Intra-arc extension in Central America: Links between plate motions, tectonics, volcanism, and geochemistry

This study revisits the kinematics and tectonics of Central America subduction, synthesizing observations of marine bathymetry, high-resolution land topography, current plate motions, and the recent seismotectonic and magmatic history in this region. The inferred tectonic history implies that the Guatemala–El Salvador and Nicaraguan segments of this volcanic arc have been a region of significant arc tectonic extension; extension arising from the interplay between subduction roll-back of the Cocos Plate and the ~ 10–15mm/yr slower westward drift of the Caribbean plate relative to the North American Plate. The ages of belts of magmatic rocks paralleling both sides of the current Nicaraguan arc are consistent with long-term arc-normal extension in Nicaragua at the rate of ~ 5–10mm/yr, in agreement with rates predicted by plate kinematics. Significant arc-normal extension can ‘hide’ a very large intrusive arc-magma flux; we suggest that Nicaragua is, in fact, the most magmatically robust section of the Central American arc, and that the volume of intrusive volcanism here has been previously greatly underestimated. Yet, this flux is hidden by the persistent extension and sediment infill of the rifting basin in which the current arc sits. Observed geochemical differences between the Nicaraguan arc and its neighbors which suggest that Nicaragua has a higher rate of arc-magmatism are consistent with this interpretation. Smaller-amplitude, but similar systematic geochemical correlations between arc-chemistry and arc-extension in Guatemala show the same pattern as the even larger variations between the Nicaragua arc and its neighbors.     

江苏省盐城地区地震活动特征及震灾分析

对盐城地区地震活动概况进行了背景性分析,从该地区地震地质构造背景人手,阐述了影响盐城地区地震活动的主要断裂构造．对研究区域内的地震活动空间、时问分布特征进行了探讨,并分析了盐城地区的地震灾害特点。     

Observation of recent tectonic movements by extensometers in the Pannonian Basin

In Hungary four extensometric observatories were established in the last two decades. The extensometers were installed primarily for observations of Earth tides. A 15-year continuous data series (1991–2005) was recorded at the Sopronbánfalva station and a 7-year record (1993–1999) was obtained at the Pécs station. The length of the measured continuous data series at the two other stations (Bakonya and Budapest) is only a few years. The long-term data records were also applied to the investigation of long-periodic deformations caused by recent tectonic movements. To get an insight into the present day tectonic processes on the margin of the Pannonian Basin, the measurement results of two additional stations (Vyhne in Slovakia and Beregovo in Ukraine) were also included into the investigations. The seasonal variations in the long data series due to temperature and air pressure effects were eliminated. The residual curve – after the correction of the seasonal effects and filtering the “high frequency” components (e.g. earthquakes, Earth tides, etc.) – contains the instrumental drift. It is impossible to determine this curve mathematically. It can be diminished by special instrumental solutions and by regular calibration of the instruments. This paper shows methods and possible solutions how the instrumental drift was investigated and eliminated in order to get the most reliable data for studying recent tectonic movements. The reliability of the extensometric measurements was tested by the tidal evaluation of the data series. The results of the observations show that the Pannonian Basin is under compressive stress. The strain rates measured by extensometers on the margin of the basin are about three orders of magnitude higher than the intra-plate strains obtained by GPS measurements. The reason for this large difference arises from the interaction between the plate boundary and intra-plate forces and from the different measurement techniques. Investigations showed that the rate of the tectonic movements varies, and depends on the local geographical and topographical conditions.     

