南海中南—司令断裂带的延伸特征及其与南海扩张演化的关系

为了确定中南—司令断裂带在南海海盆及其在南部陆缘的延伸位置,并探讨其与南海扩张的关系,本文利用重磁异常、地震、莫霍面深度、P波速度特征、钻井拖网资料,对中南—司令断裂带的延伸位置进行了综合地质和地球物理研究,厘定了中南—司令断裂带在东部次海盆与西南、西北次海盆之间呈NS向延伸,并南延至南海南部陆缘之上,深度上切割至莫霍面。根据南海海盆中磁异常条带走向的变化,及磁异常条带、走滑/转换断裂、扩张方向的印证关系,结合前人对古南海“剪刀状”碰撞闭合、南海扩张演化、构造应力场的研究,提出在32~25 Ma,伴随着南海东部次海盆的NNW向扩张,南海海盆及南沙地块整体发生顺时针旋转,使中南—司令断裂走向由形成初期的NNW向转变为N—S向;23.5 Ma之后,顺时针旋转停止,南海东部次海盆继续NNW向扩张,西南次海盆呈NW—SE向渐进式扩张。作为一条切穿地壳的深大断裂,中南—司令断裂与红河-越东断裂、马尼拉海沟断裂三条深大断裂一起组成区域“滑线场”,制约南海海盆的扩张与南沙地块的南移。     

Possible spreading centers in the Japan sea

The magnetic anomaly profiles across the Japan and the Yamato Basins are analyzed to find possible spreading centers. Magnetic anomalies are first transformed and then the correlation coefficient of symmetry of the pattern of profile is computed along each profile. If the coefficient of symmetry has a notable maximum at a point and such a point lines up for different profiles, the line of these points of maximum symmetry may be a spreading center. Three possible spreading centers are obtained. Two are situated at about the axis of the Japan and the Yamato Basins, and the other is at the topographic extension of the Yamato Ridge. The age of the opening has not been identified on the magnetic time scale yet, but the strike of the proposed spreading centers suggests a pre-Eocene time.     

A metrologic method of anomaly field amplitude bottom reduction in undersampled geomagnetic marine surveys

We show the results obtained by means of a seabed reduction technique on the intensity of geomagnetic anomaly fields applied to a synthetic case and then to the real case of a geomagnetic survey of eastern Ligurian Sea (Italy). The eastern Ligurian Sea has very intense short waves anomaly fields and a sea bed that varies greatly in depth. As a result the geomagnetic space signal is characterized by a very large spectral content; in these conditions it is not possible to obtain a full sampled marine survey and vertical continuation analytic procedures and standard numerical bottom reduction based on a single vertical incremental parameter, whichever is applicable, fails to give accurate results. The present technique, which has been fine-tuned over 4 years of experimentation in environmental researchs, aims to provide a simple and efficient means to reduce the distortion of geomagnetic anomalies field caused by the variation of distance between survey plane and magnetic outcrop source position. The compensation procedure is based on evaluation, by comparison of two measurements carried out at different altitudes, of the mean vertical increment typical of each anomaly field principal frequency component bands. The component anomaly fields are then corrected by application of the corresponding vertical increments and lastly, the anomaly geomagnetic field reduced to the sea-bed is computed as Inverse Fourier Transform of a spectrum built as synthesis of the component anomaly fields' spectra. The results obtained have shown a notable increase in definition of anomaly field intensity without the production of appreciable distortions or false geomagnetic echoes. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A topographic surface reduction of aeromagnetic anomaly field over the Tyrrhenian sea area (Italy)

This paper shows the results of a detailed reprocessing of aeromagnetic data, obtained by the downward projection to the seabed. The area of interest is centered over the Tyrrhenian Basin, whose bathymetric–topographic lay-out is characterized by a somewhat irregular trend. The origin of the intense depth variations depends on the Tyrrhenian structural setting, that is associated with the presence of several tectonic lineaments, seamounts or volcanic islands. The data were characterized by good quality and dense sampling, but they have been reprocessed in order either to solve some problems in the original compilation, and to reduce the distortion of the geomagnetic anomaly field caused by the difference of distance between the survey level and the magnetic source. The reprocessed magnetic map is proposed as an effective analysis tool for the Tyrrhenian area that is characterized by high susceptibility lithotypes. Downward projection of the aeromagnetic data by BTM algorithm increases the definition of the anomalous magnetic signal without distortions in the geometric pattern of the field, thus showing a more stable and effective association between the magnetic anomalies and their geological sources. This effect is particularly true for high frequency anomalies that are directly comparable after the topographic projection because the depth filtering effect is attenuated. Moreover, the BTM method has been applied for the first time to a regional scale survey that shows substantial advantages because no fictitious anomalies in the high frequency sector of the spectrum were generated. This has been a typical effect of the traditional downward projection methods widely used before. The final result is a BTM anomaly map that is able to show the structural connections between the geological magnetic sources of the Tyrrhenian Sea area.     

