STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY

正20141283 Bai Daoyuan(Hunan Institute of Geological Survey,Changsha 410016,China);Zhong Xiang Nature,Origin and Tectonic Setting of Jinzhou Basin in the South Segment of Xuefeng Orogen(Geology in China,ISSN1000-3657,CN11-1167/P,40(4),2013,p.1079-1091,10 illus.,47 refs.)Key words:foreland basins,strike-slip faults,Hunan Province     

Phase equilibria modelling and LASS monazite petrochronology: P–T–t constraints on the evolution of the Priest River core complex,northern Idaho

Phase equilibria modelling, laser‐ablation split‐stream (LASS)‐ICP‐MS petrochronology and garnet trace‐element geochemistry are integrated to constrain the P–T–t history of the footwall of the Priest River metamorphic core complex, northern Idaho. Metapelitic, migmatitic gneisses of the Hauser Lake Gneiss contain the peak assemblage garnet + sillimanite + biotite ± muscovite + plagioclase + K‐feldspar ± rutile ± ilmenite + quartz. Interpreted P–T paths predict maximum pressures and peak metamorphic temperatures of ~9.6–10.3 kbar and ~785–790 °C. Monazite and xenotime ²⁰⁸Pb/²³²Th dates from porphyroblast inclusions indicate that metamorphism occurred at c. 74–54 Ma. Dates from HREE‐depleted monazite formed during prograde growth constrain peak metamorphism at c. 64 Ma near the centre of the complex, while dates from HREE‐enriched monazite constrain the timing of garnet breakdown during near‐isothermal decompression at c. 60–57 Ma. Near‐isothermal decompression to ~5.0–4.4 kbar was followed by cooling and further decompression. The youngest, HREE‐enriched monazite records leucosome crystallization at mid‐crustal levels c. 54–44 Ma. The northernmost sample records regional metamorphism during the emplacement of the Selkirk igneous complex (c. 94–81 Ma), Cretaceous–Tertiary metamorphism and limited Eocene exhumation. Similarities between the Priest River complex and other complexes of the northern North American Cordillera suggest shared regional metamorphic and exhumation histories; however, in contrast to complexes to the north, the Priest River contains less partial melt and no evidence for diapiric exhumation. Improved constraints on metamorphism, deformation, anatexis and exhumation provide greater insight into the initiation and evolution of metamorphic core complexes in the northern Cordillera, and in similar tectonic settings elsewhere.     

Significance of shallow core transects for reef models and sea‐level curves,Heron Reef,Great Barrier Reef

A sequence of shallow reef cores from Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef, provides new insights into Holocene reef growth models. Isochron analysis of a leeward core transect suggests that the north‐western end of Heron Reef reached current sea‐level by ca 6·5 kyr bp and then prograded leeward at a rate of ca 19·6 m/kyr between 5·1 kyr and 4·1 kyr bp (pre‐1950) to the present reef margin. A single short core on the opposing margin of the reef is consistent with greater and more recent progradation there. Further to the east, one windward core reached modern sea‐level by ca 6·3 kyr bp , suggesting near ‘keep‐up’ behaviour at that location, but the opposing leeward margin behind the lagoon reached sea‐level much more recently. Hence, Heron Reef exhibited significantly different reef growth behaviour on different parts of the same margin. Mean reef accretion rates calculated from within 20 m of one another in the leeward core transect varied between ca 2·9 m and 4·7 m/kyr depending on relative position in the prograding wedge. These cores serve as a warning regarding the use of isolated cores to inform reef growth rates because apparent aggradation at any given location on a reef varies depending on its location relative to a prograding margin. Only transects of closely spaced cores can document reef behaviour adequately so as to inform reef growth models and sea‐level curves. The cores also emphasize potential problems in U‐series dates for corals within a shallow (ca 1·5 m) zone beneath the reef flat. Apparent age inversions restricted to that active diagenetic zone may reflect remobilization and concentration of Th in irregularly distributed microbialites or biofilms that were missed during sample vetting. Importantly, the Th‐containing contaminant causes ages to appear too old, rather than too young, as would be expected from younger cement.     

