Evolution of an active continental margin as exemplified by the Alpine history of the Caucasus

A plate-tectonics model of the Alpine evolution of the Caucasus is suggested. According to the model, in the Jurassic-Neocomian the Caucasian territory comprised the shelf of the East European platform, the marginal sea of the Great Caucasus, the Pontian-Transcaucasian island arc, the Anatolian-Minor Caucasian oceanic basin (Tethys) and the Iranian-Turkish microcontinent. Along the northern margin of the oceanic basin a convergent plate juncture extended. Part of the Caucasus, situated north of this plate boundary, represented the West Pacific-type active margin of the East European platform. In the Middle Cretaceous the Iranian-Turkish microcontinent collided with the Pontian-Transcaucasian island arc and as a result the Transcaucasian-Minor Asian continental block originated. In the central part of the latter an extensive Paleogene andesitic belt formed, with the Black Sea-Adjara-Trialetian and Talysh-South Caspian basaltic rift troughs on its rear (northern) side (incipient Black Sea and South Caspian basins). Major plate boundary shifted south, into the Zagros-Taurus basin, though the Anatolian-Minor Caucasian suture zone remained mobile in the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene. From the Oligocene, under conditions of ongoing convergence of the Eurasian and Afro-Arabian continental blocks, the present-day intracontinental mountainous foldbelt has developed.     

昆仑多岛弧盆系及泛华夏大陆的增生

自从Rodinia超大陆在晚元古代解体之后,冈瓦纳大陆群与泛华夏大陆群间从晚元古代至中生代始终存在一大洋-特提斯洋。从早古生代至中生代,特提斯洋分三个阶段向泛华夏陆块群俯冲,形成了弧后扩张、弧陆碰撞和弧前增生。弧后盆地扩张到达小洋盆,出现蛇绿混杂岩。由于早期大陆边缘已向南发生了增生,继后的弧后扩张和前锋弧的位置也就相应地向南迁移了。因而蛇绿岩带、岩浆岩带会出现多条,且从北向南时代有从老变新的趋势。由于陆缘向南裂离,并到达高纬度位置,或者如洋岛的生成,随着洋壳的消减速、俯冲,高纬度的沉积体向低纬度的不断增生,这样就出现了生物的冷暖型混生。且从泛华夏陆块群或从冈瓦纳大陆群裂离的块体不能越过大洋中脊拼合在另一大陆块体上。因此,泛华夏大陆的西南缘-昆仑带只是在弧后海底扩张、弧-弧碰撞、弧-陆碰撞的多岛弧造山作用、向南不断增生过程中形成的。     

中国青藏高原特提斯的形成与演化

青藏高原的形成是特提斯演化的结果。本文根据区域大地构造演化和沉积学证据,将青藏高原特提斯在时间上划分为3个阶段,即早期、中期和晚期。早期从震旦纪开始至奥陶-志留纪结束,这个阶段的大洋我们称作“原特提斯”。中期从泥盆纪开始至石炭-二叠纪结束,通常称这个大洋为“古特提斯”。晚期从二叠纪末、三叠纪初开始一直延续到第三纪早期,这个阶段的大洋通常被称作“新特提斯”。在空间上,青藏高原特提斯可以划分为3个区域相,即北区、中区和南区。上述3个阶段完全可以与空间上的3个区域相对应,原特提斯主要发育于北区,大洋消亡后的遗迹残留在青藏高原第5缝合带中,即西昆仑-阿尔金-北祁连缝合带。古特提斯主要发育于中区,大洋消亡后的遗迹残留在青藏高原第3、4缝合带中,即金沙江缝合带和昆仑南缘缝合带。新特提斯主要发育于南区,大洋主洋盆消亡后的遗迹残留在青藏高原第1缝合带中,即雅鲁藏布江缝合带,它的弧后盆地消亡后的遗迹残留在第2缝合带中,即班公湖-怒江缝合带。     

