Early Ordovician conodonts from the Sakmara Zone of the Southern Urals) and their biogeography

The new data obtained on conodonts from the Lower Ordovician of the Kidryasovo, Akbulaksai, and Kuagach formations (the central part of the Sakmara Zone of the Southern Urals) allow to evaluate the biogeography of conodonts of this region. The comparison of conodont assemblages of the Southern Urals with well-studied conodont assemblages of the Baltoscandian Basin situated in the northwestern part of the East European Platform show that these assemblages were biogeographically isolated. This shows that basins of the central and eastern parts of the East European Platform were separated by land in the Early Ordovician.     

Some Specific Features of Early Vendian Sedimentation in the Southern and Middle Urals

The existence of the pre-Early Vendian hiatus in the Bashkir Meganticlinorium is supported by large incised valleys filled with Early Vendian sediments both on the western and eastern limbs of the meganticlinorium. It is suggested that a great glacioeustatic lowering of the sealevel occurred in the sedimentation basin. Taking into account the reconstruction of similar Early Vendian events for many provinces elsewhere, we can suppose that Early Vendian sedimentation basins in the southern and middle Urals were connected with the World Ocean. The comparative study of Lower Vendian sedimentary sequences in the Urals and Norway demonstrates similarities in rock associations. The correlation of Lower Vendian sections in the Urals with modern facies models of glacial sedimentation shows that glacimarine sequences of the southern Urals fit the shelf sedimentary associations proper. The character of section at the Serebryanka level in the middle Urals and the spatial distribution of mixtites therein correspond to sedimentation on the basin shelf and slope.     

Ordovician lithotectonic complexes in allochthons of the southern Urals

Ordovician complexes of the convergent margins of lithospheric plates are established in the Paleozoides of the southern Urals. Several types of Ordovician sections that make up allochthons and characterize different geodynamic settings are thoroughly studied and dated on the basis of conodont biostratigraphy. The geochemistry and petrology of volcanic rocks bear information on the evolution of the Paleoural ocean and the convergent relationships of plates from the end of the Llanvirnian. The suprasubduction volcanic activity in the Late Ordovician gave way to within-plate volcanism of extension zones, the development of which continued into the Early Silurian.     

Ordovician volcanic and plutonic complexes of the Sakmara allochthon in the southern Urals

The Ordovician terrigenous, volcanic–sedimentary and volcanic sequences that formed in rifts of the active continental margin and igneous complexes of intraoceanic suprasubduction settings structurally related to ophiolites are closely spaced in allochthons of the Sakmara Zone in the southern Urals. The stratigraphic relationships of the Ordovician sequences have been established. Their age and facies features have been specified on the basis of biostratigraphic and geochronological data. The gabbro–tonalite–trondhjemite complex and the basalt–andesite–rhyolite sequence with massive sulfide mineralization make up a volcanic–plutonic association. These rock complexes vary in age from Late Ordovician to Early Silurian in certain structural units of the Sakmara Allochthon and to the east in the southern Urals. The proposed geodynamic model for the Ordovician in Paleozoides of the southern Urals reconstructs the active continental margin, whose complexes formed under extension settings, and the intraoceanic suprasubduction structures. The intraoceanic complexes display the evolution of a volcanic arc, back-, or interarc trough.     

Structural stages and evolution of the Urals

Five main structural and historical stages are established in the territory of the Urals: 1) Archean-Paleoproterozoic, a time of formation of the Volgo-Uralia subcontinent and its amalgamation with the other blocks of the craton of Baltica; 2) Riphean-Vendian (Meso- and Neoproterozoic), а stage that was finished with formation of Timanides; 3) Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic stage, corresponding to the development of the Uralides; 4) Mid-Jurassic-to Miocene platform stage; 5) Pliocene-Quaternary neo-orogenic stage. In this paper stratigraphic data are discussed, schemes of the structural zonation are presented, and the problems of the structural geology and geodynamics of sedimentary and magmatic complexes are discussed in a chronological order. Ideologically, the paper is based on plate and plume tectonics, in their modern versions.     

