Woolshed Creek fossil site: a key part of Canberra’s scientific and cultural heritage

The Woolshed Creek fossil site near the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Canberra, contains brachiopods Atrypa duntroonensis (early Homerian, early Silurian, ca 430.5?Ma) within a mudstone of the Canberra Formation. Their discovery in 1844 by the Reverend William B. Clarke (“the Father of Australian Geology”), and subsequent comparison with other fossil collections from around the world, contributed significantly to the nineteenth century debate about the oldest rocks in Australia. The fossil site is now on the ACT Government Heritage List and recent site improvements make it readily accessible via a pathway from the sports grounds of the Royal Military College.     

实散组合桩承载原理及应用

本文提出了实散组合桩概念,即一根桩由上下两段组成,上段是实体桩,下段是散体桩。这样就克服了散体桩通常桩头承载能力低的缺陷。本文对实散组合桩的受力概念进行了分析研究,给出了其承载力、沉降、临界桩长等计算方法和公式。最后介绍了首次工程实例。     

Possible spatial variability in the Selwyn Block of Central Victoria: evidence from Late Devonian felsic igneous rocks

The Neoproterozoic to Cambrian Selwyn Block in Central Victoria forms the mainly unexposed basement to the Paleozoic metasediments, granitic rocks and felsic volcanic complexes of the Melbourne Zone of the Lachlan Orogen. The Late Devonian felsic rocks are largely products of partial melting of the Selwyn Block, and their chemistry implies that their sources were most probably arc-related andesite, dacite, volcaniclastic greywackes and some pelites. When plotted against the median longitudes of the plutons and volcanic complexes, the average values for ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_t and ?Nd_t (at 370 Ma) reveal broad trends interpreted to reflect possible compositional and/or age structure in the Selwyn Block. Assuming that the trends are real, from W to E, I-type sources are progressively less crustally evolved, probably younging eastward. The S-type sources show no trend in ?Nd_t, suggesting that there was efficient sediment mixing. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_t values, however, become more evolved eastward (opposite in sense to the apparent variation in the I-type sources). This is interpreted as the original Selwyn Block sediments having been more pelitic eastward, perhaps suggesting a deepening of the basin in this direction, as well as structurally upward in the succession. The opposite senses of variation highlights the spatial separation of the S- and I-type sources and suggest that the granitic magmas here are unlikely to represent any sort of mixing continuum.     

滇西水成铀矿勘探综合测井成果

滇西龙川江盆地发现水成铀矿。本文借助地球物理综合测井技术，对龙川江盆地水成铀矿的成矿规律作有益分析和探讨。重点论述滇西水成铀成矿的成矿（沉积）环境及其成矿物征。     

The critical scale of fluctuation for active lateral forces in spatially variable undrained clays

This study addresses the phenomenon of the critical scale of fluctuation (SOF) for active lateral force (P_a) in undrained clay when there is a spatial variability in the clay. The phenomenon is significant under shear strength (τ_f) random fields but is insignificant under unit weight (γ) random fields. It is found that the phenomenon of the critical SOF is connected to the nature of the spatial averaging, which is “line averaging” under τ_f random fields and is “area averaging” under γ random fields. The former averaging effect (line) is significantly weaker than the latter (area), so the tendency for the critical slip plane to seek for a favorable location is stronger for the τ_f random field than for the γ random field. Hence, the phenomenon of the critical SOF is more pronounced under τ_f random fields than under γ random fields. The underlying mechanisms for the phenomenon of the critical SOF will be explored in this paper.     

The mafic-ultramafic complex near Finero (Ivrea-Verbano Zone), I. Chemistry of MORB-like magmas

Geochemical data are presented for the meta-igneous, mafic-ultramafic complex near Finero. This complex is in contact with a phlogopite-bearing mantle peridotite and is subdivided into the Internal Gabbro unit, the Amphibole Peridotite unit, and the External Gabbro unit. The Internal Gabbro and the Amphibole Peridotite units consist of coarse-grained, chemically heterogeneous cumulates, whereas the External Gabbro unit is generally massive, chemically more uniform and approximately representative of the residual melt with MgO contents between 6.6 and 9.1% and Mg numbers between 38 and 58. Both whole-rock and mineral contents of Ni and Cr are significantly higher (at similar Mg numbers) in the Amphibole Peridotite unit than in the Internal Gabbro unit. The most straightforward interpretation of this is that the Amphibole Peridotite unit accumulated after the influx of fresh mafic (or ultramafic) magma into the magma chamber. Major-element chemical trends are continuous from the Amphibole Peridotite unit to the External Gabbro unit and are consistent with closed-system fractionation with no further addition of magma or contamination by wall or roof rock assimilation. In the External Gabbro unit, total FeO and TiO₂ contents are strongly correlated with each other (and with P₂O₅ and Zr) and reach values as high as 19 and 4%, respectively, indicating an advanced degree of crystal fractionation along a tholeftic trend. The External Gabbro samples have generally smooth normalized trace element patterns, which are consistent with being representative of a liquid composition. The residual nature of the External Gabbro magma is also indicated by negative Eu and Sr anomalies, clear evidence for prior feldspar fractionation. REE patterns are otherwise indistinguishable from N-type MORB, but Th and U are significantly more depleted than in MORB. This Th and U depletion is similar to that found in olivine basalts and picrites on Iceland and Hawaii; its origin is not well understood. No evidence is seen for any assimilation of crystal material, in sharp contrast with the situation of the igneous complex in Val Sesia near Balmuccia, where the magma composition is dominated by assimilation of crust. We suggest that the heat provided by at most two injections of magma near Finero was insufficient to induce crystal anatexis, in contrast with the excess heat supplied by multiple magma injections at Balmuccia.     