兰坪中新生代沉积盆地演化

兰坪中新生代沉积盆地形成和演化与金沙江洋的俯消减及洋陆转换过程密切相关,记录了其盆－山转换过程,早二叠世晚期－晚二叠世时期,由于金沙江洋的俯冲消减,形成了金沙江弧－盆系的空间配置,兰坪地区成为弧后盆地,早中三叠世,金沙江弧－盆系及东西两侧的昌都－兰坪陆块和中咱－中甸陆块的构造沉积式样发生大的转米,开始了兰坪中新生代盆－山转换历史,由于弧陆碰撞作用,使得兰坪分国地由弧后盆地转化成弧后前陆舅地,盆地中     

Ophiolites from the Mianlüe Suture in the Southern Qinling and Their Relationship with the Eastern Paleotethys Evolution

Abstract The Mianlüe suture extends from Derni‐Nanping‐Pipasi‐Kangxian to the Lüeyang‐Mianxian area, then traverses the Bashan arcuate structure eastward to the Huashan region, and finally to the Qingshuihe area of the southern Dabie Mountains. From east to west, with a length of over 1500 km, the ophiolitic melangé associations are distributed discontinuously along the suture. The rock assemblages include ophiolite, island‐arc and oceanic island rock series, indicating that there existed a suture zone and a vanished paleo‐ocean basin. The Mianlüe paleo‐ocean basin experienced its main expansion and formation process during the Carboniferous‐Permian and closed totally in the Triassic. It belongs to the northern branch of the eastern paleotethys, separated from the northern margin of the Yangtze block under the paleotethys mantle dynamic system.     

黎府构造带北部南莫溪蛇绿混杂岩的发现及其地质意义

东南亚特提斯构造格架复杂,特别是印支板块西缘琅勃拉邦-黎府构造带构造演化及区域构造线连接更是争议不断. 通过老挝西北部填图工作,首次在黎府构造带北部南莫溪地区发现保存完整的蛇绿混杂岩,为探讨黎府构造带的属性以及区域古地理格局,选取了蛇绿混杂岩中的含放射虫硅质岩、辉长岩以及洋岛海山中的礁灰岩,开展了岩相学、古生物学、锆石LA?ICP?MS U?Pb年代学、岩石地球化学研究. 结果表明,该蛇绿混杂岩出露端元包括蛇纹岩、蛇纹石化橄榄岩、辉长岩、辉绿岩、玄武岩和硅质岩,蛇绿岩套层序特征完整;辉长岩LA?ICP?MS锆石U?Pb年龄为350.4±3.3 Ma,成岩为早石炭世;洋岛海山中珊瑚种属为Thamnopora sp.和Paracravenia sp.,所属时代为中二叠世;硅质岩岩石地球化学元素特征指示其为生物成因,沉积环境为洋盆或开阔的盆地环境,放射虫共鉴定出9属30种,所属时代为中泥盆世-早石炭世. 综合本次研究,反映出南莫溪蛇绿混杂岩所代表的洋盆具有长期的演化历史,从晚泥盆世开始,一直持续到中二叠世还未结束,演化时间至少超过135 Ma,指示了该蛇绿混杂岩代表残留的古特提斯洋盆,而非弧后盆地. 认为黎府构造带向北应与琅勃拉邦构造带相连,且该区域从晚泥盆世开始一直存在古特提斯洋.      

新疆蛇绿岩就位机制

蛇绿岩是古代大洋岩石圈的残片 ,但它并不代表正常的洋壳 ,也不能无条件的与现代大洋进行对比。因为蛇绿岩形成环境具有多样性 ,既可以形成于大洋 ,也可以形成于洋中脊、弧后盆地、弧前盆地、岛弧、被动大陆边缘或小洋盆等。蛇绿岩可以形成于多种构造环境 ,在就位机制上也应存在多样化 ,依据新疆实际 ,将蛇绿岩分为 5种就位机制即 :克拉麦里型 (特提斯型 )、特克斯型 (环太平洋型 )、阔克萨勒型 (底辟型 )、唐巴勒型 (过渡型 )、西昆仑仰冲型 (特罗多斯型 )等     

