Pan-African eclogite facies metamorphism of ultramafic rocks in the Shackleton Range, Antarctica

In the Shackleton Range of East Antarctica, garnet-bearing ultramafic rocks occur as lenses in supracrustal high-grade gneisses. In the presence of olivine, garnet is an unmistakable indicator of eclogite facies metamorphic conditions. The eclogite facies assemblages are only present in ultramafic rocks, particularly in pyroxenites, whereas other lithologies – including metabasites – lack such assemblages. We conclude that under high-temperature conditions, pyroxenites preserve high-pressure assemblages better than isofacial metabasites, provided the pressure is high enough to stabilize garnet–olivine assemblages (i.e. ≥18–20 kbar). The Shackleton Range ultramafic rocks experienced a clockwise P–T path and peak conditions of 800–850 °C and 23–25 kbar. These conditions correspond to ∼70 km depth of burial and a metamorphic gradient of 11–12 °C km⁻¹ that is typical of a convergent plate-margin setting. The age of metamorphism is defined by two garnet–whole-rock Sm–Nd isochrons that give ages of 525 ± 5 and 520 ± 14 Ma corresponding to the time of the Pan-African orogeny. These results are evidence of a Pan-African suture zone within the northern Shackleton Range. This suture marks the site of a palaeo-subduction zone that likely continues to the Herbert Mountains, where ophiolitic rocks of Neoproterozoic age testify to an ocean basin that was closed during Pan-African collision. The garnet-bearing ultramafic rocks in the Shackleton Range are the first known example of eclogite facies metamorphism in Antarctica that is related to the collision of East and West Gondwana and the first example of Pan-African eclogite facies ultramafic rocks worldwide. Eclogites in the Lanterman Range of the Transantarctic Mountains formed during subduction of the palaeo-Pacific beneath the East Antarctic craton.     

Drainage spacing regularity on a fault-block: A case study from the eastern Ruahine Range

Abstract:  Recent research has indicated river basin outlets draining linear sections of large, uplifting mountain belts often show a regularity of spacing, transverse to the main structural trend. A morphometric analysis of part of the Ruahine Range, on the North Island was undertaken to test whether drainage regularity may exist in smaller, younger mountain ranges. The ratio, R , of the half-width of the mountain belt, W , and the outlet spacing, S , was used to characterize drainage networks on the eastern side of the range. The spacing ratio for the range of 1.31 is lower than R results from studies of larger mountain belts ( R  = 1.91–2.23). We suggest the cause of this lower ratio is related to eastward migration of the Ruahine drainage divide.     

大兴安岭中段木瑞组的发现及其地质意义

在内蒙古1：5万蘑菇山幅、柴河源幅、苏河屯幅、兴安幅四幅区域地质调查中,研究人员通过详细的野外地质调查,首次在中侏罗统满克头鄂博组下部发现木瑞组,二者为整合接触关系。该组岩石类型为紫红色泥质粉砂岩夹灰白色砾岩,出露不完整,从而证明大兴安岭中段在中侏罗世历经陆相山间盆地堆积,具快速堆积特点。该组可作为一个区域性的标志层,对研究大兴安岭中段在中侏罗世期间地质演化史具有重要意义。     

青海唐古拉地区侏罗纪非海相双壳动物群及其古环境分析

唐古拉山温泉以东约80km的冬曲一带产出丰富的侏罗纪非海相双壳类化石,中侏罗统雀莫错组顶部的紫红色细粒岩屑砂岩产Qiyangia,Yunnanopharus,Unio 3属3种,其中有新种Yunnanopharus substratus.这一动物群与过去在本区发现的中侏罗统“Cuneopsis”-Eolamprotula-Protomya动物群面貌明显不同,过去一直认为Yunnanopharus是晚三叠世的属,而Qiyangia则主要产于下侏罗统,根据地层层序及上、下层位产出的海相双壳类和腕足类化石时代分析,冬曲剖面的Qiyangia-Yunnanopharus动物群时代无疑为中侏罗世巴通期,扎窝茸组产非海相双壳类“Cuneopsis”,Yunnanopharus,Plicatunio,Nipponaia(Eonipponaia),Cyotrigonioides,Danlengicon-cha,Nakamuranaia等7属9种,其中包括新种Yunnanoconcha(?)ovalis,Danlengiconha tanggu-laensis,Cyotrigonioides(?)ellipticus和Nipponaia(Eonipponaia)?bifurcata,基于下伏海相地层中双壳类和腕足类化石的佐证,它们的时代最有可能是在晚侏罗世基末里期至早白垩世期间,据化石围岩的粒度分析以及埋藏学研究表明,这些类三角蚌类主要生活于水体安静、有机质含量丰富的淤泥质基底,繁盛于近海三角洲平原上的湖沼环境,同时,由于海退初期尚有可能受到海水短暂侵漫的影响,造成它们生存环境的咸化     