Perspectives of phosphorite mineralization in Lower Paleozoic rocks of the Zilair synclinorium,Southern Urals

Data on the phosphorite mineralization, lithology, and variability of Lower Paleozoic rocks in the Zilair synclinorium and Yuryuzan basin are given. Comparison of Lower Paleozoic rocks with type sections of phosphate-bearing rocks in the world suggested their compliance with the phosphorite-enclosing rocks of the fine-grained phosphorite association. Analysis of the facies variability of rocks indicate the possibility of discovery of large phosphorite deposits in the Yuryuzan and Syuren subzones of the Western structural-facies zone. Phosphorite deposits are unknown in the synclinorium because of their instability during hypergenesis and burial under allochthonous loose sediments of the Cenozoic.     

Carboniferous 40Ar/39Ar Age of Rare-Metal Enriched Rhyolites and Ignimbrites in the Sakmara Allochthon (Southern Urals)

Doklady Earth Sciences - The Sakmara Allochthon (Southern Urals) comprises a widely distributed folded stratum of rhyolites and ignimbrites, which are characterized by Nb–Zr–REE...     

Gold Enrichment in the Supergene Zone of a Southern Urals Pyrite Deposit,Russia

The Gay deposit, situated in the Orenburg region, is identified with one of Russia's principal occurrences of pyrite (pyrite deposits are an important source of Russia's gold). It belongs to the west subzone of the Magnitogorsk synclinorium and occurs in Devonian rhyolite-basaltic volcanic rocks. The deposit comprises five large pyrite-chalcopyrite, pyrite-chalcopyrite- sphalerite, and pyrite orebodies. The supergene zone extends to 120-240 m below surface and consists of the following three subhorizontal zones (from bottom to top): the secondary sulfide enrichment, the leaching, and the oxidation zone (where ores are enriched in gold).

There are two levels of secondary gold enrichment in the weathering profile. The lower level, located in the leaching zone, corresponds with the level of water table fluctuations. The rich, flat-lying horizon (1.5-10.0 m) is composed of bedded, friable native sulfur-quartz ores; it contains 19.0-52.2 ppm Au and up to 389 ppm Ag. Native gold and silver halides (chlorargyrite, iodargyrite, and embolite) are the principal precious-metal minerals. Electrum, native silver, acanthite, and uytenbogaardtite constitute the minor ones. The upper level of the enrichment is located in the lower part of gossan. This bonanza is composed of hematite-quartz ochres. Gold concentration is 13.5 to 21.2 ppm. Native gold of high fineness and silver halides apparently are associated here with poorly crystallized iron oxides. The formation of supergene gold enrichments may result partly from residual concentration and partly from mobilization and reprecipitation of the precious metal. Rich horizons form by repeated gold redeposition in accordance with weathering and a gradual erosion surface lowering. The lower bonanza forms at first in the process of oxidation involving pyrite and native sulfur. Gold may be transported by complexes with metastable sulfur oxy-anions: sulfites, thiosulfates, or polythionates. The upper enriched horizon forms in the course of further evolution of the weathering profile in the stage of hematite recrystallizaiton and its transformation into goethite.     

Composition and Deep Sources of Early Devonian Potassic Rocks of the Sakmar Zone,Southern Urals

The isotope–geochemical composition of the Early Devonian magmatic rocks of the Chanchar potassium basaltoid volcano–plutonic Complex in the Sakmar Zone (Southern Urals) has been studied for the first time. The character of the noncoherent element distribution and their ratios suggest that the melts parental to the rocks of extrusive, subvolcanic and intrusive facies were formed from a single source of the primary magma. The low concentrations of HFSE relative to the MORB composition, relatively low εSr, and high εNd suggest the formation of primary melts from the moderately depleted mantle source. The enrichment of rocks with LILE indicates a fluid mantle addition introduced to the melts during evolution of the primary magma.     

