Rift structure, evolution, and earthquakes in the Gulf of Corinth, from reflection seismic images

Continental extension is forming the Gulf of Corinth across the strike of earlier Alpine evolution. Here, we present the first deep reflection sections with pre-stack depth-migration processing across the deep basin of the Corinth active rift, which image structures unpredicted by current models. Resolving the infill as a pile of layers that are broken by faults allows one to follow their subsidence and deformation history. Variation among the profiles suggests that southern normal faults control the rift in a time progression from the east towards its western tip. On the central, Derveni-Itea transect, a 3-km widening of the basin accrued since the initiation of this control that is marked by an unconformity between the two main sedimentary units. This is estimated to have occurred 0.5-0.6 Myr ago, assuming the glacio-eustatic sea-level changes have controlled the stratigraphy of sediments deposited as a succession of layers on the subsiding hangingwall, as they did on the southern footwall in forming the famous flight of marine terraces of Corinth. A roll-over anticline and crestal collapse graben are diagnostic of the control by a normal fault of dip varying with depth. The deeper low-angle part of this bi-planar fault is indeed imaged as a reflector in the basement. The occurrence of the collapse with a breakaway at the steep southern basin-bounding fault of the hangingwall slab can be estimated 0.12-0.2 Myr ago, with a marked increase in extension rate that brought it to its present fastest value over 10 mm/yr. The low-angle part of the active fault might also have controlled earlier evolution upslope and in the basin. When compared with inferences from earthquake studies, this low-angle active fault may not appear to be seismogenic but may participate to the seismic cycle, possibly in a conditionally stable regime. Active faults seen as sea-bottom scarps merely accommodate deformation of its subsiding hangingwall. The footwall of the low-angle faults, which current seismicity shows to be in extension, appears then as being pulled out from beneath the rift, in a motion towards the rolling-back slab that causes the Hellenic subduction retreat.     

Architecture of the evaporite accumulation and salt structures dynamics in Tiddlybanken Basin,southeastern Norwegian Barents Sea

An extensive, reprocessed two‐dimensional (2D) seismic data set was utilized together with available well data to study the Tiddlybanken Basin in the southeastern Norwegian Barents Sea, which is revealed to be an excellent example of base salt rift structures, evaporite accumulations and evolution of salt structures. Late Devonian–early Carboniferous NE‐SW regional extensional stress affected the study area and gave rise to three half‐grabens that are separated by a NW‐SE to NNW‐SSE trending horst and an affiliated interference transfer zone. The arcuate nature of the horst is believed to be the effect of pre‐existing Timanian basement grain, whereas the interference zone formed due to the combined effect of a Timanian (basement) lineament and the geometrical arrangement of the opposing master faults. The interference transfer zone acted as a physical barrier, controlling the facies distribution and sedimentary thickness of three‐layered evaporitic sequences (LES). During the late Triassic, the northwestern part of a salt wall was developed due to passive diapirism and its evolution was influenced by halite lithology between the three‐LES. The central and southeastern parts of the salt wall did not progress beyond the pedestal stage due to lack of halite in the deepest evaporitic sequence. During the Triassic–Jurassic transition, far‐field stresses from the Novaya Zemlya fold‐and‐thrust belt reactivated the pre‐salt Carboniferous rift structures. The reactivation led to the development of the Signalhorn Dome, rejuvenated the northwestern part of the salt wall and affected the sedimentation rates in the southeastern broad basin. The salt wall together with the Signalhorn Dome and the Carboniferous pre‐salt structures were again reactivated during post‐Early Cretaceous, in response to regional compressional stresses. During this main tectonic inversion phase, the northwestern and southeastern parts of the salt wall were rejuvenated; however, salt reactivation was minimized towards the interference transfer zone beneath the centre of the salt wall.     

