Sedimentation Rates, Observation Span, and the Problem of Spurious Correlation

Plots of sedimentation rates vs. time span of observation are routinely used to demonstrate that sedimentation rates decrease if one averages over longer time spans. However, these plots are suspect because they plot a variable, time, against its inverse. It has been shown that even random numbers may yield correlation coefficients of 0.7 or higher under these circumstances. We have circumvented this problem by splitting observed sedimentation rates into time classes and performing regression on the primary variables, thickness and time, separately in each class. An alternative is weighted regression that corrects for the effect of spurious correlation. Regression on the primary variables has been performed on real data from siliciclastic and carbonate rocks. Data were sorted into time classes of 10 ^–1–10 ² yr, 10 ²–10 ⁵ yr, and 10 ⁵–10 ⁸ yr. Sedimentation rates decrease systematically as the time windows increase. The experiment indicates that the decrease of sedimentation rates with increase of time is not simply an effect of the mathematical transformation. It is a physical phenomenon, probably related to the fact that sedimentation is an episodic process and that the sediment record is riddled with hiatuses on all scales.     

The ages of fractures in the Eye-Dashwa pluton,Atikokan, Canada

Ages of fractures in the Eye-Dashwa granite pluton north of Atikokan, Ontario, are estimated from analyses of their filling materials (pegmatite, aplite, hornblendeporphyry, epidote, chlorite, gypsum, diabase, iron oxides, carbonate and clays). The analyses include radiometric age determinations of filling materials, comparison of crystallization temperatures of filling materials with the expected temperature of the pluton through time, and paragenetic relations derived from textures. The major fractures (primarily epidote and chlorite-filled) were produced by penetrative deformation during cooling immediately after intrusion of the pluton. From 2.6 Ga to 2.4 Ga they transected the pluton and largely defined the present overall fracture network. Less severe penetrative deformation occurred about 1.1 Ga, when a few diabase dikes and small gypsum fractures developed. A second source of fracturing appears to have existed through most of geological time, and it reopened segments of old fractures within about 400 m of the present erosional surface. It is unknown whether the near-surface, or supergene, fractures formed more or less continuously through time or in distinct episodes, such as during glacial periods. Open fractures, which are most common in the near-surface layer, tend to transmit groundwater, but fracture sealing due to the accumulation of filling materials seems to occur with time. Underground excavations such as nuclear fuel waste disposal vaults, would be less susceptible to the incursion of groundwater, if they were located below the near-surface layer.     

新疆博格达山隆升时间初步分析

博格达山横亘于准噶尔盆地和吐—哈盆地之间,关于博格达山的隆升时间一直是一个具重要意义而又长期争议的问题。综合分析前人及研究区资料认为:早石炭—中二叠世博格达地区以拉张环境为主;在晚二叠—早三叠世,吐—哈盆地台北凹陷沉积物的粒度、分布、形态、成分变化等特征以及地层接触关系表明博格达山初次隆升;中侏罗世,台北凹陷的沉积相、ZTR指数以及砂岩岩屑成分在时间上和空间上的变化,表明西山窑组晚期博格达山再次隆升,并向吐—哈盆地提供物源,但喜山运动期间博格达山隆升幅度最大,铸成了现今的盆山格局。     

Gas charging history of the Yingcheng Formation igneous reservoir in the Xujiaweizi Rift, Songliao Basin, China

Systematic analysis of fluid inclusions was carried out on 34 samples from the Yingcheng Formation igneous reservoir of the Xujiaweizi rift, Songliao Basin, China. On the basis of petrographic characterization, the results of the microthermometric analyses indicated that the Yingcheng Formation igneous reservoir trapped six clusters of pure aqueous inclusions, and only four of them have the coeval gas-bearing aqueous inclusions been detected in the analyses. So the Yingcheng Formation igneous reservoir experienced four gas charging events during its evolutionary history. Combined with the research results of burial history and cap rocks, the four gas charging events happened during the time interval from 120 to 85 Ma, and every charging time is no more than 10 Ma. The main gas charging is the third, which happened during the time interval from 105 to 95 Ma.     

Movement process,geomorphological changes,and influencing factors of a reactivated loess landslide on the right bank of the middle of the Yellow River,China

Landslides - According to local villagers, the main Beiguo landslide on the Heyang Loess Tableland in China occurred several decades ago (the specific time is unknown). After the initial occurrence...     

