Early Cenozoic Time Research Articles

Mesozoic−Cenozoic uplift of Qiman Tagh Range in northern Tibet Plateau, western China

The Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau on Earth. As an ideal place to decipher the intracontinental deformation mechanisms, the Tibetan Plateau has become a focus of Cenozoic geological studies. The surface uplift history of the Tibetan Plateau can help us to better understand continental collision and processes ranging from global cooling to the onset of the Asian monsoon. Although a lot of research has been done over the years, the mechanism and timing of uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, especially the northern part, continue to be debated. To address how the Tibetan Plateau developed, a better understanding of the uplift and deformation history is needed. The Qiman Tagh Range lies on the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Knowing what led to the exhumation of the Qiman Tagh Range could help us to constrain the tectonic evolution of the northern boundaries of the Tibetan Plateau. Here, we present new apatite fission-track data and the thermal history for the north Qiman Tagh Range. The thermal history modeling indicates that the Qiman Tagh Range experienced a four-stage cooling history (i.e., at ca. 230 Ma, 130−90 Ma, ca. 35 Ma, and 20/10−0 Ma). The results reveal that the initial exhumation of the Qiman Tagh Range occurred in the Middle Triassic due to the collision between the western Qiangtang and eastern Qiangtang terranes and the northward colliding and collaging of the Kumukuri microcontinent with the south Qiman Tagh Terrane. The rapid exhumation during the Cretaceous resulted from the collisions between the Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes. The Cenozoic exhumation may be related to the far-field stress effect of the India-Asia collision. Based on our new data, together with tectonic studies around the Qaidam Basin, we reconstructed the big Paleo-Qaidam Basin as it was during late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic time. The Mesozoic uplift of the Qiman Tagh Range was not high enough to form topographical isolation, but the rapid uplift of the Qiman Tagh at ca. 35 Ma completely separated the Kumukol Basin to the south from the Qaidam Basin to the north. The Qiman Tagh Range has experienced an acceleration of uplift since the Miocene to present, which formed the current basin-range landform. The study constrains the uplift history of the northern Tibetan Plateau and helps us to better understand its growth mechanism.

Raising the Resurrection plate from an unfolded-slab plate tectonic reconstruction of northwestern North America since early Cenozoic time

AbstractThe configuration of mid-ocean ridges subducted below North America prior to Oligocene time is unconstrained by seafloor isochrons and has been primarily inferred from upper-plate geology, including near-trench magmatism. However, many tectonic models are permitted from these constraints. We present a fully kinematic, plate tectonic reconstruction of the NW Cordillera since 60 Ma built by structurally unfolding subducted slabs, imaged by mantle tomography, back to Earth’s surface. We map in three-dimensions the attached Alaska and Cascadia slabs, and a detached slab below western Yukon (Canada) at 400–600 km depth that we call the “Yukon Slab.” Our restoration of these lower plates within a global plate model indicates the Alaska slab accounts for Pacific-Kula subduction since ca. 60 Ma below the Aleutian Islands whereas the Cascadia slab accounts for Farallon subduction since at least ca. 75 Ma below southern California, USA. However, intermediate areas show two reconstruction gaps that persist until 40 Ma. We show that these reconstruction gaps correlate spatiotemporally to published NW Cordillera near-trench magmatism, even considering possible terrane translation. We attribute these gaps to thermal erosion related to ridge subduction and model mid-ocean ridges within these reconstruction gap mid-points. Our reconstructions show two coeval ridge-trench intersections that bound an additional “Resurrection”-like plate along the NW Cordillera prior to 40 Ma. In this model, the Yukon slab represents a thermally eroded remnant of the Resurrection plate. Our reconstructions support a “northern option” Farallon ridge geometry and allow up to ∼1200 km Chugach terrane translation since Paleocene time, providing a new “tomographic piercing point” for the Baja-British Columbia debate.

Taxonomic revision of Schausiana Viette with two new species from Guatemala and notes on biogeography and correlated tectonics (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae).

