Lithostratigraphy and structure of the old red sandstone of the Northern Dingle Peninsula,Co. Kerry,Southwest Ireland

The lower part of the Old Red Sandstone in the Dingle Penisula has been previously assigned to one lithostratigraphic group (Dingle Group) despite marked variations in sedimentary facies. However the apparently oldest non-marine sequence in the northwest of the peninsula has sedimentary and lithological attributes that contrast strongly with those of the late Silurian-early Devonian Dingle Group to the south. This northern sequence, here renamed the Smerwick Group, evolved independently of the Dingle Group in a separate basin of deposition. Field relationships between the two groups in the north of the peninsula are interpreted as indicating that the Smerwick Group overlies, with angular unconformity, a normal Dingle Group succession. Similarly, it is argued that the Smerwick Group overlies, with angular unconformity, the Dingle Group in the northwest of the peninsula, but there the Dingle Group is attenuated, represented only by a conglomerate unit some 10 m thick. In the absence of biostratigraphic evidence the age of the Smerwick Group is poorly constrained. Nevertheless, we propose a tectonic model that suggests that the Smerwick Group evolved within a small extensional half-graben on the northern margin of the Munster Basin. This model accounts for the stratigraphic and structural relationships observed, and implies that the Smerwick Group is of Late Devonian age.     

云开群硅质岩的40Ar/39Ar年龄及其地质意义

粤西云开群浅变地层年代的确定对于研究华南地壳演化有重要意义。以往的同位素年龄值多测自其中的顺层火成岩，故对其他质意义有不同的理解。本文首次测得了云开群中硅质岩的40Ar/39Ar年龄，从而提供了云开群的沉积年代。     

登封群的定年及其划分问题的探讨

对登封群人们先后采用过K—Ar、Rb-Sr、U—Pb、单颗粒锆石Pb-Pb、Sm—Nd等多种同位素定年方法。由于不同方法得到的结果差别很大,直接影响了对登封群的认识,因而对登封群出现了多种划分方案。本文综合分析后认为,登封群花岗-绿岩地体形成于新太古宙末期(2500～2600Ma),难以划分出元古代的地层单元。另外,对已有的同位素测年成果使用上要结合样品的地质、地球化学特征进行具体分析,才能得出合理的解释。     

Open-system chemical behavior in deep Wilcox Group mudstones,Texas Gulf Coast,USA

Wilcox Group mudstones have been mechanically and geochemically transformed over a temperature range of 20–200 °C. Our research controlled for provenance and age by sampling from five wells, parallel to the paleodepositional axis, all within the Houston delta system. Across the sampled depths, mudstone porosity has been reduced from ∼25 to <10% and bulk mineralogical change as documented by quantitative X-ray diffraction includes decreases in quartz, K-feldspar and kaolinite content whereas illite + illite − smectite, chlorite, and plagioclase increase. These mineral transformations transfer elements at a scale of less than 1 mm from one mineralogical form to another, however, X-ray fluorescence data suggest that among major elements only Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ are fully conserved within the system (trace-element ZrO₂ is also conserved). K₂O has been added to and SiO₂ released from the Wilcox Group mudstones. Cathodoluminescence and secondary electron imaging did not find this SiO₂ locally precipitated. We, therefore, document an open-system geochemical behavior.     

A new understanding of Demala Group complex in Chayu Area,southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Evidence from zircon U-Pb and mica 40Ar/39Ar dating

