No description available.

The Contaya arch is an elongated topographic high that divides the Huallaga, Maranon and Ucayali basins in the Peruvian Amazonian plain. Its position well into the foreland basin and well inland from the main Andean thrust belt has proven to be enigmatic. Although it is often considered to be a single structural feature with a single origin, we show here that the Contaya arch is composed of distinct structures with different structural styles and different geologic histories: The main structures include the Contamana high, Contaya high, and Moa divisor. The Contamana high is limited by high angle reverse faults with a NW-SE orientation parallel to the Andean fold and thrust belt. This structure formed in the Tertiary, most probably in the Miocene after deposition of the Pozo Formation sands and shales. To the east of this is the Contaya high. This structure originally formed during the Triassic-Jurassic and was later reactivated in the Tertiary. The easternmost structure, the Moa divisor, separates the Ucayali basin from the Acre basin in Brazil. It is bounded by a high-angle, thick-skinned reverse fault. It appears to be a reactivated normal fault that formed in the Paleozoic during rifting and deposition of the Mitu Formation. From 10 to 4 Ma the subducted Nazca ridge was located beneath the Peruvian fold and thrust belt in the area where the Contamana high, Contaya high and Moa divisor are located. We suggest that the uplift of the Moa Divisor and the Contamana high as NW-SE oriented structures bounded by high-angle, thickskinned reverse faults and the reactivation of the Contaya high during the Miocene is related to the subduction of the Nazca ridge from 10 Ma to present.

A área objeto da presente pesquisa encontra-se na parte centro-oeste de Moçambique, entre os paralelos 16 o e 20 o S e meridianos 33 o e 34 o E, e corresponde ao extremo sul do Cinturão de Moçambique. Inclui a borda leste do Craton do Zimbabwe e encontra-se limitada a leste pelas formações sedimentares Fanerozóicas do Karoo. A região tem uma importância geotectônica fundamental, por se localizar numa junção crítica entre as grandes unidades tectônicas Pan -Africanas dos cinturões de Moçambique e de Zambezi. Embora exista um controle geológico relevante, em virtude dos mapeamentos geológicos detalhados e das informações trazidas nos relatórios do Consórcio GTK, as relações entre as unidades tectônicas são muito complexas e o número de datações que se faziam disponíveis era pequeno e restrito às áreas limítrofes da borda do cráton Arqueano. Em vista disso, o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi o de efetuar um estudo geocronológico robusto, utilizando essencialmente monocristais de zircão, extraídos das rochas regionais, e produzir uma série de determinações de idade U-Pb, pelos métodos LA-ICP-MS e SHRIMP, com a finalidade de definir épocas precisas de cristalização de rochas magmáticas e de recristalização de rochas metamórficas, além de buscar elementos para estimar a proveniência e colocar limites temporais para as unidades metassedimentares. Em adição às datações U-Pb em zircão, foram realizados estudos básicos complementares de petrografia, bem como de datações K -Ar em minerais separados, datações Sm-Nd em granadas, estudos especiais de microssonda analítica para estudos geotermobarométricos, e de geoquímica isotópica de Nd e de Hf como indicadores de ambiente tectônico. As datações efetuadas nas rochas ortoderivadas confirmaram algumas idades obtidas anteriormente pelo Consórcio GTK, próximas de 1050 Ma para os granitóides do Complexo de Báruè e de 850 Ma para os da Suite de Guro. Além disso, datações em zircões detríticos de metassedimentos relacionados com o craton do Zimbabwe confirmaram a idade pelo menos Mesoproterozóica do Grupo Umko ndo, e a idade neoproterozóica do grupo Rushinga. Resultados inesperados foram encontrados para as rochas de alto grau, paragnaisses, granulitos e migmatitos dos Grupos Macossa, Chimoio e Mungari, para as quais as condições do metamorfismo foram estimadas entre 4-6 kbr e 700-800 o C, através de estudo geotermobarométrico. Os zircões detríticos dessas rochas indicaram idades máximas do Neproterozóico, demonstrando aloctonia e proveniência de Leste. Além disso, as idades do metamorfismo dessas unidades, a partir de isócronas Sm-Nd em granadas e datações U-Pb nas bordas metamórficas de cristais de zircão, revelaram-se muito jovens e muitas delas próximas de 500 Ma, já no Cambriano. Além disso, o evento tectono-termal Pan-Africano, entre ca. 500-600 Ma, superposto em toda região de estudo, foi registrado também por idades de resfriamento K-Ar abaixo de 500 Ma. Dos resultados obtidos foi possível estabelecer tentativamente uma história