Methane‐related microbial gypsum calcitization in stromatolites of a marine evaporative setting (Münder Formation,Upper Jurassic,Hils Syncline,north Germany)

Fossil stromatolites may reveal information about their hydrochemical palaeoenvironment, provided that assignment to a specific microbial community and a corresponding biogeochemical mechanism of formation can be made. Tithonian stromatolites of the Münder Formation at Thüste, north Germany, have traditionally been considered as formed by intertidal cyanobacterial communities. However, thin sections of the stromatolites show elongated angular traces of former gypsum crystals in a dense arrangement, but no algal or cyanobacterial filament traces. Moreover, high Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ contents, oxygen‐isotope and sulphur‐isotope ratios of carbonate‐bound sulphates, and sulphurized hydrocarbon biomarkers of the stromatolitic carbonate indicate that CaCO₃ precipitation occurred near the oxic–anoxic interface as a result of intensive bacterial sulphur cycling rather than photosynthetic activity. Furthermore, anaerobic oxidation of methane by Archaea may have driven CaCO₃ precipitation in deeper parts of the biofilm community, as reflected by high concentrations of squalane with a strongly negative δ¹³C in conjunction with evaporite pseudomorphs showing extremely low δ¹³C_Carb ratios. Consequently, the Thüste stromatolites are now interpreted as having initially formed by gypsum impregnation of biofilms. Subsequently, early Mg‐calcitic calcitization within the biofilms occurred because of combined bacterial iron, manganese and sulphate reduction, with an increasing contribution of anaerobic oxidation of methane with depth. This model plausibly explains the prominent preservation of signals derived from oxygen‐independent metabolic pathways, whereas virtually no geochemical record exists for an aerobic community that may, nevertheless, have prevailed at the stromatolite surface. Photic‐zone stromatolites with a prominent signal of anaerobic oxidation of methane may be common in, and indicative of, oxygen‐depleted sulphate‐bearing environments with high rates of methane production, conditions that possibly were fulfilled at the Archaean to Proterozoic transition.     

Dehydration and melting during continental collision: Constraints from element and isotope geochemistry of low-T/UHP granitic gneiss in the Dabie orogen

A combined study of petrography, whole-rock major and trace elements as well as Rb?Sr and Sm?Nd isotopes, and mineral oxygen isotopes was carried out for two groups of low-T/UHP granitic gneiss in the Dabie orogen. The results demonstrate that metamorphic dehydration and partial melting occurred during exhumation of deeply subducted continent. Zircon δ¹⁸O values of ? 2.8 to + 4.7‰ for the gneiss are all lower than normal mantle values of 5.3 ± 0.3‰, consistent with ¹⁸O depletion of protolith due to high-T meteoric-hydrothermal alteration at mid-Neoproterozoic. Most samples have extremely low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios at t₁ = 780 Ma, but very high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios at t₂ = 230 Ma. This suggests intensive fluid disturbance due to the hydrothermal alteration of protoliths during Neoproterozoic magma emplacement and the metamorphic dehydration during Triassic continental collision. Rb–Sr isotopes, Th/Ta vs. La/Ta and Th/Hf vs. La/Nb relationships suggest that Group I gneiss experienced lower degrees of hydrothermal alteration, but higher degrees of dehydration, than Group II gneiss. The two groups of gneiss have similar patterns of REE and trace element partition. Group I gneiss displays good correlations between Nb and LREEs but no correlations between Nb and LILEs (Rb, Ba, Pb, Th and U), indicating differential mobilities of LILEs during the dehydration. Thus the correlation between Nb and LREEs is inherited from protolith rather than caused by metamorphic modification. Relative to Group I gneiss, Group II gneiss has stronger negative Eu anomaly, lower contents of Sr and Ba but higher contents of Rb, Th and U. In particular, Nb correlates with LILEs (e.g., Rb, Sr, Ba, Th and U), but not with LREEs (La and Ce). This may indicate decoupling between the dehydration and LILEs transport during continental collision. Furthermore, dehydration melting may have occurred due to breakdown of muscovite during “hot” exhumation. Group II gneiss has extremely low contents of FeO + MgO + TiO₂ (1.04 to 2.08 wt.%), high SiO₂ contents of 75.33 to 78.23 wt%, and high total alkali (Na₂O + K₂O) contents (7.52 to 8.92 wt.%), comparable with compositions predicted from partial melting of felsic rocks by experimental studies. Almost no UHP metamorphic minerals survived; felsic veins of fine-grain minerals occurs locally between coarse-grain minerals, resulting in a kind of metatexite migmatites due to dehydration melting without considerable escape of felsic melts from the host gneiss. In contrast, Group I gneiss only shows metamorphic dehydration. Therefore, the two groups of gneiss show contrasting behaviors of fluid–rock interaction during the continental collision.     

