Late Mesozoic tectonostratigraphic division and correlation of the Bohai Bay basin: Implications for the Yanshanian Orogeny

We present the results of Mesozoic sequences of the Bohai Bay basin in North China, based mainly on geochronology and interpretations of seismic profiles and logging data. Five tectono-stratigraphic sequences are defined: Lower-Middle Triassic, Lower-Middle Jurassic, Upper Jurassic, Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous. Based on an analysis of detrital zircons, the clastic rocks recorded two intervals of Jurassic magmatic activity, during 180–175 and 160–152 Ma, which can be correlated to the Nandaling and Tiaojishan Formations in the Yanshan area, respectively. However, since Jurassic volcanic rocks have not yet been found in the Bohai Bay basin, we speculate that these two stages of activity were mainly concentrated around the periphery of the North China Craton(NCC) rather than within. Based on an analysis of zircons from volcanic rocks and pyroclastics, the early Cretaceous magmatism in the Bohai Bay basin can be divided into two stages, 125–120 and 110–100 Ma,which can be correlated to magmatism in the eastern part of the NCC. The zircon ages indicate an absence of volcanic activity during the late Tuchengzi and Zhangjiakou periods which may correlate to the uplift of the Bohai Bay basin in the late Late Jurassic. Comparison of the development of Mesozoic basins and sedimentary strata in the central-eastern part of Yanshan tectonic belt and the the Bohai Bay basin indicates that the two areas are generally comparable, but with substantial differences.The central-eastern part of the Yanshan structural belt lacks Early-Middle Triassic strata, and the Bohai Bay basin lacks late Jurassic-early Cretaceous strata. Based on research results from late Mesozoic sedimentary structures in the central and eastern parts of the Yanshan tectonic belt, we infer that episode A of the Yanshanian Orogeny was weak in the Bohai Bay basin and its periphery, while episode B of the Yanshanian Orogeny had a strong influence on the Bohai Bay basin and its periphery. The available data reveal differences in the expression of these episodes: the Bohai Bay basin is characterized by vertical uplift, and the northern margin of NCC is characterized by horizontal compression uplift.     

Crustal electric structure of Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region in the northeastern margin of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China

Through the analysis and 2-D inversion for the 5 profiles in Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region (105°～107°E,36°～37.5°N) in the northeastern margin of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, we have obtained the electric structure within a range of 160 km in width (east-west) and 60 km in depth in the studied area. The results show that the crustal electric structure can be divided into 6 sections, corresponding respectively to Xiji basin (Ⅰ), Xihuashan-Nanhuashan uplift (Ⅱ), Xingrenbu-Haiyuan basin (Ⅲ), Zhongwei-Qingshuihe basin (Ⅳ), Zhongning-Hongsibu basin (Ⅴ) and west-margin zone of Ordos (Ⅵ) from the southwest to the northeast. The crustal electric structure is characterized by a broom-shaped pattern, which scatters to the northwest and shrinks to the southeast. The structures in the top part of Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region are complete and large, however, they diminish from the arc top to the northwest and southeast ends. In the depth from 0 km to 10 km, the resistivity is high in the sections Ⅱ and Ⅵ, but relatively low in the other four sections, showing a similar pattern of basin depression. The electrical basement in the section Ⅲ is the deepest, displaying a "dustpan" shape that is deep in the southwest and shallow in the northeast. A series of discontinuous zones with high conductivity exist in the middle-lower crust in Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region, which is possibly related to the moderate and strong earthquakes in the region. The resistivity distribution in the focal area of the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake is significantly heterogeneous with an obviously high conductivity zone near the hypocenter regime.     

