Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Detrital zircon and apatite fission track data in the Liaoxi basins: Implication to Meso-Cenozoic thermo-tectonic evolution of the northern margin of the North China Craton

  • Published:
Journal of Earth System Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Detrital zircon and apatite fission track (ZFT and AFT) data of the sandstones collected from the Liaoxi basins served as a significant probe to study the Meso-Cenozoic thermo-tectonic reactivation events in the northern margin of the North China Craton. All sandstones show wide ZFT and AFT age spectrum and most of ZFT and AFT ages are younger than depositional age of respective host rocks, which suggest widespread track resetting of the host rocks in the Liaoxi basins after deposition. This hot geothermal status in the Liaoxi basins deduced from ZFT and AFT data is temporal consistent with the lithospheric evolution of the North China Craton, which implies that the lithosphere under the northern margin of the North China Craton underwent similar thermo-tectonic destruction process as the intracratonic Bohai Sea. The young ZFT peak age, which ranges from ∼50 Ma to 20 Ma, to some extend, provides a temporal constraint on the time that lithosphere significantly thinned and following reverse of the Liaoxi basins and uplift of the eastern part of the Yan-Liao Orogenic Belt. Exhumation of 1.5–2 km can be estimated in the eastern part of the Yan-Liao Orogenic Belt since ∼30 Ma to 10 Ma.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bernet M and Garter J I 2005 Fission-track analysis of Detrital Zircon; Review in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 58 205–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandon M T, Roden-Tice M K and Garver J I 1998 Late Cenozoic exhumation of the Cascadia accretionary wedge in the Olympic Mountains, northwest Washington State; GSA Bull. 110 985–1009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandon M T and Vance J A 1992 Tectonic evolution of the Cenozoic Olympic subduction complex, Washington State, as deduced from fission track ages for detrital zircons; Am. J. Sci. 292 565–636.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Liaoning Province 1989 Regional Geology of Liaoning Province. Geological Publishing House, Beijing, 150–180 pp (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen A 1998 Geometric and kinematic evolution of basement-cored structures: Intraplate orogenesis within the Yanshan orogen, northern China; Tectonophys. 292 17–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L 2010 Concordant structural variations from the surface to the base of the upper mantle in the North China Craton and its tectonic implications; Lithos doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2009.12.007 (in press).

  • Chen G Y, Song Z H, An C Q, Cheng L H, Zhuang Z, Fu Z W, Lu Z L and Hu J F 1991 Three dimensional crust and upper mantle structure of the North China region; Acta Geophys. Sinica 34 172–181 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y X, Chen W J, Zhou X H, Li Z J, Liang H D, Li Q, Xu K, Fan Q C, Zhang G H, Wang F, Wang Y, Zhou S Q, Chen S H, Hu B and Wang Q J 1997 Liaoxi and Adjacent Mesozoic Volcanics-Chronology, Geochemistry and Tectonic Settings; The Seismological Press, Beijing, 25pp (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen L, Wang T, Zhao L and Zheng T 2008 Distinct lateral variation of lithospheric thickness in the Northeastern North China Craton; Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 267 56–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L, Cheng C and Wei Z 2009 Seismic evidence for signi-ficant lateral variations in lithospheric thickness beneath the central and western North China Craton; Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 286 171–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis G A, Wang C, Zheng Y D and Zhang C H 1990 The enigmatic Yanshan fold-and-thrust belt of northern China: New views on its interplate contractional styles; Geology 26 43–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis G A, Zheng Y D, Wang C, Darby B J and Zhang C H 1998 Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Yanshan fold and thrust belt, with emphasis on Heibei and Liaoning provinces, northern China; Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 194 171–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis G, Zheng Y D, Wang C, Darby B J, Zhang C H and Gehrels G 2001 Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Yangshan fold and thrust belt, with emphasis on Hebei and Liaoning provinces, northern China; In: Paleozoic and Mesozoic Tectonic Evolution of Central Asia: From Continental Assembly to Intracontinental Deformation (eds) Hendrix H S and Davis G A, Geol. Soc. Am. Memoir 194 171–197. Boulder, Colorado.

