This is the first report on the ophiolite suite,which consists of metasediment,meta-basalt,metadiabase,metagabbro,metapyroxene and metasilicith,in the Wenjiashi area, northeastern Hunan.Based on geology,petrology,geochemistry and isotope chronologic data issued in this work,it is suggested that the Wenjiashi ophiolite be developed under the tectonic setting of a restricted small ocean basin.Tectono -rock assemblages such as ophiolite melange belt,foreland basin,molasse formation and“S—type”granitoid recorded the whole process of collisinal orogenesis of Wuling epoch and confirm that the
Jiangnan—Xuefeng Block should belong to Protemzoic orogens.The discovery of the ophiolitic melange belt in the Wenjiashi area provides information about the Precambrian geotectonic framework and crust evolution of South China,and therefore,this area would become one of key areas to study the early evolution(the Wuling Movement)of South China continental crust.