Cenozoic tectonic events at the border of the Paraná Basin, São Paulo, Brazil

In the last decade, even in areas that had been considered tectonically stable, a great amount of Cenozoic, including the Quaternary period, structural data have been collected throughout Brazil. The main goal of this study is to describe the Cenozoic structures and tectonic evolution of an area that is located at the border of the Paraná Basin in the state of São Paulo.The research methods consisted of the analysis of: (1) brittle structure data, mainly conjugate fractures and fault slip data; (2) lineaments traced on air photos and TM Landsat and radar images; and (3) a second-order base surface map.The study area, during the Cenozoic, has been affected by five strike–slip tectonic events, which generated mainly strike–slip faults, and secondarily normal and reverse ones. The events were named, from the oldest to the youngest, E1-NE, E2-EW, E3-NW, E4-NS, and E5-NNE; and the maximum principal stresses σ1 strike approximately NE–SW, E–W, NW–SE, N–S, and NNE–SSW, respectively. Event E2-EW seems to have been contemporaneous with the deposition of the Rio Claro Formation, the most important Cenozoic deposit of probable Neogenic age, and also to have controlled the distribution of its deposits. Event E3-NW was the strongest one in the area, as is pointed out by structural data, and the maximum principal stress σ1 of event E5-NNE is partially concordant with the orientation of σH-max of well break-out data in the Paraná Basin, suggesting a Neotectonic activity for this event. Finally, discontinuities parallel and correlated to the directions of strike–slip faults of the Cenozoic events seem to have actively controlled the sculpturing of the relief in the study area.     

Thermal expansion and crystal structure of FeSi between 4 and 1173 K determined by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction

The thermal expansion and crystal structure of FeSi has been determined by neutron powder diffraction between 4 and 1173?K. No evidence was seen of any structural or magnetic transitions at low temperatures. The average volumetric thermal expansion coefficient above room temperature was found to be 4.85(5)?×?10^?5?K^?1. The cell volume was fitted over the complete temperature range using Grüneisen approximations to the zero pressure equation of state, with the internal energy calculated via a Debye model; a Grüneisen second-order approximation gave the following parameters: θ_D=445(11)?K, V ₀=89.596(8)?ų, K ₀′=4.4(4) and γ′=2.33(3), where θ_D is the Debye temperature, V ₀ is V at T=0?K, K ₀′ is the first derivative with respect to pressure of the incompressibility and γ′ is a Grüneisen parameter. The thermodynamic Grüneisen parameter, γ_th, has been calculated from experimental data in the range 4–400?K. The crystal structure was found to be almost invariant with temperature. The thermal vibrations of the Fe atoms are almost isotropic at all temperatures; those of the Si atoms become more anisotropic as the temperature increases.     

Pressure effect on Ti- or P-rich accessory mineral saturation in evolved granitic melts with differing K2O/Na2O ratios

The solubility of Ti- and P-rich accessory minerals has been examined as a function of pressure and K₂O/Na₂O ratio in two series of highly evolved silicate systems. These systems correspond to (a) alkaline, varying from alkaline to peralkaline with increasing K₂O/Na₂O ratio; and (b) strongly metaluminous (essentially trondhjemitic at the lowest K₂O/Na₂O ratio) and remaining metaluminous with increasing K₂O/Na₂O ratio (to 3). The experiments were conducted at a fixed temperature of 1000 °C, with water contents varying from 5 wt.% at low pressure (0.5 GPa), increasing through 5–10 wt.% at 1.5–2.5 GPa to 10 wt.% at 3.5 GPa. Pressure was extended outside the normal crustal range, so that the results may also be applied to derivation of hydrous silicic melts from subducted oceanic crust.

For the alkaline composition series, the TiO₂ content of the melt at Ti-rich mineral saturation decreases with increasing pressure but is unchanged with increasing K content (at fixed pressure). The P₂O₅ content of the alkaline melts at apatite saturation increases with increased pressure at 3.5 GPa only, but decreases with increasing K content (and peralkalinity). For the metaluminous composition series (termed as “trondhjemite-based series” (T series)), the TiO₂ content of the melt at Ti-rich mineral saturation decreases with increasing pressure and with increasing K content (at fixed pressure). The P₂O₅ content of the T series melts at apatite saturation is unchanged with increasing pressure, but decreases with increasing K content. The contrasting results for P and Ti saturation levels, as a function of pressure in both compositions, point to contrasting behaviour of Ti and P in the structure of evolved silicate melts. Ti content at Ti-rich mineral saturation is lower in the alkaline compared with the T series at 0.5 GPa, but is similar at higher pressures, whereas P content at apatite saturation is lower in the T series at all pressures studied. The results have application to A-type granite suites that are alkaline to peralkaline, and to I-type metaluminous suites that frequently exhibit differing K₂O/Na₂O ratios from one suite to another.     

