Synsedimentary deformations in member 2 of the Mila Formation in the Central Alborz Mountains,Northern Iran

In Alborz Mountains, the thickness of sediments in Member 2 of the Mila Formation (Middle Cambrian) underwent dramatic and abrupt deformations, which were accompanied by normal and reverse faults and asymmetrical folds. These deformed sediments are covered by parallel beds both in the upper and lower sides. The existence of such extension and compression structures adjacent to each other indicates the influence of non-tectonic factors in their evolution. These deformations induced by downslope gliding of sediment packages are fully compatible with the dislocation model of Farrell (J Struct Geol 6:727–736, 1984) and Farrell and Eaton (1987). Moreover, the occurrence of synsedimentary deformations in a vast area in Alborz Mountains reinforces the probability of the impact of seismic shocks in their formation. In fact, incessant seismic events in the Middle Cambrian led to numerous submarine slumpings in the sediments of Member 2 of the Mila Formation.     

羌塘地块东南部上三叠统巴贡组软沉积变形特征及其意义

羌塘地块东南部巴青、索县一带,在上三叠统巴贡组内发育大量未固结状态下发生的软沉积变形。其形态特征主要表现为枕状、球状、链状以及卷曲状,在平面较大范围内均有发现,纵向上密集分布,100余米长的扎德改剖面中发育有7层明显的软沉积变形构造。经过详细地变形特征描述与比对,认为这些软沉积变形主要是与地震振动相关的震积岩,部分变形清晰地显示出受伸展背景的控制。震积岩是软沉积物对古构造活动的记录,研究区内巴贡组震积岩的密集发育表明巴贡组沉积期区域构造活动强烈,对比晚三叠世早期地层中震积岩的发育状况,发现构造活动在诺利中晚期更加强烈,与羌塘地块中晚三叠世火山岩的年代呼应。     

Deformation of soft sandy sediments during deglaciation and subsequent emergence of land areas; examples from northern Karelia, Finland

A variety of deformation structures in sandy sediments are described, the origin of which may be ascribed to the escape of excess pore-water from liquefied and fluidized sediments in response to density instabilities created by external and/or internal loading. A number of deformations found in exposed nearshore sediments of an artificially drained lake provide an explanatory model according to which rapid drops in water level during the development of waterway systems in connection with post-glacial land uplift are suggested in many cases to have served as creational environments for soft sediment deformation. Other favourable circumstances in glaciated areas were obviously offered by the complex melting and sedimentation mechanisms which occurred in the envionment of the retreating ice-margin.     

Slumping processes on the Caucasian continental slope of the Black Sea

New results of geomorphological, seismoacoustic, and lithological investigations on the upper continental slope off the Arkhipo-Osipovka Settlement are presented. Here, a large submarine slump was discovered by seismic survey in 1998. The assumed slump body, up to 200 m thick, rises 50–60 m above the valley floor that cuts the slope. Recent semiliquid mud that overlies laminated slope sediments with possible slump deformations flows down in the valley thalweg. Radiocarbon age inversion recorded in a Holocene sediment section of shelf facies recovered from the upper slope points to the gravity dislocation of sediments.     

大陆板内构造变形及其动力学机制

典型大陆板内变形发生在克拉通化的大陆岩石圈内部,距离同变形期活动板块构造边界数百至2000km以上。收缩变形主要表现为区域尺度的盆地构造反转、结晶基底与上覆盖层共同卷入变形的厚皮式逆冲构造,具有变形局部化特征。因为流变学分层特征不同,大陆板内变形可以发生在中上部地壳、整个地壳乃至岩石圈尺度上,表现为不同波长的地壳或岩石圈尺度纵弯弯曲。大陆岩石圈板块内部物质组成与结构的不均一性、流体活动、热作用、克拉通内盆地巨厚沉积产生的覆盖效应、地壳加厚等导致的岩石圈强度的局部降低等,是导致大陆板内变形以及应变局部化的原因。构造活化是大陆板内变形的重要方式。板块俯冲或碰撞远程效应被认为是大陆板内变形的主导动力学模型,但是放射性元素积累导致的岩石圈强度热弱化,或大陆冰川消退触发板内应力状态变化等导致大陆板内变形的动力学模型也应该引起关注。     

The influence of Late Cretaceous synsedimentary deformation on the Cenozoic structuration of the middle Adriatic,Croatia

