Geochemistry of ophiolite cherts from the Qinling orogenic belt and implications for their tectonic settings

Since the 1980s, one of the important progresses in the study of the Qinling orogenic belt is marked by findings of numerous ophiolite zones[1—4]. On the basis of the former orogenic models of the Paleozoic colli-sional orogeny[1,5,6] and the Mesozoic collision[7—9], another orogenic evolution model from the Paleozoic subduction-collision along the Shangdan suture to the Mesozoic final collision orogeny along the Mianle suture[3,10], including the relicts of the Jining orogeny, has been pr…     

Age of Yingfeng rapakivi granite pluton on the north flank of Qaidam and its geological significance

Rapakivi granite is a very rare and special type of rocks in the crust. Nearly all the typical Proterozoic rapakivi occurred in stable craton, and was regarded as representing special anorogenic settings and rifting events of the supercontinents. Therefore, rapakivi has constantly been attracting the attention of researchers from various countries[15]. For example, the Protero- zoic rapakivi granites occurring in Miyun, Beijing, has been studied in detail by the researchers both at home and …     

An attenuation model for distant earthquakes

Large magnitude earthquakes generated at source–site distances exceeding 100km are typified by low‐frequency (long‐period) seismic waves. Such induced ground shaking can be disproportionately destructive due to its high displacement, and possibly high velocity, shaking characteristics. Distant earthquakes represent a potentially significant safety hazard in certain low and moderate seismic regions where seismic activity is governed by major distant sources as opposed to nearby (regional) background sources. Examples are parts of the Indian sub‐continent, Eastern China and Indo‐China. The majority of ground motion attenuation relationships currently available for applications in active seismic regions may not be suitable for handling long‐distance attenuation, since the significance of distant earthquakes is mainly confined to certain low to moderate seismicity regions. Thus, the effects of distant earthquakes are often not accurately represented by conventional empirical models which were typically developed from curve‐fitting earthquake strong‐motion data from active seismic regions. Numerous well‐known existing attenuation relationships are evaluated in this paper, to highlight their limitations in long‐distance applications. In contrast, basic seismological parameters such as the Quality factor (Q‐factor) could provide a far more accurate representation for the distant attenuation behaviour of a region, but such information is seldom used by engineers in any direct manner. The aim of this paper is to develop a set of relationships that provide a convenient link between the seismological Q‐factor (amongst other factors) and response spectrum attenuation. The use of Q as an input parameter to the proposed model enables valuable local seismological information to be incorporated directly into response spectrum predictions. The application of this new modelling approach is demonstrated by examples based on the Chi‐Chi earthquake (Taiwan and South China), Gujarat earthquake (Northwest India), Nisqually earthquake (region surrounding Seattle) and Sumatran‐fault earthquake (recorded in Singapore). Field recordings have been obtained from these events for comparison with the proposed model. The accuracy of the stochastic simulations and the regression analysis have been confirmed by comparisons between the model calculations and the actual field observations. It is emphasized that obtaining representative estimates for Q for input into the model is equally important.Thus, this paper forms part of the long‐term objective of the authors to develop more effective communications across the engineering and seismological disciplines. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparative study on the illite crystallinity and the clay mineral reflectance spectral index for subdividing the very low-grade metamorphic belt along the Lizhou-Hekou geological section in the Youjiang sedimentary basin, Guangxi, China

To examine the application potential of hyperspectral remote sensing techniques in classifying very low-grade metamorphic belts, the composition of clay minerals and the cyrstallinity of illite from mudstones were measured using XRD and VIS-SWIR (400-2500 nm) reflectance spectroscopy. Based on the illite cyrstallinity, Kubler Index (KI), the Early Triassic LuoLou Group and the Middle Triassic lower Baifeng Formation were classified as the lower Epizone with KI△2θ° ranging from 0.22 to 0.25, the upper Baifeng Formation as upper anchizone with KI△2θ°ranging from 0.26 to 0.33, and the Hekou Formation as lower anchizone with KI△2θ° ranging from 0.38 to 0.40. According to a KI△2θ° value of 0.43, it is possible that there may exist a local diagenetic zone in the upper strata. The illite cyrstallinity Kubler index and the metamorphic grade increase from the bottom to the top of the stratigraphic sequence. The metamorphic grade boundaries nearly match the stratigraphic boundaries, indicating a burial metamorphism nature for the stratigraphic sequence. From the bottom to the top of the sequence, the spectral absorption band center of clay minerals from fresh rocks is around 2200 nm. The absorption band centers change towards shorter wavelengths: the Luolou Group being at 2220 nm, the Baifeng Formation at 2217-2213 nm, the lower member of the Hekou Formation at 2214-2206 nm, and the upper member of the Hekou Formation at 2205-2197 nm. The spectral absorption band center of illite shows the same change pattern. These results indicate that very low-grade metamorphic belts can be subdivided using spectral indices of clay minerals, which are measured by using field portable spectroradiometers. However, it may not work well with satellite and airborne sensors.     