Early Cretaceous paleogeography of Korea and Southwest Japan inferred from occurrence of detrital chromian spinels

The Sindong Group was deposited in the north–south trending half‐graben Nakdong Trough, southern Korean peninsula. The occurrence of detrital chromian spinels from the Jinju Formation of the Sindong Group in the Gyeongsang Basin means that the mafic to ultramafic rocks were exposed in its provenance. The chromian spinels from the Jinju Formation are characterized by extremely low TiO₂ and Fe³⁺. Moreover, their range of Cr# is from 0.45 to 0.80 and makes a single trend with Mg#. The chemistry of chromian spinels implies that the source rocks for chromian spinels were peridotites or serpentinites, which originated in the mantle wedge. To more narrowly constrain their source rocks, the Ulsan and Andong serpentinites exposed in the Gyeongsang Basin were examined petrographically. Chromian spinels in the Andong serpentinite differ from those of the Jinju Formation and those in the Ulsan serpentinite partly resemble them. Furthermore, the Jinju chromian spinel suite is similar to the detrital chromian spinels from the Mesozoic sediments in the Circum‐Hida Tectonic zone, which includes the Nagato Tectonic zone in Southwest Japan and the Joetsu Belt in Northeast Japan. This suggests that the basement rocks, which were located along the main fault bounding the eastern edge of the Nakdong Trough, had exposures of peridotite or serpentinite. It is possible that the Nakdong Trough was directly adjacent to the Circum‐Hida Tectonic zone before the opening of the Sea of Japan (East Sea).     

Paleocene large-scale normal faulting along the Median Tectonic Line, western Shikoku, Japan

Abstract   The Median Tectonic Line (MTL) in southwest Japan, a major east–west-trending arc-parallel fault, has been defined as the boundary fault between the Cretaceous Sambagawa metamorphic rocks and Ryoke granitic and metamorphic rocks, which are unconformably covered by the Upper Cretaceous Izumi Group. The juxtaposition by faulting occurred after the deposition of the Izumi Group. Based on detailed fieldwork and previous studies, the authors reconstruct the kinematic history along the MTL during the Paleogene period, which has not been fully understood before. It is noted that although the strata of the Izumi Group along the MTL dip gently, east–west-trending north-vergent folds with the wavelength of ∼300 m commonly develop up to 2 km north from the MTL. Along the MTL, a disturbed zone of the Izumi Group up to 400 m thick, defined by the development of boudinage structures with the transverse boudin axis dipping nearly parallel to the MTL, occurs. Furthermore, east–west-trending north-vergent folds with the wavelength of 1–5 m develop within the distance up to 60 m from the MTL. The disturbed zone with the map-scale north-vergent folds along the MTL, strongly suggests that they formed due to normal faulting with a top-to-the-north sense along the MTL. Considering that the normal faulting is associated with the final exhumation of the Sambagawa metamorphic rocks, and its juxtaposition against the Izumi Group at depth, this perhaps occurred before the denudation of the Sambagawa metamorphic rocks indicated by the deposition of the Lower Eocene Hiwada-toge Formation. Dynamic equilibrium between crustal thickening at depth (underplating) and extension at shallow level is a plausible explanation for the normal faulting because the arc-normal extension suggests gravity as the driving force.     

