慢速-超慢速扩张西南印度洋中脊研究进展

西南印度洋中脊具有慢速—超慢速扩张速率和斜向扩张的特征,是全球洋中脊系统研究的热点之一,也是研究海底构造环境、热液活动、地幔深部过程及其动力学机制的重要区域。在前人工作的基础上较为详细地介绍了西南印度洋中脊的研究历史、地形划分、扩张速率及其构造特征,归纳了西南印度洋中脊热液活动及岩石地球化学特征,探讨了超慢速扩张洋脊和超镁铁质岩系热液系统的特殊性,并认为超慢速扩张洋脊广泛暴露的地幔岩及其蛇纹石化作用、超镁铁质岩系热液系统以及热液硫化物成矿作用是西南印度洋中脊今后研究的重要内容。     

Spilites from the Carlsberg Ridge, Indian Ocean

A dredge haul from 5°N. on the Carlsberg Ridge brought upa collection of rocks that form a coherent spilitic series.Different specimens are identified with the various parts ofa spilitic pillow lava pile; some with pillow cores, otherswith pillow margins, and yet others with the material interstitialto the pillows. Their mineralogy is of greenschist facies. Comparisonwith the fresh basalt pillow lavas of the oceans suggests thatthese spilites were formed from the basalts by low-grade metamorphism,and were neither the product of the reaction of hot basalt withsea water nor that of the crystallization of a special spiliticmagma. The pillow cores, consisting of an albite-chlorite-augite-sphene-(actinolite-epidote)assemblage are contrasted strongly with the pillow margins,composed principally of chlorite, and this contrast seems tobe controlled by the original basalt mineralogy. Calcic plagioclasehas been replaced by albite, augite may remain or may be replacedby actinolite, iron ore has been replaced by sphene, and botholivine and basalt-glass by chlorite. Thus the pillow margins,originally almost entirely glassy, are now chemically very differentfrom the originally crystalline pillow cores. This process has involved a large-scale local transport of materialbetween core and margin of the pillows. The degree of this transportcan be closely estimated because the convergent compositionof deep-ocean basalts, especially strong in this region, meansthat the composition of the basalt from which the spilite hasformed is very well known. The hypothesis that the bulk compositionof the lava pile has remained constant during the transformationto spilite can also be tested, and it appears that it does nothold. Significant amounts of CaO and A1₂O₃ must have been lostfrom the pile, and a large amount of water gained by it. Theremay or may not have been significant gains in SiO₂, total Feand Na₂O. The contrast of this kind of process with the isochemicalmetamorphism more normal in metamorphic terrains is ascribedto the effect of shear on the rates of nucleation of the differentphases.     

The Southwest Indian Ridge: Remelting the Gondwanan Mantle

<正>The Southwest Indian Ridge is an ultraslow spreading ridge(~14-mm/yr)that formed~150 Ma with the breakup of Gondwana.It extends 7700 km from the Bouvet to the Rodriguez Triple Junction,crossing over the flank of the large southern Geoid high centered over Marion and Crozet islands and the Conrad Rise.There is a     

Fractal analysis of bathymetry and gravity profiles across the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge and the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean

Gravity and bathymetry data have been extensively used to infer the thermo-mechanical evolution of different segments of the oceanic lithosphere. It is now understood that magmatic fluid processes involved in the accretion of oceanic crust are spatially complex and episodic. The nature of these processes which are in general nonlinear, can be described using fractal analysis of marine geophysical data. Fractal analysis has been carried out for gravity and bathymetry profiles over the aseismic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge and the spreading Carlsberg Ridge. The Iterated Function Systems (IFS) have been used to generate synthetic profiles of known dimension (D) and these are compared with the observed profiles. The D for the data sets are in the range of 1–1.5. The D for gravity profiles is less than those of bathymetry and the D for gravity and bathymetry over spreading ridge is higher than the aseismic ridge. The low fractal dimension indicates that the processes generating them are of low dimensional dynamical systems.     

Structure and Evolution of the Eastern Part of the Southwest Indian Ridge

Geotectonics - The structure and evolution of the eastern part of the Southwest Indian Ridge are discussed. Based on geological-geophysical data and cartographic materials, analysis of spatial and...     

