Illite authigenesis in sandstones of the Guaritas Allogroup (Early Paleozoic): Implications for the depositional age,stratigraphy and evolution of the Camaquã Basin (Southern Brazil)

Several analytical studies performed on alluvial-eolian sandstones of the Early Paleozoic Guaritas Allogroup (Camaquã Basin, southern Brazil) indicate illite to be abundant, showing different morphologies as authigenic grain rims and pore-bridging filaments. Authigenic illite separates of variable grain sizes from distinct stratigraphic intervals of the Guaritas Allogroup yielded ⁴⁰K–⁴⁰Ar ages from 521.7 ± 10.3 to 473.7 ± 9.4 Ma. These ages, interpreted to record the timing of illite authigenesis, are coincident with the age of emplacement of the Rodeio Velho andesites (470 ± 19 Ma). Moreover, field structures suggest interaction between hot, andesite lava flows and wet, poorly consolidated sediments of the Pedra Pintada Alloformation (lower strata of the Guaritas Allogroup). This set of data indicates that the Rodeio Velho volcanism could have been responsible for a widespread remobilization of interstitial fluids and consequent authigenic illite precipitation in the sandstones of the Guaritas Allogroup.     

伊利石40Ar-39Ar年龄的统计分析与成藏期

为了确定鄂尔多斯盆地苏里格气田的成藏年代,通过提取砂岩储层中的黏土质填隙物,分离分级成 < 0.5、0.5~1.0、1.0~2.0μm的分样品,进行伊利石激光阶段加热40Ar-39Ar定年.等时线年龄是自生伊利石与碎屑伊利石的混合年龄.通过趋势分析和回归分析分别获得极小的趋势年龄和极小的回归年龄,该年龄比较接近自生伊利石年龄.测试结果表明,伊利石的等时线年龄介于160.9~232.0 Ma之间,为自生伊利石与碎屑伊利石的混合年龄.采用数理统计方法获得极小趋势年龄和极小回归年龄分别为151.7 Ma和152.4 Ma,该年龄比较接近自生伊利石年龄,代表了热流体活动和油气成藏时间.      

Evaluation of 40Ar/39Ar Geochronology of Authigenic Illites in Determining Hydrocarbon Charge Timing: A Case Study from the Silurian Bituminous Sandstone Reservoirs,Tarim Basin,China

The Silurian bituminous sandstones(SBS) in the Tarim Basin, China are important basinwide reservoirs with an estimated area of approximately 249000 km2. We investigated the ages of authigenic illites in the SBS reservoirs and constrained their formation timing by using the ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar step wise heating method. The age spectra, ~(39)Ar recoil loss and their controlling factors were investigated systematically. The ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar ages were compared with the conventional K/Ar ages of identical clay fractions. The clay in the SBS reservoirs is dominated by orderly mixed-layer illite/smectite(I/S) with 5%–30% smectite layers. The I/S minerals morphology comprises primarily honeycomb, short filamentous and curved-lath particles, characteristic of authigenic illites. The unencapsulated ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar total gas ages(UTGA) of the authigenic illites range from 188.56 ± 6.20 Ma to 491.86 ± 27.68 Ma, which are 7% to 103% older than the corresponding K/Ar ages of 124.87 ± 1.11 Ma to 383.45 ± 2.80 Ma, respectively. The K-Ar ages indicate multistage accumulations with distinct distribution patterns in the Tarim Basin: older(late Caledonian-early Hercynian) around the basin margin, younger(late Hercynian) in the basin centre, and the youngest(middle to late Yanshanian) in the Ha-6 well-block, central area of the North Uplift. The age difference is believed to have been caused by the ~(39)Ar recoil loss during the irradiation process. Compared with the K/Ar ages, the estimated ~(39)Ar recoil losses in this study are in the range from 7% to 51%. The ~(39)Ar recoil loss appears to increase not only with the decreasing particle sizes of the I/S, but also with increasing percentage of smectite layers(IR) of the I/S, and smectite layer content(SLC) of the samples. We conclude that due to significant ~(39)Ar recoil losses, UTGA may not offer any meaningful geological ages of the authigenic illite formation in the SBS and thus can not be used to represent the hydrocarbon charge timing. ~(39)Ar recoil losses during ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating can not be neglected when dating fine authigenic illite, especially when the ordered mixed-layer I/S containing small amount of smectite layers(IR30%) in the reservoir formations. Compared with the unencapsulated Ar-Ar method, the conventional K-Ar method is less complicated, more accurate and reliable in dating authigenic illites in petroleum reservoirs.     

