U-Pb Zircon Dating of the Yeniutan Granitic Intrusion in the Western Sector of the North Qilian Mountains

Zircons from granodiorite and biotite granite in the Yeniutan granitic intrusion in the western North Qilian Mountains yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U apparent age of 460±3 Ma, suggesting that the intrusion originated during the late stage of plate subduction. Its related Ta'ergou and Xiaoliugou deposits are two of the few large tungsten deposits formed in the plate subduction environment in the world. The U-Pb dating of the zircons from the biotite granite gave a discordant lower intercept age of 183±4 Ma, which implies that the Yanshanian event was probably superimposed on the North Qilian region.

Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Middle Proterozoic Aoyougou Ophiolite in the North Qilian Mountains,Northwestern China

The Aoyougou ophiolite lies in an early Palaeozoic orogenic belt of the western North Qilian Mountains, near the Aoyougou valley in Gansu Province, northwestern China. It consists of serpentinite, a cumulate sequence of gabbro and diorite, pillow and massive lavas, diabase and chert. Ages of 1840±2 Ma, 1783±2 Ma and 1784±2 Ma on three zircons from diabase, indicate an early Middle Proterozoic age. The diabases and basalts show light rare-earth element enrichment and have relatively high TiO2 contents, characteristic of ocean island basalts. All of the lavas have low MgO, Cr, Ni contents and Mg numbers indicating a more evolved character. They are believed to have been derived from a more mafic parental magma by fractionation of olivine, Cr-spinel and minor plagioclase. Based on the lava geochemistry and regional geology, the Aoyougou ophiolite was probably believed to have formed at a spreading centre in a small marginal basin. Subduction of the newly formed oceanic lithosphere in the Middle Proterozoic produced a trench-arc-basin system, which is preserved in the North Qilian Mountains.

From Flysch to Molasse—Sedimentary and Tectonic Evolution of Late Caledonian -Early Hercynian Foreland Basin in North Qilian Mountains

The Late Caledonian to Early Hercynian North Qilian orogenic belt in no rthwestern China is an elongate tectonic unit situated between the North China p late in the north and the Qaidam plate in the south. North Qilian started in the latest Proterozoic to Cambrian as a rift basin on the southern margin of North China, and evolved later to an archipelagic ocean and active continental margin during the Ordovician and a foreland basin from Silurian to the Early and Middle Devonian. The Early Silurian flysch and submarine alluvial fan, the Middle to L ate Silurian shallow marine to tidal flat deposits and the Early and Middle Devo nian terrestrial molasse are developed along the corridor Nanshan. The shallowin g upward succession from subabyssal flysch, shallow marine, tidal flat to terre strial molasse and its gradually narrowed regional distribution demonstrate that the foreland basin experienced the transition from flysch stage to molasse stag e during the Silurian and Devonian time.

Geochemical Characteristics and Tectonic Setting of the Laohushan Basalts, North Qilian Mountains

The Ordovician Laohushan ophiolite, located in the eastern part of the North Qilian Mountains, is mainly composed of meta-peridotites, gabbros and basalts alternating with sediments. The sediments are mainly turbidites, including sandstones, siltstones, cherts etc. Major elements show that the basalts are subalkaline tholeiites and may be analogous to ocean-floor basalts. Except a few N-MORBs, most of the basalts are E-MORBs as indicated by incompatible element ratios such as (La/Ce)N, La/Sm, Ce/Zr, Zr/Y and Zr/Nb. Negative Nb anomaly is common but negative Zr, Hf and Ti anomalies are quite rare. Based on the geochemical characteristics, it is suggested that the Laohushan basalts were formed in a back-arc basin. ENd (t) of the basalts ranges between +3.0 and +8.9 and (87Sr/86Sr), ranges between 0.7030 and 0.7060, indicating a depleted mantle source which was mixed with more or less enriched mantle components. Furthermore, the petrography of the sandstones and geochemistry of the cherts suggest that the sediments were deposited near a continental margin.

