马里亚纳海沟水深探测及“挑战者深渊”海底地形特征

“海洋六号”综合调查船先后于2011、2012年,利用EM122多波束测深系统在马里亚纳海沟最深海域“挑战者深渊”进行了全覆盖水深测量,获得了区域内详细的海底地形资料,揭示了马里亚纳海沟在区内呈近东西向延伸以及海沟两侧斜坡地形迥异、不对称的特点,南北两侧不同的地形地貌特征反映了马里亚纳海沟形成过程中两侧不同的次生构造活动影响.“挑战者深渊”区内有西部、中部和东部3个洼地,其中,西部洼地较深,其中心位置(142°12.14′E,11°19.92′N)水深10 917 m,是马里亚纳海沟的最深点.     

海洋最深处探寻生命的奥秘

正位于北太平洋西部的马里亚纳海沟是地球上最深的海沟,全长约为2550千米,平均宽度约为70千米,其大部分区域水深超过8000米,最深处的斐查兹海渊深度约为11000米。作为地球上最深的海沟,科学家们尚未完全揭开它的神秘面纱,但已经窥探到马里亚纳海沟的迷人之处。早在1960年,瑞士工程师雅克·皮卡尔和美国海军上校唐·沃尔什首次在马里亚纳海沟乘坐"的里雅斯特"号深海潜水器成功下潜到最深处。     

世界海洋最深处

世界海洋最深处在西北太平洋的马里亚纳海沟南部 ,关岛以南 190海里的地方。马里亚纳海沟在关岛以南呈西南 -东北走向 ,至关岛东南方折向正北 ,长约 1380海里 ,最宽达 4 0海里。海沟最早被发现是在 1899年 ,那时美国尼罗号探险船曾在关岛东南方用钢索测得水深 96 36ｍ ,称为“尼罗”深度 ,为当时世界上最深的海域。 195 1年 ,美国挑战者号调查船用回声测深仪测到 10 90 0ｍ ,称为“挑战者”深度 ,附近海域叫做“挑战者”深渊。此后 ,很多海洋学家、海洋测量者对这里发生了更大的兴趣 ,决心测出更深更准确的深度。 195 9年 8月 ,苏联勇士号测…     

马里亚纳海沟万米级水文观测研究

深渊观测是开展深渊科学研究的前提。文章介绍了2020年7月"东方红3"船在马里亚纳海沟"挑战者深渊"附近完成的一次海洋调查。基于船载温盐深综合剖面测量系统获取的万米级剖面数据,分析全海深的温盐性质,并依据Thorpe尺度方法和细尺度参数化方法,进一步估算不同深度层的湍动能耗散率。结果表明:"挑战者深渊"的深层海水十分稳定, 3 000—5 000 dbar的温盐特征与下层绕极水相同;受弱层结背景下的内潮影响, 5 000—8 000 m的耗散率显著提升。本次调查获取的万米级水文剖面为马里亚纳海沟的深渊探索提供了数据方面的支撑。     

北黄海长山群岛外海底环状微洼地地貌特征

得益于多波束测深系统对海底精细地形特征的展现能力,2011年在长山群岛南侧进行的多波束水深调查中一种特殊的环状微洼地地貌引起了调查人员的注意,该地貌形态与以往报道的海底侵蚀坑槽和洼地有很大的不同,且成群密集分布。本文依据多波束调查数据对环状微洼地的具体形态和地貌特征进行了详细描述,将环状微洼地分为3种不同的类型,并利用地形地貌分析手段,结合收集的地质环境资料对该地貌的成因进行探讨,认为该地貌形态应与海底浅层气体或油气泄漏有关,且后期受到水动力的改造。     

台湾岛以东海域海底地形特征及其构造控制

基于2000年5~6月在台湾岛以东海域调查获得的多波束全覆盖测深等地质和地球物理资料,对该海域海底地形特征进行了研究,探讨了构造对海底地形的控制作用及其构造地质意义.研究表明,琉球岛弧岛坡区和琉球海沟表现为典型的西太平洋沟-弧-盆体系控制下的构造地形;台湾岛东部岛坡等深线近南北向平行密集排列,地形坡度大,弧陆碰撞造就了该区独特的地形特征;花东盆地海底峡谷发育,其形成主要受基底起伏和走滑断裂的控制;加瓜海脊东西两侧水深和地形特征明显不同,但其基底可能属于花东盆地,加瓜海脊的东侧对应了两个不同性质板块的边界;西菲律宾海盆表现为北西向线状脊-槽相间排列,并遭受北东向转换断层的切割,根据海底地形、转换断层和磁异常条带的方向推测,研究区海底形成于距今60~45Ma的西菲律宾海盆北东-南西向扩张期.     

