Contraction induced by block rotation above salt (Angolan margin)

Gravity spreading above salt at passive margins is the major mode of deformation of post-salt sediments. Whereas this process generally creates a structural zoning, extensional upslope and contractional downslope, discrepancies can however arise. For example, evidence of contractional deformation occurs in the extensional domain of the Angolan margin, to the south of the Congo delta fan. Slope-parallel seismic lines show grabens, rollover and extensional diapirs. Conversely, strike-parallel seismic lines present inversion of early grabens, apparently related to a regional-scale decrease in sedimentary thickness away from the Congo delta. As the spreading rate and the characteristic spacing of structures are direct functions of sedimentary loading, one can expect structural changes along strike due to sedimentary thickness variations. This hypothesis was tested using spreading-type experiments of brittle-ductile models lying on top of an inclined rigid substratum. The experiments simulate the progradation of a synkinematic sedimentary cover above salt, with a lateral variation of sedimentation rate. The models show that the spreading rate was higher in the thicker part. Early grabens initiated perpendicular to the slope direction. Where sedimentation rate was high, they kept their orientation during spreading and formed purely extensional synsedimentary structures: Grabens, rollovers and diapirs. Where sedimentation rate was low, blocks separated by grabens rotated in a domino-type fashion but this domain continued to extend in a slope-parallel direction. Strike slip between blocks was entirely localised within the early grabens, which inverted and formed anticlines. Structures obtained in experiments are directly comparable to those in seismic lines of the Angolan margin. In both the Angolan margin examples and the laboratory experiments, block rotation is interpreted as slope-parallel strike-slip shear zones due to lateral variations in spreading rate.     

扬子地块东南缘沉积岩的Nd同位素研究

扬子地块东南缘上溪群分布区及其周边沉积岩的Ｎｄ同位素研究结果,支持存在一条苏浙皖古生代裂陷槽（或江南深断裂）的观点。上溪群以北直至长江边所分布的震旦系－古生代的盖层沉积岩,其Ｎｄ模式年龄有两组,表明物源区不同。裂陷槽以北,沉积岩的物源区为Ｎｄ模式年龄约２.０～２.１Ｇａ的扬子物源区;以南的沉积岩表现出明显的幔源物质混染,显示出元古代岩浆活动的影响,而上溪群分布区以南直到江绍断裂附近主要表现上溪物源区的影响,华夏地块古老基底岩石则无显著贡献。     

Provenance and paleogeography of the Early Paleozoic basin in the northern Yangtze Block: Constraints from detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf data

The Proto-Tethys was a significant post-Rodinia breakup ocean that eventually vanished during the Paleozoic. The closure timing and amalgamation history of numerous microblocks within this ocean remain uncertain, while the Early Paleozoic strata on the northern margin of the Yangtze Block archive valuable information about the evolution of the Shangdan Ocean, the branch of the Proto-Tethys. By comparing the detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic data from Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian sedimentary rocks in the northern Yangtze Block with adjacent blocks, it was found that detrital zircons in Cambrian strata exhibit a prominent age peak at ∼ 900–700 Ma, which indicates that the primary source of clastic material in the basin was the uplifted inner and margin regions of the Yangtze Block. In the Silurian, abundant detrital material from the North Qinling Block was transported to the basin due to the continuous subduction and eventual closure of the Shangdan Ocean. This process led to two distinct age peaks at ∼500–400 Ma and ∼900–700 Ma, indicating a bidirectional provenance contribution from both the North Qinling Block and the Yangtze Block. This shift demonstrates that the initial collision between these two blocks occurred no later than the Silurian. The northern Yangtze Basin transitioned from a passive continental margin basin in the Cambrian to a peripheral foreland basin in the Silurian. Major blocks in East Asia, including South Tarim, North Qilian, North Qinling, and North Yangtze, underwent peripheral subduction and magmatic activity to varying degrees during the late Early Paleozoic, signifying the convergence and rapid contraction of microplates within northern Gondwana and the Proto-Tethys Ocean. These findings provide new insights on the tectonic evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.     

