Sedimentary facies during early stages of flooding in an extensional basin: the Brèche Rouge de Carboneras (Late Miocene, Almería/SE Spain)

The intramontane basins of the Betic Cordilleras (SE Spain) formed subsequent to the main phase of orogenic deformation during the middle Miocene in a close genetic relation to the Trans-Alboran Shear zone. Left lateral movements along a local branch (Carboneras fault zone, CF; strike NE–SW) of this zone played a major role in controlling the formation and dynamics of the Nijar-Carboneras Basin. To the south of the fault, a major phase of strike-slip faulting is recorded during the late Tortonian. The expression of this event is the Brèche Rouge de Carboneras (BRC), which seals a deep denudational surface on top of dislocated fault blocks formed by volcanics of the Cabo de Gata complex and early Tortonian shallow marine calcarenite. The sedimentary facies of this widely distributed unit in the Carboneras-Subbasin mirror the submarine topography and the distribution of the fault zones. Along strike-slip fault zones, autoclastic breccias and neptunian dikes preferentially oriented NW–SE and NE–SW occur, which are interpreted to represent the near-surface expression of the faults. Red limestone forms the groundmass of the autoclastic breccia and infills of neptunian dikes, which exhibit multiple phases of opening of fissures, gravitational sedimentary infill, lithification, and renewed creation of cracks. Steep relief, probably along fault scarps, was mantled by epiclastic volcanic conglomerate with a red carbonate matrix. Well-lithified coarse skeletal limestone rich in planktonic foraminifera formed pavements along sediment starved rocky surfaces in deep water. Laterally, within topographic depressions, the pavement limestone grades into thick accumulations of skeletal rudstone composed of fragmented azooxanthellate corals and stylasterid hydrozoans, which were concentrated by powerful bottom currents and gravitiy flows. Within the shallow water zone of dip slope ramps, cross-bedded calcarenite and calcirudite formed. Based on textures, fabrics and biota, rocks of the BRC were grouped into nine genetic lithofacies which document cryptic, deep-aphotic and shallow-photic environments typical of a sediment starved extensional basin.     

Architecture of coastal and alluvial deposits in an extensional basin: the Carboniferous Joggins Formation of eastern Canada

Abstract The Joggins Formation was deposited in the Cumberland Basin, which experienced rapid mid‐Carboniferous subsidence on bounding faults. A 600 m measured section of coastal and alluvial plain strata comprises cycles tens to hundreds of metres thick. The cycles commence with coal and fossiliferous limestone/siltstone intervals, interpreted as widespread flooding events. These intervals are overlain by coarsening‐upward successions capped by planar‐based sandstone mounds, up to 100 m in width that represent the progradation of small, river‐generated delta lobes into a standing body of open water developed during transgression. The overlying strata contain sand‐rich heterolithic packages, 1–8 m thick, that are associated with channel bodies 2–3 m thick and 10–50 m wide. Drifted plant debris, Calamites groves and erect lycopsid trees are preserved within these predominantly green‐grey heterolithic sediments, which were deposited on a coastal wetland or deltaic plain traversed by channel systems. The cycles conclude with red siltstones, containing calcareous nodules, that are interbedded with thin sandstones and associated with both single‐storey channel bodies (1–1·5 m thick and 2–3 m wide) and larger, multistorey channels (3–6 m thick) with incised margins. Numerous channel bodies at the same level suggest that multiple‐channel, anastomosed river systems were developed on a well‐drained floodplain. Many minor flooding surfaces divide the strata into parasequences with dominantly progradational and aggradational stacking patterns. Multistorey channel bodies are relatively thin, fine grained and modestly incised, and palaeosols are immature and cumulative. The abundance and prominence of flooding surfaces suggests that base‐level rise was enhanced, whereas the lack of evidence for abrupt basinward stepping of facies belts, coupled with the absence of strong fluvial incision and mature palaeosols, suggests that base‐level fall was suppressed. These architectural features are considered to reflect a tectonic architectural signature, in accordance with the high‐subsidence basinal setting. Evidence for restricted marine influence and variation in floral assemblages suggests modulation by eustatic and climatic effects, although their relative importance is uncertain.     

Cenozoic Plate interaction of the Australia and Philippine Sea Plates: “hit-and-run” tectonics

Recent studies in northwest New Guinea have shown the presence of at least two marginal basins of different age, both of which formed in back-arc settings. The older basin opened between the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, a remnant of which is now preserved as the New Guinea Ophiolite. Its obduction started at 40 Ma and it was finally emplaced on the Australian margin at 30 Ma. The younger basin was active during the Oligocene to Middle Miocene and was obducted in the Early Pliocene. Studies of the western edge of the Philippine Sea also reveal an important deformation of the Philippine arc in the Oligocene, which hitherto has remained unexplained. Using information from these systems, paleomagnetic results, kinematic reconstructions and geochemistry of the supra-subduction ophiolite, we present a plate model to explain the region's Eo–Oligocene development. We suggest that an extensive portion of oceanic crust extended the Australian Plate a considerable distance north of the Australian Craton. As Australia began its steady 7–8 cm/year northward drift in the Early Eocene, this lithosphere was subducted. Thus, the portion of the Philippine Sea Plate carrying the Taiwan–Philippine Arc to its present site may have actually been in contact with the ophiolite now in New Guinea and obduction led to deformation of the Philippine Sea Plate itself. Neogene Plate kinematics transported the deformed belt in contact with the Sunda block in the Late Miocene and Pliocene. This interpretation has implications for the origin for the Philippine Sea Plate and the potential incorporation of continental fragments against its boundaries.     

