Controlling factors on the morphology and spatial distribution of methane-related tubular concretions – Case study of an Early Eocene seep system

Up to 10 m in length and >1 m in diameter tubular, calcite-cemented sandstone concretions are hosted by the faulted Dikilitash unconsolidated sands and sandstones. These structures document shallow subsurface pathways of Early Eocene methane seepage in the Balkan Mountains foreland (NE Bulgaria). Their exceptional exposure allowed a unique study of the factors governing the morphology and spatial distribution of such fossilized fluid conduits. The large dimensions and subvertical, cylindrical shape of the most common tube type primarily reflects the buoyancy-driven, vertical path of an ascending gas-bearing fluid through permeable, mainly unconsolidated sandy host sediments. Tube morphology was also influenced by local stratigraphic anisotropies and might as well document differences in former seepage conditions. Mapping of >800 tubular concretions showed the NNW–NNE elongation and alignment of tube clusters and massive cemented sandstone structures. This suggests that Paleogene fault systems played a major role in directing the movement of fluids. However, within a single tube cluster, tubes are preferentially aligned, over distances up to 50 m along directions at an angle between 10° and 36° with respect to the inferred NNW–NNE, cluster parallel fault traces. In addition, cylindrical tubes of analogue dimensions are aligned over distances >100 m along N15° to N25°-oriented directions. It is hypothesized that this spatial geometry of tubular concretions reflects the complex geometry of deformations structures in fault damage zones along which fluids were preferentially channelled.     

南海东北部新构造运动及其动力学机制

南海东北部地处欧亚板块与菲律宾海板块的交汇区,新构造运动活跃。根据地震活动性、震源机制解和GPS资料对该区的新构造活动特征进行分析,在此基础上讨论该区新构造运动的动力学机制。分析发现,菲律宾海板块NW向俯冲对该区的影响最为显著,导致了该区较强的地震活动性以及与俯冲方向一致的构造应力场。而印藏碰撞产生的侧向应力传递也影响到该区,控制华南地块向SE方向运动,并与菲律宾海板块的NW向俯冲共同作用,使华南地块在SE向运动的同时伴有逆时针旋转。印藏碰撞的SE向应力传递对俯冲产生的NW向水平挤压的抵消作用,使得地震活动性自东向西减弱以及构造应力场P轴方位角顺时针旋转。在这一背景下,区内滨海断裂带的活动控制了该区的地震、海岸带构造升降等新构造运动。     

松南十屋断陷深层油气成藏条件与模式研究

十屋断陷是断坳叠置的复合盆地,充填了巨厚的断陷地层。其深部地层包括登娄库组、营城组、沙河子组以及火石岭组。在十屋断陷深部沉积了沙河子组-营城组和登娄库组两套烃源岩和良好的储盖层组合;由于断陷构造运动,形成大量的断裂构造和不整合面,构成了油气运移的有效通道,同时还形成有效断裂、断鼻构造圈闭以及不整合圈闭。综合分析认为,十屋断陷深部具有有利油气成藏生储盖组合。主要有下生上储式、自生自储式和上生下储式三种成藏模式。     

A multi-scale 3-D crust velocity model in the Hefei-Chao Lake area around the southern segment of Tanlu Fault Zone

