Paleozoic

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Wenjiao Xiao - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Paleozoic multiple accretionary and collisional tectonics of the chinese tianshan orogenic collage
    Gondwana Research, 2013
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, Mark B Allen
    Abstract:

    Abstract Subduction-related accretion in the Junggar–Balkash and South Tianshan Oceans (Paleo-Asian Ocean), mainly in the Paleozoic, gave rise to the present 2400 km-long Tianshan orogenic collage that extends from the Aral Sea eastwards through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, to Xinjiang in China. This paper provides an up-to-date along-strike synthesis of this orogenic collage and a new tectonic model to explain its accretionary evolution. The northern part of the orogenic collage developed by consumption of the Junggar–Balkash Ocean together with Paleozoic island arcs (Northern Ili, Issyk Kul, and Chatkal) located in the west, which may have amalgamated into a composite arc in the Paleozoic in the west and by addition of another two, roughly parallel, arcs (Dananhu and Central Tianshan) in the east. The western composite arc and the eastern Dananhu and Central Tianshan arcs formed a late Paleozoic archipelago with multiple subduction zones. The southern part of the orogenic collage developed by the consumption of the South Tianshan Ocean which gave rise to a continuous accretionary complex (Kokshaal–Kumishi), which separated the Central Tianshan in the east and other Paleozoic arcs in the west from cratons (Tarim and Karakum) to the south. Cross-border correlations of this accretionary complex indicate a general southward and oceanward accretion by northward subduction in the early Paleozoic to Permian as recorded by successive southward juxtaposition of ophiolites, slices of ophiolitic melanges, cherts, island arcs, olistostromes, blueschists, and turbidites, which are mainly Paleozoic in age, with the youngest main phase being Late Carboniferous–Permian. The initial docking of the southerly Tarim and Karakum cratons to this complicated late Paleozoic archipelago and accretionary complexes occurred in the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian in the eastern part of the Tianshan and in the Late Permian in the western part, which might have terminated collisional deformation on this suture zone. The final stages of closure of the Junggar–Balkash Ocean resembled the small ocean basin scenario of the Mediterranean Sea in the Cenozoic. In summary, the history of the Altaids is characterized by complicated multiple accretionary and collisional tectonics.

  • geochemistry and u pb detrital zircon dating of Paleozoic graywackes in east junggar nw china insights into subduction accretion processes in the southern central asian orogenic belt
    Gondwana Research, 2012
    Co-Authors: Xiaoping Long, Wenjiao Xiao, Chao Yuan, Inna Safonova, Yujing Wang
    Abstract:

    Abstract The southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is characterized by multiple and linear accretionary orogenic collages, including Paleozoic arcs, ophiolites, and accretionay wedges. A complex history of subduction–accretion processes makes it difficult to distinguish the origin of these various terranes and reconstruct the tectonic evolution of the southern CAOB. In order to provide constraints on the accretionary history, we analyzed major and trace element compositions of Paleozoic graywackes from the Huangcaopo Group (HG) and Kubusu Group (KG) in East Junggar. The HG graywackes have relatively low Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values (50 to 66), suggesting a source that underwent relatively weak chemical weathering. The identical average Index of Compositional Variability (ICV) values (~ 1.1) for both the KG and HG samples point to an immature source for the Paleozoic graywackes in East Junggar, which is consistent with an andesitic–felsic igneous source characterized by low La/Th ratios and relatively high Hf contents. These graywackes are geochemically similar to continental island arc sediments and therefore were probably deposited at an active continental margin. U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from the lower subgroup of the HG yielded a young age peak at ~ 440 Ma, indicating a post-Early Silurian depositional age. However, the youngest populations of detrital zircons from the KG graywackes and the upper subgroup of the HG yielded 206 Pb/ 238 U ages of ~ 346 Ma and ~ 355 Ma, respectively, which suggest a post-Early Carboniferous depositional age. Because of similarities of rock assemblages, these two units should be incorporated into the Early Carboniferous Nanmingshui Formation. The detrital zircon age spectrum of the Early Paleozoic HG graywackes resembles that of the Habahe sediments in the Chinese Altai, which suggests that the ocean between East Junggar and the Chinese Altai was closed before the deposition of the sediments and that the Armantai ophiolite was emplaced prior to the Early Devonian. The differences in age spectra for detrital zircons from the post-Early Carboniferous graywackes in East Junggar and the Harlik arc indicate that the emplacement of the Kalamaili ophiolite postdates the Early Carboniferous. Therefore, a long-lasting northward subduction–accretion process is suggested for the formation of East Junggar and the reconstruction of the Early Paleozoic evolution of the southern CAOB.

