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The performed morphotectonic regionalization of the northwestern Caucasus shows that the fold structures directly expressed in the topography of the territory and continuing to evolve under the settings of contemporary lateral shortening predominate in the northwestern Caucasus. A map of fold structures expressed in the topography of the northwestern Caucasus is presented. The districts distinguished therein correspond to the largest regional tectonic units, the fold topography of which occurs at various stages of tectonic evolution from primary brachyanticlinal ridges of the Taman and Sochi districts to the complex fold-thrust and inversion fold ridges of the axial zone. Data on active newly formed fold and inversion structures are given. These inherited structures develop under the combined action of selective denudation, beddingplane upthrow faulting, and thrusting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, a 500-km-long wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic profile was completed, running northwest from the central Sichuan Basin. This profile orthogonally crosses the meizoseismal area of great Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008, which occurred in the central part of the Longmenshan. The profile also passes through the northwestern Sichuan Plateau, along which a new deep seismic sounding observation system was set up that was much improved over previous datasets and enabled abundant observations to be recorded. Seismic wave phase records that reflect the structural characteristics of different tectonic blocks, especially the complicated phase features associated with the Wenchuan earthquake, were calculated and analyzed in detail. A 2D crustal P-wave velocity model for the orogenic belt in the central Longmenshan and its margins was determined, and crustal structure differences between the stable Sichuan Basin and the thickened northwestern Sichuan Plateau were characterized. Lithological variations within the upper and lower crust in the interior of the plateau, especially a great velocity decrease and plastic rheological properties associated with strong lithologic weakening in lower crust, were detected. From west to east in the lower crust beneath the orogenic belt lying between the Sichuan Basin and the northwestern Sichuan Plateau, a giant shovel-like upwelling is observed that dips gently in the lower part and at higher angles in the upper part; this is inferred to be related to the fault systems in the central Longmenshan. An upwelling in the upper-middle crust along the eastern margin of the orogenic belt is associated with steeply dipping thrusts that strongly uplift the upper crust and crystalline basement beneath a central fault system in the Longmenshan. The data, combined with an understanding of the regional tectonic stress field and previous geological results, enable a discussion of basin-and-range coupling, orogenic tectonics, the crustal fault system, and the seismogenic tectonic environment of the central Longmenshan along the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time gap between diagenesis and mineralization (TGDM) for comagmatic gold deposits (CGD) plays an important role in confirming the genetic relationship between gold deposits and their related intrusions. With the help of preciously published isotopic ages of some typical gold deposits and their related rocks in China, the authors have discussed and quantified the distribution characteristics and scope of the TGDM. Statistical analyses and Kolmogorov tests showed that mineralizing events are either contemporaneous with or slightly postdate their cognate magma. The TGDM conforms with normal distributions at a 0.05 confidence level and clusters between 0 and 16.0 Ma with a mean of 7.0 Ma. Thus, if the TGDM of CGD is less than 16.0 Ma, it is reasonable to consider, with the aid of other evidence, the possibility of its comagmatic genetic affiliation. The authors also emphasized that to get a precise time gap it is necessary to strengthen the diagenesis-mineralization geological background of the deposits studied, and to pay attention to the study of time gap in combination with trace elements and isotope tracing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]