Geological comparative studies of Japan Arc System and Kyushu-Palau Arc

Based on the published data of structure geology,geochronology,petrology and isotope geochemistry,the authors of this paper have conducted studies on the tectonic evolution history of Japan arc system and Kyushu-Palau ridge(KPR) . The studies show that the initial Japan arc system was resulted from the subduction of ancient Pacific plate beneath Eurasian Plate in Permian. It was part of an Andean-type continental volcanic arc which occurred in the offshore in the east of Asian during late Mesozoic era. The formation of tertiary back-arc basin(Japan Sea) resulted in the fundamental tectonic framework of the present arc system. Since Quaternary the system has been lying at E-W compression tectonic setting due to the eastward subduction of Amur Plate. It is expected that Japan arc system will be juxtaposed with Asian continent,which is similar to the present Taiwan arc system. The origin of Philippine Sea Plate(PSP) is still in debate. Some studies argued that it is a trapped oceanic crust segment,while the others insisted that it is a back-arc basin accompanied with ancient IBM arc. However,it is all agreed that the tectonic evolution of PSP started since 50 Ma,i.e.,PSP has drifted from the site around equator at 50 Ma to the present site,and the subduction of PSP along Nankai trough-Ryukyu Trench beneath the Japan arc system during 6-2 Ma led to the formation of the present Ryukyu arc system. Of the PSP,the KPR has been found with the oldest rocks formed at 38 Ma. Combining with its geochemical characteristics of oceanic arc tholeiite,it is suggested that KPR is an intraoceanic volcanic arc,more specifically,a relic arc(i.e.,rear arc of the ancient IBM) after rifting of ancient IBM. In addition,Amami-Daito province is of arc tectonic affinity,but has been affected by mantle plume. Therefore,based on their respective tectonic evolution history and geochemical characteristics of rock samples,it is inferred that there is no genetic relationship between Japan arc system and KPR. It is noted that rocks reflecting continental crust basement feature have been collected on the northern tip of KPR,which may be related to the process of KPR accreting on Japan arc,but the arc-continent accretion process are still at initial stage of modern continental crust accretion model. However,due to the scarcity of data of the northern tip of KPR,crustal structure of this location and its adjacent Nankai trough need to be further constrained by geophysical studies in the future.     

The geomorphological features and continuity of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR)

The Philippine Basin,surrounded by a series of oceanic trenches,is an independent deep ocean basin in the West Pacific Ocean.Its middle part is divided into three marginal sea sub-basins by the Kyushu-Palau and West Mariana Ridges,namely,the West Philippine Basin,the Shikoku and Parece Vela Basins and the Mariana Trough.This paper,through the analysis of the geomorphologic features and gravity and magnetic characteristics of the basin and identification of striped magnetic anomalies,suggests that the entire Philippine Basin developed magnetic lineation of oceanic nature,and therefore,the entire basin is of the nature of oceanic crust.The basin has developed a series of special geomorphic units with different shapes.The KPR runs through the entire Philippine Basin.From the view of geomorphologic features,the KPR is a discontinuous seamount chain (chain-shaped seamounts) and subduction beneath the Japanese Island arc at the Nankai Trough which is the natural boundary between the basin and the Japanese Island arc.At the positions of 25 N,24 N,23 N and 18 N,obvious discontinuity is shown,which belongs to natural topographic discontinuity.Therefore,the KPR is topographically discontinuous.     

