Coalification in Carboniferous sediments from the Lötschberg base tunnel

Vitrinite reflectance (Rr), proximate analysis and carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) have been used to characterise coal samples from two zones of Late Carboniferous sediments (Gastern and Ferden) in the Aar massif where they are penetrated by the Lötschberg base tunnel (constructed between 1999 and 2005). Samples are characterised by variable ash yields (21.7–93.9%; dry basis); those with ash yields of less than ~50% and with volatile matter content (V;dry ash-free basis) within the limits 2 < V% ≤ 8 are anthracite. Values of Rr range from 3.89% to 5.17% and indicate coalification to the rank of anthracite and meta-anthracite in both Gastern and Ferden Carboniferous zones. Samples of anthracite and shale from the Gastern Carboniferous exhibit a relatively small range in δ¹³C values (–24.52‰ to –23.38‰; mean: –23.86‰) and are lighter than anthracite samples from the Ferden Carboniferous (mean: –22.20‰). The degree of coalification in the Gastern and Ferden Carboniferous zones primarily depends on the maximum rock temperature (T) attained as a result of burial heating. Vitrinite reflectance based estimates of T range from ~290° –360 °C. For a proposed palaeogeothemal gradient of 25 ° C/km at the time of maximum coalification the required overburden is attributable to relatively thin autochtonous Mesozoic/Cenozoic sedimentary cover of the Aar massif and Gastern granite and deep tectonic burial beneath advancing Helvetic, Ultrahelvetic and Prealpine (Penninic) nappes in Early Oligocene to Miocene.     

藏东八宿地区泛非期花岗岩锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年

卡穷细粒黑云母碱长花岗岩出露于藏东八宿县同卡地区,是藏东地区首次发现的泛非期花岗岩.卡穷微陆块呈岩片状夹持于班公湖-怒江缝合带内,卡穷岩群构成卡穷微陆块的主体,卡穷岩群是由花岗岩、花岗片麻岩、黑云斜长片麻岩、大理岩、黑云斜长变粒岩、退变榴辉岩等组成的构造地质体.卡穷细粒黑云母碱长花岗岩获得的锆石SHRIMPU-Pb年龄为507Ma±10Ma,为泛非事件的岩浆活动记录,进一步证实班公湖-怒江板块缝合带以南是泛非期基底,为解决青藏高原南部的构造演化问题提供了新资料.     

陕西小秦岭华阳川韧性剪切带的特征 及其区域构造意义

陕西小秦岭华阳川韧性剪切带发育在新太古界太华群之中,野外调研和显微构造观察结果表明,该韧性剪切带是由构造片岩、眼球状片麻岩组成的深层次韧性剪切带,具有逆冲兼左行走滑的斜冲特征。对韧性剪切带构造片岩黑云母进行^40Ar／^39Ar同位素定年,获得坪年龄为419M&#177;0．6Ma,反等时线年龄为417Ma&#177;0．8Ma。认为华阳川韧性剪切带及其相应的小秦岭区域主导构造变形是发生于419Ma左右的秦岭加里东事件的结果。     

北武夷地区逆冲推覆构造的特征及其控矿作用

北武夷地区成矿地质条件优越,矿产资源分布广泛,而广泛发育的推覆构造深刻影响着矿床的成生与保存。区域性推覆构造是成矿前、成矿期还是成矿后的构造,其精细结构特征如何,是否具有控岩控矿作用,如果是破矿作用,是否造成矿体重复增大或者隐伏、缺失等问题,严重影响着地质找矿的效果。建议开展面积性、追索性的路线地质调查,查明逆冲推覆构造的区域分布、不同单元的产状、构造样式,分别采用40Ar-39Ar和Re-Os定年技术测定推覆构造和矿体的形成时代,结合定量化分析及精细构造解析,研究构造与矿床的成生联系,预测隐伏矿体可能的位置,进而为北武夷地区寻找隐伏矿床和扩大矿床远景提供参考。     

黑龙江省东部桦南隆起美作花岗岩的锆石U-Pb定年及其地质意义

为查明马家街群发生接触变质作用的时代及其构造背景,对出露于黑龙江省东部桦南隆起的美作花岗岩体进行了锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年研究.结果显示:锆石具有清晰的生长振荡环带,其Th/U比值为0.12～1.04,属于典型的岩浆成因锆石;获得的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄为(259.0±3.6) Ma(n=14,MSWD=5.9),代表了岩体结晶年龄.美作岩体与佳木斯地块南部的青山、楚山和柴河岩体形成时代一致,其轻稀土富集、重稀土亏损型式和Eu负异常以及明显的Nb、Ta、Sr、Ti亏损的特点显示为壳源成因的火山弧花岗岩;它们的形成可能与晚古生代古亚洲洋的消减作用有关,该期花岗岩的就位导致马家街群发生了接触变质作用.美作花岗岩体形成时代的厘定,不仅限定了马家街群的变质时代为晚二叠世,同时为进一步探讨佳木斯地块晚古生代构造演化提供了新证据.     

华南双桥山群和河上镇群凝灰岩中的锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄—对江南新元古代造山带演化的制约

通过西澳科庭大学离子探针中心的远程测试,在双桥山群横涌组和安乐林组斑脱岩中获得大量锆石,其SHRIMP U-Pb加权平均年龄为831 Ma±5 Ma(横涌组)、829 Ma±5 Ma（安乐林组）,在河上镇群上墅组中获得加权平均年龄767 Ma±5 Ma。锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄表明华南地区广为发育的双桥山群应归入新元古界,该年龄为标定双桥山群在地层柱中的位置提供了准确的年代学依据。     

Radiocarbon redating of contaminated samples from a tropical volcano: the Mansion ‘Series’ of St Kitts,West Indies

Heavy rainfall and dense vegetation on tropical volcanoes produce abundant carbonized wood in pyroclastic deposits, in addition to easy contamination of this wood by root systems and soluble humic material. Because the physical nature of the charcoal varies, some samples are more prone to contamination. Two independent studies of the same volcano, Mt Liamuiga on St Kitts in the Lesser Antilles, sometimes using samples from the same carbonized tree, yielded a systematic difference in radiocarbon ages. An exchange of samples and a re-investigation of three physically distinct types of charcoal yielded the following results. Rare, hard, dense charcoal, lacking contamination, which had yielded a spurious age of 2860 years bp, was redated at 1845±58 years bp. Common soft, friable charcoal with good cellular structure proved to be susceptible to contamination. A field decontamination technique utilized by one group seems significant as it yields older ages than when only routine laboratory pre-treatment was used, indicating that the latter technique only partly removes the dried and hard residue produced by the decomposition of modern plant rootlets. A previous date of 24870 years bp obtained from powdery charcoal in a horizon beneath the Mansion Series contradicted ages older than 41000 years bp from common friable charcoal in the lower Mansion Series. The soft powdery charcoal was re-investigated using a sample collected a few centimeters from the original, although field decontamination of this sample was not possible, more extensive laboratory treatment yielded an age of ca. 43000 years bp, again proving that routine laboratory pretreatments are inadequate. A revised geochronology for the Mansion Series is described and a cautionary discussion is presented for the benefit of investigators using radiocarbon ages to date volcanic deposits.     

Sub-arcsec 10 μm imaging of β pictoris and other star disk candidates

We have used the ESO 10 m camera, TIMMI, to image with a very high angular resolution (PFoV: 0.3; FWHM:0.9) several main-sequence star disk candidates. Information on the -Pictoris dust disk has been obtained in a region largely inaccessible to previous observations: 0–80 AU, with a resolution of about 5 AU after deconvolution. Another promising target for 10 m imaging, 51 Ophiuchi, appears point-like.based on data collected at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), La Silla, Chile     

Diagenesis of vascular plant organic matter components during burial in lake sediments

Diagenetic changes are difficult to distinguish from variations in sources of organic matter to sediments. Organic geochemical comparisons of samples of wood, bark, and needles from a white spruce (Picea glauca) living today and one buried for 10,000 years in lake sediments have been used to identify the effects of diagenesis on vascular plant matter. Important biogeochemical changes are evident in the aged spruce components, even though the cellular structures of the samples are well preserved. Concentrations of total fatty acids dramatically diminish; unsaturated and shorter chainlength components are preferentially lost from the molecular distributions. Concentrations of total alcohols are similar in the modern and 10,000-year-old wood and bark but markedly lowered in the aged needles. Hydrocarbon concentrations and distributions show little diagenetic change in the 10,000-year-old plant materials. Cellulose components in the wood decrease relative to lignin components, although both types of materials remain in high concentration in comparison to other organic components. Aromatization of abietic acid proceeds more rapidly in buried spruce wood than in bark; retene is the dominant polyaromatic hydrocarbon in the aged wood. In contrast to the variety of changes evident in molecular compositions, neither ¹³C values nor C/N ratios differ significantly in the bulk organic matter of modern and aged spruce components.     

The age of the Kagenfels granite (northern Vosges) and its bearing on the intrusion scheme of late Variscan granitoids

In the Saxothuringian part of the Vosges (France), a first series of Variscan plutonic rocks (diorites to granites) has been intruded by several younger granites. Rocks of both the older generations have been cross-cut by the late orogenic Kagenfels granite. The averages of the hitherto published mineral ages of the earlier rock generations are 331 and 334 Ma, respectively, whereas Rb-Sr and K-Ar dates around 290 Ma have been reported for the Kagenfels granite. Because of the unlikely large age hiatus, a redetermination of the intrusion age of the Kagenfels granite formation appeared to be irrevocable. The newly obtained mineral ages on the Kagenfels granite (K-Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar biotite ages as well as single zircon radiogenic ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb data: 331 ± 5 Ma) are about 40 Ma older than the previous results. They are interpreted as giving the time of emplacement of the Kagenfels granite during the latest Visan. The mineral ages of the earlier plutonic rocks in this part of the Variscan Orogeny in all probability are not significantly different from their ages of intrusion. Therefore the age concordance of all three granitoid generations constrains a rather narrow time interval of orogenic magmatism close to the Lower-Upper Carboniferous boundary.