Facies architecture of a submarine fan channel–levee complex: the Juniper Ridge Conglomerate, Coalinga, California

The Upper Cretaceous Juniper Ridge Conglomerate (JRC) near Coalinga, California, provides a rare, high-quality exposure of a submarine channel to overbank transition. The facies architecture of the JRC comprises a thick, predominantly mudstone sequence overlain by a channellized conglomerate package. Conglomeratic bounding surfaces truncate successions of interbedded turbiditic sandstones and mudstones both vertically and laterally. Thick-bedded, massive sandstones are interbedded with conglomerates. Facies architecture, palaeocurrent indicators, slump features, sandstone percentages and sandstone bed thickness trends lead to the interpretation that these elements comprise channel and overbank facies. A vertical sequence with conglomerate at the base, followed by thick-bedded sandstone, and capped by interbedded turbiditic sandstone and mudstone form a fining-upward lithofacies association that is interpreted as a single channel-fill/overbank system. Three similar lithofacies associations can be related to autocyclic processes of thalweg migration and submarine fan aggradation or to allocyclically driven changes in sediment calibre.     

Sub-wavebase cross-bedded grainstones on a distally steepened carbonate ramp, Upper Miocene, Menorca, Spain

Cross‐bedded grainstones on carbonate ramps and shelves are commonly related to the locus of major wave energy absorption such as shorelines, shoals or shelf breaks. In contrast, on the Early Tortonian carbonate platform of Menorca (Balearic Islands), coarse‐grained, cross‐bedded grainstones are found at a distance from the palaeoshoreline where they were deposited below the wavebase. Excellent exposures along continuous outcrops on the sea cliffs of Menorca reveal the depositional profile and three‐dimensional distribution of the different facies belts of the Tortonian ramp depositional system. Basinward from the palaeoshoreline, fan deltas and beach deposits pass into 5‐km‐wide gently dipping bioturbated dolopackstone (inner and middle ramp), then into 12–20°‐dipping dolograinstone/rudstone clinobeds (ramp slope) and, finally, into subhorizontal fine‐grained basinal dolowackestone to dolopackstone (outer ramp). In this Miocene example, coarse‐grained grainstones exist in five different settings other than beach deposits: (1) on the middle ramp, where cross‐bedded grainstones were deposited by currents roughly parallel to the shoreline at 40–70 m estimated water depth and are interbedded with gently dipping bioturbated dolomitized packstones; (2) on the upper slope, where clinobeds are composed mostly of in situ rhodoliths and red‐algae fragments; (3) on the lower slope, as small‐scale bedforms (small three‐dimensional subaqueous dunes) migrating parallel to the slope; (4) at the transition between the lower slope and the outer ramp, where mollusc‐rich and rhodolithic rudstones and grainstones, interbedded in dolomitized laminated wackestones containing abundant planktonic foraminifera, infill slide/slump scars as upslope‐backstepping bodies (backsets); (5) at the toe of the slope, where coarse skeletal grainstones indicate bedform migration parallel to the platform margin, induced by currents at more than 150 m estimated water depth. This Late Miocene example also illustrates how changes in intrabasinal environmental conditions (nutrients and/or temperature) may produce changes in stratal patterns and facies architecture if they affect the biological system. Two depositional sequences compose the Miocene platform on Menorca, where a reef‐rimmed platform prograded onto an earlier distally steepened ramp. The transition from the ramp to the reef‐rimmed platform was effected by an increase in accommodation space caused by ecological changes, promoting a shift from a grain‐ to a framework‐producing biota.     

