The Cauvery Shear Zone, Southern Granulite Terrain, India: A crustal-scale flower structure

The Cauvery Shear Zone (CSZ) is a crustal-scale shear system within the Southern Granulite Terrain along the southern margin of the Archaean Dharwar craton. Structural interpretation of satellite data and field observations reveal four major shear zones within the CSZ system. They show dextral shear kinematics synchronous with a major Neoproterozoic tectono-metamorphic event (D2) associated with intracrustal melting and migmatisation. The disposition, geometry and contemporaneity of shear fabrics of the CSZ system are modelled in terms of a crustal-scale flower structure akin to transpressional and collisional orogens. In the light of recent seismic evidence for a displaced Moho structure and a mid- to lower-crustal low velocity zone, the flower structure across the CSZ may extend to mantle depths.     

Neoproterozoic alkaline magmatism at Sivamalai, southern India

The Sivamalai alkaline complex lies at the southern margin of the Cauvery Shear System that separates the Archaean and Proterozoic domains of the Southern Granulite Terrain in India. U–Pb TIMS dating of zircon from a pegmatitic syenite sample in the complex yields a concordant age of 590.2 ± 1.3 (2σ) Ma which is interpreted to date the intrusion of the alkaline rocks. A lower concordia intercept at 168 ± 210 Ma defined by two grains with high common lead may indicate post-magmatic disturbances due to recrystallisation which is also evident in the CL images of the zircons. EPMA dating of monazite from a post-kinematic pegmatite which intrudes the crystalline basement hosting the alkaline rocks yields an age of 478 ± 29 (2σ) Ma and provides a lower bracket for the main phase of tectonism in this part of the Southern Granulite Terrain. The Pan-African high-grade metamorphism and ductile deformation has thus most likely affected the alkaline rocks. This is supported by the presence of a metamorphic foliation and extensive recrystallisation textures seen in the rocks. The major and trace element concentrations measured on selected samples reveals the presence of both enriched and depleted rock types. The enriched group includes ferrosyenite and nepheline syenite while the depleted group has only nepheline syenites. The trace element depletion of some nepheline syenites is interpreted to be a result of fractional crystallization involving the removal of accessory phases like zircon, titanite, apatite and allanite.     

Regional record of a global oceanic anoxic event: OAE1a on the Apulia Platform margin, Gargano Promontory, southern Italy

The Gargano Promontory of southern Italy, located on the eastern margin of the Apulia Platform, represents a peculiar Tethyan area where the transition between carbonate platform and adjacent basins is exposed on land. The Aptian stratigraphic record, represented in shallow-water, slope and deep-water deposits, provides a good opportunity to investigate the regional response to the worldwide documented climatic, biotic and palaeoceanographic changes related to Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a). A synthesis of data previously published (Ischitella and Coppitella sections), together with original data (Val Carbonara and Coppa della Guardia sections), from four stratigraphic sections from different depositional settings (proximal to distal) is provided, using an integrated, high-resolution micropalaeontological (planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils) and, for one section, geochemical (stable carbon and oxygen isotopes) approach. Organic matter preservation is confined to the more distal areas and consists of two thin intervals of black shales in the Aptian portion of the Marne a Fucoidi Formation. Biostratigraphic data assign the older black shale (5 cm thick) to the Selli Level equivalent (OAE1a, Lower Aptian); this carbon-rich interval is immediately followed by another black shale (7–10 cm thick) of early Late Aptian age.OAE1a is generally interpreted as a high-productivity event during a warming interval, followed by a cooling trend. In the Gargano Promontory, although the oxygen isotope curve indicates the above-mentioned climatic evolution, the micropalaeontological data do not support high fertility of the surface water, whereas micropalaeontological and geochemical data for the younger black shale do record high productivity (radiolarian increase in overall abundance, low nannofossil and foraminiferal species richness, increase in abudance of nannofossil fertility indices) associated with a cooling trend. The carbon and oxygen isotope record is in line with evidence from the curves documented elsewhere, whereas, among the biotic events, only the “nannoconid crisis” preceding OAE1a is revealed to be globally correlable.Environmental models for the two episodes of organic matter preservation are proposed, taking into account both global and local controlling factors.     

