Sedimentary-volcanic tufts formed during the early Middle Triassic volcanic event in Guizhou Province and their stratigraphic significance

The sedimentary-volcanic tuff （locally called ＂green-bean rock＂） formed during the early Middle Triassic volcanic event in Guizhou Province is characterized as being thin, stable, widespread, short in forming time and predominantly green in color. The green-bean rock is a perfect indicator for stratigraphic division. Its petrographic and geochemical features are unique, and it is composed mainly of glassy fragments and subordinately of crystal fragments and volcanic ash balls. Analysis of the major and trace elements and rare-earth elements （ REE）, as well as the related diagrams, permits us to believe that the green-bean rock is acidic volcanic material of the calc-alkaline series formed in the Indosinian orogenic belt on the Sino-Vietnam border, which was atmospherically transported to the tectonically stable areas and then deposited as sedimentary-volcanic rocks there. According to the age of green-bean rock, it is deduced that the boundary age of the Middle-Lower Triassic overlain by the sedimentary-volcanic tuff is about 247 Ma.

安多地区早中侏罗世岩浆岩岩石地球化学和同位素年代学研究及其对构造演化的制约

Anduo area is located in the Central Tibet, the middle segment of the Bangonghu-Nujiang suture. Anduo Block is the northern part of Lhasa terrane. The relationships among the different geological bodies were determined during the 1: 250000 regional geological surveying. Petrography, petrologic geochemistry, isotopic geochemistry and geochronology of igneous rocks from the suture and granitoids from Anduo Block were analyzed systematically as a whole for the first time. Then, their tectonic setting and history are discussed.Anduo ophiolitic melange consists of metamorphic peridotites, cumulates, plagiogranites, sheeted dykes swarm, pillow lava and radiolarian cherts. The concentration of Cr and Ni in the metamorphic peridotites is very high, with Mg# about 0.94 ~ 0.97, higher 87Sr/86Sr and Pb isotopic ratios, and lower 143Nd/i44Nd ratio. LREE is enriched relative to HREE and positive Eu anomaly is very clear. The REE distribution curve is U shape. Nb and Ta anomalies from cumulate gabbro and sheeted dyke swarm are not clear, while that are slightly negative from pillow lava. Plagiogranite belongs to strong calc-alkaline series with high Si, middle Al, low Fe, Mg and low K contents. Eu anomaly (~ 1.23) from plagiogranites is slightly positive. The character of all components of ophiolite is similar to that of the MORB, while to some extent the ophiolite was influenced by crustal material. Anduo ophiolite formed in a mature back-arc basin. Additionally, intermediate acidity volcanic rocks within Anduo phiolite melange are island arc calc-alkline rocks related to ocean subduction.The early-middle Jurassic plutonic rocks are tonalite, granodiorite bearing-phenocryst, magaporphyritic hornblende monzogranite, magaporphyritic monzogranite, monzogranite bearing-phenocryst and syenogranite in turn. They belong to calc-alkaline series which developed from middle K to high K series temporally. REE distribution curves of all plutonic rocks are similar and parallel to each other. SREE and negative Eu anomaly values decrease. In the multi-element spider diagram, the curves of different plutons are similar to each other, but troughs of Nb, Sr, P and Ti from young plutons become more evident. This suggests that thereare some closely petrogenetic affinities among plutonic rocks which make up amagma plutonism cycle of the early-middle Jurassic. Magma source is mainly crustal,but abundant mafic microgranular enclaves within granitoids indicate that crastalmagma should be mixed with mantle-derived magma and the mantle-derived magmadecreased subsequently. Tonalite has features of I-type granite, magaporphyriticmonzogranite is transition type, and monzogranite bearing-phenocryst is S-typegranite. The characteristic of granitoids from Anduo Block suggest that the formingtectonic setting is active continental margin.Reliable zircon U-Pb SHRIMP ages are obtained in the study area firstly. Plagiogranite from the Anduo ophiolite of the Bangonghu-Nujiang suture is 175.1 Ma, and granitoids from Anduo Block is 172.6-185.4 Ma. Additionally, plagioclase from the plagiogranite dates a 40Ar/39Ar age of 144 Ma, while biotite and hornblend from granitoids of Anduo Block give a 163-165 Ma.Similar cooling ages of plagiogranite from the Anduo ophiolitic melange and granitoids from Anduo Block and the spatial distribution of the ophiolitic rocks between Anduo, Naqu, and Shainzha area suggest that bilateral subduction of the Bangonghu-Nujiang oceanic basin took place in the early-middle Jurassic. During this subduction, Anduo ophiolitic rocks were related to north subduction of the Bangonghu-Nujiang oceanic basin and Anduo back-arc basin spreading, while granitoids from Anduo Block were related to south subduction.

