Evidence of a Cretaceous remagnetization in the Cameros Basin (North Spain): implications for basin geometry

The paleomagnetic results obtained in 23 sites from red beds of the northern border of the inverted Cameros Basin (northern Iberian Peninsula) prove a Cretaceous widespread remagnetization. Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic analyses indicate that the Natural remanent magnetization (NRM) is dominated by a stable and always normal polarity component carried by haematite. Two conglomerate test and five-fold test indicate that this component is a syn-tectonic overprint dated between Albian and Santonian times, most probably Albian, contemporary with a low-grade metamorphism. Remagnetization was acquired before compressional deformation and post-dates the main extensional stage of basin formation (Berriasian–Albian). Incremental fold tests provide best clustering solutions showing dispersed results and far from the expected direction. An alternative procedure to obtain fold test solution was applied considering asymmetric limb rotation. Mean directions obtained from these “asymmetric solutions” are consistent with the expected direction and yield a statistical value for significant grouping at the 95% confidence level in all fold tests performed. This reconstruction allows to determine the tilting of beds at the moment of acquisition of magnetization. These original dips were used to reconstruct the original geometry of the northern basin border, later modified during the Tertiary inversion stage. This extensional geometry can be characterised as a large-scale syn-sedimentary normal fault drag, with a minor roll-over anticline. The procedure developed in this paper should be tested in other inverted basins that also have undergone burial remagnetizations.     

山东诸城晚白垩世王氏群恐龙化石层碎屑锆石定年和物源示踪

山东东部诸城晚白垩世王氏群大面积、高密度集群埋藏的恐龙化石是近年研究的热点,但其沉积物源与精确沉积时限目前尚不明确。本文通过对山东诸城王氏群恐龙化石层中6个砂岩样品的碎屑锆石U-Pb定年表明,样品090414-24-D中最年轻的单颗粒锆石年龄(YSG)为77.3 Ma,应代表王氏群恐龙化石层的最大沉积时限(下限),结合前人对王氏群红土崖组的年代学研究表明,其沉积时限应老于73.5 Ma(上限),也说明赋存恐龙化石层的王氏群上部红土崖组为Campanian期沉积;碎屑锆石定年揭示物源的锆石年龄组成分布在100～130 Ma之间,6个样品的年龄主峰值多在110 Ma或120 Ma左右,与下伏的早白垩世青山群火山岩年龄主峰较为吻合。王氏群恐龙化石层砾岩的砾石成分和古水流研究显示,其中3组砾石统计表明砾岩层砾石成分主要由火山岩或火山碎屑岩组成,3组古水流数据表明,诸城地区王氏群红土崖组砾岩层的古流向以南和南东方向为主,尚有1组显示古流向为向北,表明王氏群物源主要来自盆地北侧莱阳和北西侧沂沭断裂带的青山群火山岩,其次为盆地南缘。本研究为诸城王氏群化石层沉积时限的限定和沉积物源的判断,以及胶莱盆地王氏群时期古地理格局的恢复等提供了重要的依据。     

江西丹霞地貌演化阶段与分布及其构造控制探讨

晚白垩世至古近纪期间,江西省内沿区域性断裂构造发育30余个断陷盆地,沉积了巨厚的红色陆相碎屑岩,为丹霞地貌的形成提供了物质基础。已发现的228处丹霞地貌点主要分布于江西东部武夷山北麓和西麓的红层盆地内。利用面积—高程积分法,对江西省9个盆地的丹霞地貌演化阶段进行了定量分析,结果表明省内丹霞地貌景区的面积—高程HI为0.17~0.52,平均为0.38,即其演化阶段处于壮年晚期至老年早期,在空间分布上具有由南向北,由壮年期转为老年期的趋势。该趋势可能与武夷山的构造隆升有关。构造分析显示,节理与武夷山的隆升对江西丹霞地貌演化起控制作用,具体表现为：① 龙虎山、九仙湖、仙岩、蛤蟆坞、赭亭山、龟峰等地发育的崖壁、一线天、巷谷、石墙、石寨、峰丛、峰林等丹霞典型景观均与节理有关。② 流水侵蚀等外营力的作用对丹霞地貌的剥露、削平起重要作用,统计表明距离武夷山越近,丹霞地貌山峰越密集、崖壁越陡峻,指示武夷山的隆升与丹霞地貌的发育有直接关系。总体来看,江西省内的红层为丹霞地貌的发育提供了物质基础,武夷山的隆升控制了丹霞地貌的分布。值得注意的是,丹霞地貌区的节理构造是否与武夷山的隆升存在直接因果关系还需进一步研究。     

