Discussion on the dextral movement and its effect in continental China and adjacent areas since Cenozoic

Continental China has moved dextral Eastward since Cenozoic time, driven by the collision of the Indian with the Eurasian plate. Evidence for this comes from landscape evolution, the distribution of earthquake epicenters, Cenozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks, and the measurement of GPS velocity vectors, the distribution of crustal stress, paleomagnetic data, and deep mantle structure, among others. This movement commenced around 40 Ma, coupled with thickened lithosphere and widespread stress release along strike-slip faults that bound the continental Chinese block. Because of continued Northward subduction of the Indian plate, manifestation of the dextral movement has intensified since 25 Ma. Far-reaching effects include extensive strike-slip movement on the Tan-Lu fault in Eastern China, formation of the Dabie ultrahigh pressure metamorphic terrane, extensive thrust faults in East China, delamination and thickening of the lithosphere of South China, a possible tectonic doubling of the Middle-Lower Yangtze Valley metallogenic belt, and the formation of the Japan, Huanghai (East China), and South China Sea.     

合浦盆地——中国南方扭性盆地模式

位于广西南部的合浦盆地是中、新生代发育的小型沉积盆地，从该区的区域构造特征及大量地震资料揭示的盆地结构构造特征分析认为，合浦盆地的形成和发展始终受到区域性力偶的控制，表现出明显的张扭作用特征，后期（第三纪）受到压扭作用的强烈改造，合浦盆地这一发育特征在相当程度上反映了中国南方众多沉积盆地的共同特点。     

冀中坳陷下第三系构造背斜成因分类

冀中坳陷的下第三系构造背斜主要形成于伸展断陷背景下 ,与正断层系统联系紧密。根据背斜与断层关系 ,基本类型可分为 3种 ,即纵向、横向和复合背斜 ;根据具体构造力学背景 ,这 3种背斜可进一步分为 8类 ,即 :重力滑动型、张扭型、拆离拱张型、逆牵引型、断层线偏转型、侧接型、复杂变换型、复合型。这些背斜是构造演化的产物 ,在一定程度上指示了坳陷内的构造演化规律 ,同时又是形成油气藏的有利圈闭 ,目前已取得显著勘探成效     

腾冲地块西缘那邦基性麻粒岩中石榴石Sm-Nd等时线年龄及其意义

石榴石 Ｓｍ  Ｎｄ 等时线法是近年来常用于较新年龄的测年方法。腾冲地块西缘新近发现的基性麻粒岩中石榴石和全岩的 Ｓｍ  Ｎｄ 等时线年龄为 １７～２５ Ｍａ, 是该麻粒岩经受后期变形变质作用的年龄, 与区内右旋走滑断裂活动时限相一致,为确证腾冲地区的右旋走滑断裂是印支地块逸出的西部边界提供了 Ｓｍ  Ｎｄ 等时线方法的年龄约束。并推断石榴石 Ｓｍ  Ｎｄ 体系的封闭温度较低, 应低于那邦变质基性岩晚期变质作用的６４０℃～７２０℃。     

Late Quaternary Activity of the Chuxiong-Nanhua Fault and the 1680 Chuxiong MS6 ¾ Earthquake

In this paper, according to the results of the satellite imagery interpretation and field investigation, we study the active features and the latest active times of the Chuxiong-Nanhua fault, the Quaternary basins formation mechanism, and the relationship between the fault and the 1680 Chuxiong M_S6 ¾ earthquake. Several Quaternary profiles at Lvhe, Nanhua reveal that the fault has offset the late Pleistocene deposits of the T2 and T3 terraces of Longchuan river, indicating that the fault was obviously active in late Quaternary. The Chuxiong-Nanhua fault has been dominated by dextral strike slip motion in the late Quaternary, with an average rate of 1.6-2.0mm/a. Several pull apart Quaternary basins of Chuxiong, Nanhua, and Ziwu etc. have developed along the fault. The 1680 Chuxiong M_S6 ¾ earthquake and several moderate earthquakes have occurred near the fault. The Chuxiong-Nanhua fault are the seismogenic structure of those earthquakes, the latest fault movement was in the late-Pleistocene, and even the Holocene. In large area, the Chuxiong-Nanhua fault and the eastern Qujiang fault and the Shiping fault composed a set of NW-trending oblique orientation active faults, and the motion characteristics are all mainly dextral strike slip. The motion characteristics, like the red river fault of the Sichuan-Yunnan Rhombic Block southwestern boundary, are concerned with the escaping movement of the Sichuan-Yunnan Rhombic Block.     

Geochemistry of Pliocene/Pleistocene basalts along the Central Anatolian Fault Zone (CAFZ), Turkey

Abstract

Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanism accompanied strike-slip-related transtensional deformation along the K?z?l?rmak fault segment of the Central Anatolian fault zone (CAFZ) in the west of ?ark??la (Sivas-central Turkey). These volcanic rocks are represented by alkali olivine basalts. They can be divided into four different sub-groups on the basis of their Zr, Nb, TiO₂ contents. A primitive mantle-normalized incompatible trace element diagram for four subgroups shows close similarity to typical OIB pattern. Some of the incompatible trace element ratios (Ce/Y, Zr/Nb, La/Ba, La/Nb) are also akin to OIB values. Highly fractionated REE patterns (La/Yb_N=24.7–9.2) with no Eu anomaly are the main features of the alkali basalts and are comparable to alkaline volcanism in continental rift zones. On the basis of Al₂O₃/TiO₂, Nb/Y, Zr/Y Zr/Nb ratios, the geochemical differences among four sub-groups can be explained by variable degrees of partial melting of compositionally similar mantle source. Th/Nb, Th/Y, Nb/Y ratios and the primitive mantle-normalized trace element diagram suggests significant amount of crustal involvement for most of the alkali olivine basalts erupted along the CAFZ. Rupture of the continental lithosphere by strike-slip-related transtensional deformation might have caused decompressional partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle and generating alkali olivine basalts in this region. © 2001 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS.     

