Geochemical Characteristics and Genesis of Volcanic Rocks from Zhangjiakou Formation in the Chaoyang Basin, Western Liaoning

The Zhangjiakou Formation of Late Jurassic is mainly distributed in the Chaoyang basin in Western Liaoning. Zhangjiakou volcanic cycle may be divided into three subcycles. The volcanic rocks of Zhangjiakou Formation mainly consist of rhyolites, trachyte and trachyandesites. The volcanic rocks are characterized by high SiO2, Al2O3, K2O and Na2O, and comparatively low MgO and TiO2 components. σ=1.76-4.34, the average value is 2.59. Chemical composition of volcanic rocks indicates that they belong to the high-K calc-alkaline magmatic serious. The volcanic rocks are obviously enriched in incompatible elements (K, Rb, Sr, Zr, Ba, Pb, Li), and depleted in compatible elements (Ti, Co, Ni, Cr, V).The volcanic rocks is rich in LREE. The spider patterns are the right-incline. There is a slight low Eu negative abnormality and low Ce negative abnormality. The geochemistry characteristic shows that volcanic rocks of Zhangjiakou volcanic cycle were formed in the transitional environment of compressional orogeny and extensional structure. They have the basic characteristics of continental intra-plate volcanic rocks. The volcanic rocks were mainly derived from the crust materials. The lithogenesis take partial melting as a major part.

Upper cretaceous magmatic suites of the Timok magmatic complex

The Upper Cretaceous Timok Magmatic Complex (TMC) developed on a continental crust composed of different types of Proterozoic to Lower Cretaceous rocks. The TMC consists of the magmatic suites: Timok andesite (AT) - Turonian-Santonian, Metovnica epiclastite (EM) - Coniacian-Campanian, Osnic basaltic andesite (AO) and Jezevica andesite (AJ) - Santonian-Campanian, Valja Strz plutonite (PVS) - Campanian and Boljevac latite (LB). The sedimentary processes and volcanic activity of the TMC lasted nearly continuously throughout nearly the whole Late Cretaceous. The sedimentation lasted from the Albian to the Maastrichtian and the magmatism lasted for 10 million years, from the Upper Turonian to the Upper Campanian. The volcanic front migrated from East to West. The volcanic processes were characterized by the domination of extrusive volcanic facies, a great amount of volcanic material, a change in the depositional environment during the volcanic cycle, sharp facial transitions and a huge deposition of syn- and post-eruptive resedimented volcaniclastics.

Advances in the U–Pb zircon geochronology of the Michipicoten greenstone belt, Superior Province, Ontario

The Michipicoten greenstone belt in the Superior Province in Ontario developed over a period of approximately 240 Ma, between 2900 and 2660 Ma. The belt is made up of supracrustal rocks consisting of mafic to felsic metavolcanic and associated metasedimentary rocks intruded and embayed by granitoids of various ages. Generally, the external granitic terrane, a mosaic of plutons of various ages, is younger than the greenstone belt and equivalent in age to the plutons in the belt. Three major volcanic cycles have been recognized, and the older internal plutonism is coeval with the volcanism.This study reports 10 new U–Pb concordia ages that enhance the existing geochronological framework of the area. The 2889 Ma age determined for the Judith volcanic tuff documents the existence of the oldest volcanic cycle. This age is close to that of the Murray–Algoma porphyry, dated in this study at 2881 Ma, and similar to a previously published age of 2888 Ma for the Regnery granite within the same area. These three ages establish coeval felsic volcanism and plutonism within the oldest volcanic cycle 1.The new ages for the Jubilee volcanic centre are 2746 Ma (volcanic flow) and 2742 Ma (porphyry intrusion). These ages agree with previously published cycle 2 felsic volcanic ages of 2744 and 2749 Ma and hence establish coeval felsic volcanism and plutonism for this volcanic cycle. The Goudreau felsic volcanic terrane yields ages of 2729 Ma at Goudreau and 2741 Ma at Alden, which probably represent different stratigraphic positions within the same cycle.At McCormick Lake the felsic volcanic crystal tuff is 2701 Ma and belongs to cycle 3 volcanism. U–Pb ages have been determined for three plutons: 2677 Ma for the internal Dickenson Lake syenite, 2662 Ma for the internal Lund Lake granodiorite, and 2686 Ma for the external Dubreuilville granodiorite. These ages fit into an established period of granitoid plutonism in the area.

Age and timing of igneous activity in the Temagami greenstone belt, Ontario: a preliminary report

The southernmost remnants of Archean supracrustal and intrusive rocks in eastern Ontario are exposed through a window in the Early Proterozoic Huronian Supergroup near the town of Temagami. U–Pb zircon ages from this area indicate the presence of some of the oldest felsic magmatism so far discovered in this portion of the Superior Province. The Iceland Lake pluton (2736 ± 2 Ma) and a nearby rhyolite flow ([Formula: see text]) are contemporaneous, which establishes that at least some of the intrusive rocks in the region are synvolcanic and coeval with the oldest volcanic cycle. The youngest plutonic activity is the emplacement of a late rhyolite porphyry dike at 2687 ± 2 Ma, an age that is bracketed by the 2675–2700 Ma emplacement ages of late internal plutons found throughout the Abitibi Subprovince. The 2736 Ma dates, however, are older than the nearest portion of the exposed Abitibi, some 120 km to the north near Kirkland Lake.

A Caradoc Failed-Rift within the Ordovician Marginal Basin of Wales

The dolerite and basalt intrusions within the Lower Palaeozoic sequence of northwest Wales are largely restricted to the outcrop of Ordovician strata. Their distribution and close association with known volcano-tectonic structures were controlled by a tectonic framework of deep-seated fractures. In central and northern Snowdonia, volcanism during Caradoc times was related to the evolution of a fracture-controlled trough. An increase in the extensional stress across the trough with time is reflected in the progressive increase in basaltic magma movement during the volcanic cycle. The trough represents an attempted rift in the lithospheric plate, which failed to create an ocean basin and was subsequently aborted.