Origin of the marine magnetic quiet zones in the Labrador and Greenland Seas

The central part of the northern Labrador Sea is a magnetic quiet zone, and is flanked by regions exhibiting well developed linear magnetic anomalies older than anomaly 24. The quiet zone dies out progressively to the south, where it becomes possible to correlate anomalies between adjacent profiles. A 45 degree change in spreading direction at anomaly 25 time was accompanied by a major jump in ridge position and orientation. As a consequence of this reorganisation, spreading in the northern Labrador Sea next occurred within a rift that was oriented at 45 degrees to the spreading direction, while to the south spreading occurred within in a rift that was orientated at 90 degrees to the spreading direction. Obliquity of spreading changed, between these limits, progressively along the ridge. The quiet zone may be present to the north because the oblique northern geometry resulted in a fragmented ridge composed of many small-offset transform faults joining many short spreading ridge segments. Each magnetic source block produced by magnetisation of sea floor at these small ridge segments will be surrounded by similar small blocks that have opposite polarity, so that none can be resolved at the sea surface. Supporting evidence comes from multi-channel seismic profiles across the Labrador Sea, which show that the basement is more textured within the quiet zone than outside, suggesting the presence of numerous small fracture zones in the quiet zone.A magnetic quiet zone is present in the northern Greenland Sea between margins that are oblique to the spreading direction. In contrast, there are clear lineated magnetic patterns in adjacent areas to north and south where the margins are orthogonal to the spreading direction. This quiet zone may also be due to the geometry of spreading.     

地磁日变改正中磁湾磁钩等磁扰对海洋磁力资料的影响

在海洋磁力测量过程中,磁扰形态变化复杂的特性致使地磁日变的改正仍存在着许多困难。本文根据黄海、东海和南海北部十余年采集的超过10⁴ km的海洋和陆地地磁资料,利用对比分析的方法,总结了3种磁扰现象对海洋磁力资料的影响规律:1)微扰的海陆日变值持续时间短,幅度比值接近1∶ 1,对海洋磁力资料影响很小,利用低通滤波可以完全消除其影响;2)磁钩海陆日变幅值比为1~2,持续时间在1 h以内,校正后的地磁异常值仍有较大的误差,利用最小曲率法可以基本消除其影响;3)磁湾的持续时间长,海陆日变幅值变化大,无法准确消除其影响,采用最小曲率法等插值方法处理后,仍残留假异常,需要额外关注。     

菲律宾海盆磁条带特征及61 Ma以来的海底扩张过程重建

菲律宾海盆是西太平洋最大的边缘海盆地,作为地球上最壮观的“沟-弧-盆”体系的重要组成部分,其成因及构造演化可有效约束西太平洋洋陆过渡带的复杂动力学过程。海底磁异常条带是海底扩张的重要依据,其几何形态能够反映海底扩张的时间、方向及速率,为研究海盆的海底扩张过程提供重要信息。菲律宾海盆的次级海盆—西菲律宾海盆、四国海盆地磁异常表现为明显的条带状异常特征,帕里西维拉海盆内的磁条带特征虽不明显,但仍能看出南北向的分带现象。对海盆内的磁异常条带进行系统的分析、对比与解释,将菲律宾海盆划分为7个扩张阶段,构建了菲律宾海盆61 Ma以来的阶段性扩张模型。揭示了边缘海盆构造演化的一般规律及扩张过程为岛弧裂解、高速弧后扩张、慢速弧后扩张和扩张后作用4个阶段。     

