南海中央海盆高精度地震勘探揭示的大陆漂移过程

南海的形成和演化得到了广泛研究,前人提出了超过5种成因模式,当前流行是海底扩张模式,但它难以合理解释南海洋壳上的洋中脊跳跃和南海中央海盆上的大陆残片。本文首先基于南海中央海盆中的两条高精度地震勘探剖面,在深入剖析洋壳的分层结构基础上,对这两条地震勘探剖面进行了新的构造地质解释。然后通过伸展构造的形成过程,发展了地幔上涌和陆壳重力滑移双驱动大陆漂移模型,最后深入研究了南海的形成和演化过程。结果说明,南海的形成是一种“构造挤出+主动漂移”模式。构造挤出是印度-欧亚大陆碰撞造成的欧亚东南缘微陆块大规模被动挤出,而主动漂移是微陆块在被挤出后发生了主动裂解漂移。南海中央海盆上残留的地震反射特征,是微陆块主动漂移后造成的海底被扩张现象。并进一步恢复了南海演化过程中周边陆块的运动演化历史。所提出的新模式能够合理解释南海的洋中脊跳跃现象及大陆残片的成因机制。新大陆漂移模型为板块运动提供了一个新的动力模式。     

Palaeoceanographic change in the northeastern South China Sea during the last 15000 years

The sedimentary succession of piston core RC26-16, dated by ¹⁴C accelerator mass spectrometry, provides a nearly continuous palaeoceanographic record of the northeastern South China Sea for the last 15000 yr. Planktic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that winter sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) rose from 18°C to about 24°C from the last glacial to the Holocene. A short-lived cooling of 1°C in winter temperature centred at about 11000 ¹⁴C yr ago may reflect the Younger Dryas cooling event in this area. Summer SSTs have remained between 27°C and 29°C throughout the record. The temperature difference between summer and winter was about ca. 9°C during the last glacial, much higher than the Holocene value of ca. 5°C. During the late Holocene a short-lived cooling event occurred at about 4000 ¹⁴C yr ago. Oxygen and carbon isotopic gradients between surface (0–50 m) and subsurface (50–100 m) waters were smaller during the last glacial than those in the Holocene. The fluctuation in the isotopic gradients are caused most likely by changes in upwelling intensity. Smaller gradients indicate stronger upwelling during the glacial winter monsoon. The fauna-derived estimates of nutrient content of the surface waters indicate that the upwelling induced higher fertility and biological productivity during the glacial. The winter monsoon became weaker during the Holocene. The carbonate compensation depth and foraminiferal lysocline were shallower during the Holocene, except for a short-lived deepening at about 5000 ¹⁴C yr ago. A preservation peak of planktic foraminifera and calcium carbonate occurred between 13400 and 12000 ¹⁴C yr ago, synchronous to the global preservation event of Termination I.     

Impact of the Kuroshio Current on the South China Sea based on a 115 000 year diatom record

We used the tropical oceanic planktonic diatom species Nitzschia marina, Rhizosolenia bergonii and Azpeitia africana/Azpeitia neocrenulata, most commonly found in the surface sediments of the northeasternmost South China Sea (SCS) where the Kuroshio Current enters the SCS through the Bashi Strait north of Luzon, to analyse the influence of the the Kuroshio Current on the SCS. The impact of the Kuroshio Current seems to be relatively strong during major warm periods and, to a lesser degree, in minor warm periods during the last 115 000 years. The strongest influence took place during the main part of the Holocene and during the very late phase of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e. It is possible to distinguish two magnitudes of change in the impact of the Kuroshio Current on the SCS: large changes occurred at shifts between glacial and interglacial conditions, while smaller changes seem to have recurred in both glacial and interglacial episodes as well as during the Holocene. Climatic/oceanographic changes and sea‐level variations were possibly the two most important mechanisms for the varying influences of the Kuroshio Current on the SCS. The interaction between the Kuroshio Current and monsoon‐related processes may also have played a role. However, because of restricted knowledge of the present‐day Kuroshio Current and the absence of a modern analogue to the ancient SCS due to the marked changes in palaeogeography, this relationship is difficult to establish. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crustal Structure across the Northwestern Margin of South China Sea: Evidence for Magma‐poor Rifting from a Wide‐angle Seismic Profile

