Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the central Wassuk Range,western Nevada,USA

The central Wassuk Range is ideally located to investigate the interplay of Basin and Range extension and Walker Lane dextral deformation along the western Nevada margin of the Basin and Range province. To elucidate the Cenozoic evolution of the range, the author conducted geologic mapping, structural data collection and analysis, geochemical analysis of igneous lithologies, and geochronology. This research delineates a three-stage deformational history for the range. A pulse of ENE–WSW-directed extension at high strain rates (～8.7 mm/yr) was initiated immediately after the eruption of ～15 Ma andesite flows; strain was accommodated by high-angle, closely spaced (1–2 km), east-dipping normal faults which rotated and remained active to low angles as extension continued. A post-12 Ma period of extension at low strain rates produced a second generation of normal faults and two prominent dextral strike–slip faults which strike NW, subparallel to the dextral faults of the Walker Lane at this latitude. A new pulse of ongoing extension began at ～4 Ma and has been accomodated primarily by the east-dipping range-bounding normal fault system. The increase in the rate of fault displacement has resulted in impressive topographic relief on the east flank of the range, and kinematic indicators support a shift in extension direction from ENE–WSW during the highest rates of Miocene extension to WNW–ESE today. The total extension accommodated across the central Wassuk Range since the middle Miocene is >200%, with only a brief period of dextral fault activity during the late Miocene. Data presented here suggest a local geologic evolution intimately connected to regional tectonics, from intra-arc extension in the middle Miocene, to late Miocene dextral deformation associated with the northward growth of the San Andreas Fault, to a Pliocene pulse of extension and magmatism likely influenced by both the northward passage of the Mendocino triple junction and possible delamination of the southern Sierra Nevada crustal root.     

Development of regional uplift and uplift-related strata in Gunsan Basin,Yellow Sea: implications for Cenozoic crustal extension

ABSTRACT

The Mesozoic–Cenozoic Gunsan Basin is the northeastern part of the Northern South Yellow Sea Basin between eastern China and the Korean Peninsula. On the basis of seismic interpretation, this study presents and interprets geologic features of regionally uplifted structures, the Haema Arch, located in the central western part of the basin. The Haema Arch is defined as dome-shaped uplift complexes, 95 km long and 60 km wide. It is characterized by prominent basement uplifts along its margin and plunging syncline inside the arch. The marginal large-scale uplifts are bounded by outward-dipping faults. The uplift-related strata are identified on the hanging wall block of the bounding faults and within the Haema Arch, which can be divided into pre-, syn-, and post-uplift units. The pre-uplift unit rests on the acoustic basement and shows an upturned stratal pattern near the marginal large-scale uplift. The syn-uplift unit locally occurs on the hanging wall block of the bounding faults along the northern and southern margins. The uplift of the Haema Arch and its coeval fault-controlled subsidence possibly occurred during the late Oligocene. The post-uplift unit initially formed on remnant topographic lows during the early Miocene and subsequently covered the overall area of the Haema Arch and the Gunsan Basin. The late Oligocene uplifting of the Haema Arch can be interpreted as an isostatic response to tectonic unloading by the arch-bounding faults that possibly extend to detachment faults. We suggest that the Gunsan Basin underwent crustal thinning and extensional deformation during the late Oligocene, which accounts for the coeval uplifting and fault-controlled subsidence in the study area.     

阿尔泰南缘杰尔库都克酸性岩脉LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年

野外地质调查发现在阿尔泰造山带南缘杰尔库都克地区,额尔齐斯断裂以南发育一套酸性岩脉。岩脉主要侵位于石炭系火山-沉积地层中,岩石主要为流纹斑岩。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年结果显示,酸性岩脉形成于（279±3）Ma的早二叠世。岩脉是岩石圈(地壳)伸展的重要标志,该年龄的获得为阿尔泰造山带南缘早二叠世岩石圈伸展提供了重要证据。     

宁夏南部晚更新世沉积物沉积特征及其构造意义

通过研究宁夏南部第四纪沉积物类型及沉积作用,结合沉积物年代学分析,初步确定宁夏南部晚更新世发育众多沉积盆地。其沉积学特征研究表明,晚更新世沉积盆地主要发育冲积扇沉积物、湖相泥质粉砂质沉积物、盆地边缘斜坡岩相组合、现代河流一级阶地沉积物以及黄土等几种沉积物。沉积作用特点显示,晚更新世沉积盆地的大范围出现主要受构造伸展作用控制,表明青藏高原北东扩展过程中,宁夏南部地区于晚更新世期间还存在较明显的构造伸展活动,从而证实青藏高原隆升及其北东向扩展具明显的阶段性。     

