U–Pb–Hf zircon study of two mylonitic granite complexes in the Talas-Fergana fault zone,Kyrgyzstan, and Ar–Ar age of deformations along the fault

A 2000 km long dextral Talas-Fergana strike–slip fault separates eastern terranes in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan from western terranes. The aim of this study was to constrain an age of dextral shearing in the central part of the fault utilizing Ar–Ar dating of micas. We also carried out a U–Pb–Hf zircon study of two different deformed granitoid complexes in the fault zone from which the micas for Ar dating were separated. Two samples of the oldest deformed Neoproterozoic granitoids in the area of study yielded U–Pb zircon SHRIMP ages 728 ± 11 Ma and 778 ± 11 Ma, characteristic for the Cryogenian Bolshoi Naryn Formation, and zircon grains analyzed for their Lu–Hf isotopic compositions yielded εHf(t) values from −11.43 to −16.73, and their calculated tHfc ages varied from 2.42 to 2.71 Ga. Thus varying Cryogenian ages and noticeable heterogeneity of Meso- to Paleoproterozoic crustal sources was established for mylonitic granites of the Bolshoi Naryn Formation. Two samples of mylonitized pegmatoidal granites of the Kyrgysh Complex yielded identical ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 279 ± 5 Ma corresponding to the main peak of Late-Paleozoic post-collisional magmatism in the Tien Shan (Seltmann et al., 2011), and zircon grains analyzed for their Lu–Hf isotopic compositions yielded εHf(t) values from −11.43 to −16.73, and calculated tHfc ages from 2.42 to 2.71 Ga indicating derivation from a Paleoproterozoic crustal source. Microstructural studies showed that ductile/brittle deformation of pegmatoidal granites of the Kyrgysh Complex occurred at temperatures of 300–400 °C and caused resetting of the K–Ar isotope system of primary muscovite. Deformation of mylonitized granites of the Bolshoi Naryn Formation occurred under high temperature conditions and resulted in protracted growth and recrystallization of micas. The oldest Ar–Ar muscovite age of 241 Ma with a well defined plateau from a pegmatoidal granite of the Kyrgysh Complex is considered as a “minimum” age of dextral motions along this section of the fault in the Triassic while younger ages varying from 227 Ma to 199 Ma with typical staircase patterns indicate protracted growth and recrystallization of micas during ductile deformations which continued until the end of the Triassic.     

Experimental Na-K distribution between amphiboles and aqueous chloride solutions, and a mixing model along the richterite – K-richterite join

The cation exchange equilibrium has been investigated by hydrothermal experiments at 700 and 800°C at 200 MPa. To avoid equilibration problems of conventional exchange experiments, we synthesized amphiboles with an excess fluid allowing exchange between solid and fluid during the experiment. The exchangeable cations Na and K were provided as excess 1 to 2n chloridic solution. These exchange syntheses can be described by the reaction equation with ^(aq) for hydroxides and chlorides in aqueous solutions and _{( s )} and _{( p )}?=?start and product fluid. The amphiboles grew in presence of the exchange fluid and adjusted their stoichiometry in equilibrium with the fluid phase. The solid products consist of more than 99% amphibole (Na,K-richterite_ss) with traces of diopside and quartz. The amphiboles are up to 1?mm long and often ≈ 40 μm thick. Detailed EMP- and HRTEM-observations show that they are chemically homogeneous and structurally wellordered. The experimental results give consistent phase relations in the reciprocal ternary system Na-richterite–K-richterite–NaCl–KCl. We analysed the product fluid with AAS- and ICP-methods. The Na-K distribution coefficients between fluid and amphiboles of the richterite–K-richterite join are close to unity at 700°C and 800°C at 200 MPa. Small systematic deviations are explained by a symmetric solution model for the A-position of the amphiboles. Using ideal mixing for H₂O-NaCl-KCl fluids, a mixing model for the system richterite–K-richterite is presented. We suggest that the composition of richterite solid solutions can be used as a sensor for NaCl/KCl-ratios in metamorphic fluids.     

