Tectonic Setting and Nature of the Provenance of Sedimentary Rocks in Lanping Mesozoic-Cenozoic Basin: Evidence from Geochemistry of Sandstones

The geochemical composition of sandstones in the sedimentary basin is controlled mainly by the tectonic setting of the provenance, and it is therefore possible to reveal the tectonic setting of the provenance and the nature of source rocks in terms of the geochemical composition of sandstones. The major elements, rare\|earth elements and trace elements of the Mesozoic\|Cenozoic sandstones in the Lanping Basin are studied in this paper, revealing that the tectonic settings of the provenance for Mesozoic\|Cenozoic sedimentary rocks in the Lanping Basin belong to a passive continental margin and a continental island arc. Combined with the data on sedimentary facies and palaeogeography, it is referred that the eastern part of the basin is located mainly at the tectonic setting of the passive continental margin before Mesozoic, whereas the western part may be represented by a continental island arc. This is compatible with the regional geology data. The protoliths of sedimentary rocks should be derived from the upper continental crust, and are composed mainly of felsic rocks, mixed with some andesitic rocks and old sediment components. Therefore, the Lanping Mesozoic\|Cenozoic Basin is a typical continental\|type basin. This provides strong geochemical evidence for the evolution of the paleo\|Tethys and the basin\|range transition.

Global Mesozoic and Cenozoic Rift Systems: Constrain on the Tectonic Setting of Mafic Dyke Swarms

The primary tectonic setting of dyke swarms,especially those formed in the pre-Cambrian era,are under controversy(Peng et al.,2005).However,Mesozoic and Cenozoic rift systems,which are supposed to be the

Two types of hyperthermal events in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic:Environmental impacts, biotic effects, and driving mechanisms

A deeper understanding of hyperthermal events in the Earth’s history can provide an important scientific basis for understanding and coping with global warming in the Anthropocene. Two types of hyperthermal events are classified based on the characteristics of the carbon isotope excursion(CIE) of the five representative hyperthermal events in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The first type is overall characterized by negative CIEs(NCHE) and represented by the Permian-Triassic boundary event(PTB, ~252 Ma), the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event(TOAE, ~183 Ma), and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum event(PETM, ~56 Ma). The second type is overall characterized by positive CIEs(PCHE) and represented by the early Aptian oceanic anoxic event(OAE1 a, ~120 Ma) and the latest Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event(OAE2, ~94 Ma).Hyperthermal events of negative CIEs(NCHE), lead to dramatic changes in temperature, sedimentation, and biodiversity. These events caused frequent occurrence of terrestrial wildfires, extreme droughts, acid rain, destruction of ozone layer, metal poisoning(such as mercury), changes in terrestrial water system, and carbonate platform demise, ocean acidification, ocean anoxia in marine settings, and various degree extinction of terrestrial and marine life, especially in shallow marine. In contrast,hyperthermal events of positive CIEs(PCHE), result in rapid warming of seawater and widespread oceanic anoxia, large-scale burial of organic matter and associated black shale deposition, which exerted more significant impacts on deep-water marine life,but little impacts on shallow sea and terrestrial life. While PCHEs were triggered by volcanism associated with LIPs in deep-sea environment, the released heat and nutrient were buffered by seawater due to their eruption in the deep sea, thus exerted more significant impacts on deep-marine biota than on shallow marine and terrestrial biota. This work enriches the study of hyperthermal events in geological history, not only for the understanding of hyperthermal events themselves, large igneous provinces, marine and terrestrial environment changes, mass extinctions, but also for providing a new method to identify the types of hyperthermal events and the inference of their driving mechanism based on the characteristics of carbon isotopic excursions and geological records.

Late Mesozoic to Cenozoic Tectonic Events in Volcanic Arc, West Burma Block: Evidences from U-Pb Zircon Dating and Apatite Fission Track Data of Granitoids

Genetic type of basement granite from volcanic arc in the north of West Burma Block is S-type granites, which developed in volcanic arc of convergent plate margins. The results yield a group of weighted mean ^206pb/^238U ages at 102±0.81 Ma （MSWD=0.23）, which show similarity to 93.7±3.4 Ma in the northern part of sampling points and 105±2 Ma in the southern part of sampling points, indicating continuous development of volcanic arc in the north of West Burma Block and subsequent granitic intrusion of late Early Cretaceous. The apatite fission track age of the samples is 22.72±3 Ma, thermal history modeling reveals that the volcanic arc in the north of West Burma Block went through two main stages in the process of uplift-cooling since Cenozoic： rapid uplifting and cooling from Late Oligocene to Early Miocene （29±1 to 20±1 Ma） and slow uplifting and cooling since Early Pliocene （4.2±1 Ma）.