Kinematics of the Southern Rhodope Core Complex (North Greece)

The Southern Rhodope Core Complex is a wide metamorphic dome exhumed in the northern Aegean as a result of large-scale extension from mid-Eocene to mid-Miocene times. Its roughly triangular shape is bordered on the SW by the Jurassic and Cretaceous metamorphic units of the Serbo-Macedonian in the Chalkidiki peninsula and on the N by the eclogite bearing gneisses of the Sideroneron massif. The main foliation of metamorphic rocks is flat lying up to 100 km core complex width. Most rocks display a stretching lineation trending NE–SW. The Kerdylion detachment zone located at the SW controlled the exhumation of the core complex from middle Eocene to mid-Oligocene. From late Oligocene to mid-Miocene exhumation is located inside the dome and is accompanied by the emplacement of the synkinematic plutons of Vrondou and Symvolon. Since late Miocene times, extensional basin sediments are deposited on top of the exhumed metamorphic and plutonic rocks and controlled by steep normal faults and flat-ramp-type structures. Evidence from Thassos Island is used to illustrate the sequence of deformation from stacking by thrusting of the metamorphic pile to ductile extension and finally to development of extensional Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary basin. Paleomagnetic data indicate that the core complex exhumation is controlled by a 30° dextral rotation of the Chalkidiki block. Extensional displacements are restored using a pole of rotation deduced from the curvature of stretching lineation trends at core complex scale. It is argued that the Rhodope Core Complex has recorded at least 120 km of extension in the North Aegean, since the last 40 My.     

Crustal Structural and Tectonic Evolution and Oil Prospect Evaluation in the Songpan-Zoige Block

Recent study of magnetotelluric （MT） inversion indicates that the basement of the Songpan- Zoige area could be a stable continental crust. There has developed quite thick and stable Paleozoic continental shelf margin-platform clastic and carbonate sediments during the Triassic. Preliminary field geologic investigation and hydrocarbon potential study show that good-quality source rocks, mainly argillaceous and carbonaceous shale, were deposited in the Cambrian and Silurian in this region, while diverse reservoirs of platform facies carbonate and clastic rocks were in the Carboniferous and Permian. The good vertical source-reservoir-seal configuration might indicate that there exists a certain potential for oil and gas exploration in this area.     

伊朗中伊朗盆地库姆组地层的时代

对伊朗中伊朗盆地卡尚地区库姆组的微体化石样品分析 ,不仅发现了新的有孔虫和介形虫化石组合 ,而且还首次发现了较丰富的钙质超微及少量的沟鞭藻化石。依据这些化石的组合面貌 ,认为库姆组含始新世地层无疑 ,修正了以往认为库姆组地层时代为中—晚渐新世至早中新世的观点。     

Petrogenesis and metallogenesis of the Yanshanian adakite-like rocks in the Eastern Yangtze Block

Many of the Yanshannian intermediate-acid intrusive rocks related to Cu-Au mineralization in the Eastern Yangtze Block are characterized by high Al2O3, Sr contents, while low in Y, Yb contents, thus with high Sr/Y, and La/Yb ratios, and variational isotope signatures in particular, e.g. εNd(t) = -11.92-1.96, (143Nd/144Nd)i = 0.5120-0.5125, TDM = 0.70-1.71 Ga,(87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7043-0.7076. The geochemical characteristics of these rocks suggest that: (1) these rocks are geochemically similar to adakite, which might have been stemmed from the partial melting of thickened basaltic lower crust due to basalt underplating; and (2) the high pressure (1.2-4.0 GPa) and high temperature (850-1150℃) surroundings of the lower crust favor both the fluid and adakite-like magma to generation. Not only can the adakite-like magma carry abundant fluid and Cu-Au ore-froming materials, but also can it bring them to the shallow part with ease and contributes to the Cu-Au mineralization.     

