Tectonic types of the Pacific abyssal basins

This paper continues a series of publications on tectonics, structural evolution, and formation mechanism of abyssal basins. The Pacific abyssal basins of the Western thalassogen are subdivided into three types: intermontane, interfault, and syneclise-type. The new term thalassosyneclise is proposed for the third type. Basins of the first, second, and third types are developed in the western, northeastern, and southern Pacific, respectively. The main mechanism responsible for the formation of basins belonging to the first two types is a stepwise subsidence of the oceanic bottom. The formation of a thalassosyneclise abyssal basin is probably related to energy flux of the South Pacific plume.     

Specifics of magmatism in marginal continental and marginal-sea pull-apart basins: Western periphery of the Pacific Ocean

The paper presents data on pull-apart (synchronous with strike-slip faulting) extensional structures formed in relation to Indo-Eurasian collision and including continental marginal rifts in East Asia and adjacent marginal sea basins. The evolution of Cenozoic pull-apart basins (developing synchronously with strike-slip faulting) in the western surroundings of the Pacific ocean corresponds to a basaltoid sequence in which the onset of rifting and the stage of maximum extension are marked by the first and last members of this sequence that have, respectively, calc-alkaline and tholeiitic depleted composition. The predominance of intermediate members with mixed isotopic-geochemical signatures testifies to the interaction of diverse magmatic melts. The opening of pull-apart basins (including those of marginal sea) was associated with magmatism whose sources were localized, judging from geochemical indicators, in the modified continental lithospheric mantle and depleted asthenosphere. The sources in the lithospheric mantle that was affected by long-lasting metasomatic recycling in the geological past dominated during the initial stages of continental extension and gave way to depleted asthenospheric sources. This model is consistent with the deep structure of the territories: extensional basins correspond to asthenospheric upwelling, with the ascent of asthenospheric diapirs positively correlated with the intensity of extension of the continental lithosphere and the degree of depletion of the accumulated basaltoids. The discovery of widespread calc-alkaline rocks (which are genetically related to the ancient metasomatized lithospheric mantle) in zones of continental rifting and marginal basins of the strike-slip fault nature significantly broadens the compositional range of volcanics typical of extensional geodynamic environments. At the same time, this testifies to the polygeodynamic nature of calc-alkaline volcanics, which can accumulate without any relations with coeval subduction zones.     

西太平洋中段沉积盆地新生代构造-沉积演化特征*

西太平洋中段位于欧亚板块、太平洋板块和印度洋板块的交汇处,是全球沟弧盆体系最为发育的地区,主要发育弧后盆地、弧前盆地和陆架边缘盆地。文中通过综合研究西太平洋中段17个盆地的大地构造背景、盆地的形成与演化和沉积特征后认为:(1)各类盆地的构造-沉积演化均经历4个期次。弧前盆地和弧后盆地的构造-沉积演化可分为俯冲期(K₂-E)、盆地发育期((Ｎ_１^１ -Ｎ_１³)、沉降期(Ｎ_１⁴-Ｎ_１⁵)和挤压期(N₂-Q):俯冲期发育火山岩和变质岩基底,局部为海相碎屑岩;盆地发育期以海相沉积为主,伴有火山活动,局部发育陆相沉积;沉降期以海相和三角洲相沉积为主;挤压期以三角洲相和海相沉积为主,局部发育河湖相沉积。陆架边缘盆地的构造-沉积演化也分为4期,分别为前裂陷期(K₂-E₁)、裂陷期(E₂-(E₃^１)、拗陷期(E₃²-Ｎ_１³)和沉降期(Ｎ_１⁴-Q):前裂陷期和裂陷期主要发育冲积扇—河流—湖泊沉积体系,火山活动强烈;拗陷期沉积环境由陆相向海陆过渡相演化;沉降期以海相和海陆过渡相沉积为主。(2)不同类型盆地的构造-沉积演化特征各不相同:弧前盆地构造以挤压和板块俯冲为主,平均沉积厚度为3.6,km,总体由海陆过渡相向陆相演化;弧后盆地构造受板块俯冲后撤和弧后洋壳扩张作用控制,平均沉积厚度为4.8,km,总体由海相向海陆过渡相演化;陆架边缘盆地构造呈下断上拗双层结构,平均沉积厚度超过10,km,总体由陆相演化为海相。     

