Early Cretaceous Volcanic Rocks Research Articles

Erratum to: Petrology and tectonic significance of seamounts within transitional crust east of Orphan Knoll, offshore eastern Canada

The Early Cretaceous separation of Newfoundland from Iberia–Ireland is a classic example of a magma-poor continental margin with hyperextension and with widespread minor magmatism resulting in seamounts. This study defines the distribution of seamounts east of Orphan Knoll, and documents and interprets the geochemical character of the one recovered lava sample. Video imagery of lava outcrops, and the sample, were obtained by ROV from Orphan seamount, one of a linear series of small seamounts overlying transitional thinned continental crust on the seaward side of Orphan Knoll. New multibeam bathymetry and legacy seismic data show several seamounts that extend irregularly along the fault-bound NE margin of Orphan Knoll. Whole rock geochemistry shows the sample to be highly alkaline basanite or possibly tephrite. Diopside–hedenbergite, kaersutite and K-feldspar phenocrysts were analyzed by electron microprobe and scanning electron microscope, and alteration minerals including kaolinite were identified by X-ray diffraction. The highly alkaline character of the basanite is similar only to Early Cretaceous volcanic and sub-volcanic rocks erupted through thick continental crust of the Mesoproterozoic Grenville Orogeny. The location of the linear set of seamounts is related to margin-parallel faults on the seaward side of Orphan Knoll that provided a pathway for magma, although ENE-trending lineaments in individual seamounts or seamount groups suggest the influence of oceanic fracture zones. A lower gradient crest to Orphan seamount above 2,200 m suggests subaerial erosion, consistent with the presence of kaolinite as an alteration product and the absence of lava pillows at and above this depth.

Crust–mantle interaction triggered by oblique subduction of the Pacific plate: geochronological, geochemical, and Hf isotopic evidence from the Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of Zhejiang Province, southeast China

Large-scale volcanism in the late Mesozoic was a prominent geological event in southeast China. The late Mesozoic volcanic sequences, named the Moshishan Group, are exposed in Zhejiang Province and are predominantly felsic in composition with subordinate mafic magma and rare andesites. To understand the late Mesozoic tectonic evolution of southeast China, we present zircon U–Pb dating, major and trace element analyses, and Hf isotopic compositions from felsic volcanic rocks of the Moshishan Group. Zircon U–Pb dating shows that the Moshishan Group formed between 145 and 129 Ma. The εHf(t) of the analysed zircons ranges from −16.58 to +6.89, and the TDM2 age ranges from 753 to 2238 Ma with a major peak at ca. 1870 Ma. Hf isotopic compositions of zircons in Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks are more radiogenic than that of the metamorphic basement rocks, indicating a juvenile component in these magmas. Major element concentrations show that the volcanic rocks mainly belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series. Both zircon saturation temperatures and the εHf(t) values of zircons gradually increased with the evolution of the magma. Trace element data indicates that neither magmatic differentiation of mantle-derived magma nor mixing of magmas from different sources were the predominant magmagenetic processes. Earlier studies suggest that contemporaneous underplating contributed to the heat source that induced crustal melting and to the material origin that inconsistently mixed with the local crustal melts. Magmatic underplating is likely to have occurred because of the southwestward subduction of the Pacific plate with episodic slab rollback. The data obtained in this study suggest that the crust–mantle interaction under the influence of slab rollback played a progressive role in the formation of Early Cretaceous felsic volcanic rocks in southeast China.

Geochronology and geochemistry of Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks from the Baiyingaolao Formation in the central Great Xing'an Range, NE China, and its tectonic implications

Abstract We undertook zircon U–Pb dating and geochemical analyses of volcanic rocks from the Baiyingaolao Formation in the central Great Xing'an Range, northeastern China, with an aim to determine their age, petrogenesis and sources, which are important for understanding the Late Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the eastern section of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Lithologically, the Baiyingaolao Formation is composed mainly of rhyolites and rhyolitic tuffs, with minor trachy dacites. The zircons from three rhyolitic tuffs and two rhyolites are euhedral–subhedral in shape, display fine-scale oscillatory growth zoning and have high Th/U ratios (0.72–2.60), indicating a magmatic origin. The results of LA–ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating indicate that the volcanic rocks from the Baiyingaolao Formation in the study area formed during the Early Cretaceous time with ages of 134–130 Ma. Petrological and geochemical characteristics of these volcanic rocks suggest that they are all highly fractionated I-type igneous rocks, and their parental magmas were likely derived from the partial melting of lower crustal materials with plagioclase, hornblende and apatite as the residual phases. In addition, the volcanics sampled in this paper, tectonically located in the Xing'an terrain, have high initial 176Hf/177Hf ratios (0.282770–0.283035) and positive eHf(t) values (2.42–11.96), combined with young Hf two-stage model ages of 1134–541 Ma, reflecting that the crustal growth of the Xing'an terrain occurred during Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic times. These data, combined with previous studies on the contemporaneous magma-tectonic activities in NE China, suggest that the generation of the Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks in the central Great Xing'an Range was related to the lithospheric delamination caused by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate.

The southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia: New interpretations from geological, seismic reflection, and gravity data

The southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia are characterized by voluminous plutonic and gneissic rocks of mainly Middle Jurassic to Eocene age (the Coast Plutonic Complex), as well as metamorphic rocks, folds, and thrust and reverse faults that mostly diverge eastward and westward from an axis within the present mountains, and by more localized Eocene and younger normal faults. In the southeastern Coast Mountains, mid-Cretaceous and younger plutons intrude Bridge River, Cadwallader, and Methow terranes and overlap Middle Jurassic through Early Cretaceous marine clastic rocks of the Tyaughton–Methow basin. The combination of geological data with new or reanalyzed geophysical data originating from Lithoprobe and related studies enables revised structural interpretations to be made to 20 km depth. Five seismic profiles show very cut-up and chaotic reflectivity that probably represents slices and segments of different deformed and rearranged rock assemblages. Surface geology, seismic interpretations, physical properties, and gravity data are combined in two profiles across the Coast Mountains to generate two new 2-D density models that are interpreted in terms of the geological units. The western part of the southern Coast Mountains consists primarily of Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous plutons to depths of 20 km with slices of Wrangellia (in the west) and Early Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks (Gambier group) in the upper 10 km. The eastern part, east of the Owl Creek fault, consists of slices of Cadwallader and Bridge River terranes and Tyaughton–Methow basin strata with limited slices of plutonic rocks at depths less than 10 km. Below that, Eocene and Late Cretaceous plutons dominate for another 10 km.

Spatial–temporal relationships of Mesozoic volcanic rocks in NE China: Constraints on tectonic overprinting and transformations between multiple tectonic regimes

LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb ages and geochemical data are presented for the Mesozoic volcanic rocks in northeast China, with the aim of determining the tectonic settings of the volcanism and constraining the timing of the overprinting and transformations between the Paleo-Asian Ocean, Mongol–Okhotsk, and circum-Pacific tectonic regimes. The new ages, together with other available age data from the literature, indicate that Mesozoic volcanism in NE China can be subdivided into six episodes: Late Triassic (228–201Ma), Early–Middle Jurassic (190–173Ma), Middle–Late Jurassic (166–155Ma), early Early Cretaceous (145–138Ma), late Early Cretaceous (133–106Ma), and Late Cretaceous (97–88Ma). The Late Triassic volcanic rocks occur in the Lesser Xing’an–Zhangguangcai Ranges, where the volcanic rocks are bimodal, and in the eastern Heilongjiang–Jilin provinces where the volcanics are A-type rhyolites, implying that they formed in an extensional environment after the final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The Early–Middle Jurassic (190–173Ma) volcanic rocks, both in the Erguna Massif and the eastern Heilongjiang–Jilin provinces, belong chemically to the calc-alkaline series, implying an active continental margin setting. The volcanics in the Erguna Massif are related to the subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate beneath the Massif, and those in the eastern Jilin–Heilongjiang provinces are related to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent. The coeval bimodal volcanic rocks in the Lesser Xing’an–Zhangguangcai Ranges were probably formed under an extensional environment similar to a backarc setting of double-direction subduction. Volcanic rocks of Middle–Late Jurassic (155–166Ma) and early Early Cretaceous (145–138Ma) age only occur in the Great Xing’an Range and the northern Hebei and western Liaoning provinces (limited to the west of the Songliao Basin), and they belong chemically to high-K calc-alkaline series and A-type rhyolites, respectively. Combined with the regional unconformity and thrust structures in the northern Hebei and western Liaoning provinces, we conclude that these volcanics formed during a collapse or delamination of a thickened continental crust related to the evolution of the Mongol–Okhotsk suture belt. The late Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks, widely distributed in NE China, belong chemically to a low- to medium-K calc-alkaline series in the eastern Heilongjiang–Jilin provinces (i.e., the Eurasian continental margin), and to a bimodal volcanic rock association within both the Songliao Basin and the Great Xing’an Range. The volcanics in the eastern Heilongjiang–Jilin provinces formed in an active continental margin setting related to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent, and the bimodal volcanics formed under an extensional environment related either to a backarc setting or to delamination of a thickened crust, or both. Late Cretaceous volcanics, limited to the eastern Heilongjiang–Jilin provinces and the eastern North China Craton (NCC), consist of calc-alkaline rocks in the eastern Heilongjiang–Jilin provinces and alkaline basalts in the eastern NCC, suggesting that the former originated during subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent, whereas the latter formed in an extensional environment similar to a backarc setting. Taking all this into account, we conclude that (1) the transformation from the Paleo-Asian Ocean regime to the circum-Pacific tectonic regime happened during the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic; (2) the effect of the Mongol–Okhotsk suture belt on NE China was mainly in the Early Jurassic, Middle–Late Jurassic, and early Early Cretaceous; and (3) the late Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous volcanics can be attributed to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent.

