http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S167498711200103X

The supercontinent cycle has had a profound effect on the Earth's evolution since the Late Archean but our understanding of the forces responsible for its operation remains elusive. Supercontinents appear to form by two end-member processes: extroversion, in which the oceanic lithosphere surrounding the supercontinent (exterior ocean) is preferentially subducted (e.g. Pannotia), and introversion in which the oceanic lithosphere formed between dispersing fragments of the previous supercontinent (interior ocean) is preferentially subducted (e.g. Pangea). Extroversion can be explained by “top–down” geodynamics, in which a supercontinent breaks up over a geoid high and amalgamates above a geoid low. Introversion, on the other hand, requires that the combined forces of slab-pull and ridge push (which operate in concert after supercontinent break-up) must be overcome in order to enable the previously dispersing continents to turn inward. Introversion may begin when subduction zones are initiated along boundaries between the interior and exterior oceans and become trapped within the interior ocean. We speculate that the reversal in continental motion required for introversion may be induced by slab avalanche events that trigger the rise of superplumes from the core-mantle boundary.     

Climate impacts on extreme ice-jam events in Canadian rivers

Abstract

River ice jams can produce extreme flood events with major social, economic and ecological impacts throughout Canada. Ice breakup and jamming processes are briefly reviewed and shown to be governed by the flow hydrograph, the thickness and strength of the winter ice cover, and the stream morphology. These factors are directly or indirectly influenced by weather conditions which implies potential impacts of climate change and variability on the severity of ice-jamming. Relevant work has to date focused on simple measures of climatic effects, such as the timing of freeze-up and breakup, and indicates trends that are consistent with concomitant changes in air temperature. More recently, it has been found that increased incidence of mid-winter breakup events and higher freshet flows in certain parts of Canada could enhance the frequency and severity of ice jams. Possible future trends under climate warming scenarios are discussed and associated impacts identified in a general manner.     

燕辽裂陷槽中元古代古地震与古地理

位于中朝板块北部的燕辽裂陷槽是中元古代板内裂解的产物。中元古代的伸展裂解构造诱发强地震。中元古代长城系（1800-1400 Ma）的串岭沟组、高于庄组及蓟县系的雾迷山组（1200 Ma）中保留有丰富的地震灾变事件记录：各种软沉积物液化变形,如液化砂岩脉; 碳酸盐岩中的泥亮晶脉、灰岩墙、液化角砾岩、水塑性变形、各种卷曲构造、环形层、层内粒序断层以及碳酸盐岩成岩初期的脆性变形。这些地震成因的变形构造与同沉积断裂相伴生。依据地震记录,中朝板块北部地区中元古代经历两次板内裂解,即1800-1400 Ma之间与1200 Ma,200 Ma的裂解导致燕辽裂陷槽的最终形成。燕辽裂陷槽中元古代的古地理格局与两次板内裂解相联系,古海盆的范围、盆地的边界、岩相带均受同时期断裂-地震控制。燕辽裂陷槽的古地理环境是一个深部物质活跃、断裂火山活动剧烈和地震频繁的构造带。     

