Pendleian (early Serpukhovian) marine carbonates from SW Spain: sedimentology,biostratigraphy and depositional model

The San Antonio–La Juliana tectono‐sedimentary unit contains the only Namurian marine carbonates in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The analysis of this unit is fundamental in understanding the sedimentary evolution and tectonic movements which operated during the Namurian in this area. Using foraminifera the succession has been assigned to two biozones (Zones 17 and 18), both occurring in the Pendleian (early Namurian). Seven stratigraphic sections have been analysed: San Antonio, Burjadillo, Lavadero de la Mina, Cornuda, Lozana, Caridad and Via Crucis. The stratigraphic succession of the San Antonio–La Juliana Unit consists of olistolites in the basal part, with common debris‐flow deposits (mainly of carbonates, with minor siliciclastic rocks), and turbidites, all of them embedded in shales. These rocks, interpeted as slope deposits, pass up into shallow‐water platform facies, with sediments characteristic of the inner platform and tidal flats. Above these rocks, terrigenous deltaic deposits occur. Thus, the stratigraphic sections show an overall shallowing‐upward trend. The isolation of some outcrops, and the duplication and absence of some parts of the stratigraphic succession are explained by tectonic movements. Overall, tectonic factors seem to be the main control rather than glacio‐eustatic or autocyclic processes, and sedimentation took place in a strike‐slip regime. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural and kinematic analysis of the Corredoiras detachment: evidence for early Variscan synconvergent extension in the Ordenes Complex, NW Spain

 An important detachment is described in the allochthonous Ordenes Complex, in the NW Iberian Massif, and its meaning is related to the kinematics of contemporaneous convergent structures. The Corredoiras Detachment (CD) separates a hangingwall unit, characterised by a medium-pressure metamorphic gradient, from a footwall high-pressure and high-temperature unit and an underlying ophiolitic unit. An associated ductile shear zone, nearly 2000 m thick, developed in the lower part of the hangingwall unit, where the Corredoiras Orthogneiss, a Lower Ordovician metagranite, was progressively transformed into augengneisses, mylonitic and ultramylonitic gneisses. The attitude of the stretching and mineral lineation in the mylonites varies due to late refolding at map scale, but the sense of movement can be estimated, being roughly top to the SE. According to crosscutting relationships, the CD developed subsequent to the thrusting of the high-pressure/high-temperature unit onto the ophiolitic unit, and prior to younger extensional detachments, upright folding and strike-slip tectonics. The geometric relationships of the CD with the previous structures in the footwall unit, the subtractive character of the metamorphic gap between its hangingwall and footwall, and the available isotopic data suggest that the CD is an early Variscan, ductile extensional detachment, the movement of which was roughly simultaneous with the onset of thrusting of the allochthonous complexes over their relative autochthon. Received: 17 November 1998 / Accepted: 4 April 1999     

扬子地块西南缘晚古生代基性岩浆岩的性质与古特提斯洋的演化

扬子地块西南缘晚泥盆世至晚二叠世的基性岩浆岩具有大体类似的地球化学性质, 它们均富集Ｔｉ（ＴｉＯ２＞ ２％ ）、ＬＩＬＥ和ＬＲＥＥ（Ｌａ／Ｙｂ）Ｎ＝ ４．８～１４．６）,Ｔｉ／Ｖ（３２～６７）、Ｔｉ／Ｙ（４００～６９３）和Ｚｒ／Ｙ（３．２～７．６）比值高,具洋岛玄武岩的特征,推测它们均与地幔柱岩浆的活动有关。该地幔柱岩浆活动的时期与古特提斯洋盆演化的时期大体吻合, 但地幔柱岩浆开始喷发的中心与古特提斯初始扩张的中心相距甚远,看来,金沙江－哀牢山洋盆的张开与地幔柱岩浆活动无关。从晚泥盆世至晚二叠世,地幔柱岩浆活动的规模和强度逐渐增加,玄武岩分布中心从广西的南宁－百色之间逐渐向北西３１０°方向迁移了约６００ ｋｍ ,推测这一迁移轨迹可能受金沙江－哀牢山洋盆扩张的影响。据此估计, 金沙江－哀牢山洋盆宽度可达约１ ０００ ｋｍ 。据地幔柱岩浆轨迹与金沙江－哀牢山缝合带所夹的角度推测, 扬子地块可能经历了顺时针旋转, 与古地磁资料一致。     