We morphologically validate the genus Schausiana Viette, 1950 as a monophyletic group comprising five species-S. phalerus (Druce, 1887) comb. n. and S. trojesa (Schaus, 1901) from Mexico, S. chalciope sp. n. and S. maishei sp. n. from Guatemala and S. pharus (Druce, 1887) comb. n. from Mexico to Costa Rica. Potential morphological monophyly of the genus is supported by the unique shared presence of specialized scales spine-like, elongate spinous, or piliform, located along the forewing veins. We investigate possible close phylogenetic relationships of this genus with the Mexican and Central American genera Pallas C. Mielke Grehan, 2015, and Phassus Walker, 1856, and the southeastern Brazilian genus, Phthius C. Mielke Grehan, 2017. Also discussed are the shared presence of several characters supporting the morphological monophyly of Schausiana, Phassus, and Pallas as 'phassine' Hepialidae. The distribution range of Schausiana is bounded in its northwestern range by the Guerrero terrane. Other than the widespread S. pharus with a disjunct record from Costa Rica, the southern distribution boundary corresponds to the Motagua-Polochic Fracture Zone in Guatemala. We suggest that the ancestral range of Schausiana did not include the Guerrero terrane and was possibly also absent from the Chocos Block (Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua) and the Costa Rica-Panama arc of Central America. Further divergence of Schausiana is predicted to have been influenced by tectonic events during late Cretaceous or early Cenozoic time. Colour photos are presented for all species for the first time. Holotypes of S. maishei, sp. n., and S. chalciope, sp. n., are deposited in the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala.

Low‐Temperature Thermochronology of the Indus Basin in Central Ladakh, Northwest India: Implications of Miocene‐Pliocene Cooling in the India‐Asia Collision Zone

AbstractThe India‐Asia collision zone in Ladakh, northwest India, records a sequence of tectono‐thermal events in the interior of the Himalayan orogen following the intercontinental collision between India and Asia in early Cenozoic time. We present zircon fission track, and zircon and apatite (U‐Th)/He thermochronometric data from the Indus Basin sedimentary rocks that are exposed along the strike of the collision zone in central Ladakh. These data reveal a postdepositional Miocene‐Pliocene (~22–4 Ma) cooling signal along the India‐Asia collision zone in northwest India. Our zircon fission track cooling ages indicate that maximum basin temperatures exceeded 200°C but stayed below 280–300°C in the stratigraphically deeper marine and continental strata. Thermal modeling of zircon and apatite (U‐Th)/He cooling ages suggests postdepositional basin cooling initiated in Early Miocene time by ~22–20 Ma, occurred throughout the basin across zircon (U‐Th)/He partial retention temperatures from ~20–10 Ma, and continued in the Pliocene time until at least ~4 Ma. We attribute the burial of the Indus Basin to sedimentation and movement along the regional Great Counter thrust. The ensuing Miocene‐Pliocene cooling resulted from erosion by the Indus River that transects the basin. An approximately coeval cooling signal is well documented east of the study area, along the collision zone in south Tibet. Our new data provide a regional framework upon which future studies can explore the possible interrelationships between tectonic, geodynamic, and geomorphologic factors contributing to Miocene‐Pliocene cooling along the India‐Asia collision zone from NW India to south Tibet.

Geochemical and Dynamic Model of Repeated Hydrothermal Injections in Two Mesozoic Successions, Provençal Domain, Maritime Alps, SE-France

A field, petrographic and geochemical study of two Triassic–Jurassic carbonate successions from the Maritime Alps, SE France, indicates that dolomitization is related to episodic fracturing and the flow of hydrothermal fluids. The mechanism governing hydrothermal fluids has been documented with the best possible spatio-temporal resolutions specifying the migration and trapping of hydrothermal fluids as a function of depth. This is rarely reported in the literature, as it requires a very wide range of disciplines from facies analysis (petrography) to very diverse and advanced chemical methods (elemental analysis, isotope geochemistry, microthermometry). In most cases, our different recognized diagenetic phases were mechanically separated on a centimetric scale and analyzed separately. The wide range of the δ18OVPDB and 87Sr/86Sr values of diagenetic carbonates reflect three main diagenetic realms, including: (1) the formation of replacive dolomites (Type I) in the eogenetic realm, (2) formation of coarse to very coarse crystalline saddle dolomites (Types II and Type III) in the shallow to deep burial mesogenetic realm, respectively, and (3) telogenetic formation of a late calcite cement (C1) in the telogenetic realm due to the uplift incursion of meteoric waters. The Triassic dolomites show a lower 87Sr/86Sr ratio (mean = 0.709125) compared to the Jurassic dolomites (mean = 0.710065). The Jurassic calcite (C1J) shows lower Sr isotopic ratios than the Triassic C1T calcite. These are probably linked to the pulses of the seafloor’s hydrothermal activity and to an increase in the continental riverine input during Late Cretaceous and Early Cenozoic times. This study adds a new insight into the burial diagenetic conditions during multiple hydrothermal flow events.