新疆北山地区二叠纪地壳伸展量估算：基性岩墙群厚度统计的结果

新疆北山地区广泛发育晚古生代侵入岩和基性岩墙群。本文利用多源高分辨率卫星遥感影像(ETM+, SPOT,CORONA KH4B, Geoeye1,Quickbird2)在该区约26880km²范围定量提取基性岩墙1375条。基性岩墙侵入石炭、二叠系火山岩、侵入岩、沉积岩和前寒武纪变质岩。岩墙单体长250m至34km,平均长度5km,厚度从1m至31m,平均厚度7.9m,岩墙长度和厚度均呈负指数分布。约70%的岩墙呈NNW-NNE方向展布。受NEE向走滑断层影响,在断裂带附近岩墙发生强烈扭曲。从北到南垂直岩墙的主要走向,取3条剖面,分段统计岩墙的厚度并计算伸展量。结果表明:该区二叠纪地壳伸展量为0.59%~2.01%,自南向北伸展率逐渐减小,在侵入岩体伸展量高达8.32%,沉积岩/变质岩区的伸展量为0.05%~0.3%。该区二叠纪基性岩墙发育与侵入岩体有密切的时空关系并受断裂控制和改造。     

Extension syn-convergence,poinçonnement vertical et unités métamorphiques contrastées en bordure ouest du Grand Paradis (Alpes Franco-Italiennes)

Résumé

À la bordure occidentale du massif du Grand Paradis (Alpes occidentales), la zone Piémontaise est constituée des unités océaniques des schistes lustrés et de l’unité continentale du Grand Paradis. Une étude métamorphique nous permet de préciser et de discuter des discontinuités de pression et des conditions de rétro-morphose de trois unités piémontaises déjà distinguées antérieurement. L’unité supérieure des schistes lustrés (LS) métamorphisée dans le faciès des schistes bleus (9.5 ± 2 kbar, 340 ± 30 °C). L’unité inférieure des schistes lustrés (LI) métamorphisée dans le faciès des éclogites (12.5±3 kbar, 480±50 °C). L’unité continentale du Grand Paradis (GP) métamorphisée dans le faciès des éclogites de plus haute pression (12 à 20 kbar, 500 ± 50 °C). L’ensemble des unités enregistre une décompression dans les conditions du faciès amphibolite à épidote, et donc avec une légère augmentation tardive de température, pour les unités LI et GP, et dans celles des schistes verts pour l’unité LS. L’étude des inclusions fluides dans les fentes de tension et dans les plans de cisaillement, en parallèle à l’élude des paragenèses rétromorphiques permet de montrer que c’est tardivement (4 ± 1 kbar, 400 ± 50 °C) que l’histoire tectonomélamor-phique devient commune à l’ensemble des unités. L’étude du champ de la déformation finie met en évidence une tectonique en extension qui débute en conditions ductiles dans le faciès amphibolite à épidote pour LI, et schiste vert pour LS, et se poursuit en conditions fragiles. La déformation ductile se traduit par des trajectoires en dômes et bassins de la foliation, avec une partition entre des domaines en aplatissement au c?ur des dômes et des domaines en cisaillement simple en bordure des dômes, au contact entre les différentes unités. La déformation fragile correspond au continuum plus tardif de la déformation extensive ductile. Cette tectonique extensive n’est qu’en partie responsable des sautes de pression entre les trois unités étudiés. Elle correspond à l’accommodation, en surface, au poinçonnement vertical des unités de haute pression, en contexte de convergence, par l’écaillage progressif de la croûte européenne à l’avant du butoir mantellique apulien. © 2000 Editions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS     

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of the External Liguride units (Northern Apennines,Italy): insights in the pre-collisional history of a fossil ocean-continent transition zone

Abstract

In the Northern Apennines, the External Liguride (EL) units are interpreted as derived from the domain that joined the Ligure–Piemontese oceanic basin to the Adriatic plate continental margin. The EL units can be divided into two different groups according to the lithostratigraphic features of the basal complexes underlying the Upper Cretaceous–Lower Tertiary carbonate flysch (e.g. Helminthoid flysch). The first group includes the western successions characterized by Santonian–Campanian sedimentary melanges where slide blocks of lherzolitic mantle, gabbros, basalts, granulites, continental granitoids are represented. The second group is represented by the eastern successions where the Cenomanian–Campanian basal complexes mainly consist of sandstones and conglomerates where the mafic and ultramafic rocks are scarce or completely lacking. Their original substrate is represented by the Middle Triassic to Lower Cretaceous, mainly platform carbonate deposits, found as slices at the base of the eastern successions.

