Isostatic response of the large-offset Atlantic Equatorial fracture zones

Spectral analysis techniques have been applied to data sets of gravity and topography selected across fracture zones with large offset in the Equatorial and Central Atlantic Ocean and processed independently for each fracture zone. Three simple compensation models, two in local isostatic equilibrium (Airy I and II) and one in regional equilibrium (Plate model) have been tested. It is found that the free-air anomalies are primarily controlled by the topography and its isostatic response. For short wavelengths, admittance can be explained either by the effect of uncompensated sea floor topography with high density basement or by the effect of uncompensated sea floor topography with normal oceanic basement density but accompanied by a crust of constant thickness. For intermediate wavelengths, admittance for the Romanche fracture zone agrees best with a local isostatic model in which compensation is achieved by a less dense material in the upper mantle. No such evidence exists for the Vema and Chain fracture zones for which topography could just as well be regionally supported by an elastic plate 3 to 10 km thick. For longer wavelengths, the admittances computed for the three fracture zones are compatible with a thermal compensation of the topography.     

Spectral analysis of marine geoid heights and ocean depths: Constraints on models of lithospheric and sublithospheric processes

Cross-spectral analysis has been used to study the relationship between geoid and bathymetry in 16°×16° blocks in the oceans. The admittances resulting from this analysis have been compared with thermomechanical models of the lithosphere and sublithosphere in order to determine modes of topographic compensation in different parts of the oceans. Peak admittances at short wavelengths (<800 km) indicate that loads are supported by the mechanical strength of the lithosphere, while peak admittances at long wavelengths (>800 km) are indicative of lithospheric cooling or dynamic sublithospheric processes. Models of upper mantle convection predict higher admittances at long wavelengths than do models of lithospheric cooling. In most areas the observed admittances can be explained by models of the thermomechanical properties of the lithosphere, but in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the northern Indian Ocean, and over the Cape Verde Rise high long-wavelength admittances are evidence for the existence of upper mantle convection.     

Predicting Global Seafloor Topography Using Multi-Source Data

A new one-minute global seafloor topography model was derived from vertical gravity gradient anomalies (VGG), altimetric gravity anomalies, and ship soundings. Ship soundings are used to constrain seafloor topography at wavelengths longer than 200 km and to calibrate the topography to VGG (or gravity) ratios at short wavelengths area by area. VGG ratios are used to predict seafloor topography for wavelength bands of 100–200 km and to suppress the effect of crust isostasy. Gravity anomalies are used to recover seafloor topography at wavelengths shorter than 100 km. The data processing procedure is described in detail in this paper. The accuracy of the model is evaluated using ship soundings and existing models, including General Bathymetric Charts of the Oceans (GEBCO), DTU10, ETOPO1, and SIO V15.1. The results show that, in the discussed regions, the accuracy of the model is better than ETOPO1, GEBCO, and DTU10. Additionally, the model is comparable with V15.1, which is generally believed to have the highest accuracy. In the north-central Pacific Ocean, the accuracy of the model increased by approximately 29.5% compared with the V15.1 model. This indicates that a more accurate seafloor topography model can be formed by combining gravity anomalies, VGG, and ship soundings.     

Gravity field analysis of Sio Guyot: An isostatically compensated seamount in the Mid-Pacific Mountains

Positive gravity anomalies indicate two dense conduits or eruptive centers beneath the northern summit of Sio Guyot, western Mid-Pacific Mountains. The low amplitude of the positive anomalies and the gravity lows flanking the guyot can be explained by crust 2.5 times the normal Pacific Ocean crustal thickness extending to a depth of 22 ± 2 km. The excess mass of the seamount is 100% locally isostatically compensated by the mass deficit below; this compensation may result from flexural loading and voluminous sill injection near a former ridge-crest transform fault system trending roughly ENE and NNW.     

