Origin and mechanism of Subantarctic Mode Water formation and transformation in the Southern Indian Ocean

The sources and pathways of mode waters and lower thermocline waters entering the subtropical gyre of the Indian Ocean are examined. A Lagrangian analysis is performed on an eddy-admitting simulation of the Global Ocean performed by the DRAKKAR Group (NEMO/OPA), which captures the main observed features. We trace the subducted mode water’s pathways, identify their formation regions and trace whether their source waters come from the Atlantic, Pacific or Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean. Three main sites for mode waters ventilation in the Indian sector are identified with different circulation pathways and source water masses: (a) just north of Kerguelen, where 4.2 Sv of lighter Subantarctic Mode Waters (SAMW); σ ₀ ∼ 26.5) are exported—originating in the Atlantic and Agulhas Retroflection regions; (b) SW of Australia, where 6.5 Sv of medium SAMW (σ ₀ ∼ 26.6) are ventilated—originating in the southern and denser Agulhas Retroflection region; (c) SW of Tasmania and along the South Australian coast, where 3 Sv of denser SAMW (σ ₀ ∼ 26.75) are ventilated—originating from three sources: Leeuwin Current waters, Tasman Sea (Pacific) waters and Antarctic Surface Waters. In all cases, modelled mode waters were last ventilated in the Indian Ocean just north of the deepest winter-mixed layers. For the waters subducted SW of Australia, the last ventilation site extends even further north. Waters ventilated in the deepest mixed layers north of the Subantarctic Front are then re-ventilated 5 years later southwest of Australia. The model results raise new hypotheses that revisit the classical picture of the SAMW formation and transformation, where a large homogeneous mixed layer is subducted and ‘slides’ equatorward, essentially maintaining the T/S characteristics acquired at the surface. Firstly, the last ventilation of the modelled mode waters is not in the region of the deepest mixed layers, as previously thought, but further north in regions of moderate meso-scale eddy activity. Secondly, the model shows for the first time a significant source region for Indian Ocean mode waters coming from deep winter-mixed layers along the south Australian coast. Finally, this analysis shows how the mode water characteristics are modified after subduction, due to internal eddy mixing. The simulation shows that resolved eddies have a strong impact on the mixed layer properties and that isopycnal eddy mixing also contributes to the generation of more homogeneous mode water characteristics in the interior.     

Water exchange between the subpolar and subtropical North Pacific in an OGCM

The water exchange between the subpolar and subtropical gyres of the North Pacific is demonstrated by the simulation of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) using an ocean general circulation model. The simulated CFC concentration in the North Pacific is in good agreement with observations. The water exchange is clearly illustrated by the tongues of CFC concentration. The subpolar waters with high CFC are transported southward into the eastern subtropical gyre, whereas the subtropical waters with low CFC are transported northward into the western subpolar gyre. The simulated exchange transport along 42°N in the layer of σθ< 26.8 indicates that the northward mass transport is about 15 Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3·s-1) west of 165°E, and about 5 Sv between 175°W and 150°W. The southward mass transport is about 5 Sv between 165°E and 175°W, and about 2 Sv east of 150°W.     

Moment Tensor Solutions of Earthquakes in the Indian Ocean from Surface Waves and their Tectonic Implications

—Rayleigh and Love waves generated by sixteen earthquakes which occurred in the Indian Ocean and were recorded at 13 WWSSN stations of Asia, Africa and Australia are used to determine the moment tensor solution of these earthquakes. A combination of thrust and strike-slip faulting is obtained for earthquakes occurring in the Bay of Bengal. Thrust, strike slip or normal faulting (or either of the combination) is obtained for earthquakes occurring in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The resultant compressive and tensional stress directions are estimated from more than 300 centroid moment tensor (CMT) solution of earthquakes occurring in different parts of the Indian Ocean. The resultant compressive stress directions are changing from north-south to east-west and the resultant tensional stress directions from east-west to north-south in different parts of the Indian Ocean. The results infer the counterclockwise movement of the region (0°–33°S and 64°E–94°E), stretching from the Rodriguez triple junction to the intense deformation zone of the central Indian Ocean and the formation of a new subduction zone (island arc) beneath the intense deformation zone of the central Indian Ocean and another at the southern part of the central Indian basin. The compressive stress direction is along the ridge axis and the extensional stress manifests across the ridge axis. The north-south to northeast-south west compression and east-west to northwest-southeast extension in the Indian Ocean suggest the northward underthrusting of the Indian plate beneath the Eurasian plate and the subduction beneath the Sunda arc region in the eastern part. The focal depth of earthquakes is estimated to be shallow, varying from 4 to 20 km and increasing gradually in the age of the oceanic lithosphere with the focal depth of earthquakes in the Indian Ocean.     

