Cratons have a long history of evolution. In this paper, applications of the magnetotelluric method used in the study of craton lithosphere over the past 30 years were reviewed, examining case studies of cratons in North America, South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The nuclei of the Archean cratons, for example the Kalahari Craton and Rae Craton, are usually characterized by thick and highly resistive lithospheric roots. During or after the formation of the cratons, tectonothermal events, such as collision, mantle plume, and asthenosphere upwelling led to the formation of high-conductivity zones in the craton lithosphere, which could be attributed to the increased hydrogen content (of nominally anhydrous minerals), higher iron content, and formation of graphite films or sulfides along the grain boundary of minerals. These conductive zones are characterized by resistivity discontinuities in craton lithosphere. In particular, the conductive zones include (1) large-scale lithospheric mantle conductors beneath the Slave Craton, Gawler Craton, and central part of North China Craton(Trans-North China Orogen); (2) near-vertical high-conductivity zone associated with the fossil subduction zone beneath the Dharwar Craton and Slave Craton; and (3) regional lateral electrical discontinuities, such as a conductive anomaly under the Bushveld Complex of the Kaapvaal Craton. The eMoho refers to the electrical discontinuity in the crust-mantle boundary. In existing research, this has been detected under the condition of extremely high lithospheric resistivity with only a slight decrease in the lower crust, and in the case of a very thin conductive lower crust or the lack thereof. In the resistivity model, the unique “mushroom-like” lower crust-lithosphere mantle conductor and very thin lower crust layer of the North China Craton may represent lithosphere destruction and/or thinning. We also find that some of the cratons are still not well understood. Therefore, extensive three-dimensional inversion and joint interpretation of geochemical, geophysical, and geologic data are necessary to understand the tectonic evolutionary history of craton lithosphere.
This paper introduces the scale-depth law of multi-scale wavelet analysis for regional gravity data processing, and presents the results of its application to Central Asia for computation of the 3D crustal density structures. The wavelet analysis method is applied for characterizing 3D crustal density structure, producing five maps of density disturbance corresponding to different depths of equivalent layers in the crust. The results provide important evidence for the study of crustal structures and mass movement in Central Asia: (i) the small-scale and intensive linear density disturbances in the upper crust indicate Phanerozoic orogenic belts; (ii) there exists a horseshoe-shaped low-density belt in the middle crust coinciding with the Kazakhstan orocline; (iii) there is a very low density zone in the lower crust, extending from western Kunlun to Tianshan, probably indicating a lower-crust flow; (iv) there are a few lowdensity spots in the middle crust, which might be caused by low-density mass squeezing upward from the lower crust flows. 相似文献
The deeply buried river‐connected Xishan karst aquifer (XKA) in western Beijing, China, has been suffering from diminishing recharge for several decades, which in turn leads to the disappearing of spring water outflows and continuously lowering of groundwater level in the area. Thus, it is important to correctly recognize the groundwater recharge and flow paths for the sustainable development of the XKA. To investigate these issues, the hydrochemical and isotopic compositions are analysed for both surface water and groundwater samples collected over an area of about 280 km2. Results show that (a) the river water is characterized by high Na contents; (b) the δ2H and δ18O values in the river water are distinctively higher than those of groundwater samples, after experiencing the long‐time evaporative enrichment in the upstream reservoir; (c) the Sr concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of groundwater clearly indicated the interaction between water and carbonate minerals but excluded the water–silicate interaction; and (d) the groundwater samples in the direct recharge area of the XKA have the lowest Na concentrations and the δ2H and δ18O values. Based on the large differences in the Na contents and 18O values of groundwater and surface water, a simple two‐component mixing model is developed for the study area and the fractions of the river water are estimated for groundwater samples. We find that the distribution pattern of the river water fractions in the XKA clearly shows a change of directions in the preferential flow path of the groundwater from its source zone to the discharge area. Overall, our results suggest that the recharged surface water can be a useful evidence for delineating the groundwater flow path in river‐connected karst aquifer. This study improves our understanding of the heterogeneity in karst groundwater systems. 相似文献