http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S167498711000040X

The Eastern Pontides orogenic belt in the Black Sea region of Turkey offers a critical window to plate kinematics and subduction polarity during the closure of the Paleotethys. Here we provide a brief synthesis on recent information from this belt. We infer a southward subduction for the origin of the Eastern Pontides orogenic belt and its associated late Mesozoic–Cenozoic magmatism based on clear spatial and temporal variations in Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic arc magmatism, together with the existence of a prominent south-dipping reverse fault system along the entire southern coast of the Black Sea. Our model is at variance with some recent proposals favoring a northward subduction polarity, and illustrates the importance of arc magmatism in evaluating the geodynamic milieu associated with convergent margin processes.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114001352

Ultrahigh temperature(UHT) metamorphism is the most thermally extreme form of regional crustal metamorphism,with temperatures exceeding 900℃.UHT crustal metamorphism is recognised in more than 50 localities globally in the metaniorphic rock record and is accepted as 'normal' in the spectrum of regional crustal processes.UHT metamorphism is typically identified on the basis of diagnostic mineral assemblages such as sapphirine+ quartz,orthopyroxene + sillimanite ± quartz and osumilite in Mg-AIrich rock compositions,now usually coupled with pseudosection-based thermobarometry using internally-consistent thermodynamic data sets and/or Al-in-Orthopyroxene and ternary feldspar thermobarometry.Significant progress in the understanding of regional UHT metamorphism in recent years includes:(1) development of a ferric iron activity-composition thermodynamic model for sapphirine,allowing phase diagram calculations for oxidised rock compositions:(2) quantification of UHT conditions via trace element thermometry,with Zr-in-rutile more commonly recording higher temperatures than Ti-in-zircon.Rutile is likely to be stable at peak UHT conditions whereas zircon may only grow as UHT rocks are cooling.In addition,the extent to which Zr diffuses out of rutile is controlled by chemical communication with zircon;(3) more fully recognising and utilising temperature-dependent thermal properties of the crust,and the possible range of heat sources causing metamorphism in geodynamic modelling studies:(4) recognising that crust partially melted either in a previous event or earlier in a long-duration event has greater capacity than fertile,unmelted crust to achieve UHT conditions due to the heat energy consumed by partial melting reactions:(5) more strongly linking U-Pb geochronological data from zircon and monazite to P-T points or path segments through using Y + REE partitioning between accessory and major phases,as well as phase diagrams incorporating Zr and REE;and(6)improved insight into the settings and factors responsible for UHT metamorphism via geodynamic forward models.These models suggest that regional UHT metamorphism is,principally,geodynamically related to subduction,coupled with elevated crustal radiogenic heat generation rates.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000437

The Pranhita-Godavari Basin in central eastern India is one of the Proterozoic "Purana" basins of cratonic India.New geochronology demonstrates that it has a vast depositional history of repeated basin reactivation from the Palaeoproterozoic to the Mesozoic.U-Pb laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry dating of detrital zircons from two samples of the Somanpalli Group—a member of the oldest sedimentary cycle in the valley-constrains its depositional age to ~1620 Ma and demonstrates a tripartite age provenance with peaks at ~3500 Ma,~2480 Ma and ~1620 Ma,with minor age peaks in the Eoarchaean(~3.8 Ga) and at ~2750 Ma.These ages are consistent with palaeocurrent data suggesting a southerly source from the Krishna Province and Enderby Land in East Antarctica.The similarity in the maximum depositional age with previously published authigenic glauconite ages suggest that the origin of the Pranhita-Godvari Graben originated as a rift that formed at a high angle to the coeval evolving late Meosproterozoic Krishna Province as Enderby Land collided with the Dharwar craton of India.In contrast,detrital zircons from the Cycle III Sullavai Group red sandstones yielded a maximum depositional age of 970±20 Ma and had age peaks of ~2550 Ma,~1600 Ma and then a number of Mesoproterozoic detrital zircons terminating in three analyses at ~970 Ma.The provenance of these is again consistent with a southerly source from the Eastern Ghats Orogen and Antarctica.Later cycles of deposition include the overlying Albaka/Usur Formations and finally the late Palaeozoic to Mesozoic Gondwana Supergroup.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112001569