Early Pliocene Paleoceanography of the Vityaz Fracture Zone, Central Indian Ridge

Planktic foraminifera from the calcareous substrate of a ferromanganese crust in the Vityaz Fracture Zone （VFZ）, Central Indian Ridge were studied to reconstruct the early Pliocene paleoceanography of this region. Eleven species of planktic foraminifera were encountered, among them Globorotalia menardii, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, Globigerina bulloides and Globigerinoides tuber are prominent. Predominance of N. dutertrei in the top 3 cm of the carbonate substrate is attributed to an influx of fresh water which eventually triggered their productivity by increasing the nutrient level. The presence of G. bulloides and G. menardii in significant proportions in deeper layers suggests the prevalence of open ocean upwelling. The bulk chemical compositions of the substrate at different depth intervals indicates higher enrichment of trace metals in the upper sections which could have been supplied through oceanic water by the chemical weathering of terrestrial matter during the peak of Pliocene Asian monsoon. Thus, it is concluded that during the early Pliocene the biogenic components of the substrate were distinctly contributed by both upwelling and productivity triggered by an influx of fresh water originating from the intensification of the Asian monsoon during the early Pliocene Period.     

Geodynamics of the Amirante Ridge and Trench Complex,Western Indian Ocean

The formation and evolution of the ～600 km long arcuate Amirante Ridge and Trench Complex (ARTC) is a significant geomorphic–structural feature in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). The WIO contains evidence of at least two major magmatic episodes followed by continental rifting within the span of a little more than 20 million years. This involved the splitting of Madagascar from India at around 85 Ma and then separation between India and the Seychelles at 64–63 Ma as a possible consequence of two powerful volcanic eruptions from the Marion and Reunion hot spots, respectively. Formation and evolution of the ARTC represents this tumultuous period in the Indian Ocean, approximately between 85 and 60 Ma (Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary).

We integrated geophysical, palaeomagnetical, and petrological data to examine three existing models that attempt to explain the formation of ARTC. In contrast, our study hints at several stages of extension and compression responsible for its formation. Our integrated data also suggest that the Carlsberg Ridge may have played a prominent role in the evolution of the ARTC that seems to have formed through a ridge-jump process after the conjugate spreading centres – Mascarene and Palitana ridges formed earlier during the India–Madagascar separation – ceased spreading because of violent eruption of the Reunion hot spot at around 65 Ma. The eruption disturbed the plumbing system of magma ascent, resulting in cessation of spreading along the conjugate spreading centres, forcing a ridge jump.

A collage of seismic refraction and reflection, free-air gravity, magnetic anomaly data, and Ar dating of rocks indicates that as the Carlsberg Ridge swept the Seychelles towards south, the crust between Madagascar and the Seychelles was increasingly compressed, with the abandoned northern Mascarene spreading centre absorbing the maximum stress. With continued compression, the western limb of the abandoned spreading ridge was thrust below the eastern limb to a limited degree. This partial subduction agrees with the gravity and seismic results. Our new study also accounts for the anomalous presence of 14 km-thick oceanic crust beneath the ARTC and its characteristic difference in petrology with other established subduction zones in the world.     

西南印度洋中脊钙质沉积物地球化学及矿物学特征

深海沉积物研究能够为海底资源开发利用提供丰富的信息,对推动沉积学发展具有重要的理论意义。以中国大洋科考20航次西南印度洋中脊附近的钙质沉积物为研究对象,选取了10个沉积物样品进行了X射线衍射物相分析、扫描电镜分析、碳氧同位素及微量元素测试。结果表明,研究区钙质沉积物矿物组成主要为方解石,黏土矿物含量较低。方解石以钙质超微化石颗石藻及有孔虫的形态存在,碳氧同位素特征显示超微化石生活在正常的近表层海水环境中,死亡后埋藏环境稳定。稀土元素具有总量低、轻重稀土元素分异明显、Eu中等负异常、Ce中等负异常的特征。微量元素中富亲石元素、贫亲铁元素,亲生物元素Sr、Ba含量远高于其他元素。微量元素特征及Ceanom值说明沉积环境偏氧化。沉积物中大量的生物成因方解石及地球化学特征反映了研究区物源以生物源为主、含有少量陆源及幔源物质的特点。     

西南印度洋中脊斜向扩张分段特征及构造成因探讨

斜向扩张是超慢速扩张洋中脊独特的构造特征,其地形分段特征明显区别于经典的快速-慢速端元洋中脊模型,是理解超慢速扩张洋中脊地质过程的重要切入点.基于西南印度洋中脊Indomed-Gallieni和Shaka-DuToit段多波束地形数据,分析了不同斜向扩张角度(α)洋中脊的地形分段样式.其中,46.5°～47.5°E(α...     

