Geochemical characteristics of a pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust fragment from the Central Pontides in northern Turkey: Geodynamic implications on intra-oceanic subduction initiation

The Central Pontides (northern Turkey) is one of the key localities to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Palaeo- and Neotethyan oceans. It consists of the pre-Jurassic basement units, the Early Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous accretionary complexes, the widespread Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatics and the Late Jurassic to Tertiary cover units. The Early Cretaceous accretionary complex is represented by the Central Pontide Structural Complex and includes the Middle Jurassic oceanic units, which were metamorphosed during the Early Cretaceous. Apart from these oceanic units, a few metaophiolite and serpentinite fragments have been recognized within the basement units, which may represent the remnants of an older ocean. The pre-Middle Jurassic Devrekani Metaophiolite is the largest oceanic fragment and tectonically intercalated within/between the Devrekani Metamorphics and the Çangaldağ Metamorphic Complex. It is mainly composed of harzburgites, dunites with chromite veins and metagabbros, and cut by metabasaltic andesites and metadacites. Petrographically, the gabbro consists mainly of plagioclase and clinopyroxene, and displays phaneritic/porphyritic texture. In contrast, the metabasaltic andesite includes plagioclase and mica phenocrysts within a fine-grained groundmass. Also, the metadacite is composed predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and mica minerals. Two different magmatic groups belonging to completely different tectono-magmatic settings have been geochemically determined based on the immobile trace element systematics. The metadacites and metabasaltic andesites are akin to continental arc magmatics and characterized by negative Nb and Ta anomalies and depleted HFSE relative to Th and La contents. However, the metagabbro samples display the geochemical signatures of boninitic rocks and characterized by highly depletion in HFSEs and REEs relative to N-MORB. The Devrekani Metaophiolite in the Central Pontides may represent another remnant of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust generation and can be north-eastward continuation of the Permian-aged Almacık complex and the Boğazköy Metaophiolite fragment in the western Sakarya Composite Terrane. It may have been cut by intrusions of the extensive Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatism after its imbrication within the basement unit. The presence of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic units may indicate that the Paleozoic ocean may have survived as the Jurassic Intra-Pontide Ocean between the Scythian Platform and Sakarya Composite Terrane during the Mesozoic time. Thus, the Intra-Pontide Suture may normally include the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic remnants of the long-lived northward subducting Tethyan ocean.     

中尺度涡冷暖特征的推导

为了从理论上解释中尺度涡旋冷暖性质与涡旋旋转方向的关系,本文基于中尺度涡的几何特征,做出如下假设：中尺度涡具有对称的几何形态,涡旋中海洋要素沿径向具有线性化变化的特征。从原始方程组出发,利用柱坐标系和上述假设条件,略去耗散力,推导出了中尺度涡的一些冷暖特征,论证气旋式中尺度涡对应冷涡和反气旋式中尺度涡对应暖涡的涡旋冷暖特征与部分涡旋的观测不符的现象。结果表明,中心对称的形式可以作为对中尺度涡的几何特征的一个理想的形态近似,在考虑上述假设条件的理想环境下,柱坐标系在研究中尺度涡的几何性质上具有一定的优势。     

Organic Geochemistry of the Early Jurassic Oil Shale from the Shuanghu Area in Northern Tibet and the Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event

This paper presents new geological and geochemical data from the Shuanghu area in northern Tibet, which recorded the Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event. The stratigraphic succession in the Shuanghu area consists mostly of grey to dark-colored alternating oil shales, marls and mudstones. Ammonite beds are found at the top of the Shuanghu oil shale section, which are principally of early Toarcian age, roughly within the Harplocearasfalciferrum Zone. Therefore,the oil shale strata at Shuanghu can be correlated with early Toarcian black shales distributing extensively in the European epicontinental seas that contain the records of an Oceanic Anoxic Event. Sedimentary organic matter of laminated shale anomalously rich in organic carbon across the Shuanghu area is characterized by high organic carbon contents, ranging from 1.8% to 26.1%. The carbon isotope curve displays the δ^13C values of the kerogen (δ^13Ckerogen) fluctuating from -26.22 to -23.53‰ PDB with a positive excursion close to 2.17‰, which, albeit significantly smaller, may also have been associated with other Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) in Europe. The organic atomic C/N ratios range between 6 and 43, and the curve of C/N ratios is consistent with that of the δ^13Ckerogen values. The biological assemblage,characterized by scarcity of benthic organisms and bloom of calcareous nannofossils (coccoliths), reveals high biological productivity in the surface water and an unfavorable environment for the benthic fauna in the bottom water during the Oceanic Anoxic Event. On the basis of organic geochemistry and characteristics of the biological assemblage, this study suggests that the carbon-isotope excursion is caused by the changes of sea level and productivity, and that the black shale deposition, especially oil shales, is related to the bloom and high productivity of coccoliths.     

