In search of a hidden long-term isolated sub-chondritic 142Nd/144Nd reservoir in the deep mantle : implications for the Nd isotope systematics of the Earth

Here we search for evidence of the existence of a sub-chondritic 142Nd/144Nd reservoir that balances the Nd isotope chemistry of the Earth relative to chondrites. If present, it may reside in the source region of deeply sourced mantle plume material. We suggest that lavas from Hawai’i with coupled elevations in 186Os/188Os and 187Os/188Os, from Iceland that represent mixing of upper mantle and lower mantle components, and from Gough with sub-chondritic 143Nd/144Nd and high 207Pb/206Pb, are favorable samples that could reflect mantle sources that have interacted with an Early-Enriched Reservoir (EER) with sub-chondritic 142Nd/144Nd. High-precision Nd isotope analyses of basalts from Hawai’i, Iceland and Gough demonstrate no discernable 142Nd/144Nd deviation from terrestrial standards. These data are consistent with previous high-precision Nd isotope analysis of recent mantle-derived samples and demonstrate that no mantle-derived material to date provides evidence for the existence of an EER in the mantle. We then evaluate mass balance in the Earth with respect to both 142Nd/144Nd and 143Nd/144Nd. The Nd isotope systematics of EERs are modeled for different sizes and timing of formation relative to ε143Nd estimates of the reservoirs in the μ142Nd = 0 Earth, where μ142Nd is ((measured 142Nd/144Nd/terrestrial standard 142Nd/144Nd)−1 * 10−6) and the μ142Nd = 0 Earth is the proportion of the silicate Earth with 142Nd/144Nd indistinguishable from the terrestrial standard. The models indicate that it is not possible to balance the Earth with respect to both 142Nd/144Nd and 143Nd/144Nd unless the μ142Nd = 0 Earth has a ε143Nd within error of the present-day Depleted Mid-ocean ridge basalt Mantle source (DMM). The 4567 Myr age 142Nd–143Nd isochron for the Earth intersects μ142Nd = 0 at ε143Nd of +8 ± 2 providing a minimum ε143Nd for the μ142Nd = 0 Earth. The high ε143Nd of the μ142Nd = 0 Earth is confirmed by the Nd isotope systematics of Archean mantle-derived rocks that consistently have positive ε143Nd. If the EER formed early after solar system formation (0–70 Ma) continental crust and DMM can be complementary reservoirs with respect to Nd isotopes, with no requirement for significant additional reservoirs. If the EER formed after 70 Ma then the μ142Nd = 0 Earth must have a bulk ε143Nd more radiogenic than DMM and additional high ε143Nd material is required to balance the Nd isotope systematics of the Earth.

Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U-Pb dating of prograde and retrograde ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism as exemplified by Sri Lankan granulites

Ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) granulites of the central Highland Complex, Sri Lanka, underwent some of the highest known peak temperatures of crustal metamorphism. Zircon and monazite U-Pb systems in granulites near Kandy, the highest grade region (similar to 1050 degrees C; 0.9 GPa), preserve both a record of the timing of prograde and retrograde phases of UHT metamorphism and evidence for the ages of older protolith components. Zircon grains from a quartz-saturated granulite containing relics of the peak UHT assemblage have remnant detrital cores with dates of ca. 2.5-0.83 Ga. Date clusters of ca. 1.7 and 1.04-0.83 Ga record episodes of zircon growth in the source region of the protolith sediment. Two generations of overgrowths with contrasting Th/U record metamorphic zircon growth at 569 +/- 5 and 551 +/- 7 Ma, probably in the absence and presence of monazite, respectively. The age of coexisting metamorphic monazite (547 +/- 7 Ma) is indistinguishable from that of the younger, low-Th/U zircon overgrowths. Zircon from a quartz-undersaturated monazite-absent UHT granulite with a mainly retrograde assemblage is mostly metamorphic (551 +/- 5 Ma). The ca. 570 Ma zircon overgrowths in the quartz-saturated granulite probably record partial melting just before or at the metamorphic peak. The ca. 550 Ma zircon in both rocks, and the ca. 550 Ma monazite in the quartz-saturated sample, record post-peak isothermal decompression. A possible model for this pressure-temperature-time evolution is ultrahot collisional orogeny during the assembly of Gondwana, locally superheated by basaltic underplating, followed by fast extensional exhumation.

