Opening and closing process of the Paleo-Tethys in Northern Thailand

The Paleo-Tethys formed a large ocean basin that existed between Laurasia and Gondwana during Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic times. It opened in the Early Devonian by the rifting of Gondwanaland and closed at around latest Triassic time by the collision of the Cimmerian continent to Laurasia (Metcalfe, 1999). We reconstructed opening and closing process of the Paleo-Tethys in Northern Thailand.     

中朝地块与扬子地块在古生代晚期是太平洋古陆的一部分

<正> 目前有愈来愈多的证据表明在环太平洋周边地区存在大小不同的地块,有人研究发现这些地块在古生代晚期—早中生代时,均处于赤道附近的低纬度地带。笔者与马醒华于1980—1981年期间曾同澳大利亚学者合作,共同对中朝地块的山西太原地区及扬子地块的四川峨眉山地区的晚古生代—早中生代的古地磁进行研究。结果表明两地块在二叠纪晚期也是处于赤道附近的低纬度地带,从而在环太平洋的周边又找到一个太平洋古陆碎块的证据。     

North Africa's first stegosaur: Implications for Gondwanan thyreophoran dinosaur diversity

Eurypoda, the major radiation of armoured dinosaurs, comprises the ankylosaurs and their sister group, the stegosaurs. As the earliest-branching major clade of ornithischian dinosaurs, the evolutionary history of Eurypoda is significant for understanding both the palaeobiology of bird-hipped dinosaurs and the composition of middle Mesozoic ecosystems. Eurypodans were diverse and abundant throughout the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous in Laurasia; in contrast, their remains are extremely rare in Gondwana. Herein, we describe a new genus and species of stegosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco, Adratiklit boulahfa. Adratiklit is the first eurypodan from north Africa and the oldest definitive stegosaur from anywhere in the world. The genus is more closely related to the European stegosaurs Dacentrurus and Miragaia than it is to the southern African taxa Kentrosaurus and Paranthodon. Statistically significant correlations between the number of dinosaur-bearing formations, dinosaur-bearing collections, and eurypodan occurrences in Gondwana indicates that their fossil record is biased by both geological and anthropogenic factors. Tantalizing but fragmentary remains and trackways suggest that eurypodan diversity in Gondwana may have been as rich as that of Laurasia, and the prospects for future discoveries of new genera across Gondwana are therefore very good.     

青藏高原羌塘中部蓝片岩的地球化学特征及其构造意义

青藏高原羌塘中部的冈玛日－桃形错地区蓝片岩被认为是板块构造边界的产物，通过对其主量元素、微量元素和稀土元素的地球化学特征的综合研究，其原岩属于洋岛型碱性玄武岩。再结合该地区的地质研究，表明在该地区存在一个古提斯洋，可以作为晚古生代冈瓦纳与劳亚大陆的分界线。     

从中国西南及邻区看亚洲形成过程

Southwest China and adjacent areas are formed by suturing continental blocks from Gondwana onto Laurasia. The process, however, is not as simple as some cartoons show that continental slices drifted away successively from the Gondwana margin and collided onto the northern continent.     

新疆及周边古地磁研究与构造演化

新疆古地磁研究始于1979年,20年来通过对塔里木、准噶尔、昆仑山等地区的古地磁研究,获得了古生代—新生代塔里木板块、准噶尔板块和青藏板块古地磁极移曲线和古纬度资料。震旦纪以前塔里木板块尚未形成,晚震旦世在赤道附近各地块才联合成塔里木板块的主体部分。后经历了两次快速北移,一次快速南移。准噶尔板块早古生代为一个独立的微板块,在晚古生代与哈萨克斯坦板块联合成一体,组成了哈萨克斯坦-准噶尔板块;塔里木板块震旦纪时还属冈瓦纳大陆的一个组成部分,早古生代逐渐脱离了冈瓦纳大陆,快速向北漂移,晚古生代早期与准噶尔板块首次在东部碰撞,成为劳亚大陆南缘的一个增生体。将介于劳亚大陆和冈瓦纳大陆之间的古陆体,称之谓华夏古陆群。晚古生代末—中生代早期,华夏古陆群先后增生到劳亚大陆南缘;早古生代早期古特提斯洋尚未形成,诸地块处于冈瓦纳大陆范围内,位于南半球的赤道附近。在中-晚志留世,这些地(板)块才快速向北漂移,由于洋扩张,形成了古特提斯洋,构成了三大陆块群夹两个大洋的古地理格局;二叠纪是特提斯构造演化关键时期,晚侏罗-早白垩世昆仑地块与柴达木地块和塔里木地块发生碰撞,联合成一体。早侏罗世早期柴达木地块等与塔里木地块发生碰撞联合,造成了古特提斯洋消亡。早侏罗世中期,开     

