The Gramscatho Basin, south Cornwall, UK: Devonian active margin successions

Deep marine deposits of the Gramscatho Basin of south Cornwall reflect two tectonic regimes; Early to Middle Devonian rifting of continental lithosphere with formation of oceanic lithosphere to the south, and Middle Devonian to earliest Carboniferous convergence along its southern margin. Sediments on thinned continental crust to the north and oceanic lithosphere to the south were juxtaposed in the Late Devonian when nappes of deep water flysch and olistostrome were thrust up on to the northern continental margin of the basin. Basin closure was accommodated by forward propagating thrust nappes, accompanied by penecontemporaneous sedimentation. The stratigraphical sequences of major nappes illustrate the progradation of flysch with climactic sedimentation of olistostrome in late Mid- to Late Devonian times. The Lizard Complex, including the Lizard ophiolite, within that nappe stack, constitutes part of one of the GCR sites which are largely in the allochthonous rocks. Many of those sites feature the olistostrome, Roseland Breccia Formation, with its great variety of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic clasts (up to 1.5 km), and the association of ocean floor basalt and penecontemporaneous acidic volcanics indicative of the coming together of oceanic and continental plates. A site at the top of the parautochthonous continental margin succession displays the erosion products of the youngest nappe as it emerged and advanced across the sediment surface, marking closure of the oceanised Gramscatho Basin and continental collision.     

The North Devon Basin: a Devonian passive margin shelf succession

The North Devon Basin, situated in a more proximal passive margin regime than the rift basins to the south, is not constrained but its succession is thought to represent in large part the sediments debouched from a northerly hinterland. Rather than that immediate source being South Wales an original location of the basin well to the south-east and west of the Ardennes massif is considered probable, with its present position being attained by Carboniferous displacement along the Bristol Channel-Bray Fault. The basin's thick (6000 m) succession comprises terrestrial and marine deposits that form two major sedimentary cycles, which are apparently closely linked to rift basin formation to the south. The GCR sites span a relatively straightforward shelf succession that extends from the late Early Devonian to the Carboniferous. The sedimentology, palaeontology, and depositional environments of terrestrial and marine facies lithostratigraphical units are detailed, some sites providing the macrofossil assemblages important in the identification and definition by Sedgwick and Murchison of the Devonian System.     

The marine Devonian stratigraphy of Great Britain

Exposed marine Devonian rocks of Great Britain are in South-West England where successions together span most of the Devonian Period. The Geological Conservation Review (GCR) sites of the volume are located in Cornwall and Devon, the latter providing the historic stratotype of the Devonian System. Site stratigraphies are linked to basins of three sub-provinces. Those represent different, albeit largely penecontemporaneous, tectonosedimentary regimes of the differing settings of the Rhenohercynian Zone. The sites and their selection criteria based on their international and national importance in understanding Devonian geological history are listed. A History of Research section provides a detailed review of work on the Devonian rocks of the province from 1839, when Sedgwick and Murchison proposed establishment of the system, to the present and the recent recognition of the relationships between its numerous successions and their dependence upon, extensional and contractional tectonic structures and processes. Other sections detail the Stratigraphical Framework of Devonian strata; Devonian Chronostratigraphy, tracing development and refinement of the Series’ and Stages of the system; and Biostratigraphy, in relation to the faunal groups of the province and their relevance to biozone establishment and environmental discrimination. The chapter concludes with an explanation of current understanding of the evolution of the plate settings of the province that determined the nature of the marine Devonian and its stratigraphy in South-West England.     

Lithostratigraphic and sedimentary evolution of the Kom Ombo (Garara) sub-basin,southern Egypt

