Paleodrainage and fault development in the southern Perth Basin,Western Australia during and after the breakup of Gondwana from 3D modelling of the Bunbury Basalt

The evolution of faults and paleodrainage patterns on the southwestern Australian passive margin during and after the breakup of Gondwana in the Early Cretaceous remains poorly understood. This contribution investigates the fault and paleodrainage evolution in the southern Perth Basin with the use of the ‘Bunbury Basalt’, the only lava flows known to be synchronous with continental breakup. New aeromagnetic data have been integrated with well intersections and outcrop constraints to establish the first 3D model of the Bunbury Basalt. The model reveals that flows are up to 100 m thick and are predominantly confined to two north–south-trending paleovalleys and their tributaries situated in the Bunbury Trough in the southern Perth Basin. The Donnybrook Paleovalley flow ponded in a paleovalley proximal to the Darling Fault and is truncated by the two later flows within the Bunbury Paleovalley, which is positioned centrally in the Bunbury Trough. Offsets of the Bunbury Basalt have been used to identify new northeast- and northwest-trending faults in the southern Perth Basin, and broad folding is interpreted as a consequence of drag into the Darling and Busselton faults. The model has been used to determine post-basalt net displacements for the Darling and Busselton faults of 370 and 210 m, respectively, and <175 m for the northeast and northwest-trending faults. The source vents for the Bunbury Basalt were probably located at extensional jogs at intersections between the Darling Fault and subordinate oblique faults. These results challenge the views on longstanding quiescence of the post-breakup western Australian passive margin.     

Geochronology and geochemistry of the late Neoproterozoic A-type granitic clasts in the southwestern Tarim Craton: petrogenesis and tectonic implications

ABSTRACT

Due to sparse data for deciphering the late Neoproterozoic tectonic history, there is still considerable debate on whether long-lasting superplume-related or long-duration subduction-related dynamics dominated the Tarim Craton. In this contribution, our field investigations detail the late Neoproterozoic siliciclastic successions, and we report the first granitic conglomerates with zircon U–Pb ages of 753.9 ± 3.7 Ma in the SW Tarim Craton. Importantly, detrital zircons from the thick Cryogenian sedimentary basin also contain a major zircon population at ca. 750 Ma. Together with seismic data, this suggests a large ca. 750 Ma magmatic event in the SW Tarim Craton. Geochemically, the granitic clasts exhibit A-type granite features with high SiO₂, high alkali but extremely low K, high FeO^T/MgO and Ga/Al, and high high-field strength elements (HFSEs) (i.e. Nb, Hf, and Ta) with significant depletion in Rb, K, Sr, P, Eu, and Ti, and significant negative Eu anomalies (Eu* = 0.13–0.36), showing ferroan granite affinities. Including the detrital zircons, the ca. 750 Ma zircons have a large range of negative εHf(t) values (?19.46 to ?1.16). Elemental and zircon Hf isotope data suggest that the granites were derived from Palaeoproterozoic reworked continental crust and are probably related to crustal thinning and extension. By comparison with previous studies, we conclude that Rodinia breakup was diachronous in the outer parts of the supercontinent.     

Petrography and geochemistry of the Lopingian (upper Permian)-Lower Triassic strata in the southern Junggar and Turpan basins,NW China: implications for weathering,provenance, and palaeogeography