Fault kinematic and Plio-Quaternary paleostress evolution of the Bakırçay Basin,Western Turkey

ABSTRACT

At the end of the Cenozoic, western Turkey was fragmented by intense intra-continental tectonic deformation resulting in the formation of two extensional areas: a transtensional pull-apart basin systems in the northwest, and graben systems in the central and southwest areas. The question of the connection of this Late Cenozoic extensional tectonics to plate kinematics has long been an issue of discussion. This study presents the results of the fault slip data collected in Bak?rçay Basin in the west of Turkey and addresses changes in the direction of extensional stresses over the Plio-Quaternary. Field observations and quantitative analysis show that Bak?rçay Basin is not a simple graben basin that has evolved during a single phase. It started as a graben basin with extensional regime in the Pliocene and was transformed into a pull-apart basin under the influence of transtensional forces during the Quaternary. A chronology of two successive extensional episodes has been established and provides reasoning to constrain the timing and location of subduction-related back-arc tectonics along the Aegean region and collision-related extrusion tectonics in Turkey. The first NW–SE trending extension occurred during the Pliocene extensional phase, characterized by slab rollback and progressive steepening of the northward subduction of the African plate under the Anatolian Plate. Western Turkey has been affected, during the Middle Quaternary, by regional subsidence, and the direction of extension changed to N–S, probably in relation with the propagation of the North Anatolian Fault System. Since the Late Quaternary, NE–SW extension dominates northwest Turkey and results in the formation and development of elongated transtensional basin systems. Counterclockwise rotation of Anatolian block which is bounded to the north by the right-lateral strike-slip North Anatolian Fault System, accompanies to this extensional phase.     

Transcurrent continental tectonics model for the Ossa-Morena Zone Neoproterozoic–Paleozoic evolution,SW Iberian Massif,Portugal

The Ossa-Morena Zone (SW Iberian Massif) was affected by continuous orogen-parallel transcurrent continental tectonics from the Neoproterozoic to the Carboniferous times, involving transtension (TT) and transpression (TP) processes that co-existed together, occurred separately in neighbouring regions by the means of strain partitioning or even worked diachronically. A first stage of transpression TP1 took place during the Late Neoproterozoic–Lower Cambrian as a result of Cadomian arc-continent collisional processes. Structures generated by transtension TT1 from Cambrian to Lower Devonian were related to strong lithosphere stretching responsible for the development of basins controlled by major detachments, tilting, rifting and important tectono–thermal diachronic processes. Denudation phenomena and inhibition of sedimentation related with thermal uplift (asthenosphere upwelling) and consequent subsidence caused by isostatic equilibrium, involving generalized transgressions, were processes responsible for major unconformities. The Variscan TP2-TT2 episodes that followed diachronically TP1-TT1, by maintaining the orogen-parallel transport direction, were concomitant with syntectonic deposition of continental basins in the OMZ and foreland basins in the SPZ. TT2 local transtension and tectonic exhumation of deep crustal rocks along major shear zones, favoured the opening of tectonic troughs filled up by sediments and volcanism. TP2 shortening have generated fold axes parallel to the orogen-strike and composite dissymmetric flower structures.     

热水——日月山断裂带遥感特征初步探讨

热水—日月山断裂带在遥感影像上具有明显的线性构造特征,通过解译认为该断裂带由6条不连续的断裂段右阶羽列组成,活动特征很明显,造成一系列水系断错,最大水平位错940 m,并沿断裂带形成一系列小拉分盆地,认为该断裂带具有较强的右旋走滑特征。其中牧场部—大崖根段北西西向沿湟水河河谷发育,除其本身具有发生强震的构造能力外,其延伸是否与西宁市区中的沿湟水河谷地附近的地表断层相连,对西宁盆地的构造活动形式及地震构造特征有十分重要的意义。历史地震表明曾在热水煤矿与大通山构造复合部位于1927年连续发生多次M4.5～5.5级中强地震。     

Morpho-tectonic analysis of the Azores Volcanic Plateau from a new bathymetric compilation of the area

The existing studies of the Azores triple junction, although based on specific geological or geophysical data, largely rely upon morphological considerations. However, there is no systematic bathymetric coverage of this area, and the quality of the available bathymetric charts does not allow consistent morpho-structural analysis.In this work we present a new bathymetric grid elaborated with all the available data sources in an area comprised between 24° W to 32° W and 36° N to 41° N. The basic data set corresponds to the merge of NGDC data with new swath profiles. This new map, included as an Appendix, combined with other results from seismology and neotectonics, is the basis for the study of the morpho-structural pattern of the Azores area, the present day stress field and its implications on the current view of the Azores geodynamics.As a major result, we conclude that the Azores region is controlled by two sets of conjugated faults with 120° and 150° strikes that establish the framework for the onset of volcanism, expressing as linear volcanic ridges or as point source volcanism. This interaction develops what can be considered as the morphological signature of the Azores Spreading axis segmentation. We argue that the Azores domain, presently in a broad transtensional regime, is acting simultaneously as a ultra slow spreading centre and as a transfer zone between the MAR and the dextral Gloria Fault, as it accommodates the differential shear movement between the Eurasian and African plates.