内蒙狼山北部古元古代变质花岗岩地球化学特征、锆石U-Pb年代学——哥伦比亚超大陆裂解事件的岩浆记录

内蒙狼山宝音图地区前寒武纪地质体由古元古代宝音图群、片麻状花岗岩、混合岩和斜长角闪岩等组成。锆石LA-MC-ICP-Ms U-Pb测年获得了宝音图变质花岗岩的形成年龄为1644±11Ma~1710±20Ma。岩石学、地球化学研究表明片麻状钠长花岗岩具有高Si O_2(77.08%~79.96%)、高碱(K_2O+Na_2O)(4.46%~7.26%),低Ti O_2(0.088%~0.17%)、MgO(0.036%~0.37%)、Ca O(0.17%~1.19%)及中等Al_2O_3含量(12.12%~14.10%);Na_2OK_2O,A/CNK为0.88~1.091.1,属弱铝质;里特曼指数б=0.54~1.551.8,表明属于钙质系列;10000Ga/Al=3.43~12.46(均值为5.182.6)及较高的含铁指数[Fe O/(Fe O+MgO)=0.57~0.94],显示了低钾钙性A型花岗岩的特点。片麻状二长花岗岩具有高Si O_2(73.65%~77.63%),低Ti O_2(0.11%~0.27%)、MgO(0.25%~0.80%)、Al_2O_3(11.68%~12.72%)、Ca O(0.24%~0.99%)含量,基本与片麻状钠长花岗岩相近;同时具有高碱(K_2O+Na_2O)含量(6.84%~9.31%),低的Na_2O/K_2O比值(0.53~1.62),钾含量明显高于与片麻状钠长花岗岩;A/NCK为0.96~1.86,б=2.06~2.801.8~3.3为钙碱性系列,显示高钾钙碱性A型花岗岩的特点。两类片麻状花岗岩均具有稀土总量较高,轻稀土富集而重稀土亏损的特征,具有明显Eu的负异常;构造判别图解均指示为陆内非造山型A型花岗岩。全岩同位素分析表明具有弱富集-亏损的同位素组成,其中ε_(Nd)(t)为小的负值到小的正值(-4.91~+2.41),两阶段Nd模式年龄t_(DM2)为1.95~2.58Ga;锆石ε_(Hf)(t)均为正值(+1.5~+8.0),两阶段Hf模式年龄t_(DM2)(1.73~2.31Ga),Nd-Hf模式年龄均高于其形成年龄,揭示源自古元古代新生下部陆壳物质的部分熔融,并有少量幔源物质的加入。与华北北缘、欧美大陆的古元古代非造山作用形成的岩浆岩相似,宝音图变质花岗岩时代上与哥伦比亚超大陆的裂解事件(1.7~1.6Ga)具有一致性,可能是全球哥伦比亚超大陆裂解事件的构造岩浆响应。     

川西峨边地区金口河辉绿岩脉SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年龄及其对Rodinia裂解的启示

川西金口河地区中元古代峨边群中发育大量基性侵入岩,其具体侵位时间对厘定峨边群的时限、研究扬子西缘前寒武纪构造属性具有重要意义。对峨边群枷担桥组层型剖面中一条辉绿岩脉进行了SHRIMP锆石U-Pb定年。结果表明,该辉绿岩脉的锆石发育清楚且宽缓的内部环带结构,具有较高的Th/U比值,属典型基性岩浆成因的锆石,其206Pb/238U年龄加权平均值为(813.4±8.2)Ma(MSWD=0.56),代表了该辉绿岩脉的侵位时间,也限定了峨边群枷担桥组的上限年龄。综合扬子西缘新元古代中期基性岩浆活动的最新同位素年龄,证实存在2个主要的活动期:830~800Ma和780~745Ma,且830~800Ma期间基性岩浆活动的峰值年龄为(821±2)Ma。这与前人总结的华南和澳大利亚同期基性岩浆活动的年龄分布特征完全一致,暗示川西金口河辉绿岩脉的形成可能与新元古代导致Rodinia超大陆裂解的地幔柱幕式活动有关。     

南秦岭桐柏地区程湾花岗岩LA-MC-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄及地球化学特征

程湾花岗岩位于南秦岭桐柏地区,岩性主要为片麻状(黑云母)正长花岗岩,岩石地球化学成分显示其高硅、富碱、贫镁、低磷和低钛的特征,A/CNK=0.99~1.40,平均为1.17,为高钾钙碱性系列过铝质岩石,稀土元素配分曲线总体表现为右倾斜的"海鸥式",具有负Eu异常(δEu=0.11~0.81,平均0.46)。岩石富集高场强元素Zr、Th、Hf和Rb、K,强烈亏损Ba、Sr、P、Ti,10000Ga/Al值在2.84~3.63之间,计算锆石饱和温度为817~879℃,属于A2型花岗岩。正长花岗岩LA-MC-ICP-MS锆石UPb测年结果表明,其~(206)Pb/~(238)U年龄加权平均值为793.0±4.1Ma,表明岩体形成于新元古代青白口纪晚期,而非前人认为的早古生代,其形成与Rodinia超大陆的裂解有关,且形成于裂解的初期阶段。桐柏地区当时仍为扬子大陆北缘的南秦岭,在新元古代中—晚期(825~611Ma)整体上处于陆内裂解的构造体制。     

