Late Paleozoic orogeny in Alaska's Farewell terrane

Evidence is presented for a previously unrecognized late Paleozoic orogeny in two parts of Alaska's Farewell terrane, an event that has not entered into published scenarios for the assembly of Alaska. The Farewell terrane was long regarded as a piece of the early Paleozoic passive margin of western Canada, but is now thought, instead, to have lain between the Siberian and Laurentian (North American) cratons during the early Paleozoic. Evidence for a late Paleozoic orogeny comes from two belts located 100–200 km apart. In the northern belt, metamorphic rocks dated at 284–285 Ma (three ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar white-mica plateau ages) provide the main evidence for orogeny. The metamorphic rocks are interpreted as part of the hinterland of a late Paleozoic mountain belt, which we name the Browns Fork orogen. In the southern belt, thick accumulations of Pennsylvanian-Permian conglomerate and sandstone provide the main evidence for orogeny. These strata are interpreted as the eroded and deformed remnants of a late Paleozoic foreland basin, which we name the Dall Basin. We suggest that the Browns Fork orogen and Dall Basin comprise a matched pair formed during collision between the Farewell terrane and rocks to the west. The colliding object is largely buried beneath Late Cretaceous flysch to the west of the Farewell terrane, but may have included parts of the so-called Innoko terrane. The late Paleozoic convergent plate boundary represented by the Browns Fork orogen likely connected with other zones of plate convergence now located in Russia, elsewhere in Alaska, and in western Canada.     

Geochemical and mineralogical anomalies of the late Permian coal in the Zhijin coalfield of southwest China and their volcanic origin

This paper describes the influence of volcanic ash on the concentrations and occurrences of associated elements in coal in the Zhijin Coalfield in western Guizhou Province, China. Our studies reveal that the No. 9 coal seam in the Zhijin Coalfield has very high content of Fe (4.34%), Cu (369.90 μg/g), U (49.6 μg/g), Mo (63.10 μg/g), Zn (33.97 μg/g), and Zr (841.80 μg/g). The studies have also found that elements, such as Fe and Cu, do not occur as sulfides in this coal seam, in sharp contrast to many other coal seams in China. The geochemical and mineralogical anomalies of the coal seam are attributed to synsedimentary volcanic ash. In addition to normal macerals and minerals in coal, a volcanic-influenced material (VIM) derived from volcanic ash, detrital material of terrigenous origin and organic matter was identified under polarized-light reflectance microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer. The volcanic-influenced material is the main carrier of the above elements in this coal. Six types of the volcanic-influenced material (VIM-1, VIM-2, VIM-3, VIM-4, VIM-5, and VIM-6) are further distinguished on the basis of their structures and compositions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that presents a detailed classification of coal components with a high content of volcanic ash.     

Sedimentary and Geochemical Characteristics of Sinian Cap Carbonates in the Upper Yangtze Region

A global-scale glaciation occurred at about 600 Ma ago. As a result, the Earth became the “Snowball Earth“. The glaciation came to the end abruptly when atmospheric carbon dioxide increased to such an extent as to be about 350 times the modem level because of subaerial volcanic degassing. The rapid termination of glaciation would have led to warming of the Snowball Earth and extreme greenhouse conditions would have been created. The transfer of atmospheric carbon dioxide to oceans would give rise to the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate in warm surface seawaters, thus forming the cap carbonate rocks as observed worldwide today. Regionally persisting, thin layers of carbonate rocks directly and ubiquitously overlie Proterozoic glacial deposits almost on every continent, and are commonly referred to as cap carbonates. Their unusual litho- fabrics, stratigraphically abrupt basal and upper-level contacts and strongly negative carbonate isotopic signatures ( δ ^13Cearb. values range from -7.0‰ —0‰) suggest a chemical oceanographic origin, the details of which remain unknown. It is proposed that these enigmatic deposits are related to the destabilization of gaseous hydrate in terrestrial permafrost following rapid postglacial warming and flooding of widely exposed continental shelves and internal basins. The authors carried out studies on the geochemistry, sedimentology and palacontology of the Sinian cap carbonates in Guizhou and Hunan provinces, including the occurrence of cap carbonates of unusual fabrics, strongly negative carbon isotopic signatures, and a lot of bitumen nodules.From the results it is suggested that the cap carbonates were formed from solid methane seepage, and it is in agreement with Kennedy‘‘ s viewpoint (2001) that the cap carbonates resulted from the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate in response to solid methane seepage.     

