The tectonic regime in Italy inferred from borehole breakout data

In Italy, the horizontal stress directions are well constrained in many regions, but the tectonic regime is not well known because the stress magnitudes are unknown. Our intention is to improve the knowledge of crustal stress in Italy, both at shallow depth and in low seismicity areas. Therefore, we inferred the tectonic regime from the comparison between the depth of breakout occurrence and the physical properties of the rocks in 20 boreholes. The critical value of the maximum horizontal stress, for which the effective tangential stress at the borehole wall overcomes the rock strength to form breakouts, could be computed from rock strength and density. Comparing the theoretical stress distributions for different tectonic regimes with the depth distribution of breakout occurrence, it is possible to infer the tectonic regime that fits best to the breakout depth distribution. We investigated boreholes up to 6 km deep located in different tectonic environments over the Italian peninsula: the Po Plain, the Apenninic chain, the Adriatic foredeep and the Tyrrhenian Quaternary volcanic region. These wells are characterised by breakout data of good quality (A, B and C, according to World Stress Map quality ranking system). The results are in general agreement with the style of faulting derived from earthquake focal mechanisms and other stress indicators. Our results show a predominance of a normal faulting (NF) regime in the inner Apennines and both normal faulting and strike–slip faulting (SS) style in the surrounding regions, possibly also associated with changes in the tectonic regime with depth.     

Layer parallel shortening in salt-detached folds: constraint on cross-section restoration

Cleavage-fissility perpendicular to bedding is a common feature in the external part of fold-and-thrust belts. Three techniques were used to determine the internal distortion in the frontal Southern Pyrenees: the analysis of strain markers such as burrows and rain drops, the measurement of fissility, and the measurement of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS). The comparison of the three techniques showed a good fit although they differ in sensitivity to penetrative strain variations in the range of deformation values explored in the study case. On the regional scale, the values of layer parallel shortening (LPS) derived from the markers analysis are very constant and account for 16–23% of shortening. These values are two to three times larger than the shortening values calculated from the restoration of the macroscopic scale structures and indicate a good decoupling above the Cardona salt Formation. This study permitted an accurate restoration of the low-amplitude el Guix detached anticline.     

Numerical models of tectonic deformation at the Baltica–Avalonia transition zone during the Paleocene phase of inversion

Predictions from dynamic modelling of the lithospheric deformation are presented for Northern Europe, where several basins underwent inversion during the Late Cretaceous and Early Cenozoic and contemporary uplift and erosion of sediments occurred. In order to analyse the evolution of the continental lithosphere, the equations for the deformation of a continuum are solved numerically under thin sheet assumption for the lithosphere. The most important stress sources are assumed to be the Late Cretaceous Alpine tectonics; localized rheological heterogeneities can also affect local deformation and stress patterns. Present-day observations available in the studied region and coming from seismic structural interpretations and stress measurements have been used to constrain the model. Our modelling results show that lateral variation in lithospheric strength below the basin systems in Central Europe strongly controls the regional deformation and the stress regime. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the geometry of the boundary between Baltica and Avalonia, together with different rheological characteristics of the two plates, had a crucial role on local crustal deformation and faulting regime resulting in the Baltica–Avalonia transition zone from the S–N Alpine convergence.     

Neoproterozoic accretionary and collisional events on the western margin of the Siberian craton: new geological and geochronological evidence from the Yenisey Ridge

