Thrombolite fabrics and origins: Influences of diverse microbial and metazoan processes on Cambrian thrombolite variability in the Great Basin,California and Nevada

Thrombolites are a common component of carbonate buildups throughout the Phanerozoic. Although they are usually described as microbialites with an internally clotted texture, a wide range of thrombolite textures have been observed and attributed to diverse processes, leading to difficulty interpreting thrombolites as a group. Interpreting thrombolitic textures in terms of ancient ecosystems requires understanding of diverse processes, specifically those due to microbial growth and metazoan activity. Many of these processes are reflected in thrombolites in the Cambrian Carrara, Bonanza King, Highland Peak and Nopah formations, Great Basin, California, USA; they comprise eight thrombolite classes based on variable arrangements and combinations of depositional and diagenetic components. Four thrombolite classes (hemispherical microdigitate, bushy, coalescent columnar and massive fenestrated) contain distinct mesoscale microbial growth structures that can be distinguished from surrounding detrital sediments and diagenetic features. By contrast, mottled thrombolites have mesostructures that dominantly reflect post‐depositional processes, including bioturbation. Mottled thrombolites are not bioturbated stromatolites, but rather formed from disruption of an originally clotted growth structure. Three thrombolite classes (arborescent digitate, amoeboid and massive) contain more cryptic textures. All eight of the thrombolite classes in this study formed in similar Cambrian depositional environments (marine passive margin). Overall, this suite of thrombolites demonstrates that thrombolites are diverse, in both internal fabrics and origin, and that clotted and patchy microbialite fabrics form from a range of processes. The diversity of textures and their origins demonstrate that thrombolites should not be used to interpret a particular ecological, evolutionary or environmental shift without first identifying the microbial growth structure and distinguishing it from other depositional, post‐depositional and diagenetic components. Furthermore, thrombolites are fundamentally different from stromatolites and dendrolites in which the laminae and dendroids reflect a primary growth structure, because clotted textures in thrombolites do not always reflect a primary microbial growth structure.     

黔中乌当盆地阶地沉积特征及其对盆地演化的指示

黔中乌当盆地是贵州省山间盆地的典型代表,四级河流阶地清晰地记录了新构造运动中区域地壳抬升和盆地演化。通过阶地沉积物砾组统计、粒度分析、光释光（OSL）测年,探讨盆地的发育和演化。结果显示,阶地砾石排列指示盆地水系古流向与现代河流基本一致,砾石磨圆度变化大,分选较差,岩性继承了区域地层。砾石组合特征反映了构造抬升期盆地内强烈的冲刷剥蚀。漫滩沉积物粒度表明盆地在稳定阶段河流水动力整体呈增大趋势。T4和T3发育阶段区域以冲刷剥蚀为主并塑造了盆地雏形。T2阶地沉积特征及测年结果（177.4 ka~87.6 ka）表明中更新世末期持续数万年的沉积夷平作用使盆地基本成型。T1阶地形成时代约25ka,指示了黔中地区最近一次构造抬升和盆地的最终定型。     

陕西洛南陶湾群三岔口组砾岩研究

陶湾群三岔口组砾岩是一套分布于华北地块南缘的水下碳酸盐岩型重力流沉积，砾岩的形成同商州铁炉子栾川断裂带早期活动性质存在因果关系。通过１∶５万区调填图发现，陶湾群三岔口组砾岩从母岩区到砾岩堆积区之间无断陷作用；沉积基底基本连续；砾岩沉积组构出现有序的横向变化规律，依次为母岩区层状白云岩（α区）、具有垂向张裂隙及流动构造的始滑区白云岩（β区）、具有节状构造的滑移区白云岩（γ区）和砾岩堆积区（δ区）。陶湾群三岔口组砾岩时代厘定为早寒武世晚期至中寒武世，这也是华北地块南缘盆地环境的主形成期，砾岩是在东秦岭洋向华     

