Crystal morphologies in pillow basalts: implications for mid-ocean ridge processes

We present the results of a detailed petrological study of a sparsely phyric basalt (MAPCO CH98-DR11) dredged along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (30°41′N). The sample contains microphenocrysts of olivine that display four different rapid-growth morphologies. Comparison of these morphologies with those obtained in dynamic crystallization experiments allows us to constrain the thermal history of the sample. The dendritic morphology (swallowtail, chain and lattice olivine) is directly related to the final quenching during magma–seawater interaction. In contrast, the three other morphologies, namely the complex polyhedral crystal, the closed hopper and the complex swallowtail morphology result from several cycles of cooling–heating (corresponding to a maximum degree of undercooling of 20–25°C) during crystal growth. These thermal variations occurred before eruption and are interpreted to be the result of turbulent convection in a small magmatic body beneath the ridge. The results suggest that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is underlain by a mush zone that releases batches of liquid during tectonic segregation. Aphyric basalts are emitted during eruptions controlled by the tectonic activity, whereas phyric basalts correspond to small fractions of magma from the mush zone mobilized by reinjections of primitive magmas.     

Magmatic effects of the lunar late heavy bombardment

Large volumes of mare basalts are present on the surface of the moon, located preferentially in large impact basins. Mechanisms relating impact basins and mare basalt eruptions have previously been suggested: lunar impacts removed low-density material that may have inhibited eruption, and created cracks for fluid flow [Icarus 139 (1999) 246], and lunar basins have long been described as catchments for magma (e.g., [Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 18 (1980) 107] and references therein). We present a new model for melt creation under near side lunar basins that is triggered by the impacts themselves. Magma can be produced in two stages. First, crater excavation depressurizes underlying material such that it may melt in-situ. Second, the cratered lithosphere rises isostatically, warping isotherms at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary which may initiate convection, in which adiabatic melting can occur. The first stage produces by far the largest volume of melt, but convective melting can continue for up to 350 Ma. We propose that giant impacts account for a large portion of the volume and longevity of mare basalt volcanism, as well as for several compositional groups, including high alumina, high titanium, KREEP-rich, and picritic magmas.     

The influence of thermochemical convection on the fixity of mantle plumes

A general feature of both isochemical and thermochemical studies of mantle convection is that horizontal plume velocities tend to be smaller than typical convective velocities, however, it is not clear which system leads to a greater fixity of mantle plumes. We perform two- and three-dimensional numerical calculations and compare both thermochemical and isochemical cases with similar convective vigor to determine whether presence of a dense component in the mantle can lead to smaller ratios of horizontal plume velocity to surface velocity. We investigate different viscosity and density contrasts between chemical components in the thermochemical calculations, and we perform isochemical calculations with both free-slip and no-slip bottom boundary conditions. We then compare both visually and quantitatively the results of the thermochemical and isochemical calculations to determine which leads to greater plume fixity. We find that horizontal plume velocities for thermochemical calculations are similar to those from isochemical calculations with no-slip bottom boundary conditions. In addition, we find that plumes tend to be more fixed for isochemical cases with free-slip bottom boundary conditions for two-dimensional calculations, however, in three dimensions, we find that plume fixity is similar to that observed in thermochemical calculations.     

沙虫干呈味及功能性成分研究

对沙虫干抽提物成分的组成进行的研究结果表明 :游离氨基酸含量 w为 10 .3% ,占抽提物含氮物质的 77.9%。抽提物组成中 ,呈甘味的 Gly(3.2 % )、Ala(2 .5% )和呈鲜味的 IMP(0 .2 7% )、Glu(0 .2 5% )、琥珀酸 (0 .35% )等成分同沙虫干独特的风味有关 ,Na 、Cl-等无机离子也同其呈味相关。此外 ,牛磺酸含量 w高达 3.2 % ,是富含牛磺酸的一种海洋生物 ;精氨酸的含量 w亦较高 ,为 1.2 %。     