Izanagi-Pacific ridge subduction revealed by a 56 to 46 Ma magmatic gap along the northeast Asian margin

Abstract Recent studies have debated the timing and spatial configuration of a possible intersection between the Pacific-Izanagi spreading ridge and the northeast Asian continental margin during Cretaceous or early Cenozoic times. Here we examine a newly compiled magmatic catalog of ∼900 published Cretaceous to Miocene igneous rock radioisotopic values and ages from the northeast Asian margin for ridge subduction evidence. Our synthesis reveals that a near-synchronous 56–46 Ma magmatic gap occurred across ∼1500 km of the Eurasian continental margin between Japan and Sikhote-Alin, Russian Far East. The magmatic gap separated two distinct phases of igneous activity: (1) an older, Cretaceous to Paleocene pre–56 Ma episode that had relatively lower εNd(t) (−15 to + 2), elevated (87Sr/86Sr)0 (initial ratio, 0.704–0.714), and relatively higher magmatic fluxes (∼1090 km2/m.y.); and (2) a younger, late Eocene to Miocene post–46 Ma phase that had relatively elevated εNd(t) (−2 to + 10), lower (87Sr/86Sr)0 (0.702–0.707), and a lower 390 km2/m.y. magmatic flux. The 56–46 Ma magmatic gap links other geological evidence across northeast Asia to constrain an early Cenozoic, low-angle ridge-trench intersection that had profound consequences for the Eurasian continental margin, and possibly led to the ca. 53–47 Ma Pacific plate reorganization.

Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Rifting and Continental Breakup in the Eastern Black Sea Basin Revealed by Long‐Offset Seismic Reflection Data

AbstractThe age and distribution of the synrift and early postrift infill records the spatial and temporal distribution of extension and breakup processes in a rift basin. The Eastern Black Sea Basin (EBSB) is thought to have formed by back‐arc extension during Cretaceous to Early Cenozoic time. However, a lack of direct constraints on its deep stratigraphy leaves uncertainties over the time, duration, and location for rifting and breakup processes in the basin. Here we use the enhanced imaging provided by 2‐D long‐offset seismic reflection profiles to analyze the deep structural and stratigraphic elements of the EBSB. Based on these elements, we infer the presence of two distinct Late Cretaceous synrift units, recording initial extension (rift stage 1) over the continental highs (Shatsky Ridge and the Mid Black Sea High), followed by strain localization along the major basin‐bounding faults and rift migration toward the basin axis (rift stage 2). Overlying these units, Palaeocene(?)‐Eocene and Oligocene units show a synkinematic character in the NW, with evidence for ongoing extension until Oligocene time. Toward the SE, these sequences are instead postkinematic, directly overlaying a basement emplaced during breakup. We interpret the Palaeocene(?)‐Oligocene units to record the time spanning from the initiation of breakup (Late Cretaceous‐Palaeocene, in the SE) to the end of extension (Oligocene, in the NW). The first ubiquitously postrift infill is the Lower Miocene Maykop Formation. Our results highlight the along‐strike temporal variability of extension and breakup processes in the EBSB.

Notes on the origin of extensive endorheic regions in central and northern Mexico, and some implications for paleozoogeography

The recent discovery of a fossil of Enhydritherium terraenovae in upper Miocene fluvial deposits in Juchipila (Mexico), nearly 200 km away from the nearest coast, together with other known occurrences of the same species in Florida and California, made possible to envision an alternative to the Panamanian and Polar routes of migration through fluvial systems in Mexico. In order to cross from one ocean to the other, individuals of E. terraenovae must have passed the continental divide, which is a physiographic feature that separates surface waters that flow into the Atlantic and Pacific versants.Two vast endorheic regions, which together span more than 400,000 km2 in area, currently dominate drainage systems in northern and central Mexico. The endorheic regions are broadly bounded by two mountain ranges and coincide with the arid and semi-arid regions of the Chihuahuan desert. These closed basins are an additional obstacle for migration. However, drainage systems are constantly varying and adjusting to changing conditions imposed by climate, tectonic activity, volcanism, and pronounced asymmetries in topography and rainfall distribution. The migration route across Mexico for Enhydritherium terraenovae in the late Miocene (≥6 Ma) could have been facilitated by one or more river captures that inverted the flow direction near the headwaters of a drainage system that debouched either into the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific coast.Biologists studying fresh water fish faunas in the southern part of the United States and in northern and central Mexico have documented several living species that occur in both the Rio Grande and in the Mezquital rivers, two drainages that are not presently connected, drain in opposite directions (i.e. towards the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California, respectively) and are separated by the endorheic regions. Furthermore, systematic studies of fresh water fish faunas in the region has numerous examples of endemicity and allopatric speciations that are interpreted as evidence of several events of drainage system rearrangement either by stream capture, beheading, or river diversion or by fragmentation caused by formation of closed basins by faulting, volcanic activity or isostatic rebound in the footwall block of normal faults.The western boundaries of the extensive endorheic regions in Mexico are controlled mainly by a highland produced by intense felsic volcanism during the Sierra Madre Occidental activity (Eocene – Miocene), and the eastern hydrological divide coincides with mountains associated with the fold and thrust belt produced by the Hidalgoan orogeny in early Cenozoic time. Normal faulting associated with Basin and Range extension formed additional closed basins. Another major factor in the formation of the endorheic regions is the terminal Miocene climate change, which caused runoff reduction and lowered the rivers capacity of erosion.Opening of the Gulf of California changed the overall slope of rivers draining into the Pacific in northwestern Mexico triggering the capture of rivers formerly confined to the closed basins or draining to the Gulf of Mexico. Quaternary normal faults have been documented a few tens of kilometers from the hydrological divides of the endorheic regions, suggesting that in some regions there is an active tectonic component in their formation.The location of the crossing point for the otters is uncertain as the fossil record is scant and investigation on the evolution of drainage systems through time in Mexico is in the early stages. However, it is argued that there is a fair chance that the crossing occurred via the Mezquital river capture near Durango city. Isotopic age of the sediments where the Enhydritherium terraenovae fossil was collected, imply that the capture must have occurred in the late Miocene.