Revisiting the earthquake sources in the Himalaya: Perspectives on past seismicity

The similar to 2500 km-long Himalaya plate boundary experienced three great earthquakes during the past century, but none of them generated any surface rupture. The segments between the 1905-1934 and the 1897-1950 sources, known as the central and Assam seismic gaps respectively, have long been considered holding potential for future great earthquakes. This paper addresses two issues concerning earthquakes along the Himalaya plate boundary. One, the absence of surface rupture associated with the great earthquakes, vis-a-vis the purported large slip observed from paleoseismological investigations and two, the current understanding of the status of the seismic gaps in the Central Himalaya and Assam, in view of the paleoseismological and historical data being gathered. We suggest that the ruptures of earthquakes nucleating on the basal detachment are likely to be restricted by the crustal ramps and thus generate no surface ruptures, whereas those originating on the faults within the wedges promote upward propagation of rupture and displacement, as observed during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, that showed a peak offset of 7 m. The occasional reactivation of these thrust systems within the duplex zone may also be responsible for the observed temporal and spatial clustering of earthquakes in the Himalaya. Observations presented in this paper suggest that the last major earthquake in the Central Himalaya occurred during AD 1119-1292, rather than in 1505, as suggested in some previous studies and thus the gap in the plate boundary events is real. As for the Northwestern Himalaya, seismically generated sedimentary features identified in the 1950 source region are generally younger than AD 1400 and evidence for older events is sketchy. The 1897 Shillong earthquake is not a decollement event and its predecessor is probably similar to 1000 years old. Compared to the Central Himalaya, the Assam Gap is a corridor of low seismicity between two tectonically independent seismogenic source zones that cannot be considered as a seismic gap in the conventional sense. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observation and interpretation of tectonic strain release mechanisms

In four chapters various aspects of earthquake source are studied.

Chapter I

Surface displacements that followed the Parkfield, 1966, earthquakes were measured for two years with six small-scale geodetic networks straddling the fault trace. The logarithmic rate and the periodic nature of the creep displacement recorded on a strain meter made it possible to predict creep episodes on the San Andreas fault. Some individual earthquakes were related directly to surface displacement, while in general, slow creep and aftershock activity were found to occur independently. The Parkfield earthquake is interpreted as a buried dislocation.

Chapter II

The source parameters of earthquakes between magnitude 1 and 6 were studied using field observations, fault plane solutions, and surface wave and S-wave spectral analysis. The seismic moment, M_O, was found to be related to local magnitude, M_L, by log M_O = 1.7 M_L + 15.1. The source length vs magnitude relation for the San Andreas system found to be: M_L = 1.9 log L - 6.7. The surface wave envelope parameter AR gives the moment according to log M_O = log AR₃₀₀ + 30.1, and the stress drop, τ, was found to be related to the magnitude by τ = 0.54 M - 2.58. The relation between surface wave magnitude M_S and M_L is proposed to be M_S = 1.7 M_L - 4.1. It is proposed to estimate the relative stress level (and possibly the strength) of a source-region by the amplitude ratio of high-frequency to low-frequency waves. An apparent stress map for Southern California is presented.

Chapter III

Seismic triggering and seismic shaking are proposed as two closely related mechanisms of strain release which explain observations of the character of the P wave generated by the Alaskan earthquake of 1964, and distant fault slippage observed after the Borrego Mountain, California earthquake of 1968. The Alaska, 1964, earthquake is shown to be adequately described as a series of individual rupture events. The first of these events had a body wave magnitude of 6.6 and is considered to have initiated or triggered the whole sequence. The propagation velocity of the disturbance is estimated to be 3.5 km/sec. On the basis of circumstantial evidence it is proposed that the Borrego Mountain, 1968, earthquake caused release of tectonic strain along three active faults at distances of 45 to 75 km from the epicenter. It is suggested that this mechanism of strain release is best described as "seismic shaking."

Chapter IV

The changes of apparent stress with depth are studied in the South American deep seismic zone. For shallow earthquakes the apparent stress is 20 bars on the average, the same as for earthquakes in the Aleutians and on Oceanic Ridges. At depths between 50 and 150 km the apparent stresses are relatively high, approximately 380 bars, and around 600 km depth they are again near 20 bars. The seismic efficiency is estimated to be 0.1. This suggests that the true stress is obtained by multiplying the apparent stress by ten. The variation of apparent stress with depth is explained in terms of the hypothesis of ocean floor consumption.

Studies of noble gases in meteorites and in the earth

The isotopic and elemental abundances of noble gases in the solar system are investigated, using simple mixing models and mass-spectrometric measurements of the noble gases in meteorites and terrestrial rocks and minerals.

Primordial neon is modeled by two isotopically distinct components from the interstellar gas and dust. Neon from the gas dominates solar neon, which contains about ten times more ²⁰Ne than ²²Ne. Neon from the dust is represented in meteorites by neon-E, with ²⁰Ne/²²Ne less than 0.6. Isotopic variations in meteorites require neon from both dust and gas to be present. Mixing dust and gas without neon loss generates linear correlation lines on three-isotope and composition-concentration diagrams. A model for solar wind implantation predicts small deviations from linear mixing, due to preferential sputtering of the lighter neon isotopes.

