Abstract As the best preserved high‐ and ultrahigh‐pressure (HP and UHP) metamorphic terrane in the Qinling‐Dabieshan‐Sulu orogen, western Dabieshan is divided into six lithotectonic units along a traverse across the orogen, i.e. from north to south, the Nanwan, Balifan, Huwan, Xinxian, Hong'an and Mulanshan units. In this terrane five eclogite‐bearing zones (I–V) are developed. The garnet and clinopyroxene in eclogites from these zones exhibit chemical zoning, suggesting that the rims record general peak temperature and pressure. Thermobarometric study indicates that the peak P–T conditions of eclogite are 550–570°C and 21 kbar for Zone I, 470–500°C and 14–17 kbar for Zone II, 620–670°C and 26–29 kbar for Zone III, 530–560°C and 20–22 kbar for Zone IV, and 490–510°C and 19–20 kbar for Zone V. The symmetrical thermobaric pattern, in conjunction with structural and geochronological data, demonstrates that the Huwan and Hong'an units belong to the same HP slice overlying the UHP slice. This pattern, together with the Mulanshan LT/HP blueschist–greenschist belt in the south, roughly constitutes a ‘normal’ metamorphic zonation. However, clear metamorphic gaps occur between different slices. It is inferred that the LT/HP, HP and UHP slices were broken up from the downgoing slab during subduction and reached different depths along different geothermal gradients. The successive subduction of underlying slices leads to a nearly concomitant uplift of overlying slices, whereas exhumation of the deepest UHP slice was effected by underthrusting of the lower crust of the Yangtze craton.
In the typical region of central North China Plain, vadose sediments are Holocene sediment strata. With samples from field drillings, the study analyzes the sedimentary characteristics of vadose zone. The study takes the content of silty sand as the basis for sedimentary environment analysis, and the content of clay and sand as the sensitive indicator for sedimentary characteristics. Combining palynology analysis, the study divides vadose zone from top to bottom into diluvia oxbow lacustrine sediments, lacustrine sediments, lacustrine and swamp sediments, weak palaeohydrodynamic lacustrine sediments and alluvial sediments. Based on the sedimentary characteristics of Holocene strata, it analyzes the changes across depth of vadose zone water potential and matrix potential, obtaining the influence of vadose zone sedimentary characteristics on the migration of water in typical region of central North China Plain.
Abstract Proterozoic mafic dykes from the southwestern Vestfold Block experienced heterogeneous granulite facies metamorphism, characterized by spotted or fractured garnet‐bearing aggregates in garnet‐absent groundmass. The garnet‐absent groundmass typically preserves an ophitic texture composed of lathy plagioclase, intergranular clinopyroxene and Fe–Ti oxides. Garnet‐bearing domains consist mainly of a metamorphic assemblage of garnet, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, hornblende, biotite, plagioclase, K‐feldspar, quartz and Fe–Ti oxides. Chemical compositions and textural relationships suggest that these metamorphic minerals reached local equilibrium in the centre of the garnet‐bearing domains. Pseudosection calculations in the model system NCFMASHTO (Na 2 O–CaO–FeO–MgO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 –H 2 O–TiO 2 –Fe 2 O 3 ) yield P – T estimates of 820–870 °C and 8.4–9.7 kbar. Ion microprobe U–Pb zircon dating reveals that the NW ‐ and N‐trending mafic dykes were emplaced at 1764 ± 25 and 1232 ± 12 Ma, respectively, whereas their metamorphic ages cluster between 957 ± 7 and 938 ± 9 Ma. The identification of granulite facies mineral inclusions in metamorphic zircon domains is also consistent with early Neoproterozoic metamorphism. Therefore, the southwestern margin of the Vestfold Block is inferred to have been buried to depths of ~30–35 km beneath the Rayner orogen during the late stage of the late Mesoproterozoic/early Neoproterozoic collision between the Indian craton and east Antarctica (i.e. the Lambert Terrane or the Ruker craton including the Lambert Terrane). The lack of penetrative deformation and intensive fluid–rock interaction in the rigid Vestfold Block prevented the nucleation and growth of garnet and resulted in the heterogeneous granulite facies metamorphism of the mafic dykes.