3.46 Ga Apex chert 'microfossils' reinterpreted as mineral artefacts produced during phyllosilicate exfoliation

We acknowledge the facilities, scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at: Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia; Electron Microscopy Unit, The University of New South Wales. These facilities are funded by the Universities, State and Commonwealth Governments. DW was funded by the European Commission and the Australian Research Council (FT140100321). This is ARC CCFS paper number XXX. We acknowledge Martin van Kranendonk, Owen Green, Cris Stoakes, Nicola McLoughlin, the late John Lindsay and the Geological Survey of Western Australia for fieldwork assistance, Thomas Becker for assistance with Raman microspectroscopy, Anthony Burgess from FEI for the preparation of one of the TEM wafers, and Russell Garwood, Tom Davies, Imran Rahman & Stephan Lautenschlager for training and advice on the SPIERS and AVIZO software suites. We thank Chris Fedo and an anonymous reviewer for comments that improved the manuscript.

3.46 Ga Apex chert 'microfossils' reinterpreted as mineral artefacts produced during phyllosilicate exfoliation

We acknowledge the facilities, scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at: Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia; Electron Microscopy Unit, The University of New South Wales. These facilities are funded by the Universities, State and Commonwealth Governments. DW was funded by the European Commission and the Australian Research Council (FT140100321). This is ARC CCFS paper number XXX. We acknowledge Martin van Kranendonk, Owen Green, Cris Stoakes, Nicola McLoughlin, the late John Lindsay and the Geological Survey of Western Australia for fieldwork assistance, Thomas Becker for assistance with Raman microspectroscopy, Anthony Burgess from FEI for the preparation of one of the TEM wafers, and Russell Garwood, Tom Davies, Imran Rahman & Stephan Lautenschlager for training and advice on the SPIERS and AVIZO software suites. We thank Chris Fedo and an anonymous reviewer for comments that improved the manuscript.

A thermodynamic interpretation of the zonal arrangement of minerals in the bedded manganese deposits of the Noda tamagawa mine, Japan

Calculated phase relations in the system MnOSi02-C02-02 were used to propose a thermodynamic explanation for the thermal metamorphism of rhodochrosite beds lying between chert strata. The metamorphic MnOS i 0 2 minerals are arranged in order quartz(chert), rhodonite. tephroite and manganosite-hausmannite-pyrochroite rhodonite across the ore bed. The calculation covered temperatures up to 1000 K and pressures up to 5 kb. The zoning was interpreted as the result of a continuous rise in metamorphic temperature. The equilibrium partner of rhodochrosite changed from rhodonite through manganosite. Across the ore bed there are gradients in the chemical potential of MnO and SiO2 but fugacities of volatlle components such as C02. 02 and H20 were probably uniform at any given time and location during formation of the zones. Assuming that the total pressure and the fugacity of C02 were at 1.4 kb and 1.0 1 b. respectively. rhodonite. tephroite and manganosite would have formed at 472. 478 and 629 K.

Si isotope variability in Proterozoic cherts

We report Si-isotopic compositions of 75 sedimentologically and petrographically characterized chert samples with ages ranging from similar to 2600 to 750 Ma using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. delta Si-30 values of the cherts analyzed in this study show a similar to 7 parts per thousand range, from -4.29 to +2.85. This variability can be explained in part by (1) simple mixing of silica derived from continental (higher delta Si-30) and hydrothermal (lower delta Si-30) sources, (2) multiple mechanisms of silica precipitation and (3) Rayleigh-type fractionations within pore waters of individual basins. We observe similar to 3 parts per thousand variation in peritidal cherts from a single Neoproterozoic sedimentary basin (Spitsbergen). This variation can be explained by Rayleigh-type fractionation during precipitation from silica-saturated porewaters. In some samples, post-dissolution and reprecipitation of silica could have added to this effect. Our data also indicate that peritidal cherts are enriched in the heavier isotopes of Si whereas basinal cherts associated with banded iron formations (BIF) show lower delta Si-30. This difference could partly be due to Si being derived from hydrothermal sources in BIFs. We postulate that the difference in delta Si-30 between non-BIF and BIF cherts is consistent with the contrasting genesis of these deposits. Low delta Si-30 in BIF is consistent with laboratory experiments showing that silica adsorbed onto Fe-hydroxide particles preferentially incorporates lighter Si isotopes. Despite large intrabasinal variation and environmental differences, the data show a clear pattern of secular variation. Low delta Si-30 in Archean cherts is consistent with a dominantly hydrothermal source of silica to the oceans at that time. The monotonically increasing delta Si-30 from 3.8 to 1.5 Ga appears to reflect a general increase in continental versus hydrothermal sources of Si in seawater, as well as the preferential removal of lighter Si isotopes during silica precipitation in iron-associated cherts from silica-saturated seawater. The highest delta Si-30 values are observed in 1.5 Ga peritidal cherts; in part, these enriched values could reflect increasing sequestration of light silica during soil-forming processes, thus, delivering relatively heavy dissolved silica to the oceans from continental sources. The causes behind the reversal in trend towards lower delta Si-30 in cherts younger than 1.5 Ga old are less clear. Cherts deposited 1800-1900 Ma are especially low delta Si-30, a possible indication of transiently strong hydrothermal input at this time. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metasomatism and magmatic assimilation at a gabbro-limestone contact, Christmas Mountains, Big Bend region, Texas

