Age, origin and significance of a new middle MIS 3 tephra horizon identified within a long-core sequence from Les Echets, France

A new tephra has been identified within a long core (EC 3) sequence recovered from Les Echets, near Lyon, France. This visible tephra was discovered as part of a high resolution multiproxy re-investigation of the Les Echets sequence. Independent chronological information suggests that the tephra is c . 2 000–45 000 years old, and geochemical analysis indicates that it is of basanitic composition. The latter suggests a possible origin in the Eifel; however, as yet, no other volcanic events or deposits can be correlated to the Les Echets tephra. New sedimentological and chronological data are presented indicating that the tephra falls within an interval that most likely correlates with Dansgaard–Oeschger events 12-9. Thus, this tephra could potentially be an important middle MIS 3 marker horizon in central Europe if it can be traced in other palaeorecords.     

Weichselian chronostratigraphy and correlations

The glacial history of the Fennoscandian ice cap beyond some 20,000 years B.P. is fairly poorly known because of the absence of a reliable dating control. The Eemian Interglacial of Europe is not dated at all. The Weichselian Glaciation seems to be characterized by three main glaciation maxima separated by two main interstadial periods (of quite different conditions). The Grande Pile continuous lake sequence offers a uniquely detailed paleoclimatic and paleomagnetic record of the last 130,000 years. There are obvious correlations between the Grande Pile record, the Dutch palynological records and the Fennoscandian glacial records.     

思茅地块西缘龙洞河组放射虫动物群及其地质意义

思茅地块西缘的龙洞河组为一套火山—沉积岩系 ,原定时代为晚石炭世 ,被认为属南澜沧江洋弧后盆地沉积。现在龙洞河组层状硅质岩断片中发现了晚泥盆世放射虫化石 ,在细碧角斑岩之硅质岩夹层中发现了早石炭世放射虫动物群 ,表明龙洞河组不全是晚石炭世地层 ,而是由晚古生代的一些地层断片组成。思茅地块西缘深水沉积盆地的演化始于泥盆纪 ,应为滇西南古特提斯多岛洋的一个分支 ,向南可能与泰国难河带对比。     

Paleoecological and climatic changes of the Upper Lerma Basin, Central Mexico during the Holocene

The record of Almoloya Lake in the Upper Lerma basin starts with the deposition of the late Pleistocene Upper Toluca Pumice layer. The data from this interval indicate a period of climatic instability that lasted until 8500 cal yr B.P., when temperature conditions stabilized, although moisture fluctuations continued until 8000 cal yr B.P. Between 8500 and 5000 cal yr B.P. a temperate climate is indicated by dominance of Pinus. From 5000 to 3000 cal yr B.P. Quercus forest expanded, suggesting a warm temperate climate: a first indication of drier environmental conditions is an increase in grassland between 4200 and 3500 cal yr B.P. During the Late Holocene (3300 to 500 cal yr B.P.) the increase of Pinus and grassland indicates temperate dry conditions, with a considerable increase of Pinus between 1100 and 950 cal yr B.P. At the end of this period, humidity increased. The main tendency during the Holocene was a change from humid to dry conditions. During the Early Holocene, Almoloya Lake was larger and deeper; the changing humidity regime resulted in a fragmented marshland, with the presence of aquatic and subaquatic vegetation types.     

Climate-driven changes in lake conditions during late MIS 3 and MIS 2: a high-resolution geochemical record from Les Echets, France

