Recent geodynamic evolution of convergent plate margins and the reconstruction of fossil plate boundaries

Summary The discovery of paleoplates buried in the upper mantle leads to an interpretation of the subduction as a discontinuous process running in cycles and shifting the place of its operation in or against the direction of ocean floor spreading. This mechanism explains the distribution of calc-alkaline volcanism of different age in fossil convergent plate boundaries. The establishment of regular spatial correlation of the aseismic gap in the Wadati-Benioff zones with the distribution of calc-alkaline volcanism enables to reconstruct fossil plate boundaries and to define allochtonous terranes in apparently homogeneous continental plates. The hampering effect of the ocean floor morphology and of the fragments of continental plates approaching the trench, which substantially influences the rates of subduction and the geodynamic history of active continental margins in different domains along the trench, allows us to understand the complicated geological development of continental wedges in fossil convergent plate margins. The establishment of the segmented nature of active subduction zones and the dramatic morphology of the lower limit of the active subducted slab along the trench help us to interpret extensive lateral gaps in volcanic chains overlying active as well as fossil subduction zones.     

南海新生代海底扩张的构造演化模式: 来自高分辨率地球物理数据的新认识

根据高分辨率重、磁测网数据的分析,结合多波束海底地貌的构造解释,南海海盆新生代经历了两期不同动力特征的海底扩张,25 Ma的沉积-构造事件是其重要分界.早期扩张从约33.5 Ma开始至25 Ma停止,在东部海盆南、北两侧和西北海盆形成了具有近E-W向或NEE向磁条带的老洋壳,是近NNW-SSE向扩张的产物;晚期扩张从25 Ma开始至16.5 Ma结束,在东部海盆中央区和西南海盆形成了具有NE向磁条带的新洋壳,是NW-SE向扩张的产物.南海海盆分区特点明显,南北分区,东西分段.从南到北可进一步分为3个亚区,南、北亚区由早期扩张产生,而晚期扩张的中央亚区从东到西又可进一步分为6个洋段,中间均由NNW或NW向断裂分割,是扩张中脊分段性的表现.南海晚期扩张具有渐进式扩张的特点,虽然它们均于磁条带异常C5c停止扩张,但开始扩张的时间从东部的C6c(23.5 Ma),到中部的C6b(22.8 Ma),一直变新到西部的C5e(18.5 Ma).东部海盆与西南海盆之间的NNW向断裂是分割两海盆的边界断裂,不仅切割了磁条带异常,控制了两海盆不同的地球物理场特征,而且还使扩张中脊左行平移约95km,造成扩张中心和磁条带不连续.南海海盆扩张期间,其东部没有菲律宾群岛封闭,当时是一个面向大洋的港湾,与亚丁湾洋盆可以对比,是洋中脊向大陆边缘入侵的产物.     

双层界面重磁联合反演方法研究

Based on the synchronous joint gravity and magnetic inversion of single interface by Pilkington and the need of revealing Cenozoic and crystalline basement thickness in the new round of oil-gas exploration, we propose a joint gravity and magnetic inversion methodfor two-layer models by concentrating on the relationship between the change of thicknessI and position of the middle layer and anomaly and discuss the effects of the key parameters. Model tests and application to field data show the validity of this method.     

冲绳海槽北部基底构造特征

利用最新的重磁数据对冲绳海槽北部的基底构造进行了推断解释.研究表明,在海槽内部主要发育两条火山带,一条为著名的吐噶喇火山链,由一系列活动的或休眠的串珠状展布的活火山岛构成;另一条沿海槽中央张裂轴分布,主要由孤立的海底火山构成.冲绳海槽的基底具有沿东西向凹－凸－凹相间的构造格局,深度在1 km~8 km之间变化,受吐葛喇断裂带的北部断裂F1的作用,第三系基底构造发生了显著变化,说明吐葛喇断裂带的北部断裂F1是一条构造转换带.莫霍面为一北北东向的向东倾伏的幔坡,地壳厚度由21 km减至18 km.     

北京平原西北部地壳浅部结构和隐伏活动断裂——由地震反射剖面揭示

已有地质和地球物理研究结果表明,北京平原区存在有多条第四纪隐伏活动断裂和隐伏盆地.为了研究该区的地壳浅部结构、断裂的空间展布、断裂活动性以及深浅构造关系,2006年,在北京平原的西北部地区完成了1条60次覆盖的中深层地震反射剖面和跨断裂的浅层地震反射剖面.结果表明,沿剖面结晶基底埋深约为3～6 km在结晶基底以上,地震反射剖面揭示了一套连续性较好的强反射震相,应是新生代、中生代和古生代的沉积岩系;在结晶基底之下,为一系列横向连续性较差、能量较弱的短小反射事件,可能代表了变质程度较高的结晶变质岩系或不成层的其他岩体.中深层和浅层地震剖面揭示的断裂具有上下一致的对应关系和明显的第四纪活动,对本区地堑-地垒状盆岭构造和新生代地层厚度具有重要的控制作用.本项研究不仅可进一步提高对北京地区新构造活动的认识,而且研究中所采用的方法技术对其他地区的深浅构造探测研究也有借鉴意义     

The effects of hydrological factors on river suspended solids contamination from a colliery in South Wales

Suspended solids contamination caused by runoff below a working colliery in the Upper Clydach catchment in South Wales, U.K., was investigated in relation to hydrological controls. Field studies over a 16 month period found that concentrations below the colliery ranged from 4 to 8028 mg 1^?1. Simple correlation and linear regression analysis of spot and storm event samples taken below the colliery gave a correlation coefficient of 0·39 between flow and suspended solids concentration. Because of the lack of explained variance, a multiple linear regression model of within-storm concentrations was derived using four selected independent variables. X₁ the time relation of the sample to the storm peak; log X₂ the stormflow at the time of sampling; log X₃ the baseflow at the time of sampling; and log X₄ an index of the storm intensity. Analysis of the entire dataset gave an R² of 0·34. When the results from three atypical events were excluded however, the R² value improved to 0·65. Beta coefficients indicated that rising limb conditions (X₁) and intense storms (log X₄) along with dry antecedent conditions (log X₃) represent the worst combination of hydrological factors for producing suspended solids contamination.     

Timescales and the role of inheritance in long-term landscape evolution,northern New England,Australia

Landscape evolution in northern New England is characterized by the persistence of landforms over long time periods. The topography in the study area was initiated by Paleozoic diapiric intrusion of granitic rocks as highs within metasedimentary and volcanic rocks. This framework was probably reinforced by differences in the resistance of the massive igneous and the fractured metasedimentary rocks to erosion. As a result, both the Tertiary and present-day relief of the area consists of uplands developed on granitic rocks partly overlain by Paleozoic volcanic rocks, and lowlands developed on Paleozoic metasediments. Extensive volcanism in the Tertiary had only a minimal effect on this relationship. A significant impact of Tertiary volcanism, however, was the diversion of major streams across topographic highs. Despite 19-35 Ma of incision, these streams are still far from establishing equilibrium profiles and dissecting the highs. The persistence of topography for a timescale of the same order of magnitude as that conventionally thought to be required for planation is due to reduced denudation rates in a passive tectonic setting and the presence of erosion-resistant Paleozoic igneous units. The latter influence is indicated by knickpoint persistence for 19-35 Ma on streams diverted across these rocks. Since it is generally considered that such disequilibria are short-lived features formed by Quaternary or ongoing deformation, this knickpoint persistence has important implications for landscape analyses that use disequilibria to assess recent tectonism in a landscape.     

Estimating the impact of rural land management changes on catchment runoff generation in England and Wales

Although reviews of the scientific literature have failed to demonstrate conclusive evidence for the impact of rural land management on peak runoff rates, increasing emphasis is being placed by policy makers on its role in catchment‐scale flood risk management. Poor soil and field conditions can lead to higher rates of runoff from extreme rainfall events; however, the improvement of land condition will lead to differing runoff responses depending on land use, soil type and climatic regime. This study has evaluated the relative impact of improvement of field and soil conditions on peak daily runoff rates for a range of soils and vegetation cover types across England and Wales. It has shown that rural land management changes could be expected to make a positive contribution to sustainable flood risk management, especially for more frequent events. The greatest relative reduction in runoff can be achieved through the improvement of degraded permeable soils under managed grassland in drier regions. Taking a plausible scenario of land management improvement in arable and grassland systems, the relative reduction in peak runoff was estimated for 518 policy units as defined in the Environment Agency's Catchment Flood Management Plans. For the 1 in 100 year event, there were only a few policy units where the expected reduction in runoff exceeded 5%. Rural land management practices which are likely to be beneficial to flood risk management may afford some protection to areas where structural measures may not be implemented for cost–benefit reasons, and may help to offset some of the anticipated increases in flood risk associated with climate change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The critical role of climate and saprolite weathering in landscape evolution

Landscapes evolve in response to external forces, such as tectonics and climate, that influence surface processes of erosion and weathering. Internal feedbacks between erosion and weathering also play an integral role in regulating the landscapes response. Our understanding of these internal and external feedbacks is limited to a handful of field‐based studies, only a few of which have explicitly examined saprolite weathering. Here, we report rates of erosion and weathering in saprolite and soil to quantify how climate influences denudation, by focusing on an elevation transect in the western Sierra Nevada Mountains, California. We use an adapted mass balance approach and couple soil‐production rates from the cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) ¹⁰Be with zirconium concentrations in rock, saprolite and soil. Our approach includes deep saprolite weathering and suggests that previous studies may have underestimated denudation rates across similar landscapes. Along the studied climate gradient, chemical weathering rates peak at middle elevations (1200–2000 m), averaging 112·3 ± 9·7 t km^–2 y^–1 compared to high and low elevation sites (46·8 ± 5·2 t km^?2 y^?1). Measured weathering rates follow similar patterns with climate as those of predicted silica fluxes, modeled using an Arrhenius temperature relationship and a linear relationship between flux and precipitation. Furthermore, chemical weathering and erosion are tightly correlated across our sites, and physical erosion rates increase with both saprolite weathering rates and intensity. Unexpectedly, saprolite and soil weathering intensities are inversely related, such that more weathered saprolites are overlain by weakly weathered soils. These data quantify exciting links between climate, weathering and erosion, and together suggest that climate controls chemical weathering via temperature and moisture control on chemical reaction rates. Our results also suggest that saprolite weathering reduces bedrock coherence, leading to faster rates of soil transport that, in turn, decrease material residence times in the soil column and limit soil weathering. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Vertical Deformation and Horizontal Displacement Fields,Movement, and Seismicity of the Island Arc Tectonics

In this work,the vertical deformation,horizontal displacement,and stress fields of arcuate tectonics are theoretically derived from the horizontal tectonic stress; then the characteristics of tectonic movement,seismicity,and focal mechanism of arcuate tectonics of the entire world are explained.It is pointed out that the island arc and other arcuate tectonics are gradually developed under the displacement and stress fields of the arcuate tectonics and that the under-thrusting action of the ocean plate is secondary.The distance formulas between the volcanic arc and the trench are suggested and also that theoretical results are consistent with actual data.     

南海南部海域中中新世(T3界面)构造变革界面地震反射特征及构造含义

南海南部海域油气资源丰富,由于盆地沉积厚度大、沉积相横向变化快和构造演化复杂等原因,致使该海域新生代地层的划分方案差异大,地层时代的认识也存在较大分歧,这极大地制约了对盆地油气资源评价的正确认识.本文在总结国内外不同分层方案基础上,通过收集国外在南海南部深水区两口关键钻井的资料,开展曾母和北康两盆地重处理二维地震剖面的构造-地层解译,以及联井剖面的井震对比,重新识别和标定新生代重要构造变革面的地震反射特征.根据海域钻井、地层岩性、沉积环境、构造应力体系和古生物资料的综合对比研究,结合婆罗洲陆地测年结果和区域构造事件,重新厘定中中新世T₃构造变革面的发育时代,年龄为15～17 Ma,分析了该界面的构造含义,认为其是南海海底扩张停止的一个构造响应界面,在南海南部海域对应南沙运动,在北婆罗洲地区表现为沙巴造山运动.     

