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YAN Quanshu,SHI Xuefa,YANG Yaomin,WANG Kunshan. 2008. Potassium-argon/argon-40-argon-39 geochronology of Cenozoic alkali basalts from the South China Sea. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, (6):115-123
Potassium-argon/argon-40-argon-39 geochronology of Cenozoic alkali basalts from the South China Sea
Potassium-argon/argon-40-argon-39 geochronology of Cenozoic alkali basalts from the South China Sea
Received:July 14, 2007  Revised:January 18, 2008
DOI:
Key words:Cenozoic alkali basalt  potassium-argon dating  Hainan mantle plume  South China Sea
中文关键词:  Cenozoic alkali basalt  potassium-argon dating  Hainan mantle plume  South China Sea
基金项目:The Special Basic Research Fund for Central Public Research Institutes (First Institute of Oceanograpgy, State Oceanic Administration) under contract No. GY02-2008G38; the Special Plan of Science and Technology Generalship in Qingdao under contract No. 05-2-JC-79; the Special Project of Technical Foundational Work and Social Public Welfare Research under contract No. 2003DIB3J114.
Author NameAffiliationE-mail
YAN Quanshu Key laboratory of Marine Sedimentary and Environment Geology, First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061, China yanquanshu@163.com 
SHI Xuefa Key laboratory of Marine Sedimentary and Environment Geology, First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061, China  
YANG Yaomin Key laboratory of Marine Sedimentary and Environment Geology, First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061, China  
WANG Kunshan Key laboratory of Marine Sedimentary and Environment Geology, First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061, China  
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Abstract:
      Based on the isotopic chronologic results of Cenozoic alkali basalts from the South China Sea, the characteristics of volcanic activity of the South China Sea after spreading were studied. The potassium-argon ages of eight alkali basalt samples from the South China Sea, and the argon-argon ages of two samples among them are reported. Apparent ages of the whole rock are 3.80 to 7.91 Ma with an average value of 5.43 Ma (potassium-argon, whole rock), and there is little difference among samples at the same location, e.g., 4.76~5.78 Ma for location S04-12. The argon-argon ages for the two samples are 6.06 and 4.71 Ma, which lie within the age scope of potassium-argon method. The dating results indicate that rock-forming age is from late Miocene to Pliocene, which is consistent with erupting event for alkali basalts from adjacent regions of the South China Sea. Volcanic activities occur after the cessation of spreading of the South China Sea, which are controlled by lithospheric fault and the spreading center formed during the spreading period of the South China Sea. These dating results, combined with geochemical characteristics of these basalts, the published chronological data for the South China Sea and its adjacent regions, and the updated geophysical data near Hainan Island, suggest that after the cessation of spreading of the South China Sea, there occur widely distributing magmatic activities which primarily is alkali basalt, and the volcanic activity continues to Quaternary. The activity may be relative to Hainan mantle plume originated from core/mantle boundary.
中文摘要:
      Based on the isotopic chronologic results of Cenozoic alkali basalts from the South China Sea, the characteristics of volcanic activity of the South China Sea after spreading were studied. The potassium-argon ages of eight alkali basalt samples from the South China Sea, and the argon-argon ages of two samples among them are reported. Apparent ages of the whole rock are 3.80 to 7.91 Ma with an average value of 5.43 Ma (potassium-argon, whole rock), and there is little difference among samples at the same location, e.g., 4.76~5.78 Ma for location S04-12. The argon-argon ages for the two samples are 6.06 and 4.71 Ma, which lie within the age scope of potassium-argon method. The dating results indicate that rock-forming age is from late Miocene to Pliocene, which is consistent with erupting event for alkali basalts from adjacent regions of the South China Sea. Volcanic activities occur after the cessation of spreading of the South China Sea, which are controlled by lithospheric fault and the spreading center formed during the spreading period of the South China Sea. These dating results, combined with geochemical characteristics of these basalts, the published chronological data for the South China Sea and its adjacent regions, and the updated geophysical data near Hainan Island, suggest that after the cessation of spreading of the South China Sea, there occur widely distributing magmatic activities which primarily is alkali basalt, and the volcanic activity continues to Quaternary. The activity may be relative to Hainan mantle plume originated from core/mantle boundary.
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