The study of continental deep-subduction has been one of the forefront and core subjects to advance the plate tectonics theory in the twenty-first century. The Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in China crops out the largest l...The study of continental deep-subduction has been one of the forefront and core subjects to advance the plate tectonics theory in the twenty-first century. The Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in China crops out the largest lithotectonic unit containing ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks in the world. Much of our understanding of the world's most enigmatic processes in continental deep-subduction zones has been deduced from various records in the Dabie-Sulu rocks. By taking these rocks as the natural laboratory, earth scientists have made seminal contributions to understanding of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism and continental collision. This paper outlines twelve aspects of outstanding progress, including spatial distribution of the UHP metamorphic rocks, timing of the UHP metamorphism, timescale of the UHP metamorphism, the protolith nature of deeply subducted continental crust, subduction erosion and crustal detachment during continental collision, the possible depths of continental subduction, fluid activity in the continental deep-subduction zone, partial melting during continental collision, element mobility in continental deep-subduction zone, recycling of subducted continental crust, geodynamic mechanism of postcollisional magmatism, and lithospheric architecture of collision orogen. Some intriguing questions and directions are also proposed for future studies.展开更多
The study of subduction-zone processes is a key to development of the plate tectonic theory.Plate interface interaction is a basic mechanism for the mass and energy exchange between Earth’s surface and interior.By de...The study of subduction-zone processes is a key to development of the plate tectonic theory.Plate interface interaction is a basic mechanism for the mass and energy exchange between Earth’s surface and interior.By developing the subduction channel model into continental collision orogens,insights are provided into tectonic processes during continental subduction and its products.The continental crust,composed of felsic to mafic rocks,is detached at different depths from subducting continental lithosphere and then migrates into continental subduction channel.Part of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge,composed of peridotite,is offscrapped from its bottom.The crustal and mantle fragments of different sizes are transported downwards and upwards inside subduction channels by the corner flow,resulting in varying extents of metamorphism,with heterogeneous deformation and local anatexis.All these metamorphic rocks can be viewed as tectonic melanges due to mechanical mixing of crust-and mantle-derived rocks in the subduction channels,resulting in different types of metamorphic rocks now exposed in the same orogens.The crust-mantle interaction in the continental subduction channel is realized by reaction of the overlying ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge peridotite with aqueous fluid and hydrous melt derived from partial melting of subducted continental basement granite and cover sediment.The nature of premetamorphic protoliths dictates the type of collisional orogens,the size of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terranes and the duration of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism.展开更多
The studies of continental deep subduction and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism have not only promoted the development of solid earth science in China, but also provided an excellent opportunity to advance the plate te...The studies of continental deep subduction and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism have not only promoted the development of solid earth science in China, but also provided an excellent opportunity to advance the plate tectonics theory. In view of the nature of subducted crust, two types of subduction and collision have been respectively recognized in nature. On one hand, the crustal subduction occurs due to underflow of either oceanic crust (Pacific type) or continental crust (Alpine type). On the other hand, the continental collision proceeds by arc-continent collision (Himalaya-Tibet type) or continent-continent collision (Dabie-Sulu type). The key issues in the future study of continental dynamics are the chemical changes and differential exhumation in continental deep subduction zones, and the temporal-spatial transition from oceanic subduction to continental subduction.展开更多
Eclogites have been recently reported in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau, including in the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt, in the Basu metamorphic massif of the eastern Bangong-Nujiang suture zone, and at Song...Eclogites have been recently reported in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau, including in the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt, in the Basu metamorphic massif of the eastern Bangong-Nujiang suture zone, and at Songdo and Pengco in the eastern Lhasa terrane. Some typical ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic phenomena, e.g., garnet exsolution from clinopyroxene, were documented in the Basu and Pengco eclogites. The UHP metamorphism in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau marked by these eclogites generally took place in the Early Mesozoic. Along with exhumation of these eclogites, (post-) collision-related magmatism extensively occurred around the central Qiangtang belt, the eastern Ban-gong-Nujiang suture zone, and the eastern Lhasa terrane. The occurrence of these Early Mesozoic ec-logites manifests an out-of-sequence evolution of the Tethys, and they could be a product of diachro-nous collision between the eastern Qiangtang terrane and the irregular continental margin of the united western Qiangtang-Lhasa plate, along the linked eastern Bangong-Nujiang-central Qiangtang zone. The collision-related magmatic rocks could have been originated from lithospheric thickening, melting, or detachment due to the collision. The presence of UHP metamorphic rocks in central Qiangtang and Basu implies likely continental deep-subduction, and the denudation of these two metamorphic zones could have served as the source of the Triassic turbidites in the Songpan-Garzê complex and the Ju-rassic turbidites in the western Bangong-Nujiang zone, respectively. However, studies of the eclogites in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau just began, and many principal aspects still remain to be explored, such as their distributions, typical lithologies and minerals, temperature-pressure conditions, timing of formation and exhumation, protoliths and tectonic setting, and relationship with the evolution of the Tethys and large-scale basins in Tibet.展开更多