Stratigraphic evolution of a fluvial–eolian succession: The example of the Upper Jurassic—Lower Cretaceous Guará and Botucatu formations, Paraná Basin, Southernmost Brazil

The Guará and Botucatu formations comprise an 80 to 120 m thick continental succession that crops out on the western portion of the Rio Grande do Sul State (Southernmost Brazil). The Guará Formation (Upper Jurassic) displays a well-defined facies shift along its outcrop belt. On its northern portion it is characterised by coarse-grained to conglomeratic sandstones with trough and planar cross-bedding, as well as low-angle lamination, which are interpreted to represent braided river deposits. Southwards these fluvial facies thin out and interfinger with fine- to medium-grained sandstones with large-scale cross-stratification and horizontal lamination, interpreted as eolian dune and eolian sand sheets deposits, respectively. The Botucatu Formation is characterised by large-scale cross-strata formed by successive climbing of eolian dunes, without interdune and/or fluvial accumulation (dry eolian system). The contact between the Guará and the Botucatu formations is delineated by a basin-wide deflation surface (supersurface). The abrupt change in the depositional conditions that took place across this supersurface suggests a major climate change, from semi-arid (Upper Jurassic) to hyper-arid (Lower Cretaceous) conditions. A rearrangement of the Paraná Basin depocenters is contemporaneous to this climate change, which seems to have changed from a more restrict accumulation area in the Guará Formation to a wider sedimentary context in the Botucatu Formation.     

Partial melting and P–T evolution of the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt, southern India

The Kodaikanal region of the Madurai Block in southern India exposes a segment of high-grade metamorphic rocks dominated by an aluminous garnet–cordierite–spinel–sillimanite–quartz migmatite suite, designated herein as the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt (KMB). These rocks were subjected to extreme crustal metamorphism during the Late Neoproterozoic despite the lack of diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature assemblages. The rocks preserve microstructural evidence demonstrating initial-heating, dehydration melting to generate the peak metamorphic assemblage and later retrogression of the residual assemblages with remaining melt. The peak metamorphic assemblage is interpreted to be garnet + sillimanite + K-feldspar + spinel + Fe–Ti oxide + quartz + melt, which indicates pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions around 950–1000 °C and 7–8 kbar based on calculated phase diagrams. A clockwise P–T path is proposed by integrating microstructural information with pseudosections. We show that evidence for extreme crustal metamorphism at ultrahigh-temperature conditions can be extracted even in the cases where the rocks lack diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature mineral assemblages. Our approach confirms the widespread regional occurrence of UHT metamorphism in the Madurai Block during Gondwana assembly and point out the need for similar studies on adjacent continental fragments.     

江西省宜春城区地面塌陷特征及防治建议

宜春城区属岗阜低丘地形,分布石炭系-二叠系覆盖型及裸露型碳酸盐岩,占城区面积近70%。浅部岩溶发育,覆盖层厚度一般小于20m,土洞较多,基岩面起伏大,第四系岩性结构复杂,地下水埋藏浅。由于抽采地下水及建筑施工振动等人为因素影响,诱发地面塌陷12处,造成重大经济损失。在城市规划功能布局时应充分考虑地面塌陷的易发程度及场地建设适宜性;应限制诱发塌陷因素的强度,在易发区须严格控制地下水开采,严禁新建开采井;塌陷治理的主要方法有填堵、跨越、灌注、深基础控制抽排水强度、及其它综合治理或避让方法,同时做好灾害的监测预报工作。     

江西彭山锡多金属矿田地质地球化学特征研究

彭山锡多金属矿田位于长江中下游的九瑞地区，是近年来发现的一个以富锡、铅、锌矿产为主的大型矿田。以黑云母二长花岗岩与二云母碱长化岗岩组成的彭山隐伏岩体为中心，各类金属矿床呈“晕圈式”分布。矿床的形成分为2个成矿期共7个阶段，通过对彭山岩体、典型矿床及围岩中的硫同位素、铅同位素、包裹体及稀土资料进行分析，反映出燕山晚期钙碱性花岗岩体的缦位与多金属矿床的形成有着密切的联系，岩浆活动为本区提供了大量的成矿物质。     

江西省定南县滑坡形成条件分析

江西省定南县滑坡较为发育，1990～2002年，全县共发生滑坡283处，其规模一般较小，但造成的损失大。滑坡均由降雨诱发，4～6月份降雨量较大、多暴雨，该段时间滑坡较为多发；除此以外，影响滑坡形成的因素还有地形地貌、岩土类型、地质构造、岩土结构类型、人工切坡等。江西省定南县主要为中低山与丘陵地形，山坡坡度较大；岩土类型主要为岩浆岩、变质岩，岩石较为破碎，残坡积层与强风化层厚度大；断裂构造较为发育；居民大量挖山建房，形成大量的人工高陡边坡；这些因素为滑坡的形成提供了必要条件。