Onset of seafloor spreading in the Iapetus Ocean at 608 Ma: precise age of the Sarek Dyke Swarm, northern Swedish Caledonides

The Sarek Dyke Swarm (SDS) crops out in the Sarektjåkkå Nappe (SN) of the Seve-Kalak Superterrane in the northern Swedish Caledonides. The SN has two main components: (1) a 4–5 km thick succession of rift-related sedimentary rocks, which is intruded by (2) a suite of tholeiitic dykes (the SDS) constituting 70–80% of the nappe. The nappe was deformed during Caledonian thrusting, but dykes and sedimentary rocks in the interior of the eastern parts of the SN are preserved in a pristine state. The tholeiitic dykes of the SDS commonly occur in sheeted dyke complexes, and up to 11 successive generations can be identified from crosscutting relations. The SN represents the fossil continent–ocean transition between the Baltic craton and the Iapetus Ocean, marking the initiation of seafloor spreading. Bubble-shaped pods and veinlets of diorite are present in the SDS sheeted dyke complexes. The pods are absent in the oldest dykes, but the younger a dyke, the more frequent the pods. The diorite pods are the equivalent of gabbro pegmatites, and both cogenetic and coeval with the dykes. The rapid successive emplacement of tholeiitic magma raised the ambient temperature in the dyke complex, so that crystallization in the youngest dykes mimicked similar processes in gabbro plutons. Six zircon fractions, from the diorite pods including two single grains, were analysed geochronologically by the U–Pb thermal ionization mass spectrometry method. The data yield a linear array of points that are 0.4–0.8% normally discordant, indicating a crystallization age of 608±1 Ma (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb=607.9±0.7 Ma, MSWD=0.33). This age is inferred to date the onset of seafloor spreading in the Iapetus Ocean along the Baltoscandian margin.     

The crystal and magnetic structure of Li-aegirine LiFe3+Si2O6: a temperature-dependent study

Single crystals of Li-aegirine LiFe³⁺Si₂O₆ were synthesized at 1573?K and 3?GPa, and a polycrystalline sample suitable for neutron diffraction was produced by ceramic sintering at 1223?K. LiFe³⁺Si₂O₆ is monoclinic, space group C2/c, a=9.6641(2)?Å, b= 8.6612(3)?Å, c=5.2924(2)?Å, β=110.12(1)^° at 300?K as refined from powder neutron data. At 229?K Li-aegirine undergoes a phase transition from C2/c to P2₁ /c. This is indicated by strong discontinuities in the temperature variation of the lattice parameters, especially for the monoclinic angle β and by the appearance of Bragg reflections (hkl) with h+k≠2n. In the low-temperature form two non-equivalent Si-sites with 〈SiA–O〉=1.622?Å and 〈SiB–O〉=1.624?Å at 100?K are present. The bridging angles of the SiO₄ tetrahedra O3–O3–O3 are 192.55(8)° and 160.02(9)° at 100?K in the two independent tetrahedral chains in space group P2₁ /c, whereas it is 180.83(9)° at 300?K in the high-temperature C2/c phase, i.e. the chains are nearly fully expanded. Upon the phase transition the Li-coordination changes from six to five. At 100?K four Li–O bond lengths lie within 2.072(4)–2.172(3)?Å, the fifth Li–O bond length is 2.356(4)?Å, whereas the Li–O3?A bond lengths amount to 2.796(4)?Å. From ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements between 80 and 500?K the structural phase transition is characterized by a small discontinuity of the quadrupole splitting. Temperature-dependent neutron powder diffraction experiments show first occurrence of magnetic reflections at 16.5?K in good agreement with the point of inflection in the temperature-dependent magnetization of LiFe³⁺Si₂O₆. Distinct preordering phenomena can be observed up to 35?K. At the magnetic phase transition the unit cell parameters exhibit a pronounced magneto-striction of the lattice. Below T _N Li-aegirine shows a collinear antiferromagnetic structure. From our neutron powder diffraction experiments we extract a collinear antiferromagnetic spin arrangement within the a–c plane.     

Electric conductivity of Fe2SiO4–Fe3O4 spinel solid solutions

 The spinel solid solution was found to exist in the whole range between Fe₃O₄ and γ-Fe₂SiO₄ at over 10 GPa. The resistivity of Fe_{3− x} Si _x O₄ (0.0<x<0.288) was measured in the temperature range of 80∼300 K by the AC impedance method. Electron hopping between Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺ in the octahedral site of iron-rich phases gives a large electric conductivity at room temperature. The activation energy of the electron hopping becomes larger with increasing γ-Fe₂SiO₄ component. A nonlinear change in electric conductivity is not simply caused by the statistical probability of Fe³⁺–Fe²⁺ electron hopping with increasing the total Si content. This is probably because a large number of Si⁴⁺ ions occupies the octahedral site and the adjacent Fe²⁺ keeping the local electric neutrality around Si⁴⁺ makes a cluster, which generates a local deformation by Si substitution. The temperature dependence of the conductivity of solid solutions indicates the Verwey transition temperature, which decreases from 124(±2) K at x=0 (Fe₃O₄) to 102(±5) K at x=0.288, and the electric conductivity gap at the transition temperature decreases with Si⁴⁺ substitution. Received: 15 March 2000 / Accepted: 4 September 2000     

