A cold pool south of Indo-Sri Lanka channel and its intrusion into the Southeastern Arabian Sea during winter

During winter, south of the Indo-Sri Lanka Channel (ISLC), the observed sea-surface temperature (SST) distribution shows a distinct mini-cold pool (MCP) with relatively cooler waters (SST<28 °C). All the available satellite and in-situ measurements are utilized to characterize and explain the mechanisms that govern the evolution of the observed MCP. During December–January, the northeasterly surface winds blow through the ISLC manifesting a patch of strong winds in the south with peak intensity of about 10 m/s, enhance surface turbulent heat losses and drive near-surface vertical mixing resulting in the observed cooling. The vertical temperature profiles in this region also show cooling and deepening of the near-surface isothermal layer from November to January. This cooling occurs episodically on an intra-seasonal time scale with a typical periodicity of 8–15 days and is stronger when the surface winds intensify, surface net heat losses are larger and the near-surface circulation is more pronounced. The cooling episodes varied in number, intensity, duration and spatial extent in each winter during 1998–2006. The cooler surface waters from this MCP flow initially southwestward and are then topographically steered northwestward by the Maldives Island Chain. The resultant near-surface circulation also appears to strengthen the amplitude of the near-surface thermal inversions observed in the SouthEastern Arabian Sea (SEAS).     

The evolution of the southern margin of the East European Craton based on seismic and potential field data

This paper presents an integrated geophysical study of the southern margin of the East European Craton (EEC) in the Karpinksy Swell-North Caucasus area. It presents new interpretations of deep refraction and wide-angle reflection “deep seismic sounding” (DSS) data as well as conventional seismic and CDP profiling and new analyses of potential field data, including three-dimensional gravity and magnetic modelling. An integrated model of the physical properties and structure of the Earth's crust and, partially, upper mantle displays distinct features that are related to tectonic history of the study area. The Voronezh Massif (VM), the Ukrainian Shield and Rostov Dome (RD) of the EEC as well as the Donbas Foldbelt (DF), Karpinsky Swell (KS), Scythian Plate (SP) and Precaspian Basin (PCB) constitute the geodynamic ensemble that developed on the southern margin of the continent Baltica. There proposed evolutionary model comprises a stage of rifting during the middle to late Devonian, post-rift extension and subsidence during Carboniferous–early Permian times (synchronous with and related to the southward displacement of the Rostov Dome and extension in a palaeo-Scythian back-arc basin), and subsequent Mesozoic and younger evolution. A pre-Ordovician, possibly Riphean (?), mafic magmatic complex is inferred on a near vertical reflection seismic cross-section through the western portion of the Astrakhan Dome in the southwest part of the Precaspian Basin. This complex combined with evidence of a subducting slab in the upper mantle imply the presence of pre-Ordovician (Riphean?) island arc, with synchronous extension in a Precaspian back-arc basin is suggested. A middle Palaeozoic back-arc basin ensemble in what is now the western Karpinsky Swell was more than 100 km to the south from its present location. The Stavropol High migrated northwards, dislocating and moving fragments of this back-arc basin sometime thereafter. Linear positive magnetic anomalies reflect the position of associated faults, which define the location of the eastern segment of the Karpinsky Swell. These faults, which dip northward, are recognised on crustal DSS profiles crossing the Donbas Foldbelt and Scythian Plate. They are interpreted in terms of compressional tectonics younger than the Hercynian stage of evolution (i.e., post-Palaeozoic).     

