Oceanic ridges and transform faults: Their intersection angles and resistance to plate motion

The persistent near-orthogonal pattern formed by oceanic ridges and transform faults defies explanation in terms of rigid plates because it probably depends on the energy associated with deformation. For passive spreading, it is likely that the ridges and transforms adjust to a configuration offering minimum resistance to plate separation. This leads to a simple geometric model which yields conditions for the occurrence of transform faults and an aid to interpretation of structural patterns in the sea floor. Under reasonable assumptions, it is much more difficult for diverging plates to spread a kilometer of ridge than to slip a kilometer of transform fault, and the patterns observed at spreading centers might extend to lithospheric depths. Under these conditions, the resisting force at spreading centers could play a significant role in the dynamics of plate-tectonic systems.     

A model for the relation between spreading rate and oblique spreading

Atwater and Macdonald have suggested that oblique spreading occurs at mid-ocean ridges which spread slowly (half rate less than 3 cm/yr), while the spreading is perpendicular at faster-spreading ridges. This paper explores this relation using the ratio of the power dissipated at ridges to that on transform faults to find the angle of oblique spreading (θ). The dependence of the energy dissipation rate on spreading rate is included in simple models of a ridge and transform. These arguments suggest that θ is related to the half spreading rate approximately by sin θ ～ V^?1.     

Normal faults in an accretionary complex formed at trench-trench-ridge triple junction, as an indicator of angle between the trench and subducted ridge

Abstract Normal faults parallel to the trend of an active ridge are formed in the accretionary prism at trench-trench-ridge triple junction, due to continuous spreading of the subducted ridge. Normal faults are observed in the Nabae and Mugi sub-belts, accretionary zones formed by ridge subduction in the Shimanto Belt. Igneous and sedimentary dykes intrude through the previous normal faults. Using these fault and dyke data, intermediate principal axis of stress relating to the normal faulting is determined, and is fitted to the trend of the subducted ridge. Normal faults formed by ridge subduction are useful for plate reconstruction.     

Buckling of a pervasively faulted lithosphere

We investigated the buckling response of a faulted elastic plate under horizontal compression using the finite element technique to better understand the effect of faults on the elastic behavior of a plate. We studied the effect of changes in fault spacing, depth and dip on the effective Young's modulus, buckling stress and wavelength. Our model consists of a thick elastic plate whose entire upper surface is cut by evenly spaced faults. We impose either an initial sinusoidal deformation with a fixed wavelength or a random deformation to the grid. A fault is represented as a free surface with no resolved shear stress and is allowed to slip in a specified direction using the method of slippery nodes. With the assumption of free slip on the faults, our model results represent an end member case in which the buckling wavelength and buckling stress are minimized by the presence of the faults.In our models, fault depth was varied from 0 to 75% of the plate thickness. As strain increases, the grid deforms by antisymmetric flexural folding and the initial imposed wavelength of deformation is modified such that the new buckling wavelength emerges. Our results show that the effective Young's modulus is a decreasing function of fault depth and an increasing function of fault spacing. In addition, buckling of the plate occurs at a lower stress for greater fault depths. Buckling wavelength is independent of the initial deformation wavelength however, it is modified by the presence of faults. For a plate with closely spaced faults extending through at least 75% of the plate, buckling occurs at a wavelength one half as large as that for a continuous plate. Buckling stress is not independent of the intial deformation wavelength, rather it increases slightly with increasing difference between the initial deformation wavelength and the buckling wavelength.Analytical models that approximate or ignore the effect of faulting can have large errors in calculation of the buckling stress. More importantly, modeling the observed wavelength of deformation in a faulted region with analytical solutions for continuous plates may result in a significant underestimate of elastic thickness. Fault dip does not strongly affect either the effective Young's modulus or the buckling wavelength. Thus, the buckling response should be the same for a plate cut by a low angle fault or a high angle fault.     

