SHRIMP zircon U-Pb geochronological and whole-rock geochemical evidence for an early Neoproterozoic Sibaoan magmatic arc along the southeastern margin of the Yangtze Block

It has been generally accepted that the South China Block was formed through amalgamation of the Yangtze and Cathaysia Blocks during the Proterozoic Sibaoan orogenesis, but the timing and kinematics of the Sibao orogeny are still not well constrained. We report here SHRIMP U-Pb zircon geochronological and geochemical data for the Taohong and Xiqiu tonalite-granodiorite stocks from northeastern Zhejiang, southeastern margin of the Yangtze Block. Our data demonstrate that these rocks, dated at 913 +/- 15 Ma and 905 +/- 14 Ma, are typical amphibole-rich calcalkaline granitoids formed in an active continental margin. Combined with previously reported isotopic dates for the similar to 1.0 Ga ophiolites and similar to 0.97 Ga adakitic rocks from northeastern Jiangxi, the timing of the Sibao orogenesis is thus believed to be between similar to 1.0 and similar to 0.9 Ga in its eastern segment. It is noted that the Sibao orogeny in South China is in general contemporaneous with some other early Neoproterozoic (1.0-0.9 Ga) orogenic belts such as the Eastern Ghats Belt of India and the Rayner Province in East Antarctica, indicating that the assembly of Rodinia was not finally completed until similar to 0.9 Ga. (c) 2006 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.