Explosion seismic reflections from the Earth’s core

Recent seismological studies have presented evidence for the existence of a layer with ultra-low seismic velocities at the core-mantle boundary at ca. 2900 km depth. We report high-amplitude, high-frequency, and laterally coherent seismic arrivals from three nuclear explosions in Siberia. With recording station intervals of 15 km, the seismic phases are readily correlated and show the presence of a thin, ultra-low velocity zone in a region where it was not previously reported. The duration and complexity of the arrivals are inconsistent with a simple core-mantle boundary and require a hitherto unidentified, kilometre-scale, fine structure in the ultra-low velocity zone. The observations may be explained by a ca. 7 km thick, two-layer, ultra-low velocity zone with exceptional low velocities, which indicate the presence of high percentages of melt (>15%), in particular in the lower part of the zone. Waveform variation implies lateral change in the thickness and physical properties of the ultra-low velocity zone with a wavelength of less than 100 km.     

Characterisation of the 1997 Vulcanian explosions of Soufrière Hills Volcano,Montserrat, by video analysis

The activity of Convention at Montserrat Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, during the period 1995–1999 included numerous violent explosions. Two major cycles of Vulcanian explosions occurred in 1997: a first of 13 explosions between 4 and 12 August and a second of 75 between 22 September and 21 October. The explosions were short-lived events lasting a few tens of seconds during which partial fountain collapse generated pyroclastic surges and pyroclastic flows, and buoyant plumes ascended 3–15 km into the atmosphere. Each explosion discharged on average 3×10⁵ m³ (dense-rock equivalent, DRE) of magma, draining the conduit to depths of 1–2 km. The paper focuses on the first few seconds of three explosions of the 75 that occurred in September/October 1997: 6 October 1997 at 17:50, 7 October 1997 at 16:02 and 9 October 1997 at 12:32. Physical parameters such as exit velocities, magmatic water contents and magma pressures at fragmentation are estimated by following and modelling the ascent of individual momentum-dominated finger jets visible on videos during the initial stages of each explosion. The model treats each finger jet as an incompressible flow sustained by a steady flux of gas and particles during the few seconds of ascent, and produces results that compare favourably with those using a multiphase compressible code run using similar eruptive parameters. Each explosion reveals a progressive increase in eruptive intensity with time, jet exit velocities increasing from 40 m s^–1 at the beginning of the explosion up to 140 m s^–1 after a few seconds. Modelling suggests that the first magma to exit was largely degassed, whereas that discharged after a few seconds contained up to 2 wt% water. Magma overpressures up to ~10 MPa are estimated to have existed in the conduit immediately prior to each explosion. Progressive increases in jet exit velocity with time over the first few seconds of each explosion provide direct evidence for strong pre-eruptive gradients in water content and magma pressure in the upper reaches (probably 100–500 m) of the conduit. Fountain collapse occurred during the first 10–20 s of each explosion because the discharging jets had bulk densities up to 100 times that of the atmosphere and were unable to entrain enough air to become buoyant. Such high eruptive densities were due to the presence of partially degassed magma in the conduit.Editorial responsibility: A. Woods     

A methane fuse for the Cambrian explosion: carbon cycles and true polar wander

The dramatic diversification of animal groups known as the Cambrian Explosion (evolution's ‘Big Bang’) remains an unsolved puzzle in Earth Science. The Vendian–Cambrian interval is characterized by anomalously high rates of apparent plate motion, interpreted as True Polar Wander (TPW), and by more than a dozen large, high-frequency perturbations in carbon isotopes that dwarf all others observed through the past 65 million years. We suggest that these biological, tectonic, and geochemical events are intimately related in the following fashion. First, tropical continental margins and shelf-slopes which formed during fragmentation of the supercontinent Rodinia accumulated massive quantities of isotopically-light organic carbon during Late Neoproterozoic time, as indicated by strikingly heavy isotope ratios in inorganic carbon during interglacial intervals. Second, an initial phase of Vendian TPW moved these organic-rich deposits to high latitude, where conditions favored trapping biogenic methane in layers of gas hydrate and perhaps permafrost. Continued sedimentation during Late Vendian time added additional hydrate/gas storage volume and stabilized underlying units until the geothermal gradient moved them out of the clathrate stability field, building up deep reservoirs of highly pressurized methane. Finally, a burst of TPW brought these deposits back to the Tropics, where they gradually warmed and were subjected to regional-scale thermohaline eddy variation and related sedimentation regime changes. Responding to the stochastic character of such changes, each reservoir reached a critical failure point independently at times throughout the Cambrian. By analogy with the Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum event, these methane deposits yield transient, greenhouse-induced pulses of global warming when they erupt. Temperature correlates powerfully with biodiversity; the biochemical kinetics of metabolism at higher temperature decrease generation time and maintain relatively rich and dense invertebrate populations. Repeated thermal pulses along with progressive disruption and alteration of global ocean circulation patterns by TPW could cause the increase in diversity that accompanied the radiation of metazoans. We suggest that a methane ‘fuse’ ignited the Cambrian Evolutionary Explosion.     

