Northward cooling of the Kuncha nappe and downward heating of the Lesser Himalayan autochthon distributed to the south of Mt. Annapurna,western central Nepal

We investigated the tectonothermal history of the Lesser Himalayan sediments (LHS), which are tectonically overlain by the Higher Himalayan Crystalline. Fission‐track dating and the track length measurement of detrital zircons obtained from the Kuncha nappe and the Lesser Himalayan autochthonous sediments in western central Nepal revealed northward cooling of the nappe and possible downward heating of the autochthon by the overlying hot nappe. Nine zircon fission‐track (ZFT) ages of the nappe showed northward‐younging linear distribution from 11.6 Ma in the front at Tamghas, 6 Ma in the central at Naudanda, and 1.6 Ma in the northernmost point at Tatopani. Thermochronological invert calculation of the ZFT length elucidated that the Kuncha nappe gradually cooled down (30 °C/Myr) at the front and rapidly cooled down (120 °C/Myr) at the root zone. In contrast, the ZFT age of the Chappani Formation, located just beneath the Kuncha nappe in the central part, demonstrated a totally reset age of 6.8 Ma, whereas the Virkot Formation, structurally far from the nappe, yielded a partially reset age of 457.3 Ma. This suggests that the LHS underwent downward heating, resulting in a thermal print on the upper part of the LHS; however, the thermal effect was not sufficient to anneal ZFT totally in the deeper part. Presently, the nappe cover is eroded and denuded from this area. Detrital zircons from the Chappani Formation in Tansen area to the south of the Bari Gad Fault did not show any evidence of annealing, suggesting that nappe never covered the LHS distributed to the south of the fault.     

2015年尼泊尔MS8.1大地震孕育的深层过程与发生的动力学响应

2015年4月25日发生在尼泊尔博克拉M_S8.1大地震的深层动力过程与“地中海-喜马拉雅-南亚地震带”的中段喜马拉雅地震活动带密切相关.这次大地震是该地震强烈活动带上长期以来深部物质与能量强烈交换、运动,并导致构造活动和应力积累的产物.综合分析与研究提出：（1）博克拉M_S8.1大地震的孕育、发生和发展具有长期活动和近年来相邻地带地震活动频繁的背景;这一地带自1505年-2015年,即500多年来相继发生多次M_S≥8.0的大地震.（2）这一地带具有特异的地球物理边界场响应和深层动力过程,显示深部物质的重新分异、调整与能量交换.（3）大地震发生与周边地带应力场分布特异,壳、幔结构与介质属性变异及破裂响应与断层面解的属性相关.（4）喜马拉雅地带的三条北倾断裂带以不同角度向深部延伸、震源位置及浅表层的变形特征尚应深化理解.（5）M_S8.1大地震的发生对相邻地带的波场影响强烈,故应强化高精度地球物理场的观测和探测,以“捕捉”未来可能大地震的孕育与发生.     

小兴安岭-张广才岭铁力地区侏罗纪辉绿岩年代学、地球化学、锆石Hf同位素特征及其构造意义

小兴安岭-张广才岭地区中生代岩浆活动的成因及动力学背景对于揭示古太平洋的构造演化具有重要意义。本文选取小兴安岭-张广才岭铁力地区出露的辉绿岩墙为研究对象,进行锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年代学、全岩地球化学和锆石Hf同位素等分析,对该基性岩的形成时代、岩石成因、岩浆源区以及形成的大地构造背景进行讨论。研究表明:辉绿岩锆石具有高Th/U比值( 0.3),CL图像显示微弱的振荡环带结构,具有岩浆锆石特征,~(206)Pb/~(238)U加权平均年龄为187±2Ma,即形成于早侏罗世;该岩体主要经历了橄榄石和单斜辉石的分离结晶作用,未遭受明显的地壳混染作用,并且具有Rb、Ba、U、Pb、K和Sr等流体活动元素相对富集,Th、Nb和Ta等非流体活动性元素相对亏损的地球化学特征,暗示其形成于被俯冲流体富集交代的亏损地幔部分熔融,源区可能为尖晶石-石榴石二辉橄榄岩,部分熔融程度约为6%～20%。结合该地区同时代的岩浆岩、变形构造、矿床特征和黑龙江蓝片岩的相关报道,本文认为小兴安岭-张广才岭地区在中生代期间处于活动大陆边缘环境,其岩浆岩的形成主要是由于存在于佳木斯地块和松嫩-小兴安岭地块间的牡丹江洋西向俯冲造成的。     

福贡地区石炭系地层可能属于拉萨地块:来自碎屑锆石年龄谱的指示

欧亚与印度大陆的碰撞使得印度大陆的北东角强烈挤入欧亚大陆内部,形成东构造结,其引发的强烈变形将南羌塘地块、北羌塘地块、拉萨地块、保山地块、兰坪-思茅地块以及地块之间的缝合带挤压于很窄的范围内,造成青藏高原腹地与其东南缘之间构造单元划分、对比困难。滇西福贡地区位于青藏高原东南缘,东构造结影响范围内,是三江造山带及青藏高原相关地块的汇聚处。福贡地区石炭系岩石组合表明其形成于较为稳定的浅海相沉积环境中,具有被动大陆边缘沉积特征。三件石炭系二云母石英片岩碎屑锆石表面年龄数据(194个有效分析点)形成五个主要年龄区间:2550~2400Ma、1800~1550Ma、1200~1080Ma、1000~850Ma和600~480Ma,峰值分别为~2502Ma、~1724Ma、~1120Ma、~886Ma和~512Ma。对比其他地块同时代地层的碎屑锆石年龄谱表明,福贡地区石炭系可能是拉萨地块的一部分,与腾冲地块一样,属于其南延部分。结合中新生代岩浆岩带的构造连续性,我们认为,印度板块东北角向北、北东方向的强烈挤压导致拉萨地块及冈底斯岩浆岩带弯曲、缩颈、并发生分离与旋转。     

