Early Mesozoic sedimentary‒tectonic evolution of the Central-East Iranian Microcontinent: Evidence from a provenance study of the Nakhlak Group

In Central Iran, the mixed siliciclastic?carbonate Nakhlak Group of Triassic age is commonly seen to have a Cimmerian affinity, although it shows considerable resemblances with the Triassic Aghdarband Group in far northeastern Iran, east of Kopeh-Dagh area, with Eurasian affinity. The Nakhlak Group is composed of the Alam (Late Olenekian?Anisian), Baqoroq (Late Anisian??Early Ladinian), and Ashin (Ladinian??Early Carnian) formations consisting mainly of volcanoclastic sandstone and shale and fossiliferous limestone. The Baqoroq Formation contains also metamorphic detritus. Sandstone petrofacies reflect the detrital evolution from active volcanism to growing orogen and again active volcanism. Textural and modal analyses of volcanic lithic fragments from the Alam Formation reflect the eruption style and magma composition of a felsic to intermediate syn-sedimentary arc activity. The detrital modes of the Baqoroq Formation sediments suggest a recycled orogenic source followed by arc activity in a remnant fore-arc basin. The sandstone samples from the Ashin Formation demonstrate a continuity of felsic to intermediate arc activity. Major and trace element concentrations of the Nakhlak Group clastic samples support sediment supply from first-cycle material and felsic magmatic arc input. The enrichment in LREE, the negative Eu anomalies, and the flat HREE patterns indicate origination from the old upper continental crust and young arc material. The chemical index of alteration (CIA ～51–70 for sandstone and 64–76 for shale samples) indicates medium degrees of chemical weathering at the source. Petrographical and geochemical evidence together with facies analysis constructed the following depositional conditions for the Nakhlak Group sediments: In the Olenekian, a fore-arc shallow to deep marine depositional basin developed that later was filled by recycled and arc-related detritus and changed into a continental basin in the Anisian. Ladinian extension let to a deepening of the basin. With respect to the similarities between the Nakhlak and Aghdarband (NE Iran) groups and unusual present-day position of the Nakhlak Group with no stratigraphic connection to the surrounding area, the development of first a fore-arc basin and later change into a back-arc depositional basin in close relation with the Aghdarband basin at the southern Eurasian active margin in the Triassic are here proposed. Understanding the basin development recorded in the Nakhlak Group provides constraints on the closure history of Palaeotethys and of the tectonic evolution of early Mesozoic basins at the southern Eurasian margin before the Cimmerian Orogeny.     

Surface Processes Driving Intracontinental Basin Subsidence in the Context of India–Eurasia Collision: Evidence from Flexural Subsidence Modeling of the Cenozoic Southern Tarim Basin along the West Kunlun Foreland, NW Tibetan Plateau

The India–Eurasia collision has produced a number of Cenozoic deep intracontinental basins, which bear important information for revealing the far-afield responses to the remote collision. Despite their significance, their subsiding mechanism remains the subject of debate, with end-member models attributing it to either orogenic or sedimentary load. In this study, we conduct flexural subsidence modeling with a two-dimensional finite elastic plate model on the Hotan–Mazatagh section along the southern Tarim Basin, which defines a key region in the foreland of the West Kunlun Orogen, along the NW margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The modeling results indicate that the orogenic load of West Kunlun triggers the southern Tarim Basin to subside by up to less than ~6 km, with its impact weakening towards the basin interiors until ~230 km north from the Karakax fault. The sedimentary load, consisting of Cenozoic strata, forces the basin to subside by ~2 to ~7 km. In combination with the retreat of the proto-Paratethys Sea and the paleogeographic reorganization of the Tarim Basin, we propose that surface processes, in particular a shift from an exorheic to an endorheic drainage system associated with the consequent thick sedimentary load, played a decisive role in forming deep intracontinental basins in the context of the India–Eurasia collision.     

