Fault geometry and mechanics of marly carbonate multilayers: An integrated field and laboratory study from the Northern Apennines,Italy

Sealing layers are often represented by sedimentary sequences characterized by alternating strong and weak lithologies. When involved in faulting processes, these mechanically heterogeneous multilayers develop complex fault geometries. Here we investigate fault initiation and evolution within a mechanical multilayer by integrating field observations and rock deformation experiments. Faults initiate with a staircase trajectory that partially reflects the mechanical properties of the involved lithologies, as suggested by our deformation experiments. However, some faults initiating at low angles in calcite-rich layers (θ_i = 5°–20°) and at high angles in clay-rich layers (θ_i = 45°–86°) indicate the important role of structural inheritance at the onset of faulting. With increasing displacement, faults develop well-organized fault cores characterized by a marly, foliated matrix embedding fragments of limestone. The angles of fault reactivation, which concentrate between 30° and 60°, are consistent with the low friction coefficient measured during our experiments on marls (μ_s = 0.39), indicating that clay minerals exert a main control on fault mechanics. Moreover, our integrated analysis suggests that fracturing and faulting are the main mechanisms allowing fluid circulation within the low-permeability multilayer, and that its sealing integrity can be compromised only by the activity of larger faults cutting across its entire thickness.     

History of faulting in the Northern Hastings Block,southern New England Orogen

Brittle failure is common in the Devonian to Permian rocks in the Northern Hastings Block (NHB) and is manifested by faults of different orientation and kinematic histories, but the timing of fault movement is not well defined. In this study, faults in the NHB were analysed with the map pattern of cross-cutting faults used to estimate the relative time of movement and relationship to other faults. We defined five episodes of faulting or fault reactivation that affected the NHB. The Yarras Fault System on the southwestern side of the NHB and the Parrabel Fault and related faults on the eastern side of the NHB are the two major fault systems responsible for transporting and rotating the NHB in the late Carboniferous. Faults on the eastern, northeastern and northern part of Parrabel Dome started and stopped moving after emplacement of the Hastings Block and before the intrusion of the Werrikimbe Triassic granitoids. We suggested that the movement on the major bounding faults is related to the accommodation of the NHB to the folding and cleavage development in the adjoining Nambucca Block, and is associated with the earliest part of the Hunter–Bowen Orogeny. Limited dextral movement on the extensions of the Taylors Arm Fault System caused minor displacements in the northeastern part of the NHB during the Late Triassic. Some small faults cut the Triassic granitoids or Triassic Lorne Basin sediments indicating tectonic activity continued post-Triassic.     

阿尔泰-准噶尔北缘铬铁矿- Cu- Au- Pb- Zn- Ni成矿带主要成矿地质特征及潜力分析

阿尔泰-准噶尔北缘铬铁矿-Cu-Ni-Au-Pb-Zn-Ni成矿带是全国重点部署找矿勘查工作的16个重点成矿区带之一,是全球阿尔泰巨型成矿带位于中国境内的一部分。文章根据全国矿产资源潜力评价成果,结合新的成矿理论和找矿进展,对该成矿带的边界进行了新的修定;从大地构造演化历史出发,分析总结了该带区域成矿地质背景和有利成矿地质条件,进一步修订了成矿带的成矿谱系;总结了成矿带内次级成矿单元的成矿特征;对带内矿床的主要成因类型和相应的典型矿床的成矿特征进行了总结;分析了成矿带的资源潜力,并在此基础上,确定了Cr、Mo、Cu、Au、Ni、Pb、Zn、Ag为本带下一步勘查部署的主攻矿种,划分了9个远景区,其中3个为重点远景区,6个为一般远景区。此项工作对本成矿区带内下一步矿产勘查工作部署有着重要指导意义和参考价值。     

黔北务川丰乐铝土矿床地质特征及沉积环境探讨

丰乐铝土矿床位于黔北务正道铝土矿成矿带的南东端,是近年在铝土矿勘查的空白区新探明的中型矿床。勘查发现矿床中含矿岩系顶部拥有不含或偶含炭质岩系的地质特征,与务正道地区其它铝土矿床存在差异性。微量元素Cr/Ni判别显示了含矿岩系的多物源性,V/Zr及Sr/B揭示该区具有海相―陆相或过渡相―海相的沉积特征。结合前人研究成果综合分析认为,该区沉积环境为受海侵影响的近滨海湖泊―沼泽相环境。     