Morphology and tectonics of the Yap Trench

We conducted swath bathymetry and gravity surveys the whole-length of the Yap Trench, lying on the southeastern boundary of the Philippine Sea Plate. These surveys provided a detailed morphology and substantial insight into the tectonics of this area subsequent the Caroline Ridge colliding with this trench. Horst and graben structures and other indications of normal faulting were observed in the sea-ward trench seafloor, suggesting bending of the subducting oceanic plate. Major two slope breaks were commonly observed in the arc-ward trench slope. The origin of these slope breaks is thought to be thrust faults and lithological boundaries. No flat lying layered sediments were found in the trench axis. These morphological characteristics suggest that the trench is tectonically active and that subduction is presently occurring. Negative peaks of Bouguer anomalies were observed over the arc-ward trench slope. This indicates that the crust is thickest beneath the arc-ward trench slope because the crustal layers on the convergent two plates overlap. Bouguer gravity anomalies over the northern portion of the Yap Arc are positive. These gravity signals show that the Yap Arc is uplifted by dynamic force, even though dense crustal layers underlie the arc. This overlying high density arc possibly forces the trench to have great water depths of nearly 9000 m. We propose a tectonic evolution of the trench. Subduction along the Yap Trench has continued with very slow rates of convergence, although the cessation of volcanism at the Yap Arc was contemporaneous with collision of the Caroline Ridge. The Yap Trench migrated westward with respect to the Philippine Sea Plate after collision, then consumption of the volcanic arc crust occurred, caused by tectonic erosion, and the distance between the arc and the trench consequently narrowed. Lower crustal sections of the Philippine Sea Plate were exposed on the arc-ward trench slope by overthrusting. Intense shearing caused deformation of the accumulated rocks, resulting in their metamorphism in the Yap Arc.     

菲律宾海的地势特征

菲律宾海位于西太平洋大陆边缘,它的周边被岛弧和深海沟所环绕,海域内有数条近南北向的构造脊。近南北向和近东西向的构造将菲律宾海海底地势分割成不同的部分,构成明显不同的地势特征:(1)深海沟呈链状环绕着海域周边分布。(2)近南北向的九州 帛琉海岭将海底分成东西两半,东半部主要是岛弧区,西半部主要是海盆区。(3)海脊与岛弧呈近南北向伸展并贯穿全区,海脊与岛弧之间为海盆。海盆底多为丘状起伏,并有轻度切割。(4)海岭、海台呈块状分布在海盆之上,长垣分布在菲律宾海沟的东侧。(5)岛弧周围分布有岛架和岛坡地势。菲律宾海的地势特征和它的构造特征相一致。     

中国东部海区及邻域区域构造图的编制方法及地质构造单元划分

我国东部海区及邻域1:1 000 000地质地球物理系列图将于2008年底出版,区域构造图是其中的主要专业图件之一。讨论了该专业图件的编图方法、地质构造单元的划分方法和主要地质构造单元。首次对黄海东海区进行了全面剥皮编图,剥去了Q+N₂地层。对于沉积盆地用等厚度线表示出了新生界的厚度。地质构造单元划分方法是以板块构造理论为指导并以现今的构造特征为主要划分依据。板块内构造单元的划分是在总结国内外多种构造单元划分方法的基础上进行了修改完善,完成了对我国东部海区及邻域的地质构造单元的划分。区内一级构造单元为板块(太平洋板块、欧亚板块和菲律宾海板块),二级构造单元为构造域(东亚大陆构造域、东亚大陆边缘构造域和西太平洋构造域)。西太平洋构造域主要包括太平洋板块的西部及菲律宾海板块。欧亚板块在该区的部分可分为东亚大陆边缘构造域和东亚大陆构造域。东亚大陆边缘构造域由日本琉球岛弧、冲绳海槽弧后盆地、日本海弧后盆地等次级构造单元构成。东亚大陆构造域在该区内由中朝地块、扬子地块、华南地块等次级构造单元构成。各地块又可划分出盆地、隆褶带、隆起区等多个次一级地质构造单元。最低一级的地质构造单元为凸起和凹陷。     