扎河坝蛇绿混杂岩内富铌玄武(安山)岩的地球化学特征及其地质意义

在新疆北部东准噶尔的扎河坝蛇绿混杂岩中发现的富铌玄武（安山）岩,其SiO₂含量介于46.71%~57.65%,TiO₂含量为1.00%~1.76%,与太古代绿岩带内富铌玄武（安山）岩相似,Na₂O含量为3.86%~6.64%,P₂O₅为0.34%~0.82%,明显高于太古代绿岩带富铌玄武（安山）岩。扎河坝富铌玄武岩铌含量介于7.22×10^-6~21.91×10^-6之间,大于7×10^-6,与典型的富铌玄武岩相同。该岩石轻重稀土元素分馏较明显,其分布模式为无明显铕至弱负铕异常的右倾曲线。尽管铌的绝对含量较高,但由于钍和轻稀土元素更加富集,在微量元素蛛网图中扎河坝富铌玄武（安山）岩仍表现为铌的明显亏损,同时高场强元素Zr、Hf及Ti也表现出一定程度的亏损。微量元素地球化学特征显示,扎河坝蛇绿混杂岩内富铌玄武（安山）岩形成于古亚洲洋的洋内弧,它是被埃达克质岩浆交代的地幔楔橄榄岩部分熔融的产物,同时大洋沉积物及俯冲板块释放的流体对成岩作用也有一定的贡献。富铌玄武（安山）岩作为弧前增生楔定位在扎河坝蛇绿混杂岩体内,与早前报道的超高压变质岩共存表明,该蛇绿混杂岩体至少记录了两次性质不同的古亚洲洋洋壳俯冲,这更进一步证实新疆北部晚古生代新增陆壳是古亚洲洋多次俯冲作用的产物。     

Drifting and Meandering of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in the Bay of Bengal: Role of Oceanic Rossby Waves

Olive Ridley turtles in the Bay of Bengal are previously thought to migrate southward from their nesting ground, along the east coast of India (Orissa coast), towards Sri Lanka. Surprisingly, three of the four Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) attached turtles in April-June 2001 meandered off the east coast of India for about two months. It is found that these turtles meandered at the peripherals of cold core cyclonic eddy surrounded by warm core eddies on either side. Concentrations of prey for the turtles in those frontal regions are known to be abundant. Only one of the four PTT attached turtles migrated to the south along the frontal regions in the direction of geostrophic currents. It is found that the locations of these thermal fronts in the Bay of Bengal are primarily determined by the Oceanic Rossby waves and local Ekman pumping.     

The impact of meso-scale eddies on the Subtropical Mode Water in the western North Pacific

Based on the temperature and salinity from the Argo profiling floats and altimeter-derived geostrophic velocity anomaly (GVA) data in the western North Pacific during 2002–2011, the North Pacific Subtropical Mode Water (NPSTMW) distribution is investigated and cyclonic and anti-cyclonic eddies (CEs and AEs) are constructed to study the influence of their vertical structures on maintaining NPSTMW. Combining eddies identified by the GVA data and Argo profiling float data, it is found that the average NPSTMW thickness of AEs is about 60 dbar, which is thicker than that of CEs. The NPSTMW thicker than 150 dbar in AEs accounts for 18%, whereas that in CEs accounts for only 1%. About 3377 (3517) profiles, which located within one diameter of the nearest CEs (AEs) are used to construct the CE (AE). The composite AE traps low-PV water in the center and with a convex shape in the vertical section. The ‘trapped depth’ of the composite CE (AE) is 300 m (550 m) where the rotational velocity exceeds the transitional velocity. The present study suggests that the anticyclonic eddies are not only likely to form larger amounts of NPSTMW, but also trap more NPSTMW than cyclonic eddies.     

吕宋海峡附近中尺度涡特征的统计分析

采用1993年1月到2008年12月16a融合海面高度距平数据,追踪吕宋海峡附近海域(18°～23°N,116°～126°E)中尺度涡的移动轨迹,结果表明:时间分辨率为7d的卫星高度计资料难以观测到中尺度涡从西北太平洋通过吕宋海峡传进南海的过程,但对1994年吕宋海峡中部观测到的一个气旋涡及其附近中尺度涡的运动轨迹进行分析可见,西北太平洋海面高度变化会与吕宋海峡内部海面高度耦合后向南海传播。海面高度距平数据的时间-经度图表明,西北太平洋海面高度变化信号在西传至吕宋海峡附近(121°～122°E)时出现信号不连续。对21°N,116°～140°E断面的海面高度距平数据按周期分别为1～3月、3～6月、330～390d(年信号)进行分段带通滤波,发现不同周期的西北太平洋信号穿过吕宋海峡传入南海受到的阻隔作用、向西传播的速度以及它们所受的强迫机制均不同。     