Extreme weathering/erosion during the Miocene Climatic Optimum: Evidence from sediment record in the South China Sea

Investigating the interplay between continental weathering and erosion, climate, and atmospheric CO2 concentrations is significant in understanding the mechanisms that force the Cenozoic global cooling and predicting the future climatic and environmental response to increasing temperature and CO2 levels. The Miocene represents an ideal test case as it encompasses two distinct extreme climate periods, the Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) with the warmest time since 35 Ma in Earth's history and the transition to the Late Cenozoic icehouse mode with the establishment of the east Antarctic ice sheet. However the precise role of continental weathering during this period of major climate change is poorly understood. Here we show changes in the rates of Miocene continental chemical weathering and physical erosion, which we tracked using the chemical index of alteration ( CIA) and mass accumulation rate ( MAR) respectively from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1146 and 1148 in the South China Sea. We found significantly increased CIA values and terrigenous MARs during the MCO (ca. 17-15 Ma) compared to earlier and later periods suggests extreme continental weathering and erosion at that time. Similar high rates were revealed in the early-middle Miocene of Asia, the European Alps, and offshore Angola. This suggests that rapid sedimentation during the MCO was a global erosion event triggered by climate rather than regional tectonic activity. The close coherence of our records with high temperature, strong precipitation, increased burial of organic carbon and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration during the MCO argues for long-term, close coupling between continental silicate weathering, erosion, climate and atmospheric CO2 during the Miocene. Citation: Wan, S., W. M. Kurschner, P. D. Clift, A. Li, and T. Li (2009), Extreme weathering/ erosion during the Miocene Climatic Optimum: Evidence from sediment record in the South China Sea, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L19706, doi: 10.1029/2009GL040279.

Os isotope dating and growth hiatuses of Co-rich crust from central Pacific

Up to now, accurate determination of the growth age and hiatuses of the Co-rich crust is still a difficult work, which constrains the researches on the genesis, growth process, controlling factors, regional tectonics, paleo-oceanographic background, etc. of the Co-rich crust. This paper describes our work in determining the initial growth age of the Co-rich crust to be of the late Cretaceous Campanian Stage (about 75-80 Ma), by selecting the Co-rich crust with clear multi-layer structures in a central Pacific seamount for layer-by-layer sample analysis and using a number of chronological methods, such as Co flux dating, dating by correlation with Os-187/Os-188 evolution curves of seawater, and stratigraphic division by calcareous nannofossils. We have also discovered growth hiatuses with different time intervals in the early Paleocene, middle Eocene, late Eocene and early-middle Miocene, respectively. These results have provided an important age background for further researches on the Co-rich crust growth process and the paleo-oceanographic environment evolution thereby revealed in the said region.

Balanced cross section for restoration of tectonic evolution in the southwest Okinawa Trough

On the basis of the multi-channel seismic data and the other data, using 2DMove software, the tectonic evolution in three seismic profiles was restored since Pliocene. The tectonic restoration results show that: (1) the initial active center lay in the west slope and then was transferred to east and south via trough center during the evolution process; (2) several main normal faults controlled the evolution of the southern Okinawa Trough; (3) since Late Pliocene, the southern Okinawa Trough has experienced two spreading stages. The early is depression in Early-Middle Pleistocene and the late is back-are spreading in Late Pleistocene and Holocene, which is in primary oceanic crust spreading stage.

