The main structure and tectonic features of the Chernorud-Mukhor site on the western shore of Lake Baikal from TEM and SP measurements

Transient electromagnetic (TEM), self-potential (SP) and geoelectrical mapping measurements were carried out at the Chernorud-Mukhor site in the Priolkhonje area on the western shore of the Lake Baikal. All measurements were made along several profiles across the main strike of the regional Primorsky fault. TEM measurements were carried out in a time range from a few tens of microseconds to several tens of milliseconds. The most important result of the 1D modelling of TEM soundings is the discovery of nearly horizontal boundaries that divide high resistive overlying and well conducting underlying rocks. The resistivity of the former is in the range from 100 Ωm to 1000 Ωm, while the resistivity of the latter varies from less than 1 Ωm to several tens of Ωm. This good conductive zone could also be verified by geoelectrical mapping using Schlumberger array (AB/2=100 m). Due to high conductivity of the underlying rocks only the upper boundary of the conductive layer could be determined by TEM soundings. A regional SP anomaly with amplitude of about −450 mV has also been observed above the low resistivity zone indicating the electron nature of its conductance. Geologically, the conductive zone is represented by a graphite-bearing layer within the region of archean rocks. Since that layer extends over a large area, it may be used as a key in studying structures and tectonics of the Priolkhonje area. A 1D TEM geoelectric section shows a wide, gently sloping syncline as a probable base structure of the Chernorud-Mukhor site. Neotectonic faults divide the syncline into vertically displaced blocks that form a wide complicated graben with a total amplitude of about 250 m.     

Sedimentary evolution of a late Pleistocene wetland indicating extreme coastal uplift in southern Tanzania

Facies analyses of Pleistocene deposits from southern coastal Tanzania (Lindi District) document that sediments formed in a wetland evolving on a coastal terrace in the Lindi Fracture Zone foreland. The exposed succession shows a marked sedimentary change from tidal to terrestrial facies. ¹⁴C analyses on gastropod shells indicate the emergence of the Lindi coast at ∼ 44 ¹⁴C ka BP. Emergence and subsequent elevation of terraces to 21 m above present-day sea level was linked to the falling eustatic sea level prior to the last glacial maximum, and to a periodic elevation due to extensional tectonic episodes in the eastern branch of the East African Rift System (EARS). Since ∼ 44 ¹⁴C ka BP tectonic uplift at the coast was 80-110 m, comparable to that in the extreme uplift areas of the EARS.     

中亚造山带中的燃烧变质事件及其年代学研究

Combustion metamorphic(pyrometamorphic)complexes produced by prehistoric natural coal fires are widespread inCentral Asia,namely at the interfaces between mountain systems and the flanking sedimentary basins.Large-scale and prolonged firesaccompanied the initial orogenic stages as unweathered coal-bearing formations became exposed into the aeration zone.Pyrometamorphic rocks are comparable to sanidinite facies rocks in formation conditions and in alteration of sedimentary material but,unlike these,their protolith underwent different melting degrees to produce either ferrous basic paralavas or glazed clinkers.The phasecomposition of the newly-formed melted rocks are favorable for~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating of combustion metamorphic events which are coeval tothe onset of the main stage of recent orogenic events.We suggest a new algorithm providing correct ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating ofpyrometamorphic rocks followed by well-grounded geological interpretation.We studied pyrometamorphic rocks in the western Salairzone of the Kuznetsk coal basin where combustion metamorphism under temperatures above 1000℃acted upon large volumes of coal-bearing sediments.Samples of paralavas were dated by the step heating ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar method checked against internal(plateau andisochrone ages)and external("criterions of couple")mineralogical criterions,and against preliminary dating from geological andstratigraphic evidence.As a result,we distinguished two groups of dates for combustion metamorphic events.The first one(1.2±0.4Ma)is drawn towards the west boundary of Prokopyevsk-Kiselevsk block of Salair zone,while the second one(0.2±0.3Ma)isconfined to its east boundary.The former ages represent rocks in the western edge of the Prokopievsk-Kiselevsk block of the Salair zoneand the latter ages correspond to those in its eastern edge.The dates record the time when the fault boundaries of the blocks wererejuvenated during recent activity and the block accreted to the Salair orogenic area as a piedmont step.These are the first absolute agesobtained for the onset of uplift of the northern edge of the Ahai-Sayan area,the key event of its neotectonic history.The suggestedapproach to the choice of objects,classification of rocks,and interpretation of~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar data is universal and can be practiced in anyarea subjected to combustion metamorphism.     

