Rift-related Jurassic basaltic phreatomagmatic volcanism in the central Transantarctic Mountains: precursory stage to flood-basalt effusion

 The Middle Jurassic Kirkpatrick flood basalts and comagmatic Ferrar intrusions in the Transantarctic Mountains represent a major pulse of tholeiitic magmatism related to early stages in the breakup of Gondwana. A record of the volcano-tectonic events leading to formation of this continental flood-basalt province is provided by strata underlying and only slightly predating the Kirkpatrick lavas. In the central Transantarctic Mountains, the lavas rest on widespread (≥7500 km²) tholeiitic pyroclastic deposits of the Prebble Formation. The Prebble Formation is dominated by lahar deposits and is an unusual example of a regionally developed basaltic lahar field. Related, partly fault-controlled pyroclastic intrusions cut underlying strata, and vents are represented by the preserved flanks of two small tephra cones associated with a volcanic neck. Lahar and air-fall deposits typically contain 50–60% accidental lithic fragments and sand grains derived from underlying Triassic – Lower Jurassic strata in the upper part of the Beacon Supergroup. Juvenile basaltic ash and fine lapilli consist of nonvesicular to scoriaceous tachylite, sideromelane, and palagonite, and have characteristics indicating derivation from hydrovolcanic eruptions. The abundance of accidental debris from underlying Beacon strata points to explosive phreatomagmatic interaction of basaltic magma with wet sediment and groundwater, which appears to have occurred in particular where rising magma intersected upper Beacon sand aquifers. Composite clasts in the lahar deposits exhibit complex peperitic textures formed during fine-scale intermixing of basaltic magma with wet sand and record steps in subsurface fuel-coolant interactions leading to explosive eruption. The widespread, sustained phreatomagmatic activity is inferred to have occurred in a groundwater-rich topographic basin linked to an evolving Jurassic rift zone in the Transantarctic Mountains. Coeval basaltic phreatomagmatic deposits of the Mawson and Exposure Hill Formations, which underlie exposures of the Kirkpatrick Basalt up to 1500 km to the north along strike in Victoria Land, appear to represent other parts of a regional, extension-related Middle Jurassic phreatomagmatic province which developed immediately prior to rapid outpouring of the flood basalts. This is consistent with models which assign an important role to lithospheric stretching in the generation of flood-basalt provinces. Received: 28 August 1995 / Accepted: 18 April 1996     

Timing of UHP metamorphism in the Hong’an area,western Dabie Mountains,China: evidence from zircon U–Pb age,trace element and Hf isotope composition

The Hong’an area (western Dabie Mountains) is the westernmost terrane in the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogen that preserves UHP eclogites. The ages of the UHP metamorphism have not been well constrained, and thus hinder our understanding of the tectonic evolution of this area. LA-ICPMS U–Pb age, trace element and Hf isotope compositions of zircons of a granitic gneiss and an eclogite from the Xinxian UHP unit in the Hong’an area were analyzed to constrain the age of the UHP metamorphism. Most zircons are unzoned or show sector zoning. They have low trace element concentrations, without significant negative Eu anomalies. These metamorphic zircons can be further subdivided into two groups according to their U–Pb ages, and trace element and Lu–Hf isotope compositions. One group with an average age of 239 ± 2 Ma show relatively high and variable HREE contents (527 ≥ Lu_N ≥ 14) and ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios (0.00008–0.000931), indicating their growth prior to a great deal of garnet growth in the late stage of continental subduction. The other group yields an average age of 227 ± 2 Ma, and shows consistent low HREE contents and ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios, suggesting their growth with concurrent garnet crystallization and/or recrystallization. These two groups of age are taken as recording the time of prograde HP to UHP and retrograde UHP–HP stages, respectively. A few cores have high Th/U ratios, high trace element contents, and a clear negative Eu anomaly. These features support a magmatic origin of these zircon cores. The upper intercept ages of 771 ± 86 and 752 ± 70 Ma for the granitic gneiss and eclogite, respectively, indicate that their protoliths probably formed as a bimodal suite in rifting zones in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block. Young Hf model ages (T _DM1) of magmatic cores indicate juvenile (mantle-derived) materials were involved in their protolith formation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A transdisciplinary analysis of water problems in the mountainous karst areas of Morocco