ABSTRACT

This study investigates three Lopingian (upper Permian)-Lower Triassic terrestrial successions in northwest China, namely the Urumqi and Jimsar sections in the southern Junggar Basin (SJB), and the Taodonggou section in the Turpan Basin (TB). Stratigraphy studies suggest that, in all three sections, the Lopingian-Lower Triassic strata are represented by mixed fluvial and lacustrine deposits. The lithofacies and geochemical indicators (CIA, PIA) suggest that, in all three sections, the Wutonggou Formation (Wuchiapingian) was deposited under subhumid conditions. The Guodikeng Formation (Changhsingian-early Induan) represents subhumid to semiarid conditions. The Jiucaiyuan and Shaofanggou formations (mid-to-late Induan to Olenekian) in the SJB show highly variable subhumid-semiarid conditions, while the two formations in the TB display early episode of fluctuating subhumid-semiarid and later semiarid-arid conditions. Within each section, all four formations display similar petrographic and geochemical characteristics, suggesting consistency in provenance during deposition. However, the provenance characteristics of the Urumqi and Jimsar sections differ from those of the Taodonggou section. Relative to the Taogonggou section, the two sections in the SJB contain more felsic and recycled sedimentary components. This suggests that the greater Junggar-Turpan Basin was in a partitioned setting during the Lopingian-Early Triassic, when different subbasins have relatively independent provenance systems.     

Analysis of a lower jurassic geomagnetic reversal based on a model that relates transitional fields to variations of flux on the core surface

Summary For the last 12 Myr the transitional virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) of different reversals lie close to two preferred and practically antipodal longitudinal paths. In spite of some controversies about these transitional paths, it has been pointed out that they are linked to geomagnetic phenomena. Jurassic transitional VGP paths are quite similar to those of the last 12 Myr. Paleomagnetic data recorded in Stormberg Lavas (195 ± 5 Ma) belonging to two sampling localities of South Africa have been rotated according to an absolute palaeoreconstruction of Africa for the lower Jurassic. In order to avoid the hypothesis about dipolarity implicit in the VGPs calculations, the transitional directions recorded in the lavas were compared with others that were simulated on the basis of a model that relates transitional fields to variations of flux on the Earth's core surface. They were quite similar. For both, recorded and simulated data, the VGPs showed similar paths. Similar conditions could thus have driven both late Cenozoic and Jurassic reversals.     

Mid-Jurassic Tectonothermal Event Superposed on a Paleozoic Geological Record in the Acatlán Complex of Southern Mexico: Hotspot Activity During the Breakup of Pangea

U-Pb isotopic analyses of zircon from the lowest structural units of the Acatlán Complex of southern Mexico indicate that Paleozoic tectonothermal events are overprinted by mid-Jurassic (175±3 to 171±1 Ma), low pressure migmatization (5–6 kb), polyphase deformation, and intrusion of felsic and mafic magmas. Ensuing rapid cooling recorded by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar muscovite, biotite and K-feldspar ages is estimated to have taken place at 21±3°C/my at exhumation rates of 0.6 mm/yr. Such rapid exhumation requires a combination of erosion and tectonic unroofing that is recorded by top-to-the-west kinematic data. Synchronous tectonic unroofing is also recorded 100 km to the east in the adjacent Oaxaca terrane, where top-to-the-north, extensional shear zones occur in Paleozoic strata.This pattern of extension suggests tectonic unroofing in response to domal uplift (radius >100 km) like that associated with core complexes, slab windows, and hotspots. Most tectonic analyses for the Jurassic place the Acatlán Complex in the forearc region of an arc in Colombia lying 600–800 km inboard of the subduction zone, presumably in response to flat-slab subduction. Modern analogues suggest that flat-slab subduction reflects subduction of young buoyant oceanic lithosphere adjacent to either a mid-oceanic ridge, or a plume. Since core complexes are typical of arc-backarc regions, and slab windows generally produce metamorphic belts, the forearc setting and associated domal uplift suggest a plume to be the most likely cause of this Jurassic tectonothermal pulse in southern Mexico. This plume activity is synchronous with the opening of the Gulf of Mexico during the breakup of Pangea, to which it may have contributed.     