Gravity anomalies over inactive fracture zones in the central North Atlantic

The basement topography and the free-air gravity along two profiles in the central North Atlantic between 16° and 25° N, crossing a number of fracture zones, were divided in three wavelength intervals. Two-dimensional modelling shows that the short wavelength (>50 km) gravity is well explained by uncompensated topography (mainly spreading topography). For the long wavelengths (>200 km) there is no correlation of topography and gravity. In principle this topography is compensated. Residual anomalies comprise the Ridge effect as well as regional anomalies related to depth anomalies. The 50 to 200km band-pass filtered topography and gravity contain relevant information on fracture zones. Models require a base of the crust that parallels the topography rather than a form of regional compensation. For an explanation of this crustal model that has the appearance of frozen in normal faults we have to consider the typical morphology as created in the transform domain. The geophysical processes that cause this morphology are still an object of study.     

Identification of mantle and lithospheric components of the gravity field by isostatic gravity anomalies

All anomalous masses of the Earth are reflected in the free air gravity anomalies and the geoidal undulations. The low viscosity of the asthenosphere significantly reduces the possibility of existence of density inhomogeneities in the layer. This fact provides some physical basis for the separation of the gravity field anomalies. It has been shown by power spectrum analysis of the free air anomalies and gravity field of isostatically compensated model of the lithosphere for the North Atlantic and adjacent areas of America, Europe and Mediterranean, that the attraction of isostatically compensated model is significant for any wave length of the field. It causes significant error in the interpretation if long wavelength constituents of the free air gravity anomalies are considered as a field of deep anomalous masses. The isostatic anomalies und isostatic geoid are free from the influences of isostatically compensated lithosphere. The characteristic feature of the isostatic anomalies power spectrum is a pronounced minimum at the wavelength of about 1000 km. The relative homogeneity of the asthenosphere may explain this minimum. It means that principal density inhomogeneities of the Earth's interior are separated by the asthenospheric layer. Such a minimum has not been observed at the power spectrum of free air anomalies being masked by corresponding wavelength of the field of isostatically compensated lithosphere. Isostatic anomalies that reflect the differences between the real structure of the lithosphere and its isostatically compensated model have wavelengths less than 1000 km. Isostatic anomalies with the wavelength more than 1000 km reflect the attraction of density inhomogeneities situated under the level of isostatic compensation. The basic features of power spectrum of isostatic anomalies are the same for oceanic and continental areas. The method based on Kolmogorov-Wiener filtration which consideres statistical characteristics of the field has been developed to divide the isostatic gravity anomalies into lithosphere and mantle components. For the North Atlantic and adjacent areas the field of mantle inhomogeneities has been determined.     

Geotectonic imaging of the north-western European continent and shelf

Gridding and merging of onshore gravity and topography information from the British National Gravity and Topography Data Bank with offshore free-air gravity anomalies derived from SEASAT altimeter data and bathymetry from the National Geophysical Data Center (USA) has allowed, for the first time, the production of digital images for the north-western European continent and shelf (48°–62° lat., 348°-010° long.). Further, using image processing techniques, the images have been selectively filtered (using artificial illumination) to enhance both Caledonian and Variscan trends. As a large amount of terrestrially-acquired offshore gravity data already exists within the North Sea region, it has been possible to test the accuracy of the SEASAT derived free-air gravity anomaly data. Hence its use in geological and geophysical interpretations, by comparing the two. We conclude that while the derived (SEASAT) gravity trends are essentially correct, significant error may exist in the amplitude determination, especially where anomaly wavelengths are short and oceanographic components in the altimeter data are significant. The potential value of ‘geotectonic images’ is as an aid in recognising trends and relationships between geological and/or tectonic domains that are not generally apparent in the more conventional representations of these data (e.g. profile and contour maps). We offer interpretations for both the local free-air/Bouguer gravity anomalies in terms of the known geology of the British Isles and offshore regions, and the regional gravity anomalies in terms of the thermal and mechanical response of the north-western European lithosphere during Variscan compression (continental collision and thrust-sheet migration) and Palaeozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic rifting events (sedimentary basin formation).     