二叠纪古板块再造与岩相古地理特征分析

依据古地磁方法,对二叠纪全球古板块进行再造,并在此基础上,结合区域地质资料,编制了二叠系全球古板块再造图、全球岩相及烃源岩分布图和全球古地理图。二叠纪板块格局以泛大陆和泛大洋为主,大陆内部裂谷系(如劳亚板块内部北海—北大西洋裂谷系和非洲大陆内部裂谷系)持续发育,最终导致了泛大陆的裂解。二叠纪冰期持续发育,又由于干旱带广泛发育的古气候条件,造成全球海平面在晚二叠世达到整个显生宙的最低值。浅海广泛发育的古地理环境造成古、新特提斯洋周缘和劳亚大陆整体以浅海碳酸盐岩和海相碎屑岩沉积为主。冈瓦纳大陆内部以河湖相碎屑岩沉积为主。二叠系烃源岩不发育,主要层系是下二叠统泥页岩,分布集中在劳亚大陆北缘、特提斯洋周缘以及冈瓦纳大陆内部和澳大利亚东部,以海陆过渡相沉积环境为主。泛大陆形成过程中,洋壳消减与不同陆块之间的拼合,最终造成了二叠纪末气候的剧变,形成了晚古生代末超大规模的冰期。板块运动所产生的壳幔物质循环造成二叠纪全球二氧化碳含量剧烈升高,最终导致了二叠纪生物灭绝程度最大。     

特提斯地球动力学

特提斯是地球显生宙期间位于北方劳亚大陆和南方冈瓦纳大陆之间的巨型海洋,它在新生代期间的闭合形成现今东西向展布的欧洲阿尔卑斯山、土耳其-伊朗高原、喜马拉雅山和青藏高原。根据演化历史,特提斯可划分为原特提斯、古特提斯和新特提斯三个阶段,分别代表早古生代、晚古生代和中生代期间的大洋。大约在500Ma左右,冈瓦纳大陆北缘发生张裂,裂解的块体向北漂移,并使其与塔里木-华北之间的原特提斯洋在420～440Ma左右关闭,产生原特提斯造山作用,与北美-西欧地区Avalonia地体与劳伦大陆之间的阿巴拉契亚-加里东造山作用基本相当。原特提斯造山带之南、早古生代即已存在的龙木错-双湖-昌宁-孟连古特提斯洋在380Ma向北俯冲,使早期闭合的康西瓦-阿尼玛卿洋重新张开,并由于弧后扩张形成金沙江-哀牢山洋。330～360Ma左右,特提斯西部大洋由于南侧非洲板块和北侧欧洲板块的碰撞而关闭,形成欧洲华力西造山带。而特提斯东段的上述三条古特提斯洋在250Ma左右基本同时关闭,华北、华南、印支等块体聚合形成华夏大陆。该大陆与冈瓦纳大陆、劳亚大陆和华力西造山带一起围限形成封闭的古特提斯残留洋,并一直到晚三叠世-早侏罗世海水才全部退出。此后,南侧冈瓦纳大陆在三叠纪晚期重新裂解形成新特提斯洋,该洋盆在新生代初期由于印度和亚洲的碰撞而关闭。原、古、新特提斯三次造山作用基本代表了中国大陆显生宙期间的地质演化历史,并在此过程中形成了特色的特提斯域金属成矿作用。广布的被动陆缘和赤道附近的古地理位置,以及后期的造山作用同时也成就了特提斯域内巨量油气资源的形成;塑就的地貌与海陆分布格局,也对当时的古气候与古环境产生了重要影响。特别是,与原、古、新特提斯洋消亡相关的三次弧岩浆活动与显生宙地球历史上三次温室地球向冰室地球的转变,在时间上高度吻合。上述演化历史同时还表明,特提斯地质演化以南侧冈瓦纳大陆不断裂解、块体向北漂移并与劳亚大陆持续聚合为特征,其动力机制主要来自俯冲板片的拖拽力,而地幔柱是否对大陆的裂解与漂移有所贡献,则有待进一步评价。     

