南京直立人的U/Th和U/Pa年代

中国直立人化石的准确定年对于研究人类演化有着极为重要的意义。1993～1994年在南京汤山葫芦洞发现的两个直立人头盖骨化石和一枚牙化石被称为“南京直立人”。其中1号头盖骨化石之上的方解石钙板的U/Th年龄为53.3_(-1.2)~(+1.5)万年;但考虑到定年的准确性,则为53.3_(-3.0)~(+3.5)万年。其~(231)Pa/~(235)U活度比值为0.998±0.006。这表明“南京直立人”的年代应该大于50万年。与”南京直立人”伴生的动物牙化石U/Th年代为18.5～29.0万年;U/Pa年代为13.7～17.2万年。此外,对于同一颗牙化石,牙釉的年龄小于牙本质的年龄。同一样品的U/Pa年龄也显著小于其U/Th年龄。因此,牙化石的U摄取过程并不符合U早期摄取模式。多数牙化石分析点在~(234)U/~(238)U-~(230)Th/~(238)U图上落在位于U早期摄取和线性摄取模式曲线之间,指示牙化石的U摄取过程很可能介于上述两种模式之间。如果这一假设成立,那么牙化石的U/Th和U/Pa线性摄取模式年龄则为其年代的上限。因为不受U摄取过程~(234)U/~(238)U变化的影响,U/Pa线性摄取模式年龄比U/Th较为可靠。最小的U/Pa线性摄取模式年龄为1Ma,这是”南京直立人”上限年龄的估计。从定年结果看,”南京直立人”可能生活在海洋同位素(MIS)16阶段,但这不是最终结论。     

Neuzeitlicher Schadstofftrend: Polycylische aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) in aquatischen und terrestrischen Sedimenten

A Recent Contamination Trend: Polycylic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Aquatic and Terrestrial Sediments Concentrations of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) measured in aquatic sediments of small, medium‐sized or very large inland lakes, of estuaries as well as in terrestrial sediments from Germany, the UK, Finland, and the USA were plotted in 10 trend curves over the period from 1800 to 1990. The segments of the bore cores were dated for their deposition age. For comparability of the results, the trend is preferentially shown by the guide parameter fluoranthene. Until the 19th century, a constant background value of C_Fluo = 10…50 μg/kg was observed in all regions. Then a steep increase in concentration followed, reaching in the aquatic sediments a maximum in the period 1940 to 1965, while the individual fluoranthene values ranged widely from 90 to 2400 μg/kg. In several regions, a more or less distinct decrease superseded this maximum, although this development did not appear in terrestrial sediments, in one estuary, and in remote forest lakes in Finland. The trend curves reflect the atmospheric deposition of PAHs in airborne dust and in some cases the import through runoff via rivers. Thus, the sediment profiles depict the development of air pollution by pyrogenic contaminants over more than a century. Sediment profiles from rivers can be used only with a high degree of reservation, because of the irregularity and low representativity of the sedimentation.     

腾冲上新统芒棒组地质时代及沉积环境

摘要：腾冲地区新生代地层分布广泛，其中又以芒棒组出露较为完整，由河流相、湖泊相及沼泽相碎屑岩夹火山岩中火山沉积岩组成，含丰富的植物化石和硅藻化石。依据化石研究及用K-Ar、Rh-Sr法测获同位素年龄，芒棒组应属新近纪上新世。植物化石显示腾冲地区上新世时期气候，比现今亚热带炎热干燥气候较温凉而湿润，反映该区从新近纪上新世至第四纪，气候有从凉变暖的演变趋势。     

Ar–Ar age determinations of eclogitic clinopyroxene and garnet inclusions in diamonds from the Venetia and Orapa kimberlites