Rheological Properties of Mantle Peridotites at Yushigou in the North Qilian Mountains and Their Implicationsfor Plate Dynamics

Abstract: This paper discusses in detail the deformation textures, glide system, petrofabrics and olivine dislocation microstructures of mantle peridotites at Yushigou in the North Qilian Mountains, northwestern China. The peridotites have undergone high-pressure, high-temperature and low-strain rate plastic flow deformation. According to the dynamic recrystallized-grain size of olivine and the average spacing between the dislocation walls as well as the chemical composition of enstatite, the authors calculated the rheological parameters of the ancient upper mantle in the study area as follows: temperatures 1025–1093°C; pressures 3043–4278 MPa; depths 95–132 km; deviatoric stress 28–32 MPa; strain rates 0.2×10?14-2.13×10?14s?1 and equivalent viscosities 0.45×1020-4.65×1020 Pa ? s. These parameters suggest that the position where plastic flow took place was correspondent to the lowvelocity zone beneath the oceanic lithosphere and that oceanization characterized by middle-velocity (1–3 cm/a) sea-floor spreading took place in the North Qilian Mountains during the Early Palaeozoic.

The Early Paleozoic Tectonic Evolution of the West Kunlun Mountains: New Constraint from the North Küda Pluton

Systematic geochemical studies have been conducted on the North Küda Pluton, West Kunlun, in order to reveal its petrogenesis and tectonic implications. The North Küda Pluton is a potassium\|rich (K\-2O>5.4wt%) I\|type granitic pluton and does not contain any alkaline ferromagnesian mineral. Its relatively high REE, LILE (e.g. Rb, Cs, U and Th) and HFSE (e.g. Nb, Zr) contents make it very akin to the A\|type granites. Its heterogeneous Sr (\{\{\}\+\{87\}Sr\}/\{\{\}\+\{86\}Sr\-i\}=\{0.7049\}～\{0.7098\}) and Nd (εNd\-T=\{-1.05\}～\{-4.04\}) isotope compositions preclude the possibility of a pure sedimentary or igneous source. Instead, its geochemical compositions suggest that it may be derived from partial melting of a complex source, which consists of igneous and sedimentary rocks. Its intraplate characteristics, together with coeval mafic dykes, indicate an extensional environment at the end of Caledonian. The recognition of the extensional event does not support a continuous subduction\|accretion model for the Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the West Kunlun Mountains. On the contrary, it provides new evidence for the two\|stage island\|arc model.

Paleosubmarine Volcanism and Mineralization from North Qilian Mountains

This paper summarizes the history of tectono magmatic evolution, the types and backgrounds of mineralization prior to the orogenic period of North Qilian Mountains. It points out that: during the process of Paleozoic ocean basin opening and closing, the large scale marine volcanism and massive sulfide deposits controlled by sea floor hydrothermal circulation systems are the two sharpest features in the geological developing history of the orogenic belt, which are also the most two important aspects related to each other and should be given a special attention in the geological studies in the region.

Soil Properties and Land Capability Evaluation in a Mountainous Ecosystem of North-West Cameroon

Up to date, tropical mountainous ecosystems still lack in depth information on soil and environmental characteristics which are major factors limiting optimum crop production. The objective of this work was to study soil characteristics and to evaluate the land capability level for the production of some common tropical crops in mountainous ecosystem soils of North West Cameroon. Soil sampling was done following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications for three topographic positions (upslope, midslope and footslope) and at two depths (0 - 20 cm and 20 - 100 cm). It was completed by standard laboratory analyses. The fertility capability classification (FCC) system enabled to identify soil limitations and to classify soils into FCC units. Land and climate were evaluated by simple limitation and parametric methods. Globally, the soils were dark-colored, sandy clayey to clayey, compact and very acidic (pHH2O = 4.3 - 5.8). The organic matter (3.7% - 5.1% dry matter), total nitrogen (0.08% - 0.56%) and available phosphorus (22.1 to 30.9 mg?kg?1) recorded for the 0 - 20 cm depth then reduced with depth but midslope values were also lower. The C/N ratio varied between 9 and 45. Low C/N values appeared mostly in 0 - 20 cm depth at the upslope and downslope soils and subsurface soils of midslope position. Exchangeable Ca was very low to low (1.43 - 3.6 cmol + kg?1), Mg was very low to low (0.39 - 1.5 cmol + kg?1), K was low to medium (0.2 - 0.54 cmol + kg?1) and Na was very low (?1). The sum of exchangeable bases was very low (3.02 - 5.19 cmol + kg?1), cation exchange capacity was low to moderate (8.60 - 25.6 cmol + kg?1) and base saturation was very low to low (19.27% - 36.97%). Leaching of bases under heavy rainfall is a major cause of soil acidification under humid topical ecosystems. The Ca/Mg/K ratio was unbalanced and Mg was the most relatively concentrated base in all the soils. There was a clear variation of most of the soil properties along the slope and with depth. The soils were classified in the FCC system as aek for the upslope soils, Caek for the midslope soils and Cagk for the footslope soils. The principal limitations to production of huckleberry, beans, maize and potatoes were heavy rainfall, wetness, steep slope, soil texture/structure and low soil fertility. These constraints might be overcome by farming at the end of the raining season, contour ploughing, terracing, fertilization and liming.

