Latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous radiolarian fauna from the Xialu chert in the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone, southern Tibet: Comparison with coeval western Pacific radiolarian faunas and paleoceanographic implications

Abstract The Xialu chert radiolarian fauna is latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous in age (Pseudodictyomitra carpatica zone) and contains many taxa in common with coeval northern hemisphere middle‐latitude (temperate) radiolarian faunas represented by the Torinosu fauna in southwest Japan. Common elements include Eucyrtidiellum pyramis (Aita), Protunuma japonicus Matsuoka & Yao, Sethocapsa pseudouterculus Aita, Sethocapsa (?) subcrassitestata Aita, Archaeodictyomitra minoensis (Mizutani), Stichocapsa praepulchella Hori and Xitus gifuensis (Mizutani). The Xialu fauna is less similar to low‐latitude (tropical) assemblages represented by the Mariana fauna. For this reason, the Xialu fauna is regarded as representative of a southern hemisphere middle‐latitude (temperate) fauna. A mirror‐image bi‐temperate provincialism to the equator in radiolarian faunas is reconstructed for the Ceno‐Tethys and Pacific Ocean in latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous time.     

Rivers turned to rock: Late Quaternary alluvial induration influencing the behaviour and morphology of an anabranching river in the Australian monsoon tropics

Late Quaternary alluvial induration has greatly influenced contemporary channel morphology on the anabranching Gilbert River in the monsoon tropics of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Gilbert, one of a number of rivers in this region, has contributed to an extensive system of coalescing low-gradient and partly indurated riverine plains. Extensive channel sands were deposited by enhanced flow conditions during marine oxygen isotope (OI) Stage 5. Subsequent flow declined, probably associated with increased aridity, however, enhanced runoff recurred again in OI Stages 4–3 (65–50 ka). Aridity then capped these plains with 4–7 m of mud. A widespread network of sandy distributary channels was incised into this muddy surface from sometime after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the mid Holocene during a fluvial episode more active than the present but less so than those of OI Stages 5 and 3. This network is still partly active but with channel avulsion and abandonment now occurring largely proximal to the main Gilbert flow path.A tropical climate and reactive catchment lithology have enhanced chemical weathering and lithification of alluvium along the river resulting in the formation of small rapids, waterfalls and inset gorges, features characteristic more of bedrock than alluvial systems. Thermoluminescence (TL) and comparative optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of the sediments are presented along with U/Th ages of pedogenic calcrete and Fe/Mn oxyhydroxide/ oxide accumulations. They show that calcrete precipitated during the Late Quaternary at times similar to those that favoured ferricrete formation, possibly because of an alternating wet–dry climate. Intense chemical alteration of the alluvium leading to induration appears to have prevailed for much of the Late Quaternary but, probably due to exceptional dryness, not during the LGM. The result has been restricted channel migration and a reduced capacity for the channel to adjust and accommodate sudden changes in bedload. Consequent avulsions have caused local stream powers to increase by an order of magnitude, inducing knickpoint erosion, local incision and the sudden influx of additional bedload that has triggered further avulsions. The Gilbert River, while less energetic than its Pleistocene ancestors, is clearly an avulsive system, and emphasizes the importance in some tropical rivers of alluvial induration for reinforcing the banks, generating nickpoints, reworking sediment and thereby developing and maintaining an indurated and anabranching river style.     

第四纪环境重建的良好代用指标——有壳变形虫记录与古生态学研究进展

有壳变形虫是一类广泛分布在淡水潮湿环境中的根足纲原生动物,具有较窄的生态幅、较短的生命周期,对环境变化敏感等特点,因此沉积物中保存的有壳变形虫化石可以提供高分辨率的环境信息。有壳变形虫化石在古湖泊学与人类活动、古水文、古温度、第四纪海平面变化的定量重建等方面具有独特而重要的研究价值。在欧洲和北美开展的大量研究已证实有壳变形虫是古环境变化的有效指示器。我国地域辽阔,生境多样,无论是开展现代有壳变形虫的生态学研究,还是沉积物中有壳变形虫记录的古环境重建,都有巨大的研究潜力。     

山东程戈庄—铺集地区第四纪地层划分及地质特征

在程戈庄幅、铺集幅浅覆盖区地质填图工作中,对区内第四系采用地面调查与第四系钻探相结合的方式,开展了岩石地层、年代地层,磁性地层及沉积环境等方面的工作。初步建立了地层格架,区内第四纪地层划分为于泉组、大埠组、大站组、黑土湖组、临沂组及沂河组6个组级地层单位;分析了各年代地层单位的沉积环境及沉积相;开始了年代学研究,区内第四系形成于中更新世以后,形成年龄均晚于0.781Ma。     

