A seismic study along the East Greenland margin from 72°N to 77°N

Around 4370 km of new seismic reflection data, collected along the East Greenland margin between 71°30'N and 77°N in 2003, provide a first detailed view of the sediment distribution and tectonic features along the East Greenland margin. After processing and converting the data to depth, we correlated ODP-Site 913 stratigraphy into the new seismic network. Unit GB-2 shows the greatest glacial sediment deposits beneath the East Greenland continental shelf. This unit is characterized by the beginning of prograding sequences and has, according to our stratigraphic correlation, a Middle Miocene age. It might have been caused by rapid changes in sea level and/or glacial erosion by an early ice sheet or glaciers along the coast. A basement high, presumably a 360 km long basement structure at 77°N–74°54'N, prevents continuous sediment transport from the shelf into the deep sea area in times before 15 Myr. The origin of this prominent structure remains speculative since no rock sample from this structure is available. Seaward dipping reflectors at the eastern flank of this structure strongly support that it is a volcanic construction and is most likely emplaced on continental or transitional crust. The compilation of sediment thickness provide an insight into the regional sediment distribution in the Greenland Basin. An average sediment thickness of 1 km is observed. The north bordering Boreas Basin has a sediment thickness of 1.8 km close to the Greenland fracture zone (GFZ).     

Oceanic crustal structure—Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 45° N

Summary. We present a velocity—depth model for the crust beneath the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 45° N which is derived from a comparison of waveforms corresponding to observed and synthetic seismograms. The model which best fits the observations includes a high-velocity layer at the base of the crust (layer 3B) and a velocity gradient in the upper mantle. These results are in agreement with other recent seismic studies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and indicate that the velocity structure is more complex than that obtained from travel-time analysis. There is no evidence for a low-velocity zone at the base of the crust.     

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge: structure at 45° N

Summary. A structural model of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 45° N is proposed on the basis of travel-time data, amplitudes and synthetic seismograms. The crustal structure seems to be similar to that in the FAMOUS area (Fowler). At the ridge axis there is an absorptive zone in the upper mantle, the depth below the seabed to the top of this zone being about 6 km. Away from the ridge axis there is a positive velocity gradient of about 0.04 to 0.05 km/(skm) in the top 5 to 8 km of the upper mantle. Shear waves propagate across the ridge axis, suggesting that there is no sizeable crustal magma chamber. The shear-wave velocity of the uppermost mantle is 4.35 km/s.     

Crustal structure of the Mid-Atlantic ridge crest at 37° N

Summary. A structural model of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 37° N is proposed on the basis of travel-time data and synthetic seismograms. At the ridge axis the crust is only 3 km thick and overlies material with an anomalously low'upper mantle'velocity of 7.2 km s⁻¹. Crustal thickening and the formation of layer 3 and a layer with velocity 7.2–7.3 km s⁻¹ takes place within a few kilometres of the axis, producing a 6–7 km thick crust by less than 10 km from the axis. A normal upper mantle velocity of 8.1 km s⁻¹ exists within 10 km of the axis. Shear waves propagate across the axis, thus precluding the existence of any sizeable magma chamber at shallow depth.     

Ocean-bottom seismograph observations on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 45° N

Summary. Rayleigh-wave phase velocities at very long periods (185–290 s) are investigated and regionalized, taking into account the lateral heterogeneities within ocean plates revealed by earlier studies at shorter periods. The two-station method is applied to a few 'pure-age' oceanic paths, and is shown to be compatible with the average Earth model C2 (Anderson & Hart 1976) below depths of 180 km. Under this assumed oceanic model, regionalized for age above 180 km, continental velocities are then derived from a set of experimental great-circle values, both new or taken from previously published studies. The results basically agree with earlier studies (Dziewonski 1970; Kanamori 1970), although they exhibit less scatter than Kanamori's model. Results are successfully checked against a set of values derived by the two-station method from a pure continental path.
Although the shield velocities are substantially different from the mean oceanic ones, they still fall within the range of variation of oceanic velocities with the age of the plate. This makes velocities derived theoretically from Jordan's (1975a, b) models of deep continent—ocean lateral heterogeneities, inconsistent with the present set of experimental data. Finally, we show that Dziewonski's (1971) model S2 reconciles all experimental seismic data relative to shields, without being significantly different from oceanic models below 240 km.     

向极跨越70°N气旋的主要特征分析

北极地区以南生成并向北移动进入极区的气旋,在移动发展过程中常伴随大风、降水和升温等过程,对中低纬度地区物质和热量向极地输送起着重要作用,并对极区大气、海洋和海冰的变化产生一定影响。基于欧洲中期天气预报中心(ECMWF)发布的1979—2015年的海平面气压再分析数据产品,利用气旋自动识别和追踪算法,开展气旋的识别和追踪,获得向极跨越70°N气旋的数量、强度、活动轨迹及北向运动纬距等主要特征如下:该类气旋在数量上,春、冬季多于夏、秋季,年总数量和春、秋、冬季均呈减少趋势;强气旋易发于冬季,弱气旋多发于夏季;该类气旋活动轨迹,冬季集中分布在海上,夏季在陆地上;该类气旋北向运动纬距整体平均为9.2°,冬季平均最大,为10.2°,夏季平均最小,为7.3°;在年际变化上,年平均和春、冬季平均呈增长趋势,夏、秋季平均呈减少趋势;在年代际变化上,年平均和夏、冬季平均从1979—1988年到1989—1998年阶段都是减小的,到1999—2008年阶段是增大的,其后再减小,春、秋季则无明显趋势变化。     

Some ocean-bottom seismograph observations on the Reykjanes Ridge at 59° N

Summary. Epicentres of microearthquakes detected by two ocean-bottom seismographs deployed on the Reykjanes Ridge at latitude 59° N can be interpreted as trending between 010° and 020° E of N, parallel to detailed morphological features seen in the area, rather than the overall trend of the ridge (036° E of N). Travel times from an airgun source to the seismographs indicate much slower P wave velocities for the top 4 km at the ridge crest compared with that 5–10 km off axis.     