ENSO variability and the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) encompasses variability in both the eastern and western tropical Pacific. During the warm phase of ENSO, the eastern tropical Pacific is characterized by equatorial positive sea surface temperature (SST) and negative sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies, while the western tropical Pacific is marked by off-equatorial negative SST and positive SLP anomalies. Corresponding to this distribution are equatorial westerly wind anomalies in the central Pacific and equatorial easterly wind anomalies in the far western Pacific. Occurrence of ENSO has been explained as either a self-sustained, naturally oscillatory mode of the coupled ocean–atmosphere system or a stable mode triggered by stochastic forcing. Whatever the case, ENSO involves the positive ocean–atmosphere feedback hypothesized by Bjerknes. After an El Niño reaches its mature phase, negative feedbacks are required to terminate growth of the mature El Niño anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific. Four requisite negative feedbacks have been proposed: reflected Kelvin waves at the ocean western boundary, a discharge process due to Sverdrup transport, western Pacific wind-forced Kelvin waves, and anomalous zonal advections. These negative feedbacks may work together for terminating El Niño, with their relative importance being time-dependent.ENSO variability is most pronounced along the equator and the coast of Ecuador and Peru. However, the eastern tropical Pacific also includes a warm pool north of the equator where important variability occurs. Seasonally, ocean advection seems to play an important role for SST variations of the eastern Pacific warm pool. Interannual variability in the eastern Pacific warm pool may be largely due to a direct oceanic connection with the ENSO variability at the equator. Variations in temperature, stratification, insolation, and productivity associated with ENSO have implications for phytoplankton productivity and for fish, birds, and other organisms in the region. Long-term changes in ENSO variability may be occurring and are briefly discussed. This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific.     

Crustal analysis of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) from enhanced gravity mapping

To facilitate geological analyses of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) between Korea and Japan, shipborne and satellite altimetry-derived gravity data are combined to derive a regionally coherent anomaly field. The 2-min gridded satellite altimetry-based gravity predicted by Sandwell and Smith [Sandwell DT, Smith WHF (1997) J Geophys Res 102(B5):10,039–10,054] are used for making cross-over adjustments that reduce the errors between track segments and at the cross-over points of shipborne gravity profiles. Relative to the regionally more homogeneous satellite gravity anomalies, the longer wavelength components of the shipborne anomalies are significantly improved with minimal distortion of their shorter wavelength components. The resulting free-air gravity anomaly map yields a more coherent integration of short and long wavelength anomalies compared to that obtained from either the shipborne or satellite data sets separately. The derived free-air anomalies range over about 140 mGals or more in amplitude and regionally correspond with bathymetric undulations in the Ulleung Basin. The gravity lows and highs along the basin’s margin indicate the transition from continental to oceanic crust. However, in the northeastern and central Ulleung Basin, the negative regional correlation between the central gravity high and bathymetric low suggests the presence of shallow denser mantle beneath thinned oceanic crust. A series of gravity highs mark seamounts or volcanic terranes from the Korean Plateau to Oki Island. Gravity modeling suggests underplating by mafic igneous rocks of the northwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin and the transition between continental and oceanic crust. The crust of the central Ulleung Basin is about a 14–15 km thick with a 4–5 km thick sediment cover. It may also include a relatively weakly developed buried fossil spreading ridge with approximately 2 km of relief.     