南海东北部峡谷体系的地貌特征与发育控制因素

海底峡谷在全球陆缘广泛分布，是浅海沉积物向深海运移的主要通道，对于理解深海浊流触发机制、深海沉积物的搬运模式、深海扇的发育历史和深海油气资源勘探等均具有重要意义。本文基于高分辨率高精度的多波束测深数据，首次对南海东北部海底峡谷体系进行了研究，精细刻画了高屏海底峡谷、澎湖海底峡谷、台湾浅滩南海底峡谷和东沙海底峡谷等4条大型海底峡谷的地貌特征并分析其发育控制因素。海底坡度、构造运动、海山与海丘是影响南海东北部峡谷群走向与特征的重要因素，其中，海底坡度对于峡谷上游多分支与“V”字特征有显著的控制作用；构造运动是控制高屏海底峡谷走向的因素，澎湖海底峡谷的走向则与菲律宾海板块与欧亚板块碰撞有关，东沙海底峡谷的走向则与东沙运动相关，台湾浅滩南海底峡谷上段受NW向断裂构造的控制；海山的阻挡作用造成峡谷局部走向和特征改变。海底峡谷群输送大量陆源沉积物到深海盆并形成大面积的沉积物波，海山和沉积物波的发育导致东沙海底峡谷下段“回春”和转向。     

Tectonic implications of the subduction of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge beneath the Kyushu,southwest Japan

The Kyushu-Palau Ridge(KPR), a remnant arc on the Philippine Sea Plate(PSP), is subducting beneath the Kyushu, southwest Japan. Influenced by the subducting KPR, the Kyushu subduction zone corresponding to the KPR is significantly different from Shikoku subduction zone in terms of gravity anomalies, seismicity, the stress state, and the subducting slab morphology. Significant negative free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies are observed in a prolonged area of KPR, southeast of the Miyazaki Plain, indicating that this is where KPR overlaps the overriding plate. The gravity anomaly in this area is much lower than that in other areas where the inferred KPR extends, suggesting that the subduction of the buoyant KPR may cause the lower mantle density to decrease.More earthquakes have occurred in Hyuga-nada region where the KPR subducts than in Shikoku forearc and other areas in the Kyushu forearc, indicating that the subduction of the KPR enhances the local coupling between the subducting and overriding plates. The centroid moment tensor(CMT) mechanism of earthquakes shows that stress is concentrated in the accumulated crust beneath the Kyushu forearc corresponding to the KPR, and the shallow thrusting events in the obducting plate are caused by the KPR subduction. The buoyant KPR, with a large volume of low-density sediments, was responsible for the differences of the subduction depth and dip angle of the subducting Philippine Sea(PS) slab between northern Kyushu and Shikoku. The seismic gaps and the sudden change of the dipping angle of the subducting PS slab indicate that slab tear may have occurred along the west side of the KPR beneath southwest Kyushu. A two-tear model was proposed, and the subduction of the buoyant KPR was believed to play an important role in the slab tear.     

Formation and tectonic evolution of outer margin upfold zone of East China Sea Shelf

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黄海三大盆地的构造演化

７０年代末到８０年代中期，中国地质矿产部和中国科学院所属单位对黄海进行了大量地球物理调查和钻探，根据多道反射地震资料，浅地层剖面，重磁资料和钻探结果对黄海三大构造盆地进行地质构造学分析研究，结果表明，黄海地区三大盆地自北往南形成时代逐渐变新，构造活动性逐渐增强。     

Mineral provinces and matter provenance of the surficial sediments in the western Philippine Sea: implication for modern sedimentation in West Pacific marginal basin

