Deep seismic investigations in the Baikal rift zone

The largest rift zone of Europe and Asia is located in the region of Lake Baikal. In 1968–1970 deep seismic measurements were carried out along a number of profiles with a total length of about 2000 km within the rift zone and in the adjacent parts of the Siberian platform and the region of the Baikal Mountains. These investigations were of a reconnaissance nature, and therefore the point sounding method was used.A low-velocity region for compressional waves (7.6–7.8 km/sec) has been found and could be traced over a large area in the upper parts of the mantle. The width of this anomalous zone is 200–400 km. The Baikal rift lies in its northwestern part. Within the studied part of the Siberian platform the thickness of the earth's crust is 37–39 km, while in the rift zone it is 36 km, and further to the southeast the crust-mantle boundary lies at a depth of 45–46 km. The Baikal rift proper is bounded in the northwest by a deep fracture zone and does not seem to be associated with any significant “root” or “antiroot” in the relief of the Mohorovi?i? discontinuity.The reduced compressional velocity in the upper parts of the mantle beneath the Baikal zone is considered to correspond to the same phenomena found under the mid-oceanic ridges and the extended rift system in the Basin and Range province of North America. The Baikal rift in the narrow sense of the word lies over the northwestern edge of the anomalous mantle region. This asymmetric position seems to be its main peculiarity.     

Rheological gravity model of the crust and upper mantle of Transbaikalia

Based on rheological interpretation of formalized gravity models, earlier known deep-seated structures in the Earth’s crust and mantle of Transbaikalia have been detailed and new ones discovered. The structures are asymmetric and transverse relative to the Baikal rift zone. Their presence explains the peculiar features of the Baikal rift, including the one-way southeasterly direction of horizontal displacement of tectonic masses and northwestern migration of the Earth’s crust extension processes. The prolonged history (more than 250 Ma) of the Baikal rift zone and Transbaikalia mountainous country involved gravity or rotational detachments of rigid tectonic slabs from the craton and their sliding along intracrustal and subcrustal decollement zones into the above-dome area of the Transbaikalia asthenolith.     

贝加尔湖滨奥里洪地区新构造特征及其成因模式初探

贝加尔裂谷带是全球典型的大陆裂谷带之一,新构造运动强烈。滨奥里洪地区是贝加尔裂谷带断裂发育最完好的地区。位于滨奥里洪中部的萨尔玛河谷和奥里洪门新构造运动非常强烈,萨尔玛河谷在地形上呈规则的折线状,而奥里洪门发育有两侧对称的湖湾。沿萨尔玛河谷发育有一组X型节理,而奥里洪门两侧发育有完好的断层三角面山,因此,萨尔玛河谷和奥里洪门可能是在早期追踪张裂的基础上发育起来的。滨奥里洪地区还发育有一系列NE和NW走向的次级断裂,它们的发育受滨海断裂铲式枢纽断层特征的控制。分析这些次级断裂的特征和性质,提出了与它们发育有关的三种作用力:①枢纽断层造成的NE-SW向局部拉张;②铲式断层的旋转效应产生反向滑动;③铲式断层的不均匀旋转产生剪切效应,并在此基础上对滨奥里洪地区的新构造运动过程作了概括和总结。     

Morphotectonics of lacustrine basins: The Baikal rift zone as an example

Formation mechanisms and development of numerous and morphologically diverse lacustrine basins of the Baikal rift zone are considered in terms of morphotectonics. All the representative lake species are characterized, and their regional morphotectonic classification is suggested.     

Arshan palaeoseismic feature of the Tunka fault (Baikal rift zone,Russia)

The traditional concept of the rift development of flank depressions in the Baikal rift zone is now doubted in view of some indicators for compression deformations identified by the seismogeological and geodetic methods. Besides, the paleoseismological investigations revealed seismogenic strike-slips and reverse faults in the Tunka fault zone that is a major structure-controlling element of the Tunka rift depression. However, a detailed study of the upslope-facing scarp in the Arshan paleoseismogenic structure zone has shown that its formation might be due to rift mechanism of basin formation. Age estimation has been made for the previously unknown pre-historic earthquake whose epicentral area coincides with the western flank of the Arshan paleoseismogenic structure. Judging from previously determined ages of paleoearthquakes, the mean recurrence period for faulting events on the central Tunka fault is 2780–3440 years.     

