Early Cambrian Ichnofossils from the Mussoorie Syncline and revision of Trace Fossil Biozonation of the Lesser Himalaya,India

A new locality bearing ichnofossils of the Cruziana Assemblage Zone-Ⅲ from the Mussoorie syncline,Lesser Himalaya,is located in rocks of Member-B of the Dhaulagiri Formation,Tal Group,exposed along the Maldewta-Chhimoli fresh road cut section.The site yielded ichnofossils Bergaueria perata,Cochlichnus anguineus,？Diplocraterion isp.,Dimorphichnus obliquus,diplichnitiform Cruziana bonariensis,Diplichnites gouldi,Glockeria isp.,Helminthopsis isp.,Monomorphichnus lineatus,Phycodes palmatum,Palaeophycus striatus,Planolites beverleyensis,Planolites montanus,Treptichnus cf.T.pedum,scratch marks and an undetermined worm impression.An Early Cambrian age （Cambrian Series 2） is assigned to the ichnofossil-bearing strata based on the stratigraphic position between the Drepanuroides and Palaeoolenus trilobite zones.A revised Cambrian ichnofossil zonation is presented for the Tal Group of the Mussoorie syncline.Together with their occurrence on rippled surfaces,and the lateral displacement of some trackways （due to current action）,a sub-aqueous shallow-marine depositional setting is proposed for the rocks of Member-B.     

琼东定安翰林地区晚寒武世地层的厘定及其地质意义

蒙花岭组是新建的岩石地层单位,指定蒙花岭剖面为正层型剖面。岩性为一套高绿片岩相的变质岩,由变质石英细砂岩、各类片岩、绢云千枚岩夹细粒石英岩及数层变质基性―酸性火山岩组成。在剖面的下部第8层及上部第24层含丰富的藻类化石,地质时代为寒武纪;在剖面中部第16层变质火山岩中采人工重砂样、锆石U-Pb测年结果为499±6Ma~527±48Ma,地质时代为寒武纪中晚期。故将蒙花岭组划寒武系黔东统(∈2)到芙蓉统(∈4)。     

The challenge of dating early pleistocene fossil teeth by the combined uranium series–electron spin resonance method: the Venta Micena palaeontological site (Orce,Spain)

The palaeontological site of Venta Micena (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) lies in the eastern sector of the Guadix–Baza basin, one of the best documented areas in Europe for Plio‐Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The combination of biochronological and palaeomagnetic results, combined with the radiometric data obtained for Atapuerca Sima del Elefante, indicated that the Venta Micena stratum was formed between the Jaramillo and Olduvai palaeomagnetic events, most likely between 1.22 and 1.77 Ma. Five fossil teeth from two outcrops (sites A and B) were selected to assess the potential of combined uranium series–electron spin resonance (US‐ESR) dating of Early Pleistocene sites. Although the US‐ESR results of the first outcrop showed a large scatter between the three teeth, the mean age of 1.37 ± 0.24 Ma can be considered a reasonable age estimate for Venta Micena. The mean ESR age of 0.62 ± 0.03 Ma obtained for site B seems to be a severe underestimation when compared with the independent age control. This underestimation is attributed to a relative recent U‐mobilization event that led to some U‐leaching. The results show that any ESR age calculations of old samples are extremely sensitive to variations in the measured ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U ratios in dental tissues. Although the results demonstrate that ESR can in principle be applied to Early Pleistocene sites, they also reveal the complexity of dating such old teeth. It is necessary to continue research in several directions, such as study of the behaviour of ESR signals in old teeth and understanding recent U‐mobilization processes, to improve the reliability of the combined US‐ESR dating method applied to Early Pleistocene times, a period for which the number of available numerical dating techniques is very limited. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulations of very large impacts on the Earth

Vertical impacts on the Earth of asteroids 500-3000 km in diameter at 15 km/s have been numerically modelled using the hydrodynamic SOVA code. This code has been modified for the spherical system of coordinates well suited for simulations of very large impacts when the entire Earth is involved in motion. The simulations include cratering process, upward motion of deep mantle layers, fall of ejecta on the Earth, escape of matter to space, and formation of rock vapour atmospheres. The calculations were made for the period preceding disappearance of rock vapour atmospheres caused by radiation several years after the largest impacts. For very large vertical impacts at 15 km/s, escaping masses proved to be negligibly small. Quantities of kinetic, internal, potential, and radiated away energies are obtained as functions of time and space. After the impacts, a global layer of condensed ejecta covers the whole of the Earth's surface and the ejecta energy is sufficient to vaporise an ocean 3 km deep. The mass of rock vapour atmosphere is 10-23% of the impactor mass. This atmosphere has a greater mass than the water atmosphere if impactor is 2000 km in diameter or larger.     