The geological, structural and tectonic evolutions of the Yenisey Ridge fold-and-thrust belt are discussed in the context of the western margin of the Siberian craton during the Neoproterozoic. Previous work in the Yenisey Ridge had led to the interpretation that the fold belt is composed of high-grade metamorphic and igneous rocks comprising an Archean and Paleoproterozoic basement with an unconformably overlying Mesoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic cover, which was mainly metamorphosed under greenschist-facies conditions. Based on the existing data and new geological and zircon U–Pb data, we recognize several terranes of different age and composition that were assembled during Neoproterozoic collisional–accretional processes on the western margin of the Siberian craton. We suggest that there were three main Neoproterozoic tectonic events involved in the formation of the Yenisey Ridge fold-and-thrust belt at 880–860 Ma, 760–720 Ma and 700–630 Ma. On the basis of new geochronological and petrological data, we propose that the Yeruda and Teya granites (880–860 Ma) were formed as a result of the first event, which could have occurred in the Central Angara terrane before it collided with Siberia. We also propose that the Cherimba, Ayakhta, Garevka and Glushikha granites (760–720 Ma) were formed as a result of this collision. The third event (700–630 Ma) is fixed by the age of island-arc and ophiolite complexes and their obduction onto the Siberian craton margin. We conclude by discussing correlation of these complexes with those in other belts on the margin of the Siberian craton.     

Neoarchaean magmatism and metamorphism of the western granulites in the central domain of the Mozambique belt, Tanzania: U–Pb shrimp geochronology and PT estimates

U–Pb sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) dating of zircons from charnockitic and garnet–biotite gneisses from the central portion of the Mozambique belt, central Tanzania indicate that the protolith granitoids were emplaced in a late Archaean, ca. 2.7 Ga, magmatic event. These ages are similar to other U–Pb and Pb–Pb ages obtained for other gneisses in this part of the belt. Zircon xenocrysts dated between 2.8 and 3.0 Ga indicate the presence of an older basement. Major and trace element geochemistry of these high-grade gneisses suggests that the granitoid protoliths may have formed in an active continental margin environment. Metamorphic zircon rims and multifaceted metamorphic zircons are dated at ca. 2.6 Ga indicating that these rocks were metamorphosed some 50–100 my after their emplacement. Pressure and temperature estimates on the charnockitic and garnet–biotite gneisses were obscured by post-peak metamorphic compositional homogenisation; however, these estimates combined with mineral textures suggest that these rocks underwent isobaric cooling to 800–850 °C at 12–14 kbar. It is considered likely that the granulite facies mineral assemblage developed during the ca. 2.6 Ga event, but it must be considered that it might instead represent a pervasive Neoproterozoic, Pan African, granulite facies overprint, similar to the ubiquitous eastern granulites further to the east.     

Middle Paleozoic paleomagnetism of east Kazakhstan: post-Middle Devonian rotations in a large-scale orocline in the central Ural–Mongol belt

In order to test different hypotheses concerning the Paleozoic evolution of the Ural–Mongol belt (UMB) and the amalgamation of Eurasia, we studied Middle Devonian basalts from two localities (11 sites) and Lower Silurian volcanics, redbeds, and intra-formational conglomerates from three localities (20 sites) in the Chingiz Range of East Kazakhstan. The Devonian rocks prove to be heavily overprinted in the late Paleozoic, and a high-temperature, presumably primary, southerly, and down component is isolated at only four sites from a homoclinal section. Most Silurian redbeds are found to be remagnetized in the late Paleozoic; in contrast, a bipolar near-horizontal remanence, isolated from Silurian volcanics, is most probably primary as indicated by positive tilt and conglomerate tests. Analysis of paleomagnetic data from the Chingiz Range shows that southward-pointing directions in Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian rocks are of normal polarity and hence indicate large-scale rotations after the Middle Devonian. The Chingiz paleomagnetic directions can be compared with Paleozoic data from the North Tien Shan and with the horseshoe-shaped distribution of subduction-related volcanic complexes in Kazakhstan. Both paleomagnetic and geological data support the idea that today's strongly curved volcanic belts of Kazakhstan are an orocline, deformed mostly before mid-Permian time. Despite the determination of nearly a dozen new Paleozoic paleopoles in this study and other recent publications by our team, significant temporal and spatial gaps remain in our knowledge of the paleomagnetic directions during the middle and late Paleozoic. However, the paleomagnetic results from the Chingiz Range and the North Tien Shan indicate that these areas show generally coherent motions with Siberia and Baltica, respectively.     