酒泉早白垩世盆地群构造特征和成因

本文对酒泉盆地群充填物、早白垩世火山岩、早白垩世原型盆地构造样式和新生代反转构造的特征进行了分析,旨在查明酒泉原型盆地群的成因。初步认为,酒泉盆地群是早白垩世陆内热事件的表部响应,为近南北向或北东向裂谷盆地。在新生代,由于印度板块的挤压作用,北祁连山前展式北向推覆作用可能使早白垩世酒泉盆地群的南部地区转换为山脉,现今的盆地边界被掩覆在北祁连山之下;同时,印度板块的挤压作用还造成控制酒泉盆地群内部次级构造单元沉积体系的近南北向和北东向正断层转换为逆冲断层,盆地发生反转。     

吕梁地区古元古代的裂陷型火山作用及其地质意义

吕梁山中部的古元古代吕梁群（2300Ma)和野鸡山群（2100Ma)均由下部的碎屑建造和上部的火山建造组成。在火山建造中以基性火山岩为主，酸性火山岩较少。该区的玄武岩中MgO和P2O5含量低，而Feo^*,K2O Na2O和LREE含量高，类似于大陆溢流玄武岩。酸性火山岩则以LIL和ΣREE富集和高（La/Yb)N比值为特点。沉积环境和火山岩的地球化学特征表明，吕梁群和野鸡山群火山岩形成于陆内或大陆边缘裂谷环境。正的εNd(tDM)值（＋3.0左右）说明玄武岩的母岩浆来源于亏损地幔，而近于零的εNd(tFM)值则表明原始岩浆曾受到大陆地壳物质的混染。古元古代裂谷型火山作用的出现意味着在此之前（太古宙末）华北地区已形成了具有相当规模的大陆地壳。     

博格达裂谷闭合和区域隆起的同位素年代学证据及地质意义

博格达造山带位于准噶尔和吐鲁番-哈密两个前寒武纪地块之间，是晚古生代的大陆裂谷。经研究，博格达大石头-色皮口地区的流纹岩Rb-Sr同位素年龄为307.1±1.3 Ma，表明博格达地区火山活动由早石炭世持续到晚石炭世。该年龄可视为博格达裂谷闭合和区域隆什之后造山阶段产物的形成年龄。该区流纹岩其源区物质主要来自于亏损地幔或是由玄武岩浆演化经分离结晶作用形成的流纹岩这一特征是十分罕见的。     

康滇地轴中段西缘二叠纪火山岩岩石地球化学特征

沿扬子地台西缘与松潘甘孜造山带东缘结合部中段两侧分布的二叠纪火山岩,分别代表攀西裂谷时期海相和陆相环境中的火山喷发产物。西部为海相高钾钙碱性—碱性拉斑玄武岩系列,东部为陆相低钾钙碱性拉斑玄武岩系列;两者的来源深度不一,前者较后者相对较深。     

Baseline assessment of benthic macroinvertebrate community structure and ecological water quality in Rwenzori rivers (Albertine rift valley,Uganda) using biotic-index tools

The Rwenzori Mountains and Albertine Rift region of southwestern Uganda are part of a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot, but are currently facing pressures from intensified agriculture, mineral exploitation and hydroelectric power generation. This study was undertaken to assess the ecological water quality of Rwenzori rivers using biomonitoring metrics to determine the major factors shaping macroinvertebrate community structure in disturbed and undisturbed sites. We sampled macroinvertebrates at 66 sites along headwater tributaries and downstream areas of the Nyamwamba, Mubuku and Nyamugasani rivers, supplemented by five sites along the Kazinga channel and Lake George wetland, and identified a total of 32,579 macroinvertebrates to family level. Insecta was the most diverse taxon (45 families). Based on Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) scores, sites were classified into four ecological water quality groups as excellent (40 sites), good (16), fair (7) and poor (8). Upstream sites had the highest abundance of pollution-sensitive families such as Caenidae and Hydropsychidae, while downstream sites had high numbers of Chironomidae. Lorenz curves revealed a low degree of evenness with Gini coefficient values ranging from 0.75 to 0.94. Ordination analysis revealed that total phosphorus, specific conductivity, chloride and chemical oxygen demand were key environmental variables contributing to variation among the sites. The majority of sites did show little to no anthropogenic influence with the exception of downstream sites. The results of this study provide useful baseline reference data, to assess and better manage the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the ecological integrity of the region’s aquatic systems. Furthermore, these datasets will advance the development of a regional family-level biotic index.     

