Structure of an active foreland fold and thrust belt,Papua New Guinea

Geological structure of the active foreland fold and thrust belt of Papua New Guinea has been interpreted using high-quality seismic-reflection data. Three en échelon anticlines, the Strickland, Cecilia and Wai Asi, are located along the frontal margin of the Papuan Fold Belt. All three are foreland-vergent and cut by hinterland-dipping thrust faults that sole into a common detachment beneath the Oligocene to Miocene Darai Limestone. Two of the anticlines are linked by a right-lateral transfer zone. Folding occurs primarily in the upper 2000 m of strata, which consist of Darai Limestone overlain by Miocene to Quaternary siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. Beneath the Darai Limestone lies the less-competent shaly Ieru Formation, which exhibits disharmonic folding and variable bed thickness. Seismic-reflection data clearly show that the Plio-Pleistocene upper Era Beds are deformed to the same extent as the underlying Darai Limestone, demonstrating that most of the observed deformation has occurred during the Late Pliocene and Pleistocene.     

Tectonothermal evolution of a foreland fold and thrust belt: the Cantabrian Zone (Iberian Variscan belt,NW Spain)

Analysis of the conodont colour alteration index and the Kübler index of illite allowed us the characterization of four types of very low‐ or low‐grade metamorphism in the Cantabrian Zone (CZ) and determination of their regional and temporal distribution. These types are: (1) an orogenic Variscan metamorphism present only in restricted areas of the western and north‐western parts of the CZ where epizonal conditions are reached; (2) a burial metamorphism that appears in the basal part of some nappes, where anchizonal conditions are sometimes achieved; the thermal peak preceded emplacement of the nappes; (3) a late‐Variscan metamorphism in the southern and south‐eastern parts of the CZ; a cleavage, cutting most of the Variscan folds, is associated with this metamorphism, which has been related to an extensional episode; (4) a contact metamorphism and hydrothermal activity associated with minor intrusive bodies. The extension continued after the Variscan deformation giving rise to hydrothermal activity during Permian times.     

Basement-cover relations in the Appalachian fold and thrust belt

The external massifs along the Appalachian orogen include Precambrian basement rocks with attached cover. To the northwest (cratonward), in the Appalachian foreland fold and thrust belt, Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks, but no basement rocks, are exposed; that belt was the subject of the classic debate about thin-skinned (deformed cover rocks detached from undeformed basement) and thick-skinned (basement deformed with attached cover) structural styles. Presently available data indicate detached cover rocks and thin-skinned style in the fold and thrust belt: large-scale thrusting occurred late in the orogenic history. In the external basement massifs, late Precambrian graben-fill sedimentary and volcanic rocks indicate early basement faults; and within the craton, steep basement faults bound graben blocks of Cambrian age. Distribution of known basement faults suggests that basement rocks beneath the fold and thrust belt may also be faulted. Local episodic synsedimentary structural movement through much of the Palaeozoic is documented by stratigraphy in the fold and thrust belt. Axes of early synsedimentary structures are approximately coincident with axes of late folds and thrust fault ramps, but stratigraphic data show that magnitude of the early structures was much less than that of the late structures. These relations suggest the interpretation that early low-magnitude structures formed in cover rocks over basement faults and that the early structures, or the basement faults, significantly influenced the geometry of later detachment structures during large-scale horizontal translation.     

A Late Archean foreland fold and thrust belt in the North China Craton: Implications for early collisional tectonics

The Archean North China craton is divided into the Western and Eastern blocks along the Central Orogenic belt. A 1600 km long Archean foreland basin and thrust belt fringes the eastern side of the Central Orogenic belt. Rocks in the orogen form tectonically-stacked east-vergent fold and thrust sheets including foreland basin sediments, 2.50 Ga ophiolitic mélange, and an island arc complex. Foreland basin sediments overlie a passive margin sequence, and include a 2.50 Ga deep-water turbidite sequence that grades upward and westward into shallow-water molasse, now disposed in structurally imbricated east-verging thrusts and asymmetric folds that gradually migrated craton-ward with deformation, uplift, and erosion of the orogen. There is a strong linked relationship of the formation of the foreland basin to collision of the east and west blocks of the North China craton along the Central Orogenic belt at 2.50 Ga. The Qinglong foreland basin and Central Orogenic belt of the North China craton represents one of the best-preserved Archean orogen-to-craton transitions in the world. Its classic internal to external zonation, and flexural response to loading, demonstrate that convergent tectonics in the Archean were broadly similar to Phanerozoic convergent margin processes.     

扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带构造变形特征

扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带是扎格罗斯碰撞造山带的前陆褶皱冲断带, 也是波斯湾周缘前陆盆地的楔顶带, 自北东到南西垂直于构造线方向可分为高扎格罗斯冲断带和扎格罗斯简单褶皱带, 自北西到南东沿构造线方向可分为洛雷斯坦区(Lorestan)、迪兹富勒湾区(Dezful Embayment)和法尔斯区(Fars)。扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带的形成始于晚白垩世阿拉伯板块的洋壳向北俯冲到欧亚板块之下, 褶皱冲断构造从北东部缝合带向南西方向伸展, 并在上新世基本定型。本文选取了横切扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带的3条地质剖面和两条局部地震剖面进行构造变形分析。剖面分析显示研究区垂向上由一条大滑脱面将扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带剖面分为上、下两个构造层, 褶皱冲断变形从北东到南西向由强变弱。研究区发育走滑、挤压和拉张3种构造变形, 挤压构造变形占主导地位。挤压构造变形又包括滑脱褶皱、断展褶皱、断弯褶皱和双重构造等。     

库车前陆冲断带西部却勒盐推覆体变形特征分析

库车前陆冲断带西部发育中国最好的地表盐构造,可作为盐构造研究的天然实验室。前人对本区盐构造的研究主要集中于地下,包括地下盐构造样式的识别、地下盐构造分段性研究及盐构造形成机制研究等,而对于地表盐构造的研究相对较少。文章在前人研究的基础上,通过详细的野外填图,并辅以地震解释、遥感解译等方法,对库车前陆冲断带西部却勒盐推覆体变形特征进行分析,认为却勒盐推覆体的发育受控于却勒逆冲断层,库姆格列木群盐岩随逆冲断层出露地表。盐推覆体在东西向上构造差异较大,具有明显的分段性,在推覆体的中、西部,推覆体上盘地层发育齐全,盐岩仅沿推覆体逆冲前缘出露地表,属于典型的露趾增生型盐席;而在推覆体东部的察尔汗盐席处,盐上地层被剥蚀,盐岩出露地表后在重力的驱动下向周缘流动,属于溢流增生型盐席。察尔汗盐席受地表径流和降水作用影响明显,发育大量溶洞和盐山构造,并以"脉动流"的形式向前增生。盐内能干层的变形特征是反映盐岩流动性强弱的指标,盐推覆体东部察尔汗盐席盐内能干层变形样式更复杂,盐岩的流变性更强。缺少厚层顶板的限制和受降水及地表径流的充分影响是察尔汗盐席盐岩流变性较强的原因。     

前陆冲断带的后期演化:负反转与再次冲断

和什托洛盖盆地位于准噶尔西北缘冲断推覆体之上,是一个在中生代由区域应力场性质发生改变时形成的负反转盆地。盆内沉积盖层厚度可达5000 m,由下侏罗统八道湾组、三工河组,中侏罗统西山窑组、头屯河组以及新生界组成。盆地内断裂发育,可划分为控制盆地格局和构造带展布的北东东向断裂和起调节作用的北西向断裂两组,依据分界断裂可将盆地划分出北部断褶带、中央坳陷带和南部斜坡带3个一级构造单元和7个二级构造单元。盆地的形成演化主要经历了3个时期：印支期在边界断裂不均衡冲断活动下形成盆地雏形; 燕山早期是盆地主要发育期,以大规模沉降作用为主; 燕山晚期—喜马拉雅山期是盆地的改造期,现今的构造格局基本形成并在喜马拉雅山期后定型。     

前陆冲断带的后期演化:负反转与再次冲断

和什托洛盖盆地位于准噶尔西北缘冲断推覆体之上,是一个在中生代由区域应力场性质发生改变时形成的负反转盆地。盆内沉积盖层厚度可达5000 m,由下侏罗统八道湾组、三工河组,中侏罗统西山窑组、头屯河组以及新生界组成。盆地内断裂发育,可划分为控制盆地格局和构造带展布的北东东向断裂和起调节作用的北西向断裂两组,依据分界断裂可将盆地划分出北部断褶带、中央坳陷带和南部斜坡带3个一级构造单元和7个二级构造单元。盆地的形成演化主要经历了3个时期：印支期在边界断裂不均衡冲断活动下形成盆地雏形; 燕山早期是盆地主要发育期,以大规模沉降作用为主; 燕山晚期-喜马拉雅山期是盆地的改造期,现今的构造格局基本形成并在喜马拉雅山期后定型。     