滇西泥盆纪——三叠纪盆—山转换过程与特提斯构造演化

滇西地区以昌宁－连缝合带为古特提斯主洋闭合的位置。晚古生代－中生代时期古特提斯经历了一次盆转山和山控盆演变序列的全过程，可大致划分为4个发展阶段：（1）洋盆扩张阶段（D－C2）。古特提斯洋西侧的保山地块属冈瓦纳古陆的东缘，为非火山型被动大陆边缘；东侧的思茅地块属扬子地块的西缘部分，为火山型被动大陆边缘。（2）洋－陆汇阶段（C3－P2）。昌宁－孟连洋向东俯冲消减，思茅地区转化为弧后扩张盆地；墨江一带形成弧后扩张洋盆，思茅地块从扬子西缘分离。（3）弧－陆碰撞阶段（T1－T3），古特提斯主洋及分支洋盆相继关闭，全区发生大规模的造山升隆，前期的盆转山过程转入山控盆阶段，在哀牢山两侧分别形成了受造山作用控制的兰坪－思茅弧后前陆盆地和楚雄周缘前陆盆地。（4）陆－陆碰撞阶段（J1－K），滇西前陆盆地向陆内拗陷盆地转变，造山带的控盆作用结束。     

中国青藏高原特提斯的形成与演化

青藏高原的形成是特提斯演化的结果。本文根据区域大地构造演化和沉积学证据,将青藏高原特提斯在时间上划分为3个阶段,即早期、中期和晚期。早期从震旦纪开始至奥陶—志留纪结束,这个阶段的大洋我们称作"原特提斯"。中期从泥盆纪开始至石炭—二叠纪结束,通常称这个大洋为"古特提斯"。晚期从二叠纪末、三叠纪初开始一直延续到第三纪早期,这个阶段的大洋通常被称作"新特提斯"。在空间上,青藏高原特提斯可以划分为3个区域相,即北区、中区和南区。上述3个阶段完全可以与空间上的3个区域相对应,原特提斯主要发育于北区,大洋消亡后的遗迹残留在青藏高原第5缝合带中,即西昆仑—阿尔金—北祁连缝合带。古特提斯主要发育于中区,大洋消亡后的遗迹残留在青藏高原第3、4缝合带中,即金沙江缝合带和昆仑南缘缝合带。新特提斯主要发育于南区,大洋主洋盆消亡后的遗迹残留在青藏高原第1缝合带中,即雅鲁藏布江缝合带,它的弧后盆地消亡后的遗迹残留在第2缝合带中,即班公湖—怒江缝合带。     

Early Palaeozoic Evolution of the Zhen'' an- Xichuan Block and the Small Qinling Multi-Island Ocean Basin

Based on studies of palaeogeography, palaeobiogeography, palaeomagnetism, geochemistry and volcanism, this paper proposes that the Zhen'an-Xichuan area was a small Early Palaeozoic block rifted away from South Qinling and suturing onto North Qinling earlier than the other parts of South Qinling. In the Early Palaeozoic Qinling was a small archipelagic ocean basin with 5 rows of islands including the Zhen'an-Xichuan block. The drifting of the Yangtze and North China plates and the islands between them in the same direction at different speeds caused their suturing process to be different from the classic plate collision, which is the major feature of the suturing of the multi-island Tethys ocean basin. This also explains the problem that the Caledonian collision did not result in orogeny in eastern Qinling.     

MULTIPLE ISLAND ARC-BASIN SYSTEM AND ITS EVOLUTION IN GANGDISE TECTONIC BELT,TIBET

MULTIPLE ISLAND ARC-BASIN SYSTEM AND ITS EVOLUTION IN GANGDISE TECTONIC BELT,TIBET     

Structure and evolution of the passive margin of the eastern tethys

An extensive passive margin was formed in the Triassic along the periphery of Arabia, including the Tauric carbonate platform. This event is related to the opening of the Mesozoic Tethys when a number of microcontinents split off from Gondwana. Triassic extension and continental rifting resulted in the formation of a structural pattern which is uniform from the Dinarides to Oman. It includes the following elements:

