Shear velocity and Vp/Vs ratio structure of the crust beneath the southern margin of South China continent

We here present the results of the inverse modeling of crustal S-phases recorded from a 400-km-long seismic profile, with azimuth nearly N30W, from Lianxian, near Hunan Province, to Gangkou Island, near Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, in the southern margin of South China continent. The finding in this case is that many shot gathers provided by this wide-angle seismic experiment show relatively strong reflected and refracted S-phases, in particular some crustal refractions (Sg waves) and Moho reflections (SmS waves or simply Sm waves). The P-wave velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle was already obtained through the interpretation of vertical-component shot gathers. Now, with constraints introduced by the P-wave velocity architecture and after picking up S-wave traveltime data on the seismograms, we have obtained the S-velocity model of the crust by adjusting these traveltimes but keeping the geometry of the crustal reflectors. Our results demonstrate: (1) the average crustal S-velocity is about 3.64 km/s to the northwest of the Wuchuan-Sihui fault, and 3.62 km/s to the southeast of this fault; (2) relatively constant S-velocity of about 3.42 km/s for the upper crust, 3.55 km/s for the middle crust and laterally varying shear velocity around 3.82 km/s for the lower crust; (3) correspondingly, Vp/Vs ratio is 1.73 for the upper crust, 1.71 for the middle crust and 1.74 for the lower crust. Both shear velocities and Vp/Vs ratio correlate well with the major active faults that break the study area, and show significant changes especially in the upper crust. High Poisson’s ratio (1.8) is observed at shallow depth beneath the Minzhong depression to the southeast of the Wuchuan-Sihui fault and the Huiyuan depression in the southern margin of South China continent. In contrast, a very low Vp/Vs ratio (1.68) is observed between 8 and 14 km depth beneath Huiyuan. At deeper depth, a high Vp/Vs ratio (1.76) is observed in the lower crust beneath the Minzhong depression.     

Granulite facies xenoliths from the Yuhuashan complex,central Jiangxi,South China: constraints on Late Palaeozoic orogeny and middle‐lower crust components

The Cretaceous Yuhuashan igneous complex contains abundant xenoliths of high‐grade metamorphic rocks, with the assemblage garnet ± hypersthene + biotite + plagioclase + K‐feldspar + quartz. The biotite in these samples has high TiO₂ (>3.5%), indicating high‐T metamorphism (623–778 °C). P–T calculations for two felsic granulites indicate that the peak metamorphism took place at 880–887 °C and 0.64–0.70 GPa, in the low pressure/high temperature (LP‐HT) granulite facies. Phase equilibrium modelling gives equilibrium conditions for the peak assemblage of a felsic granulite of >0.6 GPa and >840 °C, consistent with the P–T calculations, and identifies an anticlockwise P–T–t path. LA‐ICPMS U–Pb dating of metamorphic and detrital zircon from one xenolith reveals that the granulite facies metamorphism took place at 273.6 ± 2.2 Ma, and the protolith was a sedimentary rock deposited later than 683 Ma. This represents the first Late Palaeozoic (Variscan) granulite facies event identified in the South China Block (SCB). Coupled with other geological observations, the LP‐HT metamorphic conditions and anticlockwise P–T–t path suggest that Variscan metamorphism probably occurred in a post‐orogenic or intraplate extensional tectonic setting associated with the input of external heat, related to the underplating of mantle‐derived magma. Based on P–T estimates and the comparison of the protolith composition with mid‐ to low‐grade metamorphic rocks in the area, it is suggested that the mid‐lower crust under the Xiangshan–Yuhuashan area consists mainly of these felsic granulites and gneisses, whose protoliths were probably subducted to these depths during the Early Palaeozoic orogeny in the SCB, and underwent two episodes of metamorphism during Early Palaeozoic and Late Palaeozoic time.     

