Refining the age of magmatism in the Altos Cuchumatanes,western Guatemala,by LA–ICPMS,and tectonic implications

The Altos Cuchumatanes Range is made up of a core of igneous and metamorphic rocks, surrounded by lower Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary strata. These units constitute the westernmost exposure of basement rocks in Guatemala and represent some of the most important crustal units in the Maya Block. New laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U-Pb zircon geochronology allows better definition of their igneous ages, inheritance and petrologic evolution. The Altos Cuchumatanes magmatism occurred during the Middle Ordovician (461 Ma) and lower Pennsylvanian (312–317 Ma), replicating similar age trends present in southern Mexico (Acatlán Complex) and the Maya Block, from Chiapas to central Guatemala (Rabinal-Salamá area) and Belize (Maya Mountains). The U-Pb inheritance from cores of the studied zircons makes it possible to decipher the pre-magmatic history of the area. During the Late Ordovician to Permo-Carboniferous, the Altos Cuchumatanes and Maya Block were located adjacent to northeastern Mexico, near the Mixteco terrane, where Ordovician megacrystic granites intruded a passive-margin sedimentary sequence. The Ordovician granites present at the southern limit of the Maya Block, in the Altos Cuchumatanes, in central Guatemala and in Belize, are the result of partial crustal melting during the initial opening of the Rheic Ocean, when both Maya and Mixteco terranes would have lain close to NW Gondwana until the closure of that ocean. The crystallization of the early Pennsylvanian granites seems to be the result of an E-dipping subduction zone that accommodated convergence between Laurentia and Gondwana.     

Deciphering the geochronology of a large granitoid pluton (Karkonosze Granite,SW Poland): an assessment of U–Pb zircon SIMS and Rb–Sr whole-rock dates relative to U–Pb zircon CA-ID-TIMS

Granitoid plutons are often difficult to radiometrically date precisely due to the possible effects of protracted and complex magmatic evolution, crustal inheritance, and/or partial re-setting of radiogenic clocks. However, apart from natural/geological issues, methodological and analytical problems may also contribute to blurring geochronological data. This may be exemplified by the Variscan Karkonosze Pluton (SW Poland). High-precision chemical abrasion (CA) ID-TIMS zircon data indicate that the two main rock types, porphyritic and equigranular, of this igneous body were both emplaced at ca. 312 Ma, while field evidence points to a younger age for the latter. This is in contrast to the earlier reported SIMS (SHRIMP) zircon dates that scattered mainly between ca. 322 and 302 Ma. In an attempt to overcome this dispersion, at least in part caused by radiogenic lead loss, the CA technique was used before SHRIMP analysis. The ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age obtained in this way from a sample of porphyritic granite is 322 ± 3 Ma, ~16 Ma older than the untreated zircons; another porphyritic sample yielded a mean age of 319 ± 3 Ma, and the mean age was 318 ± 4 Ma for an equigranular granite sample – all three somewhat older than the age obtained by ID-TIMS. Older SIMS dates of ca. 318–322 Ma might indicate either faint inheritance or that zircon domains crystallized during earlier stages of Karkonosze igneous evolution. The ID-TIMS results have been used to re-assess the whole-rock Rb–Sr data. Excluding a porphyritic granite with excess radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr, it appears that isotopic homogeneity was achieved for most samples during the 312 Ma event, as shown by a pooled 21-point isochron with an age of 311 ± 3 Ma and an initial ⁸⁶Sr/⁸⁶Sr of 0.7067 ± 4. Local crustal contamination by stopping of metapelitic material might account for the more radiogenic Sr isotope signature observed in biotite-rich schlieren. A critical re-evaluation of all available SHRIMP data using the ID-TIMS age of 312 Ma as a benchmark suggests that the observed scatter may be partly attributed to analytical and methodological problems, in particular failing to distinguish subtly discordant spots from truly concordant ones, which is a serious limitation of the microbeam analytical approach. Other likely pitfalls contributing to geochronological scatter are identified in the published Re–Os ages on molybdenite and the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data on micas. A scenario postulating a 15–20 milliion year evolution of the Karkonosze Pluton cannot be established on the basis of available geochronological data, which rather supports a brief igneous event, although a more protracted pre-emplacement evolution is possible. A short timescale for crystallization of large igneous bodies, as suggested by the ID-TIMS data from the Karkonosze Granite, is in line with models of transport of granitic magmas through dikes to form large plutons.     

