Geochronology and geochemistry of mafic dykes in the Helanshan complex: Implications for Mesozoic tectonics in the North China Craton

The Helanshan tectonic belt(HTB) is a major tectonic divide between the Alxa and Ordos blocks in the North China Craton. The geochronology and petrogenesis of the mafic dykes in the northern HTB are keys to understanding the tectonic evolution of this belt. The mafic dykes, intruded into the Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic metamorphic basement, are mainly composed of diabase with a mineral assemblage of plagioclase(45%-60%), pyroxene(25%-35%), minor quartz and Fe-Ti oxides. The LA-ICPMS U-Pb analysis of zircon grains from representative dykes yield a weighted mean age of 206 ± 1.9 Ma, which represents the crystallization age of the dyke. The diabases show high contents of Fe_2 O_3~T(11.88-17.55 wt.%), low contents of SiO_2(45.65-50.95 wt.%) and MgO(3.31-5.50 wt.%) with low Mg#(=100×MgO/(MgO + FeO) atomic ration) of 33-44. They are characterized by enrichment of light rare earth elements(LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements(LILEs)(e.g., Rb, Ba and Pb), and slight depletion of high field strength elements(HFSEs). These features suggest that the magma has undergone extensive fractionation of olivine and pyroxene but only minor crustal contamination during its evolution. Their high Sm contents and La/Sm ratios, and low Sm/Yb ratios indicate that magma from which the dykes formed was derived from low degree(about 5%) partial melting of an enriched garnet + spinel lherzolite mantle source. Together with regional geology, these geochemical and geochronological data suggest that the mafic dykes in the HTB were formed in an intracontinental extensional setting during the late Triassic.     

中亚造山带北山下—中二叠统物源分析及古地理意义

甘蒙北山地区位于中亚造山带中段南端,该区广泛出露的海相二叠系是中亚造山带最年轻的海相沉积之一,是解析古亚洲洋晚期演化的理想载体。然而,北山地区的物源学数据分布不均衡、缺少统计对比,直接限制了学界对古亚洲洋古地理结构的探讨。本文在贯穿北山地区中部至南部的8条剖面中获得了681个碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄和192个Hf同位素数据;在等时地层对比的基础上,统计计算了北山地区已发表的下—中二叠统碎屑锆石数据,重建了区域古地理面貌。早—中二叠世,红石山洋向南俯冲至旱山地块之下,形成了黑鹰山弧和弧后裂谷盆地。该盆地北侧的物源分别来自于旱山地块的前寒武纪基底(926～775 Ma)和奥陶纪—志留纪岩体(485～421 Ma),而南侧的物源主要来自于马鬃山隆起。马鬃山隆起是早古生代红柳河—洗肠井洋闭合的产物,主要由奥陶纪—泥盆纪岩体(470～367 Ma)组成,包括早古生代马鬃山岛弧和双鹰山地块的大部分地区。北山南部发育柳园裂谷盆地,盆地南北两侧的碎屑物质分别主要来自于石炭纪—二叠纪火山岩(322～270 Ma)和马鬃山隆起的早古生代岩体,这两种碎屑物质在盆地中心交汇。本文古地理重建结果表明：红石山洋可代表...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114001091

The Wulungu Depression is the northernmost first-order tectonic unit in the Junggar Basin.It can be divided into three sub-units:the Hongyan step-fault zone,the Suosuoquan sag and the Wulungu south slope.The Cenozoic strata in the basin are intact and Mesozoic—Cenozoic deformation can be observed in the Wulungu step-fault zone,so this is an ideal place to study the Mesozoic—Cenozoic deformation.By integration of fault-related folding theories,regional geology and drilling data,the strata of the Cretaceous—Paleogene systems are divided into small layers which are selected as the subjects of this research.The combination of the developing unconformity with existing growth strata makes it conceivable that faults on the step-fault zone have experienced different degrees of reactivation of movement since the Cretaceous.Evolutionary analyses of the small layers using 2D-Move software showed certain differences in the reactivation of different segments of the Wulungu Depression such as the timing of reactivation of thrusting,for which the reactivity time of the eastern segment was late compared with those of the western and middle segments.In addition the resurrection strength was similarly slightly different,with the shortening rate being higher in the western segment than in the other segments.Moreover,the thrust fault mechanism is basement-involved combined with triangle shear fold,for which a forward evolution model was proposed.     