Melt-Condensing-Transport Process for the Origin of Lithium-Rich Brines on Xizang(Tibetan) Plateau: Evidence and Case Study in Qaidam Basin

Please refer to the attachment(s) for more details.     

Holocene climate change inferred from stratigraphy and OSL chronology of aeolian sediments in the Qaidam Basin,northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Paleoclimatic reconstruction based on aeolian sediments in the eastern Qaidam Basin (QB) has been hindered by the limited chronological data. Here we present 61 Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) ages. On the basis of these OSL ages and the lithologic stratigraphy, we propose the ‘effective moisture index (EMI)’ for aeolian sediments to reconstruct the effective moisture change. Based on the EMI from twelve sections, the effective moisture change, moisture sources and relevant mechanisms for paleoclimatic change in the eastern QB are discussed. The results indicate that (1) aeolian deposition started at least before 12.4 ± 0.7 ka during the deglaciation, the paleosols developed at the early and mid-Holocene, and aeolian sand and loess accumulated at mid- and late Holocene; (2) effective moisture history was: hyper-arid at 12.8–11.6 ka, humid and variable at 11.6–8.3 ka, moderately humid and stable at 8.3–3.5 ka, and increasingly arid at 3.5–0 ka; (3) the effective moisture change was mainly controlled by the Asian summer monsoon (ASM), which mainly followed the change of Northern Hemispheric summer insolation, and the westerlies strengthened and increased the aridity in the QB when the ASM shrank.     

Paleoclimate evolution and aridification mechanism of the eastern Tethys during the Callovian–Oxfordian: evidence from geochemical records of the Qiangtang Basin,Tibetan Plateau

Global climate during the Jurassic has been commonly described as a uniform greenhouse climate for a long time. However, the climate scenario of a cool episode during the Callovian–Oxfordian transition following by a warming trend during the Oxfordian (163.53 to 157.4 Ma) is documented in many localities of the western Tethys. It is still unclear if a correlatable climate scenario also occurred in the eastern Tethys during the same time interval. In this study, a detailed geochemical analysis on the 1060 m thick successions (the Xiali and Suowa formations) from the Yanshiping section of the Qiangtang Basin, located in the eastern Tethys margin during the Callovian–Oxfordian periods, was performed. To reveal the climate evolution of the basin, carbonate content and soluble salt concentrations (SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻) were chosen as climatic indices. The results show that the overall climate patterns during the deposition of the Xiali and Suowa formations can be divided into three stages: relatively humid (~ 164.0 to 160.9 Ma), dry (~ 160.9 to 159.6 Ma), semi-dry (~ 159.6 to 156.8 Ma). A similar warming climate scenario also occurred in eastern Tethys during the Callovian–Oxfordian transition (~ 160.9 to 159.6 Ma). Besides, we clarify that the Jurassic True polar wander (TPW), the motion of the lithosphere and mantle with respect to Earth’s spin axis, inducing climatic shifts were responsible for the aridification of the Qiangtang Basin during the Callovian–Oxfordian transition with a review of the paleolatitude of the Xiali formation (19.7 + 2.8/−2.6° N) and the Suowa formation (20.7 + 4.1/−3.7° N). It is because the TPW rotations shifted the East Asia blocks (the North and South China, Qiangtang, and Qaidam blocks) from the humid zone to the tropical/subtropical arid zone and triggered the remarkable aridification during the Middle-Late Jurassic (ca. 165–155 Ma).

     

Was the enclosed Qaidam Basin of The Tibetan Plateau Accumulative or Erosive during the Late Quaternary?

