Detrital zircon provenance of Neoproterozoic to Cenozoic deposits in Iran: Implications for chronostratigraphy and collisional tectonics

Ion-microprobe U–Pb analyses of 589 detrital zircon grains from 14 sandstones of the Alborz mountains, Zagros mountains, and central Iranian plateau provide an initial framework for understanding the Neoproterozoic to Cenozoic provenance history of Iran. The results place improved chronological constraints on the age of earliest sediment accumulation during Neoproterozoic–Cambrian time, the timing of the Mesozoic Iran–Eurasia collision and Cenozoic Arabia–Eurasia collision, and the contribution of various sediment sources of Gondwanan and Eurasian affinity during opening and closure of the Paleotethys and Neotethys oceans. The zircon age populations suggest that deposition of the extensive ~ 1 km-thick clastic sequence at the base of the cover succession commenced in latest Neoproterozoic and terminated by Middle Cambrian time. Comparison of the geochronological data with detrital zircon ages for northern Gondwana reveals that sediment principally derived from the East African orogen covered a vast region encompassing northern Africa and the Middle East. Although most previous studies propose a simple passive-margin setting for Paleozoic Iran, detrital zircon age spectra indicate Late Devonian–Early Permian and Cambrian–Ordovician magmatism. These data suggest that Iran was affiliated with Eurasian magmatic arcs or that rift-related magmatic activity during opening of Paleotethys and Neotethys was more pronounced than thought along the northern Gondwanan passive-margin. For a Triassic–Jurassic clastic overlap assemblage (Shemshak Formation) in the Alborz mountains, U–Pb zircon ages provide chronostratigraphic age control requiring collision of Iran with Eurasia by late Carnian–early Norian time (220–210 Ma). Finally, Cenozoic strata yield abundant zircons of Eocene age, consistent with derivation from arc magmatic rocks related to late-stage subduction and/or breakoff of the Neotethys slab. Together with the timing of foreland basin sedimentation in the Zagros, these detrital zircon ages help bracket the onset of the Arabia–Eurasia collision in Iran between middle Eocene and late Oligocene time.     

Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonics and geodynamics of Altai, Tien Shan, and Northern Kazakhstan, from apatite fission-track data

Apatite fission-track (AFT) thermochronological modeling as a diagnostic tool for periods of stability (peneplanation) and tectonic activity (orogeny) has been broadly used in tectonic studies of Central Asia in recent years. We discuss more than 100 AFT ages of samples from the Kyrgyz Tien Shan and Altai and compare them with AFT data from northern Kazakhstan. Geological, geomorphological, and AFT data indicate intense activity in the Late Cenozoic Eurasian continental interior. The impact from the India-Eurasia collision on the northern Tien Shan, Altai, and northern Kazakhstan regions showed up at 11, 5, and 3 Ma, respectively, as a result of stress propagation into the continent, with the ensuing reactivation and mountain growth. We hypothesize that a distant effect of the Late Cenozoic India-Eurasia collision was to rejuvenate Paleozoic fault zones and to deform the Mesozoic sedimentary cover north of the collision front as far as the West Siberian Plate. The reactivation facilitated formation of tectonic oil and gas traps. The activity in northern Central Asia under the effect of the Indian indentation into Eurasia appears to continue and may evolve to include uplift of southern West Siberian plate with uplift.     

Structural evolution of the Bayanhongor region, west-central Mongolia

Most of previous models suggest that the Central Asia Orogenic Belt grew southward in the Phanerozoic. However, in the Bayanhongor region in west-central Mongolia, volcanic arc, accretionary prism, ophiolite, and passive margin complexes accreted northeastward away from the Baydrag micro-continent, and hence the region constitutes the southwestern part of a crustal-scale syntaxis close to the west. The syntaxis should be original, because presumably reorientation due to strike-slip faulting can be ignored. It is reconfirmed that the Baydrag eventually collided with another micro-continent (the Hangai) to the northeast. A thick sedimentary basin developed along the southern passive margin of the Hangai micro-continent. This region is also characterized by an exhumed metamorphosed accretionary complex and a passive margin complex, which are both bounded by detachment faults as well as basal reverse faults which formed simultaneously as extrusion wedges. This part of the Central Asia Orogenic Belt lacks exhumed crystalline rocks as observed in the Himalayas and other major collisional orogenic belts. In addition, we identified two phases of deformation, which occurred at each phase of zonal accretion as D1 through Cambrian and Devonian, and a synchronous phase of final micro-continental collision of Devonian as D2. The pre-collisional ocean was wide enough to be characterized by a mid-ocean ridge and ocean islands. Two different structural trends of D1 and D2 are observed in accretionary complexes formed to the southwest of the late Cambrian mid-ocean ridge. That is, the relative plate motions on both sides of the mid-ocean ridge were different. Accretionary complexes and passive margin sediments to the northeast of the mid-ocean ridge also experienced two periods of deformation but show the same structural trend. Unmetamorphosed cover sediments on the accretionary prism and on the Hangai micro-continent experienced only the D2 event due to micro-continental collision. These unmetamorphosed sediments form the hanging walls of the detachment faults. Moreover, they were at least partly derived from an active volcanic arc formed at the margin of the Baydrag micro-continent.     

Tectonic relation between northeastern China and the Korean peninsula revealed by interpretation of GRACE satellite gravity data

The major continental blocks in northeastern Asia are the North China block and the South China block, which have collided starting from the Korean peninsula. Geologic and geophysical interpretations reveal a well defined suture zone in northeastern China from Qinling through Dabie to Jiaodong. The discovery of high-pressure metamorphic rocks in the Hongseong area of the Korean peninsula, prominent evidence for the collision zone, indicates extension of the collision zone in northeastern China into the Korean peninsula. Interpretation of the GRACE satellite gravity dataset shows two prominent structural boundaries in the Yellow Sea. One extends from the Jiaodong Belt in eastern China to the Imjingang Belt in the Korean peninsula. The other extends from near Nanjing, eastern China, to Hongseong. Tectonic movement in or near the suture zone may be responsible for seismic activity in the western Korean peninsula and the development of the Yellow Sea sedimentary basin.     

