DETRITAL ZIRCON U-PB DATING OF MODERN RIVERS' DEPOSITS IN PAMIR,SOUTH TIAN SHAN AND THEIR CONVERGENCE ZONE

By dating detrital zircon U-Pb ages of deposition sequence in foreland basins, we can analyze the provenance of these zircons and further infer the tectonic history of the mountain belts. This is a new direction of the zircon U-Pb chronology. The precondition of using this method is that we have to have all-around understanding to the U-Pb ages of the rocks of the orogenic belts, while the varied topography, high altitude of the zircon U-Pb ages of the orogenic belts are very rare and uneven. This restricts the application of this method. Modern river deposits contain abundant geologic information of their provenances, so we can probe the zircon U-Pb ages of the geological bodies in the provenances by dating the detrital zircon U-Pb ages of modern rivers' deposits. We collected modern river deposits of 14 main rivers draining from Pamir, South Tian Shan and their convergence zone and conducted detrital zircon U-Pb dating. Combining with the massive bed rock zircon U-Pb ages of the magmatic rocks and the detrital zircon U-Pb ages of the modern fluvial deposit of other authors, we obtained the distribution characteristics of zircon U-Pb ages of different tectonic blocks of Pamir and South Tian Shan. Overlaying on the regional geological map, we pointed out the specific provenance geological bodies of different U-Pb age populations and speculated the existence of some new geological bodies. The results show that different tectonic blocks have different age peaks. The main age peaks of South Tian Shan are 270~289Ma and 428~449Ma, that of North Pamir are 205~224Ma and 448~477Ma, Central Pamir 36~40Ma, and South Pamir 80~82Ma and 102~106Ma. The Pamir syntaxis locates at the west end of the India-Eurasia collision zone. The northern boundary of the Pamir is the Main Pamir Thrust(MPT)and the Pamir Front Thrust(PFT). In the Cenozoic, because of the squeezing action of the India Plate, the Pamir thrust a lot toward the north and the internal terranes of the Pamir strongly uplifted. For the far-field effect of the India-Eurasia collision, the Tian Shan on the north margin of the Tarim Basin also uplifted intensely during this period. Extensive exhumation went along with these upliftings. The material of the exhumation was transported to the foreland basin by rivers, which formed the very thick Cenozoic deposition sequence. These age peaks can be used as characteristic ages to recognize these tectonic blocks. These results lay a solid foundation for tracing the convergence process of Pamir and South Tian Shan in Cenozoic with the help of detrital zircon U-Pb ages of sediments in the foreland basin.     

A REVIEW OF MOUNTAIN-BASIN COUPLING OF JIANGHAN AND DONGTING BASINS WITH THEIR SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS

Sedimentary basin and orogenic belt are two important components of continental structure with internal genetic links. The study of the basin-mountain coupling can reconstruct and restore the coupling relationships between the deep lithosphere process, near-surface structure and climate change over time. The Jianghan-Dongting Basin locates in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, presenting a clear basin and mountain boundary with the Qinling-Dabie Shan to the north, the Mufu Shan to the southeast, the Wuling Shan to the southwest, and the E'xi Mountain to the west, respectively. The Meso-Cenozoic Jianghan-Dongting Basin was affected by the subduction and collision of the Pacific plate and the Indian Ocean plate on the Eurasian continent, resulting in multiple tectonic evolution processes. There are some big rivers pouring into the Jianghan-Dongting Basin, such as the Yangtze River, Hanjiang River, Ba River, Xiangjiang River, and Yuanjiang River, etc. to serve as the material transport belts linking between the orogenic belt denudation and basin deposition. Therefore, the Jianghan-Dongting Basin has become a multi-source sedimentary basin, which makes it a natural laboratory to explore the geological processes from source to sink. Because the low-temperature thermochronology(e.g. fission-track and(U-Th)/He)can record the recent uplift time of mountains, they are widely used on the bedrock samples and the detrital synorogenic sediments in basins to constrain the surface uplift time of the orogenic belt. Hence, in the first parts of the paper we summarize and sort out the research results of basin-mountain coupling process in the Jianghan-Dongting Basin, evaluate the research results, identify the existing problems, and propose new research directions. After that, we introduce the applications of low-temperature thermochronology on the bedrock within the orogenic belt, basin and river sediments, combined with the actual situation of Jianghan-Dongting Basin, and put forward a new research breakthrough point. It is found that the Jianghan-Dongting Basin is very suitable for the study of low-temperature thermalchronology on detrital minerals. However, it should combine the low-temperature thermochronology results of both orogenic belt and river sediments with the provenance analysis on the same target minerals, building the connection between the exhumation and provenance information on the orogenic belt, thus providing the detailed evolution of mountain-basin coupling process.     

