ESR,U-series and paleomagnetic dating of Gigantopithecus fauna from Chuifeng Cave,Guangxi, southern China

Several Gigantopithecus faunas associated with taxonomically undetermined hominoid fossils and/or stone artifacts are known from southern China. These faunas are particularly important for the study of the evolution of humans and other mammals in Asia. However, the geochronology of the Gigantopithecus faunas remains uncertain. In order to solve this problem, a program of geochronological studies of Gigantopithecus faunas in Guangxi Province was recently initiated. Chuifeng Cave is the first studied site, which yielded 92 Gigantopithecus blacki teeth associated with numerous other mammalian fossils. We carried out combined ESR/U-series dating of fossil teeth and sediment paleomagnetic studies. Our ESR results suggest that the lower layers at this cave can be dated to 1.92 ± 0.14 Ma and the upper layers can be dated to older than 1.38 ± 0.17 Ma. Correlation of the recognized magnetozones to the geomagnetic polarity timescale was achieved by combining magnetostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and ESR data. The combined chronologies establish an Olduvai subchron (1.945–1.778 Ma) for the lowermost Chuifeng Cave sediments. We also analyzed the enamel δ¹³C values of the Gigantopithecus faunas. Our results show that southern China was dominated by C₃ plants during the early Pleistocene and that the Gigantopithecus faunas lived in a woodland-forest ecosystem.     

New paleomagnetic evidences of paleogene tectonic rotation of the Qaidam Basin and adjacent region： mechanism and its tectonic implication

In order to better understand the tectonic evolution of the Qaidam Basin. The authors carried out a paleomagnetic study on 39 samples of 7 sites from Hongsanhan section, northwest Qaidam Basin. Stepwise thermo-demagnefizafion isolated a high-temperature component （HTC）, which passes the fold and reversal tests at 95 % confidence level. It suggests that the HTC should be primary. Unblocking temperature （about 685℃ ） and the experiment of isothermal remanence indicate that hematite is the mainly carrier of the remanence. A tilt-corrected mean direction is： Ds= 7.1°, Is= 38.5°, α95 = 7.4°. Corresponding to a palaeopole at, φ= 250. 1°E, λ= 72.0°N, A95 = 6.8°, Compared with the reference APWP of Eurasia, the sampling area occurred a non-significant rotation （3.4° ± 5.5°） relative to Eurasia since Eocene due to the affect of left-lateral Altyn fault, Based on the paleomagnetic results of early Cretaceous and Teritary within the Qaidam block, we can obtained the mean clockwise rotations from the samples deposited from 160 Ma to 45 Ma is 24.5° ± 9.0°, and from 38 Ma to present is - 0.5° ± 7.5° relative to present geomagnetism respectively. During the Mid Eocene （45 -38 Ma） rotation phase, there should existing an important early tectonic event in northern part of the present-day Tibetan Plateau, which probably represents one of large-scale strike-slip events of the Altyn strike-slip fault.     

Paleomagnetic and inner diapiric structural constraints on the kinematic evolution of a salt-wall: The Bicorb-Quesa and northern Navarrés salt-wall segments case (Prebetic Zone,SE Iberia)

Paleomagnetism together with an analysis of the internal structure of the Bicorb-Quesa and northern Navarrés salt-wall segments (Prebetic Zone in SE Iberia) were used to constrain their kinematics and driving mechanisms. Paleomagnetic data from Upper Triassic red beds of the selected salt-related structures and from the Miocene rocks belonging to adjacent syn-diapiric half-grabens reveal 15–30° counter-clockwise vertical-axis rotations of the salt-wall rocks and a 20° clockwise rotation of the Jurassic-Miocene cover block located south of the salt-wall. This, together with the salt-wall structure, indicates that the origin of the salt-wall was linked to the motion of a late Miocene thin-skinned extensional fault system, which detached on the Upper Triassic evaporites. Specifically, the salt-wall formed by the south-southwest displacement with a 20° clockwise rotation component of a cover block bounded northwards by the detachment disruptions generated by the motion of pre-existent basement faults. The Upper Triassic detachment level was first affected by a counter-clockwise vertical axis rotation and, during the Paleogene-earliest Miocene building of the Iberian Chain, by tight WNW-trending folds and SSE-directed minor thrusts. This study also shows that Paleomagnetism together with the analysis of the internal structure can successfully depict the geometry and kinematic evolution of complex salt-wall structures.     

