断层脆塑性转化带的强度与变形机制及其流体和应变速率的影响

野外、实验和地震数据表明:浅部地壳的变形以脆性破裂为主,深部地壳的变形以晶体塑性流动为主.在这种认识的基础上,提出了地壳变形的2种机制模型,即发生脆性变形的上部地壳强度基于Byerlee摩擦定律以及发生塑性变形的下部地壳强度基于幂次蠕变定律.而位于其间的脆塑性转化带的深度与浅源地震深度的下限具有很好的一致性.然而,二元结构的流变模型局限性在于其力学模型过于简单,往往过高估计了脆塑性转化带的强度.问题的根源在于对脆塑性转化带的变形机制的研究已有很多,但没有定量的力学方程来描述脆塑性转化带强度;而且以往对断层脆塑性转化带的研究主要集中在温度引起的脆塑性转化方面,对因应变速率和流体对脆塑性转化的影响方面的研究也比较薄弱.对断层带内矿物变形机制研究表明,某些断层带脆塑性转化发生在相同深度(温度和压力)内,发生脆塑性转化的原因是应变速率的变化,而这种变化被认为与地震周期的同震、震后-间震期蠕变有关,这种变化得到了主震-余震深度分布变化的证实.对断层流体特征分析表明,断层带内可能存在高压流体,这种高压流体会随断裂带的破裂及愈合而周期性变化,在地震孕育及循环中起着关键性作用.高压流体的形成(裂隙愈合)有多种机理,其中,压溶是断层带裂隙愈合的主导机制之一.研究在水作用下的压溶,可以对传统的摩擦-流变二元地壳强度结构及其断层强度进行补充与修正.通过以上分析,认为有必要通过野外变形样品和高温高压实验,深入研究应变速率及流体压力对断层脆塑性转化的影响,同时,通过实验建立压溶蠕变的方程,近似地估计脆塑性转化带的强度.     

地壳岩石变形行为的转变及其温压条件

岩石脆延性转化 (brittle ductiletransition)和脆塑性转化 (brittle plastictransition)是不同的概念。脆延性转化指从岩石的局部变形破坏到宏观均匀流动变形的转化 ,它与宏观结构和力学行为的变化相关。脆塑性转化指脆性向晶体塑性变形的转化 ,它与力学行为和微观机制的变化相关。通过地壳中最主要的石英、长石的实验室和野外变形温压条件对比发现 ,达到相同的变形特征 ,在实验室和野外所需温压条件不同。建立变形机制图使解决这一矛盾成为可能。但受实验资料的限制 ,目前几种主要岩石的变形机制图还无法建立。因此 ,通过对实验与自然环境下变形特征及微观机制对比 ,找出两者温压条件的差别 ,就成为将实验研究结果外推解决实际地质问题的有效途径     

岩浆与构造作用对洋壳厚度的影响——以西北印度洋为例

洋中脊及邻区洋盆的洋壳厚度能很好地反映区域岩浆补给特征,对于研究洋中脊内部及周缘岩浆活动和构造演化过程具有很好的指示意义.西北印度洋中脊作为典型的慢速扩张洋中脊,其扩张过程与周缘构造活动具有很强的时空关系.本文利用剩余地幔布格重力异常反演了西北印度洋洋壳厚度,由此分析区域内洋壳厚度分布和岩浆补给特征.研究发现,西北印度洋洋壳平均厚度为7.8 km,受区域构造背景影响厚度变化较大.根据洋壳厚度的统计学分布特征,将区域内洋壳分为三种类型:薄洋壳(小于4.5 km)、正常洋壳(4.5~6.5 km)和厚洋壳(大于6.5 km),根据西北印度洋中脊周缘(~40 Ma内)洋壳厚度变化特征可将洋中脊划分为5段,发现洋中脊洋壳厚度受区域构造活动和地幔温度所控制,其中薄洋壳主要受转换断层影响造成区域洋壳厚度减薄,而厚洋壳主要受地幔温度和地幔柱作用影响,并在S4洋中脊段显示出较强的热点与洋中脊相互作用,同时微陆块的裂解和漂移也可能是导致洋壳厚度差异的原因之一.     