Influence of Outcrop Scale Fractures on the Effective Stiffness of Fault Damage Zone Rocks

We combine detailed mapping and microstructural analyses of small fault zones in granodiorite with numerical mechanical models to estimate the effect of mesoscopic (outcrop-scale) damage zone fractures on the effective stiffness of the fault zone rocks. The Bear Creek fault zones were active at depths between 4 and 15 km and localize mesoscopic off-fault damage into tabular zones between two subparallel boundary faults, producing a fracture-induced material contrast across the boundary faults with softer rocks between the boundary faults and intact granodiorite outside the boundary faults. Using digitized fault zone fracture maps as the modeled fault geometries, we conduct nonlinear uniaxial compression tests using a novel finite-element method code as the experimental “laboratory” apparatus. Map measurements show that the fault zones have high nondimensional facture densities (>1), and damage zone fractures anastamose and intersect, making existing analytical effective medium models inadequate for estimation of the effective elastic properties. Numerical experiments show that the damage zone is strongly anisotropic and the bulk response of the fault zone is strain-weakening. Normal strains as small as 2% can induce a reduction of the overall stiffness of up to 75%. Fracture-induced effective stiffness changes are large enough to locally be greater than intact modulus changes across the fault due to juxtaposition of rocks of different lithologies; therefore mesoscopic fracturing is as important as rock type when considering material or bimaterial effects on earthquake mechanics. These results have important implications for earthquake rupture mechanics models, because mesoscopic damage zone fractures can cause a material contrast across the faults as large as any lithology-based material contrast at seismogenic depths, and the effective moduli can be highly variable during a single rupture event.     

New constraints on the tectonic evolution of the eastern Indian Ocean

From marine magnetic anomaly studies, a fossil spreading ridge is identified beneath the Nicobar Fan in the northwestern Wharton Basin. Several north-south-trending transform faults offset this ridge left-laterally east of the 86°E transform fault. Our findings show that this ridge, which was part of the plate boundary between the Indian and Australian plates, ceased its spreading shortly after formation of magnetic anomaly 20 (～ 45.6m.y. B.P.). Since the breakup of Australia and Antarctica probably occurred sometime between 110 and 90 m.y. B.P., we suggest that the Indian, Australian, and Antarctic plates were moving relative to one another from about 90 to 45 m.y. B.P. A triple junction would have existed in the southeastern Indian Ocean during that period of time. At anomaly 19 time (～ 45m.y. B.P.), the junction became inactive, and Australia and India became a single plate. The northwest-southeast-trending Southeast Indian Ridge was formed by connecting the India-Antarctica spreading center with the Australia-Antarctica spreading center. Its activity has continued to the present time.     

2016年阿克陶MS 6.7地震地表破裂特征和帕米尔现代构造应力场初步分析

帕米尔高原位于地中海－喜马拉雅地震带上,晚新生代以来随着印度板块向欧亚板块持续不断地挤压汇聚,其构造运动是欧亚大陆最强烈的地区。高原腹地发育一系列近SN向正断层,包括近SN向的塔什库尔干正断层所处的帕米尔中部现代区域的构造应力场以EW向水平拉张为主。2016年11月25日发生的阿克陶M_S 6.7级地震的发震构造为塔什库尔干断层分支的NWW向木吉盆地北缘断层,其具有右旋走滑兼正断性质。地震在震中附近产生同震地表形变带,全长约1km,呈近SN－NNE向水平拉伸,发育近EW—NWW向的张裂缝,为地震破裂的产物,张裂缝的最大水平拉伸位移量和最大垂直位移量分别为46cm和16cm。地表破裂带中的NE和NW向张剪裂缝只是连接贯通这些雁列的张裂缝,其水平相对位移量取决于张裂缝的水平拉伸量和张裂缝之间的几何关系。地表形变带表现的拉张性质与帕米尔高原腹地区域现代应力场最大主压应力为垂直向基本一致,可能与深部热物质上涌造成的上地壳拉伸有关。而地表形变带呈近SN向水平拉张,与区域近EW向拉张应力场之间存在显著差异,这可能是木吉盆地北缘右旋走滑正断层阶区局部应力场调整的结果。     

Pito and Orongo fracture zones: the northern and southern boundaries of the Easter microplate (southeast Pacific)