We present results from a 484 km wide-angle seismic profile acquired in the northwest part of the South China Sea (SCS) during OBS2006 cruise. The line that runs along a previously acquired multi-channel seismic line (SO49-18) crosses the continental slope of the northern margin, the Northwest Subbasin (NWSB) of the South China Sea, the Zhongsha Massif and partly the oceanic basin of the South China Sea. Seismic sections recorded on 13 ocean-bottom seismometers were used to identify refracted phases from the crustal layer and also reflected phases from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho). Inversion of the traveltimes using a simple start model reveals crustal images in the study area. The velocity model shows that crustal thickness below the continental slope is between 14 and 23 km. The continental part of the line is characterized by gentle landward mantle uplift and an abrupt oceanward one. The velocities in the lower crust do not exceed 6.9 km/s. With the new data we can exclude a high-velocity lower crustal body (velocities above 7.0 km/s) at the location of the line. We conclude that this part of the South China Sea margin developed by a magma-poor rifting. Both, the NWSB and the Southwest Sub-basin (SWSB) reveal velocities typical for oceanic crust with crustal thickness between 5 and 7 km. The Zhongsha Massif in between is extremely stretched with only 6–10 km continental crust left. Crustal velocity is below 6.5 km/s; possibly indicating the absence of the lower crust. Multi-channel seismic profile shows that the Yitongansha Uplift in the slope area and the Zhongsha Massif are only mildly deformed. We considered them as rigid continent blocks which acted as rift shoulders of the main rift subsequently resulting in the formation of the Northwest Sub-basin. The extension was mainly accommodated by a ductile lower crustal flows, which might have been extremely attenuated and flow into the oceanic basin during the spreading stage. We compared the crustal structures along the northern margin and found an east-west thicken trend of the crust below the continent slope. This might be contributed by the east-west sea-floor spreading along the continental margin.     

深水沉积物波及其在南海研究之现状

深水沉积物波的研究始于20世纪50年代。根据成因和结构特征,可以将深水沉积物波划分为细粒底流、细粒浊流、粗粒底流和粗粒浊流等类型。不同类型的沉积物波具有不同的形态、物质组成及分布特征。已提出的深水沉积物波的形成模式主要有背流波模式、逆行沙波模式、内波模式及底形和斜坡失稳混合模式等。1994年太阳号95航次和1999年ODP184航次揭示并证实,南海北部东沙岸外1144站所处的深水陆坡区发育有一高速沉积物牵引体。根据最新的地震资料分析发现,该牵引体实际上由一系列逆陆坡向上倾方向迁移的沉积物波组成,这一发现对于南海北部大陆边缘古海洋、古环境和古气候研究,以及南海深水油气勘探具有重要意义。     

南海西部表层沉积物碳酸盐分布特征及其溶解作用

碳酸盐是海洋沉积物的重要组成部分,在南海表层沉积物中含量最高可超过 70%,因此深入研究现代碳酸盐的分布特征具有十分重要的意义.对南海西部底质的大量取样分析表明,该区 CaCO3含量在上陆坡最高,其中在北部和中南部含量较高,中部和东南部含量较低,其分布特征主要受陆源物质供给量的控制,与陆架的宽度和陆坡的坡度密切相关.CaCO3最富集区出现在水深 400～600 m的上陆坡区,其中水深 500～600 m内的平均含量最高,达 44.37%,水深超过 1 300 m时含量开始明显下降,表明溶解作用增强.对 CaCO3含量与水深关系进行多项式拟合,结果表明,本区没有出现碳酸盐溶解作用突然增强的溶跃面;但在水深 3 500 m附近,拟合曲线出现转折点, CaCO3含量由随水深迅速下降变为相对稳定,因此该水深应为碳酸盐临界补偿深度.     