Study on the Genesis of the Yongsheng Earthquake with Ms6.0 on October 27, 2001

On October 27, 2001, a large earthquake with Ms6.0, named the Yongsheng earthquake, occurred along the Jinshajiang segment of Chenghai fault in Yongsheng County, Yuunan Province. It is the largest event to occur along the Chenghai fault in the last 200 years. The seismo-geological survey shows that the seismogenic fault, which is the Jinshajiang segment of Chenghal fault, takes left-lateral strike-slip as its dominant movement pattern. According to differences in vertical motion, motion time, landforms and scales, the Chenhai fault can be divided into eight segments. The Jinshajiang segment has a vertical dislocation rate of 0.4mm/a, far lower than the mean rate of the Chenghai fault, about 2.0 mm/a. It‘ s deduced that the two sides of Jinshajiang segment “stuck“ tightly and hindered the strike-slip of the Chenghai fault. The strong earthquake distribution before this event shows that the Jinshajiang segment was in the seismic gap. The Chenghai fault, as a boundary of tectonic sub-blocks, makes the Northwest Yunnan block and the Middle Yunnan block move clockwise, and their margins move oppositely along the Chenghai fault. In the motion process of the Chenghai fault, structural hindrance and the seismic gap of strong earthquakes are propitious to the concentration and accumulation of structure stress. As a result, the Yongsheng Ms6.0 earthquake occurred. The Sujiazhuang-Shangangfu segment is similar to the Jinshajiang segment with a low vertical motion rate of 0.3 mm/a and in the seismic gap. So it‘s postulated that the segment may become a new structure hindrance, and the Yongsheng Ms6.0 earthquake may trigger the occurrence of future large earthquakes along this segment.     

强烈亏损重稀土元素的中酸性火成岩(或埃达克质岩)与Cu、Au成矿作用

文中概述了强烈亏损重稀土元素的中酸性火成岩(或埃达克质岩)的研究历史、现状和意义,列出了扬子地块东部、青藏高原以及新疆北部与铜金成矿有关的同类岩石的一些特征,重点分析了当前强烈亏损重稀土元素的中酸性火成岩(或埃达克质岩)的研究中所存在的问题,并提出了一些初步的设想。强烈亏损重稀土元素的中酸性火成岩(或埃达克质岩)不仅具有重要的地球动力学意义(可能与俯冲、拆沉、底侵、板片窗或地幔交代等深部过程有关),而且具有极其重要的Cu、Au成矿意义。俯冲洋壳熔融形成的埃达克岩及其成矿作用已有相当深入的研究,但是来自大陆内部的强烈亏损重稀土元素的中酸性火成岩的成因、岩石组合及其成矿作用是否类似于俯冲洋壳熔融形成的埃达克岩,还需要深入的研究。一些强烈亏损重稀土元素的中酸性火成岩(或埃达克质岩)的所表现出的高钾特征很可能与高压(>1 GPa)条件下的熔融或源岩的高钾有关。文中提出了一个有别于俯冲洋壳熔融+埃达克岩+Cu、Au成矿的新工作模型——拆沉洋壳或下地壳熔融+强烈亏损重稀土元素的中酸性火成岩(或埃达克质岩)+Cu、Au成矿。拆沉洋壳或下地壳熔融形成熔体的Fe_2O_3对地幔的交代(氧化)作用可能是Cu、Au从地幔迁出并最终成矿的一个重要原因,但是增厚下地壳环境中流体的作用也不?     

Sapphirine and Corundum-bearing Granulites from Karur, Madurai Block, Southern India

We report new occurrences of sapphirine- and corundum-bearing granulites intercalated within orthogneisses at Lachmanapatti and Malappatty in the northern part of Madurai Block. Sapphirine in these localities occurs either as needle-like intergrowth with cordierite and corundum in symplectites and medium- to fine-grained euhderal to subhedral crystals associated with cordierite and corundum (Lachmanapatti) or in association with plagioclase, corundum and gedrite (Malappatty). The sapphirine from Lachmanapatti is highly magnesian (X_Mg = 0.87-0.94) with higher Cr content (up to 0.9 pfu) as compared with those in other localities in the Madurai Block. The sapphirine-corundum association reported in this study has important bearing on the ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism and exhumation history of the northern Madurai Block as well as on the tectonic evolution of the continental deep crust in southern India.