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GEMOC ARC National Key Centre

Dr Ming Zhang

BSc Shanxi Min. Col., MSc China Unive. Geoscs, PhD Lond.

Research Fellow

Contact Details

Office : E7A 517
Phone : 61-(0)2-9850 8414
Fax : 61-(0)2-9850 8943
email : mzhang@els.mq.edu.au

Dr Ming Zhang
GEMOC, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Macquarie University NSW, 2109
AUSTRALIA

Profile

Ming Zhang is a Research Fellow in the ARC National Key Centre for Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny of Continents (GEMOC) at Macquarie University, Sydney.

Fields of research

Ming's main research interests include:

Igneous petrology and geochemistry

Analytical geochemistry

Magmatism-related mineral deposits

Igneous petrology and geochemistry:

  • Geochemistry  and petrogenesis of mantle-derived magmatic rocks and in East Australia and East China, tectonism-magmatism relationship at intraplate and continental margin settings and its tectonic implications. 

East Australia:

  • Pb-Sr-Nd isotope data for NQld, NSW and Tasmania  basalts indicate that Pacific MORB (P-MORB) type isotopic signatures characterise the lava-field basalts (64-8 Ma) in SE Australia, whereas Indian MORB (I-MORB) type isotopic signatures characterise younger basalts (8-0 Ma) from NE Australia.
  • This discovery helps to constrain the changing locus of the major asthenospheric mantle convection cells represented by the P-and I-MORB sources during and following the breakup of the eastern part of Gondwana.
  • These results locates, for the first time, the boundary of these convection cells beneath the Australian continent.

Figure 1 Mt Earl, Cooktown, Far North Queensland

Figure 2 Isotopic framework of subcontinental mantle beneath eastern Australia, an integrated map of the distribution of geochemically (and geotectonically?) distinctive domains in the mantle beneath eastern Australia. It provides a summary of the spatial and temporal distribution of plume, asthenosphere and subcontinental lithospheric mantle reservoirs in eastern Australia as indicated by geochemistry of basalts from 55 Ma to present-day. Red solid dots indicate locations of central-volcano provinces, tracing the locus of the Australian plume over the last 35 million years.

Figure 3 Indian- & Pacific-MORB source mantle convection cells: Distribution of Australian basalts with P-MORB and I-MORB geochemical signatures at two time slices (35 Ma and Present) on a palinspastic reconstruction (Müller et al., 1993). Star represents eastern limit of basalts with Indian MORB isotope signatures at 35 Ma; Solid circle represents translated location (at 35 Ma) of Pacific MORB-type basalts (ca. 60 Ma) from ODP site 282 (Pyle et al., 1995).

References:

Müller, R.D., Royer, J.-Y. & Lawver, L.A. (1993) Revised plate motions relative to the hotspots from combined Atlantic and Indian Ocean hotspot tracks: Geology 21, 275-278.

Pyle, D. G., Christie, D. M., Mahoney, J. J. & Duncan, R. A. (1995). Geochemistry and geochronology of ancient southeast Indian and southwest Pacific seafloor. Journal of Geophysical Research 100, 22261-22282.

East China:

Petrology and geochemistry of mantle and lower crustal xenoliths, evolutionary history of subcontinental lithospheric mantle from the disintegrated Gondwanaland .

Figure 4 Historical volcano – Laoheishan – of mafic potassic rocks in Northeast China with the latest eruption of 1721 AD.

Figure 5 Column joints, a Miocene volcanic plug at Penghu island, Taiwan.      

   

Figure 6 Mantle xenoliths at Hannuoba, North China. The host rocks are Miocene basalts.

Analytical geochemistry

 

Magmatism-related mineral deposits

  • Resources related to mantle-derived magmas: continental flood basalts and Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation.

Publications since 1995:

Refereed Papers in International Journals and Chapters in Books

Zhang, M., O'Reilly, S.Y. and Everard, J.L. (2006). Trace element geochemistry, Radiogenic isotopic characteristics, Mantle sources and petrogenesis. In: Corbett, K. and Quilty, P. (eds) Tertiary Volcanism, The Geological Evolution of Tasmania. (in press).

Beyer, E., O'Reilly, S.Y., Zhang, M., and Everard, J.L. (2006). Mantle xenoliths, Tertiary geotherms and the Tasmanian lithosphere. In Corbett, K. and Quilty, P. (eds) Tertiary Volcanism, The Geological Evolution of Tasmania. (in press).