The stratigraphic features shown by the basal complexes allow the reconstruction of their source area that is assumed to be also representative for the pre-Upper Cretaceous setting. The proposed reconstruction suggests the occurrence in the EL domain of two distinct domains. The eastern domain was characterized by a thinned and faulted continental crust belonging to the Adriatic continental margin. The western domain was instead floored by subcontinental mantle associated with lower and upper continental crust, representing the ocean–continent transition. This setting is interpreted as the result of the opening of the Ligure–Piemontese oceanic basin by passive rifting, mainly developed by simple shear, asymmetric extension of the continental crust. © 2001 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS     

Variscan deformation,microstructural zonation and extensional exhumation of the Moravian Cadomian basement

Abstract

The Cadomian Dyje Batholith, in the foot–wall of the Variscan Moravian nappe pile, has been involved in Variscan ductile deformation. The Cadomian Brunovistulian rocks were obliquely underthrusted during Carboniferous dextral transpression.

Strain intensity is inversely proportional to the distance from the contact of the Variscan thrust front. The microstructures of deformed granodiorites and quartz–diorites show a characteristic zonality marked by relatively high temperature flow in the west (550–580 °C) characterized by dynamic recrystallization of feldspars and grain boundary migration recrystallization of quartz. The size of quartz grains decreases with decreasing strain towards the east. At the easternmost part of the autochthonous Dyje massif, fracturing of feldspar and subgrain rotation recrystallization of quartz predominate. Flow stress estimates calculated from recrystallized quartz grain size show a regional increase of stress intensity from the highly strained margin towards the less deformed core of the Dyje massif. This microstructural zonation is oblique with respect to the major thrust boundary and corresponds roughly to metamorphic isogrades. The microstructural zonation reflects underthrusting of the Brunovistulian domain below the Moldanubian nappe.

The main ductile tectonic event D₁ is followed by a retrogressive brittle–ductile and brittle deformation D₂. D₂ results in the development of shear zones and faults superimposed on the D₁ mylonite fabric. D₂ is related to extension oblique to the D₁ fabric, associated with detachment and the westward movement of the Moravian nappes. © Elsevier, Paris     

The Denizli graben-horst system and the eastern limit of western Anatolian continental extension: basin fill,structure, deformational mode,throw amount and episodic evolutionary history,SW Turkey

The Denizli graben-horst system (DGHS) is located at the eastern-southeastern converging tips of three well-identified major grabens, the Gediz, the Küçük Menderes and the Büyük Menderes grabens, in the west Anatolian extensional province. It forms a structural link between these grabens and the other three NE-NW-trending grabens—the Çivril, the Ac?göl and the Burdur grabens—comprising the western limb of the Isparta Angle. Therefore, the DGHS has a critical role in the evolutionary history of continental extension and its eastward continuation in southwestern Turkey, including western Anatolia, west-central Anatolia, and the Isparta Angle. The DGHS is a 7-28-km wide, 62-km long, actively growing and very young rift developed upon metamorphic rocks of both the Menderes Massif and the Lycian nappes, and their Oligocene-Lower Miocene cover sequence. It consists of one incipient major graben, one modern major graben, two sub-grabens and two intervening sub-horsts evolved on the four palaeotectonic blocks. Therefore, the DGHS displays different trends along its length, namely, NW, E-W, NE and again E-W.

