Crustal structure of Antarctica

Seismic refraction profiles completed in the past twenty years reveal that the top of the basement complex generally lies near sea level in East Antarctica but typically 2 or 3 km below sea level in West Antarctica. Throughout much of East Antarctica the thickness of the layer overlying the basement complex is less than half a kilometer, although a Phanerozoic sequence more than 1 km thick probably underlies the ice at the South Pole. Throughout central West Antarctica, on the other hand, a section one to several kilometers thick generally overlies the basement complex. The observed sedimentary section is no more than one half kilometer thick on either side of the Transantarctic Mountains. Rocks with high seismic velocities typical of the lower continental crust occur within a few kilometers of the surface on both sides of the Transantarctic Mountains. This occurrence lends support to the hypothesis of an abrupt increase in crustal thickness between West and East Antarctica.

In 1969, deep seismic soundings were carried out by the 14th Soviet Antarctic Expedition near the coast of Queen Maud Land. The crustal thickness was found to be about 40 km near the mountains, decreasing to about 30 km near the coast. In the top 15 km of the crust there is a gradual downward increase in P-wave velocity from 6.0 to 6.3 km/sec. The average velocity through the crust is 6.4 km/sec and the measured velocity below the M-discontinuity is 7.9 km/sec.

At the southwestern margin of the Ronne Ice Shelf, near-vertical reflections from the M-discontinuity have been recorded. A mean P-wave velocity of 6 km/sec in the crust was measured, leading to an estimated depth to M of 24 km below sea level.

Seismic surface wave dispersion studies indicate a mean crustal thickness of about 30 km in West Antarctica and about 40 km in East Antarctica. The dispersion data also show that group velocities across East Antarctica are much closer to those along average continental paths than to those across the Canadian shield. The results thus support other indications that central East Antarctica is not a simple crystalline shield.

P′P′-reflections beneath the continent support the existence of a low-velocity channel for P-waves, but show no significant difference in deep structure between Antarctica and other continents.     

Crustal structure under the Sydney Basin and Lachlan Fold Belt,determined from explosion seismic studies

The Lachlan Fold Belt has the velocity‐depth structure of continental crust, with a thickness exceeding 50 km under the region of highest topography in Australia, and in the range 41–44 km under the central Fold Belt and Sydney Basin. There is no evidence of high upper crustal velocities normally associated with marginal or back‐arc basin crustal rocks. The velocities in the lower crust are consistent with an overall increase in metamorphic grade and/or mafic mineral content with depth. Continuing tectonic development throughout the region and the negligible seismicity at depths greater than 30 km indicate that the lower crust is undergoing ductile deformation.

The upper crustal velocities below the Sydney Basin are in the range 5.75–5.9 km/s to about 8 km, increasing to 6.35–6.5 km/s at about 15–17 km depth, where there is a high‐velocity (7.0 km/s) zone for about 9 km evident in results from one direction. The lower crust is characterised by a velocity gradient from about 6.7 km/s at 25 km, to 7.7 km/s at 40–42 km, and a transition to an upper mantle velocity of 8.03–8.12 km/s at 41.5–43.5 km depth.

Across the central Lachlan Fold Belt, velocities generally increase from 5.6 km/s at the surface to 6.0 km/s at 14.5 km depth, with a higher‐velocity zone (5.95 km/s) in the depth range 2.5–7.0 km. In the lower crust, velocities increase from 6.3 km/s at 16 km depth to 7.2 km/s at 40 km depth, then increase to 7.95 km/s at 43 km. A steeper gradient is evident at 26.5–28 km depth, where the velocity is about 6.6—6.8 km/s. Under part of the area an upper mantle low‐velocity zone in the depth range 50–64 km is interpreted from strong events recorded at distances greater than 320 km.

There is no substantial difference in the Moho depth across the boundary between the Sydney Basin and the Lachlan Fold Belt, consistent with the Basin overlying part of the Fold Belt. Pre‐Ordovician rocks within the crust suggest fragmented continental‐type crust existed E of the Precambrian craton and that these contribute to the thick crustal section in SE Australia.     

