An Early Cretaceous extinct spreading center in the northern Natal valley

We have identified an extinct E–W spreading center in the northern Natal valley on the basis of magnetic anomalies which was active from chron M11 (133 Ma) to 125.3 Ma, just before chron M2 (124 Ma) in the Early Cretaceous. Seafloor spreading in the northern Natal valley accounts for approximately 170 km of north–south motion between the Mozambique Ridge and Africa. This extension resolves the predicted overlap of the continental (central and southern) Mozambique Ridge and Antarctica in the chron M2 to M11 reconstructions from Mesozoic finite rotation parameters for Africa and Antarctica. In addition, the magnetic data reveal that the Mozambique Ridge was an independent microplate from at least 133 to 125 Ma. The northern Natal valley extinct spreading center connects to the spreading center separating the Mozambique Basin and the Riiser-Larsen Sea to the east. It follows that the northern Mozambique Ridge was either formed after the emplacement of the surrounding oceanic crust or it is the product of a very robust spreading center. To the west the extinct spreading center connects to the spreading center separating the southern Natal valley and Georgia Basin via a transform fault. Prior to chron M11, there is still a problem with the overlap of Mozambique Ridge if it is assumed to be fixed with respect to either the African or Antarctic plates. Some of the overlap can be accounted for by Jurassic deformation of the Mozambique Ridge, Mozambique Basin, and Dronning Maud land. It appears though that the Mozambique Ridge was an independent microplate from the breakup of Gondwana, 160 Ma, until it became part of the African plate, 125 Ma.     

Physical properties of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks from the Sulu terrain, eastern central China: implications for the seismic structure at the Donghai (CCSD) drilling site

About 30 samples representing major lithologies of Sulu ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks were collected from surface exposures and exploration wells, and compressional (Vp) and shear wave (Vs) velocities and their directional dependence (anisotropy) were determined over a range of constant confining pressures up to 600 MPa and temperatures ranging from 20 to 600 °C. Samples range in composition from acidic to ultramafic. P- and S-wave velocities measured at 600 MPa vary from 5.08 to 8.64 km/s and 2.34 to 4.93 km/s, respectively. Densities are in the range from 2.60 to 3.68 g/cm³. To make a direct tie between seismic measurements (refraction and reflection) and subsurface lithologies, the experimental velocity data (corresponding to shallow depths) were used to calculate velocity profiles for the different lithologies and profiles of reflection coefficients at possible lithologic interfaces across the projected 5000-m Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Program (CCSD) crustal segment. Comparison of calculated in situ velocities with respective intrinsic velocities suggests that the in situ velocities at shallow depths are lowered by an increased abundance of open microcracks. The strongly reflective zone beneath the Donghai drill site can be explained by the impedance contrasts between the different lithologies. Contacts between eclogite/peridotite and felsic rocks (gt-gneiss, granitic gneiss), in particular, may give rise to strong seismic reflections. In addition, shear-induced (lattice preferred orientation (LPO)-related) seismic anisotropy can increase reflectivity. For the explanation of the high velocity bodies (>6.4 km/s) around 1000 m and below 3200-m depth, large proportions of eclogite/peridotite (about 40 and 30 vol.%, respectively) are needed.     

西藏层序地层研究进展

迄今为止，西藏区内所开展的层序地层分析主要涉及到中生代的二级或三级层序。基于露头剖面的沉积相、古生物、磁性地层以及地质事件的综合研究，探讨了三叠纪、侏罗纪和白垩纪的层序地层模式及其形成机制。现今所取得的进展主要表现在3个方面：①初步建立了区内中生代层序地层年代格架；②不同时代、不同类型盆地中的层序数量、结构与层序类型具有较大的差异；③层序地层与磁性地层的结合研究，取得了重要的成果。未来区内的层序地层研究应在3个方面展开；①高分辨率层序地层研究，树立株罗纪－第三纪海平面变化曲线；②探索层序地层填图新方法；③多岛弧造山模式和多机制的隆升模式等大陆动力学问题也是层序地层所遇到的新挑战。     

