Sedimentology,depositional environments and significance of an Ediacaran salt‐withdrawal minibasin,Billy Springs Formation,Flinders Ranges,South Australia

The late Ediacaran Billy Springs Formation is a little‐studied, mudstone‐dominated unit deposited in the Adelaide Rift Complex of South Australia. Sediments are exposed in an approximately 11 km × 15 km synclinal structure interpreted as a salt‐withdrawal minibasin. The stratigraphic succession is characterized by convolute‐laminated slump deposits, rhythmically laminated silty mudstones, rare diamictites and fining‐upward turbidite lithofacies. Lithofacies are the product of deposition in a deepwater slope or shelf setting, representing one of the few such examples preserved within the larger basin. Although exact correlations with other formations are unclear, the Billy Springs Formation probably represents the distal portion of a highstand systems tract, and is overlain by coarser sediments of the upper Pound Subgroup. Diamictite intervals are interpreted to be the product of mass flow processes originating from nearby emergent diapirs, in contrast to previous studies that suggest a glacial origin for extrabasinal clasts. Within the spectrum of outcropping minibasins around the world, the sediments described here are unique in their dominantly fine‐grained nature and overall lithological homogeneity. Exposures such as these provide an opportunity to better understand the sedimentological processes that operate in these environments, and provide an analogue for similar settings in the subsurface that act as hydrocarbon reservoir‐trap systems.     

Syn‐rift mass flow generated ‘tectonofacies’ and ‘tectonosequences’ of the Kingston Peak Formation,Death Valley,California, and their bearing on supposed Neoproterozoic panglacial climates

The Kingston Peak Formation of the Pahrump Group in the Death Valley region of the Basin and Range Province, USA, is the thick (over 3 km) mixed siliciclastic–carbonate fill of a long‐lived structurally‐complex Neoproterozoic rift basin and is recognized by some as a key ‘climatostratigraphic’ succession recording panglacial Snowball Earth events. A facies analysis of the Kingston Peak Formation shows it to be largely composed of ‘tectonofacies’ which are subaqueous mass flow deposits recording cannibalization of older Pahrump carbonate strata exposed by local faulting. Facies include siltstone, sandstone and conglomerate turbidites, carbonate megabreccias (olistoliths) and related breccias, and interbedded debrites. Secondary facies are thin carbonates and pillowed basalts. Four distinct associations of tectonofacies (‘base‐of‐scarp’; FA1, ‘mid‐slope’; FA2, ‘base‐of‐slope’; FA3, and a ‘carbonate margin’ association; FA4) reflect the initiation and progradation of deep water clastic wedges at the foot of fault scarps. ‘Tectonosequences’ record episodes of fault reactivation resulting in substantial increases in accommodation space and water depths, the collapse of fault scarps and consequent downslope mass flow events. Carbonates of FA4 record the cessation of tectonic activity and resulting sediment starvation ending the growth of clastic wedges. Tectonosequences are nested within regionally‐extensive tectono‐stratigraphic units of earlier workers that are hundreds to thousands of metres in thickness, recording the long‐term evolution of the rifted Laurentian continental margin during the protracted breakup of Rodinia. Debrite facies of the Kingston Peak Formation are classically described as ice‐contact glacial deposits recording globally‐correlative panglacials but they result from partial to complete subaqueous mixing of fault‐generated coarse‐grained debris and fine‐grained distal sediment on a slope conditioned by tectonic activity. The sedimentology (tectonofacies) and stratigraphy (tectonosequences) of the Kingston Peak Formation reflect a fundamental control on local sedimentation in the basin by faulting and likely earthquake activity, not by any global glacial climate.     

Layered intrusions and volcanic sequences in Central Brazil: Geological and geochronological constraints for Mesoproterozoic (1.25 Ga) and Neoproterozoic (0.79 Ga) igneous associations

A 350-km long belt of layered complexes and associated volcano-sedimentary sequences forms a continental-scale feature exposed along the internal portion of the Neoproterozoic Brasília Belt in central Brazil. This study provides new geochronological results and a critical review of the available data of these igneous associations of central Brazil. Precise age dating combined with geological and petrological studies indicate that this belt consists of two distinct igneous rock associations. The 1.25 and 0.79 Ga igneous episodes are constrained by reliable U–Pb zircon ages (SHRIMP and ID-TIMS) obtained in different regions and lithotypes of this belt. Both igneous associations were affected by high-grade metamorphism and tectonism at ca. 0.76 Ga, which partially disrupted the original igneous stratigraphy of the layered complexes and volcano-sedimentary sequences. The present configuration of this belt results from later events, probably caused by final ocean closure and continental collision between the São Francisco and Amazonian continents at ca. 0.63 Ga.     

