Numerical modeling calculation for the spatial distribution characteristics of horizontal field transfer functions

Introduction There are two kinds of methods for the mathematic study on electro-magnetic induction in geo-field: one is analytic method, such as integral equation method; the other is numerical model-ing method, such as finite difference method and finite element method. The analytic method can only be applied to the conductor with very simple shape, such as sphere, circular cylinder, etc. With the increasing of computing speed and popularity of computer, the numerical modeling methods are use…     

海洋板块俯冲作用下上覆大陆岩石层减薄机制的动力学模拟

几乎所有大陆岩石层的减薄现象,可能都与海洋板块的俯冲作用相关,但是两者之间的内在联系迄今仍不十分明确,为此,我们设计了一系列包含洋-陆俯冲系统的二维数值模型,来探讨海洋板块的俯冲作用对上覆大陆岩石层变形行为的影响,尤其对大陆岩石层减薄效应的制约.模型结果表明,海洋板块俯冲过程中的地幔楔熔体对大陆岩石层地幔的热侵蚀以及由熔体上升所诱发的地幔局部对流的强烈扰动会导致上覆大陆岩石层的减薄效应.这种效应不仅表现在横向上的向陆内蔓延,还表现在垂向上的向浅部发展.且多类动力学参数都能制约大陆岩石层的减薄效应.具体地,随着汇聚速率和洋壳厚度的增加,上覆大陆岩石层在横向上的减薄范围越大,在垂向上的减薄程度也越深;而随着俯冲海洋板块年龄的增加,上覆大陆岩石层在横向上的减薄范围增大,但在垂向上的减薄程度会减小;随着上覆大陆岩石层厚度的增加,其横向减薄范围会减小,但在垂向上的减薄程度会加深.本文研究成果能为揭示华北克拉通减薄/破坏的动力学过程提供一定的理论参考依据.

     

Numerical modeling of the development of southeastern Red Sea continental margin

The Red Sea continental margin (RSCM) corresponds to a wide hinge zone between Red Sea and Arabian plate. This margin has been studied through geological and geophysical observations primarily in regard to the evolution of Red Sea rift. This margin is characterized by occurrence of thin sediments, significant onshore uplift, tectonic subsidence of the offshore sedimentary basin, active faulting and seismicity. Studies indicate that sedimentary sequences of the margin are deformed by faults and folds resulti...     

Dynamics of thinning and destruction of the continental cratonic lithosphere: Numerical modeling

Thinning of the cratonic lithosphere is common in nature, but its destruction is not. In either case, the mechanisms for both thinning and destruction are still widely under debate. In this study, we have made a review on the processes and mechanisms of thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere according to previous studies of geological/geophysical observations and numerical simulations, with specific application to the North China Craton (NCC). Two main models are suggested for the thinning and destruction of the NCC, both of which are related to subduction of the oceanic lithosphere. One is the “bottom-up” model, in which the deeply subducting slab perturbs and induces upwelling from the hydrous mantle transition zone (MTZ). The upwelling produces mantle convection and erodes the bottom of the overriding lithosphere by the fluid-melt-peridotite reaction. Mineral compositions and rheological properties of the overriding lithospheric mantle are changed, allowing downward dripping of lithospheric components into the asthenosphere. Consequently, lithospheric thinning or even destruction occurs. The other is the “top-down” model, characterized by the flat subduction of oceanic slab beneath the overriding cratonic lithosphere. Dehydration reactions from the subducting slab would significantly hydrate the lithospheric mantle and decrease its rheological strength. Then the subduction angle may be changed from shallow to steep, inducing lateral upwelling of the asthenosphere. This upwelling would heat and weaken the overriding lithospheric mantle, which led to the weakened lithospheric mantle dripping into the asthenosphere. These two models have some similarities, in that both take the subducting oceanic slab and relevant fluid migration as the major driving mechanism for thinning or destruction of the overriding cratonic lithosphere. The key difference between the two models is the effective depth of the subducting oceanic slab. One is stagnation and flattening in the MTZ, whereas the other is flat subduction at the bottom of the cratonic lithosphere. In the NCC, the eastern lithosphere was likely affected by subduction of the Izanagi slab during the Mesozoic, which would have perturbed the asthenosphere and the MTZ, and induced fluid migration beneath the NCC lithosphere. The upwelling fluid may largely have controlled the reworking of the NCC lithosphere. In order to discuss and analyze these two models further, it is crucial to understand the role of fluids in the subduction zone and the MTZ. Here, we systematically discuss phase transformations of hydrous minerals and the transport processes of water in the subduction system. Furthermore, we analyze possible modes of fluid activity and the problems to explore the applied feasibility of each model. In order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms for thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere, we also consider four additional possible dynamic models: extension-induced lithospheric thinning, compression-induced lithospheric thickening and delamination, large-scale mantle convection and thermal erosion, and mantle plume erosion. Compared to the subduction-related models presented here, these four models are primarily controlled by the relatively simple and single process and mechanism (extension, compression, convection, and mantle plume, respectively), which could be the secondary driving mechanisms for the thinning and destruction of lithosphere.     