滇西地区怒江河流阶地、夷平面变形反映的第四纪构造运动

滇西地区自第四纪以来经过了复杂的构造抬升, 其上新世准平原面被差异抬升为不同高度的夷平面。 在抬升过程中, 怒江的侵蚀作用形成了深切的高山峡谷地貌, 并形成了能反映构造抬升过程的多级河流阶地。 这种高山峡谷地貌的形成不仅与构造活动有关, 还与气候变化有关, 但构造活动是主因。 通过河流阶地和夷平面的研究能够得到河流阶地特征和差异隆升特征, 并能够进一步反演该区的构造活动特征。     

南四湖周边地区第四纪地层划分的初步研究

依据南四湖周边地区数十眼钻孔的数据资料,以岩性地层分析对比研究为基础,通过利用“C、热释光等年代测定和孢粉分析技术方法,对该地区第四纪地层的划分提出了初步认识。经研究认为,该区中南部的南四湖、北五湖的湖相沉积大约形成于全新世中晚期之后。根据区内松散岩层的沉积物岩性和岩层的组合特征可以划分出5个岩组段。     

青藏高原高寒区生物地理学研究进展

近年来,随着DNA测序技术的发展,青藏高原及周边地区的生物地理学研究取得重大成果,从生物演化方面着手探讨了青藏高原隆升历史及其气候效应.综合近年来地质学、古生物学与生物地理学研究进展,我们发现高原及周边地区高寒生物类群的起源和分化时间以及多样性演化过程表明早在渐新世青藏高原部分地区就已经存在高寒生态系统,晚中新世以来青...     

祁连山北缘—河西走廊西段晚新生代逆冲推覆断裂发育模式

祁连山北缘—河西走廊西段地处青藏高原东北缘,是我国新构造活动最强烈的地区之一。通过野外对研究区主要活动断裂的调查研究、结合年代学测试和综合分析,认为祁连山北缘—河西走廊西段地区的旱峡—大黄沟断裂、玉门断裂、新民堡断裂和阴洼山断裂都是晚更新世至全新世活动断裂。旱峡—大黄沟断裂形成于中新世晚期,一直活动至今;玉门断裂形成于上新世早期,在距今7.6ka左右和3.2ka左右发生过2次强烈的新构造活动(古地震),也是2002年玉门地震的发震断裂;阴洼山断裂形成于上新世晚期(3.0Ma左右),在距今19.9～21.0ka、8.6～10.0ka、4.1～5.0ka发生过3次强烈的新构造活动,也可能是1785年惠民堡(现新民堡)地震的发震断裂;但是位于近盆地中心的新民堡断裂形成时代明显晚的多,起始于中更新世晚期(0.17Ma左右),在距今28.3ka、4.4ka和1.2ka左右发生过强烈的3次新构造活动。在运动形式上,上述4条断裂均为自南南西向北北东的逆冲推覆。在变形性质上,新民堡断裂以非地震性的蠕滑为主,其他3条断裂主要为地震性的粘滑变形。在祁连山北缘—河西走廊西段的北北东剖面上,逆冲推覆断裂表现为前展-后展复合发育模式,即形成时代最新的是位于酒西盆地中心的新民堡断裂,在酒西盆地中心以南部分的剖面中断裂发育为前展式,由祁连山腹地向河西走廊盆地中心断裂形成时代越来越新,而酒西盆地中心以北部分的剖面中断裂发育为后展式,即从盆地中心到盆地北缘断裂形成时代越来越老。     

末次盛冰期以来河北平原第四系地下水流系统的演变

以区域自然地理及地质历史分析为基础,以环境同位素及大陆盐化咸水后期变化为实证依据,重塑了末次盛冰期以来河北平原第四系地下水流模式演变。研究发现,末次盛冰期以来河北平原第四系地下水流系统经历3个演变阶段:(1)距今18～15ka的低海平面时期,接受持续补给,地下水得到充分交替,发育穿透达到或接近第四系底界的区域水流系统;(2)距今15～12ka的海平面急剧抬升期,地形势差减弱,发育穿透第三含水层组的早期中间水流系统,与此同时区域水流系统趋于停滞;(3)距今2.5ka以来,现代河流地貌成形,高位河床与低位河床及河间低地的势差成为主要驱动力,发育穿透第一及第二含水层组的晚期中间水流系统。随着海平面抬升,后期发育的水流系统切割前期水流系统的一部分并叠置其上。因此,现今河北平原第四系的地下水流系统乃是不同演变时期地下水流系统的时空四维集合体。其他濒海平原,乃至侵蚀强度随时间减弱的内陆盆地,都有可能出现类似图景。距今12ka前后形成的大陆盐化咸水,由上升水流带到浅部,导致浅层咸水以及土地盐渍化,乃是河北平原水资源利用及生态与环境保护的关键性不利因素。