Ocean-bottom seismograph observations on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 45°N — further results

Summary. Analysis of data from events well recorded by ocean-bottom seismographs on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 45° N, indicates that most activity is centrally placed beneath the median valley floor. The results suggest a lithospheric thickness of 8 km under the median valley floor. The spatial and temporal behaviour of the largest swarm observed is indicative of active magma intrusion.     

Some observations of intertidal communities on Spitsbergen (79°N), Norwegian Arctic

The zonation pattern of rocky shores on north-west Spitsbergen is described. Intertidal communities on protected sites have features remarkably similar to temperate areas. Black lichens dominate the littoral fringe, fucoids and gastropods the eulittoral zone, whereas upper sublittoral zone is occupied by kelp. The species composition seems to be typical for the Atlantic arctic areas.     

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 37 and 45° N: some geophysical and petrological constraints

Summary. At present there is a strong conflict between, on the one hand, seismological and thermal models of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which indicate that no large crustal magma chamber can exist, and on the other hand petrological models many of which stress the importance of such a chamber. We review the available geophysical and petrological information from the FAMOUS area and 45° N in an attempt to resolve this conflict and demonstrate that a model (the infinite leek) can be constructed which satisfies all the available seismological, thermal, petrographic, major element and trace-element information from these two areas. This mode is as follows: mantle rising from depth begins to melt at about 60 km, and rises in equilibrium with its melt to about 15–25 km below the sea surface. At this level melt segregates and rises rapidly to the base of the crust. Magma injection above this takes place by a process of crack propagation, or by the development of a narrow vertical magma chamber, but no large crustal chamber is present. This model successfully explains the marked petrographic zonation of the floor of the median valley (Hekinian, Moore & Bryan).     

Rates Of Postglacial rock weathering on glacially scoured outcrops (Abisko–Riksgränsen area, 68°N)

Ice–polished quartz veins, feldspar phenocrysts and quartzite layers were used as reference surfaces to assess the impact of Postglacial rock weathering in Lapland (68°N). Over 3200 measurements were carried out on roches moutonées and glaciofluvially scoured outcrops distributed within three study areas covering 8 km². Inferred weathering rates demonstrate that 10,000 years of Holocene weathering did not significantly modify the geometry of Weichselian rock surfaces. However, rates of general surface lowering range from 1 to 25, depending on the rock type, with average values at 0.2 mm ka⁻¹ for homogeneous crystalline rocks (irrespective of their acidity and grain size), 1 mm ka⁻¹ for biotite–rich crystalline rocks, and 5 mm ka⁻¹ for carbonate sedimentary rocks. Accelerated rates were recorded in weathering pits and along joints with values up to ten times higher than on the rest of the rock surface. Comparisons with cold and temperate areas suggest that solution rates of carbonate rocks are highly dependent on climate conditions, whilst granular disintegration of crystalline rocks operates at the same rate whatever the environment. It probably means that microgelivation is not efficient on ice–polished crystalline outcrops even under harsh climate conditions, and that granular disintegration proceeds under various climates from the same ubiquitous combination of biochemical processes. Last, the weathering state of Late–Weichselian roches moutonées can be usefully compared to that of Preglacial tors of the nearby Kiruna area.     

Rates Of Postglacial rock weathering on glacially scoured outcrops (Abisko–Riksgränsen area, 68°N)

Ice–polished quartz veins, feldspar phenocrysts and quartzite layers were used as reference surfaces to assess the impact of Postglacial rock weathering in Lapland (68°N). Over 3200 measurements were carried out on roches moutonées and glaciofluvially scoured outcrops distributed within three study areas covering 8 km². Inferred weathering rates demonstrate that 10,000 years of Holocene weathering did not significantly modify the geometry of Weichselian rock surfaces. However, rates of general surface lowering range from 1 to 25, depending on the rock type, with average values at 0.2 mm ka⁻¹ for homogeneous crystalline rocks (irrespective of their acidity and grain size), 1 mm ka⁻¹ for biotite–rich crystalline rocks, and 5 mm ka⁻¹ for carbonate sedimentary rocks. Accelerated rates were recorded in weathering pits and along joints with values up to ten times higher than on the rest of the rock surface. Comparisons with cold and temperate areas suggest that solution rates of carbonate rocks are highly dependent on climate conditions, whilst granular disintegration of crystalline rocks operates at the same rate whatever the environment. It probably means that microgelivation is not efficient on ice–polished crystalline outcrops even under harsh climate conditions, and that granular disintegration proceeds under various climates from the same ubiquitous combination of biochemical processes. Last, the weathering state of Late–Weichselian roches moutonées can be usefully compared to that of Preglacial tors of the nearby Kiruna area.