Exposed cross-sections through the continental crust: implications for crustal structure,petrology, and evolution

The continental crust is exposed in cross-section at numerous sites on the earth's surface. These exposures, which appear to have formed by obduction along great faults during continental collision, may be recognized by exposures of deep crustal rocks exhibiting asymmetric patterns of metamorphic grade and age across the faults and by distinctive Bouguer anomaly patterns reflecting dipping basement structure and an anomalously deep mantle. From an examination of five complexes which meet these criteria, it is concluded that the most prominent layering in the crust is not compositional but metamorphic. The lower crust consists of granulite facies rocks of mafic to intermediate composition while the intermediate and shallow levels consist predominantly of amphibolite facies gneisses and greenschist facies supracrustal rocks, respectively. Post-metamorphic granitic intrusions are common at intermediate to shallow levels. Position of discontinuities in refraction velocity, where present, commonly correspond to changes in composition or metamorphic grade with depth. The continental crust is characterized by lateral and vertical heterogeneities of varying scale which are the apparent cause of the complex seismic reflections recorded by COCORP. Field observations, coupled with geochemical data, indicate a complex evolution of the lower crust which can include anatexis, multiple deformation, polymetamorphism and reworking of older crustal material. The complexity of the crust is thus the result of continuous evolution by recycling and metamorphism through time in a variety of tectonic environments.     

Displacements of some major continental crustal plates

This work presents an attempt at studying the behaviour of the earth's crust, and to find some estimates for the rates of displacement of some of its regional plates.The available data make it possible to study the crustal displacements of nine major plates.This paper introduces a new statistical method for analysing the available palaeomagnetic pole data, in order to estimate the displacements of the crustal plates. Each of these displacements is to be resolved into its common and relative components.Our results confirm the known fact that crustal displacements have continually taken place throughout geological time at rates changing from one to ten centimeters per year.Moreover, the results indicate that the last 500 Myr, and the period between 2000 and 2500 Myr B.P. were two active periods, during which the rates of the crustal displacements were quite large.The smallest displacements have taken place in the African crustal plate during the period 500–2000 Myr B.P. The estimated average value of these displacements is about 3 cms/yr.     

滇西地壳三维密度结构及其大地构造含义

重力异常揭示地壳三维密度结构是地球物理的重要目标和任务,其关键技术是密度反演.本文对滇西地区重力异常进行了多尺度密度反演,首先利用小波变换对重力异常进行多尺度分解,接着利用功率谱分析方法估算各层场源的平均深度,然后利用广义密度反演方法进行各层密度反演,取得区域地壳多个深度上的密度扰动图像.滇西上地壳高密度扰动出现在扬子克拉通内部和西缘,以及澜沧江断裂带西缘,后者对应昌宁-勐连蛇绿混杂岩带及岛弧岩浆岩带.上地壳低密度异常主要反映西昌裂谷带和高黎贡-腾冲一带的岩浆房,和兰坪-思茅盆地中的坳陷带指示钾盐等沉积矿产目的层较厚的区段.滇西上地壳和中地壳出现三条低密度扰动带,与三期大陆碰撞带的吻合.大部分6级以上地震分布在低密度异常区或它们的边缘,只有在西昌-元古谋裂带才分布在高密度异常区.克拉通内部古裂谷带地震可分布在高密度异常区.在26°N线以南下地壳为高密度区,以北为低密度区.因此,26°N线的一个属性是下地壳密度差异分界线.滇西由北向南地壳加厚缩短的程度是逐渐变弱的,在26°N线以南,南北向的地壳加厚缩短就不明显了.高黎贡走滑剪切带、澜沧江走滑剪切带、红河走滑剪切带在滇西中地壳密度扰动平面图中表现为密度急变的梯度带.表明这三条主要的走滑剪切断裂带都穿过中地壳并可能延深到下地壳.     

A statistical model for vesuvius and its volcanological implications

The last 300 years of Vesuvius history are reconstructed as a chronological succession of 4 phenomenological states: i) repose, ii) persistent activity, iii) intermediate eruption and iv) final eruption. It turns out that the times of permanence in each state are distributed according to the same exponential law. Vesuvius activity is then described by a Markov chain of these 4 states, with transition probabilities determined from the previous phenomenological analysis. The model reproduces the Vesuvius activity between 1694 and 1872 and possibly also in the 1872–1944 period. It turns out that, at least between 1694 and 1872, the volcano was behaving like a quasistationary system with 4 equilibrium states, perturbed by a stochastic noise responsible for occasional transitions from an equilibrium state to another. Major physical or structural changes of the volcanic system around 1872 and possibly in the whole subsequent period, are clearly shown by the statistical analysis.     