Measuring plume-related exhumation of the British Isles in Early Cenozoic times

Mantle plumes have been proposed to exert a first-order control on the morphology of Earth's surface. However, there is little consensus on the lifespan of the convectively supported topography. Here, we focus on the Cenozoic uplift and exhumation history of the British Isles. While uplift in the absence of major regional tectonic activity has long been documented, the causative mechanism is highly controversial, and direct exhumation estimates are hindered by the near-complete absence of onshore post-Cretaceous sediments (outside Northern Ireland) and the truncated stratigraphic record of many offshore basins. Two main hypotheses have been developed by previous studies: epeirogenic exhumation driven by the proto-Iceland plume, or multiple phases of Cenozoic compression driven by far-field stresses. Here, we present a new thermochronological dataset comprising 43 apatite fission track (AFT) and 102 (U–Th–Sm)/He (AHe) dates from the onshore British Isles. Inverse modelling of vertical sample profiles allows us to define well-constrained regional cooling histories. Crucially, during the Paleocene, the thermal history models show that a rapid exhumation pulse (1–2.5 km) occurred, focused on the Irish Sea. Exhumation is greatest in the north of the Irish Sea region, and decreases in intensity to the south and west. The spatial pattern of Paleocene exhumation is in agreement with the extent of magmatic underplating inferred from geophysical studies, and the timing of uplift and exhumation is synchronous with emplacement of the plume-related British and Irish Paleogene Igneous Province (BIPIP). Prior to the Paleocene exhumation pulse, the Mesozoic onshore exhumation pulse is mainly linked to the uplift and erosion of the hinterland during the complex and long-lived rifting history of the neighbouring offshore basins. The extent of Neogene exhumation is difficult to constrain due to the poor sensitivity of the AHe and AFT systems at low temperatures. We conclude that the Cenozoic topographic evolution of the British Isles is the result of plume-driven uplift and exhumation, with inversion under compressive stress playing a secondary role.

The Eurekan deformation in the Arctic: an outline

The evolution of the Eurekan deformation zones in the Arctic is closely related to the development of the circum-Greenland plate boundaries in Early Cenozoic times (53 – 34 Ma). Mostly, the Eurekan Orogeny or deformation has been interpreted as a predominantly compressive tectonic event, but the Eurekan deformational history in the Arctic was not the result of a single tectonic episode. It rather represents a complex sequence of successive tectonic stages, which produced a number of intra-continental deformation zones with changing, sometimes opposing, lateral, oblique and convergent kinematics in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, north and NE Greenland, and Svalbard. The interaction between the continental plates, especially in combination with the development of transform faults, resulted onshore in the formation of several complex deformation zones and areas of Eurekan deformation. The Eurekan deformation can be divided into two major tectonic stages: the first phase in the Early Eocene was dominated by orthogonal compression in the West Spitsbergen Fold-and-Thrust Belt along the west margin of the Barents Shelf and contemporaneous sinistral strike-slip tectonics along the Wegener Fault and on Ellesmere Island, whereas the second phase in the Late Eocene was characterized by dextral strike-slip and compression on Ellesmere Island and contemporaneous dextral transpression and transtension along the De Geer Fracture Zone or Hornsund Fault Complex between NE Greenland and Spitsbergen.