阿克苏霜期规律初探

通过分析1971～2000年阿克苏市初、终霜期及无霜期序列，初步探讨了它们的变化趋势、分布频率等气候特征，指出了初霜期推迟、终霜期提前、无霜期增长的变化趋势，而这种变化趋势与气候变暖理论相一致。     

新疆西南天山木扎尔特一带低压麻粒岩相变质作用P-T轨迹及其地质意义

本文首次报道在新疆西南天山木扎尔特一带发现了二辉石麻粒岩和麻粒岩相变质的堇青石榴矽线石片麻岩。二辉石麻粒岩的矿物组合为单斜辉石-斜方辉石-黑云母-角闪石-斜长石-石英。堇青石榴矽线石片麻岩矿物组合为堇青石-矽线石-石榴石-黑云母-斜长石-石英。岩石学和矿物学特征表明它们是典型的低压麻粒岩相变质岩石，其变质作用经历了两期演化：a．峰期麻粒岩相变质，T=681～705℃，P=5．4～5．8kbar；b．峰后角闪岩相退变阶段，T：571～637℃．P=4．7～5．3kbar。其变质作用P-T轨迹具有逆时针近等压降温(IBC)的特点，代表该地区可能为塔里木板块向伊犁．中天山板块俯冲过程中，在陆壳一侧所产生的陆源岩浆弧区域，由于受到下部岩浆热源的影响，在拉伸环境下出现低压麻粒岩相变质。通过分析低压麻粒岩相岩石与其南部高压一超高压变质带的大地构造位置和年代关系，我们认为该地区的低压麻粒岩相变质岩石可能与其南部的西天山高压一超高压变质带组成了双变质带。     

中国东部中新生代构造格局和岩浆岩带的形成与演化

在研究印支期秦岭-大别-苏鲁造山带的形成与地幔差速环流的基础上，系统综合了中国东部中新生代的基底构造对断裂构造的控制，深层构造对隆凹与断陷盆地的制约，伸展构造在陆内及陆缘外的表现，岩浆岩带的时空分布及展布特点等规律，依据中国东部中新生代构造格局与岩浆岩带在时空分布上的宽阔性、方向性、迁移性、分带性，特别是深层构造对浅层断裂构造、伸展构造的制约，以及岩浆岩带、隆起与盆地等自西向东迁移特点，提出其形成机制可能与强大地幔东向差速环流有关。     

Isotope provinces, mechanisms of generation and sources of the continental crust in the Central Asian mobile belt: geological and isotopic evidence

The available geological, geochronological and isotopic data on the felsic magmatic and related rocks from South Siberia, Transbaikalia and Mongolia are summarized to improve our understanding of the mechanisms and processes of the Phanerozoic crustal growth in the Central Asian mobile belt (CAMB). The following isotope provinces have been recognised: ‘Precambrian’ (T_DM=3.3–2.9 and 2.5–0.9 Ga) at the microcontinental blocks, ‘Caledonian’ (T_DM=1.1–0.55 Ga), ‘Hercynian’ (T_DM=0.8–0.5 Ma) and ‘Indosinian’ (T_DM=0.3 Ga) that coincide with coeval tectonic zones and formed at 570–475, 420–320 and 310–220 Ma. Continental crust of the microcontinents is underlain by, or intermixed with, ‘juvenile’ crust as evidenced by its isotopic heterogeneity. The continental crust of the Caledonian, Hercynian and Indosinian provinces is isotopically homogeneous and was produced from respective juvenile sources with addition of old crustal material in the island arcs or active continental margin environments. The crustal growth in the CAMB had episodic character and important crust-forming events took place in the Phanerozoic. Formation of the CAMB was connected with break up of the Rodinia supercontinent in consequence of creation of the South-Pacific hot superplume. Intraplate magmatism preceding and accompanying permanently other magmatic activity in the CAMB was caused by influence of the long-term South-Pacific plume or the Asian plume damping since the Devonian.     

The Relationship between Tectono-metamorphic Evolution and Argon Isotope Records in White Mica: Constraints from in situ 40Ar-39Ar Laser Analysis of the Variscan Basement of Sardinia

The basement of Sardinia represents a nearly complete sectionof a segment of the Variscan belt that experienced a polyphasetectono-metamorphic evolution and Barrovian metamorphism. Thisbasement is well suited to investigate the relationship betweentectono-metamorphic evolution and argon isotope records in whitemica. Micaschists from the garnet zone (maximum T of up to 520–560°C)contain two texturally and chemically resolvable generationsof white mica: (1) deformed celadonite-rich flakes, defininga relict S₁ foliation preserved within the main S₂ foliationor enclosed in rotated albite porphyroblasts; (2) celadonite-poorwhite micas aligned along the main S₂ foliation. The S₁ foliationdeveloped earlier and at a deeper crustal level with respectto that at which the thermal peak was reached. From the staurolitezone (T of up to 590–625°C) to the sillimanite + K-feldsparzone, white mica is nearly uniform in composition (muscovite)and is predominantly aligned along the S₂ foliation or is oflater crystallization. In situ ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar laser analysesof white mica yielded ages of     

A Sequence of Pan-African and Hercynian Events Recorded in Zircons from an Orthogneiss from the Hercynian Belt of Western Central Iberia--an Ion Microprobe U-Pb Study

Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U–Pb dating showsthat a biotite orthogneiss from the Hercynian belt of westerncentral Iberia contains 1000–300 Ma zircon. Older, 1000–570Ma ages within this range represent inherited, detrital materialamong which four age components may be recognized: