Style of fluid flow and deformation in and around an ancient out-of-sequence thrust: An example from the Nobeoka Tectonic Line in the Shimanto accretionary complex, Southwest Japan

To understand the characteristics of deformation of an out-of-sequence thrust (OST) and the style of fluid flow along it, we investigated the Nobeoka Tectonic Line, which has been interpreted as a deep OST (7–9 km), in the Shimanto accretionary complex, Southwest Japan. The shear zone in the footwall differs significantly in the along-strike direction not only in thickness, which varied from 100 to 300 m, but also in lithology and mineral vein development. These variations might reflect primarily differences in lithology; that is, the sandstone-dominant shear zone with a large amount of mineral veins precipitated in microcracks is relatively thick, whereas the shale-dominant shear zone with a small amount of veins and with textures indicating highly pressurized pore fluid, is thinner. By comparison with characteristics of a shallow OST (3–5 km), we conclude that the shallow OST has experienced repeated brittle failure with rapid slip and focused fluid flow whereas the deep OST has experienced both brittle and ductile deformation, followed by fluid flow of various styles, depending on the lithology.     

Northern Barbados accretionary prism: Structure,deformation, and fluid flow interpreted from 3D seismic and well‐log data

We reanalyzed 3D seismic reflection and logging‐while‐drilling data from the toe of the northern Barbados accretionary prism to interpret structure, deformation, and fluid flow related to subduction processes. The seafloor amplitude and coherence reveal an abrupt change in the thrust orientation from NNE at the thrust front and north and NNW about 5 km west of the thrust front. These thrust sets are separated by a triangular‐shaped quiet area, which may represent a zone of low strength. The northeast‐trending band of strong negative amplitude and high coherence in the décollement, known to be an interval of arrested consolidation, overlaps the quiet area, suggesting that the arrested consolidation may be related to the lack of thrust imbrication, and thus, vertical drainage for fluid in the accretionary prism. Fractal analysis of the décollement and top of the subducting oceanic basement indicates that the relief of the décollement correlates with the topography of the oceanic basement. Differential compaction of the underthrust sediment overlying the rugged oceanic basement, together with the basement faults that penetrate into the décollement probably caused relief or even faulting in the décollement.     

遥感地质解译在增生杂岩专题地质填图中的应用——以柴达木盆地北缘托莫尔日特增生杂岩为例

造山带内增生杂岩的准确识别和详细解剖不仅对确定古洋盆和古俯冲带存在具有直接的指示意义,而且对区域矿产资源勘探具有重要的指导意义.专题地质填图是识别和解剖增生杂岩的有效手段,然而,部分艰险地区海拔高,交通不便,给填图工作造成了一定困难.遥感地质解译可为专题地质填图提供重要参考,因此,本文尝试基于多光谱遥感数据对柴达木盆地...     

Origin of the early Cenozoic belt boundary thrust and Izanagi–Pacific ridge subduction in the western Pacific margin

The belt boundary thrust within the Cretaceous–Neogene accretionary complex of the Shimanto Belt, southwestern Japan, extends for more than ~ 1 000 km along the Japanese islands. A common understanding of the origin of the thrust is that it is an out of sequence thrust as a result of continuous accretion since the late Cretaceous and there is a kinematic reason for its maintaining a critically tapered wedge. The timing of the accretion gap and thrusting, however, coincides with the collision of the Paleocene–early Eocene Izanagi–Pacific spreading ridges with the trench along the western Pacific margin, which has been recently re‐hypothesized as younger than the previous assumption with respect to the Kula‐Pacific ridge subduction during the late Cretaceous. The ridge subduction hypothesis provides a consistent explanation for the cessation of magmatic activity along the continental margin and the presence of an unconformity in the forearc basin. This is not only the case in southwestern Japan, but also along the more northern Asian margin in Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and Sikhote‐Alin. This Paleocene–early Eocene ridge subduction hypothesis is also consistent with recently acquired tomographic images beneath the Asian continent. The timing of the Izanagi–Pacific ridge subduction along the western Pacific margin allows for a revision of the classic hypothesis of a great reorganization of the Pacific Plate motion between ~ 47 Ma and 42 Ma, illustrated by the bend in the Hawaii–Emperor chain, because of the change in subduction torque balance and the Oligocene–Miocene back arc spreading after the ridge subduction in the western Pacific margin.     