羌塘地块中部南北向断裂的构造特征及其动力学意义

青藏高原内部除大规模的东西向走滑断裂以外,另一个显著的地质特征就是在藏南及高原腹地广泛发育东西向的伸展构造,形成走向近南北的断裂构造,如亚东一谷露裂谷带及双湖断裂.伸展构造已经成为青藏高原地质研究的一个焦点问题.在羌塘地块89°E附近存在明显的低重力、负磁、深度达300 km的低速异常及连通壳幔的高导异常,且地表伴生大规模的新生代火山岩,这些特殊的地质及地球物理场特征的发生位置与地表双湖断裂的位置基本对应.本文通过卫星重力数据的多尺度小波分析结果发现,双湖断裂之下,存在一明显由上地壳一直向下延伸至地幔深部的低重力异常,说明双湖断裂向下延伸深度大,且上下连通性好.结合已有的地质和地球物理资料,认为由于双湖断裂的存在,使得深部幔源岩浆沿断裂构造薄弱带上涌,从而导致羌塘地块之下壳幔温度的升高及大规模部分熔融的发生.     

和静备战铁矿床地质特征及控矿因素分析

新疆和静县备战铁矿位于巩乃斯石炭纪裂谷带东端楔形尖灭部位,矿体受下石炭统大哈拉军山组灰岩与华力西中期石英二长斑岩体接触带的控制.矿区内存在一个从基性→酸性,从橄榄玄武岩→玄武岩→安山岩→英安岩→霏细岩(流纹岩)演化的火山熔岩系列,同时发育大量火山碎屑岩及火山碎屑沉积岩,构成大哈拉军山组主体地层,为备战铁矿成矿的最有利层位.矿区南北两侧均为近EW向断裂构造,具压扭性质,是一个长期活动的构造薄弱带,有利于火山活动及岩浆岩侵入.从矿床地质特征出发,概括了该矿床的基本控矿因素,为下一步该类型铁矿床找矿提供依据.     

Distribution Features of the Nanhua‐Sinian Rifts and their Significance to Hydrocarbon Accumulation in the Tarim Basin

On the basis of reprocessing 34 new two-dimensional spliced long sections(20,191 km) in the Tarim Basin, the deep structure features of the Tarim Basin were analyzed through interpreting 30,451 km of two-dimensional seismic data and compiling basic maps. Seismic interpretation and geological analysis conclude that the Nanhua-Sinian strata are a set of rift-depression depositional systems according to their tectonic and depositional features. The rift valley formed in the Nanhua Period, and the transformation became weaker during the late Sinian Period, which eventually turned into depression. From bottom to top, the deposited strata include mafic igneous, tillite, mudstone, and dolomite. Three major depocenters developed inside this basin during the rift stage and are distributed in the eastern Tarim Basin, the Awati area, and the southwestern Tarim Basin. Among them, the rift in the eastern Tarim Basin strikes in the near east-west direction on the plane and coincides with the aeromagnetic anomaly belt. This represents a strong magnetic zone formed by upwelling basic volcanic rock along high, steep normal faults of the Nanhua Period. Controlled by the tectonic background, two types of sedimentary systems were developed in the rift stage and depression stage, showing two types of sequence features in the Sinian depositional stage. The Nanhua System appears as a wedge-shaped formation, with its bottom in unconformable contact with the base. The rifting event has a strong influence on the current tectonic units in the Tarim Basin, and affects the distribution of source rock in the Yuertus Formation and reservoir beds in the Xiaoerbulake Formation in Lower Cambrian, as well as the gypseous cap rock in Middle Cambrian. The distribution features of the rifts have important and realistic significance for determining the direction of oil and gas exploration in the deep strata of the Tarim Basin. Comprehensive analysis suggests that the Tazhong region is the most favorable zone, and the Kalpin-Bachu region is the optimal potential zone for exploring sub-salt oil and gas in deep Cambrian strata.