  • Paleozoic multiple accretionary and collisional processes of the beishan orogenic collage
    American Journal of Science, 2010
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, J F Qu, Jien Zhang, Songjian Ao, Nathan Cleven, Y H Shan, J L Li
    Abstract:

    The Beishan orogenic collage is located in the southernmost part of the Altaids, and connects the Southern Tien Shan suture to the west with the Solonker suture to the east. The orogen was previously regarded as early Paleozoic in age in contrast to the surrounding southern Altaid collages, which are Late Paleozoic or even Early Mesozoic. This paper reviews the tectonic units of the Beishan orogen, which along a north-south traverse consists of several arcs and ophiolitic melanges. These tectonic units were thrust imbricated and overprinted by strike-slip faulting during Permian-Triassic times, and the youngest strata involved in the deformation are Permian. Stitching plutons are Late Permian in age. Peaks of magmatic-metamorphictectonic activity, and paleomagnetic and paleogeographic data indicate that the Beishan orogenic collage evolved by development of several, Early to Mid-Paleozoic arcs in different parts of the Paleoasian Ocean. The Late Paleozoic collage is characterized by three active continental margins or island arcs that are separated by two ophiolitic melanges. The northernmost active margin is represented by the Queershan arc, which may have lasted until the Permian. The Shibanshan unit is the southernmost, subduction-related continental arc along the northern margin of the Dunhuang block. In the Late Carboniferous to Permian the eastern end (promontory) of the Tarim Craton probably collided with the Chinese eastern Tien Shan arc, forming a new active continental margin, which interacted with the Beishan Late Paleozoic archipelago, generating a complicated subduction-accretionary orogen; this is suggested to be one of the last phases in the development of the long-lived Altaid accretionary orogenesis. The new model for this orogen bridges the gap between the western and eastern ends of the southern Altaids. The modern Timor-Australia collision zone with its many surrounding arcs is an appropriate analog for the Altaids in the Late Paleozoic.

  • Paleozoic multiple subduction accretion processes of the southern altaids
    American Journal of Science, 2009
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, Chao Yuan, H L Chen, J L Li
    Abstract:

    The formation and development of the southern Altaids is controversial with regard to its accretionary orogenesis and continental growth. The Altay-East Junggar orogenic collage of North Xinjiang, China, offers a special natural laboratory to resolve this puzzle. Three tectonic units were juxtaposed, roughly from North to South, in the study area. The northern part (Chinese Altay), composed of variably deformed and metamorphosed Paleozoic sedimentary, volcanic, and granitic rocks, is interpreted as a Japan-type island arc of Paleozoic to Carboniferous-Permian age. The central part (Erqis), which consists of ophiolitic melanges and coherent assemblages, is a Paleozoic accretionary complex. The southern part (East Junggar), characterized by imbricated ophiolitic melanges, Nb-enriched basalts, adakitic rocks and volcanic rocks, is regarded as a Devonian-Carboniferous intra-oceanic island arc with some Paleozoic ophiolites, superimposed by Permian arc volcanism. A plagiogranite from an imbricated ophiolitic melange (Armantai) in the East Junggar yields a new SHRIMP zircon age of 503 ± 7 Ma. Using published age constraints, we propose the presence of multiple subduction systems in this part of the Paloasian Ocean in the Paleozoic. The intraoceanic arcs became accreted to the southern active margin of the Siberian craton in the middle Carboniferous-Permian. During the long accretionary processes, in addition to large-scale southward-directed thrusting, large-scale, orogen-parallel, strike-slip movements (for example, Erqis fault) in the Permian translated fragments of these intraoceanic arcs and associated accretionary wedges. This new tectonic model has broad implications for the architecture and crustal growth of Central Asia and for other ancient orogens.