A new set of geochemical data obtained from a long sediment sequence from the Les Echets basin provides a new record of palaeoenvironmental change for western Europe. The sequence covers the late part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and MIS 2 ( c . 46.1–15.0 cal. kyr BP) and extends over 30 m of sediment, allowing for high sampling resolution. Distinct cyclic fluctuations in aquatic productivity proxies suggest a tempo of environmental change at Les Echets that resembles the one established for Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles and Heinrich events. Increases in organic carbon are paralleled by high hydrogenous contents and enriched δ¹³C_org and C_org/N_tot ratios, implying a mixture of aquatic and land-derived constituents. The stable isotope values are directly linked to primary aquatic productivity and the input of terrestrial organic matter, enriched during warm, productive, periods, and drastically depleted during cold periods, particularly Heinrich events. Phases of relatively high productivity correlate with Dansgaard-Oeschger interstadials 8–2, while Heinrich events 3 and 2 are also clearly delineated by distinct lithological horizons with very low organic contents, high dry densities and enhanced organic matter oxidation. A large hiatus occurring about the time of Heinrich event 4 suggests that the cold and dry climate reconstructed for this event in the North Atlantic region also greatly affected Les Echets and its catchment.     

青海拉鸡山:一个多阶段抬升的构造窗

拉鸡山断裂带位于祁连山褶皱带内,呈北西-南东向延伸.后者构成青藏高原的东北边缘,由三个主要构造单元组成:北部是一条早古生代的板块缝合带,中部是一个元古代的结晶地块,南部由一套晚古生代到三叠纪的被动大陆边缘沉积物组成.对拉鸡山及其邻区的构造研究结果表明,祁连山褶皱带在古生代加里东期发生过大规模的缩短,北祁连的早古生代蛇绿岩和岛弧火山岩沿祁连山中央冲断层向南,陆内俯冲到中祁连元古界变质杂岩之下.由于发生在晚古生代和晚中生代的陆内变形,位于中祁连之下的北祁连的蛇绿岩和岛弧火山岩发生褶皱,并被抬升到地表.到新生代,由于印度板块和欧亚大陆之间的碰撞和陆内汇聚作用,拉鸡山断裂带再次活动,这些下古生界蛇绿岩和岛弧火山岩通过冲断作用快速抬升,将中祁连地块一分为二.因此,拉鸡山是一个抬升的构造窗,不是一个中祁连结晶地块中的早古生代大陆裂谷.     

10 000 aB.P.关中蓝田的植被和气候

在阐述陕西关中蓝田县城附近地质环境的基础上,利用孢粉图式分析了该区植被的演替,进而分析了该区10 000 aB.P.的古气候演化特征。从陕西蓝田东城水库剖面17个样品分析发现孢粉和藻类十分丰富,根据孢粉组合特征划分3个组合带,分别代表全新世早、中、晚3个时期的孢粉带。Ⅰ带为蒿属优势带;Ⅱ带乔木花粉激增,早期发育温带阔叶落叶林或针阔叶混交林,晚期是以温带阔叶树或与松混合的疏林草原或森林草原;Ⅲ带是以松、蒿为主的森林草原或疏林草原。结果表明：早全新世气候寒冷而干燥,发育以蒿为主的大片草原;中全新世气候温暖湿润,发育疏林草原和森林草原;晚全新世渐变为干冷,发育以松、蒿为主的森林草原。     

Allt Odhar and Dalcharn: Two pre-Late Devensian/Late Weichselian sites in northern Scotland

The lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of two sites (Allt Odhar and Dalcharn) in north-central Scotland are described, where pollen spectra of temperate affinity have been obtained from organic deposits that underlie till. The pollen record from Allt Odhar, in association with evidence from plant macrofossils and Coleoptera, shows the expansion of birch woodland and its eventual replacement by open grassland under a climatic regime slightly cooler than that prevailing in the northern highlands of Scotland at the present day. The organic sediments accumulated during an Early Devensian interstadial episode, which has been dated by the uranium series disequilibrium method to ca. 106 ka BP. Evidence for one and possibly two Devensian glaciations may be preserved at the site. The pollen record from Dalcharn, by contrast, reflects the middle and later stages of an interglacial cycle with the transition from pine forest to grassland. The overlying till sequence contains evidence of at least two separate glacial episodes. The age of the warm stage cannot be established precisely on present evidence, but there are indications that it may predate the last (Ipswichian) interglacial. These are the first sites from the mainland of Scotland to provide evidence of wooded conditions during interstadial and interglacial episodes of the Middle/Late Pleistocene.     

