Carlin-type gold deposits in Qinling and some related problems

The sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits in the Oinling region are of sedimentation-slight-metamorphic origin superimposed by hydrothermal reworking at moderate-low temperatures and are well comparable with the typical Carlin gold deposits in the United States.In view of the confusing concept concerning the “sediment-hosted”and “Carlin-type” gold deposits,the authors propose that the term“sediment-hosted gold deposit”should be used in a broad sense which encompasses at least the four subtypes,i.e.,the Carlin type,the metamorphic fine clastic type,the hydrothermal sedimentary type and the vein type.In oter words,the “Carlin-type”should not be used as a synonym for “sediment-hosted”but is recommended as a subtype under the general category of “sediment-hosted gold deposits”     

Geochemical studies on Dachang antimony ore deposit in Qinglong, Guizhou Province

The Dachang antimony deposit in Qinglong,Guizhou Province,is strictly controlled by the “Dachang Layer” which is a complex altered rock occurring at unconformity between the Permian Emeishan basalt and the Maokou limestone.Based on the studies of the hanging-and foot-wall rocks,the trace elements and REE contents of the rocks and ores and heavy placer minerals in the basalt,this paper is focused on the relations between these data and the “Dachang Layer”and its hanging- and oot-wall rocks.The author pointed out that the “Dachang Layer” and basalt are the source-beds of antimony;ilmenite and magnetite are the major mineral carriers of antimony.In the processes of halmyrosis and burial metamorphism of the “Dachang Layer” an basalt,antimony was mobilized along with the mobilization of iron and was preliminarily concentrated in the“ Dachang Layer”.     

The effects of carbon dioxide leakage on fractures, and water quality of potable aquifers during geological sequestration of CO_2

Since industrial revolution, the “greenhouse effect” is one of the most important global environmental issues. Of all the greenhouse gases, CO2 is responsible for about 64% of the enhanced “greenhouse effect”, making it the target for mitigation, so r…     

Minerogenic Theory of the Superlarge Lop Nur Potash Deposit, Xinjiang, China

Located in the eastern part of the Tarim basin, Xinjiang, the Lop Nur was an ultimate water catchment area of the Tarim basin during the Quaternary. Through nearly ten years of investigation and research, the authors have found a superlarge brine potash deposit in the Luobei subbasitv—a secondary basin of the Lop Nur depression. The deposit has been mined now. On that basis, the authors propose new theories on the genesis of the potash rock deposit. In the tectonic and geomorphologic contexts, the Tarim basin lies in a “high mountain-deep basin” environment. At the beginning of the Quaternary, influenced by the neotectonic movement, the Lop Nur evolved into a “deep basin” in the Tarim basin. At the end of the middle Pleistocene, neotectonic migration began to take place in the interior of the Lop Nur and a new secondary deep basin—the Luobei subbasin—formed gradually. Despite its small area, it is actually the deepest subbasin in the Lop Nur depression, where brines of the Lop Nur Salt Lake gather and evaporate, thus providing materials for the formation of a superlarge brine potash rock deposit. With respect to the phenomenon of brine concentration and change with deepening of the lake, the authors propose a model of “high mountain-deep basin” tectonic migration for potash concentration. In the sedimentological context, the honeycomb-shaped voids developed in glauberite rock in the subbasin are good space for potash-rich brine accumulation. Study indicates that the deposition of glauberite requires recharge of calcium-rich water.In the Tarim area the calcium-rich water might come from deep formation water or oilfield water, and the river water recharging the Lop Nur Salt Lake was rich in sulfate radicals and other components; in addition, the climate in the area was very dry and the brine evaporated steadily, thus resulting in deposition of substantial amount of glauberite, potash accumulation in intercrystal brine and final formation of the potash deposit. Generally, potash formation in a salt lake undergoes a three-stage process of “carbonates→sulfates (gypsum and glauberite)→chlorides (halite etc.)”, but in the study area there only occurred a two-stage process of “carbonates→sulfates (gypsum and glauberite)”. The authors call this new geological phenomenon the “two-stage potash formation” model. In conclusion, the superlarge Lop Nur potash deposit is the result of combined “high mountain-deep basin” tectonism and “two-stage potash formation”.     

