Deformation patterns of upper Quaternary strata and their relation to active tectonics,Po Basin,Italy

Despite increased application of subsurface datasets below the limits of seismic resolution, reconstructing near‐surface deformation of shallow key stratigraphic markers beneath modern alluvial and coastal plains through sediment core analysis has received little attention. Highly resolved stratigraphy of Upper Pleistocene to Holocene (Marine Isotope Stage 5e to Marine Isotope Stage 1) alluvial, deltaic and coastal depositional systems across the southern Po Plain, down to 150 m depth, provides an unambiguous documentation on the deformation of previously flat‐lying strata that goes back in time beyond the limits of morphological, historical and palaeoseismic records. Five prominent key horizons, accurately selected on the basis of their sedimentological characteristics and typified for their fossil content, were used as highly effective stratigraphic markers (M1 to M5) that can be tracked for tens of kilometres across the basin. A facies‐controlled approach tied to a robust chronology (102 radiocarbon dates) reveals considerable deformation of laterally extensive nearshore (M1), continental (M2 and M3) and lagoon (M4 and M5) marker beds originally deposited in a horizontal position (M1, M4 and M5). The areas where antiformal geometries are best observed are remarkably coincident with the axes of buried ramp anticlines, across which new seismic images reveal substantially warped stratal geometries of Lower Pleistocene strata. The striking spatial coincidence of fold crests with the epicentres of historic and instrumental seismicity suggests that deformation of marker beds M1 to M5 might reflect, in part at least, syntectonically generated relief and, thus, active tectonism. Precise identification and lateral tracing of chronologically constrained stratigraphic markers in the ¹⁴C time window through combined sedimentological and palaeoecological data may delineate late Quaternary subsurface stratigraphic architecture at an unprecedented level of detail, outlining cryptic stratal geometries at the sub‐seismic scale. This approach is highly reproducible in tectonically active Quaternary depositional systems and can help to assess patterns of active deformation in the subsurface of modern alluvial and coastal plains worldwide.     

Seesaw Pattern of Rainfall Anomalies between the Tropical Western North Pacific and Central Southern China during Late Summer

It is well known that suppressed convection in the tropical western North Pacific(WNP) induces an anticyclonic anomaly,and this anticyclonic anomaly results in more rainfall along the East Asian rain band through more water vapor transport during summer, as well as early and middle summer. However, the present results indicate that during late summer(from mid-August to the beginning of September), the anomalous anticyclone leads to more rainfall over central southern China(CSC), a region quite different from preceding periods. The uniqueness of late summer is found to be related to the dramatic change in climatological monsoon flows: southerlies over southern China during early and middle summer but easterlies during late summer. Therefore, the anomalous anticyclone, which shows a southerly anomaly over southern China, enhances monsoonal southerlies and induces more rainfall along the rain band during early and middle summer. During late summer,however, the anomalous anticyclone reflects a complicated change in monsoon flows: it changes the path, rather than the intensity, of monsoon flows. Specifically, during late summers of suppressed convection in the tropical WNP, southerlies dominate from the South China Sea to southern China, and during late summers of enhanced convection, northeasterlies dominate from the East China Sea to southern China, causing more and less rainfall in CSC, respectively.     

西南天山柯坪塔格前缘断裂带东段晚第四纪活动特征

柯坪塔格前缘断裂东段是柯坪推覆构造系前缘的一条活动断裂,野外调查获得了其晚第四纪错断洪积扇、冲沟阶地面的证据,实测了变形地貌面上的断层陡坎,分析了断层的形变量,通过采样测年估算了断层的缩短速率。由7个观测点的断层陡坎剖面测量,计算了观测点处断层的水平缩短速率,结果表明,断裂弧顶部位的五道班、三间房以西及其大山口道班附近,断层错断了Ⅰ级和Ⅱ级洪积扇(阶地)。断层在这些地点最新活动强烈,水平缩短平均速率全新世以来为0·35~0·44mm/a,更新世晚期末以来为0·16~0·30mm/a,而在非弧顶部位的巴楚磷矿、三岔口以北及大山口北断层只错断了更新世晚期Ⅲ级洪积扇,且水平缩短速率较小,断层水平缩短平均速率更新世晚期以来为0·05~0·07mm/a     

青藏高原东北缘共和盆地第四纪磁性地层学研究

共和盆地第四纪剖面磁性地层学研究表明,该剖面包含了四个正极性段,三个负极性段,剖面底部地层年龄约为2.11Ma B.P.。结合剖面的沉积特征和已有的孢粉组合特征分析,可以确定该剖面记录了共和盆地2.11Ma B.P.以来的气候变化,且气候发生转型的主要时期依次为1.92 Ma B.P、1.75Ma B.P.、1.40Ma B.P.、1.02 Ma B.P.和0.87Ma B.P.。其主要原因可能是青藏高原强烈隆升远程效应的结果。共和盆地气候变化时间序列的建立为研究青藏高原隆升及环境效应提供有力证据。      

广州城区晚全新世环境变迁与人类活动

对广州市越秀区解放中路考古遗址剖面进行了年代学、岩性、硅藻和软体动物鉴定等研究,发现广州珠江北岸古城区南部在先秦时期为河道及河口湾湿地/洼地;因河流-河涌的淡水注入使河口盐度降低,故而沉积物中未见较高盐度的微体生物,仅发现了河口型咸水-半咸水硅藻;此时堆积的贝壳大多为淡水种,半咸水种少见,表明先秦(东周)时期,广州地区...     