Permian marine sedimentation in northern Chile: new paleontological evidence from the Juan de Morales Formation,and regional paleogeographic implications

Permian marine sedimentary rocks that crop out in northern Chile are closely related to the development of a Late Paleozoic magmatic arc. A study of Upper Paleozoic units east of Iquique (20°S) identified three members within the Juan de Morales Formation, each of which were deposited in a different sedimentary environment. A coarse-grained terrigenous basal member represents alluvial sedimentation from a local volcanic source. A mixed carbonate-terrigenous middle member represents coastal and proximal shallow marine sedimentation during a relative sea-level rise related with a global transgression. Preliminary foraminifer biostratigraphy of this middle member identified a late Early Permian (late Artinskian–Kungurian) highly impoverished nodosarid–geinitzinid assemblage lacking fusulines and algae, which is characteristic of temperate cold waters and/or disphotic zone. The upper fine-grained terrigenous member represents shallow marine siliciclastic sedimentation under storm influence. The Juan de Morales Formation consists of continental, coastal and shallow marine sediments deposited at the active western margin of Gondwana at mid to low latitudes. A revised late Early Permian age and similar paleogeography and sedimentary environments are also proposed for the Huentelauquén Formation and related units of northern and central Chile, Arizaro Formation of northwestern Argentina, and equivalent units of southernmost Peru.     

Permian plate margin volcanism and tuffs in adjacent basins of west Gondwana: Age constraints and common characteristics

Increasing evidence of Permian volcanic activity along the South American portion of the Gondwana proto-Pacific margin has directed attention to its potential presence in the stratigraphic record of adjacent basins. In recent years, tuffaceous horizons have been identified in late Early Permian–through Middle Permian (280–260 Ma) sections of the Paraná Basin (Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Farther south and closer to the magmatic tract developed along the continental margin, in the San Rafael and Sauce Grande basins of Argentina, tuffs are present in the Early to Middle Permian section. This tuff-rich interval can be correlated with the appearance of widespread tuffs in the Karoo Basin. Although magmatic activity along the proto-Pacific plate margin was continuous during the Late Paleozoic, Choiyoi silicic volcanism along the Andean Cordillera and its equivalent in Patagonia peaked between the late Early Permian and Middle Permian, when extensive rhyolitic ignimbrites and consanguineous airborne tuffaceous material erupted in the northern Patagonian region. The San Rafael orogenic phase (SROP) interrupted sedimentation along the southwestern segment of the Gondwana margin (i.e., Frontal Cordillera, San Rafael Basin), induced cratonward thrusting (i.e., Ventana and Cape foldbelts), and triggered accelerated subsidence in the adjacent basins (Sauce Grande and Karoo) located inboard of the deformation front. This accelerated subsidence favored the preservation of tuffaceous horizons in the syntectonic successions. The age constraints and similarities in composition between the volcanics along the continental margin and the tuffaceous horizons in the San Rafael, Sauce Grande, Paraná, and Karoo basins strongly suggest a genetic linkage between the two episodes. Radiometric ages from tuffs in the San Rafael, Paraná, and Karoo basins indicate an intensely tuffaceous interval between 280 and 260 Ma.     

Permian plate margin volcanism and tuffs in adjacent basins of west Gondwana: Age constraints and common characteristics