Tectonic geomorphology of the Kemalpaşa Basin and surrounding horsts,southwestern part of the Gediz Graben,Western Anatolia

The Kemalpa?a Basin is one of the Quaternary basins in Western Anatolia and represents the south-western branch of the Gediz Graben system in this extensional province. This basin has been formed under the NNE–SSW trending extensional tectonic regime. It is bounded by a major fault, the Kemalpa?a Fault, in the south and it is bounded by a number of downstepping faults, called as Spilda?? Fault Zone, in the north. Both margin-bounding faults of the Kemalpa?a Basin are oblique-slip normal faults. In order to better understand the activities of these faults, we investigated the tectonic geomorphology of the Kemalpa?a Basin and interpreted the effect of tectonic activity on the geomorphological evolution using geomorphic markers such as drainage basin patterns, facet geometries and morphometric indices such as hypsometric curves and integral (HI), basin shape index (B_s), valley floor width-to-height ratio (V_f) and mountain front sinuosity (S_mf). The morphometric analysis of 30 drainage basins in total and mountain fronts bounding the basin from both sides suggests a relatively high degree of tectonic activity. The mountain front sinuosity (S_mf) generally varies from 1.1 to 1.3 in both sides of the basin suggesting the active fronts and facet slopes (12°–32°) suggest a relatively high degree of activity along the both sides of the Kemalpa?a Basin. Similarly, the valley floor width-to-height ratios (V_f) obtained from the both sides indicate low values varying from 0.043 to 0.92, which are typical values (<1) for tectonically active mountain fronts. The all values obtained are lower for the southern side. Therefore, we suggest that the tectonic activity of the Kemalpa?a Fault higher than the Spilda?? Fault Zone. This difference that can be arised from the different uplift rates also reveals the typical asymmetric characteristics of the Kemalpa?a Basin. Additionally, the trapezoidal facets which have been observed on the southern side of the basin indicate that the Kemalpa?a Fault is evolutionally more active as compared to the Spilda?? Fault Zone. The geomorphic indices indicate that the Quaternary landscape evolution of the Kemalpa?a Basin was governed by tectonic and erosional processes, and also the all results of morphometric analysis suggest a relatively high degree of tectonic activity along the faults bounding the Kemalpa?a Basin. Moreover, considering that active large normal faults with an average 15 km long can cause major earthquake, the earthquake hazard in the Kemalpa?a Basin should be investigated in detailed paleoseismological studies.     

Cyclostratigraphy across a Mississippian carbonate ramp in the Esfahan–Sirjan Basin,Iran: implications for the amplitudes and frequencies of sea-level fluctuations along the southern margin of the Paleotethys

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Tournaisian–Visean carbonate successions of the Esfahan–Sirjan Basin (ESB) from Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, Iran, have been used to...     

Stability analysis and remedial measures of a landslip at Keifang,Mizoram – a case study

Landslips are often triggered due to non-engineered excavation of potential unstable slopes. Such slips can be stabilized by implementing suitable remedial measures.A landslip occurred at a drilling site of Oil India Limited in Mizoram State due to slope excavation. There was an immediate concern to protect the slope as the drilling platform and the highway at the top of the slope are at risk if further landslide occurs in future. Slope stability analysis of the failed slope was carried out to design suitable control measures for the protection of the slope from further sliding. Slope stability using various methods indicated that the slope is marginally stable. To improve the stability of the slope, suitable retaining structure at the toe of the slope was suggested and designed. Stability analysis performed with inclusion of retaining wall showed a significant increase in factor of safety of the slope. The suggested remedial measure has been implemented at the site and there is no landslip reported since then. The paper presents the results of the slope stability analysis and the design details of the retaining structure prescribed as the protection measure.     

