scholarly journals Rock Magnetism of Late Cretaceous to Middle Eocene Strata in the Lesser Himalaya, Western Nepal: Inferences Regarding the Paleoenvironment

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhan Bahadur Khatri ◽  
Weilin Zhang ◽  
Xiaomin Fang ◽  
Qingquan Meng ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
...  

The growth of the southern piedmont of the Himalayan boundary and its depositional setting has changed since uplift of the Himalaya due to continental Indian-Eurasian collision, which has resulted in variation in magnetic minerals in marine- and terrestrial-facies sediments. In this paper, we utilize rock magnetism data from the late Cretaceous to middle Eocene strata, including the Amile and Bhainskati formations from the Lesser Himalaya (western Nepal), to understand the mechanism controlling magnetic susceptibility (χ). The active tectonics strongly influenced saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM), HIRM, and hysteresis loops, forming both low-coercivity minerals in sediments with low χ from the terrestrial facies (zones I, IIIA, and V) and high-coercivity minerals in the sediments with high χ from the marine facies (zones II, IIIB and IV). Thermomagnetic κ-T curves and frequency-dependent χ (χfd%) values show that sediments with low χ and high χ carry magnetite with coarse non-superparamagnetic (SP) grains and hematite with SP grains, respectively. Comparing the χ data with the lithologic, sedimentary environments, geomorphic features, and sea level data, we propose that low χ values were mainly produced by an increase in terrigenous detrital influx during the regression period of the Tethys Sea, while high χ values formed in marine sediments, which prompted the appearance of ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic minerals during the transgression of the Tethys Sea.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiiu Elbra ◽  
Šimon Kdýr ◽  
Petr Schnabl ◽  
Petr Pruner ◽  
Jan Soták

<p>Western Carpathians transitional sequence of Upper Cretaceous (e.g. Gosau Group) and Paleogene (e.g. Myjava-Hričov Group) sediments provide good premise for studying the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K-Pg) as well as other end-Cretaceous to Middle Eocene events. In Slovakia, the Late Cretaceous formations of Gosau localities can be found in Brezovské Karpaty Mts, Myjava Upland and Mid Váh Valley. To gain insights to local changes in global cataclysm event, a combined study of planktonic bioevents and magnetic properties across K-Pg was studied in two Western Carpathians drilled sections, Žilina (Mid-Váh Valley region) and Kršteňany (Upper Nitra Depression).</p><p>The Žilina-Hradisko drill core (ZA-1) is 75 m long and overturned in position. The micropaleontological research of the ZA-1 drill core provides a stratigraphic data ranging from the Late Maastrichtian to Early Ypressian. The ZA-1 sequence reveals distinct changes in magnetic properties and bioproductivity, particularly at the K-Pg. Although most of the drilled sequence displays paramagnetic behavior and low remanent magnetization (average magnetic susceptibility 142μSI and NRM <1mA/m, respectively), at the K-Pg and during first half of Danian – up to base of P2 biozone, markedly higher magnetic susceptibility (MS) and NRM values were observed. This change could mostly be attributed to increased concentration of magnetic fraction and probably illustrates the paleoenvironmental changes as a result of the K-Pg event. The K-Pg interval is also marked by the presence of increased amount of superparamagnetic particles. A mixture of low and high coercivity minerals were detected throughout the drill core, with S-ratio varying between 0.2-0.9 (at K-Pg 0.6-0.9). An additional study of mercury (Hg) content, in combination with total organic carbon (TOC), of ZA-1 samples, reveals a short time enhanced (Hg/TOC >100ppb/wt%), possibly volcanogenic, Hg input during Late Maastrichtian 40cm below K-Pg and later in the second half of P1 biozone in Danian, but seems to indicate either weak or no correlation with magnetic properties. The Kršteňany section consists of two boreholes, KRS-1 and KRS-3, and comprises Late Cretaceous – Middle Eocene formations. Similarly to ZA-1, most of the KRS-3 displays paramagnetic behavior (MS <300μSI) and low NRM (<2mA/m). However, contrary to ZA-1, the distinct changes in magnetic properties at K-Pg interval were not observed. The Maastrichtian portion of KRS-3 displays elevated, but decreasing towards K-Pg, MS values due to considerable weathering and increased hematite and/or goethite content in red-bed formation in the bottommost part of the core. Paleocene sequence through middle Ypresian shows lowest MS with higher (in pelagic sequences) and lower (in siliciclastic sequences) MS zones, probably following transgressive-regressive cycles.</p><p>The research was supported by Czech Science Foundation project no. 19-07516S and by VEGA agency no 2/0013/20, and is in accordance with research plan no. RVO67985831.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burak Semih Cabuk ◽  
Mualla Cengiz