Petrogenesis of Early Cretaceous bimodal volcanic rocks in the Fanchang Basin, SE China: an energy-constrained assimilation–fractional crystallization model

Volcanic rocks in the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) constitute a bimodal magmatic suite, with a significant compositional gap (between 50% and 63% SiO2) between the mafic and felsic members. The suite is characterized by a relatively wide spectrum of rock types, including basalts, trachytes, and rhyolites. The basaltic rocks have low-to-moderate SiO2 contents of 46.00–50.01%, whereas the trachytes and rhyolites possess SiO2 contents in the range of 63.08–77.61%. Rocks of the bimodal suite show moderate enrichment of LILEs, negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies, and are significantly enriched in LREEs. The basalts were most likely generated by parental mafic magmas derived from enriched lithospheric mantle with minor assimilation of crustal materials involving coeval crystal fractionation during magma evolution. The results of energy-constrained assimilation and fractional crystallization simulations demonstrate that the felsic magma was produced by the mixing of 5–20% lower crustal anatectic melts with an evolved mafic magma (∼48% SiO2) and accompanied by extensive clinopyroxene, plagioclase, biotite, and Fe–Ti oxide fractionation. Our model for the genesis of felsic rocks in bimodal suites is different from the traditional models of crustal melting and fractional crystallization or assimilation–fractional crystallization of basaltic liquids.

Zircon U–Pb geochronology of the Mesozoic metamorphic rocks and granitoids in the coastal tectonic zone of SE China: Constraints on the timing of Late Mesozoic orogeny

The coastal Changle-Nan’ao tectonic zone of SE China contains important geological records of the Late Mesozoic orogeny and post-orogenic extension in this part of the Asian continent. The folded and metamorphosed T3–J1 sedimentary rocks are unconformably overlain by Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks or occur as amphibolite facies enclaves in late Jurassic to early Cretaceous gneissic granites. Moreover, all the metamorphic and/or deformed rocks are intruded by Cretaceous fine-grained granitic plutons or dykes. In order to understand the orogenic development, we undertook a comprehensive zircon U–Pb geochronology on a variety of rock types, including paragneiss, migmatitic gneiss, gneissic granite, leucogranite, and fine-grained granitoids. Zircon U–Pb dating on gneissic granites, migmatitic gneisses, and leucogranite dyke yielded a similar age range of 147–135Ma. Meanwhile, protoliths of some gneissic granites and migmatitic gneisses are found to be late Jurassic magmatic rocks (ca. 165–150Ma). The little deformed and unmetamorphosed Cretaceous plutons or dykes were dated at 132–117Ma. These new age data indicate that the orogeny lasted from late Jurassic (ca. 165Ma) to early Cretaceous (ca. 135Ma). The tectonic transition from the syn-kinematic magmatism and migmatization (147–136Ma) to the post-kinematic plutonism (132–117Ma) occurred at 136–132Ma.

U–Pb Zircon Ages of Early Cretaceous Volcanic Rocks in the Tethyan Himalaya at Yangzuoyong Co Lake, Nagarze, Southern Tibet, and Implications for the Jurassic/Cretaceous Boundary

Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous transitional successions are widely distributed in the Tethyan Himalaya, southeast of Yangzuoyong Co Lake, southern Tibet. In ascending order, these include the Weimei (J3, Tithonian), Sangxiu/Jiabula formations (K1, Berriasian). The J/K boundary is located between the Weimei Formation and Sangxiu/Jiabula Formations. Ammonites found in J/K boundary sections in the research area have been classified into three assemblages: Valanginites–Phyllopachyceras assemblage zone (Valanginian), Spiticeras–Thurmanniceras assemblage zone (Berriasian) and Haplophylloceras–Blanfordiceras–Himalayites assemblage zone (Tithonian). Six nannofossil zones: Calcicalathina oblongata assemblage zone, Speetonia colligate zone, N. st. steinmannii zone, N. st. minor zone, P. beckmanni–N. st. minor interval zone, Conusphaera–Polycostella–Nannoconus–Watznaueria assemblage zone were recognized as well.On the basis of lithology, biostratigraphy and geochronology of the J/K transitional deposition succession, this study suggests that the J/K boundary, in southern Tibet, is located on the bottom of P. beckmanni–N. st. minor interval zone, which is further definited as and disappear of Polycostella beckmanni. To address the paucity of previously reported reliable ages for the J/K boundary, this study reports four U–Pb zircon ages (140–142 Ma) obtained with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) from the volcanic rocks interbedded in the lower Sangxiu Formation, which is expected to provides a direct date reference for the J/K boundary in the Tethyan Himalaya, southern Tibet. From integration of our new (SIMS) U–Pb zircon ages with calcareous nannofossils and ammonites, the age of the N. st. minor zone (NK-D) directly above the P. beckmanni-N. st. minor interval zone (NJK-C) of the basal Berriasian in the Tethyan realm is estimated to be 141–142 Ma. This research is not only helpful to improve the isotopic determination of absolute age for the J/K boundary, but also implies that the Tethyan Himalaya of southern Tibet may be an ideal location in which to explore the J/K boundary in both biostratigraphy and geochronology in future.

