Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Late Triassic granitoids in the Alananshan,East Kunlun belt: evidence from geochemistry,geochronology, and zircon Hf isotopic compositions

The Qimantag in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt has widespread Triassic magmatic rocks that have received scant attention, with an unresolved issue relating to its petrogenesis and geodynamics. In this paper, we used zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopes and whole-rock geochemistry to trace the petrogenesis and tectonic settings of the moyite and monzogranite from the Qimantag Alananshan, East Kunlun. The moyite and monzogranite are silicic(SiO₂-～ 69.9–76.41%), highly alkali(Na₂O + K_2...     

Extensive reworking of Archaean crust within the Birimian terrane in Ghana as revealed by combined zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopes

Located in the southeastern parts of the BaouléMossi domain of the West African Craton,the Birimian terrane in Ghana is known to consist of predominantly juvenile crust emplaced during the Eburnean orogeny.Here we present novel coupled zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotope data from nine Birimian granitoids intruding different domains from northwestern,western and southeastern Ghana.Sub-chondriticε_(Hf)-values indicating reworking of Archaean crust are recorded in zircon from both northwestern and southeastern Ghana.As a conservative estimate 71%of all analysed zircon grains spanning in age from2220 Ma to 2130 Ma require contribution from a reworked Archaean source,contradicting the common belief that the Birimian terrane consist of predominantly juvenile crust.A minimumε_(Hf)-value of-10.5 at2139 Ma suggests a Palaeoarchaean to late Mseoarchaean component as the contributing ancient source.Combined with previously reported heavy zirconδ~(18)O signatures from Birimian river zircon in Ghana,our new data suggests reworking of Archaean aged sediments during subduction initiated crustal growth in the vicinity of one,or possibly in between two Archaean aged cratons.     

Fluids and Melts in the Upper Mantle

This paper presents a direct study of the fluids and melts in the upper mantle by examining the fluid inclusions, melt inclusions and glasses trapped in the mantle lherzolite xenoliths entrained by Cenozoic alkali basalts (basanite, olivine-nephelinite and alkali-olivine basalt) from eastern China. The study indicates that the volatile components, which are dissolved in high-pressure solid mineral phases of mantle peridotite at depths, may be exsolved under decompressive conditions of mantle plume upwelling to produce the initial free fluid phases in the upper mantle. The free fluid phases migrating in the upper mantle may result in lowering of the mantle solidus (and liquidus), thereby initiating partial melting of the upper mantle, and in the meantime, producing metasomatic effects on the latter.     

Characterization of sea ice and its snow cover in the Arctic Pacific sector during the summer of 2016

A comprehensive analysis of sea ice and its snow cover during the summer in the Arctic Pacific sector was conducted using the observations recorded during the 7th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition(CHIANRE-2016) and the satellite-derived parameters of the melt pond fraction(MPF) and snow grain size(SGS)from MODIS data. The results show that there were many low-concentration ice areas in the south of 78°N, while the ice concentration and thickness increased significantly with the latitud...     

Quantitative analysis of Arctic ice flow acceleration with increasing temperature

This study explores the ice flow acceleration(21.1%) of Pedersenbreen during 2016–2017 after the extremely warm winter throughout the whole Arctic in 2015/2016 using in situ data and quantitatively analyses the factors contributing to this acceleration. Several data sets, including 2008–2018 air temperature data from Ny-?lesund,ten-year in situ GPS measurements and Elmer/Ice ice flow modelling under different ice temperature scenarios,suggest that the following factors contributed to the ice flo...     

Late Quaternary Large Earthquakes on the Western Branch of the Xiaojiang Fault and Their Tectonic Implications

The Xiaojiang fault is a major active left-lateral fault along the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.The largest historical earthquake in Yunnan Province, with a magnitude 8 and a mean coseismic left-lateral displacement of ~ 6.9 m, occurred on the western branch of the Xiaojiang fault.Studying this fault is important in understanding current deformation and kinematic characteristics of the Tibetan Plateau.Activities and stretches have been well undertaken on the Xiaojiang fault, while paleoseismic research work is always the weak link on this fault.To investigate the paleoseismic history and large earthquake activity of the Xiaojiang fault, we opened a large trench at the northern edge of Caohaizi sag pond on the western branch of the Xiaojiang fault.Six paleoseismic events have been identified, and named E1 through E6 from the oldest to the youngest.Charcoal and woods are abundant, 20 samples were dated to constrain the ages of the paleoseismic events at 40 000–36 300 BC, 35 400–24 800 BC, 9 500 BC–AD 500, AD 390–720, AD 1120–1620 and AD 1750–present.We associate the youngest event E6 with the 1833 M8 earthquake.Events E4, E5 and E6 show a continuous record of the western strand of the Xiaojiang fault in the late Holocene, with a average recurrence interval of 370–480 yr.Large earthquake recurrence in the late Holocene is far less than the recurrence of 2000–4000 yr posed in previous studies.Thus, the seismic hazard on the Xiaojiang fault should be reevaluated.Furthermore, the irregular recurrence of large earthquakes on the Xiaojiang fault and other faults in the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang system, indicates the uneven southeastward extrusion of the Sichuan-Yunnan block along the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.     