准南逆冲褶皱带超压与逆冲断层持续活动

天山北缘准南地区的褶皱带为自新生代以来一直持续活动的逆冲构造带,由于逆冲断层的持续活动,形成了现今断层和相关褶皱。钻井资料显示,准南逆冲褶皱带内的超压层主要发育在古近纪安集海河组泥岩和紫泥泉子组泥岩之中,而该泥岩同时又成为逆冲断层发育的主滑脱面。通过多年来对准南地区地面地质调查、二维地震和三维地震资料的解释以及钻井证实,我们统计出准南逆冲褶皱带现存的逆冲断层倾角分别集中在两个区间: 30±5°和50±5°区间。应力分析表明,在持续挤压应力作用下,超压层(泥岩、页岩和煤系地层)中和超压层之下地层中发育的早期逆冲断层与晚期最大主压应力之间的夹角处在30±5°之间时,作用在断层面上的最大主应力与最小主应力比达到最小值,因此该断层最容易再次活动,形成最大的流体压力,因而断层周围的流体就会沿着最大主应力方向发生流动,断层本身就会成为流体运移的主要通道; 而早期逆冲断层与晚期最大主压应力之间的夹角处在50±5°之间时,作用在断层面上的最大主应力与最小主应力比较大,断层重新活动所需要的流体压力较高,导致断层作为流体运移的通道因被挤压而闭合。应力分析和钻井实测应力均指出,准南逆冲褶皱带发育的超压为挤压构造应力形成的超压。这些研究表明,准南逆冲褶皱带的逆冲断层持续活动,导致早期发育的断层在晚期应力作用下,断层倾角聚集在两个优势区间,油气沿最大主压应力方向运移,聚集油气则沿断层滑动面发育形成构造超压,导致该区域油气长期处于运移与聚集的动平衡状态。     

准噶尔西北缘前陆冲断带三叠纪-侏罗纪逆冲断裂活动的沉积响应

笔者从冲断活动的产物———各种成因扇体(冲积扇、水下扇、扇三角洲)出发,由160口单井剖面、15条联井剖面、8个层位平面渐次展开了准噶尔西北缘前陆冲断带三叠—侏罗纪逆冲断裂活动的沉积响应研究。三叠纪扇体在乌尔禾—夏子街地区发育叠置程度最好,T1b到T3b,其由盆内向盆缘老山方向退缩迁移明显,并具T1b到T2k1由盆缘向盆内、T2k2到T3b由盆内向盆缘迁移的2个进退波动变化。侏罗纪扇体在八道湾组最为发育,总体叠置关系较差,J1b到J2t,均呈由盆内向盆缘老山退缩沉积的退覆式迁移特征。三叠纪到侏罗纪,总体为由强到弱的退覆式冲断活动及扇体迁移模式,即随主要同生控扇断裂分布由盆缘向老山方向退缩迁移,冲断活动强度由盆缘向盆地方向逐渐减弱直至停息;相应地,各期扇体平面上分布规模渐小,总体呈由盆内向盆缘老山退缩迁移的沉积响应,两者耦合性良好。各类扇体的沉积分布受不同时期同生断裂活动的严格控制,其时空叠置及迁移规律的差异是红山嘴—车排子、克拉玛依—百口泉及乌尔禾—夏子街各构造带冲断作用地域性及作用强度差异性的沉积响应。进而引入“活动性指数”的概念与方法,对前陆冲断带同生断裂的冲断活动强度进行了定量化统计分析,并根据冲断推覆事件的地层、沉积标识划分出T1b-T3b、J1b-J2x、J2t三套构造层序,识别出三叠—侏罗纪的3个逆冲推覆幕、6次逆冲推覆事件。     

