地幔对流与岩石层板块的相互耦合及影响──（Ⅰ）球腔中的自由热对流

板块运动是地幔对流的主要证据之一．同时，作为地球动力系统中一个相对独立部分，板块自身的存在和运动对地幔内部物质的流动形态有巨大影响．地幔内部的流动由两部分组成：一是由内部非绝热温度差异造成的自由对流解；另一部分是由在地表运动的板块所激发．作为系列工作的第一部分，本文研究球腔中的自由热对流问题．得到了对地幔对流研究有实际意义的下边界为自由、上边界为刚性情况下的临界瑞利数值，不同的瑞利数时球腔内流场和温度场的分布形态等．     

地震波速度约束的大横向黏度变化的地幔对流研究

本文将横向黏度变化提高到3个量级,获得了地震波速度结构约束下的大横向黏度变化的地幔浅部的极型场和环型场对流图像.与小横向黏度变化下的结果相比,本文的结果具有显著的改善.对极型场对流图像,主要体现在本文结果能更清楚地解释太平洋板块、大洋洲和南美洲以及东太平洋洋中脊处的现今运动状态;对环型场对流图像,能更合理地解释北太平洋...     

板块绝对运动及地幔热对流

本文以板块绝对运动AM1-2模型为边界条件探讨了不同的瑞利数下地幔热对流模型.结果表明,瑞利数小于10000（529.41）时,地幔对流呈现以板块驱动图式,运动的极型场和环型场由板块运动激发,两种场占有差不多相同的功率.当瑞利数增加到接近或略超过最低临界值时（约1.5倍）,对流呈现出复杂状态:1.板块运动速率小于下伏地幔对流速率;2.区域性的双层对流环出现;3.对流谱成分发生变化;4.环型场仅在地幔很浅的区域中起作用,而在地幔深部对流图式中影响很小.     

三维地震波速结构约束下的变黏度地幔对流及其动力学意义

建立了三维黏度扰动下的变黏度地幔对流模型,并提供了在引入地幔的三维地震波速度结构下相应的求解方法. 依此反演了瑞利数Ra = 106时,两种不同边界条件下的极、环型场对流图像,这有助于深化对地幔物质流动和大地构造运动的深部动力学过程的认识和理解. 研究结果表明,不但地幔浅部的极型场对流图像显示出了与大地构造运动的相关性并揭示了其深部动力学过程,更重要的是,地幔浅部的环型场对流图像首次为我们认识和理解板块构造的水平与旋转运动提供了重要的信息：环型场速度剖面中在赤道附近存在一条大致南东东—北西西向的强对流条带,可能与环赤道附近大型剪切带的形成相关,进而表明可能是该带强震发生的深部动力学背景;在南北半球存在的旋转方向相反的对流环表明它们整体上可能存在差异旋转.     

地幔对流与岩石层板块的相互耦合及影响──（Ⅱ）地幔混合对流理论及其应用

观测到的板块运动包含两种能量分布几乎相等的运动形态：极型场和环型场．纯粹的由热驱动的地幔自由对流不能预期和解释环型运动的产生．本文提出地幔混合对流理论，既考虑了热驱动的自由对流，也考虑了由板块自身激发的强迫对流．根据板块处于动力学平衡状态的观测事实，建立了相应的模型．数值结果表明，根据混合对流模型所预期的板块速度场，既能产生极型场，也能产生环型场，而且在空间分布特征及功率谱分布上与观测资料符合相当好．地幔物质的上升流动基本和洋脊对应，而下降流动和俯冲带对应．     

地幔对流与岩石层板块的相互耦合及影响──（Ⅱ）地幔混合对流理论及其应用

观测到的板块运动包含两种能量分布几乎相等的运动形态：极型场和环型场．纯粹的由热驱动的地幔自由对流不能预期和解释环型运动的产生．本文提出地幔混合对流理论，既考虑了热驱动的自由对流，也考虑了由板块自身激发的强迫对流．根据板块处于动力学平衡状态的观测事实，建立了相应的模型．数值结果表明，根据混合对流模型所预期的板块速度场，既能产生极型场，也能产生环型场，而且在空间分布特征及功率谱分布上与观测资料符合相当好．地幔物质的上升流动基本和洋脊对应，而下降流动和俯冲带对应．     

