Detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopes from the Yanliao intracontinental rift sediments: Implications for multiple phases of Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic juvenile crustal growth in the North China Craton

Abstract

Late Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic marks a major period of continental growth and recycling, the culmination of which witnessed the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent and its subsequent breakup. The North China Craton (NCC) preserves important records of tectonic activities and crust building and recycling processes during this time. In this study, we carried out U-Pb geochronology and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of detrital zircon grains from four sedimentary formations of the Changcheng Group in the Yanliao intracontinental rift in NE NCC. Our isotopic ages constrain the timing of initiation of the Yanliao rift as ca. 1680 Ma. The zircon U-Pb data show two major age populations at 2.7–2.5 Ga and 2.2–1.9 Ga, with high and positive εHf(t) values of + 0.1 to + 34.6. Both the Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic detrital zircon populations were derived from the basement rocks of the NCC. The results from our study indicate major juvenile crust accretion during Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic associated with the craton building process of the NCC.