Plate motions and the viscosity structure of the mantle — Insights from numerical modelling

We use sulfur (S) isotope signatures within ancient sediments and a photochemical model of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) photolysis to interpret the evolution of the atmosphere over the first half of Earth's history. A decrease in mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation has been reported in Archean rocks deposited between ~ 2.7 Ga and ~ 3.2 Ga, and is reinforced by new S isotope data that we report here. This pattern has been interpreted by some as evidence that atmospheric oxygen (O₂) was elevated during this time. In this paper, we argue against that conclusion, and show that it is inconsistent with other geochemical data. In its place, we propose a new model that can explain the sulfur isotope record that can also avoid conflicts with independent constraints on O₂ and account for concurrent glacial deposits. Specifically, we suggest that prior to the rise of O₂ excursions in the sulfur isotope record were modulated by the thickness of an organic haze. This haze would have blocked the lower atmosphere from the UV fluxes responsible for the anomalous sulfur photochemistry and would have caused an anti-greenhouse effect that triggered the glaciations. We used a photochemical model to verify that a haze could have affected the isotopic signal in this manner, and to examine how changes in atmospheric methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations could have controlled haze thickness. Finally, we combined the resulting relationships with climate models and sulfur isotope and glacial records to deduce a new evolutionary sequence for Archean climate, surface chemistry, and biology.     

Zn2+浓度对固氮鱼腥藻(Anabaena azotica Ley)光能转化特性的影响

本实验对在不同Zn^2 浓度条件下培养的固氮鱼腥藻（Anabaena azotica Ley）的生长、光合放氧速率和叶绿素荧光参数Fv/Fm进行了测定。结果表明,当Zn^2 浓度为1.0μmol/L时,其比生长速率（Specifie growth rate）最大,光合放氧速率和Fv/Fm值最高,当Zn^2 浓度大于等于5.0μmol/L是会抑制A.azotica Ley的生长和光合作用,对在0μmol/L和5.0μmol/L Zn^2 发生反应的藻蓝蛋白溶液的可见光吸收光谱的分析,发现前者624nm处藻胆体的吸收峰和后者620nm处藻蓝蛋白的吸收峰都因Zn^2 的作用而下降,推测藻蓝蛋白为Zn^2 影响光合作用的位点之一,碳酸酐酶活性的测定表明Zn^2 的浓度水平会影响其活性大小,推测是Zn^2 影响光合作用的另一途径。     

What determines the volume of the oceans?

The volume of Earth's oceans may be determined by a dynamic mechanism involving exchange of water between the crust and the mantle. Fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges are currently submerged to a depth at which the pressure is close to the critical pressure for seawater. This ensures optimal convective heat transport and, hence, maximal penetration of hydrothermal circulation along the ridge axes. The oceanic crust is hydrated to a depth of a kilometer or more and can therefore carry a substantial flux of water to the upper mantle when it is subducted. The current ingassing rate of water by this process is probably at least sufficient to balance the outgassing rate. If the oceans were shallower, as they may have been in the distant past, convective heat transport would be reduced and the depth of hydrothermal penetration and crustal hydration would decrease. Outgassing would exceed ingassing and ocean volume would increase. The system is self-stabilizing as long as the depth of the oceans does not exceed its present value. This mechanism could explain why continental freeboard has remained approximately constant since the Archean despite probable increases in continental area.     

The role of serpentine in preferential craton formation in the late Archean by lithosphere underthrusting

Cratons form the cores of continents and were formed within a narrow window of time (2.5–3.2 Gy ago), the majority having remained stable ever since. Petrologic evidence suggests that the thick mantle roots underlying cratons were built by underthrusting of oceanic and arc lithosphere, but paradoxically this requires that the building blocks of cratons are weak even though cratons must have been strong subsequent to formation. Here, we propose that one form of thickening could be facilitated by thrusting of oceanic lithospheres along weak shear zones, generated in the serpentinized upper part of the oceanic lithosphere (crust + mantle) due to hydrothermal interaction with seawater. Conductive heating of the shear zones eventually causes serpentine breakdown at ~ 600 °C, shutting down the shear zone and culminating in craton formation. However, if shear zones are too thin, serpentine breakdown and healing of the shear zone occurs too soon and underthrusting does not occur. If shear zones are too thick, serpentine breakdown takes too long so healing and lithospheric thickening is not favored. Shear zone thicknesses of ~ 18 km are found to be favorable for craton formation. Because the maximal depth of seawater-induced serpentinization into the lithosphere is limited by the depth of the isotherm for serpentine breakdown, shear zone thicknesses should have increased with time as the Earth's heat flux and depth to the serpentine breakdown isotherm decreased and increased, respectively, with time. We thus suggest that the greater representation of cratons in the late Archean might not necessarily be explained by preferential recycling in the early Archean but may simply reflect preferential craton formation in the late Archean. That is, our model predicts that the early Archean was too hot, the Phanerozoic too cold, and the late Archean just right for making cratons.     

