Oligocene biogeography of the North Pacific (Implications of Mollusks)

First biogeographic maps are proposed for the late Eocene-Oligocene of the North Pacific. The maps are compiled based on distribution of 120 molluscan species studied in 30 reference sections of the region. The analyzed Machigar (Sakhalin), Rategin, Amanina-Gakh (western Kamchatka), Asagai-Momidziyama (Japan) type assemblages and their age analogues are well known and described long ago. Over 50 schematic biogeographic maps illustrate distribution areas of different taxa in the late Eocene, early Oligocene, and late Oligocene epochs. Some of them characterize distribution areas of individual species, while the others depict habitat areas of typical (Machigar and Rategin) assemblages or certain genera different in terms of their thermotropism. Analysis of the maps resulted in recognition of the Japan-Kamchatka and Kamchatka-North American paleoprovinces, and indications of general gradual seawater temperature decrease during the Oligocene are defined. The attention is paid to the commenced diversification of North Pacific biota that leads to formation of boreal communities and also to different-rank the amphipacific dusjunctions.     

An X-ray excited optical luminescence study of a zoned quartz crystal from an emerald-bearing quartz vein,Hiddenite, North Carolina,USA

The optical luminescence excited with synchrotron radiation along a preferential orientation of a quartz crystal has been investigated. It is found that the crystal is composed of two distinct regions, only one of which luminesces upon X-ray excitation. This luminescence is generally uniform and exhibits emission bands in the blue (470 nm with a shoulder at 522 nm) and in the UV (340 nm) regions of the spectrum. The branching ratio for the intensity of these bands is sensitive to the excitation energy across the Si K-edge. XANES spectra collected by partial luminescence yield (PLY) suggest that both emission bands originate from the de-excitation of Si atoms in the quartz. The possible defect sites within the crystal structure that could account for the observed luminescence are investigated and discussed. Additional experiments are proposed to verify this assignment of the optical emission bands.     

Early burial mud diapirism and its impact on stratigraphic architecture in the Carboniferous of the Shannon Basin,County Clare,Ireland

Delta fronts are often characterized by high rates of sediment supply that result in unstable slopes and a wide variety of soft‐sediment deformation, including the formation of overpressured and mobile muds that may flow plastically during early burial, potentially forming mud diapirs. The coastal cliffs of County Clare, western Ireland, expose Pennsylvanian (Namurian) delta‐front deposits of the Shannon Basin at large scale and in three dimensions. These deposits include decametre‐scale, internally chaotic mudstone masses that clearly impact the surrounding sedimentary strata. Evidence indicates that these were true mud (unlithified sediment) diapirs that pierced overlying strata. This study documents a well‐exposed ca 20 m tall mud diapir and its impact on the surrounding mouth‐bar deposits of the Tullig Cyclothem. A synsedimentary fault and associated rollover dome, evident from stratal thicknesses and the dip of the beds, define one edge of the diapir. These features are interpreted as recording the reactive rise of the mud diapir in response to extensional faulting along its margin. Above the diapir, heterolithic sandstones and siltstones contain evidence for the creation of localized accommodation, suggesting synsedimentary filling, tilting and erosion of a shallow sag basin accommodated by the progressive collapse of the diapir. Two other diapirs are investigated using three‐dimensional models built from ‘structure from motion’ drone imagery. Both diapirs are interpreted to have grown predominantly through passive rise (downbuilding). Stratal relationships for all three diapirs indicate that they were uncompacted and fluid‐rich mud beds that became mobilized through soft‐sediment deformation during early burial (i.e. <50 m, likely <10 m depth). Each diapir locally controlled the stratigraphic architecture in the shallow subsurface and potentially influenced local palaeocurrents on the delta. The mud diapirs studied herein are distinct from deeper ‘shale diapirs’ that have been inferred from seismic sections worldwide, now largely disputed.     

Subduction,fluids, and accessory minerals: a celebration of the career of Sorena S. Sorensen

ABSTRACT

This is a preface to the topical issue entitled ‘Subduction, Fluids, and Accessory Minerals: A Celebration of the Career of Sorena S. Sorensen’     

基于地震带细致划分为地震构造区的概率地震危险性分析

在我国当前地震安全性评价中,普遍使用考虑地震活动时空不均匀性的概率地震危险性分析方法(CP-SHA),它规定以地震带为统计区域计算地震活动性参数b值和v4值。正在编制的中国地震动区划图(五代图)提出了针对潜在震源区进行三级划分原则:划分地震带、地震带上划分地震构造区、地震构造区内再划分潜在震源区。本文提出以地震构造区为统计区域回归统计方法计算b值和v4值,然后进行概率危险性分析计算,这样得到的结果可能更为合理。     

Formation mechanism of carbonate cemented zones adjacent to the top overpressured surface in the central Junggar Basin,NW China

Carbonate cemented zones are normally adjacent to the top overpressured surface in the central Junggar Basin,NW China.Stable carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions and petrological investigations of carbonate cements in the carbonate cemented zones indicate that:(1) carbonate cements are composed dominantly of ferrocalcite,ferroan dolomite,and ankerite;(2) carbonate cements are formed under a high temperature circumstance in the subsurface,and organic fluid migration has an important effect on the formatio...     

