Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

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The Tam Ky-Phuoc Son Shear Zone in central Vietnam: Tectonic and
metallogenic implications
Hai Thanh Tran a,⁎, Khin Zaw b, Jacqueline A. Halpin b, Takayuki Manaka b, Sebastien Meffre b, Chun-Kit Lai b,
Youjin Lee b, Hai Van Le c, Sang Dinh b
a
Department of Geology, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Hanoi, Viet Nam
b
CODES ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 126, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
c
Olympus Pacific Minerals Inc., Da Nang, Viet Nam

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The Tam Ky-Phuoc Son Shear Zone (TKPSSZ) is one of the most pronounced crustal structures in central Vietnam
Received 19 August 2012 and juxtaposes high-grade rocks of the Kontum Massif against lower grade rocks of the Truong Son Fold Belt. An
Received in revised form 15 April 2013 internal zone comprises highly strained rocks, including ultramafic–mafic tectonites, bounded by mylonitic
Accepted 15 April 2013
zones that straddle tens to hundreds of kilometers. An external zone comprises mainly high-grade metamorphic
Available online 7 May 2013
complexes (southern flank), and weakly metamorphosed siliciclastic and carbonate rocks with subordinate
Keywords:
greenstone (northern flank). Detailed structural analysis reveals that the shear zone is a multi-deformed terrane:
Gold D1 produced a regional high grade schistosity and mylonitization; D2 generated regional northwest–southeast
Suture zone trending fold arrays and brittle–ductile shear zones; D3 locally produced northeast-trending folds; brittle faulting
Tectonic mélange occurred during D4–D5. U–Pb dating of zircon and monazite suggests that D1 involved metamorphism and felsic
Indosinian magmatism at ca. 430 Ma, recording part of a regional collisional orogeny. Monazite and titanite growth at ca.
Dac Sa and Bong Mieu gold deposits 250–240 Ma in basement rocks is synchronous with widespread syn- to post-D2 magmatism between ca. 260
and 245 Ma suggesting a second major collisional event during the Indosinian Orogeny. D3 may have occurred
as part of (or soon after) this Permo-Triassic event. Deformation during post-collisional stages, perhaps in re-
sponse to extrusion/wedging and oroclinal rotation of terranes, led to post-D3 structures (D4–D5). The E–W
trending TKPSSZ is here shown to be a continuation of the N–S trending Po Ko Shear Zone (PKSZ). Most of the
significant lode gold occurrences in central Vietnam occur along this TKPSSZ–PKSZ structure and are associated
with, and controlled by, D1 ductile to ductile–brittle high-strain zones. Mineralized later-stage structures support
remobilization and reconcentration of ore during subsequent events at ca. 240 Ma (Re–Os molybdenite age). The
TKPSSZ–PKSZ D1 structure likely represents part of a paleosuture zone, marking the closure of an ancient ocean
basin through terrane assembly in the Early Paleozoic.
© 2013 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
In central Indochina, an extensive zone of shear-bounded, mélange-
style exotic blocks of heterogeneous composition, including ophiolite-
type mafic–ultramafic blocks and arc-type volcanic assemblages, has
been termed the Tam Ky-Phuoc Son Shear (or Suture) Zone (TKPSSZ,
Nguyen and Tran, 1992; Nguyen, 2001; Quynh et al., 2004; Lepvrier et
al., 2004). The shear zone generally trends east–west, from the East
Sea (or South China Sea), near Tam Ky in the east, and extends more
than 100 km to Phuoc Son district, near the Vietnam–Laos international
border in the west, where it is transected by a series of complex cross
⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +84 4 3838 4048.
E-mail address: tranthanhhai.geo@humg.edu.vn (H.T. Tran).
faults and folds (Fig. 1). West of Phuoc Son, the shear zone appears to
trend into and across the Laos border but surface exposure is not clearly
defined. This zone forms the margin of the Kontum Massif, central
Vietnam, where it separates the generally high-grade metamorphic
rocks of the, probably Precambrian, Kontum Massif in the south against
the lower grade Early Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the north (Fig. 1).
Along the TKPSSZ, numerous gold occurrences of various sizes have
been identified, some of which comprise important economic gold de-
posits, which have long been explored and/or mined.
Structural interpretation from recent investigations along the
TKPSSZ (Tran et al., 2008, 2009) indicates that this shear zone is char-
acterized by thermotectonic reworking. Most of the rocks were
stretched, flattened, isoclinally folded and extensively mylonitized,
forming of an up to tens of km thick high-strain zone. The ductile fab-
rics were successively refolded and faulted by later deformational
events. The repeated folding and fracturing led to complex geometry
and surface expression of the shear zone.

1342-937X/$ – see front matter © 2013 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2013.04.008
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164
All of the major gold occurrences along this major crustal struc-
ture appear to be shear zone-hosted, lode-type and closely associat-
ed with, or controlled by, the brittle–ductile to ductile shear zones
which are part of the main TKPSSZ (Nguyen, 1996; Banks et al.,
2004; Borisenko et al., 2006). Despite this intimate relationship
with ore deposits, the nature and origin of this shear zone are not
well understood and age constraints for the host rocks and the
timing of mineralization are scarce. Some workers suggest that the
TKPSSZ juxtaposes two continental blocks to form Indochina (e.g.,
Lepvrier et al., 2004) whereas others argue that this zone is an
intracontinental structure that formed during an orogenic event
(i.e. Indosinian Orogeny; e.g. Gatinsky and Hutchison, 1987). In this
paper, we review previous limited geological investigations and
present the results of our recent work on the structural and geochro-
nological history of the TKPSSZ, regional implications, as well as its
relationship to gold metallogeny.
2. Regional geological setting
The central Indochina area comprises a ‘core’ block, generally known
as the Kontum Massif (part of the Truong Son Fold Belt), of dominantly
high-grade para- and ortho-gneissic rocks, which are intruded by nu-
merous magmatic complexes of varying age and origin. Low-grade
and unmetamorphosed sedimentary rocks are rare within the Kontum
Massif but extensively cover much of the northern and western part
of central Indochina (Fig. 1a). Metamorphic conditions reach
high-T/ultrahigh-P (~ 900 °C at ~ 40 kbar) overprinted by high-T
to ultrahigh-T/med- to high-P (up to ~1000 °C at 11–12 kbar) in the
core zone (Kannack and Ngoc Linh complexes: Nam et al., 2001;
Nakano et al., 2007; Osanai et al., 2008) and peak conditions are
~700–750 °C at ~6–8 kbar along the western and northern margins of
the massif (Kham Duc Complex: Osanai et al., 2008; Usuki et al.,
2009). These metamorphic assemblages delineate a clockwise P–T evo-
lution and are interpreted to represent differing crustal levels during
orogenesis (Osanai et al., 2008). Although early geological maps in Viet-
nam considered rocks of the Kontum Massif to be Archean to Proterozo-
ic in age, recent geochronology demonstrates the prevalence of
Ordo-Silurian (i.e. ‘Caledonian’) and Permo-Triassic (i.e. ‘Indosinian’)
ages (e.g. Carter et al., 2001; Nagy et al., 2001; Nam et al., 2001; Lan
et al., 2003; Lepvrier et al., 2004; Maluski et al., 2005; Nakano et al.,
2007; Roger et al., 2007; Nakano et al., 2008) and detrital zircon ages
suggest that protoliths of the basement metasedimentary rocks were
derived from Gondwana continental margin and deposited during the
Neoproterozoic–Early Paleozoic (Usuki et al., 2009; Burret et al.,
2014–in this issue). While these studies demonstrate that the central
part of Vietnam and adjacent areas in Indochina underwent two
major thermotectonic events during the Ordo-Silurian and
Permo-Triassic, their regional significance is debated. The latter event
is widely known as the Indosinian Orogeny (Fromaget, 1937), tradition-
ally interpreted as recording the amalgamation of the Indochina and
South China blocks (e.g. Lepvrier et al., 2004; Hutchison, 2007;
Lepvrier et al., 2008; Nakano et al., 2008; Osanai et al., 2008), but
which has also been attributed to far-field stresses associated with the
docking of Sibumasu with Indochina (Carter and Clift, 2008). The
Ordo-Silurian event in Indochina has been interpreted either as related
to arc magmatism (Nagy et al., 2001), extension within Gondwana
(Carter et al., 2001) or continental collision (Usuki et al., 2009).
Major crustal structures within the central part of Indochina in-
clude the TKPSSZ and the Po Ko Shear (or Fault) Zone (PKSZ),
which contain abundant shear-bounded allochthonous assemblages,
including probable ophiolitic rocks, and have been interpreted by
some workers as sites of ocean closure during the assembly of micro-
continental blocks (e.g., Nguyen and Tran, 1992; Lepvrier et al., 1997;
Van et al., 2001; Lepvrier et al., 2004, 2008). The TKPSSZ lies along the
northern margin of the Kontum Block, whereas the PKSZ forms its west-
ern flank (Lepvrier et al., 2004, 2008). Both zones separate the highly
145
metamorphosed (granulite facies) rocks of the Kontum Massif against
the lower grade early Paleozoic sedimentary successions of the rest of
the Truong Son Fold Belt (Fig. 1). Numerous gold deposits have been iden-
tified along these shear zones and therefore they are considered impor-
tant structural controls for gold mineralization in this region (see below).
Given the different interpretations of the significance of the TKPSSZ
and PKSZ (i.e. suture zones vs. intraplate shear zones), the genetic rela-
tionship of the Kontum Massif to the wider Truong Son Fold Belt is con-
troversial. Many workers consider the Kontum Massif and Truong Son
Fold Belt to represent parts of the same terrane involved in Indosinian
collisional orogenesis (e.g., Nakano et al., 2008; Osanai et al., 2008;
Nakano et al., 2010). However, the presence of lithotectonic markers in-
cluding exotic blocks of differing compositions, age and origins, from
remnants of oceanic crust to arc-type intrusive and extrusive rocks that
are interleaved with sedimentary sequences and high-grade metamor-
phic rocks along the walls of extensively highly strained zones strongly
supports a paleosuture setting for these major crustal structures. Consid-
ering structural and geochronological data collected recently in these
areas, Lepvrier et al. (2004, 2008) suggested a model involving oceanic
subduction along the PKSZ during the Permo-Triassic. With the
emerging significance of the Ordo-Silurian thermotectonism in Vietnam
(e.g. Carter et al., 2001; Roger et al., 2007) and throughout SE China
(e.g. Li et al., 2010 and the references therein), a Paleozoic collision be-
tween continental fragments has also been discussed, at least along the
Song Ma suture zone between Indochina and South China (e.g. Carter
and Clift, 2008; Usuki et al., 2009).
3. General structural features
The TKPSSZ is a complexly deformed domain, which can be separated
into internal and external regions. The internal part of the TKPSSZ
extends tens of km across strike and is represented by numerous
highly-strained exotic blocks with variable composition, size, age and or-
igin (Nguyen Van Trang, 1986; Nguyen, 2001). These include strongly
dismembered, sheared and serpentinized ultramafic to plagiogranite
blocks which form part of the Hiep Duc Complex (or ‘ophiolite’, Tran,
2009a). These bodies are scattered hundreds of km along strike and are
considered to be remnants of ancient oceanic crust (Nguyen, 2001;
Izokh et al., 2006; Fig. 1a,b). They are surrounded by metasedimentary
rocks and locally felsic orthogneiss (Trinh, 2009a, 2009b), which, in
many places, are severely deformed to form km-thick mylonite zones.
The external parts of the TKPSSZ are variable in composition and degree
of deformation. The northern portion of the external zone comprises pre-
dominately dismembered and shear-bounded units of interpreted Late
Proterozoic to Early Paleozoic greenstone (Nui Vu Formation) and weak-
ly metamorphosed Early Paleozoic rocks comprising mainly of sericite,
chlorite and graphite schist and carbonate rocks (A Vuong Formation;
Nguyen Van Trang, 1986; Pham and Tran, 2009; Fig. 1a). These rocks
are unconformably overlain by early Triassic volcanogenic assemblages
and late Triassic fluvial to lacustrine gray molasse deposits comprising
conglomerate, sandstone and coal-bearing successions, which form
part of the Nong Son Basin (Nguyen Van Trang, 1986; Fig. 1a). Along
the southern flank of the TKPSSZ, thick assemblages of primarily
medium-P, high-grade metamorphic rocks, including garnet–kyanite–
sillimanite-bearing schist and gneiss (Phan, 1991; Usuki et al., 2004;
Nakano et al., 2007; Osanai et al., 2008; Usuki et al., 2009), interlayered
with amphibolite, calc-silicate, and quartzite that comprise the Kham
Duc Complex (Nguyen Van Trang, 1986; Trinh, 2009a) are extensively
exposed (Fig. 1a).
Both sides of the TKPSSZ are intruded by numerous magmatic
bodies of variable composition, from mafic and intermediate to felsic
compositions and include plutons and pegmatitic dykes and sills. The
age of these intrusive rocks ranges from the Silurian to the Triassic
(e.g., Carter et al., 2001; Nagy et al., 2001; Lepvrier et al., 2004;
Trinh, 2009b; Fig. 1a). Many of the Silurian–Devonian intrusive com-
plexes have also undergone several ductile deformation and
146 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

