华北地台和秦岭—大别—苏鲁造山带的中生代花岗岩与深部地球动力学过程

近年来的研究证实 ,华北地台和大别—苏鲁造山带的中生代花岗岩与同时代的镁铁质超镁铁质岩有类似的Sr、Nd同位素特点 ,许多花岗岩和火山岩还具有类似埃达克岩的地球化学性质。在此基础上 ,根据现已积累的大量Sr、Nd同位素资料 ,从整个华北地台岩石圈的角度论证了中生代岩石圈地幔富集的性质、富集地幔发生的时代及其形成机制 ,进而探讨了岩浆活动的动力学机制 ,指出本区岩石圈富集地幔的形成是在Pangea超大陆裂解时岩石圈大规模拆沉减薄 ,被拆沉的太古宙古老地壳重循环进入地幔改变了地幔成分所致 ,说明超大陆裂解、岩石圈大规模拆沉减薄和富集地幔形成之间有密切的成因联系 ,超大陆裂解伴随着大陆地壳生长和消亡 (重循环 )的大体平衡。结合全球地震层析资料 ,进一步探讨了由俯冲大洋残片转化的下地壳同古老克拉通地壳物质在花岗岩源区中的重要意义。     

联合古陆演化周期中超大型含煤及含油气盆地的形成

联合古陆———Ｐａｎｇｅａ的拼合与裂解反映了地球系统内部的巨大变革，这一过程根本上改变了浅部圈层的构造和环境。地史上超大型含煤盆地及含油气盆地与Ｐａｎｇｅａ的演化周期密切相关。在石炭纪及二叠纪拼合过程中形成了一系列超大型聚煤盆地；晚侏罗世Ｐａｎｇｅａ开始裂解，出现全球性裂陷作用期，大西洋张开，许多与裂陷有关的大型叠合盆地形成。在这些盆地中已发现十余个与晚侏罗世烃源岩有关的巨型含油气系统。上述情况表明Ｐａｎｇｅａ演化过程中出现了对能源资源聚集极为有利的古构造、古环境和古气候条件。     

Is Darwin's ‘Abominable Mystery’ still a mystery today?

Darwin described the Cretaceous diversification and subsequent rapid rise of flowering plants (angiosperms) as an “abominable mystery”: how could they have achieved worldwide ecological dominance by early Paleogene times when the oldest angiosperm fossils are only Cretaceous in age? However, recent phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographical analyses have suggested a much earlier, perhaps Triassic origin for the stem angiosperms. We suggest that the fossil record is accurately reflecting the rapid diversification of the crown angiosperms that molecular data suggests occurred in Cretaceous–early Palaeogene times, and which coincides with similar explosive diversifications that occurred in other parts of the terrestrial biota including insects, birds and mammals. Early, stem angiosperms are poorly represented in the fossil record for a combination of taphonomic and ecological reasons. We conclude that the reported evidence shows that the Darwin's “mystery” is in fact no mystery and confirms that it merely requires an appropriate reading of the fossil record.     

全球早古生代造山带(Ⅳ):板块重建与Carolina超大陆

古元古代与显生宙的板块构造特征和旋回演化过程具有明显区别,反映出地质记录为两种不同的板块构造体制。早古生代为这两个时期的过渡阶段,其构造过程研究与板块重建是地球板块构造旋回机制和周期分析的关键。本文采用综合集成的方法,在总结对比罗迪尼亚超大陆裂解以来全球早古生代主要碰撞造山带的地质事件基础上,分析早古生代碰撞造山带的演化特征,总结出与冈瓦纳大陆拼合、劳俄大陆拼合、古中华陆块群增生相关的7期碰撞-增生造山事件群:Brasiliano、东非、Kuunga、东亚与原特提斯洋和古亚洲洋演化相关的的加里东期造山事件、经典加里东造山、中欧加里东造山、Appalachian造山。再在这7期造山事件群基础上,结合古地磁、古生物、古地理等资料,重建了新元古代-早古生代末全球板块的拼合过程:罗迪尼亚超大陆从新元古代的~950 Ma开始经历了3个阶段裂解,此时存在泛大洋、莫桑比克洋和古太平洋3个大洋,随后615~560 Ma Iapetus洋打开,~560 Ma波罗的陆块与西冈瓦纳裂离导致狭窄的Ran洋打开;~540 Ma南半球Brasiliano、东非和Kuunga造山运动导致冈瓦纳大陆分阶段最终完成拼贴;~500 Ma冈瓦纳大陆北缘西段的微陆块群局部向北裂离,导致Rheic洋和Tornquist洋打开,并于~420 Ma随经典加里东造山带和中欧缝合带形成导致Iapetus洋闭合,此时斯瓦尔巴特和英国可能位于格陵兰地盾东南缘,同时冈瓦纳大陆北缘东段华北为代表的微陆块基本拼合在冈瓦纳大陆北缘;此外,虽然425 Ma西伯利亚板块有远离聚合了的劳俄大陆的趋势,但晚奥陶世-早泥盆世南美和北美板块靠近,北美板块与环冈瓦纳北缘西段的地体拼合碰撞。在大约400 Ma时,南、北美洲的混合生物群和古地理重建显示两者非常接近,因此,推测此时存在一个初始的逐步稳定的超大陆的可能,本文称为Carolina超大陆,因为Carolina造山带是这个超大陆最终拼合的地带。并据此判断超大陆旋回为7亿年。     

