Ultra-high-temperature metamorphism and multistage decompressional evolution of sapphirine granulites from the Palni Hill Ranges, southern India

Sapphirine granulites from a new locality in the Palni Hill Ranges, southern India, occur in a small enclave of migmatitic, highly magnesian metapelites (mg=85–72) within massive enderbitic orthogneiss. They show a variety of multiphase reaction textures that partially overprint a coarse-grained high-pressure assemblage of Bt+Opx+Ky+Grt+Pl+Qtz. The sequence of reactions as deduced from the corona and symplectite assemblages, together with petrogenetic grid considerations, records a clockwise P–T evolution with four distinct stages. (1) Equilibration of the initial high-P assemblage in deep overthickened crust (12 kbar/800–900 °C) was followed by a stage of near-isobaric heating, presumably as a consequence of input of extra heat provided by the voluminous enderbitic intrusives. During heating, kyanite was converted to sillimanite, and biotite was involved in a series of vapour-phase-absent melting reactions, which resulted in the ultra-high-temperature assemblage Opx+Crd+Kfs+Spr±Sil, Grt, Qtz, Bt, coexisting with melt (equilibration at c. 950–1000° C/11–10 kbar). (2) Subsequently, as a result of decompression of the order of 4 kbar at ultra-high temperature, a sequence of symplectite assemblages (Opx+Sil+Spr/Spr+Crd→Opx+Spr+Crd→Opx+Crd→Opx+Crd+Spl/Crd+Spl) developed at the expense of garnet, orthopyroxene and sillimanite. This stage of near-isothermal decompression implies rapid ascent of the granulites into mid-crustal levels, possibly due to extensional collapse and erosion of the overthickened crust. (3) Development of late biotite through back-reaction of melt with residual garnet indicates a stage of near-isobaric cooling to c. 875 °C at 7–8 kbar, i.e. relaxation of the rapidly ascended crust to the stable geotherm. (4) A second period of near-isothermal exhumation up to c. 6–5 kbar/850 °C is indicated by the partial breakdown of late biotite through volatile phase-absent melting reactions. Available isotope data suggest that the early part of the evolutionary history (stages 1–3) is presumably coeval with the early Proterozoic metamorphism in the extended granulite terrane of the Nilgiri, Biligirirangan and Shevaroy Hills to the north, while the exhumation of the granulites from mid-crustal levels (stage 4) occurred only during the Pan-African thermotectonic event, which led to the accretion of the Kerala Khondalite Belt to the south.     

Stratigraphy of the upper cretaceous and lower tertiary strata in the Tethyan Himalayas of Tibet (Tingri area,China)

The 1500-m-thick marine strata of the Tethys Himalaya of the Zhepure Mountain (Tingri, Tibet) comprise the Upper Albian to Eocene and represent the sedimentary development of the passive northern continental margin of the Indian plate. Investigations of foraminifera have led to a detailed biozonation which is compared with the west Tethyan record. Five stratigraphic units can be distinguished: The Gamba group (Upper Albian - Lower Santonian) represents the development from a basin and slope to an outer-shelf environment. In the following Zhepure Shanbei formation (Lower Santonian - Middle Maastrichtian), outer-shelf deposits continue. Pebbles in the top layers point to beginning redeposition on a continental slope. Intensified redeposition continues within the Zhepure Shanpo formation (Middle Maastrichtian - Lower Paleocene). The series is capped by sandstones of the Jidula formation (Danian) deposited from a seaward prograding delta plain. The overall succession of these units represents a sea-level high at the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary followed, from the Turonian to Danian, by an overall shallowing-upward megasequence. This is followed by a final transgression — regression cycle during the Paleocene and Eocene, documented in the Zhepure Shan formation (?Upper Danian - Lutetian) and by Upper Eocene continental deposits. The section represents the narrowing and closure of the Tethys as a result of the convergence between northward-drifting India and Eurasia. The plate collision started in the Lower Maastrichtian and caused rapid changes in sedimentation patterns affected by tectonic subsidence and uplift. Stronger subsidence and deposition took place from the Middle Maastrichtian to the Lower Paleocene. The final closure of remnant Tethys in the Tingri area took place in the Lutetian.     