Integrated P-T Paths of the High-Pressure Rocks and Their Tectonic Implications for the Mountain-Building of the North Qilian, China

After the integration of petrographic study, geothermobarometry and Gibbs method, the synthetic P-T paths for the rocks from different geological profiles in the North Qilian, China, have been derived. The composite P-T paths from different methods indicate that all the high-pressure rocks in the Qilian area recorded P-T paths with clockwise loops starting at the blueschist facies, later reaching peak metamorphism at the blueschist facies, eclogite fades or epidote-amphibolite facies and ending up with the greenschist facies. The incremental Ar-Ar dating shows that the plateau ages for the high-pressure rocks range from 410 to 443 Ma. The plateau ages could be used as a minimum age constraint for the subduction that resulted in the formation of these high-pressure rocks in the Qilian area. It is proposed that the late-stage decompressional and cooling P-T paths with ends at the greenschist facies for these high-pressure rocks probably reflect the uplift process which could occur after shifting the arc-trench tectonic system to the system of continental orogenic belts. The retrograde paths for the high-pressure rocks in the North Qilian tectonic belt are characterized by dramatic decompression with slight cooling, which suggests very rapid exhumation. Petrography supports that the mountain-building for the Qilian mountain range could undergo a very fast process which caused rapid uplift and denudation.

Determination of properties of Proterozoic continental flood basalts of western part from North Qilian Mountains

Proterozoic volcanic rocks of the western part from the North Qilian Mountains are the products of continental rift volcanism, belonging to continental flood basalts, the petrogeochemistry of which apears to suggest that they are derived from sub-lithospheric mantle plume sources, but that they also show evidence of continental lithosphere components involvement. Their formation is the consequences of plume-lithosphere interactions and is precursive to the opening of the North Qilian Early-Paleozoic ocean basin.

祁连山北坡沙尘天气气溶胶特征的飞机观测

了解沙尘天气下气溶胶的垂直分布特征对于进一步认识气溶胶-云相互作用及其天气、气候效应至关重要。基于2023年9月6日沙尘天气下的飞机观测数据,分析祁连山北坡沙尘气溶胶的垂直分布特征。结果表明:此次沙尘天气是在高空锋区及地面冷高压的共同作用下形成。受沙尘天气影响,气溶胶粒径谱宽增宽;气溶胶数浓度较背景可上升约2~3倍,且气溶胶数浓度大值区呈悬垂状态分布,粒子数浓度大值层位于4000~4500 m和3000~4000 m高度;对沙尘气溶胶数浓度贡献最大的细粒子和粗粒子粒径分别为1.2~1.8μm和6.5~16.6μm,且气溶胶数浓度的增大在粗粒子段更为明显。气溶胶来源及输送层、以及气象要素垂直分布演变在气溶胶垂直分布及谱分布中发挥了重要作用。

Indian Ocean-MORB-type isotopic signature of Yushigou ophiolite in North Qilian Mountains and its implications

