Small sized charophyte gyrogonites in the Maastrichtian of Coll de Nargó, Eastern Pyrenees: An adaptation to temporary floodplain ponds

Charophytes bearing small sized fructifications dominated in fluviatile floodplain facies (red beds) from the Maastrichtian of Coll de Nargó and neighbouring basins in the southern Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain). These charophytes mainly belong to the genus Microchara and are often disregarded in biostratigraphic studies, which focus their attention instead on facies from permanent lakes that are richer in species which usually bear fructifications with a larger size range. However, small sized gyrogonites are also significant for biostratigraphic purposes and even include some of the index species for Maastrichtian biozones in Europe. Indeed, the charophyte assemblages from the Maastrichtian of Coll de Nargó belong to the Microchara punctata biozone, recently calibrated to the middle-upper Maastrichtian.Floodplain ponds from the Maastrichtian red beds of Coll de Nargó (Lower Red Unit) were extremely shallow, received considerable terrigenous influx and were frequently exposed, probably resulting in turbid, warm waters with high light availability. These conditions could explain the almost exclusive occurrence of charophytes with small fructifications in the Lower Red Unit. The available data, mainly based on oospores from extant species, indicate that the small size observed in gyrogonites from temporary ponds may represent an adaptation to environmental stress. Fossil species with small gyrogonites of Microchara cristata, M. punctata and Microchara nana would thus develop massively in stressed shallow ponds on fluvial floodplains. To contrast these hypotheses, we compared our results to those of four well-known case studies with similar sedimentological contexts, ranging from the Lower Cretaceous to the upper Eocene–lower Oligocene. Gyrogonite size patterns were similar in all cases, possibly suggesting that characeans display a long history of adaptation to shallow, temporary and turbid floodplain ponds by means of producing a high number of small gyrogonites, probably representing short life cycles and opportunistic strategies.     

Geological development of Heard Island,Central Kerguelen Plateau

We report ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar laser step-heating age determinations on 15 stratigraphically controlled lava flows and intrusive rocks from Heard Island, Central Kerguelen Plateau (Indian Ocean). The island history began with uplift of pelagic limestone intruded by 22 Ma gabbro sills. Subaerial and wave erosion levelled the early island, producing an unconformity onto which pillow lavas, tuffaceous sediments and shallow-water, fossiliferous marine siltstone (Drygalski Formation) were deposited, beginning in late Miocene time. Two volcanic systems then formed in the late Quaternary. Big Ben dominates the larger southeast part of the island, while Mount Dixon occupies the northwest Laurens Peninsula. Feeder dykes and the early lava flows in both systems are 400–200 ka. Lava flows with evolved compositions (trachytes, trachyandesites) erupted 100–20 ka. Well-preserved parasitic cones exposed at low elevations are 15–10 ka and younger. Mawson Peak, near the summit of Big Ben, has erupted lava flows as recently as 2007. Heard Island, and nearby active McDonald Island, are subaerial features of a larger Neogene volcanic region of Central Kerguelen Plateau that includes several large sea knolls and recently identified submarine fields of small cones. This broadly distributed volcanic activity is linked to incubation of plume material at the base of the nearly stationary overlying Central Kerguelen Plateau.     

中亚低涡背景下南疆西部两次强冰雹环境场对比分析

利用常规资料、14:00加密探空、NCEP1°×1°再分析资料,对比分析2013年6月18日和2014年6月23日南疆西部两次强冰雹环境场及物理机制,表明两次冰雹环境场有相同之处:在环流经向度较大的中亚低涡背景下,前期有明显降水,傍晚前后由中亚低涡后部西北气流下产生,高空干冷平流、低层暖湿环境、较大的垂直温度递减率及低层辐合线或切变线为冰雹天气提供了强不稳定层结和动力触发条件,为冷平流强迫类型。但两次冰雹中亚低涡位置、强度、物理机制变化等有所不同:"6·18"中亚低涡压至南疆西部,低涡强,西北风大,而"6·23"中亚低涡在巴尔喀什湖附近,位置偏北,低涡较弱,西北风较小;"6·18"偏西北气流、风(垂直)切变、强回波伸展高度、层结不稳定、水汽及动力等变化均较"6·23"明显偏强;"6·18"的0℃层和-20℃层的高度均比"6·23"的低300~400 m;"6·18"低层南疆盆地偏东风日变化明显,即傍晚到夜间增强,山前东西风辐合促使上升运动发展,并有明显的中尺度垂直环流圈,而"6·23"低层为西北风风速辐合及与偏东风的切变。     

