Exploration for dimensional stone — implications and examples from the Precambrian of southern Finland

Dimension stone is a natural rock that must fulfil high qualitative standards defined by both geology-based factors and non-geological factors. The stone itself (appearance/soundness) and the market demand are the two most important aspects in the quality assessment. The process of geological dimension stone exploration is a systematic and stepwise procedure, including individual steps of desk study, field mapping, detailed examination, geo-radar survey, and core drilling. The location of all economically feasible dimension stone deposits is strictly controlled by geological factors. Knowledge of these factors is fundamental in identifying new sites with potential for dimension stone. In this work the geological constraint on the occurrence of dimension stone in three areas, in the Precambrian of southern Finland, has been investigated. The deposits are localized to part of an area in which different geological features in combination have produced rock of good dimension stone quality. The study shows that, for example, vertical movements in the crust, magmatic evolution of an intrusion, and metamorphic grade define the location of rocks suitable for dimension stone.     

Extent and chronology of Quaternary glaciation

In a recent INQUA project the extent of Pleistocene glaciations has been digitally mapped and the chronology of events reviewed. The onset of the present Ice Age in both hemispheres dates back to the Palaeogene. In Greenland, Iceland, North America and southernmost South America sizeable ice sheets formed well before 2.6 ka BP. In Alaska and on Tierra del Fuego the ice advanced further than in any later glaciations. Evidence for Early Pleistocene glaciation （2.6-0. 78 Ma） has been reported from many parts of the world, but in most cases dating remains problematic, and the size of the glaciers and ice sheets is unknown.     

Combining cosmogenic nuclides and major elements from moraine soil profiles to improve weathering rate estimates

Previous studies of chemical weathering rates for soil developed on glacial moraines generally assumed little or no physical erosion of the soil surface. In this study, we investigate the influence of physical erosion on soil profile weathering rate calculations. The calculation of chemical weathering rates is based on the assumption that soil profiles represent the integrated amount of weathering since the time of moraine deposition. The weathering rate of a surface subjected to denudation is the sum of the weathering loss from the existing soil profile added to the weathering loss in the material removed by denudation, divided by the deposition age. In this study, the amount of weathered material removed since moraine deposition is calculated using the denudation rate estimated from cosmogenic nuclide data and the deposition age of the moraine. Weathering rates accounting for denudation since moraine deposition are compared to weathering rates based on the assumption of no physical erosion and on the assumption of steady-state denudation for the Type Pinedale moraine ( 21 ka) and the Bull Lake-age moraine ( 140 ka) in the Fremont Lake Area (Wind River Mountains, Wyoming, USA). The total weathering rates accounting for denudation are 8.15 ± 1.05 g_(oxide) m^− 2 y^− 1 for the Type Pinedale moraine and 4.78 ± 0.89 g_(oxide) m^− 2 y^− 1 for the Bull Lake-age moraine, which are  2 to 4 times higher, respectively, than weathering rates based on the assumption of no physical erosion. The weathering rates based on denudation since moraine deposition are comparable or smaller than weathering rates assuming steady-state denudation. We find the assumption of steady-state denudation is not valid in depositional landscapes with young deposition ages or slow denudation rates. The decrease in weathering rates over time between the Type Pinedale and Bull Lake-age soils that is observed in the case of no physical erosion is decreased when the influence of denudation on the total weathering rates is taken into account. Fresh unweathered material with high reactive mineral surface area is continuously provided to the surface layer by denudation diminishing the effect of decreasing weathering rate over time.     

大别山中生代钾质岩浆作用与超高压变质地体的剥露机理

在已知的超高压变质地体中, 大别山是碰撞后花岗岩类侵入作用最为强烈的唯一地区。这里, 中生代的钾玄岩系列和高钾钙碱性系列的侵入岩, 可以依其年龄和组成特征划分为３ 组。第 Ｉ组, 主要由晚三叠世 （约２１０ Ｍａ） 二长闪长岩 辉长岩体组成, 它可能是在板片断离过程中富集的大陆岩石圈地幔部分熔融的产物 （板片断离型）; 第 Ｉ Ｉ组, 由中侏罗世－ 早白垩世 （１６０～１２０ Ｍａ） 的角闪石英二长岩、黑云母二长花岗岩和正长花岗岩组成, 主要是由幔源岩浆的分离结晶与地壳混染共同作用的产物 （岩浆底垫型）; 第 Ｉ Ｉ Ｉ组, 以白垩纪 （１２５～９５ Ｍａ） 的花岗岩和花岗斑岩为代表, 是在热穹窿作用过程中大别杂岩深熔作用和高度演化的产物 （穹窿型）。大别山超高压变质岩通过地幔的剥露可能与晚三叠世—早侏罗世的板片断离有关, 而大规模的岩浆侵位与超高压变质岩的快速剥露相伴出现说明, 岩浆底垫和岩浆漂浮作用可能在大别山中侏罗世—早白垩世的快速剥露中发挥了重要作用。     

Crustal thickening and lateral flow during compression of hot lithospheres,with particular reference to Precambrian times

Many ancient deformation belts, especially of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic age, show large areas marked by primary flat‐lying fabrics associated with rather monotonous metamorphic conditions of HTLP type and affected by steep transpressive zones involving vertical stretch. These features do not support strain localization along large‐scale thrusts and (or) extensional detachments, as common in modern orogens. Instead, they are consistent with hot and weak lithospheres where gravity‐driven horizontal flow may compete with distributed thickening from early stages of collisional processes. Relevant deformation features are reviewed and highlighted by lithosphere‐scale analogue models involving low‐viscosity lower crust and sub‐Moho mantle. Both nature and models argue that compression of such lithospheres may induce combined distributed thickening and lateral channel flow of the ductile crust accommodated by transpressive zones.