Field evidence for normal fault linkage and relay ramp evolution: the Kırkağaç Fault Zone,western Anatolia (Turkey)

Linking of normal faults forms at all scales as a relay ramp during growth stages and represents the most efficient way for faults to lengthen during their progressive formation. Here, I study the linking of normal faulting along the active K?rka?aç Fault Zone within the west Anatolian extensional system to reconstruct fault interaction in time and space using both field- and computer-based data. I find that (i) connecting of the relay zone/ramp occurred with two breaching faults of different generations and that (ii) the propagation was facilitated by the presence of pre-existing structures, inherited from the ?zmir-Bal?kesir transfer zone. Hence, the linkage cannot be compared directly to a simple fault growth model. Therefore, I propose a combined scenario of both hangingwall and footwall fault propagation mechanisms that explain the present-day geometry of the composite fault line. The computer-based analyses show that the approximate slip rate is 0.38 mm/year during the Quaternary, and a NE–SW-directed extension is mainly responsible for the recent faulting along the K?rka?aç Fault Zone. The proposed structural scenario also highlights the active fault termination and should be considered in future seismic hazard assessments for the region that includes densely populated settlements.     

Numerical modelling of fault reactivation in carbonate rocks under fluid depletion conditions – 2D generic models with a small isolated fault

This generic 2D elastic-plastic modelling investigated the reactivation of a small isolated and critically-stressed fault in carbonate rocks at a reservoir depth level for fluid depletion and normal-faulting stress conditions. The model properties and boundary conditions are based on field and laboratory experimental data from a carbonate reservoir. The results show that a pore pressure perturbation of −25 MPa by depletion can lead to the reactivation of the fault and parts of the surrounding damage zones, producing normal-faulting downthrows and strain localization. The mechanism triggering fault reactivation in a carbonate field is the increase of shear stresses with pore-pressure reduction, due to the decrease of the absolute horizontal stress, which leads to an expanded Mohr's circle and mechanical failure, consistent with the predictions of previous poroelastic models. Two scenarios for fault and damage-zone permeability development are explored: (1) large permeability enhancement of a sealing fault upon reactivation, and (2) fault and damage zone permeability development governed by effective mean stress. In the first scenario, the fault becomes highly permeable to across- and along-fault fluid transport, removing local pore pressure highs/lows arising from the presence of the initially sealing fault. In the second scenario, reactivation induces small permeability enhancement in the fault and parts of damage zones, followed by small post-reactivation permeability reduction. Such permeability changes do not appear to change the original flow capacity of the fault or modify the fluid flow velocity fields dramatically.     

Rock pulverization and localization of a strike-slip fault zone in dolomite rocks (Salzach–Ennstal–Mariazell–Puchberg fault,Austria)

Detailed investigations of dolomite fault rocks, formed at shallow crustal depths along the Salzach–Ennstal–Mariazell–Puchberg (SEMP) fault system in the Northern Calcareous Alps, revealed new insights into cataclasite formation. The examined Miocene, sinistral strike-slip faults reveal grain size reduction of dolomite host rocks by tensile microfracturing at a large range of scales, producing rock fragments of centimetre to micrometre sizes. In situ fracturing leads to grain size reduction down to grain sizes <25 μm, producing mosaic breccias and fault rocks which have previously been described as “initial/embryonic” and “intermediate” cataclasites. At all scales, grain fragments display little to no rotation and no or minor evidence of shear deformation. The observed microstructures are similar to those previously described in studies on pulverized rocks. Microstructural investigations of cataclasites and mosaic breccias revealed aggregations of small dolomite grains (<50 μm) that accumulated on top of large fragments or as infillings of V-shaped voids between larger grains and show constant polarity throughout the investigated samples. Fabrics indicate deposition in formerly open pore space and subsequent polyphase cementation. The newly described tectonic geopetal fabrics (geopetal-particle-aggregates, GPA) prove that these faults temporarily passed through a stage of extremely high porosity/permeability prior to partial cementation.     

