The Linxia Basin is characterized by an abundance of Cenozoic sediments, that contain exceptionally rich fossil resources. Equids are abundant in the Linxia Basin, the fossil record of equids in this region including 16 species that represent 10 genera. In comparison to other classic late Cenozoic areas in China, the Linxia Basin stands out, because the fauna and chronological data accompanying Linxia equids render them remarkably useful for biostratigraphy. The anchitheriines in the region, such as Anchitherium and Sinohippus, represent early equids that appeared in the late stages of the middle and late Miocene, respectively. Among the equines, most species of Chinese hipparions have been identified in the Linxia Basin and some species of the genera Hipparion and Hippotherium have FAD records for China. Furthermore, Equus eisenmannae is one of the earliest known species of Equus in the Old World and is well-represented at the Longdan locality. Some species with precise geohistorical distributions can serve as standards for high-resolution chronological units within this framework. Located at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and subject to considerable uplift, the Linxia Basin has served as a biogeographic transition area for equids throughout the late Cenozoic.
During the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian, a rift was formed by post-collisional extension after ocean closure or an island arc-related basin formed by Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO) subduction in the Xi Ujimqin area. Nevertheless, the closure time of the PAO is still under debate. Thus, to identify the origin of the PAO, the geochemistry and U-Pb age of zircons were analyzed for the extra-large deep marine, polymict clastic boulders and sandstones in the Shoushangou Formation within the basin. The analyses revealed magmatic activity and tectonic evolution. The conglomerates include megaclasts of granite (298.8 ± 9.1 Ma) and granodiorite porphyry (297.1 ± 3.1 Ma), which were deposited by muddy debris flow. Results of this study demonstrated that the boulders of granitoids have the geochemistry of typical I-type granite, characterized by low Zr + Nb + Ce + Y and low Ga/Al values. The granitoid boulders were formed in island arc setting, indicating the presence of arc magmatism in the area that is composed of the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian subduction-related granitoid in southern Xi Ujimqin. Multiple diagrams for determining sedimentary provenance using major and trace elements indicate that Shoushangou sediments originated from continental island arc-related felsic rocks. Detrital zircon U-Pb age cluster of 330-280 Ma was obtained, indicating input from granite, ophiolite, Xilin Gol complex, and Carboniferous sources to the south. The basin was geographically developed behind the arc during the Early Permian period because the outcropped intrusive rocks in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian form a volcanic arc. The comprehensive analyses of source areas suggest that Shoushangou sediments developed in a backarc basin in response to the northward subduction of the PAO. The backarc basin and intrusive rocks, in addition to previously published Late Carboniferous to Early Permian magmatic rocks of arc unit in Xilin Gol, confirm the presence of an Early Permian trench-arc-basin system in the region, represented by the Baolidao arc and Xi Ujimqin backarc basin. This study highlights the importance and potential of combined geochemical and geochronological studies of conglomerates and sandstone for reconstructing the geodynamic setting of a basin.
The Jitang metamorphic complex is key to studying the tectonic evolution of the Northern Lancangjiang zone. Through structural-lithological mapping, structural analysis and laboratory testing, the composition of the Jitang metamorphic complex was determined. The macro- and microstructural analyses of the ductile detachment shear zone (Guoxuepu ductile shear zone, 2–4 km wide) between the metamorphic complex and the overlying sedimentary cap show that the shear sense of the ductile shear zones is top-to-the-southeast. The presence of various deformation features and quartz C-axis electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) fabric analysis suggests multiple deformation events occurring at different temperatures. The average stress is 25.68 MPa, with the strain rates (έ) ranging from 9.77×10–14 s–1 to 6.52×10–16 s–1. The finite strain of the Guoxuepu ductile shear zone indicates an elongated strain pattern. The average kinematic vorticity of the Guoxuepu ductile shear zone is 0.88, implying that the shear zone is dominated by simple shear. The muscovite selected from the protomylonite samples in the Guoxuepu ductile shear zone yields a 40Ar-39Ar age of 60.09 ± 0.38 Ma. It is suggested that, coeval with the initial Indo–Eurasian collision, the development of strike-slip faults led to a weak and unstable crust, upwelling of lower crust magma, then induced the detachment of the Jitang metamorphic complex in the Eocene.
