Metamorphic evolution of exhumed middle to lower crustal rocks in the Mojave Extensional Belt, southern California, USA

The Waterman Metamorphic Complex of the central Mojave Desert was exposed as a consequence of early Miocene detachment-dominated extension. However, it has evidence consistent with a more extensive geological history that involves collision of a crustal fragment(s), tectonic thickening by overthrusting and two periods of extension. The metamorphic complex contains granitoid intrusives and felsic mylonitic gneisses as well as polymetamorphic rocks that include marble, calc-silicate, quartzite. mafic granulite, pyribolite, amphibolite, migmatite and biotite schist. The latter group of rocks was affected by an initial series of high-grade metamorphic events (M1 and M2) and a localized lower grade overprint (M3). The initial metamorphism (M1) can be separated into two stages along its high-grade P–T path: M1a, a granulite facies metamorphism at 800–850° C and 7.5–9 kbar and Mlb, an upper amphibolite facies overprint at 750–800° C and 10–12 kbar. M1a developed mineral assemblages and textures consistent with granulite facies conditions at a reduced activity of H₂O and is associated with intense ductile deformation (D1) and minor local partial melting. M1b overprinted the granulite assemblages with a series of hydrous phases under conditions of increasing pressure and H₂O activity and is accompanied by little or no deformation. M2 developed at lower pressures and temperatures (650–750° C, 4.5–5.5 kbar) and is distinguished by a second local overprint of hydrous phases that reflects an input of aqueous fluids probably associated with the intrusion of a series of granitic dykes and veins. Effects of M3 are confined to the Mitchel detachment zone, an anastomosing early Miocene detachment fault, and are characterized by local ductile/brittle deformation (D2) of the pre-existing high-grade rocks and granitoid intrusives and by the production of mylonites and mylonitic gneisses under greenschist facies conditions (300–350° C, 3–5 kbar). The initial overprint (M1a) represents metamorphism, devolatilization and minor partial melting of supracrustal rocks under granulite facies conditions as a consequence of tectonic and, possibly, magmatic thickening. The increasing pressure transition of M1a to M1b reflects a period of continued compressional tectonism, thrusting and influx of H₂O, in part, locally related to crystallization of partial melts. The near isothermal decompression between M1b and M2 probably represents a pre-112-Ma extensional episode that may have been the result of a decompressional readjustment of a thickened crust. Following the initial extensional event, the metamorphic complex remained at depths of 10–17 km for at least 90 Ma until it was uplifted following Miocene extension. M3 develops locally in response to this second extensional period resulting from the early Miocene detachment faulting.     

Timing and tectonic setting of Grenvillian metamorphism—constraints from a transect along Georgian Bay,Ontario*

Systematic mapping of a transect along the well-exposed shores of Georgian Bay, Ontario, combined with the preliminary results of structural analysis, geochronology and metamorphic petrology, places some constraints on the geological setting of high-grade metamorphism in this part of the Central Gneiss Belt. Correlations within and between map units (gneiss associations) have allowed us to recognize five tectonic units that differ in various aspects of their lithology, metamorphic and plutonic history, and structural style. The lowest unit, which forms the footwall to a regional decollement, locally preserves relic pre-Grenvillian granulite facies assemblages reworked under amphibolite facies conditions during the Grenvillian orogeny. Tectonic units above the decollement apparently lack the early granulite facies metamorphism; out-of-sequence thrusting in the south produced a duplex-like structure. Two distinct stages of Grenvillian metamorphism are apparent. The earlier stage (c. 1160–1120 Ma) produced granulite facies assemblages in the Parry Sound domain and upper amphibolite facies assemblages in the Parry Island thrust sheet. The later stage (c. 1040–1020 Ma) involved widespread, dominantly upper amphibolite facies metamorphism within and beneath the duplex. Deformation and metamorphism recently reported from south and east of the Parry Sound domain at c. 1100–1040 Ma have not yet been documented along the Georgian Bay transect. The data suggest that early convergence was followed by a period of crustal thickening in the orogenic core south-east of the transect area, with further advance to the north-west during and after the waning stages of this deformation.     

松潘—甘孜造山带中丹巴地区变质岩的流体包裹体研究

对丹巴地区动热变质岩石英中的流体包裹体研究表明，第一类型包裹体为高密度CO2包裹体，与深层滑脱作用密切相关，其温度、压力可代表变质峰期的温压条件。第二类型包裹体为CO2－H2O包裹体，H2O含量增加，与变质峰期后的抬升作用有关。第三类型包裹体为NaCl－H2O包裹体，以H2O为主，与抬升作用引起的退变质作用有关。其形成温度依次降低，说明它们是在变质作用的不同阶段捕获的。     

Important Geological Factors Controlling the Formation of Gold Deposits in East China

The major gold deposits in east China are characterized by their occurrence in pre-Cambrian host metamorphic rocks,restriction in some specific stratigraphic-structural terranes,tendentious localization in ductile or ductile-brittle shear zones,association with the syntexis type granitoids,and significant remobilization,superimposition and enrichment by the later stage Mesozoic tectono-magmatic activities.     