The southeastern Anatolia comprises numbers of tectono-magmatic/stratigraphic units such as the metamorphic massifs,the ophiolites,the volcanic arc units and the granitoid rocks.All of them play important role for the late Cretaceous evolution of the southern Neotethys.The spatial and temporal relations of these units suggest the progressive development of coeval magmatism and thrusting during the late Cretaceous northward subduction/accretion.Our new U-Pb zircon data from the rhyolitic rocks of the wide-spread volcanic arc unit show ages of(83.1±2.2)-(74.6±4.4) Ma. Comparison of the ophiolites,the volcanic arc units and the granitoids suggest following late Cretaceous geological evolution.The ophiolites formed in a suprasubduction zone(SSZ) setting as a result of northward intra-oceanic subduction.A wide-spread island-arc tholeiitic volcanic unit developed on the top of the SSZ-type crust during 83-75 Ma.Related to regional plate convergence, northward under-thrusting of SSZ-type ophiolites and volcanic arc units was initiated beneath the Tauride platform(Malatya-Keban) and followed by the intrusion of l-type calc-alkaline volcanic arc granitoids during 84-82 Ma.New U-Pb ages from the arc-related volcanic-sedimentary unit and granitoids indicate that under-thrusting of ophiolites together with the arc-related units beneath the Malatya-Keban platform took place soon after the initiation of the volcanic arc on the top of the SSZtype crust.Then the arc-related volcanic-sedimentary unit continued its development and lasted at～75 Ma until the deposition of the late Campanian—Maastrichtian shallow marine limestone.The subduction trench eventually collided with the Bitlis-Ptrge massif giving rise to HP-IT metamorphism of the Bitlis massif.Although the development of the volcanic arc units and the granitoids were coeval at the initial stage of the subduction/accretion both tectono-magmatic units were genetically different from each other.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000564

High-pressure（HP） granulites widely occur as enclaves within tonalite-trondhjemitegranodiorite （TTG） gneisses of the Early Precambrian metamorphic basement in the Shandong Peninsula, southeast part of the North China Craton（NCC）.Based on cathodoluminescence（CL）,laser Raman spectroscopy and in-situ U-Pb dating,we characterize the zircons from the HP granulites and group them into three main types:inherited（magmatic） zircon,HP metamorphic zircon and retrograde zircon.The inherited zircons with clear or weakly defined magmatic zoning contain inclusions of apatites,and ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages of 2915—2890 Ma and 2763—2510 Ma,correlating with two magmatic events in the Archaean basement. The homogeneous HP metamorphic zircons contain index minerals of high-pressure metamorphism including garnet,clinopyroxene.plagioclase,quartz,rutile and apatite,and yield ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages between 1900 and 1850 Ma,marking the timing of peak HP granulite fades metamorphism.The retrograde zircons contain inclusions of orthopyroxene.plagioclase.quartz,apatite and amphibole.and yield the youngest ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages of 1840—1820 Ma among the three groups,which we correlate to the medium to low-pressure granulite fades retrograde metamorphism.The data presented in this study suggest subduction of Meso- and Neoarchean magmatic protoliths to lower crust depths where they were subjected to HP granulite facies metamorphism during Palaeoproterozoic（1900—1850 Ma）.Subsequently, the HP granulites were exhumated to upper crust levels,and were overprinted by medium to low-pressure granulite and amphibolite facies retrograde event at ca.1840—820 Ma.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113001333

The basement of the Romanian Carpathians is made of Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic periGondwanan terranes variably involved in the Variscan orogeny,similarly to other basement terrains of Europe.They were hardly dismembered during the Alpine orogeny and traditionally have their own names in the three Carpathian areas.The Danubian domain of the South Carpathians comprises the Dragsan and Lainici-Paius peri-Amazonian terranes.The Dragsan terrane originated within the ocean surrounding Rodinia and docked with Rodinia at ~800 Ma.It does not contain Cadomian magmatism and consequently it is classified as an Avalonian extra-Cadomian terrane.The Lainici-Paius terrane is a Ganderian fragment strongly modified by Cadomian subduction-related magmatism.It is attached to the Moesia platform.The Tisovita terrane is an ophiolite that marks the boundary between Dragsan and Lainici-Paius terranes.The other basement terranes of the Romanian Carpathians originated close to the Ordovician NorthAfrican orogen,as a result of the eastern Rheic Ocean opening and closure.Except for the Sebes-Lotru terrane that includes a lower metamorphic unit of Cadomian age,all the other terranes(Bretila,Tulghes,Negrisoara and Rebra in the East Carpathians,Somes,Biharia and Baia de Aries in the Apuseni mountains,Fagaras,Leaota,Caras and Pades in the South Carpathians) represent late Cambrian—Ordovician rock assemblages.Their provenance,is probably within paleo-northeast Africa,close to the Arabian-Nubian shield.The late Cambrian-Ordovician terranes are defined here as Carpathian-type terranes.According to their lithostratigraphy and origin,some are of continental margin magmatic arc setting,whereas others formed in rift and back-arc environment and closed to passive continental margin settings.In a paleogeographic reconstruction,the continental margin magmatic arc terranes were first that drifted out,followed by the passive continental margin terranes with the back-arc terranes in their front.They accreted to Laurussia during the Variscan orogeny.Some of them(Sebes-Lotru in South Carpathians and Baia de Aries in Apuseni mountains) underwent eclogite-grade metamorphism.The Danubian terranes,the Bretila terrane and the Somes terrane were intruded by Variscan granitoids.     