The characteristics and distribution patterns of detrital minerals (0.063~0.125 mm) in marine sediments provide a significant indicator for the identification of the origin of sediment.The detrital mineral composition of 219 surface sediment samples was analysed to identify the distribution of sediments within the western Philippine Sea. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces: (I) province east of the Philippine Trench, the detrital minerals in this province are mainly composed of calcareous or siliceous organisms, with the addition of volcanogenic minerals from an adjacent island arc; (II) middle mineral province, clastic minerals including feldspar, quartz and colorless volcanic glass, sourced from seamounts with intermediate-acid volcanic rock, or erupting intermediate-acid volcano; (III) province west of the Palau—Kyūshū Ridge, the matter provenance within this province is complex; the small quantity of feldspar and quartz may be sourced from seamounts or erupting volcano with intermediate-acid composition, with a component of volcanic scoria sourced from a volcano erupting on the Palau—Kyūshū Ridge. it is suggested that, (1) Biogenic debris of the study area is closely related to water depth, with the amount of biogenic debris controlled by carbonate lysocline. (2) Volcaniclastic matter derived from the adjacent island arc can be entrained by oceanic currents and transported towards the abyssal basin over a short distance. The weathering products of volcanic rocks of the submarine plateau (e.g.,Benham Plateau) and adjacent ridges provide an important source of detrital sedimentation, and the influence scope of them is constrained by the intensity of submarine weathering. (3) Terrigenous sediments from the continent of Asia and the adjacent Philippine island arc have little influence on the sedimentation of this study area, and the felsic mineral component is probably sourced from volcanic seamounts of intermediate-acid composition.     

台湾增生楔的构造单元划分及其变形特征

台湾增生楔位于欧亚板块、菲律宾海微板块和南海的结合部位,是现代弧陆碰撞研究的理想场所。通过对南海973航次在该区域的多道地震剖面的解释,对该增生楔进行了构造单元的划分,并分析了变形特征。认为台湾增生楔是由3个部分,即弧陆碰撞产生的增生部分、洋内俯冲产生的增生部分和增生楔后端在恒春海脊和北吕宋海槽之间的构造楔组成,研究区的高屏斜坡、恒春海脊和北吕宋海槽西端变形带分别是3个部分的反映。自中中新世以来,南海洋壳开始沿着马尼拉海沟向菲律宾海微板块俯冲,形成增生楔中洋内俯冲增生部分;与此同时菲律宾海微板块开始向NW方向移动,前缘的吕宋岛弧自6．5Ma B．P以来与亚洲陆缘斜向碰撞,形成增生楔中弧陆碰撞增生部分。碰撞首先发生在台湾岛的北部,由于弧陆强烈的挤压作用,增生楔后端部分向北吕宋海槽倒冲楔人,使得上部的北吕宋海槽的沉积发生隆升变形。滨海的各个地貌单元可以和台湾陆上的地貌单元相联系,它们具有相似的地质特征,但是由于陆上部分增生历史久,不仅抬升为陆,而且地层的年代也更老。     

太平洋卫星测高重力场与地球动力学特征

通过多卫星测高数据的综合处理，获得西太平洋卫星测高重力场，进行不同尺度、深度构造动力信息的分离，探讨诸边缘海盆的地球动力学问题。测高大地水准面反映了研究区板块相互作用的特点，其高频成分可以刻画各海盆的构造特征。测高空间重力异常也可刻画陆架构造及盆地分布，由其推算出的海底地形含有大量的海底构造信息。各边缘海盆的莫霍面埋深具有往南变浅的趋势，与菲律宾海各海盆的莫霍面埋深大致相当，说明岛弧两侧的构造动力强度基本相似。大尺度地幔流应力场总体上反映了欧亚板块向东南蠕散和太平洋板块向北西扩张的特点；日本海北侧和南海巽他陆架的中尺度上地幔对流与地幔柱之间有着密切关系，西菲律宾海的上地幔对流强化了日本-琉球-台湾-菲律宾岛弧的活动强度；小尺度地幔流主要限于软流圈层内部，在各海盆分散，而在冲绳海槽和马里亚纳海槽则会聚，可与均衡重力异常类比。还讨论了大、中、小地幔流体系的特点及相互之间的关系，籍以阐明海盆及海槽演化的地球动力学过程。     