Depositional Record of Tidal-Flat Sedimentation in the Permian Coal Measures of Central India: Barakar Formation, Mohpani Coalfield, Satpura Gondwana Basin

The Permian Barakar Formation in the Mohpani coalfield, Satpura Gondwana basin, is composed of three broad lithologies that occur repetitively and are iterdigitated: (1) several metres thick coarse- to medium-grained sandstone bodies with scoured bases, (2) 5-20 m thick medium- to fine-grained sandstone bodies and (3) 5-20 m thick mudstone-dominated packages with variable proportions of centimetre- to decimetre-scale, fine- to medium-grained sandstone, carbonaceous shale and coal. The Barakar strata were previously interpreted as deposits of braided rivers and associated inter-channel flood basin in a continental setting. However, this study recognizes signatures of tidal current from the mudstone-dominated packages implying marine influence during Barakar sedimentation.

The mudstone-dominated sediment bodies are the focus of this paper and comprise of three lithofacies that bear imprints of tidal processes during Barakar sedimentation: (1) heterolith, (2) sandstone, and (3) coal-carbonaceous shale, which alternate with one another within individual bodies. The heterolithic facies show interlayering of sandstone and claystone resembling flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding, as well as pinstripe stratification. Successive sandstone-mudstone couplets indicate periodic waxing and waning of flows. Within individual heterolithic packages, the sandstone:claystone ratio along with the bedding style, varies cyclically upwards giving rise to alternate sandstone-dominated and claystone-dominated intervals suggesting tidal velocity fluctuation reflective of spring-neap lunar cycle. Thickness plots of successive sand-mud couplets also reveal cyclic variation with a conspicuous periodicity of around 12 couplets per cycle, which corroborates the spring-neap-spring (or neap-spring-neap) lunar cycle. Presence of abundant desiccation cracks indicates periodic emergence and points towards an intertidal setting. The sandstone facies is characterized by a variety of wave-generated features such as bundled and chevron upbuilding of lamina, bi-directional foreset orientations, offshooting and draping laminae, scour-and-drape feature, swollen lens-like geometries suggesting their emplacement under storm-induced combined-flow on the tidal-flat. The coal-carbonaceous shale facies represent supratidal marsh environment.     

Morphometric analysis of variability in the shell of some Nigerian Turonian (Cretaceous) ammonites

An appraisal of studies concerned with vascoceratids of the Nigerian Cenomanian–Turonian transitional beds, using methods of standard multivariate statistical analysis and geometric morphometrics, supports the hypothesis that at least one species of the Tunisian genus Thomasites entered the Nigerian realm via the trans-Saharan seaway some time in the late Cenomanian. The special suite of fluctuating ecological chemical and physical factors that pertained in the long, narrow and shallow epicontinental sea, with ‘Caspian Sea type‘ episodes, favoured ecogenetic consequences leading to the appearance of two highly variable species of Thomasites, one of which is referred to a sub-genus, Bauchioceras; both species have a similar norm of reaction. Bauchioceras bears a superficial relationship to Pseudotissotia, but the two have a different ontogeny, are geometric morphometrically distinct and lack a proven evolutionary connexion.     

准噶尔盆地吉木萨尔凹陷中-上二叠统沉积相特征

准噶尔盆地东部吉木萨尔凹陷中-上二叠统由上芨芨槽子群、泉子街组、梧桐沟组组成．凹陷内中-上二叠统经历了低水位域→高水位域→低水位域的变化过程，其有利相带以扇三角洲和三角洲相为主，主要发育于东斜坡区的东北部及东南部以及凹陷南北两侧断裂下盘，在南北局部的乌拉泊组和梧桐沟组还发育浊积扇．油气显示集中于三角洲或扇三角洲相带内(芦草沟组、梧桐沟组)，凹陷腹部深湖-半深湖相内的扇三角洲和三角洲沉积区是凹陷内油气的最有利聚集区和保存区．     

Lithofacies and palaeosol analysis of the Middle and Upper Siwalik Groups (Plio–Pleistocene), Haripur-Kolar section, Himachal Pradesh, India

The Middle–Upper Siwalik Groups (Plio–Pleistocene) are exposed at Haripur-Kolar, Himachal Pradesh, India. The succession is 2800-m thick and has been subdivided into Unit M1 of the Middle Siwalik and four units U1–U4 of the Upper Siwalik Group, on the basis of facies associations, and type and degree of development of palaeosols. The available magnetostratigraphic ages for bases of Units U1, U3 and U4 are 5.5, 2.6 and 1.77 Ma, respectively. The top of the section has been dated as 19 ka.