Geochemical fractionation of Ni,Cu and Pb in the deep sea sediments from the Central Indian Ocean Basin: An insight into the mechanism of metal enrichment in sediment

Metal speciation study in combination with major element chemistry of deep sea sediments provided possible metal enrichment pathways in sediments collected from environmentally different locations of Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIB). Metal speciation study suggests that Fe–Mn oxyhydroxide phase was the major binding phase for Ni, Cu and Pb in the sediments. The second highest concentrations of all these metals were present within the structure of the sediments. Easily reducible oxide phase (within the Fe–Mn oxyhydroxide binding phases) was the major host for all the three metals in the studied sediments. Major element chemistry of these sediments revealed that there was an increased tendency of Cu and Ni to get incorporated into the deep sea sediment via the non-terrigenous Mn-oxyhydroxide fraction, whereas, Pb gets incorporated mostly via amorphous Fe-hydroxides into the sediment from the CIB. This is the first attempt to provide an insight into the mechanism of metal enrichment in sediment that host vast manganese nodule.     

Delineation and assessment of Central Indian Suture through lineament extraction approach using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System

Lineament extraction approach allowed mapping of larger number of lineaments in a classical manner in tectonic and structural studies. In the present study, various techniques were adopted to extract lineaments using Landsat ETM+ images. To remove the biasness of the images, some pre-processing techniques like stream ordering, band differencing, colour texturing were employed to enhance the edges of the structural features. Extracted lineaments and its distribution and orientation were mapped using ArcGIS Spatial analyst tool. Results of the study showed maximum number of lineaments were oriented in the ENE–SWS direction with 63° overall inclination. Accuracy assessment and validation were made with respect to visual interpretation and overlaying the lineament on Digital Topographic Model as well as with respect to an existing geological lineament map of the study site. The result of accuracy assessment indicates higher compatibility of Central Indian Suture with the geological map of the study area.     

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.     

月球东海盆地综合解析与撞击初始条件的研究

东海是月球上最年轻的多环撞击盆地,关于其形成机制的研究很多,但成果大都基于正撞击的机制提出的,虽然有部分学者提出东海是斜撞击的,但缺乏具体撞击参数。本文通过多源数据融合,综合分析LRO影像数据、LOLA地形数据、M~3高光谱数据和IIM高光谱数据,对东海地区的地貌特征、物质成分进行了较为系统的解译,发现在东海中央熔融区存在一条与东海撞击方向垂直的中央隆起区域(中央隆起线),其也是中央熔融区粗糙部分与光滑部分的分界线,结合撞击坑成坑理论,认为其可能是撞击过程冲击波作用引起的堆叠作用形成的。同时利用GRAIL数据及对该地区的重力异常的成因进行了分析,认为异常是由于压强、温度及岩石粘度的改变引起局部莫霍面抬升和中央熔融物的形成而出现的,进而估算出熔融物占盆地内物质的25%,约为1.1×10~6km~3。同时,对GRAIL数据的剖面分析结果也支持了本文的斜撞击理论。最后,综合多方面的信息和撞击理论获取东海盆地构造分布图,并根据中央隆起线、溅射物及线性构造的分布特征等,提出东海盆地理论上是由一直径在50~100km的撞击体以10~30km/s的速度自东偏北约20°~30°方向以20°~30°的角度斜撞击月表而形成的。这可为研究更早期的月球撞击坑提供理论参考。     