A conceptual model for kimberlite emplacement by solitary interfacial mega-waves on the core mantle boundary

If convection in the Earth's liquid outer core is disrupted, degrades to turbulence and begins to behave in a chaotic manner, it will destabilize the Earth's magnetic field and provide the seeds for kimberlite melts via turbulent jets of silicate rich core material which invade the lower mantle. These (proto-) melts may then be captured by extreme amplitude solitary nonlinear waves generated through interaction of the outer core surface with the base of the mantle. A pressure differential behind the wave front then provides a mechanism for the captured melt to ascend to the upper mantle and crust so quickly that emplacement may indirectly promote a type of impact fracture cone within the relatively brittle crust. These waves are very rare but of finite probability. The assumption of turbulence transmission between layers is justified using a simple three-layer liquid model. The core derived melts eventually become frozen in place as localised topographic highs in the Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho), or as deep rooted intrusive events. The intrusion's final composition is a function of melt contamination by two separate sources: the core contaminated mantle base and subducted Archean crust. The mega-wave hypothesis offers a plausible vehicle for early stage emplacement of kimberlite pipes and explains the age association of diamondiferous kimberlites with magnetic reversals and tectonic plate rearrangements.     

Some consequences of the differences in seismic properties in old and young continental plates for isostatic compensation

We present a short review of seismological data and show that a difference of upper mantle structure is clearly resolved between old and young continental plates. An Archean plate is approximately 1 second faster than a Paleozoic plate for P waves. Such a change in plate structure implies that the density of an Archean lithosphere should be greater than the density of a Paleozoic lithosphere, if they have the same chemical composition. Applying isostasy, we would expect a Precambrian plate to sink and its surface to stand at a level 8 km beneath that of a Paleozoic plate. We first check that the weight of a crustal column is not smaller for a Precambrian crust than for a Paleozoic crust. Explosion seismology data show that isostatic equilibrium is nearly achieved in the crust. Therefore a compensating mechanism has to be acting in the subcrustal lithosphere. Two hypotheses are presented. Provided that the chemical composition of the lower lithosphere does not vary with time, a simple condition for a continental plate not to sink when aging, would be that the density of the lower lithosphere be ?0.1 g/cm³ smaller than the density of the asthenosphere. Another condition that would prevent plates to sink would be a lowering of the density of the lower lithosphere with age due for example to a variation of its chemical composition and to a reduction in the mean atomic weight. Both hypotheses imply that isostatic equilibrium of old continental plates is maintained by a geochemical mechanism. Although thermal evolution is a key factor for explaining the evolution of continents, it has to be complemented by a hypothesis on the change of the chemistry of the lower continental lithosphere with respect to the asthenosphere and/or with respect to age.     

全球流体通道网

新近取得的深反射与全球地震层析成像资料,为地球内部结构和流体通道的研究提供了一些依据．通过研究这些地震资料,可以了解地球内部物质分布状态的几何模式．综合研究表明,地球内存在流体通道网,它连通地球外核、中幔圈、软流圈和岩石圈,是固体地球系统的重要组成部分．这种通道网络象“动脉”那样把地球外核中的流体和热量向外传送,但与热羽说不同的是,不见得有对应的“静脉”存在以保持地幔质量平衡．固体地球作为多层次多要素的巨型复杂系统,其动力学过程要用浑沌理论去解释．研究地球流体活动的轨迹和吸引子,将有助于深入了解地球活动的规律性．     

从克拉通破坏到板块动力模型的研究

华北克拉通破坏动力机制研究导致了全球动力系统及“板块动力模型”研究.板块运动最有可能的动力是地幔物质流动,但由于地幔物质流动的成因至今尚未查明,所以板块构造学说研究仍处于“运动模型”阶段,而没有进入“动力模型”阶段.如果地幔密度异常是驱动地幔物质流动的成因,那么就有可能基于重力学方法以“板块动力模型”的形式建立地幔密度异常驱动模式;软流圈中可能存在着动力特性不同的区块,地幔密度正异常代表物质盈余、区块内的物质要向区块外移动,地幔密度负异常代表物质亏损、区块外的物质要向区块内移动.本项目采用重力和地震资料相结合研究地球的整体分层,根据重力大地水准面联合地震波速度结构反演求解地幔密度异常,再根据地球正常密度假说和板块运动重力学机制的观点并与现有“板块运动模型”相结合,分析地幔密度异常动力区块,初步建立“基于重力学机制的板块动力模型”;为最终建立多学科机制的“全球板块动力模型”,迈出重要一步.     