The Nianzi granite unit, which includes the Nianzi, Xiaolianghou and Xiawopu granitic intrusions, is a significant component of the northern part of the North China Craton (NCC) and is situated in the Yanshan fold and thrust belt (YFTB). However, there is still debate regarding the tectonic evolutionary history of the YFTB during the late Permian to Triassic period, specifically regarding the timing of subduction and collision between the NCC and the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The Nianzi granite unit exhibits unique petrological, geochronological and geochemical signatures that shed light on the tectonic evolutionary history of the YFTB. This study presents detailed petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, together with Sr-Nd isotopic, zircon U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic data of the granites within the Nianzi granite unit. Our findings demonstrate that the granites primarily consist of subhedral K-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, minor biotite and hornblende, with accessory titanite, apatite, magnetite and zircon. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the Xiaolianghou granite was emplaced at 247.5 ± 0.62 Ma. Additionally, the adakitic characteristics of the Nianzi, Xiawopu and Xiaolianghou granitic intrusions, such as high Sr and Ba contents and high ratios of Sr/Y and (La/Yb)N, combined with negative Sr-Nd and Lu-Hf isotopes (87Sr/86Sr)i=0.705681–0.7057433, εNd(t)=–21.98 to –20.97, zircon εHf(t)=–20.26 to –9.92), as well as the I-type granite features of high SiO2, Na2O and K2O/Na2O ratios, enriched Rb, K, Sr and Ba, along with depleted Th, U, Nb, Ta, P and Ti, suggest that the Nianzi granitic unit was mainly derived from the partial melting of a thickened lower crust containing hydrous, calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline, mafic to intermediate metamorphic rocks. In light of these parameters, we further integrate our data with previous studies and conclude that the Nianzi granitic unit was generated in a post-collisional extensional environment during the Early Triassic.
The combined petrographic, petrological, geochemical and geochronological study of the Neoproterozoic gneisses of the Sarychabyn and Baskan complexes of the Junggar Alataw of South Kazakhstan elucidate the Precambrian tectonic evolution of the Aktau–Yili terrane. It is one of the largest Precambrian crustal blocks in the western Central Asian orogenic belt. The U-Pb single-grain zircon ages indicate that granite-gneisses formed from the same source and crystallised in the early Neoproterozoic ca. 930–920 Ma. The chemical composition of gneisses corresponds to A2-type granites. The whole-rock Nd isotopic characteristics (εNd(t)=–4.9 to –1.0 and TNd(DM-2st)=1.9 to 1.7 Ga) indicate the involvement of Paleoproterozoic crustal rocks in magma generation. Early Neoproterozoic ca. 930–920 Ma A-type granitoids in the Aktau–Yili terrane of South and Central Kazakhstan might reflect within-plate magmatism adjacent to the collisional belt or a local extension setting in back-arc areas of the continental arc.
Rubidium (Rb) deposits mostly occur in the South China and Central Asia orogenic belts and are often closely associated with highly differentiated granites. This study investigates a newly-discovered giant Rb deposit at Gariatong in the Central Lhasa terrane in Tibet. Detailed field studies and logging data revealed that the Rb mineralization mainly occurs in monzogranite and is related to greisenization. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircon yielded ages of 19.1 ± 0.2 Ma and 19.0 ± 0.2 Ma for greisenized monzogranite and fresh monzogranite, respectively. The monzogranites are characterized as strongly peraluminous, with high contents of SiO2, Al2O3, K2O and Na2O as well as a high differentiation index. They are enriched in light rare earth and large ion lithophile elements with significant negative Eu anomalies and depleted high field-strength elements. Petrological and geochemical features of these ore-related monzogranites suggest that they are highly fractionated S-type granites, derived from remelting of crustal materials in a post-collisional setting. The geochemistry of zircon and apatite points to a low oxygen fugacity of the ore-related monzogranite during the magma's evolution. The discovery of the Gariatong Rb deposit suggests that the Central Lhasa terrane may be an important region for rare metal mineralization.