Tectono-climatic implications of Eocene Paratethys regression in the Tajik basin of central Asia

Plate tectonics and eustatic sea-level changes have fundamental effects on paleoenvironmental conditions and bio-ecological changes. The Paratethys Sea was a large marine seaway that connected the Mediterranean Neotethys Ocean with Central Asia during early Cenozoic time. Withdrawal of the Paratethys from central Asia impacted the distribution and composition of terrestrial faunas in the region and has been largely associated with changes in global sea level and climate such as cooling associated with the Eocene/Oligocene transition (EOT).Whereas the regression has been dated in the Tarim basin (China), the pattern and timing of regression in the Tajik basin, 400 km to the west, remain unresolved, precluding a test of current paleogeographic models. Here we date the Paratethys regression in Tajikistan at ca. 39 million years ago (Ma), which is several million years older than the EOT (at ca. 34 Ma) marking the greenhouse to icehouse climate transition of the Cenozoic. Our data also show a restricted, evaporitic marine environment since the middle–late Eocene and establishment of desert like environments after ca. 39 Ma. The overall stratigraphic record from the Tajik basin and southern Tien Shan points to deposition in a foreland basin setting by ca. 40 Ma in response to active tectonic growth of the Pamir–Tibet Mountains at the same time. Combined with the northwestward younging trend of the regression in the region, the Tajik basin record is consistent with northward growth of the Pamir and suggests significant tectonic control on Paratethys regression and paleoenvironmental changes in Central Asia.

Geochronology and isotope geochemistry of Eocene dykes intruding the Ladakh Batholith

In order to determine the extent and timing of dyke formation related to possible E–W extension along the southern margin of Eurasia during Early Cenozoic time, we examined ca. 30 mostly andesitic dykes intruding the Ladakh batholith from 10 to 50 km west of Leh (NW India). The dykes in the east of the area trend E–NE and those in the west trend N–NW. The difference in orientation is also evident in the petrography and isotopic signatures. The eastern dykes contain corroded quartz xenocrysts and show negative ε0(Nd) and positive ε0(Sr) values, whereas the western dykes do not contain quartz xenocrysts and exhibit positive ε0(Nd) and near-zero ε0(Sr) values. The variability in Sr–Nd isotopes (ε0(Nd) = 3.6 to − 9.6, ε0(Sr) = 0.4 to 143) and the quartz xenocrysts can best be explained by (differing degrees of) crustal assimilation of the parent magma of the dykes. Separated minerals from five dykes were dated by 40Ar–39Ar incremental heating: amphibole ages range between 50 and 54 Ma, and one biotite separate dated both by Rb–Sr and 40Ar–39Ar gave an age of 45 Ma. One dated pseudotachylyte sample attests to brittle faulting at ca. 54 Ma. The combination of structural field evidence with petrographic, isotopic and geochronological analyses demonstrates that the dykes did not form from a single, progressively differentiating magma chamber, despite having formed in the same tectonic setting around the same time, and that processes such as crustal assimilation and magma mixing/mingling, also played a significant role in magma petrogenesis.

Cenozoic tectonic and sedimentary evolution of southern Qaidam Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau and its implication for the rejuvenation of Eastern Kunlun Mountains

The Eastern Kunlun Mountains play an important role in the growth and eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau. Tectonic and sedimentary study of the Cenozoic Qaidam Basin, especially the southern part, provides key evidence for understanding their evolution. Here we present evidence including isopach maps, seismic sections and sedimentary analysis of single well to illustrate the sedimentary development of the basin and the structural features of its southern margin. The Qaidam Basin extended across Qiman Tagh-Eastern Kunlun Mountains in the early Cenozoic and withdrew northward at ca. 35.5 Ma, and then buckled as an EW striking elliptical depression since ca. 14.9 Ma, with the main depocenter migrating eastward. Our results support the view that the Kumukol and Hoh Xil basins joined the Qaidam Basin in the early Cenozoic time and we propose the Eastern Kunlun Mountains uplifted in the mid-Miocene.

Paleovalley-related uranium: exploration criteria and case-studies from Australia and China