Upper mantle structure from the Trans‐Australia Seismic Survey (TASS) and other seismic refraction data

The recordings made during 1972 from large explosions at Kunanalling (W.A.), Mount Fitton (S.A.). and Bass Strait have added considerably to seismic refraction data measured over distances of 1000 km in continental Australia. Taken together with data from the 1956 Maralinga atomic bomb and 1970–71 Ord Dam explosions they show the existence of a refractor with apparent P‐wave velocity in the range 8.26–8.29 km/s, which is interpreted as the Moho under shield regions, at a depth of 34 km under Kalgoorlie and deepening eastward to 39 km under Maralinga. In northern South Australia and farther north and east this refractor is evident as a sub‐Moho refractor at a depth of about 60 km; the Moho refractor is also evident, with an apparent P velocity of 8.04 ± 0.04 km/s at a depth of 40 km. Two computer models (TASS‐1a and 2a) match the observed data. The subsequent arrivals recorded are consistent with the velocity of 8.53 km/s in a refractor at 165 km depth interpreted from the Ord Dam; there is little conclusive evidence for a low‐velocity zone above this depth.     

The crustal structure of the Guayana Shield, Venezuela, from seismic refraction and gravity data

We present results from a seismic refraction experiment on the northern margin of the Guayana Shield performed during June 1998, along nine profiles of up to 320 km length, using the daily blasts of the Cerro Bolívar mines as energy source, as well as from gravimetric measurements. Clear Moho arrivals can be observed on the main E–W profile on the shield, whereas the profiles entering the Oriental Basin to the north are more noisy. The crustal thickness of the shield is unusually high with up to 46 km on the Archean segment in the west and 43 km on the Proterozoic segment in the east. A 20 km thick upper crust with P-wave velocities between 6.0 and 6.3 km/s can be separated from a lower crust with velocities ranging from 6.5 to 7.2 km/s. A lower crustal low velocity zone with a velocity reduction to 6.3 km/s is observed between 25 and 25 km depth. The average crustal velocity is 6.5 km/s. The changes in the Bouguer Anomaly, positive (30 mGal) in the west and negative (−20 mGal) in the east, cannot be explained by the observed seismic crustal features alone. Lateral variations in the crust or in the upper mantle must be responsible for these observations.     

Some aspects of the crustal structure in the southern part of European Russia

Analysis of data obtained from the DSS method reveals that all major geologic structures in the southern part of European Russia and adjacent regimes are reflections of corresponding structures of the Mohorovi?i? discontinuity. The thickness of the crust varies from 34 to 52 km. Maximum depths to the M surface average 45 to 48 km beneath the Voronezh massif and the Ukrainian shield, 52 km in the Kanev and Novgorad area. In the Dnepr-Donets area the M surface averaged 40–35 km.– IGR Staff.     

Crustal Structure of the Baltic Shield Along the Pechenga–Kostomuksha–Lovisa Geotraverse

Results of geologic and geophysical modeling are presented, based on detailed seismic studies along two profiles—Pechenga-Kostomuksha and Lieksa-Lovisa. Density, geothermal, magnetic, and geoelectric models were obtained from the interpretations of various geophysical fields and correlated with the reference seismic sections. All the models were combined in order to compile a geologic-geophysical crustal section. The crustal thickness along the Pechenga-Kostomuksha-Lovisa geotraverse varies from 38 to 65 km. Two anomalous structures have been observed that are referred to as the Belomorian-Karelian and Ladoga-Bothnian zones. These zones are characterized by enhanced values of magnetic fields, presence of seismic foci and wave attenuation, and variation of the depth and magnitude of modern crustal movements. These zones are distinguished by the discontinuity M reconstruction, an increase in transitional layer thickness (to 25 km) at the base of the crust, and an increase in depth down to the discontinuity M (50 to 65 km). On average, the crust is thinner (40 km) in the ancient part of the shield than in the younger Svecofennian province (45 km). The velocity differences also are important: for example, the crust of the ancient shield is characterized by lower velocities and the transitional high-velocity layer is absent or thinner. The Karelian granite-greenstone area (a fragment of the Archean craton) has the most simple and balanced deep structure. Within the Karelian area, the layers are nearly horizontal and their thickness is rather constant. The northeastern part of a fragment of the Murmansk block has similar crustal characteristics within the Kola area, where it has undergone Early Proterozoic deformation. Geological and geophysical data for the Pechenga-Varzuga zone suggests that there was intracontinental rifting and a subsequent construction regime during the Svecofennian orogeny that involved a considerable part of the shield. The deep-crustal structure is more complicated to the south. An increase in volume of material with the properties of granulites and basic rocks is observed in the upper crust. The rocks form an inclined alternation of high-density and high-velocity plates and lenses. The packet of tectonic clustering of supracrustal rocks is most conspicuous in the Lapland-Kolvitsa granulite belt. The packet thickness does not exceed 13 km.     

