Physical modelling of deformation in the Tasman Orogenic Zone

Structural vergence within the Western Subprovince of the Lachlan Fold Belt is towards the hinterland rather than the foreland, in contrast to many well-known orogenic belts. High angle-reverse faults and upright folds verge eastwards, away from the Australian craton, towards the inferred centre of orogenic and magmatic activity. We designed a series of analogue models to test the anomalous vergence in the western Lachlan Fold Belt, particularly the interaction of a stable Australian craton with Tasman Line geometry, interacting with weaker oceanic or transitional lithospheric material. We found consistently that vergence direction in the models was towards the hinterland, not the foreland, as in the western Lachlan Fold Belt, irrespective of the way the model was deformed. Strength gradients between the oceanic and cratonic lithosphere control the deformation patterns. An important result of the models is that they demonstrate that fold belts with different vergences can be generated without the requirement of subducting oceanic lithosphere.     

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.     

Coal mining along the Warfield Fault, Mingo County, West Virginia: a tale of ups and downs

Mine development along a 15-mile (24 km) section of the Warfield Fault in Mingo County, West Virginia has broadened the geological understanding of the fault and its related structures. The fault has been exposed in two new road cuts, one in the northeast-trending segment at Neely Branch and one in the eastern east-trending segment at the head of Marrowbone Creek. Both exposures show a well-defined normal fault with a 45° to 55° N dip, juxtaposing sandstone/shale packages from the roof and the floor of the Coalburg seam. The fault is associated with a thin gouge zone, some drag folding, and parallel jointing. Its trace tends to run parallel to the crest of the adjacent Warfield Anticline. Based on underground mine development and detailed core drilling, the vertical offset along the fault plane ranges from a maximum of 240 ft (73 m) in the central part of the area near the structural bend to less than 100 ft (30 m) in western and eastern directions. The fault is located along the relatively steeply dipping (locally in excess of 25%) southern limb of the Warfield Anticline, and appears related to a late phase of extension involving folded Pennsylvanian strata. On a regional scale, the lithological variations across the fault do not suggest any appreciable strike-slip component.Underground room and pillar mines in the Coalburg seam north and south of the fault have been greatly impacted by the Warfield structures. Due to the combined (and opposite) effects of the folding and faulting, the northern mines are located up to 400 ft (125 m) higher in elevation than the southern ones. Overland conveyor belts connect mining blocks separated by the fault. The practical mining limit along the steep slopes toward the fault is around 15%. Subsidiary normal faults with offsets in the 5- to 15-ft (1.5–4.5 m) range are fairly common and form major roof control and production hurdles. Overall, the Warfield structures pose an extra challenge to mine development in this part of the Appalachian Coalfields.     

中国西部退耕还林(草)和沙漠化土地绿化的区域性气候效应

中国正在实施的西部大开发必将导致较大规模的土地利用和地表覆盖(LULC)变化,其中最重要的两类LULC变化是退耕还林(草)和沙漠化土地绿化工程。利用最新的全球地表特征资料数据库(GLCCD)识别以上两项生态建设工程的实施规模与范围,并以此更新了目前比较流行的区域气候模式的下边界条件,利用修正了的区域气候模式研究上述大规模LULC变化可能对中国区域性气候造成的影响。使用的卫星资源数据库是由美国地质测绘局(USGS)和Nebraska-Lincoln大学牵头,根据NOAA卫星的AVHRR资料、USGS掌握的高分辨率数字化地图,以及生态区划和植被分布等资料组建的。     

辽宁西部地区地震前后重力异常反映

采用高精度拉科斯特重力仪在辽宁西部地区进行多期重力重复测量，获得了较为丰富的基础资料，通过对资料的分析与研究，进一步加深了辽宁西部地区重力场变化的认识。特别是１９９４年１０月和１９９６年７月，在测区内及其附近相继发生ＭＬ４．９级和ＭＬ５．０级地震。而这两次地震为１９８８年以来在辽宁西部地区发生的最大地震。通过对该区流动重力资料空间上和时间上的研究分析，从中获得了震前重力变化的某些前兆信息。通过对该     

造山带弧形构造——西昆仑—帕米尔弧及其预测

对比利牛斯等造山带典型弧形构造的分析表明,弧形构造是造山带尤其是板内碰撞造山带的普遍特征,可分为挤压逆冲-推覆主动型构造和推覆-滑覆被动型弧形构造。西昆仑—帕米尔是与比利牛斯Basque弧在空间形态、运动学及动力学特征等方面一致的挤压逆冲-推覆主动型弧形构造,推测该弧中部存在一巨大的底部低角度逆掩断层并由根部带向北延伸达100多公里,康西瓦断裂(基底缝合带)可能是主根部逆冲断层带。     

西菲律宾海沉积物稀土元素地球化学

对取自西菲律宾海区3个沉积物柱样（WP1、WP2和WP40）的32个样品的稀土元素（REE）地球化学行为进行了系统的研究。区内沉积物表现出以下特征：①稀土元素含量及总量（ZREE）较低，WP1、WP2和WP40孔的ΣREE依次为72．91×10－6，54．15×10－6和54．18×10－6，REE在粘土粒级中得到了较大富集；②REE球粒陨石标准化的分布模式曲线表现为负斜率，富集轻稀土，WP1、WP2和WP40孔LREE／HREE比值平均值为37．36，26．33和17．16，页岩标准化曲线大致呈水平；③与球粒陨石和页岩相比，Ce都表现为强烈的亏损；以球粒陨石为标准，WP40孔表现为弱的Eu正异常，其他两孔表现为弱的Eu负异常；以页岩为标准，皆显示Eu正异常；④ΣREE纵向变化曲线与CaCO3旋回曲线有良好的对应关系。上述特征表明：①沉积物的来源复杂，有陆源、火山源、生物源和自生源，在所研究的三个孔中，WP1孔含有较多的陆源物质，WP2和WP40含有较多的火山物质；②被粘土吸附是本区REE重要的存在形式；③沉积物形成环境为氧化条件；④据ΣREE的纵向变化曲线与CaCO3旋回曲线，将本区沉积物自下而上划分为末次冰期亚间冰期沉积、冰期最盛期沉积和全新世沉积。     