Pb in the western Indian Ocean: distribution, disequilibrium, and partitioning between dissolved and particulate phases

²²⁶Ra profiles have been measured in the western Indian Ocean as part of the 1977–1978 Indian Ocean GEOSECS program. These profiles show a general increase in deep and bottom water Ra concentration from the Circumpolar region to the Arabian Sea. A deep Ra maximum which originates in the Arabian Sea and in the Somali basin at about 3000 m depth spreads southward into the Mascarene basin and remains discernible in the Madagascar and Crozet basins. In the western Indian Ocean, the cold Antarctic Bottom Water spreads northward under the possibly southward-flowing deep water, forming a clear benthic front along the Crozet basin across the Southwest Indian Ridge into the Madagascar and Mascarene basins. The Antarctic Bottom Water continues to spread farther north to the Somali basin through the Amirante Passage at 10°S as a western boundary current. The benthic front and other characteristic features in the western Indian Ocean are quite similar to those observed in the western Pacific where the benthic front as a distinctive feature was first described by Craig et al. [15]. Across the Mid-Indian Ridge toward the Ceylon abyssal plain near the triple junction, Ra profiles display a layered structure, reflecting the topographic effect of the mid-ocean ridge system on the mixing and circulation of the deep and bottom waters. Both Ra and Si show a deep maximum north of the Madagascar basin. Linear relationships between these two elements are observed in the deep and bottom water with slopes increasing northward. This suggests a preferential input of Ra over Si from the bottom sediments of the Arabian Sea and also from the flank sediments of the Somali basin.     

South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model

The circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean has been simulated within a global ocean general circulation model. Preliminary analysis of the modelled ocean circulation in the region indicates a rather close agreement of the simulated upper ocean flows with conventional notions of the large-scale geostrophic currents in the region. The modelled South Atlantic Ocean witnesses the return flow and export of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) at its northern boundary, the inflow of a rather barotropic Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) through the Drake Passage, and the inflow of warm saline Agulhas water around the Cape of Good Hope. The Agulhas leakage amounts to 8.7 Sv, within recent estimates of the mass transport shed westward at the Agulhas retroflection. Topographic steering of the ACC dominates the structure of flow in the circumpolar ocean. The Benguela Current is seen to be fed by a mixture of saline Indian Ocean water (originating from the Agulhas Current) and fresher Subantarctic surface water (originating in the ACC). The Benguela Current is seen to modify its flow and fate with depth; near the surface it flows north-westwards bifurcating most of its transport northward into the North Atlantic Ocean (for ultimate replacement of North Atlantic surface waters lost to the NADW conveyor). Deeper in the water column, more of the Benguela Current is destined to return with the Brazil Current, though northward flows are still generated where the Benguela Current extension encounters the coast of South America. At intermediate levels, these northward currents trace the flow of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) equatorward, though even more AAIW is seen to recirculate poleward in the subtropical gyre. In spite of the model’s rather coarse resolution, some subtle features of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence are simulated rather well, including the latitude at which the two currents meet. Conceptual diagrams of the recirculation and interocean exchange of thermocline, intermediate and deep waters are constructed from an analysis of flows bound between isothermal and isobaric surfaces. This analysis shows how the return path of NADW is partitioned between a cold water route through the Drake Passage (6.5 Sv), a warm water route involving the Agulhas Current sheeding thermocline water westward (2.5 Sv), and a recirculation of intermediate water originating in the Indian Ocean (1.6 Sv).     

