Geological interpretation of a deep seismic‐reflection transect across the boundary between the Delamerian and Lachlan Orogens,in the vicinity of the Grampians,western Victoria

A deep seismic‐reflection transect in western Victoria was designed to provide insights into the structural relationship between the Lachlan and the Delamerian Orogens. Three seismic lines were acquired to provide images of the subsurface from west of the Grampians Range to east of the Stawell‐Ararat Fault Zone. The boundary between the Delamerian and Lachlan Orogens is now generally considered to be the Moyston Fault. In the vicinity of the seismic survey, this fault is intruded by a near‐surface granite, but at depth the fault dips to the east, confirming recent field mapping. East of the Moyston Fault, the uppermost crust is very weakly reflective, consisting of short, non‐continuous, west‐dipping reflections. These weak reflections represent rocks of the Lachlan Orogen and are typical of the reflective character seen on other seismic images from elsewhere in the Lachlan Orogen. Within the Lachlan Orogen, the Pleasant Creek Fault is also east dipping and approximately parallel to the Moyston Fault in the plane of the seismic section. Rocks of the Delamerian Orogen in the vicinity of the seismic line occur below surficial cover to the west of the Moyston Fault. Generally, the upper crust is only weakly reflective, but subhorizontal reflections at shallow depths (up to 3 km) represent the Grampians Group. The Escondida Fault appears to stop below the Grampians Group, and has an apparent gentle dip to the east. Farther east, the Golton and Mehuse Faults are also east dipping. The middle to lower crust below the Delamerian Orogen is strongly reflective, with several major antiformal structures in the middle crust. The Moho is a slightly undulating horizon at the base of the highly reflective middle to lower crust at 11–12 s TWT (approximately 35 km depth). Tectonically, the western margin of the Lachlan Orogen has been thrust over the Delamerian Orogen for a distance of at least 25 km, and possibly over 40 km.     

The Arunta Inlier: a complex ensialic mobile belt in central Australia. Part 1: Stratigraphy,correlations and origin

The Arunta Inlier is a 200 000 km² region of mainly Precambrian metamorphosed sedimentary and igneous rock in central Australia. To the N it merges with similar rocks of lower metamorphic grade in the Tennant Creek Inlier, and to the NW it merges with schist and gneiss of The Granites‐Tanami Province. It is characterized by mafic and felsic meta‐igneous rocks, abundant silicic and aluminous metasediments and carbonate, and low‐ to medium‐pressure metamorphism. Hence, the Arunta Inlier is interpreted as a Proterozoic ensialic mobile belt floored by continental crust. The belt evolved over about 1500 Ma, and began with mafic and felsic volcanism and mafic intrusion in a latitudinal rift, followed by shale and limestone deposition, deformation, metamorphism and emergence. Flysch sedimentation and volcanism then continued in geosynclinal troughs flanking the ridge of meta‐igneous rocks, and were followed by platform deposition of thin shallow‐marine sediments, further deformation, and episodes of metamorphism and granite intrusion.     

Theoretical analyses of acidization dissolution front instability in fluid‐saturated carbonate rocks

This paper presents an instability theory that can be used to understand the fundamental behavior of an acidization dissolution front when it propagates in fluid‐saturated carbonate rocks. The proposed theory includes two fundamental concepts, namely the intrinsic time and length of an acidization dissolution system, and a theoretical criterion that involves the comparison of the Zhao number and its critical value of the acidization dissolution system. The intrinsic time is used to determine the time scale at which the acidization dissolution front is formed, while the intrinsic length is used to determine the length scale at which the instability of the acidization dissolution front can be initiated. Under the assumption that the acidization dissolution reaction is a fast process, the critical Zhao number, which is used to assess the instability likelihood of an acidization dissolution front propagating in fluid‐saturated carbonate rocks, has been derived in a strictly mathematical manner. Based on the proposed instability theory of a propagating acidization dissolution front, it has been theoretically recognized that: (i) the increase of the mineral dissolution ratio can stabilize the acidization dissolution front in fluid‐saturated carbonate rocks; (ii) the increase of the final porosity of the carbonate rock can destabilize the acidization dissolution front, while the increase of the initial porosity can stabilize the acidization dissolution front in fluid‐saturated carbonate rocks; (iii) the increase of the mineral dissolution ratio can cause an increase in the dimensionless propagation speed of the acidization dissolution front; (iv) the increase of the initial porosity can enable the acidization dissolution front to propagate faster, while the increase of the final porosity can enable the acidization dissolution front to propagate slower in the acidization dissolution system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The cordierite‐bearing anatectic rocks of the higher Himalayan crystallines (eastern Nepal): low‐pressure anatexis,melt productivity,melt loss and the preservation of cordierite