Vendian tectono-magmatic events in mantle ophiolitic complexes of the polar Urals: U-Pb dating of zircon from chromitite

Geological and isotopic evidence of Late Vendian magmatic events in restitic ultramafic mantle rocks of the Voikar-Syn’ya ophiolitic massif are considered and correlated with events at the eastern margin of the East European Platform. The geological and isotopic data show that the ophiolitic complexes of the Polar Urals were formed during several stages. The percolation of melts through peridotites was recorded in the newly formed mineral assemblages, for example, olivine + chromite ± zircon. Zircon crystallized from the residual fraction of the evolved basic melt that impregnated peridotite. The active interaction of hot restitic harzburgite with the migrating melt resumed repeatedly and could have led to the formation of several generations of chromite-bearing dunite. An important geological inference can be made from this suggestion: There is a high probability that isotopic markers of different age have been retained in restitic mantle complexes of ophiolites. The U-Pb dating of zircons with a SHRIMP-2 ion microprobe has shown that the isotopic age of seven grains is 585.3 ± 6 Ma (MSWD is 0.036 and the probability of concordance is 0.85). The obtained age of zircon from chromitite marks a Vendian tectonomagmatic event that occurred in the upper mantle of the transitional zone between the East European Plate and the oceanic basin. The island-arc complexes of the Polar Urals developed on the tectonically juxtaposed fragments of the Early Paleozoic and pre-Paleozoic oceanic crust. These crustal rocks were reworked during younger magmatic events related to the origin of the Middle Paleozoic island arcs. As a result, the rocks that formed in different geological epochs were locally retained in the restitic mantle complexes of a spatially indivisible ophiolitic association.     

Trace elements and REE in the Cevonian clastic complexes of the Magnitogorsk Megazone, Southern Urals

The first data on trace-element geochemistry, REEs included, of the Devonian clastic and volcanosedimentary complexes in the Magnitogorsk Megazone have been obtained with ICP-MS. The correlation links and the character of distribution indicate that many elements, including those readily passing into solutions during weathering, were transferred as mechanical suspensions. Therefore, minerals concentrating these elements were largely preserved, as also were the distribution and concentrations of elements inherent to the source rocks. Both accessory minerals (apatite, zircon, Ti-minerals, and magnetite) and rock-forming minerals (pyroxene, amphibole, biotite, serpentine, chlorite, and plagioclase) were found among mineral concentrators. Clay minerals also seem to have participated in the processes. The typical elements of various complexes were identified. The distribution of trace elements is correlated with the stratigraphic position of rocks and depends on the character of the petrographic provinces.     

The Plio-Pleistocene evolution of the Southern Middle Atlas Fault Zone (SMAFZ) front of Morocco

The South Middle Atlas front constitutes a northeast-trending shear zone, located north of the Neogene Missour basin and east of the Taza Guercif basin. This paper analyses the Southern Middle Atlas Fault Zone (SMAFZ) deformation since the Pliocene. The set of structures observed suggests that reverse and thrust faulting along the central part of the SMAFZ are combined with left-lateral slip along N–S striking faults of its south-western termination and right-lateral faulting along E–NE striking faults of the east–northeast termination. Thrusts and oblique thrust-related anticlines of the two lateral ramps partly accommodate north-west directed motion of the African plate. The Thrusts probably resulted from rejuvenation of Jurassic normal faults; they were active during the Upper Miocene–Pliocene and the Pleistocene. The geometries of positive inversion structures and buttressing effects are clearly dependent on the geometry and sedimentology of the original basin-controlling fault system and on the presence of a décollement level. Field mapping is integrated with Landsat imagery and a digital elevation model to investigate the morphotectonic evolution of the south-eastern range front of the Middle Atlas. Geomorphological features provide significant information on the processes that govern lateral propagation of active anticlines. Both suggest that the deformation front may have been active since Pliocene.     

朝鲜半岛古生代中期-中生代早期构造格局

古生代中期─中生代早期朝鲜半岛发生了两次主要构造事件, 即古生代中期朝鲜半岛中部临津江构造带的活动和古生代晚期-中生代早期朝鲜半岛北部豆满江造山带(咸北地块) 的碰撞拼接事件。临津江带的地层、化石和构造等特征研究表明临津江带形成于志留纪末-泥盆纪初, 结束于中生代三叠纪松林期; 根据咸北地块沉积地层的岩浆岩岩石学、年代学资料, 认为豆满江造山带的碰撞拼接时期可能是二叠纪-三叠纪。黄海地球物理、地震研究, 朝鲜半岛大地构造和沉积盖层研究结果表明苏2鲁高压变质带没有延伸到临津江带, 而是被近南北向纵贯朝鲜西海的断裂右行错移到了济洲岛以南; 咸北地块和输城川断裂带的地质特征研究表明, 咸北地块可能与佳木斯地块相连接, 输城川断裂带可能与牡丹江断裂带相连接。     