1. (1) shelf,

2. (2) continental slope,

3. (3) deep basin probably with a floor of attenuated sialic crust,

4. (4) inner carbonate platform. In the Jurassic-Cretaceous stable conditions prevailed, influenced only by eustatic oscillations of the sea level. Turbidites accumulated on the continental rise while cherts and radiolarites were deposited in the deep basins (Hawasina, Pichakun, Antalya, Pindus) below the CCD level. Sedimentation on the shelf was controlled by north-northeast transverse tectonic elements which also continued across the passive margin, dividing it into a number of segments. Collision with an island arc led to obduction of the oceanic crust, deformation of the passive margin and overthrusting of its sedimentary cover onto the Arabian shelf. Obduction and deformation lasted for about 10 m.y. and created a new tectonic pattern with concentric structural zones surrounding the Arabian promontory.

These zones include:

1. (1) the flysch basin—a remnant of the closing Tethys;

2. (2) an uplift—a site of periodical emergence and erosion, corresponding to the frontal part of the ophiolitic nappes;

3. (3) the Border furrow—a depocenter of low-energy calcareous marls,

4. (4) the Arabian shield constantly emerged during the Tertiary. Tectonic deformation of these zones caused by the collision of Arabia with Eurasia began prior to the Early Miocene and it is still going on.

Data on Afghanistan demonstrate that its central part (the Gelmend-Argandab and Kabul blocks) belonged during the Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic to the continental shelf of India.     

Palaeozoic collisional tectonics and magmatism of the Chinese Tien Shan, central Asia

The Chinese Tien Shan range is a Palaeozoic orogenic belt which contains two collision zones. The older, southern collision accreted a north-facing passive continental margin on the north side of the Tarim Block to an active continental margin on the south side of an elongate continental tract, the Central Tien Shan. Collision occurred along the Qinbulak-Qawabulak Fault (Southern Tien Shan suture). The time of the collision is poorly constrained, but was probably in in the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous. We propose this age because of a major disconformity at this time along the north side of the Tarim Block, and because the Youshugou ophiolite is imbricated with Middle Devonian sediments. A younger, probably Late Carboniferous-Early Permian collision along the North Tien Shan Fault (Northern Tien Shan suture) accreted the northern side of the Central Tien Shan to an island arc which lay to its north, the North Tien Shan arc. This collision is bracketed by the Middle Carboniferous termination of arc magmatism and the appearance of Late Carboniferous or Early Permian elastics in a foreland basin developed over the extinct arc. Thrust sheets generated by the collision are proposed as the tectonic load responsible for the subsidence of this basin. Post-collisional, but Palaeozoic, dextral shear occurred along the northern suture zone, this was accompanied by the intrusion of basic and acidic magmas in the Central Tien Shan. Late Palaeozoic basic igneous rocks from all three lithospheric blocks represented in the Tien Shan possess chemical characteristics associated with generation in supra-subduction zone environments, even though many post-date one or both collisions. Rocks from each block also possess distinctive trace element chemistries, which supports the three-fold structural division of the orogenic belt. It is unclear whether the chemical differences represent different source characteristics, or are due to different episodes of magmatism being juxtaposed by later dextral strike-slip fault motions. Because the southern collision zone in the Tien Shan is the older of the two, the Tarim Block sensu stricto collided not with the Eurasian landmass, but with a continental block which was itself separated from Eurasia by at least one ocean. The destruction of this ocean in Late Carboniferous-Early Permian times represented the final elimination of all oceanic basins from this part of central Asia.     

阿拉善地块北缘的蛇绿混杂岩带及其大地构造意义

阿拉善地块北缘新近发现两条蛇绿混杂岩带,即恩格尔乌苏蛇绿混杂岩带和查干础鲁蛇绿混杂岩带。这两条蛇绿混杂岩带在地球化学特征和构造特征等方面都有各自的特点。前者规模巨大,表现为洋壳的性质,是华北地台和中亚陆块的最终缝台线;后者表现为弧后小洋盆的性质,是华北地台北缘的一条岛弧和地台的缝合线。这两条蛇绿混杂岩带的发现,以及对它们性质的研究。对该区的构造单元划分和大地构造演化研究有着重要的意义。并为邻区的对比研究提供了依据。     