正A geological feature in the Qaidam Basin known as the"Shell Bar"contains millions of freshwater articulated clam shells buried in-situ.Since the 1980s this feature in the now hyper-arid basin has been interpreted to be lake deposits that provide evidence for a warmer and more humid climate than present during late Marine Isotope Stage 3(MIS 3)(Bowler et al.,1986).However,the global climate during     

Origin of Halite in the Lanping–Simao Basin, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau, China: Evidence from Sr and Cl Isotopes

The Lanping?Simao Basin is located on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, China, and contains massive evaporites. The origin of evaporites in the basin has been hotly debated because of the strong transformation by tectonic movement. Forty halite samples from borehole MK-3 in the Mengyejing area of the basin were collected and analyzed using XRD, Cl-Sr isotopes and chemical compositions to trace the origin of the evaporites in the basin. The Br × 103/Cl ratios of the halite samples are between 0 and 0.55, most of which are synchronized with the law of seawater evaporation and at the stage of halite precipitation from seawater, indicating that the evaporites are mainly of marine origin. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios range from 0.707489 to 0.711279; after correction, the 87Sr/86Sr 145 Ma ratios range from 0.704721 to 0.707611, equivalent with the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of seawater at 145 Ma, indicating a marine origin. The decay of 87Rb in the evaporite during deposition, change of the depositional environment and the unsealed environment at a later period resulted in the present 87Sr/86Sr ratios of some samples being high. The δ37Cl value compositions range from ?0.38‰ to 0.83‰, which is consistent with the δ37Cl value composition of the world marine halite (?0.6‰ to 0.4‰), further confirming that seawater is the main origin. In addition, the high δ37Cl value of some samples at the boundary of the upper and lower evaporite layers might be related to the influence of δ37Cl-rich brine and the incomplete dissolution of the halite.     

Sedimentary characteristics of Cenozoic strata in central-southern Ningxia,NW China: Implications for the evolution of the NE Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Cenozoic sedimentary deposits in central-southern Ningxia province, NW China are an important record of Tertiary tectonic events along the evolving Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau’s northeast margin. Shortly after the onset of the Indo-Eurasia collision to the south, a thrust belt and adjoining foreland basin began to form during 40–30 Ma. The Eocene Sikouzi Formation developed in a distal setting to this basin, in normal fault-bound basins that may have formed in a forebulge setting. Subsequent deposition of the Oligocene Qingshuiying Formation occurred during a phase of apparently less intense tectonism and the previous underfilled foreland basin became overfilled. During the Early Miocene, contractional deformation was mainly distributed to the west of the Liupan Shan. This resulted in deformation of the Qingshuiying Formation as indicated by an unconformity with the overlying Miocene Hongliugou Formation. The unconformity occurs proximal to the Haiyuan Fault suggesting that the Haiyuan Fault may have begun movement in the Early Miocene. In the Late Miocene, thrusting occurred west of the southern Helan Shan and an unconformity developed between the Hongliugou and Qingshuiying Formations proximal to the the Cha-Gu Fault. Relationships between the Miocene stratigraphy and major faults in the region imply that during the Late Miocene the deformation front of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau had migrated to the Cha-Gu Fault along the western Ordos Margin, and the Xiang Shan was uplifted. Central-southern Ningxia was then incorporated into the northeast propagating thrust wedge. The driving force for NE propagation of the thrust wedge was most likely pronounced uplift of the northeastern plateau at the same time. Analysis of the sedimentary record coupled with consideration of the topographic evolution of the region suggests that the evolving fold-and-thrust belt experienced both forward-breaking fold-and-thrust belt development, and out-of-sequence fault displacements as the thrust wedge evolved and the foreland basin became compartmentalised. The documented sedimentary facies and structural relationship also place constraints on the Miocene-Recent evolution of the Yellow River and its tributaries.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000806