Neon in meteorites consists of galactic cosmic ray spallation neon and at least two primordial components, neon-E and neon-S. Neon was measured in several meteorites to investigate these end- members. Cosmogenic neon produced from sodium is found to be strongly enriched in ²²Ne. Neon measurements on sodium-rich samples must be interpreted with care so not to confuse this source of ²²Ne with neon-E, which is also rich in ²²Ne.

Neon data for the carbonaceous chondrite Mokoia show that the end member composition of neon-Si in meteorites is ²⁰Ne/²²Ne = 13.7, the same as the present solar wind. The solar wind composition evidently has remained constant since before the compaction of Mokoia.

Ca, Al-rich inclusions from the Allende meteorite were examined for correlation between neon-E and oxygen or magnesium isotopic anomalies. ²²Ne and ³⁶Ar enrichments found in some inclusions are attributed to cosmic- ray-induced reactions on Na and Cl, not to a primordial component. Neon-E is not detectably enriched in Allende.

Measurements were made to determine the noble gas contents of various terrestrial rocks and minerals, and to investigate the cycling of noble gases between different terrestrial reservoirs. Beryl crystals contain a characteristic suite of magmatic gases including nucleogenic ²¹Ne and ²²Ne from (α,n) reactions, radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar, and fissiogenic ^131-136Xe from the decay of K and U in the continental crust. Significant concentrations of atmospheric noble gases are also present in beryl.

Both juvenile and atmospheric noble gases are found in rocks from the Skaergaard intrusion. The ratio ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar (corrected for in situ decay of ⁴⁰K) correlates with δ¹⁸O in plagioclase. Atmospheric argon has been introduced into samples that have experienced oxygen-isotope exchange with circulating meteoric hydrothermal fluids. Unexchanged samples contain juvenile argon with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar greater than 6000 that was trapped from the Skaergaard magma.

Juvenile and atmospheric gases have been measured in the glassy rims of mid-ocean ridge (MOR) pillow basalts. Evidence is presented that three samples contain excess radiogenic ¹²⁹Xe and fission xenon, in addition to the excess radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar found in all samples. These juvenile gases are being outgassed from the upper-mantle source region of the MOR magma. No isotopic evidence has been found here for juvenile primordial noble gases accompanying the juvenile radiogenic gases in the MOR glasses. Large argon isotopic variations in a single specimen provide a clear indication of the late-stage addition of atmospheric argon, probably from seawater.

The Skaergaard data demonstrate that atmospheric noble gases dissolved in ground water can be transferred into crustal rocks. Subduction of oceanic crust altered by seawater can transport atmospheric noble gases into the upper mantle. A substantial portion of the noble gases in mantle derived rocks may represent subducted gases, not a primordial component as is often assumed.

Major element, trace element, and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope studies of Cenozoic basalts from the South China Sea

The whole rock K-Ar ages of basalts from the South China Sea basin vary from 3.8 to 7.9 Ma, which suggest that intra-plate volcanism after the cessation of spreading of the South China Sea (SCS) is comparable to that in adjacent regions around the SCS, i.e., Leiqiong Peninsula, northern margin of the SCS, Indochina block, and so on. Based on detailed petrographic studies, we selected many fresh basaltic rocks and measured their major element, trace element, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions. Geochemical characteristics of major element and trace element show that these basaltic rocks belong to alkali basalt magma series, and are similar to OIB-type basalt. The extent of partial melting of mantle rock in source region is very low, and magma may experience crystallization differentiation and cumulation during the ascent to or storing in the high-level magma chamber. Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data of these basaltic rocks imply an inhomogeneous mantle below the South China Sea. The nature of magma origin has a two end-member mixing model, one is EM2 (Enriched Mantle 2) which may be originated from mantle plume, the other is DMM (Depleted MORB Mantle). Pb isotopic characteristics show the Dupal anomaly in the South China Sea, and combined with newly found Dupal anomaly at Gakkel ridge in Arctic Ocean, this implies that Dupal anomaly is not only limited to South Hemisphere. In variation diagrams among Sr, Nd and Pb, the origin nature of mantle below the SCS is similar to those below Leiqiong peninsula, northern margin of the SCS and Indochina peninsula, and is different from those below north and northeast China. This study provides geochemical constraints on Hainan mantle plume.

Origin and Pathway of Equatorial 13 degrees C Water in the Pacific Identified by a Simulated Passive Tracer and Its Adjoint

