High-T, low-P metamorphism in the Palaeoproterozoic Halls Creek Orogen, northern Australia: the middle crustal response to a mantle-related transient thermal pulse

High‐T, low‐P metamorphic rocks of the Palaeoproterozoic central Halls Creek Orogen in northern Australia are characterised by low radiogenic heat production, high upper crustal thermal gradients (locally exceeding 40 °C km^?1) sustained for over 30 Myr, and a large number of layered mafic‐ultramafic intrusions with mantle‐related geochemical signatures. In order to account for this combination of geological and thermal characteristics, we model the middle crustal response to a transient mantle‐related heat pulse resulting from a temporary reduction in the thickness of the mantle lithosphere. This mechanism has the potential to raise mid‐crustal temperatures by 150–400 °C within 10–20 Myr following initiation of the mantle temperature anomaly, via conductive dissipation through the crust. The magnitude and timing of maximum temperatures attained depend strongly on the proximity, duration and lateral extent of the thermal anomaly in the mantle lithosphere, and decrease sharply in response to anomalies that are seated deeper than 50–60 km, maintained for <5 Myr in duration and/or have half‐widths <100 km. Maximum temperatures are also intimately linked to the thermal properties of the model crust, primarily due to their influence on the steady‐state (background) thermal gradient. The amplitudes of temperature increases in the crust are principally a function of depth, and are broadly independent of crustal thermal parameters. Mid‐crustal felsic and mafic plutonism is a predictable consequence of perturbed thermal regimes in the mantle and the lowermost crust, and the advection of voluminous magmas has the potential to raise temperatures in the middle crust very quickly. Although pluton‐related thermal signatures significantly dissipate within <10 Myr (even for very large, high‐temperature intrusive bodies), the interaction of pluton‐ and mantle‐related thermal effects has the potential to maintain host rock temperatures in excess of 400–450 °C for up to 30 Myr in some parts of the mid‐crust. The numerical models presented here support the notion that transient mantle‐related heat sources have the capacity to contribute significantly to the thermal budget of metamorphism in high‐T, low‐P metamorphic belts, especially in those characterised by low surface heat flow, very high peak metamorphic geothermal gradients and abundant mafic intrusions.     

Thermal evolution of the central Halls Creek Orogen,northern Australia

The Halls Creek Orogen in northern Australia records the Palaeoproterozoic collision of the Kimberley Craton with the North Australian Craton. Integrated structural, metamorphic and geochronological studies of the Tickalara Metamorphics show that this involved a protracted episode of high‐temperature, low‐pressure metamorphism associated with intense and prolonged mafic and felsic intrusive activity in the interval ca 1850–1820 Ma. Tectonothermal development of the region commenced with an inferred mantle perturbation event, probably at ca 1880 Ma. This resulted in the generation of mafic magmas in the upper mantle or lower crust, while upper crustal extension preceded the rapid deposition of the Tickalara sedimentary protoliths. An older age limit for these rocks is provided by a psammopelitic gneiss from the Tickalara Metamorphics, which yield a ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb SHRIMP age of 1867 ± 4 Ma for the youngest detrital zircon suite. Voluminous layered mafic intrusives were emplaced in the middle crust at ca 1860–1855 Ma, prior to the attainment of lower granulite facies peak metamorphic conditions in the middle crust. Locally preserved layer‐parallel D₁ foliations that were developed during prograde metamorphism were pervasively overprinted by the dominant regional S₂ gneissosity coincident with peak metamorphism. Overgrowths on zircons record a metamorphic ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 1845 ± 4 Ma. The S₂ fabric is folded around tight folds and cut by ductile shear zones associated with D₃ (ca 1830 Ma), and all pre‐existing structures are folded around large‐scale, open F₄ folds (ca 1820 Ma). Construction of a temperature‐time path for the mid‐crustal section exposed in the central Halls Creek Orogen, based on detailed SHRIMP zircon data, key field relationships and petrological evidence, suggests the existence of one protracted thermal event (>400–500°C for 25–30 million years) encompassing two deformation phases. Protoliths to the Tickalara Metamorphics were relatively cold (～350°C) when intruded by the Fletcher Creek Granite at ca 1850 Ma, but were subsequently heated rapidly to 700–800°C during peak metamorphism at ca 1845 Ma. Repeated injection of mafic magmas caused multiple remelting of the metasedimentary wall rocks, with mappable increases in leucosome volume that show a strong spatial relationship to these intrusives. This mafic igneous activity prolonged the elevated geotherm and ensured that the rocks remained very hot (≥650°C) for at least 10 million years. The Mabel Downs Tonalite was emplaced during amphibolite facies metamorphism, with intrusion commencing at ca 1835 Ma. Its compositional heterogeneity, and the presence of mutual cross‐cutting relations between ductile shear zones and multiple injections of mingled magma suggest that it was emplaced syn‐D₃. Broad‐scale folding attributable to F₄ was accompanied by widespread intrusion of granitoids, and F₄ fold limbs are truncated by large, mostly brittle retrograde S₄ shear zones.     