Zoned tourmaline（schorl-dravite） in the matrix of hydrothermal explosive breccia and ore veins in gold deposits,Chita region.Eastern Transbaikalia.Russia,are associated with Na- and K-rich porphyry-type subvolcanic intrusives.δ¹⁸O values of tourmaline from three gold deposits（Darasun. Talatui,Teremkinskoye） are +8.3‰,+7.6‰,and +6.0‰and calculatedδ¹⁸O values of fluids responsible for the tourmalinization are +7.3‰,+7.7‰,and +4.2‰,respectively.These data imply an igneous fluid source,except at the Teremkin deposit where mixing with meteoric water is indicated.Wide ranges of Fe³⁺/Fe_tot,and the presence of vacancies characterize the Darasun deposit tourmaline indicating wide ranges of f（O₂） and pH of mineralizing fluids.Initial stage tourmalines from the gold deposits of the Darasun ore district are dravite or high mg schorl.Second stage tourmaline is characterized by oscillatory zoning but with Fe generally increasing towards crystal rims indicating decreasing temperature.Third stage tourmaline formed unzoned crystals with x_Mg（mole fraction of Mg） close to that of the hrst stage tourmaline,due to a close association with pyrite and arsenopyrite.From Fe³⁺/Fe_tot values,chemical composition and crystallization temperatures.logf（O₂） of mineralizing fluids ranged from ca.—25 to—20. much higher than for the gold-bearing beresite—listvenite association,indicating that tourmalinization was not related to gold mineralization.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000879

Multiple sets of thick coal beds characterized by simple structure and shallow burial depth were developed in the Early and Middle Jurassic strata of the Ordos Basin,northwestern China.The huge reserves of this high quality coal have a high commercial value.We studied the coal’s petrologic characteristics and its maceral distribution to determine the maceral’s contribution to generation of oil and gas.The results show that the Jurassic coals in the Ordos Basin have special penological features because of the Basin’s unique depositional environment which was mainly a series of high-stand swamps in the upper fluvial system.These petrographic features are a result of the development of typical inland lakes where some sand bodies were formed by migrating rivers.After burial,the peat continued to undergo oxidizing conditions,this process generated extensive higher inertinile contents in the coals and the vitrinite components were altered to semi-vitrinite.The macroscopic petrographic types of these Jurassic coals are mainly semi-dull coal,dull coal,semilustrous and lustrous coal.The proportions of semi-dull coal and dull coal are higher in the basin margins,especially in the area near the northern margin.The numbers of semilustrous and lustrous coals increase southwards and towards the central basin.This situation indicates that different coal-forming swamp environments have major controlling effects on the coal components.Another observation is that in the Ordos" coal sequences,especially in the lower part,some sandstone beds are thick,up to 20 m with a coarse grain size.The higher fusinite content in the macerals accompanies a higher semi-vitrinite content with more complete and regular plant cell structure.The fusinite structure is clear and well preserved.After burial,the lithology of the roof and floor rocks can continue to affect the evolution of coal petrology.The sand bodies in the roof and floor exhibit good physical conditions so that pore water can maintain a long-term state of oxidation,circulation and connection to the coal.So coal components remain in an oxidation environment for a long time.Conversely,in the basin center,lacustrine facies developed and peat was rapidly covered by mudstone after burial and subsequent coal beds rapidly entered a reducing environment.As a result,abundant gelatification occurred and the vitrinite content increased.Exinite often accumulated in a specific position in the coal bed.Although the average exinite content is not high on the whole,it does significantly contribute to the total hydrocarbon generation. The exinite content has been underestimated,especially the amorphous bituminous fluid and its importance is emphasized here.The reason is that the fluid flows easily into fusinite which has strong rigidity,or flows into some fissures,where it is commonly neglected.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001307

South China Sea(SCS) is the largest Western Pacific marginal sea.However,microbial studies have never been performed in the cold seep sediments in the SCS.In 2004."SONNE" 177 cruise found two cold seep areas with different water depth in the northern SCS.Haiyang 4 area,where the water depth is around 3000 m.has already been confirmed for active seeping on the seafloor.such as microbial mats,authigenic carbonate crusts and bivalves.We investigated microbial abundance and diversity in a 5.55-111 sediment core collected from this cold seep area.An integrated approach was employed including geochemistry and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses.Here,we show that microbial abundance and diversity along with geochemistry profiles of the sediment core revealed a coupled reaction between sulphate reduction and methane oxidation.Acridine orange direct count results showed that microbial abundance ranges from 10~5 to 10~6 cells/g sediment(wet weight).The depth-related variation of the abundance showed the same trend as the methane concentration profile.Phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of sulphate-reducing bacteria and anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea.The diversity was much higher at the surface,but decreased sharply with depth in response to changes in the geochemical conditions of the sediments,such as methane,sulphate concentration and total organic carbon.Marine Benthic Group B.Chloroflexi and JSl were predominant phylotypes of the archaeal and bacterial libraries,respectively.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000843

