Rapid denudation of the Himalayan orogen in the Nyalam area,southern Tibet,since the Pliocene and implications for tectonics–climate coupling

The Himalayan orogen characterized by very high variability in tectonic and climatic processes,and is thus regarded as a natural laboratory for investigating the coupling of tectonics and climate,as well as the influence of this coupling on geomorphological processes.This study uses apatite fission track(AFT)dating of samples from a45-km-long section crossing the Great Himalaya Crystalline Complex(GHC)in the Nyalam area,southern Tibet,to constrain the timing and rate of late Cenozoic denudation.The AFT ages can be divided into two groups:(1)15–6 Ma,to the north of Nyalam town,for which the bestfit line of elevation-age has a gentle slope of 0.05,and for which a denudation rate of 0.27 mm/a is calculated;and(2)3–1 Ma,south of Nyalam town,for which the best-fit line has a steep slope of 0.64,and for which a denudation rate of 1.32 mm/a is calculated.The whole AFT ages has a positive correlation with sample elevation(i.e.,older ages are found at higher elevations),and the geographical location of the point of inflexion of the two fitted lines corresponds closely to the junction of Poqu River near Nyalam town.By integrating the AFT data with thermotectonic modeling,it can be inferred that the GHC has experienced two different periods of denudation:(1)slow denudation during middle to late Miocene(15–6 Ma)is recorded in the northern part of the GHC;and(2)rapid denudation from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene(3–1 Ma)is recorded in the southern part of the GHC.An abrupt change in denudation rate occurred between the two periods,with the Pliocene–Pleistocene denudation rate being five times higher than that during the Miocene.This abrupt change in denudation rate during Pliocene pervaded the Himalayan orogen,and was roughly synchronous with a marked change in global climate at 4–3 Ma,and intensification of the Asian monsoon.Importantly,the later period of rapid denudation in the study region closely coupled to the mean annual precipitation,while there is no clear evidence for large-scale faulting activity and associated uplift during this period.Therefore,climate(precipitation)is inferred to be the main cause of the rapid denudation of the Himalayan orogen since the Pliocene.     

Mesozoic-Cenozoic thermal history of Turpan-Hami Basin: apatite fission track constraints

Apatite fission track dating is carried out on nine samples collected from the central part (Lianmuqin section) and from both northern and southern margins of Turpan-Hami Basin. The fission-track ages of seven Jurassic samples are distinctly younger than depositional ages. In contrast, the fission-track ages of two Cretaceous samples are older than, or as old as depositional ages. These observations indicate that the Jurassic samples have been annealed or partially annealed, whereas the Cretaceous samples have not been annealed.The further thermal modelling results show that Turpan-Hami Basin experienced a Late Cretaceous period (120-100 Ma) of tectonic uplift with rapid cooling and exhumation of sediments. The samples underwent a Cenozoic period of reburial and re-heating and were exhumed again at 10-8 Ma.     

Meso-Cenozoic uplifting and exhumation on Yunkaidashan： Evidence from fission track thermochronology

Yunkaidashan, located at the southern South China block (SCB) and closely adjacent to the Indochina block, is an ideal region for better understanding the temporal and spatial framework of tectonothermal overprinting at the southern SCB since Mesozoic. Apatite and zircon fission track thermochronology of various-type rocks from Yunkaidashan is presented in this paper. The results show, no matter what rocks are, the apparent ages of zircon fission track range from 97.4 to 133.0 Ma, and those of apatite fission track from 43.2 to 68.4 Ma. The length of apatite fission track yields an average confined track length of -13 μm andshows normal distribution of unimodal frequency. It is inferred that the uplifting amplitude has been more than 5 km in Yunkaidashan since late Mesozoic. The difference of fission track apparent ages at different locations in Yunkaidashan suggests a paleophysiognomic scenario of the heterogeneous uplift/denudation. These data of the fission track thermochronology provide new constraints for better understanding the tectonophysiognomic pattern of the SCB sincelate Mesozoic.     