A composite stock of alkaline gabbro and syenite is intrusive into limestone of the Del Carmen, Sue Peake and Santa Elena Formations at the northwest end of the Christmas Mountains. There is abundant evidence of solution of wallrock by magma but nowhere are gabbro and limestone in direct contact. The sequence of lithologies developed across the intrusive contact and across xenoliths is gabbro, pyroxenite, calc-silicate skarn, marble. Pyroxenite is made up of euhedral crystals of titanaugite and sphene in a leucocratic matrix of nepheline, Wollastonite and alkali feldspar. The uneven modal distribution of phases in pyroxenite and the occurrence' of nepheline syenite dikes, intrusive into pyroxenite and skarn, suggest that pyroxenite represents an accumulation of clinopyroxene "cemented" together by late-solidifying residual magma of nepheline syenite composition. Assimilation of limestone by gabbroic magma involves reactions between calcite and magma and/or crystals in equilibrium with magma and crystallization of phases in which the magma is saturated, to supply energy for the solution reaction. Gabbroic magma was saturated with plagioclase and clinopyroxene at the time of emplacement. The textural and mineralogic features of pyroxenite can be produced by the reaction 2( 1-X) CALCITE + AN_XAB_l-X = (1-X) NEPHELINE+ 2(1-X) WOLLASTONITE+ X ANORTHITE+ 2(1-X) CO₂. Plagioclase in pyroxenite has corroded margins and is rimmed by nepheline, suggestive of resorption by magma. Anorthite and wollastonite enter solid solution in titanaugite. For each mole of calcite dissolved, approximately one mole of clinopyroxene was crystallized. Thus the amount of limestone that may be assimilated is limited by the concentration of potential clinopyroxene in the magma. Wollastonite appears as a phase when magma has been depleted in iron and magnesium by crystallization of titanaugite. The predominance of mafic and ultramafic compositions among contaminated rocks and their restriction to a narrow zone along the intrusive contact provides little evidence for the generation of a significant volume of desilicated magma as a result of limestone assimilation.

Within 60 m of the intrusive contact with the gabbro, nodular chert in the Santa Elena Limestone reacted with the enveloping marble to form spherical nodules of high-temperature calc-silicate minerals. The phases wollastonite, rankinite, spurrite, tilleyite and calcite, form a series of sharply-bounded, concentric monomineralic and two-phase shells which record a step-wise decrease in silica content from the core of a nodule to its rim. Mineral zones in the nodules vary 'with distance from the gabbro as follows:

0-5 m CALCITE + SPURRITE + RANKINITE + WOLLASTONITE
5-16 m CALCITE + TILLEYITE ± SPURRITE + RANKINITE + WOLLASTONITE
16-31 m CALCITE + TILLEYITE + WOLLASTONITE
31-60 m CALCITE + WOLLASTONITE
60-plus CALCITE + QUARTZ

The mineral of a one-phase zone is compatible with the phases bounding it on either side but these phases are incompatible in the same volume of P-T-X_CO2.