India-Eurasian collision vs. ocean-continent collision＊

Introduction Major tectonic activities occur in collisions zones between plates or intra-plate continental blocks. Therefore, it is significant to investigate collision processes. We know that orogenic and seismic belts in plate margins are closely relate…     

India-Eurasian collision <Emphasis Type="Italic">vs.</Emphasis> ocean-continent collision

Ample observational evidence shows that there is a northward crustal subduction zone underneath the Yarlung Zangbo suture between India and Eurasia. It penetrates Moho to a depth of about 100 km. There are probably multiple such crustal subductions under the Himalayas. They are different from lithosphere subduction during oceanic collisions. The detected slabs in the upper mantle north of the Yarlung Zangbo suture can be interpreted as remains of the Indian Plate’s mantle lithosphere. In contrary to ocean-continent subduction, the mantle lithosphere is delaminated from the crust as the Indian Plate subducts underneath Eurasia. Existing structural images of the crust and upper mantle of the Tibetan Plateau reveal that there were both northward and southward subductions over different geological periods, causing some seismic velocity anomalies around those subduction zones.     

印度-欧亚碰撞与洋—陆碰撞的差异

观测的证据充分表明,印度——欧亚的缝合带雅鲁藏布江上存在自南向北的地壳俯冲带,它穿过莫霍面,深度大约达到100 km. 喜马拉雅中可能存在多重的地壳俯冲. 它们有别于海洋碰撞时所产生的整个岩石圈俯冲. 作者观测到雅鲁藏布江以北上地幔的板片构造,它可以解释为印度向欧亚俯冲时上地幔岩石圈的痕迹. 它们说明与洋——陆的俯冲不同,印度向欧亚俯冲时,地壳与上地幔岩石圈出现拆层现象. 综合现有的地壳上地幔构造,显示在不同地质年代中,印度与欧亚之间产生自南向北以及自北向南相反方向的俯冲,而且俯冲带周围出现某些速度异常区.      

青藏高原震源分布与板块运动

本文分析了青藏高原及其邻区大量近期地震的震源深度分布资料,发现中源地震不仅分布在众所周知的兴都库什和印缅山弧一带,而且在印度洋板块与欧亚板块汇聚带印度河-雅鲁藏布江以南,以及欧亚板块内部的帕米尔、西昆仑、柴达木和天山南缘一带也有中源地震分布,它们构成了这一地区三条向南倾斜的震源带。 这些中源地震震源带的存在表明,向北运动的印度次大陆与亚洲大陆碰撞以后,印度次大陆北缘本身并没有消减,而是迫使亚洲大陆通过三条向南倾斜的岩石层消减带产生了大规模的消减作用。 中源地震在平面上分布的不连续性,揭示了这一地区的许多条走滑断层的现代活动。这些走滑断层的巨大位移显示了青藏高原内部各块体之间的横向运动也是很可观的。 最后,提出了亚洲大陆多条南倾消减带的形成和发展模式。     

青藏高原冈底斯带及邻区重磁三维反演及岩浆岩特征研究

岩浆岩在青藏高原的大陆动力学研究中有着重要的作用,它既是构造演化的记录,又是重要构造-岩浆-成矿带的指示.本文主要基于冈底斯带及邻区的地面重力和航磁数据,首先进行地质-地球物理先验信息约束下的重磁2.5维交互式反演,再将2.5维反演结果作为参考模型加入到三维反演计算中,得到地下三维密度和磁化率结构.结合岩浆岩密度、磁化率统计资料和岩浆岩地球化学成果,推断研究区基性岩、I型花岗岩和S型花岗岩的三维分布图,得到如下结论:S型花岗岩主要分布在冈底斯东带和冈底斯弧背断隆带以北;北冈底斯的西部无明显的岩浆活动,而在其南侧和北侧,发现大量的隐伏基性岩和零散分布的I型花岗岩;中生代I型花岗岩在南冈底斯和冈底斯弧背断隆带广泛分布,且到新生代才出现大量的S型花岗岩.上述结果为中生代班公湖—怒江洋壳和新特提斯洋壳的双向剪刀式俯冲模式的观点提供了重要佐证,并认为班公湖—怒江洋壳在北冈底斯西部约84°E—88°E的范围内先后存在向北和向南俯冲的可能,北向羌塘地体下俯冲,南向冈底斯地体下俯冲.     

