Cenozoic Exhumation and Thrusting in the Northern Qilian Shan, Northeastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau: Constraints from Sedimentological and Apatite Fission-Track Data

Abstract: The Qilian Shan lies along the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. To constrain its deformation history, we conducted integrated research on Mesozoic–Cenozoic stratigraphic sections in the Jiuxi Basin immediately north of the mountain range. Paleocurrent measurements, sandstone compositional data, and facies analysis of Cenozoic stratigraphic sections suggest that the Jiuxi Basin received sediments from the Altyn Tagh Range in the northwest, initially in the Oligocene (~33 Ma), depositing the Huoshaogou Formation in the northern part of the basin. Later, the source area of the Jiuxi Basin changed to the Qilian Shan in the south during Late Oligocene (~27 Ma), which led to the deposition of the Baiyanghe Formation. We suggest that uplift of the northern Qilian Shan induced by thrusting began no later than the Late Oligocene. Fission-track analysis of apatite from the Qilian Shan yields further information about the deformation history of the northern Qilain Shan and the Jiuxi Basin. It shows that a period of rapid cooling, interpreted as exhumation, initiated in the Oligocene. We suggest that this exhumation marked the initial uplift of the Qilian Shan resulting from the India–Asia collision.     

Recent marginal changes of the Mittivakkat Glacier,Southeast Greenland and the discovery of remains of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and peaty material

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 108(1):137–142, 2008

During field observations in August 2005 antler remains of a reindeer were found at a recently deglaciated site at about 500 m asl., and bones from a polar bear were found at about 300 m asl. along the margin of Mittivakkat Glacier, Southeast Greenland. Radio carbon dating determined the age of the samples to 720 ¹⁴C years and 350 ¹⁴C years, respectively. In August 2006 old surface vegetation covering peaty material became exposed due to ice recession close to the site where the antler was found. The radio carbon age of small roots from the material was determined to 1530 ¹⁴C years, and is in agreement with dating of woody remains of Salix glauca found close by, at the top of a nearby nunatak in 1999. The antler indicates that reindeer lived in the area when the glacier began to advance from a position where it was close to or smaller than today. The vegetation surface and peaty material indicate that the climate was warmer before the onset of the Little Ice Age in Southeast Greenland than today.     

Meteorological Observations 2002 at the Arctic Station,Qeqertarsuaq (69°15'N), Central West Greenland

An automatic meteorological station has been operating at the Arctic Station (69°15'N, 53°31'W) in West Greenland since 1990. This paper summarises meteorological parameters during 2002, including snow cover, ground temperatures and active layer development, and air temperatures at the Station during the last 12 years are compared to large scale trends during the last century.

A compilation of 93 sedimentation rate determinations based on ²¹⁰Pb dating has been carried out for the North Sea-Baltic Sea transition area from a database containing 165 determinations carried out by Danish institutions. In the depositional parts of the area sedimentation rates generally range 25–6403 g m^?2 y^?1. An extreme rate of 13351 g m^?2 y^?1 is observed on a station in the Skagerrak. Sedimentation rates significantly increase with depth indicating that the Skagerrak and northern parts of the Kattegat as well as the deep basins in the Baltic Sea act as depocentres for fine-grained sediments. Apparently, sedimentation rates have increased in recent years.     

Evolution of sedimentary environments of the middle Jiangsu coast, South Yellow Sea since late MIS 3

