Pelagic records from the Equatorial Ninetyeast Ridge and significant environmental events during the past 3.5 Ma

This paper presents pelagic records of planktic foraminifera, as well as data of stable isotope stratigraphy and carbonate stratigraphy since 3.5 Ma B.P. from site ODP758 in the Ninetyeast Ridge of the Indian Ocean. Based on these data, manifestations and related mechanisms of major tectonic and environmental events such as the rapid uplift of the Himalaya Mountains, “middle Pleistocene climatic transition” and “mid-Brunhes dissolution event” in the region are discussed. According to the analysis and comparison of various indices and changes in terms of foraminifera assemblage, paleotemperature, paleosalinity and themocline from site ODP758, the authors deduce that the paleoclimatic changes might correlate with the mid-Pleistocene transition at 1.4–1.7 Ma B.P. The changes of CaCO₃, mass accumulation rates (MAR) of CaCO₃ and non- CaCO₃ MAR indicate that the loaded terrigenous sediments increased at 1.7 Ma, which is in agreement with the uplift history of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau as shown by the available data. The last two changes coincide with the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, hence they are called “Qinghai-Tibet movement” (1.7 Ma), and the “Kunlun-Yellow River movement” (1.2–0.6 Ma). The changes of the CaCO₃ content, coarse fraction (> 150 μm) content and planktonic foraminifera biostratigraphy show that strong dissolution of abyssal CaCO₃ occurred in the study region during 0.5–0.4 Ma. The event was consistent with the “mid-Brunhes dissolution event” in the sedimentary records of the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Nansha sea area of the South China Sea. __________ Translated from Geological Bulletin of China, 2007, 26(12): 1627–1632 [译自: 地质通报]     

山西大同口泉山隆升-挠褶构造研究

挠曲褶皱构造在山西广泛存在,大同市之西盆地边缘"口泉山断裂带"实际是一个大型挠褶构造带。以往的研究者仅把它当成几个断裂分段研究。认识和研究挠褶构造不仅能够在理论上取得进展,而且还能够指导煤矿勘探和开采,取得很好的经济效益。通过构造带上几个地方典型构造现象的研究得出,该构造带构造现象虽然复杂,但它并不是杂乱无章的,运用挠褶构造的理论上能够恢复它的原始形态以及它的发生发展的全过程。挠褶构造的形成与构造块体的隆升有关,其形成为:地幔柱隆升-地层上拱-挠褶-冲断走滑等。     

四川盆地泸州古隆起嘉陵江组储层特征研究

对研究区嘉陵江组沉积背景认识的基础上,通过岩心观察、岩石薄片确定了不同类型的储集岩和储集空间,得出本地区储层岩石类型和储渗空间类型均多样化的特点。从成因角度识别出来了溶蚀孔隙型储层、膏溶孔洞型储层、裂缝型储层等三类储层。研究不同类型储层的孔、渗特征及关系表明,溶蚀孔隙型储层物性要优于膏溶孔洞型储层,而溶蚀孔隙型储层中的颗粒云岩溶蚀孔隙型储层物性最好、颗粒灰岩溶蚀孔隙型物性其次、粉晶云岩溶蚀孔隙型储层物性最差,其原因是不同储层受沉积环境和成岩作用控制和影响。     

Contemporary vertical crustal deformation in Cascadia

Data from 29 tide gauges and 113 pairs of first and second order leveling lines are analyzed to determine the pattern of vertical deformation in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The data span nearly 100 years and represent the interseismic elastic deformation related to the great earthquake cycle. Uplift rates calculated from leveling surveys are adjusted to a model surface in the tidal reference frame using a robust, weighted, linear, least square technique. Rapid uplift occurs in two distinct broad regions along the coast separated by a narrow zone of slow subsidence. Vertical deformation rates range from > 4 mm/year of uplift on southern Vancouver Island to > 2 mm/year of subsidence in northern coastal Oregon. The deformation pattern is consistent with the results of previous studies and subduction models.     

Verification of the motion fields over Southeast Asia by the Florida State University (FSU) superensemble forecast

The Florida State University (FSU) multimodel superensemble forecast is evaluated against several other operational weather models for the Southeast Asia region. The superensemble technique has demonstrated its exceptional skills in forecasting precipitation, motion and mass fields compared to either individual global operational or ensemble mean forecasts. The motion field investigation for the season of 2001 reveals that the superensemble forecasts are closer to the observed data compared to the other global member operational models through its low systematic errors at the 850 hPa level. The FSU multimodel superensemble forecasts exhibit the lowest root mean square errors (RSMEs), the highest correlation against the best observed data and the lowest systematic errors compared to the other operational model members. These forecasts have the potential to provide better daily weather predictions over the Southeast Asia region, particularly during the early northeast monsoon that often causes heavy rainfall in the equatorial part of the Southeast Asia region.     