西准噶尔玛依勒地区枕状玄武岩年代学、地球化学及岩石成因

通过对造山带内洋岛玄武岩的时代及地球化学性质研究,不仅可以进行古海山/大洋高原的识别,而且还可以进行古洋盆演化及古构造格局恢复。笔者等最新在西准噶尔玛依勒山北侧识别出一套枕状玄武岩,其与火山碎屑岩、硅质岩共生。枕状玄武岩斜长石微晶普遍发育中空骸晶结构,是在水下熔岩急剧萃冷条件下迅速结晶的产物。通过LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年,获得枕状玄武岩206Pb/238U加权平均年龄为437.2±2.2Ma,该年龄的获得填补了志留纪碱性玄武岩的空白。岩石地球化学分析结果显示,玛依勒枕状玄武岩为碱性玄武岩系列,岩石具有中等Si O2(44.89%~47.81%),高Ti O2(3.28%~4.12%)及P2O5(0.50%~0.70%),低Mg O(3.49%~6.79%),轻、重稀土元素分异较为明显((La/Yb)N=5.5~7.3),无明显Eu异常(Eu/Eu*=0.96~1.06),相对富集Rb、Th、U,亏损Ba、K、Sr,没有明显Nb、Ta负异常,这些地球化学特征与洋岛玄武岩(OIB)极其相似。微量元素含量及反映源区性质的比值表明,枕状玄武岩来源于富集地幔源区,主要组成为尖晶石和石榴石二辉橄榄岩,并发生了5%±的部分熔融,其形成于大洋板内与地幔柱有关的海山/大洋岛屿环境。结合前人研究,认为西准噶尔乃至古亚洲洋在中古生代洋内俯冲的同时,大洋板内可能存在地幔柱活动。     

西准噶尔成矿带晚古生代花岗岩类岩浆活动及其构造意义

中亚造山带是晚古生代地壳显著生长与大规模成矿的重要地区。本文采集了中亚造山带西部的西准噶尔成矿带哈图-别鲁阿嘎希及其附近地区11个岩体共33件花岗岩类样品,对其开展了岩石地球化学与同位素示踪等研究,厘定了该地区晚古生代岩浆活动的特点与大地构造环境,并与哈萨克斯坦境内的巴尔喀什成矿带晚古生代岩浆活动进行了对比。研究表明,哈图地区晚石炭世花岗岩类主要为后碰撞伸展构造环境的A型花岗岩类,别鲁阿嘎希等地区存在洋内俯冲与岛弧环境的埃达克岩,显示了西准噶尔晚古生代构造环境时空变化的复杂性。该地区花岗岩类εNd(t)值较高(+4.62~+7.53)、εSr(t)值为(-57.61~+18.21),具有中亚造山带花岗岩类的共同特征,为古生代增生的新生陆壳,其源区与亏损地幔组分具有亲缘关系,这与巴尔喀什成矿带东段的花岗岩类具有一致性。花岗岩的~(206)Pb/~(204)Pb、~(207)Pb/~(204)Pb和~(208)Pb/~(204)Pb比值范围分别为18.2776~19.1677、15.5260~15.5796和38.2080~39.0821,为造山带花岗岩类。     

朝鲜半岛古元古代摩天岭群的碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

克拉通内部活动带变质沉积建造蕴藏了早期超大陆形成中地体聚-散动力学过程的重要信息,碎屑锆石年代学则是揭示这种信息的最佳工具之一。针对华北(中-朝)克拉通最具代表性的古元古代活动带(辽-吉-朝活动带)中巨量沉积建造精细表征方面的空白区域,本文开展了朝鲜半岛检德地区摩天岭群的碎屑锆石年代学研究。SIMS U-Pb定年结果显示,北大川组变火山碎屑岩样品的锆石年龄谱记录了约2.53Ga的主要年龄峰值和约2.19Ga的最年轻峰值,说明北大川组开始沉积的时代应该晚于2.2Ga。南大川组变沉积岩样品碎屑锆石记录的最年轻峰值年龄为约2.02Ga,说明南大川组的沉积时代应该不早于2.02Ga;其锆石年龄谱记录了一个主要年龄峰值区域(2.02~2.18Ga)、一个次要年龄峰值(约2.46Ga)和一些2.78~3.30 Ga的古老年龄,指示其物质源区主要为同区古元古代地质体和邻近地体上的太古宙变质基底。区域对比表明,摩天岭群与中国境内辽吉活动带中的辽河群及集安群/老岭群具有基本一致的碎屑锆石年龄谱,说明它们不仅是同一时代的产物,而且分享类似的物质源区。这些时代一致、物源相近的沉积建造可以为甄别古元古代辽-吉-朝活动带的大地构造属性提供重要参考。与沉积年龄相近的碎屑锆石占据主导的碎屑锆石年龄谱反映了汇聚板块边缘各类盆地的典型特征,而相悖于大部分碎屑锆石年龄远大于地层沉积年龄的裂谷型盆地。