Journal of Asian Earth Sciences最新文献

Early Triassic granitoids are widespread in the northwestern West Qinling Orogen, China, but their petrogenesis and geodynamic implications remain unclear. In this study, we integrated new field and petrological observations, mineralogical compositions, zircon U-Pb dating, Hf isotopic and whole-rock geochemical analyses for the early Triassic granitic pluton in the Daheba area to determine its magma source and geodynamic scenario. The pluton is composed of granodiorite and syenogranite and carries microgranular enclaves (MEs) which formed at ca. 253–249 Ma. The granitoids show wide SiO₂ contents of 63.73–77.49 wt% (av. 69.89), high K₂O contents of 3.4–5.4 wt% (av. 4.1) and moderate Mg# of 16–51 (av. 36), belonging to high-K, calc-alkaline I-type granites. These rocks have high radiogenic but uniform Hf isotopic compositions with ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf and ɛ_Hf(t) of 0.282511–0.282658 and −3.85 – +1.25, respectively. The MEs hosed within the granite are characterized by high Mg# of 35–58 (av. 46) and variable ε_Hf(t) of −4.64 – +9.35, which likely represent a hybridized melt derived from a slab-modified mantle and lower crust. In combination with coeval magmatic rocks in the western Gonghe-East Kunlun area, we propose a genetic model where mafic magmas derived from an enriched mantle and underplated beneath the overlying lower crust are considered to have produced the high-K felsic magma. Further, the hybridized melt ascended to shallower crustal levels to generate a series of rocks ranging from dioritic MEs to granodiorite to syenogranite. Mass balances modeling suggests that the generation of these rocks involved 36 % of the lower crustal-derived melt and 64 % of the SCLM (R² = 0.9). Our new data, in tandem with published results suggest that the Daheba pluton formed during the subduction stage of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean and that a local extensional episode occurred at 253–249 Ma in the western Gonghe area.

Methanogenesis is considered to be the dominant type of biodegradation in subsurface oil reservoirs; however, this process is difficult to identify under geological environments. In this study, bitumen, microfossils, and secondary minerals were analysed to reveal the characteristics and conditions of methanogenesis in subsurface oil reservoirs in the Junggar Basin, western China. Bitumen with biodegradation characteristics and nanoscale microfossils were observed in the pores and fractures of reservoirs; these confirmed the existence of microbial activity in the palaeo-oil reservoirs. Secondary calcite that formed simultaneously with bitumen had a high positive δ¹³C (up to +20 ‰), which further suggested that methanogenesis was the main biodegradation type. Based on comprehensive analyses of δ¹³C, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, trace element, and fluid inclusions, the methanogenesis is proposed to occur in Mn-rich and hydrocarbon-bearing fluids at 45℃–85 ℃ (∼1000 m to ∼2200 m subsurface) approximately 230 Mya, which is consistent with the earliest hydrocarbon accumulation in the reservoirs. The results effectively reveal the process of methanogenesis and how it was masked by the charging of late oil, thus demonstrating the advantages of inorganic geochemical analyses when solving problems of oil biodegradation. The established geological model was used to discover the other subsurface methanogenesis cases in the basin and also provides a reference for analysing microbially mediated subsurface carbon cycling.

Studies on the paleogeographic evolution of the Southern Qiangtang terrane, as an integral component of the Cimmerian continent, are essential for understanding the geodynamic evolution of the Tethys domain. Here, we present a paleomagnetic study of Late Triassic volcanics (∼222–206 Ma) from the Southern Qiangtang terrane, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the evolutionary processes of the Longmu Co-Shuanghu Paleo-Tethyan Ocean. The characteristic remanent magnetizations (ChRMs) carried by magnetite and hematite, which formed during the high-temperature oxidation in the initial cooling phase of the volcanic rocks, are effectively isolated through successive thermal demanetizations. The ChRMs pass the fold test, indicating a primary magnetization. It appears to average out paleosecular variation well enough to yield a reliable paleolatitude estimate. Following tilt correction, the ChRMs yield an overall mean direction of Ds = 185.4°, Is = 53.8°, ks = 94.3, α₉₅ = 3.8°, N = 16, indicating a paleolatitude of 34.3°N and a paleopole located at –22.5°N, 82.9°E with A₉₅ = 4.4°. Comparing the Triassic latitudinal history of the Southern Qiangtang with that of the Northern Qiangtang suggests that the western part of Longmu Co-Shuanghu Paleo-Tethyan Ocean likely closed during the early Late Triassic. Moreover, integration with other geological evidence from the Southern Qiangtang terrane suggests that the Longmu Co-Shuanghu Paleo-Tethyan Ocean closed diachronously from east to west.

