Anomalies of Thermomagnetic Characteristics of Lower Cretaceous Red-Beds in the Tadjik Depression (Southern Tien-Shan)

The paper features data on thermomagnetic characteristics of the red-bed sediments of the Lower Cretaceous of the Tadjik depression which turned out to be somewhat anomalous. The thermomagnetic characteristics of monolithic samples are stable under long-term heating (2–3 hours) at high temperature (600°–700°C). At the same time, the thermomagnetic characteristics of the powders, obtained from heated monolithic samples, display instability under even lesser temperatures. During heating at 600°–700°C, part of the hematite, dispersed in the rock, turns into stable maghemite. Disintegration of the monoliths changes the properties of the secondary maghemite - it becomes unstable to heating and at temperatures of 550°-600°C irreversibly changes into hematite.     

Magnetic properties related to thermal treatment of pyrite

Detailed rock magnetic experiments were conducted on high-purity natural crystalline pyrite and its products of thermal treatments in both argon and air atmospheres. In argon atmosphere (reducing environment), the pyrite is altered by heating to magnetite and pyrrhotite; the latter is stable in argon atmosphere, and has coercive force and coercivity of remanence of ～20 and ～30 mT, respectively. Whereas in air, the pyrite is ultimately oxidized to hematite. First order reversal curve (FORC) diagram of the end product shows that the remanence coercivity of hematite is up to ～1400 mT. The corresponding thermal transformation process of pyrite in air can be simply summarized as pyrite→ pyrrhotite→magnetite→hematite. These results are helpful for understanding of sedimentary magnetism, secondary chemical remanence and meteorolite magnetic properties.     

赤铁矿与磁铁矿混合比例对磁性参数的影响

本文通过将磁铁矿与赤铁矿进行人工混合,其中磁铁矿含量固定为0.3%,而赤铁矿含量则变化于0%～9%,并根据磁铁矿颗粒大小分为两个系列(纳米级磁铁矿+赤铁矿,系列1;假单畴磁铁矿+赤铁矿,系列2),探讨了磁性参数对上述磁性矿物混合比例的响应关系,结果显示:退磁参数S比值和Hcr/Hc不仅与磁铁矿和赤铁矿混合比例相关,同时也受到磁铁矿颗粒大小的影响,对于系列1而言,S比值对赤铁矿含量小于2%的混合样品较敏感,随着赤铁矿含量增加显著下降;Hcr/Hc则在赤铁矿含量大于3%时变化较大,通常用于指示亚铁磁性矿物颗粒大小的参数XARM/X与XARM/SIRM,也受到磁铁矿与赤铁矿混合比例的影响,对于磁铁矿颗粒较细的系列1而言,当赤铁矿含量小于3%时,XARM/SIRM随着赤铁矿含量增加存在较为显著的下降现象,上述结果表明,当使用磁性参数进行环境解释时,需要同时考虑磁性矿物颗粒大小以及不同矫顽力矿物混合比例的影响,特别是磁铁矿以超顺磁颗粒为主的样品.     

Revisiting the Lowrie–Fuller test: alternating field demagnetization characteristics of single-domain through multidomain glass–ceramic magnetite

This paper reports the alternating field demagnetization characteristics of glass–ceramic magnetite assemblages carrying weak-field thermoremanent magnetization (TRM), weak-field anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM), and saturation remanence (J_rs). Average grain sizes vary from less than 0.1 μm to approximately 100 μm, and hysteresis parameters indicate that these assemblages encompass single-domain (SD) through truly multidomain (MD) behavior. In all assemblages, weak-field TRM and weak-field ARM are more stable to alternating field demagnetization than is (J_rs). This response is especially remarkable in the 100 μm assemblage, which otherwise displays truly MD behavior. Although the SD samples pass the Lowrie–Fuller test for SD behavior, calculations presented here show that populations of noninteracting, uniaxial SD grains should behave in just the opposite sense to that reported originally by Lowrie and Fuller. This discrepancy could indicate that SD, glass–ceramic magnetite populations are more affected by magnetic interactions than would be expected for magnetite crystals that nucleated individually from a silicate matrix. This interpretation is supported by the SD assemblages failing the ‘Cisowski' test: that is, the curves for acquisition and AF demagnetization of (J_rs) intersect well below the 50% mark. However, a second and intriguing explanation of the SD-like results obtained from all samples is that alternating field demagnetization characteristics reflect a strong dependence of local energy minimum domain state, and its associated stability, on the state of magnetization.     