Kinematics of the Gondwana basins of peninsular India

The Gondwana successions (1–4 km thick) of peninsular India accumulated in a number of discrete basins during Permo-Triassic period. The basins are typically bounded by faults that developed along Precambrian lineaments during deposition, as well as affected by intrabasinal faults indicating fault-controlled synsedimentary subsidence. The patterns of the intrabasinal faults and their relationships with the respective basin-bounding faults represent both extensional and strike-slip regimes. Field evidence suggests that preferential subsidence in locales of differently oriented discontinuities in the Precambrian basement led to development of Gondwana basins with varying, but mutually compatible, kinematics during a bulk motion, grossly along the present-day E–W direction. The kinematic disparity of the individual basins resulted due to different relative orientations of the basement discontinuities and is illustrated with the help of a simple sandbox model. The regional E–W motion was accommodated by strike-slip motion on the transcontinental fault in the north.     

The postglacial history of three Picea species in New England, USA

Given the difficulty of separating the three Picea species—P. glauca, P. mariana, and P. rubens (white, black, and red spruce)—in the pollen record, little is known about their unique histories in eastern North America following deglaciation. Here we report the first use of a classification tree analysis (CART) to distinguish pollen grains of these species. It was successfully applied to fossil pollen from eight sites in Maine and one in Massachusetts. We focused on the late glacial/early Holocene (14,000 to 8000 cal yr B.P.) and the late Holocene (1400 cal yr B.P. to present)—the two key periods since deglaciation when Picea has been abundant in the region. The result shows a shift from a Picea forest of P. glauca and P. mariana in the late glacial to a forest of P. rubens and P. mariana in the late Holocene. The small number of P. rubens grains identified from the late glacial/early Holocene samples (<5%) suggests that that species was either absent or rare at most of the sites. The occurrence and distribution of the three species do not reveal any geographic or temporal trend during late glacial time, but the data suggest that they were distributed in local patches on the landscape. The results of this study indicate that the recent population expansion of Picea (1000 to 500 cal yr B.P.) was likely the first time since deglaciation that P. rubens was abundant in the region.     

广东中山晚更新世最早海侵层与水动型海平面变化

中山市珠海格力商业大厦场址钻孔表明，距今（４５１２０±９１０）ａ海水已经侵入珠江三角洲地区，当时海平面约在－３４．７ｍ。沉积剖面及其比较研究表明，场区从晚更新世海侵以来是连续的滨海相沉积；场区还是晚更新世海侵以来差异构造运动显著的珠江三角洲（乃至东南沿海）地区地壳的一块“稳定小岛”。其晚更新世以来的滨海相沉积反映了渐进上升的实际水动型海平面变化     

Palynological dating of infra- and intertrappean sediments in the Mesozoic succession of Borehole PGD-6, Domra Sub-basin, West Bengal, India

Palynofloras have been examined from infra- and intertrappean sediments of the Panchet and Rajmahal Formations in the Domra Sub-basin of the Damodar Basin, West Bengal, India. Three distinct palynological assemblages are identified and referred to the following palynozones: (i)Lundbladispora–Verrucosisporites(506.60–505.00 m, late Early Triassic, (ii)Murospora florida(501.65–422.20 m. Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian–Tithonian), and (iii)Cicatricosisporites australiensis(342.00–229.6 m. Early Cretaceous, Tithonian–Berriasian). The first occurrences ofCallialasporites turbatusandC. dampieriare at 501.65 m.Callialasporitesis a dominant element of the succeeding assemblages from the Panchet Formation and indicates a Jurassic age. The FAD ofCicatricosisporites australiensisandC. augustusat 342.00 m, and inconsistent occurrences ofAequitriradites spinulosus,Crybelosporites stylosusin the overlying sediments indicate Jurassic–Cretaceous transition.     

中国东部中新生代盆地成因及其地球动力学

中国东部大兴安岭－太行山－武陵山重力梯度带一线以东至太平洋西岩，大陆连缘中新生代盆地系的形成，中生代岩浆活动，盆地基本特征同Ｍｏｈｏ、岩石圈和软流圈及上地幔基本特征的内在联系等都表明，它们在时空和成因上有一定联系，可以纳入同一地球动力学过程之中，这种动力学机制可能与岩石圈界，地壳底界的拆离作用有关。     

米仓山地区前陆盆地层序地层研究——以吴家垭西部陆相地层为例

在详细研究米仓山地区吴家垭西部陆相地层基本层序特征的基础上，建立了本区晚三叠世至早侏罗世前陆盆地层序地层格架，确定了盆－山体系在此期间发生了两次重要事件，并认为北部前陆山地的构造变动是影响盆地层序的主要因素。     

四川南部晚二叠世构造对煤类分布的影响

深成煤化作用是川南地区煤化作用的主导因素，本文着重阐明了构造对煤类分布的影响。