鄂尔多斯周缘奥陶纪海相红层的分布与时代

海相红层是红层研究的一个重要方向,在前人地层学、古生物学等资料基础上,笔者在鄂尔多斯周缘露头区针对奥陶纪海相红层进行了专门研究,从中识别出7套奥陶纪海相红层。借助于对应地层中已报道的笔石、三叶虫、珊瑚等不同化石类别的特征分子、典型化石带或化石组合,基本确定了这7套海相红层的形成时代:自下而上分别为特马豆克期、弗洛期晚期(也许包括大坪期早期)、大坪期、达瑞威尔期、桑比期、凯迪期早期和凯迪期晚期。建立了鄂尔多斯周缘奥陶纪海相红层对比表,分析了奥陶纪海相红层形成环境和古地理分布情况。     

Origin of red color of the Lower Siwalik palaeosols: A micromorphological approach

Palaeosols associated with fluvial of the Siwalik Group are and lacustrine deposits that occur as thick multiple pedocomplexes. The bright red color of the palaeosol beds has been earlier interpreted as a result of hot and arid palaeoclimate. However, as against this view, our investigations of the bright red palaeosol beds of the Lower Siwaliks suggest that the climate was cool and subhumid, instead of hot and arid during the deposition of these beds. Since cold climate is not very conducive to impart red coloration, further research is needed to explain the cause of these red beds. For this, the micromorphological study of soil thin sections was done which showed the presence of features such as dissolution and recrystallisation of quartz, feldspar and mica, compaction, slickensides, presence of calcite spars, subrounded and cracked nature of quartz grains, microfabric, complex patterns of birefringence fabrics, pigmentary ferric oxides, thick cutans and cementation by calcite. These features indicate that diagenesis took place on a large scale in these sediments. The positive Eh and neutral-alkaline pH of soils also suggest that the conditions were favorable for the formation of diagenetic red beds. During burial diagenesis of sediments, the hydroxides of ferromagnesian minerals got converted into ferric oxide minerals （hematite）. During deep burial diagenesis smectite was converted into illite and the preponderance of illite over smectite with increasing depth of burial also indicates the diagenesis of sediments. Thus, the red color of the Lower Siwalik palaeosols seems to be due mainly to the burial diagenesis of sediments and does not appear to be due to the then prevailing climatic condition.     

Distribution and origin of hybrid beds in sand-rich submarine fans of the Tanqua depocentre, Karoo Basin, South Africa

This study documents the stratigraphic and palaeogeographic distribution of hybrid event beds that comprise both debris-flow (cohesive) and turbidity current (non-cohesive) deposits. This is the first study of such beds in a submarine fan system to combine outcrop and research borehole control, and uses a dataset from the Skoorsteenberg Formation of the Tanqua depocentre in the Karoo Basin, South Africa. Three types of 0.1–1.0 m thick hybrid beds are observed, which have a basal weakly graded fine-grained sandstone turbidite division overlain by a division of variable composition that can comprise 1) poorly sorted carbonaceous-rich material supported by a mud-rich and micaceous sand-matrix; 2) poorly sorted mudstone clasts in a mud-rich sand-silt matrix; or 3) gravel-grade, rounded mudstone clasts in a well sorted (mud-poor) sandstone matrix. These upper divisions are interpreted respectively as: 1) the deposit of a debris-flow most likely derived from shelf-edge collapse; 2) the deposit of a debris flow, most likely developed through flow transformation from turbidity current that eroded a muddy substrate; and 3) from a turbidity current with mudstone clasts transported towards the rear of the flow. All three hybrid bed types are found concentrated at the fringes of lobes that were deposited during fan initiation and growth. The basinward stepping of successive lobes means that the hybrid beds are concentrated at the base of stratigraphic successions in medial and distal fan settings. Hybrid beds are absent in proximal fan positions, and rare and thin in landward-stepping lobes deposited during fan retreat. This distribution is interpreted to reflect the enhanced amounts of erosion and availability of mud along the transport route during early lowstands of sea level. Therefore, hybrid beds can be used to indicate a fan fringe setting, infer lobe stacking patterns, and have a sequence stratigraphic significance.     

Turbidites deposited on Southern Central Chilean seamounts: Evidence for energetic turbidity currents

Gravity cores obtained from isolated seamounts located within, and rising up to 300 m from the sediment-filled Peru–Chile Trench off Southern Central Chile (36°S–39°S) contain numerous turbidite layers which are much coarser than the hemipelagic background sedimentation. The mineralogical composition of some of the beds indicates a mixed origin from various source terrains while the faunal assemblage of benthic foraminifera in one of the turbidite layers shows a mixed origin from upper shelfal to middle-lower bathyal depths which could indicate a multi-source origin and therefore indicate an earthquake triggering of the causing turbidity currents. The bathymetric setting and the grain size distribution of the sampled layers, together with swath echosounder and sediment echosounder data which monitor the distribution of turbidites on the elevated Nazca Plate allow some estimates on the flow direction, flow velocity and height of the causing turbidity currents. We discuss two alternative models of deposition, both of which imply high (175–450 m) turbidity currents and we suggest a channelized transport process as the general mode of turbidite deposition. Whether these turbidites are suspension fallout products of thick turbiditic flows or bedload deposits from sheet-like turbidity currents overwhelming elevated structures cannot be decided upon using our sedimentological data, but the specific morphology of the seamounts rather argues for the first option. Oxygen isotope stratigraphy of one of the cores indicates that the turbiditic sequences were deposited during the last Glacial period and during the following transition period and turbiditic deposition stopped during the Holocene. This climatic coupling seems to be dominant, while the occurrence of megathrust earthquakes provides a trigger mechanism. This seismic triggering takes effect only during times of very high sediment supply to the shelf and slope.     