Yu, J.H., O’Reilly, S. Y., Zhao, L., Griffin, W. L., Zhang, M., Zhou, X.M., Jiang, S., Wang, L., and Wang, R. (2006). Origin and evolution of topaz-bearing granites from the Nanling Range, South China: a geochemical, Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic and geochronological study. Mineralogy and Petrology. (in Press).

Zheng, J., Griffin, W.L., O'reilly, S.Y., Yang, J., Li, T., Zhang, M., Zhang, R.Y. and Liou, J.G. (2006) Mineral Chemistry of Peridotites from Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic Lithosphere: Constraints on Mantle Evolution beneath Eastern China. Journal of Petrology, 47: 2233-2256; doi:10.1093/petrology/egl042

Zheng, J.P., Griffin, W. L., O’Reilly, S. Y., Zhang, M., and Pearson, N. (2006). Zircons in mantle xenoliths record the Triassic Yangtze-North China continental collision. Earth and Planetary Science letters, 247, 130-142.

Zheng, J., Griffin, W. L., O’Reilly, S. Y., Zhang, M., Juhn G. Liou, J.G., and Pearson, N. (2006).  Granulite xenoliths and their zircons, Tuoyun, NW China: Insights into southeastern Tianshan lower crust. Precambrian Research, 145, 159-181.

 Zheng, J., Griffin, W. L., O’Reilly, S. Y. Zhang, M., Pearson, N. and Pan, Y. (2006). Widespread Archean basement beneath the Yangtze craton. Geology, 34, 417-420.

Zheng, J.P., Griffin, W. L., O’Reilly, S. Y., Zhang, M., Pearson, N.,  and Luo, Z. (2006). The lithospheric mantle beneath the Tianshan area, NW China. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 151, 457-479.

Yu. J.H., O’Reilly, S. Y., Zhang, M., Griffin, W. L. and Xu, X. (2005). Roles of melting and metasomatism in the formation of the lithospheric mantle beneath Leizhou Peninsula, South China. Journal of Petrology, 47, 355-383.

Guo, F., Fan, W-M, Wang, Y-J., and Zhang, M., (2004). Origin of early Cretaceous calc-alkaline lamprophyres from the Sulu orogen in eastern China: implications for enrichment processes beneath continental collisional belt. Lithos, 78, 291-305.

Zheng, J., Griffin, W. L., O’Reilly, S. Y., Lu, F., Yu, C., Zhang, M., and Li, H. (2004). U–Pb and Hf-isotope analysis of zircons in mafic xenoliths from Fuxian kimberlites: evolution of the lower crust beneath the North China craton. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., 148, 79–103; DOI 10.1007/s00410-004-0587-x

Fan, W-M, Guo, F., Wang, Y-J., and Zhang, M., (2004). Late Mesozoic volcanism in the northern Huaiyang tectono-magmatic belt, central China: partial melts from a lithospheric mantle with subducted continental crust relicts beneath the Dabie orogen? Chemical Geology 209, 27– 48

Powell, W., Zhang, M., O’Reilly, S.Y. and Tiepolo, M. (2004). Mantle amphibole trace-element and isotopic signatures trace multiple metasomatic episodes in lithospheric mantle, western Victoria. Lithos, 75, 141-171.

Zheng, J., O’Reilly, S. Y., Griffin, W. L., Zhang, M., Lu, F. and Liu., G. (2004). Nature and evolution of Mesozoic-Cenozoic lithospheric mantle beneath the Cathaysia block, SE China. Lithos, 74, 41-65.

Zheng, J., Griffin, W. L.,  O’Reilly, S. Y., Lu, F., Wang, C., Zhang, M., Wang, F., and Li, H. (2004). 3.6 Ga lower crust in central China: new evidence on the assembly of the North China craton. Geology, 32, 229-232.

Yu, J., Xu, X., O'Reilly, S. Y., Griffin, W. L. and Zhang, M. (2004).  Granulite xenoliths from Cenozoic Basalts in SE China provide geochemical fingerprints to distinguish lower crust terranes from the North and South China tectonic blocks - Reply. Lithos, 73, 135-144.

Yu, J., O'Reilly, S. Y., Griffin, W. L., Xu, X., Zhang, M. and Zhou, X.  (2003).  The thermal state and composition of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Leizhou Peninsula, South China.  J. Volcano. Geotherm. Res., 122, 165-189.

Yu, J., Xu, X., O'Reilly, S. Y., Griffin, W. L. and Zhang, M. (2003).  Granulite xenoliths from Cenozoic Basalts in SE China provide geochemical fingerprints to distinguish lower crust terranes from the North and South China tectonic blocks.  Lithos, 67, 77-102

Yu, J., O'Reilly, S. Y., Griffin, W. L., Xu, X., Zhang, M. and Zhou, X.  2003.  The thermal state and composition of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Leizhou Peninsula, South China.  J. Volcano. Geotherm. Res., 122, 165-189.