Late Mesozoic bimodal volcanic rocks in the Jinniu basin, Middle–Lower Yangtze River Belt (YRB), East China: Age, petrogenesis and tectonic implications

Late Mesozoic intrusive and volcanic rocks are widespread in the southeast Hubei Province, Middle–Lower Yangtze River Belt (YRB), East China. Detailed in situ zircon U–Pb and Hf isotope, elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data are presented in this paper for Late Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the Jinniu Basin, YRB, aiming to constrain their age, petrogenesis, and tectonic implications. The Jinniu volcanic rocks show a bimodal distribution in composition, with dominant rhyolite and dacite, and subordinate basalt and basaltic andesite. New SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS zircon U–Pb ages indicate that the volcanic rocks of three Formations in the Jinniu basin were erupted at quite a short age range of about 5Ma during the Early Cretaceous (130–125Ma). The mafic rocks are moderately enriched in large-ion-lithophile-elements (LILE) (e.g., Ba, Th, U, and Pb) and light rare-earth-elements (LREE), and are characterized by negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies, and relatively high TiO2 (0.72–2.06%) and Nb (9.20–26.5ppm) contents. These analyses indicate that the geochemical characteristics of the mafic rocks in the Jinniu basin are similar to worldwide Phanerozoic Nb-enriched basalt and andesites (NEBA). New in situ zircon U–Pb ages and field geological relationships demonstrate that NEBA in the southeast Hubei Province are not spatially or temporally associated with high-silica adakitic rocks, but were most likely derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle with assimilation of minor crustal materials, and then fractional crystallization during the evolution of the magma. Overall, the felsic rocks in the Jinniu basin have geochemical characteristics, and Sr–Nd–Pb signatures, and in situ zircon Hf isotopic compositions similar to those of the mafic rocks. Compared with the mafic rocks, the felsic rocks are characterized by enriched and variable concentrations of LILE and REE (e.g., Ba=33.3–1372ppm, Y=11.4–33.6ppm, YbC=5.07–18.7), and negative Eu anomalies (δEu=0.22–0.98), as well as a wide range of radiogenic Nd–Pb isotopic values with εNd (t)=−10.2 to −2.4, (206Pb/204Pb)i=17.659–18.705, (207Pb/204Pb)i=15.478–15.663, and (208Pb/204Pb)i=37.654–38.935, and in situ zircon Hf compositions of εHf (t)=−12.7 to −1.8. These features indicate that the genesis of felsic magma in the Jinniu basin is consistent with extensive fractional crystallization and large amounts of crustal contamination from an evolved mafic magma (SiO2=~55%). The bimodal volcanic rocks in this study provide convincing evidence that Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks in the YRB developed in a back-arc extensional tectonic regime.

Geochronology of the Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the Great Xing'an Range, northeastern China: Implications for subduction-induced delamination

Mesozoic volcanic rocks and granitoids are widespread in the Great Xing'an Range, which is part of a large igneous province in the eastern China. However, the ages of the volcanic rocks, especially those in the southern segment of the range, are poorly constrained. Here we present zircon U–Pb and whole rock Ar–Ar ages of 43 volcanic rocks from the four recognized formations (Manketouebo, Manitu, Baiyingaolao and Meiletu) in the southern Great Xing'an Range. The volcanic rocks of the Manketouebo Formation have a large span of ages ranging from 174 to 122 Ma, while those of the Manitu Formation exhibit a smaller age range from 156 to 125 Ma. The Baiyingaolao and Meiletu volcanic rocks both have Early Cretaceous ages between 139 and 124 Ma. These data indicate that the mapped units are not strictly ‘formations’ and further studies are required to resolve this issue. However, when taken together, these new data define two episodes of magmatism (Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous) with the Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks being dominant. Combined with previously published data from the northern Great Xing'an Range, and available age data from other parts of northeastern China and surrounding regions, two stages of magmatism, i.e., Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, can be identified throughout this part of Asia. The Jurassic rocks mainly comprise granites, while volcanic rocks are dominant in the Early Cretaceous. These two stages of magmatism form opposite spatial trends, that is, the Jurassic rocks become younger to the west, whereas the Cretaceous rocks become younger to the east. Between the two stages of magmatism, the ‘magma gap’ increases eastward in duration from less than 10 Ma in the Great Xing'an Range to more than 40 Ma in Japan. These trends can be explained by westward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific oceanic Plate and its control on subsequent geodynamic processes. Jurassic subduction of the oceanic slab caused crustal shortening and thickening, and formed the westward decrease in age of the granites with characteristics of an active continental margin, while volcanism was rare. By the end of the Jurassic, westward flat-slab subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Oceanic plate changed its direction to the north or northwest. This subsequently caused a transformation in tectonic regime from compression to extension in the Cretaceous and induced large-scale delamination of the thickened lower crust and lithospheric mantle. Delamination was initiated at the western margin of the subducting slab, and migrated eastward. Delamination and consequent upwelling of the asthenosphere triggered extensive volcanic eruption, with only minor granite emplacement. Similar age trends are also observed for other parts of eastern China, suggesting this model can also be applied to explain the geodynamic setting of the Mesozoic large igneous events in China and adjacent regions.