Development of Geological Science in China in the Twentieth Century

On the occurrence of the celebration of the Fiftieth An-niversary for the establishm ent of the People’s Republic ofChina,we contribute this paper entitled“Developm ent of Ge-ological Science in China in the Twentieth Century”.Thiscomes out from a review of the newly published book aboutthe history of geological disciplines:“Fifty Years of Geologi-cal Science in China”.The draftof the paper was formed aftera discussion between the authors.It deals with the existingstate of geologica…     

我国陆相盆地油田水文地球化学特征

From the viewpoint of geological development, the mechanisms of formation of oil-field waters in non-marine basins and their relation with oil-gas reservoirs are discussed briefly. Sedimentary basins differing in geological setting and physical geographical environment would lead to a diverse evolution of fossil lake basin water body in chemical composition in the process of formation, development and extinction by themselves, resulting in oil-field waters with complex; variable and characteristic compositious China‘s non-marine basins are mostly derived from fossil lake basins. The substantial petroleum-generating stage is highly expected during the development of these fossil lake basins. The production of hydrocarbons responsible for petroleum is always accompanied by the production of sedimentary water. As a result, oil-gas migration took place under the action of high-pressure water and led to the preferential accumulation in the surrounding geological structures as a girdle pattern. In the oil-gas-bearing basins where seeping water is abundant, oil-gas reservoir are found distributed mainly along the “intersection zone” -- the “erestal plane”between the “ fossil-dewatering” of sedimentary water and the “fossil-interpolation”of seeping water. Due to the influence of various factors and the geochemical reactions, oilfield waters in Chiua‘s non-marine basins have remarkable “ion differential” phenomenon. Based on the phenomenon four types of ion assemblages can be distinguished.     

Intra-Oceanic Subduction of the Paleo-Asian Oceanic Slab: New Evidence from the Early Carboniferous Quartz Diorite in the Diyanmiao Ophiolite

Late Paleozoic supra-subduction zone(SSZ)-type ophiolites and intra-oceanic arc igneous petrotectonic assemblages are developed in the Erenhot-Hegenshan suture zone(EHSZ)in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB).which contains information about the Late Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean(PAO)in the eastern CAOB.However,there are two main views and associated controversies about the closure time of the PAO in the eastern CAOB,which are“collision suture from Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous”and“final suture from Late Permian to Early Triassic”.     

Jurassic Tectonic Revolution in China and New Interpretation of the “Yanshan Movement”

With acquisition and accumulation of new data of structural geological investigations and high-resolution isotopic dating data, we have greatly improved our understanding of the tectonic events occurring in eastern China during the period from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous and may give a new interpretation of the nature, timing and geodynamic settings of the “Yanshan Movement”. During the Mid-Late Jurassic （165±5 Ma）, great readjustment of plate amalgamation kinematics took place in East Asia and the tectonic regime underwent great transformation, thus initiating a new tectonic regime in which the North China Block was the center and different plates converged toward it from the north, east and southwest and forming the “East Asia convergent” tectonic system characterized by intracontinental subduction and orogeny. As a consequence, the crustal lithosphere of the East Asian continent thickened considerably during the Late Jurassic, followed immediately by Early Cretaceous substantial lithospheric thinning and craton destruction featured by drastic lithospheric extension and widespread volcano-magmatic activities, resulting in a major biotic turnover from the Yanliao biota to Jehol Biota. Such a tremendous tectonic event that took place in the continent of China and East Asia is the basic connotation of the “Yanshan Movement”. In the paper, according to the deformation patterns, geodynamic settings and deep processes, the “Yanshan Movement” is redefined as the Late Jurassic East Asian multi-directional plate convergent tectonic regime and its associated extensive intracontinental orogeny and great tectonic change that started at -165±5 Ma. The substantial lithospheric attenuation in East China is considered the post-effect of the Yanshanian intracontinental orogeny and deformation.     

Natural mineral photoelectric effect: mineral non-classical photosynthesis

Under the ever-present solar radiation, photosynthetic organisms on Earth evolved structurally-sophisticated photosynthetic systems. However, little attention has been paid to the inherent impact of sunlight illumination on the inorganic minerals widespread on the Earth surface. We discovered for the first time the solar energy conversion system of the “mineral coatings” on the Earth's surface (aka“mineral membrane”), which exerts potential oxygen-production and carbon-sequestration functions on the Earth surface. Our finding shed a light on the photoelectric effect and non-classical photosynthesis involving natural semiconducting minerals. In this contribution, we studied the semiconducting property and photoelectron energy of typical minerals in the “mineral membrane”, focusing primarily on the photoelectric effect in and oxygen-production/carbon-sequestration function of ferromanganese oxides, as well as relevant geological records. We propose that birnessite, goethite and hematite, the semiconducting minerals commonly found in the “mineral membrane”, can perform sensitive and stable photon-to-electron conversion under solar radiation. The non-classical mineral photosynthetic function we put forth is as follows: Solar energy utilization by inorganic minerals resembles photosynthesis in regarding to oxygen evolution and carbon fixing, and the “mineral membrane” may take part in both photocatalytic water-oxidation reaction and transformation of atmospheric CO₂into marine carbonate. In addition, minerals might as well have promoted photosynthesis in photosynthetic organisms. During the water-oxidation reaction, the inorganic cluster Mn₄CaO₅of photosystem II cycles through redox intermediates that are analogous to birnessite both in structure and component. Thus, it is fair to postulate that birnessites could play a role in the initiation of the photosynthesis in cyanobacteria, as minerals could weaken the hydrogen bond strength and alter water properties, thus facilitating water oxidation and photosynthesis. This observation offers further insights into the molecular mechanism of mineral participation in photosynthesis in photosynthetic organisms.     

