The geology of the Taparko gold deposit, Birimian greenstone belt, Burkina Faso, West Africa

The Taparko gold deposit, located in the eastern branch of the Proterozoic Birimian Bouroum-Yalogo greenstone belt (Burkina Faso) consists of a network of quartz veins developed in a N 170° trending shear zone (250 m wide, 4 km long) superimposed on the regional Birimian structural pattern. The quartz vein network is composed of: (a) a dominant array of quartz veins (type 1), parallel to the shear zone and comprising strongly deformed dark quartz exhibiting foliation, layering, ribbon, tension gashes, etc.; (b) oblique and subparallel related veins (type 2) of gray to white weakly deformed quartz crosscutting the dominant quartz veins resulting in breccia structures; and (c) shallow dipping veins (type 3), cross-cutting veins types 1 and 2 and filled by undeformed white buck structure quartz. Cross-cutting relationships and different quartz types in different veins and within individual veins imply a concomitant filling of the veins during the progressive deformation. Initial sinistral transcurrent shearing evolved with time to sinistral reverse shearing. Metallic minerals occur only in type 1 and 2 veins and were deposited in two stages, with native gold being related to second stage sulfides. Gold (and chalcopyrite) precipitated preferentially upon the surfaces of fractured pyrite grains in low-pressure sites (pressure shadow zones) around and/or within the sulfide grains (along subsequently annealed fractures). The formation of the South Taparko deposit can be divided into a succession of events: (a) during the first event, N 170°-directed sinistral transcurrent shearing resulted in a N 20° mylonitic foliation and fractured rock which allowed H₂O-, CO₂- and SiO₂-rich fluids to circulate and deposit quartz with buck texture; (b) during the second event, type 1 quartz was strongly deformed and type 2 veins formed with sigmoidal shapes as viewed on a horizontal plane; and (c) during the third event, the sinistral transcurrent shearing evolved to sinistral reverse shearing and the deformation style evolved correspondingly from ductile to brittle-ductile. During the last phase of deformation gold nucleated and deposited in low-pressure zones. Received: 9 July 1997 / Accepted: 23 March 1998     

元古宙蛇绿岩研究现状及其板块构造意义

在回顾元古宙蛇绿岩研究简史的基础上,对元古宙蛇绍岩的时空分布特征,岩石组合类型,变质作用程度,大地构造背景及源区地球化学制约等进行了系统总结,并就元古宙蛇绿岩的板块构造意义作了探讨。     

Middle Proterozoic–early Palaeozoic evolution of central Baltoscandian intracratonic basins: evidence for asthenospheric diapirs

The three intracratonic sedimentary basins located in central Baltoscandinavia, namely the Bothnian Gulf basin, the Bothnian Sea basin and the Baltic basin, developed in response to Middle Proterozoic and Late Proterozoic tectonic events, separated in time by about 800 Ma. Only the Baltic basin was subsequently affected by Caledonian orogenesis and Mesozoic rifting. Crustal extension was minor or did not take place during the Proterozoic basin evolution phases. However, according to the Moho topography, crustal thinning did take place. This was probably a result of subcrustal magmatism. On a craton-wide scale, the ages of granitoids, which intruded during the Middle Proterozoic basin formation, generally decrease from east to west. This fact, combined with the evidence provided by mantle-derived flood basalt magmatism, points to a moving asthenospheric diapir as the cause for basin development. Asthenospheric upwelling was probably also responsible for the second, Late Proterozoic, basin evolution phase, as evidenced by the lack of crustal thinning and extension, and the occurrence of tholeiitic intrusions. In addition, a Late Proterozoic thermally induced palaeo-high, located at about the position of the intracratonic basins, is compatible with indications from glaciations. As the ages of Late Proterozoic intracratonic basins also decrease from east to west across the craton, the location of asthenospheric diapirism during this time interval was also moving. For the Fennoscandian lithosphere, the presence of fundamental lithospheric weakness zones (e.g. terrane boundaries) might be an explanation for the formation of two generations of basins originating from asthenospheric upwelling at about the same location in the Fennoscandian Shield. The spacing and size of the Proterozoic intracratonic basins suggest that the asthenospheric diapirism was not deep seated. Therefore, sublithospheric convective processes might be the cause for the asthenospheric upwellings. Such processes are related to Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities in the sublithospheric mantle. Emplacement of an asthenospheric diapir causes a thermal bulge at the surface of the lithosphere. Modelling results demonstrate that erosion of the surficial high, succeeded by cooling of the lithosphere, can explain the accumulation of early Palaeozoic sediments in the Bothnian Sea basin, taking into account post-Ordovician vertical and lateral erosion of the basin fill.     