新疆全区和分区地壳速度模型的分析

首先分析了新疆地震台网长期使用的"3400走时表",并拟合得到了符合该走时表的速度结构模型。然后对新疆地区2009年1月~2013年12月间记录的所有地震震相数据进行了速度拟合,并对速度的可靠性和稳定性进行了模拟分析。提出了根据地震密集区域划分和建立分区地壳速度模型的概念。采用以2014年新疆于田MS7.3地震为中心、半径为1°范围内、自2009年1月以来所有地震事件的震相数据,拟合了适合于于田的地壳速度模型,该模型在于田MS7.3地震的精定位和地震序列的震源深度确定中得到了应用。     

中国大陆地壳应力环境基础数据库

本文介绍了国际上有关地应力环境研究与数据库建设的相关情况;重点阐述了“中国大陆地壳应力环境基础数据库”的构成,包括基本数据类型、数据来源以及数据覆盖范围等基本情况;阐述了本数据库管理系统的基本设计思想、主要功能及其特色;扼要介绍了以数据库资料为基础开展了中国大陆构造应力分区以及应力场的数值模拟研究成果.     

High-resolution crustal velocity structure in the Shanxi rift zone and its tectonic implications

The Shanxi rift zone, located in the Trans-North China Orogen(TNCO) of the North China Craton(NCC), is wellknown for hosting large intraplate earthquakes in continental China. The TNCO is a suture zone formed by the amalgamation of the eastern and the western blocks of the NCC. After its formation, it was reactived and deformed by later tectonic activities,which result in complex lithospheric heterogeneities. Thus, the detailed crustal structure of the Shanxi rift zone is critical for understanding the tectonics and seismogenic mechanism in this area, which will shed new lights on the formation and dynamic evolution of the NCC. In this study, we applied ambient noise tomography based on 18 months continuous records from 108 seismic stations located in Shanxi and its surroundings, in order to constrain its detailed crustal structure. We measured 4437 Rayleigh wave phase velocity dispersion curves in the period of 5–45 s from the cross-correlation functions. Next, a surface wave direct inversion algorithm based on surface-wave ray tracing was used to resolve a 3-D S-wave velocity model in the upper 60 km with lateral resolution of ～50–80 km. The tomographic images show that the sedimentary thickness of the Taiyuan Basin is less than 5 km. At depth of 0–10 km, we observe a good correlation between the imaged structural variations with geological and topographic features at the surface. For example, the center of rift shows low-velocity anomalies and the uplifting areas on both sides are characterized by high velocity anomalies. The western and eastern boundaries of the slow materials coincide with the faults that control the basin. The slow material extends from the shallow surface to depth of about 15 km but it getting smaller in shape at deeper depth. For the Taiyuan Basin, Linfen Basin, and Yuncheng Basin in the central and southern parts, the structure is dominant by slow materials in the upper crust but changes to strong high-velocity anomalies in the lower crust and the uppermost mantle at depth deeper than 25 km. We interprete these high-velocity anomalies to be associated with the cold remnant of the underplated basalt in the lower crust that were formed in early Tertiary before the basin was stretched. We also observe the low-velocity anomaly beneath the Datong volcanic area, which extends from the uppermost mantle to a depth of20 km vertically and migrates from west to east laterally. It may reflect the upwelling channel of the magmatic material in Datong. Moreover, the strong low-velocity anomalies presented north of 38°N could be related to the heated crustal materials with paritial melting as a result of the intensive magmatic activities of the Datong Volcano since the Cenozoic. In our study region, seismicity mainly concentrates in the depth range of 5–20 km and we find that most earthquakes appear to occur in places where velocity changes from high to low rapidly, with slight higher concentration in the faster material areas. In summary, our high-resolution 3-D crustal velocity model provides important seismological constraints to understand the tectonic evolution and seismicity across the Shanxi rift zone.     