high-grade recrystallization events (Carter et al., 2001; Nagy et al.,
2001; Trinh, 2009b, 2009c). In contrast, the younger intrusive bodies
(currently considered to be Permian to Triassic in age) appear to in-
trude and/or crosscut the early regional deformational fabrics and
have undergone only minor brittle deformation (Tran et al., 2009).
The western extension of TKPSSZ, northwest of Kham Duc town, is
not clearly defined in outcrop. Some workers have suggested that
the shear zone extends northwestward to the border and into Laos
(e.g., Nam et al., 2001; Quynh et al., 2004). Lepvrier et al. (2004) on
the other hand, suggested that the TKPSSZ does not extend far to the
west but merges with the north–south trending PKSZ in the Kham
Duc area. The PKSZ extends southward from the west of Kham Duc
and merges with other northwest–southeast trending structural zones
that form the southwestern margin of the Kontum Massif (Fig. 1a).

Fig. 1. a. Location of the TKPSSZ in Indochina (inset) and simplified structural map showing major litho-tectonic pattern and structural relationships of major tectonic elements
along the TKPSSZ in central Vietnam (geological background modified from Nguyen Van Trang, 1986), A–B, C–D, E–F are cross-section transects in panel b. Blocks I, II, and III
are areas used for stereonet statistics in panel c. Location Geoch 1 is the site of sample KD10-32/1 collected for U–Pb age dating (discussed in text). b. Generalized structural
cross-sections across the TKPSSZ, showing possible relationships of major geological elements at depth. c. Structural analysis of the dominant structural fabrics found in selected
blocks within the study area: (A), (B), (C) Lower hemisphere stereo plots of representative dominant structural data from blocks I, II, and III in panel a, showing variably orientated
S0/S1 and L1 fabrics as a consequence of subsequent deformation events; (D) Combination of S0/S1 for 3 blocks, indicating its complex distribution pattern due to repeated folding: in
which the axial trace of near recumbent F1 isoclinal folds can be locally extrapolated, whereas northwest-southeasterly trending F2 folds are the dominant structural feature;
northeast-southwesterly trending F3 folds can also be extrapolated; (E) Mean trends of the L1 stretching lineation, which concentrates in 2 small circles indicating their refolding
during subsequent deformation.
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164 147

Fig. 1 (continued).

4. Gold mineralization Baxter et al., 1993; Banks et al., 2004; Quynh et al., 2004; Sullivan
and Kociumbas, 2004; Borisenko et al., 2006; Tran et al., 2006;
The TKPSSZ hosts major gold deposits, including the well-known Manaka et al., 2010; Lee, 2010; Fig. 1a). In many cases, gold is located
Phuoc Son (or Dak Sa) and Bong Mieu deposits (Dzung, 1990; within, and controlled by, regional-scale ductile shear zones (e.g.,
148 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

a
b

c d

e f

gt

Ky

Sil

g h

Gt
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164 149

Banks et al., 2004; Quynh et al., 2004). Gold resources at Phuoc Son
consist of two ore bodies (i.e., North and South deposits), which are
located in the southern end of the license area. Gold mineralization
(free gold associated with late-stage hydrothermal veins, closely as-
sociated with other sulfides such as pyrrhotite, pyrite, galena, sphal-
erite and chalcopyrite) is commonly present in carbonaceous black
shale and shows a close spatial relation with granitic dykes
(Manaka et al., 2010). The characteristics of the Phuoc Son deposits
are compatible to an orogenic-type sediment-hosted gold system
formed during at least two stages; initial accumulation of gold is
interpreted to have been sourced from the host black shale during
the Ordovician–Silurian and remobilized or reconstituted by Triassic
magmatism (Manaka et al., 2010).
In comparison, the Bong Mieu gold deposit to the east is more de-
formed and consists of three major deposits including Bong Mieu Central
(Ho Gan), Bong Mieu East (Ho Ray and Thac Trang) and Bong Mieu Un-
derground (Nui Kem). The host rocks are strongly schistose and gneissic
rocks such as garnet–biotite gneiss, biotite–sillimanite gneiss, sericite–
biotite schist, quartz–feldspar–biotite gneiss, and garnet-bearing am-
phibolite gneiss. The deposit is structurally associated with an anticline,
which is a gentle open fold with an axis plunging to the east and/or
southeast with shallowly dipping limbs. Gold mineralization generally
occurs as quartz–sulfide veins, quartz–sulfide breccia and/or disseminat-
ed sulfides in schist that are typically hosted in shear zones developed
parallel to the metamorphic foliation. The ore minerals are electrum, na-
tive gold, pyrite, magnetite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena,
arsenopyrite, bismuthinite, molybdenite, and scheelite (Lee, 2010).
Hydrothermal fluids driven by intrusives are currently interpreted as
having provided the mineralization at Bong Mieu (Quynh et al., 2004).
Previous work suggests that mineralization occurred during the Triassic
and Cretaceous times (Tran et al., 2006), or at ca. 200 Ma (Pb-isotope age
from galena; Dzung, 1988 quoted by Quynh et al., 2004), or ca. 113 Ma
(Ar–Ar age of sericite; Borisenko et al., 2006).
5. Structural analysis of the Tam Ky-Phuoc Son Shear Zone
Our current study distinguishes at least five major deformational
events within the TKPSSZ; each event produced a discrete generation
of structures. Furthermore, deformation styles are comparable to the
northern PKSZ. The major features of these structures are summa-
rized below.
towards the contact with surrounding supracrustal rocks and locally
becomes mylonitic (Fig. 2d). This type of modified contact between
these intrusive complexes and the supracrustal rocks suggests that
the former are allochthons that were emplaced along detached
shear zones. Many small felsic dykes and veins were also deformed
and rotated parallel to S1 (Fig. 2a). This indicates that the earliest fo-
liation in some magmatic rocks was formed concordantly with and by
the same tectonic event that deformed the surrounding rocks.
The upper amphibolite facies, medium-pressure mineral assem-
blages within the Kham Duc Complex, which mainly comprise kyanite/
sillimanite–garnet–biotite–K-feldspar assemblages are commonly
aligned subparallel to and partly produced the S1 foliation (Fig. 2e–f).
Locally, garnet and K-feldspar grains were rotated within S1 planes,
forming asymmetric winged porphyroclasts (Fig. 2g–h). In some intru-
sive complexes, extensive mylonitization produced strongly foliated
augen gneisses. The gneissic foliation in such rocks is subparallel to
the major S1 fabrics in the surrounding metasedimentary rocks. The tex-
tural relations of high-grade assemblages with the structural fabrics
thus indicate D1-coeval high-grade metamorphism.
It is likely that the D1 isoclinal folding and early high-strain zone de-
velopment are associated with a thrusting event in the area. Evidence
for D1 thrusts can be observed widely and is characterized by numerous
commonly ductile shear zones of varying sizes (Figs. 1a,b, 2, 3). The
shear zones are spatially extensive with thicknesses varying from sever-
al tens of centimeters to hundreds of meters (Fig. 3a,b). In such zones,
rocks of various lithological units commonly exhibit a stronger S1 fabric
towards major high strain zones with obvious changes in strain gradi-
ent from weakly foliated to ultramylonitic fabrics (Figs. 2, 3).
Heterogeneous mélanges of ultramafic and other rock types of dif-
fering composition bounded by shear fabrics occur along D1 shear
zones and become part of the high-strain zones, forming typical
pinch-and-swell structures or asymmetric boudins (Figs. 2c, 3a).
Mesoscopic shear sense indicators also include C–S fabrics (Fig. 3b),
asymmetric isoclinal and sheath folds (Fig. 3c), extensive stretching
lineations (Fig. 3d) and winged porphyroclasts (Fig. 2g,h). In places, op-
posing kinematic indicators (e.g., reverse, normal, and oblique slip di-
rections) or overprinting of the younger shear fabrics on older shear
or S1 fabrics in the shear zones (e.g., Fig. 3e) or being folded by subse-
quent deformations (Fig. 3f,g) indicates that the shear zones endured
a long-lived reactivation history (see also Baxter et al., 1993; Sullivan
and Kociumbas, 2004).

