Magnetochronology of synorogenic Miocene foreland sediments in the Fars arc of the Zagros Folded Belt (SW Iran)

The timing of deformation in the northern Zagros Folded Belt is poorly constrained because of the lack of an accurate absolute chronology of the syntectonic sedimentary sequences. The foreland basin infill in the northern part of the Fars arc is composed of supratidal sabkha deposits (Razak Fm), medium‐grained deltaic deposits (Agha Jari Fm) and coarse conglomerates of nearshore fan delta deposits at the base (Bakhtyari Fm, Bk1) and continental alluvial deposits at the top of the section (Bakhtyari Fm, Bk2). A magnetostratigraphic study was carried out in a composite section spanning about 1300 m on the northern flank of the Chahar–Makan syncline. Magnetostratigraphic correlation of the Razak Fm with chron C6n yields an age of 19.7 Ma at the base of the composite section. The transition to Agha Jari Fm is correlated with chron C5Cn, yielding an age of 16.6 Ma. The transition to the conglomerates of the Bakhtyari Fm (Bk1) correlates with the chron C5AD at approximately 14.8 Ma, which is considerably older than previously thought. The base of the Bakhtyari Fm growth strata, and thus the beginning of the deformation in northern Fars, is dated at 14–15 Ma. The topmost preserved Bakhtyari Fm (Bk1) is folded and unconformably overlain by Bakhtyari Fm (Bk2) conglomerates. This indicates that tectonic deformation in northern Zagros was already underway in the Middle Miocene.     

Prevention of strong earthquakes: Goal or utopia?

In the present paper, we consider ideas suggesting various kinds of industrial impact on the close-to-failure block of the Earth’s crust in order to break a pending strong earthquake (PSE) into a number of smaller quakes or aseismic slips. Among the published proposals on the prevention of a forthcoming strong earthquake, methods based on water injection and vibro influence merit greater attention as they are based on field observations and the results of laboratory tests. In spite of this, the cited proofs are, for various reasons, insufficient to acknowledge the proposed techniques as highly substantiated; in addition, the physical essence of these methods has still not been fully understood. First, the key concept of the methods, namely, the release of the accumulated stresses (or excessive elastic energy) in the source region of a forthcoming strong earthquake, is open to objection. If we treat an earthquake as a phenomenon of a loss in stability, then, the heterogeneities of the physicomechanical properties and stresses along the existing fault or its future trajectory, rather than the absolute values of stresses, play the most important role. In the present paper, this statement is illustrated by the classical examples of stable and unstable fractures and by the examples of the calculated stress fields, which were realized in the source regions of the tsunamigenic earthquakes of December 26, 2004 near the Sumatra Island and of September 29, 2009 near the Samoa Island. Here, just before the earthquakes, there were no excessive stresses in the source regions. Quite the opposite, the maximum shear stresses τ_max were close to their minimum value, compared to τ_max in the adjacent territory. In the present paper, we provide quantitative examples that falsify the theory of the prevention of PSE in its current form. It is shown that the measures for the prevention of PSE, even when successful for an already existing fault, can trigger or accelerate a catastrophic earthquake because of dynamic fault propagation in the intact region. Some additional aspects of prevention of PSE are discussed. We conclude that in the near future, it is too early to consider the problem of prevention of a forthcoming strong earthquake as a practical task; otherwise, the results can prove to be very different from the desired ones. Nevertheless, it makes sense to continue studying this problem. The theoretical research and experimental investigation of the structure and properties of the regions where the prevention of a forthcoming strong earthquake is planned in the future are of primary importance.     

Reconstruction of the surface temperature in the Kura depression (Azerbaijan) by the inversion of borehole data

In order to reconstruct the ground surface temperature history (GSTH) in the Kura depression from the data on borehole temperatures, we selected two thermal logs, which met the requirements of the well temperature inversion into the GSTH. The temperature gradients measured in these wells varied about 20 K/km, which is typical for the region of study. The borehole temperatures were inverted into the ground surface temperatures in the past in accordance with the program developed by Po Yu Shen. It was found that the ground surface temperature had increased by 1–2°C during the last century. The GSTH derived from the well temperature inversion agrees with the climate temperatures measured at the Ganca meteorological station, which has been operating since 1873. These results obtained for the Kura depression are consistent also with the results of similar studies in other regions in the world.     

Homogenization of titanomagnetites with magnetite–ulvospinel exsolution structures according to the thermomagnetic data: Modeling and experiment

A three-dimensional model describing the homogenization of titanomagnetites with magnetite–ulvospinel exsolution structures in the course of thermomagnetic analysis is presented. The implications of the size and shape of the exsolution structures and the initial titanomagnetite composition for the temperature dependence of saturation magnetization during repeated heating is analyzed. It is found that the dimension of the exsolution structures has the strongest effect, whereas the shape and composition only have an effect in the case of the small exsolution structures. A method is suggested for estimating the dimensions of the exsolution structures from the thermomagnetic curve. A close consistency of the results is revealed by comparing the distributions of the dimensions of the exsolution structures estimated by the electron microscopy and by the analysis of the thermomagnetic curve for the same sample.     

