Modeling of the thermal structure of continental lithosphere

The thermal structure of continental lithosphere (the temperature, heat flows, and heat generation in the crust and lithosphere) is reconstructed from geothermal, seismic, and petrologic data. The first step is the determination of the temperature profile from absolute P and S wave velocities (T _{P, S} ). The T _{P, S} profile is then adjusted to a thermophysical model of conductive transfer. In addition, the surface heat flow and the T _{P, S} profile are used to determine heat generation, thicknesses of crustal layers, and heat flow components in the crust and lithosphere. A feature inherent in the solution of the thermophysical inverse problem obtained in this paper is the use of constraints derived from the temperature reconstruction by seismic data inversion. As a result, the analytical dependence of the temperature on depth, the intensity of radiogenic heat sources in the crust, and heat flow components in the crust and lithosphere are determined.     

金星的地幔对流、岩石圈演化和表面更新

金星在大小、轨道半径等方面与地球非常接近,但现今的观测显示金星在大气、表面温度、重力与地形特征等方面与地球非常不同.对固体金星而言,最显著特征是有火山活动但没有活动的板块构造运动、表面平均大约500±200 Ma的年龄显示金星发生过全球性表面快速更新、重力与地形强相关.本文在简要介绍已有工作的基础上,主要介绍我们基于这些观测特征开展的金星动力学研究,包括现今地幔的对流模式、相变对表面更新的影响、地壳厚度、岩石圈演化与表面更新等研究工作和取得的初步认识.

     

地幔对流拖曳力对中国大陆岩石层变形的影响

采用较为符合实际岩石层变形的非线性幂指数本构关系,基于ANSYS有限元平台, 模拟了近20万年来中国大陆地区地表运动及演化过程,探讨了印度板块挤压作用和地幔对流拖曳力各自对于中国大陆地区地表形变运动格局的影响.模拟结果与观测数据的比较表明：在印度板块的挤压和地幔拖曳力联合作用下,中国及东亚大陆岩石层运动形变模式能够和现代GPS观测有较好的吻合; 印度大陆和欧亚大陆的碰撞以及印度大陆的持续向北推进、挤压所产生的应力环境,一直主导了以青藏高原为核心的我国西部地域岩石圈构造、运动和演化,但其影响随着远离青藏高原地区而逐渐变小;地幔对流产生的作用于岩石层底部的拖曳力是中国大陆（特别是远离碰撞带）岩石层运动构造变形的重要驱动力.然而在构造复杂和东部靠近太平洋板块的区域,模型预测结果和GPS观测还存在一定的差距,这说明在未来的中国大陆岩石层变形运动的数值模拟中,应当采用更为复杂的构造模型和驱动力因素.     

Effect of the oceanic lithosphere velocity on free convection in the asthenosphere beneath mid-ocean ridges

The paper presents results obtained in experiments on a horizontal layer heated from below in its central part and cooled from above; the layer models the oceanic asthenosphere. Flow velocity and temperature profiles are measured and the flow structure under boundary layer conditions is determined (at Rayleigh numbers Ra > 5 × 10⁵). The flow in the core of a plane horizontal layer heated laterally and cooled from above develops under conditions of a constant temperature gradient averaged over the layer thickness. The flow core is modeled by a horizontal layer with a moving upper boundary and with adiabatic bounding surfaces under conditions of a constant horizontal gradient of temperature. Exact solutions of free convection equations are found for this model in the Boussinesq approximation. Model results are compared with experimental data. Temperature and flow velocity ranges are determined for the boundary layer regime. Based on the experimental flow velocity profiles, an expression is found for the flow velocity profile in a horizontal layer with a mobile upper boundary heated laterally and cooled from above. Free convection velocity profiles are obtained for the asthenosphere beneath a mid-ocean ridge (MOR) with a mobile lithosphere. An expression is obtained for the tangential stress at the top of the asthenosphere beneath an MOR and the total friction force produced by the asthenospheric flow at the asthenosphere-lithosphere boundary is determined.     

Edge-driven convection and thinning of craton lithosphere: Two-dimensional thermal-mechanical modeling

Science China Earth Sciences - There are usually abrupt changes in lithospheric thickness at the boundaries between ancient cratons and adjacent young mobile belts. Lateral variations in...     

Modification of the Runcorn's equations on convection flows

Summary Runcorn's equations, which can be used to compute the stresses caused by convection flows from the outer gravity field, were transformed so that gravity anomalies or geoid heights can be employed as input data.

---

au aa, m n¶rt;m u n u mmu u anu, a uu nmau, u maua ma, m unam u¶rt; ¶rt; ¶rt;a, aauu u mmu uu mu¶rt;a.