Despinning of the earth rotation in the geological past and geomagnetic paleointensities

Length of day (l.o.d.) values deduced from fossils and tidal deposits suggest that the despinning rate was, on the average, about 5 times smaller during the Proterozoic than during the Phanerozoic and, moreover, that between 250 and 100 million years ago, there was a slight non-linear variation super-imposed on the overall linear trend of the Earth's rotation rate. To explain these observational facts, it has recently been argued that formation of the inner structure of the Earth (mass redistribution within the mantle and/or core formation) had not been fully completed before the Proterozoic, and that the decrease of the inertia moment associated with the evolving terrestrial interior compensated to some extent the rotational effects of tidal friction. There is an another plausible explanation to account for the difference of despinning rates during the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic, namely: the distribution of the continents had been significantly different during these epochs and the world ocean had been much shallower in the Proterozoic than in the Phanerozoic. We used published data for the Phanerozoic, Proterozoic and Archean in order to check whether there had been significant long-term changes of geomagnetic intensity. Our results are based on robust statistical analysis; they indicate that during a time interval coinciding roughly with the Mesozoic, the geomagnetic dipole moment underwent a minimum in a quite similar way as the l.o.d. data. For the Proterozoic (2500–570 million years ago) and the late Archean (3000–2500 million years ago), it is very difficult to draw a conclusion concerning the variation in time of the intensity of the geomagnetic field: the data set we used is incomplete and the statistical scatter is larger than the derived mean value. Nevertheless, we tentatively conclude that the values of the average geomagnetic moment were approximately the same in the Phanerozoic and in the Proterozoic+late Archean, and that there is no significant long-term change in the geomagnetic intensity detectable before the Phanerozoic.     

铜绿微囊藻和四尾栅藻光合利用碳酸氢盐探讨

为了探讨羹类光合过程对碳酸氧盐的利用,研究不同pH值下铜绿微囊藻和四尾栅藻的净光合速率,并着重研究这两株藻的碳酸氢盐摄取速率.结果表明,从弱酸性到弱碱性,四尾栅藻的净光合速率都比铜绿微囊藻高.由pH值超过pH转折点后的无机碳摄取速率计算得到的碳酸氢盐摄取速率对铜绿微囊藻和四尾栅藻分别为142.14和314.08μmo1DIC/(g·h,FW),故这两株藻都可利用碳酸氢盐作为碳源进行光合,且均为强碳酸氧盐利用者;但是,四尾栅藻对碳酸氲盐的利用能力强于铜绿微囊藻.另外,与四尾栅藻相比,铜绿微囊藻的碳酸氧盐摄取速率更易受抑制剂的抑制.     

Complex Archean lower crustal structure revealed by COCORP crustal reflection profiling in the Wind River Range,Wyoming

A COCORP deep crustal reflection profile across the Wind River uplift crosses exposed Archean rocks and resolves an unusual complex deep crustal structure at a depth of 24–31 km in an area where depth relations in Precambrian rocks can be inferred. The different levels of exposure across the beveled plunge of the Wind River uplift reveal supracrustal rocks at shallower levels with migmatites and pyroxene granulites at deeper levels. For the first time, deep crustal structure from reflection profiling may be interpreted in terms of exposed basement geology. A folded, multilayered deep structure shown by relfection data resembles multiply folded pyroxene granulite interlayered with granitic gneiss exposed in the central Wind River uplift; isoclinal folding is suggested in the folded layered seismic structure. Earlier seismic reflection studies suggested a simpler lower crust. These data indicate that lower crustal structure may have a complexity similar to deeply eroded Precambrian granulite-facies rocks. If this seismic feature represents folded metamorphic rocks, it seems unlikely that this Archean crust could have been thickened by underplating after 2.7 b.y. B.P. and the crust would have to be at least 30 km thich when this structure was formed.     

