Giant submarine landslide grooves in the Neoproterozoic/Lower Cambrian Phe Formation, northwest Himalaya: Mechanisms of formation and palaeogeographic implications

Giant groove casts have been found in the upper Proterozoic to Lower Cambrian Phe Formation (Haimanta Group), a siliciclastic sandstone/shale succession in the Tethyan Zone of the Higher Himalaya tectonic unit. The grooves are among the largest linear erosion structures related to submarine mass-movements observed in the geologic record. They are up to 4 m wide, about 0.2 m deep and can be traced for more than 35 m without changing their character. The grooves are straight, subparallel to cross-cutting striations with shallow semi-circular cross-sections and well-defined superimposed minor ridges and grooves. Groove casts exist on the soles of several sandstone beds within a 73 m thick logged section, commonly associated with flute casts. Their characteristics were compared with several other types of ancient and modern submarine linear erosion structures. A sand-rich, non-channelized basin floor depositional environment is inferred from the lithofacies, the combination of sedimentary structures, the lack of coarse-grained pebbly facies, the lateral continuity of beds, and the lack of channel structures. The grooves probably formed by laminar debris flows/concentrated density flows dragging blocks of already lithified sediment across the basin floor. When the bedding is structurally rotated back to horizontal, the groove casts show consistent North–South oriented palaeocurrent trends, with South-directed palaeocurrent directions indicated by flute casts. These palaeocurrent orientations contrast with previous palaeogeographic reconstructions of this area, which propose sediment delivery from the South. We therefore suggest a new “double provenance” model for the spatial relationship of late Proterozoic to Early Cambrian strata of the Himalaya, in which Lesser and Tethyan Himalayan age-equivalent sediment was deposited in a connected basin, where the former received detritus from the South, and the latter from a hitherto unknown source in the North. One possible candidate for this northern source is the South China Block and an associated Neoproterozoic volcanic arc.     

Gutter casts from the Proterozoic Bijaygarh Shale Formation,India: Their implication for storm-induced circulation in shelf settings

The orientations of elongate gutter casts occurring in inner shelf storm deposits of the Proterozoic Bijaygarh Shale Formation, India reveal a modal population oriented roughly parallel to the average trend of the associated wave ripples. Assuming that the wave ripple trend approximately represents the orientation of the contemporary shoreline, the shore-parallel gutters appear to have been formed by the geostrophic current. Some gutters oriented at high angles to the inferred shoreline presumably represent incision by wave orbital currents in a storm-induced combined flow regime. The gutters also show variations in the style of incision and infill, which may be useful in distinguishing between gutters formed by wave orbital and geostrophic currents, independently of their orientation pattern with respect to the palaeo-shoreline.     

北京周口店雾迷山组碳酸盐岩风暴沉积序列研究*

北京周口店地区中元古界雾迷山组以含硅质条带的白云岩为主,发育不规则硅质砾屑。这些硅质砾屑形态各异,具有强烈扰动的迹象,目前对其成因解释一直存在争议,如泄水构造、冲刷构造、震积岩、风暴岩等。文中选择北京周口店地区黄山店村恒顺厂剖面为研究对象,通过野外精细的沉积学分析,系统描述了岩性及沉积构造特征,确定了该套沉积地层发育典型的碳酸盐岩风暴沉积序列。该风暴沉积序列自下往上可分为5段: A段,为风暴前正常沉积的中厚层状泥晶白云岩;B段,具口袋构造的侵蚀冲刷面及硅质砾屑,为风暴高潮期产物;C段,灰色硅质条带白云岩,普遍发育平行层理和波状、丘状、洼状交错层理,是风暴衰减期产物;D段,灰白色薄层状泥晶白云岩,代表了风暴间歇期的正常沉积;E段,含硅质团块白云岩,为正常天气下海水局部扰动形成。该剖面上递变层理几乎不发育,结合侵蚀冲刷面特征、砾屑高含量以及杂乱堆积方式,认为该套沉积为典型的近原地风暴沉积。结合古地理资料,推测研究区在雾迷山组沉积时期可能处于热带海洋环境,热带气旋引发的频繁风暴潮导致了近原地碳酸盐岩风暴沉积的形成。上述研究成果不仅补充了燕山地区雾迷山组的风暴沉积记录,而且为该时期华北板块的古地理、古纬度和古气候研究提供了重要的沉积学证据。     