Upper-mantle structure under the Arabian peninsula

The phase velocity of Rayleigh waves across the Arabian Peninsula has been measured for profiles SHI-HLW, JER-SHI in the northern part and SHI-AAE in the southern part of the peninsula. The phase velocities for the Arabian stable shelf are lower than those for the Canadian shield and higher than those for the Gulf coastal plain of the United States. Shear-velocity models obtained from the inversion of these experimental data show a pronounced low-velocity channel for S-waves which is found throughout the region with a velocity of S in the channel of 4.25–4.45 km/sec. The top of the channel is at 100–140 km depth. This structure differs from those under the Canadian shield and the Gulf Coast. Crustal thickness is 35 ± 8 km.     

Structure of the crust and upper mantle in Canada

The seismic probing of the crust and upper mantle in Canada started in 1938 and since then has involved many government and university groups using a wide variety of techniques. These have included simple profiling with both wide and narrow station spacing, areal time-term surveys, detailed deep reflection experiments, very long-range refraction studies and the analysis of surface wave dispersion between stations of the Canadian Standard Network.

A review of the published interpretation leads to the general conclusion that:

1. (1) P_n-velocities vary from a value possibly as low as 7.7 km/sec under Vancouver Island to 8.6 km/sec and higher in the extreme eastern part of the shield and some parts of the Atlantic coast.

2. (2) Large areas of Canada have a crustal thickness of 30–40 km, with Vancouver Island, the southwestern Prairies, the Lake Superior basin and parts of the eastern shield of Quebec being thicker. No continental area in Canada is known to have a crust thinner than 29 km.

3. (3) The Riel discontinuity — a deep intra-crustal reflector and sometime refractor, is widely reported in the Prairies and Manitoba. It is not seen to the north in the vicinity of Great Slave Lake, nor in the Hudson Bay, Lake Superior and Maritime regions, nor in the interior of British Columbia. It may be present in some areas of the eastern shield.

4. (4) As experiments have become more detailed, crustal structures of greater complexity have been revealed. The concept that crustal structure becomes simpler with increasing depth is apparently unfounded.

Long-range refraction studies suggest that the Gutenberg P-wave low-velocity channel is poorly developed under the Canadian Shield. The analysis of the dispersion of surface waves, however, suggests that the channel is better developed for S-waves, and is present throughout the country. The lid of the channel is deepest under the central shield and shallowest under the Cordillera.     

Crustal structure of the Indian subcontinent

Studies carried out by various investigators up to 1971 to delineate the Indian crustal structure using body wave travel times, surface wave dispersion and gravity methods are summarised and reviewed. The average crustal thickness is found to be 35–40 km in the Indian peninsular shield, 30–35 km in the Indo Gangetic plains and 60–80 km in the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau region. The limitations of the various methods used and the errors in the estimation of crustal thickness by them are discussed. As no deep refraction work for crustal studies has been carried out so far in India, this topic is not covered in this study.     

Evaluation of crustal and upper mantle structures using receiver function analysis: ISM broadband observatory data

A three-component broadband seismograph is in operation since January 2007 at the Indian School of Mines (ISM) campus, Dhanbad. We have used the broadband (BB) seismograms of 17 teleseismic events (M ≥ 5.8) recorded by this single BB station during 2008–09 to estimate the crust and upper mantle discontinuities in Dhanbad area which falls in the peninsular India shield. The converted wave technique and the Receiver function analysis are used. A 1-D velocity model has been derived using inversion. The Mohorovicic (Moho) discontinuity (crustal thickness) below the ISM observatory is estimated to be ∼41 km, with an average Poisson ratio of ∼0.28, suggesting that the crust below the Dhanbad area is intermediate to mafic in nature. The single station BB data shed new light to the estimate of crustal thickness beneath the eastern India shield area, which was hitherto elusive. Further, it is observed that the global upper mantle discontinuity at 410 km is delayed by ∼0.6 sec compared to the IASP-91 global model; this may be explained by a slower/hotter upper mantle; while the 660 km discontinuity is within the noise level of data.     

