Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2023, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (2): 239-258.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2022.2.87

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Discovery of volcanic rocks in the Pingchau Formation in Tungpingchau, Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark: Zircon U-Pb geochronology, geochemistry and geological implications

WANG Lulin1(), LIU Xiaohong1,*(), ZHANG Zhiguang2   

  1. 1. Institute of Nature & Culture,China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
    2. Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
  • Received:2022-01-11 Revised:2022-04-27 Online:2023-03-25 Published:2023-01-05
  • Contact: LIU Xiaohong

Abstract:

The age of the Pingchau Formation in Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark has been controversial due to lack of geochronological data. In this study a new volcanic interbed was discovered in the lower part of the middle section of the Pingchau Formation, and identified as rhyolitic vitric tuff by thin section analysis. To better understand the petrology and genesis of Pingchau volcanic rocks a detailed geochronology and geochemical study was conducted through zircon U-Pb dating and major and trace element analysis. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating of zircons from two rock samples yielded Early Cretaceous age. These rock samples have high total alkalis (w(Na2O+K2O)) content (5.58%-9.45%), and show obvious light rare earth element fractionation; they are enriched in light rare earth elements and depleted in heavy rare earth elements, with appearance of Eu anomalies. The rock samples are enriched in large ionic lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, Ba), high field strength elements (e.g., Th, U, Pb, Zr), extremely depleted in Sr, and relatively depleted in Ta and Nb. Combined with previous studies on Late Mesozoic volcanic belt in southeastern China, we propose that volcanic rocks of the Pingchau Formation were likely originated from partial melting of crustal rocks in back-arc extensional setting induced by subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate, and formed by late-stage Early Cretaceous volcanic activity in Hong Kong in association with large-scale lithospheric extension, thinning and magmatism along the southeast coast of China. The petrogeochemical and isotopic chronology data in this paper are the latest on the Pingchau Formation, and our results provide valuable new information for better understanding Early Cretaceous volcanism and tectonic evolution in southeastern China.

Key words: Pingchau Formation, zircon U-Pb dating, geochemistry, Early Cretaceous, Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark

CLC Number: