Timing and geochemical characters of the Sanchazi magmatic arc in Mianlüe tectonic zone, South Qinling

The Sanchazi mafic-ultramafic complex in Mianlue tectonic zone, South Qinling can be subdivided into two blocks, i.e. Sanchazi paleo-magmatic arc and Zhuangkegou paleo-oceanic crust fragment (ophiolite). The Sanchazi paleo-magmatic arc is mainly composed of andesite, basaltic and basalt-andesitic gabbro (or diorite), andesitic dyke, plagiogranite and minor ultramafic rocks, which have typical geochemical features of island arc volcanic rocks, such as high field strength element (e.g. Nb, Ti) depletions and lower Cr, Ni contents. The Light rare earth element (LREE) and K enrichments of these rocks and zircon xenocrystals of 900 Ma from plagiogranite suggest that this magmatic arc was developed on the South active continental margin of the South Qinling micro-continent. The U-Pb age of (300 ± 61)Ma for zircons from plagiogranite indicates that the Mianlue paleo-oceanic crust was probably subducted underneath the South Qinling micro-continent in Carboniferous. This is consistent with the formation time (309Ma) of the Huwan eclogite originating from oceanic subduction in Dabie Mountains, suggesting that the Mianlue paleo-ocean probably extended eastward to the Dabie Mountains in Carboniferous. The high-Mg adakitic rocks in Sanchazi paleo-magmatic arc suggest that the subducted oceanic crust was relatively young (＜25Ma) and hot.     

Similarities between strike-slip faults at different scales and a simple age determining method for active faults

Abstract Several differently scaled strike‐slip faults were examined. The faults shared many geometric features, such as secondary fractures and linkage structures (damage zones). Differences in fault style were not related to specific scale ranges. However, it was recognized that differences in style may occur in different tectonic settings (e.g. dilational/contractional relays or wall/linkage/tip zones), different locations along the master fault or different fault evolution stages. Fractal dimensions were compared for two faults (Gozo and San Andreas), which supports the idea of self‐similarity. Fractal dimensions for traces of faults and fractures of damage zones were higher (D ～1.35) than for the main fault traces (D ～1.005) because of increased complexity due to secondary faults and fractures. Based on the statistical analysis of another fault evolution study, single event movements in earthquake faults typically have a maximum earthquake slip : rupture length ratio of approximately 10^?4, although this has only been established for large earthquake faults because of limited data. Most geological faults have a much higher maximum cumulative displacement : fault length ratio; that is, approximately 10^?2 to 10^?1 (e.g. Gozo, ～10^?2; San Andreas, ～10^?1). The final cumulative displacement on a fault is produced by accumulation of slip along ruptures. Hence, using the available information from earthquake faults, such as earthquake slip, recurrence interval, maximum cumulative displacement and fault length, the approximate age of active faults can be estimated. The lower limit of estimated active fault age is expressed with maximum cumulative displacement, earthquake slip and recurrence interval as T ? (d_max /u) · I(M).     

K–Ar geochronology of the temporal change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula, central Japan

Abstract   A recent K–Ar study elucidated that eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula changed from polygenetic to monogenetic volcano at 0.3–0.2 Ma. To narrow down the time of change, we determined 10 K–Ar ages on Togasayama Andesite of Amagi volcano, the youngest polygenetic volcano in the area, and Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano, one of the oldest monogenetic volcanoes in the area, which overlies a part of the Togasayama Andesite. Dating results showed that the Togasayama Andesite effused at least from 0.34 to 0.20 Ma, whereas the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano erupted at 0.26–0.29 Ma, suggesting that the northern part of the Togasayama Andesite effused after the eruption of the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano. Considering previous data, it is therefore inferred that change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu area occurred during the period 0.29–0.20 Ma, with considerable overlap of both polygenetic and monogenetic volcanism.     

Ar/Ar ages of tephras intercalated in astronomically tuned Neogene sedimentary sequences in the eastern Mediterranean

We present new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data for sanidine and biotite derived from volcanic ash layers that are intercalated in Pliocene and late Miocene astronomically dated sequences in the Mediterranean with the aim to solve existing inconsistencies in the intercalibration between the two independent absolute dating methods. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar sanidine ages are systematically younger by 0.7-2.3% than the astronomical ages for the same ash layers. The significance of the discrepancy disappears except for the upper Ptolemais ashes, which reveal the largest difference, if an improved full error propagation method is applied to calculate the absolute error in the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages. The total variance is dominated by that of the activity of the decay of ⁴⁰K to ⁴⁰Ar (∼70%) and that the amount of radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar_p in the primary standard GA1550 biotite (∼15%). If the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages are calculated relative to an astronomically dated standard, the influence of these parameters is greatly reduced, resulting in a more reliable age and in a significant reduction of the error in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating.Astronomically calibrated ages for Taylor Creek Rhyolite (TCR) and Fish Canyon Tuff (FCT) sanidine are 28.53±0.02 and 28.21±0.04 Ma (±1 S.E.), respectively, if we start from the more reliable results of the Cretan A1 ash layer. The most likely explanation for the large discrepancy found for the younger Ptolemais ash layers (equivalent to FCT of 28.61 Ma) is an error in the tuning of this part of the sequence.     

