1 Introduction Voluminous Mesozoic magmatic rocks containing abundant Au-Mo polymetallic mineralization resources are developed in the Xiaoqinling-Xiong’ershan district of the southern margin of the North China Craton(NCC).

Changes of Late Mesozoic Tectonic Regimes around the Ordos Basin(North China)and their Geodynamic Implications

A synthesis is given in this paper on late Mesozoic deformation pattern in the zones around the Ordos Basin based on lithostratigraphic and structural analyses. A relative chronology of the late Mesozoic tectonic stress evolution was established from the field analyses of fault kinematics and constrained by stratigraphic contact relationships. The results show alternation of tectonic compressional and extensional regimes. The Ordos Basin and its surroundings were in weak N-S to NNE-SSW extension during the Early to Middle Jurassic, which reactivated E-W-trending basement fractures. The tectonic regime changed to a multi-directional compressional one during the Late Jurassic, which resulted in crustal shortening deformation along the marginal zones of the Ordos Basin. Then it changed to an extensional one during the Early Cretaceous, which rifted the western, northwestern and southeastern margins of the Ordos Basin. A NW-SE compression occurred during the Late Cretaceous and caused the termination of sedimentation and uplift of the Ordos Basin. This phased evolution of the late Mesozoic tectonic stress regimes and associated deformation pattern around the Ordos Basin best records the changes in regional geodynamic settings in East Asia, from the Early to Middle Jurassic post-orogenic extension following the Triassic collision between the North and South China Blocks, to the Late Jurassic multi-directional compressions produced by synchronous convergence of the three plates （the Siberian Plate to the north, Paleo-Pacific Plate to the east and Lhasa Block to the west） towards the East Asian continent. Early Cretaceous extension might be the response to collapse and lithospheric thinning of the North China Craton.

Evolution of the Late Cenozoic Tectonic Stress Regime in the Tianshui Basin,Northeast Tibetan Plateau

The Tianshui Basin,located inside the western Qinling orogenic belt and northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau （Fig.1）,is a NE-trending Late Cenozoic basin,which documents the neotectonic response of the northeastward growth of Tibetan Plateau.

Geotectonic significance of the Neoproterozoic ophiolitic metagabbros of Muiswirab area,South Eastern Desert,Egypt:constraints from their mineralogical and geochemical characteristics

Petrological and geochemical studies of Neo-proterozoic metagabbros were carried out in the Muiswirab area,South Eastern Desert of Egypt.The Muiswirab area comprises of ophiolitic metagabbroic rocks(MOM),which are tectonically thrusted over a thick pile of metavolcanic rocks and intruded by syn-and post-tectonic granitoid rocks.The whole-rock geochemical variations coupled with chemical compositions of mineral constituents are used to attain the genesis and tectonic evolution of the studied metagabbros.The geothermobarometric investiga-tion of the analyzed amphiboles from(MOM)revealed that these metagabbros underwent regional metamorphism under lower to upper greenschist facies(biotite zone)conditions(at a temperature of 450 to 500℃and pressure of 1-3 kbar).Geochemically,the metagabbros(MOM)show tholeiitic affinity and cxhibiting both arc-and MORB-like characters as evidenced by their clinopyrox-ene compositions and the Ti/V ratios(11.84-31.65),which considered as prominent features of forearc tectonic regime.The geochemical features suggest a probable fractionation of olivine±clinopyroxene±plagioclase as well as insignificant crustal contamination.The parental magma of the investigated MOM rocks seems to be developed in a sub-arc mantle wedge setting due to the enrichments of LILE(e.g..Rb,Ba,Sr,Pb)over HFSE(e.g,Ti,Nb,Y,Zr,Hf,Ta).The studied MOM rocks have lower values of Nb/U relative to MORB and OIB indicating that their geochemical variation produced due to the enrichment of a lithosphere mantle by OIB like components.The ratios of Zn/Fet,La/Sm,Sm/Yb,Th/Yb and Nb/Yb indicate that the MOM rocks represent a fragment of oceanic crust originated at a supra-subduction zone environment and their parental magma developed by 5-30%partial melting of a spinel lherzolite mantle rather than pyroxenite in an island arc setting and conformable with most of the Egyptian ophiolitic metagabbros.

The Geological Significance of the Deformation and Geochronology of the Xiaotian–Mozitan Shear Zone in the Dabie Orogenic Belt(East-Central China)

The Xiaotian–Mozitan Shear Zone(XMSZ)is the boundary of the Dabie High-grade Metamorphic Complex(DHMC)and the North Huaiyang Tectonic Belt.It was deformed in ductile conditions with a top-to-NW/WNW movement.Geothermometers applied to mineral parageneses in mylonites of the shear zone give a temperature range of 623–691°C for the predeformation and 515–568°C for the syndeformation,respectively,which indicates a retrograde process of evolution.A few groups of zircon U-Pb ages were obtained from undeformed granitic veins and different types of deformed rocks in the zone.Zircons from the felsic ultramylonites are all magmatic,producing a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 754±8.1 Ma,which indicates the time of magmatic activities caused by rifting in the Neoproterozoic.Zircons from the granitic veins,cutting into the mylonites,are also of magmatic origin,producing a weighted mean 206 Pb/238 U age of 130±2.5 Ma,which represents the time of regional magmatic activity in the Cretaceous.Zircons from the mylonitic gneisses are of anatectic-metamorphic origins and are characterized by a core-mantle interior texture,which yielded several populations of ages including the Neoproterozoic ages with a weighted mean 206 Pb/238 U age of 762±18 Ma,similar to that of the felsic ultramylonites and the Early Cretaceous ages with a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 143±1.8 Ma,indicating the anatectic metamorphism in the Dabie Orogenic Belt(DOB).Based on integrated analysis of the structure,thermal conditions of ductile deformation and the contact relations of the dated rocks,the activation time of the Xiaotian–Mozitan Shear Zone is constrained between~143 Ma and 130 Ma,during which the DOB was undergoing a transition in tectonic regime from compression to extension.Therefore,the deformation and evolution of this shear zone plays an instrumental role in fully understanding this process.This research also inclines us to the interpretation of it as an extensional detachment,with regard to the tectonic properties of the shear zone.It may also be part of a continental scale extension in the background of the North China Block’s cratonic destruction,dominated by the subduction and roll-back of the Paleo-Pacific plate,but more detailed work is needed in order to unravel its complicated development.

