Late Cretaceous ophiolite obduction and Paleocene India-Asia collision in the westernmost Himalaya

Abstract

Collision of the Kohistan island arc with Asia at ~100 Ma resulted in N-S compression within the Neo-Tethys at a spreading center north of the Indo-Pakistani craton. Subsequent India-Asia convergence converted the Neo-Tethyan spreading center into a short-lived subduction zone. The hanging wall of the subduction zone became the Waziristan, Khost and Jalalabad igneous complexes. During the Santonian- Campanian (late Cretaceous), thrusting of the NW IndoPakistani craton beneath Albian oceanic crust and a Cenomanian volcano-sedimentary complex, generated an ophiolite-radiolarite belt. Ophiolite obduction resulted in tectonic loading and flexural subsidence of the NW Indian margin and sub-CCD deposition of shelf-derived olistostromes and turbidites in the foredeep. Campanian-Maastriehtian calci- clastic and siliciclastic sediment gravity flows derived from both margins filled the foredeep as a huge allochthon of Triassic-Jurassic rise and slope strata was thrust ahead of the ophiolites onto the Indo-Pakistani craton. Shallow to intermediate marine strata covered the foredeep during the late Maastrichtian. As ophiolite obduction neared completion during the Maastrichtian, the majority of India-Asia convergence was accommodated along the southern margin of Asia. During the Paleocene, India was thrust beneath a second allochthon that included open marine middle Maastrichtian colored mélange which represents the Asian Makran-Indus-Tsangpo accretionary prism. Latérites that formed on the eroded ophiolites and structurally higher colored mélange during the Paleocene wei’e unconformably overlapped by upper Paleocene and Middle Eocene shallow marine limestone and shale that delineate distinct episodes of Paleocene collisional and Early Eocene post-collisional deformation.     

Middle-Late Alpine thermotectonic evolution of the southern Rhodope Massif,Greece

Abstract

The transition from the Alpine tectonic assembly to the exhumation of the units in the Rhodope metamorphic province in northernmost Greece has been refined by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar laserprobe mica analyses. Preservation of pre-Alpine (~ 280 Ma and 145 Ma) muscovite cooling ages at the western margin of the Rhodope indicate that subsequent events failed to reset the argon system thermally in white mica in the outcropping basement of this region. The central and eastern Rhodope are characterized by white mica cooling ages of 40–35 Ma with ages gradually decreasing to ca. 15 Ma near the eastern margin of the Strymon Valley. The Eo-Oligocene ages reflect the regional exhumation of the metamorphosed units to shallow crustal levels, with corresponding temperatures below ca. 350 °C, by 40–35 Ma. The younger cooling ages are attributed to the initiation and subsequent operation of the Strymon-Thasos detachment system since ca. 30 Ma. This study provides a crucial contribution to future regional tectonic models for the Rhodope region as it recognizes an early stage of development of the Strymon-Thasos detachment system, and has constrained the regional exhumation of the Rhodope metamorphic province since 40 Ma indicating that the regionally observed amphibolite facies metamorphism had terminated by this time. © 2000 Editions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS     

The Moruya Batholith and geochemical contrasts between the Moruya and Jindabyne suites

Rocks of the Moruya Batholith range from gabbros and gabbroic diorites through quartz diorites and tonalites to granodiorites and rare adamellites. The gabbros and gabbroic diorites appear as small, early bodies intruded and enclosed by quartz diorites and tonalites. These early gabbroids are petrographically and chemically distinct from the granitoids. The latter occur as a meridionally‐oriented sequence of nine separate plutons. Mafic xenoliths are most abundant in the quartz diorites and tonalites; they are petrographically similar to their host granitoids and are chemically a more mafic extension of the variation in granitoid compositions. The various granitoid bodies are considered to be derived from similar source rocks, with the xenoliths representing modified material relict from partial melting of that source.