南海西南次海盆构造特征及其沉积响应

本文对穿过南海西南次海盆的逾1000 km的多道地震测线CFT剖面进行了地震界面特征的识别和地震层序的划分,分段分析了拆离断层对其减薄陆壳的拆离作用。结合前人研究成果,对南海西南次海盆地壳结构特征开展了分析,并总结了其构造特征。西南次海盆在发生陆缘张裂—海盆扩张、洋壳出现—扩张后稳定沉积这一系列过程中,可划分为4个阶段的沉积响应：A阶段(古新世之前)——前裂谷阶段,表现为地壳在拉张应力下产生小的断层;B阶段（始新世—早渐新世）——陆缘的裂谷阶段,地壳在拉张应力下拉张减薄,A阶段产生的断层出现了旋转,出现了大型掀斜的拆离断层,沉积物为同裂谷沉积,该阶段以产生了破裂不整合结束;C阶段（晚渐新世—早中新世）——海盆扩张阶段,海盆开始扩张,张应力从陆缘转移到了洋盆;D阶段（中中新世以来）——海盆扩张结束以后,以一套稳定沉积为特征。     

地球旋转膨胀与冈瓦纳古陆裂解

地球自转速度变慢说明地球在旋转的同时其体积在膨胀。这与红移现象等说明的宇宙膨胀是一致的。地球放射性物质的放射性能导致软流圈及塑性地核外核的形成。地球自转的惯性与地球塑性层的共同作用导致了地球的层间滑动。地球外圈应相对于内圈转动较慢。转动较快的内层层圈的运动方向为自西向东,或左旋剪切。即,软流圈之下的下地幔应相对于岩石圈自西向东转动较快;塑性地核外核之下的内核应相对于外核自西向东转动较快。在地球层圈之间的剪切力和地球放射性能所引起的热能的共同作用下,在软流圈产生物质的对流,形成地幔物质对流。推测地核的外核也可能会产生塑性物质的对流。地轴倾角ε的变化以及潮汐转矩和岁差转矩是地球动力学的重要因素。地球的旋转膨胀是板块运动的地球动力学基础,也是冈瓦纳古陆裂解的运动学基础。     

超大陆裂解几何学研究新思路——截顶正二十面体模型的应用

截顶正二十面体是目前应用广泛的球体张拉整体结构模型之一.它具有60个顶点,12个五边形边,20个六边形面.球壳在均匀的伸展状态下,沿该模型的棱的方位最容易裂开.前人从全球规模的角度出发,用截顶正二十面体模型解释了劳仑大陆以及冈瓦纳超大陆裂解时期全球范围内的伸展构造组合的展布,包括裂谷系、非造山岩浆活动和岩墙群.本文在前人的基础上,用该模型解释了现代大洋中脊分布、东非-红海-亚丁湾裂谷系的平面几何形态以及华北克拉通1.80 Ga裂谷系分布.根据该模型进行计算,得出半径为单位1的该模型的棱长为23.3°,带入地球平均半径则得全球最长直线裂谷的长度为2589.53 km,同时得到五边形和六边形的顶角分别为111.4°和124.3°由此,超过该长度的裂谷将以120°左右的夹角拐弯.该模型能解释大范围伸展构造组合的分布规律.     

Switching from advancing to retreating subduction in the Neoproterozoic Tarim Craton,NW China: Implications for Rodinia breakup

Geodynamic drivers for the supercontinent cycle are generally attributed to either top-down(subduction-related)or bottom-up(mantle-related)processes.Compiled geochemical data and U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic signatures for magmatic and detrital zircons from the Tarim Craton reveal a distinct change in subduction style during the Neoproterozoic.The subduction cycle is recorded in increasing and decreasing intensity of subduction-related magmatic rocks and time-equivalent sedimentary successions,and converse trends ofεHf(t)values and corresponding changes in crustal incubation time.These trends are consistent with a switch from advancing to retreating subduction.The switch likely occurred at ca.760 Ma when zirconεHf(t)values increase and crustal incubation times decrease following a transitional shift between 800 Ma and 760 Ma.A switch at this time is consistent with Rodinia breakup and may have resulted in the late Neoproterozoic Tarim rift basin.The long-lived(ca.500 Ma)subduction recorded in the Tarim Craton suggests the predominance of a top-down process for Rodinia breakup on this part of its margin.