Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of the Arcuate Structures in the Northeast Tibetan Plateau

The northeast Tibetan plateau contains important inlbrmation on the northeastward growth of the Tibetan plateau. It is bounded by the Ordos Block to the east, the Alxa Block to the north, and the Tibetan Plateau to the south （inset in Fig. 1; Tapponnier et al., 2001）, and has undergone complex intracontinental deformation during the Cenozoic. In this region, the northeast-convex arcuate structures developed northeastward, and are composed of a series of Cenozoic NW-SE-trending basin-and-range terrain, i.e., the Haiyuan-Xingrenbu basin, Tongxin basin and Hongsipu basin, the Yueliang Shan-Nanhua Shan- Huangjiawa Shan, Xiang Shan-Xiangjing Shan, Yantong Shan and Luo Shan-Niushou Shah, which is geometrically similar with the American basin-range tectonics.

The characteristics of geophysical field and tectonic evolutionin the Bransfield Strait

Having analysised the data collected by our survey ship'Ocean IV 'in the Bransfield Strait in 1991,we recognized that the geomorphology,gravity and magnetic anomalies trending NE direction along bandings. The sediments in the Bransfield Strait can be subdivided into two sequences:the first rifting equence and the second rifting sequence.The basement was faulted into a half-graben in northwestern side of the Bransfield trough. Considering the crustal structure crossing the South Shetland Islands,the Bransfield Strait and the Antarctic Peninsula, we propse a two-phase rifting tectonic evolution model and a layered-shear model for the lithospheric deformation under the effects of extensional stress field.

A review of mechanism and prevention technologies of coal bumps in China

Coal bump refers to a sudden catastrophic failure of coal seam and usually can cause serious damages to underground mining facilities and staff. In this circumstance, this paper focuses on the recent achievements in the mechanism and prevention techniques of coal bumps over the past five years in China.Based on theoretical analysis, laboratory experiment, numerical simulation and field test, the characteristics of coal bumps occurrence in China's coal mines were described, and the difference between coal bumps and rockbursts was also discussed. In addition, three categories of coal bumps induced by'material failure' were introduced, i.e. hard roof, floor strata and tectonic structures, in which the mechanism of coal bumps induced by geological structures was analyzed. This involves the bump liability and microstructure effects on bump-prone coal failure, the mechanism of coal bumps in response to fault reactivation, island face mining or hard roof failure. Next, the achievements in the monitoring and controlling methods of coal bumps were reviewed. These methods involve the incorporated prediction system of micro-seismicity and mining-induced pressure, the distributed micro-seismic monitoring system, energy absorption support system, bolts with constant resistance and large elongation,and the 'multi-stage' high-performance support. Finally, an optimal mining design is desirable for the purpose of coal bump mitigation.

Geological Study of Dasht-e-Top Sedimentary Basin, Wardak Province, Afghanistan

This study is conducted to investigate the occurrence of various geological features, and to study the geology and soil characteristics of the study area. To achieve the objective of this research collection, different samples from different locations in study area were collected, analyzed in laboratory, and the results are compared with each other. The main rock types found in the study area were metamorphic rock (Gneiss) and igneous rock (Granite), and the main soil types found were Loam, sandy and silty soils with different soil structures (e.g. crumbling, platy, single grain, granular and prismatic). Calcium carbonate, Iron oxides and different sizes of sediments were also seen in the soil profile, where the size of sediments were changing as it was course size sediments and gravels near the mountain range and as going far from the mountain it was changed to fine size sediments like sand, silt and clay. The river terraces present in the area cover different geological structures such as angular and erosional unconformities, thinning out of strata and potholes. The mountain range surrounded the study area contains different observable tectonic structures such as anticline, syncline, vines (dyke, sill and apophasis). Furthermore, different types of valleys also existed in this area.

Geology of Northern Sulaiman Foldbelt, Shirani and Waziristan Regions (South Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa): New Tomistominae (Miocene False Gharial) from Sakhi Sarwar Area of Dera Ghazi Khan (South Punjab), Pakistan

Northern Koh Sulaiman foldbelt, Shirani, North and South Waziristan (South Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) comprised mostly PermoTriassic to Recent sediments with subordinate igneous and metamorphic rocks. These sedimentary strata folded and faulted by geodynamic and tectonic forces occurred during Late Cretaceous to Recent revealed through anticlinal and synclinal foldings and active faultings. The Northern Koh Sulaiman foldbelt, Shirani, North and South Waziristan areas host many economic minerals like copper and chromite, construction stones, marble limestones, gypsum and cement resources, uranium and other radioactive mineral resources, low-quality iron, phosphate and muddy coal, high-quality gemstones, petroleum potential and excellent water resources and many other rocks and minerals. High-quality window and faden quartz crystals deposited in fractures and fissures as vugs and veins deposited by high-temperature hypothermal solution created by the tectonic compression process. The area has economic chromite and magnesite deposits. The Northern Koh Sulaiman foldbelt, Shirani, North and South Waziristan areas have large cement raw materials/resources (limestones, gypsum and shale/clays available mostly on same sites) which vitally need to install many cement industries in these areas because the ideal central location and now only one cement industry (Dera Ghazi Khan cement industry) is in operation. The Northern Koh Sulaiman foldbelt, Shirani, North and South Waziristan consists of excellent surface water resources which need the construction of smaller and medium-sized dams on different rud kohi/streams/rivers for the development of the area. Sakhi Sarwar area of Dera Ghazi Khan (South Punjab) yielded fossil of new Tomistominae (False Gharial) Gavialidae and further its surroundings recently yielded fossils of famous vertebrates like reptiles (dinosaurs, crocodiles, pterosaur and snake), birds and mammals, and tracks/trackways of Late Cretaceous archosaurs like Sauropaonia, Ornithopaonia and Pteropaonia.

Crustal structure of Gondwana-and Yangtze-typed blocks:An example by wide-angle seismic profile from Menglian to Malong in western Yunnan

The wide-angle seismic profile between Menglian and Malong crosses the Baoshan block (Gondwana-typed), and Simao and southwestern Yangtze blocks (Yangtze-typed). By in-terpreting the wide-angle seismic data, we obtained the seismic crust/upper mantle structure of P-wave velocities together with the seismic reflections of these three blocks, Changning- Menglian and Mojiang suture zones among the mentioned three blocks. Our interpreting results demonstrate that the P-wave crustal velocity of Simao block is slower than that of Baoshan and southwestern Yangtze block and the crustal thickness gradually thickens from the Baoshan block, Simao to southwestern Yangtze block. Crustal reflection patterns of these three blocks have dis-tinct differences too. For the Gondwana-typed blocks, seismic reflections in the upper crust are well developed while in middle-lower crust they are very weak. The crustal reflections in the Yangtze block are very well developed. The crustal reflection patterns in Simao and southwest-ern Yangtze blocks are distinguishable. The average thickness of the crust in the studied area is about 40 km. And we make some discussions on the crustal thickening model of the three blocks in western Yunnan and tectonic setting of seismic developing and interaction of Gondwana and Yangtze blocks.