Ophiolites are widely distributed within the Shiquanhe-Namco-Jiali Ophiolite (SNJO) belt, central Tibet. Further studies on these ophiolites are important for understanding of the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Meso-Tethys Ocean. This study presents petrological, chronological, and geochemical data on the ophiolite in the Rebangco area, located at the northern margin of the SNJO belt. Cumulate gabbros of the Rebangco ophiolite contain zircon grains with an age of 152 and they are intruded by diabase with a zircon U-Pb age of 122 Ma. Both diabases and basalts of the ophiolite have geochemical affinity of both island arc and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). Primary magmas were derived from a depleted mantle with contributions from subducted sediments. The source of sandstone surrounding the Rebangco ophiolite originated from a continental magmatic arc in the North Lhasa Terrane. Our study, combined with the previous work, suggest that the ophiolites in the SNJO belt were formed in an oceanic back-arc basin and this belt is an autochthonous mélange zone. This study discusses the tectonic attributes of the SNJO belt and reconstructs the subduction process of the Meso-Tethys Ocean during the Jurassic-Cretaceous. These findings are important for a better understanding of the convergence and closure processes in the Meso-Tethys Ocean.

Granitic magmatism of the Altai orogen is the key to understanding the tectonic evolution and metallogeny in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (COAB). In this paper, we conducted comprehensive petrological, geochronological and geochemical investigations on the Bastielieke granitic pluton in the Altai orogen. Zircon U–Pb dating shows an emplacement age of 278–270 Ma for the pluton. Granites of the Bastielieke pluton have S-type granitic affinity and have Zr + Nb + Ce + Y contents (76.6–272 ppm), A/CNK ratios > 1.1, and K₂O > Na₂O. The low ε_Nd(t) (−2.8 to + 2.9) and high ε_Hf(t) (+7.6 to + 15.9) values with Nd-Hf isotope decoupling, invariable Pb isotopes, and moderate zircon δ¹⁸O_V-SMOW values suggest crustal recycling of sedimentary rocks in a syn- to post-collision setting. In addition, the pluton is spatially related to the tungsten (W) deposit and also temporally consistent with the mineralization age of 284 ± 6 Ma, indicating a genetic link between the Early Permian magmatism and mineralization in Bastielieke. Furthermore, the source rocks of the pluton which are sedimentary rocks and abundant in W, provide the material basis for the initial enrichment of W in primary magmas. Given high Rb/Sr (>3) and low K/Rb ratios (<2 0 0), we interpret that the pluton has experienced high differentiation. Our studies propose that the termination of the subduction-accretion of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and the initiation of a syn- to post-collision regime for the Altai orogen are probably at the Early Permian.

Whether the segmentation of the Tanlu fault zone and mechanism of strong crustal earthquakes are related to the uppermost-mantle structure is still unclear. Here a new high-resolution uppermost-mantle velocity and anisotropy model of the Tanlu fault zone and surrounding areas is determined by using 13,045 Pn arrival-time data. These data are handpicked from seismograms recorded at 120 newly deployed TanluArray portable seismic stations and 337 Chinese provincial seismic stations. The pattern of Pn velocity and anisotropy agrees well with the surface geological and tectonic features. Obvious low-velocity (low-V) anomalies are observed in tectonically active areas, such as the Taihang mountain orogenic belt, the eastern Dabie mountain orogenic belt, and the Sulu fold belt, whereas areas with stable tectonics, such as the North China Basin and the South Yellow Sea Basin, exhibit high-velocity (high-V) anomalies. The fast propagation directions (FPDs) of Pn waves in the study area exhibit a complex distribution, but the FPDs show a rotating feature around the margin of the South Yellow Sea Basin. The block feature of the high-V anomalies beneath the North China Basin and segmentation of the low-V anomalies along the Tanlu fault zone may be related to lithospheric delamination and thermal erosion caused by hot and wet upwelling flows in the big mantle wedge. The 1668 Tancheng earthquake (M8.5) occurred near a low-V anomaly, and recent moderate and strong earthquakes (M > 4.0) took place along the boundaries of the velocity anomalies. These results offer new perspectives on the mantle dynamics and mechanism of strong earthquakes in and around the Tanlu fault zone.

The Alxa Block, situated between the Tarim and North China cratons, is essential to understand the tectonics of northwest China. It has undergone several tectonic cycles, including rifting from northern Gondwana in Neoproterozoic, subduction-accretion of the Paleo-Asian Ocean during Paleozoic, and intracontinental deformation in Mesozoic. Broadband magnetotelluric data covering a frequency range of 320 Hz to ∼ 10000 s was collected along two NW-SE trending lines across major tectonic units of the Alxa region to investigate the deep structures of the Alxa Block. By applying the nonlinear conjugate gradient (NLCG) inversion approach, two-dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity models were obtained at a 100 km depth. These findings indicate that the Zhusileng-Hangwula and Zongnaishan-Shalazhashan tectonic zones have high resistivity in their lower crust and upper mantle, with an overall layered high-low–high resistivity pattern. The upper crust of the Nuru-Langshan tectonic zone is primarily characterized by high resistivity values, whereas the lower crust and upper mantle contain a large-scale low-resistivity (or conductive) zone that is likely the result of partial melting. The large-scale Early–Middle Jurassic nappe structures may be connected to sub-horizontal low-resistivity anomalies in the shallow strata, which are located up to 20 km below the Yagan and Zhusileng–Hangwula tectonic zones. Below the Engger Us fault, two low-resistivity bands are interpreted as the product of bidirectional subduction and final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The Alxa Block may have subducted southwards beneath the Ordos Block, as suggested by a clear low-resistivity anomaly between the two blocks. Furthermore, partial melting may have happened for high-conductivity bodies in the upper mantle based on the modified Archie formula’s evaluation of their melting degree.

