Re-Os and Nd isotopes of black shales at the bottom of the Lower Cambrian from the northern Tarim Platform and their comparison with those from the Yangtze Platform

Abstract

This paper reports Re-Os and Nd isotopes of black shales at the bottom of Lower Cambrian from the northern Tarim Basin and traces source materials of the black shales through isotopes. The average Re/Os, 187 Os/ 188 Os, and 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios of the black shales at the bottom of Lower Cambrian from the Tarim Basin are 7.18, 5.6438, and 1.9616, respectively. These isotopic ratios suggest the crustal sources of the black shales. The e Nd (0) value is -13.17, the e Nd (540 Ma) value is -7.32 and the Nd model ages are 1.535 Ga. These parameters in the black shales are quite consistent with those from the basement rocks. Based on the Re-Os and Nd isotopic characteristics of the black shales, we conclude that the continental crust mainly composed of basement rocks is the source material of the black shales. Through comparison of these isotopic parameters with those from the Yangtze Platform, it is clear that the Re-Os isotopic characteristics in the black shales from the Tarim and Yangtze platforms are quite different, which maybe indicates the differences in depositional settings between two platforms. These Re-Os isotopic data provide us with constraints to analyze the genetic relation between the two platforms.