Early Jurassic palaeoenvironments in the Surat Basin,Australia – marine incursion into eastern Gondwana

Interpretations of palaeodepositional environments are important for reconstructing Earth history. Only a few maps showing the Jurassic depositional environments in eastern Australia currently exist. Consequently, a detailed understanding of the setting of Australia in Gondwana is lacking. Core, wireline logs, two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic from the Precipice Sandstone and Evergreen Formation in the Surat Basin have been used to construct maps showing the evolution of depositional environments through the Early Jurassic. The results indicate the succession consists of three third-order sequences (Sequence 1 to Sequence 3) that were controlled by eustatic sea level. The lowstand systems tract in Sequence 1 comprises braidplain deposits, confined to a fairway that parallels the basin centre. The strata were initially deposited in two sub-basins, with rivers flowing in different orientations in each sub-basin. The transgressive systems tract of Sequence 1 to lowstand systems tract of Sequence 3 is dominated by fluvio–deltaic systems infilling a single merged basin centre. Finally, the transgressive and highstand systems tracts of Sequence 3 show nearshore environments depositing sediment into a shallow marine basin. In the youngest part of this interval, ironstone shoals are the most conspicuous facies, the thickness and number of which increase towards the north and east. This study interprets a corridor to the open ocean through the Clarence–Moreton Basin, or the Carpentaria and Papuan basins, evidence of which has been eroded. These results challenge a commonly held view that eastern Australia was not influenced by eustasy, and propose a more dynamic palaeogeographic setting comprising a mixture of fluvial, deltaic and shallow marine sedimentary environments. This work can be used to unravel the stratigraphic relationships between Mesozoic eastern Australian basins, or in other basins globally as an analogue for understanding the complex interplay of paralic depositional systems in data poor areas.     

Integrated “plume winter” scenario for the double-phased extinction during the Paleozoic–Mesozoic transition: The G-LB and P-TB events from a Panthalassan perspective

The event across the Paleozoic–Mesozoic transition involved the greatest mass extinction in history together with other unique geologic phenomena of global context, such as the onset of Pangean rifting and the development of superanoxia. The detailed stratigraphic analyses on the Permo-Triassic sedimentary rocks documented a two-stepped nature both of the extinction and relevant global environmental changes at the Guadalupian–Lopingian (Middle and Upper Permian) boundary (G-LB, ca. 260 Ma) and at the Permo-Triassic boundary (P-TB, ca. 252 Ma), suggesting two independent triggers for the global catastrophe. Despite the entire loss of the Permian–Triassic ocean floors by successive subduction, some fragments of mid-oceanic rocks were accreted to and preserved along active continental margins. These provide particularly important dataset for deciphering the Permo-Triassic paleo-environments of the extensive superocean Panthalassa that occupied nearly two thirds of the Earth’s surface. The accreted deep-sea pelagic cherts recorded the double-phased remarkable faunal reorganization in radiolarians (major marine plankton in the Paleozoic) both across the G-LB and the P-TB, and the prolonged deep-sea anoxia (superanoxia) from the Late Permian to early Middle Triassic with a peak around the P-TB. In contrast, the accreted mid-oceanic paleo-atoll carbonates deposited on seamounts recorded clear double-phased changes of fusuline (representative Late Paleozoic shallow marine benthos) diversity and of negative shift of stable carbon isotope ratio at the G-LB and the P-TB, in addition to the Paleozoic minimum in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratio in the Capitanian (Late Guadalupian) and the paleomagnetic Illawarra Reversal in the late Guadalupian. These bio-, chemo-, and magneto-stratigraphical signatures are concordant with those reported from the coeval shallow marine shelf sequences around Pangea. The mid-oceanic, deep- and shallow-water Permian records indicate that significant changes have appeared twice in the second half of the Permian in a global extent. It is emphasized here that everything geologically unusual started in the Late Guadalupian; i.e., (1) the first mass extinction, (2) onset of the superanoxia, (3) sea-level drop down to the Phanerozoic minimum, (4) onset of volatile fluctuation in carbon isotope ratio, 5) ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of the Paleozoic minimum, (6) extensive felsic alkaline volcanism, and (7) Illawarra Reversal.The felsic alkaline volcanism and the concurrent formation of several large igneous provinces (LIPs) in the eastern Pangea suggest that the Permian biosphere was involved in severe volcanic hazards twice at the G-LB and the P-TB. This episodic magmatism was likely related to the activity of a mantle superplume that initially rifted Pangea. The supercontinent-dividing superplume branched into several secondary plumes in the mantle transition zone (410–660 km deep) beneath Pangea. These secondary plumes induced the decompressional melting of mantle peridotite and pre-existing Pangean crust to form several LIPs that likely caused a “plume winter” with global cooling by dust/aerosol screens in the stratosphere, gas poisoning, acid rain damage to surface vegetation etc. After the main eruption of plume-derived flood basalt, global warming (plume summer) took over cooling, delayed the recovery of biodiversity, and intensified the ocean stratification. It was repeated twice at the G-LB and P-TB.A unique geomagnetic episode called the Illawarra Reversal around the Wordian–Capitanian boundary (ca. 265 Ma) recorded the appearance of a large instability in the geomagnetic dipole in the Earth’s outer core. This rapid change was triggered likely by the episodic fall-down of a cold megalith (subducted oceanic slabs) from the upper mantle to the D″ layer above the 2900 km-deep core-mantle boundary, in tight association with the launching of a mantle superplume. The initial changes in the surface environment in the Capitanian, i.e., the Kamura cooling event and the first biodiversity decline, were probably led by the weakened geomagnetic intensity due to unstable dipole of geodynamo. Under the low geomagnetic intensity, the flux of galactic cosmic radiation increased to cause extensive cloud coverage over the planet. The resultant high albedo likely drove the Kamura cooling event that also triggered the unusually high productivity in the superocean and also the expansion of O₂ minimum zone to start the superanoxia.The “plume winter” scenario is integrated here to explain the “triple-double” during the Paleozoic–Mesozoic transition interval, i.e., double-phased cause, process, and consequence of the greatest global catastrophe in the Phanerozoic, in terms of mantle superplume activity that involved the whole Earth from the core to the surface biosphere.     