Increasing evidence of Permian volcanic activity along the South American portion of the Gondwana proto-Pacific margin has directed attention to its potential presence in the stratigraphic record of adjacent basins. In recent years, tuffaceous horizons have been identified in late Early Permian–through Middle Permian (280–260 Ma) sections of the Paraná Basin (Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Farther south and closer to the magmatic tract developed along the continental margin, in the San Rafael and Sauce Grande basins of Argentina, tuffs are present in the Early to Middle Permian section. This tuff-rich interval can be correlated with the appearance of widespread tuffs in the Karoo Basin. Although magmatic activity along the proto-Pacific plate margin was continuous during the Late Paleozoic, Choiyoi silicic volcanism along the Andean Cordillera and its equivalent in Patagonia peaked between the late Early Permian and Middle Permian, when extensive rhyolitic ignimbrites and consanguineous airborne tuffaceous material erupted in the northern Patagonian region. The San Rafael orogenic phase (SROP) interrupted sedimentation along the southwestern segment of the Gondwana margin (i.e., Frontal Cordillera, San Rafael Basin), induced cratonward thrusting (i.e., Ventana and Cape foldbelts), and triggered accelerated subsidence in the adjacent basins (Sauce Grande and Karoo) located inboard of the deformation front. This accelerated subsidence favored the preservation of tuffaceous horizons in the syntectonic successions. The age constraints and similarities in composition between the volcanics along the continental margin and the tuffaceous horizons in the San Rafael, Sauce Grande, Paraná, and Karoo basins strongly suggest a genetic linkage between the two episodes. Radiometric ages from tuffs in the San Rafael, Paraná, and Karoo basins indicate an intensely tuffaceous interval between 280 and 260 Ma.     

中国晚始新世—早渐新世地层孢粉组合及其古气候特征

始新世—渐新世是从65Ma恐龙绝灭以来新生代地球历史上最重要的事件, 此时地球从“暖室”过渡到“冰室”, 全球气候突变, 南极冰首次出现, 气候突变引起生物的大绝灭, 而我国的孢粉组合也有明显的变化特征.根据我国各个区始新世晚期—渐新世早期地层中孢粉组合的演化规律来探讨当时我国的古气候变化规律, 研究认为中国从始新世晚期到渐新世早期总体上亚热带、热带植物成分丰度和分异度都降低, 温带植物如桦科和榆科花粉大增, 耐寒山地针叶植物大量发育, 干旱类型植物增加, 草本植物开始繁盛.这些反映了从始新世晚期到渐新世早期植被组成由热带亚热带常绿阔叶树为主的针阔叶林转变为落叶树为主的针阔混交林, 说明晚始新世气候温暖湿润过渡到早渐新世气候变干变冷.孢粉植物群所反映的我国气候变化趋势与全球气候变化趋势一致, 说明我国的陆地也受全球构造的演变和南极大陆冰盖的影响.      

Late Paleozoic volcanic record of the Eastern Junggar terrane, Xinjiang, Northwestern China: Major and trace element characteristics, Sr–Nd isotopic systematics and implications for tectonic evolution

The Eastern Junggar terrane of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt includes a Late Paleozoic assemblage of volcanic rocks of mixed oceanic and arc affinity, located in a structurally complex belt between the Siberian plate, the Kazakhstan block, and the Tianshan Range. The early history of these rocks is not well constrained, but the Junggar terrane was part of a Cordilleran-style accreted arc assemblage by the Late Carboniferous. Late Paleozoic volcanic rocks of the northern part of the east Junggar terrane are divided, from base to top, into the Early Devonian Tuoranggekuduke Formation (Fm.), Middle Devonian Beitashan Fm., Middle Devonian Yundukala Fm., Late Devonian Jiangzierkuduke Fm., Early Carboniferous Nanmingshui Fm. and Late Carboniferous Batamayineishan Fm. We present major element, trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic analyses of 64 (ultra)mafic to intermediate volcanic rock samples of these formations. All Devonian volcanic rocks exhibit remarkably negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies on the primitive mantle-normalized trace element diagrams, and are enriched in more highly incompatible elements relative to moderately incompatible ones. Furthermore, they have subchondritic Nb/Ta ratios, and their Zr/Nb and Sm/Nd ratios resemble those of MORBs, characteristics of arc-related volcanic rocks. The Early Devonian Tuoranggekuduke Fm., Middle Devonian Beitashan Fm., and Middle Devonian Yundukala Fm. are characterized by tholeiitic and calc-alkaline affinities. In contrast, the Late Devonian Jiangzierkuduke Fm. contains a large amount of tuff and sandstone, and its volcanic rocks have dominantly calc-alkaline affinities. We therefore propose that the Jiangzierkuduke Fm. formed in a mature island arc setting, and other Devonian Fms. formed in an immature island arc setting. The basalts from the Nanmingshui Fm. have geochemical signatures between N-MORB and island arcs, indicating that they formed in a back-arc setting. In contrast, the volcanic rocks from the Batamayineishan Fm. display geochemical characteristics of continental intraplate volcanic rocks formed in an extensional setting after collision. Thus, we propose a model that involves a volcanic arc formed by northward subduction of the ancient Junggar ocean and amalgamation of different terranes during the Late Paleozoic to interpret the formation of the Late Paleozoic volcanic rocks in the Eastern Junggar terrane, and the Altai and Junggar terranes fully amalgamated into a Cordilleran-type orogen during the end of Early Carboniferous to the Middle–Late Carboniferous.     