云南姚安铅银矿床假白榴石斑岩空间分布和组构特征

姚安铅银矿床位于金沙江-哀牢山断裂带东侧的富碱斑岩带内,主要发育正长斑岩、粗面岩、假白榴石斑岩、含斑正长细晶岩等一套杂岩体,其中正长斑岩为主要容矿围岩。通过野外地质勘查、显微镜鉴定、电子探针及X射线微区衍射分析,对假白榴石斑岩的空间分布、岩石矿物学特征进行了综合研究,结果表明,姚安铅银矿床假白榴石斑岩多以脉状、角砾状或呈小岩枝产出,出露在正长斑岩质火山角砾岩的外围,主要分布在角砾岩型铅银矿(化)体的南西侧、F4断裂的北东盘,在空间上与角砾岩筒及外围断裂有关;该矿床的假白榴石具两个世代,早期为灰绿色浑圆粒状假白榴石斑岩的假白榴石斑晶,富Al,晚期为灰-灰白色四角三八面体假白榴石斑岩的假白榴石斑晶,富Si、Na,二者均蚀变成钾长石、高岭石、石英等含水富硅矿物;姚安假白榴石斑岩形成于印度板块与欧亚大陆俯冲碰撞后的板内拉张环境;假白榴石斑岩形成晚于粗面岩、正长斑岩,早于含斑正长细晶岩;假白榴石斑岩与铅银矿(化)体无直接成因联系。     

武汉天兴洲近代沉积物的磁性特征及其环境意义

利用多磁性参数(包括质量磁化率、频率磁化率、饱和等温剩磁、退磁系数以及热磁曲线)及磁组构分析,以长江中游武汉天兴洲近代河流沉积物为研究对象, 探讨了近100年以来沉积物磁性参数变化特征及其对长江中上游水文变化及气候环境的指示.结果表明,上部组合带(0.60~1.50 m)和下部组合带(2.40~3.30 m)沉积物的磁性载体以亚铁磁性矿物磁铁矿为主,同时存在少量较稳定的不完整反铁磁性物质,中部(1.50~2.40 m)亚铁磁性矿物相对较少,且剖面上部沉积物的超顺磁(SP)颗粒对沉积物χ贡献较大.整个沉积剖面自下而上磁性矿物含量呈“C”字型变化,反映了“软”-“硬”-“软”的磁性特性.沉积物磁组构组合带研究显示,历史时期沉积环境水动力强度、颗粒排列有序化程度以及长江流速发生了明显的变化,沉积环境水动力强度经历了“不稳定”－“稳定”－“不稳定”的变化过程,反映了长江古水文状况的变化.近代沉积物磁性特征变化格局与1900年以来以来长江中上游“暖湿”-“温凉”-“暖湿”气候环境变化和“强降水”-“弱降水”-“强降水”以及长江汉口站流量变化过程相吻合.这一研究成果为深刻认识历史时期长江流域气候环境变迁其及对长江古水文和沉积环境的影响提供了重要的参考资料.      

Fabric evolution within shear bands of granular materials and its relation to critical state theory

In an effort to study the relation of fabrics to the critical states of granular aggregates, the discrete element method (DEM) is used to investigate the evolution of fabrics of virtual granular materials consisting of 2D elongated particles. Specimens with a great variety of initial fabrics in terms of void ratios, preferred particle orientations, and intensities of fabric anisotropy were fabricated and tested with direct shear and biaxial compression tests. During loading of a typical specimen, deformation naturally localizes within shear bands while the remaining of the sample stops deforming. Thus, studying the evolution of fabric requires performing continuous local fabric measurements inside these bands, a suitable task for the proposed DEM methodology. It is found that a common ultimate/critical state is eventually reached by all specimens regardless of their initial states. The ultimate/critical state is characterized by a critical void ratio e which depends on the mean stress p, while the other critical state fabric variables related to particle orientations are largely independent of p. These findings confirm the uniqueness of the critical state line in the e ? p space, and show that the critical state itself is necessarily anisotropic. Additional findings include the following: (1) shear bands are highly heterogeneous and critical states exist only in a statistical sense; (2) critical states can only be reached at very large local shear deformations, which are not always obtained by biaxial compression tests (both physical and numerical); (3) the fabric evolution processes are very complex and highly dependent on the initial fabrics. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

