Geochemistry of Neoarchean (ca. 2.55–2.50 Ga) volcanic and ophiolitic rocks in the Wutaishan greenstone belt, central orogenic belt, North China craton: Implications for geodynamic setting and continental growth

Research Article| November 01, 2005 Geochemistry of Neoarchean (ca. 2.55–2.50 Ga) volcanic and ophiolitic rocks in the Wutaishan greenstone belt, central orogenic belt, North China craton: Implications for geodynamic setting and continental growth Ali Polat; Ali Polat 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Timothy Kusky; Timothy Kusky 2Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jianghai Li; Jianghai Li 3Department of Geology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Brian Fryer; Brian Fryer 4Department of Earth Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert Kerrich; Robert Kerrich 5Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Katie Patrick Katie Patrick 6Department of Earth Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Ali Polat 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Timothy Kusky 2Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, USA Jianghai Li 3Department of Geology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China Brian Fryer 4Department of Earth Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Robert Kerrich 5Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada Katie Patrick 6Department of Earth Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 17 Sep 2004 Revision Received: 07 Mar 2005 Accepted: 25 Mar 2005 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2005) 117 (11-12): 1387–1399. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25724.1 Article history Received: 17 Sep 2004 Revision Received: 07 Mar 2005 Accepted: 25 Mar 2005 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Ali Polat, Timothy Kusky, Jianghai Li, Brian Fryer, Robert Kerrich, Katie Patrick; Geochemistry of Neoarchean (ca. 2.55–2.50 Ga) volcanic and ophiolitic rocks in the Wutaishan greenstone belt, central orogenic belt, North China craton: Implications for geodynamic setting and continental growth. GSA Bulletin 2005;; 117 (11-12): 1387–1399. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B25724.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Geological investigation of the Neoarchean (2.55–2.50 Ga) Wutaishan greenstone belt in the central orogenic belt of the North China craton has provided new information on the geodynamic origin of this belt and its mineral deposits. Structural, geochronological, and geochemical characteristics of the Wutaishan greenstone belt suggest that it formed in a forearc tectonic environment at ca. 2.55 Ga and accreted to the Eastern continental block at ca. 2.50 Ga. A ridge subduction model is proposed to explain several unique geological features of the Wutaishan greenstone belt, such as the generation of dunites and chromitite-hosting harzburgites with U-shaped rare earth element (REE) patterns, formation of volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) and banded iron formations (BIF), extrusion of mafic to felsic volcanic rocks, and intrusion of tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite plutons (TTG). Anomalously high geothermal gradients in the subarc mantle-wedge beneath the Wutaishan forearc may have increased its buoyancy, resulting in its accretion to the continental crust. We propose that ridge subduction also played an important role in the growth of Archean continental crust. In this model, the origin of Archean TTG is genetically linked to eclogites through partial melting of accreted and/or underplated oceanic plateaus and normal oceanic crust under amphibolite to eclogite metamorphic conditions by upwelling of an anomalously hot asthenospheric mantle window resulting from ridge subduction. TTG suites intruding Archean accretionary complexes formed the nuclei of intra-oceanic island arcs; subsequent juxtaposition of these arcs resulted in the lateral growth of Archean continental crust. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.