地球内部结构及物性研究的进展及问题

本文对近几年中国地球物理学家在地球内部结构和物质性质方面的研究工作进行总结.从地球内部结构的地震波速度成像,地幔介质的各向异性,地幔间断面及地幔介质物性进行了综述,指出在一些原有的研究领域,工作更加深入,方法更加先进,而且进行了广泛的国际合作,合作的范围也逐渐扩大,方式多样,并开拓了一些新的研究方向.在肯定我们近几年取得的一些新的进展的同时,也提出了地球内部结构研究中应进一步研究的问题.     

地球内部结构和物质性质的研究

对1999～2002年中国地球物理学家在地球内部结构和物质性质方面的研究工作进行了总结．分别对地球内部结构的地震波速度成像研究，中国及其周边地区上地幔介质各向异性的研究，S波介质品质因子Q,俯冲带研究，地幔间断面的研究，地球物质性质的实验研究以及其它方面的一些研究工作进行了综述．指出了各方面的主要研究内容、使用的主要方法和得到的结果．从这4年的研究中可以发现，中国的科学家在地球内部结构和物质性质的研究中又取得了新的进展，主要表现在3个方面:一些原有领域中的研究更加深入； 开辟了新的方向；研究方法更先进．      

地幔柱、大火成岩省及大陆裂解-兼论中国东部中、新生代地幔柱问题

根据前人对地幔流体力学数值模拟、全球地震层析成像和火成岩方面的研究成果，详细叙述了地幔柱的基本特征，即:地幔柱具有巨大的球状顶冠和细窄尾管的形态，具备高温、低粘的物理性质，来自2 900 km处核/幔边界附近的D层. 大火成岩省（LIP）是地幔柱到达地表最好的表现形式. 基于地幔柱、大火成岩省的基本特征，以及地幔柱和大陆解体的时空关系，通过对中国东部中、新生代火成岩的岩石学、地球化学和时空分布特征， 以及这些火成岩产生的构造背景等方面的研究，认为中国东南地区中生代火成岩与典型的地幔柱有关的LIP的基本特征并不符合，不能把东南地区中生代火成岩作为典型的与地幔柱活动相关的大火成岩省的实例来看待；东北地区新生代火成岩不具备热点、地幔柱活动的典型特征，新生代火山活动与地幔柱活动可能没有直接关系.      

地震波研究://car

回顾了近4年来中国地球物理学家在地震波研究方面取得的主要进展. 分别简要地讨论了层状均匀介质、横向不均匀介质和多孔介质中的地震波传播,地震面波及波形反演,以及地震勘探、测井问题中的地震波研究方面取得的新成果. 指出当前地震波研究的重要课题是发展高效的数值方法,并利用该方法开展复杂介质中的地震波激发和传播,以及强地面运动的研究,为精细的地震危险分析与预测奠定基础.     

地幔矿物电导率研究进展

研究地幔矿物的电导率可以揭示地球内部电导率的分布规律以及地球介质的极化机制。通过对近年来国际上地幔矿物电导率的研究结果进行分析和总结,介绍了矿物的各种影响因素与电导率的关系;对含水和不含水的地幔矿物导电机制进行了区别,不含水矿物的导电机制主要为小极化子,含水矿物的导电机制为自由质子。比较了各种典型的地幔矿物电导率结果并对电导率模型进行了评述和总结,对电导率的研究方向进行了展望。认为水在地幔矿物电导率和电导率剖面中起着重要作用     

蒙古—贝加尔地区上地幔小尺度对流及 地球动力学意义

上地幔小尺度对流是控制区域地球动力学过程的主要机制之一,蒙古—贝加尔地区的一些区域动力学过程被认为与上地幔小尺度对流相关.本文目的在于利用重力资料研究蒙古—贝加尔地区的上地幔小尺度对流,并探讨其与构造动力学的关系.基于区域均衡重力异常与上地幔小尺度对流的相关方程,本文利用区域均衡重力异常资料反演了蒙古—贝加尔地区上地幔小尺度对流流场及作用于岩石层底部的应力场.结果显示,蒙古—贝加尔地区地幔流场及对流应力场呈现非常复杂的图像,流场及应力场分布与地表构造具有很好的相关性.西伯利亚地台和蒙古褶皱带下地幔流场和对流应力场均较弱,这与这些地区现今较弱的构造活动性是一致的.贝加尔裂谷区下存在地幔上升流,对流应力场呈拉张状态,但应力场的幅值较小(约8 MPa),表明地幔对流不是贝加尔裂谷开裂的主要控制因素.Hangay高原、阿尔泰和戈壁—阿尔泰下存在地幔上升流,对流应力场为拉张状态,这一方面可能构成Hangay高原隆升的深部动力机制,另一方面,也为Amurian板块西边界划分提供了动力背景.     

