The interplay and effects of deformation and crystallized melt on the rheology of the lower continental crust,Fiordland, New Zealand

Microstructural, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and misorientation analyses of a migmatitic granulite-facies orthogneiss from the exhumed lower crust of a Cretaceous continental arc in Fiordland, New Zealand show how deformation was accommodated during and after episodes of melt infiltration and high-grade metamorphism. Microstructures in garnet, omphacite, plagioclase, and K-feldspar suggest that an early stage of deformation was achieved by dislocation creep of omphacite and plagioclase, with subsequent deformation becoming partitioned into plagioclase. Continued deformation after melt infiltration resulted in strain localization in the leucosome of the migmatite, where a change of plagioclase deformation mechanism promoted the onset of grain boundary sliding, most likely accommodated by diffusion creep, in fine recrystallized plagioclase grains. Our results suggest three distinctive transitions in the rheology of the lower crust of this continental arc, where initial weakening was primarily achieved by deformation of both omphacite and plagioclase. Subsequent strain localization in plagioclase of the leucosome indicates that the zones of former melt are weaker than the restite, and that changes in deformation mechanisms within plagioclase, and an evolution of its strength, primarily control the rheology of the lower crust during and after episodes of melting and magma addition.     

东准噶尔库布苏南岩体中闪长质包体特征及地质意义

新疆东准噶尔卡拉麦里地区库布苏南晚古生代后碰撞准铝质过铝质花岗闪长岩体中广泛发育大量的暗色微粒闪长质包体.岩石学、矿物学、主量元素和微量元素地球化学研究表明,包体在地球化学特征上表现为与寄主花岗岩既相互联系又受其制约.库布苏南花岗闪长岩体具有低锶初始比值I(Sr)和正εNd(t)值,表明花岗岩的来源有地幔物质参与,而大量发育的暗色微粒闪长质包体是壳幔岩浆混合作用最直接的证据,微粒包体是基性源岩部分熔融作用形成的残余体.与准噶尔碱性花岗岩一样,载荷包体的准铝质过铝质花岗岩是晚古生代后碰撞阶段构造岩浆活动的岩石类型之一,其形成和演化标志了准噶尔地区后碰撞幔源岩浆底侵作用导致大陆地壳垂向生长的过程.     

岩性不均一的灰岩风化壳发育特征——贵阳花溪剖面粒度分布特征的指示

通过贵阳花溪夹泥质薄层的灰岩风化壳剖面的粒度分布特征的研究,结合矿物成分分析,揭示出岩性不均一的灰岩风化壳的发育特征: 灰岩作为剖面主体的成土母岩,风化早期,其以碳酸盐矿物的大量溶蚀及酸不溶物的残余积累为特征,同时方解石的溶解也延缓了酸不溶物的风化; 后期,随着易溶盐类消失殆尽,酸不溶物作为风化主体,开始了类似其它岩类的风化过程。而灰岩中的泥质薄层夹层,作为风化壳的次要组分,在灰岩风化过程中,由于存在巨大的体积缩小变化,泥质薄层被错断并被灰岩的风化产物所包裹,延缓了其风化发育进程。于是,各端元组分由于所处的微环境的差异,受风化溶液的影响程度不同,按照各自的风化方向和演化方式进行。随着风化程度不断增强,泥质薄片的包裹体分解,端元组分逐渐混合、趋同,风化壳趋于均质化,以统一的风化成土作用向表生稳定的矿物转变。      

In situ estimation of the effective chemical diffusion coefficient of a rock matrix in a fractured aquifer

An in situ method of estimating the effective diffusion coefficient for a chemical constituent that diffuses into the primary porosity of a rock is developed by abruptly changing the concentration of the dissolved constituent in a borehole in contact with the rock matrix and monitoring the time-varying concentration. The experiment was conducted in a borehole completed in mudstone on the campus of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Numerous tracer tests were conducted at this site, which left a residual concentration of sodium chloride in boreholes that diffused into the rock matrix over a period of years. Fresh water was introduced into a borehole in contact with the mudstone, and the time-varying increase of chloride was observed by monitoring the electrical conductivity (EC) at various depths in the borehole. Estimates of the effective diffusion coefficient were obtained by interpreting measurements of EC over 34 d. The effective diffusion coefficient at a depth of 36 m was approximately 7.8×10^?6 m²/d, but was sensitive to the assumed matrix porosity. The formation factor and mass flux for the mudstone were also estimated from the experiment.     

Quantitative evaluation of the biostratigraphic distribution of acanthomorphic acritarchs in the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area, South China