北祁连山西段早元古代变质火山岩的地球化学特征及其构造背景

产于北大河群的早元古代火山岩是北祁连山西段最主要的三期火山岩之一,其地球化学特征表明,该期火山岩的原岩为具有双峰式组合的拉斑玄武岩和中酸笥凝灰岩。两者具有完全不同的稀土分布型式,前者以极低的富集轻稀土为特征,而后者以强烈富集轻稀土的特征;基性火山岩的微量元素分布曲线指示了其形成了裂陷槽环境。结合Ｎｄ同位素特征以及区域２得出本区早元古代变质火山岩形成于裂陷槽环境。     

辽南早元古宙变质热液型金矿床成矿机理探讨

辽南早元古宙辽河群变质岩系中的金矿床为变质热液成因金矿床,矿床的形成与吕梁期变质变形作用关系密切。金矿化带的展布与金矿体的产出受韧性剪切带控制。剪切带内岩石具有明显的动态性组构特征,直接赋矿围岩为辽河群盖县组糜棱岩化千枚岩、变砂岩及云母石英糜棱岩等。韧性剪切带为含矿流体的运移提供通道。作者定义这类金矿床为变质热液型含金剪切带金矿床。     

潮汐沉积体系中的古潮汐信号——以豫西元古界鲁山剖面为例

作为古潮汐研究窗口的现代潮汐沉积体系,其研究的不断深入为古地层序列中潮汐沉积环境的重建提供了重要的理论基础与识别依据。潮汐体系的不同分类与潮坪环境的异样分带,为多样的潮汐信号提供了独特的沉积环境;现代潮汐体系中的微生物研究不断扩展生物成因古潮汐信号的涵盖范畴,物理成因潮汐信号的丰硕成果为古沉积环境重建奠定了坚实基础。结合潮汐沉积体系中古潮汐信号的新进展,分析了豫西元古界鲁山剖面的沉积特征,旨为区域古环境重建提供借鉴意义。     

广西寒露风开始期短期气候预测方法研究

利用1951-2013年广西90个气象观测站气温资料、国家气候中心74项指数和美国National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration（NOAA）的Climate Prediction Center（CPC）60项指数以及海温和陆地雪盖资料、美国国家冰雪研究中心（NSIDC）的两极海冰资料,使用相关分析方法得到广西寒露风开始期气候影响因子,利用逐步回归和神经网络方法进行寒露风开始期的预测。结果表明：寒露风开始期与前一年9-10月北极海冰面积、当年3月南极海冰面积、前一年6月欧亚雪盖、当年5月北美雪盖、北半球雪盖的相关显著。与前一年9月北半球极涡面积指数、前一年10月亚洲区极涡面积指数、前一年3月热带印度洋海温偶极子等指数相关显著。粒子群-神经网络方法预测误差低于逐步回归方法,预报能力有明显提高。     

Archean to Recent aeolian sand systems and their sedimentary record: Current understanding and future prospects

The sedimentary record of aeolian sand systems extends from the Archean to the Quaternary, yet current understanding of aeolian sedimentary processes and product remains limited. Most preserved aeolian successions represent inland sand‐sea or dunefield (erg) deposits, whereas coastal systems are primarily known from the Cenozoic. The complexity of aeolian sedimentary processes and facies variability are under‐represented and excessively simplified in current facies models, which are not sufficiently refined to reliably account for the complexity inherent in bedform morphology and migratory behaviour, and therefore cannot be used to consistently account for and predict the nature of the preserved sedimentary record in terms of formative processes. Archean and Neoproterozoic aeolian successions remain poorly constrained. Palaeozoic ergs developed and accumulated in relation to the palaeogeographical location of land masses and desert belts. During the Triassic, widespread desert conditions prevailed across much of Europe. During the Jurassic, extensive ergs developed in North America and gave rise to anomalously thick aeolian successions. Cretaceous aeolian successions are widespread in South America, Africa, Asia, and locally in Europe (Spain) and the USA. Several Eocene to Pliocene successions represent the direct precursors to the present‐day systems. Quaternary systems include major sand seas (ergs) in low‐lattitude and mid‐latitude arid regions, Pleistocene carbonate and Holocene–Modern siliciclastic coastal systems. The sedimentary record of most modern aeolian systems remains largely unknown. The majority of palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of aeolian systems envisage transverse dunes, whereas successions representing linear and star dunes remain under‐recognized. Research questions that remain to be answered include: (i) what factors control the preservation potential of different types of aeolian bedforms and what are the characteristics of the deposits of different bedform types that can be used for effective reconstruction of original bedform morphology; (ii) what specific set of controlling conditions allow for sustained bedform climb versus episodic sequence accumulation and preservation; (iii) can sophisticated four‐dimensional models be developed for complex patterns of spatial and temporal transition between different mechanisms of accumulation and preservation; and (iv) is it reasonable to assume that the deposits of preserved aeolian successions necessarily represent an unbiased record of the conditions that prevailed during episodes of Earth history when large‐scale aeolian systems were active, or has the evidence to support the existence of other major desert basins been lost for many periods throughout Earth history?     