Ar–Ar age measurements are reported for selected eclogitic clinopyroxene and garnet inclusions in Orapa diamonds and clinopyroxene inclusions in Venetia diamonds. Laser drilling of encapsulated clinopyroxene inclusions within Venetia diamonds released a maximum of 3% of the total ⁴⁰Ar, indicating little diffusive transfer and storage of radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar at the diamond–inclusion boundary. Apparent ages obtained during stepped heating of three diamonds are consistent with diamond crystallisation occurring just prior to the kimberlite eruption 520 Ma ago. Stepped heating of three clinopyroxene-bearing Orapa diamonds gave ages of 906–1032 Ma, significantly above the eruption age, but consistent with previously determined isotopic ages. A few higher apparent ages hint at the presence an older generation of Orapa diamonds that formed >2500 Ma ago. Orapa garnets also contain measurable K contents, and record a range of ages between 1000 and 2500 Ma. The old apparent ages and lack of significant interface ⁴⁰Ar released by the laser probe, suggests that pre-eruption radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar and mantle-derived ⁴⁰Ar components are trapped in microinclusions within the pyroxene and garnet inclusions.     

A large landslide on the urban fringe of metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona

A granitic rock avalanche, one of the largest Quaternary landslides in Arizona outside the Grand Canyon with a volume of approximately 5.25 M m³ and a width a little under 0.5 km, ran 1 km from the eastern McDowell Mountains. With lateral levees and pressure ridges, the rock avalanche deposit displays many features found on classic sturzstroms. Failure occurred along a major joint plane paralleling the slope with a dip of 44°, when a major base level lowering event in the Salt River system would have undermined the base of the failed slope, and probably during a period of more moisture than normally available in the present-day arid climate. Failure at the subsurface weathering front highlights the importance of the dramatic permeability change between grussified regolith and relatively fresh bedrock. Rock varnish microlaminations (VMLs) dating, in concert with other geomorphic evidence, suggests that the rock avalanche deposit is slightly older than 500 ka. The rock vanish results also have important implications for sampling strategies designed to use cosmogenic nuclide to date Quaternary landslide deposits. Discovery of a large landslide in close proximity to the extending urban fringe of metropolitan Phoenix argues for a more careful analysis of landslide hazards in the region, especially where rapid development excavates bedrock at the base of steep mountain slopes and where the subsurface weathering front is near the surface.     

Scleractinian cold-water corals in the Gulf of Cádiz—First clues about their spatial and temporal distribution

This paper presents the first compilation of information on the spatial distribution of scleractinian cold-water corals in the Gulf of Cádiz based on literature research and own observations (video footage, sediment samples). Scleractinian cold-water corals are widely distributed along the Spanish and Moroccan margins in the Gulf of Cádiz, where they are mainly associated with mud volcanoes, diapiric ridges, steep fault escarpments, and coral mounds. Dendrophyllia cornigera, Dendrophyllia alternata, Eguchipsammia cornucopia, Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa are the most abundant reef-forming species. Today, they are almost solely present as isolated patches of fossil coral and coral rubble. The absence of living scleractinian corals is likely related to a reduced food supply caused by low productivity and diminished tidal effects. In contrast, during the past 48 kyr scleractinian corals were abundant in the Gulf of Cádiz, although their occurrence demonstrates no relationship with main climatic or oceanographic changes. Nevertheless, there exists a conspicuous relationship when the main species are considered separately. Dendrophylliids are associated with periods of relatively stable and warm conditions. The occurrence of L. pertusa mainly clusters within the last glacial when bottom current strength in the Gulf of Cádiz was enhanced and long-term stable conditions existed in terms of temperature. Madrepora oculata shows a higher tolerance to abrupt environmental changes.     

Petroleum accumulation and leakage in a deeply buried carbonate reservoir,Níspero field (Mexico)

The filling history of the Níspero deeply buried Lower Cretaceous carbonate reservoir (below 4000 m) from the south part of Gulf of Mexico was studied using a combination of data from petrography, stable isotopes and fluid inclusions and compared with a one-dimensional burial model to derive timing.     