The primordially structural-lithofacial relationships in the Adriatic Carbonate Platform (AdCP) of Croatia were formed by a Late Cretaceous synsedimentary tectonics. During Cenomanian, an extensional tectonic regime differentiated AdCP into several kilometres large paleoenvironmental segments which behaved as individual depocenteres. The latest Cenomanian and earliest Turonian were tectonically relatively quiet periods during which sediments only recorded a relative sea-level rise. Compression commenced during the middle Santonian and formed first (NW-SE) gentle folds in the frontal part of the Split-Dubrovnik thrust. These folds had amplitudes of tens to hundreds of metres and are up to ten kilometres in strike. The apical parts of the anticlines were dominated by shallow-marine deposition with short emergences simultaneously, slope deposition of pelagic sediments took place in the synclines. By the end of the Campanian, compression weakened and younger sediments infilled former depressions while the deposition ended in the Adriatic hinterland of Croatia. During the Maastrichtian the compression recommenced and the index of older folds increased while new folds and reverse faults were formed. Such deformations created a differentiated morphology at the surface subsequently overlaid by Palaeogene sediments. Clastic sediments accumulated indeed in this paleodepression during the Palaeogene and Miocene–Quaternary, forming favourable structural conditions for hydrocarbon generation.     

Soft‐sediment deformation structures in a Pleistocene glaciolacustrine delta and their implications for the recognition of subenvironments in delta deposits

The development of soft‐sediment deformation structures in clastic sediments is now reasonably well‐understood but their development in various deltaic subenvironments is not. A sedimentological analysis of a Pleistocene (ca 13·1 to 15 ¹⁰Be ka) Gilbert‐type glaciolacustine delta with gravity‐induced slides and slumps in the Mosty‐Danowo tunnel valley (north‐western Poland) provides more insight, because the various soft‐sediment deformation structures in these deposits were considered in the context of their specific deltaic subenvironment. The sediments show three main groups of soft‐sediment deformation structures in layers between undeformed sediments. The first group consists of deformed cross‐bedding (inclined, overturned, recumbent, complex and sheath folds), large‐scale folds (recumbent and sheath folds) and pillows forming plastic deformations. The second group comprises pillar structures (isolated and stress), clastic dykes with sand volcanoes and clastic megadykes as examples of water‐escape structures. The third group consists of faults (normal and reverse) and extensional fissures (small fissures and neptunian dykes). Some of the deformations developed shortly after deposition of the deformed sediment, other structures developed later. This development must be ascribed to hydroplastic movement in a quasi‐solid state, and due to fluidization and liquefaction of the rapidly deposited, water‐saturated deltaic sediments. The various types of deformations were triggered by: (i) a high sedimentation rate; (ii) erosion (by wave action or meltwater currents); and (iii) ice‐sheet loading and seasonal changes in the ablation rate. Analysis of these triggers, in combination with the deformational mechanisms, have resulted – on the basis of the spatial distribution of the various types of soft‐sediment deformation structures in the delta under study – in a model for the development of soft‐sediment deformation structures in the topsets, foresets and bottomsets of deltas. This analysis not only increases the understanding of the deformation processes in both modern and ancient deltaic settings but also helps to distinguish between the various subenvironments in ancient deltaic deposits.     

Relative sea level fluctuations in aegean coastal areas from middle to late holocene

The current study presents and combines data concerning relative sea level fluctuations from six coastal areas in the Aegean Sea, from Thrace to North-Eastern Crete. These data have been derived from analyses and geo-chronologies on coastal sediments obtained from boreholes in coastal lagoons and from beachrock bends. Trends of relative sea level change at the study areas are presented for the last 6000 years and are compared with K. Lambeck's and A. Purcell [1] estimations for the same areas. It is concluded that sea level is rising faster in Skyros and Mykonos-Delos insular complex of Cyclades islands, mainly due to tectonic movements or lithosphere elastic deformations.     