Growth of a monomineralio zone is initiated by reaction between minerals of adjacent one-phase zones which become unstable with rising temperature to form a thin layer of a new single phase that separates the reactants and is compatible with both of them. Because the mineral of the new zone is in equilibrium with the phases at both of its contacts, gradients in the chemical potentials of the exchangeable components are established across it. Although zone boundaries mark discontinuities in the gradients of bulk composition, two-phase equilibria at the contacts demonstrate that the chemical potentials are continuous. Hence, Ca, Si and CO₂ were redistributed in the growing nodule by diffusion. A monomineralic zone grows at the expense of an adjacent zone by reaction between diffusing components and the mineral of the adjacent zone. Equilibria between two phases at zone boundaries buffers the chemical potentials of the diffusing species. Thus, within a monomineralic zone, the chemical potentials of the diffusing components are controlled external to the local assemblage by the two-phase equilibria at the zone boundaries.

Mineralogically zoned calc-silicate skarn occurs as a narrow band that separates pyroxenite and marble along the intrusive contact and forms a rim on marble xenoliths in gabbro. Skarn consists of melilite or idocrase pseudomorphs of melili te, one or two . stoichiometric calcsilicate phases and accessory Ti-Zr garnet, perovskite and magnetite. The sequence of mineral zones from pyroxenite to marble, defined by a characteristic calc-silicate, is wollastonite, rankinite, spurrite, calcite. Mineral assemblages of adjacent skarn zones are compatible and the set of zones in a skarn band defines a facies type, indicating that the different mineral assemblages represent different bulk compositions recrystallized under identical conditions. The number of phases in each zone is less than the number that might be expected to result from metamorphism of a general bulk composition under conditions of equilibrium, trivariant in P, T and u_CO2. The "special" bulk composition of each zone is controlled by reaction between phases of the zones bounding it on either side. The continuity of the gradients of composition of melilite and garnet solid solutions across the skarn is consistent with the local equilibrium hypothesis and verifies that diffusion was the mechanism of mass transport. The formula proportions of Ti and Zr in garnet from skarn vary antithetically with that of Si Which systematically decreases from pyroxenite to marble. The chemical potential of Si in each skarn zone was controlled by the coexisting stoichiometric calc-silicate phases in the assemblage. Thus the formula proportion of Si in garnet is a direct measure of the chemical potential of Si from point to point in skarn. Reaction between gabbroic magma saturated with plagioclase and clinopyroxene produced nepheline pyroxenite and melilite-wollastonite skarn. The calcsilicate zones result from reaction between calcite and wollastonite to form spurrite and rankinite.

Datos preliminares sobre fuentes de aprovisionamiento de rocas silíceas en algunos yacimientos paleolíticos y postpaleolíticos del sector oriental de la cuenca vasco-cantábrica

[ES] Exponemos en este trabajo los primeros resultados referentes a las áreas de aprovisionamiento de materiales silíceos en el sector oriental de la Cuenca Vasco-Cantábrica durante el Pleistoceno superior y Holoceno. Se describen aquellos afloramientos cuyos sílex han sido identificados en varios yacimientos del periodo contemplado. Hemos constatado una transformación sustancial de las estrategias de aprovisionamiento, observable a fines del Paleolítico y especialmente significativa desde el Epipaleolítico. Asimismo, las pautas de ocupación del territorio reflejadas muestran indicios de un aprovechamiento rentable, estacional, de tierras en torno a los 600 m.s.n.m. durante el Pleistoceno superior, y con territorios de explotación probablemente de mayor extensión que los contemplados hasta el momento por la historiografía del Paleolítico cantábrico.

Dinámicas de talla y gestión de las materias primas silíceas a finales del pleistoceno en el País Vasco

558 p.

