Seismogenic Capability of the Northeastern Segment of the Longmenshan Thrust Zone and its Tectonic Role at the Eastern Tibetan Plateau

Objective The occurrence of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake not only caused huge economic loss and deaths but also raised a question whether or not it would trigger any destructive earthquakes on its neighboring segments in the Longmenshan Thrust Zone （LTZ） in the future.

Structural Analysis of the Multi-layer Detachment Folding in Eastern Sichuan Province

A serial of＂comb-like and trough-like＂folds developed in eastern Sichuan,controlled by the multi-layer detachment folding,is different from the classical Jura-type structure in their development.The key factor resulting in the development of these structures is the occurrence of detachment layers in different parts of Neoprotozoic to Mesozoic stratigraphy of study area,which, from the bottom to the top,are the lower part of Banxi Group,Lower Cambrian（Niutitang Formation）,Lower Silurian（Longmaxi Formation and Luoreping Formation）,Upper Permian （Wujiaping Formation） and Lower Triassic（Daye Formation）.On the basis of field survey combined with sand-box modeling,this study argued that the detachment layer of the lower part of Banxi Group controlled the development of the＂comb-like＂folds,and the lower part of Cambrian detachment layer controlled the development of＂trough-like＂folds.Because of several detachment layers occurring in the study area,the development of duplex structures different scales is an important deformation mechanism,and the duplexes are the important structures distinguished from the typical detachment folding structures.Due to these duplexes,the surface structures and structural highs may not be the structural highs in the depth.Meanwhile,the detachment layers are good channels for oil/ gas migration benefiting the understanding of accumulation and migration of oil and gas.

Paleogeographic Reconstitution and Tangential Tectonic in the Backland of Tunisian Dorsal (Fahs Area: J. Rouas and Ruissate)

The Tunisian Dorsal backland is the Eastern Atlas side of maghrebides. Field data of Fahs area allowed us to develop new interpretations and to characterize the main structural features of the studied devices (Jebel Rouas and Ruissate). Heritage of Zaghouan accident, Triassic salt movements and strike-direction of major synsedimentary faults are the principal causes and results of the skinned and superimposed geometric architecture, generated by the reversed extensional (Jurassic-Cretaceous) tectonics. The actual geometry of Jebel Rouas and Ruissate represents a fault propagation fold, affecting Jurassic and Cretaceous sets. The backland of this thrust fault defines an imbrications structures of Barremian series. Tectonic records activities show the existence of angular unconformities (Oligocene and Eocene series on the Cretaceous sets considered as bedrock), slumps, tectonic breccias and synsedimentary faults are all of them controlled by a deep major accident;N-S to NE-SW and NW-SE. Features of the study area are probably related first;to the blockage of Zaghouan thrust oriented NE-SW in the foreland;then, to the intense halokinetic activity, which facilitates the layers displacement acting as decollment level. The detailed structural and stratigraphic study of Fahs area and its neighbors shows the presence of an intense tangential tectonic during upper Miocene, affecting Meso-Cenozoic sets, because all the structures involved are sealed by Oligocene and Miocene thinned series. This is accentuated by the existence of different sets of decollment at different depths, which are represented by a displacement to the SE through the backland of the Tunisian Dorsal. We define these features as an imbrication and thrusting Out of sequence system.

Geological Features and Deformational Ages of the Basal Thrust Belt of the Miaowan Ophiolite in the Southern Huangling Anticline and Its Tectonic Implications

The stratigraphic, structural and metamorphic features of the basal thrust belt of the ca. 1.0 Ga Miaowan （庙湾） ophiolite in the southern Huangling （黄陵） anticline, show that it can be divided into three tectono-lithostratigraphic units from north to south： mélange/wildflysch rock units, flysch rock units, and sedimentary rock units of the autochthonous （in situ） stable continental margin. The three units underwent thrust-related deformation during emplacement of the Miaowan ophiolitic nappe, with kinematic indicators indicating movement from the NNE to SSW, with the metamorphic grade reaching greenschist-amphibolite facies. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology of zircons from granite pebbles in the basal thrust-related wildflysch yield ages of 859±26, 861＋12 and 871±16 Ma; whereas monzonitic granite clasts yield an age of 813±14 Ma. This indicates that the formation age of the basal thrust belt is not older than 813±14 Ma, and is earlier than the earliest formation time of the majority of the Neoproterozoic Huangling granitoid intrusive complex, which did not experience penetrative ductile deforma-tion. These results suggest that the northern margin of the Yangtze craton was involved in collisional tectonics that continued past 813 Ma.This may be related to the amalgamation of the Yangtze craton with the Rodinia supercontinent. Through comparative study of lithology, zircon geochronology, REE patterns between granodiorite and tonalite pebbles in the basal thrust-zone conglomerate, it can be concluded that the pebbles are the most similar to the Huanglingmiao （黄陵庙） rock-mass （unit）, implying that they may have come from Huanglingmiao rock-mass. Zircon cores yield xenocrystic ages of 2 074±120 Ma, suggesting that the protolith of the Neoproterozoic Huangling granitoid intrusive complex may have originated from par-tial melting of older basement rocks, that is to say there may be Paleoproterozoic crystalline basement in the southern Huangling anticline. The ages of xenocrystic zircons in the granite pebbles in the basal-thrust congiomerate/wildflysch show a correlation with the age spectra from Australia, implying that the terrain that collided with the northern margin of the Yangtze craton and emplaced the Miaowan ophiolite at ca. 813 Ma may have been derived from the Australian segment of Rodinia.