中国大陆及邻区岩石圈三维流变结构

依据地震波速得到的上地幔温度和气象台站记录的地表温度为约束,结合地表热流和热导率观测数据,利用有限元方法计算了中国大陆及邻区岩石圈三维热结构.基于此温度结果和GPS观测得到的应变率数据,以滑动摩擦、脆性破裂和蠕变三种强度机制为约束,计算得到了中国大陆及邻区岩石圈三维流变结构.结果显示:弱强度和低等效黏滞性系数的下地壳在中国大陆及邻区普遍存在,并且下地壳的流变强度和等效黏滞性系数比上地壳和岩石圈地幔一般要低1~2个数量级;中国大陆范围内青藏高原存在着厚度最大、强度最低的下地壳;青藏高原的岩石圈强度和等效黏滞性系数比华北、华南和印度板块的都要低;岩石圈流变结构的横向分布特征与重力梯度带和地形过渡带比较一致.     

A preliminary model for 3-D rheological structure of the lithosphere in North China

3-D rheological structure is mainly the spatial distribution of lithospheric strength or viscos-ity, its strength and viscosity are indispensable parameters in quantitative study of the lithosphere deformation. Plate tectonics theory initially divided the…     

Accumulation of elastic strains in the upper crust on the locked transform faults and the tectonomagnetic effect

Plate tectonics only allows small deformations in the lithospheric plates. The laboratory experiments with the rock specimens show that the creep is transient when the creep strain is at most 1%. Hence, if we assume that the creep strain in the lithospheric plates is below this threshold, the creep is transient. The present paper addresses the role of the elastic, brittle (pseudo-plastic), and creep rheology of the lithosphere during the accumulation of elastic shear strains on the locked faults in the Earth’s crust, i.e., during the process of preparation of the earthquakes. The effective viscosity characterizing the transient creep is lower than that under the steady-state creep and it depends on the characteristic time of a given process. The characteristic duration of the stress and strain accumulation process in the vicinity of the locked faults is a few dozen years. On these time intervals, the thin upper crustal layer behaves as brittle; the underlying layer behaves as elastic (it is just this layer which accommodates stress accumulation leading to the earthquake), whereas the transient creep is predominant in the lower crust and mantle lithosphere. Transient creep entails nonlinear time dependence of the strains arising in the vicinity of the locked fault in the elastic crust. The perturbations in the magnetic field induced by these strains can be treated as the magnetic precursor of the earthquake.     

Dynamics of the mid-ocean ridge plate boundary: Recent observations and theory

The global mid-ocean ridge system is one of the most active plate boundaries on the earth and understanding the dynamic processes at this plate boundary is one of the most important problems in geodynamics. In this paper I present recent results of several aspects of mid-ocean ridge studies concerning the dynamics of oceanic lithosphere at these diverging plate boundaries. I show that the observed rift valley to no-rift valley transition (globally due to the increase of spreading rate or locally due to the crustal thickness variations and/or thermal anomalies) can be explained by the strong temperature dependence of the power law rheology of the oceanic lithosphere, and most importantly, by the difference in the rheological behavior of the oceanic crust from the underlying mantle. The effect of this weaker lower crust on ridge dynamics is mainly influenced by spreading rate and crustal thickness variations. The accumulated strain pattern from a recently developed lens model, based on recent seismic observations, was proposed as an appealing mechanism for the observed gabbro layering sequence in the Oman Ophiolite. It is now known that the mid-ocean ridges at all spreading rates are offset into individual spreading segments by both transform and nontransform discontinuities. The tectonics of ridge segmentation are also spreading-rate dependent: the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge is characterized by distinct bulls-eye shaped gravity lows, suggesting large along-axis variations in melt production and crustal thickness, whereas the fast-spreading East-Pacific Rise is associated with much smaller along-axis variations. These spreading-rate dependent changes have been attributed to a fundamental differences in ridge segmentation mechanisms and mantle upwelling at mid-ocean ridges: the mantle upwelling may be intrinsically plume-like (3-D) beneath a slow-spreading ridge but more sheet-like (2-D) beneath a fast-spreading ridge.     