西太平洋弧后地区新生代构造迁移的深部地震证据

为了研究西太平洋弧后边缘海盆地的深部构造特征,于2015年在东海琉球岛弧弧后地区布设了一条穿过东海陆架盆地、钓鱼岛隆褶带、南冲绳海槽地区和琉球岛弧的主动源广角反射/折射深部地震剖面.利用走时正演和反演的方法得到的二维速度结构模型展现了西太平洋边缘弧后地区莫霍面的深度由东海陆架地区的大于30 km显著抬升至南冲绳海槽轴部的约16 km,地壳高度拉张减薄,并存在一系列显著的不连续下地壳高速体,速度达6.8~7.3 km/s,这是地幔上涌的显著表现.模型从深部结构角度展现了新生代以来西太平洋弧后盆地扩张中心的变迁,证实了西太平洋洋陆过渡带内深部上涌的软流圈在弧后拉张过程中不断地向洋跃迁,形成自西向东的构造迁移,并带动岩石圈进行幕式伸展,认为新生代向洋变新的构造迁移是太平洋俯冲带后撤引起的一系列弧后深-浅部地球动力效应.      

Volcanic evolution of the marginal and interarc basins

Volcanic evolution of the interarc and marginal basins is analysed using the available data on volcanics from the presently existent and ancient back-arc basins of the western Pacific and Mediterranean. It is shown that in early (pre-spreading) stages of back-arc rifting, the character of volcanism is determined by “maturity” of the adjacent island arc. It is predominantly alkaline or mildly alkaline for back-arc basins related to the island-arcs with high-potash calc-alkaline and shoshonitic volcanism. The back-arc alkaline and mildly alkaline basalts strongly differ from the continental and oceanic rift volcanoes by constantly lower Ti, Nb and Zr contents. Because of these features these basalts are akin to the basaltic members of the island-arc volcanic series. As the latter, they are generally strongly enriched in K₂O and LIL elements, whereas Na₂O reveals comparatively small variability. With initiation of spreading a sharp depression of K₂O, LIL and light REE occurs in the axial basalts of back-arc basins, that progressively approach the MORB composition. But even tholeiites from the most evolved basins that underwent a considerable spreading reveal slight but detectable geochemical peculiarities, indicating their island-arc affinities. Origin of the low-Ti alkaline basaltic magmas of the active continental margins is discussed.     

辽西地区中生代盆地构造演化

辽西地区为华北地台北缘阴山－燕山造山带的东延部分，中生代发育火山－碎屑岩沉积盆地。盆地地质分析表明，该区在早白垩世早期之前发育的沉积盆地为挤压型盆地，早白垩世中期以后属伸展断陷盆地。根据沉积－构造分析，该区中生代盆地构造演化可划分为5个构造演化阶段；（1）早三叠世－－早侏罗世；（2）早侏罗世－中侏罗世；（3）中侏罗世－晚侏罗世；（4）早白垩世早期；（5）早白垩世中期－晚白垩世。     

Tectonic delamination of the Pacific lithosphere

This paper presents data on the structure of some segments of the Pacific lithosphere that bear signs of its tectonic delamination. This tectonic phenomenon is inherent not only to the young slow-spreading Atlantic and Indian oceans but also to the ancient fast-spreading Pacific Ocean, where tectonic delamination of the lithosphere has been established beneath seamounts, in fault zones and between them, immediately beneath the East Pacific Rise, within small separate plates in the eastern part of the ocean, in the Northwest Pacific Basin, and beneath marginal swells that border deep trenches along the western periphery of the Pacific.     