How to obtain alert velocity thresholds for large rockslides

A reliable forecast of the failure stage of large rockslides is difficult, because of non-linear time dependency of displacements and seasonal effects. Aim of this paper is to suggest a practical method to prepare alert thresholds for large rockslides, assessing critical values of velocity for carrying out civil protection actions using monitoring data. Adopted data concern the 20 Mm³ Ruinon rockslide (Valfurva, Central Alps, Italy), still evolving and suitable to originate a fast moving rock avalanche. Multitemporal analysis of aerial photos, LIDAR-ALTM laser topography, field survey and geomechanical analyses allowed to infer the rockslide kinematics and better understand data provided by a monitoring network including distometers, extensometers, GPS benchmarks and inclinometers. The analysis of displacement and rainfall data over five years (1997–2001) allowed to recognise three different evolutionary patterns of displacements, showing a continuously increasing rate since 1997. Data representing large-scale behaviour of the rock mass were fitted by power-law curves, according to the “accelerating creep” model by Voight, in order to evaluate a suitable failure time. This was hampered by the large seasonal deviations, which can significantly delay the occurrence of failure. Data were fitted using the Voight’s equation, expressed in terms of displacement, through non-linear estimation techniques, in order to find values of the controlling parameters (A, α and t_f) suitable to represent the mechanical behaviour of the rock mass approaching the failure. This allowed to compute velocity–time theoretical curves and to define different velocity threshold values (pre-alert, alert and emergency) to be used for emergency management.     

雄关漫道真如铁——论中国油气二次创业

半个多世纪以来，中国经历了油气资源的第一次创业，在祖国大陆和近海大陆架地区的新生代陆相碎屑岩沉积盆地中，发现了一批油气田，使原油年产量达1．67亿吨，位居世界第五，天然气疸这241亿立方米，居世界第十五位，成绩是巨大的，但是，1993年开始进口原油3000万吨，2000年进口原油7200万吨，严重影响国家经济建设，而且这种趋势还在不断发展，预测2010年将进口原油1亿吨，天然气200亿立方米，那么，中国油气资源的出路何在？作者指出，从中国大地构造演化来看，前新生代海相残留盆地还有巨大的油气潜力，尽管其勘探的难度是世界级的，但是，只要我们切实地依靠科学技术，进行油气资源的二次创业，困难上，在实践中克服困难，就可以发现更多的石油天然气，支持国家经济建设的持续发展。     

环渤海地区油气资源探查的思考

回顾过去渤海勘探实践的经验，对于指导今后的研究工作是十分重要的。40年来渤海地区发现大量新老第三纪陆相石油资源，成为中国的重要产油区，也积累了丰富的勘探经验。深化环渤海地区油气资源的探查，首先应考虑前新生代海相油气资源。但其勘探是高难度的，前景是诱人的。应该认真贯彻下列认识原则：（1）区域指导局部；（2）深部制约浅层；（3）在地震处理解释创新的同时，大力发展综合地质地球物理研究。     

东南极格罗夫山变基性岩初步研究

东南极格罗夫山存在一套经历了峰期麻粒岩相变质作用的镁铁质麻粒岩和斜长角闪岩。对含石榴石的镁铁质麻粒岩的详细研究则显示了近等温降压 (ITD)的顺时针PT演化轨迹 ,与拉斯曼丘陵有相似的演化历史。岩石的主量元素组成和玄武岩一致 ,并且具有拉斑玄武岩演化趋势。进一步的地球化学研究表明 ,这套玄武岩为洋岛型玄武岩 (OIB)和洋中脊型玄武岩(MORB)的组合。OIB型具有大体类似的地球化学性质 ,它们均富集Ti(TiO2 =2 .68% )、REE( =2 0 2 μg/g)、LREE[(La/Yb) N=4.8]、Ti/Y( =343)、Zr/Y( =3.1 ) ,具洋岛玄武岩的特征 ,推测岩浆来源于富集地幔源区 (EM)。而MORB型以低Ti (TiO2 =1 .1 %— 1 .31 % ) ,明显低于OIB的P的含量 (P2 O5=0 .1 %— 0 .2 % ) ,低REE ( 4 7— 93μg/g)、LREE/HREE( 2 .2 7— 2 .5 4 )、(La/Yb) N( =1 .30— 1 .62 )为特征 ,具洋中脊玄武岩的特征。MORB和OIB组合的出现说明在泛非期该区可能存在过洋盆。     

The interpretation of reaction textures in Fe‐rich metapelitic granulites of the Musgrave Block,central Australia: constraints from mineral equilibria calculations in the system K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–Fe2O3