Geochronology and Tectonic Evolution of the West Section of the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt

As an important part of South China Old Land, the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt plays a significant role in explaining the assembly and the evolution of the Upper Yangtze Block and Cathaysia, as well as the structure and growth mechanism of continental lithosphere in South China.The Lengjiaxi and the Banxi groups are the base strata of the west section of the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt.Thus, the research of geochronology and tectonic evolution of the Lengjiaxi and the Banxi groups is significant.The maximum sedimentary age of the Lengjiaxi Group is ca.862 Ma, and the minimum is ca.822 Ma.The Zhangjiawan Formation, which is situated in the upper part of the Banxi Group is ca.802 Ma.The Lengjiaxi Group and equivalent strata should thus belong to the Neoproterozoic in age.The Jiangnan Orogenic Belt consisting of the Lengjiaxi and the Banxi groups as important constituents is not a Greenville Orogen Belt(1.3 Ga–1.0 Ga).The Jiangnan Orogenic Belt is a recyclic orogenic belt, and the prototype basin is a foreland basin with materials derived from the southwest and the sediments belong to the active continental sedimentation.By combining large amounts of dating data of the Lengjiaxi and the Banxi groups as well as equivalent strata, the evolutionary model of the western section of the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt is established as follows: Before 862 Ma, the South China Ocean was subducted beneath the Upper Yangtze Block, while a continental island arc was formed on the side near the Upper Yangtze Block.The South China Ocean was not closed in this period.From 862 Ma to 822 Ma, the Upper Yangtze Block was collided with Cathaysia; and sediments began to be deposited in the foreland basin between the two blocks.The Lengjiaxi Group and equivalent strata were thus formed and the materials might be derived from the recyclic orogenic belt.From 822 Ma to 802 Ma, Cathaysia continued pushing to the Upper Yangtze Block, experienced the Jinning-Sibao Movement(Wuling Movement); as result, the folded basement of the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt was formed.After 802 Ma, Cathaysia and the Upper Yangtze Block were separated from each other, the Nanhua rift basin was formed and began to receive the sediments of the Banxi Group and equivalent strata.These large amounts of dating data and research results also indicate that before the collision of the Upper Yangtze Block with Cathaysia, materials of the continental crust became less and less from the southwest to the east in the Jiangnan Orogeneic Belt; only island arc and neomagmatic arc were developed in the eastern section.Ocean-continent subduction or continent-continent subduction took place in the western and southern sections, while intra-oceanic subduction occurred in the eastern section.Comprehensive analyses on U-Pb ages and Hf model ages of zircons, the main provenance of the Lengjiaxi Group is Cathaysia.     

丝绸之路经济带的地理空间认知框架研究

针对现有的丝绸之路经济带研究主要集中在人文角度的描述、统计和分析,缺少形象的空间思维手段和对经济带战略全局的整体把控的现状,该文在分析丝绸之路经济带地理特点的基础上,提出了丝绸之路经济带地理空间认知框架,认为丝绸之路经济带的地理空间认知是从概念空间、数据空间到信息空间、知识空间,最后形成智慧空间的认知深化过程,并重点研究了专家认知和用户认知两个关键环节。在此框架下,该文结合丝绸之路经济带的地理特点和测绘地理信息行业的技术现状从地理概念、地理数据、专家认知和用户认知四个方面分析了丝绸之路经济带的主要认知内容。研究表明,用户地理空间认知的深化程度依赖于前期的专家认知成果,专家在认知过程中必须时刻围绕用户的地理空间认知需求,专家认知和用户认知是地理空间认知有机统一的两个核心环节,不可割裂或偏废;直观的地理概念、准确的地理数据、丰富的专家经验和便捷的分析工具是科学认知丝绸之路经济带的技术保障,可以为区域经济合作战略的实施提供更多的地理智慧。     

基于陆路交通的丝绸之路经济带可达性与城市空间联系

对丝绸之路经济带交通网络及城市空间联系进行分析是实施丝绸之路经济带战略和推进沿线区域合作共赢的基础工作。本文基于GIS空间分析技术,研究了丝绸之路经济带栅格可达性空间格局,并依托陆路交通网络进行了城市空间联系状态模拟。结果显示:丝绸之路经济带内城市可达性空间分布呈现出集聚分布的特点,具有明显的"走廊"空间特征。城市节点平均可达性时间为16.25 h,可达性在2 h以内的区域仅占全区总面积的10.60%,可达性最差的区域大都为荒漠地区,最差可达性高达171 h;西安作为门户城市,承担了中国西北五省与丝绸之路经济带有关国家、地区和城市之间的联系。中亚国家内部及其与外部国家城市之间的空间联系较为薄弱;丝绸之路经济带正在发育形成4条轴线,在未来丝绸之路经济带战略推进过程中,应实施"点—轴"带动,协同推进重点发展走廊和中心城市培育工作。     

