Journal of Earth Science

The Nan-Uttaradit suture is marked by a narrow N-S trending and discontinuous ophiolite belt in northern Thailand. This suture zone is a mélange composed of gabbro, tholeiitic metabasalt, andesite and radiolarian chert. Samples of gabbro and meta-basalt in the Nan-Uttaradit suture yield zircon U-Pb ages of 311±10 and 316±3 Ma, respectively, interpreted as the crystallization ages of the rocks, suggesting the Nan-Uttaradit Ocean existed in the Late Carboniferous. Our results indicate that the Nan-Uttaradit Ocean co-existed with the Ailaoshan-Jinshajiang Ocean to the north and was probably an along-strike extension of the latter.

There are variations of reported isotope enrichment factors of chlorinated organic contaminants in evaporation processes. Trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were chosen to study carbon and chlorine isotope effects during evaporation at different temperatures. Equilibrium vapor-liquid carbon and chlorine isotope effects experiments were also conducted. In the equilibrium liquid-vapor system, the 13C was enriched but 37Cl was depleted in the vapor phase, being consistent with previous results. For evaporation average carbon isotope enrichment factor ɛ C were +0.28‰±0.01‰ for TCE and +0.56‰±0.09‰ for PCE at temperature from 20 to 26 °C. Meanwhile, average chlorine isotope enrichment factor ɛ Cl were −1.33‰±0.21‰ for TCE and −1.00‰±0.00‰ for PCE. The results indicate that during evaporation the equilibrium isotope effect attenuates the magnitude of carbon isotope fractionation whereas enhances the chlorine isotope effect. Isotope fractionation during evaporation is determined by both equilibrium and kinetic factors. Chlorine isotope fractionation is influenced by the evaporation rate which is linked to temperature. When using stable isotope to investigate the behavior of chlorinated organic contaminants in groundwater with slow biodegradation rate, the isotope fractionation resulted from evaporation should be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the environment conditions such as temperature are also factors to be considered.

The exploitation of thermal water and the mix of cold water changed the properties of geofluid in shallow reservoir, which altered the concentration of the chemical constitutes and continuously built new water-rock reaction. This paper deduced reservoir pressure and temperature variation tendency from 2004 to 2013, analyzed the change of some components in the shallow reservoir water, and finally obtained the evolution of the shallow geothermal water with hydrogeochemical model. The results show the reservoir pressure decreased significantly compared with the slight decline of reservoir temperature, and much cold groundwater infiltrated into the shallow reservoir, which affected the solubility of SiO2 and led to precipitation, the increased CO2 in shallow reservoir promoted the dissolution of aluminosilicate. Calcite and kaolinite precipitation zone has extended to the north in the field, which influenced the porosity of the reservoir rock.

Natural gas is providing a larger proportion of primary energy, and will soon surpass oil to become the most important fossil fuel. There are various genetic types of natural gas of which the type that pyrolysed or cracked from humic kerogen accounts for 70% of presently discovered global natural gas reserves. The parent material of humic kerogen is higher multi-cellular plants. Investigations of offshore basins in China, Russia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Australia, Egypt and Namibia show that river-delta systems contain the major sources of coal-type gas. Sand and mud carried by rivers form deltas at river mouths and fertile soil of these deltas encourages the long-term growth of higher plants. Autochthonous higher plants and allochthonous terrigenous phytoclasts contribute to the formation of coal, carbargilite and dark mudstone, which are potential parent materials of natural gas and the basis of coal-type gas generation.