基金the Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sci-ences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-131) the National Natural Science Foundation ofChina (Grant No. 40573011)
文摘The study of continental deep-subduction has been one of the forefront and core subjects to advance the plate tectonics theory in the twenty-first century. The Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in China crops out the largest lithotectonic unit containing ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks in the world. Much of our understanding of the world's most enigmatic processes in continental deep-subduction zones has been deduced from various records in the Dabie-Sulu rocks. By taking these rocks as the natural laboratory, earth scientists have made seminal contributions to understanding of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism and continental collision. This paper outlines twelve aspects of outstanding progress, including spatial distribution of the UHP metamorphic rocks, timing of the UHP metamorphism, timescale of the UHP metamorphism, the protolith nature of deeply subducted continental crust, subduction erosion and crustal detachment during continental collision, the possible depths of continental subduction, fluid activity in the continental deep-subduction zone, partial melting during continental collision, element mobility in continental deep-subduction zone, recycling of subducted continental crust, geodynamic mechanism of postcollisional magmatism, and lithospheric architecture of collision orogen. Some intriguing questions and directions are also proposed for future studies.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41221062)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2009CB825004)
文摘The study of subduction-zone processes is a key to development of the plate tectonic theory.Plate interface interaction is a basic mechanism for the mass and energy exchange between Earth’s surface and interior.By developing the subduction channel model into continental collision orogens,insights are provided into tectonic processes during continental subduction and its products.The continental crust,composed of felsic to mafic rocks,is detached at different depths from subducting continental lithosphere and then migrates into continental subduction channel.Part of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge,composed of peridotite,is offscrapped from its bottom.The crustal and mantle fragments of different sizes are transported downwards and upwards inside subduction channels by the corner flow,resulting in varying extents of metamorphism,with heterogeneous deformation and local anatexis.All these metamorphic rocks can be viewed as tectonic melanges due to mechanical mixing of crust-and mantle-derived rocks in the subduction channels,resulting in different types of metamorphic rocks now exposed in the same orogens.The crust-mantle interaction in the continental subduction channel is realized by reaction of the overlying ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge peridotite with aqueous fluid and hydrous melt derived from partial melting of subducted continental basement granite and cover sediment.The nature of premetamorphic protoliths dictates the type of collisional orogens,the size of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terranes and the duration of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism.
基金Supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. kzcx2-yw-131)Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2009CB825000)
文摘The studies of continental deep subduction and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism have not only promoted the development of solid earth science in China, but also provided an excellent opportunity to advance the plate tectonics theory. In view of the nature of subducted crust, two types of subduction and collision have been respectively recognized in nature. On one hand, the crustal subduction occurs due to underflow of either oceanic crust (Pacific type) or continental crust (Alpine type). On the other hand, the continental collision proceeds by arc-continent collision (Himalaya-Tibet type) or continent-continent collision (Dabie-Sulu type). The key issues in the future study of continental dynamics are the chemical changes and differential exhumation in continental deep subduction zones, and the temporal-spatial transition from oceanic subduction to continental subduction.
基金Supported by the Hundred Talents Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘Eclogites have been recently reported in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau, including in the central Qiangtang metamorphic belt, in the Basu metamorphic massif of the eastern Bangong-Nujiang suture zone, and at Songdo and Pengco in the eastern Lhasa terrane. Some typical ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic phenomena, e.g., garnet exsolution from clinopyroxene, were documented in the Basu and Pengco eclogites. The UHP metamorphism in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau marked by these eclogites generally took place in the Early Mesozoic. Along with exhumation of these eclogites, (post-) collision-related magmatism extensively occurred around the central Qiangtang belt, the eastern Ban-gong-Nujiang suture zone, and the eastern Lhasa terrane. The occurrence of these Early Mesozoic ec-logites manifests an out-of-sequence evolution of the Tethys, and they could be a product of diachro-nous collision between the eastern Qiangtang terrane and the irregular continental margin of the united western Qiangtang-Lhasa plate, along the linked eastern Bangong-Nujiang-central Qiangtang zone. The collision-related magmatic rocks could have been originated from lithospheric thickening, melting, or detachment due to the collision. The presence of UHP metamorphic rocks in central Qiangtang and Basu implies likely continental deep-subduction, and the denudation of these two metamorphic zones could have served as the source of the Triassic turbidites in the Songpan-Garzê complex and the Ju-rassic turbidites in the western Bangong-Nujiang zone, respectively. However, studies of the eclogites in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau just began, and many principal aspects still remain to be explored, such as their distributions, typical lithologies and minerals, temperature-pressure conditions, timing of formation and exhumation, protoliths and tectonic setting, and relationship with the evolution of the Tethys and large-scale basins in Tibet.