The origin and pathway of the thermostad water in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, often referred to as the equatorial 13 degrees C Water, are investigated using a simulated passive tracer and its adjoint, based on circulation estimates of a global general circulation model. Results demonstrate that the source region of the 13 degrees C Water lies well outside the tropics. In the South Pacific, some 13 degrees C Water is formed northeast of New Zealand, confirming an earlier hypothesis on the water's origin. The South Pacific origin of the 13 degrees C Water is also related to the formation of the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water (ESTMW) and the Sub-Antarctic Mode Water (SAMW). The portion of the ESTMW and SAMW that eventually enters the density range of the 13 degrees C Water (25.8 < sigma(theta) < 26.6 kg m(-3)) does so largely by mixing. Water formed in the subtropics enters the equatorial region predominantly through the western boundary, while its interior transport is relatively small. The fresher North Pacific ESTMW and Central Mode Water (CMW) are also important sources of the 13 degrees C Water. The ratio of the southern versus the northern origins of the water mass is about 2 to 1 and tends to increase with time elapsed from its origin. Of the total volume of initially tracer-tagged water in the eastern equatorial Pacific, approximately 47.5% originates from depths above sigma(theta) = 25.8 kg m(-3) and 34.6% from depths below sigma(theta) = 26.6 kg m(-3), indicative of a dramatic impact of mixing on the route of subtropical water to becoming the 13 degrees C Water. Still only a small portion of the water formed in the subtropics reaches the equatorial region, because most of the water is trapped and recirculates in the subtropical gyre.

Numerical Simulation of Waves Generated by Seafloor Movements

Waves generated by vertical seafloor movements are simulated by use of a fully nonlinear two-dimensional numerical wave tank. In the source region, the seafloor lifts to a designated height by a generation function. The numerical tests show that file linear theory is only valid for estimating the wave behaviors induced by the seafloor movements with a small amplitude, and the fully nonlinear numerical model should be adopted in the simulation of the wave generation by the large amplitude seafloor movements. Without the background surface waves, many numerical tests on the stable maximum elevations eta(max)(0) are carried out by both the linear theory and the fully nonlinear model. The results of two models are compared and analyzed. For the fully nonlinear model, the influences of the amplitudes and the horizontal lengths on eta(max)(0) are stronger than that of the characteristic duration times. Furthermore, results reveal that there are significant differences between the linear theory and the fully nonlinear model. When the influences of the background surface waves are considered, the corresponding numerical analyses reveal that with the fully nonlinear model the eta(max)(0) near-linearly varies with the wave amplitudes of the surface waves, and the eta(max)(0) has significant dependences on the wave lengths and the wave phases of the surface waves. In addition, the differences between the linear theory and the fully nonlinear model are still obvious, aid these differences are significantly affected by The wave parameters of the background surface waves, such as the wave amplitude, the wave length and the wave phase.

博兴洼陷新生代构造-沉积演化及其对鲁西隆起的响应

The West Shandong Uplift and its adjacent basins, with same evolutional history before Mesozoic, are an important basin-orogenic systems in North China. After late Mesozoic, tectonic differentiation between basin and orogenic belt gradually displayed in the study area. The Boxing sag is a part of Jiyang Depression near to West Shandong Uplift, in which the whole Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata are preserved. Based on the analysis of sedimentary records in the Boxing sag, the Cenozoic structural and sedimentary evolutions in Boxing Sag and its response to Western Shandong uplift are discussed in this dissertation. The main conclusions in this research are presented as follows. Based on Seismic and well logging profile interpretation, fault growth index, thickness difference between bottom wall and top wall and fault activity rate from Eocene to Pliocene are studied. Boxing sag had three main faults, NE, NW and NEE trending faults. Research shows that the activity of the NW trending fault in the Boxing sag became weaken from E1-2S4 to N2m gradually. The evolution of NE and the NEE trending fault can be divided into three episodes, from E1-2k to E2s4, from E2s3 to E3s1, from N2m to E3d. The analysis of Paleogene samples of heavy mineral assemblages shows that metamorphic rocks represented by garnet, intermediate-acid igneous rocks represented by the assemblage of apatite, zircon and tourmaline became less from E1-2k to N2g, and sedimentary rocks represented by the assemblage of pyrite, barite and limonite also became less. Intermediate-basic igneous rocks represented by the assemblage of leucoxene, rutile and ilmenite and metamorphic rocks represented by epidote became more and more. Electronic microprobe analysis shows that glaucophane and barroisite are existed in Kongdian Formation and the 4th member of Shahejie Formation, and they demonstrate that Western Shandong and Eastern Shandong are all the source regions of the Boxing Sag, and they also indicate that oceanic crust existed before the collision between the Yangtze and North China continent. The fact that Eastern Shandong is the source region of Boxing Sag also indicates that Western Shandong was not high enough to prevent sediment from Eastern Shandong at E1-2k and E2s4. The results of the dating of five detrital zircons of Boxing Sag show Kongdian Formation and the 4th member of Shahejie Formation have the age peaks of 2800Ma and 700-800. It means that Eastern Shandong is the source region of Boxing Sag at early Paleogene and Western Shandong is not high enough to prevent the sediment from Eastern Shandong. The ages of 160-180 and 220-260 Ma, which exist in the Guantao Formation and Paleogene, are common in Eastern Shandong and rare in Western Shandong,and it implied that Western Shandong is a low uplift at 24Ma. The Paleogene strata have almost same age groups, while the Guantao Formation has significant variations of age groups, and this indicates that Boxing Sag and Western Shandong uplift had taken place tremendous changes. The results of apatite fission track in Boxing sag show that three times uplifts happened at the source region at 60 Ma, 45Ma and 15Ma respectively, and the Boxing sag experienced two subsidences at 60Ma, 45Ma and one uplift at 20Ma.

