REE Abundance and REE Minerals in Granitic Rocks in the Nanling Range,Jiangxi Province,Southern China,and Generation of the REE‐rich Weathered Crust Deposits

Studies of Mesozoic granites associated with rare earth element (REE)‐rich weathered crust deposits in southernmost Jiangxi Province indicate that they have high‐K to shoshonite compositions and belong to ilmenite‐series I‐type granites. Of the studied rocks at 59–292 ppm of bulk REE content, the highest are seen in the biotite granites of Dingnan (358, 429 ppm) and mafic biotite granite of the Wuliting Granite (344 ppm) near the Dajishan tungsten mine, both areas where weathered‐crust REE deposits occur. REE‐bearing accessory minerals in these granites are mainly zircon, apatite and allanite, and REE‐fluorocarbonates are common. REE enrichment occurs in the rims of apatite crystals, and in fluorocarbonates that occur along grain boundaries of and cracks in major silicate minerals, and in fluorocarbonates that replaced altered biotite. It is therefore thought that a major part of the REE content of these granites was concentrated during deuteric activity, rather than during magmatic crystallization. The crack‐filling REE‐fluorocarbonates could subsequently have been easily leached out and deposited in weathered crust developed during a long period of exposure.     

Structural evolution of the Bayanhongor region, west-central Mongolia

Most of previous models suggest that the Central Asia Orogenic Belt grew southward in the Phanerozoic. However, in the Bayanhongor region in west-central Mongolia, volcanic arc, accretionary prism, ophiolite, and passive margin complexes accreted northeastward away from the Baydrag micro-continent, and hence the region constitutes the southwestern part of a crustal-scale syntaxis close to the west. The syntaxis should be original, because presumably reorientation due to strike-slip faulting can be ignored. It is reconfirmed that the Baydrag eventually collided with another micro-continent (the Hangai) to the northeast. A thick sedimentary basin developed along the southern passive margin of the Hangai micro-continent. This region is also characterized by an exhumed metamorphosed accretionary complex and a passive margin complex, which are both bounded by detachment faults as well as basal reverse faults which formed simultaneously as extrusion wedges. This part of the Central Asia Orogenic Belt lacks exhumed crystalline rocks as observed in the Himalayas and other major collisional orogenic belts. In addition, we identified two phases of deformation, which occurred at each phase of zonal accretion as D1 through Cambrian and Devonian, and a synchronous phase of final micro-continental collision of Devonian as D2. The pre-collisional ocean was wide enough to be characterized by a mid-ocean ridge and ocean islands. Two different structural trends of D1 and D2 are observed in accretionary complexes formed to the southwest of the late Cambrian mid-ocean ridge. That is, the relative plate motions on both sides of the mid-ocean ridge were different. Accretionary complexes and passive margin sediments to the northeast of the mid-ocean ridge also experienced two periods of deformation but show the same structural trend. Unmetamorphosed cover sediments on the accretionary prism and on the Hangai micro-continent experienced only the D2 event due to micro-continental collision. These unmetamorphosed sediments form the hanging walls of the detachment faults. Moreover, they were at least partly derived from an active volcanic arc formed at the margin of the Baydrag micro-continent.     

Strain localization due to structural in-homogeneities in the Central European Basin System

The large-scale crustal deformations observed in the Central European Basin System (CEBS) are the result of the interplay between several controlling factors, among which lateral rheological heterogeneities play a key role. We present a finite-element integral thin sheet model of stress and strain distribution within the CEBS. Unlike many previous models, this study is based on thermo-mechanical data to quantify the impact of lateral contrasts on the tectonic deformation. Elasto-plastic material behaviour is used for both the mantle and the crust, and the effects of the sedimentary fill are also investigated. The consistency of model results is ensured through comparisons with observed data. The results resemble the present-day dynamics and kinematics when: (1) a weak granite-like lower crust below the Elbe Fault System is modelled in contrast to a stronger lower crust in the area extending north of the Elbe Line throughout the Baltic region; and (2) a transition domain in the upper mantle is considered between the shallow mantle of the Variscan domain and the deep mantle beneath the East European Craton (EEC), extending from the Elbe Line in the south till the Tornquist Zone. The strain localizations observed along these structural contrasts strongly enhance the dominant role played by large structural domains in stiffening the propagation of tectonic deformation and in controlling the basin formation and the evolution in the CEBS.     