基于滑动窗口导纳技术反演西太平洋中部岩石圈的有效弹性厚度

西太平洋中部地区是西太平洋板块边缘沟-弧-盆体系构造演化的关键区域,其地质特征与构造演化一直是地学家关注的焦点问题之一。开展岩石圈有效弹性厚度的研究对于认识该区域的形成演化具有重要的科学意义。本文采用滑动窗口导纳技术,并在挠曲模型中考虑了表面荷载和内部荷载同时存在的情况,计算得到该区域的岩石圈有效弹性厚度(Te)。计算结果显示,研究区的Te值整体上为0~50 km,其变化基本上与构造单元相吻合,且与主要的构造边界密切相关。除海底火山具有相对较小的Te值(15~20 km)外,太平洋板块整体上具有较强的岩石圈强度(25~30 km)。马里亚纳海沟和菲律宾海沟的岩石圈强度从外隆起到海沟方向表现为明显的减弱,表明岩石圈由外隆起向海沟发生了弱化。帕里西维拉海盆西部相较于东部具有较弱的岩石圈强度,这可能与海盆的非对称扩张有关。卡罗琳板块的岩石圈整体上表现为相对均一的低Te值特征(<15 km)。欧里皮克海隆、卡罗琳海岭和索罗尔海槽的Te值为3 km,这可能是强烈的火山作用所导致的结果。     

Three-dimensional SeaMARC II,gravity, and magnetics study of large-offset rift propagation at the Pito Rift,Easter microplate

We present results from a SeaMARC II bathymetry, gravity, and magnetics survey of the northern end of the large-offset propagating East Rift of the Easter microplate. The East Rift is offset by more than 300 km from the East Pacific Rise and its northern end has rifted into approximately 3 Ma lithosphere of the Nazca Plate forming a broad (70–100 km) zone of high (up to 4 km) relief referred to as the Pito Rift. This region appears to have undergone distributed and asymmetric extension that has been primarily accommodated tectonically, by block faulting and tilting, and to a lesser degree by seafloor spreading on a more recently developed magmatic accretionary axis. The larger fault blocks have dimensions of 10–15 km and have up to several km of throw between adjacent blocks suggesting that isostatic adjustments occur on the scale of the individual blocks. Three-dimensional terrain corrected Bouguer anomalies, a three-dimensional magnetic inversion, and SeaMARC II backscatter data locate the recently developed magmatic axis in an asymmetric position in the western part of the rift. The zone of magmatic accretion is characterized by an axis of negative Bouguer gravity anomalies, a band of positive magnetizations, and a high amplitude magnetization zone locating its tip approximately 10 km south of the Pito Deep, the deepest point in the rift area. Positive Bouguer gravity anomalies and negative magnetizations characterize the faulted area to the east of the spreading axis supporting the interpretation that this area consists primarily of pre-existing Nazca plate that has been block faulted and stretched, and that no substantial new accretion has occurred there. The wide zone of deformation in the Pito Rift area and the changing trend of the fault blocks from nearly N-S in the east to NW-SE in the west may be a result of the rapidly changing kinematics of the Easter microplate and/or may result from ridge-transform like shear stresses developed at the termination of the East Rift against the Nazca plate. The broad zone of deformation developed at the Pito Rift and its apparent continuation some distance south along the East Rift has important implications for microplate mechanics and kinematic reconstructions since it suggests that initial microplate boundaries may consist in part of broad zones of deformation characterized by the formation of lithospheric scale fault blocks, and that what appear to be pseudofaults may actually be the outer boundaries of tectonized zones enclosing significant amounts of stretched pre-existing lithosphere.     

太平洋海温异常对南海西南季风建立早晚的影响——数值模拟研究

利用9层15波全球大气环流谱模式研究了太平洋海温异常对南海西南季风建立早晚的影响作用.结果表明:西-中太平洋海温异常数值试验结果最能反映出南海西南季风爆发早、晚年4～5月份大气环流的差异特征.数值试验结果显示:西太平洋海温正(负)异常可导致西太平洋副高减弱(加强);中太平洋海温正(负)异常主要使得中太平洋上空的洋中槽减弱(加深);东太平洋海温正(负)异常可造成东太平洋赤道两侧高层环流产生反气旋性(气旋性)变化,孟加拉湾-南海-西太平洋热带地区出现东风(西风)异常,西太副高加强(减弱).可见西太平洋海温异常和东太平洋海温异常都可以对副高强弱变化产生明显影响,从而对南海西南季风建立早晚产生影响,只不过西太平洋海温异常的影响作用更为显著.西太平洋正(负)海温异常与中太平洋负(正)海温异常经常是同时出现的,其激发出的与向东传的Kelvin波和向西传的行星波相联系的环流异常为南海季风建立早(晚)提供有利的条件,因而这一海温分布型是影响南海西南季风建立早晚的重要影响因子.     

