Geochronology of Pliocene volcanism in the Dzhavakheti Highland (the Lesser Caucasus). Part 1: Western part of the Dzhavakheti Highland

Isotopic-geochronological study of the Pliocene magmatic activity in western part of the Dzhavakheti Highland (northwestern region of the Lesser Caucasus) is carried out. The results obtained imply that the Pliocene magmatic activity lasted in this part of the highland approximately 2 million years from 3.75 to 1.75–1.55 Ma. As is established, the studied volcanic rocks correspond in composition mostly to K-Na subalkaline and more abundant normal basalts. Time constraints of main phases in development of basic volcanism within the study region are figured out. We assume that individual pulses of silicic to moderately silicic volcanism presumably took place in the Dzhavakheti Highland about 3.2 and 2.5 Ma ago.     

山西榆社-太谷盆地上新世中晚期的植被与环境

山西中、东部的榆社、太谷盆地发育了良好的上新世河湖相地层，其丰富的植物、鱼类和哺乳类化石为我们提供了一个古植被和古环境研究的理想场所。根据榆社盆地磁笥年表以及化石组合特征，榆社、太谷盆地约为5．5MaBP以来的套沉积、榆社张村组与太谷小白组的沉积时代相当，大约形成于3．5－2．3MaBP。从大约4．4MaBP开始，较高含量的云杉、冷杉花粉显示研究区已有暗针叶林生长，从3．5MaBP开始，暗针叶林有了较大的发展，存在大面积的暗针叶林纯林。大致从上新世中期的4．4MaBP开始，气候已经开始变冷，并有较明显的干湿波动，蒿、藜为主的干草原大约从2．3MaBP开始繁盛，表明研究区转变为干冷气候。     

东营市东辛2-4井磁性地层划分对比研究

本文通过东辛2—4井岩心样品的古地磁学研究,整段岩心呈现以正极性为主的混合极性特征。自上而下划分的布容、松山、高斯和吉尔伯特极性时和布容极性时内清晰显示出的哥德堡和布莱克亚时的界限分别位于井深28.0m、161.0m、274.5m和452.0m。据黄河口南北5个钻孔磁性地层的划分对比,长江口、苏北盆地和东营地区,吉尔伯特、高斯和布容极性时的沉积速度较快,松山极性时较慢或近于缺失;黄河口以北至河北地区,高斯极性时地层不发育,吉尔伯特、松山和布容极性时则较厚,表明它们所处的构造单元、地质基础和沉积环境有较大的不同。     

中国海域的天然气水合物资源

天然气水合物是甲烷等天然气在高压、低温条件下形成的冰状固体物质。据估算,全球天然气水合物中碳的含量等于石油、煤等化石能源中碳含量的2倍。在人类面临化石能源即将枯竭的时候,各国科学家和政府都把目光投向这一未来能替代化石能源的新能源。新生代构造演化历史、沉积条件、沉积环境等显示,南海具有生成和蕴藏巨大天然气水合物资源的条件;南海海域的地震反射剖面多处显示存在BSR反射波;2007年已钻探见到水合物样品。东海冲绳海槽在第四纪的沉积速率高(10~40cm/ka),槽坡存在泥底辟构造和断裂活动,从上新世以来发生过两次构造运动,这些对天然气水合物的形成是十分有利的;因此,中国海域的天然水合物资源是十分丰富的,在不远的将来它可能成为新的替代能源。     

Anomalous geochemical provenance and weathering history of Plio-Pleistocene glaciomarine fjord strata, Bardin Bluffs Formation, East Antarctica

