Metamorphic and Thermal History of a Fore-Arc Basin: the Fossil Bluff Group, Alexander Island, Antarctica

The Himalia Ridge Formation (Fossil Bluff Group), AlexanderIsland is a 2·2-km-thick sequence of Upper Jurassic–LowerCretaceous conglomerates, sandstones and mudstones, derivedfrom an andesitic volcanic arc and deposited in a fore-arc basin.The metamorphic and thermal history of the formation has beendetermined using authigenic mineral assemblages and vitrinitereflectance measurements. Metamorphic effects include compaction,pore-space reduction, cementation and dissolution and replacementof detrital grains by clay minerals (smectite, illite/smectite,corrensite and kaolinite), calcite, chlorite, laumontite, prehnite,pumpellyite, albite and mica, with less common quartz, haematite,pyrite and epidote. The authigenic mineral assemblages exhibita depth-dependence, and laumontite and calcite exhibit a strongantipathetic relationship. Detrital organic matter in the argillaceouslayers has vitrinite reflectance values (R_o) ranging from 2·3to 3·7%. This indicates considerable thermal maturation,with a systematic increase in reflectivity with increasing depth.There is good correlation of metamorphic mineral assemblageswith chlorite crystallinity and vitrinite reflectance values—allindicating temperatures in the range of 140 ± 20°Cat the top of the sequence to 250 ± 10°C at the baseof the sequence. The temperatures suggest a geothermal gradientof 36–64°C/km and a most likely gradient of 50°C/km.It is suggested that this higher-than-average gradient for afore-arc basin resulted either from rifting during basin formationor from a late-stage arc migration event. KEY WORDS: Antarctica; diagenesis; fore-arc basin; low-temperature metamorphism; vitrinite reflectance     

Low-Temperature Plasticity of Naturally Deformed Calcite Rocks

Optical, cathodoluminescence and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analyses were conducted on four groups of calcite fault rocks, a cataclastic limestone, cataclastic coarse-grained marbles from two fault zones, and a fractured mylonite. These fault rocks show similar microstructural characteristics and give clues to similar processes of rock deformation. They are characterized by the structural contrast between macroscopic cataclastic (brittle) and microscopic mylonitic (ductile) microstructures. Intragranular deformation microstructures (i.e. deformation twins, kink bands and microfractures) are well preserved in the deformed grains in clasts or in primary rocks. The matrix materials are of extremely fine grains with diffusive features. Dislocation microstructures for co-existing brittle deformation and crystalline plasticity were revealed using TEM. Tangled dislocations are often preserved at the cores of highly deformed clasts, while dislocation walls form in the transitions to the fine-grained     

A REVIEW OF MOUNTAIN-BASIN COUPLING OF JIANGHAN AND DONGTING BASINS WITH THEIR SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS

Sedimentary basin and orogenic belt are two important components of continental structure with internal genetic links. The study of the basin-mountain coupling can reconstruct and restore the coupling relationships between the deep lithosphere process, near-surface structure and climate change over time. The Jianghan-Dongting Basin locates in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, presenting a clear basin and mountain boundary with the Qinling-Dabie Shan to the north, the Mufu Shan to the southeast, the Wuling Shan to the southwest, and the E'xi Mountain to the west, respectively. The Meso-Cenozoic Jianghan-Dongting Basin was affected by the subduction and collision of the Pacific plate and the Indian Ocean plate on the Eurasian continent, resulting in multiple tectonic evolution processes. There are some big rivers pouring into the Jianghan-Dongting Basin, such as the Yangtze River, Hanjiang River, Ba River, Xiangjiang River, and Yuanjiang River, etc. to serve as the material transport belts linking between the orogenic belt denudation and basin deposition. Therefore, the Jianghan-Dongting Basin has become a multi-source sedimentary basin, which makes it a natural laboratory to explore the geological processes from source to sink. Because the low-temperature thermochronology(e.g. fission-track and(U-Th)/He)can record the recent uplift time of mountains, they are widely used on the bedrock samples and the detrital synorogenic sediments in basins to constrain the surface uplift time of the orogenic belt. Hence, in the first parts of the paper we summarize and sort out the research results of basin-mountain coupling process in the Jianghan-Dongting Basin, evaluate the research results, identify the existing problems, and propose new research directions. After that, we introduce the applications of low-temperature thermochronology on the bedrock within the orogenic belt, basin and river sediments, combined with the actual situation of Jianghan-Dongting Basin, and put forward a new research breakthrough point. It is found that the Jianghan-Dongting Basin is very suitable for the study of low-temperature thermalchronology on detrital minerals. However, it should combine the low-temperature thermochronology results of both orogenic belt and river sediments with the provenance analysis on the same target minerals, building the connection between the exhumation and provenance information on the orogenic belt, thus providing the detailed evolution of mountain-basin coupling process.     