北疆阿巴宫-库尔提断裂带显微组构的运动学和动力学分析

研究了阿尔泰地区NW走向高角度冲断构造中主干的阿巴宫—库尔提断裂带。详细研究了断裂构造岩的变形构造和组构及其所显示的运动学和动力学特征。结果表明:存在早、晚更替且性质不同的变形显微构造。早期以糜棱岩中的韧性变形构造为主,发育有递进变形的不对称构造(压力影、旋转变斑晶、S—C构造等),是断裂中剪切变形运动指向的主要判据。晚期为脆性破裂构造,与早期变形组构具继承、叠加关系。研究了石英光轴的组构形式,证实存在:早期共轴纯剪变形的小圆环带组构和非共轴简单剪切变形中,呈递变关系的点极密—大圆环带—交叉大圆环带组构型式。对变形构造和组构所作的运动学和动力学分析结果表明:阿—库断裂带的形成和变形历史为:①地壳早期NE挤压收缩环境,形成劈理化带;②在持续NE向挤压作用下,大规模剪切、逆冲叠置,和地壳加厚,产生重熔岩浆和流体再分配效应,促使糜棱岩带形成和发展;③晚期地壳NE向挤压下,以垂直差异抬升和大量碎裂岩化高角度逆冲断裂的继承、叠加为特征。在区域大地构造的关系上:①、②对应于地槽褶皱、封闭的地槽体制(海西期),③对应于地洼体制(后海西期)。     

Effects of fabric anisotropy on elastic shear modulus of granular soils

The fabric anisotropy of a granular soil deposit can strongly infl uence its engineering properties and behavior. This paper presents the results of a novel experimental study designed to examine the effects of fabric anisotropy on smallstrain stiffness and its evolution with loading on the elastic shear modulus of granular materials under a K0 condition. Two primary categories of fabric anisotropy, i.e., deposition-induced and particle shape-induced, are investigated. Toyoura sand deposits with relative densities of 40% and 80% were prepared using deposition angles oriented at 0o and 90o. Piezoelectric transducers were used to obtain the elastic shear modulus in the vertical and horizontal directions(Gvh and Ghh). The measurements indicate distinct differences in the values of G with respect to the different deposition angles. Particle shapeinduced fabric anisotropy was examined using four selected sands. It was concluded that sphericity is a controlling factor dominating the small-strain stiffness of granular materials. The degree of fabric anisotropy proves to be a good indicatorin the characterization of stress-induced fabric evolution during loading and unloading stress cycles. The experimental data were used to calibrate an existing micromechanical model, which was able to represent the behavior of the granular material and the degree of fabric anisotropy reasonably well.     

大别山北麓竹竿河黄土—古土壤的磁组构特征及其古环境意义

大别山北麓竹竿河黄土—古土壤样品的磁组构特征显示,研究剖面0～1480cm层段的平均Pj、F值小于1.02,而底部Pj、F大于1.02。F—L、Pj—q组合关系图反映磁化率椭球体为压扁状,磁面理较磁线理发育。磁化率椭球体主轴方位显示0～1480cm层段样品的椭球体轴向分布分散,长轴的倾角大于60°,短轴的倾角小于15°,而底部的分布聚集,长轴的倾角一般小于10°,短轴的倾角大于80°,上述特征综合揭示了0～1480cm层段属于典型风成沉积而底部属于典型水成沉积。磁化率椭球体最大主轴的偏角暗示风成沉积的主导风向为NW—SE方向,而水成沉积的古流向为SW—NE方向,与现代竹竿河水系的方向基本一致。磁化率各向异性最大轴方向的优选方向可能与大别山抬升等构造运动有关。