Mesozoic and early Cenozoic tectonic convergence-to-rifting transition prior to opening of the South China Sea

We have investigated Mesozoic geological problems around the South China Sea (SCS) based on gravimetric, magnetic, seismic, and lithofacies data. Three-dimensional analytical signal amplitudes (ASA) of magnetic anomalies clearly define the inland tectonic boundaries and the residual Mesozoic basins offshore. The ASA suggest that the degree of magmatism and/or the average magnetic susceptibility of igneous rocks increase southeastwards and that late-stage A-type igneous rocks present along the coast of southeast China possess the highest effective susceptibility. The geophysical data define Mesozoic sedimentary and tectonic structures and reveal four major unconformities [Pz/T–J, T–J/J, J/K, and Mesozoic/Cenozoic (Pz, Palaeozic; T, Triassic; J, Jurassic; K, Cretaceous)], corresponding to regional tectonic events revealed by nine palaeogeographic time slices based on prior geological surveys and our new fieldwork. Showing both sedimentary and volcanic facies and regional faults, our palaeogeographic maps confirm an early Mesozoic northwestward-migrating orogeny that gradually obliterated the Tethyan regime, and a middle-to-late Mesozoic southeastward migration and younging in synchronized extension, faulting, and magmatism. Three major phases of marine deposition developed but were subsequently terminated by tectonic compression, uplift, erosion, faulting, rifting, and/or magmatism. The tectonic transition from the Tethyan to Pacific regimes was completed by the end of the Middle Triassic (ca. 220 Ma), reflecting widespread Mesozoic orogeny. The transition from an active to a passive continental margin occurred at the end of the Early Cretaceous (ca. 100 Ma); this was accompanied by significant changes in sedimentary environments, due likely to an eastward retreat of the palaeo-Pacific subduction zone and/or to the collision of the West Philippine block with Eurasia. The overall Mesozoic evolution of southeast China comprised almost an entire cycle of orogenic build-up, peneplanation, and later extension, all under the influence of the subducting palaeo-Pacific plate. Continental margin extension and rifting continued into the early Cenozoic, eventually triggering the Oligocene opening of the SCS.     

Avulsion regimes in southeast Texas rivers

Avulsions – relatively sudden changes in course, or establishment of new anabranches – are an important process in alluvial rivers. Their key role in floodplain construction and alluvial architecture, and the general conditions favouring avulsions, are well known. However, avulsion processes and evolution, and the factors controlling avulsion regimes, are poorly understood. In the southeast Texas coastal plain, where avulsions are common features of the river valleys, avulsions were studied on the lower Brazos, Navasota, Trinity, Neches and Sabine rivers using a combination of aerial imagery, digital elevation models and field surveys. Avulsions have important influences on the surface morphology and contemporary processes in all five rivers. Features associated with avulsions are active and distinct throughout the study area, and all the rivers have experienced geologically (if not historically) recent avulsions. However, no two of the study rivers have the same contemporary avulsion regime. First‐order differences in avulsion style are controlled by the stage of valley filling, and within the three rivers characterized by an unfilled incised valley, antecedent morphology associated with late Quaternary and Holocene coastal and fluvial‐deltaic processes accounts for the major differences. In the Navasota (27 avulsions in 185 km) and Neches (21 in 340 km) rivers, subchannels associated with avulsions exist in all stages of development from active to infilled, and some have occurred in recent decades. The other rivers have fewer avulsions, but both the Sabine and Trinity have experienced historic channel shifts. Only the Brazos River has experienced no avulsions within the past c. 300 years. Results show that even within a region of similar environmental controls and geological history local variations in inherited morphology can result in different avulsion regimes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First record of contourites from Lower Devonian Liptrap Formation in southeast Australia

Typical contourite deposits associated with submarine turbidite fan deposits are recognized for the first time from the Lower Devonian Liptrap Formation at Cape Liatrap, Victoria in southeast Australia. The contourites are well integrated within the turbidite fan deposits and are characterized by thin (5-8 cm), lenticular, well-sorted coarse-grained siltstones to fine-grained sandstones with current-ripples and cross beddings. The palaeocurrent directions of the turbidite fan and contourites are perpendicular to each other, with the former directed generally westward while the latter varying from 165° to 190° southward. In view of the facies types and architecture, we suggest that the turbidite fan was developed at the base of a westward inclined palaeo-slope, at the front of which the contourites were deposited as a result of southward flowing deep-sea contour (geostrophic) currents. The depositional setting inter- preted for the Liptrap Formation thus may provide a provisional model for the Lower Devonian conti- nental slope and abyssal basin environment in the southeastern part of the Melbourne Trough.     

Newly-generated Daliangshan Fault Zone—Shortcutting on the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system

The Daliangshan fault zone is the eastern branch in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. It has been neglected for a long time, partly because of no destructive earthquake records along this fault zone. On the other hand, it is located on the remote and inaccessible plateau. So far it was excluded as part of the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Based on the interpretation of aerophotographs and field investigations, we document this fault zone in detail, and give an estimation of strike-slip rate about 3 mm/a in Late Quaternary together with age dating data. The results suggest that the Daliangshan fault zone is a newly-generated fault zone resulted from shortcutting in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system because of the clockwise rotation of the Southeastern Tibetan Crustal Block, which is bounded by the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Moreover, the shortcutting may make the Daliangshan fault zone replace the Anninghe and Zemuhe fault zones gradually, and finally, the later two fault zones will probably die out with the continuous clockwise rotation.     

