Sedimentary geochemistry of the Cambrian-Ordovician cherts: Implication on archipelagic ocean of North Qilian orogenic belt

作     者：DU YuanSheng1,2, ZHU Jie1, GU SongZhu1, 2, XU YaJun1 & YANG JiangHai1 1 Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China 2 Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environment Geology of Education Ministry, Wuhan 430074, China 

作者机构：Faculty of Earth Sciences China University of Geosciences Wuhan China Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environment Geology of Education Ministry Wuhan China 

出 版 物：《Science China Earth Sciences》 (中国科学（地球科学英文版）)

年 卷 期：2007年第50卷第11期

页      面：1628-1644页

核心收录：

学科分类：070903[理学-古生物学与地层学(含：古人类学)] 0709[理学-地质学] 07[理学] 

基　　金：Sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40672080 and 40621002) the Developing Plan of Innovation Group of Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. IRT0546) 

主　　题：North Qilian orogenic belt,Cambrian-Ordovician,cherts sedimentary geochemistry,archipelagic ocean 

摘      要：The Caledonian North Qilian orogenic belt lies between the North China plate and the Qaidam mi-croplates, and resulted from the collision among the Qaidam microplate, mid-Qilian block and the North China plate. The orogen initiated from the rifting of the Late Proterozoic Rodinia, and then it experi-enced stages of Cambrian rift basin and Ordovician archipelagic oceanic basin, and foreland basin during Silurian to Early-Middle Devonian. The average ratios of Al/(Al+Fe+Mn), Al/(Al+Fe), δ Ce, Lan/Ybn and Lan/Cen from cherts of Cambrian Heicigou Formation are 0.797, 0.627, 1.114, 0.994 and 1.034 re-spectively. In the NAS standardized REE distribution pattern, the cherts from Xiangqianshan is slightly HREE enriched, and the cherts from Ganluci and Shiqingdong are plane. All of these features indicated that Cambrian cherts of the Heicigou Formation originated from a continental margin rift background. On the contrary, the average ratios of Al/(Al+Fe+Mn), Al/(Al+Fe), δ Ce, Lan/Ybn, Lan/Cen of the Ordovician chert from Dakecha, Cuijiadun, Shihuigou, Laohushan, Heicigou, Maomaoshan, Bianmagou, Da-chadaban, Baiquanmen, Jiugequan and Angzanggou, are respectively 0.72, 0.58, 0.99, 1.09 and 0.96 respectively. Their NAS standardized REE distribution patterns of most Ordovician cherts are plane mode or slightly HREE enriched. The REE distribution pattern of few samples of cherts are slightly LREE enriched. Characteristics of sedimentary geochemistry and tectonic evolution demonstrated that the Cambrian-Ordovician cherts, associated with rift, oceanic, island arc and back-arc volcanic rocks, was not formed in a typical abyssal oceanic basin or mid-oceanic ridge. On the contrary, they formed in a deepwater basin of continental margin or a archipelagic ocean tectonic setting. Several Early Paleo-zoic ophiolite belts in North Qilian and adjacent periphery Qaidam microplate imply that an archipelagic ocean during Ordovician existed in the east of Pro-Tethys.