The Lhasa Terrane: Record of a microcontinent and its histories of drift and growth

The Lhasa Terrane in southern Tibet has long been accepted as the last geological block accreted to Eurasia before its collision with the northward drifting Indian continent in the Cenozoic, but its lithospheric architecture, drift and growth histories and the nature of its northern suture with Eurasia via the Qiangtang Terrane remain enigmatic. Using zircon in situ U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic and bulk-rock geochemical data of Mesozoic–Early Tertiary magmatic rocks sampled along four north–south traverses across the Lhasa Terrane, we show that the Lhasa Terrane has ancient basement rocks of Proterozoic and Archean ages (up to 2870 Ma) in its centre with younger and juvenile crust (Phanerozoic) accreted towards its both northern and southern edges. This finding proves that the central Lhasa subterrane was once a microcontinent. This continent has survived from its long journey across the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean basins and has grown at the edges through magmatism resulting from oceanic lithosphere subduction towards beneath it during its journey and subsequent collisions with the Qiangtang Terrane to the north and with the Indian continent to the south. Zircon Hf isotope data indicate significant mantle source contributions to the generation of these granitoid rocks (e.g., ~ 50–90%, 0–70%, and 30–100% to the Mesozoic magmatism in the southern, central, and northern Lhasa subterranes, respectively). We suggest that much of the Mesozoic magmatism in the Lhasa Terrane may be associated with the southward Bangong–Nujiang Tethyan seafloor subduction beneath the Lhasa Terrane, which likely began in the Middle Permian (or earlier) and ceased in the late Early Cretaceous, and that the significant changes of zircon ε_Hf(t) at ~ 113 and ~ 52 Ma record tectonomagmatic activities as a result of slab break-off and related mantle melting events following the Qiangtang–Lhasa amalgamation and India–Lhasa amalgamation, respectively. These results manifest the efficacy of zircons as a chronometer (U–Pb dating) and a geochemical tracer (Hf isotopes) in understanding the origin and histories of lithospheric plates and in revealing the tectonic evolution of old orogenies in the context of plate tectonics.     

Deep dynamical processes in the central-southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—Receiver functions and travel-time residuals analysis of north Hi-Climb

Teleseismic receiver functions and travel-time residuals along the north Hi-Climb broadband seismic array in the central-southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau show that the lithosphere structures in the central and western Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are different. In the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Indian Plate is northward subducted beneath the Qiangtang block and arrives at the greatest depth beneath the central-southern Qiangtang block. The delaminated Indian lithospheric slab remains beneath the central Lhasa block to a depth possibly greater than that of the upper interface of the mantle transform zone. In the western Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Indian lithospheric plate is gently northward subducted and may have arrived to the south of Tarim plate. Due to the resistance from the gently northward subduction of the Indian mantle lithosphere in the western Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the upwelling mantle material be-neath the Qiangtang block moves mostly toward the east to bring about the lateral eastward flow of the deep mantle hot material in the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.     

Influence of Pacific on Southern Indian Ocean Rossby Waves

The sea-surface height anomalies derived from Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) during 1958–2001, Topex/Poseidon satellite during 1993–2001 and the SODA heat content anomalies (125 m depth) during 1958–2001 are filtered into annual and biennial Rossby wave components using a two-dimensional Finite Impulse Response filter. The filtered Rossby wave components (both annual and biennial) in the southern Pacific and Indian Oceans have considerable strength and variability. The propagation of annual and biennial Rossby waves in the Indonesian through-flow region [12.5°S–7.5°S] of the Indian Ocean is in phase with the southern Pacific Ocean waves. So it is speculated that the Pacific Ocean influences the Indian Ocean, especially through the region 17.5°S to 7.5°S and thus the southern Pacific Rossby waves could be an unexplored contributor to the Indian Ocean Rossby waves. We also carried out Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and wavelet analysis on the tide gauge sea-level data along the Australian coast to support our claim. Filtered annual and biennial components of SODA heat content anomalies (125 m depth) also support these findings.     