川西松潘-甘孜弧前盆地的形成及演化

地处柴南缘昆中蛇绿杂岩带与羌塘地块北缘可可西里—金沙江古缝合线之间的松潘—甘孜褶皱带(包括东昆仑构造带)，其主体应属古特提斯洋晚石炭世一晚三叠世时期向其北侧的柴达木古陆南缘俯冲过程中在活动陆缘弧—沟间隙之间增生形成的一个大型弧前构造带。具有由弧前盆地沉积楔和基底增生杂岩构成的双重结构特点，其形成与冈瓦纳大陆北缘若尔盖“三角”地块的楔入及俯冲带向南迁移有关。大致经历了晚石炭世一早三叠世狭窄弧前盆地和中晚三叠世宽阔弧前盆地两个主要演化阶段。     

西藏东巧北尕苍见岛弧的厘定及地质意义

在班公错—怒江小洋盆内晚侏罗世存在向南的俯冲已被许多学者所证实,近期在班—怒带中部的东巧蛇绿岩带北侧发现一套晚侏罗世火山岩——尕苍见(组)火山岩,该套火山岩以内部变形微弱而明显有别于东巧蛇绿岩带,其地球化学特点反映具有岛弧性质,并具有初期为拉斑玄武质-钙碱性岩浆喷发,尔后以钙碱性火山活动为主,至晚期岛弧演化成熟,发生岛弧橄榄安粗质火山喷发活动,并伴有富Nb岛弧玄武岩产出。证明在班怒小洋盆内晚期也曾存在向北的俯冲作用。这一发现对完整重溯班—怒带构造演化和构建青藏高原大地构造格局具有重要意义。     

甘肃窑街朱儿庄红层孢粉组合与地质时代

对窑街朱儿庄红层的孢粉和地层层序及时代进行了系统分析与对比研究。在朱儿庄红层剖面中划分出３个孢粉组合:①枫香粉属－楝粉属组合，时代为早－中始新世；②柳粉属－朴粉属－粉属组合，属始新世中、晚期；③栎粉属－柳粉属－粉属组合，属晚始新世－早渐新世。研究表明:窑街地区朱儿庄红层始新世孢粉组合与中国东、西部地区孢粉组合相似，均发育以亚热带和暖温带植物为主的亚热带型落叶阔叶林，气候炎热；始新世晚期至早渐新世则演变为以暖温带落叶阔叶树种为主的针阔叶混交林植被，气候温暖湿润。     