阴山造山带和鄂尔多斯盆地北部磁异常场与结晶基底特征研究

阴山造山带与鄂尔多斯盆地跨越不同的构造单元,是典型的盆、山耦合地带,且是构造活动强、弱的变异地域,了解该区结晶基底分布特征对于深化认识盆山耦合的深部要素和深层动力学过程具有十分重要的意义.本文在最新的高精度的地磁观测剖面和数据采集基础上,与航磁异常场在该区域上的展布进行集成研究.通过磁场特征分析以研究盆地和造山带地域的构造分区和结晶基底起伏,进而对该区的油、气能源和金属矿产资源分布特征及前景进行探讨.这一研究成果为进一步深化认识该区的深部构造格局及其深层动力学过程提供了深部介质磁性结构与属性的重要判据.     

上新世以来构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响

大量地质证据表明,上新世以来(最近5 MaB.P.)青藏高原北部及非洲东部和南部地区出现过显著的构造隆升,而与此同时亚洲季风也经历了显著变化,这两者之间是否存在着因果联系一直是地学界所关心和争论的一个重要科学问题.本文利用美国国家大气研究中心(NCAR)的公用大气模式(CAM 3.1)就上新世以来青藏高原北部及东-南非高原的构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响进行了数值试验研究.结果表明,上新世以来亚洲夏季风的增强与两地构造隆升密切相关,但两者隆升对于亚洲季风子系统的作用是有区别的.青藏高原北部隆升主要造成东亚北部夏季风的增强及季风降水的增多,但对南亚夏季风的作用较小;东-南非高原的隆升明显增强南亚夏季风,但对东亚北部夏季风的影响有限.     

南海南部边缘沉积盆地构造-热演化历史

南海南部边缘发育众多含油气盆地,具有可观的油气资源潜力.本文采用基于多期有限拉张模型的应变速率方法对南海南部边缘沉积盆地进行了构造-热演化模拟,并与南海北部边缘沉积盆地的构造-热演化历史进行了对比分析.南海南部边缘晚新生代具有明显碰撞挤压、走滑改造的痕迹,而同时期北部边缘以小规模的张性断裂活动为主,由于构造活动背景的不同,造成了南、北边缘沉积盆地构造-热演化历史的差异.     

The significance of scarp retreat for cenozoic landform evolution on the Colorado Plateau,U.S.A.

Since the beginning of the Cenozoic period several hundreds of metres of the sedimentary cover have been removed from the Colorado Plateau. Palaeoclimatic considerations show that the Colorado Plateau has been dominated by dry climates throughout the Cenozoic with the possible exception of the early Palaeocene. Today in the still prevailing arid climate, which strongly accentuates differences in rock resistance, the relief shows a structurally controlled cuesta scarp topography in the slightly deformed strata of alternating resistance. In examining whether the denudational efficiency of scarp retreat was sufficient to account for the wide erosional gaps in the sedimentary cover, rates of scarp retreat were determined by using the information of dated volcanic material and by applying a new method, which calculates the amount of retreat from the width of beheaded valleys of known age. Rates of retreat range from 0·5 to 6·7 km my^?1. The results show that the rates of retreat are controlled by the thickness and resistance of the caprocks. A model of Cenozoic scarp retreat demonstrates that the rates of recession calculated for the scarps in Upper Cretaceous rocks were sufficient to bring them into their present positions from the centre of the Monument Uplift on the central Colorado Plateau. The late Eocene positions of the cliffs in the Early Tertiary formations give an indication of their maximal extent. After the Upper Cretaceous sediments had been removed from the uplifts, erosion cut through successively older rocks, and activated scarps in stratigraphically lower positions. Scarp retreat can operate simultaneously and independently at different levels, which enabled this erosional mechanism to remove great proportions of the sedimentary cover of the Colorado Plateau during the Cenozoic.     