华南地壳及上地幔三维速度结构成像

利用国家地震科学数据共享中心的地震目录及临时台网资料,挑选出11 113个区域地震的77 093条P波走时和93 541条S波走时,采用1°×1°的经纬度网格划分,反演获得了深至60km的华南南部地区的地壳及上地幔三维P波和S波的速度结构。研究结果表明,纵波速度结构与横波速度结构从整体来看具有较好的一致性,说明该研究获得的深部速度结果具有较高的可信性,但是在50km的深度纵、横波速度结构的一致性较差,可能是由于该深度的纵横波走时数据存在着较大的差异所导致的。本研究显示了研究区域内的速度结构存在着明显的横向不均匀性,东南沿海地区的地壳中出现了大规模的低速异常,可能与该区地幔物质的上涌有关;而在珠江三角洲、雷州半岛、北部湾及海南岛等地区莫霍面下方出现的低速异常,则与该区的热运动有关。经分析认为,华南南部地壳及上地幔的速度不均匀性和华南板块与扬子地块的相互作用有关,因此开展进一步研究能为探索和分析华南再造以及中国南海北部的构造演化提供重要信息。     

太行山中生代板内造山作用与华北大陆岩石圈巨大减薄

近年来,华北大陆岩石圈巨大减薄成为国际地学界关注的焦点之一,但对其减薄的时间、机制仍然知之甚少。约束条件的多解性和表面上相互矛盾的证据导致了对区域构造发展史的模糊认识。笔者认为,华北板内造山过程是理解岩石圈巨大减薄机制的关键,因为华北岩石圈是在造山带而不是在克拉通基础上开始减薄过程的。岩石圈减薄过程可以划分为拆沉减薄、伸展减薄、热减薄和化学侵蚀减薄4种类型。前者依赖于岩石圈重力不稳定性,是一种突变过程;后三者取决于软流圈挤出构造,属于渐变过程。减薄过程主要始于120~110Ma的拆沉减薄,其标志是造山后脉岩组合的形成。亚洲大陆软流圈的多阶段汇聚过程造成软流圈向东挤出,是中国东部中新生代以来岩石圈持续减薄的重要基础。因此,大陆动力学与大洋最重要的区别之一就是大陆岩石圈经常发生减薄作用,特别是拆沉作用,并由此将软流圈系统区分为浅部混染系统和深部纯净系统,火成岩的地球化学属性主要取决于岩浆起源的深度。     

江西宜黄强过铝质S型花岗岩成因及其对华南早古生代陆内造山运动的制约

宜黄花岗岩位于江西省中部宜黄县东南部,属武夷地块,主要岩石类型为二云母二长花岗岩。锆石U-Pb同位素测年表明,宜黄岩体形成于448 Ma。岩石具有高的SiO2、K2O、稀土元素总量(ΣREE=164.29×10 -6~256.66×10 -6)、CaO/Na2O值、A/CNK(1.23~1.45)、Rb/Sr值,以及低的P2O5、TiO2、TFeO/MgO、Al2O3/TiO2、Nb、Sr等值;轻稀土元素相对富集((La/Yb)N=12.02~34.43),具有中等负Eu异常(δEu=0.38~0.77),低εNd (t)值(-8.22~-13.93),高(87Sr/86Sr)i=(0.71283~0.72410)。锆石176Hf/177Hf值为0.28155~0.28250,εHf(t)值为-33.15~10.45。全岩Nd同位素二阶段模式年龄为1.99~2.31 Ga,锆石Hf同位素二阶段模式年龄为1.24~3.48 Ga。上述特征表明,宜黄花岗岩具有与强过铝质S型花岗岩类似的特征。宜黄花岗岩中黑云母富含Fe、Mg、Ti;白云母Ti、Al、Na含量高,Fe含量低。综合锆石饱和温度计、黑云母地质温度计、白云母地质压力计、锆石Ce异常等,宜黄花岗岩可能为华南元古宙地壳长石石英质岩石在高温、中等压力(9.5 kbar)和低氧逸度条件下部分熔融而成。在华南早古生代陆内造山作用的背景下,岩石圈拆沉作用引发上涌的地幔岩浆提供热,使华南元古宙地壳岩石发生部分熔融,形成宜黄花岗岩。     

Shallowing of mafic crust and seismic instability in the high velocity Indian Shield

Indian shield has been frequented by number of large and moderate magnitude damaging earthquakes since historical times, including the recent disastrous ones like Latur Mw 6.3 in 1993, Jabalpur Mw 5.8 in 1997 and Bhuj Mw 7.7 in 2001. Seismogenesis of these events is still not understood well. Detailed study of nine such earthquake localities (as appended in Table 1), indicates quite high P- and S- velocities (6.2–6.7 km/s and 3.65–3.90 km/s respectively) at a shallow depth of almost surface to six kilometers. These seismogenic regions appear to be in a state of continuous uplift and erosion since geological times, which brought mafic (granulitic/amphibolitic) crust to significantly shallow levels in which stresses are accummulated due to ongoing local uplift and a high input of heatflow from the mantle. These stresses act over and above to the regional compressive stresses generated by India-Eurasia collision. As against common belief, the role played by fluids in nucleation of such earthquakes, in the relatively denser and high velocity Indian crust (compared to the other global stable continental regions), appears limited.     