晚古生代泛大陆聚合过程中板块碰撞的运动学分析

本文基于古板块再造方法,通过收集和筛选全球晚古生代古地磁数据,恢复再造泛大陆的构造格局及其聚合过程。晚古生代,全球板块的运动轨迹表明,全球板块整体以顺时针旋转的方式运动,聚合形成泛大陆。通过分析单个板块的运动学特征以及不同板块间的相对运动,表明在泛大陆聚合过程中,至少出现四种碰撞方式：① 追尾式碰撞：不同板块在同向运动过程中,板块运动速度存在差异,如前方板块速度慢于后方板块,则会造成其间洋盆逐渐收敛—关闭,如莱茵洋（海西造山带）、索伦洋（索伦山造山带）等。 ② 侧向式碰撞：两个板块运动轨迹大角度交叉,发生侧向碰撞,如波罗的板块向北运动过程中与向东北运动的西伯利亚板块碰撞,造成乌拉尔洋盆闭合,形成狭长的造山带。③ 错车式碰撞：两个板块,同向或者相向交错运动,在其侧翼发生走滑—斜向式聚合。如塔里木和华北板块转动方向相反,在侧翼斜向对接,以洋盆属性不明和走滑断层系发育为特征。④ 拥堵式碰撞：多个大板块之间汇聚区域的小陆块和地体发生多边汇聚,广泛出现岛弧增生和残余洋盆,如中亚造山带。     

Mesozoic exhumation history of the Grenvillian Oaxacan Complex,southern Mexico

We present the first fission‐track results from the Grenvillian Oaxacan Complex, southern Mexico. Time–temperature modelling of the data indicates that two significant Mesozoic cooling episodes are recorded in the Oaxacan Complex and these are interpreted as resulting from exhumation. The older cooling event took place from the Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic and is possible linked to the break‐up of Pangea (including the initial opening of the Gulf of Mexico during the Jurassic). The younger exhumation period in the Early Cretaceous is contemporaneous with the final stages of rifting of the Gulf of Mexico. Key stratigraphic records also provide independent evidence for these exhumation episodes. In our view, both Mesozoic rapid exhumation events were controlled by the activity of the Caltepec Fault Zone and the Oaxaca Fault. Our data suggest that both these large fault systems have remained active since, at least, the Late Triassic.     

Edge tectonics (trench rollback, terrane export) of Gondwanaland-Pangea synchronized by supercontinental heat

From 650–500 Ma assembly, 320 Ma merger in Pangea, to 185 Ma breakup, Gondwanaland developed by the accretion of lithosphere along the convergent edge on the south and by the export of terranes from the divergent edges on the west and northeast. The interior underwent epeirogenic movement except in areas affected during the merger by farfield shortening. Synchronous or near-synchronous events on the edges and interior are linked hypothetically by convection currents in the asthenosphere driven by supercontinent-induced heat. On the convergent edge, currents countered the sinking slab to roll back the trench and generate a backarc basin. On the divergent edge, currents initiated an ocean that prised off continental rims in the form of terranes. In the interior, currents extended the lithosphere in basins and rifts.