Structural and locational evolution of industry in Southern Europe

S European Industry is characterized by the importance of certain branches and by plant size. Traditional branches of consumer goods are dominated by the national bourgeoisie, intermediate goods by oligopolistic (state) enterprises, modern consumer and capital goods by multinational corporations. Industrialization was retarded for various social and physical reasons. For the locational pattern some factors had specific importance (diffusion, shipping traffic for supplies, deficient infrastructure, urbanisation economies, social structure). Economic nationalism and interventionism from the thirties to the late fifties had structural and locational effects. Subsequent opening led to important foreign investment with diverse locational consequences: the large majority of the market-orientated companies concentrated on big cities and induced industrial suburbanisation. Export-orientated plants, relatively often in Portugal, also decided for rural areas and provincial towns. Regional industrial policy which began weakly with fiscal allowances in the fifties and soon adopted the growth pole idea led to results remaining only far beyond expectations. International economic crisis has heavily stroken the countries which turned out to be very dependant.     

华北南部地区——古生界构造演化及其油气远景

华北南部地区的地质演化与华北其他地区一样，经历了结晶基底形成，中一晚元古代台内裂谷发育、古生代稳定地台沉积和中一新生代活化等发展过程。但本区受秦岭褶皱带构造活动的强列影响。因而具有相对独特的构造演化特征和油气控制条件。早寒武世中期，古秦岭海槽伸展扩张，沉积了一套全区广泛分布的以碳酸盐岩为主夹泥页岩的地层；晚寒武世开始，古秦岭海槽向北俯冲挤压，在本区南部出现一个平行于海槽的大陆边缘隆起；中奥陶世发生     

Caledonian Cyclic Unit in the Vendian–Lower Paleozoic Succession of the Ishim–Karatau Lithostructural Zone (Kazakhstan)

The lithofacial study of Vendian–Lower Paleozoic sedimentary sequences of the Greater Karatau and Baikonur synclinorium, which are the constituents of the Ishim–Karatau lithostructural zone, revealed that Vendian, Cambrian, and Ordovician rocks form a continuous succession composing the Caledonian cyclic unit. In duration (220–240 Ma), the latter corresponds to a megacycle. The cyclic unit consists of the transgressive and regressive parts. The upper part of the transgressive succession includes facies of the continental slope, slope foot, near-continental area, and transitional zone between the near-continental and pelagic areas of the abyssal plain. It is shown that an avalanche sedimentation of the second global level occurred twice during the transgressive and regressive phases. The formation of transgressive facies was related to the extension regime during the basin opening, whereas regressive facies accumulated under the compression regime. The Ishim–Karatau zone is located in the western, outer part of Caledoninian structures in Kazakhstan. The Caledonian cyclic unit formed on the Vendian–Early Paleozoic Atlantic-type margin of the Kazakhstan microcontinent. Specific features of the cyclic development of mobile areas are outlined.     

Epigenesis of Middle Riphean Rocks in the Bashkir Meganticlinorium,Southern Urals: Timing of Alterations and Geological Implications

The Rb–Sr and K–Ar characteristics of whole-rock argillite samples from the Middle Riphean Yurmatinian Group have been studied. The timing of final rock alteration was estimated at 525 ± 30 Ma by the Rb–Sr geochronometer. In the section near the Bol'shoi Avzhyan Settlement, the rocks experienced alteration up to the stage of deep epigenesis. The K–Ar data indicate that rock alterations continued after the Rb–Sr system conservation and was accompanied by a gradual gain of K. The great temporal gap between alterations of Middle and Lower Riphean rocks was established in the southern Urals. This gap may be explained either by the affiliation of sampled rocks to different tectonic units or by principal errors in stratigraphic correlations.