帕米尔-兴都库什地区的板块俯冲特征

本文利用美国国家地震信息中心（NEIC）提供的1973～2006年地震目录,哈佛大学提供的1978-2005年地震机制解资料,研究了帕米尔-兴都库什地区印度板块与欧亚板块的碰撞形态,分析了印度板块向北俯冲对地震活动及其区域应力场的影响。地震震源三维图象显示：欧亚板块与印度板块在帕米尔＂结＂附近碰撞强烈,地震活动明显增强,震源剖面显示＂V＂字型分布形态;在帕米尔＂结＂东侧,随着印度板块俯冲动力减弱,地震活动也明显减弱,印度板块向北俯冲的剖面形态逐渐消失,欧亚板块向东南俯冲的剖面形态越加清晰;印度板块向北俯冲具有由浅向深、由南向北反复迁移的特征,可能反映印度板块向北俯冲→断离、再俯冲→再断离的过程。由于印度板块与欧亚板块间的强烈碰撞挤压作用,帕米尔-兴都库什地区处于以近南北向的挤压构造应力状态,逆断层数量约占70%,正断层数量约占11%,走滑断层数量约占19%。P轴优势方位显示帕米尔-兴都库什地区主压应力近南北向,倾角近水平,呈现由南向北倾斜;T轴倾角较大,近垂直,整体接近俯冲带的倾向。帕米尔-兴都库什地区应力场特征表明,印度板块向北的主动推挤,是形成这一区域应力场的主动力,向南倾的欧亚板块处于一种被动的被挤压状态。     

Energy Decay of the 2004 Sumatra Tsunami in the World Ocean

The catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami generated off the coast of Sumatra on 26 December 2004 was recorded by a large number of tide gauges throughout the World Ocean. This study uses gauge records from 173 sites to examine the characteristics and energy decay of the tsunami waves from this event in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Findings reveal that the decay (e-folding) time of the tsunami wave energy within a given oceanic basin is not uniform, as previously reported, but depends on the absorption characteristics of the shelf adjacent to the coastal observation site and the time for the waves to reach the site from the source region. In general, the decay times for island and open-ocean bottom stations are found to be shorter than for coastal mainland stations. Decay times for the 2004 Sumatra tsunami ranged from about 13 h for islands in the Indian Ocean to 40–45 h for mainland stations in the North Pacific.     

Geochemistry of basalts from the Indian Ocean triple junction: implications for the generation and evolution of Indian Ocean ridge basalts

Basalts dredged from ridge axes within 70 km of the Indian Ocean triple junction in the western Indian Ocean have many geochemical and petrologic characteristics in common with depleted mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) from the Atlantic and Pacific. For example there is overlap in major and trace element abundances, and in diagnostic ratios such as K/Rb (700–925) and La/Sm (less than chondritic). Also, glass inclusions in calcic plagioclase (An_89–90) provide evidence for a primitive high Mg/Fe, low TiO₂ melt. In contrast, basalts dredged from 250 to 400 km southwest of the triple junction on the Southwest Indian Ridge are compositionally distinct from depleted MORB. They are nepheline-normative or slightly hypersthene normative and have higher alkali metal and incompatible element abundances than depleted MORBs with similar MgO contents.All of these Indian Ocean basalts have Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios which corroborate previous studies showing that relative to depleted Atlantic and Pacific MORB, many Indian Ocean MORBs have low²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. However, individual Indian Ocean ridges have different radiogenic isotope characteristics, and basalts from the vicinity of the triple junction have unusually high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (∼ 0.7032) at low²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios (17.3–18.2). Moreover, the shallow axial region of the Central Indian Ridge from ∼ 12°S to the triple junction (26°S) has high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (> 0.7030). Apparently, the depleted component of Indian Ocean MORBs has been contaminated by an isotopically unusual component which does not occur in Pacific and Atlantic MORBs, and is not dominant in basalts from many Indian Ocean islands. The degree of this contamination is not uniform in western Indian Ocean MORB; the most contaminated basalts occur from 12°S on the Central Indian Ridge to the triple junction (∼ 26°S) and easterly along the Southeast Indian Ridge to ∼ 72°E.     