我国南海历史性水域线的地质特征

40a的海洋地质、地球物理实测研究表明,九段线不仅是显示我国南海主权的历史性水域线,而且总体上也是南海与东部、南部和西部陆区及岛区的巨型地质边界线。根据实测数据,本文将从地质成因、来源、演化的角度论述此南海历史性水域线的合理性。主要结论包括:历史性水域线的东段在地形上基本与马尼拉海沟一致,海沟西侧为南海中央海盆洋壳区,东侧为菲律宾群岛。根据国际地质研究的资料,菲律宾群岛始新世以前位于较偏南的纬度,后来于中晚中新世(距今16~10Ma)仰冲于南海中央海盆之上,因此菲律宾群岛是一个外来群岛。而黄岩岛在马尼拉海沟以西,是中央海盆洋壳区的一个岛礁,与菲律宾群岛成因不同。南海历史性水域线的南段在地形上基本与南沙海槽一致,伴随南沙地块由北部陆缘向南裂离,古南海洋壳沿此海槽以南俯冲至加里曼丹岛陆壳之下,因此南沙地块与加里曼丹陆块为两个来历不同的地块。南海历史性水域线西段的分布在地形上与越东巨型走滑断裂带基本一致,可能与西沙地块、中沙地块、南沙地块从南海北部陆缘向南滑移有关。南沙地块北缘陡直的正断层结构,突显中央海盆是拉裂形成,其基底和中新生代地层与北部珠江口盆地的地层结构可以对比,说明南沙岛礁原属我国华南大陆南缘,后因南海的形成裂离至现今的位置。     

基于DEM数据的菲律宾海典型区地貌类型划分

深远海海底地质环境复杂,地貌形态多变,目前没有形成统一的地貌类型划分量化标准。本文主要针对这一问题,选择菲律宾海中南部典型区作为研究区,结合已有规范、标准和区域构造演化特征,提出了海山、海丘、海底裂谷、山间谷地、山间洼地、山间盆地6种四级地貌单元的量化划分标准。利用ArcGIS平台对DEM数据进行深度处理,提取高程、坡度、坡度变化率、地形起伏度等关键地貌因子,对研究区海山等地貌单元进行了定量化划分,明确了其分布特征。结果显示:受控于形成时期不同的构造背景,研究区西部与东部具有显著的构造走向差异,西部海岭呈近EW向雁式排列,东部海丘呈近NS向雁式排列,东部海丘相较于西部海岭更为狭长;海山、海丘和山间盆地等大规模地貌单元的形成往往受控于强烈的构造、岩浆活动。本次研究成果能够丰富深远海海底地貌类型划分和成因研究领域,为今后相关标准规范的制定奠定基础。     

Geological Characteristics and Distribution of Submarine Physiographic Features in the Taiwan Region

The sea floor topography around Taiwan is characterized by the asymmetry of its shallow and flat shelves to the west and markedly deep troughs and basins to the south and east. Tectonics and sedimentation are major controls in forming the submarine physiographic features around Taiwan. Three Pliocene-Quaternary shelves are distributed north and west of Taiwan: East China Sea Shelf (passive margin shelf), the Taiwan Strait Shelf (foreland shelf), and Kaoping Shelf (island shelf) from north to south parallel to the strike of Taiwan orogen. Off northeastern Taiwan major morpho/tectonic features associated with plate subduction include E-W trending Ryukyu Trench, Yaeyama accretionary wedge, forearc basins, the Ryukyu Arcs, and the backarc basin of southern Okinawa Trough. Off eastern Taiwan lies the deep Huatung Basin on the Philippine Sea plate with a relatively flat floor, although several large submarine canyons are eroding and crossing the basin floor. Off southeastern Taiwan, the forearc region of the Luzon Arc has been deformed into five alternating N-S trending ridges and troughs during initial arc-continent collision. Among them, the submarine Hengchun Ridge is the seaward continuation of the Hengchun peninsula in southern Taiwan. Off southwestern Taiwan, the broad Kaoping Slope is the major submarine topographic feature with several noticeable submarine canyons. The Penghu Canyon separates this slope from the South China Sea Slope to the west and merges southwards into the Manila Trench in the northern South China Sea. Although most of sea floors of the Taiwan Strait are shallower than 60 m in water depth, there are three noticeable bathymetric lows and two highs in the Taiwan Strait. There exists a close relationship between hydrography and topography in the Taiwan Strait. The circulation of currents in the Taiwan Strait is strongly influenced by seasonal monsoon and semidiurnal tides. The Penghu Channel-Yunchang Ridge can be considered a modern tidal depositional system. The Taiwan Strait shelf has two phases of development. The early phase of the rift margin has developed during Paleoocene-Miocene and it has evolved to the foreland basin in Pliocene-Quaternary time. The present shelf morphology results mainly from combined effects of foreland subsidence and modern sedimentation overprinting that of the Late Pleistocene glaciation about 15,000 years ago.     

