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Zircon is the most useful mineral for studies in U-Pb geochronology and Hf and O isotope geochemistry. Matrix effect is a major problem of the microbeam techniques such as SIMS and LA-(MC)-ICPMS. Therefore, external standardization using well-characterized natural zircon standards is fundamental for accurate microbeam measurements. While the isotopic geochronology and geochemistry laboratories equipped with microbeam analytical facilities have been increasingly established in China during the past decade, applications of the isotopic microanalysis are still limited due to shortage of available standards. We report here the Qinghu zircon as a potential new working reference for microbeam analysis of zircon U-Pb age and O-Hf isotopes. This zircon was separated from the Qinghu quartz monzonite from the western Nanling Range, Southeast China. It is fairly homogeneous in U-Pb age and Hf and O isotopes in terms of large amounts of mircobeam measurements by LA-MC-ICPMS and SIMS at the scales of 20–60 μm. SIMS measurements yield consistent 206Pb/ 238U age within analytical uncertainties with that obtained by ID-TIMS. Precise determinations of O isotopes by IRMS and Hf isotopes by solution MC-ICPMS are in good agreement with the statistical mean of microbeam measurements. We recommend U-Pb age of = 159.5 ± 0.2 Ma (2SE), δ18O = 5.4‰± 0.2‰ (2SD) and 176Hf/ 177Hf = 0.283002 ± 0.000004 (2SD) as the best reference values for the Qinghu zircon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poorly studied Douling Complex is a crystalline basement that developed in the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic weakly metamorphosed to non-metamorphosed strata at the South Qinling tectonic belt. Five banded dioritic-granitic gneiss samples from the Douling Complex were chosen for LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb zircon dating, which yielded protolith emplacement ages of 2469 ± 22 Ma, 2479 ± 12 Ma, 2497 ± 21 Ma, 2501 ± 17 Ma and 2509 ± 14 Ma, respectively. An important peak age of ∼2.48 Ga was also obtained for a metasedimentary rock in the same region. These discoveries suggest the occurrence of magmatic activity of 2.51-2.47 Ga at the northern margin of the Yangtze craton. The age-corrected ɛ( t) values obtained from in situ zircon Hf isotopic analysis are mainly between −5.5 and +0.3, and the two-stage zircon Hf model ages range from 3.30 to 2.95 Ga. Considering two important periods of ∼3.3-3.2 Ga and ∼2.95-2.90 Ga for the continental crustal growth in the Yangtze craton, we infer that the dioritic-granitic gneisses from the Douling Complex are the products of reworking of Paleo- to Mesoarchean crust at the northern margin of the Yangtze craton at ∼2.5 Ga. In addition, metamorphic ages of 837 ± 8 Ma and 818 ± 10 Ma were obtained for zircon overgrowth rims from a dioritic gneiss and a metasedimentary rock, indicating that the main phase amphibolite facies metamorphism of the Doulng Complex occurred during the Neoproterozoic, although its geological meaning remains ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huashanguan rapakivi pluton in Zhongxiang, Hubei Province, China, is the first discovered Proterozoic rapakivi pluton in the Yangtze block. Based on field and petrographical observations, a typical rapakivi texture was found in the northern portion of the Huashanguan granitic pluton. Almost all the K-feldspar phenocrysts were round to oval in shape and most had plagioclase coatings known as rapakivi phenocrysts. Alkali feldspars and quartz had two or more generations. Petrochemically, the Huashanguan rapakivi granites were characterized as having high values of Si, K, Fe, Th, U, La, Ga, Ce, Sm and LREE, low values of Ca, Mg, Sr, Nb, Y and HREE, and a negative Eu anomaly. These geochemical characteristics of the Huashanguan granites were concordant with typical rapakivi granites, and had an affinity to A-type granites. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating also was conducted. The dating yielded a207Pb/206Pb weighted mean age of 1851±18 Ma (MSWD =1.2), which represents the age of the pluton emplacement. The age of 803±170 Ma at the lower intercept in the concordia diagram corresponds to the age of a later deformation event which affected the pluton, and suggests that the Huashanguan pluton was influenced by Neoproterozoic thermo-tectonic events after its formation. The discovery of Paleoproterozoic Huashanguan rapakivi granites indicates continental rifting or a post-orogenic extensional event that took place in the Paleoproterozoic in the Yangtze block. These events may be related to the breakup of the Paleoproterozoic Columbia supercontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]