  • Fan W M, Zhang H F, Baker J, Jarvis K E, Mason P R D and Menzies M A 2000 On and off the North China Craton: Where is the Archaean keel?; J. Petrol. 41 933–950.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith R F and Green P F 1990 Estimating the component ages in a finite mixture; Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements 17 197–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith R F and Laslett G M 1993 Statistical models for mixed fission track ages; Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements 21 459–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao S, Rudnick R L, Carlson R W, McDonough W F and Liu Y 2002 Re-Os evidence for replacement of ancient mantle lithosphere beneath the North China Craton; Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 198 307–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao S, Rudnick R L and Yuan H L 2004 Recycling lower continental crust in the North China Craton; Nature 432 892–897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garver J I, Reiners P R, Walker L J, Ramage J R and Perry S E 2005 Implications for timing of Andean uplift based on thermal resetting of radiation-damaged zircon in the Cordillera Huayhuash, northern Perú; J. Geol. 113 117–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green P F, Duddy I R and Laslett G M 1989 Thermal annealing of fission tracks in apatite quantitative modelling techniques and extension to geological timescale; Chem. Geol. 79 155–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin W L, Zhang A D, O’Reilly S Y and Ryan C G 1998 Phanerozoic evolution of the lithosphere beneath the Sino-Korean Craton; In: Mantle Dynamics and Plate Interactions in East Asia (eds) Flower M F J, Chung S L, Lo C H and Lee T Y; American Geophysical Union, Geodynamics Series 27 107–126.

  • Hou G T, Wang Y X and Hari K R 2010 The Late Triassic and Late Jurassic stress fields and tectonic transmission of North China craton; J. Geodyn. doi:10.1016/j.jog.2009.11.007 (in press).

  • Hu S B, Zhang R Y, Luo Y H and Cai D S 2000a Thermal history of the Bohai Basin and its potential for petroleum; Mar. Petrol. Geol. 5 10–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu S B, He L and Wang J 2000b Heat flow in the continental area of China: A new data set; Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 179 407–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurford A J 1990 Standardization of fission track dating calibration: Recommendation by the Fission Track Working Group of the IUGS Subcommission on Geochronology; Chem. Geol. (Isotopic Geoscience Section) 80 171–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurford A J and Green P F 1983 The zeta age calibration of fission-track dating; Chem. Geol. (Isotope Geoscience Section) 1 285–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li S G, Xiao Y L, Liou D L, Chen Y Z, Ge N J, Zhang Z Q, Sun S S, Cong B L, Zhang R Y, Hart S R and Wang S S 1993 Collision of the North China and Yangtze Blocks and formation of coesite-bearing eclogites — Timing and processes; Chem. Geol. 109 89–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu D Y, Nutman A P, Compston W, Wu J S and Shen Q H 1992 Remnants of 3800 Ma crust in the Chinese part of the Sino-Korean craton; Geology 20 339–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma Y S 2001 The evolution of Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin-mountain structure in the east Yanshan area and Xialiaohe Basin; J. Geomechanics 7(1) 79–90 (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng Q R 2003 What drove late Mesozoic extension of the northern China-Mongolia tract?; Tectonophys. 369 155–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng Q R and Zhang G W 2000 Geologic framework and tectonic evolution of the qinling orogen, central China; Tectonophys. 323 183–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menzies M A, Xu Y G, Zhang H F and Fan W M 2007 Integration of geology, geophysics and geochemistry: A key to understanding the North China Craton; Lithos 96 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menzies M A and Xu Y G 1998 Geodynamics of the North China Craton; In: Mantle Dynamics and Plate Interactions in East Asia (eds) Flower M F J, Chung S L, Lo C H and Lee T Y; American Geophysical Union, Geodynamics Series 27 155–165.

  • Ren J Y, Tamaki K, Li S T and Zhang J X 2002 Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting and its dynamics setting in eastern China and adjacent areas; Tectonophys. 344 175–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ren Z L 1999 Study on the thermo-tectonic evolution of basin in north of China; Petroleum Industry Press, Beijing, 59–97 pp (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Santosh M 2010 Assembling North China Craton within the Columbia supercontinent: The role of double-sided subduction; Precamb. Res. 178 149–167, doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2010.02.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santosh M, Zhao D and Kusky T 2010 Mantle dynamics of the Paleoproterozoic North China Craton: A perspective based on seismic tomography; J. Geodyn. 49 39–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi L B, Lin C Y, Chen X D and Han X L 2000 A xenolithderived geotherm for the lower crust and upper mantle beneath Hannuoba area, Hebei province, China and its geologic implications; Seismol. Geol. 22 37–46 (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Y, Zhao D, Sun R and Teng J 2009 Seismic imaging of the crust and upper mantle beneath the North China Craton; Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 172 169–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trap P, Faure M, Lin W, Monie P, Meffre S and Melleton J 2009 The Zanhuang Massif, the second and eastern suture zone of the Paleoproterozoic Trans-North China Orogen; Precamb. Res. 172 80–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang T H, Wang X S and Han Y C 1999 The Tectonic Evolution and Oil Accumulation in North China Craton; Petroleum Industry Press, Beijing, 118–135 pp (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Z H, Cui S Q and Wu G G 2000 Thermochronological analysis on the uplift process of the Yanshan Mountains; Geol. Rev. 46(1) 49–57 (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu F Y, Walker R J, Ren XW, Sun D Y and Zhou X H 2003 Osmium isotopic constraints on the age of lithospheric mantle beneath northeastern China; Chem. Geol. 196 107–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu G Y, Liang X and Chen H J 2007 An approach to the Tancheng-Lujiang fault zone: Its creation, evolution and character; Chinese J. Geol. 42(1) 160–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiao W J, Windley B F, Hao J and Zhai M G 2003 Accretion leading to collision and the Permian Solonker suture, Inner Mongolia, China: Termination of the central Asian orogenic belt; Tectonics 22(6) 2–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao W J, Windley B F, Han C M, Yuan C, Sun M, Li J L and Sun S 2009 End Permian to mid-Triassic termination of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt; Int. J. Earth Sci. 98 1189–1217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao W J, Huang B C, Han C M, Sun S and Li J L 2010 A review of the western part of the Altaids: A key to understanding the architecture of accretionary orogens; Gondwana Res., doi:10.1016/j.gr.2010.01.007 (in press).

