New Advances in the Study of the Devonian-Carboniferous Boundary Stratotype in Muhua,Changshun,Guizhou——An Introduction to the Daposhang Devonian-Carboniferous Boundary Section

The Daposhang section at Muhua, Changshun. Guizhou. is an excellent and attractive DevonianCarboniferous boundary section. The transitional beds between the Devonian and Carboniferous of the sectionare continuous and well exposed. belonging to the deep-water basin facies Abundant fossil groups have beendiscovered from this section: conodonts. ammonoids. trilobites. ostracods. vertebrate microfossils and so on.So far as known. it has the most continuous and complete conodont zonation for the Devonian-Carboniferousboundary beds in the world. It is especially worth pointing out that both typical Siponodella pracsulcata andthe transitional forms between S. praesulcata and S. sulcata have been found from the upper pracsulcata Zoneof the Daposhang section. Evidently. we can not only prove the actual existence of the evolutionary lineagefrom S. praesulcata to S. sulcata, but also exactly define the level of the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary. Inthis paper. the development of the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary beds at the Daposhang section is dealtwith and the section is compared with the Muhua section and the Nanbiancun section which are the candidatesfor the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary stratotype. In the authous opinion the Daposhang section is obvi-ously better than the Muhua and the Nanbiancun sections. hence it can be recommended as one of the candi-dates for the international Devonian-Carboniferous boundary stratotype.     

Anatexis at 700 to 1000 MPa in the aureole of the Marcy anorthosite, Adirondack Highlands, New York

High temperature (>900 °C) metamorphism affected the New Russia gneiss complex in the aureole of the Marcy anorthosite, Adirondack Highlands, New York. Dehydration melting of pargasitic hornblende and plagioclase in metagabbro during contact metamorphism produced garnet among other phases, an indicator that pressure exceeded 700 MPa during anatexis. Partial melting also occurred in mangerite and charnockite. Minerals that equilibrated during melting yield barometric estimates of 970 ± 100 MPa (garnet–orthopyroxene–plagioclase–quartz in metagabbro and mangerite) and 735 ± 100 and 985 ± 100 MPa (garnet–hornblende–plagioclase–quartz, metagabbro and mangerite, respectively). From these results we infer that the Marcy anorthosite was emplaced at a depth of at least 23 km and probably near 32 km. Received: 9 February 2000 / Accepted: 4 April 2000     

Fault tectonics,neotectonic stresses,and hidden uranium mineralization in the area adjacent to the Strel’tsovka Caldera

The scheme of recent fault tectonics and neotectonic stresses of the area adjacent to the Strel’tsovka Caldera in the southeastern Transbaikal region has been compiled for the first time on the basis of structural and geomorphic study. The faults were ranked by criteria of slip direction stability along separate segments and their expression in topography. Neotectonic stresses of corresponding ranks were ascertained as well. The heterogeneity of neotectonic stress field is related to the mosaic development of compression, extension, and the three-axial stress state. Comparison of morphogenetic features of recent and older faults shows the different character of the deformation mechanism and orientation of tectonic displacements. It has been established that the Strel’tsovka Caldera and its northwestern segment, in particular, developed as an echeloned system of pull-apart grabens, but the caldera itself is situated in a recent rise, whereas the northwestern segment is located in a neotectonic depression corresponding to the Dry Urulyungui Basin filled with volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Such a structure markedly expands the outlook for discovery of hidden uranium mineralization in the studied area. The elaborated scheme of neotectonic faults and stresses reflects the postore geodynamic setting and completes the reconstruction of geodynamic conditions pertaining to the periods of preore preparation and ore-forming tectonomagmatic reactivation.     

The basement complexes in Italy, with special regards to those exposed in the Alps： a review

Most of the sedimentary rocks occurring in Italy are post-Carboniferous. All what lies below is considered basement, mostly metamorphic or igneous. Understand-ing the pre-Carboniferous evolution depends on the reconstruction of the sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous evolution of the basement. In general, the base-ment sedimentary protoliths were Lower to Middle Pale-ozoic siliciclastic rocks, while the igneous protolithsbelong to an Ordovician cycle. The prevailing metamor-phism,from very-low grade to granulite facies, is Variscan. It was followed by the formation of large amounts of granitic melts.     