Uranium exploration and mining in Australia and China are significant and increasingly important sectors of each country's respective mineral industry. Here we focus on similarities in the geology of paleovalley-related uranium mineralising systems, which can be used to refine strategies for exploration. Paleovalley-related uranium resources are developed as sandstone-hosted and surficial deposits within paleovalley-fills, deposited either on incised crystalline bedrock, or incised sedimentary cover that is often of similar age to the sediments that host the mineralisation. With respect to Sino-Australian examples, paleovalley-related uranium occurs mostly around the margins of Mesozoic and Cenozoic basins; often the mineralisation is hosted within sands contained within paleovalleys developed upon, or proximal to, Precambrian crystalline rock that contains primary uranium mineralisation. Numerous examples are known in Australia and China where granitic rocks of pre-Mesozoic age contain uranium in the range 10-100 ppm, concentrations significantly above the crustal average of 2.8 ppm uranium. Crystalline rocks with above-background levels of uranium that are incised by paleovalleys are often the inferred source of the sandstone-hosted uranium. In these regions, extensive fluvial systems developed particularly during Mesozoic and early Cenozoic times, eroded weathered basement rocks to physically disperse uranium into the cover sediments, with subsequent chemical remobilisation, dispersion and concentration of uranium occurring throughout the late Cenozoic. Paleovalley-related uranium deposits are typically hosted within unlithified sand, lignitic clays or calcreted channel-fill, deposited in continental or marginal marine environments. Sandstone-hosted uranium deposits in many cases contain impermeable clay layers, intercalated within the sedimentary sequence; impervious layers often form the upper and lower bounding strata of individual deposits. Uranium deposits are associated with reduced lithologies; mineralisation is developed where oxidising fluids (carrying dissolved U) were modified by interaction with reduced sands, the latter commonly containing pyrite and dispersed organic matter and/or seams of lignite. Mineralised bodies, often tabular or roll-shaped, formed along the interface between clay horizons and the sandy facies of paleovalley sediments. Geological, geophysical and geochemical features of the paleovalleys and related uranium deposits have been used to construct models to understand ore genesis and assist exploration for paleovalley-hosted uranium deposits. Australia and China remain highly prospective for the discovery of new paleovalley-related uranium deposits. The precise geometric definitions of the basin margin and paleovalley architecture are important in identifying exploration targets and improving the effectiveness of drilling. This requires the integration of various geoscientific data sets. Refinements in remote sensing, geophysical techniques and data processing, in combination with sedimentological and depositional interpretations, provide an efficient approach for outlining the principal drainage patterns and channel dimensions. To help reduce risk, an exploration strategy should combine these technologies with a detailed understanding of the physicochemical parameters of uranium reduction, mobilisation and preservation.

Wide rift model in Bohai Bay Basin: insight into the destruction of the North China Craton

The Bohai Bay Basin is a Cenozoic extensional basin along the eastern aspect of Asia. Whether the Bohai Bay Basin is a pull-apart or rift basin is controversial. The Bohai Bay Basin exhibits a high density of extensional faults and records destruction of the North China Craton. Many structural analyses have been performed on the Bohai Bay Basin, especially the Tan-L and Taihang Mountain fault systems which control its boundary. The initial deposition of Kongdian Formation was mainly distributed along the boundary of Bohai Bay Basin during the Palaeocene–early Eocene. Subsequently, tectonic activity migrated toward the interior of the basin during deposition of Shahejie Formation in the middle Eocene–early Oligocene. Bohai Bay Basin crust was thickened in early Mesozoic time and has thinned since late Mesozoic time. The crustal strength profile of Bohai Bay Basin is characterized by very weak lower crust, which differs from that of adjacent crust. In regard to the crustal structure, lithospheric thickness, and extensional style, an alternative rift model is proposed. Initial Bohai Bay Basin rifts were characterized by metamorphic core complexes affecting the North China Craton, which reflects collapse of parts of the early Mesozoic intra-plate orogen. Furthermore, westward subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Plate led to upwelling of asthenosphere mantle. Persistent upwelling of mantle decreased the strength of lower crust and led to the warm heat-flow regime and generation of a lower crustal fluid layer and wide rifting. Outward flow of ductile lower crust following late Cretaceous extension thinned the lower crust and generated the overall sag appearance of the basin in early Cenozoic time. The model supports a model whereby a wide rift narrows with time. For the Bohai Bay Basin, extension and strike-slip faulting were two independent deformation systems superimposed on each other.

Rapid exhumation of the Tianshan Mountains since the early Miocene: Evidence from combined apatite fission track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology

Combined apatite fission track (AFT) and (U-Th)/He (AHe) thermochronometries can be of great value for investigating the history of exhumation of orogenic belts. We evaluate the results of such a combined approach through the study on rock samples collected from the Baluntai section in the Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China. Our results show that AFT ages range from ∼60 to 40 Ma and AHe ages span ∼40–10 Ma. Based on the strict thermochronological constraints imposed by AHe ages, forward modeling of data derived from AFT analyses provides a well-constrained Cenozoic thermal history. The modeled results reveal a history of relatively slow exhumation during the early Cenozoic times followed by a significantly accelerated exhumation process since the early Miocene with the rate increasing from 100 m/Myr, which is consistent with the inference from the exhumation rates calculated based on both AFT and AHe age data by age-closure temperature and mineral pair methods. Further accelerated exhumation since the late Miocene is recorded by an AHe age (∼11 Ma) from the bottom of the Baluntai section. Together with the previous low-temperature thermochronological data from the other parts of the Tianshan Mountains, the rapid exhumation since the early Miocene is regarded as an important exhumation process likely prevailing within the whole range.

