Late Jurassic magnetic polarity sequence

Polarity reversal sequences have been observed in the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic, Kimmeridgian-Tithonian age) at two sites in western Colorado separated by 80 km. The two polarity reversal sequences display a good correlation of relative lengths and number of polarity intervals and thus may provide a significant correlation tool in this laterally variable formation.The whole polarity sequence observed in the Morrison Formation correlates very well with the oldest portion of lineated anomalies of the sea floor. The sedimentary record on land and the anomaly pattern of the oceanic crust both show the same relative lengths and approximate number of polarity intervals, as well as ratio of reversed to normal polarity.     

Late tertiary volcanic stratigraphy of northern central America

Correlations of Late Tertiary volcanic stratigraphic columns in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras indicate that a common lithostratigraphic sequence is present throughout northern Central America. The Late Tertiary volcanic sequences are divided into three lithostratigraphic formations that roughly parallel the Pacific coastline. The Chalatenango Formation, composed of rhyolitic tuffs and lavas, is of Middle to Upper Miocene age. It occurs in the northern and central portions of the Tertiary volcanic belt. The Bálsamo Formation consists of andesitic lavas, tuffs, and lahars and is Upper Miocene to Pliocene in age. It is only found on the Pacific coastal side of the Tertiary volcanic belt. The Cuscatlán Formation is made up of rhyolitic tuffs and volcanic sediments overlain by rhyolitic and basaltic lavas that were erupted during the Pliocene. In eastern and central El Salvador the Cuscatlán Formation overlies the Bálsamo Formation on the coastal side of the belt, but in western El Salvador and southeastern Guatemala it overlies the Chalatenango Formation on the northern side of the Tertiary volcanic belt. The apparent offset of the Cuscatlán Formation in western El Salvador may indicate that the underthrusting Cocos Plate was broken into segments in Pliocene time.     

天山的晚新生代构造变形及其地球动力学问题

天山是大陆内部典型的新生代复活造山带，其新生代构造变形的方式，变形量，速度及过程等对于认识大陆内部造山带的变形机理有着重要的意义。本文在对南北天山主要活动构造地质填图和综合研究的基础上，重点探讨了天山的晚新生代构造变形特征及其动力学问题。早更新世以来，特别是早，中更新世之间，天山的构造活动由内部向南北两侧扩展，使得两侧的新生代凹陷逐渐褶皱成山，形成数排新生代褶皱带，整个天山的现代构造活动是一种扇形     

Middle and early cretaceous magnetic stratigraphy from the Cismon section,northern Italy

The pelagic limestones exposed in the valley of the Cismon river (near Feltre) appear to represent continuous deposition from Valanginian to Campanian, apart from a short hiatus in the Early Albian. Detrital magnetite is the carrier of remanence in these predominantly white-grey limestones, and a well-defined magnetic stratigraphy has been obtained. The Cretaceous quiet zone at Cismon is totally normal in polarity and stretches from Early Aptian to Early Campanian. Below the Lower Aptian, the Early Cretaceous mixed polarity interval is tentatively correlated with the sequence of geomagnetic reversals derived from the oceanic magnetic anomalies.     

Magnetostratigraphy of the late Cenozoic Laojunmiao anticline in the northern Qilian Mountains and its implications for the northern Tibetan Plateau uplift

The uplift process of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau holds the key to understand the dynamic mechanisms of continental crust shortening and mountain-building and to test the relationship between the Tibetan uplift and tectonic-climatic coupling and environmental im-pacts[1―4].However,there are still many debates in the process and mechanism of how the Tibetan Plateau uplifted to the present configuration.Among various approaches to solve these key questions,dating of the Cenozoic stratigraphy …     