Using ~(137)Cs tracing technique to estimate wind erosion rates in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau

Wind erosion is one of the major factors of land degradation in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. Using 137Cs tracing technique, we estimated the wind erosion rates of different pastures and abandoned farmland at Bayannur and Karakorum in Mongolia. The pastures and cutting grassland at Bayannur were slightly eroded by wind, with the rates of 64.58-169.07 t·km?2·a?1. The abandoned farmland in Karakorum, however, was strongly eroded by wind, with annual surface soil loss of 4.05 mm·a?1, and wind erosion rates up to 6723.06 t·km?2·a?1. The total loss of surface soil due to wind erosion has been 17.4 cm since the cultivation of the steppe land in the 1960s. The wind ero- sion rate at the abandoned farmland was much higher than that at the typical steppe sites, showing that the cultivation led to serious wind erosion in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. By contrast, traditional livestock grazing resulted in less disturbance to the surface soil, and did not in- duce to devastating wind erosion, which plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the steppe ecosystem in the northern Mongolian Plateau.     

Multi-stage evolution of gneiss from North Dabie： evidence from zircon U-Pb chronology

TTG gneiss is a common rock to outcrop in the northern part of the Dabie orogen, a few of which are closely associated with eclogites that experienced the Triassic ultrahigh pressure metamorphism. Although they were thermally metamorphosed by a large-scale magma activity in this region at the Early Cretaceous, it is unclear whether or not they are also affected by the Triassic metamorphism during continental subduction and exhumation. In order to resolve this issue, SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating was carried out for the host gneiss of eclogites in North Dabie. The results show that cores from the gneiss have an age of 746~.31 Ma, consistent with the protolith ages of granitic gneisses in the Dabie orogen. Zircon overgrowing with different U and Th concentrations give concordant ages of 212~21 and 120~11 Ma, respectively. Th/U ratios of overgrown zircons are both lower than 0.1, suggesting a metamorphic genesis. The present resuits suggest that the gneiss in North Dabie has the similar protolith ages of Neoproterozoic to those granitic gneisses elsewhere in the Dabie orogen, and experienced not only the Triassic metamorphism but also the thermal metamorphism due to the Early Cretaceous magmatism. This provides an important insight into the geodynamic evolution of gneissic rocks in the Dabie orogen.     

Zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronological constraints on Cretaceous thermal extension of Dabieshan orogen

：(U-Th)/He ages of 13 samples from Yuexi-Luotian core and its flanks in Dabieshan orogen fall in the range of 155～85 Ma. He ages for samples from the core range between 85～107 Ma, while those from the flanks range between 114～155 Ma. The result shows that the Yuexi-Luotian core was a thermal dome in Cretaceous with core temperature being much higher than those of the flanks. The thermal extension which resulted in the formation of Dabie core complex lasted until ca. 85 Ma. The magnitude of exhumation in the core is approximately 1528.8 m more than that in the flanks.     

An experiment study of quartz-coesite transition at differential stress

In order to study quartz-coesite transition under the conditions of differential stress, experiments of quartzite deformation were carried out using a triaxial testing system with a Griggs type solid medium pressure vessel. Analyses on the plastically-deformed samples under optical microscope and Raman spectra show that fine-grained coesite was present in the region of samples adjacent to the pistons at temperatures of 950--I000~C, confining pressure of 1.3 GPa, differential stress of 1.5--1.67 GPa, and total strain of 75%--81%. It is evident that the transition pressure of quartz-coesite at differential stress and intensely-strained conditions is far lower than the pressure for coesite stability at isostatic pressure. In other words, the stress condition of coesite occurrence is not unique. The decrease in confining pressure for quartz-coesite transition under differential stress conditions is controlled by a combined effect of the maximum principal stress that provides a high stress environment, and differential stress that causes sample deformation. Coesite was produced in the plastically-deformed samples in this study, but it can occur in both semi-brittle and plastic deformation regimes as seen in previous studies. Phase transition in semi-brittle deformation regime is caused by local mechanical instability induced by shear deformation, and phase transition in plastic flow regime is due to strain instability induced by the presence of a high dislocation density within intensely-deformed quartz crystals.     