Comparison of chemical data from the Moruya granitoids with those of the I‐types of the Jindabyne Suite in the Kosciusko Batholith, shows that the potassium content is indistinguishable in the two suites from each side of the Moruya‐Kosciusko Province, although elsewhere it has been shown to vary systematically across an orogenic belt. The most outstanding difference is the higher Na and Ti and lower Ca in the Moruya Batholith compared with those in Kosciusko Batholith I‐type granitoids.     

Geochemistry of Brines from Salt Ore Deposits in Western Tarim Basin

In the geological evolution of the Tarim Basin, many transgressions and relictions happened. So there have been plentiful sources of salt. Moreover, because of uttermost drought, a lot of salt has been deposited. It is possible to find potash salt in this area. In our fieldwork, we have found salt and brine in western Tarim Basin. Based on a geological survey and the characteristics of sedimentary facies and paleogeography, this paper deals with the geochemical parameters and discusses the possibility of formation of potash salt in terms of the chemical analyses of samples collected from western Tarim Basin. Results of brine analysis lead to some conclusions: most of these salt brines have eluviated from very thick halite beds, mainly chloridetype salt and this kind of halite does not reach the stage of potash deposition in all aspects; WKSL (Wukeshalu) occupies a noticeable place, and we should attach importance to this district because there have been some indicators of the occurrence of potash deposits as viewed from the contents of Br and K. Finally, low Br contents are recognized in the Tarim Basin as a result of salt aggradation, and this point of view has been proved by the results of this experiment and the data available. It cannot depend upon the index of Br to judge the evolution stage of halite. We must look for other facies of potash except marine facies.     

Biomarkers in the Molar Tooth （MT）-Bearing Limestones in the Jilin-Liaoning Area of China

The origin of Molar Tooth (MT) carbonates has been argued for more than 100 years, which are a kind of Proterozoic carbonates especially composed of microsparite with ptygmatically folded and sheet-like structures. Biomarkers detected in the microcalcsparite from the Wanlong and Xingmincun formations in the Jilin-Liaoning area showed there are abundant normal alkanes, isoprenoids, hopanes, steranes, alkylmethylcyclohexanes, and alkyleyclohexanes, indicating a diversity of biological source: long-chain isoprenoids, the major components of chlorophyll, such as C19, C20, a kind of major biomarkers synthesized early by isoprenoid monomers; hopanes a type of characteristic biomarkers from prokaryote, such as archaebacteria and cyanobacteria; sterane a biomarker for eukaryote; and two kinds of alkanes with C17, C18 as the main peaks representing aquatic bacteria and with C23, C24 as the main peaks representing fungi, respectively. Biomarker analysis showed that MT is the result of bacterial and algal activities, which is a kind of organisms between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, reproducing well in normal or slightly saline sea water under weak oxidation-reduction conditions, resulting in rapid deposition of calcite as microsparite clue to some mechanisms.     

Sediment Phosphorus Chemistry and Microbial Biomass along a Lowland New Zealand Stream

An evaluation of the distribution of P concentrations in streamflow, P fractions andthe microbial biomass P pool was made of bed and bank sediments along a lowlandstream in New Zealand. Agricultural intensification increased downstream. However,most P fractions decreased downstream (total P decreased from c. 400 to 250 mg kg^-1) in bed sediments, while P in streamflow remained relatively constant (generally < 0.005 mg l^-1) and sediment microbial P increased from 2 to 8 mg kg^-1. An investigation of P release from dried and rewetted sediments showed that solution P (CaCl2-P) increased, on average > 300%, and proportional to the size of the microbial biomass P pool before drying, except in sediments with much organic carbon (OC). When supplied with a P source (1 mg l^-1) and then simultaneously with a C source (glucose, 100 mg l^-1), all sediment behaved similarly and biotic sorption accounted for, on average, 27 and 34% of the total sediment uptake, respectively (maximum of 58%). The quantity of P taken up was related to the initial size of the microbial biomass P pool, and the availability of P as influenced by organic P complexes and OC. The sediment microbial biomass represents a transient, but small store of P could be useful to indicate bioavailable P inputs.     