     

Geodynamic model of upper mantle convection and transformations of the arctic lithosphere in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic

By interpretation of the complex geological and geophysical data and paleotectonic reconstructions based on the results of deep seismic tomography, a new deep geodynamic mechanism is developed to describe the formation and evolution of Amerasian and Eurasian basins, together with their adjacent geological structures of the Arctic region. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic transformations of the lithosphere in a number of regions of the Arctic Ocean are considered. The role and place of the upper-mantle convection is explored, and the chronology of the key structure-forming events is analyzed.     

Mantle plumes in the models of quasi-turbulent thermal convection

The process of multiple self-nucleation and ascent of mantle plumes is studied in the numerical models of thermal convection. The plumes are observed even in the simplest isoviscous models of thermal convection that leave aside the more complex rheology of the material, thermochemical effects, phase transformations, etc., which, although controlling the features of plumes, are not necessary for their formation. The origin of plumes is mainly due to the instability of the mantle flows at highly intense (low-viscous) thermal convection. At high viscosity, convective flows form regular cells. As viscosity decreases, the ascending and descending flows become narrower and unsteady. At a further decrease in viscosity, the ascending plumes assume a mushroom-like shape and occasionally change their position in the mantle. The lifetime of each flow can attain 100 Ma. Using markers allows visualizing the evolution of the shape of the mantle plumes.     

One thermal model of the young oceanic lithosphere: Direct problem

Summary The two-dimensional solution of the direct plate model of the oceanic lithosphere is computed for t ^1/2 dependences of its thickness using the multi-grid technique for the bilinear finite elements. If we assume the dependence of the lithospheric thickness on its age in the form h(t)=6·6t ^1/2 +7·5, then this model can roughly approximate the measured heat flow. In this model the horizontal conductive term is not negligible, the heat flow depends both on time and on the velocity of the sea-floor spreading which should be taken into account for the handling of heat flow measurements.

---

¶rt; u ¶rt; n a¶rt;au ¶rt; mu ¶rt;u au um auum mu m t ^1/2 . um mua muu¶rt;a ¶rt; uu m. u n¶rt;num auum mu m u u¶rt; h(t)=6.6t ^1/2 +7.5, m ma ¶rt; nuuum annuum a¶rt;a mn nm. m ¶rt;u numa ma mnn¶rt;mu; mn nm auum m u u m mu auu au ¶rt;a u, ¶rt;am, nu am uu mn nma a¶rt; umam uu mu auu.

     

中国陆地热岩石圈厚度及其地球动力学意义

依靠最新的中国大地热流数据、精细的地壳分层结构, 通过求解一维稳态热传导方程获得各个热流测量点对应的热岩石圈厚度, 通过克里金插值法绘制中国陆地热岩石圈厚度分布等值线图.计算结果表明, 中国陆地各构造区的热岩石圈厚度差异较大, 稳定的克拉通地区最厚, 可达200 km以上, 造山系次之, 多在100~200 km之间, 破坏的克拉通地区岩石圈最薄, 可以低于100 km. 通过对比三大克拉通地区的热岩石圈厚度和地震岩石圈厚度, 得出了四点认识: (1) 塔里木克拉通西部、中上扬子克拉通、华北克拉通西部以及南华北基本保留了稳定的克拉通巨厚岩石圈特征, 而华北克拉通东部的渤海湾盆地、下扬子克拉通以及塔里木克拉通东南部则发生了大规模的减薄; (2) 华北克拉通西部从鄂尔多斯向东北的银川—河套凹陷及向东南的汾渭凹陷的岩石圈厚度和流变边界层厚度逐渐变薄, 主要受控于地幔对流强度的增强; (3) 华北克拉通东部的南华北依然保持稳定, 而渤海湾的岩石圈厚度减薄显著, 体现了华北克拉通破坏在空间上的不均匀性; (4) 扬子克拉通自西向东岩石圈厚度和流变边界层厚度逐渐变薄, 可能受控于太平洋板块的俯冲, 和华北克拉通东部经历了相似的地球动力学过程.

     

利用大地测量和地热资料联合确定黑水—泉州地学断面东段岩石圈热及强度结构

黑水泉州地学断面因其所处的特殊地理位置和所受复杂地球动力学机制的影响,而备受地学界的关注.但要弄清控制岩石圈动力机制的重要影响因素之一——热动力,还需对岩石圈的热结构有更细致的研究.地热学研究作为一种独立的地球物理学方法,在地球内部结构及地球动力学研究中发挥着越来越重要的作用.根据地热资料来研究地球深部热结构是一种最为直接有效的方法,但是,我国地热资料的相对匮乏严重阻碍了地热研究的进展.本文将引入地形、重力等大地测量观测资料作为约束条件,基于岩石圈均衡原理,综合地热和重力学方法联合确定黑水泉州地学断面东段岩石圈热结构,弥补了传统地热研究方法的不足.基于黑水泉州地学断面岩石圈二维温度分布结果,本文计算了该岩石圈的强度分布,并对其岩石圈的热结构和流变结构特征展开了分析和讨论.     