Structure of the Cobar Basin,New South Wales,based on seismic reflection profiling

The Cobar Basin in central western New South Wales is a mineral‐rich Early Devonian basin typical of those that characterize the Siluro‐Devonian history of the Lachlan Orogen of southeastern Australia. One hundred and seventy kilometres of seismic profiling in three lines across the basin have shown it to be asymmetrical in shape with an east‐dipping western margin that is steeper than the moderately west‐dipping eastern margin. Maximum basin thickness is around 6 km, but there are significant thickness changes, especially from south to north, which reflect the effect of synsedimentary faulting. Seismic profiling suggests that the basin deformed by thin‐skinned tectonics; postulated strike‐slip effects were not visible on the sections. The seismic profiling has, for the first time, imaged the western synrift basin margin which is generally not exposed. Strain variations during deformation along this edge were taken up by the formation of a major jog ('dog‐leg') which has propagated into the basin as a tear fault. Intrabasinal tears, as well as thrusts, which link into one or more detachments, provide potential pathways for mineralizing fluids during basin inversion.     

华夏地块中部宽频地震剖面深部速度结构研究

华夏地块处于欧亚板块、太平洋板块和菲律宾海板块相互作用的前沿.我国著名的南岭成矿带和武夷成矿带均位于华夏地块内.已有的研究认为,南岭和武夷的成矿作用可能与中生代晚期岩浆岩的底侵有关.为研究深部速度结构,本研究在2017年7月至2020年8月期间布设了一条横跨南岭成矿带与武夷成矿带的宽频地震测线.该测线共有81个流动台站...     

中国大陆密度和地震波速扰动异常的年龄属性研究

大陆动力学研究需要物质随空间和时间的变化的信息。三维密度和地震波速度扰动图像反映岩石圈物质的空间分布,要和大地构造学中的时间尺度信息综合起来,才能恢复动力学作用的过程。本文通过对比不同构造期的构造图和地壳不同深度的地球物理性质图像,研究中国大陆密度以及地震波速度扰动和构造事件的相关度。研究表明,岩石圈地幔的密度和波速扰动和现今板块构造的相关度是高的,说明岩石圈地幔的密度大黏度高,不仅地震波速快得多,物质蠕动的速度也比下地壳慢得多,板块运动产生的变形保存时间比较久。中国大陆中地壳的密度扰动和白垩纪以来的构造事件的相关度是高的,说明中地壳的密度扰动主要反映了白垩纪以来的构造事件。中国大陆上地壳结晶基底的密度扰动和侏罗纪以来的构造事件的相关度是高的,说明上地壳的密度扰动可以反映燕山期的构造事件。对于中国大陆而言,下地壳的波速变化和板块构造没有明显的相关性;不过下地壳深层的密度扰动也反映新构造期的构造事件。其原因可能是因为下地壳的物质黏度比较低,物质蠕动的速度比岩石圈地幔快得多,板块运动产生的变形不容易保存。总之,应用不同深度的密度扰动图像分别推测不同地质时期的地壳构造运动发生的地点和范围是可...     

TOPO-OZ: Insights into the various modes of intraplate deformation in the Australian continent

As the fastest, lowest, flattest and amongst the most arid of continents, Australia preserves a unique geomorphic record of intraplate tectonic activity, evidencing at least three distinct modes of surface deformation since its rapid northward drift commenced around 43 million years ago. At long wavelengths (several 1000s km) systematic variations in the extent of Neogene marine inundation imply the continent has tilted north–down, southwest–up. At intermediate-wavelengths (several 100s km) several undulations of ~ 100–200 m amplitude have developed on the 1–10 myr timescale. At still shorter wavelengths (several 10s km), fault related motion has produced local relief at rates of up to ~ 100 m/myr over several million years. The long-wavelength, north–down tilting can be related to a dynamic topographic effect associated with Australia's northward drift from the geoid low, dynamic topography low now south of the continent to the geoid high, dynamic topography low centred above the south-east Asian and Melanesian subduction zones. The short wavelength, fault-related deformation is attributed in time to plate-wide increases in compressional stress levels as the result of distant plate boundary interactions and, in space, in part to variations in the thermal structure of the Australian lithosphere. At the intermediate wavelengths, transient, low amplitude undulations can be ascribed to either lithospheric buckling or the development of instabilities in the thermal boundary layer beneath the lithosphere. In the latter case, topographic asymmetries suggest the Australian lithosphere is moving north with respect to the mantle beneath, providing a unique attribution to the progressive alignment of seismic anisotropy and absolute plate motion observed near the base of the Australian lithosphere.     