Late Paleocene–early Eocene carbon isotope stratigraphy from a near-terrestrial tropical section and antiquity of Indian mammals

Late Paleocene to early Eocene (~56 to 51 Ma) interval is characterized by five distinct transient warming (hyperthermal) events (Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), H1/ETM2/ELMO, H2, I1 and I2) in a super greenhouse globe associated with negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs). Although well-documented marine records exist at different latitudes, terrestrial PETM sections are rare. In particular, almost no terrestrial records of either the PETM or early Eocene hyperthermals (EEHs) are yet available from the tropics. Further, evolution of modern order of mammals near the PETM has been recorded in many northern continents; however, the response of mammals in the tropics to these warming events is unknown. A tropical terrestrial record of these hyperthermal/CIE events, encompassing the earliest modern order mammal bearing horizon from India, can therefore be vital in understanding climatic and biotic evolution during the earliest Cenozoic time. Here, for the first time, we report high resolution carbon isotope (δ 13C) stratigraphy, nannofossil, and Sr isotope ratio of marine fossil carbonate from the Cambay Shale Formation of Western India. The record shows complete preservation of all the above CIE events, including the PETM, hitherto unknown from the equatorial terrestrial records. δ 13C chemostratigraphy further suggests that at least the present early Eocene mammal-bearing horizon, recently discovered at Vastan, does not support the ‘out of India’ hypothesis of earliest appearance of modern mammals and subsequent dispersal to the Holarctic continents.

Late Palaeozoic–Early Cenozoic tectonic development of Southern Turkey and the easternmost Mediterranean region: evidence from the inter-relations of continental and oceanic units

Abstract Reconstructions of the Anatolian continent and adjacent areas assume the existence of one or more continental fragments during Mesozoic–Early Cenozoic time. These rifted from North Africa (Gondwana) during the Triassic, drifted across the Mesozoic Tethys and collided with Eurasia during latest Cretaceous–Paleocene time. Current reconstructions range from a regional-scale Tauride–Anatolide continent with oceanic basins to the north and south, to numerous rifted continental fragments separated by small oceanic basins. Field-based evidence for the inter-relations of the continental blocks and associated carbonate platforms is discussed and evaluated here, especially to distinguish between sutured oceans and intra-continental convergence zones. Several crustal units are restored as different parts of one large Tauride–Anatolide continent, whereas several smaller crustal units (e.g. Kırşehir massif; Bitlis/Pütürge and Alanya/Kyrenia units) are interpreted as continental fragments bordered by oceanic crust. We infer a relatively wide İzmir–Ankara–Erzincan ocean in the north and also a wide South Neotethyan ocean in the south. Several smaller oceanic strands (e.g. Inner Tauride ocean, Berit ocean and Alanya ocean) were separated by continental fragments. Our proposed reconstructions are shown on palaeotectonic maps for Late Permian to Mid-Miocene. The reconstructions have interesting implications for crustal processes, including ophiolite genesis and emplacement.

Editorial introduction to ‘Geological Development of Anatolia and the Easternmost Mediterranean Region’

