Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age of Caledonian granites from Precambrian basement in Yunkai area and its geological implications

Abstract：LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating was conducted for zircons from four gneissic granites in Yunkai area, which were assigned to Precambrian basement rocks or Neoproterozoic intrusion in 1∶250000 geological survey. The dating yielded 206Pb/238U weighted mean of 443.3±2.6 Ma (sample 1009, Lutou Reservoir in Luchuan City), 445.7 ±2.3Ma (sample 1010, Yuedong in Luchuan city), 441.1±2.0Ma (sample 1012, Xieji in Gaozhou city) and 443.7±1.7Ma (sample 1018, Zhusha in Xinyi city), suggesting that these rocks are Caledonian products rather than Precambrian basement or Neoproterozoic intrusive rocks. In combination with previous studies, the authors hold that these granites probably resulted from partial melting of the Proterozoic materials due to the Caledonian orogeny in South China. These results and recently published data (Caledonian) for the so-called Precambrian basement rocks, such as the crystallization age or metamorphic age of gneissic granite and gneiss, indicate that Yunkai area has undergone extensive reformation by the Caledonian orogeny. Actually, the Precambrian basement of Yunkai area mainly consists of gneissic rocks and meta-sedimentary rocks, which serve as the representative of the Gaozhou complex and the Yunkai Group, respectively. The Gaozhou complex was formed during the Meso- to Neo-proterozoic and the Yunkai Group might have been formed in the Neoproterozoic. The Paleo- to Meso-Proterozoic crystallized basement does exist in Cathaysia Block, however，which is not so widely distributed as previously thought.