Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences

Three tree-ring rainfall reconstructions from China and Korea are used in this paper to investigate the East Asian summer monsoon-related precipitation variation over the past 160 years. Statistically, there is no linear correlation on a year-by-year basis between Chinese and Korean monsoon rainfall, but region-wide synchronous variation on a decadal-scale was observed. More rainfall intervals were 1860–1890, 1910–1925, and 1940–1960, and dry or even drought periods were 1890–1910, 1925–1940, and 1960–present. Reconstructions also display that the East Asian summer monsoon precipitation suddenly changed from more into less around mid-1920. These tree-ring precipitation records were also confirmed by Chinese historical dryness/wetness index and Korean historical rain gauge data.

The Tieluping silver deposit, located in the NE-trending faults within the metamorphic basement of the Xiong'er Mountain, is a typical altered fracture type deposit. Its ore-forming process includes three stages with temperatures concentrated at 373°C, 223°C and 165°C respectively. With δD=90‰, $$\delta ^{13} C_{CO_2 } $$ =2.0‰ and δ{si18}O=8094‰, the early stage fluid was generated from reworking and metamorphism of the carbonate rich formation; the late one, with δD=−70‰, $$\delta ^{13} C_{CO_2 } $$ =-1.2‰, δ18O=1.89‰, was meteoric hydrothermal solution; and the middle. δD=−109‰, $$\delta ^{13} C_{CO_2 } $$ =0.1‰, δ18O=1.79‰, might be a hybrid mixed by reworking-metamorphic fluid and meteoric hydrothermal solution. Crystallized rapidly in the condition of fluid-boiling and fluid-mixing, the middle stage minerals have far more fluid inclusions with higher content of ions, higher ratios of H2O/CO2 and KN/MC. Consequently, they have much more ore elements such as gold compared with those of the early and late stages. It was the northward intracontinental subduction along the Machaoying fault during the Mesozoic collision between the South China and North China paleocontinents that intrigued large-scale fluidization and magmatism and led to the appearance of more than 10 large and medium hydrothermal deposits, including the Tieluping silver deposit. The study on ore-forming fluidization of the Tieluping silver deposit proves the CPMF model.

Analyses of rare earth and trace element concentrations of native sulfur samples from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field were performed at the Seafloor Hydrothermal Activity Laboratory of the Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Using an Elan DRC II ICP-MS, and combining the sulfur isotopic compositions of native sulfur samples, we studied the sources and formation of a native sulfur chimney. The results show, when comparing them with native sulfur from crater lakes and other volcanic areas, that the native sulfur content of this chimney is very high (99.96%), the rare earth element (REE) and trace element constituents of the chimney are very low (ΣREE<21×10−9), and the chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the native sulfur samples are similar to those of the Kueishantao andesite, implying that the interaction of subseafloor fluid-andesite at the Kueishantao hydrothermal field was of short duration. The sulfur isotopic compositions of the native sulfur samples reveal that the sulfur of the chimney, from H2S and SO2, originated by magmatic degassing and that the REEs and trace elements are mostly from the Kueishantao andesite and partly from seawater. Combining these results with an analysis of the thermodynamics, it is clear that from the relatively low temperature (<116°C), the oxygenated and acidic environment is favorable for formation of this native sulfur chimney in the Kueishantao hydrothermal field.

Precipitation δ 18O at Yushu, eastern Tibetan Plateau, shows strong fluctuation and lack of clear seasonality. The seasonal pattern of precipitation stable isotope at Yushu is apparently different from either that of the southwest monsoon region to the south or that of the inland region to the north. This different seasonal pattern probably reflects the shift of different moisture sources. In this paper, we present the spatial comparison of the seasonal patterns of precipitation δ 18O, and calculate the moisture transport flux by using the NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data. This allows us to discuss the relation between moisture transport flux and precipitation δ 18O. This study shows that both the southwest monsoon from south and inland air mass transport from north affected the seasonal precipitation δ 18O at Yushu, eastern Tibetan Plateau. Southwest monsoon brings the main part of the moisture, but southwest transport flux is weaker than in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau. However, contribution of the inland moisture from north or local evaporation moisture is enhanced. The combined effect is the strong fluctuation of summer precipitation δ 18O at Yushu and comparatively poor seasonality.

The observational data of Beiluhe test of the Qinghai-Xizang railway in June 2002 are used as forcing field of the surface model to study the simulation performance in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The simulation result shows that the model (NCAR/LSM) can present the surface character tendency reasonably under observation forcing. In NCAR/LSM, the descriptions of the surface vegetation type in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau have much difference to what is actually happening. According to the actual characteristic of the surface, we define the grassland vegetation coverage rate is 0.6, and the vegetation canopy is 0.15 m, and the displacement height is 0.10 m. Compared the results with the old model’s parameter in experiment, we find that the simulation air (2 m) temperature and the ground temperature are close to those of the observation, and the simulation temperature of peak value is better, and the simulation flux of the ground is sure to be improved too. So, if the surface and vegetation parameters are revised in LSM model, the simulation capability of the land surface process model can be improved effec-tively in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