Fractionation,distribution and transport of mercury in rivers and tributaries around Wanshan Hg mining district,Guizhou province,southwestern China: Part 1 – Total mercury

The Wanshan Hg mining area in Guizhou, China, was one of the world’s largest Hg producing regions. Numerous mine-waste and calcines still remain, leaching Hg to local rivers and streams and potentially impacting the local population. Several studies have been published on local environmental impacts of these mining and retorting residues, but a comprehensive, regional survey on the distribution of Hg in the rivers in the region, as presented in this paper, has not previously been conducted. This study focuses on the regional distribution and temporal variation of aqueous Hg fractions in the five main watercourses draining the Wanshan Hg mining and retorting area, covering more than 700 km². Three sampling campaigns were carried out in 2007 and 2008, covering high flow, normal flow and low flow periods. Total (THg), particulate (PHg), dissolved (DHg) and reactive (RHg) Hg fractions were determined. All rivers had the highest Hg concentrations at sample sites about 100–500 m downstream of the mine wastes. Total Hg concentrations ranged from extremely high (up to 12,000 ng L⁻¹) at the sample site just 100 m below mine wastes, to quite low in tributary streams (1.9 ng L⁻¹, about 14 km downstream of the mine wastes). Total Hg and PHg concentrations were usually highest during high flow periods in the Hg-contaminated areas (i.e. THg ? 50 ng L⁻¹), while in the less-impacted downstream areas (with THg < 50 ng L⁻¹) the Hg concentrations were usually lowest during high flow periods. Although highly elevated concentrations of Hg in water samples were found just downstream of the mine wastes, the concentrations decreased sharply to well below 50 ng L⁻¹ (US EPA Hg concentration standard for protection of fresh water), within only 6–8 km downstream. Concentrations of THg were highly dominated by and correlated with PHg (R² = 0.996–0.999, P < 0.001); PHg constituted more than 80% of THg in Hg-contaminated areas, and could account for 99.6% of the THg close to the mine wastes.     

Provenance,volcanic record,and tectonic setting of the Paleozoic Ventania Fold Belt and the Claromecó Foreland Basin: Implications on sedimentation and volcanism along the southwestern Gondwana margin

This study focuses on the provenance, volcanic record, and tectonic setting of the Paleozoic Ventania System, a geologic province which comprises the Cambro-Devonian Ventania Fold Belt and the adjoining Permo-Carboniferous Claromecó Foreland Basin, located inboard the deformation front. The Ventania Fold Belt is formed of the Curamalal and Ventana groups, which are composed mainly of mature quartzites that were unconformably deposited on igneous and metamorphic basement. The Pillahuincó Group is exposed as part of the Claromecó Basin and it has lithological and structural features totally distinct from the lowermost groups. This group is composed of immature arkoses and subarkoses with intercalated tuff horizons, unconformably overlaying the quartzites and associated with glacial-marine deposits of the lower Late Carboniferous to Early Permian section. The petrography, as well as major and trace elements (including rare earth elements) support that the Ventania quartzites were derived from cratonic sources and deposited in a passive margin environment. For the Pillahuincó Group, we suggest a transition between rocks derived from and deposited in a passive margin environment to those with geochemical and petrographical signatures indicative of an active continental margin provenance. LA-MC-ICP-MS analysis performed on euhedral and prismatic zircon grains of the tuffs revealed an age of 284 ± 15 Ma. The geochemical fingerprints and geochronological data of the tuffs found in the Claromecó Basin support the presence of an active and widespread Lower Permian pyroclastic activity in southwestern Gondwana, which is interpreted as part of the Choiyoi Volcanic Province in Argentina and Chile.     