J L Li - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Paleozoic multiple accretionary and collisional processes of the beishan orogenic collage
    American Journal of Science, 2010
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, J F Qu, Jien Zhang, Songjian Ao, Nathan Cleven, Y H Shan, J L Li
    Abstract:

    The Beishan orogenic collage is located in the southernmost part of the Altaids, and connects the Southern Tien Shan suture to the west with the Solonker suture to the east. The orogen was previously regarded as early Paleozoic in age in contrast to the surrounding southern Altaid collages, which are Late Paleozoic or even Early Mesozoic. This paper reviews the tectonic units of the Beishan orogen, which along a north-south traverse consists of several arcs and ophiolitic melanges. These tectonic units were thrust imbricated and overprinted by strike-slip faulting during Permian-Triassic times, and the youngest strata involved in the deformation are Permian. Stitching plutons are Late Permian in age. Peaks of magmatic-metamorphictectonic activity, and paleomagnetic and paleogeographic data indicate that the Beishan orogenic collage evolved by development of several, Early to Mid-Paleozoic arcs in different parts of the Paleoasian Ocean. The Late Paleozoic collage is characterized by three active continental margins or island arcs that are separated by two ophiolitic melanges. The northernmost active margin is represented by the Queershan arc, which may have lasted until the Permian. The Shibanshan unit is the southernmost, subduction-related continental arc along the northern margin of the Dunhuang block. In the Late Carboniferous to Permian the eastern end (promontory) of the Tarim Craton probably collided with the Chinese eastern Tien Shan arc, forming a new active continental margin, which interacted with the Beishan Late Paleozoic archipelago, generating a complicated subduction-accretionary orogen; this is suggested to be one of the last phases in the development of the long-lived Altaid accretionary orogenesis. The new model for this orogen bridges the gap between the western and eastern ends of the southern Altaids. The modern Timor-Australia collision zone with its many surrounding arcs is an appropriate analog for the Altaids in the Late Paleozoic.

  • Paleozoic multiple subduction accretion processes of the southern altaids
    American Journal of Science, 2009
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, Chao Yuan, H L Chen, J L Li
    Abstract:

    The formation and development of the southern Altaids is controversial with regard to its accretionary orogenesis and continental growth. The Altay-East Junggar orogenic collage of North Xinjiang, China, offers a special natural laboratory to resolve this puzzle. Three tectonic units were juxtaposed, roughly from North to South, in the study area. The northern part (Chinese Altay), composed of variably deformed and metamorphosed Paleozoic sedimentary, volcanic, and granitic rocks, is interpreted as a Japan-type island arc of Paleozoic to Carboniferous-Permian age. The central part (Erqis), which consists of ophiolitic melanges and coherent assemblages, is a Paleozoic accretionary complex. The southern part (East Junggar), characterized by imbricated ophiolitic melanges, Nb-enriched basalts, adakitic rocks and volcanic rocks, is regarded as a Devonian-Carboniferous intra-oceanic island arc with some Paleozoic ophiolites, superimposed by Permian arc volcanism. A plagiogranite from an imbricated ophiolitic melange (Armantai) in the East Junggar yields a new SHRIMP zircon age of 503 ± 7 Ma. Using published age constraints, we propose the presence of multiple subduction systems in this part of the Paloasian Ocean in the Paleozoic. The intraoceanic arcs became accreted to the southern active margin of the Siberian craton in the middle Carboniferous-Permian. During the long accretionary processes, in addition to large-scale southward-directed thrusting, large-scale, orogen-parallel, strike-slip movements (for example, Erqis fault) in the Permian translated fragments of these intraoceanic arcs and associated accretionary wedges. This new tectonic model has broad implications for the architecture and crustal growth of Central Asia and for other ancient orogens.