Metallogenetic model of Jiaodong-type gold deposits,eastern China

The genesis of giant gold provinces is an international scientific frontier,in which the source of a huge amount of gold and the drive for mineralization are key challenges.The mineralization intensity of the Jiaodong gold province in eastern China is a rare occasion in the world,because it owns gold reserves of~5500 tons within an area of less than 10,000 km^(2).The Jiaodong gold province formed in the superimposed domain of diverse tectonic regimes in an intracontinental setting.Paleoproterozoic regional peak metamorphism and Triassic continental collision are followed by the tectonic transition and gold mineralization at ca.120 Ma with time intervals of 1.9 billion years and about 100 million years,respectively.The Jiaodong gold deposits are different from orogenic and intrusion-related gold deposits in terms of the tectonic background,types of host rocks,and oreforming mechanism.These gold deposits show close spatial-temporal and genetic relationships to mafic igneous rocks,implying the derivation of ore-forming fluids from the metasomatic mantle domains.Mafic dykes in Jiaodong have negativeε_(Hf)(t)values of-29.9 to-9.1,Os content of 0.002-0.16 ppb,heavyδ^(18)O up to 8.23‰,and high initial^(187)Os/^(188)Os ratios of 0.1352-0.8858.These indicate that the lithospheric mantle was metasomatized by ancient crust-derived components.The lithospheric mantle in the western Jiaodong shows generally more enriched isotope features than that in the eastern part,which is explained to be an important reason for its huge gold resources.The mafic dykes show lighter Mg isotope characteristics(averageδ^(26)Mg of-0.33‰,n=50)and high Ca O content(overall greater than 6.5 wt%),indicating that the lithospheric mantle would also record the metasomatism by the carbonate rocks from the subducting oceanic slab.Under the background of the rollback of the subducting paleo-Pacific slab and the destruction of the North China Craton,partial melting of the lower crust would produce granitic magmas that led to the enrichment of gold in the residual crust.The syn-mineralization asthenosphere upwelling would promote the recycling of the lower crust and the partial melting of the metasomatic mantle domains.Basic magmas,produced by the partial melting,and the mantle itself would degas to form ore fluids.The ore fluids would further leach gold in the lower crust to increase its fertility.The auriferous fluids were transported to the middle to upper crust along the detachment and strike-slip faults.Water-rock interaction and fluid immiscibility,which occurred in and above the ductile-brittle transition zone to induce gold precipitation,formed the Jiaodong gold deposits.Given the unique geological features and genetic model of the Jiaodong gold deposits,they can be defined as“Jiaodong-type”gold deposits.

Re-Os Dating of the Suoerkuduke Cu (Mo) Deposit,Fuyun County,Xinjiang,and Its Geodynamic Implications

The Suoerkuduke Cu （Mo） deposit, in the same metallogenic belt with Xilekuduke Cu-Mo deposit, is located in the Armantai island arc belt on the northern margin of East Junggar, Northwest China. Rhenium and osmium isotopic analysis of seven molybdenite samples from the deposit was used to determine the age of mineralization. A seven-point isochron age of 317.7±7.6 Ma, which is consistent, within analytical error, with the average model age of 323.3±1.9 Ma indicates that this deposit was formed at transitional period between the Early and Late Carboniferous. This age is obviously later than that of the Lower Devonian Tuoranggekuduke Formation acting as the wall rock but contemporaneous with the early stage of plutonism （330-268 Ma） in East Junggar. Based on the characteristics of mineralization age and tectonic setting of many typical deposits on the northern margin of East Junggar, we proposed that the mineralization age of Suoerkuduke deposit is a key period of East Junggar for the tectonic regime transforming from compression to extension and also the time when granitoids and deposits widely spread in this area. Mineralization and formation of skarn in this deposit are closely related to felsic-intermediate magmatism. The distinct characteristic from typical skarn-type deposits is that the metallogenic parent intrusion is a huge batholith in the depth. The Cu （Mo） mineralization, moyitc, and granite porphyry are all derived products of the batholith.

新太古代末构造体制和古环境的关键转变——独特的共生金属矿床证据

在地球特别是大陆演化的历史上,物质的演化是关键证据.岩石是最有效载体和研究对象.我国东北的新太古代条带状铁建造(BIF)和产于火山-泥质岩中的块状Cu-Zn硫化物矿床(VMS-like),提供了氧化矿床和硫化矿床共生的实例.这种独特共生矿床的形成需要构造机制和地球环境条件的双重控制:类似现代板块构造的壳内俯冲和陆壳部分熔融,可以提供成矿元素;频繁的火山喷发导致的光化学等复杂作用使得海水氧化程度发生变化,能够提供成矿的条件.上述构造和古环境的耦合只出现在新太古代末-古元古代初有限的时间段内,延续到大氧化事件的结束(~1.85 Ga).它们的时代~2.5 Ga,正是太古宙与元古宙的分界年龄,指示了地球历史上绝无仅有的巨大变革.