北京周口店雾迷山组碳酸盐岩风暴沉积序列研究*

北京周口店地区中元古界雾迷山组以含硅质条带的白云岩为主,发育不规则硅质砾屑。这些硅质砾屑形态各异,具有强烈扰动的迹象,目前对其成因解释一直存在争议,如泄水构造、冲刷构造、震积岩、风暴岩等。文中选择北京周口店地区黄山店村恒顺厂剖面为研究对象,通过野外精细的沉积学分析,系统描述了岩性及沉积构造特征,确定了该套沉积地层发育典型的碳酸盐岩风暴沉积序列。该风暴沉积序列自下往上可分为5段: A段,为风暴前正常沉积的中厚层状泥晶白云岩;B段,具口袋构造的侵蚀冲刷面及硅质砾屑,为风暴高潮期产物;C段,灰色硅质条带白云岩,普遍发育平行层理和波状、丘状、洼状交错层理,是风暴衰减期产物;D段,灰白色薄层状泥晶白云岩,代表了风暴间歇期的正常沉积;E段,含硅质团块白云岩,为正常天气下海水局部扰动形成。该剖面上递变层理几乎不发育,结合侵蚀冲刷面特征、砾屑高含量以及杂乱堆积方式,认为该套沉积为典型的近原地风暴沉积。结合古地理资料,推测研究区在雾迷山组沉积时期可能处于热带海洋环境,热带气旋引发的频繁风暴潮导致了近原地碳酸盐岩风暴沉积的形成。上述研究成果不仅补充了燕山地区雾迷山组的风暴沉积记录,而且为该时期华北板块的古地理、古纬度和古气候研究提供了重要的沉积学证据。     

Super-deep CTD measurements in the Izu-Ogasawara trench and a comparison of geostrophic shears with direct measurements

CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) data at five stations across the Izu-Ogasawara Trench at 34°N were examined. Geostrophic velocity was in accordance with the directly measured currents. Above the trench floor, potential temperature increased at a rate of 0.6 m°C/1000 db from 8000 db to 9417 db, and salinity increased from 8300 db to the bottom. Potential density was almost constant at 7100–8700 db, and it increased to the bottom. Above the eastern and western flanks, inversion of potential density was indicated in the bottom layers with an increase of potential temperature and a decrease of salinity, suggesting geothermal heating and outflow of ground water.     

Deep CTD Casts in the Challenger Deep,Mariana Trench

On 1 December 1992, CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth profiler) casts were made at three stations in a north-south section of the Challenger Deep to examine temperature and salinity profiles. The station in the Challenger Deep was located at 11°22.78′ N and 142°34.95′ E, and the CTD cast was made down to 11197 db or 10877 m, 7 m above the bottom by reeling out titanium cable of 10980 m length. The southern station was located at 11° 14.19′ N and 142°34.79′ E, 16.1 km from the central station, where water depth is 9012 m. CTD was lowered to 7014 db or 6872 m. The northern station was located at 11°31.47′ N and 142° 35.30′ E, 15.9 km from the central station, and CTD was lowered to 8536 db or 8336 m, 10 m above the bottom. Below the thermocline, potential temperature decreased monotonously down to 7300–7500 db beyond a sill depth between 5500 m and 6000 m, or between 5597 db and 6112 db, of the trench. Potential temperature increased from 7500 db to the bottom at a constant rate of 0.9 m°C/1000 db. Salinity increased down to 6020–6320 db, and then stayed almost constant down to around 9000 db. From 9500 db to the bottom, salinity increased up to 34.703 psu at 11197 db. Potential density referred to 8000 db increased monotonously down to about 6200 db, and it was almost constant from 6500 db to 9500 db. Potential density increased from 9500 db in accordance with the salinity increase. Geostrophic flows were calculated from the CTD data at three stations. Below an adopted reference level of 3000 db, the flow was westward in the north of Challenger Deep and eastward in the south, which suggests a cyclonic circulation over the Challenger Deep. Sound speed in Challenger Deep was estimated from the CTD data, and a relation among readout depth of the sonic depth recorder, true depth, and pressure was examined.     