14时探空在改进北京地区对流天气潜势预报中的作用

为了探讨增加14时探空对于对流天气短时临近潜势预报的作用。用1995—2005年北京地区22个人工观测站资料统计了夏季常见的对流天气日变化特征。结果表明,41．6％的雷阵雨、61．3％的冰雹以及58．5％的雷暴大风发生在15—-20时之间。利用探空资料计算并对比了出现在2006年7—9月14时探空释放后到20时期问11个雷暴个例的08时和14时BCAPE、DCAPE、CIN等对流参数。结果表明,对于多数个例,在判断对流是否发生时14时探空优于08时。因此,增加14时探空对于提高对流天气有无预报准确率有帮助。     

海河流域一次大到暴雨天气过程的预报分析

利用数值预报、常规天气图、各种物理量场、卫星云图、雷达资料等,对2005年7月22—24日影响海河流域的典型暴雨天气过程进行了综合分析。该过程是由高空槽、副热带高压边缘的暖湿气流和5号台风海棠减弱后的低气压云系的共同作用下产生的;其触发机制是冷空气从近地层楔入暖空气中,在高温高湿、层结不稳定等诸多有利条件下,冷空气前沿的上升气流在暖区激发出几个较旺盛的中小尺度的强对流云团造成此次的降水过程;数值预报在对流层中部冷平流入侵海河流域的时间和地点,对于强降水出现的时间和落区预报有一定的指示意义,日本模式和T213在此次海河流域强降水的落区预报上存在优势,德国模式在强降水量级的预报上最接近实况,但三家数值模式预报西太平洋副高西伸的位置不够准确,导致海河流域的降水预报的时空分布有一定误差。     

遥感与电法在青海甘子河断裂对流型地热勘查中的应用

利用遥感解译资料分析研究区域地质构造背景,确定甘子河为地热勘查靶区。首先用可控源音濒大地电磁测深法确定控热构造位置,然后辅以多种电法进行相互验证,查明了隐伏断裂构造带的部位、深度、倾向、倾角等形态特征,有效降低了地热勘探风险,勘查成果显著,对隐伏断裂地热勘查具有重要的指导意义。     

Stability and dynamics of the continental tectosphere

Continental cratons overlie thick, high-viscosity, thermal and chemical boundary layers, where the chemical boundary layers are less dense than they would be due to thermal effects alone, perhaps because they are depleted in basaltic constituents. If the continental tectosphere is the same age as the overlying Archaean crust, then the continental tectosphere must be able to survive for several billion years without undergoing a convective instability, despite being both cold and thick. Since platforms and shields correlate only weakly with Earth's gravity and geoid anomalies, acceptable models of the continental tectosphere must also satisfy this gravity constraint. We investigate the long-term stability of the continental tectosphere by carrying out a number of numerical convection experiments within a two-dimensional Cartesian domain. We initiate our experiments with a tectosphere (thermal and chemical boundary layers) immersed in a region of uniform composition, temperature, and viscosity, and consider the effects on the stability of the tectosphere of (1) activation energy (used to define the temperature dependence of viscosity), (2) compositional buoyancy, and (3) linear or non-linear rheology. The large lateral thermal gradients required to match oceanic and tectosphere structures initiate the dominant instability, a “drip” which develops at the side of the tectosphere and moves to beneath its center. High activation energies and high background viscosities restrict the amount and rate of entrainment. Compositional buoyancy does not significantly change the flow pattern. Rather, compositional buoyancy slows the destruction process somewhat and reduces the stress within the tectosphere. With a non-Newtonian rheology, this reduction in stress helps to stiffen the tectosphere. In these experiments, dynamical systems that adequately model the present ocean-continent structures have activation energy E*≥180 kJ mole⁻¹ — a value about one third the estimate of activation energy for olivine, E*≈520 kJ mole⁻¹. Although for E*≈520 kJ mole⁻¹, compositional buoyancy is not required for the tectosphere to survive, the joint application of longevity and gravity constraints allows us to reject all models not containing compositional buoyancy, and to predict that the ratio of compositional to thermal buoyancy within the continental tectosphere is approximately unity.