晚古生代特提斯区热带、亚热带植物群的东西分异

从早石炭世开始，地球出现明显受气候带控制的植物分区现象，产生了分别代表南、北温—寒带的冈瓦纳植物区和安加拉植物区以及夹在其间的代表热带、亚热带的欧美植物区（广义）。随着南、北大陆在特提斯西部的汇聚，广义的欧美植物区在晚石炭世产生了东西分异，形成了西部狭义的欧美植物区和东部的华夏植物区。本文从分析东、西两植物区的生态特征、演化阶段、古构造格局的重组和古地理环境等因素入手，探讨了两植物区之间的区别及其分异的原因。可以认为植物区的东西分异是由气候的东西分异造成的，而气候的东西分异则是由于特提斯西部的板块汇聚造成的，它促使西部特提斯地区转变为干旱的大陆性气候，而东部特提斯地区为裂解阶段，保持着潮湿的海洋性气候。     

Apparent polar wandering for the Atlantic-bordering continents: Late Carboniferous to Eocene

We present a compilation of reliable paleomagnetic pole positions from five continental plates (North America, Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, Africa, and South America) for ten time intervals ranging from Late Carboniferous to Eocene. Only well-dated results obtained by demagnetization techniques have been used. Paleomagnetic poles are plotted with respect to the paleo-positions of the continents, as reconstructed from correlations of marine magnetic anomalies in the Atlantic Ocean by Pitman and Talwani and from the fit by Bullard et al. The poles from North America, Europe and the younger poles from Africa show a very good grouping for most of the ten intervals considered, and a continuous apparent polar wandering path is obtained. These data have been used to construct paleolatitude maps for most intervals; thus the relative positions of the continents were established from sea-floor spreading data and their absolute positions on the globe were determined from paleomagnetic data. The older data from South America and the other Gondwana continents show a systematic deviation from those of the northern continents for Late Paleozoic and Early Triassic time periods. An explanation is offered in a different continental reconstruction between Laurasia and Gondwanaland before Middle Triassic times.     

Tectonic evolution of the southern margin of Laurasia in the Black Sea region

The Black Sea region comprises Gondwana-derived continental blocks and oceanic subduction complexes accreted to Laurasia. The core of Laurasia is made up of an Archaean–Palaeoproterozoic shield, whereas the Gondwana-derived blocks are characterized by a Neoproterozoic basement. In the early Palaeozoic, a Pontide terrane collided and amalgamated to the core of Laurasia, as part of the Avalonia–Laurasia collision. From the Silurian to Carboniferous, the southern margin of Laurasia was a passive margin. In the late Carboniferous, a magmatic arc, represented by part of the Pontides and the Caucasus, collided with this passive margin with the Carboniferous eclogites marking the zone of collision. This Variscan orogeny was followed by uplift and erosion during the Permian and subsequently by Early Triassic rifting. Northward subduction under Laurussia during the Late Triassic resulted in the accretion of an oceanic plateau, whose remnants are preserved in the Pontides and include Upper Triassic eclogites. The Cimmeride orogeny ended in the Early Jurassic, and in the Middle Jurassic the subduction jumped south of the accreted complexes, and a magmatic arc was established along the southern margin of Laurasia. There is little evidence for subduction during the latest Jurassic–Early Cretaceous in the eastern part of the Black Sea region, which was an area of carbonate sedimentation. In contrast, in the Balkans there was continental collision during this period. Subduction erosion in the Early Cretaceous removed a large crustal slice south of the Jurassic magmatic arc. Subduction in the second half of the Early Cretaceous is evidenced by eclogites and blueschists in the Central Pontides and by a now buried magmatic arc. A continuous extensional arc was established only in the Late Cretaceous, coeval with the opening of the Black Sea as a back-arc basin.     