Statistics of sediment mass in the South China Sea: Method and results

Sediment mass volumes for periods since the Oligocene (E₃, N₁ ¹, N₁ ², N₁ ³, N₂, and Q) in the South China Sea (SCS) were calculated on the basis of geological and geophysical data including ODP borehole data. Above the pre-Oligocene base, the estimated sediment volume is 7.01 × 10⁶ km³ and the mass is 1.44 × 10¹⁶ t for the entire SCS, with an average sedimentation rate of 6.22 cm/ka and accumulation rate of 12.8 g/(cm²·ka) since the Oligocene. Most of the sediment was deposited on the continent shelf and slope, while only 5% of the total mass accumulated in the Central Basin. Sediment basins on shelf and slope occupy 34% of the entire SCS area bounded by the 2 000 m thickness contour, but receive more than 82% of the total sediment mass, indicating that sediment basins played a central role of sedimentary process in the SCS. The highest sedimentation rate and the largest mass volume occurred in the Oligocene SCS, which is quite different from global sedimentation rate patterns. Therefore, we conclude that deposition in marginal seas was primarily controlled by local tectonics. Translated from Advances in Earth Science, 2006, 21(5): 465–473 [译自: 地球科学进展]     

中国南海莺－琼盆地油气源对比的成熟度证据

中国南海莺－琼盆地油气源对比的成熟度证据陈军红，傅家谟，盛国英，周毅（中国科学院广州地球化学研究所，广州５１０６４０）张启明（中国海洋石油南海酉部公司石油勘探开发研究院，广东湛江５２４０５７）关键词中国南海，莺－琼盆地，成熟度，油气源油气源对比对含油...     

南海北部陆坡区新近系沉积体系特征与天然气水合物分布的关系

南海北部陆坡区新生界含有丰富的油气资源和各种矿产资源，对其沉积体系的分析可以指导资源勘探和开发。笔者在对南海北部陆坡区的西沙海槽和东沙海域的地震剖面解释与研究的基础上，依据“外部形态＋内部属性”的分类原则，在中新世以来的沉积层中共识别出8种典型的地震相：席状平行相、席状波形相、席状空白相、席状杂乱相、席状前积相、帚状前积相、透镜状前积相和丘状杂乱相。结合地震相分析，在南海北部陆坡区识别出6种典型的沉积体系：三角洲体系、等深流、低位扇、滑塌块体、浊积扇和扇三角洲体系；其中等深流、滑塌块体和各种扇体的前缘与BSR分布的吻合率最高，是最有利于天然气水合物聚集成矿的相带。     

南海北部第四系深层等深流沉积特征及类型*

以地震资料为基础, 对南海北部第四系深层等深流沉积进行了研究。南海北部水深约1200～3000m范围内发育大型长条状漂积体、限制型漂积体、陆坡席状漂积体及沉积物波。大型长条状漂积体外形为丘状, 水道在靠陆一侧发育。限制型漂积体主要沉积于地形突起之间的地势相对低洼处, 外形多平坦, 水道较为发育。陆坡席状漂积体外形为席状。沉积物波面积较大, 部分与漂积体伴生。深层等深流在自北东向南西沿南海陆架运动过程中, 在中上陆坡由于地形变化相对较大及科氏力作用影响形成螺旋型等深流, 进而产生次生环流, 形成大型长条状漂积体及限制型漂积体。在中下陆坡因地形相对平坦、开阔, 等深流为层状水流, 多形成陆坡席状漂积体。本研究不仅能提高对南海深层等深流沉积的认识, 还能为油气勘探服务。     