雅浦-马里亚纳海沟附近海域的精细地貌特征研究

利用西太平洋地区的雅浦-马里亚纳海沟附近海域的多波束水深数据,获得了9.8°N—13.2°N、132.2°E—145°E矩形区域内的高精度水深地形图。通过对精细地貌进行研究发现,马里亚纳海沟南部的洋坡上发育有大范围的地垒、地堑型地貌,雅浦海沟北部存在明显的分段性特征,菲律宾海盆和帕里西维拉海盆内存在不同展布方向的大规模脊-槽地貌。研究结果表明此处复杂的地形地貌特征主要受板块运动的控制。最后结合已有研究成果,对该区域的地形地貌进行了分类。     

日照港西部海域海底地形与表层沉积特征

利用单波束测深仪和蚌式取样器进行了日照石臼港扩建码头西侧约50km~2海域1:2 000~1:10 000的水深地形测绘和底质分析工作。调查结果表明,日照港西部海域可分4个水深区,其地形和沉积特征如下:1)航道区,浅水航道区等深线平行于码头岸线,水深11m,经过疏浚已形成向南倾斜的四级阶梯地形,疏浚中心处水深24m。航道区底质以分选中等的砾砂为主;2)港池区,水深6 m,等深线与港池岸线平行,水深向南渐增,海底地形平坦,坡降比3‰。底质以分选较好的粉砂和砂质粉砂为主,近岸有少量分选较差的泥质砂质砾;3)涛雒-付疃河口区,水下三角洲地形明显,5m以浅等深线呈弧形向东南方向凸出,坡降比最大可达14.2‰,底质类型为分选极好的砂和粉砂质砂;4)浅海区,海底地形平坦,平均坡降比1.9‰,6~10m等深线呈NE-SW向平行向外海增大,近南扩码头端向东偏转,底质类型为分选好的砂质粉砂和粉砂,并呈平行于海岸线向深水区呈粗-细-粗的带状分布。底质类型分布与水深条件基本吻合,但深水区出现的底质粗化现象,分析认为可能与南扩码头的挑流作用有关,海底沉积物呈向南运移趋势。     

高分辨率波束形成器在多波束测深系统中的应用

对于海底地形测量,基于FT波束形成的幅度检测法空间分辨率较低,只能较准确给出有限测点的水深信息;平坦海底前提下,分裂子阵检测法或多子阵检测法可以得到连续测点的水深信息,复杂海底地形条件下,这两种方法均难以应用。能否利用高分辨率波束形成器来提高测深系统的空间分辨率是一个值得研究的问题。使用ESPRIT波束形成器处理了多波束测深系统的试验数据,并就其性能与FT波束形成器进行了比较与分析。     

一种纸质航海图水深注记表示的新方法

针对由多波束测深手段和由单波束测深及其他传统测深手段获得的水深数据长期并存这一实际,在分析现行的纸质航海图水深注记表示方法存在不足的基础上,提出一种基于字符颜色扩展的海图水深注记表示新方法,即以绿色水深注记表示由多波束测深手段获得的水深数据,黑色水深注记表示由单波束测深及其他传统测深手段获得的水深数据。初步分析表明,这是一种简单、易行的方法,可在纸质航海图上有效实现对两类不同来源、具有显著质量差别的水深数据的表示,能更好地满足航海人员通过纸质航海图上的水深注记直观、准确地认知、重建和利用海底地形信息的需要。     

A precise bathymetric map of the world’s deepest seafloor,Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench

Data from three bathymetric surveys by R/V Kairei using a 12-kHz multibeam echosounder and differential GPS were used to create an improved topographic model of the Challenger Deep in the southwestern part of the Mariana Trench, which is known as the deepest seafloor in the world. The strike of most of the elongated structures related to plate bending accompanied by subduction of the Pacific plate is N70°E and is not parallel to the trench axis. The bending-related structures were formed by reactivation of seafloor spreading fabric. Challenger Deep consists of three en echelon depressions along the trench axis, each of which is 6–10 km long, about 2 km wide, and deeper than 10,850 m. The eastern depression is the deepest, with a depth of 10,920 ± 5 m.     