Regional high-precision velocity models of the crust are an important foundation for examining seismic activity, seismogenic environments, and disaster distribution characteristics. The Hefei-Chao Lake area contains the main geological units of Hefei Basin, with thick sediments and the Chao Lake depression. Several major concealed faults of the southern NNE-trending Tanlu Fault Zone cross this area. To further explore the underground distribution characteristics of the faults and their tectonic evolutionary relationship with adjacent tectonic units, this study used ambient noise data recorded by a seismic array deployed in Hefei City and Chao Lake, constructing a 3-D velocity model at the depth of 1–8 km. Then a multi-scale high-resolution 3-D velocity model of this area was constructed by this new upper crustal velocity model with the previous middle and lower crustal model. The new model reveals that a high-velocity belt is highly consistent with the strike of the Tanlu Fault Zone, and a low-velocity sedimentary characteristic is consistent with the Hefei Basin and Chao Lake depression. The distribution morphology of high and low velocity bodies shows that the sedimentary pattern of Hefei-Chao Lake area is closely related to the tectonic evolution of the Tanlu Fault Zone since the Mesozoic. This study also identifies multiple low-velocity anomalies in the southeastern Hefei City. We speculate that strong ground motion during the 2009 Feidong earthquake (magnitude of 3.5) was related to amplification by the thick sediments in the Hefei Basin. We also discuss further applications of multi-scale high-resolution models of the shallow layer to strong ground motion simulations in cities and for earthquake disaster assessments.     

张家口-蓬莱断裂带渤海段晚第四纪活动特征

张家口-蓬莱断裂带是华北地区一条显著的地震带.利用最新获得的高分辨率浅层地震资料研究了渤海海域内该断裂带晚第四纪以来的活动特征.研究表明:在渤海,张家口-蓬莱断裂带主要由沙西断裂、埕北断裂、沙南断裂、沙东北断裂、柏各庄断裂、石臼坨3号断裂、渤中2号断裂和BZ29断裂等一系列NW走向断裂组成,走向在290°～310°之间;在浅层沉积物中各断裂由多条次级小断裂组成;晚第四纪以来主要表现出强烈的垂向运动特征,具有正断性质;海域各断裂的最新活动时代为晚更新世(Q3)末期-全新世(Q4)初期,并具有相同的活动趋势,在20 ka B.P.和60 ka B.P.左右活动强烈,统计计算显示平均垂向活动速率分别为0.15 mm/a和0.1 mm/a,近20 000 a以来的垂向活动速率超过0.06 mm/a.     

Improved understanding of petroleum migration history in the Hongche fault zone,northwestern Junggar Basin (northwest China): Constrained by vein-calcite fluid inclusions and trace elements

Calcite veins and cements occur widely in Carboniferous and Permian reservoirs of the Hongche fault zone, northwestern Junggar Basin in northwest China. The calcites were investigated by fluid inclusion and trace-element analyses, providing an improved understanding of the petroleum migration history. It is indicated that the Hongche fault behaved as a migration pathway before the Early Cretaceous, allowing two oil charges to migrate into the hanging-wall, fault-core and footwall reservoirs across the fault. Since the Late Cretaceous, the Hongche fault has been sealed. As a consequence, meteoric water flowed down only into the hanging-wall and fault-core reservoirs. The meteoric-water incursion is likely an important cause for degradation of reservoir oils. In contrast, the footwall reservoirs received gas charge (the third hydrocarbon event) following the Late Cretaceous. This helps explain the distribution of petroleum across the fault. This study provides an example of how a fault may evolve as pathway and seal over time, and how reservoir diagenetic minerals can provide clues to complex petroleum migration histories.     

微震研究与应用进展

随着地震观测台站密度的不断增加以及地震检测技术的快速发展,微震研究受到了地震学界的广泛关注.与发震周期较长的大地震相比,微震复发周期短、发生频次高,可以获得更高分辨率的地壳内部介质物性和应力状态等变化信息.微震在许多领域具有广泛的应用,如研究断层几何形态、前震与地震成核的关系、余震时空演化特征及余震触发机理、远程动态触...     