A model for lower continental crust

This proposed model is based on geological, geophysical and geochemical data. Previous models suggested for the lower continental crust consisted of basalt, gabbro, or charnockitic rocks; however, experimental and field petrological data indicate that the bulk of crustal rocks are metamorphic. A lower crust of heterogeneous metamorphic rocks also agrees with seismic reflection results which show numerous reflections from “layering”. Geothermal conditions favor a “dry” charnockitic or gabbroic lower crust rather than an amphibolitic lower crust because heat production data imply that wet amphibolitic rocks would have a higher heat production than their dry metamorphic equivalents. Relatively high velocities from field and laboratory measurements in such low-density rocks as granite, syenite, anorthosite and granulitic rocks in general imply that the composition of the lower crust is more felsic than gabbro. Variation in seismic velocity and depths from crustal refraction studies and numerous seismic reflections all indicate a highly heterogeneous lower crust. The lower crust, which has traditionally been described as gabbroic or mafic, may consist of such diverse rocks as granite gneiss, syenite gneiss, anorthosite, pyroxene granulite, and amphibolite, interlayered on a small scale, deformed, and intruded by granite and gabbro. Interlayering of these rocks explains the presence and character of seismic reflections. Abrupt changes in dip, tight folding, disruption of layers, intrusion, and changes in layer thickness explain the characteristic discontinuity of deep reflections. Igneous intrusions may be floored by metamorphic rocks. The lower crust consists of a complex series of igneous and metamorphic rock of approximate intermediate composition.     

琼东南盆地地壳伸展深度依赖性及其动力学意义

地壳或岩石圈尺度内伸展因子随深度变化特征对于理解岩石圈演化有重要的指示意义.我们利用南海北部大陆边缘琼东南盆地区深反射地震剖面的地壳分层模型,计算了沿剖面上地壳与全地壳的伸展因子.结果表明:琼东南盆地区具有明显的地壳尺度内伸展的深度相关性（上地壳尺度伸展因子变化范围为1.0~2.0,全地壳尺度的伸展因子变化范围为1.2~2.5）;琼东南盆地各构造单元内的上地壳与全地壳伸展具有明显的非均一性(长昌凹陷上地壳尺度伸展最大,乐东—陵水凹陷其次,松南—宝岛凹陷最小;长昌凹陷和松南—宝岛凹陷的地壳尺度伸展因子较乐东—陵水凹陷大) 与各向异性(南东—北西剖面较之北东—南西向剖面地壳伸展因子大).这些结果预示着琼东南盆地区地壳伸展优势方向为北西向,盆地区东西部的伸展过程或伸展机制可能差异较大拟或存在太平洋岩石圈俯冲角空间差异或地幔岩浆产出时空差异.结合研究区相关研究成果,推断地壳伸展因子的深度相关性可能是共轭大陆边缘低角度拆离控制的简单剪切系统内伴随地幔挤出的动力学现象.     

A new crustal model for Central and Southern Asia

We present a new regional three-layer crustal model for the Central and Southern Asia and surroundings (AsCRUST-08). The model provides Moho boundary, thickness of different layers of consolidated crust and P-velocity distribution in these layers. A large volume of new data on seismic reflections and refractions as well as on surface waves generated by earthquakes or blasts was analyzed. All these data were incorporated into a unified digital 3D integrated model with 1° × 1° resolution. Results are represented as seven numerical maps imaging the distributions of the Moho depth, the thickness of the upper, middle, and lower layers of the consolidated crust, and the P-wave velocities therein.     

南海东南部陆缘地壳结构特征及其构造意义

南海东南部海域沉积厚度较大,礁体发育,构造演化复杂,导致深部结构探测不清楚,制约了对南部陆缘地壳结构的认识.本文通过对新采集和重新处理的多道地震剖面解释,结合钻井、拖网资料,对浅部地层和构造进行约束,同时利用附近海底地震（OBS）测线的速度结构,对深部结构和界面解释约束;在此基础上,开展了重震联合反演,分析地壳密度空间分布特征,结合重力梯度特征对构造单元进行识别.通过对东西两条测线的上下和全地壳厚度、拉伸因子比较,发现南海东南部的东西部深部结构存在差异性;礼乐断裂可能是礼乐和郑和地块的分界,并控制了两个地块在南海扩张时期的相对运动.

     

Andesites in island arcs and continental margins: Relationship to crustal evolution

Andesites of both island arc and continental margin environments contain petrologic evidence of mixing of mantle and crustal melts. Andesitic volcanism appears to involve addition of mantle-derived basaltic magma to the crust and fractionation of preexisting crustal material. Changes in andesitic volcanism with increasingly continental character of the crust reflect changes in a rhyolitic component derived from increasingly aged and fractionated crust. The initial stage in development of continental crust is partial melting of oceanic crust.     