The structure of the crust and upper mantle to depths of 320 km beneath the Kaapvaal craton, from P wave arrivals generated by regional earthquakes and mining-induced tremors

Travel times from earthquakes recorded at two seismic networks were used to derive an average P wavespeed model for the crust and upper mantle to depths of 320 km below southern Africa. The simplest model (BPI1) has a Moho depth of 34 km, and an uppermost mantle wavespeed of 8.04 km/s, below which the seismic wavespeeds have low positive gradients. Wavespeed gradients decrease slightly around 150 km depth to give a ‘knee’ in the wavespeed-depth model, and the wavespeed reaches 8.72 km/s at a depth of 320 km. Between the Moho and depths of 270 km, the seismic wavespeeds lie above those of reference model IASP91 of Kennett [Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (1991)] and below the southern African model of Zhao et al. [Journal of Geophysical Research 104 (1999) 4783]. At depths near 300 km all three models have similar wavespeeds. The mantle P wavespeeds for southern Africa of Qiu et al. [Geophysical Journal International 127 (1996) 563] lie close to BPI1 at depths between 40 and 140 km, but become lower at greater depths. The seismic wavespeeds in the upper mantle of model BPI1 agree satisfactorily with those estimated from peridotite xenoliths in kimberlites from within the Kaapvaal craton.The crustal thickness of 34 km of model BPI1 is systematically lower than the average thickness of 41 km computed over the same region from receiver functions. This discrepancy can be partly explained by an alternative model (BPI2) in which there is a crust–mantle transition zone between depths of 35 and 47 km, below which seismic wavespeed increases to 8.23 km/s. A low-wavespeed layer is then required at depths between 65 and 125 km.     

Magmatic underplating beneath the Rajmahal Traps: Gravity signature and derived 3-D configuration

The early Cretaceous thermal perturbation beneath the eastern continental margin of the Indian shield resulted in the eruption of the Rajmahal Traps. To understand the impact of the magmatic process that originated in the deep mantle on the lower crustal level of the eastern Indian shield and adjoining Bengal basin the conspicuous gravity anomalies observed over the region have been modelled integrating with available geophysical information. The 3-D gravity modelling has delineated 10–15 km thick high-density (ρ = 3.02 g/cm³) accreted igneous layer at the base of the crust beneath the Rajmahal Traps. Thickness of this layer varies from 16 km to the west of the Rajmahal towards north to about 12 km near Kharagpur towards south and about 18 km to the east of the Raniganj in the central part of the region. The greater thickness of the magmatic body beneath the central part of the region presents itself as the locus of the potential feeder channel for the Rajmahal Traps. It is suggested that the crustal accretion is the imprint of the mantle thermal perturbation, over which the eastern margin of the eastern Indian shield opened around 117 Ma ago. The nosing of the crustal accretion in the down south suggests the possible imprint of the subsequent magmatic intrusion along the plume path.     

Geophysical differences in the lithosphere between phanerozoic and precambrian Australia

Cannikin atomic bomb recordings indicate that there are differences in travel-times from the Aleutian Islands test site to Phanerozoic and Precambrian provinces in Australia of up to 1.1 s. Explosion seismic studies in central and southeastern Australia enable travel-time corrections for crustal and upper mantle structure to be made to recordings of such teleseismic events. Structure in the upper 60 km can account for, at most, about 0.2 s of the residual difference, but attempts to constrain the remaining residual time to the region above the Lehmann discontinuity at about 200 km depth are difficult to reconcile with explosion seismic models. Regional differences in seismic velocity structure between Phanerozoic and Precambrian Australia therefore appear to exist at depths greater than 200 km.Electrical conductivities within the mantle have been investigated using two methods. Long-period electromagnetic depth sounding using magnetometer arrays demonstrates that conductivities increase at about 200 km under Phanerozoic Australia but not until about 500 km depth under Precambrian Australia. Shorter period magnetotelluric measurements can only resolve shallower structures; these too indicate a similar trend but with sub-crustal conductivities increasing at less than 100 km under Phanerozoic Australia. Magma at these depths and shallower may be the source for Cainozoic volcanism in eastern Australia. Under Precambrian central and northern Australia magnetotelluric investigations indicate that pronounced conductivity increases do not occur until depths of 150–200 km are reached.Oceanic magnetic observations indicate that the Australian lithospheric plate as a whole is separating from Antarctica at a rate of about 7 cm/yr. The seismic and conductivity structures under the continental region of this plate indicate that lateral inhomogeneities possibly extend to depths as great as 500 km and are probably caused by the passage of eastern Australia over a hot spot. Hawaiian studies indicate that hot spots are not local features but result from large scale disturbances in the mantle. Conductivity increases commencing in the depth range 100–250 km may give an indication of uppermost zones within which the Palaeozoic lithospherc has been substantially modified resulting in elevated surface heat flow, volcanism and seismic travel-time anomalies.     

