Geometry and growth of an inner rift fault pattern: the Kino Sogo Fault Belt, Turkana Rift (North Kenya)

A quantitative analysis is presented of the scaling properties of faults within the exceptionally well-exposed Kino Sogo Fault Belt (KSFB) from the eastern part of the 200-km-wide Turkana rift, Northern Kenya. The KSFB comprises a series of horsts and grabens within an arcuate 40-km-wide zone that dissects Miocene–Pliocene lavas overlying an earlier asymmetric fault block. The fault belt is 150 km long and is bounded to the north and south by transverse (N50°E and N140°E) fault zones. An unusual feature of the fault system is that it accommodates very low strains (<1%) and since it is no older than 3 Ma, it could be characterised by extension rates and strain rates that are as low as 0.1 mm/yr and 10⁻¹⁶ s⁻¹, respectively. Despite its immaturity, the fault system comprises segmented fault arrays with lengths of up to 40 km, with individual fault segments ranging up to 9 km in length. Fault length distributions subscribe to a negative exponential scaling law, as opposed to the power law scaling typical of other fault systems. The relatively long faults and segments are, however, characterised by maximum throws of no more than 100 m, providing displacement/length ratios that are significantly below those of other fault systems. The under-displaced nature of the fault system is attributed to early stage rapid fault propagation possibly arising from reactivation of earlier underlying basement fabrics/faults or magmatic-related fractures. Combined with the structural control exercised by pre-existing transverse structures, the KSFB demonstrates the strong influence of older structures on rift fault system growth and the relatively rapid development of under-displaced fault geometries at low strains.     

Prograde eclogites from the Tonaru epidote amphibolite mass in the Sambagawa Metamorphic Belt, central Shikoku, southwest Japan

Abstract   Prograde eclogites occur in the Tonaru epidote amphibolite mass in the Sambagawa Metamorphic Belt of central Shikoku. The Tonaru mass is considered to be a metamorphosed layered gabbro, and occurs as a large tectonic block (approximately 6.5 km × 1 km) in a high-grade portion of the Sambagawa schists. The Tonaru mass experienced high- P /low- T prograde metamorphism from the epidote-blueschist facies to the eclogite facies prior to its emplacement into the Sambagawa schists. The estimated P – T conditions are T  = 300–450°C and P  = 0.7–1.1 GPa for the epidote-blueschist facies, and the peak P – T conditions for the eclogite facies are T  = 700–730°C and P  ≥ 1.5 GPa. Following the eclogite facies metamorphism, the Tonaru mass was retrograded to the epidote amphibolite facies. It subsequently underwent additional prograde Sambagawa metamorphism, together with the surrounding Sambagawa schists, until the conditions of the oligoclase–biotite zone were reached. The high- P /low- T prograde metamorphism of the eclogite facies in the Tonaru mass and other tectonic blocks show similar steep d P /d T geothermal gradients despite their diverse peak P – T conditions, suggesting that these tectonic blocks reached different depths in the subduction zone. The individual rocks in each metamorphic zone of the Sambagawa schists also recorded steep d P /d T geothermal gradients during the early stages of the Sambagawa prograde metamorphism, and these gradients are similar to those of the eclogite-bearing tectonic blocks. Therefore, the eclogite-bearing tectonic blocks reached greater depths in the subduction zone than the Sambagawa schists. All the tectonic blocks were ultimately emplaced into the hanging wall side of the later-subducted Sambagawa high-grade schists during their exhumation.     

Geographical distribution of hypocentral depths of Chinese earthquakes

ＧｅｏｇｒａｐｈｉｃａｌｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎｏｆｈｙｐｏｃｅｎｔｒａｌｄｅｐｔｈｓｏｆＣｈｉｎｅｓｅｅａｒｔｈｑｕａｋｅｓＸＩＮＧ－ＢＥＩＤＵＡＮ（段星北）ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＧｅｏｐｈｙｓｉｃａｌ，ＳｔａｔｅＳｅｉｓｍｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＢｕｒ...     

Zircon Senstive High Resolution Ion Microprobe (SHRIMP) study of granitoid intrusions in Zhaoye Gold Belt of Shandong Province and its implication

The zircon Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe (SHRIMP) results show that granitoid intrusions in Zhaoye Gold Belt were emplaced at two periods of Mesozoic: Linglong and Luanjiahe types of granitic intrusions were emplaced between 160 Ma and 150 Ma (late Jurassic); Guojialing type of granodioritic intrusions, 130 Ma and 126 Ma (early Cretaceous). All the three types contain at least two major generations of inherited zircons with Precambrian (>650 Ma) and early Mesozoic ages (200–250 Ma), respectively. The former suggests that these plutonic rocks are of crustal origin and that Precambrian basement with component of sialic crust up to 3.4 Ga old (Middle Archean) exists in the region. The presence of abundant inherited zircons with early Mesozoic age indicates that the Precambrian basement was affected by a major tectono-thermal event, that is the collision of the North and South China blocks, at 250 Ma to 200 Ma. SHRIMP results also indicate that the gold mineralization in the region took place between 126 Ma and 120 Ma. Project supported by the Sino-Australian Economic and Technical Fund.     