Multistage deformation of linked fault systems in extensional regions: An example from the northern Perth Basin,Western Australia

Linked fault systems identified in the northern portion of the onshore Perth basin comprise north‐striking normal faults, the dominant structures in the basin, and hard linkages—east‐striking transfer faults. The former are either divided into segments of distinctive character by, or terminate at, the transfer faults. The fault systems were initiated by west‐southwest‐east‐northeast extension in the Early Permian but were reactivated by subsequent rifting with approximately east‐west extension in the Jurassic. They were also reactivated by the oblique extension of northwest‐southeast orientation associated with Gondwana continental breakup in the Late Jurassic ‐ earliest Cretaceous. In addition to reactivation, older structures of the linked fault families controlled the development of younger fractures and folds. During the oblique extension, the linked fault systems define releasing bends, characterised by a rollover anticline in the hangingwall of the Mountain Bridge Fault, and restraining bends where contractional folds are sites of major commercial hydrocarbon fields in the basin.     

Silurian collisional suturing onto the southern margin of the North China craton: Detrital zircon geochronology constraints from the Qilian Orogen

The Qilian Orogen of north western China records mid-Paleozoic collisional suturing of arc and continental blocks onto the south western margin of the North China craton. Silurian strata from the retroarc foreland basin mark the transition from ocean closure and northward subduction to the initiation of collision suturing. Detrital zircons were analysed from the western and eastern parts of the basin and show a spectrum of ages from Archean to Paleozoic with major age concentrations at around 2.5 Ga, 1.6 Ga, 1.2 Ga, 0.98 Ga, 0.7 Ga and 0.45 Ga. Archean age grains are derived from the North China craton, whereas the Central Qilian Bloc, which lies to the south provides the likely source for the bulk of the Proterozoic detritus. Paleozoic grains are restricted to Early Silurian samples from the western part of the basin and are considered to have been derived from the magmatic arc related to ocean closure and ultimate collision of the Central Qilian Belt with the North China craton.     

Tectonothermal history of the basement rocks in the western zone of the North China Craton and its tectonic implications

The basement of the North China Craton can be divided into the eastern, central and western zones, based on lithological, structural, metamorphic and geochronological data. The western zone comprises two different petrotectonic units: Archaean tonalitic–trondhjemitic–granodioritic (TTG) grey gneisses and metamorphic mafic rocks, and Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series. The former is characterized by isobaric cooling (IBC)-type anticlockwise P–T paths in the north-northwestern part of the zone and near-isothermal decompression (ITD)-type clockwise P–T paths in the eastern part, adjacent to the central zone. On the other hand, the tectonothermal evolution of Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series rocks is characterized exclusively by nearly isothermal decompression following the peak of metamorphism and then cooling, defining clockwise P–T paths. The Archaean TTG gneisses and associated mafic rocks with anticlockwise metamorphic P–T paths reflects an origin related to underplating and intrusion of mantle-derived magmas which may be derived from mantle plumes. They represent a late Archaean continental block in the western part of the North China Craton. The Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series rocks represent passive continental margin deposits. They were metamorphosed and deformed in the late Palaeoproterozoic during the amalgamation of the western continental block with another continental block in the east part of the North China Craton. The ITD-type clockwise P–T–t paths of the Palaeoproterozoic khondalite series rocks record the tectonothermal histories of the collision of the western and eastern continental blocks which resulted in the final assembly of the North China Craton at c. 1800 Ma.     