Significance of nearshore wave parameters in identifying vulnerable zones during storm and normal conditions along Visakhapatnam coast,India

The nearshore parameters, viz., wave runup, wave setup, and wave energy have been estimated during storm and normal conditions of SW monsoon (June–September) and NE monsoon (November–February) by empirical parameterization along Visakhapatnam coast. These results were compared with the field observations during three storms of SW monsoon season in the year 2007. The higher nearshore wave energies were observed at R.K. Beach, Jodugullapalem beach, and Sagarnagar beach during both the seasons. During storm events, the higher wave energies associated with higher wave runups cause severe erosion along the wave convergence zones. The storm wave runups (SWRUs) were higher at R.K. Beach, Palm beach, Jodugullapalem beach, and Sagarnagar Beach. The yearly low wave energy was observed at Lawson’s Bay with lowest wave runup, considered as safest zone. R.K. Beach, Palm beach, and Jodugullapalem beach are identified as vulnerable zones of wave attack. It is noteworthy that in addition to wave energies, wave runups and wave setups also play a vital role in endangering the coast.     

Transposed high-pressure granulite fabrics (Cabo Ortegal, NW Spain): Implications on the scales of deformation localization

High-pressure granulite facies rocks of the Bacariza Formation (Cabo Ortegal, NW Spain) were syn-metamorphically deformed at the contacts with the bounding units (peridotite and eclogite massifs). This enabled the formation of meter-thick, spectacular shear zones with reworked and transposed foliations and lineations. The texturally stable mineral assemblage of the new fabrics records an intense, ductile deformation of the mineral aggregate at temperatures of 700–800 °C associated with amalgamation of eclogite, high-pressure granulitic rocks and ultramafic sheets in deep portions of a subduction channel. The lattice preferred orientation of the main constituent minerals (garnet, augite, amphibole, plagioclase, quartz and biotite) discloses the active deformation mechanisms at the scale of the mineral grains and the relationships with the deformation at larger scales. Overprinting relationships of the metamorphic assemblages demonstrates that partitioning and deformation localization occurred at different scales under similar high-grade conditions. Complete macroscopic transposition in the shear zones was complementary to meso and microscopic partitioning of deformation intensity and mechanisms between different lithological layers and mineral species.     

吉林省东部韧性剪切带特征及其与金银成矿关系

国内外贵金属与控矿构造研究表明,韧性剪切带,特别是发育在太古宙古老陆核花岗-绿岩地体中的韧性剪切带是最重要的控矿构造.文章列举夹皮沟韧性剪切带、小四平-南岔韧性剪切带、山门-叶赫韧性剪切带等实例对吉林省东部韧性剪切带的展布规律、基本特征及其控矿作用进行了详细论述,总结了韧性剪切带与金、银矿产的关系.     

Gravitational effect of distant Earth relief within the territory of former Czechoslovakia

We analyzed the gravitational effect of topography and bathymetry beyond the angular distance of approximately 1.5 degrees (referred to as the distant relief effect or DRE), and its impact on measured gravity values in the region of the former Czechoslovakia. Our work was strongly motivated by the contents of the pioneering contribution of outstanding Czech geophysicists Miloš Pick, Jan Pícha and Vincenc Vyskočil, which appeared at the turn of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Our numerical calculations were based upon the direct evaluation of the gravitational effects of compartments of a spherical layer, while the respective heights and depths were obtained from the 2 × 2 minutes digital elevation model (DEM) ETOPO2, taking into consideration also the influence of distant bathymetry. Our results are in close agreement with, but not identical to, those of the above cited authors. We also analyzed the influence of the grid cell size of the involved DEM upon the calculation results. We introduced an approximation of the analyzed effect, based on a simple linear relationship between the calculation point height, the DRE and its vertical gradient (VGDRE). Since when calculated at zero elevation the involved quantities DRE and VGDRE are smooth functions of latitude and longitude and can be easily interpolated, the approximation gives acceptable results in terms of desired accuracy of several μGal (1 μGal = 10⁻⁸ m/s²). In general, we can state that within the territories of the Czech and Slovak Republics the studied distant relief effect has negligible impact upon local gravity survey data. However, when applied to regional gravity studies, there could be a question of its possible influence in the form of a quasilinear W-E trend ranging approximately from −106.6 to −102.5 mGal within the territory of former Czechoslovakia. If we wanted to correct for this phenomenon, we should subtract this negative quantity from the standard Bouguer anomalies as they have been defined in the recent geophysical literature, thereby considerably increasing their values. But, instead of straightforward correcting the Bouguer anomalies for DRE only, we would rather recommend to wait until after the crustal and even lithospheric effects have been studied more carefully based upon the present day independent knowledge about the deep seated sources of those effects.