The Qinzhou Bay-Hangzhou Bay joint belt is a significant tectonic zone between the Yangtze and Cathaysian plates, where plentiful hydrothermal siliceous rocks are generated. Here, the authors studied the distribution of the siliceous rocks in the whole tectonic zone, which indicated that the tensional setting was facilitating the development of siliceous rocks of hydrothermal genesis. According...

Endothelial dysfunction is one of the main consequences of the toxic effects of cigarette smoke on the vascular system. Increasing evidence suggests that the small G-protein Rho-A and its downstream effectors, the Rho-kinases (ROCKs), are involved in systemic endothelial dysfunction induced by cigarette smoke. This study aimed to evaluate the role of the RhoA/ROCKs pathway in pulmonary artery e...

study area is located in district of bajestan and ferdows cities, ne of iran. structurally, this area is part of lut block. the oldest exposed rocks, to the north of intrusive rocks and in eastern bajestan, are meta-chert, slate, quartzite, thin-bedded crystalline limestone and meta-argillite. the sedimentary units are: sardar formation (carboniferous), jamal formation (permian), sorkh shale an...

The engraved trails of rocks on the nearly flat, dry mud surface of Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, have excited speculation about the movement mechanism since the 1940s. Rock movement has been variously attributed to high winds, liquid water, ice, or ice flotation, but has not been previously observed in action. We recorded the first direct scientific observation of rock movements...

a research program was conducted on different clay-bearing rocks selected from the ilam, sarpol-e zahab and tajarak regions (iran) to predict their slaking characteristics. the new durability apparatus (nested mesh drums) separates disintegrated particles varying from > 25.4 to < 2 mm as the drums were rotated. on the basis of the particle size distribution, the disintegration ratio (dr) was us...

the study area is located in the northeast of iran. miankuhi formation is 500m thick and comprises homogeneous shales, brown granular sandstone and siltstone. in this study, 45 samples were taken from miankuhi shales and sandstones in order to determine their tectonic origin by using a polarizing microscope. samples were analysed by x-ray fluorescence (xrf) method to determine their chemical co...

voluminous quaternary extrusive rocks, associated with widespread volcanic activities, occur in the northwestern iran and across the turkish-iranian plateau. field and petrographic studies reveal that these volcanic rocks, consisting of basalt to trachyandesite, occur as lava flows, columnar basalts, and cinder cones in three distinct areas of northern (bazergan-maku-burlan), middle (chalderan)...

Field mapping and geochronologic and thermobarometric analyses of the Gurla Mandhata area, in southwest Tibet, reveal major middle to late Miocene, east-west extension along a normal-fault system, termed the Gurla Mandhata detachment system. The maximum fault slip occurs along a pair of low-angle normal faults that have caused significant tectonic denudation of the Tethyan Sedimentary Sequence,...

The high-grade uranium deposits in the Xiemisitan area, northwestern China, are genetically associated with the faulting of felsic volcanic or sub-volcanic rocks. Ferric iron alteration indicates that oxidizing hydrothermal fluids percolated through the rocks. In this study, we measured the gamma-ray intensities of rocks in the Xiemisitan area and we propose a hybrid method for the mapping of f...

There is an intangible quality of implausibility to Australia that is impossible to put into words. It has an ancient and fragile feel: it is almost a continental equivalent of a tree sprouting out of a seemingly solid rock; precarious and beautiful and not quite sustainable. It is a continent where the unexpected is usual, and yet it is always surprising and thrilling when the unexpected is fo...