Mechanisms of Cenozoic deformation in the Bohai Basin, Northeast China: Physical modelling and discussions

The Bohai Basin is a petroliferous Cenozoic basin in northeast China (Fig. 1(a)) and has apparent geo- metrical and kinematic similarities with the other Meso-Cenozoic extensional basins located along the eastern margin of the Eurasian Plate[1,2]. Its architec- ture and Cenozoic stratigraphy have been well under- stood from several decades of petroleum exploration. Previous studies have suggested that the Bohai Basinis a typical extensional basin and has two tectonic evolution phases, rift…     

Structural architecture of Neoproterozoic rifting depression groups in the Tarim Basin and their formation dynamics

The Tarim Basin is the largest, oil-bearing, superimposed basin in the northwest of China. The evolution and tectonic properties of the initial Tarim Basin have been hotly disputed and remain enigmatic. The Neoproterozoic basin is covered by a vast desert and a huge-thickness of sedimentary strata, has experienced multiple tectonic movements, had a low signal to noise ratios(SNRs) of deep seismic reflection data, all of which have posed critical obstacles to research. We analysed four field outcrops, 18 wells distributed throughout the basin, 27 reprocessed seismic reflection profiles with higher SNRs across the basin and many ancillary local 2D and 3D profiles and aeromagnetic data. We found about 20 normal fault-controlled rifting depressions of the Cryogenian and Ediacaran scattered throughout the basin, which developed on the Precambrian metamorphic and crystalline basement. The structural framework is clearly different from that of the overlying Phanerozoic. The rifting depressions consist of mainly half grabens, symmetrical troughs and horst-grabens. From the northeast to southwest of the basin,they are divided into three rifting depression groups with the WNW, ENE, and NW-trends that are mainly controlled by normal faults. The maximum thicknesses of the strata are up to 4100 m. From the Cryogenian to Ediacaran, most of the main inherited faults to active and eventually ceased at the end of the Ediacaran or Early Cambrian, while subsidence centres appeared and migrated eastward along the faults. They revealed that the different parts of the Tarim continental block were in NNE-SSWoriented and NNW-SSE-oriented extensional paleo-stress fields(relative to the present) during the Neoproterozoic, and were accompanied by clockwise shearing. According to the analysis of the activities of syn-sedimentary faults, filling sediments,magmatic events, and coordination with aeromagnetic anomalies, the tectonic properties of the fault depressions are different and are primarily continental rifts or intra-continental fault-controlled basins. The rifting phases mainly occurred from 0.8–0.61 Ga.The formation of the rifting depression was associated with the initial opening of the South Altun-West Kunlun Ocean and the South Tianshan Ocean, which were located at the northern and southern margins of the Tarim Block, respectively, in response to the break-up of the Supercontinent Rodinia and the initial opening of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.     

Wave coupling between the Tianshan orogen and the deformations in its south and north foreland basins in Cenozoic

Attention has been paid to the deformations in the south and north foreland basins of the Tianshan Mountains and their relations to the tectonic movements of the mountains. Based on the seismic data interpretation and field work,the tectonic features,tectonic styles,controlling factors of deformation,deformation time,and their relationships in the three tectonic units were comparably studied. The Ce-nozoic deformations in the two foreland basins were characterized by zonation from south to north,segmentation from west to east,and layering from deep to shallow. The tectonic styles are compres-sive ones,including both basement-involved and cover-detaching. The two foreland basins underwent several times of deformation in Cenozoic and the deformations were transmitted from the Tianshan orogen to the inner basin. The deformation dynamics of the south and north foreland basins of the Tianshan Mountains can be represented by dynamics of orogenic wedges. In terms of the deformations of the wedges with wave-like features,the concept of a wave orogenic wedge was put forward,and a double wave orogenic wedge model was established.     

基于背景噪声的宁夏及邻区瑞利波层析成像

In this article,the vertical components of the continuous waveform data of 90 seismic stations in Ningxia and its adjacent regions recorded from January 2012 to December 2013 are used to obtain the Rayleigh surface wave group velocity dispersion images in the study area( 101°- 112°E,31°-42°N) according to the method of noise imaging,with period between 6s - 50s and resolution of 0.5°. The Yinchuan basin in the 6s - 26 s period obviously shows a low velocity anomaly,which is not uniform and has a tendency to gradually weaken; the Guanzhong Basin in 6 s-22s shows a strip of low velocity anomaly and demonstrates a transverse inhomogeneity,where velocity in the southeast is slightly faster than that in the northwest. In the 30s - 50s period it shows that in the Yinchuan graben basin and its southern area,there is a large low velocity anomaly area,which moves from northeast to southwest. It shows that between the main active tectonic zones,like mountains and basins,there are obvious geomorphologic boundaries. For example,the deep fault near Liupan Mountain is the dividing line between two large tectonic units of eastern and western of China. The inversion results have good correlation with the geological structure and the stratigraphic landform. The results are consistent with the results of artificial seismic section tomography across the basin. It provides an important basis for the dynamics of active tectonic zones and the mechanism of earthquake occurrence in this area.     

