A structural metamorphic study of the Broken Hill Block, NSW, Australia

The prograde pressure–temperature (P–T) path for the complexly polydeformed Proterozoic Broken Hill Block (Australia) has been reconstructed through detailed structural analysis in conjunction with calculation of compositionally specific P–T pseudosections of pelitic rock units within a high‐temperature shear zone that formed early in the tectonic evolution of the terrane. Whilst the overall P–T path for the Broken Hill Block has been interpreted to be anticlockwise, the prograde portion of this path has been unresolved. Our results have constrained part of this prograde path, showing an early heating event (M1) at P–T conditions of at least c. 600 °C and c. 2.8–4.2 kbar, associated with an elevated geothermal gradient (c. 41–61 °C km^?1). This event is interpreted to be the result of rifting at c. 1.69–1.67 Ga, or at c. 1.64–1.61 in the Broken Hill Block. Early rifting was followed by an episode of lithospheric thermal relaxation and burial, during which time sag‐phase sediments of the upper Broken Hill stratigraphy (Paragon Group) were deposited. Following sedimentation, a second tectonothermal event (M2/D2) occurred. This event is associated with peak low‐pressure granulite facies metamorphism (c. 1.6 Ga) and attained conditions of at least 740 °C at c. 5 kbar. A regionally pervasive, high‐temperature fabric (S2) developed during the M2/D2 event, and deformation was accommodated along lithology‐parallel, high‐temperature shear zones. The larger‐scale deformation regime (extensional or shortening) of this event remains unresolved. The M2/D2 event was terminated by intense crustal shortening during the Olarian Orogeny, during which time the first mappable folds within the Broken Hill Block developed.     

The storage potential of different surface coverings for various scale storms on Wu-Tu watershed,Taiwan

An impervious surface cover is continuously spreading over the Wu-Tu upstream watershed due to the concentrated population and raised economical demands, while that area also frequently suffers from heavy storms or typhoons during the summer season. The increased flood volume due to this extended imperviousness causes a greater potential hazard than that of the past. In order to evaluate the urbanized impacts on the watershed, a set of methods were used to estimate the changes of the watershed storage. This research chose 51 observed events from three raingauges on the Wu-Tu upstream watershed, Taiwan, to study the volume characteristic of abstracted rainwater. In the study, the block Kriging method was used to estimate the area rainfall and the hourly excess was derived through the non-linear programing (NLP). A total of 40 samples were calibrated through the hydrological model and the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) model using the optimum seeking method in order to search out and establish the best parameters that illustrate the hydrological and geomorphic conditions at that time. Eleven cases were used to examine the established relationship of the parameters and the impervious coverings. A design storm approach was used to view the changes of the volume for various scale storms/typhoons because of the different degrees of urbanization. Then, a diagram was designed to show the relationships that exist among the runoff coefficient, return period, and impervious surface. The satisfactory results show that storage capability of rainwater for various scale storms on the Wu-Tu watershed would be respectively reduced about 42–156 cms in different decrements up to now.     

承压水体上煤柱留设的理论与实践

华盖山煤矿主要可采Ⅱ号煤层下存在强岩溶含水层,为划定安全开采范围,综合应用国内相关科研成果,成功地留设防水煤柱,划定可采区域。经矿井建设检验,满足安全开采需要。     

平行剖面法用棱柱和截锥公式计算块段体积注意的问题

用平行剖面法计算资源/储量时,若矿体块段在相邻两剖面上均有面积,且控制两面积的工程间距或控制每个剖面面积的工程见矿平均厚度不相等的情况下,使用棱柱体公式计算块段体积,或相邻两剖面上面积形状不相似的情况下,使用截锥体公式计算块段体积,均存在一定的误差。而拟柱体公式则是精确计算块段体积的通用公式,其使用不受上述条件的限制。因此,在这种情况下,建议限制或停止使用棱柱体和截锥体公式,提倡统一使用拟柱体公式来计算矿体块段的体积。     

羌塘及南缘地区的地壳结构

通过对INDEPTH III宽频地震资料的处理,采用最新发展的接收函数深度偏移叠加方法,获取羌塘盆地南部及与拉萨地块北侧的剖面。偏移图像勾画了羌塘地区的两盆夹一隆的基底,以及羌塘下地壳内存在的北倾构造序列。冈底斯的基底与羌塘地区有一定的延续性,而拉萨地块的上地壳则完全不同。同时通过与人工深反射地震剖面,发现主要大型的断裂构造在接收函数剖面上均可进行追踪对比,对于羌中隆起和和羌塘南北凹陷的深部成因有启示作用。同时发现班公-怒江缝合带Moho面错断并不明显,而在拉萨地块下方呈现的双Moho在色林错下方进行了合并。在南羌塘Moho面转换波强度不大,而北羌塘又重新恢复正常,推测这是拉萨地块向北的推挤造成羌塘下地壳部分地区重新分异的结果。双Moho的成因有待进一步分析,应该与拉萨地块下方大规模低速物质活动和MHT拆离断层的延伸有关。     

