Subduction,mega-shear systems and Late Palaeozoic basin development in the African segment of Gondwana

 Basins within the African sector of Gondwana contain a Late Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic Gondwana sequence unconformably overlying Precambrian basement in the interior and mid-Palaeozoic strata along the palaeo-Pacific margin. Small sea-board Pacific basins form an exception in having a Carboniferous to Early Permian fill overlying Devonian metasediments and intrusives. The Late Palaeozoic geographic and tectonic changes in the region followed four well-defined consecutive events which can also be traced outside the study area. During the Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous period (up to 330 Ma) accretion of microplates along the Patagonian margin of Gondwana resulted in the evolution of the Pacific basins. Thermal uplift of the Gondwana crust and extensive erosion causing a break in the stratigraphic record characterised the period between 300 and 330 Ma. At the end of this period the Gondwana Ice Sheet was well established over the uplands. The period 260–300 Ma evidenced the release of the Gondwana heat and thermal subsidence caused widespread basin formation. Late Carboniferous transpressive strike-slip basins (e.g. Sierra Australes/Colorado, Karoo-Falklands, Ellsworth-Central Transantarctic Mountains) in which thick glacial deposits accumulated, formed inboard of the palaeo-Pacific margin. In the continental interior the formation of Zambesi-type rift and extensional strike-slip basins were controlled by large mega-shear systems, whereas rare intracratonic thermal subsidence basins formed locally. In the Late Permian the tectonic regime changed to compressional largely due to northwest-directed subduction along the palaeo-Pacific margin. The orogenic cycle between 240 and 260 Ma resulted in the formation of the Gondwana fold belt and overall north–south crustal shortening with strike-slip motions and regional uplift within the interior. The Gondwana fold belt developed along a probable weak crustal zone wedged in between the cratons and an overthickened marginal crustal belt subject to dextral transpressive motions. Associated with the orogenic cycle was the formation of mega-shear systems one of which (Falklands-East Africa-Tethys shear) split the supercontinent in the Permo-Triassic into a West and an East Gondwana. By a slight clockwise rotation of East Gondwana a supradetachment basin formed along the Tethyan margin and northward displacement of Madagascar, West Falkland and the Gondwana fold belt occurred relative to a southward motion of Africa. Received: 2 October 1995 / Accepted: 28 May 1996     

洞庭盆地中更新世洞庭湖组砾石特征及其意义

对位于洞庭盆地安乡凹陷东南部的两护村ZKC1孔中更新世洞庭湖组砾石层进行了粒度和砾态的统计分析.结果表明,砾石的粒度变化反映出2个较大尺度的由大→小的旋回,早旋回由洞庭湖组下段砂砾层组成,晚旋回由洞庭湖组中段上部的砂砾层组成,反映出中更新世早-中期安乡凹陷的两次由慢→快的幕式沉降过程.在上述2个大的粒度旋回之上,叠加有多个更小尺度的砾石粗、细变化,主要与气候干湿的频繁波动有关.洞庭湖组中段顶部砾石的磨圆度明显偏低,反映其沉积时期盆地沉降和周缘隆起区抬升活动的增强.     

A new chronological framework for Middle and Upper Pleistocene landscape evolution in the Sussex/Hampshire Coastal Corridor, UK

The unique Middle and Late Pleistocene sedimentary record preserved along the Sussex/Hampshire Coastal Corridor between Romsey and Brighton contains a wealth of deposits including highstand marine sediments associated with a variety of different aged beaches, fluvial sediments associated with rivers crossing the coastal plain and cold stage deposits accumulating above the marine and fluvial sediments. Although quarrying activity has been extensive across much of the area it has been undertaken in flooded workings due to the high level of the watertable. Consequently little is known in detail about the sequences except where they outcrop on the foreshore around the coast. This paper examines recent work from the lower coastal plain using a multi-disciplinary approach these deposits to elucidate the age of the sequences and their associated environments of deposition.OSL dates from two of the beaches, the Aldingbourne and Brighton/Norton Beaches, place both within MIS 7. Although these OSL dates cannot differentiate between sub-stages within MIS 7, coupling these results with inferences from local geography, lithology and contained microfossils it is clear that the beaches belong to two different phases within MIS 7. These two beaches are clearly divided by a major phase of erosion and downcutting associated with a fall in sea-level. Fluvial sediments from Solent Terrace 2 and Arun Terrace 4 also date within MIS 7 and are tentatively ascribed to the downcutting event between the beaches. Together this information allows us to propose, for the first time, a robust independently dated framework for the lower parts of the coastal plain integrating for the first time the marine and terrestrial record.     