Effect of volatiles erupted from Mesozoic and Cenozoic volcanic activities on paleo-environmental changes in China

Based on the determination of composition of volcanic volatiles and petrologic estimation of the total mass of volatiles erupted, we showed important advances in the study of the impact of Mesozoic and Cenozoic volcanic activities on paleo-environmental changes in China. The volcanic activities include western Liaoning and Zhangjiakou Mesozoic intermediate-acidic explosive eruptions, southern Tibet and Shanwang Cenozoic volcanism, and Mt. Changbai volcanic eruption around one thousand years ago. The paper predominantly discusses the earth’s surface temperature changes, ozone depletion, acidic rain formation and mass mortalities of vertebrate induced by the Mesozoic and Cenozoic volcanism in China. __________ Translated from Bulletin of Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, 2007, 26(4): 319–322 [译自: 矿物岩石地球化学通报]     

Pelagic records from the Equatorial Ninetyeast Ridge and significant environmental events during the past 3.5 Ma

This paper presents pelagic records of planktic foraminifera, as well as data of stable isotope stratigraphy and carbonate stratigraphy since 3.5 Ma B.P. from site ODP758 in the Ninetyeast Ridge of the Indian Ocean. Based on these data, manifestations and related mechanisms of major tectonic and environmental events such as the rapid uplift of the Himalaya Mountains, “middle Pleistocene climatic transition” and “mid-Brunhes dissolution event” in the region are discussed. According to the analysis and comparison of various indices and changes in terms of foraminifera assemblage, paleotemperature, paleosalinity and themocline from site ODP758, the authors deduce that the paleoclimatic changes might correlate with the mid-Pleistocene transition at 1.4–1.7 Ma B.P. The changes of CaCO₃, mass accumulation rates (MAR) of CaCO₃ and non- CaCO₃ MAR indicate that the loaded terrigenous sediments increased at 1.7 Ma, which is in agreement with the uplift history of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau as shown by the available data. The last two changes coincide with the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, hence they are called “Qinghai-Tibet movement” (1.7 Ma), and the “Kunlun-Yellow River movement” (1.2–0.6 Ma). The changes of the CaCO₃ content, coarse fraction (> 150 μm) content and planktonic foraminifera biostratigraphy show that strong dissolution of abyssal CaCO₃ occurred in the study region during 0.5–0.4 Ma. The event was consistent with the “mid-Brunhes dissolution event” in the sedimentary records of the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Nansha sea area of the South China Sea. __________ Translated from Geological Bulletin of China, 2007, 26(12): 1627–1632 [译自: 地质通报]     

中国南方含油气区构造—沉积类型及其勘探潜力

南方含油气的复杂构造区根据构造—沉积类型的不同,可将其分为四种类型。通过对不同类型典型含油气区的生烃量及非构造运动天然气散失量的化学动力学计算,认为这四种类型含油气区的油气聚集潜力从好到坏依次为:喜马拉雅运动抬升暴露型、燕山运动抬升暴露型、反复抬升—沉降型和海西—印支运动抬升暴露—后期浅埋型。主要构造运动发生越晚,对油气保存越有利。     

蚌埠市地理信息系统应用探讨

阐述了GIS系统的设计原则,建设方案,揭示了GIS系统功能模块的效能,利用Map控件建立信息管理系统,最后探讨了GIS系统在应用领域的发展前景。     

中国短期气候变化的一个重要原因——青藏高原地表反射率的变化

通过数值试验对高原地表反射率变化的气候效应进行了敏感性研究,同时对观测的近４０年中国区域气候变化趋势作了对比分析。结果表明,高原主体地表反射率增加是我国短期气候变化的重要控制因子之一,它能造成东亚夏季风和高原夏季风的显著减弱,使夏季我国东部季风区北方变暖,南方变冷,季风降水普遍减少。     

RATIONAL UTILIZATION OF MOUNTAIN SOILS IN SOUTHEAST QINGHAI-XIZANG (TIBETAN)PLATEAU

ISoil-fo~gEnvironmentandMainSoilTrocsThesoLItheastQinghai-Xizang(Tibetan)PlateauwheretheHengduanMoUnains,eastempartoftheThmalayanandNyainqentanglhamoUnainsarelocatedextendsfrom25'to34"Nand92'to1O5'Ewithanareaof5OO,OOOkm',oraboutone-fiffooftheentireQinghai-XiZangPlateau.ItisatransitionalzoneofdeePdisseCtedmoUntainseXtendingsoutheastWardpenpherallowlandsandwichedin-betWeenSichuanBasinandcentralYunnanPlateau.Whletheterrainofthesmponinclinestosoutheast,thealtitudeofthevaIleysraises…