The Godzilla Megamullion,the largest oceanic core complex on the earth: a historical review

The Godzilla Megamullion is the largest known oceanic core complex (OCC) on the Earth, located in the Parece Vela Basin in the Philippine Sea. In this article, the history of Godzilla Megamullion study is reviewed for the first time, dividing it into three major phases: (i) the early studies done before Japan's extended continental shelf survey program; (ii) the studies during Japan's extended continental shelf survey program that discovered the OCC; and (iii) the studies by the post‐discovery cruises. The early studies included an interpretation of US nautical chart of the southwestern Pacific and the site surveys for Deep Sea Drilling Project cruises (DSDP Legs 6, 31 and 59). The early studies recognized the presence of the Parece Vela Rift, the extinct spreading axis of the Parece Vela Basin, and established the currently accepted model that the Philippine Sea evolved with eastward progression of backarc spreading and arc migration. The modern understanding of the Parece Vela Basin comes from Japan's extended continental shelf survey program. The program revealed the ultramafic petrology as well as a two‐stage evolution model of the basin. Following these results, the discovery of the Godzilla Megamullion was made in 2001. The studies by the post‐discovery cruises further revealed important characteristics of the OCC, such as the presence of abundant plagioclase‐bearing peridotite and the systematic temporal changes in both deformation microstructures and composition of plagioclase and amphibole in gabbroic mylonites and ultramylonites. Zircon U–Pb ages of gabboric and leucocratic rocks indicate that the terminal phase of Parece Vela Basin spreading was with a significant decline in spreading rate and asymmetry accompanying formation of the Godzilla Megamullion. The estimated denudation rate of the OCC was approximately 2.5 cm/yr; significantly slower than the previous estimate based on poorly constrained magnetic data.     

Genetic algorithm for fitting a mixed Bingham distribution to 3D orientations: a tool for the statistical and paleostress analyses of fracture orientations

The clustering of fracture orientations is important for tectonic studies and for geotechnical engineering. In this study, a real‐coded genetic algorithm was adopted to fitting a mixed Bingham distribution to orientation data by maximizing the log‐likelihood function of the distribution. The maximization is a difficult problem, because the function has multimodality and singularity. It was found that the algorithm was effective for this problem. Given the orientations of dilational fractures, the present method determines not only the stress axes and stress ratio of each of the fracture groups but also the maximum non‐dimensionalized fluid pressure at the time of their formation. In addition, the software calculates the 95 % error ellipses of the concentration axes. The present method found that the orientations of ore veins of the Akenobe Mine, SW Japan, should be partitioned into three clusters. It is shown that two of the groups had distinctive Zn and Sn contents, and that the ore fluids had overpressures only slightly greater than the minimum principal stress at the time of the deposition of Zn‐ and Sn‐rich veins.     

A new Lower Triassic (Induan) Jerus Limestone locality in northwest Pahang,Peninsular Malaysia: Conodont fauna,depositional and tectonic settings

Limestones exposed north of Raub, Pahang, Malaysia, and sandwiched between the Bentong‐Raub Suture Zone and the westernmost margin of the Sukhothai Arc terrane, yield a late Dienerian (late Induan) conodont fauna. The co‐occurrence of Neospathodus dieneri Sweet (morphotypes 1, 2 and 3) and Neospathodus pakistanensis Sweet represents the Neospathodus dieneri morphotype 3 sub‐zone of the Neospathodus dieneri Zone. The sampled limestones are interpreted as the northwards extension of the Jerus Limestone which crops out near Cheroh and Jerus villages, significantly extending the known outcrop of the Jerus Limestone northwards. The Jerus Limestone is interpreted as hemipelagic and formed in a foredeep or forearc setting on top of the accretionary complex formed by eastwards subduction of the Palaeo‐Tethys during the Lower to Middle Triassic.     

Isolated Archosaur teeth from the green sandstone capping the Coralline Limestone (Bagh Group) of the Narmada valley: Evidence for the presence of pre‐Late to Late Maastrichtian abelisaurids in India

Recent field prospecting in the Cretaceous sequences of the lower Narmada valley has led to the discovery of three isolated archosaur teeth from the upper part of marine Cretaceous rocks of the Bagh Group. The specimens were recovered by surface prospecting from an oyster‐bearing green sandstone bed occurring at the top of the Coralline Limestone (Coniacian) from a site near Phutibawri village, Dhar District, Madhya Pradesh, India. Of the three teeth recovered from this horizon, two are identified with abelisaurid dinosaurs and the third one with an indeterminate crocodile. The abelisaurid teeth conform to the premaxillary and maxillary tooth morphology of Majungasaurus and Indosuchus. Earlier reports of abelisaurid dinosaurs from India are from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Lameta Group of Jabalpur, Pisdura (Central India) and Balasinor (Western India) and Upper Cretaceous (Late Maastrichtian) Kallamedu Formation (South India). As no associated age diagnostic fossils are found, the specimens described here are considered to represent pre‐Late to Late Maastrichtian age based on the known ages of the underlying and overlying formations. The new finds, therefore, document stratigraphically the oldest occurrence of abelisaurid dinosaurs known from the Indian subcontinent.     

Albian extrusion evidences of the Triassic salt and clues of the beginning of the Eocene atlasic phase from the example of the Chitana-Ed Djebs structure (N.Tunisia): Implication in the North African Tethyan margin recorded events, comparisons

In the northern part of Tunisia, close to Testour/Slouguia, new observations and updated biostratigraphy make it possible to highlight the relation between the Triassic saliferous mass and the surrounding Mesozoic beds (T. M.). Near the (T. M.) boundary, the formations observed consist dominantly of Triassic evaporites reworked in the Early and Late Albian deep-water sedimentary deposits. Throughout the studied area, Jurassic rocks are absent. We propose to interpret the Chitana-Ed Djebs structure originally emplaced as gravitational stretch masses in a passive margin in the same way as the salt bodies of widespread salt province in the Gulf of Mexico. A reconstructed schematic position of the Chitana-Ed Djebs salt body displays a scenario of setting of the salt mass on a submarine palaeo-slope. Moreover, the starting clues of the paroxysmal event of the Late Mesozoic tectonic inversion clearly fossilized through the discordance of the Middle Eocene–Early Lutetian limestone on the Albian series.     