The Easter (Rapanui) microplate is a case example of a large dual spreading center system in a region where the fastest seafloor spreading on Earth is occurring today. Recent theoretical models of the tectonic evolution of dual spreading center systems have explored the effects of shear and rigid rotation on the boundaries and internal structure of microplates but the models must be critically constrained by improved relative motion and structural fabric data sets.During the January 1987 Rapanui expedition on the N/O “Jean Charcot” we conducted a Sea Beam/magnetics/ gravity survey of a portion of the microplate boundaries. The method that was used was to fully map selected portions of the boundaries in order to establish precise structural relationships. The northern terminus of the East Rift or eastern boundary of the microplate is expressed as a series of parallel NW-SE trending valleys including what appears to be, with 5890 m depth, the deepest active rift axis mapped in the Pacific today (Pito Rift).The northern end of the Pito Rift merges with an E-W to 083° narrow band of linear faults interpreted to be a transform fault between the Nazca and Easter (Rapanui) plates.The northern triple junction between the Easter (Rapanui), Nazca and Pacific plates is a RFF type with the two transform faults colinear along an approximately E-W direction.The southwestern boundary of the Easter (Rapanui) microplate is marked by a series of en-echelon offsets, outlined by depressions, which merge into an approximately E-W zone where shear must be predominant.The southern triple junction is a RRF junction with an overlapping ridge system.The structural data acquired during the survey provide strong constraints for kinematic models of the microplate. The structural data need to be combined with crustal age determinations in order to derive a model for the evolution of the microplate.     

2011年M_W9.0东日本大地震动力学破裂过程的数值模拟

力学上,地震可以看作在应力场作用下由于断层带介质的突然损伤或软化导致的断层带失稳事件.本文基于这个地震动力学模型,利用一种可以模拟断层大位错的有限元方法,研究了2011年MW9.0东日本大地震(Tohoku-Oki)的动力学破裂过程.比较了无障碍体和具有不同刚度障碍体的断层带模型产生的断层位移、位错和应力降.主要结果表明,障碍体的存在并不明显地改变障碍体区域的初始构造应力场.对有障碍体情形,准静态结果显示断层上盘最大逆冲位移和最大剪切位错分别为51m和58m,均发生在海底表面海沟处,与无障碍体的结果(最大剪切位错约55m)相比差别不大;下盘最大倾向位移(-10m)并不与上盘最大值出现在同一位置,而是在障碍体处.障碍体处剪应力降(约11 MPa)大于周围非障碍体区域.障碍体处正应力降的最大值约为3 MPa.模拟结果似乎不支持海山是导致本次地震异乎寻常大位错的原因,而倾向于断层带剪切刚度在地震过程中极度损伤或软化.     

岩石损伤模量分析

从能量的角度出发定义损伤变量,通过应力-应变曲线卸载段有效应力与总应力之间的假定关系,确定损伤模量的计算方法。在单轴和三轴条件下,对岩石损伤相关参数进行统计研究,重点对损伤模量进行计算和对比分析。结果表明,单轴及低围压下损伤模量基本呈逐渐减小的趋势,而随着围压的增大,损伤模量呈先减小后保持动态稳定的趋势。损伤变量的计算充分考虑到围压的影响,可进一步增进对岩石损伤的认识。     

弹性板块运动模型研究进展

传统板块构造理论认为板块是一个刚体,实际上板块是可变形的.板块内部几年到几十年时间尺度的变形主要是弹性变形,因此应当用弹性模型描述板块运动.推导了板块的弹性运动方程,由空间大地测量新的观测成果建立了菲律宾海、太平洋和澳大利亚板块的弹性运动模型.发现三个板块内部都存在明显的水平形变.板内应变场的空间变化有明显的规律：板块边界附近的应变率最大,从边界向内部逐渐减小;在板块扩散边界附近,主张应变率大于主压应变率,主张应变轴基本上与边界的扩张方向一致;在俯冲边界附近,主压应变率大于主张应变率,主压应变轴基本上与板块的俯冲方向一致;在走滑兼有俯冲性质的边界附近,最大剪应变的方向与边界断裂的走向基本一致.由GPS观测得到的主压应变轴与由震源机制解得到的主压应力轴方向具有很好的一致性.板内的应力－应变场基本上遵循广义胡克定律.     