5.1. First generation structures (D1) 5.2. Second generation structures (D2)

The earliest recognizable deformation (D1) is characterized by a
penetrative regional foliation (S1) that is accompanied by isoclinal
folding, thrusting and regional upper amphibolite-facies metamor-
phism. D1 affected all metasedimentary units and a wide range of in-
trusive rocks including ultramafic–mafic bodies (Hiep Duc Complex;
Fig. 2c), and regionally extensive felsic-intermediate intrusive massifs
(e.g., Dai Loc, Tra Bong and Chu Lai complexes). Primary sedimentary
layering or magmatic fabrics were commonly flattened and rotated
parallel to the S1 foliation (Fig. 2a) that is locally axial planar to coeval
F1 isoclinal folds. F1 isoclinal folds are commonly rootless and locally
observed at different scales (Fig. 2b). The foliation is more intense
All rock packages and D1 structures in the study area were folded
by a second regional deformational event. The structures produced by
this phase of deformation (D2) comprise regionally extensive, vertical
to inclined major folds (F2). The second folding event led to the for-
mation of broad east–west trending anticlinorium/synclinorium sys-
tems (Fig. 1a). This F2 folding is defined regionally by a systematic
change of dip direction of preexisting S1/S0 fabrics as well as the de-
velopment of S2 cleavage and F2 folds (Fig. 1b,c). Mesoscopic F2
folds are locally observed at outcrops (Fig. 4a,b) and in drill core
(Figs. 3e, 4c). In the Kham Duc area where a large F2 fold closure is ex-
trapolated, mesoscopic F2 systems are abundant (Fig. 4a). F2 folds are

Fig. 2. Representative D1 structures observed in rocks of the TKPSSZ. a) Strongly stretched and flattened felsic intrusive bodies within highly strained metasedimentary rocks exposed northeast
of Kham Duc town (shear sense top to the northwest (right)); b) Rootless isoclinal folds within a high-strain (shear) zone in metasedimentary rocks exposed north of Kham Duc town; c) Part of
an ultramafic body, which has been interpreted as part of an ophiolitic assemblage, exposed along a road cutting north of Kham Duc town; d) Highly strained to mylonitic felsic orthogneisses
exposed south of Kham Duc town; e) Photomicrograph of variably deformed garnet–sillimanite schist of the Kham Duc Complex in the Ho Ray area, Bong Mieu gold deposit. Note that garnet
grains are partly rotated with weakly developed wings and are wrapped by a well-developed foliation. Photo taken under crossed nichols; f) Photomicrograph of a kyanite schist of the Kham
Duc Complex in the Ho Ray area, Bong Mieu gold deposit. Photo taken under crossed nichols. g) Photomicrograph showing stretched and partly rotated winged K-feldspar porphyroclasts par-
allel to S1 in a mylonitic garnet–biotite gneiss (Kham Duc Complex), Ho Ray drill core (HR 223), Bong Mieu gold deposit. Note the sigma-type wings in the central part of photo. Photo taken
under plane polarized light — field of view 10.5 mm. h) Photomicrograph of a partly rotated garnet porphyroclast parallel to S1 in Ho Ray drill core (HR 223), Bong Mieu gold deposit.
Fine-grained chlorite (left) and biotite (right) have partially replaced the delta-type wings of porphyroclast. Photo taken under plane polarized light — field of view 10.5 mm.
150 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

commonly accompanied by a strong crenulation or spaced cleavage hinge zone of the F2 folds from east–west in the north to north-
(S2). Structural analysis (Fig. 1b,c) strongly suggests that the TKPSSZ west–southeast and/or northerly orientation in the southern part
was folded by a major F2 fold system in the Kham Duc area, which (Fig. 1a). In this case, the north–south trending PKSZ may be part of
led to the changes in regional trend of the shear zone around the the folded TKPSSZ.

b c

d e
`Ss1
F2

D2 shear

f D1 shear g
F3

F2
`S1 `Ss
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164 151

Late to post D2 shearing is recognized by the deformation of D2 folds
and/reactivation or overprinting of D1 shear zones by ductile fabrics
along generally east–west to northwest–southeast trending high strain
zones. These zones commonly coincide with major D1 shear zones
where D1 shear fabrics are commonly transposed sub-parallel to the
D2 shear planes (Fig. 3e). Some workers considered that these shear
zones represent the major, dominantly dextral strike slip, shearing
event that took place contemporaneous with high-grade metamor-
phism at ca. 240 Ma (e.g., Lepvrier et al., 2004; Vu et al., 2007).
The second deformation event was also concurrent with the genera-
tion of intrusive bodies of various sizes and composition across the area
(Fig. 1a), which have been previously in part dated at ca. Permian–
Triassic in age by various methods (Tran, 2009a, 2009b and the refer-
ences herein). The D2-related magmatic bodies were, in turn, partly
deformed by later deformation, including weakly folding and brittle
fracturing. In Bong Mieu area, intrusive bodies of this generation are
locally associated with molybdenite and gold mineralization (see next
section).
5.3. Third generation structures (D3)
The structures produced by third phase deformation (D3) comprise
gentle to open, NE–SW trending, kink-style, sub-vertical to steeply dip-
ping axial planar folds (F3) that are locally present in the study area
(Figs. 1a,c, 3g, 4c–e). The large-scale F3 folds are recognized on the geo-
logical map where they gently refold the axial traces of F2 with long
wavelengths (Fig. 1a).
The overprinting of third generation folds on older F2 or F1 folds
locally produces a complex interference pattern, which contributed
to the formation of asymmetric, east–west trending dome and basin
structures. However, F3 folds are commonly weakly developed and
discontinuous and as such do not significantly affect the regional
structural trend produced by earlier deformation events.
5.4. Fourth generation structures (D4)
The fourth generation structures (D4) were represented by abun-
dant generally small-scale, NW–SE trending, SW or NE dipping
reverse, brittle fault zones. On an outcrop scale, these faults com-
monly include zones of meter-thick cataclasite and/or breccia
(Fig. 5a), fault gouge, slickenside or altered rocks that crosscut all
structures produced by D1 to D3 deformation. In places these struc-
tures are associated with quartz–carbonate veining that commonly
forms thin veins or stockworks that infill brittle fractures and faults
(Fig. 5b).
5.5. Fifth generation structures (D5)
The structures produced by the fifth phase of deformation (D5) are
represented by brittle, sub-vertical or steeply dipping, NE–SW or
NW–SE trending oblique strike slip or normal faults (Fig. 6a,b). The
brittle faults commonly include zones of cataclasite, breccia, fault
gouge, or slickenside.
The formation of these fault systems is considered to have taken
place during the latest phase of regional deformation. Although
abundant cross-cutting brittle faults of undifferentiated motions
have been recognized or inferred on previous maps (Nguyen Van
Trang, 1986), we dispute the existence of large-scale brittle faults and
any significant relative displacement in them. It appears that many
faults mapped previously are over extrapolated or inferred. The exis-
tence and nature of many late brittle structures should therefore be
the subject of further investigation.
6. Structural controls on gold mineralization
Along the TKPSSZ, D1 shear zones host numerous gold-bearing
quartz veins, which in many cases form major gold deposits, including
the well-known Phuoc Son (Dak Sa) and Bong Mieu gold deposits
(Baxter et al., 1993; Quynh et al., 2004; Sullivan and Kociumbas, 2004;
Borisenko et al., 2006; Manaka et al., 2010; Lee, 2010). During the
course of this study, we examined in detail the structural controls on
gold mineralization at Bong Mieu and Phuoc Son deposits.
Sulfide-bearing gold mineralization, which comprises mostly pyrite
and lesser pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite (Manaka et
al., 2010), is localized in variably deformed quartz and/or pegmatite
dykes and veins in high-strained zones (Fig. 7a), or within the mylonitic
rocks of the high-strain zones (Fig. 7b,c). Within such zones, bands or
aggregates of sulfide ores including gold mineralization are commonly
aligned subparallel to the main S1 shear fabrics (Fig. 7b,c,d), which in
turn are refolded by subsequent deformation events (Figs. 4e, 7c,e,f,g).
Manaka et al. (2010) have identified 3 generations of pyrite
growth in Dak Sa (Phuoc Son) gold deposits including:
(1) Early diagenetic pyrite;
(2) Secondary metamorphic pyrite;
(3) Third generation of hydrothermal pyrite.
In this study, we have found that diagenetic pyrite and other early
sulfides are rare but later recrystallized generations of sulfide (±gold)
mineralization are dominant. Early generation of mineralization is com-
monly hosted within D1 high-strain zones which are commonly reverse,
ductile and up to tens of meters wide; sulfide (±gold) assemblages are
aligned and stretched along the shear fabrics, which are in turn refolded
by both F2 and F3 folds (Figs. 4e, 7c,f) or crosscut by brittle faults or
unmineralized veins (Fig. 5b). This indicates a close association of the
first generation structures to the formation/localization of the early
generation of sulfide minerals, and as such these minerals were formed
contemporaneously with the D1 event. Sulfide-gold bearing vein sys-
tems range from meter-scale dykes to micro-veins that infill the gaps
between fractured host rocks (Fig. 7b). Mineralized lodes also occur
along shear planes (Fig. 7d,f), ranging from massive sulfide-bearing
quartz veins, quartz–sulfide–limonite-breccia to finely disseminated
sulfide-bearing graphitic shears with a minor quartz component
(e.g., Banks et al., 2004; Quynh et al., 2004; Tran et al., 2009). Most of
the dykes and veins are strongly deformed to form boudins or mullions,
flattened and rotated sub-parallel to the main shear foliation and/or
the boundary of fracture zones (Fig. 7a), indicating that they were
re-deformed probably during late-stage D1 shearing or reactivated by
D2 shearing (Fig. 7e). Together with post ore-forming structural over-
prints, including folding and brittle to brittle–ductile faulting, these
relationships indicate that the ore bodies were syn-tectonically