Smoothing and re-roughening processes: The geometric evolution of a single fault zone

The geometry of a fault zone exerts a major control on earthquake rupture processes and source parameters. Observations previously compiled from multiple faults suggest that fault surface shape evolves with displacement, but the specific processes driving the evolution of fault geometry within a single fault zone are not well understood. Here, we characterize the deformation history and geometry of an extraordinarily well-exposed fault using maps of cross-sectional exposures constructed with the Structure from Motion photogrammetric method. The La Quinta Fault, located in southern California, experienced at least three phases of deformation. Multiple layers of ultracataclasite formed during the most recent phase. Crosscutting relations between the layers define the evolution of the structures and demonstrate that new layers formed successively during the deformation history. Wear processes such as grain plucking from one layer into a younger layer and truncation of asperities at layer edges indicate that the layers were slip zones and the contacts between them slip surfaces. Slip surfaces that were not reactivated or modified after they were abandoned exhibit self-affine geometry, preserving the fault roughness from different stages of faulting. Roughness varies little between surfaces, except the last slip zone to form in the fault, which is the smoothest. This layer contains a distinct mineral assemblage, indicating that the composition of the fault rock exerts a control on roughness. In contrast, the similar roughness of the older slip zones, which have comparable mineralogy but clearly crosscut one another, suggests that as the fault matured the roughness of the active slip surface stayed approximately constant. Wear processes affected these layers, so for roughness to stay constant the roughening and smoothing effects of fault slip must have been approximately balanced. These observations suggest fault surface evolution occurs by nucleation of new surfaces and wear by competing smoothing and re-roughening processes.     

U–Th–Pb monazite dating and the timing of arc–continent collision in East Timor

The Timor Orogen represents one of the youngest arc–continent collisions exposed on the Earth. It has the potential to provide some of the key parameters about how this style of orogeny evolves. However, the metamorphic age of the highest-grade rocks formed in the collision remains controversial. Using U–Th–Pb dating of monazite from amphibolite-grade sillimanite and garnet-bearing schists we show the peak metamorphism occurred at 5.5–4.7 Ma. The young age of the monazite and the presence of significant amounts of common Pb required the development of a new protocol to simultaneously account for the ²³⁰Th disequilibrium and the ²⁰⁷Pb common Pb correction. The new estimate of metamorphic age is consistent with the estimates based on plate reconstructions for the initiation of arc–continent collision in East Timor. The metamorphic event is a result of this collision.     

东北帕米尔中新世中下地壳物质的折返过程：公格尔西滑脱剪切带的构造变形与年代学证据

公格尔西滑脱剪切带位于东北帕米尔公格尔片麻岩穹窿西缘。通过我们详细的野外观测、显微构造观察、石英电子背散射衍射(EBSD)测试以及锆石U-Pb测年,对公格尔西滑脱剪切带的几何学、运动学特征及其形成演化时限进行了研究。公格尔西滑脱剪切带糜棱岩中大量的石榴子石、矽线石和蓝晶石等表明其为高级变质产物。S/C组构、旋转碎斑及不对称褶皱等变形现象说明剪切带上盘向W或SW低角度剪切的运动特征。高级变质糜棱岩和浅色岩脉记录约20 Ma的206 U-238Pb锆石年龄,说明公格尔西滑脱剪切带初始形成于早中新世。结合前人研究成果,我们认为公格尔西滑脱剪切带曾是狭长的帕米尔中下地壳滑脱带的最北段。由于新生代印度亚洲大陆碰撞以后印度板块仍持续向N俯冲推进,帕米尔地壳由S向N开始增厚,进变质作用最初发生于南帕米尔,约20 Ma时到达北帕米尔。东北帕米尔中下地壳物质开始折返于中新世中期。而直到6~4 Ma,东北帕米尔公格尔地区开始快速隆起,此时公格尔新生代高级变质岩才快速折返。     

青藏高原拉萨地块西部念青唐古拉岩群的地球化学特征及构造意义

拉萨地块西部呈断块状沿狮泉河-申扎-嘉黎蛇绿混杂岩带附近分布的念青唐古拉岩群被认为是前寒武纪变质基底。本文对念青唐古拉岩群进行了系统的岩石学、地球化学、同位素年代学及构造地质学研究。研究结果表明片岩-片麻岩-变粒岩含十字石、石榴子石等特征变质矿物,遵循粒度分异规律,其原岩可能为来自冈瓦纳古陆核北缘中新元古代弧盆体系的活动大陆边缘浊积岩。斜长角闪岩具低硅、高铁镁、富钙的基性岩特征,其原岩为岛弧型基性火山岩。念青唐古拉岩群中的花岗伟晶岩锆石LA-ICPMS U-Pb年龄为1150±13Ma,具过铝质S型花岗岩地球化学特征,可能为中元古代(1150±13 Ma)以前就开始沉积的念青唐古拉岩群基底岩石通过部分熔融形成。与花岗伟晶岩渐变过渡接触的二云斜长片麻岩第一组变质重结晶锆石U-Pb年龄为701±15 Ma,结合十字石特征变质矿物,暗示了该地区中温高压变质作用的峰期变质,变质程度达角闪岩相;第二组热液流体锆石UPb年龄为301±8.4 Ma,可能与冈瓦纳大陆北缘古特提斯洋演化过程中的岩浆热液作用有关。     