黄河源区冰楔假型群的发育及其古气候意义*

在黄河源区两岸的第二级阶地砂砾层和基座中发现了两种不同形态的冰楔假型群。一种是发育在阶地砂砾石层的冰楔假型,其特点宽而浅,底部边界呈圆滑锅状,深约0.5~0.9m,宽0.8~1.4m;另一种是发育在第二级阶地基座的基岩中,以窄深倒三角状为特点,其底部尖锐,深约0.7~2.0m,宽为0.3~1.0m。前者形成于全新世中期(5.69±0.43kaB.P.,5.43±0.41kaB.P.),后者形成于末次冰期的冰消期(13.49±1.43kaB.P.)。另外,还在洪积的砂砾石层中发现了规模较大的冻融褶皱(宽3~4m),其时代晚于39.83±3.84kaB.P.,也是末次冰期的产物。根据冰楔假型的对比研究,在全新世的中期(约5.5kaB.P.前后)和冰消期,黄河源区的降温幅度达6~7℃。尤其值得注意的是全新世中期的冰楔假型形成,表明了大暖期气温的不稳定性。     

Relic permafrost structures in the Gobi of Mongolia: age and significance

Relict permafrost structures (ice-wedge casts and cryoturbation structures) are present in the Gobi of southern Mongolia. Luminescence dates of sediments are presented to constrain the age of formation of permafrost structures. These data show that there was a phase of permafrost development during the latter part of the Last Glacial (after about 22 to 15 ka) that resulted in cryoturbated sediments and ice-wedge casts. Furthermore, permafrost degradation occurred during late Pleistocene times (13–10 ka) and was absent during the early Holocene. These permafrost structures mark the southernmost evidence of permafrost in northern Asia during late Quaternary times and indicate that the mean annual air temperature was below approximately −6°C during their formation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ice-wedge Pseudomorphs Showing Climatic Change Since the Late Pleistocene in the Source Area of the Yellow River, Northeast Tibet

Introduction The Tibetan Plateau, located in west China, was uplifted during the Cenozoic and became the most youthful plateau in the world. Some researches have also shown that it started to develop into the cryosphere in the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene and became one of the three global cryospheres (two other cryospheres being the Artic and the Antarctic) (SHI et al. 1996). Because of the cryosphere development in the Tibetan Plateau, many periglacial and permafrost geomorpholog…     

Is most hummocky cross‐stratification formed by large‐scale ripples?

Although normal isotropic hummocky cross‐stratification is commonly interpreted to be the deposit of large‐scale ripples, there are many reasons why this may not usually be the case. These reasons include: (i) that the stratification produced by large‐scale ripples does not particularly look like isotropic hummocky cross‐stratification; (ii) that it is difficult reconciling the abundance of HCS with the restricted hydraulic stability of large‐scale ripples in silt to fine sand (i.e. the grain sizes in which hummocky cross‐stratification is usually found); (iii) that the distribution of hummocky cross‐stratification within ancient storm beds is not the distribution that would be expected from large‐scale ripples; (iv) that the flows calculated to have formed ancient examples of hummocky cross‐stratification would be expected to generate an upper stage plane bed rather than ripples; and (v) that it is difficult to explain why large‐scale ripples would predominate in the proximal parts of storm beds when modern storm flows commonly exceed the threshold for entrainment. In contrast to the various hypotheses which propose that isotropic hummocky cross‐stratification is generated by ripples, an alternative hypothesis which suggests that it is generated by instabilities, does seem to adequately explain the origin of hummocky cross‐stratification. However, it is difficult to accept this hypothesis given that the origin of the proposed instabilities is unproven. These conclusions highlight the continued uncertainty regarding the process, which generates hummocky cross‐stratification.