位涡塔结构及演变对飓风Wilma(2005)强度变化的影响

本文利用高分辨率模式输出资料,对飓风Wilma(2005)不同发展阶段内位涡塔(Potential Vorticity Tower: PVT)的结构和演变进行诊断分析,并讨论位涡塔分布特征对飓风快速增强(Rapid Intensification: RI)过程的影响.研究结果表明,内核区域位涡的强度和结构变化主要取决于高层的暖心下传、中层的凝结潜热释放和低层的动力稳定性,而低层切向平均位涡的结构及其稳定性变化,对飓风快速增强的不同发展阶段具有很好的指示意义.飓风Wilma增强过程中,在高层增温、潜热释放和对流垂直混合作用下,PVT的结构出现单极位涡塔(Monopole PVT: MPVT)和中空位涡塔(Hollow PVT: HPVT)的相互转化,也造成了涡旋系统动力稳定性的变化.在实际个例中,重新定义位涡环的结构参数,即相对厚度和中空度,这两个参数能够表征系统的稳定性,将其在RI过程中的变化与飓风Wilma强度变化作相关性分析,表明结构参数能够表征PVT结构的不稳定性,且与飓风系统强度变化参数具有很好的相关性,结构参数与海平面气压变化率的相关性能够通过显著性检验.     

Geomorphological evolution and sediment stratigraphy of numerically simulated alluvial fans

When a sediment laden river reaches a flat basin area the coarse fraction of their sediment load is deposited in a cone shaped structure called an alluvial fan. In this article we used the State Space Soil Production and Assessment Model (SSSPAM) coupled landform–soilscape evolution model to simulate the development of alluvial fans in two- and three-dimensional landforms. In SSSPAM the physical processes of erosion and armouring, soil weathering and sediment deposition were modelled using state-space matrices, in both two and three dimensions. The results of the two-dimensional fan showed that the fan grew vertically and laterally keeping a concave up long profile. It also showed a downstream fining of the sediments along the fan profile. Both of these observations are in agreement with available literature concerning natural and experimental fan formations. Simulations with the three-dimensional landform produced a fan with a semicircular shape with concave up long profiles and concave down cross profiles which is typical for fans found in nature and ones developed in laboratory conditions. During the simulation the main channel which brings sediment to the fan structure changed its position constantly leading to the semicircular shape of the fan. This behaviour is similar to the autogenic process of ‘fanhead trenching’ which is the major mechanism of sediment redistribution while the fan is developing. The three-dimensional fan simulation also exhibited the downstream fining of sediments from the fan apex to the peripheries. Further, the simulated fan also developed complex internal sediment stratification which is modelled by SSSPAM. Currently such complex sediment stratification is thought to be a result of allogenic processes. However, this simulation shows that, such complex internal sediment structures can develop through autogenic processes as well. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tectonic evolution of the Western Kunlun orogenic belt in northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:Evidence from zircon SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology

The Western Kunlun Range in northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is composed of the North Kunlun Terrane,the South Kunlun Terrane and the Karakorum-Tianshuihai Terrane. Here we report zircon SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb ages of some metamorphic and igneous rocks and field observations in order to pro-vide a better understanding of their Precambrian and Palaeozoic-early Mesozoic tectonic evolution. Based on these data we draw the following conclusions: (1) The paragneisses in the North Kunlun Terrane are likely of late Mesoproterozoic age rather than Palaeoproterozoic age as previously thought,representing tectonothermal episodes at 1.0―0.9 Ga and ～0.8 Ga. (2) The North Kunlun Terrane was an orogenic belt accreted to the southern margin of Tarim during late Mesoproterozoic to early Neopro-terozoic,the two episodes of metamorphisms correspond to the assemblage and breakup of Rodinia respectively. (3) The Bulunkuole Group in western South Kunlun Terrane,which was considered to be the Palaeoproterozoic basement of the South Kunlun Terrane by previous studies,is now subdivided into the late Neoproterzoic to early Palaeozoic paragneisses (khondalite) and the early Mesozoic metamorphic volcano-sedimentary series; the paragneisses were thrust onto the metamorphic vol-cano-sedimentary series from south to north,with two main teconothermal episodes (i.e.,Caledonian,460―400 Ma,and Hercynian-Indosinian,340―200 Ma),and have been documented by zircon U-Pb ages. (4) In the eastern part of the South Kunlun Terrane,a gneissic granodiorite pluton,which intruded the khondalite,was crystallized at ca. 505 Ma and metamorphosed at ca. 240 Ma. In combination with geochronology data of the paragneiss,we suggest that the South Kunlun Terrane was a Caledonian accretionary orogenic belt and overprinted by late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic arc magmatism.     