On the onset of thermal convection in slowly rotating fluid shells

Abstract

The problem of the removal of the degeneracy of the patterns of convective motion in a spherically symmetric fluid shell by the effects of rotation is considered. It is shown that the axisymmetric solution is preferred in sufficiently thick shells where the minimum Rayleigh number corresponds to degree l = 1 of the spherical harmonics. In all cases with l > 1 the solution described by sectional spherical harmonics Y^l _l (θ,φ) is preferred.     

Large aspect ratio cells in two-dimensional thermal convection

Numerical experiments have been carried out on two-dimensional thermal convection, in a Boussinesq fluid with infinite Prandtl number, at high Rayleigh numbers. With stress free boundary conditions and fixed heat flux on upper and lower boundaries, convection cells develop with aspect ratios (width/depth) λ? 5, if heat is supplied either entirely from within or entirely from below the fluid layer. The preferred aspect ratio is affected by the lateral boundary conditions. If the temperature, rather than the heat flux, is fixed on the upper boundary the cells haveλ ≈ 1. At Rayleigh numbers of 2.4 × 10⁵ and greater, small sinking sheets are superimposed on the large aspect ratio cells, though they do not disrupt the circulation. Similar two-scale flows have been proposed for convection in the earth's mantle. The existence of two scales of flow in two-dimensional numerical experiments when the viscosity is constant will allow a variety of geophysically important effects to be investigated.     

渭河盆地岩石圈热结构与地热田热源机理

岩石圈热结构是盆地现今地温场研究的重要延伸和扩展,是了解大陆岩石圈构造变形及演化等大陆动力学问题的重要窗口,更是地热田热源机理研究的核心问题.本次工作,在系统分析渭河盆地现今地温场和水动力系统基础上,编制了渭河盆地大地热流分布等值线图;通过实测生热率等热物性参数,利用一维稳态热传导方程计算了研究区岩石圈热结构,并分析了渭河盆地岩石圈热结构特征和地热田热源机理.结果表明,渭河盆地现今大地热流值分布范围为62.5~80.2 mW·m-2,平均为70.8±4.8 mW·m-2,西部明显高于东部,西安坳陷最高,咸礼凸起次之;渭河断裂并不是控热断裂,其沟通作用引起的水热循环一定程度上影响了浅部热量再分配,对渭河盆地地温场并没有起到明显的控制作用.西安坳陷-咸礼凸起地壳热流介于32.2~37.5 mW·m-2之间,平均为34.6 mW·m-2;地幔热流分布范围为33.8~38.9 mW·m-2,平均为36.0 mW·m-2;地壳热流和地幔热流的总体变化趋势一致,西安坳陷高于咸礼凸起,分析认为西安坳陷沉积层厚度大于后者,且沉积层放射性生热率更大,是造成西安坳陷地壳热流高于咸礼凸起的原因,而西安坳陷相比咸礼凸起更高的地幔热流,表明西安坳陷深部活动性强于咸礼凸起.西安坳陷和咸礼凸起地壳/地幔热流比值相近,介于0.93~1.01之间,平均为0.96,"热"岩石圈厚度约为95~101 km.渭河盆地岩石圈热结构特征与鄂尔多斯盆地在很大程度上具有相似性,暗示着二者具备相似的深部稳定性,这与渤海湾盆地为代表的中国东部中-新生代主动裂谷盆地岩石圈热结构特征截然不同,表明渭河盆地为被动伸展裂陷.从鄂尔多斯盆地、渭河盆地、山西裂谷到华北盆地,"热"岩石圈厚度的有序变化表明太平洋板块俯冲引起的地幔对流对华北地块深部动力学行为的影响主要发生在太行山以东,而太行山以西的鄂尔多斯盆地和渭河盆地则影响甚微,这种空间差异影响从侧面暗示着华北克拉通破坏过程的有序性.综合分析渭河盆地地质-地球物理资料认为,岩石圈表层伸展破裂、深部重力均衡调整进而引起软流圈被动上涌,其产生的相对高地幔热流的热传导和深大断裂沟通的水体热对流相互叠加作用,共同构成了渭河盆地中-低温地热田的热源机理.     