Formation and exhumation of blueschists and eclogites from NE Oman: new perspectives from Rb–Sr and 40Ar/39Ar dating

Seven eclogite facies samples from lithologically different units which structurally underlie the Semail ophiolite were dated by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and Rb–Sr methods. Despite extensive efforts, phengite dated by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method yielded saddle, hump or irregularly shaped spectra with uninterpretable isochrons. The total gas ages for the phengite ranged from 136 to 85 Ma. Clinopyroxene–phengite, epidote–phengite and whole‐rock–phengite Rb–Sr isochrons for the same samples yielded ages of 78 ± 2 Ma. We therefore conclude that the eclogite facies rocks cooled through 500 °C at c. 78 ± 2 Ma, and that the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates can only constrain maximum ages due to the occurrence of excess Ar inhomogeneously distributed in different sites. Our new results lead us to conclude that high‐pressure metamorphism of the Oman margin took place in the Late Cretaceous, contemporaneous with ophiolite emplacement. Previously published structural and petrological data lead us to suggest that this metamorphism resulted from intracontinental subduction and crustal thickening along a NE‐dipping zone. Choking of this subduction zone followed by ductile thinning of a crustal mass wedged between deeply subducted continental material and overthrust shelf and slope units facilitated the exhumation of the eclogite facies rocks from depths of c. 50 km to 10–15 km within c. 10 Ma, and led to their juxtaposition against overlying lower grade rocks. Final exhumation of all high‐pressure rocks was driven primarily by erosion and assisted by normal faulting in the upper plate.     

四川盆地西北部9月两次低温暴雨过程对比分析

利用常规气象资料和NCEP 1°×1°再分析资料对2001年9月18日和2013年9月18日四川盆地西北部的两次暴雨天气过程进行对比分析。分析结果表明：两次暴雨均发生在无低涡且低温条件下,受西风槽东移的影响,最大降水发生在龙门山迎风坡,地形作用对两次暴雨形成有重要的影响;四川盆地内的水汽来源既可以来源于孟加拉湾,在有台风配合的情况下也可以来自于东海;2001年9月18日暴雨中低层低空急流为暴雨提供了有利的热力、水汽和动力辐合条件;2013年9月18日暴雨中地形造成的低层强烈辐合和南亚高压造成的高层强辐散为强降水提供了有利条件;对于低温条件下盆地西北部的暴雨需注意副高对西风槽的阻挡作用,同时需注意低层偏东风分量的大小。     

Effect of Agents on Hydrate Formation and Low-Temperature Rheology of Polyalcohol Drilling Fluid

In order to ensure safe drilling in deep water and marine gas hydrate bearing sediments,the needed characteristics of drilling fluid system were analyzed.Moreover,the effect of different agents on hydrate formation and the low-temperature rheology of designed polyalcohol drilling fluid were tested,respectively.The results show that clay can promote gas hydrate growth,while modified starch and polyalcohol can inhibit hydrate formation to some extent,and PVP K90 has a good performance on hydrate inhibition.Th...     

基于小波理论的广西低温阴雨灾害天气波动特征

基于广西4个典型站点52年气侯资料的Morletd小波分析,对广西低温阴雨天气灾害波动频率规律进行研究,结果表明：①广西2-4月平均气温逐渐增高,低温阴雨的年总天数逐渐减少,结束日期逐渐提前;②广西2-4月平均气温变化存在30年、18．19年、12年和3年的振荡周期,其中30年周期为温度变化的主控周期;低温阴雨年总天数变化存在30年左右、10年左右和2．5年左右的振荡周期,主控周期南北分布不一致,由北向南,主控周期的尺度也逐渐变小;③广西2-4月平均气温和低温阴雨总天数在大尺度（30年）的振荡上表现出了一致性。研究表明,利用小波理论研究灾害天气波动规律具有很好的效果。