Principal horizontal stresses in Southern Africa

A review ofin situ stress measurements at eight regional localities in Africa south of the 15°S parallel shows that average directions of the horizontal pricipal stresses are N-S and E-W. These directions agree with principal stress orientations deduced from earthquake fault plane solutions. However, the maximum and minimum principal horizontal stresses are not consistently oriented parallel to either the N-S or E-W direction; they may vary within an individual region because of local geological structures and from region to region. At the sites within the Witwatersrand sediments (all at depths greater than 500 m) the maximum stress tends to lie NW-SE but at three of the four sites outside the Witwatersrand sediments (all at depths less than 500 m) this stress is oriented approximately N-S.The data reported here are compared with horizontal stresses predicted for Southern Africa bySolomon, Sleep andRichardson (1975) from various plate tectonic driving force models. The agreement between orientations is fair for all sites but only the deép sites in the Witwatersrand sediments have comparable stress magnitudes.     

The effects of the thermal state of overriding continental plate on subduction dynamics: Two-dimensional thermal-mechanical modeling

The dynamic process of ocean-continent subduction depends on not only the properties of the subducting oceanic plate, but also the characteristics and state of the overriding continental plate. Numerical models conducted to date have mostly focused on the oceanic lithosphere in this regard; research on the properties of overriding continental lithosphere remains relatively limited, especially the influence of its thermal state on subduction dynamics. Here we explored the performance of continental lithosphere with different thermal states during the subduction process using two-dimensional thermal-mechanical modeling and systematically investigated the effects of the thermal state of overriding continental plate, the age of subducting oceanic plate, and relative convergence rate on subduction dynamics. Modeling results show that:(1) When the geothermal gradient of continental crust is low(between 10 and 15 ℃ km~(-1)), the oceanic plate first subducts at a low angle. As subduction continues, the slab dip gradually increases and the slab begins to retreat rapidly driven by its negative buoyancy, opening an ocean basin ranging from 600 to 1100 km in width. This leads to the decoupling between the overriding continental plate and oceanic plate. As the trench retreat continues, the horizontal deviatoric stress inside the overriding continental crust alternates between being positive and negative in a local area. Thinning of the overriding lithosphere mainly occurs at the region adjacent to the subduction zone, where the surface experiences significant subsidence.(2) When the geothermal gradient of continental crust is higher(greater than 15 ℃ km~(-1)), oceanic plate retreat causes the overriding continental plate to be strongly stretched. In this case, the trench retreat distance decreases and the width of the ocean basin also reduces by between 100 and 1000 km. The horizontal deviatoric stress inside the whole overriding continental crust first manifests as compression and then changes into extension, which causes the surface to first uplift and then slowly subside.(3) Increasing the age of oceanic lithosphere accelerates trench retreat and promotes overriding plate thinning.(4) An advancing overriding continental plate slows down trench retreat. In cases where the geothermal gradient of continental crust is greater than 17.5 ℃ km~(-1), the hot continental crust experiences gravitational collapse and is overthrusted onto oceanic lithosphere, resulting in slow trench retreat. We analyzed the subduction process of the western Paleo-Pacific Plate in the Early Cretaceous based on our modeling results and discussed its possible control on the tectonic evolution of the rift basins in east Asia. We suggest that the development of a wide rift basin system on the Amurian Superterrane in the Early Cretaceous was likely related to slow trench retreat and the collapse of the hot crust, and the formation of a series of passive rift basins in the North China Craton was likely caused by the relatively cold thermal state of the lithosphere and the rapid retreat of the Paleo-Pacific Plate.     