da evolução tectônica da região centro-oeste de Moçambique e considerá-la num contexto continental, como segue: Nos limites leste e norte do cráton do Zimbabwe ocorrem os grupos marginais tectonicamente autóctones de Umkondo (Mesoproterozóico) e Rushinga (Neoproterozóico). Mais para leste, as demais rochas compreendem terrenos alóctones formados por material de idade variada, em grande parte Mesoproterozóica, sotoposto a rochas supracrustais com zircões detríticos do Neoproterozóico (Macossa, Chimoio e Mungari). Tentativamente, duas grandes nappes estão sendo sugeridas, definindo contatos de justaposição tectônica com empurrões para Oeste, em direção ao Craton do Zimbabwe. Uma delas ao norte, denominada Nappe de Mungari, seria correlacionável com as unidades tectônicas da parte NW de Moçambique, com idades principalmente Mesoproterozóicas. A segunda, denominada Nappe Macossa-Chimoio, seria correlacionável com o Bloco de Nampula, que ocorre ao sul do Lineamento do Lúrio, no NE de Moçambique. A zona de contato tectônico entre as duas nappes e as rochas Arqueanas do craton, com direção aproximada N-S, representa a provável sutura principal do Cinturão de Moçambique na região estudada. / The study area is located in the central-western part of Mozambique, between 16 o - 20 o S latitude and 33 o - 34 o E longitude, and corresponds to the southernmost part of the Mozambique Belt. It includes the eastern border of the Zimbabwe Craton and it is limited towards the East by the Phanerozoic formations of the Karoo System. The region is fundamentally important for the African tectonic context, because it belongs to the critical junction among the very large Pan-African units of the Mozambique and Zambezi belts. Although a relevant geological control is available, due to the regional mapping done by the GTK Consortium, the tectonic relations within the area are complex, and the geochronological control was insufficient and restricted to the vicinity of the cratonic border. Because of this, the main objective of this work was to carry out a comprehensible and robust geochronological study, using zircon crystals and producing a series of U-Pb dates, by means of LA-ICP-MS or SHRIMP methods, in order to establish some precise magmatic crystallization or metamorphic recrystallization ages, as well as to estimate provenance and maximum ages for the meta-sedimentary units. In addition, some K-Ar ages on micas and some Sm-Nd ages on garnets were obtained, and a special Nd and Hf isotopic, and a few geothermobarometric studies were also made as indicators of the tectonic envi ronment. Some ages of orthogneisses confirmed some previously known results obtained by the GTK Consortium, near 1050 Ma for the granitoids of the Barue Complex and 850 Ma for those of the Guro Suite. Moreover, ages of detrital zircons of meta-sediments related to the Zimbabwe Craton confirmed at least a Mesoproterozoic age for the Umkondo Group and a Neoproterozoic age for the Rushinga Group. Unexpected ages were found for the high-grade rocks, paragneisses, granulites and migmatites of the Macossa, Chimoio and Mungari Groups, for which the P-T conditions were estimated between 4 - 6 kbr and 700 - 800 o C. Detrital zircons from these rocks indicated Neoproterozoic maximum ages of deposition, demonstrating allochthony and provenance from the East. Moreover, from U-Pb dating of zircon overgrowths, and Sm-Nd garnet-whole rock isochron dates, their age of metamorphism was found to be very young, about 500 Ma, already in the Cambrian. Finally, the Pan-African tectono-thermal event, which affected the entire area, yielded still younger K-Ar cooling ages, below 500 Ma. From the geochronological context, it was possible to make a preliminary tentative suggestion for the tectonic history of the central-western region of Mozambique, as follows: At the northern and western borders of the Zimbabwe Craton, the marginal sequences of Umkondo (Mesoproterozoic) and Rushinga (Neoproterozoic) occur. Towards the east, allochthonous terrains which include variable material of mainly Mesoproterozoic age are found, overlain by supracrustal rocks with Neoproterozoic detrital zircons of the Macossa, Chimoio and Mungari Groups. Two large nappes are envisaged, with tectonic juxtaposition towards the Zimbabwe Craton. The Mungari Nappe, in the north, would correlate with the tectonic units encountered in the NW portion of Mozambique. The Macossa-Chimoio Nappe, in the south, would correlate with the Nampula Block, which occurs to the south of the Lurio Belt in the NE portion of Mozambique. The tectonic contact between each one of the nappes a nd the Zimbabwe Craton is here considered as the probable principal suture of the Mozambique Belt in the studied region.