Structure of the earth's crust in Jordan from potential field data

Gravity and magnetic data were collected and used to study the crustal structure of Jordan. Three new geophysical maps of Jordan were created: a Moho discontinuity map, a crystalline basement surface map, and a map showing the lowest limit of magnetic blocks. Depths of the Curie Isotherm were also calculated. Results indicate that the depth to the Moho discontinuity in Jordan varies from 32 to 33 km in the northwest to 38 km in the southeast. The basement complex rocks outcrop on the surface in the southwest but lie at about 8 km in the northeast. The Curie Isotherm (585 °C) lies at a depth of about 10 km in the area east of the Dead Sea and dips southeastward towards the Al-Sirhan (Wadi Sirhan), southeast Jordan, where it is located at 35 km depth. Local isostasy of rock masses (blocks) in Jordan does not occur. Nevertheless, this does not rule out the possible existence of isostasy in a regional scale at greater depths within the mantle.     

Seismic intensity investigation of the 2001 M=6.0 Yajiang-Kangding earthquake and discussion on its background of seismogenic structures

Introduction According to the determination of the state seismic station network, a strong earthquake with magnitude of 6.0 occurred at 08h09min, February 23, 2001 (Beijing Time) in the mountainous area of Garze, Sichuan Province in southwest China. The epicenter is at 101?6E, 29?4N. The seismic region is just located on combining part among six counties. After the occurrence of the earthquake, an investigating team from the Seismological Bureau of Sichuan Province started off to the sei…     

2-D crustal structure of Changbaishan-Tianchi volcanic region determined by seismic traveltime inversion

IntroductionTrial-and-error forward modeling of wide-angle seismic reflection/refraction traveltimes for 2-D velocity structure is extremely time-consuming, even for experienced data interpreters. For wide-angle seismic reflection/refraction experiments that consist of numerous shots along a single line, it is quite difficult through repeated trial-and-error forward modeling to construct a 2-D model that fits the data within acceptable limits (Cerveny, et al, 1977; ZHANG, et al, 200 . In ad…     

Study and review on crust-mantle velocity structure in Bohai Bay and its vicinity

Introduction Bohai Bay, along with its adjacent areas, is one of the seismically active areas in North China. Understanding its crust/upper-mantle structural characteristics and lateral heterogeneity of the medium in this area is of great significance to the study of seismogenic environment, thus improvimg the level of earthquake prediction. For years, scientists have studied the area by gravity and magnetic methods (FENG, et al, 1989), geothermal field (WU, et al, 1988; TIAN, ZHANG, 19…     

A comparison of tectonic ambient shear stress value in China with that in western USA

Introduction The stress status of the earths crust is closely related to global structure, the direction of plate movement, the drive mechanism of plate, earthquake cause, etc. Therefore the researches of the stress status of the earths crust and the process of dynamic evolution are paid a great attention to by many people around the world (Zoback, Zoback, 1980; Zoback, et al, 1989; Zoback, 1989; Spence, 1997; Fuchs, 1997; Plenefish, Bonjer, 1997; Muller, et al, 1997; XU, et al, 1989; WAN…     

2001年四川省雅江-康定6.0级地震烈度考察及发震构造背景雏议

2001年2月23日四川省发生的6.0级地震，其宏观震中位于雅江县与康定县之间的高山峡谷地带．极震区烈度可达Ⅷ 度，Ⅷ 度区、Ⅶ 度区和Ⅵ 度区面积分别为180km2，1472 km2和3998 km2，等震线分布总体形态呈椭圆形，长轴近南北向．震区建筑物普遍受损，极震区山地灾害较为严重．初步分析认为，此次地震的发生与理塘断裂和玉农希断裂的长期活动有关，主干断裂活动造成的地壳应力调整和集中，最终在块体内部的次级断裂上释放而产生地震．      

中国西南及邻区上地幔P波三维速度结构/

利用ISC报告以及中国和NEIC基本测震台网报告中的80974条P波初至到时资料（地震数为7053，台站数为165，且地震和台站都分布在研究区内），对中国西南及邻区（北纬10～36、东经70～110）的深至400km的上地幔三维速度结构进行了研究，分辨率达22．初步结果表明:①研究区速度的横向不均匀性，虽随深度增加而减弱，但至400km深度时仍很明显；②在北纬16和24的纵剖面上，可以看到与印度板块向东和欧亚板块相碰撞挤压相对应的速度结构，以及印度板块与欧亚板块速度结构的差异．在东经90的纵剖面上，与印度板块向北俯冲到欧亚板块（青藏高原）之下相对应的速度结构也比较明显；③在90ｋｍ深度的横剖面上，由缅甸的密支那至越南的洞海的低速条带，可能与红河断裂带有关；④ 提出并使用了能够更为准确直观地描述分辨率好坏的图示方法．