寒武纪早期澄江生物群小细丝海绵属新材料

文章描述了云南寒武纪早期澄江生物群小细丝海绵属一新种——螺旋小细丝海绵（Leptomitella spiralis sp. nov.）。新种 具有横向骨针束围绕海绵体呈螺旋状排列的典型特征，明显区别于属内其他种；此外，在外部形态和骨针类型上与属内其他种 也存在较大差异。新种的发现增加了Leptomitella种间形态结构的多样性，也为海绵动物的早期演化及寒武纪海绵动物辐射演 化研究提供新的化石资料。     

华北板块寒武系开腔骨类（Chancelloriids）化石新材料

文章对采自华北板块山东潍坊、河北唐山和辽宁大连的寒武系开腔骨类化石的新材料进行了研究，这些化石鉴定为 Chancelloria 属。辽宁大连地区的Chancelloria 产自寒武系第二统第四阶馒头组下部的黄绿色页岩；山东潍坊地区的 Chancelloria 产自苗岭统乌溜阶馒头组上部的黄绿色页岩和鼓山阶张夏组的深灰色中厚层灰岩；河北唐山地区的Chancelloria 产于芙蓉统江山阶长山组的薄层灰岩，该层位是目前Chancelloria 属在中国产出的最高层位，也是全球的最高层位之一。这 些来自华北寒武系第二统—芙蓉统的Chancelloria 骨片与早期的骨片相比，展现出骨片形态趋于规则、基面从浑圆趋于平 整、骨片整合度提升的特点，进一步印证了之前关于此类问题的研究结论。     

吉林东南部早寒武含铜层及其形成的古地理分析

吉林省东南部早寒武世晚期地层中含有数层含铜层，它们主要赋存在红色岩层所夹的灰绿黄绿色岩层之中。本区含铜层的形成与当时富氧阶段中的缺氧时期息息相关；而且该类型含铜层主要产自滨海或滨浅海地带，受当时古地理严格控制     

华北地台中寒武世米级旋四层序与复合海平面变化

笔者在对华北地区中寒武统颐滩碳酸盐建造露头层序地层学研究工作中首次识别出层序中最基本的地层单元──米级旋回层序，它是露头层序分析最基本的工作单元。本文总结概括出不同体系域内米级旋回层序类型和特征。这些米级旋四层序在塞向上叠加构成高级（五级、四级、三级）旋回层序时表现出周期性和规律性。这种不同级次的旋回层序的形成受不同动力成因引起的具不同周期和频率复合海平面变化的控制。米级旋回层序的识别与复合海平面变化的研究得出中寒武世鲕滩层序的形成经历了若干次周期性的淹没－间断－均衡堆积－加积进积事件，这为盆地充填史的恢复提供了新途径。     

河北唐山—卢龙地区寒武－奥陶系界线地层的牙形刺及其重要属种的演化

本文对唐山和卢龙地区寒武－奥陶系界线地层中的牙形刺再次进行研究，厘定了过去报道的一些重要属种，并对最具地层意义的Ｃｏｒｄｙｌｏｄｕｓ的几个种的演化进行了分析。指出了该属的两个进化系列，第一支进化系列是Ｅｏｃｏｎｏｄｏｎｔｕｓｎｏｔｃｈｐｅａｋｅｎｓｉｓ－Ｃｏｒｄｙｌｏｄｕｓｐｒｉｍｉｔｉｖｕｓ－Ｃ．ｐｒｏａｖｕｓ－Ｃ．ｃａｂｏｔｉ－Ｃ．ｉｎｔｅｒｍｅｄｉｕｓ－Ｃ．ａｎｇｕｌａｔｕｓ；而另一支则是Ｅｏｃｏｎｏｄｏｎｔｕｓｎｏｔｃｈｐｅａｋｅｎｓｉｓ－Ｃ．ｃａｂｏｔｉ－Ｃ．ｐｒｏｌｉｎｄｓｔｒｏｍｉ－Ｃ．ｌｉｎｄｓｔｒｏｍｉ－Ｃ．ｐｒｉｏｎ。本文对寒武－奥陶系界线的几个划分方案也进行了简单的讨论     

中国东部寒武系与奥陶系界线地层的碳氧同位素研究

对我国东部不同地层区一些代表性的寒武系-奥陶系界线层位开展了碳?氧同位素研究?结果表明,由于沉积环境差异和成岩蚀变影响,界线层位的δ18O值变化较大,规律性不明显,δ13C值变化虽小,但在界线处均发生不同程度漂移?漂移的层位与寒武纪-奥陶纪主要生物群面貌变化的界线相一致?综合各方面资料分析,笔者认为,碳同位素组成的漂移很可能由晚寒武世到早奥陶世时期内海平面的升降所引起.     

陆相渐新统划分中的问题及新进展

近年来国际上关于始新世－渐新世界线的研究取得了重大进展，其同位素年龄被确认为３４Ｍａ，北美哺乳动物年代表已据此重新厘定。通过对哺乳动物群的分析和对比，论证了我国原认为是早渐新世的乌兰戈楚期和呼尔井期的时代应改归晚始新世，原认为是中渐新世的三达河期的时代应为早渐新世。在亚洲始新世－渐新世的界线不是在乌兰戈楚期之末，而是在呼尔井期与三达河期之间。