湖南、广西泥盆纪硅岩地球化学与沉积构造背景

During the Devonian, a complicated carbonate platform-basin configuration was created through transtensional rifting in the context of opening of Devonian South China Sea; extensive bedded chert, commonly interbedded with tuffaceous beds, occurred in the narrow, elongate interplatform basins (or troughs) in South China, where they occurred earlier (Early Devonian) in southern Guangxi and later (early Late Devonian) in northern Guangxi-south central Hunan. In order to unravel the origin and distribution of the bedded chert successions, and their relationships to basement faulting activities during the opening of the Devonian South China Sea, studies of element (major, minor and REE) geochemistry and Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd isotopic systematics are carried out upon the chert deposits. These chert deposits commonly have high SiO2 contents and (average 94.01%) and low TFe2O3 (average 0.55%), together with other geochemical parameters, suggestive of both biogenic and hydrothermal origins. However, Fe/Ti ratio are high along the elongate interplatform basins(troughs) to the northwest along Wuxiangling-Zhaisha-Chengbu, and to the southeast along Xiaodong-Mugui-Xinpu, suggesting relatively intense hydrothermal activities there. They generally contain very low total REE contents (∑REE average 31.21ug/g) with mediate negative Ce anomalies (mean Ce/Ce*=0.83) and low Lan/Cen values (average 1.64), indicating an overall continental margin basin where they precipitated. The northward increases in Ce/Ce* values, particularly along the elongate troughs bounded both to the east and west of the Guangxi-Huanan rift basin, suggest a northward enhancement of terrigenous influences, thereby reflecting a gradual northward propagation of open marine setting. Generally low positive Eu anomalies in the chert, except for the apparently high Eu anomalies in the chert from Chengbu (Eu/Eu* up to 4.6), suggest mild hydrothermal venting activities in general, except for those at Chengbu. The initial 87Sr/86Sr (0) ratios of chert generally vary from 0.712000 to 0.73000 , suggesting influences both from terrigenous influx and seawater. The Nd isotopic model ages (tDM or t2DM) and initial εNd (0) values of chert vary mostly from 1.5 to 2.1 Ga, and from –16 to –21, respectively, implying that the silica sources were derived from the provenances of the Palaeoproterozoic crust relics at depth. The high εNd (0) values of chert (-0.22 to 14.7) in some localities, mostly along the elongate troughs, suggest that silica sources may have been derived from deeper-seated mantle, being channeled through the interplate boundary fault zones extending downwards to the mantle. At Wuxiangling, Nanning, chert occurs extensively from the Emsian through the Frasnian strata, both U/Th ratios and tDM ages of chert reached up to a maximum in the early Frasnian corresponding to the extensive development of chert in South China, pointing to a maximum extensional stage of Devonian South China basin, which is supported by the Ce/Ce* values as is opposed to the previous datasets as the coeval minimum values.