南海北部古俯冲带的位置及其对南海扩张的控制

为了确定南海北部古俯冲带的具体位置,作者利用美国LCT综合反演软件对收集到的重磁数据进行处理解释,结果显示在南海北部从台湾西南部到一统暗沙隆起,即沿南海海盆北部陆坡为一条布格重力异常水平梯度峰值带,指示了古俯冲带的具体位置;其北部的高磁异常代表了与之对应的古火山弧。深反射地震资料也验证了南海北部陆坡位置存在古俯冲带,钻井资料显示俯冲带存在的时代为晚侏罗世到早白垩世。据此绘制了南海地区晚中生代到现今的构造古地理演化图,指出南海的扩张应与晚中生代俯冲带这个先存的软弱带有关,南海海盆正是从古俯冲带的位置开始扩张。     

南海表层沉积物的稀土和微量元素的丰度及其空间变化

对南海表层沉积物中稀土元素、微量元素丰度和分布特征的研究结果表明,在空间分布上,∑REE与Nb、,Th、Ta、Rb、Ti、Zr、Hf、Cs、Ga、Li等相似,呈显著正相关,反映出这些元素在风化、搬运和沉积过程中地球化学行为非常相似;元素Sr几乎与所有元素都呈负相关,指示其来源或存在形式不同于其他元素,主要来源于生物作用,而在粗粒级的钙质生物贝壳和碎屑中富集.∑REE与Nb、Th、Ta、Rb、Ti、Zr、Hf、Cs、Ga、Li在陆架区具有沿陆分带特点,北部陆架区、中南半岛中东部和加里曼丹岛西北部沿大陆区域富集,与该区陆源河流物质输入及海流的分选作用,造成某些富含稀土和微量元素的重砂矿的富集有关;西南部巽他陆架和东南部岛礁区以及中、西沙附近区域含量较低,与该区域的生源碳酸盐的稀释作用,使粘土矿物相对减少和火山物质对其产生的"稀释"作用有关.南海各海区沉积物和全海区表层沉积物平均值的球粒陨石标准化稀土元素分布模式,总体上与中国大陆沉积物和浅海沉积物相似,而与大洋玄武岩完全不同,反映了南海沉积物与中国浅海沉积物及中国大陆沉积物的物源大致相同,主要来自陆源.南海各海区沉积物稀土元素的球粒陨石标准化配分曲线仍表现出了一定差异,陆架区轻稀土比重稀土明显富集,存在比较明显的Eu负异常,与陆架区相比较,陆坡区和海盆区则轻稀土含量相对降低,重稀土含量有所上升,LREE/HREE从陆架区、陆坡区到海盆区逐渐降低,显示陆架区主要为陆源,而陆坡和海盆沉积物中则有幔源物质加入.稀土元素的大陆壳标准化配分模式大部分较为平坦,少数样品呈轻稀土弱富集型或重稀土弱富集型.说明南海海表层沉积物主要来源于周边大陆.从各海区沉积物稀土元素的大陆壳标准化配分曲线对比来看,陆架区表现为轻稀土富集、重稀土亏损,具一定的铕负异常,深部海盆区则出现明显的中稀土和重稀土的富集,铕异常变弱,与深部海盆区有基性火山物质的加入的地质事实相吻合.南海表层沉积物稀土元素和微量元素总体上呈现出以陆源沉积为主的特征.其元素平均丰度和各参数值都比较接近陆源河流和中国浅海沉积物,而与深海沉积物和大洋玄武岩差别显著,显示南海沉积物虽然受到火山沉积和生物沉积的混合作用的影响,但其物质源仍然主要来自于周缘大陆.     

南海构造变形分区及成盆过程

为了系统认识新生代南海沉积盆地形成演化过程和成盆机制, 在对南海及其周缘区域构造和沉积研究进展调研的基础上, 利用覆盖南海主要盆地新近采集和重处理的地震剖面开展详细的构造-地层分析.基于盆地结构构造、演化特征和成盆动力学的差异性, 以红河-越东-Lupar线大型走滑构造带为界, 将南海及其周缘沉积盆地划分为古南海俯冲拖拽构造区沉积盆地群和挤出-逃逸构造区沉积盆地群, 前者主要是古南海俯冲及其所引起的区域构造变形形成的盆地, 包括北部湾、琼东南、珠江口、曾母、北康、文莱-沙巴和礼乐等盆地, 后者是印度-欧亚大陆碰撞导致印支地块挤出和旋转形成的盆地, 如莺歌海、湄公、中建南、万安等盆地.最后, 结合周缘板块动力学事件和本次对盆地构造研究的成果, 特别是盆地中重要界面属性的重新厘定, 建立了南海及其周缘沉积盆地演化过程.      