Global variability in subduction thrust zone-forearc systems

Deviations of slip vector azimuths of interplate thrust earthquakes from expected plate convergence directions at oblique subduction zones provide kinematic information about the deformation of forearcs and indirect evidence on the dynamics of the plate boundary. A global survey of slip vectors at major trenches of the world reveals a large variability in the kinematic response of forearcs to shear produced by oblique convergence. The variability in forearc deformation inferred from slip vector deflections is suggested to be caused by variations in forearc rheology rather than in the stresses acting on subduction zone thrust faults. Estimated apparent macroscopic rheologies range from elastic to perfectly plastic (or viscous). Forearc rheologies inferred from slip vectors do not correlate with age of the subducting lithosphere, but continental forearcs or old arcs appear to deform less than oceanic or young arcs. The inferred absence of forearc deformation at continental arcs from this study is counter to inferences drawn from compiled geologic information on forearc faults. Correlations of the apparent forearc rheology with backarc spreading, convergence rate, slab dip, arc curvature, and downdip length of the thrust contact are poor. However, great subduction zone earthquakes occur where forearcs are apparently more elastic (i.e., less deformed by oblique convergence), which suggests that the mechanical properties of forearcs rather than stress magnitude on thrust faults control both the kinematic behavior of forearcs and where great subduction zone earthquakes occur.     

A near-bottom geophysical traverse of the Reykjanes Ridge

We report here the results of a near-bottom geophysical survey of the Reykjanes Ridge, a mid-ocean ridge that is oriented obliquely to the perpendicular spreading direction. From a combination of the bathymetric profiles, side-scan sonar data, and regional bathymetric maps we infer that the present center of spreading is made up of a number of N15°E-trending en echelon ridge segments in the southern half of our survey area. Insufficient data prevent the identification of the spreading pattern in the northern half. The side-scan records show that the ridge flanks are highly fractured by inward-facing faults displaced 40 m or less and trending in a N21°E direction. The lack of side-scan features parallel to the spreading direction except in the southernmost portion of the survey area suggests that the ridge segments are not connected by transform faults in the usual sense. Although the mechanism by which en echelon ridge segments can be maintained during sea-floor spreading over time is unclear, similar patterns of crustal accretion have been reported on Iceland. It appears that the accretionary processes along the Reykjanes Ridge are more related to those of Iceland than to those of typical mid-ocean ridges.     

考虑刚度劣化的剪切带-围岩系统稳定性分析

峰后的刚度劣化现象（渐进损伤）在多种煤、岩石、混凝土、土和砂子的循环加载实验中已被观察到。本文考虑了剪切带及带外弹性体的不同的刚度劣化现象,推导了剪切带（断层）-弹性围岩系统在直剪条件下的应力-变形曲线。剪切带的刚度劣化不改变剪切带的总变形,但使剪切带的弹性变形增加、塑性变形降低。考虑弹性体的刚度劣化现象之后,系统的峰后应力-变形曲线呈现非线性特征,这不同于过去忽略刚度劣化现象的结果。在应变软化过程中,剪切带之外弹性体的刚度劣化,使系统的峰后响应由负斜率（Ⅰ类行为）变为正斜率（Ⅱ类变形行为）。较高的弹性体尺寸、较高的脆性、较小的内部长度、较低的围岩初始弹性模量、较高的抗剪强度、较低的残余剪切应力及较高的残余剪切弹性模量,使系统的峰后响应变得陡峭,甚至发生Ⅱ类行为,使系统的失稳（岩爆、冲击地压、采矿诱发地震或矿震）易于发生。     

