Springer Geology More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/10172 Mingguo Zhai Editor Precambrian Geology of China 123 Editor Mingguo Zhai Institute of Geology and Geophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China ISSN 2197-9545 ISSN 2197-9553 (electronic) Springer Geology ISBN 978-3-662-47884-4 ISBN 978-3-662-47885-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-47885-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015944154 Springer Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Preface The Precambrian (4560–541 Ma) covers almost 90 % of the planet Earth’s history. Precambrian continents experienced complex geological evolution, and carry important records of the secular changes in tectonics and metallogeny, including, at least, three important tectonic events that are the Neoarchean enormous crustal growth, the tectonic regime inversion from pre-plate tectonics to plate tectonics, and the Paleoproterozoic great oxygen event (GOE). Precambrian rocks are extensively distributed in China, not only in cratons, but also in Phanerozoic orogenic belts. The Chinese continent consists of several cratons, i.e., the North China Craton, the South China Craton and the Tarim Craton, and several Phanerozoic orogenic belts. These three cratons have different tectonic evolving history, and carry important records of crustal generation-growth-cratonization and interaction with circumja- cent terrains. Some residual Precambrian rocks or micro-continental blocks also occur in Phanerozoic orogenic belts, such as in the Himalaya and Xing’an- Mongolia orogenic belts. There are abundant mineral resources in these cratons and micro-blocks, which were formed in different geological periods and recorded a common change in the pattern of metallogeny, mineral deposit character, spatial distribution, and genetic mechanisms that match well with the timings and styles of the major tectonic events. The assembly of the Chinese unified continent is considered to be amalgamated by several Triassic orogenic belts. Therefore, study of the three old lands in China will surely help deepen our understanding of China geology, as much as global continental tectonics and continental dynamics. This book, Precambrian Geology of China, contains five parts and 12 chapters. Part I has only one chapter and is about the general Precambrian geology of China (by Mingguo Zhai and Yanyan Zhou; General Precambrian Geology in China). It summarizes the geology division of China, the general geology in the three cratons/blocks, and the assembly of the Chinese landmass. Part II focuses on the Precambrian geology of the North China Craton. It con- tains three chapters. Formation and Evolution of Archean Continental Crust of the North China Craton (by Yusheng Wan) is about the Archean geology of the craton, v vi Preface and it mainly focuses on the Archean geological record of the craton back to >3.8 Ga, as well as the formation of the Archean basement. Paleoproterozoic Granulites in the North China Craton and their Geological Implications (by Jinghui Guo and others) concentrates on the Paleoproterozoic granulites and tectonic evolution of the craton. Late Paleoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic (1800–541 Ma) Mafic Dyke Swarms and Rifts in North China (by Peng Peng) narrates the late Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic igneous records, sedimentation, and rift evo- lution in the craton. Part III (by Yuan-sheng Geng) is about the Precambrian geology of the South China Craton. It has three chapters. Early Precambrian Geological Signatures in South China Craton focuses on the Archean geological records and their features, and the basement evolution during Paleoproterozoic; Mesoproterozoic Era of South China Craton is about the Mesoproterozoic magmatic events of the Yangtze and Cathaysian blocks/subcratons, and the tectonic evolution of the Jiangnan orogenic belt; and Neoproterozoic Era of South China Craton is dealing with the Neoproterozoic orogenic and rifting events in South China. Part IV (by Bei Xu) summarizes the Precambrian Geology of the Tarim Craton. It divides into three chapters: Late Archean: Mesoproterozoic Geology of the Tarim Craton about the Archean to Mesoproterozoic formations and records; The Neoproterozoic Geology of the Tarim Craton about the Neoproterozoic formations and records; and The Precambrian Tectonic Evolution of the Tarim Craton about the Precambrian tectonic evolution of the Tarim Craton. Part V is about the geology of micro-blocks in the Phanerozoic orogens, mainly concentrating on the Tibetan Plateau in the Himalaya Orogen (The Precambrian Geology of the Tibetan Plateau by Fulai Liu et al.) and the paleo-continents in the Xing’an-Mongolia orogenic Belt (Paleocontinents in Xing’an-Mongolia orogenic belt (XMOB) by Bei Xu). Beijing, China Mingguo Zhai March 2015 Contents Part I General Precambrian Geology in China General Precambrian Geology in China ....................... 3 Mingguo Zhai and Yanyan Zhou Part II The North China Craton Formation and Evolution of Archean Continental Crust of the North China Craton ..................................... 59 Yu-Sheng Wan, Dun-Yi Liu, Chun-Yan Dong, Hang-Qian Xie, Alfred Kröner, Ming-Zhu Ma, Shou-Jie Liu, Shi-Wen Xie and Peng Ren Paleoproterozoic Granulites in the North China Craton and Their Geological Implications ................................... 137 Jinghui Guo, Mingguo Zhai, Peng Peng, Shujuan Jiao, Lei Zhao and Haozheng Wang Late Paleoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic (1800–541 Ma) Mafic Dyke Swarms and Rifts in North China ........................... 171 Peng Peng Part III The South China Craton Early Precambrian Geological Signatures in South China Craton .... 207 Yuan-Sheng Geng vii viii Contents Mesoproterozoic Era of South China Craton ................... 241 Yuan-Sheng Geng Neoproterozoic Era of South China Craton .................... 263 Yuan-Sheng Geng Part IV The Tarim Craton Late Archean: Mesoproterozoic Geology of the Tarim Craton ....... 305 Bei Xu The Neoproterozoic Geology of the Tarim Craton................ 319 Bei Xu The Precambrian Tectonic Evolution of the Tarim Craton ......... 345 Bei Xu Part V Other Chinese Paleocontinents The Precambrian Geology of the Tibetan Plateau ................ 353 Fulai Liu, Yongsheng Dong and Chaohui Liu Paleocontinents in Xing’an-Mongolia Orogenic Belt (XMOB) ....... 385 Bei Xu.