Triassic Nb-enriched basalts, magnesian andesites, and adakites of the Qiangtang terrane (Central Tibet): evidence for metasomatism by slab-derived melts in the mantle wedge

New chronological, geochemical, and isotopic data are reported for Triassic (219–236 Ma) adakite-magnesian andesite-Nb-enriched basaltic rock associations from the Tuotuohe area, central Qiangtang terrane. The adakites and magnesian andesites are characterized by high Sr/Y (25–45), La/Yb (14–42) and Na₂O/K₂O (12–49) ratios, high Al₂O₃ (15.34–18.28 wt%) and moderate to high Sr concentrations (220–498 ppm) and ε_ND (t) (+0.86 to +1.21) values. Low enrichments of Th, Rb relative to Nb, and subequal normalized Nb and La contents, and enrichments of light rare earth elements combine to distinguish a group of Nb-enriched basaltic rocks (NEBs). They have positive ε_ND (t) (+2.57 to +5.16) values. Positive correlations between Th, La and Nb and an absence of negative Nb anomalies on mantle normalized plots indicate the NEBs are products of a mantle source metasomatized by a slab melt rather than by hydrous fluids. A continuous compositional variation between adakites and magnesian andesites confirms slab melt interaction with mantle peridotite. The spatial association of the NEBs with adakites and magnesian andesites define an “adakitic metasomatic volcanic series” recognized in many demonstrably subduction-related environments (e.g., Mindanao arc, Philippines; Kamchatka arc, Russia; and southern Baja California arc, Mexico). The age of the Touhuohe suite, and its correlation with Triassic NEB to the north indicates that volcanism derived from subduction-modified mantle was abundant prior to 220 Ma in the central Qiangtang terrane.     

Zircon U–Pb and Hf isotopic study of gneissic rocks from the Chinese Altai: Progressive accretionary history in the early to middle Palaeozoic

Gneissic rocks in the Chinese Altai Mountains have been interpreted as either Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks or Precambrian basement. This study reports geochemical and geochronological data for banded paragneisses and associated gneissic granitoids collected along a NE–SW traverse in the northwestern Chinese Altai. Petrological and geochemical data suggest that the protoliths of the banded gneisses were possibly immature sediments with significant volcanic input and that the gneissic granitoids were derived from I-type granites formed in a subduction environment. Three types of morphological features can be recognized in zircons from the banded gneisses and are interpreted to correlate with different sources. Zircons from five samples of banded paragneiss cluster predominantly between 466 and 528 Ma, some give Neoproterozoic ages, and a few yield discordant Paleoproterozoic to Archean ages. Zircon Hf isotopic compositions indicate that both juvenile/mantle and crust materials were involved in the generation of the source rocks from which these zircons were derived. In contrast, zircons occur ubiquitously as elongated euhedral prismatic crystals in the four samples of the gneissic granitoids, and define single populations for each sample with mean ages between 380 and 453 Ma. The general absence of Precambrian inheritance and positive zircon ?Hf values for these granitoids suggest insignificant crustal contribution to the generation of the precursor magmas. Our data can be interpreted in terms of a progressive accretionary history in early to middle Palaeozoic times, and the Chinese Altai may possibly represent a magmatic arc built on a continental margin dominated by Neoproterozoic rocks.     