The Dabie Orogen as the early Jurassic sedimentary provenance: Constraints from the detrital zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating

The SHRIMP U-Pb ages of detrital zircon from the oldest Mesozoic strata, the Fanghushan Fomation, in the Hefei Basin range from 200 Ma to ca. 2500 Ma, which indicates that the Dabie Orogen as the early Jurassic sedimentary provenance was complex. The composition of the Dabie Orogen includes: the Triassic high pressure-ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks, of which the detrital zircon ages are from 234 Ma to 200 Ma; the rocks possibly related to the Qinling and Erlangping Groups representing the southern margin of the Sino-Korean craton in the Qinling and Dabie area, of which the detrital zircon has an age of 481-378 Ma; the Neo-proterozoic rocks originated from the Yangtze croton, of which the detrital zircon ages are 799-721 Ma old; and the rocks with the detrital zircon ages of ca. 2000 Ma and ca. 2500 Ma, which could be the old basement of the Yangtze craton.     

Composition variations of the Sinian-Cambrian sedimentary rocks in Hunan and Guangxi provinces and their tectonic significance

This paper reports the geochemical and zircon U-Pb dating data of the Sinian to Cambrian low-grade metamorphic rocks in the Miaoer Mountain area, Guangxi Province and the Jinjiling area, Hunan Province. Petrographic and geochemical features indicate that protoliths of these metamorphic rocks are clastic sedimentary rocks with medium weathering, which were formed in the passive continental margin. Geochemistry and zircon U-Pb ages indicate that the Sinian and Cambrian sedimentary rocks in the Jinjiling area have similar detritus components, which are characterized by abundant Grenvillian detrital zircons, suggesting a close affinity with the Cathaysia Block. The Cambrian sedimentary rocks in the Miaoer Mountain area have similar geochemistry and zircon geochronology to those in the Jinjiling area, showing an affinity with the Cathaysia Block. However, the Sinian sedimentary rocks in the Miaoer Mountain area show different geochemical features from the Cambrian sedimentary rocks and those in the Jinjiling area, and are characterized by abundant 840-700 Ma detrital zircons and less ～2.0 Ga ones, showing a close affinity with the Yangtze Block. These variations suggest that the Jinjiling area continuously accepted the fragments from the Cathaysia from the Sinian to the Cambrian, whereas the provenance of the Miaoer Mountain sedimentary basin changed from the Yangtze Block to the Cathaysia Block during this interval. This change implies a tectonic movement, which caused the further sinking of the basin in the Miaoer Mountain area and northwestward transferring of the basin center before the Middle Cambrian, so that the Miaoer Mountain basin received the detritus from the Cathaysia Block in the Middle Cambrian. This fact also proves that the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks have converged at least in Middle Cambrian, and the southwestern boundary between them is located between the Miaoer Mountain and Jinjiling areas.     