Geophysical Evidence of a Relict Oceanic Crust in the Southwestern Scotia Sea

The southwestern part of the Scotia Sea, at the corner of the Shackleton Fracture Zone with the South Scotia Ridge has been investigated, combining marine magnetic profiles, multichannel seismic reflection data, and satellite-derived gravity anomaly data. From the integrated analysis of data, we identified the presence of the oldest part of the crust in this sector, which tentative age is older than anomaly C10 (28.7 Ma). The area is surrounded by structural features clearly imaged by seismic data, which correspond to gravity lows in the satellite-derived map, and presents a rhomboid-shaped geometry. Along its southern boundary, structural features related to convergence and possible incipient subduction beneath the continental South Scotia Ridge have been evidenced from the seismic profile. We interpret this area, now located at the edge of the south-western Scotia Sea, as a relict of ocean-like crust formed during an earlier, possibly diffuse and disorganized episode of spreading at the first onset of the Drake Passage opening. The successive episode of organized seafloor spreading responsible for the opening of the Drake Passage that definitively separated southern South America from the Antarctic Peninsula, instigated ridge-push forces that can account for the subduction-related structures found along the western part of the South Scotia Ridge. This seafloor accretion phase occurred from 27 to about 10 Ma, when spreading stopped in the western Scotia Sea Ridge, as resulted from the identification of the marine magnetic anomalies.     

Rifting to Spreading Process along the Northern Continental Margin of the South China Sea

Understanding the development from syn-rift to spreading in the South China Sea (SCS) is important in elucidating the western Pacific's tectonic evolution because the SCS is a major tectonic constituent of the many marginal seas in the region. This paper describes research examining the transition from rifting to spreading along the northern margin of the SCS, made possible by the amalgamation of newly acquired and existing geophysical data. The northernmost SCS was surveyed as part of a joint Japan-China cooperative project (JCCP) in two phases in 1993 and 1994. The purpose of the investigation was to reveal seismic and magnetic characteristics of the transitional zone between continental crust and the abyssal basin. Compilation of marine gravity and geomagnetic data of the South China Sea clarify structural characteristics of its rifted continental and convergent margins, both past and present. Total and three component magnetic data clearly indicate the magnetic lineations of the oceanic basin and the magnetic characteristics of its varied margins. The analyses of magnetic, gravity and seismic data and other geophysical and geological information from the SCS led up to the following results: (1) N-S direction seafloor spreading started from early Eocene. There were at least four separate evolutional stages. Directions and rates of the spreading are fluctuating and unstable and spreading continued from 32 to 17 Ma. (2) The apparent difference in the present tectonism of the eastern and western parts of Continent Ocean Boundary (COB) implies that in the east of the continental breakup is governed by a strike slip faulting. (3) The seismic high velocity layer in the lower crust seems to be underplated beneath the stretched continental crust. (4) Magnetic anomaly of the continental margin area seems to be rooted in the uppermost sediment and upper part of lower crust based on the tertiary volcanism. (5) Magnetic quiet zone (MQZ) anomaly in the continental margin area coincides with COB. (6) The non-magnetic or very weakly magnetized layer is probably responsible for MQZ. One of the causes of demagnetization of the layer is due to hydrothermal alteration while high temperature mantle materials being underplated. Another explanation is that horizontal sequences of basalt each with flip-flop magnetization polarity cancel out to the resultant magnetic field on the surface. We are currently developing a synthetic database system containing datasets of seismicity, potential field data, crustal and thermal structures, and other geophysical data to facilitate the study of past, contemporary and future changes in the deep sea environment around Japan; i.e. trench, trough, subduction zones, marginal basins and island arcs. Several special characteristics are an object-oriented approach to the collection and multi-faceted studies of global data from a variety of sources.     

Crustal analysis of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) from enhanced gravity mapping

To facilitate geological analyses of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) between Korea and Japan, shipborne and satellite altimetry-derived gravity data are combined to derive a regionally coherent anomaly field. The 2-min gridded satellite altimetry-based gravity predicted by Sandwell and Smith [Sandwell DT, Smith WHF (1997) J Geophys Res 102(B5):10,039–10,054] are used for making cross-over adjustments that reduce the errors between track segments and at the cross-over points of shipborne gravity profiles. Relative to the regionally more homogeneous satellite gravity anomalies, the longer wavelength components of the shipborne anomalies are significantly improved with minimal distortion of their shorter wavelength components. The resulting free-air gravity anomaly map yields a more coherent integration of short and long wavelength anomalies compared to that obtained from either the shipborne or satellite data sets separately. The derived free-air anomalies range over about 140 mGals or more in amplitude and regionally correspond with bathymetric undulations in the Ulleung Basin. The gravity lows and highs along the basin’s margin indicate the transition from continental to oceanic crust. However, in the northeastern and central Ulleung Basin, the negative regional correlation between the central gravity high and bathymetric low suggests the presence of shallow denser mantle beneath thinned oceanic crust. A series of gravity highs mark seamounts or volcanic terranes from the Korean Plateau to Oki Island. Gravity modeling suggests underplating by mafic igneous rocks of the northwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin and the transition between continental and oceanic crust. The crust of the central Ulleung Basin is about a 14–15 km thick with a 4–5 km thick sediment cover. It may also include a relatively weakly developed buried fossil spreading ridge with approximately 2 km of relief.     