雅浦–马里亚纳海沟连接处地貌特征研究

雅浦海沟是西太平洋“沟–弧–盆”体系的重要组成部分。在雅浦海沟北部,雅浦海沟与马里亚纳海沟呈典型的垂直相交。本文对该海域的地貌进行了详细的研究。结果表明,两条海沟连接处附近,海沟的水深、形态、剖面等都发生明显变化,且具有分段性,两侧斜坡上拥有隆起、凹陷、断裂等地貌,这些特征与海沟连接处特殊的俯冲位置具有密切的联系;通过地貌特征和板块扩张速度判断,20 Ma前帕里西维拉海盆扩张中心应位于137°35′34″E附近,雅浦海沟很可能是由帕里西维拉海盆暴露出来的扩张中心转变而成。     

Deep and Bottom Currents in the Challenger Deep,Mariana Trench,Measured with Super-Deep Current Meters

The bottom currents in the Challenger Deep, the deepest in the world, were measured with super-deep current meters moored at 11°22′ N and 142°35′ E, where the depth is 10915 m. Three current meters were set at 9687 m, 10489 m and 10890 m at the station in the center of the Challenger Deep for 442 days from 1 August 1995 to 16 October 1996. Although rotor revolutions in 60 minutes of recording interval were zero for 37.5% of the time, the maximum current at the deepest layer of 10890 m was 8.1 cm s⁻¹, being composed of tidal currents, inertia motion and long period variations. Two current meters were set at 6608 m and 7009 m at a station 24.9 km north of the center for 443 days from 31 July 1995 to 16 October 1996, and two current meters at 6214 m and 6615 m at a station 40.9 km south of the center for 441 days from 2 August 1995 to 16 October 1996. The mean flow at 7009 m depth at the northern station was 0.7 cm s⁻¹ to 240°T, and that at 6615 m depth at the southern station was 0.5 cm s⁻¹ to 267°T. A westward mean flow prevailed at the stations, and no cyclonic circulation with mean flows of the opposite directions was observed in the Mariana Trench at a longitude of 142°35′ E. Power spectra of daily mean currents showed three spectral peaks at periods of 100 days, 28–32 days and 14–15 days. The peak at 100 day period was common to the power spectra.     

汤加、日本、伊豆-小笠原与马里亚纳海沟俯冲板块正断层模拟：对俯冲板块弱化的影响

通过对比实际观测与弹塑性变形模型，研究了沿着汤加、日本、伊豆-小笠原、马里亚纳海沟的板块挠曲与正断层特征。观测表明，平均海沟挠曲量在日本海沟最小（3公里），马里亚纳海沟最大（4.9公里），而平均正断层垂直断距在日本海沟最小（113米），汤加海沟最大（284米）。模拟了俯冲板块在三种构造加载的作用下发生弯曲变形并产生正断层的过程：垂向加载（V₀）、弯矩（M₀）和水平拉张力（F₀）。在板块挠曲与正断层特征的双重约束下，反演得到了四个海沟的最佳模型解。结果显示，日本海沟的水平张力分别比马里亚纳、汤加和伊豆-小笠原海沟小33%、50%和60%。汤加、日本、伊豆-小笠原、马里亚纳海沟的正断层最深可达海底以下29，23，32和32公里，这与重新定位后的日本与伊豆-小笠原地震深度一致。此外，反演得到的水平张拉力与观测到的平均垂直断距呈一定正相关性，而计算得到的有效弹性厚度减少量与观测到的海沟挠曲量也相关。这些结果表明，水平张拉力在正断层发展过程中起着关键控制作用，板块弱化可导致板块挠曲量的显著增加。     

马里亚纳“沟−盆”深水沉积环境稀土元素特征与物源约束

通过对西太平洋帕里西维拉海盆东南部的C-P19柱状样和马里亚纳海沟南坡的L3柱状样进行粒度和稀土元素地球化学分析,探讨了二者物源的异同。结果表明:研究区沉积物的稀土元素含量基本不受沉积物粒度控制,主要受控于物源变化。物源判别结果指示二者的物源具有同源性,其中西马里亚纳海脊剥蚀下来的火山物质对研究区的物质来源贡献最大。火山物质中的重矿物可以影响到稀土元素的含量,例如锆石的含量和稀土元素总量(ΣREY)的相关系数可达0.86。来自中国内陆黄土的陆源风尘物质对两个研究区的物源供给也有一定贡献,但其贡献程度较小。由于马里亚纳海沟南坡更加远离大陆且纬度更低,其接受的亚洲风尘也比帕里西维拉海盆和挑战者深渊更少。此外,南极底层水流经研究区,对海盆和海沟的沉积物都造成一定影响,而且在马里亚纳海沟南坡更加活跃,因而帕里西维拉海盆东南部的沉积物比马里亚纳海沟南坡更易于保存。     

