Geochronological and geochemical comparison of Precambrian meta-mafic volcanics in Zhongtiaoshan and Lüliangshan Regions in Shanxi, North China Craton

To unravel the geochemical heterogeneity and its origin in different terranes of North China, we conducted geochronological and geochemical analyses of the meta-mafic rocks from the Luliang–Zhongtiao rift zone (Shanxi Province). LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating yielded mostly End-Neoarchean to Proterozoic ages for the basement rocks (Sushui Complex: 2516 ± 26 Ma; Meta-mafic rocks: 2494 ± 31 Ma), Jiangxian Group (~ 2213 Ma), Zhongtiao Group (2077 ± 29 Ma), Jiehekou Group (1998 ± 23 Ma), and Luliang Group (2152 ± 52 Ma). Petrographic characteristics show that the meta-mafic rocks from the Neoarchean–Paleoproterozoic Zhongtiaoshan (Sushui Complex) have similar geochemical characteristics to the overlying Jiangxian and Zhongtiao Groups. The Paleoproterozoic Luliang and Yejishan Group meta-mafic rocks from Luliangshan also have similar geochemical characteristics but are geochemically different from similar-age rocks from Zhongtiaoshan. This shows that the late-stage rocks have a geochemical inheritance from the early-stage rocks in the same region and that the geochemical heterogeneity of rocks from different areas was originated from the inherited heterogeneity of the magma source.