An evolutionary model of sedimentary environments since late Marine Isotope Stage 3 （late MIS 3, i.e., ca. 39 cal ka BP） along the middle Jiangsu coast is presented based upon a reinterpretation of core 07SR01, new correlations between adjacent published cores, and shallow seismic profiles recovered in the Xiyang tidal channel and adjacent northern sea areas. Geomorphology, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating and seismic and sequence stratigraphy are combined to confirm that environmental changes since late MIS 3 in the study area were controlled primarily by sea-level fluctuations, sediment discharge of paleo-rivers into the South Yellow Sea （SYS）, and minor tectonic subsidence, all of which impacted the progression of regional geomorphic and sedimentary environments （Le., coastal barrier island freshwater lacustrine swamp, river floodplain, coastal marsh, tidal sand ridge, and tidal channel）. This resulted in the formation of a fifth-order sequence stratigraphy, comprised of the parasequence of the late stage of the last interstadial （Para-Sq2）, including the highstand and forced regressive wedge system tracts （HST and FRWST）, and the parasequence of the postglacial period （Para-Sql）, including the transgressive and highstand system tracts （TST and HST）. The tidal sand ridges likely began to develop during the postglacial transgression as sea-level rise covered the middle Jiangsu coast at ca. 9.0 cal ka BP. These initially submerged tidal sand ridges were constantly migrating until the southward migration of the Yellow River mouth to the northern Jiangsu coast during AD 1128 to 1855. The paleo-Xiyang tidal channel that was determined by the paleo-tidal current field and significantly different from the modern one, was in existence during the Holocene transgressive maxima and lasted until AD 1128. Following the capture of the Huaihe River in AD 1128 by the Yellow River, the paleo-Xiyang tidal channel was infilled with a large amount of river-derived sediments from AD 1128 to 1855, causing the emergence of some of the previously submerged tidal sand ridges. From AD 1855 to the present, the infilled paleo-Xiyang tidal channel has undergone scouring, resulting in its modern form. The modern Xiyang tidal channel continues to widen and deepen, due both to strong tidal current scouring and anthropogenic activities.     

OSL chronology of Quaternary terraced deposits outcropping between Mt. Etna volcano and the Catania Plain (Sicily,southern Italy)

In this paper we tested the applicability of the Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) technique through Single-Aliquot Regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol, on single grain quartz extracted from alluvial–coastal sediments. Five samples were collected from deposits belonging to a flight of seven orders of coastal–alluvial terraces outcropping in the area between Mt. Etna volcano and the Catania Plain (Sicily, southern Italy), at the front of the Sicilian fold and thrust system. After various performance tests, we obtained OSL ages ranging between 240 ± 12 and 80 ± 4 ka, consistent with the normal evolutionary model of a terraced sequence, moving from the highest to the lowest elevation. Obtained data allowed us to determine a mean uplift rate of 1.2 mm/year during the last 240 ka, mostly related to regional uplift processes coupled with sea-level changes. Moreover, terraces belonging to the two highest orders are folded, forming a large anticline. According to our results, the frontal thrust of the Sicilian chain was active between 236 and 197 ka ago, even though seismological and geodetic data suggest current activity to the back.     

乌兰巴托以西断裂活动时代的光释光年代学研究

蒙古乌兰巴托周边发育了多条活动断裂.以乌兰巴托以西的Emeeh和Hustai断裂为例,对相关断层开挖探槽,进行年代学研究.结果表明,Emeeh断裂以走滑运动为主,根据剖面错断地层和其上覆、下伏地层的光释光年代学研究结果,推断出该断层最新活动时间介于距今(9.6±1.0)ka和(11.3±1.3)ka之间;对Hustai断裂开挖的新鲜剖面显示其为正断层,通过分析错断地层和其上覆堆积物的光释光定年结果,推断该断裂最新活动时间介于距今(0.87±0.08) ka和(24.2±4.9) ka之间,且可能更接近距今(0.87±0.08)ka.     

The potential of historic rock avalanches and man-made structures as chlorine-36 production rate calibration sites

Samples from three medieval rock avalanches from the French (Le Claps, Mont Granier) and Austrian Alps (Dobratsch) and a man-made structure, i.e. the Stephansdom in Vienna, have been analysed for in-situ produced ³⁶Cl by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). All four sampling sites of independently known exposure duration turned out to be not appropriate as calibration sites for the determination of the ³⁶Cl-production rate from Ca. Indeed, the determination of short exposure ages for dating rock avalanches and man-made structures by ³⁶Cl is hindered dramatically by inheritance, especially for samples characterized by high ^natCl-concentrations. Generally, there are hints that the theoretical calculation of ³⁶Cl-production from epithermal and thermal neutron-capture on ³⁵Cl is highly underestimated in all existing models, thus, asking for particular precaution if working on high-Cl samples for any project. Hence, this work evidences that potential high inheritance, even for samples reasonably shielded before exhumation, has to be considered especially when dealing with recently exposed surfaces such as glacially polished rocks, alluvial terraces, fault scarps etc.     