Doushantuo acanthomorphic acritarchs are large morphologically complex organic-walled microfossils broadly constrained between the 635 Ma Nantuo glaciation and the 551 Ma Miaohe Biota. They are potential biostratigraphic tools for subdivision and correlation of the Ediacaran System in South China. However, major variations in sedimentary facies and stratigraphic thickness present challenges in understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of these acritarchs. Further, the distribution of acritarchs in the Doushantuo Formation is associated with the presence of early diagenetic chert and phosphate, implying a certain degree of preservational bias and/or environmental control. The purpose of this paper is to document the stratigraphic distribution of Doushantuo acritarchs and to quantitatively evaluate their biostratigraphic significance and possible taphonomic–environmental biases, based on high-resolution paleontological data from six sections over 100 km in the Yangtze Gorges area, South China.A total of 1082 acritarch fossils were recorded from 84 chert horizons in the six sections of the study area. These chert horizons are not uniformly distributed throughout the Doushantuo Formation, thus the presence/absence of early diagenetic chert does play a role in controlling the distribution of acritarchs. The sampled chert horizons can be grouped into two stratigraphic intervals in the lower and upper Doushantuo Formation, respectively, based on regional stratigraphic correlation. Quantitative analysis shows that the two intervals are distinct taxonomically and largely independent of taphonomic or facies controls. Thus, the two intervals can be regarded as assemblage biozones. The lower biozone (biozone 1) is numerically dominated by Tianzhushania spinosa (n = 587; 68.3%) and Meghystrichosphaeridium magnificum (n = 74; 8.6%), whereas the upper biozone (biozone 2) is dominated by Ericiasphaera rigida (n = 104; 47.1%) and Tianzhushania spinosa (n = 34; 14.1%). The three most common genera, Meghystrichosphaeridium, Tianzhushania, and Ericiasphaera, have been identified in all sections. Correspondence analysis (CA), detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), discriminant analysis (DA), and pairwise comparisons of samples (Spearman rank coefficient and Jaccard–Chao index), all consistently support biostratigraphic zonations. Thus, the distribution of the Doushantuo acanthomorphs is primarily controlled by biostratigraphic position of samples, with facies and taphonomic differences playing a secondary role. Our case study suggests that acanthomorphic acritarchs can offer a viable tool for regional correlation of the Ediacaran System.     

华南志留纪钼的矿化: 白石顶钼矿锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄和辉钼矿Re-Os年龄证据

白石顶钼矿床位于湘粤桂交界的桂北姑婆山地区,主要以石英辉钼矿脉的形式产于桂岭岩体(角闪石)黑云母二长花岗岩和南华系浅变质浅海相碎屑岩中.桂岭岩体岩石类型以中-细粒斑状(角闪石)黑云母二长花岗岩为主,岩石呈灰白色,似斑状结构.斑晶主要由微斜长石和斜长石组成,基质则由微斜长石、斜长石、石英、黑云母和普通角闪石组成,副矿物有磁铁矿、锆石、褐帘石、绿帘石、磷灰石、榍石等.白石顶钼矿的矿石矿物主要为辉钼矿、黄铁矿、黄铜矿和白钨矿等.围岩蚀变有黄铁矿化、钾长石化、白云母化、绿泥石化等.文章通过对桂岭岩体及其包体中锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄和辉钼矿Re-Os年龄的测定,初步揭示了白石顶钼矿床的成矿年代,桂岭岩体(角闪石)黑云母二长花岗岩锆石SHRIMP UPb年龄为(424.4±5.6)Ma,其中的闪长质包体的SHRIMP U-Pb年龄为(428±4)Ma.6件辉钼矿Re-Os的加权平均年龄为(424.6±5.7)Ma,这表明白石顶钼矿床形成于志留纪.此次工作首次认为在华南地区志留纪也发生了金属钼的富集成矿,该成果对于深入认识华南地区加里东期的构造.岩浆演化及其成矿作用具有重要的科学价值.     

东南大陆边缘早侏罗世火成岩特征及其构造意义

东南大陆边缘早侏罗世火成岩主要呈双峰式火山岩、基性超基性杂岩体及A型花岗岩等形态产出。本文运用岩石学探针技术,通过早侏罗世火成岩岩石学与地球化学研究,并与晚中生代火成岩作对比,提出早侏罗世火成岩的形成与南岭东段近EW向张性断裂活动有关,标志着印支挤压造山的结束;之后东南大陆进入晚中生代NE向活动大陆边缘俯冲造山阶段,经历了挤压造山—剪切拉张过程,并在晚白垩世末期进入又一轮后造山拉张裂解阶段,即中生代时东南大陆边缘经历了早中生代(三叠纪—早侏罗世)和晚中生代(中侏罗世—晚白垩世)两期造山事件,其中早侏罗世的区域拉张作用是特提斯构造域向滨太平洋构造域转换的前奏,构造域转换可能始于中侏罗世(165Ma)。     

Petrology and Geochemistry of the Volcanic Rocks Dredged from the Geophysicist Seamount in the Kurile Basin: Evidence for the Existence of Thinned Continental Crust

Dredged samples from the Geophysicist seamount volcano in the northeastern part of the Kurile Basin include volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks ranging from basalt to andesite. The rocks have geochemical features typical of high-K island-arc calc-alkaline volcanism. They are enriched in LILE and depleted in Zr, Ti, Nb, Ta and Y. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns are characterized by enrichment of LREE similar to those of island-arc lava from the submarine volcanoes of rear-arc zone of the Kurile Island Arc. The volcanic rocks have a wide range of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70287-0.70652), varying ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and Pb isotopic ratios. Their trace-element compositions and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope signatures may be explained by a small addition of crustal continental component to mantle-derived magmas that suggest the existence of thinned continental basement under the eastern part of the Kurile Basin.     

Contribution of SHRIMP U–Pb zircon geochronology to unravelling the evolution of Brazilian Neoproterozoic fold belts

The South-American continent is constituted of three major geologic–geotectonic entities: the homonym platform (consolidated at the end of the Cambrian), the Andean chain (essentially Meso-Cenozoic) and the Patagonian terrains, affected by tectonism and magmatism through almost all of the Phanerozoic. The platform is constituted by a series of cratonic nuclei (pre-Tonian, fragments of the Rodinia fission) surrounded by a complex fabric of Neoproterozoic structural provinces.