Fig. 3. Representative D1 and D2 structures observed in rocks of the TKPSSZ. a) A large-scale ductile D1 shear zone developed in metasedimentary rocks exposed along the NW bank
of a tailing dam at a gold processing facility, Bong Mieu gold mine; b) In central–western Vietnam, the Tam Ky-Phuoc Son Shear Zone merges with the Po Ko Shear Zone. C–S fabrics
developed in sheared coarse-grained feldspar-rich granite exposed north of Kham Duc town; arrows indicate relative sense of movement (top to the northwest); c) First generation
asymmetric, isoclinal and sheath folds widely developed in highly strained metamorphic rocks north of Kham Duc town (top of the photo to the northwest); d) Stretching lineation
related to D1 shear in mylonitic rocks with reverse sense of movement exposed in the south of Kham Duc town (part of the PKSZ). Photo looking west; e) S1 shear fabrics (Ss1
refolded (upper part of photo) by sheath folds in a late- to post-D2 shear zone that overprinted and reactivated D1 shears, north of Kham Duc town (sinistral shear); f) Photomi-
crograph of D1 shear (red dashed line) and S1 mylonitic foliation folded by second generation folds (F2) in an adit in Bai Dat area, Dac Sa gold deposit, west of Kham Duc town. The
shear fabrics were partly altered by chloritization. Photo taken under crossed nichols, base of photo is 14 mm; g) Photomicrograph of D1 ultramylonite being folded by open third
generation folds (F3) in a drill hole (DSDH16@118.5m) at Dac Sa gold deposit, west of Kham Duc town. Photo taken under crossed nichols, base of photo is 14 mm.
152 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

F2

S1
b c

F1
F2

F3
F2

S1 shear

d e F3
F3
F1

Fig. 4. Representative D1–D3 structures observed in rocks of the TKPSSZ. a) A large outcrop that exposes part of the hinge zone of a major northwest–southeast trending F2 fold system that
refolds the high-strain S1 in the Kham Duc area (approximately 25 m across); b) Minor F2 folds that refold D1 shear fabrics including sheath folds (F1) exposed north of Kham Duc town;
c) Interference pattern formed by the overprinting of F3 and F2 folds on a D1 mylonite in ultramafic rocks observed in drill core in the Dac Sa area, considered as the western most part of
the TKPSSZ; d) Mylonitized rocks within a D1 high-strain zone folded by asymmetric, open, kink-style, northeast trending F3 folds; e) Drill core from the Dac Sa gold deposit, west of Kham
Duc town showing the relationship between D1 shear fabrics (F1 isoclinal folds and mylonite) with the gold-bearing sulfide aggregates (sul) and F3 folds: note that the sulfide aggregates
align and stretch along the main S1 shear fabrics and are refolded by the F3, suggesting a syn-D1, pre-D3 deposition of the sulfides (base of photo is 5 cm).

generated. This structurally controlled sulfide mineralization may be Locally, brecciated zones infilled with quartz–feldspar veins
equivalent to the second and third, metamorphic and hydrothermal py- that host minor sulfide-molybdenum (± gold) also occur and are con-
rite growth stages identified by Manaka et al. (2010). sidered part of the second generation of mineralization (Fig. 7h).
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164 153

a b
S1
D4

Top

Fig. 5. Representative D4 structures observed in rocks of the TKPSSZ. a) Part of a meter thick, NW–SE trending, SW dipping, reverse, brittle D4 fault that crosscuts a D1 shear zone in
outcrop NW of Bong Mieu gold tailing dam. The fault zone is strongly brecciated and partly altered, including silicification and hematization; b) Brittle reverse fault (D4) and
associated quartz–carbonate vein crosscut and offset the S1 parallel sulfide-bearing aggregates observed in drill core from Bong Mieu gold mine.

a b

R’

R P
Fig. 6. Representative D5 structures observed in rocks of the TKPSSZ. a) W–E trending brittle, Riedel-style strike-slip faults cross-cut highly deformed rocks exposed north of Kham
Duc town. Photo looking down, top of photo towards the NW; b) Southwest dipping normal fault exposed in the Kham Duc town area. Photo looking NW, base of photo is approx-
imately 10 m.

Euhedral pyrite grains overprint earlier fabrics (D1) and sulfide min-
erals as well as rare molybdenite grains. These zones are localized in
quartz–feldspar veins and pegmatitic dikes that commonly crosscut
the D1 shear fabrics (Fig. 7h) and are associated with the syn-D2
magmatic bodies. Such relationships indicate that a second generation
of mineralization identified here post-dated D1 deformation and con-
tributed to the remobilization and local concentration of gold and
other minerals such as molybdenite possibly during D2 deformation or
later (Fig. 7h). This final mineralization stage may correlate with the
third generation of hydrothermal sulfide mineral growth in the Phuoc
Son (Dak Sa) area identified by Manaka et al. (2010).
7. Geochronological results
In order to temporally constrain key stages of the geological evolu-
tion of the TKPSSZ region we selected several metamorphic and intrusive
rocks from the Bong Mieu and Dak Long regions in the TKPSSZ and PKSZ
domains for U–Pb dating (Fig. 1a). Zircon, monazite and titanite U–Pb
analysis was undertaken via Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled-Plasma
Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) at the University of Tasmania and
procedures follow Burrett et al. (2014–in this issue). U–Pb isotopic
data is presented in Table 1. Representative cathodoluminescence
(CL) images of zircons are shown for dioritic sample KD10-32/1
(Fig. 8b). A Re–Os age on molybdenite-bearing sample from a quartz-
rich vein at Ho Ray deposit in Bong Mieu has also been selected to
provide a lower limit to the timing of gold. The analysis was conducted
in the AIRIE laboratory at Colorado State University by following the
method described by Stein et al. (2001) and Kamvong et al. (2014–in
this issue) and the references therein.
7.1. U–Pb dating
7.1.1. Po Ko Shear Zone
Dioritic intrusives crosscut highly strained and metamorphosed
rocks of the PKSZ at Dak Che Bridge, north of Dak Long town
(Figs. 1a, 8a). A sample (KD10-32/1, Fig. 1a) was collected from this
location for U–Pb zircon dating in order to constrain the lower (youn-
gest) limit for D1 deformation along the PKSZ. As this sample is
unfoliated, it may also have intruded post-D2. The zircon population
(Fig. 8b) yields a 207Pb corrected 206Pb/238U age of 255.6 ± 3.4 Ma
(n = 11, MSWD = 1.7; Fig. 8c). Excess scatter about the mean
(MSWD > 1) could imply a mixture of inherited and neoformed
primary magmatic zircon grains, which are closely spaced in age, or
may represent slight Pb-loss within some zircons from the main
population.
7.1.2. Tam Ky-Phuoc Son Shear Zone
7.1.2.1. Basement metasedimentary rocks. Two samples were chosen
as representative of basement metasedimentary gneisses and
154 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

a b

Sul

Qtz vein Sul

S1

2 mm

S1
c
Sul

F3
F2

d e
Sul

S1
D2 Qtz
vein

Sul
2 mm

F2 Sul F3
Qtz f g

Sul Sul
Sul

2 cm F2
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164 155

S1

Mo

Fig. 7. Representative examples showing the relationship between sulfide minerals and deformational fabrics in Bong Mieu and Phuoc Son gold deposits. a) Part of a sulfide–gold
bearing quartz vein hosted by a D1 shear zone in an adit at Nui Kem, Bong Mieu gold deposit. Note that the vein was partly stretched and boudinaged due to subsequent deforma-
tion. Height of the photo approx. 2.5 m. b) Photomicrograph showing the relationship between the S1 shear fabrics and sulfide minerals in a shear zone from Dac Sa. Note the oc-
currence of sulfide assemblages in the shadow parts of the boudinaged quartz–feldspar veins in the shear zones. c) Photograph of part of a gold–sulfide-bearing D1 high-strain zone
(S1) refolded by both second generation (F2) and third generation (F3) folds seen in a drill core from Dak Sa. Note that the sulfide aggregates (dominant pyrite, pyrrhotite and minor
chalcopyrite) are stretched along shear fabrics (S1) and then refolded by both F2 and F3 folds suggesting syn-D1 deposition of the sulfides. The width of the photo is 63 mm. d) Pho-
tomicrograph showing scattered and partly deformed sulfide (mostly pyrite) aggregates elongated subparallel to S1 foliation at Phuoc Son deposit. Photo taken under reflected light.
e) Part of a gold-bearing quartz vein redeformed during D2 shearing at Nui Kem, Bong Mieu. f) Photograph of a rock slab collected from main exploration adit at Phuoc Son showing
quartz–sulfide veins asymmetrically refolded by progressive post-veining D2 folds. g) Photomicrograph (reflected light) of part of (f) showing a folded band of early, xenoblastic
sulfide mineralization comprising dominantly pyrite aligned subparallel to S1 subsequently folded by F2. h) Part of drill core (HR 227) from Bong Mieu showing the relationship
between the S1 shear fabrics and a syn-D2 brecciated molybdenite (Mo)-bearing pegmatite veins that are concurrent with the second generation of mineralization.

