Structural and geological characteristics of a “seismic gap” in the central part of the Kuril Island Arc

The results of the cruise of R/V Akademik M.A. Lavrentiev conducted by the Pacific Institute of Oceanology, Far East Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences in August to September 2005 are considered. The aim of the works was to specify the tectonic structure, seismogenic potential, and tsunamigenic hazard of the central segment of the Kuril Island Arc. The complex studies involved single-channel seismic profiling, gravimetry, magnetometry, detailed bathymetry, dredge sampling of sea-floor rocks and sediments, and gas geochemistry. Geophysical and geological data are reported. It was demonstrated that the target area is an active tectonic destruction zone, the zone boundaries were outlined, and the main internal structural and compositional heterogeneities were identified.     

Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic volcanosedimentary complexes from the submarine Vityaz Ridge,the Island Arc slope of the Kuril-Kamchatka trench,and its evolution

This paper describes the volcanosedimentary complexes of different ages (Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene, Paleocene-Eocene (?), Oligocene-Early Miocene, and Pliocene-Pleistocene) that compose the basement and sedimentary cover of the submarine Vityaz Ridge. It was found that the Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks from the basement of the Vityaz Ridge (felsic) and the Lesser Kuril Ridge (mafic) have different compositions. Matrix mineral assemblages corresponding to the smectite and corrensite stages of epigenesis of Cenozoic rocks were distinguished, and a scheme of the Late Cretaceous-Pleistocene geological evolution of the region was proposed.     

Microplankton provide 9 Ma age for sediment in the Macquarie Island ophiolite complex

Macquarie Island in the southwest Pacific Ocean (55°S) is unique as an exposed location for studying oceanic crust generated by slow seafloor spreading—regions where rocks are difficult to date using radiometric methods. Bolboforms, an extinct group of poorly known microplankton, in sediment intercalated with pillow lavas yield tight constraints (9.01–8.78 Ma) on the age of formation of the dominantly seafloor volcanic sequence constituting the south of the island. The occurrence of Bolboforma metzmacheri extends the known geographic range of this Late Miocene zonal marker species in the southwest Pacific. A monospecific calcareous nannoplankton flora (Reticulofenestra perplexa) accompanied by the foraminifer Neogloboquadrina pachyderma in sediment from the north part of the island indicates a slightly older age (9.5–9.3 Ma), consistent with a radiometric date (9.2 ± 0.4 Ma) from nearby volcanics. The new age data indicate that the ocean floor volcanic sequence formed early in the Late Miocene, possibly along short segments of a slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge. Bolboforms have potential to provide fine-scale dating in other similarly complex ridge systems that are difficult to date by other means.     

New data on the structure of the Knipovich Ridge,North Atlantic

The Knipovich Ridge extends for 550–600 km between the Mohns Ridge and the demarcation Spitsbergen Fracture Zone. The structural features of this ridge are repeatedly mentioned in the literature; however, substantial discrepancies remain in the treatment of its tectonics. New data on the structure of this ridge presented in this paper are based on the results of continuous seismic profiling in the area studied by the expedition of the Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate on the R/V Akademik Nikolaj Strakhov in 2006; 56 seismic lines allow us to depict zones differing in seismic records that provide insights into their internal tectonic structure. Interpretation of the seismic data makes it possible to compile maps of the acoustic basement surface and sedimentary cover thickness in the studied area. These maps expand our knowledge of the geological history and geodynamics of the Knipovich Ridge at the neotectonic stage of its evolution.     

Features of the Distribution of Abnormal Gasgeochemical Fields in the Red River Rift (Gulf of Tonkin,South China Sea)

Doklady Earth Sciences - This paper reports the results of the third Russian–Vietnamese expedition (V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of...     