Holocene sedimentary and environmental development of Aarhus Bay,Denmark – a multi-proxy study

Holocene sedimentation patterns and environmental development in Aarhus Bay, Denmark, were reconstructed based on proxy analyses of two sediment cores (M1 and M5). Together, the two cores offer an opportunity to examine the history of the area during the past c. 10 000 years. The investigation consisted of acoustic mapping and multi-proxy analyses of the sediment cores including macrofossils, sediment physical properties, sediment accumulation rates, grain size, and X-ray fluorescence elemental counts. Radiocarbon dating of the two sediment successions revealed that they cover the periods c. 10 000–3700 cal. a BP (M1) and c. 4400 cal. a BP to the present (M5). The data from the M1 site indicate the presence of a near-shore lake environment between c. 10 000 and 9000 cal. a BP. The first intrusion of marine water into the area is dated to c. 9000 cal. a BP. In the following c. 1300 years, brackish-water conditions prevailed in the area characterized by a mixture of taxa from marine, limnic and terrestrial habitats, reflecting a shallow estuarine environment. Around 7700 cal. a BP full marine conditions were established, accompanied by a marked increase in sedimentation rates. The changes to full marine conditions and higher sedimentation rates are probably due to a significant sea-level rise leading to flooding of former land areas and intensified erosion. A subsequent distinct decrease in sedimentation rates around 6350 cal. a BP is presumably linked to a previously documented sea-level drop about this time. Continuous sedimentation ceased around 3700 cal. a BP in the central part of the bay, most probably due to a major sea-level lowering involving widespread erosion. In the eastern and deeper part of the bay, sedimentation continued until today. Fully marine conditions prevailed there for at least the last 4400 years.     

Growth of cyclone Viyaru and Phailin – a comparative study

The tropical cyclone Viyaru maintained a unique quasi-uniform intensity during its life span. Despite being in contact with sea surface for >120 hr travelling about 2150 km, the cyclonic storm (CS) intensity, once attained, did not intensify further, hitherto not exhibited by any other system over the Bay of Bengal. On the contrary, the cyclone Phailin over the Bay of Bengal intensified into very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) within about 48 hr from its formation as depression. The system also experienced rapid intensification phase (intensity increased by 30 kts or more during subsequent 24 hours) during its life time and maximum intensity reached up to 115 kts. In this paper, a comparative study is carried out to explore the evolution of the various thermodynamical parameters and possible reasons for such converse features of the two cyclones. Analysis of thermodynamical parameters shows that the development of the lower tropospheric and upper tropospheric potential vorticity (PV) was low and quasi-static during the lifecycle of the cyclone Viyaru. For the cyclone Phailin, there was continuous development of the lower tropospheric and upper tropospheric PV, which attained a very high value during its lifecycle. Also there was poor and fluctuating diabatic heating in the middle and upper troposphere and cooling in the lower troposphere for Viyaru. On the contrary, the diabatic heating was positive from lower to upper troposphere with continuous development and increase up to 6^°C in the upper troposphere. The analyses of cross sections of diabatic heating, PV, and the 1000–500 hPa geopotential metre (gpm) thickness contours indicate that the cyclone Viyaru was vertically tilted (westward) and lacked axisymmetry in its structure and converse features (axisymmetric and vertical) that occurred for the cyclone Phailin. In addition, there was a penetration of dry air in the middle troposphere of Viyaru, whereas high moisture existed in the middle troposphere of Phailin. The vertical wind shear (5–10 ms^?1) near the core of the storm region between 850 and 200 hPa was favourable for both the systems but was higher in the northern region of the cyclone Viyaru. The divergent development of these thermodynamic features conspired to produce converse characteristic of the two cyclones.     

Interaction of flexural shear,S–C fabrics,and oblique shear during folding of micaceous quartzite

This paper investigates the geometry, microstructure, and c-axis fabrics of an outcrop scale, micaceous quartzite fold produced under greenschist facies metamorphic conditions in the Moeda quartzite, Quadrilátero Ferrı́fero granite–greenstone terrain, southeastern Brazil. The fold limbs show development of opposed S–C fabrics and asymmetric quartz c-axis fabrics compatible with flexural slip along the fold surface. Towards the fold hinge, there is an increasing presence of oblique shear bands (here named S-bands) which gradually change to crenulations within the hinge zone. The oblique S-bands are interpreted to have formed through connection of several S-planes, increasing accommodation of antithetical shear along these S-planes and offset of the initial C-planes at intermediate stages of folding. This mechanism represents a kinematic inversion in the role played by the two sets of foliations in S–C structures. Our observations support flexural slip for early stages of folding. However, with progressive closure of the fold, the flexural slip mechanism involves increasing contributions from oblique shear on the S-bands, thus approximating an intermediate situation between flexural slip and passive folding (shear parallel to the axial plane).     