Evolution of the Dok Do seamounts,Ulleung Basin,East Sea: constraints based on the reconstruction of virtual geomagnetic poles using paleomagnetic data

In the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, the Dok Do seamount group comprises Dok Do (Dok Island), consisting of very small islets/rocks and a large submerged volcanic edifice, and two voluminous tablemounts, Simheungtaek and Isabu. We attempted to reconstruct the evolution of these seamounts, using virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) determined by the least-squares and the seminorm magnetization methods, with 1,500 m upward continued magnetic anomalies. The VGPs of Dok Do with normal dipole anomaly, and of Simheungtaek with normal dipole anomaly are located near the present magnetic pole. The VGP of Isabu with normal dipole anomaly is located at low latitude, presumably due to overprints of reversals in the Tertiary, and the distortion of magnetization and structures associated with volcanism after its formation. In contrast to the tablemounts, magnetic anomalies over Dok Do are a combination of both normal polarity and reversed polarity dipoles in the northern hemisphere, indicating that Dok Do has had at least two major eruptions, one during normal and another during reversed polarity intervals. From these results, and information on the ages of the seamounts (either published radiometric ages of subaerial volcanic rocks, or ages reconstructed in terms of reported elastic thickness incorporated into an existing cooling plate model), we tentatively propose that (1) Isabu formed first, during a normal polarity interval after the opening of the East Sea had ceased; (2) this was followed by an initial and subsequent large eruption of Dok Do during a normal polarity and a reversed polarity interval after about 5 Ma; and (3) the formation of Simheungtaek occurred in between that of Isabu and Dok Do in a normal polarity interval. The pattern of normal/reversed magnetization is not inconsistent with the geomagnetic polarity timescale for at least the last 5 Ma. Nevertheless, precise ages of formation would need verification by additional geophysical/geochemical constraints. Evaluating various possible models explaining the successive formation of the Dok Do seamounts, we currently favor fracturing and volcanism related to compression-induced weakening of the extensional field from the late Miocene to Pliocene after the opening of the East Sea.     

Gravity anomalies of the ridge-transform system in the South Atlantic between 31 and 34.5° S: Upwelling centers and variations in crustal thickness

To decipher the distribution of mass anomalies near the earth's surface and their relation to the major tectonic elements of a spreading plate boundary, we have analyzed shipboard gravity data in the vicinity of the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 31–34.5° S. The area of study covers six ridge segments, two major transforms, the Cox and Meteor, and three small offsets or discordant zones. One of these small offsets is an elongate, deep basin at 33.5° S that strikes at about 45° to the adjoining ridge axes.By subtracting from the free-air anomaly the three-dimensional (3-D) effects of the seafloor topography and Moho relief, assuming constant densities of the crust and mantle and constant crustal thickness, we generate the mantle Bouguer anomaly. The mantle Bouguer anomaly is caused by variations in crustal thickness and the temperature and density structure of the mantle. By subtracting from the mantle Bouguer anomaly the effects of the density variations due to the 3-D thermal structure predicted by a simple model of passive flow in the mantle, we calculate the residual gravity anomalies. We interpret residual gravity anomalies in terms of anomalous crustal thickness variations and/or mantle thermal structures that are not considered in the forward model. As inferred from the residual map, the deep, major fracture zone valleys and the median, rift valleys are not isostatically compensated by thin crust. Thin crust may be associated with the broad, inactive segment of the Meteor fracture zone but is not clearly detected in the narrow, active transform zone. On the other hand, the presence of high residual anomalies along the relict trace of the oblique offset at 33.5° S suggests that thin crust may have been generated at an oblique spreading center which has experienced a restricted magma supply. The two smaller offsets at 31.3° S and 32.5° S also show residual anomalies suggesting thin crust but the anomalies are less pronounced than that at the 33.5° S oblique offset. There is a distinct, circular-shaped mantle Bouguer low centered on the shallowest portion of the ridge segment at about 33° S, which may represent upwelling in the form of a mantle plume beneath this ridge, or the progressive, along-axis crustal thinning caused by a centered, localized magma supply zone. Both mantle Bouguer and residual anomalies show a distinct, local low to the west of the ridge south of the 33.5° S oblique offset and relatively high values at and to the east of this ridge segment. We interpret this pattern as an indication that the upwelling center in the mantle for this ridge is off-axis to the west of the ridge.     