Current controlled sediment deposition from the shelf to the deep ocean: the cenozoic evolution of circulation through the SW pacific gateway

 The circulation of cold, deep water is one of the controlling factors of the Earth's climate. Forty percent of this water enters the world ocean through the Southwest Pacific as a deep western boundary current (DWBC) flowing northwards at bathyal to abyssal depths, east of the New Zealand microcontinent. South of latitude 50°S, the DWBC is intimately linked with the Antarctic circumpolar current (ACC), which is the prominent force for the shallow-water circulation. The Pacific DWBC is presently the largest single contributor of deep ocean water, and deciphering its evolution is of fundamental importance to understanding ocean and climate history, and global ocean hydrography. The evolution of the DWBC system, and of related circum-Antarctic currents, has taken place since 30–25 Ma when plate movements created the first oceanic gaps south of Australia and South America. The stratigraphic record preserved in sediment drifts of the Southwest Pacific, in eastern New Zealand, is the best available for deciphering the Neogene history of Southern Ocean water masses, and of the circulation of the ACC, DWBC and their precursor systems. Major current activity commenced on the New Zealand margin in the late Eocene or early Oligocene (Hoiho Drift; early ACC) and was widespread by the mid-late Oligocene (Marshall Paraconformity and Weka Pass Limestone drift; ACC). During the Neogene the eastern South Island continental shelf built seawards by accretion at its outer edge of large Miocene current drifts up to tens of kilometres long and hundreds of metres thick (Canterbury drifts). Also commencing in the mid-Cenozoic, but in depths >2000 m, the DWBC emplaced large deep-water sediment drifts. Rates of drift deposition accelerated considerably in the late Neogene, when climatic change (and particularly glacial sea-level falls) caused the delivery of large volumes of turbiditic sediment into the path of the DWBC via the Bounty and Hikurangi channels. Received: 9 August 1995 / Accepted: 15 January 1996     

豫南中温榴辉岩中角闪石的变质演化

在该区中温榴辉岩的各个演化阶段中，出现了不同成分的角闪石。石榴石环带及其核部的闪石等矿物包囊体记录了前榴辉阶段及其进变质演化的特征。在榴岩阶段晚期，蓝闪石稳定出现，其成分环带反映了压力降低的连续过程；角闪石－斜长石后成合晶为石榴石和绿辉石的退变质产物；退变质后期，钙质闪石大量出现。角闪石的矿物组合及其成分变化，反映了中温榴辉岩的顺时针变质演化过程。     

多金属结核的沉积物地球化学场

远洋沉积物是多金属结核赖以生长的场所，本文系统地研究了沉积物中主要成矿元素水成组分在不同地球化学场和不同沉积阶段的地球化学特征，以及水成组分的含量比与成矿作用的相互关系。研究表明，Ｍｎ、Ｆｅ、Ｃｏ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｕ都是一些比较活泼的元素，它们共处于多金属结核、沉积物和大洋水的统一体系中，当结核形成时，Ｍｎ、Ｆｅ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｕ在结核与沉积物中的含量呈负相关，而Ｃｏ含量呈正相关。研究区东部结核以富含Ｍｎ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｕ贫Ｆｅ、Ｃｏ为特征，其伴生沉积物相对贫Ｍｎ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｕ、Ｃｏ，而富Ｆｅ，可称之为贫化的地球化学场。研究区西部结核富含Ｆｅ、Ｃｏ而贫Ｍｎ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｕ，其伴生沉积物则相应贫Ｆｅ，而富Ｍｎ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｕ、和Ｃｏ，可称之为富化的地球化学场。可以看出，贫化的沉积物地球化学场，恰恰是寻找富矿结核的最佳场所。早中新世以来的沉积物，根据水成组分的含量或含量比，也可相应于结核的形成分为三大沉积阶段，其中的第Ⅱ阶段具有贫化的地球化学特征，是多金属结核形成的最有利时期     

鄂北—豫南地区榴辉岩相岩石变质作用演化特征

鄂北－豫南地区榴辉岩相变质岩石类型多样，其野外产状和岩石化学特征反映了原地变质成因。根据区域地质及榴辉岩相变质岩石的野外产状，结合榴辉岩中石榴石绿辉石的Ｆｅ２＋－Ｍｇ互换温度计所计算出的峰期变质温度，将本区榴辉岩分为两类，一类为中温榴辉岩，产于晚太古界—早元古界大别群，为Ｂ类榴辉岩，由绿帘角闪岩相岩石进变质形成。榴辉岩相变质作用分为两阶段，首先为柯石英榴辉岩相阶段，其峰期变质条件为Ｔ＝６００℃～７００℃，Ｐ＝２．７～３．０ＧＰａ，然后近等温降压，出现蓝闪石等含水矿物，为蓝闪石榴辉岩相阶段，此时水活度在榴辉岩相变质过程中起着重要作用；另一类为低温榴辉岩，产于中元古界七角山组，为Ｃ类榴辉岩，由蓝片岩相岩石进变质形成，其峰期变质条件为Ｔ＝４９０℃～５６０℃，Ｐ＜１．５ＧＰａ。中温榴辉岩与低温榴辉岩具有不同的变质作用特征。最后讨论了本区高压变质带的成因演化。     

Attenuation differences in layer 2A in intermediate- and slow-spreading oceanic crust