Triassic sequences in both the western Qinling and Songpan terrane are composed mostly of deep-marine sediments. A detailed study was carried out on main sedimentary facies of Triassic successions, showing that they resulted from diverse sedimentary processes, such as submarine debris-flows, turbidity currents, bottom-flows, suspension fallout, and fluidized sediment flows. Debris-flows are dividable into two types, gravelly and sandy debris-flows, respectively, and the sandy debris-flow deposits make up considerable portion of the Triassic successions concerned. Turbidite is characterized by occurrence of normal grading, and the whole Bouma sequences, though widely developed, are not totally attributed to true turbidity currents. The non-graded Ta division is thought to originate from sandy debris flows, whereas the rest divisions result from low-density currents or from bottom-current modification if they contain sedimentary structures related to traction currents. Four types of facies associations are distinguished within Triassic deep-marine successions: massive and thick-bedded coarse-grained facies association, medium- and thick-bedded sandstone with interlayered fine-grained facies association, interlayered thin-bedded fine-grained facies association, and syn-sedimentary slump/breccia facies association. Spatial distribution of the different facies associations suggests that Lower Triassic sedimentation occurred primarily in continental slope, submarine channels, and base-of-slope aprons in the Hezuo-Jianzha region of the western Qinling, whereas the Middle Triassic consists mainly of sedimentary facies of base-of-slope aprons and submarine incised valleys. The counterparts in the Dangchang-Diebu region, in contrast, are characterized by platform carbonates. The shallow-marine carbonates evolved into deep-marine facies since the Ladinian, indicative of rapid drowning of the Carnian carbonate platform in Middle Triassic times. Depositional history of Lower Triassic and lower portion of Middle Triassic successions in the northern Songpan terrane is similar to that of the Dangchang-Diebu region of the western Qinling, as manifested by development of Lower-early Middle Triassic shallow-marine carbonate and a rapid shift to base-of-slope apron sediments since the Ladinian.

The end-Permian mass extinction not only severely distressed the Paleozoic ecosystems but also dramatically changed the sedimentary systems, resulting in a peculiar Early Triassic ecosystem and submarine environment during the recovery time following the mass extinction. The Lower Triassic is characteristic of the wide occurrence of various distinctive sediments and related sedimentary structures, such as flat-pebble conglomerates, vermicular limestone, subtidal wrinkle structures, microbialite, carbonate seafloor fans, thin-bedded limestone and zebra limestone-mudstone. These sediments were common in the Precambrian to Early Ordovician marine settings, and then they occurred only in some extreme and unusual environments with the expansion of metazoan faunas. However, the Early Triassic witnessed an “anachronistic” reappearance of some distinctive sedimentary records in normal shallow marine settings. The study of these anachronistic facies should be of great importance for the understanding of the unique ecosystem and marine environment through the great Paleozoic-Mesozoic transition. The anachronistic facies characterized by vermicular limestone have been documented in many localities in South China and occur at various horizons of the Lower Triassic. Most types of reported distinctive sediments over the world have been observed in the Lower Triassic of South China. This provides an excellent opportunity for understanding the Early Triassic environment and its coevolution with the biotic recovery. Among the anachronistic facies the vermicular limestone is the most characteristic and common distinctive sediments in the Lower Triassic of South China but has received relatively few investigations. Taking it as a case study, we will detail the variation of vermicular limestone and its stratigraphic distribution in the Three Gorges area, Hubei Province. The investigation on the vermicular limestone and other distinctive sediments from the Lower Triassic of South China further indicates that the appearance of anachronistic facies immediately following the mass extinction and the elimination from normal shallow marine facies with the radiation of Mesozoic marine faunas imply the natural response of the sedimentary systems and ecosystems to the great Paleozoic-Mesozoic transitional events and their induced harsh environments. Therefore, the ups and downs of the anachronistic facies may act as a proxy for the evolution of ecosystems independent of fossil analyses.

As is well known that many decollement layers were developed in the Longmenshan thrust belt, Sichuan Basin, China. Through field investigation, explanation of seismic profiles and analysis of the balanced sections, we can divide the decollement zones into 3 categories: (1) the deep level decollement zones, including the crust-mantle decollement layer, intracrustal decollement layer, and presinian basal decollement layer. The main structural styles of their deformation are the crust-mantle decoupling detachment deformation, the basal ductile shear deformation, etc.; (2) the middle level decollement zones, including the Cambrian-Ordovician decollement layer, the Silurian decollement layer, etc., the main structural styles of their deformation are the isopachous fold, the angular fold, the saddle structure, and the combination styles of them; and (3) the shallow level decollement zones, including the Xujiahe Formation decollement layer of Upper Triassic and the Jurassic decollement layers, the main structural styles of their deformation are the thrust-nappe tectonic, the pop-up, the triangle zone, the duplex, etc. Multi-level decollement zones not only made the Longmenshan thrust belt develop many different deformation styles from deep place to shallow place, but also made some local areas have the superimposition of the tectonic deformation apparently. This study indicates that the multi-level decollement zones have a very important effect on the shaping and evolution of the Longmenshan thrust belt.

The study of Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic palynomorphs in three boreholes from the Deocha-Pachami area, Birbhum Coalfield, West Bengal, India, has allowed dating of the Talchir, Barakar, Dubrajpur, and Rajmahal formations, and revealed many hiatuses. The lowermost unit, the Talchir Formation, yielded earliest Permian palynomorphs. The Barakar Formation, which includes coal-bearing strata, was previously dated as Early Permian. However, data presented herein indicate an Early Permian to earliest Triassic age for this unit-containing actually the Karharbari, Barakar s.s., Kulti, and Ranigang formations as well as the basal part of the Panchet Formation. The overlying Dubrajpur Formation is Jurassic (Callovian to Tithonian), with an unconformity at its base. The uppermost Dubrajpur Formation is Tithonian-Berriasian. The palynomorphs from the intertrappeans within the Rajmahal Formation suggest an Early Cretaceous age. The revised ages of the Barakar and Dubrajpur formations are of major regional significance. The distribution patterns of spore-pollen may provide a broad spectrum of paleoclimate during Permian, Late Jurassic, and Early Cretaceous times, as there is no record of marine signatures in the study area.