A first interpretation of crustal structure in the Adelaide Geosyncline in South Australia using quarry blasts

Explosions at two large open cut mines (Leigh Creek and Iron Baron) were used as sources of seismic energy to record along two linear profiles, parallel and approximately transverse to the axis of the Adelaide geosyncline in South Australia. Records at approximately 120 sites were obtained out to distances of the order of 350 km with Kinemetrics PS‐1A portable seismographs, using smoked paper and a recording speed of 4 mm/s. Times of blasting were determined from records at some of the permanent stations of the University of Adelaide seismograph network. Station spacing was normally 5 km, but at large distances from the source this increased to the order of 10 km.

The simplest model of the crust consistent with the observed travel times comprises two essentially homogeneous layers overlying the mantle. The average P wave velocities in the upper and lower crustal layers are 5.94 km/s and 6.46 km/s, with the boundary between the layers at approximately 18 km and possibly 8 km below Eyre Peninsula. Although such a division has been found in other parts of Australia, none of the earlier studies in S.A. found evidence for such a discontinuity or velocity gradient. The P wave velocity in the upper mantle is 7.97 km/s and the mean thickness of the crust is 39 km. Both the intermediate and Moho “discontinuities” may vary by up to 5 km from their mean depths. Shear waves have velocities of 3.43 and 4.45 km/s in the upper crustal layer and the upper mantle, respectively.     

Crustal structure of the Barents Sea from seismic data

In 1976, the Institute of Physics of the Earth and the Institute of Oceanology, the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, carried out deep seismic soundings in the Barents Sea along a profile 700 km long northeast of Murmansk. A system of reversed and overlapping traveltime curves from 200 to 400 km long has been obtained. The wave correlation was effected by several independent approaches, which identified on the records the refracted and reflected waves from boundaries in the Earth's crust and the upper mantle. Different methods were applied for the solution of the inverse problem: the isochrone method, the intercept-time method, and the iteration method.The use of these different methods gives an indication of the general applicability of the interpretation and of the most reliable elements in the seismic model.All the interpretations and representations of the section positively establish an essentially horizontal inhomogeneity of the Earth's crust in the Barents Sea. On the whole the structure is similar to that of deep sedimentary basins of the East European platform. The thickness of the sedimentary layer varies from 8 to 17 km, the average crustal thickness is about 35–40 km; the velocities in the upper part of the consolidated crust are 5.8–6.4 km/s; in the lower crust they are 6.8–7.0 km/s and higher.     

Crustal structure of the Kaapvaal craton and its significance for early crustal evolution

High-quality seismic data obtained from a dense broadband array near Kimberley, South Africa, exhibit crustal reverberations of remarkable clarity that provide well-resolved constraints on the structure of the lowermost crust and Moho. Receiver function analysis of Moho conversions and crustal multiples beneath the Kimberley array shows that the crust is 35 km thick with an average Poisson's ratio of 0.25. The density contrast across the Moho is 15%, indicating a crustal density about 2.86 gm/cc just above the Moho, appropriate for felsic to intermediate rock compositions. Analysis of waveform broadening of the crustal reverberation phases suggests that the Moho transition can be no more than 0.5 km thick and the total variation in crustal thickness over the 2400 km² footprint of the array no more than 1 km. Waveform and travel time analysis of a large earthquake triggered by deep gold mining operations (the Welkom mine event) some 200 km away from the array yield an average crustal thickness of 35 km along the propagation path between the Kimberley array and the event. P- and S-wave velocities for the lowermost crust are modeled to be 6.75 and 3.90 km/s, respectively, with uppermost mantle velocities of 8.2 and 4.79 km/s, respectively. Seismograms from the Welkom event exhibit theoretically predicted but rarely observed crustal reverberation phases that involve reflection or conversion at the Moho. Correlation between observed and synthetic waveforms and phase amplitudes of the Moho reverberations suggests that the crust along the propagation path between source and receiver is highly uniform in both thickness and average seismic velocity and that the Moho transition zone is everywhere less than about 2 km thick. While the extremely flat Moho, sharp transition zone and low crustal densities beneath the region of study may date from the time of crustal formation, a more geologically plausible interpretation involves extensive crustal melting and ductile flow during the major craton-wide Ventersdorp tectonomagmatic event near the end of Archean time.     

