K-Ar Dating of Fault Gouges from the Red River Fault Zone of Vietnam

Constraining the timing of fault zone formation is fundamentally important in terms of geotectonics to understand structural evolution and brittle fault processes.This paper presents the first authigenic illite K-Ar age data from fault gouge samples collected from the Red River Shear Zone at Lao Cai province,Vietnam.The fault gouge samples were separated into three grain-size fractions(0.1 μm,0.1-0.4 μm and 0.4-1.0 μm).The results show that the K-Ar age values decrease from coarser to finer grain fractions(24.1 to 19.2 Ma),suggesting enrichment in finer fraction of morerecently grown authigenic illites.The timing of the fault movement are the lower intercept ages at 0%detrital illite(19.2 ± 0.92 Ma and 19.4 ± 0.49 Ma).In combination with previous geochronological data,this result indicates that the metamorphism of the Day Nui Con Voi(DNCV) metamorphic complex took place before ca.26.8 Ma.At about 26.8 Ma-25 Ma,the fault strongly acted to cause the rapid exhumation of the rocks along the Red River-Ailoa Shan Fault Zone(RR-ASFZ).During brittle deformation,the DNCV slowly uplifted,implying weak movement of the fault.This brittle deformation might have lasted for ca.5 Ma.     

珠江口盆地白云凹陷渐新世/中新世地质事件的碎屑组分响应

南海北部渐新世/中新世之交发生了物源突变地质事件。利用珠江口盆地白云凹陷渐新统珠海组和中新统珠江组砂岩薄片镜下计点法统计技术,详细研究了碎屑组分的变化特征。结果表明:珠海组砂岩碎屑组分中,岩屑以深成的岩浆岩屑占绝对优势,长石和沉积岩屑含量也相对较高,与该期物源主要来自华南沿海近源以燕山期花岗岩为主的母岩区相一致;而珠江组砂岩中,岩屑以变质岩屑占优势,同时也含有一定量的岩浆岩屑、沉积岩屑和较多的长石,显示珠江组具有更多的物源供给区。随着渐新世/中新世之交各种地质事件发生,尤其是伴随青藏高原隆升引起的大陆风化及侵蚀程度增强,珠江口盆地沉积物源区向华南古陆内部古老的沉积-变质岩区和青藏高原东麓扩展,碎屑组分变化应该是该期各种地质事件的综合作用结果。     

中国南海西沙碳酸盐岩台地形成过程及控制因素:来自西科1井的地球化学证据

通过对南海西沙石岛已完钻的科学探井——西科1井进行岩性组合特征、元素地球化学、TEX86等多种指标分析,尝试恢复了西沙地区中新世以来海平面变化,讨论了碳酸盐岩台地形成发育的控制因素。发现受控于南海区域性构造事件及全球海平面变化的双重影响,西沙地区海平面呈现早中新世高—中中新世低—晚中新世到上新世高—第四纪低的变化趋势,海水温度从早中新世到上新世呈整体下降趋势。岩性组合特征揭示,西沙地区碳酸盐岩台地在早中新世开始发育,到中中新世逐渐繁盛,在中中新世末达到顶峰,形成了包含潟湖相在内的大型礁盘;在晚中新世—上新世由于海平面快速上升以及海水温度下降而逐渐衰退淹没,到第四纪进一步持续萎缩。研究发现,西沙地区在早中新世和晚中新世—上新世,出现2次较强的白云岩化作用,与海平面下降造成碳酸盐岩台地暴露剥蚀直接相关。西科1井揭示的碳酸盐岩台地的发育演化过程是南海新生代碳酸盐岩台地繁荣与消亡的代表,是南海新生代构造演化与全球气候变迁相互作用的综合结果。     

Sedimentary types and features of gravity flow depositional systems from Late Oligocene to Early Miocene in Liwan sag,Pearl River Mouth Basin

The sedimentary characteristics of gravity flow depositional systems(GFDS)in Liwan sag,Pearl River Mouth Basin,has not been clear. Based on a large number of high-revolution seismic data and a small amount of borehole data,the sedimentary types,spatial-temporal evolution,and controlling factors of the gravity flow depositional systems in Zhuhai Formation and the basal Zhujiang Formation in the Liwan sag are summarized. Four sedimentary types of the GFDS,can be identified according to the different seismic facies associations. Pordelta turbidite fan,the first type,is relatively small-scale compared with other type,but formed at the same time with the shelf edge delta,which is likely to be sand rich. Mass transport complex deposition,the second type,is featured by fault scarps,multiple small detachment faults,internal deformation structures such as sliding and compression,and overall southeast movement. The channelized slope fan,the third type,with lots of small channels on the head,contains microfacies such as turbidite channel,channel-levee complex and crevasse splay. The basin floor fan,the fourth type,is a bidirectionally down-lapped,mound-shaped and strong amplitude continuous intermediate-frequency reflection seismic facie association,and its microfacies such as incised valley,channel filling,front crevasse fan and sheet like lobe can be recognized. It is believed that the coupling of tectonics,climate,sea level change and sediment supply results in the GFDS in the study area and different types of GFDS are formed at different period during the base level cycle change. This research can provide a reference for the summary of gravity flow depositional law and hydrocarbon exploration in the ultra-deep water area.     