Tectonic implications of spatial variation of b-values and heat flow in the Aegean region

The Aegean region is tectonically a complex area characterized mainly by the subduction of African oceanic lithosphere beneath the Aegean continental lithosphere including extensional subbasins and mantle driven block rotations. In this study, spatial distribution of earthquakes, b-value distribution, and heat flow data have been analyzed to reveal the deep structural features of the Aegean region. b-value distributions show two low NE–SW and NW–SE trending b-anomaly zones in the western and eastern side of the Crete, implying slab tear within the Aegean slab. Earthquake foci distribution indicates that the Aegean slab steepens in the eastern side of the Crete, compared to its western side. Earthquake foci reach maximum depth of 180 km along the Cycladic arc axis, suggesting northward subducted slab geometry. The low seismic activities and high b-value anomalies within Aegean basin, except North Aegean Trough, can be compared to higher heat flow. We concluded that collision-induced westward mantle flow beneath Turkey followed by hard collision between Arabian-Eurasian continental plates played a major role in the evolution of clockwise rotational retreat of the Aegean slab and slab steepening to the east of the Crete.     

Anomalous eastward displacement of the tropical western Pacific warm pool and warming of the tropical eastern Pacific

INTRODUCTIONSincetheTOGA-COARElOP(October1992--March1993),usingthelOPdatamanyscientistshaveanalyzedthedifferenttimescaleair-seainteractionduringoccurringanddevelopingperiodof1992/1993EINifio,andespeciallyemphasizedtheintraseasonalvariation(Wuetal.,1993;Liu,1993;WuandSheng,1993).ThishasgottenanewunderstandingoftheEINino*ThisworkissupportedbytheNationalKeyProjectStudiesonShort-rangeClimatePredictionSysteminChinaundercontractNo.96--908-04-02--2.1.FirstinstituteofOceanography,S…     

热带西太平洋暖池异常东伸与热带东太平洋增温

本文利用“Climate Diagnostics Bulletin”、“Oceanographic Monthly Summary”、美国夏威夷水位中心提供的资料以及TOGA-COAREIOP资料,分析了1992～1993厄尔尼诺事件中西太平洋暖池、东太平洋SST对异常风场的响应,结果指出:由于西风暴发而引起的西太平洋暖水向东输送,不仅导致西太平详水位降低,而且导致温跃层显着升高,进而引起上层海水热含量显着减少,这种减少在温跃层更为明显.东太平洋与此相反,热含量与温跃层深度出现正距平,正距平中心出现时间比西太平洋的负距平均晚两个月;暖池28℃等温线的异常东伸是海流对低空西风异常直接响应的结果,定量估算表明,纬向流异常所引起的温度平流是暖池28℃等温线异常东伸的主要动力,是热带东太平洋异常增温的主要原因之一.     

Tectonic core of a sedimentary drift: a potential ridge propagation feature beneath the Blake Outer Ridge

The Blake Outer Ridge is a 480–kilometer long linear sedimentary drift ridge striking perpendicular to the North American coastline. By modeling free-air gravity anomalies we tested for the presence of a crustal feature that may control the location and orientation of the Blake Outer Ridge. Most of our crustal density models that match observed gravity anomalies require an increase in oceanic crustal thickness of 1–3 km on the southwest side of the Blake Outer Ridge relative to the northeast side. Most of these models also require 1–4 km of crustal thinning in zone 20–30 km southwest of the crest of the Blake Outer Ridge. Although these features are consistent with the structure of oceanic fracture zones, the Blake Outer Ridge is not parallel to adjacent known fracture zones. Magnetic anomalies suggest that the ocean crust beneath this feature formed during a period of mid-ocean ridge reorganization, and that the Blake Outer Ridge may be built upon the bathymetric expression of an oblique extensional feature associated with ridge propagation. It is likely that the orientation of this trough acted as a catalyst for sediment deposition with the start of the Western Boundary Undercurrent in the mid-Oligocene.     