地幔柱数值模型的研究进展

地幔柱模型作为地球内部对流系统的重要组成部分,可与板块构造理论相媲美.它们共同构成了地球内部物质和能量循环的重要过程.自从地幔柱模型提出以来,地震学、高温高压矿物学、地质学以及地球动力学数值模拟对其进行了多学科的综合研究.其中数值模拟通过建立理论模型来研究地幔柱的动力学效应,定量化地给出了地幔柱的演化过程以及地球内部和表层的响应,并用以解释其他学科的观测和实验结果.因此,地球动力学数值模拟是研究地幔柱动力学最重要的手段之一.文章总结了近几十年地幔柱数值模型的研究进展,包括地幔柱的起源和存在的证据,地幔柱与岩石圈、洋中脊、俯冲带和地幔过渡带的相互作用以及地幔柱与大型剪切波低速区的关系.数值模型得到的理论结果必须与其他各学科的观测结果进行对比和验证才能真正理解地幔柱的动力学过程.随着数值模拟方法的发展和计算能力的提高,地球动力学数值模拟将为研究包括地幔柱动力学在内的地球科学前沿问题提供更为准确和高效的手段.     

大尺度地幔动力学研究的现状和展望

这篇综述讨论大空间、大时间尺度的地幔动力学近几十年的发展和现状,着重讨论了相关的观测及其动力学意义.这些观测包括现在地球的板块运动的基本特性,中、长波重力异常及大地水准面异常,地震层析成像得到的地幔结构,以及过去10亿年超级大陆Pangea和Rodinia的形成、裂解和演化,及火山岩浆活动.关于地球动力学模型的讨论是围绕着这些相关的观测而进行的.涉及到的一些主要问题包括以下.第一,地幔动力学研究显示,地震层析成像得到的下地幔的二阶结构（比如核幔边界附近的LLSVP结构）,和俯冲带的快速异常体,可以解释为过去1亿年左右的板块运动和地幔对流的结果;第二,地幔三维结构作为地幔对流的驱动力,是导致中、长波重力及大地水准面异常的直接原因;结合地幔动力学模拟,观测的大地水准面异常对地幔黏性结构提供了强有力的约束,很可靠的结果之一是下地幔的黏性比上地幔要高至少一个量级,并且最近的研究确定软流圈的存在;第三,过去10亿年大陆块体经历过的Rodinia和Pangea两期超级大陆的形成和破裂是地幔动力学在地表的反映.地幔结构在Pangea形成过程中是一阶结构（即一个半球是冷的下降流,而另一个半球是热的上涌流）主导的,而现在的二阶为主导的地幔结构是Pangea形成后,破裂前或破裂过程中才形成的;地幔动力学和其他研究支持地幔结构在一阶和二阶间转换的1-2-1模型;第四,板块构造在地球上的起源和动力机制依然是充满争议和不确定的课题,但是这些问题同时也是重要的地球动力学基本问题.

     

动态地幔柱尾管结构

动态地幔柱模式被广泛用于讨论地球科学中的一些重要课题,如巨大火成区的成因,冈瓦纳古陆解体的原因,板块内中小尺度动力过程的驱动因素等．但是这个基于实验研究而建立的模式中,忽略了地幔柱尾管特征及其作用．地幔柱尾管内温度和速度分布是研究地幔柱上升过程的必要条件．本文从控制尾管结构的基本方程出发,给出了一个定常轴对称地幔柱温度和速度分布的近似分析解．从而得到尾管结构的基本特征：影响尾管内温度分布的主导因素是地幔柱的热流通量,而尾管内上涌速度的大小则不仅取决于热流通量,主要是取决于地幔粘度随深度的变化方式．结果表明,对弱地幔柱,尾管的热损失可能是不可忽略的,而对强地幔柱,径向质量传递可能是不可忽略的.     

地幔对流与深部物质运移研究的新进展

现代固体地球科学已经认识到,地幔对流不再是少数动力学家的假想,它是地幔热动力系统的主要构架.地幔对流和板块运动驱动机理关系的研究已经从简单的主动或被动驱动的讨论转向对统一热动力系统的探讨.包括地幔热柱在内的地幔对流的深入研究不仅成为研究地幔热动力系统演化的主线,也成为研究大陆形成和演化驱动机理的主线.与此同时,以地震层析成像为主体的地震、地球物理观测资料和以地幔岩石化学组份为主体的地球化学观测成为认识地幔对流的强有力的工具.然而,地球化学和地球物理观测之间存在明显的差异,一些依赖于地球化学数据构思的新的热动力学框架对地幔对流的研究构成了强烈的挑战.     