新疆北部后碰撞构造演化与成矿

以夹于陆块间的蛇绿岩套构造就位及其伴随的区域变形变质、同碰撞花岗岩侵入时期,作为主碰撞期。后碰撞发生在主碰撞之后,并随大规模花岗质岩浆作用的结束而结束。依此标志,新疆北部后碰撞阶段的主体时限为早石炭世维宪期—晚二叠世。研究表明,新疆北部后碰撞阶段具有明显的继承性、旋回性、阶段性和方向性,经历了早石炭世伸展—晚石炭世挤压(隆升)和早二叠世伸展—晚二叠世挤压(隆升)两个伸展—挤压旋回。其中,早石炭世伸展可能与主碰撞导致的岩石圈板片拆沉有关,早二叠世伸展则可能与刚性增强的新陆壳下幔源岩浆的底侵作用有关。由多陆块碰撞过程中产生的巨大挤压应力,被后碰撞期不同机制幔源岩浆作用导致的阶段性伸展所消耗,由此逐步完成了碰撞后新陆壳的固结。新疆北部后碰撞的伸展阶段和挤压—伸展转变期,是大规模成矿的高峰期,并具有独特的成矿时空分布规律性。     

Ceno-Tethyan Jurassic Radiolarian Fauna from the Raskoh Arc, Balochistan, Pakistan

The Raskoh arc is about 250 km long, 40 km wide and trends in ENE direction. The arc is convex towards southeast and terminated by the Chaman transform fault zone towards east. This arc is designated as frontal arc of the Chagai-Raskoh arc system. The Late Cretaceous Kuchakki Volcanic Group is the most widespread and previously considered the oldest unit of the the Raskoh arc followed by sedimentary rock formations including Rakhshani Formation (Paleocene), Kharan Limestone (Early Eocene) and Nauroze Formation (Middle Eocene to Oligocene), Dalbandin Formation (Miocene to Pleistocene), and semi-unconsolidated Subrecent and Recent deposits. The Rakhshani Formation is the most widespread and well-exposed unit of the Raskoh arc. During the present field investigation the Rakhshani forma-tion in the southeastern part of the Raskoh arc, is identified as an accretionary complex, which is designated as Raskoh accretionary complex. The Raskoh accretionary comple is subdivided into three units: (a) Bunap sedimen-tary complex, (b) Charkohan radiolarian chert, and (c) Raskoh ophiolite melange. The Bunap sedimentary complex is farther divided into three tectonostratigraphic units viz., northern, middle and southern. Each unit is bounded by thrust faults, which is usually marked by sheared serpentinites, except northern unit, which has gradational and at places faulted contact with the Kuchakki Volcanic Group. The northern unit is mainly composed of allochthonous fragments and blocks of limestone, sandstone, mudstone and the volcanics in dark gray, greenish gray and bluish gray siliceous flaky shale. At places the shale is metamorphosed into phyllite. This unit is thrust over the middle unit, which exhibits relatively a coherent stratigraphy, represented by greenish gray calcareous flaky shale with intercalation of thin beds and lenticular bodies of mudstone, sandstone and limestone. The middle unit is again thrust over the southern unit, which is mainly composed of large exotic blocks of volcanic rocks, limestone, sand-stone, mudstone and conglomerate embedded in dark gray, greenish gray and bluish gray siliceous flaky shale which is generally moderately argillized. The unit is thrust over the Kharan Limestone. During the present field investigation about 350 meter thick sequence of thin-bedded maroon and green chert intercalated with the siliceous flaky shale of the same colour are discovered within this unit, which is found in the southeastern part of the Ras-koh arc. This chert sequence occurs on the margins of a large exotic block (350m X 3 km) of volcaniclastic rocks of unknown origin, which makes an overturned syncline. This chert sequence is developed on its both limbs and has lower faulted contact with the Bunap sedimentary complex. Two samples collected from this chert sequence yielded radiolarian fauna, which include Parvicingula sp., Laxto-rum sp., Parahsuum cf. simplum, Parahsuum sp., Nassellaria gen. et sp. indet., Hsuum cf. Matsuokai., Archaeo-spongoprunum sp., Nassellaria gen. et sp. indet. and Hagias gen. et sp. indet., Tricolocapsa sp., Hsuum sp., Ris-tola sp., Archaeospongoprunum sp. and Tritrabinate gen. et sp. indet. This radiolarian chert sequence represents the late Early to Middle Jurassic pelagic sediment deposited in Ceno-Tethyan ocean floor; prior to the inception of volcanism in the Raskoh arc and accreted with the arc during Late Cretaceous to Eocene along with the Bunap sedimentary complex of Late Jurassic age.     

