Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of the Jingju syenogranites in the southwestern part of Zhejiang Province shows that these rocks were crystallized in the Late Triassic at 215±2 Ma, rather than in the Cretaceous as previously proposed. The Jingju syenogranites are characterized by relatively high K 2 O and FeO*, and low MgO. They have high concentrations of large ion lithophile elements (LIL) and LREE, such as K, Th, La, and Ce, but are depleted in high field strength elements (HFSE) such as Nb, Ta, and Ti. Their 10 4 Ga/Al ratios and (Zr+Nb+Ce+Y) contents are also high. These characteristics are similar to those of A-type granites. The syenogranites have high I Sr (0.7179-0.7203), low ε Nd (t) (from 14.2 to 13.2), and relatively old T 2DM ages, similar to those of the ancient metamorphic basement in the Cathaysia Block. It is suggested that the Jingju syenogranites were formed by partial melting of the Cathaysia basement rocks during tectonic extension. This identification of Indosinian A-type granite in Jingju has significant implications for understanding the early Mesozoic tectonic evolution of South China.
The Huashanguan rapakivi pluton in Zhongxiang,Hubei Province,China,is the first discovered Proterozoic rapakivi pluton in the Yangtze block.Based on field and petrographical observations,a typical rapakivi texture was found in the northern portion of the Huashanguan granitic pluton.Almost all the K-feldspar phenocrysts were round to oval in shape and most had plagioclase coatings known as rapakivi phenocrysts.Alkali feldspars and quartz had two or more generations.Petrochemically,the Huashanguan rapakivi granites were characterized as having high values of Si,K,Fe,Th,U,La,Ga,Ce,Sm and LREE,low values of Ca,Mg,Sr,Nb,Y and HREE,and a negative Eu anomaly.These geochemical characteristics of the Huashanguan granites were concordant with typical rapakivi granites,and had an affinity to A-type granites.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating also was conducted.The dating yielded a 207Pb/206Pb weighted mean age of 1851±18 Ma (MSWD =1.2),which represents the age of the pluton emplacement.The age of 803±170 Ma at the lower intercept in the concordia diagram corresponds to the age of a later deformation event which affected the pluton,and suggests that the Huashanguan pluton was influenced by Neoproterozoic thermo-tectonic events after its formation.The discovery of Paleoproterozoic Huashanguan rapakivi granites indicates continental rifting or a post-orogenic extensional event that took place in the Paleoproterozoic in the Yangtze block.These events may be related to the breakup of the Paleoproterozoic Columbia supercontinent.