横向黏度变化的全地幔对流应力场初步研究

将地幔地震波速度异常转换为地幔横向黏度变化(达到3个数量级),在球坐标系下计算了瑞雷数为106、上边界为刚性、下边界为应力自由等温边界条件下的岩石层底部的地幔对流极型和环型应力场.结果表明,地幔对流极型应力场与地表大尺度构造具有良好的对应关系:俯冲带和碰撞带的应力呈现挤压状态,而洋中脊处的应力则呈现拉张状态.地幔对流环...     

地幔对流环型场的激发(Ⅰ)

讨论了地幔内部的粘滞度及施加在地表和CMB 的边界条件对地幔对流环型场的激发分析表明,当粘滞度侧向均匀时,环型场与极型场自然解耦,且环型场不影响重力位,当粘滞度侧向不均时,环型场与极型场耦合在一起.两者共同影响重力位.当引入板块运动速度时,边界条件非零,也能激发环型场;对侧向均匀粘滞度地幔,零边界条件不能激发环型场     

A dynamo model with double diffusive convection for Mercury's core

A recent dynamo model for Mercury assumes that the upper part of the planet's fluid core is thermally stably stratified because the temperature gradient at the core–mantle boundary is subadiabatic. Vigorous convection driven by a superadiabatic temperature gradient at the boundary of a growing solid inner core and by the associated release of light constituents takes place in a deep sub-layer and powers a dynamo. These models have been successful at explaining the observed weak global magnetic field at Mercury's surface. They have been based on the concept of codensity, which combines thermal and compositional sources of buoyancy into a single variable by assuming the same diffusivity for both components. Actual diffusivities in planetary cores differ by a large factor. To overcome the limitation of the codensity model, we solve two separate transport equations with different diffusivities in a double diffusive dynamo model for Mercury. When temperature and composition contribute comparable amounts to the buoyancy force, we find significant differences to the codensity model. In the double diffusive case convection penetrates the upper layer with a net stable density stratification in the form of finger convection. Compared to the codensity model, this enhances the poloidal magnetic field in the nominally stable layer and outside the core, where it becomes too strong compared to observation. Intense azimuthal flow in the stable layer generates a strong axisymmetric toroidal field. We find in double diffusive models a surface magnetic field of the observed strength when compositional buoyancy plays an inferior role for driving the dynamo, which is the case when the sulphur concentration in Mercury's core is only a fraction of a percent.     

Small-scale magnetic buoyancy and magnetic pumping effects in a turbulent convection

We determine the nonlinear drift velocities of the mean magnetic field and nonlinear turbulent magnetic diffusion in a turbulent convection. We show that the nonlinear drift velocities are caused by three kinds of the inhomogeneities; i.e., inhomogeneous turbulence, the nonuniform fluid density and the nonuniform turbulent heat flux. The inhomogeneous turbulence results in the well-known turbulent diamagnetic and paramagnetic velocities. The nonlinear drift velocities of the mean magnetic field cause the small-scale magnetic buoyancy and magnetic pumping effects in the turbulent convection. These phenomena are different from the large-scale magnetic buoyancy and magnetic pumping effects which are due to the effect of the mean magnetic field on the large-scale density stratified fluid flow. The small-scale magnetic buoyancy and magnetic pumping can be stronger than these large-scale effects when the mean magnetic field is smaller than the equipartition field. We discuss the small-scale magnetic buoyancy and magnetic pumping effects in the context of the solar and stellar turbulent convection. We demonstrate also that the nonlinear turbulent magnetic diffusion in the turbulent convection is anisotropic even for a weak mean magnetic field. In particular, it is enhanced in the radial direction. The magnetic fluctuations due to the small-scale dynamo increase the turbulent magnetic diffusion of the toroidal component of the mean magnetic field, while they do not affect the turbulent magnetic diffusion of the poloidal field.     