晚中生代松辽盆地形成的大地构造环境及成因机制

Directed by the theory of "Collision Tectonic Facies", the tectonic setting and dynamic mechanism of the formation of Songliao basin in late Mesozoic (J_3-K_1) are studied in the present thesis with the methods of petrology, petrochemistry, geochemistry and isotopic geochronology. The research contents in this paper include as followings. Firstly, the general tectonic frame is made up of different tectonic facies formed from Mid-late Proterozoic to Mesozoic, which are Huabei plate, the Chengde-Siziwangqi melange (Pz_1), the Wenduermiao magmatic arc (Pz_1), the Hegenshan-Chaogenshan melange (Pz_2), the accretion arec (Pz_1-P), the Raohe-Hulin melange (Mz), the magmatic arc (Mz) and the pull-apart basin on the magmatic arc (Mz). Secondly, the volcanic rock assemblages of Songliao basin and its adjacent area in late Mesozoic is the typical calc-alkaline of the magmatic arc. The types of volcanic rocks in the study area include basalts, basaltic andesites, andesites, dacites and rhyolites, and basic-intermediate volcanic rocks have higher alkalinity. The volcanic rock series in this area is the high-K calc-alkaline series. Thirdly, the total REE of volcanic rocks in Songliao basin and its adjacent area is higher than that of the chondrite. The pattern of the REE normalized by the chondrite shows the characteristics similar to that of the typical island arcs or the active continental margins in the earth, that is enrichment of LREE and depletion of Eu. The spider-diagram of the trace element normalized by the primitive mantle also expresses the similar features to that of the typical island arcs or the active continental margins, it has distinctive valleies of Nb, Ta, Sr, P, and Ti, as well as the peaks of La, Ce, Th, U, and K. The incompatible elements show that the high field strength elements, such as Nb, Ta, Ti, and P, are depletion while the low field strength elements, such as K, U, Pb, and Ba, are enrichment. These features are similar to those of orogenic volcanic rocks and imply the formation of the volcanic rocks in this area is related to the subduction. The degrees of both the enrichment of the HFS elements and depletion of the LFS elements become more obvious from basic to acid volcanic rocks, which suggests crustal contamination enhances with the magmatic crystallization and fractionation. The concentration of the compatible elements is W-shape, and anomalies in Cr and Ni suggest there is the contamination during the magmatic crystallization and fractionation. Fourthly, the isotopic age data prove the volcanic activity in the Songliao basin and its adjacent area started in the early-middle Jurassic, and ended in the end of the early Cretaceous-the beginning of the Cretaceous. The volcanism summit was the late Jurassic-the early Cretaceous (100 - 150Ma). Finally, the tectonic setting of volcanism in the late Mesozoic was magmatic arc, which originated the subduction of Raohe-Hulin trench to the northwest Asian plate. The subduction began in the middle Jurassic, and the collision orogenesis between the Sikhote-Alin arc and Asian continent was completed in the end of the early Cretaceous-the beginning of the late Cretaceous. The results of above tectonic processes were finally to format Nadanhada orogenic belt symbolized by the Raohe-Hulin suture or melange belt. The violently oblique movement of the Izanagi plate toward Asian plate in the late Mesozoic was the dynamic mechanism of above tectonic processes. At the same tome, the left-lateral strike-slip shear caused by the oblique movement of the Izanagi plate produced a series of strike-slip faults in east Asian margin, and the large scale displacements of these strike-slip faults then produced the pull-apart basing or grabens on the magmatic arc. Conclusively, the tectonic setting during the formation of the grabens of Songliao basin in the late Mesozoic was magmatic arc, and its dynamic mechanism was the pull-apart. In a word, there was a good coupling relation among the oblique subduction of the oceanic plate, collisional orogene between island arc and continental plate, strike-slip shear of the faults and the formation of the grabens in Songliao basin and its adjacent area in late Mesozoic. These tectonic processes were completed in the unoin dynamic setting and mechanism as above description.

塔里木盆地塔中地区寒武-奥陶系烃源岩古地温及成烃演化史研究

The present maturity of Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks in Tazhong area, Tarim basin, is studied using several organic petrology methods and conodont CAI method. The highest palaeotemperature that the Cambrian-Ordovician undergone is revealed by Laser Roman Microprobe (LRM) analysis and by simulating experiment of the kerogen chemical kinetics. In according to all above study, the thermal history of Cambrian and Ordovician is reconstructed based on numerical simulating approaches. The characteristics of secondary hydrocarbon generating are studied by inclusions analysis. The reflectances of the samples in the drills located in Tazhong area show that the maturities of Cambrian source rocks are in the stages of condense oil-dry gas, and that of Ordovician source rocks range from peak of oil generating to wet gas stage. The palaeotemperature data of Cambrian-Orovician source rocks from well Tacan 1, based on LRM analysis, are in coincidence with that from other methods. Also are the palaeotemperature data of Cambrian-Orovician source rocks in well Tacan 1 based on the simulating experiments of kerogen pyrolysis, similar to the homogenization temperatures of inclusions in the source rocks. Aaccording to the vitrinite inflectance data of the TZ12 well and Tacan 1 well, the paleotemperature gradients are analysized and reconstructed. These data show that the paleotemperature gradient in Tazhong area was the highest during Cambrian-Ordovician period, it was up to 3.5°C/100m. Following, the temperature gradient descended gradually and it reached to the lowest at present (2.2°C/100m). The histories of maturation and hydrocarbon generation of Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks in Tazhong area are researched systematically and quantitatively, the results show that periods of oil generation from Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks lasted for a long time from Ordovician to Carbonferious periods because the central Cambrian stratum in the north slope of Tazhong area is buried differently in depth. The top of the Cambrian entered into the peak of oil generation in middle-late Ordovician, and most area of the north slope of Tazhong area entered into the peak of oil generation in Carbonferious period, and on the uplift belt some of source rocks entered into the peak of oil generation in Permian period. In early Devonian, the central of the Lower Ordovician source rocks near the Manjiaer depression reached the peak of oil generation and near the top of the Tazhong uplift did not reached the peak of oil generation until early Cretaceous. The middle-upper Ordovician entered into the peak of oil generation in early-middle Jurassic. The time of the middle-upper Ordovician in the top of the uplift belt entering into the peak of oil generation was delayed, because the source rock was buried shallowly, and it did not reached the peak of oil generation until middle Cretaceous. Middle-upper Ordovician in the top of the north slope has been in the peak of oil generation now, it is consistent with the maturity (1.0-1.2%Ro) of the source rocks. The characteristics of the inclusions formed by kerogens are different from that by crystal-enclosed organic matters(OM) during secondary hydrocarbon generation of Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks. The secondary hydrocarbon generation mainly occurred in Mesozoic-Cenozoic period, in an area of about 9000km2 in the north slope. The intensity of the secondary hydrocarbon generation of Cambrian and Ordovician is up to 21kg/torg and 36kg/torg) respectively. Using the staged gas chromatography, the high-over maturated carbonate source rocks are analysized to release the adsorbed OM, inclusions OM and crystal-enclosed OM, respectively, and to evaluate their relative contributions to secondary hydrocarbon generation. The three periods of oil and gas migration and petroleum pools formation in Tazhong area are determined according to organic inclusions and solid bitumen.

宁夏固原寺口子剖面磁性地层与孢粉植物群初步研究

In Asia continent, several significant environmental events happened during the Cenozoic era, such as uplift of the Tibet Plateau, formation of the Asian Monsoon system, aridification of the temperate inland region in Central Asia. To investigate the history of long-term palaeoclimate evolution during the late Cenozoic, a lacustrine sequence located at Sikouzi, Guyuan county, Ningxia-Hui Autonomous Region, was studied. The Sikouzi section is about 2880 m in thickness and has a general continuous nature according to field observation. Thus this thick lacustrine record is an important archive to further understand those environmental events. In this study, detailed field measurement, layer-after-layer description and sampling, and magnetostratigraphy and palynoflora investigations are conducted at the Sikouzi section and some preliminary results have been achieved as follows. Based on Hipparion fauna, pollen data and long distinctive patterns of the local magnetozones, the confident correlation of the Sikouzi magnetostratigraphic polarity to the GPTS (CK95) is best established, indicating that the top boundary of the Sikouzi formation is dated back to -19.8 Ma B.P. and consequently no Oligocene sediments deposited locally. On the other hand, both the field observation and the correlation to GPTS indicate a nearly continuous nature for the whole sequence. The palynological results show that the grassland has been a dominant vegetation in the Sikouzi area since ~19.8 Ma B.P, although some trees/shrubs were present sparsely during the intervals of relatively warm and wet climatic conditions. This implies that the onset of the aridification in northwestern China is dated back to at least 19.8 Ma B.P. ago. The Neogene Global Climatic Optimum (-16.0 Ma B.P.) occurring between the late Early Miocene and the early Middle Miocene is well documented in the Shanwang formation, Shandong Province. However, such event was not found in the Sikouzi record, and neither in the Guide and the Hualong basins, Qinghai province. This may lead us to the conclusion that the East-Asian Summer Monsoon system remained weak during the period of the Miocene Climatic Optimum although the onset of it was traced back to the Early Oligocene. In the Sikouzi area, it was warm between the latest Miocene and the early Pliocene and then became cool in the late Pliocene. This pattern is consistent with the palaeoclimate record of the Pliocene from other areas in the world.

岱海岩芯沉积的粒度组成与湖区全新世降水变化历史

Sediment cores DH99a and DH99b recovered in the central part of Daihai Lake in north-central China were analysed at 2- to 4-crn intervals for grain-size distribution. Grain-size distributions of the lake sediments are inferred to be a proxy for past changes in East Asian monsoon precipitation, such that greater silt-size percentage and higher median grain size reflect increased monsoonal precipitation rates. The grain-size record of Daihai Lake sediments spanning the last ca 11,000 yr indicates that the monsoonal precipitation in the lake region can be divided into three stages: the Early, Middle and Late Holocene. During the Early Holocene before ca 7900 cal yr BP, the median grain size (Md) and the silt-fraction content were relatively low and constant, suggesting relatively low precipitation over the lake region. The Middle Holocene between ca 7900 and 3100 cal yr BP was marked by intensified and highly variable monsoonal precipitation, as indicated by high and variable Md values and silt contents of the lake sediments. During this period, average precipitation rate gradually increased from ca 7900 to 6900 cal yr BP, displayed intense oscillations between ca 6900 and 4400 cal yr BP, and exhibited a decreasing trend while fluctuating from ca 4400 to 3100 cal yr BP Although generally high during the Middle Holocene, both the Md and the silt content assumed distinctly low values at the short intervals of ca 6500-6400, 6000-5900, 5700-5600, 4400-4200 cal yr BP, implying that monsoonal precipitation might have been significantly reduced during these intervals. During the Late Holocene since ca 3100 cal yr BP, grain-size values suggest that precipitation decreased. However, during the Late Holocene, relatively higher Md values and silt contents occurring between ca 1700 to 1000 cal yr BP may denote an intensification of hydrological cycles in the lake area. Changes in the East Asian monsoonal precipitation were not only directly linked with the changing seasonality of solar insolation resulting from progressive changes in the Earth's orbital parameters, but also may have been closely related to variations in the temperature and size of the Western Pacific Warm Pool, in the intensity of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, and in the path and strength of the North Equatorial Current in the western Pacific.