西太平洋雅浦海沟地幔演化与岩浆作用研究进展

俯冲带地幔演化与岩浆作用是地球各固体圈层之间发生物质和能量交换的重要地质过程.西太平洋雅浦海沟因其极短的沟-弧距离和洋脊碰撞等独特的地质构造特征成为研究复杂条件下俯冲带演化的理想场所.为了探究雅浦海沟地幔演化与岩浆作用,本文将前人对雅浦海沟火成岩的研究数据进行整合,分析了雅浦海沟火成岩的成因,并根据火成岩形成的制约条件,对卡罗琳板块俯冲到菲律宾海板块的地幔演化与岩浆作用过程进行了讨论.结果显示雅浦海沟火成岩均具有与俯冲相关火成岩的典型特征.橄榄岩地球化学特征指示雅浦海沟地幔熔融程度为20%~25%,地幔在部分熔融过程中受到了流体与熔体的双重交代作用.Re-Os同位素特征指示雅浦海沟地幔中存在约1.16 Ga非常古老的残余地幔,表明地幔可能经历过多期熔融事件,从而导致雅浦海沟地幔非常亏损.雅浦岛弧成因至今仍存争议,主要包括:(1)现今雅浦岛弧为帕里希维拉海盆洋壳的一部分,在中新世因卡罗琳洋脊的碰撞导致帕里希维拉海盆洋壳逆冲到原雅浦岛弧之上.(2)雅浦岛弧在不同构造时期经历过多期岛弧岩浆作用,包括俯冲初始阶段(~52 Ma)的弧前玄武岩、俯冲开始后的岛弧玄武岩(~25 Ma)、与卡罗琳洋脊碰撞(21 Ma)后的岛弧拉斑玄武岩(7~11 Ma).其中7~11 Ma的岛弧拉斑玄武岩指示雅浦岛弧岩浆活动并未因卡罗琳洋脊的碰撞完全停止,很有可能在晚中新世短暂恢复活动.      

Geochemistry of the submarine Vityaz Ridge at the pacific slope of the Kurile island arc

This paper reports the results of geological studies at the submarine Vityaz Ridge carried out during cruises 37 and 41 on the R/V “Akademik Lavrent’ev” in 2005 and 2006. The studied area is located at the near-island trench of the slope in the central part of the Kurile island arc. Morphologically, it consists of two parts: inner volcanic arc represented by the Great Kurile Range and outer arc corresponding to the submarine Vityaz Ridge. Diverse rocks that compose the basement and sedimentary cover of the ridge were recovered by dredging. Based on K-Ar dating and geochemistry, the volcanics were divided into Paleocene, Eocene, late Oligocene, and Pliocene-Pleistocene complexes. Each of the distinguished complexes reflects the tectonomagmatic stage in the ridge evolution. The geochemical and isotope data on the volcanics indicate the contribution of ancient crustal material in magma source and, correspondingly, the formation of this structure on the continental basement. Two-stage model ages, T_DM2, vary in a wide range from zero values in the mafic rocks to 0.77 Ga in felsic varieties, pointing to the presence of Precambrian protolith in the source of the felsic rocks of the Vityaz Ridge. The Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanics are classed with the tholeiitic, calc-alkaline, and subalkaline series, which differ in alkali contents and REE fractionation. The values of (La/Sm)_N and (La/Yb)_N ratios vary from 0.74 and 0,84 in the tholeiitic varieties to 1.19 and 1.44 in the calcalkaline and 2.32 and 3.73 in the subalkaline rocks. All three varieties occur within the same volcanic edifices and were formed during differentiation of magmatic melt that were channeled along fault zones from the mantle source slightly enriched in crustal component     

太平洋海山富钴结壳钙质超微化石生物地层学及生长过程

正确判断富钴结壳生长年代及过程有助于研究结壳形成地质历史和重建古海洋环境.利用生物地层学方法(生物遗留印痕)对太平洋不同海山结壳样品进行生长时代和阶段研究,发现麦哲伦海山CM3D06结壳和中太平洋海山CB14结壳最初形成年代和富集特征差异显著: 前者为白垩纪(或更古老)、晚古新世-早始新世、中-晚始新世、中-晚中新世、上新世-更新世等5个阶段;后者为晚古新世-早始新世、中-晚始新世、中中新世、上新世-更新世等4个阶段.两座海山结壳层内部超微化石组合具有极强的区域性特征,反映了大洋环境对生物的影响以及生物对环境的适应.结壳层间的不整合和结构构造的变化指示在渐新世其生长存在间断期,与成矿作用的间断有关.      