Fe‐rich metapelitic granulites of the Musgrave Block, central Australia, contain several symplectic and coronal reaction textures that post‐date a peak S2 metamorphic assemblage involving garnet, sillimanite, spinel, ilmenite, K‐feldspar and quartz. The earliest reaction textures involve spinel‐ and quartz‐bearing symplectites that enclose garnet and to a lesser extent sillimanite. The symplectic spinel and quartz are in places separated by later garnet and/or sillimanite coronas. The metamorphic effects of a later, D3, event are restricted to zones of moderate to high strain where a metamorphic assemblage of garnet, sillimanite, K‐feldspar, magnetite, ilmenite, quartz and biotite is preserved. Quantitative mineral equilibria calculations in the system K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ (KFMASHTO) using Thermocalc 3.0 and the accompanying internally consistent dataset provide important constraints on the influence of TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ on biotite‐bearing and spinel‐bearing equilibria, respectively. Biotite‐bearing equilibria are shifted to higher temperatures and spinel‐bearing equilibria to higher pressures and lower temperatures in comparison to the equivalent equilibria in K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O (KFMASH). The sequence of reaction textures involving spinel is consistent with a D2 P–T path that involved a small amount of decompression followed predominantly by cooling within a single mineral assemblage stability field. Thus, the reaction textures reflect changes in modal proportions within an equilibrium assemblage rather than the crossing of a univariant reaction. The D3 metamorphic assemblage is consistent with lower temperatures than those inferred for D2.     

Proglacial Sediment—Landform Associations of a Polythermal Glacier: Storglaciären, Northern Sweden

Mapping and laboratory analysis of the sediment—landform associations in the proglacial area of polythermal Storglaciären, Tarfala, northern Sweden, reveal six distinct lithofacies. Sandy gravel, silty gravel, massive sand and silty sand are interpreted as glaciofluvial in origin. A variable, pervasively deformed to massive clast‐rich sandy diamicton is interpreted as the product of an actively deforming subglacial till layer. Massive block gravels, comprising two distinctive moraine ridges, reflect supraglacial sedimentation and ice‐marginal and subglacial reworking of heterogeneous proglacial sediments during the Little Ice Age and an earlier more extensive advance. Visual estimation of the relative abundance of these lithofacies suggests that the sandy gravel lithofacies is of the most volumetric importance, followed by the diamicton and block gravels. Sedimentological analysis suggests that the role of a deforming basal till layer has been the dominant factor controlling glacier flow throughout the Little Ice Age, punctuated by shorter (warmer and wetter climatic) periods where high water pressures may have played a more important role. These results contribute to the database that facilitates discrimination of past glacier thermal regimes and dynamics in areas that are no longer glacierized, as well as older glaciations in the geological record.     

合肥盆地中、新生代沉积相初步研究

合肥盆地是与大别山造山带有密切关系的山前前陆盆地，盆地中、新生界沉积物主要来自南面大别山区以及盆地东部、北部剥蚀区。通过野外实际踏勘、室内岩石薄片显微分析，认为合肥盆地中、新生界发育的沉积相主要有冲积扇相、河流相和湖泊相，其中以河流相最为发育。该盆地中、新生界油气源条件比较丰富，储盖条件良好，生储盖组合形式多样，存在多种油气圈闭类型，是一个油气勘探潜力较大的陆相沉积盆地。     

吉林延边开山屯地区蓝片岩相变质作用——来自硬绿泥石＋纤锰柱石＋多硅白云母组合的证据

吉林延边开山屯低级变质作用发育于兴凯地块西南晚古生代活动大陆边缘，这里产出二叠纪末的消减增生杂岩。低级变质作用矿物除冻蓝闪石、阳起石、玉髓、黝帘石、多硅白云母、绿泥石、钠长石外，还在灰黑色变泥质岩中发现硬绿泥石 纤锰柱石 多硅白云母组合。这是国内首次报道的以泥质岩为原岩并具有硬绿泥石 纤锰柱石标志矿物组合的蓝片岩相岩石。研究表明，该组合的形成温度290．14(或370．8)℃，具明显的低温特征。