A REVIEW OF LOW-TEMPERATURE THERMOCHRONOLOGY ON BEDROCK AND DETRITUS FROM RIVERS AROUND THE TIBETAN PLATEAU

The large river systems are the major transfer of continental masses to the ocean and basin, playing significant roles in global geochemical cycles. The Tibetan plateau is the birthplace of many huge rivers flowing through eastern and southern Asia, in which the fluvial deposits kept not only closely relate to the geological evolution information from the source areas, but also record the river itself building process. The low-temperature thermochronology method of detrital minerals (zircon and apatite, etc.) can be used to constrain the river's source areas, establishing its source-sink system. It can also combine regional tectonic deformation analysis to determine the potential source region of the river and the formation time of the plateau geomorphology, which is a focused issue in recent years. In this study, we have summarized the research results from the large rivers in the Tibetan plateau in recent years, suggesting that the low-temperature thermochronology analysis of the detrital minerals should be focused on the river's key locations in the upstream, midstream and downstream, respectively, combining the small tributaries analysis which can give a more detailed thermal evolution history in the whole drainage basin. On the conditions of the bedrock, it is shown that in the same river's different place we should use the same low-temperature thermochronology, while in different river's places we should take several low-temperature thermochronology methods (apatite and zircon, etc.)at a same position, so we get a complete time series related to the river incision. Combining the valley bedrock and detrital river minerals with the low-temperature thermalchronology on the Tibetan plateau, together with the chronology, structure analysis and other sedimentary studies, we can obtain detailed structures and river's evolution processes.     

CHRONOLOGY OF YICHANG GRAVEL LAYER BASED ON QUARTZ TI-LI CENTER ESR DATING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INCISION TIMING OF THE THREE GORGES VALLEY

Uplift of Tibet Plateau and formation of Asian Monsoon greatly affect East Asian geomorphological evolution, climate change and environment systems. Thus, those phenomena also control the origin, size and direction of river systems. The Yangtze River, as the most important linkage between Tibet Plateau and the East Asian marginal seas, delivers large volumes of water, sediment, and associated chemicals from its headwater regions and tributaries to the East China Sea, significantly influencing sedimentary system evolution in its drainage basin. Therefore, the formation of the modern Yangtze River and its geological-time evolution history have been paid more and more attention to since the beginning of the last century. After debated for more than a century, the First Bend in Shigu area and the Three Gorges have been known as the key capture point of the Yangtze River's evolution history. In particularly, the Three Gorges incision period remains greatly controversial, which mainly focuses on Cretaceous period-Neogene period, early Pleistocene period, and late Quaternary period. The Yichang Gravel, just located downstream and outlet of the Three Gorges with an inverted triangle shape, is mainly distributed in western Jianghan Basin with over 1 000km². Because of its wide distribution and key geographical location, many typical profiles of Yichang Gravel have been the critical materials for studies on stratigraphic division, geomorphic evolution, and paleoenvironment change in middle Yangtze River Basin, especially on the Three Gorges incision history. Based on the previous field investigation, the Yichang gravel unconformably overlies the Cretaceous bedrocks and underlies the mid-Pleistocene vermicular red earth. In addition, studies on heavy mineral assemblages, Pb isotopic compositions of detrital K-feldspar grains, magnetic characteristics as well as pollen assemblage characteristics have showed that sediments in Yichang Gravel are mainly derived from upper Yangtze River Basin, such as Jinshangjiang drainage, Minjiang drainage, Jialingjiang drainage and Wujiang drainage. Based on the above comprehensive analysis, researchers demonstrated that the depositing time of Yichang Gravel can best constrain the Three Gorges incising time. The absolute altitude of Yichang Gravel exceeds 110m, and many thick sand lens are developed from top to bottom of the profiles. In this study, we applied the quartz Ti-Li center ESR dating method in Yichang Gravel to determine its absolute formation age, and then to constrain the minimum cutting-through time of Three Gorges. Eight samples(SXY-1, SXY-2, YC-1-4, LJY-1, LJY-2)were collected from the sand lens at depths of 4m, 19m, 40m, 51m, 63m, 75m, 83m and 99m respectively from the top of the profile. At the same time, in order to evaluate the residual dose of Ti-Li center after sunlight bleaching, we also sampled four modern surface Yangtze River sediments near Yichang Gravel for ESR measurement. The result shows that the quartz Ti-Li center ESR signal intensity of the 4 modern fluvial sediments samples are zero, which implies that the Ti-Li center ESR signal intensity of quartz in Yichang Gravel sand lens could be bleached to zero before the last burial. Thus, the above results indicate that the ESR dating results of this paper are reliable. The ESR absolute age from top to bottom of the profile is 0.73Ma BP,0.87Ma BP,0.98Ma BP,1.04Ma BP,1.05Ma BP,1.10Ma BP, 1.11Ma BP, 1.12Ma BP, respectively. The ESR dating results show that the Yichang Gravel began to deposit at about 1. 12Ma BP until 0. 73Ma BP, and the Ti-Li center ESR age indicates that the Yangtze River cut through Three Gorges area no later than 1.12Ma BP.     

SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE YANGTZE RIVER ESTUARY

SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN TIIE YANGTZE RIVER ESTUARYSHEN Zhigang'ANSTa^CTThe hy~ntalc and the sedimen tranSport Patter'nS within the estUaIy of the YangtZe mver arecomPlex because of intemehon of fluvial and the hdal forCes, depending on freshwate discharge andhdal range. Based on the data measuIed in meent years, thes papo discusses the characterishcs of flowand sNnt movemen in the tw forer EstUaIy and their iIifluences on the evolution of theestuaryKey W: YangtZe mver…     

Cenozoic tectonic and geomorphic evolution of the Longxi region in northeastern Tibetan Plateau interpreted from detrital zircon

The Longxi region contains different kinds of Cenozoic sediments, including eolian deposits, reworked loess, fluvial and lacustrine deposits. The provenance evolution of these sediments is of great significance in exploring the uplift, tectonic deformation and associated with geomorphic evolution of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. In this paper, we used the single-grain zircon provenance analysis to constrain the provenances for the Paleogene alluvial conglomerates and for the Neogene fluvial-lacustrine sediments, and compared them with results from the loess deposits since the Miocene. The results show that: (1) the Paleogene alluvial conglomerates contain a large number of detrital zircons ranging from 560 to 1100 Ma that were derived from the Yangzi Block. However, the sediments of early Miocene have much fewer zircons of this age span, which are characterized by an abundance of zircon ages in the ranges of 200–360 Ma. This indicates that the Paleogene alluvial conglomerates mainly come from the middle and/or southern West Qinling, and the early Miocene sediments are primarily from the northern West Qinling; (2) Late Neogene fluvial sediments (11.5 Ma onward) in Tianshui-Qinan region are dominated by zircon ages of 380–450 Ma. This zircon population is similar to that of the exposed intrusive rocks of southern part of the Liupan Mountains, implying that the southern part of Liupan Mountains probably had already uplifted by 11.5 Ma; (3) Late Miocene lacustrine sediments in Tianshui region have a zircon age spectra that is remarkably different from coeval fluvial deposits, but is similar to the zircon age distributions of the Miocene loess in Qinan region, late Miocene-Pliocene Hipparion red clay and Quaternary loess. This indicates that fine particles within these Miocene lacustrine sediments in Tianshui region may be dominated by aeolian materials. This study reveals that provenance changes of Cenozoic sediments in Tianshui-Qinan region and its geomorphic evolution are closely related to the multi-stage uplift of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. In particular, the major uplift of the Northern Tibetan Plateau during late Oligocene-early Miocene may have not only provided the source areas and wind dynamic conditions for the deposits of the Miocene loess, but also provided the geomorphic conditions for its accumulation.     

Sediment dynamics in the mudbank of the Yangtze River Estuary under regime shift of source and sink

The southeastern portion of the Yangtze River Estuary (or Yangtze Estuary) was considered to be the deposition center and the mudbank of the Yangtze River Delta.As the fluvial sediment supply began to decline in the 1980s and the reduction accelerated after the completion of the Three Gorge Dam in 2003,more fluvial sediment was trapped decreasing the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) environment in the river mouth area.Moreover,the accretion rate of the mudbank has slowed down in recent dec...     

Provenance discrimination and Source-to-Sink studies from a dryland fluvial regime： An example from Kachchh,western India

Tracing the sediment delivery from its source terrain to its ultimate sink envisage multiple factors that play a vital role in understanding present day erosional engine.To accomplish this,it is significant to distinguish the variable end-members contributing to the basin.The findings from the study of dryland coastal fluvial regime in Kachchh(Western India),which is one of the end members contributing to the Gulf of Kachchh coast(partial sink) and finally to the Arabian Sea(ultimate sink) have been presented here.Multi-proxy sediment provenance proxies such as grain-size,clay minerals,geochemistry and magnetic minerals have been employed to evaluate the provenance discriminating characteristics of the Kachchh dryland fluvial system and factors influencing them.The results of different proxies indicate that the provenance signatures of uplands are quite characteristic with magnetic susceptibility(χ) values of 20×10~(-7)m~3kg~(-1) and smectite(S)/kaolinite(K) ratio between 0.26 and 0.49.The middle reaches show marked increase in magnetic mineral concentration with χ values(140×10~(-7)m~3kg~(-1))and S/K ratio(4.92),while the estuarine tract shows χ values(80×10~(-7)m~3kg~(-1)),S/K ratio(1.90) and,characteristic heavy minerals(i.e.mica minerals),probably reflect the interplay between land and sea oscillations.Major sources of sediments within catchment scale were identified,viz.,upland sedimentary rocks(Juran and Bhuj Formation sandstone-shale) and middle reaches volcanic(Deccan Trap Formation basalt) rocks.The present study draw cautions in provenance of sediment discrimination in areas influenced by Deccan basalt that has the overwhelming sediment delivery and a comparatively subdued effects of other provenance signatures.The studied proxies of mineralogy of clays,magnetic minerals and geochemistry of heavy and major elements serve as the potential for fingerprint of sediment source regions and hence behold a strong position in source to sink studies globally.     

Downstream changes in quartz OSL sensitivity in modern river sand reflects sediment source variability: Case studies from Rocky Mountain and Andean rivers

OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) sensitivity of quartz has been shown to either (1) record downstream sediment transport related to increased number and duration of light exposure cycles or (2) be a function of source geology, presenting a potential tool to track sediment provenance. To test these competing models this study leverages a suite of modern river samples from an extensional basin system in the Rocky Mountains of western USA (Bear River) and a retroarc foreland basin system in the southern Central Andes of Argentina (Río San Juan) to understand the relationships among quartz luminescence sensitivity, sediment transport distance, and catchment lithologies. We compare our results with petrographic analysis of the river sand composition, and characterization of the lithology and morphometrics of the river catchments. Samples taken along the Bear River and its major tributaries in the Rocky Mountains show a progressive downstream decrease in quartz OSL sensitivity that records variation in sediment provenance and steady contribution of lower OSL sensitivity quartz recycled from Palaeozoic passive margin stratigraphy. Andean river sand samples from the Rio San Juan network exhibit pervasive low sensitivity quartz derived from Andean arc volcanic rocks and recycled Neogene foreland basin strata. These modern river sand data do not show increased sensitivity with transport distance and instead indicates that in these landscapes, quartz OSL sensitivity is an intrinsic property of the source rock. Our study shows that river sands primarily composed of older, recycled low-strained quartz derived from quartzite lithologies exhibit the highest quartz sensitivity values. Moderate quartz OSL sensitivity values are observed in rivers with young igneous quartz derived directly from the volcanic and intrusive rocks. Conversely, microcrystalline quartz in chert lithic grains or polycrystalline quartz found in composite metamorphic lithic grains record the lowest quartz OSL sensitivity values. Determining the controlling factors of quartz sensitivity in river sand provides a current baseline for resolving paleogeographic and paleodrainage histories in the sedimentary record and provides further understanding of how sediments are eroded, transported, and deposited in fluvial systems with diverse tectonic settings and geologic source rocks.     

SHRIMP U–Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Early Cretaceous Nakdong Formation,South East Korea: Timing of initiation of the Gyeongsang Basin and its provenance

To constrain the depositional age of the lowermost Nakdong Formation in the Early Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin, SHRIMP U–Pb age determination was carried out on zircon separates. The U–Pb compositions of detrital zircons from the Nakdong Formation yield a wide range of ages from the Archean to the Cretaceous but show a marked contrast in age distribution according to the geographical locations within the basin. The provenance of the southern Nakdong Formation is dominantly the surrounding Yeongnam Massif, which is composed of Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks and Triassic to Jurassic plutonic rocks, whereas the central to northern Nakdong Formation records significant sediment derivation from the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, which is distributed to the northwest, in addition to the contribution from the Yeongnam Massif. It is suggested that the maximum depositional age of the Nakdong Formation is ca 127 Ma, based on its youngest detrital zircon age population. The onset of its deposition at 127 Ma coincided with the tectonic inversion in East Asia from a compressional to an extensional geodynamic setting, probably due to the contemporaneous change in the drift direction of the Izanagi Plate and its subsequent oblique subduction.     

Using a fluvial archive to place extreme flood sediment (dis)connectivity dynamics in context of a longer-term record

The aim of this study was to establish the source and provenance of sediments deposited in a large floodplain sink during extreme floods in the Lockyer Creek catchment, Australia, in 2011 and 2013. We place the sediment source patterns in context of the longer-term record to determine whether coarse-grained sediment sources (i.e., very fine sand to very coarse sand) and the spatio-temporal pattern of (dis)connectivity have changed over time. We do this by matching the geochemical properties and age structure of a sediment profile located in a downstream floodplain sink to the elemental composition of source sediments. One hundred and fifty-seven sediment samples from 20 sites across the catchment are analysed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry to compare the elemental ratio composition of the downstream floodplain sink to its source materials. We use Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating to determine the age structure of the sediments in the floodplain sink. The northern tributaries and parts of the Lockyer River trunk stream are the primary sources of coarse sediment. These areas are connected (coupled) to the lower trunk stream and floodplain sediment sink. Southern tributaries are largely disconnected (decoupled) and supply little sediment to the floodplain sediment sink. This pattern of sediment source contribution has remained similar over the last 6.8 ka at least. Sediment sources as observed in the 2011 flood have predominated over the mid-late Holocene whilst those in the 2013 flood are rare.     

Detrital zircon multi‐chronology,provenance, and low‐grade metamorphism of the Cretaceous Shimanto accretionary complex,eastern Shikoku,Southwest Japan: Tectonic evolution in response to igneous activity within a subduction zone

Detrital zircon multi‐chronology combined with provenance and low‐grade metamorphism analyses enables the reinterpretation of the tectonic evolution of the Cretaceous Shimanto accretionary complex in Southwest Japan. Detrital zircon U–Pb ages and provenance analysis defines the depositional age of trench‐fill turbidites associated with igneous activity in provenance. Periods of low igneous activity are recorded by youngest single grain zircon U–Pb ages (YSG) that approximate or are older than the depositional ages obtained from radiolarian fossil‐bearing mudstone. Periods of intensive igneous activity recorded by youngest cluster U–Pb ages (YC1σ) that correspond to the younger limits of radiolarian ages. The YC1σ U–Pb ages obtained from sandstones within mélange units provide more accurate younger depositional ages than radiolarian ages derived from mudstone. Determining true depositional ages requires a combination of fossil data, detrital zircon ages, and provenance information. Fission‐track ages using zircons estimated YC1σ U–Pb ages are useful for assessing depositional and annealing ages for the low‐grade metamorphosed accretionary complex. These new dating presented here indicates the following tectonic history of the accretionary wedge. Evolution of the Shimanto accretionary complex from the Albian to the Turonian was caused by the subduction of the Izanagi plate, a process that supplied sediments via the erosion of Permian and Triassic to Early Jurassic granitic rocks and the eruption of minor amounts of Early Cretaceous intermediate volcanic rocks. The complex subsequently underwent intensive igneous activity from the Coniacian to the early Paleocene as a result of the subduction of a hot and young oceanic slab, such as the Kula–Pacific plate. Finally, the major out‐of‐sequence thrusts of the Fukase Fault and the Aki Tectonic Line formed after the middle Eocene, and this reactivation of the Shimanto accretionary complex as a result of the subduction of the Pacific plate.     

Understanding Amazonian fluvial rias based on a Late Pleistocene–Holocene analog

Fluvial rias are elongated lakes at tributary mouths that can reach dozens of kilometers in length, constituting one of the most remarkable features in the Amazonian landscape. Thus far, definitive data which documents the genesis of fluvial rias have not been published. The main goal of this work was to integrate morphological, sedimentological and chronological information in order to characterize fluvial paleorias in the interfluve of the Purus and Madeira Rivers and discuss the most likely hypothesis for their genesis. These paleorias were first observed through remote sensing imagery as several elongated and interconnecting belts of open vegetation that are in sharp contact with the surrounding dense forest. The belts are branched and form a dendritic pattern similar to many modern drainage networks. The sedimentary record of these belts revealed the prevalence of sharp‐based sandstones and mudstones arranged into fining‐upward successions, which are compatible with deposition within channels. Active channel and abandoned channel deposits were recognized. These are topped by continuous mudstones related to rapid channel abandonment and formation of a low energy basin or ria environment. Radiocarbon dating of these deposits recorded only Late Pleistocene and Holocene ages ranging from 21 547–22 285 cal yr bp to 5928–6124 cal yr bp . This chronology for sediment deposition is not compatible with the hypothesis of Amazonian rias being formed by fluvial erosion during the Last Glaciation Maximum low sea level, with sediment accumulation during the subsequent Holocene transgression. Instead, the studied paleorias record previous tributaries of the Madeira River that became abandoned as the position of this river shifted southeastward and its interfluve tilted northward, inverting the drainage systems. Therefore, a neotectonic origin of some Amazonian paleorias seems most likely. This hypothesis should be considered in further investigations aiming at understanding the origin of numerous modern fluvial rias that typify the Amazonian landscape. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

下扬子天目山盆地火山岩锆石LA-ICP-MS定年及地质意义

天目山盆地是下扬子江南隆起带保存较完整的中生代火山盆地,中生代火山岩系岩性自下而上主要为流纹岩-英安岩-安山岩。对盆地内黄尖组下段流纹岩和英安岩分别进行了锆石 LA-ICP MS定年,分别获得了133．6±1．5 Ma（MSWD＝0．73）和135．0±2．1 Ma（MSWD＝0．78）的锆石U-Pb年龄,指示天目山盆地黄尖组火山岩时代为早白垩世。天目山盆地火山活动起始时间和长江中下游地区晚中生代火山活动基本一致,说明江南隆起带和长江中下游地区在早白垩世均处于强烈拉张环境。     

OSL chronology for a sediment core from the southern Baltic Sea: A continuous sedimentation record since deglaciation

A chronology based on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is presented for the late- and post-glacial evolution of the southern Baltic Sea (15 ka to present). During this period, large water level and salinity changes occurred in the Baltic Basin due to opening and closing of connections to the North Atlantic. Previous attempts to establish a chronology for these palaeoenvironmental changes have mainly been conducted in coastal settings where organic material for ¹⁴C dating is abundant. Many of these records are, however, discontinuous due to the large water level fluctuations. In contrast, in the relatively deep water of the Arkona Basin, the sediment record is expected to be more or less continuous. The single aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) procedure was used to date 32 samples of fine quartz sand from a 10.86 m long sediment core from the centre of this basin (45 m water depth). Tests of luminescence characteristics confirmed the suitability of the material for OSL dating and the ages agree well with the available AMS ¹⁴C ages on shells. The Baltic Ice Lake drainage to the North Atlantic appears to occur 11.6 ka, agreeing with other published evidence. However, we suggest that the main marine Littorina transgression appears in the Arkona Basin at about 6.5 ka, rather than at 8.5 ka, as previously thought.     

Cosmogenic nuclide burial age of the Sanying Formation and its implications

The Pliocene fluvial/lacustrine sediments of the Sanying Formation lie along the Red River fault and its northwest extension;their majority outcrops appear around Eryuan.The Sanying Formation is characterized by multiple intercalated coal layers and its unconformities contact with the underlying Triassic limestone and the overlying Quaternary coarse sediments.Cosmogenic nuclide burial dating confirms the Pliocene age of the Sanying Formation.The burial ages of the overlying Quaternary sediments provide the lower age limit of the Sanying Formation:2 Ma.Detrital zircon U-Pb age distribution suggests provenance of the Sanying Formation traced to the Songpan-Ganzi flysch belt.From the spatial distribution as well as sedimentary and fault ages,we found a strong connection of the Sanying Formation with the Red River and the Jianchuan faults.We therefore propose that activation of the Red River and the Jianchuan faults during the Late Miocene resulted in subsidence of basins in the extensional areas around Eryuan and in the middle to south segments of the Red River fault.The basins were filled with water carried by the Jinsha River and overflow-lakes formed within the basins where the Sanying Formation was deposited.Most of the lakes were dried and sedimentation of the Sanying Formation ceased due to the uplift of the Yunling Mountains,which forced rerouting of the Jinsha River at the beginning of Quaternary.     