碎屑金红石:沉积物源的一种指针

近年来,碎屑金红石的研究已成为沉积物源区分析的一个新前沿。金红石的地球化学组成,尤其是Cr,Nb,Zr等微量元素的含量,对其母岩的形成条件和所经历的地质过程都具有重要的指示意义,同时,碎屑金红石在沉积、成岩过程中表现出极高的稳定性,因而是物源分析的理想指针矿物。首先介绍金红石的矿物学和地球化学基本性质,分析不同来源的金红石典型特征,重点阐述碎屑金红石在物源分析中运用的5个方面:①金红石重矿物比值;②金红石矿物化学成分Cr-Nb判别图解;③金红石Zr含量温度计;④金红石的U-Pb和(U-Th)/He定年;⑤金红石Lu-Hf同位素。综合上述5个方面的物源分析研究,可以获取金红石的母岩类型、形成温度及后期所经历的热演化史等信息。碎屑金红石的物源研究处于起步和探索阶段,仍存在一些亟需解决的问题。     

鄂西清江中上游高海拔砾石层ESR定年及地质意义

在鄂西清江中游建始、巴东地区、上游利川地区的野外地质调查中,发现多处残留的高海拔河流相砾石层,其特征指示砾石层可能为NNE向古水系残留的"高阶地"。对高海拔砾石层进行了ESR测年,清江中游建始、巴东地区高海拔砾石层形成于早更新世末中更新世初（677±67）^789±78ka,上游利川地区高海拔砾石层形成于中更新世中期（371±37）^551±55ka,说明早更新世末中更新世初,清江中游地区尚发育NNE向古水系,而直至中更新世中期,清江上游利川地区仍发育NNE向古水系。这可能指示清江袭夺中游水系发生于早、中更新世之交,袭夺上游水系发生于中更新世中期,现代清江水系形成于中更新世中期之后。由于清江贯通、长江贯通三峡都与青藏高原末次快速隆升有密切关系,从而指示长江贯通三峡的方式总体上可能也是自东向西的不断袭夺,而贯通时间则可能要稍早于清江。     

西藏曲水县达布斑岩铜(钼)矿床成岩成矿年代学研究

本文采用锆石LA-ICP-MS微区U-Pb测年技术,对冈底斯成矿带东段曲水县达布斑岩Cu(Mo)矿床北部达布矿区含矿斑岩体、南部显角囊含矿花岗闪长斑岩岩体进行了年代学研究,通过对3件岩体样品中单颗粒锆石的分析,达布主矿体花岗闪长斑岩样品206Pb/238U年龄加权平均值为16.5±0.05Ma(n=15,MSWD=3),达布主含矿体二长花岗斑岩样品年龄为16.1±0.13Ma(n=15,MSWD=1.03),南部显角囊矿体花岗闪长斑岩年龄为16.2±0.04Ma(n=13,MSWD=0.0064)。对达布矿床斑岩Cu(Mo)矿床主矿体中4件辉钼矿样品,显角囊矿体中6件辉钼矿样品,分别进行了Re-Os同位素测试,等时线年龄分别为14.6±0.50Ma(MSWD=0.35,主矿体)、14.8±0.23Ma(MSWD=1.3,显角囊)。结合前人研究以及本次测年结果认为:1)达布斑岩铜(钼)矿床岩体侵位的年龄应限定在16Ma左右,成矿时代为14Ma左右,成矿时间差小于0.86Ma,与区域上"成矿瞬时发生"的成矿规律是一致的;2)矿床产出于印度-亚洲大陆板块后碰撞伸展环境。