Impact of Conjugated Shear Joint of “X” Type on Macroscopic Karstification on the Basis of the Analysis of Google Earth Images

As viewed from space remote-sensing images (e.g. Google Earth images) of South Guizhou and North Guangxi, the authors found that macroscopic karst landscape on the Earth’s surface is strongly controlled by the Conjugated shear joint of “X” type. Joints of this kind constitute a huge infiltration network and act as channel-ways for the permeation of meteoric waters from the surface, thus, leading to the dissolution of carbonate rocks nearby. As a result, the karst landscape is formed, which is dominated by linear karst valleys. An “X” karst valley network structure appears in the area where horizontal strata are distributed, and a feather-like network structure appears in the area where vertical strata are distributed, respectively. When the water permeates downwards to the underground-water level, it will flow horizontally along the strike of “X” joints toward the local base level of erosion to form an “X” network system of underground conduits in the area where horizontal strata are distributed, but it is relatively complex, because of the joining of other joints. This is the first time we have made use of Google Earth images to study the karst environment. Therefore, it has been successful in research on the Earth’s geomorphology, which could only rely on aerial photos and satellite photos in the past. Google Earth images provide low-cost and applicable imaging materials for the study of Earth’s geomorphology and karst rocky desertification and its control.     

Thermal State and Strength of the Lithosphere Beneath the Chinese Mainland

The temperature distributions of the lithosphere underneath the mainland of China were estimated by applying local isostatic equilibrium-constrained geothermal calculations. Maps of the lateral temperature variation at depths of 40, 70, and 100 km are presented for the whole Chinese continent, with the thermal thickness of the lithosphere is calculated. Lithospheric roots of 160–200 km thickness underlie Tarim and the Upper Yangtze platform, but are absent beneath the entire Sino-Korean platform. In general, the Tibetan plateau and fold belts to the north have warm but thick lithospheres, whereas thinner thermal lithospheres have been identified in northern Tibet and central Tian Shan around Issyk-Kul Lake. The warm and soft lithosphere in the Tibetan plateau and Tian Shan are caused by uniform north–south shortening, which may represent a snapshot of the early stage of convective thinning of the convergent lithosphere. However, the lithospheric thinning beneath northeastern China might be related to volatile infiltration by dehydration of the deeply subducting Pacific slab during the Cenozoic. Dry and wet upper mantle rheology display “jelly sandwich” and “crème br?lée” pictures, respectively, demonstrating the mechanical behaviour of the Chinese lithosphere outside the Tibetan plateau. Considering a more geologically evident wet-mantle rheology, the “crème br?lée” model can approximate the lithospheric rheology for the most earthquake-prone regions on the Chinese mainland.     

Tectonic Evolution of the Tianhuan Depression and the Western Margin of the Late Triassic Ordos

Abstract: The Ordos Basin is one of the most important oil and gas basins in China. Based on surface outcrop, key exploratory wells and seismic reflection data and by using the technology of “prototype basin recovery”, seismic profile “layer flattening” and “restoration of balanced section”,and other methods, the sedimentary boundary, structure and the evolution history of the Tianhuan depression on the western margin of the Ordos Basin are reestablished. The following results have been obtained. (1) The west boundary of the Late Triassic Ordos Basin was far beyond the scope of the current basin. The basin is connected with the Late Triassic Hexi Corridor Basin, and its western margin did not have tectonic characteristics of a foreland basin. (2) The Tianhuan depression was first formed in the Late Jurassic. At the late stage it was impacted by the late Yanshanian and Himalayan tectonic movement and the depression axis gradually moved eastwards to the present location with a cumulative migration distance of ~30 km. (3) Eastward migration of the depression axis caused adjustment and even destruction of the originally formed oil and gas reservoirs, so that oil and gas remigrated and aggregated, resulting in secondary structural reservoirs formed at high positions on the western flank of the depression.     

Behaviour of Silicate Melts in Respect of Volume

The volumes per oxygen of some silicate melts have been calculated and then compared with those of silicate glasses.It is suggested that the volume of a silicate melt can be divided into two parts.One is contri buted by the silicon-oxygen network and the other by the “oxides”.Variation patterns of VPOs suggest that the volume of the Si-O network generally remains unchanged and the expansion of the melt is caused mainly by the locat expansion of the “oxides”.It is further proposed that the radius of O^2- shows little variation,in striking contrast to the radius of cations.The mechanism governing the expansion is discussed in detail.     

Formation Mechanism of the High-quality Upper Paleozoic Natural Gas Reservoirs in the Ordos Basin

1 Introduction The “sweet spot” refers to high-quality gas layers existin in a large area of tight gas resources and the “sweet spot As an unconventional natural gas, tight sandstone gas strategy refers to prospecting rich reserves with higresources are plentiful in the world. In the United States, permeability. In the western Canadian basins, “sweethe amount of tight sandstone gas is more than 15,000 Tcf spots” are concentrated in high-permeability reservoi(Surdam, 1995; Kuuskraa, 199…     

Spatial and temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fine- grained sediments of the East China Sea

The nearshore mud area along the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary and the coast of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, and the distal mud area to the southeast of Cheju Island, Korea are the modern accumulative centers, thus, being the “sinks” of pollutant…     

19^th Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet Workshop

The 19^th Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet Workshop (HKT19), as an annual international workshop devoted to presentations of new research findings in the Earth sciences and related disciplines from the Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet (HKT) region and discussion on the burning issues, was held in Niseko, a famous ski resort in Hokkaido,Japan. The HKT19 Organizing Committee hosted the workshop together with two 21^st Century Center of Excellence Programs,namely, COE for the “Neo-Science of Natural History” (Hokkaido University, Project Leader: H. Okada), COE for “Dynamics of the Sun-Earth-Life Interactive System”,(Nagoya University, Project Leader: T.Yasunari), and the Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University,     

Three“first places”for Ediacaran Period

Definition of a new geologic period for the Iast interval of the Proterozoic Eon, the Ediacaran, was recently ratified by the IUGS. The Ediacaran Period is the first Proterozoic period to be recognized on the basis of chronostratigraphic criteria, the first internationally ratified, chronostratigraphically defined period of any age to be introduced in more than 120 years, and the first to be defined by a “golden spike” in the Southern hemisphere.     

An Unusual, Three-Dimensionally Preserved, Large Hadrosauriform Pes Track from “Mid”-Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation of Chongqing, China

Three-dimensional tracks provide unique insights into the locomotor mechanics of their track makers. An isolated, large hadrosauriform print attributable to Caririchnium lotus from the “mid”-Cretaceous Lotus track site (Jiaguan Formation) in China permits reconstruction of the footfall, weight-bearing, and kick-off phases of the step cycle. Large-scale modifications of the pes during the step cycle indicate C. lotus trackmakers were capable of locomotory modifications in response to substrate consistency beyond the “expected” shift between bipedal and quadrupedal postures. An unusual curvature to the trace of one of the outer digits indicates substantial transverse mobility. The remaining digits demonstrate lesser degrees of transverse movement accompanied by extension of the digits during footfall. The absence of overprinted scale-scratch marks and toe drags are consistent with a vertical kick-off of the pes and concomitant flexion of the digits. This track suggests that pedal mobility in C. lotus track makers was greater than previously suspected and has implications for reconstructions of hadrosauriform locomotion.     

应用冷却路基原理建设青藏铁路

More than half of the total length of the Qinghai-Tibet Railroad (QTR) traverses warm (0 to-1℃) permafrost areas, and about 40% of its total length is in ice-rich permafrost areas. Thc construction of the QTR also must consider the impacts of climatic warming along the QTR during the next 50～100 years. The latest projection indicates a warming of 2.2 to 2.6℃ on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) by the year 2050. Therefore, the key to the successful construction of the QTR is to protect permafrost from being thawed. Although railroad construction in permafrost areas has had a history of more than 100 years, the troubled sections of the railroads in permafrost areas have been greater than 30% of their total length. Based on the experiences and lessons learned from the road construction in permafrost areas, both in China and abroad, the author proposes that the principle of “active cooling” of railroad roadbed by lowering permafrost temperatures should be used in designing QTR, rather than that of “passive protection” of permafrost through increasing thermal resistance of roadway, such as increasing fill thickness and/or using insulative materials. This is especially important for the road sections in warm, ice-rich permafrost. In addition, this paper proposes several methods for “cooling the roadbcd” by controlling radiation, convection and conduction through modifying roadway structure and using different fill materials.     

QUATERNARY GEOLOGY & GEOMORPHOLOGY

99o995Chenjueheng(Institute ofGeogra-phy,Fujian Teaeher,s University,Fuzhou,Sedimentary Landform of“old Red Sand”inCoastal Southeastern Fujian Provinee(Jour-nal of Oeeanography inT言两an strait,IssN1000一8160,CN35一1091/P,17(1),1998,P .50一54,5 illus.,7 ref) Based on the field investigation,the fea-ture of distribution and sedimentary landformshape of the“Old Red Sand”in eoastal south-eastern Fujian Provinee are expounded in thisPaper.And the viewPoints are Put forwardthat the…