Numerical modeling of surface runoff and erosion due to moving rainstorms at the drainage basin scale

A physically-based distributed erosion model (MEFIDIS) was applied to evaluate the consequences of storm movement on runoff and erosion from the Alenquer basin in Portugal. Controlled soil flume laboratory experiments were also used to test the model. Nine synthetic circular storms were used, combining three storm diameters (0.5, 1 and 2 times the Alenquer basin’s axial length) with three speeds of storm movement (0.5, 1 and 2 m/s); storm intensities were synthesized in order to maintain a constant rainfall depth of 50 mm. The model was applied to storms moving downstream as well as upstream along the basin’s axis. In all tests, downstream-moving storms caused significantly higher peak runoff (56.5%) and net erosion (9.1%) than did upstream-moving storms. The consequences for peak runoff were amplified as the storm intensity increased. The hydrograph shapes were also different: for downstream-moving storms, runoff started later and the rising limb was steeper, whereas for upstream moving storms, runoff started early and the rising limb was less steep. Both laboratory and model simulations on the Alenquer basin showed that the direction of storm movement, especially in case of extreme rainfall events, significantly affected runoff and soil loss.     

Evaluation of the range of horizontal stresses in the earth's upper crust by using a collinear crack model

Vertical stresses in the earth's upper crust may be evaluated by the depth times the average unit weight of the overlying rock mass; however, the horizontal stress is difficult to obtain. Rock usually contains joints or cracks, and its fracture toughness is limited. If the horizontal stress acting on a cracked rock body exceeds a certain range, the crack will propagate and lead to rock fracture; and if a cracked rock is stable, the horizontal stress must be within a certain range. Therefore, from the stability condition of cracks, the range of horizontal stress can be evaluated. In this paper, a collinear crack model is employed to establish the cracked rock stability condition, and our theoretical results generally agree with the in-situ measurement results. The theoretical results can well explain the phenomenon that the ratio of horizontal stress to vertical stress near crust surface is scattered in a wide range, but in deep zone, it is scattered in a narrow range.     

Application of isotope tracers in continental scale hydrological modeling

Isotope tracers are widely used to study hydrological processes in small catchments, but their use in continental-scale hydrological modeling has been limited. This paper describes the development of an isotope-enabled global water balance and transport model (iWBM/WTM) capable of simulating key hydrological processes and associated isotopic responses at the large scale. Simulations and comparisons of isotopic signals in precipitation and river discharge from available datasets, particularly the IAEA GNIP global precipitation climatology and the USGS river isotope dataset spanning the contiguous United States, as well as selected predictions of isotopic response in yet unmonitored areas illustrate the potential for isotopes to be applied as a diagnostic tool in water cycle model development. Various realistic and synthetic forcings of the global hydrologic and isotopic signals are discussed. The test runs demonstrate that the primary control on isotope composition of river discharge is the isotope composition of precipitation, with land surface characteristics and precipitation-amount having less impact. Despite limited availability of river isotope data at present, the application of realistic climatic and isotopic inputs in the model also provides a better understanding of the global distribution of isotopic variations in evapotranspiration and runoff, and reveals a plausible approach for constraining the partitioning of surface and subsurface runoff and the size and variability of the effective groundwater pool at the macro-scale.     

Cyclical one-way continental rupture-drift in the Tethyan evolution: Subduction-driven plate tectonics