滑坡泥石流信息遥感获取与空间预测

On the issue of geological hazard evaluation（GHE）, taking remote sensing and GIS systems as experimental environment, assisting with some programming development, this thesis combines multi-knowledges of geo-hazard mechanism, statistic learning, remote sensing (RS), high-spectral recognition, spatial analysis, digital photogrammetry as well as mineralogy, and selects geo-hazard samples from Hong Kong and Three Parallel River region as experimental data, to study two kinds of core questions of GHE, geo-hazard information acquiring and evaluation model. In the aspect of landslide information acquiring by RS, three detailed topics are presented, image enhance for visual interpretation, automatic recognition of landslide as well as quantitative mineral mapping. As to the evaluation model, the latest and powerful data mining method, support vector machine (SVM), is introduced to GHE field, and a serious of comparing experiments are carried out to verify its feasibility and efficiency. Furthermore, this paper proposes a method to forecast the distribution of landslides if rainfall in future is known baseing on historical rainfall and corresponding landslide susceptibility map. The details are as following: (a) Remote sensing image enhancing methods for geo-hazard visual interpretation. The effect of visual interpretation is determined by RS data and image enhancing method, for which the most effective and regular technique is image merge between high-spatial image and multi-spectral image, but there are few researches concerning the merging methods of geo-hazard recognition. By the comparing experimental of six mainstream merging methods and combination of different remote sensing data source, this thesis presents merits of each method ,and qualitatively analyzes the effect of spatial resolution, spectral resolution and time phase on merging image. (b) Automatic recognition of shallow landslide by RS image. The inventory of landslide is the base of landslide forecast and landslide study. If persistent collecting of landslide events, updating the geo-hazard inventory in time, and promoting prediction model incessantly, the accuracy of forecast would be boosted step by step. RS technique is a feasible method to obtain landslide information, which is determined by the feature of geo-hazard distribution. An automatic hierarchical approach is proposed to identify shallow landslides in vegetable region by the combination of multi-spectral RS imagery and DEM derivatives, and the experiment is also drilled to inspect its efficiency. (c) Hazard-causing factors obtaining. Accurate environmental factors are the key to analyze and predict the risk of regional geological hazard. As to predict huge debris flow, the main challenge is still to determine the startup material and its volume in debris flow source region. Exerting the merits of various RS technique, this thesis presents the methods to obtain two important hazard-causing factors, DEM and alteration mineral, and through spatial analysis, finds the relationship between hydrothermal clay alteration minerals and geo-hazards in the arid-hot valleys of Three Parallel Rivers region. (d) Applying support vector machine (SVM) to landslide susceptibility mapping. Introduce the latest and powerful statistical learning theory, SVM, to RGHE. SVM that proved an efficient statistic learning method can deal with two-class and one-class samples, with feature avoiding produce ‘pseudo’ samples. 55 years historical samples in a natural terrain of Hong Kong are used to assess this method, whose susceptibility maps obtained by one-class SVM and two-class SVM are compared to that obtained by logistic regression method. It can conclude that two-class SVM possesses better prediction efficiency than logistic regression and one-class SVM. However, one-class SVM, only requires failed cases, has an advantage over the other two methods as only "failed" case information is usually available in landslide susceptibility mapping. (e) Predicting the distribution of rainfall-induced landslides by time-series analysis. Rainfall is the most dominating factor to bring in landslides. More than 90% losing and casualty by landslides is introduced by rainfall, so predicting landslide sites under certain rainfall is an important geological evaluating issue. With full considering the contribution of stable factors (landslide susceptibility map) and dynamic factors (rainfall), the time-series linear regression analysis between rainfall and landslide risk mapis presented, and experiments based on true samples prove that this method is perfect in natural region of Hong Kong. The following 4 practicable or original findings are obtained: 1) The RS ways to enhance geo-hazards image, automatic recognize shallow landslides, obtain DEM and mineral are studied, and the detailed operating steps are given through examples. The conclusion is practical strongly. 2) The explorative researching about relationship between geo-hazards and alteration mineral in arid-hot valley of Jinshajiang river is presented. Based on standard USGS mineral spectrum, the distribution of hydrothermal alteration mineral is mapped by SAM method. Through statistic analysis between debris flows and hazard-causing factors, the strong correlation between debris flows and clay minerals is found and validated. 3) Applying SVM theory (especially one-class SVM theory) to the landslide susceptibility mapping and system evaluation for its performance is also carried out, which proves that advantages of SVM in this field. 4) Establishing time-serial prediction method for rainfall induced landslide distribution. In a natural study area, the distribution of landslides induced by a storm is predicted successfully under a real maximum 24h rainfall based on the regression between 4 historical storms and corresponding landslides.