Evolution of the Juan Fernandez microplate during the last three million years

During the spring of 1983, the R/V “Thomas Washington” surveyed an area located north of the Antarctic-Nazca-Pacific triple junction at 35°S.Magnetic and SEABEAM bathymetric data collected during the survey confirmed the existence of the Juan Fernandez microplate. This paper presents an analysis of the magnetic anomaly data.The western boundary of the microplate is a fast spreading center which has existed since 2 Ma and where the accretion rate has been about 14.5 cm/yr for the last 0.7 Ma.The eastern boundary of the microplate is characterized by a slow spreading center which separates the Juan Fernandez and Nazca plates. The accretion rate has been about 7.0 cm/yr between 0.7 and 0.4 Ma and about 1.6 cm/yr for the last 0.4 Ma.The two spreading centers are connected in the north and south by transform faults.Between the Juan Fernandez and Rapanui microplates, the East Pacific Rise is well defined between 30 and 32°S. In this region the axis displays a record accretion of about 17.2 cm/yr.South of the Juan Fernandez microplate, one magnetic profile (Oceano 7008) indicates that the opening rate is about 12.0 cm/yr on the Antarctic-Pacific ridge.The birth of the microplate is dated at about 2 Ma when the western boundary started to accrete. The evolution of the microplate corresponds to a transfer of accretion from the eastern boundary to the western axis. This is revealed by the net decrease of the opening rate from 7.0 cm/yr to 1.6 cm/yr observed at the eastern ridge where a small jump occurred at 0.4 Ma.     

Deriving effects of pressure depletion on elastic framework moduli from sonic logs

We have developed a method to determine the effect of pore pressure depletion on elastic framework moduli, by utilizing sonic logs from wells drilled at different locations through a reservoir at varying depletion stages. This is done by first inverting the sonic logs for elastic framework bulk and shear moduli, thus carefully removing pressure dependent fluid effects. By crossplotting these elastic framework moduli against an increase in net stress (which is directly related to depletion), we derive the stress sensitivity of the elastic framework moduli. We found that the observed stress sensitivity was consistent with time-lapse seismic results and that the sensitivity derived from the sonic logs was much smaller than predicted by hydrostatic measurements on core samples. This method is applicable to depletion scenarios in mature fields and can be used both for modelling and inverting time-lapse seismic data for effects of pore pressure depletion on seismic data.     

青藏高原东北缘活动断裂剪切模量及应力状态数值模拟

作为控制断层两盘相对运动的重要因素,断裂带介质力学性能与断层面上的滑动速率及应力状态、区域地壳运动速度场等密切相关.受印度板块北东向推挤以及阿拉善地块和鄂尔多斯地块的阻挡作用,青藏高原东北缘构造变形复杂.本文在综合区域动力学环境、活动断裂空间展布以及下地壳黏滞性结构的基础上构建了青藏高原东北缘三维有限元动力学模型;以GPS速度场为约束模拟研究了断层剪切力学性能对区域地壳运动速度场图像的控制作用,进而在最优模型基础上分析了当前青藏高原东北缘不同断裂的应力状态.结果显示：阿尔金断裂东段和广义海原断裂对区域地壳运动速度场控制作用强烈,但二者剪切力学性能相反,阿尔金断裂东段断层剪切模量与周边地壳介质相当,而广义海原断裂断层剪切模量可低至周边地壳介质剪切模量的1/10000;六盘山断裂和西秦岭北缘断裂对区域地壳运动速度场的控制作用较弱,模拟结果显示二者均具有较强的剪切力学性能.基于最佳模型的应力状态分析指出：阿尔金断裂东段,广义海原断裂西段的木里—江仓断裂、中段的金强河—毛毛山—老虎山断裂、东段的六盘山断裂,以及西秦岭北缘断裂中西段当前应力率水平较高,且与前人给出的青藏高原东北缘高闭锁区域吻合.动力学上的高应力率与运动学上的强闭锁良好吻合,预示着这些断裂是地震危险分析值得关注的区域.     

