Accurate U-Pb Age and Trace Element Determinations of Zircon by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Various zircons of Proterozoic to Oligocene ages (1060-31 Ma) were analysed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Calibration was performed using Harvard reference zircon 91500 or Australian National University reference zircon TEMORA 1 as external calibrant. The results agree with those obtained by SIMS within 2s error. Twenty-four trace and rare earth elements (P, Ti, Cr, Y, Nb, fourteen REE, Hf, Ta, Pb, Th and U) were analysed on four fragments of zircon 91500. NIST SRM 610 was used as the reference material and ²⁹Si was used as internal calibrant. Based on determinations of four fragments, this zircon shows significant intra-and inter-fragment variations in the range from 10% to 85% on a scale of 120 μm, with the variation of REE concentrations up to 38.7%, although the chondrite-normalised REE distributions are very similar. In contrast, the determined age values for zircon 91500 agree with TIMS data and are homogeneous within 8.7 Ma (2 s ). A two-stage ablation strategy was developed for optimising U-Pb age determinations with satisfactory trace element and REE results. The first cycle of ablation was used to collect data for age determination only, which was followed by continuous ablation on the same spot to determine REE and trace element concentrations. Based on this procedure, it was possible to measure zircon ages as low as 30.37 0.39 Ma (MSWD = 1.4; 2 s ). Other examples for older zircons are also given.     

Crustal structure of the southern Dabie ultrahigh-pressure orogen and Yangtze foreland from deep seismic reflection profiling

A new 140‐km‐long seismic reflection profile provides a high‐resolution crustal‐scale image of the southern Dabieshan high‐pressure (HP) metamorphic belt and the Yangtze foreland fold‐and‐thrust belt. The seismic image of the stacked section shows that the southern Dabieshan metamorphic terrane and Yangtze foreland belt are separated by a large north‐dipping fault. In the foreland the upper crust is dominated by a series of folds and thrusts formed during the collisional stage in the mid‐Triassic; it was reworked by crustal extension resulting in the formation of a late Jurassic and Cretaceous red‐bed basin. The southern Dabieshan profile shows stacked crustal slabs developed along the margin of the collisional orogenic belt. The Moho reflectors at 10–11 s (～30–33 km) are seismically prominent and segmented by a number of south‐verging thrusts that were probably developed by foreland‐directed thrusting of the deeply subducted continental crust during exhumation. The seismic reflection profile suggests that structures related to the Triassic–Jurassic subduction and exhumation of the Yangtze plate are preserved despite the severe crustal extension superimposed during the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic.     

Revision of the conchostracan genera Cratostracus and Porostracus from Cretaceous deposits in north-east China

The diagnoses of the conchostracan genera Cratostracus and Porostracus are revised following a re-examination of their type species under a scanning electron microscope. In Cratostracus each growth line has a serrated lower margin. Radial lirae branch into smaller ridges that merge with each other to give the upper part of each growth band in the ventral region of the carapace a slightly undulating surface. Cross-bars are present between these lirae. In Porostracus the radial lirae on the growth bands near the umbo are long and relatively widely spaced. There is a fine reticulum between them in the umbonal part of the carapace and cross-bars on the ventral surface. The ornament of Porostracus indicates that it can be assigned to the family Halysestheriidae rather than to the Afrograptidae, in which it has been placed previously. Morphological analysis of most of the species of the two genera and closely related Orthestheria (Migransia) under the scanning electron microscope is required before their stratigraphic potential can be fully realized.     

Origin of Natural Gas in Kekeya Field, Tarim Basin, China

This paper is mainly concentrated on the geochemical characteristics and origin of gas of Kekeya field in the Tarim basin, NW China. This study shows that Permian mudstone is the main source rock of oil and gas. Based on the carbon isotopes of C1--C4, the carbon isotope of gas in Kekeya field is a little heavier than that in the typical marine-derived gas. The relationship between carbon isotopes of methane and ethane is coincident with Faber equation of gas derived from organic matter Ⅰ/Ⅱ. The majority of gas maturity is estimated, based on the formula, at 1.8%-2.2% besides K2 and K18 wells. In addition, the gas derived from 0.9%-1.2% Ro source rocks may also bemixture. ^40Ar/^36Ar and ^3He/^4He ratios from the gas samples also support the mixing process. Moreover, the gas in this region is mainly generated from more mature source rocks although the low mature gas exists.     