西南印度洋岩浆补给特征研究:来自洋壳厚度的证据

西南印度洋中脊为典型的超慢速扩张洋中脊,其岩浆补给具有不均匀分布的特征.洋壳厚度是洋中脊和热点岩浆补给的综合反映,因此反演洋壳厚度是研究大尺度洋中脊和洋盆岩浆补给过程的一种有效方法.本文通过对全球公开的自由空气重力异常、水深、沉积物厚度和洋壳年龄数据处理得到剩余地幔布格重力异常,并反演西南印度洋地区洋壳厚度,定量地分析了西南印度洋的洋壳厚度分布及其岩浆补给特征.研究发现,西南印度洋洋壳平均厚度7.5 km,但变化较大,标准差可达3.5 km,洋壳厚度的频率分布具有双峰式的混合偏态分布特征.通过分离双峰统计的结果,将西南印度洋洋壳厚度分为0~4.8 km的薄洋壳、4.8~9.8 km的正常洋壳和9.8~24 km的厚洋壳三种类型,洋中脊地区按洋壳厚度变化特征可划分为7个洋脊段.西南印度洋地区薄洋壳受转换断层控制明显,转换断层位移量越大,引起的洋壳减薄厚度越大,减薄范围与转换断层位移量不存在明显相关性.厚洋壳主要受控于该区众多的热点活动,其中布维热点、马里昂热点和克洛泽热点的影响范围分别约340 km,550 km和900 km.Andrew Bain转换断层北部外角形成厚的洋壳,具有与快速扩张洋中脊相似的转换断层厚洋壳特征.     

The Role of History-Dependent Rheology in Plate Boundary Lubrication for Generating One-Sided Subduction

We have developed a two-dimensional dynamical model of asymmetric subduction integrated into the mantle convection without imposed plate velocities. In this model we consider that weak oceanic crust behaves as a lubricator on the thrust fault at the plate boundary. We introduce a rheological layer that depends on the history of the past fracture to simulate the effect of the oceanic crust. The thickness of this layer is set to be as thin as the Earth's oceanic crust. To treat 1-kilometer scale structure at the plate boundary in the 1000-kilometer scale mantle convection calculation, we introduce a new numerical method to solve the hydrodynamic equations using a couple of uniform and nonuniform grids of control volumes. Using our developed models, we have systematically investigated effects of basic rheological parameters that determine the deformation strength of the lithosphere and the oceanic crust on the development of the subducted slab, with a focus on the plate motion controlling mechanism. In our model the plate subduction is produced when the friction coefficient (0.004–0.008) of the modeled oceanic crust and the maximum strength (400 MPa) of the lithosphere are in plausible range inferred from the observations on the plate driving forces and the plate deformation, and the rheology experiments. In this range of the plate strength, yielding induces the plate bending. In this case the speed of plate motion is controlled more by viscosity layering of the underlying mantle than by the plate strength. To examine the setting of the overriding plate, we also consider the two end-member cases in which the overriding plate is fixed or freely-movable. In the case of the freely-movable overriding plate, the trench motion considerably changes the dip angle of the deep slab. Especially in the case with a shallow-angle plate boundary, retrograde slab motion occurs to generate a shallow-angle deep slab.     

Dalrymple Trough: An active oblique-slip ocean–continent boundary in the northwest Indian Ocean

The Dalrymple Trough marks part of the transform plate boundary between India and Arabia in the northern Arabian Sea. Oblique extension is presently active across this portion of the boundary at a rate of a few millimetres per year, and seismic reflection profiles across the trough confirm that it is an extensional structure. We present new swath bathymetric and wide-angle seismic data from the trough. The bathymetric data show that the trough is bounded by a single, steep, 3-km-high scarp to the southeast and a series of smaller, en-echelon scarps to the northwest. Wide-angle seismic data show that a typical oceanic crustal velocity structure is present to the northwest, with a crustal thickness of ~ 6 km. There is an abrupt change in crustal thickness and velocity structure at the northwestern edge of the trough, and the trough itself is underlain by 12-km-thick crust interpreted as thinned continental crust. Therefore we infer that Dalrymple Trough is an unusual obliquely extending plate boundary at which continental crust and oceanic crust are juxtaposed. The extensional deformation is focused on a single major fault in the continental lithosphere, but distributed over a region ~ 60 km wide in the oceanic lithosphere.     