抚顺城区段浑河断裂现今活动性研究的述评

对以往关于抚顺城区段浑河断裂现今构造活动性的主要文献所采用的地壳形变测量资料及其结论的科学性作了述评，认为得出的抚顺城区段浑河断裂现今构造活动明显或不明显的结论尚缺乏充分的依据，提出了进一步研究该断裂现今构造活动性的建议与方法。     

震级加权四指标Blade算法及在地震带识别中的应用

Blade算法的产生是根据地震点的分布寻找地震断层，其优势在于能从较稀疏的点分布中找出线型条带模式，但不足的是完全不考虑地震的震级屑性。针对Blade算法的几个不足之处逐步改进，提出了震级加权四指标Blade算法。算法主要的改进体现在：①引入以震级为变量的权重函数，体现了高震级地震的控制作用，通过模拟与实例比较了三种权重函数的效果；②改进原方法中所挑出的Blade中心必须有地震点，引入四指标评价体系代替原方法的二指标评价体系，同时还根据指标值将挑选出的线型条带修正到更淮确的位置。将原算法与改进算法应用于华北地区4级以上的地震数据集以按寻地震带，结果表明，震级加权四指标Blade算法较Blade算法有显改进，取得了较好的应用效果。     

松潘-甘孜造山带地壳速度结构

位于川西地区的奔子栏——唐克深地震测深剖面以NNE走向穿越松潘——甘孜造山带．根据人工地震记录分析得到的震相走时和相关的振幅信息，确定了该剖面二维P波地壳速度结构．剖面的地壳结构可分为5层，其中第1，2，3层为上地壳；第4，5层为下地壳．上地壳中部普遍存在低速异常带，但龙日坝以北，这一低速带与其上覆的低速基底合为一体．同时，沿剖面的地壳速度结构具有较强的横向变化．据此，可将剖面分为4段，即甘孜——理塘断裂以南、甘孜——理塘断裂至鲜水河断裂、鲜水河断裂至龙日坝断裂和龙日坝断裂以北. 这与区域构造划分基本一致． 地壳厚度沿测线从南西向北东逐渐减薄，即从金沙江畔的62 km减小到黄河附近的52 km． 根据PmP震相分析，莫霍界面深度在鲜水河断裂两侧没有明显变化．全剖面的地壳平均速度较低，为6.30 km/s．奔子栏——唐克剖面揭示了该地区的造山带型地壳上地幔结构特征．鲜水河断裂带位于剖面的中部，该地区的上地壳速度为正异常，而下地壳和上地幔顶部存在负异常．笔者认为，这是一类有利于强震孕育和发生的深部构造环境．      

2002年南海季风建立及其雨带变化的天气学研究

利用南海海 气通量观测试验资料结合NCEP ,GPCP以及GMS - 5云图资料 ,综合分析了 2 0 0 2年 5～ 6月南海西南季风建立过程及其雨带变化 ,确定 5月 14日西沙及北部海区西南季风爆发 ,5月 15日整个南海季风爆发 ,季风爆发时间属于正常年 ;季风爆发时风向、风速、云量、降水、湿度、辐射及海面温度等要素都发生突变。这种突变是由大气环流的突变造成的。季风爆发前后大气环流变化过程是 :80～ 90°E越赤道气流加强 ,同时印缅低压加深 ,孟加拉湾南北向气压梯度增大 ,而后东亚大陆上气旋发展东移 ,副热带高压东撤 ,孟加拉湾低压槽前的赤道西风突然加强越过中南半岛 ,南海北部首先出现强西南风 ,继而南海季风迅速地全面爆发。孟加拉湾西南风加强到南海季风爆发是一个连续的过程 ,大陆冷空气南下起了重要的作用。南海季风爆发时呈现单雨带型 ,而后由单雨带型转变为双雨带型 ,雨带受副热带高压和季风系统共同影响 ,并且随着副热带高压移动位置变化。