Late pleistocene and holocene history of the lakes in the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and the North-Western part of the East European plain

The paper reviews the work on paleolimnology in parts of the FSU over the last 40 years. It presents a short review of The History of the Lakes of the East European Plain, one of the books of the series The History of Lakes published by the Institute of Lake Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It describes the Late Pleistocene and Holocene history of these lakes based mainly on the study of lacustrine sediments. Amongst the samples Lake Nero near Moscow which is located near the marginal zone of the last glaciation, and includes records that go back as early as 190,000 BP. The main elements of lake evolution are shown in different territories: Byelorussia; Baltic countries; Karelia; and the Kola Peninsula. Special attention is given to palaeolimnological data because its use for Holocene and Late Pleistocene palaeoclimate reconstructions.     

Volcanism as an indicator of a depth mechanism for the formation of the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk

The results of the geochemical studies of the Late Oligocene-Pleistocene volcanic rocks that accompanied the formation of the deep-water basins of the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk are presented. These rocks have an initially mantle origin that is a derivative of a single source—spinel perodotites. They formed as a result of the partial melting of secondary plumes located in the head part of the major mantle plume. This plume rose very closely to the surface in the area of the Japanese (Central) basin, where the marginal-sea basaltoids with chemical properties of HIMU (OIB) sources were established. The continental lithosphere (the upper mantle and the crust) was involved in the magma formation in the area of the Kuril basin and the Vityaz Ridge at the earliest rifting stage in the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene and at the final stage in the Pliocene-Pleistocene.     

Palaeozoic-Recent geological development and uplift of the Amanos Mountains (S Turkey) in the critically located northwesternmost corner of the Arabian continent

We have carried out a several-year-long study of the Amanos Mountains, on the basis of which we present new sedimentary and structural evidence, which we combine with existing data, to produce the first comprehensive synthesis in the regional geological setting. The ca. N-S-trending Amanos Mountains are located at the northwesternmost edge of the Arabian plate, near the intersection of the African and Eurasian plates. Mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sediments accumulated on the north-Gondwana margin during the Palaeozoic. Triassic rift-related sedimentation was followed by platform carbonate deposition during Jurassic-Cretaceous. Late Cretaceous was characterised by platform collapse and southward emplacement of melanges and a supra-subduction zone ophiolite. Latest Cretaceous transgressive shallow-water carbonates gave way to deeper-water deposits during Palaeocene-Eocene. Eocene southward compression, reflecting initial collision, resulted in open folding, reverse faulting and duplexing. Fluvial, lagoonal and shallow-marine carbonates accumulated during Late Oligocene(?)-Early Miocene, associated with basaltic magmatism. Intensifying collision during Mid-Miocene initiated a foreland basin that then infilled with deep-water siliciclastic gravity flows. Late Miocene-Early Pliocene compression created mountain-sized folds and thrusts, verging E in the north but SE in the south. The resulting surface uplift triggered deposition of huge alluvial outwash fans in the west. Smaller alluvial fans formed along both mountain flanks during the Pleistocene after major surface uplift ended. Pliocene-Pleistocene alluvium was tilted towards the mountain front in the west. Strike-slip/transtension along the East Anatolian Transform Fault and localised sub-horizontal Quaternary basaltic volcanism in the region reflect regional transtension during Late Pliocene-Pleistocene (<4 Ma).     