Southern Egypt is mostly covered by clastic sediments belonging to the Paleozoic and the Mesozoic. The Precambrian basement rocks bound the Etbai area to the east and Gabgaba area to the west. The basement extends further west forming dissected small and major exposures in southern Egypt, south of latitude 23° 30′ N but are covered by Cretaceous-Lower Tertiary sediments further north, the Western Limestone Plateau. The clastic sediments in southeast Egypt, on the western side of the basement rocks in-between latitudes 22° N and 24° 35′ N, built two sub-basins, Kom Ombo (Garara) sub-basin in the north and south Nile Valley sub-basin in the south. These are separated by a dissected basement wall. The two sub-basins have different lithostratigraphic successions, Paleozoic (Early to Late) in the south Nile Valley sub-basin whereas Late Paleozoic-Mesozoic-Tertairy in the Kom Ombo sub-basin. The platform clastic sediments within both sub-basins were possibly supplied from an easterly located Paleotethys extending to North Gondwana. The Oxfordian opening of the Indian Ocean associated with rise in sea level supplied more waters to the north and sediments by passed the filled southern Nile Valley sub-basin and reached the adjacent Kom Ombo sub-basin defining a depositional shift. On the other hand, during the Jurassic, Northern Egypt received Neotethys waters that filled deeper sub-basins (e.g., the Maghara sub-basin), hence the difference in lithology between Jurassic northern and southern sediments. Since the Jurassic, most of Egypt received Tethys waters. In the drilled wells studied, the younger top sediments surrounding the well sites are related to the Tethys geostratigraphy. The sub-basins in southern Egypt are controlled by N-S faults defining constant subsiding basins. The E-W Guinea–Nubia Lineament bounds the northern side of the Kom Ombo sub-basin, where it is closed by a northern basement arch.     

A review of Lower and Middle Palaeozoic biostratigraphy in west peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand in its context within the Sibumasu Terrane

Fossils from the Cambrian to Devonian rocks of southern Thailand, the Langkawi Islands, mainland Kedah, Perlis, north Perak and central West Peninsular Malaysia are listed and reviewed, and their stratigraphy and correlation reassessed. The hitherto anomalous record of the trilobite Dalmanitina from Malaysia is reviewed and found to be of latest Ordovician (Hirnantian) age, rather than Lower Silurian age as previously reported, and is considered a probable synonym of the widespread Mucronaspis mucronata. A new stratigraphical nomenclature is erected for part of the Langkawi, mainland Kedah and Perlis area successions, in which the term Setul Limestone (which stretched from the Ordovician to the Devonian) is abandoned and replaced by the Middle Ordovician Kaki Bukit Limestone, the late Ordovician and early Silurian Tanjong Dendang Formation, the Silurian Mempelam Limestone, and the early Devonian Timah Tasoh Formation, all underlying the paraconformity with the late Devonian Langgun Red Beds. There was a single depositional basin in the generally shallow-water and cratonic areas of southern Thailand, Langkawi, and mainland Kedah and Perlis, in contrast to the deeper-water basin of north Perak. Only Silurian rocks are dated with certainty within another basin in central West Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur, which were also cratonic and shallow-water, although to the east in west Pahang there are basal Devonian deeper-water sediments with graptolites. The area is reviewed in its position within the Sibumasu Terrane, which, in the Palaeozoic, also included central and northern Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and southwest China (part of Yunnan Province).     

裂陷盆地初始阶段构造—沉积协同机制

裂陷盆地蕴含丰富的油气资源,盆地不同演化阶段发育独特的地层结构样式及其砂体成因类型,形成各具特色的油气藏系统。近年来湖盆初始裂陷层系不断获得油气勘探突破,使之成为石油工业界重要关注对象,其多级次断裂演化、组合关系、地貌特征及其与水系和沉积响应关系已成为当前地质学领域关注的热点科学问题。蒙古塔南凹陷下白垩统铜钵庙组良好记录了一套初始裂陷沉积序列,丰富的钻井及地震资料使之可作为理想的研究对象。综合利用地震、岩心及测录井资料,在构造—沉积学理论指导下重建了塔南凹陷初始裂陷构造—沉积演化及源—汇响应模式。研究表明,塔南凹陷初始裂陷第一阶段以新生的分割型小洼陷群为特征,与前裂陷阶段“高山深谷”地貌背景联控下形成短距离输送且数量众多的小型扇群;初始裂陷第二阶段伴随控洼断层长度的迅速增加发生软联结,形成连通且宽浅的盆地结构,发育多套低坡降构造转换带（面积大于50 km2）和西北侧缓坡带（延伸约28 km）供给型大套扇三角洲体系,长轴及陡坡方向水系运输距离较短。实例解析结合调研结果表明,先存水系和盆地地貌结构联合控制初始裂陷盆地源—汇系统,进而形成初始裂陷第一阶段盆地满盆富砂（沟通先存水系）或欠补偿（不沟通先存水系）,年轻短程水系主导的孤立小湖盆群则主要发育小规模近源碎屑沉积物;初始裂陷第二阶段源—汇系统则与该时期断裂体系联结方式有关:断裂晚期联结型湖盆主要发育以短程断崖或小型转换带水系为特征,而断裂早期联结型湖盆形成大型构造转换带水系及三角洲体系,其缓坡带长度亦快速增大,盆地整体具有“富砂”特征。本研究为其他裂陷盆地寻找大型优质砂体提供了科学理论依据。     