Sedimentary K-Ar signatures in clay fractions from Mesozoic marine shelf environments in Israel

The K-Ar system in clay fractions from shallow marine carbonate shelf environments was investigated on silicate fractions (clay minerals, feldspar) separated from 20 Lower Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, deposited in the southern Tethys ocean. The range of lithologies investigated included dolomite and chalk [IR (insoluble residue)<10%], marl, shale (IR= 70–85%) and sandstone (IR>90%). The results show that K-bearing clay fractions often have K-Ar ages similar to the suggested age of deposition, which means either supply of land-derived authigenic K-bearing clays or synsedimentary diagenetic authigenesis, or both. This K-Ar synsedimentary signal is recorded in clay fractions from the whole range of studied lithologies and stratigraphic units. Among the clay minerals, the synsedimentary K-Ar signature was recorded and retained in illite/smectite of the <2-um and <0.2-um fractions. A prominent synsedimentary signature is found in K-feldspars, from shaly and especially from calcareous rocks, which is substantiated by their authigenic origin based on idiomorphic crystal morphology and their limited size distribution (4–10 um). Post-depositional closure of the K-Ar system is indicated by ages up to 15 Ma younger than the stratigraphic age in different lithologies from dispersed localities. A distinct late diagenetic (20–25 Ma younger) event is recorded in the formation of authigenic K-feldspar within Upper Cretaceous chalk and shale. In the IR and >10-um fractions the K-Ar ages reflect the contribution of detrital mica and feldspar which accompanies the kaolinite-dominated samples. The overall results differ considerably from K-Ar age patterns observed in deep-sea sediments, a difference which may be connected with the occurrence of brines in these shelf deposits. The findings indicate the potential in the K-Ar dating of fine IR fractions of marine shelf sediments in terms of geochronological-stratigraphic and palaeogeographical aspects as well as in the petrology of clay minerals themselves.     

塔里木盆地典型砂岩油气储层自生伊利石K-Ar同位素测年研究与成藏年代探讨

塔里木盆地共发现 8套砂岩油气储层 ,对其中的 5套典型砂岩油气储层进行了自生伊利石K Ar同位素测年分析与研究。利用该项技术对其成藏史进行初步探讨是本次研究的主要目的。中央隆起下志留统沥青砂岩的自生伊利石年龄为 383.4 5～ 2 35 .17Ma ,表明志留系古油藏形成于加里东晚期—海西晚期 ;上泥盆统东河砂岩的自生伊利石年龄为 2 6 3.82～ 2 31.34Ma ,表明东河砂岩油气藏主要形成于海西晚期 ;库车坳陷依南 2气田 (依南 2井 )下侏罗统阳霞组砂岩的自生伊利石年龄为 2 8.0 8～ 2 3.85Ma ,表明油气充注发生在中新世以来 ;喀什凹陷阿克莫木气田 (阿克 1井 )下白垩统砂岩的自生伊利石年龄为 2 2 .6 0～ 18.79Ma ,表明中新世可能有古油气运移或古油藏形成 ;库车坳陷迪那 2气藏 (迪那 2 0 1井 )古近系砂岩中的伊利石主要为碎屑成因 ,不能用于进行油气成藏史研究 ,但该气藏白垩系砂岩的自生伊利石年龄为 2 5 .4 9～ 15 .4 7Ma ,表明可能为中新世成藏。本次研究表明 ,该项技术在塔里木盆地初步显示出较好的应用效果 ,具有较为广阔的应用前景。     