The final collision of the CAOB: Constraint from the zircon U–Pb dating of the Linxi Formation, Inner Mongolia

The Linxi Formation occupies an extensive area in the eastern Inner Mongolia in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB).The Linxi Formation is composed of slate,siltstone,sandstone and plant,lamellibranch microfossils in the associated strata.Major and trace element data(including REE) for sandstones from the formation indicate that these rocks have a greywacke protolith and have been deposited during a strong tectonic activity.LA-ICPMS U—Pb dating of detrital zircons yield ages of 1801 to 238 Ma for four samples from the Linxi Formation.425—585 Ma,together with the ~500 Ma age for the metamorphism event previously determined for Northeast China,indicates that their provenance is the metamorphic rocks of Pan-African age that have a tectonic affinity to NE China.A few older zircons with U-Pb ages at 1689-1801 Ma,1307-1414 Ma,593-978 Ma are also present,revealing the Neoproterozoic history of NE China.The youngest population shows a peak at ca.252 Ma,suggesting that the main deposition of the Linxi Formation was at late Permain.Moreover,the ca.250 Ma zircon grains of all four samples yield weighted mean ~(206)Pb/~(238)U ages of 250 ± 3 Ma,248 ± 3 Ma,249 ± 3 Ma,and 250 ± 2 Ma,respectively.These ages,together with the youngest zircon age in the sample ZJB-28(ca.238 Ma),suggest that the deposition of the Linxi Formation extended to the early Triassic.Combining with previous results,we suggest that the final collision of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB) in the southern of Linxi Formation,which located in the Solonker-Xra Moron-Changchun suture,and the timing for final collision should be at early Triassic.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000656

Apatite fission track (AFT) analysis on samples collected from a Paleozoic series is used to constrain the cooling history of the Bogda Mountain, northwest China. AFT ages range from 136.2 to 85.6 Ma a...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000273

1.Introduction The convergence plate margins,where lithospheric plates move each other and collide,are the most intense areas of magmatism, tectonism and metamorphism.The development of slab windows beneath convergent margins,originally defined by Dickinson and Snyder(1979),is one of the essential mechanisms of subduction-related tectonics.A slab window is a gap that forms in a subducting     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112001417

GEOSCIENCE FRONTIERS(GSF) has instituted an Award(GSF Best Paper Award) to the author(s) of the paper judged to be the best published each year from 2012 onwards.The objective of this recognition is to encourage high quality studies on the frontier fields of Earth Sciences.Only articles that contain original research data and/or models are eligible for the Award,and can include articles published under the categories of"FOCUS"and"RESEARCH PAPERS".The Award Committee comprising of members nominated from the Editorial Board/Council of GEOSCIENCE FRONTIERS,     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000601

The intrusions of the Panzhihua-Xichang(Panxi) region in southwest China have become well known in the past decade because they host large and rich magmatic oxide deposits that are mined for Fe,Ti and V.These intrusions form part of the Emeishan large igneous province(ELIP),which is commonly believed to be the product of melting in a mantle plume.The ELIP was emplaced about 260 Ma ago,at the same time as the end-Guadalupian mass extinction.The investigation of the Panxi intrusions therefore provides information relevant to three broad areas of the earth sciences:(1)the petrogenesis of mafic magmas, (2) the impact of major magmatic events and global climate and     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000247

Recent advances in modeling of tornadoes and twisters consist of significant achievements in mathematical calculation of occurrence and evolution of a violent F5-class tornado on the Fujita scale, and four-dimensional mathematical modeling of a tornado with the fourth coordinate time multiplied by its characteristic velocity.Such a tornado can arise in a thunderstorm supercell filled with turbulent whirlwinds.A theory of the squall storms is proposed.The squall storm is modeled by running perturbation of...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000309

In the early 1980s, evidence that crustal rocks had reached temperatures 〉1000 ℃ at normal lower crustal pressures while others had followed low thermal gradients to record pressures characteristic of mantle conditions began to appear in the literature, and the importance of melting in the tectonic evolution of orogens and metamorphic-metasomatic reworking of the lithospheric mantle was realized. In parallel, new developments in instrumentation, the expansion of in situ analysis of geological ma- terials and increases in computing power opened up new fields of investigation. The robust quantifi- cation of pressure （P）, temperature （T） and time （t） that followed these advances has provided reliable data to benchmark geodynamic models and to investigate secular change in the thermal state of the lithosphere as registered by metamorphism through time. As a result, the last 30 years have seen sig- nificant progress in our understanding of lithospheric evolution, particularly as it relates to Precambrian geodynamics.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001010