塔里木盆地古董山地区早二叠世古地磁特征 及其地质意义

通过对塔里木盆地内古董山地区早二叠世玄武岩的古地磁测定,揭示了1组高温特征剩磁分量。实验结果表明,其特征剩磁方向为：Dg=213.7°, Ig=26.9°,κg=19.7, N=9,α95=13.7°; Ds=217.7°, Is=-37.5°, κs=15.4,α95=13.6°,相对应的古地磁极位置为：53.2°N、 187.5°E,A95=12.3°,古纬度为21.0°N。由于采样剖面所获得的早二叠世古地磁结果全部为反极性特征,认为这一高温特征剩磁分量很可能代表了研究区早二叠世时期的原生特征剩磁。对比塔里木地块西北缘早二叠世的古地磁结果,认为研究地区与塔里木地块西北缘之间在古地磁误差范围内并未发生明显的相对构造运动。依据塔里木早二叠世古地磁极与哈萨克斯坦地块同时期古地磁极的一致性,结合二者的古生物资料,提出早二叠世时期塔里木地块可能已经与哈萨克斯坦地块碰撞相连,至晚二叠世,二者之间的海水完全退出,碰撞造山使得天山雏形基本形成。结合前人古地磁研究成果,对塔里木地块及周边主要块体早二叠世的古地理进行了重建。     

油气田钻井岩芯及岩芯裂缝方位确定的古地磁原理与方法

岩石在现代地磁场中获得的粘滞乘磁可以通过分离乘磁低温分量获得，并且它与现代地磁场方向一致，因此，通过提取岩芯乘磁的低温分量，可以恢复岩芯的现代磁坐标，进而确定岩芯在现代地理坐标中的位置，本文对吐哈油田，长庆油田岩芯及地表露头样品作了系统热磁分析，讨论了乘磁低温分量与现代地磁场关系，建立了岩芯方位古地磁学定向方法。并将这种方法用于长庆油田钻井岩芯定向及裂缝方位确定，通过对长庆油田４０口井的含裂缝岩芯     

Paleomagnetic modeling of seamounts near the Hawaiian–Emperor bend

The Hawaiian–Emperor Seamount chain records the motion of the Pacific Plate relative to the Hawaiian mantle hotspot for 80 m.y. A notable feature of the chain is the pronounced bend at its middle. This bend had been widely credited to a change in plate motion, but recent research suggests a change in hotspot motion as an alternative. Existing paleomagnetic data from the Emperor Chain suggest that the hotspot moved south during the Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary, but reached its current latitude by the age of the bend. Thus, data from area of the bend are important for understanding changes in plume latitude. In this study, we analyze the magnetic anomalies of five seamounts (Annei, Daikakuji-W, Daikakuji- E, Abbott, and Colahan) in the region of the bend. These particular seamounts were chosen because they have been recently surveyed to collect multibeam bathymetry and magnetic data positioned with GPS navigation. Inversions of the magnetic and bathymetric data were performed to determine the mean magnetization of each seamount and from these results, paleomagnetic poles and paleolatitudes were calculated. Three of the five seamounts have reversed magnetic polarities (two are normal) and four contain a small volume of magnetic polarity opposite to the main body, consistent with formation during the Early Cenozoic, a time of geomagnetic field reversals. Although magnetization inhomogene ties can degrade the accuracy of paleomagnetic poles calculated from such models, the seamounts give results consistent with one another and with other Pacific paleomagnetic data of approximately the same age. Seamount paleolatitudes range from 13.7 to 23.7, with an average of 19.4 ± 7.4 (2σ). These values are indistinguishable from the present-day paleolatitude of the Hawaiian hotspot. Together with other paleomagnetic and geologic evidence, these data imply that the Hawaiian hotspot has moved little in latitude during the past 45 m.y.     

Differences in paleomagnetic interpretations due to the choice of statistical, demagnetization and correction techniques: Kapuskasing Structural Zone, northern Ontario, Canada

The Kapuskasing Structural Zone (KSZ) reveals a section through the Archean lower crustal granoblastic gneisses. Our new paleomagnetic data largely agree with previous work but we show that interpretations vary according to the choices of statistical, demagnetization and field-correction techniques. First, where the orientation distribution of characteristic remanence directions on the sphere is not symmetrically circular, the commonly used statistical model is invalid [Fisher, R.A., Proc. R. Soc. A217 (1953) 295]. Any tendency to form an elliptical distribution indicates that the sample is drawn from a Bingham-type population [Bingham, C., 1964. Distributions on the sphere and on the projective plane. PhD thesis, Yale University]. Fisher and Bingham statistics produce different confidence estimates from the same data and the traditionally defined mean vector may differ from the maximum eigenvector of an orthorhombic Bingham distribution. It seems prudent to apply both models wherever a non-Fisher population is suspected and that may be appropriate in any tectonized rocks. Non-Fisher populations require larger sample sizes so that focussing on individual sites may not be the most effective policy in tectonized rocks. More dispersed sampling across tectonic structures may be more productive. Second, from the same specimens, mean vectors isolated by thermal and alternating field (AF) demagnetization differ. Which treatment gives more meaningful results is difficult to decipher, especially in metamorphic rocks where the history of the magnetic minerals is not easily related to the ages of tectonic and petrological events. In this study, thermal demagnetization gave lower inclinations for paleomagnetic vectors and thus more distant paleopoles. Third, of more parochial significance, tilt corrections may be unnecessary in the KSZ because magnetic fabrics and thrust ramp are constant in orientation to the depth at which they level off, at approximately 15-km depth. With Archean geothermal gradients, primary remanences were blocked after the foliation was tilted to rise on the thrust ramp. Therefore, the rocks were probably magnetized in their present orientation; tilting largely or entirely predates magnetization.     

新疆吉木萨尔大龙口非海相二叠系—三叠系界线层段古地磁特征

通过对吉木萨尔县大龙口非海相二叠系-三叠系界线上下地层磁性特征的研究,在梧桐沟组-锅底坑组共发现78个极性异常,其中以负极性为主,间隔了一系列的正极性和过渡极性.梧桐沟组上部以负极性为主,间隔了2个正极性和过渡极性.这可与巴基斯坦盐岭和四川广元上寺的大隆组下部对比,即相当于Da段.梧桐沟组顶部和锅底坑组底部,正、负极性变化频繁,极性特征可与巴基斯坦盐岭和四川广元上寺大隆组中部对比,即相当于Db段.锅底坑组下部以负极性为主,间隔了2个正极性段,可与四川广元上寺大隆组中上部对比,即相当于Dc段.锅底坑组中下部以负极性为主,上部夹1个正极性段,可与四川广元上寺大隆组上部磁性特征对比,即相当于Dd段.锅底坑组中上部以负极性为主,间隔了4个正极性段,可与四川广元上寺飞仙关组下部对比,即相当于Fa段.根据磁性段的划分对比,将二叠系三叠系界线置于Fa和Dd之间,即本次研究测制剖面的41层和42层之间.根据各岩组的古地磁特征求得岩组形成时的古地磁极:梧桐沟组79.1°N,238.1°;锅底坑组72.3°N,322.2°;下三叠统77.5°N,320.8°.古纬度基本一致,为32°～35°N.     

Stratigraphy and paleomagnetism of a 2.9-km composite lava section in Eyjafjördur,Northern Iceland: a reconnaissance study

Eight mountainside profiles in lava flows south of the fjord Eyjafjördur, Northern Iceland, were sampled for paleomagnetic studies. The sampling was concurrent with pilot stratigraphic mapping of the lava sequences in these and several supplementary profiles. The eight profiles are correlated with minor overlaps so that they form a composite section of 2.9 km thickness, estimated to cover the age range between about 9 and 5 million years ago (Hardarson et al. 1999). Paleomagnetic measurements made on 319 lavas generally yield primary remanence directions of high stability and within-unit consistency. Evidence for at least 17 reversals of the geomagnetic field is seen, as well as numerous field excursions. Frequent clustering of directions in successive lavas indicates that the volcanism was episodic.