Uprising period and elevation of the Wenyu granitic pluton in the Xiaoqinling District, Central China

Xiaoqinling District is an important gold-producing area in China. It ranks second to Jiaodong with regard to gold deposits. The uprising period of the Wenyu granitic pluton and the wall-rocks of the deposit, as well as the mineralizing depth and reserved place of gold ore bodies, are significant to ore exploration. Fission-track （FT） analysis of zircons and apatites of granitic rocks from the Wenyu granitic pluton shows that apatite FT （AFT） data modeling indicates a rapid cooling rate of 20℃/Ma from 138 to 120 Ma after emplacement at 138 Ma. Thermal evolution and inversion curves suggest a secondary phase of fast cooling and up- rising from 45 to 35 Ma, and 35 Ma, respectively, with a cooling rate of 6.7℃/Ma and a denudation quantity of -4.3 km. The last cooling phase took place from 〈4 Ma, with an average cooling rate of -11.3℃/Ma and a denudation amount of 1.3 km. Total exhumation quantity of 5.6 km and uprising elevation of 7.3 km are similar to the estimated results of fluid inclusions from the Dongtongyu and Wenyu gold deposits. The 39Ar/40Ar dating of sericite from the fault planes of the Xunmadao-Xiaohe and Taiyao faults demonstrate two uprising activities of the ore-host metamorphic complex. The Huashan and Wenyu granitic plutons inten- sively occurred during 77 and 45 Ma, respectively. These data sets are valuable for understanding the uplifting process and for preserving gold ore bodies in the Xiaoqinling area, as well as for further studies on tectonic evolutions of the Taihua Complex and the Qinling-Dabie Orogen.     

Thermal conductivity measurement of InGaAs/InGaAsP superlattice thin films

The thermal conductivities of InGaAs/ InGaAsP superlattices with different period lengths were measured from 100 to 320 K using 3ω method. In this temperature range, the thermal conductivities were found to decrease with an increase in temperature. For the period length-dependant thermal conductivity, the minimum value does exist at a certain period length, which demonstrates that at a short period length, superlattice thermal conductivity increases with a decrease in the period length. When the period is longer than a certain period length, the interface thermal resistance dominates in phonon transport. The experimental and theoretical results confirmed the previous predictions from the lattice dynamics analysis, i.e. with the increase in period length, the dominant mechanisms of phonon transport in superlattices will shift from wave mode to particle mode. This is crucial for the cutoff of the phonons and lays a sound foundation for the design of superlattice structures.     

Effect of cooling rate on the phase transformation and stability of the mushy zone during the solidification of Waspaloy

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) were used to study the microstructure, microsegregation, and fluid flow tendency of the superalloy Waspaloy in the mushy zone, which had been solidified at different cooling rates. The investigation was accompanied with the calculation of Rayleigh numbers. It is found that Ti is the main segregating element and the content of Ti is the highest in the final liquid at the cooling rates of 3–6℃/min. The eta phase (η) precipitate presented in the residual liquid at the cooling rates higher than 6 ℃/min is responsible for the fluctuations in the curves of Ti content. The dendrite arm spacing is found to markedly decrease with the increase of cooling rate. The maximum relative Rayleigh number occurs at 10–20℃ below the liquidus temperature at a cooling rate of 1℃/min, where the mushy zone is most unstable and fluid flow is most prone to occur.     

四川盆地地表剥蚀量恢复及其意义

磷灰石裂变径迹(AFT)热隆升史模拟能够定量恢复盆地四维动态热隆升剥蚀过程.根据四川盆地93件磷灰石裂变径迹样品定量热史模拟表明,晚白垩世以来盆地发生了广泛的阶段式抬升剥蚀作用,即晚白垩世(～65 Ma前)快速隆升剥蚀、古近纪(65～23 Ma前左右)缓慢隆升剥蚀、新近纪(23 Ma前至今)快速隆升剥蚀.晚白垩世至今盆地范围内隆升剥蚀总厚度普遍大于2.5 km,新近纪快速隆升剥蚀幅度普遍大于1 km.进一步结合31组镜质体反射率反演校正剥蚀量数据,编绘阶段性(晚白垩世以来和新近纪)四川盆地地表剥蚀量等厚图,综合表明晚白垩世以来四川盆地隆升剥蚀量等值线展布格局发生根本变化,即早期主要以NE向展布格局为主(具近NE向和E-W向特征),新近纪则主要以近E-W向展布格局、盆地南北分异(北部地区隆升剥蚀量普遍小于2 km,南部地区普遍大于2 km)为主.四川盆地大中型油气田空间分布与晚中生代-新生代低剥蚀量具有密切联系.     