The DGHS has evolved episodically rather than continuously. This is indicated by a series of evidence: (1) it contains two graben infills, the ancient graben infill and the modern graben infill, separated by an intervening angular unconformity; (2) the ancient graben infill consists of two Middle Miocene-Middle Pliocene sequences of 660 m thickness accumulated in a fluvio-lacustrine depositional setting under the control of first NNW-SSE- and later NNE-SSW-directed extension (first-stage extension), and deformed (folded and strike-slip faulted) by a NNE-SSW- to ENE-WSW-directed phase of compression in the latest Middle Pliocene, whereas the modern graben infill consists of 350-m thick, undeformed (except for local areas against the margin-bounding active faults), nearly flat-lying fanapron deposits and travertines of Plio-Quaternary age; (3) the ancient graben infill is confined not only to the interior of the graben but is also exposed well outside and farther away from the graben, whereas the modern graben infill is restricted to only the interior of the graben. These lines of evidence imply an episodic, two-stage extensional evolutionary history interrupted by an intervening compressional episode for the DGHS.

Both the southern and northern margin-bounding faults of the DGHS are oblique-slip normal faults with minor right- and/or left-lateral strike-slip components. They are mapped and classified into six categories, and named the Babada?, Honaz, A?a??da?dere, Küçükmal?da?, Pamukkale and Kaleköy fault zones, and composed of 0.5-36-km long fault segments linked by a number of relay ramps. Total throw amounts accumulated on both the northern and southern margin-bounding faults are 1,050 m and 2,080 m, respectively. In addition, the maximum width of the DGHS and the thickness of the crust beneath it are more or less same (~ 28 km). The total of these values indicate a vertical slip rate of 0.15-0.14 mm/year and averaging 7% extension for the asymmetrical DGHS.

The master faults of the Babada?, Honaz, Küçükmal?da?, Pamukkale and Kaleköy fault zones are still active and have a potential seismicity with magnitudes 6 or higher. This is indicated by both the historical (1703 and 1717 seismic events) to recent (1965, 1976, 2000 seismic events) earthquakes sourced from margin-bounding faults and some diagnostic morphotectonic features, such as deflected drainage system, degraded alluvial fans with apices adjacent to fault traces, back-tilting of fault-bounded blocks, and actively growing travertine occurrences. The kinematic analyses of main fault-slip-plane data, Upper Quaternary fissure ridges and focal-mechanism solutions of some destructive earthquakes clearly indicate that the current continental extension (second-stage extension) by normal faulting in the DGHS continues in a (mean) 026° to 034° (NNE-SSW) direction.

Detailed and recent field geological mapping, stratigraphy of the Miocene-Quaternary basins, palaeostress analysis of fault populations and main margin-bounding faults of these basins, extensional gashes to fissures, and focal-mechanism solutions of destructive earth-quakes that have occurred in last century strongly indicate that extension is not unidirectional and confined only to western Anatolia, but also continues farther east across the Isparta Angle and west-central Anatolia, up to the Salt Lake fault zone in the east and the inönü-Eski?ehir fault zone in the north-northeast. Therefore, the term “southwest Turkey extensional province” is proposed in lieu of the term “west Anatolian extensional province”.     

Age and Chemistry of Miocene Volcanic. Rocks from the Kiraz Basin of the Küçük Menderes Graben: Its Significance for the Extensional Tectonics of Southwestern Anatolia,Turkey'

Neogene volcanic rocks and granitoid plutons are among the most important geological components of western Turkey. Although they are voluminous north of the Gediz Graben, they are very scarce to the south, where volcanic rocks occur as isolated small exposures in a small number of localities. The Kiraz Basin of the Küçük Menderes Graben is a key locality, in which Tertiary volcanic rocks crop out at three locations. These rocks have been chemically analysed and dated (³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar whole rock and biotite analyses) in order to understand their tectonic setting of emplacement and its relation to the wider structure of western Anatolia. Whole rock and biotite ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar ages vary between 13.9 ± 0.2 Ma and 14.6 ± 0.2 Ma.

The Kiraz volcanic rocks are calc-alkaline, with a compositional range from basaltic andesite to dacite. They are strongly enriched in the light ion lithophile elements (LILE) and have chemistries typical of lavas erupted in subduction-related settings. Their close association with rift-bounding faults suggests eruptions via conduits flanking grabens in an extensional environment. The difference in chemical composition and age between the Kiraz volcanic rocks and the slightly older calc-alkaline volcanic rocks north of the Gediz Graben is attributed to their relatively younger ages and greater proximity to the Aegean Arc. Their calc-alkaline chemistry reflects magma generation influenced by the slab descending beneath this arc and eruption/emplacement in an extensional setting.