Abstract
We report a newly discovered Paleoproterozoic granitoid at the northern margin of the Maizuru Terrane (Tsuwano area, southwestern Shimane Prefecture, SW Japan). The granitoid is associated with metadolerite and metagabbro, and appears as lenticular blocks within a narrow (150-300 m wide) zone. Orthogneiss and tonalite-quartz diorite from the granitoid yield zircon U‒Pb ages of 1836±17 Ma and 1853 ± 14 Ma, respectively. Younger U‒Pb ages of 415.2±2.5 Ma were obtained from a granodioritic lithology. The Paleoproterozoic zircon grains commonly contain inherited older (2800‒2100 Ma) cores. The Paleoproterozoic age of the granitoid body supports the suggestion that this part of the Maizuru Terrane includes exotic blocks that originated from the North China Craton. The younger (Early Devonian) granodiorite is possibly related to igneous rocks of similar age from the Maizuru‒Oe area (Northern Zone of the Maizuru Terrane). Based on the lithology and structural position of the Paleoproterozoic rocks, it is suggested that they are part of the Northern Zone. The recognition of a narrow zone of Paleoproterozoic rocks embedded in Permian strata is in contrast to the nappe structure in SW Japan, which typically contains older units at higher structural positions. We therefore suggest that the Paleoproterozoic blocks were displaced by strike-slip faulting along the northern boundary of the Maizuru Terrane.