<p>The Marmara region is located on the Alpine Himalayan orogenic belt which experienced a active tectonic deformation. The region consists of tectonic units such as the Istanbul Zone, the Strandja Zone and the Sakarya Continent. It is reported in the previous geological studies that the Istanbul Zone began to move southwards appart from the Moesia Platform with the effect of West Blacksea Fault in the west and West Crimea Fault in the east after the the opening of the Black Sea in the Cretaceous. It is known that the Intra Pontide suture is formed after the closure of the Intra-Pontide ocean during the Early Eocene due to the collision between İstanbulzone and the Sakarya continent which moved northwards. As a result of the continental collision, the region has completed its evolution under the influence of basin formation and the emplacement of North Anatolian Fault Zone from Miocene to the present.</p><p> </p><p>In this study, Upper Cretaceous-Oligocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks were sampled at 103 sites to investigate the tectonic deformation of the area. As a result of rock magnetism studies, it was shown that magnetic minerals in sedimentary and volcanic rocks are defined by titanium-rich titanomagnetite showing low coercivity, while in limestone samples, magnetization is defined by hematite showing high coercivity. As a result of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements, it was observed that most of the samples show magnetic foliation and a deformation ellipsoid which is oblate. Paleomagnetic results show counterclockwise rotation of 19.9°±10.9° for the Sakarya continent, 27.4°±11.6°for the Pontides and 15.6°±11.8°for the Strandja Zone from Eocene to present. The results indicate that the region has completed the collision in Eocene and rotated counterclockwise as a large block. Deformation due to basin development or fault bounded block rotations which developed after Miocene could not been detected in this study. Miocene paleomagnetic data from previous studies in the study area are compatible with counterclockwise rotations in Upper Cretaceous-Oligocene which shows that different blocks emplaced in the study area moved together as a single plate during Eocene-Miocene time.</p>


Lithos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 388-389 ◽  
pp. 106060
Author(s):  
Bhupati Neupane ◽  
Junmeng Zhao ◽  
Babu Ram Gyawali ◽  
Yan Deng ◽  
Bishal Maharjan ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francho Gracia Puzo ◽  
Charles Aubourg ◽  
Antonio Casas Sainz

<p>With the objective of mapping strain on the footwall of a thrust in an orogenic context (Leyre thrust, South Pyrenean Range), more than 1500 unoriented shale fragments (0.7-6.2 g) have been collected. Scalar data (degree of anisotropy P and shape parameter T), together with ellipse of confidence of individual axes provide a proxy of strain acquired by shales in the footwall of the main thrust (Saur et al. 2020).</p><p>Normally, sampling is done by two methods: collecting oriented decimetric hand specimens; or drilling 2.5 cm diameter cylinders. This presents the advantage to deal with oriented samples. However, those techniques are time consuming and it is difficult to collect numerous samples in loose materials such as shales. On the contrary, collecting rock fragments presents the net advantage to provide a much better statistical characterization of the site.</p><p>All samples belong to the Eocene shaly formations from the Jaca Basin. Rock fragments are mostly fractured according to the bedding and/or cleavage surfaces. We demonstrate that the anisotropy parameters P and T maintain their values, regardless the shape and size of fragments. Rock magnetism indicates that AMS is primarily governed by illite, with little contribution of magnetite. AMS provides therefore a proxy of illite organisation within the matrix.</p><p>In the footwall of the Sierra de Leyre we have defined up to 7 parallel sampling sections, whose traces are perpendicular to the direction of the main thrust. On average, each section is made up of about 10 sampling sites and about 15 fragments are collected per site, covering a few square meters.</p><p>We are restricted by the dimensions of AGICO holders (8cm<sup>3</sup> for cubes, or 10 cm<sup>3</sup> for cylinders). It is possible to use an empty 10 cm<sup>3</sup> cylinder, which can be filled with smaller fragments of rock. The automatic rotator allows a fast and precise description of the AMS tensor. We removed from analysis low susceptibility, carbonate-rich samples, that show a higher variety of magnetic minerals. All sites present homogenous results at the site scale, but with significant differences with respect to strain. P and T parameters are very sensitive to strain as illite is the dominant carrier. In addition, the ellipse of confidence of the minimum AMS axis (K3) provides a sensitive proxy to characterize the competition between bedding and cleavage.</p><p>The comparison between the different sections allows to map the areas of damage linked to the propagation of faults associated with the folds. 5 stages of development of the magnetic fabric allows the detection of damage gradients. The mapping has allowed the identification of hidden faults.    </p><p>This new approach is very promising, and allows much more detailed samplings in difficult areas, providing more robust statistical description of scalar AMS data. This methodology could be useful for the study of outcrops that are difficult to access, and more interestingly, from borehole cuttings.</p>