中国对“一带一路”沿线直接投资空间格局

2015年3月28日,中国政府正式发布了《推动共建丝绸之路经济带和21世纪海上丝绸之路的愿景与行动》。如何通过对"一带一路"国家和地区直接投资,提升主要产业的国际竞争力,促进中国产业转型升级,实现与沿线国家共同繁荣,已成为当前迫切需要解决的重大课题。现有对外投资理论多基于发达国家的经验,不完全适用于中国;目前的研究侧重从自然资源、市场要素等方面分析中国企业的海外投资动因及影响机制,缺少面向国家战略需求的宏观投资格局研究。本文通过集成统计数据、实地调研和高层访谈等,在回顾国内外对外直接投资研究基础上,提出中国对"一带一路"沿线直接投资空间战略的分析框架,进一步分析中国对沿线国家和地区直接投资的空间分布和产业选择;尔后,剖析投资面临的困境和挑战,并提出中国对沿线地区的空间差异化投资引导战略。     

Radio-Loud and Radio-Quiet Gamma-Ray Pulsars from the Galaxy and the Gould Belt

We present results of a population synthesis study of radio-loud and radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars from the Galactic plane and the Gould Belt. The simulation includes the Parkes multibeam pulsar survey, realistic beam geometries for radio and γ-ray emission from neutron stars and the new electron density model of Cordes and Lazio. Normalizing to the number of radio pulsars observed by a set of nine radio surveys, the simulation suggests a neutron star birth rate of 1.4 neutron stars per century in the Galactic plane. In addition, the simulation predicts 19 radio-loud and 7 radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars from the plane that EGRET should have observed as point sources. Assuming that during the last 5 Myr the Gould Belt produced 100 neutron stars, only 10 of these would be observed as radio pulsars with three radio-loud and four radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars observed by EGRET. These results are in general agreement with the recent number of about 25 EGRET error boxes that contain Parkes radio pulsars. Since the Gould Belt pulsars are relatively close by, the selection of EGRET radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars strongly favors large impact angles, β, in the viewing geometry where the off-beam emission from curvature radiation provides the γ-ray flux. Therefore, the simulated EGRET radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars, being young and nearby, most closely reflect the current shape of the Gould Belt suggesting that such sources may significantly contribute to the EGRET unidentified γ-ray sources correlated with the Gould Belt.     

Dynamical determination of the mass of the Kuiper Belt from motions of the inner planets of the Solar system

In this paper we determine dynamically the mass of the Kuiper Belt Objects by exploiting the latest least-squares determinations of the extra rates of perihelia of the inner planets of the Solar system. By modelling classical Kuiper Belt Objects as an ecliptic ring of finite thickness, we obtain 0.033 ± 0.115 in units of terrestrial masses. For resonant Kuiper Belt Objects, a two-ring model yields 0.018 ± 0.063. These values are consistent with recent determinations obtained using ground- and space-based optical techniques. Some implications for precise tests of Einsteinian and post-Einsteinian gravity are briefly discussed.     

Combined modeling of thermal evolution and accretion of trans-neptunian objects—Occurrence of high temperatures and liquid water

We have calculated the early thermal evolution of trans-neptunian objects by means of a thermal evolution code that takes into account simultaneous accretion. The set of coupled partial differential equations for ²⁶Al radioactive heating, transformation of amorphous to crystalline ice and melting of water ice was solved numerically for small porous icy (cometary-like) bodies growing to final radii between 2 and 32 km and accreting between 20 and 44 AU. Accretion within a swarm of gravitationally interacting small bodies was calculated self-consistently with a simple accretion algorithm and thermal evolution of a typical member of the swarm was tracked in a parameter-space survey. We find that including accretion in numerical modeling of thermal evolution leads to a broad variety of thermally processed icy bodies and that the early occurrence of liquid water and extended crystalline ice interiors may be a very common phenomenon. The pristine nature of small icy bodies becomes thus restricted to a particular set of initial conditions. Generally, long-period comets should be more thermally affected than short-period ones.