Shale Gas Formation and Occurrence in China: An Overview of the Current Status and Future Potential

Shale gas is one of the most promising unconventional resources both in China and abroad. It is known as a form of self-contained source-reservoir system with large and continuous dimensions. Through years of considerable exploration efforts, China has identified three large shale gas fields in the Fuling, Changning and Weiyuan areas of the Sichuan Basin, and has announced more than 540 billion m~3 of proven shale gas reserves in marine shale systems. The geological theories for shale gas development have progressed rapidly in China as well. For example, the new depositional patterns have been introduced for deciphering the paleogeography and sedimentary systems of the Wufeng shale and Longmaxi shale in the Sichuan Basin. The shale gas storage mechanism has been widely accepted as differing from conventional natural gas in that it is adsorbed on organic matter or a mineral surface or occurs as free gas trapped in pores and fractures of the shale. Significant advances in the techniques of microstructural characterization have provided new insights on how gas molecules are stored in micro- and nano-scale porous shales. Furthermore, newly-developed concepts and practices in the petroleum industry, such as hydraulic fracturing, microseismic monitoring and multiwell horizontal drilling, have made the production of this unevenly distributed but promising unconventional natural gas a reality. China has 10–36 trillion m~3 of promising shale gas among the world's whole predicted technically recoverable reserves of 206.6 trillion m~3. China is on the way to achieving its goal of an annual yield of 30–50 billion m~3 by launching more trials within shale gas projects.     

澜沧江杂岩带小黑江-上允地区蓝片岩的成因及变质演化

通过对澜沧江杂岩带小黑江-上允地区蓝片岩的岩相学、地球化学、成因矿物学以及相平衡模拟的综合研究,阐述蓝片岩的原岩以及变质演化过程。地球化学分析结果显示,蓝片岩具有一致的稀土元素配分模式,具弱Eu正或负异常,稀土元素和微量元素特征与OIB相似,其原岩可能为OIB型玄武岩。详细矿物学研究表明,本区蓝片岩记录了俯冲峰期蓝片岩相变质和峰期后绿片岩相变质两个变质阶段,其矿物组合分别为蓝闪石+钠长石+多硅白云母+绿泥石+绿帘石和蓝闪石+钠长石±阳起石+绿泥石+绿帘石。通过Na_2O-Ca O-Fe O-MgO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2-H_2O-O体系相平衡计算,得到两个阶段的压力范围分别约为0.95 GPa和0.40 GPa。     

辽南金州拆离断层带中花岗质岩石的变形:显微构造、组构与年代学分析

花岗岩(脉)在中下地壳韧性剪切带中普遍发育,如何正确鉴别剪切带中剪切前、剪切期及剪切后花岗岩(脉)以及正确理解剪切过程中构造变形与岩浆作用之间的关系一直是一个重要课题。本文以辽南金州拆离断层带为研究对象,选取中部地壳伸展作用过程中具有不同变形表现的花岗岩(脉)开展宏观-微观构造观察、石英EBSD组构分析及锆石LA-ICP-MS年代学测试等工作,从而进一步丰富构造-岩浆关系判别准则。剪切前花岗岩(脉)多变形强烈且具有后期固态变形叠加在早期高温岩浆组构之上的特点,而剪切期的花岗岩由于侵位的时间不同,岩石的变形程度也会不同。剪切晚期侵入的岩脉遭受了较弱的晶内塑性变形,而剪切早期的岩脉可以显示岩浆流动或结晶后高温至中温固态变形。从组构特点上看,剪切前和剪切期花岗质岩石石英c轴组构大多表现为中高温组构叠加有低温组构的特点。剪切后的花岗质岩石仅发生微弱的晶内变形或未变形而显示低温或无规律的组构特征。对五个典型的样品进行年代学测试,其结果符合相应的期次划分类型。应用宏观构造、显微构造与组构分析,结合年代学测试综合分析,对于辽南变质核杂岩构造-岩浆活动性进行了精细划分,包括134~130Ma初始伸展阶段,130~115Ma峰期伸展与强烈岩浆活动阶段,以及115Ma前后伸展作用结束。