非洲地区盆地演化与油气分布

非洲地区盆地整体勘探程度较低,待发现资源量大,是当前油气勘探开发的热点地区之一。非洲板块在显生宙主要经历了冈瓦纳大陆形成、整体运动和裂解3个构造演化阶段,形成多种不同类型的盆地。通过板块构造演化和原型盆地研究及石油地质综合分析,明确了不同类型盆地的构造特征与油气富集规律。北非克拉通边缘盆地形成于古生代早期,受海西运动影响,油气主要富集在挤压背景下形成的大型穹隆构造之中,以古生界含油气系统为主;北非边缘裂谷盆地海西运动之后普遍经历了裂谷和沉降,裂谷期各盆地沉降幅度和沉降中心的差异导致了油气成藏模式和资源潜力的差异;东、西非被动陆缘盆地形成于中生代潘吉亚大陆的解体、大西洋和印度洋张裂的过程中,西非被动陆缘盆地普遍发育含盐地层,形成盐上和盐下两套含油气系统,东非被动陆缘盆地结构差异较大,油气分布主要受盆地结构控制;中西非裂谷系是经历早白垩世、晚白垩世和古近纪3期裂谷作用而形成的陆内裂谷盆地,受晚白垩世非洲板块与欧亚板块碰撞的影响,近东西向展布盆地抬升剧烈,油气主要富集在下白垩统,北西南东向盆地受影响较弱,油气主要富集在上白垩统和古近系之中;新生代东非裂谷系盆地和红海盆地形成时间相对较晚,以新生界含油气系统为主,新生代三角洲盆地中油气分布主要受三角洲砂(扇)体展布和盆地结构所控制。     

被动大陆边缘盆地油气勘探进展

自21世纪以来,被动陆缘盆地已成为全球油气勘探的重点领域。在统计被动陆缘盆地勘探数据,分析被动陆缘盆地历次理论、技术进展带来的勘探领域的不断突破和油气发现规律基础上,认为有三个方面大的持续发展,在勘探理论上已突破过去围绕裂谷找油,近年发展了坳陷型、转换型陆缘盆地油气成藏理论,提出在被动陆缘半封闭—封闭的局限大型坳陷周缘、转换型被动陆缘转换坳陷带、地幔出露带洋壳上覆远洋浊积砂领域找油的观点,在南大西洋西非段、西南非段、地中海东部、中北大西洋两端、东非海上均取得重大勘探突破;在勘探领域上横向呈现由陆上—浅海—深水—超深水,纵向由斜坡水道—斜坡扇—坡底扇—盐下碳酸盐岩—深水扇发展趋势;在工程技术上随着深水钻探、盐下目标地震识别刻画等技术发展,带动了水深3000 m以上目标钻探和勘探突破。全球被动陆缘早期勘探主要在墨西哥湾周缘、南大西洋两岸中段,近年来逐步向中- 北大西洋两岸、东非沿岸、北极等领域转移,未来被动陆缘油气勘探越来越走向远洋超深水、盐下、深层、极地等领域。     

Tectonic types of deepwater basins in the Indian Ocean

Among 16 deepwater basins located in the central Indian Ocean and along its western, eastern, and southern margins, the central, perioceanic, and perispreading tectonic types are recognized. The Central, Cocos, Wharton, and Crozet basins belong to the first type. The second type comprises the Somalia, Mascarene, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Agulhas basins localized along the western margin of the ocean; the Argo, Gascoyne, Cuvier, and Perth basins that are situated along its eastern periphery; and the African-Antarctic Basin in the southern periphery. The South Australian and Australian-Antarctic basins pertain to the third type. Spatially and tectonically, the pericontinental basins are conjugated with continental blocks in the ocean (rises, plateaus, microcontinents). Together, they make up specific tectonic systems that extend parallel to the continents. The formation of such systems is controlled by horizontal movement of continental blocks and tectonic subsidence of the oceanic bottom.     

A very hydrous mantle under the western Pacific region: Implications for formation of marginal basins and style of Archean plate tectonics