Isotope chronological trace of granite gravel in Hefei Basin

The discovery of granite gravel in Hefei Jurassic backland basin, which came from the Dabie Shan or North Huaiyang, has a great significance for probing into uplift and exhumation of the Dabie orogenic belt. Lithochemical and isotope chronological analyses on the granite gravel in the Sanjianpu Formation and the Fenghuangtai Formation in Jinzhai County prove that post-orogenic granite was developed in the major provenance of the Hefei Basin; that is, Dabie Shan or North Huaiyang. Discordant lower intersection point age of zircon U-Pb of granite gravel is about 214 Ma, and⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of muscovite about 196 Ma, K-Ar age of K-spar about 181 Ma. The former is the diagenetic age of the sample, and the latter two represent the sealed ages of muscovite and K-spar respectively. The age of sedimentary rocks in which a lot of granite gravels appear in the sedimentary section may represent the newest age of the exhumation of the granite body, so we assume that the age is 166 Ma. Therefore, we calculated the uplift rates of the granite body from Late Triassic to early Middle Jurassic; that is about 0.08 km/Ma and 0.4–0.3 km/Ma in the early slowly uplifting stage and later fast uplifting stage respectively, after the formation of the body at 214 Ma. These results are basically identical to the uplifting ages of the Dabie ultrahigh pressure metamorphic (UHPM) belt and the North Huaiyang thrust belt.     

Apatite fission track dating evidence for tectonic movement of Yarlung Zangbo Thrust Zone

Fission track geological chronology is an effective method of study on tectonic movement of fault zone. Apatite fission track (AFT) dating analyses of 9-apatite and 4-zircon samples collected from Lhasa to Langkazi, ~70-km-long in SN provide an understanding of the age and the uplifting of both sides of the Yarlung Zangbo Thrust Zone (YZTZ) in this work. The AFT ages range from ~37 to 14 Ma, indicating the time of major tectono-thermal events, i.e. the continent-continent collision along the YZTZ. Based on the relationship between the AFT ages and the sample elevations, there were two tectonic active periods: ~37—20 Ma and 20—14 Ma. In the first period the tectonic event did not bring on differential uplifting. Rapid differential uplifting with rapid cooling, resulting from thrusting, took place in the second period. The vertical displacement was ~1020 m and total ~2.9 km of overburden has been removed from the present-day surface since cooling below ~110℃ began. The maximum cooling and denudation occurred at a rate of ~7℃/Ma and ~207 m/Ma respectively since ~14 Ma. The zircon fission track analysis demonstrates that the temperature of tectono-thermal events did not exceed 310℃.     

Pliocene eclogite exhumation at plate tectonic rates in eastern Papua New Guinea

As lithospheric plates are subducted, rocks are metamorphosed under high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure conditions to produce eclogites and eclogite facies metamorphic rocks. Because chemical equilibrium is rarely fully achieved, eclogites may preserve in their distinctive mineral assemblages and textures a record of the pressures, temperatures and deformation the rock was subjected to during subduction and subsequent exhumation. Radioactive parent-daughter isotopic variations within minerals reveal the timing of these events. Here we present in situ zircon U/Pb ion microprobe data that dates the timing of eclogite facies metamorphism in eastern Papua New Guinea at 4.3 +/- 0.4 Myr ago, making this the youngest documented eclogite exposed at the Earth's surface. Eclogite exhumation from depths of approximately 75 km was extremely rapid and occurred at plate tectonic rates (cm yr(-1)). The eclogite was exhumed within a portion of the obliquely convergent Australian-Pacific plate boundary zone, in an extending region located west of the Woodlark basin sea floor spreading centre. Such rapid exhumation (> 1 cm yr(-1)) of high-pressure and, we infer, ultrahigh-pressure rocks is facilitated by extension within transient plate boundary zones associated with rapid oblique plate convergence.     