山西五台山-恒山地区晚太古-早元古代若干关键地质问题的再认识:单颗粒锆石离子探针质谱年龄提出的地质制约

大量准确度很高的单颗粒锆石迅谱(SHRIMP)年代学数据表明,五台山-恒山绿岩带形成于2500Ma之前,五台山-恒山绿岩带形成后即与较老的阜平块体拼合。因此,该过程中有大量火山,深成活动及变质作用,是一次重要的造山运动。在1800Ma之前,本区还经历了一次明显的构造热事件,主要表现为在地壳较深水平上大规模的冲断作用,使原来为不同地壳水平的块体处于同一地壳水平。本文还对原五台群下部层位板峪口组和金岗库组的归属及铁堡不整合面提出了新的看法。     

厦门东海域鱼类食物网研究

本文分析了厦门东海域58种鱼类的营养关系.根据对它们的食性分析,并依其食料生物的生态类群,将厦门东海域的鱼类食性类型分为:浮游生物食性、底栖生物食性、游泳动物食性、浮游生物和底栖生物、底栖生物和游泳动物食性等5种.该海域鱼类的营养级可分为4级:杂食性鱼类、低级肉食性鱼类、中级肉食性鱼类和高级肉食性鱼类,其中低级肉食性鱼类占优势,为63.79%.本文还分析了厦门东海域鱼类的食物网及其能量流动途径,并提出合理利用和保护厦门东海域鱼类资源的建议.     

准噶尔盆地复杂地区地层压力预测方法研究及应用

准噶尔盆地地层压力分布复杂,长期以来由于地层压力预测不准,在钻井过程中常出现井壁失稳、卡钻、井壁坍塌、钻井液漏失等工程事故,严重影响了钻井速度.为减少工程复杂问题,准确预测地层压力至关重要.为此,在准噶尔盆地开展了断层相关褶皱理论解释复杂构造、利用地质构造建模指导速度建模,求出每层的层速度和真倾角,再用Terzaghi 理论计算地层孔隙压力,计算结果证实地层压力预测精度显著提高.     

Closure of the Clymene Ocean and formation of West Gondwana in the Cambrian: Evidence from the Sierras Australes of the southernmost Rio de la Plata craton,Argentina

The formation of Gondwana took place across a series of Brasiliano–Pan African suture zones that record late Neoproterozoic to earliest Paleozoic collisions between Precambrian cratons. In South America, an internal suture zone marks the disappearance of the Clymene Ocean that separated the Amazon craton from the São Francisco and Rio de la Plata cratons. New geochronological data from the southern end of this massive collision zone in the Sierras Australes of central-eastern Argentina document Paleoproterozoic crust and suggest an Ediacaran age for the oldest sedimentary rocks. These two observations extend the known limit of the Rio de la Plata craton at least 200 km SW of previous estimates. New data also confirm the occurrence of late Ediacaran to late Cambrian magmatism in the Sierras Australes. The age of these hypabyssal to volcanic rocks corresponds to igneous events in the Pampean belt along the western margin of the Rio de la Plata craton, although the shallow level magma emplacement in the Sierra da Ventana study area contrasts with the deeply exhumed rocks of the Pampean orogeny type locality. These new age data are compared with a broad compilation of geochronological age Clymene collision belts to the north, the Paraguai and Araguaia belts. The close overlap of the timing of orogenesis indicates the age of Clymene ocean closure in its northern reaches. In the south, the Pampean belt was unconfined, allowing continued tectonic activity and crustal accretion throughout the Paleozoic.     

Crystal Structure and Chemical Composition of Ludwigite from Vranovac Ore Deposit (Boranja Mountain,Serbia)

The crystal structure of ludwigite from Vranovac ore deposit (Boranja Mt., Serbia) was refined using the X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) Rietveld method in the space group Pbam to a final RB=7.45% and RF=5.26%. It has the unit cell dimensions of: a=9.2515(2) ?; b=12.3109(2) ?; c=3.03712(7) ?; and V=345.91(1) ?3. The calculated distances and angles are mostly in good agreement with the Mg2+-Fe2+ substitutions across the M(1) and M(3) sites, as well as with the Fe3+-Al3+ replacement in the M(4) site. However, the mean observed M(2)-O distance is considerably shorter than prescribed, due to a slight increase of the Fe3+ content in the M(2) site. Such replacement was compensated by slight increase of the Fe2+ content in the M(4) site, resulting in the (Mg1.48Fe2+0.46Fe3+0.05Mn0.02)2.01(Fe3+0.94Fe2+0.04Al0.02)1.00B1.00O5 composition. The formation temperature was estimated to be about 500–600°C. The influences of the various chemical compositions to the crystallographic parameters, M-O distances, M(3) and M(4) sites shift, distortion parameters and estimated valences, were also studied and compared with other reference samples.