Biologischer Abbau der Photolyseprodukte von FeIIIEDTA

Biodegradation of the Photolysis Products of Fe^IIIEDTA Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) is not biodegraded by activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant. This work shows that after photolysis of Fe^IIIEDTA, easily degradable metabolites are formed. The OECD Test 302 B yielded a 53% bioelimination with a sunlight irradiation time of 6.5 hours followed by a 4-week incubation. After 20 hours of sunlight irradiation, EDTA is bioeliminated to 92%. One of the photolytic degradation products, ethylenediaminediacetate (EDDA), has been quantitatively eliminated within 14 days following a lag-phase of 2 weeks. The photolysis of the iron complexes of the phosphonates ATMP and DTPMP did not result in biologically degradable metabolites. With these results, the environmental impact of EDTA can be re-evaluated emphasizing the amount and fate of Fe^IIIEDTA in the environment. Fe^IIIEDTA was found to be present in effluents of wastewater treatment plants at fractions from 20 to 90% of the total EDTA. Fe^IIIEDTA has a half life of about 2 hours in sunlit waters. Complexes of EDTA with other metals do not exchange with iron and are photostable. Therefore, EDTA behaves like 2 different compounds: – Fe^IIIEDTA undergoes fast photolysis with biodegradation of the metabolites. – The other metal-EDTA complexes are persistent in the environment. Ecological arguments against the use of EDTA are therefore still valid for all EDTA-complexes except the one of Fe(III). However, Fe(III) complexes with the phosphonates ATMP and DTPMP do not exhibit such favorable properties over other metal-complexes, and so all arguments against the use of phosphonates are still valid.     

Weathering of quartz as an Archean climatic indicator

Chert and other hard monomineralic quartz grains weather mostly by mechanical processes in modern environments. Their clasts are overrepresented in conglomerates and sands relative to their sources regions. Conversely, macroscopic dissolution features, including quartzite karst, are rare but not nonexistent. The similar rarity of quartz dissolution in Archean deposits provides a paleothermometer for climate on the early Earth. For example, chert is overrepresented in conglomerates and sands of the ∼3.2 Ga Moodies Group (South Africa) relative to the source region. Features related to the far-from-equilibrium dissolution rate are particularly diagnostic as it increases an order of magnitude over 25 °C, much more than solubility. Extrapolating from observed dissolution rates in modern environments that weather at ∼25 °C, we expect obvious dissolution features in ancient climates above ∼50 °C. Polycrystalline quartz and chert would readily disaggregate by solution along grain boundaries, yielding silt and clay. Quartz grains within slowly weathering granite would become friable, yielding silt and clay, rather than sand. At still higher temperatures, Al₂O₃-rich clays from weathered granite would stand above solution-weathered chert on low-relief surfaces. The observed lack of these features is evidence that the Archean climate was not especially hot.     

华南巨型锑矿带的特征及其制约因素

华南巨型锑矿带位于中国南方扬子陆块与华夏陆块的接合过渡地段,锑矿床都产在沉积地层中,具有显著的层控性,常有整合的层状矿体出现,赋矿地层都显示异常高的锑丰度,充分显示了与沉积盆地演化密不可分的内在联系矿石的硫同位素受赋矿地层层位和沉积相的控制,碳同位素特征反映了深部因素与浅部过程的耦合,铅同位素则暗示研究区地层及其中锑矿化的亲缘关系和统一演化历史．锑是一个趋于在地壳浅部富集的中低温热液成矿元素,因此成熟度越高的地壳块段锑的丰度越高,锑矿产出概率也越大．华南巨型锑矿带的形成乃是扬子陆块南缘沉积盆地长期演化的结果,可能与这一岩石圈块段长期以来强烈的物质分异和再循环有关．     

地震层析成像板块构造及地幔演化动力学

地震层析成像技术的飞速发展给人类提供了一个探测地球内部结构的强有力的工具，也给人类展示了一片新的天地，使人类更加清晰地在两个层次之上（地球的层圈构造和内部横向不均匀性）了解地球内部，特别是对幔内部非均匀结构，从全球和区域的尺度上揭示出地球内部特别是地壳和上地幔横向不均匀结构。呈现出全新的地球，特别是地幔结构的三维图像框架，很容易理解，这一基本框架正是地幔演化热动力学过程的现代表现，如此，我们可以利用该框架去追溯、探讨全球构造特别是地幔构造演化的历史，从而深化对于我们这个星球演化过程的理解。     

Erosion of terrestrial planet atmosphere by surface motion after a large impact

The history of atmosphere accretion has a large significance in the evolution of the Earth and other planets. Here we present a quantitative analysis of the Earth's response to large impacts (in the 10³²–10³⁸ erg energy range), and the resulting atmosphere loss owing to the global radial surface motion. Our results show that it is possible to deplete the Earth's atmosphere via this mechanism in very large (lunar-sized, 10³⁸ erg) impacts.     