Mesozoic-Cenozoic thermal history of Turpan-Hami Basin: apatite fission track constraints

Turpan HamiBasinisoneofthreekeyoil/gas bearingbasinsinXinjiang ,China .TheaeromagneticdatadisclosethatTurpan HamiBasinisofdoublebasements ,namelythePrecambriancrystalbasementandthePaleozoicfoldingbasementofvolcanicrockandclasticrock[1,2 ] .ThebasementevolutionstoppedattheendoftheCarboniferous .EarlyPermianwasaperiodofanimportanttectonictransitionintheTur pan HamiBasinthatunderwentatransformfromthebasementevolutiontothecoverevolutionstartingfromtheLatePermian[3] .Thebasinistotallyinlaidi…     

鲁西隆起蒙山晚白垩世-新生代抬升的裂变径迹证据

 研究晚白垩世以来蒙山的抬升对全面认识鲁西隆起区的构造演化具有重要的意义。对采自蒙山山脉的6个岩石样品进行了磷灰石/锆石裂变径迹测年及热历史模拟分析。分析结果表明蒙山自晚白垩世开始快速抬升,经历了70~43 Ma和32~20 Ma两个快速抬升阶段,并且蒙山的抬升表现出加速抬升的特征。晚白垩世以来蒙山的快速抬升与其毗邻的泰山有着较好的对应关系,蒙山的整体抬升略早于泰山,并且鲁西隆起的抬升表现出由南向北的抬升序列。蒙山的两期快速抬升事件很好地对应了济阳坳陷在这两个时期经历的构造沉降和区域隆升过程,表明新生代蒙山的快速抬升与济阳坳陷的构造演化有着良好的隆拗耦合关系。     

内蒙古大青山晚中生代以来的隆升-剥露过程

对大青山东段4件基岩样品进行磷灰石裂变径迹研究,获得该区晚中生代以来的隆升?剥露历史,并探讨大青山现代地貌的形成。样品的磷灰石裂变径迹年龄为57.7±3.8~50.4±3.3 Ma,封闭径迹长度分布在10.7±0.4~9.9±0.1μm之间。热历史模拟结果表明,大青山地区存在晚白垩世(约100~90 Ma)和中?晚中新世(13.5~7 Ma)以来两个快速抬升冷却阶段,13.5~7 Ma以来是本区剥露最快的时期,这一阶段的隆升造就现今大青山的地貌格局。     

东秦岭—大别地区中生代岩石圈拆沉的岩石学证据评述

岩石圈拆沉是碰撞造山带物质成分调整和构造演化的重要方式之一。构造地质研究、地球物理探测和地球化学分析等都已揭示东秦岭-大别造山带曾在中生代发生岩石圈拆沉,但有关中生代变质作用和岩浆活动与岩石圈拆沉的内在联系研究却较为薄弱。通过全面评述该区变质岩研究成果,作者认为：超高压变质岩的形成和剥露经历了240～200Ma的板片冷俯冲冷折返和196～163Ma的岩石圈拆沉热折返;热折返伴随了广泛而强烈的区域变质作用和中酸性岩浆活动,指示板片断离拆沉的发生;超高压变质岩p-T-t轨迹由两部分组成,即反映板片冷俯冲冷折返过程的发夹状曲线和指示板片断离拆沉热折返过程的新月形曲线。通过对花岗岩类同位素年龄统计和前人研究成果的评述,初步确定在200～100Ma之间发育大量花岗岩类,并集中在150～100Ma为主(即侏罗纪—白垩纪之交),高峰时间为130Ma左右;花岗岩类大量发育指示了岩石圈拆沉的存在,且滞后于根据变质岩研究所揭示的拆沉时间。羌塘地体、拉萨地体和西太平洋古陆在侏罗纪与欧亚大陆拼贴碰撞的远距离效应使东秦岭—大别造山带长期处于挤压环境,伸展作用被抑制;白垩纪的碰撞晚期伸展和西太平洋沟弧盆体系的远距离效应使东秦岭—大别地区的外部挤压消失,导致造山带岩石圈迅速强烈拆沉伸展和减压增温熔融,从而形成大规模早白垩世花岗岩类和中酸性火山岩。总之,东秦岭—大别地区岩石圈拆沉所导致的岩浆活动主要发生在J₃—K₁的挤压伸展转变期。