The Cauvery Shear Zone, Southern Granulite Terrain, India: A crustal-scale flower structure

The Cauvery Shear Zone (CSZ) is a crustal-scale shear system within the Southern Granulite Terrain along the southern margin of the Archaean Dharwar craton. Structural interpretation of satellite data and field observations reveal four major shear zones within the CSZ system. They show dextral shear kinematics synchronous with a major Neoproterozoic tectono-metamorphic event (D2) associated with intracrustal melting and migmatisation. The disposition, geometry and contemporaneity of shear fabrics of the CSZ system are modelled in terms of a crustal-scale flower structure akin to transpressional and collisional orogens. In the light of recent seismic evidence for a displaced Moho structure and a mid- to lower-crustal low velocity zone, the flower structure across the CSZ may extend to mantle depths.     

青藏高原隆升及其环境效应

“青藏高原形成演化及其环境资源效应”项目选择青藏高原为典型地区,特别注意高原与毗邻地区的联系,以从全球尺度探讨高原的各种过程,目标集中在大陆碰撞过程和高原隆升过程,以过程为主线贯通碰撞机制、环境变化和资源分布规律的研究;时间上着重新生代以来,在不同精细时间尺度上定量地描述碰撞和隆升的动态过程及环境变化。运用地球科学、生命科学、环境科学及各学科之间有机交叉、综合研究的方法,开展大陆碰撞动力学、环境变化、现代表生过程及各圈层相互作用等重大理论问题的研究,为青藏高原地区的资源开发和环境调控提供科学依据。按照统观全局、突出重点的原则,项目主要研究内容包括以下4个方面：大陆岩石圈碰撞过程及其成矿效应;高原隆升过程与东亚气候环境变化;青藏高原现代表生过程及相互作用机理;青藏高原区域系统相互作用的综合研究。在完成研究计划任务的基础上,项目取得如下的突出研究成果和创新性进展：印度大陆与欧亚大陆初始碰撞时限;青藏高原南北缘山盆岩石圈尺度的构造关系;青藏高原整合构造模型与成矿成藏评价;新生代高原北部重大的构造变形隆升事件序列;高原周边环境变化事件及高原隆升对亚洲季风发展变化的影响;高分辨率气候动态过程及变化趋势;高原主要生态系统碳过程对气候变化的响应;高原气候变化及冰冻圈变化与预测;高原土地覆被变化、恢复整治及管理。     

地缘政治风险研究进展与展望

地缘政治风险是影响全球和区域和平、稳定与发展的5大风险之一。如何识别、评估、预测和管理地缘政治风险成为国内外共同关注的问题。国内外学者对地缘政治风险这一术语的定义还不统一。当前地缘政治风险研究,在致险因素分析、风险影响刻画、风险量化与制图等领域都有一些新进展。针对地缘政治风险致险因子的时空差异性和多变性、各致险因子相互影响与反馈机制的复杂性以及地缘政治风险的突发性和不确定性,对致险因素的精准识别,地缘政治风险形成的机理,地缘政治风险监测与模拟等研究成为核心和前沿问题。中国未来地缘政治风险和重要研究方向包括：周边地区地缘政治风险研究;地缘政治风险的定量化与模拟研究;跨学科、大数据、多终端的地缘政治风险集成计算方法与预警服务平台建设;凝炼科学问题,提升对现实地缘政治问题的解释能力。     

The Belt and Road: Geographical pattern and regional risks

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Building the Belt and Road is initiatives of China to promote win-win international cooperation in the new era, aiming at green, health, intellect and peace and...     

中国西南典型地质背景区土壤重金属分布及生态风险特征

中国西南有22.3％的耕地重金属含量超标,区内广泛分布的峨眉山玄武岩和碳酸盐岩被认为是土壤中重金属的主要母质来源.目前,中国西南地区,尤其是峨眉山玄武岩分布区土壤重金属生态风险的研究程度仍有待提升,不同地质背景区(成土母岩)土壤中重金属含量、空间分布与生态风险缺乏对比.本文选择四川省典型地质背景区采集土壤样品,采用原子...     

A review of the climatological characteristics of landfalling Gulf hurricanes for wind, wave, and surge hazard estimation

The climatological characteristics of landfalling Gulf of Mexico hurricanes are presented, focusing on the basic parameters needed for accurately determining the structure and intensity of hurricanes for ocean response models. These include the maximum sustained wind, radius of maximum winds, the Holland-B parameter, the peripheral or far-field pressure, the surface roughness and coefficient of drag, and the central pressure for historical hurricanes in the Gulf.Despite evidence of a slight increase in the annual number of named storms over the past 50 years, presently there is no statistically significant trend in tropical storms, hurricanes, or major hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the long-term variability of tropical cyclones in the Gulf reflects the observed variability in the Atlantic basin as a whole. Analyses of hurricane winds from multiple sources suggest the presence of a bias toward overestimating the strength of winds in the HURDAT dataset from 7% to 15%. Results presented comparing HURDAT with other sources also show an overestimation of intensity at landfall, with an estimated bias of ~10%.Finally, a review of recent studies has shown that hurricane frequencies and intensities appear to vary on a much more localized scale than previously believed. This exacerbates the sampling problem for accurate characterization of hurricane parameters for design and operational applications.