青藏高原东北缘地壳介质各向异性非均匀特征及其构造意义

本文利用径向和切向接收函数后方位角加权叠加方法分析了中国地震科学台阵探测项目二期资料, 确定了青藏高原东北缘海原断裂和西秦岭北缘断裂邻近区域地壳各向异性参数.结果显示, 研究区地壳各向异性快波方向表现出强烈的横向不均匀性, 快慢波延迟时间平均值为0.44 s; 快波方向受断裂带影响显著, 走滑断裂带附近快波方向和断层方向一致性较强, 逆冲断裂附近快波方向和断层方向差别较大或垂直; 晚中新世以来形成的海原断裂、香山—天景山断裂等多个走滑断裂附近地壳各向异性强度明显小于其他区域, 且形成时间更早的海原断裂方向和快波方向一致性更强.这种断裂附近各向异性强度和方向的分布特征也是该区域构造演化过程中逆冲断裂向走滑断裂转化的反映.陇中盆地快波各向异性结果复杂且没有明显规律性分布特征可能反映出该次级地块保留了较老构造过程中残存的化石各向异性.本研究结果表明东北缘地区高原扩展主要以连续流变模式为主, 在走滑断裂带附近存在局部侧向挤出, 但是侧向挤出影响的地壳变形范围较小.

     

A three-dimensional crustal geoelectric model of the Ukrainian Shield

A 3-D crustal geoelectric model of the Ukrainian Shield (USh) is constructed from magnetic variation data. High electrical conductivity anomalies with resistivities of 1–100 Ω m are located at depths of up to 30 km from the basement surface. A high conductivity layer with ρ = 25 Ω m and with its upper boundary at a depth of 70 km is supposed to exist in the upper mantle of the southwestern USh.     

Radiogenic Hf isotopic compositions of continental eolian dust from Asia, its variability and its implications for seawater Hf

The inorganic silicate fraction extracted from bulk pelagic sediments from the North Pacific Ocean is eolian dust. It monitors the composition of continental crust exposed to erosion in Asia. ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios of modern dust are sub-chondritic between 0.011 and 0.016 but slightly elevated with respect to immature sediments. Modern dust samples display a large range in Hf isotopic composition (IC), −4.70<?_Hf<+16.45, which encompasses that observed for the time series of DSDP cores 885/886 and piston core LL44-GPC3 extending back to the late Cretaceous. Hafnium and neodymium isotopic results are consistent with a dominantly binary mixture of dust contributed from island arc volcanic material and dust from central Asia. The Hf-Nd isotopic correlation for all modern dust samples, ?_Hf=0.78?_Nd+5.66 (n=22, R²=0.79), is flatter than those reported so far for terrestrial reservoirs. Moreover, the variability in ?_Hf of Asian dust exceeds that predicted on the basis of corresponding ?_Nd values (−4.7<?_Hf<+2.5; −10.9<?_Nd<−10.1). This is attributed to: (1) the fixing of an important unradiogenic fraction of Hf in zircons, balanced by radiogenic Hf that is mobile in the erosional cycle, (2) the elevated Lu/Hf ratio in chemical sediments which, given time, results in a Hf signature that is radiogenic compared with Hf expected from its corresponding Nd isotopic components, and (3) the possibility that diagenetic resetting of marine sediments may incorporate a significant radiogenic Hf component into diagenetically grown minerals such as illite. Together, these processes may explain the variability and more radiogenic character of Hf isotopes when compared to the Nd isotopic signatures of Asian dust. The Hf-Nd isotope time series of eolian dust are consistent with the results of modern dust except two samples that have extremely radiogenic Hf for their Nd (?_Hf=+8.6 and +10.3, ?_Nd=−9.5 and −9.8). These data may point to a source contribution of dust unresolved by Nd and Pb isotopes. The Hf IC of eolian dust input to the oceans may be more variable and more radiogenic than previously anticipated. The Hf signature of Pacific seawater, however, has varied little over the past 20 Myr, especially across the drastic increase of eolian dust flux from Asia around 3.5 Ma. Therefore, continental contributions to seawater Hf appear to be riverine rather than eolian. Current predictions regarding the relative proportions of source components to seawater Hf must account for the presence of a variable and radiogenic continental component. Data on the IC and flux of river-dissolved Hf to the oceans are urgently required to better estimate contributions to seawater Hf. This then would permit the use of Hf isotopes as a monitor of past changes in erosion.     