The P-wave velocity structure of the lithosphere of the North China Craton——Results from the Wendeng-Alxa Left Banner deep seismic sounding profile

For the first time on the Chinese mainland, long-range wide-angle seismic reflection/refraction profiling technology has been applied to seismic wave phases from different depths and with different attributes within the various blocks of the North China Craton to characterize the structure of the crust and upper mantle lithosphere. By comparative analysis of the seismic wave phase characteristics in each block across a 1500-km-long east-west profile, we have identified conventional Pg, Pci, PmP and Pn phases in the crust, made a clear contrast between PL1 and PL2 waves belonging to two groups of lithospheric-scale phases, and produced a model of crust-mantle velocity structures and tectonic characteristics after one- and two-dimensional calculations and processing. The results show that the thickness of the crust and lithosphere gradually deepens from east to west along the profile. However, at the reflection/refraction interface, seismic waves in each group show obvious localized changes in each block. Also, the depth to the crystalline basement changes greatly, from as much as 7.8 km in the North China fault basin to only about 2 km beneath the Jiaodong Peninsula and Taihang-Lüliang area. The Moho morphology as a whole ranges from shallow in the east to deep in the west, with the deepest point in the Ordos Block at 47 km; in contrast, the North China Plain Block is uplifting. The L1 interface of the lithosphere is observed only to the west of Taihang Mountains, at a relatively slowly changing depth of about 80 km. The L2 interface varies from 75 to 160 km and shows a sharp deepening to the west of Taihang Mountains, forming a mutation belt.     

Structure of the Crust and Upper Mantle Beneath the Zhangbei-Shangyi Earthquake Area and Its Surroundings

The study of deep-seated structure in the Zhangbei-Shangyi earthquake area and its surroundings indicates that in comparison with the Shanxi rift system, the North China rifted basin, the Yanshanian fold belt on both sides, and the Zhangjiakou-Penglai tectonic belt have lower resistivity, and a distinctly different velocity interface in the crust and depth distribution of Moho discontinuity. The Yanqing- Huai'lai basin bisects the Zhangjiakou-Penglai tectonic belt into two segments, the northwestern and the southeastern segments. The latest magnetotelluric sounding and investigation indicate that the electrical structure within the Zhangbei-Shangyi earthquake area is different to a certain degree from that in its surroundings. There exists a nearly NNW-trending structure in the crust. The main shock and most aftershocks occurred above the low-resistivity zone in the crust.     

Crustal seismic anisotropy in southeastern Capital area, China

Shear-wave splitting parameters of 24 stations in southeastern Capital area of North China (38.5°N~39.85°N, 115.5°E ~118.5°E) are obtained with systematic analysis method of shear-wave splitting (SAM) based on the data recorded by Capital Area Seismograph Network (CASN) from 2002 to 2005. The results show that the average polarization of fast shear-wave in southeastern Capital area is consistent with regional maximum horizontal prin- cipal compressive stress in the area, and is also consistent with maximum horizontal principal compressive strain from GPS in North China. The average shear-wave splitting in southeastern Capital area (in basin) is different from that in northwestern Capital area where uplifts and basin exist, which means that tectonics can be related to shear-wave splitting results. Research also shows that the distribution of faults around stations can obviously affect the shear-wave splitting results, and complicated distribution of faults can result in much more scatter of shear-wave splitting. Moreover, in the north and south of the studied area (southeastern Capital area), the polariza- tions of fast shear-wave are not very consistent, which may be related to differences in tectonic and stress for the two areas.     

