Overburden deformation associated with halokinesis in the Southern North Sea: implications for the origin of the Silverpit Crater

Gravitational collapse in response to the creation of salt swells and diapirs is a common phenomenon within regions such as the Southern North Sea. Although collapse faulting and slumping of linear salt swell flanks has previously been documented, the existence of concentric collapse structures surrounding diapirs and isolated salt lows is a recently recognised feature. 3-D seismic data from the Southern North Sea demonstrates that concentric collapse faulting around both diapirs and subcircular salt lows is common. The recognition of concentric collapse structures formed in response to salt withdrawal, and adjacent inflation, provides an alternative mechanism for the origin of the proposed Silverpit impact crater.     

L'accident du Toulourenc : une limite tectonique entre la plate-forme provençale et le Bassin vocontien à l'Aptien–Albien (SE France)

The WNW–ESE trending Toulourenc Fault Zone (TFZ) is the western segment of the major Ventoux–Lure Fault Zone, which separates the Provençal platform from the Baronnies Vocontian Basin. The TFZ was subject to polyphased Mid-Cretaceous movements, during the Early Aptian and Middle–Late Albian times. The latter faulting episode generated conglomerates and olistoliths resulting from dismantled faultscarps cutting Barremian–Bedoulian limestones. The deformation is related to compressional wrench faulting (NE–SW sinistral faults; dextral component for the TFZ). It induced the uplift of the northwestern corner of the platform, as indicated by a mid-Cretaceous hiatus (Early Aptian pro parte to Early Albian) narrowly delimited in space. The opening of submeridian grabens within the platform favoured the northward transit of channelised coarse-grained Albian sands originating from a southern area. To cite this article: C. Montenat et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Response of active tectonics on the alluvial Baghmati River, Himalayan foreland basin, eastern India

Active tectonics in a basin plays an important role in controlling a fluvial system through the change in channel slope. The Baghmati, an anabranching, foothills-fed river system, draining the plains of north Bihar in eastern India has responded to ongoing tectonic deformation in the basin. The relatively flat alluvial plains are traversed by several active subsurface faults, which divide the area in four tectonic blocks. Each tectonic block is characterized by association of fluvial anomalies viz. compressed meanders, knick point in longitudinal profiles, channel incision, anomalous sinuosity variations, sudden change in river flow direction, river flow against the local gradient and distribution of overbank flooding, lakes, and waterlogged area. Such fluvial anomalies have been identified on the repetitive satellite images and maps and interpreted through DEM and field observations to understand the nature of vertical movements in the area. The sub-surface faults in the Baghmati plains cut across the river channel and also run parallel which have allowed us to observe the effects of longitudinal and lateral tilting manifested in avulsions and morphological changes.     

Interpretation of radon anomalies in seismotectonic and tectonic-gravitational settings: the south-eastern Crati graben (Northern Calabria, Italy)

The study area is located in the south-eastern part of the Crati valley (Northern Calabria, Italy), which is a graben bordered by N–S trending normal faults and crossed by NW–SE normal left-lateral faults. Numerous severe crustal earthquakes have affected the area in historical time. Present-day seismic activity is mainly related to the N–S faults located along the eastern border of the graben. In this area, much seismically induced deep-seated deformation has also been recognised.In the present paper, radon concentrations in soil gas have been measured and compared with (a) lithology, (b) Quaternary faults, (c) historical and instrumental seismicity, and (d) deep-seated deformation.The results highlight the following:

(a) There is no evidence of a strong correlation between lithology and the radon anomalies.

(b) A clear correlation between the N–S geometry of radon anomalies and the orientation of main fault systems has been recognised, except in the southernmost part of the area, where the radon concentrations are strongly affected by the superposition of the N–S and the NW–SE fault systems.

(c) Epicentral zones of instrumental and historical earthquakes correspond to the highest values of radon concentrations, probably indicating recent activated fault segments. In particular, high radon values occur in the zones struck by earthquakes in 1835, 1854, and 1870.

(d) Deep-seated gravitational deformation generally coincides with zones characterised by low radon concentrations.

In the studied area, the anisotropic distribution of radon concentrations is congruent with the presence of neotectonic features and deep-seated gravitational phenomena. The method used in this study could profitably contribute towards either seismic risk or deep-seated gravitational deformation analyses.     

Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications of the Latest Cretaceous Intrusive Rocks from the Eastern Gangdese Belt, Southeast Tibet

The latest Cretaceous magmatic activity in the eastern segment of the Lhasa terrane provides important insights for tracking the magma source and geodynamic setting of the eastern Gangdese batholith, eastward of eastern Himalayan Syntaxis. Detailed petrological, geochemical and geochronological studies of the intrusive rocks (monzodiorites and granodiorites) of the eastern Gangdese batholith are presented with monzodiorites and granodiorites giving zircon U–Pb crystallization dates of 70–66 Ma and 71–66 Ma with εHf(t) values of ?4.8 to +6.2 and ?1.9 to +5.3, respectively. These rocks are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous I-type granites showing geochemically arc-related features of enrichment in LREEs and some LILEs, e.g., Rb, Th, and U, and depletion in HREEs and some HFSEs, e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti. The rocks are interpreted to be derived from partial melting of mantle material and juvenile crust, respectively, which are proposed to be triggered by Neo-Tethyan slab rollback during northward subduction, with both experiencing ancient crustal contamination. The studied intrusive rocks formed in a transitional geodynamic setting caused by Neo-Tethyan oceanic flat subduction to slab rollback beneath the eastern Gangdese belt during the latest Cretaceous.     

柴达木盆地英雄岭地区新生代构造演化动力学特征

通过分析柴达木盆地英雄岭 (YL)地区地质、2D/ 3D地震、遥感、重磁电和钻探等资料 ,提出了喜马拉雅运动几个阶段在该区的构造动力学响应特征。研究认为喜马拉雅运动晚期 ,英雄岭地区西南侧的阿卡腾能山因近SN向的区域挤压作用 ,产生了顺时针方向的旋转及隆升作用 ,从而在干柴沟一带形成了强烈的SE向局部挤压应力场 ,基底大幅隆升 ,而在英雄岭隆起的南侧则产生了局部的拉张构造环境。喜马拉雅山中期运动在该区的主要表现形式就是使古近纪的张扭构造环境转变为新近纪的坳陷构造环境 ,英雄岭西南的阿尔金地区发生隆升作用 ,沉积中心发生向东和向北的迁移。通过分析主干断裂、构造块体和沉积凹陷的分布特征等 ,得出喜马拉雅早期英雄岭及邻区发育局部拉张环境 ,为较为稳定的断陷湖盆发育期 ,沉积了一套优质烃源岩。英雄岭地区潜在勘探领域主要有构造裂缝型圈闭、地层岩性圈闭及渐新世断凸构造圈闭等。