Morphotectonic evaluation of the Delhi region in northern India,and its significance in environmental management

This paper deals with the morphotectonic evaluation of the Delhi region in northern India to understand its impact on land use and urban development. To accommodate heavy urbanization and population rise (being the capital of India), the area has undergone tremendous environmental degradation resulting from a mismatch between adopted land use and morphotectonic considerations. The geomorphic and drainage signatures of the region have evolved out of interaction of varied geological parameters including neotectonic activities. We have evaluated the changes in the drainage pattern of the Yamuna River in the Delhi region to underline its significance in geomorphic evolution and subsequent land use and/or land suitability. The Yamuna River has shown variations both in channel position and geometry over the last two centuries. The observed migration pattern of the river (shifting of confluences, position and disposition of palaeochannels, etc.,) cannot be attributed to normal river phenomenon and appears to have been effected by neotectonic changes. In addition, some case studies are discussed to underline the significance of geomorphic factors in urban development.     

Early and Middle Pleistocene landscapes of eastern England

This paper reviews the pattern of climate and environmental change in eastern England over the period of the Early and Middle Pleistocene, focussing especially upon northern East Anglia. Particular attention is given to the climate and tectonics that have brought about these changes and the distinctive geology, topography and biology that has developed. Throughout, an attempt is made to describe the new models that have been proposed for the Early and Middle Pleistocene of eastern England, and explain the reasons for these changes. The Early Pleistocene experienced relatively high insulation and relatively low magnitude climatic change and is represented primarily by non-climatically forced processes in the form of tidal current- and wave-activity which formed shallow marine deposits. It is possible to recognise a tectonic control in the distribution of deposits of this age because the surface processes do not have the power to remove this signature. The early Middle Pleistocene was dominated by higher magnitude climatic change involving, occasionally, climatic extremes that ranged from permafrost to mediterranean. The landscape at this time was dominated by the behaviour of major rivers (Thames, Bytham, Ancaster) and extensive coastal activity. In the latter part of the early Middle Pleistocene and the Late Middle Pleistocene the climate experienced major changes which resulted in periods of lowland glaciation and short intervals when the climate was warmer than the present. Details of tectonic activity are difficult to identify because they are removed by powerful surface processes, but it is possible to infer uplift focussed on the major interfluves of central England and subsidence in the North Seas basin. In the areas of glaciation the landscape changed radically from an organised terrain dominated by large rivers and extensive shallow coastal zones to complex, with small valleys, disrupted drainage and often discontinuous river, slope and coastal deposits. Likewise the switching off of the North Sea Delta and the opening of the Strait of Dover, separating Britain from continental Europe can be attributed to the onset of lowland glaciation. The case is made that eastern England was glaciated four times during the Middle Pleistocene: during MIS 16, 12, 10 and 6, and attention is given to recent evidence contradicting this model. Over the period of the Middle Pleistocene there is evidence for high biomass production occurring over short intervals coinciding with the climatic optima of MIS 19, 17, 15, 13, 11, and 7c, 7a and during most of these warmer periods, extending back to c. 750 ka (MIS 19/17), there is evidence in the region for the brief appearance of humans.     