北山及邻区古生代-早中生代增生与碰撞大地构造格局

The Beishan orogenic collage locates at the triple-joint among Xinjiang, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia Provinces, at which the Siberian, Tarim and North China plates join together. It also occupies the central segment of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The main study area in the present suty focused on the southwest part of the Beishan Mountain, which can be subdivided into four units southernward, the Mazhongshan continental block, Huaniushan Arc, Liuyuan suture zone and Shibanshan-Daqishan Arc. 1. The Huaniushan Arc was formed by northernward dipping subduction from the Orcovician to Permian, in which volcanic rocks ranging from basic to acidic with island arc affinity were widely developed. The granitiod intrusions become smaller and younger southward, whichs indicates a southward rollback of slab. The granitiod intrusions are mainly composed of I type granites, and their geochemical compositions suggest that they have affinities of island arc settings. In the early Paleozoic（440Ma-390Ma）. The Shibanshan-Daqishan Arc, however, were produced in the southernward dipping subduction system from Carboniferous to Permian. Volcanic rocks from basic to acidic rocks are typical calcic-alkaline rocks. The granitiod intrusions become smaller and younger northernward, indicating subdution with a northernward rollback. The granitiod intrusions mainly consist of I-type granites, of which geochemical data support they belong to island arc granite. 2. Two series of adakite intrusions and eruptive rocks have been discovered in the southern margin of the Huaniushan Island Arc. The older series formed during Silurian (441.7±2.5Ma) are gneiss granitoid. These adakite granites intruded the early Paleozoic Liuyuan accretionary complex, and have the same age as most of the granite intrusions in the Huanniushan Arc. Their geochemical compostions demonstrate that they were derived from partial melting of the subudcted oceanic slab. These characteristics indicate a young oceanic crust subduction in the early Paleozoic. The late stage adakites with compositons of dacites associate with Nb-enriched basalts, and island arc basalts and dacites. Their geochemistries demonstrate that the adakites are the products of subducted slab melts, whereas the Nb-enriched basalt is products of the mantle wedge which have metasomatized by adakite melts. Such a association indicates the existences of a young ocean slab subduction. 3. The Liuyuan suture zone is composed of late Paleozoic ophiolites and two series of accretionary complexes with age of early Paleozoic. The early Paleozoic accretionary complex extensively intruded by early Palozioc granites is composed of metamorphic clastics, marble, flysch, various metamorphic igneous rocks (ultramafic, mafic and dacite), and eclogite blocks, which are connected by faults. The original compositions of the rocks in this complex are highly varied, including MORB, E-MORB, arc rocks. Geochronological study indicates that they were formed during the Silurian (420.9±2.5Ma and 421.1±4.3Ma). Large-scale granitiods intruded in the accretionary complex suggest a fast growth effect at the south margin of the Huaniushan arc. During late Paleozoic, island arc were developed on this accretionary complex. The late Paleozoic ophiolite has an age of early Permian (285.7±2.2Ma), in which the rock assemblage includes ultra-mafic, gabbros, gabbros veins, massive basalts, pillow basalt, basaltic clastic breccias, and thin layer tuff, with chert on the top.These igneous rocks have both arc and MORB affinities, indicating their belonging to SSZ type ophiolite. Therefore, oceanic basins area were still existed in the Liuyuan area in the early Permian. 4. The mafic-ultramafic complexes are distributed along major faults, and composed of zoned cumulate rocks, in which peridotites are surrounded by pyroxenite, hornblendites, gabbros norite and diorite outward. They have island-arc affinities and are consistent with typical Alaska-type mafic-ultramafic complexes. The geochronological results indicate that they were formed in the early Permian. 5. The Liuyuan A-type granite were formed under post-collisional settings during the late Triassic (230.9±2.5Ma), indicating the persistence of orogenic process till the late Triassic in the study area. Geochronological results suggested that A-type granites become younger southward from the Wulungu A-type granite belt to Liuyuan A-type granite belt, which is in good agreement with the accretionary direction of the CAOB in this area, which indicate that the Liuyuan suture is the final sture of the Paleo-Asin Ocean. 6. Structural geological evidence demonstrate the W-E spreading of main tectonic terrenes. These terrenes had mainly underwent through S-N direction contraction and NE strike-faulting. The study area had experienced a S-N direction compression after the Permian, indicating a collisional event after the Permian. Based on the evidene from sedimentary geology, paleontology, and geomagnetism, our studies indicate that the orogenic process can be subdivided into five stages: (1) the pre-orogenic stage occurred before the Ordovicain; (2) the subduction orogenic stage occurred from the Orcovician to the Permian; (3) the collisional orogenic stage occurred from the late Permian to the late Triassic; (4) the post-collision stage occurred after the Triassic. The Liuyuan areas have a long and complex tectonic evolutional history, and the Liuyuan suture zone is one of the most important sutures. It is the finally suture zone of the paleo-Asian ocean in the Beishan area.