Chronology and Geochemistry of Mesozoic Volcanic Rocks in the Linjiang Area, Jilin Province and their Tectonic Implications

Abstract:Zircon U‐Pb ages and geochemical analytical results are presented for the volcanic rocks of the Naozhigou, Ergulazi, and Sidaogou Formations in the Linjiang area, southeastern Jilin Province to constrain the nature of magma source and their tectonic settings. The Naozhigou Formation is composed mainly of andesite and rhyolite and its weighted mean 206Pb/238U age for 13 zircon grains is 222±1 Ma. The Ergulazi Formation consists of basaltic andesite, basaltic trachyandesite, and andesite, and six grains give a weighted mean 206Pb/Z38U age of 131±4 Ma. The Sidaogou Formation consists mainly of trachyandesite and rhyolite, and six zircon grains yield a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 113±4 Ma. The volcanic rocks have SiO2= 60.24%–77.46%, MgO = 0.36%–1.29% (Mg#= 0.32–0.40) for the Naozhigou Formation, SiO2= 51.60%–59.32%, MgO = 3.70%–5.54% (Mg#= 0.50–0.60) for the Ergulazi Formation, and SiO2= 58.28%–76.32%, MgO = 0.07%–1.20% (Mg#= 0.14–0.46) for the Sidaogou Formation. The trace element analytical results indicate that these volcanic rocks are characterized by enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), relative depletion in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and high field strength elements (HFSEs, Nb, Ta, and Ti), and negative Eu anomalies. Compared with the primitive mantle, the Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the Linjiang area have relatively high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7053–0.7083) and low ɛNd(t) values (−8.38 to –2.43), and display an EMU trend. The late Triassic magma for the Naozhigou Formation could be derived from partial melting of a newly accretional crust with the minor involvement of the North China Craton basement and formed under an extensional environment after the collision of the Yangtze Craton and the North China Craton. The Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks for the Ergulazi and Sidaogou Formations could be formed under the tectonic setting of an active continental margin related to the westward subduction of the Izanagi plate.

Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Southeast China Block: New insights from basin analysis

In order to better understand the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of Southeast China Block (SECB in short), this paper describes geological features of Mesozoic basins that are widely distributed in the SECB. The analyzed data are derived from a regional geological investigation on various Mesozoic basins and a recently compiled 1:1,500,000 geological map of Mesozoic–Cenozoic basins. Two types of basin are distinguished according to their tectonic settings, namely, the post-orogenic basin (Type I) and the intracontinental extensional basin (Type II); the latter includes the graben and the half-graben or faulted-depression basins. Our studies suggest that the formation of these basins connects with the evolution of geotectonics of the SECB. The post-orogenic basin (Type I) was formed in areas from the piedmont to the intraland during the interval from Late Triassic to Early Jurassic; and the formation of the intracontinental extensional basin (Type II) connects with an intracontinental crustal thinning setting in the Late Mesozoic. The graben basin was generated during the Middle Jurassic and is associated with a bimodal volcanic eruption; and the half-graben or faulted-depression basin, filled mainly by the rhyolite, tuff and sedimentary rocks during Early Cretaceous, is occupied by the Late Cretaceous–Paleogene red-colored terrestrial clastic rocks. We noticed that the modern outcrops of numerous granites and basins occur in a similar level, and the Mesozoic granitic bodies contact with the adjacent basins by large normal faults, suggesting that the modern landforms between granites and basins were yielded by the late crustal movement. The modern basin and range framework was settled down in the Cretaceous. Abundant sedimentary structures are found in the various basins, from that the deposited environments and paleo-currents are concluded; during the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic time, the source areas were situated to the north and northeast sides of the outcrop region. In this paper, we present the study results on one geological and geographical separating unit and two separating fault zones. The Wuyi orogenic belt is a Late Mesozoic paleo-geographically separating unit, the Ganjiang fault zone behaves as the western boundary of Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks, and the Zhenghe–Dapu fault zone separates the SE-China Coastal Late Mesozoic volcanic-sedimentary basins and the Wuyi orogenic belt. Finally, we discuss the geodynamic mechanisms forming various basins, proposing a three-stage model of the Mesozoic sedimentary evolution.

New U–Pb age and geochemical constraints on the stratigraphy and distribution of the Lantau Volcanic Group, Hong Kong

Seven new high precision U–Pb single crystal zircon ages are reported from Jurassic and early Cretaceous volcanic rocks in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). These ages are used in combination with Zr vs. TiO 2 ratios to refine the stratigraphy of the Lantau Volcanic Group on Lantau Island and in adjoining districts in Hong Kong. As a result, three major unconformities are proposed and the rift-controlled paleogeography of the region, which influenced the development of the Lantau Caldera and lacustrine basins during the latest Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous, is clarified. The data also suggest the possibility that the base of the Cretaceous System may be preserved within the sequence.

Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks and Early Cenozoic extrusions of Cape Mary, Schmidt Peninsula, north Sakhalin: Geochemical study

The Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of the Mariisky sequence and Early Cenozoic extrusive-vent rocks of Cape Mary are exposed at the northwestern extremity of Schmidt Peninsula, north Sakhalin. In chemical composition, all the rocks are subdivided into four groups. Three groups include the volcanic rocks of the Mariisky sequence, which consists, from bottom to top, of calc-alkaline rocks, transitional calc-alkaline-tholeiite rocks, and incompatible element-depleted tholeiites. These rocks show subduction geochemical signatures and are considered as a fragment of the Moneron-Samarga island arc system. Trace-element modeling indicates their derivation through successive melting of garnet-bearing mantle and garnet-free shallower mantle sources containing amphibole; pyroxene; and, possibly, spinel. The mixed subduction and within-plate characteristics of the extrusive vent rocks of Cape Mary attest to their formation in a transform continental margin setting.

Early cretaceous absolute geomagnetic paleointensities from Córdoba Province (Argentina)

Abstract We present here new paleointensity and geochronology results from Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of Sierra Chica de Cordoba (Argentina). The new K-Ar isotopic ages of 5 samples range from 136 to 122 Ma. Twenty five samples from 7 individual flows yielded acceptable paleointensity estimates. The mean paleointensity values per flow are ranging from 53.0 ± 1.9 to 25.4 ± 2.6 μT and the corresponding Virtual Dipole Moments (VDMs) are ranging from 9.3±1.3 to 4.6±0.5 (1022 Am2). This corresponds to the mean value of 7.3±1.7×1022 Am2, which is compatible to the present geomagnetic axial dipole. Currently available selected paleointensity data from 80 to 130 Ma suggest that geomagnetic field strength frequently fluctuated before and during the Cretaceous Normal Superchron while the magnetic polarity maintained stable. The mean paleointensities derived from Córdoba lavas agree remarkably well with those obtained from the Paraná Magmatic Province (133–132 Ma). This reinforces the hypothesis about the unreliability of ‘Mesozoic Dipole Low’. Key words: Paleointensity, rock-magnetism, Early Cretaceous, South America.

The Liaonan metamorphic core complex, Southeastern Liaoning Province, North China: A likely contributor to Cretaceous rotation of Eastern Liaoning, Korea and contiguous areas

The Mesozoic Liaonan metamorphic core complex (mcc) of the southeastern Liaoning province, North China, is an asymmetric Cordilleran-style complex with a west-rooting master detachment fault, the Jinzhou fault. A thick sequence of lower plate, fault-related mylonitic and gneissic rocks derived from Archean and Early Cretaceous crystalline protoliths has been transported ESE-ward from mid-crustal depths. U–Pb ages of lower plate syntectonic plutons (ca. 130–120 Ma), 40Ar– 39Ar cooling ages in the mylonitic and gneissic sequence (ca. 120–110 Ma), and a Cretaceous supradetachment basin attest to the Early Cretaceous age of this extensional complex. The recent discovery of the coeval and similarly west-rooting Waziyu mcc in western Liaoning [Darby, B.J., Davis, G.A., Zhang, X., Wu, F., Wilde, S., Yang, J., 2004. The newly discovered Waziyu metamorphic core complex, Yiwulushan, western Liaoning Province, North China. Earth Science Frontiers 11, 145–155] indicates that the Gulf of Liaoning, which lies between the two complexes, was the center of a region of major crustal extension. Clockwise crustal rotation of a large region including eastern Liaoning province and the Korean Peninsula with respect to a non-rotated North China block has been conclusively documented by paleomagnetic studies over the past decade. The timing of this rotation and the reasons for it are controversial. Lin et al. [Lin, W., Chen, Y., Faure, M., Wang, Q., 2003. Tectonic implication of new Late Cretaceous paleomagnetic constraints from Eastern Liaoning Peninsula, NE China. Journal of Geophysical Research 108 (B-6) (EPM 5-1 to 5-17)] proposed that a clockwise rotation of 22.5° ± 10.2° was largely post-Early Cretaceous in age, and was the consequence of extension within a crustal domain that tapers southwards towards the Bohai Sea (of which the Gulf of Liaoning is the northernmost part). Paleomagnetic studies of Early Cretaceous strata (ca 134–120 Ma) in the Yixian–Fuxin supradetachment basin of the Waziyu mcc indicate the non-rotation of North China and the basin [Zhu, R.X., Shao, J.A., Pan, Y.X., Shi, R.P., Shi, G.H., Li, D.M., 2002. Paleomagnetic data from Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of West Liaoning: evidence for intracontinental rotation. Chinese Science Bulletin 47, 1832–1837]. Such upper-plate non-rotation supports our conclusion that the lower plates of the Waziyu and Liaonan metamorphic core complexes were displaced ESE-ward in an absolute sense away from the stable North China block, thus contributing to the rotation of Korea and contiguous areas. Rotation is inferred to have affected only the upper crust above mid-crustal levels into which we believe the Jinzhou and Waziyu detachment fault zones flattened. If this is the case, the regional Tan Lu fault that lies between the two core complexes was truncated at mid-crustal depth, since in areas to the south it forms the boundary between the North and South China lithospheric blocks. It is noteworthy that the two extensional complexes lie not far north of the Bohai Bay, the area proposed by Lin et al. [Lin, W., Chen, Y., Faure, M., Wang, Q., 2003. Tectonic implication of new Late Cretaceous paleomagnetic constraints from Eastern Liaoning Peninsula, NE China. Journal of Geophysical Research 108 (B-6) (EPM 5-1 to 5-17)] as the site of the pole of rotation for Korea's clockwise displacement. Lin et al. [Lin, W., Chen, Y., Faure, M., Wang, Q., 2003. Tectonic implication of new Late Cretaceous paleomagnetic constraints from Eastern Liaoning Peninsula, NE China. Journal of Geophysical Research 108 (B-6) (EPM 5-1 to 5-17)] were unaware of the Liaonan and Waziyu mcc's and argued that most of the regional block rotation was post-Early Cretaceous and, in part, early Cenozoic. However, the ca. 130–120 Ma ages of the two Liaoning mcc's and a Songliao basin mcc (Xujiaweizi), the latter discovered only by recent drilling through its younger stratigraphic cover, support our and some Korean coworkers' conclusions that most of the clockwise rotation was Early Cretaceous.