华南扬子与华夏陆块古-中元古代基底地壳微量元素地球化学示踪探讨

从早期宙以垂向分异增长为主的思路出发,将华南扬子陆块和华夏陆块变质基底中相似岩类（陆源碎屑岩、变基性火山岩夹层和晋宁期花岗岩类）作为研究对象,选择了相容性接近的７对元素（Ｒｂ／Ｃｓ、Ｓｒ／Ｂａ、Ｔｈ／Ｕ、Ｎｂ／Ｔａ、Ｚｒ／Ｈｆ、Ｐｄ／Ｐｔ和Ｃｒ／Ｎｉ）作为示踪手段,对华南大陆古－中元古代基底的物源特征和后期演化进行了探讨,得出了几点初步认识：（１）扬子、华夏两陆块前元古宙“原始”地壳具有相近的物质     

华南陆块陆内成矿作用的一些科学问题

华南陆块由扬子地块和华夏地块组成,是全球罕见的世界级多金属成矿省,成矿潜力巨大。华南陆块的形成和演化,受到了很有特色的陆内大陆动力学过程的影响,其中的晚古生代地幔柱成矿系统、中生代大面积低温成矿系统、中生代大花岗岩省成矿系统等陆内成矿系统,在全球背景中很有特色,是全球研究陆内成矿作用的理想基地。对华南陆块地质历史时期的大陆动力学过程如何制约上述成矿作用的发生,以往已开展不同程度的研究并取得重要成果。笔者在论述这些研究进展的基础上,提出了三大成矿系统需要进一步研究的一些科学问题。     

A metamorphic perspective on foreland flexure during intraplate orogeny: evidence for the involvement of weak lithosphere

Constraining depth–temperature conditions of syn‐orogenic burial metamorphism of syn‐orogenic sediments in a foreland basin provides an innovative way to investigate the thermomechanical state of the lithosphere. In central Australia, major intraplate deformation resulted in 10 km of syn‐orogenic sedimentation in a basin approximately 70 km wide. The deep level of burial in the foreland of the intraplate orogen requires the involvement of weak lithosphere with an elastic thickness of ≤20 km. The profound flexural response of the foreland region indicates that major intraplate deformation in central Australia was localised into a region of dramatically weakened lithosphere.     

A three dimensional perspective on the evolution of Archaean crust: LITHOPROBE seismic reflection images in the southwestern Superior province

15011993

Abstract

In 1990–1991 the LITHOPROBE project completed 450 km of seismic reflection profiles across the late Archaean crust of the southwestern Superior province. The results define a broad three-fold division of crust: upper crust in the Abitibi greenstone belt is non-reflective and is a 6–8 km veneer of volcanic and plutonic supracrustal rocks, whereas, in the sediment-gneiss dominated Pontiac subprovince, upper crust comprises shallow northwest-dipping turbidite sequences; mid-crust, in both the Abitibi and the Pontiac subprovinces, is interpreted as imbricate sequences of metasedimentary and metaplutonic rocks; lower crust in both subprovinces has a horizontal layer parallel strycture which may represent interleaved mafic-intermediate gneisses. The seismic signature of the northern Abitibi greenstone belt may be represented in an exposed 25 km crustal section in the Kapuskasing stuctural zone.

Preliminary tectonic models based on the seismic data are consistent with a plate-tectonic scenario involving oblique subduction and imbrication of sedimentary, plutonic and volcanic sequences. The northern Abitibi supracrustal sequences either represent an allochthon, or overlie an allochthonous underthrust metasedimentary and plutonic sequence which may be equivalent to a metasedimentary subprovince such as the Pontiac or Quetico.