schists at the Bong Mieu Au deposit (Kham Duc Formation), which lo-
cates on the hanging wall of the TKPSSZ in the east of the study area
(Fig. 1a). A garnet–biotite mylonitic gneiss (HRDD221@27.5m) was
taken from a drill core from the Ho Ray region located on the northern
flank of the Bong Mieu anticline. An intensely altered sericite–feldspar–
quartz schist (JH0801) was sampled from the Ho Gan workings in the
SW of the deposit. Xenocrystic zircons in gneissic sample HRDD221@
27.5m yield U–Pb ages between ca. 750 and 2420 Ma with a main
peak at ca. 1050 Ma (Fig. 9a), suggesting deposition during or after
the Neoproterozoic. Titanite grains are distributed along a common
Pb isochron with a 207Pb corrected 206Pb/238U age of 247.7 ± 1.9 Ma
(n = 16, MSWD = 1.9; Fig. 9a), interpreted as the age of high-grade
(upper amphibolite facies) metamorphism at Bong Mieu. No zircon
was recovered from Sample JH0801, with rutile evidently the main
Zr-bearing phase; monazite grains yield a tightly clustered 207corrected
206
Pb/238U age of 429.8 ± 3.5 Ma (n = 16, MSWD = 0.72; Fig. 9b),
interpreted as a metamorphic age. LA-ICP-MS time-resolved spectra
suggest that narrow ca. 240 Ma rims occur on some grains but were
not wide enough for accurate quantification.
slightly older than the granodioritic magma and/or zircon affected by
slight Pb-loss. Peraluminous granitic pegmatite sample JH0822 (Hai
Van Complex) yields a 207Pb corrected 206Pb/238U age of 246.7 ±
0.7 Ma (n = 6, MSWD = 0.81; Fig. 9f); a population of ca. 250 Ma zir-
cons (250.80 ± 0.74 Ma, MSWD = 0.24, n = 5) which overlap with
the emplacement age of sample JH0810 are interpreted as xenocrysts,
and a single analysis with elevated common Pb and an apparently
younger U–Pb age is excluded as having been affected by Pb-loss.
7.2. Re–Os dating
Molybdenite from a quartz-rich vein from Ho Ray yields a Re–Os age
of 239.6 ± 0.8 Ma (Table 2), interpreted to date the timing of crystalli-
zation of molybdenite in this sample. As these molybdenite-bearing
veins cross-cut the high-grade foliation in basement schists and
gneisses as well as D1 shear zones containing sulfide-bearing veins
this age represents a minimum for Au mineralization at Bong Mieu.
8. Discussion

7.1.2.2. Orthogneiss. Two orthogneissic rocks were sampled from the
Bong Mieu region: (1) a strongly foliated megacrystic granitic gneiss
that outcrops along the Bong Mieu river (sample JH0804, previously
assigned to the Tra Bong Complex), and (2) a moderately foliated
dioritic gneiss to the north of the deposit (sample DLC09, mapped
as the Dai Loc Complex). Eight out of 10 zircon grains analyzed
from granitic orthogneiss sample JH0804 yield a ca. 430 Ma age
(432.1 ± 2.7 Ma, MSWD = 2.5), while the remaining zircon (rim)
analysis and 11 monazite analyses yield a combined 207Pb corrected
206
Pb/238U age of 244.3 ± 2.6 Ma (n = 12, MSWD = 0.9; Fig. 9c).
The ca. 430 Ma age is interpreted as a protolith age and c.245 Ma
as the timing of a monazite-producing metamorphic overprint. Ten
out of 12 zircon analyses from dioritic orthogneiss sample DCL09
yield a 207Pb corrected 206Pb/238U age of 258.7 ± 3.4 Ma (n = 10,
MSWD = 0.88; Fig. 9d), with two xenocrystic zircons at ca. 430 Ma
and ca. 1000 Ma.
7.1.2.3. Unfoliated intrusive rocks. Two samples of unfoliated (albeit var-
iably strained and altered) felsic intrusives were sampled to the north of
Bong Mieu (Fig. 1a). Granodiorite sample JH0810 (mapped as part of
the Ben Giang-Que Son Complex) yields a 207Pb corrected 206Pb/238U
age of 252.1 ± 1.5 Ma (n = 12, MSWD = 2.1; Fig. 9e). The high
MSWD suggests that isotopic ratios lie outside that expected for a single
population and may include xenocrystic zircon from country rocks only
8.1. A revised structural and geochronological history for the Tam Ky-Phuoc
Son Shear Zone and associated tectonic domains
Results of field observations and geochronological works conducted
during this study highlight that basement rocks within the TKPSSZ ex-
perienced a multi-phase deformational history, which included repeat-
ed shearing, folding and fracturing under ductile, brittle–ductile and
brittle strain conditions. Such deformational events were sandwiched
between periods of regional deposition and/or magmatism (Fig. 10).
Five main phases of deformation are identified; the earliest deformation
event involved isoclinal folding and thrusting and the development of
high-strain shear zones. These D1 shear zones are today the sites of sig-
nificant lode gold occurrences represented by deposits such as Dak Sa
and Bong Mieu. Tectonic transport and significant crustal thickening
during D1 folding and thrusting, produced significant over-thickening
(in the order of at least 20 km) and led to regional medium- to high-P
upper amphibolite facies metamorphism across the region. The current
contrast in metamorphic grades along the footwall and hanging wall
of the TKPSSZ may have resulted from post-peak metamorphic uplift
and/or exhumation of the hanging wall parts of the shear zone along
the late- to post-D2 oblique strike slip shear zones. West of Kham Duc
town, the TKPSSZ merges with the PKSZ. Our study supports the conclu-
sion by Lepvrier et al. (2004) that these shear zones are related; we sug-
gest that these major crustal structures exhibit the same deformation
 156
Table 1
Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled-Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb analyses of zircon, monazite and titanite. Standard data listed for each sample correspond to analyses completed in that particular analytical session. Ref-
erence ages are: 91,500 (zircon, 1062.4 ± 0.4 Ma; Wiedenbeck et al., 1995), Temora (zircon, 416.8 ± 1.1 Ma; Black et al., 2003), GJ-1 (zircon, 600.4 ± 2.0 Ma; Jackson et al., 2004), MB35 (monazite, 507 ± 5 Ma; Berry et al., 2008),
BHN2310 (monazite, 1599 ± 9 Ma; Page et al., 2005), RGL4B (monazite, 1566 ± 3 Ma; Rubatto et al., 2001), FC3 (titanite, 28.13 ± 0.48 Ma; Daze et al. (2003)), and Mt Drom (titanite, 98.7 ± 0.6 Ma; Kohn et al. (1993)).
238
Sample Mineral Analysis no. Th (ppm) U (ppm) Th/U U/206Pb ±1 std err 207
Pb206Pb ±1 std 206/238
age ±1s 206/207
age ±1s 206
Pb/238U, 207
Pb ±1s Std data (206Pb/238U, 207Pb
err corrected corrected weighted mean ages)

KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C029 1503 1570 0.96 24.70 0.34 0.0509 0.0007 256 4 199 36 255.9 3.5 91,500 = 1063 ± 10 Ma
(n = 13, MSWD = 0.38)
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C030 2148 2026 1.06 23.99 0.48 0.0530 0.0025 263 5 309 35 262.8 5.2 GJ-1 = 603 ± 6 Ma
(n = 7, MSWD = 0.30)
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C031 2243 2193 1.02 24.21 0.33 0.0551 0.0008 261 4 280 36 259.8 3.5 Temora = 417 ± 6 Ma
(n = 7, MSWD = 0.38)
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C032 1850 1793 1.03 25.47 0.35 0.0501 0.0008 248 3 246 57 248.6 3.4
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C033 1053 1316 0.80 24.79 0.35 0.0508 0.0009 255 4 233 40 255.1 3.6
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C034 4711 2962 1.59 24.22 0.44 0.0516 0.0009 261 5 236 34 260.8 4.7
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C035 1232 1122 1.10 24.25 0.42 0.0512 0.0011 261 5 415 31 260.6 4.5
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C036 1069 1328 0.80 25.17 0.37 0.0519 0.0008 251 4 602 29 250.9 3.7
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C037 4308 3230 1.33 23.99 0.34 0.0600 0.0008 263 4 251 51 260.5 3.7
KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C038 3299 2618 1.26 25.11 0.48 0.0511 0.0013 252 5 269 40 251.8 4.8

H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

KD32-10/1 Zircon JL28C042 1354 1523 0.89 25.30 0.34 0.0525 0.0008 250 3 328 109 249.5 3.3
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A71 223,286 1,552,394 0.14 25.62 0.21 0.0692 0.0008 247 2 905 24 241.3 2.0 FC3 = 23.5 ± 2.3 Ma
(n = 8, MSWD = 1.3)
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A61 123,786 258,921 0.48 23.23 0.28 0.1383 0.0027 272 3 2206 34 242.7 3.0 Limpopo = 1850 ± 27 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.17)
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A74 212,225 978,435 0.22 24.94 0.22 0.0807 0.0013 253 2 1214 31 244.3 2.2 Mt Drom = 96 ± 2 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.36)
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A72 96,647 304,596 0.32 23.45 0.27 0.1262 0.0023 269 3 2046 33 244.5 2.9 Temora = 418 ± 2 Ma
(n = 60, MSWD = 1.3)
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A68 212,434 879,614 0.24 24.75 0.22 0.0818 0.0012 255 2 1240 29 245.7 2.2 91,500 = 1059 ± 6 Ma
(n = 21, MSWD = 1.16)
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A67 169,578 689,248 0.25 24.56 0.22 0.0872 0.0014 257 2 1365 30 245.9 2.2
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A63 159,670 503,195 0.32 23.97 0.23 0.1015 0.0017 264 3 1651 31 247.3 2.5
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A76 138,907 412,403 0.34 23.58 0.23 0.1097 0.0020 268 3 1794 33 248.6 2.5
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A70 123,565 346,926 0.36 23.35 0.27 0.1167 0.0023 270 3 1906 35 248.7 2.9
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A64 144,996 648,750 0.22 24.23 0.25 0.0850 0.0013 261 3 1316 30 249.9 2.6
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A75 193,792 810,321 0.24 24.23 0.21 0.0846 0.0012 261 2 1307 29 250.1 2.2
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A62 275,256 1,110,620 0.25 24.50 0.21 0.0747 0.0009 258 2 1061 25 250.4 2.1
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A65 164,635 419,735 0.39 23.45 0.26 0.1075 0.0021 269 3 1757 36 250.7 2.8
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A66 207,772 800,541 0.26 24.17 0.21 0.0839 0.0013 261 2 1289 31 250.9 2.2
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A73 165,780 788,371 0.21 23.99 0.22 0.0876 0.0013 263 2 1374 28 251.6 2.3
HRDD221@27m Titanite MA25A69 85,683 184,618 0.46 21.83 0.31 0.1540 0.0038 289 4 2391 42 252.5 3.8
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b11 254 879 0.29 8.14 0.04 0.0660 0.0006 747 3 806 36 745.8 3.3 Temora = 417 ± 2 Ma
(n = 27, MSWD = 1.3)
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b17 119 205 0.58 7.46 0.07 0.0755 0.0014 811 7 1082 77 802.0 6.9 91,500 = 1063 ± 7 Ma
(n = 14, MSWD = 2.4)
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b09 179 174 1.03 6.21 0.04 0.0814 0.0012 963 6 1231 58 951.3 5.8
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b12 568 902 0.63 5.96 0.03 0.0761 0.0006 1000 4 1098 29 996.2 4.2
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b15 418 624 0.67 5.77 0.03 0.0755 0.0007 1030 5 1081 36 1027.5 4.7
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b18 180 177 1.02 5.57 0.04 0.0789 0.0012 1065 7 1170 59 1059.9 7.3
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b20 123 596 0.21 5.58 0.03 0.0740 0.0007 1063 6 1042 38 1063.5 5.5
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b14 129 192 0.67 4.89 0.03 0.1031 0.0014 1199 8 1681 50 1167.4 7.4
HRDD221@27m Zircon OC09b16 159 690 0.23 2.31 0.01 0.1569 0.0007 2316 10 2422 16 2290.4 10.1
JH0801 Monazite MA24A56 4,575,909 317,037 14.43 14.77 0.25 0.0556 0.0014 422 7 437 57 422.2 7.1 RGL4B = 1563 ± 12 Ma
(n = 20, MSWD = 1.16)
JH0801 Monazite MA24A47 5,566,233 407,142 13.67 14.72 0.25 0.0545 0.0011 424 7 391 46 424.0 7.0 BHN2310 = 1589 ± 23 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.48)
JH0801 Monazite MA24A60 5,036,137 288,432 17.46 14.70 0.25 0.0545 0.0013 424 7 394 54 424.6 7.2 MB35 = 495 ± 8 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.30)
Sample
238 207
Mineral Analysis Th (ppm) U (ppm) Th/U U/ ±1 std err Pb206Pb ±1 std 206/
±1s 206/ 207
age ±1s 206
Pb/238U, 207Pb ±1s Std data (206Pb/238U, 207Pb
206 238
no. Pb err age corrected corrected weighted mean ages)