Mercury concentration in natural gas and its distribution in the Tarim Basin

Here I collected natural gas samples from 41 industrial gas wells in the Tarim Basin,and studied the mercury distribution in the area.My data show that there is certain regularity in the distribution of mercury in the Tarim Basin.Generally,the mercury concentration is high at the edge of the basin and low in the central basin.The highest mercury concentration occurs in the Southwest Depression,ranging from 15428.5 to 296763.0ng/m3 with an average of 156095.7ng/m3,followed by the Kuqa Depression ranging from 15.0 to 56964.3ng/m3 with an average of 11793.7ng/m3,and the Hade oil and gas field in the North Depression has the lowest mercury concentration ranging from 17.7 to 3339.5ng/m3 with an average of 1678.6ng/m3.The mercury concentrations in the natural gases of different structural units are various,with the highest mercury concentration in the zone of strong structural activity of Southwest Depression.It is profitable of Hg accumulation in the self sourced and self accumulated gas reservoirs or volcanic existence;in contrast,the low Hg concentration exists in the secondary gas reservoir.The mercury concentration in the natural gas generated under continental depositional environment is higher than that in marine gas.Therefore,the mercury concentration in the natural gases is constrained by gas genesis,depositional environment of source rocks,tectonic activity,and volcanic activity,and the tectonic activity is the main factor for the mercury concentration in the natural gas,followed by volcanic activity and depositional environments.     

Controls of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous tectonic event on source rocks and seals in marine sequences,South China

Thermal evolution of source rocks and dynamic sealing evolution of cap rocks are both subjected to tectonic evolution.The marine sequences in South China have experienced superposed structural deformation from multiple tectonic events.To investigate the effectiveness of preservation conditions,it is of great importance to understand the controls of key tectonic events on the dynamic evolution of cap rocks.This paper discusses the controls of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous(J3-K1) tectonic event on source and cap rocks in marine sequences in South China based on the relationships between J3-K1 tectonic event and the burial history types of the marine sequences,the hydrocarbon generation processes of marine source rocks,the sealing evolution of cap rocks,the preservation of hydrocarbon accumulations,and the destruction of paleo-oil pools.The study has the following findings.In the continuously subsiding and deeply buried areas during the J3-K1 period,marine source rocks had been generating hydrocarbons for over a long period of time and hydrocarbon generation ended relatively late.At the same time,the sealing capacity of the overburden cap rocks had been constantly strengthened so that hydrocarbons could be preserved.In the areas which suffered compressional deformation,folding and thrusting,uplifting and denudation in J3-K1,the burial history was characterized by an early uplifting and the hydrocarbon generation by marine source rocks ended(or suspended) during the J3-K1 period.The sealing capacity of the cap rocks was weakened or even vanished.Thus the conditions for preserving the hydrocarbon accumulations were destroyed.The continuously subsiding and deeply buried areas during the J3-K1 period are the strategic precincts of the petroleum exploration in marine sequences in South China.     

Quantitative data about active tectonics and possible locations of strong earthquakes in the future in the northwestern Beijing

Introduction Northwestern Beijing covers the mountainous area from 114~116.5E and 39~41N, which is located at the joint place of the basically E-W trending Yanshan, the NE to NNE-trending Shanxi and the NW-trending ZhangjiakouPenglai active tectonic belts (regions). The long history of development and evolution in tectonics have formed the features of basin-range tectonics and multi-sets of fault systems with different ranges. Generally, they can be divided as NNE-NE, NNW-NW and appr…     

Chronological dating and tectonic implications of late Cenozoic volcanic rocks and lacustrine sequence in Oiyug Basin of southern Tibet

Reconstruction of uplift history of the Tibetan Plateau is crucial for understanding its environmental impacts. The Oiyug Basin in southern Tibet contains multiple periods of sedimentary sequences and volcanic rocks that span much of the Cenozoic and has great potential for further studying this issue. However, these strata were poorly dated. This paper presents a chronological study of the 145 m thick and horizontally-distributed lacustrine sequence using paleomagnetic method as well as a K-Ar dating of the underlying volcanic rocks. Based on these dating results, a chronostratigraphic framework and the basin-developmental history have been established for the past 15 Ma, during which three tectonic stages are identified. The period of 15-8.1 Ma is characterized by intense volcanic activities involving at least three major eruptions. Subsequently, the basin came into a tectonically quiescent period and a lacustrine sedimentary sequence was developed. Around 2.5 Ma, an N-S fault occurred across the southern margin of the basin, leading to the disappearance of the lake environment and the development of the Oiyug River. The Gyirong basin on northern slope of the Himalayas shows a similar basin developmental history and thus there is a good agreement in tectonic activities between the Himalayan and Gangdise orogenic belts. Therefore, the tectonic evolution stages experienced by the Oiyug Basin during the past 15 Ma could have a regional significance for southern Tibet. The chronological data obtained from this study may provide some constraints for further studies with regard to the tectonic processes and environmental changes in southern Tibetan Plateau.     