Chronology and petrogenesis of the Hejiazhuang granitoid pluton and its constraints on the Early Triassic tectonic evolution of the South Qinling Belt

The Hejiazhuang pluton is located in the South Qinling Tectonic Belt(SQTB)in the north side of the Mianxian-Lueyang Suture Zone,and consists dominantly of granodiorites.LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses reveal that these granodiorites of the Hejiazhaung pluton emplaced at~248 Ma,and show a large variation in zirconεHf(t)values from4.8 to 8.8.These granodiorite samples are attributed to high-K to mid-K calc-alkaline series,and characterized by high SiO2(66.6%–70.0%),Al2O3(15.04%–16.10%)and Na2O(3.74%–4.33%)concentrations,with high Mg#(54.2–61.7).All samples have high Sr(627–751 ppm),Cr(55–373 ppm)and Ni(17.2–182 ppm),but low Y(5.42–8.41 ppm)and Yb(0.59–0.74 ppm)concentrations with high Sr/Y ratios(84.90–120.66).They also display highly fractionated REE patterns with(La/Yb)N ratios of 18.9–34.0 and positive Eu anomalies(δEu=1.10–2.22)in the chondrite-normalized REE patterns.In the primitive mantle normalized spidergrams,these samples exhibit enrichment in LILEs but depletion in Nb,Ta,P and Ti.These geochemical features indicate that the granodioritic magma of the Hejiazhuang pluton was derived from the partial melting of hybrid sources comprising the subducted oceanic slab and sediments,and the melts were polluted by the mantle wedge materials during their ascent.The emplacement ages and petrogenesis of the Hejiazhuang pluton prove that the initial subduction of the Mianlue oceanic crust occurred at~248 Ma ago,and the SQTB was still under subduction tectonic setting in the Early Triassic.     

Cenozoic stratigraphy and sedimentation history of the northern Philippine Sea based on multichannel seismic reflection data

Abstract To clarify the regional distribution and characteristics of the sedimentary deposits in the northern part of the Philippine Sea, multichannel seismic reflection surveys of 26 864 km in total length were performed. The seismic reflection data were interpreted and correlated with available Deep Sea Drilling Project/Ocean Drilling Program (DSDP/ODP) data and a general stratigraphic framework of the area was established. The sedimentary deposits in this area were divided into five layers; Units I, II, III, IV and V in ascending order. Their approximate geological ages are the Early Eocene, Middle to Late Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene‐Pleistocene, respectively. Seismic records were classified into three seismic facies, Facies A, B and C, on the basis of their characteristics. They were judged to represent pelagic and hemipelagic sediments of non‐volcanic origin, fine pyroclastic sediments and coarse pyroclastic or volcanic sediments, respectively, by comparing them with lithological data in the DSDP/ODP holes. From the thickness and facies distributions of these sediments, a sedimentary history in the area was reconstructed as follows. The oldest sediments in the study area, Unit I, interfinger with some parts of the Daito Ridge (acoustic basement) in the Minami Daito Basin. The geological age of the unit is estimated by microfossils in the sediment and supports the idea that this part of the Daito Ridge is composed of the Early Eocene oceanic basalt. Later, a fair amount of sediments were deposited in the Minami Daito Basin in the Middle to Late Eocene age. A large volume of volcanic materials was supplied from the Paleo‐Kyushu‐Palau Ridge in the Kita Daito Basin in the Eocene and Oligocene ages. The eastern part of the Shikoku and Parece Vela basins is characterized by volcanic sediments supplied from the Nishi Shichito and West Mariana Ridges in the Miocene age. However, pelagic and hemipelagic sediments prevail in the northern part of the Shikoku Basin in the Miocene or later. In short, the area of principal sedimentation has generally shifted from west to east through geological time, reflecting the evolution of the island arc systems with the same trend in the northern Philippine Sea.