Morphotectonics of the Baikal rift valley,Eastern Siberia,USSR

The Baikal rift valley, the central segment of the Baikal rift zone located in southern East Siberia, consists of two large depressions separated by an interdepressional uplift. The thickness of the Neogene-Quaternary sediments filling in the depression amounts to 5 km (Logatchev and Florensov 1978). The interdepressional uplift consists of subsiding residual steps and active tilted horsts.The NW slope of the Baikal rift is controlled by a system of faults diverging to the N. This system comprises tectonic scarps (faceted ridge spurs), an inclined piedmont surface and a summit slope. The facets indicate the position of the main dip slip faults behind which longitudinal strike slip faults are distributed. Between the branching faults, the so-called intermediate steps are situated. Their subsidence and destruction result in expansion of the rift valley. Transformation of normal faults into listric faults is manifested in the tectonic topography in the areas of the residual and intermediate steps. The large dimensions of the Baikal rift valley are evidently due to its being confined to the faults striking NE-SW.     

The Redistribution of Phosphorus in Basic Volcanic Rocks

This work presents data on phosphorus content in the central and peripheral sectors of primary jointing blocks in olivine basalts of the Baikal rift zone (Khamar-Daban Range), as well as basaltic andesite flows and dolerite sills on the Karabakh Highland of the Lesser Caucasus. The P₂O₅ content decrease near cracks in volcanic rocks of the Baikal rift zone is caused by leaching of phosphorus during humid weathering. Estimates of the amount of mobilized phosphorus suggest that alkaline basic volcanic rocks can serve as the continental source for the formation of phosphates.     

GPS-measurements of recent crustal deformation in the junction zone of the rift segments in the central Baikal rift system

Based on multiyear measurements of present-day motions in the central area of the Baikal rift system, new data on the kinematics of horizontal motions, relative horizontal deformation rates, and rotation velocities in the area of junction of the South Baikal, North Baikal, and Barguzin rift basins have been obtained. This area is an intricate structure with two transfer zones: Ol’khon–Svyatoi Nos and Ust’-Barguzin.It is shown that crustal blocks are moving southeastward, normally to the structures of transfer zones and at an acute angle to the Baikal Rift strike, which corresponds to the right-lateral strike-slip extensional faulting along the major structure. The average horizontal velocities increase from 3.0 mm yr–1 in the northern South Baikal basin to 6.5 mm yr–1 in the Barguzin basin. The elongation axes prevailing in the study region are mainly of NW–SE direction. The areas of intense deformations are confined to structures with high seismic activity in the South Baikal and, partly, Barguzin basins. This confirms the existence of a present-day zone of the Earth’s crust destruction in the Baikal rift system, which is the most likely source of strong earthquakes in the future. Two zones with rotations in opposite directions are recognized in the rotation velocity field. Clockwise rotation is typical of structures of N–NE strike (Maloe More basin, southern North Baikal basin, Barguzin Ridge rise). Counterclockwise rotation is determined for NE-striking structures (northern South Baikal basin, southern Barguzin basin). In general, the obtained data show an intricate pattern of present-day horizontal dislocations and deformations in the area of junction of NE- and N–NE-striking rift structures. This suggests left- and right-lateral strike-slip faults, respectively, within them.     

Mechanism of rifting and some features of the deep-seated structure of the Baikal rift zone

The mechanism of rifting in the Baikal rift zone is a complex process, with stages of crustal fracturing alternating with stages of plastic extension. Data on the form and size of the anomalous mantle region lying below the rift zone is given in the present work. Divergent flow in the upper part of the anomalous mantle is considered the cause of extension of the crust in this region.     