Characteristics and genesis of maghemite in Chinese loess and paleosols: Mechanism for magnetic susceptibility enhancement in paleosols

Morphological characteristics and microstructures of magnetic minerals extracted from Chinese loess and paleosols were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Our results indicate that maghemite in loess–paleosol sequences was transformed from magnetite through oxidation of magnetite. Maghemite transformed from eolian magnetite during chemical weathering has low-angle grain boundaries among maghemite nano-crystals. Some nano-crystalline maghemites with nanoporous texture resulted from microbe-induced precipitation of magnetite or transformation of poorly crystalline ferric Fe (oxy)hydroxides in presence of Fe-reducing bacteria. Aggregates of euhedral maghemite nano-crystals were transformed from magnetite magnetosomes. Both microbe-induced nanoporous magnetite and microbe-produced magnetite magnetosomes are directly related to microbial activities and pedogenesis of the paleosols. It is proposed that the formation of nano-crystalline maghemite with superparamagnetic property in paleosol results in the enhancement of magnetic susceptibility, although the total amount (weight percent) of magnetic minerals in both paleosol and loess units is similar. Our results also show that nano-crystalline and nanoporous magnetite grains prefer to transform into maghemite in semi-arid soil environments instead of hematite, although hematite is a thermodynamically stable phase. This result also indicates that a decrease in crystal size will increase stability of maghemite. It is also inferred that surface energy of maghemite is lower than that of hematite.     

Mantle thermal structure and active upwelling during continental breakup in the North Atlantic

Seismic reflection and refraction data acquired on four transects spanning the Southeast Greenland rifted margin and Greenland–Iceland Ridge (GIR) provide new constraints on mantle thermal structure and melting processes during continental breakup in the North Atlantic. Maximum igneous crustal thickness varies along the margin from >30 km in the near-hotspot zone (<500 km from the hotspot track) to 18 km in the distal zone (500–1100 km). Magmatic productivity on summed conjugate margins of the North Atlantic decreases through time from 1800±300 to 600±50 km³/km/Ma in the near-hotspot zone and from 700±200 to 300±50 km³/km/Ma in the distal zone. Comparison of our data with the British/Faeroe margins shows that both symmetric and asymmetric conjugate volcanic rifted margins exist. Joint consideration of crustal thickness and mean crustal seismic velocity suggests that along-margin changes in magmatism are principally controlled by variations in active upwelling rather than mantle temperature. The thermal anomaly (ΔT) at breakup was modest (100–125°C), varied little along the margin, and transient. Data along the GIR indicate that the potential temperature anomaly (125±50°C) and upwelling ratio (4 times passive) of the Iceland hotspot have remained roughly constant since 56 Ma. Our results are consistent with a plume–impact model, in which (1) a plume of radius 300 km and ΔT of 125°C impacted the margin around 61 Ma and delivered warm material to distal portions of the margin; (2) at breakup (56 Ma), the lower half of the plume head continued to feed actively upwelling mantle into the proximal portion of the margin; and (3) by 45 Ma, both the remaining plume head and the distal warm layer were exhausted, with excess magmatism thereafter largely confined to a narrow (<200 km radius) zone immediately above the Iceland plume stem. Alternatively, the warm upper mantle layer that fed excess magmatism in the distal portion of the margin may have been a pre-existing thermal anomaly unrelated to the plume.     