Lamprophyres typically appear in hydrothermal gold deposits. The relationship between lamprophyres and gold deposits is investigated widely. Some researchers suggest that the emplacement of lamprophyres triggers gold mineralization, whereas others hypothesize that the formation of lamprophyres increases the fertility of mantle sources and ore-forming fluids. K-feldspar veins, with ages between those of lamprophyres and gold deposits, appear in lamprophyres in Zhenyuan. Therefore, K-feldspar veins are ideal for investigating the relationship between lamprophyres and gold deposits. Phlogopite in K-feldspar veins has lower Mg#, Ni, and Cr contents and higher TiO2, Li, Ba, Sr, Sc, Zr, Nb, and Cs contents than phlogopite in lamprophyres. The in-situ Sr isotopic values of apatites (0.7063–0.7066) in K-feldspar veins are within the range for apatites (0.7064–0.7078) from lamprophyres. High large-ion lithophile element concentrations and low Nb and Ta concentrations in phlogopite from lamprophyres, in addition to high (87Sr/86Sr)i values of apatite (0.7064–0.7078), indicate that the magma parental to these phlogopite and apatite crystals is derived from an enriched mantle. K-feldspar veins are genetically correlated with lamprophyres, whereas sulfide mineral assemblage and trace element compositions of pyrite in K-feldspar veins suggest that K-feldspar veins in lamprophyres are not directly related to gold mineralization of the Zhenyuan deposit.
The Nuri deposit is the only Cu-W-Mo polymetallic deposit with large-scale WO3 resources in the eastern section of the Gangdese metallogenic belt, Tibet, China. However, the genetic type of this deposit has been controversial since its discovery. Based on a study of the geological characteristics of the deposit, this study presents mineralization stages, focusing on the oxide stage and the quartz-sulfide stage where scheelite is mainly formed, referred to as Sch-A and Sch-B, respectively. Through LA-ICP-MS trace element and Sr isotope analyses, the origin, evolutionary process of the ore-forming fluid and genesis of the ore deposit are investigated. Scanning Electron Microscope-Cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL) observations reveal that Sch-A consists of three generations, with dark gray homogenous Sch-A1 being replaced by relatively lighter and homogeneous Sch-A2 and Sch-A3, with Sch-A2 displaying a gray CL image color with vague and uneven growth bands and Sch-A3 has a light gray CL image color with hardly any growth band. In contrast, Sch-B exhibits a ‘core-rim’ structure, with the core part (Sch-B1) being dark gray and displaying a uniform growth band, while the rim part (Sch-B2) is light gray and homogeneous. The normalized distribution pattern of rare earth elements in scheelite and Sr isotope data suggest that the early ore-forming fluid in the Nuri deposit originated from granodiorite porphyry and, later on, some country rock material was mixed in, due to strong water-rock interaction. Combining the O-H isotope data further indicates that the ore-forming fluid in the Nuri deposit originated from magmatic-hydrothermal sources, with contributions from metamorphic water caused by water-rock interaction during the mineralization process, as well as later meteoric water. The intense water-rock interaction likely played a crucial role in the precipitation of scheelite, leading to varying Eu anomalies in different generations of scheelite from the oxide stage to the quartz-sulfide stage, while also causing a gradual decrease in oxygen fugacity (fO2) and a slow rise in pH value. Additionally, the high Mo and low Sr contents in the scheelite are consistent with typical characteristics of magmatic-hydrothermal scheelite. Therefore, considering the geological features of the deposit, the geochemical characteristics of scheelite and the O-H isotope data published previously, it can be concluded that the genesis of the Nuri deposit belongs to porphyry-skarn deposit.