Cenozoic sedimentary records and geochronological constraints of differential uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Geological mapping data (1:250000) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its adjacent regions reveal the sediment sequences, distribution and tectonic evolution of the 92 Tertiary remnant basins. Southern Tibet and the Yecheng area in Xinjiang, located at southern and northwestern margins of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, respectively, were parts of the Neo-Tethys remnant sea in the Paleogene. In southern Tibet, both the subabyssal and abyssal sequences occur at the Gyangze, Saga, Guoyala, and Sangmai areas. The deep-water facies successions outcrop in the west, whereas the shallow-water facies sequences in the east, indicating the east to the west retreat of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. The retreat of the Neo-Tethys Ocean in the east was contributed to the earlier tectonic uplift of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The uplift process of the Plateau from the Late Cretaceous to Pliocene is described as follows: During the Late Cretaceous, tectonic uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau occurred in the northeastern part and the configuration of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was characterized by rise in the northeast and depression in the west. In the Paleocene-Eocene interval, the Tengchong-Baingoin and Kuyake-Golmud areas experienced local tectonic uplifting, the West Kunlun uplift zone broadened easterly, the Qilian uplift zone broadened southerly, and the Songpan-Garzê uplift zone shrank easterly. The Oligocene configuration of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was characterized by mountain chains rising along its margins and sedimentary basins in the central part because of tectonic uplifts of the Gangdisê and the Himalaya blocks. Meanwhile, the Kunlun-Altyn-Qilian uplift zones have also broadened southerly and northerly. In contrast, the great uplift zones of the Gangdisê, the Himalaya, the Karakorum, and the Kunlun blocks characterize the paleogeographic contours of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the Miocene-Pliocene. Additionally, the thermochronological data on tectonic uplift events in southern Tibet, West Kunlun Mountains, Altyn Tagh, eastern Tibet, and western Sichuan all suggest that the most intense deformation occurred at 13-8 Ma and since 5 Ma, respectively, corresponding to two great uplift periods in Neogene. As a result, turnover of paleogeographic configuration of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau occurred during the Neogene, experiencing a change from high contours in the east in the pre-Oligocene to high contours in the west at the end-Pliocene. The uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the Cenozoic was episodic, and the uplifts of various blocks within the Plateau were spatially and chronologically different.     

Time range of Mesozoic tectonic regime inversion in eastern North China Block

An important tectonic inversion took place in eastern North China Block(NCB) during Mesozoic, which caused a great lithosphere thinning, reconstruction of basin-range series, powerful interaction between mantle and crust, a vast granitic intrusion and volcanism, and large-scale metallogenic explosion. The time range of the Mesozoic tectonic regime inversion in the eastern North China Block is one of the key issues to understand mechanism of tectonic regime inversion. Our updated results for recognizing the time range are mainly obtained from the following aspects: structural analyses along northern and southern margins of the NCB and within the NCB for revealing tectonic inversion from compression to extension and structural striking from -EW to NNE; geothermic analyses of the eastern sedimental basins for a great change of thermal history and regime; basin analysis for basin inversion from compression to extension and basin migration from -EW to NNE; petrological and geochemical studies of volcanic roc     

Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous tectonic switching in Liaodong Peninsula of the North China Craton and the implications for gold mineralisation