2D and 3D coexisting modes of thermal convection in fractured hydrothermal systems - Implications for transboundary flow in the Lower Yarmouk Gorge

Numerical investigations of 2D and 3D modes of large-scale convection in faulted aquifers are presented with the aim to infer possible transport mechanisms supporting the formation of thermal springs through fractured aquicludes. The transient finite elements models are based on idealized structural features that can characterize many hydrothermal systems. The sensitivity analysis of the fault permeability showed that faults cross-cutting the main regional flow direction allow groundwater to be driven laterally by convective forces within the fault planes. Therein thermal waters can either discharge along the fault traces or exit the fault through adjacent permeable aquifers. In the latter case, the resulting flow is helicoidally and transient. The location and the spacing between discharge areas can migrate with time, is not strictly constrained to the damage zones and reflects the wavelength of the multicellular regime in the fault zone.An illustrative example based on simplified structural data of the Lower Yarmouk Gorge (LYG) is presented. The numerical calculations indicate that crossing flow paths result from the coexistence of fault convection, developing for example along NE-SW oriented faults within the Gorge, and additional flow fields. The latter are induced either by topography NS gradients, e.g. perpendicular to the major axe of the Gorge, or by local thermal convection in permeable aquifers below the Eocene aquiclude. Sensitivity analysis of fault hydraulic conductivity (K) and the analytical solutions based on viscous-dependent Rayleigh theory show that K values between 2.3e⁻⁷ m/s and 9.3e^{– 7} m/s (i.e. 7 m/yr and 30 m/yr, respectively) favor coexisting transport processes. The uprising thermal plumes spread over several hundred meters forming clusters of springs, in agreement with observation, and which temperature fall within the measured ranges, i.e. 20 °C−60 °C. To some extent the models also reproduced the transient behavior of the spring temperature. Owing to the idealized nature of the presented models, the numerical results and the associated analytical solution can be applied to study the onset of thermal convection and resulting flow patterns of any fractured hydrothermal basin.     

New tectonic map of Northern-Central-Eastern Asia:Position and evolution of Mesozoic sedimentary basins

The beginning of the XXI century was marked a new rising of the international tectonic cartography as a result of analysis and synthesis of a huge volume of geological information obtained for the territory of Asia especially during the last 30 years. The previous tectonic maps for Asia were created in the 1960 s--1970 s of the last century. Since that time,the national geological surveys have compiled tectonic maps exclusively in the limits of their own state boundaries. The international cooperation of five countries since 2002( Russia,China,Mongolia,Kazakhstan and Republic of Korea) gave a unique possibility to join the data into a united cartographic form as Atlas of Geological Maps( since 2002-Atlas of Geological Maps of Central Asia and since 2007-Atlas of Geological Maps of Northern-Central-Eastern Asia). Both atlases include four maps: geological,tectonic,metallogenic,and energy resources. Tectonic Map of Northern-Central-Eastern Asia and Adjacent Areas at scale 1 ∶ 2 500 000 was the key map for further compilation of the metallogenic and energy resources( coal,oil and gas) maps. By this reason,special attention was given to showing the structure and composition of the Mesozoic sedimentary basins in Northern-Central- Eastern Asia as the most perspective structures for oil-and-gas and coal prospect.     

Engaging in the boycott,divestment, and sanctions (bds) debate

The goal of this forum is to garner attention to the issues surrounding the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, to help a broad audience better understand the complexity of BDS, and to engage geographers in the BDS debate. Including the editorial introduction, seven different experts on the issues of Palestine/ Israel have written six essays on BDS for this forum. The six essays represent a wide range of opinions while also echoing some similar themes.     