The western Pacific region has been refrigerated by the subducting cold oceanic plates since 450 Ma. However, the region is also characterized by the presence of many oceanic microplates less than 1300 km across, as well as active magmatism; the Philippine Sea plate is representative. We have compiled and examined petrochemical characters of drilled basalts of DSDP from the Philippine Sea plate, and conclude that the source mantle for oceanic basalts is rich in water ca. 0.2 wt.%, and is 50–60 °C lower than that for MORB. The extensive melting is due to the high water content in the source mantle.It is well known that some marginal basins apparently have greater depths than the major oceans. We calculated the age–depth correlation based on a model of transient half-space cooling at given parameters of temperatures of mantle and surface, 1280 and 0 °C, and the thermal diffusivity, 1 mm² s^− 1. The calculation shows the correlation of age-residual depth from a mid-oceanic ridge is 367 for the Philippine Sea, consistent with the bathymetric data. Moreover, the mid-oceanic ridge may be relatively deep because this region is underlain by the cooler mantle.Addition of water to the mantle peridotite lowers the solidus temperature and viscosity. Melting experiments of hydrous peridotite show that addition of 0.2 wt.% H₂O content lowers the solidus temperature by 150 °C. As a result, the mantle under the region may practically correspond to a ca. 90 °C hotter mantle than normal MORB-source mantle in terms of magmatism and rheology. Numerical simulation for a hotter mantle suggests that many small plates should be formed because of extensive heat release by active magmatism, consistent with many microplates in this region. The presence of many oceanic microplates may be analogous to Archean plate tectonics, characterized by a hotter mantle.     

Marginal basins of the NW Pacific and Eastern Eurasia

ABSTRACT

The broad zone between old oceanic lithosphere of the NW Pacific and Eastern Eurasian continental lithosphere is home to a chain of marginal basins. Different from oceans, marginal basins are more influenced by the underlying subduction zone both geophysically and geochemically and are more likely to be blanketed by sediments from the nearby continent. This special issue collects 19 papers that explore the tectonic, magmatic, sedimentary and fluid activity features of marginal basins during rifting, spreading and post-spreading stages. Most papers in this special issue focus on South China Sea marginal basins, where abundant research provides interesting insights into how marginal sea basins evolve. Because South China Sea basins are fully evolved and their key features have not been overprinted by younger deformation, the results of this special issue are very useful for understanding the evolution of other marginal basins.     

Tectonic and climatic events controlling deposition in Tanzanian Karoo basins

The depositional megasequence of the Tanzanian Karoo resulted from an intracratonic phase of sedimentation prevailing during the maximum extension of Pangea in Late Palaeozoic and Triassic times. Karoo rocks are contained in a number of basins, extending from northeastern-most Tanzania to Lake Nyasa and beyond into neighbouring countries. The type section of the Tanzanian Karoo is the Songea Group of the Ruhuhu Basin, situated at the NE-shoulder of the Nyasa Rift. The succession, which reaches a thickness of more than 3000 m, is of Late Carboniferous to Mid-Triassic age. It exhibits five distinctive sequences, each commencing with rudaceous sediments and fining up towards the top. A sixth sequence of Middle to Late Triassic age is recognized in the Selous Basin, NE of the Ruhuhu Basin. The climate ranged from cold, semi-arid conditions in the Stephanian and Asselian to generally warm to hot climates, with fluctuating precipitation in the remaining Permian and Triassic. A marked peak in precipitation is evidenced in the Early Triassic. Each of the sedimentary sequences reflects tectonic movements related to the formation of non-volcanic rift systems during the Permian, and to detachment faults and crustal foundering during the Triassic. The intracratonic Karoo rifts were part of the Malagassy Trough, a large chasm emanating from the Tethyan margin of Gondwana in early Permian times. The Karoo rifts were terminated by their transformation to a pericratonic, passive margin in the Early Jurassic.     

南海北部陆缘盆地形成的构造动力学背景

摘要：南海北部陆缘盆地处于印度板块与太平洋及菲律宾海板块之间,但三大板块对南海北部陆缘盆地的影响是不同的。通过对三大板块及古南海演化的研究,可知南海北部陆缘地区应力环境于晚白垩世发生改变。早白垩世处于挤压环境,晚白垩世以来转变为伸展环境并且不同时期的成因不同。晚白垩世-始新世,华南陆缘早期造山带的应力松弛、古南海向南俯冲及太平洋俯冲板块的滚动后退导致其处于张应力环境。始新世时南海北部陆缘裂陷盆地开始产生,伸展环境没有变,但因其是由太平洋板块向西俯冲速率的持续降低及古南海向南俯冲引起的,南海北部陆缘盆地继续裂陷。渐新世-早中新世,地幔物质向南运动及古南海向南俯冲导致南海北部陆缘地区处于持续的张应力环境;渐新世早期南海海底扩张;中中新世开始,三大板块开始共同影响着南海北部陆缘盆地的发展演化。     