华北新构造：印欧碰撞远场效应与太平洋俯冲地幔上涌之间的相互作用

作为大陆内部典型的伸展断陷区和强震活动区,华北地区处于东部太平洋板块俯冲构造和西部印欧大陆碰撞构造的双重大地构造背景之下,其新构造运动相当复杂:西部沿鄂尔多斯地块周缘两个地堑盆地系引张伸展断陷作用、中部太行山块体的局部断陷和整体隆升、东部华北平原区和渤海湾海域区的区域沉降,南缘沿秦岭构造带的左旋走滑拉张活动,东缘沿郯庐断裂带的右旋挤压走滑活动。这些不同类型的断裂构造在晚新生代的阶段性活动,产生了复杂的构造地貌组合特征。综合研究发现,华北晚新生代经历了3期伸展断陷-挤压隆升演化阶段:新近纪晚期(10～2.5 Ma)、早中更新世和晚更新世以来。地壳引张应力方向或NW-SE、或NE-SW向;地块隆升导致湖盆的消亡,挤压应力方向为NE-SW至W-E向。研究认为,华北地区新构造受两个岩石圈构造过程的相互影响:印欧碰撞产生的远程效应和东部岩石圈地幔的上涌。一方面,青藏高原东北缘地块的持续推挤及其构造应力向东的传递导致鄂尔多斯地块反时针旋转和秦岭山地的向东挤出逃逸,这个挤出构造动力学统治了华北地区晚新生代的引张伸展、斜张走滑和挤压变形。尤其是,新近纪晚期强烈的NW-SE向地壳伸展变形与青藏东缘挤出造山作用同步(10～9 Ma至4.2 Ma);上新世末期(约2.5 Ma)、晚更新世早期(约200～70 ka)和晚更新世晚期—全新世(约20 ka以来)3次构造挤压事件与青藏高原东缘构造事件基本对应。另一方面,岩石圈地幔上涌主导了华北东部平原区的区域地壳沉降,同时伴随着早、中更新世的5期幔源火山活动。这两个岩石圈构造作用力此消彼长,深刻统治着华北地区新构造与现今活动构造以及地震构造。     

Unravelling the evolution of an Alpine to post-glacially active fault in the Swiss Alps

The Gemmi fault is a prominent NW–SE striking lineament that crosses the Gemmi Pass in the central Swiss Alps. A multidisciplinary investigation of this structure that included geological mapping, joint profiling, cathodoluminescence and scanning electron microscopy, stable isotope measurements, luminescence- and U-TH-dating, 3D ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveying and trenching reveals a history of fault movements from the Miocene to the Holocene. The main fault zone comprises a 0.5–3 m thick calcite cataclasite formed during several cycles of veining and brittle deformation. Displaced Cretaceous rock layers show an apparent dextral slip of 10 m along the fault.A detailed study of a small sediment-filled depression that crosses the fault provides evidence for a post-glacial reactivation of the fault. A trench excavated across the fault exposed a Late-Glacial-age loess layer and late Holocene colluvial-like slope-wash deposits that showed evidence for fault displacement of a few centimeters, indicating a recent strike-slip reactivation of the fault. Focal mechanisms of recent instrumentally recorded earthquakes are consistent with our findings that show that the fault at the Gemmi Pass, together with other parallel faults in this area, may be reactivated in today's stress field. Taking together all the observations of its ancient and recent activity, the Gemmi fault can be viewed as a window through geological space and time.     

Characterization of Quaternary faults by electric resistivity tomography in the Andean Precordillera of Western Argentina

El río San Juan, situado en la Provincia de San Juan (Argentina) cruza la Precordillera y otras unidades geológicas incluyendo la Depresión de Ullum y la Zona de La Laja, entre las latitudes 31°S y 32°S. El curso del río tiene un cierto caracter antecedente como puede deducirse por sus dos trazas perpendiculares unidas por otra casi paralela a las alineaciones estructurales principales. En la zona de la Precordillera, el valle del río San Juan muestra numerosos abanicos aluviales, situados en las zonas de confluencia entre el río principal y sus tributarios. Las superficies de los abanicos aluviales cuaternarios estan cortadas por una serie de escalones que consideramos como terrazas aluviales generadas por episodios repetitivos de agradación y degradación. El sector estudiado incluye una zona con una importante actividad sísmica reciente(La Laja), otra sin una importante actividad sísmica reciente (Precordillera), y una zona subsidente (Ullum) donde se formó un gran lago natural hace unos 6500 años. El antiguo río San Juan fue capturado por el valle de la Quebrada de Ullum mediante una incisión del orden de 25 m, que implicó una nueva adecuación del gradiente del río mediante los efectos de la erosión remontante. El gradiente del río San Juan muestra algunas irregularidades que, aunque no se presenten relacionadas directamente con las estructuras principales, estan relacionadas con la propia dinámica fluvial que acentúa la diferenciación litológica. La anchura del valle del río principal, la geometria y el gradiente de cada tributario, junto a las litologias del basamento y a las dimensiones de cada area fuente local, son los factores principales que controlan los procesos de la generación de las terrazas aluviales. En la zona de La Laja, donde la terraza mas alta soporta un nivel de travertino, la datación de los depósitos travertínicos proporciona datos como para suponer una tasa de incisión del orden de 0,9–1 mm/año, asociada a la actuación periódica de la falla de La Laja.