Author(s):  
A. Kosterov ◽  
E. S. Sergienko ◽  
A. G. Iosifidi ◽  
P. V. Kharitonskii ◽  
S. Yu. Yanson

GeoArabia ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adel R Moustafa ◽  
Ati Saoudi ◽  
Alaa Moubasher ◽  
Ibrahim M Ibrahim ◽  
Hesham Molokhia ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT An integrated surface mapping and subsurface study of the Bahariya Depression aided the regional subsurface interpretation. It indicated that four major ENE-oriented structural belts overlie deep-seated faults in this part of the ‘tectonically stable’ area of Egypt. The rocks of the Bahariya area were deformed in the Late Cretaceous, post-Middle Eocene, and Middle Miocene-and subsurface data indicated an early Mesozoic phase of normal faulting. The Late Cretaceous and post-Middle Eocene deformations reactivated the early normal faults by oblique slip and formed a large swell in the Bahariya region. The crest was continuously eroded whereas its peripheries were onlapped by Maastrichtian and Tertiary sediments. The tectonic evolution of the Bahariya region shows great similarity to the deformation of the ‘tectonically unstable’ area of the northern Western Desert where several hydrocarbon fields have been discovered. This similarity may indicate that the same phases of deformation could extend to other basins lying in the ‘tectonically stable’ area, such as the Asyut, Dakhla, Nuqura, and El Misaha basins.


2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 882-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Bebej ◽  
Iyad S. Zalmout ◽  
Ahmed A. Abed El-Aziz ◽  
Mohammed Sameh M. Antar ◽  
Philip D. Gingerich

AbstractRemingtonocetidae are Eocene archaeocetes that represent a unique experiment in cetacean evolution. They possess long narrow skulls, long necks, fused sacra, and robust hind limbs. Previously described remingtonocetids are known from middle Eocene Lutetian strata in Pakistan and India. Here we describe a new remingtonocetid, Rayanistes afer, n. gen. n. sp., recovered from a middle to late Lutetian interval of the Midawara Formation in Egypt. The holotype preserves a sacrum with four vertebral centra; several lumbar and caudal vertebrae; an innominate with a complete ilium, ischium, and acetabulum; and a nearly complete femur. The ilium and ischium of Rayanistes are bladelike, rising sharply from the body of the innominate anterior and posterior to the acetabulum, and the acetabular notch is narrow. These features are diagnostic of Remingtonocetidae, but their development also shows that Rayanistes had a specialized mode of locomotion. The expanded ischium is larger than that of any other archaeocete, supporting musculature for powerful retraction of the hind limbs during swimming. Posteriorly angled neural spines on lumbar vertebrae and other features indicate increased passive flexibility of the lumbus. Rayanistes probably used its enhanced lumbar flexibility to increase the length of the power stroke during pelvic paddling. Recovery of a remingtonocetid in Egypt broadens the distribution of Remingtonocetidae and shows that protocetids were not the only semiaquatic archaeocetes capable of dispersal across the southern Tethys Sea.


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