Constraining the processes of deformation during tectonic switching from compression to extension is difficult because of the scarcity or absence of associated sedimentary and magmatic rocks and weak metamorphism. The east margin of the eastern North China Craton experienced Early to Middle Jurassic compression and Early Cretaceous extension. However, the period of tectonic quiescence lasting ～13 million years(between 153 and 140 Ma) during which this transition occurred is poorly understood. This paper reports the identification of small-scale N-S-trending thrust and sinistral strike-slip faults(TSS) and NWtrending thrust and dextral strike-slip faults(TDS) in the Tongyuanpu-Aiyang region, which is part of the northern Liaodong Peninsula. Calculation of the tectonic stress field using striations, fault planes and kinematics reveals a NW-SE-oriented maximum principal axis(σ_1), and sub-horizontal σ_2 and σ_3. Assemblages of N-S-trending TSS and NW-trending TDS were arranged with right stepping and resulted in local uplift and erosion at the junctions between fault terminations, which partitioned the Early and Middle Jurassic basins into residual smaller volcanic-sedimentary basins. These basins were unconformably overlain by small Early Cretaceous volcanic-sedimentary basins, such as those at Tongyuanpu and Fangjiaweizi. Magmatic ages and the timing of basin formation constrain the initiation of tectonic switching to 156–153 Ma, and its termination to 140–139 Ma. We suggest that R-R' Riedel shears controlled the formation of the N-S-trending TSS and NW-trending TDS. The R-R'shears were produced by continued sinistral strike-slip and northward growth along the Bohai Bay segment of the Tan-Lu fault zone during the Late Jurassic to early Early Cretaceous, simultaneous with a gradual weakening in the tectonic stress field during a switch in the direction of subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific plate from NW-ward to NNW-ward. This tectonic switching might have promoted the dissolution of gold and migration of gold-bearing fluids.     

Geochemistry and spatial distribution of late-Paleozoic mafic volcanic rocks in the surrounding areas of the Gonghe Basin: Implications for Majixueshan triple-junction and east Paleotethyan archipelagic ocean

The late-Paleozoic mafic volcanic rocks occurring in the surrounding areas of the Gonghe basin are distributed in the A'nyêmaqên ophiolite zone, Zongwulong tectonic zone and Kuhai-Saishitang volcanic zone. The mafic volcanics in the A'nyêmaqên zone formed an ancient ridge-centered hotspot around the Majixueshan OIB, the Kuhai-Saishitang mafic rocks consist of E-MORB and continental rift basalts and the Zongwulong volcanic rocks are enriched N-MORB. The regionally low Nb/U and Ce/Pb ratios reflect the influence of the OIB material on the mafic magma source. From geochemistry, spatial distribution and tectonic relationship of the mafic rocks, an ancient triple-junction centered at the Majixueshan can be inferred. The existence of the Kuhai-Saishitang aulacogen may have provided a tectonic channel for the Majixueshan OIB materials metasomatizing the magma source for the Zongwulong rocks. The formation of the triple-junction and the rifting of the Zongwulong zone have separated the orogens and massifs in the region.     

Basement interface structural characteristics beneath Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area in Xinjiang, China

The seismic data obtained from high resolution seismic refraction profile in Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area in Xinjiang, China were further processed with ray hit analysis method and more complete basement interface struc-tural characteristics beneath Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area were determined. The results show that there are two clear basement interfaces at the upper crust in Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area. The first one with buried depth ranging from 2.6 km to 3.3 km presents integral and continuous structure, and it appears an inclined plane interface and smoothly rises up toward Tianshan Mountain. The second basement interface with buried depth from 8.5 km to 11.8 km, is the antiquated crystalline basement of Tarim basin. Near the post number of 37 km, the bur-ied depth of the crystalline basement changed abruptly by 2.5 km, which maybe result from an ultra crystalline basement fault. If taking this fault as a boundary, the crystalline basement could be divided into two parts, i.e. the southwestern segment with buried depth about 11.5 km, and the northeastern segment with buried depth approxi-mately from 8.5 km to 9.0 km. That is to say, in each segment, the buried depth changes not too much. The north-east segment rises up as a whole and upheaves slightly from southwest to northeast, which reflects the upper crustal deformation characteristics under the special tectonic background at the northwestern edge of Tarim basin.     