中国北方中新世风尘物质来源及古气候的地球化学指示

The most prominent tectonic and environmental events during the Cenozoic in Asia are the uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan plateau, aridification in the Asian interior, and onset of the Asian monsoons. These caused more humid conditions in southeastern China and the formation of inland deserts in northwestern China. The 22 Ma eolian deposits in northern China provide an excellent terrestrial record relative to the above environmental events. Up to date, many studies have focused on the geochemical characters of the late Mio-Pleistocene eolian deposits, however, the geochemical characteristics of the Miocene loess and soils is still much less known. In this study, the elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of the eolian deposits from the Qinan (from 22.0 to 6.2 Ma) and the Xifeng (from 3.5 Ma until now) loess-soil sections were analyzed to examine the grain size effects on the element concentrations and the implications about the dust origin and climate. The main results are as follows: 1. The contents of Si, Na, Zr and Sr are higher in the coarser fractions while Ti and Nb have the highest contents in the 2-8 μm fractions. Al, Fe, Mg, K, Mn, Rb, Cu, Ga, Zn, V, Cr, Ni, LOI have clear relationships with grain-size, more abundant in the fine fraction while non significant relationship is observed for Y. Based on these features, we suggest that K2O/Al2O3 ratio can be used to address the dust provenance, and that VR (Vogt ratio = (Al2O3+K2O)/(MgO+CaO+Na2O)) can be used as a chemical weathering proxy for the Miocene eolian deposits because of their relative independence on the grain size. Meanwhile, SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio is a best geochemical indicator of original eolian grain size, as suggested in earlier studies. 2. Analyses on the Sr and Nd isotope composition of the last glacial loess samples (L1) and comparison with the data from the deserts in northern China suggest that that Taklimakan desert is unlikely to be the main source region of the eolian dust. In contrast, these data suggest greater contributions of the Tengger, Badain Jaran and Qaidam deserts to the eolian dust during the last glacial cycle. Since the geochemical compositions (major, trace, REE and Sr, Nd isotope) of loess samples for the past 22 Ma are broadly similar with the samples from L1, these data trend to suggest relatively stable and insignificant changes of dust sources over the past 22 Ma. 3. Chemical weathering is stronger for Miocene paleosol samples than for the Plio-Pleistocene ones, showing warmer/more humid climatic conditions with a stronger summer monsoon in the Miocene. However, chemical weathering is typical of Ca-Na removal stage, suggesting a climate range from semiarid to subhumid conditions. These support the notion about the formation of a semi-arid to semi-humid monsoonal regime by the early Miocene, as is consistent with earlier studies.

新疆谢米斯台中段地区火山岩特征及其含矿性研究

Central Xiemisitai is located on the northwest edge of the Junggar Basin, bounded on the north by Sawuer Mountain, and southward Junggar Basin. Geotectonically, it is within the Chengjisi-Ximisitai-Santanghu island arc of Late Paleozoic, between Siberian and Junggar plates. The volcanics in this area mainly consist of acidic volcanic lava, rock assemblage of esite, dacite, and rhyolite, and the transitional phase is comparatively developed. Besides, Si2O of volcanics here covers a large range of 53.91-79.28t %, K2O of 1.71-6.94t%, and Na2O of 2.29-5.45t%, which is a set of metaluminous- peraluminous high K calc-alkaline to calc alkaline mid-acidic volcanic series. In addition, the volcanics are potassic to high-potassic assemblage, with slight shoshonite in. The REE curve of volcanics in central Xiemisitai is rightward and smooth, inclining to LREE enrichment, which reveals the characteristics of island-arc volcanics. Through the lithology changing from neutral to acidic, the negative anomaly of Eu is increasing. The volcanics here deplete HFSE such as Nb, Ti, P, etc., but relatively rich in LILE like Rb, K, Th, etc., possessing geochemistry characteristics of arc volcanics, which means that the lava source region is watery, under the meta-somatic contamination of subducted components. Moreover, high Ba and Sr show volcanics in epicontinental arc environment, and their contemporaneous granitoid rocks are also marked with the characteristics of volcanic arc granite. In central Xiemisitai, the volcanics zircon age of volcanic rhyolite is 422.5Ma± 1.9Ma, mid-late Silurian. Only one sample zircon has been measured for the present, not very convincing, so volcanics here might not come from Devonian volcanism. Consequently, further confirming the volcanic age will play a key role in the research on the beginning of volcanism in Xiemisitai area and even North Xinjiang. This area includes three copper mineralization types: a) from andesite fracture; b) from rhyolite fracture broken zone, with the copper mineralization distributed by veins along the fissure; and c) from quartz veins. The mineralization of earth surface in S24 ore spot is intensive, and the primary geochemistry reconnaissance anomaly is fairly good. According to display data, the maximum content of Cu is as high as 0.9% and as low as 0.05%. Also, ore-control fracture structure is having a considerable scale in the strike of fracture both horizontally and vertically downwards, and the result of the geophysics stratagem EH-4 system reveals obvious low-resistivity anomaly. As a result, we believe that the S24 plot is expected to be a volcanic copper deposit target area.