湘西地区上震旦统上部－下寒武统底部黑色岩系沉积学及地球化学

Widespread black chert-shales occur in the Ediacaran-Cambrian(E-C) boundary successions along the flank of Yangtze Platform, South China, remarkable changes in sedimentology, geochemistry and biology were recorded. Although extensive studies were carried out upon this boundary succession, the origin of black chert-shales still remain controversial. This paper focuses on the E-C black chert-shales in western Hunan, South China, upon which detailed depositional and geochemical changes are documented, accordingly a depositional model for black chert-shales is proposed. Stratigraphic anatomy across the depositional strike demonstrates that the shallow-water Dengying dolostone along the platform margin sharply pass basinward into the Liuchapo chert successions, which indicate syndepositional extensional faulting at depth could have occurred along the platform margin. The deep-water Niutitang phosphorite-rich black shales are either underlain by the Dengying dolostones on the platform margin toward platform interior or directly by the Liuchaopo chert successions farther basinwards. By detailed investigation, silica chimneys are firsly identified approximately in the chert along platform margin; two types of silica chimneys, including mounded and splayed/funnelized chert(generally brecciated) bodies are further sorted out. The mounded chert are exitbited by domed or hummocky surfaces on the top and irregular spongy to digitiform internal fabrics; within the silica mounds, abundant original vesicles/voids and/or channels were mostly plugged by initial chalcedony, quartze crystals with minor dolomite and bladed barite crystals. Splayed/funnelized brecciated chert “intrusion” cross-cut the uppermost dolostones capping to the horizon underneath, and are directly overlain by the Niutitang phosphorite-rich black shales. Their similarities to the silica chimneys reported from the oceanic spreading centres suggest a similar origin responsible for these unique silica bodies which is also supported by the microthermonmetric data and element geochemistry. High P, Ba, Fe contents and positive correlation between Fe and TOC concentrations in the Niutitang black shales indicate a high palaeo-productivity in the Early Cambrian ocean. The low Th/U and the high V/Cr, V/Sc, V/(V+Ni) ratios in the black shales suggest an anoxic water condition during this interval. Furthermore, Positive Eu anomalies and high Ba contents in the sediments also imply a hydrothermal influence on the formation of Niutitang black shales. To better constrain the placement of deep-water successions straddling the E-C boundary and the timing of hydrothermal silica chimneys, sensitive high-resoluton ion microprobe(SHRIMP) U-Pb dating of zircon grains from tuffs within the chert succession of Liuchapo Formation at Ganziping was conducted and yields a weighted-mean 206Pb/238Pb age at 536.6±5.5Ma, younger than E-C boundary age(542.0±0.3Ma). This age combined with carbon isotopic data is then proposed to correspond to the U-Pb age of zircons(538.2±1.5Ma) from the Zhongyicun member of Meishucun Formation at Meishucun in eastern Yunna, thus, the E-C boundary in Gazngziping was placed between the Dengying formations and Liuchapo formatioms. therefore, the silica chimneys took place at the beginning of the Cambrian period. The temporal coincidence of silica chimneys and negative excursions of δ13C and δ34Spy pairs suggest hydrothermal activities were likely responsible for the isotopic changes. Under such a circumstance, vast amounts of greenhouse gases(CO2, CH4, H2S), with highly 13C-depleted carbon and 34S-depleted sulfur would be released into the ocean and atmosphere. A positive shift in δ34Scas and Δ34S values from the late Ediacaran to the Early Cambrian could be a reflection of enhanced bacterial sulfate reduction(BSR), strengthened by the intensified oceanic anoxia stimulated by hydrothermal activities. Based on the analyses of sedimentology and geochemistry, a model- “oceanic anoxia induced by hydrothermal–volcanic activies” was proposed to responsible for the formation of black chert-shales during this E-C transition. Under this case, hydrothermal-volcanic activies could release large large amount of greenhouse into atmosphere and metal micronutrients into the ocean, which may lead to global warming, stratified ocean, thereby a high palaeoproductivity; on the other hand, the massive releasing of reduced hydrothermal fluids with abundant H2S, could have in turn enhanced the ocean anoxia. All of these were favourable the for preservation of organic matter, and subsequent extensive deposition of black silica-shales.

