Crustal electric structure of Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region in the northeastern margin of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China

Through the analysis and 2-D inversion for the 5 profiles in Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region (105°-107°E, 36°-37.5°N) in the northeastern margin of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, we have obtained the electric structure within a range of 160 km in width (east-west) and 60 km in depth in the studied area. The results show that the crustal electric structure can be divided into 6 sections, corresponding respectively to Xiji basin (I), Xihuashan-Nanhuashan uplift (II), Xingrenbu-Haiyuan basin (III), Zhongwei-Qingshuihe basin (IV), Zhongning-Hongsibu basin (V) and west-margin zone of Ordos (VI) from the southwest to the northeast. The crustal electric structure is characterized by a broom-shaped pattern, which scatters to the northwest and shrinks to the southeast. The structures in the top part of Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region are complete and large, however, they diminish from the arc top to the northwest and southeast ends. In the depth from 0 km to 10 km, the resistivity is high in the sections II and VI, but relatively low in the other four sections, showing a similar pattern of basin depression. The electrical basement in the section III is the deepest, displaying a dustpan shape that is deep in the southwest and shallow in the northeast. A series of discontinuous zones with high conductivity exist in the middle-lower crust in Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region, which is possibly related to the moderate and strong earthquakes in the region. The resistivity distribution in the focal area of the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake is significantly heterogeneous with an obviously high conductivity zone near the hypocenter regime.

The mapping methods and division of tectonic units of the regional tectonic map in the eastern China seas and adjacent regions

The geological-geophysical map series of the eastern China seas and adjacent region （1：1 000 000） will be published in the late half year of 2009. The regional tectonic map is one of the main professional maps. The Mapping methods, the division method of geological tectonic units and the main geological tectonic units are mainly discussed. The strata from Pliocene to Holocene are peeled off so as to display the Pre-Pliocene structures. In basins, isopaches are drawn for the Cenozoic deposits. The plate tectonic theory and present tectonic pattern are adopted as the priorities in tectonic division. As to the division of intraplate tectonic units, it is a revision, complement and improvement of previous dividing systems, and the nomenclature for each tectonic unit follows the current system in China. The first-order tectonic unit is plate （Pacific Plate, Eurasian Plate and Philippine Sea Plate）. The second-order tectonic unit is tectonic domain （East Asian continental tectonic domain,East Asian continental margin tectonic domain and west Pacific tectonic domain）. The Philippine Sea Plate and the west part of the Pacific Plate are called the West Pacific tectonic domain. The part of the Eurasian Plate involved in this study area can be further divided into East Asian continental tectonic domain and East Asian continental margin tectonic domain. The East Asian continental margin domain is composed of the Ryukyu island arc, the Okinawa Trough back-arc basin and the back-arc basin of Sea of Japan. The East Asian continental tectonic domain in this study area is composed of the Sino-Korea Massif, the Changjiang River （Yangtze） Massif and South China Massif. In turn, these massifs consist of basins, folded belts or uplift zones. The basins,the folded belts or the uplift zones are further divided into uplifts and depressions made up of sags and swells.

The 144–140 Ma Mafic Dykes in North China and Northeast China Indicating Regional Extensional Tectonic Setting

Objective Previous studies indicate that the North China Craton（NCC）had undergone the loss of thickened lithosphere and fundamental change of physical and chemical property of lithospheric mantle（the destruction of NCC）during the Mesozoic.The peak period of the destruction of NCC is estimated to be 130 Ma,accompanied by widespread metamorphic core complex,rift basins,A-type granites and mafic dykes. However, it remains greatly controversial on the tectonic setting of NCC in the pre- 130Ma.

A workfow to Predict the Present-day in-situ Stress Field in Tectonically Stable Regions

Knowledge of the present-day in-situ stress distribution is greatly import-ant for better understanding of conventional and unconventional hydro-carbon reservoirs in many aspects,e.g,reservoir management,wellbore stability asssment,etc.In tectonically stable regions,the present-day in-situ stress field in terms of stress distribution is 1argely controlled by lithological changes,which can be predicted through|a numerical simulation method incorporating specific mechanical properties of the subsurface reservoir.In this study,a workflow was presented to predict the present-day in-situ stress field based on the finite element method(FEM).Sequentially,it consists of:i)building a three-dimensional(3D)geometric framework,i)creating a 3D petrophysical parameter field,11)integrating the geometric framework with petrophysical parameters,iv)setting up a 3D heterogeneous geomechanical model,and finally,v)calculating the present-day in-situ stress distribution and calibrating the prediction with measured stress data,e.g.,results from the extended leak-off tests(XLOTs).The approach was sucessfully applied to the Block W in Ordos Basin of central China.The results indicated that the workflow and models presented in this study could be used as an effective tool to provide insights into stress perturbations in subsurface reservoirs and geological references for subsequent analysis.

Geotectonic evolution of lunar LQ-4 region based on multisource data

The Sinus Iridum region, the first choice for China＇s＂Lunar Exploration Project＂is located at the center of the lunar LQ-4 area and is the site of Chang＇e-3 （CE-3）＇s soft landing. To make the scientific exploration of Chang＇e-3 more targeted and scientific, and to obtain a better macro-level understanding of the geotectonic environment of the Sinus Iridum region, the tectonic elements in LQ-4 region have been studied and the typical structures were analyzed statistically using data from CE-1, Clementine, LRO and Lunar Prospector missions. Also, the mineral components and periods of mare basalt activities in the study area have been ascertained. The present study divides the tectonic units and establishes the major tectonic events and sequence of evolution in the study area based on morphology, mineral constituents, and tectonic element distribution.

Engineering Geological Study of Regional Tectonic Stability in the Area of the Longyang Gorge Power Station on the Huanghe (Yellow) River

In the stability study of the regional structures in the area of the Longyang Gorge Hydroelectrical Power Station, a model of the current stress-deformation field of the area was constructed based on analyses of available data of regional surveys and historical earthquakes and field investigations of active faults and ancient earthquakes. This model was examined and verified by physical and mathematical simulation experiments, and quantitative relations and data were obtained.

Molecular Biomarker Characteristics of the Linxi Formation Source Rocks in the Middle-Western Region of Inner Mongolia:New evidence for late-stage tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean

Objective Two important geological issues have long been controversial in the Xing-Meng area of North China. The first concerns the final closure of Paleo-Asian Ocean in Xing-Meng area, and the other concerns the folding and lifting of the Xing-Meng Trough. The focus of thses issues is the Late Permian sedimentary environment, which is generally considered to be either an exclusively continental environment or from the closed inland sea environment in the Early to Middle stage to continental lacustrine environment in the late stage. In recent years, we have successively discovered abundant typical marine fossils （e.g., bryozoans and calcareous algae） in the Upper Permian thick limestone layer from Linxi County and Ar Horqin Banner in eastern region of Inner Mongolia and Jiutain County in Jilin Province. These significant findings have attracted the attention from fellow academics.

Quaternary Activity Characteristics and Regional Tectonic Significance of the Jiulong Fault in Jiujiang,Jiangxi Province,China

Obtaining geological and landform dislocation features,as well as the measured stratigraphic activity age,provides direct evidence to evaluate fault activity,which is more difficult to do in areas with low tectonic activity,such as eastern and central China.A detailed investigation of the fault activity,trenching,drilling joint geological profile,geological survey,and chronological analysis were used to obtain the spatial geometry,fault kinematics,and activity chronology of the Jiulong fault.The conclusions are as follows:(1)The Jiulong fault was a fracture zone composed of four branch faults,with a width of around 30–40 m and good extendibility,while the maximum surface rupture length was 373 m.(2)The Jiulong fault has many strata dislocations,and the dislocation distance decreased from bottom to top,demonstrating synsedimentary structure characteristics,with a maximum stratigraphic dislocation distance of 18.2 m.(3)Preliminary analysis suggested the Jiulong fault as a secondary fracture of the Xiangfan-Guangji fault zone and provided evidence of the southeastward extension of the Xiangfan-Guangji fault.A preliminary hypothesis purported the Xiangfan-Guangji fault as the seismogenic fault of the Ms 5.0 magnitude earthquake in 1911.(4)According to OSL and ESR dating analyses,the upper breakpoint of the Jiulong fault cuts into the Late Pleistocene Xingang Formation(Qp3x)strata,and the latest active age of the Jiulong fault was 57.6 ka.The chronology analysis confirmed an active fault from the Late Pleistocene and identified a weak tectonic in Jiujiang Province,which represents the largest active fault outcrop uncovered in the area so far.This study provides evidence and research materials for the evaluation of fault activity and seismic stability in this region.