Three‐dimensional gravity‐current flow within a subaqueous bend: Spatial evolution and force balance variations

The nature of three‐dimensional flow in submarine channel bends is poorly understood, largely due to the absence of detailed data from natural channels. Herein, data from density‐driven flows in a large reservoir on the Huanghe (Yellow) River are presented showing the spatio‐temporal variation of flow around a subaqueous bend. The data demonstrate for the first time that reversed helical flow, relative to that found in river channel bends, can occur from the centrifugal forcing of flow, even when the Coriolis force acts in the opposite direction. The data also suggest that reversed helical flow fields in submarine channels may be more frequent than currently estimated, notably for bends where Coriolis and centrifugal forces combine in the same direction. In addition, this study provides the first field evidence suggesting that sinuous submarine channels can exhibit an asymmetry in helical flow orientation between left and right‐turning bends, which will have major implications for the morphodynamics of submarine channels, their resultant patterns of sedimentation and, ultimately, the distribution of depositional units across submarine fan systems.     

Disparity between measured and BSR heat flow in the Xisha Trough of the South China Sea and its implications for the methane hydrate

We calculate the heat flow from the depth of bottom-simulating seismic reflectors (BSRs) on a seismic profile in the Xisha Trough of the South China Sea, and compare them with the probe heat flow measurements. The BSR heat flow turn out to be 32–80 mW/m², significantly lower than the measurements of 83–112 mW/m². Such big disparity cannot be ascribed only to the errors from parameters (parameter errors) that traditionally believed to influence the BSR heat flow. Besides the parameter errors, we discuss emphatically the errors coming from the theoretical assumption for the BSR heat flow determination (theoretical errors), which occur when the BSR depth does not coincide with the base of the methane hydrate stability zone (MHSZ). If BSR stays bellow the base of MHSZ, lying at the top of free gas zone, the derived heat flow would be underestimated. Compared with the parameter errors, the theoretical errors would be relatively larger in some geological settings. The disparity between measured and BSR heat flow in the Xisha Trough might be mainly due to the theoretical error. Based on the theoretical model, assuming that the BSR lying at the top of the free gas zone, the methane flux along the Xisha seismic profile is estimated, and the thickness of the methane hydrate occurrence zone is predicted.     

Differences in the Tectonic Evolution of Basins in the Central‐Southern South China Sea and their Hydrocarbon Accumulation Conditions

To reveal the causes of differences in the hydrocarbon accumulation in continental marginal basins in the centralsouthern South China Sea,we used gravity-magnetic,seismic,drilling,and outcrop data to investigate the tectonic histories of the basins and explore how these tectonic events controlled the hydrocarbon accumulation conditions in these basins.During the subduction of the Cenozoic proto-South China Sea and the expansion of the new South China Sea,the continental margin basins in the central-southern South China Sea could be classified as one of three types of epicontinental basins:southern extensional-foreland basins,western extensional-strike slip basins,and central extensional-drift basins.Because these basins have different tectonic and sedimentary histories,they also differ in their accumulated hydrocarbon resources.During the Cenozoic,the basin groups in the southern South China Sea generally progressed through three stages:faulting and subsidence from the late Eocene to the early Miocene,inversion and uplift in the middle Miocene,and subsidence since the late Miocene.Hydrocarbon source rocks with marine-continental transitional facies dominated byⅡ-Ⅲkerogen largely developed in extremely thick Miocene sedimentary series with the filling characteristics being mainly deep-water deposits in the early stage and shallow water deposits in the late stage.With well-developed sandstone and carbonate reservoirs,this stratum has a strong hydrocarbon generation potential.During the Cenozoic,the basin groups in the western South China Sea also progressed through the three developmental stages discussed previously.Hydrocarbon source rocks with lacustrine facies,marine-continental transitional facies,and terrigenous marine facies dominated byⅡ2-Ⅲkerogen largely developed in the relatively thick stratum with the filling characteristics being mainly lacustrine deposits in the early stage and marine deposits in the late stage.As a reservoir comprised of self-generated and self-stored sandstone,this unit also has a high hydrocarbon generation potential.Throughout those same three developmental stages,the basin groups in the central South China Sea generated hydrocarbon source rocks with terrigenous marine facies dominated byⅢkerogen that have developed in a stratum with medium thicknesses with the filling characteristics being mainly sandstone in the early stage and carbonate in the late stage.This reservoir,which is dominated by lower-generation and upper-storage carbonate rocks,also has a high hydrocarbon generation potential.     