Petrogenesis of the early Cretaceous Valle Chico igneous complex (SE Uruguay): Relationships with Paraná–Etendeka magmatism

The early Cretaceous (∼130 Ma) igneous complex of Valle Chico (SE Uruguay) is made up of felsic plutonic and subordinate volcanic rocks and dykes cropping out over an area of about 250 km 2. This complex is strictly linked with the formation of the Paraná–Etendeka Igneous Province and the first stages of the South Atlantic Ocean rifting. The plutonic rocks range from quartz-monzonite to syenite, quartz-syenite and granite. The volcanic rocks and the dykes range from quartz-latite to trachyte and rhyolite; no substantial differences in term of chemical composition have been found between plutonic and volcanic rocks. Only a sample of basaltic composition (with tholeiitic affinity) has been sampled associated with the felsic rocks. The Agpaitic Index of the Valle Chico felsic rocks range from 0.72 to 1.34, with the peralkaline terms confined in the most evolved samples (SiO 2>65 wt.%). Initial 87Sr/ 86Sr (130) of the felsic rocks range from 0.7046 to 0.7201, but the range of 87Sr/ 86Sr of low-Rb/Sr samples cluster at 0.7083; 143Nd/ 144Nd (130) ratios range from 0.5121 (syenite) to 0.5117 (granite). The tholeiitic basalt show more depleted isotopic compositions ( 87Sr/ 86Sr (130)=0.7061; 143Nd/ 144Nd (130)=0.5122), and plots in the field of other early Cretaceous low-Ti basaltic rocks of SE Uruguay. The radiogenic Sr and unradiogenic Nd of the Valle Chico felsic rocks require involvement of lower crustal material in their genesis either as melt contaminant or as protolith (crustal anatexis). In particular, most of the Valle Chico (VC) felsic rocks define a near-vertical array in Sr–Nd isotopic spaces, pointing toward classical EMI-type composition; this feature is considered to reflect a lower crust involvement as observed for other mafic and felsic rocks of the Paraná–Etendeka Igneous Province. Decompression melting of the lower crust related to Gondwana continental rifting before the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean or the presence of thermal anomalies related to the Tristan plume may have induced the lower crust to partially melt. Alternative hypothesis considers contamination of upper mantle by a mafic/ultramafic keel composed of lower crust and uppermost mantle after delamination and detachment processes. This interaction may have occurred after the continent–continent collision during the last stages of the Panafrican Orogeny. This “lower crust” model does not exclude active involvement of upper crust as contaminant, necessary to explain the strongly radiogenic 87Sr/ 86Sr (130) isotopic composition of some VC SiO 2-rich rocks. Mineralogical (sporadic presence of pigeonite, Ca–Na and Na clinopyroxene, calcic- and calco-sodic amphibole) and geochemical evidences (major and trace element as well as Sr–Nd isotopic similarities with the felsic early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of the Arequita Formation in SE Uruguay) allow us to propose for the VC rocks a transitional rock series (the most abundant rock types are of syenitic/trachytic composition) preferentially evolving towards SiO 2-oversaturated compositions (granite/rhyolite) also with a strong upper crustal contribution as melt contaminant. This conclusion is in contrast with previous studies according which the VC complex had clear alkaline affinity. Many similarities between VC and the coeval Paresis granitoids (Etendeka, Namibia) are evidenced in this paper. The genetic similarities between VC and the rhyolites (s.l.) of SE Uruguay may find counterparts with the genetic link existing between the early Cretaceous tholeiitic-alkaline Messum complex and the quartz latites (s.l.) of the Awahab Formation (Etendeka region, Namibia).