JH0801 Monazite MA24A48 3,697,751 837,174 4.42 14.65 0.25 0.0568 0.0010 426 7 483 38 424.8 7.0 Torrington = 240 ± 5 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.02)
JH0801 Monazite MA24A45 5,459,238 283,533 19.25 14.69 0.25 0.0535 0.0013 425 7 350 54 425.5 7.2
JH0801 Monazite MA24A59 5,050,669 394,135 12.81 14.63 0.25 0.0550 0.0012 426 7 413 47 426.4 7.1
JH0801 Monazite MA24A49 4,275,854 590,207 7.24 14.56 0.24 0.0561 0.0010 428 7 457 41 427.7 7.0
JH0801 Monazite MA24A57 5,098,810 326,384 15.62 14.58 0.25 0.0550 0.0014 428 7 412 56 428.0 7.3
JH0801 Monazite MA24A52 5,525,615 377,965 14.62 14.51 0.25 0.0566 0.0013 430 7 477 52 429.1 7.2
JH0801 Monazite MA24A54 3,772,954 307,486 12.27 14.42 0.26 0.0598 0.0017 432 8 596 63 430.0 7.7
JH0801 Monazite MA24A51 5,778,189 237,992 24.28 14.50 0.25 0.0541 0.0014 430 7 377 60 430.5 7.4
JH0801 Monazite MA24A55 4,817,024 391,210 12.31 14.46 0.24 0.0555 0.0013 431 7 433 51 431.0 7.2
JH0801 Monazite MA24A46 5,769,756 430,797 13.39 14.43 0.24 0.0565 0.0012 432 7 473 46 431.5 7.2
JH0801 Monazite MA24A50 4,593,572 365,833 12.56 14.32 0.24 0.0559 0.0012 435 7 450 48 434.8 7.2
JH0801 Monazite MA24A58 3,685,494 303,868 12.13 14.10 0.24 0.0554 0.0014 442 8 430 56 441.7 7.4
JH0801 Monazite MA24A53 4,081,273 329,216 12.40 13.92 0.24 0.0615 0.0014 447 8 655 50 444.3 7.5
JH0804 Monazite MA24A95 7,231,465 328,983 21.98 26.65 0.47 0.0529 0.0017 237 4 325 74 236.9 4.1 RGL4B = 1563 ± 12 Ma
(n = 20, MSWD = 1.16)
JH0804 Monazite MA24A96 10,042,703 510,645 19.67 26.28 0.45 0.0532 0.0014 241 4 338 60 240.1 4.1 BHN2310 = 1589 ± 23 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.48)
JH0804 Monazite MA24A98 11,264,244 375,366 30.01 18.97 0.36 0.2757 0.0086 331 6 3339 49 240.6 5.9 MB35 = 495 ± 8 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.30)

H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

JH0804 Monazite MA24A97 8,455,566 405,435 20.86 26.03 0.51 0.0556 0.0029 243 5 438 117 241.6 4.7 Torrington = 240 ± 5 Ma
(n = 4, MSWD = 0.02)
JH0804 Monazite MA24A101 6,889,642 310,286 22.20 25.91 0.46 0.0522 0.0016 244 4 294 68 243.8 4.3
JH0804 Monazite MA24A102 10,417,813 560,443 18.59 25.84 0.44 0.0512 0.0013 245 4 252 59 244.8 4.1
JH0804 Monazite MA24A100 10,825,445 611,977 17.69 25.77 0.43 0.0529 0.0013 245 4 323 55 244.9 4.1
JH0804 Monazite MA24A99 7,021,142 280,881 25.00 25.70 0.45 0.0522 0.0017 246 4 295 72 245.7 4.3
JH0804 Monazite MA24A93 6,676,056 408,334 16.35 25.76 0.45 0.0496 0.0014 245 4 175 68 245.9 4.2
JH0804 Monazite MA24A103 8,119,592 275,441 29.48 25.49 0.44 0.0503 0.0016 248 4 209 72 248.3 4.3
JH0804 Monazite MA24A104 9,862,761 362,006 27.24 25.12 0.43 0.0520 0.0014 252 4 283 63 251.4 4.3
JH0804 Zircon se01a144 1 159 0.01 25.56 0.47 0.0465 0.0036 247 5 22 374 248.8 4.7 Temora = 418 ± 2 Ma
(n = 73, MSWD = 0.86)
JH0804 Zircon se01a147 67 254 0.26 15.23 0.08 0.0572 0.0013 410 2 499 101 408.7 2.2 91,500 = 1052 ± 4 Ma
(n = 36, MSWD = 1.00)
JH0804 Zircon se01a146 374 737 0.51 14.83 0.05 0.0555 0.0008 421 2 434 63 420.4 1.5
JH0804 Zircon se01a148 123 304 0.40 14.50 0.08 0.0568 0.0011 430 2 483 88 429.2 2.3
JH0804 Zircon se01a143 92 718 0.13 14.51 0.06 0.0561 0.0008 430 2 456 67 429.3 1.8
JH0804 Zircon se01a149 168 184 0.91 14.52 0.09 0.0555 0.0014 429 3 433 116 429.3 2.7
JH0804 Zircon se01a152 268 402 0.67 14.48 0.07 0.0572 0.0011 430 2 501 88 429.5 2.1
JH0804 Zircon se01a145 371 357 1.04 14.47 0.07 0.0562 0.0011 431 2 461 84 430.4 2.2
JH0804 Zircon se01a150 106 146 0.73 14.41 0.10 0.0533 0.0016 432 3 341 136 433.7 3.1
JH0804 Zircon se01a153 462 730 0.63 14.33 0.06 0.0562 0.0008 435 2 459 60 434.4 1.9
JH0804 Zircon se01a151 245 1261 0.19 14.27 0.05 0.0556 0.0006 437 2 438 50 436.6 1.6
DLC09 Zircon au05a255 66 93 0.70 24.94 0.58 0.0574 0.0033 253 6 507 125 251.6 5.9 Temora = 418 ± 1 Ma
(n = 46, MSWD = 1.7)
DLC09 Zircon au05a262 59 260 0.23 24.91 0.38 0.0529 0.0017 254 4 325 73 253.3 3.9 91,500 = 1055 ± 4 Ma
(n = 24, MSWD = 2.2)
DLC09 Zircon au05a259 57 86 0.66 24.74 0.53 0.0521 0.0029 255 5 288 127 255.2 5.4
DLC09 Zircon au05a254 53 78 0.68 24.57 0.57 0.0489 0.0029 257 6 143 140 257.9 6.0
DLC09 Zircon au05a256 116 107 1.08 24.58 0.56 0.0485 0.0024 257 6 123 116 258.0 5.9
DLC09 Zircon au05a265 59 83 0.71 24.30 0.59 0.0519 0.0028 260 6 282 122 259.8 6.2
DLC09 Zircon au05a258 72 133 0.54 24.28 0.46 0.0501 0.0021 260 5 200 99 260.6 4.9
DLC09 Zircon au05a264 121 109 1.11 23.71 0.47 0.0594 0.0025 266 5 581 92 263.8 5.2
DLC09 Zircon au05a263 35 111 0.31 24.00 0.49 0.0455 0.0022 263 5 −29 117 265.1 5.3
DLC09 Zircon au05a257 27 47 0.57 23.30 0.75 0.0573 0.0041 271 9 504 157 269.0 8.7
DLC09 Zircon au05a260 172 913 0.19 14.52 0.11 0.0543 0.0007 429 3 385 29 429.8 3.3
DLC09 Zircon au05a261 113 185 0.61 5.91 0.06 0.0719 0.0011 1008 11 984 31 1008.8 10.6
JH0810 Zircon se05b20 174 439 0.40 25.48 0.15 0.0508 0.0013 248 1 233 114 248.3 1.5 Temora = 416 ± 1 Ma
(n = 35, MSWD = 1.8)

157
(continued on next page)
 158
Table 1 (continued)
238
Sample Mineral Analysis no. Th (ppm) U (ppm) Th/U U/206Pb ±1 std err 207
Pb206Pb ±1 std 206/238
age ±1s 206/207
age ±1s 206
Pb/238U, 207Pb ±1s Std data (206Pb/238U, 207Pb
err corrected corrected weighted mean ages)

JH0810 Zircon se05b21 99 287 0.34 25.34 0.18 0.0524 0.0015 249 2 304 127 249.1 1.8 91,500 = 1060 ± 3 Ma