Global perturbation of the marine Ca isotopic composition in the aftermath of the Marinoan global glaciation

Ca isotopic compositions of Marinoan post-glacial carbonate successions in Brazil and NW Canada were measured. Both basal dolostones display δ^44/40Ca values between 1 and 0.7‰, overlying limestones show a negative Ca isotope excursion to values around 0.1‰, and δ^44/40Ca values rapidly increase up-section to near 2.0‰. In the Brazilian successions, those high δ^44/40Ca values rapidly decrease and stabilize to values between 0.6 and 0.9‰. These Ca isotope secular variation trends are unlike those of Sturtian post-glacial carbonate successions, but similar to those of Marinoan post-glacial carbonate successions in Namibia, suggesting that the perturbation of the marine Ca cycle was global. This recommends Ca isotope stratigraphy as a tool to correlate Neoproterozoic post-glacial carbonate successions worldwide.     

吉辽徐淮地区新元古代形成时代及地层划分对比研究

吉辽徐淮地区新元古代地层划分对比目前没有统一的方案。许多研究者从Sr同位素、C同位素、地质事件、古地磁和古生物等方面对吉辽徐淮地区新元古代地层的形成时代和地层对比进行研究,并提出了各自的地层划分方案,该文探讨了寻找标志性的生物化石,采集更多Sr,C的同位素数据,开展区域性的地质调查,进行地层划分对比的重要性,同时指出这也是今后研究的重点方向。     

Age constraints on the formation and emplacement of Neoproterozoic ophiolites along the Allaqi–Heiani Suture, South Eastern Desert of Egypt

Ophiolites are key components of the Neoproterozoic Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS). Understanding when they formed and were emplaced is crucial for understanding the evolution of the ANS because their ages tell when seafloor spreading and terrane accretion occurred. The Yanbu–Onib–Sol Hamed–Gerf–Allaqi–Heiani (YOSHGAH) suture and ophiolite belt can be traced  600 km across the Nubian and Arabian shields. We report five new SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages from igneous rocks along the Allaqi segment of the YOSHGAH suture in southernmost Egypt and use these data in conjunction with other age constraints to evaluate YOSHGAH suture evolution. Ophiolitic layered gabbro gave a concordia age of 730 ± 6 Ma, and a metadacite from overlying arc-type metavolcanic rocks yielded a weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 733 ± 7 Ma, indicating ophiolite formation at  730 Ma. Ophiolite emplacement is also constrained by intrusive bodies: a gabbro yielded a concordia age of 697 ± 5 Ma, and a quartz-diorite yielded a concordia age of 709 ± 4 Ma. Cessation of deformation is constrained by syn- to post-tectonic granite with a concordia age of 629 ± 5 Ma. These new data, combined with published zircon ages for ophiolites and stitching plutons from the YOSHGAH suture zone, suggest a 2-stage evolution for the YOSHGAH ophiolite belt ( 810–780 Ma and  730–750 Ma) and indicate that accretion between the Gabgaba–Gebeit–Hijaz terranes to the south and the SE Desert–Midyan terranes to the north occurred as early as 730 Ma and no later than 709 ± 4 Ma.     

贵州从江高增新元古代大塘坡组锰矿沉积地球化学特征

贵州新元古代大塘坡期是重要的成锰时期,在贵州东部、湖南西部形成了一系列锰矿床。近年来在贵州东南部从江发现的大塘坡期锰矿,表明大塘坡期成锰范围更广,成锰环境更为复杂。通过对从江高增新元古代大塘坡组锰矿的沉积特征、矿物学和沉积地球化学特征的研究,含锰岩系具有热液(水)沉积、富集Cu、Zn、Ni、Nb、Co、Mo、As、Sb、Sr、Ba、V、Ga、Ag、Th、U等特征,特别是Pb、Co、W均显著富集,显示热液沉积特征。含锰岩系中黑色块状锰矿、深灰色纹层状锰矿和灰白色纹层状含锰凝灰岩在U-Th相关图、Cr-Zr相关图、Co/Zn-(Co+Ni+Cu)相关图上均显示具有热液(水)沉积特征,稀土配分曲线类似碧口群海底火山喷流沉积。含锰岩系为由凝灰岩、硅质岩、碳酸锰互层和黑色碳质泥岩沉积组合,其岩石组合与海底火山喷流沉积类似。因此,认为从江高增锰矿属于海底热液(水)喷流沉积产物,该地区锰矿找矿应该沿同生深大断裂进行。     

