Geochemistry of the Mian-Lue ophiolites in the Qinling Mountains, central China: Constraints on the evolution of the Qinling orogenic belt and collision of the North and South China Cratons

The Anzishan ophiolite, a typical ophiolitic block of early Carboniferous age in the Mian-Lue suture zone of the Qinling Mountains, central China, consists of amphibolites/metabasalts, gabbros and gabbroic cumulates. All of these rocks, as well as those in the Hunshuiguan-Zhuangke (HZ) block, have compositions similar to normal MORB and back-arc basin basalts (BABB) with high ε_Nd(t) values, indicating that they were derived from a depleted mantle source. The Mian-Lue suture zone also contains blocks of other lithologies, e.g., rift volcanic rocks in the Heigouxia block and arc volcanic rocks in the Sanchazi block. Although they are in fault contact with each other, the presence of these different blocks in the Mian-Lue suture zone may represent a complete Wilson cycle, from initial rifting to open ocean basin to final subduction and continent-continent collision, during the late Paleozoic-early Triassic. In this region, the North and South China Cratons were separated by Paleo-Tethys at least until the early Carboniferous, and final amalgamation of both cratons along the Qinling orogenic belt took place in the Triassic.     

Erratum “Boundary” in ancient Persian tradition of statehood: an introduction to the origins of the concept of boundary in pre-modern history

Erratum to: GeoJournal 62: 51–58 DOI 10.1007/s10708-005-8562-2 The erroneous version of this article was originally published in GeoJournal 62: 51–58. This amended version corrects the formatting errors which are evident in the original version.Abstract It is universally accepted that the need for defining precise lines of separation and points of contacts between states is the byproduct of the emergence of nation-states and ‘world economy’ in the nineteenth century Europe. Nevertheless, it is hard to overlook the fact that these modern notions are rooted in periods prior to the emergence in Europe of nation-states. There are indications that ancient civilizations were familiar with the notion of ‘state’ in connection with the concepts of territory and boundary. Ancient texts reveal that this basic principle existed in ancient Persian literature in respect of matters of state, territory, and boundary. Similarly, the likelihood exists that these Persian notions could have influenced Roman civilization. It is widely believed that a combination of ancient Greco-Roman and Persian civilizations is a major contributor to what culturally constitutes ‘West’. Later in the Sassanid period the inter-linked notions of state, territory, and boundary developed substantially, coming quite close to their contemporary forms. On the other hand, considering that ‘justice’ was the corner stone of ancient Persian Political philosophy, the idea that ancient␣Iranian spatial arrangement might have contributed to the evolution of the concept of democracy in the West may not be too difficult to contemplate.The online version of the original article can be found at     

滇西潞西上芒岗卡林型金矿

上芒岗金矿赋存于二叠系沙子坡组碳酸岩和侏罗系勐戛组下段砂岩、灰岩中,明显受上芒岗断裂控制,与美国模式卡林型金矿极为相似,具有相同的物质来源和成因模式。上芒岗地区具有广阔的深部找矿前景。     

略阳煎茶岭铜镍硫化物矿床Re—Os同位素年龄及其地质意义

采用矿石Re-Os同位素方法对陕西省煎茶岭硫化镍矿床矿石进行了成矿年代学研究,获得了878士27 Ma(1σ)的等时线年龄,首次厘定了该矿床成矿时代为新元古代,成岩成矿基本同时.通过对878 Ma硫化镍矿石初始Re-Os同位素体系的γOs计算和Re/Os值分析表明,其yOs和Re/Os值变化范围大,深部条带状矿石的Re/Os值仅为0.05,yOs为-6.70;块状矿石的Re/Os值范围为4.24～24.43,γOs为-15.37～+280.65,说明成矿过程中有壳源物质的混染;两件样品的γOs为负值(-15.37,-6.70),可能指示其超镁铁质岩浆来源于Re亏损地幔.煎茶岭超基性岩体年龄及其镍矿石的Re-Os等时线年龄与扬子克拉通北缘火山岩浆活动时间相对应,它们是扬子克拉通西北缘晋宁期构造岩浆成矿作用的产物.     