First subfossil records of Daphnia headshields and shells (Anomopoda,Daphniidae) about 10 000 years old from northernmost Greenland,plus Alona guttata (Chydoridae)

Silty pond sediments from Wulff Land in northernmost Greenland, radiocarbon dated 10480 BP, yielded many headshields, shells, and ephippia of Daphnia pulex, and headshields, shells, ephippia, and one postabdomen of Alona guttata. This is the first documentation of recognizable headshields and shells of Daphnia in the fossil record.     

Petrology and Geochronology of Granulites from the McKaskle Hills, Eastern Amery Ice Shelf, Antarctica, and Implications for the Evolution of the Prydz Belt

A combined petrological and geochronological study was carriedout on mafic granulites and associated felsic gneisses fromthe McKaskle Hills, eastern Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica.Garnet-bearing mafic granulites exhibit reaction textures andexsolution textures that indicate two-stage metamorphic evolution.Thermobarometric estimates from matrix and symplectite assemblagesyield peak and retrograde P–T conditions of 9·0–9·5kbar and 880–950°C and 6·6–7·2kbar and 700–750°C, respectively. Similar but slightlyscattered peak P–T estimates of 7·9–10·1kbar and 820–980°C are obtained from the core compositionsof minerals from felsic para- and orthogneisses. Evidence forthe prograde history is provided by muscovite inclusions ingarnet from a paragneiss. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobeU–Pb zircon dating reveals an evolutionary history forthe granulites, including a mafic and felsic igneous intrusionat 1174–1019 Ma, sedimentation after 932–916 Ma,and a high-grade metamorphism at 533–529 Ma. In contrast,Sm–Nd mineral–whole-rock dating mainly yields asingle age population at 500 Ma. This suggests that the McKaskleHills form part of the Prydz Belt, and that the relatively highpeak P–T conditions and a decompression-dominated P–Tpath for the rocks resulted from a single Cambrian metamorphiccycle, rather than two distinct metamorphic events as formerlyinferred for the granulites from Prydz Bay. The age data alsoindicate that the Precambrian history of the McKaskle Hillsis not only distinct from that of the early Neoproterozoic terranein the northern Prince Charles Mountains, but also differentfrom that of other parts of the Prydz Belt. The existence ofmultiple basement terranes, together with considerable crustalthickening followed by tectonic uplift and unroofing indicatedby the clockwise P–T–t evolution, suggests thatthe Prydz Belt may represent a collisional orogen that resultedin the assembly of Gondwana during the Cambrian period. KEY WORDS: Mesoproterozoic basement; Cambrian metamorphism; P–T path; Prydz Belt; East Antarctica     

Early Cambrian high pressure/low temperature metamorphism in the southeastern Tarim craton in response to circum-Gondwana cold subduction

The circum-Gondwana subduction initiated by the early Cambrian has been suggested to reflect the establishment of the modern plate tectonics. The metamorphic rocks with low thermobaric (T/P) ratios indicative of cold subduction in the present tectonic regime have not been well investigated. To better understand the circum-Gondwana subduction and to test its possible link with the emergence of the modern plate tectonics, this study focused on blueschist-facies metamorphic rocks in the Altyn Tagh of the southeastern Tarim craton. Mineral assemblage and chemistry, phase equilibrium modelling, and quartz-in-garnet Raman elastic geobarometry reveal that the zoisite blueschist and glaucophane (Gln)-bearing quartz schist in northern Altyn Tagh were metamorphosed to lawsonite to epidote blueschist-facies at 520–545 °C and 16–19 kbar. It reflects high-pressure (HP)/low temperature (LT) metamorphism with low T/P ratios of <300 °C/GPa and thermal gradients of <10 °C/km. These blueschist-facies metamorphic rocks underwent rapid decompression starting at P-T conditions of <495 °C and <9.6 kbar during exhumation. Ar-Ar geochronology records paragonite Ar-Ar plateau ages of 520–506 Ma for the zoisite blueschist samples and phengite Ar-Ar plateau ages of 522–516 Ma for the Gln-bearing quartz schist samples, suggesting that the peak HP/LT metamorphism occurred prior to ca. 522 Ma. Based on new results and available data from the major Gondwana blocks, cold subduction was suggested to profoundly operate along circum-Gondwana in the early Cambrian after the amalgamation of Gondwana. The extensive circum-Gondwana subduction represents the earliest global cold subduction in Earth’s history associated with the establishment of the modern plate tectonics, as directly recorded by the studied early Cambrian blueschist-facies metamorphic rocks and a dramatic drop in the mean T/P of metamorphism since the early Paleozoic.     