有机质对纳米级磁铁矿热稳定性的影响

单畴磁铁矿颗粒是地质样品中最重要的磁性载体,其稳定性一直备受关注.为了认识有机质对纳米级磁铁矿颗粒热稳定性的影响,本文对比研究了趋磁细菌AMB-1合成的单畴磁铁矿分别在全细胞中和经去胞提纯后的纯化磁小体中的热磁性质,以及热处理后样品的磁滞参数和低温磁性的变化.发现仅有磁小体膜包裹的纯化磁小体中单畴磁铁矿热稳定性极强,而全细胞中的单畴磁铁矿加热过程中发生了显著的热变化:磁铁矿在约270℃即开始转化,400℃以前几乎完全被有机质还原为顺磁性物质;同时在400℃以前,有机质的还原作用与有机质热分解引起磁小体链的坍塌,共同导致了样品矫顽力(Bc)、剩磁矫顽力(Bcr)和剩磁比(Mrs/Ms)的减小,以及矫顽力比(Bcr/Bc)的增加. 我们的实验结果清楚地表明,当地质样品中含有较多有机质组分并受热事件影响时,其中的单畴磁铁矿难以得到保存.     

Chemical aspects of iron oxide coagulation in water: Laboratory studies and implications for natural systems

Initial coagulation rates of colloidal hematite (-Fe₂O₃) particles (diameter less than 0.1 µm) were measured experimentally in well-defined laboratory systems at constant temperature. The relative stability ratio,W, was obtained at various ionic strengths in NaCl medium and at pH values in the range from 3 to 12. ExperimentalW values ranged from 1 to 10⁴ in various systems. The results delineate the roles ofspecific andgeneralized coagulation mechanisms for iron oxides. Among the specifically-interacting species (G _ads ⁰ >G _coul ⁰ ) studied were phosphate, monomeric organic acids of various structures, and polymeric organic acids. The critical coagulation-restabilization concentrations of specifically-interacting anions (from 10^–7 to 10^–4 molar) can be compared with the general effects of non-specific electrolyte coagulants (10^–3 to 10^–1 molar). The laboratory results are interpreted with the help of a Surface Complex Formation/Diffuse Layer Model (SCF/DLM) which describes variations of interfacial charge and potential resulting from variations of coagulating species in solution. Comparison of these laboratory experiments with observations on iron behavior in estuarine and lake waters aids in understanding iron removal mechanisms and coagulation time scales in natural systems.     

Analysis of the natural remanent magnetization of rocks by measuring the efficiency ratio through alternating field demagnetization spectra

The REM(AF) method is a new tool for the analysis of the origin and alternating field demagnetization coercivity spectra of the remanent magnetization. We applied this method on precambrian Gila diabase sheets from Arizona in order to identify the high coercivity magnetic carrier, and on artificially shocked Rowley Regis basalt from UK in order to analyze the effect of the shock on the natural remanent magnetization. In the Gila diabase the high coercivity magnetic component was identified to be most likely represented by the acicular magnetite (increase in the efficiency ratio in the high coercivity region). In the Rowley Regis basalt, the REM(AF) analysis revealed that comparing to NRM, the shock produced a different distribution of the AF demagnetization coercivity spectra due to the occurrence of the Shock Remanent Magnetization.     

Three-dimensional thermal structure of the Chinese continental crust and upper mantle

We invert S-wave velocities for the 3D upper-mantle temperatures, in which the position with a temperature crossing the 1300℃ adiabat is corresponding to the top of the seismic low velocity zone. The temperatures down to the depth of 80 km are then calculated by solving steady-state thermal conduction equation with the constraints of the inverted upper-mantle temperatures and the surface temperatures, and then surface heat flows are calculated from the crustal temperatures. The misfit between the calculated and observed surface heat flow is smaller than 20% for most regions. The result shows that, at a depth of 25 km, the crustal temperature of eastern China (500―600℃) is higher than that of western China (<500℃). At a depth of 100 km, temperatures beneath eastern and southeastern China are higher than the adiabatic temperature of 1300℃, while that beneath west China is lower. The Tarim craton and the Sichuan basin show generally low temperature. At a depth of 150 km, temperatures beneath south China, eastern Yangtze craton, North China craton and around the Qiangtang terrane are higher than the adiabatic temperature of 1300℃, but is the lowest beneath the Sichuan basin and the regions near the Indian-Eurasian collision zone. At a depth of 200 km, very low temperature occurs beneath the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the south to the Tarim craton.     