A comparative study on the illite crystallinity and the clay mineral reflectance spectral index for subdividing the very low-grade metamorphic belt along the Lizhou-Hekou geological section in the Youjiang sedimentary basin, Guangxi, China

To examine the application potential of hyperspectral remote sensing techniques in classifying very low-grade metamorphic belts, the composition of clay minerals and the cyrstallinity of illite from mudstones were measured using XRD and VIS-SWIR (400-2500 nm) reflectance spectroscopy. Based on the illite cyrstallinity, Kubler Index (KI), the Early Triassic LuoLou Group and the Middle Triassic lower Baifeng Formation were classified as the lower Epizone with KI△2θ° ranging from 0.22 to 0.25, the upper Baifeng Formation as upper anchizone with KI△2θ°ranging from 0.26 to 0.33, and the Hekou Formation as lower anchizone with KI△2θ° ranging from 0.38 to 0.40. According to a KI△2θ° value of 0.43, it is possible that there may exist a local diagenetic zone in the upper strata. The illite cyrstallinity Kubler index and the metamorphic grade increase from the bottom to the top of the stratigraphic sequence. The metamorphic grade boundaries nearly match the stratigraphic boundaries, indicating a burial metamorphism nature for the stratigraphic sequence. From the bottom to the top of the sequence, the spectral absorption band center of clay minerals from fresh rocks is around 2200 nm. The absorption band centers change towards shorter wavelengths: the Luolou Group being at 2220 nm, the Baifeng Formation at 2217-2213 nm, the lower member of the Hekou Formation at 2214-2206 nm, and the upper member of the Hekou Formation at 2205-2197 nm. The spectral absorption band center of illite shows the same change pattern. These results indicate that very low-grade metamorphic belts can be subdivided using spectral indices of clay minerals, which are measured by using field portable spectroradiometers. However, it may not work well with satellite and airborne sensors.     

A Sequence of Pan-African and Hercynian Events Recorded in Zircons from an Orthogneiss from the Hercynian Belt of Western Central Iberia--an Ion Microprobe U-Pb Study

Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U–Pb dating showsthat a biotite orthogneiss from the Hercynian belt of westerncentral Iberia contains 1000–300 Ma zircon. Older, 1000–570Ma ages within this range represent inherited, detrital materialamong which four age components may be recognized:     

大别-胶南高压地体变质杂岩中流体包裹体特征和形成的热动力条件

在中国陆内南北板块之间古缝合线内大别-胶南高压地体中。分布着一套变质程度不一的杂岩系,我们将其划分出三期高峰变质作用形成的不同性质变形变质岩相带,并阐述了各自所代表的矿物流体包裹体特征,计算出它们形成时的温度、压力、氧逸度、差异应力等热动力参数,为揭示地体变形变质环境和构造演化特点,提供了可靠(?)数值根据。     

含硫化物镁铁质-超镁铁质侵入体中橄榄石Mg、Ni含量的制约:原理、模式及Voisey's Bay侵入体样品研究

镁铁质-超镁铁质岩浆结晶分离早期形成镁铁矿物,镁铁矿物中的Ni和Mg是相容元素。随着结晶分离作用的进行,Ni、Mg在硅酸盐岩浆及后形成的硅酸盐物质中的丰度下降。橄榄石中Ni含量及硅酸盐物质MgO/FeO比值都与母岩浆的相关值相关,据此可推断母岩浆的信息,它们之间可由实验测得的系数相联系。当岩浆饱和硫化物时,在结晶分离过程中硫化物珠滴会与镁铁硅酸盐物质一道析出,同时,与硫化物非饱和岩浆相比,过多的Ni会随之析出。这也反映在Ni、Mg含量比无硫化物分离时有更迅速的降低上。Ni、Mg含量变化值可以在VoiseysBay侵入体的模式曲线上反映出,加拿大Labrador的这一侵入体赋存了一个世界级的Ni-Cu-Co硫化物矿床。过去的作法是将侵入体中橄榄石的Ni、Mg含量与Simkin和Smith得出的各种火成岩中橄榄石的Ni、Mg含量相比较以确定Ni亏损,进而假定橄榄石来自硫化物饱和、有经济价值的岩浆。现在的研究显示这种简单的对比会导致错误。将样品数据与模式曲线对比并反映出侵入体矿物结晶堆积特征是重要的方法。使用这一方法,样品数据能很好地被模式曲线拟合。以在VoiseysBay的研究为例,当硫化物液相与硅酸盐矿物被去除后,硫化物非饱和的分离作用期就会显现出来,随后是硅酸盐结晶作用期。     

Mode of occurrence and significance of jadeite in the Kamuikotan metamorphic rocks, Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract In the Kamuikotan zone, jadeite occurs in pelitic rocks, in metaplagiogranites, in veins in amphibolites and mafic sedimentary rocks, and in jadeite-albite rocks. In the first and second types, jadeite is associated with quartz, and is often in direct contact with it. However, such rock-types never occur as part of the coherent metamorphic sequence, but are found only as exotic blocks enclosed in serpentinite. Thus, jadeite + quartz-bearing assemblages are not regarded as representative of the Kamuikotan metamorphism. Lawsonite and aragonite, however, commonly do occur in the Kamuikotan metamorphic rocks, and this metamorphism belongs to a subfacies of the lawsonite-albite facies, in which aragonite is stable. The serpentinite matrix which carried jadeite + quartz-bearing pelites and metaplagiogranites into the metamorphic sequence is interpreted as a tectonic rather than a sedimentary melange.     

中国西部元古代蓝片岩带——世界上保存最好的前寒武纪蓝片岩

阿克苏附近所发现的元古界阿克苏群为一完整的蓝片岩-绿片岩系列,我们通过野外调查肯定了这一认识,并认为它是高压-温相的变质块体,长40km,宽约2.5km.该变质岩由强烈片理化的绿泥石-黑硬绿泥石石墨片岩、黑硬绿泥石-多硅白云母片岩、绿片岩、蓝片岩及少量石英岩、变铁质岩组成.原岩包活泥质岩、砂岩、基性玻屑凝灰岩、块状熔岩、枕状熔岩及少量深海沉积物.蓝片岩的矿物组合:青铝闪石-绿帘石-绿泥石-钠长石-石英-阳起石.阿克苏群为世界上真正的前震旦纪蓝片岩之一,其变质年龄至少有800Ma.