Clay mineral,geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic fingerprinting of sediments in the Murray–Darling fluvial system,southeast Australia

The Willyama Supergroup of the Broken Hill region in southern Australia consists of supracrustal sedimentary and magmatic rocks, formed between 1810 and 1600 Ma. A statistical analysis of nearly 2000 SHRIMP U–Pb zircon spot ages, compiled from published and unpublished sources, provides evidence for three distinct tectonostratigraphic successions and four magmatic events during this interval. Succession 1 includes Redan Geophysical Zone gneisses and the lower part of the Thackaringa Group (Cues Formation). These rocks were deposited after 1810 Ma and host granite sills of the first magmatic event (1710–1700 Ma). Succession 2 includes the upper Thackaringa Group (Himalaya Formation), the Broken Hill Group and the Sundown Group and was deposited between 1710 and 1660 Ma. These rocks all contain detrital zircons from the first magmatic event (1710–1700 Ma) and in some cases from the second magmatic event (1690–1680 Ma). The second magmatic event (1690–1680 Ma) was bimodal, resulted from crustal extension, and was coeval with deposition of the Broken Hill Group and deepening of the basin. With this event a mafic sill swarm focused in the Broken Hill Domain. Mafic sills lack any trace of inheritance, unlike the granitoids that commonly contain inherited zircons typical of the supracrustal sediments. Succession 3, the Paragon Group and equivalents were deposited after 1660 Ma, but before a regional metamorphic event at 1600 Ma. Metamorphism was closely followed by inversion of the succession into a fold‐and‐thrust belt, accompanied by a fourth late to post‐orogenic magmatic event (ca 1580 Ma) characterised by granite intrusion and regional acid volcanism (the local equivalents of the Gawler Range Volcanics in South Australia).     

Comparison of the ‘strike‐slip’ versus the ‘episodic rift‐sag’ models for the origin of the Isa Superbasin

In this paper we assess two competing tectonic models for the development of the Isa Superbasin (ca 1725–1590 Ma) in the Western Fold Belt of the Mt Isa terrane. In the ‘episodic rift‐sag’ tectonic model the basin architecture is envisaged as similar to that of a Basin and Range province characterised by widespread half‐graben development. According to this model, the Isa Superbasin evolved during three stages of the Mt Isa Rift Event. Stage I involved intracontinental extension, half‐graben development, the emergence of fault scarps and tilt‐blocks, and bimodal volcanism. Stage II involved episodic rifting and sag during intervening periods of tectonic quiescence. Stage III was dominated by thermal relaxation of the lithosphere with transient episodes of extension. Sedimentation was controlled by the development of arrays of half‐grabens bounded by intrabasinal transverse or transfer faults. The competing ‘strike‐slip’ model was developed for the Gun Supersequence stratigraphic interval of the Isa Superbasin (during stage II and the beginning of stage III). According to this model, sinistral movements along north‐northeast‐orientated strike‐slip faults took place, with oblique movements along northwest‐orientated faults. This resulted in the deposition of southeast‐thickening ramp sequences with local sub‐basin depocentres forming to the west and north of north‐northeast‐ and northwest‐trending faults, respectively. It is proposed that dilation zones focused magmatism (e.g. Sybella Granite) and transfer of strike‐slip movement resulted in transient uplift along the western margin of the Mt Gordon Arch. Our analysis supports the ‘episodic rift‐sag’ model. We find that the inferred architecture for the strike‐slip model correlates poorly with the observed structural elements. Interpretation is made difficult because there has been significant modification and reorientation of fault geometry during the Isan Orogeny and these effects need to be removed before any assertion as to the basin structure is made. Strike‐slip faulting does not explain the regional‐scale pattern of basin subsidence. The ‘episodic rift‐sag’ model explains the macroscopic geometry of the Isa Superbasin and is consistent with the detailed sedimentological analysis of basin facies architecture, and the structural history and geometry.