Petrogenesis and tectonic implication of lavas from the Yap Trench,western Pacific

We present major and trace element data of lava recovered from the northern Yap Trench in the western Pacific and discuss their petrogenesis and tectonic implications within the framework of interactions between the Caroline Ridge and Yap Trench. Rocks were collected from both landward and seaward trench slopes and exhibited geochemical characteristics similar to backarc basin basalt (BABB) and mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), including high Fe content, tholeiitic affinity, high TiO2 value at a given FeOT/MgO ratio, Ti/V ratio between 20 and 50, low Ba/Nb ratio and Th/Nb ratio, and trace element patterns commonly displayed by BABB and MORB, which are distinct from arc lava. These rocks seem to have been generated during mantle upwelling and decompression melting at a spreading center. However, compared with typical forearc lava produced by seafloor spreading in the Mariana forearc region, such as the early Eocene forearc basalts and late Neogene forearc lava in the southernmost Mariana Trench, the Yap Trench lava is derived from a more fertile mantle and feature a more minor subduction component; thus, they cannot be the products of forearc mantle decompression melting. We suggest that the landward slope lava represents backarc basin crust that was overthrust onto the forearc lithosphere during the collision of the Caroline Ridge with the Yap Trench (20–25 Ma), which played a key role in the evolution of the Yap subduction system. Moreover, the seaward slope lava represents the subduction plate crust that accreted onto the deep trench during the collision. This collision event resulted in the cessation of Yap Arc magmatism; thus, the Yap Trench volcanic rocks (<25 Ma) previously suggested to be arc magma products may actually represent the nascent island arc lava with a lower subduction component than in the mature Mariana Arc lava.     

Bathymetric patterns of meiofaunal abundance and biomass associated with the Kuril and Ryukyu trenches, western North Pacific Ocean

The abundance and biomass of metazoan meiofauna and their relationships with environmental factors [chloroplastic pigment equivalents (CPE) and sediment characteristics] were studied quantitatively around and within the Kuril Trench (560-7090 m) and the Ryukyu Trench (1290-7150 m), which are located in eutrophic and oligotrophic regions, respectively, of the western North Pacific. Faunal abundance and biomass, as well as the CPE content of sediments, were considerably higher in the Kuril region than in the Ryukyu region. In both cases, CPE tended to decrease with water depth, but relatively high values were found in the deepest areas, suggesting that organic matter has accumulated in both trenches. Meiofaunal abundance and biomass were lower than expected from sediment CPE values at hadal stations below 6000 m. Differences in the density and biomass of meiofauna between these two trenches appeared to reflect differences in overall ocean productivity above them. When the analysis was restricted to each region, however, no association was found between the abundance and biomass of meiofauna and food availability. Furthermore, the factors regulating the bathymetric patterns in these meiofaunal parameters appeared to differ between the two trenches.     

A string of large and deep gas-induced depressions (pockmarks) offshore Killini peninsula, western Greece

A string of five large depressions (pockmarks) has been discovered offshore Killini peninsula in western Greece. They can be considered as some of the deepest (61-m maximum detected depth), if not the deepest observed on the seafloor world-wide. The pockmarks erode deeply buried compacted sediments and are modified by sliding. Their formation is attributed to gases which were detected in the subbottom sedimentary layers. Gas origin is considered to be both biogenic and thermogenic as gas was detected geochemically in exploratory wells in the neighbouring Katakolon area. Although uncertainties concerning their mode of formation, age and activity still remain, it is believed that the high seismicity and salt tectonics of the region contributed to the violent eruption and escape of large quantities of gases through small faults or joints which enabled erosion deep into the seafloor.     

Deep hydrographic structure along 12°N and 13°N in the Philippine Sea

Hydrographic casts down to the bottom along two zonal sections at 12°N and 13°N (from 144°E to 127°E) were made with a CTD. Their analysis verified the existence of cold and saline abyssal water between the Mariana Ridge and the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. This result provides evidence of flow into the Philippine Sea through the deep gap called the Yap-Mariana Junction. The properties of deep water are variable in the West Mariana basin but quite homogeneous in the Philippine Basin, indicating the transitional nature in the West Mariana Basin and the existence of older bottom water in the Philippine Basin. A close examination suggests that the bottom water is slightly colder in the western part of the Philippine Basin than in the eastern part of the basin. This slightly colder deep water with a hundred kilometer scale in the western Philippine Basin might be related to a broad western boundary current flowing equatorward along the eastern rise of the Philippine Trench.