西秦岭晚古生代弧前盆地沉积与成矿作用

The Western Qinling Orogenie belt in the Taibai-Fengxian and Xihe-Lixian areas can be subdivided into three units structurally from north to south, which are the island-arc, forearc basin and accretionary wedge, respectively. The forearc basin developed in the Late Paleozoic mainly controls sedimentation and some larger lead-zinc and gold deposits in the western Qinling. Stratigraphically, the island arc is dissected into the Liziyuan Group, the Danfeng Group and the Luohansi Group. The metavolcanic rocks include basic, intermediate and acidic rocks, and their geochemistry demonstrates that these igneous rocks generated in an island arc. Where, the basalts are subalkaline series charactered by low-medium potassium, with enriched LREE, negative Eu anomaly, and positive Nd anomaly. Cr-content of volcanic rocks is 2-3 times higher than that of island arc tholeiite all over the world. In addition, the lightly metamorphosed accretionary wedge in the areas of Huixian, Chengxian, Liuba and Shiqun is dominated by terrigenous sediments with carbonatite, chert, mafic and volcanic rocks. The age of the wedge is the Late Palaeozoic to the Trassic, while previous work suggested that it is the Silurian. The Upper Paleozoic between the island arc belt and accretionary wedge are mainly the sediments filled in the fore arc basin. The fillings in the forearc basin were subdivided into the Dacaiotan Group, the Tieshan Group, the Shujiaba Group and the Xihanshui Group, previously. They outcropped along the southern margins of the Liziyuan Group. The Dacaotan Group, the Upper Devonian, is close to the island arc complex, and composed of a suite of red and gray-green thick and coarse terrestrial elastics. The Shujiaba Group, the Mid-Upper Devonian, is located in the middle of the basin, is mainly fine-grained elastics with a few intercalations of limestone. The Xihanshui Group, which distributes in the southern of the basin, is mainly slates, phyllites and sandstones with carbonatite and reef blocks. The Tieshan Group, the Upper Devonian, just outcrops in the southwest of the basin, is carbonatite and clastic rocks, and deposited in the shallow -sea environment. The faults in the basin are mainly NW trend. The sedimentary characteristics, slump folds, biological assemblages in both sides of and within those faults demonstrate that they were syn-sedimentary faults with multi-period activities. They separated the forearc basin into several sub-basins, which imbricate in the background of a forearc basin with sedimentary characteristics of the piggyback basin. The deep hydrothermal fluid erupted along the syn-sedimentary faults, supported nutrition and energy for the reef, and resulted in hydrothermal-sedimentary rocks, reef and lead-zinc deposits along these faults. The sedimentary facies in the basin varies from the continental slope alluvial fan, to shallow-sea reef facies, and then to deep-water from north to south, which implies that there was a continental slope in the Devonian in the west Qinling. The strata overlap to north and to east respectively. Additionally, the coeval sedimentary facies in north and south are significantly different. The elastics become more and more coarser to north in the basin as well as upward coarsing. These features indicate prograding fillings followed by overlaps of the different fans underwater. The paleocurrent analyses show that the forearc basin is composed of thrust-ramp-basins and deep-water basins. The provenance of the fillings in the basin is the island arc in the north. The lead-zinc deposits were synchronous with the Xihanshui Group in the early stage of development of the forearc basin. They were strongly constrained by syn-sedimentary faults and then modified by the hydrothermal fluids. The gold deposits distributed in the north of the basin resulted from the tectonic activities and magmatism in the later stage of the basin evolution, and occurred at the top of the lead-zinc deposits spatially. The scales of lead-zinc deposits in the south of the basin are larger than that of the gold-deposits. The Pb-Zn deposits in the west of the basin are larger than those in the east, while the Gold deposits in the west of the basin are smaller than those in the east. Mineralizing ages of these deposits become younger and younger to west.

A stacked Late Quaternary fluvio-periglacial sequence from the Axe valley, southern England with implications for landscape evolution and Palaeolithic archaeology

The current model of mid-latitude late Quaternary terrace sequences, is that they are uplift-driven but climatically controlled terrace staircases, relating to both regional-scale crustal and tectonic factors, and palaeohydrological variations forced by quasi-cyclic climatic conditions in the 100 K world (post Mid Pleistocene Transition). This model appears to hold for the majority of the river valleys draining into the English Channel which exhibit 8–15 terrace levels over approximately 60–100 m of altitudinal elevation. However, one valley, the Axe, has only one major morphological terrace and has long-been regarded as anomalous. This paper uses both conventional and novel stratigraphical methods (digital granulometry and terrestrial laser scanning) to show that this terrace is a stacked sedimentary sequence of 20–30 m thickness with a quasi-continuous (i.e. with hiatuses) pulsed, record of fluvial and periglacial sedimentation over at least the last 300–400 K yrs as determined principally by OSL dating of the upper two thirds of the sequence. Since uplift has been regional, there is no evidence of anomalous neotectonics, and climatic history must be comparable to the adjacent catchments (both of which have staircase sequences) a catchment-specific mechanism is required. The Axe is the only valley in North West Europe incised entirely into the near-horizontally bedded chert (crypto-crystalline quartz) and sand-rich Lower Cretaceous rocks creating a buried valley. Mapping of the valley slopes has identified many large landslide scars associated with past and present springs. It is proposed that these are thaw-slump scars and represent large hill-slope failures caused by Vauclausian water pressures and hydraulic fracturing of the chert during rapid permafrost melting. A simple 1D model of this thermokarstic process is used to explore this mechanism, and it is proposed that the resultant anomalously high input of chert and sand into the valley during terminations caused pulsed aggradation until the last termination. It is also proposed that interglacial and interstadial incision may have been prevented by the over-sized and interlocking nature of the sub-angular chert clasts until the Lateglacial when confinement of the river overcame this immobility threshold. One result of this hydrogeologically mediated valley evolution was to provide a sequence of proximal Palaeolithic archaeology over two MIS cycles. This study demonstrates that uplift tectonics and climate alone do not fully determine Quaternary valley evolution and that lithological and hydrogeological conditions are a fundamental cause of variation in terrestrial Quaternary records and landform evolution.