In order to explore the disputed issue concerning the tectonic affinity of the ancient ocean mantle of North Qilian Mountains (NQM), geochemical and Sr, Nd, Pb isotopic compositions of pillow basalts of the Yushigou Ophiolite (YSGO) suite from NQM have been analyzed systematically. The pillow basalts exhibit tholeiitic characteristics, with flat chondrite-normalized REE patterns ((La/Yb)N = 0.98―1.27). They display no Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf negative anomalies, and show MORB features in 2Nb-Zr/4-Y and Ti/100-Zr-Y×3 tectonic discrimination diagrams. These results indicate that the Yushigou ophiolite is most likely to be formed in a mid-ocean ridge or mature back-arc basin. Their isotopic data show a relatively broad and enriched 87Sr/86Sr (0.70509 ― 0.70700), restricted 143Nd/144Nd (0.512955―0.512978). Pb isotopes are in the range of 206Pb/204Pb (18.054―20.562), 207Pb/204Pb (15.537―15.743) and 208Pb/204Pb (38.068―38.530). These isotopic data imply that the basalts originated from the depleted mantle (DMM), with the involvement of enriched mantle compo-nents (mainly EMII). Geochemical comparisons between the basalts in YSGO and the MORB-type basalts of ophiolite suites occurring in the known ancient Tethyan tectonic domain indicate that the ancient oceanic mantle represented by YSGO suite forming in early Paleozoic in the North Qilian Moutains is very similar to the Tethyan mantle in both trace elements and isotopic compositions. The North Qilian Mountains should be a part of the Tethyan tectonic domain in early Paleozoic. This further implies that the Tethyan tectonic domain can be deduced to early Paleozoic in the study area, which will be helpful to discussing the tectonic affinity and evolution of the North Qilian Mountains.

Zircon U-Pb SHRIMP ages of eclogites from the North Qilian Mountains in NW China and their tectonic implication

Cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb dating were carried out for zircons from eclogites in the North Qilian Mountains. The results show weighted mean ages of 463 6 Ma and 468 13 Ma for two samples, respectively. These ages are the earliest record of Caledonian high-pressure metamorphism in the North Qilian Mountains, and they may represent the timing of eclogite-facies metamorphism when the oceanic crust was subducted to mantle depths in this orogenic belt.

CH_4-rich fluid inclusions in the Yushigou mantle peridotite and their implications, North Qilian Mountains, China

Studies were carried out on the early phase of fluid inclusions which occur in residual olivines in harzburgite from the Yushigou ophiolitic mantle peridotite, the North Qilian Mountains. Components of these inclusions, analyzed by micro laser Raman spectroscopy, are dominantly CH4 (70%-95%) with minor H2, N2, H2S,CO2,C2H4,C2H6, and C3H6, but

祁连山北缘沉积变质型铁矿综合信息找矿预测

以祁连山北缘西段为研究区,以沉积变质型铁矿为预测矿种,通过铁矿成矿地质规律研究,总结找矿模型,确定找矿标志。基于GIS信息处理技术及其空间分析功能,运用ArcMap、MapGIS平台提取并分析研究区的多源成矿有利地质信息。认为区内沉积变质型铁矿的成矿有利地层为长城系桦树沟组,断裂是主要控矿构造,8 km是断裂的最佳控矿范围,岩体不是研究区内沉积变质型铁矿的主要控矿因素;Zn、Mn、Ba异常可以作为研究区内沉积变质型铁矿的重要找矿标志。运用证据权法,将研究区划分为810个网格单元,提取17个证据因子进行成矿预测,共圈定了14个A级、3个B级成矿远景区,为研究区的找矿工作提供理论和实践参考。

祁连山北坡东段2010—2020年人工增雨试验效果检验评估

使用祁连山北坡中段和东段5—9月面雨量和水文资料,运用非随机人工增雨试验中的序列检验、区域对比、区域双比和区域回归等4种数理统计效果检验评估方法,对2010—2020年在祁连山北坡东段开展的人工增雨作业效果进行检验评估。试验发现:4种效果检验评估方法均证明祁连山北坡东段开展的人工增雨试验为正效果,其中区域对比、区域双比、区域历史回归试验效果检验通过了显著性水平α≤0.10的显著性检验;通过对4种评估检验方法分析,区域历史回归试验方法使用的样本容量较大,避免了人为选择历史相似天气容易引入众多主观偏倚和争议的操作程序,产生的假效果相比其他试验最小、功效最高,可作为最终评估结果,祁连山北坡东段2010—2020年平均相对人工增雨效果为26%。进一步评估了祁连山北坡东段2010—2020年开展大规模人工增雨对石羊河流域生态环境改善的影响,分析发现:石羊河年平均径流量增加了124.6%、民勤蔡旗断面年平均下泄水量增加了124.3%、民勤盆地地下水位上升了2.46 m,干涸近半个世纪的青土湖水域面积持续增大。

Petrogenesis of Aoyougou high-silica adakite in the North Qilian orogen,NW China:Evidence for decompression melting of oceanic slab