There are two factors, source composition and magmatic differentiation, potentially controlling W-Sn mineralization. Which one is more important is widely debated and may need to be determined for each individual deposit. The Xitian granite batholith located in South China is a natural laboratory for investigating the above problem. It consists essentially of two separate components, formed in the Triassic at ca. 226 Ma and Jurassic at ca. 152 Ma, respectively. The Triassic and Jurassic rocks are both composed of porphyritic and fine-grained phases. The latter resulted from highly-differentiated porphyritic ones but they have similar textural characteristics and mineral assemblages, indicating that they reached a similar degree of crystal fractionation. Although both fine-grained phases are highly differentiated with elevated rare metal contents, economic W–Sn mineralization is rare in the Triassic granitoids and this can be attributed to less fertile source materials than their Jurassic counterparts, with a slightly more enriched isotopic signature and whole-rock εNd(226 Ma) of –10.4 to –9.2 (2σ = 0.2) compared with εNd(152 Ma) of –9.2 to -8.2 (2σ = 0.2) for the Jurassic rocks. The initial W-Sn enrichment was derived from the metasedimentary rocks and strongly enhanced by reworking of the continental crust, culminating in the Jurassic.
The Late Permian was marked by a series of important geological events and widespread organic-rich black shale depositions, acting as important unconventional hydrocarbon source rocks. However, the mechanism of organic matter (OM) enrichment throughout this period is still controversial. Based on geochemical data, the marine redox conditions, paleogeographic and hydrographic environment, primary productivity, volcanism, and terrigenous input during the Late Permian in the Lower Yangtze region have been studied from the Putaoling section, Chaohu, to provide new insights into OM accumulation. Five Phases are distinguished based on the TOC and environmental variations. In Phase I, anoxic conditions driven by water restriction enhanced OM preservation. In Phase II, euxinic and cycling hydrological environments were the two most substantial controlling factors for the massive OM deposition. During Phase III, intensified terrestrial input potentially diluted the OM in sediment and the presence of oxygen in bottom water weakened the preservation condition. Phase IV was characterized by a relatively higher abundance of mercury (Hg) and TOC (peak at 16.98 wt%), indicating that enhanced volcanism potentially stimulated higher productivity and a euxinic environment. In Phase V, extremely lean OM was preserved as a result of terrestrial dilutions and decreasing primary productivity. Phases I, II and IV are characterized as the most prominent OM-rich zones due to the effective interactions of the controlling factors, namely paleogeographic, hydrographic environment, volcanism, and redox conditions.
Gypsum caprocks' sealing ability is affected by temperature-pressure coupling. Due to the limitations of experimental conditions, there is still a lack of triaxial stress-strain experiments that simultaneously consider changes in temperature and pressure conditions, which limits the accuracy of the comprehensive evaluation of the brittle plastic evolution and sealing ability of gypsum rocks using temperature pressure coupling. Triaxial stress-strain tests were utilized to investigate the differences in the evolution of the confinement capacity of gypsum rocks under coupled temperature-pressure action and isothermal-variable pressure action on the basis of sample feasibility analysis. According to research, the gypsum rock's peak and residual strengths decrease under simultaneous increases in temperature and pressure over isothermal pressurization experimental conditions, and it becomes more ductile. This reduces the amount of time it takes for the rock to transition from brittle to plastic. When temperature is taken into account, both the brittle–plastic transformation's depth limit and the lithological transformation of gypsum rocks become shallower, and the evolution of gypsum rocks under variable temperature and pressure conditions is more complicated than that under isothermal pressurization. The sealing ability under the temperature-pressure coupling is more in line with the actual geological context when the application results of the Well #ZS5 are compared. This provides a theoretical basis for precisely determining the process of hydrocarbon accumulation and explains why the early hydrocarbon were not well preserved.