内蒙古草原地层区的古生代地层

对华北地台北侧大陆边缘，从寒武纪至石炭纪地层的沉积环境进行了系统地总结。其中以奥陶纪岛弧、晚志留世的磨拉石、泥盆纪和石炭纪的裂陷槽沉积具有区域意义。     

TECTONO-SEDIMENTARY EVOLUTION OF THE TERTIARY BASINS IN EASTERN TIBET: CONSTRAINING THE RAISING OF TIBETAN PLATEAU

TECTONO-SEDIMENTARY EVOLUTION OF THE TERTIARY BASINS IN EASTERN TIBET: CONSTRAINING THE RAISING OF TIBETAN PLATEAU1　YinA ,HarrisonTM .TheTectonicEvolutionofAsia[M] ..Cambridge :CambridgeUniversityPress,1996 .4 4 2～ 4 85. 2　SunH ,ZhengD .FormationevolutionanddevelopmentofTibetanPlateau[M ] .Guangzhou :GuangdongScienceandTechnologyPress,1998.73～ 2 30 . 3　ShiY ,LiJ,LiB .UpliftandEnvironmentalChangesofTibetanPlateauintheLateCen…     

The Neoproterozoic Cratonic Successions of Peninsular India

The Peninsular India hosts extensive record of Mesoproterozoic, and Neoproterozoic successions in several mobile belts, and cratonic basins. The successions provide excellent opportunities for chronostratigraphic classification, in tune with the chronometric classification adopted by IUGS for inter-regional correlation on a global scale. Major tectono-thermal events at 1000–950 Ma in the mobile belts, correlatable with the Grenville orogeny may be considered as the datum for Meso-Neoproterozoic classification in India. Principles of chronostratigraphic classification, however, can not be applied yet to the cratonic successions of India because of inadequate radiometric data, paucity of biostratigraphic studies, and lack of regionally correlatable stratigraphic or palaeoclimatic datum. The kimberlite magmatism which affected the Peninsular India on a continental scale at about 1100 Ma, holds the key to the identification of Neoproterozoic successions of the cratonic basins. Thus, the stratigraphically confined diamond-bearing conglomerates and/or the tuffs associated with kimberlites, may be considered as the datum to define the base of the Neoproterozoic, fixed at about 1000 Ma. Accordingly, the Rewa, and Bhander Groups in the Vindhyan basin, the Kurnool Group in the Cuddapah basin, the Jagdalpur Formation in the Indravati basin, and the Sullavai Group in the Pranhita-Godavari basin are taken to represent the Neoproterozoic successions in the Peninsular India. The Chattisgarh Group in the central India, the lower part of the Marwar Supergroup in western Rajasthan, the Badami Group in the Kaladgi basin, and the Bhima Group are the other “possible Neoproterozoics” in the Peninsula.The closing phase of the Mesoproterozoic in all these basins are characterised by stable shelf lithologic associations attesting to high crustal stability. The Neoproterozoic basins, by contrast, mark a new phase of rifting, and extension, and the basin fills exhibit signatures of initial instability which evolved with time into a more stable platformal condition. A major episode of sea level rise has been recorded in most of the basins. The riftogenic origin, and evolution of the basins are comparable with the history of Neoproterozoic basins of Australia though there is no unequivocal record of glaciation in the Indian formations.     

Stratigraphical relationships and sedimentary environments of the silurian—early Old Red Sandstone of Pembrokeshire

In Pembrokeshire, northward Hercynian thrusting has brought together Silurian and Old Red Sandstone rocks of widely different stratigraphical and sedimentological successions. Five structurally separate blocks are centred from south to north on Freshwater, Marloes, Winsle, Rosemarket and Haverfordwest.     