龙门山后山震旦系—古生界变形变质作用:松潘-甘孜造山带中生代伸展垮塌下的中地壳韧性流壳层

中生代早期造山作用使松潘-甘孜地区地壳厚度加厚到约50~60km,因而随即经历了大规模区域性地壳伸展和减薄作用,然而迄今为止,对伸展和减薄事件的形成和发育机制还缺少深入了解。通过对龙门山前陆逆冲带腹陆地区,特别是其中发育的变质核杂岩及伸展变质穹隆体的详细构造解析,发现震旦系—古生界中普遍发育各种形式的顺层韧性流变构造,如韧性剪切带、透入性顺层面理及矿物拉伸线理、糜棱岩化及绿片岩相—低角闪岩相变质作用,并在龙门山北、中和南段造成大规模和不同程度的地层构造缺失或减薄;韧性流变构造流变方向在龙门山北段指向南或SSE,中、南段则指向SE;对志留系茂县群变质作用温压条件进行估算,其温度变化范围为265~405℃,压力变化范围为0.31~0.48GPa,代表了中地壳韧性流壳层(middle crustal ductile channel flow)的形成条件;前人用39Ar/40Ar和SHRIMP锆石U-Pb等方法对这一套区域动力变质岩石变质年龄的时代限定为190~150Ma,与中生代早期造山后板内伸展减薄事件相匹配。因此表明造山作用加厚地壳在中地壳层次以大规模韧性流变变形和变质作用对地壳厚度进行了调整,相对于上地壳层次变形和变质作用而言,中地壳韧性流壳层是松潘-甘孜造山带伸展和减薄的主要原因。在区域上如果消除新生代松潘-甘孜高原加厚和相对上扬子地块逆时针旋转的影响,中生代韧性流壳层流变方向总体为SSE或向南,因此代表南秦岭造山作用后的板内演化阶段,并且是造成松潘-甘孜造山带伸展垮塌的主要原因。     

Structural style and deformation mechanism of the southern Dabashan foreland fold-and-thrust belt, central China

The Daba Mountains define the southern margin of the East Qinling orogenic belt, and form the boundary of the Sichuan basin in the north and northeast. The Daba Mountains can be divided into two structural belts by the NW-striking Chengkou fault, namely the northern Dabashan thrust-nappe belt and the southern Dabashan foreland fold-and-thrust belt. The southern Dabashan fold-and-thrust belt is a southwestward extruding thin-skinned thrust wedge, showing obvious belted change in deformation style and deformation intensity along the dip direction, and can be divided further into three sub-belts, i.e. the imbricate thrust sub-belt characterized by imbricate stepped-thrust sheets, the thrust-fold sub-belt characterized by the combination of the equally-developed thrusts and related folds, and the detachment-fold sub-belt characterized by box folds and closed overturned-isoclinal folds on the outcrops. Several kinds of structures have been recognized or inferred, including imbricate thrust system, passive-roof duplex (triangle zone), fault-related folds, back-thrust system and pop-up structure. The NE-SW compressive stress from the Qinling orogenic belt and detachment layers in the covering strata are the two most important determinants of deformation style. After the collision between the North China block and Yangtze block at the end of the Middle Triassic, the northward intracontinental subduction along the southern edge of the Qinling orogenic belt was initiated, which led to the corresponding southward thrusting in the upper crust. The thrusting propagated towards the foreland through the Jurassic and extended to the southernmost part of the southern Daba Mountains around the end of the Early Cretaceous, with thrusting deformation to be preferentially developed along major detachment layers and progressing upwards from the Lower Sinian through the Lower Cambrian and Silurian to Middle-Lower Triassic. Translated from Geotectonica et Metallogenia, 2006, 30(3): 294–304 [译自: 大地构造与成矿学]     

Detachment levels in the Marathon fold and thrust belt,west Texas

Surface and subsurface data are integrated to characterize the structural architecture of the Marathon fold and thrust belt in west Texas. Multiple detachment levels are present within the thrust belt and result in distinct structural domains. In addition to the basal décollement, whose stratigraphic position varies along strike, we recognize a regionally extensive detachment zone in the late Mississippian to early Pennsylvanian lower Tesnus Formation. The Lower Tesnus Detachment forms a structural domain boundary that can be observed along strike in the surface data and at depth in the subsurface. The stratigraphic intervals above and below this detachment exhibit characteristic patterns of deformation. The Lower Tesnus Detachment is folded by imbrication and the formation of duplexes in the early Mississippian to Ordovician section, suggesting that the detachment may have initially formed as a perched décollement in the foreland that was subsequently exploited as a roof thrust in a duplex system as deformation progressed in a break-forward sequence and older strata were incorporated into the toe of the allochthonous wedge. The structural model presented here for the Marathon region may be applicable across much of the Ouachita orogenic system.     