FRACTAL FEATURES OF FRACTURES IN CHINA AND THEIR IMPLICATION FOR GEOTECTONICS

The distribution of deep fractures in the China continental crustobody shows fractal structure features. The fractal dimension value of fractures is 1. 493 for the whole continent and 0. 827~ 1. 624 for different tectonic regions. The fractal dimension value of fractures in mobile regions (especially diwa regions) which is 1. 236 ~ 1. 624 is obviously larger than that in stable regions: platform regions which is 0. 827~ 1. 074, and the fractal dimension value of fractures in the jointregions of crustobodies is obviously larger than that in inner regions of a crustobody. The fractal dimension value of fractures reflects the complexity of regional tectonic evolution, movement history and the intensity of tectonic activity. Therefore, fractal dimension of fractures is a quantitative parameter representing geotectonic characteristics.

Cumulative Coulomb Failure Stress Change in the Basin- range Region of West Beijing and Its Effect on Strong Earthquakes

Since 231 B. C.,a total of 15 M6.0 - 7.5 earthquakes have been recorded in the west Beijing basin-range tectonic region( 38.3°- 41.5° E,112°- 116.2° N),a region mainly under the action of tensional normal faulting. In this paper,we calculate the Coulomb stress change of each earthquake and the cumulative Coulomb stress change,and on this basis we analyze the stress triggering of strong earthquakes. The research shows that there are 10 of 14 earthquakes that occurred in the trigger zones,in which the Coulomb stress change is positive,and the trigger rate is 71%. The positive areas of cumulative Coulomb stress change caused by these 15 earthquakes are: middle of northern Liulengshan fault,Northern Huaizhuo basin fault,Xinbaoan-Shacheng fault,Sangganhe fault and Southern Yuxian basin fault. This necessarily increases the seismic risk of these faults and can be used as a reference for future seismic risk analysis in this area.

In search of potential earthquake source regions in the Chinese mainland in the light of ambient shear stress field

Earth media are incomplete media.There exist many cracks in it. The achievements of fracture mechanics showthat the strength of the incomplete materials will be much lower than that of the complete materials. We consider that earthquake occurrence is the result of unstable propagation of a crack in crust media in proper conditionand the earthquake rupture is the phenomenon of a failure by fast fracture under applied low shear stress. It hasalready been explained by fracture mechanics.The occurrence of failure by fast fracture is necessarily associated with the presence of high level concentration of local stress and strain. The elastic/plastic stress analysis in cracked pieces by Dugdale indicates that thestate of stress at the tip of a crack takes a very important role to crack propagation. A plastic zone has necessarilyformed in the tip of a crack due to stress concentration. Therefore, the dislocations st the tip of a crack are naturally a plastic displacement, rather than elastic one. The plastic displacement, where τ0 is appliedshear stress which is equivalent to initial or tectonic shear stress when the quake occurs, a is the half length of acrack, It is the rigidity,τy is the yield stresses in shear. The main seismic dislocations take place exactly at theends of the crack where the plastic zone had been formed. SO, a critical assumption is adopted, i. e. we assumethe dislocation D(1,,t) as formula (5) in text. The maximum earthquake dislocation, whereL is the fault length. If p is taken the value in the upper crust, μ=33 GPa; and τy is taken the average valuegiven from laboratories,τy= 30 MPa. Thus, according to observation values of Dmax and L, using the formula,one can estimate the initial shear stresses for large earthquakes. Computations show that the initial shear stressesfor large earthquakes all over the world are about 5-20 MPa which have some differences between regions.We further research the characteristics of source spectra and have derived the dependent relation of bodywave magnitude mb on the shear stress τ0 and seismic moment M, as formula (11)in text. Thus, the formulaprovides a POssibility of computation of large amount of tectonic shear stress values from seismic data. We consider that the tectonic shear stress field is a main factor which controls the earthquake occurrence. The regions withhigh tectonic shear stress values are considered to be prone to occur great earthquakes (Ms>6) and called earthquake hazard regions. Based on this criterion, τ0 values for all earthquakes with mb≥3. 8 all over China since1987 have been computed, and the great earthquake hazard regions with magnitude ranges have been zoned inthe Chinese mainland.During April 1992 -January 31, 1994, there were 9 Ms≥6 earthquakes which occurred in the Chinesemainland, 8 earthquakes of the 9 had fallen into the regions delineated by us prior to the earthquake occurrence,with only one failure. This new approach as a method for medium--term prediction of strong earthquakes hasbeen proved by practice to be an efficient one.It has good physical bases and bright prospect and worth furtherresearch. Received February 7,1994 1 Accepted February 10, 1995.Contribution No. 95A0061, Institute of Geophysics,SSB, China.

Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications of the Latest Cretaceous Intrusive Rocks from the Eastern Gangdese Belt,Southeast Tibet

The latest Cretaceous magmatic activity in the eastern segment of the Lhasa terrane provides important insights for tracking the magma source and geodynamic setting of the eastern Gangdese batholith,eastward of eastern Himalayan Syntaxis.Detailed petrological,geochemical and geochronological studies of the intrusive rocks(monzodiorites and granodiorites)of the eastern Gangdese batholith are presented with monzodiorites and granodiorites giving zircon U-Pb crystallization dates of 70-66 Ma and 71-66 Ma withεHf(t)values of−4.8 to+6.2 and−1.9 to+5.3,respectively.These rocks are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous I-type granites showing geochemically arc-related features of enrichment in LREEs and some LILEs,e.g.,Rb,Th,and U,and depletion in HREEs and some HFSEs,e.g.,Nb,Ta,and Ti.The rocks are interpreted to be derived from partial melting of mantle material and juvenile crust,respectively,which are proposed to be triggered by Neo-Tethyan slab rollback during northward subduction,with both experiencing ancient crustal contamination.The studied intrusive rocks formed in a transitional geodynamic setting caused by Neo-Tethyan oceanic flat subduction to slab rollback beneath the eastern Gangdese belt during the latest Cretaceous.

Review on Regional Climate Change Induced by Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Uplift

[Objective]The aim was to study the influence of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau uplift on regional climate in China.[Method] Trough relevant study of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding movement,the tectonic movement of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding areas,especially the case of the impact caused by plateau phased uplift were studied based on paleomagnetic measurements.[Result]The increasing Qinghai-Tibet Plateau led to obvious transition from dry to cold in northwest China and it became dry quickly,which led to loess accumulation,replacement of vegetation types and human activity.Meanwhile,it was dry,and there was certain degree of climate changes in the area.[Conclusion] Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had far-reaching significance on basic climate characteristics in northwest China.

Sedimentary elements,evolutions and controlling factors of the Miocene channel system:a case study of the deep-water Taranaki Basin in New Zealand