The Characteristics of the Indosinian Pacific-Type Ancient Continental Margin in the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet)-Sichuan-Yunnan Region1

Abstract The Qinghai- Xizang (Tibet) Plateau and the “Sanjiang” area², where are extensively developed the Tethys-type marine Triassic sequences with Indosinian tectonic disturbance and magmatism, provide an important region for the study of the tectonic evolution and the Indosinian movement of China as well as for the study of the boundary between Gondwana and Laurasia and the characteristics of the time-space distribution of the Tethys oceanic crust within the territory of China. Over a long period of time in the past, quite a number of scholars made substantial studies and discussions from various viewpoints on the geotectonic and regional geological evolution of this region. Based on some new data obtained recently and the field observations by the author, and by using the plate tectonic theory, the author considers that there developed a Pacific-type (active type) ancient continental margin bordering the Palaeo-Tethys ocean (or North Tethys ocean) in the south in Late Permian to Triassic times in the region of south-central Qinghai, northeastern Xizang (Tibet), western and southwestern Sichuan, and western Yunnan. Its characteristics basically represent the Indosinian tectonic evolution of this region.     

中国各大陆块在寒武纪全球构造中的位置及意义

者根据近年来所获的古地磁数据及板块构造的研究成果,对中国各大陆块在寒武纪全球构造中的位置进行了再造。笔者认为寒武纪全球存在三大洋、四大陆域。其中,中国大陆中的扬子、塔里木、柴达木等均属冈瓦纳大陆域,华北陆块则属介于冈瓦纳与劳亚两个大陆域之间的一个中间陆块。且当时华北与扬子两陆块的南、北位置与现在的位置正好相反。而介于二者之间的秦、祁古洋盆在当时是一个位于南半球赤道附近的径向洋。     

An abelisaurid from the latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) of Morocco,North Africa

During the latest Cretaceous, distinct dinosaur faunas were found in Laurasia and Gondwana. Tyrannosaurids, hadrosaurids, and ceratopsians dominated in North America and Asia, while abelisaurids and titanosaurians dominated in South America, India, and Madagascar. Little is known about dinosaur faunas from the latest Cretaceous of Africa, however. Here, a new abelisaurid theropod, Chenanisaurus barbaricus, is described from the upper Maastrichtian phosphates of the Ouled Abdoun Basin in Morocco, North Africa on the basis of a partial dentary and isolated teeth. Chenanisaurus is both one of the largest abelisaurids, and one of the youngest known African dinosaurs. Along with previously reported titanosaurian remains, Chenanisaurus documents the persistence of a classic Gondwanan abelisaurid-titanosaurian fauna in mainland Africa until just prior to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. The animal is unusual both in terms of its large size and the unusually short and robust jaw. Although it resembles South American carnotaurines in having a deep, bowed mandible, phylogenetic analysis suggests that Chenanisaurus may represent a lineage of abelisaurids that is distinct from those previously described from the latest Cretaceous of South America, Indo-Madagascar, and Europe, consistent with the hypothesis that the fragmentation of Gondwana led to the evolution of endemic dinosaur faunas during the Late Cretaceous.     

The Open of the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean: Inferred from the Early Paleozoic Ophiolite in the Qiangtang Area,Northern Tibetan Plateau