越南中部Kontum地块前寒武纪地壳组成和构造演化

越南中部的Kontum 地块是印支地块中前寒武纪变质岩最重要的出露地区之一。该地块由不同时代不同变质程度的岩石组成。该研究通过对该地区主要变质岩的岩石学、地球化学和锆石U-Pb 年代学分析,探讨了Kontum 地块的物质组成以及其形成的构造背景。岩相学和化学成分分析结果表明,这些基底变质岩主要由变质沉积岩和少量的变质火成岩组成。变质沉积岩的原岩主要是硬砂岩和页岩。锆石U-Pb 定年结果显示,这些沉积岩形成于古元古代晚期到新元古代晚期,并大致可以划分为五期沉积盆地的形成和演化,分别对应岛弧环境、被动大陆边缘环境、活动大陆边缘或大陆弧环境、活动大陆边缘-被动大陆边缘过渡环境和活动大陆边缘的构造背景。二个变质火成岩的原岩分别是拉斑玄武岩和S 型花岗岩,它们分别形成于1424 Ma 和1485 Ma。拉斑玄武岩显示富集Rb、Ba、Sr 等大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、Ta、Zr、Ti 等高场强元素,符合典型岛弧玄武质岩石的地球化学特征。其锆石的εHf(t)值主要为正值（-1.68~+14.2）, 表明其岩浆起源于亏损的岩石圈地幔。地球化学特征表明其形成于岛弧环境,与第三期沉积沉积作用环境相符。S 型花岗岩具有较高的SiO2、ALK和A/CNK（>1.1）,以及中等的稀土含量和中等的Eu 负异常。其原岩岩浆锆石的εHf (t)值变化于+5.97~+12.1,表明源区沉积岩的碎屑主要来自新生地壳。对比显示Kontum 地块与海南岛在中元古代时期很可能曾经相连,在Columbia 超大陆裂解时期处于超大陆的边缘。     

Mineralogy,Fluid Inclusion,and Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Studies of the Intrusion‐Related Yangla Cu Deposit in the Sanjiang Region,SW China: Implications for Metallogenesis and Deposit Type

The Yangla deposit is an intrusion‐related Cu deposit in the Jinshajiang tectonic belt (eastern Sanjiang region, SW China). Despite extensive studies that have been conducted on this deposit, the relationship between the granitic magma and Cu mineralization is still unclear, and hence, the genesis is debated. To answer this question, we conducted an integrated study of mineralogy, fluid inclusions (FIs), and hydrogen and oxygen (H‐O) isotopes. Three mineralization stages were identified based on the ore textures, alteration zonation, and crosscutting relationships: (i) pre‐ore prograde skarn (stage I), with the garnet and pyroxene dominated by andradite and diopside, respectively; (ii) syn‐ore retrograde alteration (stage II), which is subdivided into the early syn‐ore stage (stage IIa) marked by retrograde hydrated mineral assemblages and significant Fe‐Cu‐Mo‐Pb‐Zn sulfide mineralization, and the late syn‐ore stage (stage IIb) featured by quartz‐calcite veins; and (iii) late supergene mineralization (stage III), which is characterized by secondary azurite and malachite. These results of mineralogy, FIs, and H‐O isotopes indicate that: (i) Cu mineralization has a close temporal, spatial, and genetic relationship with skarn alteration; (ii) the ore fluids were magmatic dominated with late‐stage meteoric water incursion; and (iii) Type‐S (halite‐bearing) and Type‐V (vapor‐rich) FIs coexisted in garnet and clinopyroxene of stage I, indicating that fluid boiling might have occurred during this stage. From stage I to stage IIa, the FI type transformed from Type‐S + Type‐V + Type‐L (liquid‐rich) to Type‐V + Type‐L with the conduct of mineralization and was accompanied by the disappearance of Type‐S, and homogenization temperature and salinity also tended to decrease dramatically, which may be caused by the deposition of skarn minerals. At stage IIa, boiling of the ore fluids still continued due to the change from lithostatic to hydrostatic pressure, which triggered the precipitation of abundant quartz‐Cu‐Mo‐Fe sulfides. Furthermore, fluid mixing between a high‐temperature magmatic fluid and a low‐temperature meteoric water might cause a considerable drop in temperature and the deposition of Cu‐bearing quartz/calcite veins during stage IIb. Hence, we consider the Yangla deposit to be of a skarn type, genetically related to the Mesozoic magmatism in the Sanjiang region.     