Large-scale mass wasting in ancient volcanic materials

Giant landslides are significant hazards associated with many active volcanic edifices. We describe a similar feature on ancient (>4 Ma) volcanic deposits subject to active tectonism. The landslide is approximately 3 km long by 1 km wide, with an estimated depth of 400 m. Side margins are straight and parallel, mimicking regional structure; narrow valleys incised down these margins provide low-strength side-release surfaces. Between these is a giant slump consisting of at least four, largely intact, discrete blocks that have moved down-dip a distance of >500 m. A series of flows with areal extents ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 km² extends from the front of the failure. The materials represent an eroded sequence of andesite flows on the flanks of a stratovolcano. These have undergone two phases of hydrothermal alteration, and are deeply weathered to low-density (1040±80 kg m⁻³) silt (59%) and clay (35%) materials with strength properties typical of weathered silts (c=26±3 kN m⁻²; φ=42±8°). The size and location of this landslide preclude detailed geotechnical investigation of the failure. The worth of numerical stability analysis as an alternative technique in assessing the nature of the failure and hence the risk it poses to nearby communities is investigated. Sensitivity analysis identified likely conditions under which initial failure may have occurred: analyses for sensitivity to strength and earthquake acceleration needed conversion to critical combinations (F=1.0) of water table and strength/acceleration to remove the overriding influence of water table fluctuations. Failure was likely initiated either by a high water table level (83-84%), or some combination of intensity VII-IX earthquake waves together with water table heights of 40-80%. A general hazard assessment indicates that the risk associated with creep and catastrophic failure of the main mass is small, whereas the risk from flow failures near the toe of the landslide may be high. Important parameters (hydrological regime, flow failure morphology, age of initiation, and rates of movement) requiring closer investigation are identified. Development of a model is crucial to assessing the hazard associated with a feature such as that described here. With limited resources, a detailed stability analysis is a powerful tool as an initial stage in hazard analysis.     

饱和岩石的各向异性及非线性黏弹性响应

在MTS伺服压机上对不同饱和状态的砂岩、大理岩标本进行了垂直层理和平行层理两个方向的正弦波加载试验,研究了饱和岩石的各向异性及非线性黏弹性行为. 在最大载荷低于岩石的屈服点时,获得的衰减、杨氏模量、泊松比、波速都表现出显著的各向异性,同时它们还具有较明显的应变振幅效应和频率效应. 随着应变振幅的增大,衰减近似呈线性增长,杨氏模量和泊松比近似呈线性下降. 在0.005-4Hz频段内除衰减不明显依赖频率以外,杨氏模量、泊松比、波速对频率的依赖性都较强; 当频段扩大到15Hz时,这4个参数都表现出较强的频率效应. 饱和岩石的衰减、杨氏模量、泊松比、波速均随饱和液体的黏滞系数增大而增大.     

岩石圈流变机制的确定及影响岩石圈流变强度的因素

讨论了确定岩石圈流变强度中存在的问题，根据Byerlee定律，给出了在Anderson断层系统下三种断层的摩擦滑动强度公式，利用小标本实验结果外推，用大标本实验结果作约束，得到岩石圈几种典型岩石的脆性破裂规律，利用上述结果和传统的方法，分别得到了鄂尔多斯和山西裂谷两个典型地区的流变强度随深度的变化。结果表明，以往的计算对岩石圈流变强度的估计过高，对脆性形变区估计不足，流变机制估计不对；岩石圈有力学分层的特性，但各地分层的深度范围不同，使得成层和力学作用变得复杂，讨论了水、应变率以及多相矿物对流变强度的影响。     

多矿物岩石流变规律的研究进展及存在问题

总结了近年来由多种矿物组成的岩石的流变规律的研究，阐述了多矿物岩石流变性质研究的意义和进展，再从实验和理论两个方面，详细论述了目前最具代表性的三种理论模型，算术平均方法、几何平均方法和能量极小方法，最后，指出这方面研究仍然存在的问题和进一步研究的方向。     

长江中下游晚中生代中基性岩的铅同位素特征:富集地幔的证据

长江中下游东段庐枞、怀宁、繁昌、铜陵和宁芜地区的中基性岩属于碱性系列 ,具有高的U ,Th含量和Th/Pb ,U/Pb比值 ,分别平均为 2 .82× 10 -6,9.5 6× 10 -6和 0 .6 35 ,0 .184。样品的初始铅同位素 (130Ma)组成为 :(2 0 6Pb/ 2 0 4Pb) i=17.6 5～ 18.6 0 ,(2 0 7Pb/ 2 0 4Pb) i=15 .4 2～ 15 .5 0 ,(2 0 8Pb/ 2 0 4Pb) i=37.6 7～ 38.0 4。形成中基性岩的原始岩浆来源于富集的岩石圈地幔 ,具有EMⅠ和EMⅡ ,且以EMⅡ为主的特征。和长江中下游西段黄石地区以及大别地块西南部玄武岩的比较表明 ,长江中下游地区岩石圈地幔高的Th/Pb和U/Pb比值可能和俯冲板片析出流体的交代有关。晚中生代时期 ,华北板块岩石圈地幔以EMⅠ特征为主 ,华南板块岩石圈地幔以EMⅡ特征为主 ,岩石圈地幔性质的区域性分布与印支期扬子板块深俯冲事件密切相关。虽然中国东部新生代玄武岩因岩石圈大规模减薄表现了亏损特征 ,但残留的富集岩石圈地幔在中国东部新生代玄武岩的Pb同位素中仍有所反映     

从江县翁浪金矿床容矿岩石与围岩蚀变及其找矿标志

文章简单介绍了构造蚀变岩型金矿翁浪金矿床的容矿岩石和围岩蚀变特征，指出该类矿床的找矿标志，对进一步寻找此类矿床有一定的意义。