Metamorphic evolution of oceanic gabbros: recrystallization from subsolidus to hydrothermal conditions in the MARK area (ODP Leg 153)

The 117.38 m of gabbroic core drilled during the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 153 at Sites 921 to 924 in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) between 23 °N and the Kane Fracture Zone, exhibits a remarkable primary compositional heterogeneity, such as magmatic layering, intrusive contacts and late magmatic veining, which express a succession of magmatic events. Textural indicators suggest that the cooling of the crystal mush occurred in a dynamic environment, with infiltration of progressively evolved liquids. Magmatic features include random shape fabric and magmatic lamination; the subsequent deformational overprint occurred in subsolidus conditions. The ductile deformation, generally concentrated in discrete domains of the gabbro, is associated with continuous re-equilibration of the metamorphic assemblages of (1) olivine + clinopyroxene + orthopyroxene + plagioclase + ilmenite + Ti-magnetite, (2) olivine + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + ilmenite + Ti-magnetite + red hornblende. At lower temperatures brittle deformation prevails and subsequent fractures control the development of metamorphic assemblages: (3) clinopyroxene + plagioclase + red brown hornblende + Ti-magnetite + magnetite (?) + ilmenite, (4) plagioclase + brown hornblende + Ti-magnetite + magnetite + hematite + titanite ± Ti-oxide, (5) plagioclase + green hornblende + magnetite + titanite, (6) plagioclase + actinolite + chlorite + titanite + magnetite, (7) albite + actinolite + chlorite + prehnite ± epidote ± titanite and (8) albite + prehnite + chlorite ± smectite. Assemblages 1 to 8 express increasing water/rock ratios and decreasing degrees of recrystallization.

During the ductile phase, red hornblende is stable and its abundance increases with deformation intensity, possibly as an effect of the introduction of hydrous fluids. During the brittle phase, water diffusion controls the development of the fracture-filling mineral assemblages and re-equilibration of the adjacent rock; temperatures decrease further, as demonstrated by mineral zoning and incompletely re-equilibrated assemblages. The lowest temperatures correspond to the development of hydrothermal assemblages.

Compared with oceanic gabbros from fast-spreading transform environments, high-temperature ductile phases (granulite and amphibolite) are well developed, whereas brittle phases are widespread, as microcracks, prevalent on fracturing associated with discrete veins.     

Attenuation differences in layer 2A in intermediate- and slow-spreading oceanic crust

In situ seismic attenuationQ⁻¹logs are derived from borehole velocity profiles and reveal sharp boundaries between morphologies of the extrusive volcanic layers in intermediate- and slow-spreading oceanic crust.Q⁻¹logs are calculated from the scattering attenuation associated with vertical velocity heterogeneity in Ocean Drilling Program Holes 504B and 896A and in Hole 395A, located in 5.9–7.3 Ma crust on the Pacific and Atlantic plates, respectively. Our results strongly tie crustal properties to seismic measurables and observed geological structures: we find that the scattering attenuation can be used to identify the extrusive volcanic sequence because it is closely related to changes in the degree of vertical heterogeneity. We interpret a distinct decrease in the Q⁻¹log at the transition below the extrusive volcanic layer to correspond with the seismic layer 2A/2B boundary. The boundary is located at 465 m depth below the sea floor in both Hole 395A and 504B, although this is likely to be a coincidence of the sediment thickness at these sites. Layer 2A is estimated to be approximately 150 m thick in Hole 504B and > 300 m thick in Hole 395A. Cyclic sequences of high-porosity pillows and low-porosity massive units in the uppermost 100 m of volcanics in Hole 395A result in large velocity heterogeneities which cause > 5 times more attenuation in this layer than in Hole 504B. In Hole 896A, by contrast, fewer pillows, more massive flows, and a greater volume of carbonate veins decrease the velocity heterogeneity and attenuation significantly over only 1 km distance from Hole 504B. We conclude that the attenuation in the extrusive volcanics of the ocean crust is largely controlled by variation in local heterogeneity and morphology as well as by subsequent hydrothermal alteration. The observed differences inQ⁻¹profiles and layer 2A thickness at these sites may be attributed to variations in the volume and duration of volcanic activity at mid-ocean spreading centers for these Pacific and Atlantic ridge segments.     

Paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands: Plate tectonic synthesis from 750 Ma to the present

Abstract A series of paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands, from their birth at ca 750–700 Ma to the present, is newly compiled from the viewpoint of plate tectonics. This series consists of 20 maps that cover all of the major events in the geotectonic evolution of Japan. These include the birth of Japan at the rifted continental margin of the Yangtze craton ( ca 750-700 Ma), the tectonic inversion of the continental margin from passive to active ( ca 500 Ma), the Paleozoic accretionary growth incorporating fragments from seamounts and oceanic plateaux ( ca 480-250 Ma), the collision between Sino-Korea and Yangtze (250–210 Ma), the Mesozoic to Cenozoic accretionary growth (210 Ma-present) including the formation of the Cretaceous paired metamorphic belts (90 Ma), and the Miocene back-arc opening of the Japan Sea that separated Japan as an island arc (25-15 Ma).     

ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE DIAGNOSIS OF OCEANIC EXPLOSIVE CYCLONES*

Using the data of ECMWF (European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) to undertake composite diagnoses of 16 explosive cyclones occurring at the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans,it is found that there are a lot of obvious discrepancies on the basic fields between these strong and weak explosive cyclones.The major reasons why the explosive cyclones over the Atlantic are stronger than those over the Pacific Ocean are that the non-zonal upper jet and the low-level warm moist flow over the Atlantic are stronger.The non-zonal upper jet offers stronger divergence,baroclinicity and baroclinic instability fields for explosive cyclones.Anticyclonic curvature at the high level of strong explosive cyclones is easy to make the inertia-gravitational wave developing at the moment of northward transfer of energy and stimulate the cyclones deepening quickly.Warm advection and diabatic heating can cause the upper isobaric surface lifting,as a result,the anticyclone curvature of cyclones enlarges,and wave energy develops easily as well.The most powerful period of the development of explosive cyclones is just the time when the positive vorticity advection center is located over the low vortex.At the upper level,when the distribution of potential vorticity contours changes suddenly from rareness to denseness,and the large values of the potential vorticity both in the west and north sides of cyclones extend downwards together,then cyclones are easy to explosively develop.The formation of strong explosive cyclones is closely related with the non-zonality of upper jet and the anticyclonic curvature.     

东昆仑阿尔格山二叠纪生物礁的特征及其古地理古气候的意义

东昆仑山脉西段二叠纪生物礁由早二叠世、中二叠世的栖霞期和茅口期三个层位组成，早二叠世的礁和中二叠世栖霞期的礁是我国首次发现的，填补了我国二叠纪礁的空白。早二叠世礁的时代相当于阿赛尔-萨克马尔-阿丁斯克期，主要表现为海绵礁、苔藓虫礁和Shamovella(Tubiphytes)-古石孔藻礁。但缺失由Palaeoaplysina组成的礁。中二叠世栖霞期的礁表现为海绵-苔藓虫礁、Shamovella-苔藓虫礁和叶状藻礁。中二叠世茅口期的礁与栖霞期的礁类型基本一致。阿尔格山礁是塔吉克斯坦-喀拉昆仑地体的一个部分，该地体位于南纬30°以北的东特提斯海内。此处的二叠纪礁由各种生物组成，包括珊瑚海绵、苔藓虫、Shamovella.古石孔藻、棘皮类、有孔虫、叶状藻、粗枝藻以及腹足类等，推测该礁形成于温暖和炎热气候条件下的暖水内，而非冷水礁。     

K–Ar geochronology of the temporal change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula, central Japan

Abstract   A recent K–Ar study elucidated that eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula changed from polygenetic to monogenetic volcano at 0.3–0.2 Ma. To narrow down the time of change, we determined 10 K–Ar ages on Togasayama Andesite of Amagi volcano, the youngest polygenetic volcano in the area, and Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano, one of the oldest monogenetic volcanoes in the area, which overlies a part of the Togasayama Andesite. Dating results showed that the Togasayama Andesite effused at least from 0.34 to 0.20 Ma, whereas the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano erupted at 0.26–0.29 Ma, suggesting that the northern part of the Togasayama Andesite effused after the eruption of the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano. Considering previous data, it is therefore inferred that change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu area occurred during the period 0.29–0.20 Ma, with considerable overlap of both polygenetic and monogenetic volcanism.     

利用ARGO资料改进海洋资料同化和海洋模式中的物理过程

国际ARGO计划的实施每年将可提供多达 10万个剖面 (0～ 2 0 0 0m水深 )的海水温度和盐度资料 ,这些资料的获取无疑将会大大促进海洋和大气科学的发展 ,使人们加深对海洋过程的了解 ,揭示海 气相互作用的机理 ,为长期天气预报和短期气候预测提供模式初始场 ,提高长期天气预报和短期气候预测的能力。如何利用这些资料开展研究工作以及在实际业务中应用这些资料是目前大气和海洋科学界的一个前沿课题。本研究将ARGO浮标资料引入了国家气候中心的NCC GODAS同化系统 ,结果分析表明 ,同化ARGO资料后所得到的海温场在三大洋中不仅在温度数值的大小 ,而且在分布形式方面都与观测场具有较好的一致性 ,可以很好地反映出观测到的冬季和夏季海温的分布形式以及海温的季节变化特征和异常特征。本研究还应用最新的ARGO海洋观测资料 ,通过建立新的热带西太平洋次表层海温参数化方案 ,改进了Zebiak Cane(1987)海洋模式 (ZC模式 ) ,克服了ZC模式几乎没有模拟赤道西太平洋表层和次表层海温变化能力的缺陷。在ZC模式中引用新的次表层海温参数化方案后 ,在赤道西太平洋不仅次表层海温的模拟得到了改善 ,对海面温度异常的模拟也有了较大的改进 ,不仅模拟出了赤道西太平洋表层和次表层海温异常的年际变化特征 ,也模拟出了与观     

加强埃达克岩研究，开创中国Cu、Au等找矿工作的新局面

埃达克岩与浅成低温热液Au-Ag及斑岩型Cu、Cu-Au矿床有密切的关系，环太平洋地区多数大型和世界级的斑岩铜矿均与埃达克岩有关。埃达克岩有利于成矿的关键因素与埃达克岩形成时角闪石转变为石榴石的脱水作用有关，而水能萃取出在地幔和基性岩中富集的金属元素。因此，埃达克岩集中分布的地区有利于铜、金等矿化的聚集。中国铜矿资源严重不足，解决这个紧迫问题的出路在寻找斑岩铜矿。全球铜矿主要分布在环太平洋地区，中国与环太平洋类似的地区不是中国东部，而是古亚洲洋造山带、东北吉黑东部和西藏冈底斯。从国家目标出发，建议实施铜、金等找矿工作的战略转移，把浅成低温热液和斑岩型Au、Cu、Ag等矿床找矿的重点放在古生代的古亚洲洋造山带、晚古生代-中生代的吉黑东部和中-新生代的冈底斯地区。古亚洲洋造山带首选阿尔泰西南缘-东准噶尔、东天山和内蒙古中部3个地区。埃达克岩可以作为找矿标志来使用，因此，在找矿思路上也应当有一个变化，即：先找埃达克岩，再找矿。     

中国东部中新生代构造格局和岩浆岩带的形成与演化

在研究印支期秦岭-大别-苏鲁造山带的形成与地幔差速环流的基础上，系统综合了中国东部中新生代的基底构造对断裂构造的控制，深层构造对隆凹与断陷盆地的制约，伸展构造在陆内及陆缘外的表现，岩浆岩带的时空分布及展布特点等规律，依据中国东部中新生代构造格局与岩浆岩带在时空分布上的宽阔性、方向性、迁移性、分带性，特别是深层构造对浅层断裂构造、伸展构造的制约，以及岩浆岩带、隆起与盆地等自西向东迁移特点，提出其形成机制可能与强大地幔东向差速环流有关。     

Genesis of Kanggur Gold Deposit in Eastern Tianshan Orogenic Belt, NW China: Fluid Inclusion and Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Constraints

Abstract. Primary fluid inclusions in quartz and carbonates from the Kanggur gold deposit are dominated by aqueous inclusions, with subsidiary CO₂-H₂O inclusions that have a constant range in CO₂ content (10–20 vol %). Microthermometric results indicate that total homogenization temperatures have a wide but similar range for both aqueous inclusions (120 to 310C) and CO₂-H₂O inclusions (140 to 340C). Estimates of fluid salinity for CO₂-H₂O inclusions are quite restricted (5.9∼10.3 equiv. wt% NaCl), whereas aqueous inclusions show much wider salinity ranging from 2.2 to 15.6 equivalent wt %NaCl.
The 6D values of fluid inclusions in carbonates vary from -45 to -61 %, in well accord with the published δD values of fluid inclusions in quartz (-46 to -66 %). Most of the δ¹⁸O and δD values of the ore-forming fluids can be achieved by exchanged meteoric water after isotopic equilibration with wall rock by fluid/rock interaction at a low water/rock ratio. However, the exchanged meteoric water alone cannot explain the full range of δ¹⁸O and δD values, magmatic and/or meta-morphic water should also be involved. The wide salinity in aqueous inclusions may also result from mixing of meteoric water and magmatic and/or metamorphic water.