Cretaceous–Tertiary convergence and continental collision,Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone,western Iran

The Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone contains the metamorphic core of the Zagros continental collision zone in western Iran. The zone has been subdivided into the following from southwest to northeast: an outer belt of imbricate thrust slices (radiolarite, Bisotun, ophiolite and marginal sub-zones, which consist of Mesozoic deep-marine sediments, shallow-marine carbonates, oceanic crust and volcanic arc, respectively) and an inner complexly deformed sub-zone (late Palaeozoic–Mesozoic passive margin succession). Rifting and sea-floor spreading of Tethys occurred in the Permian to Triassic but in the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone extension-related successions are mainly of Late Triassic age. Subduction of Tethyan sea floor in the Late Jurassic to Cretaceous produced deformation, metamorphism and unconformities in the marginal and complexly deformed sub-zones. Deformation climaxed in the Late Cretaceous when a major southwest-vergent fold belt formed associated with greenschist facies metamorphism and post-dated by abundant Palaeogene granitic plutons. In the southwest of the zone a Late Cretaceous island arc—passive margin collision occurred with ophiolite emplacement onto the northern Arabian margin similar to that in Oman. Final closure of Tethys was not completed until the Miocene when Central Iran collided with the northeast Arabian margin.     

Structural evolution and sequence of thrusting in the High Himalayan, Tibetan—Tethys and Indus suture zones of Zanskar and Ladakh, Western Himalaya

The timing of motion on major thrusts in the Western Himalaya shows an extremely complex sequence that spans approximately 70 Ma from the latest Cretaceous throughout the Tertiary. Three major phases of thrusting can be distinguished. The earliest phase (T1) is associated with emplacement of Tethyan basin thrust sheets (Lamayuru sediments and Spontang ophiolite) south and south-westwards onto the submerged northern passive margin of India (75-60 Ma). Collision between India and Asia occurred at 50-36 Ma and was followed immediately by the major phase (T2) of crustal shortening involving large-scale south and south-westward directed thrusting of the complete Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Late Tertiary Tibetan—Tethys zone rocks. Preliminary balanced cross-sections show a minimum shortening of 126 km of these rocks across the Zanskar Range. The late collision phase (T3) involved re-thrusting of the previously stacked pile (breaching or leap-frog thrusting) reversing the earlier stacking order in places, and widespread steepening, overturning and backthrusting along the whole northern margin of the Tibetan—Tethys zone and throughout the Indus suture zone.     

青藏高原南部洋板块地质重建及科学意义

在复杂碰撞造山带中发现、识别和重建能够揭示从洋中脊形成到海沟俯冲消亡洋陆转换过程的洋板块地层(OPS)单元及岩石组合序列,是大陆动力学研究的重大课题。本文在冈底斯地块南部与雅鲁藏布江结合带东段地区发现和识别出大量洋岛、海山、洋内弧、楔顶盆地、大洋盆地等洋板块地层。通过对该洋板块地层岩石组合序列、产出状态与变形变质特征与形成时代、构造环境等的初步研究,得出如下新的认识:(1)新发现的洋板块地层单元是雅鲁藏布江结合带东段在特提斯洋演化过程俯冲消减而形成增生杂岩带的重要组成部分;(2)在青藏高原南部古特提斯和新特提斯洋同时存在并连续演化;(3)南冈底斯带在中生代具有新特提斯增生楔和增生弧的地质背景,并且该增生楔是冈底斯南缘加厚新生下地壳的重要物质组成部分,对斑岩铜矿的形成起了促进作用。     

Tectonic Setting and Evolution of the Sivas Basin,Central Anatolia,Turkey

The Sivas Basin is one of several Central Anatolian basins. It developed mainly after the closure of the northern branch of Neotethys. Its location between the Kirsehir Massif and the Taurides implies that it should not be confused with the Inner Tauride ocean located south of the Eastern Taurides. The basement of the Sivas Basin consists of ophiolitic nappes and melanges that were thrust toward the margins of the continental blocks present in this area—the Pontide belt to the north and the Anatolide-Tauride platform to the south. The basin was initiated by tectonic subsidence at the end of the Cretaceous, and it can be compared to a foreland basin during Paleocene and early to middle Eocene time. It was emergent during late Eocene and Oligocene time, although it continued to subside. A transgression in some parts of the basin occurred during the Oligocene and early Miocene (maximum flooding). During the Pliocene, it was affected by regional compression directed toward the NNW, which resulted from convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian plates. This basin may have developed as an intracontinental basin within the Tauride platform and probably never had an oceanic basement. As a result of this work, the general paleogeographic organization of Central Anatolia and Northern Tethys during the Mesozoic should to be revised.     