Nonlinear free thermal convection in a spherical shell:A variable viscosity model

Introduction The velocity field of surface plate motion can be split into a poloidal and a toroidal parts.At the Earth′s surface,the toroidal component is manifested by the existence of transform faults,and the poloidal component by the presence of convergence and divergence,i.e.spreading and subduc-tion zones.They have coupled each other and completely depicted the characteristics of plate tec-tonic motions.The mechanism of poloidal field has been studied fairly clearly which is related to …     

Subduction tectonics vs.plume tectonics——Discussion on driving forces for plate motion

Plate tectonics describes the horizontal motions of lithospheric plates,the Earths outer shell,and interactions among them across the Earths surface.Since the establishment of the theory of plate tectonics about half a century ago,considerable debates have remained regarding the driving forces for plate motion.The early"Bottom up"view,i.e.,the convecting mantledriven mechanism,states that mantle plumes originating from the core-mantle boundary act at the base of plates,accelerating continental breakup and driving plate motion.Toward the present,however,the"Top down"idea is more widely accepted,according to which the negative buoyancy of oceanic plates is the dominant driving force for plate motion,and the subducting slabs control surface tectonics and mantle convection.In this regard,plate tectonics is also known as subduction tectonics."Top down"tectonics has received wide supports from numerous geological and geophysical observations.On the other hand,recent studies indicate that the acceleration/deceleration of individual plates over the million-year timescale may reflect the effects of mantle plumes.It is also suggested that surface uplift and subsidence within stable cratonic areas are correlated with plumerelated magmatic activities over the hundred-million-year timescale.On the global scale,the cyclical supercontinent assembly and breakup seem to be coupled with superplume activities during the past two billion years.These correlations over various spatial and temporal scales indicate the close relationship and intensive interactions between plate tectonics and plume tectonics throughout the history of the Earth and the considerable influence of plumes on plate motion.Indeed,we can acquire a comprehensive understanding of the driving forces for plate motion and operation mechanism of the Earth's dynamic system only through joint analyses and integrated studies on plate tectonics and plume tectonics.     

Plate-kinematic Constraints from Mantle Bénard Convection

General kinematic implications for plate tectonics are determined for Rayleigh-Bénard convection of the mantle. The continuum of all possible configurations of Bénard polygons is probed by large random samples of global configurations (450,000 to 54,000,000), for each of which the Euler poles are determined on the basis of viscous coupling across the asthenosphere. Two computationally related methods lead first, to Euler pole restrictions for fourteen plates, and second, to restrictions on the Bénard cell configuration. Result No. 1: Euler poles occur in global preference-patterns, which are determined exclusively by the shape of the plate. The observational HS2-NUVEL1 model poles occur near regions preferred by Bénard convection (Eurasia excluded); the agreement is best for the most accurate observational poles. Result No. 2: Seven specific mantle Bénard cells are indicated by present-day plate motions. The upwelling centers correlate with hotspot domains; the major global subduction zones correlate with Bénard model downwelling. This result is independent of the Euler pole accuracy used in its determination, and is consistent with the distribution of low seismic p-wave propagation velocities determined by tomography, and with shear-wave splitting analysis within the asthenosphere. Conclusions: The results suggest that the bulk mantle is divided into less than ten Bénard convection cells globally (cf., Fohlmeister and Renka, 2002), each of which extends from the asthenosphere to the core-mantle boundary; turbulent flow, and other perturbations of the Bénard kinematics appear to be limited. These primally poloidal flow kinematics provide basal shear forces as a major component in driving plate tectonics, and are specifically configured for the directions of plate motions. The Bénard model is incomplete without a dynamic contribution from the lithosphere, which represents a separate convection layer of the distinct polar kinematics of rigid plates. The complete hybrid mechanism for driving plate tectonics includes lithospheric buoyancy dynamics, specifically from the subducting Pacific plate slabs to compensate for plate-slowing due to the back-flow sector of the Hawaiian convection cell, and collision-drag dynamics principally for smaller plates or continental margins.     