Induction studies with satellite data

The natural variations of the Earth's magnetic field of periods spanning from milliseconds to decades can be used to infer the conductivity-depth profile of the Earth's interior. Satellites provide a good spatial coverage of magnetic measurements, and forthcoming missions will probably allow for observations lasting several years, which helps to reduce the statistical error of the estimated response functions.Two methods are used to study the electrical conductivity of the Earth's mantle in the period range from hours to months. In the first, known as the potential method, a spherical harmonic analysis of the geomagnetic field is performed, and the Q-response, which is the transfer function between the internal (induced) and the external (inducing) expansion coefficients is determined for a specific frequency. In the second approach, known as the geomagnetic depth sounding method, the C-response, which is the transfer function between the magnetic vertical component and the horizontal derivative of the horizontal components, is determined. If one of these transfer functions is known for several frequencies, models of the electrical conductivity in the Earth's interior can be constructed.This paper reviews and discusses the possibilities for induction studies using high-precision magnetic measurements from low-altitude satellites. The different methods and various transfer functions are presented, with special emphasis on the differences in analysing data from ground stations and from satellites. The results of several induction studies with scalar satellite data (from the POGO satellites) and with vector data (from the Magsat mission) demonstrate the ability to probe the Earth's conductivity from space. However, compared to the results obtained with ground data the satellite results are much noisier, which presumably is due to the shorter time series of the satellite studies.The results of a new analysis of data from the Magsat satellite indicate higher resistivity in oceanic areas than in continental areas. However, since this holds for the whole range of periods between 2 and 20 days, this difference probably is not caused purely by differences in mantle conductivity (for which one would expect less difference for the longer periods). Further studies with data from recently launched and future satellites are needed.     

Search for strange attractors in magnetic field data: An example from a tertiary volcanic area near Bonn, Germany

Spatial variations of the magnetic field, measured at the Earth's surface, are mainly due to geological inhomogeneities within the crust. The present state of the crust, in turn, reflects its past dynamical processes and evolution. We analyzed the magnetic field intensity along a few but densely sampled profiles in a Tertiary volcanic province near Bonn, Germany. The aim was to find out whether the variation of the magnetic intensity can be related to a deterministic, although chaotic, generating system or to a stochastic one. In the former case, the geodynamical history would depend on a few degrees of freedom, whereas in the latter case, the parameters to take into account were so many that a statistic approach appears to be more suitable. Since strange attractors do not emerge from the analyzed data, we exclude the presence of a chaos generating system. Autocorrelation functions and a rescaled-range analysis, on the other hand, reveal and quantify a certain degree of correlation among successive data points and allow calculation of a range of spectral exponents in log-log diagrams, which are clearly distinct from those of white noise and Brownian motion. Only one of the profiles exhibits similarity to uncorrelated or white noise. In this case, the signal variations do not result from the local geology but from a buried gas pipe-line, aligned subparallel to that profile. If self-organized crustal evolution generally produces signatures that can be described as correlated noise, within a limited bandwidth of spectral exponents, erraneous or disturbed data could eventually be discriminated from records containing purely natural data by applying analysis tools of the dynamic system theory together with autocorrelation tests.     

The relationship between major element chemistry and tectonic environment of basic and intermediate volcanic rocks

This work reports the preliminary results of a study of the relationship between tectonic environment and major element chemistry of volcanic rocks. Using a file of 8400 analyses of rocks of varying ages and geographic distribution it has been found that a simple ternary plot of MgOFeO(total)Al₂O₃ may be used to distinguish five tectonic environments: ocean ridge and floor, ocean island, continental, orogenic, and spreading center island. Subalkaline “basaltic-andesites” (51–56% SiO₂ calculated anhydrous) are used in this study. Alkaline rocks do not generally show the simple patterns of tholeiitic or subalkaline rocks. The ocean island suite is bimodal with one mode tholeiitic and the other alkaline. A bimodal age/chemistry relationship in the continental suite is tentatively related to different conditions during and after active breaking up of continents (rifting and drifting stages).Most of the Archean rocks in our file generally do not fall in the orogenic field. It is unlikely that modern island arc models can be generally applied to Archean greenstone belts. Locally, however, there may be Archean rocks analogous in some respect to modern calc-alkali rocks.