Sediment-hosted stratiform sulfide (SHSS) deposits commonly contain large amounts of strategic metals, such as Tl, Hg, Cd, Ge and Ga, however, sources of these metals remain debate. Here we present new elemental and Hg isotopic data to constrain the metal sources for the Xiangquan Tl deposit (South China), a unique SHSS deposit with 250 t Tl at an average grade of 928 ppm. Stratiform pyrite orebodies are hosted in the Ordovician marine sedimentary succession of mostly limestone with minor mudstone. Pyrite, the dominant ore mineral, is rich in Hg (up to 1360 ppm). Bulk ores and pyrite separates from this deposit have significant variations of δ²⁰²Hg (−5.48 to −0.65 ‰) and Δ¹⁹⁹Hg (−0.01 to 0.36 ‰). The Δ¹⁹⁹Hg values are mostly positive, similar to those of seawater and marine sediments. Ore petrography, trace element enrichment coefficients, rare earth element patterns, Re-Os ages (478 ± 33 Ma) and S isotope compositions of pyrite indicate that Hg and other metals were derived from hydrothermal fluids venting at the seafloor. We suggest that the ore-forming fluids of the Xiangquan deposit were predominantly originated from large-scale circulation of evolved seawater, which leached Hg and Tl from the marine country rocks. These metal-rich fluids migrated upward, vented to the seafloor, and mixed with anoxic H₂S-rich seawater to precipitate Hg- and Tl-rich pyrite. Our study highlights that the combined application of Hg isotopes and trace elements could be used to trace the sources of metals in hydrothermal ore deposits such as SHSS deposits.

Chemical weathering of shelf sediments is important in driving the global elemental cycle and climate to maintain the earth’s habitability. However, the response mechanism between chemical weathering of shelf sediments and climate and sea-level changes is still unclear. This study focuses on core ECMZ located in the mud area of the East China Sea (ECS) inner shelf. The results indicate that the mechanisms controlling chemical weathering in the sediment of the ECS inner shelf differ at different timescales. On the orbital time scale, the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) indicates that the intensity of chemical weathering in sediments during the deglacial period was significantly higher than that during the Holocene. This was caused by shelf exposure during low sea-level periods when the sediments were fully exposed and the residence time in the weathering zone was long, leading the shelf sediments to undergo consistent and complete weathering under supply-limited conditions. In comparison, during cold events on the millennium-centennial time scale, such as Younger Dryas, 8.2 ka, and 4.2 ka, chemical weathering was weaker (lower CIA values) due to accelerated erosion as a result of lower temperatures and higher precipitation, which shortened the rocks’ residence in the weathering zone, resulting in the control of chemical weathering shifted from supply factors to kinetic ones, such as temperature and precipitation. Our findings suggest that on the orbital time scale, glacial shelf exposure could enhance chemical weathering, thereby reducing atmospheric CO₂; on the millennium-centennial time scale, chemical weathering could rapidly respond to abrupt climate events.

In this study, based on stereographic projections, two sets of planar structures were identified in the Mozduran reservoir, a prolific reservoir in Northeast Iran. The first set includes shallow structures, consisting of stylolites, solution seams, dense veins, and bedding planes. These structures were created by both sedimentary and diagenetic processes and do not have much effect on reservoir quality. The second set includes structures are related to deformation, and these have a substantial impact on increasing the reservoir quality. To investigate the relationships between the types of fractures and their respective influences on reservoir quality, the production logging tool (PLT) gas production rate data was utilized. This analysis revealed that in fractured zones 2 and 4 of Mozduran reservoir, where fractures and flat structures have increased the quality of the reservoir, the PLT gas production rate also increases. Conversely, in areas where filled fractures and diagenetic processes have negatively affected reservoir quality, the PLT gas production rate decreases. This pattern indicates the contrasting impact of planar features on reservoir quality. Moreover, a higher frequency of fractures corresponds to a higher permeability in the Mozduran reservoir of Well #B, whereas a lower frequency of fractures corresponds to lower permeability in that reservoir in Well #A. These relationships confirm the positive influence of fractures on the Mozduran reservoir quality. The study results reveal that deformation variables in the examined reservoir have greater impacts on its quality than the sedimentary and diagenetic porosity/permeability components, but those impacts can have both positive and negative consequences.