张广才岭燕山早期白石山岩体成因与壳幔相互作用

出露于东北地区张广才岭的白石山岩体,其全岩-矿物Rb-Sr等时线年龄为196士4 Ma,表明形成于中生代的燕山早期,而非传统认识上的印支期.岩体主岩和闪长质包体均具有低ISr(≈0.705)和正εNd(t)(+1.7～+2.2)值的特点,反映岩体成因与地幔具有密切的联系.地质学、岩石学和地球化学的详细研究表明该岩体具有壳幔混合成因,闪长质包体是较基性的地幔岩浆进入主岩浆中淬火结晶而成,花岗质岩浆的源区主要为新生的地壳物质.动力学分析表明,本区在华北板块和西伯利亚板块碰撞拼合后,由于东侧大洋板块的俯冲及后续的岩石圈拆沉效应,导致软流圈地幔上隆及幔源岩浆的板底垫托,并进而造成先存和新生地壳的部分熔融和不同源区岩浆的混合作用.底垫的新生地壳是兴蒙造山带造山后晚期形成的.因此,古生代-中生代是本区地壳生长的重要时期,且这种地壳生长是在垂向构造机制下进行的.     

青藏高原唐古拉山北坡夏季风降水特征的初步分析

利用ＧＡＭＥ－Ｔｉｂｅｔ加强观测期间（１９９８年５￣９月）Ｄ１０５站的降水资料,初步分析了青藏高原唐古拉山北坡夏季风降水的特征。表明从６月７日到９月１８日,这１０４ｄ中有８１ｄ产生降水,总结水量为２７９．２ｍｍ,每天平均降水量达３．４５ｍｍ。可以认为６月７日左右为唐古拉山北坡Ｄ１０５站处夏季风爆发日。８月份降水量最大。为１２１．６ｍｍ,占观测期间总降水量的４３．６％。在夏季风期间,季风降水存在着明     

Early Devonian synorogenic alluvial-fan deposits of the Maccullochs Range,western New South Wales

The Early Devonian, Maccullochs Range beds (new) of the Winduck Interval largely comprise non-marine fine-grained sheet-flood-deposited sandstones which lie in the southeast sector of the Darling Basin Conjugate Fault System. Deposition of the >2.5 km-thick sequence occurred on the Wilcannia, Towers and Coolabah Bore alluvial fans, that were sourced largely from lightly indurated sandstone caps overlying a large basement high lying north of the Darling River Lineament, and also from west of Maccullochs Range (Coolabah Bore Fan). Four lithofacies are recognised. Lithofacies 1, massive sandstone, is proximal and was deposited from hyperconcentrated sheet floods. The more distal lithofacies 2 is partly massive, partly laminated and partly affected by soft sediment slumping during its deposition. It contains 1.3 – 3.5 m-thick sheet-flood successions that rarely show cross-bedding. Lithofacies 3 and 4 are minor: lithofacies 3, stream-flood deposited, comprises coarse-grained, pebbly sandstone and lithofacies 4, transient playa lake deposits that are locally intercalated with lithofacies 2. In lithofacies 2, thick massive fine-grained sandstone is commonly overlain by laminated sandstone that was deformed when soft. Incised channel deposits in lithofacies 2 deposits are rare and palaeosols were not discovered. Permanency of the positions of two of the alluvial fans, and by inference their feeder streams, remained unchanged for ～9 million years. The fans overlie probable floodplain deposits observed in a quarry in the easternmost part of the study area. Marine fossils are very minor in the range—the brachiopod Howellella jaqueti at one locality indicates an Early Devonian age for one of the brief marine incursions into what was normally an alluvial-fan environment. Very brief marine incursions elsewhere in the group are deduced from the presence of very rare fossil gastropods.     