西北印度洋脊的厘定及其地质构造特征

西北印度洋的洋脊系统目前以"中印度洋脊"和"卡尔斯伯格脊"分别指示南北两段,两者的分界点被认为是澳大利亚板块与印度板块的板块边界与洋脊的交点,但具体分布位置不明确.基于已有的地质、地球物理和地球化学等多方面特征,认为卡尔斯伯格脊和中印度洋脊可以统一称为"西北印度洋脊",从罗德里格斯三联点一直延伸到欧文断裂带.新的洋脊厘定将有助于更全面地了解整个西北印度洋的洋脊演化和地球动力学过程.西北印度洋脊地形上南北两端断裂较少,中间断层密集,形似吸管的弯折部位,调节洋脊的转向.重力异常显示沿脊轴方向两端高中间低的特征,表明两端岩浆供给相对充足,而中间断层密集区岩浆量少.磁异常特征显示清晰的分带性,指示多阶段的洋脊扩张历史.岩石地球化学特征显示南北两个同位素相对富集洋脊段,可能与热点作用相关,或与残留岩石圈或地壳物质对亏损软流圈地幔的富集改造有关.     

西南印度洋中脊表层沉积物中硫化物矿物学特征与地质意义

利用电子探针以及扫描电镜和能谱仪相结合的方法对西南印度洋中脊表层沉积物进行了矿物学研究,结果表明:该区沉积物中含有黄铁矿、闪锌矿、黄铜矿以及等轴方黄铜矿等硫化物颗粒,硫化物颗粒多呈自形-半自形,保存完好。其中黄铁矿晶体呈立方体及立方体-八面体聚形形态,闪锌矿与黄铜矿晶体中常见溶蚀孔洞,而等轴方黄铜矿中出现固溶体分解结构。硫化物类型、颗粒结构和微量元素组成指示49.6°E热液区附近沉积物中的硫化物至少属于两个热液成矿阶段的产物,早期为中温成矿阶段,后期经历了高温富Fe流体的改造;50.5°E热液区附近沉积物中出现了高温硫化物组合。     

西南印度洋脊原位辉长岩元素地球化学特征及意义

通过对位于西南印度洋脊超慢速扩张脊东段的大洋钻探计划(ODP)ODP 735B钻孔上部岩心不同位置、不同岩性的样品进行全岩主、微量元素分析,并结合前人研究成果,对旋回内部及旋回之间的全岩地球化学特征差异进行了探讨,对其成因进行了约束.ODP 735B岩心全岩主量元素特征主要受控于分离结晶生成的矿物组合及比例.全岩主量元素之间的协变关系对反映玄武质熔体结晶演化过程中矿物生成及化学成分演化具有一定的指示意义.稀土元素的分析表明,除较明显的正Eu异常外,旋回1、2均表现出明显的LREE分馏,而HREE则未出现明显分馏.微量元素的分析表明,西南印度洋超低速洋脊的旋回1和旋回2中均表现出明显的Nb、Ta负异常和Sr、K正异常,但不能依靠其全岩微量元素Nb、Ta负异常特征对其源区地球化学特征成因和地质意义进行判断.      

Garnet-field Melting and Late-stage Refertilization in 'Residual' Abyssal Peridotites from the Central Indian Ridge

The role of residual garnet during melting beneath mid-oceanridges has been the subject of many recent investigations. Toaddress this issue from the perspective of melting residues,we obtained major and trace element mineral chemistry of residualabyssal peridotites from the Central Indian Ridge. Many clinopyroxeneshave ratios of middle to heavy rare earth elements (MREE/HREE)that are too low to be explained by melting in the stabilityfield of spinel peridotite alone. Several percent of meltingmust have occurred at higher pressures in the garnet peridotitestability field. Application of new trace element partitioningmodels, which predict that HREE are compatible in high-pressureclinopyroxene, cannot fully explain the fractionation of theMREE from the HREE. Further, many samples show textural andchemical evidence for refertilization, such as relative enrichmentsof highly incompatible trace elements with respect to moderatelyincompatible trace elements. Therefore, highly incompatibleelements, which are decoupled from major and moderately incompatibletrace elements, are useful to assess late-stage processes, suchas melt entrapment, melt–rock reaction and veining. Moderatelyincompatible trace elements are less affected by such late-stageprocesses and thus useful to infer the melting history of abyssalperidotites. KEY WORDS: abyssal peridotites; mantle melting; garnet     