Melt-filled hybrid fractures in the oceanic mantle: Melt enhanced deformation during along-axis flow beneath a propagating spreading ridge axis

Mid-ocean ridges represent important locations for understanding the interactions between deformation and melt production, transport, and emplacement. Melt transport through the mantle beneath mid-ocean ridges is closely associated with deformation. Currently recognized transport and emplacement processes at ridges include: 1) dikes and sills filling stress-controlled fractures, 2) porous flow in a divergent flow field, 3) self-organizing porous dunite channels, and 4) shear zones. Our recent observations from the sub-oceanic mantle beneath a propagating ridge axis in the Oman ophiolite show that gabbronorite and olivine gabbro dikes fill hybrid fractures that show both shear and extensional components of strain. The magnitudes of shear strain recorded by the dikes are significant and comparable to the longitudinal extensions across the dikes. We suggest that the hybrid dikes form from the interactions between shear deformation and pressurized melt in regions of along-axis flow at mid-ocean ridges. The displacement across the dikes is kinematically compatible with high temperature flow recorded by plastic fabrics in host peridotites. Field observations and mechanical considerations indicate that the dikes record conditions of higher stress and lower temperature than those recorded by the plastic flow fabrics. The features of hybrid dikes suggest formation during progressive deformation as conditions changed from penetrative plastic flow to strain localization along melt-filled fractures. The combined dataset indicates that the dikes are formed during along-axis flow away from regions of diapiric upwelling at propagating ridge segments. Hybrid dikes provide a potentially powerful kinematic indicator and strain recorder and define a previously unrecognized mechanism of melt migration. Our calculations show that hybrid dikes require less melt pressure to form than purely tensile dikes and thus may provide a mechanism to tap melt reservoirs that are under-pressurized with respect to lithostatic pressure.     

The geochemistry of oceanic basalts in the vicinity of transform faults: Observations and implications

Consideration of geochemical data from basalts formed near major Atlantic and Pacific transform faults reveals two significant sets of observations. First, compared to basalts formed far from the transform, basalts near the ridge/transform intersection have, for the same MgO contents, higher abundances of TiO₂ and other incompatible elements, higher La/Sm and La/Yb ratios, and often higher FeO. These enrichments are distinct from and occur in addition to the more variable and fractionated compositions which have been frequently noted [10–13]. Modeling of this “transform fault effect” using data from the Tamayo/EPR intersection suggests the chemical systematics are caused by decreasing extents of melting as the transform is approached.Second, there are chemical discontinuities in the major element, trace element and isotopic chemistry of basalts across many transforms. These “transform discontinuities” occur in normal ocean crust as well as around hot spots.Consideration of the melting zone in the mantle suggests that the transform fault effect is a natural consequence of the ridge/transform plate boundary. The melting zone beneath a ridge segment must terminate across the transform, leading to lower extents of melting at the transform edge. The surface manifestation of the change in the melting zone may be affected by the age of the transform offset, the spreading rate, the transform spacing and the interaction of mantle flow with the local thermal structure; it may be obscured by episodic magma chamber processes and mantle heterogeneity.The significance of transform discontinuities depends on whether they persist with age. If they do not, then temporally variable crust-forming processes may produce changes along a flow line similar to those at zero age across a transform. If, on the other hand, a discontinuity persists with age, then the transform may be related to a fundamental discontinuity in the underlying mantle. Long-lived transform discontinuities would have profound implications for the nature of plate motions, mantle convection and mantle heterogeneity.     

Rock physics modelling of porous rocks with multiple pore types: a multiple-porosity variable critical porosity model

A critical porosity model establishes the empirical relationship between a grain matrix and a dry rock by the concept of critical porosity. The model is simple and practical and widely used. But the critical porosity in the model is a fixed value that cannot relate to pore structure. The aim of this paper is to establish the theoretical relationship between critical porosity and pore structure by combining Kuster–Toksöz theory with the critical porosity model. Different from the traditional critical porosity model, critical porosity is not an empirical value but varied with pore shape and the ratio of bulk modulus versus shear modulus of the grain matrix. The substitution of the theoretical relationship into Kuster–Toksöz theory will generate the formulae for the bulk and shear moduli of multiple-porosity dry rocks, which is named the multiple-porosity variable critical porosity model. The new model has been used to predict elastic moduli for sandstone and carbonate rock. We compare the modelling results for P- and S-wave velocities and elastic moduli with the experimental data. The comparison shows that the new model can be used to describe the elastic properties for the rocks with multiple pore types.