华北燕山带东部三叠纪和侏罗纪大地构造演化：来自备受争议的邓杖子组及相邻地层的线索

位于辽西凌源市南部的牛营子-邓杖子地区侏罗系地质问题多年来困扰着地质学家。争论最多的构造形迹是一套平面上呈狭长矩形,以断层为界的近直立中元古界常州沟组石英岩,及局部长城系顶部地层。这套地层绵延35 km,呈北北东展布。其西界为近直立的大齐子断层（新命名断层）和大部分向东倒转的陡倾下侏罗统邓杖子组;东界为近直立的朱杖子断层（新命名断层）和西倾的中侏罗统郭家店组。前人的构造解释倾向于大齐子断层为邓杖子组一侧下降的陡倾正断层,朱杖子断层为郭家店组一侧下降的陡倾逆断层。文中不同意这样的解释,并发现有证据表明上述两个断层都形成于之前尚未识别出的侏罗纪构造事件时期。将大齐子断层解释为早侏罗世晚期-中侏罗世早期形成的一条向西逆冲的断层,沿着它使长城系推覆于邓杖子组之上,然后,该逆冲断层上、下盘地层共同卷入后期褶皱变形当中。朱杖子断层原本为正断层,形成于原来未识别出的中侏罗世伸展变形阶段,并构成了郭家店半地堑边界断层。朱杖子断层沿着向东倾斜的常州沟组石英岩与串岭沟组页岩的界面发育。随着断层的发育,位于常州沟组石英岩之上的串岭沟组及长城系上部地层发生拆离沉降并被埋藏在半地堑之下。随后,发生在中侏罗世晚期或晚侏罗世早期收缩构造变形,改造了邓杖子-常州沟-郭家店组构造组合的几何形态。本期改造导致以下结果：（1）朱杖子正断层发生反转成为逆断层;（2）蓟县系沿着杨杖子-瓦房店逆冲断层向东掩覆于断层围限的长城系地层及相邻侏罗系之上。同时,邓杖子组倾角加大并向东倒转。研究表明,辽西地区的侏罗纪构造演化过程远比原先所认为的要复杂。     

基于对象关系数据库的矢栅一体化查询与操作研究

在分析矢量栅格数据特点的基础上,提出一系列矢栅一体化查询函数,基于PostgreSQL/PostGIS数据库,实现了支持栅格数据存储与组织的扩展数据类型,并对栅格数据类型与PostGIS矢量数据一体化查询函数进行了扩展实现。最后,通过实例验证了矢栅一体化查询函数的表达能力和解决实际问题的应用前景。     

南海西北次海盆新生代构造 沉积特征及伸展模式 探讨

通过对穿越西北次海盆的3条地震测线以及一条深反射地震剖面的解释,对其新生代的构造 沉积特征进行研究,探讨了伸展模型,并进而对其新生代的构造演化过程和动力学机制进行了分析。结果显示：西北次海盆在30 Ma时开始发育,断层的活动期集中在渐新世,并大致以海盆中部的岩浆岩凸起为轴对称分布,对渐新统的沉积起控制作用。海盆扩张东强西弱,西部显示出更多的陆缘裂谷盆地的特征。25 Ma后扩张轴向南跃迁,西北次海盆的海底扩张运动停止,进入裂后沉降阶段。构造展布方向受到其南侧的中-西沙地块的影响,大致沿其北部边界展布。深反射地震剖面所反映的深部地壳结构也显示出大致沿海盆中轴对称的特征,显示研究区很可能为纯剪的变形模式。     

用陆块旋转解释藏东南渐新世-中新世伸展作用——来自点苍山及邻区变质核杂岩的证据

沿红河断裂带(RRFZ)分布的点苍山变质核杂岩是一个不完整的变质核杂岩,它由两个特征迥异的单元组成,包括被同构造二长花岗岩侵入角闪岩相构造岩组成的下盘和绿片岩相的拆离断层带。下盘岩石包括具有高温构造组合,具有指示左行走滑剪切运动方向的L型糜棱岩或LS型糜棱岩。拆离断层带是一个上盘向E到SE伸展剪切的低温剪切带,由具有剪应变和压应变的典型S-L糜棱岩构成。低温构造岩也包括发育于下盘的几个糜棱岩化似斑状二长花岗岩侵入体。变质核杂岩与西侧覆盖未变质的中生代沉积岩并置,东部受第四纪断层作用影响为沿洱海分布的更新世-全新世沉积盆地。通过对点苍山变质核杂岩的构造研究,结合邻区变质核杂岩的地质年代学及古地磁学分析,我们认为:位于东南亚红河断裂和实皆断裂带之间的扇形区域内出现的变质核杂岩与渐新世-中新世时期区域性伸展作用有关,而伸展作用是由印支地块的差异性旋转产生的,其原因是由于约33Ma开始斜向俯冲的印度板块的顺时针旋转和回退所致。