Atmospheric sulfur deposition and streamwater quality in Finland

The correlation between sulfate concentrations in Finnish headwater streams and atmospheric sulfate deposition has been studied by using data from the streamwater chemistry in August–September 1990 and computed S deposition from the anthropogenic emissions. The sulfate concentrations and acidity in water are interpolated and smoothed into a deposition model grid. These data are compared with geological and pedogeochemical (glacial till) background information. The areas where the streamwater SO₄ concentrations are mainly controlled by either anthropogenic S deposition or sulfur in till is estimated by applying the fuzzy Gustafsson-Kessel algorithm, which provides a soft clustering suitable for overlapping control factors. Residual areas can be well explained by the SO₄-rich Littorina clay deposits. The higher overall background SO₄ concentrations in streams in south Finland compared with central and northern Finland are an indisputable consequence of the heavier S deposition load in the south. However, anthropogenic sulfur deposition has a clear correlation with the sulfates in streamwaters only in northeastern Lapland impacted by the large industrial emissions in the Kola Peninsula. The secondary sulfide and sulfate minerals of marine Littorina sediments are dominating sources in the broad coastal belts, as are the primary sulfide minerals locally in the Pori-Vammala area, at the eastern end of the main sulfide ore belt between Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Bothnia, in the Outokumpu area, and in the Peräpohja and central Lapland schist belts. Consequently, in addition to the anthropogenic deposition, there are natural sources of sulfur which cause acidity of streamwaters.     

Rapid formation of large coastal sand bodies after emplacement of Magdalena river jetties,northern Colombia

The Magdalena River is noted for its high discharge of river sediment and its importance as the sediment source for a large delta complex and downdrift coastal sand bodies. The emplacement of jetties, completed in 1935 to stabilize the river mouth, contributed to major changes in the downstream coastal sand bodies. The western delta front retreated an average 65 m/yr. Puerto Colombia spit detached and migrated toward Puerto Colombia at rates of 230–430 m/yr, ultimately running into the town's quay and port facility. Galerazamba spit alternately elongated and shortened over the short term, leading to the destruction or damage of coastal town sites. Isla Cascajo acted as a significant sand trap with nearly 12 km² of accretion over a 47-year period. Sand is now bypassing the tombolo, and the accretion zone continues migrating southwest. The small Punta Canaos spit also has shown significant accretion since 1974. The changes imply high rates of sediment transport; furthermore their growth is probably dependent on jetty-caused alterations of wave patterns, causing remobilization of shelf sands as well as delta-derived sand.Understanding sand body evolution and behavior is important to future development of the northern Colombia coast. Placement of port facilities, recreational beaches, tourist villages, and related support facilities on these sand bodies, as well as utilizing the sand bodies for aggregate, beach nourishment sands for other areas, or heavy mineral resources will require significant planning.     

Archaean tonalitic gneiss of Finnish Lapland revisited: zircon ion-microprobe ages

We report single grain and grain-domain U–Pb zircon ages for the Tojottamanselkä tonalitic gneiss previously investigated by the whole-rock Rb–Sr, Pb–Pb and Sm–Nd methods, by conventional U–Pb zircon density/size fraction analysis and by Hf-isotopes (Kröner et al. 1981; Patchett et al. 1981; Jahn et al. 1984) and established as one of the oldest known rocks of the Baltic shield. Our data confirm the intrusive age as 3115±29 Ma (standard error), but we also found slightly older xenocrystic zircon cores with ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages between 3161±19 and 3248±10 Ma that may either be derived from earlier phases of the tonalite melt or from pre-tonalite sialic crust. New magmatic zircon growth, probably during a metamorphic event that led to migmatization, is recorded by an age of 2836±30 Ma and may be coeval with widespread tonalite emplacement elsewhere in the northern Baltic shield at about this time.