An integrated field, petrographic , structural , and geophysical analysis of the Panther Creek half -graben (PCHG), in east -central Idaho, was undertaken to determine its tectonic origin. Two competing theories as to the origin of the PCHG exist. One suggests that it formed as part of the TransChallis fault system (TCFS) , a system of northeast-trending normal faults, eruptive centers, and graben that formed in Middle Eocene time. The graben of this system are bounded by northeast-striking normal faults, and show evidence of syn-tectonic deposition of basin-filling volcanic strata. The other theory suggests that the PCHG may have evolved as a result of a post-Challis volcanic extension event (Late Eocene to Early Oligocene). Graben of this event are bounded by NNW-striking normal faults, and Challis volcanic strata are uniformly tilted; this evidence suggests post-volcanic basin formation. This study demonstrates that formation of the PCHG was mostly synchronous with volcanism and that there was very little post-volcanic deformation. Other conclusions of this research are 1) Rates of slip on basin-bounding faults were high, and slip was episodic. Slip occurred on both NE and NNWstriking faults, but more occurred on the NE-striking basin-bounding fault. This is consistent with the dominant NE strike of faults within the TCFS. 2) Most of the older volcanic units in the basin dip more steeply to the SE than overlying younger units , this is evidence for synvolcanic deposition . 3) There is significant hanging wall deformation in the form of folds and normal faults, particularly in the northern and southern portions of the basin . 4) Paleocurrents determined from provenance studies and imbricate fabric in exposed conglomerate beds indicate a flow direction largely to the northwest. This paleocurrent flow crosses the strike of the syn-extensional basin-filling units . 5) The composition of the clasts in the post-volcanic basin -fill deposits suggests that the thick volcanic units preserved in the basin never blanketed highlands NE, E, and SE of the basin and that the footwall of the basinbounding fault system was the main source of sediment in the basin. 6) The magnetic and bouguer gravity surveys indicate a sizable intrusion (most likely related to the nearby Casto pluton) beneath the west-central portions of the basin. The intrusion(s) may be responsible for east-plunging folds in the tuff of Castle Rock. 7) Work initiated during this study to determine the 40Ar/39Ar incremental-release mineral ages and the polarity of the tuff of Castle Rock and the tuff of Challis Creek will help determine the relationship between these two units and will precisely date basin development. However, it is clear that the basin was nearly fully formed by the end of Challis volcanism.

A área objeto da presente pesquisa encontra-se na parte centro-oeste de Moçambique, entre os paralelos 16 o e 20 o S e meridianos 33 o e 34 o E, e corresponde ao extremo sul do Cinturão de Moçambique. Inclui a borda leste do Craton do Zimbabwe e encontra-se limitada a leste pelas formações sedimentares Fanerozóicas do Karoo. A região tem uma importância geotectônica fundamental, por se localizar numa junção crítica entre as grandes unidades tectônicas Pan -Africanas dos cinturões de Moçambique e de Zambezi. Embora exista um controle geológico relevante, em virtude dos mapeamentos geológicos detalhados e das informações trazidas nos relatórios do Consórcio GTK, as relações entre as unidades tectônicas são muito complexas e o número de datações que se faziam disponíveis era pequeno e restrito às áreas limítrofes da borda do cráton Arqueano. Em vista disso, o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi o de efetuar um estudo geocronológico robusto, utilizando essencialmente monocristais de zircão, extraídos das rochas regionais, e produzir uma série de determinações de idade U-Pb, pelos métodos LA-ICP-MS e SHRIMP, com a finalidade de definir épocas precisas de cristalização de rochas magmáticas e de recristalização de rochas metamórficas, além de buscar elementos para estimar a proveniência e colocar limites temporais para as unidades metassedimentares. Em adição às datações U-Pb em zircão, foram realizados estudos básicos complementares de petrografia, bem como de datações K -Ar em minerais separados, datações Sm-Nd em granadas, estudos especiais de microssonda analítica para estudos geotermobarométricos, e de geoquímica isotópica de Nd e de Hf como indicadores de ambiente tectônico. As datações efetuadas nas rochas ortoderivadas confirmaram algumas idades obtidas anteriormente pelo Consórcio GTK, próximas de 1050 Ma para os granitóides do Complexo de Báruè e de 850 Ma para os da Suite de Guro. Além disso, datações em zircões detríticos de metassedimentos relacionados com o craton do Zimbabwe confirmaram a idade pelo menos Mesoproterozóica do Grupo Umko ndo, e a idade neoproterozóica do