The Use of Dual-Doppler Radar Data in the Study of 1998 Meiyu Frontal Precipitation in Huaihe River Basin

During the Meiyu period in June and July of 1998, intensified field observations have been carried out for the project “Huaihe River Basin Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (HUBEX)”. For studying Meiyu front and its precipitation in Huaihe River basin, the present paper has performed analysis on the middle and lower level wind fields in the troposphere by using the radar data obtained from the two Doppler radars located at Fengtai district and Shouxian County. From June 29 to July 3 in 1998, the continuous heavy precipitation occurred in Huaihe River basin around Meiyu front. The precipitation process on July 2 occurred within the observation range of the two Doppler radar in Fengtai district and Shouxian County. The maximum rainfall of the Meiyu front was over 100 mm in 24 h, so it can be regarded as a typical mesoscale heavy precipitation process related to Meiyu front. Based on the wind field retrieved from the dual Doppler radar, we find that there are meso-γ scale vertical circulations in the vertical cross-section perpendicular to Meiyu front, the strong upward motion of which corresponds to the position of the heavy rainfall area. Furthermore, other results obtained by this study are identical with the results by analyzing the conventional synoptic data years ago. For example: in the vicinity of 3 km level height ahead of Meiyu front there exists a southwest low-level jet; the rainstorm caused by Meiyu front mainly occurs at the left side of the southwest low-level jet; and the Meiyu front causes the intensification of the low-level convergence in front of it.     

Post-collisional plutonism with adakitic signatures： The Triassic Yangba granodiorite （Bikou terrane,northern Yangtze Block）

The post-collisional Yangba granodiorite intruded into the Bikou metasedimentary-volcanic group, southern Mianlue Suture, central China. The host granodiorites contain many mafic microgranular enclaves which have acicular apatite, phenocrysts of host granodiorites, implying that the enclaves have been incorporated as magma globules into host granodioritic magma and undergone rapid cooling. The variation trends of major and trace elements between enclaves and host rocks suggest a mixing and mingling process with respect to their petrogenesis. The mafic microgranular enclaves are characterized by shoshonite with SiO2≤〈63%, σ （4.54-6.18）〉3.3, high K2O content （4.22%-6.04%）, K2O/Na2O〉1; in the K2O-SiO2 diagram, all the samples plot in the shoshonite field, which are enriched in LILE and LREE, with obvious Nb, Ta negative anomalies, indicating a subducting fluid-metasomatised mantle source. Zircon LA-ICP-MS dating of the granodiorites yielded an age of 215.4±8.3 Ma, indicating they were formed during the late-orogenic or post-collisional stage （≤242±21 Ma） of the South Qinling Mountain Belt. The host granodiorites have many close compositional similarities to high-silica adakites from supra-subduction zone setting, but tend to have a higher concentration of K2O （3.22%-3.84%） and Mg^#. Chondrite-normalized rare-earth element patterns are characterized by high ratios of （La/Yb）N, the extreme HREE depletion and a lack of significant Eu anomalies. In conjunction with the high abundances of Ba and Sr as well as the low abundances of Y and HREE, these patterns suggest a feldspar-poor, garnet ± amphibole-rich fractionation mineral assemblage. High Mg^# values demonstrate that the host granodiorites were contaminated by enclave magma. On a whole, integrated geological and geochemical studies suggested the Yangba granodiorites and their mafic microgranular enclaves resulted from mixing of enriched mantle-derived shoshonitic magma and thickened lower crust-derived felsic magma. In combination w     

Magma Chamber Process of Post-collisional Magmatism: Insight from Textural and Elemental Characteristics of Plagioclase from the Tatun Volcanic Group, Northern Taiwan Volcanic Zone

The Taiwan mountain belt, one of the youngest orogenies in the world, is caused by the collision of the Luzon arc with the Eurasian margin, which leads to post-collisional extension and magmatism in the Northern Taiwan Volcanic Zone (NTVZ). The magma chamber process in this region has not previously been elucidated in detail. In this paper, the textural and compositional features of plagioclase phenocrysts in basalt from the Tatun Volcanic Group (TTVG) were studied to restrict the dynamics of magma system. Results show that the magma melts in TTVG are mainly sourced from the underlying MORB-like mantle wedge but influenced by incorporation of subduction components, causing the elevated Sr/Y and Ba/Y ratios in magma melts. The subduction components are mainly transported in the form of sediment melt. The plagioclase phenocrysts in the TTVG volcanic rocks are generally coarsely core-sieved with a clear rim. The An contents in the rims of plagioclase are much lower than those of cores, and elevated FeO concentrations are detected in the plagioclase rims. We propose there exists a double-layer magma chamber in this region. The core of the plagioclase was crystalized in the deeper quiescent magma chamber (~21 km), which was subsequently partially dissolved during the ascent of magma melt under H2O-undersaturated condition, forming the typical coarsely sieved texture and synneusis. When this crystal-rich melt migrates into the shallower chamber, water saturation is reached and more sodic plagioclase formed as the rim of phenocryst. Due to the considerably higher fO2 in the shallow chamber than in the deeper one, and the distribution of Fe between plagioclase and melt positively correlates with fO2, the FeO content in the plagioclase rim elevates in conjunction with increasing fO2.     

Swarm Theory, Hydraulic Fracturing, and the Emergence of Natural Spacing within Dyke Swarms

正Like all swarming behavior in Nature,the selforganization expressed by the emergence of a natural spacing among a swarm’s members should be considered its most fundamental characteristic,and grasping the