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U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes for detrital zircons from quartzite in the Paleoproterozoic Songshan Group on the southwestern margin of the North China Craton

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

In situ U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analysis were carried out for detrital zircons from quartzite in the Paleoproterozoic Songshan Group on the southern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). The results provide further constraints on the crustal formation and evolution history of NCC. Four 207Pb/206Pb age populations were obtained from 99 analyses, with clusters at ∼3.40 Ga, 2.77–2.80 Ga, ∼2.50 Ga and 2.34 Ga, respectively. The 3.40 Ga old zircons have similar Hf isotopic compositions to those from Archean rocks in the Jidong and Anshan areas of NCC. However, crustal remnants older than 3.6 Ga have been identified in the southern margin of NCC, the South China Craton, the northwestern part of the Qinling Orogen and its adjacent area. Thus, it is not easy to trace the source rock from which the 3.40 Ga detrital zircons were derived. It can be inferred that the crustal remnants older than 3.40 Ga might have been widely distributed in the North China Craton. The 2.77–2.80 Ga zircons make up a relatively small proportion and have the highest εHf (t) values (up to 6.1±1.6), consistent with the Hf isotopic composition of the depleted mantle at 2.83 Ga. Their single-stage Hf model age of 2.83 Ga is close to their crystallized age, suggesting that their source rocks were extracted from the contemporaneous depleted mantle. The ∼2.50 Ga zircon grains constitute about 85% of the total grain population and their Hf isotopic compositions indicate major growth of juvenile crust at ∼2.50 Ga but minor reworking of ancient crust. The youngest zircon dated in this study gave an U-Pb age of 2337±23 Ma, which can be considered the maximum depositional age of the formation of the Songshan Group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, China

    ChunRong Diwu, Yong Sun, HongLin Yuan, HongLiang Wang, XingPing Zhong & XiaoMing Liu

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  1. ChunRong Diwu
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  2. Yong Sun
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Correspondence to ChunRong Diwu.

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40773044), Incentives for Research Achievements of State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics of Northwest University and Northwest University Graduate Innovation and Creativity Funds (Grant No. 07YZZ28)

Profs. Zheng Yongfei, Wan Yusheng and anonymous reviewer are thanked for their constructive and valuable comments. Profs. Guo Anling, Gao Shan, Chen Daogong, Wu Yuanbao, Zheng Jianping, Dr. Wang Yan are thanked for helpful discussions concerning this manuscript. Gong Hujun, Dai Mengning, Zong Chunlei at the State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, are thanked for assistance with sample analyses.

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Diwu, C., Sun, Y., Yuan, H. et al. U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes for detrital zircons from quartzite in the Paleoproterozoic Songshan Group on the southwestern margin of the North China Craton. Chin. Sci. Bull. 53, 2828–2839 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-0342-1

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