Diagenesis of the Lower Cretaceous Kanmon Group sandstones, SW Japan

The Kanmon Group (Lower Cretaceous) is a non-marine sequence in the Inner Zone of southwest Japan and is divided into the lower Wakino (lacustrine) and the upper Shimonoseki (fluvial) subgroups. Major diagenetic changes in this group are compaction, iron-oxide cementation, calcite cementation and grain replacement, quartz overgrowth and pore-fill cementation, illite authigenesis, chlorite pore-fill cementation and grain replacement, albitization of feldspar, and grain replacement by pyrite. Two subgroups of the Kanmon Group present no significant differences in general diagenetic features, paragenetic sequence, or the degree of diagenetic changes despite differences in depositional environments (lacustrine vs. fluvial) and stratigraphic positions. However, some differences are recognized in the content and chemistry of authigenic minerals caused by different sandstone framework compositions. The content of authigenic clay minerals is higher in sandstones of the Shimonoseki Subgroup containing abundant volcanic rock fragments. In addition, the composition of chlorite, the most abundant authigenic clay mineral in Kanmon sandstones, is Mg-rich in the volcanoclastic Shimonoseki sandstones, compared to an Fe-rich variety in Wakino sandstones. The original sandstone composition played a significant role in pore-water composition and diagenetic reactions.The Wakino sandstones lost most of its porosity by compaction, whereas Shimonoseki sandstones are only compacted in the vicinity of the basin-bounding fault. The weakly compacted Shimonoseki sandstones, instead, were largely cemented by pore-filling calcite during early diagenesis; cementation prevented compaction during further burial. The Kanmon Group sediments were heated to about 300 °C based on illite crystallinity values.     

Inclined K–Ar illite age spectra in brittle fault gouges: effects of fault reactivation and wall‐rock contamination

K–Ar clay fraction ages of brittle faults often vary with grain size, decreasing in the finer size fractions, producing an inclined age–grain‐size spectrum. K–Ar ages and mineralogical characterization of gouges from two normal faults in the Kongsberg silver mines, southern Norway, suggest that inclined spectra derived from brittle fault rocks reflect the mixing of inherited components with authigenic mineral phases. The ages of the coarsest and finest fractions constrain faulting at c. 260–270 Ma and reactivation around 200–210 Ma, respectively. This study demonstrates how wall‐rock contamination influences the K–Ar age of the coarsest size fractions and that authigenic illite and K‐feldspar can crystallize synkinematically under equivalent conditions and thus yield the same K–Ar ages.     

K-Ar Dating of Fault Gouges from the Red River Fault Zone of Vietnam

Constraining the timing of fault zone formation is fundamentally important in terms of geotectonics to understand structural evolution and brittle fault processes.This paper presents the first authigenic illite K-Ar age data from fault gouge samples collected from the Red River Shear Zone at Lao Cai province,Vietnam.The fault gouge samples were separated into three grain-size fractions(0.1 μm,0.1-0.4 μm and 0.4-1.0 μm).The results show that the K-Ar age values decrease from coarser to finer grain fractions(24.1 to 19.2 Ma),suggesting enrichment in finer fraction of morerecently grown authigenic illites.The timing of the fault movement are the lower intercept ages at 0%detrital illite(19.2 ± 0.92 Ma and 19.4 ± 0.49 Ma).In combination with previous geochronological data,this result indicates that the metamorphism of the Day Nui Con Voi(DNCV) metamorphic complex took place before ca.26.8 Ma.At about 26.8 Ma-25 Ma,the fault strongly acted to cause the rapid exhumation of the rocks along the Red River-Ailoa Shan Fault Zone(RR-ASFZ).During brittle deformation,the DNCV slowly uplifted,implying weak movement of the fault.This brittle deformation might have lasted for ca.5 Ma.     

K‐Ar illite age constraints on the Proterozoic formation and reactivation history of a brittle fault in Fennoscandia

K‐Ar ages of authigenic illite from two drill‐core gouge samples of a fault in the Palaeoproterozoic basement of Finland record two distinct faulting events. The older sample yields apparent ages from 1240 ± 26 to 1006 ± 21 Ma for four grain size fractions between 6 and <0.1 μm. The second sample is structurally younger and yields statistically distinct ages ranging from 978 ± 20 to 886 ± 18 Ma. We interpret the ages of the <0.1 m fractions, which are the youngest, as representing the actual time of faulting. XRD analysis and age modelling exclude significant age contamination of the finest dated fractions with inherited host rock components. These results provide therefore an example of meaningful isotopic dating of illite‐type clay material formed during Precambrian faulting, demonstrate and constrain fault reactivation and give evidence for brittle Sveconorwegian Mesoproterozoic shortening and Neoproterozoic extension in Fennoscandia.     