A detailed study of the Gagua Ridge: A fracture zone uplifted during a plate reorganisation in the Mid-Eocene

Recent multibeam bathymetric and geophysical data recorded in the West Philippine Basin, east of Taiwan, reveal new information on the structure and the tectonic origin of the oceanic Gagua Ridge. This linear, 300 km-long, 4 km-high, north-south-trending ridge, is being subducted beneath the Ryukyu Trench along 123° E. This basement high separates two basins of different ages. Its summit is marked by two crests and an axial valley. A map of the basement top shows the region of the ridge to be composed of a set of linear and parallel ridges and troughs. All these elements suggest that the development of the ridge, and its surroundings, has been influenced by strike-slip deformation. Nevertheless, the height of the ridge indicates also an important compressive component in the deformation. Gravity models across the ridge show local compensation with a crustal root, indicating that an overthickening of the crust occurred when it was young and thus more easily deformable. This idea is strengthened with flexural modeling of the lithosphere that bends under the load of the ridge, indeed it indicates that the high probably formed when the underlying lithosphere was young. We interpret the Gagua Ridge as a fracture zone transverse ridge uplifted during a transpressive episode along a north-south -trending fracture zone in the middle Eocene time, if we accept Hilde and Lee's (1984) model of magnetic lineations. This tectonic event could be contemporaneous with a change of the pole of rotation of the West Philippine Basin which occurred about 43/45 Ma ago.     

南海东部马尼拉俯冲带深部结构新认识*

2015—2018年, 国家自然科学基金重大研究计划“南海深海过程演变”的重点支持项目“南海东部马尼拉俯冲带深部结构探测与研究”以马尼拉俯冲带为研究重点, 从深部地球物理的角度探索南海形成演化史与运行规律。项目执行期间, 在国家基金委共享航次协助下, 先后开展和参与5次综合地球物理探测, 共投放海底地震仪(Ocean Bottom Seismometer, OBS)台站73台次, 海底电磁仪(Ocean Bottom ElectroMagnetometers, OBEM)仪器5台次, 累积放炮达13872炮, 成功获得了60台OBS数据和5台OBEM数据。同时, 取得了一系列创新性研究成果: (1)基于人工地震探测及天然地震层析成像结果, 确定南海东北部的地壳属性为受到张裂后期岩浆活动影响的减薄陆壳(12~15km), 划分了南海北部陆缘洋陆边界(Continent-Ocean Boundary, COB); (2)根据多道地震反射剖面, 划分了马尼拉俯冲带北部增生楔前缘的精细结构; (3)圈定了南海停止扩张时洋壳范围; (4)初步构建了南海与菲律宾海板块构造演化模型。本项目为重大研究计划“南海深海过程演变”核心科学问题(海底扩张的年代与过程)提供了实质性的证据, 同时为南海构造演化生命史的“骨架”提供了重要的基础数据, 具有深远的科学意义。     

Geological Characteristics and Distribution of Submarine Physiographic Features in the Taiwan Region