Numerous continents have rifted and drifted away from Gondwana to repeatedly open ocean basins over the past-500 millionyears.These Gondwana-derived continents drifted towards and collided with components of the Eurasian continent to successively close the preexisting oceans between the two.Plate tectonics satisfactorily describes the continental drift from Gondwana to Eurasia but does not define the geodynamic mechanism of continuously rifting to collisions of continents in the Tethy an Realm.After reappraisal of geological records of the rift,collision and subduction initiation from the surface and various geophysical observations from depth,we propose that Eurasia-directed subducting oceanic slabs would have driven Tethyan system in the Phanerozoic.The Eurasia-directed subduction would have dragged the passive Gondwana margin to rift and drift northwards,giving birth to new oceans since the Paleozoic.The closure of preexisting oceans between the Gondwana-derived continents and Eurasia led to continental collisions,which would have induced the initiation of oceanic subduction in the Tethyan Realm.Multiple episodic switches between collision-subduction-rift repeatedly led to the separation of continental fragments from Gondwana and dragged them to drift towards Eurasia.The final disappearance of Neo-Tethy s would have induced collision of the Gondwana-derived continents with the Eurasian continent,giving rise to the Cenozoic Alpine-Zagros-Himalayan collisional system.Therefore,the Eurasia-directed oceanic subduction would have acted as a 'one-way train' that successively transferred the ruptured Gondwana continental fragments in the south,into the terminal in the north.In this regard,the engine of this "Tethyan one-way train" is the negative buoyancy of subducting oceanic slabs.     

Note on stresses produced by a shearing force moving over the boundary of a semi-infinite transversely isotropic solid

Summary Two dimensional problem of distribution of stresses produced by a pulse of shearing force moving uniformly on the boundary of a semi-infinite transversely isotropic solid has been studied here. It is observed that the shearing stress in the direction of propagation of pulse attains maximum value at a point directly below the point of application of the shearing force on the boundary.     

水平应力作用下套管井不同胶结状况导波的声弹效应

油田的套管完井常伴有异常地应力的作用, 对于套管井, 井孔-套管-水泥环-地层组合的系统使井周的应力集中更为复杂.为认识地应力作用下不同胶结状态的套管井导波声弹效应, 本文基于非线性声学理论, 实现了受应力作用不同胶结状态套管井井周应力和径向横波速度计算与分析; 采用摄动求解推导了套管井导波的声弹性方程, 模拟并分析由应力引起不同胶结状态套管井斯通利波、伪瑞利波、弯曲波相速度的变化.研究结果表明：不同胶结状态会改变井周的应力分布, 当界面出现滑移时井周地层中的应力集中有所增强, 从而影响导波的声弹效应.本文的研究结果为地应力作用的套管井的声场特性提供认识和理论依据.

     

On the stresses produced by a moving stress discontinuity at the boundary between two transversely isotropic media

Summary This paper deals with the stresses produced by a moving stress discontinuity between two semi-infinite transversely isotropic media. The solutions for the stresses have been obtained in simple closed forms for certain types of moving stress discontinuity. Discontinuities in the normal stress as well as in the shear stress has been considered. The case in which one or both of the media are isotropic may be deduced as a special case from the results obtained here.     

Present-day horizontal deformation status of continental China and its driving mechanism

Based on velocity data of 933 GPS sites and using the methods of Ordinary Kriging interpolation and shape function derivation, this study has obtained the strain rate field of continental China in the spherical coordinates. In comparison with previous research results, it is found that such a strain rate field can be described by both the continuous deformation and block motions in the continent. The Tibetan Plateau and Tianshan region are characterized by continuous deformation which is distributed across the whole area. Within the blocks of South China, Tarim, Ordos, and Northeast China, little crustal deformation and deformation occurs primarily on the faults along their boundaries, which can be explained by the model of block motion. In other regions, such as the Yinshan-Yanshan block, North China block, and East Shandong-Yellow Sea, deformation patterns can be explained by both models. Besides, from southwest to northeast of continental China, there are three remarkable extensional zones of NW trending. These results imply that the NNE directed push of the India plate is the primary driving force accounting for the internal deformation of continental China. It produces the uplift, hori-zontal shortening and vertical thickening of the Tibetan Plateau as well as radiation-like material extru-sion. Of these extruded materials, one part accommodates the eastward "escape" of other blocks, generating convergence and compression of western China and widespread extension and local com-plicated deformation in eastern China under the joint action of the surrounding settings. The other part opens a corridor between the South China block and Tibetan Plateau, flowing toward southeast to the Myanmar range arc and filling the gap there which is produced by back-arc extension due to plate subduction.     

On stresses and displacements due to a moving line load over the plane boundary of a heterogeneous elastic half-space

Summary The problem of concentrated line load moving with supersonic speed along the boundary of an isotropic heterogeneous medium has been solved as a plane strain problem. The stresses and displacements in the heterogeneous case considered are found to decay exponentially with distance.     