山西交城断裂带西张探槽全新世古地震研究

西张探槽①位于山西太原市西北10km,沿交城断裂带北段NNW方向高4.6m的低陡坎前缘开挖。探槽长108m,宽8m,深10m,揭露18层地层。探槽上部地层为亚砂土,探槽内断层下降盘的上部地层为一套砾石层,下部地层为一套褐色垆土与亚砂土互层,断层的上升盘地层以亚砂土为主夹砾石层。探槽揭露出3条断面,断面的上断点距地表1.5m,断错的最新地层距今(3.74±0.06)ka。探槽揭示出断面、地层断错、崩积楔、地层倾斜等现象。由探槽揭露出的地层与断层的关系可知早全新世以来交城断裂带曾发生3次断层活动事件,其时间分别为距今(3.74±0.06)～(3.06±0.26)ka、(8.35±0.09)～(3.74±0.06)ka与(10.66±0.85)～(8.35±0.09)ka,具有2.6～3.6ka的强震重复间隔;3次同事件最小垂直位移分别为3.0m、2.5m及3.2m。西张探槽的意义在于揭示了历史上未有强震记载的晋中盆地几千年前有过多次强震活动。西张探槽获得的交城断裂带全新世古地震活动的依据,对评价太原市未来的强震危险性具有重要意义     

大柳树坝址区平硐断层的最新活动时代研究

通过重新采集大柳树坝址区主要平硐断层的断层物质,采用ESR测年方法,经过严格的实验室测试程序,给出了这些断层物质年代测试结果,得出这些断层晚更新世以来没有活动,均不属活动断层。     

Research achievements of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on 60 years of aeromagnetic surveys

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (also referred to as the Plateau) has long received much attention from the community of geoscience due to its unique geographical location and rich mineral resources. This paper reviews the aeromagnetic surveys in the Plateau in the past 60 years and summarizes relevant research achievements, which mainly include the followings. (1) The boundaries between the Plateau and its surrounding regions have been clarified. In detail, its western boundary is restricted by West Kunlun-Altyn Tagh arc-shaped magnetic anomaly zone forming due to the arc-shaped connection of the Altyn Tagh and Kangxiwa faults and its eastern boundary consists of the boundaries among different magnetic fields along the Longnan (Wudu)-Kangding Fault. Meanwhile, the fault on the northern margin of the Northern Qilian Mountains serves as its northern boundary. (2) The Plateau is mainly composed of four orogens that were stitched together, namely East Kunlun-Qilian, Hoh-Xil-Songpan, Chamdo-Southwestern Sanjiang (Nujiang, Lancang, and Jinsha rivers in southeastern China), and Gangdese-Himalaya orogens. (3) The basement of the Plateau is dominated by weakly magnetic Proterozoic metamorphic rocks and lacks strongly magnetic Archean crystalline basement of stable continents such as the Tarim and Sichuan blocks. Therefore, it exhibits the characteristics of unstable orogenic basement. (4) The Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone forming due to continent-continent collisions since the Cenozoic shows double aeromagnetic anomaly zones. Therefore, it can be inferred that the Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone formed from the Indian Plate subducting towards and colliding with the Eurasian Plate twice. (5) A huge negative aeromagnetic anomaly in nearly SN trending has been discovered in the middle part of the Plateau, indicating a giant deep thermal-tectonic zone. (6) A dual-layer magnetic structure has been revealed in the Plateau. It consists of shallow magnetic anomaly zones in nearly EW and NW trending and deep magnetic anomaly zones in nearly SN trending. They overlap vertically and cross horizontally, showing the flyover-type geological structure of the Plateau. (7) A group of NW-trending faults occur in eastern Tibet, which is intersected rather than connected by the nearly EW trending that develop in middle-west Tibet. (8) As for the central uplift zone that occurs through the Qiangtang Basin, its metamorphic basement tends to gradually descend from west to east, showing the form of steps. The Qiangtang Basin is divided into the northern and southern part by the central uplift zone in it. The basement in the Qiangtang Basin is deep in the north and west and shallow in the south and west. The basement in the northern Qiangtang Basin is deep and relatively stable and thus is more favorable for the generation and preservation of oil and gas. Up to now, 19 favorable tectonic regions of oil and gas have been determined in the Qiangtang Basin. (9) A total of 21 prospecting areas of mineral resources have been delineated and thousands of ore-bearing (or mineralization) anomalies have been discovered. Additionally, the formation and uplift mechanism of the Plateau are briefly discussed in this paper.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.