La caractérisation chimique de cherts du Bas-Saint-Laurent et de la Gaspésie : vers le développement d’une méthode d’analyse non destructrice

En raison de la grande résolution des photographies des échantillons, celles-ci se trouvent dans un fichier complémentaire, puisque les conditions de forme imposées ne permettaient pas l'affichage intégral de ces images au sein du mémoire.

Le site CjEd-8 : l'Archaïque supérieur au Témiscouata

Occupé depuis près de 10 000 ans, le Témiscouata est un lieu clé pour mieux comprendre la préhistoire du Québec, en raison de son emplacement stratégique entre l’Atlantique et la vallée du Saint-Laurent et de la cinquantaine de sites archéologiques connus dans la région. Le site CjEd-8 est le seul site associé à l’Archaïque supérieur (6 000 à 4 000 ans avant aujourd’hui) connu dans la région. Cette recherche palethnographique porte sur l’analyse de la collection lithique du site archéologique CjEd-8. Nos questions de recherche sont les suivantes : quel était le mode de vie et les activités des occupants du site CjEd-8? Quel était leur environnement et comment s’y sont-ils adapté? Comment l’espace était-il utilisé sur le site? Comment ce site se compare-t-il aux autres sites de l’Archaïque supérieur au Québec et dans le nord-est américain? Est-il possible de relier l’occupation du site CjEd-8 à un plus vaste cadre régional ou culturel, comme un réseau d’interaction, par exemple? Nous avons effectué une analyse techno-morphologique individuelle de tous les outils et du débitage de la collection. Nous avons pu constater que tous les stades de réduction lithique (initial, intermédiaire et final) sont présents sur le site CjEd-8. Les matières premières locales sont représentées dans tous ces stades de réduction, bien que les matières premières exotiques soient surtout présentes au sein du stade initial de réduction, davantage que les matières premières locales. Ceci laisse croire que le dégrossissement initial des blocs et galets de matière première locale se faisait ailleurs que sur le site, fort probablement sur les carrières de chert de la région, et que des matières exotiques ont aussi été travaillées sur le site. Des activités de taille ont eu lieu sur les deux zones du site, probablement autour de deux foyers distincts. Les quelques individus présents y sont demeurés très brièvement, semblent avoir effectué un nombre limité d’activités et sont peut-être repassés quelques temps après. L’Archaïque supérieur est caractérisé par une augmentation de la population et par l’intensification des interactions et de l’appartenance régionale. Or, il semblerait que ce soit l’inverse que l’on observe archéologiquement au Témiscouata. L’assemblage de CjEd-8 ne présente aucune ressemblance particulière avec les sites associés à l’Archaïque supérieur au Québec, bien que pour presque tous ces sites, on constate une exploitation importante des matières premières locales (même si ces dernières sont de qualité moyenne), combinée à l’exploitation de matières premières exotiques de sources très éloignées. L’industrie du quartz, importante dans la plupart des sites de l’Archaïque supérieur, se reflète très peu sur CjEd-8. Bien qu’il nous soit impossible d’associer l’occupation du site CjEd-8 à une tradition culturelle précise, cela ne signifie pas que ses occupants n’étaient pas en interaction avec l’une ou l’autre des entités culturelles de la fin de l’Archaïque, que ce soit avec les groupes de la région de Quoddy, de la Gaspésie, de la Vallée du Saint-Laurent, de l’Outaouais, de la Haute Côte nord, du Vermont, de l’État de New York et de l’intérieur du Maine. La question des modes de subsistance des occupants de CjEd-8 n’a pas été soulevée lors de nos analyses. Nous savons toutefois que les occupants du Témiscouata avaient alors accès à une faune riche et diversifiée.