内蒙古中部道郎和都格铜多金属矿的地质特征矿床类型及找矿模式研究

Daolangheduge copper polymetallic deposit is located on east edge of Ondor Sum-Bainaimiao metallogenic belt, which is a prospective area of porphyry copper deposit, in Xianghuangqi of central Inner Mongolia. Geotectonically, it occurred in the continental margin accretion belt along the north margin of North China Plate, south of the suture zone between North China Plate and Siberian Plate. The intrusive rocks in this area mainly consist of intermediate-acid magmatic rocks, and the quartz veins, tourmaline veins and the transitional phase are comparatively developed. According to our research, the ore-bearing rock body is mainly quartz diorite while the surrounding rock is mainly biotite granite. Besides, the wall rock alteration are mainly propylitization, pyritization and silicification, which consist of epidotization, actinolitization, chloritzation and so on. The metallic minerals are mainly chalcopyrite and pyrite. In addition, the primary ore is mainly of quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite type. Above all, Daolangheduge copper polymetallic deposit is suggested to be categorized in the porphyry copper type. With isotopic dating and geochemical research on quartz diorite of ore-bearing rock body, the zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of two samples yields an age of 266±2 Ma, falling into the range of late Permian Epoch. It is the first accurate age data in Xianghuangqi area, so it should play a key role in the research of deposit and magmatic rocks in this area. With the major elements and trace elements analysis of 14 samples, the quartz diorite should be among the calc-alkaline series, the geochemical characteristics show higher large-ion lithophile elements of Rb, Sr and LREE, low high-field strength elements of Nb, Ta and high transition elements of Cu, Cr . Also, the REE patterns have negative Eu anomalies. With the same analysis of 4 sample for the biotite granite, the geochemical characteristics show higher Rb, Th,, Zr, Hf and LREE, low Nb, Sm and HREE and Eu has no anomaly. It should be among the calc-alkaline series, over aluminum quality and has characteristics of Adakites. According to isotopic dating and geochemical characteristics of ore-bearing rock body, it is suggested that its materials mainly derived from upper mantle that had fractional crystallization and its magma source region may be affected by fluid metasomatism of paleo-asian ocean. It should be an extensional process of post-orogeny according to regional tectonic evolution. Consequently, because of the decrease of temperature and pressure, the ore forming fluid was raised to surface and mineralized accompanied by magmatic activity which might occur in south of the suture zone. By geological survey, further geophysical and geochemical work is needed. In this area, we have accomplished high precision magnetic prospecting, high density electrical survey, gravity prospecting, soil geochemical prospecting, X-ray fluorescence analyzer prospecting and so on. According to geophysical and geochemical abnormal and surface occurrence, 11 drills are arranged to verification. The type of ores are mainly quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite ores within 3 drills by drill core logging. Although the grade as well as the scale of already-found Cu deposits are insufficient for industrial exploitation, the mineralization prospect in this region is supposed to be great and the potential in mineral exploration at depth is excellent.

藏北可可西里碰撞后钾质火山作用和岩石成因

Post-collisional, potassic igneous rocks are widely distributed in the Hoh Xil area of the northern Tibetan Plateau. Based on the field work, petrography, mineral chemistry, K-Ar geochronology, element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope geochemistry, this thesis systematically studied the spatial and temporal distribution of the volcanic rocks, chemical characteristics, formation mechanism and partial melting mechanism of the magma source region, geodynamic setting of magmatism, as well as crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC). The results show that: 1. The Miocene (7.77-17.82 Ma) volcanic products dominantly are trachandesite and trachy, and subordinate rhyolites, associated with stike-slip faults and thrust faults, formed morphology of small lava platforms and cinder cones. 2. Phenocrysts in the lavas are augite, andesine, sanidine, calcic amphibole and subordinate orthopyroxene, biotite and Ti-Fe oxides, displaying typical quench texture. Equilibrium temperatures and pressures of clinopyroxene phenocrysts indicate the magma chamber is located in upper-middle crust. 3. Rhyolites are the products of crustal melting and fractionation of shoshonitic magmas. The source region of intermediate magmas is enriched continental lithospheric mantle, which contains residual minerals such as phlogopite, rutile and spinel, and enriched by subducted sediments during earlier multi-episodes of subduction. 4. Upwelling of asthenosphere provides heat for source region melting, and faults provide channels for magma eruption. 5. Northward underthrusting of Indian continental lithosphere and southward of backstop of Asian continental lithosphere resulted in upwelling of hot asthenosphere. Geochemical characteristics of the potassic magmatism in North Tibet are dominantly controlled by source region composition, partial melting, and crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC).