On the age of the Onverwacht Group,Swaziland Sequence,South Africa

Some rocks of the Onverwacht Group, South Africa, have been analyzed for Rb and Sr concentrations and Sr isotopie composition. These rocks include volcanic rocks, layered ultramafic differentiates and cherty sediments. Whole rock data indicate that the Rb-Sr isotopie systems in many samples were open and yield no reasonable isochron relationships. However, the data of mineral separates from a basaltic komatiite define a good isochron of $\text{t = 3.50 ± 0.20}$ (2δ) b.y. with an initial Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ ratio of $\text{0.70048 ± 5}$(2δ). The orthodox interpretation of this age is the time of the low grade metamorphism. Since the basaltic komatiite is stratigraphically lower than the Middle Marker Horizon (dated as $\text{3.36 ± 0.07}$ b.y. Hurley et al., 1972), and since it is commonly found that volcanism, sedimentary deposition, metamorphism and igneous intrusion in many Archean greenstone-granite terrain all took place in a relatively short time interval (less than 100 m.y.), it is reasonable to assume that the age of 3.50 b.y. might also represent the time of initial Onverwacht volcanism and deposition. The initial Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ ratio obtained above is important to an understanding of the Sr isotopic composition of the Archean upper mantle. If the komatiite represents a large degree of partial melt (40–80 per cent) of the Archean upper mantle material, then the initial ratio obtained from the metamorphic komatiite should define an upper limit for the Sr isotopic composition of the upper mantle under the African crustal segment.     

Statistical Models of the Seismicity of the Vrancea Region, Romania

A parameterization derived from the Weibull distribution is used to model the seismic activity of the Vrancea region.The analysis of 498 crustal earthquakes with local magnitudes greater than 2.0, and 1377 subcrustal events with local magnitudes greater than 2.5 emphasizes that the shallow sequences show a strong clustering tendency, while the intermediate depth mainshock sequences are modeled by a completely random pattern in space and time. These results are not influenced by the magnitude threshold and the width of the time window.The difference between the seismicity patterns in the crust and in the subcrustal zone correlates with the difference between the stress field within these two regions.     

Discovery and recovery of a large theropod dinosaur footprint from the Cleveland Basin, North Yorkshire, UK

In December of 2004 a dinosaur footprint was discovered near Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast of northern England. Arguably, it was the largest and best-preserved theropod print yet discovered on this coast, and indicated for the first time that large carnivores were present in the area around 165 million years ago. Many trace fossils are enigmatic ghosts of the animal that formed them, but footprints are so much more tangible; a footprint preserved from Jurassic time represents an individual animal, walking in this place at this time. In this article I provide the background to the discovery and collection of this trace fossil, which has enabled this footprint in time to be preserved for future study.     

Quasiperiodic oscillations in the atmospheres of the Sun,Earth, and planets

The published data on long-term observations on cycles of the activity of the Sun and stars of late spectral classes (F, G, K) were analyzed. Quasiperiodic oscillations (QPO) in solar activity with periods varying from 1.8 (7-year cycles) to 12.5 years (24-year cycles) were revealed for the first time. A high degree of correlation between QPO periods and long-term cycles of variations in the activity of the Sun and stars was revealed.     

青藏高原中部色林错区域古湖滨线 地貌特征、空间分布及高原湖泊演化

结合新近获得的高精度遥感影像和详细的野外调查,首次对青藏高原内部大型单个湖泊古湖滨线进行了系统的调查测量。综合色林错周边古湖滨线的地貌、沉积及地形特征,本文首次提出色林错周边区域古湖滨线从地貌上可以分为3类: 1)处于高位,保存完好且非常连续的单级"高位古湖滨线"; 2)高于高位古湖滨线、严重退化、只有零散保存的多级"退化古湖滨线"; 3)低于高位古湖滨线、保存最好而非常连续的"低位古湖滨线"。野外系统测量表明,高位古湖滨线高程约4 593 m,最高退化古湖滨线高程为4 640 m。高位古湖滨线一致的高程分布表明: 1)晚更新世高位古湖滨线形成时期存在一个更大的色林错古湖; 2)自晚更新世以来,在色林错周边200 km范围内,不存在构造差异抬升。结合前人对西藏内部大型湖泊古湖滨线的年代学研究及本文的高程测量分析,指出关于晚更新世西藏中东部统一的古大湖--"古羌塘东湖"的提法值得商榷,晚更新世高原内部各大型湖泊更可能是通过河道串联。     

青藏高原班公湖-怒江结合带中段那曲县觉翁地区发现完整的蛇绿岩剖面

在位于班公湖-怒江结合带中段的那曲县觉翁地区首次发现较完整的蛇绿岩剖面，由下到上见有变质橄榄岩、辉橄岩、堆晶岩、块状辉长岩、岩墙群、碳酸盐岩、枕状熔岩、放射虫硅质岩等，被晚白垩世竟柱山组角度不整合覆盖，在堆晶岩中获同位素年龄值128Ma，从而证实蛇绿岩的时代为早白垩世。这一发现填补了班公湖-怒江结合带中段无完整蛇绿岩剖面的空白，并证实除侏罗纪蛇绿岩外还存在白垩纪蛇绿岩，为班公湖-怒江结合带中段最终闭合时间的确定提供了依据。     

