Red palaeosols sequence in a semiarid Mediterranean environment region

In this work we study one of the most palaeopedological sequence formed in Central Spain, which is located on the Pliocene–Pleistocene erosional surface in the Madrid Basin. We also analyse its relationship to erosive and sedimentary Pleistocene events in order to obtain new data for a correct interpretation of the origin and evolution of forms at the top of tabular lands in this site. The geomorphic features and the properties of a sequence of very red palaeosols that developed on this old surface can help us in the understanding of the palaeoclimatic evolution of Central Spain in a Mediterranean climate. They were examined to identify pedologic and climatic changes during the Quaternary. The soil sequence comprises intercalated palaeoargillic and palaeopetrocalcic horizons. The clay minerals are mainly illite, kaolinite, smectite and sepiolite. The alternation of argillic and calcic horizons, limestone debris (cryoclastic colluvions) and aeolian sands suggests succeeding periods of phytostability and phytoinstability (biostasis/rhexistasis). Argillation, rubification and calcium carbonate accumulation were repeated throughout the Pleistocene and it is hypothesised that climatic conditions during numerous stages of this period were not very different from the present conditions.     

封闭系统中的白云石化作用及其石油地质学和矿床学意义——以四川盆地东北部三叠系飞仙关组碳酸盐岩为例

作为优质储层的四川盆地东北部三叠系飞仙关组的结晶白云岩是通过埋藏成岩过程的封闭条件下的白云石化作用形成的.岩石所具有的高孔隙度与封闭体系中的白云石化反应:2CaCO3 Mg2 =CaMg(CO3)2 Ca2 有关.埋藏成岩体系中的高锶流体是该封闭条件下白云石化作用的产物,深埋藏条件下的热化学硫酸盐还原作用是锶进一步富集的原因,因而三叠系的大型和超大型天青石矿床的成因与这些因素有关.结晶白云岩极低的锰含量、与同期海水类似的δ13C值表明白云石化流体具有强烈的海源色彩,同时也说明白云石化过程没有与大气水交换;相对较低的δ18O值表明白云石化发生在较晚的埋藏成岩阶段.大多数已有的白云石化机制都是基于近地表成岩条件建立的,系统具有良好的开放性,但开放体系中的白云石化(或白云石沉淀)作用对油气储集空间和与成岩过程元素迁移有关的沉积层控矿床的形成没有多少实际意义.在四川盆地东北部三叠系飞仙关组地层中,作为非储层的微晶或泥晶白云岩以及原始结构保存的粒屑白云岩的白云石化作用主要是在有大气水介入的开放体系中发生的.     

Pliocene to Holocene geomorphic evolution and paleogeography of the El’gygytgyn Lake region,NE Russia

Geomorphic, lithologhic, and stratigraphic field studies as well as pollen data and mineralogical study have been used to propose Pliocene and Pleistocene paleogeographic reconstructions of the El’gygytgyn meteorite crater area. The moment of impact is recorded above the early Pliocene hill denudation plain as a “chaotic horizon” consisting of fragments of impactite rocks. This chaotic horizon lies between layers of late Pliocene alluvial sediments. During the second half of the late Pliocene, the region was tectonically active, when the Anadyr lowland was uplifted causing alluvial sediments to accumulate in the basins to the south of the crater. Regional climatic cooling, which supported the spread of tundra and the formation of permafrost is characteristically to late Pliocene. The 35–40 m high terrace that roughly follows the 530 m contour interval along the Enmyvaam River formed during the middle Pleistocene. This terrace represents the maximum lake level. Erosion and incision of the upper Enmyvaam River increased due to another wave of uplift. Additionally, El’gygytgyn Lake discharge increased causing lake level to begin to drop in the Middle Pleistocene. Cooling continued, which led to the development of herb-dominated arctic tundra. middle and late Pleistocene glaciations did not reach the El’gygytgyn lake region. The 9–11 m high lacustrine terrace was formed around the lake during the late Pleistocene and the 2–3 m high lacustrine terrace formed later during the Holocene. During the last 5000 years, the lake level has continued to drop as the modern coastline developed. This is the third in a series of eleven papers published in this special issue dedicated to initial studies of El’gygytgyn Crater Lake and its catchment in NE Russia. Julie Brigham-Grette, Martin Melles, Pavel Minyuk were guest editors of this special issue.     

Collapse hazard assessment in evaporitic materials from ground penetrating radar: a case study

Evaporitic materials have been studied by means of ground penetrating radar (GPR) in order to evaluate the collapse hazard. The obtained 200 MHz GPR profiles show a low signal-noise ratio over the first 3 m depth, where well-defined and continuous reflectors can be observed. Between 3 and 4.5 m depth, the signal to noise ratio decreases due to attenuation of the electromagnetic (EM) waves. As a result, reflectors located deeper than 3 m become more discontinuous and poorly defined. GPR profiles show trails of continuous and subhorizontal reflectors, with a slightly undulated and irregular geometry. Although some of these reflectors laterally vanish or seem to disappear, sudden interruptions or hyperbolic reflections that could be originated by the occurrence of cavities have not been detected. These reflectors have been interpreted as corresponding to several evaporitic layers (gypsum) that constitute the main lithology in the area. Clear interruptions of reflectors have only been observed in some GPR profiles, and they could be attributed to small (1–2 m long) subvertical faults, with only a few centimetres offset. These faults may be generated by the accommodation of the evaporitic layers to local collapses affecting deeper materials.     

The origin,typology, spatial distribution and detrimental effects of the sinkholes developed in the alluvial evaporite karst of the Ebro River valley downstream of Zaragoza city (NE Spain)

Three types of sinkhole have been mapped in a 50 km² stretch of the Ebro River valley downstream of Zaragoza: large collapse sinkholes, large shallow subsidence depressions and small cover-collapse sinkholes. The sinkholes relate to the karstification of evaporitic bedrock that wedges out abruptly downstream, giving way to a shale substratum. Twenty-three collapse sinkholes, up to 50 m in diameter by 6 m deep, and commonly hosting saline ponds, have been identified in the floodplain. They have been attributed to the upward stoping of dissolutional cavities formed within the evaporitic bedrock by rising groundwater flows. Twenty-four large shallow subsidence depressions were mapped in the floodplain. These may reach 850 m in length and were formed by structurally controlled interstratal karstification of soluble beds (halite or glauberite? and gypsum) by rising groundwater flow and the progressive settlement of the overlying bedrock and overburden sediments. A total of 447 small cover-collapse, or dropout, sinkholes have been recognized in a perched alluvial level along the southern margin of the valley. These sinkholes result from the upward propagation of voids through the alluvial mantle caused by the downward migration of detrital sediments into dissolutional voids. The majority of these sinkholes, commonly 1·5–2 m in diameter, are induced by human activities. Over the karstic bedrock, there is a significant increase in sinkhole density downstream. This is interpreted as being a result of the evaporitic bedrock wedging out and the convergence of the groundwater flow lines in the karstic aquifer. The collapse sinkholes in this area, locally with a probability of occurrence higher than 140 sinkholes/km²/year, cause substantial damage to the linear infrastructures, buildings and agriculture, and they might eventually cause the loss of human lives. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The 1780 seismic sequence in NE Sicily (Italy): shifting an underestimated and mislocated earthquake to a seismically low rate zone

The southernmost sector of the Italian peninsula is crossed by an almost continuous seismogenic belt capable of producing M ∼ 7 earthquakes and extending from the Calabrian Arc, through the Messina Straits, as far as Southeastern Sicily. Though large earthquakes occurring in this region during the last millennium are fairly well known from the historical point of view and seismic catalogues may be considered complete for destructive and badly damaging events (IX ≤ I _o ≤ XI MCS), the knowledge and seismic completeness of moderate earthquakes can be improved by investigating other kinds of documentary sources not explored by the classical seismological tradition. In this paper, we present a case study explanatory of the problem, regarding the Ionian coast between the Messina Straits and Mount Etna volcano, an area of North-eastern Sicily lacking evidence of relevant seismic activity in historical times. Now, after a systematic analysis of the 18th century journalistic sources (gazettes), this gap can be partly filled by the rediscovery of a seismic sequence that took place in 1780. According to the available catalogues, the only event on record for this year is a minor shock (I _o = VI MCS, M _w = 4.8) recorded in Messina on March 28, 1780. The newly discovered data allow to reinstate it as the mainshock (I _o = VII–VIII MCS, M _w = 5.6) of a significant seismic period, which went on from March to June 1780, causing severe damage along the Ionian coast of North-eastern Sicily. The source responsible for this event appears located offshore, 40-km south of the previous determination, and is consistent with the Taormina Fault suggested by the geological literature, developing in the low seismic rate zone at the southernmost termination of the 1908 Messina earthquake fault.     