Gravity Flow on Slope and Abyssal Systems in the Qiongdongnan Basin, Northern South China Sea

The study of new seismic data permits the identification of sediment gravity flows in terms of internal architecture and the distribution on shelf and abyssal setting in the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB). Six gravity flow types are recognized: (1) turbidite channels with a truncational basal and concordant overburden relationship along the shelf edge and slope, comprising laterally-shifting and vertically-aggrading channel complexes; (2) slides with a spoon-shaped morphology slip steps on the shelf-break and generated from the deformation of poorly-consolidated and high water content sediments; (3) slumps are limited on the shelf slope, triggered either by an anomalous slope gradient or by fault activity; (4) turbidite sheet complexes (TSC) were ascribed to the basin-floor fan and slope fan origin, occasionally feeding the deep marine deposits by turbidity currents; (5) sediment waves occurring in the lower slope-basin floor, and covering an area of approximately 400?km2, were generated beneath currents flowing across the sea bed; and (6) the central canyon in the deep water area represents an exceptive type of gravity flow composed of an association of debris flow, turbidite channels, and TSC. It presents planar multisegment and vertical multiphase characteristics. Turbidite associated with good petrophysical property in the canyon could be treated as a potential exploration target in the QDNB.     

南海北部晚更新世以来的古海洋环境演化特征——来自N-31柱样的沉积记录

对南海北部N-31柱状样沉积物进行了浮游有孔虫定量分析鉴定、氧碳同位素、碳酸盐含量和粒度测试以及AMS14C测年,并采用古生态转换函数计算了表层海水古温度和温跃层深度,揭示了该海区约55 ka以来的古海洋环境特征.转换函数计算的表层海水古温度结果表明,夏季温度的变化范围为27.0～29.6℃,变化幅度为2.6℃,冬季温...     

Petroleum System in Deepwater Basins of the Northern South China Sea

The northern South China Sea margin has experienced a rifting stage and a post-rifting stage during the Cenozoic.In the rifting stage,the margin received lacustrine and shallow marine facies sediments.In the post-rifting thermal subsidence,the margin accumulated shallow marine facies and hemipelagic deposits,and the decpwater basins formed.Petroleum systems of deepwater setting have been imaged from seismic data and drill wells.Two kinds of source rocks including Paleogene lacustrine black shale and Oligocene-Early Miocene mudstone were developed in the deepwater basin of the South China Sea.The deepwater reservoirs are characterized by the deep sea channel fill,mass flow complexes and drowned reef carbonate platform.Profitable capping rocks on the top are mudstoues with huge thickness in the post-rifting stage.Meanwhile,the faults developed during the rifting stage provide a migration path favournble for the formation of reservoirs.The analysis of seismic and drilling data suggests that the joint structural and stratigraphic traps could form giant hydrocarbon fields and hydrocarbon reservoirs including syn-rifting graben subaqueous delta,decpwater submarine fan sandstone and reef carbonate reservoirs.