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.     

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。     

标定大陆科学钻探孔区地震反射体

在中国大陆科学钻探孔区 (江苏省东海县南部 )进行了系统的地球物理调查 ,包括二维地震测网和专门的地震剖面 ,大地电磁法和位场方法等 .地震调查表明 ,在超高压变质岩出露区上地壳充满了反射体 ,包括倾斜反射体与上拱的反射弧 .本文介绍大陆科学钻探先行研究中地震调查的成果 .根据大陆科学钻探预先导孔的岩芯和测井资料、井旁VSP和数值模拟结果证实 ,高波速的榴辉岩体、破碎断裂带和大型韧性剪切带都可引起倾斜的地震反射 ,而上拱的弧形反射体则是由近似直立的榴辉岩体和其中的破碎带的综合反映 .由于地壳深部广泛分布着经受变质的岩石 ,上述研究结果对标定地壳中的反射地震信号具有一定意义     

合肥盆地中、新生代沉积相初步研究

合肥盆地是与大别山造山带有密切关系的山前前陆盆地，盆地中、新生界沉积物主要来自南面大别山区以及盆地东部、北部剥蚀区。通过野外实际踏勘、室内岩石薄片显微分析，认为合肥盆地中、新生界发育的沉积相主要有冲积扇相、河流相和湖泊相，其中以河流相最为发育。该盆地中、新生界油气源条件比较丰富，储盖条件良好，生储盖组合形式多样，存在多种油气圈闭类型，是一个油气勘探潜力较大的陆相沉积盆地。     

大别山南坡蕲春等地榴辉岩的发现及相关问题

20世纪90年代早、中期，一些研究者根据榴辉岩的出露情况，将大别山腹地的大别杂岩出露区划分为“北大别地体”、“UHP地体”和“宿松地体”3个不同性质的大地构造单元，其中“北大别地体”和“宿松地体”2个地体被视为不含榴辉岩的构造单元。然而，自90年代后期以来，在“北大别地体”中陆续发现了大量的榴辉岩露头。近期笔者在“宿松地体”中也首次发现了榴辉岩露头。上述事实表明前人仅仅根据榴辉岩的出露将大别杂岩划分为3个构造单元的认识是不妥的，大别杂岩应该为一个具有一定成因联系的构造-岩石单元，属于同一个大地构造单元。     

内蒙古喀喇沁早白垩世橄辉云煌岩岩筒

探寻地幔物质上涌的通道口，是大陆岩石圈研究所感兴趣的，它将为人们提供更多的岩石圈深部信息。本文报道的是在内蒙古喀喇沁黑龙潭火山颈中发现的橄辉云煌岩，其K-Ar同位素年龄为124Ma。火山活动明显受到中生代构造活动控制。火山岩的元素地球化学特征反映岩浆来自富集地幔，在源区存在陆壳的混染作用。     

南海西部围区中特提斯东延通道问题

通过对南海西部围区中生代岩相古地理资料的收集整理和分析,编制了该区T_2,T_3~1,T_3~2,T_3~3,J_1-J_2,J_3-K_1共6个时段的岩相古地理简图,根据其中生代海相地层的时空分布和岩相特征,讨论了尚存争议的中特提斯进入南海的通道问题。实际资料表明,黑水河盆地在三叠纪受印支运动影响完成了从海到陆的过程,之后不再出现海相沉积,中特提斯不可能从红河裂谷带进入南海。在新加坡所见的晚三叠世至早侏罗世浅海至陆相沉积代表古特提斯的残余海,到中侏罗世完全消失。早侏罗世时期在印支半岛南部出现的近南北走向的海湾可能经过泰国湾与当时的滇缅海相通;但是这个海湾浅而短暂,滇缅海能否从这里进入南海值得怀疑,更不可能是中特提斯的通道。在南海西部围区,迄今已证实的中生代洋壳碎片(蛇绿岩套)和深海沉积仅见于南部Woyla—Maratus—Lupar一线及其附近。这套延伸2000余km,从洋壳、深海到浅海岩相齐全的岩石所代表的晚侏罗世至早白垩纪世大洋应是中特提斯洋的一部分。中特提斯东延而最可能是走南路,即从班公一怒江带南下之后,经Woyla线穿过苏门答腊岛,绕加里曼丹岛南缘到Maratus线,向北再经沙巴到Lupar线,在沙捞越北部或纳土纳岛附近进入南海。     

New structural and petrologic data on Mesozoic schists in the Rhodope (Bulgaria): geodynamic implications

Structural analysis of low-grade rocks highlights the allochthonous character of Mesozoic schists in southeastern Rhodope, Bulgaria. The deformation can be related to the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous thrusting and Tertiary detachment faulting. Petrologic and geochemical data show a volcanic arc origin of the greenschists and basaltic rocks. These results are interpreted as representing an island arc-accretionary complex related to the southward subduction of the Meliata–Maliac Ocean under the supra-subduction back-arc Vardar ocean/island arc system. This arc-trench system collided with the Rhodope in Late Jurassic times. To cite this article: N.G. Bonev, G.M. Stampfli, C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Petrology, geochemistry and isotopic ages of eclogites from the Dulan UHPM Terrane, the North Qaidam, NW China

The Dulan eclogite–gneiss region is located in the eastern part of the North Qaidam eclogite belt, NW China. Widespread evidence demonstrates that this region is a typical ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terrane. Eclogites occur as lenses or layers in both granitic and pelitic gneisses. Two distinguished sub-belts can be recognized and differ in mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry. The North Dulan Belt (NDB) has tholeiitic protoliths with high TiO₂ and lower Al₂O₃ and MgO contents. REE patterns and trace element contents resemble those of N-type and E-type MORB. In contrast, eclogites in the South Dulan Belt (SDB) are of island arc protoliths with low TiO₂, high Al₂O₃ and show LREE-enriched and HFSE-depleted patterns. Sm–Nd isotope analyses give isochron ages of 458–497 Ma for eclogite-facies metamorphism for the two sub-belts. The ages are similar to those of Yuka and Altun eclogites in the western extension of the North Qaidam-Altun eclogite belt. The Dulan UHP metamorphic terrane, together with several other recently recognized eclogite-bearing terrenes within the North Qaidam-Altun HP-UHP belt, constitute the key to the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the northern Tibetan Plateau. The entire UHP belt extends for more than 1000 km from the Dulan UHP terrane in the southeast to the Altun eclogite–gneiss terrane in the west. This super-belt marks an early Paleozoic continental collision zone between the Qaidam Massif and the Qilian Massif.