大陆碰撞过程中的多地体变形模式

几乎所有的大陆碰撞造山带都含有多个增生地体,它们是大陆造山带的重要组成部分.前人对地体拼贴过程及其相应地质记录都做过详细探讨,但对后期大陆持续汇聚过程中的多地体之间的变形行为及拆离模式目前研究得仍较为薄弱.为此,我们以"两地体"结构为代表,通过系统的动力学模型试验,来探讨多地体流变结构及其几何参数对大陆碰撞动力学过程的影响.模型结果显示,大陆碰撞过程中的地体变形行为主要受控于靠近主碰撞带的地体流变强度(确切来说是地壳流变强度,下同)及其几何宽度,而与远离主碰撞带的地体流变和几何属性关系较弱.同时,模型结果也揭示出大陆碰撞造山带中地体之间的相互俯冲仅发生在靠近主碰撞带一侧地体较宽的情况下,且总是弱地体向相对强的地体之下俯冲.该研究成果不仅对喜马拉雅—青藏高原造山带中地体变形演化给予重要的动力学启示,也对含有多地体结构的碰撞造山带的动力学演化研究提供一定的理论支撑.     

上通流对大陆岩石圈地幔-地壳热结构模式的潜在影响

本文以多孔介质中大尺度传热问题为基础,结合热平衡理论分析与数值计算,探讨了上通流对大陆岩石圈地幔-地壳热结构模式的潜在影响.根据大陆岩石圈中孔隙波传热概念模型的初步理论分析结果,指出了采用理论分析和数值模拟相结合的方法在研究大陆岩石圈地幔-地壳热结构模式时的重要性.理论分析方法可用来确定岩石圈尺度范围内大陆岩石圈的厚度和大陆地壳相关的边界条件,从而为地壳范围内数值模型的建立提供一些重要信息.数值模拟方法可以用来模拟地壳尺度范围内地壳的详细结构和复杂几何形状.如果地壳内的热分布是所考虑的主要因素,采用具有地壳尺度的合理数值模型可以有效减少计算机工作量.利用理论分析方法求出的岩石圈尺度范围内大陆岩石圈厚度与地幔传导热流之间关系的理论解,不仅可以用来验证模拟大陆岩石圈内传热问题所采用的数值方法, 而且可以用来初步研究大陆岩石圈内热分布的基本规律,为研究岩石圈地幔热事件中大陆岩石圈热减薄过程提供相应的边界条件.本文从理论分析的观点初步探讨了中国大陆不同构造背景下大陆岩石圈的热结构模式,其结果与从地球物理和地质资料中获得的大陆岩石圈热结构模式十分吻合.研究结果表明由大陆岩石圈中孔隙波传播所导致的上通流是影响大陆岩石圈地幔-地壳热结构模式及大陆岩石圈地幔与地壳之间物质和能量交换的可能机制之一.     

Comparison of stress-dependent geophysical,hydraulic and mechanical properties of synthetic and natural sandstones for reservoir characterization and monitoring studies

Synthetic rock samples can offer advantages over natural rock samples when used for laboratory rock physical properties studies, provided their success as natural analogues is well understood. The ability of synthetic rocks to mimic the natural stress dependency of elastic wave, electrical and fluid transport properties is of primary interest. Hence, we compare a consistent set of laboratory multi-physics measurements obtained on four quartz sandstone samples (porosity range 20–25%) comprising two synthetic and two natural (Berea and Corvio) samples, the latter used extensively as standards in rock physics research. We measured simultaneously ultrasonic (P- and S-wave) velocity and attenuation, electrical resistivity, permeability and axial and radial strains over a wide range of differential pressure (confining stress 15–50 MPa; pore pressure 5–10 MPa) on the four brine saturated samples. Despite some obvious physical discrepancies caused by the synthetic manufacturing process, such as silica cementation and anisotropy, the results show only small differences in stress dependency between the synthetic and natural sandstones for all measured parameters. Stress dependency analysis of the dry samples using an isotropic effective medium model of spheroidal pores and penny-shaped cracks, together with a granular cohesion model, provide evidence of crack closure mechanisms in the natural sandstones, seen to a much lesser extent in the synthetic sandstones. The smaller grain size, greater cement content, and cementation under oedometric conditions particularly affect the fluid transport properties of the synthetic sandstones, resulting in lower permeability and higher electrical resistivity for a similar porosity. The effective stress coefficients, determined for each parameter, are in agreement with data reported in the literature. Our results for the particular synthetic materials that were tested suggest that synthetic sandstones can serve as good proxies for natural sandstones for studies of elastic and mechanical properties, but should be used with care for transport properties studies.     