Global upper ocean heat content and climate variability

Observational data from the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Program were used to calculate the upper ocean heat content (OHC) anomaly. The thickness of the upper layer is taken as 300 m for the Pacific/Atlantic Ocean and 150 m for the Indian Ocean since the Indian Ocean has shallower thermoclines. First, the optimal spectral decomposition scheme was used to build up monthly synoptic temperature and salinity dataset for January 1990 to December 2009 on 1° × 1° grids and the same 33 vertical levels as the World Ocean Atlas. Then, the monthly varying upper layer OHC field (H) was obtained. Second, a composite analysis was conducted to obtain the total-time mean OHC field ([`([`(H)])] \bar{\bar{H}} ) and the monthly mean OHC variability ( [(\textH)\tilde] \widetilde{\text{H}} ), which is found an order of magnitude smaller than [^(\textH)] \widehat{\text{H}} . Third, an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) method is conducted on the residue data ( [^(\textH)] \widehat{\text{H}} ), deviating from [(\textH)\tilde] \widetilde{\text{H}}  +  [(\textH)\tilde] \widetilde{\text{H}} , in order to obtain interannual variations of the OHC fields for the three oceans. In the Pacific Ocean, the first two EOF modes account for 51.46% and 13.71% of the variance, representing canonical El Nino/La Nina (EOF-1) and pseudo-El Nino/La Nina (i.e., El Nino Modoki; EOF-2) events. In the Indian Ocean, the first two EOF modes account for 24.27% and 20.94% of the variance, representing basin-scale cooling/warming (EOF-1) and Indian Ocean Dipole (EOF-2) events. In the Atlantic Ocean, the first EOF mode accounts for 49.26% of the variance, representing a basin-scale cooling/warming (EOF-1) event. The second EOF mode accounts for 8.83% of the variance. Different from the Pacific and Indian Oceans, there is no zonal dipole mode in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Fourth, evident lag correlation coefficients are found between the first principal component of the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Oscillation Index with a maximum correlation coefficient (0.68) at 1-month lead of the EOF-1 and between the second principal component of the Indian Ocean and the Dipole Mode Index with maximum values (around 0.53) at 1–2-month advance of the EOF-2. It implies that OHC anomaly contains climate variability signals.     

横跨喜马拉雅造山带的构造运动转换与变形分配

喜马拉雅造山带包含喜马拉雅弧和东、西构造结3个基本部分,它们是大陆碰撞后印度板块继续向北移动,并向西藏高原下俯冲产生的构造变形系统.该系统的重要地质特征之一,是同时存在多种不同样式、不同或相反性质的地壳变形,例如地壳南北向缩短与东西向伸展,高原隆起与山间盆地下沉,与造山带走向大致平行的向北倾斜或向南倾斜的逆断层,东西向...     

Cenozoic latitudinal shift of the Hawaiian hotspot and its implications for true polar wander

Pacific plate equatorial sediment facies provide estimates of the northward motion of the Pacific plate that are independent of paleomagnetic data and hotspot tracks. Analyses of equatorial sediment facies consistently indicate less northward motion than analyses of the dated volcanic edifices of the Hawaiian-Emperor chain. The discrepancy is largest 60–70 Ma B.P.; the 60- to 70-Ma equatorial sediment facies data agree with recent paleomagnetic results from deep-sea drilling on Suiko seamount [1] and from a northern Pacific piston core [2]. Equatorial sediment facies data and paleomagnetic data, combined with K-Ar age dates along the Emperor chain [3], indicate a position of the spin axis at 65 Ma B.P. of 82°N, 205°E in the reference frame in which the Pacific Ocean hotspots are fixed. This pole agrees well with the position of the spin axis in the reference frame in which the Atlantic Ocean hotspots and the Indian Ocean hotspots are fixed [4,5], supporting the joint hypotheses that (1) the Pacific Ocean hotspots are fixed with respect to the hotspots in other oceans, (2) the hotspots have shifted coherently with respect to the spin axis, and (3) the time average of the earth's magnetic field 65 Ma B.P. was an axial geocentric dipole. Global Neogene paleomagnetic data suggest that a shift of the mantle relative to the spin axis has been occurring during the Neogene in the same direction as the shift between 65 Ma B.P. and the present. All data are consistent with a model in which the hotspots (and by inference the mantle) have shifted with respect to the spin axis about a fixed Euler pole at a constant rate of rotation for the last 65 Ma.     

马尼拉俯冲带缺失中深源地震成因初探

马尼拉俯冲带是整个南海地震活动多发区,地震成因与南海的形成和构造演化关系密切.对马尼拉俯冲带地震数据和层析成像结果进行了深入分析.结果表明:马尼拉俯冲带的地震活动主要为密集的浅源地震,缺失中深源地震.进一步分析揭示:①脱水和榴辉岩的形成在南海洋壳到达软流圈前就基本停止.马尼拉俯冲带南部在较浅的深度就转变为塑性变形,并停...