The memory of the accreting plate boundary and the continuity of fracture zones

A detailed aeromagnetic anomaly map of the Mesozoic seafloor-spreading lineations southwest of Bermuda reveals the dominant magnetic grain of the oceanic crust and the character of the accreting boundary at the time of crustal formation. The magnetic anomaly pattern is that of a series of elongate lobes perpendicular to the fracture zone (flowline) trends. The linear sets of magnetic anomaly peaks and troughs have narrow regions of reduced amplitude anomalies associated with the fracture zones. During the period of Mesozoic geomagnetic polarity reversals (when 1200 km of central North Atlantic seafloor formed), the Atlantic accreting boundary consisted of stationary, elongate, spreading center cells that maintained their independence even though sometimes only minor spatial offsets existed between cells. Normal oceanic crustal structure was formed in the spreading center cells, but structural anomalies and discontinuities characteristic of fracture zones were formed at their boundaries, which parallel flowlines of Mesozoic relative plate motion in the central North Atlantic. We suggest that the memory for a stationary pattern of independent spreading center cells resides in the young brittle lithosphere at the accreting boundary where the lithosphere is weakest; here, each spreading center cell independently goes through its cylce of stress buildup, stress release, and crustal accretion, after which its memory is refreshed. The temporal offset between the peaks of the accretionary activity that takes place within each cell may provide the mechanism for maintaining the independence of adjacent spreading center cells through times when no spatial offset between the cells exists.     

地壳主要岩石流变参数及华北地壳流变性质研究

岩石流变参数和变形机制是根据断层摩擦和岩石幂次流动本构关系建立岩石圈强度剖面的基础。近 30年来 ,高温高压实验取得了很大进展 ,获得了大量地壳矿物和岩石流变资料。本文系统总结了这些流变实验资料 ,并应用流变数据结合地震震源深度分布 ,对华北地壳流变性质进行了研究。结果表明 ,以花岗岩和低级变质岩为代表的上地壳为脆性破裂 ,其强度受断层摩擦约束 ,以长英质片麻岩为主的中地壳和以中性麻粒岩为主的下地壳上层处于塑性流变状态 ,由干的基性麻粒岩组成的下地壳下层处于脆性向塑性流变的过渡状态。华北地壳的这种物质组成和流变为地壳不同层次的解耦和强震孕育提供了力学条件 ,也构成了不同尺度块体的底边界     

Magnetotelluric Studies at the San Andreas Fault Zone: Implications for the Role of Fluids

Fluids residing in interconnected porosity networks have a significant weakening effect on the rheology of rocks and can strongly influence deformation along fault zones. The magnetotelluric (MT) technique is sensitive to interconnected fluid networks and can image these zones on crustal and upper mantle scales. MT images have revealed several prominent electrical conductivity anomalies at the San Andreas Fault which have been attributed to the presence of saline fluids within such networks and which have been associated with tectonic processes. These models suggest that ongoing fluid release in the upper mantle and lower crust is closely related to the mechanical state of the crust. Where fluids are drained into the brittle crust, and where these fluids are kept at high pressures, fault creep is supported. Fluid fluxes from deeper levels, in combination with meteoric and crustal metamorphic fluid inflow, and in response to fault creep, leads to high-conductivity zones developing as fault zone conductors in the brittle portion of crust. In turn, the absence of crustal fluid pathways may be characteristic for mechanically locked segments of the fault. Here, MT models suggest that fluids are trapped at depth and kept at high pressures. We speculate that fluids may infiltrate neighboring rocks and in their wake induce non-volcanic tremor.     

东秦岭造山带的流变学及动力学分析

通过地质、地球物理和地球化学资料分析,建立了东秦岭地学断面带地壳二维深度-强度剖面,揭示了该造山带的地壳结构和流变学分层性．脆性的上地壳南薄北厚;中、下地壳包括莫霍面呈现水平流变状态,南端蠕变特征更明显;上地幔流变强度较大其地壳类型是栾川以南为H型地壳,构成中、新生代造山带的核部,具有伸展构造和走滑构造的特征,栾川以北为C型地壳,中、新生代的大陆汇聚带．东秦岭地学断面带整体上看为C-H型地壳,反映了后造山期陆内造山的构造特征．地壳物质为长英质-石英闪长质壳内软层具有低速、高热、强网状反射和低强度蠕变的地球物理特征,是后造山期经过调整的水平流变层.     

Seismic Rheological Model and Reflection Coefficients of the Brittle–Ductile Transition

It is well established that the upper—cooler—part of the crust is brittle, while deeper zones present ductile behaviour. In some cases, this brittle–ductile transition is a single seismic reflector with an associated reflection coefficient. We first develop a stress–strain relation including the effects of crust anisotropy, seismic attenuation and ductility in which deformation takes place by shear plastic flow. Viscoelastic anisotropy is based on the eigenstrain model and the Zener and Burgers mechanical models are used to model the effects of seismic attenuation, velocity dispersion, and steady-state creep flow, respectively. The stiffness components of the brittle and ductile media depend on stress and temperature through the shear viscosity, which is obtained by the Arrhenius equation and the octahedral stress criterion. The P- and S-wave velocities decrease as depth and temperature increase due to the geothermal gradient, an effect which is more pronounced for shear waves. We then obtain the reflection and transmission coefficients of a single brittle–ductile interface and of a ductile thin layer. The PP scattering coefficient has a Brewster angle (a sign change) in both cases, and there is substantial PS conversion at intermediate angles. The PP coefficient is sensitive to the layer thickness, unlike the SS coefficient. Thick layers have a well-defined Brewster angle and show higher reflection amplitudes. Finally, we compute synthetic seismograms in a homogeneous medium as a function of temperature.     

三维黏弹性数值模拟华北盆地地震空间分布与构造应力积累关系

华北盆地为我国板内地震多发区域,历史以来相继发生多次破坏性大地震.前人地震勘探与震源定位结果揭示了华北地震的空间分布特征:横向上,华北地震基本发生在地壳的薄弱地带(Moho面上隆),或者地壳厚度的急剧变化带;纵向上,华北地震在地壳一定深度范围内呈现成层分布特征;主震一般在上地壳底部9~15 km深度范围,余震多发生在大约深5~25 km的上地壳与中地壳范围内,在中地壳下层与下地壳中仅有少量或者鲜见有余震发生.为研究解释华北盆地地震空间分布的以上特征,本文建立了华北盆地岩石圈三维黏弹性有限元模型.震源机制和GPS反映华北盆地处于NNE最大主压应力方向挤压,因此对模型边界施以恒定的位移速率边界条件;数值模拟华北岩石圈各层位在数百年以上长期匀速构造挤压作用下的应力积累特征,分析了华北地震空间分布与构造应力积累速率的关系,探讨了地壳结构与地壳分层流变性质对地壳应力积累的影响.计算结果表明,Moho面的隆起与地壳各层位岩石介质的黏滞系数是华北盆地地震孕育的重要因素.华北盆地在构造挤压的持续作用下,Moho面隆起处产生明显应力集中现象.该区域应力在长时期的积累过程中,在脆性的上地壳与中地壳上层,应力表现近于线性增长趋势,上地壳底部较其它深度有最大的应力增长率,其主震可以在应力积累至岩石破裂强度时发生;在脆、韧性转换的中地壳下层,应力增长速率次之,华北地震的大部分余震可能在该层位为主震所触发;而在柔性的下地壳应力增长近于指数形式,稳定状态之后其应力增长速率近于零,而鲜有地震发生.地壳各层位的应力增长率差异与地震成层分布的现象揭示了华北地壳的分层流变性质:脆性(上地壳)-较弱脆性(中地壳上层)-较弱韧性(中地壳下层)-较强韧性(下地壳)-韧性(岩石圈上地幔)的分层流变结构.     