Estimation of the sequence and size of the Tozawagawa landslide,Niigata, Japan,using aerial photographs

On 5 January 2000, a landslide occurred along the right flank of the upper tributary of the Tozawagawa River in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The landslide blocked the river and formed a temporary lake approximately 670 m long and 11 m deep. In this report, we estimated a time series of aerial photographs from 1947, 1976, 2000, and 2001 to describe the sequences of the landslide. There are some indications that the landslide is a reactivation of an old failure that occurred before 1947. In addition, we have attempted to calculate the scale and volume by aerial photogrammetry.     

临南洼陷沙三段异常地层压力及其演化特征

异常地层压力的演化历史对深入理解油气的生、运、聚动力学过程至关重要.为揭示临南洼陷内异常地层压力的演化特征, 在流体包裹体组合概念的限定下, 利用热动力学模拟的方法, 对沙三段进行了地层古压力重建.地层压力系数随时间的演化表明, 沙三中、下亚段在30 Ma左右即发育有异常高压, 而现今洼陷内局部发育的异常低压为异常高压经过一定时期的演化后在晚期形成, 自30 Ma以来的整个演化过程表现出降压-增压-降压的旋回性特征.沙三上亚段在该地质历史时期均未发育异常高压, 但晚期也表现出明显的降压特征.结合生烃史、充注史及断裂活动性综合分析表明, 临南洼陷沙三段异常高压主要起源并受控于油气的生成与充注, 而异常低压主要起源并受控于断裂的多次、长期活动.      

Nature of the diffusion, generation, and drift of the geomagnetic dipole from 1900 to 2010

It will be shown below that the main axial dipole component suffers magnetic diffusion only, so it tends to be diminished by a factor of e per 2110 years. This time interval allows us to specify the value of the core’s conductivity and estimate roughly the configuration for the current source of the axial dipole in the core and the minimal time before the upcoming inversion (excursion). The dipole component perpendicular to the axis of revolution is less than the main axial component by an order of magnitude, and has generating, drift, and diffusion components as well. This generating component is characterized by two intervals of growth by a factor of e, 98, and 540 years, which allow us to estimate the a-effect. The drifting component consists of differently directed waves enveloping the globe for 46 000 years, which leads to estimation of the w-effect. The nature of inversion dynamics is also estimated.     

Integrated use of archival aerial photogrammetry,GNSS, and InSAR data for the monitoring of the Patigno landslide (Northern Apennines,Italy)

Landslides - The morphological changes of unstable areas can be identified using different methodologies that allow repeated surveys over time. The integration between the data obtained from...     

The Missing Time Calculation of the Hiatus Surface:A Case Study of the Upper Permian Reef Section the Platform Margin,Ziyun,Guizhou

Taken as an example the Upper Permian reef section on the carbonate platformmargin at Ziyun, Guizhou, the paper discusses the missing time of a hiatus surface, an impor-tant problem in chemical sequence stratigraphy, with the concept of cosmic chemistry. Then thepaper proposes a series of new concepts for chemical sequence stratigraphy, including the con-densation surface, relative compaction factor and time missing factor. Finally a quantitativecurve of Late Permian relative sea-level change in the Ziyun area is presented with timecoordinates.     

Structural characteristics of the Altar Basin,Northwest Sonora,Mexico

Eight two-dimensional, multichannel seismic reflection lines were acquired, processed, and interpreted to study the structure of the Altar Basin, which is part of the Salton Trough tectonic province. We identified two basin-bounding zones characterized by different degrees of strain: the Cerro Prieto–Altar deformation zone (CPADZ) and the Altar–Caborca deformation zone (ACDZ). The CPADZ is bounded on the west by the Cerro Prieto fault and on the east by the Altar fault. To the north, the strike of both faults changes slightly from a NW to more NNW direction. In the CPADZ, the thickness of the crust decreases southward towards the Gulf of California, and is associated with a deformation-developing fault. The CPADZ has a rotation component orientating these faults in an oblique direction to the Cerro Prieto fault, whereas within the ACDZ, a geometric coherence of synthetic and antithetic faults exists, creating horsts and graben striking N37° W. The Altar fault is recognized by basement interruption, with a vertical component of ～1 km, striking at N37° W and dipping 83° SW. On the northeastern side of the Altar Basin, the basement configuration shows that the minimum time of basement record (～0.4 s of two-way travel time) and the time curve gradient decrease in the NE–SW direction. The depocentre is ～6 km deep in the central-west portion of the basin. We identified a graben between the Rosario and Tinajas Altas mountains (Rosario Basin). The extension–connection of the Altar and Rosario basins to the south is not well defined; nevertheless, these basins could represent the link between the Colorado River and the Gulf of California during the late Miocene, whereas this link was abandoned in the Pliocene as subsidence migrated towards the northwest into the Cerro Prieto and Laguna Salada basins.     