Tectonic burial and exhumation in a foreland fold and thrust belt: the Monte Alpi case history (Southern Apennines,Italy)

The Monte Alpi area of the Southern Apennines represents the only sector of the thrust belt where the reservoir rocks (i.e. Apulian Platform carbonates) for major hydrocarbon accumulations in southern Italy are interpreted to crop out. Tectonic evolution and exhumation of this area were analysed by integrating stratigraphic and structural data with different organic and inorganic parameters which record the burial and thermal evolution of the sediments (vitrinite reflectance, fluid inclusions, and I/S mixed layers in clayey sediments). Our analyses suggest that the presently exposed Monte Alpi structure suffered a loading of ca. 4000 m, owing to the emplacement of allochthonous units in Early Pliocene times. Available geological data indicate that erosion of the tectonic load occurred since the Late Pliocene, when the area first emerged. This implies an average exhumation rate in excess of 1 mm/year. A model can be constructed which matches the maturity indices and also takes into account intermediate stages of the evolution, resulting from combined structural and fluid inclusion data. By this model, a first stage of exhumation would have taken place at an average rate of about 0.36 mm/year. This was controlled by uplift and erosion associated with both: (i) thrusting at depth within the Apulian carbonates (Late Pliocene), and (ii) strike-slip faulting (Early Pleistocene). A second exhumation stage would have occurred in the last 700 ky at a much faster rate (ca. 4 mm/year) as a result of extensional tectonics.     

Antithetic fault linkages in a deep water fold and thrust belt

Deep water fold and thrust belts consist of both forethrusts and backthrusts that can link along strike to form continuous folds in the overburden. The interaction of faults of opposing dip are termed ‘antithetic thrust fault linkages’ and share the common feature of a switch in vergence of overlying hangingwall anticlines. Using three-dimensional seismic data, on the toe-of-slope of the Niger Delta, linkages are classified into three distinct structural styles. This preliminary classification is based on the vertical extent of faulting within a transfer zones relative to the branch line of the antithetic faults. The stratigraphic level of the lateral tip of the fault, the shape of lateral tip region of a fault plane and the stratal deformation within the transfer zones is also distinctive in each type of fault linkage. A Type 1 linkage comprises faults that overlap exclusively above the level of the branch line. A ‘pop-up’ structure forms within the transfer zone with sediments below remaining planar. The lower tip lines of faults climb stratigraphically towards the linkage zone creating asymmetric, upward-tapering lateral tip regions. In Type 2 linkages fault overlap occurs lower than the level of the branch line such that lateral fault tips are located within the footwall of the counterpart fault. Faulting is thus limited to the deeper section within the transfer zone and creates unfaulted, symmetric, bell-shaped folds in the overburden. Upper tip lines of faults lose elevation within the transfer zone creating asymmetric, downwards-tapering lateral tip regions. In Type 3 linkages both faults continue above and below the branch line within the transfer zone resulting in cross-cutting fault relationships. Horizon continuity across the folds, through the transfer zones, varies significantly with depth and with the type of fault intersection.     

Analysis of structural deformation in the North Dabashan thrust belt,South Qinling,central China

The North Dabashan thrust belt, which is located in South Qinling, is bounded by the Ankang fault on the north and the Chengkou–Fangxian fault on the south. The North Dabashan thrust belt experienced multiple stages of structural deformation that were controlled by three palaeostress fields. The first structural event (Middle Triassic) involved NNW–SSE shortening and resulted in the formation of numerous dextral strike-slip structures along the entire Chengkou–Fangxian fault zone and within the North Dabashan thrust belt, which suggests that the South China Block moved to the NW and was obliquely subducted under the North China Block. The second structural event (Late Triassic–Early Jurassic) involved NE–SW shortening that formed NW–SE-trending structures in the North Dabashan thrust belt. The third structural event (Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous) involved ENE–WSW or nearly E–W shortening and resulted in additional thrusting of the North Dabashan thrust belt to the WSW and formation of the WSW-convex Chengkou–Fangxian fault zone, which has an oroclinal shape. Owing to the pinning of the Hannan massif and Shennongjia massif culminations, numerous sinistral strike-slip structures developed along the eastern Chengkou–Fangxian fault zone and were superimposed over the early dextral strike-slip structures.     