A preliminary study of the effects of some flow parameters in the generation of poloidal and toroidal energies within a 3-D spherical thermal-convective system with variable viscosity

The effects of variable viscosity on flow dynamics within spherical shells are investigated using a finite-element thermal convection model, and preliminary result for cases with relatively low Rayleigh numbers and small viscosity contrasts are reported. These results demonstrate some general effects of viscosity variation on mantle dynamics, and, in particular, the generation of toroidal energy. Since lateral viscosity variations are necessary in the generation of toroidal motion in a thermally driven convective system, it is not surprising our results show that flows with greater viscosity contrasts produce greater amounts of toroidal energy. Our preliminary study further shows that solutions become more time-dependent as viscosity contrasts increase. Increasing the Rayleigh number is also found to increase the magnitude of toroidal energy. Internal heating, on the other hand, appears to lead to less toroidal energy compared wth bottom heating because it tends to produce a thermally more uniform interior and thus smaller viscosity variations.     

Hotspots,mantle convection and plate tectonics: A synthetic calculation

A model is developed that unifies vigorous hotspots with global-scale mantle convection and plate tectonics. The convection dynamics are assumed to generate flow patterns that emerge as closely packed polygonal cells in approaching the asthenosphere, and whose geometry is completely determined by a defining set of vigorous hotspots. Overlying viscously coupled rigid plates are driven with unique velocities (Euler vectors) at which the area integral of the shear forces is zero; these velocities are dynamically stable. The computed plate velocities, resulting from convection based on 15 hotspots, are compared with the velocities of plate motion models AM1-2 (Minster andJordan, 1978) and HS-NUVEL1 (Gripp andGordon, 1990), which combine transform fault geometries, magnetic anomalies and seismic data. The comparison shows a striking agreement for a majority of the plates. Geophysical implications of this numerical exercise are discussed.     

Slab pull,mantle convection,and Pangaean assembly and dispersal

Two global-scale mantle convection cells presently exist on Earth, centred on upwelling zones in the South Pacific Ocean and northeast Africa: one cell (Panthalassan) contains only oceanic plates, the other (Pangaean) contains all the continental plates. They have remained fixed relative to one another for >400 Ma. A transverse (Rheic–Tethyian) subduction system splits the Pangaean cell. Poloidal plate motion in the oceanic cell reflects circumferential pull of Panthalassan slabs, but toroidal flow in the Pangaean cell, reflected by vortex-type motion of continents toward the Altaids of central-east Asia throughout the Phanerozoic, has resulted from the competing slab-pull forces of both cells. The combined slab-pull effects from both cells also controlled Pangaean assembly and dispersal. Assembly occurred during Palaeozoic clockwise toroidal motion in the Pangaean cell, when Gondwana was pulled into Pangaea by the NE-trending Rheic subduction zone, forming the Appalachian–Variscide–Altaid chain. Pangaean dispersal occurred when the Rheic trench re-aligned in the Jurassic to form the NW-trending Tethyside subduction system, which pulled east Gondwanan fragments in the opposite direction to form the Cimmerian–Himalayan–Alpine chain. This re-alignment also generated a new set of (Indian) mid-ocean ridge systems which dissected east Gondwana and facilitated breakup. 100–200-Myr-long Phanerozoic Wilson cycles reflect rifting and northerly migration of Gondwanan fragments across the Pangaean cell into the Rheic–Tethyian trench. Pangaean dispersal was amplified by retreat of the Panthalassan slab away from Europe and Africa, which generated mantle counterflow currents capable of pulling the Americas westward to create the Atlantic Ocean. Thermal blanketing beneath Pangaea and related hotspot activity were part of a complex feedback mechanism that established the breakup pattern, but slab retreat is considered to have been the main driving force. The size and longevity of the two cells, organised and maintained by long-lived slab-pull forces, favours deep mantle convection as the dominant circulation process during the Phanerozoic.     