Study of nonstationary processes in the close binary system RY Scuti

A new analysis is made of old electrophotometric data on RY Scuti, a close binary of an early spectral class, taken at the Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory, Georgia, during 1972–1985 and at the Maidanak Observatory, Uzbekistan, during 1979–1991. Nonstationary processes occurring from period to period, from month to month, and from year to year are identified in RY Scuti. These variations range from hundredths to tenths of a stellar magnitude. In addition, periodic changes in the light curve of this system with a period of several years have been identified near the first maximum. This result is of considerable interest in connection with similar brightness changes observed in bright blue variable LBV stars, and also is related to the ejection of a nebula surrounding the RY Scuti system. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 275–289 (May 2009).     

乌拉特后旗测老庙坳陷下白垩统巴音戈壁组实测剖面简介——测老庙坳陷典型露头介绍之三

本文描述了内蒙古自治区西部乌拉特后旗测老庙坳陷下白垩统巴音戈壁组的三条实测剖面,分别位于测老庙坳陷南缘西侧、南缘东侧和西北缘。其中,测老庙南缘西侧剖面出露了巴音戈壁组的主要部分,发育了一套完整的洪积扇相—河流相—湖泊相—河流相—洪积扇相的陆相沉积旋回。该剖面底部不整合覆盖在前寒武系变质基底之上,未见顶。南缘东侧发育了洪积扇相—辫状河相—洪积扇相沉积旋回,属于巴音戈壁组上段,其下部可能与南缘西侧剖面存在地层重复,而上部未见顶。测老庙坳陷西北缘剖面则出露了一套湖相页岩为主夹三角洲入湖砂体的地层,代表了巴音戈壁组的上段中部,其下部未见底,上部未见顶。由于该区植被稀少,剖面露头良好,这三条剖面可作为巴音戈壁盆地群陆相沉积体系研究的重要材料和区域地质野外测量实习的良好场所。     

赣北黄茅潭近代湖泊~(137)Cs蓄积特点、SCP计数和事件性沉积及其对~(210)Pb计年的矫正

对赣北黄茅潭近代湖泊沉积岩芯进行了~(137)Cs、~(210)Pb测试和SCP(球状碳粒)计数分析,阐述了~(137)Cs蓄积特征,结合SCP计数、粒度指标及降水记录厘定了一些事件性沉积层位。研究表明,1986年前后是沉积环境中~(137)Cs行为的转折点;在这之前,~(137)Cs以大气散落为主,其蓄积行为大致与降水存在正相关关系,在这之后,~(137)Cs以流域侵蚀为主,其蓄积行为与降水呈负相关关系。1953—1954年、1974—1975年、1998—1999年,流域降水丰沛,相应沉积层位~(137)Cs比活度低,这与流域强烈侵蚀稀释了进入湖泊的~(137)Cs有关。1963—1964年沉积层位~(137)Cs蓄积峰稳定而显著,与高通量的大气散落有关,也与当时降水量低,大雨、暴雨次数少,流域侵蚀强度低造成较低的沉积速率等密切相关,是可靠的定年时标。1986年存在同样的气候环境特点,其蓄积峰可能也是存在的,但需要进一步确认。基于~(210)Pb方法,利用多种计年模式计算了沉积岩芯的年代,发现与这些事件性沉积层位具有较大差异。研究认为,在长江中游这种降水高、流域侵蚀强度高的较为复杂的沉积环境中,~(210)Pb计年存在较大误差。复杂沉积环境中近代沉积的定年,有必要深度挖掘~(137)Cs环境行为,在全面阐述其蓄积特点的基础上,辅以SCP计数、粒度指标及降水等识别事件性沉积层位,矫正~(210)Pb计年,是精确建立近代沉积时标的必要方法。     

Capabilities and constraints of the Pb-Pb dating of metamorphogenic minerals using the step-leaching method

Based on particular examples, this paper considers the capabilities and constraints of the step-leaching Pb-Pb dating (PbSL) of metamorphogenic minerals. It was shown that stepwise leaching allows the separation of fractions enriched in uranogenic and thorogenic Pb isotopes, which can be used for the determination of mineral ages and the time of crystallization of coexisting equilibrium and, occasionally, disequilibrium monazites. The presence of monazite in a mineral is indicated by a high Th/U ratio similar to that of monazite. The main limitation of the method is related to the presence in minerals of both disequilibrium domains of the mineral matrix and disequilibrium monazite microinclusions. By the example of minerals studied, we discussed three scenarios for the development of the U-Th-Pb isotopic systems of metamorphogenic minerals.     

Development of a mathematical expression for the variation of amorphization phenomenon during intensive milling of minerals

Attempts have been made to develop a mathematical expression on the basis of dislocation theory to describe the effect of intensive milling time on the changes of dislocation density as well as amorphization degree of a mineral substance during intensive milling process. Validity of the proposed expression was verified by the results of experiments performed on a natural chalcopyrite mineral as well as those reported in the literature. It was concluded that the expression satisfied the experimental results with a good accuracy.