A trondhjemitic body occurs in the Aoyougou area,the western part of the North Qilian orogen.It is geochemically characterized by high SiO 2,Na 2 O (high Na/K),elevated Sr/Y and (La/Yb) N,positive Sr anomaly,relatively enriched large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs),and depleted Nb,Ta,Ti,resembling the high-silica adakite.Zircon U-Pb SHRIMP dating yields a weighted mean age of 438±3 Ma.This age is significantly younger than eclogitization ages of 460-490 Ma in the North Qilian orogen,suggesting that formation of the adakite postdates the subduction of oceanic crust in association with closure of the ancient Qilian Ocean.Whole-rock Sr and Nd isotopic analyses give initial ratios of I Sr =0.7044 0.7047 and Nd (t)=3.0 4.1,indicating that they are derived from partial melting of the juvenile oceanic crust.In view of the tectonic evolution of the North Qilian orogen,the high-silica adakite was probably derived from decompression melting of the exhumed eclogite at the depth of ～60 km.

Forming age and tectono-petrogenises of the Jiugequan ophiolite in the North Qilian Mountain,NW China

The Jiugequan ophiolite is one of the representative ophiolite fragments in the Early Paleozoic orogenic belt of the North Qilian Mountain.It has been drawn much attention and extensively studied in recent years.In this study,ion microprobe(SHRIMP) U-Pb dating was carried out for zircons from isotropic gabbro from the Jiugequan ophiolite.Eighteen analyses yield a relatively consistent apparent 206Pb/238U ages from 480 to 508 Ma with a weighted mean age of 490±5 Ma(MSWD=1.06),which is believed to be the crystallization age of the gabbro and thus the forming age of the Jiugequan ophiolite.Major and trace element geochemical study indicates that the diabase-basalts from the Jiugequan ophiolite have N-MORB and E-MORB characteristics with some subduction-related signatures.The petrological,geochemical and chronological data enable us to conclude that the Jiugequan ophiolite is most likely to be formed at a spreading center of back-arc basin during the early Ordovician,while the ancient Qilian oceanic plate subducted northwards.The acquisition of forming age and determination of tectonic setting for Jiugequan ophiolite provide significant constraints on the evolution of intra-oceanic subduction system in the North Qilian orogenic belt during the Early Paleozoic era.

Apatite Fission Track Constraints on the Pattern of Faulting in the North Qilian Mountain

The Qilian （祁连） Mountain is an active orogenic belt located at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. During the process of continuous convergence between Indian and Eurasian plates, the Qilian Mountain grow correspondingly by means of reaction of old faults and generation of new ones. Here we present apatite fission-track data along a river profile crossing three minor fault （the Minle （民乐）-Damaying （大马营） fault, the Huangcheng （皇城）-Taerzhuang （塔尔庄） fault and the Kangningqiao （唐宁桥） fault） which compose the North Qilian fault （NQF） to test the timing and pat- terns of the fault activities. Apatite fission-track （AFT） results indicate that these minor faults expe- rienced two active phases in the Cretaceous and the Oligocene-Miocene. Further research indicate that the initiation timing of faulting became younger northward in both active periods and the later phase probably more active than the former phase. These tectonic activities might be highly related to the docking of the Lhasa Block to the south in the Cretaceous and uplift and expansion of the Tibetan Pla- teau in the Cenozoic.

北祁连玉石沟蛇绿岩形成于晚震旦世的SHRIMP年龄证据

玉石沟蛇绿岩位于青藏高原东北缘的北祁连山中部 ,由地幔橄榄岩、堆晶辉长岩、辉绿岩、枕状熔岩以及夹杂在其中的硅质岩组成。地幔橄榄岩主要是方辉橄榄岩 ,其主要氧化物成分较为单一 ,具 L REE富集、Eu亏损的 U形 REE配分模式 ,亏损强不相容元素 ;枕状熔岩具典型 MORB特征 ,在构造判别图解上位于 MORB和 IAT区域 ,指示蛇绿岩可能形成于类似于洋中脊的构造环境 ,并受到火山弧岩浆作用的影响。堆晶辉长岩具明显的 Eu正异常 ,其锆石离子探针 (SHRIMP) 2 0 6 Pb/2 38U加权平均年龄为 5 5 0± 17Ma,Th/U值为 0 .5 3～ 1.85 ,大于0 .2 3,为岩浆成因锆石 ,其年龄代表辉长岩的成岩时代 ,推断玉石沟蛇绿岩形成于晚震旦世。