Lake George revisited: New evidence for the origin and evolution of a large closed lake,Southern Tablelands,NSW, Australia

Lake George contains the longest continuous sedimentary record of any Australian lake basin, but previous age models are equivocal, particularly for the oldest (pre-Quaternary) part of the record. We have applied a combination of cosmogenic nuclide burial dating, magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy to determine the age of the basal (fluvial) unit in the basin, the Gearys Gap Formation. Within the differing resolutions achievable by the three dating techniques, our results show that (i) the Gearys Gap Formation, began accumulating at ca 4 Ma, in the early Pliocene (Zanclean), and (ii) deposition had ceased by ca 3 Ma, in the mid late Pliocene (Piacenzian). Whether the same age control provides an early Pliocene (Zanclean) age for the formation of the lake basin is uncertain. During the Piacenzian, the vegetation at the core site was a wetland community dominated by members of the coral fern family Gleicheniaceae, while the surrounding dryland vegetation was a mix of sclerophyll and temperate rainforest communities, with the latter including trees and shrubs now endemic to New Guinea–New Caledonia and Tasmania. Mean annual rainfall and temperatures are inferred to have been ～2000–3000 mm, although probably not uniformly distributed throughout the year, and within the mesotherm range (>14°C <20°C), respectively. Unresolved issues are: (1) Does the basal gravel unit predate uplift of the Lake George Range and therefore provide evidence that one of the proposed paleo-spillways of Lake George, that above Geary's Gap, has been elevated up to 100–200 m by neotectonic activity over the past 4 million years? (2) Did a shallow to deepwater lake exist elsewhere in the lake basin during the Pliocene?     

张广才岭五道岭组火山岩的锆石U——Pb 年代学及地球化学特征

对张广才岭五道岭组火山岩进行锆石U--Pb LA--ICP--MS 年代学和岩石地球化学研究,以确定该组火山岩形成的时代和构造背景。选取样品中的锆石均呈自形--半自形晶,具有清晰的振荡生长环带和较高的Th /U 比值( 0. 52 ～ 2. 28) ,暗示其岩浆成因。测年结果显示,五道岭组火山岩形成于289 ± 3 Ma,是早二叠世岩浆活动的产物。火山岩的岩石组合为玄武岩--流纹岩,显示双峰式火山岩的特点,属于高钾钙碱性--钾玄岩系列,玄武岩具有富集Ｒb、K 等大离子亲石元素( LILE) ,亏损Nb、Ta 等高场强元素( HFSE) 的特征; 流纹岩呈负铕异常,富集Ｒb、Th、U 和K 等大离子亲石元素( LILE) ,亏损Nb、Ta 和Ti 等高场强元素( HFSE) 及Sr、P 元素,并显示A 型流纹岩的特点。结合该时期区域构造演化史,火山岩地球化学特征揭示了五道岭组火山岩的形成与岛弧环境下的局部伸展作用有关,这种构造背景是古亚洲洋板块俯冲于松嫩-张广才岭-佳木斯陆块之下造成的。     

关于南岭中生代花岗岩侵位年龄与锆石U-Pb年龄的时差问题:与章邦桐教授等讨论

从南岭中生代花岗岩的显微结构特征、花岗岩液相线和固相线的已有实验成果、锆饱和温度信息、花岗岩体几何形态以及它们与围岩的接触关系等角度,提出这些花岗岩中锆石结晶温度较高,其结晶年龄与花岗岩岩浆侵位年龄之间的时差较小,很可能在锆石U-Pb年龄测定的误差范围内,因此,花岗岩中锆石的U-Pb年龄,能近似地代表花岗岩岩浆的侵位年龄。