We report equilibrium sapphirine t quartz assemblage in biotiteeorthopyroxeneegarnet granulites from a new locality in Panasapattu of Paderu region in the Eastern Ghats granulite belt, which provide new evidence for ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism at 1030e1050 C and 10 kbar in this region. The development of migmatitic texture, stabilization of the garneteorthopyroxenee plagioclaseeK-feldspar association, prograde biotite inclusions within garnet and sapphirine as well as sapphirine and cordierite inclusions within garnet in these granulites indicate that the observed peak assemblages probably formed during prograde dehydration melting of a BteSilleQtz assemblage, and constrain the prograde stage of the PeT path. The core domains of orthopyroxene porphyroblasts have up to wt(Al2O3) 9.6%, which suggest that the temperatures reached up to 1150 C suggesting extreme crustal metamorphism. These conditions were also confirmed by the garneteorthopyroxene thermobarometery, which yields a PeT range of 1012e960 C and 9.4 kbar. The PeT phase topologies computed using isochemical sections calculated in the model system Na2OeCaOeK2OeFeOeMgOeAl2O3eSiO2 eH2O (NCKFMASH) for metapelites, garnet-free sapphirine granulites and garnet-bearing sapphirine granulites match the melt-bearing assemblages observed in these rocks. Isochemical sections constructed in the NCKFMASH system for an average sub-aluminous metapelite bulk composition, and contoured for modal proportions of melt and garnet, as well as for the compositional isopleths of garnet, predict phase and reaction relations that are consistent with those observed in the rocks. Garnet and orthopyroxene contain Ti-rich phlogopite inclusions, suggesting formation by prograde melting reactions at the expense of phlogopite during ultrahigh-temperature conditions. These PeT results underestimate ‘peak’ conditions, in part as a result of the modification of garnet compositions in the domains where some melt was retained. The post-peak evolution is constrained by a succession of melt-present reactions that occur at P < 10 kbar, inferred from micro-structural relations among various minerals. After high-temperature decompression from the metamorphic peak, the PeT path followed a near isobaric cooling stage to T < 900 C. The UHT rocks investigated in this study occur within a continental collision suture which witnessed prolonged subductioneaccretion history prior to the final collision. We correlate the extreme metamorphism and the stabilization of UHT mineral assemblages to heat and volatile input from an upwelled asthenosphere during subductionecollision tectonics in a Proterozoic convergent plate margin.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000394

High-grade dehydration of amphibolite-facies rocks to granulite-facies is a process that can involve partial melting,fluid-aided solid-state dehydration,or varying degrees of both.On the localized meter scale,solid-state dehydration,due to CO₂-rich fluids traveling along some fissure or crack and subsequently outwards along the mineral grain boundaries of the surrounding rock,normally is the means by which the breakdown of biotite and amphibole to orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene occur.Various mineral textures and changes in mineral chemistry seen in these rocks are also seen in more regional orthopyroxene-clinopyroxene-bearing rocks which,along with accompanying amphibolite-facies rocks, form traverses of lower crust.This suggests that solid-state dehydration during high-grade metamorphism could occur on a more regional scale.The more prominent of these fluid-induced textures in the granulitefacies portion of the traverse take the form of micro-veins of K-feldspar along quartz grain boundaries and the formation of monazite inclusions in fluorapatite.The fluids believed responsible take the form of concentrated NaCl- and KC1- brines from a basement ultramafic magma heat source traveling upwards along grain boundaries.Additional experimental work involving CaSO₄ dissolution in NaCl-brines. coupled with natural observation of oxide and sulfide mineral associations in granulite-facies rocks,have demonstrated the possibility that NaCl-brines,with a CaSO₄ component,could impose the oxygen fugacity on these rocks as opposed to the oxygen fugacity being inherent in their protoliths.These results, taken together,lend credence to the idea that regional chemical modification of the lower crust is an evolutionary process controlled by fluids migrating upwards from the lithospheric mantle along grain boundaries into and through the lower crust where they both modify the rock and are modified by it. Their presence allows for rapid mass and heat transport and subsequent mineral genesis and mineral reequilibration in the rocks through which they pass.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001411