Paleozoic evolution of continental crust in the Beaujolais-Lyonnais area,northeastern part of the Massif Central,France

In the Beaujolais-Lyonnais area of the northeastern Massif Central accretion of continental and possibly oceanic crustal fragments occurred between Cambrian (?) and early Carboniferous time. Three distinct lithotectonic units (terranes?) have been recognized. The southern (Lyonnais-) Unit consists of medium- to high-grade metamorphics and includes eclogites; it formed in the early Paleozoic. The Brévenne-Unit to the north contains low- to medium-grade metamorphic mafic and felsic volcanics and subordinate sedimentary rocks which possibly originated during the early Paleozoic until Devonian time, in a sialic back-arc environment or along an active continental margin. The Beaujolais-Unit is represented by volcanics on the south and predominantly shallow marine clastics and carbonates on the north. It developed in a late Devonian or early Carboniferous ensialic marginal basin. The peak of metamorphism in the Lyonnais-unit (HP/HT) was reached in Silurian time. Subsequent NW-SE to E-W oriented convergence produced mylonitic foliation, structural imbrication of the Lyonnais basement rocks with the Brévenne-Unit and SE-vergent folds accompanied by low- to medium-grade metamorphism. Late Visean to Namurian N-S to NW-SE directed N-vergent thrusting produced tectonic imbrication of the metamorphic northern Brévenne-Unit with the nonmetamorphic Beaujolais-Unit. In the southern Brévenne-Unit and in the Lyonnais-Unit updoming along right-lateral high-angle normal faults was followed by emplacement of voluminous granitic plutons of crustal origin. Late Carboniferous to early Permian crustal thinning in the Beaujolais-Lyonnais area was associated with N-S trending left-lateral strike-slip faults and E-W to NE-SW trending right-lateral strike-slip faults. Basins that developed along these faults contain continental red beds.     

Interaction of Tidal and Fluvial Processes in the Transition Zone of the Santee River, SC, USA

This study was conducted in the freshwater reach of the Santee River approximately 55?±?4?km from the mouth, a transition zone from a fluvial to an estuarine tidal regime. The dataset comprises bathymetric surveys, current profile and bottom pressure measurements at two locations, and time series of discharge. Our data indicate that the transition zone is characterized by strong tidal dissipation and distinctive channel geometry. Tidal dissipation is evident in the rapid decrease of the M₂ amplitude to the mean along-channel velocity ratio from 2.1 to 0.9 over a ??6-km distance. Channel cross-sectional area in the transition zone converges at a higher rate than both upstream and downstream while channel depth reveals threefold variations in the form of adjacent shoals and deeps. We hypothesize that the enhanced tidal dissipation is at the same time a cause and a result of strongly convergent bathymetry in the transition zone.     

Neotectonic stage in the formation of the Khokhlovskoe uranium deposit, eastern Transural region: Structural, hydrochemical, mineralogical, and geochemical formation conditions

The structural, hydrochemical, mineralogical, and geochemical features of the Khokhlovskoe uranium deposit related to neotectonic processes are considered. The structural feature is expressed in neotectonic dislocations in the form of overall intense fragmentation of host rocks and widespread low-amplitude strike-slip faulting. The hydrochemical specificity is determined by the appearance of thermal carbonated formation water in ore-bearing aquifers. This water is similar in chemical and gas composition to hydrothermal solutions in fluid inclusions and mineral waters abundant in this district. The mineralogical and geochemical features comprise the occurrence of newly formed ferroan carbonates and late iron hydroxides in altered (bleached) pelitic rocks; the formation of silicic opal segregations in ore-bearing sand and sandstone; late sulfides, arsenides, and selenides of iron and other metals; and multiphase gel-pitchblende enriched in Zr especially typical of high-grade uranium ore. The age of high-grade ore determined by a precision uranium-ionium method coincides with the time when thermal carbonated water appeared in the host rocks. This time was estimated from a mathematical model of heat transfer and regional dynamics of underground water. This coincidence clearly indicates that the aforementioned processes are related to the late Quaternary neotectonic reactivation of the eastern Transural region.