辽西新台门白垩纪火山岩~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar定年及其对蝾螈化石层时代的约束

富含热河生物群鸟类和恐龙化石的辽西白垩纪地层属于中生代陆相火山沉积,其不同区域之间的地层对比和时代归属一直存有较大争议。本文采用激光40Ar/39Ar年代学方法,对葫芦岛新台门地区一个实测剖面中蝾螈化石点下伏的两层火山岩夹层进行了年代学研究。通过地层中火山岩夹层及火山岩颈的年代学测定,获得6组激光40Ar/39Ar年代结果。其中,下部层位中的流纹岩和安山质玄武岩样品XTM-3、XTM-5年龄结果分别为94.2±1.3Ma、93.7±1.3Ma;作为这一期喷发晚期就位的火山岩颈样品XTM-7的年龄结果为92.8±0.4Ma;而上部层位的安山岩和安山玄武岩火山岩夹层样品XTM-6、XTM-8、XTM-9年龄分别为110.1±1.0Ma、110.9±0.5Ma、93.7±1.2Ma。随后我们又从XTM-9位置的化石点下部采集样品XTM-9-2,进行实验验证。得到的结果表明,新台门地区早白垩世地层记录了至少两期火山喷发事件,喷发时间分别为110Ma和93Ma。根据测年结果,新台门白垩系的蝾螈化石层应代表中国北方中生代地层中迄今所发现的有尾两栖类化石纪录的最高层位,可能与辽西地区的九佛堂组或甚至与阜新组相当。     

扬子西北缘碧口微地块南华系碎屑锆石物源示踪及其地质意义

扬子板块西北缘碧口微地块华严寺地区碧口群之上发育一套含砾沉积地层,其确切沉积时限对研究该区域的沉积—构造演化具有重要意义。本文对该套地层中的2件砂岩样品进行了碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb测年分析,结果显示,锆石晶型较好,无色透明,磨圆度较差,具典型岩浆生长振荡环带和韵律结构,Th/U比值为0.28～3.6,锆石U-Pb年龄介于706～2 489Ma之间。存在3个主要的年龄组：新元古代年龄组（706～951 Ma）,占92.9%,显著峰值为850 Ma和843 Ma;中元古代年龄组（1 017～1 080 Ma）,占2.6%;古元古代年龄组（1 628～2 489 Ma）,占4.5%。最小年龄组为706～715 Ma（峰值为711 Ma）,结合区域地质和研究资料,华严寺地区沉积地层时代应属于南华纪,沉积时限约为720～635 Ma,物源区主要包括扬子板块西北缘碧口微地块以及南东侧的后龙门山构造带和汉南—米仓山微地块。新元古代晚期碧口微地块及扬子板块西北缘后碰撞—裂解阶段,华严寺地区南华纪沉积为碧口微地块及邻区新元古代岩浆岩在边缘裂谷环境中快速堆积形成。     

Luminescence chronology of the Sankosh river terraces in the Assam- Bhutan foothills of the Himalayas: Implications to climate and tectonics

Himalaya is an active fold and thrust belt formed due to continent-continent collision between the Eurasian and Indian plates. It comprises a 3000 km long chain of mountains that span ∼1000 km across, with major boundary thrusts viz., Main Central Thrust (MCT), Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). MFT is marked as mountain front and is the most active thrust; however, evidence of tectonic activity along MCT and MBT also exists.Tectonic activity along MFT created uplifted terraces which now serve as geomorphic archives of past tectonic events. The present study focussed on a glacial-fed river Sankosh that originates in northern Bhutan, and crosses MCT, MBT and MFT before joining the Brahmaputra River in Assam. Due to tectonic uplift, the river shows a deflection at MFT, incising and thus forming four levels of strath terraces. Luminescence chronology, geomorphic studies and analysis of satellite images suggest four levels of terraces T4 (highest level, 195 m asl), T3, T2 and T1 (lowest level, 120 m asl).The quartz was found insensitive for luminescence dating, and thus fading corrected Infra-Red Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) ages on feldspar minerals were measured that provided ages of 143-77 ka (T4), 65-36 ka (T2) and 35-14 ka (T1), respectively. The T3 terrace was present only on the right bank of the river and could not be accessed. These ages accord with other studies at the Chalsa and Malbazar, North Bengal (west of the study area) and this regional disposition of similar ages suggest that these formed during glacial-interglacial periods. The strath terraces indicate a time-averaged tectonic uplift with a 0.5 mm/year rate over the past 150 ka.