New Progress in the study of late Paleoproterozoic magmatism and tectonic setting in the Cathaysia Block

Recently, new progress in the study of late Paleoproterozoic magmatism and tectonic setting in the Cathaysia Block has been made by Dr. Aimei ZHANG, scientist of Laboratory of Coastal and Marine Geology. The research achievement was published in Precambrian Research Journal (IF:4.427) titled “Identification of two-phased late Paleoproterozoic magmatism in the Wuyishan Domain (SE China): Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Cathaysia Block”.

Reconstruction of the Nuna (also known as Columbia) supercontinent is one of the most important focuses of geoscience research. In particularly, geoscience information about the late Paleoproterozoic era (1.9–1.7 Ga) plays an important role in reconstructing Nuna. Late Paleoproterozoic magmatic records have mainly been reported in the Wuyishan Domain of the Cathaysia Block. Although some previous studies focused on the Paleoproterozoic meta-igneous and metasedimentary rocks within the Wuyishan Domain, its tectonic nature remains controversial. In order to resolve the potential tectonic nature in the Wuyishan Domain, this study carried out detailed field geological investigations, systematic sampling, petrographical observation, combining with whole rock elements, zircon U-Pb dating and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic analyses.

Comprehensive zircon U-Pb geochronological, elemental and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data for late Paleoproterozoic granitic rocks in the Wuyishan Domain of the Cathaysia Block (SE China) indicate the following:

(1)   Two-phased late Paleoproterozoic A- and S-type granitoids were identified and dated at 1925–1848 and 1816–1750 Ma in the Wuyishan Domain.

(2)   These late Paleoproterozoic granitoids in the Wuyishan Domain were derived in a continental arc/back-arc setting and the two-phased arc/back-arc magmatism was related to the assembly of the Paleoproterozoic Nuna supercontinent.

(3)   The Cathaysia Block was located close to northern India in the Nuna supercontinent during Proterozoic time until the breakup of Rodinia in the late Neoproterozoic.

Fig. 1 Time-space plot of Paleoproterozoic events within the Cathaysia Block, northern Indian Shield and North Australia Craton

Fig.2 Proposed paleogeography of the Cathaysia Block in the Nuna supercontinent

This research was jointly funded by the Scientific Research Foundation of Third Institute of Oceanography, MNR and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Article link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2021.106093

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