Cordilleran-type orogeny and episodic growth of continents: Insights from the circum-Pacific continental margins

A new material migration hypothesis for the plate subduction zone orogeny, so-called ‘the cordilleran-type orogeny’, is proposed on the basis of geological constraints as well as mechanics of accretionary wedges. The major tectonic processes of the hypothesis comprise: (i) episodic, extensive magmatism along the margin of an overriding plate; (ii) supply of voluminous igneous and eroded materials through forearc to trench, with an increase in the net sediment influx into trench; (iii) accelerated accretion of sediments beneath an overriding older accretionary wedge; and (iv) upward material migration within the wedge and resultant exhumation of high-P/T metamorphic rocks near the inland margin of the wedge. This hypothesis was validated by the test using available geo- and thermo-chronological data from two classical types of subduction-related orogens in Southwest Japan and California. The hypothesis, coupled with the thermochronologic point of view, requires the reconsideration of coevality of paired metamorphism. The temporal pairing is to be observed between the beginning of the regional high-T/P metamorphism and that of the uplift and exhumation of high-P/T metamorphism, with some time lag needed for material migration. Where the temporal pairing is examined therefore, the formation age of igneous rocks and related high-T/P metamorphic rocks should be compared to the exhumation age of high-P/T metamorphic rocks. The episodic, extensive magmatism that triggers the cordilleran-type orogeny shows a temporal correlation in the mid-Cretaceous for most circum-Pacific continental margins. The resultant widespread formation of accretionary complexes is also observed in the western part of the circum-Pacific margins. The deduced mid-Cretaceous circum-Pacific orogeny accompanied a gross increase in the continental crust production rate, and was approximately coeval with the Pangea breakup and the Central Pacific superplume episode, implying the orogeny as a part of the mid-Cretaceous pulsation of the Earth.     

Implications for focused fluid transport at the northern Cascadia accretionary prism from a correlation between BSR occurrence a d near-sea-floor reflectivity anomalies imaged in a multi-frequency seismic data set

 A high-resolution seismic survey was carried out at the accretionary prism on the continental slope off Vancouver Island, Canada. Two GI-Gun data sets with different source frequency ranges of 50–150 and 100–500 Hz were combined with 4 kHz narrow-beam echosounding data (Parasound). The data allow spatial correlation between a gas hydrate bottom simulating reflector (BSR) and distinct areas of high near-sea-floor reflectivity. An integrated interpretation of the multi-frequency data set provides insight into the regional distribution of tectonically induced fluid migration and gas hydrate formation in the vicinity of ODP Leg 146 Sites 889 and 890. The BSR at the base of the gas hydrate stability field is observed within accreted and deformed sediments, but appears to be absent within bedded slope basin deposits. It is suggested that these basin deposits inhibit vertical fluid flow and prevent the formation of a BSR, whereas the hydraulic conductivity of the accreted sediments is sufficiently high to allow for pervasive gas migration. An elevation of the BSR beneath the flanks of a topographic high is interpreted as an indicator for local upflow of warm fluids along permeable pathways within outcropping accreted sediments. Parasound data reveal discontinuous zones of high reflectivity at or directly beneath the sea floor, which may indicate local cementation of surface sediments. In combination with GI-Gun data, the occurrence of these reflective areas can be related to the location of slope sedimentary basins acting as hydraulic seals. It is proposed that the seals sometimes fail along faults extending beneath the BSR, leading to focused upflow of methane-bearing fluid and the formation of carbonate pavements at the sea floor. Received: 9 November 1998 / Accepted: 6 April 1999     

Geochemical Features and Tectonic Setting of Greenstones from Kunimiyama, Northern Chichibu Belt, Central Shikoku, Japan