Silurian-Devonian and Jurassic Thermal Events in the Ordos Basin, China: Indications from K-Ar Dating on Illites

In the Ordos basin, two distinct thermal events of different ages have been identified for the first time by means of K-Ar dating combined with illite crystallinity analysis. For the Late Triassic and Late Permian samples, the K-Ar ages of the < 0.2μm fractions (159-173 Ma) reflect an illitization age related to the Yanshanian movement and indicate a short thermal event in the Middle Jurassic; the K-Ar ages of the <2 μm fractions (210-308 Ma) are interpreted as mixed ages of detrital material and authigenic illites. The K-Ar ages of both < 0.2μm and < 2μm fractions of a Middle Cambrian sample (368 Ma and 419 Ma) correspond to the ages of the metamorphism and earliest granite intrusion in the northern Caledonian Qinling fold zone (380-420 Ma) and show a thermal event during Silurian-Devonian time.     

Zircon U–Pb,Molybdenite Re–Os and K‐feldspar 40Ar/39Ar Dating of the Bolong Porphyry Cu–Au Deposit,Tibet, China

The Bolong porphyry Cu–Au deposit is a newly discovered deposit in the central Tibetan Plateau, and is ranked as the second largest copper deposit discovered to date in the Bangong‐Nujiang metallogenic belt in China. Three granodiorite porphyry phases occur within the Bolong porphyry Cu–Au deposit. Phyllic alteration is widespread on the surface of the deposit, and potassic alteration occurs at depth, associated with granodiorite porphyries. The copper and gold mineralization is clearly related to the potassic and phyllic alteration. Multiple chronometers were applied to constrain the timing of magmatic–hydrothermal activity at the Bolong deposit. Zircon U–Pb geochronology reveals that the granodiorite porphyry phases were emplaced at ca. 120 Ma. Re–Os data of four molybdenite samples from quartz–molybednite veinlets yielded an isochron age of 119.4 ± 1.3 Ma. The plateau age of hydrothermal K‐feldspar from the potassic alteration zone, analyzed by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating, is 118.3 ± 0.6 Ma, with a similar reverse isochron age of 118.5 ± 0.7 Ma. Therefore, the magmatic–hydrothermal activity occurred at ca. 120–118 Ma, which is similar in age to the neighboring Duobuza porphyry copper deposit. The period of 120–118 Ma is therefore important for the development of porphyry Cu–Au mineralization in the central Tibetan Plateau, and these porphyry deposits were formed during the final stages of the northward subduction of the Neo‐Tethys Ocean.     

Microtextures of authigenic Or-rich feldspar in the Upper Jurassic Humber Group, UK North Sea

ABSTRACT Detrital alkali feldspars currently at burial depths of 3·2–3·5 km in the Upper Jurassic Humber Group of the Fulmar oilfield, UK North Sea, are overgrown and have been partially replaced by authigenic Or‐rich feldspar. Intracrystal microtextures suggest several different provenances for the detrital grains. The overgrowths are uniformly non‐cathodoluminescent and have occasional celsian‐rich zones. Transmission electron microscopy shows that they are composed of a microporous mosaic of subµm‐ to µm‐sized sub‐grains associated with barite, illite and pyrite. The subgrains are somewhat rounded but have an approximate {110} Adularia habit and display a faint modulated microtexture on the nanometre scale. They have triclinic symmetry, but the lattice angles depart only slightly from monoclinic symmetry. These features are characteristic of K‐feldspar precipitated relatively rapidly and at low temperature. Authigenic Or‐rich feldspar has also partially replaced microcline and perthitic albite within the detrital grains, often at a suboptical scale. Although, like diagenetic albitization, replacement by K‐feldspar is probably a very common diagenetic reaction, it has rarely been reported owing to difficulties in imaging the diagnostic textures with the scanning electron microscopy techniques used by most workers. The permeability of the subgrain microtexture may significantly hinder the use of feldspar overgrowths for K/Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of diagenesis, and the existence of suboptical, replacive authigenic K‐feldspar within detrital grains may significantly modify the apparent Ar ages of detrital grains. Similar subgrain microtextures in optically featureless quartz overgrowths are also illustrated.     