The sea floor topography around Taiwan is characterized by the asymmetry of its shallow and flat shelves to the west and markedly deep troughs and basins to the south and east. Tectonics and sedimentation are major controls in forming the submarine physiographic features around Taiwan. Three Pliocene-Quaternary shelves are distributed north and west of Taiwan: East China Sea Shelf (passive margin shelf), the Taiwan Strait Shelf (foreland shelf), and Kaoping Shelf (island shelf) from north to south parallel to the strike of Taiwan orogen. Off northeastern Taiwan major morpho/tectonic features associated with plate subduction include E-W trending Ryukyu Trench, Yaeyama accretionary wedge, forearc basins, the Ryukyu Arcs, and the backarc basin of southern Okinawa Trough. Off eastern Taiwan lies the deep Huatung Basin on the Philippine Sea plate with a relatively flat floor, although several large submarine canyons are eroding and crossing the basin floor. Off southeastern Taiwan, the forearc region of the Luzon Arc has been deformed into five alternating N-S trending ridges and troughs during initial arc-continent collision. Among them, the submarine Hengchun Ridge is the seaward continuation of the Hengchun peninsula in southern Taiwan. Off southwestern Taiwan, the broad Kaoping Slope is the major submarine topographic feature with several noticeable submarine canyons. The Penghu Canyon separates this slope from the South China Sea Slope to the west and merges southwards into the Manila Trench in the northern South China Sea. Although most of sea floors of the Taiwan Strait are shallower than 60?m in water depth, there are three noticeable bathymetric lows and two highs in the Taiwan Strait. There exists a close relationship between hydrography and topography in the Taiwan Strait. The circulation of currents in the Taiwan Strait is strongly influenced by seasonal monsoon and semidiurnal tides. The Penghu Channel-Yunchang Ridge can be considered a modern tidal depositional system. The Taiwan Strait shelf has two phases of development. The early phase of the rift margin has developed during Paleoocene-Miocene and it has evolved to the foreland basin in Pliocene-Quaternary time. The present shelf morphology results mainly from combined effects of foreland subsidence and modern sedimentation overprinting that of the Late Pleistocene glaciation about 15,000 years ago.     

冲绳海槽构造活动的差异性及其非同步发展

冲绳海槽的地质和地球物理特征,特别是其构造活动性表明,海槽轴部存在一个扩张应力场,是弧后扩张形成的边缘盆地。其基本特征和构造活动性从东北至西南差别明显,具有南北分段的特点。据此作者把海槽分为扩张作用非同步发展的三段;东北段处在扩张前以裂陷为主的地堑或半地堑阶段;中段处于初始扩张过程的裂谷阶段;西南段则处于相对高级扩张的弧后盆地阶段。这种非同步发展可能是由于菲律宾海板块向亚洲大陆俯冲过程中,其速度在时间和空间上的差异性所致。     

Possible northward extension of the Philippine Fault Zone offshore Luzon Island (Philippines)

The Philippine Fault Zone, a system of left-lateral strike-slip faults traversing the length of the Philippine Islands, is associated with the oblique convergence between the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and the Eurasian Plate (EP). Although it is a major deformational structure within the diffuse PSP–EP convergent boundary, some of its segments, particularly its marine extensions, are not well studied. To investigate the crustal deformation in the marine prolongation of the Philippine Fault Zone offshore Luzon Island, multi-channel seismic (MCS) data, gravity data and centroid moment tensor solutions were used in this study. Focal mechanism solutions from the Global CMT catalog were inverted to determine the average principal stress directions and consequently understand the prevailing stress regime in the study area. The stress inversion results indicate that the direction of maximum compression (σ1) is 321°N, which coincides with the PSP–EP convergence direction. From the MCS profiles, the study area was subdivided into deformation zone and a relatively stable zone. Thrust faulting, folding and general uplift are observed in the deformation zone. This zone is further subdivided into the active and inactive segments. In the active segment, uplift is occurring in the submarine ridge. This deformation pattern can be related to the ongoing uplift in some regions bisected by the PFZ. The inactive segment, characterized by intense folding of the sequences and faulting of the basement and overlying sequences, is suggested as the precursor of the Philippine Fault Zone. Deformation appears to be recently shifted to the east as delineated by an uplifted N-NW trending submarine ridge offshore NW Luzon Island.