An innovative block partition and equivalence method of the wave scatter diagram for offshore structural fatigue assessment

The fatigue assessment plays an increasing role for the offshore structural safety. Many fatigue assessment methods have been developed for this purpose. Among those methods, the time domain method is regarded as the most accurate method but less adopted in practice due to time consuming. In order to improve the efficiency of the time domain method, an innovative block partition and equivalence method of the wave scatter diagram is developed for offshore structural fatigue assessment. After the wave scatter diagram is partitioned into several blocks, the newly developed method, involves determination of the equivalent wave height, wave period and occurrence probability of the representative sea states based on modified energy equivalent principle. The equivalent wave period of the representative sea state is calculated via the spectral moment formula in which the equivalent spectral moments of zero and second order are obtained based on the weighted averaging principle. Combining with the determined wave period, the equivalent significant wave height can be determined by reversing the wave spectrum integral formula, where the equivalent wave energy of a divided block of the wave scatter diagram is modified by introducing a factor to compensate the effect of low- and high-amplitude cycles fatigue damage. The equivalent occurrence probability is equal to the summation of the original sea states’ occurrence probability within the divided block. The developed method has the advantage of preserving the stochastic characteristics of the short term sea states within the divided block during determining the representative sea state. At the same time the newly developed method has no limitation on block partition and can be applied on different offshore structure. Two structural models, a fixed mono-pile platform and a floating semi-submersible platform, are demonstrated in the numerical examples. Results indicate that the newly developed method is robust, computationally affordable, and accurate within engineering expectations.     

Structure of the Upper Mantle and Transition Zone Beneath the South China Block Imaged by Finite Frequency Tomography

We applied the finite frequency tomography method to S wave data recorded by 350 broadband stations beneath the South China Block(SCB) and its surroundings from earthquakes occurring between July 2007 and July 2010,to better understand upper mantle deformation.Differential travel-times in the pair of stations with appropriate weighting for each station are used in the inversion.Our results are consistent with previous tomography that show a high velocity anomaly beneath the Sichuan basin and a high velocity anomaly in the transition zone beneath the Yangtze Craton.However,the resolution of mantle heterogeneity provides new insight into the tectonic framework of subduction of Burmese lithosphere in the west part of the study region and subduction of oceanic lithosphere in the east.In the subduction realm,west of 107°E,a significant fast S-wave anomaly is located on the southeast of Sichuan Basin.East of 107°E,and two narrow and discontinuous fast S-wave anomalies occur at a depth of 400-600 km beneath the middle of the South China block overlain by the pronounced low S-wave anomalies at a depth of 100 and 400 km.If the fast anomalies located in the mantle transition zone represent stagnant slabs,their fragmented nature may suggest that they could be produced by different episodes of subduction beneath western Pacific island and the above slow velocity anomaly may associated with the back-arc regions of ongoing subduction.In addition,tomography also reveals an anomalously high S-wave velocity continental root extends eastward to a depth 400 km beneath the eastern Sichuan Basin.This anomaly may be related to eastern extrusion of Indian lithosphere associated with the collision of India and Eurasia.Moreover,our results also show large slow anomalies beneath the Red River fault region connected to deeper anomalies beneath the South China Fold Belt and South China Sea.AH these observations are consistent with the scenario that the South China block has been built by both of subduction of Paleopacific plate and eastward subduction of Burma microplate.     