New data on the morphology and geological structure of the Gramberg Guyot (Magellan Seamounts, Pacific Ocean)

The geological-geophysical studies carried out in the western part of the Pacific Ocean by the State Research Center “Yuzhmorgeologiya“ during cruises of the R/V “Gelendzhik” in 2002–2004 yielded new data on the relief of the Gramberg Guyot and its constituting rocks, which appeared to be Early Cretaceous to Pleistocene in age. The analysis of macro- and microfaunal remains in sedimentary rocks made it possible to define the transgressive phases in the development of seamounts (the Cenomanian-Turonian, Late Campanian-Maastrichtian, and Late Cenozoic). The geological development of the Gramberg Guyot is compared with that of other similar structures of the Magellan Seamounts.     

塔里木盆地巴楚隆起古董山断裂带构造分析

古董山断裂构造带位于塔里木盆地西部的巴楚隆起上,走向北西-南东,延伸140 km左右。基于地震剖面的详细解释,识别出4期构造变形：寒武-奥陶纪正断层、二叠纪正断层、中新世冲断层、上新世-更新世冲断层及其伴生的正断层。中新世基底卷入型冲断层是古董山构造带的主控断裂构造,构成断裂带的主体,构造变形样式为断层传播褶皱。寒武-奥陶纪正断层形成复式地垒,隐伏于中新世主干断层之下。二叠纪正断层可能伴生有岩浆活动。先存的正断层和岩浆岩对古董山中新世断裂活动具有明显的控制作用;后期的断裂活动,即上新世-更新世逆冲断层和正断层,对中新世形成的断裂构造有改造作用。古董山断裂带东南端与玛扎塔格构造带西端交汇,但两者不是同一条断裂带。     

Age and sources of granitoids in the junction zone of the Caledonides and Hercynides in southwestern Mongolia: Geodynamic implications

The paper reports newly obtained geological, geochronological (U-Pb zircon method), Nd isotopic, and geochemical data on Middle and Late Paleozoic granitoids and metamorphic rocks from the southern slope of the Mongolian Altai and Gobi Altai and on granitoids from the Trans-Altai Gobi. Tectonically, the former rocks are hosted in the margin of a Caledonian paleocontinent, and the latter are localized among island-arc and oceanic complexes related to the development of the Hercynian Southern Mongolian Ocean. According to their geological setting, the intrusive complexes are subdivided into two major groups: (i) related to processes of regional metamorphism and (ii) separated from these processes. Geochemical data suggest that the source of most of the granitoids and metamorphic rocks contained island-arc rocks and their erosion products. Nd isotopic evidence indicates that practically all of the allochthonous granitoids, regardless of their composition, age, and structural setting, have positive ?_Nd(T) values [i.e., belong to the ?(+) type] and could not be formed by the melting of metaterrigenous rocks widespread at the modern erosion level. These granitoids in both the Caledonian and the Hercynian structures have practically identical Late Riphean Nd model ages [T_Nd(DM) = 0.97–0.60 Ga], which become slightly younger in the granitoids of the Hercynides. The exception are ultrametamorphic subautochthonous ?(?) granites of the first group localized in the peripheral part of migmatite fields. The sources of these granitoids could be the host metaterrigenous rocks. The results obtained in the course of this research suggest, with regard for preexisting data on granitoids in the isotopic provinces in Central Asia, that the sources of the Paleozoic granitoids were the rocks of the “juvenile” Caledonian and Hercynian island-arc crust and of the older crust of cratonic blocks with a Early Precambrian and Late Riphean basement, respectively. The Late Riphean crustal material in Caledonian and Hercynian structures related to the development of the corresponding oceanic basins most probably consisted of clastic sediments or relatively small fragments of the Late Riphean crust. The occurrence of this crustal material in the sources of the granitoids can be explained by the involvement of sediments in subduction zones and the participation of these sediments and fragments of Late Riphean complexes in the accretionary-collision processes during the closure of the paleoceanic basins. Simultaneously, the subduction zones received juvenile material that could be later involved in the melting processes together with older rocks.     