华北克拉通对Rodinia超大陆裂解的响应——来自贺兰山北段小松山地区辉长岩地球化学、年代学及Hf同位素的新证据

华北克拉通西缘贺兰山北段小松山地区辉长岩锆石U-Pb年代学、岩石地球化学和锆石Hf同位素的研究结果表明,辉长岩的侵位结晶年龄为835.5±5.3Ma,即形成于新元古代早期,属于板内拉斑玄武岩系列岩石,总体上略富集轻稀土元素、大离子亲石元素Rb、Ba、La,略亏损高场强元素Th、Nb、Zr、Hf等;具有较高的εHf(t)值(5.83~7.87),其单阶段模式年龄tDM1为1075~1155Ma,两阶段模式年龄tDM2为1176~1289Ma。综合研究发现,辉长岩的原始岩浆起源于中元古代富集型地幔,形成于华北陆块西缘的板内伸展环境,说明华北陆块响应了Rodinia超大陆裂解,也是Rodinia超大陆的一部分。     

地幔柱、大火成岩省及大陆裂解-兼论中国东部中、新生代地幔柱问题

根据前人对地幔流体力学数值模拟、全球地震层析成像和火成岩方面的研究成果，详细叙述了地幔柱的基本特征，即:地幔柱具有巨大的球状顶冠和细窄尾管的形态，具备高温、低粘的物理性质，来自2 900 km处核/幔边界附近的D层. 大火成岩省（LIP）是地幔柱到达地表最好的表现形式. 基于地幔柱、大火成岩省的基本特征，以及地幔柱和大陆解体的时空关系，通过对中国东部中、新生代火成岩的岩石学、地球化学和时空分布特征， 以及这些火成岩产生的构造背景等方面的研究，认为中国东南地区中生代火成岩与典型的地幔柱有关的LIP的基本特征并不符合，不能把东南地区中生代火成岩作为典型的与地幔柱活动相关的大火成岩省的实例来看待；东北地区新生代火成岩不具备热点、地幔柱活动的典型特征，新生代火山活动与地幔柱活动可能没有直接关系.      

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001113

The Rheic Ocean was one of the most important oceans of the Paleozoic Era.It lay between Laurentia and Gondwana from the Early Ordovician and closed to produce the vast Ouachita-Alleghanian -Variscan orogen during the assembly of Pangea.Rifting began in the Cambrian as a continuation of Neoproterozoic orogenic activity and the ocean opened in the Early Ordovician with the separation of several Neoproterozoic arc terranes from the continental margin of northern Gondwana along the line of a former suture.The rapid rate of ocean opening suggests it was driven by slab pull in the outboard lapetus Ocean.The ocean reached its greatest width with the closure of lapetus and the accretion of the periGondwanan arc terranes to Laurentia in the Silurian.Ocean closure began in the Devonian and continued through the Mississippian as Gondwana sutured to Laurussia to form Pangea.The ocean consequently plays a dominant role in the Appalachian-Ouachita orogeny of North America,in the basement geology of southern Europe,and in the Paleozoic sedimentary,structural and tectonothermal record from Middle America to the Middle East.Its closure brought the Paleozoic Era to an end.     

天文事件与二叠纪末联合古陆解体

二叠纪末发生了全球规模的剧烈变化，这种变化表现为古地磁逆转、古气候改变、显生宙规模最大的海退、缺氧事件、火山活动、地球化学异常及地史上规模最大的生物集群灭绝。全球二叠纪／三叠纪界线附近陆续发现了陨星撞击抛射物(微球粒)和不同程度的Ir等地球化学异常，表明二叠纪末发生了陨星撞击地球的天文事件。联合古陆从三叠纪开始解体，联合古陆解体的过程实际上就是特提斯洋缩小直至消亡的过程，也就是特提斯洋周缘板块聚合的过程。陨星撞击点可能位于二叠纪末特提斯洋北部，最终导致了特提斯洋消亡及联合古陆解体。