Tectonic types of deepwater basins and structural segmentation of the North Atlantic

Typification of tectonic structures is one of the important lines of tectonic research. Recently, I have published several articles, which are concerned with deepwater oceanic basins. This paper is focused on tectonic typification of deepwater basins of the North Atlantic. They are attributed to three types: perispreading, central thalassogenic, and pericontinental. The first type comprises the Irminger, Iceland, Greenland, and Lofoten basins. The first two basins are associated with the Reykjanes Ridge and the two others, with the Mohns Ridge. The central thalassogenic type is exemplified in the Norwegian Basin, while the pericontinental type in the Rockall Trough. Two systems of basins are distinguished by morphostructural and historical-geological features: the northern system of the Oligocene-Quaternary structures and the southern system of the Paleocene-Quaternary structures. The Greenland-Faroe tectonovolcanic zone serves as their tectonic interface. In the tectonic typology of their deepwater basins, the North Atlantic is closer to the Indian than to other oceans. The present-day configuration of the northern basins is determined by neotectonics. The tectonic movements in the northern system of basins at this stage were more contrasting than in the southern system. This explains the greater depth of the former basins. The spatial position of the deepwater basins belonging to different types determines the tectonic segmentation of the oceanic bottom. The southern, central, and northern latitudinal segments correspond to different geodynamic states of the Earth’s interior.     

Tectonic setting and regional implications of ca 2.2 Ga mafic magmatism in the southern Hamersley Province,Western Australia

Although the presence of post-Hamersley Group mafic intrusive and extrusive rocks in the southern Hamersley province of Western Australia has been known since the area was first mapped in the early 1960s, details of the age, tectonic setting and significance of these rocks have only recently been determined, and are still controversial. These rocks are most commonly interpreted as the products of two temporally distinct periods of continental extension, separated by a hiatus of ～370 m.y. represented by the unconformity at the base of the Wyloo Group. However, the integration of published geochronological and geochemical data with detailed field observations documented in this study shows that ca 2.2 Ga dolerite sills pre- and post-date this unconformity, and were intruded during Ophthalmian orogenesis in a retroarc foreland basin. Furthermore, ca 2.2 Ga mafic magmatism is interpreted to include the Cheela Springs Basalt and is related to subduction beneath the southern Hamersley province, most likely resulting in accretion of part of the Gascoyne Province to the Pilbara Craton.     

Tectonic evolution of the Pacific Ocean since 74 ma

A recent re-evaluation of the Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic sea-floor spreading data in the eastern Pacific has allowed us to make a new interpretation of the timing and sequence of the tectonic events which produced the present configuration of the plates (Whitman and Harrison, 1981; Whitman, 1981). Rotation parameters specifying the relative motion between all pairs of plates in the ocean basin have been calculated from the best fit of oceanic magnetic anomalies, with additional input from bathymetry and crustal ages of the Deep Sea Drilling Project sites. The rotation parameters for the relative motion between the Pacific and Antarctic plates are taken from Weissel et al. (1977) and the continental rotation parameters are from Barron et al. (1981).Plate motions have been determined back to 74 Ma. This time marks the initiation of spreading at the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge which caused the separation of the Campbell Plateau from Antarctica (Barron et al., 1981). Thus, this time is the earliest fix on the position of the Pacific plate relative to the continents surrounding the Pacific Ocean basin using sea-floor spreading. Since it is not possible to derive quantitative information about the relative motion between two plates separated by a trench, all rotations for the oceanic plates of the Pacific basin have been calculated relative to the Pacific plate and then relative to North America through the plate circuit: Pacific-Antarctica-Africa-North AmericaSince we also know the relative position of North America with respect to the other continents, we can show the relative position of the Pacific plate and the other oceanic plates with respect to all of the continental plates surrounding the Pacific Ocean basin.     