Report on 34 Ga SHRIMP Zircon Age from the Yuntaishan Geopark in Jiaozuo, Henan Province

1 Introduction According to recent researches, the North China Craton consists of three parts: the eastern block, western block and central zone (Zhao, 2001; Wilde et al., 2002). Paleoarchean continental blocks and zircon residuals have only been found in a few regions, such as Anshan, East Liaoning (Liu et al., 1992; Song et al., 1996; Wan et al., 2002, 2005), Caozhuang, East Hebei (Liu et al., 1992) and Xinyang, West Henan (Zheng et al., 2004), which are mainly distributed in the east…     

Authigenic quartz and albite in Devonian limestones: origin and significance

Euhedral quartz and albite crystals are common in Devonian (Givetian-Frasnian) shallow-marine shelf carbonates from the Belgian Ardennes. Several features such as morphology, the presence of carbonate inclusions, inversion temperatures and occurrence in the insoluble residues of stylolitic surfaces indicate that these crystals have developed authigenically. Oxygen isotope ratios point to an intermediate deep burial realm of origin at temperatures of 60–90°C. The predominance of illite and the almost total absence of smectite clay minerals is interpreted as an indication that illitization produced the silica needed for authigenesis. The mineral composition of inclusions indicates that the carbonate host rock must have consisted of low-Mg calcite already at the time of authigenesis. These inclusions represent an earlier diagenetic stage than the present carbonate rock, since they were protected from further diagenetic alteration by the surrounding quartz. The calcite inclusions display a higher Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratio than the carbonate host-rock. Because neomorphic diagenesis of the carbonate continued after silicate authigenesis, the contents of Mg and Sr in the calcite of the host carbonate are even lower. The authigenic feldspar mineralogy seems to be determined by the composition of the host-sediment.     

海拉尔盆地乌尔逊凹陷与松辽盆地孤店CO2气田含片钠铝石砂岩的岩石学特征

海拉尔盆地乌尔逊凹陷南屯组与松辽盆地孤店CO₂气田泉头组发育大量含片钠铝石砂岩。通过偏光显微镜、扫描电镜、茜素红-S染色、X射线衍射、电子探针与INCA能谱分析等,对含片钠铝石砂岩的骨架碎屑组分、胶结物与自生矿物、成岩共生序列等岩石学特征进行了系统研究。研究表明,含片钠铝石砂岩的岩石类型为长石砂岩和岩屑长石砂岩,粒度以细粒、细-中粒为主,分选差-中等。砂岩中胶结物主要为次生加大石英、自生石英、片钠铝石、铁白云石和粘土矿物。其中,片钠铝石最高可达砂岩总体积的22％在砂岩中或以放射状、束状、菊花状、杂乱毛发状、毛球状、板状等集合体充填孔隙,或呈束状和板状交代长石和岩屑。电子探针与INCA能谱综合分析表明,片钠铝石主要由Na、Al、O、C等组成。在含片钠铝石砂岩中,成岩共生序列依次为粘土矿物包壳-次生加大石英、自生石英、自生高岭石-油气充注-CO₂充注-片钠铝石-铁白云石。其中,CO₂注入前形成的自生矿物组合主要为次生加大石英、自生石英和自生高岭石,CO₂注入后形成的自生矿物组合主要为片钠铝石和铁白云石。     

Palaeo‐climate controlled diagenesis of the Westphalian C & D fluvial sandstones in the Campine Basin (north‐east Belgium)