假等称笔石(Pseudisograptus)在桂东南的发现

1996— 1 997年间笔者曾多次鉴定广西区域调查研究院送来的化石标本 ,其中有些化石采自广西东南边陲的博白县龙潭镇以东的六角田 ,产出于曾被归属志留系的一套轻变质的灰黑色泥岩中 ,因受加里东期花岗岩体侵入的影响 ,所送标本受到轻度变质的作用 ,保存极差 ,且数量不足。化石丰度不高 ,其中主要是一些对笔石类断枝 ,能作确切鉴定的只有一种假等称笔石即剑柄假等称笔石哈氏亚种( Pseudisograptus mamubriatus harris Cooper &Ni)。假等称笔石属地质历程短 ,在澳大利亚相当发育 ,产出层位为 Castlemainian阶上部至 Yapeenian阶 ,大致可与英…     

鄂尔多斯盆地东南缘上三叠统长8段砂岩储层 成岩作用与孔隙演化

鄂尔多斯盆地东南缘上三叠统延长组长8是该区油藏的主力储集层,主要为一套湖泊-三角洲相砂岩,储集岩主要为长石砂岩及长石岩屑砂岩.以岩心观察为基础,结合薄片鉴定、扫描电镜、压汞测试、X-衍射、包裹体测温、R.测定等方法认为,研究区延长组砂岩经历了压实、胶结、溶解、交代等成岩作用,成岩阶段已达中成岩阶段A期.成岩作用成为控制该区物性的一个关键因素,早期的机械压实和胶结作用使原生孔隙大量丧失,有机质分解形成的酸性流体使储集层中长石等易溶组分的溶蚀对储层物性起到重要的改善作用,成岩阶段后期以(含铁)碳酸盐胶结物为主的胶结又使砂岩致密化.成岩作用中的孔隙演化特征对鄂尔多斯盆地上三叠统延长组低渗透储集层的开发具有积极的意义.     

桂东南马山沿灵山断裂出露的印支期洋岛玄武岩及其区域构造意义

桂东南沿灵山断裂出露的马山印支期玄武岩的常量元素特征指示它属洋岛碱性玄武岩,微量元素含量显示出大洋板内玄武岩的特点。稀土元素配分型式表现为一组近于平行的向右缓倾曲线,(La/Yb)N=11.69,(Ce/Yb)N=8.64,(Ce/Sm)N=2.41,稀土总量随全碱含量增大有升高的趋势,表明它是亚速尔型洋岛。这首次为桂东南及毗邻的粤西南地区属古特提斯造山带、灵山断裂是古特提斯分支洋盆闭合后的缝合线提供了来自洋盆内地质记录的证据。结合粤桂交界区的最近研究成果提出了研究灵山洋演化的工作模式。     

吉东南新太古代晚期片麻岩类的时代、成因及其对早期地壳形成演化的制约

吉林省东南部通化地区广泛出露早前寒武纪花岗质片麻岩类,其岩石组成、形成时代和成因对深化认识华北克拉通东北缘早期地壳形成演化历史具有重要意义。本文系统的岩石学、锆石U-Pb年代学、元素和Lu-Hf同位素地球化学等研究结果表明,这些花岗质片麻岩类按照SiO₂质量分数总体可划分为高硅和低硅两组：前者主要由二长花岗质片麻岩、奥长花岗质片麻岩及英云闪长质片麻岩组成,其原岩形成于2 549~2 557 Ma;而后者由石英二长闪长质片麻岩及花岗闪长岩质片麻岩组成,其原岩形成于2 534~2 552 Ma;并且两组岩石都含有约2 600 Ma的捕获锆石,共同遭受了约2 500 Ma变质作用的影响。地球化学分析结果显示,低硅岩组具有较高的MgO、CaO、Na₂O质量分数,属于高钾—中钾钙碱性系列,并且富集LREE、亏损HREE和HFSE;与之相比,高硅岩组则具有较低的MgO和CaO质量分数,显示更强烈的轻、重稀土元素分馏以及Nb、Ta、P、Ti等亏损的特征;但两者均具有较弱的正或负Eu异常。结合区域最新研究成果,认为研究区低硅和高硅两组岩石应具有相同的源区,其形成可能与大洋板片俯冲、岩浆底侵引起的地壳部分熔融作用有关。此外,两组岩石具有相似的ε_Hf（t）值（2.72~7.95）和模式年龄（2.86~2.55 Ga）,暗示区域主要存在新太古代晚期地壳生长事件;结合区域内变质火山岩的研究进展,认为吉林省东南部通化地区花岗质片麻岩类可能形成于活动大陆边缘的构造背景。     

祁连山东南段加里东造山期构造变形年代的精确限定及其意义

祁连山东南段呈北西-南东向展布着加里东期中祁连造山带和拉脊山造山带, 其基底为前加里东变质岩系, 在该变质结晶基底岩系中发育着菱形网格状韧性剪切带, 共轭韧性剪切带面对缩短方向的夹角为104°~114°, 其最大主应力方位为SW210°左右.在中祁连地块金沙峡和化隆地块科却两处韧性剪切带中的糜棱岩化岩石, 获取变质矿物白云母40Ar-39Ar坪年龄分别为(405.1±2.4) Ma和(418.3±2.8) Ma.这一年代学结果不仅确定了加里东基底变质岩系中韧性剪切带是加里东造山作用过程中形成, 更重要的是通过对基底韧性剪切带中变质变形岩石的年代学研究, 精确地限定了祁连山东南段的早古生代火山盆地(或岛弧盆地)、拉脊山小洋盆关闭的构造年代.这为造山带构造演化过程中盆地关闭时间的确定开辟了新的途径.      

海相沉积成因的黑滑石矿床及其找矿方向

海相沉积成因的黑滑石矿床是近年来在我国发现的新的成因类型矿床，本文除着重介绍在川东南发现的海相沉积成因的黑滑石矿床地质特征和矿床成因外，还引进非金属矿床含矿建造和成矿系列的概念，提示黑滑石矿及与其共生伴生的其它非金属矿的找矿方向。