  • Xu Y G 2001 Thermo-tectonic destruction of the Archaean lithospheric keel beneath the Sino-Korean Craton in China: Evidence, timing and mechanism; Physics and Chemistry of the Earth (A) 26 747–757.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu P and Zhao D 2009 Upper mantle velocity structure beneath the North China Craton: Implications for lithospheric thinning; Geophys. J. Int. 177 1279–1283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y G, Lin C Y, Shi L B, Mercier J C C and Ross J V 1995 Upper mantle geotherm for eastern China and its geological implications; Science in China (Series B) 38 1482–1492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan Y, Lin G and Li Z A 2002 Characteristic of Jurassic filling sequence and the indication to the tectonic evolution of Beipiao basin in western Liaoning province; J. Stratigraphy 26(2) 10–14 (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y S 1998 Three-dimensional upper mantle structure beneath East Asia and its tectonic implications. In: Mantle Dynamics and Plate Interactions in East Asia (eds) Flower M F J, Chung S L, Lo C H and Lee T Y; American Geophysical Union, Geodynamics Series 27 11–23.

  • Zhang H F, Sun M, Zhou M F, Fan WM and Zheng J P 2003 Secular evolution of the lithosphere beneath the eastern North China Craton: Evidence from Mesozoic basalts and high-Mg andesites; Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 67 4373–4387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Liu X M, Li Z T, Yang F L and Wang X R 2005 Early Cretaceous large-scale crustal thinning in the Fuxin-Yixian Basin and adjacent area in Western Liaoning; Geol. Rev. 51(4) 360–369 (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H F, Ying J F, Shimoda G, Kita N T, Morishita Y, Shao J A and Tang Y J 2007 Importance of melt circulation and crust-mantle interaction in the lithospheric evolution beneath the North China Craton: Evidence from Mesozoic basalt-borne clinopyroxene xenocrysts and pyroxenite xenoliths; Lithos 96 67–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao G C, Cawood P A, Wilde S A and Sun M 2002 Review of global 2.1–1.8 Ga collisional orogens and accreted cratons: A pre-Rodinia supercontinent?; Earth Sci. Rev. 59 125–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao G C, Sun M, Wilde S A and Li S Z 2005 Late Archean to Paleoproterozoic evolution of the North China Craton: Key issues revisited; Precamb. Res. 136 177–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao G C, Wilde S A, Sun M, Li S Z, Li X P and Zhang J 2008 SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages of granitoid rocks in the Lŭliang Complex: Implications for the accretion and evolution of the Trans-North China Orogen; Precamb. Res. 160 213–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao G C, He Y and Sun M 2009 The Xiong’er volcanic belt at the southern margin of the North China Craton: Petrographic and geochemical evidence for its outboard position in the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Columbia Supercontinent; Gondwana Res. 16 170–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao G C, Wilde S A, Guo J H, Cawood P A, Sun M and Li X P 2010 Single zircon grains record two Paleoproterozoic collisional events in North China Craton; Precamb. Res. 177 266–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng J P, O’Reilly S Y, Griffin W L, Lu F X, Zhang M and Pearson N J 2001 Relict refractory mantle beneath the eastern North China block: Significance for lithosphere evolution; Lithos 57 43–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wushan, Guangzhou, 510 640, P. R. China

    Yi Yan, Xiaoqiong Hu, Ge Lin & Weiliang Liu

  2. Tou Tay Oilfield Development Company Limited DaQing, Heilongjiang, 151 300, P. R. China

    Zhengjiang Song

Authors
  1. Yi Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaoqiong Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ge Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Weiliang Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhengjiang Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Yan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yan, Y., Hu, X., Lin, G. et al. Detrital zircon and apatite fission track data in the Liaoxi basins: Implication to Meso-Cenozoic thermo-tectonic evolution of the northern margin of the North China Craton. J Earth Syst Sci 119, 541–551 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-010-0028-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-010-0028-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation