藏南吉隆地区大喜马拉雅结晶杂岩的新生代变质作用和构造意义

大喜马拉雅结晶杂岩位于喜马拉雅造山带的核部,其变质作用的研究是揭示碰撞造山作用和动力学的关键。本文对喜马拉雅造山带中部吉隆地区的大喜马拉雅结晶杂岩中的片麻岩和片岩进行了岩石学和锆石U-Pb年代学的研究,表明这些高级变质岩经历了高角闪岩相的变质作用和部分熔融,以及近等温降压的退变质过程。片麻岩和片岩的峰期变质矿物组合为斜长石+钾长石+黑云母+白云母+石英±石榴子石±钛铁矿和石榴子石+蓝晶石+斜长石+黑云母+白云母+钛铁矿+石英,晚期退变质矿物组合为斜长石+钾长石+黑云母+白云母+夕线石+石英±石榴子石和石榴子石+夕线石+斜长石+黑云母+白云母+钛铁矿+石英。相平衡模拟研究表明,岩石的峰期变质条件为685~755℃和9.5~12kbar,退变质作用条件为675~685℃和6~7.4kbar。锆石U-Pb年代学表明,高级变质岩的部分熔融时间为38~16Ma,熔体结晶时间为17~15Ma。本次研究表明,大喜马拉雅结晶杂岩中、上部并没有普遍经历高压麻粒岩相变质作用,部分地区包括吉隆地区经历的是高角闪岩相变质作用。此外,本文在吉隆地区高级变质的大喜马拉雅结晶杂岩中识别出较低级变质的特提斯喜马拉雅岩系单元。结合已发表的藏南拆离断裂的主要活动时间,本文认为构造楔模型更适用于研究区喜马拉雅造山过程的解释。     

苏鲁构造杂岩带乳山地区（石榴）斜长角闪岩P-T演化轨迹及其地质意义——来自岩石学、矿物化学及相平衡模拟的约束

大量来自于华北陆块的高压变质岩被发现发育于苏鲁构造杂岩带中,给俯冲带上盘物质如何卷入陆-陆俯冲碰撞作用的研究带来新的契机.通过对乳山地区（含榴）斜长角闪岩进行岩石学、矿物化学及相平衡模拟的研究,发现其保留有3个不同变质演化阶段的矿物组合,峰前矿物组合为粗粒石榴子石+斜长石+角闪石+石英+钛铁矿;峰期矿物组合由石榴子石+单斜辉石+斜长石+角闪石+石英+钛铁矿组成,为典型高角闪岩相矿物组合;峰后退变质阶段矿物组合为角闪石+斜长石+石英+石榴子石+钛铁矿,发育有典型的“白眼圈”结构.相平衡模拟与温压计算表明,乳山午极石榴斜长角闪岩峰前变质阶段的P-T条件分别为P=6.4~7.0 kbar、T=610~640℃,表明其俯冲至30 km左右的地壳深度;峰期变质阶段P-T条件分别为P=9.3~10.0 kbar、T=700~730℃,表明其已俯冲至36~40 km的地壳深度,峰后退变质阶段P-T条件分别为P=5.2~5.8 kbar、T=680~710℃.锆石U-Pb定年结果表明乳山午极石榴斜长角闪岩原岩时代为1 734±24 Ma,龙角山水库斜长角闪岩变质时代为1 849±28 Ma,研究表明二者均来源于华北构造岩片.结合前人研究资料,推测乳山地区石榴斜长角闪岩原岩可能经历三叠纪俯冲作用并发生变质;其与杂岩带中来自华南的构造岩片发生混杂,共同构成华北-华南板块间宽约80~100 km的构造杂岩带.      

华南云开高州紫苏花岗岩及其两类石榴石的成因：岩石学和锆石U-Pb年代学证据

云开地块早古生代的构造背景至今仍存有争论。对云炉-龙修一带出露的含石榴石紫苏花岗岩进行研究可为该区构造-变质演化提供重要制约。详细的岩相学研究表明紫苏花岗岩中存在两种成因的石榴石(石榴石Ⅰ和石榴石Ⅱ),并识别出该岩石保留了三阶段演化的矿物组合(M_1-M_3)。峰期前矿物组合(M_1)由紫苏辉石变斑晶中的包裹体矿物石榴石+黑云母+斜长石+钛铁矿+石英组成。峰期变质-深熔矿物组合(M_2)由基质中平衡共生的斑晶矿物石榴石Ⅰ+紫苏辉石+黑云母+石英+斜长石+钛铁矿构成。退变质矿物组合(M_3)以紫苏辉石和黑云母以及钛铁矿边部降温生成石榴石Ⅱ+石英冠状体("红眼圈")和黑云母+石英后成合晶为特征。传统地质温压计、平均温压法及在NCKFMASHTO模式体系下的相平衡模拟结果表明,紫苏花岗岩峰期前矿物组合形成条件为720℃/70kbar(M1),峰期变质-深熔结晶条件为835～810℃/65～58kbar(M_2),退变质条件为740℃/56kbar(M_3)。岩相观察和P-T计算结果表明紫苏花岗岩的形成可能反映了一条顺时针的P-T轨迹,且以峰期前略微减压并伴随明显的升温和峰期后具有近等压冷却(IBC)过程为特征。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学结果显示锆石核部加权平均年龄为～431Ma,锆石边部加权平均年龄为～243Ma。我们认为峰期深熔作用和岩浆结晶石榴石Ⅰ的形成可能发生于早古生代(加里东期),而晚期退变质作用和变质重结晶石榴石Ⅱ的形成可能发生在早中生代(印支期)。本研究也表明云开地区含石榴石紫苏花岗岩的形成与早古生代扬子和华夏陆块碰撞后抬升过程有紧密联系,并遭受了早中生代印支期构造热事件的明显叠加。     

北秦岭松树沟榴闪岩锆石U-Pb定年、矿物包裹体和Lu-Hf同位素特征及其地质意义

采用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年法对松树沟榴闪岩中的锆石进行年代学分析,得到锆石残留核的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄为729±24Ma,对应的Th/U比值为0.70~1.01;变质锆石的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄为496±9.1Ma,对应的Th/U比值为0.02~0.11。通过激光拉曼探针在变质锆石里寻找到斜长石、单斜辉石、石榴石、石英、榍石、磷灰石等矿物包裹体,结合岩石具有的石榴石变斑晶和单斜辉石+斜长石嵌晶,推测变质锆石可能生长于岩石的高压麻粒岩相变质阶段,不排除早期存在榴辉岩相变质的可能性,所获~496Ma的变质时代记录了一期与陆壳深俯冲相关的区域地质事件。利用LA-MC-ICP-MS法测定了变质重结晶锆石的176Hf/177Hf=0.282560~0.282663;以t=730Ma计算出εHf(t)=+8.6~+12.2;Hf模式年龄为867±43Ma。锆石残留核年龄和变质重结晶锆石的t DM(Hf)数值,表明该榴闪岩的原岩应老于729Ma,原岩物质从亏损地幔分离的时间不晚于867±43Ma。结合前人研究成果,认为松树沟榴闪岩是早期侵位的岩石遭受早古生代高压-超高压区域变质作用的产物。     

北大别混合岩类型及其成因

大别造山带北大别超高压变质构造单元中广泛发育混合岩。基于对罗田和岳西穹隆中混合岩的野外观察、岩相学、矿物化学和锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年系统工作,发现北大别混合岩主要分为中等深熔混合岩和高度深熔混合岩两种类型。中等深熔混合岩为叠层状混合岩和膨胀结构混合岩;高度深熔混合岩为眼球状混合岩和析离体状混合岩。锆石U-Pb同位素定年结果表明,混合岩中新生锆石年龄范围为125 Ma~138 Ma,加权平均年龄为130.7 Ma±1.8 Ma;两个继承锆石的年龄分别为602.8 Ma±16.8 Ma和667.3 Ma±17.6 Ma;混合岩叠层状暗色体中锆石年龄连续且分布集中,加权平均年龄为703 Ma±10 Ma,代表原岩的形成年龄。北大别混合岩的原岩为新元古代的岩石,其混合岩化作用发生在140 Ma至125 Ma期间。不同浅色体中斜长石的含量和牌号差异显著,反映了浅色体形成于不同演化程度的熔体结晶。斜长石-角闪石温压计估算结果显示,混合岩形成的温压条件为723℃~768℃和370 MPa~520 MPa,对应于中上地壳环境。混合岩的成因机制以长英质片麻岩水饱和条件下的富水熔融为主。其反应为:黑云母+石英+斜长石+水=角闪石+斜长石(残留)+花岗质熔体。少数混合岩的成因机制为角闪片麻岩中角闪石的脱水熔融。其反应为:角闪石+斜长石+石英=单斜辉石+富水熔体。     

东南极拉斯曼丘陵夕线石榴二长片麻岩的格林威尔期变质作用和构造意义

东南极拉斯曼丘陵出露的中-高级变质岩是普里兹湾基底岩系的主要组成部分,是研究普里兹湾高级区组成与演化的理想对象。本文对拉斯曼丘陵米洛半岛地区的夕线石榴二长片麻岩进行了岩石学、相平衡模拟和地质年代学研究。研究结果表明拉斯曼丘陵夕线石榴二长片麻岩矿物组合为石榴子石+堇青石+斜长石+钛铁矿+夕线石+石英±黑云母±钾长石,经历了格林威尔期(～980Ma)高温变质,其峰期阶段(M1)的矿物组合为石榴子石+斜长石+钾长石+钛铁矿+夕线石+石英,变质温压条件为:～820℃、～9. 6kbar。夕线石榴二长片麻岩的岩浆锆石比变质锆石具有更低的LREE和更高的HREE含量,其原岩的沉积年龄不早于～1073Ma,物源主要为中元古代岩浆岩(S-型花岗岩)。拉斯曼丘陵在格林威尔期经历了陆-陆碰撞,进而快速折返、剥蚀作用的过程。     

拉萨地块东南缘晚白垩世高温变质作用及其地质意义:来自石英出溶金红石的证据和锆石U-Pb定年

文中对拉萨地块东南缘林芝杂岩中的含榴斜长角闪岩进行了详细的岩相学研究和锆石U-Pb定年。岩相学观察表明,含榴斜长角闪岩经历了峰期麻粒岩相变质和角闪岩相退变质作用。峰期麻粒岩相矿物组合为石榴子石+高Ti角闪石+紫苏辉石+斜长石+石英+金红石,其中的石榴子石、石英和角闪石中含有大量金红石出溶体,说明这些矿物的初始成分具有高Ti含量。角闪岩相退变质矿物组合为低Ti角闪石+斜长石+斜黝帘石+石英+金红石。利用Ti在石英中的含量(TitaniQ)温度计计算得到峰期麻粒岩相变质温度为803～924℃,后期角闪岩相退变质温度为555～732℃。样品中的锆石具有明显的核边结构,核部为典型岩浆型锆石,具有高的Th/U值,强烈富集HREE,明显的正Ce异常和负Eu异常,206Pb/238U年龄为(89.3±0.6)Ma,代表含榴斜长角闪岩原岩结晶年龄。锆石边部呈无环带结构,同核部相比,具有低的Th/U值,低的M-HREE和弱的Eu负异常,为变质峰期生长的锆石,206Pb/238U年龄为(81.1±0.8)Ma,代表麻粒岩相峰期变质年龄。我们认为约81Ma高温麻粒岩相变质作用可能与洋中脊俯冲造成的板片窗导致的软流圈上涌有关。     

北祁连香子沟榴辉岩相变沉积岩的锆石U-Pb年代学、Hf同位素特征及其地质意义

榴辉岩相变沉积岩普遍分布在北祁连HP/LT变质带中,在HP/LT变质带的西段香子沟地区,变质沉积岩的矿物组合为石英+多硅白云母+石榴子石+绿帘石±蓝闪石±绿辉石(+金红石+锆石)。利用石榴子石-绿辉石-多硅白云母地质温压计获得变沉积岩的峰期变质温度为448~467℃,压力为2.0~2.2GPa。锆石SHRIMP和LA-ICPMS U-Pb测试结果显示,碎屑锆石核的年龄分布在532~2700Ma之间,大部分集中在中元古代和晚古元古代之间,显示原岩的碎屑物质主要来源于中-古元古代岩石。2个样品的变质锆石边获得的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄分别为495±7Ma(MSWD=0.63)和496±7Ma(MSWD=5.6),代表了榴辉岩相变质年龄。结合前人研究成果和锆石Hf同位素特征,表明榴辉岩相变沉积岩的原岩形成于以陆缘碎屑为主的活动大陆边缘或弧前环境,在早古生代洋壳俯冲过程中,通过俯冲剥蚀作用被卷入到俯冲带深部,与所包裹的基性岩(榴辉岩的原岩)一起发生榴辉岩相变质作用,并快速折返至浅部。     

冈底斯岩浆弧东段沉积岩的早新生代变质作用及构造意义

青藏高原南部冈底斯岩浆弧形成于中生代以来新特提斯洋俯冲和新生代印度与欧亚大陆碰撞过程中。岩浆弧东部出露的中—新生代变质岩是研究大陆地壳组成、生长和再造的理想窗口。本文选择早新生代的变质沉积岩——石榴子石矽线石云母片岩和石榴子石黑云母片麻岩进行了岩石学和锆石U-Pb年代学研究。研究结果表明,石榴子石矽线石云母片岩由石榴子石、黑云母、白云母、斜长石、钾长石、矽线石、石英和金红石组成,峰期变质条件为730～750℃和0.78～0.81GPa。片岩和片麻岩中的锆石由继承的碎屑核和变质边组成,变质边给出的~(206)Pb/~(238) U年龄为51～72Ma,继承碎屑核给出的~(206) Pb/~(238) U(或~(207) Pb/~(206) Pb)年龄在314～3286 Ma之间,并具有340Ma、550Ma、1100～1200Ma、1500～1600Ma和1800Ma年龄峰值,表明这些变质岩的原岩可能形成于晚石炭世。本文研究表明,冈底斯弧东段的古生代沉积岩在早新生代的碰撞造山过程中被埋藏到约25km深的中-下地壳,经历了角闪岩相变质作用和部分熔融,由此导致了岩浆弧中-下地壳组成和同碰撞岩浆岩化学成分的变化。     

北桐柏长英质麻粒岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄及微量元素研究及其构造意义

桐柏造山带中秦岭群中出露有志留纪麻粒岩,然而其原岩形成时代和变质年龄却没有得到有效的约束。本文对北桐柏秦岭群中长英质麻粒岩中锆石开展了详细的形貌学、阴极发光图像、微量元素以及U-Pb年代学研究。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年结果表明继承碎屑锆石给出了2.7~0.55 Ga的年龄,岩浆锆石给出了478±7 Ma(MSWD=0.73)的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄,代表了桐柏长英质麻粒岩原岩的形成年龄。变质锆石区域获得了437±7 Ma(MSWD=1.3,n=10)的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄。结合锆石微量元素特征和前人研究结果表明437±7 Ma可能代表了前进变质阶段的年龄。而最外层的增生边给出了406±8 Ma(MSWD=0.72,n=4)的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄,代表了退变质年龄。我们认为在480 Ma时,商丹洋已开始向北俯冲,导致480 Ma左右的岩浆作用,由于持续的俯冲消减,在440~420 Ma时,洋中脊与弧交汇,发生洋脊俯冲导致志留纪麻粒岩相变质作用以及岩浆作用的发生。     

Text, talk, things, and the subpolitics of performing place

This article tells the story of how a group of Dutch and Belgian citizens organized themselves to promote an area that they valued, to put it on the map, to raise awareness about its qualities, and to protect it from urban and industrial development. Our theoretical perspective focuses on the performative and political aspects of this place-making process and the discursive and material practices involved. We connect this to Beck’s concept of subpolitics.Our findings show how the group performed this place not only through text and talk - giving the area a name, using their knowledge and expertise to raise awareness about its values, lobbying and cooperating with decision-makers -, but also through things - installing art objects and information signs that articulate certain characteristics and values of the area. Our findings demonstrate the struggles involved in these performances. The group involved multiple perspectives on what the important values and characteristics of the area are and on what strategies would work best in trying to influence decision-making and protect the area. However, the use of expertise as the main strategy to gain influence excluded the more critical and activist strategies and privileging archaeological and historical values and characteristics came at the expense of attention on agricultural and natural values.Our findings make clear that performing place cannot be taken to be homogeneous and that it inevitably involves multiple perspectives and demands. The struggles, power relations and dynamics of inclusion and exclusion that this multiplicity implicates reveal a form of sub-politics that involves both politicization and depoliticization. Also, it is a form of subpolitics that is more diverse and ambiguous than Beck’s conceptualization presupposes by its emphasis on the role of outsiders as a homogeneous group.     

Columbus,the discovery of America,and Russia

The discovery of a new continent that was later called America by Christopher Columbus some five hundred years ago, has in one way or another, influenced people the World over. The extraordinary significance of this event for mankind is displayed by the dimension of the consequences and the variety of reactions among nations and communities of the “Old World”.     

Roles of xenomelts,xenoliths, xenocrysts,xenovolatiles, residues,and skarns in the genesis,transport, and localization of magmatic Fe-Ni-Cu-PGE sulfides and chromite

Most sulfide-rich magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposits form in dynamic magmatic systems by partial melting S-bearing wall rocks with variable degrees of assimilation of miscible silicate and volatile components, and generation of barren to weakly-mineralized immiscible Fe sulfide xenomelts into which Ni-Cu-Co-PGE partition from the magma. Some exceptionally-thick magmatic Cr deposits may form by partial melting oxide-bearing wall rocks with variable degrees of assimilation of the miscible silicate and volatile components, and generation of barren Fe ± Ti oxide xenocrysts into which Cr-Mg-V ± Ti partition from the magma. The products of these processes are variably preserved as skarns, residues, xenoliths, xenocrysts, xenomelts, and xenovolatiles, which play important to critical roles in ore genesis, transport, localization, and/or modification. Incorporation of barren xenoliths/autoliths may induce small amounts of sulfide/chromite to segregate, but incorporation of sulfide xenomelts or oxide xenocrysts with dynamic upgrading of metal tenors (PGE > Cu > Ni > Co and Cr > V > Ti, respectively) is required to make significant ore deposits. Silicate xenomelts are only rarely preserved, but will be variably depleted in chalcophile and ferrous metals. Less dense felsic xenoliths may aid upward sulfide transport by increasing the effective viscosity and decreasing the bulk density of the magma. Denser mafic or metamorphosed xenoliths may also increase the effective viscosity of the magma, but may aid downward sulfide transport by increasing the bulk density of the magma. Sulfide wets olivine, so olivine xenocrysts may act as filter beds to collect advected finely dispersed sulfide droplets, but other silicates and xenoliths may not be wetted by sulfides. Xenovolatiles may retard settling of – or in some cases float – dense sulfide droplets. Reactions of sulfide melts with felsic country rocks may generate Fe-rich skarns that may allow sulfide melts to fractionate to more extreme Cu-Ni-rich compositions. Xenoliths, xenocrysts, xenomelts, and xenovolatiles are more likely to be preserved in cooler basaltic magmas than in hotter komatiitic magmas, and are more likely to be preserved in less dynamic (less turbulent) systems/domain/phases than in more dynamic (more turbulent) systems/domains/phases. Massive to semi-massive Ni-Cu-PGE and Cr mineralization and xenoliths are often localized within footwall embayments, dilations/jogs in dikes, throats of magma conduits, and the horizontal segments of dike-chonolith and dike-sill complexes, which represent fluid dynamic traps for both ascending and descending sulfides/oxides. If skarns, residues, xenoliths, xenocrysts, xenomelts, and/or xenovolatiles are present, they provide important constraints on ore genesis and they are valuable exploration indicators, but they must be included in elemental and isotopic mass balance calculations.     

山西五台山区滹沱群变质玄武岩岩石学、地球化学特征及其成因意义

在野外地质调查的基础上,选取滹沱群豆村亚群底部四集庄组玄武岩、顶部青石村组玄武岩和东冶亚群中下部河边村组玄武岩,进行岩石学和地球化学研究。分析结果表明：玄武岩主量元素高TiO2、TFeO,低MgO,具有演化的基性岩浆的特征。稀土元素含量相对较高,具有弱—中等程度的轻稀土元素富集,中等程度的轻重稀土元素分异,轻微的Eu异常;玄武岩中Cr、Ni含量变化较大,但与Mg#具有很好的正相关性。微量元素配分图解中具有明显的Sr负异常,部分样品具有Nb、Ta和Ti负异常,无Zr、Hf负异常,与岛弧火山岩不同;同时Nb、Ta无分异,Zr/Hf值较高,具有板内玄武岩浆的特征。综合分析认为,滹沱群玄武岩可能形成于板内裂谷环境。在岩浆上升过程中发生橄榄石与尖晶石的分离结晶作用,同时不同程度地受到地壳的混染。     