Volcano spacings and lithospheric/crustal thickness in the Archaean

There is a linear relationship between the spacing of Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanoes and the thickness of the lithosphere and attenuated crust in the East African rift valley. Assuming that the physical-chemical properties of the Archaean and Cenozoic lithosphere and crust were broadly similar, we use the spacing of volcanic centres in the Abitibi greenstone belt of southern Canada to determine lithospheric and crustal thickness in the Archaean. The abitibi volcanoes have been deformed and so have elliptical cross-sections. In order to arrive at their original form we have removed the effects of tectonic strain by two alternative mechanisms of pure and simple shear which give comparable results. A mean original volcano spacing of 84–88 km suggests that the lithsophere was 80–90 km thick and that the crust was probably 35–45 km thick in this greenstone belt about 2700 m.y. ago. The crustal values are comparable with those determined by geochemical parameters and are consistent with the suggestion that greenstone belts formed in extensional marginal basins between crustal-thickened continental masses, deep sections of which are now seen in Archaean high-grade regions.     

Numerical models of subduction of the oceanic crust with basaltic plateaus

Light continents and islands characterized by a crustal thickness of more than 30 km float over a convective mantle, while the thin basaltic oceanic crust sinks completely in subduction zones. The normal oceanic crust is 7 km thick. However, anomalously thick basaltic plateaus forming as a result of emplacement of mantle plumes into moving oceanic lithospheric plates are also pulled into the mantle. One of the largest basaltic plateaus is the Ontong Java plateau on the Pacific plate, which arose during the intrusion of a giant superplume into the plate ～100 Myr ago. Notwithstanding its large thickness (averaging ～30 km), the Ontong Java plateau is still experiencing slow subduction. On the basis of numerical modeling, the paper analyzes the oceanic crust subduction process as a function of the mantle convection vigorousness and the density, thickness, viscosity, and shape of the crust. Even a simplified model of thermocompositional convection in the upper mantle is capable of explaining the observed facts indicating that the oceanic crust and sediments are pulled into the mantle and the continental crust is floating on the mantle.     

岩石破裂强度的温度和应变率效应及其对岩石圈流变结构的影响

研究了温度和应变率对岩石破裂强度的影响,得到了岩石圈中一些典型岩石破裂强度的新的经验规律.新的经验规律除考虑围压和标本尺度的影响外,还考虑了温度和应变率的影响,并增加了新岩石的结果,所以更能反映岩石圈内岩石破裂的真实状态.通过对鄂尔多斯平均流变结构的计算和对比研究表明：传统的忽略脆性破裂的流变模型过高地估计了流变强度,流变机制的分布也不尽合理.而考虑了脆性破裂机制的流变模型的结果表明脆性区分为两部分,浅部以摩擦滑动机制控制,深部以脆性破裂机制控制.由于新的经验规律考虑的代表性岩石更全面,并考虑了应变率的影响,得到的脆性区的范围进一步增大,流变强度进一步降低.     

青藏高原东西向差异形变与隆升机制

高精度布格重力异常约束下的三维空间域挠曲形变模拟显示,大约以90°E为界,青藏高原东、西两部分的岩石圈强度存在明显的差异.在90°E以东,岩石圈有效弹性厚度为35~45 km,该岩层厚度可使刚性的上地壳与上地幔岩石通过中下地壳柔塑性地层的黏滞流动产生构造解耦;地壳处于区域均衡状态,下地壳热物质的流动膨胀是地壳隆升的主控要素.而在90°E以西,断裂带严重削弱了该区域的岩石圈机械强度,岩石圈有效弹性厚度小于15 km,向西逐渐减小,至喀喇昆仑断裂带变为零,断裂切穿莫霍面进入地幔,发生纯剪切构造形变;这里的地壳接近局部均衡,厚皮逆冲是地形隆升的主要因素.震源深度大于80 km的地幔地震大多发生在青藏高原西部,其岩石圈深部具有的脆裂特征很好地支持了岩石圈机械强度模拟的结果.