山东青岛地区灵山岛早白垩世碎屑岩锆石U-Pb-Hf同位素特征及其大地构造意义

苏鲁造山带东缘的灵山岛上发育有早白垩世碎屑岩,目前人们对其沉积的精确时代、成因机制和大地构造环境仍然存在着广泛的争议.利用LA-ICP-MS的方法对灵山岛上两套碎屑岩进行了锆石U-Pb测年,并对特征年龄谱中的代表性碎屑锆石进行了Lu-Hf同位素分析.结果表明:（1）碎屑锆石U-Pb测年结果显示,莱阳群法家茔组和青山群八亩地组下部的碎屑岩沉积时代分别为127±3 Ma和128±4 Ma,表明两套碎屑岩都是早白垩世中晚期的沉积产物;（2）灵山岛上两套碎屑岩具有完全相似的年龄谱以及锆石Hf同位素组成,表明发育软沉积变形的粉砂岩、泥岩和上覆的含砾粗砂岩具有相似的物源,并且源区组成较为单一,主要以亲华北的胶北地体为主,其次的物源区为苏鲁造山带;（3）胶莱盆地下白垩统莱阳群和灵山岛下白垩统莱阳群的碎屑锆石年龄谱对比表明,灵山岛上的莱阳群碎屑岩明显不同于胶莱盆地的莱阳群,暗示在早白垩世时,灵山岛上的两套碎屑岩可能受到区域断裂的控制,沉积于一个相对独立的盆地.综合结果表明,灵山岛地区莱阳群法家茔组可能沉积于断陷湖盆的萎缩期,早期的沉积以湖相为主,晚期主要以河流相为主,在此期间遭受到了强烈的火山地震作用,诱发了下部的湖相的砂泥岩发生大规模的滑塌和软沉积变形.      

新构造运动对藏北羌塘盆地油气保存条件的影响

羌塘盆地是一个中—新生代海相残留盆地,泥盆系至侏罗系以海相沉积为主,白垩系至第四系则以陆相沉积为主。分布最广的上三叠统和侏罗系是主要勘探目的层。喜马拉雅运动以来,羌塘盆地的中生代变形格架受到改造。晚白垩世以来至少有过四次强烈活动,走滑、逆冲与伸展三种构造变形形式共存,以逆冲断层和扭压断层占主导,正断层或扭张断层较少分布。断层发育程度是东、西两头强,中间相对较弱,在E89°～E91°中间区块受新构造应力破坏较弱。青藏高原以整体升降为主,羌塘盆地更是相对稳定,其二级夷平面依然平整,位于海拔5200～5300m之间,说明高原在隆升时保持着整体的稳定性。认为羌塘盆地受新生代动力作用的影响不大,仍具有良好的油气勘探潜力。     

The origin of a giant downward directed clastic dyke in a kame (Bełchatów mine,central Poland)

A kame near Czubata Góra in the Pleistocene overburden of the Bełchatów open-cast browncoal mine in central Poland shows several types of deformations. A number of diapirs occur, but also a structure that shows all characteristics of a diapir but consists of sediments that apparently intruded the underlying rather than the overlying sediments. Analysis of this structure shows that it consists of material that was originally deposited as a fine-grained (mainly silty) glacilacustrine sediment. Seismic activity triggered the material to fluidise, resulting in a structureless mass. Part of the fluidised material flowed down into a fissure that had formed in the underlying sediments (probably due to tectonics in the active graben), thus forming a clastic dyke; more of the overlying silty material was later pressed down into a dyke with the shape of a downward directed diapir.     

The record of historic earthquakes in lake sediments of Central Switzerland

Deformation structures in lake sediments in Central Switzerland can be attributed to strong historic earthquakes. The type and spatial distribution of the deformation structures reflect the historically documented macroseismic intensities thus providing a useful calibration tool for paleoseismic investigations in prehistoric lake sediments.The Swiss historical earthquake catalogue shows four moderate to strong earthquakes with moment magnitudes of M_w=5.7 to M_w=6.9 and epicentral intensities of I₀=VII to I₀=IX that affected the area of Central Switzerland during the last 1000 years. These are the 1964 Alpnach, 1774 Altdorf, 1601 Unterwalden, and 1356 Basel earthquakes. In order to understand the effect of these earthquakes on lacustrine sediments, four lakes in Central Switzerland (Sarner See, Lungerer See, Baldegger See, and Seelisberg Seeli) were investigated using high-resolution seismic data and sediment cores. The sediments consist of organic- and carbonate-rich clayey to sandy silts that display fine bedding on the centimeter to millimeter scale. The sediments are dated by historic climate and environmental records, ¹³⁷Cs activity, and radiocarbon ages. Deformation structures occur within distinct zones and include large-scale slumps and rockfalls, as well as small-scale features like disturbed and contorted lamination and liquefaction structures. These deformations are attributed to three of the abovementioned earthquakes. The spatial distribution of deformation structures in the different lakes clearly reflects the historical macroseismic dataset: Lake sediments are only affected if they are situated within an area that underwent groundshaking not smaller than intensity VI to VII. We estimate earthquake size by relating the epicentral distance of the farthest liquefaction structure to earthquake magnitude. This relationship is in agreement with earthquake size estimations based on the historical dataset.     