The origin of the Woyla Terranes in Sumatra and the Late Mesozoic evolution of the Sundaland margin

The Jurassic–Cretaceous Woyla Group of northern Sumatra includes fragments of volcanic arcs and an imbricated oceanic assemblage. The arc rocks are intruded by a granitic batholith and are separated from the original continental margin of Sundaland by the oceanic assemblage. Rocks of the arc assemblage are considered to be underlain by a continental basement because of the occurrence of the intrusive granite and of tin anomalies identified in stream sediments. Quartzose sediments associated with the granite have been correlated with units in the Palaeozoic basement of Sumatra. From these relationships a model has been proposed in which a continental sliver was separated from the margin of Sundaland in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous in an extensional strike-slip faulting regime, producing a short-lived marginal basin. The separated continental fragments have been designated the Sikuleh and Natal microcontinents. In the mid-Cretaceous the extensional regime was succeeded by compression, crushing the continental fragments back against the Sundaland margin, with the destruction of the marginal basin, now represented only by the imbricated oceanic assemblage. Modifications of this scenario are required by subsequent studies. Age-dating of the volcanic assemblage and intrusive granites in the Natal area showed that they formed part of an Eocene–Oligocene volcanic arc and are not relevant to the model. Thick-bedded radiolarian chert and palaeontological studies in the oceanic Woyla Group rocks of the Natal and Padang areas showed that they formed part of a more extensive and long-lived ocean basin which lasted from at least Triassic until mid-Cretaceous. This raised the possibility that the Sikuleh microcontinent might be allochthonous to Sumatra and encouraged plate tectonic reconstructions in which the Sikuleh microcontinent originated on the northern margin of Gondwanaland and migrated northwards across Tethys before colliding with Sundaland. Since these models were proposed, the whole of Sumatra has been mapped and units correlated with the Woyla Group have been recognised throughout western Sumatra. These units are reviewed and the validity of their correlation with the Woyla Group of northern Sumatra is assessed. From this review a revised synthesis for the Late Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the southwestern margin of Sundaland is proposed.     

Late Paleozoic gabbroic rocks of the Bridge River accretionary complex,southwestern British Columbia: geology and geochemistry

Gabbroic bodies in the Bralorne-Gold Bridge area of southwestern British Columbia are associated with the oceanic Bridge River complex of the western Canadian Cordillera, one of the suspect terranes accreted to North America in the Jurassic. The gabbros are locally cut by tonalites and are structurally interleaved with ultramafic rocks, phyllites, graphitic cherts, and carbonate lenses that comprise the lower part of the Bridge River complex. Their late Carboniferous crystallization age overlaps the depositional age of affiliated supracrustal rocks (Mississippian-Jurassic), some of which have been metamorphosed to blueschist facies. Compositionally, the gabbros resemble mafic plutonic rocks of ophiolitic complexes and gabbroic rocks of the nearby Shulaps Range. They display some affinity to oceanic island arc tholeiitic suites. The Bralorne and Shulaps gabbros include cumulates and appear to have been derived from a single, light REE-depleted, peridotitic source by melting and subsequent fractional crystallization/accumulation of various combinations of plagioclase, pyroxenes, and olivine. The tonalites are compositionally distinct from typical ophiolitic plagiogranites, but might be related to the associated gabbros. The gabbroic bodies occur within tectonic slivers derived from the oceanic crust that floored a deep ocean basin that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic. The Bridge River complex comprises fragments of oceanic crust that were tectonically incorporated into an east-verging accretionary prism during a middle/late Triassic to Jurassic collisional event.