Magnetic anomalies of the Baikal rift zone and adjacent areas

The magnetic field of the Baikal rift zone differs both from that of adjacent territories and from oceanic rifts in its character and intensity. There is no strip-like structure of the field in Baikal. It is assumed that the thickness of the magnetic anomaly-generating layer in this region is small, due to a high thermal gradient in the crust. Basic intrusions are predicted at depths up to 18 km. There is evidence of instability in the geothermal field.     

俄罗斯贝加尔湖区伸展构造及与中国东部伸展构造对比

在晚白垩世-始新世夷平面基础上,由于断裂作用形成了贝加尔裂谷系。断裂作用最大幅度超过10 km。在裂谷系中心部位发育的断层长度最大、最深、最早,并以准对称形式向四周扩展。贝加尔裂谷系是在地幔隆起和印度-欧亚大陆碰撞双重作用下形成。贝加尔裂谷系与中国东部新生代断陷盆地和汾渭裂谷系同时形成,并有密切的成因联系。它们的形成不仅受太平洋板块的俯冲和印度-欧亚大陆碰撞的制约和影响,而且位于中国西南部的地幔流发散中心,呈扇状向太平洋区流动,可能是它们在更深层次上的共同场源基础。     

Sedimentogenesis in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic continental rifts of Central Asia

An analysis of continental sedimentogenesis in Mesozoic rifts of the Transbaikal region and Mongolia, as well as in the Cenozoic Baikal rift zone, revealed a succession of volcanic-sedimentary formations, which constitute the sedimentary cover. The peculiar sedimentation features reflect exogenic processes that are characteristic of rift structures and the influence of deep-seated (exogenic and catagenic) sources. It is proposed to define a specific, rift, type of sedimentogenesis.     

Evolution of the upper mantle beneath the southern Baikal rift zone: an Sr-Nd isotope study of xenoliths from the Bartoy volcanoes

Anhydrous and amphibole-bearing peridotite xenoliths occur in roughly equal quantitites in the Bartoy volcanic field about 100 km south of the southern tip of Lake Baikal in Siberia (Russia). Whole-rock samples and pure mineral separates from nine xenoliths have been analyzed for Sr and Nd isotopes in order to characterize the upper mantle beneath the southern Baikal rift zone. In an Sr-Nd isotope diagram both dry and hydrous xenoliths from Bartoy plot at the junction between the fields of MORB and ocean island basalts. This contrasts with data available on two other localities around Lake Baikal (Tariat and Vitim) where peridotites typically have Sr–Nd isotope compositions indicative of strong long-term depletion in incompatible elements. Our data indicate significant chemical and isotopic heterogeneity in the mantle beneath Bartoy that may be attributed to its position close to an ancient suture zone separating the Siberian Platform from the Mongol-Okhotsk mobile belt and occupied now by the Baikal rift. Two peridotites have clinopyroxenes depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE) with Sr and Nd model ages of about 2 Ga and seem to retain the trace element and isotopic signatures of old depleted lithospheric mantle, while all other xenoliths show different degrees of LREE-enrichment. Amphiboles and clinopyroxenes in the hydrous peridotites are in Sr–Nd isotopic disequilibrium. If this reflects in situ decay of ¹⁴⁷Sm and ⁸⁷Rb rather than heterogeneities produced by recent metasomatic formation of amphiboles then 300–400 Ma have passed since the minerals were last in equilibrium. This age range then indicates an old enrichment episode or repeated events during the Paleozoic in the lithospheric mantle initially depleted maybe 2 Ga ago. The Bartoy hydrous and enriched dry peridotites, therefore, are unlikely to represent fragments of a young asthenospheric bulge which, according to seismic reflection studies, reached the Moho at the axis of the Baikal rift zone a few Ma ago. By contrast, hydrous veins in peridotites may be associated with rift formation processes.     