太阳系外行星研究进展

过去的二十年间,利用多种技术（如脉冲时间、径向速度、天文学观测、穿越光度计、反射光度计、微透镜和直接图像）发现了405个太阳系外行星。对这些太阳系外行星的研究首次提供了有关行星生长的信息,诸如星盘结构和演化,星盘性质和大小等。2009年4月对GJ581d行星的观测表明,这个行星处于＂宜居区域＂内,意味着它有液态水,因此可能有生命存在。     

新疆巴音沟蛇绿混杂岩带中硅质岩及硅质泥岩的元素地球化学特征及其形成环境

巴音沟蛇绿混杂岩带中成薄层状产出的硅质岩、硅质泥岩的Si02：55．37％～91．19％,Al2O3含量较高,变化在3．07～17．66,TiO2=0．12～0．8,Al2O3与TiO2具有较好的正相关关系,表明它们含有较高比例的陆源泥质沉积物质。样品经北美页岩标准化的稀土模式呈现无Ce负异常（Ce／Ce^＊=1．03～1．45）的平坦稀土谱型,球粒陨石标准化稀土模式为轻稀土富集,Eu具明显负异常的右倾谱型。均显示与大陆边缘沉积硅质岩、硅质泥岩相似的稀土配分模式。它们的（La／Ce）N=0．62～0．92,V／Y=0．32～8．87,Th／U=2．99～6．45,表明这些硅质岩、硅质泥岩形成于与陆源物质输入密切相关的大陆边缘环境,综合大地构造背景、蛇绿岩带中超基性、基性岩元素地球化学以及年代学分析认为,蛇绿岩就位于早石炭世晚期,形成在大陆裂谷向大洋裂谷转换并形成小洋盆的环境。     

Analyses multifractales et spatio-temporelles des précipitations du modèle Méso-NH et des données radar

Résumé

Dans le cadre des multifractals universels, il est possible de caractériser la variabilité spatio-temporelle de la pluie sur une grande gamme d’échelle à l'aide de trois paramètres invariants d’échelles. Dans cette étude, nous avons estimé ces paramètres multifractals sur des simulations numériques effectuées avec le modèle méso-échelle Méso-NH, développé par Météo-France et le Laboratoire d'Aérologie (Univ. P. Sabatier, Toulouse, France), et des images radar composites, couvrant le même événement pluvieux, à savoir un orage particulièrement violent, dit de type Cévenol, ayant eu lieu sur la partie sud de la France du 5 au 9 Septembre 2005. La comparaison des résultats montre que les deux types de données présentent des domaines d'invariance d’échelle relativement similaires, et dont les propriétés sont en accord avec les modèles de précipitation spatio-temporels unifiés et scalants les plus simples. Néanmoins l’évaluation de leurs exposants conduit à des valeurs parfois fortement différentes.

Citation Gires, A., Tchiguirinskaia, I., Schertzer, D. & Lovejoy, S. (2011) Analyses multifractales et spatio-temporelles des précipitations du modèle Méso-NH et des données radar. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(3), 380–396.     

下刚果盆地重力滑脱构造发育特征及演化规律

论述了西非被动大陆边缘下刚果盆地重力滑脱构造的发育特征及演化规律。下刚果盆地早白垩世至今的被动大陆边缘阶段主要发育重力滑脱构造,可分为上陆坡的重力滑脱伸展构造、中陆坡和下陆坡的重力滑脱底辟构造、下陆坡-深海平原转换区的重力滑脱冲断构造。一期完整的重力滑脱构造演化模式为从早到晚由陆向海逐渐发育的前展式发育模式,即最早发育高部位的重力滑脱伸展构造、其次发育中部的重力滑脱底辟构造、最后发育低部位的重力滑脱冲断构造。下刚果盆地总共发育两期重力滑脱构造,分别是早白垩世阿尔布期(Albian)-渐新世的第一期(早期)重力滑脱构造,中新世至今的第二期(晚期)重力滑脱构造。这两期重力滑脱构造之间呈现出从早到晚由陆向海发育的前展式结构,即晚期的重力滑脱构造位于早期重力滑脱构造的向海一侧。     

阿尔金山北缘冰沟蛇绿混杂岩中辉长岩锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年及其地质意义

冰沟蛇绿混杂岩是阿尔金山红柳沟蛇绿混杂岩带的东段部分,岩石组合包括蛇纹岩、方辉橄榄岩、辉石岩和辉长岩等。蛇纹岩具高Mg,Mg/Fe值大于9,低Al、Ca、Na、K为特征,从稀土元素和微量元素特征来看,基性辉长岩和洋壳以及洋中脊玄武岩极为相似,而超基性岩与原始地幔较为接近。辉长岩获得锆石SHRIMP年龄为449.5±10.9Ma。蛇绿混杂岩的围岩为一套巨厚的碎屑岩、火山碎屑岩、火山岩,以及部分碳酸盐岩构成,其中含有具有洋中脊特征的枕状构造玄武岩,以及放射虫硅质岩,放射虫时代为奥陶纪中晚期,与辉长岩的SHRIMP年龄一致。这些证据进一步证实了红柳沟一带存在早古生代洋盆的地质事实。