Neoproterozoic Chingasan Group in the Yenisei Ridge: new data on age and deposition environments

Trachybasalt-alkali trachyte volcanism in the Yenisei Ridge was found out to be synchronous with deposition of coarse tilloids and flysch of the Chivida Formation of the Neoproterozoic Chingasan Group. New 703±4 Ma ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar biotite and titan-augite ages of subalkaline basalts in the Chivida Formation indicated that they erupted in the Late Neoproterozoic. According to microfossil evidence, the Chingasan sediments correlate with Late Neoproterozoic strata in the type sections of the southern Siberian craton. The Chingasan deposition apparently lasted no longer than 30 Myr judging by the isotope ages obtained for the underlying Upper Vorogovka Group and subalkaline basalts in the Chivida Formation. The fault-parallel position of grabens and coarse grain sizes and variable thicknesses of their lithological complexes, as well as syndepositional trachybasalt-alkali trachyte volcanism provided evidence that the volcanosedimentary rocks of the Chingasan Group formed in an environment of active rifting.     

Late Cenozoic Sedimentary Evolution of Pagri‐Duoqing Co graben,Southern End of Yadong‐Gulu Rift,Southern Tibet

The north trending rifts in southern Tibet represent the E–W extension of the plateau and confirming the initial rifting age is key to the study of mechanics of these rifts. Pagri–Duoqing Co graben is located at southern end of Yadong–Gulu rift, where the late Cenozoic sediments is predominately composed of fluvio-lacustrine and moraine. Based on the sedimentary composition and structures, the fluvio-lacustrine could be divided into three facies, namely, lacustrine, lacustrine fan delta and alluvial fan. The presence of paleo-currents and conglomerate components and the provenance of the strata around the graben indicate that it was Tethys Himalaya and High Himalaya. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating and paleo-magnetic dating suggest that the age of the strata ranges from ca. 1.2 Ma to ca. 8 Ma. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating showed that moraine in the graben mainly developed from around 181–109 ka (late Middle Pleistocene). Combining previous data about the Late Cenozoic strata in other basins, it is suggested that 8–15 Ma may be the initial rifting time. Together with sediment distribution and drainage system, the sedimentary evolution of Pagri could be divided into four stages. The graben rifted at around 15–8 Ma due to the eastern graben-boundary fault resulting in the appearance of a paleolake. Following by a geologically quiet period about 8–2.5 Ma, the paleolake expanded from east to west at around 8–6 Ma reaching its maximum at ca. 6 Ma. Then, the graben was broken at about 2.5 Ma. At last, the development of the glacier separated the graben into two parts that were Pagri and Duoqing Co since the later stages of the Middle Pleistocene. The evolution process suggested that the former three stages were related to the tectonic movement, which determined the basement of the graben, while the last stage may have been influenced by glacial activity caused by climate change.     

K–Ar ages from seamount chains in the back-arc region of the Izu–Ogasawara arc

The Izu–Ogasawara arc contains, from east to west, a volcanic front, a back-arc extensional zone (back-arc knolls zone), and a series of across-arc seamount chains that cross the extensional zone in an east-northeast and west-southwest direction and extend into the Shikoku Basin. K–Ar ages of dredged volcanic rocks from these across-arc seamount chains and extension-related edifices in the back-arc region of the Izu–Ogasawara arc were measured to constrain the volcanic and tectonic history of the arc since the termination of spreading in the Shikoku Basin. K–Ar ages range between 12.5 and 1 Ma. Andesitic to dacitic rocks of 12.5–2.9 Ma occur mainly on the western part of the chains. The western part of the chains are the locus of volcanism behind the front which erupted mainly calc-alkaline andesitic lavas. The youngest rocks (< 2.8 Ma), characterized by cpx-ol basalt, occur along the western margin of the back-arc knolls zone. Basaltic rocks of 12.5–2.9 Ma have relatively high concentrations of Na₂O (> 2.0 wt%), Zr (> 50 p.p.m.) and Y (> 20 p.p.m.) and low CaO (< 12 wt%). On the other hand, basalts of 2.8–1 Ma have lower Na₂O (< 1.8 wt%), Zr (< 50 p.p.m.) and Y (< 20 p.p.m.), but significantly higher CaO (> 12 wt%). The age inferred for the initiation of back-arc rifting (∼ 2.35–2.9 Ma: Taylor 1992 ) behind the current volcanic arc coincides with the time that basalt chemistry changed drastically (eruption of the low-Na₂O and high-CaO basalt). This implies that post-2.8 Ma volcanism in the back-arc knolls zone is associated with rifting. Similarly, the change in chemical composition might be explained by a different type of source mantle following rift initiation. Volcanism in the western seamounts ceased after the onset of rifting at ∼ 2.8 Ma.     

The Cenozoic Volcanoes in Northeast China

There are more than 600 Cenozoic volcanic cones and craters with abeut 50 000 km2of lava flows in northeast China, which formed many volcanic clusters and shown the features of the continental rift - type volcanoes. Most volcanic activities in this area, especially in the east part of Songliao graben, were usually controlled by rifts and faults with the main direction of NE / NNE in parallel and become younger from the central graben towards its both sides, especially to the east continental margin. It is revealed that the volcanism occurred in northeast China was as strong as that occurred in Japan during the Miocene and the Quaternary. The Quaternary basalt that is usually distributed along river valley is called "valley basalt"while Neogene basalt usually distributed in the top of mounts is called "high position basalt". These volcanoes and volcanic rocks are usually composed of alkaline basalts with ultramafic inclusions, except Changbaishan volcano that is built by trachyte and pantellerite.     