Cordierite‐bearing anatectic rocks inform our understanding of low‐pressure anatectic processes in the continental crust. This article focuses on cordierite‐bearing lithologies occurring at the upper structural levels of the Higher Himalayan Crystallines (eastern Nepal Himalaya). Three cordierite‐bearing gneisses from different geological transects (from Mt Everest to Kangchenjunga) have been studied, in which cordierite is spectacularly well preserved. The three samples differ in terms of bulk composition likely reflecting different sedimentary protoliths, although they all consist of quartz, alkali feldspar, plagioclase, biotite, cordierite and sillimanite in different modal percentages. Analysis of the microstructures related to melt production and/or melt consumption allows the distinction to be made between peritectic and cotectic cordierite. The melt productivity of different prograde assemblages (from two‐mica metapelite/metagreywacke to biotite‐metapelite) has been investigated at low‐pressure conditions, evaluating the effects of muscovite v. biotite dehydration melting on both mineral assemblages and microstructures. The results of the thermodynamic modelling suggest that the mode and type of the micaceous minerals in the prograde assemblage is a very important parameter controlling the melt productivity at low‐pressure conditions, the two‐mica protoliths being significantly more fertile at any given temperature than biotite gneisses over the same temperature interval. Furthermore, the cordierite preservation is promoted by melt crystallization at a dry solidus and by exhumation along P‐T paths with a peculiar dP/dT slope of about 15–18 bar °C^?1. Overall, our results provide a key for the interpretation of cordierite petrogenesis in migmatites from any low‐P regional anatectic terrane. The cordierite‐bearing migmatites may well represent the source rocks for the Miocene andalusite‐bearing leucogranites occurring at the upper structural levels of the Himalayan belt, and low‐P isobaric heating rather than decompression melting may be the triggering process of this peculiar peraluminous magmatism.     

Crustal structure of the Ordovician Macquarie Arc,Eastern Lachlan Orogen,based on seismic‐reflection profiling

In the Eastern Lachlan Orogen, the mineralised Molong and Junee‐Narromine Volcanic Belts are two structural belts that once formed part of the Ordovician Macquarie Arc, but are now separated by younger Silurian‐Devonian strata as well as by Ordovician quartz‐rich turbidites. Interpretation of deep seismic reflection and refraction data across and along these belts provides answers to some of the key questions in understanding the evolution of the Eastern Lachlan Orogen—the relationship between coeval Ordovician volcanics and quartz‐rich turbidites, and the relationship between separate belts of Ordovician volcanics and the intervening strata. In particular, the data provide evidence for major thrust juxtaposition of the arc rocks and Ordovician quartz‐rich turbidites, with Wagga Belt rocks thrust eastward over the arc rocks of the Junee‐Narromine Volcanic Belt, and the Adaminaby Group thrust north over arc rocks in the southern part of the Molong Volcanic Belt. The seismic data also provide evidence for regional contraction, especially for crustal‐scale deformation in the western part of the Junee‐Narromine Volcanic Belt. The data further suggest that this belt and the Ordovician quartz‐rich turbidites to the east (Kirribilli Formation) were together thrust over ?Cambrian‐Ordovician rocks of the Jindalee Group and associated rocks along west‐dipping inferred faults that belong to a set that characterises the middle crust of the Eastern Lachlan Orogen. The Macquarie Arc was subsequently rifted apart in the Silurian‐Devonian, with Ordovician volcanics preserved under the younger troughs and shelves (e.g. Hill End Trough). The Molong Volcanic Belt, in particular, was reworked by major down‐to‐the‐east normal faults that were thrust‐reactivated with younger‐on‐older geometries in the late Early ‐ Middle Devonian and again in the Carboniferous.     

西藏丁青地区与玻镁安山岩类有关的蛇绿岩的矿物学特征

西藏丁青蛇绿岩的东杂岩体是一种与玻镁安山岩(Boninite)有关的特殊的蛇绿岩类型。其 堆晶斜方辉石岩、辉长岩和辉绿岩的岩石化学、微量元素以及稀土元素的地球化学特征均与西太平洋诸岛(伊豆—马利亚纳、巴布亚新几内亚、新喀里多尼亚等)的玻镁安山岩相似。此外,超镁铁质构造岩中的橄榄石和顽火辉石富镁,指示残余地幔具强烈亏损的性质。尖晶石的Cr含量中等至较高,与深海橄榄岩及大洋中脊玄武岩中的尖晶石不同。堆晶岩和辉长岩中的古铜辉石富镁,斜长石富钙,也明显不同于典型大洋中脊环境的特征,表明丁青东蛇绿岩形成的环境不像大洋中脊或弧后盆地,而可能是在洋内俯冲带之上的岛弧底部。     

7614铀矿床断裂构造的地球化学研究

本文以西北一个铀矿床为例,介绍了一种进行矿床断裂构造地球化学研究的方法,包括了以断裂构造的倾角和倾向为座标的微量元素含量的等值线圆形曲线图;断裂构造的元素频数分布图;断裂构造中元素的多元统计分析。据此,讨论了热液作用和其它地质作用有关的断裂构造中微量元素的相互关系,并进而讨论了它们的铀成矿作用过程以及对找矿勘探的意义。     

303地区铀矿成矿地质条件分析

木文指出:303地区铀矿成矿的物源主要来自盆地北部、东北部、西北部的碳硅泥岩和含矿主岩本身;有机碳是铀的主要沉淀剂和富集剂;矿化形成于氧化-还原过渡带和弱还原带中;成矿年龄为124—107Ma,属成岩成矿为主的层控矿床。     

东秦岭与华南加里东褶皱带原地—准原地改造型花岗岩特征

东秦岭与华南加里东褶皱带具有不同的岩石建造特征,两褶皱带的改造型花岗岩类之间也存在着明显不同的化学成分特征。研究表明源岩在很大程度上决定了改造型花岗岩的特征。     

沂沭断裂带断层泥中 K-Ar、FT 和 TL 体系年代学含义的初步研究

本文报道了利用K-Ar法、TL法和FT法,分别测定断层泥中1Md伊利石(<1μ粒级组份)、石英(2-10μ粒级组份)和磷灰石单矿物的年龄结果;给出了沂沭断裂带三次强烈活动的年龄区间及强度逐渐减弱的变化趋势。首先提出了利用这三种测年手段,测定断层泥中三种不同物质的年龄,进而研究断层活动(强度和时间)的新方法