库车冲断带秋里塔格构造带东段构造样式与构造演化

秋里塔格构造带位于库车褶皱冲断前缘,其东段包括东秋里塔格背斜和库车塔吾背斜。野外调查和地震剖面解释表明:秋里塔格构造带东段盐下发育断层转折褶皱; 盐上东秋里塔格背斜为滑脱箱状背斜,库车塔吾背斜核部为南倾逆冲断层所破坏。演化剖面显示秋里塔格构造带东段在侏罗纪断陷期发育了正断裂,其后为平静期,直到库车晚期后逆冲断层和褶皱快速发育,背斜最终形成。膏盐岩及古构造对构造变形具有重要影响,一方面作为滑脱层,分割了盐下层与盐上层,导致二者形成不同的构造样式; 另一方面塑性流动充填于背斜核部。由于膏盐岩的厚度差异,东秋里塔格背斜盐上发育褶皱,而库车塔吾背斜核部被逆冲断层破坏,膏盐层厚度还影响了膏盐层上下构造高点的相对位置。盐下构造的发育受侏罗纪古构造控制,进而影响了盐上构造的发育。     

Gangdese retroarc thrust belt and foreland basin deposits in the Damxung area,southern Tibet

Geologic mapping and U–Pb detrital zircon geochronologic studies of (meta)sedimentary rocks in the Damxung area (∼90 km north of Lhasa) of the southern Lhasa terrane in Tibet provide new insights into the history of deformation and clastic sedimentation prior to late Cenozoic extension. Cretaceous nonmarine clastic rocks ∼10 km southeast of Damxung are exposed as structural windows in the footwall of a thrust fault (the Damxung thrust) that carries Paleozoic strata in the hanging wall. To the north of Damxung in the southern part of the northern Nyainqentanglha Range (NNQTL), metaclastic rocks of previously inferred Paleozoic age are shown to range in depositional age from Late Cretaceous to Eocene. The metaclastic rocks regionally dip southward and are interpreted to have been structurally buried in the footwall of the Damxung thrust prior to being tectonized during late Cenozoic transtension. Along the northern flank of the NNQTL, Lower Eocene syncontractional redbeds were deposited in a triangle zone structural setting. All detrital zircon samples of Cretaceous–Eocene strata in the Damxung area include Early Cretaceous grains that were likely sourced from the Gangdese arc to the south. We suggest that the that newly recognized Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene (meta)clastic deposits and thrust faults represent the frontal and youngest part of a northward directed and propagating Gangdese retroarc thrust belt and foreland basin system that led to significant crustal thickening and elevation gain in southern Tibet prior to India-Asian collision.     

Gangdese retroarc thrust belt and foreland basin deposits in the Damxung area, southern Tibet

Geologic mapping and U–Pb detrital zircon geochronologic studies of (meta)sedimentary rocks in the Damxung area (90 km north of Lhasa) of the southern Lhasa terrane in Tibet provide new insights into the history of deformation and clastic sedimentation prior to late Cenozoic extension. Cretaceous nonmarine clastic rocks 10 km southeast of Damxung are exposed as structural windows in the footwall of a thrust fault (the Damxung thrust) that carries Paleozoic strata in the hanging wall. To the north of Damxung in the southern part of the northern Nyainqentanglha Range (NNQTL), metaclastic rocks of previously inferred Paleozoic age are shown to range in depositional age from Late Cretaceous to Eocene. The metaclastic rocks regionally dip southward and are interpreted to have been structurally buried in the footwall of the Damxung thrust prior to being tectonized during late Cenozoic transtension. Along the northern flank of the NNQTL, Lower Eocene syncontractional redbeds were deposited in a triangle zone structural setting. All detrital zircon samples of Cretaceous–Eocene strata in the Damxung area include Early Cretaceous grains that were likely sourced from the Gangdese arc to the south. We suggest that the that newly recognized Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene (meta)clastic deposits and thrust faults represent the frontal and youngest part of a northward directed and propagating Gangdese retroarc thrust belt and foreland basin system that led to significant crustal thickening and elevation gain in southern Tibet prior to India-Asian collision.     

前陆盆地冲断带构造分段特征及其对油气成藏的控制作用

以中国中西部典型前陆盆地为例,分析了典型前陆盆地前陆冲断带的构造分段特征,总结构造分段的主控因素主要包括构造动力学背景、调节构造、构造变形期次与构造叠加、滑脱层与构造变形强度的影响等。中国中西部前陆冲断带的油气勘探成果表明,构造分段特征对不同构造段油气成藏具有明显的影响和控制作用,主要表现为:不同构造段的油气富集层位不同;不同构造段的油气成藏时间及成藏期次特征存在差异,主成藏期也不同。