新疆额尔齐斯地区裂谷火山岩的初步研究

新疆富蕴县西部上石炭统喀喇额尔齐斯组的变质火山岩,是一套多旋回双峰式古裂谷型火山岩.基性成员为玄武岩。酸性成员为流纹岩.基性岩套由拉斑玄武岩-碱性玄武岩组成.微量元素分配模式证明了地幔成分不均一性;玄武岩浆来自石榴二辉橄榄岩44％的分批熔融;证明古裂谷是在岛弧基础上演化形成。从而说明额尔齐斯断裂带经历了俯冲-碰撞-裂谷三个演化阶段.晚期的碱性玄武岩喷发,标志裂谷作用的消亡.     

Centrifuge modelling of the influence of crustal fabrics on the development of transfer zones: insights into the mechanics of continental rifting architecture

Centrifuge analogue experiments are used to model the reactivation of pre-existing crustal fabrics during extension. The models reproduced a weakness zone in the lower crust whose geometry was varied in order to investigate its role in controlling the architecture of rift segments and related transfer zones. The typical rift system geometry was characterised by two offset rift segments connected by a major transfer zone in which boundary faults were oblique to the extension vector and displayed a significant transcurrent component of movement. The transfer zone was also characterised by cross-basin faults with both trend and strike-slip component of movement opposite to that displayed by the master faults. Typically, different structural patterns were obtained by changing the offset angle φ between the rift segments, supporting that the structural pattern at transfer zones is strongly influenced by the orientation of pre-existing discontinuities with respect to the stretching vector. In the models, the aspect ratio (ratio of length vs. width) of the transfer zone shows a positive correlation with the offset angle (i.e., the more the inherited fabric is parallel to the extension direction, the longer and narrower the transfer zones). In case of staircase offset of the rift segments (φ=90°), the structural pattern was characterised by two isolated rift depressions linked by a narrow transfer zone in which border faults with alternating polarity overlapped. Prominent rise of the ductile lower crust was also observed at the transfer zone. Many of these geometrical features display striking similarities with natural rift systems. The results of the current experiments provide useful insights into the mechanics of continental rift architecture, supporting that rift propagation, width and along-axis segmentation may be strongly controlled by the reactivation of pre-existing pervasive crustal fabrics.     

赣南燕山早期双峰式火山岩的厘定和意义

研究表明分布在赣南寻邬县的白面石—菖蒲火山—沉积盆地和龙南县的东坑—临江火山-沉积盆地火山岩系下部的玄武岩与流纹岩具有紧密的时、空关系,是一套中侏罗世形成的双峰式火山岩组合。玄武岩和流纹岩的不相容元素地球化学特征与板内玄武岩一致,表明中国东南大陆存在燕山早期的裂谷作用或碰撞后伸展作用。     

Structures of the Bohai Petroliferous Area, Bohai Bay Basin

This paper, for the first time, deals with a more systematic study of the structures in the Bohaipetroliferous area that covers nearly one third of the Bohai Bay basin. The study mainly involves the effects of preexisting basement faults on the basin formation, the characteristics of basin geometry and kinetics, the modelling of the tectonic-thermal history, the polycyclicity and heterogeneity in the structural evolution and the natural seismic tomographic images of the crust and upper mantle. The authors analyze the features of the dynamic evolution of the basin in the paper and point out that the basin in the Bohai petroliferous area is an extensional pull-apart basin.     

Extensional Tectonic System of Erlian Fault Basin Group and Its Deep Background

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Processing and interpretation of the gravity field of the East African Rift: implication for crustal extension

Compilation of new and existing gravity data were undertaken to assess the nature of the crust beneath the East African Rift System. Using 3D gravity modeling code crustal model of gravity profiles across two sectors of the rift were computed. The results are discussed in light of the structure of the rift system.The results of the 3D modeling of gravity profiles across the two rift zones revealed northward thinning of the crust. The maximum crustal attenuation occurs beneath the Afar depression, indicating the Afar rift undergoes an intense fragmentation of the crust resulting from faulting and magmatic activity. However, our computed crustal thickness below the Afar depression falls within an upper bound compared to elsewhere below tectonically active rift zones. This can be explained in terms of crustal accretion resulting from an impact of the Afar mantle plume since 30 Ma ago.The residual gravity obtained using high-cut filtering techniques reveals significant density contrast between the northern and southern sectors of the rift. The northern part of the rift is characterized by regular patterns of positive gravity anomalies, which can be interpreted in terms of a zone of crustal thinning through which relatively dense materials have intruded the overlying crust. In contrast, south of the Main Ethiopian Rift, the anomalies are characterized by random patterns and low amplitudes. The along-rift-axis variation in gravity anomalies implies that the style of crustal deformation changed progressively, beginning with regionally distributed crustal deformation, such as the one we observe within the more juvenile and wider southern segment of the rift, to localized deformation within the active and narrow rift zones of the northern sector of the Ethiopian Rift. We suggest that the key parameters controlling along-rift-axis variation in gravity anomalies are the rate of crustal extension, faulting and magmatic activities.