<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A 1-million m<sup>3</sup> breccia near Laiyuan (Hebei Province, E China) occurs as a block-like lithological unit between dolo-stones of the 1.55-1.45 Ga (Early Mesoproterozoic) Wumishan Formation. It has previously been interpreted as a seismite, but it appears not to fulfil any of the commonly accepted criteria that jointly are considered diagnostic for seis-mites. Its presence in a graben-like structure with almost vertical bounding fault planes rather indicates an origin as a (submarine) valley fill. As the valley originated by tectonic activity in the form of faulting, the breccia can be considered as a secondary effect of seismic activity, but it does not represent a seismite.</p></abstract>

A 1-million m3 breccia near Laiyuan (Hebei Province, E China) occurs as a block-like lithological unit between dolo-stones of the 1.55-1.45 Ga (Early Mesoproterozoic) Wumishan Formation. It has previously been interpreted as a seismite, but it appears not to fulfil any of the commonly accepted criteria that jointly are considered diagnostic for seis-mites. Its presence in a graben-like structure with almost vertical bounding fault planes rather indicates an origin as a (submarine) valley fill. As the valley originated by tectonic activity in the form of faulting, the breccia can be considered as a secondary effect of seismic activity, but it does not represent a seismite.

The Mesoproterozoic ‘seismite’ at Laiyuan (Hebei Province, E China) re-interpreted

Geological Institute, Adam Mickiewicz University, Maków Polnych 16, 61-606 Poznañ, Poland. e-mail:

Geologos

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A 1-million m3 breccia near Laiyuan (Hebei Province, E China) occurs as a block-like lithological unit between dolo-stones of the 1.55-1.45 Ga (Early...

The Mesoproterozoic ‘seismite’ at Laiyuan (Hebei Province, E China) re-interpreted

Published Online: Jul 08, 2014

Page range: 139 - 146

Received: Dec 09, 2013

Accepted: Dec 24, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/logos-2014-0012

Keywords
seismite, valley fill, graben sedimentation, Wumishan Formation, Mesoproterozoic, Fangshan geopark, Hebei Province, China

© 2014 A.J. (Tom) Van Loon

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Mesoproterozoic ‘seismite’ at Laiyuan (Hebei Province, E China) re-interpreted

Published Online: Jul 08, 2014

Page range: 139 - 146

Received: Dec 09, 2013

Accepted: Dec 24, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/logos-2014-0012

Keywordsseismite, valley fill, graben sedimentation, Wumishan Formation, Mesoproterozoic, Fangshan geopark, Hebei Province, China

© 2014 A.J. (Tom) Van Loon

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
seismite, valley fill, graben sedimentation, Wumishan Formation, Mesoproterozoic, Fangshan geopark, Hebei Province, China