印欧大陆碰撞前亚洲大陆南缘古位置再研究:林周盆地上白垩统红层的古地磁新结果

拉萨地块林周盆地白垩系红层的古地磁数据一直都有较大争议.过去认为磁倾角变浅可能是造成这些分歧的主要原因.我们在林周盆地设兴组背斜两翼进行了系统的古地磁采样,15个采样点的特征剩磁分量在倾斜校正和倾伏褶皱校正后平均方向为D=339.3°,I=22.9°(α_(95)=5.1°).特征剩磁分量在大约69%展开时获得最大集中,表明其为同褶皱重磁化;此时平均方向为D=339.1°,I=27.3°(α_(95)=4.1°),对应的古地磁极为65.4°N,327.5°E(A_(95)=3.5°),参考点29.3°N/88.5°E的古纬度为15.0°N±3.5°.薄片镜下分析显示赤铁矿为次生矿物,岩石磁组构(AMS)也表现为过渡型构造变形组构.样品的特征剩磁方向应为重磁化的结果,E/I(elongation vs inclination)校正法显示特征剩磁方向并没有发生倾角变浅.根据区域构造,重磁化时代约为72.4±1.8 Ma到64.4±0.6 Ma.综合考虑拉萨地块东西部的古地磁数据以及地震层析成像资料后我们认为,碰撞前拉萨地块大约呈NW-SE向准线性分布,并处于~10°N-15.0°N;自~70 Ma以来,拉萨地块与稳定欧亚大陆之间至少存在1200±400 km(11.1°±3.5°)的南北向构造缩短量;印度大陆与欧亚大陆的碰撞不应晚于55 Ma.     

Ichthyofauna (Chondrichthyes,Osteichthyes) from the Upper Cretaceous intertrappean beds of Piplanarayanwar,Chhindwara District,Madhya Pradesh,India

A new fossiliferous intertrappean section is found 92 km southwest of the extensively studied intertrappean beds of Mohgaonkalan and Jhilmili in Chhindwara District, Central India. Application of the bulk screen‐washing method led to the recovery of a rich microvertebrate fauna represented by fish, amphibians, crocodiles, snakes and dinosaurs. In this paper, the ichthyofauna recovered from the new intertrappean section consisting of Igdabatis indicus Prasad and Cappetta, 1993, Lepisosteus indicus Woodward, 1908, Osteoglossidae gen. et sp. indet., Pycnodontidae gen. et sp. indet. and Siluriformes indet. is described. The ichthyofauna dominantly represented by the teeth of Igdabatis indicus is suggestive of a nearshore, deltaic or estuarine palaeoenvironment and Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age for the intertrappean beds. The remarkable similarity of the new intertrappean fauna to that of Asifabad and the infratrappean beds of Marepalli also is suggestive of coastal‐plain conditions all along the Godavari lineament in the Late Cretaceous. Although the presence of planktonic foraminifera in the intertrappean beds of Jhilmili in the Mandla Lobe of Deccan volcanic province has been inferred in terms of a short term marine incursion from the west coast along the Narmada lineament in the Early Palaeocene, currently there is no definitive evidence for the prevalence of marine or coastal‐plain conditions along the Narmada lineament at least in the latest Cretaceous.     

唐古拉山中侏罗统缅甸光牡蛎(Liostrea birmanica REED)壳层的事件沉积成因及其环境意义

唐古拉山地区中侏罗统产出丰富的牡蛎类化石,特别是缅甸光牡蛎Liostrea bir—manica Reed分布更为广泛,而且多以介壳层形式产出。在唐古拉山的冬曲,窝布茸曲及青藏公路108道班等地剖面上,栖息于软基底的表生底栖双壳类Liostrea birmanica形成近原地埋葬的介壳层堆积;内生的Ceratomya动物群则多散布于沉积物中,形成原地埋葬的化石群．它们和以丛藻迹Chondrites为主体的遗迹化石群依次重复出现,构成一个和风暴沉积事件相关的底栖动物群替代序列。Liostrea birmanica介壳层是风暴高峰期的侵蚀和再沉积所形成的,风暴期以后水下沉积间断所形成的轻度固化的软基底则迅速地被潜穴生物占领(丛藻迹Chondrites ich—nosp．和根珊瑚迹Rhizocorallium ichnoSp．);而以深挖穴滤食类型为主的Ceralomya组合则是好天气时的原地埋葬。在大多数情况下,它们指示着介于正常浪基面以下,风暴浪基面以上的低沉积速率浅水碳酸岩台地沉积环境。