The Chayu area is located at the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This region was considered to be in the southeastward extension of the Lhasa Block, bounded by Nujiang suture zone in the north and Yarlung Zangbo suture zone in the south. The Demala Group complex, a set of high-grade metamorphic gneisses widely distributed in the Chayu area, is known as the Precambrian metamorphic basement of the Lhasa Block in the area. According to field-based investigations and microstructure analysis, the Demala Group complex is considered to mainly consist of banded biotite plagiogneisses, biotite quartzofeldspathic gneiss, granitic gneiss, amphibolite, mica schist, and quartz schist, with many leucogranite veins. The zircon U-Pb ages of two granitic gneiss samples are 205 ± 1 Ma and 218 ± 1 Ma, respectively, representing the ages of their protoliths. The zircons from two biotite plagiogneisses samples show core-rim structures. The U-Pb ages of the cores are mainly 644 –446 Ma, 1213 –865 Ma, and 1780 –1400 Ma, reflecting the age characteristics of clastic zircons during sedimentation of the original rocks. The U-Pb ages of the rims are from 203 ± 2 Ma to 190 ± 1 Ma, which represent the age of metamorphism. The zircon U-Pb ages of one sample taken from the leucogranite veins that cut through granitic gneiss foliation range from 24 Ma to 22 Ma, interpreted as the age of the anatexis in the Demala Group complex. Biotite and muscovite separates were selected from the granitic gneiss, banded gneiss, and leucogranite veins for ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating. The plateau ages of three muscovite samples are 16.56 ± 0.21 Ma, 16.90 ± 0.21 Ma, and 23.40 ± 0.31 Ma, and the plateau ages of four biotite samples are 16.70 ± 0.24 Ma, 16.14 ± 0.19 Ma, 15.88 ± 0.20 Ma, and 14.39 ± 0.20 Ma. The mica Ar-Ar ages can reveal the exhumation and cooling history of the Demala Group complex. Combined with the previous research results of the Demala Group complex, the authors refer that the Demala Group complex should be a set of metamorphic complex. The complex includes not only Precambrian basement metamorphic rock series, but also Paleozoic sedimentary rock and Mesozoic granitic rock. Based on the deformation characteristics, the authors concluded that two stages of the metamorphism and deformation can be revealed in the Demala Group complex since the Mesozoic, namely Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (203 –190 Ma) and Oligocene –Miocene (24 –14 Ma). The early stage of metamorphism (ranging from 203 –190 Ma) was related to the Late Triassic tectono-magmatism in the area. The anatexis and uplifting-exhumation of the later stage (24 –14 Ma) were related to the shearing of the Jiali strike-slip fault zone. The Miocene structures are response to the large-scale southeastward escape of crustal materials and block rotation in Southeast Tibet after India-Eurasia collision.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.     

长乐-东山构造-岩浆带中北段地质特征

从复杂的构造变形中甄别出岩浆岩的塑性流动变形,与韧性和脆-韧性变形区别,力争还原长乐—泉州沿海一带地质构造的真实面目,并探讨了该带的活动时间和构造属性。另外还对该带长期争论的澳角群进行了初步的分解,锆石SHRIMP测年数据也反映了平潭南务里一带变质岩的复杂性。     

上扬子区寒武系娄山关群白云岩层序地层格架及其古地理背景

上扬子区特别是贵州及其邻区的寒武系娄山关群发育一套化石贫乏的浅水台地相白云岩,横跨中、上寒武统,厚度上千米,自北西向南东随着沉积环境水体的加深逐渐相变为开阔海台地相灰岩、陆棚相泥页岩等。由于化石贫乏难以进行详尽的年代地层划分,但是发育石盐假晶泥晶白云岩所反映的沉积环境水体变浅以及发育颗粒白云岩所反映的水体加深,表明可以应用从岩相序列到沉积相序列的方法对该套白云岩进行层序地层划分,成为在“海平面变化的框架内探讨沉积相迁移”的典型代表。巨厚的贫乏化石的娄山关群白云岩与下伏厚度较小、产三叶虫化石的陡坡寺组白云质细粒混合岩系形成了鲜明的对照,它们组成了1个二级层序,并可以划分为7个三级层序。陡坡寺组细粒混合岩系代表了二级海侵作用所造成的水体加深,而娄山关群白云岩自北西向南东进积尖灭则代表了二级海退过程所造成的水体变浅。该二级层序本身即是1个总体向上变浅的沉积相序列,其相序组构与三级层序相似,三级层序的相序组构与那些由岩相序列所组成的若干环潮坪型米级旋回也具有相似性。因此研究区娄山关群白云岩构成了1个复杂而有规律的、独特的层序地层格架,并由此反映了沉积物的时间演变序列和沉积相的空间展布特征具有一定的规律性,代表了其古地理演变过程既受制于海侵加深和海退变浅的时间过程,同时又受控于沉积环境水体自北西向南东由浅变深的空间变化过程。娄山关群白云岩的层序地层研究表明：层序地层学研究的核心是沉积物的时间演变序列以及沉积相的空间展布形式所代表的规律性,并根据这种规律性进行地层划分和对比。     

