Extreme crustal metamorphism during Columbia supercontinent assembly: Evidence from North China Craton

A vast supracrustal belt of khondalites (granulite facies metapelites) occur along the northern margin of the North China Craton. We report here for the first time spinel + quartz equilibrium assemblage from these rocks in two textural settings: (1) high ZnO (up to 14.47 wt.%) spinel with quartz as inclusions within garnet porphyroblasts defining pressure above 12 kbar and temperature of 900 °C; and (2) low ZnO (down to 1.2 wt.%) spinel in association with quartz in the matrix assemblage formed during peak ultrahigh-temperature conditions (ca. 975 °C and 9 kbar). We present a unique case of decompression where the metamorphic conditions of the rocks traversed mostly through the spinel + quartz (extended) stability field. Monazite grains in textural association with both types of spinel + quartz textures were analysed for age determination, and the data define two age peaks at 1927 ± 11 Ma and 1819 ± 11 Ma. Since the peak thermal regime of the khondalites was close to or exceeded the theoretical closure temperature of Pb in monazite, we infer the 1819 ± 11 Ma age as the timing of ultrahigh-temperature event in this craton. Our data lend support to the idea of ca. 1.9–1.8 Ga E–W collisional orogen at the northern margin of the North China Craton. We correlate the extreme crustal metamorphism with tectonics associated with the assembly of the North China Craton within the Columbia supercontinent.