Water management and engineering in the karstic High Atlas of Morocco are difficult tasks under the prevailing geological, hydrogeological, geomorphological, vegetational and climatic conditions. It is important to be able to understand and predict the characteristics and availability of water for future water planning in the region under changing climatic and agricultural conditions. An interdisciplinary analysis of problems and adequate hydrological modelling tools developed by geologists, hydrologists and biologists are necessary. The karst areas of the High Atlas Mountains are characterised by impermeable triassic basalt underlying substantial subsurface reservoirs with high potential discharge rates. The karst groundwater aquifers are extensive but largely unknown in dimension, probably with a hierarchical network of groundwater flow paths. It is estimated that approximately 70% of the surface water is directly lost to groundwater. Steep landslide- and debris flow prone slopes exist next to coarse-grained, highly porous river beds. Infrequent, high intensity rainfall or snowmelt causes a particularly high flood risk to these karst areas. In addition, agriculture and land use changes have degraded the karst areas. The most important driving forces for degradation include permanent overgrazing even during droughts and the use of firewood by a continually growing population. Large scale degradation of vegetation has occurred in the oro-mediterranean (mountainous Mediterranean) zone, between 2600 and 3400 m which coincides with the most important zone for karstic groundwater creation. The combination of high amounts of groundwater flow and rapid surface flow due to sparse vegetation has increased the problems of flood flow.     

气候变化对塔里木河来自天山的地表径流影响

塔里木河水资源主要来自天山南坡两条源流,选择西段阿克苏河和中段开都河-孔雀河作为研究区.1956-2003年研究河源山区气温呈持续升温且降水波动增加的趋势,其中1995-2003年升温强劲,升温速率高出48 a期间平均的3倍以上;降水自1986年后持续增加,20世纪90年代较80年代增幅达18%,并显示出河源山区湿岛向塔里木盆地扩展.因高山缺少气象观测,出山径流过程变化可以综合反映中高山带的气候变化.塔里木河来自天山的地表径流在1986-2003年间持续增长,以冰川融水补给为主的库玛拉克河,1994年以来年径流量增加已在前期平均值基础上提升了一个台阶;开都河以降水径流补给为主,1986-2002年出现了观测记录以来的丰水期,并使1986年后博斯腾湖水位快速上升,恢复到1958年记录的最高水位以上.两河年径流变化趋势基本相似,但也显示有西、中段的气候变化局部差异,出现丰枯水期的不一致;然而,在近16 a升温过程中,年径流增长幅度和快慢相近.     

中太平洋海山群漂移史及其来源

中太平洋海山群的海山呈簇状排列且近EW向展布于太平洋海山密集区，其四周分布着一系列NW走向的线性列岛及规模巨大的水下海山链。它位于明显属于海山链构造的夏威夷群岛和马绍尔群岛之间，处于莱恩群岛的北西向延伸方向上，与热点作用的板内火山作用关系密切。结合前人对中太平洋海山群形成和漂移的认识，从板块运动和几何学角度出发，采用Backtracking和Hot-spotting海山追踪方法对该区海山进行了追踪，发现该区海山的热点源主要位于现今法属玻利尼西亚群岛区（法属玻利尼西亚热点群），这与前人从古地磁和钻探资料出发得到的结果相接近。研究表明，中太平洋海山群是多热点成因的板内火山作用和板块构造运动的共同产物，它在130～90Ma期间起源于法属玻利尼西亚热点群，曾随着太平洋板块发生过向南和向北的运动，既有水平方向的漂移又有垂直方向上的升降，在漂移和升降过程中还受到了当时大规模多期的热点活动和断裂活动的改造作用，经过一个漫长的过程后才到达今天的位置，最后形成了现今呈簇状分布的海山群。     

东北大兴安岭多年冻土区工程地质特征及评价

土体在冻结状态具有极高的压缩模量, 具有弹性体的工程地质特征。但是在冻土地温升高过程中, 这种特征急剧衰减, 产生蠕变和流变, 建筑物地基强度降低, 导致建筑物基础破坏。同时土体在冻结过程中产生的冻胀作用也将导致建筑物基础的破坏。东北大兴安岭地区多年冻土为高纬度低海拔多年冻土, 其分布具有明显纬度地带性特点。本文在分析该区多年冻土分布特征及冻土工程地质特点的基础上, 对由于土体的冻胀和融沉导致的建筑物基础的危害进行分类研究, 针对性的提出了用热棒降低土体温度以保证多年冻土稳定及用排水的方法减少水对建筑物地基多年冻土影响的工程病害处理措施。     