Taxonomy and paleoecology of a new gastropod fauna from dysoxic outer ramp facies of the Lower Cretaceous Agrio Formation,Neuquén Basin,west-central Argentina

Four gastropod species are described from dysaerobic biofacies of the lower part of the Agua de la Mula Member of the Agrio Formation, Neuquén Basin: Metacerithium turriculatum (Forbes, 1845), Nerineopsis acutecarinatum (Behrendsen, 1891) and the new species Ampullina pichinka and Mesalia? kushea. They were active epifaunals and possibly deposit-feeders and/or browsers, and epifaunal to semi-infaunal possibly suspension- or deposit-feeder in the case of M.? kushea, thriving in soft to firm substrates. These gastropods, together with two aporrhaid species, are the dominant components of a typically small-sized, low-diversity macrobenthic fauna that occurs in dark, organic-rich shales. The facies in which this fauna is recorded are thought to represent a transition from lower to upper outer ramp marine settings, in the context of a second-order TST and early stages of a HST. They record a transition from lower dysoxic conditions in the lowest part of the Agua de la Mula Member to upper dysoxic conditions upwards. Two distinct gastropod biofacies were recognized corresponding to the two identified stages: biofacies A, dominated by Protohemichenopus neuquensis and N. acutecarinatum, more tolerant to dysoxic conditions, and biofacies B, dominated by M. turriculatum and Mesalia? kushea, less tolerant to oxygen deficiency.     

A Mössbauer and FTIR study of synthetic amphiboles along the magnesioriebeckite – ferri-clinoholmquistite join

A series of amphiboles along the magnesioriebeckite—Na₂Mg₃Fe³⁺ ₂Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂– ferri-clinoholmquistite—Li₂Mg₃Fe³⁺ ₂Si₈O₂₂(OH)2 - join, defined by the ^BLi^B Na_–1 exchange vector, were hydrothermally synthesized at 700°C, 0.4 GPa, NNO + 1 redox conditions. Powder XRD and SEM-EDAX showed a very high (> 90%) amphibole yield for all samples. X-ray patterns were indexed in the C2/m space group; refined cell-parameters show a linear decrease of a and as a function of chemistry. IR spectra in the OH-stretching region show four main and rather sharp bands; these are assigned to Mg and Fe²⁺ at M(1,3), and indicate that the obtained amphiboles depart from the nominal octahedral composition (^M1,3Mg₃). The IR spectra also show that there is an increasing filling-up of the A-site for increasing Na in the system (increasing solid-solution toward, arfvedsonite). Mössbauer spectra show four well-defined quadrupole doublets which are assigned to Fe³⁺ at M2 and to Fe²⁺ at M1, M3 and M4, respectively. The Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ content derived from fitted peak areas show variable Fe³⁺ concentration along the series. Mössbauer spectra also show a distinct alteration of ⁵⁷Fe hyperfine parameters with changing Na–Li at M4. The most evident variation is observed for the quadrupole splitting of Fe³⁺ at M2, which increases by 50% from ferri-clinoholmquistite to magnesio-riebeckite; this suggest that the M2 octahedron in ferri-clinoholmquistite is much closer to the ideal geometry than the M2 octahedron in magnesio-riebeckite. Mössbauer spectra show also a well-defined increase in the Fe²⁺ quadrupole splitting of the M1 and M3 octahedra, which is attributed to the Na–Li distribution at the B-sites.     