Seismic velocities have yet to be defined. However, crustal thicknesses are relatively constant at 35–40 km. The thinnest crust is adjacent to the Grenville Front where Moho is very well defined.     

Neoproterozoic bimodal magmatism in the Cathaysia Block of South China and its tectonic significance

SHRIMP U–Pb zircon age, geochemical and Sm–Nd isotopic results are reported for the Mamianshan volcanic rocks in the Cathaysia Block of southeastern South China. The Mamianshan volcanic rocks are bimodal in composition and are dominantly transitional to mildly alkaline basalts and subordinate alkaline rhyolite, with an eruption age of 818 ± 9 Ma. The basaltic samples are characterized by LREE-enriched and “humped” trace element patterns, similar to many alkali basalts in continental rifts. Variable ɛNd(T) values between +3.33 and −4.35 indicate that the primary magma of these basalts was derived from an OIB-like mantle source and underwent fractional crystallization plus crustal contamination. The rhyolitic rocks are highly enriched in Th, Ta, Nb, REE, Zr, Hf and Y and depleted in Sr, P, Eu and Ti, sharing affinity to A₁-type granites. Combined with their slightly positive ɛNd(T) values (+0.22 to +0.92), the Mamianshan felsic rocks were most likely generated by partial melting of the regional Paleoproterozoic Mayuan amphibolites. The Mamianshan bimodal volcanic rocks in the Cathaysia Block are coeval with the widespread intraplate magmatism around the Yangtze Block. Our results support the idea that a coherent South China Craton was formed during the ca. 1.0 Ga Sibao orogeny, and it subsequently underwent extensive continental rifting related to mantle plume or superplume activities beneath Rodinia since ca. 825 Ma.     

南海东北部及其邻近地区地壳上地幔P波速度结构

利用中国地震台网和ISC台站记录的P波到时数据,采用球坐标系有限差分地震层析成像方法反演了南海东北部及其邻近地区壳幔三维P波速度结构,并分析了不同地质单元的构造差异及其深部特征。结果表明:南海东北部表现出陆架地区的岩石层特性,属于华南大陆向海区的延伸,岩石层厚度较大,现今不存在大规模的地幔热流活动,推测大陆边缘张裂作用仅限于地壳内部而没有延伸进入上地幔,具有非火山型大陆边缘的深部特点。中央海盆附近上地幔P波速度明显降低,与海盆下方地幔热流活动密切相关。不同的速度异常特征表明:华南大陆暨台湾地区属于欧亚大陆的正常地壳或是与菲律宾海板块相互作用产生的增厚型地壳,冲绳海槽则是弧后扩张产生的减薄型地壳。滨海断裂带作为华南大陆高速异常和南海北部高速异常的分界,代表了一定地质时期华南地块和南海地块的拼合边界。断裂附近的上地幔低速异常揭示了闽粤沿海岩浆作用的深层动力机制。吕宋岛弧、马尼拉海沟、东吕宋海槽的速度异常与其所处的特殊构造位置有密切的关系,清晰地反映出岛弧俯冲带的地壳结构差异;台湾南部至吕宋岛弧的上地幔低速异常揭示了两个重要火山链的深部构造特征,北吕宋海脊下方100 km深度的条带状高速异常有可能代表了俯冲下沉的岩石层板片。     

琼东南海域天然气水合物地震反射特征

天然气水合物是一种新能源,目前,世界上许多国家都在进行天然气水合物研究。琼东南盆地是天然气水合物可能赋存的重点目标区,笔者针对琼东南海域二维地震资料进行以突出含天然气水合物地层地震反射特征为目的的处理,进一步识别含天然气水合物地层地震反射特征与分布。通过应用地震资料保幅处理技术,对该海域含天然气水合物地层地震反射特征,如似海底反射( BSR)、BSR强反射界面之上的高速异常带、BSR附近的振幅空白带、BSR的极性反转等,有了更多的认识,对开展全区含BSR特征研究有借鉴意义。     

Low velocity layer characterization in the Niger Delta: Implications for seismic reflection data quality