Middle to Late Devonian basin evolution in the Rügen area,NE Germany

The Middle to lower Upper Devonian succession of the Rügen Depression in NE Germany consists of largely clastic sediments, whereas the Upper Devonian deposits are mixed carbonate and clastic. Petrographic and geochemical data suggest that the sediments were deposited in a cratonic or recycled setting. Deposition was largely confined to a fault-bounded basin, located between two structural highs. During the Devonian, the Rügen area underwent evolution from a continental and marginal marine area during the Eifelian-early Frasnian to a deeper marine environment during the late Frasnian-early Famennian. By the latest Famennian, an open-shelf carbonate-facies environment was established.     

Circulation and mixing due to tidal forcing in the Bertioga Channel, São Paulo, Brazil

Bertioga Channel is a partially mixed (type 2) tidal estuary on the coastal plain of São Paulo, Brazil. Hourly current and salinity measurements during neap and spring tides in July 1991 yielded information about the physical structure of the system. Peak along-channel velocities varied from 40 cm s^?1 to 60 cm s^?1 during flood tides and from 70 cm s^?1 to 100 cm s^?1 during ebb tides. Net vertical velocity profiles indicate that the net current reverses directions at a depth of 2.5–3.0 m in the halocline. Due to appreciable fortnightly tidal modulation, the estuary alternates from being highly stratified (type 2b) during neap tides, with advection and diffusion contributing equally to the net upstream salt flux, to being moderately stratified (type 2a) during spring tides, when 90% of the net upstream salt transport is the result of effective tidal diffusion. Decomposition of the salt flux indicates that the relative contribution to the upstream salt transport by gravitational circulation shear is greater than the oscillatory tidal flux by a factor of 2.6 during neap tides. The oscillatory tidal flux is generated by the correlation of the tidal components of the u-velocity and salinity and is responsible for approximately the same amount of upstream salt transport, during neap and spring tides. However, during spring tides, this oscillatory term is greater than the other salt flux terms by a factor of 1.4. The total salt transport, through a unit width of the section perpendicular to the flow, was within 2% of the sum of the seven major decomposed, advective and dispersive terms. On the assumption that the Bertioga Channel is laterally homogeneous, the results also indicate that the estuary is not in steady state with respect to salt flux.     

Selenium in soil,grain, human hair and drinking water in relation to esophageal cancer in the Cixian area,Hebei Province,People’s Republic of China

Selenium deficiency was suspected to be a factor in the aetiology of esophageal cancer in the Linxian and Cixian regions of the People’s Republic of China and vitamin trials in the Linxian area indicated that combined supplementation with β-carotene, vitamin E and Se reduced the mortality rate. In order to further evaluate the role of Se, the distribution of total Se in cultivated topsoils, grain, human hair and drinking water was studied in 15 villages in the Cixian area, People’s Republic of China, which in the 1980–1990s had one of the highest mortality rates from esophageal cancer in the world. This study demonstrated that total Se concentrations in drinking water, soil, grain and hair increase from the low esophageal cancer area to the high cancer area, contrary to the expected trend. This suggests that Se deficiency does not play a major role in the aetiology of esophageal cancer in the study area. Nitrate in drinking water is much higher in the area with high esophageal cancer mortality rate than in the low mortality rate area, and this may be a significant factor. Mycotoxins (especially fumonisin), nitrosamine and nitrosamine precursors in grain, ${\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}$ in drinking water, and dietary β-carotene and Vitamin E remain as potential factors which need to be evaluated further.     

Mg, Al and F transfer features from granite to soil and to tea in the Three-Gorges Dam region from 2003 to 2006

Taipingxi, Yichang, Hubei province, China, is situated on the left of the Three-Gorges Dam of the Yangtze River. The bedrock is granite. Yhe Three-Gorges Project began to sluice in June, 2004. The contents of magnesium, aluminum and fluoride in rock and s…     

Subduction-related mafic to felsic magmatism in the Malayer–Boroujerd plutonic complex,western Iran