Late Pleistocene tectonic-geomorphological development within a passive margin — The Cariatá trough, northeastern Brazil

Studies on the geomorphological evolution of the South American passive margin have been based on the pediplanation model, which predicts that its morphology is a response to regional uniform uplift and concomitant development of erosion surfaces. We combined remote sensing, geological mapping, lithostratigraphic and facies analyses, and luminescence dating in the Cariatá trough, northeastern Brazil, in order to determine how brittle tectonics and climate influenced colluviation and the shaping of local landforms in the Quaternary. Our work indicates that Cariatá is an asymmetrical trough  40 km long,  25 km wide, 250–550 m deep, and delimited by ENE–WSW-trending faults to the north and south. We recognized an ENE–WSW-oriented compression related to a strike-slip faulting regime, which corresponds to the present-day stress field in the region. This faulting event led to the deposition of colluvial fans, shed from adjacent uplifted crustal blocks, in a tectonically controlled depression. The colluvial succession is  45 m thick and presents two facies assemblages that filled the southern and, in particular, the northern borders of the trough: non-cohesive debrisflow and mudflow deposits. Optically stimulated luminescence dates of the sedimentary infill yielded ages at 224–128 ka and 45–28 ka, dominated by debrisflow and mudflow deposits, respectively. These ages may be over-estimated due to poor bleaching of colluvium, but they and our field data suggest that the margins of the trough were tectonically uplifted and eroded twice in the Late Pleistocene. The spasmodic colluvial accretion reflects the occurrence of high-magnitude, low-recurrence episodes probably associated with climate shifts in a semi-arid hillslope system. It follows that the present-day low-lying piedmont in which the Cariatá trough occurs is a juxtaposition of surfaces of various ages. This trough may have counterparts across the region. These conclusions do not corroborate the application of the cyclical pediplanation hypothesis in the area.     

New seismogenic source and deep structures revealed by the 1999 Chia-yi earthquake sequence in southwestern Taiwan

In a tectonically active setting large earthquakes are always threats; however, they may also be useful in elucidating the subsurface geology. Instrumentally recorded seismicity is, therefore, widely utilized to extend our knowledge into the deeper crust, especially where basement is involved. It is because the earthquakes are triggered by underground stress changes that usually corresponding to the framework of geological structures. Hidden faults, therefore, can be recognized and their extension as well as orientation can be estimated. Both above are of relevance for assessment on seismic hazard of a region, since the active faults are supposed to be re-activated and cause large earthquakes. In this study, we analysed the 1999 October 22 earthquake sequence that occurred in southwestern Taiwan. Two major seismicity clusters were identified with spatial distribution between depths of 10 and 16 km. One cluster is nearly vertical and striking 032°, corresponding to the strike-slip Meishan fault (MSF) that generated the 1906 surface rupture. Another cluster strikes 190° and dips 64° to the west, which is interpreted as west-vergent reverse fault, in contrast to previous expectation of east vergence. Our analysis of the focal solutions of all the larger earthquakes in the 1999 sequence with the 3-D distribution of all the earthquakes over the period 1990–2004 allows us reinterpret the structural framework and suggest previously unreognized seismogenic sources in this area. We accordingly suggest: (1) multiple detachment faults are present in southwestern Taiwan coastal plain and (2) additional seismogenic sources consist of tear faults and backthrust faults in addition to sources associated with west-vergent fold-and-thrust belt.