B F Windley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Paleozoic multiple accretionary and collisional tectonics of the chinese tianshan orogenic collage
    Gondwana Research, 2013
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, Mark B Allen
    Abstract:

    Abstract Subduction-related accretion in the Junggar–Balkash and South Tianshan Oceans (Paleo-Asian Ocean), mainly in the Paleozoic, gave rise to the present 2400 km-long Tianshan orogenic collage that extends from the Aral Sea eastwards through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, to Xinjiang in China. This paper provides an up-to-date along-strike synthesis of this orogenic collage and a new tectonic model to explain its accretionary evolution. The northern part of the orogenic collage developed by consumption of the Junggar–Balkash Ocean together with Paleozoic island arcs (Northern Ili, Issyk Kul, and Chatkal) located in the west, which may have amalgamated into a composite arc in the Paleozoic in the west and by addition of another two, roughly parallel, arcs (Dananhu and Central Tianshan) in the east. The western composite arc and the eastern Dananhu and Central Tianshan arcs formed a late Paleozoic archipelago with multiple subduction zones. The southern part of the orogenic collage developed by the consumption of the South Tianshan Ocean which gave rise to a continuous accretionary complex (Kokshaal–Kumishi), which separated the Central Tianshan in the east and other Paleozoic arcs in the west from cratons (Tarim and Karakum) to the south. Cross-border correlations of this accretionary complex indicate a general southward and oceanward accretion by northward subduction in the early Paleozoic to Permian as recorded by successive southward juxtaposition of ophiolites, slices of ophiolitic melanges, cherts, island arcs, olistostromes, blueschists, and turbidites, which are mainly Paleozoic in age, with the youngest main phase being Late Carboniferous–Permian. The initial docking of the southerly Tarim and Karakum cratons to this complicated late Paleozoic archipelago and accretionary complexes occurred in the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian in the eastern part of the Tianshan and in the Late Permian in the western part, which might have terminated collisional deformation on this suture zone. The final stages of closure of the Junggar–Balkash Ocean resembled the small ocean basin scenario of the Mediterranean Sea in the Cenozoic. In summary, the history of the Altaids is characterized by complicated multiple accretionary and collisional tectonics.

  • Paleozoic multiple accretionary and collisional processes of the beishan orogenic collage
    American Journal of Science, 2010
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, J F Qu, Jien Zhang, Songjian Ao, Nathan Cleven, Y H Shan, J L Li
    Abstract:

    The Beishan orogenic collage is located in the southernmost part of the Altaids, and connects the Southern Tien Shan suture to the west with the Solonker suture to the east. The orogen was previously regarded as early Paleozoic in age in contrast to the surrounding southern Altaid collages, which are Late Paleozoic or even Early Mesozoic. This paper reviews the tectonic units of the Beishan orogen, which along a north-south traverse consists of several arcs and ophiolitic melanges. These tectonic units were thrust imbricated and overprinted by strike-slip faulting during Permian-Triassic times, and the youngest strata involved in the deformation are Permian. Stitching plutons are Late Permian in age. Peaks of magmatic-metamorphictectonic activity, and paleomagnetic and paleogeographic data indicate that the Beishan orogenic collage evolved by development of several, Early to Mid-Paleozoic arcs in different parts of the Paleoasian Ocean. The Late Paleozoic collage is characterized by three active continental margins or island arcs that are separated by two ophiolitic melanges. The northernmost active margin is represented by the Queershan arc, which may have lasted until the Permian. The Shibanshan unit is the southernmost, subduction-related continental arc along the northern margin of the Dunhuang block. In the Late Carboniferous to Permian the eastern end (promontory) of the Tarim Craton probably collided with the Chinese eastern Tien Shan arc, forming a new active continental margin, which interacted with the Beishan Late Paleozoic archipelago, generating a complicated subduction-accretionary orogen; this is suggested to be one of the last phases in the development of the long-lived Altaid accretionary orogenesis. The new model for this orogen bridges the gap between the western and eastern ends of the southern Altaids. The modern Timor-Australia collision zone with its many surrounding arcs is an appropriate analog for the Altaids in the Late Paleozoic.