The Qom Formation is the most important hydrocarbon reservoir target in Central Iran. The Qom platform developed in a back-arc basin during the Oligo–Miocene due to the closing of the Tethyan Seaway. This formation consists of a variety of carbonate and non-carbonate facies deposited on a platform ranging from supratidal to basin. A combination of tectonic and eustatic events led to some lateral and vertical facies variations in the study area. Six third-order depositional sequences and related surfaces were identified regarding vertical facies changes in the studied sections of this Oligo–Miocene succession. According to all results and data, this succession was initially deposited during the Chattian upon a distally steepened ramp of siliciclastic-carbonate composition, including the Bouma sequence. Then, from the late Chattian to the Aquitanian, the platform changed into a homoclinal carbonate ramp with a gentle profile. With respect to tectonic activity, this phase was a calm period during the deposition of the Qom Formation. Finally, a drowned carbonate platform and a rimmed shelf emerged during the Burdigalian, terminated by the continental deposits of the Upper Red Formation. Regarding all geological characteristics, three main tectono-eustatic evolutionary phases have been recognized in the Qom back-arc basin.
The knowledge of the residence time of formation water is fundamental to understanding the subsurface flow and hydrological setting. To better identify the origin and evolution of coal seam water and its impact on gas storage and production, this study collected coalbed methane co-produced water in the southeast Qinshui Basin and detected chemical and isotopic compositions, especially 36Cl and 129I concentrations. The calculated tracer ages of 129I (5.2–50.6 Ma) and 36Cl (0.13–0.76 Ma) are significantly younger than the age of coal-bearing formation (Pennsylvanian - Cisuralian), indicating freshwater recharge after coal deposition. The model that utilises 129I/I and 36Cl/Cl ratios to constrain the timing of recharge and the proportion of recharge water reveals that over 60% of pre-anthropogenic meteoric water entered coal seams since 10 Ma and mixed with residue initial deposition water, corresponding to the basin inversion in Cenozoic. The spatial distribution of major ion concentrations reveals the primary recharge pathway for meteoric water from coal outcrops at the eastern margin to the basin center. This study demonstrates the occurrence of higher gas production rates from wells that accept water recharge in recent times and suggests the possible potential of the non-stagnant zones for high gas production.
The organic matter (OM) enrichment mechanisms and depositional environment characteristics of lacustrine source rocks in the western Bozhong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin in Northeast China remain controversial. To address these issues, based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis, kerogen macerals, H/C and O/C ratios, GC-MS, major and trace elements, the Dongying Formation Member (Mbr) 3 (E3d3), the Shahejie Formation mbrs 1 and 2 (E2s1+2), and the Shahejie Mbr 3 (E2s3) source rocks in the western Bozhong Sag were studied. The above methods were used to reveal their geochemical properties, OM origins and depositional environments, all of which indicate that E2s1+2 and E2s3 are excellent source rocks, and that E3d3 is of the second good quality. E3d3 source rocks were formed under a warm and humid climate, mainly belong to fluvial/delta facies, the E3d3 sediments formed under weakly oxidizing and freshwater conditions. Comparatively, the depositional environments of E2s1+2 source rocks were arid and cold climate, representing saline or freshwater lacustrine facies, and the sediments of E2s1+2 belong to anoxic or suboxic settings with large evaporation and salinity. During the period of E2s3, the climate became warm and humid, indicating the freshwater lacustrine facies, and E2s3 was characterized by freshwater and abundant algae. Moreover, compared with other intervals, the OM origin of E3d3 source rocks has noticeable terrestrial input. The OM origin of the E2s1+2 and E2s3 are mainly plankton and bacteria. Tectonic subsidence and climate change have affected the changes of the depositional environment in the western Bozhong Sag, thus controlling the distribution of the source rocks, the geochemical characteristics in the three intervals of lacustrine source rocks have distinct differences. Overall, these factors are effective to evaluate the paleoenvironmental characteristics of source rocks by biomarkers, major and trace elements. The established models may have positive implications for research of lacustrine source rocks in offshore areas with few drillings.