A large-scale pop-up structure occurs at the front of the northern Dabashan thrust belt (NDTB),bound by the NNE-dipping Chengkou fault to the south,and the SSW-dipping Gaoqiao fault to the north.The pop-up structure shows different features along its strike as a direct reflection of the intensity of tectonic activity.To the northwest,the structure is characterized by a two-directional thrust system forming a positive flower-like structure.In contrast,the southeastern part is composed of the vertical Chengkou fault and a series of N-directed backthrusts.showing a semi-flower-like structure. We present results from Ar-Ar dating of syntectonic microthermal nietamorphic sericite which show that the Chengkou fault experienced intense deformation during the mid-Mesozoic Yanshanian epoch(about 143.3 Ma),causing rapid uplift and thrusting of the northern Dabashan thrust belt.During the propagation of this thrust,a series of backthrusts formed because of the obstruction from the frontier of Dabashan thrust belt,leading to the development of the pop-up structure.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000898

In more than 4 Ga of geological evolution, the Earth has twice gone through extreme climatic perturbations, when extensive glaciations occurred, together with alternating warm periods which were accompanied by atmospheric oxygenation. The younger of these two episodes of climatic oscillation preceded the Cambrian “explosion” of metazoan life forms, but similar extreme climatic conditions existed between about 2.4 and 2.2 Ga. Over long time periods, changing solar luminosity and mantle temperatures have played important roles in regulating Earth's climate but both periods of climatic upheaval are associated with supercontinents. Enhanced weathering on the orogenically and thermally buoyed supercontinents would have stripped CO₂ from the atmosphere, initiating a cooling trend that resulted in continental glaciation. Ice cover prevented weathering so that CO₂ built up once more, causing collapse of the ice sheets and ushering in a warm climatic episode. This negative feedback loop provides a plausible explanation for multiple glaciations of the Early and Late Proterozoic, and their intimate association with sedimentary rocks formed in warm climates. Between each glacial cycle nutrients were flushed into world oceans, stimulating photosynthetic activity and causing oxygenation of the atmosphere. Accommodation for many ancient glacial deposits was provided by rifting but escape from the climatic cycle was predicated on break-up of the supercontinent, when flooded continental margins had a moderating influence on weathering. The geochemistry of Neoproterozoic cap carbonates carries a strong hydrothermal signal, suggesting that they precipitated from deep sea waters, overturned and spilled onto continental shelves at the termination of glaciations. Paleoproterozoic (Huronian) carbonates of the Espanola Formation were probably formed as a result of ponding and evaporation in a hydrothermally influenced, restricted rift setting. Why did metazoan evolution not take off after the Great Oxidation Event of the Paleoproterozoic? The answer may lie in the huge scar left by the ～2023 Ma Vredefort impact in South Africa, and in the worldwide organic carbon-rich deposits of the Shunga Event, attesting to the near-extirpation of life and possible radical alteration of the course of Earth history.     

Geochemistry of fine-grained sediments of the upper Cretaceous to Paleogene Gosau Group （Austria, Slovakia） Implications for paleoenvironmental and provenance studies

Bulk rock geochemistry of 169 fine-grained sediment samples of the upper Cretaceous to Paleogene Gosau Group（Northern Calcareous Alps,Austria and Slovakia） from borehole and outcrop localities was performed to separate non-marine and marine deposits.Geochemical characteristics of different Gosau depositional systems,basins and sediment provenance using major-,trace-,and rare earth elements were also investigated.Geochemical proxies such as boron concentrations were tested for seeking the possibilities of paleosalinity indicators.Due to the fact that several pelagic sections are represented by extremely low boron contents.B/Al^* ratios are recognized as more robust and differentiate reliably between marine（mean:160±34） and non-marine（mean:133±33） samples.Using statistical factor analysis,hemipelagic to pelagic samples from the Gieβhbl Syncline and Slovakian equivalents can be differentiated from marginal-marine to non-marine samples from the Grnbach and Glinzendorf Syncline related to terrigenous（SiCh.Al₂O₃,K₂O,Th,Rb,Zr and others） and pelagic indicative elements （CaO,Sr,TOT/C and B/Al^*）.A clear indication for ophiolitic provenance is traced by high amounts of chromium and nickel.Only non-marine successions of the Glinzendorf Syncline show higher Cr and Ni concentrations（up to 250 and 400 ppm,respectively） and enriched Cr/V and Y/Ni ratios trending to an ultramafic source.