Correlation of the Early Permian faunas of Gondwana : Implications for the Gondwanan Carboniferous‐Permian boundary

In an attempt to elucidate their ages, the often incomplete and poorly known early Permian marine faunas and sequences of India, Tibet, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Oman are compared with those of the Perth, Carnarvon and Canning Basins of Western Australia, where faunas are documented and in sequence, and stratigraphic relationships between units are clear. This comparison indicates that the faunas discussed are Latest Asselian or younger in age, and that most of the underlying glacial beds are probably Early Permian (Asselian) in age. By implication, the Permo‐Carboniferous boundary for Gondwana is considered to lie at or near the base of Unit II/Stage 2 and equivalent palynomorph zones throughout Gondwana.     

Shallow geothermal regime in the Perth Metropolitan Area

Exploration of Perth's geothermal potential has been performed by the Western Australian Geothermal Centre of Excellence (WAGCoE). Detailed vertical temperature and gamma ray logging of 17 Western Australia Department of Water's (DoW) Artesian Monitoring (AM) wells was completed throughout the Perth Metropolitan Area (PMA). In addition, temperature logs from 53 DoW AM wells measured in the 1980s were digitised into LAS format. The logged data are available in the WAGCoE Data Catalogue.

Analysis of the gamma ray logs yielded the first estimates of radiogenic heat production in Perth Basin formations. Values by formation ranged between 0.24 and 1.065 μW m^?3. The temperature logs provide a picture of true formation temperatures within shallow sediments in the Perth Basin. A three-dimensional model of the temperature distribution was used to produce maps of temperature at depth and on the top of the Yarragadee aquifer.

The temperature data were interpreted with a one-dimensional conductive heat model. Significant differences between the model and the observations was indicative of heat moving via non-conductive mechanisms, such as advection or convection. Evidence of non-conductive or advective heat flow is demonstrated in most formations in the region, with significant effects in the aquifers. Average conductive geothermal gradients range from 13°C km^?1 to 39°C km^?1, with sandstone formations exhibiting average gradients of approximately 25°C km^?1, while insulating silt/shale formations show higher average gradients of over 30°C km^?1.

To produce preliminary heat flow estimates, temperature gradients were combined with thermal conductivities measured elsewhere. The geometric mean heat flow estimates range between 64 mW m^?2 to 91 mW m^?2, with the standard deviation of the arithmetic mean heat flow ranging between 15 and 23 mW m^?2.

The study characterises the shallow temperature regime in the Perth Metropolitan Area, which is of direct relevance towards developing commercial geothermal projects.     

鄂西—渝东地区热史恢复及烃源岩成烃史

根据鄂西—渝东地区镜质体反射率数据进行的热史恢复结果表明:该区在晚二叠世初期达到最高古热流(可达68~78mW/m2,地表热流),从晚二叠世初到现今古热流持续降低,在侏罗纪末期古热流平均为~54mW/m2(地表热流);鄂西—渝东地区中生界与新生界之间不整合面的剥蚀量可达1700~4000m。成烃史研究表明:鄂西—渝东地区志留系烃源岩在晚志留世—早二叠世进入生油高峰,在早-中三叠世进入生气期,中侏罗世晚期进入过成熟干气阶段,快速生烃时期是在晚志留世、二叠纪—中三叠世及早-中侏罗世;而二叠系烃源岩在早三叠世进入生油门限,于中-晚三叠世达到生油高峰,在中-晚侏罗世进入生气期,晚侏罗世晚期进入过成熟,快速生烃时期是在早-中三叠世及侏罗纪。     

闽西-赣南早-中侏罗世盆地及其火成岩特征

闽西-赣南地区早、中侏罗世陆相盆地带东起福建永定,经江西寻乌到龙南,断续延伸约250km,宽60～80km.受后期构造破坏和花岗岩浆侵入影响,现呈肢解散碎的残留盆地面貌.盆地边界特征和盆区岩层节理测量统计结果反映该区自晚三叠世以来,先后经历了近S-N向水平挤压(T3-J1E),S-N向垂向挤压、近E-W向水平伸展(J1L-J2),SE-NW向挤压(K1)和近E-W向挤压、S-N向伸展(K2)等复杂的演化过程.早-中侏罗世强烈的拉张-断陷作用导致盆区大量双峰式火山岩的喷发,其基性端员玄武岩的颗粒锆石U-Pb年龄值为170±1Ma,酸性端员流纹岩Rb-Sr等时线年龄为179Ma～165±2Ma.流纹岩具有高的SiO2、Al2O3、K2O含量,ANKC值＞1.1;轻稀土富集、稀土总量高,铕亏损,具明显Eu负异常;富集Rb、Th,贫化Ba、Ti、P、Nb、Zr等特点,属富钾过铝火山岩类.与之共生的玄武岩则以富硅贫碱为特征,轻稀土轻度富集,铕异常不明显;弱富集Rb、Ba、Th、Ce,贫Nb、Zr、Y,配分样式呈上凸型,属拉斑系列玄武岩类,反映一种后造山的陆内裂谷环境.闽西-赣南地区盆山格局的形成经历过多期地球动力学演化前中生代近E-W向古亚洲构造域的基底阶段,晚三叠世-早侏罗世早期挤压造山阶段,早侏罗世晚期-中侏罗世裂谷盆地阶段,早白垩世太平洋构造域对本区的置换和改造阶段,包括早期的火山-岩浆活动和晚期的伸展断陷盆地作用.     