Coal mining along the Warfield Fault, Mingo County, West Virginia: a tale of ups and downs

Mine development along a 15-mile (24 km) section of the Warfield Fault in Mingo County, West Virginia has broadened the geological understanding of the fault and its related structures. The fault has been exposed in two new road cuts, one in the northeast-trending segment at Neely Branch and one in the eastern east-trending segment at the head of Marrowbone Creek. Both exposures show a well-defined normal fault with a 45° to 55° N dip, juxtaposing sandstone/shale packages from the roof and the floor of the Coalburg seam. The fault is associated with a thin gouge zone, some drag folding, and parallel jointing. Its trace tends to run parallel to the crest of the adjacent Warfield Anticline. Based on underground mine development and detailed core drilling, the vertical offset along the fault plane ranges from a maximum of 240 ft (73 m) in the central part of the area near the structural bend to less than 100 ft (30 m) in western and eastern directions. The fault is located along the relatively steeply dipping (locally in excess of 25%) southern limb of the Warfield Anticline, and appears related to a late phase of extension involving folded Pennsylvanian strata. On a regional scale, the lithological variations across the fault do not suggest any appreciable strike-slip component.Underground room and pillar mines in the Coalburg seam north and south of the fault have been greatly impacted by the Warfield structures. Due to the combined (and opposite) effects of the folding and faulting, the northern mines are located up to 400 ft (125 m) higher in elevation than the southern ones. Overland conveyor belts connect mining blocks separated by the fault. The practical mining limit along the steep slopes toward the fault is around 15%. Subsidiary normal faults with offsets in the 5- to 15-ft (1.5–4.5 m) range are fairly common and form major roof control and production hurdles. Overall, the Warfield structures pose an extra challenge to mine development in this part of the Appalachian Coalfields.     

秦岭—大巴山地区金属矿产成矿规律

秦岭—大巴山地区金属资源蕴藏丰富，成矿规律明显。剖析控矿条件，概括出优势金属资源的空间定位、成矿类型，归纳了成矿期，指明了小秦岭、熊耳山、伏牛山、汉（中）武（都）北（川）、凤（州）成（县）礼（县）、山（阳）柞（水）旬（阳）和商（南）洛（南）等七个成矿域，是查勘巨型或特大型矿产的地区。     

秦岭镇-旬地区微细浸染型锑金矿床成矿条件及其找矿前景分析

镇（安）旬（阳）地区锑金矿化分布，与其区域地质地球化学因素，陆源断陷盆地沉积岩相变化，后期构造作用密切相关，认为镇旬地区为扬子与华北板块边缘对接过渡活动带，形成局部扩张断陷沉积盆地环境。海底同生断裂的发育，使盆地中心局限台盆环境造成陆源物质、内源组份和深部物质的混生，以及为深部含矿热液上升提供通道；在后期脆－韧性剪切变形构造叠加，地下热卤水循环改造作用，形成层控式细脉浸染型锑金矿床。该地区锑金成矿物质来源丰富，沉积构造环境优越，后期控矿构造发育，显示了潜在的细脉浸染型锑金矿床的找矿前景。     

北秦岭古聚会带壳幔再循环

以同构造期代表古洋壳残片的蛇绿岩及产于古岛弧的玄武岩为基础，通过Ｎｄ，Ｐｂ同位素与微量元素示踪及岩浆源区分析，揭示出北秦岭元古宙上地幔以强亏损（εＮｄ（ｔ）＋６．３～＋７．３）和高的Ｙｂ／Ｈｆ，Ｎｂ／Ｌａ和Ｔｈ／Ｌａ比值为特征，北秦岭地壳和上地幔明显具有Ｐｂ同位素比值高的特征．北秦岭丹凤群岛弧火山岩、二郎坪群弧后玄武岩以及松树沟蛇绿岩中变拉斑玄武岩εＮｄ（ｔ）、放射成因Ｐｂ同位素、Ｙ／Ｔｂ和Ｔｉ－ＭｇＯ研究表明，本区玄武岩存在两类性质不同的岩浆源．一类与亏损的北秦岭岩石圈上地幔源区有关；另一类与携带海洋沉积物的洋壳板块俯冲参与有关．由此，论证了北秦岭古聚会带壳幔之间物质再循环