H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

(n = 18, MSWD = 0.69)
JH0810 Zircon se05b17 184 358 0.51 25.30 0.16 0.0510 0.0011 250 2 242 100 250.0 1.6
JH0810 Zircon se05b16 165 399 0.41 25.16 0.16 0.0519 0.0011 251 2 282 100 251.0 1.6
JH0810 Zircon se05b09 118 285 0.41 25.19 0.16 0.0505 0.0014 251 2 218 124 251.2 1.7
JH0810 Zircon se05b13 144 316 0.46 25.04 0.16 0.0516 0.0013 252 2 267 114 252.3 1.6
JH0810 Zircon se05b18 172 262 0.66 25.00 0.16 0.0529 0.0013 253 2 324 113 252.4 1.7
JH0810 Zircon se05b14 91 215 0.42 24.91 0.19 0.0527 0.0016 254 2 315 136 253.3 2.0
JH0810 Zircon se05b11 196 353 0.55 24.81 0.16 0.0542 0.0012 255 2 378 100 253.8 1.6
JH0810 Zircon se05b15 199 425 0.47 24.88 0.14 0.0508 0.0009 254 1 231 85 254.2 1.4
JH0810 Zircon se05b19 246 405 0.61 24.90 0.14 0.0498 0.0011 254 1 183 99 254.3 1.5
JH0810 Zircon se05b12 84 206 0.41 24.52 0.19 0.0538 0.0016 258 2 365 137 256.9 2.0
JH08-22 Zircon se01a166 108 1865 0.06 25.73 0.14 0.0617 0.0012 246 1 663 82 242.6 1.4 Temora = 418 ± 2 Ma
(n = 73, MSWD = 0.86)
JH08-22 Zircon se01a163 361 4286 0.08 25.65 0.20 0.0565 0.0009 247 2 470 70 245.0 1.9 91,500 = 1052 ± 4 Ma
(n = 36, MSWD = 1.00)
JH08-22 Zircon se01a168 482 6801 0.07 25.61 0.08 0.0542 0.0004 247 1 378 34 246.0 0.8
JH08-22 Zircon se01a172 653 6476 0.10 25.59 0.08 0.0538 0.0004 247 1 362 35 246.3 0.8
JH08-22 Zircon se01a170 307 5671 0.05 25.61 0.08 0.0518 0.0004 247 1 277 36 246.7 0.8
JH08-22 Zircon se01a161 112 6636 0.02 25.48 0.10 0.0531 0.0005 248 1 335 43 247.5 0.9
JH08-22 Zircon se01a162 275 3628 0.08 25.49 0.08 0.0526 0.0005 248 1 312 43 247.6 0.8
JH08-22 Zircon se01a171 89 854 0.10 25.22 0.12 0.0525 0.0008 251 1 309 72 250.2 1.2
JH08-22 Zircon se01a164 607 5963 0.10 25.22 0.08 0.0520 0.0004 251 1 285 35 250.5 0.7
JH08-22 Zircon se01a169 518 1756 0.30 25.20 0.09 0.0518 0.0006 251 1 277 55 250.7 0.9
JH08-22 Zircon se01a167 679 7629 0.09 25.12 0.07 0.0535 0.0004 252 1 351 31 250.9 0.7
JH08-22 Zircon se01a165 521 4167 0.13 25.13 0.08 0.0517 0.0004 252 1 270 39 251.4 0.8
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164 159

style and were formed contemporaneously during D1 (Fig. 1). The cor-
relation of the TKPSSZ with the PKSZ also means that these major D1
shear zones belong to a single tectonic entity and therefore they are
not likely to be related to the northwest–southeast trending faults in
the Sepon area in the northwest of this study (e.g. Banks et al., 2004).
Our structural study also suggests that the TKPSSZ was likely northeast–
southwest trending and southeast dipping during D1 deformation
(Fig. 11a).
Highly deformed migmatitic rocks in the northern part of the PKSZ
are cross-cut by ca. 256 Ma diorite (e.g., Fig. 8), indicating that high-
grade metamorphism and deformation during D1 occurred prior to the
major Permo-Triassic Indosinian event. Our new U–Pb zircon and mona-
zite ages suggest that this earlier major high-grade metamorphic event
likely occurred at ca. 430 Ma and was accompanied by felsic magmatism
(Tra Bong Complex) in the Bong Mieu region (Fig. 9b,c). These data sup-
port recent U–Pb dating of zircon rims interpreted to have formed during
decompression in high-grade gneisses of the Kham Duc Complex at
ca. 450 Ma (Usuki et al., 2009), and together with numerous evidences
of ca. 470–400 Ma U–Pb zircon and Ar–Ar ages (e.g., Carter et al., 2001;
Nagy et al., 2001; Maluski et al., 2005; Nakano et al., 2007; Roger et al.,
2007) from magmatic and metamorphic rocks across central Vietnam,
suggest that major deformation and crustal thickening occurred at this
time. The variably serpentinized mafic–ultramafic slices distributed
along the TKPSSZ and PKSZ (Hiep Duc and Pleiweik complexes respec-
tively) with ophiolitic affinities (Nguyen, 2001; Izokh et al., 2006; Tran,
2009a, 2009b), together with the meta-mafic to meta-felsic volcanic
rocks of the Kham Duc–Nui Vu Complex with geochemical characteris-
tics typical of an active tectonic (e.g., active continental margin or an is-
land arc) environment (Trinh, 2009a) indicate that the area was a site
of a subduction zone. Coupled with the evidence for widespread crustal
deformation and high-grade metamorphism, it is likely that subduction
was followed by continental collision and the TKPSSZ–PKSZ may mark
part of a dismembered Early Paleozoic paleosuture zone (Fig. 10a). The
second deformational event (D2) identified in this work, including re-
gional folds and late- to post-F2 shearing is contemporaneous with the
Indosinian Orogeny during the Permo-Triassic in Vietnam. D2 produced
the major E–W trending TKPSSZ and NW–SE to N–S trending PKSZ.
This event also led to partial rejuvenation of D1 shear zones as well as
the formation of late D2 transpression shearing (Fig. 10b,c). The regional
widespread D2 structures are responsible for the prominent northwest–
southeast trending structural grain in this part of central Vietnam (e.g.,
Banks et al., 2004; Lepvrier et al., 2004). This major thermotectonic
event resulted in upper amphibolite facies metamorphism of older base-
ment rocks and the growth of monazite and titanite at ca. 250–240 Ma in

a
ca. 256 Ma Diorite

PKSZ

Fig. 8. a) Remnants of highly strained and metamorphosed rocks (part of the PKSZ) intruded by diorite at Dak Che bridge, north of Dak Trong Town; b) Cathodoluminescence im-
ages of representative zircon grains of sample KD10-32/1 collected from the outcrop in Fig 7a showing relatively well preserved igneous zoning as well as ages of analyzed spots.
c) Tera–Wasserburg Concordia diagram for zircons analyzed from the diorite sample (KD10-32/1) collected from area in (a). Error bars are one sigma. The 207Pb corrected 238U/206Pb
intercept age is anchored at a Common Pb value of 207Pb/206Pb = 0.85 ± 0.01. The field and age relationships indicate that the high-grade fabric in the host rocks in this part of the
PKSZ is older than ca. 256 Ma.
160 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164

0.18 0.09
HRDD221@27.5 paragneiss DCL09 dioritic gneiss
0.16 Intercept at Intercept at
247.7±1.9 Ma 0.08
257.2±4.4 Ma
0.14 n=16, MSWD=1.9 n=10, MSWD=0.52
207Pb/ 206Pb

0.07 960
0.12

1800 800
0.10 zircon
titanite 0.06 640
1400 480
0.08
320
1000 0.05
0.06 zircon - xenocrysts
600 zircon - primary
a d
0.04 0.04
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 4 8 12 16 20 24 28

0.068
monazite JH0801 schist 0.059 zircon JH0810 g’diorite
Intercept at Intercept at
0.064 0.057 252.1±1.5 Ma
429.8±3.5 Ma
n=16, MSWD=0.72 n=12, MSWD=2.1
0.055
207Pb/ 206Pb

0.060
0.053

0.056 470 0.051 264 260 256

450 252 248 244
430
410
0.049
0.052
0.047
b e
0.048 0.045
13.0 13.4 13.8 14.2 14.6 15.0 15.4 15.8 23.8 24.2 24.6 25.0 25.4 25.8 26.2

0.066
0.28 JH0804 granitic gneiss JH0822 granite
Intercept at Intercept at
0.24 0.062
244.5±2.5 Ma 245.9±1.5 Ma
n=12, MSWD=0.85 n=5, MSWD=0.18
0.20
207Pb/ 206Pb

0.058 zircon - xenocrysts

0.16 zircon - primary
zircon - metamorphic zircon - primary
0.12 monazite 0.054
1800
ca. 430 Ma
0.08 1400
1000 256 252 248 244 240
0.050
600
0.04
c f
0.00 0.046
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 24.4 24.8 25.2 25.6 26.0 26.4
238U/ 206Pb 238U/ 206Pb

Fig. 9. Tera–Wasserburg Concordia plots for six samples from the Bong Mieu region. Error bars are one sigma. Common Pb intercept ages are calculated at 95% confidence. a) Basement
paragneiss sample HRDD221@27.5m (Hoy Ray drill core), part of the Kham Duc Formation. Detrital zircon analyses (yellow) display Proterozoic inheritance. Titanite analyses (red) define
an Early-Middle Triassic Common Pb intercept age (anchored at a Common Pb value of 207Pb/206Pb = 0.85 ± 0.01). b) Basement schist sample JH0801 (Ho Gan mine workings), part of
the Kham Duc Formation. Monazite analyses define an Early-Middle Silurian Common Pb intercept age (Common Pb value of 207Pb/206Pb = 0.87 ± 0.01). c) Granitic gneiss sample
JH0804 (Bong Mieu River), part of the Tra Bong Complex. Primary zircon (yellow) mainly records the crystallization age at ca. 430 Ma. A single metamorphic zircon rim and monazite
grains record overprinting of Middle Triassic metamorphism (Common Pb value of 207Pb/206Pb = 0.85 ± 0.01). (d) Dioritic gneiss sample DLC09 (north of the Bong Mieu deposit),
part of the Dai Loc Complex. The analyzed zircon grains include two older zircon xenocrysts (yellow) and a primary population with a Late Permian Common Pb intercept age (anchored
at a Common Pb value of 207Pb/206Pb = 0.85 ± 0.01). e) Granodiorite sample JH0810 (north of the Bong Mieu deposit), part of the Ben Giang-Que Son Complex. Magmatic zircons yield a
Late Permian–Early Triassic Common Pb intercept age (Common Pb value of 207Pb/206Pb = 0.85 ± 0.01). f) Granitic pegmatite sample JH0822 (north of the Bong Mieu deposit), part of
the Hai Van Complex. Zircon analyses form two populations closely spaced in age, which is common in S-type granites formed from the melting of crustal sources. The older population
(yellow) is interpreted as inherited (from an igneous source at depth, with an age comparable to sample JH0810). The younger population is interpreted to date Early-Middle Triassic
crystallization (Common Pb value of 207Pb/206Pb = 0.85 ± 0.01). One analysis (blue) with high Common Pb is excluded from the calculation.
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164 161

Table 2
Re–Os age dating for the molybdenite in a quartz-rich vein that cross-cuts D1 high strain rocks from Ho Ray (Bong Mieu) deposit. The full analytical method used in this study fol-
lows e.g., Stein et al. (2001) and Kamvong et al. (2014–in this issue).
187
Deposit Sample Re (ppm) Os (ppb) Age (Ma)

Ho Ray (Bong Mieu) HRDD 230-1, 122.9 m 12.471 (8) 31.34 (1) 239.6 ± 0.8

Errors are two-sigma absolute for last decimal place indicated.