泰国北部中三叠世放射虫硅质岩及其地球化学和沉积环境意义

Bedded cherts collected from northern Thailand, including Chiang Dao, Lamphun and Den Chai contain Middle Triassic radiolarian faunas. The faunas from Chiang Dao can be divided into two assemblages. The first assemblage includes Eptingium and other co-occurring species such as Cryptostephanidium cornigerum Dumitric?, Plafkerium antiquum Sugi-yama, Pseudostylosphaera compacta (Nakaseko and Nishimura), P. longispinosa Kozur and Mostler, P. acrior (Bragin), P. japonica (Nakaseko and Nishi-mura), Parasepsagon sp. cf. P. variabilis (Nakaseko and Nishimura), Hozmadia sp. cf. H. gifuensis Sugi-yama, Triassospongosphaera multispinosa (Kozur and Mostler), Celluronta donax Sugiyama, Oertlispongus sp. cf. O. diacanthus Sugiyama, Paroertlispongus multispinosus Kozur and Mostler, etc. The second as-semblage consists of Triassocampe deweveri (Na-kaseko and Nishimura), Yeharaia annulata Nakaseko and Nishimura, Hindeostylosphaera spinulosa (Na-kaseko and Nishimura), Plafkerium contortum Dumitric?, Kozur and Mostler, Pseudostylosphaera goestlingensis (Kozur and Mostler), P. timorensis Sa-shida and Kamata and Paroertlispongus rarispinosus Kozur and Mostler. These assemblages indicate upper and uppermost Anisian, respectively.     

准噶尔盆地车拐地区三叠系成岩作用与孔隙演化

通过岩芯观察、薄片鉴定以及测井和录井资料分析,对准噶尔盆地西北缘车拐地区三叠系储层的物性特征、孔隙类型、成岩作用及储层物性的主控因素进行了研究,认为发育于车拐地区三叠系扇三角洲前缘相带的储层经历了机械压实作用、胶结作用、交代作用、溶蚀作用等多种成岩作用,经过成岩作用和自生矿物特点可知车拐地区三叠系主要现今处于晚成岩阶段B期。压实作用为影响储层物性特征的主要因素,随着埋深的加大压实作用的增强物性随之变差,可使孔隙度减少20%以上;沸石和碳酸盐胶结物的溶蚀可使孔隙度增加达3%,研究区总的孔隙度分布范围主要在6%~18%之间,渗透率分布范围为0.08×10-3～40.0×10-3μm2。     

二连盆地侏罗系地层热演化史研究

本文应用磷灰石裂变径迹,镜质体动力学模型等方法恢复二连盆地侏罗系地层的热演化史,二连盆地图参１井磷灰石退火浓度为１６００－２７７４ｍ,对应的退火温度为６４－１０２．７℃,图参１井现今温度小于最高古地温,这是由于二连盆地地温梯度逐渐降低及地层发生抬升和剥蚀所致。根据磷灰石裂变径迹分析和镜质体动力学模型模拟图参１井的热演化史,在晚侏罗世时其经受的最高地温梯度分别为７℃／ｈｍ和６℃／ｈｍ。侏罗系地层在晚     

On Palaeozoic Tectonics in the Alxa Region, Inner Mongolia, China

Two ophiolitic melange belts in the Late Carboniferous formations have been discovered recently in the Alxa region. One is in the Engger Us fault and possesses properties of oceanic crust. The other is in the Badain Jaran fault and shows properties of a back-arc basin. These two faults, together with the Yagan fault, constitute the important boundaries of tectonic units in the Alax region. The four tectonic units delimited by these faults are different in rock assemblages, metamorphism and geochemistry. They reflect the nature of tectonic environments in which they are found. The tectonic units may be traced and correlated to the eastern and western neighbouring areas. The formation and evolution process of the units and their interaction in the Alxa region may be described in terms of the evolution of the Palaeo-Mongolian Ocean and its continental margins.     