Characteristics and mitigation of the snow avalanche hazard in Kaghan Valley,Pakistan Himalaya

Snow avalanche hazards in mountainous areas of developing countries have received scant attention in the scientific literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe this hazard and mitigative measures in Kaghan Valley, Pakistan Himalaya, and to review alternatives for future reduction of this hazard. Snow avalanches have long posed a hazard and risk to indigenous populations of the Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya mountains. Land use intensification due to population growth, new transportation routes, military activity and tourism is raising levels of risk. The history of land use in the study area is such that investigations of avalanche hazard must rely on different theoretical bases and data than in most industrialised countries. Despite the intensive use of valley-bottom land which is affected by avalanches, a number of simple measures are currently employed by the indigenous population to mitigate the hazard. Out-migration during the winter months is the most important one. During the intensive use period of summer avalanche-transported snow provides numerous resources for the population. In Kaghan the avalanche hazard is increasing primarily as a result of poorly located new buildings and other construction projects. The large scale of avalanche activity there rules out any significant improvement or protection of the currently difficult winter access. Instead, future mitigation of the hazard should focus on protecting the small number of winter inhabitants and minimising property damage.     

高喜马拉雅淡色花岗岩形成的热模拟

地壳物质重熔形成高喜马拉雅淡色花岗岩需要在中地壳深度20多百万年前达到650℃以上的温度,但如何解释冷的印度板块向欧亚大陆俯冲时会产生这样的高温是一个难题,单一因素的解释往往不能解释全部地质观测事实．本文通过有限单元法定量化计算,提出多种因素的综合作用的假说,认为较合理的估计包括逆掩断层的幕式活动和间歇、摩擦剪切生热、高放射性元素含量和低热导率岩石的存在、高抬升剥蚀速度等因素．这些因素的组合才造成高喜马拉雅淡色花岗岩既能成带,但又只是断续的出现．     

Systems for Hazards Identification in High Mountain Areas： An Example from the Kullu District, Western Himalaya

Methods and techniques for the identification, monitoring and management of natural hazards in high mountain areas are enumerated and described. A case study from the western Himalayan Kullu District in Himachal Pradesh, India is used to illustrate some of the methods. Research on the general topic has been conducted over three decades and that in the Kullu District has been carried out since 1994. Early methods of hazards identification in high mountain areas involved intensive and lengthy fieldwork and mapping with primary reliance on interpretation of landforms, sediments and vegetation thought to be indicative of slope fail ures, rock falls, debris flows, floods and accelerated soil surface erosion. Augmented by the use of airphotos and ad hoc observations of specific events over time, these methods resulted in the gradual accumulation of information on hazardous sites and the beginnings of a chronology of occurrences in an area. The use of historical methods applied to written and photographic material, often held in archives and libraries, further improved the resolution of hazards information. In the past two decades, both the need for, and the ability to, accurately identify potential hazards have increased. The need for accurate information and monitoring comes about as a result of rapid growth in population, settlements, transportation infrastructure and intensified land uses and, therefore, risk and vulnerability in mountain areas. Ability has improved as the traditional methods of gathering and manipulating data have been supplemented by the use of remotesensing, automated terrain modeling, global positioning systems and geographical information systems. This paper focuses on the development and application of the latter methods and techniques to characterize and monitor hazards in high mountain areas.     

Infilling of the Younger Kathmandu–Banepa intermontane lake basin during the Late Quaternary (Lesser Himalaya,Nepal): a sedimentological study

The Kathmandu and Banepa Basins, Central Nepal, are located in a large syncline of the Lesser Himalayas. The Older Kathmandu Lake evolved during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene; the Younger Kathmandu Lake, which is the focus of this study, is infilled with late Quaternary sediments. Three formations, arranged in stratigraphical order, the Kalimati, Gokarna and Thoka Formations formed during the infilling stage of this lacustrine basin. Structural and textural sedimentological analyses, a chemical survey across the basin and mineralogical investigations of fine‐grained sediments form the basis of this palaeogeographical study. The basin under investigation was covered by a perennial freshwater lake before 30 000 yr BP. The lake was infilled with alluvial and fluvial sediments delivered mainly from the mountains north of the basin. A fairly low gradient was favourable for the formation of diatomaceous earths, carbonaceous mudstones and siltstones, which were laid down in the centre of the lake and in small ponds. Towards the basin edge, lacustrine sediments gave way to deltaic deposits spread across the delta plain. Crevasse splays and anastomosing rivers mainly delivered suspended load for the widespread siltstones and mudstones. The proximal parts of the alluvial–fluvial sedimentary wedge contain debris flows that interfinger with fine‐grained floodplain deposits. Three highstands of the water‐level (>30 000 yr BP, 28 000–19 000 yr BP, 11 000–4000 yr BP (?)) have been recognised in the sedimentary record of the younger Kathmandu Lake in the Late Quaternary. Second‐order water‐level fluctuations are assumed to be triggered by local processes (damming by tectonically induced landslides). First‐order water‐level fluctuations are the result of climatic changes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Extreme rainfall events and associated natural hazards in Alaknanda valley, Indian Himalayan region

Introduction The Himalaya is considered to be the youngest mountains on the earth, and is tectonically very active, and hence inherently (geologically) vulnerable to hazards. Extreme rainfall events, landslides, debris flows, torrents and flash floods due…