信阳周庄变辉长岩LA-ICPMS U-Pb定年与华北南缘复杂演化过程

河南信阳周庄变基性侵入岩体出露于华北克拉通南缘,主要由斜长石+角闪石(+绿帘石)组成,可见残余辉长结构,属经历了绿帘角闪岩相-低角闪岩相变质的变辉长岩.对变辉长岩的两个样品中的锆石进行了LA-ICPMS U-Pb同位素测年分析.这两个样品都给出了859Ma的谐和上交点年龄,但分别给出了356±82Ma和234±36Ma的谐和下交点年龄.其中一个样品还给出了另外两组谐和的年龄,它们的~(206)Pb/~(238)U表面年龄分别是616±10Ma和442±6.5Ma.我们解释共同的谐和上交点年龄(859Ma)代表着岩体的侵位时代,是Rodinia超大陆裂解事件在华北克拉通南缘的早期记录(如基性岩浆侵入作用);其他四组年龄是岩体后期所经历改造事件的年龄记录,包括新元古代晚期的再次裂解(如变质重结晶作用)和古生代、早中生代时期扬子克拉通向北的俯冲-碰撞对华北南缘的强烈改造过程.     

重庆秀山凉桥板溪群红子溪组凝灰岩SHRIMP锆石测年及其意义

关于板溪群的时代归属及其地层划分对比,一直以来存在较大争议,为此作者在重新研究了秀山—梵净山地区板溪群的沉积序列及其演化的基础上,首次对秀山凉桥地区的板溪群红子溪组顶部的晶屑凝灰岩进行了SHRIMP锆石U-Pb测年,研究显示板溪群早期的盆地扩张阶段结束于790Ma左右,随后盆地转入快速充填和差异升降阶段。地层对比研究表明,秀山—梵静山地区的板溪群沉积仅相当于黔东的下江群、湘西的板溪群下部,沉积时限为820～790Ma,是新元古代中期Rodinia裂解背景下的裂陷盆地的早期充填。     

Application of carbon isotope chemostratigraphy to the Renison dolomites,Tasmania: A Neoproterozoic age

This study uses carbon isotope chemostratigraphy to propose an age for the Success Creek Group and Crimson Creek Formation in the absence of any direct radiometric dates, palaeomagnetic or reliable palaeontological data. The δ¹³C values were determined for the least‐altered dolomite samples. Suitable samples were selected on the basis of grainsize, cathodoluminescence petrography, most enriched δ¹⁸O values (> ‐2%o) low Mn/Sr ratios and low Fe and Mn concentrations. The average least‐altered, most ¹³C‐enriched dolomicrite samples in the youngest (No. 1) dolomite horizon are + 4.6%o. This is typical of Neoproterozoic (but not Cambrian) carbonates. The δ¹³C values of all dolomite samples in the succession are significantly positive (up to + 7.5%o) and the excursion characteristic of the Proterozoic/Cambrian boundary has not been observed. The lack of negative δ¹³C values in all dolomite samples studied also suggests an absence of correlatives of Sturtian and Varanger tillites in the dolomite successions. The δ¹³C values in all three dolomite horizons suggest a Neoproterozoic age between about 820 to 570 Ma (Cryogenian to Neoproterozoic III) on the current global compilation carbon isotope curves. This age for the Success Creek Group and Crimson Creek Formation, inferred from carbon isotope chemostratigraphy, can be substantiated by other evidence. The age of the Renison dolomites is constrained by K‐Ar dates of 708 ± 6 Ma from detrital muscovite in the underlying Oonah Formation and 588 ± 8 and 600 ± 8 Ma from doleritic rock in a lithostratigraphic equivalent of the Crimson Creek Formation from the Smithton Basin. Furthermore, acritarchs and the stromatolite Baicalia cf. B. burra also suggest a Neoproterozoic rather than Cambrian age.