The Alashan Terrane was not part of North China by the Late Devonian: Evidence from detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology and Hf isotopes

Phanerozoic amalgamation of the Alxa Block and North China Craton: Evidence from Paleozoic granitoids, U–Pb geochronology and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf–O isotope geochemistry

“…Based on the discrepancy in the Precambrian geology between the Alxa Block and the NCC, we previously proposed that the Alxa Block is unlikely to be a part of the NCC (Dan et al, 2014a). This proposal is supported by the different detrital zircon age distributions in the Alxa Block and the NCC (Zhang et al, 2011;Dan et al, 2014a;Yuan and Yang, 2015a).…”

“…0.9 Ga magmatic events in the eastern Alxa Block (Dan et al, 2012(Dan et al, , 2014a because similarly-aged rocks have not been reported within the Western Block of the NCC (Dan et al, 2012). It has also been suggested that the models are not consistent with the different age distribution patterns of detrital zircon grains between the westernmost NCC and the Alxa Block (Zhang et al, 2011;Dan et al, 2014a;Yuan and Yang, 2015a). However, a lack of recognized magmatic events in key areas requires that further studies be undertaken to fully resolve the tectonic affinities of the two blocks and to constrain the timing of their amalgamation.…”

Petrography and detrital zircon study of late Carboniferous sequences in the southwestern North China Craton: Implications for the regional tectonic evolution and bauxite genesis

“…7 The Alax terrane is separated from the E-NCC by the Western Ordos and the Tongxin-Guguan faults (Fig. 1;Lu et al, 2009;Yuan and Yang, 2014a). The Alax terrane is dominated by late Archean and Paleoproterozoic metamorphic basement units that yield zircons dated to ca.…”

“…Ma (Yuan and Yang, 2014a). The U-Pb dating of detrital zircons from Middle Ordovi cian sandstones wi thin the eastern m argin of the Alax terrane yielded a majority of ages between 1000 and 800 Ma and a smaller group between 600 and 500 Ma.…”

Hadean detrital zircon in the North China Craton

“…In northwest China, the Hadean detrital zircons were found in two areas. One site is in the Late Devonian strata in the Hexi Corridor (4022 Ma by Yuan et al 2012;Yuan and Yang, 2015), and the other is in the sedimentary sequences in the early Paleozoic Aermantai ophiolitic mél-ange in East Junggar (4040 Ma by Huang et al, 2013). In south China, three Hadean detrital zircons were identified, one from the Cambrian sandstone in Nanning City (4107 Ma by Xu et al, 2012) and the other two from the Paleozoic quartzite in the Longquan area (4127 and 4070 Ma by Xing et al, 2014Xing et al, , 2015.…”