Lower crustal intrusions beneath the southern Baikal Rift Zone: Evidence from full-waveform modelling of wide-angle seismic data

The Cenozoic Baikal Rift Zone (BRZ) is situated in south-central Siberia in the suture between the Precambrian Siberian Platform and the Amurian plate. This more than 2000-km long rift zone is composed of several individual basement depressions and half-grabens with the deep Lake Baikal at its centre. The BEST (Baikal Explosion Seismic Transect) project acquired a 360-km long, deep seismic, refraction/wide-angle reflection profile in 2002 across southern Lake Baikal. The data from this project is used for identification of large-scale crustal structures and modelling of the seismic velocities of the crust and uppermost mantle. Previous interpretation and velocity modelling of P-wave arrivals in the BEST data has revealed a multi layered crust with smooth variation in Moho depth between the Siberian Platform (41 km) and the Sayan-Baikal fold belt (46 km). The lower crust exhibits normal seismic velocities around the rift structure, except for beneath the rift axis where a distinct 50–80-km wide high-velocity anomaly (7.4–7.6 ± 0.2 km/s) is observed. Reverberant or “ringing” reflections with strong amplitude and low frequency originate from this zone, whereas the lower crust is non-reflective outside the rift zone. Synthetic full-waveform reflectivity modelling of the high-velocity anomaly suggests the presence of a layered sequence with a typical layer thickness of 300–500 m coinciding with the velocity anomaly. The P-wave velocity of the individual layers is modelled to range between 7.4 km/s and 7.9 km/s. We interpret this feature as resulting from mafic to ultra-mafic intrusions in the form of sills. Petrological interpretation of the velocity values suggests that the intrusions are sorted by fractional crystallization into plagioclase-rich low-velocity layers and pyroxene- and olivine-rich high-velocity layers. The mafic intrusions were probably intruded into the ductile lower crust during the main rift phase in the Late Pliocene. As such, the intrusive material has thickened the lower crust during rifting, which may explain the lack of Moho uplift across southern BRZ.     

The three-dimensional shear velocity structure of lithosphere in the southern Baikal rift system and its surroundings

The three-dimensional shear velocity lithospheric structure at depths from 0 to 70 km beneath the southern Baikal rift system and its surroundings has been imaged by inversion of P-to-SV receiver functions from 46 digital stations operated in two teleseismic international projects in southern Siberia and Mongolia. The receiver functions were determined from teleseismic P waveforms and inverted to obtain depth dependences of S velocities at each station which were related to tectonic structures. The computed vertical and horizontal sections of the 3D shear velocity model imaged a transition from relatively thin crust of the southern Siberian craton to thicker crust in the folded area south and southeast of Lake Baikal, with a local zone of thin crust right underneath the South Baikal basin. The velocity structure beneath the Baikal rift, the mountains of Transbaikalia, Mongolia, and the southern craton margin includes several low-velocity zones at different depths in the crust. Some of these zones may record seismic anisotropy associated with mylonite alignment along large thrusts.     

Velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle in the Baikal rift zone from the long-term observations of broad-band seismic stations

Using inversion of SV receiver functions, defined for various directions at each of the three broad-band stations located in the Baikal rift zone, detailed S velocity models of the crust and upper mantle down to 260 km have been obtained. These models reflect peculiarities of the velocity structure beneath Baikal depressions and mountains.     

Sm–Nd Isotope Systematics of the Cenozoic Sand Deposits in the Muya Depression (Eastern Flank of the Baikal Rift Zone)

Doklady Earth Sciences - Sm–Nd isotope–geochemical studies of the Cenozoic sand deposits of the Muya Depression (eastern flank of the Baikal rift zone), which is located on the border...     

New data on continental crust age in the western part of the Aldan Shield: Results of Sm–Nd isotopic study of the Cenozoic sand deposits in the Chara and Tokkin Basins

It has been demonstrated on basis of Sm–Nd isotopic analyses of the Cenozoic sands from the Chara and Tokkin Basins in the eastern flank of the Baikal rift zone that the Chara–Olekma Geoblock of the Aldan Shield is an area of intense crust growing processes occurred not only in the Paleoarchaean but in the Mesoarchaean as well.