西秦岭江里沟花岗岩体地球化学特征、年代学及地质意义

内容提要：江里沟岩体出露于西秦岭造山带北段,侵入于大关山组之中,岩性为二长花岗岩,主要矿物组成为斜长石、石英、钾长石、黑云母等。该岩体SiO2=71.76%~75.86%,Al2O3=11.67%~ 14.84%,MgO=0.35%~ 0.70%,Sr=58×10-6~223×10-6,Y=1.2×10-6~16.1×10-6,Yb=1.21×10-6~1.76×10-6,里特曼指数介于1.42~2.08,在K2O-SiO2关系图上投入高钾钙碱性系列,A/CNK介于1.05~1.1,属过铝质花岗岩。在原始地幔标准化的微量元素分布图中,大离子亲石元素（LILE）K、Th、Rb、Ba等富集,高场强元素（HFSE）Nb、P、Ti、Y、Yb等相对亏损。稀土元素总量（∑REE=62×10-6~170×10-6）变化较大,稀土元素球粒陨石标准化分配型式表现为轻稀土强烈富集,重稀土相对亏损的右倾型且Eu负异常较明显（LREE/HREE=6.3~16.2,（La/Yb）N =4.9~17.4,δEu=0.38~0.66）,总体显示出喜马拉雅型花岗岩的岩石地球化学特点。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年表明其形成年龄为264.0±1.4Ma,属中二叠世晚期。结合前人研究和本次的工作分析认为,江里沟岩体形成于加厚地壳的构造环境,可能是由于受到阿尼玛卿洋盆在闭合过程中俯冲碰撞远程效应的影响,使得本区发生挤压作用,地壳加厚增温,给该地区地壳深部物质重熔侵位提供了动力学条件和岩浆活动空间。     

Neotectonic Control on the Geomorphic Evolution of the Gangotri Glacier Valley, Garhwal Himalaya

The paper records evidences of neotectonic activities in the Gangotri glacier valley that are found to be responsible for the present-day geomorphic set-up of the area since the last phase of major glaciation. Geomorphological features indicate the presence of a large glacier in the valley in the geological past. Prominent planar structures present in the rocks were later on modified into sets of normal faults in the present-day Himalayan tectonic set-up giving rise to graben structures. The block nearest the snout is traversed by the NW-SE trending Gaumukh fault. A number of terraces mark the entrenchment of Bhagirathi River in this part. The contrasting drainage morphometric parameters of two sides of the valley and asymmetric recessional patterns of the tributary glaciers further document movement along the fault. The distribution and orientation of debris fans also seem to be controlled by neotectonic activity. The neotectonic activity that followed the process of deglaciation has brought the glacially carved, wide U- shaped valley in contact with the present-day fluvially incised narrow and relatively deep valley. The wider segments have become sites of active deposition of glacially eroded debris. The low gradient and excessive filling has resulted in the river attaining a braided nature in these segments.     

The cordierite‐bearing anatectic rocks of the higher Himalayan crystallines (eastern Nepal): low‐pressure anatexis,melt productivity,melt loss and the preservation of cordierite

Cordierite‐bearing anatectic rocks inform our understanding of low‐pressure anatectic processes in the continental crust. This article focuses on cordierite‐bearing lithologies occurring at the upper structural levels of the Higher Himalayan Crystallines (eastern Nepal Himalaya). Three cordierite‐bearing gneisses from different geological transects (from Mt Everest to Kangchenjunga) have been studied, in which cordierite is spectacularly well preserved. The three samples differ in terms of bulk composition likely reflecting different sedimentary protoliths, although they all consist of quartz, alkali feldspar, plagioclase, biotite, cordierite and sillimanite in different modal percentages. Analysis of the microstructures related to melt production and/or melt consumption allows the distinction to be made between peritectic and cotectic cordierite. The melt productivity of different prograde assemblages (from two‐mica metapelite/metagreywacke to biotite‐metapelite) has been investigated at low‐pressure conditions, evaluating the effects of muscovite v. biotite dehydration melting on both mineral assemblages and microstructures. The results of the thermodynamic modelling suggest that the mode and type of the micaceous minerals in the prograde assemblage is a very important parameter controlling the melt productivity at low‐pressure conditions, the two‐mica protoliths being significantly more fertile at any given temperature than biotite gneisses over the same temperature interval. Furthermore, the cordierite preservation is promoted by melt crystallization at a dry solidus and by exhumation along P‐T paths with a peculiar dP/dT slope of about 15–18 bar °C^?1. Overall, our results provide a key for the interpretation of cordierite petrogenesis in migmatites from any low‐P regional anatectic terrane. The cordierite‐bearing migmatites may well represent the source rocks for the Miocene andalusite‐bearing leucogranites occurring at the upper structural levels of the Himalayan belt, and low‐P isobaric heating rather than decompression melting may be the triggering process of this peculiar peraluminous magmatism.     

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Nepal Himalaya: A Manageable Hazard?

Within the past fifteen years, glacial lake outburst floods have become an activetopic of discussion within the development community focused on Nepal. Suchfloods endanger thousands of people, hundreds of villages, and basic infrastructuresuch as trails and bridges. The flood risk is also a major impediment to hydroelectricdevelopment in several river basins. Unlike most other mountain hazards in Nepal,reducing the possibility of outburst floods is technically feasible. The first attemptwithin Nepal to reduce the hazard of one lake by artificially lowering its water levelwas partially completed in June 2000. Completing this task and beginning work onother hazardous lakes will require difficult decisions about risk by downstream residentsand substantial investment from the international aid community.     

Deformation temperatures and flow vorticities near the base of the Greater Himalayan Series,Sutlej Valley and Shimla Klippe,NW India

We report new deformation temperature and flow vorticity data from the base of the Greater Himalayan Series (GHS) exposed in the Sutlej Valley and Shimla Klippe of NW India. We focus on three groups of transects across the hanging wall of the Main Central Thrust (MCT). In order of relative foreland – hinterland positions, they are the Shimla Klippe, Western and Eastern Sutlej transects. Deformation temperatures indicated by quartz c-axis fabric opening-angles increase both from foreland to hinterland at a given structural distance above the MCT and up structural section from the MCT within individual transects. Deformation temperatures in the immediate hanging wall to the MCT are estimated at ∼510–535, 535–550 and 610 °C on the Shimla, Western Sutlej and Eastern Sutlej transects, respectively. The steepest inferred field gradients in deformation temperatures are recorded adjacent to the MCT and progressively decrease up structural section following a power law relationship. Comparison with temperature estimates based on multi-mineral phase equilibria data suggests that penetrative shearing occurred at close to peak metamorphic conditions. Vorticity analyses indicate that shearing along the base of the GHS occurred under sub-simple shear conditions (Wm values of 0.9–1.0) with a minor component of pure shear.