Late Cenozoic uplift along the northern Dead Sea transform in Lebanon and Syria

Evidence of long-term, late Cenozoic uplift, as well as strike-slip faulting, is revealed by topographic and geological features along the northern 500 km of the Dead Sea fault system (DSFS)—the transform boundary between the Arabian and African plates in the eastern Mediterranean region. Macro-geomorphic features are studied using a new, high-resolution (20 m pixel) digital elevation model (DEM) produced by radar interferometry (InSAR). This DEM provides a spatially continuous view of topography at an unprecedented resolution along this continental transform from 32.5° to 38° N. This section of the left-lateral transform can be subdivided into a 200 km long Lebanese restraining bend (mostly in Lebanon), and the section to the north (northwest Syria). Spatial variations in Cenozoic bedrock uplift are inferred through mapping of topographic residuals from the DEM. Additionally, high altitude, low-relief surfaces are mapped and classified in the Mount Lebanon and Anti Lebanon ranges that also provide references for assessing net uplift. These results demonstrate an asymmetric distribution of post-Miocene uplift between the Mt. Lebanon and Anti Lebanon ranges. Antecedent drainages also imply that a major episode of uplift in the Palmyride fold belt post-dates the uplift of the Anti Lebanon region. North of the restraining bend, the Late Miocene surface is preserved beneath spatially extensive lava flows. Hilltop remnants of this paleosurface demonstrate Pliocene-Quaternary uplift and tilting of the Syrian Coastal Range, adjacent to the DSFS north of the restraining bend. This late Cenozoic uplift is contemporaneous with strike-slip along the DSFS. Geometrical relationships between folds and strike-slip features suggest that regional strain partitioning may accommodate a convergent component of motion between the Arabian and African plates. This interpretation is consistent with regional plate tectonic models that predict 10–25° of obliquity between the relative plate motion and the strike of the DSFS north of the restraining bend. We suggest that this convergent component of plate motion is responsible for uplift along and adjacent to the DSFS in the Syrian Coastal Range, as well as within the Lebanese restraining bend.     

柴达木盆地北缘中新生代地层的磁组构特征及其沉积-构造学意义

柴达木盆地沉积地层记载着青藏高原东北部的构造演化信息.对该盆地路乐河地区上中生界-新生界地层系统采样,获得千余块定向岩心样品.岩石磁学研究表明样品中的磁性矿物主要为赤铁矿和磁铁矿;磁组构研究表明为初始沉积磁组构特征.磁组构特征指示了自中侏罗统大煤沟组（J₂d）至早中新统下油砂山组（N₂¹y）7个地层单位沉积时期,古水流方向共经历了4次阶段性的变化,表明柴达木块体相应地发生了4次旋转.在中-晚侏罗世块体逆时针旋转约22°;至早白垩世,块体又顺时针旋转约65°;在65.5~32 Ma期间块体旋转方向再次改变,逆时针旋转约63°;到32~13 Ma阶段块体又发生约50°的顺时针旋转.柴达木块体的旋转及其方向的转换,可能与其南的羌塘块体、拉萨块体和印度板块阶段性北向碰撞挤压紧密相关.拉张环境与挤压环境的多次转换可能与中特提斯的关闭、新特提斯的张开和闭合、高原快速隆升后其边部松弛相联系.

     

祁连盆地第三纪沉积物磁性地层和岩石磁组构初步研究

祁连山山间盆地内的新生代沉积物是研究新生代以来祁连山构造演化的重要材料.本文以位于祁连山中部祁连盆地内的新生代沉积物为研究对象,利用磁性地层学方法结合碎屑颗粒裂变径迹定年方法获取其沉积时代框架,在此基础上,结合岩性变化与沉积环境变迁分析祁连山构造演化历史.野外实测剖面显示该盆地内的第三系可划分为下部砾岩组和上部砂岩组两大岩性单元.古地磁结果显示砾岩组的沉积时代约为10-14.3 Ma.砾岩组沉积大约在14.3 Ma开始形成,指示祁连山14.3 Ma以来构造活动变强烈.磁组构结果显示砾石组顶部沉积形成时的受力方向与现今祁连盆地周缘断层分布所指示的应力方向一致,表明这些断层大约在10 Ma附近开始活动.我们的结果揭示祁连山中部山脉14.3 Ma以来尤其在10 Ma附近构造活动较强烈.这与过去低温热年代学所获得的祁连山山体的快速冷却年龄及祁连山两端大型盆地内的第三系所记录的构造事件发生的时间基本吻合.而砂岩组的古地磁结果并未通过褶皱检验,其古地磁记录发生了后期重磁化,无法获得地层的准确沉积年龄.     