研究气温变化趋势的新方法——三组耐抗线

针对气象资料难以满足高斯分布的情况,引进了具有耐抗性的三组耐抗线方法,分析了满足不同信度情况下最小二乘回归和三组耐抗线的差异,并用西藏近30 a气温资料进行了检验。结果表明三组耐抗线方法比最小二乘法研究气候变化趋势有明显优势;采用最小二乘法得到的西藏气候变暖估计偏高。     

Matt Wilson structure: record of an impact event of possible Early Mesoproterozoic age,Northern Territory

The Matt Wilson structure is a circular 5.5 km-diameter structure in Early Mesoproterozoic or Neoproterozoic rocks of the Victoria Basin, Northern Territory. It lies in regionally horizontal to gently dipping Wondoan Hill and Stubb Formations (Tijunna Group) and Jasper Gorge Sandstone (Auvergne Group). An outer circumferential syncline with dips of 5?–?40° in the limbs surrounds an intermediate zone with faulted sandstone displaying horizontal to low dips, and a central steeply dipping zone about 1.5 km across. Several thrust faults in the outer syncline appear to indicate outward-directed forces. The central zone, marked by steeply dipping to overturned Tijunna Group and possibly Bullita Group sandstone and mudstone, indicates uplift of at least 300 m. The rocks are intensely fractured with some brecciation, and contain numerous planar to subtly undulating surfaces displaying striae which resemble shatter cleavage. Thin-sections of sandstone from the central area show zones of intense microbrecciation and irregular and planar fractures in quartz, but no melt-rocks have been identified. The planar fractures occur in multiple intersecting parallel sets typical of relatively low-level (5?–?10 GPa) shock-pressure effects. Alternative mechanisms, i.e. igneous intrusion, carbonate collapse, diapirism and regional deformation processes, have been discounted. The circular nature, central uplift, faulting, shatter features and planar fractures are all consistent with an impact origin. The Matt Wilson structure is most likely a deeply eroded impact structure in which the more highly shocked rocks of the original crater floor have been removed by erosion. Estimates of the age of the Auvergne and Tijunna Groups range from Early Mesoproterozoic (which we favour) to Late Neoproterozoic. Early Cambrian Antrim Plateau Volcanics near the impact structure show no signs of impact effects, allowing the age of impact to be constrained between Early Mesoproterozoic and Early Cambrian. The presence of widespread soft-sediment deformation features, apparently confined to a single horizon in the Saddle Creek Formation some 700?–?1000 m stratigraphically higher in the Auvergne Group than the rocks at the impact site, and apparently increasing in thickness towards the Matt Wilson structure, lead us to speculate that this probable event horizon is related to the impact event: if correct the impact occurred during deposition of the Saddle Creek Formation.     

不纯碳酸盐岩的变质作用

不纯碳酸盐岩中的矿物共生组合与变质时的总压和二氧化碳分压密切相关。总压增高促使透闪石、透辉石和橄榄石等矿物生成温度增高。变质过程中岩石中流体成分的变化有两种极端情况,即渗滤作用和缓冲作用。渗滤作用下变质反应,变质矿物界线和变质矿物特征等均与缓冲作用下有所差异,以此可以区别它们。湖北宿松群和河北红旗营子群不纯大理岩是在渗滤作用下变质的。山西五台群板峪口组不纯大理岩是在缓冲加渗滤作用下变质的。