Sedimentary evolution of a foreland basin from the northeastern Qilian Mountains based on the integration of geomorphological and luminescence dating of alluvial conglomerates and fluvial terrace sediments

Sedimentary deposits in the foreland basin of the northeastern Qilian Mountains are crucial documents recording tectonic activity and climate changes on the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, luminescence dating was used to date alluvial conglomerates and fluvial terrace sediments collected from the Beida River in the Jiuquan Basin, a foreland basin in the Hexi Corridor, northeastern Qilian Mountains. Detailed sedimentology and luminescence ages reveal that alluvial conglomerates accumulated from before 620 ka to 12 ka and that sediment accumulation rates increased at ∼330 ka and ∼35 ka, coinciding with the dates of two tectonic events (∼350 and ∼50 ka) and followed by climate cooling (from marine isotope stage (MIS) 9 to MIS 8 and from MIS 3 to MIS 2). This reveals that variations in the sediment accumulation rates are controlled by the coupling of tectonic uplift and climate cooling. The highest terrace (T7) that developed on the alluvial conglomerate base formed at ∼ 12 ka. The incision rate in the early Holocene was ∼2.1 mm/yr and increased to ∼14.6 mm/yr during the middle and late Holocene. The variations in the river incision rate provide geomorphic evidence for Holocene climate patterns in arid and semiarid areas. Luminescence dating offers a credible temporal framework for the deposits and reveals climate and tectonic effects on the evolution of the foreland basin, northeastern Qilian Mountains.     

Provenance and thermal history of the Bayan Har Group in the western-central Songpan–Ganzi–Bayan Har terrane: Implications for tectonic evolution of the northern Tibetan Plateau

Triassic turbidites dominate the Songpan–Ganzi–Bayan Har (SGBH) terrane of the northern Tibetan Plateau. U‐Pb dating on single detrital zircon grains from the Triassic Bayan Har Group turbidites yield peaks at 400–500 m.y., 900–1000 m.y., 1800–1900 m.y., and 2400–2500 m.y., These results are consistent with recently published U‐Pb zircon ages of pre‐Triassic bedrock in the East Kunlun, Altyn, Qaidam, Qilian and Alaxa areas to the north, suggesting that provenance of the Bayan Har Group may include these rocks. The similarities in the compositions of the lithic arkosic sandstones of the Bayan Har Group with the sandstones of the Lower‐Middle Triassic formations in the East Kunlun terrane to the north also suggests a common northern provenance for both. A well exposed angular unconformity between the Carboniferous–Middle Permian mélange sequences and the overlying Upper Permian or Triassic strata indicates that regional deformation occurred between the Middle and Late Permian. This deformation may have been the result of a soft collision between the Qiangtang terrane and the North China Plate and the closure of the Paleo‐Tethyan oceanic basin. The Bayan Har Group turbidites were then deposited in a re‐opened marine basin on a shelf environment. Fission‐track dating of detrital zircons from the Bayan Har Group sandstones revealed pre‐ and post‐depositional age components, suggesting that the temperatures did not reach the temperatures necessary to anneal retentive zircon fission tracks (250–300°C). A 282–292 m.y. peak age defined by low U concentration, retentive zircons likely reflects a northern granitic source. Euhedral zircons from two lithic arkoses with abundant volcanic fragments in the southern area yielded a ～237 m.y. zircon fission track (ZFT) peak age, likely recording the maximum age of deposition. A dominant post‐depositional 170–185 m.y. ZFT peak age suggests peak temperatures were reached in the Early Jurassic. Some samples appear to record a younger thermal event at ～140 m.y., a short lived event that apparently affected only the least retentive zircons.