四川龙门山断裂带高精度地壳/岩石圈黏度结构及其动力学意义

岩石圈黏度是大陆动力学研究中一个重要参数,但是岩石圈黏度,尤其是横向小尺度（< 100 km）黏度结构的确定是一个挑战.本文根据电阻率和黏度与它们控制因素的相似关系,直接把一条跨过青藏高原东缘和四川龙门山断裂带的大地电磁（MT）探测的电阻率剖面转换成黏度结构作为输入,在GPS速度和地表地形数据的约束下,利用地球动力学数值模拟获得了该剖面的二维地壳/岩石圈黏度结构.本文推断的黏度与前人获得的区域尺度的黏度值一致,但揭示出了更多的细节.本文的黏度结构揭示出研究区域内的地壳/岩石圈黏度存在较大的空间变化范围（约5量级）,黏度值分布在1.48×10¹⁷~8.44×10²² Pa·s之间;龙门山断裂带下的黏度存在强烈的小尺度横向变化,其中、下地壳的黏度分别为1.99×10¹⁸~8.21×10²⁰ Pa·s（平均1.17×10²⁰ Pa·s）和4.09×10¹⁹~7.08×10²⁰ Pa·s（平均1.77×10²⁰ Pa·s）.基于该黏度结构的地球动力学模型表明驱动青藏高原中-下地壳物质流动的可能是热-化学浮力,以及上地壳和中-下地壳可能处于解耦状态.本文获得的黏度结构可以为龙门山断裂带地震成因和机制、岩石圈小尺度变形和构造应力状态的深入研究提供重要的帮助.

     

Strike and dip of crustal boundaries — A method and its application

Summary If for a point on the earth's surface, the apparent (moveout) seismic velocities have been determined for a number of profiles in different directions, a possibility is offered to calculate true strike and dip of crustal boundaries. In the present paper the theory is developed, partly for a sloping Mohorovii discontinuity only, partly for sloping Conrad and Mohorovii discontinuities with parallel strikes. The theory for the sloping Mohorovii discontinuity is applied to field measurements at a place about 30 km west of Uppsala performed in June 1969. With a crustalP-wave velocity of 6.3 km/sec, a good fit to the observations is obtained for aPn-velocity of 8.55 km/sec and a downdip of Moho of 7.2° in the direction S 3.8° E. These numerical values are not the most important output of this paper. On the other hand, the testing of the method appears far more important, and also that improvements can be suggested in the experimental procedure in future applications of this method.     

A kinematic model for the development of the Afar Depression and its paleogeographic implications

The Afar Depression is a highly extended region of continental to transitional oceanic crust lying at the junction of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Ethiopian rifts. We analyze the evolution of the Afar crust using plate kinematics and published crustal models to constrain the temporal and volumetric evolution of the rift basin. Our reconstruction constrains the regional-scale initial 3D geometry and subsequent extension and is well calibrated at the onset of rifting (∼20 Ma) and from the time of earliest documented sea-floor spreading anomalies (∼6 Ma Red Sea; ∼10 Ma Gulf of Aden). It also suggests the Danakil block is a highly extended body, having undergone between ∼200% and ∼400% stretch. Syn-rift sedimentary and magmatic additions to the crust are taken from the literature. Our analysis reveals a discrepancy: either the base of the crust has not been properly imaged, or a (plume-related?) process has somehow caused bulk removal of crustal material since extension began. Inferring subsidence history from thermal modeling and flexural considerations, we conclude subsidence in Afar was virtually complete by Mid Pliocene time. Our analysis contradicts interpretations of late (post 3 Ma) large (∼2 km) subsidence of the Hadar area near the Ethiopian Plateau, suggesting paleoclimatic data record regional, not local, climate change. Tectonic reconstruction (supported by paleontologic and isotopic data) suggests that a land bridge connected Africa and Arabia, via Danakil, up to the Early to Middle Pliocene. The temporal constraints on land bridge and escarpment morphology constrain Afar paleogeography, climate, and faunal migration routes. These constraints (particularly the development of geographic isolation) are fundamentally important for models evaluating and interpreting biologic evolution in the Afar, including speciation and human origins.