The variation of crustal stretching and different modes of rifting along the Australian southern continental margin

The southern margin of Australia is a passive continental margin, formed during a Late Jurassic–Cretaceous rifting phase. The development of this passive margin is mainly associated with extensional processes that caused crustal thinning. In this work, we have measured the amount of extension and the stretching factor (β factor) across seven transect profiles approximately evenly distributed across the margin. The obtained results show that the amount of extension and the β factor along the margin vary from west to east. The lowest amount of extension, low–intermediate β factors and a very narrow margin are observed in the western part with 80 km of extension and is underlain mostly by the Archean Yilgarn Craton and the Albany–Fraser Orogen. The Gawler Craton in the centre of the south Australian margin is another region of low extension and low–intermediate β factor. The largest amount of extension (384 km) and the largest β factor (β = 1.88) are found in the eastern part of the passive margin in an area underlain by Phanerozoic Tasman Orogen units. Our results imply that there is a strong control of the age and thickness of the continental lithosphere on the style of rifting along the Australian passive margin. Rifting of old and cold lithosphere results in a narrow passive margin, with the formation of relatively few faults with relatively wide spacing, while rifting of younger, warmer lithosphere leads to wide rifting that is accommodated by a large number of faults with small spacing.     

Laboratory Estimation of Rock Joint Stiffness and Frictional Parameters

Numerical modeling of complex rock engineering problems involves the use of various input parameters which control usefulness of the output results. Hence, it is of utmost importance to select the right range of input physical and mechanical parameters based on laboratory or field estimation, and engineering judgment. Joint normal and shear stiffnesses are two popular input parameters to describe discontinuities in rock, which do not have specific guidelines for their estimation in literature. This study attempts to provide simple methods to estimate joint normal and shear stiffnesses in the laboratory using the uniaxial compression and small-scale direct shear tests. Samples have been prepared using rocks procured from different depths, geographical locations and formations. The study uses a mixture of relatively smooth natural joints and saw-cut joints in the various rock samples tested. The results indicate acceptable levels of uncertainty in the calculation of the stiffness parameters and provide a database of good first estimates and empirical relations which can be used for calculating values for joint stiffnesses when laboratory estimation is not possible. Joint basic friction angles have also been estimated as by-products in the small scale direct shear tests.     

Tracing the source of metals in Geogas from metal deposits in a loess-covered region北大核心CSCD

In order to test the distribution characteristics of metallogenic elements and the application effectiveness of the traee elements and REE for tracing the source of Geogas anomaly, the distribution characteristics of metallogenetic elements .trace elements and REE in different media of the Jiaolongzhang Pb-Zn deposit underneath the loess have been studied in this paper. Results indicate that the distribution characteristics of Geogas anomalous elements over the concealed orebodies are coincided with those of the enriched elements of ores, while the distribution characteristics of trace elements and REE in background Geogas samples are distinctly different from those of other media, indicating that the source of background Geogas materials is influenced by various factors( geological bodies, lab environment and blank reagent). The similar distribution characteristics of the trace elements in the Geogas samples of anomalous areas and in the ores suggested that Geogas anomaly is affected by concealed orebodies in depth. The difference between REE patterns of the Geogas samples of the anomalous area and those of other solid media might be caused by inadequate analytical precision and low collecting efficiency of the instrument. It is believed that the REE tracing method can provide the information on the source of Geogas anomaly if the analytical precision and collecting efficiency of REE could be constantly increased.     

Rock associations and their spatial-Temporal variations of the early mesozoic igneous rocks in the NE Asia: Constraints on the initial subduction timing of the paleo-pacific plate北大核心CSCD

This paper summarizes rook associations and spatial-Temporal variations of the early Mesozoic igneous rocks in the NE Asia, with the aim of revealing the initial subduction timing of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasia, and the relationships between the early Mesozoic magmatisms and the Paleo-Asian tectonic system, Mongol-Okhotsk tectonic system, and amalgamation of the Yangtze and North China cratons. Dating results indicate that the early Mesozoic magmatisms in the NE Asia can be subdivided into three stages, i.e., Early-Middle Triassic, Late Triassic, and Early Jurassic. The early Mesozoic calc-Alkaline magmatisms within the Erguna Massif reveal southward subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk oceanic plate. The Triassic alkaline and bimodal magmatisms within the northern margin of the North China Craton indicate an extensional environment related to the final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The Late Triassic A-Type rhyo- lites and bimodal magmatisms, together with the Late Triassic stable sedimentary rocks, in eastern Heilongjiang-Jilin provinces, reveal an extensional environment and passive continental margin setting, whereas the Early Jurassic calc-Alkaline magmatisms and its compositional variations, together with the coeval accretionary complex, reveal the onset of the Paleo- Pacific plate beneath the Euirasian continent.     

A new type of noble metal mineralization in the Northern Caucasus

The weathering crust of the Beden ultrabasite massif (the basin of Big Laba River) is identified and studied. Anomalously high contents of noble metals (Au, Pt, Pd) are revealed in the basal horizon of the Jurassic part of the weathering crust. For this reason we suspect an existence of a belt of noble metal miner-alization in the Paleozoic ultrabasites in the Peredovoi Range of the Northern Caucasus.     

Facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy of Kometan Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in the imbricated zone,northeastern Iraq

Facies and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Kometan Formation (Upper Cretaceous) were studied from Kometan village, Kurdistan region of northeastern Iraq. Lithologically, the formation consists of 44 m of white weathering, light grey, thin to medium-bedded highly fractured limestones with chert nodules. Petrographic study of the carbonates shows that both skeletal and non-skeletal grains were present. The skeletal grains include a variety of planktonic foraminifera (including Oligostegina), calcispheres, ostracods, pelecypods, larva ammonite, and echinoderms. Non-skeletal grains include peloids only. Three main microfacies types are distinguished in the studied formation. The results of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of the studied carbonate samples show negative values of δ¹⁸O. These indicate that the seawater was warm with low salinity during precipitation of the carbonates in the Kometan Formation in northeastern Iraq. The positive δ¹³C values of carbonate samples, in the middle part of the formation, reflect the widespread deposition of organic-rich marine sediments during a transgression and deepening of the basin. Petrographic, facies and stable isotopic analyses revealed that the Kometan Formation was deposited in a warm, basinal, pelagic (open marine) environment with low salinity. The Kometan Formation consists of one complete third-order depositional sequence, separated by a sequence boundary (SB) of type 2. The third-order sequence is subdivided into a transgressive systems tract (TST) and highstand systems tract (HST). This reflects episodes of transgression and still stands of the relative sea level. The TSTs are topped by maximum flooding surface (MFS) characterized by deepening-/fining-upward parasequences implying a retrogradational stacking pattern. The HST is marked by shallowing-/coarsening-upward parasequences implying a progradational stacking pattern.