Formation of elongated granite–migmatite domes as isostatic accommodation structures in collisional orogens

The mid-Carboniferous Pelhřimov core complex, Bohemian Massif, is a crustal-scale elongated granite–migmatite dome interpreted to have formed by gravity-driven diapiric upwelling of the metapelitic middle crust. The vertical diapiric flow is evidenced by outward-dipping foliation and lineation patterns, deformation coeval with the widespread presence of melt, rapid exhumation of the dome center from depths corresponding to pressure of about 0.6 GPa to shallow levels (pressure less than 0.2 GPa) within 2 M.y., and kinematic indicators of downward return flow of the mantling rocks. As compared to common diapirs, however, the Pelhřimov complex exhibits a more complicated inferred strain pattern with two perpendicular, irregularly alternating directions of horizontal extension in what is interpreted as the diapir head. Comparison of structural data from migmatites with anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data in granites also reveals that only final increments of strain are recorded in the granites. The map dimensions and gravity image of the complex suggest that the diapiric upwelling affected a large portion of the orogen's interior between two microplates brought together during continental collision. The northwesterly microplate (the upper-crustal Teplá–Barrandian unit) collapsed vertically as an ‘elevator’ at around 346–337 Ma whereas the easterly microplate (Brunia) was underthrust beneath the Moldanubian rocks during ∼346–330 Ma (the indentor). It is suggested that these microplates then acted as cold and rigid margins localizing mid-crustal diapirism and associated voluminous S-type granite plutons inbetween, parallel to the edge of the Brunia indentor.We conclude that bringing together soft metapelitic middle crust with two rigid lithospheric blocks during collision resulted in significant lateral temperature and strength variations across the orogen's interior. A general conclusion from these inferences is that granite–migmatite domes delineating margins of collided microplates may form as crustal-scale structures accommodating late-orogenic isostatic reequilibration.     

鄂尔多斯地块地壳内S波衰减特征的研究

采用分布于鄂尔多斯地块及其周缘的32个地震台站记录到的19次地震事件共487条数字化波形记录, 利用遗传算法反演得到了整个鄂尔多斯地块地壳内S波的三段几何扩散参数、S波非弹性衰减Q值随频率变化的关系式、32个台站的场地响应以及19次地震的震源参数. 计算结果表明, 鄂尔多斯地块地壳内S波非弹性衰减在1 Hz处的Q值比地质构造活跃地区的结果要大得多. 32个地震台站的场地响应在高频部分除个别台站外基本没有表现出明显的放大效应,但在低频区间部分台站之间有一定的差异. 19次地震事件的地震矩对数值与震级ML有很好的线性关系.      

Oligocene–Miocene thrusting in central Aegean: insights from the Cycladic island of Amorgos

In the central Aegean, the Cycladic island of Amorgos consists of two high‐pressure (HP) units, the marble‐rich Amorgos unit, which is correlated to the Mesozoic ‘cover’ sequence of the Menderes Massif, and the Cycladic Blueschist unit. New structural data show that the deformation history of the Amorgos HP‐rocks was principally governed by early Oligocene (or late Eocene)–early Miocene ductile to brittle thrusting (D₁–D₃) followed by middle–late Miocene oblique contractional movements (D₄–D₅). The D₁ phase caused syn‐blueschist‐facies ductile thrusting of the Cycladic Blueschist unit over the Amorgos unit, with ambiguous kinematics. Progressive deformation under continuous NW–SE compression produced a sequence of imbricate NW‐directed thrusts (D_2/3) characterized by a stratification of fault‐related rocks, with mylonitic zones (D₂) giving way downwards to cataclastic zones (D₃). Ductile D₂ thrusting synchronous to greenschist‐facies retrogression, was accompanied by mega‐sheath folding during constrictional and general shear deformation. Brittle D₃ thrusting was associated with NW‐verging F₃ folds trending at a high‐angle to the transport direction. Orthogonal contraction gave way to transpression during which the compression orientation changed from NW–SE (D₄) to NE–SW (D₅). Back‐arc related NW–SE pure extension (D₆) seems to have been established in post‐late Miocene times and related high‐angle normal faulting affected HP‐rocks only after they had already reached the uppermost crustal levels. Oligocene–early Miocene deformation history is interpreted to indicate syn‐compressional exhumation of HP‐rocks possibly in an extrusion wedge. In this case, Amorgos HP‐rocks should have occupied the base of the extrusion wedge. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the use of Atterberg limits on marine soils

Abstract

On the basis of the Atterberg indexes of various sediments collected in the Mediterranean Sea, we select two major parameters indicative of the mechanical behavior of marine soils: the sedimentary facies (i.e., mechanism of deposition expressed by silt content) and the clay mineral association characterized by smectite content in the fraction finer than 2 μm. Activity and real thixotropic ability appear to be particularly important parameters in marine engineering; better values are obtained by a double test operation in distilled and marine water.