柴达木盆地构造古地理分析

研究的目的是分析柴达木盆地显生宙构造古地理特征和盆地叠合过程。在寒武纪—泥盆纪 ,柴达木板块处于低纬度区 ,从寒武纪时的南纬 4 1°往北漂移到泥盆纪时的北纬 10 6° ,与塔里木、华北、扬子等块体有较大的纬度差 ,表明柴达木板块在该时期是一个并不隶属于其它任何板块的独立的块体 :与华北板块之间以北祁连洋相隔 ,与塔里木板块之间以阿尔金洋相隔 ,与中昆仑地块之间以东昆仑洋相隔 ,柴达木板块内部也被赛什腾—锡铁山洋所分隔。这些洋盆经历了寒武纪—早、中奥陶世张裂阶段和晚奥陶世—早、中泥盆世聚敛阶段 ,最终于中泥盆世末期闭合。该时期在柴达木盆地内部 ,叠合在震旦纪大陆裂谷盆地之上的是寒武—奥陶纪台地—陆棚相碳酸盐岩和碎屑岩建造 ,生物发育 ;志留纪—早、中泥盆世柴达木盆地以隆起为特征。石炭纪—三叠纪柴达木板块继续北移 ,石炭纪时位于北纬 11 9° ,二叠纪时位于北纬 12 7° ,三叠纪时位于北纬 2 2 2° ,该时期柴达木板块已与华北板块、塔里木板块拼合 ,但与羌塘板块之间以南昆仑洋相隔 ,柴达木处于南昆仑洋的弧后部位 ,叠加在早期盆地之上的是石炭纪—早二叠世滨岸—台地—陆棚相碳酸盐岩、碎屑岩夹煤线。晚二叠世—三叠纪柴达木盆地再度隆升。侏罗纪以来 ,柴达木板块缓慢北     

Structure of the Upper Devonian Boyd Volcanic Complex,south coast New South Wales: Implications for the Devonian‐Carboniferous evolution of the Lachlan Fold Belt

Upper Devonian continental and subaqueous sedimentary rocks and bimodal volcanic rocks of the Boyd Volcanic Complex of the south coast of New South Wales were deposited in a rapidly subsiding, 330°‐trending, transtensional basin. Structural analysis of synvolcanic and synsedimentary deformational structures indicate that basin formation is related to a 330°‐orientated subhorizontal σ₁ and a 060°‐orientated subhorizontal σ₃, which account for the development of the observed intrusion and fracture orientations. Rhyolitic, basaltic and associated clastic dykes are preferentially intruded along extensional 330°‐trending fractures, subordinately along sinistral, transtensional 010°‐trending fractures and along 290°‐trending fractures. One of the implications of such a palaeotectonic reconstruction is that the so called north‐trending Eden‐Comerong‐Yalwal Late Devonian rift does not represent a simple, single palaeobasin entity, but is presently a north‐trending alignment of exposures of sedimentary and volcanic rocks probably emplaced in different basins or sub‐basins, mildly folded during the Carboniferous Kanimblan compression (which also formed the north‐trending Budawang synclinorium) and then extended to the east by the Tasman Sea opening during the Jurassic. The development of scattered, rapidly subsiding, basins characterised by bimodal volcanism during the Late Devonian throughout the Lachlan Fold Belt, can be interpreted in terms of extensional collapse of a forming mountain belt contemporaneous with a sharp decrease of compressional stress after the Middle Devonian Tabberabberan orogenic event. This would promote a reorientation of σ₃ and transition from a compressional to a transtensional tectonic environment, which could also favour block rotation and formation of release basins.     

New data for the kinematic interpretation of the Alps–Apennines junction (Northwestern Italy)

Alps and Apennines are juxtaposed within an approximately 100 km-wide area covered by the Upper Eocene to Miocene successions of the Tertiary Piedmont Basin. The Upper Eocene–Oligocene evolution of this area was characterized to the north and west by the propagation of the SE-verging Southalpine thrust-fold belt that can be traced from the Po Plain subsurface until the Torino Hill-Saluzzese area, and to the south by a high-angle, broadly E–W oriented megashear zone that led to the juxtaposition of different crustal levels and controlled the development of a mosaic of partly independent sub-basins. Since the latest Oligocene the N-verging Apenninic tectonics prevailed in the collisional system and the Tertiary Piedmont Basin evolved as a wide thrust-top basin, bounded to the north by the N-verging Monferrato arc and characterized by a tectono-sedimentary evolution recording changes of subsidence and shift of depocentres in relation to crustal structures.     