Assumed initial 187Os/188Os = 0.2 ± 0.1; common Os insignificant for all molybdenite runs; Age uncertainties include the decay constant error for 187
Re.
Blanks associated with these data are Re = 2.55 ± 0.04 pg, Os = 0.443 ± 0.5 pg, and 87Os/188Os composition = 0.931 ± 0.016.

rocks from Bong Mieu. Widespread magmatism also occurred at this
time and is dated here at ca. 260–255 Ma (dioritic magmatism, syn- to
post-D2) and ca. 252–245 (felsic granodioritic–granitic magmatism,
post-D2), and Permo-Triassic metamorphism and magmatism across
central Vietnam have traditionally been considered mark collision be-
tween the Indochina and South China blocks (e.g., Lepvrier et al., 2004,
2008; Hutchison, 2007; Owada et al., 2007; Nakano et al., 2008; Osanai
et al., 2008), while other workers suggest that this orogenic event
could be the consequence of continental collision at the periphery of a
pre-unified Indochina–South China block (e.g. Carter et al., 2001;
Carter and Clift, 2008). Our new geochronological data supports recent
work (e.g. Usuki et al., 2009) that indicates that parts of the Kontum
Massif were metastable during Permo-Triassic (D2) tectonism. Our pre-
ferred model of arc magmatism (ca. 300–270 Ma) along the Truong Son
Fold Belt in eastern Indochina followed by collision (ca. 270–250 Ma)
and post-collisional decompression and exhumation (ca. 245 Ma) is
outlined in Lai et al. (2014–in this issue-b) and Khin Zaw et al.
(2014–in this issue).
Subsequent but minor modifications to the regional structural trend
of the TKPSSZ include the development of D3 (Fig. 10d), D4 and D5 struc-
tures. These events may be related to the Late Mesozoic orogenesis, or
be related to later intracontinental indentation caused by the docking
of West Burma to the Sibumasu–Indochina block, India–Asia collision
and/or the formation of the East Sea (or South China Sea) during late
Mesozoic to early Cenozoic (Metcalfe, 2005 and the references therein).
8.2. Structural controls and timing of gold mineralization along the Tam
Ky-Phuoc Son Shear Zone
The close association of ore mineralization within shear zones par-
allel to regional D1 structures, and the overprinting by several gener-
ations of post-ore structures, strongly suggest that an early episode of
sulfide (+/− gold) mineralization was formed contemporaneously
with the regional D1 orogenic event. Thus, at least part of the gold
mineralization along the TKPSSZ in central Vietnam belongs to the
orogenic gold deposit type (Groves et al., 2003). The source of the
gold may have been the host sediments. Recent studies of pyrite tex-
ture and chemistry of black shale and turbidite-hosted orogenic-type
gold deposits led Large et al. (2007, 2009) to suggest that gold was
originally concentrated by synsedimentary and early diagenetic pro-
cesses, dissolved within arsenian pyrite in organic-rich black shale,
and that later metamorphic and hydrothermal processes led to
redeposition of gold in favorable structural sites. These depositional
sites may be rifted continental margins, which have undergone later
collision and basin inversion (Large et al., 2007, 2009). We suggest

a b

c d
Fig. 10. Cartoon model predicting the idealized geometry of the TKPSSZ and associated structures caused by successive overprinting of numerous deformational events. a) Isoclinal
folding and thrusting during the first phase of deformation (D1) related to the northeast–southwest trending, southeasterly dipping shear/suture zone; b) Second deformational
event (D2) forms a generally east–west trending structure and creates two branches of the shear/suture including the PKSZ in the south; c) Late to post-D2 shearing led to the offset
of the pre-existing structures as well as reactivation of parts of D1 shear zone; d) Third phase deformation (D3) produced north to northeast-trending folds and a complex regional
interference pattern approximately equivalent to the present-day regional geometry. Later deformational events (D4/5) were minor and did not affect the regional structural geom-
etry significantly. See text for discussion.
162 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164
Fig. 11. Summary of geochronological sequence, mineralization and correlated geological (deformation, intrusive and metamorphic) events in the TKPSSZ obtained from this work
and other published data (see references herein). The geological and mineralization events in the adjacent Kontum Massif and Truong Son Belt are also shown for reference.
that this model may be analogous to initial gold accumulation in black
shale/carbonaceous siltstone (Phuoc Son) and turbidite sequences
(Bong Mieu); gold was then concentrated along ductile shear zones
during a regional tectonothermal event involving collision of terranes
along the TKPSSZ (+PKSZ). The development of D1 shear zones
therefore played an important role in ore-forming and localization
processes. It is likely that secondary sulfide mineralization formed
during the remobilization of pre-existing gold and sulfides along
local fracture zones during second deformational event, which
took place at ca. 260–240 Ma. Our Re–Os molybdenite age of ca.
240 Ma records this (re)crystallization event and provides a lower
limit for ore formation and/or mobilization. This is substantially older
than previous estimates of time of gold mineralization at
ca. 200 Ma (Quynh et al., 2004) or ca. 113 Ma (Borisenko et al., 2006).
9. Regional implications and conclusions
The TKPSSZ is a major crustal structure in central Vietnam, compris-
ing part of the Truong Son Fold Belt and juxtaposing various rock types
of differing age and origin along the northern margin on the Kontum
Massif, which have undergone multiple deformational events. The suc-
cessive overprinting of structures produced by these events has led to a
complex pattern that can be observed from the micro- to macroscopic
scale. Nevertheless, at least five generations of regional structures can
be identified and differentiated on the basis of their deformation style,
orientation and overprinting relationships.
Large-scale, generally E–W striking ductile shear zones that strad-
dle hundreds of km are the prominent structural features in central
Vietnam. This D1 tectonism was accompanied by moderate- to
high-P and high-T metamorphism, which led to the development of
a high-grade foliation. In the Bong Mieu region, monazite grew in
basement schists at 430 Ma during D1 metamorphism, coeval with
early granitic magmatism and suggests that D1 structures belong to
a regional Ordo-Silurian collisional event (Fig. 11). A lower (younger)
limit is provided by magmatic zircon from a cross-cutting diorite at
256 Ma. The similarity in deformation style and the coherence of
kinematic indicators suggest that the TKPSSZ and PKSZ are likely
part of the same major crustal structure that formed during D1
(Fig. 11). D1 structures were subsequently refolded and reactivated
by at least two periods of folding (D2 and D3) and at least two brittle
faulting and fracturing events (D4 and D5). Major tectonothermal
reworking during D2 led to the formation of broad east–west trending
anticlinorium/synclinorium systems and is responsible for the prom-
inent structural grain in this part of central Vietnam (Fig. 11). Upper
amphibolite facies metamorphism of older basement rocks and the
growth of monazite and titanite at ca. 250–240 Ma are synchronous
with widespread syn- to late-D2 magmatism at ca. 260–245 Ma
suggesting that protracted collisional orogenesis occurred in central
Vietnam during the Indosinian Orogeny (Fig. 11), which was the conse-
quence of the Palaeo-Tethys and Sibumasu-Indochina collision (Sone
and Metcalfe, 2008). D3–5 deformation events only have minor influ-
ence on the present-day architecture of the TKPSSZ–PKSZ.
D1 shear zones are closely associated with, and act as controlling
structures of, numerous gold–sulfide mineralization zones in central
Vietnam. Our data supports the hypothesis that economic gold deposits
along the TKPSSZ–PKSZ initially formed during the regional D1 orogenic
event. The continental margin sedimentary host rocks are a plausible
source for gold generation; gold then accumulated in favorable structural
sites during orogenesis. Mineralized later-stage structures, including
molybdenite-bearing veins, support remobilization and reconcentration
of ore at ca. 240 Ma, contemporarily with D2 event.
We consider that the TKPSSZ formed via the closure of an ancient
ocean basin through terrane assembly during the Ordovician–Silurian
time along the Gondwana margin (Fig. 12a). The formation of the
micro(?)-continental blocks involved in collision remains unclear but
recently published geochronological and paleontological data (e.g.,
 H.T. Tran et al. / Gondwana Research 26 (2014) 144–164
Fig. 12. Schematic diagram of the Silurian tectonic model for the TKPSSZ: a) Paleogeographic locations of the South China and Indochina blocks and their relationship during the
Silurian time (modified after Metcalfe, 2005); b) Idealized tectonic cross-section showing the relationship between South China and Indochina blocks and their tectonic elements
identified by this work.
Thanh et al., 1996; Metcalfe, 2005) implicate both the proto-Indochina
and South China blocks (Metcalfe, 2005; Fig. 12a,b). This model does
not rule out subsequent rifting and re-amalgamation of these blocks
during the Permo-Triassic Indosinian Orogeny (e.g., Lai et al., 2014–in
this issue-a and the reference therein). Further work is required to con-
strain the paleoenvironment and geodynamic significance of the
TKPSSZ as well as the timing of the individual tectonic events.
Acknowledgments
This work partly was financially supported by AusAID Australian
Leaderships Award (ALA) Fellowship to Khin Zaw and Hai Thanh Tran,
and CODES ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits, University of
Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. Field work and structural interpreta-
tion were supported by Vietnam's National Foundation for Science
and Technology Development (NAFOSTED), Project No. 105.06.70.09 to
Hai Thanh Tran.
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