How valid are dynamic models of subduction and convection when plate motions are prescribed?

A detailed comparison between fully dynamic and kinematic plate formulations has been made in models of mantle convection. Plate velocity is computed self-consistently from fully dynamic plate models with temperature- and stress-dependent viscosity and preexisting mobile faults. In fully dynamic models, the flow is driven solely by internal buoyancy, while in kinematic models the flow is driven by a combination of the prescribed surface velocity and internal buoyancy. Only a temperature-dependent viscosity, close to the effective viscosity determined from the fully dynamic models, is used in the kinematic models. The two types of models give very similar temperature structures and slab evolutionary histories when the effective viscosity and surface velocity are nearly identical. In kinematic plate models, the additional work introduced by the prescribed velocity boundary condition is apparently dissipated within the lithosphere and has little influence on the convection under the lithosphere. In models with periodic lateral boundary conditions, slabs sink into the lower mantle at an oblique angle and this contrasts with the vertical sinking which occurs with reflecting boundary conditions. Models show that we can simulate fully dynamic models with kinematic models under either periodic boundary conditions or reflecting boundary conditions.     

Episodic tectonic plate reorganizations driven by mantle convection

Periods of relatively uniform plate motion were interrupted several times throughout the Cenozoic and Mesozoic by rapid plate reorganization events [R. Hey, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88 (1977) 1404-1420; P.A. Rona, E.S. Richardson, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 40 (1978) 1-11; D.C. Engebretson, A. Cox, R.G. Gordon, Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 206 (1985); R.G. Gordon, D.M. Jurdy, J. Geophys. Res. 91 (1986) 12389-12406; D.A. Clague, G.B. Dalrymple, US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1350 (1987) 5-54; J.M. Stock, P. Molnar, Nature 325 (1987) 495-499; C. Lithgow-Bertelloni, M.A. Richards, Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 (1995) 1317-1320; M.A. Richards, C. Lithgow-Bertelloni, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 137 (1996) 19-27; C. Lithgow-Bertelloni, M.A. Richards, Rev. Geophys. 36 (1998) 27-78]. It has been proposed that changes in plate boundary forces are responsible for these events [M.A. Richards, C. Lithgow-Bertelloni, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 137 (1996) 19-27; C. Lithgow-Bertelloni, M.A. Richards, Rev. Geophys. 36 (1998) 27-78]. We present an alternative hypothesis: convection-driven plate motions are intrinsically unstable due to a buoyant instability that develops as a result of the influence of plates on an internally heated mantle. This instability, which has not been described before, is responsible for episodic reorganizations of plate motion. Numerical mantle convection experiments demonstrate that high-Rayleigh number convection with internal heating and surface plates is sufficient to induce plate reorganization events, changes in plate boundary forces, or plate geometry, are not required.     

Evolution of the deformation and stress patterns of the East Asia continent under multi-driving force

Introduction Seismological observation and all kinds of ways of geodesy measurement imply that there is significant correlation between crustal movement and seismic activity (MEI, 1993). Therefore, it is very important to get the materials of the continental crust deformation and the patterns of stress field for the studying of the mechanism and prediction of the continental strong earthquake. Data of the continental deformation and patterns of stress field can be mainly obtained by the follo…     

地幔对流的数值模拟及其与表面观测的关系

本文从基本的热对流方程出发,并结合地幔对流特点,特别考虑到自重及非线性影响,探讨地幔对流及其与表面观测的关系,发展了相应的数值方法.结果表明,计算得到的长波大地水准面、地表地形、板块速度场水平散度与观测值符合程度较好.上、下地幔的非绝热温度异常与由地震层析得到的地震波速异常显示一定的相关性.地幔内部的流动呈现复杂形态,反映了高瑞利数对流的特征.