Cretaceous and Tertiary terrane accretion in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of Ecuador

New field, geochronological, geochemical and biostratigraphical data indicate that the central and northern parts of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of Ecuador comprise two terranes. The older (Pallatanga) terrane consists of an early to late (?) Cretaceous oceanic plateau suite, late Cretaceous marine turbidites derived from an unknown basaltic to andesitic volcanic source, and a tectonic mélange of probable late Cretaceous age. The younger (Macuchi) terrane consists of a volcanosedimentary island arc sequence, derived from a basaltic to andesitic source. A previously unidentified, regionally important dextral shear zone named the Chimbo-Toachi shear zone separates the two terranes. Regional evidence suggests that the Pallatanga terrane was accreted to the continental margin (the already accreted Cordillera Real) in Campanian times, producing a tectonic mélange in the suture zone. The Macuchi terrane was accreted to the Pallatanga terrane along the Chimbo-Toachi shear zone during the late Eocene, probably in a dextral shear regime. The correlation of Cretaceous rocks and accretionary events in the Cordillera Occidental of Ecuador and Colombia remains problematical, but the late Eocene event is recognised along the northern Andean margin.     

États de contraintes et mécanismes d'ouverture et de fermeture des bassins permiens du Maroc hercynien. L'exemple des bassins des Jebilet et des RéhamnaStates of stresses and opening/closing mechanisms of the Permian basins in Hercynian Morocco. The example of the Jebilet and Réhamna Basins

The fracturing analysis in the Permian basins of Jebilet and Rehamna (Hercynian Morocco) and the underlying terranes allowed us to suggest a model for their opening. Three tectonic episodes are distinguished: a transtensional episode NNE–SSW-trending (Permian I), occurring during the opening along sinistral wrench faults N70–110-trending, associated with synsedimentary normal faults; a transpressive episode ESE–WNW-trending (Permian II), initiating the closure, the normal faults playing back reverse faults and the N70 trending faults dextral wrench faults; a compressional episode NNW–SSE (post-Permian, ante-Triassic), accentuating the closure and the deformation and putting an end to the Tardi-Hercynian compressive movements. To cite this article: A. Saidi et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 221–226.     

2-D viscoelastic FEM simulation on stress state in the deep part of a subducted slab

Introduction It is found that there are some relationships between the thermal structures of subduction zones and the deep seismicity, while the mechanism relates the thermal structure and the deep seismicity is still unsure (Helffrich, Brodholt, 1991; Furukawa, 1994; Kirby, et al, 1996). From 1980s, geoscientists have constituted a series of numerical simulations on the stress states of subduction slabs. Based on the kinetic computation of Sung and Burns (1976a, b), Goto, et al (1983, 1987…     

A comparison of tectonic ambient shear stress value in China with that in western USA

Introduction The stress status of the earths crust is closely related to global structure, the direction of plate movement, the drive mechanism of plate, earthquake cause, etc. Therefore the researches of the stress status of the earths crust and the process of dynamic evolution are paid a great attention to by many people around the world (Zoback, Zoback, 1980; Zoback, et al, 1989; Zoback, 1989; Spence, 1997; Fuchs, 1997; Plenefish, Bonjer, 1997; Muller, et al, 1997; XU, et al, 1989; WAN…     

Study on dynamics of tectonic evolution in the Fushun Basin, Northeast China

The updated study shows that the taphrogenesis of basement of the Fushun Basin is not a kind of instantaneous process. It intensified gradually and went to extreme in the sedimentary stage of the Guchengzi formation, and then, it weakened rapidly and stopped soon afterwards; the depression did not take place after the taphrogenesis. On the contrary, it almost happened simultaneously with the taphrogenesis. The depression went at a high speed from the beginning of the sedimentary period of the Xilutian formation, and then weakened gradually in the sedimentary period of the Gengjiajie formation. The evolution course of the synsedimentary structure of the Fushun Basin can be summarized as the following six stages: slow taphrogenesis and high speed depression to accelerated taphrogenesis and high speed depression to high speed taphrogenesis and high speed depression to retarded taphrogenesis and high speed depression to gradual halt of taphrogenesis and reduced depression to slow depression and gradual halt of depression. The tectonic evolution resulted in the formation of the "lower taphrogenesis and upper depression" structure. The formation of the binary structure might be due to the suspension of taphrogenesis and the change of the regional structure stress field, but the depression kept going. The result of calculation combining the analysis of the synsedimentary structural frame, the back-stripping method of the subsidence history of the basin basement and the simulation of thermo-settlement history indicates that the great sedimentary space required by the "upper depression part" consists of two parts, namely, 40% from compaction of sediments and 60% from slow depression of the basin basement during a long period of time. Gradual halt of the depression in the Fushun Basin may be attributed to the reversal of the lithosphere hot-recession and gravity isostasy adjustment which may be the result of new hot-events in the depths and accompanied invasion of extremely thick diabase sill, thus revealing a new forming mechanism of "fault subsidence at the base and depression on the top" structure.     