Age of Yingfeng rapakivi granite pluton on the north flank of Qaidam and its geological significance

Rapakivi granite is a very rare and special type of rocks in the crust. Nearly all the typical Proterozoic rapakivi occurred in stable craton, and was regarded as representing special anorogenic settings and rifting events of the supercontinents. Therefore, rapakivi has constantly been attracting the attention of researchers from various countries[15]. For example, the Protero- zoic rapakivi granites occurring in Miyun, Beijing, has been studied in detail by the researchers both at home and …     

北祁连玉石沟蛇绿岩形成于晚震旦世的SHRIMP年龄证据

玉石沟蛇绿岩位于青藏高原东北缘的北祁连山中部 ,由地幔橄榄岩、堆晶辉长岩、辉绿岩、枕状熔岩以及夹杂在其中的硅质岩组成。地幔橄榄岩主要是方辉橄榄岩 ,其主要氧化物成分较为单一 ,具 L REE富集、Eu亏损的 U形 REE配分模式 ,亏损强不相容元素 ;枕状熔岩具典型 MORB特征 ,在构造判别图解上位于 MORB和 IAT区域 ,指示蛇绿岩可能形成于类似于洋中脊的构造环境 ,并受到火山弧岩浆作用的影响。堆晶辉长岩具明显的 Eu正异常 ,其锆石离子探针 (SHRIMP) 2 0 6 Pb/2 38U加权平均年龄为 5 5 0± 17Ma,Th/U值为 0 .5 3～ 1.85 ,大于0 .2 3,为岩浆成因锆石 ,其年龄代表辉长岩的成岩时代 ,推断玉石沟蛇绿岩形成于晚震旦世。     

柴达木盆地北缘古生代超高压带中花岗质岩浆作用

祁连南缘古生代超高压变质带 (榴辉岩年龄为 4 6 6～ 4 95 Ma)上一套中高级变质岩系 (达肯大坂片麻岩 )中存在三类花岗岩组合 : 类 :石英二长闪长岩 -花岗闪长岩 -二长花岗岩 , 类 :二长花岗岩 -二云母花岗岩-含白云母花岗岩 -正长花岗岩 , 类 :花岗闪长岩 -二长花岗岩 -黑云母花岗岩。 类岩石组合中的二长花岗岩锆石SHRIMP年龄为 4 73Ma, 类岩石组合中的正长花岗岩锆石 SHRIMP年龄为 4 4 6 Ma, 类岩石组合中的二长花岗岩锆石 SHRIMP年龄为 397Ma。从三类花岗岩组合的组成矿物来看 , 类和 类的矿物组合主要为斜长石、角闪石、石英、碱性长石、黑云母 , 类的矿物组合为钾长石、石英、白云母、黑云母、斜长石 ;从岩石地球化学特征上看 , 类和 类花岗岩为 型花岗岩 ,岩石的 Si O2 =6 1%～ 6 9% ,Na2 O/ K2 O>1,ANK<1,δEu=0 .7～ 1.0 ; 类花岗岩为 S型花岗岩 ,岩石的 Si O2 =70 %～ 76 % ,Na2 O/ K2 O<1,ANK>1,δEu=0 .1～ 0 .3;从构造环境上看 , 类花岗岩形成于岛弧环境或活动大陆边缘 , 类花岗岩形成于同碰撞 , 类花岗岩形成于碰撞后。结合区域地质特征 ,我们认为 ,早奥陶世 ,南祁连洋板块向北俯冲于祁连陆块之下 ,规模不大的南祁连洋很快闭合 ,但俯冲下去的大洋板块仍拖动柴达木陆块继续俯冲 ,俯冲     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating of shear deformation of the Xianshuihe fault zone in west Sichuan and its tectonic significance

TheNW-SEstrikingXianshuihefaultzoneslicesthesoutheasternTibetanPlateauandconnectssoutheastwardwiththeAnninghe-Zemuhe-Xiaojiangfaultzone,whichformahuge,activesinistralstrike-slipfaultzone(fig.1).ThisfaultzoneisanimportantseismicfaultineastTibet[1-5].EarthquakegeologystudiesandoffsetpatternsofyounggeologicalfeatureshaveshownthatlateQuaternarysinistralsliprateoftheXianshuihefaultzonereaches13mm/a[1,2].TheXianshuhefaultzoneconsistsoftwomainbranches,theDaofufaultbranchinthewestandtheXianshuih…     

柴达木盆地北缘"沙柳河岩群"的重新启用

柴北缘变质基底岩系中的表壳岩包含了岩石组合、沉积建造、变质程度和地质时代不同的两套岩石组合。其中，分布在柴达木地块的沙柳河、鱼卡河等地的以大理岩、石英岩和含石榴石英片岩为主含榴辉岩透镜体的表壳岩系，时代限定在1．0～1．3Ga，与分布在欧龙布鲁克微陆块的全吉山、德令哈等地形成时代大约2.3～2.4Ga的达肯大坂岩群有着明显的不同，后者以斜长角闪岩、石榴石英片岩和黑云变粒岩为主，并具有较强的钾质混合岩化。由于前者岩石组合清楚，沉积建造特征明显，构造意义独特，且有一定的区域分布性和可比性，所以具备建立新的岩群的条件。根据定名优先的原则，决定重新启用沙柳河岩群。     

裂变径迹长度测量标准化研究——锆石蚀刻标准探讨

通过不同时间蚀刻的锆石径迹长度测量,确定海南迅速冷却火山型锆石的水平封闭径迹(HCT)平均长度L＝10.93 μm,标准偏差为0.93 μm,可作为锆石长度测量的参照标准.对锆石的蚀刻标准进行了探讨,确立垂直C轴的表面径迹宽度Dpar为(1.0±0.5)μm的蚀刻标准,要求Dpar>1 μm和Dpar<1 μm的颗粒数应大致相当,以及封闭径迹宽度DHCT<1.0 μm的测量标准.