大陆造山带岩石圈拆沉过程的数值模拟

岩石圈拆沉作用是指部分岩石圈由于重力不稳定性而沉入软流圈中的过程,与造山带的演化密切相关.本文基于非牛顿流体近似的有效黏度模型对岩石圈拆沉的过程进行了数值模拟,着重分析了岩石圈的黏度结构对拆沉作用的影响.数值模拟显示,下地壳控制着地壳与岩石圈地幔的耦合程度,对拆沉作用的过程和形态有很大的影响;在一定的初始重力不稳定性条件下,当岩石圈地幔相关的有效黏度在1022~1024Pa·s时,拆沉作用有可能在5~30 Ma时间范围内发生.从拆沉的形态看,在上述岩石圈地幔有效黏度范围内,黏度越大,重力不稳定性发展越慢,岩石圈剥离(peel away)范围越大.从拆沉的结果看,当拆沉块体与上部岩石圈完全断离时,造山带完成了从挤压构造到伸展构造的转化过程.最后,结合秦岭—大别—苏鲁造山带的岩浆事件和构造演化,讨论了岩石圈拆沉在该地区的应用.     

On the stresses produced in a liquid-saturated porous solid by normal and tangential forces on a moving strip of finite width

Summary This paper deals with the stresses produced in a semi-infinite liquid-saturated porous solid of the type considered byBiot [1]²), by moving normal and tangential forces acting simultaneously on a moving strip of finite width on the free surface. It has been found that the stresses can be obtained in a closed form. It has also been found that if the velocity of the strip exceeds a certain value, the nature of the stresses changes, and there are discontinuities of stress along certain lines. The results have been applied to study the changes in the stresses produced by moving normal and tangential forces with depth and distance.     

Progress in numerical modeling of subducting plate dynamics

The core concerns of plate tectonics theory are the dynamics of subducting plates, which can be studied by integrating multidisciplinary fields such as seismology, mineral physics, rock geochemistry, geological formation studies, sedimentology, and numerical simulations. By establishing a theoretical model and solving it with numerical methods, one can replicate the dynamic effects of a subducting plate, quantifying its evolution and the surface response. Simulations can also explain the observations and experimental results of other disciplines. Therefore, numerical models are among the most important tools for studying the dynamics of subducting plates. This paper provides a review on recent advances in the numerical modeling of subducting plate dynamics. It covers various aspects, namely, the origin of plate tectonics, the initiation process and thermal structure of subducting slab, and the main subduction slab dynamics in the upper mantle, mantle transition zone, and lower mantle. The results of numerical models are based on the theoretical equations of mass, momentum, and energy conservation. To better understand the dynamic progress of subducting plates, the simulation results must be verified in comparisons with the results from natural observations by geology, geophysics and geochemistry. With the substantial increase in computing power and continuous improvement of simulation methods, numerical models will become a more accurate and efficient means of studying the frontier issues of Earth sciences, including subducting plate dynamics.     

Numerical study of the barotropic responses to a rapidly moving typhoon in the East China Sea

Barotropic responses of the East China Sea to typhoon KOMPASU are investigated using a high-resolution, three-dimensional, primitive equation, and finite volume coastal ocean model. Even the fact that the typhoon KOMPASU only brushed across the brink of China mainland without landing, it still imposed great influence across China's east coastal area, where storm surges ranging from 35 to 70 cm were intrigued during this event and a large wake of water setdown due to the outward radial transport driven by the cyclonic wind stress was generated after the KOMPASU traveled across the Yellow Sea. Analysis of the numerical results reveals that the barotropic waves propagating along the coast after the typhoon's landing can be identified as Kelvin wave and the currents associated with the storm are geostrophic currents. A series of model runs are initiated to diagnose the effects of wind stress, atmospheric pressure, and storm track variation on the surge's spatial distribution in the East China Sea. The barotropic waves affected by the atmospheric disturbance due to the typhoon in deep Pacific Ocean travel far more rapidly, arriving at the coastal regions at least 60 h ahead of the typhoon. The wave amplitudes are merely 0.2–0.4 cm and damp gradually due to friction. The model experiments also confirm that the surge levels in nearshore regions are highly dominated by winds, whereas the water level variations in deeper areas are controlled by the atmospheric pressure forcing during typhoon events in the East China Sea.