Earthquake-related hydrochemical changes in thermal springs have been widely observed; however, quantitative modeling of the reactive transport process is absent. In the present study, we apply reactive transport simulation to capture the hydrochemical responses in a thermal spring following the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 and Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquakes. We first constrain deep reservoir geothermal fluid compositions and temperature by multicomponent geothermometry, and then a reactive geochemical transport model is constructed to reproduce the hydrochemical evolution process. The results show that the recharge from the shallow aquifer increases gradually until it reaches a peak because of the permeability enhancement caused by the Lushan earthquake, which may be the mechanism to explain the earthquake-related hydrochemical responses. In contrast to the postseismic effect of the Wenchuan earthquake, the chemical evolution can be considered as hydrochemical anomalies related to the Lushan earthquake. This study proves that the efficient simulation of reactive transport processes is useful for investigating earthquake-related signals in hydrochemical time series.
Plate subduction leads to complex exhumation processes on continents. The Huangling Massif lies at the northern margin of the South China Block. Whether the Huangling Massif was exhumed as a watershed of the middle reaches of the Paleo-Yangtze River during the Mesozoic remains under debate. We examined the exhumation history of the Huangling Massif based on six granite bedrock samples, using apatite fission track (AFT) and apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He (AHe and ZHe) thermochronology. These samples yielded ages of 157–132 Ma (ZHe), 119–106 Ma (AFT), and 114–72 Ma (AHe), respectively. Thermal modeling revealed that three phases of rapid cooling occurred during the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, late Early Cretaceous, and Late Cretaceous. These exhumation processes led to the high topographic relief responsible for the emergence of the Huangling Massif. The integrated of our new data with published sedimentological records suggests that the Huangling Massif might have been the watershed of the middle reaches of the Paleo-Yangtze River since the Cretaceous. At that time, the rivers flowed westward into the Sichuan Basin and eastward into the Jianghan Basin. The subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Asian continent in the Mesozoic deeply influenced the geomorphic evolution of the South China Block.
The Earth's surface kinematics and deformation are fundamental to understanding crustal evolution. An effective research approach is to estimate regional motion field and deformation fields based on modern geodetic networks. If the discrete observed velocity field is obtained, the velocity related fields, such as dilatation rate and maximum shear strain rate, can be estimated by applying varied mathematical approaches. This study applied Akaike's Bayesian Information Criterion (ABIC) method to calculate strain rate fields constrained by GPS observations in the southeast Tibetan Plateau. Comparison with results derived from other three methods revealed that our ABIC-derived strain rate fields were more precise. The maximum shear strain rate highlighted the Xianshuihe–Xiaojiang fault system as the main boundary for the outward migration of material in southeastern Tibet, indicating rotation of eastern Tibet material around the eastern Himalaya rather than whole extrusion along a fixed channel. Additionally, distinct dilatation rate patterns in the northeast and southwest regions of the fault system were observed. The northeast region, represented by the Longmenshan area, exhibited negative dilatational anomalies; while the southwest region, represented by the Jinsha River area north of 29°N, displayed positive dilatational anomalies. This indicates compression in the former and extension in the latter. Combined with deep geophysical observations, we believe that the upper and lower crusts of the Jinsha River area north of 29°N are in an entire expanding state, probably caused by the escape-drag effect of material. The presence of a large, low-viscosity region south of 29°N may not enable the entire escape of the crust, but instead result in a differential escape of the lower crust faster than the upper crust.
The geological conditions for coal mining in China are complex, with various structural issues such as faults and collapsed columns seriously compromising the safety of coal mine production. In-seam wave exploration is an effective technique for acquiring detailed information on geological structures in coal seam working faces. However, the existing reflected in-seam wave imaging technique can no longer meet the exploration precision requirements, making it imperative to develop a new reflected in-seam wave imaging technique. This study applies the Gaussian beam summation (GBS) migration method to imaging coal seams' reflected in-seam wave data. Firstly, with regard to the characteristics of the reflected in-seam wave data, methods such as wavefield removal and enveloped superposition are employed for the corresponding wavefield separation, wave train compression and other processing of reflected in-seam waves. Thereafter, imaging is performed using the GBS migration technique. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method for reflected in-seam wave imaging are validated by conducting GBS migration tests on 3D coal-seam fault models with different dip angles and throws. By applying the method to reflected in-seam wave data for an actual coal seam working face, accurate imaging of a fault structure is obtained, thereby validating its practicality.