In situ seismic attenuationQ⁻¹logs are derived from borehole velocity profiles and reveal sharp boundaries between morphologies of the extrusive volcanic layers in intermediate- and slow-spreading oceanic crust.Q⁻¹logs are calculated from the scattering attenuation associated with vertical velocity heterogeneity in Ocean Drilling Program Holes 504B and 896A and in Hole 395A, located in 5.9–7.3 Ma crust on the Pacific and Atlantic plates, respectively. Our results strongly tie crustal properties to seismic measurables and observed geological structures: we find that the scattering attenuation can be used to identify the extrusive volcanic sequence because it is closely related to changes in the degree of vertical heterogeneity. We interpret a distinct decrease in the Q⁻¹log at the transition below the extrusive volcanic layer to correspond with the seismic layer 2A/2B boundary. The boundary is located at 465 m depth below the sea floor in both Hole 395A and 504B, although this is likely to be a coincidence of the sediment thickness at these sites. Layer 2A is estimated to be approximately 150 m thick in Hole 504B and > 300 m thick in Hole 395A. Cyclic sequences of high-porosity pillows and low-porosity massive units in the uppermost 100 m of volcanics in Hole 395A result in large velocity heterogeneities which cause > 5 times more attenuation in this layer than in Hole 504B. In Hole 896A, by contrast, fewer pillows, more massive flows, and a greater volume of carbonate veins decrease the velocity heterogeneity and attenuation significantly over only 1 km distance from Hole 504B. We conclude that the attenuation in the extrusive volcanics of the ocean crust is largely controlled by variation in local heterogeneity and morphology as well as by subsequent hydrothermal alteration. The observed differences inQ⁻¹profiles and layer 2A thickness at these sites may be attributed to variations in the volume and duration of volcanic activity at mid-ocean spreading centers for these Pacific and Atlantic ridge segments.     

Paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands: Plate tectonic synthesis from 750 Ma to the present

Abstract A series of paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands, from their birth at ca 750–700 Ma to the present, is newly compiled from the viewpoint of plate tectonics. This series consists of 20 maps that cover all of the major events in the geotectonic evolution of Japan. These include the birth of Japan at the rifted continental margin of the Yangtze craton ( ca 750-700 Ma), the tectonic inversion of the continental margin from passive to active ( ca 500 Ma), the Paleozoic accretionary growth incorporating fragments from seamounts and oceanic plateaux ( ca 480-250 Ma), the collision between Sino-Korea and Yangtze (250–210 Ma), the Mesozoic to Cenozoic accretionary growth (210 Ma-present) including the formation of the Cretaceous paired metamorphic belts (90 Ma), and the Miocene back-arc opening of the Japan Sea that separated Japan as an island arc (25-15 Ma).     

ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE DIAGNOSIS OF OCEANIC EXPLOSIVE CYCLONES*

Using the data of ECMWF (European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) to undertake composite diagnoses of 16 explosive cyclones occurring at the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans,it is found that there are a lot of obvious discrepancies on the basic fields between these strong and weak explosive cyclones.The major reasons why the explosive cyclones over the Atlantic are stronger than those over the Pacific Ocean are that the non-zonal upper jet and the low-level warm moist flow over the Atlantic are stronger.The non-zonal upper jet offers stronger divergence,baroclinicity and baroclinic instability fields for explosive cyclones.Anticyclonic curvature at the high level of strong explosive cyclones is easy to make the inertia-gravitational wave developing at the moment of northward transfer of energy and stimulate the cyclones deepening quickly.Warm advection and diabatic heating can cause the upper isobaric surface lifting,as a result,the anticyclone curvature of cyclones enlarges,and wave energy develops easily as well.The most powerful period of the development of explosive cyclones is just the time when the positive vorticity advection center is located over the low vortex.At the upper level,when the distribution of potential vorticity contours changes suddenly from rareness to denseness,and the large values of the potential vorticity both in the west and north sides of cyclones extend downwards together,then cyclones are easy to explosively develop.The formation of strong explosive cyclones is closely related with the non-zonality of upper jet and the anticyclonic curvature.     

藏南特提斯喜马拉雅带中段二叠纪-白垩纪的火山活动(Ⅰ):分布特点及其意义

在野外实地考察和追索的基础上，详细厘定了特提斯喜马拉雅带中段晚古生代以来火山岩的分布特点和迁移规律。结果表明，在特提斯喜马拉雅带中段晚古生代以来的地层系统中，从二叠纪→三叠纪→侏罗纪→白垩纪，共有11个层位含规模不等的火山岩，它们以透镜体、薄夹层或以块状玄武岩、玄武质安山岩等形式产出于不同地层系统中；从二叠纪→早中三叠世→晚三叠世→侏罗纪和白垩纪，具有由西向东、从南→北→南→北的迁移规律。这些火山活动的发现和厘定，对填补特提斯喜马拉雅带火山岩研究的空白，了解陆下岩石圈地幔和软流圈地幔之间的相互作用和新特提斯洋盆的形成演化都具有一定的指示意义。