额尔古纳成矿带西北部金矿床流体包裹体研究

额尔古纳成矿带是中国东北重要的银、铅、锌、铜、钼多金属成矿带,它位于蒙古-鄂霍茨克造山带的东南缘。最近,额尔古纳成矿带西北部发现了砂宝斯、老沟、小伊诺盖沟等金矿床和一些金矿点。这些金矿受洛古河-二根河韧性剪切带和额尔古纳河韧性剪切带控制,矿体常赋存于韧性剪切带的次级张扭性断裂构造中。矿石中硫化物含量一般不超过3%,且硫化物以黄铁矿为主。流体包裹体有气液两相、含 CO_2三相和纯 CO_2包裹体3种类型。气相成分以 H_2O、CO_2和 N_2为主,含少量H_2S、CH_4为特征。流体包裹体的盐度低,介于2.06～8.54%NaCl eqv 之间。老沟金矿流体包裹体均一温度介于171℃～452℃之间,平均295℃,小伊诺盖沟金矿包裹体均一温度为169℃～493℃,平均亦为295℃,均属中温热液矿床。老沟金矿成矿压力为61～122MPa,平均82MPa;小伊诺盖沟金矿成矿压力为38～172MPa,平均93MPa。前者成矿深度介于6～9km,平均7km;后者成矿深度为4～11km,平均8km。上述金矿床的地质-地球化学特征与世界造山型金矿类似,形成于蒙古-中朝板块与西伯利亚板块之间的陆-陆碰撞造山作用。     

Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Implications of Late Jurassic Diorite Porphyry in the Neoproterozoic Ophiolitic Mélange of NE Jiangxi (South China)

Mesozoic magmatism is widespread in the eastern South China Block and has a close genetic relationship with intensive polymetallic mineralization. However, proper tectonic driver remains elusive to reconcile the broad intracontinental magmatic province. This study presents integrated zircon U-Pb dating, Hf isotopes and whole-rock geochemistry of the Xiwan dioritic porphyry in the NE Jiangxi ophiolitic mélange. Zircon U-Pb dating by SIMS and LA-ICP-MS methods yielded an emplacement age of ～160 Ma for the Xiwan diorite, confirming its inclusion into the Mesozoic magmatic province in SE China, instead of a component of the Neoproterozoic ophiolitic mélange genetically. The dioritic rocks have low Si02(58.08 wt%-59.15 wt%), and high Na_2 O(5.00 wt%-5.21 wt%) and MgO(4.60 wt%-5.24 wt%) contents with low TFeO/MgO ratios(1.02-1.09). They show an adakitic geochemical affinity but exhibit relatively low Sr/Y ratios(24.8-31.1) and high Y contents(14.6-18.3 ppm) compared to the Dexing adakitic porphyries. In addition, the Xiwan diorites have moderately evolved zircon Hf isotopic compositions(ε_(Hf)(t)=-6.1--0.1; T_(DM2)=1597-1219 Ma). These elemental and isotopic signatures suggest that the Xiwan diorite formed through partial melting of a remnant arc lower crust(i.e., early Neoproterozoic mafic arc-related rocks) in response to the underplating of coeval mafic magmas. In conjunction with the temporal-spatial distribution and complex geochemical characteristics of the Mesozoic magmatism, our case study attests to the feasibility of a flat-slab subduction model in developing the broad intracontinental magmatic province in SE China. The flat-slab delamination tends to trigger an asthenospheric upwelling and thus results in extensive partial melting of the overlying lithospheric mantle and lower crustal materials in an extensional setting during the Mesozoic.