The Uplift of the Longmenshan Thrust Belt and Subsidence of the West Sichuan Foreland Basin

Based on fission track dating of apatite, and measurement of vitrinite reflectance of rock samples from the Longmenshan (Longmen Mountain)area and the West Sichuan foreland basin and computer modelling it is concluded that (l)the Songpan-Garze fold belt has uplifted at least by 3-4 km with an uplift rate of no less than 0.3-0.4 mm/a since 10 Ma B.P.; (2) the Longmenshan thrust nappe belt has uplifted at least by 5-6 km with an uplift rate of more than 0.5- 0.6 mm /a since 10 Ma B.P.; (3) the Longmenshan detachment belt has uplifted by 1 - 2 km at a rate of 0.016-0.032 mm/a since 60 Ma B.P.; (4) the West Sichuan foreland basin has uplifted by 1.7-3 km at a rate of 0.028-0.05 mm/a since 60 Ma B.P.; (5) the uplift rate of the area on the west side of the Beichuan-Yingxiu-Xiaoguanzi fault for the last 10 Ma is 40 times as much as that on its east side; (6) the uplifting of the the Songpan - Garze fold belt and the subsidence of the West Sichuan foreland basin 60 Ma ago exhibit a mirro-image correlation, i.e     

关于内蒙与晋冀交界地区早前寒武纪灰片麻岩和孔兹岩的讨论

晋冀内蒙边界地区的早前寒武纪岩石大致以大同－兴和一线为界分为南东部麻粒岩系和北西部孔兹岩系。麻粒岩系中称作灰片麻岩的浅色麻粒岩与世界各地太古代典型的灰片麻岩不同，其矿物组合含斜方辉石或二辉石，岩石化学成分高铁、高镁又高钙，不是典型的太古代灰片麻岩ＴＴＧ岩套，而应称作紫苏斜长花岗岩。如果原来是ＴＴＧ岩浆，则可能是因受表壳岩的混染所致。研究区内孔兹岩系的特征是堇青石片麻岩发育，沿韧性剪切带含堇青石的Ｓ－型花岗岩，以及作为熔融残留体的含堇青石麻粒岩也时有发现。三者的稀土元素分布型式表现出其间的成因关系。孔兹岩系中的夕线石多具近于平行（００１）的变形扭折带，在土贵乌拉还发现夕线石的（１１０）聚片双晶。这可能是夕线石双晶的首次发现。本文对夕线石作了详细测定。其＋２Ｖ＝２６°±０．５°．晶胞参数α＝β＝γ＝９０°，ａ＝７．５０，ｂ＝７．６５，ｃ＝５．８１，Ｖ＝３３０．０６３。     

Subduction,mega-shear systems and Late Palaeozoic basin development in the African segment of Gondwana

 Basins within the African sector of Gondwana contain a Late Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic Gondwana sequence unconformably overlying Precambrian basement in the interior and mid-Palaeozoic strata along the palaeo-Pacific margin. Small sea-board Pacific basins form an exception in having a Carboniferous to Early Permian fill overlying Devonian metasediments and intrusives. The Late Palaeozoic geographic and tectonic changes in the region followed four well-defined consecutive events which can also be traced outside the study area. During the Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous period (up to 330 Ma) accretion of microplates along the Patagonian margin of Gondwana resulted in the evolution of the Pacific basins. Thermal uplift of the Gondwana crust and extensive erosion causing a break in the stratigraphic record characterised the period between 300 and 330 Ma. At the end of this period the Gondwana Ice Sheet was well established over the uplands. The period 260–300 Ma evidenced the release of the Gondwana heat and thermal subsidence caused widespread basin formation. Late Carboniferous transpressive strike-slip basins (e.g. Sierra Australes/Colorado, Karoo-Falklands, Ellsworth-Central Transantarctic Mountains) in which thick glacial deposits accumulated, formed inboard of the palaeo-Pacific margin. In the continental interior the formation of Zambesi-type rift and extensional strike-slip basins were controlled by large mega-shear systems, whereas rare intracratonic thermal subsidence basins formed locally. In the Late Permian the tectonic regime changed to compressional largely due to northwest-directed subduction along the palaeo-Pacific margin. The orogenic cycle between 240 and 260 Ma resulted in the formation of the Gondwana fold belt and overall north–south crustal shortening with strike-slip motions and regional uplift within the interior. The Gondwana fold belt developed along a probable weak crustal zone wedged in between the cratons and an overthickened marginal crustal belt subject to dextral transpressive motions. Associated with the orogenic cycle was the formation of mega-shear systems one of which (Falklands-East Africa-Tethys shear) split the supercontinent in the Permo-Triassic into a West and an East Gondwana. By a slight clockwise rotation of East Gondwana a supradetachment basin formed along the Tethyan margin and northward displacement of Madagascar, West Falkland and the Gondwana fold belt occurred relative to a southward motion of Africa. Received: 2 October 1995 / Accepted: 28 May 1996