云南岩石圈流变学及多震层孕震环境

The Study on rheology of the lithosphere and the environments of the seismogenic layer is currently the basic project of the international earthquake research. Yunnan is the ideal place for studying this project. Through the multi-disciplinary comprehensive study of petrology, geophysics, seismo-geology, rock mechanics, etc., the depth-strength profiles of the lithosphere have been firstly constructed, and the seismogenic layer and its geophysical and tectonic environments in Yunnan have been systematically expounded in this paper. The related results achieved are of the important significances for further understanding the mechanism of strong earthquake generation, dividing the potential foci and exposing recent geodynamical processes in Yunnan. Through the comprehensive contrast of the metamorphic rocks in early and middle Proterozoic outcropping on the surface, DSS data and experimental data of rock seismic velocity under high temperature and high pressure, the petrological structure of the crust and upper mantle has been studied on Yunnan: the upper, middle and lower crust is composed of the metamorphic rocks of greenschist, amphibolite and granulite facies, respectively or granitoids, diorites and gabbros, respectively, and the upper mantle composed of the peridotites. Through the contrast studies of the heat flow and epicenters of the strong earthquakes, the distribution of the geotemperature and the data of focal depth, the relationship of between seismicity and geothermal structure of the lithosphere in Yunnan has been studied: the strong earthquakes with magnitude M ≥ 6.0 mainly take place at the geothermal gradient zone, and the seismic foci densely distribute between 200～500 ℃ isogeotherms. On the basis of studies of the rock properties and constituents of the crust and upper mantle and geothermal structure of the lithosphere, the structure of the rheological stratification of the lithosphere has been studied, and the corresponding depth-strength profiles have been constructed in Yunnan. The lithosphere in majority region of Yunnan has the structure of the rheological stratification, i.e. the brittle regime in the upper crust or upper part of the upper crust, ductile regime in the middle crust or lower part of the upper crust to middle crust, ductile regime in the lower crust and ductile regime in the subcrustal lithosphere. The rheological stratification has the quite marked lateral variations in the various tectonic units. The distributions of the seismogenic layer have been determined by using the high accurate data of focal depth. Through the contrast of the petrological structure, the structure of seismic velocity, electric structure, geotemperature structure, and rheological structure and the study of the focal mechanism in the seismogenic layer, the geophysical environments of the seismogenic layer in Yunnan have been studied. The seismogenic layer in Yunnan is located at the depths of 3 ～ 20 km; the rocks in the seismogenic layer are composed of the metamorphic rocks of greenschist to amphibolite facies (or granites to diorites); the seismogenic layer and its internal focal regions of strong earthquakes have the structure of medium properties with the relatively high seismic velocity, high density and high resistivity; there exists the intracrustal low seismic velocity and high conductivity layer bellow the seismogenic layer, the geotemperature is generally 100～500 ℃ in the depth range in which the seismogenic layer is located. The horizontal stress field predominates in the seismogenic layer, the seismogenic layer corresponds to the brittle regime of the upper crust or brittle regime of the upper crust to semibrittle regime of the middle crust. The formation of the seismogenic layer, preparedness and occurrence of the strong earthquakes is the result of the comprehensive actions of the source fault, rock constituent, structure of the medium properties, distribution of the geotemperature, rheological structure of the seismogenic layer and its external environments. Through the study of the structure, active nature, slip rate, segmentation of the active faults, and seismogenic faults, the tectonic environments of the seismogenic layer in Yunnan have been studied. The source faults of the seismogenic layer in Yunnan are mainly A-type ones and embody mainly the strike slip faults with high dip angle. the source faults are the right-lateral strike slip ones with NW-NNW trend and left-lateral strike slip ones with NE-NEE trend in Southwestern Yunnan, the right-lateral strike slip ones with NNW trend and left-lateral strike slip ones with NNE trend (partially normal ones) in Northwestern Yunnan, the right-lateral strike slip ones with NWW trend in Central Yunnan and left-lateral strike slip ones with NW-NNW trend in Eastern Yunnan. Taking Lijiang earthquake with Ms = 7.0 for example. The generating environments of the strong earthquake and seismogenic mechanical mechanism have been studied: the source region of the strong earthquake has the media structure with the relatively high seismic velocity and high resistivity, there exists the intracrustal low velocity and high conductivity layer bellow it and the strong earthquakes occur near the transitional zone of the crustal brittle to ductile deformation. These characteristics are the generality of the generating environments of strong earthquakes. However, the specific seismogenic tectonic environments and action of the stress field of the seismic source in the various regions, correspondingly constrains the dislocation and rupture mechanical mechanism of source fault of strong earthquake.