大兴安岭十八站—韩家园地区中酸性侵入岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄、地球化学特征及其地质意义

大兴安岭北部塔河县十八站—呼玛县韩家园地区发育早古生代中酸性侵入岩。文章选取二长闪长岩和二长花岗岩开展岩石年代学与地球化学研究。二长闪长岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄为512.4±3.5 Ma,为早—中寒武世岩浆作用的产物。岩石地球化学分析表明,中酸性侵入岩归属于准铝质—弱过铝质(A/CNK=0.77~1.04)钙碱性—高钾钙碱性系列。岩石稀土总量∑REE=69.51×10~(-6)~275.83×10~(-6),轻重稀土分异明显(La/Yb)_N=9.11~26.64。在稀土元素配分图上,显示为LREE富集、HREE相对平缓的右倾型,Eu异常不显著(δEu=0.90~1.35)。微量元素组成具明显富集大离子亲石元素Ba、Sr,显著亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta、Ti的特征。结合区域资料和本文研究,初步分析认为早古生代侵入体形成于活动大陆边缘或岛弧环境,为前古亚洲洋闭合背景下萨拉伊尔造山作用的产物。     

A comparative analysis of the NDVIg and NDVI3g in monitoring vegetation phenology changes in the Northern Hemisphere

Phenology is a sensitive and critical feature of vegetation and is a good indicator for climate change studies. The global inventory modelling and mapping studies (GIMMS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has been the most widely used data source for monitoring of the vegetation dynamics over large geographical areas in the past two decades. With the release of the third version of the NDVI (GIMMS NDVI3g) recently, it is important to compare the NDVI3g data with those of the previous version (NDVIg) to link existing studies with future applications of the NDVI3g in monitoring vegetation phenology. In this study, the three most popular satellite start of vegetation growing season (SOS) extraction methods were used, and the differences between SOSg and SOS3g arising from the methods were explored. The amplitude and the peak values of the NDVI3g are higher than those of the NDVIg curve, which indicated that the SOS derived from the NDVIg (SOSg) was significantly later than that derived from the NDVI3g (SOS3g) based on all the methods, for the whole northern hemisphere. In addition, SOSg and SOS3g both showed an advancing trend during 1982–2006, but that trend was more significant with SOSg than with SOS3g in the results from all three methods. In summary, the difference between SOSg and SOS3g (in the multi-year mean SOS, SOS change slope and the turning point in the time series) varied among the methods and was partly related to latitude. For the multi-year mean SOS, the difference increased with latitude intervals in the low latitudes (0–30°N) and decreased in the mid- and high-latitude intervals. The GIMMS NDVI3g data-sets seemed more sensitive than the GIMMS NDVIg in detecting information about the ground, and the SOS3g data were better correlated both with the in situ observations and the SOS derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer NDVI. For the northern hemisphere, previous satellite measures (SOS derived from GIMMS NDVIg) may have overestimated the advancing trend of the SOS by an average of 0.032 d yr^–1.     

冈瓦纳大陆边缘罗斯运动的岩浆活动时代:来自北维多利亚地松散沉积物锆石年龄的证据

横穿南极大陆中部的横贯南极山脉是早古生代时期古太平洋向东冈瓦纳活动大陆边缘俯冲形成的罗斯造山带,该阶段的地层沉积、变形变质以及花岗质岩浆侵入代表了罗斯运动的演化过程。由于岩浆活动与沉积地层和变形变质在时代上存在明显差异,罗斯运动的时代仍缺乏精确的限定。通过采集北维多利亚地难言岛地区冰碛物和海岸沉积物中的松散砂砾石样品,并进行碎屑锆石U-Pb测年得出:4件不同粒径的冰碛物和海岸沉积样品中的碎屑锆石年龄峰谱具有单一峰谱的特征,年龄区间为2443~323 Ma,主要集中于530~450 Ma之间,峰值年龄约为485 Ma;锆石Th/U比值均大于0.1,而且以＞0.4为主,其CL图像也具有明显的振荡环带,稀土元素特征主体具有岩浆锆石的特征,反映了样品物源区岩浆活动的时代特征。碎屑锆石年龄组成与周缘地区岩浆活动和陆内变形以及沉积地层时代基本一致,表明北维多利亚地及其周缘地区在罗斯运动晚期陆内变形阶段的岩浆活动应持续至450 Ma,这可能代表了罗斯运动结束的时代,该结果为冈瓦纳大陆边缘罗斯运动的构造演化过程提供了新的约束。