Permo-Carboniferous Radiolarians from the Wupata''''erkan Group,Western South Tianshan, Xinjiang, China

1 IntroductionThe Wupata'erkan Group, also called Wupata'erkanFormation (Wang et al., 1990), in the western SouthTianshan, China (Fig. 1), mainly comprises gray and darkgray fine-grained clastic rocks, interlayered with medium-acidic volcanic rocks (andesite and quartz porphyry),carbonates, cherts and variegated tuffaceousconglomerates. The chert in the formation was firstly foundin our field trip along sections of the Qiqi'erjianakesu Riverand Kekebiele Daban. Deformation of the group is…     

Halocinèse précoce associée au rifting jurassique dans l'Atlas central de Tunisie (région de Majoura–El Hfay)

Seismic and sequence stratigraphy analyses, petroleum-well control and surface data studies of the Majoura–El Hfay region in the Central Atlas of Tunisia had led to identify and calibrate Jurassic seismic horizons. Seismic stratigraphic sections, seismic tectonics analyses, isochron and isopach mapping of Jurassic sequences show a differentiated structuring of platform and depocentre blocks limited by deep-seated NE–SW, north–south east–west and NW–SE faults intruded by Upper Triassic salt. The early salt migration seems to have started by the platform fracturing during the Lower Liassic rifting event. These movements are fossilized by thickness variations of Jurassic horizons, aggrading and retrograding onlap and toplap structures between subsiding rim-syncline gutters and high platform flanks intruded by salt pillows and domes. The salt migration is also attested by Middle and Upper Jurassic space depocentre migrations. Around the Majoura–El Hfay study blocks bounded by master faults, Triassic salt have pierced the Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary cover in a salt diapir extrusion and salt wall structures. To cite this article: D. Tanfous Amri et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Permo-Carboniferous Radiolarians from the Wupata＇erkan Group, Western South Tianshan, Xinjiang, China

The Wupata‘erkan Group, also called Wupata‘erkan Formation, distributed in the South Tianshan, Xinjiang,China, mainly consists of gray and dark gray fine-grained clastic rocks, interlayered with volcanic rocks, carbonates and cherts. Some ultra-basic rocks (blocks) punctuate the formation. The formation was variously assigned to Silurian-Middle Devonian, Silurian-Lower Devonian, and pre-Devonian, mainly based on Atrypa bodini Mansuy, Hypothyridina parallelepipedia (Brour.) and Prismatophyllum hexagonum Yoh collected from the limestone interlayers, respectively.However, radiolarian fossils obtained from 24 chert specimens of the Wupata‘erkan Group, mainly include Albaillella sp.cf. A. undulata Deflandre, Albaillella sp. cf. A. paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella cf. A. deflandrei Gourmelon, Albaillella sp. cf. A. indensis Won, Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa Ishiga, Kito and Imoto, Albaillella sp. and Latentifistulidae gen. et. sp.indet., are earliest Carboniferous and Late Permian. The earliest Carboniferous assemblage is characterized by Albaillella sp. cf. A. undulata Deflandre, Albaillella sp. cf. A. paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella cf. A. deflandrei Gourmelon and Albaillella sp. cf. A. indensis Won, and the Late Permian assemblage by Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa Ishiga, Kito and Imoto. This new stratigraphic evidence indicates that the Wupata‘erkan Group is possibly composed of rocks with different ages from Silurian to Permian, and therefore, it is probably an ophiolite mrlange. The discovery of Late Permian Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa provides more reliable evidence supporting the existence of a Permian relic ancient oceanic basin in the western part of Xinjiang South Tianshan.     

A late Early Pleistocene pollen record from Fontana Ranuccio (central Italy)

A pollen record from a sediment core drilled underneath the Acheulian site of Fontana Ranuccio provides new data on the vegetation characters in central Italy during the late Early Pleistocene, in a forest phase possibly corresponding to a substage of Marine Isotope Stage 21. A number of tree taxa nowadays extinct in Europe (Cathaya, Tsuga, Taxodium type, Carya and Pterocarya) are present at Fontana Ranuccio in a temperate phase characterised by dense forest conditions, dominated by Alnus and Pterocarya. The comparison of the Fontana Ranuccio record with other dated sites distributed along the Italian peninsula indicates that the floristic and vegetational characters of the Mid Pleistocene revolution present a rather distinct succession of biostratigraphic events. Compared to other Early Pleistocene pollen records from southern Europe, the Italian Peninsula shows greater floristic similarities with the Eastern Mediterranean regions than with the Iberian Peninsula. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early Cretaceous palm pollen tetrads from Patagonia,Argentina

Pollen tetrads and monads of spiny pollen grains with close affinities to palms have been found in several localities from the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian-Albian) of the Austral Basin (Magallanes), Patagonia (Argentina). When found dispersed, spiny and zonasulcate pollen grains, are commonly referred to the fossil genus Spinizonocolpites Muller, with close affinities to the extant palm Nypa. The Patagonian specimens were compared with fossil and extant members of the Arecaceae, showing close similarities in shape and sculpture with the primitive members of the subfamily Calamoideae. Nypa produces tetragonal tetrads different from the tetrahedral tetrads of the Spinizonocolpites-type recovered from Patagonia. The specimens were studied with LM and SEM. The polarity, aperture orientation and tetrad type allow segregating the Patagonian grains from the Nypoideae and relating it to the Calamoideae subfamily. These records suggest an antique origin of monocots and a probably initial diversification of calamoid palms during the Early Cretaceous in high latitudes of Gondwana. The presence of palmae during the Early Cretaceous in southern South America suggests a warm and humid climate, similar to that found in present days at tropics.     