Beyer, E., O'Reilly, S.Y. and Zhang, M.

Yu, J., Xu, X., O'Reilly, S. Y., Griffin, W. L. and Zhang, M. 2003.  Granulite xenoliths from Cenozoic Basalts in SE China provide geochemical fingerprints to distinguish lower crust terranes from the North and South China tectonic blocks.  Lithos, 67, 77-102

Zhang, M., Stephenson, J., O’Reilly, S.Y., McCulloch, M.T. and Norman, M. (2001).  Petrogenesis and geodynamic implications of late Cenozoic basalts in North Queensland, Australia: trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope evidence. J. Petrology 42, 685-719.

Fan, W.-M., Guo, F., Wang, Y.-J., Lin, G. & Zhang, M., (2001). Post-orogenic bimodal volcanism along the Sulu Orogenic Belt in Eastern China. Phys. Chem. Earth (A) 26, 733-746.

Zheng, J.P, O'Reilly, S.Y., Griffin, W.L., Lu, F., Zhang, M. & Pearson, N.J. (2001).  Relict refractory mantle beneath the eastern North China block: significance for lithosphere evolution.  Lithos 57, 43-66.

Chen, S.H., O'Reilly, S.Y., Zhou, X.H., Griffin, W.L., Zhang, G., Sun, M., Feng, J.L. & Zhang, M. (2001). Thermal and petrological structure of the lithosphere beneath Hannuoba, Sino-Korean Craton, China: evidence from xenoliths. Lithos, 56, 267-301.

Stephenson, J., Zhang, M. & Spry, M. (2000). Fractionation modelling of segregations in the Toomba Basalt, North Queensland. Aus. J. Earth Sci., 47, 291-300.

Zhang, M., Suddaby, P., O'Reilly, S.Y. Norman, M. & Qiu, J. (2000). Nature of the lithospheric mantle beneath the eastern part of the Central Asian Fold Belt: mantle xenolith evidence. Tectonophysics 328, 131-156.

Zheng, J. P., Lu, F., O'Reilly, S.Y., Griffin, W. L., Zhang, M. (2000). Mantle modification and replacement beneath eastern part of North China Block: Laser probe analysis of mantle clinopyroxenes, Science in China (Series D) 30 (4), 376-382.

Zhang, M., O’Reilly, S.Y. and Chen, D. (1999).  Location of Pacific and Indian mid-ocean ridge-type mantle in two time slices: Evidence from Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopes for Cenozoic Australian basalts. Geology, 27, 39-43.

Zheng, J., O’Reilly, S.Y., , Griffin, W.L., Lu, F. & Zhang, M.. (1998). Nature and evolution of Cenozoic lithospheric mantle beneath Shandong Peninsula, North China Platform. International Geology Review, v. 40, 471-499.

Zhang, M., Zhou, X-H., & Zhang J-B. (1998). Nature of the lithospheric mantle beneath NE China: evidence from potassic volcanic rocks and mantle xenoliths.  in Flower, M.F.J., Chung, S.-L., Lo, C.-H., & Lee, T.-Y. (eds) Mantle dynamics and plate interactions in East Asia, American Geophysical Union Geodynamics Series, 27, 197-220.

Chen, S., Zhou, X., O’Reilly, W.L., Griffin, W.L., Zhang, G. & Zhang, M. (1998).  Trace element characteristics in the diopsides of peridotite xenoliths: a laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry study.  Chinese Science Bulletin, 43 (7), 579-583.

Liu, R., Fan, Q., Zheng, X., Zhang, M. & Li, N. (1998).  The magma evolution of Tianchi Volcano, Changbaishan. Science in China (Series D), 41, 382-389.

Zhang, M. & O'Reilly, S.Y. (1997). Multiple sources for basaltic rocks from Dubbo, eastern Australia: geochemical evidence for plume – lithospheric mantle interaction. Chem. Geol. 136, 33-54.

Zhang, M., Suddaby, P., Thompson, R.N., Thirlwall, M.F., & Menzies, M.A. (1995). Potassic rocks in NE China:  Geochemical constraints on mantle source and magma genesis. J. Petrol. 36, 1275-1303.

O'Reilly, S.Y., & Zhang, M. (1995). Geochemical characteristics of lava-field basalts from eastern Australia and inferred sources: connections with the subcontinental lithospheric mantle? Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 121, 148-170.

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