Taking the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Changning area of the southern Sichuan Basin as an example, the characteristics and formation stages of tectonic fractures are comprehensively studied by regional scale geological analysis and microscopic scale experimental tests. Regional scale geological analysis shows that there are mainly high-angle and vertical structural fractures, which have the characteristics of small opening, large spacing, small fracture density, and high filling degree. The fracture systems can be divided into three stages and six groups, which correspond to the structural compression in the near south−north, northwest, and northeast directions. The microscopic scale experimental test analysis confirmed that the formation of tectonic fractures mainly experienced three stages of tectonic movements, namely, the Middle−Late Yanshanian tectonic movement (136− 94 million years ago (Ma)), the Late Yanshanian tectonic movement−Early Himalayan tectonic movement (94−67 Ma), and the Middle−Late Himalayan tectonic movement (67−0 Ma). The corresponding uniform temperatures of the fracture filling inclusions are 118.5−140.2, 91.6−108.5, and 73.2−82.2 °C, respectively. Based on the tectonic analysis and geomechanical principles, an evolutionary model of structural fractures was established. Fractures with early formation and high filling degree and fractures with late formation but large angle between the fracture orientation and current geostress direction are beneficial to shale gas enrichment.
The Lu-Zong (Lujiang-Zongyang) basin is one of the most important volcanic basins in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River area, China. It comprises four shoshonitic volcanic units, which are, in an ascending order, the Longmenyuan, Zhuanqiao, Shuangmiao and Fushan Groups. The LA-ICP MS U-Pb zircon ages of the four units are: 134.8±1.8 Ma for the Longmenyuan Group, 134.1±1.6 Ma for the Zhuanqiao Group, 130.5±0.8 Ma for the Shuangmiao Group, and 127.1±1.2 Ma for the Fushan Group. The results indicate that all volcanic rocks in the Lu-Zong basin were formed in the Early Cretaceous from about 135 Ma to 127 Ma, lasting 8-10 Ma. There were no Jurassic volcanic activities in all the volcanic basins including the Lu-Zong basin in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River area. This work has provided new chronological results for the further study and understanding of the tectonic, magmatic and metallogenic processes of eastern China in the Mesozoic. zircon LA-ICP MS dating, volcanic rocks, geochronologic age, Lu-Zong basin
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