大兴安岭北段喀喇其花岗斑岩体地球化学特征、锆石U-Pb年龄及构造背景

本文对大兴安岭北部喀喇其花岗斑岩体进行了岩石学、地球化学及锆石U-Pb年代学的研究,探讨了其形成的构造背景。结果表明:喀喇其花岗斑岩体锆石U-Pb年龄为132 Ma±1 Ma,表明其形成时代应为早白垩世晚期;岩石具有高钾钙碱性系列,过铝质特征;稀土元素属于轻稀土富集型,分布模式为右倾、左陡右平型式,具有较明显的Eu负异常特征。认为该花岗岩为铝质A型花岗岩,属于地壳岩石部分熔融的产物;该期岩浆侵位活动受蒙古—鄂霍茨克构造体系影响,形成于后造山大陆弧或后碰撞弧环境。     

四川盆地川中—川西震旦系—三叠系天然气成藏分析及勘探意义

四川盆地蕴藏着丰富天然气资源,其中筇竹寺组页岩对盆地中下组合天然气聚集作出巨大贡献。通过对川西和川中震旦系—寒武系及上覆志留系—三叠系多层系储集层中天然气特征精细对比发现,以筇竹寺组页岩为主要烃源的油气资源极为丰富、类型多样：(1)既有典型原油裂解气,甲烷碳同位素较轻(<35‰),分布在资阳地区震旦系、太合地区寒武系沧浪铺组(角探1井)及川西北河湾场/吴家坝的茅口组。它们成藏时间早,在岩性圈闭或岩性-构造圈闭得以长期保存;(2)页岩超晚期释放气,分布广泛,高石梯—磨溪、太合、威远等地区下组合震旦系—寒武系均以该类天然气补充成藏为主,甲烷碳同位素较重(>35‰),如未遭受过硫酸盐热化学还原作用(TSR)的改造则具典型甲、乙烷碳同位素倒转(δ¹³C₁>δ¹³C₂)特征,该类气藏具多期次复杂成藏过程,但超晚期页岩来源天然气的持续补充控制着聚集丰度;(3)中组合泥盆系—三叠系(须家河组之下)天然气以断层沟通的页岩超晚期释放天然气成藏为主。综合分析可见,筇竹寺组页岩(与页岩气)保存较好区域是...     

Mantle metasomatism and generation of Early Permian ultramafic rocks in northern North China CratonSCIEI北大核心CSCD

华北克拉通北部高寺台晚古生代环状杂岩体是一套富单斜辉石的超镁铁质岩,是研究华北北部地幔碳酸盐化熔体交代作用的理想对象,同时也是华北克拉通北部晚古生代岩浆活动与深部碳循环联系的纽带。作者在岩体西部边缘识别出一套早二叠世早期富铁角闪单斜辉石岩,形成时代为297.8±3.4Ma。结合岩体东部辉石岩早泥盆世和早石炭世的成岩年龄,表明高寺台超镁铁质杂岩体可能是晚古生代多期岩浆侵位的产物。其次,高寺台环状超镁铁质杂岩体缺少大面积辉长岩和闪长岩、硫化物和Cu-Ni-PGE矿化,单斜辉石成分具有裂谷带堆晶岩矿物特征,角闪石也具有相对低的结晶温度(933~947℃)和压力(287~323MPa)及水含量(4.06%~5.10%),而且区域上尚未发现同期环状杂岩体和蛇绿岩,与岛弧拼贴到陆块后沿俯冲带延伸数万米侵位的阿拉斯加型环状杂岩体明显不同。另外,前人的研究显示,与铬铁矿中富镁单斜辉石包裹体平衡的苦橄质母岩浆显示出OIB的特征,具有强烈的重稀土分馏、富Nb和高Nb/La,异常高的Ca/Al和(La/Yb)N,低的Ti/Eu、Zr/Sm和Hf/Sm,这些特征都表明苦橄质母岩浆起源于石榴石相软流圈地幔,且源区遭受过显著的碳酸盐熔体交代。单斜辉石岩中单斜辉石及角闪石成分及其平衡岩浆成分记录了母岩浆与岩石圈地幔相互作用后的岩浆演化过程,也显示出比母岩浆弱的源区碳酸盐熔体交代印记。此外,岩浆房在地壳浅部经历了多期深部岩浆补给和富铁熔体贯入,同时带来热量和挥发分,触发晶粥体活化,促进了岩浆的上升运移。高寺台环状超镁铁质杂岩体具有板内成因特征,可能是陆内岩石圈伸展的产物。华北克拉通北部晚石炭世-早二叠世三个岩浆事件峰期很好地对应着全球三次升温和CO_(2)回升事件,岩石圈伸展能有效促进强烈的中酸性岩浆活动及起源于碳酸盐化地幔的基性岩浆释放出大量的CO_(2),它们可能是晚石炭末期-早二叠世早期全球大气CO_(2)回升的贡献者之一。