Late Oligocene to early Miocene humidity change recorded in terrestrial sequences in the Ili Basin (south‐eastern Kazakhstan,Central Asia)

Enhanced aridification of Central Asia driven by the combined effects of orogenic surface uplift, Paratethys retreat, changes in atmospheric moisture transport and global cooling is one of the most prominent Cenozoic climate change events of the Northern Hemisphere. Deciphering regional long‐term patterns of Central Asian hydrology is, therefore, a key element in understanding the role of Northern Hemisphere mid‐latitude drying in the global hydrological system. This study characterizes long‐term palaeoenvironmental conditions between the late Oligocene and early Miocene in south‐eastern Kazakhstan based on stable isotopes, elemental geochemistry and laser ablation uranium–lead geochronology from alluvial, fluvial and pedogenic deposits. Sedimentary facies and geochemical weathering indices suggest an increased surface and groundwater discharge fed by orographically enhanced precipitation in the Tien Shan hinterland. In contrast, pedogenic stable isotope data and elevated rates of magnesium fixation in clay minerals mirror enhanced rates of evaporation in the vadose zone due to protracted aridification. This study posits that pronounced surface uplift of the Tien Shan Mountains during the Oligocene–Miocene transition promoted regionally increased orographic precipitation and the development of fluvial discharge systems.     

Uppermost Tortonian to Quaternary depocentre migration related with segmentation of the strike-slip Palomares Fault Zone,Vera Basin (SE Spain)

The Palomares Fault Zone (PFZ) is one of the main strike-slip brittle shear zones found in the Betics. It is segmented in several faults that have been active between the Upper Tortonian and present day. Data from drill cores in the Palomares area have permitted us to define the geometry and location of sedimentary depocentres related with the PFZ. These data show an eastward displacement between the Upper Tortonian to Messinian and the Pliocene–Quaternary sedimentary depocentres, towards the presently active Arteal fault, which bounds the western mountain front of Sierra Almagrera, showing that deformation along this fault zone has migrated towards the east, from the Palomares segment, with its main activity during the Upper Tortonian and Messinian, towards the Arteal fault, active during the Pliocene and Quaternary. To cite this article: G. Booth-Rea et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Ar/Ar Single Grain Dating and Mineral Chemistry of Hornblendes South of the Red River Shear Zone (Vietnam): New Evidence for Early Proterozoic Tectonothermal Event

The pre-Mesozoic metamorphic belt runs parallel to the Day Nui Con Voi - Red River shear zone in Vietnam to the south. The belt is mainly composed of hornblende gneisses, amphibolite lenses and mica-schists. Five hornblendes from a gneiss and an amphibolite were analyzed chemically and chronologically by Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar methods. EPMA analyses show that hornblendes in the gneiss and the amphibolite have significant amount of edenite component and similar average composition. However, the recalculated Fe³⁺ content is significantly heterogeneous in a thin section while total Fe is nearly the same among the analyses. The rim of each crystal is higher in Fe³⁺/(Fe³⁺ + Fe²⁺) than the core. These chemical and petrological features suggest that the hornblendes have suffered significant oxidation, in particular, largely in the gneiss.

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analyses showed that the gneiss has a significant variation of plateau ages (2089±14, 1977±19 and 1873±13 Ma) among three hornblende grains, whereas the amphibolite gives the same plateau ages (2056±14 and 2044±21 Ma) for two grains. All grains of both samples have excess ages in the first few fractions at low temperatures and partial-loss ages between the excess and plateau spectra. The Ca/K ratios indicate some disturbed phases for the lower temperature spectra but the partial-loss ages are also derived from hornblende phase. These facts suggest that hornblende in the gneiss has experienced partial argon loss by oxidation and/or thermally activated argon diffusion process. However, the gneiss and the associated amphibolite have preserved the early Proterozoic tectono-metamorphic event in the hornblende crystals except for their rims, giving new evidence for the early Proterozoic event within the pre-Mesozoic metamorphic belt (northern Vietnam) south of the Red River shear zone in Indochina.     

Fault array evolution in extensional basins: insights from statistical analysis of gravel deposits in the Cecina River (Tuscany,Italy)

Two statistical analyses of gravel clasts from the Lower Pleistocene deposits in the Lower Cecina Valley (Tuscany, Italy) have been combined to unravel changes in the palaeo‐drainage system. Data from 16 outcrops were collected and 6400 clasts described. Facies analysis, micro‐palaeontology and macro‐palaeontology and petrographic characteristics of the gravel deposits have highlighted the presence of three allostratigraphic units. Clast lithology is the main discriminator among these units. Cluster and principal component analyses of the 6400 clasts have improved understanding of the stratigraphy of the Lower Pleistocene deposits and constrain the re‐routing of the lower palaeo‐Cecina River from a supposedly south‐east to north‐west direction to the present east to west direction. Short rivers feeding small fan deltas represented by the oldest allostratigraphic units were abandoned in the Lower Pleistocene, when the re‐routing of the Cecina River caused the capture of these streams. This evolution suggests a change in the tectonic regime of the area. The fan deltas developed on the hanging wall of normal faults sub‐parallel to the coast; a change to a transtensile tectonic regime caused the deviation of the main river channel toward the present coast and the formation of a pull‐apart basin, which is now exploited by the Cecina River. This study illustrates the value of lithological analyses of gravel deposits for understanding the tectonic evolution of an area.     

Preliminary correlation of palynological assemblages from Oman with the Granulatisporites confluens Oppel Zone of the grant formation (lower Permian), Canning Basin, Western Australia

The presence of Granulatisporites confluens Archangelsky and Gamerro indicates an Asselian-Tastubian (lowermost Permian) age for glaciogene sediments in the Amal-6 borehole, Oman. This suggests that the Al Khlata Formation is in part coeval with glaciogene sediments of the Canning Basin, Western Australia, and sediments of the Chacoparana Basin, Argentina.