Massive sulfides of Mount Jourdanne along the super-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge and their genesis

Modern massive sulfide deposits are known to occur in diverse tectonic settings and it is generally expected that hydrothermal deposits of similar geological settings shall have more or less similar mineralogical and geochemical signatures. However, the Mount Jourdanne sulfide deposits along the super-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge deviate from this common concept. These sulfide precipitates are Zn-rich (up to 35 wt.%) and are characterized by high concentrations of Pb (≤ 3.5 wt.%), As (≤ 1.1 wt.%), Ag (≤ 0.12 wt.%), Au (≤ 11 ppm), Sb (≤ 967 ppm), and Cd (≤ 0.2 wt.%) which are unusual for a modern sediment-free mid-oceanic ridge system. Therefore, we have reinvestigated the sulfide samples collected during the INDOYO cruise in 1998, in order to explain their unusual mineralogy and geochemical composition. The sulfide samples are polymetallic and are classified as: a) chimneys, b) mounds, and c) hydrothermal breccias. The chimneys are small tube-like symmetrical bodies (30–40 cm high; ~ 10 cm diameter) and consist mainly of sphalerite and less chalcopyrite, set in a matrix of late amorphous silica. The inner wall shows a late-stage colloform sphalerite containing co-precipitates of galena and/or Pb–As sulfosalts. In contrast, the mound samples are dominated either by Fe-sulfides (pyrite) or by a mixture of pyrite and chalcopyrite with less sphalerite, pyrrhotite, amorphous silica and barite. Both, the chimney and mound samples, are characterized by layering and mineral zonation. The hydrothermal breccias are highly altered and mineralogically heterogeneous. They consist of silicified basaltic material that are impregnated with sulfides and contain cm-sized chimney fragments within a matrix of low-temperature minerals such as sphalerite and pyrite. The latter fragments mainly consist of chalcopyrite with isocubanite lamellae. In addition, these breccias contain late-stage realgar, boulangerite, galena, Pb–As sulfosalts and barite that are mostly confined to vugs or fractures. At least five mineralogical associations are distinguished that indicate different thermal episodes ranging from black smoker mineralization conditions to cessation of the hydrothermal activity. Based on the mineralogical associations and established literature in this regard, it is inferred that the mineralization at Mt. Jourdanne occurred mainly in three temperature domains. Above 300 °C, the chalcopyrite (with isocubanite)–pyrrhotite association formed whereas the sphalerite dominated assemblage with much less chalcopyrite and pyrite formed around and below 300 °C. The late-stage mineralization (below 200 °C) contains colloform sphalerite, galena, Pb–As sulfosalts, realgar and barite. The unusual mineralogy and trace element chemistry for this modern VHMS deposit could be explained assuming hydrothermal leaching of some felsic differentiates underneath the basaltic cover and subsequent zone refining processes.     

Petrology of the Ninety East Ridge (Indian Ocean) compared to other aseismic ridges

The volcanics from the Ninety East Ridge in the Indian Ocean consist of basalts and oceanic andesites. The basalts from the Ninety East Ridge differ from the Mid-Indian Oceanic Ridge basalts in their higher pyroxene content, their higher Fe₂O₃ + FeO content (>11%), higher TiO₂ content (2–3%), and variable K₂O content (0.2–1.5%). Volcanics from other aseismic ridges, i.e. the Cocos, the Iceland-Faeroe and the Walvis ridges, show a trend of differentiation which has progressed further than is commonly encountered on mid-oceanic ridge rocks. The Ninety East and the Iceland-Faeroe ridges contain mildly tholeiitic basalts and oceanic andesites while the Walvis and the Cocos Ridges consist of plagioclase-alkali basalts, trachybasalts and trachytes. The majority of basalts found on aseismic ridges have a higher total iron oxide content (>11%) and a more variable K₂O (2–3%) and TiO₂ (1.5–4%) content than mid-oceanic ridge basalts. The type of volcanism encountered on aseismic ridges is similar to that of the islands which are near or associated with the ridges.     