中国大陆早古生代构造演化

中国大陆早古生代(中寒武世—早泥盆世)构造期以发生一系列各具特征、分布局限、准同时的构造事件为特征。它们与苏格兰—阿帕拉契亚的加里东事件完全不同,在中国大陆出现了西域板块完成拼合,华夏板块构成统一结晶基底,南扬子板块广泛发育板内褶皱,此时还形成了阿尔泰—额尔古纳碰撞带等重要构造事件,而以中朝和北扬子板块为代表的其他板块则主要表现为稳定沉积,地块运移,并呈离散状态。阿尔泰—额尔古纳带、西域板块、华夏板块以及南扬子板块存在板块汇聚、碰撞或地壳缩短的特征,而中朝、北扬子、羌塘、冈底斯、喜马拉雅等地块则以稳定、离散为主要特征。绝大多数板块基本上保持孤立和离散的状态,这是早古生代中国大陆各个地块构造演化特征截然不同的主要原因。     

Geologic structure of central and northwestern regions of the Russian Platform

Paleotectonic reconstructions of the structural evolution of pre-Devonian sediments in the test area as geophysically-geologically indicated, including subsidence, uplift, warping, and other deformations, show in places, definite relationships between the pre-Devonian topography and the topography of the underlying crystalline base. Local variation in density, composition, and inner structures of the base may have its expression in the sedimentary topography and structure. — IGR Staff.     

Push moraines in the upper valley of Santa Cruz river,southwest Argentina. Structural analysis and relationship with Late Pleistocene paleoclimate

The upper cliff of the Santa Cruz River was used to assess the proglacial environments of the Argentino Glacier outlet of Late Pleistocene age. These cliffs show glaciolacustrine, fluvioglacial and till deposits, where only the first one are deformed. Glacial landforms in the area and these structures suggest that the ice mass advanced, topographically controlled, towards the east from the Patagonian Ice Sheet pushing up the proglacial sediments.The spatial arrangement of thrusts and overturned folds, the drumlins-flutes moraine directions and the end moraines shape, allow inferring the dynamic and the Argentino glacier profile. Detailed analyses of the glaciotectonic structures indicate that these have two origins: load in the north with stress transfer to the southeast, and push from the west. Through the analysis of deformed sediments, their thickness and their sedimentary and structural features, three zones of deformations were recognized. Each of these zones was associated to glacial advances because of changes of the regional climate conditions.     

Do soft sediment deformations in the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic of the UK record seismic activity during the break-up of Pangea?

The lagoonal and shallow marine sediments of the Penarth Group in the UK span the Triassic–Jurassic boundary. These sediments contain several disturbed levels with soft sediment deformations (SSDs), such as synsedimentary faults, injective domes, recumbent folds and slumps that are recognised in most basins from SW England and South Wales to NW Northern Ireland. Field observations, notably the close link of the SSDs to active faults, attest an earthquake origin of the SSDs. Fluids, faults, overpressure and lithology guided the style of the SSDs and their distribution in the sedimentary sections. Analysis of the directional data relating to SSDs in each disturbed level shows preferred orientations of deformation, which correspond to the local state of stress at the time. We favour a series of earthquakes, rather than a single mega-event as a trigger of the observed features. The active local extensional tectonic context was driven by the opening of the Permo-Triassic basins in Western Europe. The data from the SSDs in the UK suggest the development of a multi-directional, mosaic-style extensional context to occur during this early phase of the break-up of Pangea. Our integrated tectonic/sedimentary study suggests that directional data from faults, injective domes, recumbent folds and slumps preserved in sediments are reliable to reconstruct past seismic activity and basin geodynamics.     