Abstract. We report whole‐rock chemical data for the greenstones from the Kunimiyama area in the Northern Chichibu Belt and their implications on the tectonic setting of these rocks. The Kunimiyama greenstones are associated with stratiform fer‐romanganese deposits or bedded cherts in the northern part of the study area, but are closely associated with a thick limestone block or bedded cherts in the southern part. The constituent minerals of greenstones are albitized plagioclase, clinopy‐roxene, chlorite, calcite, epidote, pumpellyite, prehnite, quartz, celadonite, sericite and opaque minerals such as iron oxyhy‐droxide and hematite. These mineral assemblages, epidote + pumpellyite + chlorite and chlorite + pumpellyite + prehnite, suggest that the metamorphic grade of greenstones from the Kunimiyama area is prehnite‐pumpellyite facies. The whole‐rock chemical compositions of greenstones associated with ferromanganese deposits are generally similar to those of normal mid‐ocean ridge basalt (N‐MORB). In contrast, the chemical compositions of the greenstones associated with the limestone block are comparable to those of ocean island alkaline basalt. Greenstones associated with bedded cherts are of enriched MORB and ocean island basalt, as well as N‐MORB origins, suggesting they probably formed as a result of plume‐related MOR volcanism in the Panthalassa Ocean in Early Permian and by tectonic mixing of ocean island basalts with oceanic ridge crustal fragments during accretion/subduction processes. These geological and geochemical lines of evidence suggest that the Kunimiyama greenstones are allochthonous blocks of accreted oceanic crust and seamounts. The ferromanganese deposits are frequently accompanied by reddish greenstones. Compared to common greenish greenstones, the reddish greenstones are characterized by high MnO and rare earth element contents and distinct negative Ce anomalies, implying a slight contribution of hydro thermal component forming the ferromanganese deposits.     

造山型矿床、成矿模式及找矿潜力

矿床新类型的识别往往导致大批矿床和成矿省的发现，预测和识别矿床新类型是矿床研究的重要任务之一。造山型金矿的普遍性和重要性已被世界范围的大量研究所证明，但其他矿种的造山型矿床却很少被涉及。笔者提出了造山型矿床的概念及其变质流体成矿的实质，建立了矿床、矿田和成矿省等不同尺度的造山型矿床成矿模式及其随时间演化的3阶段模式。强调会聚造山作用的挤压伸展转变期是大规模成矿时间。同造山成矿系统的特点是成矿年龄滞后于造山作用时间。通过矿床实例研究证明了造山型银矿床、铅锌矿床、铜矿床和钼矿床的客观存在．阐明了中国巨大的造山型矿床的勘查潜力，例证了运用矿田尺度成矿模式进行成矿预测的有效性和重要意义。     

西藏班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪 增生杂岩的特征及意义

西藏班公湖-怒江成矿带北部多龙矿集区出露的增生杂岩属总体无序、局部有序的非史密斯地层,由基质和块体2个部分组成。基质为侏罗系砂泥质复理石建造,块体由大小不等的玄武岩、砂岩、硅质岩、泥质灰岩、超基性岩等组成。增生杂岩系变形强烈,发育强烈的构造置换作用,块体与基质之间由透入性挤压面理或剪切面理分隔,为典型造山带大陆增生边缘的增生杂岩。这套增生杂岩形成于侏罗纪羌塘陆块南缘的侧向增生边缘,发育于晚古生代增生杂岩系之上,与班公湖-怒江中特提斯洋壳侏罗纪时期向羌塘陆块的俯冲作用有关,侏罗纪—白垩纪羌多岩浆弧为在这套增生楔基础上发育起来的火山-岩浆弧。班公湖-怒江结合带北缘多龙地区侏罗纪增生杂岩的识别为正确认识多龙超大型斑岩铜金矿床的成矿地质背景和结合带的演化提供了新的线索。     

五大连池世界地质公园中“火山弹”与“喷气锥”景点定名商榷

位于中国东北黑龙江省的五大连池世界地质公园是世界上著名的自然景点,其引人之处就是新生代玄武岩火山地貌。然而,景点中有些火山构造的命名却存在着明显的错误,如：熔岩丘和增生熔岩球分别被错误地命名为“喷气锥”和“火山弹”。笔者根据著名专业网站（如：美国地质调查局网站）和经典教材中的相应定义讨论了这些火山构造。通过分析这些构造的形态、大小和成因,笔者将它们分别重新命名为熔岩丘和增生熔岩球。笔者建议：地质公园中所有景点的定名都应该经专家核实和评价,从而给出科学的、符合地质实际的名称。