北祁连盆地群构造运动特征

北祁连盆地群位于青藏高原北部,长期处于欧亚大陆的边缘活动带,对构造运动有着敏感的反应,各次构造运动在该区都有表现。现今北祁连盆地群经历多次构造运动的改造,先后经历了早古生代大陆裂谷阶段、晚古生代稳定陆内沉积盆地阶段、中生代的板内变形阶段和伸展断陷阶段、新生代挤压变形与前陆盆地发育阶段,是各个时期盆地叠合的产物。     

桂北-桂东加里东期盆地构造沉降史分析

对造山带各地史阶段的沉积盆地进行构造沉降分析,进而探讨其地球动力学过程,是近年来盆地分析的前缘研究之一。本文采用回剥分析技术,分别编绘了桂北、桂东地区加里东期盆地沉降曲线,并进行了构造沉降史分析。结果表明,桂北、桂东加里东期盆地演化均经历了从拉张裂解到挤压闭合的完整过程。但与桂东大瑶山地区相比,桂北兴安地区在裂陷阶段的沉积速率和构造沉降速率明显偏低;热沉降阶段的持续时间偏长;裂陷阶段与前陆挠曲阶段的分界拐点偏晚;前陆挠曲阶段,由构造宁静期的缓慢沉降向构造活动期的快速沉降转化的分界拐点也偏晚。这些差别这一方面说明了两地区具有不同的构造背景,另一方面也反映了华夏板块由南东逐渐地向北西扬子板块靠拢,沉积盆地相应地向西北迁移的动力学过程。     

华北东部盆山耦合与内生成矿作用

盆-山耦合关系是当今地学研究的前沿课题。但是,在几何学上,成对盆山耦合论述较多。而华北东部裂陷盆地则西与太行造山带、北与燕山造山带、东与胶辽山地、南与大别造山带均构成盆-山耦合,即中心裂陷盆地与外围各造山带均为耦合关系。研究表明:中心裂陷与华北地幔亚热柱的形成密切相关,由于地幔亚热柱强烈上隆,在岩石圈底部受阻,使华北东部岩石圈发生热减薄-断陷的同时,向外拆离的地幔岩在盆地外围形成一系列次级隆起(太行、燕山、胶辽、大别造山带),即地幔热柱多级演化的第三级单元———幔枝构造。各幔枝构造(造山带)间具有明显的可比性,并共同与中心裂陷盆地构成盆-山耦合关系。与此同时,随地幔热柱-亚热柱-幔枝构造向上迁移的成矿元素,亦以气态-气液混合态-含矿流体的形式向上迁移,并最终在幔枝构造的有利聚集部位成矿,形成张宣、冀东、辽东、胶东、鲁西、小秦岭、阜平等幔枝构造成矿集中区。     

秦岭加里东晚期-华力西早期复式前陆盆地

南秦岭西段的志留纪－早泥盆世及中秦岭北缘的志留纪－早石炭世的沉积特征表明,两区均存在有早期理里石相和晚期磨拉石相,构成完整的前陆盆地充填序列,并由冲断造山 －前渊－前隆３部分构成完整的前陆盆地体系,南秦岭前陆盆地是扬子北缘裂陷盆地闭合的产物,形成于４３０Ｍａ,结束于３９０Ｍａ,历时４０Ｍａ,属板内前陆盆地,中秦岭前陆盆地位于扬子北缘的边缘,是秦岭洋闭合后的产物,形成于４４０Ｍａ,结束于３２３Ｍａ,历时１０７Ｍａ,属周缘前陆盆地,北秦岭二郎坪弧后陆盆地的上限是３２０Ｍａ,是在另里东晚期－华力西早期于陆－弧－陆碰撞的背景下形成３种类型的前陆盆地,它们组成了秦岭复式前陆盆地,总历程达１２０Ｍａ。     

南秦岭镇安盆地泥盆纪沉积体系与古地理演化

通过对南秦岭镇安盆地泥盆系露头剖面的详细研究，将该区泥盆系划分为海岸、陆棚、斜坡-盆地及碳酸盐岩四种沉积体系，沉积体系及岩相组合具有南北向分异、东西向展布的特点。从地层由南向北超覆，相类型由北部的近源相至南部的远源相，以及碎屑搬运方向总体从北向南的变化趋势，更加确定了以前认为北部存在一个消失的古陆的认识。根据沉积体系及岩相组合的演化，把研究区的沉积盆地演化归纳为初始坳陷、拗陷和强裂断陷三个发展阶段，在不同的发展阶段具不同的环境格局，由北向南表现为：D2吉微特期古陆-海岸-陆棚；D2弗拉斯期古陆-碳酸盐台地-陆棚；D3法门期块断隆起-海岸-陆棚-斜坡-盆地-台地。     