The Westphalian C and D fluvial sandstones in the Campine Basin (north‐east Belgium) are potential reservoirs for the sequestration of CO₂ and interesting analogues of the hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Southern North Sea. Although these sandstones were deposited in a relatively short period of time, their reservoir properties and mineralogical compositions are very different. A petrographic study complemented with stable isotope analyses, fluid inclusion microthermometry and X‐ray diffraction analyses of the clay fractions of the sandstones, which were sampled from deep boreholes (>1000 m) in the Campine Basin, revealed that these differences are related mainly to the climate at the time of deposition. The most important eogenetic processes affecting the Westphalian sandstones were the generation of a pseudomatrix by physical compaction of Al‐silicates and lithic fragments that were strongly altered by extensive meteoric leaching, kaolinitization of unstable silicates and precipitation of siderite. These processes had a detrimental influence on the reservoir properties of Westphalian C sandstones, but their impact on the Westphalian D sandstones was minimal. The difference is assumed to be related to the climate at the time of deposition, which changed from tropical humid in the Westphalian C to semi‐arid/arid during the Late Westphalian D. Both the Westphalian C and D sandstones were affected by similar mesogenetic processes. Mesogenetic quartz cementation resulted from chemical compaction and illitization of kaolinite, K‐feldspar and smectitic clays. Illitization of kaolinite was controlled by the available quantities of co‐existing kaolinite and K‐feldspar and mainly affected the Westphalian D sandstones. Illitization of K‐feldspar was controlled by the K‐feldspar content. It had a much larger impact on the reservoir properties of the Westphalian D as, in these sandstones, K‐feldspar was less affected by eogenetic alteration. The illitization of smectitic clays resulted in illite, quartz and ankerite cementation in both reservoirs. This process had a more important impact on the Westphalian C reservoir, since cementation here also resulted from smectite to illite conversion in the interbedded and underlying shales. The effect of mesogenetic alterations on the reservoir properties was much less drastic than the impact of eodiagenesis. Mesogenetic alterations do exert a significant control on the properties of the Westphalian D. The vast impact of eodiagenesis on the Westphalian C sandstones made them less susceptible to mesogenetic alteration. The effect of telogenetic processes on the porosity and permeability of the Westphalian sandstones was small and restricted to the top reservoir intervals that directly underlie the Cimmerian Unconformity. No significant telogenetic alterations related to the Variscan Unconformity were observed.     

Early formation of K-feldspar in shallow-marine sediments at near-surface temperatures (southern Israel): evidence from K-Ar dating

Authigenic K‐feldspar was investigated in two Albian to Turonian sections in Israel using K‐Ar and Ar‐Ar dating, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and chemical analysis. Both sections comprise a similar succession of shallow‐marine limestones, dolomites and marls, with some sandstone and shale beds of continental origin. The HCl‐insoluble residue fraction of the studied samples consists of clays, quartz, feldspars, goethite and trace amounts of heavy minerals. Most of the insoluble residues have a relatively high K‐feldspar content that has an adularia habit and is concentrated in the 4–7 µm size fraction. The authigenic origin of the K‐feldspar in the fine silt fraction is indicated by its high content relative to quartz, the uniform and idiomorphic shape of the crystals and its limited size range. Of the fine silt (4–7 or 4–10 µm) separates, 40% have ages that are similar to stratigraphic ages within the analytical and biostratigraphic errors. Ar‐Ar dating of a fine silt fraction with 94% K‐feldspar (4–10 µm, sample GYP 7) yields a plateau age identical to the total gas age and similar to the stratigraphic age. These results indicate that the K‐Ar age is not a mixture between detrital and late diagenetic K‐feldspar ages, but is rather an age of formation within a few million years after deposition. It is suggested that the early formation of the K‐feldspar was associated with dolomitization and was induced by residual brines as part of a reflux process.     

Detrital K‐feldspar 40Ar/39Ar Ages: Source Constraints of the Lower Miocene Sandstones in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China Sea

The South China Sea began to outspread in the Oligocene. A great quantity of terraneous detritus was deposited in the northern continental shelf of the sea, mostly in Pearl River Mouth Basin, which constituted the main paleo-Pearl River Delta. The delta developed for a long geological time and formed a superimposed area. Almost all the oil and gas fields of detrital rock reservoir distribute in this delta. Thirty-three oil sandstone core samples in the Zhujiang Formation, lower Miocene (23–16 Ma), were collected from nine wells. The illite samples with detrital K feldspar (Kfs) separated from these sandstone cores in four sub-structural belts were analysed by the high-precision 40Ar/39Ar laser stepwise heating technique. All 33 illite 40Ar/39Ar data consistently yielded gradually rising age spectra at the low-temperature steps until reaching age plateaus at mid-high temperature steps. The youngest ages corresponding to the beginning steps were interpreted as the hydrocarbon accumulation ages and the plateau ages in mid-high temperature steps as the contributions of the detrital feldspar representing the ages of the granitic parent rocks in the provenances. The ages of the detrital feldspar from the Zhujiang Formation in the four sub-structural belts were different: (1) the late Cretaceous ages in the Lufeng 13 fault structural belt; (2) the late Cretaceous and early Cretaceous-Jurassic ages in the Huizhou 21 buried hill-fault belt; (3) the Jurassic and Triassic ages in the Xijiang 24 buried hill-fault belt; and (4) the early Cretaceous – late Jurassic ages in the Panyu 4 oil area. These detrital feldspar 40Ar/39Ar ages become younger and younger from west to east, corresponding to the age distribution of the granites in the adjacent Guangdong Province, Southern China.     

