Pediment response to drainage basin evolution in south-central Arizona

The Sonoran Desert portion of the Basin and Range physiographic province contains a number of streams that now flow across once-closed basins. We explore here the research questions of if and how granitic rock pediments respond to the transition from rimming endorheic basins to bordering through-flowing streams. Granitic rock pediments of the northern Usery and eastern McDowell Mountains once graded to the closed Miocene–Pliocene Pemberton basin that occupied the present-day location of the confluence of the Salt and Verde Rivers. The process of lake overflow, which integrated these rivers, first aggraded fill terraces that, in turn, caused aggradation of a mantle of transported grus on bedrock pediments. Subsequent episodic incision of the Salt and Verde rivers lowered the base level; this led to the development of erosional features such as rolling topography of a degrading pediment mantle; exposure of the former piedmont angle and its associated zones of enhanced bedrock decay and regolith carbonate; and exposure of spheroidally weathered bedrock and emerging tors, some of which experienced 20^th century erosion. The granitic pediments of the former Pemberton Basin, which now transport grus to the Salt and Verde rivers, have actively adjusted to aggradational and degradational events associated with drainage integration and do not appear to be inherited from an ancient wet climatic interval.     

大兴安岭西坡银都赋矿岩体LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年及其成因意义

银都矿床位于内蒙古大兴安岭西坡,为受断裂控制的银多金属矿床。该矿床的岩体主要为石英闪长岩。该岩体中的锆石分为岩浆锆石和热液锆石两类:岩浆锆石无色透明,自形长柱状,具有典型的振荡环带特征;而热液锆石呈浅褐色,半透明—不透明,等轴状,其暗色增生边明显切过了核部岩浆锆石结构。热液锆石相对岩浆锆石具有低Th/U和LREE,高Hf和HREE的特征。银都岩体岩浆锆石的206Pb/238 U加权平均年龄为(451.8±7.8)Ma,属加里东期,为岩体的结晶年龄;热液锆石的206 Pb/238 U加权平均年龄为(337.0±7.7)Ma,属中石炭世,代表了热液作用的年龄。热液锆石年龄表明,该区在337Ma左右经历了一次强烈的热液作用,该期热液作用可能与该区造山峰期的变质作用有关。本区的地质特征和流体包裹体特征表明,本区银矿的形成很可能与这期热液活动密切相关。     

A paleomagnetic and magnetic fabric study of the Illapel Plutonic Complex,Coastal Range,central Chile: Implications for emplacement mechanism and regional tectonic evolution during the mid-Cretaceous

The Illapel Plutonic Complex (IPC), located in the Coastal Range of central Chile (31°–33° S), is composed of different lithologies, ranging from gabbros to trondhjemites, including diorites, tonalites and granodiorites. U/Pb geochronological data shows that the IPC was amalgamated from, at least, four different magmatic pulses between 117 and 90 Ma (Lower to mid-Cretaceous). We present new paleomagnetic results including Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) from 62 sites in the plutonic rocks, 10 sites in country rocks and 7 sites in a mafic dyke swarm intruding the plutonic rocks.Remanent magnetizations carried by pyrrhotite in deformed country rock sediments nearby the intrusive rocks indicate that tilting of the sedimentary rocks occurred prior or during the intrusion. The paleomagnetic study shows no evidence for either a measurable tilt of the IPC or a significant rotation of the forearc at this latitude range. Moreover, new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages exclude any medium- to low-temperature post-magmatic recrystallization/deformation event in the studied samples. AMS data show a magnetic foliation that is often sub-vertical. Despite an apparent N–S elongated shape of the IPC, the large variations in the orientation of the AMS foliation suggests that this plutonic complex could be made of several units distributed in a N–S trend rather than N–S elongated bodies.Previous works have suggested for this area a major shift on tectonic evolution from highly extensional during Lower Cretaceous to a period around 100 Ma, associated with exhumation and compressive deformation to conform the present day Coastal Range. The low degree of anisotropy and the lack of evidence for a tectonic fabric in the intrusive rocks indicate that the shift from extensional to compressional should postdate the emplacement of the IPC, i.e. is younger than 90Ma.     

大兴安岭北段塔源二支线铅锌铜矿区岩浆岩岩石成因及其地质意义

塔源二支线铅锌铜矿床地处额尔古纳地块东南缘,位于得尔布干成矿带东段.为确定塔源二支线铅锌铜矿区岩浆岩的岩石成因及其地质意义,对矿区岩浆岩开展了岩石学、地球化学以及同位素年代学研究.笔者在矿区识别出两期岩浆作用,早期发生于(296.1±2.3)Ma(早二叠世),侵入体为二长闪长岩;晚期发生在(136.5±2.1)Ma(早...     