Miocene Bahean stratigraphy in the Longzhong Basin, northern central China and its implications in environmental change

Fossil mammal-riched Neogene strata are widely distributed in the southeast corner of the huge Longzhong Basin at Tianshui, Gansu Province, northern central China. Hipparion weihoense, a typical member of late Middle Miocene Bahean stage, was recently excavated at Yaodian along a well-exposed outcrop. Owing to the importance of the Bahean stage in the mammalian evolution and its potential for environmental change, we suggested a name of Yaodian Formation for the stratigra- phy, which is correlated to the Bahe Formation at Lantian, Shaanxi. High resolution paleomagnetic dating of the section shows that the Yaodian Formation covers the period between 11.67 Ma and 7.43 Ma, with the site bearing Hipparion weihoense being estimated at about 10.54―10.30 Ma, providing first magnetostratigraphic chronology for the Bahean Stage. The Yaodian Formation consists of fluvial channel deposits (11.67―10.40 Ma) at the bottom, floodplain deposits in the middle (10.40―9.23 Ma) and shallow lake sediments at the top (9.23―7.43 Ma). This upward fining sequence suggests that the relief in nearby mountain ranges such as West Qinling to the south and Huajia Ling to the north was greatly reduced after long-term denudation, fluvial transport capacity was low, and finally the drainage system was disintegrated, replaced with broad-shallow lakes in which only fine sediments like mud and marlite were deposited, indicating an old stage of development of a planation surface. A remarkable shift in ecology and climatic environment was found at 7.4―7.7 Ma when paleoclimate changed from early warm humid to late dry as indicated by sedimentary facies changed from early shallow lake sequence to late eolian red clays and a former coniferous-deciduous mixed forest was replaced by grassland, leading to great growth of Hipparion Fauna of Baodean stage in the region. Therefore, it is estimated that the present high relief of Qinling and drainage pattern did not come into being until Late Pliocene in response to intensive neotectonism and climate change.     

Cenozoic stratigraphy and sedimentation history of the northern Philippine Sea based on multichannel seismic reflection data

Abstract To clarify the regional distribution and characteristics of the sedimentary deposits in the northern part of the Philippine Sea, multichannel seismic reflection surveys of 26 864 km in total length were performed. The seismic reflection data were interpreted and correlated with available Deep Sea Drilling Project/Ocean Drilling Program (DSDP/ODP) data and a general stratigraphic framework of the area was established. The sedimentary deposits in this area were divided into five layers; Units I, II, III, IV and V in ascending order. Their approximate geological ages are the Early Eocene, Middle to Late Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene‐Pleistocene, respectively. Seismic records were classified into three seismic facies, Facies A, B and C, on the basis of their characteristics. They were judged to represent pelagic and hemipelagic sediments of non‐volcanic origin, fine pyroclastic sediments and coarse pyroclastic or volcanic sediments, respectively, by comparing them with lithological data in the DSDP/ODP holes. From the thickness and facies distributions of these sediments, a sedimentary history in the area was reconstructed as follows. The oldest sediments in the study area, Unit I, interfinger with some parts of the Daito Ridge (acoustic basement) in the Minami Daito Basin. The geological age of the unit is estimated by microfossils in the sediment and supports the idea that this part of the Daito Ridge is composed of the Early Eocene oceanic basalt. Later, a fair amount of sediments were deposited in the Minami Daito Basin in the Middle to Late Eocene age. A large volume of volcanic materials was supplied from the Paleo‐Kyushu‐Palau Ridge in the Kita Daito Basin in the Eocene and Oligocene ages. The eastern part of the Shikoku and Parece Vela basins is characterized by volcanic sediments supplied from the Nishi Shichito and West Mariana Ridges in the Miocene age. However, pelagic and hemipelagic sediments prevail in the northern part of the Shikoku Basin in the Miocene or later. In short, the area of principal sedimentation has generally shifted from west to east through geological time, reflecting the evolution of the island arc systems with the same trend in the northern Philippine Sea.     

Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous magnetic stratigraphy from the sümeg section,Hungary

The pelagic limestones exposed at Sümeg appear to represent continuous deposition from Kimmeridgian through Berriasian. Detrital magnetite and haematite pigment are the carriers of remanence in the red and non-red limestones in the lower part, while magnetite becomes predominant in the upper half of the section. Thermal demagnetization has succesfully removed overprint magnetizations, and a well-defined magnetic stratigraphy has been obtained. The Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous mixed polarity interval is correlated with the sequence of geomagnetic reversals derived from oceanic magnetic anomalies.     

Late Cenozoic stress states around the Bolu Basin along the North Anatolian Fault, NW Turkey

This study defines the Late Cenozoic stress regimes acting around the Bolu Basin along the North Anatolian Fault in northwestern Turkey. The inferred regional stress regime, obtained from the inversion of measured fault-slip vectors as well as focal mechanism solutions, is significant and induces the right-lateral displacement of the North Anatolian Fault. The field observations have also revealed extensional structures in and around the Bolu Basin. These extensional structures can be interpreted as either a local effect of the regional transtensional stress regime or as the result of the interaction of the fault geometries of the dextral Duzce Fault and the southern escarpment of the North Anatolian Fault, bordering the Bolu Basin in the north and in the south, respectively.The inversion of slip vectors measured on fault planes indicates that a strike-slip stress regime with consistent NW- and NE-trending σ_Hmax(σ₁) and σ_Hmin(σ₃) axes is dominant. Stress ratio (R) values provided by inversion of slip vectors measured on both major and minor faults and field observations show significant variations of principal stress magnitudes within the strike-slip stress regime resulting in older transpression to younger transtension. These two stress states, producing dextral displacement along NAF, are coaxial with a consistent NE-trending σ₃ axis. The earthquake focal mechanism inversions confirm that the transtensional stress regime has continued into recent times, having identical horizontal stress axis directions, characterized by NW and NE-trending σ₁ and σ₃ axes, respectively. A locally consistent NE-trending extensional, normal faulting regime is also seen in the Bolu Basin. The stress-tensor change within the strike-slip stress regime can be explained by variations in horizontal stress magnitudes that probably occurred in Quaternary times as a result of the westward extrusion of the Anatolian block.     

A magnetic polarity time scale for the Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic

The ages of polarity chrons in previous M-sequence magnetic polarity time scales were interpolated using basal sediment ages in suitably drilled DSDP holes. This method is subject to several sources of error, including often large paleontological age ranges. Magnetostratigraphic results have now tied the Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic paleontological stage boundaries to the M-sequence of magnetic polarity. The numeric ages of most of these boundaries are inadequately known and some have been determined largely by intuition. An examination of relevant data suggests that 114 Ma, 136 Ma and 146 Ma are optimum estimates for the ages of the Aptian/Barremian, Cretaceous/Jurassic and Kimmeridgian/Oxfordian stage boundaries, respectively. Each of these boundaries has a good correlation to the M-sequence of magnetic reversals. The magnetostratigraphic tie-level ages are linearly related to the spreading distance and have been used to calculate a new magnetic polarity time scale for the Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic. All stage boundaries in this time interval were correlated by magnetic stratigraphy to the proposed new time scale which was then used to estimate their numeric ages. These are, with the approximate relative errors of placement within the M-sequence:The absolute errors of these interpolated stage boundary ages depend on the accuracy of the tie-level ages.     