Timing of brittle faulting and thermal events,Sydney region: association with the early stages of extension of East Gondwana

Structural studies in the Sydney region have revealed the presence of vertical to near-vertical, north-northeast-striking faults that are manifest as joint swarms and highly brecciated zones in which gouge of varying thickness is developed. Strike-slip movement accompanied by minor dip-slip, normal movement occurred on these faults. Timing of movement on these faults by K–Ar dating of illite and illite–smectite in fractions extracted from fault gouges, was attempted. These dates were compared with dates obtained from the host-rocks. K–Ar ages determined from the 2–10 μm to <0.1 μm fractions produced from the gouge and host-rocks, range from 159.5 ± 3.2 to 106.6 ± 2.1 Ma (n = 26). In <0.5 μm fractions extracted from the gouges that are less contaminated by detrital phases, K–Ar ages vary from 138 ± 4.4 to 106.5 ± 2.1 Ma (mean 121 Ma; n = 6) which are similar to ages obtained from host-rocks in the Sydney region. The similarity in age between the host rocks and gouge suggests that the K–Ar system has been reset. The resetting is attributed to a thermal event at ca 120 Ma related to the underplating of felsic intrusions associated with early stages of breakup of East Gondwana. Subsequent to this event, dykes of Early Eocene age (K–Ar whole-rock: 51.0 ± 1.1 Ma) exploited north-northeast-striking faults and subsequently developed brecciated margins. These observations and the fact that gouge formed before the thermal event suggests that movement took place on north-northeast-striking faults prior to 120 Ma and after 51 Ma.     

Hydrothermal alteration and K–Ar ages of Neogene‐Quaternary magmatic‐hydrothermal systems at Toyoha‐Muine area in southwest Hokkaido,Japan

This paper presents a review of hydrothermal alteration and K–Ar age data from the Toyoha‐Muine area (TMA), where the Toyoha polymetallic (Ag–Pb–Zn–Cu–In) deposit is located near the Pliocene andesitic volcano that formed Mt Muine. Systematic prospect‐scale mapping, sampling, X‐ray analysis and microscopic observation show that hydrothermal alteration is divided into two groups: acid‐pH and neutral‐pH alteration types. The former is further divided into mineral assemblages I, II and III, while the latter into mineral assemblages IV and V. Different mineralogical features in five mineral assemblages are summarized as follows: (I) Quartz (silicified rock); (II) Pyrophyllite or dickite; (III) Kaolinite or halloysite ± alunite; (IV) Sericite or K‐feldspar; and (V) Interstratified minerals (illite/smectite and chlorite/smectite) and/or smectite. K–Ar radiometric ages determined on twenty‐eight K‐bearing samples (whole volcanic rocks and separated hydrothermal minerals) mainly fall into one of three periods: Early Miocene (24.6–21.4 Ma), Middle–Late Miocene (12.5–8.4 Ma) and Pliocene–Pleistocene (3.2–0 Ma). These three periods are characterized as follows. Early Miocene: A minor hydrothermal activity, which might be genetically related to the intermediate or felsic magmatic activities, formed mineral assemblage IV at 24.6 Ma in the northern part of the TMA. Middle to Late Miocene: The basaltic intrusion, andesitic eruption, and granodiorite intrusions induced hydrothermal activities between 12.5 and 8.4 Ma, resulting in the formation of a mineral assemblage IV with some base metal mineralization. Pliocene–Pleistocene: An andesitic eruption formed Mt Muine between 3.2 and 2.9 Ma. The andesitic activity was associated with acid‐pH mineral assemblages I, II and III locally around the volcano. Latent magmatic intrusions subsequent to the andesitic eruption generated hydrothermal activities that formed mineral assemblages IV and V between 1.9 and 0 Ma in the southern and southeastern parts of Toyoha deposit at depth, overprinting the Middle to Late Miocene alteration. The hydrothermal activities also formed mineral assemblages I, II and III along the Yunosawa fault (east of the Toyoha deposit) and assemblage III in the south and southeast of the Toyoha deposit near the surface.