Neoproterozoic–Cambrian synsedimentary magmatism in the Central Iberian Zone (Spain): geology,petrology and geodynamic significance

Petrographic, geochemical and field studies in low grade metamorphic areas (Ciudad Rodrigo-Hurdes-Sierra de Gata domain, CRHSG, central-western Spain) show that Neoproterozoic-Lowermost Cambrian series in the Central Iberian Zone (CIZ) record two kinds of provenance sources including: (1) detrital material derived from recycled orogens and (2) a Cadomian coeval juvenile contribution that governs their isotopic signature. Evidence of magmatism contemporaneous with Neoproterozoic-Cambrian sedimentation is provided by the presence of coherent, massive volcanic rocks (metabasalts, metaandesites, and metarhyolites), volcaniclastic shales, sandstones, conglomerates and breccias. The appearance of volcanogenic lithic fragments and crystals mixed in different proportions with siliciclastic constituents and also present within calcareous components in the sedimentary succession, reinforces this evidence. Although most of the selected volcanic and volcaniclastic samples appear to show tholeiitic affinity, some of them display calc-alkaline affinity. Different trace element ratios, such as Sm/Nd, Nb/Yb and Ta/Yb, suggest a magmatic evolution in the same tectonic setting. The geochemical results reported here support the existence of an active geodynamic setting as a direct contributor to the synsedimentary and magmatic content of the Neoproterozoic–Lowermost Cambrian successions in the CIZ. In particular, the relatively high Nd _(T) values and the high range of f ^Sm/Nd ratios are consistent with an active margin during the Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian. The existence of tectonic activity is also confirmed by the presence of synsedimentary deformation and volcanic rocks. All of these traits favour a geodynamic model in which the Iberian Cadomian segment represented in the CIZ would have been part of an active northern margin of Gondwana, with an associated magmatic arc and related basins during Neoproterozoic–Lower Cambrian times. A proposed link between the Ossa Morena and the Central Iberian Zones might account for late Cadomian pull-apart basins developed on both sides of the magmatic arc, sharing the same scenario and involving similar magmatic activity during the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian transition.

南秦岭勉略构造带横现河地区变质沉积岩形成时代及物源——来自LA-ICP-MS碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄的证据

朱家山岩组、乔子沟岩片位于南秦岭勉略构造带横现河以北,是勉略构造带中强烈韧性变形的沉积岩系,是勉略构造混杂岩带的基质岩系,研究其形成时代、沉积物源,对于深入了解勉略构造带的形成时代与构造演化具有重要意义。笔者以横现河以北地区朱家山岩组、乔子沟岩片中的变质沉积岩（绢英千枚岩）为研究对象,进行碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学研究,探讨其形成时代及沉积物源。所获得的碎屑锆石年龄可以分为3组：古生代年龄组（375~542 Ma）,可以划分为晚古生代早期-早古生代晚期年龄组（375~424 Ma）,主要峰值为390 Ma、394 Ma,早古生代早期年龄组（530~542 Ma）;新元古代年龄组（552~977 Ma）,可以划分为新元古代晚期年龄组（552~797 Ma）,主要峰值为758 Ma、787 Ma,新元古代早中期年龄组（800~977 Ma）,主要峰值为855 Ma、951 Ma;中元古代晚期年龄组（1 008~1 124 Ma）。朱家山岩组、乔子沟岩片碎屑锆石最小年龄组分别为375~385 Ma（平均年龄为380.3 Ma）、377~389 Ma（平均年龄为383 Ma）,说明朱家山岩组、乔子沟岩片浅变质沉积岩系的沉积时代不早于中-晚泥盆世。综合研究认为2件样品物源主要都来自勉略构造带、碧口微地块和扬子板块北缘地区的岩浆岩,沉积环境为裂陷盆地且由伸展裂陷过渡为稳定的台盆-台地沉积。     

云南沧源羊缅金矿成因

羊缅金矿位于昌宁-孟连有色金属贵金属成矿带,金矿受压扭性断裂控制,分布于变余辉长辉绿岩中,典型的低温热液蚀变型金矿床。