  • Paleozoic multiple subduction accretion processes of the southern altaids
    American Journal of Science, 2009
    Co-Authors: Wenjiao Xiao, B F Windley, Chao Yuan, H L Chen, J L Li
    Abstract:

    The formation and development of the southern Altaids is controversial with regard to its accretionary orogenesis and continental growth. The Altay-East Junggar orogenic collage of North Xinjiang, China, offers a special natural laboratory to resolve this puzzle. Three tectonic units were juxtaposed, roughly from North to South, in the study area. The northern part (Chinese Altay), composed of variably deformed and metamorphosed Paleozoic sedimentary, volcanic, and granitic rocks, is interpreted as a Japan-type island arc of Paleozoic to Carboniferous-Permian age. The central part (Erqis), which consists of ophiolitic melanges and coherent assemblages, is a Paleozoic accretionary complex. The southern part (East Junggar), characterized by imbricated ophiolitic melanges, Nb-enriched basalts, adakitic rocks and volcanic rocks, is regarded as a Devonian-Carboniferous intra-oceanic island arc with some Paleozoic ophiolites, superimposed by Permian arc volcanism. A plagiogranite from an imbricated ophiolitic melange (Armantai) in the East Junggar yields a new SHRIMP zircon age of 503 ± 7 Ma. Using published age constraints, we propose the presence of multiple subduction systems in this part of the Paloasian Ocean in the Paleozoic. The intraoceanic arcs became accreted to the southern active margin of the Siberian craton in the middle Carboniferous-Permian. During the long accretionary processes, in addition to large-scale southward-directed thrusting, large-scale, orogen-parallel, strike-slip movements (for example, Erqis fault) in the Permian translated fragments of these intraoceanic arcs and associated accretionary wedges. This new tectonic model has broad implications for the architecture and crustal growth of Central Asia and for other ancient orogens.

Huili Li - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • thermal evolution and maturation of lower Paleozoic source rocks in the tarim basin northwest china
    AAPG Bulletin, 2012
    Co-Authors: Jian Chang, Jiyang Wang, Huili Li
    Abstract:

    The Tarim Basin is one of the richest basins in oil and gas resources in China. The Cambrian and Middle–Upper Ordovician strata are the most important source rocks. Previous early Paleozoic thermal histories have led to varied hypotheses on the evolution of the lower Paleozoic source rocks, causing a significant impact on petroleum exploration in the basin. A new Paleozoic thermal history of the Tarim Basin was reconstructed in this article using the integrated thermal indicators of apatite and zircon (uranium-thorium)/helium ages, apatite fission tracks, and equivalent vitrinite reflectance data. The modeled results indicate that different parts of the basin experienced widely differing early Paleozoic thermal gradient evolution. The eastern and central regions of the basin experienced a decreasing thermal gradient evolution from 37 to 39C/km during the Cambrian and Ordovician to 35 to 36C/km in the Silurian, whereas the northwestern region of the basin had an increasing early Paleozoic thermal gradient evolution from 28 to 32C/km in the Cambrian to 30 to 34C/km in the Ordovician and Silurian. The Lower Cambrian thermal gradient resulted from the higher thermal conductivity of the 800- to 1000-m (2625- to 3280-ft) thickness of gypsum and salt in the Cambrian strata. The basin experienced an intracratonic phase during the late Paleozoic and a foreland basin phase during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, with the thermal gradient decreasing to the present-day value of 20 to 25C/km. The sensitivity of thermal modeling by the best-fit method is less than 5% in our study, and the differences of the early Paleozoic thermal gradient evolution in different regions of the basin may result in differential maturation of lower Paleozoic source rocks. The maturity histories of the source rocks, modeled based on the new thermal histories, indicate that the lower Paleozoic source rocks in most areas of the basin matured rapidly and reached the late mature to dry-gas stage during the Paleozoic but experienced slower maturation during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. These new data on the Paleozoic thermal history and lower Paleozoic source rock maturity histories of the Tarim Basin provide new insights to guide oil and gas exploration of the basin.