浅谈板块运动的动力

在对固体潮计算的基础上,提出固体潮很可能是使印度洋板块向南挤压中国大陆的力源,而地球自转角速度的变化很可能是太平洋板块沿东西方向挤压中国大陆的力源。     

45 ka以来阿拉伯海西南部物源和阶段性沉积演变

选取阿拉伯海西南部沉积物柱状样CJ09-03顶部100 cm样品开展粒度、元素、黏土矿物以及AMS¹⁴C测年分析,探讨了45 ka以来研究区的物源、沉积演变及其制约因素。黏土和元素组成显示,研究区沉积物除含有较多的有孔虫等微体生物壳体和碎片以外,还具有明显的陆源属性;(La/Sm)_UCC-(Gd/Yb)_UCC及黏土矿物组成显示沉积物的来源相对复杂,主要物源地有塔尔沙漠、非洲东北部、伊朗和阿拉伯半岛。结合前人的西阿拉伯海季风指标δ¹⁵N,伊利石化学指数、K/Al、1−CaCO₃(%)等,可将阿拉伯海西南部45 ka以来沉积演化分为末次冰期、末次盛冰期、冰消期以及全新世阶段4个阶段,不同阶段物质来源和贡献主要是受到海平面升降以及印度洋季风强弱的影响。     

The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary beneath the western United States

S receiver functions from 67 broad-band seismic stations in the western United States clearly reveal the existence of a mantle discontinuity with velocity reduction downward, which we interpret as the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB). The average depth of the LAB is ∼70 km. The boundary is relatively sharp with an overall sharpness of less than 20 km. The boundary is more prominent south of the Mendocino Triple Junction, where the Farallon Plate has completely subducted. This may indicate partial melts at the base of the lithosphere caused by the upwelling of the asthenospheric flow through the slab window. A double low velocity zone is observed at base of the lithosphere beneath southern Sierra Nevada, implying a second melting zone at a depth of ∼100 km, well correlated with previous studies of lithospheric delamination in the area.     

Westward younging disposition of Philippine ophiolites and its implication for arc evolution

Abstract   The different ophiolite complexes in the Philippine island arc system define a progressive younging direction westward. This resulted from the clockwise rotation of the Philippine island arc system during its north-westward translation in the Eocene resulting in its western boundary colliding with the Sundaland–Eurasian margin. As a consequence of this interaction, ophiolite complexes and mélanges accreted into the Philippine island arc system along its western side. A new ophiolite zonation with four belts is proposed that takes into consideration the observed spatial and temporal relationships of the exposed oceanic lithosphere slices. With progressive younging from east to west, Belt 1 corresponds to Late Cretaceous complete ophiolite complexes with associated metamorphic soles along the eastern Philippines, whereas Belt 2 includes Early to Late Cretaceous dismembered ultramafic-mafic complexes with mélanges exposed mainly west of eastern Philippines. Belt 3 is defined by Cretaceous through Eocene to Oligocene ophiolite complexes emplaced along the collision zone between the Philippine Mobile Belt and the Sundaland–Eurasian margin. Belt 4 corresponds to the ophiolite complexes emplaced along continental margins as exposed in the Palawan and Zamboanga–Sulu areas. This proposed zonation hints that the whole Philippine Mobile Belt, except for the strike-slip fault bounded Eocene Zambales ophiolite complex in Luzon, is underlain by Cretaceous proto-Philippine Sea Plate fragments. This is contrary to the previous models that consider only the eastern margin of the Philippines to contain proto-Philippine Sea Plate materials.     

白云鄂博中二叠世巴音珠日和岩体地球化学特征及构造意义

白云鄂博巴音珠日和岩体位于华北板块北缘中段的东升庙-太仆寺旗岩浆岩带上。该岩体由角闪辉长岩和石英闪长 岩组成,其地球化学性质显示：低硅高铝,SiO2=49.72%~59.34%,Al2O3=15.79%~19.50%,Mg#=38~44 ;大离子亲石元素 （LILE）富集（如Ba=829×10-6~1104×10-6,Sr=502×10-6~726×10-6）、高场强元素（HFSE,Nb,Ta等）亏损、轻稀土（LREE）富集（La/Yb）N=5.0~11.4,多数样品为弱负铕异常（δEu=0.63~1.09）;低Sr/Nd（12~24）和La/Nb（1.33~2.39）比值显示了板内岩浆作用特征。两个角闪辉长岩的高Nb/Th （9.6~18.4）比值显示了非弧玄武质岩浆特征。岩体的锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年龄为（265±2） Ma,代表岩体侵位年龄。锆石εHf（t ）=-13.0~-17.2、t DMC=2.12~2.38 Ga,显示了较明显的下地壳基底组 分的加入。巴音珠日和岩体可能为后碰撞背景下,地壳的伸展减薄造成基性下地壳的部分熔融,熔体与来自富集地幔的玄 武质岩浆发生部分混合,随后经进一步分异结晶作用形成。     