冲绳海槽中段线性磁条带异常及其构造发育

通过对磁场分析发现,冲绳海槽中段存在线性磁异常,说明海槽轴部地壳已经发生破裂,新鲜洋壳已经生成,目前已进入扩张阶段.通过对磁条带和地震地层的研究得出如下结论:冲绳海槽的张裂具有Ⅲ幕模式,即中到晚中新世的开裂幕(Ⅰ幕)、上新世—早更新世的拉张幕(Ⅱ幕)以及近代的扩张幕(Ⅲ幕).冲绳海槽中段的地磁场特征和已发生扩张的红海中段的磁场非常相似,说明冲绳海槽可能正向着“红海阶段”过渡发展.     

总强度磁异常匹配水下导航方法研究

匹配算法是水下潜器匹配导航的核心技术,提出一种利用测量磁场与世界地磁模型(world magnet model,WMM)计算磁场之差作为匹配特征量的水下匹配导航新模式.首先引入快速傅里叶级数拟合技术建立区域的磁场模型,然后将测量地磁异常与惯导指示地磁异常之差表示成连续的解析形式,结合惯导力学编排方程建立的12维状态模型...     

Age of the Solomon Sea Basin from magnetic lineations

Magnetic anomalies measured in the central to western half of the Solomon Sea, when considered with other magnetic data, reveal the existence of linear patterns. Magnetic lineation anomaly models of the Cenozoic, 65 to 0 Ma, suggest that an age between 34 and 28 Ma and a half-rate spreading speed of 5.8 cm/yr for the northern flank of a former spreading center best fits our present magnetic data in the Solomon Sea Basin. Heat flow and bathymetry data support this preferred model.     

Age of the Solomon Sea Basin from magnetic lineations

Magnetic anomalies measured in the central to western half of the Solomon Sea, when considered with other magnetic data, reveal the existence of linear patterns. Magnetic lineation anomaly models of the Cenozoic, 65 to 0 Ma, suggest that an age between 34 and 28 Ma and a half-rate spreading speed of 5.8 cm/yr for the northern flank of a former spreading center best fits our present magnetic data in the Solomon Sea Basin. Heat flow and bathymetry data support this preferred model.     

南海中部海盆海山磁性反演及初步解析

南海中部海盆分布着众多海山,从实测磁异常反演海山磁性是南海海盆古地磁研究新的重要课题,它有助于解决南海海盆的运动方向和运动形式等问题.对南海海盆16座海山作磁性反演取得了较高的计算精度.对南海中部海盆海山磁性反演表明,海山均为非均匀磁化体,海山形成经过多期火山喷溢叠加.海山磁性差异清晰地显示了海盆分区特征.南海海盆分东部海盆区和西南部海盐区,海盆地壳运动规律差异较大:东部海盆以逆时针旋转由南往北运移;西南海盆先经历了顺时针旋转,后改为逆时针旋转,由北往南运移.     

北黄海盆地北缘断裂带及其特征

根据最新调查获得的北黄海盆地海洋重力、海洋与航空磁力和多道地震资料,结合以往周边地区的资料,编制了北黄海空间重力异常图、布格重力异常图、磁力异常图。在重磁基础图件的基础上,通过解析延拓、任意方向导数计算、离散小波变换等处理,结合地震和地质资料,对北黄海北缘断裂带进行了综合分析。确定了北黄海北缘断裂带的存在,并对该断裂带的延伸长度、切割深度和性质进行了分析,指出北黄海北缘断裂带是辽东隆起与北黄海盆地的界线,断裂带两侧具有明显不同的地球物理场特征;而且断裂带具有多期活动的特点,对北黄海盆地的形成演化具有重要的控制作用。     

6′x 10′ Free air gravity anomalies of Europe including marine areas

A set of 103 997 free air gravity anomalies in 6′x 10′ blocks has been compiled covering Europe including the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Baltic Sea and parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. Concerning sea areas, this data set is based on a collection of point free air gravity anomalies. Anomalies for land areas have been compiled resp. computed from free air gravity anomaly maps or Bouguer anomaly maps and partly from supplied mean values of convenient small block size. Remaining gaps have been interpolated by means of least squares prediction filtering. The precision of the compiled mean free air gravity anomalies is estimated to ±7 mgal, verified by a comparison of independent gravity anomaly sets.