Tectonostratigraphic complexes of the southern Kronotskii paleoarc (Eastern Kamchatka): Structure,age, and composition

The eastern peninsulas of Kamchatka are mostly composed of tectonostratigraphic complexes, which were formed within the Late Cretaceous-Eocene Kronotskii-Kamchatka arc. The accretion of this paleoarc to the Kamchatka margin of northeastern Asia in the terminal Cenozoic represented the last collisional event in the formation of the present-day structure of Kamchatka. The article presents new data on the age, composition, and structure of the tectonostratigraphic complexes constituting the southern segment of the Kronotskii-Kamchatka paleoarc. It is shown that the oldest rocks of these complexes are the Campanian in age and represented by volcano-sedimentary rocks that were formed in different geodynamic environments. The investigated igneous rocks are attributed to two types: (1) the tholeiite series of a mid-oceanic ridge (MOR) (Vetlovaya Complex); (2) tholeiite and calc-alkaline series of island arcs (Shipunskii Sequence of the Kronotskii Group).     

Geological structure of the Kashevarov Trough (central Sea of Okhotsk)

This paper reports the composition and age of rocks dredged from the Kashevarov Trough (central Sea of Okhotsk) during cruise 41 of the R/V Akademik M.A. Lavrentyev in 2006. It was found that the Late Cretaceous and Eocene volcanics from the Kashevarov Trough and Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt, structures of which are traceable in the Sea of Okhotsk, have similar petrographic and geochemical features. The Cenozoic sedimentary cover consists of three different-age complexes: (1) the late Oligocene (∼28.2–24.0 Ma); (2) the terminal late Oligocene-early Miocene (24.0–20.3 Ma); (3) the terminal late Pliocene-early Pleistocene (2.0–1.0 Ma). The upper Oligocene-lower Miocene sediments were deposited in relatively shallow-water settings, whereas the late Pliocene-early Pleistocene complex was formed in deeper environments, which was probably determined by tectonic processes. The geological data indicate that the Kashevarov Trough and the surrounding underwater rises represented in the Oligocene-early Miocene a single shelf zone of the Sea of Okhotsk, which is underlain by a structurally integral Mesozoic basement and is now subsided to depths of 800–1000 m.     

Structure of the precambrian sedimentary cover and upper part of the basement in the Central Russian Aulacogen and Orsha Depression (East European Platform)

The Precambrian sedimentary section and upper part of the basement of the Central Russian Aulacogen and Orsha Depression, two largest structures located beneath the Moscow Syneclise are analyzed. It has been established that the Late Riphean Central Russian Aulacogen was initiated on the Proterozoic crust of the Transcratonic belt that separates different-aged geological blocks of the East European Platform basement. The Orsha Depression is superposed both on sedimentary complexes of the aulacogen and rocks constituting structures surrounding the Transcratonic belt. Boundaries of the sedimentary cover and basement are outlined and a new structure (Toropets-Ostashkov Trough) is defined. The Precambrian section recovered by Borehole North Molokovo is proposed to serve as a reference one for the Central Russian Aulacogen. The CMP records demonstrate seismocomplexes, which allow one to trace rock members and sequences defined by drilling. Eight seismocomplexes, combination of which varies in different structures, are defined in the Upper Riphean-Vendian part of the sedimentary section. The section of the Central Russian Aulacogen includes the following sedimentary complexes: dominant gray-colored arkoses (R₃¹), variegated arkoses (R₃²), red-colored arkoses (R₃³), and volcanosedimentary rocks (V₁²). The section of the Orsha Depression consists of dominant red-colored quartz sandstones (R₃⁴), glacial and interglacial (V₁¹), and variegated volcanogenic-terrigenous sediments. The upper seismocomplex (V₂) is composed of terrigenous and terrigenous-carbonate rocks. It represents the basal unit of the Moscow Syneclise, which marks the plate stage in development of the East European Platform. The upper part of the basement corresponds to a seismocomplex (Pr₁) represented by dynamometamorphosed rocks that form a tectonic mélange. Analysis of the lateral and vertical distribution of the defined seismocomplexes made it possible to specify the structure of the Riphean-Vendian part of the sedimentary cover and to revise their formation history in some cases.     

Development of the negative gravity anomaly of the 85°E Ridge,northeastern Indian Ocean – A process oriented modelling approach

The 85°E Ridge extends from the Mahanadi Basin, off northeastern margin of India to the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount in the Central Indian Basin. The ridge is associated with two contrasting gravity anomalies: negative anomaly over the north part (up to 5°N latitude), where the ridge structure is buried under thick Bengal Fan sediments and positive anomaly over the south part, where the structure is intermittently exposed above the seafloor. Ship-borne gravity and seismic reflection data are modelled using process oriented method and this suggest that the 85°E Ridge was emplaced on approximately 10–15 km thick elastic plate (Te) and in an off-ridge tectonic setting. We simulated gravity anomalies for different crust-sediment structural configurations of the ridge that were existing at three geological ages, such as Late Cretaceous, Early Miocene and Present. The study shows that the gravity anomaly of the ridge in the north has changed through time from its inception to present. During the Late Cretaceous the ridge was associated with a significant positive anomaly with a compensation generated by a broad flexure of the Moho boundary. By Early Miocene the ridge was approximately covered by the post-collision sediments and led to alteration of the initial gravity anomaly to a small positive anomaly. At present, the ridge is buried by approximately 3 km thick Bengal Fan sediments on its crestal region and about 8 km thick pre- and post-collision sediments on the flanks. This geological setting had changed physical properties of the sediments and led to alter the minor positive gravity anomaly of Early Miocene to the distinct negative gravity anomaly.     

中国科学院地质研究所的成立与中央地质调查所的传承

1913年成立的中央地质调查所(成立时称农商部地质调查所)是中国建立的第一个国家级科研机构,代表了中国现代科学的起始,在中国现代科学发展史上具有举足轻重的地位.在它成立后的几十年间,中央地质调查所在区域地质调查、矿产资源勘查、大地构造学、地震学、土壤学、古生物与古人类学等众多领域,取得了一系列举世瞩目的学术成就,是民国...     

Geochemistry and geodynamic setting of Late Cretaceous-Miocene basalts in the southern Korean Peninsula

Newly obtained data highlight strong geological and geochemical differences between Late Cretaceous-Paleogene and Eocene-Middle Miocene volcanic rocks in the southern Korean Peninsula. The rocks are spatially separated and differ in the proportions of acid and basic varieties. The Late Cretaceous-Paleogene basalts are similar to suprasubduction rocks in having high Al₂O₃, LILE, and Th contents, and low TiO₂ and HFSE contents. The Miocene basalts have a composition intermediate between those of subduction and within-plate rocks. Compared to subduction rocks, they are lower in radiogenic Sr, K, LILE (Cs, Rb, Ba), and Th and higher in MgO, Ni, Ti, and HREE. A drastic change in U, Ba, Rb, Ce, Th, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in the basic volcanic rocks of the southern Korean Peninsula at the Late Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary suggests a decreasing sedimentary contribution to the magma. The latter testifies to a change in the direction of the motion of the oceanic and continental plates, increasing compressional forces and, finally, the cessation of subduction. The synthesis of the original authors and published data on Cenozoic volcanism of the southern Korean Peninsula and the eastern Sikhote Alin showed that the tectonic evolution of the eastern Eurasian margin occurred in four stages: Late Cretaceous-Paleogene, Eocene-Oligocene, Early, and Middle-Miocene.