湘中盆地西部构造变形的运动学特征及成因机制

湘中盆地中部的大乘山 龙山EW向隆起将湘中盆地分为涟源和邵阳两个次级凹陷。湘中盆地西部上古生界盖层中主体构造为NE—NNE向褶皱和逆断裂,前人认为其变形与向北西的逆冲推覆有关。本文对湘中盆地西部进行了多条构造剖面调查,结果表明：涟源凹陷西部上古生界褶皱轴面大多直立、部分斜歪;走向逆断裂及斜歪褶皱轴面大多倾向NW,少量倾向SE。大乘山背斜为一轴面倾向NWW的倒转背斜,背斜核部及两翼发育大量以NWW倾向为主的逆断裂,背斜内长安组劈理均倾向NWW。邵阳凹陷西部上古生界中走向逆断裂和倒转与斜歪褶皱轴面总体倾向NWW,局部反冲构造带断裂倾向SEE。湘中盆地盖层变形主要受控于盖层底部不整合界面及石炭纪测水组煤系地层的滑脱,部分断裂切入加里东褶皱基底。上述各次级构造单元变形特征表明湘中盆地西部逆冲推覆的总体方向为SE,而不是前人所认为的NW。研究表明湘中盆地NE—NNE向褶皱和逆断裂形成于中三叠世晚期的印支运动和中侏罗世晚期的早燕山运动。分析认为湘中盆地西部向SE逆冲,与雪峰造山带东缘向SE逆冲及城步 新化岩石圈断裂向NW俯冲有关。     

滇西哀牢山构造带:结构与演化

哀牢山构造带是藏东(东南亚)地区的一条重要线性构造,它分隔了扬子—华南地块与印支地块,并保存了多阶段复杂大地构造演化的记录。哀牢山构造带内由东向西依次发育了晚太古代—新元古代深变质岩系、新生代构造-岩浆活动带(剪切带)、金平—沱江晚二叠—早三叠世裂谷带残余和哀牢山早石炭世—早三叠世混杂岩带。具有不同特点的地质单元间被以新生代为主发育的断裂构造所间隔;而不同时期异地就位或混合岩化成因的花岗质岩石在构造带中普遍存在。哀牢山构造带在不同地质历史阶段具有多重大地构造属性,总体上经历了3个重要大地构造演化阶段:前特提斯演化、特提斯演化和新生代陆内演化阶段。前特提斯演化时期,主体部分(尤其是其东部带)具有亲扬子地块的属性,保留了自晚太古代到新元古代地壳演化的记录。一直到早古生代时期,哀牢山构造带的大地构造属性与扬子—华南地区依然具有密切的亲缘关系。自晚古生代—早中生代时期古特提斯洋打开之后,该带与华南-扬子板块之间分化成2个属性不同的构造域,始于早石炭世打开的哀牢山洋与始于早二叠世打开的金平—沱江洋依次消亡。特提斯洋的闭合,一方面形成了古哀牢山造山带,同时使得扬子—华南地块与印支地块回复到一个统一的陆内环境中;印度—欧亚板块之间的交互作用,对这一地区有着深刻的影响,相继形成了早新生代哀牢山造山带、晚渐新世—早中新世造山后区域性伸展与高钾碱性岩浆活动性和晚渐新世—早中新世印支地块的大规模南东向逃逸、哀牢山大型左行走滑剪切作用及伴生的钙碱性岩浆活动性。     

The evolution of marginal basins and adjacent shelves in east and southeast Asia

The structural elements on the shallow (Sunda Shelf) and deep seas of east and south—east Asia are interpreted as the result of past interaction between lithospheric plates. During the Mesozoic the western Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean were parts of the Tethys Sea and were moving to the north relative to Antarctica. A Mesozoic ridge system trending east—west produced east—west trending magnetic anomalies throughout the entire area. The ridge system was bisected by large north—south transform faults which divided the eastern Indian Ocean—western Pacific Ocean into sub-plates traveling at different speeds. The Mesozoic evolution of the Sunda Shelf and the deep seas resulted from such horizontal differential movement in a north—south direction. During Late Cretaceous—Eocene the various segments of the spreading ridge gradually submerged beneath the deep sea trenches to the north, causing a gradual change in the direction of motion of the Pacific plate. The change in motion of the Pacific plate resulted in the separation between the Pacific and the eastern Indian Ocean plates, the formation of large northeast—southwest tectonic elements on the Sunda Shelf and elsewhere in south—east Asia, the formation of the western Philippine Basin and the rapid northward motion of Australia. The only remnant of the Mesozoic ridge system exists today at the western Philippine Basin.