Variation of continental mantle heat flow with age. Possibility of discriminating between thermal models of the lithosphere

Continental mantle heat flow values are obtained by subtracting the radiogenic heat produced in the lower crust and lithosphere beneath the crust from reduced heat flow values reported for various heat flow provinces. The significance of continental mantle heat flow values thus obtained is that they can be considered essentially as representing the residual heat of cooling of the continental lithosphere. A plot of these mantle heat flow values against 1/t where t is the geologic age of the last thermal event suggests a linear trend. It is also found that the recently proposed relationQ=500 (1/t) for the variation of oceanic heat flowQ (in mW/M²) with aget (in million years) provides a reasonably good fit to the mantle heat flow data. The constant thickness plate model however, is found to be unsatisfactory in explaining the variation of continental mantle heat flow with age.     

Global scale patterns of continental fragmentation: Wilson's cycles as a constraint for long-term sea-level changes

We propose to characterize land–ocean distributions over Late Proterozoic to Phanerozoic times from measurement of perimeters and areas of continental fragments, based on paleomagnetic reconstructions. These measurements serve to calculate geophysically constrained breakup and scatter indexes of continental land masses from 0 to 1100 Ma. We then provide quantitative investigation and modelling of relationships between scatter of continental landmasses and mean age of the oceanic lithosphere during Mesozoic times, which appears to range from 56 to 62 Ma over the last 170 My. We then inverse the scatter of continental landmasses in terms of global oceanic crust mean age over the last 600 My, i.e. back in times where no measurement of seafloor accretion history is possible because of subduction. We finally show that the inferred evolution of oceanic lithosphere mean age over the Phanerozoic remarkably correlates in time with long-term sea-level changes since the Cambrian.     

Modelling the composition of melts formed during continental breakup of the Southeast Greenland margin

We have developed a generic dynamic model of extension of the lithosphere, which predicts major element composition and volume of melt generated from initial extension to steady state seafloor spreading. Stokes equations for non-Newtonian flow are solved and the mantle melts by decompression. Strengthening of the mantle due to dehydration as melting progresses is included. The composition is then empirically related to depletion. Using a crystallisation algorithm, the predicted primary melt composition was compared with mean North Atlantic mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). At steady state, using half spreading rates from 10 to 20 mm yr^− 1 and mantle potential temperatures of 1300 to 1325 °C we predict a major element composition that is within the variation in the mean of North Atlantic MORB.

This model is applied to the Southeast Greenland margin, which has extensive coverage of seismic and ODP core data. These data have been interpreted to indicate an initial pulse of magmatism on rifting that rapidly decayed to leave oceanic crustal thickness of 8 to 11 km. This pattern of melt production can be recreated by introducing an initial hot layer of asthenosphere beneath the continental lithosphere and by having a period of fast spreading during early opening. The hot layer was convected through the melt region giving a pulse of high magnesian and low silica melt during the early rifting process. The predicted major element composition of primary melts generated are in close agreement with primary melts from the Southeast Greenland margin. The observed variations in major element composition are reproduced without a mantle source composition anomaly.     