Redox state of amphibole-bearing mantle peridotite from Nüshan, Anhui Province in eastern China and its implications

Using secondary spinel standard method, we have measured precisely the compositions of spinels of amphibole-bearing mantle peridotite xenoliths from Nüshan in eastern China, and calculated the mantle oxygen fugacities recorded by the xenoliths. Results indicate that the mantle metasomatism for forming amphiboles in Nüshan region of Anhui has resulted in the decrease of mantle redox, which is in contrast with theoretical estimation and previous research results from other areas around the world. Combining with related studies on the mantle of eastern China, we give a reasonable explanation to the 'new finding' and further elucidate the compositions and nature of mantle fluids in eastern China.     

Progress in studies on the structure and physical properties of the mantle in China

The studies on the structure and physical properties of the mantle by Chinese geophysicists from 2003 to 2007 are reviewed in this report. It mainly contains studies on the seismic velocity structure of the mantle,anisotropy of the mantle,mantle discontinuities,mantle convection and the physical properties of mantle. The review concerns mainly the contents,the methods used and the results of the studies. It can be found that new progress in the study on the structure and physical properties of mantle has been made in the last four years in China. In some preexis-tent areas much progress has been made,advanced methods have been adopted,extensive international co-operation has been conducted in many ways,and the scope of the co-operation has gradually expanded. More-over,some new fields appear as well.     

Thermal structure and rheology of upper mantle beneath Zhejiang Province, China

The paleogeotherm derived from spinel and garnet lherzolites xenoliths for the upper mantle beneath Zhejiang Province, China is higher than the oceanic geotherm but is similar to the geotherm for the upper mantle beneath eastern China constructed by Xu et al. and the upper mantle geotherm of southeastern Australia. The crust-mantle boundary defined by this geotherm is about 34 km, while the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary is about 75 km. This result coincides well with geophysical data. The study of rheological features of the xenoliths has revealed that at least two periods of deformation events occurred in the upper mantle beneath this region. The first event might be related to upper mantle diapir occurring in this region before or during late Tertiary, and the second might be related to the occurrence of small-scale shear zones in the upper mantle. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49472105).     

Mass heterogeneities and convection in the earth's mantle inferred from gravity and core-mantle boundary irregularities

Mass heterogeneities in the earth's mantle are retrieved from the gravity data and the topography of the core-mantle boundary as well as the topography of the earth's surface. A mantle circulation induced by the heterogeneities is modelled by solving the Stokes problem for incompressible Newtonian fluid. The derived models of mantle motions correlate well with the plate tectonics and point at a close relation between the surface tectonic activity and the processes in the vicinity of the core-mantle boundary.     

Edge-driven convection

We consider a series of simple calculations with a step-function change in thickness of the lithosphere and imposed, far-field boundary conditions to illustrate the influence of the lithosphere on mantle flow. We consider the effect of aspect ratio and far-field boundary conditions on the small-scale flow driven by a discontinuity in the thickness of the lithosphere. In an isothermal mantle, with no other outside influences, the basic small-scale flow aligns with the lithosphere such that there is a downwelling at the lithospheric discontinuity (edge-driven flow); however, the pattern of the small-scale flow is strongly dependent on the large-scale thermal structure of a much broader area of the upper mantle. Long-wavelength temperature anomalies in the upper mantle can overwhelm edge-driven flow on a short timescale; however, convective motions work to homogenize these anomalies on the order of 100 million years while cratonic roots can remain stable for longer time periods. A systematic study of the effect of the boundary conditions and aspect ratio of the domain shows that small-scale, and large-scale flows are driven by the lithosphere. Edge-driven flow produces velocities on the order of 20 mm/yr. This is comparable to calculations by others and we can expect an increase in this rate as the mantle viscosity is decreased.     

Influence of the Load Wavelength on the Permeability of a Viscosity Interface in the Mantle

Assuming a radially stratified Newtonian mantle in a steady-state approximation, we demonstrate that the permeability of a viscosity interface at 660-km depth strongly depends on the wavelength of buoyancy forces driving the flow. The flow induced by long-wavelength loads penetrates through the boundary freely even if the viscosity increases by two orders. In contrast, the boundary is practically impermeable for short-wavelength loads located in the upper mantle. Thus, a stepwise increase of viscosity is a significant obstacle for small descending features in the upper mantle, but huge upper mantle downwellings, or upwellings formed in the-lower mantle can overcome it easily. This indicates that certain care is necessary in interpreting the seismic structure of the mantle by means of flow models. The global tomographic image includes only the first few degrees of the harmonic series and, consequently, its interpretation in terms of a present-day flow field results in a predominantly whole-mantle circulation even for extreme viscosity contrasts.     

