Constraints on the Late Mesozoic Regional Angular Unconformity in West Liaoning–North Hebei by LA-ICP-MS Dating
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Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Progress in Natural Science 18 (2008) 1395–1402 www.elsevier.com/locate/pnsc Constraints on the late Mesozoic regional angular unconformity in West Liaoning–North Hebei by LA-ICP-MS dating Hong Zhang a,b,*, Wenmin Guo a, Xiaoming Liu b a College of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Jiangsu Polytechnic University, Changzhou 213016, China b Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China Received 22 April 2008; received in revised form 7 May 2008; accepted 19 May 2008 Abstract The angular unconformity between the Tuchengzi Formation and the Zhangjiakou Formation in the Chengde area is commonly regarded as the direct evidence of boundary between Jurassic and Cretaceous systems, and as the evidence of tectonic transformation interfaces in Mesozoic Era in the West Liaoning-North Hebei. Moreover, the lower boundary age of the Zhangjiakou Formation in the Chengde was to be thought about 135 Myr in the past. Based on the detailed study and systematic sampling in Yixian-Beipiao, Lingy- uan, Chengde and Luanping areas in the field, the authors obtained the following isotopic ages by means of LA-ICP-MS dating: In the Lingyuan area, the Zhangjiakou Formation and the Yixian Formation are in angular unconformable contact; the age range of the Zhangjiakou Formation volcanic rock is from 133 to 130 Myr (seven samples), and that of the Yixian Formation volcanic rock is from 126 to 121 Myr (eleven samples). In the Luotuoshan of Chengde, the Tuchengzi Formation and the Zhangjiakou Formation are in angu- lar unconformable contact; the age at the lower Zhangjiakou Formation is about 124 Myr (one sample), which reflects that the age range of the lower Zhangjiakou Formation is from 129 to 124 Myr combined with the previous study. In the Luanping basin, there is the larg- est sediment gap in upper Mesozoic, whose lower boundary age is confined in 131 to 130 Myr. In the Yixian-Beipiao area, the second Member of the Yixian Formation, making up more than 3/4 thickness of the Yixian Formation, was formed in 126 to 119 Myr, and the age of the Yixian Formation at the bottom is about 132 Myr. Moreover, the upper boundary age of the Tuchengzi Formation is about 136 Myr in the West Liaoning-North Hebei region. Based on the above isotopic data combined with the geological characteristics in the field in the West Liaoning–North Hebei region, it reflects that there was a widespread tectonic event in the period of 136 to 126 Myr (mainly in 130–126 Myr) in the West Liaoning-North Hebei, and it formed the late Mesozoic regional angular unconformity. Moreover, the lower boundary ages of the late Mesozoic regional angular unconformity in different areas are different, and the tectonics and the creature assemblage are different in the strata at the top and bottom of the regional angular unconformity. It implies that the late Meso- zoic regional angular unconformity is a regional interface of tectonic transformation in Mesozoic Era in the West Liaoning-North Hebei. Ó 2008 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved. Keywords: Dating; LA-ICP-MS; Angular unconformity; Interface of tectonic transformation; West Liaoning–North Hebei 1. Introduction ing the volcanic action, crust dismantling and biological evolvement in Mesozoic in eastern China, and had been The West Liaoning-North Hebei region, where the vol- focused in the past decade [1–12]. Some researchers pro- canic strata are very developed, is the key region in study- posed that the angular unconformity between the Zhang- jiakou and Tuchengzi formations in the Luotuoshan of Chengde is the direct evidence of tectonic transformation * Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +86 519 86191552. interface and boundary between Jurassic and Cretaceous E-mail address: [email protected] (H. Zhang). systems in the Mesozoic Era in eastern China, and that 1002-0071/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pnsc.2008.05.013 1396 H. Zhang et al. / Progress in Natural Science 18 (2008) 1395–1402 the lower boundary age of the Zhangjiakou Formation is (Macquarie University), and the calculation of ages and about 135 Myr [10,11]. plotting of concordia diagram were made by using Isoplot Based on the systematic field work, the authors drew the (version 3.0). The correction of common lead was per- following conclusions by LA-ICP-MS dating results com- formed by the software of Andersen [17]. The detailed bined with the isotopic data from the previous researchers: description of zircon dating by LA-ICP-MS has been pub- There is a late Mesozoic regional angular unconformity in lished elsewhere [18,19]. the Lingyuan, Chengde and the Yixian-Beipiao areas in the West Liaoning-North Hebei, whose age range is from 136 4. Dating results and related analyses to 126 Myr. Due to the limitation of the article length, the great deal 2. Regional geological setting of original data and the related information cannot be shown in this article, but, if interested, can be obtained In the West Liaoning – North Hebei region, the Meso- from the author directly. zoic strata are developed. Among them, the Tiaojishan Formation, Tuchengzi Formation, Zhangjiakou Forma- 4.1. Dating results of the late Mesozoic regional angular tion, and the Yixian Formation are widespread, and their unconformity in the Lingyuan and Chengde areas mutual relationships are the problems that geological researchers have been focusing on [5–13]. 4.1.1. Lingyuan area In the North Hebei, the Tiaojishan Formation is in par- The Lingyuan area, located in the transitional region of allel unconformable contact with the overlying Tuchengzi NEN tectonic lines in West Liaoning and NEE tectonic Formation [14], and the stratum on the Tuchengzi Forma- lines in North Hebei, is a key area in studying tectonic tion is the Zhangjiakou Formation. In the field, there are transformation in Mesozoic in the West Liaoning-North two relationships between the Zhangjiakou and Tuchengzi Hebei. Therefore, the Mesozoic strata (see Fig. 1) in the formations: The first relationship is that the Zhangjiakou area have been studied [3,6,20–22]. In the area, the Zhang- Formation is in conformable contact with the Tuchengzi jiakou Formation is in angular unconformable contact Formation [9,15], which is prevalent in Luanping and fur- with the overlying Yixian Formation [20]. Moreover, the ther west. In other words, if only the two Formations exist tectonic lines in and beneath the Zhangjiakou Formation together in Fengning, Diao-e (Chicheng) or Luanping are about NEE orientation; however, the tectonic lines in areas, they conform. The second relationship is that the and above the Yixian Formation are about NE or NEN unfolded Zhangjiakou Formation is in angular unconform- orientation. Those phenomena are also clearly shown in able contact with the folded Tuchengzi Formation, which the Dawangzhangzi area. is only exposed at Luotuoshan, Jiguanshan of Chengde In the Dawangzhangzi area (Fig. 1), the Yixian Forma- and Shuangmiao of Pingquan. tion is a set of sediment-volcanic rocks. The Daw- In the West Liaoning, the Tiaojishan Formation is in angzhangzi bed with the thickness of more than 200 m at parallel unconformable contact with the overlying Tuc- the bottom of the Yixian Formation is a set of sediment hengzi Formation [16], the Tuchengzi Formation is in rocks formed in lake facies with a great deal of Jehol Biota, angular unconformable contact with the overlying Yixian and mainly consists of tuff-sandstone, silk sandstone, tuff Formation [6,16], and the Yixian Formation conforms and conglomerate. The rock above the Dawangzhangzi with the overlying Jiufotang Formation [16]. bed in the Yixian Formation is a set of acid volcanic lava and volcanic clastic rock with the thickness of more than 3. Analytical methods 200 m. The Zhangjiakou Formation consists of mainly acid volcanic rock, volcanic breccia with some intermediate vol- The in situ zircon analysis was conducted in the State canic rock and some sediment rock interbedded. Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest Uni- The systematic dating of the Zhangjiakou Formation versity, Xi’an. The ICP-MS type used is the Elan 6100DRC and the Yixian Formation in the Dawangzhangzi area or the Agilent 7500A. The laser-ablation system is a Geo- [20–22] reflects that the age range of the Zhangjiakou For- Las 200 M (MicroLas, Go¨ttingen, Germany) equipped mation volcanic rock is between 133 and 130 Myr (seven with a 193 nm ArF-excimer laser, a homogenizing and an samples), and the Yixian Formation volcanic rock is from imaging optical system. In analysis, the diameter of the 126 to 121 Myr (11 samples) (Fig. 2, Table 1). laser bean was usually set to be 30 lm. Helium was used Therefore, the upper boundary age of the late Mesozoic as a carrier gas to enhance transport efficiency of the aba- regional angular unconformity is about 126 Myr, and the ted material. The international standard zircon 91500 was lower boundary age of that is about 130 Myr in the Lingy- used as the external standard for the age calculation, and uan area. the NIST SRM 610 was used as the external standard for the concentration calculation, and 29Si (32.8% SiO2) was 4.1.2. Chengde area used as the internal standard. Isotopic ratios and elemental The Chengde area is located in the middle part of the concentrations were calculated by using GLITTER 4.0 Yanshan tectonic belt. In the area, the tectonic lines in and H.