塔里木盆地岩石层热结构特征

在大地热流密度分布的基础上，研究了塔里木盆地中库尔勒－若羌和阿克苏－叶城两条剖面岩石层热结构特征．由岩石层Ｐ波速度分布转换成生热率剖面，用二维数值模型获得了岩石层热结构和热状态特征．结果表明，塔里木盆地壳幔边界温度的高低与其埋深密切相关．居里等温面深度大，地幔热流密度较低．岩石层厚度变化与其新生代期间挠曲过程密切相关．在岩石层温度分布基础上，确定了深部脆－韧性过渡带深度和岩石层屈服强度，表明塔里木盆地岩石层相对较冷，且具有刚性的地球动力学特征．     

Study on the characteristics of crust－mantle transition zone in Western Yunnan Province

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FORECASTING IMPACTS OF HYDRAULIC STRUCTURESON AN ALLUVIAL RIVER

In the last decades the construction of large hydraulic projects on alluvial rivers in China has spurred the development of both physical and one-dimensional mathematical modeling to the point that deposition and erosion predicted by modeling in either way conform to prototype observations over periods of 3 to 19 years. The prototype data are those of Gezhouba on the Yangtze River and Danjiangkou on the Han River. The accuracy attained is in the neighborhood of 20% which is considered good enough in sedimentation engineering. Thus these techniques of modeling may be applied to forecast the impacts of hydraulic structures on an alluvial river. Mathematical modeling in 2 space variables has also been developed, but still awaits further verification.     

中低纬过渡地区潜热影响下中尺度扰动的对称发展

本文引入第二科里奥利参数讨论了中低纬过渡地区含非绝热(潜热)作用的对称扰动波包发展问题。结果表明:这一地区扰动波包的发展不仅包含了中高纬度波包发展条件［1］，而且与潜热和基本风场梯度经向切变及波包传播的非垂直性有关。过渡地区基本风场的作用是通过第一和第二科里奥利参数完成的。     

A viscoelastic shear zone model of compressional and extensional plate boundaries

A model is proposed describing the mechanical evolution of a shear zone along compressional and extensional plate boundaries, subject to constant strain rate. The shear zones are assumed as viscoelastic with Maxwell rheology and with elastic and rheological parameters depending on temperature and petrology. Stress and strain are computed as functions of time and depth. For both kinds of boundaries the model reproduces the existence of a shallow seismogenic zone, characterized by a stress concentration. The thickness of the seismogenic layer is evaluated considering the variations of shear stress and frictional strength on faults embedded in the shear zone. Assuming that a fault dislocation takes place, the brittle-ductile transition is assumed to occur at the depth at which the time derivative of total shear stress changes from positive to negative values. The effects of different strain rates and geothermal gradients on the depth of the brittle-ductile transition are studied. The model predictions are consistent with values inferred from seismicity data of different boundary zones.     

Ionospheric measurements of relative coronal brightness during the total solar eclipses of 11 August, 1999 and 9 July, 1945

Swept-frequency (1/10 MHz) ionosonde measurements were made at Helston, Cornwall (50°06N, 5°18W) during the total solar eclipse on August 11, 1999. Soundings were made every three minutes. We present a method for estimating the percentage of the ionising solar radiation which remains unobscured at any time during the eclipse by comparing the variation of the ionospheric E-layer with the behaviour of the layer during a control day. Application to the ionosonde date for 11 August, 1999, shows that the flux of solar ionising radiation fell to a minimum of 25±2% of the value before and after the eclipse. For comparison, the same technique was also applied to measurements made during the total solar eclipse of 9 July, 1945, at Sörmjöle (63°68N, 20°20E) and yielded a corresponding minimum of 16 ± 2%. Therefore the method can detect variations in the fraction of solar emissions that originate from the unobscured corona and chromosphere. We discuss the differences between these two eclipses in terms of the nature of the eclipse, short-term fluctuations, the sunspot cycle and the recently-discovered long-term change in the coronal magnetic field.     

雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩中超高压矿物硅尖晶石的研究

从西藏雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩带的罗布莎蛇绿岩的铬铁矿中，发现一个由70-80种奇异矿物组成的地幔矿物群，其中包括一种成分特殊的尖晶石类矿物。该种尖晶石呈包裹体分布在毒砂中，28粒该矿物的平均化学成分：Na2O 1.58％，MgO7．52％，Al2O3 36．59％，SiO2 44．45％，FeO 8．72％，并含少量CaO和TiO2。经激光拉曼谱仪测试，一部分颗粒具有Franclinite（锌铁尖晶石ZnFe2O4）拉曼谱。根据尖晶石结构和化学成分，可以得出两种分子式：（Mg0．52Na0．14Fe0.32Al0.74）1.72（Si2.00Al1.20）3.20O8和（Mg0.52Na0.14Fe0.32Si0.50）1.48相（Si1.50Al1.94）3．44O8。两种分子式都表明阳离子Si呈六配位占据尖晶石八面体晶格位置。Si离子呈六配位的硅酸盐。实验证明具有超高压性质，来自相当于过渡带400-670km的深部。表明西藏雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩（古大洋岩石圈）的岩浆活动达到过渡带。可能是地幔柱活动将硅尖晶石类等超高压矿物搬运到上地幔浅部的。