Paleomagnetic study on orogenic belt: An example from Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks, Inner Mongolia, China

We report paleomagnetic results for Early Cretaceous lava flows collected from the Suhongtu area of Inner Mongolia, the middle part of the Tianshan-Mongolia Fold Belt (TMFB). Rock-magnetic experiments for different lava flows indicate that the main magnetic mineral is pseudo-single-domain (PSD) magnetite. The characteristic high-temperature remanence component is isolated by thermal demagnetization temperature steps between 300℃ and 585℃, which yields a mean direction of D = 23.6°, I = 56.0° with α 95 = 2.3°. We interpret this high-temperature remanence component as primary magnetization based mainly upon the petrographic analysis, which shows that the shape of magnetite crystal is relatively rounded square or polygon without internal reflection and deuterogenous phenomenon. The corresponding pole of the high-temperature remanence component is at 71.1°N, 200.5°E with A 95 = 2.7°. This Early Cretaceous pole is in good agreement with those for Siberia, North China, and Inner Mongolia, suggesting that these continental blocks had already sutured together in the Early Cretaceous, which would further provide constraints on better understanding of the formation and evolution of the TMFB.

Implications of Pb isotope signatures of rocks and iron oxide Cu-Au ores in the Candelaria-Punta del Cobre district, Chile

Lead isotope ratios of ores of the Candelaria-Punta del Cobre iron oxide Cu-Au deposits and associated Early Cretaceous volcanic and batholithic rocks have been determined. For the igneous rocks, a whole-rock acid attack technique based on the separate analyses of a leachate and the residual fraction of a sample was used. The lead isotope systematics of leachate–residue pairs are significantly different for unaltered and altered igneous rocks of the Candelaria-Punta del Cobre district. Residues of unaltered igneous rocks likely represent the common lead. In contrast, residues of all the altered igneous rocks except two samples have higher Pb isotope ratios than those of unaltered magmatic rocks and cannot represent common lead. We suggest that this is a result of the hydrothermal alteration suffered by these rocks and that the common lead composition of the altered igneous (volcanic and plutonic) rocks must have been similar to that of the unaltered batholith rocks. The conclusion that the altered volcanic rocks originally had a similar common lead isotope composition as the batholith is consistent with geological and geochemical arguments (e.g., setting, regional geologic evolution, ages and relative distribution of volcanic and intrusive rocks, magmatic affinities), which indicate that these rocks were derived from similar Early Cretaceous parent magmas. The modification of the leachate–residue pair lead isotope systematics of most altered igneous rocks is consistent with a selective removal of lead and uranium from these rocks by an oxidized hydrothermal fluid. The result of the hydrothermal leaching has been to alter magmatic rocks in a way that (1) their leachable fraction is presently a mix of common lead similar to that of the ore event and of radiogenic lead evolved from a source with a consistently high Th/U, and that (2) their residual fraction has less common lead than unaltered rocks. The outcrop area with altered volcanic rocks displaying anomalously high lead isotope ratios extends over 25 km along the eastern margin of the batholith. Since lead of the ores in the Candelaria-Punta del Cobre district has the same isotopic composition as the common lead of unaltered magmatic rocks of the area, the lead isotope data are consistent with a derivation of the ore lead (and by inference of other metals like Cu) both directly from a magmatic fluid exsolved during crystallization of the batholith and/or from hydrothermal leaching of the volcanic rocks originally having similar isotopic compositions as the batholith.

Paleomagnetic data from Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of West Liaoning: Evidence for intracontinental rotation

Detailed rock magnetic studies of 55 lavas from Yixian and Fuxin area, West Liaoning, show the primary carriers of remanence to be pseudo-single domain titanomagnetite. K/Ar dating indicates that the volcanic sequence spans 93 to 133 Ma. Stepwise thermal demagnetization successfully isolated well-defined characteristic magnetization (ChRM) in all lavas thermal-treated above 250°C. The mean paleodirections are D/I=5.9ℴ/58.8ℴ (α95 = 2.9ℴ) and D/I =179.2ℴ/−59.9ℴ (α95 = 5.2ℴ) for 27 normally magnetized flows and 28 reversibly magnetized flows, respectively. It indicates that since the Early Cretaceous there is no significant horizontal movement and rotation between the Yixian-Fuxin area and Eurasia. However, Korea Peninsula may have undergone a clockwise rotation of 33.9ℴ relative to the Yixian-Fuxin area during the Cretaceous. On the basis of characteristics of hotspot origins (core-mantle boundary or upper mantle), the clockwise rotation of Korea Peninsula relative to Eurasia is assumed to be mainly caused by an extensional force in the crust of eastern China, which was corresponding to intensive surface volcanic activities in this area.