鲁西地块NW走向断层的活动特征及裂变径迹证据

不同于华北克拉通东部普遍存在的NE走向断层,鲁西地块广泛发育一组特征明显的NW走向断层,包括非控盆断层和控盆断层两类。前者位于鲁西地块最南部,倾角相对较陡,错开了古生界及以下地层,下盘太古宇中发育韧性剪切带,断层碎裂岩指示断层存在多期活动;后者位于非控盆断层以北,除蒙山断层外韧性剪切带不发育,倾角相对较缓,控制了中生代以来的沉积。磷灰石/锆石裂变径迹证据分析得出NW走向断层的活动存在差异。断层上、下盘样品磷灰石裂变径迹表观年龄在在67±5~35±2Ma之间,径迹直方图表明样品在冷却过程中没有受到热扰动。通过平均径迹长度-年龄(或香蕉图)图、单颗粒峰值年龄、径迹年龄谱模式以及热史反演模拟综合分析来约束断层的活动时间,结果表明非控盆断层可能在早侏罗世约184Ma开始活动,之后在晚白垩世80~75Ma以及新生代~61Ma和51~43Ma活动,43Ma之后不再活动。控盆断层活动时间稍晚,于早白垩世约141Ma、晚白垩世80~75Ma活动,新生代活动时间为约61Ma、49~42Ma以及36~32Ma。总体上,NW走向断层由早到晚由南向北发育,非控盆断层活动时间早、结束早;控盆断层活动晚、结束晚,并控制了凹陷的向北发育。中生代以来区域构造应力场的变化和郯庐断裂带的走滑作用是导致两类NW走向断层差异演化的根本原因,在深部则受控于晚三叠世以来华北、扬子板块陆陆碰撞和古太平洋板块俯冲方向和速度的改变。印支期后挤压到伸展的转变,加上郯庐断裂带的左行走滑,使靠近华北克拉通南缘的前端NW走向断层首先发育,因倾角较大故不控制盆地发育;向北的后端相对伸展,成为控盆断层,后经早白垩世约141Ma期间的伸展、晚白垩世末80~75Ma和新生代的发育断层最终成型。NW走向断层的这种大致向北迁移的规律,隐示华北克拉通破坏可能始于早侏罗世或晚侏罗世,且由南向北逐渐拆沉。     

Cathaysian slivers in the Philippine island arc: geochronologic and geochemical evidence from sedimentary formations of the west Central Philippines

The use of geodynamic information contained in sedimentary rocks has only recently been extended into the tectonic reconstruction studies of the Philippine archipelago vis-à-vis the rest of the Southeast Asian region. We present here a comparative assessment of clastic units from the western Central Philippines, particularly from the islands of Mindoro, Panay and Palawan, and propose their likely association with sources of Cathaysian origin. Geochronological data from sedimentary formations in the study areas register U–Pb dating peaks at 185–140 Ma, 140–120 Ma and 112–90 Ma. These are similar to those observed of detrital zircons from rocks of Cathaysian origin in Taiwan and Southern China that chronicle the Yanshanian magmatic events. These same formations also record an older intercept at 1.9–1.85 Ga that likely corresponds to a regional continental orogenic episode recorded in the late Paleoproterozoic Cathaysian block. Major (e.g. Al₂O₃/TiO₂) and trace-element (e.g. Y/Ni vs Cr/V) signatures of these sedimentary formations reflect stronger influences from granitic sources than mafic–ultramafic inputs that should otherwise be expected, considering their current oceanic island arc settings. Their La/Th and Th–Co–Zr/10 ratios also reveal continental island arc and active or passive continental margin depositional settings typical of rocks from the Palawan Microcontinental Block. New geochronological and geochemical data from the clastic rocks of northwest Mindoro, in addition to those already published for the other regions of the Palawan Microcontinental Block, provide further evidence for the amalgamation of fragments of Cathaysian origin within the Philippine island arc system.     

Late Palaeoproterozoic Hekou Group in Sichuan,Southwest China: geochronological framework and tectonic implications

The Palaeoproterozoic Hekou Group, an outcrop along the SW-margin of the Yangtze Block, consists of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that experienced greenschist facies metamorphism and was intruded by gabbroic and granitic plutons. The sedimentary rocks consist of coarse to fine-grained siliciclastic and carbonate rocks including quartzite, mica schists, polymictic meta-conglomerates and marble, whereas volcanic rocks consist of sodic lava and pyroclastic rocks including albitites, interbeded metatuffs, and metabasalts. Metatuffs from five layers have zircon U–Pb age of 1710 ± 18 Ma (MSWD = 1.6), 1637 ± 7 Ma (MSWD = 0.65), 1601 ± 15 Ma (MSWD = 0.94), 1661 ± 7 Ma (MSWD = 1.4), and 1718 ± 11 Ma (MSWD = 0.3) and these ages show that the Hekou Group deposited at ~1.7–1.6 Ga. The high content of light rare earth element (LREE), the low content of highrare earth element (HREE) and negative Ti anomalies, relatively high content of incompatible fluid-insoluble elements (Nb, Ta, and Th), and the high varied εNd(t) values (?6.0 to +4.6) of the metavolcanic rocks show that these rocks are formed in back-arc basin. Our study also implies that the Yangtze Block also underwent subduction-related, continental margin accretion on its SW-margin during the growth of the Nuna supercontinent at ~1.7–1.6 Ga.