Dielectric constants of apatite,epidote, vesuvianite,and zoisite,and the oxide additivity rule

The dielectric constants and dielectric loss values of 4 Ca-containing minerals were determined at 1 MHz using a two-terminal method and empirically determined edge corrections. The results are: vesuvianitel κ′ _a=9.93 tan δ=0.006 κ′ _c=9.79 tan δ=0.005 vesuvianitel κ′ _a=10.02 tan δ=0.002 κ′ _c=9.85 tan δ=0.003 zoisite1 κ′ _a =10.49 tan δ=0.0006 κ′ _b =15.31 tan δ=0.0008 κ′ _c=9.51 tan δ=0.0008 zoisite2 κ′ _a =10.55 tan δ=0.0011 κ′ _b =15.45 tan δ=0.0013 κ′ _c=9.39 tan δ=0.0008 epidote κ′ ₁₁= 9.52 tan δ=0.0008 κ′ ₂₂=17.1 tan δ=0.0009 κ′ ₃₃= 9.37 tan δ=0.0006 fluorapatite1 κ′ _a =10.48 tan δ=0.0008 κ′ _c = 8.72 tan δ=0.0114 fluorapatite2 κ′ _a =10.40 tan δ=0.0010 κ′ _c=8.26 tan δ=0.0178 The deviation (δ) between measured dielectric polarizabilities as determined from the Clausius-Mosotti equation and those calculated from the sum of oxide polarizabilities according to α _D (mineral)=∑ α _D (oxides) for vesuvianite is ～ 0.5%. The large deviations of epidote and zoisite from the additivity rule with Δ=+ 10.1 and + 11.7%, respectively, are attributed to “rattling” Ca ions. The combined effects of both a large F thermal parameter and possible F-ion conductivity in fluorapatite are believed to be responsible for Δ=+2–3%. Although variation of oxygen polarizability with oxygen molar volume (V_o) is believed to affect the total polarizabilities, the variation of V_o in these Ca minerals is too small to observe the effect.     

Climate,disasters, wars and the collapse of the Ming Dynasty

Based on the historical records of natural disasters and human wars of the final 35 years in the late Ming Dynasty (1610–1644 AD) obtained using different spatial scales, a set of grading systems were established to classify, grade and present these records and their spatiotemporal characteristics. From natural and human perspectives to quantitative analyses of the direct causes of the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, the author draws conclusion regarding a total of six immediate factors, which were, according to the rate of contribution from high to low, internal rebellions, drought, inter-ethnic conflicts, locust, flood and external wars. Among these causes, human factors accounted for approximately 47%, while natural factors accounted for approximately 53%. Attribution analysis indicated that the basin areas in east China were sensitive to climate change during the Ming Dynasty. Severe drought and locusts in a cooling environment were the main natural causes, while frequent internal rebellions and inter-ethnic conflicts influenced by financial crisis were the major human factors. Although natural factors accounted for a greater percentage than human factors in the rate of contribution to the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, they were the only external factors impacting social development and changes.     

Breakthroughs in the biodiversity, biogeography, biostratigraphy, and basin analysis of the Beaufort group

Over the past decade researchers working on the rocks of the Beaufort Group in the main Karoo Basin of South Africa have vastly increased our understanding of this important Permo-Triassic sequence. Many new fossil forms have been discovered, allowing for breakthroughs into the biodiversity, biogeography and biostratigraphy of the group. Taxonomic and phylogenetic advances are many and varied, and cover most of the vertebrate taxa, but with emphasis placed on the temnospondyl amphibians, archosauriforms and non-mammalian synapsids, in particular the anomodontia. Biostratigraphic breakthroughs have centered on the Middle Permian Eodicynodon and Tapinocephalus assemblage zones, the Late Permian Dicynodon Assemblage Zone, and the Triassic Lystrosaurus and Cynognathus assemblage zones. Correlation of these biozones with better dated sequences in Europe, Russia and China has allowed for many chronostratigraphic refinements, which are in turn vital for sequence stratigraphical analysis of the basin fill. Based on fossil data, both the lower (Ecca–Beaufort) and upper (Beaufort–Molteno) contacts of the group have been proved to be highly diachronous. The refined chronostratigraphic framework has also allowed for a better analysis of the basin evolution through time, particularly in terms of the correlation of external stimuli that affect basin sedimentation patterns.