关于古亚洲洋构造演化研究的几点思考

古亚洲洋不是西伯利亚陆台和华北地台间的一个简单洋盆,而是在不同时间、不同地区打开和封闭的多个大小不一的洋盆复杂活动(包括远距离运移)的综合体.其北部洋盆起始于新元古代末-寒武纪初(573~522Ma)冈瓦纳古陆裂解形成的寒武纪洋盆.寒武纪末-奥陶纪初(510~480Ma),冈瓦纳古陆裂解的碎块、寒武纪洋壳碎块和陆缘过渡壳碎块相互碰撞、联合形成原中亚-蒙古古陆.奥陶纪时,原中亚-蒙古古陆南边形成活动陆缘,志留纪形成稳定大陆.泥盆纪初原中亚-蒙古古陆裂解,裂解的碎块在新形成的泥盆纪洋内沿左旋断裂向北运动,于晚泥盆世末到达西伯利亚陆台南缘,重新联合形成现在的中亚-蒙古古陆.晚古生代时,在现在的中亚-蒙古古陆内发生晚石炭世(318~316Ma)和早二叠世(295~285Ma)裂谷岩浆活动,形成双峰式火山岩和碱性花岗岩类.蒙古-鄂霍次克带是西伯利亚古陆和中亚-蒙古古陆之间的泥盆纪洋盆,向东与古太平洋连通,洋盆发展到中晚侏罗世,与古太平洋同时结束,其洋壳移动到西伯利亚陆台边缘受阻而向陆台下俯冲,在陆台南缘形成广泛的陆缘岩浆岩带,从中泥盆世到晚侏罗世都非常活跃.古亚洲洋的南部洋盆始于晚寒武世.此时,华北古陆从冈瓦纳古陆裂解出来,在其北缘形成晚寒武世-早奥陶世的被动陆缘和中奥陶世-早志留世的沟弧盆系.志留纪腕足类生物群的分布表明,华北地台北缘洋盆与塔里木地台北缘、以及川西、云南、东澳大利亚有联系,而与上述的古亚洲洋北部洋盆没有关连,两洋盆之间有松嫩-图兰地块间隔.晚志留世-早泥盆世,华北地台北部发生弧-陆碰撞运动,泥盆纪时,在松嫩地块南缘形成陆缘火山岩带,晚二叠世-早三叠世华北地台与松嫩地块碰撞,至此古亚洲洋盆封闭.古亚洲洋的南、北洋盆最后的褶皱构造,以及与塔里木地台之间发生的直接关系,很可能是后期的构造运动所造成的.     

Tectonostratigraphy and depositional history of the Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary sequences in Kid area,southeastern Sinai,Egypt: Implications for intra-arc to foreland basin in the northern Arabian–Nubian Shield

This paper presents a stratigraphic and sedimentary study of Neoproterozoic successions of the South Sinai, at the northernmost segment of the Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS), including the Kid complex. This complex is composed predominantly of thick volcano-sedimentary successions representing different depositional and tectonic environments, followed by four deformational phases including folding and brittle faults (D₁–D₄). The whole Kid area is divisible from north to south into the lower, middle, and upper rock sequences. The higher metamorphic grade and extensive deformational styles of the lower sequence distinguishes them from the middle and upper sequences. Principal lithofacies in the lower sequence include thrust-imbricated tectonic slice of metasediments and metavolcanics, whereas the middle and upper sequences are made up of clastic sediments, intermediate-felsic lavas, volcaniclastics, and dike swarms. Two distinct Paleo- depositional environments are observed: deep-marine and alluvial fan regime. The former occurred mainly during the lower sequence, whereas the latter developed during the other two sequences. These alternations of depositional conditions in the volcano-sedimentary deposits suggest that the Kid area may have formed under a transitional climate regime fluctuating gradually from warm and dry to warm and humid conditions.Geochemical and petrographical data, in conjunction with field relationships, suggest that the investigated volcano-sedimentary rocks were built from detritus derived from a wide range of sources, ranging from Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic continental crust. Deposition within the ancient Kid basin reflects a complete basin cycle from rifting and passive margin development, to intra-arc and foreland basin development and, finally, basin closure. The early phase of basin evolution is similar to various basins in the Taupo volcanics, whereas the later phases are similar to the Cordilleran-type foreland basin. The progressive change in lithofacies from marine intra-arc basin to continental molasses foreland basin and from compression to extension setting respectively, imply that the source area became peneplained, where the Kid basin became stabilized as sedimentation progressed following uplift. The scenario proposed of the study area supports the role of volcanic and tectonic events in architecting the facies and stratigraphic development.