Evaluation of soft sediment deformation structures along the Fethiye–Burdur Fault Zone,SW Turkey

Burdur city is located on lacustrine sedimentary deposits at the northeastern end of the Fethiye–Burdur Fault Zone (FBFZ) in SW Turkey. Fault steps were formed in response to vertical displacement along normal fault zones in these deposits. Soft sediment deformation structures were identified at five sites in lacustrine sediments located on both sides of the FBFZ. The deformed sediments are composed of unconsolidated alternations of sands, silts and clay layers and show different morphological types. The soft sediment deformation structures include load structures, flame structures, slumps, dykes, neptunian dykes, drops and pseudonodules, intercalated layers, ball and pillow structures, minor faults and water escape structures of varying geometry and dimension. These structures are a direct response to fluid escape during liquefaction and fluidization mechanism. The driving forces inferred include gravitational instabilities and hydraulic processes. Geological, tectonic, mineralogical investigations and age analysis were carried out to identify the cause for these soft sediment deformations. OSL dating indicated an age ranging from 15161±744 to 17434±896 years for the soft sediment deformation structures. Geological investigations of the soft sediment deformation structures and tectonic history of the basin indicate that the main factor for deformation is past seismic activity.     

Peperite occurrence and its implications on origin and temporal development of the Proterozoic Dhala basin,Mohar area,Shivpuri district,Madhya Pradesh

In the western part of Bundelkhand massif, a caldera with intra-caldera sediments, known as Dhala Formation, occurs as an outlier in and around Mohar village of Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh. For the first time, occurrence of peperite is being reported from the basal part of the Dhala sediment. Two types of peperites have been recognized: blocky and fluidal or globular with variable morphology. In peperitic zones, features like soft sediment deformations, presence of sediment into the rhyolite along cracks, vesiculation of the sediments and other evidences suggestive of sediment fluidization are some definite characteristics of interaction of hot magma with wet sediments forming peperite. The occurrence of peperites reflects the contemporaniety of deposition of the Dhala sediments and volcanism, which is well in accordance to the volcanic origin of Dhala structure. Further, the nature of unconformity between the Dhala and overlying Kaimur which is characterized by merely a few centimeter thick pebbly/conglomeratic bed does not appear to represent a large hiatus as expected between the Semri and Kaimur of Vindhyan Supergroup. So, the contemporaniety of the Dhala Formation (at least the lower part) as reflected by occurrence of peperites, coupled with the available age of the rhyolite and the nature of the unconformity between the Dhala and overlying Kaimur provide convincing evidence to correlate the Dhala Formation with the Lower part of the Kaimur and unlikely with the Semri Group or Bijawar as proposed earlier.     

燕辽裂陷槽中元古代古地震与古地理

位于中朝板块北部的燕辽裂陷槽是中元古代板内裂解的产物。中元古代的伸展裂解构造诱发强地震。中元古代长城系（1800-1400 Ma）的串岭沟组、高于庄组及蓟县系的雾迷山组（1200 Ma）中保留有丰富的地震灾变事件记录：各种软沉积物液化变形,如液化砂岩脉; 碳酸盐岩中的泥亮晶脉、灰岩墙、液化角砾岩、水塑性变形、各种卷曲构造、环形层、层内粒序断层以及碳酸盐岩成岩初期的脆性变形。这些地震成因的变形构造与同沉积断裂相伴生。依据地震记录,中朝板块北部地区中元古代经历两次板内裂解,即1800-1400 Ma之间与1200 Ma,200 Ma的裂解导致燕辽裂陷槽的最终形成。燕辽裂陷槽中元古代的古地理格局与两次板内裂解相联系,古海盆的范围、盆地的边界、岩相带均受同时期断裂-地震控制。燕辽裂陷槽的古地理环境是一个深部物质活跃、断裂火山活动剧烈和地震频繁的构造带。     

Glaciotectonic deformation during the Elsterian ice-sheet advance at the northeastern margin of the Sudetic Foreland, SW Poland

The glaciotectonic deformations near the northeastern margin of the Sudetic Foreland, SW Poland. were formed during one glacial episode. They are relatively small and are truncated. Deformation structures have no recognizable relationship to the thick Neogene clay in the basement; they have variable relations to the morphology and indicate transverse to opposite directions of the glacial push in very small areas within a distance of 2 to 5 km. This suggests an unusual deformational history. Deformations have probably been created due to sliearing en masse of the anisotropic sediments and during the ice-sheet advance. Deformation structures have been formed a few kilometres ahead of the curved ice margin, which created 'glaciotectonic hills' with strongly differentiated orientations of thrust structures and folds.