Sedimentary geochemistry of the Cambrian-Ordovician cherts: Implication on archipelagic ocean of North Qilian orogenic belt

The Caledonian North Qilian orogenic belt lies between the North China plate and the Qaidam mi-croplates, and resulted from the collision among the Qaidam microplate, mid-Qilian block and the North China plate. The orogen initiated from the rifting of the Late Proterozoic Rodinia, and then it experi-enced stages of Cambrian rift basin and Ordovician archipelagic oceanic basin, and foreland basin during Silurian to Early-Middle Devonian. The average ratios of Al/(Al Fe Mn), Al/(Al Fe), δ Ce, Lan/Ybn and Lan/Cen from cherts of Cambrian Heicigou Formation are 0.797, 0.627, 1.114, 0.994 and 1.034 re-spectively. In the NAS standardized REE distribution pattern, the cherts from Xiangqianshan is slightly HREE enriched, and the cherts from Ganluci and Shiqingdong are plane. All of these features indicated that Cambrian cherts of the Heicigou Formation originated from a continental margin rift background. On the contrary, the average ratios of Al/(Al Fe Mn), Al/(Al Fe), δ Ce, Lan/Ybn, Lan/Cen of the Ordovician chert from Dakecha, Cuijiadun, Shihuigou, Laohushan, Heicigou, Maomaoshan, Bianmagou, Da-chadaban, Baiquanmen, Jiugequan and Angzanggou, are respectively 0.72, 0.58, 0.99, 1.09 and 0.96 respectively. Their NAS standardized REE distribution patterns of most Ordovician cherts are plane mode or slightly HREE enriched. The REE distribution pattern of few samples of cherts are slightly LREE enriched. Characteristics of sedimentary geochemistry and tectonic evolution demonstrated that the Cambrian-Ordovician cherts, associated with rift, oceanic, island arc and back-arc volcanic rocks, was not formed in a typical abyssal oceanic basin or mid-oceanic ridge. On the contrary, they formed in a deepwater basin of continental margin or a archipelagic ocean tectonic setting. Several Early Paleo-zoic ophiolite belts in North Qilian and adjacent periphery Qaidam microplate imply that an archipelagic ocean during Ordovician existed in the east of Pro-Tethys.     

Rayleigh wave phase velocities of South China block and its adjacent areas

Using records of continuous seismic waveforms from 609 broadband seismic stations in the South China Block and its adjacent areas in 2010–2012, empirical Green's functions of surface waves were obtained from cross-correlation functions of ambient noise data between these stations. High quality phase velocity dispersion curves of Rayleigh waves were obtained using time-frequency analysis. These interstation dispersion curves were then inverted to build Rayleigh wave phase velocity maps at periods of 6–50 s. The results of phase velocity maps indicate that phase velocities at 6–10 s periods are correlated with the geological features in the upper crust. Major basins and small-scale grabens and basins display slow velocity anomalies; while most of the orogenic belts and the fold belts display high velocity anomalies. With the gravity gradient zone along Taihang Mountain to Wuling Mountain as the boundary for the phase velocity maps at period of 20–30 s, the western area mainly displays low velocity anomalies, while the eastern side shows high velocity anomalies. Phase velocities in the eastern South China Block south to the Qinling-Dabie orogenic belt is higher than that in the eastern North China Block to the north, which is possibly due to the differences of tectonic mechanisms between the North China Craton and the South China Block. The phase velocities at periods of40–50 s are possibly related to the lateral variations of the velocity structure in the lower crust and upper mantle: The low-velocity anomalies in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau are caused by the thick crust; while the Sichuan Basin and the southern part of the Ordos Basin display distinct high-velocity anomalies, reflecting the stable features of the lithosphere in these blocks. The lateral variation pattern of phase velocities in the southern part of the South China Block is not consistent with the surface trace of the block boundary in the eastern Yunnan Province and its vicinities. The phase velocities in the Sichuan Basin are overall slow at short periods and gradually increase with period from the central part to the edge of the basin, indicating the features of shallower basement in the center and overall stable lithospheric mantle of the basin. The middle and upper crust of the southern Ordos Basin in the North China Block is heterogeneous, while in lower crust and the uppermost mantle the phase velocities mainly exhibit high anomalies. High-velocity anomalies are widespread at the middle of the Qinling-Dabie orogenic belt, as well as the areas in southeastern Guangxi with Caledonian granite explosion, but its detailed mechanism is still unclear.