The Paleo‐Tethys Ocean was a Paleozoic ocean located between the Gondwana and Laurasia supercontinents. It was usually consider to opening in the early Paleozoic with the rifting of the Hun superterrane from Gondwana following the subduction of the Rheic Ocean/proto‐Tethys Ocean. However, the opening time and detailed evolutionary history of the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean are still unclear. The Paleozoic ophiolites have recently been documented in the middle of the Qiangtang terrane, northern Tibetan Plateau, and they mainly occur in the Gangma Co area. These ophiolites are composed of serpentinite, pyroxenite, isotropic and cumulate gabbros, basalt, hornblendite and plagiogranite. Whole‐rock geochemical data suggest that all mafic rocks were formed in an oceanic‐ridge setting. Furthermore, positive whole‐rock εNd(t) and zircon εHf(t) values suggest that these rocks were derived from a long‐term depleted mantle source. The data allow us to conform that these rocks represent an ophiolite suite. Zircon U‐Pb dating of gabbros and plagiogranites yielded weighted mean ages of 437‐501 Ma. The occurrence of the ophiolite suite suggests that a Paleozoic Ocean basin (Paleo‐Tethys) existed in middle of the Qiangtang terrane. We hypothesize that the ophiolite in the middle of the Qiangtang terrane represents the western extension of the Sanjiang Paleo‐Tethys ophiolite in the east margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and they mark the main Paleo‐Tethys Ocean. This is the oldest ophiolite from the Paleo‐Tethyan suture zones and the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean basin probably opened in the Middle Cambrian, and continued to grow throughout the Paleozoic. The ocean was finally closed in the Middle to Late Triassic as inferred from the metamorphic ages of eclogite and blueschist that occur nearby. The Paleo‐Tethys Ocean was probably formed by the breakup of the northern margin of Gondwana, with southward subduction of the proto‐Tethys oceanic lithosphere along the northern margin of the supercontinent.     

东南亚中南半岛与中国西南邻区地层分区及沉积演化历史

本文通过对东南亚中南半岛的缅甸、泰国、柬埔寨、老挝、越南五国及毗邻的中国西南地区地层的对比研究,依据研究区构造演化、沉积岩石组合和古生物群特征将整个区域划分为5个地层分区:冈瓦纳型的印度地层区、过渡型亲冈瓦纳的滇缅马地层区、过渡型亲华南的印支地层区、属劳亚大陆的扬子地层区和华夏地层区。论述了地层区的基本特征,并进一步对各地层区间做了沉积演化对比,进而阐明了区域的重要构造事件与洋盆沉积演化历史。     

A bothremydid from the middle Cenomanian of Portugal identified as one of the oldest pleurodiran turtles in Laurasia

The relatively complete and well preserved shell of a turtle, from the middle Cenomanian of Nazaré (Portugal), is studied here. It is recognized as a member of the crown group Pleurodira and, more specifically, of Bothremydidae. Pleurodira are one of the two lineages of modern turtles, their origin being in Gondwana. Pleurodira are very abundant in the uppermost Cretaceous record of Europe. However, this new finding is one of the few occurrences in the lower Upper Cretaceous of Laurasia. A single member of Bothremydidae had so far been identified in Portugal: the late Campanian-early Maastrichtian Rosasia soutoi. It was the only Cretaceous turtle identified in that country both at specific and at generic levels, being exclusive of Portugal. The taxon from Nazaré is identified as Algorachelus peregrinus, this form is also present in the contemporaneous beds in Spain, and is the oldest member of Bothremydidae in Laurasia. Algorachelus peregrinus is confirmed here to be a coastal form, which facilitated its spread. The two oldest known bothremydids from Laurasia, the European A. peregrinus and the North American Paiutemys tibert, are compared for the first time. They are recognized as closely related taxa. This study provides new data allowing a more precisely characterization of the oldest so far known dispersal event of Pleurodira in Laurasia, which was performed by an African lineage of Bothremydidae that reached the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean at least in the middle Cenomanian, and the west region of that Ocean at least in the late Cenomanian.     

Subduction,mega-shear systems and Late Palaeozoic basin development in the African segment of Gondwana