Stratigraphic record of thrust propagation, Carboniferous foreland basin, Pyrenees, with emphasis on Pays-de-Sault (France/Spain)

The Carboniferous culm of the Pays-de-Sault is divided into two diachronous and synshortening series. These series are dated Late Visean (Pic d'Ourtiset series in a northern overthrust unit) and Early Namurian E2 (La Fajolle series in a southern underthrust unit) from an association of foraminifers, algae, and microproblematica identified in clasts of conglomerates. According to structural positions and facies criteria, these two series are interpreted as two turbiditic depocenters which were generated by southward thrust propagation during Late Visean and Early Namurian. At the scale of the Pyrenean Hercynian range, this evolution is consistent with a thrust and depocenter sequence propagating on the wedge-top depozone of a foreland basin system from the northeast (Mouthoumet subpyrenean massif) to the southwest (end of the High Primary Range) during Late Visean to Westphalian C time interval.     

Basin fill evolution and paleotectonic patterns along the Samfrau geosyncline: the Sauce Grande basin–Ventana foldbelt (Argentina) and Karoo basin–Cape foldbelt (South Africa) revisited

As integral parts of du Toit’s (1927) “Samfrau Geosyncline”, the Sauce Grande basin–Ventana foldbelt (Argentina) and Karoo basin–Cape foldbelt (South Africa) share similar paleoclimatic, paleogeographic, and paleotectonic aspects related to the Late Paleozoic tectono-magmatic activity along the Panthalassan continental margin of Gondwanaland. Late Carboniferou-earliest Permian glacial deposits were deposited in the Sauce Grande (Sauce Grande Formation) and Karoo (Dwyka Formation) basins and Falkland–Malvinas Islands (Lafonia Formation) during an initial (sag) phase of extension. The pre-breakup position of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands on the easternmost part of the Karoo basin (immediately east of the coast of South Africa) is supported by recent paleomagnetic data, lithofacies associations, paleoice flow directions and age similarities between the Dwyka and the Lafonia glacial sequences. The desintegration of the Gondwanan Ice Sheet (GIS) triggered widespread transgressions, reflected in the stratigraphic record by the presence of inter-basinally correlatable, open marine, fine-grained deposits (Piedra Azul Formation in the Sauce Grande basin, Prince Albert Formation in the Karoo basin and Port Sussex Formation in the Falkland Islands) capping glacial marine sediments. These early postglacial transgressive deposits, characterised by fossils of the Eurydesma fauna and Glossopteris flora, represent the maximum flooding of the basins. Cratonward foreland subsidence was triggered by the San Rafael orogeny (ca. 270 Ma) in Argentina and propogated along the Gondwanan margin. This subsidence phase generated sufficient space to accommodate thick synorogenic sequences derived from the orogenic flanks of the Sauce Grande and Karoo basins. Compositionally, the initial extensional phase of these basins was characterized by quartz-rich, craton-derived detritus and was followed by a compressional (foreland) phase characterized by a paleocurrent reversal and dominance of arc/foldbelt-derived material. In the Sauce Grande basin, tuffs are interbedded in the upper half of the synorogenic, foldbelt-derived Tunas Formation (Early–early Late? Permian). Likewise, the first widespread appearance of tuffs in the Karoo basin is in the Whitehill Formation, of late Early Permian (260?Ma) age. Silicic volcanism along the Andes and Patagonia (Choiyoi magmatic province) peaked between the late Early Permian and Late Permian. A link between these volcanics and the consanguineous airborne tuffs present in the Sauce Grande and Karoo basins is suggested on the basis of their similar compositions and ages.