Control of paleoshorelines by trench forebulge uplift,Loyalty Islands

Unlike most tropical Pacific islands, which lie along island arcs or hotspot chains, the Loyalty Islands between New Caledonia and Vanuatu owe their existence and morphology to the uplift of pre-existing atolls on the flexural forebulge of the New Hebrides Trench. The configuration and topography of each island is a function of distance from the crest of the uplifted forebulge. Both Maré and Lifou are fully emergent paleoatolls upon which ancient barrier reefs form highstanding annular ridges that enclose interior plateaus representing paleolagoon floors, whereas the partially emergent Ouvea paleoatoll rim flanks a drowned remnant lagoon. Emergent paleoshoreline features exposed by island uplift include paleoreef flats constructed as ancient fringing reefs built to past low tide levels and emergent tidal notches incised at past high tide levels. Present paleoshoreline elevations record uplift rates of the islands since last-interglacial and mid-Holocene highstands in global and regional sea levels, respectively, and paleoreef stratigraphy reflects net Quaternary island emergence. The empirical uplift rates vary in harmony with theoretical uplift rates inferred from the different positions of the islands in transit across the trench forebulge at the trench subduction rate. The Loyalty Islands provide a case study of island environments controlled primarily by neotectonics.     

Significant crustal structural variation across the Chaochou Fault, southern Taiwan: New tectonic implications for convergent plate boundary

The Chaochou Fault, a major geological boundary in southern Taiwan is considered to be a part of the convergent plate boundary between the Eurasia Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate. We applied the Common Conversion Point stacking technique to teleseismic radial receiver functions and obtained Moho variation and crustal structure across the Chaochou Fault. In the Eurasia Plate to its west, the Moho depth is about 37 km and the crust is subducting to the east beneath the Philippine Sea Plate with a dip angle of about 30° between the Backbone Belt and the Tananao Schist. In the Philippine Sea Plate, the Moho depth is about 17 km. The Longitudinal Valley marks the collision boundary between the Eurasia Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate. The results suggest that the depth extent of the Chaochou Fault is about 30–35 km and the fault becomes a “shallow-angle” thrust fault at depth. The Common Conversion Point image also shows several bending interfaces of velocity contrast in the crust. We proposed a simple model to explain the Philippine Sea Plate and Eurasia Plate collision process and the observed crustal deformations.     

Evolution of the Malvinas Plate South of Africa

We confirm that a Malvinas Plate is required in the Agulhas Basin during the Late Cretaceous because: (1) oblique Mercator plots of marine gravity show that fracture zones generated on the Agulhas rift, as well as the Agulhas Fracture Zone, do not lie on small circles about the 33o-28y South America-Africa stage pole and were therefore not formed by South America-Africa spreading, (2) the 33o-28y South America-Africa stage rotation does not bring 33o magnetic anomalies on the Malvinas Plate into alignment with their conjugates on the African Plate, and (3) errors in the 33o-28y South America-Africa stage rotation cannot account for the misalignment. We present improved Malvinas-Africa finite rotations determined by interpreting magnetic anomaly data in light of fracture zones and extinct spreading rift segments (the Agulhas rift) that are clearly revealed in satellite-derived marine gravity fields covering the Agulhas Basin. The tectonic history of the Malvinas Plate is chronicled through gravity field reconstructions that use the improved Malvinas-Africa finite rotations and more recent South America-Africa and Antarctica-Africa finite rotations. Newly-mapped triple junction traces on the Antarctic, South American, Malvinas, and African Plates, combined with geometric and magnetic constraints observed in the reconstructions, enable us to investigate the locations of the elusive western and southern boundaries of the Malvinas Plate. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.