Much has been learned in the past 40 years about the great diversity of the internal structure and geochemical compositions of Phanerozoic ophiolites, indicating that these on-land fragments of ancient oceanic lithosphere formed in distinctly different tectonic settings during their igneous evolution. Recent studies in Archean and Proterozoic greenstone belts have shown that the Precambrian rock record may also include exposures of a diverse suite of ophiolite complexes as part of craton development in the early history of the Earth. We review the salient features of the Precambrian ophiolite record to highlight what has been learned about Precambrian oceanic spreading systems since the original Penrose definition of ophiolites in 1972. Some of the diagnostic, characteristic, typical, and rare aspects of ophiolites of all ages are presented in a table in order to help determine if tectonically deformed and metamophosed sequences in Precambrian shield areas may be considered as ophiolites. The results of this comparative study are important in that they enable researchers to more realistically characterize allochthonous mafic/ultramafic rock sequences as ophiolitic or non-ophiolitic. This approach is more deterministic in contrast to some other arbitrary classification schemes requiring three or four of the Penrose-style ophiolitic units to be present in the Precambrian record for a specific rock sequence to be considered ophiolitic. Once these tectonic fragments are recognized as remnants of ancient oceanic lithosphere, great progress shall be made in understanding early Earth history. We discuss the significance and implications of the Precambrian ophiolite record to constrain the mode and nature of the plate tectonics that operated in deep time.
Timothy M. KUSKYWANG LuYildirim DILEKPaul ROBINSONPENG SongBaiHUANG XuYa
The stratigraphic, structural and metamorphic features of the basal thrust belt of the ca. 1.0 Ga Miaowan (庙湾) ophiolite in the southern Huangling (黄陵) anticline, show that it can be divided into three tectono-lithostratigraphic units from north to south:mélange/wildflysch rock units, flysch rock units, and sedimentary rock units of the autochthonous (in situ) stable continental margin. The three units underwent thrust-related deformation during emplacement of the Miaowan ophiolitic nappe, with kinematic indicators indicating movement from the NNE to SSW, with the metamorphic grade reaching greenschist-amphibolite facies. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology of zircons from granite pebbles in the basal thrust-related wildflysch yield ages of 859±26, 861±12 and 871±16 Ma; whereas monzonitic granite clasts yield an age of 813±14 Ma. This indicates that the formation age of the basal thrust belt is not older than 813±14 Ma, and is earlier than the earliest formation time of the majority of the Neoproterozoic Huangling granitoid intrusive complex, which did not experience penetrative ductile deformation. These results suggest that the northern margin of the Yangtze craton was involved in collisional tectonics that continued past 813 Ma.This may be related to the amalgamation of the Yangtze craton with the Rodinia supercontinent. Through comparative study of lithology, zircon geochronology, REE patterns between granodiorite and tonalite pebbles in the basal thrust-zone conglomerate, it can be concluded that the pebbles are the most similar to the Huanglingmiao (黄陵庙) rock-mass (unit), implying that they may have come from Huanglingmiao rock-mass. Zircon cores yield xenocrystic ages of 2 074±120 Ma, suggesting that the protolith of the Neoproterozoic Huangling granitoid intrusive complex may have originated from partial melting of older basement rocks, that is to say there may be Paleoproterozoic crystalline basement in the southern Huangling anticline. The ages of xenocrystic zircons in the granite pebbles
The geometry and timing of amalgamation of the North China craton(NCC) have been controversial,with three main models with significantly different interpretations of regional structure,geochronology,and geological relationships.The model of Zhao G C et al.suggests that the eastern and western blocks of the NCC formed separately in the Archean,and an active margin was developed on the eastern block between 2.5 and 1.85 Ga,when the two blocks collided above an east dipping subduc-tion zone.The model of Kusky et al.presumes that the eastern block rifted from an unknown larger continent at circa 2.7 Ga,and experienced a collision with an arc(perhaps attached to the western block) above a west-dipping subduction zone at 2.5 Ga,and the 1.85 Ga metamorphism is related to a collision along the northern margin of the craton when the NCC joined the Columbia supercontinent.The model of Faure et al.suggests two collisions in the central orogenic belt,at 2.1 and 1.88 Ga.Recent seismic results support both the models of Kusky et al.and Faure et al.,showing that subduction be-neath the central orogenic belt(COB) was west-directed,and that there is a second,west-dipping pa-leosubduction zone located to the east of the COB dipping beneath the western block(Ordos craton).The boundaries identified through geophysics do not correlate with the boundaries of the Trans-North China orogen suggested in the Zhao et al.model,and the subduction polarity is opposite that predicted by that model.The seismic profiles are consistent with an Archean collision above a west-dipping sub-duction zone beneath the COB predicted by the models of Kusky et al.,and the second west-dipping subduction zone is consistent with the two events suggested in the Faure et al.model.
A detailed knowledge of the thickness of the lithosphere in the North China craton(NCC) is important for understanding the significant tectonic reactivation of the craton in Mesozoic and Ce-nozoic.We achieve this goal by applying the newly proposed continuous wavelet transform theory to the Gravity Field Model(EGM 2008) data in the region.Distinct structural variations are identified in the scalogram image of profile Alxa-Datong(大同)-Qingdao(青岛)-Yellow Sea(profile ABC),trans-versing the main units of NCC,which we interpret as mainly representing the Moho and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary(LAB) undulations.The imaged LAB is as shallow as 60-70 km in the south-east basin and coastal areas and deepens to no more than 140 km in the northwest mountain ranges and continental interior.A rapid change of about 30 km in the LAB depth was detected at around the boundary between the Bohai(渤海) Bay basin(BBB) and the Taihang(太行) Mountains(TM),roughly coincident with the distinct gravity decrease of more than 100 mGal that marks the North-South Grav-ity Lineament(NSGL) in the region.At last we present the gravity modeling work based on the spectral analysis results,incorporating with the observations on high-resolution seismic images and surface to-pography.The observed structural differences between the eastern and western NCC are likely associ-ated with different lithospheric tectonics across the NSGL.Combined with seismic tomography results and geochemical and petrological data,this sug-gests that complex modification of the litho-sphere probably accompanied significant litho-spheric thinning during the tectonic reactivation of the old craton.
