Tectonic evolution and geodynamics of the Neo-Tethys Ocean

The Neo-Tethys Ocean was an eastward-gaping triangular oceanic embayment between Laurasia to the north and Gondwana to the south.The Neo-Tethys Ocean was initiated from the Early Permian with mircoblocks rifted from the northern margin of Gondwana.As the microblocks drifted northwards,the Neo-Tethys Ocean was expanded.Most of these microblocks collided with the Eurasia continent in the Late Triassic,leading to the final closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean,followed by oceanic subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic slab beneath the newly formed southern margin of the Eurasia continent.As the splitting of Gondwana continued,African-Arabian,Indian and Australian continents were separated from Gondwana and moved northwards at different rates.Collision of these blocks with the Eurasia continent occurred at different time during the Cenozoic,resulting in the closure of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and building of the most significant Alps-Zagros-Himalaya orogenic belt on Earth.The tectonic evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean shows different characteristics from west to east:Multi-oceanic basins expansion,bidirectional subduction and microblocks collision dominate in the Mediterranean region;northward oceanic subduction and diachronous continental collision along the Zagros suture occur in the Middle East;the Tibet and Southeast Asia are characterized by multi-block riftings from Gondwana and multi-stage collisions with the Eurasia continent.The negative buoyancy of subducting oceanic slabs can be considered as the main engine for northward drifting of Gondwana-derived blocks and subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean.Meanwhile,mantle convection and counterclockwise rotation of Gondwana-derived blocks and the Gondwana continent around an Euler pole in West Africa in non-free boundary conditions also controlled the evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean.     

Mechanisms and climatic-ecological effects of the Great Oxidation Event in the early Proterozoic

Science China Earth Sciences - This paper briefly introduces the conception and research history of the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) in the early Paleoproterozoic and summarizes the primary...     

The first extra-large helium-rich gas field identified in a tight sandstone of the Dongsheng Gas Field,Ordos Basin,China

Science China Earth Sciences - Helium gas is a scarce but important strategic resource, which is usually associated with natural gas. Presently, only one extra-large helium-rich gas field has been...     

Does exploring the characteristics of emergency supplies really matter for disaster response operations?

Natural Hazards - This article aims to provide a quantitative study of immediate food supplies based on a three-stage analysis. Firstly, a numerical autoregressive integrative moving average...     

Dynamic selection of emergency plans of geological disaster based on case-based reasoning and prospect theory

Natural Hazards - The Three Gorges reservoir area in the Yangtze River economic belt has frequent geological disasters. To assist decision-makers make effective emergency decisions based on their...     

Design of optimal sand fences around a desert solar park—a case study from Phase IV of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

Natural Hazards - Solar energy parks in desert areas must resist the encroachment of moving sand and burial by migrating dunes. It is therefore important to design economical, effective sand fences...     

The Research on Stability of Surrounding Rock in Gob-Side Entry Driving in Deep and Thick Seam

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - The gob-side entry driving is driving in low pressure area, which bears less support pressure and is easy to maintain, so it is widely used. Taking the...     

川西坳陷新场气田水文地质地球化学特征及天然气运聚

新场气田是川西的主力产气区,发育深层上三叠统(须家河组二段、须家河组四段)和中浅层中、上侏罗统(上沙溪庙组、蓬莱镇组)含气层系,均不同程度地产出地层水,气水关系复杂,不同层位间气水存在一定的联系。纵向上,深层地层水埋深为3 000~5 500 m,随埋深增加矿化度、盐化系数逐渐增大,呈现高演化地层水特征;中浅层地层水埋深为500~2 200 m,沟通较频繁,水化学特征差异不大,均呈现低矿化度、低盐化系数和高碳酸氢根离子浓度特点;两者之间为地层水混合过渡带。平面上,中浅层上沙溪庙组地层水矿化度在断裂发育带附近出现高值,高值范围与深层须家河组地层水矿化度低值区基本相对应。这主要是由局部深层与中浅层地层水沿向下断至深层、向上断至中浅层的断层垂向沟通并发生混合作用导致的。中浅层断裂附近,沿断裂带上涌的深层地层水与中浅层原始沉积地层水发生混合作用,使得砂体富含高矿化度地层水,天然气则沿渗透性砂体侧向运移并在一定距离的圈闭内聚集成藏,这对研究区中浅层天然勘探具有指导意义。