白令海DSDP188站氧同位素3期以来的古海洋与古气候记录

白令海南部DSDP188站沉积物生源组分分析显示,该地区表层生产力在MIS3早、晚期(3.3和3.1)以及MIS2期增加,而其他时期表层生产力相应降低,并且表层生产力的变化没有显示明显的冰期与间冰期旋回。沉积物的C/N比值反映了有机碳的混合来源,说明该地区表层生产力可能受陆源营养物质输入的影响。该站位沉积物的非生源组分分析显示,MIS3早、晚期陆源物质输入量增加,反映洋流加强和气候变化。MIS2出现两次陆源物质输入量的增加,显示了洋流和气候的波动。MIS3和末次冰消期碳屑丰度增加,但MIS2降低,指示MIS3和MIS1陆地天然火灾概率大,而MIS2天然火灾概率低,反映间冰期比冰期更容易发生天然火灾。     

南海西南部晚更新世以来元素地球化学特征的古环境意义

对南海西南部近湄公河三角洲中陆坡上的MD01-2392站样品进行的地球化学分析表明,该站的沉积物主要为湄公河带来的陆源碎屑,并且其物源四十万年来没有发生明显变化。分别用元素TiO2、CaO估算出沉积物中陆源碎屑的含量及CaCO3的含量,结果显示CaCO3在间冰期时高,而在冰期时低,表现出“大西洋旋回”的特征。陆源碎屑含量与CaCO3含量相反,显示出南海CaCO3旋回属于稀释旋回。元素的Ti标准化值表明,该站沉积物源区在冰期时化学风化弱,而在间冰期时相对较强,说明间冰期时物源区存在相对温暖湿润的气候环境。     

中晚全新世以来闽江口水下三角洲物质来源及古环境演变

通过对闽江口南侧柱状样沉积物开展高分辨率的粒度、粘土矿物分析及AMS¹⁴C测年,揭示了中晚全新世以来闽江口水下三角洲物质来源及古环境演变。中全新世(7 ka BP—4 ka BP)高海平面时期,梅花水道可能是闽江口南侧陆源物质输运的主要通道,沉积了以砂为主[(58.6±8.7)%]的沉积物,平均粒径为(3.76±0.49)φ,为较高能的沉积环境。期间,增强的浙闽沿岸流携带更多的长江物质沉积到闽江口,导致沉积物中蒙脱石含量增多。然而,到晚全新世(3 ka BP)海平面略有下降,梅花水道衰退,闽江口南侧的水动力条件减弱,形成以粉砂为主[(58.1±4.4)%]的沉积物,平均粒径为(6.30±0.32)φ。晚全新世浙闽沿岸流有所减弱,闽江口沉积物中的蒙脱石含量明显减少,而来自闽江的高岭石含量增加。     

Tectonostratigraphic framework and depositional history of the deepwater Ulleung Basin,East Sea/Sea of Japan

The Ulleung Basin, East Sea/Japan Sea, is a Neogene back-arc basin and occupies a tectonically crucial zone under the influence of relative motions between Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates. However, the link between tectonics and sedimentation remains poorly understood in the back-arc Ulleung Basin, as it does in many other back-arc basins as well, because of a paucity of seismic data and controversy over the tectonic history of the basin. This paper presents an integrated tectonostratigraphic and sedimentary evolution in the deepwater Ulleung Basin using 2D multichannel seismic reflection data. The sedimentary succession within the deepwater Ulleung Basin is divided into four second-order seismic megasequences (MS1 to MS4). Detailed seismic stratigraphy interpretation of the four megasequences suggests the depositional history of the deepwater Ulleung Basin occurred in four stages, controlled by tectonic movement, volcanism, and sea-level fluctuations. In Stage 1 (late Oligocene through early Miocene), syn-rift sediment supplied to the basin was restricted to the southern base-of-slope, whereas the northern distal part of the basin was dominated by volcanic sills and lava flows derived from initial rifting-related volcanism. In Stage 2 (late early Miocene through middle Miocene), volcanic extrusion occurred through post-rift, chain volcanism in the earliest time, followed by hemipelagic and turbidite sedimentation in a quiescent open marine setting. In Stage 3 (late middle Miocene through late Miocene), compressional activity was predominant throughout the Ulleung Basin, resulting in regional uplift and sub-aerial erosion/denudation of the southern shelf of the basin, which provided enormous volumes of sediment into the basin through mass transport processes. In Stage 4 (early Pliocene through present), although the degree of tectonic stress decreased significantly, mass movement was still generated by sea-level fluctuations as well as compressional tectonic movement, resulting in stacked mass transport deposits along the southern basin margin. We propose a new depositional history model for the deepwater Ulleung Basin and provide a window into understanding how tectonic, volcanic and eustatic interactions control sedimentation in back-arc basins.