In this paper the authors briefly introduce and review the new progress of the newly dis- covered Proterozoic Miaowan (庙湾) ophiolite and Neoproterozoic Huangling (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 supercontinent in South China.
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 ℃ in average), 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, indicating that there was a significant granulite facies tectonothermal event in the northern Huangling anticline in the Paleoproterozoic, which may be related with tectonic thermal events of the metamorphism caused by the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent with South China. Moreover, the REE pattern is characterized by depletion in LREE while relatively flat in HREE, La N /Yb N =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.
The Miaowan (庙湾) ophiolite is a highly dismembered ophiolitic complex cropping out near the northern margin of the Yangtze craton. The rocks of this complex consist of, from bottom to top, harzburgite tectonite locally containing podiform chromite, dunite, layered and isotropic gabbro, a sheeted dike complex (SDC), meta-pillow lavas with chert pods and layers, and tectonically intercalated marble. The SDC is a very important and significant part of the Miaowan ophiolitic sequence, and grades downward into gabbro and ultramafic rocks, and upward into meta-pillow lavas. Some dikes preserve one-way chilled margins, typical of extensional ophiolitic settings, whereas most preserve double chilled margins, in cases where the chilling direction can be determined. The SDC is mainly com-posed of meta-diabase (dolerite), meta-plagiogranite , and small amounts of meta-gabbro and ultramafic rocks. LA-ICP-MS zircon dating yields an upper intercept age of 1 026±79 Ma for one meta-plagiogranite, 1 043±23 Ma for a second meta-plagiogranite and 1 096±32 Ma for one meta-gabbro at the bottom of the SDC, suggesting formation of the SDC at circa 1 026-1 096 Ma, consistent with the recently determined formation age of the Miaowan ophiolite. Sparse geochemical data on the meta-diabase indicate that the protolith was a sub-alkaline, low-potassium tholeiite similar to mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). The chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns of the meta-diabase are generally flat ((La/Yb) N =0.56-0.94), with a slight depletion in LREE, but no obvious Eu anomalies. Given that the meta-plagiogranites show evidence of formation in a suprasubduction zone environment, we suggest that the basalts were originally island arc tholeiites, perhaps formed in an extensional forearc setting. The geochemistry of the meta-diabase and plagiogranite from the sheeted dikes, together with regional relationships, all agree with the previous interpretations that the Miaowan ophiolite formed in a suprasubduction zone setting.
The epidosites are interpreted to form in upflow zones at the base of ore-forming oceanic hydrothermal systems that vent as black smokers on the sea floor. This study presents new field, major and trace element, and oxygen isotope data for the recently discovered epidosites in the ca. 1.0 Ga Miaowan (庙湾) ophiolite located near the northern margin of the Yangtze craton. The epidosites occur mainly in the cores of strongly deformed, lensoidal amphibolites. Field observations, major and trace elements and oxygen isotopes suggest that the epidosites were formed by metasomatism of ocean floor basalts, diabase dykes, and gabbros during seafloor hydrothermal alteration.
A wide variety of tectonic models have been invoked to explain the exhumation of the world's largest ultrahigh pressure (UHP) orogenic belt,the Qinling (秦岭)-Dabieshan (大别山)-Sulu (苏鲁) belt in China,and its correlatives in Korea.Most of these models assume that the orogen contains one main collisional suture between the North and South China cratons that collided in the Mesozoic.New field data reveal that this model is too simplistic,and that the collision involved an additional microplate,which initially rifted off the Yangtze craton.This continental microplate was partially subducted beneath an active margin on the North China craton,and subsequently an additional active Andean-style margin developed on the southern margin of the Qinling microplate after collision,leaving the near-vertical microplate wedged between the two thickened and thermally softened margins.The thermo-mechanical environment of collision thus left a cold,thick,and buoyant microplate wedged between two easily deformed margins,which acted as power-law creep channels,accommodating rapid buoyancy-driven rise of a 2 000 km long wedge of the subducted microplate,which became intimately involved with the collisional process.An additional segment of the northern Yangtze craton was subducted to >100 km,and formed a separate wedge that rose alongside the thermally softened margin of the Qinling microcontinent,and was bordered on the south by the recently thermallysoftened rift zone where the Qinling microcontinent broke off the Yangtze craton between Late Devonian and Permian times.Recognizing the dual active margins in Qinling-Dabieshan-Sulu orogen and the thermally-softened power-law creep channels sheds new light on understanding exhumation of the world's largest ultrahigh pressure belt.We propose that this model is generally applicable to other UHP belts worldwide.
Archean greenstone belts and their possible inclusion of fragments of ophiolites is an im-portant research subject,since it is correlated with the nature of early oceanic crust,and can yield in-formation on the nature of early planetary lithospheres,the origin of TTG(tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) continental crust,the formation of early cratons and continents,and is related to when plate tectonics started in the Earth's evolutionary history.This article briefly reviews the North China craton's Archean ophiolite argument and proposes further studies aimed at understanding the genera-tion of greenstone belts and Archean ophiolites,and suggests some key scientific questions that remain to be answered.
