豫西崤山早元古代中酸性侵入岩锆石/斜锆石U-Pb测年及其对熊耳火山岩系时限的约束

熊耳火山岩系是华北克拉通早元古代晚期重要的岩浆记录,其火山作用时限的厘定对于揭示华北该时期的构造格局与演化历史有重要意义。对侵入到熊耳火山岩系顶层马家河组的石英闪长岩体中的斜锆石与锆石和花岗斑岩体中的锆石进行了高精度SIMSU-Pb定年。三个样品共58个测点,石英闪长岩体中的斜锆石207Pb/206Pb平均年龄为1789±4Ma,锆石207Pb/206Pb平均年龄1778±12Ma,花岗斑岩体中的锆石207Pb/206Pb平均年龄为1786±8Ma。这些年龄数据表明石英闪长岩体从生成到侵位是一个短暂而连续的过程,这一岩体与花岗斑岩岩体基本同期。同时,由于这两个岩体侵入到了熊耳火山岩系最顶部的马家河组,因此可以限定熊耳火山岩系的上限。结合前人的年代学数据,我们提出熊耳火山岩系的岩浆作用时限在1770～1800Ma之间,峰期为1780Ma。这一研究结果从年代学上支持熊耳火山岩系形成于快速拉张的裂谷环境。     

Nickeliferous pyrite tracks pervasive hydrothermal alteration in Martian regolith breccia: A study in NWA 7533

Martian regolith breccia NWA 7533 (and the seven paired samples) is unique among Martian meteorites in showing accessory pyrite (up to 1% by weight). Pyrite is a late mineral, crystallized after the final assembly of the breccia. It is present in all of the lithologies, i.e., the fine‐grained matrix (ICM), clast‐laden impact melt rocks (CLIMR), melt spherules, microbasalts, lithic clasts, and mineral clasts, all lacking magmatic sulfides due to degassing. Pyrite crystals show combinations of cubes, truncated cubes, and octahedra. Polycrystalline clusters can reach 200 μm in maximum dimensions. Regardless of their shape, pyrite crystals display evidence of very weak shock metamorphism such as planar features, fracture networks, and disruption into subgrains. The late fracture systems acted as preferential pathways for partial replacement of pyrite by iron oxyhydroxides interpreted as resulting from hot desert terrestrial alteration. The distribution and shape of pyrite crystals argue for growth at moderate to low growth rate from just‐saturated near neutral (6 < pH<10), H₂S‐HS‐rich fluids at minimum log fO₂ of >FMQ + 2 log units. It is inferred from the maximum Ni contents (4.5 wt%) that pyrite started crystallizing at 400–500 °C, during or shortly after a short‐duration, relatively low temperature, thermal event that lithified and sintered the regolith breccias, 1.4 Ga ago as deduced from disturbance in several isotope systematics.     

Complex magmatic and impact history prior to 4.1 Ga recorded in zircon from Apollo 17 South Massif aphanitic breccia 73235

Sample 73235 is one of several aphanitic impact melt breccias collected by the Apollo 17 mission at stations 2 and 3 on the slopes of the South Massif. This study presents a detailed investigation of internal structures and U-Pb ages of large zircon grains from this breccia sample. New data combined with the results of previous studies of zircon grains from the same location indicate that most zircon clasts in breccias from stations 2 and 3 formed during multiple magmatic events between 4.37 and 4.31 Ga, although the oldest zircon crystallized at about 4.42 Ga and the youngest at 4.21 Ga. In addition, zircons from the aphanitic breccias record several impact events prior to the ∼3.9 Ga Late Heavy Bombardment. The results indicate that the zircons probably crystallized at different locations within the Procellarum KREEEP Terrane and were later excavated and modified by several impacts and delivered to the same locality within separate ejecta blankets. This locality became a source of material that formed the aphanitic impact melt breccias of the South Massif during a ∼3.9 Ga impact. However, the zircons, showing old impact features, are not modified by this ∼3.9 Ga impact event suggesting that (i) this common source area was located at the periphery of excavation cavity, and (ii) the > 3.9 Ga ages recorded by the zircon grains could date large (basin-forming) events as significant as major later (∼3.9 Ga) collisions such as Imbrium and Serenitatis.     