全球洋岛和洋底高原海山中的中酸性岩——数据挖掘及其意义

洋岛类型的海山和洋底高原类型的海山主要由玄武岩组成, 中酸性岩出露很少, 因此很少引起学术界的关注。 我们认为即便中酸性岩很少, 研究他们也是很有意义的, 因为这些中酸性岩不仅可能与洋岛和洋底高原玄武岩的构造背景有关, 也可能与洋岛和洋底高原在形成中酸性岩时的温度和压力变化有关, 这对正确认识洋岛和洋底高原形成的地球动力学背景是很有意义的。 本次研究收集了 GEOROC 数据库中的数据总量为 44 404 个, 经过清洗留下有效数据 3 908 个, 分为洋岛中酸性岩（OIG）、洋底高原中酸性岩（OPG）和洋底高原中酸性岩中的岛弧部分（OPAG）3 类。 学术界通常认为, 洋岛代表热点, 洋底高原温度相对较低, 属于大火成岩省。 然而, 本文对全球洋岛和洋底高原的中酸性岩浆岩的研究表明, 分布在洋岛和洋底高原的中酸性岩主要是板内环境的富碱性的粗面岩和碱性流纹岩, 洋底高原边缘可能受俯冲带的影响, 部分中酸性岩具有岛弧的地球化学特征。 按照中酸性岩的 Sr-Yb 分类, 可知洋岛中酸性岩大多属于南岭型和广西型, 洋底高原海山中酸性岩主要属于南岭型, 广西型很少, 指示洋底高原中酸性岩形成的深度比洋岛浅, 温度也比洋岛低, 同时表明中酸性岩大多形成的压力较低而温度很高, 指示伴有高热中酸性岩的洋岛和洋底高原是地球上的热点。 本文认为, 洋岛和洋底高原中酸性岩并非学术界普遍认为的是玄武岩和碧玄岩分离结晶形成的, 因为洋岛和洋底高原岩浆岩如果是双峰式分布的话, 则不大可能是分离结晶的, 其中的酸性岩部分可能是玄武岩部分熔融形成的。 同时有些岩浆演化的关系表明, 中酸性岩在哈克图解中与玄武岩受不同因素制约, 说明并非演化的关系。     

Pacific superplume-related oceanic basalts hosted by accretionary complexes of Central Asia, Russian Far East and Japan

Plume-related oceanic magmatism form oceanic islands, seamounts and plateaus (hereafter “seamounts” or “paleoseamounts”), which are important features in geological history. The accretion of oceanic seamounts to active continental margins significantly contributed to the formation of the continental crust. This paper reviews occurrences of Late Neoproterozoic–Mesozoic seamounts of the Paleo-Asian and Paleo-Pacific oceans, which are hosted by accretionary complexes (ACs) of Russian Altai, East Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russian Far East and Japan. The paleoseamounts commonly consist of Ti–LREE–Nb-enriched plume-related basalts (OIB-type or intraplate basalts) capped with massive limestone and associated with other units of oceanic plate stratigraphy (OPS): oceanic floor basalts (MORB), pelagic chert, epiclastic slope facies, etc. The paper presents available geochemical data on the plume-related basalts including the first geochemical data on the Middle Paleozoic OIB-type basalts of the Paleo-Asian Ocean hosted by the Ulaanbaatar AC of Mongolia. An emphasis is made for the structural setting of OPS units, specific geochemical features of intraplate basalts, problems of their identification, and distinguishing from magmatic units of a different origin such as MORB, island-arc and back-arc basalts. Finally, we propose a continuous, though periodical, evolution of the Pacific superplume-related magmatism, which can be more reliably proved by studying Middle Paleozoic OPS units hosted by ACs of Mongolia and Tien Shan, and discuss prospects of future studies.     

Geochemical constraints on the origin of the late Jurassic proto-Caribbean oceanic crust in Hispaniola

The nature of the oceanic crust produced through rifting and oceanic spreading between North and South America during the Late Jurassic is a key element for the Caribbean plate tectonic model reconstruction. Located in the Cordillera Central of Hispaniola, the Loma La Monja volcano-plutonic assemblage (LMA) is composed of gabbros, dolerites, basalts, and oceanic sediments, as well as metamorphic equivalents, which represent a dismembered fragment of this proto-Caribbean oceanic crust. Petrologic and geochemical data show that the LMA have a relatively broad diversity in composition, which represent the crystallization products of a typical low-pressure tholeiitic fractionation of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB)-type parental magmas, ranging from N- to E-MORB. Three geochemical groups have been distinguished in the volcanic sequence: LREE-flat to slightly LREE-enriched basalts of groups II and III occur interlayered in the lower stratigraphic levels; and LREE-depleted basalts of group I in the upper levels. Mantle melt modeling suggests that group III magmas are consistent by mixing within a mantle melt column of low-degree (<1%) melts of a deep garnet lherzolite source and high-degree (>15%) melts of a shallow spinel source, and groups II and I magmas are explained with moderate to high (14–18%) and very high (>20%) fractional melting degrees of a shallower spinel mantle source, respectively. Thus, upward in the volcanic sequence of the LMA, the magmas represent progressively more extensive melting of shallower sources, in a plume-influenced spreading ridge of the proto-Caribbean oceanic crust. Nb/Y versus Zr/Y systematics combined with recent plate tectonic model reconstructions reveal that Caribbean Colombian oceanic plateau fragments in Hispaniola formed through melting of heterogeneous mantle source regions related with distinct plumes during at least from Aptian–Albian (>96 Ma) to Late Campanian.