Impact lithologies – a key for reconstruction of rock-forming processes and a geological model of the Popigai crater,northern Siberia

The 100-km diameter Popigai impact crater (astrobleme), which formed 35.7?Ma ago as a result of the collision of an ordinary chondrite asteroid, was discovered in the 1970s. The impact site was studied in detail for nearly two decades, and various geological investigations were performed there. They included drilling of numerous wells (about 850), geophysical surveys, and investigations of impact breccias and impactites. This research was generally performed in connection with the identification of the unique resource of industrial impact diamonds, which were found in impact rocks for the first time in the world. The extensive research data acquired over 20–30 years include geological maps, collections of rock samples and thin sections, core samples, etc. All these materials are stored in the Russian Research Geological Institute in St Petersburg. Although a lot of data on the Popigai crater have already been published, the available materials and new analytical methods offer the opportunity to obtain some new data on mechanisms of rock-forming processes during an impact event, to improve existing geological models, and to compare in detail all these features to those established in other large craters on the Earth. Modelling of the physical processes of impact cratering has been extended and new data contribute significantly to the study of impact cratering and other problems of comparative planetology. In particular, many different hypotheses of rock-forming mechanisms are tested, especially those of impact melting of various target lithologies, homogenisation of huge volumes of melt products, and their mode of ejection, deposition, cooling, etc.     

Groundwater’s significance to changing hydrology, water chemistry, and biological communities of a floodplain ecosystem, Everglades, South Florida, USA

The Everglades (Florida, USA) is one of the world’s larger subtropical peatlands with biological communities adapted to waters low in total dissolved solids and nutrients. Detecting how the pre-drainage hydrological system has been altered is crucial to preserving its functional attributes. However, reliable tools for hindcasting historic conditions in the Everglades are limited. A recent synthesis demonstrates that the proportion of surface-water inflows has increased relative to precipitation, accounting for 33% of total inputs compared with 18% historically. The largest new source of water is canal drainage from areas of former wetlands converted to agriculture. Interactions between groundwater and surface water have also increased, due to increasing vertical hydraulic gradients resulting from topographic and water-level alterations on the otherwise extremely flat landscape. Environmental solute tracer data were used to determine groundwater’s changing role, from a freshwater storage reservoir that sustained the Everglades ecosystem during dry periods to a reservoir of increasingly degraded water quality. Although some of this degradation is attributable to increased discharge of deep saline groundwater, other mineral sources such as fertilizer additives and peat oxidation have made a greater contribution to water-quality changes that are altering mineral-sensitive biological communities.     

Structural characteristics and active time of the Kangmar detachment,southern TibetEI北大核心CSCD

The Kangmar gneiss dome, typical of the north Himalayan gneiss domes, is composed of three tectono- lithologic units separated by an upper and a lower detachment fault (Kangmar detachment fault). The low-grade metamorphic Tethyan Himalayan sedimentary sequence formed the upper unit above the brittle upper detachment fault. The mylonitic granites and two-mica granites made up the lower unit beneath the ductile lower detachment fault. The mylonitc middle-grade garnet two-mica schist and biotite-plagioclase gneiss constituted the middle unit inbetween the two detachment faults and were involved in the ductile deformation of the Kangmar detachment fault. The meso- and micro-scale structural analyses on the tectonites from the detachment fault zone indicated that the Kangmar detachment fault experienced a top-down-to-north shear. Integrating macro-/micro-analyses of petrology and mineralogy, this study adopts 40Ar/39Ar dating method to constrain the active time of the Kangmar detachment fault. Analyses of the syn-deformation muscovite from the mylonitic garnet two-mica schist yield a 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of 13.23±0.15 Ma, representing the active time of the Kangmar detachment fault. The chronological result hints that the Kangmar detachment was synchronous with the south Tibet detachment systems to the south and was probably part of the south Tibet detachment systems exposed in the Tethyan Himalayan sedimentary sequence. However, this hypothesis needs from the supports of more geological and geophysical evidence. ©, 2015, Science Press. All right reserved.