Lithofacies association and palaeocurrent analysis indicates that the Middle and Upper Siwalik Groups were formed mainly by a basin transverse fluvial system. Two types of river systems, which differ in their size, can be documented in Unit-M1, Unit U1 and Unit-U2: one trunk river system similar to the modern Kosi and the other smaller river system, which formed tributaries to the former. The large rivers were mainly braided in nature. The Unit U3 and lower part of Unit U4 were deposited in the piedmont depositional system mainly by small braided streams and the upper part of the Unit U4 was deposited during a period of arid climate by sediment gravity-flows.

Integration of fluvial lithofacies and pedofacies helps to identify two fluvial depositional systems from the modern Indo-Gangetic Plains. The Lowland System involved deposition on alluvial megafans and interfan areas, which resulted in sand-rich and mud-rich sequences with weekly developed soils. The Upland System allowed large tracts to act as high ground for thousands of years, thereby giving rise to sandstone poor intervals with moderately to strongly developed soils. Occurrence of moderately to strongly developed soils was controlled by uplifting and tilting of large tectonic blocks, without any relation to distance from the main channels. Rate of subsidence apparently controlled the occurrence of Lowland and Upland systems. Deposition of the Unit M1, Unit U1 and Unit U2 took place under Upland and Lowland systems, very similar to those identified from the modern Indo-Gangetic Plains. The warm and humid climate between 5.3 and 2.6 Ma led to the formation of red Alfisols with calcrete nodules at places. Slightly cooler and drier climate starting at about 2.6 Ma and approximately coinciding with the onset of global-scale glaciation, produced poorly developed yellow soil with common development of nodular calcretic horizon and calcitc material disseminated in the groundmass. At ca. 0.9 Ma, a probable significant change to still drier and cooler climate produced typical sediment gravity-flows in the piedmont system, that continued until at least up to 19 ka.     

Conodonts from the Upper Cambrian Sesong and Hwajeol Formations in the Sabuk Area, South Korea

This paper presents a conodont biostratigraphic study on the Upper Cambrian Sesong and Hwajeol Formations in the Sabuk area, Korea. Two samples near the base of the Sesong Slate at the Pukil section contain lower Upper Cambrian conodonts, comprising Furnishina furnishi, F. kranzae, F. pernical, F. triangulate, Hertzina elongata, Laiwugnathus doidyxus?, Phakelodus elongatus, Muellerodus? obliquus, Westergaardodina matsushitai and W. moessebergensis. This is the first conodont record of the Upper Cambrian formations recovered yet in the northern limb of the Paekunsan syncline. The faunal assemblage is correctable with the lower Upper Cambrian W. matsushitai Zone of North China. Four local biozones are recognized in the Hwajeol Formation, i.e. the Proconodontus, Eoconodontus notchpeakensis, Cambrooistodus minutus and Cordylodus proavus Zones in ascending order. This zonal scheme is essentially equivalent to that of the southern limb of the Paekunsan syncline and they are correlatable with zones in other pa     

Les événements de la limite Permien–Trias : derniers survivants et/ou premiers re-colonisateurs parmi les ostracodes du Taurus (Sud-Ouest de la Turquie)The events of the Permian–Trias boundary: last survivors and/or first colonisers among the ostracods of the Taurides (southwestern Turkey)

Very few data on Early Triassic marine ostracods are available. In most of cases, the data concern the upper part of the Early Triassic. The Çürük da? section, located in the Western Taurides (Turkey), well stratigraphically constrained by conodonts and foraminifera, has been re-sampled for ostracod study. A significant fauna has been discovered in the Late Permian and the levels of the Earliest Triassic (Hindeodus parvus and Isarcicella isarcica staeschei zones). The ostracods of the basis of the Kokarkuyu Fm. are the oldest Triassic forms ever discovered. The occurrence of Palaeocopes in the earliest Triassic and similarity between the Permian and Induan assemblages suggest that the Lower Triassic Çürük da? ostracods represent a survival assemblage after the Permo-Triassic mass-extinction. To cite this article: S. Crasquin-Soleau et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 489–495.     

东昆仑布喀达坂峰地区发现二叠纪冷温动物群

东昆仑西段布喀达坂峰地区发现了以单通道(Monodiexodina)为主的冷温动物群,产于东昆中缝合带与东昆南缝合带之间一套以浅海相碳酸盐岩为主的中下二叠统中,可与空喀山口加温达坂组及西藏吞龙共巴组对比