Integrated biostratigraphy and carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian to Albian) Adriatic-Dinaridic carbonate platform deposits in Istria, Croatia

The Adriatic-Dinaridic carbonate platform (ADCP) was one of the largest and relatively well preserved Mesozoic platforms in the Mediterranean region (central Tethys). The peninsula Istria, in the northwestern part of the ADCP, is built up predominantly of shallow-water carbonates of the Middle Jurassic (Dogger) to Eocene age and, to a lesser extent, of Paleogene clastic deposits (flysch and calcareous breccia). This study focuses on a Lower Cretaceous (Barremian to Albian) succession of strata at five localities in western Istria. Stratigraphic determinations are based on identification of nine microfossil assemblages (benthic foraminifera and calcareous algae Dasycladales) and on using their taxa as index fossils. The age of strata with these microfossil assemblages, however, is questionable. Most of the age uncertainties are associated with a regional emersion, which occurred on the ADCP during the Aptian or close to the Aptian-Albian transition. It is unclear what portions of the Upper Aptian and/or Lower Albian are missing along this unconformity. A stable isotope study was conducted on homogenous micritic matrix samples in an attempt to resolve some of these uncertainties. Variations in carbon isotope compositions proved useful for stratigraphic correlation between the examined successions of strata, for improving their age determination, and for relating them to other coeval successions that span an important time interval of major oceanographic changes and carbon-cycle perturbations associated with the Early Aptian oceanic anoxic event (OAE 1a).     

干湿循环作用下膨胀土裂隙演化规律试验研究

对南阳膨胀土在反复干湿循环作用下的裂隙演化规律进行了室内试验研究。试验中采用烘干法模拟脱湿过程,采用抽气饱和法模拟饱和过程。在脱湿过程中,定时对土样进行称重、定点拍照,以记录裂隙发育状况。利用矢量图技术对裂隙照片进行矢量化处理,以提取裂隙的各种几何要素,继而进行裂隙度计算。裂隙度变化规律分析结果表明,影响裂隙张开程度的关键因素并非土体含水率,而是含水率梯度,而脱湿速率的空间分布、土块渗透特性以及土块尺寸大小则是决定含水率梯度大小的关键因素;膨胀土裂隙在干湿循环的作用下会逐步发育,主要体现在裂隙总面积与总长度的增加,但此作用有限,裂隙的发育达到一定程度以后便会因为土块尺寸过小而停止;反复干湿循环会使土体产生范性变形,该范性变形与完整土块的胀缩特性并无直接联系,其主要成因是裂隙的发育与土体完整性的破坏,裂隙越发育,土体范性变形量越大     

底摩擦重力试验在倾倒变形岩体稳定性研究中的应用

底摩擦重力试验(底摩擦试验)是利用相似理论分析原理,将研究原形按几何比例和各种物理力学参数,制作相似模型及确定相应的边界条件。然后按照相似边界条件进行加载试验,再现曾经发生过或今后将会出现的物理力学现象,进而了解其发展演化规律及其对工程的影响。澜沧江某水电站坝肩主要为典型的倾倒变形岩体,为探讨倾倒变形岩体在天然重力场条件的变形破裂发展趋势。试验采用模拟重力场条件的岩体底摩擦模型试验技术模拟分析岩体倾倒变形进一步发展演变过程及特征。     

High-resolution seismic analysis of the coastal Mecklenburg Bay (North German Basin): the pre-Alpine evolution

The pre-Alpine structural and geological evolution in the northern part of the North German Basin have been revealed on the basis of a very dense reflection seismic profile grid. The study area is situated in the coastal Mecklenburg Bay (Germany), part of the southwestern Baltic Sea. From the central part of the North German Basin to the northern basin margin in the Grimmen High area a series of high-resolution maps show the evolution from the base Zechstein to the Lower Jurassic. We present a map of basement faults affecting the pre-Zechstein. The pre-Alpine structural evolution of the region has been determined from digital mapping of post-Permian key horizons traced on the processed seismic time sections. The geological evolution of the North German Basin can be separated into four distinct periods in the Rerik study area. During Late Permian and Early Triassic evaporites and clastics were deposited. Salt movement was initiated after the deposition of the Middle Triassic Muschelkalk. Salt pillows, which were previously unmapped in the study area, are responsible for the creation of smaller subsidence centers and angular unconformities in the Late Triassic Keuper, especially in the vicinity of the fault-bounded Grimmen High. In this area, partly Lower Jurassic sediments overlie the Keuper unconformably. The change from extension to compression in the regional stress field remobilized the salt, leading to a major unconformity marked at the base of the Late Cretaceous.