A furrow runs through it: An example of sustainable traditional irrigation in Western Cape Province,South Africa

Water and water related matters are important issues in water scarce countries like the Republic of South Africa. This is especially true for the agricultural sector that relies heavily on the availability of water for irrigation to ensure a secure food supply. In South Africa, present day irrigation projects rely on government subsidies and are usually large undertakings beyond the reach of individuals or small communities. The sustainability of such large irrigation projects is still a matter of debate. A 100 years ago a different set of rules applied. Irrigation could only be achieved by hand-dug furrows that supplied water in relatively small quantities to small farming communities. This paper investigated such a small community, the Leeukloof farming community in the Western Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa. For the past 93 years this community has maintained a furrow that supplies water not only to farms bordering the Perdeberg River, which supplies the furrow with water, but also to farms not bordering the river. The authors try to reconstruct the changes in agricultural practices brought about by the furrow, methods of water extraction during each phase, as well as the development and role of the furrow system. The perception by the community of the necessity of this method of water extraction from the river system is also investigated. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

川西裂缝性致密碎屑岩气藏高渗区成因机理及预测

川西深层上三叠统须家河组二段致密碎屑岩气藏非均质性极强,裂缝网络与相对优质储层叠加形成的高渗区分布预测是钻井获得高产稳产的技术关键。通过地表露头调查、钻井资料统计分析及地震地质综合研究,剖析了高渗区地质成因机理,认为在砂岩及岩性相变带、相对薄层及地层厚度突变带、优质储层发育区、强构造褶皱变形区、断裂附近等易于形成裂缝及高渗区。通过高渗区储层测井及波阻抗特征、地震响应特征对比分析、模型正演等方法,建立了“杂乱弱反射”地震暗点识别模式,利用吸收处理、像素成像、三维可视化等地震技术手段,预测了高渗区分布,解释了各高渗区地质成因,钻井验证了预测结果。     

A pulsed extension model for the Neogene–Recent E–W-trending Alaşehir Graben and the NE–SW-trending Selendi and Gördes Basins, western Turkey

We have developed a significant body of new field-based evidence relating to the history of crustal extension in western Turkey. We establish that two of the NE–SW-trending basins in this region, the Gördes and Selendi Basins, whose sedimentary successions begin in the early Miocene, are unlikely to relate to late-stage Alpine compressional orogeny or to E–W extension of Tibetan-type grabens as previously suggested. We argue instead that these basins are the result of earlier (?) late Oligocene, low-angle normal faulting that created approximately N–S “scoop-shaped” depressions in which clastic to lacustine and later tuffaceous sediments accumulated during early–mid-Miocene time, separated by elongate structural highs. These basins were later cut by E–W-trending (?) Plio–Quaternary normal faults that post-date accumulation of the Neogene deposits. In addition, we interpret the Alaşehir (Gediz) Graben in terms of two phases of extension, an early phase lasting from the early Miocene to the (?) late Miocene and a young Plio–Quaternary phase that is still active. Taking into account our inferred earlier phase of regional extension, we thus propose a new three-phase “pulsed extension” model for western Turkey. We relate the first two phases to “roll-back” of the south Aegean subduction zone and the third phase to the westward “tectonic escape” of Anatolia.     

初论发现于西太平洋富钴结壳的羟锰矿

大多数研究者认为富钴结壳中的锰矿物主要是水羟锰矿。X-射线衍射数据表明这次所研究的富钴结壳中主要的富锰矿物相是羟锰矿,这是在以往的结核和结壳研究中鲜为人知。探讨了羟锰矿和水羟锰矿的名称由来、化学式、晶胞参数及X射线粉晶衍射值,建议将X-射线衍射特征值为2.4×10^-10 m和1.4×10^-10 m的锰矿物相统称为水羟锰矿;通过研究这两种矿物的成因、产状及环境,认为结壳中羟锰矿的存在表明结壳在生长中后阶段仍处于还原环境。     

青海西秦岭地区晚中生代基性火山岩地球化学特征及构造意义

对青海省同仁县多禾茂地区火山岩进行系统的元素同位素地球化学研究表明:该地区白垩纪地层中发育的中基性火山岩,属于碱性火山岩系,岩石类型主要为玄武岩,该套玄武岩具有低且变化较小的Si O2质量分数(44.98%~48.20%),低MgO的质量分数高,变化较大(8.15%~10.98%),具有较高的Cr(208×10-6~418×10-6)和Ni(166×10-6~231×10-6)质量分数。所有样品都表现出轻稀土富集的右倾平滑分布模式,轻重稀土分异中等,(La/Yb)CN=10.09~27.2,重稀土弱分异,(Gd/Yb)CN=2.92~4.67,Eu异常不明显,Eu*/Eu=0.99~1.04。Ba,Nb-Ta和Th-U不亏损,Rb,K相对亏损,Sr正异常。该区火山岩具有亏损的Sr-Nd同位素组成,Sr-Nd同位素组成变化范围不大[87Sr/86Sr(t)=0.7033~0.7039,εNd(t)=6.13~8.03,t=110 Ma],与Hawaii-OIB的Sr-Nd同位素组成相似。其所有地球化学特征表明该火山岩具有类似OIB的特征,可能是含石榴子石橄榄岩低度部分熔融的产物。结合对西秦岭地质构造背景和演化历史的分析,暗示该地区晚中生代岩浆源区来源于软流圈,其起源可能与岩石圈拆沉作用,软流圈地幔上涌和岩石圈伸展减薄有关,可为秦岭大别造山带中生代岩石圈演化提供了有利的直接证据。