Rare earth element studies of surficial sediments from the southwestern Carlsberg Ridge,Indian Ocean

The rare earth element (REE) contents of sixteen surficial calcareous sediments from the southwestern Carlsberg Ridge, Indian Ocean, have been determined. The total REE vary from 35 ppm to 126 ppm and are inversely related to the calcium carbonate content. REEs show a strong positive correlation with Al + Fe + K + Mg + Na (r ²= 0.98) and Mn + Fe + Cu + Ni (r ²= 0.86) suggesting that the REE is associated with a combined phase of clays (mainly illite) and Mn-Fe oxyhydroxides. The aeolian input into these sediments is suggested from the weak positive Eu/Eu* anomaly. Shale-normalized (NASC) pattern along with La_(n)/Yb_(n) ratio suggest enrichment of heavy REE (HREE) relative to the light REE (LREE) with a negative Ce/Ce* anomaly implying retention of a bottom water REE pattern. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Seismic moment release along selected major transforms on the Central Indian Ridge,Western Indian Ocean,and its tectonic implications

A detailed seismicity map of the Central Indian Ridge for the period 1912–1993 is presented, and the earthquakes pertaining to four major transforms offsetting the ridge are utilized to study the moment release pattern. The scalar moment release for the period 1912–1993, and the summed moment rate tensors for both short period (1977–1993) and long period (1912–1993) bring out a unified picture of moment release pattern. The fraction of seismic slip calculated based on depths of 100°C and 400°C limiting temperatures suggests that the Marie-Celeste transform requires a slip almost to a depth of 400°C isotherm to account for the observed moment, and the Argo transform requires depth of faulting much above the 400°C isotherm. A very small fraction of slip is accounted seismically for Vema (53%) and 12° 12′S (23%) even to depths of 100°C isotherm, suggesting a very low order of moment release along these transforms. The horizontal plate velocities and the corresponding strain rates obtained from moment tensor summation of long period data (82 years) give rise to (V _y ^y ; V _y ^x mm. yr⁻¹) of 6.0 and 6.1 along Marie-Celeste, 1.3 and 0.50 along Argo, 0.06 and 0.06 along 12° 12′S, 1.6 and 0.25 along Vema transforms. The corresponding strain rates (ε _y ^y ;ε _y ^x × 10⁻¹⁵ S⁻¹) are 12.7 and 6.8 along MarieCeleste, 6.9 and 1.4 along Argo, 0.27 and 0.14 along 12° 12′S, 7.3 and 0.58 along Vema transforms. These results suggest that the strain rates were highest and almost all predicted motion is taken up seismically along the Marie-Celeste transform. The strain rates are lower along Argo transform and the observed moment release require shallower depth of faulting in order to slip to be accounted seismically. The Vema and 12° 12′S transforms are characterized by low strain rates and less than 15 per cent of motion is accommodated seismically within the seismogenic layer. It is proposed that the deficiency of moment release along the Vema and 12° 12′S multiple transform system may be due to most of the plate motion occurring aseismically.     

Specific features of basalts from the western part of Andrew Bain Fault,Southwest Indian Ridge

This paper reports original data on the composition of volcanic rocks in the western part of the Andrew Bain Fault of the South-West Indian Ridge obtained in the 23rd voyage of R/V Akademik Nikolai Strakhov. In accordance with high La/Th and low Nb/U ratios, the basalt compositions of stations S2317, S2318, and S2330 could result from melting of the DM-type source with HIMU traces. Meanwhile, the enriched samples of station S2326 correspond to a mantle source with a considerable contribution of recycled sediments (EM). Sample S2326/35, which is composed of a melt almost completely depleted in EM material, corresponds to the volcanic rocks of the Marion and Prince Edward islands. The obtained and available data on the SWIR segment from Bouvet Island to Andrew Bain Fault are indicative of small mantle heterogeneities in this region. Two possible variants of their origin are considered: either preservation of the enriched material fragments in the depleted mantle during the split of Gondwana or “contamination” of the mantle with plume material with the formation of vein irregularities before opening of the ocean in this region. In the latter case, the plume material could cover a huge area not constrained by the young plume magmatism regions on Bouvet, Marion, and Prince Edward islands.