Numerical estimation of REV and permeability tensor for fractured rock masses by composite element method

The Monte Carlo method is used to generate parent stochastic discrete fracture network, from which a series of fractured rock samples of different sizes and orientations are extracted. The fracture network combined with a regular grid forms composite element mesh of the fractured rock sample, in which each composite element is composed of sub‐elements incised by fracture segments. The composite element method (CEM) for the seepage is implemented to obtain the nodal hydraulic potential as well as the seepage flow rates through the fractured rock samples. The application of CEM enables a large quantity of stochastic tests for the fractured rock samples because the pre‐process is facilitated greatly. By changing the sizes and orientations of the samples, the analysis of the seepage characteristics is realized to evaluate the variation of the permeability components, the existence of the permeability tensor and the representative element volume. The feasibility and effectiveness are illustrated in a numerical example. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biaxial test simulations using a packing of polygonal particles

The mechanical response of cohesionless granular materials under monotonic loading is studied by performing molecular dynamic simulations. The diversity of shapes of soil grains is modelled by using randomly generated convex polygons as granular particles. Results of the biaxial test obtained for dense and loose media show that samples achieve the same void ratio at large strains independent of their initial density state. This limit state resembles the so‐called critical state of soil mechanics, except for some stress fluctuations, which remain for large deformations. These fluctuations are studied at the micro‐mechanical level, by following the evolution of the co‐ordination number, force chains and the fraction of the sliding contacts of the sample. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

牛庄洼陷沙河街组超压系统发育特征及其演化

东营凹陷牛庄洼陷沙河街组发育有超压系统,这对油气运移和聚集过程有着重要的影响。在对超压系统现今发育特征研究的基础上,本文运用约束下数值模拟方法对牛庄洼陷超压系统的演化规律进行研究,并探讨了超压系统的主要形成机制。牛庄洼陷在沙河街组四段、沙河街组三段的下亚段和中亚段存在着超压系统,最大压力系数可以达到1.8,最大剩余压力超过了20MPa。自沙三段上亚段沉积期开始,超压系统开始发育。到东营组沉积期末,超压系统经历了大约10Ma的泄压过程。自新近系馆陶组沉积期,超压系统再次迅速增压,逐渐接近现今发育状况。上覆地层沙三段上亚段高沉积速率导致了超压系统的形成和早期剩余压力的增加,而水热增压和烃类物质大量生成联合造成超压系统晚期迅速增压。超压系统演化规律揭示出在油气主要运移期研究区古异常流体压力的分布状况,这为进一步开展牛庄洼陷油气运移和聚集过程的动力学研究提供了理论依据。     

辽东湾凝析气田超压成因及侧向传递机制初探

位于辽东湾西部低凸起北端的JZ20-2超压凝析气田,离供烃中心较远,压力系数却达到1.56~1.7,这在我国东部裂谷盆地比较少见。经过综合分析,作者认为JZ20-2凝析气田异常高压的形成与其所处的特殊地质背景紧密相关,辽中凹陷沙河街组三段超压凝析油气沿不整合面、砂体输导通道向辽东湾西部低凸起的运移、充注和能量的侧向传递是JZ20-2凝析气田异常高压形成的根本原因,而上覆东营组二段下亚段-东营组三段巨厚的强超压泥岩封盖和辽西3号边界断层侧向遮挡共同构成的优越封闭环境是超压保存的必要条件。本文分析了该气田超压特征及其远距离超压侧向传递的成因机制,不仅有助于揭示辽东湾西部低凸起超压流体运移聚集的规律和成藏作用,而且可能提供了一个超压远距离侧向传递的典型实例。     

Flexural isostatic response of the Alps to increased Quaternary erosion recorded by foreland basin remnants,SE France

We test the hypothesis that flexural isostatic compensation of the mass removed by enhanced Quaternary erosion is responsible for uplift of the Western European Alps and their forelands. We use two well‐preserved and well‐dated (1.8 Ma) abandonment surfaces of foreland basin remnants in SE France (the Chambaran and Valensole plateaux) as passive benchmarks for tilting of the foreland. Estimating their initial slope from morphometric scaling relationships, we determine bulk post‐depositional tilting of 0.5–0.8% for these surfaces. The calculated isostatic response of the Alpine lithosphere to erosional unloading, using the method recently proposed by Champagnac et al. [Geology 35 (2007) 195–198] , yields a predicted tilting of 0.3–0.4% in the considered areas, explaining approximately half of the determined post‐depositional tilting. Such long‐term deformation being insensitive to cyclic loading/unloading because of glaciations, we suspect the other half to be related to as yet undetermined long‐wavelength and long‐lived tectonic process(es).