Deep-water channel systems are important petroleum reservoirs,and many have been discovered worldwide.Understanding deep-water channel sedimentary elements and evolution is helpful for deep-sea petroleum exploration and development.Based on high-resolution 3D seismic data,the Miocene channel system in the deep-water Taranaki Basin,New Zealand,was analyzed by using seismic interpretation techniques such as interlayer attribute extraction and strata slicing.The channel system was divided into five composite channels(CC-I to CC-V)according to four secondary level channel boundaries,and sedimentary elements such as channels,slump deposits,inner levees,mass transport deposits,and hemipelagic drape deposits were identified in the channel system.The morphological characteristics of several composite channels exhibited stark variances,and the overall morphology of the composite channels changed from relatively straight to highly sinuous to relatively straight.The evolution of the composite channels involved a gradual and repeated process of erosion and filling,and the composite channels could be divided into three evolutionary stages:initial erosion-filling,later erosion-filling(multistage),and channel abandonment.The middle Miocene channel system may have formed as a consequence of combined regional tectonic activity and global climatic change,and its intricate morphological alterations may have been influenced by the channel's ability to self-regulate and gravity flow properties.When studying the sedimentary evolution of a large-scale deep-water channel system in the Taranaki Basin during the Oligocene-Miocene,which transitioned from a passive margin to plate convergence,it can be understood how tectonic activity affected the channel and can also provide a theoretical reference for the evolution of the deepwater channels in areas with similar tectonic conversion environments around the world.

Characteristics of Volcanic Rocks in the Shoshonite Province, Eastern China, and Their Metallogenesis

The shoshonite province in eastern China is characterized by extensive distribution (ca. 80000 km2) of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (165-100 Ma) shoshonite series with subordinate high-K calc-alkali series. It was formed in a dominantly tensile stress field. In comparison with their analogues in island arcs and active continental margins in other countries, the volcanic rocks in the shoshonite province have their specific characteristics in petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry as well as related mineralization association, which are the comprehensive reflection of the special composition and structure of the mantle and crust of the province and the special Mesozoic regional tectonic setting.

A Preliminary Review of Metallogenic Regularity of Molybdenum Deposits in China

Molybdenum is one of the dominant minerals in China because of its rich reserves.In recent years,outstanding breakthroughs have been made in molybdenum prospecting in China,and the distribution of molybdenum deposits in China is found to have a ＂planar pattern＂.In general,the molybdenum deposits are concentrated in eastern China,including the largest molybdenum reserves of Henan Province.In terms of the scale of molybdenum deposits,the identified resources of the superlarge deposits are the most important,which account for about 53% of the whole country,and those of the large deposits account for about 30%,those of the medium-sized deposits account for about 14%,those of the small-sized deposits,mine spots and mineralization account for about 3%.The molybdenum deposits are mainly classified as porphyry type,skarn type,hydrothermal（vein） type and sedimentary（metamorphic） type in genesis,and the identified resources of these types account for 85.75%,8.83%,2.79%and 2.63% of the total resources respectively.Based on the statistics of precise chronology data of molybdenites Re-Os,Mo-mineralization can be divided into 6 periods in Chinese geological history,which are Precambrian（〉800 Ma）,Cambrian-Silurian（540-415 Ma,Caledonian）,Devonian-Permian（400-290 Ma,Hecynian）,Triassic（260-200 Ma,Indosinian）,Jurassic-Cretaceous（195-70 Ma,Yanshanian） and Paleogene-Neogene（65-10 Ma,Himalayan）.Mo mineralization during the Yanshanian period is the strongest one,in which about 76.69% of the Chinese total identified resources was formed.The second is the Himalayan period.According to spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of molybdenum deposits,the metallogenic regularity of molybdenum deposits was preliminarily summarized,and 41 level-Ⅲ molybdenum-forming belts,13 level-Ⅱ molybdenum-forming provinces and 4 level-Ⅰ molybdenum-forming domains were ascertained in the mainland of China.There are 39 metallogenic series of and 60 sub-series of molybdenum deposits with molybdenum as the dominant metal and corresponding representative molybdenum deposits proposed.Metallogenic lineages of molybdenum deposits were also established.Spatial-temporal evolution of different types of molybdenum deposits,and the relationship between Mo-mineralization and tectonic evolution have been discussed in this paper.On this basis,the authors think that element Mo is an effective tracer for recording the crustal evolution history of China.At present,there are some problems in the exploration of Mo deposits in China,such as uneven exploration degrees in eastern and western China,shallow exploration depth,low and uneven grade,complex associated components,difficulty of mineral development and utilization,increasing costs of prospecting,and so on.According to successful experience of superficial and deep prospecting and considering also the discussion above,some suggestions are proposed for the prospecting of molybdenum deposits in the future.