Crustal structure of the baltic shield based on off-FENNOLORA refraction data

Since the early 1960s, deep seismic sounding experiments have been carried out on the Baltic Shield. In this study, we will mainly concentrate on the results obtained from two international profiles. Sveka and Baltic, carried out in Finland in 1981 and 1982. Results from these profiles are shown and discussed, and compared with those obtained from the FENNOLORA and from the other recent refraction profiles of the Baltic Shield in Fennoscandia. According to the results from Sveka and Baltic, and average crustal velocity is 6.6–6.7 km/s, which is rather high. Several distinct reflection boundaries have been found within the crust. In the lower part of the crust, a high-velocity layer with a P-wave velocity of 7.0–7.5 km/s has been found in some cases. In addition, the results indicate that the crustal structure has a clear block-like character, different blocks being separated from each other by deep fractures. The crustal thickness in the Baltic Shield is about 45 km on average, whereas around the Ladoga-Bothnian Bay zone in Central Finland, it is about 10 km thicker than this. Thus, there is a large-scale depression in the Moho boundary in the central part of the Baltic Shield.     

Crustal structure of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau from the Songpan-Ganzi terrane to the Ordos basin

The 1000-km-long Darlag–Lanzhou–Jingbian seismic refraction profile is located in the NE margin of the Tibetan plateau. This profile crosses the northern Songpan-Ganzi terrane, the Qinling-Qilian fold system, the Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region, and the stable Ordos basin. The P-wave and S-wave velocity structure and Poisson's ratios reveal many significant characteristics in the profile. The crustal thickness increases from northeast to southwest. The average crustal thickness observed increases from 42 km in the Ordos basin to 63 km in the Songpan-Ganzi terrane. The crust becomes obviously thicker south of the Haiyuan fault and beneath the West-Qinlin Shan. The crustal velocities have significant variations along the profile. The average P-wave velocities for the crystalline crust vary between 6.3 and 6.4 km/s. Beneath the Songpan-Ganzi terrane, West-Qinling Shan, and Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region P-wave velocities of 6.3 km/s are 0.15 km/s lower than the worldwide average of 6.45 km/s. North of the Kunlun fault, with exclusion of the Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region, the average P-wave velocity is 6.4 km/s and only 0.5 km/s lower than the worldwide average. A combination of the P-wave velocity and Poisson's ratio suggests that the crust is dominantly felsic in composition with an intermediate composition at the base. A mafic lower crust is absent in the NE margin of the Tibetan plateau from the Songpan-Ganzi terrane to the Ordos basin. There are low velocity zones in the West-Qinling Shan and the Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region. The low velocity zones have low S-wave velocities and high Poisson's ratios, so it is possible these zones are due to partial melting. The crust is divided into two layers, the upper and the lower crust, with crustal thickening mainly in the lower crust as the NE Tibetan plateau is approached. The results in the study show that the thickness of the lower crust increases from 22 to 38 km as the crustal thickness increases from 42 km in the Ordos basin to 63 km in the Songpan-Ganzi terrane south of the Kunlun fault. Both the Conrad discontinuity and Moho in the West-Qinling Shan and in the Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region are laminated interfaces, implying intense tectonic activity. The arcuate faults and large earthquakes in the Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region are the result of interaction between the Tibetan plateau and the Sino–Korean and Gobi Ala Shan platforms.     