The problems of poor data quality and statics in seismic surveys have been attributed to lack of proper understanding of the low velocity layer characteristics of the area from which such data was acquired. Downhole seismic refraction survey was therefore conducted at twenty (20) borehole locations within parts of Niger Delta, Nigeria to determine the low velocity layer characteristics of the area using the Geometrics Stratavisor NZ11 instrument. The data was processed using Udysys software with spatial representation of the results presented. Static corrections were carried out on reflection seismic data acquired from the study area using Geoscribe II software to determine the effects of the low velocity layer on reflection seismic data in the area. Results of the study revealed that the velocity of the low velocity layer ranged between 144 and 996m/s with a regional average of 407m/s. The thickness of the low velocity layer varied between 3.0 and 9.6m with a mean value of 5.0m. Similarly, the velocity of the consolidated layer ranged between 1449 and 1812m/s with a mean value of 1738m/s. Results of the static correction carried out on the seismic reflection data revealed a substantial improvement in the resolution of the data after static correction. Based on these findings, it is therefore, recommended that shots for reflection seismic survey should be located at a minimum depth of 9.6m in the area to eliminate the effects associated with the low velocity layer.     

New constraints on the current stress field and seismic velocity structure of the eastern Yilgarn Craton from mechanisms of local earthquakes

The Yilgarn Craton has hosted some of the largest earthquakes within the Australian continent in the last 100 years. Earthquakes have mainly been studied in the western part of the craton, and are thought to result from the reactivation of Precambrian structures in an E–W compressive regional stress field imposed by plate-scale processes. Here we present moment tensor solutions for three recent moderate-sized earthquakes around the town of Kalgoorlie that are inconsistent with E–W compression, but instead suggest E–W extension in the eastern Yilgarn Craton. Waveforms of earthquakes at Boulder (M_W = 4.0, 20 April 2010), Kalgoorlie (M_W = 4.3, 26 February 2014) and Coolgardie (M_W = 3.9, 31 October 2014) were inverted for moment tensors. All three earthquakes were shallow (centroid depth ≤4 km) normal-faulting events that occurred along roughly N–S-striking planes, either with a steep westward or a relatively shallow eastward dip. The robustness of the retrieved mechanisms has been thoroughly tested, employing different earth models, assuming different locations for the earthquakes and using different period bands for the inversion. The fit of synthetic long-period waveforms to the observations was in all cases substantially improved by assuming a two-layered crust with high S wavespeeds (about 3.9–4 km/s) overlying substantially slower material. Since there is independent evidence from active source profiles for a P velocity increase between the upper and lower crust, a large difference in v_p/v_s ratio between upper and lower crust is the only way to explain both lines of evidence. This vertical contrast could represent a dominance of felsic material in the upper crust, and substantially more mafic material in the lower crust. Taken together, our results also appear to imply that the regional stress field is E–W extensive in the Kalgoorlie area, and possibly for the entire Kalgoorlie Terrane. This is contrary to current assumptions from continent-scale stress modelling. That the orientations of rupture planes roughly align with the regional structural grain could indicate that Archean structures are reactivated in response to the current stress field.     

Comparison of element abundance between the exposed crust of the continent of China and the global averaged upper continental crust: Constraints on crustal evolution and some speculations

Based on the results of a study of regional element abundance in eastern China and the 1:200 000 geochemical surveys in northern Xinjiang, the element geochemical characteristics of the exposed crust in 23 tectonic units of the continent of China are summarized. Compared with the global average abundance of the upper continental crust, the exposed crust of the continent of China is compositionally more evolved than the upper crust of the island arc, but less evolved than the mature Precambrian Canadian shield. The exposed crust of the North China and Yangtze platforms has a lower SiO₂ content, but markedly higher CaO and MgO contents due to the presence of widespread carbonate strata, which suggests that we should not neglect the contribution of carbonate rocks in the study of the exposed crust and the element abundance of the upper crust. In comparison with two recently published average compositional models of the global upper continental crust, the exposed crust of the continent of China is depleted in Au, Hg, Mo, Sn, and W, which suggests that their abundance in the present global models is overestimated. The exposed crust of the North China platform and the Qinling-Dabieshan fold belt to its south has lower μ(²³⁸U/²⁰⁴Pb) values (<8), but other regions of the continent of China exhibit much higher μ values, which implies that the low μ feature of the North China platform and its adjacent regions does not have global significance. Considering the apparent lateral variation in composition of the exposed crust for the tectonic units of the continent of China, there is no adequate reason to take the average upper crust compositional model of the North China platform and its adjacent regions as a reliable composition representative for Chinese and global upper continental crust composition. Translated from Geological Bulletin of China, 2005, 24(10–11): 906–915 [译自: 地质通报]