正Three-dimensional geological modeling(3DGM) assists geologists to quantitatively study in three-dimensional(3D) space structures that define temporal and spatial relationships between geological objects.The 3D property model can also be used to infer or deduce causes of geological objects.3DGM technology provides technical support for extraction of diverse geoscience information,3D modeling,and quantitative calculation of mineral resources.Based on metallogenic concepts and an ore deposit model, 3DGM technology is applied to analyze geological characteristics of the Tongshan Cu deposit in order to define a metallogenic model and develop a virtual borehole technology;a BP neural network and a 3D interpolation technique were combined to integrate multiple geoscience information in a 3D environment. The results indicate:(1) on basis of the concept of magmatic-hydrothermal Cu polymetallic mineralization and a porphyry Cu deposit model,a spatial relational database of multiple geoscience information for mineralization in the study area(geology,geophysics,geochemistry,borehole,and cross-section data) was established,and 3D metallogenic geological objects including mineralization stratum,granodiorite, alteration rock,and magnetic anomaly were constructed;(2) on basis of the 3D ore deposit model,23,800 effective surveys from 94 boreholes and 21 sections were applied to establish 3D orebody models with a kriging interpolation method;(3) combined 23,800 surveys involving 21 sections,using VC++ and OpenGL platform,virtual borehole and virtual section with BP network,and an improved inverse distance interpolation(IDW) method were used to predict and delineate mineralization potential targets (Cu-grade of cell not less than 0.1%);(4) comparison of 3D ore bodies,metallogenic geological objects of mineralization,and potential targets of mineralization models in the study area,delineated the 3D spatial and temporal relationship and causal processes among the ore bodies,alteration rock,metallogenic stratum,intrusive rock,and the Tongshan Fault.This study provides important technical support and a scientific basis for assessment of the Tongshan Cu deposit and surrounding exploration and mineral resources.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000096

According to the metallogenic theory by transmagmatic fluid(TMF).one magmalic intrusion is a channel of ore-bearing fluids,but not their source.Therefore,it is possible to use TMF’s ability for injection into and for escaping from the magmatic intrusion to evaluate its ore-forming potential.As the ore-bearing fluids cannot effectively inject into the magmatic intrusion when the magma fully crystallized, the cooling time and rates viscosity varied can be used to estimate the minimum critical thickness of the intrusion.One dimensional heat transfer model is used to determine the cooling time for three representative dikes of different composition(granite porphyry,quartz diorite and diabase) in the Shihu gold deposit.It also estimated the rates viscosity varied in these lime interval.We took the thickness of dike at the intersection of the cooling time—thickness curve and the rates viscosity varied versus thickness curve as the minimum critical thickness.For the ore-bearing fluids effectively injecting into the magma,the minimum critical thicknesses for the three representative dikes are 33.45 m for granite porphyry,8.22 m for quartz diorite and 1.02 m for diabase,indicating that ore-bearing dikes must be thicker than each value.These results are consistent with the occurrence of ore bodies,and thus they could be applied in practice.Based on the statistical relationship between the length and the width of dikes.these critical thicknesses are used to compute critical areas:0.0003—0.0016 km~2 for diabase. 0.014—0.068 km~2 for quartz diorite and 0.011—0.034 km~2 for granite porphyry.This implies that orebearing minor intrusions have varied areas corresponding to their composition.The numerical simulation has provided the theoretical threshold of exposed thickness and area of the ore-bearing intrusion.These values can be used to determine the ore-forming potentials of dikes.