Bathymetry enhancement by altimetry-derived gravity anomalies in the East Sea (Sea of Japan)

The gravity-geologic method (GGM) was used to enhance the bathymetry of the East Sea (Sea of Japan) with satellite altimetry-derived free-air gravity anomalies and shipborne depth measurements. By comparison with the bathymetry model of Smith and Sandwell’s (SAS) approach (1994), GGM was found to have an advantage with short wavelength (≤12 km) components, while SAS better predicts longer wavelength (≥25 km) components, despite its dependency on density contrast. To mitigate this limitation, a tuning density contrast of 10.25 g/cm³ between seawater and the seafloor was primarily estimated by the downward continuation method and then validated by the check points method with GGM. Similarly, SAS is limited by the “A” value in low-pass part of the Wiener filter, which defines the effective range of the wavelength components on bathymetry. As a final result, we present an enhanced GGM bathymetry model by integrating all available data.     

Geomagnetic anomaly pattern of the Japan Sea

Using all available geomagnetic data, including those obtained in a detailed survey conducted by the authors in 1970, the geomagnetic anomaly pattern if the Japan Sea has been studied. It has been established that sublinear magnetic anomalies run subparallel to the general trend of the Japanese Islands. The peak to peak amplitudes of most of these anomalies are less than 300y, their wavelengths 20 to 40 km. The anomalies are much less distinct in linearity than those found in the northwestern corner of the Pacific basin off northeastern Honshu. The linear trend is better developed in the deeper basin areas and less recognizable in the Yamato- and Kitayamato-areas. The anomaly pattern appears to support the view that the Japan Sea floor evolved through a spreading process from numerous spreading centers. A definite conclusion about the genesis of the Japan Sea, however, must await further investigation.     

2011年西北太平洋海平面异常及其与拉尼娜和负印度洋偶极子的联系

西北太平洋海平面异常模态在纯拉尼娜事件与拉尼娜和负印度洋偶极子（IOD）事件同时发生时表现出完全不同的形态。在纯拉尼娜事件期间,西北太平洋海平面呈现显著的正异常;而2010/2011拉尼娜事件期间西北太平洋海平面明显降低,呈显著的负异常,其与印度洋负IOD事件密切相关。研究结果表明,负IOD事件能在热带西太平洋驱动显著的西风异常,由此减弱了拉尼娜峰值期间西北太平洋海平面正异常。同时,在负IOD峰值期的9月,在日经线附近存在显著的风应力旋度正异常,激发负的海平面异常以Rossby波的形式向西传播,并在第二年6月抵达菲律宾以东海域,维持并加强该海域海平面负异常,进而对北赤道流分叉点位置及输运产生重要的影响。     

西太平洋副热带高压变化与赤道太平洋海温场的联系

通过对西太平洋副热带高压变化的多年统计分析,发现其具有明显的年际和年代际变化特征,副高面积和强度均存在3~4 a和11~14 a显著周期,副高西伸脊点存在3~5 a和准13 a显著周期。副高面积和强度变化基本一致,与赤道中东太平洋海表温度（SST）存在显著的正相关关系,西伸脊点与中东太平洋海表温度变化则存在负的相关关系。赤道太平洋不同经度的SST与副高变化存在明显的差异,赤道中太平洋SST异常与副高变化的关系最为密切,东太平洋相对偏弱,而西太平洋呈现相反的相关关系。由此可以认为,赤道中太平洋异常SST变化是影响副高变化的关键区域。根据它们之间存在的密切关系,通过回归分析,建立了它们二者之间的回归方程,对2013年春夏季副高的强度和西伸脊点位置变化进行了预测,为2013年我国汛期降水预测提供一定的参考。