The Malayer–Boroujerd plutonic complex (MBPC) in western Iran, consists of a portion of a magmatic arc built by the northeast verging subduction of the Neo-Tethys plate beneath the Central Iranian Microcontinent (CIMC). Middle Jurassic-aged felsic magmatic activity in MBPC is manifested by I-type and S-type granites. The mafic rocks include gabbroic intrusions and dykes and intermediate rocks are dioritic dykes and minor intrusions, as well as mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs). MBPC Jurassic-aged rocks exhibit arc-like geochemical signatures, as they are LILE- and LREE-enriched and HFSE- and HREE-depleted and display negative Nb–Ta anomalies. The gabbro dykes and intrusions originated from metasomatically enriched garnet-spinel lherzolite [Degree of melting (f_mel) ~ 15%] and exhibit negative Nd and positive to slightly negative ε_Hf(T) (+ 3.0 to ? 1.6). The data reveal that evolution of Middle Jurassic magmatism occurred in two stages: (1) deep mantle-crust interplay zone and (2) the shallow level upper crustal magma chamber. The geochemical and isotopic data, as well as trace element modeling, indicate the parent magma for the MBPC S-type granites are products of upper crustal greywacke (f_mel: 0.2), while I-type granites formed by partial melting of amphibolitic lower crust (f_mel: 0.25) and mixing with upper crustal greywacke melt in a shallow level magma chamber [Degree of mixing (f_mix): 0.3]. Mixing between andesitic melt leaving behind a refractory dense cumulates during partial crystallization of mantle-derived magma and lower crustal partial melt most likely produced MMEs (f_mix: 0.2). However, enriched and moderately variable ε_Nd(T) (? 3.21 to ? 4.33) and high (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i (0.7085–0.7092) in dioritic intrusions indicate that these magmas are likely experienced assimilation of upper crustal materials. The interpretations of magmatic activity in the MBPC is consistent with the role considered for mantle-derived magma as heat and mass supplier for initiation and evolution of magmatism in continental arc setting, elsewhere.     

Conodonts from the Sesong Slate and Hwajeol Formation (Guzhangian to Furongian) in the Taebaeksan Basin, Korea

Abundant conodont elements have been recovered from the Hwajeol Formation, to allow five zones to be erected: Proconodontus, Eoconodontus notchpeakensis, Cambrooistodus minutus, Cordylodus proavus, and Fryxellodontus inornatus-Monocostodus sevierensis-Semiacontiodus lavadamensis zones, in ascending order. More confident biozones are recognized in the Sesong Slate and lower Hwajeol Formation in the Makgol section, a part of the southern limb of the Baekunsan syncline, Taebaeksan Basin, Korea, especially focusing on the conodont biostratigraphic boundary of two units, and the subdivision potential of the previous "Proconodontus Zone", lowermost biozone of the Hwajeol Formation. Similarly, only a few conodont elements recovered from upper 14.5 m interval, namely the Furongian portion of the Sesong Slate, in the Makgol section did not allow erection of a biozone. Nevertheless, this part of the unit plus the basal 2.5 m interval of the Hwajeol Formation is characterized by the occurrence of Prooneotodus rotundatus(Druce and Jones), Teridontus nakamurai(Nogami), Phakelodus elongatus(An) and Phakelodus tenuis Müller. This interval marks the early Furongian "Prooneotodus rotundatus Zone". The rest of the measured section yielded relatively abundant conodonts, so three conodont biozones are proposed, based on the successive appearance of key species: Proconodontus tenuiserratus, Proconodontus posterocostatus, and Proconodontus muelleri zones, in ascending order, and thus allowing subdivision of the previous "Proconodontus Zone". The four conodont biozones are correlated with the relevant biozones of North and South China, and North America.     

Alteration of Syenite in Syenite-Carbonatite Complex with Regards to the REE Mineralization in Dalucao REE Deposit, Sichuan Province

Please refer to the attachment(s) for more details.     