含预制软弱带的岩石破裂过程的数值模拟

考虑到岩石脆性破坏过程中介质的不均匀性之特点，对岩石样品中含预制弱介质条带的岩石样品破坏过程进行二维有限元数值模拟，并对弱介质带的破坏贯通过程、新的断层的产生和有关的地震活动进行了研究．数值模型展示了岩石从变形、微观破坏到整体破坏的全过程以及微震活动的时空分布特征．应力、应变和微震活动的时空分布形象地描绘了岩石变形的局部化和时空迁移等现象，这与实际地壳中所观测到的现象是一致的．此外，模拟结果与实验观测结果也是一致或相似的．      

唐山地震震源区构造应力场强度的初步分析

利用唐山地区丰富的震源机制解资料反演构造应力场，并结合构造物理研究手段，对唐山地震震源区现代构造应力场的3个主应力绝对量值进行了估算，给出了地壳介质参数取理论平均值的情况下，唐山地震震源区构造应力场３个主应力量值随深度的变化趋势．研究分析了摩擦系数c、孔隙压力P0和应力形因子 等参数与应力值的关系，发现最大主应力1的垂向增长率与摩擦系数c成正比，与孔隙压力P0和应力形因子成反比；而最小应力值3的垂向增长率与孔隙压力P0成正比，与摩擦系数c和应力形因子成反比．本文对应用震源机制解资料反演完整的应力张量进行了一次有意义的尝试．      

中国与美国西部平均构造剪应力值的比较

提出了一种估计一个地区平均构造剪应力值的方法．用这种方法，选取哈佛大学公布的1977～1999年共15 993次地震的矩张量数据，估计了美国西部19个地区、中国和邻区43个地区(每个地区为1010范围)的平均环境剪应力值．结果表明，美国西部南加州西部海域和南加州应力最高，达13.7和12.0 MPa，然后向北、向南和向东逐渐递减，但最小也达8.7 MPa，是最高值的63%．中国新疆西北部地区和西藏察隅地区应力水平最高，达17.2和12.9 MPa，比美国高．中国的华北、云南、四川、台湾和美国南加州的应力水平差不多．中国南北地震带的应力水平为13 MPa左右，比南加州略高．两个重要地区的平均剪应力值分布图，提供了地学的基本数据．这些结果可为研究地震活动的大背景提供依据，对研究强地面运动参数(如峰值加速度及反应谱等)的衰减关系也是有用的．      

Shallow seismicity, stress distribution and crustal deformation pattern in the Andaman-West Sunda arc and Andaman Sea, northeastern Indian Ocean

Shallow seismicity and available source mechanisms in the Andaman–westSunda arc and Andaman sea region suggest distinct variation in stressdistribution pattern both along and across the arc in the overriding plate.Seismotectonic regionalisation indicates that the region could be dividedinto eight broad seismogenic sources of relatively homogeneousdeformation. Crustal deformation rates have been determined for each oneof these sources based on the summation of moment tensors. The analysisshowed that the entire fore arc region is dominated by compressive stresseswith compression in a mean direction of N23^°, and the rates ofseismic deformation velocities in this belt decrease northward from 5.2± 0.65 mm/yr near Nias island off Sumatra and 1.12 ±0.13 mm/yr near Great Nicobar islands to as much as 0.4 ±0.04 mm/yr north of 8^°N along Andaman–Nicobar islandsregion. The deformation velocities indicate, extension of 0.83 ±0.05 mm/yr along N343^° and compression of 0.19 ±0.01 mm/yr along N73^° in the Andaman back arc spreadingregion, extension of 0.18 ± 0.01 mm/yr along N125^° andcompression of 0.16 ± 0.01 mm/yr along N35^° in NicobarDeep and west Andaman fault zone, compression of 0.84 ±0.12 mm/yr N341^° and extension of 0.77 ± 0.11 mm/yralong N72^° within the transverse tectonic zone in the Andamantrench, N-S compression of 3.19 ± 0.29 mm/yr and an E-Wextension of 1.24 ± 0.11 mm/yr in the Semangko fault zone ofnorth Sumatra. The vertical deformation suggests crustal thinning in theAndaman sea and crustal thickening in the fore arc and Semangko faultzones. The apparent stresses calculated for all major events range between0.1–10 bars and the values increase with increasing seismic moment.However, the apparent stress estimates neither indicate any significantvariation with faulting type nor display any variation across the arc, incontrast to the general observation that the fore arc thrust events showhigher stress levels in the shallow subduction zones. It is inferred that theoblique plate convergence, partial subduction of 90^°E Ridge innorth below the Andaman trench and the active back arc spreading are themain contributing factors for the observed stress field within the overridingplate in this region.     

云南丽江地区断裂构造岩岩组动力学研究

丽江地区构造岩岩组动力学研究表明，研究区内中更新世末构造主压应力保持在北西至北西西方向变化；晚更新世中期之后构造主压应力方向则以北北东至北东方向为主变化，并有逐渐向近南北向转化的特点。因此玉龙雪山东麓断裂在中更新世末曾有过左旋压扭活动为主的历史，兼有左旋、右旋的活动过程，1996年2月3日丽江M7．0地震的破裂过程继承了晚更新世后期断裂的活动特点。