A macro‐element for a circular foundation to simulate 3D soil–structure interaction

This paper presents a non‐linear interface element to compute soil–structure interaction (SSI) based on the macro‐element concept. The particularity of this approach lies in the fact that the foundation is supposed to be infinitely rigid and its movement is entirely described by a system of global variables (forces and displacements) defined in the foundation's centre. The non‐linear behaviour of the soil is reproduced using the classical theory of plasticity. Failure is described by the interaction diagram of the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation under combined loads. The macro‐element is appropriate for modelling the cyclic or dynamic response of structures subjected to seismic action. More specifically, the element is able to simulate the behaviour of a circular rigid shallow foundation considering the plasticity of the soil under monotonic static or cyclic loading applied in three directions. It is implemented into FedeasLab, a finite element Matlab toolbox. Comparisons with experimental monotonic static and cyclic results show the good performance of the approach. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sharks caught in the KwaZulu-Natal bather protection programme,South Africa. 13. The tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier

The current study provides long-term catch rate and biological data for tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier caught in the KwaZulu-Natal bather protection programme. Between 1978 and 2014, 1 760 G. cuvier were caught in nets and between 2007 and 2014, 108 G. cuvier were caught on drumlines. Standardised catch rates increased significantly over time (p < 0.001) for both small (≤180 cm precaudal length, PCL) and large sharks (>180 cm). There was also a significant temporal increase in the mean size of sharks across gear types (p < 0.001). A quasi-Poisson generalised additive mixed model showed that the deployment of drumlines had no significant effect on the catch rate of sharks in nets. The nets, however, caught significantly larger sharks (mean 184.5 cm, SD 39) than did drumlines (mean 138.6 cm, SD 36.5; p < 0.001). The size frequency of the catch was unimodal and females significantly outnumbered males in both gear types. Few young-of-the-year (0.8%) or mature sharks (1.8%) were caught. Only 23 (4.7%) of the 486 sharks tagged and released were recaptured, with the majority (87.0%) of those recaptured <150 km from their original tagging locality. The results from this study suggest an increasing local population trend in G. cuvier along the KwaZulu-Natal coast.     

Soft‐bottom macrobenthic communities of Manukau Harbour,New Zealand

A survey of the macrobenthos at 42 stations in the channels and subtidal sandflats in Manukau Harbour, Auckland, revealed four biotic associations; although referred to as communities, they are not equivalent to Peterson‐type communities since they are not particularly discrete and there is some overlap in species composition. The similarity in species between stations was measured by percentage similarity coefficients using Jaccard's coefficient for presence‐absence data and Czekanowski's coefficient for log‐transformed quantitative data. Stations were grouped in dendrograms by group‐average sorting which allowed re‐arrangement of the similarity matrices into trellis diagrams.

Dominant species in each of the four groups of stations were ranked by calculating a ‘community score’ for each, based on its abundance, fidelity, and bioindex value within the group. Each of the four groups was found to support a unique group of species and these are considered as representing four communities. Two indicator species in each community were identified from the highest community scores: Group 1, the Microcosmus/Nolomithrax community — associated with a coarse sediment of dead bivalve shells and small rocks in shallow water. It has high species diversity indices; Group 2, the Halicarcinus/Bugula community— associated with a relatively coarse sediment of dead shells, grit, and little sand in deep water in the main channels; Group 3, the Amalda/Myadora community—associated with fine sand with mud or shell grit in shallow parts of the channels; and Group 4, the Fellaster/Pagurus community — associated with ironsand in shallow water in the outer harbour. It has low species diversity indices.     

Alteration of crystalline zircon solid solutions: a case study on zircon from an alkaline pegmatite from Zomba–Malosa, Malawi

A natural, altered zircon crystal from an alkaline pegmatite from the Zomba–Malosa Complex of the Chilwa Alkaline Province in Malawi has been studied by a wide range of analytical techniques to understand the alteration process. The investigated zircon shows two texturally and chemically different domains. Whereas the central parts of the grain (zircon I) appear homogeneous in backscattered electron images and are characterised by high concentrations of trace elements, particularly Th, U, and Y, the outer regions (zircon II) contain significantly less trace elements, numerous pores, and inclusions of thorite, ytttrialite, and fergusonite. Zircon II contains very low or undetectable concentrations of non-formula elements such as Ca, Al, and Fe, which are commonly observed in high concentrations in altered radiation-damaged zircon. U–Pb dating of both zircon domains by LA-ICPMS and SHRIMP yielded statistically indistinguishable U–Pb weighted average ages of 119.3 ± 2.1 (2σ) and 118 ± 1.2 (2σ) Ma, respectively, demonstrating that the zircon had not accumulated a significant amount of self-irradiation damage at the time of the alteration event. Electron microprobe dating of thorite inclusions in zircon II yielded a Th–U-total Pb model age of 122 ± 5 (2σ) Ma, supporting the age relationship between both zircon domains. The hydrothermal solution responsible for the alteration of the investigated zircon was alkaline and rich in CO₃ ²⁻, as suggested by the occurrence of REE carbonates and CO₂-bearing fluid inclusions. The alteration of the crystalline, trace element-rich zircon is explained by an interface-coupled dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. During such a process, the congruent dissolution of the trace element-rich parent zircon I was spatially and temporally coupled to the precipitation of the trace element-poor zircon II at an inward moving dissolution-precipitation front. The driving force for such a process was merely the difference between the solubility of the trace element-rich and -poor zircon in the hydrothermal solution. The replacement process and the occurrence of mineral inclusions and porosity in the product zircon II is explained by the thermodynamics of solid solution-aqueous solution systems.