A record of Lateglacial/Holocene environmental change from a high‐elevation site in the Intermountain West,USA

Records of past vegetation and fire history can be complicated by changes in the depositional environment of a sampling location. However, these changes can alternatively be used as a measure of climate variability. Our study site, ca. 18.0 cal. ka BP record from Little Brooklyn Lake, Wyoming, located near the crest of the Snowy Range, records three moisture states. Initially, the lake was likely a glacier‐fed pond indicated by the presence of Pediastrum algae colonies. Around 13.0 cal. ka BP this pond transitioned to a meadow environment, suggested by the loss of Pediastrum algae colonies and slow sedimentation rates. Meadow conditions were maintained until ca. 5.0 cal. ka BP when Pediastrum algae colony abundance increased,indicating the formation of a shallow lake. From 18.0 to ca. 5.0 cal. ka BP, the pollen record is suggestive of alpine vegetation conditions with relatively high spruce and herbaceous taxa. Low charcoal influx also characterizes the period between 18.0 and 5.0 cal. ka BP. After 5.0 cal. ka BP, the coincidence of the formation of shallow lake and pollen data, indicating a shift to a spruce and fir forest, suggests an increase in effective moisture. Fire remained rare in this basin over the entire record, however, once the lake established sedimentation rates and charcoal influx increased. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Streamflow and suspended sediment yield following the 2000 Bobcat fire,Colorado

Postfire runoff and erosion are a concern, and more data are needed on the effects of wildfire at the watershed‐scale, especially in the Colorado Front Range. The goal of this study was to characterize and compare the streamflow and suspended sediment yield response of two watersheds (Bobcat Gulch and Jug Gulch) after the 2000 Bobcat fire. Bobcat Gulch had several erosion control treatments applied after the fire, including aerial seeding, contour log felling, mulching, and straw wattles. Jug Gulch was partially seeded. Study objectives were to: (1) measure precipitation, streamflow, and sediment yields; (2) assess the effect of rainfall intensity on peak discharges, storm runoff, and sediment yields; (3) evaluate short‐term hydrologic recovery. Two months after the fire, a storm with a maximum 30 min rainfall intensity I₃₀ of 42 mm h^?1 generated a peak discharge of 3900 l s^?1 km^?2 in Bobcat Gulch. The same storm produced less than 5 l s^?1 km^?2 in Jug Gulch, due to less rainfall and the low watershed response. In the second summer, storms with, I₃₀ of 23 mm h^?1 and 32 mm h^?1 generated peak discharges of 1100 l s^?1 km^?2 and 1700 l s^?1 km^?2 in the treated and untreated watersheds respectively. Maximum water yield efficiencies were 10% and 17% respectively, but 18 of the 23 storms returned ≤2% of the rainfall as runoff, effectively obscuring interpretation of the erosion control treatments. I₃₀ explained 86% of the variability in peak discharges, 74% of the variability in storm runoff, and >80% of the variability in sediment yields. Maximum single‐storm sediment yields in the second summer were 370 kg ha^?1 in the treated watershed and 950 kg ha^?1 in the untreated watershed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大兴安岭中生代火山岩地层时空分布与蒙古—鄂霍茨克洋、古太平洋板块俯冲作用响应

为了提高大兴安岭中生代火山岩地层的区域可对比性、深入研究大兴安岭中生代火山岩与古太平洋和蒙古—鄂霍茨克洋的构造关系,本文在大兴安岭地区1: 1 000 000地质图编图的基础上,依据岩石组合、古生物、接触关系、区域对比以及最新的年代学(锆石U-Pb、⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar测年)资料,对大兴安岭中生代火山岩地层重新进行了厘定。进一步界定了塔木兰沟组(172~161 Ma)、满克头鄂博组(162~148 Ma)、玛尼吐组(158~145 Ma)、白音高老组(145~129 Ma)、梅勒图组(143~128 Ma)、龙江组(128~120 Ma)、光华组(128~118 Ma)、甘河组(120~113 Ma)和孤山镇组(118~110 Ma)的形成时代。结合古太平洋、蒙古—鄂霍茨克洋板块对东亚大陆边缘的俯冲作用,解析了中生代火山岩形成的构造背景,认为中—晚侏罗世NE向展布的火山岩主要形成于蒙古—鄂霍茨克洋板块向南东俯冲的伸展背景,早白垩世NNE向展布的火山岩主要形成于伊泽奈岐板块向东亚大陆俯冲的伸展背景。晚侏罗世与早白垩世火山岩地层之间发育的开库康组、木瑞组等类磨拉石建造,是两个构造体系转换阶段的主要沉积记录。     