Daily Variation of Natural Emission of Methane to the Atmosphere and Source Identification in the Luntai Fault Region of the Yakela Condensed Oil/Gas Field in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China

The static flux chamber method was applied to study natural emissions of methane to the atmosphere in the Luntai fault region of Yakela Condensed Oil/Gas Field in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Municipality, northwestern China. Using an online method, which couples together a gas chromatography/high-temperature conversion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry （GC/C/MS）, 13^C/12^C ratios of methane in flux chambers were measured and showed that methane gases are liable to migrate from deep oil/gas reservoirs to the surface through fault regions and that a part of the migrated methane, which remains unoxidized can be emitted into the atmosphere. Methane emission rates were found to be highest in the mornings, lowest in the afternoons and then increase gradually in the evenings. Methane emission rates varied dramatically in different locations in the fault region. The highest methane emission rate was 10.96 mg/m^2·d, the lowest 4.38 mg/m^2, and the average 7.55 mg/ m^2·d. The 13^C/12^C ratios of the methane in the flux chambers became heavier as the enclosed methane concentrations increased gradually, which reveals that methane released from the fault region might come from thermogenic methane of the deep condensed oil/gas reservoir.     

Primary production and fluxes of organic carbon to the seabed in the Eurasian arctic seas, 2003–2012

The primary production and fluxes of organic matter to the seabed and their variations were estimated in the Greenland, Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi seas in 2003–2012 on the basis of satellite and in situ data. When counting the open water area with the assumptions made for the assessment of the primary production in the sea areas hidden under clouds, an increase in primary production was recorded in all these seas, the total production (phytoplankton and ice algae) has grown from 250 × 10⁶ to 400 × 10⁶ t of C per year over the last ten years. The calculation of the OM flux to the seabed showed growth for certain seas from 4 to 12% per year.     

The δ13C excursions spanning the Cambrian explosion to the Canglangpuian mass extinction in the Three Gorges area,South China

A remarkable increase of the animal genera and a subsequent mass extinction in the late Early Cambrian are well known as the “Cambrian explosion” and the “Botomian–Toyonian crisis.” A composite global curve of the carbon isotope ratios for inorganic carbon (δ¹³C_carb) shows multiple fluctuations during the evolution events, and it indicates significant changes of the oceanic carbon cycle at that time. This study reveals a new continuous isotopic chemostratigraphy for inorganic carbon (δ¹³C_carb) from the bottom of the Shipai to the base of the Shilongdong formations in Three Gorges area, South China. This section covers the Canglangpuian to the Longwangmiaoian stages in the Lower Cambrian. The δ¹³C_carb variation exhibits three negative excursions: a remarkably negative excursion down to ca. − 12‰ in the middle Canglangpuian stage, a negative excursion to ca. − 1.0‰ in the upper Canglangpuian stage, and a negative excursion to ca. − 1.0‰ in the Longwangmiaoian stage, respectively. The largest negative δ¹³C_carb excursion and a positive excursion before the excursion are definitely consistent with the δ¹³C_carb negative shift (AECE) during the mass extinction and the δ¹³C_carb positive values (MICE) during the increase of animal genera, respectively. However, the minimum values of the negative shifts among South China, Siberia, and Canada sections are different from each other. The positive δ¹³C_carb excursion at the bottom of the Canglangpuian stage indicates that primary productivities and organic carbon burial were enhanced. A sea level rise in the Qiongzhusian to bottom of the Canglangpuian stages in South China corresponds to the Sinsk transgression event in Siberia and Canada. A eutrophication due to higher continental weathering during the transgression after the long-term retrogression enhanced the high primary production and consequently promoted the significant increase of animal diversity.On the other hand, deposition of laminated black shales without bioturbation signatures and a decline of trilobite diversity are observed during the negative δ¹³C_carb excursion in the Canglangpuian stage, indicating that the shallow water environment became anoxic at that time. The negative δ¹³C_carb shift indicates an influx of abundant ¹²CO₂ due to oxidation of organic carbons in seawater. The difference of the minimum values among sections implies the local difference in size of the organic carbon reservoirs and extent of the degradation of the carbons. The largest δ¹³C anomaly in South China suggests the presence of the largest OCPs due to higher activity of primary production and high degree of oxidation of the OCPs because of higher activity of animals. The coincidence of the timing of the negative δ¹³C excursions in the Canglangpuian stage among the sections indicates a global event, and suggests that the onset was caused by increase of oxygen contents of seawater and atmosphere. Abundant oxygen yielded by the increased primary productivity in the Atdabanian and the Qiongzhusian stages caused onset of the oxidation of OCP, and possibly led to the shallow water anoxia and the mass extinction of benthic animals in the Botomian and the Canglangpuian stage.