内蒙古拴马桩煤系海相动物化石的发现及其地质意义

石炭纪拴马桩煤系分布于内蒙古自治区色尔腾山及大青山一带，自下而上划分为下佘太组、上佘太组及拴马桩组。该煤系主要由陆源碎屑物质组成，总厚度大于１０００ｍ，长期以来认为它是陆相的山间盆地型沉积。近年来，作者在上、下佘太组中首次发现双壳类化石：Ｐｔｅｒｉｎｏｐｅｃｔｉｎｅｌａ，Ｓｃｈｉｚｏｄｕｓ，Ｓｅｄｇｗｉｃｋｉａ等共５属８种，为该煤系存在海相沉积提供了佐证。还从沉积学、地球化学、古生态学及古流向测量等方面，对其沉积相类型、石炭纪时期的古地理格局进行了分析与探讨     

Tectonic control on fluvial styles: the Balfour Formation of the Karoo Basin, South Africa

The Balfour Formation represents a fully fluvial succession of late Late Permian–earliest Triassic age which accumulated in the foredeep of the Karoo Basin during the overfilled phase of the foreland system. The lack of a coeval marine environment within the limits of the preserved Karoo Basin provides an opportunity to study the stratigraphic cyclicity developed during a time when accommodation was solely controlled by tectonics. The Balfour stratigraphy is composed of a succession of six third-order fluvial depositional sequences separated by subaerial unconformities. They formed in isolation from eustatic influences, with a timing controlled by orogenic cycles of loading and unloading. Sediment accumulation took place during stages of flexural subsidence, whereas the bounding surfaces are related to stages of isostatic uplift. The vertical profile of all sequences displays an overall fining-upward trend related to the gradual decrease in topographic slope during orogenic loading. At the same time, an upward change in fluvial styles can be observed within each sequence, from initial higher to final lower energy systems. The actual fluvial styles in each location depend on paleoslope gradients and the position of the stratigraphic section relative to the orogenic front. Proximal sequences show transitions from braided to meandering systems, whereas more distal sequences show changes from sand-bed to fine-grained meandering systems. The average duration of the Balfour stratigraphic cycles was 0.66 My, i.e. six cycles during 4 My. No climatic fluctuations are recorded during this time, with the long-term climatic background represented by temperate to humid conditions.     

Late Precambrian series and structures in the Navalpino Variscan Anticline (Central Iberian Peninsula)

The Navalpino Anticline is a major Variscan structure in the Central Iberian Zone of Spain. Three lithological groups are defined in the pre-Ordovician rocks of this anticline. The Rifean or Lower Vendian Extremeño Dome Group is unconformably overlain by the Upper Vendian Ibor-Navalpino Group. This latter group presents two different facies separated by a NW-SE trending synsedimentary fault. The Lower Cambrian Valdelacasa Group unconformably overlies both the Extremeno Dome and the Ibor-Navalpino Groups.Three pre-Variscan episodes of deformation have been defined in the area of the Navalpino Anticline. A major asymmetrical fold with a subvertical east-west-striking limb is the result of the first deformation event of pre-Late Vendian age. The second deformation event is of Cadomian (Late Precambrian) age and is composed of two stages; (i) an early extensional stage including NW - SE trending extensional fault and basin development in the north-eastern block; and (ii) a second compressive stage giving rise to north-south trending upright folds. This second compressive stage possibly inverted the basin. A final pre-Variscan deformation event took place between the Early Cambrian and the Early Ordovician resulting in a 5–10° tilting to the north-east.There are two main phases of Variscan deformation in the area. The first deformation event (D_v1) gave rise to a upright WNW - ESE trending folds on all scales, whereas the second (D_v2) gave rise to a brittle—ductile sinistral strike-slip shear zone tending subparallel to the axial trace of the D_v1 folds.     

河西走廊东部晚古生代前陆盆地演化特征

河西走廊东部晚古生代前陆盆地从形成、稳定发展到收缩消亡的过程，反映了泥盆纪是主要成盆期，奠定了盆地的基本格架；石炭纪是盆地稳定发育阶段，也是盆地内煤、油气的主要形成期；自二叠纪至三叠纪，前陆盆地应变停止，应力粘弹性松驰，被重力作用下的山前盆地所取代。     

北秦岭丹凤地区早古生代花岗岩的Pb、Sr、Nd同位素地球化学特征

通过对北秦岭丹凤地区早古生代花岗岩的Ｐｈ、Ｓｒ、Ｎｄ同位素地球化学特征的系统研究，结合元素地球化学特征，证明早古生代具成分极性的枣园、黄柏岔、石门花岗岩是由于秦岭群斜长角闪岩和黑云斜长片麻岩部分熔融，近俯冲带以熔体与熔体的混合、远离俯冲带是前者产生的熔体与后者熔融后的残留相以不同比例混合形成的。     

滇西北金沙江带早石炭世深海沉积的发现

 70年代末以来,金沙江蛇绿岩带或金沙江缝合带受到人们的重视,其地质证据主要在滇西北德钦-川西南得荣一带(张之盂和金蒙,1979;陈炳蔚,1983;黄汲清等,1984;陈炳蔚等,1991)。由于该地区构造复杂,地形险峻,交通不便,研究程度不高。