Jacques Charvet - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • the neoproterozoic early Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the south china block an overview
    Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2013
    Co-Authors: Jacques Charvet
    Abstract:

    Abstract This paper gives a brief review of what I consider as the state of the art regarding the largely accepted data and ideas concerning the Proterozoic to Early Paleozoic tectonic evolution of South China. The South China craton was built by the welding of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks, with a different previous history giving a different pre-Neoproterozoic basement composition, due to the Jiangnan (Jinning, Sibao) orogeny. This Jiangnan orogeny was a collisional event, induced by the consumption of an intervening oceanic domain by subduction beneath the Yangzte plate. The evolution involved a volcanic arc on the Yangtze active margin, active from ca. 980 Ma to ca. 850 Ma, the subsequent collision beginning at around 870–860 Ma and responsible for the emplacement of thrust sheets of ophiolitic melange (dated around 1000–900 Ma) and blueschists (900–870 Ma), followed by late- to post-collisional granitic plutonism (840–800 Ma). The newly amalgamated South China craton suffered from rifting, starting around 850 Ma, marked by mafic–ultramafic magmatism until ca. 750 Ma. The Nanhua rift basin evolved with a thick sedimentation in its middle part until the Ordovician. South China was affected by the Early Paleozoic orogeny (mainly Silurian), characterized by a strong quasi-symmetrical intracontinental shortening, involving the sedimentary cover of the rift and its margins as well as the basement, leading to crustal thickening. This crustal thickening induced an important anatexis and emplacement of peraluminous granites during the Silurian. Unlike the Jiangnan orogeny, which was of collisional type, the Early Paleozoic one was a bit similar to a Pyrenean intracontinental type. Some pending problems need further research for clarification, for example: the location and timing of integration of South China within Rodinia, the triggering factor of the Early Paleozoic orogeny, the mapping of the contacts bounding the Lower Paleozoic thrust sheets responsible for the crustal thickening.

  • Paleozoic Accretion-Collision Events and Kinematics of Ductile Deformation in the Eastern Part of the Southern-Central Tianshan Belt, China
    Acta Geologica Sinica, 2002
    Co-Authors: Liangshu S. Shu, Jacques Charvet, Huafu Lu, Sébastien Laurent-charvet
    Abstract:

    The Tianshan range could have been built by both late Early Paleozoic accretion and Late Paleozoic collision events. The late Early Paleozoic Aqqikkudug-Weiya suture is marked by Ordovician ophiolitic mélange and a Silurian flysch sequence, high-pressure metamorphic relics, and mylonitized rocks. The Central Tianshan belt could principally be an Ordovician volcanic arc; whereas the South Tianshan belt, a back-arc basin. Macro- and microstructures, along with unconformities, provide some kinematic and chronological constraints on 2-phase ductile deformation. The earlier ductile deformation occurring at ca. 400 Ma was marked by north-verging ductile shearing, yielding granulite-bearing ophiolitic mélange blocks and garnet-pyroxene-facies ductile deformation, and the later deformation, a dextral strike-slip tectonic process, occurred during the Late Carboniferous(Early Permian. Early Carboniferous molasses were deposited unconformably on pre-Carboniferous metamorphic and ductilely sheared rocks, implying the end of the early orogeny. The large-scale ductile strike-slip along the Aqqikkudug-Weiya zone was possibly caused by the second tectonic event, the Hercynian collision between the northern Tarim block and the southern Siberian block. Late Paleozoic granitic magmatism and superimposed structures overprinted this Early Paleozoic deformation belt. Results of geometric and kinematic studies suggest that the primary framework of the Southern-Central Tianshan belt, at least the eastern part of the Tianshan belt, was built by these two phases of accretion events.