grupo Rushinga. Resultados inesperados foram encontrados para as rochas de alto grau, paragnaisses, granulitos e migmatitos dos Grupos Macossa, Chimoio e Mungari, para as quais as condições do metamorfismo foram estimadas entre 4-6 kbr e 700-800 o C, através de estudo geotermobarométrico. Os zircões detríticos dessas rochas indicaram idades máximas do Neproterozóico, demonstrando aloctonia e proveniência de Leste. Além disso, as idades do metamorfismo dessas unidades, a partir de isócronas Sm-Nd em granadas e datações U-Pb nas bordas metamórficas de cristais de zircão, revelaram-se muito jovens e muitas delas próximas de 500 Ma, já no Cambriano. Além disso, o evento tectono-termal Pan-Africano, entre ca. 500-600 Ma, superposto em toda região de estudo, foi registrado também por idades de resfriamento K-Ar abaixo de 500 Ma. Dos resultados obtidos foi possível estabelecer tentativamente uma história da evolução tectônica da região centro-oeste de Moçambique e considerá-la num contexto continental, como segue: Nos limites leste e norte do cráton do Zimbabwe ocorrem os grupos marginais tectonicamente autóctones de Umkondo (Mesoproterozóico) e Rushinga (Neoproterozóico). Mais para leste, as demais rochas compreendem terrenos alóctones formados por material de idade variada, em grande parte Mesoproterozóica, sotoposto a rochas supracrustais com zircões detríticos do Neoproterozóico (Macossa, Chimoio e Mungari). Tentativamente, duas grandes nappes estão sendo sugeridas, definindo contatos de justaposição tectônica com empurrões para Oeste, em direção ao Craton do Zimbabwe. Uma delas ao norte, denominada Nappe de Mungari, seria correlacionável com as unidades tectônicas da parte NW de Moçambique, com idades principalmente Mesoproterozóicas. A segunda, denominada Nappe Macossa-Chimoio, seria correlacionável com o Bloco de Nampula, que ocorre ao sul do Lineamento do Lúrio, no NE de Moçambique. A zona de contato tectônico entre as duas nappes e as rochas Arqueanas do craton, com direção aproximada N-S, representa a provável sutura principal do Cinturão de Moçambique na região estudada. / The study area is located in the central-western part of Mozambique, between 16 o - 20 o S latitude and 33 o - 34 o E longitude, and corresponds to the southernmost part of the Mozambique Belt. It includes the eastern border of the Zimbabwe Craton and it is limited towards the East by the Phanerozoic formations of the Karoo System. The region is fundamentally important for the African tectonic context, because it belongs to the critical junction among the very large Pan-African units of the Mozambique and Zambezi belts. Although a relevant geological control is available, due to the regional mapping done by the GTK Consortium, the tectonic relations within the area are complex, and the geochronological control was insufficient and restricted to the vicinity of the cratonic border. Because of this, the main objective of this work was to carry out a comprehensible and robust geochronological study, using zircon crystals and producing a series of U-Pb dates, by means of LA-ICP-MS or SHRIMP methods, in order to establish some precise magmatic crystallization or metamorphic recrystallization ages, as well as to estimate provenance and maximum ages for the meta-sedimentary units. In addition, some K-Ar ages on micas and some Sm-Nd ages on garnets were obtained, and a special Nd and Hf isotopic, and a few geothermobarometric studies were also made as indicators of the tectonic envi ronment. Some ages of orthogneisses confirmed some previously known results obtained by the GTK Consortium, near 1050 Ma for the granitoids of the Barue Complex and 850 Ma for those of the Guro Suite. Moreover, ages of detrital zircons of meta-sediments related to the Zimbabwe Craton confirmed at least a Mesoproterozoic age for the Umkondo Group and a Neoproterozoic age for the Rushinga Group. Unexpected ages were found for the high-grade rocks, paragneisses, granulites and migmatites of the Macossa, Chimoio and Mungari Groups, for which the P-T conditions were estimated between 4 - 6 kbr and 700 - 800 o C. Detrital zircons from these rocks indicated Neoproterozoic maximum ages of deposition, demonstrating allochthony and provenance from the East. Moreover, from U-Pb dating of zircon overgrowths, and Sm-Nd garnet-whole rock isochron dates, their age of metamorphism was found to be very young, about 500 Ma, already in the Cambrian. Finally, the Pan-African tectono-thermal event, which affected the entire area, yielded still younger K-Ar cooling ages, below 500 Ma. From the geochronological context, it was possible to make a preliminary tentative suggestion for the tectonic history of the central-western region of Mozambique, as follows: At the northern and western borders of the Zimbabwe Craton, the marginal sequences of Umkondo (Mesoproterozoic) and Rushinga (Neoproterozoic) occur. Towards the east, allochthonous terrains which include variable material of mainly Mesoproterozoic age are found, overlain by supracrustal rocks with Neoproterozoic detrital zircons of the Macossa, Chimoio and Mungari Groups. Two large nappes are envisaged, with tectonic juxtaposition towards the Zimbabwe Craton. The Mungari Nappe, in the north, would correlate with the tectonic units encountered in the NW portion of Mozambique. The Macossa-Chimoio Nappe, in the south, would correlate with the Nampula Block, which occurs to the south of the Lurio Belt in the NE portion of Mozambique. The tectonic contact between each one of the nappes a nd the Zimbabwe Craton is here considered as the probable principal suture of the Mozambique Belt in the studied region.