祁连山北缘玉门-北大河断裂晚第四纪活动特征

通过卫星影像解译、野外实地调查并结合前人研究成果,对位于祁连山北缘的玉门—北大河断裂晚第四纪构造活动特征进行研究。结果表明,玉门—北大河断裂为一条全新世活动的逆冲断裂,该断裂西起玉门青草湾,向东经老玉门市、大红泉止于骨头泉,全长约80km,整体走向NWW。根据断裂的几何结构及活动习性可将其分为三段:东段构造形态简单连续,为逆冲断层陡坎为主的古地震地表破裂带;中段结构复杂,由多条次级断层组成,以逆冲扩展为主;西段未出露地表而成为盲断裂-褶皱带。通过对断层陡坎差分GPS测量及相应地貌面年代测试,得到断裂晚更新世以来逆冲速率约为(0.73±0.09)mm/a。     

Magnetic polarity stratigraphy of the Upper Siwalik deposits,Pabbi Hills,Pakistan

Over 1000 m of fluvial molasse, exhibiting a stable detrital remanent magnetization, is exposed in a mammal-bearing sequence in the Upper Siwalik Group of the Pabbi Hills, Pakistan. The magnetic polarity chronology reveals that the sequence records a time period of 2.6 m.y., extending from the early Gauss Normal Epoch into the Brunhes Normal Epoch. During this period, sedimentation rates increased upward in time from 0.25 m/1000 yr to 0.45 m/1000 yr. The sudden disappearance of red beds and a change in the lithoclastic composition of basal channel sands suggests that about 800,000 years ago the primary source area began shifting from the metamorphic terrane of the Himalayan Orogen to a more local sedimentary terrane on the folded margins of the Himalayan foredeep. About 500,000 years ago the anticlinal Pabbi Hills attained surface expression. Uplift continued at a minimum rate of 1 m/1000 yr.A local Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary based on the Olduvai Normal Event is clearly recognized. Local fossil finds reveal thatEquus, diagnostic element of the Pinjor faunal zone, appeared locally about 1.8 m.y. ago and thatHipparion, a faunal element of the Tatrot and earlier faunal zones, persisted locally until at least 3.0 m.y. ago.     

Magnetic polarity stratigraphy of the Fisherman's Cliff and Bone Gulch vertebrate fossil faunas from the Murray Basin, New South Wales, Australia

The Fisherman's Cliff and Bone Gulch Local Faunas are the second and third oldest mammalian fossil assemblages known in the Murray Basin of southeastern Australia. The determination of well constrained ages for these two faunas has been plagued by a lack of diagnostic microfossils or material suitable for isotopic age determinations. Based on previous paleomagnetic data [1,2] the ages of the Fisherman's Cliff and Bone Gulch local faunas were assigned to the Gauss and lower Matuyama Chrons, respectively. However, these dates were not tested by direct magnetostratigraphic studies at either locality. In order to make direct correlations, 22 paleomagnetic and five paleomagnetic sites, respectively, were collected from Fisherman's Cliff and Bone Gulch. Results indicate that the Fisherman's Cliff Local Fauna occurs within a zone of normal magnetic polarity whilst the Bone Gulch Local Fauna occurs within a zone of reversed polarity. By correlation to the Chowilla section, these zones are interpreted to represent the Gauss and lower Matuyama Chrons and ages of 2.47–2.92 and 1.88–2.47 Myr are indicated for the Fisherman's Cliff and Bone Gulch Local Faunas, respectively.     

