The present paper reports the research development in the timing and tectonic setting of the Xixiang Group, northwestern margin of the Yangtze block. U-Pb concordant ages of (946+-18) Ma and (904+-18) Ma of zircons were obtained from the upper and lower units of the Xixiang volcanic succession, respectively. Elemental and Nd isotope characteristics show that the volcanic suite has the affinities of arc island magmatism as well as an evolution trend of tectonic setting from front-arc to back-arc. The volcanic rocks suffered from some extensive post-stage tectonothermal events, resulting in the resetting of their Rb-Sr isotopic system.
Some 1.95 Ga metamorphism of high-grade Ar-chean rocks in Kongling terrain, continental nucleus of Yangtze Block, South China, are recognized by Sm-Nd dating. This event is further confirmed by the ages of single zircon SHRIMP U-Pb and K-Ar analyses of TTG and (or) paragneisses, and intrusions of potassic-granitic batholith in the region. The coincidence in period between the high-grade metamorphism in the Kongling area and the creation of major basement rocks of its neighborhoods of the Yangtze Block around the Kongling Archean nucleus makes it a favorable explanation for their tectonic connections that, in the whole Yangtze Block there was some tectono-thermal event of ca. 2.0-1.8 Ga, which resulted in the formation of unitive Yangtze basement.