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Conventional thermobarometry in metamorphic systems has been primarily limited to constraining peak temperature (or pressure) along a generalized P-T loop. This is largely attributed to the assumption that mineral assemblages and chemistries achieve a state closest to equilibrium with the maximum thermal (and therefore energetic) input at these peak conditions. However, this traditional approach is limited in providing much information about the evolution of a metamorphic terrane, which is modified by tectonic (kinematic) forces, fluid and component mobility, and heating duration. The ubiquity of quartz in the continental crust has driven much interest in using the phase for thermobarometric purposes. In this dissertation, I discss the application of elastic theory in reconstructing conditions of inclusion encapsulation through inclusion pressure estimation with Raman spectroscopy. In some instances, overpressuring of quartz inclusions in garnet give evidence for high-pressure formation conditions. When analyses are collected from garnet core to rim, pressure paths along garnet growth can be inferred (if temperature can be reasonably estimated). In high-T, low-P terranes, quartz may become dilated if the inclusion adheres to the host. If a quartz inclusion is sufficiently stretched, transformation to a low-density polymorph may occur. Trace element uptake, particularly Ti, have been characterized in quartz and understood to be the result of a temperature- (and to a lesser extent, pressure-) sensitive substitution for Si4+. However, the application of the Ti-in-quartz thermobarometer in quartz mylonites has led to mixed results due to the low-Ti resetting that occurs with dynamic recrystallization. We applied defect energy simulations and took a global assessment of deformed quartz trace element chemistries to infer that sweeping grain boundaries provide short pathways that allows localized re-equilibration with a Ti-undersaturated medium, resulting in Ti removal from the quartz lattice. In addition, thermodynamic pseudosection modeling has provided a method to assess Ti activity as a dynamic parameter – one that evolves as the phase stability changes through prograde and retrograde metamorphic reactions. With this understanding, better growth-composition models can be derived to infer complex pressure-temperature-time-deformation (P-T-t-D) histories of metamorphic rocks. These techniques and results are coupled with conventional thermobarometry techniques to provide a more comprehensive picture of the conditions experienced by a rock through the evolution, from burial to exhumation to the Earth's surface. The thermal evolution is used to provide conceptual thermal-kinematic models to explain tectonic evolution and heat advection in the continental lithosphere in ancient mountain belts. / Ph. D.

Variscan dike swarms associated with the Central Bohemian Plutonic Complex (CBPC) at the boundary between the Teplá-Barrandian and Moldanubian Units of the Bohemian Massif represent one of the most interesting geological phenomena. Frequency of dykes and their chemical variability do not have any comparable analogy in the whole European Variscides. This work is focused on the study of dyke rocks in the NE periphery of CBPC in geologically very complicated area with intrusions of predominantly deformed granitoids, contact metamorphosed sediments and magmatic rocks of "Islet Zone" with different protolith ages (forming remnants of the original roof of CBPC), deformed basic rocks of uncertain origin and age. The area extends up to the western boundary of the northernmost part of the Moldanubian high-grade metamorphic complex, the boundary itself being also tectonically problematic. Several localities with dyke rocks under study are situated in the area east of Senohraby (SE of Prague), on the northern side (right coast) of the Sázava river, and extend up to the area of Stříbrná Skalice. This area is rich in dykes of gabbro to diorite porphyry accompanied in some places with tonalite (rarely quartz diorite) porphyry and more rarely with amphibole lamprophyres (spessartite). Significantly younger dykes...