热幔柱来源于何处？

本文综述了地球深部产生热幔柱的可能位置及其热边界条件限制。     

Complete mantle section of a slow-spreading ridge-derived ophiolite: An example from the Isabela ophiolite in the Philippines

Abstract   The Isabela ophiolite shows a complete ophiolite sequence exposed along the eastern coast of northern Luzon, the Philippines. It forms the Cretaceous basement complex for the northeastern Luzon block. This ophiolite is located at the northern end of a trail of ophiolites and ophiolitic bodies along the eastern margin of the Philippine Mobile Belt. This paper presents new findings regarding the nature and characteristics of the Isabela ophiolite. Peridotites from the Isabela ophiolite are relatively fresh and are composed of spinel lherzolites, clinopyroxene-rich harzburgites, depleted harzburgites and dunites. The modal composition, especially the pyroxene content, defines a northward depletion trend from fertile lherzolite to clinopyroxene-rich harzburgites and more refractory harzburgites. Variation in modal composition is accompanied by petrographic textural variations. The chromium number of spinel, an indicator of the degree of partial melting, concurs with petrographic observations. Furthermore, the Isabela ophiolite peridotites are similar in spinel and olivine major-element geochemistry and clinopyroxene rare earth-element composition to abyssal peridotites from modern mid-oceanic ridges. Petrological and mineral compositions suggest that the Isabela ophiolite is a transitional ophiolite subtype, with the fertile lherzolites representing lower sections of the mantle column that are usually absent in most ophiolitic massifs. The occurrence of the fertile peridotite presents a rare opportunity to document the lower sections of the ophiolitic mantle. The variability in composition of the peridotites in one continuous mantle section may also represent a good analogy of the melting column in the present-day mid-oceanic ridges.     

The influence of thermochemical convection on the fixity of mantle plumes

A general feature of both isochemical and thermochemical studies of mantle convection is that horizontal plume velocities tend to be smaller than typical convective velocities, however, it is not clear which system leads to a greater fixity of mantle plumes. We perform two- and three-dimensional numerical calculations and compare both thermochemical and isochemical cases with similar convective vigor to determine whether presence of a dense component in the mantle can lead to smaller ratios of horizontal plume velocity to surface velocity. We investigate different viscosity and density contrasts between chemical components in the thermochemical calculations, and we perform isochemical calculations with both free-slip and no-slip bottom boundary conditions. We then compare both visually and quantitatively the results of the thermochemical and isochemical calculations to determine which leads to greater plume fixity. We find that horizontal plume velocities for thermochemical calculations are similar to those from isochemical calculations with no-slip bottom boundary conditions. In addition, we find that plumes tend to be more fixed for isochemical cases with free-slip bottom boundary conditions for two-dimensional calculations, however, in three dimensions, we find that plume fixity is similar to that observed in thermochemical calculations.     

The thermal state and composition of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Leizhou Peninsula, South China

Two localities on the Leizhou Peninsula, southern China (Yingfengling and Tianyang basaltic volcanoes) yield a wide variety of mantle-derived xenoliths including Cr-diopside series mantle wall rocks and two distinct types of Al-augite series pyroxenites. Metapyroxenites have re-equilibrated granoblastic microstructures whereas pyroxenites with igneous microstructures have not thermally equilibrated to the mantle conditions. An abundant suite of megacrysts and megacrystic aggregates (including garnet, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, ilmenite and apatite) is interpreted as the pegmatitic equivalents of the igneous pyroxenite suite. Layered spinel lherzolite/spinel websterite xenoliths were formed by metamorphic differentiation caused by mantle deformation, inferred to be related to lithospheric thinning. Some metapyroxenites have garnet websterite assemblages that allow calculation of their mantle equilibration temperatures and pressures and the construction of the first xenolith geotherm for the southernmost China lithosphere. Heat flow data measured at the surface in this region yield model conductive geotherms (using average crustal conductivity values) that are consistent with the xenolith geotherm for the mantle. The calculated mean surface heat flux is 110 mW/m². This high heat flux and the high geotherm are consistent with young lithospheric thinning in southern China, and with recent tomography results showing shallow low-velocity zones in this region. The xenolith geotherm allows the construction of a lithospheric rock type section for the Leizhou region; it shows that the crust–mantle boundary lies at about 30 km, consistent with seismic data, and that the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary lies at about 100 km.