阿尔泰小土尔根铜矿区岩体LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年及地质意义

小土尔根是近年来阿尔泰诺尔特盆地发现的首例斑岩铜矿床,其成岩成矿年代学的研究可以对矿床模型构建、区域成矿规律的总结提供制约。矿区侵入岩发育,矿化受花岗闪长斑岩控制,少部分赋存在地层中。文章利用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年法对矿区岩体进行了成岩年代学研究。含矿花岗闪长斑岩、黑云二长花岗岩和花岗斑岩中锆石的206Pb/238U年龄的加权平均值分别为(401.0±2.9)Ma、(398.1±2.2)Ma和(400.5±2.0)Ma,为早泥盆世同一岩浆侵入活动形成的不同侵入岩。侵入岩年龄结合凝灰岩年龄,将矿区地层划归早泥盆世诺尔特组。含矿花岗闪长斑岩锆石U-Pb年龄限定小土尔根斑岩铜矿床成矿时代略晚于401 Ma,即矿床形成于早泥盆世。     

河南嵩县店房金矿区花岗斑岩锆石U-Pb年龄、Hf同位素及岩石地球化学

华北陆块南缘外方山店房金矿区内出露后沟、水漉塘和店房钾长花岗斑岩体(脉),其与隐爆角砾岩筒及金矿化有密切的空间关系。为查明钾长花岗斑岩体的侵位时代、岩石成因和源区性质,本次开展了锆石U-Pb定年、锆石Hf同位素及岩石地球化学分析等研究。结果表明岩体具有高硅、高钾、富铝、低镁的特征,属钾玄岩系列Ⅰ型花岗岩,轻重稀土元素分馏明显,具有弱的Eu负异常,岩石富集Rb、K、Ba等,亏损Nb、Ta、Sr、P、Ti等元素。锆石具有核—边结构,其中锆石边SHRIMP U-Pb年龄142.6±2.1Ma(MSWD=1.4),_(εHf)(t)=-23.0~-13.8,两阶段模式年龄主要集中于2075~2652 Ma;锆石核LA-ICPMS U-Pb年龄可分为两组,即2169~2336Ma和1732~1881Ma,Hf同位素组成可分为两组,_(εHf)(t)分别集中于-13.1~-4.8和-4.5~3.7,模式年龄主要集中于2376~2805Ma。表明钾长花岗斑岩体形成于142.6±2.1Ma的早白垩世早期,岩浆可能由2169~2336Ma的古老下地壳新太古代太华群部分熔融而成,并有地幔组分参与,岩浆在上升或定位过程中捕获了1732~1881Ma熊耳群火山岩的锆石。结合区域构造背景认为,该岩体是早白垩世古太平洋板块向欧亚大陆俯冲致使华北陆块岩石圈减薄伸展而引起的岩浆活动的产物。     

松辽盆地西缘早白垩世伸展事件：流纹岩锆石U Pb年龄、地球化学研究

为研究松辽盆地西缘大兴安岭早白垩世火山岩的构造属性,对研究区内流纹岩开展锆石U-Pb测年和地球化学测定。锆石U-Pb定年结果显示,流纹岩形成于131.6±0.6~123.9±1.7Ma,属早白垩世。主量元素分析表明,流纹岩具高硅(SiO_2=69.08%~79.58%)、富碱(K_2O+Na_2O=5.93%~9.76%,平均为8.14),富钾(K_2O/Na_2O大于1.0,平均为2.14)、贫钙镁(平均CaO为0.60、MgO为0.27)和高FeOT/MgO(平均为6.77)比值的特征,属过铝质(A/CNK=1.35~1.78)高钾钙碱性—钾玄武岩系列岩石。据微量元素地球化学特征将其划分为两组:Ⅰ组流纹岩稀土元素总量较高(∑REE介于149.04×10~(-6)~213.18×10~(-6)之间,平均为172.35×10~(-6)),轻稀土元素(LREE)富集、轻重稀土元素分馏较强[(La/Yb)_N=4.89~11.87,平均为7.75)],中等—弱负铕异常(δEu=0.54~0.88,平均为0.70),配分曲线右倾模式,强烈富集大离子亲石元素(LILE)Rb,Ba,Th,K和亏损高场强元素(HFSE)_Nb,Ta,P和Ti;Ⅱ组流纹岩以稀土总量(∑REE平均为142.60×10~(-6))相对较低,具相对较强的负铕异常(δEu=0.05~0.46,平均为0.27),配分曲线相对较平缓以及Ba,Sr,P,Ti元素的强烈亏损与Ⅰ组流纹岩相区别,两组流纹岩地球化学成分相关性较好,二者均有低的Sr(206×10~(-6))和高Yb(大于2)含量,具壳源和造山后花岗岩的特征。结合最新资料及本文研究成果,初步认为研究区流纹岩为地壳部分熔融的产物,之后经历强烈的矿物分离结晶作用,与蒙古—鄂霍次克造山后伸展作用有关。