Paleogeographic reconstructions of the East Asia continental margin during the middle to late Mesozoic

The currently available paleogeographic maps of the East Asia continental margin during the Mesozoic have been recast in the light of recent research results on sediments distributed in Korea and Japan. Both the Korean peninsula and the Inner zone of Southwest Japan exchanged sediment supply during the Middle to Late Mesozoic, suggestive of a close paleogeographic relationship between the two countries at the active continental margin setting. During the latest Middle to earliest Late Jurassic the Mino–Tamba trench was developed along the southeastern Korean peninsula, from which trench‐fill sediments were sourced and to which an accretionary complex was accreted. Lower Cretaceous quartz‐arenite clasts of the Tetori Group in the Hida Marginal Belt of Southwest Japan were derived from pre‐Mesozoic quartz‐arenite strata distributed in the southern central and east central Korean peninsula, suggesting that the Tetori Basin was located close to the central eastern part of the Korean peninsula at the time of deposition of quartz‐arenite clasts, contrary to conventional thought of far distance between the two areas based on paleomagnetic data. During the early Late Cretaceous radiolaria‐bearing chert pebbles and sands in the northern part of the non‐marine Gyeongsang Basin distributed in the southeastern Korean peninsula were derived from the uplifted Mino–Tamba accretionary complex distributed in southwest Japan, suggesting that the Mino–Tamba terrane was land‐connected with the eastern Korean peninsula. These new findings suggest that in contrast to conventional thought, the collage of tectonic blocks in Southwest Japan has assembled in post‐early Late Cretaceous time.     

Mineralogical characteristics of airborne particles collected in Beijing during a severe Asian dust storm period in spring 2002

Asian dust storm (ADS) samples were collected on March 20,2002 in Beijing,China. High-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray detector (FESEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the morphology,chemical compositions,number-size dis-tributions and mineralogical compositions of ADS particles. The mineral particles were major compo-nents in the ADS samples,accounting for 94% by number. The XRD analysis indicated that the dust particles were dominated by clay (40.3%),and quartz (19.5%),followed by plagioclase (8.4%),calcite (7.5%),K-feldspar (1.5%),hematite (0.9%),pyrite (0.9%),hornblende (0.4%) and gypsum (0.3%),with a certain amount of noncrystalline materials (20.3%). Clay minerals were mainly illite/smectite mixed lay-ers (78%),followed by illite (9%),kaolinite (6%),and chlorite (7%). In addition to these main minerals,FESEM-EDX also detected some trace minerals,such as dolomite,pyrite,thenardite,as well as heavy minerals represented by rutile,ilmenite and apatite. The mineralogical compositions of the 2002-03-20 Asian dust storm and the Saharan dust plumes were similar but the clay mineralogy showed a great distinction,with the illite/smectite mixed layers being common in the Asian dust storm but illite being common in the Saharan dust plumes.     

A continental shelf scale examination of the Leeuwin Current off Western Australia during the austral autumn-winter

A continental shelf scale survey from 22°S to 34°S along the Western Australia coast provides the first detailed synoptic examination of the structure, circulation and modification of the southward flowing Leeuwin Current (LC) during the late austral autumn-early winter (May-June 2007). At lower latitudes (22°S-25°S), the LC was masked within a broad expanse of warm ambient surface water, which extended across the shelf and offshore before becoming constrained at the shelf break and attaining its maximum velocity of ∼1.0 m s⁻¹ at 28°S. The temperature and salinity signature of the LC experienced substantial modification as it flowed poleward; surface temperature of the LC decreased by ∼5.25 °C while surface salinity increased by ∼0.72, consistent with climatology estimates and smaller (larger) for temperature (salinity) than those found during summer. Subsequently, LC water was denser by ∼2σ_T in the south compared to the north, and the surface mixed layer of the LC revealed only a small deepening trend along its poleward trajectory. Modification of the LC resulted from a combination of mixing due to geostrophic inflow and entrainment of cooler, more saline surrounding subtropical waters, and convective mixing driven by large heat loss to the atmosphere. Air-sea heat fluxes accounted for 50% of the heat lost from the LC in the south, whilst only accounting for 25% in the north, where large geostrophic inflow occurred and the LC displayed its maximum flow. The onshore transport was characterised by distinct jet-like structures, enhanced in the upper 200 m of the water column, and the presence of eddies in the vicinity of the shelf break generated offshore transport.