月球南海地区玄武岩厚度估算

月海玄武岩是月幔部分熔融喷出月表而形成的,其厚度可以反映月海玄武岩源区的深度。研究月海玄武岩厚度,对进一步认识月球区域岩浆作用或火山作用的演化历史具有不可替代的作用,也能够为整个月球的热演化和岩浆演化提供基本的约束条件。同时,玄武岩厚度可以用以推测月球内部产生玄武岩岩浆的体积,对月球火山作用的岩浆喷发总量以及月球内部的热状态具有指示作用。本文基于多源遥感数据,综合利用撞击坑的形貌特征与月坑挖掘深度法对南海地区撞击坑内(crater)和撞击坑间(intercrater)两类玄武岩地层的厚度进行了估算,并对玄武岩的面积、体积、年龄及岩浆活动做了简单分析。研究结果表明：南海地区撞击坑内的玄武岩厚度变化范围为0.11~4.75 km,平均值约为1.32 km,玄武岩的出露面积和出露体积分别为57.06~10 791.66 km2和10.25~51 260.38 km3;撞击坑间的玄武岩厚度变化范围为0.01~2.18 km,平均值约为0.34 km,玄武岩的出露面积和出露体积分别为6 487.89~33 170.55 km2和2 711.97~11 609.69 km3。因此,南海地区玄武岩厚度的变化范围分布在0.01~4.75 km,平均厚度约为600 m,出露的玄武岩总面积约为2.12×105 km2,总体积约为2.71×105 km3。通过分析南海地区的玄武岩年龄及分布特征,发现南海地区内的岩浆喷发活动主要集中发生在雨海纪至爱拉托逊纪时期,且其局部区域存在多次岩浆喷发及充填过程,但由于晚期玄武岩岩浆的喷发总量不足以覆盖早期已形成的玄武岩,导致晚期玄武岩与早期玄武岩同时存在于同一个玄武岩单元内。南海地区独特的玄武岩分布特征也与地形有关。     

Otway Continental Margin Transect: Crustal architecture from wide‐angle seismic profiling across Australia's southern margin

The Otway Basin in southeastern Australia formed on a triangular‐shaped area of extended continental lithosphere during two extensional episodes in Cretaceous to Miocene times. The extent of the offshore continental margin is highlighted by Seasat/Geosat satellite altimeter data. The crustal architecture and structural features across this southeast Australian margin have been interpreted from offshore‐onshore wide‐angle seismic profiling data along the Otway Continental Margin Transect extending from the onshore Lake Condah High, through the town of Portland, to the deep Southern Ocean. Along the Otway Continental Margin Transect, the onshore half‐graben geometry of Early Cretaceous deposition gives way offshore to a 5 km‐thick slope basin (P‐wave velocity 2.2–4.6 km/s) to at least 60 km from the shoreline. At 120 km from the nearest shore in a water depth of 4220 m, sonobuoy data indicate a 4–5 km sedimentary sequence overlying a 7 km thick basement above the Moho at 15 km depth. Major fault zones affect the thickness of basin sequences in the onshore area (Tartwaup Fault Zone and its southeast continuation) and at the seaward edge of the Mussel Platform (Mussel Fault). Upper crustal basement is interpreted to be attenuated and thinned Palaeozoic rocks of the Delamerian and Lachlan Orogens (intruded with Jurassic volcanics) that thin from 16 km onshore to about 3.5 km at 120 km from the nearest shore. Basement rocks comprise a 3 km section with velocity 5.5–5.7 km/s overlying a deeper basement unit with velocity 6.15–6.35 km/s. The Moho shallows from a depth of 30 km onshore to 15 km depth at 120 km from the nearest shore, and then to about 12 km in the deep ocean at the limits of the transect (water depth 5200 m). The continent‐ocean boundary is interpreted to be at a prominent topographic inflection point 170 km from shore at the bottom of the continental slope in 4800 m of water. P‐wave velocities in the lower crust are 6.4–6.8 km/s, overlying a thin transition zone to an upper mantle velocity of 8.05 km/s beneath the Moho. Outstandingly clear Moho reflections seen in deep‐marine profiling data at about 10.3 s two‐way time under the slope basin and continent‐ocean boundary place further strong controls on crustal thickness. There is no evidence of massive high velocity (>7 km/s) intrusives/underplate material in the lower crust nor any synrift or early post‐rift subaerial volcanics, indicating that the Otway continental margin can be considered a non‐volcanic margin, similar in many respects to some parts of the Atlantic Ocean margins e.g. the Nova Scotia ‐ Newfoundland margin off Canada and the Galicia Bank off the Iberian Peninsula. Using this analogue, the prominent gravity feature trending northwest‐southeast at the continent‐ocean boundary may indicate the presence of highly serpentinised mantle material beneath a thin crust, but this has yet to be tested by detailed work.