一个晚元古代水下冰足刻蚀作用的记录——水下冰推垄

在现代高纬陆棚冰海区的海底底床上,有大量由海冰形成的水下冰足机械刻蚀迹,但在古代冰期地层中却极少报道。笔者在湖南省石门县中岭乡杨家坪的震旦系剖面上发现一丘状构造,经分析,推断为一水下冰足刻蚀记录(图1)。该构造出露于南华大冰期的下冰期地层东山峰组底界以下约60m,在渫水河组上部。     

广西晚古生代硅岩的地球化学及其形成的大地构造环境

广西晚古生代泥盆、石炭纪和二叠纪地层中广泛发育放射虫硅岩,在桂西百色、那坡一带这些地层中的硅岩与玄武岩伴生。而钦州、柳州及河池一带未见到玄武岩。对这些地区硅岩的主元素、微量元素及稀土元素的研究表明：不同地区的硅岩有不同的成因,百色、那坡地区的硅岩形成在深水远洋环境并受到海底火山及热液作用的影响;钦州板城地区的硅岩以生物成因为主;而柳州、河池的硅岩属于离火山、热液活动稍远的生物成因。玄武岩的发现及硅岩成因的判别对探讨广西晚古生代大地构造环境及演化具有重要意义。     

新疆北塔山晚志留—早泥盆世苔藓虫

本文描述的上志留统一下泥盆统的苔藓虫标本产自新疆东准噶尔北塔山地区。上志留统考克赛组中包括6属7种,它们是:Fistulipora granulosa Astrova, Hallopora xinjiangensis Lu, Semicoscinium pyramidatum Kopaevich, Sem. fragilis Astrova, Chasmatopora sp., Orthopora sp., Sceptropora sp.; 下泥盆统托让格库都克组中包括2属3种:Fistulipora Sp., Semicoscinium baytikensis Wang et Lu(sp. nov.), Sem. kurjensis Nekhoroshev.根据上述苔藓虫组合特征,可建立两个苔藓虫组合,上志留统为Fistulipora granulosa-Hallopora xinjiangensis组合;下泥盆统为Semicoscinium baytikensis-Sem. kurjensis组合。     

Planktonic foraminifers in the southern Bering Sea: Changes in composition and productivity during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene

Taxonomic composition and distribution of planktonic foraminifers are studied in section of Core GC-11 that penetrated through Upper Quaternary sediments of the Bowers Ridge western slope, the southern Bering Sea. As is shown, structure of foraminiferal assemblage and productivity have varied substantially during the last 32000 calendar years in response to changes in surface water temperatures and water mass circulation in the northern part of the Pacific, the Bering Sea included. The productivity was maximal during deglaciation epoch, being notably lower in the Holocene and minimal at the glaciation time.     

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.     

汉南地区晋宁晚期铜-金成矿事件的确认及意义

汉南地区位于扬子克拉通北缘西段。目前,在川、陕两省已在该区发现了数十个矿床(点)。其中,广泛分布的铜-金矿床(点)具有热液型矿化特征,成矿条件有利,具有寻找大-中型矿床的远景。为了查明这些铜-金矿产资源的形成时代,文章运用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb法和单矿物~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar法对汉南地区有代表性的矿床(点)进行了成矿年代学研究。其结果显示,潘坝成矿期热液脉的锆石U-Pb年龄为(744±10)Ma,黑云母和钾长石~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar视年龄介于740 Ma~700 Ma之间。元山寺的成矿期白云母~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar坪年龄为(744±4)Ma,等时线年龄为(748±7)Ma。由于本次测试选择了成矿期矿物,其结果可以代表成矿时代。因此,汉南很可能存在晋宁晚期的铜-金成矿事件。根据区域地质演化历史,笔者认为汉南铜-金矿化(744 Ma)是造山晚期加厚岩石圈下部(山根)拆沉的结果。     

Timing of Fracture Formation and Duration of Mineralization at the Hishikari Deposit, Southern Kyushu, Japan

Abstract. The Hishikari epithermal gold deposit consists of the Honko-Sanjin zone and Yamada zone. On the basis of observed crosscutting relationships of veins, vein system in the Hishikari deposit was classified into the early and late veins. They differ from orientation, width, control by unconformity, the amount of displacement and structural features, but have similarity in gold grade and Au/Ag ratios. K-Ar ages are presented for the classified veins to clarify timing of fracturing and duration of mineralization.
Age determination revealed that the early veins in the Honko-Sanjin zone range from 0.86 to 1.11 Ma and that the late veins range from 0.73 to 0. 84 Ma. The economically most important mineralization in the Hishikari deposit occurred around 0.90 Ma in a very short period (about 0.05 million years).
The distribution of mineralization age in the whole Hishikari deposit, occurrences of slickensides and ground water temperatures imply that mineralization lasted longer in the southern part of the deposit. As compared the early veins with late veins, structural changes including width, strike, dip and vein characteristics occurred at around 0.85 Ma.