中国西南天山山前的晚新生代构造与地震活动

天山是研究现今陆内造山作用及过程、陆内变形、陆内强震及其预测等大陆动力学问题的理想实验场。西南天山和塔里木之间的新生代褶皱－逆断裂带基本上由一南冲弧形推覆构造系统和一向北反冲的构造系统组成，由北而南主要由以下4个运动学单元组成：（1）新生代复活的喀拉铁热克山－天山南脉古生代造山带，其快速变形和抬升可能起始于23－26Ma前，持续至13－16Ma前。（2）向南逆冲的西南天山前陆薄皮主冲断带，包括木兹杜克弧形薄皮推覆体和依柯冲断带，前者代表了向南薄皮逆掩的天山型岩系，地表主要表现为一系列的飞来峰群，在14Ma前曾有过大规模活动，最小缩短量约为20－35km，最小缩短速率为1．4－2．8mm/a；后者代表了向南叠瓦状薄皮逆冲推覆的前陆古生代基底（塔里木地台型沉积岩系）卷入构造，其西段在距今14Ma时曾有过强烈活动。两者共同组成了一复杂的双重构造；新生代地层也卷入变形。（3）喀什－阿图什弧形反冲褶皱－逆断裂带，由3排向北（天山）反冲的左阶雁列展布的第四纪地表滑脱褶皱组成，仅在大山口以西发育。该构造带形成于距今约1．4Ma以后。依什拉克喀拉乌尔断裂以南，博古孜河剖面的最小缩短速率约为5．8mm/a，翁库尔剖面的最小缩短速率约为8．6mm/a。（4）塔里木克拉通下盘块体，向北西方向缓倾，内部变形较小。里木块体西北存在明显的不均匀性，其学问基底高角度逆断裂和走滑断裂控制了盆地新生代沉积的厚度，导致西南天山前陆冲断带的地形地貌、地层、构造变形样式、变形时间以及变形缩短量沿走向的巨大差异性。迈丹－喀拉铁克断裂和阿图什断裂带均为岩石圈规模断裂，研究区的中强地震主要发生在这两条断裂带以及它们之间的西南天山前陆冲断带上。     

The Late Cenozoic uplift of the Liupan Shan,China

Based on paleomagnetic measurements and morphostratigraphy of red bed/clay sequences from pediments of the Liupan Shan and the Longdong Basin, the following results are revealed. The red bed/clay sediments became to accumulate at around 8.1 MaBP, which implied that the plantation surface developed since Late Cretaceous was broken by active fault, and its development was terminated. The Liupan Shan began to slightly uplift. The Liupan Shan experienced a small-scale uplift around 5.2 MaBP, inferred from the appearance of fine gravel sediments at that time. Consequently, a pediment was developed. The Liupan Shan accelerated uplift since about 3.8 MaBP at a large scale, which caused the deep incision of the rivers and the termination of fluvial and lacustrine deposition. Meanwhile, typical eolian red clay appeared since then. This uplift process is well correlated and in response to that of the Tibetan Plateau and the mountains around it.

     

Late Cenozoic deformation subsequence in northeastern margin of Tibet --Detrital AFT records from Linxia Basin

Two events of Tibet uplifting are revealed by detrital apatite fission track (AFT) age data from Linxia Basin. They occurred at about 14 and 5.4-8.0 MaBP respectively. We interpret the first one to be related to the uplifting of the northern Tibet, which might have resulted from convectively removing the thickened lower lithosphere. The second one is a result of Laji Mountain uplifting. Numerous studies of the Tibetan Plateau suggest that the onset time of the deformation in the northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau and the time of Tibet attaining to its present elevation is about 8 MaBP. They are approximately coincident with the uplift of Lajishan Mountain. It suggests that the northeastern margin of Tibet propagated northeastwardly to its present site in about 8 MaBP for accommodating the sustained convergence between India-Eurasia plate and for keeping its high elevation. The active block pattern dominating the strong earthquake distribution of Chinese continent probably formed at about 8.0-5.4 MaBP.