 Basins within the African sector of Gondwana contain a Late Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic Gondwana sequence unconformably overlying Precambrian basement in the interior and mid-Palaeozoic strata along the palaeo-Pacific margin. Small sea-board Pacific basins form an exception in having a Carboniferous to Early Permian fill overlying Devonian metasediments and intrusives. The Late Palaeozoic geographic and tectonic changes in the region followed four well-defined consecutive events which can also be traced outside the study area. During the Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous period (up to 330 Ma) accretion of microplates along the Patagonian margin of Gondwana resulted in the evolution of the Pacific basins. Thermal uplift of the Gondwana crust and extensive erosion causing a break in the stratigraphic record characterised the period between 300 and 330 Ma. At the end of this period the Gondwana Ice Sheet was well established over the uplands. The period 260–300 Ma evidenced the release of the Gondwana heat and thermal subsidence caused widespread basin formation. Late Carboniferous transpressive strike-slip basins (e.g. Sierra Australes/Colorado, Karoo-Falklands, Ellsworth-Central Transantarctic Mountains) in which thick glacial deposits accumulated, formed inboard of the palaeo-Pacific margin. In the continental interior the formation of Zambesi-type rift and extensional strike-slip basins were controlled by large mega-shear systems, whereas rare intracratonic thermal subsidence basins formed locally. In the Late Permian the tectonic regime changed to compressional largely due to northwest-directed subduction along the palaeo-Pacific margin. The orogenic cycle between 240 and 260 Ma resulted in the formation of the Gondwana fold belt and overall north–south crustal shortening with strike-slip motions and regional uplift within the interior. The Gondwana fold belt developed along a probable weak crustal zone wedged in between the cratons and an overthickened marginal crustal belt subject to dextral transpressive motions. Associated with the orogenic cycle was the formation of mega-shear systems one of which (Falklands-East Africa-Tethys shear) split the supercontinent in the Permo-Triassic into a West and an East Gondwana. By a slight clockwise rotation of East Gondwana a supradetachment basin formed along the Tethyan margin and northward displacement of Madagascar, West Falkland and the Gondwana fold belt occurred relative to a southward motion of Africa. Received: 2 October 1995 / Accepted: 28 May 1996     

古亚洲洋与古特提斯洋关系初探

从板块构造研究中国古生代洋陆关系和构造-岩浆-成矿作用,离不开对古亚洲洋和古特提斯洋的关系判断,特别是对于中国西北部的研究,两个古生代大洋形成演化和关系是理清重要地质构造和成矿事件的关键。本文认为早古生代的原特提斯洋与古亚洲洋应连为一体,合称古亚洲-原特提斯洋,简称古亚洲洋。古亚洲洋是发育于早古生代劳亚大陆与冈瓦纳大陆之间的大洋,金川超大型铜镍矿床的形成是元古宙罗迪尼亚超大陆裂解三叉裂谷开启大洋的开始,塔里木陆块作为古亚洲洋南岸的一个陆块,早古生代的昆仑洋、祁连洋和秦岭洋只是古亚洲洋的分支或次生洋盆,这些次生洋盆于志留纪末闭合,古亚洲洋主洋则直到晚古生代泥盆纪末才闭合。石炭纪天山及邻区是古亚洲洋闭合后板块构造后碰撞机制与地幔柱作用提供热动力的两种地球动力学机制并存的构造背景,为大规模壳幔混合(染)岩浆作用和成矿爆发提供了可能。古特提斯洋是古亚洲洋在晚古生代的发展和继承,东昆仑夏日哈木超大型铜镍矿床的产生是冈瓦纳大陆北侧志留纪末破裂三叉裂谷开启大洋的开始,塔里木和华北等泛华夏陆块群构成了古特提斯洋北岸陆缘,石炭纪大洋形成,西昆仑玛尔坎苏大型优质锰矿可能就形成于大洋北侧被动大陆边缘的浅海或陆表海,成矿物质则很可能来自于同时代的大洋中脊。德尔尼大型铜钴矿为晚石炭世大洋中脊塞浦路斯型块状硫化物矿床。而铜峪沟大型铜矿和大场大型金矿等则分别为古特提斯洋消减俯冲岛弧岩浆作用矽卡岩-斑岩矿床和浅成低温热液矿床。中三叠世末古特提斯洋闭合。     

板块剪式汇聚加地体拼贴——中特提斯消亡的新模式

中特提斯是中生代中晚期存在于南、北大陆之间的海洋。该海洋在晚白垩世消亡后,遗留长千余公里的班公湖－怒江板块结合带。在大量研究成果中,对中特提斯如何消亡这一重大问题至今分歧甚大。不少研究者持洋壳俯冲消亡（东太平洋模式）观点,但在俯冲方向上却有向南或向北之别。笔者则认为中特提斯是一个具有众多互不相通、时代早晚不同的狭窄洋盆的特殊海洋,綦肖亡过程中根本未发生过大规模的洋壳俯冲,帮提出剪式闭合加地体逐次拼