Radiogenic isotope dating of illitic clays has been widely used to reconstruct thermal and fluid flow events in siliciclastic sedimentary basins, the information of which is critical to investigate mechanisms of hydrocarbon maturation. This study carried out Rb−Sr and 40Ar−39Ar dating of authigenic illitic clay samples separated from the Palaeogene sandstone in the northern South China Sea. Our Rb−Sr data further confirm the previously reported three periods of fluid flow events (at 34.5 ± 0.9, 31.2 ± 0.6, and 23.6 ± 0.8 Ma, respectively) in the northern South China Sea, which are related to regional episodic tectonism. However, 40Ar−39Ar ages of illite obtained in this study are significantly younger than the corresponding Rb−Sr ages. The significantly younger 40Ar−39Ar ages were probably due to 40Ar loss caused by later dry heating events on the Hainan Island that have not affected the Rb−Sr isotopic systematics. The inconsistency between Rb−Sr and 40Ar−39Ar data should be attributed to different isotopic behaviors of K−Ar and Rb−Sr isotopic systematics in illite. Our results indicate that Rb−Sr isotopic dating method may be a preferential approach for clay dating in geological settings where exist younger dry heating events.

Due to the complex geological processes of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, numerous deposits, especially the large-scale ancient landslide deposits, are characteristic features of the valleys incised in southwestern China. Intense water level fluctuations since 2011 in Maoergai Reservoir, China, registered the reactivation of Xierguazi ancient landslide, and presented a significant risk to neighboring facilities. Based on detailed field survey and drilling exploration, the landslide was divided into Zone A and Zone B, and other characterizations of landslide were studied as well. To precisely measure the extent of landslide displacement during filling and drawdown stage, surface displacement monitoring system was deployed on the landslide. The monitoring analyses data reveal that reservoir fluctuation is the dominant factor influencing landslide displacement, especially during drawdown stage. Moreover, a future sliding is anticipated in Zone A, while a creep had already existed in Zone B. A reservoir regulation was then established using the lead-lag correlation between reservoir fluctuation and landslide displacement and landslide stability analysis. In the end, the follow-up deformation monitoring demonstrates that the reservoir regulation controlled the landslide effectively. Landslide control by reservoir regulation in Maoergai can serve as a case study for other settlements involved in similar construction activities.

This study was conducted to identify the origin, hydrogeochemical processes and evolution of groundwater in a tectonic valley. This study was carried out with the aim of quantifying the proportions of groundwater flows contributing to the water chemistry abstracted in a zone of convergence favored by the presence of active faults. The study area is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. End members methodology was applied to identify the mixing of hydrothermal with fresh groundwater, where changes in the aquifer geology result in distinct groundwater chemical signatures. Ternary mixing was quantified using conservative elements. Moreover, other evolutionary processes, such as ion exchange and silicate weathering occur due to changes in the geology of the area. In ternary mixing, each of the end members is associated with the lithology through which it circulates. The local flow contributes 70% of the water to the system, the intermediate flow contributes 14%, and the regional flow contributes 16%. Three types of water are produced: Na-HCO3, due to the interaction of water with volcanic rocks of rhyolitic composition, Na-Mg-HCO3, due to the interaction of water with volcanic rocks of basaltic-andesite composition, and Ca-HCO3, due to the interaction of water with sedimentary calcareous rocks.

To investigate climate evolution during the Miocene, especially during the Middle Miocene climate transition on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, stable oxygen and carbon isotopes of carbonates from a 288-m-thick lacustrine-fluvial sediment sequence covering the period from 17.1 to 6.1 Ma from Tianshui Basin, China, were analyzed. The relatively low stable oxygen isotope values indicate the prevalence of wet climate conditions during the period of 17.1–13.6 Ma, an interval corresponding to the well-known Middle Miocene Climate Optimum. The interval between 13.6 and 11.0 Ma (i.e., the late Middle Miocene) is marked by a progressive increase in the δ18O values, indicative of a decrease in precipitation, probably linked to the expansion of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and global cooling since about 14 Ma. The climate in the study area continued to get drier as shown by the enrichment of the heavy oxygen isotope from 11 Ma. We attribute these stepwise climatic changes as revealed by our carbonate δ18O record from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau to the sustained global cooling that may have reduced moist transport to Central Asia, which in turn led to a permanent aridification.