Physical analog (centrifuge) model investigation of contrasting structural styles in the Salt Range and Potwar Plateau,northern Pakistan

We use scaled physical analog (centrifuge) modeling to investigate along- and across-strike structural variations in the Salt Range and Potwar Plateau of the Himalayan foreland fold-thrust belt of Pakistan. The models, composed of interlayered plasticine and silicone putty laminae, comprise four mechanical units representing the Neoproterozoic Salt Range Formation (basal detachment), Cambrian–Eocene carapace sequence, and Rawalpindi and Siwalik Groups (Neogene molasse), on a rigid base representing the Indian craton. Pre-cut ramps simulate basement faults with various structural geometries.A pre-existing north-dipping basement normal fault under the model foreland induces a frontal ramp and a prominent fault-bend-fold culmination, simulating the Salt Range. The ramp localizes displacement on a frontal thrust that occurs out-of-sequence with respect to other foreland folds and thrusts. With a frontal basement fault terminating to the east against a right-stepping, east-dipping lateral ramp, deformation propagates further south in the east; strata to the east of the lateral ramp are telescoped in ENE-trending detachment folds, fault-propagation folds and pop-up structures above a thick basal detachment (Salt Range Formation), in contrast to translated but less-deformed strata with E–W-trending Salt-Range structures to the west. The models are consistent with Salt Range–Potwar Plateau structural style contrasts being due to basement fault geometry and variation in detachment thickness.     

Displacement transfer from fault-bend to fault-propagation fold geometry: An example from the Himalayan thrust front

The leading edge of the ENE-trending Himalayan thrust front in Pakistan exhibits along-strike changes in deformational style, ranging from fault-bend to fault-propagation folds. Although the structural geometry is very gently deformed throughout the Salt Range, it becomes progressively more complex to the east as the leading edge of the emergent Salt Range Thrust becomes blind. Surface geology, seismic reflection, petroleum well, and chronostratigraphic data are synthesized to produce a 3-D kinematic model that reconciles the contrasting structural geometries along this part of the Himalayan thrust front. We propose a model whereby displacement was transferred, across a newly-identified lateral ramp, from a fault-bend fold in the west to fault-propagation folds in the east and comparable shortening was synchronously accommodated by two fundamentally different mechanisms: translation vs. telescoping. However, substantially different shortening distribution patterns within these structurally contrasting segments require a tear fault, which later is reactivated as a thrust fault. The present geometry of this S-shaped displacement transfer zone is a combined result of the NW–SE compression of the lateral culmination wall and associated tear fault, and their subsequent modification due to mobilization of underlying ductile salt.     

Inference of a detailed P–T path from P–T pseudosections using metapelitic rocks of variable composition from a single outcrop, Shackleton Range, Antarctica

Generally, P–T pseudosections for reduced compositional systems, such as K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O, Na₂O–K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O and MnO–K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O, are well suited for inferring detailed P–T paths, comparing mineral assemblages observed in natural rocks with those calculated. Examples are provided by P–T paths inferred for four metapelitic samples from a 1 m² wide outcrop of the Herbert Mountains in the Shackleton Range, Antarctica. The method works well if the bulk composition used is reconstituted from average mineral modes and mineral compositions (AMC) or when X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) data are corrected for Al₂O₃ and FeO. A plagioclase correction is suitable for Al₂O₃. Correction for FeO is dependent on additional microscopic observations, e.g. the kind and amount of opaque minerals. In some cases, all iron can be treated as FeO^tot, whereas in others a magnetite or hematite correction yields much better results. Comparison between calculated and observed mineral modes and mineral compositions shows that the AMC bulk composition is best suited to the interpretation of rock textures using P–T pseudosections, whereas corrected XRF data yield good results only when the investigated sample has few opaque minerals. The results indicate that metapelitic rocks from the Herbert Mountains of the Northern Shackleton Range underwent a prograde P–T evolution from about 600 °C/5.5 kbar to 660 °C/7 kbar, followed by nearly adiabatic cooling to about 600 °C at 4.5 kbar.