The present set of 22 papers stems from the 7th International Symposium on Eastern Mediterranean Geology that was held in Adana, Turkey, 18–22 October 2010. After its initiation in l992, in Adana this international conference has been held successively in Jerusalem (Israel) in l995, Nicosia (Cyprus) in 1998, Isparta (Turkey) in 2001, Thessalonica (Greece) in 2004 and Amman (Jordan) in 2007. The Cyprus and Thessalonica conferences were followed by substantive publications, including one with a focus on Cyprus (Panayides et al. 2000) and another mainly concerned with the Balkan region (Robertson & Mountrakis 2006). A subset of the papers that were presented at the 7th Adana meeting, together with some others, have been prepared and edited for the present volume. Anatolia and the surrounding region provide an excellent opportunity for the study of fundamental geological processes, including rifting, seafloor spreading, ophiolite genesis and emplacement, collision, continental assembly and neotectonics. This volume should interest a wide cross-section of international researchers, including those concerned with hydrocarbons, mineral deposits and seismic risk, and also postgraduate students and advanced undergraduates. The papers highlight the role of fieldwork, the multidisciplinary nature of much of the current research in the region, the role of teamwork and the strong contribution being made by young scientists. Following an introductory chapter, the volume is divided into four sections covering different aspects of the region as a whole. The area discussed mainly lies within Turkey, Cyprus and Syria. Section 1 is made up of a small number of papers that are mainly concerned with the Pontide belt of northern Turkey. Section 2 is concerned with the geological development of the Tauride and Anatolide belts of central and southern Anatolia, especially the Triassic–Jurassic period of rifting and passive margin development and the Late Cretaceous period of ophiolite genesis and emplacement. Section 3 is mainly concerned with the formation of sedimentary basins during closure of several Mesozoic ocean basins and the related structural development during Late Cretaceous to Pliocene time. Finally, Section 4 is devoted to aspects of the structural development of the region, mainly during the Pliocene–Quaternary (i.e. neotectonics) when the plate configuration was essentially as it is today. The area covered by each paper is shown in Figure 1. The introduction by Robertson et al. covers the southern part of Anatolia and the adjacent easternmost Mediterranean region that was the main subject of the international conference. The main focus is on Late Permian–Recent time. A review of the Late Precambrian–Recent geological development of the easternmost Mediterranean region is published elsewhere (Robertson et al. 2012). The authors discuss alternative interpretations of the Mesozoic–Cenozoic inter-relations of the various crustal units that make up the region. In particular, they consider whether these should be interpreted as individual microcontinents separated by Mesozoic small ocean basins or as parts of larger continental units (i.e. microcontinents). The Anatolides in the north are generally interpreted as the metamorphosed equivalents of the Taurides, although different reconstructions exist. The Anatolides are commonly seen as the northern, leading edge of the Mesozoic Tauride–Anatolide continent that subducted and underwent high-pressure/lowtemperature (HP/LT) metamorphism during Late Cretaceous–Early Cenozoic time. The Anatolides are divided into two parts, namely the HP/LTmetamorphosed Afyon–Bolkar Dag zone in the south, which can be closely correlated with the Taurides, and the very HP/LT Tavsanli Zone further north, which also shows some affinities with the Taurides but is less well understood. The Kirsehir Massif is interpreted as a rifted continental block that was separated from a larger Tauride continent to the south by a Mesozoic oceanic basin known as the Inner-Tauride Ocean. However, uncertainties remain, including the reconstruction

Age and geochemical characteristics of Paleogene basalts drilled from western Taiwan: Records of initial rifting at the southeastern Eurasian continental margin

The southeastern Eurasian continental margin has been characterized by formation of rift basins associated with intraplate basaltic volcanism since early Cenozoic time. In contrast to Paleogene volcanic rocks that occur sporadically in the basins, Neogene basalts are more widespread on land as lava flows and pyroclastics in the Taiwan Strait (Penghu Islands) and northwestern Taiwan. To better understand the tectonomagmatic evolution, in particular the initial rifting record, this study reports new age, major- and trace-elemental, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data of volcanic rocks drilled from several locations in the Taiwan Strait and western Taiwan. 40Ar/39Ar dating results show two main episodes of volcanic activities: ~56-38Ma (Eocene) and ~11-8Ma (late Miocene). The volcanic rocks are composed dominantly of basalts and basaltic andesites, and subordinately of dacites and rhyolites of Eocene age. The two episodes of basaltic volcanism have distinct geochemical characteristics. Comparatively, the Eocene basalts are more depleted in basaltic components such as Ca, Fe and Ti, but have higher Al content. They are also more enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE), and show depletions in high field strength elements (HFSE). Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions of the late Miocene basalts are relatively more uniform and unradiogenic (εNd=+6.0 to +3.8), similar to those of Miocene basalts from NW Taiwan and Penghu Islands, and broadly coeval OIB-type basalts from the South China Sea. However, the Eocene basalts have a wider range in isotope ratios (e.g., εNd(T)=+5.6 to -3.2) pointing towards an enriched mantle source. The overall geochemical characteristics suggest two distinct mantle sources: (1) a more refractory mantle source metasomatized by subduction-related processes to generate the Eocene basalts and (2) a fertile but isotopically depleted mantle source for the late Miocene basalts. These two source components are proposed to reside in the lithospheric mantle and asthenosphere, respectively. The change in magma sources with time reflects the evolution of an extensional regime within the Eurasian continental margin from an initial rifting to a well-established stage accomplished by thinning of the lithosphere and associated upwelling of the asthenosphere. The Eocene bimodal volcanism entails a transition from the latest Cretaceous magmatism in the western Taiwan Strait that not only signals incipient rifting in the region, but also records geochemical inputs from the subducted Paleo-Pacific plate to the southeastern Eurasian lithospheric mantle. As the preexisting, subduction-related component had been preferentially overprinted by the Eocene magma generation, there was a magmatic quiescence in the Oligocene before the onset of Miocene basaltic volcanism that resulted essentially from decompression melting of the ascended asthenospheric mantle.