Cratonization and the Ancient North China Continent: A summary and review

Abstract

Cratonization is a key geological process to form stable continental masses with a considerable scale. The Precambrian global cratonization and formation of supercratons in the world is an unrepeated event in the history of the Earth's formation and evolution. Mainly based on study of early Precambrian geology in Eastern Hebei Region and combining other Archean regions in the North China Craton (NCC), the author proposes a two-stage cratonization model of the NCC. The first stage took place at the end of Neoarchean of ~2.5 Ga (boundary time between Archean and Proterozoic), when several micro-blocks were amalgamated together with amphibolite-granulite facies metamorphism and intrusion of crustal-melting granites to form the present-scale NCC. The second cratonization event is cratonic reworking, corresponding to rifting-subduction-collision at 2.3-1.97 Ga and subsequent extension-uplifting related to upwelling mantle at 1.97-1.82 Ga, which could be linked to, respectively, assembly and breaking up of the Columbia Supercontinent. Three main Paleoproterozoic mobile belts in the NCC record that small remnant Neoarchean ocean basins and continental rift basins within the craton were opened and finally closed, and metamorphosed to greenschist-amphibolite facies at ~2.0-1.97 Ga. After that, high-grade granulite facies (HT-HP and HT-UHT) metamorphism with abnormally high heat occurred at 1.97-1.82 Ga. A metamorphism-migmatization event that includes lower crust of the NCC uplifting as a whole, intrusion of mafic dyke swarms, continental rifting and anorogenic magmatic action took place in 1.82-1.65 Ga, marking that the second cratonization of the NCC was finally accomplished and started to evolve to a period of stable continent (platform). cratonization, North China, ancient continent Citation:Zhai M G. Cratonization and the Ancient North China Continent: A summary and review.

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating of the Ordos Basin basement and its tectonic significance

“…This event represented the Paleoproterozoic collisions, such as the Ordos basement with Yinshan Block collision at 2.0 Ga; the eastern and the western blocks of the North China Craton collision at about 1.85 Ga. These two important collisions accomplished the combination of the Columbia supercontinent [10,12,13,16,[26][27][28]47,48].…”

“…This sequence of events led to the formation of three Paleoproterozoic mobile belts; Jiaoliao Belt (eastern North China Craton), Jinyü Belt (central North China Craton) and Fengzhen Belt (northwestern part of North China Craton). The distribution, deformation, and metamorphism characters of these mobile belts indicate they had experienced complete orogenic cycle (uplifting-subduction-collision), which is similar to a modern continent-continent collisional orogen [11,16,17].…”

Reinterpretation of metamorphic age of the Hengshan Complex, North China Craton

“…The latter view is popularly supported [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. At present, the metamorphic ages 1.80-1.89 Ga obtained from the Trans-North China Orogen are mostly interpreted as record of a subduction-collision process [12][13][14][15]18,[20][21][22][23][24][25], but a few people suggest that they may represent an age of sustained extension [5]. Therefore, understanding meaning of the metamorphic ages 1.80-1.89 Ga is crucial for elucidating the Paleoproterozoic evolution of the NCC.…”

Paleoproterozoic Multiple Tectonothermal Events in the Longshoushan Area, Western North China Craton and Their Geological Implication: Evidence from Geochemistry, Zircon U–Pb Geochronology and Hf Isotopes

“…Zhai and Peng [92] and Zhai [93] proposed that the NCC experienced intracratonic orogenesis events during~2.3-1.95 Ga. In the Bayanwulashan area, eastern Alxa Block, Dan et al [22] reported that the~2.34 Ga mafic rocks are geochemically similar to the basaltic rocks formed within continental rifts.…”