Geodynamic significance of granitoid magmatism in the southeast Anatolian orogen: geochemical and geochronogical evidence from Göksun–Afşin (Kahramanmaraş, Turkey) region

In southeast Anatolia, there are number of tectonomagmatic units in the Kahramanmaraş–Malatya–Elazığ region that are important in understanding the geological evolution of the southeast Anatolian orogenic belt during the Late Cretaceous. These are (a) metamorphic massifs, (b) ophiolites, (c) ophiolite-related metamorphics and (d) granitoids. The granitoids (i.e. Göksun–Afşin in Kahramanmaraş, Doğanşehir in Malatya and Baskil in Elazığ) intrude all the former units in a NE–SW trending direction. The granitoid in Göksun–Afşin (Kahramanmaraş) region is mainly composed of granodioritic and granitic in composition. The granodiorite contains a number of amphibole-bearing mafic microgranular enclaves of different sizes, whereas the granite is intruded by numerous aplitic dikes. The granitoid rocks have typical calcalkaline geochemical features. The REE- and Ocean ridge granite-normalized multi-element patterns and tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams, as well as biotite geochemistry suggest that the granitoids were formed in a volcanic arc setting. The K–Ar geochronology of the granitoid rocks yielded ages ranging from 85.76±3.17 to 77.49±1.91 Ma. The field, geochemical and geochronological data suggest the following Late Cretaceous tectonomagmatic scenario for southeast Anatolia. The ophiolites were formed in a suprasubduction zone tectonic setting whereas the ophiolite-related metamorphic rocks formed either during the initiation of intraoceanic subduction or late-thrusting (∼90 Ma). These units were then overthrust by the Malatya–Keban platform during the progressive elimination of the southern Neotethys. Thrusting of the Malatya–Keban platform over the ophiolites and related metamorphic rocks was followed by the intrusion of the granitoids (88–85 Ma) along the Tauride active continental margin in the southern Neotethys.     

A review of landsliding and coastal erosion damage to historic fortifications in South East England

Coastal fortifications in South East England have been continuously built and rebuilt over the centuries according to the ebb and flow of politics in Europe. This paper covers an extensive historical period from the influx of the Romans to the present day, detailing how landslides and coastal erosion have affected the numerous constructions along this stretch of coastline. Principal landslide-prone strata form extensive sections of this part of the coast with the tendency to be weak and highly susceptible to marine attack and cliff retreat. Fortifications have been built out of necessity in strategic positions without full consideration of the ground upon which they have been constructed. The continual construction of fortifications along this section of coastline constitutes an unparalleled archaeological record, but it is one that is under continuous threat from coastal erosion and landsliding.     

Fission track evidence for the Mesozoic Cenozoic tectonic uplift of Mt. Bogda, Xinjiang, Northwest China

1 IntroductionThe Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic evolution and ki-netics mechanism of the intracontinental orogen are thekey subjects of continental dynamics (Ma Zongjin andGao Xianglin, 2004) and the key to understanding theregional geological tectonics (Qia…     

青藏高原东缘龙门山晚新生代剥蚀厚度与弹性挠曲模拟

龙门山是青藏高原东缘边界山脉,具有青藏高原地貌、龙门山高山地貌和山前冲积平原三个一级地貌单元。利用数字高程模式图像和裂变径迹年代测定方法研究和计算龙门山晚新生代剥蚀厚度与剥蚀速率,结果表明:3.6 Ma以来龙门山的剥蚀厚度介于1.91-2.16 km之间,剥蚀速率介于0.53-0.60 mm/a之间。在此基础上,开展了该地区岩石圈的弹性挠曲模拟,结果表明龙门山的隆升机制具有以构造缩短隆升和剥蚀卸载隆升相叠合的特点。3.6 Ma之前,龙门山的隆升与逆冲推覆构造负载有关,以构造缩短驱动的构造隆升为特色;3.6 Ma之后,龙门山的隆升与剥蚀卸载驱动的抬升有关,并以剥蚀卸载隆升为特色,进而提出了龙门山晚新生代以来的隆升机制以剥蚀成山作用为主的认识。     

东昆仑东段中更新世以来的成山作用及其动力转换

对东昆仑造山带东段第四纪构造及与地貌关系的分析表明，现代山盆相间的地貌格局成型于中更新世，且在中更新世以来发生了多次构造变形体制的转换。根据布青山北部查干额热格地区第四系剖面的构造、地层时代及地层与构造关系的分析表明，中更新世时期为伸展构造体制，昆仑山内部开始发生了差异隆升，布青山开始崛起。中更新世末应力体制发生急剧变化，由伸展体制转为收缩事件，又急速转为伸展构造体系，短暂的收缩事件造成了中更新世冲洪积层的褶皱，随后的伸展则导致了影响深刻的向北依次断落的阶地状正断层系统。晚更新世应力体系再度发生重大转换，伸展正断层体系被左旋走滑运动体系所代替，并一直延续至今。中更新世以来多次隆升构造变形体制的转换说明东昆仑地区的成山过程受控于多种动力背景，而非单一的挤压抬升。隆升构造变形体系的确定及其时代约束为深入刻划青藏高原东北缘隆升作用的动力过程提供了重要信息。