Major and trace element chemical analyses of the Plio‐Pleistocene Bardin Bluffs Formation, on the margin of a major ice‐stream of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, yield an anomalous chemically altered sediment composition. The Bardin Bluffs Formation of the Pagodroma Group is one of the key deposits on the Antarctic continent recording glaciomarine sedimentation under open marine fjord conditions as recently as the Plio‐Pleistocene. In modern fjords occupied by outlet glaciers of ice sheets, the composition of fine‐grained terrigenous sediments approaches that of unweathered rock types exposed upstream. In the Bardin Bluffs Formation, average abundances of stable elements (Ti, Al, Zr) approach average upper crustal compositions and the element ratios are consistent with sediments with a cratonic source, implying glacial dispersal from a large shield area through the Lambert Glacier drainage system. Interestingly, the chemical index of alteration (CIA) of these sediments has values similar to those of average shales formed under conditions of chemical weathering. The sediments are particularly depleted in silicate Ca, which has been observed elsewhere in glacial muds sourced from pre‐glacial saprolites. The anomalous chemistry of the Bardin Bluffs Formation can be explained by a sequence of events, involving chemical weathering prior to glacial expansion and erosion. The presence of a remnant 1·5 m deep late Neogene weathering profile at the base of the Bardin Bluffs sequence corroborates this conclusion. Supply of large quantities of chemically weathered materials to Antarctic marginal basins requires at least partial deglaciation of the continent and was previously regarded as uncharacteristic for late Neogene Antarctica.     

Structure,Timing, and Mechanism of the Pliocene and Late Miocene Uplift Process of the Ailao Shan-Diancang Shan,SE Tibet,China

The uplift of the Ailao Shan-Diancang Shan(ASDS) along the Ailao Shan-Red River(ASRR) shear zone is an important geological event in the southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau tectonic domain in the Late Cenozoic,and it preserves important information on the structures,exhumational history and tectonic evolution of the ASRR shear zone.The uplift structural mode and uplift timing of the ASDS is currently an important scientific topic for understanding the ASDS formation and late stage movements and evolution of the ASRR shear zone.The formation of the ASDS has been widely considered to be the consequence of the strike-slip movements of the ASRR shear zone.However,the shaping of geomorphic units is generally direct results of the latest tectonic activities.In this study,we investigated the timing and uplift structural mechanism of the ASDS and provided the following lines of supportive evidence.Firstly,the primary tectonic foliation of the ASDS shows significant characteristic variations,with steeply dipping tectonic foliation developed on the east side of the ASDS and the relatively horizontal foliation on the west side.Secondly,from northeast to southwest direction,the deformation and metamorphism gradually weakened and this zone can be further divided into three different metamorphic degree belts.Thirdly,the contact relationship between the ASDS and the Chuxiong basin-Erhai lake is a normal fault contact which can be found on the east side of the ASDS.40Ar/39 Argeochronology suggests that the Diancang Shan had experienced a fast cooling event during 3–4 Ma.The apatite fission track testing method gives the age of 6.6–10.7 Ma in the Diancang Shan and 4.6–8.4 Ma in the Ailao Shan,respectively.Therefore the uplift of the ASDS can be explained by tilted block mode in which the east side was uplifted much higher than the west side,and it is not main reason of the shearing movements of the ASRR shear zone.The most recent uplift stages of the ASDS happened in the Pliocene(3–4 Ma) and Late Miocene(6–10 Ma).     

Plio-Pleistocene mammals from Mille-Logya,Ethiopia, and the post-Hadar faunal change

We describe the non-primate mammalian fauna from the late Pliocene to earliest Pleistocene deposits of Mille-Logya in the Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia, dated to c. 2.9–2.4 Ma, and divided into three successive units: Gafura, Seraitu, and Uraitele. We identify 41 mammalian taxa (including rodents), the most diverse group being the Bovidae, with 17 taxa. While the Gafura assemblage still resembles those from the earlier Hadar Formation, the younger Seraitu assemblage documents a major turnover. While there is little change in the species present across this interval, the relative abundances of various taxa change dramatically, with suids being largely replaced by open-country bovids (Alcelaphini and Antilopini). We interpret this faunal change as reflective of an environmental shift, contemporaneous with the replacement of Australopithecus afarensis by Homo in the area.     

Late Miocene–early Pliocene planktonic foraminifer event-stratigraphy of the Bajo Segura basin: A complete record of the western Mediterranean

The Bajo Segura basin (eastern Betic Cordillera) has one of the most complete late Miocene–early Pliocene marine records of the western Mediterranean. An updated planktonic foraminifer zonal scheme based on recent astronomically tuned biozones is presented for this interval, documenting a complete succession of biostratigraphic markers, from biozone MMi9 (earliest Tortonian) to MPl3 (latest early Pliocene), of likely significance for regional-scale correlation throughout the Mediterranean. The findings reveal a series of intrazonal events (some unreported until now in the Mediterranean Neogene basin), including the particularly interesting two influxes of the Globorotalia miotumida group during the Tortonian. These biostratigraphic findings are the basis for a framework of the major allostratigraphic units in the basin based on planktonic foraminifer event-stratigraphy: synthems Tortonian I, Tortonian II, Tortonian-Messinian I, Messinian II, and Pliocene. In addition, the timing of the main tectono-sedimentary and palaeogeographic events throughout the basin's evolution has been further constrained. Our results suggest that, at least in the Bajo Segura basin, the late-Messinian barren interval (non-distinctive zone) can be considered an ecobiostratigraphic zone (cenozone) characterized by dwarf fauna of planktonic foraminifera. Consequently, the Bajo Segura composite section can be regarded as a biostratigraphic reference section for Neogene basins in the Betic Cordillera and hence also in the Western Mediterranean.     

河北平原廊固凹陷ACX03孔晚上新世以来地层与沉积*

基于河北平原廊固凹陷东北部ACX03孔(深300.0 m)浅部¹⁴C年龄和磁性地层,建立钻孔第四纪地层格架,依据ACX03孔岩心沉积物、测井曲线和微体古生物特征划分沉积层段并分析沉积环境。研究结果表明: ACX03孔B/M(布容/松山)、M/G(松山/高斯)极性界线分别位于83.8 m、220.2 m,孔底年龄约3.2 Ma,划分13个沉积层段。上新统(220.2~300.0 m)为河道、河漫滩夹湖泊沉积,下更新统(85.2~220.2 m)为河道、湖泊、河漫滩沉积,中更新统(61.5~85.2 m)为分支河道夹河漫滩及河间洼地—湖沼沉积,上更新统(23.2~61.5 m)为河漫滩、分支河道沉积,全新统(0~23.2 m)为泛滥平原、河曲—牛轭湖沉积。对比ACX03孔与邻近钻孔第四纪地层认为,河北平原廊坊—固安一带早更新世差异性沉降最强,之后一直到全新世越来越弱。     

东昆仑山小南川岩体裂变径迹年代与中新世晚期以来的构造地貌演化

对昆仑垭口地区小南川岩体7件样品进行磷灰石裂变径迹年代学测试, 分析了岩体的冷却过程及岩体的剥露与构造地貌演化的关系.结果表明东昆仑山区中新世晚期视剥蚀速率极为缓慢, 为0.020~0.035mm/a, 反映的是构造隆升作用微弱、地貌缓和的地质环境, 因而构造隆升速率与低的视剥蚀速率相当.上新世以来小南川岩体突发性快速隆升冷却, 造成超过3km的物质揭顶, 这不是由单纯的剥蚀过程导致, 而是反映了昆仑山上新世以来的强烈构造隆升驱动下的成山作用过程.岩体上新世的裂变径迹年龄与近东西向的昆仑河-野牛沟谷地断裂断陷、昆仑垭口盆地断陷以及后期西大滩谷地断陷的综合构造地貌演化有密切的成因联系.此外裂变径迹年龄的空间分布格局反映了区域性的差异隆升作用, 由南向北、由西向东, 隆升和剥蚀作用逐渐衰减, 这与东昆仑山南北向以及东、西昆仑山之间地貌发育的差异性以及新生代火山作用分布是吻合的.