Late-Stage Ductile Deformation in Xiongdian-Suhe HP Metamorphic Unit, North-Western Dabie Shan, Central China

New structural and petrological data unveil a very complicated ductile deformation history of the Xiongdian-Suhe HP metamorphic unit, north-western Dabie Shun, central China. The finegrained symplectic amphibolite-facies assemblage and coronal structure enveloping eclogite-facies garnet,omphacite and phengite etc., representing strain-free decompression and retrogressive metamorphism,are considered as the main criteria to distinguish between the early-stage deformation under HP metamorphic conditions related to the continental deep subduction and collision, and the late-stage deformation under amphibolite to greenschist-facies conditions occurred in the post-eclogite exhumation processes.Two late-stages of widely developed, sequential ductile deformations D3 and D4, are recognized on the basis of penetrative fabrics and mineral aggregates in the Xiongdian-Suhe HP metamorphic unit, which shows clear, regionally, consistent overprinting relationships. D3 fabrics are best preserved in the Suhe tract of low post-D3 deformation intensity and characterized by steeply dipping layered mylonitic amphibolites associated with doubly vergent folds. They are attributed to a phase of tectonism linked to the initial exhumation of the HP rocks and involved crustal shortening with the development of upright structures and the widespread emplacement of garnet-bearing granites and felsic dikes. D4 structures are attributed to the main episode of ductile extension (D^24) with a gently dipping foliation to the north and common intrafolial, recumbent folds in the Xiongdian tract, followed by normal sense top-to-the northductile shearing (D^24) along an important tectonic boundary, the so-called Majiawa-Hexiwan fault (MHF), the westward continuation of the Balifan-Mozitan-Xiaotian fault (BMXF) of the northern Dabie Shan. It is indicated that the two stages of ductile deformation observed in the Xiongdian-Suhe HP metamorphic unit, reflecting the post-eclogite compressional or extrusion wedge formation, the subhorizontal ductile extension and crustal thinning as well as the top-to-the north shearing along the high-angle ductile shear zones responsible for exhumation of the HP unit as a coherent slab, are consistent with those recognized in the Dabie-Sulu UHP and HP metamorphic belts, suggesting that they were closely associated in time and space. The Xiongdian-Suhe HP metamorphic unit thus forms part of the Triassic(250-230 Ma) collision orogenic belt, and can not connect with the South Altun-North Qaidam-North Qinline UHP metamorphic belt formed durin~ the Early Paleozoic (500-400Ma).     

Sorption Characteristics of Rare Earth Element Eu^3＋ onto Silica-Water Interfaces Studied by Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The sorption of Eu species onto nano-size silica-water interfaces was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy for Ph ranges of 1-8.5 and an initial Eu concentration (Ceu) of 2×10-4 M. The sorption rate of Eu was initially low, but significantly increased at Ph>4. The sorption density of Eu species on a silica surface was ～1.58×10-7 mol/m2 when the dissolved Eu species were completely sorbed onto silica-water interfaces at Ph=～5.8. The sorbed Eu species at Ph<6 is aquo Eu3 , which is sorbed onto silica-water interfaces as an outer-sphere complex at Ph<5, but may be sorbed as an inner-sphere bidentate complex at 5相似文献   

Late Quaternary downcutting rates of the Qianyou River from U/Th speleothem dates, Qinling mountains, China

Dating deposits in caves formed by rivers may yield insight into rates and processes of bedrock incision. Three cave passages at different levels have developed in the walls of the Qianyou River valley in the Qinling mountains, south of the city of Xian, China. Twelve speleothem samples near the position of palaeowater tables in three cave passages are dated by the ²³⁰Th dating method. The results show that the river cut down at the rate of 0.23 ± 0.02 mm/yr from 358,000 ± 38,000 to 247,000 ± 28,000 yr ago, 0.19 ± 0.03 mm/yr from 247,000 ± 28,000 to 118,000 ± 19,000 yr ago, and 0.51 ± 0.08 mm/yr from 118,000 ± 19,000 yr ago until today. These fall very close to the glacial-interglacial transition following marine oxygen isotope stages 10, 8, and 6, respectively. The increase in downcutting rates during the interglacial period is consistent with warm, wet weather, increasing rates of erosion. This may lead us toward an underlying mechanism for modulating incision that is not in a direct response to the presence of headwater glaciers.     

Comparative study on CO_2 emissions from different types of alpine meadows during grass exuberance period

1IntroductionTherisingatmosphericgreenhousegaseswerebelievedtobetheprimarycauseofglobalclimatechange(Tettetal.,1999;Crowley,2000).Amongthegreenhousegases,theconcentrationofatmosphericcarbondioxidehasincreasedfrom280ppmsincepre-industrialtimestocurrent355ppm,whichaccountedfor50%ofthetotalgreenhouseeffect(Nefteletal.,1985;Friedlietal.,1986;Rodhe,1990;Fanetal.,1998).ElevatedCO2hasamarkedeffectonterrestrialecosystemprocesses(Melilloetal.,1996).TheQinghai-TibetPlateau,thelargestgeomorphologica…     

Coastline configuration and geomorphologic development mode of arc-shaped coast in South China

1IntroductionArc-shaped bays are quite common on exposed sediment coast in South China, where the crenulate-bay beaches occur with the presence of two consecutive headlands and a predominant wave approach oblique to the alignment of the upcoast and downcoast headlands (Yasso, 1965). Oblique persistent swell striking a shoreline transports sediment alongshore and sculptures a coast into arc-shaped beaches. The shoreline of beach appearance mainly consists of straight segment and shadow segment…