2.1-1.85 Ga tectonic events in the Yangtze Block, South China: Petrological and geochronological evidence from the Kongling Complex and implications for the reconstruction of supercontinent Columbia

This paper presents petrography, zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic data as well as whole-rock Sm-Nd isotopic data for mafic granulites, metapelitic rocks and high-grade marble from the Kongling Complex in the Yangtze Block, South China. Petrographic observations indicate that these three types of rocks experienced high-pressure metamorphism. Their mineral assemblages and P-T conditions define a clockwise P-T path involving isothermal decompression following the peak high-pressure metamorphism, which is considered to record a continent-continent collisional event. This is systematic documentation of the tectonic evolution of the Kongling Complex from 2.1-2.0 Ga deposition (constrained by youngest detrital zircon and metamorphic zircon) through similar to 2.0 Ga collision (high-pressure metamorphism) and syn-collisional partial melting (S-type granite and migmatization of TTG gneiss) to similar to 1.85 Ga post-collisional extension (A-type high-K granite and mafic dyke). These ages are broadly coincident with global collisional events (2.1-1.8 Ga) that led to the assembly of the Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic Columbia (or Nuna) supercontinent. Therefore, this study provides strong evidence that the Yangtze Block in South China was a component of the Columbia supercontinent. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.