Anisotropic turbulent thermal diffusion and thermal convection in a rapidly rotating fluid sphere

Estimates of the molecular values of magnetic, viscous and thermal diffusion suggest that the state of the Earth’s core is turbulent and that complete numerical simulation of the geodynamo is not realizable at present. Large eddy simulation of the geodynamo with modelling of the sub-grid scale turbulence must be used. Current geodynamo models effectively model the sub-grid scale turbulence with isotropic diffusivities larger than the molecular values appropriate for the core. In the Braginsky and Meytlis (1990) picture of core turbulence the thermal and viscous diffusivities are enhanced up to the molecular magnetic diffusivity in the directions of the rotation axis and mean magnetic field. We neglect the mean magnetic field herein to isolate the effects of anisotropic thermal diffusion, enhanced or diminished along the rotation axis, and explore the instability of a steady conductive basic state with zero mean flow in the Boussinesq approximation. This state is found to be more stable (less stable) as the thermal diffusion parallel to the rotation axis is increased (decreased), if the transverse thermal diffusion is fixed. To examine the effect of simultaneously varying the diffusion along and transverse to the rotation axis, the Frobenius norm is used to control for the total thermal diffusion. When the Frobenius norm of the thermal diffusion tensor is fixed, it is found that increasing the thermal diffusion parallel to the rotation axis is destabilising. This result suggests that, for a fixed total thermal diffusion, geodynamo codes with anisotropic thermal diffusion may operate at lower modified Rayleigh numbers.     

Parameterized thermal model of a mixed mantle convection

IntroductionTectonicevolutionisinfluencedbythermalhistoryoftheEarth.TheEarthhasabout4.6Gahistory.ThermalenergyfromtheinterioroftheEachprovidesthemainpowerfortectonicevolution.ItnotonlycontrolstheformationofthelayeredstructuresinsidetheEarth,butalsopromotesthetectonicmovementsofthesurfaceplatesduringthegeologicalera.ThestudyofthethermalhistoryoftheEarthhaspassedseveralstages.Inearlystudies,onlyconductivemechanism(Lubimova,1958)isdiscussedinthethermalevolution.However,theimpotalceofthermalco…     

Geoid and topography of Venus in various thermal convection models

Important though indirect information about the internal structure of Venus is provided by its topography and geoid. In the last decades this information has been used to constrain the Venus mantle viscosity structure and its dynamic regime. Recently, the geodynamic inversion of the Venus?? geoid and topography resulted in a group of best fitting viscosity profiles. We use these viscosity models here as an input to our mantle convection code. We carry out simulations of the Venus?? mantle evolution in a 3D spherical shell with depth dependent viscosity and check whether the character of the dynamic topography and the geoid represented by their power spectra fits the observed quantities. We compare the results with several other models obtained for different viscosity stratifications (constant, constant with highly viscous lithosphere, linear increase of viscosity). Further, we estimate the effect of other factors such as internal heating and varying Rayleigh number. We use a 2D spherical axisymmetric convection code to study the effect of lateral viscosity variations. In these 2D models we monitor the topography and the geoid developing above the axisymmetric plume and compare them with the observed elevations of Venus?? geoid and topography in several Regia. Though none of the models fits observed data perfectly, we can generally conclude, that the best fit between the observed and predicted quantities is reached for viscosity profiles with 200 km thick lithosphere followed by a gradual increase of viscosity with depth and with the upper mantle viscosity of 2 × 10 ²¹ Pa s. For all viscosity profiles the predicted geoid and topography spectra match the observed ones only up to the degree 40, thus indicating other than dynamic origin of these quantities for higher degrees.     

南海三维热岩石圈结构及地表构造响应

为系统了解南海海底热流特征和岩石圈热结构与地表构造的关系,本文首先以最新海底热流为约束,采用三维数值模拟方法计算得到整个南海的"热"岩石圈底部边界（底界）的埋深,然后开展详细分析壳、幔热流贡献以及岩石圈热结构与地表不同构造单元之间的对应关系.结果显示南海岩石圈底部边界埋深为30~100 km,最浅埋深集中分布在南海海盆水深大于3000 m的区域（如南海西北次海盆、西南次海盆和东部次海盆西侧）,以及南海北部陆缘中部、莺歌海盆地、中建南盆地和南薇西盆地,体现了南海深部结构对地表不同构造单元的控制作用;靠近海盆东侧的马尼拉海沟具有较低的海底热流,对应岩石圈底界埋藏也较深,可能与南海和古南海洋壳俯冲有关;吕宋岛弧（119°E-122°E和13°N-17°N）表现出较高的海底热流,同时具有较浅的热岩石圈底界埋深,可能与南海板块和菲律宾海板块双向俯冲有关.