米仓山南缘中生代沉积盆地性质讨论

米仓山南缘位于四川盆地北部地区,前人认为该地区晚三叠世-白垩纪受控于米仓山造山作用形成的前陆盆地.实际上,无论是按照经典的前陆盆地概念,还是陆内前陆盆地或陆内俯冲前陆盆地等术语,米仓山南缘中生代为前陆盆地值得商榷,其一些关键的地质问题必须给以重视.主要表现在:①平面构造图显示,米仓山地区,前震旦系基底与震旦系盖层之间构成一规模较大的不完整的背斜穹隆,盖层围绕基底分布,说明不是构造推覆体;②不存在形成前陆盆地的区域应力,即该区在晚三叠世开始主要是升隆作用而非强烈的推覆挤压,研究资料表明该地区大规模的逆冲推覆作用发生在燕山期,米仓山的形成也应在该时限之内,之前米仓山为一继承性的隆起;③不具备前陆盆地的沉积格局,即晚三叠世-侏罗纪的沉积格局不是呈楔形展布.鉴于此,笔者认为前陆盆地术语不适用于米仓山南缘晚三叠世-侏罗纪沉积盆地的类型.     

大别山的变质碰撞混杂岩——以东部为例

大别山是中国东部中朝大陆板块与扬子大陆板块之间的碰撞造山带。具有薄皮构造的性质。组成两个碰撞大陆之间的滑脱（冲断剪切）带的岩石就是碰撞混杂岩组合。大别山由于剥露较深,仰冲壳楔完全被剥蚀,超高压变质带大面积出露,识别出碰撞混杂岩组合是对大别山进行几何分析的必要步骤。大别山碰撞混杂岩组合可分为南北两部分。北部为条带状片麻岩-超镁铁岩组合,南部为云母斜长片麻岩-榴辉岩组合,这两个组合的大部分都经历过超高压变质作用。它们的共同特点是具有宏观的＂碎斑结构＂和混杂作用。罗田穹隆是造山过程中早期形成的双冲式背斜,最后在造山晚期因东西向缩短的叠加而形成穹隆。     

Giant ancient landslide in the Alma water gap (Crimean Mountains,Ukraine): notes to the predisposition,structure, and chronology

Large-scale ancient landslides of the area of more than 5 km² and volume exceeding 200 × 10⁶ m³ are characteristic features of the valleys incised in the northern periphery of the Crimean Mountains (Ukraine). The largely affected area is located in the outermost cuesta range of the Crimean Mountains which consists of rigid Sarmatian limestones overlying weak Middle Miocene and Upper Palaeogene deposits. A giant landslide arose in the Alma water gap as a reflection of several coincident preparatory factors such as suitable bedrock stratification, smectite-rich bedrock exposed to swelling activity, presence of faults parallel to the valley trend, and river capture event which preceded the landslide event. The occurrence of such ancient megaslides is particularly interesting in the area which is characterized by low precipitation (<500 mm/year) and weak contemporary seismicity. It probably reflects a more dynamic environment in humid phases of the Holocene; however, seismic triggering along the Mesozoic suture zone cannot be rejected. Compressional features such as gravitational folds in the central and distal parts of the landslide, which probably correlate with the whole landslide genesis or its significant reactivation, arose, according to the radiocarbon dating, during the Holocene climatic optimum in the Atlantic period. The slope deformation has been relatively quiescent since that time, except minor historic reactivization which took place in the frontal part of the landslide. We suppose that the studied landslide could be classified as a transitional type of slope deformation with some signs of spreading and translational block slides.     

大别山黄石-六安反射地震剖面新的地质解释

在大别山黄石至六安反射地震剖面上有很多近水平的反射体,表明大别山中心部位的中、下地壳内也有近水平的分层性。反映有流变性和动力学方面的差异,与大型薄皮构造理论对岩石圈性质的认识一致,因而在其运动过程中应服从薄皮构造的运动规律。结合以往对大别山区划分的岩石一构造组合,在前人对此反射地震剖面所作的地质解释的基础上,对反射地震剖面作了较为详细的地质解释,并建立了大别山造山带在此剖面上的两维几何结构。剖面南部为造山过程中形成的背斜构造。地表15km深度内为由碰撞混杂岩组成的扬子与中一朝大陆之间的主滑脱带。剖面中部为造山期后的侵入体。剖面北部为主滑脱带的根带（通常认为的缝合带）,根带被中生代形成的晓天磨子潭断裂带切割。剖面最北端为变质复理石中略晚于主滑脱带的反向冲断带。推溺l下地壳的断开距离在扬子大陆俯冲时（三叠纪前）规模较大,然后逐渐缩小,直至保留到今天的规模。